A lot of those shows, parades, and characters for the latest movies were partially or fully funded by the studios (the real one not DHS/MGM) marketing budget. The studio paid to promote their films and the park gladly accepted. This is even how things like Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee happened. This is why they usually had limited runs unless they were so popular that parks decided to pick up the cost and continue them after. Over the years there’s been a huge shift in how the studio chooses to use its marketing budget. They have migrated to other methods that reach more with less. Not unlike the same factors that have deteriorated the sponsorship model.
