11-14-06 Mouse Tracks: Earnings and Drama Rise at Mouse House

[Chuck Oberleitner]

this business of show

Mouse Tracks: Earnings and Drama Rise at Mouse House
By C. W. Oberleitner
November 14, 2006

As predicted by former CEO Michael Eisner, Disney earnings are still on the rise as the company he once led reported last week that it had more than doubled its fiscal fourth-quarter profit. Earnings aren’t the only things cast members around the kingdom are buzzing about as they ask if Harry Potter is about to get the Tom Sawyer treatment, could the Year of a Million Dreams become one man’s nightmare, and if Walt’s original Magic Kingdom is dead in the Water?

Read the full story here >>

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

Sources close to the project say a Southern California “experience and entertainment” design firm has already been chosen by the studio to “recreate the world of Harry Potter, witches, and wizards, in a way that immerses whole families in the experience.” Museums around the country, eager to boost attendance, are anticipating talks with the studio in regard to playing host to the exhibit, which promises to educate as well as entertain.

Gee... I wonder if this will affect Imagineering's plans for the DCA makeover, which many have confirmed to be mostly outsourced?

[DsnyFvr]

Originally Posted by BlueSkyDriveBy

Gee... I wonder if this will affect Imagineering's plans for the DCA makeover, which many have confirmed to be mostly outsourced?

??? Ok..maybe its me..but I dont see the connection. Warner Bros is considering a venue for a Harry Potter show. How would this affect DCA ?

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

Originally Posted by DsnyFvr

??? Ok..maybe its me..but I dont see the connection. Warner Bros is considering a venue for a Harry Potter show. How would this affect DCA ?

Because the DCA makeover is becoming one huge outsourcing project. The majority of the work will be done by contractors, like Kirk Design, BRC Imagination Arts, and Thinkwell. And they have yet to begin on the project.

If other non-Disney projects such as the MGM Studios Park in Korea (Thinkwell) and now this Harry Potter museum traveling road show keep their best designers busy, who will be left to work on DCA? Or more importantly, when will they have the time to work on DCA, if they're snapping up other major projects for other companies?

From what I've heard, timeframes for key elements of DCA's makeover and future additions have been pushed years out from their original start dates, such as the Cars-based attraction/district. Why? Why prolong this work any further? It's not like DCA is going to undo the mistakes on its own.

It's beginning to look like a serious lack of commitment on Disney's part, to ever put this park right by 2017.

[WDW1974]

Great column, Chuck.

And quite accurate on the Rasulo end. It was telling that while Bob Iger and John Lasseter were seen at DAK last week for the Finding Nemo: The Musical preview (Iger even offering suggestions and John yukking it up as is his nature), Rasulo was no where to be seen.

And Rasulo Puppets Al Weiss and Meg Crofton, who were also there, appeared distanced from the powers and not just in where they were seated or how silent they were.

And, gee, what a shock that globalization is failing yet again. They didn't learn this in the 1990s when the Disney Store branded merchandise invaded the parks ... or when WDW stuff was all over DL (Countdown to Extinction in Adventureland anybody?) and you don't want to know how much Happiest Celeb on Earth merchandise has gone to the dump (that was after Property Control, the WDW owned outlets and AMS liquidators got their share).

Yet now when the DL aniversary was proof positive that individualized, high quality products attract guests in throngs, Rasulo wants to sell millions of dollars of Year of a Million Dreams tees and ignore WDW's 35th anniversary and Epcot's 25th in favor of this 'global' (which in this case always means Florida and Anaheim as Tokyo, Paris and HK want no part in any of this) marketing scheme.

Look for Jay to be gone sooner rather than later ... the holidays are a great time for an exec to resign to spend more time with family and avoid all those headlines in the WSJ, Bloomberg, Forbes etc ...

[cellarhound]

Originally Posted by WDW1974

And, gee, what a shock that globalization is failing yet again.

I am not 100% convinced that a unified marketing plan on a national scale wouldn't work... Provided that they be realistic as to how to implement it... And this? This way they are doing it? Oh, it's all wrong...

I would love to sit down and give Mr. Rasselo and Mr. Mendenhall (heck even Iger if he wanted to listen) my advice... My door is open... My fee, cheap. 5 simple guildlines to makeing it work.

I will also give them a quick and easy way to deal with the DCA brand name problem too.

They know where they can find me.

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

Originally Posted by WDW1974

Look for Jay to be gone sooner rather than later ... the holidays are a great time for an exec to resign to spend more time with family and avoid all those headlines in the WSJ, Bloomberg, Forbes etc ...

Turkey or mistletoe?