Disney

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Disney (迪士尼)
Type	Entertainment and media conglomerate
Headquarters	Burbank, California 12
Chairman / CEO / President	Michael Eisner 673
Key divisions	Disney Films, Disney Animation, Buena Vista International, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, ABC, Disney theme parks and resorts 12 354 559
Status	Active 689
First Appearance	Chapter 11

Background / History

Disney had nearly gone bankrupt before Roy Disney and major shareholder Sid Bass supported the recruitment of former Paramount executives Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg. Their arrival began Disney's revival and returned it to Hollywood's major studios. 12

Under Eisner, Disney expanded beyond its reputation for children's animation. Touchstone Pictures was created for adult-oriented films, followed by Hollywood Pictures as another live-action label; Disney Films handled domestic distribution, while Buena Vista International managed overseas releases. 12

Disney's resurgence was driven by animation, home entertainment, licensing, and theme parks. Bill Mechanic ended the company's international-distribution partnership with Warner Bros. and established Buena Vista International, while also pioneering direct videocassette sales through major retailers. 71

Business Operations

Area	Operations
Film production	Disney Films oversaw Disney Animation and live-action production; Touchstone Pictures and Hollywood Pictures broadened the company's output beyond family films. 12
Distribution	Disney Films handled domestic distribution, while Buena Vista International handled international markets. 12
Home entertainment	Disney used direct videocassette sales through retail partners; animation releases became especially lucrative in the video market. 71 98
Television	The acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC added the ABC broadcast network and ESPN sports cable network to Disney's portfolio. 351 354
Consumer products	Disney operated 728 Disney Stores worldwide and earned major licensing revenue from characters such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Winnie the Pooh, and Disney Animation properties. Asian licensing sales alone exceeded $5 billion. 653
Parks and resorts	Disney operated Disneyland resorts internationally, developed Disney Cruise Line, and used Walt Disney Imagineering for parks, attractions, shows, parades, theaters, and real-estate projects. 524 559

Animation

Disney was portrayed as the dominant studio in hand-drawn 2D animation, with its films generating box-office revenue, videotape sales, merchandise licensing, and theme-park material. 98 355

Film	Performance	Significance
The Little Mermaid	$110 million in North America and $210 million worldwide; later sold 9 million videotapes. 45 98	Marked a new stage for Disney's hand-drawn animation and demonstrated the commercial value of animation-related merchandise.
Beauty and the Beast	$145 million in North America and $245 million worldwide; sold over 22 million videotapes. 146 406	The first animated film nominated for Best Picture; won Oscars for Best Original Song and Best Original Score. 163
Aladdin	$210 million in North America and $500 million worldwide. 202	Strengthened Jeffrey Katzenberg's standing within Disney.
The Lion King	$290 million in North America and more than $400 million overseas. 308	Regarded as the pinnacle of Disney's 2D hand-drawn animation; its success further enhanced Katzenberg's public reputation. 239 301
Pocahontas	$140 million in North America and $340 million worldwide; sold over 15 million video sets. 406	Continued Disney Animation's strong home-entertainment performance.
Fantasia 2000	Produced for $80 million; earned $90 million worldwide. 673	An IMAX-produced sequel to Fantasia whose poor performance became a source of internal dissatisfaction.
Tarzan	Earned $150 million after a month and a half in theaters. 590	Its performance was overshadowed by Pixar's Toy Story 2, which reached $140 million in only three weeks. 590
Dinosaur	$130 million in North America and $340 million worldwide. 672	One of Disney's stronger later animated releases.

Leadership and Internal Conflict

Eisner, Wells, and Katzenberg

Michael Eisner held extensive authority through the support of Sid Bass, Roy Disney, and Disney president Frank Wells. His control over the board and executive structure earned him the description of Disney's “monarch.” 71 266

Jeffrey Katzenberg oversaw Disney's film, television, animation, and live-action operations. His role in Disney's revival and animation successes made him a powerful internal figure, but disputes over compensation, authority, and succession gradually brought him into conflict with Eisner. 11 71 163

Frank Wells's death in a helicopter crash during Easter 1994 removed a key mediator within the company. Eisner then made himself president without involving Katzenberg, effectively ending their long-standing partnership. 266

Succession Problems

After Katzenberg's departure, Disney endured repeated leadership instability. Eisner reassigned Katzenberg's former duties among Joe Roth, Rich Frank, and Roy Disney, then later recruited Michael Ovitz as president. 282 338

Ovitz had little support inside Disney and was dismissed after roughly a year and a half. By the time of Fantasia 2000's poor performance, Eisner again held the chairman, CEO, and president positions simultaneously, while Roy Disney Jr. advocated for a new president. 438 673

Key Relationships

• Michael Eisner — Chairman, CEO, and later president; centralized authority within Disney and led its expansion into television, retail, cruises, and global resorts. 266 524 673
• Frank Wells — Disney president and Eisner's close executive partner; widely respected by employees and served as a mediator between Eisner and other personnel until his death. 266
• Jeffrey Katzenberg — Former film and entertainment chief whose animation successes fueled a struggle with Eisner; departed and co-founded DreamWorks SKG. 163 297
• Roy Disney Jr. — Disney family member, board figure, and co-manager of Disney Animation; later criticized Eisner's leadership and advocated appointing a new president. 673
• Michael Ovitz — Former Disney president whose tenure was undermined by Eisner's distrust and lack of internal support. 420 438
• Joe Roth — Recruited to oversee Disney's live-action business; later left after feeling that Eisner prioritized ABC over the film division. 282 561
• Aaron Anderson / Dawn Universal — Rival conglomerate. Disney attempted to acquire Dawn and offered Aaron control of its live-action film and television operations, but he refused to sell. 111 146
• DreamWorks SKG — Major competitor founded by Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg, and David Geffen; competed with Disney in animation, live action, and television. 302 338
• Pixar — Dawn-owned 3D-animation competitor whose success with Toy Story and its sequels challenged Disney's traditional-animation dominance. 338 590

Expansion and Theme Parks

Disney considered Euro Disney Resort a corporate priority, though disappointing attendance and large debt after its opening contributed to stock-price fluctuations. 71 163

The company later expanded its consumer-facing operations through Disney Cruise Line, global Disney Store growth, the acquisition of Fox Family Entertainment Channel, Tokyo DisneySea, Disney Village near Euro Disney Resort, and plans for Hong Kong Disneyland. 524 589 633

Disney's Hong Kong strategy involved joint investment and shared ownership with a local partner, modeled after Euro Disney Resort. Eisner considered Disney's global brand strong enough that no viable market would reject it. 558

Major Corporate Developments

• Disney sought to acquire Dawn Pictures twice, first offering Aaron continued management and retained shares, then offering him the presidency of Disney Films Group. Aaron rejected both offers to preserve Dawn's independence. 111 146
• Disney acquired Capital Cities/ABC, becoming the world's largest media conglomerate in the novel's contemporary industry landscape. 354
• The acquisition gave Disney ABC and ESPN, substantially strengthening its television and cable-sports position. 351
• Disney canceled its television-production partnership with DreamWorks despite the success of Spin City, dealing a setback to DreamWorks Television. 524
• Disney's attempt to build a new Disneyland in northern Virginia was canceled following public, legal, environmental, and historical-preservation opposition. 301
• The restoration of Fantasia removed the African American centaur Sunflower, provoking debate over racial stereotyping, censorship, historical preservation, and creative freedom. 633

Notable Quotes

“Because I don't think there is any country or region in the world right now that would refuse Disney!” — Michael Eisner on Disney's Hong Kong ambitions 558

“Disney's monarch, Michael Eisner, really is formidable.” — Aaron Anderson after Eisner became Disney president following Frank Wells's death 266