Disney has long been an industry leader in family entertainment, carefully constructing experiences that multiple generations can enjoy together. A seamless blend of classic nostalgia and groundbreaking new advances, the theme parks were in many ways an extension of the beloved Disney films.
Yet they were also set apart. While many Disney movies formed the basis for theme park attractions, the Imagineers were given a great deal of leeway to create spectacular rides and shows that could stand on their own. All that changed in the 1990s, when then-CEO Michael Eisner put the “suits” in charge. Bean counting might be profitable, but it also led to a dark age in Disney history.
1. The Disney Decade
Brought in to revitalize the company in 1984 after a rocky period filled with takeover attempts, Michael Eisner brought bold new ideas to Disney. Seen as young, energetic and highly creative, Eisner was hailed as a rock star by many long-time Disney fans. In 1990, he unveiled an ambitious 10-year expansion plan that he dubbed “the Disney Decade.” There were a number of hits, including Animal Kingdom, the Disney Cruise Line and the now-defunct Disney Institute.
However, the Disney Decade quickly spiraled out of control in a confusing blend of cost-cutting and interesting spending choices. The near-total failure of the EuroDisney project had shaken Eisner’s faith the in the theme park business, and the days of aggressive spending and super-ambition were gone.
2. Synergy
Arguably Eisner’s biggest legacy was “synergy,” a business buzzword that can be loosely defined as the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. While Disney’s use of synergy dates to the 1930s, when Walt began licensing the use of his characters in advertisements and products, the Disney Decade took it to a previously unprecedented level. Under Eisner’s command, synergy was the reason for increased movie tie-ins, shoehorning characters into every possible park location, and making such ride-based movies as Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean.
3. Homogenization
On paper, homogenization is great for the bottom line. Ordering in volume is almost always the cheapest way to supply food and merchandise, so the corporate bean counters began to streamline. Rather than individual Walt Disney World restaurant chefs selecting their own ingredients, all orders were turned over to a central purchasing department. Rather than continuing to sell exclusive merchandise in each area of each park, generic products were stocked across the parks.
Of course, the downside of homogenization is the lack of individuality. When all restaurant meals taste roughly the same, what’s the point of trying different locations? If synergy means you can buy the same merchandise at your local Wal-Mart, why bother shopping at the parks?
4. Change for the sake of change
Some of the attraction decisions made during the Eisner years are baffling to anyone outside his inner circle. It is true, for example, that 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was slow-loading and difficult to maintain. But to shutter a beloved classic attraction on a prime piece of Fantasyland real estate, leave it standing but not operational for more than 10 years, and then fill it up with concrete to build a playground? What sense does that make?
How about the Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management? Synergy tells us that movie characters need to be added wherever possible, but how did the suits really expect guests to react to a weirdly meta, self-referential show run by birds who were as intentionally annoying as they could possibly be?
The 1997 announcement that Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride would close in 1998 to make room for an attraction featuring Winnie the Pooh set off one of the first Internet protests. A firestorm erupted as ride fans planned online and then met at the Magic Kingdom, some wearing “Ask Me Why Mickey Is Killing Mr. Toad” T-shirts, for public ride marathons known as Toad-Ins. The protest drew national media attention, but ultimately did no good. Mr. Toad took his last ride on September 7, 1998. Though no official explanation was ever given, speculation is that Pooh merchandise was selling well, while no Mr. Toad merchandise was sold in the parks. Synergy at its finest?
Possibly the most confusing random change was to Epcot’s Journey Into Imagination. By all accounts still a fiercely popular ride, the wondrous and highly creative Journey Into Imagination closed with little warning in 1998. It reopened a year later as Journey Into Your Imagination, a bizarre combination of optical illusions that lacked Dreamfinder and Figment, the attraction’s stars and Epcot’s original icon characters. Ongoing feedback from angry guests led to Figment’s reintroduction in the ride’s third incarnation, 2002’s Journey Into Imagination With Figment. Dreamfinder is still nowhere to be found, and Figment has grown from a lovable toddler to a sarcastic teen.
5. FastPass
Image: Disney
Disney’s 1999 introduction of FastPass revolutionized the theme park industry, but whether this was good or bad depends on your point of view. Similar systems were quickly implemented at theme parks around the world. Some systems, like FastPass, serve as virtual queues in which visitors return to a shorter line. Others, like Universal Express, are paid programs that allow guests to join the shorter line at any time.
Although FastPass and similar systems provide several benefits to guests, it would be naïve to assume that Disney was looking out for our best interests. In fact, FastPass was the perfect way to get guests out of lines and into restaurants and shops, further increasing the bottom line. Like the Magic Your Way ticket system and Disney’s Magical Express, also introduced during the Eisner years, FastPass also helped to ensure that visitors stayed on property rather than venturing out to spend money at other local attractions.
After Eisner
Following Roy Disney’s very public “Save Disney” campaign, Michael Eisner was removed as chairman in a 43% vote of no confidence. He soon announced that he would step down as CEO in 2005, a year ahead of schedule. Former Eisner right-hand man Bob Iger was installed as CEO, and many hoped that his tenure would lead to a rebirth for Disney.
Iger got off to a strong start, mending fences with Pixar, which had split from its long-time Disney partnership following a disagreement with Eisner in 2004. Disney acquired Pixar in 2006, installing former Disney animator John Lasseter as Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Feature Animation and Principal Creative Adviser for Disney Imagineering. Iger also dissolved Disney’s strategic planning division and restored decision-making power to individual business divisions. It seemed that a bright new day had dawned.
However, there are worrying signs that Iger’s Disney seems increasingly corporate. Rumor has it that the company spent nearly $2 billion dollars on FastPass Plus and My Disney Experience, which combine advanced ride reservations with an unprecedented system for tracking and strategic planning.
Only time will tell whether these investments were the right move for Disney. With Comcast investing heavily in new rides and attractions for Universal, and especially with the recent expansion of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Disney finally faces some real competition. Why not turn the Imagineers loose to develop a truly immersive E-ticket or two for each park?
It remains to be seen whether Iger’s legacy will be the dramatic turnaround of Disney California Adventure and improvements to the guest experience, or whether the My Disney Experience programme will become a millstone around his neck just as EuroDisney did for Eisner.
