Disney buys Marvel Entertainment

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

Hmm..maybe I am just getting too excited about this because it could mean that my dh and boys will always want to go back to Disney now!!!! A girl can dream!

 

[michaeldorn1]

Wow, this is a major acquisition in the entertainment and especially theme park world. I wonder if we start seeing Spidey at Magic Kingdom? And what happens to the existing Marvel stuff at competitor Universal?

Disney will just march into Universal, pack up The Hulk and Spiderman rides and transplant them to Disney World. DHS seems like the obvious choice!!!

 

[KimDis]

Reposting from the podcast boards...

This is like Christmas morning to me. Stan Lee understands story and brings a lot to the table with his characters.

I think this is an excellent answer to Harry Potter as Marvel brings in an equally diverse demographic. Trust me, I'm not a 12 year old boy but I've seen all of the movies. And I'd bet that anyone coming down to Orlando to see Harry at Universal would be more than tempted by an X-Men or Iron Man ride at the Studios. Right now, I don't know if you could argue that DHS is a full day park without the shows. A skillfull incorporation of Marvel at the studios would bring even more life to that park and extend it's appeal.

The possibilities of this deal alone have sold me on renewing my annual pass next year.

That said I think Disney has to be very careful to find appropriate ways to protect all of their brands and must take a hard look and where it's appropriate and NOT appropriate to blur the lines. Because if we see Iron Man's Energy Adventure at EPCOT or if Spidey comes into the Magic Kingdom and takes Tinks place in Wishes... all bets are off for lots of loyal fans.

 

[LaurieN]

I have to agree that there is "princess overload" and not much for boys (being the mother of 2 boys and no girls). I would love to see spiderman @HS, but never @ MK. I know they aren't "Disney" but what does Aerosmith have to do with Disney? and they are featured on one of HS biggest attractions. So are far as "unDisneylike" I would have to say Aerosmith is about "unDisneylike" as you could get no.

Just my thoughts on the subject; I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong, I don't want to get yelled at here

Laurie

Oh, and just for the record I don't have anything aginst Aerosmith, I just find it odd that they are featured in Disney, I actually LOVE the band and the ride!

 

[puntagordabob]

But for some reason The Muppets feel Disney like to me. That might have something to do with the fact I've been to the DHS show about a thousand times.

Jim Henson held many of the same philosophies as Walt. In fact prior to his death he had considered who should take over the Muppets and would keep them "alive" in much the same manner he used. His decision was Disney. There was no question & I believe Disney has done an excellent job of keeping the characters off in a world of their own. They may be able to continue doing the same with the Marvel characters - The Muppet acquisition was very different.

I agree...the Muppets fit in at Disney really well....

 

[TDSAXX]

I don't think you'll see a lot of superheroes running around the MK/DL. I think these characters and any attractions related to them will probably be at DHS and DCA.

Also to the poster who said based on stock prices this deal clearly favors Marvel; don't read too much into one day. Marvel's stock is obviously going to go up because their being bought out at a premium. In the long run I think this benefits Disney.

I do wonder if this puts the kibosh on any big annoucements at D23 about Fantasyland or other new rides and attractions at WDW. As this purchase is going to suck up $4B in cash and stock.

 

[Rip]

http://money.aol.com/videos/video/main/disney-ceo-on-marvel-entertainment-acquisition/3752079452

from this interview, it def. sounds like we will see marvel in the parks

He also mentioned that you wouldn't see them in all of the parks because there are current agreements in place that Disney will have to honor. I doubt you'll ever see Spiderman doing a meet and greet anywhere in WDW.

 

[kmk1180]

I seem to remember reading alot of critisism about Disney lately.
People complaining they aren't adding to the parks, or sitting doing nothing while US adds Harry Potter, closing PI, people saying US is
smarter because they made 21 million last quarter while disney's profits fell
to about 950 million. (ya poor disney only made just under a billion dollars in one quarter)
We'll today's annoucement should prove that just because Disney doesn't tell you it's plans doesn't mean they are doing nothing or don't have a plan for the future.
This is a major strike at US. Not only does it add to Disney's film department and probably it's theme parks, it takes away from US theme parks and counters their biggest announced plans of HP.
Watch for Iron Man 2 to be a HUGE hit next year and boost profits for Disney.

 

[CLR4321]

I would bet my right arm that within the next year a "Marvel Land" will be opened at DHS. As soon as I saw the headline it was my first thought...and sure enough in the article and video of interview with Bob Iger, there was an awful lot of mention of what the purchase will do for the parks as far as characters being present in the parks and Marvel being incorporated into them. I wonder how quickly Spiderman will show up? My DS and boyfriend would be thrilled to hang out with Spiderman! Maybe they will get them down there within the next 2 weeks, and we will get to see them on our upcoming trip.

 

[TDSAXX]

I would bet my right arm that within the next year a "Marvel Land" will be opened at DHS. As soon as I saw the headline it was my first thought...and sure enough in the article and video of interview with Bob Iger, there was an awful lot of mention of what the purchase will do for the parks as far as characters being present in the parks and Marvel being incorporated into them. I wonder how quickly Spiderman will show up? My DS and boyfriend would be thrilled to hang out with Spiderman! Maybe they will get them down there within the next 2 weeks, and we will get to see them on our upcoming trip.

You won't see Spidey in DHS anytime soon. He'll continue to be at Universal for quite a while, Universal will just be paying it's licensing fees to Disney rather than Marvel.

 

[bmalonef45]

New badges have been issued.

 

[Rip]

You won't see Spidey in DHS anytime soon. He'll continue to be at Universal for quite a while, Universal will just be paying it's licensing fees to Disney rather than Marvel.

"Marvel also has various deals with the two-park Universal Orlando. The agreements governing two of Universal's hugely popular rides, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk roller coaster, appear to be virtually perpetual deals. According to Universal's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Universal Orlando retains American rights east of the Mississippi River for as long as its attractions are in operation.

Universal and Marvel also have various deals for everything from merchandise sales to the theming of many other portions of the Orlando resort's Islands of Adventure theme park."


http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-bk-disney-marvel-entertainment-083109,0,2559631.story


I would imagine this is what he was referring to in the interview previously posted.

 

[Planogirl]

The idea of Marvel characters being at WDW makes me giggle. I can see Spidey with Mickey Mouse ears and Princess Storm and Princess Jean Grey now. Oh my.

Universal has a binding agreement with Marvel at this point. I doubt that anyone will be seeing the Incredible Hulk in the parades for a while yet at least. Nice, nasty move though Disney.

 

[CLR4321]

Disney will just march into Universal, pack up The Hulk and Spiderman rides and transplant them to Disney World. DHS seems like the obvious choice!!!

They would build their own rides, no doubt. Pooh sized folks can't even ride in the Universal roller coasters...Disney wouldn't buy them. But I do agree, I see DHS opening some attractions at some point in the near future, especially with the new Iron Man film coming out, that is sure to be a big box office hit.

I also agree with the PP who mentioned that Disney bringing in new characters is not anything new. It just seems this way because Marvel is about 50 years old and other classics are 150, going on 200 years old and some even older such as Beauty and the Beast, going on 250 years old, and Sleeping Beauty going on 325 years! Look at the Princesses....most of them have been frozen in time by Disney making movies, keeping their characters in the parks and maintaining the merchandise. One generation grows old, and the next enjoys the same characters. If Disney stopped bringing in "the new" it would likely be the downfall of the company. Disney has the ability to take something and make it into something timeless, changing it to correspond with the present time, but keeping that original model that ties it all together. It amazes me how the Disney company has managed this for 80+ years.

As far as Walt Disney goes, it would be hard to predict what he would have wanted if he was still alive, however he was one who insisted that within the Disney company that things constantly change to keep up with the times and move forward, looking to the future. Things may change, but it is just because they are moving forward with the time's. People have described It's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow song from CoP as being like Walt's personal theme song because he was constantly looking to the future.

 

[cleophus12]

Okay, so it was good for Marvel's stockholders. What did it do for my Disney stock?

 

[BC1836]

Little Mermaid - Hans Christian Andersen
Winnie the Pooh - A. A. Milne
Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty - Charles Perrault
Aladdin - Anotine Galland
Snow White - The brothers Grimm
Peter Pan - J. M. Barrie
Dumbo - Helen Aberson
101 Dalmatians - Dodie Smith

And the list goes on. Sure, you might think Disney is selling out, but are they really? How many of the classic things that you 'Think' are Disney are really the creation of Disney?

This is nothing new.

To an extent, this is something "new."

Your aforementioned list of characters (and don't forget Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island or Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan) was adapted by Disney into various celluloid productions over the years and subsequently developed into theme park attractions. Hence, they had a Disney pedigree of sorts.

Like Power Rangers and the Muppets, Marvel characters may go straight to attraction status without ever having been transformed via the Disney chrysallis stage. The same concern involves other attractions like Indiana Jones and the Aerosmith roller coaster, although a creative stretch might conjure up "Love in a [Tower of Terror] Elevator."

Increasingly, Disney is absorbing characters/attractions that have never had a Disney affiliation. Hopefully, the corporate Disney folks won't contemplate Transformers, South Park or The Sopranos.

 

[DznyGal]

I am still undecided how I feel about all of this, I never imagined Iron Man, Spiderman, and the X-Men walking around with Mickey Minne and All my favorite Princesses!

 

[Colleen27]

My first reaction? Maybe they'll finally add something that will get my tween son excited about Disney trips again!! So many of us parents have been clamoring for years for a little more "boy" stuff at the World, and it seems now like TPTB are listening, with the unveiling of the Pirates League and now the aquisition of Marvel.

 

[nile455]

Okay, so it was good for Marvel's stockholders. What did it do for my Disney stock?

Yeah, I see MVL was up 25% today while DIS down 3%. What gives!!

 

[TDSAXX]

Yeah, I see MVL was up 25% today while DIS down 3%. What gives!!

This almost always happens when one company purchases another. Marvel's stock shot way up because Disney is offering a to pay a premium over the price Marvel's stock was selling at prior to the announcement. On the flip side the Disney's stock dropped today as people reacted to the news. One day is certainly no accurate barometer as to whether or not this is a good move by Disney.