When Walt Disney died in 1966, many predicted that it might be the end of Walt Disney Productions, but Walt had a number of ideas and concepts that lasted well into the next decade. He also left behind a well-established group of workers that hoped to continually answer the question, “What would Walt do?” with more magical creations that would dazzle and delight.
With this book, author and historian Mark Arnold explores the major accomplishments of Walt Disney Productions during the years 1966 – 1985, paying particular attention to their theatrical film output, but also discussing the various new theme park attractions and the TV shows produced during that period.
Things went well until the mid-1970s, when ideas started to run thin and repetition set in, causing shrinking box office success. By the 1980s, threats of corporate takeover were knocking at their door, at which time change had become unavoidable if Disney were to survive as an independent company.
Disney had to change their already outdated methods of making movies and running a movie studio geared solely towards family entertainment. As a result, Michael Eisner took over and retooled Disney into the mega-empire that it is today. This is the story after Walt and before Michael…
