Disney finally gets its park in the Commonwealth?

[mattsdragon]

An excerpt from the Virginia Gazette. . .

That leaves Walt Disney, which Williamsburg Planning Commission member Doug Pons and fellow hotelier Chris Canavos promoted in a television interview earlier this week. But Disney typically develops its own parks and resorts rather than buying up existing facilities.

With one near exception.

After the 1994 failure to build Disney’s America in Northern Virginia, Disney execs attempted to buy Knott’s Berry Farm in California, not far from Disneyland. The park’s replica of Independence Hall provided a good backdrop for the Disney concept, which was to tell American history.

The deal fell through, partly because of the logistics of transporting Disneyland guests to Disney’s America. Then the Knott family refused to sell, fearing changes Disney might make to the original park. Ohio-based Cedar Fair Entertainment bought the park two years later.

Rekindling the idea of bringing Disney back to Virginia is the conservative political blog Virginia Virtucon.

http://www.vagazette.com/news/local/va-news3_071908jul19,0,2122294.story

The story is talking about how AB-InBev will probably be selling off Busch entertainment to help pay off the loan the company had to make to buy off the board of AB. The question is who will buy the parks.

I would hate to see Universal or 6flags buy these parks. They are, IMHO, the only parks that come close to Disney's theming, beauty and entertainment. And I think it would be a natural fit for them to expand with some of these parks.

Of course, as a native of Prince William County, Va, we were very disappointed that carpet baggers from Fairfax county squashed our move to bring the mouse to our county in the first place, and I would love to see Mickey catch a ride on the Loch Ness Monster. And they do have a ride called the "Big Bad Wolf" there already.

What do you think, can Disney pull off a park in which the areas are themed to look like different countries in Europe, like France, Italy, Germany, and the UK? (sarcasm mine)

 

[Walt1967]

Being from the Commonwealth myself, I think it would be a wonderful idea for Disney to purchase Busch Gardens, Williamsburg ! Some of the theming is similar to Disney already. Of course it will need a little "pixie dust" to bring it around to being a Disney park !!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Of course, as a native of Prince William County, Va, we were very disappointed that carpet baggers from Fairfax county squashed our move to bring the mouse to our county in the first place, and I would love to see Mickey catch a ride on the Loch Ness Monster. And they do have a ride called the "Big Bad Wolf" there already.

It was not Fairfax County. It was the "super-rich" in Faquier County, such as the Firestones, the Mars Family (as in M&M-Mars), and most of all Donald Graham of the Washington Post.

My late wife Judy and I, at the time Fairfax residents, were very active in supporting the PWC Chamber of Commerce and the people of Haymarket.

Ask about the "Piedmont Environmental Council", and as Judy said "the wrong man died".

 

[IrishFinneganFan]

If they were to buy to park, I think it would be best for them to turn it into some sort of "Disney Adventures" type of park, and make it a different type of park than all their others (keep it Disney, but keep it seperate. ex: don't use it to market the year of a million dreams, make it a "spin off" park). They would need to add some Disney flare, but they should essentially keep it the same, and not try to turn it into a new park.

 

[Hoodie]

This is interesting. Wonder what they would do about Busch Gardens in Tampa. Too close to WDW for them to be interested, I would think.

Would AB sell one and not the other?

 

[Padrepride]

I'm not liking this idea. Disregarding the current economic slump, I don't think Disney will ever again try to buy an existing park to make it Disney unless they get it really, really cheap. I still love the Disney's America idea for a future 5th gate in Florida or 3rd in Anaheim.

 

[mattsdragon]

It was not Fairfax County. It was the "super-rich" in Faquier County, such as the Firestones, the Mars Family (as in M&M-Mars), and most of all Donald Graham of the Washington Post.

My late wife Judy and I, at the time Fairfax residents, were very active in supporting the PWC Chamber of Commerce and the people of Haymarket.

Ask about the "Piedmont Environmental Council", and as Judy said "the wrong man died".

Well, hate to burst your bubble, but it was also the super rich of Farifax County that destroyed not only that dream, but also the dream of the outer beltway.

And my parents were quite politically connected in Prince William at the time, and not to drop any names, but let me say that I got some first hand knowledge at family events from people that were quite in the know about what happened to Disney's America.

 

[nless_dream]

i hope they do something in VA. I remember when Disney tried to built a park in Manassas. But if you think of it. traffic will be crazy on 66 even tho its already bad now.