Is disney parks and resorts for sale?

[JimboJones123]

Convert the parks to non-profit to support the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I would say the total sell off of WDW is absurd....BUT if it does happen I will probably just go to Disneyland. I am principally against Disney selling this ESPECIALLY to a foreign entity.

If it is ALL domestic parks, not going to lie...I will probably discontinue...I love the Disney parks, but at that point they really are not Disney anymore....I am a HUGE Disney/imagineering nut, as you can always trace everything they do back to Walt's ideals and dream...and this sale would probably discontinue that.

So do you refuse to go to the foreign owned international resorts?

And again, why the assumption that Prince Walibi would be the sole buyer? He could be a consultant on how to make them attractive or just one of manly potential investors. And what if they were spun off with an IPO and became another publicly traded company of which he owned a portion?

 

[Disday]

I believe that the Four Seasons project is also involved with Golden Oaks. If the Prince owns part of Four Seasons, there would be many reasons why he would be present in meetings about WDW's future planning. I believe that the parks are safe - for now.

 

[puntagordabob]

So do you refuse to go to the foreign owned international resorts?
?

They are NOT foreign owned in the sense that the majority stake is owned by companies and such from that country..... The Oriental Land Company owns the majority stake in TDL for example....

I do not believe the poster you are responding to was trying to say that they were not going to visit the foreign parks at all...but rather was confining their comments to the US domestic parks..... if the Saudi prince wants to invest in WDW then thats fine...but as is the case in the non-US Disney parks, the majority ownership should be from the host country.....especially in a case like this where WDW and DLR were inspired as showcasing the American Dream.

Besides...if it is the practice that Disney is following everywhere else then why would it be 'CrAzY" to expect the same treatment here?

 

[Martymouse_inPA]

Haha. Maybe the BIG Wheels are just hanging out or something. Atleast Comcast isn't in the rumor mill this time (God forbid).

 

[GenerationX]

From the Prince's bio, I gather that his two main interests are 1) making money and 2) improving western-Arab relations. It may be that he wants to invest further in Disney, particularly in the U.S., and do so in a way that advances his two goals. Outright purchasing the parks and resorts, to me, is unlikely as at this point in the U.S. that would go against goal #2. Becoming a major investor in a non-park project on Disney property, on the other hand, seems much more likely. There are a couple that come to mind ...

 

[CaptainJackNO]

Not going to happen folks. This is MORE than a reach. The presence of a Saudi Prince being connected to a sale of Disney Parks and Resorts is the same as, when Bill Clinton enters the White House, people thinking that President Obama is signing the Presidency over back to Clinton. Absurd.

Here is something, I think, more realistic. Remember Michael Jackson (shudder) talking about teaming up with a Saudi prince to open a theme park like Disneyland. Well, I believe it is far more possible that there may be discussions that might see a Disney park, backed and owned ala Tokyo DisneySea, in the MIddle East.

You will not see a sale of Disney Parks and Resorts. Do you realize the implications of this? Disney parks are synonymous with America. If this possibility ever surfaced, do you realize the enormous pressure that would be placed on the Disney Co. and its leaders from the White House, Congress, and the American Public. The mere rumor of this would cause all hades to break loose. Not gonna happen. Ehh, ehh, no way.

The rights to Mickey Mouse will be sold to Universal before you see this happen.

 

[CaptainJackNO]

I think you're all giving the "American public" much more credit than they deserve.

Multinationals already own the vast majority of your country and you haven't fought it.

Cheap labour overseas is undermining your economy and you're allowing Union-busting politicians to destroy what was once an industrial powerhouse in the name of profit for an elite few who keep most of their money off-shore so the tax-man can't get it.

How long do you think the "outrage" will last when the domestic foreign visitor numbers increase because the parks are better maintained and the staff better treated by a Saudi owner?

In a Global economy, none of what you're complaining about matters a lick. And in the aforementioned 24/7 news cycle, the vast majority of the "American public" will have entirely forgotten the sale within a month...

The vast majority of American Companies that have been bought out by foreign companies do not have the deep connection to this nation that Disney does. You underestimate or lack the understanding of the important cultural component Disney serves in this Nation.

Walt Disney's Companies grew with this nation. The U.S. became a world power almost parallel to the growth and dominance of the Disney brand. Walt, Mickey, Donald, and other DIsney characters were a major part of suporting the effort in WWII, the company provided the lion share of entertainment advances in the world, and helped shape American life for more than 50 years.

Disney, in this nation, is not "just another company." Your criticism of the lack of engagement of many citizens in this nation is noted and, in many cases, deserved. But, you grossly underestimate the importance of this company to the U.S. Disney is a game changer. It will NOT happen, Eh.

 

[puntagordabob]

The vast majority of American Companies that have been bought out by foreign companies do not have the deep connection to this nation that Disney does. You underestimate or lack the understanding of the important cultural component Disney serves in this Nation.

Walt Disney's Companies grew with this nation. The U.S. became a world power almost parallel to the growth and dominance of the Disney brand. Walt, Mickey, Donald, and other DIsney characters were a major part of suporting the effort in WWII, the company provided the lion share of entertainment advances in the world, and helped shape American life for more than 50 years.

Disney, in this nation, is not "just another company." Your criticism of the lack of engagement of many citizens in this nation is noted and, in many cases, deserved. But, you grossly underestimate the importance of this company to the U.S. Disney is a game changer. It will NOT happen, Eh.

Well said!

 

[lazyboy97o]

They are NOT foreign owned in the sense that the majority stake is owned by companies and such from that country..... The Oriental Land Company owns the majority stake in TDL for example....

I do not believe the poster you are responding to was trying to say that they were not going to visit the foreign parks at all...but rather was confining their comments to the US domestic parks..... if the Saudi prince wants to invest in WDW then thats fine...but as is the case in the non-US Disney parks, the majority ownership should be from the host country.....especially in a case like this where WDW and DLR were inspired as showcasing the American Dream.

Besides...if it is the practice that Disney is following everywhere else then why would it be 'CrAzY" to expect the same treatment here?

Tokyo Disney Resort is wholly owned by the OLC Group, which is a publicly traded company, that is because they are the company that wanted to bring Disneyland to Japan. So is Euro Disney SCA publicly traded with it's two largest owners being The Walt Disney Company and the Prince, and it's ownership being the result of French regulations. The only ones owned by their host country are the Chinese parks which is a result of the respective governments wanting more than taxes for their investments into the projects. Only in France is ownership of the resort limited by nationality. If a bunch of Saudis or Chinese or Brazilians or whomever wanted to start buying up chunks of The Walt Disney Company nothing would stop them.

You will not see a sale of Disney Parks and Resorts. Do you realize the implications of this? Disney parks are synonymous with America. If this possibility ever surfaced, do you realize the enormous pressure that would be placed on the Disney Co. and its leaders from the White House, Congress, and the American Public. The mere rumor of this would cause all hades to break loose. Not gonna happen. Ehh, ehh, no way.

The rights to Mickey Mouse will be sold to Universal before you see this happen.

And what if the division is spun off or sold to a US based investment group like the Blackstone Group? Why would any of these people or institutions care?

 

[SparkyGiraffe]

Not going to happen folks. This is MORE than a reach. The presence of a Saudi Prince being connected to a sale of Disney Parks and Resorts is the same as, when Bill Clinton enters the White House, people thinking that President Obama is signing the Presidency over back to Clinton. Absurd.

Here is something, I think, more realistic. Remember Michael Jackson (shudder) talking about teaming up with a Saudi prince to open a theme park like Disneyland. Well, I believe it is far more possible that there may be discussions that might see a Disney park, backed and owned ala Tokyo DisneySea, in the MIddle East.

You will not see a sale of Disney Parks and Resorts. Do you realize the implications of this? Disney parks are synonymous with America. If this possibility ever surfaced, do you realize the enormous pressure that would be placed on the Disney Co. and its leaders from the White House, Congress, and the American Public. The mere rumor of this would cause all hades to break loose. Not gonna happen. Ehh, ehh, no way.

The rights to Mickey Mouse will be sold to Universal before you see this happen.

VERY well said!!:sohappy:

 

[wizards8507]

Not going to happen folks. This is MORE than a reach.

I agree that the notion that this meeting means that domestic Parks and Resorts are being sold to a Saudi prince is a major stretch, but I think that it is an equally major stretch to say that such a meeting means nothing at all.

 

[puntagordabob]

Tokyo Disney Resort is wholly owned by the OLC Group, which is a publicly traded company, that is because they are the company that wanted to bring Disneyland to Japan. So is Euro Disney SCA publicly traded with it's two largest owners being The Walt Disney Company and the Prince, and it's ownership being the result of French regulations. The only ones owned by their host country are the Chinese parks which is a result of the respective governments wanting more than taxes for their investments into the projects. Only in France is ownership of the resort limited by nationality. If a bunch of Saudis or Chinese or Brazilians or whomever wanted to start buying up chunks of The Walt Disney Company nothing would stop them.


And what if the division is spun off or sold to a US based investment group like the Blackstone Group? Why would any of these people or institutions care?

I stand corrected regarding the TDL resort ......OLC does in fact own it, with the WDC licensing the use of the Disney theme, etc....

As for Disneyland Paris is owned and operated by French company Euro Disney S.C.A., a public company of which 39.78 percent of its stock is held by The Walt Disney Company, 10 percent by the Saudi Prince Alwaleed and 50.22 percent by other shareholders...which while a public company it is still a French Company.

Also, my mention of ownership by the host country was that of nationals from that country, was not referring to the government itself.

As for the Saudi Prince...he is clearly a private investor from Saudi Arabia who apparently from a previous posters info has an agenda to promote goodwill between Arab-Western nations (a absolutely noble cause!)....but by virtue of this agenda he is clearly a "Saudi Arabian" company for all extents and purposes.

As for the USA being gobbled up like a Saturday Morning "Garage Sale"....it is a sad state of affairs indeed... if our direction does not change soon I am not sure where we will end up in the future.....but for certain it will not be a "Happy Place".......

 

[DisneyFan 2000]

You know the number of ways this could pan out just puts all the speculation to moot. It could very well be that the board of directors are discussing a major business proposition entirely unrelated to the P&R division and are just using the parks as a platform for a descrete discussion place. Seriously, wait and see has never seemed like a better option. But to say this means nothing is also kinda burying your head in the sand. Something is coming, but it's anyone's guess as to what that something is.

 

[wizards8507]

You know the number of ways this could pan out just puts all the speculation to moot. It could very well be that the major shareholders are discussing a major business proposition entirely unrelated to the P&R division and are just using the parks as a platform for a descrete discussion place. Seriously, wait and see has never seemed like a better option. But to say this means nothing is also kinda burying your head in the sand. Something is coming, but it's anyone's guess as to what that something is.

This has nothing (directly) to do with shareholders of the Walt Disney Company. The Board of Directors is management, not ownership (even though yes, many of them happen to be shareholders). The Prince's interest in Disney is a 10% share in Euro Disney, S.C.A., not the Walt Disney Company. I don't know that he holds any shares of DIS directly.

 

[lazyboy97o]

As for Disneyland Paris is owned and operated by French company Euro Disney S.C.A., a public company of which 39.78 percent of its stock is held by The Walt Disney Company, 10 percent by the Saudi Prince Alwaleed and 50.22 percent by other shareholders...which while a public company it is still a French Company.

Also, my mention of ownership by the host country was that of nationals from that country, was not referring to the government itself.

Euro Disney SCA essentially operates as a unit of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts and several Americans from the Company have been at it's head. The structure of an SCA allows Disney to control the company while carrying almost none of the financial liability. So even with the remaining shareholders are mostly French persons and institutions, it means very little. So the only real example of "host ownership" is a bit of a con, as the French owners have little say in the matters compared to the foreign company.

 

[Monty]

The vast majority of American Companies that have been bought out by foreign companies do not have the deep connection to this nation that Disney does. You underestimate or lack the understanding of the important cultural component Disney serves in this Nation.

Walt Disney's Companies grew with this nation. The U.S. became a world power almost parallel to the growth and dominance of the Disney brand. Walt, Mickey, Donald, and other DIsney characters were a major part of suporting the effort in WWII, the company provided the lion share of entertainment advances in the world, and helped shape American life for more than 50 years.

Disney, in this nation, is not "just another company." Your criticism of the lack of engagement of many citizens in this nation is noted and, in many cases, deserved. But, you grossly underestimate the importance of this company to the U.S. Disney is a game changer. It will NOT happen, Eh.

I obviously disagree, but at least you acknowledge that I'm Canadian...

 

[wizards8507]

Euro Disney SCA essentially operates as a unit of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts and several Americans from the Company have been at it's head. The structure of an SCA allows Disney to control the company while carrying almost none of the financial liability. So even with the remaining shareholders are mostly French persons and institutions, it means very little. So the only real example of "host ownership" is a bit of a con, as the French owners have little say in the matters compared to the foreign company.

By "liability," I assume you mean "risk." "Liability" refers to future obligations, such as employee compensation, debts outstanding, etc. "Risk" is the potential for loss. Either way, saying that The Walt Disney Company carries "almost none of the [liability or risk]" of Euro Disney SCA is incorrect. As a 40% shareholder, DIS is essentially responsible for 40% of EDL's liabilities and will see 40% of their future losses trickle through to their Income Statement (in various forms). The ownership interest is equivalent to the amount of risk assumed. I'd hardly consider 40% "almost none."

 

[toolsnspools]

Imagine that, a corporate pow-wow in WDW. They apparently know where to find the best fireworks. There are probably a littany of topics being discussed. My guess is that they are just meeting to discuss/set the general direction of the company for the coming years. As the board, I would expect to see this every so often. In fact I'd be more concerned if this didn't happen on a regular basis.

 

[misterID]

I don't think a sale of P&R is happening, just my opinion. But the prince buying a big stake of WDW resort, I don't think is out of the question.