On layoffs, very bad attendance, and Iger's legacy being one of disgrace

[tirian]

Well, I basically meant post-Disneyland Paris Eisner.

Even in that case, Eisner’s reaction was more about self-preservation than simply not caring about the company’s heritage and trying to make it his legacy.

I do agree with your post-Paris sentiment, though. Nearly everything from 1997 onward was a disaster. His main problem stemmed from trusting the MBAs too much and pigeonholing himself as a creative, and ignoring WDI and film execs who tried to explain the company had to innovate again. Eisner became scared of taking risks.

(Edit: The MK went through dark times because Phil Holmes was a terrible VP. DL suffered under Pressler too.)

Iger, on the other hand, wanted people to think he was a creative/corporate genius he never was and never will be. Buying IPs and befriending Steve Jobs doesn’t make someone a genius. It makes them the annoying kid always hanging around the cool ones.

 

[techgeek]

The one surprising thing out of this shutdown is just how strong luxury good sales continue to be. Economic uncertainty hasn't hit all job types equally.... Try going out and buying things like hot tubs, home entertainment stuff, etc... inventory is drained everywhere.

It's not just luxury goods -- home appliances are also almost impossible to get. I know someone who hasn't had a dishwasher for almost 3 months. Ordered it immediately after theirs broke and it won't be shipped until August.

Nintendo Switches have been sold out, or in limited supply, for months. Home gym equipment is also hard to get.

Yeah, but I'm sure alot of that is the lack of inventory in the supply chain. Plant shutdowns, slowdowns, etc. Things like appliances people 'need' so while they slow down, they don't go cold turkey (like say... a vegas vacation). But big big dollar items.. like pools, etc - people don't need, they could easily put off. Yet, those industries are going bonkers. It's pretty wild.

Unexpected demand speaks to some of these issues, but supply chain and manufacturing side of this is huge. A lot of industries are still playing catchup from China being off-line for months at the beginning of all of this. Experts were saying back in Jan / Feb that it would take 6 months for some of those shutdowns to be felt, since that's how long those supply chains lead shelf-dates, or how far out parts are ordered for assembly... and here we are.

The worldwide economy would have seen a massive hit from this even if it had stayed contained in Southeast Asia, because of the massive scope of the initial factory and shipping shutdowns there.

 

[TheDisneyDaysOfOurLives]

Last part not a surprise. The rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer.

It's all fun and games until we find out ten years from now that Bezos created COVID-19 and massively profited off of it.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Well, I basically meant post-Disneyland Paris Eisner.

Even then... compare wilderness lodge and animal kingdom lodge to Riveria. Eisner still cared, he was just scared after Paris.

DCA 1.0 and Studios Paris are both embarrassing though....

 

[DisneyDebRob]

I think that's a big issue, actually (well, not so much for Disney -- it's a great thing for the company).

So many people don't realize how incredibly good WDW was in the early 90s. They have no memory of EPCOT being absolutely incredible, nor do they realize how much has been lost at the Magic Kingdom -- not as much in terms of rides (there are a few gone), but in terms of all the other interesting experiences like all of the themed stores that have been replaced with shops all selling the same merchandise everywhere.

They don't have that as a comparison point, so they don't know how far downhill things have gone.

Epcot was incredible in the early 80’s. Showing my age but what I wouldn’t do to experience that again.

 

[Ldno]

Clearly these people didn't pay any attention to the Post 9/11 Crowds of 2002-2005.

Things will not even begin to return to some sense of normal until this public health emergency ends.

But this is different than those times, only the travel industry was hurt, this is a multifaceted attack on all ways of life, not only travel, but international travel, entertainment, everyone in some way or form is being affected.

Nintendo Switches have been sold out, or in limited supply, for months. Home gym equipment is also hard to get.

Anything to keep people busy at home was snatched up months ago and there's still a drain in some products.

Yeah, it's definitely the supply chain with home appliances.

I would think there are supply chain difficulties with stuff like home entertainment systems too, although obviously no one needs one of those the way they would need something like a refrigerator.

People were and are stuck at home. They splurged (wisely or not) on something to do to distract them from all this.

Luxury items just as Nintendo Switches were produced at a limited quantity amount, All of a sudden the Waitlist for Rolex is Months now and a switch‘s asking price is 700bucks, There’s not enough workers in warehouses to keep up with demand, Sony already stated they will limit 1 ps5 per household, Lego are waitlisted for 60 days even longer because to make a lego set requires parts from Europe, Asia and Mexico and the Mexican factory is shut down, everything is being affected, I literally got a figure I have been waiting to get since April just because of back orders, just found out a guy who serviced his watch back in February got his watch last week, the problem will be keeping up with the demand.

I still can’t get a Turbo Grafx 16 at retail price. Online retailing can only keep up for sooo much, everything selling out was dead stock IMHO

 

[mkt]

Luxury items just as Nintendo Switches were produced at a limited quantity amount,

We were able to get ours on Amazon, and sold by Amazon, miraculously, but we think it's a gray market unit. It shipped from a warehouse right on the border with Mexico and it had a lot of Spanish language documentation included.

But whatever, it works and that's what I care about.

I still can’t get a Turbo Grafx 16 at retail price. Online retailing can only keep up for sooo much, everything selling out was dead stock IMHO

I want one, and they are impossible to get. Like more impossible than the original NES Classic.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Indeed, months ago our insiders were talking about a Plan B to put the UEU attractions in UO if UEU was delayed or cancelled.

Ok...not to be the front of the middle phalanx...but wouldn’t that be a straight common sense approach for universal and Disney moving forward??

It’s not like cloning isn’t always an option. And to save costs Makes it ohh so palatable.

Some elaboration on Universal rumors:

Sounds like *something* is going down in UC over Epic Universe this afternoon. Given that all indications are that the project is toast and most ppl were laid off anyway..... I hesitate to speculate but I assume the worst.

On the same topic, I am also heating that *deep* layoffs are going to occur at Universal Orlando in the near future. This is in addition to actions already taken a couple weeks ago (was it longer? 2020 is brutal for comprehending passage of time). There are some attraction closures coming in the near future but those seem to be unrelated to layoff action (can't find hourly staff to run them).

Interesting.

I imagine the focus in Burbank - and Philadelphia -
Are now on what to do to address a LONG term travel disruption and loss of revenue. Because the course is set now.

I've had plenty over property but you're kind of right - my main gripes are with the fast service and the fast service offered at Magic Kingdom (in particular), Hollywood Studios and most of Epcot.

The MK though, being the busiest theme park in the world feels like a place that, for the type of people they want to have there, and for what they charge for the food, should be providing something better than they are - both in food and overall experience - especially when reservations are so hard to come by for table service.

Reservations actually have been fairly easy to comeby...If it’s not character meals or “fireworks views”...which isn’t what a person wants anyway.

MK serves what they do because nothing else is demanded of it. Same with MGM...never added anything.

But there is another type that doesn’t like the food...or more accurately - will describe its flaws...

Those that have watched precipitously loss of variety and value become a standard operating procedure.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

I still can’t get a Turbo Grafx 16 at retail price. Online retailing can only keep up for sooo much, everything selling out was dead stock IMHO

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Clearly these people didn't pay any attention to the Post 9/11 Crowds of 2002-2005.

Things will not even begin to return to some sense of normal until this public health emergency ends.

Honestly...this is not a comparable example. It will be moreso if there’s a recession that sinks in and blasts travel after a solution to the health crisis emerges...like next year.

The 9/11 era Disney business is my wheelhouse...so I’m coming out of the bullpen throwing 99 on this one.

 

[UNCgolf]

Well, I basically meant post-Disneyland Paris Eisner.

Even then he greenlit Animal Kingdom, which I can't imagine Iger approving in a million years. But I get your point.

 

[peter11435]

Even then he greenlit Animal Kingdom, which I can't imagine Iger approving in a million years. But I get your point.

Technically he greenlit Animal Kingdom before Disneyland Paris opened.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Even then... compare wilderness lodge and animal kingdom lodge to Riveria. Eisner still cared, he was just scared after Paris.

DCA 1.0 and Studios Paris are both embarrassing though....

Eisner outlived his usefulness and was ineffective when the money associated with Disney got too large and his history in Hollywood was incompatible with adaptation...

...but he was still a creative individual by nature.

You know who else has been around too long?

Epcot was incredible in the early 80’s. Showing my age but what I wouldn’t do to experience that again.

Epcot was...and always will be...the greatest park ever built. Not for what there was to do...but for the trust that Disney (the old guard) put in their audience to consume and accept a park built on learning and investigating. Everyone can “fantasize”...many never bother to consider what can be or what we learn through the lens of history.

Those of us that were “there” in the 80s and 90s are lucky...Those that never see it are missing something and they don’t know it.

Even then he greenlit Animal Kingdom, which I can't imagine Iger approving in a million years. But I get your point.

Technically he greenlit Animal Kingdom before Disneyland Paris opened.

Greenlit? He practically lit it on fire and shoved it down the Board’s throat...

But even some of the mistakes/shortcomings of the DAK area (a waterpark, 5 hotels, etc) not withstanding...building it was a show of faith/hope by Eisner in the audience that I would find refreshing today. That wasn’t a slam dunk like people assume.

 

[RaiseTheShields]

We were able to buy one in April on amazon, at regular retail price. Miraculously. Use nowinstock.net on a computer and set it up desktop alerts + pop open the purchase window. That's also how we've been able to get stuff on Amazon that's in short supply, like hand sanitizer and disinfectant spray and wipes.

Recently got a switch using stockinformer with alerts from discord. Had one delivered to the house within a week. Super simple.

 

[rk03221]

Definitely not. Eisner was a great CEO for both the studios and the parks for the early part of his tenure and vastly superior to anything Iger has done.

Iger fixed all of Eisners mess. I highly recommend you watch anything on what DCA was when it first opened, it was embarrassing. Eisner almost lost Pixar, while Iger purchased it along with Star Wars and marvel. The “Save Disney” campaign was launched by Roy Disney jr. to save the company from Eisners mess. Iger has been the best CEO of the company since Walt.

Eisner has also been responsible for:
Dinoland
HK Disneyland (Never has had one (Profitable year)
Walt Disney studios in Paris (complete dump)
Do I need to go on?

 

[Brer Oswald]

Iger fixed all of Eisners mess. I highly recommend you watch anything on what DCA was when it first opened, it was embarrassing. Eisner almost lost Pixar, while Iger purchased it along with Star Wars and marvel. The “Save Disney” campaign was launched by Roy Disney jr. to save the company from Eisners mess. Iger has been the best CEO of the company since Walt.

He “fixed” all of Eisner’s messes, and then created a whole slew of his own. Such is the way of “The Disney CEO”. It’s a cycle.

 

[Mr Mindcrime]

Whew! Dang son, I finally caught up to the end of this thread. I didn't think I'd ever make it

 

[Getachew]

Plan B. Or A.

And a golf course perhaps.

Damn, you're an insider for UO too? lol

 

[MisterPenguin]

Damn, you're an insider for UO too? lol

He also knows what's in Burger King's secret sauce!

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Iger fixed all of Eisners mess. I highly recommend you watch anything on what DCA was when it first opened, it was embarrassing. Eisner almost lost Pixar, while Iger purchased it along with Star Wars and marvel. The “Save Disney” campaign was launched by Roy Disney jr. to save the company from Eisners mess. Iger has been the best CEO of the company since Walt.

Eisner has also been responsible for:
Dinoland
HK Disneyland (Never has had one (Profitable year)
Walt Disney studios in Paris (complete dump)
Do I need to go on?

I highly recommend you study Disney history. It was small potatoes when Eisner took over. Didn’t even have a functioning movie or television studio...couple of parks and some dusty animation reels...

Studios Paris and DCA were rushed and badly built...that is part of the story...but not the important part. Read up.

Iger has bought things and bled things. Both can be “good” or “bad” things depending on point of view...but don’t make them out to be more chivalrous than they are.

This is still a guy that abruptly quit after stock close when a crisis was rolling out. Let’s not give him a Nobel prize for it...maybe an Oscar?

He also knows what's in Burger King's secret sauce!

Woah...joke foul. It’s the Big Mac sauce and the colonels secret recipe that are Elusive