FYS Course - Midterm - Disney Chapters 1 and 2

Who was the former CEO of Disney?

Michael Eisner

Gong Show, what is it and who developed it? - Why is this important?

Michael Eisner developed the Gong Show, which essentially is a panel of individuals (officials of Disney) who listen to all employees' ideas and see if they would create success! THIS INVOLVES THE EMPLOYEES AND MAKES THEM FEEL IMPORTANT!

What is the story with Snow White?

Snow White was released in 1937, and lasted for a total of 90 minutes, which was unheard of at the time. Many critics said this movie would fail because of how no one would want to sit through it, but it turned out that they were wrong. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs grosses $8 million dollars!

What was another instant hit for Disney in the beginning of its life (the company's life)

Steamboat Willie was an instant hit

Pinocchio cost how much money to make? Did it bring in profit?

Pinocchio cost $3 million to make and it brought in lots of profit.

When was Pinocchio made? What is the story with this movie?

Pinocchio was made in February of 1940. After spending $500,000 into its creation, Walt halted the work because of how Pinocchio seemed to wooden and Jiminy seemed too much like a cricket.

What is the company's rule with littering?

Since the employees want to always put on a good show, they clean the litter at all times, and they even try to grab the litter before it touches the ground - commitment and dedication - good show mentality

Does change come slowly or fast? What three things are required for change (time,...)

Change comes slowly, and you need time, persistence, and commitment).

What is a CEO CCO CIO CTO COO

Chief Executive Officer Chief Creative Officer or Chief Compliance Officer Chief Information Officer Chief Technology Officer Chief Operating Officer

What is The Dish (Bob Iger is involved with this)? What does it stand for?

The Dish stands for Digital Immersive Showroom and it is a 10,000 cubic foot virtual reality room which allows imagineers to see how their ideas can come to life and how things can be placed or organized in Disney amusement parks, etc.

What's the main difference between Universal Studios and Disney Company

The Disney Company's heroes and characters captures the hearts of millions of children and they grow with them. Also, unlike Universal Studios, Disney songs remain as classics to all viewers (such as Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo : Cinderella)

How many times per year does the Gong Show happen

The Gong Show happens three times per year

What is the Imagineering Group

The Imagineering Group consists of Imagineers, and these people focus on formulating ideas and carrying Walt Disney's principle of dreaming. New venues and attractions are thought up by this group, as well as stories that go along with them

What year was the Snow White movie, one of the most famous Disney movies of all time, released?

The Snow White movie was released in 1937

What is an example of a movie's topic that was formulated in a Gong Show?

The movie Hercules (focusing on inner strength, rather than outward appearance or brute force). The storyline did change, but the main idea remained intact.

The stories and movies were able to articulate Walt's...

The stories and movies were able to articulate Walt's dreams. Watching his Disney movies, allowed(s) you to realize what he was dreaming and imagining all along.

What is the turnover rate in most theme parks? What is Disney Parks' turnover rate

The turnover rate in most theme parks is 150%, while the Disney theme parks have a turnover rate of less than 30% Disney parks are much more successful in this aspect than any typical theme park!

How many imagineers are there around the world

There are hundreds of imagineers around the world

Why do Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson both love Disney? What did Lynn Jackson regard as one of the best things of being a child?

These two authors love Disney Company because of the memorable moments it created for them when they were children (and continues to create for them). They grew up with this company, and learned valuable lessons at the same time. The Wonderful World of Disney - Lynn Jackson regarded this show as one of the best things of being a child.

What happened to Uncle Robert

Uncle Robert only wanted a repayment of his $500 that he gave to Walt Disney. If he instead took part ownership of the company, then he could have accumulated as much as 1 billion dollars today

How far away is Universal Studios in Orlando from Walt Disney World

Universal Studios in Orlando is about seven miles away from Walt Disney World

Compre the attendance of Universal Studios and Walt Disney World.

Universal Studios, on a yearly basis, has just 1/3 of the attendance of the Magic Kingdom alone.

Who was the founder of the Disney company?

Walt Disney

How can JFK relate to Walt Disney?

Walt Disney always believed in the four principle of dream believe dare do, and so did JFK with trying to set the first American on the moon in 1961

What did Walt Disney tell an employee to do on the Pirates of the Caribbean Ride? What was the problem all along?

Walt Disney asked his employee to ride the Caribbean until he figured out what was wrong; the employee noticed there were no fireflies, and they added them as soon as possible!

Walt Disney believed in great customer service and appreciation, and he always wanted to create the p...

Walt Disney believed in great customer service and appreciation, and he always wanted to create the perfect show

Walt Disney believes that every employee is... What is the current goal in training salespeople?

Walt Disney believed that every employee is the company in the mind of its customers The current goal in training salespeople, is to make them think like Walt Disney did

What happened with Walt Disney in his art class when he was young, why is this important?

Walt Disney drew flowers with faces in the middle of them, and the teacher was unimpressed. She (teacher) failed to realize Disney's creativity, imagination, and reliance on dreams, which allowed him to create the Walt Disney Company. - imagination, dreaming, experimentation are key to the company's success

Walt Disney had a passion for 3 things. What were they and did it lead to success?

Walt Disney had a passion for his employees, customers, and products - This led to an immeasurable amount of success over time, causing the company to essentially become an empire

Many leaders of companies do not like Dream Retreats? True or False; if True, why?

Yes, many leaders of other companies do not like Dream Retreats because they feel that they are just a waste of time and are basically vacations; BUT, in reality, these Retreats are indeed a vacation, but only from ineffective cultures and ways of working.

Do people now expect Disney products to be made with extreme care and to entertain them constantly? Why?

Yes, of course they expect this because of how Walt Disney began the company with the mindset that he and his employees would create the finest family entertainment.

The Hundredth Monkey Four Lessons:

Total transformation takes time Benefits of transformation must be real Management must model the desired behavior There must be top management commitment

Turnover rate is what?

Turnover rate is the percentage of the employees that leave (quit from) the company.

What are the eleven fundamentals of the Disney methodology?

1. Give every member of your organization a chance to dream and tap into their creativity 2. Stand firm on your beliefs and principles. 3. Treat your customers like guests. 4. Support and reward your employees. 5. Build long-term relationships with key suppliers and partners! (Strategic Alliances) 6. Dare to take risks in order to bring your ideas into fruition. 7. Train extensively and reinforce your organization's culture. 8. Align long-term vision with short-term execution. 9. Use the storyboarding technique to plan projects, solve problems, and improve communication 10. Pay close attention to detail 11. Love your employees, your customers, your products, and yourself!

In these Retreats, participants...

Bat around ideas, discuss, laugh, come up with solutions as a team

Before the opening of Disneyland what did Walt Disney ask his employees to do several times? What happened?

Before the opening of Disneyland, Walt Disney asked his employees to check and review the content of the park (several times). Employees thought this was unnecessary, until they figured out that something didn't feel right with the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

Who created the Digital Immersive Showroom (The Dish)?

Bob Iger

Who is the current CEO of Disney?

Bob Iger

When was Walt Disney born? When did he die?

December 5, 1901 - Chicago, Illinois - Birth December 15, 1966 - Lung Cancer - Death

When did Disney purchase Pixar Animation Studios?

Disney purchased Pixar Animation Studios in 2006

Dream Believe Dare Do (little explanations)

Dream - Dreaming Big Believe - Believing in your dreams Dare - Daring to take risks Do - Doing it (executing it)

Explain Dream Believe Dare Do as it applies to JFK (pictures in book)

Dream - Think and wonder about the possibility of an American stepping on the moon. Believe - raise awareness and begin speaking to all about this dream and Possibility Dare - Begin flying in a rocket ship to space and to the moon Do - American finally plants his foot on the moon

What are Dream Retreats?

Dream Retreats are basically off-site gatherings for Disney employees. Here, they are able to get away from their daily work, and think of creative ideas to accomplish. New culture typically tends to take form in these Dream Retreats, and the workers begin to believe that anything is indeed possible (many Imagineers take part in these retreats as well).

How long can Dream Retreats last for?

Dream Retreats can last for 3 - 5 days (depends)

Who is Ed Catmull

Ed Catmull is the Co-founder of Pixar and President of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios.

John Lasseter and Ed Catmull, in 2006 were pressured to take down Disney Animation and just make it Pixar, what happened?

Even though both John and Ed were indeed pressured to take down Disney Animation in 2006, they did not do so because of how they valued Walt Disney's principles and visions for Disney as a whole. The Disney Company began as an animating sensation, so John and Ed did not want to end Walt's dreams when he was still alive.

Give an example of a venue that the Imagineers created a story with.

Imagineers, who are a part of the Imagineering Group, once came up with a venue in Florida's Walt Disney World known as "Blizzard Beach." One of the Imagineering rooms had been filled with memorabilia, including snow domes. An imagineers grabbed a snow dome and questioned why they couldn't make a ski resort. The other imagineers challenged this idea, and they all worked together to create a story that told of a snow-filled year that allowed Floridans to create ski resorts. Then, the water had melted, and turned the ski resort into a water park, now know as "Blizzard Beach." - Instant Success

What are employees called in the Walt Disney Company? What are customers called?

In the Walt Disney Company, employees are referred to as Cast Members (they are ALL a part of the entire good show) and the customers are Guests

Innovate, don't....

Innovate, don't imitate!

Chapter 2 - when the company itself was still small, what would Walt Disney do instead of just telling his animated an idea for a movie?

Instead of just telling his animators an idea, he would embark them on a story; he would tell them a story to fascinate them and entice them to make the movie the best that it can ultimately be.

How long does it take for a cultural change to occur within a company? Is it easy?

It can take up to 3-5 years for a cultural change to occur, and it is rather difficult for it to occur.

Where was the Walt Disney company founded

Los Angeles, California

What is a perfect example of this "future talent" (person)

John Lasseter is a perfect example of his future talent.

What titles does John Lasseter hold?

Lasseter holds titles such as the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, and DisneyToon Studios

When was was the Walt Disney Company founded

October 16, 1923

Are stories one of the main reasons for Guests to keep returning to the amusement parks and resorts?

Of course, stories are one of the main reasons that Guests keep returning to Disney's amusement parks and resorts.

Who is Walt's brother?

Roy Disney

Story of 1950s monkeys on Japanese Island (Koshima) - how does it apply to real life situations

Scientists dropped sweet potatoes onto the sand, and one monkey in particular, washed the sand off in the salt water. This monkey ate a clean potato, while the others did not. Several years later, all of the monkeys were now washing their food/potatoes before eating them. Same thing essentially happens in businesses! When an employee takes on a new set of values, other employees will begin to follow in his or her footsteps BUT IT WILL TAKE TIME

Disneyland Park building - what was built before anything else and why

The castle in Disneyland was built first before anything else because of how he wanted his dreams to become a reality (how would he build everything else around this main structure?) - Helped shape vision

What technique has the company adopted to solve problems (used to keep track of thousands of drawings for animation)

The company, to solve its problems, has adopted the storyboarding technique(originally used to keep track of thousands of drawings for animation).

Who said "I dream, I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I execute my vision to make those dreams come true: Dream, Believe, Dare, Do." What is this essentially?

Walt Disney said "I dream, I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I execute my vision to make those dreams come true." This is the underlying philosophy of the Disney company itself: Dream, Believe, Dare, Do.

Walt Disney transformed animation into a new art form between these years:

Walt Disney transformed animation into a new art form between 1930 - 1942

What is the story with Fantasia's title?

Walt Disney wanted to hear employees' recommendation for the new movie that was being created. After countless offers, and involving employees effectively, Fantasia was the name that seemed the most fitting.

Was Walt Disney a great story teller? Did this help him convey his messages effectively?

Walt Disney was indeed a great storyteller, which would allow him to convert his messages brilliantly, strategically, and clearly.

How did Walt Disney treat his employees' ideas?

Walt Disney welcomed their ideas! He always wanted to hear from his workers, and try to make their dreams come true.

What did Walt do?

Walt borrowed $500 from his Uncle Robert and he then, after a bit of time, was successfully able to start up the Walt Disney Company.

What college-level school did Walt work on near the end of his life and why?

Walt worked on the California Institute of Arts (now known as Cal. Arts) so that his imagination and methods would continue with others past his lifetime. He wanted to develop the talent of the future.

Who was called upon to fix Jiminy?

Ward Kimball was asked to fix Jiminy, and give him more human characteristics (Kimball's design is the one we see today).

Did Walt Disney have difficulty creating the company at first?

Yes, Walt Disney was having trouble creating his first filmmaking business, in part, due to animation difficulties and money was scarce.

Is it true that everything that Walt Disney created, revolved around the four principles?

Yes, everything that Walt Disney created, revolved around the four core principles: Dream, Believe, Dare, Do.

Is it true that Disneyland and Walt Disney World draw such large amounts of people from all over the world? How many are repeat visitors?

Yes, it is true that Disneyland and Walt Disney World do attract such large alight s of people from the far reaches of the world. Over 70% of the visitors are repeat visitors.