Found this in today's Orlando Sentinal:
Disney's most ardent fans worry about a possible takeover of the company.
By Sarah Hale Meitner
Sentinel Staff Writer
February 21, 2004
Like thousands of other hard-core fans, Lucy Murgalo worries about a future where Comcast Corp. has its hands on her precious Disney.
What would happen to Walt's dream?
"All of the values, the magic that Disney built would just disappear," said Murgalo, a 51-year-old insurance claims examiner from Winter Garden.
Putting a finger on what they fear is difficult at best, ranging from whether a new owner would scrimp on spending at the parks or, worse yet, put them up for sale.
What it really comes down to is that they don't want to lose that special something that makes Disney, well, Disney.
It's the innocence. The wholesome fun. And a sterling reputation for customer service, they say.
Murgalo is one of more than 8,000 members in the National Fantasy Fan Club for Disneyana Enthusiasts.
When it comes to their buying power, enthusiasts -- most of whom are in their 40s -- are a force to be reckoned with. Last year, they spent roughly $30 million on annual park passes, limited-edition merchandise and other Disney items, said Jay Aldrich, president of the national club.
These aren't your average parkgoers or movie watchers.
Disney fanatics are true experts in all-things-Mickey, having seen every movie and toured every theme park attraction countless times. They are often called upon by family and friends to lead tours of the parks. They watch old TV episodes of Zorro and Davy Crockett. They decorate their homes with Disney memorabilia and hard-to-come-by souvenirs.
They are master mouseketeers.
Murgalo's own collection of Disney paraphernalia is valued at between $30,000 and $40,000. That includes her prized Armani Beauty-and-the-Beast figurine at $750.
According to Disneyanas, changing Disney's magic -- even a tad -- could have catastrophic results equivalent to hanging Tinkerbell by her toes.
Luke Piacente, a 75-year-old St. Cloud resident and Disney shareholder, retired to Florida from New York in 1990 -- not for the warm weather -- but to be closer to Walt Disney World. He and his wife, Toni, visit the Disney World theme parks 10 to 15 times a month, where Piacente, a Walt Disney look alike, is often asked by visitors to pose for photographs.
"I look like Walt, but older," he said, proudly. "I have the same bags under my eyes."
Like most Disney faithful, Piacente worries how Comcast, a Philadelphia-based cable-TV operator, will build upon Disney's dream. After all, what does Comcast know about pixie dust?
Pixie dust, or magic, is the reason why the Disney Co. has legions of followers, enthusiasts say.
Sure, people are attracted to the fun -- Piacente loves cruising the Small World boats at Magic Kingdom, most of all, and his favorite movie character is Steamboat Willie. More than that, though, Disney teaches wholesome, family oriented values, said Arlen Miller, 51, president of World Chapter, Orlando's local Disneyana fan club.
"When you visit a Disney theme park, you leave your troubles at the gate," said Miller, editor of the club's newsletter World Tales and Mouse Review.
It doesn't matter that Comcast executives, after launching a $61 billion stock-and-debt deal, pledged to preserve Walt Disney's legacy and revitalize the theme-park business. Enthusiasts are still worried that Comcast is in over its head; that it might even sell off the theme parks to raise cash.
"Comcast doesn't know the theme-park business," said Miller, who works full time reselling Disney collectibles on eBay, the Internet auction site. "They don't know anything about it. If this goes through, the end-result would be terrible. The theme parks would just get lost in the shuffle."
He fears Comcast would trim the theme parks' customer-service and janitorial staffs, hurting Disney's friendly and immaculate reputation. Miller also worries the company would tout more non-Disney merchandise in the parks.
"You might as well not even call it Disney if that happens," the Poinciana resident said.
Other Disneyanas -- a term that refers to Disney-memorabilia collectors -- rushed to Internet chat rooms in the wake of the Comcast news to speculate about Disney's future.
One discussion, titled "Comcast makes bid to buy Disney," attracted nearly 4,000 page views -- more than any other recent post.
"I really don't like the idea of Disney owned by another company, it just doesn't seem right you know?" one Web user wrote.
"It sounds like Comcast is invading Disney and going to war," another typed.
Still, this love for Disney should not be confused with admiration for its chairman, Michael Eisner.
They may adore Disney and relish childhood memories of the Mickey Mouse Club, Disneyland and Pinocchio, but they are not universally happy about Eisner and his 20-year tenure at the company's helm.
Roy E. Disney, Walt's nephew, who in December surprised investors by quitting the board of directors, is leading a campaign to get rid of him.
Even before Comcast's bid, many enthusiasts were hoping for a change in leadership.
Eisner is "too big for his britches," Murgalo said, adding that he is a "Pooh pusher."
"Mickey's been put on the wayside by [Winnie the] Pooh," she continued. "It's Eisner, he's pushing Pooh too much. Pooh wasn't even an original Disney character. It's like Walt used to say, the magic started with the mouse."
Even in his dedication to Disney, enthusiast Raymond Locke, a 48-year-old United Parcel Service employee, is quick to compare Eisner to a "dictator, whose greed and high salary have gotten the best of him."
It's an 18-hour drive to Orlando from Paramus, N.J., but Locke and his family can make it in one shot. "We'll sleep when we get to Orlando," he said from his New Jersey home last week, before piling his three daughters, ages 11 through 14, and wife, June, into the family van for one of their annual trips.
It's his 68th trip to Disney World; his last visit was in November. Although Locke has annual passes to the theme parks, each Orlando trip still costs him between $2,000 and $2,500. At 68 trips, he guesses he's spent at least $150,000.
"We're dedicated to Disney," said Locke, whose own stable of Disney collectibles includes more than 8,000 pins and 10,000 buttons.
And despite all those trips to Orlando, not once has the family been to Universal Orlando.
"A Comcast takeover isn't what I want to see happen," he said. "But I do want to see some things change."
Disney enthusiasts have long been courted by the company, given their fervent devotion, willingness to spend, and word-of-mouth marketing that costs the company very little. Fans, mostly children, were first recognized in 1929, when the company's official Mickey Mouse Club was created. Later, for more than 10 years, Disney sponsored Disneyana conventions for its devotees.
When hundreds of enthusiasts were stranded in Anaheim, Calif., during the 2001 convention, which occurred on Sept. 11, the company even offered them free room and board.
The National Fantasy Fan Club, which hosts its own annual conventions, began in 1984 with 14 members and has grown into an international nonprofit organization that splinters into multiple regional chapters. Not surprisingly, one of the largest regional groups is the Orlando club, with about 150 members.
Rick Foglesong, professor of politics at Rollins College and author of Married to the Mouse, says "The Disney brand gives us romance, happiness and a strong dose of pixie dust, or magic. Problems are solved with the wave of a wand. . . . The appeal of Disney is very powerful."
Murgalo used to go to the Disney World parks three to four times a week as an annual pass holder. She even earned her nickname, "Old Haggy," because of a true-to-movie costume she once wore to an enthusiast convention. Old Hag, of course, tempted Snow White with a poisonous apple in the 1937 animated classic.
These days, because of a bad knee, she's at the parks just a few days a month. Still, Murgalo can't help but notice how they have suffered since her first visit in 1983. The lawns look less manicured, and employees aren't enthused about their jobs, she says.
She can only imagine how things might worsen under Comcast's ownership. As a true fan though, she doesn't care.
"Disney will always be Disney," Murgalo said. "I'm still going love Magic Kingdom. I'm still going to love Epcot. I'm still going to love Mickey. It doesn't matter who is in charge."
Disney's most ardent fans worry about a possible takeover of the company.
By Sarah Hale Meitner
Sentinel Staff Writer
February 21, 2004
Like thousands of other hard-core fans, Lucy Murgalo worries about a future where Comcast Corp. has its hands on her precious Disney.
What would happen to Walt's dream?
"All of the values, the magic that Disney built would just disappear," said Murgalo, a 51-year-old insurance claims examiner from Winter Garden.
Putting a finger on what they fear is difficult at best, ranging from whether a new owner would scrimp on spending at the parks or, worse yet, put them up for sale.
What it really comes down to is that they don't want to lose that special something that makes Disney, well, Disney.
It's the innocence. The wholesome fun. And a sterling reputation for customer service, they say.
Murgalo is one of more than 8,000 members in the National Fantasy Fan Club for Disneyana Enthusiasts.
When it comes to their buying power, enthusiasts -- most of whom are in their 40s -- are a force to be reckoned with. Last year, they spent roughly $30 million on annual park passes, limited-edition merchandise and other Disney items, said Jay Aldrich, president of the national club.
These aren't your average parkgoers or movie watchers.
Disney fanatics are true experts in all-things-Mickey, having seen every movie and toured every theme park attraction countless times. They are often called upon by family and friends to lead tours of the parks. They watch old TV episodes of Zorro and Davy Crockett. They decorate their homes with Disney memorabilia and hard-to-come-by souvenirs.
They are master mouseketeers.
Murgalo's own collection of Disney paraphernalia is valued at between $30,000 and $40,000. That includes her prized Armani Beauty-and-the-Beast figurine at $750.
According to Disneyanas, changing Disney's magic -- even a tad -- could have catastrophic results equivalent to hanging Tinkerbell by her toes.
Luke Piacente, a 75-year-old St. Cloud resident and Disney shareholder, retired to Florida from New York in 1990 -- not for the warm weather -- but to be closer to Walt Disney World. He and his wife, Toni, visit the Disney World theme parks 10 to 15 times a month, where Piacente, a Walt Disney look alike, is often asked by visitors to pose for photographs.
"I look like Walt, but older," he said, proudly. "I have the same bags under my eyes."
Like most Disney faithful, Piacente worries how Comcast, a Philadelphia-based cable-TV operator, will build upon Disney's dream. After all, what does Comcast know about pixie dust?
Pixie dust, or magic, is the reason why the Disney Co. has legions of followers, enthusiasts say.
Sure, people are attracted to the fun -- Piacente loves cruising the Small World boats at Magic Kingdom, most of all, and his favorite movie character is Steamboat Willie. More than that, though, Disney teaches wholesome, family oriented values, said Arlen Miller, 51, president of World Chapter, Orlando's local Disneyana fan club.
"When you visit a Disney theme park, you leave your troubles at the gate," said Miller, editor of the club's newsletter World Tales and Mouse Review.
It doesn't matter that Comcast executives, after launching a $61 billion stock-and-debt deal, pledged to preserve Walt Disney's legacy and revitalize the theme-park business. Enthusiasts are still worried that Comcast is in over its head; that it might even sell off the theme parks to raise cash.
"Comcast doesn't know the theme-park business," said Miller, who works full time reselling Disney collectibles on eBay, the Internet auction site. "They don't know anything about it. If this goes through, the end-result would be terrible. The theme parks would just get lost in the shuffle."
He fears Comcast would trim the theme parks' customer-service and janitorial staffs, hurting Disney's friendly and immaculate reputation. Miller also worries the company would tout more non-Disney merchandise in the parks.
"You might as well not even call it Disney if that happens," the Poinciana resident said.
Other Disneyanas -- a term that refers to Disney-memorabilia collectors -- rushed to Internet chat rooms in the wake of the Comcast news to speculate about Disney's future.
One discussion, titled "Comcast makes bid to buy Disney," attracted nearly 4,000 page views -- more than any other recent post.
"I really don't like the idea of Disney owned by another company, it just doesn't seem right you know?" one Web user wrote.
"It sounds like Comcast is invading Disney and going to war," another typed.
Still, this love for Disney should not be confused with admiration for its chairman, Michael Eisner.
They may adore Disney and relish childhood memories of the Mickey Mouse Club, Disneyland and Pinocchio, but they are not universally happy about Eisner and his 20-year tenure at the company's helm.
Roy E. Disney, Walt's nephew, who in December surprised investors by quitting the board of directors, is leading a campaign to get rid of him.
Even before Comcast's bid, many enthusiasts were hoping for a change in leadership.
Eisner is "too big for his britches," Murgalo said, adding that he is a "Pooh pusher."
"Mickey's been put on the wayside by [Winnie the] Pooh," she continued. "It's Eisner, he's pushing Pooh too much. Pooh wasn't even an original Disney character. It's like Walt used to say, the magic started with the mouse."
Even in his dedication to Disney, enthusiast Raymond Locke, a 48-year-old United Parcel Service employee, is quick to compare Eisner to a "dictator, whose greed and high salary have gotten the best of him."
It's an 18-hour drive to Orlando from Paramus, N.J., but Locke and his family can make it in one shot. "We'll sleep when we get to Orlando," he said from his New Jersey home last week, before piling his three daughters, ages 11 through 14, and wife, June, into the family van for one of their annual trips.
It's his 68th trip to Disney World; his last visit was in November. Although Locke has annual passes to the theme parks, each Orlando trip still costs him between $2,000 and $2,500. At 68 trips, he guesses he's spent at least $150,000.
"We're dedicated to Disney," said Locke, whose own stable of Disney collectibles includes more than 8,000 pins and 10,000 buttons.
And despite all those trips to Orlando, not once has the family been to Universal Orlando.
"A Comcast takeover isn't what I want to see happen," he said. "But I do want to see some things change."
Disney enthusiasts have long been courted by the company, given their fervent devotion, willingness to spend, and word-of-mouth marketing that costs the company very little. Fans, mostly children, were first recognized in 1929, when the company's official Mickey Mouse Club was created. Later, for more than 10 years, Disney sponsored Disneyana conventions for its devotees.
When hundreds of enthusiasts were stranded in Anaheim, Calif., during the 2001 convention, which occurred on Sept. 11, the company even offered them free room and board.
The National Fantasy Fan Club, which hosts its own annual conventions, began in 1984 with 14 members and has grown into an international nonprofit organization that splinters into multiple regional chapters. Not surprisingly, one of the largest regional groups is the Orlando club, with about 150 members.
Rick Foglesong, professor of politics at Rollins College and author of Married to the Mouse, says "The Disney brand gives us romance, happiness and a strong dose of pixie dust, or magic. Problems are solved with the wave of a wand. . . . The appeal of Disney is very powerful."
Murgalo used to go to the Disney World parks three to four times a week as an annual pass holder. She even earned her nickname, "Old Haggy," because of a true-to-movie costume she once wore to an enthusiast convention. Old Hag, of course, tempted Snow White with a poisonous apple in the 1937 animated classic.
These days, because of a bad knee, she's at the parks just a few days a month. Still, Murgalo can't help but notice how they have suffered since her first visit in 1983. The lawns look less manicured, and employees aren't enthused about their jobs, she says.
She can only imagine how things might worsen under Comcast's ownership. As a true fan though, she doesn't care.
"Disney will always be Disney," Murgalo said. "I'm still going love Magic Kingdom. I'm still going to love Epcot. I'm still going to love Mickey. It doesn't matter who is in charge."
