Dear Walt: - From Mickey

[YoHo]

Jim Hill's article is not advertising, unless he is in fact on Universal's payroll in which case, we have to go back and collectivly erase from our minds every article he's written and assume them to be false.
Certainly, I have not found Universal escape's advertising to match up with what I have heard others official or not say.

Jim Hill also wrote a glowing report of DCA after he first expireanced it as I recall.



I don't want to debate this too much, as my comment was intended as a cynical aside on today's advertising and its reliablilty.

 

[larworth]

Wow, I can't believe everyone just blew by WDWHOUND's post. It does a great job of capturing my feelings on the current state of affairs.

Sure, there is plenty of magic that currently exists. Why else would we all be in a carpool headed to WDW if there were not.


Forget trying to compare the Walt and Eisner regimes and just look at how the company has been acting lately compared to even a decade ago.

He has shown that he knows how to invest in quality (he did so in his early years at the helm), but he has choosen to milk this cow for all its worth instead

.

Even Eisner recently admitted that the quality of the company's output had declined. That he was going to return to being the creative Eisner of old.

The "early" Eisner days may not have lived up to DVC's high, and rightfully so, standards but let's at least start heading in that direction and then we can quibble.

You don't create that pipeline of great next generation content (their stated product) by cutting its sources (imagineering, writers, storytellers...), or by accepting an erosion in your market leadership position.

 

[HBK]

Jim Hill's article is not advertising, unless he is in fact on Universal's payroll in which case, we have to go back and collectivly erase from our minds every article he's written and assume them to be false.
Certainly, I have not found Universal escape's advertising to match up with what I have heard others official or not say.

Jim Hill also wrote a glowing report of DCA after he first expireanced it as I recall.

ok two things.

I painted with a wide brush. When I said "advertising" I meant any media (advertising, articles, reports, etc).

Sorry if that wasn't clear.

two)

Yes he ate crow on DCA. But I wasn't looking at the article for his experince with the park. I was looking for what the facts were. What was there to do there. I looked at the pictures, read about the attractions. And to be honest, I don't see what he felt he should eat crow for.

I don't like the park from what I know of it. I came to that conclusion from reading articles similar to Jim's, by reading the Disney propoganda, from reading trip reports.

I don't think that makes my opinion any less educated than someone elses.

The same holds true for you and IOA. You reviewed the info available to you and you made an educated decision not to go to IOA. I wouldn't knock your opinion of IOA because you choose not to go.

Even Eisner recently admitted that the quality of the company's output had declined. That he was going to return to being the creative Eisner of old.

I don't know. I saw that article, and I hope he can do it. I just wonder if he can. I mean how can he just throw a switch and be creative again? I don't think it's possible.

 

[YoHo]

Hill drew his conclusions based on having actually been to the park. I would assume that the pictures and his words did not adequatly describe his emotional response to the park.

That being said, I agree that your opinion is no less educated, but there is some stock in the notion that some things need to be expireanced and perhaps I will make a side trip to IOA when I have the oppertunity.

 

[DisDuck]

HBK, I have been to IOA twice maybe will go there again; maybe not. But since I am not a coaster fan there is only 1 coaster type ride I go on at IOA and that is Spiderman. I have been on Dudley and Bluto nice but Splash Mountain is better. I have been on Jurrasic Park liked it but my older daughter who has been on the original in California likes CA better. The rest is nice but not worth the effort for a solo trip.

I go to Orlando for WDW and take side trips as time allows. SeaWorld has a greater draw for me than IOA.

But taste is subjective. What I like you might not and vice versa or we may like the same thing. But I would rather experience first hand then do or not do based on someone's opinion. Again, because my tastes are different.

In November I am going to California. I will spend time at DL and I will visit DCA to see what is true. Maybe I will like it; maybe I won't. But Hill's or anyone else's opinion of the place is just that THEIR OPINION colored by their taste. I need to see myself to form my own opinion.

Enjoy your honeymoon and write up your experiences.

 

[nhmomx2]

What a great, albeit sad, article on the state of Disney. I wonder, how many people have thought those same thoughts?

 

[Laurajean1014]

Sorry, but I do not agree with the letter!

Next, I'll see a thread about "remember when bread was 5 cents?!?!?!??!"

Welcome to the new world, Mr. Columbus!!!

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

Let’s try a different style. (guess who!!)

Baron, you are smarter than your whimsical take on my post.

I agree.

Of course you don't have to eat every meal at every.....

Then where do you draw the line?

Cute post but it teeters towards...well....NOTHING!

I disagree

My point remains that before Disney as a whole is trashed,

I wasn’t aware I was “trashing”. I thought we were discussing.

one should experience more than just the parks and some films or t.v.

Again, how much. Where do you draw the line?

Makes sense to me.

I disagree.

Now, it also makes sense to critique, criticize, applaud, whatever, what you have experienced.

Now this makes sense to me.

But to make blanket statements about Disney and you've never experienced some of the best parts.

Best in whose opinion? And I don’t recall making ‘blanket’ statements.

but, alas, I have found myself wondering lately if DisDuck and the repitition thing aint true.

Then maybe you need a break.

Oh well, nice "grade school" analogy DVCLB.

Thanks.

Congrats on Algebra!

Thanks. (from my daughter) <grin>

............by the way, don't move to Celebration, just visit it, and I mean carefully look around....then re-read quotable Walt (or at least delve into your spock-like memoritization) and compare. Really compare. Really, really without any preconception compare. Talba rasa compare.

Huh? Compare to what?

DVCLB, I like you. Quite a bit. I just disagree. Quite alot!

I feel the same!


Thanks!!!! That was fun!!!!

 

[Banzai]

How true...thats the sad part...its all true.

 

[hopemax]

but I suggest that is not fair to criticize the company as a whole, without experiencing distinct portions of the company

The thing is, IMHO, is that at least from a business/financial perspective the successes or failures of Celebration, the Broadway shows, have such a small impact on the success or failure of the Disney company compared to the Theme parks, ABC, and the Studios.

It's like getting upset at someone for not complementing your appearance when they're trying to tell you your organs are failing.

I do think the success of the Broadway and other smaller success give reason for hope, but as long as the feeling is the "magic" is being limited to smaller ventures, the Company is still going to be in trouble.

 

[YoHo]

I haven't seen The Broadway shows, but its my understanding that they aren't just good, they're excellent.

I would not Discount Broadway, what I would point out is that it hits closer to home for Eisner, so that while its great and all, I see it as a sign that Eisner has the ability to let magic happen, but doesn't for the parts of the company that don't intrest him the way broadway does. (He's a failed broadway playwright.)

 

[hopemax]

Hey, does Eisner have any grandchildren?

Maybe if he had a few younger kids underfoot, he would become more interested in creating things that the grandkids would enjoy, but wouldn't make the parents and him tear their hair out after watching/doing something again, and again, and again, and again.

And maybe that had something to do with his interest in the theme parks back in the 80's - his kids were still intersted in them so it was okay to build cool things like Star Tours and Splash Mountain.

 

[dmermod]

Okay - all of you folks who know the gross national product problems. Let's all meet for a nice tall glass of something on a Disney property roughly on a day between 7 and 14 October this year. The fella who did the invite to Celebration can hoist the first toast.

I admire the tenacity you all attacked you views with, however, you're scaring us magical viewers.

Is the Disney machine so sick it will perish quickly - I think not! Is it on the downward path of a sinking vessel - could be - It is still providing hundreds of thousands of smiles - definately!!!

What Walt and Roy did as a team was create one of the finest institutions in America. That slowly spread to other countries (slowly is the key word). They created a foundation - what the current regime is doing now, is so far from it's original concept that it's impossible to bring it back on-track. So what has to be done is growth to a new level. What are the positive ideas on this?

I will now put on my chain mail shirt for all those arrows that will be coming.

See you guys in October !!