Iger out in 2018

[Siren]

Last time I checked, Winnie the Pooh (the most recent traditionally animated feature film) was relased in 2011-- Iger's 6th year of being CEO. In addition, most of Walt Disney Animation Studios' traditional animation staff was fired.

Hi @fox_198! Oh wow, I thought the last Disney animated film at the box office was The Princess and The Frog. Did the movie perform well at the box office? Because, I never knew this film existed until now. And, I am sad about the traditional animation staff being fired.

 

[Siren]

Just remember with change....

It can always get worse.

Hi @radiohost! QFT! This is so true and I totally agree with you! Especially, when you look at how businesses are run today. I really wish Iger could stay on board until Star Wars land at DHS is completed.

Anyway, I look forward to seeing who the next CEO will be.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Hi @rob0519! Buses are just the lowest form of transportation. Walt wanted his resort to be state of the art and modern with a mix classic and contemporary themes.

Disney World did not need buses -- the monorail could have extended to all the resorts and the airport. This is what Walt had envisioned for Disney World. I live in a state with no mass transit, and the buses have continually failed those who can't afford cars or cannot drive for whatever reason -- it had gotten so bad, that cities are now building their own light speed rail right to address the desperate need for safe and affordable transportation. The buses are here, so I know this is a moot point but extending the monorail was very feasible and within reach during at one time.

Did Walt tell you that from the grave? Or was it because he had all that other stuff planned for his city of tomorrow. Walt was a tremendous person, but, frankly, his vision for EPCOT was just that a vision. It didn't have the chance of a snowball in hell of actually working over 5 years, at best.

A properly run bus system works very well for those that have realistic expectations and can understand the limitations of it's abilities to be everything to everybody. It reminds me of my Mother who was consistently upset because she couldn't just get on a plane near her house and fly directly to any city she wanted to go to, with no switching planes. Having worked for and even driven bus for a moderate sized city transit system I will tell you right now that Disney's system is one of the best. It works very well and is much more flexible then most scheduled systems, but, it cannot be everyones answer. Some demand more then what can be delivered. To those I say, bring or rent a car and haul your own sorry butts where you want to go. That works well too and it is much harder to blame yourselves for whatever transportation problems you might encounter. (Which BTW, will be fewer anyway.)

 

[Goofyernmost]

Anyone who thinks Iger is some saint is deluded at best. That man is worse than Satan himself, in my opinion. I will be so glad when his villainous rein of terror is over. Its just too bad his pathetic legion of duds can't all go down the drain when he leaves.

Amazing, those are exactly the same words that were used when everyone wanted Eisner gone. Everyone needs to be careful what you wish for... you might get it.

 

[ShoalFox]

Hi @fox_198! Oh wow, I thought the last Disney animated film at the box office was The Princess and The Frog. Did the movie perform well at the box office? Because, I never knew this film existed until now. And, I am sad about the traditional animation staff being fired.

Apparently it barely made back its budget. Which is unsurprising since it released the same day as the last Harry Potter; the same reason why many of Disney's early 2000s animated movies failed.

 

[TsWade2]

Hi @TsWade2! Wow! Just calm down. I can see if someone like stole your stylist or glam squad or whatever but all this over Eisner. LOL.

I was specifically talking about the WDW theme parks not animation. But, since you brought it up -- Iger did not kill traditional animation and he is not treating the classics like crud. Eisner ignored these IP's in the same fashion.

I really don't understand your anger over Song of the South, Pinocchio and Hercules. Like, who is supposed to watch and buy this stuff other than a small handful of nostalgic collectors or something. And, remember the sequel to Alice in Wonderful totally bombed at the box office recently.

I thought the live action remake of Cinderella was awesome. And, Cinderella totally got robbed at the Oscars for Best Costume Design, which was awarded to Mad Max -- like seriously?

Anyway, I loved the new Jungle Book. I heard Pete's Dragon is good. Maleficent was great. I can't wait to see Beauty and the Beast and the fashion of it all.

I'm also not sure what you mean by traditional animation -- if you're referring to 2-D, you can't blame Iger for that either -- CGI/3D is the industry standard. Tangled, Frozen, Wreck It Ralph, and the Baymax movie were all very good films. Not to mention, the Pixar stuff.

I am not familiar with Kathleen Kennedy but I see her name thrown around here a lot so I will take your word for it.

There is nothing wrong with cherishing an amazing era or those special rare moments in time -- that's life, but it can't be bottled up and preserved forever. Try giving some of the new stuff a chance -- there's a lot to be excited about right now!

I deleted it. I apologize. I shouldn't be involve of their cynical games.

 

[Siren]

Did Walt tell you that from the grave? Or was it because he had all that other stuff planned for his city of tomorrow. Walt was a tremendous person, but, frankly, his vision for EPCOT was just that a vision. It didn't have the chance of a snowball in hell of actually working over 5 years, at best.

A properly run bus system works very well for those that have realistic expectations and can understand the limitations of it's abilities to be everything to everybody. It reminds me of my Mother who was consistently upset because she couldn't just get on a plane near her house and fly directly to any city she wanted to go to, with no switching planes. Having worked for and even driven bus for a moderate sized city transit system I will tell you right now that Disney's system is one of the best. It works very well and is much more flexible then most scheduled systems, but, it cannot be everyones answer. Some demand more then what can be delivered. To those I say, bring or rent a car and haul your own sorry butts where you want to go. That works well too and it is much harder to blame yourselves for whatever transportation problems you might encounter. (Which BTW, will be fewer anyway.)

Hi @Goofyernmost! I wish I could fly nonstop everywhere, too! LOL.

Anyway, I totally respect your opinion but I disagree -- expanding the monorail over time as new properties added was very attainable for Disney -- MCO is expanding their monorail into Orlando right now.

I agree with you that Disney's bus system is exceptional, but I will always feel like this was just the cheaper and easier alternative to what could have been. With that said, at least the sight lines are not obstructed by the monorail.

Apparently it barely made back its budget. Which is unsurprising since it released the same day as the last Harry Potter; the same reason why many of Disney's early 2000s animated movies failed.

That's good news then, and at least it didn't bomb like John Carter or something!

I guess you would have preferred Frozen to be in 2D instead of 3D like this.

The 2D is pretty but I like 3D better. With that said, I don't want to see 2D animation disappear. I don't think it will because most cartoons are still in 2D, I think.

I deleted it. I apologize. I shouldn't be involve of their cynical games.

Awww. @TsWade2 - you didn't have to do that, but I finally get it now, lol. And, you don't have to apologize at all. I'm glad you sparked this great discussion again. I was totally having fun with it! LOL.

I respect your feelings regarding Iger. And, I totally agree with you on how big business can stifle creativity and innovation, in many instances. I hope Kathleen Kennedy will become the next CEO, if she's the best fit for Disney and the theme parks.

So, don't give up yet! What's old becomes new again -- especially in TV & Film -- this is a huge trend and Disney is literally trying to remake everything right now!

 

[AEfx]

Amazing, those are exactly the same words that were used when everyone wanted Eisner gone. Everyone needs to be careful what you wish for... you might get it.

I know, it's making me feel old listening to all these kiddos (not to mention my grumpy peers) rant on about Darth Iger. It's too bad he didn't get even more IP-happy and pick up Star Trek from Paramount - then we could use The Guardian to view the alternate realities of the last ten years or so would have been like without Iger. I think folks who call him "Satan" are simply ignorant of corporate realities and overall how lucky the Disney company has been with Iger, for the most part.

Iger knows he isn't a "creator" - unlike Eisner, who had to have his nose in every creative decision there was and literally thought himself to be the spiritual successor to Walt himself. Can you imagine what would have happened under Marvel with his "leadership"? Oy vey...at least we don't have to wonder how he would have mucked with Star Wars, as it would have been a cold day on Mustafar for Lucas to ever sell to the man.

Essentially, Iger stayed out of the creative muck as much if not more as any other CEO would have - and the largely sound business decisions and acquisitions he made the best that could be expected among anyone that Wall Street would actually allow to continue running the company. Like everyone, I lament how stale the parks have gotten (though finally that is feeling like a turning tide) - but again, from a corporate standpoint, Wall Street simply wouldn't have allowed anyone who spent 1980's style on the parks to stay in power, because the damn things kept making higher and higher profits without doing so.

In the end, we got the money guy who largely stayed out of creative day-to-day - which was the best we really could have hoped for in the current climate, from a point where it was quite possible a decade or so ago for the company to be bought out because Eisner had so mismanaged it to the ground, financially and creatively.

That's why you are absolutely correct that what folks say about Iger now are no where near what it was like with Eisner, who's dual failures plus his cantankerous demeanor got him pummeled with both fists, thrown out of the company in shame - instead of just the one sucker punch folks throw at Iger for being Darth Iger the Acquirer.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Apparently it barely made back its budget. Which is unsurprising since it released the same day as the last Harry Potter; the same reason why many of Disney's early 2000s animated movies failed.

I thought they bombed because they were rubbish.....

 

[SorcererMC]

Iger knows he isn't a "creator" - unlike Eisner, who had to have his nose in every creative decision there was and literally thought himself to be the spiritual successor to Walt himself.

Iger has made similar comments - he thinks that bringing Disneyland to Shanghai is the same thing or akin to what Walt did. (from comments in a New York Times article if I remember correctly). I think they were/are both trying to reckon with the legacy of the founder, which is definitely a challenge since Walt Disney is not just a business icon but an American idol. So I'm somewhat sympathetic to that while I think that both Eisner and Iger have succumbed to excessive pride at times.

Essentially, Iger stayed out of the creative muck as much if not more as any other CEO would have - and the largely sound business decisions and acquisitions he made the best that could be expected among anyone that Wall Street would actually allow to continue running the company

'Sound business decisions and acquisitions' - on what timescale? short-term for the growth of the company and stock price? (Wall St approves!) Or long-term investment in the company? This is debatable (and the long-term impact remains to be seen). To make my point obvious - I generally dislike relying on acquisition as a growth strategy, since it is the quick and 'safe' route as far as Wall St is concerned, and a departure from what The Walt Disney Company has traditionally done. I would have liked to see a better balance between satisfying Wall St in the current economic climate and continuing the tradition of developing creative IPs (eg Frozen shows they are capable of that) in the medium term. Re: WDW/theme park stagnation, I don't think he/DisCo would have needed to spend 1980s level investment; I would settle for regular upkeep/refurbs, and occasional improvements/additions on a small-to-medium scale rather than massive spends (like NFL or Avatar)....which they are dragging out over longer periods of time anyhow.

In the end, we got the money guy who largely stayed out of creative day-to-day - which was the best we really could have hoped for in the current climate, from a point where it was quite possible a decade or so ago for the company to be bought out because Eisner had so mismanaged it to the ground, financially and creatively.

I more or less agree with this. The caveat that I would make to your argument is that Eisner at the end of his tenure (at his worst) is not necessarily a fair comparison to Iger in his 'normal' state of mgmt. And I hardly think that Iger would be so daft as to make Eisner's mistakes (and so took a different route).

 

[asianway]

Just remember with change....

It can always get worse.

I hope @ford91exploder has plans to get that chiseled on his tombstone

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Some of you dudes and dudettes need to read Disney War.

 

[ford91exploder]

I hope @ford91exploder has plans to get that chiseled on his tombstone

Yes that would be a fitting epitaph for me...

 

[ford91exploder]

I know, it's making me feel old listening to all these kiddos (not to mention my grumpy peers) rant on about Darth Iger. It's too bad he didn't get even more IP-happy and pick up Star Trek from Paramount - then we could use The Guardian to view the alternate realities of the last ten years or so would have been like without Iger. I think folks who call him "Satan" are simply ignorant of corporate realities and overall how lucky the Disney company has been with Iger, for the most part.

Iger knows he isn't a "creator" - unlike Eisner, who had to have his nose in every creative decision there was and literally thought himself to be the spiritual successor to Walt himself. Can you imagine what would have happened under Marvel with his "leadership"? Oy vey...at least we don't have to wonder how he would have mucked with Star Wars, as it would have been a cold day on Mustafar for Lucas to ever sell to the man.

Essentially, Iger stayed out of the creative muck as much if not more as any other CEO would have - and the largely sound business decisions and acquisitions he made the best that could be expected among anyone that Wall Street would actually allow to continue running the company. Like everyone, I lament how stale the parks have gotten (though finally that is feeling like a turning tide) - but again, from a corporate standpoint, Wall Street simply wouldn't have allowed anyone who spent 1980's style on the parks to stay in power, because the damn things kept making higher and higher profits without doing so.

In the end, we got the money guy who largely stayed out of creative day-to-day - which was the best we really could have hoped for in the current climate, from a point where it was quite possible a decade or so ago for the company to be bought out because Eisner had so mismanaged it to the ground, financially and creatively.

That's why you are absolutely correct that what folks say about Iger now are no where near what it was like with Eisner, who's dual failures plus his cantankerous demeanor got him pummeled with both fists, thrown out of the company in shame - instead of just the one sucker punch folks throw at Iger for being Darth Iger the Acquirer.

Iger has done very little beyond purchasing Star Wars and Marvel to benefit the company LONG TERM, Iger has relied on a unsustainable short term strategy to boost the stock price by burning cash, The problem with this strategy is that an afternoon of trading can wipe out all the gains in Disney's stock leaving nothing behind,

Disney would have been better to follow AAPL and CSCO and hoard cash because then Disney not only would have a cushion against a downturn it also would have given them the cash to take creative risks as both Apple and Cisco do routinely most efforts fail but the ones that don't pay for the failures many times over.

 

[ford91exploder]

Some of you dudes and dudettes need to read Disney War.

Yes they should - a must read for any Disney fan

 

[asianway]

Yes they should - a must read for any Disney fan

Take that toxicity and imagine what its like 10 years downstream

 

[rob0519]

Hi @rob0519! Buses are just the lowest form of transportation. Walt wanted his resort to be state of the art and modern with a mix classic and contemporary themes.

Disney World did not need buses -- the monorail could have extended to all the resorts and the airport. This is what Walt had envisioned for Disney World. I live in a state with no mass transit, and the buses have continually failed those who can't afford cars or cannot drive for whatever reason -- it had gotten so bad, that cities are now building their own light speed rail right to address the desperate need for safe and affordable transportation. The buses are here, so I know this is a moot point but extending the monorail was very feasible and within reach during at one time.

I will agree Walt was a visionary. Unfortunately, sometimes visionaries need sound financial people to save them from themselves. I do admire your dedication to Walt's early vision.

Considering he died in 1966, I don't think there were any plans for the Wilderness Resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge or Park, DHS or any of the resorts in the EPCOT area, so while I have no way to know, it's unlikely he envisioned that kind of growth.

Based on what we know today, it's highly unlikely Walt's vision for EPCOT would have succeeded if he somehow managed to get it built to his ideas.

The expansion of resorts outside the MK area did not start until 1990 with the opening of the Yacht Club, so there was no need for monorails in that direction until then.

In 1995, according to monorails.org, the cost of the 4 mile monorail in Las Vegas was $25 million per mile. The distance from the TTC or Orlando International is approximately 24 miles per Google Maps. In 1995 prices that would be $600,000,000 for construction, not including the purchase of the land or right of way to go over the land. Animal Kingdom Park is closer at around 4 miles, so another $100,000,000 there, plus the cost of additional track for switching. Now add in more tracks to DGS, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, all the resorts in the EPCOT area and the cost would have been absolutely prohibitive for a publicly traded company.

While not aesthetically pleasing, nor artistic, buses are a very efficient and cost effective way to move large numbers of people. Imagine the gridlock of cars if Disney did not have the encompassing bus system that is has today.

 

[asianway]

I will agree Walt was a visionary. Unfortunately, sometimes visionaries need sound financial people to save them from themselves. I do admire your dedication to Walt's early vision.

Considering he died in 1966, I don't think there were any plans for the Wilderness Resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge or Park, DHS or any of the resorts in the EPCOT area, so while I have no way to know, it's unlikely he envisioned that kind of growth.

Based on what we know today, it's highly unlikely Walt's vision for EPCOT would have succeeded if he somehow managed to get it built to his ideas.

The expansion of resorts outside the MK area did not start until 1990 with the opening of the Yacht Club, so there was no need for monorails in that direction until then.

In 1995, according to monorails.org, the cost of the 4 mile monorail in Las Vegas was $25 million per mile. The distance from the TTC or Orlando International is approximately 24 miles per Google Maps. In 1995 prices that would be $600,000,000 for construction, not including the purchase of the land or right of way to go over the land. Animal Kingdom Park is closer at around 4 miles, so another $100,000,000 there, plus the cost of additional track for switching. Now add in more tracks to DGS, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, all the resorts in the EPCOT area and the cost would have been absolutely prohibitive for a publicly traded company.

While not aesthetically pleasing, nor artistic, buses are a very efficient and cost effective way to move large numbers of people. Imagine the gridlock of cars if Disney did not have the encompassing bus system that is has today.

No cost is prohibitive, if you have the capitalization and can prove an ROI.

 

[Siren]

I will agree Walt was a visionary. Unfortunately, sometimes visionaries need sound financial people to save them from themselves. I do admire your dedication to Walt's early vision.

Considering he died in 1966, I don't think there were any plans for the Wilderness Resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge or Park, DHS or any of the resorts in the EPCOT area, so while I have no way to know, it's unlikely he envisioned that kind of growth.

Based on what we know today, it's highly unlikely Walt's vision for EPCOT would have succeeded if he somehow managed to get it built to his ideas.

The expansion of resorts outside the MK area did not start until 1990 with the opening of the Yacht Club, so there was no need for monorails in that direction until then.

In 1995, according to monorails.org, the cost of the 4 mile monorail in Las Vegas was $25 million per mile. The distance from the TTC or Orlando International is approximately 24 miles per Google Maps. In 1995 prices that would be $600,000,000 for construction, not including the purchase of the land or right of way to go over the land. Animal Kingdom Park is closer at around 4 miles, so another $100,000,000 there, plus the cost of additional track for switching. Now add in more tracks to DGS, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, all the resorts in the EPCOT area and the cost would have been absolutely prohibitive for a publicly traded company.

While not aesthetically pleasing, nor artistic, buses are a very efficient and cost effective way to move large numbers of people. Imagine the gridlock of cars if Disney did not have the encompassing bus system that is has today.

Walt designed the Magic Kingdom with no parking lot so guests could not access it directly with cars. So, I believe it was always intended for each park and resort to have monorail access. The infrastructure was already in place for the monorail to continue to expand with growth. For example, Atlanta's Marta rail continues to extend across the state of Georgia.

I don't believe expanding the monorail is cost prohibitive for Disney, it's just expensive and there were cheaper and faster alternatives readily available. Disney could have easily folded in costs into ticket and hotel resort fees and sponsorship. If gas had spiked to $5 dollars a gallon during that time, I'm sure expanding the monorail would not have been an issue.

Disney just spent billions on Nextgen with no problem.

With that said, you've made lots of excellent points. I just feel like Eisner opted for the cheapest and fastest solution - buses. I'm not against the buses because it provides lots of jobs and I'm sure plenty of trees were saved and stuff like that and they can be efficient.

Back on topic, some people just jump on the "I hate Iger" bandwagon because they think it makes them look cool or just to fit in or whatever. But, when you really look closely -- most of the issues people are upset about today were already initiated and put in place by Eisner.

The current state of the parks today are indeed Eisner's vision. Iger turned Disney into the most powerful media conglomerate in the world and with this massive success, he convinced investors to green light billions of dollars for new attractions and lands at WDW and Disneyland.

Both Eisner and Iger have their strengths and weaknesses, so I admire both for very different reasons.

 

[SorcererMC]

Back on topic, some people just jump on the "I hate Iger" bandwagon because they think it makes them look cool or just to fit in or whatever. But, when you really look closely -- most of the issues people are upset about today were already initiated and put in place by Eisner.

Funny. I think that 'most people' wouldn't jump on that 'bandwagon' since plenty of people in these parts are sensitive to any Iger criticism, legitimate or not. Iger is neither saint nor devil. Hello, social media polarization!

The current state of the parks today are indeed Eisner's vision. Iger turned Disney into the most powerful media conglomerate in the world and with this massive success, he convinced investors to green light billions of dollars for new attractions and lands at WDW and Disneyland.

If it's Eisner's vision, Iger's still the one responsible for implementing it.