HiHier ein sehr interessanter Bericht über Euro Disney und die jetztige Situation:
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.
The attraction saw visitor numbers fall by 700,000 to 12.4million last year, which led to the 11-year-old resort's annual losses doubling to £39million. Animated French banks have made it clear they must have their loans back and quick.
They fear unless they start seeing meaningful repayments, they could be left with next to nothing if Euro Disney folds.
The troubled park has never managed to get itself into the black, but now the future is bleak ... to say the least.
Many analysts can't see a way out for the company which has growing debts of more than £1.5billion - and a decreasing audience.
Executives have said that due to the shortfall in ticket sales they may have to default on some of the debt.
It is simply an income and expenditure situation writ on a large scale. The figures don't make financial sense.
Some £350million was invested recently in the new Disney Studios theme park - dedicated to the history of cinema - adjoining the original. But it has not brought in the visitors the backers hoped for.
The American parent company, the Walt Disney Corporation, owns some 39 per cent of Euro Disney, and along with three principal bankers BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole and CDC is deep in discussion on how the crisis can be resolved.
Every move to save the ailing theme park is done in secret to prevent a loss in the public confidence.
INSIDERS say a £40million credit line was recently given by Disney to keep the business trading and "allow time for the parties to develop a mutually acceptable resolution to the company's future financing needs".
Up to 1,000 workers on site could be axed as bosses continue to make cutbacks to a level where the service isn't what you expect from Disney. The company believes that people have stayed away from Mickey's Magic Kingdom because of the aftermath of the 9/11 blitz on the Twin Towers, the Iraq war, the high cost of the euro and the Sars epidemic.
Major European tour operators are said to be selling 10 per cent fewer holidays than last year.
A Euro Disney spokesman says chillingly: "If a financial solution cannot be found by March 31, 2004, we shall not be able to service our debts." The Daily Press spent three days on the site in the run-up to Christmas, tasting the atmosphere, talking to the staff and visitors.
And while the vast majority of visitors didn't have a clue the park could be about to shut, the workers were only too aware it was under threat.
Staff were too scared to speak openly to the media, knowing that would not please their under-fire bosses.
But they had been told that although the park was in trouble - it has always been after all - it was not terminal.
Management graduate Peter, 23, has worked for Disney for 14 months. He works in the lively Disney Village and doesn't want to leave.
HE said on behalf of his colleagues: "I'm having a great time here, despite all the talk about it closing. I don't think it will. We've talked about it and the feeling is there is no way the French would let it go. They might play some brinksmanship and take it to the end of the line.
"This all happened after 9/11. That was when a lot of people stayed at home and wouldn't come. You don't see many Americans here. They don't travel, especially after that. The figures did drop you could just see it and feel it.
"We hope that will change with increased security.
"But this place is the biggest tourist attraction in Europe and brings so many millions of visitors to Paris. They couldn't throw that away. The French do support industry which is to their advantage. They are big on that. They will step in to save it if it gets too bad.
"Cutbacks are being made, but that happens in every company. I really don't think the public would notice. The standards here are incredibly high, that's the way Disney works.
"None of us are looking to leave we are all confident it will continue and we all love the place."
Spokesmen for Disneyland were less forthcoming about the company's problems.
In London a spokesman for the company snapped: "It's business as usual. We are doing well. People are enjoying themselves. I can't speak about financial matters.
AS far as we are concerned we are taking it forward. We are taking it on."
Nobody else seemed keen to speak about financial matters either. Calls to Disneyland spokesman Ian Benjafield in Paris went unanswered. And financial spokesman Peter Botierman didn't reply to a request for a conversation.
Staff on the information desk in Disneyland just frowned and shrugged when asked about the financial crisis confronting the empire of the mouse.
(c) http://www.thisisbristol.com
Sebastian Horacek alias Coasters
Druckversion
, 30-Dez-03, 18:59 Uhr, (7)
