Staggs resigns

[Tom P.]

And you'd be wrong. I'm an AP, DVC member, have the Chase Disney Visa card and because I live in Florida just a few hours drive away, I visit frequently, like every 2-3 months. So far this year, I've gone in January, February - twice no less and spent half the month at WDW, March and will be returning next week for the SW Dark Side races. And the only cruises I take are Disney's. And as one poster on a previous thread said, I've now gone down the runDisney wormhole. And don't forget the $$$$ I've spent on Disney merchandise: 25 pairs of Mouse ears, too many t-shirts to count, decorations for all seasons, Mickey plushes and on and on. Oh, and 25 limited edition/release/special magic bands..in addition to 25+ resort ones.

So, since I'm soooo willing to give TWDC a significant chunk of my disposable income, that means I love Disney, right? Or I'm just damn crazy.

My senior thesis in B school was on TWDC - in the mid 80s after the whole 1984 mess and during the much rumored takeover of the studio division by Sony. The issues that culminated in what happened in 1984 are in n my opinion being mirrored again now...actually they are worse. And what kept TWDC afloat UNTIL Eisner and crew were able to turn things around? The parks. Which is why I am especially concerned and plainly just disgusted at what current management is doing to the company overall.

So if you think I hate Disney, please re-read my first paragraph. I love Disney..I grew up watching Walt every Sunday evening. I just am outraged how the company is being run by the current management and dismayed that the BoD has been quite frankly oblivious, well until now....

I never accused you of hating Disney.

The post I was responding to said that not a single person here hates Disney. I said that I disagreed with that. And I still do. I think there are some people here who do actively dislike Disney at this point, and only want to b*tch and complain. I think there are some people here who are also just trolls, trying to stir the pot. I definitely do not think every single poster here loves Disney.

 

[ford91exploder]

They have replaced a lot of the signature deserts with simple cupcakes.

Not being a dessert eater it never bothered me much but I did notice that a lot of common deserts were gone in favor of mass produced cupcakes with a candy wafer of course the shelf life is probably measured in weeks for those things as opposed to the signature desserts which had shelf life measured in hours.

 

[rreading]

I don't agree with WDW1974 on many things, but this is one area where I do believe he is correct. ESPN is not a "problem" and certainly not a "major problem". Is Wall Street "concerned" about ESPN? Absolutely -- because that network and division of Disney has been making obscene profits year after year and cord cutting is, well, cutting into those profits. But that simply means that instead of making massive profits, ESPN will only be making big profits in the foreseeable future. ESPN's "problems" are Wall St constructs of it not doing "good enough" not that it won't be profitable or a solid, viable division in the future.

The next CEO will have to deal with the fact that ESPN won't be the golden goose it has been and functioning as a limitless ATM, so they'll have to find somewhere else to turn to in order to generate profits and make the books look good.

I agree with this. But outside of our bubble (of the the Disney we've loved and ideal of what Disney once was and could be again), I would imagine that Wall Street (and a large majority of the American public) has the same perspective on the parks

 

[betty rose]

Several sources tell me the new CEO has already been picked:
View attachment 136887

 

[hokielutz]

John Lasseter for CEO

*drops the mic*

As much as I love Lasseter... I prefer his creative guidance stay firmly entrenched where it is. Results can't be argued with and want the successful films to keep rolling. Maybe lend a bit more time towards P&R creative direction.

Also I would hate to see him be pulled away from his family winery more than he already is.

 

[SirLink]

Oh well can't wait for the Fireworks in the halls of Burbank after the week after Shanghai opens. This may be the house cleaning and the ideological shift for the TWDC that hasn't been seen since Eisner.

So many issues with TWDC overall:

• Over reliance of expensive tent pole films of Studios
  
• Time and cost issues of P&R
• No clear direction of any of the TV channels
  
• Disney Interactive needing an overhaul.
• Short term vs Long term.

The potential to have a CEO, COO, CFO and chairman of TWDC and all be different executives would be fantastic.

 

[LAKid53]

I never accused you of hating Disney.

The post I was responding to said that not a single person here hates Disney. I said that I disagreed with that. And I still do. I think there are some people here who do actively dislike Disney at this point, and only want to b*tch and complain. I think there are some people here who are also just trolls, trying to stir the pot. I definitely do not think every single poster here loves Disney.

You know what my thought is in reading a thread like this? ..... Seems like you can't be here and taken seriously anymore if you don't hate Disney...

 

[GLaDOS]

As much as I love Lasseter... I prefer his creative guidance stay firmly entrenched where it is. Results can't be argued with and want the successful films to keep rolling. Maybe lend a bit more time towards P&R creative direction.

Also I would hate to see him be pulled away from his family winery more than he already is.

I think Lasseter has shown his focus should be on animated films and little else. He's great in that role, and a bit iffy when he ventures out of it.

I think the most important function a Disney CEO can have, outside of a sound business mind, is an appreciation for what the company does, moreso than expertise in any one field. I don't need a creative in charge, I just need someone who can get out of the creative' way when he/she needs to.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Why the hate for Iger?

Very happy with how Iger has steered the ship, and would be eager to see him extend beyond 2018.

Bin dippers would.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Picks up Mic.

CEO of what?

Drops Mic.

it was a joke

spoken into mike wazowski's megaphone

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

You know what my thought is in reading a thread like this?

My family and I vacationed at Walt Disney World this past October and we had a wonderful time. Still thought it was a fantastic place. And we're likely going back this December.

I guess I'm a weirdo who just doesn't get it. Perhaps it's just time for me to leave a forum like this. Seems like you can't be here and taken seriously anymore if you don't hate Disney...

Well done you, Ironically enough I have a fantastic time anywhere I go with my family on holiday. We don't need imaginary pixie dust to enjoy being with each other. Unlike you however I no longer believe Disney is a premium brand or offers exceptional customer service despite its inflated prices.
Wht your post reminds me of is the religious zealot who cant stand their brand of imaginary space zombies credibility being challenged.

Dry your eyes and suck it in Gloria.

 

[GhostHost1000]

As much as I love Lasseter... I prefer his creative guidance stay firmly entrenched where it is. Results can't be argued with and want the successful films to keep rolling. Maybe lend a bit more time towards P&R creative direction.

Also I would hate to see him be pulled away from his family winery more than he already is.

yeah I agree... it was actually a joke... a bad one....and I apologize

 

[Disneyhead'71]

You know what my thought is in reading a thread like this?

My family and I vacationed at Walt Disney World this past October and we had a wonderful time. Still thought it was a fantastic place. And we're likely going back this December.

I guess I'm a weirdo who just doesn't get it. Perhaps it's just time for me to leave a forum like this. Seems like you can't be here and taken seriously anymore if you don't hate Disney...

Do you believe that Disney is offering a lower quality product at a higher price than in years past?

 

[ford91exploder]

I think Lasseter has shown his focus should be on animated films and little else. He's great in that role, and a bit iffy when he ventures out of it.

I think the most important function a Disney CEO can have, outside of a sound business mind, is an appreciation for what the company does, moreso than expertise in any one field. I don't need a creative in charge, I just need someone who can get out of the creative' way when he/she needs to.

Disney has always performed best when the team at the helm has a pair one with a strong financial focus and another with a creative focus, Walt + Roy and Eisner + Wells as the examples

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Boy- you sure are showing them your disgust and outrage.
"Are they running the company in the ground? Sure they are- But I'll still visit every 2 months for half a month and spend thousands; however, I'm going to be outraged while doing so."

Addiction is evil.

 

[LAKid53]

I think Lasseter has shown his focus should be on animated films and little else. He's great in that role, and a bit iffy when he ventures out of it.

I think the most important function a Disney CEO can have, outside of a sound business mind, is an appreciation for what the company does, moreso than expertise in any one field. I don't need a creative in charge, I just need someone who can get out of the creative' way when he/she needs to.

What Disney needs is a CEO with sound and practical business experience who can HIRE the creative staff to run the Studio, Media and P&R divisions (who also should be good managers). And then let creative do its job, but maintain oversight without micromanaging. And when a decision turns out to be a mistake, have the guts to admit it. Plus a BoD that will hold that individual accountable for
more than what the price at closing yesterday was.

Beancounters should only do the books and prepare the financials, not run an entertainment conglomerate like Disney.

And those advocating Sheryl Sandberg as CEO, are you nuts? When I read that, all I thought of was Carly Fiorina and HP...and we know how well that turned out for HP. It would be nice if Disney hired someone with some knowledge of and/or experience in its major units.

 

[LAKid53]

Boy- you sure are showing them your disgust and outrage.
"Are they running the company in the ground? Sure they are- But I'll still visit every 2 months for half a month and spend thousands; however, I'm going to be outraged while doing so."

You got me...

 

[ElvisMickey]

Staggs leaving now = A rat leaving a sinking ship.
Iger = Eisner (post-Wells) 2.0
Chappie = Pressler 2.0

And none of 'em have been/are/will be good for the long-term health and viability of TWDC. Sure, the constant and continued focus on short-term results looks good on the surface and to the shareholders who do not understand a creative entity, like TWDC was at one time, but it does nothing but whittle away at the long-term health of the company, and right now the long-term health of the company looks like a weak, sickly sapling compared with the healthy, strong, vibrant tree it used to be around 1995.

And, something else I realized after reading a couple of posts in this thread: I'm/we're not living in the past, I am/we are mourning what could have been. Instead of pointing to the new and unique and exciting things Disney is putting into the parks, we have to look at other companies and other theme parks for that now. New Fantasyland? At best, it's "meh...". Avatarland? I think it's a gamble, personally. Star Wars- and Pixar-themed areas are long overdue, but thanks to the bean counters running everything both will likely fall short of what they *could* have been and/or *should* be. Where did the money that P&R have generated over the past decade? It went to prop up other parts of the company instead of being funneled back into P&R, and we get fed lines of BS about needing to raise ticket prices "to pay for the New Fantasyland expansion, the biggest expansion in the history of Magic Kingdom Park!!!". And I won't even go into the MM+ fiasco...

TWDC *used* to be a creative company, but those days are all but gone, having been replaced by milking IP for every penny possible along with abhorrent theme park money-grabs. THAT is going to be Iger's legacy, like it or not.

Oh, and one last thing that's been bugging me for years - It's "the Magic Kingdom", not "Magic Kingdom Park", "Disney's Animal Kingdom", not "Disney Animal Kingdom". What do they have against the possessive apostrophe-s??? I despise their mucking with names...

To this day I don't understand how or why anyone could have green lit an entire Avatar land in Animal Kingdom. Personally, I feel like it's barely worth its own attraction. Avatar isn't Star Wars and it isn't Harry Potter. There's been ONE movie that was entirely overrated. And yes, I understand that there are more on the way, but how many people are having sleepless nights anxiously waiting for them? This company has so many in house stories, characters, etc., that would have fit perfectly into Animal Kingdom for a new themed land. I mean, they threw three 40+ year old animatronics into a ride (based on a 72 year old movie) into Mexico at EPCOT and people loved it. It increased that attraction's attendance considerably. Have some faith in your own damn properties for once. Avatar wasn't necessary.

 

[stretchsje]

https://disneydish.bandcamp.com/track/outta-here-tom-staggs-leaves-disney

According to Jim Hill, popular opinion within the company is that Staggs was trying to get out before being the fall guy for Shanghai. (They later guessed 3-5 years until profitability after opening hugely over-budget.) @ford91exploder and others suggested this too. The clue here is the short notice- Staggs leaving in 30 days, only two weeks before Shanghai opens.

But he suggested an alternate theory involving very prominent (and very opinionated) shareholders as the result of stock-swaps during Iger's aquisitions, namely:

• Laurene Powell (Steve Jobs' widow, owns 7.5% of the Disney company!)
• Ike Perlmutter (CEO of Marvel since 2005, before the Disney acquisition)

Apparently Ike, in particular, really dislikes Iger and especially Staggs. A few sources say Ike was the one who put the brakes on Staggs. The feeling is that the stockholders remember Iger's follies (My Disney Experience is brought up again, which has me again wondering about Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg) and don't want him passing his mantle to an Iger-groomed candidate from within the company. They instead want a new mantle built, a departure from Iger-ism. Hence, they announced on a Monday the "robust search" forecasting a possible pick outside the company. One wonders what this means for Iger finishing his contract.

This theory jives with @WDW1974's optimism, but it's hard to imagine stockholders being displeased with the stock's performance over the past few years. Maybe the stockholders saw shortsightedness, or maybe this is what happens when the egos of powerful individuals (Ike and Iger) collide. What do we know about Laurene Powell and Ike Perlmutter?

 

[LAKid53]

To this day I don't understand how or why anyone could have green lit an entire Avatar land in Animal Kingdom. Personally, I feel like it's barely worth it's own attraction. Avatar isn't Star Wars and it isn't Harry Potter. There's been ONE movie that was entirely overrated. And yes, I understand that there are more on the way, but how many people are having sleepless nights anxiously waiting for them? This company has so many in house stories, characters, etc., that would have fit perfectly into Animal Kingdom for a new themed land. I mean, they threw three 40+ year old animatronics into a ride (based on a 72 year old movie) into Mexico at EPCOT and people loved it. It increased that attraction's attendance considerably. Have some faith in your own damn properties for once. Avatar wasn't necessary.

But it's the highest grossing movie and that looks good to certain factions in the company.

I still scratch my head over the decision to purchase Marvel. Lucasfilms I can understand - that company's two major franchises already have a presence in two major Disney theme parks. Plus you get the added bonus of ILM. But Marvel? Especially given that agreement with Universal, which means a limited presence of Marvel characters in your biggest theme park..... No Spidey or Iron Man in WDW, unless you can convince Comcast to amend the existing agreement (yeah, that's gonna happen).

Speaking of ILM, they are really good at not only CGI, but building things. Wonder if they could figure out how to fix Yeti.....