"What would Walt do?"

[WondersOfLife]

it was being asked by Disney purists, particularly as they started utilizing (if not (yet) buying) non-Disney properties like Star Wars or the Muppets. As far as the parks in particular were concerned, purists accused the Imagineers of becoming lazy and unimaginative, that Walt wouldn't have rented the Muppets, but would have created his own characters instead.

Walt was no different then than many of the decisions the company makes today. Go watch Saving Mr. Banks.

Also... Just about every movie he made was already based on a fairytale that already existed. They have original segments, but they are by no means 100% original to the mind of Walt Disney. All the animated films Walt made were already based on pre-existing stories...

Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs (Grimms' Fairy Tales, 1812)
Pinocchio (Carlo Collodi, 1883)
The Reluctant dragon (Kenneth Grahame, 1898)
Dumbo (Based on the real "Jumbo" elephant)
Bambi (Felix Salten, 1922)
Song of the South (Joel Chandler Harris, 1881)
So Dear to my Heart (Sterling North, 1943)
The Adventures of Ichabod (Washington Irving, 1820) and Mr. Toad (Kenneth Grahame, 1908)
Cinderella (Charles Perrault, 1697)
Treasure Island (Robert Stevenson, 1883)
Alice in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll, 1866)
Robin Hood (William Langland, 1377)
Peter Pan (James Barrie, 1911)
The Sword and the Rose (Charles Major, 1898)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne, 1870)
Lady and the Tramp (Ward Greene, 1945)
Old Yeller (Fred Gipson, 1956)


You see where I'm going with this??? Walt was a businessman. He took stories and characters from books that already existed and made his own movies based off of them. The most infamous example of how Walt Disney is actually very similar to the current production studio was his creation of Mary Poppins, and how he literally forced Ms. Travers to give up her character by backing her into a corner, and "abandoning ship" to let the Sherman Brothers and the film crew argue with the lady until Walt got what he wanted.

The only reason Disney "back in the day" didn't purchase rights to older films was because there really were not hardly any films to take.. Lol. So the "we should take this story" came from literal books, rather than old TV Shows/Old movies... It was quite literally the "Reboots" of that era, only instead, it was book to movie.

Take into account the age of the books, too. Disney bought The Muppets when the Muppets were roughly 30 years old. Meanwhile "The Wind and the Willows" was just 41 years off from the short that Disney made. Star Wars was 35 years old when Disney bought it, and Old Yeller was released a year after the book it was based on was released.

There is no doubt in my mind that Walt Disney, being a businessman of his time, would still be a businessman today.

EDIT: Everything today is always based on something that already exists in some shape or form... Whether it is purchased or not.

 

[Disstevefan1]

And you know it was in his level? Wow, OK. Sometimes, in fact quite a few times, he bit off more then he could chew and Roy had to save his butt. Roy couldn't have saved him on this one. My opinion and my reasons why, no one is forcing you to accept it. Snarkiness, not with.standing.

I understand your opinion that Walt’s attempt at EPCOT would have failed.

I can’t make judgments on his skills or experience and I would not try to.

All I was saying is we will never know what Walt’s EPCOT would have been.

It’s easy to speculate that Walt would fail.

After all, that’s what folks did about Snow White and Disneyland.

 

[Vacationeer]

DH was watching this episode yesterday

The Disneyland Hotel Episode of “Behind the Attraction” Uses The First Disney Hotel To Talk About Others Around The World

Behind the Attraction is set to take us on the evolution of the first hotel at a Disney destination, the Disneyland Hotel, before they use it as a jumping off point to tell us all about other Disney Resorts around the globe. Disneyland Hotel Easily one of the more interesting episodes of Behind...

www.laughingplace.com

It’s an interesting look into Walt’s last years and decisions he made toward the parks and Disney bubble. Hotel Disneyland was a next level experience for those who spent the extra money. It also dumped guests right into the park where they didn’t need to wait in the crazy front gate ticket lines.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I understand your opinion that Walt’s attempt at EPCOT would have failed.

I can’t make judgments on his skills or experience and I would not try to.

All I was saying is we will never know what Walt’s EPCOT would have been.

It’s easy to speculate that Walt would fail.

After all, that’s what folks did about Snow White and Disneyland.

I agree and it is equally easy to speculate the Walt would have been successful. However, that part is strictly based on wishful thinking and comparing building a theme park is equal to building a city. The simplest part of the plan he had was the rendering of what it would look like. The real part is actually building it to begin with. For example, the plan called for underground highways and parking area. This was being built on a swamp. Wishful thinking isn't going to make that happen especially when it called for multiple layers under the city itself. And that's just the first part, after that the selling of the idea of corporates willing to invest millions in Walt's dream is hardly a place where BoD's would be willing to invest. But, like you said, we will never know, however, a few educated guesses might not be that far off.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I agree and it is equally easy to speculate the Walt would have been successful. However, that part is strictly based on wishful thinking and comparing building a theme park is equal to building a city. The simplest part of the plan he had was the rendering of what it would look like. The real part is actually building it to begin with. For example, the plan called for underground highways and parking area. This was being built on a swamp. Wishful thinking isn't going to make that happen especially when it called for multiple layers under the city itself. And that's just the first part, after that the selling of the idea of corporates willing to invest millions in Walt's dream is hardly a place where BoD's would be willing to invest. But, like you said, we will never know, however, a few educated guesses might not be that far off.

Not wishful thinking, All I was saying is we will never know what Walt’s EPCOT would have been.
Thats all I was saying, and when I said, will never know, that would include failures, we just don't know.

As for the blue-sky EPCOT film. Walt said himself in the film, things may change time and time again.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Not wishful thinking, All I was saying is we will never know what Walt’s EPCOT would have been.
Thats all I was saying, and when I said, will never know, that would include failures, we just don't know.

As for the blue-sky EPCOT film. Walt said himself in the film, things may change time and time again.

You do realize that we are both saying the same thing but from two different directions. You think it is possible he would have made it work and I don't think he would have. It has just been a discussion that has no answer but is interesting to have a back and forth about something that at one point was a real possibility of happening. It seems that we should both just agree to disagree about what the possible outcome might have been. Both are legitimate possible endings.

 

[Disstevefan1]

You do realize that we are both saying the same thing but from two different directions. You think it is possible he would have made it work and I don't think he would have. It has just been a discussion that has no answer but is interesting to have a back and forth about something that at one point was a real possibility of happening. It seems that we should both just agree to disagree about what the possible outcome might have been. Both are legitimate possible endings.

Agreed.
Do I think we would have gotten the EPCOT film, No.
Walt died at 65 in 1966. If he was healthy, maybe he had 15 years or so?
While that was enough time to have built the watered-down EPCOT we have, would it have been enough time to build something resembling the EPCOT film?

I don't know, but I sure would like to have seen what Walt would have done with EPCOT whatever it turned out to be.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

I agree and it is equally easy to speculate the Walt would have been successful. However, that part is strictly based on wishful thinking and comparing building a theme park is equal to building a city. The simplest part of the plan he had was the rendering of what it would look like. The real part is actually building it to begin with. For example, the plan called for underground highways and parking area. This was being built on a swamp. Wishful thinking isn't going to make that happen especially when it called for multiple layers under the city itself. And that's just the first part, after that the selling of the idea of corporates willing to invest millions in Walt's dream is hardly a place where BoD's would be willing to invest. But, like you said, we will never know, however, a few educated guesses might not be that far off.

They solved the problem of a “basement” at the Magic Kingdom by actually making the basement ground level and building the park on essentially the second floor, so yes the underground highway you speak of could’ve been built.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

The only reason Disney "back in the day" didn't purchase rights to older films was because there really were not hardly any films to take.. Lol.

Each of the "big 8" were releasing about one movie per week (along with Poverty Row studios cranking them out too) and by the 50's a good number of these studios were selling off their pre-1950 film libraries for relatively cheap. If Walt wanted to he most definitely could've bought the rights to hundreds of movies.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Each of the "big 8" were releasing about one movie per week (along with Poverty Row studios cranking them out too) and by the 50's a good number of these studios were selling off their pre-1950 film libraries for relatively cheap. If Walt wanted to he most definitely could've bought the rights to hundreds of movies.

Eh. I don't believe they were with his time. Because like you said, if he could have, he would have.

He certainly fought pretty hard for Mary Poppins though. I'd be willing to bet he would have loved to purchase Lucasfilm and Marvel. Not sure about Muppets, but

 

[Goofyernmost]

They solved the problem of a “basement” at the Magic Kingdom by actually making the basement ground level and building the park on essentially the second floor, so yes the underground highway you speak of could’ve been built.

If you look at the plans there were more than one layer of roads and parking to go under the city. The stuff at MK was just one level and only about 10 feet. This would have required a mountain of land fill and geological studies, time consuming compacting and expensive engineering. Plus where would all that fill come from without creating more lakes, etc. and messing up the entire ecosystem. Could it be done? Of course, but at what cost.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Oh its the old "What would Walt do" discussion thats always appearing when theres a discussion on how bad everything is. Simply no one knows what Walt would be doing now. No matter how Walt ran things back in the day or how he thought or what he said, he wouldnt be the same person he was in the 50s and 60s. Businesses have had to alter how they are run, how they stay profitable and how they relate to their employees costs and staffing requirements. Walt would have had to change his ways of doing things to stay competitive and have the company stay solvent as the times around him changed. Surely there would have been some Walt traits that might have remained but there have been no company heads, BoD's, banking regulations, and company models that have stayed exactly as they were decades ago. Walt was a complex individual and no one could put him in a box and say thats who he was. Even his daughters have said he was a complex person to figure out. He could be soft and he could be ruthless.
Its foolish to think Walt would not have had to change to stay relevant. Staying one dimensional, stuck in the 50s as many say they want it to be, he might have lost control over his company.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Oh its the old "What would Walt do" discussion thats always appearing when theres a discussion on how bad everything is. Simply no one knows what Walt would be doing now. No matter how Walt ran things back in the day or how he thought or what he said, he wouldnt be the same person he was in the 50s and 60s. Businesses have had to alter how they are run, how they stay profitable and how they relate to their employees costs and staffing requirements. Walt would have had to change his ways of doing things to stay competitive and have the company stay solvent as the times around him changed. Surely there would have been some Walt traits that might have remained but there have been no company heads, BoD's, banking regulations, and company models that have stayed exactly as they were decades ago. Walt was a complex individual and no one could put him in a box and say thats who he was. Even his daughters have said he was a complex person to figure out. He could be soft and he could be ruthless.
Its foolish to think Walt would not have had to change to stay relevant. Staying one dimensional, stuck in the 50s as many say they want it to be, he might have lost control over his company.

Now that I think about it, If Walt were alive he would have been cancelled by the Twitter mob for something and driven out of his own company.

 

[disneyfireman]

Now that I think about it, If Walt were alive he would have been cancelled by the Twitter mob for something and driven out of his own company.

Oh I think he would have told the woke crazies exactly where to go. He would have treated them as they should be. Irrelevant knuckle dragggers. Same thing if Steve Jobs were still among us. So so different Apple would be. I keep thinking… If only Elon would buy Disney.….

 

[eliza61nyc]

Oh I think he would have told the woke crazies exactly where to go. He would have treated them as they should be. Irrelevant knuckle dragggers. Same thing if Steve Jobs were still amount us. So so different Apple would be. I keep thinking… If only Elon would buy Disney.….

And then there would be a good chance he would have lost control of the company call them woke or crazy, they have money and know how to work social media. He may have dismissed them all he wanted but once he went public without controlling interest he'd end up at this same point. The Board of Directors, directing the company.

Remember Elon is the largest shareholder, as the saying goes from Aladdin "you've heard of the golden rule, he who owns the gold-rules"

 

[disneyfireman]

And then there would be a good chance he would have lost control of the company call them woke or crazy, they have money and know how to work social media. He may have dismissed them all he wanted but once he went public without controlling interest he'd end up at this same point. The Board of Directors, directing the company.

Remember Elon is the largest shareholder, as the saying goes from Aladdin "you've heard of the golden rule, he who owns the gold-rules"

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There is finally. Finally a lot of push back concerning the whole “woke” deal. I do believe it has peaked. It’s definately not shoo shee like it was. Not politically either.

 

[eliza61nyc]

There is finally. Finally a lot of push back concerning the whole “woke” deal. I do believe it has peaked. It’s definately not shoo shee like it was. Not politically either.

Lol absolutely right, the great thing about getting older, things like the "woke" movement rolls off of you. These type of things come and go. Trends come in and out.
Now who knows what Walt would have agreed to, it's hard to predict future actions based on the past. I wonder if Walt could have envisioned a great many things

 

[JIMINYCR]

Now that I think about it, If Walt were alive he would have been cancelled by the Twitter mob for something and driven out of his own company.

For sure. Even now decades after his death hes slammed periodically for what others perceive of his anti semitic, racist, anti socialist, anti labor and conservative views. Death doesnt protect you from the mobs.

 

[Goofyernmost]

For sure. Even now decades after his death hes slammed periodically for what others perceive of his anti semitic, racist, anti socialist, anti labor and conservative views. Death doesnt protect you from the mobs.

No, but it tends to make you care a hell of a lot less!

 

[mysto]

I really don't know what WED would do, I don't think anyone does. His life experiences between 1966 and 2022, 56 years, would certainly have had an effect on him. He'd had to have quit smoking.