Did AT&T REALLY drop SE?

[MrNonacho]

Has AT&T really ended sponsorship from Spaceship Earth? As of yesterday, there still haven't been any changes whatsoever. No references to AT&T have been removed. Even the little sign on the door in the New Global Neighborhood is still there. This seems strange to me since when FedEx and GE dropped SM and IllumiNations, they began removing references to them within a couple weeks. This, plus the fact that AT&T/SE was not mentioned in the article in this thread is making me wonder if this wasn't just another runaway rumor. I just checked the new post-100 YoM maps and SE is still "Presented by AT&T." GE and FedEx are gone here, too.

Can anyone shed some light on this? If the sponsorship did end, then why aren't any of the references being removed?

 

[donaldduck1967]

yes at&t is dropping sponsorship

 

[MrNonacho]

If they haven't already, do you know when they will?

 

[Main Street USA]

Originally posted by donaldduck1967
yes at&t is dropping sponsorship

Well, he was asking for some sort of explanation. We've heard that sentence a thousand times, and he's saying that he ahs only seen evidence to the contrary. Simply responding with "yes" doesn't answer the question.

I'm curious as to why they haven't taken these things down myself. Seems to me that they were supposed to be dropping them in late Dec. or the end of the year, but it's March now, and everything is still there? Wierd.

 

[bamboo7]

Yes, at&t has dropped sponsorship of SE, but nothing has changed yet. The at&t logo is still all over the ride and there are still 'at&t staff parking only' signs on a few parking spaces backstage by the main enterance. But there are also amex staff only parking spaces there as well, and amex has dropped sponsorship of the parks, and have been replaced by visa. So as for why the attraction has not been changed, i'm not sure but here are a few reasons i think could be true. First off, the at&t logo is EVERYWHERE inside that building, and the whole end of the attraction is pretty having you bow down to at&t. i think it'd take some serisous rehabbing to take at&t out of it and still have something to look at. Or maybe they are waiting for a replacement for global neighborhood. Maybe they are waiting to find a new sponsor to replace at&t. and the theory that i am most afraid of, maybe they aren't taking out the at&t logos because they will be gutting the whole thing in the future for 'time racers' or something else.

 

[bamboo7]

next time i get deployed to SE, i'll see if i can get an oppertunity to ask one of the SE managers about all this.

 

[mickey04]

Are you sure they have stopped making references to GE in Illuminations? I was there last week and although SM didn't say FedEx any more, they were still doing the "Because GE brings good things to life..." in the announcements. Actually, in all honesty I had heard about AT&T and FedEX, but not GE- was this more recent?

But your definately right about SE, they haven't changed anything, but I think bamboo is right, they will probably have to shut the whole thing down to remove the logos- meanwhile, free advertising for AT&T!:lol:

 

[MrNonacho]

It's true that they still play the announcements that include GE before IllumiNations. That's probably just because they haven't had the chance to record new ones. However, they no longer light up the logos and have removed their name from the new maps. Their ending of the sponsorship was confirmed by the article in this thread.

I understand that it might take a while to remove the AT&T references that are part of the soundtrack or videos during the ride. It's the fact that even the smaller signs are still there, and that AT&T is still mentioned on the brand new maps, that is making me wonder.

 

[bamboo7]

speaking of maps, i think there are going to be new maps now that 100yom is done. it'll be interesting to see any sponsorship-related changes there.

 

[MrNonacho]

Originally posted by bamboo7
speaking of maps, i think there are going to be new maps now that 100yom is done. it'll be interesting to see any sponsorship-related changes there.

Actually, that's what I'm talking about. There are brand new maps out now that no longer feature the celebration. They no longer have the parades on the front (except AK's). AT&T is still the sponsor of SE in Epcot's new map.

 

[WDW1971]

Originally posted by MrNonacho
Has AT&T really ended sponsorship from Spaceship Earth? As of yesterday, there still haven't been any changes whatsoever. No references to AT&T have been removed. Even the little sign on the door in the New Global Neighborhood is still there. This seems strange to me since when FedEx and GE dropped SM and IllumiNations, they began removing references to them within a couple weeks. This, plus the fact that AT&T/SE was not mentioned in the article in this thread is making me wonder if this wasn't just another runaway rumor. I just checked the new post-100 YoM maps and SE is still "Presented by AT&T." GE and FedEx are gone here, too.

Can anyone shed some light on this? If the sponsorship did end, then why aren't any of the references being removed?

I read somewhere that AT&T had released a memo to their employees confirming this. They were informing the employees that they would no longer receive discounts at WDW as a result. I can't remember where I read that. Did anyone else see that?

 

[mickey04]

Originally posted by MrNonacho
Actually, that's what I'm talking about. There are brand new maps out now that no longer feature the celebration. They no longer have the parades on the front (except AK's). AT&T is still the sponsor of SE in Epcot's new map.

Do ypu have one of the new maps and if you do could you post it? I would love to see what it looks like?

 

[MrNonacho]

Originally posted by mickey04
Do ypu have one of the new maps and if you do could you post it? I would love to see what it looks like?

Sure do!

 

[mickey04]

Wow, awsome! :sohappy: :sohappy:

Are there any major changes on the inside, anything added to the maps (like M:S) or any new information?

 

[bamboo7]

Originally posted by MrNonacho
Actually, that's what I'm talking about. There are brand new maps out now that no longer feature the celebration. They no longer have the parades on the front (except AK's). AT&T is still the sponsor of SE in Epcot's new map.

i just ran over to epcot to grab my costume for tonight and while i was there i grabbed maps for mk, ak, and epcot. the ak and mk ones were the old maps, sadly, but the epcot map was a new one, and it still lists at&t as the sponsor for SE, though i saw no mention of GE or AMEX at AA.

 

[MrNonacho]

Originally posted by mickey04
Wow, awsome! :sohappy: :sohappy:

Are there any major changes on the inside, anything added to the maps (like M:S) or any new information?

Nothing much has been added. Where the 100 YoM info was there are now little blurbs on various attractions.

MK has info on the parade, Buzz, and Cinderella's Surprise Celebration.

Epcot has Test Track and Honey I Shrunk the Audience.

MGM has ToT, RnRC, and Playhouse Disney.

AK has Primeval Whirl and Festival of the Lion King.

Also, the picture of a name tag has changed to show a generic one with Mickey at the top.

 

[imagineersrock]

IKE THE NEW MAP FRONTS; ESPECIALLY EPCOT'S -THE ONLY THING IS MGM'S, I'VE SEEN THAT 1 PLENTY OF TIMES... MAYBE A RNRC 1 WOULD BE COOL??

 

[jaimjaim25]

Re: Re: Did AT&T REALLY drop SE?

Originally posted by WDW1971
I read somewhere that AT&T had released a memo to their employees confirming this. They were informing the employees that they would no longer receive discounts at WDW as a result. I can't remember where I read that. Did anyone else see that?

Yes Its defintate and the employees all got the e-mail. I used to work for AT&T (GOT LAID OFF, MAYBE ANOTHER REASON THEY ARE ENDING SPONSERSHIP.. NO $$$$ ) Some of my friends still wok there and they let me know all the recent news about that.. it's soo sad... communication was the point of the ride.. no at&t, so who will take over the sponcership? Its got to be a phone company!

 

[jaimjaim25]

Oh, they officially didn't renew sponcership, but that could also mean that they have a particular cut off date to actually END the sponcership. Maybe it just hasnt happened yet.. I know that i wont be able to use the VIP room anymore.. They probably alreayd took everything down by now...

 

[MrNonacho]

Originally posted by jaimjaim25
Oh, they officially didn't renew sponcership, but that could also mean that they have a particular cut off date to actually END the sponcership.

This makes sense.

So unless anyone knows more, AT&T's name could be around for months to come.