ChrisFL
Premium Member
Unless there's a radical change in the way Disney does contracts with companies, I agree.
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Habit Heroes Closed
- Thread starter Cmdr_Crimson
- Start date
Unless there's a radical change in the way Disney does contracts with companies, I agree.
I think Epcot would have trouble even attracting tech companies if they offered the space for free. The cost of setup and maintaining the displays is probably not deemed worthwhile. Products photos, videos, specs are all just a click away, and can be updated instantly. Exhibits quickly become stale.
matt9112
Well-Known Member
creating your own coaster is (opinion) nothing ground breaking anymore even with those nice simulators, would much rather some kind of true "soft" D attractions you could fit a nice attraction in west and east i would think. (some could argue the crowds around there would become insane)
matt9112
Well-Known Member
steve i have to quip here....the days of throwing your name on the side of something are over....but if you could do a larger tie in to an attraction IE your featured in the ride lots of promo and if the ride is top notch it can still leave a mark...but mission to space...who knows its HP if you removed the sign?
Maybe. But a good exhibit at Disney can reach a MASSIVE number of potential customers. And customers with enough affluence to pay for a Disney vacation. Much more valuable than a web banner.
I wonder though if part of the problem is that Disney itself has become such a global conglomerate, that it's hard to find other companies that they aren't directly competitive with. Take a "technology" company like Sony -- But Sony also makes television and movies, making it a direct competitor of Disney. Making both companies less likely to plan a cooperative exhibit.
I agree with what you are saying, but things don't seem to be seen that way. You can bet Disney has been trying for years to get any of the top tech firms to take a role in Epcot. None of them want to. The only companies still involved are somehow connected to some of the original sponsors, or are from a more traditional industry.
Apple, Microsoft, Google, Tesla and co are nowhere to be found.
For those who miss the "IBM Think" exhibit, you can now find it at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, with some updates (although not many that I noticed).
doctornick
Well-Known Member
Where else can you do a create your own coaster of the quality of SoAT? It's a pretty solid experience (kind of a hidden gem in Epcot in my mind).
I actually like the idea of expanding Sum of All Thrills to the whole building. Adding more arms for capacity, have the ride length being a bit longer maybe having some smaller/less intense ones for a lower height restriction and then actually advertise it and you'd have a decent attraction that enhances Futer World's offerings. You could even had a partnering exhibit on the engineering of building rides.
MrPromey
Well-Known Member
I don't think Steve is saying he thinks the days of sponsorships are over, just that the days of tech companies setting up permanent exhibits to feature a product are probably over. When Innovations first opened, that's what was going on. You could go in and get a sample cookie baked in some new oven. They had a display showing how a composite resin was better than steel for bumpers in modern cars, etc. GM had an exhibit talking about their new electronic car. Sony's robot dog (the future!) was there. Someone (can't remember who now but it was a well known company) was touting a newly developed e-ink technology long before the age of the Kindle.
Those folks looking to pitch their products or their visions of the future now have a much cheaper and more flexible venue to showcase their wares. Heck, I remember using the internet in Innoventions (sponsored by MSN, I believe) back in the day. You went into a room and they had computers on high speed connections the way they had animation desks set up Hollywood studios and you had an amount of time to use it. Basically, it was like going to the public library is today back at a time when those who had computers were all still on dial-up and the majority of the public still didn't know what the internet was.
Companies still concerned with building brand awareness in the changing demographic segment that can continue to afford to and who still finds interest in visiting Epcot will likely continue to sponsor attractions that they feel helps create a positive perception for them just like companies will continue to sponsor Broadway shows, by TV ads and use other more traditional forms to reach consumers.
There is a rub there, though: Companies that can afford to sponsor major attractions need to believe it's worthwhile. If attendance numbers decline and if the demographics shift to far towards the "drunky-town" crowd, they may have a harder time attracting and keeping these sponsorships. That might have been one of the deciding factors in converting Norway to some place that makes people think of Frozen and not frozen margaritas.
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ShoalFox
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
Pretty sure that was the original purpose of Innoventions back in '94.
MrPromey
Well-Known Member
Yeah. When Innoventions replaced Communicore, they gave the impression that it would remain an ever evolving landscape of the corporate world's vision of the future that was right around the corner or just arriving. Pre-internet boom, I'm sure that seemed like a great strategy and I think for its time, it was.
At this point, like so much else at Epcot, Innoventions has long passed its sell-by date. Considering Colortopia just opened, it appears that they are as likely to stick with this as they are a dark haired Bill Nye and an Ellen that still has a sitcom in another pavilion... Maybe they'll re-brand it (since it really isn't about emerging technologies or products anymore) and do something else with the other side. One can hope.
Yes that is what I was referring to. It was very different times back then - amazing to see all those products that the typical person had no other way of seeing. (I even bought one of those robot dogs all from seeing it at Epcot.) The internet has changed all that. Much the same as how the internet and DVD extras going behind the scenes of TV and movies has made the behind the scenes stuff from the Studios irrelevant to much of today's audience.
RIP Innoventions 2.0. And 1.0. And Communicore.
The world is indeed a far different place. But there's still two huge buildings now virtually sat empty save for ever expanding meet n greets and shopping.
Should this really represent the core of the park? A radical repurpose must surely be in the works. Like so much of Futureworld a lot could be gained from relative little outlay.
The world is indeed a far different place. But there's still two huge buildings now virtually sat empty save for ever expanding meet n greets and shopping.
Should this really represent the core of the park? A radical repurpose must surely be in the works. Like so much of Futureworld a lot could be gained from relative little outlay.
The potential of the space is huge. Something great could, and should be done with it.
MrPromey
Well-Known Member
The tables have turned. If Disney were to approach Apple today, Apple's question would probably be how much Disney would be willing to pay them to have their name used on something in Disney's park. (I know you get this Steve, I'm just riffing off your statement
)People want to see stuff from these companies. They don't have to pay to get in front of audiences in unique ways like they once had to. Having any of those brands that Steve mentions above attached to an attraction at Disney would boost the appeal of the attraction. Sponsorships are supposed to work the other way around.
Seimens is a great example of a sponsorship that can still work. They're a big company with deep pockets that most people know little or nothing about and who clearly have an interest in boosting their name recognition and aren't just trying to peddle a single product or two.
wdwfan4ver
Well-Known Member
I did hint that by "typing Innoventions was great for a time". The first time I saw the new Innoventions was 1997 and I also hinted that Disney allowed innoventions to be out of date from a technology standpoint.
