If you could have Disney do anything, what would you do?

[dvdjunkie]

I totally agree with you on this. Disney generally does things right, so I just think they need to find the right place in the Midwest and build it!!!

[merlinjones]

Reissue Walt Disney's classic "Song of the South" in theatres, on DVD and Blu-Ray internationally.

Restore and remaster Walt Disney's entire film and television library (that hasn't yet received the treatment) to preserve these assets for future generations.

Release new Walt Disney Treasures DVD compilations, season sets for the "Disneyland/Walt Disney Presents/Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" anthology and the rest of Walt's cartoons, feature films and television features to DVD and Blu-Ray.

Start remastering and releasing Walt's classic live-action features and animated shorts on Blu-Ray.

Restore and refresh various trademark attractions of Walt Disney's Disneyland that are sorely missed (especially Tomorrowland).

Create new hand-drawn fairy tale features in the classic style and tone (Hansel and Gretel, Snow Queen, etc.).

Walt Disney Animation to produce traditional animation exclusively while Pixar handles CGI.

No more TinkerBell sequels -- plus lock all the old WDTVA video sequels in the vault indefinitely as these have weakened the value of classic properties/characters.

Eliminate D23 and re-integrate Walt Disney's evergreen material into the mainstream studio mix.

Rehire Dick Cook as head of production.

Rehire Matt Ouimet to head Disney Parks/WDI.

Launch Disney Classics Channel.

Rebrand all 'Tween programming/franchises as ABC Family, move all related shows from The Disney Channel to ABCF.

Disney Channel becomes about the traditional Disney brand again, with shows from all eras for all family demographics. Classic cartoons are again featured throughout the day.

Relaunch "The Wonderful World of Disney" on ABC. Kurt Russell hosts.

Disney XD becomes The Marvel Channel. Acquire all the movies and TV series that go along with that.

Marvel Universe (standalone) thrill park added to DL and WDW resorts. Marvel characters kept separate from Magic Kingdoms.

Acquire Lucasfilm, DreamWorks, DreamWorks Animation, Amblin and related properties.

Buy The Zorro Company (and related films) to resume the rights.

Acquire The Bourne Company and all external rights to Walt Disney classic music publishing.

Build a lush Polynesian Resort at Disneyland (in place of Paradise Pier Hotel).

Schedule new and exciting E-Ticket attractions at all theme parks to open every five years.

Sell Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures and Miramax film libraries (save potential Disney family titles).

Acquire Tim Burton's non-Disney original properties and build company, theme parks around the unified subculture brand.

Pixar remakes "The Brave Little Toaster" in CGI - as Lasseter originally intended.

Merge The Walt Disney Archives with The Walt Disney Family Museum. Build new museum branch facility resembling Hyperion Studios in Burbank or Anaheim.

Honor the rest of Walt's studio personnel and cast that deserve to be named Disney Legends sooner than later.

Reposition the Princess characters to better represent the virtues of the original heroines rather than the entitlement of consumers.

Disney Store again carries a full range of family products.

Launch new online service to allow purchase of all classic Walt Disney film, cartoon, TV, art, music, LPs and singles, photos, archival works as digital files or as on-demand hard copies.

Sell, Trade or Spin-Off ABC Networks.

Foster Creative culture over MBA culture in the Walt Disney (and Pixar) tradition.

No more classic sequels, prequels, remakes and endless franchise films.

Bring back animal adventures with real animals, not just CGI and sassy dialogue.

Reposition Mickey, Donald and Goofy for all ages with new classic-style animation.

Publish a lush coffee table book of those great Disneyland Attraction Posters.

Restore the traditional Disney business practices including quality first.

Keep the parks affordable for all.

Make the name Walt Disney again stand for "the finest in family entertainment" and the finest in The Art of Animation.

Etc.

[Goliath]

Bring back Walt Disney from the death.

Hey, Disney can do it! All that's neccesary is a big bag of Disney Essence!

-No more teen stars on The Disney Channel

Except for Selena.

[DisneyAnimation88]

1) Keep John Lasseter as head of Disney and Pixar animation and encourage directors to continue to pitch new and original ideas for future films.

2) Abolish the Disney Channel and revitalise is it using a combination of new, quality original programming and the classic Disney films and shorts.

3) Increase production of shorts and use them to train and bring through a new generation of animators.

4) Put more money into the theme parks; in WDW build expansions to Epcot, DHS and Animal Kingdom.

[SWillie!]

Take over the entire universe.

Fixed.

[Tristy]

Oh here are some other ones:

Bring back a little bit of darkness into their animations. They've been comfortable with it lately in Pirates, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, as well as (from the looks of the teaser) Pixar's Brave, just bring it back to your canon features. THinking Fantasia/Sleeping Beauty type of darkness. They can still be light hearted but still make sure that the dangers are valid.

Put Martins and the Coys back in Make Mine Music.

Give the Firebird section from Fantasia/2000 some more love. (and you've made a start by putting it into the World of Color Attraction)

[merlinjones]

>>Put Martins and the Coys back in Make Mine Music.<<

That's a good one. Also restore the edits and remove digital censorship in Melody Time.

[John Pannozzi]

Paying all the comic book creators and/or their estates/families/heirs royalties every time their work was reprinted would be high on my list of priorities. (this goes for both Disney Comics and Marvel)

Getting all the TV cartoons (including those inherited from FOX Kids and Saban) available on DVD in some form, even via burn-on-demand DVD-Rs would also be prime (and I'd make sure the episodes of more recent shows in would be in their original widescreen aspect ratio when applicable, and anamorphic to boot!).

I'd also put all the old theatrical short subjects and at least a handful of the TV cartoons (like DuckTales and Kim Possible) on the Disney Channel in respectable time-slots and let them be uncut with a few exceptions (i.e. the more risque or racially-insensitive shorts, and the banned episodes of TaleSpin and Darkwing Duck).

Make a Howard the Duck animated prime-time series that is very faithful to the Steve Geber-written comics (and have Mark Evanier as the head writer and show-runner) and maybe air it on ABC or some adult-oriented network not owned by Disney.

[Disney Duster]

2. Use that money to buy Studio Ghibli and Aardman Animation and subsequently absorb both studios into the Walt Disney Company.

But why? Why would you want Disney to change is identity as it EATS the identities of two other studios? Why would you want them to use someoneelse's identity to mix in their own and become something un-Disney?

Eliminate D23 and re-integrate Walt Disney's evergreen material into the mainstream studio mix.

Why does that have to eliminate D23, what's wrong with D23 by itself?

Acquire Lucasfilm, DreamWorks, DreamWorks Animation, Amblin and related properties.

What? Have all these properties lose their identities and have Disney's identity mixed and changed and lost with theirs?

Acquire Tim Burton's non-Disney original properties and build company, theme parks around the unified subculture brand.

What, have Tim Burton lose his identity and Disney miz there's by making his films there's, too? Remember, Nightmare Before Christmas is still just owned by Disney not actually made by them as a DAC.

WHY do so many people want Disney to own so many other non-Disney, un-Disney companies? HOW IS IT STILL DISNEY IF THEY BUY THINGS THAT ARE NOT DISNEY INSTEAD OF MAKING THEIR OWN DISNEY THINGS THEMSELVES?!

Do you just all love the mere Disney name, just the little name by itself, so much, YOU WANT JUST THE DISNEY NAME SLAPPED ONTO EVERYTHING?!

Doesn't the Disney name mean anything? Don't you believe Disney has it's own identity and essence...

[Neal]

MY GOD, Disney Duster, SHUT UPPPPPPPPP!

Seriously, it's one thing to debate the so-called 'Disney essence' in other threads, where it's more relevant because it relates to real movies, that have been made, or in the process of being made, and are real, tangible.

This thread is purely for fun and fancy - it is for people to share their silly Disney daydreams, the far-fetched hopes they have for Disney that they think about while drifting off to sleep.

It's not real and will never happen.

Notice how every response so far was just people adding their own ideas. Being POSITIVE?! Then you come in and begin to combat people - further flogging the long-since bloodied corpse of your 'Disney essence' ideology.

WHY? WHY HERE?

Can't you let anything be sacred. This is for people to share their daydreams. Why the f**k are you coming in here and tearing down people's daydreams?

Seriously. Stay out of this thread. It is a fun idea for people to openly share far-fetched ideas. There's no need for your continued, endless debating.

You can't leave anything be, can you?

[merlinjones]

duster asked: >>Why does that have to eliminate D23, what's wrong with D23 by itself?<<

I think D23 tends to segregate the classic Walt Disney material away from the general public as a "moldy-oldie" thing for fans only. I'd rather see the classics live on for new generations as part of the larger mainstream mix to be seen regularly and expansively (as it always was before).


About various acquisition ideas: >>What? Have all these properties lose their identities and have Disney's identity mixed and changed and lost with theirs?<<

My thinking was to suggest businesses and talents that share a creativity-first culture like the traditional Walt Disney studio. A Lucas or Burton (like Pixar and Marvel) would share, expand or compliment classic Disney with timeless works in a way that businesses like ABC or the 'Tween scene, being more about consumerism and contemporary trend, do not.


>Doesn't the Disney name mean anything? Don't you believe Disney has it's own identity and essence...<<

I do and would like to see that Walt Disney legacy perpetuated as a unique thing - - but if portfolio diversification is necessary (which business types will say it is), it should be with like-minded creative things that enhance the craft of storytelling, art, animation, fantasy, myth, etc. for family audiences, rather than distract from it.

But it all just daydreaming of course -- though I do hope they better tend to the classic Walt Disney assets at least, so these can be preserved and shared.

[Rose Dome]

No more teen stars on The Disney Channel

Except for Selena.

Why? Just out of interest.

[Super Aurora]

Except for Selena.

Why? Just out of interest.

Because she's so KAWAII and moe.

[Goliath]

@ Disney Duster: But Disney has done that before. They just bought Jim Jinkin's Doug and have his company produce more new episodes and slapped the name 'Disney' on it.

The reason I'm against Disney acquiring other studio's, is because I think too little corporations own too many media outlets anyway. I don't think it's a good idea to have so many media in the hands of only five or six big players.

Except for Selena.

Why? Just out of interest.

http://www.dvdizzy.com/forum/viewtopic. ... 360#571360

You had to ask.

[Disney Duster]

Neal, first, don't tell me to shut up, please take that back and apologize. I never did that to you or anyone else. Second, I came in, yes, with anger and hurt, that people seemingly wanted Disney to take over everything so that both Disney and the things they take over lose their identity in becoming the same thing. This made me so upset I came in, but I did not tell people they couldn't dream, I asked them in caps why they wanted to do what they did, wondering if maybe they thought about it, they would change their minds.

And yea I can "let anything be sacred", like the Disney company itself and Walt's dreams for it that I find sacred, or people's dreams that don't have to do with something that already exists and already has it's own identity.

merlinjones, if you mean that if Disney has to acquire business, you would it to be those more fitting businesses, I understand, but I think we agree Disney shouldn't have to do that, they should just depend on the Disney things they make themselves following Walt's dreams.

[Dream Huntress]

Duster So you came here in anger and hurt because people were exposing hypotetical scenearios? Well, that's weird. Also, shouldn't you apologize too? You broke the manners of the internet, you used caps, you yelled at everybody for expreseing themselves.

Anyway.


What I want from Disney? I want them to do an animated movie that's epic, like really epic, like WALL-E or The Lion King epic. And f the could finally release The Snow Queen that would awesome.

[Disney Duster]

I aologize to anyone who actually really did get hurt by what I said, but caps does not equal yelling for everyone, caps sometimes means just making your words bigger, which is how I mostly meant to use it, just slightly yelling and letting out anger. It's not yelling in a negative way like "you are BAD" it's like "WHY did you do that" which I don't see as something to apologize for but I will if anyone wants me to.

[Neal]

Neal, first, don't tell me to shut up, please take that back and apologize. I never did that to you or anyone else. Second, I came in, yes, with anger and hurt, that people seemingly wanted Disney to take over everything so that both Disney and the things they take over lose their identity in becoming the same thing. This made me so upset I came in, but I did not tell people they couldn't dream, I asked them in caps why they wanted to do what they did, wondering if maybe they thought about it, they would change their minds.

And yea I can "let anything be sacred", like the Disney company itself and Walt's dreams for it that I find sacred, or people's dreams that don't have to do with something that already exists and already has it's own identity.

Dear Disney Duster,

Nope. I won't apologize. You should shut up. Listen, I get what you say about this 'Disney Essence' - I really do. I used to be a huge fan of the video game character Spyro the Dragon - he was a cute purple dragon in 'platformer' games (ala Mario) - the first three games were made by the same company and had this wonderful fairy tail quality to them and are definitely classics. Back then he looked like this:



He has since been in another 8+ games, all made by different developers, who have changed him considerably. He now looks like this:



Small change, no? In my eyes, they destroyed an integral character of my childhood - made him deformed and ugly.

The new games are beat-em-ups which involve you killing as many enemies as possible and collecting experience points ala an RPG. Not even in the same ballpark as the originals.

I was a HUGE Spyro fan - I helped begin www.spyroworld.net - a Spyro news site, that got exclusive news straight from Spyro developers - there's a forum with nearly 5,000 users, a chat room, etc. I LOVED Spyro.

The original three games had what I called the "Insomniac essence" because the game developer for that trilogy was called Insomniac. They had wonderful characters, an innocent sense of humor, amazing music, fun gamemplay.

The new games (in my opinion) have generic music, almost no extra characters - just enemies, generic gameplay.

I went on my own forum, the official Spyro forums and a rival forum debating everyone who liked the changes to the Spyro series - telling them how awful new Spyro was, how much the 'Insomniac essence' needed to return, etc. No matter what they counter-argued, no matter how they tried to come to a compromise, I always shot back - defending myself and Spyro vehemently.

And you know what? It made me miserable - and it made the other forum users exasperated and miserable. It led to users citing me as the reason they'd leave and never return to the forum.

Mind you, this was five years ago, I've matured greatly since then.

I finally realized: I would always have my original Spyro games. They weren't going anywhere. No game police could ever remove them from my possession, history could not erase their existence. But I had to accept that the original Spyro I loved was, forever - or at least for the foreseeable time being - gone. No matter how much I argued with those who liked the new Spyro games, it wouldn't change what the company who owned Spyro was going to do - they'd continue to hand him to different developers, like a puppy kicked around from home to home - becoming more and more mangled from the original Spyro I fell in love with.

And I realized: these new games, as much as they made me mad, sad, riled up - they made others happy. Why should I negate the enjoyment and pleasure of others? Why should I waste SO MUCH TIME debating and debating the same topic 'old Spyro versus new Spyro' much like you debate and debate 'Walt Disney era Disney Company versus post-Walt era Disney Company.'

I finally left my own website, the official forum, and my rival forum. I could never bring back what had been. It was gone seemingly forever. No amount of debating would ever change the future or bring back the past.

People love and enjoy the new Disney, and it makes them happy. I'm sorry that the majority, if not all, of Disney that makes you happy is when from Walt was alive. My favorite Disney movies are "The Emperor's New Groove" and "The Fox and the Hound" - guess what? Neither were made when Walt was alive! BLASPHEMY! you say. No, they make me more warm and fuzzy inside than the Walt era movies. Does that mean I don't like what Walt did? Absolutely not. I love largely all the Disney animated movies (minus Chicken Little, Brother Bear and a select few others).

The point is - when you make as many people unhappy as you do here, Disney Duster, maybe you need to shut up. Maybe you need to stop wasting so much time and energy on debating people - which only makes MANY users here angry and miserable (if a poll of how many people found you to be a nuisance was taken, it would be quite a number) - that is NOT said to make you angry, sad or hurt you - because you are a valuable contributor to this site, but not when you drone on and on and on and on about the 'Disney essence' and the 'Disney feel.' Two concepts that do exist and yet don't. It's like time, religion and gender roles - existent but only because man said it's so. In reality, Disney is just a company and each movie they produce is 'Disney' whether you like it or not.

I think everyone here would breathe the hugest sign of relief if you could just give this whole 'Disney essence' thing a rest. It took me a few years to finally realize how many hours I wasted on debating the same topic over and over with Spyro and how many people I was driving nuts. I left the forums, because the temptation to debate was too great. If that is the only way you will ever stop this debate, then please, consider leaving - not saying that's what I want - I just mean it may be the only way for you to not see things that rile you up.

Walt Disney's Disney is dead, it's alive in traces but largely dead. And that's OKAY - companies lose their founders and must move on. Someday Nintendo will lose their Disney - Shigeru Miyamoto - and will need continue on without him. Studio Ghibli will someday lose Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata and will need to continue on without them.

It's life, and companies that last beyond their founder(s) must adapt to the change of cultural sensibilities. If "Bambi" were released today, or "Cinderella" - they would most likely fail. There's just not as much room in today's crowded animation market for hand drawn animation and a sense of 'family values' - regarding the new Winnie the Pooh - despite good reviews, almost every reviewer feels they must point out how it's not 'flashy,' it's not 'like Shrek,' 'in the Pixar style.' Narnia: Dawn Treader was given mediocre reviews because it was too fuddy-duddy - with no adult innuendo, no low brow humor - reviewers found it boring, too traditional, too 50s.

That's the world we live in now, and you need to accept it and move on or get off the internet, gather your favorite Disney classics around you and avoid movie theaters and television at all costs.

If you were the CEO of Disney, or at least creative chief of WDAS - they'd fail. Sorry, but it's the truth. You cannot have classic Disney in 2011. You can have classic elements - Tangled and Pooh are proof of that - but ultimately to stay afloat, you have to be somewhat edgy, somewhat adult. Today's children are more foul-mouthed and more corrupted each year. I cannot believe what fifth graders today say to middle schoolers / college kids - such disrespectful things. When I was in fifth grade, my peers and I respected our elders - not mouthed off. Classic Disney just doesn't cut it anymore. We show outdoor movies at our campground. We can get 100 kids to show up for "Yogi Bear" and only 3 for Ghibli's "Spirited Away" (that's actually a truth, not hypothetical). It's a sad state of affairs and Disney, as a corporation - a business - not a hobbyist studio or art house, must adapt despite their family-friendly history in order to survive. I know you'd rather see Disney Co. shut down than change into something un-Walt like, but when it's the #2 highest earning corporation on earth, raking in billions, it's not going to shut down to honor it's deceased founder. Sorry, that's just good business - even if it's bad morality.

All in all - I understand this passion of yours to defend the 'Disney essence' - but it's futile. You are wasting so much of your life, it's just not worth it. Your one voice cannot change anything - just like mine cannot change Spyro. I still play the original Spyro games for PlayStation 1 from time to time, just as I imagine you still watch "Cinderella" and all your favorites. Enjoy those warm feelings, the nostalgia - it will never fade. You only dilute it by these debates and make yourself miserable and everyone else here who just want to talk about the present and future Disney, not the Disney of decades past.

So please do yourself a favor, do all of us a favor and stop defending this ideology of the 'Disney essence' so fervently. It is eternally futile, it will never resolve, no one will come any closer to agreeing with you if they haven't already. If you can't be on these forums and stop debating, then leave. Otherwise stay, but stop all this Disney essence debate - let it just be a thought in your head that you can mull over. Don't think I don't still daydream about Spyro returning to form - I want nothing more - but the Spyro fanbase has long moved on, just like the Disney fanbase has moved on from Walt's era. I can debate with myself and be happy about it, be happy with my dreams of classic Spyro being revived - rather than be miserable and a thorn in the side of others trying to debate with them online.

Finally - if you do eventually feel leaving is the only way to resist inciting debates - why not write a script for your own Disney film? Fairy tale, talking animal story, whatever it may be - make Walt proud, fill it with the Disney essence - this is said earnestly - instead of saying what you wish Disney would be today, why not write it yourself? It's more productive and a better use of your time than the same debate over and over, plus you could return and post it and make users happy - not mad or dejected by you!

That is all. Please read this carefully and understand that I'm not your enemy, I'm just trying to open your eyes and return serenity to the many threads that have been derailed, including this one.

Lovingly stated,

Neal Patten

[sunhuntin]

wow, neal. amazing words.

as for one thing id love disney to do, open a theme park on aussies gold coast. currently, i can go there and meet batman, bugs bunny, the rugrats and sponge bob. id love to go there and meet some of the disney characters. [sorry, but a trip to one of the others is just too expensive]

[Rose Dome]

Great post Neal

Duster, I have nothing left to say to you, but to second Neal's post. I was going to submit a similar one in the Photoshop fun thread, but Neal summed up the reasons why your outlook is unhealthy, and the big decision you will have to make, much better than I could have. I really hope that you take what he's said on board.

Why? Just out of interest.

http://www.dvdizzy.com/forum/viewtopic. ... 360#571360

You had to ask.

I thought so, I just felt it would've been childish and presumptious to post something along the lines of "And why might that be? >giggles and bats eyelashes<" Sorry if I caused you any