Disney Expanding in India... Parks Not on the Market?

[WDWFigment]

While the article is obviously not WDW news, per se, with all of the talk this summer about WDW being on the market, I think this is probably relevant here.

http://disneyandmore.blogspot.com/2012/02/disney-strengthen-its-position-in-india.html

I wonder if this is actually what those meetings at WDW in July were about. :shrug:

 

[RSoxNo1]

While the article is obviously not WDW news, per se, with all of the talk this summer about WDW being on the market, I think this is probably relevant here.

http://disneyandmore.blogspot.com/2012/02/disney-strengthen-its-position-in-india.html

I wonder if this is actually what those meetings at WDW in July were about. :shrug:

I get the impression from Jim Hill and others that Disney is considering a bunch of different ideas beyond Shanghai. Locations like India, Russia, Brazil have all been discussed in recent years as possibilities.

 

[lebeau]

It just makes sense. They have saturated the US market. The growth opportunities are international.

 

[WondersOfLife]

The more parks there are the happier I am. As long as it's good. Just saying.


-WondersOfLife


The last original pavilion. :king:

 

[puntagordabob]

While the article is obviously not WDW news, per se, with all of the talk this summer about WDW being on the market, I think this is probably relevant here.

http://disneyandmore.blogspot.com/2012/02/disney-strengthen-its-position-in-india.html

I wonder if this is actually what those meetings at WDW in July were about. :shrug:

Great find!!! Yeah I remember all the stuff about the parks possibly being sold...really glad that this was not apparently the case....

 

[Mike730]

I get the impression from Jim Hill and others that Disney is considering a bunch of different ideas beyond Shanghai. Locations like India, Russia, Brazil have all been discussed in recent years as possibilities.

PLEASE BRAZIL PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE BRAZIL. They need their own park......:lookaroun

Although they dont hurt the economy...

 

[wm49rs]

Is this any different than Disney bringing a free channel to Russian television, or some of their shows to the leading Chinese online video site?

 

[Horizonsfan]

I get the impression from Jim Hill and others that Disney is considering a bunch of different ideas beyond Shanghai. Locations like India, Russia, Brazil have all been discussed in recent years as possibilities.

India: Given their growing economy and rising middle class, seems logical.
Russia: Surprising, especially given how "fragile" their government is.
Brazil: Completely makes sense, large presence in the US parks and an economy that while not excellent, is pretty good.

If I had to make a (not really) educated guess, I'd think they'd want to open a park in Brazil first, establish a presence in South America. Then, a park for India, which would just be an expansion of their Asian park portfolio.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Let us all pray for a park in Brazil to alleviate those pesky groups! :animwink:

 

[Lee]

Interesting strategy, but completely unrelated to last year's contemplation of a sale. (Which actually did happen, and may still be on the table.)

 

[invader]

Interesting strategy, but completely unrelated to last year's contemplation of a sale. (Which actually did happen, and may still be on the table.)

Stirring the pot, eh? :lol:

:lookaroun

 

[WDWFigment]

Interesting strategy, but completely unrelated to last year's contemplation of a sale. (Which actually did happen, and may still be on the table.)

Interesting. As someone far more connected than me, I'll take your word for it. When I read the article, the first thing I thought was maybe the sale stuff was a case of mis-connected dots resulting from meetings concerning this. If you say that's not the case, that a sale really was contemplated, I'll take your word or it.

 

[Theme Parkitect]

I just love the picture of Mickey and Minnie in front of the Taj Mahal! :ROFLOL: What if Walt saw that today?

 

[Horizonsfan]

I just love the picture of Mickey and Minnie in front of the Taj Mahal! :ROFLOL: What if Walt saw that today?

Why would it matter if Walt saw that? I'd think he'd be happy his product was still relevant and known all over the world.

Interesting strategy, but completely unrelated to last year's contemplation of a sale. (Which actually did happen, and may still be on the table.)

Do we know yet who was discussed in that sale? I never saw any names mentioned.

 

[rkelly42]

I can not see Disney building a park in Brazil for just the fact that it brings in so much money to the parks in the U.S. That being said, a park in Russia is interesting but I would think the weather would play a part in it. India seems like a little to unstable area of the world right now and a bit of a risk, then again I do not know a whole lot about India so that is just from my perspective.

 

[RandySavage]

India would seem to me like a natural for a park over the next 15-20 years: English speaking, pro-western democracy with a burgeoning economy. HKDL gets some visitation from India currently.

However, no one's mentioned Korea... Disney has been in discussions (and WDI has done quite of bit of early conceptualizing) for a Korean park over the last 10+ years. Plans were also worked on for a boutique park in Singapore (well before Universal).

 

[Lee]

Stirring the pot, eh? :lol:

Nah. My intention was more to settle the pot.

Do we know yet who was discussed in that sale? I never saw any names mentioned.

More than one entity. All from the other side of the world, I'm told. Names are not available.

 

[WDW1974]

Just want to echo what my good pal (and closeted Pats fan!) Lee has said above.

Disney is just being wise in expanding markets, but I would NOT expect to see any major park ventures anywhere for many years (like years post-Shanghai) ... and India is waaaay too unstable to see park development. Disney just wants its BRAND to grow in the region and that is through television, films and consumer products delivered across a wide range of platforms (that part was put in just to show I could write pablum for the Weatherman if he decides to replace Zenia).

Disney has stalled (long ago now) in its regional parks idea. They were planned for Japan, South Korea and Singapore and a pet project of Jay Rasulo and Nick Franklin and are now dead. And not coming back, either.

And since I was the Spirit who first broke the news Disney had been quietly shopping P&R since as far back as 2007, I'll repeat this has nothing to do with last summer. Disney had groups into WDW when the BoD met (including groups from India) for site tours because they were looking for either a buyer or (and this point got lost a lot in the summer of crazy!) INVESTORS to give their money to Disney for a part of the business.

Anyway, this is a good move on Disney's part, but really means nothing as far as any sale or any future park development right now.

Now ... how come Indy's most MAGICal citizen doesn't have seats in a box on the 50?

~Remember when the Pats were one of the NFL's worst franchises?!~

 

[disney fan 13]

Nah. My intention was more to settle the pot.


More than one entity. All from the other side of the world, I'm told. Names are not available.

It's somewhat sad that i would like for the parks to be sold to someone who would care for them like OLC cares for tokyo disneyland...

 

[PyroKinesis]

Wait, hang on, WDW is being sold?