Did Disney have any known interest in the rights for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter?

[sharona]

I've got some bad news for you about Dobby...

 

[kelleybean]

I think it was a better fit at Universal anyway. HP is geared towards older kids and I think that's a demographic that Universal targets well. I also think it's easier for Universal to build rides that are more intense and may need a higher height requirement. Disney has so many families with younger kids that would get left out.

I know it's been mentioned on this board many times but I'm SO surprised they didn't go with Star Wars land over Avatar. Ride opportunities aside, I'm thinking about the merchandising they are missing out on. The Harry Potter merchandise at Universal has made them incredible $. Wands, cloaks, t-shirts, butterbeer ... when you walk around Universal you see it everywhere. I'm still trying to figure out what on earth Disney is going to create for Pandora!

 

[Reddog1134]

Universal really needed something on the scale of Harry Potter. Disney didn't. Uni really took the ball and ran with it. Disney wouldn't have built a second HP land because the first one wouldn't have jumped their attendance as much as it did for Universal. (By the way, Diagon Alley didn't increase their attendance as much as they had hoped) I think it was the best possible outcome for all involved.

 

[Moonwolf]

I think Universal getting HP was the best thing for both park. Universal got the chance to show it can match Disney with themeing while Disney gets to profit at least a little in the boom in tourist coming to see HP and figuring while they're there stop by Disney as well. I know that's what happened to me. I didn't have much interest in going to Orlando until HP was announced (I had been to Disney as a child and I'm not a thrill rider so Universal didn't hold much interest either). But when Universal got HP I knew I had to go down and since I was there already I figured might as well hit Disney. Ended up staying 1/2 day in Universal and 3 1/2 days in Disney. Now I have another trip planned once again splitting 3 Days Universal & 6 days Disney. HP might have been the catalyst in me going but Disney is still getting a majority of my $$

I know it's been mentioned on this board many times but I'm SO surprised they didn't go with Star Wars land over Avatar. Ride opportunities aside, I'm thinking about the merchandising they are missing out on.

I think the people who say this forget the fact that Avatar was announced before Disney acquired Star Wars. It wasn't so much an either or thing as it was "We need to do something. We can get the rights to Avatar cool." Few months later - "We finally go Star Wars! Well we can't just drop Avatar. Let's finalize this then start working on the next big project."

Could they have waited to see if Star Wars would have worked out, sure, but that would be more months of people complaining about Disney not doing anything waiting for something that may or may not have worked while they already had something to work with.

Disney also got burned with the timing of 7DMT & now with Avatar so I wouldn't be surprised if they did delay the official announcement of anything else until it is partially underway like Universal does.

 

[fairyprincess88]

As a Harry Potter nerd I thank the heaven's that JK did not sign with Disney. I remember when the theme park discussion started and she asked opinions from the fans and 90% of the replies were along the lines of "just not Disney". The reasoning was that nobody want Mickey Mouse anywhere near Harry. There was true fear we'd see Mickey posing in Hogwarts robes for pictures and just the idea of it caused a lot of backlash. It happened with Star Wars and none of us wanted Potter "Disneyfied". Of course JKR would never have allowed it to happen which is why most knew she'd never sign with Disney because she was not going to give them any real control. It's a well known fact that nothing happens with Potter without her input and Universal doesn't do anything without her consent. Disney would never have gone for that.

 

[Reddog1134]

As a Harry Potter nerd I thank the heaven's that JK did not sign with Disney. I remember when the theme park discussion started and she asked opinions from the fans and 90% of the replies were along the lines of "just not Disney". The reasoning was that nobody want Mickey Mouse anywhere near Harry. There was true fear we'd see Mickey posing in Hogwarts robes for pictures and just the idea of it caused a lot of backlash. It happened with Star Wars and none of us wanted Potter "Disneyfied". Of course JKR would never have allowed it to happen which is why most knew she'd never sign with Disney because she was not going to give them any real control. It's a well known fact that nothing happens with Potter without her input and Universal doesn't do anything without her consent. Disney would never have gone for that.

Disney loves to cross promote so they absolutely would have had the Fab Five in wizard robes.

The biggest difference between Rowling and Lucas is Rowling wants to keep her IP pure, Lucas wanted his everywhere he could get it. Toys, Lunch Boxes, happy meals, etc. I'm sure nothing got done with Star Wars without George's approval, he was just a lot more willing to say "yes".