New MARVEL attractions to Disney Parks

[ChrisFL]

NBC Universal knows exactly how much they are going to pay each year. The annual fee is set and increases only with inflation, which tends to stay around 3%. The merchandise fee comes out of the markup that customers pay. Comcast, which is just as large if not bigger than The Walt Disney Company, has also shown interest in the Universal theme parks.

Comcast owns the Universal theme parks now

 

[fosse76]

Comcast owns the Universal theme parks now

Comcast owns 51% of NBC/Universal. NBC/Universal wholly owns Universal Orlando.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Even if something isn't maintained to contractual standards, the contract allows Universal to cure the deficiency and bring it to the contractual level required within a reasonable amount of time.

And based on how long Marvel let The Incredible Hulk look a little worse for wear, that seems to be a pretty decent amount of time that Universal themselves have been working to shorten across the Resort.

 

[ChrisFL]

I know this is going to be one of those topics that will never die...like the Stroller debate, the Fastpass debate and the Adventurer's Club debate...now we'll have the Marvel debate.

Of course those people begging for Disney to build one at WDW could visit the OTHER Disney parks where they plan to build something

 

[lebeau]

So with a statement like that, Disney is uncool?



Jimmy Thick-This ought to be good.

Short answer: Yep.

Longer answer: That's why Disney bought Marvel in the first place. For decades, they have tried and failed to attract the young boy demo. Buying Marvel was basically admiting failure. Slapping the Disney name on Marvel would defeat the entire purpose of the purchase.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Short answer: Yep.

Longer answer: That's why Disney bought Marvel in the first place. For decades, they have tried and failed to attract the young boy demo. Buying Marvel was basically admiting failure. Slapping the Disney name on Marvel would defeat the entire purpose of the purchase.

So buying ABC and ESPN was admitting failure as well? I think it's not so much an adminision of anything other than good business practices.

 

[GrumpyFan]

Again, how is it a stalemate? People keep thinking Disney would like to build at Walt Disney World, but why would that hurry exist? We still have not seen anything at any of the other Disney parks. Why agonize over Universal blocking the characters from Florida when nothing has been done elsewhere? There is no big push of Marvel into the theme parks.

It's a stalemate in Florida for Disney and Universal, unless one of them wants to spend some money, which would require them to both sit at the table and come to some kind of agreement.

With the way Disney does things, there really is no hurry, except for the fact that the Avengers are immensely popular at the moment, which would be the best time do something.

Just because we haven't seen anything with Marvel characters elsewhere, doesn't mean it's not coming. Again, since it's extremely popular at the moment, now would be a good time to do something. I will add though, they did do something at the parks, resort actually, with the Avenger wrapped monorail.

 

[lebeau]

So buying ABC and ESPN was admitting failure as well? I think it's not so much an adminision of anything other than good business practices.

Apples and oranges. It's not like Disney could start a brand new network and be taken seriously. They had to buy an existing network if they wanted to have one.

Disney didn't buy Marvel because they wanted to get into comic book publishing before it died out completely. They bought Marvel because they had been trying (and failing) for decades to attract a very lucrative demographic. Marvel already had that demo. Had Disney succeeded in marketing to them on their own, they never would have shelled out top dollar for Marvel.

Buying Marvel (especially at the price they paid for it and considering how many liscensing agreements Marvel had already made) was an act of desperation on Disney's part.

Judging by The Avengers' box office, it was a hail mary pass that seems to have paid off. But that doesn't make it less of an act of desperation.

 

[Hakunamatata]

I guess we could see a Marvel Experience at DTD. Revamp DisneyQuest.....

 

[jt04]

The issue of brand confusion should not be overlooked. However, unlike the Disney-Pixar relationship, which was instantly solidified by Pixar branding becoming Disney-Pixar, we have not seen similar moves regarding Marvel. Yes, there is merchandise in the parks and the Disney Stores, but that is not much in the grand scheme. Yes, Disney marketed and distributed The Avengers, but Disney's name does not appear on any marketing materials or before the film, just a single line of text at the very, very end. We also have not seen even meet and greets at the parks, despite them continuing for other releases (see Merida from Brave).

Iger's words indicate that he would like to accelerate the establishment of a Disney-Marvel identity. I am starting to think more and more that it is Marvel that is resisting Disney's desire to more closely relate the brands. Iger seems to almost bordering on the thought that "content is content," where the people at Marvel could better see the different tones between the Disney's brands and Marvel's. Supposedly the Marvel executives were rather well invested in their company, which translated to so decent chunks of stocks in The Walt Disney Company. The success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as we are seeing right now, is something Disney wants to see continue, and alienating Marvel's key creative personelle could be tantamount to pushing out a group almost equivalent to Pixar's "brain trust." Disney spent $4 billion not just to acquire the characters, but also the people who have been at Marvel and turned around the company's fortunes, making it worth $4 billion.

I think this is very close to the truth. Great stuff. I know some fear Marvel being branded as "Disney" but I think that is an unfounded fear. Granted they need to walk a fine line but Disney could be a great enabler for Marvel. I really think it could work creatively for both sides in a DC Comics kind of way.

Buying Marvel (especially at the price they paid for it and considering how many liscensing agreements Marvel had already made) was an act of desperation on Disney's part.

Judging by The Avengers' box office, it was a hail mary pass that seems to have paid off. But that doesn't make it less of an act of desperation.

:lol: I wonder how many of these brilliant moves have to occur before you see the light. Iger does not "act out of desperation". Even his critics agree he is not given to rash decisions.

I guess we could see a Marvel Experience at DTD. Revamp DisneyQuest.....

Awesome idea. DQ needs a rethink and Marvel could work.

 

[lebeau]

I'll give you this much. One of us is completely clueless about all things Marvel. I'll leave it to readers to decide which one of us it is.

My vote goes to the guy who insisted Sony would walk away from the Spider-man film franchise.

 

[jt04]

I'll give you this much. One of us is completely clueless about all things Marvel. I'll leave it to readers to decide which one of us it is.

My vote goes to the guy who insisted Sony would walk away from the Spider-man film franchise.

If Sony can come up with a reboot as effective as that for the newest Batman franchise I will be pleasently suprised. There are some indications they have.

Of course if it does not work, I doubt they will continue. So my prediction may have just been one movie too soon.

 

[saxamoophone]

Comcast owns 51% of NBC/Universal. NBC/Universal wholly owns Universal Orlando.

And Majority rules .

 

[lazyboy97o]

And Majority rules .

And Comcast isn't exactly hurting at the moment. So the idea that Disney could flex their size to make Comcast an offer is a reach at best.

 

[WDW1974]

So ... Avengers (a pretty decent film ... saw it last week in Germany) has a great opening and the fanboi crowd somehow extrapolates that Marvel is coming to WDW and that Disney rulz and UNI droolz and ... really.

No, I mean REALLY ... I have to interrupt my top one percent 'holiday' to read this.

NOTHING has changed. UNI has all the control. And the legal contracts to prove it.

UGH ... oh well, back to the holiday ... but look for my DLP trip observation thread coming in the next few weeks (HINT: Steve might be happy as much of DLP is sadly as ghetto or more than the MK ... but Dreams blows away any MK nighttime show greatly!)

Why? Why do the fanbois pull me back in?

Are they still talking about the Orange Bird ... and did the ToL collapse since I've been across the Pond?

I miss you guys (well, most ... um ... some ... yeah, some of you!)

 

[wdwmagic]

UGH ... oh well, back to the holiday ... but look for my DLP trip observation thread coming in the next few weeks (HINT: Steve might be happy as much of DLP is sadly as ghetto or more than the MK ... but Dreams blows away any MK nighttime show greatly!)

Not happy, but just relaying how things are at DLP sadly - I did try to warn you!. All is not rosy on this side of the Atlantic. Interested to hear your report.

 

[wdwmagic]

Are they still talking about the Orange Bird ... and did the ToL collapse since I've been across the Pond?

The bird enthusiasm seems to be falling away. LOL
or was it really ever there in the first place.

 

[WDW1974]

Not happy, but just relaying how things are at DLP sadly - I did try to warn you!. All is not rosy on this side of the Atlantic. Interested to hear your report.

Nope ... things are not. I found the resort much worse than 2 1/2 years ago ... remind me to hit on Space Mountain, Small World (it's apparently still Christmas there), the Main Street facades, the DLP resorts ... and the interesting way they 'refurb' things over there.

Still, overall SQS's remain higher than WDW from what I experienced.

But parts of the resort are ghetto ... no doubt about it!

 

[WDW1974]

The bird enthusiasm seems to be falling away. LOL
or was it really ever there in the first place.

Sadly, this whole retro deal is spreading like a virus ... some of the 20th Anniversary DLP merchandise is 'retro' in design (sort of a take off of ) and while it doesn't look bad, I just don't want to remember the past in any of the parks, I want a brighter future.

But back to my vacation.

Perhaps, the fans will have the Hulk meet and greet moved into EPCOT and Spidey swinging from Cindy's spires by the time I return ...

When WDW continues to be all about REAL ESTATE.

See you all a little later ...

 

[lebeau]

If Sony can come up with a reboot as effective as that for the newest Batman franchise I will be pleasently suprised. There are some indications they have.

Of course if it does not work, I doubt they will continue. So my prediction may have just been one movie too soon.

No, you're wrong. Even if Amazing Spider-man bombs, you'll be wrong. They will reboot again before letting the rights revert to Disney. Sony will have to be convinced that there is no way they can make money off the film rights to Spider-man before they will give them up. That or Disney will have to make them a lucrative offer. But no way does Sony let them revert.