Is sponsorship really necessary anymore?

[NickMaio]

A few threads got me thinking. Mainly the loss of rides or changes to rides due to sponsorship changes or drop outs. Looking at you Imagination.

Does Disney really need sponsorship anymore - they are a billion dollar publicly traded organization after all. Yet we still get this excuse not to spend or grow attractions.

These recent <last 10-20 years> sponsorship changes gutted or eliminated rides/pavillions - Is not our hard earned vacation dollars enough anymore.
It honestly seems like an unacceptable excuse for Disney not to spend the cash to update or keep rides / areas open.

If little Universal did not need sponsors why does Disney?
"Hulk - brought to you by your friends at Pepto Bismol" - Really?

Why, as customers, we accepted these lame excuses for a theme park giant to hide behind not to spend money, I will never know.
I know it does not happen much anymore - but Spaceship earth lost its longtime sponsor - Let Disney know that you will not accept any changes to our beloved attraction. I will

Thanks for reading my rant

 

[MrHappy]

I'm of the same thought. In another post I compared Disney to a little league team. Maybe Disney should do a candy sale or car washes to raise money too

EDIT: But I think I know why they do....'cause the can, and it makes them money.

 

[matt9112]

I'm of the same thought. In another post I compared Disney to a little league team. Maybe Disney should do a candy sale or car washes to raise money too

EDIT: But I think I know why they do....'cause the can, and it makes them money.

they have no issue with money but the company is a stock price driven company shareholders won't stock prices to rise as fast as possible and leave inflation in the dust. So the easiest way is to simply spend less. sponsorships are a way to do this. modern Disney in no manner Needs sponsorships but if they can get away with it why not?

 

[NormC]

It was never necessary. It was public relations and free money.

 

[Bender123]

they have no issue with money but the company is a stock price driven company shareholders won't stock prices to rise as fast as possible and leave inflation in the dust. So the easiest way is to simply spend less. sponsorships are a way to do this. modern Disney in no manner Needs sponsorships but if they can get away with it why not?

Its also, historically, been fairly lucrative to the sponsors, in certain situations...Coke, GM, Dole, etc...get massive captive eyeballs all day on their products. Where the line tends to fall off is on the big "nebulous" products and companies...What value is there in Siemens, United Technologies, Exxon, etc...Most normal people don't know who these companies are, much less what they do. The original sales pitch of a new World Fair really doesn't translate to an internet connected populace.

 

[Phonedave]

Its also, historically, been fairly lucrative to the sponsors, in certain situations...Coke, GM, Dole, etc...get massive captive eyeballs all day on their products. Where the line tends to fall off is on the big "nebulous" products and companies...What value is there in Siemens, United Technologies, Exxon, etc...Most normal people don't know who these companies are, much less what they do. The original sales pitch of a new World Fair really doesn't translate to an internet connected populace.

Exxon maybe, people do buy gas. But I agree with things like Siemens. Who knows what Siemens does, or buys their products (I know and do, but that's because of my industry - in fact I have job applications in with Siemens at this moment), but your average WDW guest does not go out buying Siemens products.

I think it is a hold over from when DL and WDW were new ideas, and DIsney was not flush with capital. Back then a sponsorship was a win-win for both parties. Now, it's a business model whos' time has come and gone.

-dave

 

[JIMINYCR]

Advertising is big bucks, in many companies the advertising budget takes up a major portion of the yearly budget. If done properly, and cleverly enough, the message connects with the consumer, and it brings in more than it costs. Walt knew how to use sponsors to his benefit and they in return used the Disney name and connection to advance their companies products. Big name sponsors are still out there, but Disney hasnt needed them in the way they did in their early years and the sponsors utilize other more lucrative forms of getting their messages out. Times have changed and Disney no longer sees the need to tie themselves to others.

 

[John park hopper]

Advertising is big bucks, in many companies the advertising budget takes up a major portion of the yearly budget. If done properly, and cleverly enough, the message connects with the consumer, and it brings in more than it costs. Walt knew how to use sponsors to his benefit and they in return used the Disney name and connection to advance their companies products. Big name sponsors are still out there, but Disney hasnt needed them in the way they did in their early years and the sponsors utilize other more lucrative forms of getting their messages out. Times have changed and Disney no longer sees the need to tie themselves to others.

Who needs stinkin sponsers when you have guests that will pay whatever price you set

 

[Goofyernmost]

Its also, historically, been fairly lucrative to the sponsors, in certain situations...Coke, GM, Dole, etc...get massive captive eyeballs all day on their products. Where the line tends to fall off is on the big "nebulous" products and companies...What value is there in Siemens, United Technologies, Exxon, etc...Most normal people don't know who these companies are, much less what they do. The original sales pitch of a new World Fair really doesn't translate to an internet connected populace.

When Epcot was first built in the early 80's it was a very effective way for a business to get it's message out to the thousands and thousands of people daily. Not so much anymore. I won't say that it has no return, but, compared to the "old days" the margin is pretty small. Computers and social media reach far more people and for a whole lot less cost. So it was necessary or at least justifiable back in the day, however, today the only side that benefits is Disney in any impressive degree.

The point is that business that used to spend a whole lot of money to get exposure in places like Disney no longer need to do so. If management likes the idea of exposure in a theme park then they might push for that to happen, but, Disney has to really sell it and the sale is a tough one. That applies to real World Fairs as well.

 

[Bender123]

When Epcot was first built in the early 80's it was a very effective way for a business to get it's message out to the thousands and thousands of people daily. Not so much anymore. I won't say that it has no return, but, compared to the "old days" the margin is pretty small. Computers and social media reach far more people and for a whole lot less cost. So it was necessary or at least justifiable back in the day, however, today the only side that benefits is Disney in any impressive degree.

The point is that business that used to spend a whole lot of money to get exposure in places like Disney no longer need to do so. If management likes the idea of exposure in a theme park then they might push for that to happen, but, Disney has to really sell it and the sale is a tough one. That applies to real World Fairs as well.

Its just another example of the future rendered Epcots original idea as obsolete. I hate to say it, because I love 80s EPCOT, but its a design that just doesn't work in an internet age.

 

[Bairstow]

It was never necessary. It was public relations and free money.

I don't think Disneyland or Epcot get built without outside money and sponsorship.

Today? Disney probably could self-finance pretty much anything they wanted to, even if they choose to utilize partners in their recent Asian projects.

 

[TwilightZone]

If I remember correctly I think someone here said that epcot ride sponsors will be gone soon forever. So the answer is clearly no if this is true.

 

[MaximumEd]

Epcot almost broke the company. No way it got built without heavy sponsorship. Different company and different time now.

 

[EpcotMark]

When Epcot opened, for the sponsor company, it was enough to have simply the name of the company at the name of the attraction. Now, they want a lot more. Especially to find some way to promote their product line in some way shape or form. Large Future World Epcot pavilions just aren't a good avenue for that. However, Innoventions gave a much more realistic opportunity for those types of "corporate alliances" to take place. And they were much less expensive. Unfortunately, with the demise of innoventions, that opportunity is being significantly lost.

 

[copcarguyp71]

Once upon a time EPCOT was a vision of the future...a fixed worlds fair if you will and sponsors lined up to have their name attached to it, to have their name associated with something ground breaking and special.

Nowadays the world has moved on and the big corporations value their presence on social media and the consumers are far less influenced by sponsorship at one small pinpoint attraction. Heck, even Anheuser Busch recognized that and bailed from the theme park business. The one thing I am amazed with is the lack of Apple presence in the parks with as much shareholding as the Jobs family has. Even if they don't NEED the publicity it just would seem self serving to their share prices to push the parks forward in new and exciting ways.

 

[spock8113]

Disney's rides at the World's Fair of 1964-1965 were all sponsored:
GE Carousel of Progress.
Pepsi-It's a Small World.
The Prehistoric Grand canyon on the DL railroad is from the Ford Pavillion at the 64-65 fair
and "Futureworld" diorama on the Peoplemover at DW is actually a section from the General Motors Pavillion those same 2 years.
Some pieces of that GM 64-65 fair ride were incorporated into Horizons.
Of course, Illinois was the sponsor of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, moved to the Hall of presidents back in the late 60's.

Disney had huge backing from Kodak and they were a major sponsor of The Wonderful World of Color
along with Chevrolet - all back in the 60's.
Why do I think the peoplemover or monorail had Goodyear as a sponsor at one point.
A T & T, Siemens and so many others have come and gone.

Unless your a former board member of these companies, you're probably going to pay an
arm-and-a-leg to get that leg in the door and most are unwilling.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

Disney's rides at the World's Fair of 1964-1965 were all sponsored:
GE Carousel of Progress.
Pepsi-It's a Small World.
The Prehistoric Grand canyon on the DL railroad is from the Ford Pavillion at the 64-65 fair
and "Futureworld" diorama on the Peoplemover at DW is actually a section from the General Motors Pavillion those same 2 years.
Some pieces of that GM 64-65 fair ride were incorporated into Horizons.
Of course, Illinois was the sponsor of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, moved to the Hall of presidents back in the late 60's.

Disney had huge backing from Kodak and they were a major sponsor of The Wonderful World of Color
along with Chevrolet - all back in the 60's.
Why do I think the peoplemover or monorail had Goodyear as a sponsor at one point.
A T & T, Siemens and so many others have come and gone.

Unless your a former board member of these companies, you're probably going to pay an
arm-and-a-leg to get that leg in the door and most are unwilling.

And I think Space Mountain was sponsored by Federal Express at one point in the 90s?...

 

[danyoung56]

Of course, Illinois was the sponsor of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, moved to the Hall of presidents back in the late 60's.

I'm not entirely sure what this means. After the fair Lincoln moved into Disneyland in its own theater. The Hall of Presidents is in Disney World, and has its own Lincoln AA.

 

[ppete1975]

I think Disney could make this work... if they wanted. Heres an example.... Apple sponsors spaceship earth.... You change the spiel... Disney and Apple welcome you ..... nothing else changes.... but heres the kicker..... the stuff after the ride the interactive stuff.... Stuff apple is working on and you can play with it, major apple announcements could be done on a stage there new technology and just how great apple products are and any one can play with them. Basically give the sponsor (test track is another good example) all of the after ride with the caveat that they keep it fresh, clean and informative. That's old Epcot and money.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

"Sponsorship" = advertising and a lounge that employees of said company can use. A cute concept that's completely unnecessary and more often than not, an impediment.