- Joined
- Jan 3, 2001
- Messages
- 9,289
Talking with Walt Disney Co. CEO Robert Iger
Scott Powers | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted April 11, 2006
Robert Iger, 55, president and chief executive officer of the Walt Disney Co. Iger was interviewed by Scott Powers.
Question: This company has so much reverence for its founder. Do you ever ask yourself, when you have a tough decision: What would Walt do?
Answer: It's interesting because a lot of people allegedly ask just that question. I don't really ask myself that per se. I spend a lot of time studying him, and I'm intensely curious about him. ..... And interestingly enough, I was given something a few weeks back that Walt wrote for a time capsule in 1956, and he was asked basically to project what the world of entertainment would look like in 2006, 50 years hence. I devoured it and have already quoted him. So I wouldn't say that I necessarily ask what he would do. He would probably be the first to admit, if he could, that while there are a lot of similarities to what was in his writings in 1956, the world also is very different. One of the things he said that was interesting, he said no matter what the world looked like people would want to be entertained and refreshed. This was the first time I'd actually heard that. He was obviously encompassing his theme park business at the time. Disneyland was then a year old. He was thinking about it as entertainment and refreshment.
Q: In all the parks, what's your favorite attraction?
A: I'd like to answer that two ways. I love the traditional. Pirates [of the Caribbean] is probably my favorite in that regard, because it's still a great experience. I think it was built in the mid-60s. So you're talking about 40 years old. Forty years later it's still a great experience. I take my kids on it a fair amount. So I like that. But I also love the new, what I would call "highly engineered," attractions. Soarin' is probably the one that is at the top of my list there because of the many senses it combines.
Q: As you discuss globalization you seem to suggest that the domestic theme park market may have limited growth potential right now. Is it saturating?
A: Well, I don't really mean to suggest that. At the moment, we don't have plans on the drawing boards to build what I would call new parks in the United States. We certainly have plans, and the desire, and the ability to expand what we currently have. Today [with the grand opening of Expedition Everest] is a good example of that. The building going on for our vacation club is another great example of that. There is a list of concepts either in the dreaming phase or on the drawing board that will fuel both this facility and the one in California for many years to come. So growth is far from over. ..... The other thing we're doing is we're expanding other concepts beyond the theme park concept. The cruise ship is a good example of that. Adventures by Disney is another good example of that. There will probably be more of that.
Q: Is that, at least in the next couple of decades, an area of tremendous growth compared with theme park growth potential?
A: Since you used the time frame "a couple of decades," you'll see Disney building more parks internationally, and you'll see Disney expanding the vacation experience domestically a fair amount, and you will see expansion in California and in Florida, but again I doubt you'll see, at least in the next decade, a new gate.
Q: Would Adventures by Disney, Disney Vacation Club, Disney Cruise Line, is this the area domestically that we're going to see a lot of growth?
A: Yes. Yes. Now, there are new concepts that we haven't mentioned yet, and I won't. There are others that are being discussed. When you think about it, we obviously occupy a great space in terms of the family vacation market. But in reality, from a percentage basis, it's relatively small. The family vacation business is huge, and we capture only a small part of it. I think we all believe there's an opportunity to use our creativity and the service that we provide to extend the Disney vacation experience and to grow into the market.
Q: What do you think of the Katie Couric move?
A: I think Katie Couric is a very talented person. I don't have much more to say about that.
Q: You talked a lot about all the developments you've got going on right now with the explosion of digital media platforms. In addition to opportunities those platforms provide you, does that affect what's going to be happening with cinema and TV in coming years?
A: It's a changing world, no question about it. And there is much more competition for people's time. But what's also interesting is people's ability to access media is growing enormously. So I believe people will spend more time consuming what I call media. That's everything from video games to TV to motion pictures. The key to all of this, in terms of how people interact with it, is creativity and quality. So that's our primary focus. I don't believe you'll see any of the traditional businesses going away at all. In fact, I think they have an opportunity to continue to flourish. But it'll definitely be more challenging. Our goal is to continue to generate great films for large screens and great television shows for television in the home. But also transferring those experiences onto multiple platforms, because that's what consumers today want. We have to keep them in mind.
Q: A lot of people seem to love or hate Disney. I'm wondering: Is there something about this company that causes people to pick sides?
A: I don't really agree with you. I think fundamentally people who are our guests or our consumers love us. We are endearing and we are enduring, and that's due to attention to detail and quality and creating experiences that are memorable. I think we've been through a fair amount of controversy over the last decade and that perhaps has had some impact on the perception of Disney. But that's largely behind us, if not completely behind us. This is a great time for the company. We are one of the most admired companies in the world. And one of the most well-known. Just walk around Walt Disney World, and you'll conclude that we're much more loved than anything else.
Q: But those are the guests. These are the people who actually come. The critics, I imagine, aren't necessarily paying to come?
A: I think the best thing we can do is to get the critics to come, to change their minds. I can't believe anybody coming here would think poorly about our company.
Q: You've got two young children. What do you learn from them about what Disney needs to do?
A: It comes down to one thing: great experiences. Quality entertainment. Whether you're watching High School Musical on the Disney Channel, that's a great example. Something that came out of nowhere, that no one expected. It's not overly expensive to make. A lot of talent in there. And becoming memorable for my son. I watched his eyes. He was awestruck last night when he met the cast. It's all about making great things. It's more than anything else what's behind Pixar. The incredible value that we've created over the years when we made great animated films that transcend one medium, motion pictures that spread across all of our business. It's incredible. We have to continue to do that. I want to do more of that.
Q: There is a great deal of anticipation that Pixar will have an effect on the company. Do you expect it to be quick or subtle and over time?
A: I completely agree with the conclusion that Pixar will have an effect. I've already seen evidence of that. And the deal hasn't closed yet. But we had, just, John Lasseter֠in a meeting with animators and Imagineers. The energy level and enthusiasm and leadership, creatively, that he is going to provide is palpable, already.
Q: The ESPN show, Bonds on Bonds, it's getting a lot of criticism in some quarters. How do you feel about that show?
A: I haven't seen it. It's been on once or twice. ..... I supported ESPN's decision to put the show on the air. Barry Bonds is one of the more interesting athletes of our time. And getting a look into his exploits, in what could be the last year of his career, and the year he passes Hank Aaron's home run record, is a good thing for ESPN to do. Provocative. It might be controversial. But there's room for that.
