Michael Eisner Day!

[bearboysnc]

Heres my 2 cents.

Ron Miller ran the company into the ground. He was "GIVEN" the job because he married Walt's Daughter.

The TEAM of Eisner & Wells were hired by the incoming Disney board to turn the company around.

Wells reorganized the financial situation reducing the debt the company owed and increasing the revenue. He worked miracles with Disney's spreadsheet.

Eisner was responsable for putting the company back on track creatively. He hired fresh new talent (like Katzenburg) to breath life into the fading company.

Between the two they freed up cash to get the right projects/rides/movies done. Since Wells passed away... Eisner has been running on momentum. But that momentum is running out.

Don't think that Eisner CREATED the attractions over his tenure, he just takes credit for them. Which is why his staff leaves.

 

[pheneix]

>>>things considered equal, Michael isn't leaving soon...<<<

That's probably true.

How many more hundreds of millions will Eisner squander (and the hundreds of millions in potential revenues that are lost with every decision that is made under is watch) before he finally leaves?

 

[Sweetums]

I think they should cryogenically freeze his body and have it pop up as the Alien in Alien Encounter. How much more creepy would it be when the lights go out to imagine ol' Mike breathing down your neck?

Or they could just put it under the Pirates of the Carribbean where they store all the other cryogenically frozen bodies...

 

[dreamer]

I think some of the arguments for honoring Eisner at the parks are good.

However, I respectfully disagree. The vast majority of people who visit Disney parks don't give a mouse's (OK slightly disrespectfully) about seeing a tribute to who brings in the money. Or even who creates the ideas. That's why they closed the Disney story near the entrance to MK -- one of my previous must-sees for every visit, until they closed it. If they don't want to see a story about WD then they don't want to see ME.

All they want is a thrill and an early entry and a refillable mug they can use visit after visit after visit.

If everyone thinks such a tribute is necessary, why not create an exhibit of "The People Who Made Disney Happen." Then tell the story from Walt and Roy all the way til today. All in one exhibit. Give everyone their due, the imagineers, the cast, the whole crew. Put it at the Disney-Eisner studios (isn't that what you want to change the name to?) next to Walt's Story -- which I'm sorry to say I haven't seen yet. I'm going to have to beg my wife to see it without the kids in Sept. I plan on trading away my rides on TOT and RnR.

Also, I think 99% of the people on this forum would have at some point said "Duh, let's make a bug attraction" if they were in ME's position. And when he saw the Alien Encounter idea his brain kept going "ching-ching" so loudly he couldn't ignore it. It's no secret that people pay bucks to see aliens. Again, that's bean counting, not creativity. His contribution was knowing what makes money and how to use that ability to make Disney successful.

Blah blah blah.

 

[SpongeScott]

Originally posted by Sweetums
Or they could just put it under the Pirates of the Carribbean where they store all the other cryogenically frozen bodies...

Aww, nuts. I always thought that those bodies were stored in the top of Cinderella's Castle. Do tell more!

 

[JLW11Hi]

Originally posted by dreamer
I think some of the arguments for honoring Eisner at the parks are good.

However, I respectfully disagree. The vast majority of people who visit Disney parks don't give a mouse's (OK slightly disrespectfully) about seeing a tribute to who brings in the money. Or even who creates the ideas. That's why they closed the Disney story near the entrance to MK -- one of my previous must-sees for every visit, until they closed it. If they don't want to see a story about WD then they don't want to see ME.

All they want is a thrill and an early entry and a refillable mug they can use visit after visit after visit.

If everyone thinks such a tribute is necessary, why not create an exhibit of "The People Who Made Disney Happen." Then tell the story from Walt and Roy all the way til today. All in one exhibit. Give everyone their due, the imagineers, the cast, the whole crew. Put it at the Disney-Eisner studios (isn't that what you want to change the name to?) next to Walt's Story -- which I'm sorry to say I haven't seen yet. I'm going to have to beg my wife to see it without the kids in Sept. I plan on trading away my rides on TOT and RnR.

Your point about how most people dont care who made the place is a very accurate one, but that doesnt mean Disney always has to do what the majority wants. To make most of the people happy, Disney might as well get rid of all the animatronics and any storyline in their shows/rides, and make a bunch of rollercoasters, as well as serve alcohol at every park, while offering free at the entrance to every park gate.

A lot of things at Disney are for the appreciative. They do things to honor people because they feel like it, and they can. Imagineers always hide little tributes to people in their creations, but are usually hard to find. Yes, Walt said that Disney should give the people what they want, but what if the "people" never encourage creativity at the parks? Then all the dreaming would go down the tube.

Disney tries to offer variety. It offers things to thrill seekers, people looking for rest and relaxation, and since they are the Disney company, they also do things for the fans. Every company tries to do things for the fans. Of course, that doesnt mean spending millions of dollars to honor people all the time with statues and what not (I'm thinking of London for some odd reason ). People also probably didnt want to go to the parks to learn anything, but Disney has always tried to incorporate education into the parks. The shows are not just to impress people, they are also there so Disney can help out in the world and try to provide a little education and inspiration to the guests, when they dont expect it. They do this through making all the awesome rides and fancy things at the parks to keep their attention span.

 

[TiggerDaddy]

I think that they should give him a budget of $2000 and make him survive a 7 day trip to WDW. With this money, he would have to pay for hotel accomodations for 4 people, park tickets, airfare, rental car, food, and any merchandise. I would really like for him to stand in line with "common people" just to see what it is like.

 

[dreamer]

OK OK OK

I would argue that Eisner should not be honored (except maybe in the context of an exhibit that includes the history of all of Disney) at the parks for TWO reasons:

1. Practical -- no one would want to see it.

2. It just plain shouldn't be done. Only a few people (for whatever their own personal reasons might be) think Eisner was crucial to Disney. Any great businessman could have done what he did. His "Eisnerness" has nothing to do with what makes Disney special. It could have been Lee Iacoca. He was just a CEO.

If Disney was choosing attractions for lofty reasons, which I think would be great by the way, then why did they close the Walt Disney Story at MK??? That was an incredibly inspirational tribute to a man that changed the world. And why did they replace Mickey Mouse Review with Legend of the Lion King??

I know where to put a tribute to ME: A new park -- Disney's Business World!! You can have shows of accountants solving complex tax problems. There you can put the Michael Eisner show with an audioanimatronics ME looking over the imagineers' shoulders. He would be pointing his finger at the table saying, "Let's do that exhibit. Yeah, yeah. Let's do that one." I can see em lined up in the queue (sp?) by the hundreds, every one of em with a pocket protector, and three spare pens and a protractor.



PS It ain't gonna happen anyway.

 

[bearboysnc]

P.S.

I think eisner has already been honored by taking away a couple hundred million in salary and stock options.

 

[JLW11Hi]

Originally posted by dreamer

I know where to put a tribute to ME: A new park -- Disney's Business World!! You can have shows of accountants solving complex tax problems. There you can put the Michael Eisner show with an audioanimatronics ME looking over the imagineers' shoulders. He would be pointing his finger at the table saying, "Let's do that exhibit. Yeah, yeah. Let's do that one." I can see em lined up in the queue (sp?) by the hundreds, every one of em with a pocket protector, and three spare pens and a protractor.

lol, Executive Land, Wall Street USA, Budget Cut Square

Mr. Pressler's Cheep Ride!

 

[Chester&Hester Enthusiast]

All you people who think things shouldn't revolve around money really crack me up... I'd like to see you try to run a company... I really would...

 

[Chester&Hester Enthusiast]

Originally posted by dreamer
why did they close the Walt Disney Story at MK???

Because it was no longer cost efficient to run. It cost them more money to keep it open then they were making off of it. It just made no logical sense to keep it open, it was making them lose money. If you miss it that much, you can buy the DVD of the film in the Main Street Cinema. Have fun.

And why did they replace Mickey Mouse Review with Legend of the Lion King??

Ditto. Miss it that much? Go to to Tokyo, where it continues to play. But dear Lord, they've just closed Legend of the Lion King too! Panic!!

 

[WDWSwashbuckler]

Originally posted by DisneyExpert
All you people who think things shouldn't revolve around money really crack me up... I'd like to see you try to run a company... I really would...

But, see, that's the problem. People are now only viewing Disney as any other company, but it's not. It's much much more than a company to alot of us here that post on the boards. Sure, a company requires money, but if the money is the overruling factor rather than what keeps the "magic" in Disney, then the Disney name has totally gone to waste.

 

[SpongeScott]

Originally posted by dadisneynutter


But, see, that's the problem. People are now only viewing Disney as any other company, but it's not. It's much much more than a company to alot of us here that post on the boards. Sure, a company requires money, but if the money is the overruling factor rather than what keeps the "magic" in Disney, then the Disney name has totally gone to waste.

Yes, a lot of people view Disney as more than a company, but it still is that--a company. You'll never be able to get around that fact. Tell that to the stockholders. And as for "magic", what is magic to one person may not be magic to another. The magic can change in new venues and offerings that the "company" gives to us AND the magic remains in most of the old things we still enjoy--but remember that some don't see it or feel it like you may. It's up to us to pass on the legacy of the magic to our children and our grandchilden instead of complaining about the good old days when thus and such happened. That's where we'll keep the magic alive.

 

[Chester&Hester Enthusiast]

Ah, but as Kyle said... magic doesn't grow on trees. The magic requires having the money which requires smart business, something most of you seem to know nothing about.

 

[ToTBellHop]

It has been about money from day one. Disneyland had tons of budget cuts, but they were at the hands of Roy. He constantly trashed Walt's ideas saying they were either impossible or too expensive. As for the magic being gone, let's look at Animal Kingdom, which obviously is full of new rides. I call seeing dinosaurs and getting a bug's eye perspective pretty magical...and I don't see how you can see the Jammin' Jungle Parade and say the magic is gone...or maybe you might try taking a look at the Tree of Life...or how bout staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge. I get the feeling there is a tremendous band-wagon effect on this website with the "the magic is gone" and "Eisner sucks" arguments...but, no one is going to win this argument.

 

[Just A Big Kid]

This is almost humorous to read. No there shouldn't be a Eisner anything in Disney. Bottom line is this, YES he was effective years ago but his time has past. And as far as knowing business, that's humorous also. You give your paying customers what they want and they will return, if you don't, they won't. That IS business. Now then, want a way to creatively trim the budget at WDW? Fine, eliminate Eisner and all the other overpayed underproducing executives and that would free up TONS OF MONEY!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A CONCEPT!!!!!!!!!! But alas, as everyone who works should know, people in the office in any business rarely ever get cut out regardless of how ineffective they are, and the people such as crew members never get recognition even though they ARE THE PEOPLE WHO DIRECTLY REPRESENT DISNEY. But back to the thread, no Eisner shouldn't get anything dedicated to him as his pension will serve as a good reminder to him of what he used to do.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Originally posted by Just A Big Kid
This is almost humorous to read. No there shouldn't be a Eisner anything in Disney. Bottom line is this, YES he was effective years ago but his time has past. And as far as knowing business, that's humorous also. You give your paying customers what they want and they will return, if you don't, they won't. That IS business. Now then, want a way to creatively trim the budget at WDW? Fine, eliminate Eisner and all the other overpayed underproducing executives and that would free up TONS OF MONEY!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A CONCEPT!!!!!!!!!! But alas, as everyone who works should know, people in the office in any business rarely ever get cut out regardless of how ineffective they are, and the people such as crew members never get recognition even though they ARE THE PEOPLE WHO DIRECTLY REPRESENT DISNEY. But back to the thread, no Eisner shouldn't get anything dedicated to him as his pension will serve as a good reminder to him of what he used to do.

Yeah, that's right...let's cut all the top execs, and have some spend-thrift 13 year olds run the company! Yeah! We'd get some GREAT E-Rides under construction, but then, of course, the company would go bankrupt and all the parks would close. By the way, people are returning to the parks, so disney must be giving them what they want...they still have the highest attendance numbers of American parks...

 

[JungleJim]

The jealously of Eisner’s money is strange to me. I can’t see why cast members don’t like him!! If you think “Uncle Walt” would have been easier to work for, you don’t know much about him. Thank goodness Eisner was there in the 80’s with Frank Wells to breathe life back into a dead company. I used to be a cast member and I feel working for Disney is what you make of it. It can offer so many experiences if you seek them out. WDW offers so many free career classes at Disney University and many don’t take advantage of them. You will never get rich working at Disney but the experiences it can give you can lead to many other opportunities in life outside the company.

I do think Disney should have a profit sharing plan.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Originally posted by DisneyExpert
Ah, but as Kyle said... magic doesn't grow on trees. The magic requires having the money which requires smart business, something most of you seem to know nothing about.

You are obviously an expert in this field so I would be delighted to hear your thoughts on long term planning asset management and research and development. I take it that some one of your free market mantra is also fully suportive of the concept that poorly motivated, underpayed staff make sound economic sense. Also Why have themed resorts there upkeep must cost a fortune, lets go for a Holiday Inn look and feel, after all we can still fleece the paying customer by using the onsite bonus advantage. OOPPPS we got rid of most of those.


I think you will find that no one has a problem with Disney making money or even being run as a company. But people are struggling with the concept of poor buisness decisions in other areas of corporate interest being a drain on the parks and resorts. But hey an expert like you has obviously already sussed that.
Again I bow to your infinate wisdom. Dobber...