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Taking the Mickey: A Save Disney Quest

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I think Veekie has a point about breadth and we ought to either get some live action shows like the suite life of zack and cody, or at least increase the acquisition budget later.
 
Rockeye said:
I think Veekie has a point about breadth and we ought to either get some live action shows like the suite life of zack and cody, or at least increase the acquisition budget later.
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I'll agree about increasing the acquisition budget, but I'd rather avoid sparking the Hannah Montanna era; and all the crap that it spawned.
 
Kaferian said:
Suite Life aired before Hannah Montana, so this is a pretty baffling conclusion to make.
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*checks*
... Well, I've got egg on my face now.

But really, sitcoms feel like a trap. We can definitely do some Live Action movies, and I sort of want to see if we can pull off a cartoon based on Jungle 2 Jungle.

*does more research* Or maybe not, apparently that was considered the worst movie of 1997... Though if we can save Black Cauldron...
 
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I'm more exited by the fact that due to us having Don Bluth, we likely have Land Before Time, and closer to our current time, An American Tail. As for our television series, we still have quite a bit in our back pocket like Ducktales, and the rest of the Disney afternoon. Then there is the possibility of us gaining control of the Jim Henson company earlier than what happened originally.
 
ThoughtMaster said:
I'm more exited by the fact that due to us having Don Bluth, we likely have Land Before Time, and closer to our current time, An American Tail.
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Maybe, maybe not.

Reminder that even though Bluth was the director those weren't his ideas, he didn't come up with the concept and he wasn't the one who made the push of "let's make this thing."

It's not impossible but it's far from a sure thing. Land Before Time especially was an idea Spielberg had while making An American Tail after all.
 
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...Oh yeah, Fox made Bluth make Anastasia. Shit. We've got to make movie, if only for making one of the best villain songs ever happen.
 
As long as Dark of the Night happens I don't care what the minions are. We need the best villain song of the decade.
 
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"Sunny Upsides"
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    • The Results said:
    -[X] Go Green: It'd be expensive, but putting in a solar farm at Reedy Creek could really bring your energy bill down. And hey, it'd be great PR.

    DC: (40-20) 20.

    Benefits: Reduced energy costs in Florida, big PR boost, +5 Eisner/Disney relationship.

    Results: 100+10+10+10. Die explodes. 100+10+10+10. Die Explodes. 31+10+10+10. 321. "It Was All Started By A Mouse." success.

    The imagineers decided to pitch in. Then they contacted half a dozen different scientists. Then they brought together a dozen of the world's leading research facilities. Things kept on snowballing from there, and well… Continued in "Sunny Upsides"
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    You look over the various power plant proposals available to you, before shaking your head. It might be more proof of concept than the others, but you think that getting up a solar plant would be worth it. Still, you think the tech currently on the market isn't good enough. You're not sure if they can help, but sticking the imagineers on the project shouldn't hurt. If they can't help, it's fine. If they can, well, that's great. So you're surprised when, a week later, the imagineers have requested that they be allowed to bring more scientists on board. You give the go ahead.

    A week after that, they're asking for some extra funding and a chance to contact some more institutions. It's not too much, so you approve that request as well as giving them a bit extra in the budget as well. Universal is footing some of the bill, so you're feeling pretty generous.

    Two weeks after that, and the imagineers want to know if you're looking for just practical applications in the near future, or if the research collective they've got going can do some blue skies research. After they explain what blue skies research is, you yet again sign off on it.

    You don't hear from them again for a month, but you're just starting to get your head around all the damage that Hurricane Elena did when the imagineers knock on your office door. You beckon them in and put the damage reports off to the side. They're honestly a bit depressing to think about, although you count yourself lucky that you got the updated hurricane procedures and proofing in place last quarter. Nothing was permanently damaged, even if some rides might need some refurbishments.

    Tim Delaney is the first to speak. "So, we've got some news for you." Tony Baxter is next to him, practically vibrating in excitement. "We started out by getting in contact with Solar Design Associates, but we were a bit underwhelmed with the offerings they had. So that's when we went to you about talking to the University of South Florida." He pauses for dramatic effect. "And working with them, we made some exciting breakthroughs with cadmium telluride, getting a flexible sheet with better than fifteen percent efficiency!"

    You stare at him. "I'm guessing that's good?" You say.

    "It's amazing! From what we've heard from everyone involved, this was probably at least another five years out by all their reckoning!" Tim responds. "We were thinking that the flexible sheets might be able to go on various ride vehicles in the future."

    "Of course, that's when they asked us to stay on and collaborate with some other groups." Tony cuts in. "We wanted to stay on and look at some of the more permanent fixture designs, and that's when we asked to get in contact with some of the bigger institutions. You said yes, so we got in contact with the Solar Energy Research Institute, and it turns out that they've been having a lot of problems because the current administration cut their funding by over ninety percent." Internally you groan, you'd been trying so hard to avoid politics. Hopefully this wouldn't be the thing that got you dragged in. "But, with our funding, and with the help of everyone at the University of South Florida, we made huge progress!"

    Tim cuts back in. "We managed to get a cell that uses gallium indium phosphide and gallium arsenide working that has an efficiency over thirty percent!" You honestly have no idea what they're talking about. "And then we furthered that by layering them three layers deep!"

    They both start going into technobabble that you have no idea how to interpret. "Guys, you're clearly excited about this, but I'm getting completely lost by the technical details. What exactly am I looking at here?" You say, when they pause to breathe.

    Tim and Tony look at each other before Tony speaks. "There's a decent chance we just jumped solar power forward by a decade, if not more."

    "A decade?" You ask, in disbelief.

    "Probably. Much more if the lack of funding at SERI continues." Tim says. "We were kind of hoping you could help with that, actually."

    You feel a headache coming on. "What exactly do you want me to do?"

    "Well, the folks at SERI have seen how much good work we've been doing with conservation lately, and were hoping that the company would make a speech advocating for funding their research again." Tony responds.

    "And also maybe continue funding some projects ourselves." Tim adds.


    -[] Advocate for Solar Funding: The administration's decision to cut solar energy funding was clearly a mistake if just throwing some cash and engineers around was able to get this much progress. You're willing to stand up and have Disney lead the call for increased focus on renewables, as well as sending more funding their way. +15 to Disney/Eisner relationship, -10 Board Approval. Reagan administration will be displeased, but will cave to pressure. Disney will continue producing solar power research.

    -[] Fund Them Yourself:     You don't want to mess with politics too much, but this is the future of energy production. It'd be foolish in the extreme to not fund it, and a minor speech that simply says companies should try to go green shouldn't ruffle too many feathers. +5 to Disney/Eisner relationship, -5 Board Approval. Disney will continue producing solar power research.

    -[] Do Nothing:     Your actions already taken have advanced solar power by a decade or more, and that's enough for now. As the technology continues to advance, it will naturally push out other competitors as it gets cheaper and more reliable. Probably. +5 Board Approval.


    "I'll think about it, guys. What else is there?" You say.

    "Mostly two things." Says Tony. "Since we funded the projects, we technically have a rather significant number of new patents that we need to decide what to do with."

    "We got the patent rights?" You question. "I thought that SERI would be getting most of those."

    "Nope, our money, partially our engineers, our contracts." He responds. "Therefore, our patents."

    "What exactly can we do with those, then?" You had brushed up a little on patent law, it came up surprisingly more often than you had initially thought it would at Disney, but the legal team generally handled it.

    Tim is the one who responds to the question. "Honestly? We have four major paths forward." He holds up his hand and begins ticking off the options. "Option one: We hoard the patents and start our own production run for the panels." You shake your head at that, Disney is a big enough company as it is. "Option two: We license the patents out for a substantial fee, and make bank on the next wave of solar panels that come out." That sounds a lot more palatable to you, in all honesty. "Option three: We license the patents out for a negligible fee, more to maintain patent rights than actually make money. We don't have to produce anything, but we still get a small trickle of income from the licensing, and the panels are made cheaper than they'd otherwise be made." You nod your head. It wouldn't be a popular decision with the board, you think, but you've got more than enough favors stocked up with them at the moment. "Option four, and I ask you not to dismiss this out of hand: We open the patents. Anyone can use them."

    "That's asking a lot, Tim." You say. "I could probably swing it, but it would mean cutting back on things like this in the future."

    "I know, Mike. But opening the patents for something like this already has precedent. Volvo opened their patent for the three-point seatbelt in fifty-nine. They knew it would save lives, and it has."

    You go to respond, but Tony cuts you off. "This would be about saving more than individual lives. This would be about saving the planet."

    "You really think so? Both of you?" You ask.

    They nod.


    -[] Hoard the Patents: It'd mean setting up a new company, and expanding Disney in a completely new direction, and take too long to see profit. Not Yet.

    -[] License the Patents:     You've got a huge payday just waiting here, and this could be a good way to offset some of the funding if you put money back into solar research. Tit-for-tat, and all that. After all, if you're the one paying for it, why shouldn't you be making some money back from it? +15 Board Approval.

    -[] Cheaply License the Patents:     You'd get some money back from this, if not a ton. It's more about keeping the rights just in case. Still, there's some good PR to be found here as well, and if cheaply licensing the patents gets more people adopting solar, well… That's just a side bonus, you guess. +10 Eisner/Disney relationship, PR boost.

    -[] Open the Patents:     You want to see solar power flourish. Disney doesn't need patents for solar panels, it's simply not the company for it. Opening the designs up will let anyone and everyone at them, spurring progress in the field and driving innovation and adoption. The future of the planet is nothing to barter and haggle over. Hopefully the board can be brought around to that thinking as well. -15 Board Approval, +30 Disney/Eisner relationship, Massive PR boost, progress on solar power further advanced in the future.


    "Alright guys, I'll see what I can do." You say.

    They both get up to leave, and you begin looking over your desk. Right as they step out the door, a nagging feeling that you're missing something pops up. You don't know what it is until they sprint back into the office moments later.

    "Completely forgot!" says Tony.

    "Sorry, Mike." says Tim, at nearly the same time. He gestures for Tony to continue.

    "We may have left out the part where you decide what exactly you want from the actual solar plant we're trying to build." Tony says.

    You close your eyes, slowly letting your head bang into the desk. "Yes, that's rather obvious in hindsight." You say, slightly muffled by the solid oak you're speaking into. You lift your head up before continuing. "So, what options do I have there?"

    Tony takes a moment to collect himself, before pulling a couple sheets of paper out of his bag. "Well, you can do a couple of things. We could just go with the best of what's currently available, which should be fairly cheap and wouldn't have any problems getting started, or we could wait a bit and take advantage of all the new tech for a cutting edge facility." He takes a moment to think. "Could probably also make a smaller-scale version of the cutting edge facility, wouldn't have to wait as long. It wouldn't have quite the capacity you'd be looking for, though."


    -[] Solar Today: It's not worth waiting for all the new parts to get manufactured, you just want this thing online as soon as possible and making power. You can always update it later, although that would probably be more expensive than just waiting. Solar Plant online by second quarter 1986, will need expensive update later on if you want it to take advantage of new technologies. Big PR boost (+5 to Disney/Eisner relationship, already added to chart).

    -[] Solar Tomorrow:     A bit of a wait for the better components is worth it, in your opinion. A slight delay won't break anything, but having a rapidly outdating power plant would cause issues further down the road. Solar Plant online by first quarter 1987, will have enough output to begin competing with current power plants that are non-renewable. Major PR boost (+5 to Disney/Eisner relationship, already added to chart).

    -[] Solar Slightly Sooner:     Putting up a couple of proof-of-concept panels while you wait for the mass production models to start being produced is a good middle-ground. It'd be cheaper to expand the plant than it would be to completely update an older one, although you wouldn't have the sort of power capacity you're expecting until you did so. Solar Plant online by second quarter 1986, will require a relatively cheap update later on for a non-negligible output. Big PR boost (+5 to Disney/Eisner relationship, already added to chart).


    "Is that everything, then?" You ask.

    They glance at each other, before turning back to you and nodding. "Should be." Says Tony.

    "Just let us know if you've got anything else exciting to work on." Adds Tim.

    They leave, and you're left to ponder where they might best fit in.


    Gained Tony Baxter and Tim Delaney as Advisers!

    Tony Baxter: +10 to planning rolls in area assigned.

    -[] Tony will be at the Magic Kingdom, Disneyland

    -[] Tony will be at the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World

    -[] Tony will be at the EPCOT Center, Walt Disney World

    -[] Tony will be at the Reedy Creek Improvement District

    -[] Tony will be at the Disney Company Offices


    Tim Delaney: +10 to construction rolls in area assigned.

    -[] Tim will be at the Magic Kingdom, Disneyland

    -[] Tim will be at the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World

    -[] Tim will be at the EPCOT Center, Walt Disney World

    -[] Tim will be at the Reedy Creek Improvement District

    -[] Tim will be at the Disney Company Offices



    AN: Voting moratorium for 6 hours, followed by 42 hours of voting.     Regardless of how this vote goes, you have as a company managed to advance solar power by a decade. Even if you do nothing further, solar power will now be seen as very much a viable method of power generation. Of course, you can spur further innovations by pouring more money into this, but that's up to you to decide. In addition, the political angles here will have effects further down the line. Reagan removed the solar panels from the white house in '86 IRL, but that's up in the air right now given how thoroughly you just trashed the talking point that solar was a waste of time and money. In addition, you'll have a bunch of option moving forward involving solar power. After the voting, expect the results from this and some headlines, including a bit on the damage Elena inflicted.

    Things you're voting on:
    How to handle the public announcement of your findings.
    How to handle the patents you've just gained.
    What sort of power plant you want.
    Where Tony Baxter will go as an adviser.
    Where Tim Delaney will go as an adviser.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • -[X] Advocate for Solar Funding: The administration's decision to cut solar energy funding was clearly a mistake if just throwing some cash and engineers around was able to get this much progress. You're willing to stand up and have Disney lead the call for increased focus on renewables, as well as sending more funding their way. +15 to Disney/Eisner relationship, -10 Board Approval. Reagan administration will be displeased, but will cave to pressure. Disney will continue producing solar power research.

    Suck Disney's D, Reagan!

    -[X] Open the Patents: You want to see solar power flourish. Disney doesn't need patents for solar panels, it's simply not the company for it. Opening the designs up will let anyone and everyone at them, spurring progress in the field and driving innovation and adoption. The future of the planet is nothing to barter and haggle over. Hopefully the board can be brought around to that thinking as well. -15 Board Approval, +30 Disney/Eisner relationship, Massive PR boost, progress on solar power further advanced in the future.

    -[X] Solar Tomorrow:     A bit of a wait for the better components is worth it, in your opinion. A slight delay won't break anything, but having a rapidly outdating power plant would cause issues further down the road. Solar Plant online by first quarter 1987, will have enough output to begin competing with current power plants that are non-renewable. Major PR boost (+5 to Disney/Eisner relationship, already added to chart).
     
    I... kinda want to let Disney branch out with this. A separate branch focusing on an industry like Solar Power sounds incredibly fun. Nobody ever said we had to limit ourselves to movies/shows/theme parks. Now let's go on to usurp NASA! Disney shall conquer space! Get some mouse ears on the moon.
     
    Crazy7s1 said:
    Ultimate goal of the quest is to build a theme park on the moon.
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    You think too small, ultimate goal is to make the entire thing a theme park so good it might as well be a disney movie. Or maybe the other way around I dunno.
     
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