Has Disney Lost Its Magic?

Time and time again, I've heard adult's say that children's shows today aren't as good as when they were younger. Now, whether this is an accurate representation of the decreasing quality in television programming is debatable. Many argue that it is the maturing of an individual and their evolving taste that results in this belief, all the while, still adoring their own childhood favourites because of the dose of nostalgia that it brings. I once heard an older gentlemen tell me that the programming of my childhood were downright terrible, and could never replace his favourite shows. But growing up as a child of the 1990's, I personally believe that I was treated to a myriad of great cartoons, including my favourites the Ninja Turtles, Aladdin, and TaleSpin.

Many of these shows shaped my life and probably the lives of many other kids too. Why, the reason I love pizza is because of a quartet of mutant turtles who also loved them too.

Disney is, and always will be, an integral part of the lives of youth in North America. It has created dozens of great tv shows and movies that made childhood so fun. When most of us think of Disney, we are immediately reminded of Mickey Mouse, Disneyland, or princesses finding a handsome prince. But, as I have evolved into an adult myself, I have noticed a shift in Disney's programming line-up that may potentially end Disney's roots.

For decades, Disney brought magic to the forefront of their cinemas and captured audiences around the world. These timeless tales will be shared for generations and have been immortalized in the Disney theme parks. But starting around the turn of the century, the same time Robert Iger became president, and later in 2005, CEO, we have seen a large shift in the paradigm of Disney programming. I for one believe that Disney's reputation as a magical company will soon be lost and Iger could be to blame.

The resurgence of Disney occurred during the Eisner era, considered the Disney Renaissance. Michael Eisner moulded Disney into a dominant corporation which reached children and parents through family-oriented movies that revolved around fairy tales and stories of heroism. The movies released during his era include The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and Pocahontas, each having won two Oscars. But as his reign ended, and Robert Iger took over, so too did the quality of Disney movies and programming. Tarzan (1999), the last movie of the Eisner era, was the last time any Disney film won an Oscar award, a testament to the success of Eisner or possibly the lack of success of Iger.

Disney's large focus on teen dramas for television programming has created successful shows like Hannah Montana and That's So Raven. But unlike Disney creations of the past, shows today focus on youth problems, such as relationships and family, not heroes battling mobsters, evil wizards, or space aliens. These major shifts in programming leads me to believe that Disney is attempting to attract a different target audience, mainly pre-teen girls.

Another major alteration to Disney's programming and marketing is the subtle focus from teams or groups to one main character. Even the titles in today's television programming suggests the star of the show is Hannah Montana or Sonny Monroe, not The Rescue Rangers or the Gummi Bears. These changes will ultimately decrease the longevity and long-term popularity and nostalgic commerciability. In fact, some of the most popular cartoon series of the 1990's are team-related shows, including the Ninja Turtles, Care Bears, and Power Rangers. Side note, there is a running joke that the Power Rangers was racist because of their suit colours, but really, it is marketing technique.

The idea behind teams and groups was not only designed to promote team work, equality, and unity, but to market to a wider range of children and their different personalities. So many shows, not just Disney, used colours and varying personalities to attract children. They would include an athletic character, a shy character, a smart character, a clumsy character, and a humourous character, alongside many other possible personalities. This is how children create "favourite characters," something that seems to be lacking in today's shows because of its one-character focus.

Adult hit shows, like Friends, The Big Bang Theory, and How I Met Your Mother have also developed multiple characters with multiple personalities. I'm sure everyone had a favourite Friends character because of how we identified them. Chandler was the witty-remarked one, Monica the clean-freak, Rachel the ditz, and so on. It was a formula that has proven to work in all genres.

Disney's new format of live-action teen dramas has proven to be profitable, but its longevity wears off. Lizzie McGuire and That's So Raven, two shows which ceased productions years ago, were once extremely popular, but do not sell merchandise anymore. Meanwhile, shows like Duck Tales and TaleSpin continue to sell DVDs and memorabilia because of the nostalgia. Even Lilo & Stitch, a show made after the Eisner era, continues to sell merchandise because of Stitch's cuteness. Other brands like Hello Kitty and Ninja Turtles also prove popular in today's market with adults and children. Walk into a Disney Store or outlet and see what plush toys, dolls, or collectibles are up on stock. It's usually Winnie the Pooh, Mickey, and the Chipmunks, characters which never age and carry that longevity that I keep bringing up. Or, consider going to a Disney theme park and notice what characters continue to play a large role in upkeeping the Disney magic. It's Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Jasmine, as well Mickey and Minnie.

Even with the purchase of Pixar Studios in 2006, Disney's magic touch is still lost. Films like Finding Nemo and Toy Story are considered the best CGI films ever for its originality, its quality of story-telling, its creativity, and its imagination. Almost five years later, viewers of Disney-Pixar collaborations, like Up! and Toy Story 3, still give credit to Pixar, not Disney, a sign that movie viewers regard Pixar as a separate imaginative entity. This is because people regard Disney as the king of hand-drawn animation, which brought the company to its pinnacle in 1999.

But many do not know that Disney had planned on halting 2-D, hand-drawn animated films. John Lasseter, who once as an employee criticized Disney for being uncreative in the past, helped create The Princess and the Frog in 2009, saving Disney's spirit and roots as a classic movie creator. What would have become of Disney if hand-drawn movies were no longer a staple in Disney's video vault?

The former king of cartoons, Walt Disney, if he were alive today, would have seen his company evolve into something he would have hated. Disney was once a company that told creative stories of fantasy and fairy tales. These stories gave children of all ages and of both genders magic and wonderment, memories and inspiration. But we have seen major changes in programming during the reign of Iger that have resulted in the production of teen drama programming and regurgitated movies during the 2000's, titles that bombed at the box office and have very little chance at future success.

Where did all the creativity go once Iger took over? It would not be fair to blame it all on him for the disappearance of the magic of Disney, but considering the decisions and results that have come out of Disney Imagineering, it could be justified.

Revenue Streams Shifting

Disney's revenue stream from its Studio Entertainment division, once represented half of the company's overall profits, but as the company grew, so did its other divisions. However, growth from Studio Entertainment peaked in 2004 and has since declined (see Wikipedia link). Revenue from this division now generates less revenue than it did before it merged with Creative Content in 1996. Consumer product sales have also declined sharply at the end of the Eisner era, evidence supporting that the lack of creative and memorable shows have proven to be profitable only in the short-term.

Now, nearly a half of the company's revenue comes from the theme park and its Media Network, which include television stations like ESPN, Disney Channel, and ABC, which make their money from advertising.

So what can Iger do with Disney to revive its name and identity? The first step was making sure Lasseter continues to lead the creative team. Disney's identity was almost lost in the mix of Pixar movies, and Disney must reclaim its reign as cartoon king. Secondly, if Iger insists on creating live-action shows, consider adding villains back into the picture. Classic television needs heroes to guide children because more children look up to heroes, not teenagers. It worked with Power Rangers, it can work again. Lastly, focus on creating shows with longevity and tie it in with Disney Media Networks. Memorable characters allow fans to collect toys, purchase products and merchandise that will add to the top and bottom line. Adults today, who grew up in the 1980's and 1990's are now buying DVD sets, toys, and clothing from their favourite shows, generating huge profits.

Iger took over a company whose brand was highly regarded, but today is being trashed. Major shifts back to an Eisner-like era would be easily accepted in today's market and would be inexpensive to pursue. Iger has to remember that the profitability of Disney, as important as it may be, must be secondary. The magical world of Disney (also a title of their Sunday night movies) must be upheld to the highest standards with integrity. The money will come along once Disney's reputation as a magical company is restored.