Big Big News!!!!!!!!

[KevinPage]

Bobfan,

No one denies the imapct he had for the company, but every dog has their day and even the Lead Lion gets run out of the pack eventually, when you need a younger more adapt one to helm the pack. No one can do it forever.

Granted Eisner has made good turnarounds the past year or to, but at what expense will that come for the future long term goals of the company? That will remain to be seen, but most feel the short sightedness to raise stock prices now at any cost will hurt Disney in the long run and in the public's perception. After all Disney is a company that is built on public perception.

 

[aurorajames]

Originally posted by T1nker_Bell
I was born in 1985, so I never knew of a time when Eisner was not running the show. My parents tell me quality has gone down on many things.

This applies to me too. I was born the year he came into power, and for my entire childhood, he was "the voice of Disney." It's hard for me to imagine him resigning too, even if he has screwed things up a bit since the 90's...

 

[Raidermatt]

Eisner AND WELLS ran company until Wells died in a 1994 helicopter crash. Disney's main problem prior to 1984 was they had a ton of under-utilized assets, like the film vault and the land in WDW. When the corporate raiders started crunching the numbers, Disney became a target.

With regard to the first 10 years or so of the Eisner/Wells reign, there's no doubt they did what was needed to preserve and grow the company. But to say they were the only ones who could pull it off is a reach...

Also, Eisner shared power with Wells. Maybe its coincidence, but Disney's downturn in performance largely coincided with the death of Wells.

 

[Testtrack321]

Re: Eisner

Originally posted by bobfan
Let us not forget that whitout Eisner and his team, there would be no MGM-studios, no Disneyland Paris, no Animal Kingdom, no Lion King, no Finding Nemo, no Brother Bear, not over 12 oscars last year, etc.

MGM was too small when it begain, Disneyland Paris is failing, Animal Kingdom had a horrible start, but luckally it's doing well now, Lion King was with Wells and Katzenburg, and Nemo was from Pixar. Nothing you mentioned was a hit that Eisner conducted ALONE. Either it was him and others or just him and they were failures. I'm not saying AK is a bad concept, but the budget he gave it was awful.

The fact is that even Roy Disney doesn't deny the merits of M.E. The only thing he blames him is his narrow focus on the short-term profit. But this last thing isn't the fault of M.E., but of the times we are living in. Today it's almost impossible to satisfy your shareholders with long-term perspectives. Shareholders want their profit as soon and as high as possible, if not, they sell their stocks, leaving you with the debts and your big plans.

Then how do developement companies get investors? Because they turn a good product out in the long run. When Disneyland Paris was a flop, Eisner needed them to come back, so you can guess what he did....

Also, by adding lands such as Flick's Fair, Dinorama, and others, he's interested in a quick pick-up rather than a stead improvement.

[quoteThat M.E. after september 11th has succeed in the revaluation of the Disney shares, and that in times of a severe economic depression, is almost a miracle. In less then one year the value of the Disney shares is increased in value with over 40%. Whitout this short-term gains, the Disney Company would probably have been the victim of a merger or take over like Universal of Time Warner. And discussions like this would no longer be necessary.
Let's give Eisner some credit, if you in your life could achieve 1/10 of the merits of Eisner, you would ask the same [/QUOTE]

As I said before, he didn't get the money through devlopment and good investment in parks and films, instead it was cheap movies and rides when they needed them. He dropped the ball in the late 90s after Wells left because he thought the parks could fly on their own with merchandise events. Now we have been caught with our pants down with IoA s__________g up Imagineers and attendence while MK hasn't had a new major ride for almost 10 years, ONE THIRD IT'S LIEFTIME.

 

[FutureCEO]

Has anybody read the Jim Hill columns?

I think their tremendously intertesting. How Kermit and the Gang, Steve Lassaster, Steve Jobs are inlvoved in this someway.

For next CEO i pick Steve Jobs.

 

[mickey04]

Originally posted by FutureCEO
Has anybody read the Jim Hill columns?

I think their tremendously intertesting. How Kermit and the Gang, Steve Lassaster, Steve Jobs are inlvoved in this someway.

For next CEO i pick Steve Jobs.

I have- they're very interesting. I only wish I knew what to believe. If all he says is true, than it seems like Roy and Stanley have a very good chance to oust Eisner if they play their cards right, but who knows if all this behind the scenes stuff is really playing out as Jim says it is. (But here's hopin' :animwink: )

 

[HennieBogan1966]

Eisner

I'd like to respond to several comments, if I may:

First:

Responding to (I believe) Bob, we are not in an economic recession. If you'll look at the numbers over the past year, the stock market is almost at 10k, interests rates are at an all time low, and employment is up. Now, this is not a thread drift, but a connection to our topic. To say that Mr. Eisner has somehow contributed to any turn around over the last year is false. PEOPLE make the difference. ALWAYS!!! Not one man. People buying your product make the difference. And the only ideas I have seen recently, are the various "packages" being offered by Disney in order to get people to visit the parks. However, I will credit Mr. Eisner with one thing. The near demise of The Disney Store. My Wife and I are former castmembers, and there is no vision or direction for the stores. They are single-minded in their approach to product development and sales. (can you say, PLUSH?). They are poorly staffed, (part-time teen-agers) with over-worked mgmt. staffs, and they are poorly merchandised. (again, can you say PLUSH?)

Secondly, the supposed growth of the company that Mr. Eisner is credited with repeatedly during the 80's and early 90's is due to a lot of vacationers, and loyal customers to the Disney Product. The company has sinced lost that base due to, among other things, its expansion into various markets of interest. (in other words, Mr. Eisner began trying to buy his way out of financial woes, which HE created, by buying into things such as ABC/ESPN, Miramax, etc., etc.). Along with that, he had already decided and built expansive, yes, I said, expansive, hotels, that only the silver spoon crowd could afford to stay in. Not once ever thinking forward to say to himself, Hey, "what if.......". Instead, relying on that old "Field of Dreams" adage, "If you build it, they will come."

No, I would say it's past time for a general house cleaning of Mr. Eisner and all his "buddies". The Disney Company needs a return to its core values that it once instilled in all its work and presentation of its parks. I won't say that all his ideas have been bad. But clearly, his time is past. He no longer shares the vision of those who would like to see this company flourish once again.

And I haven't seen the stock price today, but I'm guessing that it's probably a buyers market.