Things Walt wouldn't have approved of

[wannab@dis]

'Nuff said...the whole Eisner mentality would make Walt sick. Sacrifice everything for the almighty dollar.

Hate to break it to you... Walt was ALL ABOUT the dollar. If they didn't make money, the doors would close. I'm sorry, but that's a very naive way to view things.

 

[bigcarolina77]

Who knows what Walt would or wouldn't approve of... He's died years ago.QUOTE]


Kind of fun to speculate though. Walt just doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would have bent over and grabbed his ankles everytime there was a buck to be made. Principles do mean something and I think that he wouldn't have sacrificed his even in today's business climate.

 

[wannab@dis]

Kind of fun to speculate though. Walt just doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would have bent over and grabbed his ankles everytime there was a buck to be made. Principles do mean something and I think that he wouldn't have sacrificed his even in today's business climate.

How do you know? Speculation is all it is and isn't valid at all.

 

[bigcarolina77]

Hate to break it to you... Walt was ALL ABOUT the dollar. If they didn't make money, the doors would close. I'm sorry, but that's a very naive way to view things.

I'm not saying Walt wasn't a heck of a businessman, but I don't think he'd have sacrificed his principles. You can make piles of money and not be a sacrifice your beliefs (i.e. Chick-Fil-A and Truett Cathy).

 

[bigcarolina77]

How do you know? Speculation is all it is and isn't valid at all.

Wonderful, but you put the theory out there that Walt would have turned into a cash if he were alive today.

Doesn't look like the doors were closing at the time he died. If selling a few cold ones is what is keeping WDW's doors open then that's pretty sad. lol

 

[peter11435]

You missed the point I was making..it was and still is a private club. You or I couldn't just stroll in get a cold one and then stroll back out and go ride something. I think Walt was very careful to not have public alcohol sales in his park.

I got your point. But the fact is that Disney still to this day does not sell alcohol in Disneyland (except for Club 33) or the Magic Kingdom. Who are we to say if Walt would have approved of alcohol sales in other Disney parks.

 

[Enderikari]

I am not going to say much, except for I disagree with not only just about everything that Carolina has said, and I also disagree with the whole topic in general being an impossible one to judge..

But I will take this oppurtunity to throw another "Walt was against Alcohol" quip out there...

The Disney animation studios in Burbank was built with a cocktail bar, and Disney was famous amongst his crew for letting his animators take long breaks and grab a cocktail during work... Walt himself had a scotch and soda served to him by his secretary as he received medical massages needed for chronic back pain stemming from a polo injury...

and one more thing

Because of this cigarettes should be illegal, if lung cancer hadn’t killed Walt who knows how much better our world could have been.

Wow..... how high and mighty must you be to go ahead and make decisions for a large number of people. I am not a smoker myself, but I disagree with every attempt to legislate morality. This country is one where people have the oppurtunity to pursue life, liberty, and happiness, as long as my pursuit does not negatively affect yours.
One quick question: is it hard to climb all the way up to that pedastal? It looks hard.. I mean... with it that high and all. I mean, it must have a great view of everything, as long as you don't mind looking over your nose and such... Just, that pedestal seems like you would need some sort of climbing instrument... A ladder perhaps... Do you have a ladder? A stool seems like it would be too short...

 

[Edeyore]

Walt's vision of EPCOT is nothing like what it turned out to be, but would that have been better or worse for Disney as a whole. Disney, as a company, was in serious shape in the early 80s would Walt have been able to save the company then? Would those who constantly grouse on what each park needs, (a dark ride, a thrill ride, a new show, etc.), have been happy with an EPCOT that would not have been a theme park?

It should also be noted that anyone who does not think that Walt was in it for the money has never read anything about him. His idea was to give the customer a better product and they would buy his instead of anyone else's.

 

[bigcarolina77]

I didn't say anything about some animator having a drink in his office. I was making a general comment on the sale of alcohol to the public in the parks. Walt's product was family oriented entertainment...and it sold well and still does. Maybe they could open a casino at WDW...it would make money...i'm sure Walt would like some gambling to go along with the alcohol.

Maybe Disney should start selling gum too before the parks have to shut down. (Walt didn't allow gum to be sold at Disneyland)

 

[wannab@dis]

Wonderful, but you put the theory out there that Walt would have turned into a cash if he were alive today.

Doesn't look like the doors were closing at the time he died. If selling a few cold ones is what is keeping WDW's doors open then that's pretty sad. lol

No I didn't... please don't twist my words for your arguments. I said that his VIEWS would CHANGE based on current business requirements.

Serving alchohol is not just about making money, it's about making your guests happy that want a cocktail with their nice dinner.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

I asked him last week. He said all the stuff you guys are arguing about is cool, but he kind of feels like a shmuck having an attraction named after him. He thinks they always filmed him from his "fat" side. Just goes to show you don't know Walt...

 

[wannab@dis]

Maybe Disney should start selling gum too before the parks have to shut down. (Walt didn't allow gum to be sold at Disneyland)

And that business decision is still valid today...

Gum on the streets looked bad then and looks bad now. Costs for employees to get it up was expensive then and is even more expensive now.

You're stretching to validate an invalid argument...

 

[Hakunamatata]

If Walt were alive today, he would probably be thinking "Why in the hell have I not died yet, I am too damned old".

 

[bigcarolina77]

I'm talking about in the parks! Not in your hotel room, at a private club, at dinner in a restaurant or in your car in the parking lot.

From what I read about Walt, he was a very principled man and I don't think that he seemed like the type of person to sell his basic ideals for a few cheap bucks.

 

[Enderikari]

Walt's vision of EPCOT is nothing like what it turned out to be, but would that have been better or worse for Disney as a whole. Disney, as a company, was in serious shape in the early 80s would Walt have been able to save the company then? Would those who constantly grouse on what each park needs, (a dark ride, a thrill ride, a new show, etc.), have been happy with an EPCOT that would not have been a theme park?

It should also be noted that anyone who does not think that Walt was in it for the money has never read anything about him. His idea was to give the customer a better product and they would buy his instead of anyone else's.

Quoted from Walt Disney: An American Original Page 339

With his customary distrust of politicians, Walt Disney sought unprecendented freedom to develop a model city without interference. Donn Tatum pointed out that what he really wanted was "an experimental, absolute monoarchy." Walt raised an eyebrow and asked puckishly, "Can I have one?" "No," Tatum replied

Unfortunately, the state of Florida agreed, and would have never granted that kind of power to the Disney company, EPCOT the city was doomed to failure from the start

 

[WDWFREAK53]

Epcot sells alcohol...

Epcot was suppose to be a community...are you saying this community was going to be completely DRY? If not...then Epcot is closer to Walt's vision than we realized :wave:

 

[bigcarolina77]

wannabe@dis...Why don't you think that Walt sold alcohol at Disneyland from the beginning since it's obviously such a shrewd business move and since Walt was about making money at all costs?

 

[ryguy]

Are Kids allowed in Club 33? I have a feeling it was designed for adults, not children. Another question: why isn't alcohol served in Disneyland or Magic Kingdom?

 

[bigcarolina77]

Epcot sells alcohol...

Epcot was suppose to be a community...are you saying this community was going to be completely DRY? If not...then Epcot is closer to Walt's vision than we realized :wave:

Now there's a great observation. lol

 

[Enderikari]

You do realize, I hope, that no alcohol is served or even allowed into the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, right? So if Walt didn't foresee any other parks, then how would you know he would have disapproved of it?