old Disney billboards

[DisneyAnole]

We're all aware of how prevalent Disney billboards have become along I-75 in Florida, the Turnpike, and I-95. But does anyone know when Disney billboards became so prominent? Was it in the 1990s after MGM opened?

And also does anyone have images of early Disney billboards? Like was there ever a billboard advertising the opening of EPCOT?

Thanks for any help.

 

[marni1971]

I recall a Star Tours board on World Drive saying `now open` and also EPCOT Center had a large board on the EPCOT Center Drive intersection before it opened.

Times were when Disney didn`t think it had to advertise; management figured reputation and word of mouth was enough. How things have changed!

 

[unkadug]

I recall Disney billboards on the turnpike from as far back as the early eighties.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Honestly there aren't that many "official" Disney billboards on the turnpike and I-75. The majority of the Disney billboards are around the immediate area around WDW.

 

[MissM]

The majority of the Disney billboards are around the immediate area around WDW.

There are also a lot in the state of Florida in general. There's been one on US 19 in Palm Harbor for quite a few years now. It's always changing to reflect what's going on, or if there's no specific event (MVMCP for example) then you see ones for FL resident ticket discounts (Play 4 Days ticket or AP's.) There's another on I-4 just past Ybor on the way towards WDW. Anyway, they put them in various areas of surrounding cities also.
-m

 

[SweetMagic]

There are also a lot in the state of Florida in general. There's been one on US 19 in Palm Harbor for quite a few years now. It's always changing to reflect what's going on, or if there's no specific event (MVMCP for example) then you see ones for FL resident ticket discounts (Play 4 Days ticket or AP's.) There's another on I-4 just past Ybor on the way towards WDW. Anyway, they put them in various areas of surrounding cities also.
-m

I like the one on Busch Blvd. just down the street from Busch Gardens :lol:

 

[sknydave]

There was a BG Howl-o-Scream billboard directly across the street from Universal on Kirkman. It was funny

 

[I-4Warrior]

Disney has pretty standard locations throughout Pinellas County, also... They've used the same billboard space for nearly a decade it seems on Tyrone Blvd. in St. Pete and Park Blvd. in Seminole.

I'm not sure exactly what stretch it is, but in Orlando near the airport my wife and I were counting the competing Universal and Disney billboards on one stretch of highway. There had to be dozens of each. And a Busch Gardens billboard or two (which seemed laughably like a third party political candidate "Hey!! Don't forget about me!!"). What was nice was that Universal kept repeating the same 4 billboards over and over ("Swing Higher!", etc..) while Disney barely repeated.

 

[kcnole]

Once you hit the Turnpike going south is when they really start to crop up. Disney by far outweighs everybody else. In fact, last time I counted I think they were almost three times as high as anybody else, followed by Sea World, and then Universal.

 

[mousermerf]

It's interesting to see who they're marketing to with various billboards too.

In Tampa, the one near USF and the one near the "upscale" International Plaza both are used to promote AP's, FL resident ticket special (like the Play 4 Days), and seasonal events. Once you get around Orlando, the billboards tend to advertise actual rides and the parks themselves.

 

[I-4Warrior]

It's interesting to see who they're marketing to with various billboards too.

In Tampa, the one near USF and the one near the "upscale" International Plaza both are used to promote AP's, FL resident ticket special (like the Play 4 Days), and seasonal events. Once you get around Orlando, the billboards tend to advertise actual rides and the parks themselves.

That's true... it seems the billboards in the outlying areas are the ones that try to hook you into the parks, and once you're in the vicinity of the Mouse, they give you the "Since you're here, this is what you can do!" ads.

 

[DisneyAnole]

Disney has pretty standard locations throughout Pinellas County, also... They've used the same billboard space for nearly a decade it seems on Tyrone Blvd. in St. Pete and Park Blvd. in Seminole.

I'm not sure exactly what stretch it is, but in Orlando near the airport my wife and I were counting the competing Universal and Disney billboards on one stretch of highway. There had to be dozens of each. And a Busch Gardens billboard or two (which seemed laughably like a third party political candidate "Hey!! Don't forget about me!!"). What was nice was that Universal kept repeating the same 4 billboards over and over ("Swing Higher!", etc..) while Disney barely repeated.

You're probably thinking of the billboards on the Bee/Beachline 528 West, perfectly arranged to catch the attention of out-of-towners arriving by plane.