Disney Shareholder Meeting & D23 Fanniversary Phoenix

[GoGoJulie]

Is anyone attending the Shareholders meeting or D23 Fanniversary (same location, just later in the day) March 6th in Phoenix?

 

[thegrovers]

I'll be there for both! After twenty years of owning stock, I finally get to go.

 

[GoGoJulie]

I'll be there for both! After twenty years of owning stock, I finally get to go.

What did you think of both events? Would you make an effort to go again?

 

[thegrovers]

What did you think of both events? Would you make an effort to go again?

I'm glad I went. I enjoyed the shareholder meeting and appreciated Robert Iger's presentation, particularly the way it gave a good overview of the company's plans in a variety of operating areas. It was clear that portion of the meeting was highly scripted, including the use of the big-screen teleprompter behind the audience.

I'm a bit of a governance geek, so I was glad for the discussion prompted by the shareholder proposals.

I thought Iger handled himself well during the Q&A portion. After the scripted presentation, I wondered how that would go. Some of the questions were very good. Others bordered on adulation of a man who, let's face it, is very highly compensated for leading and developing talented people.

I was less pleased with the D23 event. Perhaps it's because I had recently been to the Disney Archives exhibit at the Reagan Library, so I'd had a fair bit of Disney history, and could absorb it at my own pace. The "Fanniversary" felt like something that would have worked just as well as a set of webpages with video.

The other D23 events I've been to had more interaction, more surprises, and a bit more of a sense of having something "special." That wasn't present yesterday. On the other hand, this was much cheaper than those other events.

I suppose it didn't help that the giveaways they gave us were awards season promotions for animated films. They said "For Your Consideration" indicating that they sent them to members of the awards-giving groups (such as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences) trying to drum up votes for those films. Now that the Oscars are over, those items are, essentially, trash. Now, one person's trash is another's treasure, but it still felt like I was paying D23 to give me the studio's discards. Not a good way to start an event...

Nevertheless, I'm glad they brought both events to Phoenix.

 

[GoGoJulie]

I was less pleased with the D23 event. Perhaps it's because I had recently been to the Disney Archives exhibit at the Reagan Library, so I'd had a fair bit of Disney history, and could absorb it at my own pace. The "Fanniversary" felt like something that would have worked just as well as a set of webpages with video.

The other D23 events I've been to had more interaction, more surprises, and a bit more of a sense of having something "special." That wasn't present yesterday. On the other hand, this was much cheaper than those other events.

I suppose it didn't help that the giveaways they gave us were awards season promotions for animated films. They said "For Your Consideration" indicating that they sent them to members of the awards-giving groups (such as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences) trying to drum up votes for those films. Now that the Oscars are over, those items are, essentially, trash. Now, one person's trash is another's treasure, but it still felt like I was paying D23 to give me the studio's discards. Not a good way to start an event...

You said it very well. I would even make an effort to attend another Shareholder meeting.
At the risk of sounding unDisney, I was actually disappointed in the D23 event. I realize it was a lower cost, but they did save a lot of money by sandwiching it in at the same venue as the shareholders meeting. They could have at the very least, kept the coffee, music, and characters for a pre-presentation event. I didn't expect to sit 2 hours to hear two people reading notes on a slideshow.
I also came ready to spend money on a special D23 momento. No special pins, or D23 T-shirts? Just stand in line for your picture with a puppet and walk out?
I was a bit surprised at the end of the slide show when she said "and now we have one more special announcement". I thought then.. Wow, OK, this is the moment we came for. Then she said.."I guess not". What?!?!
I think the presentation dragged on too long and was so scripted it bordered on boring.