Rumor Disney Looking To Trade The Theme Park Rights of Alien with Universal in exchange for Black Panther to Build a Wakanda Pavillion at Epcot

[danlb_2000]

This remains one of the stupidest and most nonsensical WDW rumours I’ve ever heard.

They might as well go the whole hog, buy some more IP and just replace the UK pavilion with Middle Earth or Narnia. Knock down Japan and build a Pokemon land, they’d all be just as thematically on point as Wakanda in World Showcase.

That was my thought also, until @[U]TheVisionarySoul[/U] indicated that Wakanda was/is being considered for Epcot.

 

[Kingtut]

This remains one of the stupidest and most nonsensical WDW rumours I’ve ever heard.

They might as well go the whole hog, buy some more IP and just replace the UK pavilion with Middle Earth or Narnia. Knock down Japan and build a Pokemon land, they’d all be just as thematically on point as Wakanda in World Showcase.

Could we have a show where Godzilla knocks down Japan every 90 minutes ( while the drunken crowd cheers)?

 

[FrankLapidus]

That was my thought also, until @[U]TheVisionarySoul[/U] indicated that Wakanda was/is being considered for Epcot.

I still don’t buy it.

There’s stupid, and then there’s this. Can’t believe it will ever happen - if it did, I’m done; there’s only so much inane, clueless decision making I can tolerate before I spend my money elsewhere. I can accept Epcot changing, I can accept Frozen and Ratatouille - Wakanda in World Showcase is just too ridiculous.

 

[danlb_2000]

I still don’t buy it.

There’s stupid, and then there’s this. Can’t believe it will ever happen - if it did, I’m done; there’s only so much inane, clueless decision making I can tolerate before I spend my money elsewhere. I can accept Epcot changing, I can accept Frozen and Ratatouille - Wakanda in World Showcase is just too ridiculous.

Wakanda in World Showcase is not different the Frozen in World Showcase. Not saying I like it, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

 

[FrankLapidus]

Wakanda in World Showcase is not different the Frozen in World Showcase. Not saying I like it, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

Not for me, but to each their own.

I don’t think there is the remotest chance of something this stupid happening so I’m not taking it seriously. If the “nation” of Wakanda was ever added to World Showcase, I’d gladly wash my hands of the whole farcical debacle that management would evidently be determined that WDW become.

 

[seascape]

I still don’t buy it.

There’s stupid, and then there’s this. Can’t believe it will ever happen - if it did, I’m done; there’s only so much inane, clueless decision making I can tolerate before I spend my money elsewhere. I can accept Epcot changing, I can accept Frozen and Ratatouille - Wakanda in World Showcase is just too ridiculous.

Do I expect Disney to gain the full themepark rights to all Marvel Characters and names within the next 10 years? Yes. Do I think Disney will make a trade? No. Disney may be willing to pay some small amount, 10 to 20 million or just wait Universal out. There are legal obligations on upgrades that cost a fortune and given that WDW will have more Marvel Rides at WDW than Universal has at IOA within 10 years, the rights aren't worth that much. There is also a wonderful legal argument that can be made to build a Wakanda ride without having to give up anything. Just build Wakanda as a tourist lication and leave out all the characters Universal owns. They own the characters not the movie land.

 

[FrankLapidus]

Do I expect Disney to gain the full themepark rights to all Marvel Characters and names within the next 10 years? Yes. Do I think Disney will make a trade? No. Disney may be willing to pay some small amount, 10 to 20 million or just wait Universal out. There are legal obligations on upgrades that cost a fortune and given that WDW will have more Marvel Rides at WDW than Universal has at IOA within 10 years, the rights aren't worth that much. There is also a wonderful legal argument that can be made to build a Wakanda ride without having to give up anything. Just build Wakanda as a tourist lication and leave out all the characters Universal owns. They own the characters not the movie land.

That’s leading into a separate, hypothetical and speculative discussion about that contract in general that has been done to death over the years and there is no sign of anything changing imminently.

 

[Spash007]

Ignoring whether Disney is so oblivious to put Wakanda in WS, would Alien really be that beneficial to Universal to have on the table for anything like this?

 

[seascape]

That’s leading into a separate, hypothetical and speculative discussion about that contract in general that has been done to death over the years and there is no sign of anything changing imminently.

You are right but this proposed trade is crazy on both sides. It make no sense on Universal's side because Aliens is not useful except for Halloween Horror nights. From Disney's standpoint it makes no sense because Aliens would be important if they ever wanted to add a second Halloween party. Because this is crazy on both sides, maybe its possibly true.

 

[FrankLapidus]

You are right but this proposed trade is crazy on both sides. It make no sense on Universal's side because Aliens is not useful except for Halloween Horror nights. From Disney's standpoint it makes no sense because Aliens would be important if they ever wanted to add a second Halloween party. Because this is crazy on both sides, maybe its possibly true.

It's not really a proposed trade, though.

Disney aren't trading the rights for Alien to Universal in exchange for Black Panther - it makes absolutely no sense from either perspective. This has all supposedly come from a talkative CM at DHS who apparently has been anonymously releasing information over the internet - I assumed it was a joke. Universal would have had to have lost their collective minds to even contemplate offering or accepting the kind of hypothetical deal that started this thread.

 

[danlb_2000]

You are right but this proposed trade is crazy on both sides. It make no sense on Universal's side because Aliens is not useful except for Halloween Horror nights. From Disney's standpoint it makes no sense because Aliens would be important if they ever wanted to add a second Halloween party. Because this is crazy on both sides, maybe its possibly true.

Universal could make a pretty good ride based on the Alien franchise. I don't see Disney every using Alien in an attraction or party. I think the Alien discussion is academic at this point since it's likely that part of the rumor has no basis in fact.

 

[seascape]

It's not really a proposed trade, though.

Disney aren't trading the rights for Alien to Universal in exchange for Black Panther - it makes absolutely no sense from either perspective. This has all supposedly come from a talkative CM at DHS who apparently has been anonymously releasing information over the internet - I assumed it was a joke. Universal would have had to have lost their collective minds to even contemplate offering or accepting the kind of hypothetical deal that started this thread.

I thought that is what I said.

 

[FrankLapidus]

I thought that is what I said.

Your post read like you seemed to think that there was some credence to it.

 

[doctornick]

I still don’t buy it.

There’s stupid, and then there’s this. Can’t believe it will ever happen - if it did, I’m done; there’s only so much inane, clueless decision making I can tolerate before I spend my money elsewhere. I can accept Epcot changing, I can accept Frozen and Ratatouille - Wakanda in World Showcase is just too ridiculous.

I'm very skeptical as well, but the rumor doesn't specifically say Wakanda going into WS, just Epcot in general. I think its more likely that Wakanda - if its actually being thought of as an option for Epcot - would go into Future World where it could be used as a basis for science based concepts and be located near to GotG.

 

[seascape]

Your post read like you seemed to think that there was some credence to it.

I was trying to say how stupid the idea was and also say the companies were stupid if they considered it. The thing is that the more insane the idea is the more they may be crazy enough to consider it. As a Disney stockholder I would be very upset if Disney gave Comcast anything for rights I think are worth very little. I see Disney building lots of Marvel Attractions at all their parks making the Universal rights worthless to Comcast. Let Comcast continue to pay for the rights they have while Disney builds more and more Marvel rides ay all their parks and resorts.

 

[FrankLapidus]

I'm very skeptical as well, but the rumor doesn't specifically say Wakanda going into WS, just Epcot in general. I think its more likely that Wakanda - if its actually being thought of as an option for Epcot - would go into Future World where it could be used as a basis for science based concepts and be located near to GotG.

The initial post that started this thread says it would go into World Showcase, specifically between the China and Germany pavilions.

 

[danlb_2000]

I'm very skeptical as well, but the rumor doesn't specifically say Wakanda going into WS, just Epcot in general. I think its more likely that Wakanda - if its actually being thought of as an option for Epcot - would go into Future World where it could be used as a basis for science based concepts and be located near to GotG.

Why do people suddenly think Disney cares about the thematic integrity of the park? If they were ok with point Frozen in Norway, it's not a stretch to think they would be ok with putting Wakanda in World Showcase.

 

[doctornick]

The initial post that started this thread says it would go into World Showcase, specifically between the China and Germany pavilions.

Fair enough. The initial post seems like silliness though. I was thinking more about @TheVisionarySoul post which is what makes me think there is a slight change might actually happen regarding Wakanda (though I'm very skeptical still).

 

[britain]

I’d rather take Wakanda as the replacement for Future World than as a fake country added to WS.

It would simply be Shuri’s Expo, and would provide a guide to the design aesthetic of the signage, pathways, color pallet, etc. The attractions in the pavilions would more or less stay the same.

But without Black Panther himself? Still not sure if it’s worth it.

 

[NormC]

Wakanda in World Showcase is not different the Frozen in World Showcase.

I think it is different. Norway is still there and is still a real country. Frozen didn't replace it. They added a fictional fairy tale ride to the area with a fictional city. Yes, we can argue about whether or not it is truly Norwegian based but if you have watched any of the extras on the Frozen DVD or BluRay you can see that Disney believes it is. Wakanda on the other hand is complete fiction.