A Spirited Perfect Ten

[Cesar R M]

Like it or not, this is the environment you are being allowed to conduct business. All countries/cultures have a superiority complex. If you want to work in their "house", you need to play by their rules.

Well Said, Chinese are a bit more overt than most countries that said I admire them because they do what is good for the citizens of China.

Agree, each country should protect their own interests. Not to bow down on anything that might damage their country.

 

[Bryan W]

I wonder if this will be classified as a disease.

"acute Bobigeritis - Disease that makes the victim wear unfashionable cardigans"

Can I get a vaccination for this?

 

[zweltar]

Can I get a vaccination for this?

No, it'll cause some sort of developmental disorder!

 

[WDW1974]

Since the topic is China, and the potential hazards that Disney might face over there, I thought this little aside would be relevant.

I just stumbled onto this article on Facebook:
http://www.upworthy.com/everyone-wa...-views-later-its-still-up-watch-it-here?c=bl3

I've never been over to China so I can't say from personal experience, but....wow...they really have a problem with their air over there.​

The air is a huge issue (and not simply hot air like me!) over there. I honestly am shocked that I never suffered any negative effects from spending months at a time. A few weeks ago, the mayor of Beijing made what I thought was a very honest, and a bit surprising, statement. I am paraphrasing here but basically he said that Beijing would never be a world class city or attract as many people as officials would like until they dealt with the terrible problem they have.

Out of everywhere I have been, both in China and on the planet, I have never encountered air like I did in Beijing in the months leading up to the Olympics in 2008. When you can't see skyscrapers less than a block away, you have the type of problem that you see in dystopian films.

Ask Disney officials how often when standing at the far end of Mickey Avenue you can't even see the Storybook Castle ... yeah, they'll tell ya the truth. Sure. Ask some Imagineers when they are back in Glendale how much they love trying to breathe on the site.

 

[FigmentJedi]

Its like he's trying way too hard to put himself as the new Walt?

More like a continuation of his desire to be Eisner, who also had a similar "Walt complex"

 

[PhotoDave219]

Or... Cardigan's are back in style?

"The sweater is mostly associated with the college culture of the Roaring Twenties and early 1930's, being also popular throughout the 1950's, the 1970's and the 1990's. Cardigans have also regained popularity during the present decade." The ever-sourceable Wikipedia.

I've also started wearing more cardigans recently, perhaps Bob Iger has taken over control of my subconscious...

Coincidence? Tinfoil hats, people!

Well, here's a tribute to another Bob wearing a Cardigan Sweater. (NSFW Language. Video inside Spoiler tag)

Spoiler

 

[PhotoDave219]

The air is a huge issue (and not simply hot air like me!) over there. I honestly am shocked that I never suffered any negative effects from spending months at a time. A few weeks ago, the mayor of Beijing made what I thought was a very honest, and a bit surprising, statement. I am paraphrasing here but basically he said that Beijing would never be a world class city or attract as many people as officials would like until they dealt with the terrible problem they have.

Out of everywhere I have been, both in China and on the planet, I have never encountered air like I did in Beijing in the months leading up to the Olympics in 2008. When you can't see skyscrapers less than a block away, you have the type of problem that you see in dystopian films.

Ask Disney officials how often when standing at the far end of Mickey Avenue you can't even see the Storybook Castle ... yeah, they'll tell ya the truth. Sure. Ask some Imagineers when they are back in Glendale how much they love trying to breathe on the site.

How long was he mayor? Because that's not a statement of someone you'd expect to have a lengthy tenure.

 

[WDW1974]

On the other? China. A very misunderstood business culture. I sure don't understand it beyond "they do things their own way." They are a people who are very much used to getting their own way.... For much longer than America has been around.

I don't think we can really analyze the nuances of What is going on without a crash course in Chinese Business Culture and Economics. They have their own set of rules and frankly, I don't see them playing by Wall Street's rules or models.

It's partly that ... just partly ...

Frankly, as someone who has lived and worked there (how many times do I repeat that?), I don't think you can learn the ways of China in a course. You just have to go there and immerse yourself in the culture and people (who are truly great ... I get treated royally there, even better than at a fanboi party!)

But there's always a lost in translation deal to some degree, unless you are dealing with the privileged kids of party members who have come to the USA and gone to a top university here (BTW, those are the ones who know all about the Disney BRAND).

Sometimes, you think you are agreeing on the same thing and you just ... aren't.

I always use the example of one of my favorite local restaurants (I could so go for their food right now!) The English translation is Golden Tripod Attic but it is essentially gibberish. It doesn't mean anything that makes sense in English. You see so much of that.

And this might be where TWDC is having problems with China. Perhaps they simply don't get how business is done in Shanghai? Perhaps that part of the world is incomprehensible to the army of Harvard-educated MBAs that take up space in the Team Disney building in Glendale?

Alas my larger concerns are about making sure it's done right, so Disney can capture the emerging middle class in China and to a lesser extent, India.

Absolutely accurate. Most MBAs seem to go abroad for a week (I have a friend doing so now!) just so they can list international experience on a CV. It just doesn't work that way. I have lots of experience in China, but I'd never say I'm an expert. I probably know more about doing business there than 99% of the folks here, but what do I get for that? Free dim sum?

As to India ... way too many 'issues' for Disney to have interest beyond growing the BRAND thru exposure to TV and Film product.

If anything, this missing $800M is reinforcement of why Disney needs better corporate governance and greater transparency to the shareholders. They seem more interested in their image rather than actually accomplishing anything or doing things the right way. I will give it to Zenia (I've heard my own stories. She's not to be trifled with), her and the PR machine is doing their best at crafting and controlling the message and the story.

However, eventually the truth will leak out. There's too much money involved. The question IMO is will anyone be paying enough attention to care when it does?

Such is my thoughts. I don't know enough about how business is done in China to evaluate if Bobby has doomed himself. Alas I know enough about American Capitalism to know that someone's going to ask where that $800M went and likely someone will be held accountable.

Screwing up a timeshare in Hawaii cost a bunch of mid level jobs. Screwing up The entry into China? That's going to be senior level departures, likely without a golden parachute.

IMO.

I don't think one business reporter or analyst has asked about that $800 million (recall that was the 1982 cost of EPCOT Center and more than the 1998 cost of DAK or the entire DLR expansion including DCA, DD and the Grand Cali in 2000-01). Disney said it was spending it on ''additional attractions and added capacity'' and Wall Street just nodded its collective heads. Typical.

And sadly, if that money has gone to rebuild things, overruns and, even, graft, no one will say a word provided the resort opens and gets off to a good start. News doesn't get reported today ... and, sometimes, when it does, either folks ignore it or folks at the highest levels simply make it disappear or irrelevant.

That wouldn't have happened even two decades ago when we had real media and not citizen 'journalists' tweeting PR to get free stuff. Journalism is close to dead in this country.

 

[Cesar R M]

No, it'll cause some sort of developmental disorder!

yeah. you might get the Mongello type Autism.
causing irremediable sold-out fanboyism towards the walt disney company

 

[WDW1974]

The thing is though, people like us who are connoisseurs of quality theme parks, know the importance of theming and the little details, but how important is this really to a completely foreign audience?

There are numerous instances of Disney in the USA parks dropping little details and thematic touches which fall into the 'you don't notice them but you would if they weren't there' category in the hope that people won't notice after all, and attendance figures seem to show that they didn't.

Now apply that to China, where the average person doesn't have a clue whether a street is an authentic representation of a 19th Century American town or whatever. Those details matter even less.

Disney is banking on crowds flocking to the park because of the tight theming and attention to detail that the other parks lack, but if the other parks are getting 80% of the way there, how important is that extra 20% to the average Chinese guest? That's what remains to be seen, and why some of us are doubtful that SDL will be the smash-hit most people seem to think it will be.

Shanghai won't succeed or fail based on the Disney Details. No one knows about them or cares. Maybe a fraction of one percent on most days to maybe a whole 2-3% on a really good day. It just isn't ingrained in them to look or care and they wouldn't know or understand why they matter.

Maybe in a generation or two, they will. But now?

They care about as much as I care about any version of NCIS!

You have to have an understanding ... a context ... and it just isn't there. Disney knows this. They just don't want Americans, especially investors and those who influence them to.

 

[WDW1974]

I for one would be most interested in seeing this come to fruition. Not to see the mythical unannounced attraction; but, just to see what finger or fingers Spirit would be using to point with.

I would guess; but, this is a family friendly forum.

Nah. I'm a cultured Spirit, I'd use the Disney two finger point.

 

[WDW1974]

I'm also curious, since there's been a lot of talk of the lack of awareness/care for the Disney brand, as to when the mega media blitz for SDL will begin, if it hasn't already. Has not the time for secrecy passed? The Disney Store (across the street from the Oriental Pearl) should open in the next couple months with a Preview Center - hopefully with the full park model on display - similar to what the Paris site had. The topping-off of the castle should also come sometime relatively soon, which would be another occasion for a big reveal.

I heard spring for the Disney Store on the Bund, the largest in the world. But that was when it was announced maybe 18 months ago. Who knows when? Who knows if they'll have a real preview center as that would mean telling people what will be in this park -- and what won't.

The media blitz has been going on for many years on Chinese TV. ... And then there's the Disney English centers ...you know the ones Bob Iger talks about but never talks about how they are reported on in China because they've been targeted for raids as people working in them have improper visas and lack the minimum requirements for teaching and use high pressure tactics to sell that make DVC sales people look harmless by comparison.

But that's a whole other subject and I don't have time for it right now.

 

[Absimilliard]

When people talk about how basic steel coasters don't belong in Disney parks, take a look at what Efteling in the Netherlands is building right now:

The park took your basic Sheikra like Dive Coaster and had custom supports designed to make it feel like it belongs back in 1898, which is when the ride is supposed to take place.

Here is part of the station building:

Why can't Disney break out of their family coaster obsession and build something like this? This is what they need in Shanghai!

 

[Tony Perkis]

When people talk about how basic steel coasters don't belong in Disney parks, take a look at what Efteling in the Netherlands is building right now:

The park took your basic Sheikra like Dive Coaster and had custom supports designed to make it feel like it belongs back in 1898, which is when the ride is supposed to take place.

Here is part of the station building:

Why can't Disney break out of their family coaster obsession and build something like this? This is what they need in Shanghai!

The station and queue look like Mystery Mine at Dollywood.

 

[asianway]

yeah. you might get the Mongello type Autism.
causing irremediable sold-out fanboyism towards the walt disney company

Speaking of... See Lou's latest of lifting WDW logos and promo pics and rebranding them?

 

[Hakunamatata]

Quick question for those who seem to be up on their Chinese culture. Is it socially acceptable in China to smack and slurp constantly when you eat? A large contingent of Chinese people are staying at the same hotel I am at and practically all of them smack and slurp loudly while they eat. Just curious.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Well, Hello Zootopia!

 

[Bairstow]

The station and queue look like Mystery Mine at Dollywood.

How do you figure?

 

[RivieraJenn]

Quick question for those who seem to be up on their Chinese culture. Is it socially acceptable in China to smack and slurp constantly when you eat? A large contingent of Chinese people are staying at the same hotel I am at and practically all of them smack and slurp loudly while they eat. Just curious.

Yes. Manners are completely different in China from what we're accustomed to in the West. Before the Olympics the powers that be recognized how off-putting some acceptable Chinese behavior might be to the rest of the world and launched huge campaigns to try to change things like spitting in the street. I'm not sure how effective these were. But finishing schools are now popular among the Chinese elite as a status symbol.

 

[wdisney9000]

Yes. Manners are completely different in China from what we're accustomed to in the West. Before the Olympics the powers that be recognized how off-putting some acceptable Chinese behavior might be to the rest of the world and launched huge campaigns to try to change things like spitting in the street. I'm not sure how effective these were. But finishing schools are now popular among the Chinese elite as a status symbol.

I was speaking with a client of mine a few days ago and he just returned from Shanghai actually. He was telling me about the spitting issue. He said it was crazy, they just spit right in front of you but its not meant to be rude. He said it takes some getting used to.