A Spirited Perfect Ten

[Mike S]

Did anyone go to the Inside Out Fathom events thing?

I did. I'll put my spoiler free thoughts in a separate post along with Jurassic World. If you guys want to hear them. I'll keep it short.

That wasn't actual concept art if I'm not mistaken. I believe it was something that @marni1971 recreated.

I know that. I was just using the picture as part of my point. Insiders have said that it was pretty much greenlit and then the plug was pulled. Plans can, and have, changed quickly.

Just saw this posted online....

View attachment 97311

Very classy Marvel...very classy!!!! And very funny too!!

Epic.

 

[RSoxNo1]

No, no, not take over.

However, Disney is the minority partner. The majority partner essentially is the world's largest Communist government.

Business partners have disagreements all the time. Sometimes, they even take their partners to court to settle those disputes.

In the case of Disney/China, who do you think is going to win every dispute?

Prior to this venture, corporate Disney always was careful to retain control over its ventures, even in the days of Roy & Walt when it was a much smaller company. Now China is the 800 pound gorilla in the room; Disney is along for the ride.

800 million dollar gorilla?

 

[ParentsOf4]

Except for TDS, of course - right? Which the WDC doesn't even own, they just license out the rights to.

This isn't entirely new.

Disney has had partners for many of its ventures. The OLC is just a company (which happens to be much smaller than TWDC) and Disney has a reasonably good chance of enforcing the terms of its contract in Japan.

Ultimately, doing business with a company in Japan is very different than doing business with the Chinese government in China.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Let's put it this way. If Iger's compensation package was tied to increased capex at WDW, do you still think he'd have spent $6.5B last year on stock buybacks?

Investing in WDW today will pay dividends years from now. Buying back stock increases today's stock price, "value" that will be completely erased by the next recession.

Which is why when the conversation of corporate governance comes up and Executive compensation comes up and everyone says "So What", it makes me want to pull my hair out.

Because this, THIS is the result. $110/share but mostly through creative accounting and buybacks, not long term investments.

 

[AEfx]

Let's put it this way. If Iger's compensation package was tied to increased capex at WDW, do you still think he'd have spent $6.5B last year on stock buybacks?

Investing in WDW today will pay dividends years from now. Buying back stock increases today's stock price, "value" that will be completely erased by the next recession.

So Disney focusing on stock prices, like every other major corporation of the world, is the issue. It's the "Disney should be different" thing. I get it. I do. And it's mostly around us being theme park fans and wanting them to spend more money on the parks when it looks like on paper that the resort is doing pretty fantastic without major investments. I too think that the new standard in O-town is not the E-ticket, but the U-ticket - and why Universal is making such gains and that it's short-sighted.

But I also think that most of the same folks would be complaining that Disney's stock were lagging if it weren't doing so well, using that are direct evidence that Darth Iger was doing a poor job (as they should, because he would be). The biggest "thing" we have on him is that he hasn't spent lavishly on the parks, but I don't think a single other CEO would have done any different (and if they did, the current corporate climate would not have kept him in the job).

By all financial measures, he's doing a fantastic job for the company. That's not because I "like" him (does anyone actually "like" Bob Iger? He has no personality, there isn't much to like or dislike, IMO), but because all indicators are that he has saved the feature film business of the company. There is such a parallel to politics it's unbelievable - those out of office get romanticized to such a point that it's difficult to believe anyone says what they do with a straight face, and whomever is in office, no matter what messes they are left clean up (and make no mistake, Disney's film business was a massive mess in 2005), are the devil incarnate because they don't have our same personal pet causes.

But I get it. I think it's just as crappy we don't have new stuff to talk about at WDW, I think it's crappy how stale the parks have become - but I just can't focus that all on one person who by most measures available is doing very well otherwise and try to pretend they are doing a horrible job overall because I don't like the way they run one thing.

 

[AEfx]

Disney has had partners for many of its ventures. The OLC is just a company (which happens to be much smaller than TWDC) and Disney has a reasonably good chance of enforcing the terms of its contract in Japan.

Ultimately, doing business with a company in Japan is very different than doing business with the Chinese government in China.

That may be the case - I was just commenting on the "control" part.

 

[SirNim]

Just saw this posted online....

View attachment 97311

Very classy Marvel...very classy!!!! And very funny too!!

I almost feel as though Marvel feels like it's somehow responsible for this... what with GotG elevating Chris Pratt to superstar status and all. (LEGO Movie notwithstanding.)

 

[FigmentJedi]

And because Disney can't make a good Sci fi movie... Having said that, Maleficent was a worse movie than Tron 2: The Cluquel, but it made money. This shouldn't be a surprise. Disney and Hollywood play everything safe.

There's plenty of good DIsney sci-fi. The problem is hardly anyone watches them because fantasy is so embedded into Disney's identity and brand that normies keep going "NOT MUH DISNEY" when confronted with a Disney sci-fi film and skipping 'em. Lilo and Stitch is one of the few exceptions and Big Hero 6 probably managed to squeak by because it's a superhero/Marvel film.

 

[Mike S]

I'd like to take this time to point out what can happen when a fan base is very vocal about their displeasure.

The Tweet is apparently from Iwata himself, the CEO.

And to tie this to Disney news, Disney apparently wants Mickey to meet Mario.......... Yeah.........
http://ign.com/articles/2015/06/16/e3-2015-disney-wants-to-see-mickey-mouse-meet-mario

 

[Californian Elitist]

If you're not interested in seeing them it doesn't really matter how many "super" things that California has... you still don't have a desire to see them.

I feel the same way as you, but, many obviously don't. There is way more to Florida then the everglades not to mention the fact that Florida doesn't have the propensity to move around near as often as California does. The point is not how many more or less things that there are to see in any given location, it is the desire of the public to see them that matters. If you don't want too, you just don't. I've been to California and when there I explored, on my own, and I'll be honest... it's a nice place, but, it really isn't any more of a big deal then anyplace else you might mention. Depends on one's individual interests.

Obviously interests matter. I'm saying I myself don't understand why anyone would travel to certain states just to see one thing. I like to explore, so I personally don't see the fun in just visiting one place, but I understand the significance. In saying that, i find it hard to believe one couldn't visit California without finding at least one thing to do besides Disneyland.

 

[ThemeParkJunkee]

In 2012, I went to California. Sure, I wanted to see Disneyland but I mostly wanted to see my daughter in San Francisco. California is huge and the geographic is diverse. We flew into LAX and rented a car. We stayed at a hotel near Knott's Berry Farm for four days during which we did one day at DL/CA, one day at USH and one day at Knott's Berry Farm. We then took our rental car up the Pacific Coast Highway almost to Oregon. We played it by ear and booked our hotels from my phone while on the road. We then moved inland and took the 101? down to SF where we had our lovely tour guide, my daughter show us around the city for four days and then dropped off the rental at the SF airport and flew home. Great two week trip.

No, I would never just go to CA for Disneyland.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Would you look at that.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/us/in-turnabout-disney-cancels-tech-worker-layoffs.html

EDIT: These cancelled layoffs occurred at Disney/ABC television out of New York.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Obviously interests matter. I'm saying I myself don't understand why anyone would travel to certain states just to see one thing. I like to explore, so I personally don't see the fun in just visiting one place, but I understand the significance. In saying that, i find it hard to believe one couldn't visit California without finding at least one thing to do besides Disneyland.

I totally agree, but, apparently those that don't aren't interested in anything other then Disneyland. They might be limited on time and money and only have time to fly in and fly out. You and I do not do it that way, so it is hard to understand. Even knowing that it happens that way is hard to understand, but, it does. So basically, we are in agreement on how we think it should be, but, not how it is.

 

[AEfx]

Obviously interests matter. I'm saying I myself don't understand why anyone would travel to certain states just to see one thing. I like to explore, so I personally don't see the fun in just visiting one place, but I understand the significance. In saying that, i find it hard to believe one couldn't visit California without finding at least one thing to do besides Disneyland.

When I spent my first week at Disneyland, I was HQ there (and went there at least once a day to do something), but you are correct. Especially if you are at all interested in the entertainment industry.

Of course, there is Universal - but WB also has a great studio tour (of the real studio, not a studio/themepark hybird), several awesome museums with content you can't find much elsewhere, Sunset Blvd (the real one! LOL), the Hollywood Walk of Fame, more classic iconic buildings and architecture than you'll find east of Washington DC, heck - you can spend a couple of days just driving around and visiting famous movie locations (Want to see the Nightmare on Elm Street House? LA observatory - from every film from Rebel Without A Cause to Charlie's Angels? You can!).

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[AEfx]

I almost feel as though Marvel feels like it's somehow responsible for this... what with GotG elevating Chris Pratt to superstar status and all. (LEGO Movie notwithstanding.)

He's a member of the Marvel family. It's a nice gesture, one that is also directed at the executive producer, Spielberg, who is known for doing such things (he and Lucas have both congratulated each other on previous occasions when one's film has broken the records held by the other with similar ads).

There's plenty of good DIsney sci-fi. The problem is hardly anyone watches them because fantasy is so embedded into Disney's identity and brand that normies keep going "NOT MUH DISNEY" when confronted with a Disney sci-fi film and skipping 'em. Lilo and Stitch is one of the few exceptions and Big Hero 6 probably managed to squeak by because it's a superhero/Marvel film.

I believe he is talking about live action.

 

[Mike S]

When I spent my first week at Disneyland, I was HQ there (and went there at least once a day to do something), but you are correct. Especially if you are at all interested in the entertainment industry.

Of course, there is Universal - but WB also has a great studio tour (of the real studio, not a studio/themepark hybird), several awesome museums with content you can't find much elsewhere, Sunset Blvd (the real one! LOL), the Hollywood Walk of Fame, more classic iconic buildings and architecture than you'll find east of Washington DC, heck - you can spend a couple of days just driving around and visiting famous movie locations (Want to see the Nightmare on Elm Street House? LA observatory - from every film from Rebel Without A Cause to Charlie's Angels? You can!).

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

When I was in California I went to The Dude's house from The Big Lebowski.

 

[FigmentJedi]

I believe he is talking about live action.

True, but it's a problem both animation and live-action share. Hell, Tomorrowland has more in common with Meet the Robinsons and Atlantis then John Carter or the Trons.

 

[Bairstow]

Would you look at that.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/us/in-turnabout-disney-cancels-tech-worker-layoffs.html

Clearly there's only one way to make Disney behave ethically these days, and that's
shame... shame... shame.... ding-a-ding

 

[flynnibus]

from a hotel room or in a hotel room????

Good parties always outgrow one location...

 

[Phil12]

Like I said, I get the "something's up" implications, I just haven't seen any DETAILS of what exactly you or anyone else think is happening and why.

One of the first assertions was that Bob Iger influenced his wife (Willow Bay) to censor an article critical of the Disney CEO's entry to China. "Censorship" was the word used most often by WDW1974. Yet that article is still available: http://yourfinancialnews.net/business/disney-ceo-fumbles-entry-to-china/ A conspiracy involves two or more persons in an evil surreptitious plan to cause some sort of subversion or plot. So yes indeed, he did allege that a conspiracy was afoot.

He also predicted that as a direct result of said censorship that Willow Bay would resign her position as director of USC Annenberg School of Journalism within a matter of weeks or months at the most. He made that prediction over three months ago.

In reality, he was really rumor mongering and engaging in wishful thinking. And now he wants to backtrack and say he never alleged any sort of conspiracy.