Is Disney changing for better or worse?

[Mousekedude]

Are the days of the Princesses over? From Vinylmations to Duffy Bear, there are a lot of changes lately that Disney purists are not liking very well. We've seen this trend developing in the movies they've produced in recent years as well. Here's a very telling article that gives some insight into the thinking at Disney these days. Do you find it disturbing, or do you like it?
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-et ... ?track=rss

[Amy]

Disney is definitely changing...I don't know that I would consider it for better or worse. I did find the fact that they are saying 5 and 6 year old girls don't want to be princesses, they want be be "hot" disturbing. I think kids are growing up way too fast these days but I guess it is the times ~ they are a changin'. My goodness, they should still be dreaming of little girl things at that age, not whether their peers will think they look awesome in their new outfits or if they are cool enough.
I would say a big plus on the Tangled movie is having Alan Menken back as the scorer/composer. I am interested in hearing what the "toned down" versions of the songs will sound like!

[NaCler]

This one is a LOADED question M-Dude and you may get some heated debate out of it. I hate the way animation is heading. Gone are the hand drawn animation masterpieces that Disney was built upon. The article is right... my boys want to see How to Train your Dragon and Shrek 7 or whatever number they are on now. They haven't said a thing to me about wanting to see Tangled or Princess & the Frog when it came out. But what does Disney do? They basically created this. They were always cutting edge when it came to animation. Now they are struggling to keep up. I hope they continue to make GOOD stories with PIXAR. Monsters, Inc., Up, Finding Nemo... If they continue to do that, then they should be ok. But if they start making action movies just to cater to a certain crowd then I think it will be a problem.

As far as Disney selling vinylmations and Duffy... I like a few of the VM's and my kids like a few of these, so I may get a couple on our next trip, however, the concept of them sickens me. I got sucked into the pin craze when they first came out so I am wary of these things now. I know Disney is a company and their ultimate goal is to make money. I just wonder what Walt would say if he was around today...

[MadEye]

I just wonder what Walt would say if he was around today...

He'd probably fire all of TDO...

[mindflipper]

I agree with NaCler that is one LOADED question, Mousekedude. In some way change is good, in others bad. On top of that, change being good or bad is really "in the eye of the beholder".

Princess thing was a fad, and maybe it has run it course - which could explain why they changed plans on the Fantasyland Expansion during early construction.

Disney has tried the "non-fairy tale" stories before: Hercules, The Rescuers (and its sequel Down Under), Oliver & Co., The Great Mouse Detective, and the Fox and the Hound. None of those were successful but others were: Dumbo, The Lady and the Tramp, and The Jungle Book. Basically, any animation film is a "hit-or-miss" kind of movie depending on how well its done and how well it is received by movie-going populace.

But as for the parks - and looking at EPCOT's track record especially - it definitely had a change for the worse for many years. Then came Mission: Space, The Gran Fiesta Tour, Test Track, and new films for Canada and China. So they are trying to make a change for the better.

[elizabethswann]

It depends on how you view it. I did hear that the news about them not doing anymore princess films is a rumor as stated on Disney's Facebook.

"A headline in today’s LA Times erroneously reported that the Disney fairy tale is a thing of the past, but I feel it is important to set the record straight that they are alive and well at Disney and continue this week with Tangled, a contemporary retelling of a much loved story. We have a number of projects in development with new twists that audiences will be able to enjoy for many years to come. - Ed Catmull"

I'm still reading DisneyWar and while I'm close to finishing, I've come to see how much has changed since the 1980s to now. Things were changed, people lost jobs or gained jobs and various choices were made that weren't that great or were good in our favor. While Disney has had its ups and downs throughout the years, I'm hoping that it will pick up in the future and make a change for the better with decent films, more interesting things at the theme parks, and more.

[Jacca5660]

Change is never easy. I guess that, after reading the article, they are trying to reason it out. I just don't trust the way Disney has been making decisions for the last "TWO" decades. It seems their thinking has been short sighted. I do understand that a company has to keep up with the times, but Disney has and should be known for making movies that the "WHOLE" family can enjoy. You know movies that you can take the kids to or go on a date to. It's a bit sad that the Disney powers that be don't seem to understand it!

Now it looks as if they just want to make targeted movies. Do they have to be just for boys, just for girls, or just for adults? There are companies out there that a doing Disney much better then Disney is. I understand it's after the "EISNER" years, but how long is it gonna take Disney to be cured of the virus he left. I miss when Disney let the creative people run the company and the accountants just kept the books.

Could you imagine where we would be if WED asked what the accountants thought before he did something? There would be no DLR or WDW! We would have never even heard of the POC, HM, or BTM!! I mean there was no cross marketing to go with those. It just a sad state of affairs. I know Disney can turn around and show you the research that justifies their change in direction, but as most of learned in statics class, you can target your research to get the answers you want.

The question: Is Disney changing for better or worse?

Even though there have been some good decisions in the last few years, but over all, "NO!!", Disney has become a petty nickle and dime company that is trying to find ways to give you a lot less for a lot more. It's really our fault!! We sit here and gush over how wonderful our last trip was. We turn a blind eye to how corp Disney treats us because how wonderful the CM try to over come the BS!!

DO I sound that old and grumpy? I hope not! I know WED didn't build Disney to stay stagnant. I also don't think he meant to see the company ran by non-creative @#$holes!!

[Wizzard419]

It's not actually fair to say that Disney is the only studio making targeted films, every studio has been shifting towards a younger and younger audience for over 15 years now. If I recall the estimated target age is about 12, that way they would have to take at least one parent with since the modern parent fears their child will be kidnapped and sold into slavery in Dubai. That and movies are no longer just about the movie (going back to the Nicholson Batman movie) it's now all about the products that you sell after the movie is out, the toys, the clothes, the overpriced jewelry, purses, etc.

Pretty much they are doing like any other company because it would be stupid/cause an investor riot to spend all their profits right after they take them in. They do have a responibility to the investors who help keep the lights on.

[GeoffS]

Disney has to change; the market forces them to do so. We, as repeat consumers, can only be drawn back by two things: nostalgia of classic ambiance, or the newest, latest whizbang. Better or worse is relative to the individual, and success can only be measured in dollars (sorry to say).

[Wizzard419]

Indeed, they are a company and not your friend. They do not care if you're happy or sad, only that you're spending money on them.