Spirited News & Observations II -- NGE/Baxter

[HMF]

That's a big part of the problem. The company needs to take Uncle Walt off his pedestal and move in a better direction. There are a lot of old remnants that continue to cost the company a fortune and impede progress. The item at the top of the list is the monorail. Now is the time, now is the best time, now is the best time to tear down the monorail and move into the future while tomorrow is still a dream.

You would be very popular with certain people in Burbank.

 

[janoimagine]

?

 

[Computer Magic]

That's a big part of the problem. The company needs to take Uncle Walt off his pedestal and move in a better direction. There are a lot of old remnants that continue to cost the company a fortune and impede progress. The item at the top of the list is the monorail. Now is the time, now is the best time, now is the best time to tear down the monorail and move into the future while tomorrow is still a dream.

You suggest removing the monorail???? Yes, many people think Disney over paid for EPCOT which lead to stock dropping and corporate raiders attempt to take over.. The problem is Disney didn't plan on d how to maintain what makes them unique. These great idea was built with initial capital funds but not spending yearly operating expense on upkeep.

If anything, Disney failed to move rapidly after Roy died and the time Eisner took over. They needed to be more aggressive..something Walt would have done. Walt could have lost the company as well with his ideas.

 

[RyenDeckard]

That's a big part of the problem. The company needs to take Uncle Walt off his pedestal and move in a better direction. There are a lot of old remnants that continue to cost the company a fortune and impede progress. The item at the top of the list is the monorail. Now is the time, now is the best time, now is the best time to tear down the monorail and move into the future while tomorrow is still a dream.

This is what the company is currently doing though, and here we are all complaining about how the mouse is dead.

Seriously, the only reason they haven't taken down the monorails yet is because they can't, they don't have infrastructure in place to replace them, except the disney busses which there are more of every day.

They're moving to replace the monorails, but it will be a while. Walt is just used as a figurehead now, not somebody to actually look up to but somebody to keep the line workers motivated and the guests happy.

Also, Comcast probably would have been a good thing for Disney, look at what they're doing down the road.

 

[Darth Sidious]

Eisner is demonized, some parts justified, other parts not.

 

[PhotoDave219]

We don't know how bad it would be like if Eisner had stayed. The fact that Eisner moves were of greed and power by removing Roy from the board based on age.

The fact Save Disney didn't get what it wanted by settling on Iger of the less of two evils. Maybe Disney would had been better off being bought by Comcast.

I don't think SaveDisney was able to finish what it started but that doesn't make it a failure. Eisner needed to go

Well, there were to Michael Eisners. The 1984-94 one which saved the company and transformed it into what it is today.

Then Frank Wells died and the 94-04 Eisner became very very unpopular and burned many bridges.

 

[Cliff Racer]

I find it funny how many people here are going back and saying "we didn't really want Iger." That smacks of revisionist thinking to be honest, I remember people being over the moon when that plan came through, and looking at how the company has performed so far I think they were danged right to be so. He hasn't given those big WDW expansions everyone here wanted but to be honest I don't think they make financial sense and can't blame him for economic realities. The DCA revamp has turned out great under his watch and I'm reasonably pleased with the minor upgrades and renovations TDO has made in recent years. If I were to make a parks complaint I'd probably actually focus on Eurodisney but that gets very little discussion on these boards so ehh.

 

[Computer Magic]

Well, there were to Michael Eisners. The 1984-94 one which saved the company and transformed it into what it is today.

Then Frank Wells died and the 94-04 Eisner became very very unpopular and burned many bridges.

Good point I failed to mention and overlook in my post. I've stated many times on this board that Frank Wells is overlooked for saving Disney. Lets not forget Jeffrey Katzenberg playing a key role.

 

[George]

Let's do a fun "gedanken" experiment. I'm not going to answer this question because I really don't know. Anyhoo, based on available evidence are the current problems with WDW the result of Iger or an issue of the way things are handled a bit further down the management ladder, say TDO? Discuss or ignore...

 

[Computer Magic]

I find it funny how many people here are going back and saying "we didn't really want Iger." That smacks of revisionist thinking to be honest, I remember people being over the moon when that plan came through, and looking at how the company has performed so far I think they were danged right to be so. He hasn't given those big WDW expansions everyone here wanted but to be honest I don't think they make financial sense and can't blame him for economic realities. The DCA revamp has turned out great under his watch and I'm reasonably pleased with the minor upgrades and renovations TDO has made in recent years. If I were to make a parks complaint I'd probably actually focus on Eurodisney but that gets very little discussion on these boards so ehh.

Iger is going to be known for acquisitions of movie studios, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm. That is where the stock value comes from. He hasn't grown his own products. In fact, it the failure of Eisner that brings the need for the need for acquisitions. How much would Disney stock be worth without those acquisitions. Disney owns products have been a failure, cough John Carter cough.

 

[plaidboy]

My issue is not with layoffs as part of a reorg since they just made a huge acquisition. That is sorta necessary to make it work, however there is no need to lay off people like @Arewethereyet!'s mother. Most of the layoffs should be duplicate positions and upper management that isn't required. Sad thing is that this never happens. Upper management is like a country club.

This was not a layoff. This was a termination that sounds like it was the result of not meeting the minimum work requirements set by the company for Casual Temporary (CT) Cast Members. As others have mentioned, within the past year or so the company has implemented a minimum number of hours that must be worked annually to maintain this status. That minimum was likely an attempt to curb the number of CT Cast Members who previously would literally work a single shift every twelve months for the sole purpose of retaining their Cast ID, entrance priveleges, discount benefits, etc.

 

[Computer Magic]

Let's do a fun "gedanken" experiment. I'm not going to answer this question because I really don't know. Anyhoo, based on available evidence are the current problems with WDW the result of Iger or an issue of the way things are handled a bit further down the management ladder, say TDO? Discuss or ignore...

leadership starts at the top. Iger only cares about the movie studios. He's not paying attention to the theme parks and letting the rats run the store.

 

[George]

leadership starts at the top. Iger only cares about the movie studios. He's not paying attention to the theme parks and letting the rats run the store.

Many argue that other Disney parks around the globe are better maintained...could he have decided that Florida is a cash cow and doesn't need the same level of attention?

 

[Computer Magic]

Many argue that other Disney parks around the globe are better maintained...could he have decided that Florida is a cash cow and doesn't need the same level of attention?

Could it be that Disney doesn't solely own the other parks? or that the other parks have people that take initiative? I wonder if Florida is resting on their laurels.

I agree Florida is used as a cash cow to pay other initiative throughout the organization

 

[George]

or that the other parks have people that take initiative?

This is precisely what I was wondering about. I think one of the big issues with WDW right now is initiative is taken in the wrong direction. NextGen may make my WDW visit a bit more pleasant but it doesn't address the myriad of problems with the actual entertainment options in the 4 theme parks. I get the feeling that Disney has become such a big company that Iger just sees rectangles with arrows going in several directions and there is a $ input and a $ output labeling on the arrows. I think the difference in park management is somewhat local in that how the money is spent doesn't concern Iger. I'm sure he gets reports for the myriad of divisions, but if he's told everything is A-OK, he'll go with it. Why just this morning he got a report from the guy in charge of whimsical labeling on Disney apple slice packages. :lookaroun

I have no idea what the odds are of getting a CEO that cared about the theme parks a lot.

 

[Computer Magic]

This is precisely what I was wondering about. I think one of the big issues with WDW right now is initiative is taken in the wrong direction. NextGen may make my WDW visit a bit more pleasant but it doesn't address the myriad of problems with the actual entertainment options in the 4 theme parks. I get the feeling that Disney has become such a big company that Iger just sees rectangles with arrows going in several directions and there is a $ input and a $ output labeling on the arrows. I think the difference in park management is somewhat local in that how the money is spent doesn't concern Iger. I'm sure he gets reports for the myriad of divisions, but if he's told everything is A-OK, he'll go with it. Why just this morning he got a report from the guy in charge of whimsical labeling on Disney apple slice packages. :lookaroun

I have no idea what the odds are of getting a CEO that cared about the theme parks a lot.

I'll start with the last sentence. Disney needs a CEO that likes to get involved, tinker with his toys, and loves to be creative. Someone like Steve Jobs or dare I mention John Lasseter. Someone that believes a good product brings additional revenue. Someone that isn't looking at a report to see which way an arrow is going. You can cut cost and stay status quo for years and see the arrow going up.

Iger is a financial guy and cares about the bottom line.

 

[George]

I'll start with the last sentence. Disney needs a CEO that likes to get involved, tinker with his toys, and loves to be creative. Someone like Steve Jobs or dare I mention John Lasseter. Someone that believes a good product brings additional revenue. Someone that isn't looking at a report to see which way an arrow is going. You can cut cost and stay status quo for years and see the arrow going up.

Iger is a financial guy and cares about the bottom line.

This would bolded bit would be great for us fans, but is there a chance of something like this happening? Essentially, we're desirous of a modern Walt Disney (creative type) being in charge of a gigantic company. The only way I see that happening is if Disney undergoes contraction which I don't think will happen. There's too much money at stake...Regardless, I wonder if we would get more short term results by badgering folks like Georgie K and Staggs. Maybe, we could get a Lasseter to take a surprise visit to O-town to see what things are really like? I think if we could influence things a bit further down the management ladder we'd have a chance to see results.

 

[flynnibus]

Disney is too big for a 'creative' as CEO. It needs to be broken up for that to happen.

 

[Computer Magic]

This would bolded bit would be great for us fans, but is there a chance of something like this happening? Essentially, we're desirous of a modern Walt Disney (creative type) being in charge of a gigantic company. The only way I see that happening is if Disney undergoes contraction which I don't think will happen. There's too much money at stake...Regardless, I wonder if we would get more short term results by badgering folks like Georgie K and Staggs. Maybe, we could get a Lasseter to take a surprise visit to O-town to see what things are really like? I think if we could influence things a bit further down the management ladder we'd have a chance to see results.

a company the size of Disney does have to depend on each division. That's why Lucusfilm kept Kathleen Kennedy as President, john lasseter as chief creative officer. With Disney being owned by so many hedge funds its not longer a family company. Its run by Wall Street

 

[Computer Magic]

Disney is too big for a 'creative' as CEO. It needs to be broken up for that to happen.

I agree and disagree. Apple was bigger than Disney and Steve Jobs was a creative genius. Apple had 98 billion in cash in 2012 and could have bought Disney. It not too big in $$.