No Giselle in Disney parks?

[asianway]

This story seems to have lots of strong opinions with no citations on any side. It's been contentious since the movie came out. The costume thing... why not.. just make another costume? It's not like the character had one look throughout the film..

They're not going to invest in a new costume now, maybe if the sequel ever pans out.

The same myth swirled with Roger Rabbit and he's been all over like stink this year. And don't get me started on the Kermit & Piggy walk around myths.

People like to rationalize why some of these characters no longer appear and myth becomes fact. Truth is it's easier to keep trotting out the same old lineup because most people don't care

 

[Zummi Gummi]

Well they weren't speaking to me I just overheard their convo as they were next to us. He said they have to pay Julie Andrews royalties anytime they sell a photo (meet n greet) of Mary poppins in te park. I'm just repeating what the cm told these people...

Oh I'm not denying that's what you heard at all. Regardless of who they were speaking to, that's the wrong onstage answer.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

It may in fact come down to popularity, I agree. To my knowledge there is no Giselle merchandise currently available (besides perhaps, copies of the film itself), but there's lots of Jack Sparrow merchandise available.

Found this on Amazon...

I thought I remembered there being some Giselle stuff when the film came out, but you're right; it's hard to find. I think her popularity just wore out.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

This is true. Johnny could have negotiated a small percentage or even agreed to not getting any.

I know for a fact he visits kids in hospital unannounced dressed as Jack so maybe Disney just have a better agreement with him where he uses the character when he wants and so do they

Johnny also got the play the same role three more times.

Four if you count Alice in Wonderland.

Five if you count Lone Ranger.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

It may in fact come down to popularity, I agree. To my knowledge there is no Giselle merchandise currently available (besides perhaps, copies of the film itself), but there's lots of Jack Sparrow merchandise available. I can't imagine a Giselle meet and greet being very popular, and I imagine many people wouldn't even know who she was. A colleague of mine who used to be good friends with Giselle in the pre-parade said guests were constantly mistaking her friend Giselle for Cinderella.

I loved Enchanted!

I tried to lure my nieces into watching it recently. They looked at me as if I were mad. Total disinterest.
The movie is simply gone. I guess real life princesses (okay, technically an 'ordinary girl') do not have the shelf life of cartoon ones.

 

[flynnibus]

People like to rationalize why some of these characters no longer appear and myth becomes fact. Truth is it's easier to keep trotting out the same old lineup because most people don't care

I get that.. but this has been a 'problem' since the movie came out. You see references to the likeness/contract points from the time when the movie was fresh. Because the question of 'why no enchanted in the parks?' was a topic even as the movie was still in theaters. Plus, the princess hype was peaking at the time, and the question of why she wasn't added was quite common. This isn't simply a 'where is the old Disney IP?' Enchanted from Day 1 was 'different' in how Disney stayed away from marketing it strongly in the parks.

If they launched her for these limited engagements with a dress that was impossible.. they could have fixed it then... but the two explanations floating around are 1) impossible costume [that they never changed..?] 2) contract limitations [why would Disney launch a film that used only mid-tier talent and not have the power position?]

Neither pass the smell test on their own... don't know why enchanted was so different vs other films. The only common thread I see is beyond pirates... Live action gets little attention from P&R.. and maybe enchanted wasn't really considered a animation property given the outsourcing done for it? I get the impression the 'reason' has to be more people driven than actual barriers...

The contract elements is supported by a WSJ reference when it comes to merchandising... but makes no references to anything about a park recreation.

 

[George]

One reason I've heard for keeping her out of the parks is the cost of her costume. The white dress she wore in the pre-parade reportedly cost ~$100,000 to create, and was nearly impossible to keep clean.

Really? That makes me feel better about the $45,000 whitey tighties I parade around in.

 

[asianway]

I get that.. but this has been a 'problem' since the movie came out. You see references to the likeness/contract points from the time when the movie was fresh. Because the question of 'why no enchanted in the parks?' was a topic even as the movie was still in theaters. Plus, the princess hype was peaking at the time, and the question of why she wasn't added was quite common. This isn't simply a 'where is the old Disney IP?' Enchanted from Day 1 was 'different' in how Disney stayed away from marketing it strongly in the parks.

If they launched her for these limited engagements with a dress that was impossible.. they could have fixed it then... but the two explanations floating around are 1) impossible costume [that they never changed..?] 2) contract limitations [why would Disney launch a film that used only mid-tier talent and not have the power position?]

Neither pass the smell test on their own... don't know why enchanted was so different vs other films. The only common thread I see is beyond pirates... Live action gets little attention from P&R.. and maybe enchanted wasn't really considered a animation property given the outsourcing done for it? I get the impression the 'reason' has to be more people driven than actual barriers...

The contract elements is supported by a WSJ reference when it comes to merchandising... but makes no references to anything about a park recreation.

Angelica lasted about as long as Giselle never to be seen again. Queen Elinor has appeared 2x. Meet the Robinsons only met for a few months while stitchs supersonic featuring one of the Robinsons songs lasted a week. The Wreck it Ralph and Vannelope walks rounds were pulled from DL after 3 months. Giselle is not unique in a character for the parks being created and quickly shoved to the side

 

[flynnibus]

Angelica lasted about as long as Giselle never to be seen again. Queen Elinor has appeared 2x. Meet the Robinsons only met for a few months while stitchs supersonic featuring one of the Robinsons songs lasted a week. The Wreck it Ralph and Vannelope walks rounds were pulled from DL after 3 months. Giselle is not unique in a character for the parks being created and quickly shoved to the side

the wreck it ralph M&G at startraders lasted a lot longer than that.. Queen Elinor isn't the central character in Brave.. Meet the Robinsons was a stumble for the company that never really had popularity.. compared to Enchanted which was a #1 movie and made over 120mil domestically.. and is a princess film in the peak of the princess juggernaut machine.

Comparing.. to say P&tF... which had a weaker opening and actually fell quicker... they made tiana a princess and had M&Gs and an entire show performance at DL.

I don't find your comparisons very fitting... and regardless.. are still just deflections vs addressing the direct questions about the oddities of the live action film vs the other films. Enchanted in the parks wasn't a matter of simply 'being sent to the vault quickly' - it never left the start gate. The only common thread I have seen is that it is like those of the live action films..

 

[asianway]

the wreck it ralph M&G at startraders lasted a lot longer than that.. Queen Elinor isn't the central character in Brave.. Meet the Robinsons was a stumble for the company that never really had popularity.. compared to Enchanted which was a #1 movie and made over 120mil domestically.. and is a princess film in the peak of the princess juggernaut machine.

Comparing.. to say P&tF... which had a weaker opening and actually fell quicker... they made tiana a princess and had M&Gs and an entire show performance at DL.

I don't find your comparisons very fitting... and regardless.. are still just deflections vs addressing the direct questions about the oddities of the live action film vs the other films. Enchanted in the parks wasn't a matter of simply 'being sent to the vault quickly' - it never left the start gate. The only common thread I have seen is that it is like those of the live action films..

Ralph was gone at star traders by the end of January 2013

 

[flynnibus]

Ralph was gone at star traders by the end of January 2013

Ok - but that is still M&Gs on both coasts.. including elaborate sets like this..

To riding in a parade??

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Prince Caspian was out for a while, but he had an attraction (and yes, I know it wasn't much) to support him.

 

[asianway]

Ok - but that is still M&Gs on both coasts.. including elaborate sets like this..

To riding in a parade??

Im really no longer sure what youre saying. Simply put, Giselle doesnt appear as a walk around, parade, or show character because the powers that be in entertainment dont think the interest would support it. She actually did meet and greets at the El Capitan and Amy Adams had no say in casting those positions, or for the preparade. When Enchanted came out in 2007, character greetings at WDW had not yet the absurd heights they have today. Ratatouille was at the Animation building, they had not yet turned the Fairytale Garden into a meet n greet, and the princesses were still in the tents - she had no where to go and they didnt want to build her an area.

And for your perusal - Ralph started at Starcade November 2012.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...ers-are-coming-to-disney-parks-this-november/

Gone by January 31.

http://www.originald.com/picture-up...ay-tomorrow-and-fantasy-photo-update?start=12

 

[FerretAfros]

Prince Caspian was out for a while, but he had an attraction (and yes, I know it wasn't much) to support him.

The White Witch also had had a meet & greet on both coasts for a while when the first Narnia film was released. In DL she met guests behind the castle near the Heraldry Shoppe, and in the Studios in WDW (I think she may have also met guests in the Studios in paris, but I'm not positive). Those meet & greets lasted fora few months and were quietly retired after teh film left theaters

Whether true or not, it certainly seems like the contract rumors regarding Enchanted might be true; it was handled in a completely dfferent way from other films, and the rumors were there right from the very beginning

 

[flynnibus]

Im really no longer sure what youre saying. Simply put, Giselle doesnt appear as a walk around, parade, or show character because the powers that be in entertainment dont think the interest would support it.

So it's not unusual at all to you they were not interested in tapping into the studio's biggest film of the year behind potc? Pixar had rat... And enchanted and potc were wdp's hits

When Enchanted came out in 2007, character greetings at WDW had not yet the absurd heights they have today.

Besides the concept of building out dedicated attractions for them (like townhall/Snow White) I don't see much difference between now and then.

And other examples of the time got park presence... Herbie, narnia, chicken little, meet the robinsons, bolt... Many of which had less successful launches.

So they opt into those and pass on tapping their biggest CP franchise princesses?

That's why the explanation doesn't pass the sniff test...

I wonder if people inside were not fans of enchanted's pokes/playing off of the classics.

 

[flynnibus]

. Not only is she officially part of the princess line and they all meet, but she is the only African American princess.

That's using the answer to justify itself.... The decision to include her in the first place

 

[flynnibus]

Prince Caspian was out for a while, but he had an attraction (and yes, I know it wasn't much) to support him.

Good live action example

 

[Matt_Black]

In part, I think it's not just the initial run success but long term viability. P&F has done well long term with merchandise and home video.

(And regarding Queen Elinor, mentioned above? While not the central character, the relationship between her and Merida is the central, driving conflict of the film Brave, making her the 2nd-most important character in the film after Merida.)

 

[lazyboy97o]

At the time, Enchanted did have a massive presence at the Disney Store. There were also a lot of ads. Just the parks were not exploited.

 

[Matt_Black]

At the time, Enchanted did have a massive presence at the Disney Store. There were also a lot of ads. Just the parks were not exploited.

Right, but live-action films rarely get exploited in the parks to the degree that animation does. There really wasn't much done for the Lone Ranger, for example, and that was before it flopped.