Originally Posted By fkurucz <<but I think it’s fair to expect that the dollar will bounce back>> I certainly hope so, but I don't see any reason for this happening anytime soon. As long as the Fed keeps increasing the money supply the dollar will continue to tank.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I'm not sure how Disney handles the situation if OLC falters or handles the Disney properties in a way that reflects badly on Disney.>> Considering that the OLC does a better job of maintaining the Disney standards than Disney does itself, I view the entire point as moot.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<If Disney decides to sell, anybody want to go halves with me?>> Count me in. But you buy the pizza.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I certainly hope so, but I don't see any reason for this happening anytime soon. As long as the Fed keeps increasing the money supply the dollar will continue to tank.>> Ah, but that's what our leaders want ... so that foreign interests can come in and 'invest' (i.e buy up) the good, old USA.
Originally Posted By gmaletic >Considering that the OLC does a better job of maintaining the Disney standards than Disney does itself, I view the entire point as moot. I think it's always a relevant concern. They do a great job now, but what about in twenty years when the original OLC founders are all gone? They might continue to be great...they might not.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< I think it's always a relevant concern. They do a great job now, but what about in twenty years when the original OLC founders are all gone? They might continue to be great...they might not. >>> I agree, except that I'd replace "OLC" with "Disney."
Originally Posted By danyoung >Ah, but that's what our leaders want ... so that foreign interests can come in and 'invest' (i.e buy up) the good, old USA.< Sorry, buddy, but that's just crap. Do you really believe our government is actively working to sell off the good old USA piece by piece? They may be stupidly allowing it to happen, and some folks somewhere are making huge amounts of money on it. But to say that our leaders WANT the USA to be sold off to foreign investors is just plain silly.
Originally Posted By gmaletic >I agree, except that I'd replace "OLC" with "Disney." Which just goes to show that it can happen with any company. (Despite the problems that exist today, I'd argue the company is a much better company both under Eisner and Iger than it was during the Ron Miller days. The theme park "product" may be the one exception to that.)
Originally Posted By fkurucz <<Sorry, buddy, but that's just crap. Do you really believe our government is actively working to sell off the good old USA piece by piece? >> Their policies sure make one wonder. In reality, they have no choice. As long as we run 800 billion dollar trade deficits this has to happen. What are our "trading partners" going to do with all those dollars? They will buy income generating assets with them, that's what they will do. We might be dumb enough to sell off our country to buy junk we don't need, but they aren't!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<< I think it's always a relevant concern. They do a great job now, but what about in twenty years when the original OLC founders are all gone? They might continue to be great...they might not. >>> <<I agree, except that I'd replace "OLC" with "Disney." >> Thanks, SD. You beat me to it. When Disney goes back to living up to its own standards and legacy of amazing creativity, quality and show ... well, then I'll start looking more closely at how TDR is managed. The Disney parks brand has been degraded over the past decade and it has nothing at all to do with anything happening in Japan.
Originally Posted By jvanostenbridge On both matters, whether the concern is corporate management remaining devoted to the identity of the company and overcoming economic challenges faced by consumers and operational realities or the lacking adeptness of our political leaders to maintain a viable economic stake on the world stage, I believe it is even become more clear to me that this is more a matter of leadership than anything else. If we take a walk in Bob Iger's shoes for a moment, do you put WDW, one of the most visible corporate resources and an industry benchmark on the auction block just because of an immediate economic challenge? I really don't think that another corporation would take up the mantle of operating WDW under license or in any other capacity without mandating significant compromises on operations to meet a purely economic bottom line. Seeing as every other domestic amusement or theme park operator has not, at least as yet, matched the offering of the Walt Disney Company, who could Disney turn the reins over to with any measure of confidence? The OLC? Um, no. If executive management makes a decision like this, I would also anticipate Wall Street to interpret it as selling the farm. And at the point you've started to offer up your core assets, you might just as well sell off the rest. I expect that the Walt Disney Company will find another way. Since it's not too far fetched to anticipate that the Federal Government's Energy policy paralysis will do little or nothing to change the economics of oil, I also suspect that rethinking the situation and creating a compelling clean energy implementation would change the game. Such a pursuit might just allow Disney to transcend the issue, get a firmer grip on operating costs and leverage the matter to tell a story that everyone can participate in. If Disney did that for their own sake, published their patterns, and encouraged us to come to the parks to see it first hand, would that offer you an example that you would be interested in following?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Sorry, buddy, but that's just crap. Do you really believe our government is actively working to sell off the good old USA piece by piece? They may be stupidly allowing it to happen, and some folks somewhere are making huge amounts of money on it. But to say that our leaders WANT the USA to be sold off to foreign investors is just plain silly.>> I KNOW this what they want. They call in 'investment' but what happens is the only people benefiting is the folks who are institutional investors and Wall Street heavyweights. Just look at the proposed InBev buyout of Budweiser (not that I drink the swill but it is as American and it gets) ... the only ones who want it are said investors and the talking heads on MSNBC. (By the way, if it goes through look for major changes on the Orlando theme park landscape.) Remember when Japanese investors were buying up American landmarks like Pebble Beach and Rockefeller Center? Or when our government wanted the UAE to run our major ports? Don't be naive, Danny. The folks in Washington just love selling our country off piece by piece. Just like how they've stolen our constitutional rights (you should have witnessed what I just did at my local bank because the government now feels it has the right to know everything about YOUR money under the absurd guise that it is for security.) What scares me is the ignorance and the apathy of 'we the people' because no one seems concerned with what's going on. If this were Europe ... nevermind.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<(Despite the problems that exist today, I'd argue the company is a much better company both under Eisner and Iger than it was during the Ron Miller days. The theme park "product" may be the one exception to that.)>> That is true in many ways, it's also not true in many others, including fundamental things like quality and caring for CMs and guests.
Originally Posted By MPierce Kevin Yee has once again written another interesting article over on Mice Chat. <a href="http://miceage.micechat.com/kevinyee/ky062408a.htm" target="_blank">http://miceage.micechat.com/ke...408a.htm</a> While I don't agree with some of Kevin Yee's opinions, it is an interesting article none the less. If Disney executives actually think this will fly with WDW guest, they are qualified to play Goofy without the costume. I am a little disappointed however, in the fact he did not quote Spirit in this one.
Originally Posted By gmaletic Regarding Kevin's article: - I'm not sure why Kevin thinks that PeopleMover track is less expensive than monorail track. Monorail track is reinforced concrete. Peoplemover track is, well, a lot more stuff. - Scheduled buses is a good idea. They should have had that years ago, whether it saves them money or not. - Pay-for buses are, obviously, a ridiculous idea. - And though I'm partway on board with the idea of making the TTC a hub, I cringe at the idea of making intra-Disney World commutes even longer. It takes -forever- to get from park to park; I'd hate to see that get worse.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> And though I'm partway on board with the idea of making the TTC a hub, I cringe at the idea of making intra-Disney World commutes even longer. It takes -forever- to get from park to park; I'd hate to see that get worse. << I'm afraid that if the TTC became a hub it would look like Epcot on New Years Eve.
Originally Posted By gmaletic @MPierce: >Isn't it about time we got another article from you? Is there a specific topic that you think I should follow up on, or just, "hey, it's time to write something new!" (I know I never did a 2nd part to my WDW review that I wrote last Fall.)
