Disney to buy Marvel Entertainment

[DisneyDellsDude]

Cheap shot. Below the belt. NO ONE can truthfully say this decision had anything to do with a rival theme park in the area. If it looks like competition is finally within sight, starting shooting, right? Ugh.

I fear the they made a horrible mistake. There is some insane happenings going on in the upper rank. I mean, who suggests things like this?

And we risk Disney ruining the Marvel brand as so many other Disney brands have been cheaply ruined as of late.

Agree. Of all the things they could have spent 4 billion dollars on, they decide to buy Marvel?!?:hammer:
How about we invest in the parks?

Walt Disney World, Tokyo, Paris, and Hong Kong could each use a billion dollar expansion/refurb of their existing parks...

 

[FigmentJedi]

I find it interesting the Uni rep said, "As long as we want Marvel Superhero Island."

Seems odd to me.:shrug:

I would have went with something along the likes of, "Superhero Island isn't going anywhere anytime soon."

I'm guessing they're already considering the possibilities of a replacement. I could easily see Transformers going into the space. I mean the Spiderman ride could probably be retrofitted into something like what Hollywood is getting while still using the same ride system. Heck, make it into Axiom Nexus, the interdimensional hub of all Transformers universes that was introduced in the comics a few years ago, and have stuff from all the different versions of Transformers.

 

[SirGoofy]

Maybe, hes trying to emphasise /reestablish that Universal has some control over this, and things are not going to be changed at Disneys whim. :shrug:

I get that's what he was getting at. Just seems like an odd choice of words.

Eh, what do I know about words? I'm an engineer.:lol:

 

[Rosso11]

I find it interesting the Uni rep said, "As long as we want Marvel Superhero Island."

Seems odd to me.:shrug:

I would have went with something along the likes of, "Superhero Island isn't going anywhere anytime soon."

I found that interesting also. It definitely sounds like they’re not happy about this. I almost took it as if they were saying that they don't need Marvel and can dump it when ever they want. I really think this will depend on how the public is going to perceive Marvel characters in the future. Are they going to be simply marvel characters or is a day going to come when you look at Spiderman and think of Disney. When that happens I think Universal will change the theme of the island. In reality it’s not that hard to change the theme. Simply call it Adventure Island and change the themes to various adventure properties. Hulk is really easy to switch and Spiderman could be changed to Transformers since its using the same ride system. I don’t see this happening any time soon but in the future I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[Chance]

Well, that's kinda like a glass half empty situation. If you think about everything somehow being related to Disney then you could easily say that Disney is one of the world's leading businesses.

Just because you can doesn't mean you should. My point is I believe Walt would have demanded more internal innovation, creation, etc than simply buying it.

 

[_Scar]

Just because you can doesn't mean you should. My point is I believe Walt would have demanded more internal innovation, creation, etc than simply buying it.

They still can create a unique ride design and storyline. All they really are getting parkwise is getting the characters. If they wanted to make a ride, WDI could still work with a lot. Look how engineers made a comic book into one of the most technilogical rides that still is on top (it has been 10 years). Pretty cool.

 

[BiggerTigger]

Wow, I find this news very interesting. I have been waiting all day to post about it.
Disney explained that acquiring the Marvel series was to appeal to the young male crowd. I thought this was one of the reasons of pushing Stitch and Pixar throughout the parks. Refocusing the Pirates theme towards the male audience. Granted, Super Heros have had a strong following, but I hope Disney is very smart about this and doesn't ruin a brand.
I don't feel that Disney has done justice to the Muppets when that was acquired.

 

[ryanduggers]

Forgive me if this point has been made (too many pages already) but even if Uni gets to keep what they have forever, the Marvel well has dried up for the future.

Disney better have Lucas all smiles right now, because his loss to someone else would be just devastating to Disney as what happened today to universal.

I doubt that would happen due to the Imperial presence at D23 that is already being hyped.

my 2 cents.

 

[SirGoofy]

I don't feel that Disney has done justice to the Muppets when that was acquired.

Completely different situation. The Muppets were, and still are in a rebuilding stage. Disney is working on a new feature length movie that will hopefully reinvigorate the franchise.

Marvel on the other hand is on a high, and all Disney has to do is sit back and let the money flow in.

 

[Disneyfan1981]

Couldn't help myself:

 

[_Scar]

Wow, I find this news very interesting. I have been waiting all day to post about it.
Disney explained that acquiring the Marvel series was to appeal to the young male crowd. I thought this was one of the reasons of pushing Stitch and Pixar throughout the parks. Refocusing the Pirates theme towards the male audience. Granted, Super Heros have had a strong following, but I hope Disney is very smart about this and doesn't ruin a brand.
I don't feel that Disney has done justice to the Muppets when that was acquired.

Young male maybe, but I think it's more young adult male.

 

[SirGoofy]

Couldn't help myself:

AMAZING!

Could you make me an avatar!?

 

[BiggerTigger]

Completely different situation. The Muppets were, and still are in a rebuilding stage. Disney is working on a new feature length movie that will hopefully reinvigorate the franchise.

Marvel on the other hand is on a high, and all Disney has to do is sit back and let the money flow in.

But Disney can't just sit back and let the money flow. It takes more than having a popular brand to keeping it a cash cow. Their acquisitions have not been the best. Muppets fizzled, ABC suffered, Power Rangers crapped out, there have been many areas that the Disney touch hasn't been golden.
Granted, they have marketed and branded successfully to the tween crowd and girls, but those have been in house creations.

I do have to say that after Uni swept Harry Potter out from under Disney, this is a good score for Disney. I'm not sure I am interested in Dreamworks coming to Disney, but Speilberg is a great asset.

 

[DonaldD23]

I think we may need to get a petition going to let Disney know we don't want comic book characters in the disney parks!! I do not want to see a single superhero in any of my parks!!

What about Darkwing Duck? I used to see him in the theme parks...not anymore though...

 

[krankenstein]

Couldn't help myself:

Stealing Dumbo! :lookaroun

 

[SirGoofy]

But Disney can't just sit back and let the money flow. It takes more than having a popular brand to keeping it a cash cow. Their acquisitions have not been the best. Muppets fizzled, ABC suffered, Power Rangers crapped out, there have been many areas that the Disney touch hasn't been golden.

Ah, but remember, all this happened at the end of Eisner's era, when he started to slip up.*

Marvel is going to be the new Pixar. They're going to have complete creative control, just with Disney's mass marketing and financial backing.

*I am not an Eisner hater.

 

[Duckberg]

I LIKE it

from another thread on wdwmagic
I just thought I should put it where people can see it

Duckberg

 

[yankspy]

Just because you can doesn't mean you should. My point is I believe Walt would have demanded more internal innovation, creation, etc than simply buying it.

I don't know. Walt bought the rights to most of the stories that he based a good deal of his movies on.

 

[EpcotServo]

What I have to say on this:


I think you guys are missing the BEAUTIFUL detail of this deal.

Anyone who travels around Orlando or watches Universal's commercials knows that Universal's marketing is 75% Spiderman and Hulk.

By making the affair public, now everytime someone sees hulk in the next ten years will think DISNEY BOUGHT THAT. And Cast Members will note that Universal and Disney are mixed up by THOUSANDS of visitors a week.

Now when they drive down I-4 and see a Billboard with the Hulk that says SCREAM LOUDER....


Where do you bet they'll think that stuff is?



:drevil:

 

[Wilt Dasney]

I really think this will depend on how the public is going to perceive Marvel characters in the future. Are they going to be simply marvel characters or is a day going to come when you look at Spiderman and think of Disney. When that happens I think Universal will change the theme of the island.

I totally agree with this. Right now, this is purely a paper acquisition. The Marvel characters are in no way related to the Disney "culture." If that remains the case, Universal has no reason to jettison the brand.

If Disney tries to mingle the brands in the future, doing Mickey-Spidey team ups, introducing the characters into the parks, or doing other things that cause AVERAGE PEOPLE (not just news geeks who follow corporate acquisitions like other people follow baseball standings) to associate Marvel with Disney, then the whole "promoting the competition" line of thought could mean something.

At the moment, Spider-Man in no way whatsoever promotes a Disney park, regardless of who owns what on paper.