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Conference koolit::disney

Title:	The Disneyphile's Disney File
Notice:	This Conference can show you The World
Moderator:	DONVAN::SCOPA.zko.dec.com::manana::eppes

Created:	Thu Feb 23 1989
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	536
Total number of notes:	19961

298.0. "DISNEY DOWNUNDER?" by GIDDAY::BOLTON () Fri Feb 07 1992 22:09

    The following is a quote from a local Australian magazine.
    
    "Brisbane is being considered as the site for the third international
    Disneyland theme park.
    If the proposal is given the go-ahead, the Brisbane Disneyland will be
    built along the same lines as the parks in France and Japan.
    Disney executives met with the Premier (read State Governor), Mr. Goss,
    and senior government members and held discussions with Queensland
    businessmen late last year, a senior government source confirms.
    Negotiations continue but no decision has been made.
    The Disney people are maintaining a low profile on this while they
    consider all of the various possibilities.
    The Disney chairman and three senior executives showed interest in a
    large block of land on Brisbane's north side as a possible site.
    Disney is interested in opening a theme park in the southern
    hemisphere, so Australia is the most likely spot, the source says. If
    they decide on Australia, then Brisbane is most certainly the spot to
    build the park. 
    South-east Queensland is already recognised as Australia's theme park
    capital, boasting popular tourist parks such as Sea World, Dreamworld
    and MGM's Movie World"
    
    Any comments?
    
    
    John

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
298.1	Just a side question...	NOVA::FEENAN	Jay Feenan, Rdb/VMS engineering	`Sun Feb 09 1992 16:55`	5
	I attended the World Expo in '88 in Brisbane, whatever did they do with the site after the Expo? -Jay
298.2	More info please ?	AKOCOA::HILL		`Sun Feb 10 1991 02:14`	23
	RE : .0 Would it be possible to get the name of the Australian magazine that the info about the proposed Brisbane park appeared in ? Don't get me wrong. I'm pretty sure your info is legit ( Why for ? Last week, Orlando's newspapers were full of stories about Disney executives in the Far East -- looking at potential sites for a new Disney park. However the story-behind-the-story here is these Disney executives are making this trip to force the Oriental Land Ltd. executives -- the Japanese consortium of businessmen who put up the dough for Tokyo Disneyland -- to reconsider their recent decision. You see, these guys recently said " No " to a Tokyo version of the studio theme park -- which pissed off Eisner & Co. Disney then threatened to find new financial partners and build the second studio theme park else. The Oriental Land execs laughed at them ... So Disney's now making good on its threat ... It'll be interesting to see how this one plays out. I know that Disney would really prefer to build the second studio right next door to Tokyo Disneyland -- taking advantage of the already-Disney-addicted crowds. But I also hear that there's been a lot of loose talk around Glendale about an Australian Disney park. Do keep us posted, okay ? ), I'd just like to know the exact source.
298.3		BREAKR::MIKKELSON	No man is a three-mile island.	`Mon Feb 10 1992 17:25`	14
	>However the story-behind-the-story here is these Disney >executives are making this trip to force the Oriental Land Ltd. >executives -- the Japanese consortium of businessmen who put up the >dough for Tokyo Disneyland -- to reconsider their recent decision. >You see, these guys recently said " No " to a Tokyo version of the >studio theme park -- which pissed off Eisner & Co. Disney then >threatened to find new financial partners and build the second studio >theme park else. The Oriental Land execs laughed at them ... So >Disney's now making good on its threat If the Japanese businessmen referred to don't want the studio theme park built in Tokyo, in what way is building it Australia a "threat" to them?
298.4	Deep background on Disney's current war with the Japanese	AKOCOA::HILL		`Tue Feb 11 1992 02:56`	42
	RE : - 1 Ooops. You're gonna need more info to understand the threat involved here. You see, when the BE ( Before Eisner ) Disney management team cut the original deal for Tokyo Disneyland, they weren't entirely sure than a Disney theme park would work overseas. So they kept the company's financial involvement with the project at a minimum -- literally franchising the right to build a Disney park in Tokyo to the Oriental Land Ltd. business consortium with the promise that Walt Disney Productions would recieved 10 % of all revenues. Well -- as it turned out -- Tokyo Disneyland is the most popular of all the Disney parks anywhere in the world. And -- by just settling for 10 % of the gate -- the Walt Disney Company lost billions ! Okay -- now it's 10 years later -- and the Oriental Land Ltd. group is eager to expand its relationship with the Disney Company. Likewise, Eisner and Co. are anxious to build on the success of WDW's studio theme park by building a second version of the park right next door to Tokyo Disneyland. Oriental Land Ltd. likes the idea, but there's a catch : If they're to build a Tokyo version of the studio theme park, they want the same terms they got on the Tokyo Disneyland deal. Eisner and his team -- who had really been thinking along the lines of a 50 / 50 split this time -- balked. So the Oriental Land Ltd. group -- confident that Eisner would eventually come around to their way of thinking -- walked away from the bargaining table. Eisner -- furious at the Japanese businessmen's behavior -- sent the Oriental Land Ltd. Company a $ 1 million plus bill for the cost of developing plans for a Tokyo studio theme park. He then threatened to seek out new financial partners and build the park elsewhere in the Orient ... That's where things stand now. Disney's playing hardball -- sending very obvious teams of executives around the Pacific Rim to visit potential construction sites for a new Disney park -- with the hope that the Oriental Land Ltd. will see that Eisner's threat was serious. Disney then hopes that -- faced with the very real possiblity of losing out on a potential goldmine like a Tokyo version of the studio theme park -- the Oriental Land Ltd. Company will call Eisner and his team back to the table and offer the Disney Company much better terms. Does that explanation make clear where the threat is now ?
298.5	Didn't Sony once claim to want to a theme park?	TOHOKU::TAYLOR		`Tue Feb 11 1992 19:22`	5
	re: Disney's playing hardball -- sending very obvious teams of executives The counter ploy would be for Oriental Land Ltd. to invite a Universe Studios team over to Tokyo. Bush is trying to break into the Japan beer market, maybe a Bush Gardens?
298.6		BREAKR::MIKKELSON	No man is a three-mile island.	`Thu Feb 13 1992 16:44`	15
	> Does that explanation make clear where the threat is now ? Yes, it does. I wonder if they'd actually go through with building a studio theme park in a completely separate area, though. I wouldn't travel to Florida to visit any single one of the Disney World parks; the synergy of their all being in one place is what it makes it worthwhile. (Of course, I would probably still go to the Magic Kingdom if there weren't already a Disneyland in California, so it's not quite the same thing. And, of course, the USA is a rather large country, but Japan and Australia are none too close, either.) - David
298.7		HOBBLE::SWEATT		`Fri Apr 10 1992 02:57`	11
	I can't see how Australia has the population to support a Disneyland style park. America has something like 280 million people In Europe, they say there are 310 million people within 2 hours. Japan has a population of around 200 million Australia has a population around 15 million. Personally I can't see flying half way around the world to see the park. I don't think anybody else will either.