Fortunes Improve for Eurodisney


BBC News
April 27, 2007

The firm made a loss of 69.2m euros (£49m; $94m) in the six months to the end of March, a reduction from 83.6m euros a year earlier.
Eurodisney said its visitor numbers rose by 600,000 during the period.

Chief financial officer Ignace Lehaoud said the results were "pleasing" but added that "it is still a long road" to the company achieving profitability.

Anniversary celebrations

"What's pleasing for us is that we got these results even before kicking off our 15th anniversary," Mr Lehaoud said.

Disneyland Paris, which first opened in April 1992, has launched a parade and new attractions to celebrated its anniversary.
It is also due to open new rides based on the Finding Nemo and Cars films in June.

Mr Lahoud added that the firm was pleased with visitor numbers in the first few days of April, but noted that the unseasonably warm weather had been particularly favourable.

Disneyland Paris was originally known as EuroDisney, but the name was changed in 1995.


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 Euro Disney Says 1st-Half Loss Narrowed



Associated Press
April 27, 2007

Euro Disney SCA, the owner and operator of the eponymous theme park outside Paris, said Friday that its fiscal first-half loss narrowed after the company boosted sales.

The net loss for the six months through March 31 narrowed to euro82 million ($111.7 million) from 101.8 million in the same period a year earlier, the company said in a statement. Sales rose 9.7 percent to euro512.6 million ($698.5 million).

Revenue was largely boosted by greater theme park attendance and hotel occupancy. Theme park attendance rose by 600,000 people to 6.1 million, while average spending per hotel room gained 5.1 percent.

"We continue to focus on improving our business performance and the overall resort experience," said Chief Executive Karl Holz.

Euro Disney shares were unchanged at euro0.09 ($0.12) in Paris.