Disney may have interest in Sea World

[Okeena]

Haven't posted on here in a few years but I check out this board everyday. I really don't think this article about Disney buying any of the Busch parks is true, because Inbev does not yet control Anheuser-Busch. I seriously doubt they are negotiating with anyone yet on selling these parks when the sell has not even gone through or been presented to the Busch stockholders yet for a vote. It still has to get final government approval too, to make sure company won't be too big or monopolizing the industry, so the sale is not final yet. After the stockholders aprove the sell then they will probably start talking to prospective buyers, but don't count your chickens before they hatch, or you could say don't sell your theme parks before you have them. If you want to know about the Busch parks go to stltoday.com that is the website for the St. Louis Post Dispatch, has alot of info on the sale of AB. Wouldn't surpise me if family kept the parks anyway since they are so big on conservation.

Go Cards

 

[Figment1986]

These would be potential buyers... when stuff like this happens they always get potential stuff for if the sale goes through and when it does the potential stuff goes into over drive...

 

[KevinPage]

Disney is probably involved just to drive up the cost for a competitor.

 

[PhilharMagician]

Just a note, but didn't WDC already try to buy the Sea World parks many years ago?

 

[jmicro59]

No point in arguing with logic like this!

Wasn't arguing. You made a point as if you knew something and I simply asked you why would'nt WDW want these things like a 5th gate?
But thanks for playing anyways.

 

[jmicro59]

Both Iger and Jay Rasolu have said these things. Thats why they were so proud to announce that Disney resort there building in Hawaii.

Boy it's a good thing that they weren't telling a white lie about that kind of thing, huh? I mean you wouldn't want to publicly admit that you may covet a competetor's product. Nah they wouldn't do that.

 

[fosse76]

Would be interesting. Then you get to add charecters like Shamu to Disney's stable of charecters and create another cashcow like they did with ABC and ESPN. Plus they can sell Premium annual passes that include both Disneyland/Walt Disney World and Sea World San Diego/Sea World Orlando. It would also give them a presence in Texas unless they decide to shut down that seaworld.

Not necessarily. If they are only interested in the Orlando SeaWorld, it's likely that they won't get the license to SeaWorld specific characters. Also, if a company makes a bid for all the parks and Disney only wants SeaWorld, Disney won't get it.

 

[devoy1701]

You have to remember that Disney is now in the business of creating more localized experiences. SeaWorld exists not only in Orlando but San Diego and Texas as well. Perhaps this is a way for them to expand their reach.

no they're not... why do you think they let half of the fleet of Disney Stores close down around the US? It was because they were getting the feeling of being too common place. That's why they sold them off to the Children's Place, let them run the stores to the ground, then only bought back the ones they wanted.

Disney is in no way in the business of creating a more localized experience. And I definitely do not see them as a possible bidder on the Sea World Property. If anything I would think NBC-Uni would be the best choice since they're so tight on property when it comes to expansion...but since NBC is looking to get rid of those parks themselves, I see the best chance of someone going in to buy the Universal Parks AND the Sea World park and creating another almost vacation resort that isn't quite all inclusive like the Disney property.

just my thoughts.

EDIT: after thinking about it...I somewhat see what trojanjustin could have meant that Disney was going for a more localized experience, but not on the level that he's thinking. With the original failure of Eurodisney, the company realized that they can't just clone Disneyland, slap it down wherever they wanted to in the world and it be as successful as DL and WDW...they have to cater to the culture in the way they present the park. But that "localizing" in no way means what I think Justin was thinking of expanding their reach and making it "local" to more areas simply by having the name Disney on something...now back to my example of the Disney Stores...

 

[WhatJaneSays]

I think Disney successfully purchasing Sea World is rather low on the probability scale (15% or so) and it might be an opportunity they would normally pass up. However, a Dubai property edging in on central Florida could be a hindrance in Disney's further development. And having to retro-fit not only an entire theme park but re-brand merchandise lines, handle corporate contracts, likely having to replace aquatic systems you didn't build along with dealing with your over all World on property that is not connected to the "motherland" would be a nightmare. I'm not saying that it wouldn't be worth it, Disney does have the resources and ability to pull it off.

Personally, I'd rather have them start from scratch and build park similar to SeaDisney in Tokyo within their existing domain (I've been wishing for this for about two years now >_<). I feel that would never happen if they owned Sea World, as I don't think they would be able to truly make the park anything other than an enhanced version of what it already is.

 

[Hobnail Boot]

For me, this news, if true, is two-fold. On the plus side, if Disney bought SeaWorld, I would know for sure that the parks would be well taken care. On the down side, it just wouldn't be SeaWorld to me anymore. I know that sounds like a wierd down side, but SeaWorld is one of my favorite non-Disney parks and the thought of it going to ANY other company is disheartening to me. Has there been any further news on the Busch family themselves buying the parks?

 

[benji]

People remember this is just rumor. The article doesn't tell us where the source of info came from.

 

[disneydiva72]

I have been to Sea world twice and both times it did not blow my skirt up. :shrug:

 

[goofntink]

I have heard this rumor floating around since the announcement of the purchase by Inbev of Busch about Disney interest in Busch Entertainment.As stated Disney made a bid in the 80's for Seaworld,but it fell through.It was purchased by Harcourt Brace and Javonovich publishing.It would benefit them in the Orlando market as it would give them more control of the Orlando theme park tourism.One thing I have not seen mentioned is the fact that Busch Entertainment owned a sizable tract of property at I-4 and Highway 27 past Disney.This was the former location of Circus World,and later BoardWalk and Baseball when it was purchased by HBJ.Six Flags had a major interest in purchasing this property for a Six Flags theme park,but Busch refused to sell.Purchase of Busch at that time would have included this property and open it up to development for another theme park if bought by someone other than Disney.It was eventually turned into the Posner development in 2003.Wanted to add this would also end the deal between Universal and Seaworld on theme park tickets.

 

[awalkinthepark]

Haven't posted on here in a few years but I check out this board everyday. I really don't think this article about Disney buying any of the Busch parks is true, because Inbev does not yet control Anheuser-Busch. I seriously doubt they are negotiating with anyone yet on selling these parks when the sell has not even gone through or been presented to the Busch stockholders yet for a vote. It still has to get final government approval too, to make sure company won't be too big or monopolizing the industry, so the sale is not final yet. After the stockholders aprove the sell then they will probably start talking to prospective buyers, but don't count your chickens before they hatch, or you could say don't sell your theme parks before you have them. If you want to know about the Busch parks go to stltoday.com that is the website for the St. Louis Post Dispatch, has alot of info on the sale of AB. Wouldn't surpise me if family kept the parks anyway since they are so big on conservation.

Go Cards

Don't so sure ...when Fleet and BankBoston merged many moons ago they were already planning/integrating behind the scenes before they had any shareholder approval or gov't approval for the merger/acquisition. As far as Terry and Chad were concerned it was a done deal as soon as they took the last bite of their cheeseburgers in their secret hotel meetings.

 

[kingslyZISSOU]

personally, I hope they are not bought. Any competition is only good for us; = innovative attractions to beat out their competitors.

 

[IDreamOfDisney]

Personally, I think Disney would have to spend far too much money just to bring the SeaWorld parks up to their standards. Don't get me wrong, SeaWorld is a nice place, but no where near the quality of the Disney parks. I cite the super-cheesy Atlantis ride as my prime example.

Atlantic could easily be retheamed to the movie.

 

[OFTeric]

random question...

So IF Disney were to buy BEC (which I personally see as VERY unlikley) what would happen to all of the employees who either were

1. Fired by Disney
2. Do not want to work for Disney.

just a random thought question... as I know a lot of people who work for BEC because they either detest the top heavy Disney structure, or they are no longer 'eligble' to be employed by Disney.

 

[IDreamOfDisney]

Them buying SeaWorld would probably eventually lead to purchasing the Universal Parks as well, since we know that NBC-Uni has been trying to find a buyer for them ever since those two companies joined. Disney adding a presence outside of the WDW 'resort' would make them inclined to look at the Uni parks more.

Disney may not be able to purchase Universal because on the monopoly rule. Sea World is water based theamed park where WDW and Universal are very similar.

 

[devoy1701]

Disney may not be able to purchase Universal because on the monopoly rule. Sea World is water based theamed park where WDW and Universal are very similar.

oh that's BS.

Not that Disney would buy Uni....but Monopoly Laws would not be the reason for that not going through.

I guess Six Flags has a theme park monopoly in Atlanta and in NJ right now?

this isn't monopoly situation.

Sirius merging with XM...that's closer to a monopoly... though the gov't didn't think so...

 

[PeeplMoovr]

Them buying SeaWorld would probably eventually lead to purchasing the Universal Parks as well, since we know that NBC-Uni has been trying to find a buyer for them ever since those two companies joined. Disney adding a presence outside of the WDW 'resort' would make them inclined to look at the Uni parks more.

Then, with near-total control over the major US theme parks, Disney can change their name to "Buy N Large: Theme Park Entertainment Division".