Depressing Disney Details From Disboards.com

[Testtrack321]

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=472675&perpage=15&pagenumber=2

Very quickly and much blunter than normal ?

Roy took a walk before the Eisner threw him out the window. The age limit on the board is a fig leaf; it's been ignored for years for current board members and it's application here is a ploy. And Eisner was more than willing to quickly renegotiate his employment contract when he destroyed the company's profit; to claim "rules are rules" now is just another example of his maliciousness. And you haven't heard the last about these circumstances yet?

Eisner has believed for about five years now the only way to "maximize shareholder value" is to sell The Company. For about 18 months there were serious talks between him and Disney/Gold to separate the company: Roy to take "classic Disney" (animation, licensees and theme parks) and Eisner to take CapCities (ABC, cable, Touchstone & Miramax). The Roy and Diane Disney factions were never able to meet Eisner's increasing demands although the tried very hard.

Eisner was extremely disheartened by the lack of feeding frenzy surrounding the Vivendi/Universal sale. He had hoped that another round of media buying frenzy so that Disney could be sold without anyone looking too closely at the deal (as happened last time with AOL and TimeWarner, etc.)

Since a sale will have to be made on its merits, Eisner is killing off the "unprofitable" or "unfashionable" areas of the company: animation, retail, music, Broadway and others on the hit list. He's very interested in selling the hotels at WDW (and probably also the DVC) to an outside group as well. In a perfect world Eisner would like to either spin the parks off into a separate company (the core of the Roy/Diane plan) or sell them off piece by piece. Eisner needs the cash from the sale to pay down the debt and because the parks don't give the immediate returns that a movie or TV show does. Disney has become a wholesale operation ? it takes product in one end of the warehouse and ships it out the other as quickly as possible. The ideas of "investment" and "creation" are curse words these days.

Eisner is terrified of a serious takeover attempt orchestrated by someone else for a simple reason: he wants the deal organized to make him obscenely rich. What happens to the company or to other stockholders is simple beneath his contempt.

It's rumored that Eisner loaded up the company with a couple billion in debt when they bought out the Bass Brothers. It was done to keep the Disneys or anyone else from collecting enough stock to challenge Eisner. Most of this debt was short term (Disney doesn't have the credit rating for much else these days). If nothing changes then serious payment issues will soon appear.

Roy Disney's stock deal was a fairly complicated and new type deal. As I understand it, he sold some of his shares, but it will not be effective until some date in the future. He receives the money now and if the stock price is higher when the shares are actually sold, he will get the additional money ? if the stock goes down he doesn't loose a penny. He retains full voting rights to the stock. Roy knows a thing or two about making money.

If the European banks push things, Eisner will let Euro Disney default and close (again, get rid of the "unprofitable" operations). The company will not invest anymore money in the place, especially after the disastrous beyond description impact of Disney Studios Paris on EDL's balance sheet and operating profit. A rumor is that the last outside consultant's report on the solution to California Adventure was summed up in one word: bulldoze. And look for a "construction delay" in one of the hotels a Disneyland Hong Kong; early projections indicate there so little at the park it will not be successful (as has also been reported elsewhere, the current joke around WDI is that DLHK will be so small they might as well include a drive-through window).

Mr. Disney's letter is spot on. It is a summary of what everyone has known for years but too many people ? through ignorance, sloth or greed of their own ? chose to ignore.


P.S. The process of dismantling the company will probably pick-up speed now.

 

[RPMdfw]

That's interesting.

But who is that guy. He's just somebody who posted on the discussion board. It could all just be conjecture from some random person for all that I could tell from that post.

I hope that what he's posting and hold out for proof.

 

[pan11435]

Without even going to the posted link I can tell from the wording this is the work of "Another Voice" a frequent poster on those boards. All I have to say is don't believe it till you see it. In many ways he seems to remind me of Jim Hill. I find it amazing that he knows the so many details about virtually every topic brought up. Surely the only way he could be this knowledgeable about the inner workings of the company including things that the press must not know or would have reported it already is if he works for them. If that's the truth he would have been fired by now for sure. Like Jim I would just enjoy the read but don't read into it any more than that.

 

[Michael72688]

I dont know how much of that I believe, I mean I could see Eisner being that desperate to make a buck, but come on that would intern kill the company, the public out lashing he would get as well as the company, the entire thing would fall apart from under him.

Happy Holidays :xmas:

 

[Testtrack321]

Originally posted by pan11435
Without even going to the posted link I can tell from the wording this is the work of "Another Voice" a frequent poster on those boards. All I have to say is don't believe it till you see it. In many ways he seems to remind me of Jim Hill. I find it amazing that he knows the so many details about virtually every topic brought up. Surely the only way he could be this knowledgeable about the inner workings of the company including things that the press must not know or would have reported it already is if he works for them. If that's the truth he would have been fired by now for sure. Like Jim I would just enjoy the read but don't read into it any more than that.

Bingo, but I trust him.

He was the one before M:S came out talking about problems with nausea and weightlessness. Read the rest of his posts in that topic.

 

[CTXRover]

Interesting, but I doubt it. I believe if there was much truth to this that someone more credible in the media world would have picked up on it by now. For instance, back when there was nothing more than simple talk on creating a joint CNN/ABC news channel it was in business papers everywhere. And this was just nothing more than some conversations about joining news forces. Don't you think that something as big as actually selling the company off into units would have trickled into some reputable business/money related paper by now beyond a Disney fan site board?

The writer also mentions Disney cutting back on such things as Broadway when in fact they are opening a new Mary Poppins show in London soon and supposedly a Tarzan show in New York within the coming years. That is only one point of this person's otherwise very well articulated post that I know is wrong. True, they are cutting back on the animation studios, but pre-Mulan, they really only ever had one animation studio in Burbank. After Lion King era, they over-expanded in my opinion and quality of the films was really lost. Bringing the studio back to a smaller, more intimate setting may help in getting the best of the best to work together once again and start producing better films. I still think the Florida studio should stay, but closing the ones in Paris and Tokyo seemed like a good idea to me.

Also, pre-Roy leaving, as recent as this last Saturday, there was a businessman on CNN who talked about the recent talks of a successor being molded for Eisner. That would go along with the notion that Eisner was planning on exiting early from his contract, as soon as 2004. Now with all this talk of trying to push him out, I very much doubt he will leave just because of the image of "giving up" that it would portray.

 

[General Grizz]

Just MORE reason to back Roy! (see sig) - and it IS working! In fact, Roy acknowledged "Website Support" tonight on CNN! :sohappy:

I AGREE...give Roy the DISNEY and give Eisner his CRAP Miramax and ABC and see which wins.

EISNER NEEDS TO STOP NOW...support Roy and Gold before he pulls something!

 

[RPMdfw]

Originally posted by Testtrack321
Bingo, but I trust him.

He was the one before M:S came out talking about problems with nausea and weightlessness. Read the rest of his posts in that topic.

Um, it was widely known that it was going to be a centerfuge. That means spinning. Does it really take inside info to know that some people are going to be sick? It does sound like he knows a lot of the facts, but they're colored by a SEVERE dislike of Eisner and an active imagination. Of course he could be exactly right. But as I said before. I'm holding out for proof.

 

[Mr D]

AV has always posted good speculative postings over at Disboards, I've been reading them for years.

 

[Bill]

Well, maybe he's wrong. But if he's right, we need to do all we can to stop Eisner before he renames the company from Disney to Eisney. He's a mad man and he will stop at nothing. Roy knew he had to do something. Roy is one of the few people with common sense right now, and Eisner must be stopped at any cost. He will tear the company apart. He lies and has no moral values. He needs removal ASAP.

 

[pan11435]

He was the one before M:S came out talking about problems with nausea and weightlessness. Read the rest of his posts in that topic.

Yes, but been this was blown way out of proportion. There is always going to be some people who get sick on any ride. Especially if this ride spins and does what M:S does. It doesn't take any one with actual inside info to come up with that possible problem. And to be honest I don't even think there is or ever was a problem. I've been on M:S 16 times and not once has any one in my cabin gotten ill. I have also never seen anyone get sick after the ride. Just smiles and laughs. I am sure there are cases of people being sick but I don't think it is any more common than on the tea cups.

 

[Shaman]

While the post seems a bit too pessimistic and perhaps a bit exaggerated I think some of the points made have some merit...it is difficult to say what is true and what is not...but I don't think that its as bad as they're protraying in the post. Its bad I'm sure but its sounds a bit too strange for Eisner to be involved in the actions said in the post.

If it is true...Eisner needs to be booted pronto.

Roy and Stanley I think will win in the end in some way or form. Does anyone know how stockholders are reacting to this mess?


:lookaroun

 

[Mr D]

Its time to hit Darth Eisner's Death Star at its core.

Really I mean it, its time we the individual, we the average person of all ages from different walks of life from all around the world find ways to publicly decry the destruction of Disney by one individual that wants a godlike status or rather an empirical legacy , as a saying goes; "Absolute power corrupts absolutely"

Yay Roy!


:wave:

BTW, happy birthday to me:animwink:

 

[Raidermatt]

A little more context might help...

This poster has said before that what he posts are things that are being talked about, or are under consideration.

After all, that what "rumors" boards are for.

Others with inside information who have more optimistic views of the company have at times validated that what he has said either is or was being talked about within the company.

He clearly has legitimate sources within certain areas of Disney, and he also cares very much about the way the direction of the company has changed.

I know you don't know me from a hole in the ground, but I am confident that if he says it, its pretty much true. Obviously, when he talks about what Eisner will or won't do, its probably speculative to a certain extent, but I have no doubt that its based on info from folks who are at least in a position to make educated guesses about such things, and in some cases even more than that.

There are tons of people who have worked in Disney who believe Eisner has no real love for what Disney means to a lot of people. If what they say is true, scenarios like the one put forth above can't just be written off.

I know we all want proof, but again, these are rumors boards. Further, by the time there is proof, its common knowledge and we can just read about it at cnn.com.

 

[Raidermatt]

And, by the way, I agree with Mr. D. If you are not happy with the direction Disney has taken, this is the perfect time to speak up.

 

[KevinPage]

What a loon. How can ANYONE take that seriously.

Yeah I can see it now, they bulldoze and abandon DCA & Paris. Let's spend even MORE money to bulldoze something, which is only making us a little moeny, so this way we loose all our our invest and the cost of the brand new ride, Tower of Terror.

Can you spell, d-u-m-b-a-s-s

 

[pan11435]

What a loon. How can ANYONE take that seriously.

Yeah I can see it now, they bulldoze and abandon DCA & Paris. Let's spend even MORE money to bulldoze something, which is only making us a little moeny, so this way we loose all our our invest and the cost of the brand new ride, Tower of Terror.

Can you spell, d-u-m-b-a-s-s

I know, I don't see how anyone can think that this information is correct or that he has inside information. Think about there is no way he could know this unless he worked high up in Disney or had contacts who did. If this were true then neither would still have a job. he is simply making this junk up because he knows if he sounds knowledgeable enough we will all believe it.

This poster has said before that what he posts are things that are being talked about, or are under consideration.

Again how would he know any of this was being talked about. Surely if this were true the media would be all over it.

Others with inside information who have more optimistic views of the company have at times validated that what he has said either is or was being talked about within the company.

What honestly makes you think any of these people have inside information?

He clearly has legitimate sources within certain areas of Disney, and he also cares very much about the way the direction of the company has changed.

I don't doubt that he cares about the company, but again I ask what evidence do you have that says he has legitimate sources.

 

[fngoofy]

I agree Pan,

There is absolutely nothing in that piece that has credibility.

It is amazing the lack of critical thinking out there.

I love the quote "he obviously has credible sources"...

What in Sam Scratch is obvious!?!?!?!?!?!?

He sites no one and has nothing to offer but conjecture. As others have mentioned, if they were that far into those kind of talks (Roy & Eisner) then there would have been serious reporting done on it. You cann't even think about something that big without having to bring in many, many other people to structure and participate in the deal.

I also can’t believe I have had to write this much just to exercise my anti-lemming-knee-jerk reaction to reading all these ignorant posts on what this pompous, insider wannabee has written.

 

[Raidermatt]

It is amazing the lack of critical thinking out there.

Looking at some of the responses, like these....

What a loon. How can ANYONE take that seriously.

Can you spell, d-u-m-b-a-s-s

...I have to agree.

For some of the legitimate questions...

Yeah I can see it now, they bulldoze and abandon DCA & Paris.

The post said an outside consultant recommended bulldozing DCA, not Paris. Further, that doesn't mean they will bulldoze DCA, only that nobody is presenting any real solutions.

Regarding EuroDisney, there are serious financial issues. They have already stopped making payments to Disney, and there are questions about whether they can make their debt payments. If it comes down to whether to let the banks foreclose (or sell the place), or to invest hundreds of millions more, why are you so sure Eisner would choose to invest?

he is simply making this junk up because he knows if he sounds knowledgeable enough we will all believe it.

Its one thing to say you're not buying it until there's proof, but unless YOU have sources, you really don't know if its true or not. Discounting it is no different than putting full stock in it. Either would be foolish based solely on one post.

Think about there is no way he could know this unless he worked high up in Disney or had contacts who did.

He does not work for Disney at this time. However, one would not have to be THAT high up to hear such rumblings from within. At least that's the case in other companies.

If this were true then neither would still have a job.

Highly presumptuous.

What honestly makes you think any of these people have inside information?

Things they have said that later came to pass regarding policies and changes. I wouldn't expect that you would take my word for that of course, but critical thinking would dictate you keep an open mind.

Your choice.

 

[pan11435]

Its one thing to say you're not buying it until there's proof, but unless YOU have sources, you really don't know if its true or not. Discounting it is no different than putting full stock in it. Either would be foolish based solely on one post

That's absurd. I have no reason to believe this guy knows anymore about the Walt Disney Co. then my cat.

He does not work for Disney at this time. However, one would not have to be THAT high up to hear such rumblings from within. At least that's the case in other companies.

Again if people who are not "THAT" high up heard about this type of talks the information would be everywhere not just form one poster on an Internet fan site.

Highly presumptuous.

Really? You don't think that divulging inside information about a company that has not been made public yet would be grounds for termination. Use it the wrong way and it could even be considered illegal.

Things they have said that later came to pass regarding policies and changes.

Show me one link to a post of his that later came to reality. I have not seen it with the exception of when he reported news that was already well published. This is the same person who recently posted about Disney's first non Pixar CGI film. Amazingly for someone so knowledgeable he seems to have forgotten "Dinosaur."