Originally Posted By Mr X Hans, I think that's selling Walt Disney a little short. SuperDry makes a good point above, but I'll also add that I DEFINITELY think that Walt Disney was a business/marketing genius of the highest order. He went out on a limb more than once with crazy, bold ideas that could have sunk the company (much to the chagrin of his brother, it seems), but managed to succeed over and over again. To me, that's genius...or at least crazy risktaking of the highest order lol (wish I had the guts to do stuff like that!). As for him being an "actual" genius, maybe not. But he was certainly a great entertainer and showman, a successful businessman, and to call him "not creative" as some have here I think is pretty unfair. Sure, he had lots of creative people around him, contributing, but he was the driving force behind all the magic no? Would the others around him have succeeded so well WITHOUT Walt Disney at the helm, guiding their efforts? I think not. Lee, if you don't come back soon I'm going over to the Tokyo section and start writing about how amazing, awsome, heck, even flawless DisneySea is...and I'll keep going and going until you are COMPELLED to write something.
Originally Posted By Bystander "Other than being an exceptional storyteller and communicator Walt Disney didn't seem to possess any particular intellectual or creative ability." While we're on the subject, what the hell did Einstein ever do, aside from all that science?
Originally Posted By LuvDatDisney "As for him being an "actual" genius, maybe not. But he was certainly a great entertainer and showman, a successful businessman, and to call him "not creative" as some have here I think is pretty unfair. Sure, he had lots of creative people around him, contributing, but he was the driving force behind all the magic no? Would the others around him have succeeded so well WITHOUT Walt Disney at the helm, guiding their efforts? I think not." Obviously, I couldn't agree more. But apparently its in vogue to downplay Walt (and Roy O. for that matter). Make it seem like their accomplishments were smaller, that they didn't have a multi-billion dollar multi-national media empire to control (like that's a bad thing) and they've been dead since '66 and '71, so everything they accomplished is irrelevant today and doesn't matter because that's how the institutional investors who run the world think. I disagree. Of course Walt took credit for many of the accomplishments of the folks underneath him. So what? So has every other great leader. Walt put together a great team. Michael Eisner has put together and broken apart a great team. Walt took risks. Wasn't afraid. He made some mistakes, but more often had his finger on the pulse of what the audience wanted. Heck, maybe that makes him a business genius? I dunno. But who else was coming up with concepts like EPCOT? Who else was always looking ahead to new technologies and didn't believe in simply repeating what he'd already done? Would he be building theme parks like Starbucks and having PR flacks advertising 'attractions' like water fountains? Or would he be pushing the envelope as he did his entire life? We'll never know. Ultimately, it all comes down to opinion. I'll stick with mine.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "As for him being an "actual" genius, maybe not. But he was certainly a great entertainer and showman, a successful businessman, and to call him "not creative" as some have here I think is pretty unfair." I said that he was a great showman, or something to that effect.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "But apparently its in vogue to downplay Walt (and Roy O. for that matter)." Maybe. I personally admire Walt Disney for all of his accomplishments. I do, however, think that some fans hold him in much higher regard than even he himself would have felt comfortable with.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORGOCH: That's 'cause--next ta ol' Walt--there ain't been nobody else 'could hold a candle next ta him 'n HIS ideas. I dares anybody ta show us the same kind a magic he had--that's come inta the comp'ny since he's been gone.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt Well, I don't know. Since Walt died there have been some pretty impressive developments that Walt was not involved with at both the parks and the studio. Also, there are other entrepenuers who I'd say are just as admirable - Richard Branson is a perfect example. He started his business with a mail order record store business in 1970 when he was 20 years old and is now planning to send tourists into space.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORGOCH: I was talkin' 'bout comparin' Walt only with brains INSIDE the Dizzy comp'ny--not OUTSIDE the comp'ny. 'Sides that, just I ain't sayin' there weren't other guys an' gals inside the comp'ny that didn't have good ideas 'emselves. I'm sayin' none of 'em quite had it all tagether like Uncle Walt did. Otherwise, the comp'ny wouldn't be in the sorry shape it's in taday.
Originally Posted By LuvDatDisney "ORGOCH: I was talkin' 'bout comparin' Walt only with brains INSIDE the Dizzy comp'ny--not OUTSIDE the comp'ny. 'Sides that, just I ain't sayin' there weren't other guys an' gals inside the comp'ny that didn't have good ideas 'emselves. I'm sayin' none of 'em quite had it all tagether like Uncle Walt did. Otherwise, the comp'ny wouldn't be in the sorry shape it's in taday." Walt was a visionary. There are others of them out there if you're looking in the right place. But I would hardly categorize Michael Eisner or any of his exec group with that label. Good businessmen that exploit existing products and add to them in value. That's what Disney has been the past 21 years. I'm interested to see what happens in the Bob Iger administration.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: Go to the head of the class, LuvDatDisney, duckling. Because you certainly said all that much better than my sister ever could.
