It was announced on June 13, 2017 that The Walt Disney Company now has full ownership of Disney land Paris. According to WDW News Today, "France’s laws require Disney to own more than 95% of the stock. After offering a buyout to existing shareholders that ended last week, Disney reached 97.08% ownership which will now allow them to take full ownership of the entire resort for the first time in its 25 year history. The remaining shareholders will see their shares automatically redeemed at the price of €2 each. "
Before the buyout, Disney stated that this deal “affords maximum flexibility to shareholders, addresses the group’s financial needs and reflects its ongoing support for the long-term success of Disneyland Paris”. To this end, Disney said it will support Euro Disney’s recapitalization to the tune of 1.5 billion euros. This follows a 2014 rescue plan in which Disney committed to at least 1 billion euros over 10 years.
Disneyland Paris racked up a net loss of 858 million euros (over $900 million) in 2016 after the terrorist attacks in Paris in late 2015 led to a downturn in the tourism industry across France. Additionally, the European economy hasn’t been been kind to businesses across the continent. In 2015, the company recorded a net loss of 102 million euros.
Prior: Offsite most every other years from 1972 - 2000
Most recent: Offsite 2001 & 2003 / ASM 2006 / Offsite 2009 / Poly 2011 / POR 2013 / CR 2014 / GF 2015 / DS Hotel 2017 / BC 2017 / POR 2018
Terrorism is a good reason for the economic failure of Euro Disney. Unfortunately bad news began several months after the opening of Euro Disney on April 12th 1992. As for now, in a restaurant inside the Disneyland Park, which had a good quality/price report (Walt's An American Restaurant), a cheeseburger costs 65 USD. The best restaurants in Paris won't charge you such a price. I take our own example. Because I had some medical problems beginning when arriving in the US last February, we had to postpone our 40th wedding anniversary. We will do it next October in a Normandy town called Deauville in western France. The price in a 5 stars hotel with a five stars service and a Michelin guide two stars restaurant, which means in France a very, very good restaurant, will cost us 690 € for two nights in a suite, with a bottle of champagne aand pastries in the room, and an aperitive with champagne and many things before dinner. In Disneyland Paris, for the same days in the Disneyland Hotel (the same as the Grand Floridian) in the castle club, with a very poor service and no dinner would cost 2800 €, four times what we pay in a real palace. Big prices and a lower quality are not responsible for what is happening. But they have found terrorism a good excuse when bad things began 25 years ago. Apart of this, what's going on Harvey, Irma, Jose and others in WDW ? I have seen pictures of Tortola and St Thomas where the Disney Fantasy stopped last February during our Disney Cruise East Carribean.It was not exactly the same landscape we saw from the ship. It's night (1 a.m) now in Paris, I hope to tell you more later of what is going on in Disneyland Paris.
The two-night suite with champagne sounds like a great price especially if includes the Michelin 2-star dinner. I have read stories similar to yours that the quality of Disneyland Paris has suffered and because of the service and price difference, people are travelling to other parts of France instead of to Disneyland Paris. I can only hope that with the ownership going back to TWDC, then will all change.
Also, sorry to hear about your health and hope for a safe and fast recovery!!!!
Prior: Offsite most every other years from 1972 - 2000
Most recent: Offsite 2001 & 2003 / ASM 2006 / Offsite 2009 / Poly 2011 / POR 2013 / CR 2014 / GF 2015 / DS Hotel 2017 / BC 2017 / POR 2018
The two-night suite with champagne sounds like a great price especially if includes the Michelin 2-star dinner. I have read stories similar to yours that the quality of Disneyland Paris has suffered and because of the service and price difference, people are travelling to other parts of France instead of to Disneyland Paris. I can only hope that with the ownership going back to TWDC, then will all change.
Also, sorry to hear about your health and hope for a safe and fast recovery!!!!
I hope you are right, but from what we saw last week, the actual price and service quality are not ready to change soon. Let's see and wait. Remember that although I'm living 25 minutes by subway from Disneyland Paris, we made 89 hotel stays, including 23 in the Castle Club of teh Disneyland Hotel, on Property. But this was between November 1992 and November 2001. Since that time prices are grown so high without any works of refurbishing that we decided not to come again to stay. But we go as many time as we can with our annual passports. By the way Annual Passports have dissapeared for new customers on March 29th 2017. More exactly they have been replaced by what they call Annual Pass. As for example, the Dream Passeport which permitted you to come all year long and visit the two parks and cost 225 €, is now called Infinity Pass with a price of 400 €, quite a double for the same services (the only thing they added is that theoretically you can call by phone the Annual Pas service when CM ara available !) TWDC has no interest to change the present things because they receive 10% of all revenues as royalties. So the prices must be high even if the Society suffer a loss. And they consider that annulal passholders are not good customers because they don't spen as much as new customers who come once all for all. This may change. Let's stay optimist.
Paul, I'm also sorry to hear you had health issues, hope you have a fantastic anniversary celebration in October.
Disneymike, thanks a lot for your post.
Coming back in Paris on March 1st 2017, I had to wear a catheter (?) during two months (not pleasant). Finally i was operated of an adonome of the prostate on April 28th, and left the clinic on May 5th 2017. Now things have gone back to normal. I will see my urologist at the end of next October for a control. During our stay in the All Star Sports, I had the opportunity to spend one day in an American Florida hospital in a small city called Celebration not far from WDW. My wife was surprised by the number of security guards in this hospital. As I paid with my credit card I had not to wait in the Emergency section, while people not paying were still waiting for a doctor when we left at night this hospital. As for paying, all in all including the M.D. on the Disney Fantasy, I had spent 1130 USD. I was fully refunded by my French Travel Insurance company. In France it was another story. Although on our retirement fees they deduct every month 7% for Social Security, and we have also a private health insurance contract we pay monthly, because of a March 2015 French law to limit the health spending (this means you have to wait 5 or 6 months if you want to consult a M.D. applying the official Social Security rates, but no doctor in Paris has accepted to sign agreement to this law because they say they should be forced to close their structures, unable to pay the rents), I had to spend 1000 € to my urologist surgeon and the anesthesist, after the refund of SS and health insurance company. But at least I had not to wait 5 or 7 months before being operated. As for the room and eating and nurse treatment, all was paid by my Health Insurance Company. No more money in this country to maintain financially the health system built after WWII when economics was growing. I don't know in the US how is the health care insurance and refund. But both in the Florida hospital, and in the Paris clinic, all the equipments were far new and good quality. At least, I think.
Paul glad you are doing better, I'm kind of in the same boat so to speak with money issues. last year I got on social security disability and now September 1st my wife retired, we are new to this and have no idea what the best thing to do is. We will manage, it is just the lose of income and now paying for medical. On paper we will make it, we need the money to start regular and make sure which is very stressful at this time. I also have major health issues which I try to take care of most myself. I believe if you eat the correct foods it is much better than pills and doctors. Keep up your spirit, that is the most important thing and best to you
The two-night suite with champagne sounds like a great price especially if includes the Michelin 2-star dinner. I have read stories similar to yours that the quality of Disneyland Paris has suffered and because of the service and price difference, people are travelling to other parts of France instead of to Disneyland Paris. I can only hope that with the ownership going back to TWDC, then will all change.
Also, sorry to hear about your health and hope for a safe and fast recovery!!!!
I hope you are right, but from what we saw last week, the actual price and service quality are not ready to change soon. Let's see and wait. Remember that although I'm living 25 minutes by subway from Disneyland Paris, we made 89 hotel stays, including 23 in the Castle Club of teh Disneyland Hotel, on Property. But this was between November 1992 and November 2001. Since that time prices are grown so high without any works of refurbishing that we decided not to come again to stay. But we go as many time as we can with our annual passports. By the way Annual Passports have dissapeared for new customers on March 29th 2017. More exactly they have been replaced by what they call Annual Pass. As for example, the Dream Passeport which permitted you to come all year long and visit the two parks and cost 225 €, is now called Infinity Pass with a price of 400 €, quite a double for the same services (the only thing they added is that theoretically you can call by phone the Annual Pas service when CM ara available !) TWDC has no interest to change the present things because they receive 10% of all revenues as royalties. So the prices must be high even if the Society suffer a loss. And they consider that annulal passholders are not good customers because they don't spen as much as new customers who come once all for all. This may change. Let's stay optimist.
I, like you, can only hope thinks change. We will have to wait and see.
Prior: Offsite most every other years from 1972 - 2000
Most recent: Offsite 2001 & 2003 / ASM 2006 / Offsite 2009 / Poly 2011 / POR 2013 / CR 2014 / GF 2015 / DS Hotel 2017 / BC 2017 / POR 2018