A Spirited Perfect Ten

[Lee]

My other issue with all of this is the $800 million. Everyone keeps spouting off this number, but Disney is contributing only $344 million of that as per their 43% stake in the venture. The Shendi Group is contributing $456 million of the total. This has been reported ad nauseam in many articles so it is disingenuous for people to act like Disney is paying out the entire sum. Well, they wouldn't have as much to say if they reported it correctly.

True, Disney only paid a portion of the $800m.

The relevant point is that we don't know where it went. It's still unaccounted for, other than the original "new rides and attractions" statement.

The question of its whereabouts is quite valid.

 

[fillerup]

The second.
Nothing wrong with the article.

The problems lie with the article's removal and the hasty, incorrect statement that was posted.

What was the statement exactly?

 

[PhotoDave219]

True, Disney only paid a portion of the $800m.

The relevant point is that we don't know where it went. It's still unaccounted for, other than the original "new rides and attractions" statement.

The question of its whereabouts is quite valid.

I think it's a very valid question of "what happened to the $800 million?"

On one hand, we have mr. Eiger saying that $800 million went towards expanding attractions… Which we have not seen.

On the other hand we have somebody connected with the project in the Chinese government arrested for corruption and bribery.

Something is distinctly rotten here and there is at Best, the appearance of impropriety. At worst? Full on bribery.

 

[Lee]

What was the statement exactly?

I never saw it. Something about the author misrepresenting himself and his business affiliations, I believe.

They quickly thought better of it. It was only online for a very short time before being pulled. I'm sure lawyers, or the threat thereof, were involved.

 

[Nemo14]

It was : "This blogger's posts are no longer available on the Huffington Post due to inaccuracies in representations he made regarding his professional affiliations."

 

[ford91exploder]

It was : "This blogger's posts are no longer available on the Huffington Post due to inaccuracies in representations he made regarding his professional affiliations."

And that statement was verifiably not true...

 

[LuvtheGoof]

True, Disney only paid a portion of the $800m.

The relevant point is that we don't know where it went. It's still unaccounted for, other than the original "new rides and attractions" statement.

The question of its whereabouts is quite valid.

Well, the main problem is that Disney doesn't break down exact costs of any attraction in a way the public can see it. They generalize their capital expenditures. Probably only a very few people know exactly how much each attraction in NFL cost to complete. They only statement they will ever make is "new rides and attractions" for any type of expenditure. Only a few will ever know exactly what that extra money is going for either, so it really is a waste of my time to dwell on it.

 

[VulcanCafe]

I think it's a very valid question of "what happened to the $800 million?"

...

On one hand, we have mr. Eiger saying that $800 million went towards expanding attractions… Which we have not seen.

On the other hand we have somebody connected with the project in the Chinese government arrested for corruption and bribery.

From the articles it seems to me the most likely scenario is that the Chinese official bought up land surrounding the project, probably by forcing locals into selling cheap vs state condemnation of their land, and personally (or his family) profited from the sale of that property, or managed to steer contracts to family or political contacts. Has nothing to do with and is absolutely unconnected to $800m Disney investment etc etc.

 

[fillerup]

It was : "This blogger's posts are no longer available on the Huffington Post due to inaccuracies in representations he made regarding his professional affiliations."

And that statement was verifiably not true...

From what I'm reading I'm assuming it's known here what representations he made to the Hufington Post regarding his professional affiliations?

And how is the statement verifiably not true?

 

[Rodan75]

I don't think Spirit qualifies as 'the press'.

I still don't get Snyder's angle. He's not a true journalist, and Ya I'd be pretty peeve'd with being censored... But I want to know what he's up to, and why he cared in the first place?

There are two agendas here, we clearly have hints at Iger's/China, but I want to know whose/what agenda @WDW1974 is being leaked info from. Until then we have a weirdly lop-sided story (that doesn't make it false or inaccurate, just incomplete). Does Gary just hate the Iger's too? What is he after exactly?

Unfortunately all we are going to get from here is that side of the story, and unfortunately the Snyder side of the story as well as Igers true feelings about the whole thing aren't likely to come out for decades. Honestly if there was more to this story I think the media press would have jumped on it...as Variety stated a couple of weeks ago...folks are foaming at the mouth for something to make Iger more interesting.

If there was truly a big corruption story, I doubt Staggs would have been promoted to COO, that would have been the most logical fall guy for it.

 

[Lee]

Well, the main problem is that Disney doesn't break down exact costs of any attraction in a way the public can see it. They generalize their capital expenditures. Probably only a very few people know exactly how much each attraction in NFL cost to complete. They only statement they will ever make is "new rides and attractions" for any type of expenditure. Only a few will ever know exactly what that extra money is going for either, so it really is a waste of my time to dwell on it.

When they make public statements that they are increasing investment in order to pay for additional rides and attractions, in addition to the existing menu....when there are in fact no additions that have been made...asking where it went is legit.

 

[Lee]

From what I'm reading I'm assuming it's known here what representations he made to the Hufington Post regarding his professional affiliations?

It is known, (timely GoT reference) but not publicly.

 

[ford91exploder]

Unfortunately all we are going to get from here is that side of the story, and unfortunately the Snyder side of the story as well as Igers true feelings about the whole thing aren't likely to come out for decades. Honestly if there was more to this story I think the media press would have jumped on it...as Variety stated a couple of weeks ago...folks are foaming at the mouth for something to make Iger more interesting.

If there was truly a big corruption story, I doubt Staggs would have been promoted to COO, that would have been the most logical fall guy for it.

He can STILL be the fall guy for this his current position means nothing, His job is to protect Iger and if this takes down a higher profile executive than it would have ordinarily all the better, I'm sure he will collect a nice golden parachute on the way out as payment for 'protecting' Bob. Where it could get interesting is if the Chinese demand extradition.

 

[Rodan75]

He can STILL be the fall guy for this his current position means nothing, His job is to protect Iger and if this takes down a higher profile executive than it would have ordinarily all the better, I'm sure he will collect a nice golden parachute on the way out as payment for 'protecting' Bob. Where it could get interesting is if the Chinese demand extradition.

That would be one way to get all of the multi-nationals to name corrupt Chinese officials, push for extradition. lol.

 

[ford91exploder]

That would be one way to get all of the multi-nationals to name corrupt Chinese officials, push for extradition. lol.

Yes it would especially since in China executive corruption is dealt with harshly, no 2 years of raking the bunkers at an Air Force base while a guest of Club Fed, In China one gets sentenced to decades of hard labor or a bullet which they bill your next of kin for.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

When they make public statements that they are increasing investment in order to pay for additional rides and attractions, in addition to the existing menu....when there are in fact no additions that have been made...asking where it went is legit.

Actually, I haven't seen anything official about what the rides and attractions are even going to be. The website doesn't list anything, so where is that information even coming from?

 

[fillerup]

It is known, (timely GoT reference) but not publicly.

Just trying to follow the bouncing ball here.

So Mr. Snyder made representations to the Huffpo re' his professional affiliations that were undeniably true, even though HuffPo briefly said otherwise.

If the representations were true, then presumably they would be affiliations that qualified him to be published. They would also be representations of which Mr. Snyder would presumably be proud.

Then why would it somehow be damaging if they were public?

BTW - China has no extradition treaty with USA, so you can put that fantasy aside.

 

[Lee]

Actually, I haven't seen anything official about what the rides and attractions are even going to be. The website doesn't list anything, so where is that information even coming from?

That's the thing. They never said what those added attractions were going to be.
However, we DO know that based on the attraction menu that we've had for over a year and the current construction...nothing has been added.

 

[Lee]

Just trying to follow the bouncing ball here.

So Mr. Snyder made representations to the Huffpo re' his professional affiliations that were undeniably true, even though HuffPo briefly said otherwise.

If the representations were true, then presumably they would be affiliations that qualified him to be published. They would also be representations of which Mr. Snyder would presumably be proud.

Then why would it somehow be damaging if they were public?

BTW - China has no extradition treaty with USA, so you can put that fantasy aside.

I am not aware of anything damaging about anything regarding Mr. Snyder's representations. They were made by him to HuffPo, not to the public.

I only know that the statement, issued hastily by HuffPo when the piece was pulled, then promptly retracted, was incorrect and potentially libelous were Mr. Snyder to pursue it.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

That's the thing. They never said what those added attractions were going to be.
However, we DO know that based on the attraction menu that we've had for over a year and the current construction...nothing has been added.

My question was where is the current attraction menu posted on any official Disney site and what is the attraction menu? I cannot find it anywhere.