Magic?

[jiminy.cricket]

Hi, this is my first post in this section (I'm excited--sad, I know)!

Well, I, like many others, even though it might be irrelevant today, wonder what Walt would have done, what he would have changed, and what he would think about the state of his company today.

When I think of "Disney", I think of magic, whimsy, dreams, etc., and the songs that echo these themes. So I was wondering where the idea of Disney magic came from and at what point it was applied to the company.

For example, think of the firework shows at the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland, or some of the parks' past slogans, such as "Where Magic Lives". Not that it really matters, but was this concept of using magic in marketing and brand image applied by Eisner, or did Walt Disney use it himself? When I think back to everything in place when Walt was around, the magical theme doesn't come to mind, but just general idealism and hope for the future. So if there are any Disney historians on here, I'm just curious and would really like to find out when this concept started! I hope this question isn't confusing; thanks for any responses!

 

[toadh63]

Welcome! WDW Magic is a terrific board, great moderators, and very little flaming.

I think "magic" has been a big part of Disney since Snow White - a long line of fairy godmothers, witches, and wizards. Even late in Walt's career, magic was still a big marketing tool - WDP's biggest hit in the 60s was Mary Poppins.

We fans put a lot of blame on Mr. Eisner and his crew, and the "magic" tie-ins the last 15 years or so have had more to do with selling Princess items to little girls than any legacy stuff, but... Tinkerbell, the Sorcerer's hat, the Epcot wand - that's all Uncle Walt's. "Magic" has been a substantial part of the Disney appeal almost since the beginning.

Welcome again - glad you're here!:wave:

 

[jiminy.cricket]

That was a quick response! Thanks for that info, and for the warm welcome. The truth is that I've been a long-time reader and I joined a little over a year ago, but I don't post very often and when I do it's usually in the Employment section. So I was just really excited to make my first post in the Walt Disney section! I wholeheartedly accept the belated welcome, though!
:lol:
And it's my first smiley!

And my second!
Okay; I'm having way too much fun with this on a Friday night--er, Saturday morning.

 

[Jesùs_Carioca]

Walt always relied on Magic in many of his stories to tie in the main thematic use of "fairy tale endings" since the beginning films. To me...it seems as if the magic he had himself in his early days in comparison to the magic we hold Disney to have right now are amazingly much more similar than anybody casually links together...only because Walt laid down such a solid foundation for his "successors" (for lack of better word...it really sounds completely incorrect) to "work off of" (for lack of better phrase...heh, it too really sounds completely incorrect).


It's just my thought. I really do know that recently, Magic is used more or less, to corporate Disney World, as a marketing scheme...a fairly nicely working one, at that... but how i like to think of it is that at it's core, the effect that Walt wanted out of his original "Disney Magic" still affects those who feel it today...to an extent where they don't even notice that what affects them more is the foundation of Magic Walt laid down ages ago than the continuance of it that the Disney Company tries to keep it going with.

Meh, hard to explain, even more so when it's 1:01 AM at a forum that i just joined this afternoon and i am practically ecstatic over it still to know that there are so many people who are fans of Disney World and Disney in general...and i know it might not seem like it, but just goes to show you that i'm living testament in proving how this man's foundation for magic laid half a century ago, of Sorceror's apprentices and fairy godmothers and happilly ever afters, do affect me. Even greater than leaving a legacy or watching a sequel or anything created recently could ever make.


hmmm maybe i'll go to sleep now. It was a good first day on this forum, i gotta say.

 

[Krozar]

For example, think of the firework shows at the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland, or some of the parks' past slogans, such as "Where Magic Lives". Not that it really matters, but was this concept of using magic in marketing and brand image applied by Eisner, or did Walt Disney use it himself?

Kind of answered your own question :ROFLOL:

Always been a big part of the company. From Walt to Roy O. to Eisner. Marketing tool it is... but companies exist to make $$$ so their employees and stockholders can make magic for their own families.

 

[jiminy.cricket]

Thanks for the responses! I just finished watching a bio-doc on Walt Disney and I think it helped clear a few things up. My friend has this theory that Walt was into many things and experimented a lot, and more recently, the company has campaigned using the "Fantasyland" brand in Disney parks' marketing. Based on the footage, I feel like there is a difference now, although I can't put my finger on it. Walt displayed his ideas and technology on TV, whereas today I think that's more hidden to preserve the illusion of magic in the parks. I feel like there was the idea of "magic" in the past, but Walt didn't emphasize it, and now, it is being emphasized in the parks--well I guess not so much anymore. Now it's about real-life or tangible dreams.