Originally Posted By ChiMike >>--- fair enough-- by your comment you likely work for County or City --( btw I used to also 30+ years ago for a short time - and have many friends and associates who still do in Illinois politics-- I tell them the same things, including the ones I know in office)-<< HAHAH .. In one week I am everything from a former WDI malcontent to a Cook County employee. I guess it is a good thing that I am a blank enough canvas in the internet world for folks to project onto!
Originally Posted By NukkelHead Holy Guacamole. I guess we are not going to turn out to be the friends that I had hoped for with strange stuff like this ^^^^^^it's the same troll who's been creating a continual stream of sock puppets that mainly post in WE. He's a banned poster who went by name of 'Beau.' Get it? Beau vs Bo. Oh so clever. Not.^^^^^^^ I guess I am not your "Bo" afterall but I will be eveyone esles who likes me. "Bo" is my given name not "beau" as in a boyfriend. I am ready to talk about my favorite park Animal Kingdoms. Lets go to the parks Your "Bo"
Originally Posted By NukkelHead ^^^^^Most of it is saying that Disney has either reached a deal or is close to one with a Chinese entity.^^^^ Never count out Peoples Republic of Red China because they now have deep pockets. They now drive Ferarri cars on new roads and spend millions in the casinos at Mcaw instead of riding waterbufallows in the rice fields and trading food for staw hats in the rural markets. They are rich. This will be good news because Disney management has not been keeping Walt's dream alive with clean parks and new great rides. Fast Pass, 3d, broken snowman and timesharing is not Walt. Your "Bo"
Originally Posted By vbdad55 If you travel to China- even in the major cities, then you would realize this is a very very small segment of the population you are describing. I work with people/ centers there on a daily basis..and visits span over 20 years-- but more has stayed the same in some ways than has changed. it's a different mix of idealism and wealth even for those who 'have it'- and hard to force fit into the corporate world we are used to Spirit spends some time there he could also enlighten. the seemingly emphasized use of the modifier 'red' is curious. I assume you do not deal with anyone there from a business perspective.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Why would Wall Street or a potential buyer care what the fans think of Meg Crofton? They're looking at the parks strictly from a dollars and cents angle. Fanboy enthusiasm doesn't enter into the equation.>> No one cares (although I am worried about Micechat's Dusty Sage as he seems to be taking Meg's promo worse than George, who hates working under women at TDA after a traumatic 18-month stint a decade ago ... still not as worried as I am over a bizarre computer 'glitch' that just happened). I have to say I don't know what's stranger, all the talk and happenings in the Disney universe or how quiet so many people are ... people usually with big mouths. From folks inside Disney to online personalities to media folks. I take that to mean either no one knows what is going on or what it means or they're scared poohless to say anything. From a strictly common sense standpoint, this can't be good. Meg's tenure at WDW has been marked by one disaster after another and now she's going to add Anaheim and Paris oversight? If she couldn't handle one, how can she handle three? And has Tom Staggs been officially unmasked as just a better-looking less abrasive Jay Rasulo?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 >> Well, with goodwill comes more fans and more fans is more profit. << <<Maybe in theory. But EE, have you seen the Disney fanboys lately? They're sticking with the company/parks through thick and thin (and Meg Crofton's rule as well).>> Well, you do have the fanboi uprising online over WDW's crumbling product. But addicts are addicts ... <<I would guess that potential buyers would be most interested in what P&R has to offer today -- not in the future, not predicting how the fanboys will hold up. (Answer: they're psychologically dependent! Of course they're sticking with the company!)>> Are you saying that there may be a high percentage of mental illness in the fanboi community? Or am I just reading that in because I know it to be true? ;-) I am more amused by the fans who think if Disney sells the parks that it will be the end ... and that Obama and Congress will have to step in ... or that the stock will plummet (it will rocket up, which is something that gives me pause as to whether this is an effort by TWDC or other forces either in or out of the company to push the price up ... all sorts of SEC issues there ... anyone want to ask our Disney Social Media pals for their takes?) Does Charlie Stovall even know what SEC stands for? How about Thomas Smith? And RJ ... has Zenia become your FB pal yet?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<If suddenly there was a wave of new things planned for the parks, and a few of the things got done... don't you think that public opinion would shift and pin the blame (good blame) on who's in charge? I think so. It makes sense if you don't think about it too much. >> <<EE, I think your theory about what will happen is very likely. I can very well imagine the comments about how Meg wasn't able to acchieve anything because she had Al Weiss holding her back. But now that she is in charge we see all these wonderful things that are going to happen!>> I think that's how it will be played at first. Fanbois are a very easy crowd (in more ways than one). As soon as the first new thing (something that was likely planned and approved well before she got the promo) is announced, they'll all say that ... that's what I truly hate about the fan community (and society in general these days) -- very few people look at what's under the surface. They take things at face value. They never ask why? How? When? That's why George K and Tom Staggs have been practically deified by the fan community. <<We have seen it when Bob Iger was made CEO. So many people just wanted to believe so badly that everything would be wonderful from now on and that everything would change now. Well, we see how that has worked out so far.>> I gave him my support and hoped for the best, but I had my doubts. He is an incredibly arrogant man who can't see his own shortcomings and refuses to admit they exist. He represents the absolute worst of the Eisner years blended with some way kewl Apple toys.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance " How many times have we heard that chorus before? All I want to know is when will the soft openings for Cars Land begin." I'm with you Hans.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I find the idea of selling the parks to Chinese investors to be intriguing, analogous to when the Japanese went on their spending sprees in the 80's, buying up properties that depreciated and lost them money.>> Great analogy. Something I thought about and somehow never posted. This country has been selling itself off for decades now (are we whores as a people?) Many of our most-prized landmarks and locales are owned by outsiders, and many are not from particularly 'nice' places. <<The Chinese have trillions of dollars languishing in low interest US government bonds (and are losing money on them). They might be interested in purchasing income generating assets with some of that cash. And Walt Disney World would be a "prestige" purchase, like when the Japanese bought Pebble Beach and Rockerfeller Center. I could see the business model behind Disney collecting royalties from the new owners and charging them to develop new theme park attractions. The real quetion is: will the Chinese investors bite, especially after how the Japanese got burned in the past?>> After my visits over to vile, evil, Godless, Commie, pinko China (BTW, where the hell did Pierce go when things got interesting? I hope he is well ... well not mentally because that's an impossibility but ... he just disappeared again. Did someone insult Winky?), I'd say the answer to that is most definitely. Will it happen is the $18 billion (give or take a few hundred million) question.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<What would the implications of selling the parks be for DVC members? I've never seriously looked into a DVC contract and I'm sure there's no LEGAL obligation for Disney to retain direct ownership of the parks as part of the contracts with members. However it would seem to me that DVC members would feel very strongly about having the perceived value of their membership reduced by the parks being owned by a third party. At least to the point where some of them would consider taking legal action against the company.>> I don't think it would matter in the least. If Disney sells P&R, then they sell DVC business as well and their obligations get passed on to the new owner. ... And while someone might sue (we tend to do that here in the USA), they wouldn't have a leg to stand on. Disney never made any guarantees to anyone. <<At the very least wouldn't this make selling future DVC memberships more difficult? I look forward to Third Party Vacation Club Kiosks around every corner.>> DVC would still be DVC. Still would be Disney's Best Kept Secret, even if it were someone else's ...
Originally Posted By ReelJustice <<And RJ ... has Zenia become your FB pal yet?>> Nope, I think she is ignoring me lol
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<If you travel to China- even in the major cities, then you would realize this is a very very small segment of the population you are describing. I work with people/ centers there on a daily basis..and visits span over 20 years-- but more has stayed the same in some ways than has changed. it's a different mix of idealism and wealth even for those who 'have it'- and hard to force fit into the corporate world we are used to Spirit spends some time there he could also enlighten.>> I don't know what to say beyond China is a land of vastness and vast contrasts. The change that is happening, though, is simply unprecedented in modern history. They are building a country in (almost) every sense of the world. And they see the need for a middle class where our politicians and Wall Street do not here. That said, I really have a hankering for using my HKDL AP right now ... after a quick stop at Tung Chung before hopping the MTR for Sunny Bay, seeing the new 5th anniversary parade and having an incredible dinner at the Crystal Lotus... Boy, do I miss my 'other home' even if summer isn't a pleasant time to be there. Now ... what Disney exec were we ripping?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Lol. You're killing me on thee George/Cynthia dynamic! Too funny>> He absolutely HATED her (as I'm sure you know). I don't know Meg, but she seems very much like a more Southern version of Cyn. Oh, and you got mail!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<And RJ ... has Zenia become your FB pal yet?>> <<Nope, I think she is ignoring me lol>> Shocking. Considering Disney's noble efforts with the fan community and how FB is such an amazing (WASTE OF TIME as the immortal Betty White said) tool for connecting people with the same interests. Maybe you should try Tom Staggs or Meg Crofton ... they must have FB accounts.
Originally Posted By ReelJustice <<Maybe you should try Tom Staggs or Meg Crofton ... they must have FB accounts.>> Maybe I'll start with Kevin Lansberry. Perhaps he'll remember our conversation we had about Pleasure Island 2 years ago....
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 I don't think I've ever met Kevin ... well, that Kevin. I've met the immortal Kevin Yee (who is NOT related to the immortal Betty White, although in a little-known fanboi factoid, he tried out for the role of Sophia on The Golden Girls). But I digressed (been a very long week even with the holiday already), maybe every fanboi out there should be 'friending' the Disney execs of their choice. I bet most fanbois don't have the balls you showed, RJ ... they probably think if they send a friend request to Tom Staggs that the FBI will show up and probe them (and not in the good way!) Why are fanbois so freaking paassive aggressive? I know that likely should go in my much-anticipated mental health thread ... but seriously, why are they like that? Anyone who knows the Spirit knows he's the same in person as he is online, he's just more huggable and can tell all kinds of stories he could never put online. But these fanbois ... they act one way online and in real life they are so different. Oh well, it doesn't matter because when the parks get sold to China, they'll all OD on pixie dust and ... wait for it ... wait for it ... the lines will be shorter for the rest of us! (the above post reflects a very long day and should be used for amusement and a few fun quippy comebacks, but is intended to derail a thread that I am sure is NOT being read in Burbank ... )
Originally Posted By GOB The Economist ran a three page article last week about Chinese investment in Europe. The Chinese want to diversify from dollar assets and move into the Eurozone, and hold a little under a 1% (and increasing) stake in the FTSE market (not accounting for shares bought through third parties.) Though North America receives the least amount of Chinese direcr investment, Canada and the US each have a majority perception that Chinese expansion into the market is negative. I believe it's pretty undeniable that China will be the deciding forcd, but why would they invest their billions into Disney Parks and Resorts? Are they looking at is as potential growth? Do they think they can run the parks better (financially or otherwise?) Is it about control of the product (or brand)?
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost Take this information and put any meaning you like on it, but I have observed, since I am part of a number of other Discussion Boards, that this is the only one that has even mentioned this situation. Seem like it would be a big enough topic that it would have shown up in other places besides here. I don't know what that means, just that it is what I have seen, or in this case, not seen.
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 I haven't seen it much or talked about anywhere else including any mainstream media outlets. I think it's much ado about nothing.
