The Bottom Line Or The Front Line

Is Disney concentrating on the financial bottom line at the cost to the front line?

It is a sad question to ask but with three Cast Members loosing there lives in accidents clearly tied to health and safety issues, are the eyes of the Walt Disney executives looking more to Wall St. than to problems on Main St. USA?

Since the start of June this year three Walt Disney World Cast Members have lost there lives on stage. In the previous six decades only four other employee deaths are acknowledged to have happened in Disney theme parks. Could it be that pleasing the stock market in these tough financial times is taking a priority?

A life lived in a little less comfort is still way less important than a life cut too short.

It is no secret that at the beginning of this year Walt Disney World laid off many of its experienced middle management professionals. Were some cuts that were made to appease the all mighty Wall St. a cut too deep?

Dear Disney please remember Wall St. is a betting shop, a place where the sharp suited, guess on the values of a company, these valuations plucked from the air are there simply a way to make money, to gamble today’s price against tomorrows. They are guesses, opinions nothing more. How many times recently have we seen companies report a profit only to see its share price fall - why - because the profit margin wasn’t as high as the analysts of the Dow Jones thought they should have been. That’s right a company’s value can fall because a professional guesser plucked an erroneous figure from the air.

There is no relation to a companies real worth. It’s real values. Disney please look to your core values, not those traded in New York but those shared freely in the Magic Kingdom. If say a new track switch needs adding to a monorail or a Show Director needs an assistant to help stage managed a show then these dollars should be spent and Mr sharp Italian suit and his clients may have to wait a day or two longer for their margins. A life lived in a little less comfort is still way less important than a life cut too short.

Reading this, I would not wish anyone to think I am promoting the idea of any deliberate action on Disney’s part to put Cast Members at risk in order to save money or promote their share price. I merely question the companies focus.