A Spirited Valentine ...

[Princess Leia]

Wasn't Olaf's Frozen Adventure a rumored title for Frozen Ever After years ago?

I am not sure

 

[csmat99]

I suspect Starbucks would have been happy to keep selling the iconic bakery items but as usual this was more about shedding workforce and collecting rent for a space Disney once operated so eliminating the unique treats at the bakery was a 'no brainer' to mall management sorry that's TDO.

But for me at least it's an aggregation of little stuff which made us stop visiting WDW. Sharing cinnamon rolls in the morning or during the mid afternoon parade (as in reality a single roll fed at least 2 people). The transmutation of the 'Tonga Toast' into something else which is Named Tonga Toast but probably comes in 1 gross cartons of frozen product. The ice cream cookie sandwich, Dozens of others Disney was always about sweating the small stuff take that away and what do you have ????

Maybe I misunderstood the part you said about shedding workforce and collecting rent but the people working at Starbucks in the parks are Disney employees. Starbucks sent people to help train them but those stores are licensed to be run by Disney. Disney just has to pay Starbucks the license fee and probably percentage of profits.

 

[Princess Leia]

I'm strongly assuming Disney chose to do this with Olaf's Frozen Adventure because They're not completely confident in selling a film about Día de los Muertos to the general public in the U.S. and Canadian so they need something highly marketable to get those butts in seats.

I've got to disagree with that theory a bit. It's Pixar. Pixar sells tickets. Frozen probably won't hinder people from buying tickets though, it's just a slight bonus.

'The Book of Life', also about Dia de los Muertos, was produced by Reel FX Creative Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It almost made double it's budget, and got a Golden Globe nom, but the lack of 'Disney', 'Pixar' or 'Dreamworks' probably didn't help with selling it to audiences.

 

[rael ramone]

Frozen officially doesn't take place in Norway. Arendelle is a fictional place BASED on Scandinavian folklore (predominantly Norwegian). All they needed to do was just say it was Norway and at least some of the criticism would have been squashed. They have openly stated that almost all of their research and development was in Norway. But it is treated, in Epcot, as a Norwegian fairy tale.

My last trip, while I was eating Norwegian Quick Serve (blah sandwich, good pastry & meat/cheese plate), they were playing in the background music from Snow White, etc. Basically, Princess Music.

I've said this before, Norway hasn't been kicked out of it's pavilion yet, but it's sleeping on the couch....

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

I've got to disagree with that theory a bit. It's Pixar. Pixar sells tickets. Frozen probably won't hinder people from buying tickets though, it's just a slight bonus.

'The Book of Life', also about Dia de los Muertos, was produced by Reel FX Creative Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It almost made double it's budget, and got a Golden Globe nom, but the lack of 'Disney', 'Pixar' or 'Dreamworks' probably didn't help with selling it to audiences.

Pixar used to sell tickets. Now the movie needs to stand on its own merits to be a blockbuster. See THE GOOD DINOSAUR for reference.

 

[HMF]

Pixar used to sell tickets. Now the movie needs to stand on its own merits to be a blockbuster. See THE GOOD DINOSAUR for reference.

To be fair I do think Good Dinosaur was sabotaged by being released only a month before Star Wars VII

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

To be fair I do think Good Dinosaur was sabotaged by being released only a month before Star Wars VII

I think it was sabotaged by being godawful.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

I've got to disagree with that theory a bit. It's Pixar. Pixar sells tickets. Frozen probably won't hinder people from buying tickets though, it's just a slight bonus.

'The Book of Life', also about Dia de los Muertos, was produced by Reel FX Creative Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It almost made double it's budget, and got a Golden Globe nom, but the lack of 'Disney', 'Pixar' or 'Dreamworks' probably didn't help with selling it to audiences.

I'm not sure that Pixar will sell tickets no matter what. The Disney/Pixar brand will definitely bump it to an extent, but recent history shows that can only go so far. I've read a lot of comments on social media today from people who intitially had no interest in the movie now excited to see it simply because of Olaf's Frozen Adventure. Yes, the Book of Life made about double its budget back, but that's only if you count the worldwide gross which is not so impressive considering said budget doubled was only $50 million. Surely Coco's going to need a lot more than $99 million worldwide if it's considered to be the least bit successful by Disney's unbelievably high standards. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=bookoflife14.htm

 

[Kman101]

I think it was sabotaged by being godawful.

I wouldn't say "godawful" but it wasn't good. Good Dinosaur should have been a short.

I think they should have gone with Newt instead of Good Dinosaur.

 

[Princess Leia]

I wouldn't say "godawful" but it wasn't good. Good Dinosaur should have been a short.

I think they should have gone with Newt instead of Good Dinosaur.

RIP Newt

 

[Princess Leia]

I'm not sure that Pixar will sell tickets no matter what. The Disney/Pixar brand will definitely bump it to an extent, but recent history shows that can only go so far. I've read a lot of comments on social media today from people who intitially had no interest in the movie now excited to see it simply because of Olaf's Frozen Adventure. Yes, the Book of Life made about double its budget back, but that's only if you count the worldwide gross which is not so impressive considering said budget doubled was only $50 million. Surely Coco's going to need a lot more than $99 million worldwide if it's considered to be the least bit successful by Disney's unbelievably high standards. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=bookoflife14.htm

I should have clarified- I meant that it only made almost double the budget. Unless a movie has a minuscule budget, a movie really needs to make a lot more than double the budget and perform well globally. The latter is the reason why we'll be seeing more Pacific Rim (which I genuinely liked), Transformers, Pirates and Mummy films. The former is why Deadpool will stick around (though I'm hoping Fox will give the movie a bit more money for the sequel).

 

[BrianLo]

I don't believe that I've ever stepped into a Starbucks in my life , but I suspect that the 'frozen mass produced stuff we can buy anywhere USA' is part of the Starbucks BRAND. Also, as far as the swamps go, by far the most iconic place to put Corporate Burned Beverage would be in the Main St. Bakery. I suspect if an alternate location was offered, it would have been refused.

Ah, the internet. I've never done X, Y, and Z in my life... but let me offer my strong opinions, assumptions and judgements about it. Even though literally all of you are likely more informed than I am.

Chosen Ignorance, the new badge of honour.

 

[FigmentJedi]

Only after the Epcot ride was announced.
Almost all of the Norway-centric "making of" literature was generated retroactively.

They had been very forward with it before hand. The "Norwegian cultural influences on Frozen" exhibit opened before the movie did as part of that initial meet and greet in the gift shop.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Pairing a Christmas short with a Day of the Dead movie is some Jack Skellington level shenanigans.

 

[FigmentJedi]

Universal should really capitalize on Odyssey somehow.

 

[Phil12]

Can someone explain to me why Frozen doesn't fit in Norway at Epcot? I'm absolutely no Frozen expert, but doesn't the movie take place in Norway?

Some people just dislike fiction.

 

[Princess Leia]

Something I that I doubt OFA will fix, but hope will be changed for the Frozen musical (that I hope Jonathan Groff will at least originate the role in) or Frozen 2- an actual solo for Kristoff that isn't about reindeer. Groff has too nice of a voice to just sing bit parts.

 

[Cesar R M]

IS that how it works? You never see these characters in family relationships.
I always assumed they were being built in a factory somewhere, like Autobots.

Plot twist.. Cars is set in the "past" of the Transformers World.
They evolved and became more efficient.. but wars started.. and their planet was depleted.

 

[Cesar R M]

.Eisner put McDonalds in the parks at WDW

I do not see much difference in McDonalds and Cosmic Ray's offerings.. Infact, I find Cosmic Rays to be a downgrade food wise.

 

[Cesar R M]

Anyone remembers the Shrek joke about Starbucks?

My country also has its own version of that (called Sanborns, one in almost every corner). And I guess Canada's version is Tim Horton's.