Walt Disney Co. Acquiring Marvel

MW1218 · Post by **MW1218** » Aug Mon 31, 2009 8:20 am

According to the source, Disney will be acquiring Marvel and 5,000 characters for $4 billion.

http://www.cfnews13.com/Business/LocalB ... id=twitter

Will be interesting to see what this means for Superhero Island at IOA, along with the rights to attractions like Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk!

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Aug Mon 31, 2009 8:34 am

Will this take Stan Lee out of the picture? (Yes that was a pun sort of. +;> ) I also wonder how this will affect Universal? It seems they have a lot invested in Marvel attractions. May be Disney can just bring over Spiderman (I love that ride!! PLEASE don't add the Fav Five!!) and the Hulk to WDW!!

MW1218 · Post by **MW1218** » Aug Mon 31, 2009 8:39 am

I think this is a pretty shrewd, if not cutthroat move. In movies, with Iron Man 2, the Fantastic Four reboot, and the entire Avengers series coming together, Disney can make a ton of this investment right back. Also, it still remains to be seen what this is going to do to Islands of Adventure. It could be a pretty big hit to Universal, and a preemptive attack to the Harry Potter-themed land at IOA. Will be interesting to watch.

Post by **Dr. Ravenscroft** » Aug Mon 31, 2009 11:44 am

MW1218 wrote:I think this is a pretty shrewd, if not cutthroat move. In movies, with Iron Man 2, the Fantastic Four reboot, and the entire Avengers series coming together, Disney can make a ton of this investment right back. Also, it still remains to be seen what this is going to do to Islands of Adventure. It could be a pretty big hit to Universal, and a preemptive attack to the Harry Potter-themed land at IOA. Will be interesting to watch.

Actually I think that Disney might just license many of these to Universal to use in IOA and other Universal Parks. I bet that was in the agreement, otherwise Universal would almost certainly close all the parks because there would be nothing in them. As for the movies, if they have already been created or close to completion they may also be licensed. This most likely will move the new movies that haven't been created or written yet to the Disney Studios.

This will, IMHO, be a great addition to the company, but may be bad for the parks. I said MAY not will. I have to think about it more before I can finish that.

agingerbugg · Post by **agingerbugg** » Aug Mon 31, 2009 12:19 pm

Dr. Ravenscroft wrote: Actually I think that Disney might just license many of these to Universal to use in IOA and other Universal Parks. I bet that was in the agreement, otherwise Universal would almost certainly close all the parks because there would be nothing in them.

I agree, it is better for everyone. Universal can keep its parks open and Disney, indirectly, makes money off of Islands of Adventure its biggest competitor.

MmeLeota · Post by **MmeLeota** » Aug Mon 31, 2009 1:24 pm

Actually I think that Disney might just license many of these to Universal to use in IOA and other Universal Parks. I bet that was in the agreement, otherwise Universal would almost certainly close all the parks because there would be nothing in them

I hope so. The last thing I want to see when walking around the park is Spiderman and friends and their rides. I don't have anything against them, but the characters are so much different than the "classic" Disney characters/rides.
Although DH and I were joking this morning that comic readers will start seeing Disney characters in the books...Fantastic Four becomes Fantastic Five with the addition of Mickey...Goofy is the new member of X-men...and so on

MW1218 · Post by **MW1218** » Aug Mon 31, 2009 2:24 pm

Dr. Ravenscroft wrote: I bet that was in the agreement, otherwise Universal would almost certainly close all the parks because there would be nothing in them.

Not true at all. Superhero Island makes up just one land at Islands of Adventure, and of the four attractions there (Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk coaster, Dr. Doom's Fearfall, X-Men's Accelatron), only Spidey isn't a dressed-up generic ride. The land could be rebranded with relative ease if Disney decided to pull the agreement, and the only ride that might have trouble finding a new theme would be Spider-Man.

Mr.ToadWildRider · Post by **Mr.ToadWildRider** » Aug Mon 31, 2009 3:28 pm

MW1218 wrote:
Dr. Ravenscroft wrote: I bet that was in the agreement, otherwise Universal would almost certainly close all the parks because there would be nothing in them.
Not true at all. Superhero Island makes up just one land at Islands of Adventure, and of the four attractions there (Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk coaster, Dr. Doom's Fearfall, X-Men's Accelatron), only Spidey isn't a dressed-up generic ride. The land could be rebranded with relative ease if Disney decided to pull the agreement, and the only ride that might have trouble finding a new theme would be Spider-Man.

I agree entirely. There's not much Marvel in Universal other than Marvel Island at IOA and merchandise at the various UO generic stores. Even still the Hulk really has nothing to do w/ the actual Incredible Hulk other than it's a green and purple rollercoaster and the rather silly video loop in the queue. Oh and I guess Bruce Banner saying "Hey it's working! Wait no it's not!" or whatever at the start of the coaster.

Same w/ Doom and Stormforce. The only thing that would really be affected in Spiderman and the (albeit costly) theming of the land and queues.

I would not believe Disney has the ability to tell Universal they can't run Spiderman anymore. The same is true for DHS when the MGM contract ended; any MGM owned properties did not suddenly become off-limits to Disney. It's a little different here where you have a direct competitor owning the properties, but I can't imagine it means all that much for UO.

Even IF Disney did manage to shut down Marvel Island, it would not close down all of UO. Maybe you're thinking of Six Flags/DC partnership? Where every coaster is basically named Superman or Batman? Even in that case, it is again an example of the aforementioned Hulk issue on a smaller scale where it's just a coaster w/ a comic book inspired name; just slap a new entrance name on the front of the queue, remove any comic related signage, re-print all maps to reflect the change and presto you've solved your problem.

Personally, the shrewd thing to do is probally just to collect all those tasty merchandising sales of Spider-Man action figures and t-shirts at Disney's biggest rival in Orlando. It's like the mob; you may have competition but you still get your cut.

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Aug Mon 31, 2009 3:34 pm

Mr.ToadWildRider wrote:
MW1218 wrote:
Dr. Ravenscroft wrote: I bet that was in the agreement, otherwise Universal would almost certainly close all the parks because there would be nothing in them.
Not true at all. Superhero Island makes up just one land at Islands of Adventure, and of the four attractions there (Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk coaster, Dr. Doom's Fearfall, X-Men's Accelatron), only Spidey isn't a dressed-up generic ride. The land could be rebranded with relative ease if Disney decided to pull the agreement, and the only ride that might have trouble finding a new theme would be Spider-Man.
I agree entirely. There's not much Marvel in Universal other than Marvel Island at IOA and merchandise at the various UO generic stores. Even still the Hulk really has nothing to do w/ the actual Incredible Hulk other than it's a green and purple rollercoaster and the rather silly video loop in the queue. Oh and I guess Bruce Banner saying "Hey it's working! Wait no it's not!" or whatever at the start of the coaster.

Same w/ Doom and Stormforce. The only thing that would really be affected in Spiderman and the (albeit costly) theming of the land and queues.

I would not believe Disney has the ability to tell Universal they can't run Spiderman anymore. The same is true for DHS when the MGM contract ended; any MGM owned properties did not suddenly become off-limits to Disney. It's a little different here where you have a direct competitor owning the properties, but I can't imagine it means all that much for UO.

Even IF Disney did manage to shut down Marvel Island, it would not close down all of UO. Maybe you're thinking of Six Flags/DC partnership? Where every coaster is basically named Superman or Batman? Even in that case, it is again an example of the aforementioned Hulk issue on a smaller scale where it's just a coaster w/ a comic book inspired name; just slap a new entrance name on the front of the queue, remove any comic related signage, re-print all maps to reflect the change and presto you've solved your problem.

Personally, the shrewd thing to do is probally just to collect all those tasty merchandising sales of Spider-Man action figures and t-shirts at Disney's biggest rival in Orlando. It's like the mob; you may have competition but you still get your cut.

I agree with you totally and got a real good giggle when you said "It's like the mob; you may have competition but you still get your cut." That's a great line!! I got this image of the Fav Five in three piece suits and fedoras!! ROFLMAO!!!

Future Guy · Post by **Future Guy** » Aug Mon 31, 2009 4:33 pm

Y'know, they keep talking about these "5,000 characters" that Disney will gain the rights to, but can anyone think of more than about 5 Marvel characters that anyone outside the comics community cares about? I seriously doubt that anyone is rubbing their hands together and saying "Wow, I can't wait to see what they do with Cable and Howard the Duck!" And no one really wants to see a show called "Ant-Man and The Wasp's Domestic Violence Adventure"

DAR · Post by **DAR** » Aug Mon 31, 2009 5:20 pm

I'm looking for to sitting on the Mark Twain while strolling down the Rivers of Captain America

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Aug Mon 31, 2009 5:29 pm

I liked Howard the Duck!!! Lookout Howard, Get out of there, DUCK...AND PROUD OF IT!!!

That kills me!!!

Come-on DISNEY could do a whole gift shop on the Invisible Man. Real money, invisible merchandise! Really, how many of you bought that invisible dog thing?

I do have a question for DISNEY. How much of a lost are they going to put on the books for this one? Two or three BILLION? Y'all know that DISNEY is going to put this down as a lost and have to raise prices again! The ghost of EISNER lives!!!!!!

I just found this one and was wondering if this is also part of the DISNEY deal. READ ON:

Mark Gruenwald

When longtime comic book writer and editor Mark Gruenwald died in 1996, fans of the Marvel Comics icon probably thought they'd seen the last of the former Captain America writer.

Gruenwald had other ideas, though. He requested that his ashes be mixed into the ink used to print the first trade paperback anthology of Squadron Supreme, another one of his landmark creations.

MmeLeota · Post by **MmeLeota** » Aug Mon 31, 2009 6:46 pm

DAR wrote:I'm looking for to sitting on the Mark Twain while strolling down the Rivers of Captain America

rotfl!!!!!

You know that tinkerbell ride they've been talking about? Really, the plans are for a Howard the Duck 3D dark ride....Howard and Donald battle it out (like Donald and Daffy did in Who Framed Roger Rabbit) all the while, guests have to "duck" the effects happening in the ride...there would be t-shirts for sale in the gift shop that have either "Team Donald" or "Team Howard" on them

...let's hope this never happens (though it might make a funny TV special)

Post by **Len90** » Aug Mon 31, 2009 11:26 pm

Hopefully Disney will not incorporate the Marvel characters into the park. I see this as a very smart move. Disney is able to use this to gain an edge on the competition since they now make money off of their main competitor. I am just hoping that Disney remains smart with this and not market Marvel merchandise in the parks. I just can't see myself buying superman Mickey and Spider Goofy. Let Universal have the Marvel characters and let Disney keep itself the way it is.

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » Sep Tue 01, 2009 8:16 am

Len90 wrote:Hopefully Disney will not incorporate the Marvel characters into the park.

Now you understand how I feel about Pixar!