The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[PiratesMansion]

Iger actually understands what the Disney brand is. He gets that it is a creative company at it's core. I'm hopeful that internal decisions about creative hiring will be better.

I would love to be proven wrong, but I'm skeptical that this is true.

Iger to me always seemed least comfortable and interested in the Disney of the Walt Disney Company. He always seemed far more comfortable dealing with ESPN, Marvel, Star Wars, etc. than he did with the parks, Disney films, or anything historic to the company.

He was excited about Shanghai Disneyland, the biggest collection of IPs then put into an opening day castle park and in many ways a massive rebuffing of core Disney theme park principles, because it represented a wheelhouse he was more comfortable in. He molded the parks to fit his own image rather than really come to understand what they were about.

The IP mandate and mass franchising began under him. It was more successful than under Chapek, but it was certainly there for his tenure.

He made the decision to put Chapek in charge of parks and promote him to head of the company.

I'd love to be wrong. Truly. And he's a better leader than Chapek, certainly. But...

 

[Disney Irish]

While I suspect you are correct, Iger actually understands what the Disney brand is. He gets that it is a creative company at it's core. I'm hopeful that internal decisions about creative hiring will be better. For example, I'm hopeful that the move of WDI to Florida is off the table. Best case scenario, they bring back some of the creatives that left because they didn't want to move.

I guess we'll see where this goes. You can put me on the optimisitc list.

Don't get me wrong, I believe there are reasons to be optimistic. My point is don't get fooled into thinking that things the Disney Parks community dislike about recent changes are going to be reversed.

Yes I think decisions like the WDI move are probably off the table. But things like reservations, price increase, CM pay, stuff like that aren't likely to change immediately if at all. For example the reservations were a thing that they were considering while Iger was CEO previously. So its that part that I'm talking about.

 

[mickEblu]

BTW, if anyone is under the delusion that things are going to change immediately with Iger back especially at the Parks, keep dreaming.

This is a pure stock move to stabilize the stock and calm Wall Street fears.

So reservations are staying, Tiana is still happening, and price increases are still in place. Nothing is really going to change much especially in the near term.

Lol we get it guys. I made sure to put the “wishful thinking” disclaimer you killjoys.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Lol we get it guys. I made sure to put the “wishful thinking” disclaimer you killjoys.

I mean I'm not trying to overstate things but Bob Iger coming back is basically the second coming of Walt Disney.

It's just too bad the press announcement didn't start with 'Ladies and Gentleman boys and girls, Disney is proud to announce... Bob Iger!"

 

[Disney Irish]

Lol we get it guys. I made sure to put the “wishful thinking” disclaimer you killjoys.

I think its just one of those things that is good to be said to "splash" a little dose of reality.

Who am I though, if someone wants to have hopes and dreams about reservations going away or Splash remaining go ahead. I'll be over here though still "splashing" some reality on the conversation.

 

[PiratesMansion]

I mean I'm not trying to overstate things but Bob Iger coming back is basically the second coming of Walt Disney.

"And in this second park we'll put in a sort of...Avenger's Campus, full of Marvel and heroes and Spider-mans and Marvels and things...it's a sort of amusement enterprise of marketable IP where boys and manboys and their wallets can have fun together."

 

[DrAlice]

Don't get me wrong, I believe there are reasons to be optimistic. My point is don't get fooled into thinking that things the Disney Parks community dislike about recent changes are going to be reversed.

Yes I think decisions like the WDI move are probably off the table. But things like reservations, price increase, CM pay, stuff like that aren't likely to change immediately if at all. For example the reservations were a thing that they were considering while Iger was CEO previously. So its that part that I'm talking about.

Agree completely.

Bottom line: Iger is a better leader than Chapek is. Having a good leader is always a good thing for a company. What that means for parks fans remains to be seen. I'm still optimistic.

 

[mickEblu]

I think its just one of those things that is good to be said to "splash" a little dose of reality.

Who am I though, if someone wants to have hopes and dreams about reservations going away or Splash remaining go ahead. I'll be over here though still "splashing" some reality on the conversation.

I thought I “splashed” a little reality in my post as well. You just want to pretend you didn’t see that part. The real “reality” is though that I’m at about 4-0 vs you at predictions. So who knows maybe my wishful thinking is right. Lol

 

[DrAlice]

I would love to be proven wrong, but I'm skeptical that this is true.

Iger to me always seemed least comfortable and interested in the Disney of the Walt Disney Company. He always seemed far more comfortable dealing with ESPN, Marvel, Star Wars, etc. than he did with the parks, Disney films, or anything historic to the company.

He was excited about Shanghai Disneyland, the biggest collection of IPs then put into an opening day castle park and in many ways a massive rebuffing of core Disney theme park principles, because it represented a wheelhouse he was more comfortable in. He molded the parks to fit his own image rather than really come to understand what they were about.

The IP mandate and mass franchising began under him. It was more successful than under Chapek, but it was certainly there for his tenure.

He made the decision to put Chapek in charge of parks and promote him to head of the company.

I'd love to be wrong. Truly. And he's a better leader than Chapek, certainly. But...

He's not perfect, for sure. But Chapek pushed the IP synergy thing to the point of alienating its fan base. I think Iger understands the Disney customer better. How much better remains to be seen. Again, I'm keeping my optimism.

 

[Disney Irish]

I thought I “splashed” a little reality in my post as well. You just want to pretend you didn’t see that part. The real “reality” is though that I’m at about 4-0 vs you at predictions. So who knows maybe my wishful thinking is right. Lol

Not sure what exactly you're counting as being predictions, but I never thought it was a competition just discussions. Also I'm pretty sure when it comes down to real predictions we're about even. But again I was never really counting as I didn't think it was a competition.

Also just FYI, my original post wasn't directed toward you anyways, just a general post.

 

[PiratesMansion]

More from Tom Morris on Twitter: "I guess the beard didn't help."

 

[Disney Irish]

Agree completely.

Bottom line: Iger is a better leader than Chapek is. Having a good leader is always a good thing for a company. What that means for parks fans remains to be seen. I'm still optimistic.

Agree, this about calming Wall Street fears and to ensure there is a leader that can keep the stock up during any potential recessionary pressures.

 

[mickEblu]

Yeah my original thought before Splash Mountain was this is a desperate move to boost confidence on Wall Street and boost Morale on Walt’s Street. I really don’t know what sort of changes we’ll see at the park. They may not all even be for the better at first when the triage is happening. Of course this is much bigger than just the parks.

 

[SuddenStorm]

I think the parks returning to exactly as they were in 1965 is a bona fide guarantee.

We may never see a girl as a jungle cruise skipper again, or a guy narrating the canal boats so we best get our last rides in now.

I hope the men have good shavers, and that the tattoo removal spots in Anaheim have plenty of availability.

 

[DrAlice]

The letter from the board basically says they are bringing Iger back for 2 years so he can "try again" with finding his successor. It will be interesting to see what happens. Does he bring in someone new? Does he bring a current executive under his wing? Interesting...

 

[SuddenStorm]

The letter from the board basically says they are bringing Iger back for 2 years so he can "try again" with finding his successor. It will be interesting to see what happens. Does he bring in someone new? Does he bring a current executive under his wing? Interesting...

Right. Though stockholders + the board should be livid at how poorly Iger set up his succession plan. I remember that being a topic starting around 2015- and it really doesn't seem like he did much. I mean didn't Iger stick around for a while to hold Chapek's hand?

That Chapek got the CEO position, and that he tanked it so badly, and that Iger had to come back really should reflect poorly on Iger. It's obviously not easy to prepare someone to run Disney- but my goodness did Chapek blow it.

 

[Disney Irish]

All I know is the Disney YouTuber community now has content for the rest of the year....

 

[DrAlice]

Right. Though stockholders + the board should be livid at how poorly Iger set up his succession plan. I remember that being a topic starting around 2015- and it really doesn't seem like he did much. I mean didn't Iger stick around for a while to hold Chapek's hand?

That Chapek got the CEO position, and that he tanked it so badly, and that Iger had to come back really should reflect poorly on Iger. It's obviously not easy to prepare someone to run Disney- but my goodness did Chapek blow it.

I've never been a CEO of anything, but my baseline advice for Iger would be: start by picking someone that has a personality.

 

[DrAlice]

All I know is the Disney YouTuber community now has content for the rest of the year....

And I'm here for it!!

 

[PiratesMansion]

This reminds me of the Cheers episode where Sam got into some trouble after he and Diane broke up and he was about to squander everything he had worked for, and so Diane returned to the bar for what was supposed to be just a little while to help get him back on his feet, but then she wound up staying forever.

Well, ok, she didn't stay forever because Shelley Long left the show three seasons later, but still. Basically an identical situation.