Possible big trouble for Universal - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
PassPorter.com
Award-winning travel guidebooks

   guidebooks   |   news   |   podcasts   |   boards   |   blog   |   worksheets   |   photos   |   articles   |   updates   |   register   |   follow us on


Forums Closed
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.

So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.

Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.

And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.

We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm​. You made it all happen.

There are other changes as well.

Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:

We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.

It's time to move on and move forward.

PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.

But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.

So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.

And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.

That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!

If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.

So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!

Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!

Go Back   PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums > PassPorter's Florida Destinations Beyond Walt Disney World > Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure
Register


Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.

To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.

If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 08-31-2009, 10:12 AM   #1
jhoshowski
Community Rank: Navigator
 
jhoshowski's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Woodhaven, MI
Posts: 6,101

Post Thanks / Like
Possible big trouble for Universal

Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion

Walt Disney Co. will purchase the comic book company behind X-Men and Spider-Man, pending shareholder approval.

Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion - Aug. 31, 2009

I have to imagine that they would not allow Universal to use the Marvel characters if this sale goes through!
__________________



Jennifer
My Countdown Counting down to: Remembering LizardCop
I'm on my way!
My Previous Trips1977 to 1990 - Multiple WDW trips; 1980 - Disneyland; 6/95 - WDW, All Star Music; 3/00 - WDW, Fort Wilderness; 4/02 - WDW, Fort Wilderness; 5/04 - WDW, offsite; 12/05 - WDW, offsite; 9/07 - WDW, Port Orleans French Quarter; 8/08 - WDW, Beach Club; 11/09 - DCL, Disney Wonder, 8/13 - Disneyland, Grand Californian
jhoshowski is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 08-31-2009, 10:26 AM   #2
scottjs
Community Rank: Explorer
 
scottjs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: san francisco
Posts: 13,151

Post Thanks / Like
Its gonna be interesting to see what happens.
scottjs is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 08-31-2009, 10:52 AM   #3
Shell_of_the_South
Yeti Chaser
 
Shell_of_the_South's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Way down south
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 20,411

Post Thanks / Like
I would say that the rights to use the Marvel characters is already in place, so I don't know if a new owner could come and undo it. I think Universal Hollywood removed the Marvel name from their park a year or so ago.
__________________
http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=56033&d=1459510965Michelle - with my step sisters!
My Countdown Counting down to: Going to be a kid again
My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous Trips9/00 - ASM, 11/01 - AS Sp/OKW, 7/02 - RPH, 4/03 - HRH, 7/03 - HRH, 10/04 - PC, 10/05 - POR, 5/06 - HRH, 12/06 - AKL, 4/07 - WL/CBR, 9/07 - POR, 4/08 - USF offsite, 7/09 - AKL, 9/11 - AKL, 8/12 - Cont., 12/13 - WL, 9/14- WL, 12/15 - Poly, 5/16 - AKL, 8/16 - WL, 11/16 - POFQ, 4/17 - Cont., 5/17 - WL, 6/17 - AKL
Shell_of_the_South is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 08-31-2009, 11:02 AM   #4
Griffin
Community Rank: Explorer
 
Griffin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: New England
Posts: 8,155

Post Thanks / Like
I just read this as well. This is a huge huge story to me. I'm not sure about Universal, did they get the rights for life or just a certain amount of years? This is going to be big for Disney. Movies, Comics, Theme parks...yowsa!
__________________
My Previous TripsBeen going to WDW since 2000
Griffin is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 08-31-2009, 11:45 AM   #5
srsatkowiak
Community Rank: Adventurer
 
srsatkowiak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Waterford, MI
Posts: 993

Post Thanks / Like
They are also talking about it here: http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...ml#post2935056
__________________


~ Stephanie
My Countdown Counting down to: End of Summer Fun
Yay we are here!!
My Previous TripsWDW NOV 2016, WDW APR 2015, DL OCT 2013, WDW DEC 2012, WDW OCT 2011 MVMCP NOV 2009, DCL NOV 2009, WDW Sep 2009, WDW Sept 2008, WDW Feb 2006, WDW Dec 1999, WDW 1998, WDW 1996, WDW 1986
srsatkowiak is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 08-31-2009, 03:52 PM   #6
Shell_of_the_South
Yeti Chaser
 
Shell_of_the_South's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Way down south
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 20,411

Post Thanks / Like
According to this article by The Orlando Sentinel, Universal has a perpetual contract for the Marvel characters for as long as the attractions are in operation:

Disney acquiring Marvel Entertainment Inc. -- OrlandoSentinel.com

Quote:
According to Universal's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Universal Orlando retains American rights east of the Mississippi River for as long as its attractions are in operation.
I think the attractions are ok for now!
__________________
http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=56033&d=1459510965Michelle - with my step sisters!
My Countdown Counting down to: Going to be a kid again
My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous Trips9/00 - ASM, 11/01 - AS Sp/OKW, 7/02 - RPH, 4/03 - HRH, 7/03 - HRH, 10/04 - PC, 10/05 - POR, 5/06 - HRH, 12/06 - AKL, 4/07 - WL/CBR, 9/07 - POR, 4/08 - USF offsite, 7/09 - AKL, 9/11 - AKL, 8/12 - Cont., 12/13 - WL, 9/14- WL, 12/15 - Poly, 5/16 - AKL, 8/16 - WL, 11/16 - POFQ, 4/17 - Cont., 5/17 - WL, 6/17 - AKL
Shell_of_the_South is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 08-31-2009, 05:55 PM   #7
wvugrrrl
Community Rank: Scout
 
wvugrrrl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Exported from Morgantown, WV to Shreveport, LA
Posts: 4,104

Post Thanks / Like
I read an article on Jim Hill today that broke down the acquisition and compared it to Disney acquiring the Muppets. It's been in the past few years that Disney's really stepped up with using Muppet merchandise (the Kermit "It's Easy Being Green" Recycling shirts keep popping in my head) in their stores, and that's basically because the rights/ties that other companies had on the Muppets FINALLY expired. So essentially it could be 10-15 years before we start truly seeing Marvel stuff at WDW. And no one seems to know how long Universal's got ties to Marvel in their theme parks, but personally, IMHO, if they were smart, they'd let Disney take over the characters, and they'd continue re-theming that section of IOA with more Harry Potter.

This article also stated that deals with movie studios for rights to certain characters/movies will stay with those studios until those rights expire. Therefore, Spidey will stay with Sony pictures, Iron Man will continue being made by Marvel Studios/Paramount, etc. at least until those projects either get made to completion (ie if they're contracted for 10 Iron Man movies, then all 10 will get made/distributed by those companies), or their options expire (a lot of story's "rights" get acquired by studios who think they might have a good story on their hands, but then sit on a shelf because other "more interesting" stories get made into films first).

Now, another article that I read (and of course, have lost the link for in my History folder) stated that Universal let their option expire for actually HAVING physical characters in their parks. So, we might very well start seeing Spiderman, the X-Men, Iron Man, etc walking around Disney Parks very soon.

Either way, as a Disney stockholder, I'm very excited about this acquisition. Marvel stocks, while not crazy fantastic, certainly do much better than Disney, so I'm not complaining about the bottom line!
__________________

My Previous TripsWDW 1986 off-property), WDW April 1994 (Contemporary), WDW 1996 (off-property), WDW March 2004 (POP), WDW October 2004 (POP), WDW March 2005(POP), WDW August 2006 (POP), WDW March 2007 (POP), WDW August 2008 (off-property), WDW December 2008 (AKLV & BWV), WDW June 2009 (SSR), WDW Oct. 2009 (BLT & OKW), WDW Dec. 2009 (OKW & SSR)

Last edited by wvugrrrl; 08-31-2009 at 05:58 PM..
wvugrrrl is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 08-31-2009, 06:48 PM   #8
Shell_of_the_South
Yeti Chaser
 
Shell_of_the_South's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Way down south
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 20,411

Post Thanks / Like
Quote:
Originally Posted by wvugrrrl View Post
Now, another article that I read (and of course, have lost the link for in my History folder) stated that Universal let their option expire for actually HAVING physical characters in their parks. So, we might very well start seeing Spiderman, the X-Men, Iron Man, etc walking around Disney Parks very soon.
As far as I know, the characters still appear at Universal Orlando. The contract is up for Universal Hollywood. We've had photos with the characters fairly recently, and Universal still offers the character breakfast with Spidey I think.

The contract for using Marvel characters in the attractions is perpetual, so as long as the attractions are in existance, they can keep the Marvel characters.
__________________
http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=56033&d=1459510965Michelle - with my step sisters!
My Countdown Counting down to: Going to be a kid again
My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous Trips9/00 - ASM, 11/01 - AS Sp/OKW, 7/02 - RPH, 4/03 - HRH, 7/03 - HRH, 10/04 - PC, 10/05 - POR, 5/06 - HRH, 12/06 - AKL, 4/07 - WL/CBR, 9/07 - POR, 4/08 - USF offsite, 7/09 - AKL, 9/11 - AKL, 8/12 - Cont., 12/13 - WL, 9/14- WL, 12/15 - Poly, 5/16 - AKL, 8/16 - WL, 11/16 - POFQ, 4/17 - Cont., 5/17 - WL, 6/17 - AKL
Shell_of_the_South is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 08-31-2009, 07:42 PM   #9
wvugrrrl
Community Rank: Scout
 
wvugrrrl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Exported from Morgantown, WV to Shreveport, LA
Posts: 4,104

Post Thanks / Like
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shell_of_the_South View Post
As far as I know, the characters still appear at Universal Orlando. The contract is up for Universal Hollywood. We've had photos with the characters fairly recently, and Universal still offers the character breakfast with Spidey I think.
You are CORRECT! I forgot to throw in that little bone - I wish I could find that article - it did specify that DL would probably see the characters before WDW.
__________________

My Previous TripsWDW 1986 off-property), WDW April 1994 (Contemporary), WDW 1996 (off-property), WDW March 2004 (POP), WDW October 2004 (POP), WDW March 2005(POP), WDW August 2006 (POP), WDW March 2007 (POP), WDW August 2008 (off-property), WDW December 2008 (AKLV & BWV), WDW June 2009 (SSR), WDW Oct. 2009 (BLT & OKW), WDW Dec. 2009 (OKW & SSR)
wvugrrrl is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 09-01-2009, 02:23 AM   #10
chezp
PassPorter Message Board Manager
PassPorter Guide Author

Community Rank:
Legend VIP
 
chezp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Maidstone, Kent, UK
Concierge Level: 3
Posts: 190,285

Post Thanks / Like
DH mentioned this to me last night and we straightaway thought of Universal, but I figured they'd have contracts in place. Be interesting though when they're due for renewal.
__________________

Relaxing on board the Magic. The trip report for our back-to-back cruises on the Disney Magic has started!
My Countdown Counting down to: 2019
Happy New Year!
My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous Trips21 trips to WDW, 6 to Disneyland in California, 9 to Disneyland Paris, 1 to Hong Kong Disneyland, 1 to Tokyo Disney, 1 to Aulani, 1 to Hilton Head, 2 to Vero Beach and 13 Disney cruises on the Magic, Wonder, Dream and Fantasy
chezp is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2009, 01:29 AM   #11
Sue M.
Community Rank: Legend
 
Sue M.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Concierge Level: 2
Posts: 15,667

Post Thanks / Like
Glad the Spidey attraction at Univ. is safe, it's one of my favs still! Sorry, I just can't see Spidey walking around WDW. It just doesn't say Disney to me.
__________________
My Countdown Counting down to: WDW WL
back to the lodge
My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous TripsWDW Aug 2003 LBV Marriott Courtyard, Universal/Sea World/Busch Gardens Aug 2005 Hilton Garden Inn SeaWorld, WDW Aug. 2007 CBR, WDW Jan. 2008 POP & WL, Universal/SeaWorld/Aquatica Aug 2008 Hyatt Place,Sheraton 4 Points, Hard Rock Hotel & Doubletree Universal., St. Pete Beach Aug 2008, WDW Jan 2009 AKL, WDW Aug 2009 POR & WL, WDW Jan 2010 Poly, WDW Jan 2011 POR, WDW Aug 2011 POR & BC CL, WDW Jan 2012 WL, WDW Aug 2012 AKL CL, WDW Jan 2013 POFQ, WDW Aug 2013 Pop, GF, YC: WDW Jan 2014 POR, WDW & Universal August 2014 GF & Portofino Bay, WDW Jan 2015 POR, Aug 2015 Poly, Aug 2016 GF, Sept 2017 DL, Dec 2017 PoP, May 2018 DL, Sept 2018 WL, Nov. 2018 DL And too many trips to count to DL in the 80's.
Sue M. is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Reply



Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump














Please login or register to hide these ads -- it's free and easy!

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:48 AM.

-->

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Feedback Buttons provided by Advanced Post Thanks / Like v3.4.0 Patch Level 1 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
(c) 1998-2017 PassPorter Travel Press/MediaMarx, Inc.
Celebrating 19 Years of Making Dreams Come True
Ad Management plugin by RedTyger