Al Lutz

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Al Lutz is an Internet journalist who covers the behind-the-scenes goings on at the Disneyland Resort and, more broadly, the Walt Disney Company. Although an amateur reporter who relies on well-placed anonymous sources within the Disney corporate structure, Lutz is sometimes quoted in mainstream news reports and his column is known to be read by Disney executives, including former CEO Michael Eisner.

1 Editorial history
2 Impact on Disney
- 2.1 Tom Sawyer Island
3 Criticism
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Editorial history

Mr. Lutz had his start on Disneyland USENET newsgroups, and then moved to the World Wide Web, originally editing the Disneyland Information Guide (DIG) and then, with other owners of Disney-related Web sites, co-founded MousePlanet, a Disney news and travel planning site. In 2002 he left MousePlanet with fellow writer Kevin Yee amid rumors of difficulty with the current site leadership, to create MiceAge, where he is currently editor-in-chief. Miceage has a sister site, MiceChat (launched in 2005), where all aspects of the Disney company are discussed. Lutz's readership peaks when his columns report especially controversial, exciting, or gossipy news. An article on the alleged behavior of Lindsay Lohan at a Disneyland private party ^[1] caught the attention of Lohan's publicist, and IMDB.com^[2], as well as serving to bolster traffic to MiceAge.

[edit] Impact on Disney

For years, while Disney's Anaheim theme parks were led by then Parks and Resorts chairman Paul Pressler and then Disneyland president Cynthia Harriss, Lutz complained about the decline in park quality and perceived customer value. Roy E. Disney, dissident Disney shareholder and son of company co-founder Roy O. Disney, latched onto Lutz's complaints in his bid to oust Eisner in 2003 to 2004. His Save Disney website would often link to Lutz's column. Lutz is well known for his consistently critical look at Team Disney Anaheim and its management of the Disneyland Resort, and has stood by a distinctly negative view of the Eisner-era Disney's California Adventure, particularly the California based theme.

[edit] Tom Sawyer Island

On October 3, 2006, Lutz published a column revealing plans within Walt Disney Pictures in Burbank to transform Disneyland's Tom Sawyer Island into a playground area based on Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, which made its debut in the park as a ride in 1967^[3]. The story was picked up quickly by national media, such as the Los Angeles Times^[4], which has frequently turned to Lutz as a source for Disneyland related news, and the local Orange County Register^[5] The story prompted the Times editorial board to plead in their opinion section to keep the island as a playground for such as classic American character as Tom Sawyer ^[6]. On Janaury 26th, 2007 Disney did announce "Pirate's Lair at Tom Sawyer Island." which is scheduled to open in late May, 2007.

[edit] Criticism

His reportage and editorial comments on rumours, gossip and innuendo are often debated in the online Disney community regarding their truth or veracity. Lutz' use of anonymous sources within the Disney company necessitates that the articles reveal neither their names nor ranking within the Walt Disney Company. This has led to speculation by some that his sources may not be high enough to know the information they are revealing, and thus are reporting hearsay. The information he conveys is rarely presented with a caveat which often leads his reports to be highly debated among Disney fan sites.