Rumor Disney 100: Great Moments with Uncle Walt to Replace Mr. Lincoln

[Rich T]

Ok, take away for a moment the fact Walt didn't want himself as an AA... does that change any of your vitrol here?

Having your founder talk about the company... during a celebration of the company... is tacky and clueless?

As an AA, yes. It would come across as a freak show and be ridiculed by the media worldwide…is my belief. Film, photography and (inanimate) sculpture/art are all respected forms of tribute, widely accepted by our culture as appropriate ways to honor someone. Amusement park robots are not.

Y’know, yer trying to make me put into words something I just feel in my gut. It was weird enough seeing Tom Hanks play Walt Disney in a film produced by Disney presenting a distorted
-for-entertainment-value account of actual events. Multiply that weirdness by a hundred. It’s a Family Guy writer’s dream come true.

 

[flynnibus]

As an AA, yes. It would come across as a freak show and be ridiculed by the media worldwide…is my belief. Film, photography and (inanimate) sculpture/art are all respected forms of tribute, widely accepted by our culture as appropriate ways to honor someone. Amusement park robots are not.

Yet, it's the cornerstone of the format Disney have pioneered and have been lauded for decades? Are people calling the HoP tacky and clueless for putting the presidents up as AAs? Or American Adventure seem as a mockery of the characters in it?

Y’know, yer trying to make me put into words something I just feel in my gut.

What I am getting at it.. don't exaggerate and flail around with hyperboylic labels that don't actually fit your concern.

I say again, if you take away the commentary from Walt and the family... is this format as horrible as you said? I mean, look at the format in use everywhere else.. including people far more important than Walt. Are those so dreadful?

I'm trying to get at what your real grief is over.. is it the conflict with the old wishes? Or the format? Because you started out with the format being the most tasteless thing a company could do... yet, it's the format of story telling the company's theme parks are most known for.

 

[Rich T]

Yet, it's the cornerstone of the format Disney have pioneered and have been lauded for decades? Are people calling the HoP tacky and clueless for putting the presidents up as AAs? Or American Adventure seem as a mockery of the characters in it?



What I am getting at it.. don't exaggerate and flail around with hyperboylic labels that don't actually fit your concern.

I say again, if you take away the commentary from Walt and the family... is this format as horrible as you said? I mean, look at the format in use everywhere else.. including people far more important than Walt. Are those so dreadful?

I'm trying to get at what your real grief is over.. is it the conflict with the old wishes? Or the format? Because you started out with the format being the most tasteless thing a company could do... yet, it's the format of story telling the company's theme parks are most known for.

We are definitely not on the same wavelength here. I think it’s a gross, terrible idea, I think Hall of Presidents is nothing I’d spend a moment of my time in, Lincoln at DL is a historically significant tech demo, and Mark Twain and the other AA representations in American Adventure are not being presented by a mega-media corporation that they founded themselves.

You obviously disagree. Cool.

And, as I implied before, I think it would also be a huge, gross PR blunder if Apple used a Steve Jobs AA to welcome people to the Apple campus or Sony used a Michael Jackson AA to promote their song library.

But I don’t believe the Disney AA rumor, I REALLY don’t think Bob Iger would be on board with it, and… Bingo is my name-o. And if my prediction is 100% wrong… Eh, I can live with that.

 

[Rich T]

…I'm trying to get at what your real grief is over.. is it the conflict with the old wishes? Or the format? Because you started out with the format being the most tasteless thing a company could do... yet, it's the format of story telling the company's theme parks are most known for.

To answer the last paragraph: Yes, yes, and circumstance makes all the difference.

 

[flynnibus]

And, as I implied before, I think it would also be a huge, gross PR blunder if Apple used a Steve Jobs AA to welcome people to the Apple campus or Sony used a Michael Jackson AA to promote their song library.

Yet we can watch Walt, and any other number of CEOs greet us in videos and talk us through stuff? Ok... you have a weird obcession with format making all the difference instead of context and purpose.

Like...AA bad... but unsolicited text message with their name.. OK!

 

[lazyboy97o]

I think Hall of Presidents is nothing I’d spend a moment of my time in, Lincoln at DL is a historically significant tech demo

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is a tech demo for what became The Hall of Presidents.

 

[Rich T]

Yet we can watch Walt, and any other number of CEOs greet us in videos and talk us through stuff? Ok... you have a weird obcession with format making all the difference instead of context and purpose.

Like...AA bad... but unsolicited text message with their name.. OK!

As I said before, yes, at this point in our cultural history, amusement park robots do not carry the same sense of respect for the deceased as film and photography.

When did I say unsolicited text messages with their name was ok?

 

[Rich T]

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is a tech demo for what became The Hall of Presidents.

Yes. I’m not fond of either attraction, but the Lincoln show should be preserved as a step forward in the history of robotics and entertainment.

 

[Consumer]

Yes. I’m not fond of either attraction, but the Lincoln show should be preserved as a step forward in the history of robotics and entertainment.

If Springfield, IL were a more visited city, I would suggest moving it to the Lincoln Library. Though, who knows, maybe it would still get more visitors there than it does at Disneyland.

 

[Supreme Leader]

I don't mind a Great Moments with Mr. Disney type show, I just don't like the idea of an AA of him. It makes him seem more like a character than an actual human. A 20ish minute clip show using old footage and audio of him to make him the host of the show should be enough. And for the love of god, Disney and Disney films didn't only crop up in the 90's. They got 100 years worth of television and film. Use it.

 

[Rich T]

I don't mind a Great Moments with Mr. Disney type show, I just don't like the idea of an AA of him. It makes him seem more like a character than an actual human. A 20ish minute clip show using old footage and audio of him to make him the host of the show should be enough. And for the love of god, Disney and Disney films didn't only crop up in the 90's. They got 100 years worth of television and film. Use it.

The little WDW Hollywood Studios tribute museum of some of Disney’s milestones is very well done… until the end when it becomes an ad for Disney Cruise Lines.

If you want to see a great, imaginative, emotional and tasteful tribute, visit the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.

 

[Consumer]

I've always loved The Disneyland Story hosted by Steve Martin. I'd welcome a show like that, but dedicated to the history of the Walt Disney Company.

 

[Rich T]

I've always loved The Disneyland Story hosted by Steve Martin. I'd welcome a show like that, but dedicated to the history of the Walt Disney Company.

Only if, once Walt is no longer alive, the pace keeps speeding up (Four minutes for the time between Walt and Eisner, two minutes for Eisner, thirty seconds for Iger’s ability to purchase things, and five seconds for Chapek and Iger’s return as a closing gag.

 

[TP2000]

I don't mind a Great Moments with Mr. Disney type show, I just don't like the idea of an AA of him. It makes him seem more like a character than an actual human. A 20ish minute clip show using old footage and audio of him to make him the host of the show should be enough. And for the love of god, Disney and Disney films didn't only crop up in the 90's. They got 100 years worth of television and film. Use it.

That's about where I'm at too. The AA of Walt just seems... wrong. And a little creepy. And a huge waste of resources for a show few will go see after the first 30 days of nerdy blogger excitement.

They could do a great exhibit in the Lincoln Theater lobby about Walt and his company. Us Disney nerds could geek out in there for at least a half hour, I'm sure. It would pale in comparison to the incredible Walt Disney Family Museum up in SF, but it would still be a nice thing for Burbank to do for Walt.

I'm just really skeptical this is even a thing, even in that limited lobby format. They've worked to remove Walt's name from the branding and the content of their media for over a decade now. And suddenly they're going to reverse course and remember that Walt started it and invented it and nurtured it? I'm skeptical of that.

Heck, the whole celebration is called "Disney100", and I can't find a single use of the world "Walt" in any of their marketing material or publicity stuff they've been belching out on Disney100 for the past few months. Suddenly Walt is a thing for them? I doubt that.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/100th-anniversary/

 

[TP2000]

I'm very skeptical of all of this. The Disney100 Celebration is not about Walt, it's about "Disney" as a marketing brand in the 2020's. An anodyne, flabby, shell of its former self quite frankly. That's adrift both creatively and financially lately.

The Disney100 Celebration materials never use the word Walt. So suddenly they're going to do a big Walt robot speech show? I just find that to be incongruous with the rest of their planned campaign for Disney100.

Here's the front page of their website and what they are touting. Notice the lack of the word Walt, or his likeness anywhere. Presented by Citizen as the Official Timekeeper of the Disneyland Resort, don't forget.

Then scroll down a bit to see what it's all about, and there are four Exciting Debuts to talk about! One of which is that three year old parade that got sent back into the warehouse after only a couple months by Covid. But still no mention of any guy named Walt.

Okay, so a new ride, an old parade, and a reprogrammed water show and fireworks. Got it. Walt who?

But scroll down some more for the final big element of a Walt-less Disney100, and here's what Walt really wants you to do. Walt wants you to buy some crap made in Communist China! That's what Walt wants, and it's important you do that to be a part of Disney100.

Alluring apparel! Must-have mementos! Platinum Mickey Balloon Popcorn Bucket made out of plastic shipped from Communist China!

So, yeah, I'm extremely skeptical that they would spend the money suddenly and this late-to-the-party to have a Walt show installed in the park. Walt doesn't really exist for them. He's not part of the branding any longer. He doesn't sell. He's not even on TikTok.

 

[Parteecia]

Walt doesn't really exist for them. He's not part of the branding any longer. He doesn't sell. He's not even on TikTok.

He's on the popcorn bucket.

 

[SaucyBoy]

The concept is interesting and I would be willing to see if given the chance. Disney flounders a lot in theme park experiences lately but they are still the best in the business with their AAs. I see no reason why this wouldn't be a tastefully done reflective experience looking back over the last century.

 

[TP2000]

He's on the popcorn bucket.

Oh, is he? Where? I think it's funny that a green park bench is on there, as if that's something to honor.

 

[SaucyBoy]

We should build shopping malls over cemeteries.

I'm frankly tired of the Saint Walt narrative that fans cling to like their lives depend on it. We have AAs of other important/inspiring figures from history, a Walt Disney AA isn't going to destroy the space/time continuum. Simply don't patronize the attraction if the mere existence of it brings you to inconsolable tears.

 

[Consumer]

I'm frankly tired of the Saint Walt narrative that fans cling to like their lives depend on it. We have AAs of other important/inspiring figures from history, a Walt Disney AA isn't going to destroy the space/time continuum. Simply don't patronize the attraction if the mere existence of it brings you to inconsolable tears.

Man, I don't care.