CarolKoster
12-31-2004, 05:28 AM
What were the top Disney news stories of 2004?
This is not a complete list, it's just off the top of my head, and it's not in any particular order. Feel free to add to it, correct it, criticize it or delete or modify things from it. The moderator can relocate this to where it would be more appropriate if I posted incorrectly. It's just for fun and discussion.
Happy New Year 2005 and may 2005 be much better for Disney and Disney fans!
* The Annual Disney Shareholders meeting, March 2004 and events surrounding and leading up to it.
* "No confidence" vote in Michael Eisner and 4 Board of Directors' members by Disney shareholders.
* Michael Eisner stripped of "Chairman of the Board" title but retains CEO title in answer to shareholder vote.
* Disney Board takes steps to better it's governance and improve it's independence, names two new members.
* The Michael Ovitz trial in Delaware reveals Disney-Ovitz dirty laundry, probes whether huge severance for Ovitz after serving so short a time on the Disney Board was justified.
* Roy Disney and Stanley Gold use funds from sale of Disney stock to create "Save Disney.com" and campaign vigorously to create changes at Disney. At the end of the year they plan to sit back, since a lot of their changes were accomplished, but debate goes on whether all their efforts were successful.
* Michael Eisner announces his retirement for 2006.
* Michael Eisner designates Robert Iger, COO of Disney, to be replacement CEO after Eisner's 2006 retirement.
* The closure of Walt Disney Feature Animation in Florida.
* Restructuring of Feature Animation to be more about CGI/3-D and less "traditional" animation.
* Restructuring of Disney Imagineering.
* Disney animated movie "Home on the Range" fails to "Wow!" audiences.
* Disney live action movies failed to catch on, the most successful being "National Treasure", "The Village" and "Princess Diaries 2", all others failed to "Wow!" audiences very much, including the big budget historic movie "The Alamo".
* Disney theme park attendance in the U.S. improves.
* Four hurricanes batter Florida, affect tourism, but WDW comes through it with mild to moderate damage and unprecedented park closures due to weather.
* Construction of fifth Disney theme park, in Hong Kong.
* Crowds continue to stay away from Disney's California Adventure.
* Plans for 50th Anniversary of Disneyland commence.
* Revitalization and restoration of buildings at Disneyland by new management.
* Near bankruptcy averted for Disneyland Paris.
* Pixar and Disney nearly reach a parting of the ways. Though hope remains for a contractual reconciliation, the final film of their partnership will be "Cars", released in summer 2005.
* "The Incredibles" captivates audiences in November 2004. This Pixar production is distributed by Disney, puts the Buena Vista name in the Top Ten highest grossing movies for 2004 according to Box Office Mojo.com. However, 2003's "Finding Nemo" still ranks as Pixar-Disney's highest grossing movie.
* Disney loses supremacy at the box office as other studios, notably Dreamworks Feature Animation SKG and Nickelodeon Movies (Viacom), make animated product that make as much or more money. "Shrek 2" is a Top Five box office movie and "SpongeBob Squarepants Movie" did better at the box office than "Home on the Range" did, the latter two both 2-D animation.
* Dreamworks Feature Animation goes for a spinoff from Dreamworks SKG and has a successful initial public offering of its stock. The unit is still headed by former Disney Feature Animation head, Jeffrey Katzenberg.
* Disney fails to sweep Oscars in February 2004.
* Disney purchases the Muppets from Jim Henson Productions, begins in late 2004 to feature them in new productions.
* New ticket pricing structure at WDW, to have a ticket that's "good forever" now means you pay extra for it, among other changes.
* Disney ticket prices at theme parks creep upward.
* Space Mountain at Disneyland closes for major structural repair, will not be open in time for the 50th Anniversary in 2005.
* Disney Home Video releases titles with an eye to profits and less with an eye that some of these titles were released within the last 1, 2 or 3 years.
* Disney opens Stitch's Great Escape in Florida, constructs Everest-themed ride at Animal Kingdom and "Soarin' Over California"-themed ride at Epcot.
* Disney opens Tower of Terror in California Adventure, constructs Buzz Lightyear ride at Disneyland's Tomorrowland, and rumors abound whether the Submarines will return to Disneyland.
* Mickey Mouse named Grand Marshal of 2005 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.
* Disney theme park attractions continue to have tragedy, with deaths and injuries at parades at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland still has ride car problems, but reopens to the public after a fatal accident there in 2003.
* The flap over "Fahrenheit 9/11" by filmmaker Michael Moore. Miramax sells the film elsewhere. It goes on to not only create controversy in the presidential election, but make a lot of money at the box office, too.
* Miramax and Disney have increasingly public disputes, planning a parting of the ways.
* Many programming and programmer changes at Disney-owned ABC-TV. Executives depart but leave behind plans for shows that might lift ABC out of it's ratings slump. One of those is "Desperate Housewives", a major hit for the network.
* ESPN is Disney's most profitable broadcast or cable network.
* Comcast makes a bid to takeover Disney in February 2004, an effort which failed.
* Veteran animators, Imagineers, actors and voice artists, management persons and other persons who worked in Walt Disney's era or created Disneyland continue to pass away, including beloved animator Frank Thomas, actor Jerry Orbach ("Lumiere" in the animated "Beauty and the Beast") and others.
* Disney opens "Mary Poppins" in London in December 2004 as their latest Broadway-style musical based on a hit Disney film.
* A strike of unionized Disney employees in California and Florida is averted with the signing of new contracts.
This is not a complete list, it's just off the top of my head, and it's not in any particular order. Feel free to add to it, correct it, criticize it or delete or modify things from it. The moderator can relocate this to where it would be more appropriate if I posted incorrectly. It's just for fun and discussion.
Happy New Year 2005 and may 2005 be much better for Disney and Disney fans!
* The Annual Disney Shareholders meeting, March 2004 and events surrounding and leading up to it.
* "No confidence" vote in Michael Eisner and 4 Board of Directors' members by Disney shareholders.
* Michael Eisner stripped of "Chairman of the Board" title but retains CEO title in answer to shareholder vote.
* Disney Board takes steps to better it's governance and improve it's independence, names two new members.
* The Michael Ovitz trial in Delaware reveals Disney-Ovitz dirty laundry, probes whether huge severance for Ovitz after serving so short a time on the Disney Board was justified.
* Roy Disney and Stanley Gold use funds from sale of Disney stock to create "Save Disney.com" and campaign vigorously to create changes at Disney. At the end of the year they plan to sit back, since a lot of their changes were accomplished, but debate goes on whether all their efforts were successful.
* Michael Eisner announces his retirement for 2006.
* Michael Eisner designates Robert Iger, COO of Disney, to be replacement CEO after Eisner's 2006 retirement.
* The closure of Walt Disney Feature Animation in Florida.
* Restructuring of Feature Animation to be more about CGI/3-D and less "traditional" animation.
* Restructuring of Disney Imagineering.
* Disney animated movie "Home on the Range" fails to "Wow!" audiences.
* Disney live action movies failed to catch on, the most successful being "National Treasure", "The Village" and "Princess Diaries 2", all others failed to "Wow!" audiences very much, including the big budget historic movie "The Alamo".
* Disney theme park attendance in the U.S. improves.
* Four hurricanes batter Florida, affect tourism, but WDW comes through it with mild to moderate damage and unprecedented park closures due to weather.
* Construction of fifth Disney theme park, in Hong Kong.
* Crowds continue to stay away from Disney's California Adventure.
* Plans for 50th Anniversary of Disneyland commence.
* Revitalization and restoration of buildings at Disneyland by new management.
* Near bankruptcy averted for Disneyland Paris.
* Pixar and Disney nearly reach a parting of the ways. Though hope remains for a contractual reconciliation, the final film of their partnership will be "Cars", released in summer 2005.
* "The Incredibles" captivates audiences in November 2004. This Pixar production is distributed by Disney, puts the Buena Vista name in the Top Ten highest grossing movies for 2004 according to Box Office Mojo.com. However, 2003's "Finding Nemo" still ranks as Pixar-Disney's highest grossing movie.
* Disney loses supremacy at the box office as other studios, notably Dreamworks Feature Animation SKG and Nickelodeon Movies (Viacom), make animated product that make as much or more money. "Shrek 2" is a Top Five box office movie and "SpongeBob Squarepants Movie" did better at the box office than "Home on the Range" did, the latter two both 2-D animation.
* Dreamworks Feature Animation goes for a spinoff from Dreamworks SKG and has a successful initial public offering of its stock. The unit is still headed by former Disney Feature Animation head, Jeffrey Katzenberg.
* Disney fails to sweep Oscars in February 2004.
* Disney purchases the Muppets from Jim Henson Productions, begins in late 2004 to feature them in new productions.
* New ticket pricing structure at WDW, to have a ticket that's "good forever" now means you pay extra for it, among other changes.
* Disney ticket prices at theme parks creep upward.
* Space Mountain at Disneyland closes for major structural repair, will not be open in time for the 50th Anniversary in 2005.
* Disney Home Video releases titles with an eye to profits and less with an eye that some of these titles were released within the last 1, 2 or 3 years.
* Disney opens Stitch's Great Escape in Florida, constructs Everest-themed ride at Animal Kingdom and "Soarin' Over California"-themed ride at Epcot.
* Disney opens Tower of Terror in California Adventure, constructs Buzz Lightyear ride at Disneyland's Tomorrowland, and rumors abound whether the Submarines will return to Disneyland.
* Mickey Mouse named Grand Marshal of 2005 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.
* Disney theme park attractions continue to have tragedy, with deaths and injuries at parades at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland still has ride car problems, but reopens to the public after a fatal accident there in 2003.
* The flap over "Fahrenheit 9/11" by filmmaker Michael Moore. Miramax sells the film elsewhere. It goes on to not only create controversy in the presidential election, but make a lot of money at the box office, too.
* Miramax and Disney have increasingly public disputes, planning a parting of the ways.
* Many programming and programmer changes at Disney-owned ABC-TV. Executives depart but leave behind plans for shows that might lift ABC out of it's ratings slump. One of those is "Desperate Housewives", a major hit for the network.
* ESPN is Disney's most profitable broadcast or cable network.
* Comcast makes a bid to takeover Disney in February 2004, an effort which failed.
* Veteran animators, Imagineers, actors and voice artists, management persons and other persons who worked in Walt Disney's era or created Disneyland continue to pass away, including beloved animator Frank Thomas, actor Jerry Orbach ("Lumiere" in the animated "Beauty and the Beast") and others.
* Disney opens "Mary Poppins" in London in December 2004 as their latest Broadway-style musical based on a hit Disney film.
* A strike of unionized Disney employees in California and Florida is averted with the signing of new contracts.