[COH#1fan]

QuickGold, on Sep 8 2009, 05:18 PM, said:

It's hard for me to fathom how Disney can cry poor with Fantasmic! and then be able to swing a $4 billion deal, regardless of how it's being paid. Don't get me wrong, I'm in favor of the deal, but if they can afford to acquire Marvel and not be in the poor house, they can afford to show Fantasmic! every night.

Because they're Disney and they can do whatever they like because they're shady like that. I still say the only good complaint to Disney is by not giving them our business.

[YoPaulie]

You're not thinking like a business. Which, of course, Disney IS a business.

Fantasmic every day is not a good return on investment. Yes, it will make a percentage of the guests happier, yes, they may turn a small profit on concessions. But, all in all, it doesn't add much to the bottom line.

Marvel, on the other hand...

Let's look ONLY at 3 recent film franchises... X-Men, Spider-Man, and Iron Man.

From boxofficemojo.com:

X-Men Worldwide Gross: $296,339,527
X-2 X-Men United Worldwide Gross: $407,711,549
X-Men 3 Worldwide Gross: $459,359,555
X-Men Origins-Wolverine Worldwide Gross:$363,388,371

Spider-Man Worldwide Gross: $821,708,551
Spider-Man 2 Worldwide Gross: $783,766,341
Spider-Man 3 Worldwide Gross: $890,871,626

Iron Man Worldwide Gross: $585,133,287

TOTAL GROSS PROFIT: $4,608,278,807

Yes, that's $4.6 BILLION in gross profit. From 8 films. Deducting the production costs of all 8 films ($1,282,000,000), that is a total profit of $3,326,278,807. $3.3 Billion. Just in box office…That doesn't include toys, apparel, video games, action figures, cereal, etc.

Only the Pirates franchise can rival that in Disney's stable... and I don't see that being too viable after a second trilogy.

To understand the deal you must think like them. Not like a fan. Marvel had those characters that people were paying to see. Now Disney has them.

[QuickGold]

I think you're missing my point Paulie. Yes, I agree Marvel is a good buy. However, on the one hand Disney cries poor and cuts Fantasmic! showings but on the other hand spends $4 billion to purchase Marvel. Which is it? Do they have money or don't they?

To me, if they can afford to buy Marvel, they can afford to put Fantasmic! on each night.

[chopsva]

I see both points. I think you need to look at where the "funding" for the two come from.
I assume FANTASMIC is funded solely from WDWParks (could even be only DHS) and the revenue (if any) is with in DHS alone.
The Marvel deal results in "free money" in the licensing fees and alike. Also, the savings for the Disney XD channel by owning the material (marvel based shows) the cost is less. Also, merch. and moveis are another $$$ stream that comes into the Disney Universe and not just one division of one group.

IMHO

[darthstich]

chopsva, on Sep 10 2009, 01:33 PM, said:

I see both points. I think you need to look at where the "funding" for the two come from.
I assume FANTASMIC is funded solely from WDWParks (could even be only DHS) and the revenue (if any) is with in DHS alone.
The Marvel deal results in "free money" in the licensing fees and alike. Also, the savings for the Disney XD channel by owning the material (marvel based shows) the cost is less. Also, merch. and moveis are another $$$ stream that comes into the Disney Universe and not just one division of one group.

IMHO

Actually your reasoning is spot on. The Walt Disney World Company is an off branch of the Walt Disney Company, so therefore has no direct access to all of the assests of there parent company, and can only access the money delegated to them.

So think of it this way, your trying to buy a new shiny red 10-speed bike and your parents give you $5 a week in allowance, so you have to stop buying candy and toys so that you can get the bike sooner, but you come home monday afternoon and find your dad randomly bought a Porche from money in a swiss bank account, but he is still only gonna give you $5 a week, and is thinking of even cutting it down to $4 to pay for his fancy new toy. So you still get to tell your friends that your riding in a Porche, your bike is not any closer to your reach and it may take even longer before you can get it, so you settle for a gray 8-Speed bike. Sure it's still a new bike that can give you part of the experience, but it's not exactly what you really wanted and your friends don't find it as cool as the red 10-Speed

(FYI if this doesn't make any sense to you it's ok, i'm half asleep as i'm writing it)

[YoPaulie]

Agree with the above.

I'm not missing your point, Matt. What I'm saying is your point has nothing to do with the deal, and everything to do with your white whale, Ahab!

[QuickGold]

I see your collective points, however, I'm sick of hearing about how WDW needs to cut back on things (like Fantasmic) when the company is out there spending $4 billion

[chopsva]

Darth, do you have some unresolved childhood issues?

[YoPaulie]

QuickGold, on Sep 11 2009, 11:53 AM, said:

I see your collective points, however, I'm sick of hearing about how WDW needs to cut back on things (like Fantasmic) when the company is out there spending $4 billion

I think your anger is misplaced, however. If I were you, I'd be railing aginst the DCA renovations, Space Mountian and TTA refit, the Stitch stage show, etc.

If anything, it's other park activities that are requiring a reduction in Fantasmic! showings.

[YoPaulie]

Put another way... think of The Disney Company as a federal government and the different aspects as states.

You're in Florida, and they are building new bridges, roads, etc. with their federal funds, but not doing a beach replenishment project that you covet.

In New Jersey, they are doing a beach replenishment project.

While both might be federally funded, it's up to your state to allocate that money. Florida chose to build the roads and bridges. New Jersey chose the beach replenishment.

DisneyParks CHOSE to shutter Fantasmic! in WDW on certain nights and spend that money elsewhere. I feel your rancor is misplaced if directed at The Disney Company. They could care less how many showings of Fantasmic! there are. That decision is made at a far lower level, at the Parks and Resorts (or lower, at DHS management) level.

[yulilin]

And here it starts: http://www.disneystore.com/marvel/c/312601...p;RRID=12614902

[ADP]

Wow! My mind is going to have to get used to this.

[QuickGold]

ADP, on Apr 14 2010, 02:03 PM, said:

Wow! My mind is going to have to get used to this.

Same here, it's just odd to see Marvel and associate it with Disney the same way I see Winnie the Pooh or Pixar.

[darthstich]

Wow. It's weird to see it for sure