Michael Eisner

[WDWFan]

A while back if I posted a topic like this, it would have all been negative, but time has passed. Hindsight has set in.

so what do you think about how Eisner did?

Specifically:
- - What did he do right that was good for Disney?
- - What did he do wrong that was bad for Disney?

And I'll also give my thoughts...

Good: I think Disney was in a rut, I think they needed a push to expand, both physically and creatively, and his Disney Decade accomplished that. I think regardless of the impact to the parks, the Pixar thing worked out well.

Bad: I think he loss focus of what Disney stood for. The concept of show suffered, the maintenance suffered, and it became TOO bottom line focused, with a "get all the money you can" attitude that ultimately is bad for Disney. And while the creativity needed a push, he was very limiting in how the creativity was expressed.

Ok. Those are my opinions... what about the rest of you?

[daveypoo]

I agree with both your PLUS and MINUS. He came in, shook things up, got Disney out of that rut, and put them on the top. Then he stayed on too long. He lost focus, he only cared about his wallet. Had he left after his decade was up, and brought in another person to pick up where he left off, I think Disney would be in a far better position today.

I think they are still loosing focus. They need to listen to the people more and less from the accountants. If Walt had listened to Roy about the finances, Disney wouldn't exist today. There needs to be a happy medium.
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When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do.
--Walt Disney

[WDWFan]

one other negative I did not list above. I think toward the end, he made decisions to satisfy his ego rather than what was best for a company. I agree with the above, he hung on too long.

[WDWFan]

wow. I was expecting more opinions than this...

[mdegrand]

I remember hearing about Eisner's role in outside companies sponsoring large portions of the Magic Kingdom in an obscene way in the 1980's.

I just can't remember if he helped prevent it (picture the Adventureland sign with a big Coca-Cola logo) or if he proposed it and got it voted down by the board.

[redbaron314]

Fan I agree but did he do good for everything there was a day that you could go to the parks for 15 dollars per adult when it was affordable for families to go to the parks. Now its just to expensive for the average family to go. For what the drove the prices everywhere out of the roof. And don't say it's cost of running the joint. If you knew how much they make at Mouse Gear at Epcot alone. You'd pass a brick. They is no need for it to be so expensive as it is. If they want to charge an arm and a leg for merchandise so be it. But Operating cost don't justify price. Nor does it justify the pitiful little wage that most employees suffer through.

Not to mention the impact on Orlando's blue collar workers. Since the Mouse is the largest employer in Orlando a lot of other companies base there salaries off of Disney.


I apologize about my ranting and raving I lived in O town for 30 yrs and was a Seiu shop steward for years. Worked at the airport and saw the down side to Disney and Orlando.
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Ich bin der Piraten zu behaupten, was mir jetzt und für immer

[WDWFan]

nope... These are the opinions I am interested. Eisner was at the helm. There has to be good and bad as a result. I can not afford to go to WDW as much as I'd like purely because of the price tag... if it were lower, I'd go more often, and I know people that is has prevented from ever going.


The comment about it setting the median income is something I had not thought of prior to this.

Is the pay thing an Eisner thing? did Disney pay more competitively prior to him?

[redbaron314]

don't' know but he didn't help things along either a company that makes that kinda money should pay there employees more than they do the other thing is sea world and universal on average set their prices by what Disney does when Disney charges more for parking the rest fall in line when they charge more for going into the park so do the others now they may not charge everything the same but they do charge more. Disney wanted the park to be somewhere the family could play together and ride everything together what happened to Walt's vision? Corporate America took over and screwed the little guy. Thanks Mr Eisner for twisting Walt's idea into something that make money out the wazoo and drains you and me out of everything we have.
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Ich bin der Piraten zu behaupten, was mir jetzt und für immer