Is anyone from the Disney family still involved with the company? (2024)

A very brief search on the company said that no one with the name Disney is on it. Could still be a cousin or a married type relative with a differently name might be there.

As for ownership, its a public company. Lots of people and companies own a piece. Steve jobs is the only one who owns more than 5%. He is the largest shareholder, worth more than 5 billion dollars... 138,000,000 shares. He would be the closest thing to an owner that they have, but its not real... not like Walt owned it.

Tinkerbell 8 said:

My DH asked me this the other day, and the only thing that I knew off the top of my head was that Roy O. Disney resigned in (I believe 2005?) and I thought he was the last Disney family member involved with the company. Does anyone know if the family is still involved in any way?

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Roy O. Disney died in 1971, two months after Disney World opened in October.

Walt's widow, Lillian, passed away in 1997.

Roy's son, Roy E. Disney, who was still involved with the Company business until 2006, passed away back in 2009.

Ron Miller (Walt's son-in-law and former Disney CEO forced out by Eisner back in '83) and his wife Diane (Walt's daughter) are both still alive and well and living in Northern California. Neither one of them provide any services to the current Disney Company. Diane and Ron run the

Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, but the musuem is not formally associated with the company that still bears Walt's name.

There is no one left from the Disney family, by name or by marriage, involved with the Disney Company.

TP2000 said:

There is no one left from the Disney family, by name or by marriage, involved with the Disney Company.

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And now there won't be anyone there anymore to save the company if the stock price goes down. Roy E. was the only one who saved the company - both in 1984 AND 2004, first to bring Eisner in and then to take him out. Now that Roy is gone, who can save it now if anything happens to it?

mharrington said:

And now there won't be anyone there anymore to save the company if the stock price goes down. Roy E. was the only one who saved the company - both in 1984 AND 2004, first to bring Eisner in and then to take him out. Now that Roy is gone, who can save it now if anything happens to it?

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Lasseter is our ONLY hope. The way he talked about how DCA at the D23 not being up to Disney park standards makes me believe he really cares about the product and company.

Scuttle said:

Lasseter is our ONLY hope. The way he talked about how DCA at the D23 not being up to Disney park standards makes me believe he really cares about the product and company.

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Difference being that Lasseter is employed directly to Iger, and as far as I know doesn't have too significant a stock in the company... whereas Roy owned one of the largest stakes in the company, and at the time of the "Save Disney" campaign was employed to no one. Although both figures have been great for protecting the Disney quality and image, I think it would be far more difficult for Lasseter to stage a "Save Disney"-style shareholder revolt if Iger were to ever step out of line.

To be honest, I'm not sure who is left that is really capable of such a thing...

MarkTwain said:

Difference being that Lasseter is employed directly to Iger, and as far as I know doesn't have too significant a stock in the company... whereas Roy owned one of the largest stakes in the company, and at the time of the "Save Disney" campaign was employed to no one. Although both figures have been great for protecting the Disney quality and image, I think it would be far more difficult for Lasseter to stage a "Save Disney"-style shareholder revolt if Iger were to ever step out of line.

To be honest, I'm not sure who is left that is really capable of such a thing...

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Hence, why I'm concerned that now that Roy is gone, nothing can save the company now. If Iger goes out of line or the stock price drops big time, the company may no longer be.

Tinkerbell 8 said:

My DH asked me this the other day, and the only thing that I knew off the top of my head was that Roy O. Disney resigned in (I believe 2005?) and I thought he was the last Disney family member involved with the company. Does anyone know if the family is still involved in any way? If they aren't did they sell the rights/share, or what exactly happened? Thanks!

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mharrington said:

Hence, why I'm concerned that now that Roy is gone, nothing can save the company now. If Iger goes out of line or the stock price drops big time, the company may no longer be.

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Hi im new. I hope peaple still read this. Because I have somthing to say..

I may be a small person with huge dreams. And even though im only 22 and dont mean anything to a massive company like disney. I belive I can make a change. I am studying at university to work for the walt disney company. When I found out that there are no more disney family members and that diane disney miller had died last year I got very upset.
I am so concerned about the welfare of the company I plan to get as high as I can go in the walt disney company so I can make a change to ensure that walts legacy will not be destroyed.....walt disney world was his dream and I dont whant to see it become another company that has shut down.... when I get to this stage I need peaple who will help me make the right decisions. Thats all you guys.... I really do care about what happens with the parks and the other facilities disney offers. But ill need help getting there. AS LONG AS THERES A VOICE THEY WILL LISTEN.

Walts legacy said:

I am so concerned about the welfare of the company I plan to get as high as I can

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Me too man, me too.

George said:

Me too man, me too.

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Moving to Colorado too?

hakunamatata said:

Moving to Colorado too?

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Naw. I just tell the doc I have early onset glaucoma.

George said:

Naw. I just tell the doc I have early onset glaucoma.

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You too? Must be going around.

ToyStorygirl said:

I asked this on Keys To The Kingdom tour. No family members on the board though the heirs still get certain royalties.

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Doubtful. Retlaw sold Walt's name and likeness [back] to the Company in the early 1980s along with the Disneyland assets.

George said:

Me too man, me too.

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I'm thinking you can't get a whole lot higher without disappearing from sight.

aladdin2007 said:

Walts daughter Diane Disney died in November.

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So? She had children, as did Roy O. Disney. Roy P. Disney may even make another appearance at the shareholders meeting to give his approval of Iger.