This is a call for Disney fans everywhere to voice their disgust and outrage at the HOSTILE TAKEOVER bid by Comcast for the ownership of The Walt Disney Company.

This plead has nothing to do with the disputes over Michael Eisner and the Disney Board of Directors. It's about saving Disney from falling into the clutches of Comcast.

I grew up with Disney cartoons, television shows and movies as many of you must have also and consider myself a life-long Disney fan. I marveled at the magic and entertainment wonders the imagination of this amazing man and his outstandingly creative team could create. They set the standards for excellence to this day. As an adult, I've personally had some of the best vacations of my life at Disney theme parks. The thought of a "ComCastLand" sickens me as I'm sure it does many of you too.

If you read their proposal on the comcast web site, http://www.comcast.com, you'll see how one-sided the proposed deal is.

>Disney brings its vast archives of decades of creative, artistic works, its current and future productions, its television programming, its unequaled theme parks, its top-notch themed resorts.

>Comcast brings distribution.

Last time I checked, Disney already has distribution. What cable provider in the U.S. doesn't carry Disney or ABC?


To help the theme parks, Comcast says it will advertise and show Disney programming which will generate interest in the parks.

What an original idea, except that Disney already does this.


Ask yourselves:
How long will a cable company want to deal with operating theme parks and resorts? What will it do when it tires of them? Toss them aside? Sell them off? In essence, take what they want and spit out the rest.

In my opinion, their offer is a thinly veiled effort to grab ownership of Disney's movies and television holdings without having to purchase the broadcast rights the way normal companies do. Comcast wants movies for its new movie-on-demand venture without the trouble of paying for them.

In my opinion, Comcast is a greedy, no creativity, mediocre cable company trying to get too big for its britches.

Please help put a stop to their plan now!
-----------------------------------------

How can you help?

>Voice your opinion!

>Flood Comcast with your outrage!

>Contact every Disney fan you know and have them do the same. Have them contact every Disney fan they know.

>Make Comcast reconsider what it's attempting to do!


You may contact Comcast Investors Relations by:

Writing to:

Comcast Investor Relations
1500 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102

By calling toll free: 866-281-2100

On the Web:
Go to
http://www.cmcsk.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=118591&p=irol-contactir
and fill in the Investors Relations Form

Or,

Go to www.comcast.com,
Select the Investors Relations link at the bottom of the screen
When the Investors Relation screen appears, select the "Contact IR" link at the bottom right and fill in the email form.

There may be other addresses, emails, or phone numbers, to contact comcast, Brian Roberts CEO, or the other heads of comcast, but I don't know them.


Please help save the Disney we all know and love before it is irreparably changed.


Best wishes to all.

That's funny. I think it would be great if Comcast bought Disney and started cleaning house from the top down. In the last 10 years or so the Disney we all knew and loved has morphed into the meanest, most calculating and ruthless organization imaginable. It is run by a bunch of ego maniacs that treat the artists they live off of like so many necessary evils; and believe me - if they could figure out a way to do business without them, they would. I bet that the ratio of executives, managers and money people to artists at Disney is at least 50 to 1, and it's probably more like 100 to 1! Plus they treat their customers like idiots.
It's all so un-Walt Disney and very sad.
I'm with Roy - Save Disney!

What do you mean you are with Roy!?! you just said you want comcast to take over! You are crazy!!! If disney is bought out it will lose all the rest of its magic.

Yes, Roy and Stanley pointed out that Comcast basically would like to change the Disney company for the better (like they would) and mentioned many of the changes they'd like to make in an article you can read at:

http://www.savedisney.com/news/comcast_comment.aspBurbank, CA --

"February 11, 2004 -- Roy E. Disney and Stanley Gold said that "the Comcast presentation today highlighted many of the same issues that we have raised for weeks with shareholders. The areas Comcast listed as needing improvement are basically the same ones we have highlighted - animation, the theme parks, ABC and the ABC Family Channel."...." "We believe those failures have made Disney an attractive target for those that recognize, as we do, that with the right leadership the extremely valuable assets of Disney can be properly utilized to create lasting and significant value."

So I think any company that takes it over for the same reasons would be a good thing. After all it still would be 'The Walt Disney Co.' It's not like it hasn't been taken over before. What's important is good management.

Then again there are also articles on the SaveDisney web site talking about how the whole Comcast bid episode was early last month - and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere now. But you never know.

I am in favor of improvements being made to Disney, I don't believe that a company like comcast has the resources or true motivation to do it. Ask yourself, "Why do they want to control Disney?" Is it because of their love for Disney? Sure, and I have a great deal on some land I'd like to sell you too. Reading their proposal indicates that their primary interest is in securing content for their new film on demand venture. Comcast has ZERO creativity of their own. The Golf Channel??? Please... Owning Disney's content means they don't have to pay to rebroadcast it. It lowers their costs and gives them more negotiating power with other content providers too. (This is also from the opinions of business analysts examing the deal.)

Comcast pretends to talk a good talk about "fixing" Disney, and people disenchanted with Eisner are probably eager to grab at anything that looks like a change, but be careful of who's reaching their hand out to you. Comcast's bottom line is MONEY! That's ALL that matters.

Ask yourself, "Why now?"

Comcast is striking NOW to take advantage of the upset between Eisner and Roy Disney. They are attempting to swoop in from the sidelines during a time of perceived weakness.

Also, this is a HOSTILE TAKEOVER BID! Why do you think it's termed "hostile"?
It means "Hello, we'd like to take you over if you don't mind, or even if you do mind, because YOUR opinion doesn't matter either way. And oh, by the way, you'll be answering to US now."

Does "HOSTILE TAKEOVER" give any clue as to what kind of company comcast is?

Do you really expect "good things" to come from a company that uses nefarious business tactics like this. Eisner may have tarnished the image of Disney, but expecting the bottom line to change from a company like comcast is just plain foolish.

I want to see changes at Disney, but as an independent company, not one in the hip-pocket of a greedy company bent on video domination.

Disney should forever remain FREE!

Once control of a company is lost to another corporation, the hopes of ever regaining control become slim. The company becomes diluted, a mere commodity there to produce profits. It can be torn apart, busted up, and sold off. A tragic end to the creative dreams of Walt Disney.

Save Disney Yes! Comcast NOooooo!!!

If that is what Roy really thinks then he has lost my support. :(

Again I think a change would be for the good at this point. And don't forget that Eisner being head of Disney in the first place was the result of a 'hostile' takeover with all the same players. It's already happened years ago. Have you ever read the book, 'Storming the Magic Kingdom'?

Anyway Disney hasn't been really Disney for years - most everybody who worked closely with Walt has been long gone - retired, passed away or laid off - I bet you can't count who's left on the fingers of one hand. I think those who idolize Walt and his philosophies are a joke to the present management.

And what do you mean Disney should remain free? It's not a country it's a company, and it certainly isn't free now.

But I think we're coming from the same place. Quality entertainment is what we all want Disney to be producing, like they have in past years, but I really don't think they know what they're doing now. How many direct to video rip-offs of the Disney classics can we stomach? And what about California Adventure - have you ever paid so much for so little? Or how about this, have you ever tried to sit for five minutes in front of the Disney channel? What's their target audience anyway? Obnoxious spoiled rich 11 year olds. That lets most of us out doesn't it. Hmmm, and what other great old attraction can they gut next at Disneyland?

Well, Roy, Comcast or someone else, it's going to change for the better one of these days and hopefully we'll all have something to cheer about.

Yes, Roy and Stanley pointed out that Comcast basically would like to change the Disney company for the better (like they would) and mentioned many of the changes they'd like to make in an article you can read at:

http://www.savedisney.com/news/comcast_comment.aspBurbank

Yes, they said that Comcast had pointed out many of the same failures that they had. That doesn't mean that they think that Comcast would make the same changes that they would. In fact, everybody remarked at the time how they said that they agreed with the criticisms but didn't come out either for or against the offer. It was a couple of weeks later that they came out and said that the best course for the Walt Disney Company would be to remain independent.

Just because you and I agree what's wrong with something doesn't mean that we agree on how to fix it.

Think about it for a moment. How many cable companies do you know of that know how to manage creativity? And have you read anything about Comcast's management style? Be careful about making assumptions and reading things into a story that aren't really there.

Okay I stand corrected if that's what they said. Maybe Comcast wouldn't be the best to take over. I do support Roy Disney 100%.

Okay I stand corrected if that's what they said. Maybe Comcast wouldn't be the best to take over. I do support Roy Disney 100%.

Can I ask why you support Roy Disney 100%? Along the same lines of what was said about Comcast, how much do you actually know about what he has in mind for the company? Even if you agree with him about what is wrong, how do you know you will like his solutions? For the most part, he hasn't publicly stated what he wants to do.

It seems wrong to me to blindly support >anyone< 100% in this kind of situation. It makes more sense to focus on what you think should be done and use whatever channels available to communicate that to whomever might be able to have some kind of an impact.

-Jeff

So what do you suggest? How could you question Roy Disney? I don't see anyone else with any power besides Comcast confronting the issue. Boy if Roy can't fix it, no one can. Except me and you of course. How about creating a new merger of Disney fans? Believe me they're all reading this post. How can we all get together and do it? Any thoughts?

Seriously, if Roy can't do it - no one can. And what I read what he's doing at his age (70!) and not giving up the good fight - I'd rather they close the whole place down.

Of course that would never happen - someone like MacDonald's would buy it and we'll have plush Winnie the Pooh's sticking out of every Big Mac sold all over the world. Really.

It was a couple of weeks later that they came out and said that the best course for the Walt Disney Company would be to remain independent.Actually what they said was that Comcast's bid was too low.

As for it being a "Hostile" takeover and what "kind of company" that makes Comcast, it makes it just like any company out there. "Hostile" doesn't mean they are going to break into the boardroom comando style, tie everyone up, and seize control. It simply means that the CEO and board is not willingly handing the company over. And from what we know about Eisner, someone with the tools and ability to rebuild the WDC into what it was and should be could come along with a goldne offer, and Eisener still wouldn't sell. So just because it's 'hostile' doesn't mean it's bad.

I'm undecided about Comcast. To be honest, if they did succeed in taking it over, I don't see them keeping the parks, or even the film properties. All they want is the cable channels. They probably don't even want ABC, it's dead weight. And whoever buys Disney will have to shell out a LOT of resources (whether it be funny money in the form of stocks, or actual cash, which it's rumored Comcast would have to throw in to seal the deal). They would probably be more than happy to sell off those divisions that don't really interest them anyway. And I'd suspect whoever buys them would get a pretty good deal since Comcast would be pretty hot to recoup some of what they shell out. So a couple guys with some insight into the theme park industry who have access to investors and venture capitalist money *cough* *cough* Roy and Stan *cough* *cough* and wanted to get their hands on the parks would benefit greatly from a high buy price. Just something to consider.

Interesting, so it would be kind of like when Ted Turner bought all the rights to the MGM films - but that was after they tore down all the old wonderful back lots right?

So maybe if Comcast bought the company, they'd keep the Disney Channel (yech) and all the Classic Disney films for distribution (nice, but they couldn't run a whole TV channel with them - plus they've already been sold out on DVD so what could they possibly do with them next?); then someone like Six Flags could very well possibly buy all the parks and run them like...... well like they are run today.

It seems Eisner has run out of stuff to sell.

Actually what they said was that Comcast's bid was too low.

My mistake. The comment regarding the preference for keeping Disney independent was at the press conference before the rally. (You'd think that I'd have remembered that. I was only sitting 10 feet away from Roy at the time....) ::old-style rolleyes::

So a couple guys with some insight into the theme park industry who have access to investors and venture capitalist money *cough* *cough* Roy and Stan *cough* *cough* and wanted to get their hands on the parks would benefit greatly from a high buy price. Just something to consider.

As I said last week (http://www.mouseplanet.com/mark/mg040317.htm):

While Stan dismissed as premature my question at the press conference about the possibility of spinning off the networks group and selling them to Comcast to get rid of them while letting Disney concentrate on what they do best, was Roy's little smile in my direction indicative of anything?

Ohhh, Okay! I get what you're hinting at. (Yes, sometimes you have to hit me over the head with a sledge hammer!) I'm all for it. Finally a glimmer of hope!
Think it will happen?

I think that it's way too soon to predict anything. Both sides met with the institutional investors this week, the meeting of the six pension funds with the board is still pending, and the board is scheduled to meet next month. Once we hear the press releases coming out of those three events, we'll have a better idea. It's not going to be fast, whatever happens. Oh, and I think that Comcast will pull their offer at some point, as they said this week that they're not willing to wait indefinitely. Of course, they could always come back later.

Okay, thanks for the scoop. There's lots of us waiting and watching. Meanwhile we continue to write the board of directors and support Roy at SaveDisney.com.

Cheers.

Seriously, if Roy can't do it - no one can. And what I read what he's doing at his age (70!) and not giving up the good fight - I'd rather they close the whole place down.

Again, what are you basing this on? What do you actually know about Roy Disney and Stanley Gold's plans for the company if they should happen to win control of it?

I've been following all of this very closely and, thus far, Mr. Disney and Mr. Gold have been very good at listing problems, but they don't seem to have suggested any solutions beyond removing Eisner and other board members from the company. They haven't even suggested who should replace those people.

Roy Disney himself has basically had a reputation as being little more than a figurehead at Disney for years. Every once in a while he would get some publicity for taking on a nostalgic, personal project like "Fantasia 2000" or "Destino", but there doesn't seem to be a lot of evidence that he has been much of an active force in the running of the company for a long time. In fact, this very fact is actually kind of a key part of this campaign. If he had been known to be more actively involved, it would be tough to dodge taking some of the blame for all the problems he keeps citing.

At the same time, though, this leaves little evidence that he actually would know how to fix the problems in the company. It seems highly prudent to remain skeptical until they start laying out some actual solutions. I have very strong doubts that a Comcast buy-out would be a good thing for the company either, but at least they have provided some ideas of what they would actually plan to do if they did take control. In some ways, I do find that known quantity to be somewhat more comforting than the unknown.

-Jeff

Maybe you make some valid points but I don't see anyone else putting up the kind of effort he is - and he's doing it for all the right reasons.

You've got to admire the guy - what is he a billionaire? And still at 70 years old he's bringing up all these issues because he cares about the company. My god if I were him I'd be off in my own private island somewhere.

So unlike Comcast and Eisner, he's not motivated by the money. Really it's pretty amazing what he's done so far. So yes I do still support him.

And JeffG I do agree with you that there should be more solutions and plans for what to do rather than just pointing out the problems! Definitely.

In my opinion, if Roy & Stan hadn't started their "battle", Comcast wouldn't have become the player they have. It always looked to me like Roy & Stan made the company look weak enough for a take-over bid to be even considered.

In my opinion, if Roy & Stan hadn't started their "battle", Comcast wouldn't have become the player they have. It always looked to me like Roy & Stan made the company look weak enough for a take-over bid to be even considered.Actually, I'd say the 5 or more years of stagnant stock prices, the continued unloading of intellectual and creative property from all divisions, their inability to produce competative entertainment for their TV network, botched moves like buying the Angels, and on and on and on made the company look weak enough for a take-over bid. Roy & Stand just woke everyone up.

I believe that mathematically (I haven't checked the stock prices, on which the bid's price is determined), Comcast's bid is currently too low. As such, until Comncast updates its bid, or until Disney stock takes a huge fall, Comcast is currently irrelevant. It's also old news.

Yes, Roy and Stan did make the company look a bit weak, but then, everything they said is pretty much true. Thus, the truth would have come out eventually. Can't blame the messengers.
And what is the solution? Make Disney look stronger. Step one: Find a replacement for Eisner. Step 2: Oust Eisner as CEO. Step 3: Sell ABC and CapCities assets to highest bidder. They aren't Disney's core business anyway.

I believe that mathematically (I haven't checked the stock prices, on which the bid's price is determined), Comcast's bid is currently too low. As such, until Comncast updates its bid, or until Disney stock takes a huge fall, Comcast is currently irrelevant. It's also old news.That was an interesting situation. The bid was based on the stock price at the time of the bid. What happened was, once the bid was announed, the stock price jumped by about $3. So Disney said, "look, they aren't even offering the value of the stock price," when, in fact, it was an inflated price. As soon as the offer was rejected, the price dropped back down. Of course, the real problem with the bid was that it was entirely a stock deal, no cash involved. Odds are, if Disney is sold, cash will be involved.

Sediment, I think your solutions are right on, and I think you hit the nail on the head about ABC and CapCities not being Disney's core business.

It makes sense that the reason for the lack of Disney 'quality' over the years is because they've been spreading themselves too thin and concentrating on this mega-empire they've tried to create.

Like the old saying goes something like " it's better to one thing well than do a lot of things poorly". If they'd concentrate only on the core business as you say, I bet we'd see a lot of great stuff again.

Excellent point.

Step 3: Sell ABC and CapCities assets to highest bidder. They aren't Disney's core business anyway.

:mad: I used to be a shareholder in Cap Cities/ABC before Disney bought us out and promptly ran the business into the ground. Pre-Eisner, Cap Cities/ABC used to make suitcases full of money.

It would be my preference that these broadcast properties be spun off to enhance value to DIS shareholders and allowed to compete in the media marketplace without Eisner throwing a wrench into everyday operations. It's the least DIS should do after being such a corporate dog in the stock market.