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MMLF: The Mickey Mouse Liberation Front
- Thread starter daoVinci
- Start date
Thanks for such a thoughtful response, MouseRight!
If I may bring up just a few points:
First, Roy did something similar in the eighties in order to bring in Eisner and Wells for the good of the company...and it ended up being in the best interest of the shareholders, the company and disney fans.
Second, judging from Hill's latest article, it sounds like Roy and Stanley Gold are possibly working WITH the board...or at least part of it...to force Eisner out.
Third, the problems with Pixar are a result of bad blood between Eisner and Jobs.
Fourth, there appears to have been an effort on the part of the board to try to work out an exit strategy...an effort which quite possibly failed because of Eisner's adeptness at corporate politics. Plus, his sudden attempts to achieve some sort of shining success at any cost appears to have worried some board members. Eisner has a fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders as well, and "good press at any cost" doesn't fit the bill.
Finally, until confirmed one way or the other, Hill's article, while exciting to some of us, is ultimately rumor...credible perhaps, but rumor nonetheless.
For me, this means, based on the facts at hand, all we really know is
-Roy resigned, followed by Gold leaving Disney Disneyless
-Eisner has made several decisions that seem to go against the very essence of the Disney way.
-The board APPEARS unwilling or unable to reign in Eisner's "Most profit for least effort" approach to both the parks and feature animation. (the comapny has a responsibility to loyal fans AND the Disney name as well as the shareholders).
-And there has been quite a vocal contingent within the WDWMagic supporting Roy Disney and Criticizing eisner and hte Board od Directors.
These are the reasons that prompted me to start the MMLF. However, I respect your opinions. I'd love to have the support of the majority, if not the whole, of WDWMagic members. However, if it makes anyone uncomfortable to be associated with WDWMagic as a result, I will gladly take this cause and establish a separate, independent site.
Opine now and let me know.
Matchieu
New Member
I say keep on keepin on! The only way anything will truely happen is if we do take some sort of action. If it is seen that us, the people who support this company so much, are angry with what is happening. They will almost have to change to keep themselves outta the red. The fact that 2/3 of the people who visit to disney world are return guests. When I worked at WDW last spring I did notice an almost cheapining up of the company. Yes, It still had its good points which we can all see when we visit. However, there are things out there that we all can see how they are just out to make some money. I talked with my friend who is still a cast member and he had told me that now that this has happened they are expecting a decline in guests. If we want what is rightfully ours, the magic and love that Walt created for everyone, then we need to help restore the magic.
Thanks
Matt (Hospitality Business Student at Michigan State who wants to work at WDW when he gets out of school, if it is still called WALT DISNEY WORLD)
Thanks
Matt (Hospitality Business Student at Michigan State who wants to work at WDW when he gets out of school, if it is still called WALT DISNEY WORLD)
MouseRight
Active Member
I have no objections to you using WDWMagic to push your cause. I was just disagreeing with the opinions and conclusions given. I love WDWMagic and the service it provides to Disney fans. The diversity of opinion is one of the things that makes a discussion board great.
As to daoVinci's comments: Great ideas and well said.
First - What Roy did in the 80's was slightly different. There was no hint of impropriety on his part when he was on the Board. He resigned and then started his activism. Also, Disney was in bigger mess then. The Company was on the verge of collapsing or being sold off or broken into pieces. I don't believe that he got as personal in his attacks as he has now.
Second - If any members of the Board are working directly with Roy and Gold after they have resigned, they are then also close to the ethical line, too. If they support him and are part of his cause then they should take appropriate Board action and get the job done. If they are quietly supporting Roy and working with him behind the scenes, I believe that is wrong.
Third - I am not sure I believe the line that Pixar is all Eisner's fault. 1st, Jobs is gonna stretch this out until he gets the deal he wants or compromises, no matter who's in charge of Disney. He is a businessman who will use all avenues to get his deal, including the trouble in the Disney Boardroom. When he sees the light at the end of the tunnel he will do the deal. 2nd - if it is true that Roy and Gold played a behind the scenes role in scuttling or delaying the deal then it is not entirely Eisner's fault.
Fourth - Hard to argue with your points. However, as I understand it, if the story about Eisner's supposed exit strategy is true, then it looks like Roy's actions have made that problematical for now. Sounds like he was out of the loop for some time (either due to his own distancing from the board or their attempts to freeze him out, not sure which) and wasn't aware of the plan. If true, then a good strategy has now gone by the wayside because they all couldn't get along (Read the Book: "All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" - I think that's the title). Again not the right action for the shareholders and Disney fans.
Finally, In defense of Eisner or any other CEO in these tough times. The economy and 9/11 have made it tougher to run a Company. It wasn't that long ago, that Wall Street (Wall Street in this context means the large institutional investors that hold the majority of the stock in large companies) was pushing Disney to cut costs, not just improve profits. Should Eisner and the rest of Disney management have ignored that cry and continued to invest and invest during tough economic times. I don't think so. They (I specfically use the word "They" - Eisner is not alone in this, all decisions are approved or sanctioned by the Board, which Roy and Gold were a part of) made strategic decisions (Like Mission Space, EPCOT improvements, Pirates Movie, etc) and put the limited funds in what they thought would allow Disney to be in the right place when the economy turned around. Did they make mistakes? Sure, who doesn't. But they seem to have the Company back on track, Eisner has gotten the message to hire the right people (Quimet in Disneyland), and the recovery is happening. I say the Board, teh shareholders and the fans shoudl support him and prod him in the right direction until the end of 2004 and then make the decision to replace him or not.
Thanks for listening :snore: :snore:
got2lovedisney
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Count me in!! Maybe with the 107 shares I hold, I can start a hostile takeover! :lol:
BTW I'm a payroll/accounting clerk for the largest waste-to-energy facility in the US. (Which happens to be owned by Universal but that's not my fault)
BTW I'm a payroll/accounting clerk for the largest waste-to-energy facility in the US. (Which happens to be owned by Universal but that's not my fault)
MouseRight
Active Member
Here's one fact:
Disney tops $3 billion in '03 box office
By Russ Britt, CBS.MarketWatch.com
Last Update: 4:53 PM ET Dec. 3, 2003
LOS ANGELES (CBS.MW) -- Its board of directors may be in turmoil, but Walt Disney Co.'s movie division is hitting new highs at the box office.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/031203/law094_1.html
Just one of the many good things that have happened during the past year that suggest that Eisner's Disney is on the road to a recovery.
here's another:lol:
Seriously though, I respect those who do not want (or are not ready) to be associated with this. I'll create a spearate venue for the MMLF, and remove mention of WDWMagic from the letter. I do extend an open invitation to anyone wishing to take part.
I'll give everyone an address as soon as the new site's up and running (probably in the a.m.). I am encouraged by the positive response on this!
I'll give everyone an address as soon as the new site's up and running (probably in the a.m.). I am encouraged by the positive response on this!
MouseRight
Active Member
I'm guessing that you think that the Magic Carpets are not good. IMHO, these rides help parents with small children. A small child can ride on these types of rides all day and give a parent stretched to the limit a break. These rides are always full and keep the customers satisifed. Not all rides can be a "Mission:Space". They took empty space and put a ride in which keeps the lines shorter on the other rides. At the same time they spent big bucks on M:S, Everest, Test TRack, etc. etc. etc.
The parks need a balance and Alladin's Carpets help to provide it.
weighing both sides, i'm looking through new/old reports and found this bit interesting:
Ted Parrish, a fund manager at G.W. Henssler & Associates in Marietta, Georgia, said the power struggle likely will be a short-term distraction for the company, but he thinks Roy Disney's resignation removes some dissension from the board.
"It is a distraction, but hey, Roy's gone, and he had been a big thorn in his (Eisner's) side, so maybe with one less cook in the kitchen there will be better performance," Parrish said.
in my opinoin that isn't the smartest thing to say. whether he's Eisner himself or not, it isn't smart at all.
i'm all for Roy. if he believes strongly enough that Eisner is no longer fit to be in his status, mroe power to him and read some of this stuff i'm doubting if Eisner IS fit enough.
her personal style, as one report put it, of being solo running the company isn't the best thing to do with a HUGE company, even with a board of directors. it is much easier with a partner, but Eisner will not get/allow one with him.
Ted Parrish, a fund manager at G.W. Henssler & Associates in Marietta, Georgia, said the power struggle likely will be a short-term distraction for the company, but he thinks Roy Disney's resignation removes some dissension from the board.
"It is a distraction, but hey, Roy's gone, and he had been a big thorn in his (Eisner's) side, so maybe with one less cook in the kitchen there will be better performance," Parrish said.
in my opinoin that isn't the smartest thing to say. whether he's Eisner himself or not, it isn't smart at all.
i'm all for Roy. if he believes strongly enough that Eisner is no longer fit to be in his status, mroe power to him and read some of this stuff i'm doubting if Eisner IS fit enough.
her personal style, as one report put it, of being solo running the company isn't the best thing to do with a HUGE company, even with a board of directors. it is much easier with a partner, but Eisner will not get/allow one with him.
That was a bit of a joke (hence the :lol: )
However, while I agree that the Carpets are good for small kids and not everything needs to be a Mission:Space...they are indicative of many areas of the company as a whole.
1. The "Cut and Paste" approach of taking rides from one park and transplanting it into another park, regardless of how it fits with the theme (i.e. Soarin' at Epcot)
2. The Direct-to-video sequals of Every Disney animated feature ever produced (Walt was adamantly opposed to sequels-- and I personally think it's the easy way out).
3. Re-makes of classic Live-action Disney movies (like Parent Trap and Freaky Friday).
4. Disney's California Adventure. - A California theme park whose "Theme" is, apparently...well, that it's a theme park in California.
5. Severe cutbacks at Feature Animation, including the likely elimination of FA-Orlando...the studio that has produced the most orginal, beloved and highest-grossing Animated Features over the course of it's existence.
My point with this is that there is-- or there SHOULD be-- more to Disney than Shareholder interests. Are they due something for their investment? Absolutely.
But NOT to sate their greed at the cost of the quality, the imagination, the innovation--and, yes, the MAGIC-- of Disney. Cost-cutting in todays market, unfortunately, means corner-cutting. And THAT should not be acceptable. Not for Disney.
NemoRocks78
Seized
DaoVinci, i'd like to say what a great job you've done on the letter! :sohappy:
I think it's great someone is doing something like this. Hey, I think you should mention WDWMagic-maybe contact Steve first about it though. I'd love to take part in this.
BTW, i'm only a student now, but I must say I do own stock in the Walt Disney Co.!
I think it's great someone is doing something like this. Hey, I think you should mention WDWMagic-maybe contact Steve first about it though. I'd love to take part in this.
BTW, i'm only a student now, but I must say I do own stock in the Walt Disney Co.!
The sequels are terrible. I don't think there has been a good one to date. Extremely cheap, they tarnish the legacy of Disney animation. Instead of focusing on producing one theatrical, quality release per year, a cheap buck is made by producing the sequels.
I do have to say that some blame should fall on Roy for this though. He was partially in charge of Animation.
I happened to like both remakes that you mention. However, they aren't comparable to the originals. Again, take something that proved to work and copy it to a younger audience.
I haven't been, but it's disappointing to me. Much like Disneyland Paris. You can add MGM and AK too. All underbudgeted, poorly designed when opened. They are starting to grow, but they should have been at these quality, size, when opened. Just look at DisneySea. The OLC didn't cheat anything out and it's an amazing park.
Improving the bottom line by increasing prices and cutting costs isn't the way to go about business. Sure its natural to increase prices some and try to find ways to cut costs, but not at the expense of quality and show (at least for Disney).
It also reflects poorly to just cut and paste attractions. Sure it would be great to have a TOT, RnRC, MS, and other top attractions at each park. However, copying these rides shows a lack of imagination that Disney used to stand for. It also diminishes the quality of each park.
Why should anyone travel across the country to get to the other parks when eventually, if this trend is allowed to continue, all the good rides will be in each person's home park within a few years?
If Eisner somehow could rediscover his magic and return Disney to what it used to be and quit his financially motivated management style, I'd agree to let him stay until the end of his contract.
However, I don't think he can do even if he wanted to. That's why he has to go in the near future. I think that a clear succession plan needs to be announced by the end of 2004 Q1, with a departure by the end of the year.
Do the parks need a balance?
YES!
Do the Carpets meet that need?
YES!
Are they a well-designed, well themed ride?
NO!!!
The Magic Carpets may be a great way for parents to get a rest and let kids have fun.
They didn't have to be the third spinner in the MK.
They didn't have to be put down in the middle of a pathway that now is extremely congested and difficult to navigate thanks to the strollers hanging around.
They didn't have to be an eyesore that doesn't blend in with it's surroundings.
They are however a cheaply made, quick fix that typifies the management style of the current Michael Eisner.
There is no reason that a quality well themed attraction can be built cheaply to help balance the great, expensive attractions.
