The World's Most Magical Celebration - Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary

[Vinnie Mac]

Those are about the laziest celebration banners I have ever seen, my hometown chamber of commerce does a better job. are there NO creatives left in the company and you turned a graphic design intern loose on the project.

What exactly did you expect them to do? Make the banner an attraction?

 

[Vinnie Mac]

View attachment 580325

Up close of the sign. I think it looks nice and matches the new castle paint job. It has a nice sheen to it IMO that isn’t captured by photos.

It's a banner that looks nice. The people complaining really have me questioning humanity's sanity these days. Like what did they expect them to do? Folks would complain either way. It's the modern day trend. Complain, complain, did I mention complain?

 

[ImperfectPixie]

It's a banner that looks nice. The people complaining really have me questioning humanity's sanity these days. Like what did they expect them to do? Folks would complain either way. It's the modern day trend. Complain, complain, did I mention complain?

Did I mention that Disney is supposed to be the best of the best? Their banners shouldn't look like a newbie created them.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Never put any graphics or text on a banner where a pole will go - EVER. They should have made the banners taller to avoid that...it really gives me the impression that the design department knows absolutely zero about fabrication and mounting requirements. (I'm not saying that's definitely what's happening, but having experience in the field, that's sure what it looks like.)

And I'll never understand why they went with pink and gold...there isn't enough contrast. One of the first things you learn in graphic design is that if something doesn't look good in greyscale, it's not going to look good in color.

Another design issue besides all the ones already mentioned: fake iridescence. Gah. It would take a real mastery of paint or graphic design to fake actual iridescence, and these fail spectacularly at it.

 

[MisterPenguin]

It's a banner that looks nice. The people complaining really have me questioning humanity's sanity these days. Like what did they expect them to do? Folks would complain either way. It's the modern day trend. Complain, complain, did I mention complain?

As someone who often defends Disney or calls out bad-faith criticisms and gets accused of being a pixie-duster, lemme just say: These are awful.

Every criticism mentioned above is valid and points to a lack of professionalism.

 

[Vinnie Mac]

Did I mention that Disney is supposed to be the best of the best? Their banners shouldn't look like a newbie created them.

Okay which brings me to next question. What could you have done better. Because you're right, Disney is the best of the best. So tell me what you would have done

 

[Vinnie Mac]

As someone who often defends Disney or calls out bad-faith criticisms and gets accused of being a pixie-duster, lemme just say: These are awful.

Every criticism mentioned above is valid and points to a lack of professionalism.

I'll ask you the same question, what would you have done better? It's a banner. What'd you want it to be, a projection image? People would say that Disney's being cheap. If they recolored the whole light pole then people would say it's ugly and overdone.

Humanity as a whole doesn't like change. I've come to learn that a chunk of the Disney community also doesn't like change. Nobody will be satisfied unless the park stays the same way it is for years just for it to become stagnant and then complain that everything is too old. Then they'll complain about the new additions to replace what they called old. It's a never ending cycle that some theme parks go through and some don't.

 

[Bocabear]

Yikes....and that vomit-pink/gold is awful.
Why weren't they the simple Royal Blue with metallic gold. Clean, easy to read and regal. This is just plain ug-leeeee

 

[kevlightyear]

Okay which brings me to next question. What could you have done better. Because you're right, Disney is the best of the best. So tell me what you would have done

The criticisms were all very clear and offered distinct suggestions of what they would have done:
1) do not place text or graphics in front of the mounting bar
2) modify the colors to increase the contrast
3) use the older logo

Nobody claimed 'change' as an objection.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Okay which brings me to next question. What could you have done better. Because you're right, Disney is the best of the best. So tell me what you would have done

I've stated my issues with the banners very clearly.

1) The issue of the lack of contrast is something anyone who attended even a non-degree graphic design program would know to avoid.
2) The text appearing over a support pole that distorts it is a mistake a completely untrained person would make and should never have made it through production. Someone from production should have brought up the issue and returned the job to design for modification or brought it to the attention of a superior. If the design and production departments are one and the same, there should be an in-house procedure in place to avoid these kinds of errors...just like there are in any real-world sign shop.

Disney is SUPPOSED to be the best of the best - but the quality of everything Disney has been in decline for years....everything from celebration banners (like the ones we're discussing), to the food, and even the merchandise (compare the feel of a beach towel bought at WDW 20 years ago to one purchased today - the difference is HUGE - even AFTER hundreds of washings). They've been allowed to get by on their reputation alone (built on the backs of people who are long gone) for far too long.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Another design issue besides all the ones already mentioned: fake iridescence. Gah. It would take a real mastery of paint or graphic design to fake actual iridescence, and these fail spectacularly at it.

Yeah...that's something you don't try to fake. You either do it with the proper kind of paint, or you don't do it.

ETA: Where these are very obviously "temporary" banners that don't need to last more than ~18-ish months, I can understand it not being worth the expense to go for real iridescence, but then again, had they gone with a blue background, it wouldn't have been an issue.

 

[Lil Copter Cap]

Y'all upset but you know Disney is just being smart and saving money when these eventually fade in the Florida sun before Oct 1. Sun-drain them at print and there is no need to replace them! So smart.

/please know this is sarcasm

 

[Bocabear]

but I thought the anniversary was being dragged out for 2 years... So the banners are not necessarily "temporary"...and all banners exposed to the sun for that length of time would need replacing...
I just did a quick change, obviously I did not use the proper fonts, just wanted to throw a quick idea out there.

 

[jrhwdw]

but I thought the anniversary was being dragged out for 2 years... So the banners are not necessarily "temporary"...and all banners exposed to the sun for that length of time would need replacing...
I just did a quick change, obviously I did not use the proper fonts, just wanted to throw a quick idea out there.View attachment 580382

You forgot the WDW but...........OK, I'll admit these look better than the Fall ones....Which I think are up now since Boo Bash started already. Maye we'll get these after New Years???

However, The Fall ones look fine to me! Is it really a shock that they went with Fall first since MK is in Fall/Halloween Already??

 

[aliceismad]

It's a banner that looks nice. The people complaining really have me questioning humanity's sanity these days. Like what did they expect them to do? Folks would complain either way. It's the modern day trend. Complain, complain, did I mention complain?

It's not a trend though. There is no modern aspect to the design or layout of those banners, and they do not match the other 50th anniversary branding that has gone up save the font of the 50 and that the 50 appears to be gold. The new castle paint has significant contrast and brightness. The 50th sign on the castle has a variety of colors (pic below for comparison). To have banners that are unreadable or look already faded at the start of a 18-month+ celebration is disappointing. They look like someone made a test print and slapped it up.

(ETA: And for the record, I lean to the pixieduster side, sometimes pretty heavily.)

 

[aliceismad]

I just did a quick change, obviously I did not use the proper fonts, just wanted to throw a quick idea out there.

Your quick effort uses almost identical fonts, perhaps minus a bit of the drop shadow and beveling that the real banner has (which don't add much anyway due to the lack of contrast). It has way more interest and visual impact, and the bar at the bottom is placed properly below the lettering. Even the harlequin pattern in the background matches the castle. If you could do this in 5 minutes or so, surely someone getting paid at Disney could do this.

 

[DCBaker]

 

[Stupido]

Is no one going to comment on how the 50 is off center on the banners too? The 5 is much closer to the edge than the 0 is. I'm very forgiving when it comes to Disney, but this is super poor form, especially since the rest of the text on the banner seems centered properly. As a print designer, these are basics that are pretty unforgivable.

 

[DisneyDodo]

Is no one going to comment on how the 50 is off center on the banners too? The 5 is much closer to the edge than the 0 is. I'm very forgiving when it comes to Disney, but this is super poor form, especially since the rest of the text on the banner seems centered properly. As a print designer, these are basics that are pretty unforgivable.

Due to the shape of the "5" the bottom is considerably further from the edge than the top is, so it's possible the placement was intentional. Regardless, these signs are pretty bad.

 

[skypilot2922]

Yikes....and that vomit-pink/gold is awful.
Why weren't they the simple Royal Blue with metallic gold. Clean, easy to read and regal. This is just plain ug-leeeee

Winner! Those colors pop and do everything a banner is supposed to do. The color is called Royal Blue for a reason.