Corporate- A Smart Purchase- Electronic Arts

Disney should buy Electronic Arts. Why should they do this you're asking? Think about Disney's video game plight (in fact there's a previous post on it). So let's give the bottom line up front: Disney needs help in video games and EA is a MAJOR PLAYER with SOLID FRANCHISES and LOYAL CUSTOMERS. Think about Madden football, NBA Jam, NCAA, FIFA, NHL, Rockband, etc. These are enduring games, not one hit wonders.
  Now look at Disney's current games- Epic Mickey is the biggest one and there are noticeable problems. So lets combine the two. If Disney should spend a significant amount of money anywhere, video games are a worthy place to do so. So lets look at some numbers- EA is a publicly traded stock on NASDAQ and brings in annual revenue of $3.6 Billion.
  EA represents what Disney's video games could be, but the beauty of this is that EA is no longer making the exciting games they once were. EA needs new fresh ideas and blood, Disney needs a known game producer with solid titles, so it's a perfect match. Is the price tag expensive? Yes. Is it worth it? Definitely. Disney can become the originator of great new games and compete with the best studios in the industry.

Corporate- A Smart Purchase- Sunglass Hut

 Disney should buy Sunglass Hut. Sound strange? It should. Nearly all acquisitions made by Disney have been entertainment based and Sunglass Hut is not an entertainment company, so you may be asking, why on earth would they buy an fashion accessory company? Let's look shall we:   
The basis: Think about how the business continues to grow through acquisitions- Disney bought Pixar to keep their movies fresh and exciting, the company bought channels in Russia and India to expand their television programming internationally, etc. The point here is that to successfully expand as a company, EACH of the COMPANY PILLARS must expand independently. We've seen the studios and television acquire, the parks and resorts continue to build, but consumer products expansion has been relatively limited. So, if we look at it from that perspective, what is needed is some product category that Disney can capitalize on to expand their current operations.

1) Sunglass Hut is a company that specializes in selling different types of high-end sunglasses. These glasses typically sell for $150-$350 and are located in nearly every mall across the country. As a company, Sunglass Hut has never made much profits and after its rapid expansion was voluntarily acquired by the Luxottica Group, the world's largest eyewear company based in Italy.  Both Luxottica Group and Sunglass Hut have been hit hard by the economy with Sunglass Hut only averaging revenue of $680 million currently. So this means they are available and can be purchased relatively cheaply.

2) Since Sunglass Hut is located in every mall in the country, Disney can acquire the company, and have them continue operations as they are. Disney already runs their Disney stores in most malls throughout the country, so they have the ability and knowledge how to run locations such as this.

3) Though Disney has no experience selling sunglasses, they would still succeed in these endeavors based on their management. Disney SHOULD get into the sunglasses business...why? Well for one thing, it's a small business with minimal competitors. Second, think about where the parks are located...all in sunny and hot environments. Disney can capitalize on their own geography and sell them accordingly. Why not? They sell their own ponchos when it rains...this would put them in charge of the elements.

4) Imagine every Downtown Disney with a Sunglass Hut. If people are willing to spend $350 on glasses at the local mall then they would spend a whole lot more at a Disney resort.

5) Disney is as much a consumer products company as it entertainment and Sunglasses are an easy way for Disney to smoothly transition more into the fashion/clothing market. The beauty of this idea is that the locations are already set up nationally and the brand is already identifiable. There is very little to lose in this situation!

Parks and Resorts- Fantasyland Expansion Excitement

Who's excited for the new Fantasyland? I am, but it's not without reservations. I think most of us will miss Toontown...but because of any great attractions or restaurants, but simply because of what it was. It was an engineering triumph and a creative land that defied imagination. The new Fantasyland is expected to surpass all expectations. What's so great about it?

The Little Mermaid- I think just about everybody is relieved that Little Mermaid is finally getting its due at the parks. The success of that film along with a concept that is perfect for an attraction will ensure that Little Mermaid becomes an experience rather than just a show.

The Beauty and the Beast Castle- The drawings on this look great, including a restaurant, a gift shop, and a walk around exhibit will surely make for an exciting area. Should they have built a real attraction like they did for Little Mermaid? Possibly, but I expect this area to be wildly successful.

Snow White and the Mine Train- This is what i'm most excited about and i'm glad they added it instead of the Pixie Hollow area. Adding a little thrill to Fantasyland will help the park, much like Matterhorn Mountain does to Disneyland in California.

Dumbo x 2- When I heard that they were building a second Dumbo carousel I was a bit confused. Why two Dumbo attractions, what's the point? Couldn't they use the space for better purposes? Then I looked at the attendance figures. Dumbo is one of the longest queue attractions for guests, so adding a second one will not only look better, but will decrease wait time and flow throughout Fantasyland.

The one question I have to ask now is...what about CURRENT FILMS? Why does it take 20 years for a SUCCESSFUL film to get an attraction? Disney should look to PIXAR films for the next batch of attractions. A Wall-E attraction in Tomorrowland, a Cars attraction in Adventureland, an UP attraction in Fantasyland (Imagine the house built with the balloons similar to the Toontown Style). These ideas are all plausible, but they are also current, which helps them stay relevant.

The new Fantasyland should be very exciting, not only because of the new attractions, but because of the sizable investment. If this is successful, this will likely start a new trend among WDP&R for significant renovations at Disneyland and Tokyo Disney. This is the best alternative to combat the Wizarding World of Harry Potter...and to the winner go the spoils.

Corporate- It's time to learn the Martial Arts

  Disney is very good at showing its guests a concept in a short amount of time. Think about it, where did you first learn about pirates? Probably from Pirates of the Caribbean. Now why is this significant? It's significant because Disney is a master at introducing concepts in innovative ways and and fleshing out the story out of there. Though the Pirates movies aren't great films, it furthers the lore and makes the concept exciting. This is similar to the way the Sopranos reignited the Mafia craze, Harry Potter reignited the Wizarding craze, etc. Disney is simply good at making things fun again if the concept is good. So what is the next concept? Given Disney's focus on sports (ESPN and Wide World of Sports), sports movies (Look at nearly every live action movie in the 1990's), tv shows that empower children (see current Disney channel shows), their desire to improve Disney XD's shows, and their public service messages on staying active...Disney should focus on Martial arts. Now i know Disney has a show called "Kickin It" and it stars Jason Earles (from Hannah Montana fame). This show is pretty sad and doesn't delve into the concept. Disney needs to introduce the world to the martial arts in its entirety...what does this mean? It means a real tv show with interesting characters and storylines, not a quick slapstick comedy. It means a movie, like Miracle did to hockey, that starts a craze. It means a huge demonstration or tournament takes place at Wide world of sports. This concept is ripe for a new character to inspire a craze. Imagine Karate by Disney, they can make it the fascination of every young boy and focus on the discipline needed and the abilities of the participants. Disney could educate kids about responsibility in the martial arts as well as educate kids about all different styles of martial arts. They could create a Karate academy and be the first global company to put martial arts on the mainstream.

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Corporate- The Greatest Franchises

Disney has some great franchises to rely on including Toy Story, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Disney Princesses, but lately it seems that Disney's new franchises are weak and underwhelming. Think about this term for a minute; what is a franchise? A franchise is an idea or concept that the company can bank on. A franchise is never a one hit wonder, it is an idea that starts a trend and easily spawns new ideas and ventures. A franchise should also be able to have successful movie sequels, strong consumer product lines, television shows, video games, and theme park attractions. Don't be mistaken by franchise fakers; as dear as the Haunted Mansion is, it's not a franchise. The Lion King is not a franchise. Cars is not a franchise (though I know Disney is really trying to make it one). A franchise is exciting. The best franchises do not get an attraction at the park, they get a whole park to themselves. Here is a list of the ten best franchises in entertainment

10) Marvel Universe. It's fun to follow and know how the characters interplay.

9) Indiana Jones. The act of discovery is very exciting.

8) The Simpsons. The strength of this franchise is in the large cast of characters.

7) Preacher comic book series. (Potential...why has this not been made a series of movies yet?)

6) Lord of the Rings. Imagine walking around the Shire, Rivendell, or Gondor.

5) Harry Potter series. Wizards of Waverly place was Disney's attempt to capture some of these fans, but the Potter series is so well-written and full of fun ideas and language that it is in a league all its own.

4) Star Wars. Since 1977 this franchise has been leading the charge. The Disney/Lucas cooperation projects only help Disney, but they can do more. Why not a star wars themed land or park? Why not a Soarin style attraction in the millennium falcon? Star Tours is good, but why not create a 3-D environment that actually follows the stories?

3) Batman. He's a superhero without superpowers...making him believeable (to a degree) and addictive. Look at the Christopher Nolan Batman movies, they are amazing. The adventures of Batman are never going away.

2) The Muppets. This is the strongest asset Disney has right now that they can actually work with. They can't mess with Mickey, but the Muppets are those type of characters for adults. They can use adult humor and they can experiment with these characters! I'm glad they re-vitalized the franchise again, but lets hope they made it good.

1) Jurassic Park. What a concept this is, interesting, fun, exciting, and full of imagination. The books are great, the first movie is great, and it hits the inner kid in all of us...but the best part is that IT IS A THEME PARK SO THERE WON'T BE ANY PROBLEM ADAPTING IT. It is a shame that universal has this because they do not know how to properly leverage this asset. The ride they have now is terrible, the little eatery is terrible, and they aren't using it to its full potential. Imagine what Disney could do with this idea. It would demand its own theme park and Disney would really attempt to recreate the feeling of the books/movies. Not just a "dinosaur ride", but imagine a park that had all the elements and layout of the story. That would be exciting.

Obviously, all of these franchises already exist and would cost a lot of money to acquire (if they even could). However, Disney can also grow franchises in-house. Concepts such as Ninjas, Karate, Astronauts/Space, ghosts, Mafia, etc. All these concepts are GENRES in addition to their current Pirates, Princesses, and the recent vampire craze.

Disney Studios- The Triumph of the Disney Theatrical Group

  When people think Disney musical's, most will likely conjure up the eternal movies, but Disney Theatrical Group (DTG) is giving the film studios a run for its money. DTG is a great concept because it brings to life the characters and stories from the films. Their history is short and their movement is slow, but their successes so far are solid.

 Beauty and the Beast (1994)
 The Lion King (1997)
 Aida (2000)
 Mary Poppins (2004)
 Tarzan (2006)
 The Little Mermaid (2008)

Furthermore, Disney was wise enough to really begin expanding their theatrical investment with planned shows of:
   Dumbo
   Aladdin
   The Hunchback of Notre Dame
   The Jungle Book
   Alice in Wonderland (Tim Burton version)

Though I can't say i'm excited about the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland, the rest of the upcoming slate shows lots of promise. Disney has a variety of stories that they can bring to life in front of the audience. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Lady and the Tramp, etc. would all make potential popular musicals and will help make them popular and relevant again today. Disney must also use these in-production musicals as a test beacon before they attempt a musical based on a Pixar movie. You think Lion King was good, how about Finding Nemo, or Toy Story, or Up, etc. Pixar musicals would bring immediate sensation and make DTG the premier show producer in the country. Disney must be careful to protect and ensure these musicals are produced to their fullest, but need to keep the entity of the musical alive. Their shows are too often out of service; Beauty and the Beast should be traveling around the globe, Lion King will always be popular, Mary Poppins and Little Mermaid were not out long enough to gain the momentum needed. DISNEY MUST DEBUT ON BROADWAY, BUT THEN TRAVEL THE SHOW TO GAIN SUCCESS. THEIR MAIN AUDIENCE WILL NOT BE FOUND ON BROADWAY, BUT IN LARGER CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

   Disney also has a break in the theatrical venue because the audience will not be heavily scrutinizing the characters acting. Disney's main priority must be to ensure the music and the story flow well. If the actor can sing it well then the guest will enjoy, but a good actor who is unable to sing the character's notes like they do in film will cause disappointment and anger in the guest.

DTG has a strong future and I look forward to the future in this endeavor, I just wonder what took the company so long to actually make DTG a priority and realize the potential within it.