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

[MisterPenguin]

Disney has the data obviously... I wonder how the viewing is for simpsons on Disney+.

I also think it’s a bad idea to mix in films like Ice Age into Disney+ branding wise.

The Disney company has spent decades making their films valuable by “keeping them in the vault” - and now its like they have dumped everything into the bargain bin that is Disney+.

Hate to break this to you, but the majority of Disney Studios' live action films fall into the category of bargain bin. Not to mention the Made for TV sequels by DisneyToon and the 'dark ages' of Disney Animation.

Then there are all the cheesy Disney channel series.

Most of the Ice Age films are better than product I just mentioned.

And... Sound of Music!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Hate to break this to you, but the majority of Disney Studios' live action films fall into the category of bargain bin. Not to mention the Made for TV sequels by DisneyToon and the 'dark ages' of Disney Animation.

Then there are all the cheesy Disney channel series.

Most of the Ice Age films are better than product I just mentioned.

And... Sound of Music!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess when I’m really bored I can finally watch some of those direct to home video sequels. Maybe.

I certainly wouldn’t argue that little mermaid 3 is better than ice age - just mixing up brands the way Disney+ has done is a bit odd to me. And I like Disney+. (Yes I rolled my eyes and quietly mocked it when I saw the D23 expo booth... but I’ve come around and I would even say I’m a fan.)

 

[pheneix]

Me patiently waiting for the sequel thread like..

View attachment 488984

This thread is gonna be so lit this afternoon that it can wait.

 

[SJN1279]

How could they expect good attendance? They aren't taking new reservations, and Northeast states have to quarantine for two weeks if they visit.

2021 things should improve.

 

[brb1006]

Me patiently waiting for the sequel thread like..

View attachment 488984

Expect that thread to drop after today's earnings call is finished.

 

[brb1006]

Hate to break this to you, but the majority of Disney Studios' live action films fall into the category of bargain bin. Not to mention the Made for TV sequels by DisneyToon and the 'dark ages' of Disney Animation.

Then there are all the cheesy Disney channel series.

Most of the Ice Age films are better than product I just mentioned.

And... Sound of Music!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess when I’m really bored I can finally watch some of those direct to home video sequels. Maybe.

I certainly wouldn’t argue that little mermaid 3 is better than ice age - just mixing up brands the way Disney+ has done is a bit odd to me. And I like Disney+. (Yes I rolled my eyes and quietly mocked it when I saw the D23 expo booth... but I’ve come around and I would even say I’m a fan.)

At least some of the sequels had actual effort put into them (such as Return To Neverland and Cinderella 3 for example). I remember when Bambi 2 (a midquel to the film) came out, it was able to actually get a theatrical release in Europe. Even the makers of that film put effort and heart into this one after seeing the behind the scenes features on DVD years ago. Sure it was average/alright, but even Disney fans who aren't fond of the sequel era admit that Bambi II is one of the better sequels (midquel) of that period.

Also I loved the heck out of the Winnie The Pooh films by DisneyToon Studios during the early 2000s. Especially The Tigger Movie, Piglet's Big Movie, and Pooh's Heffalump Movie.

 

[brianstl]

This thread is gonna be so lit this afternoon that it can wait.

It appears Doomcock made a video about you today.

 

[Brer Oswald]

How? Are we going to blame Iger for not having the foresight to start a Disney Pharmaceuticals division? For not buying Johnson and Johnson? They already put Disney characters on Band-Aids so there has to be SOME synergy prospects there right?

Maybe if go.com took off, we wouldn't need to be having this discussion...

You just don’t buy a well established film studio simply for its film library and characters. There are a lot of other technical assets you acquire, and when you start shutting those down, I have to question that purchase.

 

[UNCgolf]

Let’s be fair though - the cost of living in Canada is huge. I work for a Builder in the GTA, and sell new townhomes in the $700-$800K range, with detached well over a mill.

I live in a modest 44 year old semi detached home, an hour west of TO, valued at just under $500K.

I have 24 and 25 year old sons still at home because rent is $1500-$1800/month plus utilities.

Wages in Canada NEED to be higher.

Isn't that more a factor of being in/around Toronto than Canada in general? You'd get roughly the same numbers looking at other comparable major metropolitan areas in the US like NYC and Chicago.

Or even here in Atlanta, where my parents' house in a smaller city in North Carolina (although still one of the 50 or so biggest in the US) that is worth roughly $300k there would cost well over a million if it were here.

 

[marni1971]

What exactly would you be looking for in a backup plan? Decisions made that make the Walt Disney Company overall less reliant on theme parks for income, such as buying Pixar, Marvel, FOX or building out Disney+, are usually the kind of decisions derided by parks fans.

It is beyond absurdist to try to pin the current failings on Iger's leadership. Unless you have some evidence he created the virus in his basement, that is.

There was concern two, maybe three, years ago they were over stretching themselves.

But again, even less than a year ago, who could have predicted this.

 

[Brer Oswald]

At least some of the sequels had effort put into them (such as Return To Neverland and Cinderella 3). I remember when Bambi 2 (a midquel to the film) came out, it was able to get a theatrical release in Europe. Even the makers of that film actually put effort and heart into this one after seeing the behind the scenes features years ago. Sure it was average/okay, but even Disney fans who aren't fond of the sequel era admit that Bambi II was one of the better sequels of that period.

Also I loved the heck out of the Winnie The Pooh films by DisneyToon Studios during the early 2000s. Especially The Tigger Movie, Piglet's Big Movie, and Pooh's Heffalump Movie.

The Pooh sequels were fantastic. But that’s largely to do with the fact that Winnie the Pooh is largely a character dependent franchise. Grandiose plots aren’t really a thing. All you need is some sort of new scenario, good writing for your favourite 100 Acre Wood critters, and you have a good time.

 

[el_super]

You just don’t buy a well established film studio ...

But that doesn't really address the question of how they could have protected their park business from this. If they had said they were just going to take the cash and sit on it, would that have been an acceptable answer? Even amidst the complaints that they don't invest enough in their parks?

I don't think the fan community is ready to adopt a position that money spent on the parks is a waste.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Yea, many companies do not have a 100 year event pandemic contingency plan....

 

[Model3 McQueen]

So what would you do instead, to make the company less reliant on the parks?

That's not what I was getting at but I'll tell you what I wouldn't do and that's risk what people love about the theme parks and replace them with IP advertisement.

 

[Disstevefan1]

If only more businesses followed the Costco way things would be much better. They treat their employees well and pay them well too. Top wage at Costco in Canada is $27.65 plus $3500 bonus every 6 months.

Costco is a bad example, deemed an essential business, they were not forced to close and probably making MORE MONEY during the pandemic.

 

[el_super]

That's not what I was getting at but I'll tell you what I wouldn't do and that's risk what people love about the theme parks and replace them with IP advertisement.

But... but... that's what people love about the parks.

 

[Brer Oswald]

But that doesn't really address the question of how they could have protected their park business from this. If they had said they were just going to take the cash and sit on it, would that have been an acceptable answer? Even amidst the complaints that they don't invest enough in their parks?

I don't think the fan community is ready to adopt a position that money spent on the parks is a waste.

That was never an argument I was trying to make. You simply questioned why the blame of low money was to fall on Iger. I said it was because of how much Fox costed them, and how little of that they’ve made back. If they want it to be a good investment, they’ll need to stop treating it like they did Marvel and Star Wars because a movie studio is much more than a character driven IP.

As for the Parks being a waste of money, I agree to an extent. Money spent on the parks should be used for three things:
1) Attractions and features at parks that need more attention
2) Added capacity for already popular parks
3) Maintenance to maintain the best and safest experience possible. The better the “show” the more likely people are to return/recommend, and the more money you make

Rebuilds, rethemes, teardowns, etc should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. If a ride isn’t attracting guests and has a higher operation cost than its worth, consider alternative options.

Same with landscaping. I don’t think it was smart money wise to completely dig up the middle of Epcot.

 

[Disstevefan1]

But... but... that's what people love about the parks.

Ya know what I like about the parks? When 50 or 60 animatronics are replaced by 2 actual animatronics and a bunch of projection mapped screens.

 

[el_super]

That was never an argument I was trying to make.

I know.

 

[Tom P.]

That sounds like equal to or even a little less than in the US.

The United States system of taxes is so convoluted as well that it's difficult to do an apples-to-apples comparison. Sure, someone with a low income and even many people with decent middle class incomes don't end up paying much in federal income tax, or even get refunds due to refundable tax credits. But you have to think about Medicare and Social Security withholding also at the federal level. And then you have to think about all the state and local taxes that vary so much from one place to the next. Property tax, sales tax, state income tax, city income tax, city fees, personal property tax, etc. In the end, it is incredibly difficult for someone to accurately know just how much they are paying in taxes. Which is, unfortunately, I think by design.