Planning A Trip To The Walt Disney Company's Shareholder Meeting!

I have been a shareholder in The Walt Disney Company for 24 years. I love that company- I worked for them twice, for a grand total of 5 years. Why do I like them so much? I don't know. But I do know that I love Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Disneyland, Lilo and Stitch, Pinocchio and Pirates of the Caribbean. One thing that is available to all shareholders of Disney, but which most shareholders of Disney probably never do (although it sometimes seems like they ALL do) is to attend the shareholder meetings. The last one that I remember going to many years ago (1997, I think) was really interesting, because Warren Buffet was there (he used to be a large shareholder) and there was open debate about approving Michael Eisner's new compensation package. It was very contentious, but Mr. Eisner's new package was approved. I haven't been back to a meeting since that one, although I've been meaning to.

Recently I found out that they're having their shareholder meeting in Oakland, California this year. Boy, that's not too far! I think I'll go! What I've done is this: I bought a ticket on Amtrak, and I"ll go up there the day before, get a hotel that night, and then get up early in the morning, have a good breakfast and go and enjoy the meeting.

What's so good about the meeting? Well, they tell you all the new and exciting things that are in store for the Company. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald and Goofy were there at all the meetings that I'd been to in the past, and I don't see any reason why they wouldn't be this time. Steve Jobs, who's Disney's largest shareholder and sits on Disney's Board of Directors, might be there, despite the fact that he's recovering from an illness. One thing that I'm anxious to find out, and something that will be revealed at the meeting, is the significance of this question: "Are you 23?"


It has really been a long time since I went to a meeting, but Disney seems to be doing well despite a challenging economy, and I want to get excited about what they've got in store for the future.