Jim Hill
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Of course, there was a time when the Walt Disney Company used to aim high as well. As recently as 1990, the Mouse had announced an ambitious 10 year plan for the entire corporation. Mickey's master plan for the "Disney Decade" (Which is what Mouse House planners not-so-humbly dubbed this proposed period of explosive growth for the Walt Disney Company) literally called for dozens of elaborate new high tech attractions to be constructed at the company's Central Florida theme parks. Full blown plans were cooked up for state-of-the-art rides based on the characters from Disney's "Little Mermaid," "Roger Rabbit" and "Dick Tracy" films as well as Jim Henson's Muppets.

But -- in the wake of the fiscally disastrous opening of the Euro Disneyland Resort in the Spring of 1992 -- the Mouse learned the hard way that being ambitious may not always be so smart. Which was why most of the projects that were dreamed up for the "Disney Decade" never made it off the drawing board. The Mediterranean themed luxury hotel that was supposed to be built right at water's edge alongside Sea Sevens Lagoon, the sprawling wild-west themed Buffalo Junction Resort complex (which would have eventually connected WDW's Wilderness Lodge and the Fort Wilderness Campground) were all tabled in favor of cheaper-to-build, less ambitious resorts.

These days, long range planning really seems to be a thing of the past at the Walt Disney Company. Instead of the corporation thinking a decade ahead, now we're lucky if the executives who are running the Mouse House have even a semi-serious thought about what they'll be doing six months down the line.

You want proof? Then let's talk about Disney's upcoming "Country Bears" movie. This Walt Disney Pictures production -- which is loosely based on the much loved Frontierland attraction, but gives those banjo pickin' bruins a "VH1 - Behind the Music" style makeover -- isn't even due in theaters 'til the Summer of 2002. But the work-in-progress version of this film has been testing so well that the Mouse is already talking sequel. Which is why the Mouse has hired noted comedy writer / performer Paul Rugg to throw together a screenplay for a second "Country Bear" movie.

So, with an almost-certain-to-be-a-hit film in the can and a sequel being written even as we speak, you'd think that Disney theme park executives would be ecstatic, right? After all, this movie is almost certain to drive up attendance at the attraction that this "Country Bears" movie is based on, right? So you'd think that these same executives would be looking for ways for their theme parks to capitalize on the upcoming success of Disney's "Country Bears" movie.

Well, think again, folks. At least when it comes to the Californian version of Disney's "Country Bears" theme park attraction. Instead of looking for ways to cash in on the upcoming film release, Disneyland actually closed its "Country Bear Jamboree" show for good this past Sunday night.

The reason? The Anaheim version of this audio-animatronic show has never been as popular as the Orlando original. Why for? Well, though the Disneyland version of the "Country Bears" show is an exact duplicate of the WDW version, the Country Bear Playhouse has really had to struggle to attract crowds due to its remote location. WDW's "Country Bears" show has a primo location at the Magic Kingdom -- right alongside the Rivers of America in Frontierland. On the other hand, Disneyland's version of the show was placed in the north-western-most corner of the Anaheim theme park. As the years went by, fewer and fewer tourists were willing to hike all the way out to Bear Country -- later Critter Country -- just to hear Big Al sing "Blood on the Saddle."

Which is why the Mouse is anxious to close the Californian version of Country Bear Playhouse so that Mickey can bring in a bruin who's sure to draw a crowd: Winnie the Pooh. By the Spring of 2003, one Californian copy of an Orlando hit attraction -- "Country Bear Jamboree" -- is rumored to be replaced by another West Coast redo of a Magic Kingdom favorite, "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh."

In the long run, wouldn't it have been smarter of the Mouse to have held off on closing Disneyland's Country Bear Playhouse at least until Disney's "Country Bears" movie hit theaters in the Summer of 2002? That way, there would have at least been one attraction at the Anaheim park that could cash in on the popularity of the soon-to-be-open film. Of course, in order to do that, you'd have to do a little advance planning. And that's just not something that the Mouse seems interested in doing anymore.

That perhaps is the real reason that the Walt Disney Company is having so much trouble lately. The entertainment industry is currently dominated by companies who seem to be playing chess, who plot out their moves and strategies months -- even years -- in advance. The Mouse? It seems to only be interested in playing checkers. Making poorly thought-out decisions for small-sized gains. Stuff that pays off six to eight months further on down the line.

Mind you, it isn't just the Mouse's theme park division that's been acting short-sighted. Disney's various movie making divisions also seem to be having trouble when it comes to seeing the forest through the trees.