Morocco Pavilion facing financial troubles

castlecake2.0

castlecake2.0

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
UNCgolf

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
castlecake2.0 said:
Blog Mickey reporting the operating company of the Morocco Pavilion is facing significant financial trouble. Any thoughts on the pavilion’s future? Would Disney take back over operations? Is there any precedent for this?

blogmickey.com

Disney World Files Debt Against Morocco Pavilion Restaurants at EPCOT Amidst Financial Hardships

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I don't think it's surprising that the operating company is struggling under Covid, but this filing alone doesn't mean they're about to shut down. In fact, it could (and probably does) mean that Disney just gave them a loan to keep them in operation and they will be fine.

A UCC Financing Statement is just a way for a creditor to secure their interest in a loan. It would generally be filed regardless of the debtor's financial status to protect the creditor.
 
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RSoxNo1

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
Perhaps @marni1971 can weigh in here, but my understanding was that Norway wouldn't foot the bill for a Maelstrom update and that opened the door for Frozen Ever After. I'm sure it wasn't that simple, but something to think about here.
 
Animaniac93-98

Animaniac93-98

Well-Known Member
RSoxNo1 said:
Perhaps @marni1971 can weigh in here, but my understanding was that Norway wouldn't foot the bill for a Maelstrom update and that opened the door for Frozen Ever After. I'm sure it wasn't that simple, but something to think about here.
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But Morocco (AFAIK) was not slated for any attraction or addition soon?

I don't see what Disney would be willing to change about the pavilion in the short term, other than looking for ways to cut operating costs, if they lost the sponsor.
 
marni1971

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
RSoxNo1 said:
Perhaps @marni1971 can weigh in here, but my understanding was that Norway wouldn't foot the bill for a Maelstrom update and that opened the door for Frozen Ever After. I'm sure it wasn't that simple, but something to think about here.
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As far as I know Norway had no say. I’m not sure how connected the country was to the pavilion anymore. Spirit of Norway had lost its sponsor years ago.
 
MisterPenguin

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
castlecake2.0 said:
Blog Mickey reporting the operating company of the Morocco Pavilion is facing significant financial trouble. Any thoughts on the pavilion’s future? Would Disney take back over operations? Is there any precedent for this?

blogmickey.com

Disney World Files Debt Against Morocco Pavilion Restaurants at EPCOT Amidst Financial Hardships

Walt Disney World news, photos, and reviews! We provide you with daily news from the Walt Disney World theme parks and beyond
blogmickey.com blogmickey.com
Click to expand...

I'm thinking this is more just a loan to Morocco to tide them over, and the lien is a formality so that, just in case Morocco folds, Disney gets paid first.
 
ToTBellHop

ToTBellHop

Well-Known Member
MisterPenguin said:
I'm thinking this is more just a loan to Morocco to tide them over, and the lien is a formality so that, just in case Morocco folds, Disney gets paid first.
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Countries can fold?

38717C34-ACCB-45D2-946F-8333166629DE.jpeg
 
L

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
castlecake2.0 said:
Blog Mickey reporting the operating company of the Morocco Pavilion is facing significant financial trouble. Any thoughts on the pavilion’s future? Would Disney take back over operations? Is there any precedent for this?

blogmickey.com

Disney World Files Debt Against Morocco Pavilion Restaurants at EPCOT Amidst Financial Hardships

Walt Disney World news, photos, and reviews! We provide you with daily news from the Walt Disney World theme parks and beyond
blogmickey.com blogmickey.com
Click to expand...
Hopefully the Belly Dancer gets employment elsewhere.
 
Brer Panther

Brer Panther

Well-Known Member
RSoxNo1 said:
Perhaps @marni1971 can weigh in here, but my understanding was that Norway wouldn't foot the bill for a Maelstrom update and that opened the door for Frozen Ever After. I'm sure it wasn't that simple, but something to think about here.
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Soooooooooooo, should we expect an Aladdin ride to show up in Morocco?

Then again, Morocco doesn't have an existing attraction that they can hastily retheme for it...
 
aladdin2007

aladdin2007

Well-Known Member
marni1971 said:
As far as I know Norway had no say. I’m not sure how connected the country was to the pavilion anymore. Spirit of Norway had lost its sponsor years ago.
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True, they were given the option however to be involved for a certain amount, which they declined.
 
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Sirwalterraleigh

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
RSoxNo1 said:
Perhaps @marni1971 can weigh in here, but my understanding was that Norway wouldn't foot the bill for a Maelstrom update and that opened the door for Frozen Ever After. I'm sure it wasn't that simple, but something to think about here.
Click to expand...
marni1971 said:
As far as I know Norway had no say. I’m not sure how connected the country was to the pavilion anymore. Spirit of Norway had lost its sponsor years ago.
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I’m fuzzy on this...but direct country support was never a thing was it?

I think Morocco was originally the exception in that they had provided it at first.

Norway was “Scandinavian travel consortium” if I recall...basically a tourism board...that collapsed before the pavilion ever opened.

Was not Epcot sponsor deals representative companies from countries?
Some of you vloggers/podcasters help a brother out with this?😎👍🏻
 
marni1971

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
Sirwalterraleigh said:
I’m fuzzy on this...but direct country support was never a thing was it?

I think Morocco was originally the exception in that they had provided it at first.

Norway was “Scandinavian travel consortium” if I recall...basically a tourism board...that collapsed before the pavilion ever opened.
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Without digging, the first consortium collapsed but the second (rightly as you said tourism and industry) didn’t. The king / president / boss of Norway opened it.

SAS (the airline) sponsored The Spirit of Norway for a number of years after opening.
 
K

Kev1982

Well-Known Member
Aladdin coming right up. Probabely very unpopular here but i dont think thats a bad thing. Yes better somewhere else but no chance of that....
 
S

scottieRoss

Well-Known Member
The Pavilion may have opened with the support of the Moroccan government, but it is owned by a private company Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant, LLC. The company is composed of two members. So it has two owners, both private Moroccan citizens. One was a former travel official for the Moroccan government. The other is a long time restauranteur and has award-winning restaurants across the US.
 
nickys

nickys

Premium Member
Kev1982 said:
Aladdin coming right up. Probabely very unpopular here but i dont think thats a bad thing. Yes better somewhere else but no chance of that....
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Aladdin has nothing to do with a Morocco. Frozen fits better in Norway than Aladdin fits in Morocco - at least it was inspired by a story based in the same geographic region. Aladdin was based on a story set in the Middle East, not even the same continent. Jasmine meeting there is the only connection - clearly Africa was considered “close enough” to Asia, given there is no Asian representation in WS. 🙄

So yep, you’re probably right. :banghead: :banghead::banghead:

edited to add: obviously there’s Japan and China - I would advocate that China is a better fit for Aladdin than Morocco, from both the story and the original animated Disney movie. But China has Mulan.
 
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