Walt Disney World: More than just a castle

So I got back from a trip to WDW not too long ago, and had a great time while I was down there. Although I’m not one to nitpick over things instead of enjoying the experience, I briefly recapped a couple of observations I made while I was down there. But there was one trend I realized while down there that was a little bit unsettling, and was simply too big to just slip in to my last thread.

Now people have commented on this forum multiple times about how WDW marketing has changed over the years – how they’ve adjusted from promoting the more natural and quiet “Vacation Kingdom of the World” aspect, along with the many non-park offerings that the early resort provided, to the more “Four parks, one world”, theme park-heavy focus we’re familiar with today. And that’s all fine and good. People go to WDW mainly for theme parks, I get that.

But it seems to me that in recent years, the focus has been narrowing even more, to just one theme park in particular. I'm referring, of course, to the Magic Kingdom. I realized this while constantly driving under/past the main entry signage, which is affixed with the vague, bluish, could-be-Cinderella Castle (although some would note that Disneyland marketing uses the exact same castle).



Nowhere to be found on those same signs are Spaceship Earth, the Tree of Life, or any form of representation for DHS. Or a certain shipwreck and snow-capped ski-slope.

Or take some of the hotel rates that exist around property. Views of Cindy’s humble abode are top-sellers at the various resorts around the lagoon. Heck, one could argue that the entire existence of Bay Lake Tower, the upcoming Grand Floridian villas, or the Californian Grill has to do with taking advantage of this very view. Rooms on the castle-facing side of Bay Lake Tower are priced considerably higher than views on the lake-facing side.

Meanwhile, last year, we booked a one-bedroom at the Boardwalk over Christmas, and because we couldn’t afford a view over the Boardwalk itself, we instead booked a standard view, the cheapest view offered. We were surprised, then, to get to our room and find we had a fantastic view of Disney’s Hollywood Studios – including the fireworks from Fantasmic and the Tower of Terror in all its dramatic glory. I would even say the Tower seemed much larger and closer than the castle did from our Bay Lake Tower room. Why the discrepancy? Why couldn’t these be billed as “Hollywood Studios views” or “Tower of Terror views” in the same way Bay Lake offers its castle views?

Or take the modern WDW TV commercials:

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Not a non-Magic Kingdom theme park in sight.

Is it any wonder, then, that guests on property refer to the Magic Kingdom and “Disney World” almost interchangeably? Or why the Magic Kingdom is consistently more packed than the other three parks even on the same day? How many people that haven’t been to WDW are even aware that WDW consists of more than the one theme park? Couldn’t Disney's marketing, y’know, show the first sign that there was something to do at WDW that wasn’t in the Magic Kingdom?

To me, marketing like this seems counterintuitive to a good business strategy. One would think Disney would showcase its many other offerings to be found at WDW, some of which are quite unique and spectacular in themselves – Illuminations, the Fantasmic dragon, the architectural marvel that is Spaceship Earth, the best safari to be found in the western hemisphere, the grandeur of Wilderness Lodge, World Showcase, the tallest waterslide in the United States. Or maybe even smaller and more personal experiences like the spas, the Fort Wilderness bike trails, the parasailing, the Polynesian luau, four on-property golf courses. But instead Disney always just shows the one thing just about everybody knows you can find at WDW… a castle. And sometimes some Dumbo and teacups for good measure.

Showing stuff like what I listed might be more inviting to people not necessarily interested in meeting their favorite Disney princess and seeing where she lives. It might just entice the golfers, the bikers, the animal fans, people wishing they could more easily sample some global culture, or the couple looking for a relaxing getaway in a beautiful resort. It might even make more money for all of those activities not found in the Magic Kingdom – people would actually know they exist!

Don’t get me wrong- I love Cinderella Castle, and all of its ornate, monumental, Herb Ryman-y goodness. But I guess I have an issue of personal pride in this, as well. I also dearly love Epcot, DHS, the water parks, the resorts, and the magnificence and grandeur of the property of a whole. It saddens me to see those parts of WDW sold short, or for my friends to have such a misunderstanding of how great and how diverse that place is that I go to every year.

Anyway… thoughts?

I hear what you are saying, but I feel like Disney has always been a bit on the castle in their marketing. I think that it is safe to say that the castle is the one thing that is guaranteed recognizable when you think of a Disney theme park destination. Even though things like Spaceship Earth or the Tree of Life are impressive, the least informed potential visitor might not know about them for it to be recognizable. I think in the past they used to possibly show more off during some of their commercials, but I feel that the castle always received the most attention. As you get to the more local market though, the commercials are a bit more specific to a certain area. The on again/off again 3 day FL resident pass continues to use a Jungle Cruise theme, with no castle in site. They also will advertise some attractions specifically when the time is right (Star Tours is a recent example) without having to show the Castle as the center point of WDW.

I think that most folks coming to WDW for the very first time, want to see the Castle first. I've a friend that has never been. She's 50 and says, if she ever gets to come, the first thing she wants to see is the castle and ride Dumbo. It's all those things they've seen on tv or heard about that their so anxious to experience. Someone who's never been might not even know what the Tree of Life is or Spaceship Earth.

When you think of Disney World what's the first thing to spring to mind? Well most people will think the castle! I do agree that disney should showcase the other parks more, but if i was a little kid (especially since i'm a female) i would be more likely to want to want to go if i saw the castle, rather than the sorcerers hat, the epcot ball and the tree of life. However i do get your point and view and very much agree. I guess it's just how disney want to market it.

The castle is the flagship icon that everyone recognizes. It's part of the brand that sells WDW. It is at the beginning of every Disney film and it makes smart marketing sense to use it. If they can get you to the castle they can then expose you to the other parks and bring you back. The castle is a pretty good representation of both castles in Florida and California so it is something you can utilize for both theme parks. A return customer is always the best customer. Naturally the best symbol they have for marketing is Mickey Mouse himself, however if you have a stuffed shirt guest who thinks they are above the whole "mouse thing" (someone actually said that to me) then the castle can be marketed as an alternative.

I do agree though... I believe all parks are deserving of great marketing because thay are just so much FUN!!

Aloha said:

When you think of Disney World what's the first thing to spring to mind? Well most people will think the castle! I do agree that disney should showcase the other parks more, but if i was a little kid (especially since i'm a female) i would be more likely to want to want to go if i saw the castle, rather than the sorcerers hat, the epcot ball and the tree of life. However i do get your point and view and very much agree. I guess it's just how disney want to market it.

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That is excellent branding and marketing at work...until it becomes detrimental to other areas, which I think it has. While the castle image is certainly a large part of their brand, through the bland, MK-focused marketing and newer, generalized branding that has appeared they have essentially "educated" the general population that the castle (and thus, the MK) is Disney. While it would require a bit of effort to "right the ship" by marketing to reeducate through advertisements and a change in some approaches to branding, I would bet it would move the guests back towards the whole resort focus that existed in the early years of the resort. This would probably contribute more to crowd normalization and dispersion throughout the resort as a whole than NexGen will, or would at least go a long way towards helping with that initiative.

Of course, making the other areas of the resort ready for increased crowds and a greater experience should mean increased capacity in the form of new/reopened attractions, improvements to the few "duds" that exist, and better general maintenance...should.

I seem to remember commercials that showcased the entire resort, while saving the prime "time" at the beginning and/or end of the ad for castle/MK shots. A return to ads like that would be perfect, as your strongest branding icon is in one of the prime spots of the ad, while also "educating" guests about everything else.

Not that I'm surprised but the teacup ride shown in the above ad is Disneyland's heh heh....

maxairmike said:

... I would bet it would move the guests back towards the whole resort focus that existed in the early years of the resort. ...

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In the early years of the resort there was only the Magic Kingdom and the center of that was the castle.

It is just part of the "Disney Parks" initiative to save money.

Great post Mr. Twain. I agree and i think it's because the marketing for the past decade or so has been driven solely towards kids and families. I for one, enjoy MK but realize and enjoy the other aspects of the World as much if not even more.

Now granted Cindy's castle is an icon and branded worldwide and from what I understnad one of the most photographed objects in the world, it doesn't have to be marketed as the main draw for travelers. It is possible Disney could change their image as somwhat of a kiddie destination to a(gasp) adult destination also. How many times do you hear as a Disney fan, "Isn't that just for kids" or "we're not going there since our kids are grown up". Imagine seeing a commercial with a 50 something couple drinking wine in a WS pavillion or a 20 something at Typhoon lagoon.

In all the posts so far no one has mentioned the precise reason, as far as I am concerned, that Disney does this. It is simple to me. Yeah those commercials emphasize the Castle and a bunch of young kids who are being told the news they are going to WDW (which is me by the way at 31 years old and a WDW veteran). But here's the thing, I have been mocked in a way by non-believers that have never been there. Why? Because they are too cool to go there and too cool to admit they are even curious about the place. The mocking is a defense mechanism.

So what happens when these haters have kids? They figure they can take a family of 4 or 5 to Disney World "for the kids". The thing they don't realize is once they are there the place is huge and you never want to leave, even as an adult. The kids lured them there and the adults probably like it even more. You see Disney knows this, they know that if they can persuade the kids to go they will tell their parents about it and the parents will begrudgingly take them. But once they are there the parents will fall in love with it. Then those kids will grow up loving the parks and take THEIR kids. It is a fool proof system and Disney is brilliant by marketing it to children. That way the parks will be heavily attended for................56 years and counting now?

A woman I work with is going to WDW with her girls and husband and she's never been. Her reasoning is "the girls will like it". I just chuckled and figured "another one bites the dust." And I'm sure Disney does too.

interesting psychological angle but how will that draw people who either don't want kids or have kids but are grown.

When I was in the food industry our marketing division preached that 55% of families with kids decided on where to dine by the decision of the child. That's why all chain restaurants now have to have cool crayons and craft projects, special kids cups, special upgraded kids menus. It's to entice the child or make it a special experience for the child from the parents perspective.

So, with the possible majority of people with children decide where to vacation with the childs enjoyment as a main component that makes sense. Families are obviously a huge demographic. But with the growing number of empty nest baby boomers and the added aspect that people are now older before they have children it is time to market and expand.

I want to see a commercial with SSE...

I get the idea that the castle is the "icon" and the part of WDW that most Americans are most likely to recognize. But I would say that's the very reason other aspects of the resort need to be featured more. Commercials and marketing should educate the viewer on the true nature and the full extent of the product being sold, in order to interest those that had previously underestimated what the product is truly about.

It'd be like an iPhone commercial spending the entirety of its 30 seconds showing off the phone feature and how great it is to make calls on, since that's the first thing a person would think of when hearing a name like "iPhone". But the reality is that the iPhone is so much more than that, and the phone is maybe 10% the reason somebody would get one. Instead, Apple always is good about pointing out exactly how many things the iPhone can do, showing off the full nature and diversity of the product:

[youtube]onLYKU-CNhM[/youtube]

Sometimes they finish the commercial by something like "...And, yes, it's also a phone." WDW could do something similar, maybe by concluding with the same shot of the castle they use now with the website and phone number beside it. But it seems like that should be just one of the many images featured overall.

Interesting range of opinions here though.

I agree with a lot of the points said. It is basically a way to easily market disney. Maybe they should advertise more of the adult side of the resorts and the general disney area, such as downtown disney to 'lure' more adults in.

What I think about this?







When I see a castle, I think classic Disney, and not so much "Magic Kingdom".


I do see, however, where you're coming from when it's used as the focus point when entering Walt Disney World.

I think that's a great original post, with great follow-up discussion. So, I'll throw in my 2 cents...

I would agree that it would be nice to see more variety in the commercials. But what I think the goal is, is to get the potential customer to call, get info, and get the planning DVD in their home. When they get the DVD...THEN they will be able to see just how much the resort has to offer. For those that have already been, even once, they have already been exposed to many of the other park and resort options, just by setting foot on property. Disney buses advertise everything from the waterparks to Cirque du Soleil inside the buses. So, I think the commercials are aimed at the first-timers. Get the DVD in their hands and the rest will take care of itself.

Alektronic said:

It is just part of the "Disney Parks" initiative to save money.

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I think we have the winner. Footage of Spaceship Earth cannot be used in a Disneyland Resort commercial.

Any commercial with the Cheshire Cat is good by me.

It's a feedback loop; this is what consumers most want to see and so Disney gives them the imagery that tests best; conditioning them to prefer these types of experiences over the other parks and it just all folds in on itself. To be fair, the characters have meals at the other parks and in the hotels; so this kind of advertising boosts their bottom line, too.

The true wrecking ball of this business will be the more wide-ranging Cars Land/DCA advertising that DLR is gearing up for. There will be no castle in that promotion, to have one is counter-productive to the marketing message that DCA is a destination and not hanging on the coattails of a castle/hub/spoke park.

njDizFan said:

interesting psychological angle but how will that draw people who either don't want kids or have kids but are grown.

When I was in the food industry our marketing division preached that 55% of families with kids decided on where to dine by the decision of the child. That's why all chain restaurants now have to have cool crayons and craft projects, special kids cups, special upgraded kids menus. It's to entice the child or make it a special experience for the child from the parents perspective.

So, with the possible majority of people with children decide where to vacation with the childs enjoyment as a main component that makes sense. Families are obviously a huge demographic. But with the growing number of empty nest baby boomers and the added aspect that people are now older before they have children it is time to market and expand.

I want to see a commercial with SSE...

Click to expand...

Well I think in general our world is dominated by families, even despite the average age being higher for marriage and families and an increasing number of people not having kids.

But think about this for a second, the word will spread to you eventually even if you are childless. You'll hear about it from the parents that have gone. These people are your friends, co-workers, neighbours, etc. You'll take the word of an adult over a kid right? Besides there are lots of us on here that didn't go as children but even went as childless adults. Some still don't have a family and will still go. So why do they do this if it's geared towards kids in the marketing? Because like Walt said adults are just kids grown up.

Heck, my wife and I went twice together before our son was born. Some people didn't get it but just hearing about two grown adults going alone will peak some interest.

Another thing too, why spend more on advertising if you don't have to? When you think of the people that go to a place like Universal, doesn't the Magic Kingdom alone triple that crowd in a year? Disney is obviously doing something right when the second most popular theme park in the world isn't even comparable.

You are right that they could add some more things in the ads. It might persuade adults just to see how grand the place is. I remember a commercial in the 1990s that showed a vast array of things to do at Disney World and was basically saying: "Yeah this is Disney (Castle), but so is this (golf course) and this (Downtown Disney) and this (Epcot)." Not a bad ad, but if that was run consistently other than the kids commercial would it be as effective?