How a Comcast takeover will affect WDW Parks

[Foolish Mortal]

Originally posted by PhotoDave219
Nice to see youre one of the Faithfull that can actually afford to go to a good, old-fashioned hockey game in South Philadelphia. Some of us arent that privlidged.

My point being that with Comcast runnign the Flyers, peopel cant afford to go see them, despite them having the best record in teh Eastern Conference. Ticket prices are way out of whack, so much so a 1 day ticket at WDW is cheaper on average. I cant call that good management.

What i would favor is Disney selling ABC, espn, etc to Comcast rathern that a straight merger.

Please keep in mind i'm also a Cup starved Flyer fan, heck I even have a spot reserved on my calf for a Flyers Stanley Cup tattoo if i'm alive the next time they win one. AND I'm NOT trying to start a nasty debate here but I have to disagree with a few of your comments. Ticket prices have nothing to do with the Flyers being owned by Comcast. Ticket prices are sky high in every NHL market. Plus player greed. Over expansion driving up the minimum salary, plus the need to pay more players.

They don't sell out like they used to because most Philly sports fans are just tired of getting our hopes up and believing, then our hearts get ripped out. Look what just happened with the Eagles. But we could talk about this in chit chat if you'd like.

As for Comcast buying/merging with Disney, it could be just what Disney needs. When Comcast bought AT&T'S and a majority of Adelphia's cable systems they pumped billions into those systems bringing them up to speed with the rest of the civilized world. Digital cable , internet service, on demmand etc......

And Comcast COULD do 3 things i've read so many are concerned about with Disney that I read here:

1. Bring in Roy. Long shot, but possible
2. MONEY for maintenance/upkeeping
3. As stated by a few others, with a few of Comcasts execs being former Disney people, well theirs the guy's to take it back to the way it was.

 

[KevinPage]

Originally posted by imagineer99
I stopped looking for a point in your posts a long time ago!:lookaroun :lol: (just kidding)

My wife who was standing over my shoulder while I read your response, had a nice chuckle. Damn her laughing at my expense!

 

[dxwwf3]

I could be overreacting big time but I for one AM SCARED TO FREAKIN DEATH that something bad is going to happen to the parks if this happens. I don't really care what happens to ABC, ESPN, ABC Family, etc.. But what I do care about is the theme parks (especially WDW), the movies and the brand name. Sure Comcast COULD come in and make the parks better and not change a single thing but they could also ruin my favorite place in the world. I am going to continue to freak out until I hear more :lol:

 

[MGMBoy]

Originally posted by KevinPage
But you do have a CEO who worked at Disney for 12 years and is saying the right thing (theme parks, animation). But then again, most of what they say at Press Conference are B.S. anyways.

As for talking only about profits. That's the way of the world and the investment people who wheel and deal and the big market money managers don't give a rats behind about Magic, unless that Magic is creating profit.

You think the money people LOVED Fantasia when it came out in 1940? They hated it, it cost the company alot of money and was a failure. It was a creative success, but a financial flop.

Even Roy & Stanley stress the failure of asset growth and the stock MORE than the creative aspect. Heck, all of us in here are more concerned about the creative end. But Roy & Stanley know if they intend to fight a crusade to change the company, most people only want to know about $$$$$, not how much integrity the latest park attraction has when it was built.

Thank you. People are freaking out about ComCast not having a clue about how to run a theme park. That's EXACTLY why they'd be smart to have it running as a seperate entity of the same company...Hmmm...Divided tasks in a company...Where have I heard that before...Oh...That's right...Disney Feature Animation, Disney Attractions, Disney Merchandising. The point of a corporation is that, when you don't know who to run a critical function of business you want to do, you hire someone who does. ComCast isn't stupid. They'd want these parks to make them money just as much as Disney board members did. As for it not being "Disney" anymore...Hate to break the news to you but Roy was the only "Disney" in a position to do anything and they showed him the door. I'm all for this whole thing.

 

[bjunderwood]

Im starting to be for this takeover. There is even talk about bringing pixar back if the takeover occurs.

 

[bjunderwood]

check savedisney.com- roy and stan are basically for this.

 

[miles1]

Aside from my earlier rant about Comcast's customer service (or lack thereof), I just don't think this bodes well for the parks in the long term (5 to 10 years.)

I'm sure that Comcast's executives, being former Disney execs, have every well meaning intention of trying to restore the parks to their former level of quality entertainment and large profits. However, they must answer to Comcast's stock holders.

I'm sure that Comcast will have to go into considerable debt to accomplish the aquisition. They will have to boost profits quickly in the short term to cover the debt and remain profitable for the stock holders. This is going to mean staff cuts and other adjustments at the parks in the short term.

If this deal doesn't start returning big profits within 2-3 years for Comcast's stockholders, there will be cuts in R&D for new attractions in order to boost short term profitability. This will manifest itself in about five years when the parks start to stagnate.

While all of us here enjoy going to the parks over and over to catch every existing detail, the average visitor seems to go back several times (3 or more) because there are new things to experience every few years. If there isn't anything new to see, attendence will start to suffer.

Sorry to sound so bleak, but I don't think this takeover, or any other takeover of Disney, is going to end positively.

 

[dxwwf3]

Originally posted by miles1
Aside from my earlier rant about Comcast's customer service (or lack thereof), I just don't think this bodes well for the parks in the long term (5 to 10 years.)

I'm sure that Comcast's executives, being former Disney execs, have every well meaning intention of trying to restore the parks to their former level of quality entertainment and large profits. However, they must answer to Comcast's stock holders.

This is what worries me too. Comcast stock holders are probably not going to be happy if alot of money is put into the parks and they don't see immediate results. I am usually the optimist about most stuff but I can't help being a little pessimestic about this one.

 

[lamarvenoy]

Our cable bill averaged a 10-15% annual increase.I now have DirecTV and the service is much better and about 20% less for 100 more channels! Comcast is running scared, they are looking to invest their capital FAST because they are getting their butt kicked in every market. Their online service went belly up locally last year leaving a bunch of people without service.To those who never heard of comcast...be glad, if you knew what a crappy company they were you wouldn't sleep well knowing they may soon own our favorite place.
Eisner is only in it for the buck,my guess is Disney is as good as sold

COMCAST SUCKS, :fork: money hoarding monsters. Ready to jam their corporate fist right up our...DisneyWorld

 

[KevinPage]

While I don't pretend to know enough about these corporate affairs, if I had to make a choice, I would choose NOT having Comcast purchase Disney. Too much of an unknown when it comes to theme parks and animation, Disney's core business.

This is indeed a huge soap opera unfolding before our very eyes. Roy & Stanley battling Eisner, Steve Jobs laying down the guantlet, now Comcast smelling blood and timing their announcement during the shareholders meeting.

Most analysts predicted that Eisner was relatively safe even with Roy & Stanley on his heels. Now throw the Comcast monkey wrench into the works and it makes a Disney fan think: "what do I really want to happen?" Which is the lesser or two evils? Or is there a positive to be had?

We still have the shareholders meeting in a few weeks and is things have been this interesting so far, this could be the crescendo. Yeah, I'm a sucker for drama, so I hope the shareholders meeting in March is a real hum-dinger.

 

[DMC-12]

Originally posted by bjunderwood
Im starting to be for this takeover. There is even talk about bringing pixar back if the takeover occurs.

Same here... Comcast = Flush out Eisner... put Roy and Stan on the board and transistion team... I dont see this being a bad thing at all.



BTW: a happy COMCAST data, broadband, digital tv, & phone customer here. Never had any problems with them... and they had a heck of a job doing an install on my house... I live on a MAJOR road... and they had to close it to run some cables from accross the street. I was and still am impressed with my COMCAST service... ITS MUCH better than SBC and AT&T, IMO.

 

[Gregory]

I think that it would be nice if they bought it, then gave it to Roy and.. um... me, and left us alone A nice, $66 billion dollar birthday present.. one that keeps giving and giving


Well, I don't know what to think... I guess we need to know more about the situation before we judge... who would run the parks and movies? Comcast? Or will they keep the old people?

 

[dxwwf3]

Originally posted by Gregory
I think that it would be nice if they bought it, then gave it to Roy and.. um... me, and left us alone A nice, $66 billion dollar birthday present.. one that keeps giving and giving


Well, I don't know what to think... I guess we need to know more about the situation before we judge... who would run the parks and movies? Comcast? Or will they keep the old people?

Nice article about the whole situation. I am sort of juming to conclusions here with the anti Comcast stuff I guess. But I just can't stand the idea of a big media outlet (especially one that raises our cable bill about every other month) running the parks.

BTW Gregory whenever you put up part 3 of my Alien Encounter tribute make sure not to put any Stitch pics up. I guess I didn't really make it clear that I am very anti-Stitch's Great Escape (right now) and I really can't stand looking at him on my article :lol: No troubles though. Keep up the good work on the site.

 

[LoriMistress]

I have to sadly agree with Eisner on this one...I hate the idea of Comcast buying out Disney.

 

[Scar4king]

This whole take over buy out deal makes me very scared and sad.... im going to go hide in a corner now with my stuffed mickey

 

[Rototom]

Cable Companies Suck

Being a Devil fan as you can see in my avitar, I would hate to give any money to Comcast

Actually I hate the entire mega-media set up. Too little choices, too much of the same ol, same ol. How do you think Disny got into this problem in the first place. They spread out too much.

My only hope is if Comcast wins is they sell the parks to the Oriental Land Co. that owns Tokyo Disney or a company like that.

Just when you thought the cloud over disney couldn't get darker!

 

[darthdarrel]

Originally posted by dxwwf3
This is what worries me too. Comcast stock holders are probably not going to be happy if alot of money is put into the parks and they don't see immediate results. I am usually the optimist about most stuff but I can't help being a little pessimestic about this one.

But how are Comcast stockholders any differant then Disney stock holders...HMMMM! IT`s all about the money.

 

[disneyboi81]

Ok guys, I'm a Comcast employee in the DFW call center and just wanted to respond to a few things. I'm also a former Disney Store employee. I for one hope this merger deals does not go through. I'm not quite sure Walt would want to give the company he built from the ground up. I have to agree with some of you on the level of customer service that Comcast gives to its subscribers and emphanize. I'm often upset at the level of service given to our subscribers because Comcast is more about the end result then the overall result. Believe me, there are those who try to do everything we can for our subscribers. I can see the benefits of the merger as far as media content goes but anything else I just can't see the benefits. Disney has alot of talent that has been shuddered away to due Eisner's budget constraints. Disney needs to stay Disney as far as the Themeparks and Studios go. The mood around the office was the benefits we would get but for me it would mean the loss of the name DISNEY......guess we all will just have to see whats comes about in the next months....

-Jonathan D.
Frisco, TX

 

[darthdarrel]

but the way Disney is heading under Eisners direction, the company is not going to be worth diddly squat in the next few years anyway and some other media outlet will pick them up and sell it off bit by bit. No animation department, pixar will be making movies without Disney. Walt Built The theme parks around the animation department and now it is no longer in existance and the media company that brought Disney out of their slump...Pixar is no nolonger part of Disney thanks to Eisner. So what conclusion can be drawn for the future of Disney with Eisner?

 

[Disney2002]

I can't say I'm worried.

Comcast has already asserted that they would invest in the parks, since they account for 1/3 of Disney's overall revenue. A sale of the parks, after an acquisition, has already been determined to be infeasible, as the requirement of licensing the properties in perpertuity would be prohibitively expensive.

While Comcast may not be the best company for a buyout, there may be new bids in the next few days from other companies better suited. In all honesty, with Disney's low stock price and current internal management problems, I'd totally advise a takeover.

This all needs to be looked at from a long-term perspective. Disney's management is burned out. 20 years ago, when Roy Disney actively fought for a new CEO names Michael Eisner, things were in a similar state. Management has gotten stale, once again. The buyout would most certainly include a purging of some of the current upper management, board members, and most certainly Mr. Eisner.