Why hate eisner?

[marni1971]

^ More than that. There was to be a full and complete rehab of Horizons, for it to reopen as a fully updated version of the 1983 original - muck like what SSE went through last year. Then the Space pavilion was proposed for it, using part of Journeys in Space 1978 proposals.

 

[clarkstallings]

Just to correct some information in an earlier post. He was never President and CEO. He had always been Chairman and CEO. The board, theoretically could have always fired him, but many on the board were close friends. It was after a 43 or 44% no confidence vote from the shareholders in 2004 that the decision was made to split the CEO and Chairman positions, barring one person from holding both. This was an attempt to make the board appear more independent. Board independence has long been a subject of criticism towards Disney from the outside business world.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

I think I know where Mr. Eisner got his training...

*standing ovation*

 

[agent86]

Just to correct some information in an earlier post. He was never President and CEO.

Sorry, but you're incorrect. He began his career with Disney as Chairman and CEO. Wells was President and COO. Upon Wells' death, Eisner added the title of President. He kept this until Michael Ovitz joined the company and assumed that position. Later, it became Robert Iger's title.

 

[ryguy]

My question is why are we talking about something that changed a few years ago? Uncle Mike is now off enjoying life, he can no longer hurt us....or help us (WHICH HE DID) so why are we talking about this?

Would you like to bring up my ex gf? Or how about my dead dog? Oh here is a fun one......Mr. Toad.

Rafiki: (hits simba over the head with his stick)
Simba: Ouch! Jeez! What was that for?
Rafiki: It doesn't matter, its in the past.
Simba: Yeah but it still hurts!
Rafiki: The past can hurt. But the way i see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it.

I don't know maybe the same reason we talk about past presidents, Jesus Christ, Caesar, etc....I think a lot of people don't know much about Eisner, so look it as a history lesson. Can't learn about the past if we don't know about it.

 

[tirian]

Agent86, you did a fantastic job summarizing Eisner's history. :sohappy:

Eisner's work saga is worth talking about because it's a great warning to other business people. We actually studied him in a business/economics class in college as a bad example.

 

[yankspy]

My question is why are we talking about something that changed a few years ago? Uncle Mike is now off enjoying life, he can no longer hurt us....or help us (WHICH HE DID) so why are we talking about this?

Would you like to bring up my ex gf? Or how about my dead dog? Oh here is a fun one......Mr. Toad.

Rafiki: (hits simba over the head with his stick)
Simba: Ouch! Jeez! What was that for?
Rafiki: It doesn't matter, its in the past.
Simba: Yeah but it still hurts!
Rafiki: The past can hurt. But the way i see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it.

Not for nothing but Rafiki answered your question. The only way to learn from it is to talk about it. There is a wonderful sign that hangs in the Library of Congress. It states, "You can not know where you are going unless you know where you came from".

 

[jaredliu]

It was a great post!
Needs to be a keeper!

You think Disney is "better than ever" under Eisner's reign and still found the post great?

 

[Enigma]

Agent86, you did a fantastic job summarizing Eisner's history. :sohappy:

Eisner's work saga is worth talking about because it's a great warning to other business people. We actually studied him in a business/economics class in college as a bad example.

Same thing in one of my classes at FGCU.

 

[knights87]

there are a couple books out there that sort of talk about this same topic, The Rise and Fall of Michael Eisner andKeys to the Kingdom: The Rise of Michael Eisner and the Fall of Everybody Else, to name a few. I have not yet read them but my friend has and said they are pretty good and give a good insight on what happend. I, like most of you Think that Eisner was great for the Disney Company in the beginning. He breathed new life into it and turned the company around. But then he let the power go to his head and started ruling the company with an iron fist.

 

[Goofnut1980]

but do we like the new guy??? :shrug:

 

[Rob562]

but do we like the new guy??? :shrug:

I think it's a bit too soon to tell. He's only been CEO for what, 3 or 4 years? In a company like Disney, budgets and plans are made years in advance. We're just now finishing up things that were on the boards when Eisner was still in charge.

But I will say this... The fact that he bought back the Disney Stores *and* has approved a very large chunk of money to "fix" DCA, definitely are a few plusses in his column...

-Rob

 

[clarkstallings]

I would love someone to show me some proof of Eisner ever being President of the company, since I'm apparently wrong according to Agent86.

 

[knights87]

I would love someone to show me some proof of Eisner ever being President of the company, since I'm apparently wrong according to Agent86.

I Always thought Eisner was Chairman and CEO of the Disney Company. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_Company#Senior_Executive_Management

 

[BillsFanGabe]

He's just a very bad man, I'm reading the book DisneyWar right now and it talks about what Eisner did when he ran the company and it talks about Roy E. Disney's Save Disney Campaigns. I just dont really like Eisner at all, I support Roy.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Eisner also built 6 hotels (including 4 "deluxe" ones) for a theme park that didn't need them, but everything else has been said already basically. He was good from 1984-1994 with Wells and then the rest wasn't so great. In those three options I'm #3.

 

[devoy1701]

but do we like the new guy??? :shrug:

I think it's a bit too soon to tell. He's only been CEO for what, 3 or 4 years? In a company like Disney, budgets and plans are made years in advance. We're just now finishing up things that were on the boards when Eisner was still in charge.

But I will say this... The fact that he bought back the Disney Stores *and* has approved a very large chunk of money to "fix" DCA, definitely are a few plusses in his column...

-Rob

and he looks good too!

I don't mean that in a gay way, I'm just saying he looks good...young and full of energy and he talks in a kind of stern hushed manner that makes you listen to everything he says... but from interviews I've seen of Bob and the changes I've seen lately...those mentioned above, along with their strong focus on 3D movie releases over the next 2-3 years to up the bar with other animation studios and the overhauls coming to the parks... I think that Iger's first decade is going to be a good one.

The only things I haven't agreed with is the constant rise in ticket prices which is steadily making the Disney parks not accessable to the average american family. AND wdw management decisions to bring in the 4 Seasons Resort and allow for private residences on the western side of the property...but I think those two decisions are on Meg Crofton...not Bobby.

 

[Spike-in-Berlin]

Eisner also built 6 hotels (including 4 "deluxe" ones) for a theme park that didn't need them, but everything else has been said already basically. He was good from 1984-1994 with Wells and then the rest wasn't so great. In those three options I'm #3.

I think the major problems about the DLP resorts is there partially awful shallow and downsized cheap-theming. Take a look at the Disney's Hotel New York. Terrible from the outside. And the Sequioa Lodge is just a downwatered Wilderness Lodge (I know the Sequoia came first, it still looks cheap compared to the WL) The only DLP resort with WDW-like-quality theming is the Disneyland Hotel.

 

[raven]

I Always thought Eisner was Chairman and CEO of the Disney Company. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_Company#Senior_Executive_Management

From your link:

1984: Touchstone Films is created after the studio narrowly escapes a buyout attempt by Saul Steinberg, and releases its first film Splash. Roy Edward Disney and his business partner, Stanley Gold, remove Ron W. Miller as CEO and president, replacing him with Michael Eisner and Frank Wells.

Michael was president as well but the board kept moving around titles so I can see why it's confusing.

 

[SWatsi]

Fascinating conversation guys.
It's nice to know more about the situation from the past few decades, so thanks for starting this conversation!

I always thought it was so strange how things were early on, and then to gradually change to how it ended up.
I've listened to some interviews with various people involved in those first few movies (TLM so forth), and its interesting that they welcomed those changes early on, which (after reading this) seem to have later bitten them in the rear.
Cheers for shedding some light on this. Now I can understand the good things said and the bad things said a whole lot more.