So has the Death Knell Sounded for Euro Disney? (http://www.thisisbristol.com/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=127638&command=displayContent&sourceNode=127637&contentPK=8280592) - Western Daily Press, 12/27/03

QuikQuote: French financiers are holding a gun to Disney's head over its Paris theme park saying: "Give us the money or the mouse gets it!" The word is that Disneyland in Marne La Vallee could be shut by spring and Mickey Mouse and his pals will be exterminated.
People cannot believe that the magic may run out, but the stark reality is that the park faces bankruptcy.

Deja vu anyone ?

Something is definitely wrong about the way they are running the place if they can't make a go of the enterprise that is the biggest tourist attraction in Europe.

But, frankly, if they can't figure out why building the crappiest theme park in the world next to Euro's biggest tourist attraction park did not bring in more people, then they deserve to go out of business.

For a Disneyland in a metropolitan area, the solution is not tourists ... it's attracting locals. And that means adding new attractions more often than once a decade, and building new theme parks that do not drive people away in disgust.

They may be incredibly reluctant to expend the money it would take to make the Resort attractive to customers, but that's the only way out of the hole they've dug for themselves.

I think the main problem is,if you live somewhere like the UK it makes far more sense to visit Orlando for 2 weeks,than it is to visit Paris for a few days.Plus global warming doesn't help,where more family's are spending there Summer hols at home.

But I don't think Disneyland Paris would ever close,like someone else said in the article,the French would never allow it.And if Eisner wishes to keep hold of his job the clossing of its Paris Resort would reflect badly on him.Especially now with Roy Disney's campaign to rid the Disney company of its evil Chairman.

I think in addition to Eisner's tarnishing reputation, closing The Euro Disney Resort might make the backers of The Hong Kong Disney Resort concerned over their investment.

I think they are probably already worried, since HK DL is shaping up to take the crappiest Disney park award away from the DLP Studio Park.

Perhaps after HongKong opens, following in the trail of cut-rate garbage pioneered by DCA and the Studio Park, they will figure after three strikes that bad parks do bad business.

I'd hate to see DLP shuttered, if it weren't for all the nostalgia and sentimentality I feel for the original, it would definately be my favorite park - though WDS has been the worst I've seen.

It seems so odd the wierd economics at work where folks in England will go to WDW while people like me in SoCal will DLP the cheeper alternative. If the dollar stops sinking against the Euro, maybe they should try marketing out here?

Couldn't they shutter the crappy ad-on park and keep Disneyland Paris?

I cant believe this. This is how bad Eisner is running the company that they would have to shut down a resort with a beautiful theme park pullin in over 12 million guests a year. Disneys studios paris is the most terrible, baddly thought out park, and thats what killed this place. It costed a ton of $, and only gets 2.8 million guests a year. I believe the same person who designed dca, or ran it or something, designed this place (correct me if im wrong) and he left some huge bullet wounds in the parks right next door.

Originally posted by Cadaverous Pallor
Couldn't they shutter the crappy ad-on park and keep Disneyland Paris?
Probably not.

Although not operating Walt Disney Studios might save some money, the main attraction, EDL, is still not drawing in enough people. Euro Disneyland had 10 million guests this past year, the same as it's opening year when the attendance was considered low. Also, one of the conditions in the original contract for creation and operation of Euro Disneyland in France is that the Euro Disney Resort have 3 operating theme parks by 2017.

This is very similar to what happened 10 years ago when rumors were popping up in the press that Euro Disneyland might shut down due to massive financial loses ( over $1 billion in less than 2 years ). I doubt the resort will actually close. Eventually a resolution will come up.

I love DLP - it is one of the best parks but there are two big problems - one is where it is situated - I still maintain it was a huge mistake not to place it in sunny, hot Spain but instead in the North of cold, wet France - I really beleive that makes a difference to the way people feel about going there.

The second point has already been made - I'd pop over there more often from the UK if they added new rides, but this never seems to happen.

:cool: Hello
I agree with you the weather is not always fine in Paris. I live in southern France where the weather is much much more warmer and sunny.
But look at Tokyo Disneyland. I visited Japan a couple of times, and the weather there is NOT the same as in Florida or California, winters are cold, spring rainy, hot and humid summer whith grey sky, and autumn, maybe the best season. It would have been better to build TDL in Okinawa, I know, but they opted for Tokyo, because it was just the *right* place, and TDL is still one of the most popular Disney park.

It's the same in Europe. If you have a look at a western Europe map, you'll see that Paris is in the center, "close" to every European Union countries. On top of that France remains the number 1 tourism destination in Europe.
Barcelona (Spain) and Paris (France) are at same distance from my home, but I think Paris was the best choice.
Regards.

Yes - year-round good weather is one thing, but proximity to major urban populations and existing mega tourist destinations is a much greater consideration in achieving attendance goals. You can't do much better in either category than to build within commuting distance of Paris.

You also can't do much better than already being Europe's Number One Tourist Attraction. So, what in heck is going on? I don't care if attendance figures are not what they'd like; if you can't make a profit on the best attended attraction on the continent, then the key to profitability is with streamlining operating costs.

The tourist base is beyond the company's control and there is little the company can do to boost tourist attendance. They can, however, have an influence on the all-imporant repeat local attendance - - but that would require ongoing capital expenditures of a lavish nature. Ya gotta spend money to make money, ya know.

To my point of view DLP cannot shut down, too many people are working there, and despite lower attendance this past year, DLP became Europe number 1 tourism destination. It's one thing french government just can't let down.

And there are some good news : this winter has been better than past two ones, parks attendance and hotels booking. Some people even reported they waited more than 90 minutes to ride Big Thunder Mountain or Space Mountain last Christmas holidays, wich is very very unusual. In fact, to summarize :

Crowds are BACK to Disneyland Resort Paris.

:p