Originally posted by Blizz
I bet if Uncle Walt had a grave he would be rolling in it!
Personally, I think he would be glad that after the 70's and early 80's, the company still exists. I also think Walt would be amazed and ashamed at what has become of the American Public. I also think he would be disappointed to a certain extent at how his dreams had to change to meet our societies new demands.
I think we all know that Walt did not hate change but actually embraced it. He was constantly searching for new and better ways to do things. In his career and his personal life, he managed to learn not only form his failures but also from his successes. This was all in an effort to keep getting better and turning bigger dreams into reality.
The most important part of his search for excellence was his ability to maintain his values, honesty and integrity. I truly don't think Walt would be impressed with how we have shirked the qualities he held so dear in our quest to increase our wealth, boost our egos, make ourselves feel good.
There is always a lot of blaming on these boards and in the media in general directed at Michael and a few other individuals currently or formerly in charge of the Disney Companies. While I beleive a certain part of this is justified, we also must look in the mirror and around at our own lives. A lot of things that have happened at DIsney have also ocurred in other companies and directly reflect changes in our society in general.
When Walt built DIsneyland, He wanted a clean fun place where families could go and have fun together. He wanted to create a simpler time because he saw where our lives were going and didn't like it. There is a reason Mainstreet USA resembless his hometown. He saw his childhood as a simpler time where dreams were grandiose and more importantly possible.
We are nearly 50 years beyond the opening day of Disneyland and my how things have changed since then. I doubt that Walt could have even foretold where we would be today. And, as I stated earlier, I very seriously doubt he would approve. Just the fact that we are on the internet spending our time arguing about peoples job performance we don't even personally know would have seemed a waste of time. He would probalby have been spending this time thinking up even better ways to entertain the world with even more magic, while maintaining his honesty, integrity and other values he held dearly.