SSE has a sponsor

[wannab@dis]

I don't think everyone should get their hopes up about any changes in the near future. First off, it appears that we have a lot of inconsistencies in this thread. We've got multiple people saying they are "in the know" and yet none of them agree on any of the facts. Kinda blows their credibility, huh? :lol:

Second, it will take some time for anything to appear in SSE once they nail down a sponsor. I wouldn't look for any substantial changes (other than some signage) anytime soon after they sign on a new sponsor.

 

[BG Rugger]

Good to hear. Its about time somebody finally picked up on one of my favorite attractions, not to mention still one of the best.

 

[SpenceMan01]

I don't see it being a computer company taking over sponsorship of SSE. I see it being more communications based (Sprint/Nextel/Siemens/etc.). Besides, HP already has Mission:SPACE. I don't think Disney would pit rival computer manufacurers that close together and I doubt HP would be willing to sponsor 2 pavillions, let alone 2 in the same park.

 

[zcasper]

Wouldn't it be ironic if the new sponsor was SBC given that they just announced that they will change their name to AT&T after buying them.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

SSE is still the most visited attraction at WDW because it's at the front of the park quote]

Wow, really?? I find that hard to believe. Not doubting you... I just wonder if that could be possible considering some of the other MAJOR crowd draws around WDW. :veryconfu

 

[HADESgou]

If it is sprint/nextel then just imagine.

(BLeep)Planet earth is a spaceship(beep)
(bleep) and for a short period of time we are it's passengers.(beep)

It wouldn't be any different than eating in a restaraunt these days.

 

[joel_maxwell]

If it is sprint/nextel then just imagine.

(BLeep)Planet earth is a spaceship(beep)
(bleep) and for a short period of time we are it's passengers.(beep)

It wouldn't be any different than eating in a restaraunt these days.

(bleep)that was my point too....... it would totally ruin a perfect attraction (beep)

 

[mousermerf]

SSE is still the most visited attraction at WDW because it's at the front of the park quote]

Wow, really?? I find that hard to believe. Not doubting you... I just wonder if that could be possible considering some of the other MAJOR crowd draws around WDW. :veryconfu

SSE has an extremely high capacity.

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

Hopefully this will be true with a new sponsor.

Perhaps the wand and stars will come down for good. Would anyone favor a completely new "Earth Station" for a post show.

I assume that with a new sponsor, SSE may indeed close for both a mechanical and set refurbishment. Maybe we'll even have a new narrator and script, or *hopes* a theme song once again.

I some how think a new sponsor will want to present themselves to the public with a refurbished SSE and new post show.

 

[mousermerf]

I liked Guest Relations being under the ball - doubt that will return to that though.

 

[K-dub]

On a tangent, I heard that the sponsorship costs a little over $1 million/year. That's probably why Disney had a difficult time finding a sponsor. True, every major company could theoretically afford this; but when you have to answer to shareholders, every million bucks counts!

While on this tangent, there are no US "Major Companies" I know of that answer to shareholders regarding expenditures of millions of bucks or even tens of millions.

While they do court the "industrial investor" aka Mutual Fund managers, etc., even those shareholders representing 5%-25% of their company's stock aren't always answered to.

:wave:

 

[CRO-Magnum]

Sometimes I put too much faith ...

Sponsorships at Epcot at very expensive, but GM spend no where even close to $300 million on its 10 year sponsorship extension for Test Track. Still very very high, but a fraction of that estimate. I have the actual figures, trust me.

in what I read. I'm intimate with the Kraft situation and in negotiations Disney used apparently significantly inflated GM numbers to bolster their position. I have nothing against positioning, but its reprehensible that Disney apparently lied in the most blatant way. A member of the Kraft team asked for a copy of GM's agreement to which Disney said no, so he told them unless they were willing to share the contract to never bring it up again. This also means Nestle paid more than GM since we know they offered somewhere between $50MM and $80MM beyond what Disney requested of Kraft because they wanted a material makeover.

I remember media reports during the Test Track development period quoting supposed insiders indicated that GM was paying more than $200MM to sponsor and speculating GM shared as much as 50% of the $250MM cost ($100MM budgeted) of Test Track. I'm a former GM powertrain engineering manager who worked at GM when the Test Track agreement was signed. Numbers bantered about within GM and even printed in company documents at Milford indicated the cost was more than $200MM.

So comparing the known Kraft numbers compared to the reported and speculated GM numbers they seemed comparable.

I'm not sure if this makes a difference, but did the extension occur at the same time as the agreement to build Test Track, or was the extension executed more recently? I ask because I'm referring to the original 10 year extension in 1996 and that another extension is required to cover 2007 and beyond. Of course this information could be as wrong as everything else...

 

[NowInc]

Riding SSE this week a few times I noticed that there is still an AT&T logo on the video on the desend back to earth (lower right corner)..hope they fix that soon

 

[TinkerBell9988]

WOW, Spaceship Earth FINALLY has a sponsor... Things are lookin' up for EPCOT. . . or should I say "Epcot"? :animwink:

This makes me so excited to see what the future holds for SSE.

 

[AliciaLuvzDizne]

As long as they don't play that horrible music from the commercial on the way down. I might jump right out of the ride! :lol:

Seriously, though, this is great news. I can't wait to see those walls come down in the post-show and hopefully see some sprucing up in the second half of the ride.

*woohoo woo hoo hoo*

that music is on the Kill Bill soundtrack :lol:

 

[Glasgow]

I never realized how much the actual sponshorships were. Does this mean Disney does not put that much capital into the rides themselves? (provided there is a sponsor).

For example, if Mission:Space cost ~$100m to build and their sponsorship was about that same amount of money, theoretically Disney would just be supplying the operational costs. If so that is an incredibly sweet deal.

I wonder if I could get someone to sponsor my new patio

 

[shoppingnut]

I wonder if I could get someone to sponsor my new patio

You might want to consider selling individual bricks to your family and friends with their names, etc. on them. I think that was one of the most ingenious things WDW did in order to help pay for new walkways around MK.

It is so sad to see the emptyness when you come off the ride, I'm hoping something will be done with that area. And while we are at it, bring back Walter Cronkite.

 

[DS456]

There should be an official announcement soon.

 

[wdwwedding2004]

WOW, this is great news, i just really wish they would put SOMETHING in the post show..ANYTHING..those walls looked AWFUL! even if it was just another gift shop/stand thing...it was just so yucky looking last week!!

 

[Huck]

Better that Siemens sponsors SSE than something like Pirates of the Carribean... can you imagine the jokes about having "Seimens on the Poopdeck"?