Disney Investments

Disney is a very financially strong company and are there to make a profit! They are involved in so many different products and services that I know they aren't going to go anywhere. They own several other entitites and would make a great investment. I would definitely put my money on Disney!

Employee of Disney

I would definitely consider being an employee of the Disney company. They seem to have their priorities straight! They put their employees first and make sure they are happy. Who wouldn't want to work at the happiest place on earth! They offer great benefits and have a very strong company!

Off The Subject...

Disney bans texting while driving for all cast members

I know this has nothing to do with anything we are learning, but it hit home and I had to share it.

All I can say is THANK GOODNESS!!!

This past Saturday, a lady almost ran me and my two year old niece off of the road into a tree and light pole because she was too busy texting instead of watching where she was going! I will never text again while driving and encourage everyone else to do the same. Is the text more important than someone else's life, let alone your own?

DISNEY & CULTURE

I believe that Disney does a great job and trying to work with different cultures. First of all, they are a global company that has theme parks world wide and they are known by everyone.

Let's look at their history of movies. Every single movie is totally different. They have different types of characters and take place in different locations not only in the US but in different countries around the world.

Alladin was Arabian. The Lion King took place in Africa. Pocahontas was an Indian. The Princess and the Frog were African American. We even have fish like Nemo, or Mermaids like Ariel. Mulan was Chinese. My favorite Beaty and the Beast. All of these teach lessons that prove that race or ethinicity and being male or female really don't make a difference. They all express the different cultures around the world and how one is no better than the other.

Disney strives to be educational and unbiased. They want their viewers to not only enjoy themselves but learn something as well.

Stock Values 11-16-10

Stock Price as of Today (11-16-10) $36.92

Stock Price as of 11-16-09 $30.70

Down 0.33 from yesterday.

Disney Sells Miramax to Focus More on Disney, Pixar, and Marvel Films

http://corporate.disney.go.com/news/corporate/2010/2010_0729_miramax.html

Employee accuses Disney of discrimination

http://www.wdwinfo.com/news/disneyland/Employee_accuses_Disney_of_discrimination.htm

My quesiton is why now? After working for Disney for two years and up and decided to start wearing it everyday? It would have been different if she was hired wearing it and had always worn it. That's only my opinion.

All I can say to this article is.....SERIOUSLY?!?!

Tinker Bell gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame


by Leah Zanolla
Sep 22, 2010

Tinker Bell, Disney's newest star, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday. The ceremony near Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre coincided with the DVD release of the new film "Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue." Tinker Bell was first introduced to the public in J.M. Barrie's 1904 play "Peter and Wendy" and joined the Disney family with the 1953 animated film version "Peter Pan". In more recent years, Tinker Bell has become more of a star in her own right, headlining several films where she leads a band of fairies on various adventures. Tinker Bell isn't the only cartoon character to receive the honor of a star. Some of these recipients include Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Snow White, Winnie-the-Pooh, Kermit the Frog, Big Bird, and Bugs Bunny.

Disney to Outsource Marketing for "Pirates 4"

Disney has taken the unusual step of hiring veteran consultant Valerie Van Galder to handle marketing of the fourth movie in its flagship film franchise, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.”


Click link below to see full article.


http://www.lifeonthebubble.com/life-on-the-bubble/2010/09/the-hollywood-reporter-disney-to-outsource-marketing-for-pirates-4.html

Disney's Recruiting Programs

Disney offers auditions for cast members, vocalists, actors to name a few. The audtions are held normally at different Disney locations and are posted on their website. They also offer several internship programs for students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Their intent with the internships is the hope that some students will come back to work for their company after having hands on experience at the organization.

Disney's Decision Making Strategy

Disney uses decentralized decision making strategies. They depend on their frontline to give feedback in order to make there job easier and better. They also rely on suggestions from it's guests and audience to help with improvements with their products and services.

In November of 2009 Disney Announced the Plan of Their Theme Park in China!

The Mouse announces plans for a theme park in Shanghai, but can Disney learn from the mistakes it made in Hong Kong?

http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/04/news/international/disney_china.fortune/index.htm

Adventures by Disney

Disney offers family vacations in China. I thought this was really neat!

http://abd.disney.go.com/abd/en_US/destination?name=ChinaLandingPage

Recent Disney Mergers

In 2006 Disney bought Pixar for $7.4 billion.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2006-01-24-disney-pixar_x.htm

In 2009 Disney acquired Marvel.

http://www.reelzchannel.com/movie-news/5426/marvel-and-disney-merger-official

Does Disney Outsource?

See link below regarding outsourcing...

http://www.informationweek.com/news/global-cio/outsourcing/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=164900903

Can Disney Be Used as an Example of Vertical Integration?

Disney Corporation is definetely and example of vertical integration.

Besides all of the entertainment, media, and parks/resorts they rely heavily on the consumer products segment. These include clothing/apparel, toys, school supplies, etc.

Generic Strategies

Walt Disney utilizes a broad differentiation strategy.

They do so by providing better quality and value of the products and services that they offer compared to their competitors.

DISNEY·PIXAR'S TOY STORY 3 CROSS $1 BILLION MARK; DISNEY BECOMES FIRST STUDIO WITH TWO $1 BILLION FILMS IN ONE YEAR

http://corporate.disney.go.com/news/corporate/2010/2010_0827_ts3_1bil.html

SWOT on Disney

Strengths:

Differentiation
Brand Awareness
Iconic Logo

Weaknesses:

Limited Target Audience
High Operating Cost

Opportunities:

Expand Segments
Increase Number of Attractions at Theme Parks
Develop Disney Music Channel

Threats:

Competition in Media Industry
Recession
Demand for Innovation

Stock Price as of September 22, 2010

The stock prices ranged from $33.90 to $34.81 today and the last trade was at 4:00PM EDT for $33.99. This was down $0.51 over yesterday's.

On September 22, 2009 the price was $28.38 per share. This shows that today's rate compared to one year ago is up almost 20%.

Disney's Social Media Presence

Facebook Page

http://www.facebook.com/Disney


Twitter Page

http://twitter.com/disneypictures


Blog Page

http://thedisneyblog.com/

Walt Disney's Mission Statement

Disney doesn't have a mission statement. Instead, it has an objective statement.


The Walt Disney Company's objective is to be one of the world's leading producers and providers of entertainment and information, using its portfolio of brands to differentiate its content, services and consumer products. The company's primary financial goals are to maximize earnings and cash flow, and to allocate capital toward growth initiatives that will drive long-term shareholder value.

Stock Price as of September 15, 2010

The stock prices ranged from $33.88 to $34.42 today and the last trade was at 4:00PM EDT for $34,21. This was up $0.16 over yesterdays.

On September 15, 2009 the price was $28.29 per share. This shows that today's rate compared to one year ago is up almost 20%.

Economic Conditions and Trends of the Walt Disney Company

Since Walt Disney provides products and services that are considered luxuries and not necessities their profits have decreased due to recent economical trends.

See the link below for a related article.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Economic-Conditions-and-Trends-of-the-Walt-Disney-Company&id=4713245

A Quote From Walt Disney Himself Regarding Competition

“I have been up against tough competition all my life. I wouldn't know how to get along without it.”

Stock Price as of September 8, 2010

The stock prices ranged from $33.75 to $34.10 today and the last trade was at 4:00PM EDT for $33.84. This was the same as yesterday's close.

On September 8, 2009 the price was $26.28 per share. This shows that today's rate compared to one year ago is up almost 29%.

External Envronmental Threats to Disney

Disney is threatened daily by competing firms who are fighting for the attention of the younger viewers. With several other companies designing new cartoon shows and producing new movies every day Disney has to stay on top of their game just to stay in the game. They are a financialy sound corporation and this helps. Most new entrants into this type of industry don't have the capital that Walt Disney have and so even though they pose a threat it's not likely they would destroy Disney. Walt Disney Corporation receives most of it's income from it's theme parks and resorts. These profits compensate for the loss they may incur due to the decline in number of viewers on one of their cartoon shows.

Employee Policy on Facial Hair

In response to a comment made about the guidelines regarding male employees having facial hair.

See link below for article:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FXS/is_5_79/ai_62792084/?tag=content;col1

Disney takes pride in setting the example and providing a friendly family oriented environment.

10 Bizarre Disney Facts & Oddities

Click on the link below to read article.

http://www.toptenz.net/10-disney-facts-oddities.php

The Walt Disney Company Info

The ticker symbol for Disney is DIS on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

The stock prices ranged from $31.91 to $32.83 today and the last trade was at 4:01PM EDT for $32.54. This was up $0.19 from yesterday's close.

On August 31, 2009 the price was $26.04 per share. This shows that today's rate compared to one year ago is up almost 25%.

So Why Choose Disney?

Two weeks ago I had to go to a convention for work in Orlando. The four day convention was held at Walt Disney World in their Coronado Springs Resort. I have traveled all over and stayed many places but never have I experienced such happy and helpful employees. Everyone on the resort premises always had a smile on their face and in turn it made me smile. I have heard on several occasions that it was suppose to be "the happiest place on Earth" and my experience justified it. So, why is it the happiest place and what makes the employees so chipper? That's why I chose to follow Disney, to see just exactly what they are doing to motivate their employees and keep the morale throughout their company so high. Is it the pay, the benefits, the training, or just hiring the right people? I guess we will find out....