The Spirit Takes the Fifth ...

[marni1971]

That's a no for old Geoff then?

 

[FrankLapidus]

No one has a comment to make about this idea?

I think its a bad one.

 

[CDavid]

I just want to through an idea in the air and see what you all think of it.

Disney should sell off the monorail system to an outside company and include expansion airspace within WDW as part of the deal. The company buying it could then modernize the system and expand it, and even bring it outside the gates of WDW. They could convert it to a maglev relatively easy, as a maglev is also a monorail and is structurally similar. They could extend it to International Drive, Orlando International Airport, the Florida Mall, downtown, etc. There are companies with money that already want to build maglevs in Orlando.

Maglev is a boondoggle on the scale of MyMagic+. It is far, far more expensive than monorail or conventional rail and absolutely useless on short trips such as within Walt Disney World. Even on longer trips (say, 100 miles or more) maglev borders on impractical, if it doesn't cross the line.

He is playing him again. Why is this bizarre? He, Luke, Leia, and possibly Lando are in this trilogy as older characters. Their children, who will be in their late teens and early twenties, are the focus of the story.

This makes me nervous. The very last thing anyone wants to see is Twilight meets Star Wars.

 

[jdmdisney99]

This makes me nervous. The very last thing anyone wants to see is Twilight meets Star Wars.

I don't think you're looking at it right. It fits in the same mold the franchise already has.
Prequels = Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padme
Original = Anakin's children (Luke and Leia), Han Solo
Sequel = Luke, Leia and Han's children (blank, blank, and blank)
It fits the same pattern and I assume there will be two sons and one daughter, trying to follow that pattern as well. Luke, Leia and Han were all young/somewhat young adults and that is no different (based on speculation) than what will happen in SWVII.

 

[Darth Sidious]

I want to write a more in depth write up of Michael Eisner and perhaps I will tonight or tomorrow but I have to make a quick comment on him. The man deserves a ton of credit for not only his time with Disney but also at ABC and Paramount. He was one of the best in the business and he gets a lot of flak from the fan community. The negativity around him might be just in some cases but overall it is undeserved. The man loved this company and I am willing to bet he still does.

As for Bob Iger, I think he is an excellent businessman like Michael but does not love this company like Michael did. That is unfortunate but he definitely is a capable CEO. The problem is that Disney needs a bit of creativity, something Michael personally possessed but Bob seemingly does not or at least does not at a high level. I am interested to see who the company chooses as his successor and I am optimistic that the future will be brighter for us fans.

 

[PeterAlt]

Retlaw wasn't created until 1965. In 1953 Walt Disney and WED Enterprises were sued by a shareholder of Walt Disney Productions. Walt was diverting money from Walt Disney Productions to his family (Lillian, Diane and Sharon). That lawsuit was settled in favor of the shareholder in 1955.

Walt continued to operate WED in much the same manner as before and Roy became worried that another (and bigger) lawsuit would result. He urged Walt to sell WED back to Walt Disney Productions because of the obvious ethical improprieties. It has been reported that during this time the disagreement between Walt and Roy was so intense that they refused to speak with each other.

Under mounting pressure (and another probable lawsuit) Walt relented and sold part of WED Enterprises to Walt Disney Productions. The attorneys that worked on the sale of WED were surprised at the amount of money that Walt had siphoned off from Walt Disney Productions. Roy Disney intervened in the negotiations to protect his little brother and remind the legal teams (on both sides) that if Walt's reputation was tarnished in this deal, everyone would be out of a job as a result. What remained in Walt's hands was renamed Retlaw Enterprises in 1965.

And yes, there was a Retlaw after Walt's death. Both WED Enterprises and Retlaw Enterprises were created by Walt for the express purpose of funneling money to his family. Retlaw made a lot of money from WDW. Here's an article from the L.A. Times back in 1990 that has some history of Retlaw. The Disney family does not talk about Retlaw because its original purpose was to engage in unethical and most likely illegal activities.

http://articles.latimes.com/1990-10-02/business/fi-1834_1_walt-Disney

Here's a quote from that article: "Even Retlaw's sale of the Disney name rights to Walt Disney Co. nearly 30 years later was marked by family friction. Only one of Walt Disney Co.'s directors voted against the deal--Walt's nephew Roy E. Disney, who complained that the company paid too much to get the rights back, according to Disney's 1982 proxy statement."

For a more detailed look I'd suggest you read the book by Bob Thomas: Building a Company: Roy O. Disney and the Creation of an Entertainment Empire

This is the kind of deeply interesting stuff I find fascinating! When exactly was WED Enterprises brought back into Disney? I was going to ask about WED earlier and forgot to bring it up. Thank you.

So, it was Ron Miller who acquired the Retlaw properties. Curious, he himself is a member of the family.

 

[PeterAlt]

I want to write a more in depth write up of Michael Eisner and perhaps I will tonight or tomorrow but I have to make a quick comment on him. The man deserves a ton of credit for not only his time with Disney but also at ABC and Paramount. He was one of the best in the business and he gets a lot of flak from the fan community. The negativity around him might be just in some cases but overall it is undeserved. The man loved this company and I am willing to bet he still does.

As for Bob Iger, I think he is an excellent businessman like Michael but does not love this company like Michael did. That is unfortunate but he definitely is a capable CEO. The problem is that Disney needs a bit of creativity, something Michael personally possessed but Bob seemingly does not or at least does not at a high level. I am interested to see who the company chooses as his successor and I am optimistic that the future will be brighter for us fans.

If you search my 10 year plus history here, you will find that I have always supported Eisner. I was like the lone voice back when the tides were against him before he stepped down. I've never cared if my opinions here would be popular ones. I always voiced what my gut said is right and I'm often proven right with the passing of time. Today, is no except, as I continue being stubborn with other opinions that go against the grain (such as monorail). I may be proven right over time again, but I don't really care. What I say is my opinion from the gut and I have the guts to stand by it.

 

[Figments Friend]

And anyone who claims to be a Walt Disney fan simply MUST visit the Walt Disney Family Museum. It's just stunning, and highly informative. There's info on Retlaw and its role at Disneyland and beyond at the museum, by the way. There is practically no information about Walt Disney World there, however. Only stuff that Walt actually created and worked on.

I second this.
Absolutely well worth your time.

Lots to take in...so make plans to spend several hours.

Some nice folks we all know helped make this museum what it is today.

 

[PeterAlt]

Maglev is a boondoggle on the scale of MyMagic+. It is far, far more expensive than monorail or conventional rail and absolutely useless on short trips such as within Walt Disney World. Even on longer trips (say, 100 miles or more) maglev borders on impractical, if it doesn't cross the line.



This makes me nervous. The very last thing anyone wants to see is Twilight meets Star Wars.

Maglev seems be working just fine in Shanghai. Yes, there was that accident, but I think they've learned from it and reduced the chance of it happening again. There are also other commercially untested (read: more risky) systems other there that has yet to be commercially tested. The benefit of maglev over conventional monorail is that monorail is slow. I've heard it takes 45 minutes to get to EC from the MK using the monorail versus 15 minutes by bus. Maglev would certainly make the trip competitive with buses. Then, again, I'm not sure if that's a fair measure of the current monorail system, since it probably overlooks the fact that you have to transfer from the MK look at the TTC to the EC loop. A simple modification of a build out of an easy spur from the MK loop to the EC, without having to transfer trains at the TTC, could probably shave a lot of time off the trip.

 

[PeterAlt]

I second this.
Absolutely well worth your time.

Lots to take in...so make plans to spend several hours.

Some nice folks we all know helped make this museum what it is today.

Where is it?

 

[Figments Friend]

Where is it?

San Francisco, CA

Official website info here:

http://www.waltdisney.org/hours-location

 

[PeterAlt]

San Francisco, CA

Official website info here:

http://www.waltdisney.org/hours-location

Why couldn't they put it Orlando or Southern California, where it would be more accessible to fans? Whenever I go to California and whenever I go in the future again, it is/will be Southern California. They better build HSR from LA to San Fran FAST so I can ride it to San Fran in a future trip to California and I would be able to see the museum!

 

[GoofGoof]

Why couldn't they put it Orlando or Southern California, where it would be more accessible to fans? Whenever I go to California and whenever I go in the future again, it is/will be Southern California. They better build HSR from LA to San Fran FAST so I can ride it to San Fran in a future trip to California and I would be able to see the museum!

It's not officially affiliated with TWDC. There is a separate Disney Family foundation that paid for it and runs it. Diane Disney Miller was one of the founders. My guess is some of the family probably lived in the area.

Like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, you don't need a logical reason to build a museum somewhere just the funds to get it built

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Why couldn't they put it Orlando or Southern California, where it would be more accessible to fans? Whenever I go to California and whenever I go in the future again, it is/will be Southern California. They better build HSR from LA to San Fran FAST so I can ride it to San Fran in a future trip to California and I would be able to see the museum!

I believe Diane Disney Miller and Ron Miller lived and live, respectfully, near San Francisco. It was also a deliberate choice to show that the museum is separate from the company.

 

[PeterAlt]

It's not officially affiliated with TWDC. There is a separate Disney Family foundation that paid for it and runs it. Diane Disney Miller was one of the founders. My guess is some of the family probably lived in the area.

Like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, you don't need a logical reason to build a museum somewhere just the funds to get it built

I still want a copy in Orlando! Lol

Or Miami (that's closer for me)

 

[GoofGoof]

I still want a copy in Orlando! Lol

Or Miami (that's closer for me)

The Orlando clone would be a watered down version of the original with a DVC kiosk and you would need A magic band to get in. The snack bar would be on DDP so you could use a CS meal to have a hot dog and a coke there. Did I miss any negative stereotypes.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Diane Disney Millet lived at Silverado Vineyards in Napa Valley with her husband Ron.

 

[willtravel]

It's not officially affiliated with TWDC. There is a separate Disney Family foundation that paid for it and runs it. Diane Disney Miller was one of the founders. My guess is some of the family probably lived in the area.

Like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, you don't need a logical reason to build a museum somewhere just the funds to get it built

I wonder how different the SF museum is from the one in Marceline, MO.?

 

[GoofGoof]

I wonder how different the SF museum is from the one in Marceline, MO.?

It's 4 times the price so it must be 4 times better right. Or maybe things in SF just cost more than Missouri.

 

[PeterAlt]

I believe Diane Disney Miller and Ron Miller lived and live, respectfully, near San Francisco. It was also a deliberate choice to show that the museum is separate from the company.

That's right, after Ron Miller was fired as CEO, he retired to his home in the Napa Valley, where his only interest would be wine, not Disney Co. related things from that point forward.