Roy Disney

[doombuggy driver]

Ok so I know this is a really weird and outdated question, but what is the real reason for Roy Disney stepping down?

[akfandisney]

Re: Roy Disney

If I remember is Age ?

[Aladdin]

Re: Roy Disney

Michael Eisner had the unmittigated gaul to force
Roy Disney off the Board of Directors. The Board
of Directors of the Disney Co. had at that time
placed a recommended maximum age on members
of the Board of Directors. And with Michael Eisner's
stranglehold on the majority of the members on
the Board, Eisner in effect had Dictatorial control
of the Disney Company. Eisner, the Evil Emperor,
was certainly the most despised corporate leader
of any US company.

Roy, after resigning from the Board Directors,
co founded "Save Disney", an effort to force
Eisner from the helm of the Disney Company.
As a member of the board of Directors of the
Disney Co., Roy Disney was extremely limited
in what he could say or do to remove Eisner.

But once Roy resigned from the Board, Roy
could run the campaign to force out Eisner,
much more effectively speak out against
Eisners misdoings.

here is a copy of Roys resignation letter:


November 30, 2003
Mr. Michael D. Eisner, Chairman
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521
Dear Michael:
It is with deep sadness and regret that I send you this letter of resignation from the Walt Disney Company, both as Chairman of the Feature Animation Division and as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors.
You well know that you and I have had serious differences of opinion about the direction and style of management in the Company in recent years. For whatever reason, you have driven a wedge between me and those I work with even to the extent of requiring some of my associates to report my conversations and activities back to you. I find this intolerable.
Finally, you discussed with the Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors its decision to leave my name off the slate of directors to be elected in the coming year, effectively muzzling my voice on the board -- much as you did with Andrea Van de Kamp last year.
Michael, I believe your conduct has resulted from my clear and unambiguous statements to you and to the Board of Directors that after 19 years at the helm you are no longer the best person to run the Walt Disney Company. You had a very successful first 10-plus years at the company in partnership with Frank Wells, for which I salute you. But, since Frank's untimely death in 1994, the Company has lost its focus, its creative energy, and its heritage.
As I have said, and as Stanley Gold has documented in letters to you and other members of the Board, this Company, under your leadership has failed during the last seven years in many ways:

1. The failure to bring back ABC Prime Time from the ratings abyss it has been in for years and your inability to program successfully the ABC Family Channel. Both of these failures have had, and I believe will continue to have, significant adverse impact on shareholder value.
2. Your consistent micro-management of everyone around you with the resulting loss of morale throughout the Company.
3. The timidity of your investments in our theme park business. At Disney's California Adventure, Paris and now in Hong Kong, you have tried to build parks "on the cheap" and they show it and the attendance figures reflect it.
4. The perception by all of our stakeholders -- consumers, investors, employees, distributors and suppliers -- that the company is rapacious, soul-less, and always looking for the "quick buck" rather than long-term value which is leading to a loss of public trust.
5. The creative brain drain of the last several years, which is real and continuing, and damages our Company with the loss of every talented employee.
6. Your failure to establish and build constructive relationships with creative partners, especially Pixar, Miramax, and the cable companies distributing our products.
7. Your consistent refusal to establish a clear succession plan.

In conclusion, Michael, it is my sincere belief that it is you who should be leaving and not me. Accordingly, I once again call for your resignation or retirement. The Walt Disney Company deserves fresh, energetic leadership at this challenging time in its history just as it did in 1984 when I headed a restructuring which resulted in your recruitment to the Company.
I have and will always have an enormous allegiance and respect for this Company, founded by my uncle, Walt, and father, Roy, and to our faithful employees and loyal stockholders. I don't know if you and the other directors can comprehend how painful it is for me and the extended Disney family to arrive at this decision.
In accordance with Item 6 of Form S-K and Item 7 of Schedule 14A, I request that you disclose this letter and that you file a copy of this letter as an exhibit to a Company Form 8-K.
With sincere regret,

Roy E. Disney cc: Board of Directors

[SCUBAbe]

Re: Roy Disney

ummm...wasn't roy the nephew that walt found annoying or bratty or something like that?

[barfownz]

Re: Roy Disney

And thats when Roy Disney sued because the company bared his last name that he was not apart of the company anymore.

[quasimodo1384]

Re: Roy Disney

Um...all I can say, is: read Disneywar by James B. Stewart. It's a little hard to get into at first, but it'll answer a lot of these questions. I'd highly recommend it.

[SCUBAbe]

Re: Roy Disney

Disney war was pretty good, but it seems Roy's Mo is to force people out. he did it to the man walt groomed to take over and he did it to Eisner (not that eisner was such a bad thing, but he did do good when he first came on.)

[mikeland]

Re: Roy Disney

ummm...wasn't roy the nephew that walt found annoying or bratty or something like that?

It was Card Walker that had a problem with Roy, not Walt. At least that's what I read.

[sediment]

Re: Roy Disney

(not that eisner was such a bad thing, but he did do good when he first came on.)

He did do well when Frank Wells was around, as Roy noted in his resignation letter.

[cellarhound]

Re: Roy Disney

I agree with most all of Roy's points...

And if you look at the check list; 4,5,6 still need work...

4 is not an easy fix, it is going to take time to restore the faith of some of the market, but things are getting better on the short term items. Still Brother Bear 2, WHY? (I'd rather stick a fork in my eye...)

5. Ouimet is gone... WDI is rumored to be gutted... It seems like HR has a problem retaining CM's... The up side was adding Pixar and others to Animation...

6. Movie studios are being downsized... Mirimax is now gutted down to being a foriegn film library... Every Disney run studio (except animation) is not the same without the Weinstiens involvment...

[lazyboy97O]

Re: Roy Disney

It was Card Walker that had a problem with Roy, not Walt. At least that's what I read.

Others did too. He was known as Walt's annoying nephew and considered to be somewhat of a doofus. Many felt that he was only there because of daddy and Uncle Walt.

[cellarhound]

Re: Roy Disney

Also that groomed CEO Eisner replaced was Ron Miller, Diane Disney's Husband and Walt's Son in Law...

You can see the first time Roy resigned from the company it was a family feud... over who should control the company Roy or Ron... Roy won...

The second time Roy resigned, look in the archives, it is pritty well documented by now...

[Cmash95]

Re: Roy Disney

roy brought eisner and wells in because card walker and ron had run disney into the ground and there was a threat of a hostile takeover. Neither man wanted to really run the company, they just kept doing the same thing over and over again and then with the debacle of epcot the company was in bad shape. when ron was kicked out he and diane left for good. she sold her personal shares and had nothing to do with disney until recently. it's really a shame that there isn't a disney with enough passion for the family company to get involved after all roy and walt have 14 grandchildren between them.

[cellarhound]

Re: Roy Disney

roy brought eisner and wells in because card walker and ron had run disney into the ground and there was a threat of a hostile takeover. Neither man wanted to really run the company, they just kept doing the same thing over and over again and then with the debacle of epcot the company was in bad shape. when ron was kicked out he and diane left for good. she sold her personal shares and had nothing to do with disney until recently. it's really a shame that there isn't a disney with enough passion for the family company to get involved after all roy and walt have 14 grandchildren between them.

I do know that Ron and Diane moved to Napa County, at least initially... They have been living in the SF Bay Area ever since leaving Burbank...

It is interesting to note the way the company was run was differant, durring the three periods: Under Walt, Under Ron and Under Eisner... Each implemented their own OB... I mean you can see an assess the strengths and weaknesses of the three...

[wem1985]

Re: Roy Disney

I do know that Ron and Diane moved to Napa County, at least initially... They have been living in the SF Bay Area ever since leaving Burbank...

It is interesting to note the way the company was run was differant, durring the three periods: Under Walt, Under Ron and Under Eisner... Each implemented their own OB... I mean you can see an assess the strengths and weaknesses of the three...

I agree totally...
The biggest thing that my sister and I have noticed (grew up going to WDW/first time there was 77) was how they've gone down (IOHO) on the upkeep/cleanliness of attractions as well as WDW feeling "overdeveloped" now. I will say this for Michael and Frank....
They did a damn good job when they first came on (about the first 10 years) then when Frank died everything went to hell in a handbasket. I couldn't believe when I was there how many monorails broke down, how many rides broke down, etc.
Used to that all would've been taken care of at night when all of the guest were asleep but one of the CM's told me that the "3rd" shift as it was known was eliminated sometime in the middle 90's.

[Disneyland Daddy]

Re: Roy Disney

ummm...wasn't roy the nephew that walt found annoying or bratty or something like that?

That's hysterical. You made me laugh out loud. Not sure if your comments are correct, but no less, they made me laugh! Thanks!

[Disneyland Daddy]

Re: Roy Disney

Disney war was pretty good, but it seems Roy's Mo is to force people out. he did it to the man walt groomed to take over and he did it to Eisner (not that eisner was such a bad thing, but he did do good when he first came on.)

Wasn't the man that Walt groomed to take over Ron Miller - his son-in-law? And then didn't Roy OUST him in 1984 and get Eisner in there? And then he tried to OUST Eisner 19 years later? Shoot.....maybe he was a brat.

I seem to recall reading that when Roy worked to oust his cousin-in-law in 1984, that it put quite a strain on the family - according to Diane Disney Miller.

[wem1985]

Re: Roy Disney

Wasn't the man that Walt groomed to take over Ron Miller - his son-in-law? And then didn't Roy OUST him in 1984 and get Eisner in there? And then he tried to OUST Eisner 19 years later? Shoot.....maybe he was a brat.

I seem to recall reading that when Roy worked to oust his cousin-in-law in 1984, that it put quite a strain on the family - according to Diane Disney Miller.

True but I will say this...
As much as I would've LOVED for Ron Miller to stay on board and for Disney to remain a sleepy studio with pristine theme parks, Roy did what he had to do.
The company fought two HUGE hostile takeovers; one from Saul Steinberg (not the artist) and another from Irwin Jacobs. Had either of them succeeded we wouldn't even HAVE a Disney today. It would've been something like Six Flags Magic Kingdom/Six Flags Disneyland. These gready guys wanted to take over and split everything up and sell to the highest bidder.
The 80's....
Man...
What a time of greed and consumption!

[Disneyland Daddy]

Re: Roy Disney

True but I will say this...
As much as I would've LOVED for Ron Miller to stay on board and for Disney to remain a sleepy studio with pristine theme parks, Roy did what he had to do.
The company fought two HUGE hostile takeovers; one from Saul Steinberg (not the artist) and another from Irwin Jacobs. Had either of them succeeded we wouldn't even HAVE a Disney today. It would've been something like Six Flags Magic Kingdom/Six Flags Disneyland. These gready guys wanted to take over and split everything up and sell to the highest bidder.
The 80's....
Man...
What a time of greed and consumption!

....1984....well, I was only 13 at the time....so I wasn't to UP on the Disney empire happenings........but I'll indeed have to read the book. Sounds interesting.

[wem1985]

Re: Roy Disney

....1984....well, I was only 13 at the time....so I wasn't to UP on the Disney empire happenings........but I'll indeed have to read the book. Sounds interesting.

It is indeed a VERY interesting read!