COP... tear down?

[Tony the Tigger]

I hear they are moving the Smithsonian to MK and rebuilding it around CoP.

 

[DisneyChik17]

I hear they are moving the Smithsonian to MK and rebuilding it around CoP.

I heard that too! My uncle has an exchange student whose cousin is a higher-up at Shanghai, and he said that Shanghai turned down the offer on that, so WDW is actually going to get it.

 

[Phil12]

And Fonzie's jacket or Archie Bunker's chair do?

Don't get me wrong: I do not want it in the Smithsonian. I want it at WDW -- perhaps updated, but that is a different topic.

I am just responding that, with its connection to the iconic 1964 New York World's Fair -- probably being among the best-remembered exhibits and clearly within the fair's topic of progress -- and its clear encapsulation of the optimism of the America of that time, it clearly would fit within the topics recognized at the American History Museum of the Smithsonian Institution.

That does not mean, however, that it would fit in the building!

It's a building. It's historical significance is changed and diminished with the many moves it has made. If CoP were still in operation in its original location in New York, it would have more historical value.

Also, I think you're losing sight of the fact that is was a commercial advertisement designed to sell GE products and to give consumers a warm and fuzzy feeling about General Electric. It was moved from Disneyland to WDW at the behest of GE to get new people to see the show so that GE could get the most for their advertising dollars. It was part of the GE public relations campaign. Disney's job was to tell the "good" side of the GE story. And Walt did a great job because he was a great salesman! CoP was a paid commercial for GE the same as WoM was for GM.

Of course it doesn't bother to touch upon the fact that General Electric was then and is now a huge defense contractor that made neutron triggers for nuclear bombs among their many other weapons systems.

Back in Walt's day big corporations liked to associate with the Disney name in the hope that some of the pixie dust would rub off on them as well.

"We bring good things to life."

 

[discos]

If this "rumor" is in fact true, where's everyone gonna take a nap in the MK

 

[JenniferS]

If this "rumor" is in fact true, where's everyone gonna take a nap in the MK

Hall of Presidents.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

It's a building. It's historical significance is changed and diminished with the many moves it has made. If CoP were still in operation in its original location in New York, it would have more historical value.

Also, I think you're losing sight of the fact that is was a commercial advertisement designed to sell GE products and to give consumers a warm and fuzzy feeling about General Electric. It was moved from Disneyland to WDW at the behest of GE to get new people to see the show so that GE could get the most for their advertising dollars. It was part of the GE public relations campaign. Disney's job was to tell the "good" side of the GE story. And Walt did a great job because he was a great salesman! CoP was a paid commercial for GE the same as WoM was for GM.

Of course it doesn't bother to touch upon the fact that General Electric was then and is now a huge defense contractor that made neutron triggers for nuclear bombs among their many other weapons systems.

Back in Walt's day big corporations liked to associate with the Disney name in the hope that some of the pixie dust would rub off on them as well.

View attachment 133089

"We bring good things to life."

And an advertisement has less historic value because...

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Exactly. Epcot is supposed to be a permanent World's Fair. What better attractions than ones that originated at an actual World's Fair.

Gran Fiesta is what I'd like to call a "Taste of" IASW...So there is no reason for it to be brought there.

 

[zakattack99]

I hear they are moving the Smithsonian to MK and rebuilding it around CoP.

I hope this happens! Then we will see a ticket price drop!

 

[MississippiBelle]

I hear they are moving the Smithsonian to MK and rebuilding it around CoP.

I heard that too! My uncle has an exchange student whose cousin is a higher-up at Shanghai, and he said that Shanghai turned down the offer on that, so WDW is actually going to get it.

Thrilled to see this wealth of reliable information on the threads! We are well on our way to internet forums of Walt's Epcot dream level perfection! Or as my pal Iger would say "what the heck is an Epcot. never heard of it before."

 

[prberk]

It's a building. It's historical significance is changed and diminished with the many moves it has made. If CoP were still in operation in its original location in New York, it would have more historical value.

Also, I think you're losing sight of the fact that is was a commercial advertisement designed to sell GE products and to give consumers a warm and fuzzy feeling about General Electric. It was moved from Disneyland to WDW at the behest of GE to get new people to see the show so that GE could get the most for their advertising dollars. It was part of the GE public relations campaign. Disney's job was to tell the "good" side of the GE story. And Walt did a great job because he was a great salesman! CoP was a paid commercial for GE the same as WoM was for GM.

Of course it doesn't bother to touch upon the fact that General Electric was then and is now a huge defense contractor that made neutron triggers for nuclear bombs among their many other weapons systems.

Back in Walt's day big corporations liked to associate with the Disney name in the hope that some of the pixie dust would rub off on them as well.

View attachment 133089

"We bring good things to life."

That is true that it was sponsored by GE and featured GE products as an advertisement. But it was also a show and everything else I mentioned. A commercial enterprise can also have historical significance. And a television show, while in part a vehicle for its advertisers/sponsors, may also (and should also) be a good show. I think immediately of the old-fashioned advertising where the show was named for the sponsor ("Texaco Star Theater," the "Pet Milk Grand Ole Opry," and the like), as well as sponsorships where the show's host read or presented the commercial live -- like Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon used to do with Alpo, or like The Price is Right still does with the presentation of products in the game. In today's world the sponsorship comes in many forms, including stadium names, event names (e.g., the NASCAR Sprint Series Cup), product placement (Coca Cola on American Idol), etc.

So sponsorship of a show and integration of the product is not new or unique. It does not necessarily take away from the cultural significance of something. And in the case of the 1964 World's Fair attractions built by Walt Disney, the association with Walt Disney was just as great culturally as it has been with its sponsors -- and likely greater. How many people can name the original sponsor (Pepsi) of "it's a small world" or of "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" (Illinois state)? But they both have attained cultural significance, primarily associated with Walt Disney.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I hope this happens! Then we will see a ticket price drop!

I doubt it..Guest still come no matter what...

 

[Phil12]

And an advertisement has less historic value because...

It's historic value as a building has been diminished with the many moves it has made. It's historic value as an advertisement is diminished because the GE appliance brand was recently sold to Haier after the original deal to sell GE appliances to Electrolux fell through due to antitrust issues.

But I agree that CoP should be included in the Advertising Hall of Fame along with all those Berma-Shave signs. The fact that GE has been trying to dump its appliance division for the past six years is a testament to its lack of good advertising.

Let's see if Haier is able to revive the brand with ingenious advertisements.

 

[marni1971]

It's historic value as a building has been diminished with the many moves it has made.

The building has never moved... aside from in circles....

 

[Phil12]

That is true that it was sponsored by GE and featured GE products as an advertisement. But it was also a show and everything else I mentioned. A commercial enterprise can also have historical significance. And a television show, while in part a vehicle for its advertisers/sponsors, may also (and should also) be a good show. I think immediately of the old-fashioned advertising where the show was named for the sponsor ("Texaco Star Theater," the "Pet Milk Grand Ole Opry," and the like), as well as sponsorships where the show's host read or presented the commercial live -- like Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon used to do with Alpo, or like The Price is Right still does with the presentation of products in the game. In today's world the sponsorship comes in many forms, including stadium names, event names (e.g., the NASCAR Sprint Series Cup), product placement (Coca Cola on American Idol), etc.

So sponsorship of a show and integration of the product is not new or unique. It does not necessarily take away from the cultural significance of something. And in the case of the 1964 World's Fair attractions built by Walt Disney, the association with Walt Disney was just as great culturally as it has been with its sponsors -- and likely greater. How many people can name the original sponsor (Pepsi) of "it's a small world" or of "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" (Illinois state)? But they both have attained cultural significance, primarily associated with Walt Disney.

The CoP building has diminished historical significance because of the many moves it has made. That is also true of the show itself because of the many rehabilitation efforts that have taken place over the years.

GE certainly doesn't want it and Disney will only keep it as long as they have nothing better to do with the space. So CoP should have a long life in Tomorrow-land.

 

[mouse_luv]

 

[Tony the Tigger]

It's historic value as a building has been diminished with the many moves it has made. It's historic value as an advertisement is diminished because the GE appliance brand was recently sold to Haier after the original deal to sell GE appliances to Electrolux fell through due to antitrust issues.

But I agree that CoP should be included in the Advertising Hall of Fame along with all those Berma-Shave signs. The fact that GE has been trying to dump its appliance division for the past six years is a testament to its lack of good advertising.

Let's see if Haier is able to revive the brand with ingenious advertisements.

I don't buy that.

Technically it's still the longest running American stage show. Plus it was huge in the origin story of DL/WDW.

The G.E. stuff is secondary at best, a factoid at worst, but still one of America's longest running companies.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Very simple: the "unwatch" button.

 

[Phil12]

The building has never moved... aside from in circles....

That the problem. The original building form the 1964 World's Fair would have significant historical value if it was still in its original location and operating as CoP. But with building reincarnations in Disneyland and WDW plus gut removal and re installation all seriously diminish historical value.

 

[DisneyJeff]

You would think that after sitting through that 21-minute commercial as many times that I have, I would own more GE appliances (or at least a virtual reality space shooter game).

 

[mouse_luv]

Very simple: the "unwatch" button.

Hey smarty pants, I have a clue for you. First of all, I don't "watch" this thread. No amount of "unwatch" button of any kind is going to make it stop coming up in the new posts tab on the main page of the forums. Better luck being slick next time.