Posted
The Walt Disney Company is considering buying out the loss-making Disneyland Paris theme park complex. Disney currently owns 39.8pc of the French business, which opened in 1992 and comprises two theme parks as well as seven on-site hotels. Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed holds a 10pc stake and the remainder is floated on the Paris Euronext exchange.
Read more from The Telegraph.
But will the Prince still get a Super Duper Secret Fastpass whenever he wants? Doubt it. Maybe they'll build a nice meet & greet for him.
I'm gonna go ahead and call it right now. As soon as they buy back the rest of the interest in the resort, DVC will be coming. That and DCL are the two main profit drivers in the P&R division, and the executive team in Orlando (who are also now over Paris) won't hesitate to try and bring profits across the pond with DVC. It may not be the success they hope for compared to how things have gone state-side, but I have no doubt that will be their first attempt at bringing serious profit/cash flow to that resort.
Original BlueStreak64
Disney Vacation Club, a.k.a. timeshares. It has been a big profit driver for the Parks & Resorts division. The numbers I've heard thrown around for Bay Lake Tower were almost 50% pure profit (maybe more), and that was at the point price when it first opened. If you go by the current point prices, the Grand Floridian DVC addition may have an even higher percentage when they sell that out. And a DVC addition to the Polynesian is going to come before very long as well.
DVC inside EPCOT is a very real possibility, and plans and artwork exist (have not personally seen it, though). That and the Cruise Line with the two new ships have been driving profits in the P&R division, although the revamped DCA has been contributing as well now.
Original BlueStreak64
It's not that DVC and the cruise line are driving profit, per se, it's that they're the biggest source of growth. Public companies are obsessed with growth.
Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
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