Walt is DEAD and so are his ideas

[minniemouse101]

I love Disney but lets face fact. In arguements about the way Disney should act as a company, people tend to respond and say "What would Walt do?"

Lets face it. His ways and ideas would not work in the 21st century. That was one reason I was happy to see what happened to Roy Disney in 2004. What Walt did was great but would have expired and become old-fashioned if his ways would have continued.

 

[offwegotoneverland]

The phrase what would walt do is more of a "corporate gut check" if you will meant to ensure they are trying to keep to the brand established.

By using the phrase as much as seems to be the case, the Disney corp. (by and large now not every single time) has managed to create a brand awareness that is leaps and bounds ahead of any other entertainment company.

(quick now tell me what the logo is for 4 other movie companies...bet you had to think a lot longer).

Brand is crucial.

Coke/Pepsi/Nike etc and many many others spend millions trying to be sure there brand is strong and clear...disney is not much different.

 

[ChristmasElf]

That is what is one of the greatest things about Disney! The simple fact that there is a place that is magical, and good family fun is what it's all about!
Sure some of the rides seem outdated, but they are still some of the most popular attractions that people wait in line to see.
(every time CoP is closed, the amount of requests and comments about how guests would like to have seen it that day is numerous)
There are also many top attractions that many people have not experienced before at other theme parks like ToT,M:S, EE, Kali, Safari, not too mention all the delightful musical productions to enjoy.
Old fashioned or not, it's all good.

 

[amy4bruce]

I think that, if you examine the history of Disney, Walt made decisions in 1980 that were different than the ones he made in 1940. Technology was different, and what people would accept was different.

What Would Walt Do in 2006? Not what he did in 1936.

 

[GinaGrumpyDwarf]

Walt would have rolled with the times...

Different time, different need. WWWD should be a term used to keep the idea that walt orig. had in mind. Faith, trust and pixie dust! Keeping the magic alive and basically making sure that everyone has a great time in the WORLD they call Disney.

 

[cardaway]

I disagree. The important parts of Walt's vision would have remained intact (and it has). Disney was always keeping up with the times so there is not a question IMO of whether or not he would keep up with technology. The answer is IMO they would have done a better job in recent years in direction and technology.

 

[Lanshark]

WWWD in my opinion does not pertain as much to technology and its advancement as opposed to areas concerning customer service and quality of service offerred. I look at it as more of a core 'values' type of thing.

 

[caitycaity]

WWWD in my opinion does not pertain as much to technology and its advancement as opposed to areas concerning customer service and quality of service offerred. I look at it as more of a core 'values' type of thing.

 

[Princess Mindy]

and furthermore, Walt is NOT Dead! As long as WDW remains the timeless magical place it is, Walt lives! His ideas and dreams continue to manifest themselves in the WD Corp. every day. When someone says WWWD they are reminding you of the magic that is at the very core of WDW and everything Disney. As long as that exists, Walt is still with us!

 

[dcentity2000]

Dreams live on past the limitations of our frail bodies.



Rich::

 

[Microcell]

Details Minnie, details!

I think everyone basically covered what I was thinking.

What is your reasoning for feeling the way you do?

 

[GeorgeG]

Walt was an innovator who was always pushing the envelope when it came to technology while maintaining a strong family value base. Walt would have handled the 21st century quite well, perhaps better than you might expect.

WWWD is still a valid question and always will be. Too bad that has been ignored in favor of profits over quality control. I understand business is business and without profits there would not be a Disney Company, but a fair share of what some executives stuffed into their pockets would go a long way to keeping the parks and resorts up to Walt's standards, and they'd all still be millionaires.

 

[Daxx]

Walt Disney was a man who was ahead of his time ... I'm sure if he were physically alive today, he'd still be lightyears ahead of 2006, pushing to advance technology, concepts, etc.!

 

[UnderTheMistletoe]

Personally, I think you're just

I think you're misguided in the fact that you don't believe that Walt Disney was a progressive man and understood the industry he was in. He knew how to please people by sticking to good wholesome values and a strong sense of family-friendly fun. What is considered family-friendly fun in the 21st century is not what was considered family-friendly fun in the 20th century. Just the same as what was considered family-friendly fun when he was a young boy was not necessarily family-friendly fun when he opened Disneyland. I think you're crazy to believe that Walt didn't recognize that and wouldn't have continued to evolve and change his ideas and concepts to fit in with the time in which he was working. He was a people pleaser and knew how to make them happy.

Lets face it. His ways and ideas would not work in the 21st century. That was one reason I was happy to see what happened to Roy Disney in 2004.

Ouch. I think it's tragic. We know someone who worked with Roy and in the company. When DH was applying for a position at Disney, Mr. X called in a favor from Roy. Mr. X was told that there was nothing he could do becuase he'd been paid off to keep out of the company.

The Disney name is one of the most recognizable in the world. Why wouldn't someone want to guard and protect that and ensure that it's being used in a way that would have been consistent with Walt's original desire had he been alive today? Who better to entrust that guardianship to than family? Someone who shares that same name and understands that person from both a business and intimate perspective. I think it's incredibly sad that Roy was paid off for that very reason.

Thank goodness people do use the WWWD to carefully and consciously decide the direction of the company. If it was't for a large group doing this, there would be no one to protect the icon and symbolism that this company has stood for. It helps to ensure that a power-hungry upper-level executive can't turn Disney into his own dream and away from Walt's original dream.

My friend, Walt Disney would not have preached 1950s values to a class of today's youth. Nor would he expect that by remaining the same to achieve success. He was prgressive and he was a thinker. So many of his dreams from the 1950s were not even feasible until today's technological advances. I in some ways wish that he was here today just to see what he would do with all that he could use today.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

I think that, if you examine the history of Disney, Walt made decisions in 1980 that were different than the ones he made in 1940.

??? Walter Elias Disney: December 5, 1901 - December 15, 1966.

I think Walt Disney has been immortalized over the years. So many people identify with him and the company he formed, and associate the name Disney with American values like family, honesty, and ethics. They associate the man with the fun they had a Disney park; how enjoyable the Disney movies are; or how he was like a favorite uncle visiting when the World of Disney would be on television. It's this idealized concept of Walt Disney that's referred to in the, "What would Walt do?" corporate ethos.

People often say, "Walt wouldn't have done that," when Disney does something they don't like, like close an attraction, raise prices, or bring in a new corporate sponsor to an attraction. It's not that Walt Disney the man wouldn't have done it. It's that their idealized concept of Walt wouldn't have done it.

In reality, he was a businessman. The bottom line meant a lot to him. He sometimes made unpopular decisions. He laid off large numbers of animators after the production of Snow White, for example, leading to the entire studio going out on strike. This didn't make him any less wonderful of an entertainer or person, it made him a businessman.

It's a terrible tragedy that Walt's life was cut short. I know the world would have benefited greatly had he been around longer. At the same time, I believe the Disney Corporation does indeed move forward in the spirit of Walt's memory. I don't doubt that many of the unpopular, yet fiscally necessary, decisions would have gone the same way if he were still the chairman.

 

[wdwobsessed]

What do you get without WWWD?

Universal.

Universal = NOT Disney!

(By any stretch of the imagination.)

WDWO

 

[DancingBear]

Lets face it. His ways and ideas would not work in the 21st century.

Which ways and ideas were those?

Creating a place that the family could experience together?

Using movie storytelling techniques to design a 3-D entertainment environment?

Applying the most advanced technologies available to family entertainment?

Making sure that customers felt like "guests" who walked away thinking that the "cast members," not just workers, created a magical experience?

Paying attention to the little details that not everyone would notice, but which would enrich the experience of the first-timer, or the regular guest?

'Cause it seems to me that companies like Nordstrom (built on excellent service), Apple (built on providing products that "wow" consumers) and Pixar (built on creating quality story-driven entertainment using cutting-edge technology), have done pretty well.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

People like Walt Disney are sorely needed in the 21st century. Walt had a vision. He put everything on the line and he built something and carried out his vision. He was a builder. Today's CEOs are for the most part slash and burn. Financially acquire something, milk what you can out of it, then move on.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I just saw "One Man's Dream" again on the 15th. Walt had to reinvent the company several times to survive. He started "Snow White" because he knew short subjects would never be at the top of the bill at the movie theatre. He had to adapt what he was doing during wartime when some of his staff went to war. He hopped into live-action shorts after that and welcomed TV with open arms and with great success. The studio bosses that fought TV found their large studios sold into smaller chunks and their "star systems" in shambles (Louis B. Mayer anyone?).
If Walt had lived longer--because let's face it, he'd be almost 105 now, an age hardly anyone reaches, and even if he was alive would probably be senile--he would have had more impact on WDW itself and possibly reshaped Epcot. But when technology changed he would have rolled with it and used it to his advantage. I don't think the "magic" ever got in the way of his business acumen.
And I think WDW obsessed has a point--who founded Universal? I know Mary Pickford et. al founded United Artists--but if you go to Universal no one cares about the corporation itself or what its roots are. I went to the one in LA in 82 and all I remember is "Jaws".
Robin M.

 

[ChrisFL]

Walt disney was about 11 or 12 years old when Universal gave their first studio tour. I refuse to see how that relates to anything, although IOA is much more classic Disney-like in theming than DCA, imagine that.

Anyway, back to the topic.

As others have said, Walt's ideals are what is severely lacking in most businesses these days. Good customer service anywhere is difficult to find...heck, finding someone who can speak legible english on phone is nearly impossible!

Also, I don't believe Walt's ideas are dead...not at all in fact...and hopefully I can tell you more soon...