Studio ghibli in wdw

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
Niche content always debuts big, and then falls off a cliff.
There are Hot Topics in every mall(those that still stand) that sell all kinds of Japanese focused shirts, backpacks you name it. I would say Japanese cinema as a whole is one of most embraced in North America. I don't pretend to understand what some of that Anime is about but even Barnes and Noble carries lots of different ones as well as a whole Studio Ghibli section. I could see something in the Japan's WS doing extremely well. Remember Star Wars was certainly influenced by Hidden Fortress. And heck Godzilla...
 
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WondersOfLife

Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
I'd take Ponyo in the Japan pavilion. A Mickey & Minnie style attraction would actually work better than, well, Mickey & Minnie's. Lol
 

dman1373

Active Member
Original Poster
And do you have a date for that quote ? As someone drawing a salary from a company with a financial stake in the perception of a studio, that's just stating the company line.

Here is the head of Disney and Pixar awarding him with an award. You can see the truth in his eyes when he says all the great things about him.
 

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
And he literally was employed by a Disney company at that time.
He has been a fan long before the studios became entwined in any way. People don't speak with that kind of passion for another director if they don't mean it. Read this and let your cynicism go.
 

dman1373

Active Member
Original Poster
And he literally was employed by a Disney company at that time.
The only reason Disney ended up getting the distribution and dubbing rights in America to the Miyazaki movies is because lasseter pushed for them. He has always acknowledged Miyazaki as a major influence and a director that he holds in the highest of esteem. Now these movies may not be as popular as toy story or frozen, but like someone said in negative way, they attract a different crowd. Also even if people don't know the ip, it doesn't mean that the ride won't be popular, as proven by splash mountain or to a lesser extent tower of terror(most kids that ride this have never seen an episode of the twilight zone). And also the cost of developing the ride could be split between wdw and Tokyo Disney.
 

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
The only reason Disney ended up getting the distribution and dubbing rights in America to the Miyazaki movies is because lasseter pushed for them. He has always acknowledged Miyazaki as a major influence and a director that he holds in the highest of esteem. Now these movies may not be as popular as toy story or frozen, but like someone said in negative way, they attract a different crowd. Also even if people don't know the ip, it doesn't mean that the ride won't be popular, as proven by splash mountain or to a lesser extent tower of terror(most kids that ride this have never seen an episode of the twilight zone). And also the cost of developing the ride could be split between wdw and Tokyo Disney.
I don't think they were marketed properly here. The stories and themes are very different from a typical Disney film. I only discovered them because years ago we borrowed a copy of Spirited Away at the library because it looked different and my daughter who was around 4 or 5 at the time fell in love with it. That set the ball running for us all.
 

WondersOfLife

Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
even if people don't know the ip, it doesn't mean that the ride won't be popular
I use this argument all the friggin time. I'll never understand why people don't get this. Some of the least popular movies and most forgotten movie/tv show based attractions are still the most popular.

Splash Mountain - Song of the South
TRON Lightcycle Run - Tron Series
Tower of Terror - The Twilight Zone
DINOSAUR - Dinosaur (It is a tie-in today, so it stands.)

Lets not forget the fact that some of the most popular attractions on WDW property have no IP tie-in at all...

Haunted Mansion
Thunder Mountain
Space Mountain
Mount Everest
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Spaceship Earth
Test Track
Soarin'
It's a Small World
Imagination Pavilion (Figment in general)
Jungle Cruise
Pirates of the Caribbean (Technically speaking)

It is almost as if... If imagineers just... Ya know... Were creative... And if Disney wasn't such... Ya know.... A... What is that word again? A bland penny pinching corporation?? It is almost as if they could create great rides with great stories and great adventure WITHOUT the use of a popular IP.
 

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
I don't think they were marketed properly here. The stories and themes are very different from a typical Disney film.
I think your second sentence is the bigger reason.

There is healthy demand, but no mass appeal, for foreign or independent or arthouse cinema. It's the way it is and that's fine. Mcdonald's will always be bigger than Mongolian restaurants.

Edit: as for Lasseter, of course creative artists have genuine idols. Great love for their works is invariably what got them to pursue their art in the first place.
 

SteveAZee

Well-Known Member
They lack relevance in a North American cultural context. Miyazaki made some beautiful scenery but it's not entertaining IMHO. It makes me want to be elsewhere doing something else like cleaning a sink.
You may not find his movies entertaining.

Many people regard him as a genius.

Both of these things can be true at the same time.

See Legacy:

 

networkpro

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Considering the Shinto, Buddhist, and Daoist themes that the features are based on, it might have some attraction to those drawn to those philosophies. I however am not even a fan of catbus or kittenbus, not even the slightest leaning towards animisim.
 

erasure fan1

Well-Known Member
Niche content always debuts big, and then falls off a cliff.
That's what I've seen as well. Anime has a dedicated following for sure. But like you said, it still is a niche thing for the most part.

As far as Disney is concerned. There are a lot of things that they could add within their own portfolio. The most I would say is a small dark ride in Japan. That would work well as a small distraction like Malestrom used to be.
 

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