The World's Most Magical Celebration - Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary

WondersOfLife

WondersOfLife

Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
MisterPenguin said:
There's only one rhyme or reason for the statues and their placement: Marketing.

Don't try to find any other pattern. You won't find it.

If kids point to the statue and cry, "Nemo!" Then Disney has won. Mission accomplished.
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There’s a pattern at Epcot and MK, but not AK or HS.
 
Gottliebjess

Gottliebjess

Member
hpyhnt 1000 said:
And that's fine. I just don't think they look all that nice, and I love me some Mary Blair as much as the next person, but we're celebrating WDW's 50th, not Cinderella's. If those banners had concept art of the Magic Kingdom from the '60s, that would make a lot more sense in my opinion.

I'm sorry, but compared to other parks's milestone celebrations, I find a lot of this disappointing. And I don't think it's unreasonable to think a 50 anniversary celebration should be about the thing that's 50 years old.
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Cinderella’s Castle is part of WDW. If it doesn’t represent WDW, what does? It’s an attraction and it’s being celebrated as part of the 50th. This is not intended to be combative, I’m really trying to understand your viewpoint on this. What is WDW and how do you celebrate it then?
 
Cmdr_Crimson

Cmdr_Crimson

Well-Known Member
Gottliebjess said:
Cinderella’s Castle is part of WDW. If it doesn’t represent WDW, what does? It’s an attraction and it’s being celebrated as part of the 50th. This is not intended to be combative, I’m really trying to understand your viewpoint on this. What is WDW and how do you celebrate it then?
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It's like DHS for example..The Earful Tower should still be the symbol and Icon of the park instead of an Abandoned Hotel looming in the distance..
NET700403.jpg


And in another weird choice is the Image they use for DHS in the McDonald's Happy Meal toy for the 50th..While They couldn't Use Chinese Theater or ToT for licensing...What did they do? They took a photo of The backside of Hollywood Blvd to represent DHS..
Photo from Laughing Place
wdw-50-walt-disney-world-50th-anniversary-toys-arrive-at-mcdonalds-6.jpeg
 
wtyy21

wtyy21

Well-Known Member
Gottliebjess said:
Cinderella’s Castle is part of WDW. If it doesn’t represent WDW, what does? It’s an attraction and it’s being celebrated as part of the 50th. This is not intended to be combative, I’m really trying to understand your viewpoint on this. What is WDW and how do you celebrate it then?
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WDW without Cinderella Castle is kinda like Disneyland without sleeping beauty castle.
 
Sir_Cliff

Sir_Cliff

Well-Known Member
This isn't about the Cinderella castle banners (which I think are fine and appropriate), but I do find it interesting to watch this celebration come together and see how little they are leaning into nostalgia for WDW itself. This is very different from Disneyland which seems hyper aware of its heritage and all the deep feelings the resort evokes in people. They also seem quite good and curating and celebrating aspects of it like the 1950s/60s era architecture and design.

Part of the reason all the marketing around the WDW 50th celebration has left me cold so far is that it all just kind of seems like a normal advertising campaign without especially tugging at the strings of nostalgia. There are new gimmicks like character statues, new shows and attractions opening, and a tagline about Magical something something, but nothing that I've seen so far that really gives a sense of WDW as a place with a history to which millions of people feel a deep connection. Very different from the whole "Remember the Magic" theme of the 25th.
 
Rlevy33663

Rlevy33663

New Member
Sir_Cliff said:
This isn't about the Cinderella castle banners (which I think are fine and appropriate), but I do find it interesting to watch this celebration come together and see how little they are leaning into nostalgia for WDW itself. This is very different from Disneyland which seems hyper aware of its heritage and all the deep feelings the resort evokes in people. They also seem quite good and curating and celebrating aspects of it like the 1950s/60s era architecture and design.

Part of the reason all the marketing around the WDW 50th celebration has left me cold so far is that it all just kind of seems like a normal advertising campaign without especially tugging at the strings of nostalgia. There are new gimmicks like character statues, new shows and attractions opening, and a tagline about Magical something something, but nothing that I've seen so far that really gives a sense of WDW as a place with a history to which millions of people feel a deep connection. Very different from the whole "Remember the Magic" theme of the 25th.
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Spot on. There’s no heart here.
 
Dan Deesnee

Dan Deesnee

Well-Known Member
Sir_Cliff said:
This isn't about the Cinderella castle banners (which I think are fine and appropriate), but I do find it interesting to watch this celebration come together and see how little they are leaning into nostalgia for WDW itself. This is very different from Disneyland which seems hyper aware of its heritage and all the deep feelings the resort evokes in people. They also seem quite good and curating and celebrating aspects of it like the 1950s/60s era architecture and design.

Part of the reason all the marketing around the WDW 50th celebration has left me cold so far is that it all just kind of seems like a normal advertising campaign without especially tugging at the strings of nostalgia. There are new gimmicks like character statues, new shows and attractions opening, and a tagline about Magical something something, but nothing that I've seen so far that really gives a sense of WDW as a place with a history to which millions of people feel a deep connection. Very different from the whole "Remember the Magic" theme of the 25th.
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You have to remember that Disneyland is a very different park from Walt Disney World. They pull a huge, huge local audience out there. Nowhere near the number of out-of-state/faraway tourists that WDW brings in therefore it makes more sense for them to lean into the legacy as far more of their guests have been going their entire life, with higher frequency.
 
brb1006

brb1006

Well-Known Member
Sir_Cliff said:
This isn't about the Cinderella castle banners (which I think are fine and appropriate), but I do find it interesting to watch this celebration come together and see how little they are leaning into nostalgia for WDW itself. This is very different from Disneyland which seems hyper aware of its heritage and all the deep feelings the resort evokes in people. They also seem quite good and curating and celebrating aspects of it like the 1950s/60s era architecture and design.

Part of the reason all the marketing around the WDW 50th celebration has left me cold so far is that it all just kind of seems like a normal advertising campaign without especially tugging at the strings of nostalgia. There are new gimmicks like character statues, new shows and attractions opening, and a tagline about Magical something something, but nothing that I've seen so far that really gives a sense of WDW as a place with a history to which millions of people feel a deep connection. Very different from the whole "Remember the Magic" theme of the 25th.
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I loved how WDW's 25th Anniversary ads and promotional material felt genuine. It makes me wish the same people behind those ads would had been brought back for WDW's 50th Birthday.

This ad showing footage of past and present visitors to WDW between the 70s, 80s and up to it's then present year (1996) Complete with actual home video footage.



This commercial aimed at adult Disney fans who aren't afraid of acting like a kid again.



And especially this ad focusing on a family who won't go to WDW unless their baby is able to walk.



You don't see modern Disney making ads like that anymore. The closest modern Disney got to the level as WDW's 25th Anniversary ads was for Disneyland's 60th Anniversary back in 2015.



Disneyland even uploaded videos set to "Forever Young" (Disneyland's 60th Anniversary Theme Song) focused on longtime Disneyland visitors to their Disney Parks Channel but making them private a few years ago.

"One Kiss" was focused on a couple talking about getting their first kiss at Disneyland

"The Golden Grannies" was focused on three elderly grandmothers talking about their experience when Disneyland first opened back in the 50s.

Finally, "The Winner" was focused on a middle-aged man talking about being the winner of a contest making him the first guest to ever visit Disneyland on opening day.

I remember watching all three of those short videos when they were available and loved how they focused on their favorite memories and experiences of Disneyland.
 
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