Organizational Technology Plan for Disney

Running head: ORGANIZATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PLAN FOR DISNEY

Organizational Technology Plan for Disney

Author Not Disclosed

University of Phoenix

Human Factors in Technology

TEC/401

Lorelie Kaid

Apr 03, 2006

Organizational Technology Plan for Disney

Technology has changed the way we do business in America, and in the world. The marketplace tempo and pace has quickened from a light trot to a sprint, and the global consumer has placed new demands on corporations worldwide. How companies have responded to these demands has been the fruit or the poison of their survival. To keep up to date with technology, companies must plan for and analyze current and future trends in available technology. One company that has done so is Walt Disney Company, the famed children’s entertainment corporation.

Company History

The Disney Company was started on October 16, 1923 by a partnership of two brothers, Walt and Roy Disney. It was originally known as Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, which later became Walt Disney Studio. One of the first memorable creations Disney films made with sound was the Mickey Mouse cartoon call Steamboat Willie, which opened in New York on November 18, 1928. This was Mickey Mouse’s introduction to adults and children everywhere. This new character instantaneously became very well-liked. Their first full-colored cartoon, Flowers and Trees, won an Academy Award in 1932 for “Best Cartoon”, and Disney would win an Oscar every year for ten years. Not only was Disney growing in leaps and bounds with their success, they were also hitting it big with both their movies and their merchandise. About twenty years later, Disney created their first live film called Treasure Island.

With all the success that Disney was having in both film and television, the thought of expanding and reaching new heights was created. The one area that fascinated Walt Disney was amusement parks; however, he wanted to create an amusement park that both the parents and their children could have a great time. This is how Disneyland, located in California, came about and opened on July 17, 1955. On December 15, 1966, Walt Disney died.

For anyone who has been to Disneyland, you can understand and relate that it is not just an amusement park. This is a place where a person of any age can go and act like a kid. In 1971 Walt Disney World was opened in Orlando, Florida. At this location you would not only have the Magic Kingdom, but places that cater to its visitors such as hotels, camps, shopping, etc. and become the greatest vacation destination in the world.

Before Roy Disney’s death in 1971, the thoughts that were being considered were EPCOT and Community of Tomorrow. Card Walker, Donn Tatum, and Ron Miller, who were trained by the Disney brothers, made this dream of Roy Disney a reality when Epcot and the World Showcase opened in 1982. This is when you can see the technology of Disney starting to grow in leaps and bounds. From the animatronics that were being used in most of their rides in both the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, it was important that this type of technology was continuously challenged and monitored closely.

Current Technology

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is where the magic lives and home to Disney's beloved characters. The segment traces its roots to 1952, when Walt Disney formed what is now known as Walt Disney Imagineering to build Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Today, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts operates or licenses 10 theme parks on three continents with an 11th park currently under construction in Hong Kong, along with 35 resort hotels, two luxury cruise ships and a wide variety of other entertainment offerings.

The Studio Entertainment unit is the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built, and at its heart are world-renowned animated features and live-action motion pictures. Movies are distributed under Walt Disney Pictures, Touchtone Pictures, Miramax Films, Dimension Films, and Buena Vista Home Entertainment.

Disney merchandising began in 1929 when Walt Disney was approached by a businessman interested in placing Mickey Mouse on the cover of a children's writing tablet. The Consumer Products segment now extends the Disney brand to merchandise ranging from apparel, toys, home dйcor and books to interactive games, foods and beverages, electronics and fine art.

When it comes to technology,