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[CafeFantasia]

"No longer on iplayer"

Newsflash, The Gadget Show is on Five :-)

[Festival Disney]

I think Adam means that the episode of Blue Peter is no longer on iPlayer

[CafeFantasia]

Ah :-)

[bigrossco]

have just this min recived the following reply

Hi,

Thanks for your email. Thanks for bringing this to our attention; I've forwarded your email onto the producers. We're sorry that disappointed with the outcome of the test and hope that you continue to watch the show. You can interact with other fans of the show via the comments page on our website http://fwd.five.tv/gadget-show/ and of course follow us on Twitter @thegadgetshow.
 
Best wishes,
 
The Gadget Show Team
www.five.tv/gadgetshow

[bigrossco]

now recived the following update from the production company

Ross, thanks for your e-mail, and thank you for flagging this up.
 
I've talked to the director and re-watched the item. We were on two rides while searching for Jon's perfect action shot. One was Big Thunder Mountain (one of the pictures in the item - Jon's photo of Pollyanna at 14:03 http://demand.five.tv/Episode.aspx?epis ... 5150600008 - was taken on this ride). The other was not.
 
Due to time constraints, we didn't have time in the episode to show both rides in full. And - ultimately - Jon preferred his shots from the Temple of Peril.
 
I am sorry that you felt the item was misleading. If you want to talk about this more, do feel free to drop me a line

[Adam]

Philippe Gas talks to Daily Telegraph:

Euro Disney chief Philippe Gas defends debt, Disneyland Paris working conditions
Philippe Gas, the chief executive of Euro Disney, has launched a staunch defence of his company's €1.9bn (£1.7bn) of debt and recent criticism of the working conditions at Disneyland Paris.

By Amanda Andrews
Published: 12:29PM BST 11 Oct 2010

Euro Disney chief Philippe Gas defends debt, Disneyland Paris working conditions.

In a rare interview, Mr Gas has highlighted that the group's 'wealth creation strategy' to keep spending on development despite its high level of debt is a sensible one.

The group has been criticised by some for building its Studios Park in 2002, a move which contributed to it sinking deeper into the red.
 
"A second park was necessary as you have to think about this project on a long-term basis," said Mr Gas, who returned to run the park in April 2008 after a stint in the 1990s.

"You cannot think about Disneyland Paris as a five-year play or a 10-year play. We are looking at 2035. We're not looking at tomorrow – so, looking at this strategically, investing in a second park was the right thing to do."

Mr Gas said the group is committed to paying back 25pc of its current debt by 2013. He plans to significantly expand the Studios Park and is now talking about developing a third theme park on its Disneyland Paris site.

"Honestly, we have enough cash today to pay our debt, to finance our expansion and to pay for rehabilitation [of current attractions in the park]," highlighted Mr Gas, denying recent speculation that the company came close to breaching banking covenants.

He said that the company has deferred royalty payments to Disney, a 40pc shareholder, and deferred debt payments on occasions its biggest lender Caisse des Depots et Consignations, but it has not breached banking covenants.

"It [the ability to defer payments] is a good mechanism to preserve our flexibility and our cash when we need it. Because then you push back the payment to 20 years with limited levels of interest. Who would not want that," he said. "We still have 26 years of payments, but I don't think it matters to have everything paid off. I think you want to be able to look at the sustained profitability – for me, this is the goal."

Euro Disney has simultaneously been in the spotlight in recent months over talk about the welfare of its employees and low wages.

In December 2009, at one of the busiest times of the year, staff went on strike as part of a protest over a pay freeze. Since then, two Euro Disney employees have committed suicide. One was a chef who wrote on a suicide note that he did "not want to return to working for Mickey."

One union said the company was partly to blame for the suicide.

Mr Gas believes that press coverage of the two reported suicides has been "misleading", saying that there is just one union out of seven that has blamed Disney's treatment of its staff for the incidents.

"What was said by the union was not unfair. It was outrageous," he said.

"We don't pay minimum wage anymore. We pay above the minimum wage," Mr Gas said, adding that staff have had an annual 3pc pay rise for the past two years.

However, he said that it is Euro Disney's duty as a company to become more focused on these issues.

"When you think about the employees, it is their first job. They are very young. It is the first time they have left home. They are going to start to live on their own...They have an employer who also becomes the parent. And there's an emotional connection to us as an employer that doesn't exist with other companies. So, all of this makes it our duty as a company to become more responsible."

High on Mr Gas's agenda are the development of the Disney Studios, where he plans more attractions and restaurants with the intention of turning it into a "one-day experience". New Disney characters he is keen to feature at the park include Disney's Cars and Ratatouille.

"Ratatouille is perfect, as it is set in Paris," he said, pointing to a large wall poster of the film in his office. Furthermore, there is the agreement to build homes as part of the development of Marne la Vallée, where Disneyland Paris is located, as well as a nature park that will be set up with French holiday company Pierre et Vacances.

Later down the line, the construction of a third theme park is also on the agenda.

The reason that development has come is stages is that, aside from the issue of development costs, the French government originally gave consent for Disneyland Paris to be built on the condition that Disney would only buy pockets of land in stages once previous plots had been developed.

It was France's first regional development public-private partnership. In French government circles, it is viewed as a success -for every €1 invested by the Government, private investors have put in roughly €10.

Mr Gas said a decision to build the third theme park may not be made until 2020, though it may be brought forward if planned work on the existing Disney Studios Park is completed.

Having endured the 1990s downturn when it opened and current economic unrest, the view held by many is that Euro Disney has been blighted by bad luck. Arriving months before the latest downturn, Mr Gas has perhaps taken on the role of a crisis manager.

And his calm, controlled manner and clear passion for the parks, perhaps, make him an ideal candidate.

"Clearly, there have been situations that we could have done without. I could have done without the worst winter in 2009. That's part of running a business. I think it is more about the journey – and learning.

And what happened in 1992, when we opened, is we started, based on a vision - and I think the vision is still the right one. I think you just have the growing pains. In the European landscape we are just babies. Eighteen years of existence is nothing."

Mr Gas assures that rewarding loyal, long-term shareholders is his key objective. The shares have been volatile, falling 33pc in the last year and 66pc in the past five years. The market capitalisation of Euro Disney is currently €161m. But visitors still came despite the downturn.

In 2009, the park had 15.4m visitors. And Mr Gas believes people will continue to come and spending will increase as the economic conditions improve.

"What I am looking at is to provide a return to the people who have trusted us since the opening. Profitability and payment of dividend...But it can't be a one-off. You have to make sure that when we reach profitability, it is sustained and, of course, we will then pay," he said.

Separately, Mr Gas said that Disney's global theme parks business is currently considering "urban experiences". "Maybe not theme parks per se – not Disneyland somewhere – but another type of retail, dining, entertainment experience within cities. Think about the Disney Village closer to a city – you will have retail opportunities with a theme," he said, adding that this concept could be applied anywhere in the world.

He said the relationship with its second largest shareholder Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is amicable, recently escorting him and his granddaughter around the park.

"He was interested to hear about the product. He was very interested to hear about Toy Story Playland [a new development at the Studios Park]. It was a few weeks before we opened it. To my knowledge, it was the first time he has come since I've been in charge."

But the men apparently did not talk business and he said there were no questions about the Prince's intentions for stake. "It was a private visit, so I did not want to pollute that with questions [about plans for his holding]."

Some interesting bits in there - finance clarification, 3rd gate, expansion of WDS with attractions AND restaurants, Natures Village and a mention of Ratatouille.

[dagobert]

Thanks for this very interesting article.

"Honestly, we have enough cash today to pay our debt, to finance our expansion and to pay for rehabilitation [of current attractions in the park]," highlighted Mr Gas, denying recent speculation that the company came close to breaching banking covenants.

What does Mr. Gas mean with this sentence? I thought ED SCA is nearly €3 billions in dept. From where did ED SCA get the money? And why doesn't ED SCA use it for new great attractions and refurbishments? Instead Disney builds cheap attractions like TSPL and the parks look so run down.

Hopefully the much needed WDS expansion with dark rides and restaurants will happen soon, but since Disney thinks the long term I highly doubt it. But then I don't get it, why they built TSPL instead of thinking about a proper expansion.

[Adam]

From The Sun:

It's Sickey Mouse at Disneyland

From PETER ALLEN in Paris

Published: Today

BRITISH holidaymakers have been caught up in a listeria scare at Disneyland Paris.

Three restaurants on the site outside the French capital have been serving contaminated fish.

Cafe Mickey and the Chicago Steakhouse in Disney Village, and Inventions in the Disneyland Hotel were named in a confidential memo from park bosses to French tour operators.

It reads: "We have just been informed by the Health Authorities a lot of potentially contaminated salmon delivered by one of our suppliers has been served.

"If one of your customers has eaten smoked or poached salmon in one of these restaurants and shows symptoms equivalent to flu, we recommend that they speak to their doctor and tell him what they have eaten."

Disneyland holidaymaker and mum-of-three Su Davies, 31, of Andover, Hants, said yesterday: "It's a horrible thought. There should be safeguards to prevent this."

French health officials have contacted holidaymakers who ate at the restaurants.

A spokesman said: "We are not aware of any serious illness."

Disney said it had "taken all measures necessary" to tackle the scare.

If you have been and are affected, the key point is not to panic. As the article says, contact a doctor and also your travel provider/Disney. Has anyone actually been contacted about this, as it was doing the rounds elsewhere?

[dagobert]

Such things happen very often, even in the best restaurants. Unfortunately it will come down to Disney and not to the provider of the salmon. DLRP needs everything instead of bad press.

[ryansimmons323]

Hey I'm new to the site. I just spotted on Playhouse Disney that they are actually utilizing Disney TV Channels to advertise DLP, something we have wanted so much for ages!! They have this 5 minute spot, called Spot a Star. Characters, including Mickey, Princess Tiana, Buzz, etc. stand in front of Le Chateau and one of the characters disappears and the kids are asked to help (by shouting at the TV!!) the rest of the characters to find the missing one, to do this in each of the episodes they go to different parts of the park to find them. In the one I saw, they went to Toy Story Playland to find Buzz and afterwards they showed footage of all the different rides in TSPL. After that they displayed some nice aerial footage of Le Chateau in the day and at night (with It's a Small World all lit up in the background!!). I was pretty amazed and tremendously pleased to see this, as it is something I have always wanted.

[Festival Disney]

There was a nice little article in Yesterday's (Nov. 13) The Sun, even had a nice video to watch too
Check it out... http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/tr ... Paris.html