Progress.City
Well-Known Member
My point was I am simply saying that what you said is true. It is also true that - if there is a willingness by both parties - they could negotiate amendments to it. Or simply renegotiate it.
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Disney and Universal working on Marvel deal for Florida?
- Thread starter Yellow Strap
- Start date
GLaDOS
Well-Known Member
Yes, if we're calling big, expensive Universal projects Potter Phases now, realistically Marvel would be like...Potter Phase 5 by the time it's complete. Maybe 6. We have Kong, Fast & Furious, and a spectacular water park to open before that
They could build secret "Marvel World" in a warehouse just a bit off to the side of Streets of America and put a sign out front that read, "No Universal bigwigs or lawyer types allowed in. Also, please no talking about all the Marvel rides and attractions in this hidden warehouse by you, our esteemed guest."
doctornick
Well-Known Member
I don't think the downside on the parks business is all that significant. How much revenue has WDW truly lost to Uni's ascension? (Please note: I wish the answer was "a lot" and it would spurn TDO to pump some serious money into WDW, I just think it's been a relatively small impact on WDW's business)
doctornick
Well-Known Member
There was some heavy rumors that Uni picked up the rights to Star Trek. LOTR rights have seemed to be elusive for the theme parks.
Whilst not exempt, those threads have more leeway than others.
Rodan75
Well-Known Member
Good point, but given the history in Orlando, having a Potter-Caliber Marvel Land at WDW wouldn't really change the overall game for WDW. The ROI of paying off UNI wouldn't have the same benefits to WDW as at IOA. (although I wonder if it would really change the game at IOA either, most folks who love Marvel are already headed over to IOA anyway and Marvel merchandise is plentiful everywhere).
stretchsje
Well-Known Member
Maybe they already have. MM+'s budget overruns were just a cover.
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doctornick
Well-Known Member
Yes, the question for me is when the "tipping point" is reached. Right now, Uni has had a significant increase in attendance and revenues, but it's not clear that it is come at the expense of Disney. But, once there is a new waterpark and more stuff is added to Uni and -- especially -- is a third gate is built, there is no doubt in my mind that WDW will take a hit because a significant chunk of people will opt to skip WDW and just go to Uni. I don't think that's happening in comparatively large numbers currently despite the vibe on this board -- most people who travel to Uni are also hitting WDW on the same trips.
They'll have to then. In Orlando at least.
Assuming they want to actually build another E in Orlando. It's been a long time now.
stretchsje
Well-Known Member
If Disney permits Uni to build more Marvel attractions, does anyone (everyone?) think this will preclude Disney from doing anything with the Marvel characters NOT in the current contract, such as GotG?
I previously speculated that Guardians would make a good inroad for WDW's Marvel presence, but I no longer see the point if Universal is going to overshadow it with an ambitious project using the more mainstream characters.
Big Hero 6 is very Disneyfied and feels categorically different to the live action run-and-gun flicks; that could still end up within Disney.
I previously speculated that Guardians would make a good inroad for WDW's Marvel presence, but I no longer see the point if Universal is going to overshadow it with an ambitious project using the more mainstream characters.
Big Hero 6 is very Disneyfied and feels categorically different to the live action run-and-gun flicks; that could still end up within Disney.
Progress.City
Well-Known Member
They better! WDW needs Fire Mountain. It needs an Indiana Jones DL type attraction. I'm all wound up... Disney will barter at least some of those rights back.
I'll start a thread later for those who want to discuss Action Park. Or just start it and link it and I'll be over there later.
H2O_Mouse-Ears
Active Member
It is a slippery slope. Before it used to be ALL people who travel to UNI hitting up WDW. Now (as you state) it is MOST people who travel to UNI are hitting up WDW. If WDW does not step it up (which I believe it will), it will become only 50% of people who travel to UNI will hit up WDW on the same strip; and may eventually lead to having to exclusively visit UNI on a single trip. As consumers this is good for us, but any competition from UNI results in a hit to WDW and any competitive hit is always bad for business, especially if it has a potential to come in waves. Pandora's box has already been opened and WDW should definitely be concerned.
CaptainAmerica
Premium Member
Those are completely contradictory statements. If WDW needs Fire Mountain or an Indiana Jones DL type attraction, they can go ahead and build those things without bartering anything back regarding Marvel.
Disneyhead'71
Well-Known Member
I think it's a set up. Disney is going to get Uni to dump a bunch of money into new MARVEL stuff, and by the time it gets built only the Simpson's Comic Book Guy will be standing in line because Disney knows they are killing the goose that laid the golden egg with 147 Superhero movies over the next 36 months.
CaptainAmerica
Premium Member
I think Disney's "trump card" is and always will be the value of the Disney brand itself. People go to Disney for DISNEY, with any individual land or attraction having relatively minimal impact under that umbrella. People who enjoy Universal as a theme park aren't going because they have any great love for the "Universal Studios" brand, because "Universal Studios" isn't much of a brand at all. That's why Universal sees attraction-driven spikes from brands they import like Potter and Transformers. As much as people complain about DHS as "Disney's Unrelated IP Park," Universal Studios is built on that very concept.
Off topic: Do the Universal parks have an overarching "story" at all? Or do they freely acknowledge that they're a bunch of unrelated properties clumped together in a theme park. When you visit WWoHP, are you actually visiting that "world," or visiting the "movie world"? How is WWoHP in Islands of Adventure reconciled against WWoHP in US?
H2O_Mouse-Ears
Active Member
CaptainAmerica
Premium Member
Yeah, or three per year. Maybe one movie every four months is too much for you to digest but I think the rest of us can handle it.
I'm not sure having the Marvel IP moves the needle for either resort. To move the needle at already busy resorts you have to have something that gets lots of people into your park that otherwise wouldn't have gone to a theme park at all or would have gone to your competitor's park instead of yours. IMHO there are only two or three IPs that could do that - Star Wars and Harry Potter fit the bill for sure and maybe LOTR. I just don't see Marvel having that pull.
What makes the Marvel area at IOA a draw is the great rides, not the IP. People would go to see a Star Wars or Harry Potter land even if the rides weren't that great. They'd go because a huge number of people love and have an emotional attachment to those franchises and want to feel like they are moving in that space in real life. That's why the flaws in Escape from Gringotts are overcome by the wonder of Diagon Alley (so I've heard as it wasn't yet open on my trip). But even with great rides like Spiderman and Hulk, the Marvel IP wasn't bringing in a huge number of new guests as evidenced by UNI Orlando's struggles before Potter moved into town.
That's why even if Comcast were selling it wouldn't make sense for TWDC to buy. They'd be better off selling the Marvel rights to UNI to use on the West Coast and putting that money into an immersive Star Wars environment with high quality rides and attractions. Of course that assumes they are building SW at all or in my lifetime.