What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

[Cacopelao!]

So much has changed in our world and in technology that I have a hard time believing that Walt could foresee any of the opportunities for the company today. So, if he was alive today, what would his opinion be of Disneyland specifically? While we're on the topic...what about the company in general?

I would say that he would be 90% pleased with the park. First, he would change the sponsoring so that no attraction would be sponsored by AT&T, Dole, etc. Before AT&T sponsored Indianna Jones, it was very hard to find a reference to the "outside world" inside of the park--now it is everywhere.

Second, he would dislike how lax management has gotten with things like allowing CM's to walk down mainstreet in costume off their shifts, ushering people backstage down mainstreet to the exits, etc. Walt was big on the whole magic thing so I think he would bring that back as much as possible.

I think he would make California Adventure a lot more magical than it is now. He would have never allowed a park based on everything non-Disney. He would make it a complete Pixar Park.

Which leads me to the company in general...he would appreciate progress and so the purchasing of Pixar and taking animation where it has gone (Nemo, Incredibles, etc.) would be 100% Walt approved.

In regard to purchasing ESPN, ABC, Sports Teams, etc. It is hard to say. Of course a company needs to stay involved with its industry...especially to make financial success possible to continue other endeavours. But I think faced with this reality, Walt would just turn over business investments to other guys and just focus on the magic of the "Disney" image.

One thing I know he would not like, is the compromises Disney has made with its morals and standards in entertainment. Too many Disney movies with cleavage, innapropriate behavior, language, clothing, etc. Although it is all still G or PG-rated, Walt was BIG on conservative morals.

Also, I don't think Walt would have allowed Jar Jar Binks to be in Episode 1. I know that is not a Disney movie, but I still think he would've done something.

What do you guys think?

[Opus1guy]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

I think he'd say, "Where the heck is my tobacco store!"

[Speedway]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

"I should have stayed on that farm."

[Disneyland Daddy]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

I don't think he'd like all of it. I think he'd be mortified at what has happened to TOMORROWLAND. I don't think he'd like the movies that the subsidiary movie companies are producing. I think he wouldn't like how Lindsay Lohan acts off screen - since she is linked to Disney and therefore is representation of....

I don't think he'd like the WAR in Disney that seems to be - it's more of a 'cold war' now.......that's sort of how I see it.

It's tough when your leader 'goes away' and no one has the capacity to fill his shoes.

[RobotMirror]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

...I don't think Walt would have allowed Jar Jar Binks to be in Episode 1. I know that is not a Disney movie, but I still think he would've done something....

:lmao: Ha ha! This was the funniest line of this whole posting - thanks for the laugh! :lmao:

And before Indiana Jones there was no corporate sponsorship - what? What about "Richfield's Autopia", or the "Monsanto House of the Future", or "Adventures through Innerspace, sponsored by Monsanto", or the Electric Light Parade, Captain Hook's Pirate Ship, Peoplemover, all of which had sponsors? Can you share whatever you're smoking?

[Speedway]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

:lmao: Ha ha! This was the funniest line of this whole posting - thanks for the laugh! :lmao:

And before Indiana Jones there was no corporate sponsorship - what? What about "Richfield's Autopia", or the "Monsanto House of the Future", or "Adventures through Innerspace, sponsored by Monsanto", or the Electric Light Parade, Captain Hook's Pirate Ship, Peoplemover, all of which had sponsors? Can you share whatever you're smoking?

Also, linking in with Frogberto's post, money doesn't grow on trees, even for the Walt Disney Company. Without some of these sponsorships, those attractions wouldn't be as half as spectacular.

[Disney Wrassler]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

For the Disney Company, Walt would probably nit-pick at a few things here and there, but I am sure he would have been impressed with Pixars computer animation technology and all the expansion the company went through since his passing.

[Steve DeGaetano]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

First, he would change the sponsoring so that no attraction would be sponsored by AT&T, Dole, etc. Before AT&T sponsored Indianna Jones, it was very hard to find a reference to the "outside world" inside of the park--now it is everywhere.

I'll let people smarter than me chime in on the rest of the post, but judging by the quote above, you must be very young.

I say that because young people today seem to think the world began with their birth. Before that, there was nothing, and certainly no history to speak of.

So you think it was hard to find sponsorships or references to the outside world before Indiana Jones?

Then you don't remember the following:

--The SANTA FE & Disneyland Railroad;

--The BANK OF AMERICA sponsorship of Small World;

--The UPJOHN Pharmacy;

--The Casa De FRITO

--The REAL ESTATE OFFICE on Main Street;

--The LINGERIE shop on Main Street (it doesn't get any more "real world" than that!)

--The MONSANTO House of the Future;

--The KAISER Hall of Aluminum Fame

--The CHICKEN OFTHE SEA Pirate Ship

--The POLAROID Camera shop on Main Street;

See, the real world and sponsorships have been around far longer than you seem to think. Often, those sponsorships enhanced the fantasy (as with the trains), by giving the fantasy a basis in reality.

[Disneyland Daddy]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

I'll let people smarter than me chime in on the rest of the post, but judging by the quote above, you must be very young.

I say that because young people today seem to think the world began with their birth. Before that, there was nothing, and certainly no history to speak of.

So you think it was hard to find sponsorships or references to the outside world before Indiana Jones?

Then you don't remember the following:

--The SANTA FE & Disneyland Railroad;

--The BANK OF AMERICA sponsorship of Small World;

--The UPJOHN Pharmacy;

--The Casa De FRITO

--The REAL ESTATE OFFICE on Main Street;

--The LINGERIE shop on Main Street (it doesn't get any more "real world" than that!)

--The MONSANTO House of the Future;

--The ALCOA Hall of Aluminum Fame

--The CHICKEN OFTHE SEA Pirate Ship

--The POLAROID Camera shop on Main Street;

See, the real world and sponsorships have been around far longer than you seem to think. Often, those sponsorshops enhanced the fantasy (as with the trains), by giving the fantasy a basis in reality.

WOW! Couldn't have said it better myself. Personally I remember:

Polaroid Camera Shop, Chicken of the Sea pirate ship, Casa de Frito, Bank of America's sponsorship of It's a Small World and do you recall that the Bank of Main STreet was actually a BofA - do you remember that?

[pineapplewhipaddict]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

How could any of us assume that? To my knowledge, no one on this board knew Walt on a personal level.

[Speedway]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

How could any of us assume that? To my knowledge, no one on this board knew Walt on a personal level.

To my knowledge, no one has confirmed that this is exactly what Walt would thing.

He would probably love Disney's California Adventure, spend all day on Paradise Pier and order Soarin' to be demolished and sold to Magic Mountain. I don't know. I never said I did.

It's just a little bit of fun, I'm sure.

[Steve DeGaetano]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

Do you recall that the Bank of Main Street was actually a BofA - do you remember that?

Sure do! Another one of those "real world" sponsorships that made Main Street seem just a bit more "real," and because of that, made the fantasy better.

[Opus1guy]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

How could any of us assume that? To my knowledge, no one on this board knew Walt on a personal level.

From a post of mine on this same "What Would Walt..." subject on another bulletin board:

Celestial Transcript dated March 17, 2006:

Walt: Well...back just before I passed away...I had heard... What? I though I got a cue there!

Angel: Sorry Walt, we weren't ready yet.

Walt: [cough] I thought I got a cue.

Angel: Yeah. Sorry. We're...okay, we're ready now.

Walt: I can start now? [cough]

Angel: Yeah, we're set. Go!

Walt: Ya see, back just before I passed away I had heard of this new thing...this experiment...in brain transplantation, and well, it looked promising and all. I had been looking at freezing my whole body, but there wasn't much progress there that looked very...well, it just didn't look good there. So I decided on the brain thing. We did some quick polling of hospitals and schools and such and found this young kid...Opus I think was his name...and well...he didn't have too much upstairs if you know what I mean [laughs] so [cough] his parents agreed to the operation and so after I died he got my brain and he knows what I would think now. And that's how the whole thing started: An uncle with several thousand employees and an adoring public wanting to know how he could keep things going in the right direction after he was gone. And that's how Opus got started.

Walt: [cough] Okay. How was that?

Angel: That was fine, Walt. Great.

Walt: 'Ya don't think we should do another one...ah...just to be sure?

Angel: Naw. It was great. Really. One take.

Walt: [cough] Two! It was two takes! I could have sworn I got a cue there.

Angel: Walt...you know what we've told you about swearing up here.

Walt: Ah...right. [laughs][coughs] Thanks for reminding me. We done?

Angel: We're done. See you around.

Walt: So long.

Posted just so there's no question.

[JiminyCricketFan]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

While I think it is possible to compare principles that Walt Disney advocated to determine if he might have approved, it is impossible to determine an emotional opinion about the "state of the company" or Disneyland. Walt Disney always wanted to run the company himself. He did not delegate well. So I am sure he would feel he could do a better job, but beyond that, I don't know.

He did want to present the best show possible for the customer. Quality was his guiding light. He wanted everything to be the very best because his name was on everything.

[Opus1guy]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

Walt Disney always wanted to run the company himself. He did not delegate well.

I would agree with the first part, but disagree with the second part of that.

I think he was great at delegating. He just wanted to be the final arbiter. IMHO.

[A Change In Me]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

So much has changed in our world and in technology that I have a hard time believing that Walt could foresee any of the opportunities for the company today. So, if he was alive today, what would his opinion be of Disneyland specifically? While we're on the topic...what about the company in general?

I would say that he would be 90% pleased with the park. First, he would change the sponsoring so that no attraction would be sponsored by AT&T, Dole, etc. Before AT&T sponsored Indianna Jones, it was very hard to find a reference to the "outside world" inside of the park--now it is everywhere.

Second, he would dislike how lax management has gotten with things like allowing CM's to walk down mainstreet in costume off their shifts, ushering people backstage down mainstreet to the exits, etc. Walt was big on the whole magic thing so I think he would bring that back as much as possible.

I think he would make California Adventure a lot more magical than it is now. He would have never allowed a park based on everything non-Disney. He would make it a complete Pixar Park.

Which leads me to the company in general...he would appreciate progress and so the purchasing of Pixar and taking animation where it has gone (Nemo, Incredibles, etc.) would be 100% Walt approved.

In regard to purchasing ESPN, ABC, Sports Teams, etc. It is hard to say. Of course a company needs to stay involved with its industry...especially to make financial success possible to continue other endeavours. But I think faced with this reality, Walt would just turn over business investments to other guys and just focus on the magic of the "Disney" image.

One thing I know he would not like, is the compromises Disney has made with its morals and standards in entertainment. Too many Disney movies with cleavage, innapropriate behavior, language, clothing, etc. Although it is all still G or PG-rated, Walt was BIG on conservative morals.

Also, I don't think Walt would have allowed Jar Jar Binks to be in Episode 1. I know that is not a Disney movie, but I still think he would've done something.

What do you guys think?

In reality though, how would you really know?

Walt Disney was a special (and almost private) person. He was really a kid at heart. Too bad none of the current leaders have that "fun" quality in their hearts. I mean, sure, Walt wanted to make money, but he did it with class. Now, they just - eh, nevermind.

I think for the most part though, he would be mortified at the way the Company is run and how his own brother's kid left the Company a few years back because things grew so intense.

[Cacopelao!]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

In my defense, I guess I should have specified about the whole sponsorship thing. I realize that that was always incorporated into the park (Polaroid, Kodak, BofA, etc.) I guess what bugs me is walking off of a ride and seeing--flat out "Sponsored by......" IMHO, there is nothing worse than seeing a corporate logo while you are totally immersed in a fantasy (i.e., AT&T logo in Indianna Jones, Dole, etc.)

[A Change In Me]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

I would love if they got rid of the sponserships on the attractions. Except for Dole because I love the Dole Whip Floats.

[Disney Wrassler]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

Oh, he would be happy that Oswald is back too.

[Jerm]

Re: What Would Walt Think of The Disneyland and the Company Now?

He would think "my god why do all these internet freaks care what I think???"

J