Could disney world ever go bust and what would happen / re percussions

DisneyPrincess5

Well-Known Member
Hah DH and I have asked ourselves this before in "what if" games. "What if Disney World closed or what if the whole company went under? What would happen? What would it look like? What would they do with the land?"

It's kind of crazy to think of a world that doesn't include The World. But like @AquaDuck said, it would stay afloat by another company buying it and taking over.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Life would continue to go on and we would find something else to keep us amused. It would be sad, but, not a catastrophe. Disney is no longer the original Disney. It has attractions, but, no longer has heart. I'm afraid that Walt's coattails were not long enough to ride on over 50 years.
 

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
Yes Disney could go bust.... it nearly did years ago because of poor management decisions. Things were looking bleak and there was talk of a take over. Then Roy stepped up, and with a combination of Eisner and Wells things turned around. Disney is too valuable to go away, in the unlikely case that it would tank, someone would step up verrry quickly and gobble it up. The parks would still be there running as we know them, we probably wouldnt see much of a difference in what we have now after a take over.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Yes Disney could go bust.... it nearly did years ago because of poor management decisions. Things were looking bleak and there was talk of a take over. Then Roy stepped up, and with a combination of Eisner and Wells things turned around. Disney is too valuable to go away, in the unlikely case that it would tank, someone would step up verrry quickly and gobble it up. The parks would still be there running as we know them, we probably wouldnt see much of a difference in what we have now after a take over.
Just a guess here, but, I am fairly sure that Roy would have a pretty difficult time stepping in at this point. A lot of things have to happen to get Disney in trouble financially, but, it surely could happen and it would be back in the take over position it was in back then. Even then they weren't necessarily talking about someone taking over the parks, but, buying them and then selling them off in parts and pieces. Then WDW would and could actually become the city that Walt was thinking about, well, except without the utopia image.

Right now they seem to be targeting the upper-middle to upper class based on the charges for everything. The common man has to stretch too far to be able to afford the experience anymore. That could be a very serious mistake because if the upper end finds other things, like vacationing in the south of France or Aruba, etc. there might just be a problem in getting enough revenue to keep it solvent. I'm not making a prediction here, just expressing my opinion. What I do know is that they have pretty much priced me out.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Yes Disney could go bust.... it nearly did years ago because of poor management decisions. Things were looking bleak and there was talk of a take over. Then Roy stepped up, and with a combination of Eisner and Wells things turned around. Disney is too valuable to go away, in the unlikely case that it would tank, someone would step up verrry quickly and gobble it up. The parks would still be there running as we know them, we probably wouldnt see much of a difference in what we have now after a take over.
The theme parks were always profitable during the late 1970s and early late 1980s. It was their continued growth and success that kept all of Walt Disney Productions profitable, making up for the losses at the studio.

More recently I've started to have a hard time saying that Roy E. saved the company and wasn't just acting out a long-held family grudge.
 

yellowrocket

Active Member
All you have to do is look at the Tennessee company, Gaylord Entertainment. In the 1990s, it was a burgeoning micro-Disney. They had 2 theme parks, 3 television networks, multiple television and radio station ownerships, a film studio, TV and radio syndication, an animation division, multiple hotel properties, record labels, golf courses, retail destinations, themed restaurants, sports teams, and various other entertainment properties. Like Disney, they were the largest private employer in the state. Now, 20 years later, the only thing left is a real estate trust. Trust me. Bad management can destroy a company.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
More recently I've started to have a hard time saying that Roy E. saved the company and wasn't just acting out a long-held family grudge.
I'm not arguing the validity of your statement, but, I wonder if you would expand a little on that situation. I am unaware of or cannot remember a family grudge that would have influenced him in that manner.
 

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
All you have to do is look at the Tennessee company, Gaylord Entertainment. In the 1990s, it was a burgeoning micro-Disney. They had 2 theme parks, 3 television networks, multiple television and radio station ownerships, a film studio, TV and radio syndication, an animation division, multiple hotel properties, record labels, golf courses, retail destinations, themed restaurants, sports teams, and various other entertainment properties. Like Disney, they were the largest private employer in the state. Now, 20 years later, the only thing left is a real estate trust. Trust me. Bad management can destroy a company.

Yes it can and you make some very good points there. A major difference there is that I've never heard of Gaylord Entertainment and yet most people in the world will have heard of Disney. The name 'Disney' whilst not indestructible, is a strong pull from a business point of view. So as others have said, even if they were going bust there'd be other companies wanting to take over and give it a shot.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
I'm not arguing the validity of your statement, but, I wonder if you would expand a little on that situation. I am unaware of or cannot remember a family grudge that would have influenced him in that manner.
The Walt-side and Roy-side were had arguments over running the company. Roy, the "idiot nephew," 'saved' the company from his cousin-in-law who was pursuing theme parks, his uncle's distraction that created a rift with his father and imperiled the company.
 

King Panda 77

Thank you sir. You were an inspiration.
Premium Member
All you have to do is look at the Tennessee company, Gaylord Entertainment. In the 1990s, it was a burgeoning micro-Disney. They had 2 theme parks, 3 television networks, multiple television and radio station ownerships, a film studio, TV and radio syndication, an animation division, multiple hotel properties, record labels, golf courses, retail destinations, themed restaurants, sports teams, and various other entertainment properties. Like Disney, they were the largest private employer in the state. Now, 20 years later, the only thing left is a real estate trust. Trust me. Bad management can destroy a company.
Is that the same company that has the palms just outside WDW ?
 

DfromATX

Well-Known Member
I don't think it would ever happen, but never say never. If they did go under, I think most likely some other company would take over. But just for fun, let's say Disney ceased to exist... I'd say I'm so glad my family and I got to enjoy it so much and, as someone else said, life would go on. I guess we'd make a trip to Universal and go cruising more lol.
 

bjlc57

Well-Known Member
General Motors went bust.. any thing and any business can go bust.. just keep letting the Bean counters run the business and the Magic will end.. and you can see signs of the cracks starting to happen.. charging for extra hours both in the morning and at night.. putting more money into hotels instead of the parks.. and then too many parks that you can't control because they are in a different country..
 

DarthMileZ

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
The only thing i've been looking forward to this year is disney world.

maybe i need new hobbies xD

I don't see them going anytime soon thanks to Star Wars & Marvel.

but they do need to change their ideas about the parks,but then orlando in general is too expensive for any UK visitor, some of my immediate family couldnt afford to come to my wedding in orlando thanks to the prices of flights and hotel. and then its like what are they going to do while out there? oh parks. thats another $400 each for a flexi ticket even if they dont choose disney.
 

AndyS2992

Well-Known Member
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Oh I can hardly wait..

Not one of my finest pieces lol
 

Hockey89

Well-Known Member
General Motors went bust.. any thing and any business can go bust.. just keep letting the Bean counters run the business and the Magic will end.. and you can see signs of the cracks starting to happen.. charging for extra hours both in the morning and at night.. putting more money into hotels instead of the parks.. and then too many parks that you can't control because they are in a different country..
GM went bust bc of terrible union contracts that sucked the company dry... Oh, their cars sucked too.
 

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