In the afternoon of New Year's Eve 2009, The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of Marvel was finalized.

Since this possibility was announced a few weeks back, there has been a division between two camps: those individuals--proponents from both Disney and Marvel--who lament this occurrence, and those individuals who applaud it.

Needless to say, there are many who wonder what this acquisition will eventually mean for Disney's theme parks.



It's no secret that Disney has been stumped as to how to attract teens into its fan base. A friend of mine works with a group of adolescents in Central Florida; he says that his students, hands down, would rather visit Universal than Walt Disney World. The reasons are twofold. First of all, they don't really understand what Walt Disney World has to offer young people of their age group. Secondly, the really "killer" rides are located at Islands of Adventure.



Could the Marvel acquisition change all that?

I think the potential is there. So allow me to speculate about a possible future scenario that could happen right here in Central Florida.

The original plans for theme parks in the Lake Buena Vista Resort state that there is room for seven theme parks on Disney property. Over the past couple of years, we've heard rumors about "boutique parks" and villains parks circulating the Internet. But in my humble opinion at least, I never was very captivated by those rumors.



But what if CEO Robert Iger has another park up his sleeve--one based on some of the properties developed by Disney's new partner, Marvel? Might Marvel have a large enough stable of heroes and heroines to create one heck of a theme park that would embrace teens and their preference for fast rides, high-tech shows, and experiences throughout that park which would tantalize their preference for instant gratification?



While I don't pretend to have any connections to the movers and shakers in Burbank, I don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility that the reason Walt Disney World hasn't added new parks to its repertoire is becuase none of the ideas were quite up to snuff. However, with a brand new library of thousands of potential characters and storylines, the Imagineers and Marvel artists could go crazy with the kind of park never seen before in theme park history.

Superhero comics always feature lots of special effects, explosions, sexy characters, and the perennial theme of good versus evil. All of these things appeal to young people's entertainment tastes. Heck, even I, in my mid-fifties, am excited about the possibilities of some development with Marvel's characters and stories.



Let's face it. Walt Disney World has tackled many of the big themes that make up our world--like technology and cultural diversity  (Epcot), fantasy (Magic Kingdom), show biz (Disney's Hollywood Studios), and zoology and ecology (Disney's Animal Kingdom). It would be difficult to design a park with a theme to match these over-the-top ideas and experiences. However, Marvel's characters have a way of tapping into values that are very "American" (for lack of a  better way of putting it)--particularly those individualistic values that address the human potential to rise above challenges and be the best we can be. In a sense, comic book characters tap the very essence of identity development and identity celebration. Kids (and adults) read comics because the graphic novels make them feel as though they, too, share a sense of the invincibility typified by their heroes.

I think a Disney park directed by this overarching theme has the potential to be a great one! After all, the Marvel acquisition was timely in that it occurred at about the time Disney "ought" to be declaring a new theme park. (1971-82 = 11 years; 1982-89 = 8 years; 1989-98 = 9 years; 1998-Present = a longer than normal time lapse between new park announcements.)

But I would love to hear what you think, too.

By the way, if you aren't already subscribed to my newsletter--Aronda's NewsPad--please consider subscribing today. It's released about twice a month (unless something "hot" is happening in the parks), so you don't have to worry about overtaxing your Inbox. You can subscribe here:

http://www.arondaparks.com/NewsPad-Signup.htm

Have a magical day--and Happy New Year!