Is disney parks and resorts for sale?

[FlaMel]

My bet is that this was just an annual BoD retreat. The attendance of the Saudi Prince, if he was really there at all, was to hear the roll out of Staggs new senior management plan, since it included the resort that he is a major investor in.

 

[devoy1701]

It wouldn't even need the whole board to show a prospective owner around either, all it would take is for the CEO or someone else to show them around if its needed.

If they wanted to sell the P&R division there is no need for the whole board to visit WDW to do it.

It would if they were planning to make the sale last week. CEO can't make that decision alone.

 

[menamechris]

It would if they were planning to make the sale last week. CEO can't make that decision alone.

But at the same time...if a sale was taking place - they would most likely have had a huge team of lawyers, financial executives, etc. The BOD are smart, but they are not that smart to draw up papers, make negotiations, etc. In fact, they probably would not be dealing with the buyer(s) directly. They would be dealing through attorneys. And I would further speculate that something like this would not be happening at a Disney resort. Just some thoughts...

 

[PirateFrank]

Not sure what to make of this, but my knee jerk reaction is why borrow money for an asset you're holding out for sale?? unless this report is not accurate and designed to mislead....

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...uan-land-loan-securities-says.html?cmpid=yhoo

I do have to wonder outloud...what exactly did TWDC give up to get a 2 BILLION yuan loan from ChiComs??? No one is going to sit there and tell me with a straight face that they did it all for just a reasonable rate of return....

 

[devoy1701]

But at the same time...if a sale was taking place - they would most likely have had a huge team of lawyers, financial executives, etc. The BOD are smart, but they are not that smart to draw up papers, make negotiations, etc. In fact, they probably would not be dealing with the buyer(s) directly. They would be dealing through attorneys. And I would further speculate that something like this would not be happening at a Disney resort. Just some thoughts...

we don't know if lawyers/financial teams weren't there though...

though with the new rumors of the Chinese being involved...I think it's safe to say whatever happened last week at the Boardwalk was a bust.

 

[bstiles]

You don't need lawyers to make a deal. They could have a deal in principle, lawyers could be brought in for wording of potential contract.

 

[Mickey is King]

well, there is a Hong Kong DL in the works no?

maybe the UAE wants a park......or maybe the Prince or whomever just wanted to go to WDW......even if they did sell (not happinin') there is nothing any of us could do about it.

wolf! wolf!!!! oh yeah ,let's not forget- the sky is falling!!!!!!

 

[menamechris]

You don't need lawyers to make a deal. They could have a deal in principle, lawyers could be brought in for wording of potential contract.

As someone who works in the legal field, there is no way you would hammer out a deal (of the magnitude that has been speculated) without a team of lawyers doing it for you. It would be the BOD that would review the proposal and say 'accept' or 'decline'. And there is no possible way they congregated at WDW together to entertain a potential buyer.

 

[mikeb1967]

New EPCOT Pavilion

Hello. Perhaps they were discussing plans for a Saudi Arabia pavilion in World Showcase to provide a positive image on a modern middle eastern Muslim country. Maybe the Saudi's will kick in the cash to build it. MikeB

 

[Kamikaze]

well, there is a Hong Kong DL in the works no?

maybe the UAE wants a park......or maybe the Prince or whomever just wanted to go to WDW......even if they did sell (not happinin') there is nothing any of us could do about it.

wolf! wolf!!!! oh yeah ,let's not forget- the sky is falling!!!!!!

Hong Kong has been open for years. Shanghai is being built. Thats why the $2b loan was taken (as posted a few posts before yours.

 

[MichWolv]

My bet is that this was just an annual BoD retreat. The attendance of the Saudi Prince, if he was really there at all, was to hear the roll out of Staggs new senior management plan, since it included the resort that he is a major investor in.

Ding! No, I don't know anything, but this rings true.

 

[RunnerEd]

Hello. Perhaps they were discussing plans for a Saudi Arabia pavilion in World Showcase to provide a positive image on a modern middle eastern Muslim country. Maybe the Saudi's will kick in the cash to build it. MikeB

A country that makes women be covered head to toe and just gave a woman 25 lashes for the horrible crime of driving a car is probably not the country that you would want representing what you were talking about. Saudi would be cheap to build, though....clear off a lot, cover it with sand, put a forced perspective oil field in the background and you're pretty much done! If you want modern, Quatar would be a much better choice.

 

[SleepingMonk]

So Comcast just announced they're the buyer.

Didn't see that coming at all.

 

[njDizFan]

So Comcast just announced they're the buyer.

Didn't see that coming at all.

huh?

 

[Captain Chaos]

So Comcast just announced they're the buyer.

Didn't see that coming at all.

Comcast is buying Blackstone's share of Universal...

 

[SleepingMonk]

Nope they're buying it all, Uni, WDW, Busch....and Weeki Wachee.

They're also putting a bid in for the Pentagon to supply rubber cannonballs for POTC.

 

[Captain Chaos]

Nope they're buying it all, Uni, WDW, Busch....and Weeki Wachee.

They're also putting a bid in for the Pentagon to supply rubber cannonballs for POTC.

Guess they are teaming up with the Japanese then... you know, the other former owners of the pentagon... :lol:

 

[flavious27]

Universal had a licensing deal with Universal Orlando Resort. There are deals in place for all of the international Disney Resorts. No reason one could not be made to work here in the US as well.

do we have proof of that?

You basically described how Frank McCourt is messing up the Los Angeles Dodgers.

yeah, basically. also frank borrowed money against the dodgers name and I think their future earnings. that couple royally screwed themselves up.

I always assumed this was because they didn't want to finance it.

Would be one of the reasons, also could be also that local laws make a partnership more profitable.

 

[wserratore1963]

Considering the profitability in the parks, the tie-ins to movies that Disney can exploit/manage and the dependence of the parks on Disney movie properties, I would label the chances of an outright sell of the parks as none, and close to none. This isn't the Ron Miller days when Disney is ripe for a hostile takeover and being sold into parts.

Agreed- No Chance in Hell.

 

[lazyboy97o]

do we have proof of that?.

I really do not feel like digging for those contracts. They're all separate companies with different ownership structures in which The Walt Disney Company only ones a minority. I know the Universal one was in the original partnership agreement between Universal and Blackstone Group for Universal City Development Partners.