Marvel Characters In Disney Parks

[Amy]

I have noticed that Universal seems to have backed off including very many Marvel characters in their tv ads for this year...

[MadEye]

I have noticed that Universal seems to have backed off including very many Marvel characters in their tv ads for this year...

From TV, sure. They've got Harry Potter, Shrek and soon Despicable Me to use to get the kids interested. But they'll be using Marvel for a while. The M&G Marvel characters did get updated costumes and the vehicles most of the hero's use (if you remember those commercials showing them on the ATVs) not too long ago. And the Spider-Man ride just got a huge update (HD better looking projections, new soundtrack, new movements for the ride vehicle (which, ironically, was created by Disney Imagineers but were hired after Disney fired them), etc. Why pay money for something you are planning on getting rid of in the not too distant future? Sooner or later I can see them changing the Marvel island but not for a while.

[Amy]

I have noticed that Universal seems to have backed off including very many Marvel characters in their tv ads for this year...

From TV, sure. They've got Harry Potter, Shrek and soon Despicable Me to use to get the kids interested. But they'll be using Marvel for a while. The M&G Marvel characters did get updated costumes and the vehicles most of the hero's use (if you remember those commercials showing them on the ATVs) not too long ago. And the Spider-Man ride just got a huge update (HD better looking projections, new soundtrack, new movements for the ride vehicle (which, ironically, was created by Disney Imagineers but were hired after Disney fired them), etc. Why pay money for something you are planning on getting rid of in the not too distant future? Sooner or later I can see them changing the Marvel island but not for a while.

I just remember last summer it was all about Spiderman. I wonder if they can re-do the Spiderman ride with new theming if they want to ditch the ties to Marvel sooner rather than later?

[MadEye]

From TV, sure. They've got Harry Potter, Shrek and soon Despicable Me to use to get the kids interested. But they'll be using Marvel for a while. The M&G Marvel characters did get updated costumes and the vehicles most of the hero's use (if you remember those commercials showing them on the ATVs) not too long ago. And the Spider-Man ride just got a huge update (HD better looking projections, new soundtrack, new movements for the ride vehicle (which, ironically, was created by Disney Imagineers but were hired after Disney fired them), etc. Why pay money for something you are planning on getting rid of in the not too distant future? Sooner or later I can see them changing the Marvel island but not for a while.

I just remember last summer it was all about Spiderman. I wonder if they can re-do the Spiderman ride with new theming if they want to ditch the ties to Marvel sooner rather than later?

They sure can. Technically, they replaced all the projections in Spider-Man with a newer, updated version. It's the same animation but completely updated. It stands to reason that they can completely redo the whole theme. I might be wrong, but they might be able to even redo the track. Of course, with the way those vehicles move, it might not be neede.

[Wizzard419]

I wonder if, since I don't go to universal, the other reason for removal/phase out of Marvel isn't just because of rights but rather that they simply don't want to promote the competition in a meaningful way, let alone give them money in the form of merch sales.

[mindflipper]

I wonder if, since I don't go to universal, the other reason for removal/phase out of Marvel isn't just because of rights but rather that they simply don't want to promote the competition in a meaningful way, let alone give them money in the form of merch sales.

Then again, they have Harry Potter, and that's Warner Brothers, not Universal. They got a deal with Warner Brothers just like they had with Marvel. They also have deals to use Popeye, Bullwinkle, and other cartoon/comic characters found at IoA. And given the Avengers is about to come out, I'm sure that will cause a boost - albeit brief - in Marvel merch sales.

[Wizzard419]

WB only owns the rights to the films themselves and, more importantly, WB doesn't have a park. Universal does spend more money on licensing than Disney probably does since there are only a few rides I can think of where money leaves the company for the simple reason that the ride exists.

It is a little different when your competition is literally just down the way from you.

[Amy]

WB only owns the rights to the films themselves and, more importantly, WB doesn't have a park. Universal does spend more money on licensing than Disney probably does since there are only a few rides I can think of where money leaves the company for the simple reason that the ride exists.

It is a little different when your competition is literally just down the way from you.

WB does have a park...but it is in Australia so yeah, a little different than Universal Orlando and WDW being so close...

[mindflipper]

WB only owns the rights to the films themselves and, more importantly, WB doesn't have a park. Universal does spend more money on licensing than Disney probably does since there are only a few rides I can think of where money leaves the company for the simple reason that the ride exists.

It is a little different when your competition is literally just down the way from you.

Yeh, that's what WB gets for selling off Six Flags way back when...

[Wizzard419]

One can hardly call the Six Flags corp's parks theme parks, they go more for thrill parks. WB didn't seem to want to get into the fray though, considering it built it's WB parks outside the country.

[momeja]

I think it's an unholy alliance, and I don't like it at all.

[darthblixt]

DIsney can make it work. Star wars isn't Disney and neither is Indy but they re among the staples at Disneyland. Maybe Innovations could be turned into The "Stark Expo" from iron man. Theres lots of ways to make marvel work in the parks

[darthblixt]

In thor he says something along the lines of magic and science are the same where he comes from. A concept that could easily fit into the world of disney