News Paradise Pier Becoming Pixar Pier

[D.Silentu]

I would also give more lenience to those past celebrity appearances. Drawing in people with household names and popular bands was a good tool to interest people in a place that had no context at the time. People needed to see it for themselves because there really wasn't anything to compare it to, not in the same league. Today it's worth remembering that this symbiosis is not a bad thing, even now. It only is a problem when this is the only source of inspiration for the parks.

My issue with that is this is exactly what the imitators have done over the years. From Universal(where it actually makes sense) all the way to Warner World Abu Dhabi opening this year. Disneyland was it's own brand and the loyalty people have to attractions like the Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Lincoln and many others, proves it. With the onset of all the films setting up camp in the park, I am more and more drawn out of that world of "Yesterday, Tomorrow, and Fantasy," as the latest blockbuster is brought to mind. As I've said, this is fine in measure, but today's Disney is all about oversaturation so it's easy to lose sight of that.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

I'm no fan of in-park promotions for trending Studio productions, but let's call a spade a spade. Zorro's appearances at Disneyland in the 50s may have been a bit primitive, but the concept was no different than similar stunts held in the park today designed to capitalize on the success of a popular Disney TV shows or films.

 

[TROR]

I'm no fan of in-park promotions of trending Studio productions, but let's call a spade a spade. Zorro's appearances at Disneyland in the 50s may have been a bit primitive, but the concept was no different than similar stunts held in the park today designed to capitalize on the success of a popular Disney TV shows or films.

The difference was it was advertised beforehand.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

The difference was it was advertised beforehand.

Yeah whatever. It's still synergy between the park and the studio crafted to increase Disney's bottom line regardless how you spin it.

Be careful, you're biases are showing.

 

[TROR]

Yeah whatever. It's still synergy between the park and the studio crafted to increase Disney's bottom line regardless how you spin it.

Be careful, your biases are showing.

How does having the Lone Ranger at Disneyland benefit Disney is any other way than people coming to the parks?

 

[Deleted member 107043]

How does having the Lone Ranger at Disneyland benefit Disney is any other way than people coming to the parks?

Um... driving visitors to watch the TV show, which in turn supported the show's sponsors?

You seem to be forgetting that Zorro was broadcast by ABC, which at the time had a 34% investment in Disneyland. Wake up man.

 

[TROR]

Um... watching the TV show, which in turn supports the show's advertisers? You seem to be forgetting that Zorro was broadcast by ABC, which at the time had a 34% investment in Disneyland. Wake up man.

I could've sworn The Lone Ranger was a CBS property, but you're right, it was on ABC. Wild.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I'm no fan of in-park promotions for trending Studio productions, but let's call a spade a spade. Zorro's appearances at Disneyland in the 50s may have been a bit primitive, but the concept was no different than similar stunts held in the park today designed to capitalize on the success of a popular Disney TV shows or films.

Frontierland was not created only after and because of the success of Zorro. That is the difference.

 

[Disney Irish]

Frontierland was not created only after and because of the success of Zorro. That is the difference.

I like how people have a romanticized version of history.

While I get your point, however Zorro was introduced on the Disneyland Fourth Anniversary show. So while the marketing was less obvious back in the early days, it was still a direct result of Walt promoting every aspect of the company. The shows promoted the parks, the parks promoted the shows and movies, and back again. So while Frontierland may have not been created specifically because of Zorro, Walt and the company did use it to promote all his western themed shows. And since a new medium was created in the parks, there was little opportunity for x to be created because of y.

Its not really any different today, except the parks don't need to be promoted anymore.

 

[TROR]

I like how people have a romanticized version of history.

While I get your point, however Zorro was introduced on the Disneyland Fourth Anniversary show. So while the marketing was less obvious back in the early days, it was still a direct result of Walt promoting every aspect of the company. The shows promoted the parks, the parks promoted the shows and movies, and back again. So while Frontierland may have not been created specifically because of Zorro, Walt and the company did use it to promote all his western themed shows. And since a new medium was created in the parks, there was little opportunity for x to be created because of y.

Its not really any different today, except the parks don't need to be promoted anymore.

This is one of the problems imo. Since people will come no matter what, the parks are getting shortchanged and have become only billboards for other parts of the Disney brand rather than being another aspect with their own identity.

 

[Disney Irish]

This is one of the problems imo. Since people will come no matter what, the parks are getting shortchanged and have become only billboards for other parts of the Disney brand rather than being another aspect with their own identity.

We live in a different world, and well that's the downside of being over 60 years old. You don't need to advertise unless you are trying to promote something new.

 

[TROR]

We live in a different world, and well that's the downside of being over 60 years old. You don't need to advertise unless you are trying to promote something new.

How nice it would be for Disney to actually do something new for a change.

 

[Rich T]

Fair point. Though as a story-teller myself, I like to create my own plotlines on original attractions that change with each visit. Clearly I'm in the small small minority there

I'll be curious to know how much of GE will rely on character familiarity. And Pandora simply doesn't interest me that much mostly because I thought it was a **** film. Same thought applies to any Inside Out attraction.

I was with you up to the point where you dissed Inside Out. But yes to everything else.

Original rides and stories are more surprising and can stimulate the imagination more, especially when the story is implied (HM) rather than spelled out.

But in the end it all depends on execution and how suitable the subject is for a park ride. Mr. Toad, Alice, and Peter Pan (all IP rides) are great because they focus on the what's fun and thrilling about their stories. Mermaid is crap because it completely ignores every thrilling element of its source material.

 

[dweezil78]

Now it's a parasitical one with IPs just leeching off the parks.

Yeah, because I'm sure Star Wars and Marvel need all the help they can get from the theme parks.

 

[TROR]

Yeah, because I'm sure Star Wars and Marvel need all the help they can get from the theme parks.

If they stay on the same track they're on, Star Wars and Marvel will be equal to franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean and The Walking Dead in the next decade.

 

[dweezil78]

If they stay on the same track they're on, Star Wars and Marvel will be equal to franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean and The Walking Dead in the next decade.

Jury is out on Star Wars... but based on the success of Black Panther and now Avengers: Infinity War (which is said to be amazing), I'd say you are very wrong about Marvel.

 

[TROR]

Jury is out on Star Wars... but based on the success of Black Panther and now Avengers: Infinity War (which is said to be amazing), I'd say you are very wrong about Marvel.

They've been building up to Infinity War for ten years (technically six but everyone's saying ten so I'll stick with that). This is the culmination of the entire MCU up to this point. Do you think that after Infinity War ends they can maintain the same level of hype? I absolutely do not believe so at all.

I brought up TWD because I think it's a really good look at what can happen to the MCU. TWD was once the biggest show on TV just as the MCU is the biggest franchise in theaters. But, TWD, just like the MCU, is incredibly formulaic. While consistently good, there was little great about it (just like with Marvel, in my opinion). After eight (?) years of the same, people grew tired of it. While it still pulls in six million viewers (in comparison, other shows on AMC pull in 2-3 million), it's a far cry from its once 15-16 million viewership and I don't expect it'll ever reach those numbers again. Instead, I think they'll continue to dwindle. I think the same is very possible with the MCU where now they have a very good chance at making two billion world wide with Infinity War, after that I think the numbers will slowly go down because the hype simply cannot be sustained due to it reaching its climax with Infinity War.

 

[PB Watermelon]

Fine; really old.

Happy?

You might want to check the publishing dates of Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi, etc. versus their film adaptations.

 

[TROR]

You might want to check the publishing dates of Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi, etc. versus their film adaptations.

Dumbo and Bambi were pretty new when their films were made (About 30yrs old and about 20 years old), but Pinocchio was published in 1883 making it almost 80 years old when the movie came out.

 

[dweezil78]

They've been building up to Infinity War for ten years (technically six but everyone's saying ten so I'll stick with that). This is the culmination of the entire MCU up to this point. Do you think that after Infinity War ends they can maintain the same level of hype? I absolutely do not believe so at all.

We'll see... but I think Infinity War is just what they need. Will allow them to finally hit a reset button on all this and start working towards something new. The fact that they made it to their first end game and are going out on such a high note is a pretty amazing and impressive thing to see.