Chapter 487: Breakfast

[Chapter 487: Breakfast]

Eric put down the documents in his hands and typed another line on the laptop, then casually glanced out the window to see that morning had already arrived. Due to the time zone difference, combined with the fact that he had rested all day yesterday, he had not felt sleepy at all throughout the night. The pile of materials on his desk kept him from drifting off, and compared to the brief introduction Allen had given him on the flight to Paris, this new set of documents was extremely detailed, making Eric feel even more uneasy.

When Disneyland in Europe began planning in 1985, it was prompted by the huge success of Tokyo Disneyland. The new park quickly became the center of competition throughout Europe. The decision to locate it in Paris was based on the fact that there were 17 million potential visitors within a two-hour drive and 300 million potential visitors within a two-hour flight. Such a vast consumer base led Disney and the French government to express extreme optimism about the new park project; no one considered the possibility of failure. If not for the memories from his previous life, Eric would also have thought the success of Disneyland in Europe was a foregone conclusion after reading the "exciting" materials in his hand.

In contrast to the success of Tokyo Disneyland, the original project proposal anticipated that the overall annual profit from the European Disneyland would exceed $600 million. This overly optimistic estimate caused the project's budget to swell over the seven years of construction from an initial $1 billion to a staggering $5 billion. Not to mention the theme park's attractions, they even built seven themed Disney hotels.

Eric couldn't find the specific reasons for the potential failure of Disneyland Europe in these materials, but he did realize one thing: the cost ballooning from $1 billion to $5 billion certainly indicated excess resources and massive operational maintenance expenses, along with hundreds of millions in loans needing to be repaid annually. If the visitor numbers and average spending didn't meet the initial estimates, it would imply enormous losses.

Disneyland was not only Disney's pride but also regarded as a symbol of American culture; otherwise, there wouldn't be so many European cultural figures opposing its construction. Although this project started under Michael Eisner's leadership, if the park's operation failed, the parent company, Firefly Films, would surely take the hit. Even though Firefly wasn't publicly traded and Eric didn't have to worry about stock prices plummeting, such a blow to its reputation could affect its overseas expansion. After all, capital sought profit, and if a project that once attracted worldwide interest failed, it would be challenging to find investors the next time.

In the original timeline, after Disneyland Paris opened, the third overseas park, Hong Kong Disneyland, wouldn't open until twenty years later and would be much smaller than any other park, likely influenced by Disneyland Paris's fate.

Theme parks were a significant business crucial to any major Hollywood film company, with profits often far exceeding box office revenues while also enhancing the film company's brand impact. Realizing the potential for the new park's failure, Eric had to take it seriously. He didn't want the influence and profits he had built in the film industry to be consumed by the losses of Disneyland Europe.

After copying the survey he had created based on the analysis from the documents last night onto a floppy disk, Eric washed up and left his suite, heading down to the restaurant.

...

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Eric was surprised to find it nearly empty. Only a few waiters were cleaning up and arranging tables. This discovery puzzled him; glancing at his watch, he noted it was already 6:15 AM local time in Paris. September was still considered summer, and it wasn't too early. Plus, he knew many guests were staying at the hotel, so there should be people eating breakfast.

A waitress with her hair tied back noticed Eric walking into the restaurant and approached, wanting to say something. But she quickly recognized him. "You... Mr. Williams, good, good morning," the waitress stammered, looking slightly excited but also a bit timid.

Eric smiled at the girl, chose a table by the window, and then asked, "Could I get a breakfast menu, please?"

As the waitress followed him to the table, she seemed a bit awkward and explained in a low voice, "I'm sorry, Mr. Williams, but the restaurant isn't serving breakfast. If you'd like, I can help you get something from outside."

Frowning, Eric replied, "Why isn't breakfast being provided? Is it because the place isn't officially open yet, or is there another reason?" Today was the grand opening of the park, and the hotel was filled with guests; it should have been fully prepared.

Though Eric's tone remained unchanged, the waitress sensed his displeasure. Nervously pulling at the hem of her uniform and lowering her head, she struggled to find her words.

"Forget about it. Just get the manager," Eric waved his hand, showing an exasperated expression as he watched the waitress fluster and hurriedly leave.

Minutes later, a middle-aged man entered the restaurant briskly, accompanied by the waitress from before. "Good morning, Mr. Williams. I'm Gerald Robinson."

Eric stood up to shake the man's hand, indicating for him to sit across from him. Then he pulled out a bill from his wallet and glanced at the waitress's name tag. "Miss Sophia, is it? Could you please get me a breakfast? Anything will do."

"Of course, no problem at all," the waitress said, taking the bill from Eric and leaving the restaurant in haste.

Once the waitress was gone, Eric returned his attention to the hotel manager. "Mr. Robinson, are you French?"

"Yes, Mr. Williams. I was born in Lyon in eastern France but grew up in Paris," Gerald Robinson replied politely, and Eric noted the French accent in his English.

"Right," Eric said, focusing intently on him, "You must know why I asked Sophia to call you. I want to understand why this decision was made."

Gerald Robinson showed no signs of fear under Eric's scrutiny. Instead, he seemed a bit unhappy as he responded, "Mr. Williams, you might want to ask your management team about that. I don't know who told them that we Europeans don't eat breakfast, but it was Patrick Schneider who personally decided to cancel breakfast service in the hotel."

Although the equity of the joint venture was controlled by France, management authority belonged to Disney. Eric knew the new park's management team consisted entirely of Americans, and Patrick Schneider was the CEO responsible for operating Disneyland Paris -- Eric had seen him at the airport the day before.

"Mr. Robinson, since this is a mistake, isn't there anyone who raised concerns?"

"Of course," Gerald Robinson replied, a mix of resignation and frustration in his voice as he raised his hands. "We raised plenty of issues, including the breakfast matter, the lack of alcoholic beverages in the park, parking spaces, and more, but no one listened to us."

Eric could hear the bitterness in Robinson's voice toward the management team at Disney. Frowning again as he thought things through, Eric inquired, "What about Jeffrey Katzenberg? Have you brought these issues up with him?"

Even if the original management team was blindly arrogant, Eric knew Katzenberg was a pragmatic person who wouldn't overlook these problems.

Gerald Robinson paused, shaking his head. "No, Mr. Williams. I'm just a lobby manager; I don't get to speak to Mr. Katzenberg."

Sensing Gerald's almost defeated tone, Eric realized these French employees had likely become completely disillusioned with the management team. Even if they could talk to Katzenberg, they'd probably lost all hope in the Disney management.

After considering it, Eric told Gerald Robinson, "How about this, Mr. Robinson? Would you write a report listing the issues as you see them? I'm staying here for the next few days."

Gerald Robinson understood Eric's concerns well. As a Disneyland employee himself, he naturally wanted to excel at his job. Thus, he happily agreed, "Mr. Williams, I will get that to you as soon as possible."

"Right. If you can't find me personally, you can give it to my assistant. He's staying right next door to me."

Gerald Robinson nodded. "That would be Mr. Allen Fisman, right? Understood."

The waitress soon returned with breakfast, and Gerald Robinson discreetly got up and left, not wanting to interrupt Eric's meal.

...

Before long, Allen came downstairs and entered the restaurant. Seeing the quiet atmosphere, he too felt a bit surprised. At that moment, Eric had already finished his breakfast and was quietly reading an English newspaper while holding a floppy disk. Noticing Allen's arrival, Eric handed him the disk and said, "The restaurant isn't serving breakfast, so grab something to eat outside. Also, this floppy disk contains a survey I created last night. Personally hand it over to Patrick Schneider; within a week, I want to see a detailed report on 10,000 visitors."

Understanding Eric's firm tone, Allen didn't question it further. Even though they had developed a friendship over time, he simply took the floppy disk and asked openly, "Eric, what's going on?"

Eric shook his head, "It's too early to say, but it seems serious. Just have Patrick Schneider follow through."

"I'll take care of it," Allen nodded and turned to leave the restaurant.

*****

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