Michael Eisner and Frank Wells revive Imagineering and encourage widespread growth. They make Disney cool and relevant with teenagers. Every design project the Imagineers touch turns to gold. The crown jewel, Euro Disneyland, goes over budget and encounters resistance. Poor press coverage and cultural missteps cause low attendance. Humbled, management shies away from future theme parks. Directed by Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks.
The Midas Touch
Two new executives, Michael Eisner and Frank Wells, revive the studio and WED Enterprises, emphasizing celebrity talent, licensing non-Disney intellectual property for the parks, and ushering in an age of growth. WED Enterprises is renamed Walt Disney Imagineering. Riding a wave of success, Michael Eisner proclaims that the 90s will be called ‘The Disney Decade.’ Frank Wells creates an official Imagineering R&D lab, promoting long term innovation and encouraging a new era of experimentation using computer design technology. Issues arise, however, with the construction of Euro Disneyland, which encounters local resistance and draws accusations of cultural imperialism. Bad press coverage, an economic recession in France, and cultural missteps contribute to low attendance, threatening the park’s survival. Frank Wells’ sudden death and budget overages from Euro Disneyland cause management to shy away from further theme park development. Imagineers wonder if their theme park days are over. Some flashing lights sequences or patterns may affect photosensitive viewers.