Disney fighting hard to keep gambling out of Florida

[ford91exploder]

No, they're not. Maybe educate yourself before making ignorant proclamations. If there are existing licensing deals, Disney has to honor those contracts, but they're not making new deals or renewing the expiring ones.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2013/oct/29/disney-star-wars-marvel-slot-machines-gambling

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/27/u...gles-disney-in-florida.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1


Conventions are big business, especially when the kiddos are in school.

It's not by accident that conventions take place in Vegas or other 'Gaming Friendly' states, Personally it does not appeal to me so Vegas is not high on my places to visit voluntarily list, business takes me there often but during those times outside of work I'm usually bored to tears. That said Gaming is a basically a license to print money but in FL there are no casinos in the most desirable cities.

Like I said before gaming is inevitable for Disney, But they are trying to figure out how to integrate it without damaging the Disney brand, They also aim to be number ONE in a market so they are fighting a holding action to prevent anyone ELSE from getting the first mover advantage in the FL market.

 

[peter11435]

It's not by accident that conventions take place in Vegas or other 'Gaming Friendly' states, Personally it does not appeal to me so Vegas is not high on my places to visit voluntarily list, business takes me there often but during those times outside of work I'm usually bored to tears. That said Gaming is a basically a license to print money but in FL there are no casinos in the most desirable cities.

Like I said before gaming is inevitable for Disney, But they are trying to figure out how to integrate it without damaging the Disney brand, They also aim to be number ONE in a market so they are fighting a holding action to prevent anyone ELSE from getting the first mover advantage in the FL market.

If Disney was so interested in gaming why did they build four cruise ships without casinos.

 

[King Racoon 77]

If Disney was so interested in gaming why did they build four cruise ships without casinos.

I bet you there will be an answer to that.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

The seminole Hard rock Casino is only 60 miles away in tampa.

It seems somewhat pointless to fight casinos when the demographic Disney is focused on is so different than what casinos traditionally focus on.

I remember a trip many years ago, probably l980's, and we went to a Seminole casino. This was before Indian owned gambling casinos were everywhere! It seems like it was out in the back country, but I could be wrong. It was a long time ago.
So, yes, I believe the Seminoles have a great opportunity if they do it.

 

[Nj4mwc]

Casinos everywhere suck, gambling is fun when it's an event trip, flying to vegas, doing a weekend in AC, or even driving out to an Indian casino for a couple nights is fun. Once it s everywhere it takes away the fun and turns people into degenerate gamblers, which I have nothing against people who want to gamble but I just think it sucks personally, I can see the New MGM national harbor from my block and have no desire to hand them my money and definitely would hate Disney to have anything to do with gambling. They may as well add a midway in the magic kingdom and really class up the place

 

[JoeCamel]

No, they're not. Maybe educate yourself before making ignorant proclamations. If there are existing licensing deals, Disney has to honor those contracts, but they're not making new deals or renewing the expiring ones.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2013/oct/29/disney-star-wars-marvel-slot-machines-gambling

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/27/u...gles-disney-in-florida.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1


Conventions are big business, especially when the kiddos are in school.

Still a license in effect so take your self righteous attitude and stuff it

 

[JoeCamel]

Which slots do they still license? They pulled Marvel and Star Wars, not sure I've ever seen any others. There are a number of Alice in Wonderland ones that try to look like the Disney animated movie, but are not, and it's not Disney's story anyway. But I find myself in Vegas casinos pretty often and haven't seen any other Disney slots than the Star Wars and Iron Man, but most have been gone a while.

They haven't "pulled" anything. They chose to let them expire rather than paying to "pull" them.
If Harvey stopped harassing women today from a position of power would that make him any less of a creep going forward?

 

[Karakasa]

They could be putting those millions into making their offerings better and kill any competition by just being, well the best.

But no. Corporations gonna lobby for the most asinine, anti-consumer stuff. Pfeh.

 

[ford91exploder]

If Disney was so interested in gaming why did they build four cruise ships without casinos.

Let's see what happens with the NEXT ships to be built.

 

[ford91exploder]

They could be putting those millions into making their offerings better and kill any competition by just being, well the best.

But no. Corporations gonna lobby for the most asinine, anti-consumer stuff. Pfeh.

That's not the way it works with Regulatory/Crony Capitalism, One buys laws instead of investing in products and services because laws are cheaper than creating products and services and the horrors of actually COMPETING in the marketplace.

 

[peter11435]

Let's see what happens with the NEXT ships to be built.

Yes... let's.

I'll be back here in 2021 to prove you wrong... again.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

If Harvey stopped harassing women today from a position of power would that make him any less of a creep going forward?

Right, because that's the same thing.

 

[Dead2009]

It's inevitable that Disney will eventually turn one of the parks into an adult entertainment complex which will include gaming, Most likely EPCOT.

However until then Disney will fight tooth and claw to prevent anyone else from gaining the first mover advantage in the FL gaming market. Right now Disney owns the FL Govt.

Allowing in one or more of the big gaming companies would mean the possibility of being outbid for legislative goodies and Disney will never let that happen especially with the changes in Anaheim where Anaheim holds the whip hand for the first time in
decades.

My Minnie-van driver told me the exact same thing.

 

[GoofGoof]

It's not by accident that conventions take place in Vegas or other 'Gaming Friendly' states, Personally it does not appeal to me so Vegas is not high on my places to visit voluntarily list, business takes me there often but during those times outside of work I'm usually bored to tears.

Despite all of the tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy theories you throw around here about Disney this may be the craziest thing you’ve ever said It’s literally impossible to be bored in Vegas. I could spend a month there without betting a dime and still have stuff I didn’t get to. I believe you may be incapable of enjoyment and fun Pick a weekend and I’ll go to Vegas with you, I guarantee you will change your mind...we can even wear the foil hats, nobody there would care

 

[UCF]

It's not by accident that conventions take place in Vegas or other 'Gaming Friendly' states,[...]

Um, isn't Orlando usually either top of the list or at least top 3 for conventions in the US? I know Vegas is usually in the top 3 as well, but Orlando does quite well with conventions. I think Orlando would do well to extend people's vacations even more with the addition of casinos and other adult entertainment, and it would help solidify Orlando's lead in conventions which is in a very tight race between Vegas (and Chicago, although my "national" business conventions always seem to be Orlando or Vegas).

I really can't see Disney embracing gambling even if it were legalized. They want their image, and even if it does become (more) legal in the state of Florida, they'll fight to at least keep it out of Orlando and away from their property. I personally think its a mistake, but our best bet might be if Universal is willing to embrace it. They have a fair amount of property now (and it could be even more if a settlement with that other guy is reached for another 500 acres) and I don't see Universal being concerned about its image like Disney when its comes to that. Plus I'm sure MGM, Ceasers, etc would love to stick some casinos on I-Drive.

 

[GoofGoof]

Um, isn't Orlando usually either top of the list or at least top 3 for conventions in the US? I know Vegas is usually in the top 3 as well, but Orlando does quite well with conventions. I think Orlando would do well to extend people's vacations even more with the addition of casinos and other adult entertainment, and it would help solidify Orlando's lead in conventions which is in a very tight race between Vegas (and Chicago, although my "national" business conventions always seem to be Orlando or Vegas).

I really can't see Disney embracing gambling even if it were legalized. They want their image, and even if it does become (more) legal in the state of Florida, they'll fight to at least keep it out of Orlando and away from their property. I personally think its a mistake, but our best bet might be if Universal is willing to embrace it. They have a fair amount of property now (and it could be even more if a settlement with that other guy is reached for another 500 acres) and I don't see Universal being concerned about its image like Disney when its comes to that. Plus I'm sure MGM, Ceasers, etc would love to stick some casinos on I-Drive.

Conventions go where there are affordable, abundantly available hotel rooms and something for people to do in their “free time”. Nice weather helps too. Conventions don’t really follow gambling. Atlantic City has plenty of gambling and a convention center with a lot of additional space in the resorts for meetings there but it never caught on as a top convention location.

Disney doesn’t want the big operators coming in and building competing hotel resorts with competing restaurants and entertainment near WDW. Universal wants nothing to do with it either.

 

[AEfx]

Still a license in effect so take your self righteous attitude and stuff it

Then you need to be more specific. You said "still licensing" - they are not participating in the act of "licensing". They are honoring contractually obligated existing agreements they did not originate. "Still licensing" implies that they are issuing them.

In any case, it seems your definition of "self righteous" is someone providing facts and links backing them up in response to pithy allegations - you might want to give that a chance sometime.

They haven't "pulled" anything. They chose to let them expire rather than paying to "pull" them.

Link to source? So we can verify your claim that they could have paid to "pull" them. I didn't know these contracts were publicly viewable. I am sure we would all love to see them.

If Harvey stopped harassing women today from a position of power would that make him any less of a creep going forward?

That comparison is really offensive. And horribly inaccurate even as an analogy.

The obvious now stated, you seem to be under some notion that what Disney is doing is somehow hypocritical, or that these two things are somehow related. That these contributions are some kind of "moral" statement. Disney doesn't GAF what happens in most of the Florida, which most of it's guests never step foot in.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Disney doesn't probably doesn't want gambling to become legal in Florida because they don't want 192 to fill up with a bunch of honky tonk gambling joints, trashing the surrounding area. Orlando (along with Miami) would be magnets for it, and they just don't want to deal with it.

Man, there is so much to complain about Disney - yet some of you guys work really hard are coming up with crazy stuff like this.

 

[AEfx]

Conventions go where there are affordable, abundantly available hotel rooms and something for people to do in their “free time”. Nice weather helps too. Conventions don’t really follow gambling. Atlantic City has plenty of gambling and a convention center with a lot of additional space in the resorts for meetings there but it never caught on as a top convention location.

Yeah, conventions in Vegas have to do with it's location - it's has tons of hotel rooms and space, is a major airline hub, is incredibly tourist friendly/easy to get around, is only a few hours from Los Angeles, etc. It's really a perfect combination of a place that isn't surrounded by congestion yet is still one of the easiest west coast locations to get to.

It's not because gambling is legal conventions go there - Nevada could outlaw it tomorrow, and they would still come - it's because it's pretty much purpose-built from the ground up as an incredibly convenient, tourist friendly environment.

In a way, it's rather parallel as the west coast version of Orlando. It's the same principle. Orlando is incredibly popular on the east coast as a convention city for many of the same reasons. It's not because of it's proximity to Disney, it's an indirect effect of Disney being there has created a rather tourist friendly area with lots of hotel rooms and is cheap/easy to fly to.

 

[UCF]

Conventions go where there are affordable, abundantly available hotel rooms and something for people to do in their “free time”. Nice weather helps too. Conventions don’t really follow gambling. Atlantic City has plenty of gambling and a convention center with a lot of additional space in the resorts for meetings there but it never caught on as a top convention location.

I definetely agree with that

Disney doesn’t want the big operators coming in and building competing hotel resorts with competing restaurants and entertainment near WDW. Universal wants nothing to do with it either.

Hasn't Universal built their Singapore theme park in an area with hotels including gambling? I've never been, but my understanding is multiple onsite hotels have casinos in Singapore. I know we're discussing a different country which makes it different, but I can't see Disney allowing that or so much as being willing to be around it. Also, I'm not sure on this and maybe someone with more knowledge can correct me, but I feel like I've seen many Universal properties in Vegas casinos, while I never see anything from Disney. They don't seem philosophically opposed to it like Disney, and I also haven't heard of Universal really throwing money at lobbyists to fight casinos in Florida either. I'm sure if one was opening up down the street from them, they'd be up in arms much like they were with Skyplex... but if its inevitable, would Universal join them?

 

[Absimilliard]

I definetely agree with that


Hasn't Universal built their Singapore theme park in an area with hotels including gambling? I've never been, but my understanding is multiple onsite hotels have casinos in Singapore. I know we're discussing a different country which makes it different, but I can't see Disney allowing that or so much as being willing to be around it. Also, I'm not sure on this and maybe someone with more knowledge can correct me, but I feel like I've seen many Universal properties in Vegas casinos, while I never see anything from Disney. They don't seem philosophically opposed to it like Disney, and I also haven't heard of Universal really throwing money at lobbyists to fight casinos in Florida either. I'm sure if one was opening up down the street from them, they'd be up in arms much like they were with Skyplex... but if its inevitable, would Universal join them?

Singapore is a very different case compared to the Universal parks in the US. Basically, its the same case as Oriental Land owning Tokyo Disney Resort as Genting (Malaysian company) won the bid to develop a parcel of land that included gambling on Sentosa Island. The other gambling bid was won by Sands and became the famous Marina Bay Sands. As part of their pitch, Genting promised a theme park, casino and waterpark in addition to many hotels. End result is that they licensed a Universal park for the theme park component and went with a tropical theme for the water park.

Resorts World Sentosa operate today Universal Studios Singapore, a casino, Adventure Cove Waterpark, S.E.A. Aquarium and a few hotels around Sentosa.