Princesses may not rule fantasy land after all! Frontierland expansion rumor reality?

UberPlannerMom

UberPlannerMom

Well-Known Member
Evil Genius said:
^^Not to mention the fact these won't just be meet 'n greets! These are designed to be small show/experiences for children to more distinctly interact with the princesses in a slightly more intimate setting.

It's an immersive exerience. I know I can't speak of everyone's children, but I know when my young daughters heard the descriptions and saw the concept art of these princess meets their eyes lit up! This is the sort of magic that makes Disney distinct and not just a park full of rides.
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These meet and greets kind of remind me of story time with Belle, on steroids. And let me tell you, the last time we tried to do storytime with Belle it was so packed that my husband ended up standing and I sat my rather large backside on a single rock edge, while holding my child. I think these meet and greets will be wildly popular with everyone who is looking more for an experience than a thrill.
 
aladdin2007

aladdin2007

Well-Known Member
UberPlannerMom said:
You know what else I remember about those days? A mob scene. A complete and total mob scene. Sure, it was great if you were the first to notice the character,but if not, well watch out! And they only had the one person there to help the character out... Thinking back on it, that had to be pretty scary for the people in the costumes!

As for Snow White.... what exactly does everyone have against it? I have seen all the reports of kids scared to death and have never understood them. My kids knew the story of Snow White going in to it so they never worried a second that the witch was going to "win". I think the art work is lovely. I have to admit that the whole reason I go on Snow White is to admire the beautiful bits, so maybe that is why I am missing what everyone thinks is so bad about it. Would I mind them updating some of the movng bits? No, absolutely not. Do I want them to get rid of a beautiful example of Disney art? No way!
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True it just needs some tech upgrades. But it would be a stupid move to close it for meet n greets. Mainly because, to me anyway, the 40th anniversary is coming up and its been a staple in the park since day one. Would be a pretty shoddy/tacky move. But thats how TDO operates so it wouldnt surprise me.
 
Evil Genius

Evil Genius

Well-Known Member
UberPlannerMom said:
These meet and greets kind of remind me of story time with Belle, on steroids. And let me tell you, the last time we tried to do storytime with Belle it was so packed that my husband ended up standing and I sat my rather large backside on a single rock edge, while holding my child. I think these meet and greets will be wilding popular with everyone who is looking more for an experience than a thrill.
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Exactly!

These meets are the next step in the evolution of things like Story Time with Belle. Disney has always been about bringing the fantasy to reality. I honestly can't think of anything more appropriate than experiences such as these to fulfill Walt's dream. It's one thing to for a child to stand in a line...maybe exchange a pleasanty with Aurora...snap a picture and then be on their way...but to sit in a well themed area...be part of "the show" and really get some face time is fantastic and really fits Fantasyland to a T!
 
UberPlannerMom

UberPlannerMom

Well-Known Member
Evil Genius said:
Exactly!

These meets are the next step in the evolution of things like Story Time with Belle. Disney has always been about bringing the fantasy to reality. I honestly can't think of anything more appropriate than experiences such as these to fulfill Walt's dream. It's one thing to for a child to stand in a line...maybe exchange a pleasanty with Aurora...snap a picture and then be on their way...but to sit in a well themed area...be part of "the show" and really get some face time is fantastic and really fits Fantasyland to a T!
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The other thing that makes me happy about the expansion... greenery. Fantasyland is seriously lacking greenery. The forrest expansion will add in some beautiful foilage, both false and real I imagine!
 
lebeau

lebeau

Well-Known Member
Evil Genius said:
Exactly!

These meets are the next step in the evolution of things like Story Time with Belle. Disney has always been about bringing the fantasy to reality. I honestly can't think of anything more appropriate than experiences such as these to fulfill Walt's dream. It's one thing to for a child to stand in a line...maybe exchange a pleasanty with Aurora...snap a picture and then be on their way...but to sit in a well themed area...be part of "the show" and really get some face time is fantastic and really fits Fantasyland to a T!
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Not to mention you'll be able to get face time with the princesses without having to call 180 days in advance and plunk down $50/plate for french toast. I don't know about Walt's dream. But it's definitely lebeau's dream!
 
Evil Genius

Evil Genius

Well-Known Member
The forest setting extending past the castle walls is also a great continuation of 'the story' of Fantasyland! Before Fantasyland felt like nothing more than a concrete corridor. Now there's a cohesive theme and through story to the land.
 
UberPlannerMom

UberPlannerMom

Well-Known Member
aladdin2007 said:
True it just needs some tech upgrades. But it would be a stupid move to close it for meet n greets. Mainly because, to me anyway, the 40th anniversary is coming up and its been a staple in the park since day one. Would be a pretty shoddy/tacky move. But thats how TDO operates so it wouldnt surprise me.
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I totally agree!
 
K

Krack

Active Member
Sassagoula said:
Now M&Gs are so wildly popular that it's quickly becoming the sole focus of Disney's marketing.
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Almost. Now M&Gs are wildly popular because it's the sole focus of Disney's marketing.

Seriously, Disney learned about 15 years ago that rather than advertise to all demographics and try and learn what appeals to all people, it's far easier to put the full court press on soccer moms telling them that they are terrible parents if they don't take their child to Disney World to meet Mickey Mouse and Cinderella. You market to men and they say "hmm, that looks like fun - the kids would probably like it - maybe we'll go". You market to women and they announce, "we're going" and that it; whoa be the husband/boyfriend that doesn't let them get their way. And the quickest way to lean on the women is to convince them they might be a terrible mother. It doesn't hurt that once they are in the park, women spend ... and spend (and spend).

So that's it. It's why every commercial has a little girl dancing around in a princess dress. It's why WDW doesn't advertise in men's magazines anymore (or during sporting events). If you market the place as the Meet & Greet Kingdom, then there better be meet & greets all over the place when they get there. Because that's what they've been told to expect. It's why they are there.
 
Kamikaze

Kamikaze

Well-Known Member
Sassagoula said:
I'll put it plainly: I hate meet-and-greets. Remember the days when you could just run into the characters without waiting for 45 minutes, and it wasn't the focus of your day? Seems so long ago! But it was less than 15 years ago that you could just bump into Tigger in the hub and have a quick photo and move on. Now M&Gs are so wildly popular that it's quickly becoming the sole focus of Disney's marketing. Is that really what people want -- to travel possibly hundreds of miles, spend thousands of dollars to see the legendary Disney World, and in the end just pal around with some adults in costume and go home? Sorry if this comes off as overly critical, if you like characters, that's fine, but there's a lot more to see and do at Disney World and I don't want WDI to neglect other types of attractions.
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You know, I was going to say 'its just busier now' as a reason why they couldn't have characters without the lines, but after doing some research, it was comparably busy in 1996-1997 as it was in 2009, at least in terms of visitors to MK.

The way it is now is much more organized, even if it seems less happenstance and more planned. And the biggest advantage of the tent set up? They can keep the line going while they switch the performers out. You know, have two 'shifts' going when the other is on break. That is much harder to do out in the open.
 
K

Krack

Active Member
lebeau said:
I'm surprised more people aren't playing along with this guessing game. I figured it would be catnip to most posters.

LS - I see no candidates
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The Yankee Trader would be both a candy shop and controversial. There would be a hue and cry about it becoming "Princess Square featuring the Hall of Presidents". And if the entire scenario ended with the removal of Liberty Square, the fanbase would be apoplectic.
 
Thurp

Thurp

Member
Closing a ride for a M&G is not trivial. Those aren't safe environments were one can walk around freely so there would have to be plenty of construction done. Plus they are not designed for groups of people to be inside wandering around and/or queuing up inside.

It could be done, of course, but I wonder if there aren't more logical places where a M&Gs could happen which would require less engineering.
 
UberPlannerMom

UberPlannerMom

Well-Known Member
Krack said:
Almost. Now M&Gs are wildly popular because it's the sole focus of Disney's marketing.

Seriously, Disney learned about 15 years ago that rather than advertise to all demographics and try and learn what appeals to all people, it's far easier to put the full court press on soccer moms telling them that they are terrible parents if they don't take their child to Disney World to meet Mickey Mouse and Cinderella. You market to men and they say "hmm, that looks like fun - the kids would probably like it - maybe we'll go". You market to women and they announce, "we're going" and that it; whoa be the husband/boyfriend that doesn't let them get their way. And the quickest way to lean on the women is to convince them they might be a terrible mother. It doesn't hurt that once they are in the park, women spend ... and spend (and spend).

So that's it. It's why every commercial has a little girl dancing around in a princess dress. It's why WDW doesn't advertise in men's magazines anymore (or during sporting events). If you market the place as the Meet & Greet Kingdom, then there better be meet & greets all over the place when they get there. Because that's what they've been told to expect. It's why they are there.
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Wow... that is completely offensive. First of all, not only is my husband the spender in our family but my father is the spender in my parents relationship. I know a great many couples that are exactly the same way. Secondly, the only reason I decide when we are going to Disney is because I am the one who can find the resources to go. My husband always wants to go but can never figure out how to get the dollars together. I just listen to how many times a day he says he wants to go and then tell him how to make it work. Your marriage may work that women do all the spending (my in-laws are completely that way) but don't for a second think that applies to all women or marriages!
 
lebeau

lebeau

Well-Known Member
David R said:
Closing a ride for a M&G is not trivial. Those aren't safe environments were one can walk around freely so there would have to be plenty of construction done. Plus they are not designed for groups of people to be inside wandering around and/or queuing up inside.

It could be done, of course, but I wonder if there aren't more logical places where a M&Gs could happen which would require less engineering.
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You are most probably right. It is merely the use of the word "controversial" that has me eyeing rides.
 
K

Krack

Active Member
Kamikaze said:
You know, I was going to say 'its just busier now' as a reason why they couldn't have characters without the lines, but after doing some research, it was comparably busy in 1996-1997 as it was in 2009, at least in terms of visitors to MK.

The way it is now is much more organized, even if it seems less happenstance and more planned. And the biggest advantage of the tent set up? They can keep the line going while they switch the performers out. You know, have two 'shifts' going when the other is on break. That is much harder to do out in the open.
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It's not any more busier now, than it was. The difference is the marketing. They marketed that YOU WILL SEE MICKEY MOUSE WHEN YOU COME TO THE MAGIC KINGDOM AND IF YOU DON'T LET YOUR CHILD SEE MICKEY MOUSE YOU ARE A DEFICIENT PARENT. When moms got to the park and Mickey wasn't standing on every corner every minute of the day, they complained - and Mickey got his permanent M&G. It worked so well with Mickey, they extended the marketing to other characters (particularly the Princesses).

If the Princesses aren't available at all times, they get complaints. Back in the early 80s, it was more of a "Hey, look over there, it's Alice and the Mad Hatter. Neat. Go give her a hug. I'll snap a picture." Now it's "We're not leaving until my kid has her photo with Cinderella. Where is she?" It's a different attitude that can be traced back to the marketing.
 
UberPlannerMom

UberPlannerMom

Well-Known Member
The vast majority of men may wish to see women as the spenders but that is all from their perspective. They look at their wives as the spenders because their wives buy the birthday presents, prepare the care packages when the kids go away to camp and even, gasp, take the kids to get school supplies. On the other hand, when men spend they spend on themselves... and often spend the same amount on themselves that the women spend on everyone else in the family. There is a reason places market things to men as toys... you boys always have to have the latest and greatest, whether it be a tractor, car, computer, guitar, air compressor, drill... you name it.

I really don't know where you get that Disney markets that you are a bad parent if you don't take your kid to see Mickey or Cinderella. I don't see that at all. Do they include the characters in the ads? Well, yeah, duh... it would be a huge oversight to not. The main point of the ads quite often seems to me to be- come to Disney, where you can be together having fun!
 
WDWFigment

WDWFigment

Well-Known Member
Krack said:
It's not any more busier now, than it was. The difference is the marketing. They marketed that YOU WILL SEE MICKEY MOUSE WHEN YOU COME TO THE MAGIC KINGDOM AND IF YOU DON'T LET YOUR CHILD SEE MICKEY MOUSE YOU ARE A DEFICIENT PARENT. When moms got to the park and Mickey wasn't standing on every corner every minute of the day, they complained - and Mickey got his permanent M&G. It worked so well with Mickey, they extended the marketing to other characters (particularly the Princesses).

If the Princesses aren't available at all times, they get complaints. Back in the early 80s, it was more of a "Hey, look over there, it's Alice and the Mad Hatter. Neat. Go give her a hug. I'll snap a picture." Now it's "We're not leaving until my kid has her photo with Cinderella. Where is she?" It's a different attitude that can be traced back to the marketing.
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Then trace it. You keep making this claim that it's the marketing, so perhaps you could substantiate that claim with some marketing that either impliedly or explicitly corroborates your point.

However, I remember (and have pictures demonstrating this) where mob scenes formed around the free roaming characters. This goes back to the mid-80s (I don't remember it then, but I have pictures of my father holding me in the vicinity of a character while others were swarmed around because you couldn't get a picture with just you and the character) and only got worse in the 90s. Perhaps once the M&Gs got more organized, more people became interested in them. It's not everyone who wants to brave a crowd of grabby 8 year olds to interact with a character (especially adults without kids; my wife and I love meeting characters--not because marketing has told us to do so or because we'll be bad parents to our non-existent kids--but we'd never approach them if it meant competing with little kids. We'd view it as more important that the youngsters had a 'special experience' without adults shoving them). Ever consider that possibly?

What am I thinking. Of course it's evil marketing. No way people would choose to go to M&Gs out of their own volition. Disney must be forcing them, subconsciously or consciously, to queue up for the characters! Give me a break. :rolleyes:
 
lebeau

lebeau

Well-Known Member
UberPlannerMom said:
I really don't know where you get that Disney markets that you are a bad parent if you don't take your kid to see Mickey or Cinderella. I don't see that at all. Do they include the characters in the ads? Well, yeah, duh... it would be a huge oversight to not. The main point of the ads quite often seems to me to be- come to Disney, where you can be together having fun!
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Will you stop with the factually accurate information? You are ruining a perfectly bonkers conspiracy theory!
 
lebeau

lebeau

Well-Known Member
WDWFigment said:
What am I thinking. Of course it's evil marketing. No way people would choose to go to M&Gs out of their own volition. Disney must be forcing them, subconsciously or consciously, to queue up for the characters! Give me a break. :rolleyes:
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If you listen to "It's a Small World" backwards, I swear you can hear them say "Buy an autograph book!"
 

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