Still here, it's just that right now it is very difficult to figure out what rumors have an ounce of legitimacy and which ones are wishful thinking (or deliberate manipulation).
Both sides (Eisner's vs. The Good Guys') are spinning faster than 'Mission: Space'. Everything that happens is trumpted by a dozen press releases from The Company and then countered on Roy's website or through the "grapevine" of people who care about the future of Disney.
Worse still is that Eisner is in "reactive" mode and is trying to be a "big time, hard nosed boss who can make the tough business decisions".
Normally, this is when he likes to slash budgets and kill projects. But since that tactic is what's being criticized, rumors are that he's looking for a big fancy project to shut Roy up. On the other side, they're saying the four "gift" attractions at WDW are the direct result of Roy intervening with Eisner to force something to get WDW turn around, and that Eisner's refusal for a real celebration at
Disneyland's 50th Anniversary was "the last straw".
The basics are that the continuing failure of ABC is driving the business decisions of the company. The parks now exist to pump cash into to company to pay for cash-strapped operations and to pay off Disney's substantial (and high interest rate) debt. Movies are hit-or-miss and repeating 2003's double whammy (
Nemo and
Pirates) is going to be impossible. Licensing is small potatoes and the Stores aren't even a french fry at the bottom of the bag anymore.
Disney remains adrift without direction or purpose. It's only reason for existence seems to be selling itself off, either in whole or bit by bit.
