The Late Great Walt Disney Company 1923 - 2023

Greed, power plays, and a loss of great original content have killed The Walt Disney Company. But what a company it once was! From the creation of Mickey Mouse to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to modern classics like Tangled and Frozen, movie goers could count on consistently excellent films. The exceptions were few and far between, and even those such as Alice in Wonderland gained respect in the years following its initial release. 

Even the once wonderful Pixar has lost its way. What are we up to now, Toy Story 13? The acquisitions of Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Marvel may be wise business decisions, but the original imaginative and very compelling content from these companies has been traded in for movies designed to drive streaming subscriptions and merchandise sales - to the detriment of what made these franchises so beloved in the first place. Pixar used to be the modern pinnacle of creativity. Now, it's just another animated film company. Having "Marvel Fatigue" was something I never expected.

The theme parks are as crowded as ever, and the Company is right there to fleece the guests by demanding more money in order to have a full and satisfying park experience. Lightning Lane, Genie+, and its ilk exist to create a caste system of guests. Disney corporate can talk all they want about equity, but when it comes down to it, it's all about the bucks, and they are talking out of both sides of their mouth. 

It was once leaked that Disneyland research revealed guests felt they had a full day, a worth the money experience, if they got on nine or ten attractions. All you have to do is look at the vastly underdeveloped third (Disney's Hollywood Studios) and fourth (Disney's Animal Kingdom) parks at Walt Disney World to see the suits running the show are standing still behind this calculation. 

It's a very sad day when Tokyo Disney Resort- a company run by the Japanese- maintains higher quality show and more stellar attractions than the parks in the U.S.A.  (Today May 1 is the anniversary of the 1989 grand opening of Disney-MGM Studios. The largest post ever written on this blog looks at the park's history. Read it here.) It's an even sadder day when we see the Walt Disney Company kneeling before Mother China, a country known for vast human rights abuses, just to get a piece of the money pot via Shanghai Disneyland.

Disney Imagineering is hamstrung instead of released to create. The bungled Epcot revisioning tells the story clearly. Universal Creative is turning out better attractions more quickly. The coming Epic Universe will again show they can hold their own with the house Walt built... and guests can have a great theme park vacation without all the unnecessary pre-planning and add-ons that are required when visiting Walt Disney World. I'm not even mentioning the great resort hotels of all types for more than a third less than what you'll pay on Disney property.

Wherever you stand on the political spectrum, there are no winners when it comes to Disney getting involved. Robert Iger, Bob Chapek, and others like them think Disney fandom will get stronger when their choices divide their audience?! Foolish thinking at best. In house fighting is just as bad! Quit the showboating and get back to your original business. Give me the first ten Michael Eisner years any day.

So, Rest in Peace, Walt Disney Company. The one Walt Disney built is dead even if the name remains. I'll pick and choose where my dollars go instead of purchasing animated movie tickets for opening day, park memorabilia, and other experiences like the old days. And I'm not the only one.