Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV

[PhotoDave219]

Yes, PhotoDave didn't directly call Ricky a but he does have a problem with Ricky's supposed entitlement, and his taking gifts, and lots of other things apparently. So, for someone who wants answers from him, I would think he would have asked him personally to resolve some issues. But, alas, he was hiding behind his camera doing similar things that "creepy" Jeff Lange was doing with Lotso.

And I couldn't pick Ricky out of a police lineup because I don't know who he is not do I care to.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Doom and gloom

It's a different world out there my friend. There was a time that it would be possible for someone with imagination and fearless leadership could have taken the reigns of a company the size of Disney and created (or recreated in this case) a new and vibrant company. Someday, when the mood on Wall Street changes and people start to see the advantage of taking chances it might happen, but I don't see it in the foreseeable future.

It's not doom and gloom anymore than saying that it might rain tomorrow. It is just the parameter that we currently live in. I didn't say that Disney was going to disappear either. What I said, in effect, was that there are no Walt Disney's on the horizon, and if there are they will be starting their own enterprise and not trying to make this old one work.

 

[WDWDad13]

It's a different world out there my friend. There was a time that it would be possible for someone with imagination and fearless leadership could have taken the reigns of a company the size of Disney and created (or recreated in this case) a new and vibrant company. Someday, when the mood on Wall Street changes and people start to see the advantage of taking chances it might happen, but I don't see it in the foreseeable future.

It's not doom and gloom anymore than saying that it might rain tomorrow. It is just the parameter that we currently live in. I didn't say that Disney was going to disappear either. What I said, in effect, was that there are no Walt Disney's on the horizon, and if there are they will be starting their own enterprise and not trying to make this old one work.

We don't know this...there could be several "like" WD just without the blank check to let it all loose

I'm am optimistic big things are coming ...just not fast enough for us uber fans - we're just in a somewhat stagnant mode now

 

[PeterAlt]

When Iger took the helm in 2005, The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) was suffering from "Anybody But Eisner" syndrome. Led by Roy Disney and Stanley Gold, the "Save Disney" campaign successfully brought to light Eisner's many excesses. Eisner was forced to resign.

Yet Eisner's greatest excess was to create a corporate culture of paranoia and infighting. Rather than work together as a team, corporate units often were pitted against each other. The enemy was not some other company but rival units within the company itself. (See politics: Washington, D.C.) Eisner's departure did not change the corporate culture. However, the relief in the financial community was so great that Wall Street cut Iger a lot of slack. Iger knew "Wall Street speak" and took steps to repair TWDC's reputation.

In addition, Iger placated Roy Disney, the importance of which Eisner failed to appreciate, believing Roy to be the "idiot nephew" the Disney family thought Roy to be. Regardless of family opinion, Roy's family name, physical similarities to his famous uncle, and shareholdings made him the embodiment of Disney's Old Guard. Alienating Roy was perhaps Eisner's single greatest blunder when it came to corporate politics. Ultimately, it cost Eisner his job. It was a lesson not lost on Iger.

By reconciling with Wall Street and Roy Disney, Iger brought an outward sense of calm to TWDC.

Still, the corporate culture created under Eisner remains. This culture is slowly eating away at the foundations of TWDC. Dissent will not be tolerated. Toe the party line or else.

It's an environment that rewards yes-men and number-crunchers, not creativity. Yet, at its core, TWDC is a company built on creativity. It's what Disney sells. In recent years, Disney has had high profile creative failures. Consequently, corporate Disney's creativity has devolved into buying someone else's.

Unlike the late 1980s and early 1990s when Disney launched a number of successful IPs, in recent years Disney has drawn the water from its creative well without replenishing it. How long can Disney survive on franchises? Are we really going to sail on Disney Cruise Lines vessels 7 and 8? Buy into DVC resorts 13, 14, and 15? Watch Iron Man 4, 5, and 6? Visit Disneyland copies 7 and 8? How long can it last? Is that all corporate Disney has to offer for the future?

TWDC has been living off the idealized reputation of a man dead for almost half-a-century. Public persona aside, Walt Disney was no saint, not by a long shot. However, Walt thought creatively. His leadership inspired a team who believed in his vision. When is corporate Disney once again going to have leadership with a creative vision?

With its existing corporate culture, TWDC is only going to get worse before it gets better and that's the saddest aspect of all for those who love Walt Disney World.

Great post! A few points -

• Roy is the one who put together the "Brain Trust" that included Eisner and Wells and used board room drama to get them installed;
• Eisner was known for his creativity while previously at Paramount and ABC. At ABC, for example, he is credited for inventing the mini-series and Sunday morning Cartoon network programming block. As head of prime time programming at ABC, he was responsible for Mork and Mindy, Happy Days, Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and so on.

Great point about corporate culture!

 

[The Empress Lilly]

It's not doom and gloom anymore than saying that it might rain tomorrow. It is just the parameter that we currently live in. I didn't say that Disney was going to disappear either. What I said, in effect, was that there are no Walt Disney's on the horizon, and if there are they will be starting their own enterprise and not trying to make this old one work.

This. There is a lifecycle to companies. Why would the mature TWDC behave like a startup? Should the entire company be put at risk over the ideas of one man again? Even if it wanted to, Wall Street and the pension funds and large shareholders wouldn't have any of it.

Better to leave that to young Walt's and George Lucases and Steve Jobses and then acquire creativity through them and their companies.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Great post! A few points -

• Roy is the one who put together the "Brain Trust" that included Eisner and Wells and used board room drama to get them installed;
• Eisner was known for his creativity while previously at Paramount and ABC. At ABC, for example, he is credited for inventing the mini-series and Sunday morning Cartoon network programming block. As head of prime time programming at ABC, he was responsible for Mork and Mindy, Happy Days, Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and so on.

Great point about corporate culture!

Yes. But Eisner's creativity did not abandon him after he joined TWDC. For better or for worse (both, to me), Eisner was a creative force within TWDC, which went beyond simply making the call between the creative products of others.

 

[CDavid]

Doom and gloom

As ford91exploder pointed out, even if it described as doom and gloom its not an unfair assessment of Disney parks & resorts in Orlando right now. How can the suits within TWDC be expected to fix a problem with a business which they fundamentally do not understand?

Better question, perhaps, is just what will get their attention enough to wake the sleeping giant. If there actually is a significant drop in park attendance - defects to Universal primarily - at the studios and AK they'll take notice, but even then I still wonder if they would learn the right lesson.

 

[crispy]

So apparently you were just inches from Ricky at the Villains event on Friday while you took photos of our friend Kenny and Ricky was videoing him. You didn't want to take that opportunity to call Ricky out on any issues you've had with him in the past? Or call him a in person?

Did PhotoDave say he saw your husband or did you see PhotoDave and recognize him? I wouldn't recognize most celebrities if pointed out to me so I certainly wouldn't recognize a Disney blogger in a sea of 35K people.

 

[dhall]

ermmm..what post # is sue's?

It and 17 pages of related commentary were modded away.

Edit: and here I thought I'd caught up enough that this joke would be safe, and @The-Empresss-Lilly stole it from me 7 hours before I used it

 

[crispy]

Oh, and BTW, who has two thumbs and is going to be testing MagicBands next month? This girl!

We added a couple of days at Disney next month since my DDs were upset that they were going to miss the new Fantasyland. I had an email today about participating in the MagicBand tests so I decided to take one for the team and do it (plus, I can double-dip on fastpasses - Woot!). I picked out my FP+ options today. I will report back next month to see how it goes. I was surprised at how few options were available at Epcot. It was actually kind of depressing. We ended up choosing the Character Spot as an option since there was so little to choose from (I mean, they have Captain EO and Journey into Imagination as options).

I think this may make me a ...

 

[Goofyernmost]

We don't know this...there could be several "like" WD just without the blank check to let it all loose

I'm am optimistic big things are coming ...just not fast enough for us uber fans - we're just in a somewhat stagnant mode now

You are entitled to you opinion as I am to mine. However, I didn't refer to your opinions as "snorting Pixie Dust", they are your opinions and nothing else. My opinions may not be as bubbly as yours, but I don't look at them as "doom and gloom" as much as current reality. I've been around for a while now and nothing has ever happened to make me think that there's a new day dawning. If it does no one will be happier then I, but I don't see it. I really hope your dream comes true. Or in the proper terminology for the general topic... Dreams are a wish your heart makes. Nothing wrong with that!

 

[PhotoDave219]

Oh, and BTW, who has two thumbs and is going to be testing MagicBands next month? This girl!

We added a couple of days at Disney next month since my DDs were upset that they were going to miss the new Fantasyland. I had an email today about participating in the MagicBand tests so I decided to take one for the team and do it (plus, I can double-dip on fastpasses - Woot!). I picked out my FP+ options today. I will report back next month to see how it goes. I was surprised at how few options were available at Epcot. It was actually kind of depressing. We ended up choosing the Character Spot as an option since there was so little to choose from (I mean, they have Captain EO and Journey into Imagination as options).

I think this may make me a ...

Naaahhhhh. You're not begging for a fee cruise, right?

A friend invited me onto their test next month as well. Should be interesting.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Naaahhhhh. You're not begging for a fee cruise, right?

A friend invited me onto their test next month as well. Should be interesting.

Besides that she told us in advance that her opinions will now be jaded by the sparkle of Disney attention. So she's got that going for her.

 

[PhotoDave219]

You are entitled to you opinion as I am to mine. However, I didn't refer to your opinions as "snorting Pixie Dust", they are your opinions and nothing else. My opinions may not be as bubbly as yours, but I don't look at them as "doom and gloom" as much as current reality. I've been around for a while now and nothing has ever happened to make me think that there's a new day dawning. If it does no one will be happier then I, but I don't see it. I really hope your dream comes true. Or in the proper terminology for the general topic... Dreams are a wish your heart makes. Nothing wrong with that!

I wouldn't say there's doom and gloom.

I'm suggesting that Disney's market share of the Orlando attractions is eroding.

I'm saying that instead of doing the things they're known for - Quality, family entertainment for everyone, they've eroded their brand by focusing on short term profits.

Disney will not go away but I am fearful that the quality we had years ago has been lost forever through mismanagement.

 

[GoofGoof]

Naaahhhhh. You're not begging for a fee cruise, right?

A friend invited me onto their test next month as well. Should be interesting.

If someone wants to give me a free cruise I will gladly take being called a

 

[PhotoDave219]

Besides that she told us in advance that her opinions will now be jaded by the sparkle of Disney attention. So she's got that going for her.

Because we all know, free fast passes are on the same level as a free cruise, right?

 

[Goofyernmost]

Because we all know, free fast passes are on the same level as a free cruise, right?

Abso-freaking-lutely!

 

[nor'easter]

Doom and gloom

I see that you are still adding your deep and insightful comments. You promised us you were leaving.

 

[PeterAlt]

@ParentsOf4 - there was another point I was going to make but had to rush and send my post and forgot to make it. Any way, the other point...

• There's a lot of parallels between Walt Disney and Steve Jobs. How Disney drifted so far away from Walt's vision and future road map for the company is an issue that overwhelms me. I've been worried that Apple may stray the same way. So far, Apple seems to be going on as Jobs envisioned, I believe with confidence. Iger is on Apple's Board, so I'm a bit concerned about his influence on the company's direction. On the reverse side of the coin, I'm hoping that Apple and the legacy of Steve Jobs will have an influence on him that he could bring to Disney.

 

[Kuhio]

And I couldn't pick Ricky out of a police lineup because I don't know who he is not do I care to.

There is no record of Ricky having been arrested on Earth, but a long time ago he was frozen in carbonite for crimes against the Empire in a galaxy far, far away...