Actor and comedian Tim Allen suggested that former costar Pamela Anderson&#8217;s memory wasn&#8217;t terribly accurate during a recent Starbucks run.
The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11692459/Tim-Allen-hits-Pamela-Andersons-claim-flashed-her.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> Allen&#8217;s comments in a Monday article, noting that &#8220;The Santa Clause&#8221; actor was speaking in response to Anderson&#8217;s bombshell claim that he had once flashed her on the set of &#8220;Home Improvement.&#8221;
&#8220;She was a great co-worker, I&#8217;ll tell you that. She&#8217;s a fun girl. Everybody loved her, but everybody at ABC is a little disappointed in her … memory, put it that way. All of us at Disney/ABC, really,&#8221; Allen said.
&#8220;She&#8217;s a good girl.&#8221; Allen said again before getting in his car to drive away — at which point the reporter asked whether he had a good memory. His answer was a flat &#8220;yeah.&#8221;
<a href="https://dailywire.com/news/pamela-anderson-drops-bombshell-claim-on-tim-allen-he-says-it-never-happened/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anderson&#8217;s claim</a> was revealed in an excerpt of her upcoming memoir, &#8220;Love, Pamela,&#8221; which is due out on Tuesday — and she claimed that he had exposed himself to her during her first day on the &#8220;Home Improvement&#8221; set. She said he had done it in an effort to somehow level the playing field, as he had seen her nude photos in Playboy magazine.
&#8220;On the first day of filming, I walked out of my dressing room, and Tim was in the hallway in his robe. He opened his robe and flashed me quickly — completely naked underneath. He said it was only fair, because he had seen me naked. Now we’re even. I laughed uncomfortably,&#8221; she wrote in the memoir.
Allen said at the time that her claim was false, releasing a statement flatly denying it: &#8220;No, it never happened. I would never do such a thing.&#8221;
Anderson later <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/pamela-anderson-doubles-down-in-the-face-of-tim-allens-denial-it-should-never-have-happened/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">doubled down</a>, adding, &#8220;This true story is just one of many surreal and uncomfortable situations I learned to navigate. My book goes into how it made me feel over the course of my life and, in this case, my career. I have no ill will toward Tim. But like the rest, it should never have happened.&#8221;
She went on to allege that over the years, she had encountered a number of men who had felt justified in treating her differently because she had posed for Playboy.
&#8220;It was the first of many bizarre encounters where people felt they knew me enough to make absolute fools out of themselves,&#8221; she said.

The Kelly Clarkson Show – Season 4

Tim Allen: ABC/Disney People ‘A Little Disappointed’ In Pamela Anderson’s Flashing Claims

Tim Allen: ABC/Disney People 'A Little Disappointed' In Pamela Anderson's Flashing Claims

Celebrities

Disney

Tim Allen

U.S.

Online persons are using the closing of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/disney-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Disney World</a>&#8216;s &#8220;Splash Mountain&#8221; attraction as a chance to make a quick buck by selling the alleged water from the ride.
Splash Mountain, the enormously popular log flume ride at Walt Disney World&#8217;s Magic Kingdom theme park, closed on Monday in preparation to be rebuilt as a more &#8220;inclusive&#8221; ride. But Disney fans, eager to preserve the memory of the iconic ride, are looking for souvenirs. To that end, internet salespeople are looking to cash in by selling alleged water from the ride.
A quick search of &#8220;Splash Mountain Water&#8221; on eBay yields some interesting results. Entrepreneurial eBay auctioneers are selling bottles, mason jars, and even plastic bags purportedly full of water from the ride, at prices ranging from just a few dollars to hundreds. One product is a plastic bag that allegedly contains <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/334714956753?hash=item4dee90ebd1:g:JHUAAOSwdctjzuKh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">4 ounces of water</a> from the ride, with &#8220;Splash Mountain Water 1/22/2023&#8221; written in black marker on the bag, with water droplets drawn on it; it is selling for $13.50.
A <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/125735480557?mkevt=1&amp;mkpid=0&amp;emsid=e11050.m43.l1123&amp;mkcid=26&amp;ch=osgood&amp;euid=8348a2b764ee4de0afdabae122faf849&amp;bu=45545240761&amp;osub=-1%7E1&amp;crd=20230124100220&amp;segname=11050" target="_blank" rel="noopener">similar bag</a> full of water is selling for $25. One auction was for a <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/204223436314?mkevt=1&amp;mkpid=0&amp;emsid=e11050.m43.l1123&amp;mkcid=26&amp;ch=osgood&amp;euid=021e4c41b7c74598a8e51d31599e5241&amp;bu=45545240761&amp;osub=-1%7E1&amp;crd=20230124100451&amp;segname=11050" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reusable bottle</a> full of the water, selling for $27; that auction was ended because the item was no longer available. Another person was selling a <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/275639643825?hash=item402d672eb1:g:0SYAAOSwxcFjzgB7&amp;amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4Bc7hlB6IT9%2FazNbwRERS6hSco4ib8TsevXvoX%2FEQZNqGQdFvhT4ZAnIlUUottqCZoUu5dtFqOfL6ZmjdwlGX%2BLgknRYgBBpcOofNPD5CLuhP%2BNyEK67zQipdm6ssHBTTsTLchBHDfsgqSh%2BRHWzdwuc0GmjGBxri5hoU7bc1HijB84luwRt5sw7uRp96dI4u4XBt90Dzhn43Ia%2F6b2mN1GEfa6L30eS9fNMaYLKKpC10B4jL885UyloEQPSMltxzj7mEZNQ8%2BhmzEOxFiy4nONlRuO90md92J%2BCIpZFsnhV%7Ctkp%3ABFBM-o-GiL5h" target="_blank" rel="noopener">small mason jar</a> full of the water. The image of the item shows a person holding the jar and standing in front of the ride entrance; that image has been appropriated by other sellers for their own auctions. And one seller is offering a tupperware container of the water for just <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/325511109969?hash=item4bc9f95d51:g:DwkAAOSwRl9j0Ks-&amp;amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4NiNxn6kUNfqh8tXQLXH7d4pArmIa1GE2oZt0Ed10nGBRtaDNRcsLpRoJc0DZ8WONN3hp3IBOS7ysFqYtVVxfN9970xS7azE3oIheWQNkaZULB2zzKt04HQaFDi6j5vKcz%2BfOTsRV15n0iEw%2F12TKhuW9ZEIheHMBhrG8K6egDJuAC%2Fx6IEr9Hx3KjhpwEhcekq3LRF%2BkCyGwvLNgzY%2Fni%2BoIQINNnSbpRNY%2BV70J04%2FxkI18WXU2fOrGiA2%2BOle%2B1gs7HShxPqYAnHalbK3AtE9iTyn94NDAoh9dxnH5C9T%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_yPhoi-YQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">99 cents</a>. One person selling their water sample for charity offers it &#8220;<a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/155376037175?hash=item242d222d37:g:E-sAAOSwO0lj0F1F&amp;amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4MzDXS%2FSSUoUOahavlMRYOzCVVcI24KJ9P%2F9BWXORgZS65hyZFLfpzRtMpOmwnVizgCx95RFVboC6CRf2CxVZi3C4K08RKYpr6FFBYxtQxXJeKZSjK%2BP9OM4oD1a3%2FyKez3Pfghpml71QJfPZHAZhqfyRoYRguOIiiZRebbwwrP%2FyvLcDyPdTd%2B4qN4DkBlYI57fOOkH%2BgK8y2GnYawI7%2BwhmjlzsO3ckICP8KDjTEBcndN%2Bxkx3ijRewepBA3dn3ne4pocA%2BWjS3Pc%2Fs%2FEUSoWjwzEAFozG1lMabBv0V%2F7X%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_qPhoi-YQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with rocks from the ride</a>.&#8221; As of the publication of the piece, the water has 13 bids and is selling for $91.
But many sellers are charging more than a pretty penny for their used log flume backwash. One seller advertises &#8220;AUTHENTIC Water From 01/22/23,&#8221; but with no picture of the item, only stock photos of the ride; it is being sold for <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/134426293307?hash=item1f4c6e743b:g:hBsAAOSwG5Jj0tjz&amp;amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4KZWncwuw1Mgxu0nnOvMAkPPO1m1%2FzpIwEYchkBfX1Ooym7tze7F8HtvWZZNtn3GjFl2xJ1HehkuwEYXsekH%2FOQ6odVEpR7Je2KNcyTjEaHot1VV17SkaCx09CrUQ4orXxZtI0bCRhLY4cnxXDmKaUKD%2FnXCeoWJz1Cnn4NerX%2BZZwuYs8YN9lB8%2BF6x7uV8RREn9IYbvR7sYBngxwfLeZz8muaZmGgKMzfRWiiB4%2BrmLev8Gg2I4aI8%2BGBrvgyQ0G2lVU14E08eRcrkpE5SZON1KJZwIuAmxnBQBCkQ5xJF%7Ctkp%3ABFBM-o-GiL5h" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$700</a>. &#8220;OWN YOUR PIECE OF HISTORY,&#8221; the listing entices. Another person offers a half-filled water bottle for the low, low price of <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/234873372834?hash=item36af8b40a2:g:dRoAAOSw8LNj0c5R&amp;amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoA2kkTf49FiONbj7J0KMjh%2B3zEp97J7pWqVbJEzTJ4PPqRIWKNkpiX%2BQ9t%2BR%2BHxQWXWMvyOl8Tuf6FsLjYWrAltikKowHDM48u5O%2BiRgFREYDuoipAC%2FiXjSoDC8KdEzvPwv1MDOdSLIZt%2FOkPS62FMtByu122L4vE0xUSDq3SIBu9NEMgVwnIY8rSMCmV2V1tlDXFJJz0bG1QAAEVIY1ww%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9DO-oi-YQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$1000</a>. One seller advertises, &#8220;<a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/404125135485?hash=item5e17bc327d:g:XG4AAOSwV~1j0LaP&amp;amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4EU9%2FCrTZ2aYsNaxJGprrLZ2N2nOmjdmp%2FdGPELZoD%2B%2BsnLHMPZUiOhYyo9oSdeb9hoYB%2BIo7HdhRFIoVdvV1vAImRmAib9OpDvz%2Fo%2FsBXqq18DcFS4xw%2BKsM5u1tUUdPYApSLGnK%2Bkq5s6k5baRvrRPLLolMZbURNOVi8kltoFG45AEzFmUCPE6SqXSLM8lOuhwEwlzr0%2BiBh2gBYuSIIxXVnT7NGO6BH%2BOI2Ui7SsRRw0vl1mbwrAsDZaSKQ5nf8ulg0oH1rvA6jnnh9lYz%2FCnEJ7iYIq6nBH%2BGXFhAYzc%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9LO-oi-YQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RARE Disney 2023 Splash Mountain Attraction Flume Water</a>&#8221; in a custom Ziploc bag for a bargain; only $5000. One seller offers a <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/225370931763?hash=item3479278233:g:7EEAAOSwhN9jzkDK&amp;amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoCI6gbzRWiEzKIlSmm9F607aQC8uYUa5P4DVfwkMja66j7I%2FUYeZ07JOHRyLh9wHJEv%2Fx8WukWFGSwJ9AdDZcdIKOE3d0cBzBApwaNFhjQTRkLMAglTfMF5IaQKvfVeuaU0lmbbuXIZRJY9oFicYJBG%2B8lV9GNqxyY%2B1eSS09yndUCvQv%2Bsrp5vBKtlDnraBwr%2Bqfo405wnz%2Bz6ln8O3qGk%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4CQhoi-YQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">16.9 ounce water bottle</a> of the water; as of publication, it currently has a whopping 40 bids and is selling for $5,100.
One Disney World guest who has ridden Splash Mountain more than 200 times, summed things up succinctly. “The Disney community can be very weird sometimes,” Adrian Vasquez told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/26/us/disney-splash-mountain-closes.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>. “I honestly don’t know how else to put it.”
Splash Mountain took guests for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fans-bid-farewell-to-disney-worlds-splash-mountain-as-it-closed-after-30-years-due-to-racism-assertions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">final ride</a> down its 50-foot drop on Sunday. The ride opened in 1992 and has been a popular staple of Disney World’s Magic Kingdom ever since, with celebrities like Princess Diana going for a ride. But the company announced in 2020 that it would shut down Splash Mountain, which was accused of having racist themes, in favor of creating a more inclusive ride themed after Princess Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog” in its place.
Some parkgoers called Splash Mountain “extremely problematic” due to “stereotypical racist tropes.” It’s based on elements from the Disney film “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Song of the South</a>” (1946), which were included on the ride.
Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced plans</a> for kids entertainment content.

Splash Mountain

After ‘Splash Mountain’ Ride Closes, Online Sellers Offer Samples Of The Water, For A Few Dollars, Or Even Thousands

After 'Splash Mountain' Ride Closes, Online Sellers Offer Samples Of The Water, For A Few Dollars, Or Even Thousands

Disney World

eBay

Economy

Florida

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/disney-world">Disney World</a>’s iconic Splash Mountain ride just went on its final run, and some people are not happy about it.
Fans took to social media to share a retrospective of the water ride’s decades-long past, including footage of the doors to the ride closing for the very last time. The hashtag “goodbyesplashmountain” currently has 1.7 million views on TikTok.
“I will miss you forever. Goodbye, Splash Mountain,” one video caption read. Another video noted that the line to board the ride was two hours long on its last operating day. Enterprising <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/florida">park visitors</a> allegedly took water from the log flume and were reselling it on Ebay (sic) for up to fifty dollars per bottle. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The entire crowd joins in singing Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah as the final guests ride Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom <a href="https://t.co/rdOYCG0WeF">pic.twitter.com/rdOYCG0WeF</a>
&mdash; WDW News Today (@WDWNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/WDWNT/status/1617389018152374274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The ride opened in 1992 and has been a popular staple of Disney World’s Magic Kingdom ever since, with celebrities like Princess Diana going for a ride. But the company announced in 2020 that it would shut down Splash Mountain, which was accused of having racist themes, in favor of creating a more inclusive Princess Tiana-themed ride in its place.
“Tiana is a modern, courageous, and empowered woman, who pursues her dreams and never loses sight of what’s really important,” a blog post from Disney explained, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-world-announces-closing-date-for-iconic-ride-to-be-replaced-by-more-inclusive-princess-tiana-attraction">reported</a>. 
“And with this longstanding history of updating attractions and adding new magic, the retheming of Splash Mountain is of particular importance today. The new concept is inclusive — one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year.”
Some parkgoers called Splash Mountain “extremely problematic” due to “stereotypical racist tropes.” It’s based on elements from the Disney film “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">Song of the South</a>” (1946), which were included on the ride. Former executive secretary of the NAACP Walter White <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/03/bob-iger-song-of-the-south-disney-disclaimer-1202879464/">said</a> the movie “helps to perpetuate a dangerously glorified picture of slavery.&#8221;
The film is set on a plantation and features an elderly black man, Uncle Remus, telling traditional African American folk tales to white children. The movie was not included on the Disney+ streaming platform as CEO Bob Iger said it was “not appropriate in today’s world.” 
“Song of the South” is set in Reconstruction-era America during a time when slavery had been abolished following the civil war. The character Uncle Remus is not a slave but is sharing stories with a 7-year-old boy named Johnny who is visiting his grandmother’s plantation. 
Pleas to keep Splash Mountain open were ultimately unsuccessful. The change.org <a href="https://www.change.org/p/everyone-to-save-splash-mountain-and-keep-it-as-it-is-in-magic-kingdom-and-disneyland">petition</a> &#8220;To Save Splash Mountain&#8221; garnered more than 99,000 signatures, but in the end, the ride closed anyway.
&#8220;Splash Mountain has never included depictions of slaves or any racist elements and is based solely on historical African folktales that families of all ethnicities have been enjoying for nearly a century,&#8221; it said. &#8220;It is absurd to pander to a small group of ‘Disney haters’ that don&#8217;t understand the story, and re-theme such a nostalgic ride.&#8221;
Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced plans</a> for kids entertainment content.

Guests ride on the Splash Mountain attraction at the Walt Di

Fans Bid Farewell To Disney World’s Splash Mountain As It Closed After 30 Years Due To Racism Assertions

Fans Bid Farewell To Disney World's Splash Mountain As It Closed After 30 Years Due To Racism Assertions 

Racism

Social Issues

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/disney" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Disney</a> rejected an activist <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/stock-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investor</a> play from Trian Fund Management CEO Nelson Peltz, who recently launched a campaign to obtain a seat on the company’s board of directors to address various <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">corporate</a> governance issues.
Trian, which holds a stake in Disney worth approximately $900 million, argued in a recent <a href="https://trianpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Trian-Disney-Launch-Press-Release-01.11.23.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> that shares are trading near an eight-year low even as the company benefits from significant branding and intellectual property advantages. Peltz said he would confront poor succession planning for management, excessive compensation, and lackluster cost discipline if he is granted a seat on the board. Disney recently made headlines for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/reeling-disney-fires-ceo-as-woke-culture-blamed-for-stock-plunge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reinstating</a> veteran former chief executive Bob Iger, now 71 years old, to replace would-be successor Bob Chapek, who had served in the post for two years.
The company said in a Tuesday regulatory <a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1744489/000119312523008985/d333804ddefa14a.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filing</a> that Peltz “does not understand” the company’s business and “lacks the skills and experience to assist the board in delivering shareholder value in a rapidly shifting media ecosystem.” The document added that current directors represent “the right board for shareholders,” claiming that they “deftly navigated” the lockdown-induced recession and “acted decisively” to address the leadership challenge.
Iger presided over a quintupling of Disney’s market capitalization between 2005 and 2020; he also oversaw the acquisitions of Pixar, Lucasfilm, Marvel, and 21st Century Fox. Although Trian said it has no plans to replace Iger, the filing from Disney cited a report claiming that Trian believes “Iger shouldn’t be back in control” of the company.
“Peltz has no track record in large cap media or tech” and “no solutions to offer for the evolving media landscape,” the document continued.
Despite the claim that Disney’s board of directors competently led the firm through the lockdowns, which shuttered theme parks and paused movie production, share prices for the company have fallen 35% over the past year against a 12% decline witnessed by the S&amp;P 500 index through the same period. Among other concerning metrics, Disney reported a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-subscriptions-at-ultra-woke-disney-slow-to-a-crawl-after-company-loses-left-wing-political-battles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">significant slowdown</a> in new domestic subscriptions for flagship streaming service Disney+ after leaping into the fray of contentious social issues, as well as the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/animated-gay-teen-romance-film-is-woke-disneys-latest-box-office-bomb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failure</a> of multiple movies that included same-sex attraction and were nevertheless oriented toward children.
Peltz did not express any intention to address the recent social and political stances made by Disney, according to a previous <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/activist-investor-plans-shakeup-at-disney-but-does-not-address-woke-activism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The Daily Wire, even as the company sees a concerning <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-disney-could-win-back-the-trust-of-its-lost-conservative-fans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">loss of trust</a> among some consumers. Trian <a href="https://trianpartners.com/esg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supports</a> the environmental, social, and corporate governance movement, also known as ESG, which contends that businesses have a moral imperative to promote left-wing policy goals and has encouraged many of its portfolio companies to <a href="https://trianpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Trian-ESG-Fact-Sheet-March-2021.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adopt</a> ESG initiatives.
Chapek was pressured last year by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/they-call-their-fellow-employees-bigots-conservatives-at-disney-issue-open-statement-detailing-hostile-work-environment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">activist employees</a> within the company to oppose parental rights legislation in Florida that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-signs-parental-notification-bill-shrugs-off-dont-say-gay-uproar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prohibits</a> instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity for students between kindergarten and third grade. In an exclusive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-poll-over-60-of-americans-back-floridas-limits-on-k-3-lessons-on-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from The Daily Wire, 64% of Americans, including 62% of Democrats and 57% of independents, supported the law.
Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced plans</a> for kids entertainment content.

Collage Maker-17-Jan-2023-12.10-PM

Disney Defends CEO, Rebuffs Investor Who Wants A Shakeup Over Alleged Poor Management

Disney Defends CEO Against Activist Shakeup

Business

General

Trian Fund Management CEO Nelson Peltz launched a widely publicized campaign to earn a seat on the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/disney" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Disney</a> board of directors and address various <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">corporate</a> governance issues, but the longtime investor does not appear to have plans to reverse the company&#8217;s social and political <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/esg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">activism</a>.
Trian, which holds a stake in Disney worth approximately $900 million, noted that shares are currently trading near an eight-year low even as the company benefits from robust branding and intellectual property advantages. If he clinches a board seat, Peltz said he would confront poor succession planning for management, excessive compensation, and lackluster cost discipline.
“Disney has an incredible legacy as one of the leading and most successful consumer entertainment companies in the world, having built some of the most celebrated consumer brands and an unparalleled content portfolio that resonates with audiences of all ages across the globe,” Peltz said in a statement. “But in recent years, the company has lost its way resulting in a rapid deterioration in its financial performance from a consistent dividend-paying, high free cash flow generative business into a highly leveraged enterprise with reduced earnings power and weak free cash flow conversion.”
Missing from the announcement is any mention of Disney issuing public stances with respect to controversial social matters. The company opposed legislation in Florida last year that prohibits instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity for students between kindergarten and third grade, causing a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-disney-could-win-back-the-trust-of-its-lost-conservative-fans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">loss of trust</a> among some consumers. Around 33% of Americans view Disney in a positive light, according to a <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/22014966/nbc-news-may-poll.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from NBC News, marking a significant decline from 77% approval recorded one year earlier in a <a href="https://f.hubspotusercontent40.net/hubfs/6007149/Daily%20Wire%20Polling%20Memo.pdf?_hsmi=114320810" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> commissioned by The Daily Wire.
A spokesperson for Trian declined to comment when The Daily Wire asked whether the company’s activist campaign will seek to remedy the alienation of Disney customers by executives’ involvement in political debates.
Among other concerning metrics, Disney has reported a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-subscriptions-at-ultra-woke-disney-slow-to-a-crawl-after-company-loses-left-wing-political-battles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">significant slowdown</a> in new domestic subscriptions for streaming service Disney+ after leaping into the fray of contentious social issues. The movies &#8220;Strange World&#8221; and &#8220;Lightyear,&#8221; both of which featured same-sex attraction and were nevertheless oriented toward young children, witnessed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/animated-gay-teen-romance-film-is-woke-disneys-latest-box-office-bomb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failures</a> at the box office.
Strive Asset Management President Anson Frericks said in an interview with The Daily Wire that the shakeup at Disney would be “more successful” if Peltz works to reverse the activist trajectory of the entertainment conglomerate.
“Disney has a real cultural problem right now as their customer approval ratings have plummeted,” he said. “I think there’s a huge opportunity for Trian to put a philosophy into Disney that is focused on excellence, not wading into any political controversies that have continued to sink the trust consumers have with them.”
Trian is a <a href="https://trianpartners.com/esg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proponent</a> of the environmental, social, and corporate governance movement, also known as ESG. The investment philosophy contends that businesses have a moral imperative to leverage their power to promote racial diversity, decrease carbon emissions, and achieve other sociocultural objectives deemed desirable by management. Trian has encouraged a number of its portfolio companies to <a href="https://trianpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Trian-ESG-Fact-Sheet-March-2021.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adopt</a> various ESG initiatives.
Critics say the ESG movement prompts companies to shift focus away from the maximization of returns and toward activism that is often <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/they-made-a-critical-mistake-how-victorias-secret-went-woke-and-got-broke" target="_blank" rel="noopener">harmful</a> to companies’ bottom lines. Frericks, whose asset management firm encourages companies to focus solely on profitability, added that cultural matters “should be handled by politicians and not necessarily by investment firms.”
“I do not think a lot of investors are aware of the risks posed by ESG. There is definitely an echo chamber in Wall Street,” he commented. “We hope that more firms will move away from ESG mandates that might satisfy folks in California and New York, but might not be in the best interest of states like Florida, Texas, or Ohio.”
Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids">announced plans</a> for kids entertainment content.

Billionaire Wharton Dropout Peltz Warns Big Tech Dominance Over

Activist Investor Plans Shakeup At Disney But Does Not Address Woke Activism

Activist Investor Has No Plans To Address Corporate Wokeness At Disney

Wall Street

Wokeness

A lawsuit filed by two Disney employees who were fired for refusing the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID</a> vaccine alleged that Disney is closely enmeshed with the government and that when it forced a vaccine mandate on its employees, it was essentially a &#8220;state actor&#8221; — which would make it subject to the Constitution’s “equal protection clause,” lawyers wrote.
The theory underscores the extent to which the Biden administration has relied on corporations to implement policies that might not be constitutional for the government to do itself, from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-fbi-agent-thinks-fewer-blacks-voted-after-2012-because-of-russians-not-obamas-departure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social media censorship</a> to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jetblue-wont-hire-the-unvaxxed-but-hired-violent-felon-to-fly-planes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">airline</a> employee vaccine mandates.
“The Constitution provides that the government, and state actors cannot take life, liberty or property without due process and equal protection of the law,” the suit said. “There is no dispute that the Defense Department was looking to partner with private business in its effort to vaccinate. At what point does partnership go beyond independent entities working voluntarily toward a shared mission to entwinement, such that they can be considered a state actor?”
“Had the government instituted a requirement that all professional athletes and personnel of leading media outlet are required to receive a vaccination, without rights to exemption, such an action would be subject to an equal protection challenge for its treatment of professional athletes and leading media differently than other similarly situated persons,” it said. “A state actor performing such a function is subject to an equal protection challenge on the same basis.”
The lawsuit was filed by Beth Faber and Allison Williams, two former employees of ESPN. ESPN was subject to Disney’s vaccine policies because it is owned by Disney, and both companies are named in the suit.
(After Williams was fired from ESPN, she announced plans to create <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/allison-williams-launches-sports-docuseries-breakaways-on-dailywire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sports documentaries</a> for The Daily Wire. The government requirement that all companies with more than 100 employees require them to be vaccinated was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-it-supreme-courts-massive-blow-against-bidens-vaxx-mandate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struck down</a> in the courts after The Daily Wire challenged it.)
The lawsuit said, “The September 9, 2021 termination of Beth Faber, exactly on, and of Allison Williams shortly after, the date of President Biden’s announcement of a business mandate, are more than just symbolic, they are part of a very orchestrated and choreographed partnership.”
Six days later, then-Disney CEO Bob Chapek took part in a <a href="https://deadline.com/2021/09/joe-biden-walt-disney-vaccine-bob-chapek-1234833923/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White House meeting</a> with Joe Biden on the subject of vaccine mandates. “Chapek’s presence at the Biden Administration’s business summit reflects the active involvement of the highest level of management,” it continued.
“The very same day that the Biden Administration ‘called on leaders in the private and public sector to implement vaccine requirements, saying it will push millions more Americans to get vaccinated,’ Bob Chapek responded to Biden’s call. Biden had stated, or ordered, ‘If you’re a business leader, a nonprofit leader, a state or local leader, who has been waiting for full FDA approval to require vaccinations, I call on you now to do that. Require it,’” the suit said.
ESPN denied Faber’s and Williams’ requests for religious exemptions, the suit said.
The lawsuit said that there has been a revolving door between the White House and the Disney executive offices. “Kristina Schake, who headed the Covid-19 vaccine education campaign of the Biden Administration, was selected by Disney as its new executive vice president of global communications. Disney’s own website refers to her as ‘working at the nexus of government, media, business, entertainment, and technology.’ The close nexus continues, of course, when she works on the private side of the house,” it said.
“The close nexus also includes Disney’s naming of former Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell, ‘to the newly created position of chief corporate affairs officer, overseeing corporate communications, government relations and global public policy,’” it continued.
The suit also alleged that Disney has decades-long ties to the Defense Department, which, alongside the Department of Health and Human Services, ran Operation Warp Speed, the government vaccine effort.
It said the Defense Department owns land at Disney World, and in April 2022, the Department said it would hold its Warrior Games at the Florida resort. The suit said the Department provided key support to the Marvel franchise such as “Iron Man,” now one of Disney’s most lucrative.
The company’s ties to the security state go back to its founding, the suit says, noting that founder Walt Disney himself was an FBI informant who let notorious Bureau Director J. Edgar Hoover have access to Disney scripts, and that the company generated wartime marketing materials during World War II.
The suit noted that powerful corporations are now so large that they are similar to states. Disney has nearly a quarter-million employees, half the size of Wyoming. “It’s no wonder that the federal government turns to a behemoth like Disney, with long established ties to the Defense Department to delegate this public function,” it said.
A Disney spokesman did not return a request for comment.
Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced plans</a> for kids entertainment content.

US-POLITICS-JILL BIDEN

Lawsuit Says Disney Was A ‘State Actor’ Colluding With Government To Force Vaccine On Employees

Allison Williams

Corporations

COVID

ESPN

Joe Biden

Vaccine Mandate

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/disney" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Disney</a> CEO Bob Iger told employees at the entertainment conglomerate that they will now be expected to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/remote-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">work</a> at least four days each week in the office.
The company’s board of directors <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/reeling-disney-fires-ceo-as-woke-culture-blamed-for-stock-plunge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">restored</a> Iger, who previously served as chief executive for more than a decade, to his former job at the end of last year and removed would-be successor Bob Chapek from the top position. Iger said that employees &#8220;currently working in a hybrid fashion will be asked to spend four days a week on-site, targeting Monday through Thursday as in-person workdays,&#8221; according to a <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/disney-ceo-orders-hybrid-employees-back-office-four-days-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memo</a> obtained by Fox Business and other outlets.
&#8220;As you’ve heard me say many times, creativity is the heart and soul of who we are and what we do at Disney,&#8221; the executive remarked. &#8220;And in a creative business like ours, nothing can replace the ability to connect, observe, and create with peers that comes from being physically together, nor the opportunity to grow professionally by learning from leaders and mentors.&#8221;
Many companies permitted employees to work virtually when government lockdowns shuttered offices across the country three years ago. As lockdown mandates subsided, however, many firms have experienced difficulties coaxing workers back to the office. Time savings from avoided commutes, as well as the flexibility to balance work and personal matters, are primary benefits cited by remote and hybrid workers, according to a <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/355907/remote-work-persisting-trending-permanent.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from Gallup.
Other business leaders have also expressed a preference for employees to cease remote work. Tesla CEO Elon Musk <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/musk-remote-work-is-no-longer-acceptable-at-tesla" target="_blank" rel="noopener">informed</a> employees at the electric automaker that work-from-home is “no longer” acceptable and commented on social media that those who disagree with the new policy “should pretend to work somewhere else.” During a meeting with Twitter employees before his acquisition of the social media company was finalized, Musk was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/freedom-of-speech-and-freedom-of-reach-elon-musk-tells-twitter-employees-users-should-be-able-to-tweet-pretty-outrageous-things" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> about remote work, leading him to assert that working “on location physically” is far superior to other arrangements.
The costs of virtual work arrangements are palpable for employers: 85% of business leaders say the shift to hybrid work “has made it challenging to have confidence that employees are being productive,” according to a <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/hybrid-work-is-just-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> from Microsoft.
Disney has experienced challenges over the past year partly due to the iconic company positioning itself against legislation in Florida that prohibits instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity for students between kindergarten and third grade, ultimately causing a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-disney-could-win-back-the-trust-of-its-lost-conservative-fans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">loss of trust</a> among some consumers. Iger told employees soon after his reinstatement that he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-disney-ceo-says-company-will-quiet-things-down-regrets-predecessor-battled-desantis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regretted</a> the company’s decision to oppose the parental rights legislation, citing the “delicate balance” between telling stories and “listening” to audience members.
In an exclusive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-poll-over-60-of-americans-back-floridas-limits-on-k-3-lessons-on-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from The Daily Wire, 64% of Americans, including 62% of Democrats and 57% of independents, supported the Florida law that Disney publicly opposed.
Share prices for Disney have fallen 39% over the past year against the 16% decline witnessed by the S&amp;P 500 index. Among other concerning metrics, Disney reported a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-subscriptions-at-ultra-woke-disney-slow-to-a-crawl-after-company-loses-left-wing-political-battles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">significant slowdown</a> in new domestic subscriptions for flagship streaming service Disney+ after leaping into the fray of contentious social issues, as well as the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/animated-gay-teen-romance-film-is-woke-disneys-latest-box-office-bomb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failure</a> of multiple movies that featured same-sex attraction and were nevertheless oriented toward young children.
Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced plans</a> for kids entertainment content.

Cropped shot of wooden coffee table with laptop, smartphone and a cup of tea in the living room at home by the window against beautiful sunlight

Back To Work: Disney Employees Told To Show Up In The Office At Least Four Days A Week

Disney Employees Must Return Back To The Office At Least 4 Days A Week

Jobs

Remote Work

While “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">Avatar 2: The Way of Water</a>” was by no means a guaranteed success, director <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-cameron">James Cameron</a> already shot scenes for the third and fourth installments of the franchise.
The filmmaker <a href="https://ew.com/movies/james-cameron-shot-avatar-sequels-same-time-stranger-things-effect/">explained</a> to Entertainment Weekly that he did it to avoid a common problem in Hollywood that happens when years pass between <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">sequels</a> — actors to age too much for the storyline.
“Otherwise, you get — and I love ‘Stranger Things’ — but you get the ‘Stranger Things’ effect where they’re supposed to still be in high school [but] they look like they’re 27,” Cameron told the publication. “You know, I love the show. It’s OK, we’ll suspend disbelief. We like the characters, but, you know.”
The phenomenon is more noticeable with adolescent actors who go through extreme changes as they mature. Trinity Jo-Li Bliss was around 7 when she was cast as Tuk in the &#8220;Avatar&#8221; sequel and has since become a teenager. Similarly, 18-year-old actor Jack Champion plays Spider in the movies and went through big changes since filming began when he was 13, leading Cameron to remark that he’s “growing like a weed.”
The first “Avatar” film came out in 2009, and the third installment is slated for a 2024 release.
During an <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-cameron-interview-avatar-the-way-of-water-franchise-future-1235271483/">interview</a> with The Hollywood Reporter, Cameron discussed how risky it was making a sequel more than a decade after the first release. “There’s skepticism in the marketplace. Can anybody even remember the characters&#8217; names? We’ll see what happens after this film,” he said.
The latest installment was a big gamble for Disney, costing more than $350 million in production costs alone. If Cameron completes the intended story, the total amount spent will exceed $1 billion. As of this week, “The Way of Water” had surpassed $550 million in global ticket sales, but it still hasn’t reached a break-even point or become profitable, Variety <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/avatar-the-way-of-water-box-office-550-million-1235467215/">noted</a>. 
Producer Jon Landau teased a bit of what the third and fourth “Avatar” movies would include.
“Each movie is going to introduce audiences to new clans, new cultures on Pandora,&#8221; he told EW. 
&#8220;Once we introduce a character, they stay a part of the ongoing evolution. We just add to it. So you can expect to see the Metkayina that you meet in this movie in subsequent movies. There are other clans that we&#8217;ll introduce in movie 3 that you&#8217;ll see in movie 4 and so on and so forth.&#8221;
This is all banking on the success of “The Way of Water,” of course, which is still not guaranteed.

James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way Of Water” World Premiere – VIP Arrivals

James Cameron Already Shot ‘Avatar’ 3 And 4 To Avoid ‘Stranger Things’ Effect, Teens Who ‘Look Like They’re 27’

James Cameron Already Shot 'Avatar' 3 And 4 To Avoid 'Stranger Things' Effect, Teens Who 'Look Like They're 27'

Entertainment

Hollywood

James Cameron

Movies

Even though <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/johnny-depp">Johnny Depp</a> insists he’d never return to Disney’s “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">Pirates of the Caribbean</a>” franchise, producer Jerry Bruckheimer just said he’d “love” for the actor to star in another sequel.
Bruckheimer addressed the issue during a recent <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/jerry-bruckheimer-interview-career-top-gun-maverick-sequels-1235282900/">interview</a> with The Hollywood Reporter. 
&#8220;I would love to have him in the movie. He&#8217;s a friend, a terrific actor and it&#8217;s unfortunate that personal lives creep into everything we do,&#8221; the 79-year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">studio executive</a> confirmed. 
The interviewer asked whether Disney would agree to have Depp “front and center&#8221; after he won the defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard. The actor was allegedly let go from the franchise after Heard’s abuse claims went public.
&#8220;You&#8217;d have to ask them,” he replied. “I can&#8217;t answer that question. I really don&#8217;t know.” Bruckheimer did say that it would be impossible to lose the film’s most popular character. As for whether they were planning to kill off Jack Sparrow, he said, &#8220;You can&#8217;t. We tried to kill him. It didn&#8217;t work.&#8221;
But even if Bruckheimer would have him, it seems unlikely that Depp would return to the franchise so easily. The actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-is-made-up-johnny-depps-rep-denies-rumors-hell-return-to-pirates-of-the-caribbean-franchise">testified under oath</a> during the defamation trial that he “would not take another ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ franchise role for $300 million and a million alpacas.” 
He had previously expressed hurt and anger over being dropped by Disney when the abuse claims went public.
“Captain Jack Sparrow was a character I built from the ground up and was something that I, of course, put a lot of [myself] into the character and also having worked on these films with these people and added much of myself, much of my own re-writing of the dialogue and scenes and jokes,” Depp said at the time.
“I didn’t quite understand how, after that long relationship and quite a successful relationship certainly for Disney, that suddenly I was guilty until proven innocent,” he continued. 
Depp’s rep denied rumors from earlier this year that he was returning to “Pirates.” 
(Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids">announced plans</a> for kids entertainment content.)

Premiere Of Warner Bros. Pictures And Alcon Entertainment’s “Transcendence” – Red Carpet

‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’ Producer Said He’d ‘Love’ For His ‘Friend’ Johnny Depp To Rejoin The Franchise

'Pirates Of The Caribbean' Producer Said He'd 'Love' For His 'Friend' Johnny Depp To Rejoin The Franchise

Johnny Depp

Actor Tim Allen said he&#8217;s &#8220;better as Santa Claus&#8221; than in any other role as he praised his new Disney+ series, &#8220;The Santa Clauses,&#8221; for remembering that Christmas is about a Christian holiday.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tim-allen">69-year-old</a> recently discussed playing jolly old Saint Nick again 28 years after he first donned the Santa suit in the hit 1994 movie, &#8220;The Santa Clause,&#8221; with <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/tim-allen-getting-back-into-santa-suit-retirement-not-in-vocabulary">Fox News Digital</a>.
&#8220;You know, you get around that suit, and I haven&#8217;t changed,&#8221; Allen explained. &#8220;It&#8217;s become that stupid thing, and it ain&#8217;t me.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m nowhere near as nice as that guy,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It&#8217;s just amazing how I become that guy, walk on set and people react to it, and I honor it. I don&#8217;t make any jokes anymore as I watch my performance, and I literally think I&#8217;m better as Santa Claus than I am as anything else because I think for any actor to tease or put on a costume, it&#8217;s easy to become that thing.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Tim Allen on getting back into the Santa suit and why retirement is not in his vocabulary <a href="https://t.co/Rt8cleaVaV">https://t.co/Rt8cleaVaV</a>
&mdash; Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/1602639509065273344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;We honor the Christian tradition without heralding it,&#8221; Allen continued. &#8220;It&#8217;s not – it is what it is. It&#8217;s a Christian holiday. So, we don&#8217;t belabor it, but we don&#8217;t ignore it. I love the way we deal with it.&#8221;
Allen embraced the challenges of reprising his Kris Kringle role on a streaming format instead of the big screen.
&#8220;I see the beginning, middle and end as though it&#8217;s a six-hour movie,&#8221; &#8220;The Santa Clause 2&#8221; star shared. &#8220;I said, &#8216;This thing is very, very good,&#8217; and this is early on, and we continue down this path.&#8221;
&#8220;This is a new format for me, and then I can get my head around it creatively,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It&#8217;s not a television show. It&#8217;s not a movie. It&#8217;s what we&#8217;ve been forced, challenged to do now is a hybrid. It&#8217;s a long movie or a very produced, very creatively elevated television program.&#8221;
The first episode of &#8220;The Santa Clauses&#8221; was released on Disney+ on November 16, and the last show will be available on December 14.
Disclosure: The Daily Wire has announced plans for kids’ entertainment content.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tim-allen-shares-what-it-took-to-get-him-to-don-the-red-coat-for-another-santa-clause-after-third-film-overshot-the-runway">Tim Allen Shares What It Took To Get Him To Don The Red Coat For Another &#8216;Santa Clause&#8217; After Third Film &#8216;Overshot The Runway&#8217;</a>

FOX Summer TCA 2018 All-Star Party – Arrivals

Tim Allen Says He’s ‘Better As Santa Claus’ Than Other Roles, Says New Christmas Series Doesn’t ‘Ignore’ Christian Holiday

Tim Allen Says He’s 'Better As Santa Claus’ Than Other Roles, Says New Christmas Series Doesn’t ‘Ignore’ Christian Holiday

Christmas

Santa Claus

American families making their pilgrimages to <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/disney-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Disney</a> World will now fork over <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">even more cash</a> to House Mouse.
Single-day ticket prices for the notoriously expensive theme parks increased for the first time in several years this week. Tourists visiting Animal Kingdom will pay between $109 and $159 per ticket, those visiting Hollywood Studios will pay between $124 and $179, and those visiting EPCOT will pay between $114 and $179, according to a <a href="https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/disney-world-raises-ticket-prices-how-much-youll-pay-now-at-each-park.amp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Fox 35 Orlando.
Visitors at Magic Kingdom, the most popular attraction at Disney World, can expect to pay between $124 and $189. The nearly $200 price point for Magic Kingdom is specific to nine days around Christmas and New Year’s Day, which marks the most popular time to visit Disney World; other ticket prices also vary based on expected tourist traffic. The price increases occur as <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflation</a> rates remain near their highest levels in four decades.
&#8220;We continue to focus on providing guests with the best, most memorable Disney experience, and we’re doing that by growing our theme parks with incredible new attractions and offerings,&#8221; a Disney spokesperson said in a statement to Fox 35 Orlando. &#8220;We are also making planning easier with new 1-day tickets that automatically include a guest’s theme park reservation and continue to provide a wide range of options to visit throughout the year, including our lowest priced ticket of $109 which has not changed in more than four years.&#8221;
Prices for annual passes also increased as much as $100. The Incredi-Pass now costs $1,399, the Sorcerer Pass costs $969, and the Pirate Pass costs $749. Meanwhile, the Pixie Pass, which is only available to residents of Florida and limited to weekday visits, remained at $399. Disney is not currently selling the three most expensive passes in order to maximize the experience of current pass holders.
Another <a href="https://www.disneytouristblog.com/almost-all-ticket-costs-increase-park-specific-pricing-debuts-at-disney-world/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Disney Tourist Blog said that park revenue has increased even after Disney continued to limit attendance, largely due to higher spending per visitor on items such as food, beverages, and merchandise.
Shares for Disney have fallen nearly 41% since the beginning of the year, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has declined more than 8% over the same period. The company’s board of directors recently made headlines by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/reeling-disney-fires-ceo-as-woke-culture-blamed-for-stock-plunge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suddenly ousting</a> former chief executive Bob Chapek and reinstalling his longtime predecessor, Bob Iger.
Disney is facing backlash from consumers and lawmakers over the entertainment conglomerate’s involvement in political and cultural battles. The company <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-florida-house-votes-to-strip-disney-world-of-its-self-government" target="_blank" rel="noopener">positioned itself</a> against legislation in Florida that bans instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity for students between kindergarten and third grade, ultimately causing a breach of trust among some consumers. Disney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-florida-ending-disneys-special-privileges-has-other-woke-ceos-scared" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost</a> special regulatory and tax privileges granted by the state government of Florida through the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which is the home of Disney World and other theme parks, as a result of the company’s activism against the law.
Iger <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-disney-ceo-says-company-will-quiet-things-down-regrets-predecessor-battled-desantis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lamented</a> that the company involved itself in the controversial debate during a recent town hall meeting with employees. “I was sorry to see us dragged into that battle, and I have no idea exactly what its ramifications are in terms of the business itself,” he said. “What I can say is that the state of Florida has been important to us for a long time, and we have been very important to the state of Florida.”

Readers Pass – Olohan – ‘It Was Our Happy Place’- Families Cancel Disney Trips, Abandon Disney Plus Over Company’s Woke

Disney Ticket Price Hikes Just Kicked In. Here’s How Much You Could Pay For One Day At Magic Kingdom.

Disney Increases Prices For Florida Theme Parks

Inflation

Disney’s new chief executive shocked the business world last week by admitting that the company’s previous opposition to parental rights legislation in Florida was a mistake. 
During a town hall meeting with employees, new Disney CEO Bob Iger expressed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-disney-ceo-says-company-will-quiet-things-down-regrets-predecessor-battled-desantis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regret</a> that his predecessor and would-be successor, Bob Chapek, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-florida-house-votes-to-strip-disney-world-of-its-self-government" target="_blank" rel="noopener">positioned</a> the company against legislation that bans instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity to students younger than fourth grade. The move <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-was-our-happy-place-families-cancel-disney-trips-abandon-disney-plus-over-companys-woke-ideology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">angered some consumers</a> and resulted in Disney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-florida-house-votes-to-strip-disney-world-of-its-self-government" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losing</a> special regulatory and tax privileges in the Sunshine State.
Iger, among his several admonitions to the employees of House Mouse, suggested finding the “delicate balance” between telling stories and “listening” to audience members, as well as maintaining “respect for the people that you’re serving” rather than “disdain for them.” However, the seasoned executive expressed doubt that some hot-button topics that recently landed Disney in nationwide controversy are overtly “political.”
Shares for Disney have fallen nearly 41% since the beginning of the year, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has declined more than 7% over the same period.
Jeremy Tedesco, the senior vice president of corporate engagement for Alliance Defending Freedom, remarked during an interview with The Daily Wire that consumers will need to witness concrete changes at Disney rather than mere lip service before the iconic brand regains their trust. “I guess the proof will be in what actions he actually takes,” Tedesco said, noting that Iger is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-ex-disney-ceo-bob-iger-near-top-of-bidens-ambassador-wishlist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more progressive</a> in his personal politics than Chapek. “Hopefully he can be somebody who can rise above that and understand that he&#8217;s got a duty to shareholders and employees.”
Indeed, evidence of consumer hesitance has appeared within some verticals at Disney over the past several months. Among other concerning metrics, the company reported a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-subscriptions-at-ultra-woke-disney-slow-to-a-crawl-after-company-loses-left-wing-political-battles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">significant slowdown</a> in new domestic subscriptions for flagship streaming service Disney+ after entering into the contentious political battle.
Beyond backlash from shareholders and consumers, conservative employees <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/they-call-their-fellow-employees-bigots-conservatives-at-disney-issue-open-statement-detailing-hostile-work-environment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> an open statement detailing the hostile work environment at the company, which has “come to be an increasingly uncomfortable place to work” for individuals “whose political and religious views are not explicitly progressive.” Tedesco observed that a hostile work environment discourages talent, representing a liability for Disney.
“If you just commit to the fact that ‘We have a broad set of beliefs represented in our employee base, and so we&#8217;re not going to engage in these things,’ that will be a boon to the employees,” he said. “They&#8217;re going to feel much more engaged and not demoralized, like they are now.”
The employees noted the success of highly popular offerings, such as the historical musical “Hamilton” and Star Wars spinoff “The Mandalorian,” as examples of the company’s ability to unify Americans from all walks of life. Some more recent releases have been far more polarizing and have accordingly been trounced in the marketplace. “Strange World,” an animated film featuring a homosexual teenage romance, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/animated-gay-teen-romance-film-is-woke-disneys-latest-box-office-bomb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fizzled</a> at the box office during what should have been a strong holiday weekend opening. “Lightyear,” the latest installment in the popular Toy Story franchise, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gay-kiss-included-woke-toy-story-spinoff-lightyear-struggles-at-box-office?%3Futm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwtwitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">featured</a> a homosexual kiss and likewise struggled among moviegoers.
“Disney is an object lesson for getting out over your skis when it comes to pushing things outside of your business&#8217;s interest,” Tedesco observed.
The entertainment conglomerate is not alone in its zeal for political activism. Executives who ascribe to the environmental, social, and governance movement, also known as ESG, routinely enact policies such as carbon emissions reductions and corporate diversity audits, even if such gestures are harmful to profits. Asset management companies such as BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street, which own a <a href="https://money.cnn.com/quote/shareholders/shareholders.html?symb=DIS&amp;subView=institutional" target="_blank" rel="noopener">combined</a> 15% of shares in Disney, have frequently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-three-investment-firms-are-turning-companies-like-disney-woke-and-what-you-can-do-to-fight-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consolidated market power</a> to encourage ESG initiatives within their portfolio companies.
“If Disney is going to start pulling back from ESG and all this partisan politicking on behalf of Disney as a corporation, I think that could be very good, ultimately, for the broader business community,” Tedesco remarked. “I think the bottom line is, we will see what he actually has in mind. It&#8217;s one thing to say a few of things from a stage, which, as encouraging as they were, were couched. They were a little vague, it was not entirely clear what he was saying or what the concrete steps would be. They have to take concrete steps to demonstrate that they are serious about rejecting the partisan pressure game that is ESG and internal employee activism.”
Alliance Defending Freedom <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/woke-corporations-really-hate-diversity-of-thought-new-viewpoint-diversity-score-reveals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unveiled</a> a Viewpoint Diversity Score initiative earlier this year, constituting an effort to track “corporate respect for religious and ideological diversity.” Tedesco said that scores were remarkably low in the inaugural analysis, even though companies can adopt a handful of simple measures if they desire to improve their standing. One easily implementable policy is the reversal of prohibitions on employees donating to religious nonprofits in matching gift programs.
As long as Iger neglects to show the marketplace that Disney will begin to respect diversity of thought, according to Tedesco, consumers “are not going to believe those words that came out of his mouth, because the track record up to now has been entirely in the other direction.”
Disclosure: The Daily Wire has announced plans for kids entertainment content.

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