PortAventura Sold - But to who????

[stuart]

PortAventura needs some association with a brand like Universal to be widely recognized across Europe. If a company can operate Universal Japan without owning it, then surely this new company, Investindustrial, should at least see that they could use the Universal image to their advantage.

  Universal may have done a lot of things to the park both good and bad, but it is undeniable, that foreign visitors will come to a good Universal park in Europe rather than travel to the states!!

  If Universal exits the park completely, it will end up as a giant fun fair! The characters attract visitors and families, and the facilities like the beach club makes the holiday more complete. One of Disneys success is the use of a lot of characters to sell the parks and the Disney experience.

  There is a lesson here. Create a good clean park, with good known characters (not just sesame street) add great value, and watch the numbers of visitors grow.

  Investindustrial really need to keep the link with Universal for their expertise as well!

  Still, everything aside it could have been a lot worse. If Merlin Entertainments PortAventura had of taken over, most of us would no longer be able to afford to go there. Extortionate Look at the prices that they charge here in the UK, then look at the run down theme parks that are not well looked after and really needing a good facelift (Chessington World of Adventures --- Terrible). Then look at their pathetic excuses for Halloween. You will then understand why we all like PortAventura and the quality that originally was probably influenced by Universal.

  Its just a great shame that the Universal brand in PA may be lost forever.

At least La caixa is still a shareholder. Maybe some of the orignal people will want to keep the park as great as ever, and not over commercialis it for a quick profit.

[stuart]

Additionally, once the Universal Brand and Characters have gone, then I will stop visiting every year.

Woody woodpecker et al really makes the visit special for my small children. Once gone PortAventura is just another theme park, to which there are already many in europe.

Maybe it really is time to go to the states and say Adios to PortAventura forever.

What a crying shame!!!! Either way Criteria and InvestIndustrial will make their choice. Germans, Russians, French, English, and any other Northern Europeans value a good quality brand and park.

I can't help but think that InvestIndustrial will just bleed the park into an asset that they can sell to Merlin....Again!!! Then the park's troubles will really start.

[Frankie]

Universal is actually on PA just selling the rights for the characters, nothing more !

I think that the arrival of Investindustrial has nothing to do with that, Universal could renew his contract with PA for the characters just like before

Cheers !!

P.D: late response, sorry