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

Animaniac93-98

Animaniac93-98

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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That's because they're advertising "Disney" (or Star Wars and Pixar). They want you to go to WDW because you like Disney+ and the Disney brand, not what the resort actually has to offer.

They're not selling WDW...which is weird because that's the thing that's celebrating its anniversary.
 
Rich Brownn

Rich Brownn

Well-Known Member
Cmdr_Crimson said:
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..
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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
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They could have used the Chinese Theatre. The license thing is an old urban myth
 
Sir_Cliff

Sir_Cliff

Well-Known Member
Animaniac93-98 said:
That's because they're advertising "Disney" (or Star Wars and Pixar). They want you to go to WDW because you like Disney+ and the Disney brand, not what the resort actually has to offer.

They're not selling WDW...which is weird because that's the thing that's celebrating its anniversary.
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This is exactly my impression and what seems misjudged about the whole campaign. The Disney part of Walt Disney World is inherent in the whole thing and is part of their marketing every year. What you'd think would be unique about the anniversary is that it would be a time to emphasise all the warm and fuzzy feelings WDW evokes and all the memories guests have made in the past and can now make with their own children, etc. Instead, the 50th just seems a standard "Visit Walt Disney World... Magic!" campaign along the lines of the ones they always run.

Even the Happy Meal toys are a bit weird. Didn't they at least put the characters in ride vehicles for Disneyland's 40th or 50th?
 
hpyhnt 1000

hpyhnt 1000

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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No worries, no combativness coming through at all! I just would have preferred something more WDW specific, like castle artwork or concept art from when the MK was being designed, showing how the castle was to look as the icon of the park. That would have celebrated Cinderella Castle in, I feel, a more WDW centric way for the 50th than Mary Blair’s artwork for the film of the Disney version of the Cinderella story.

Here’s early concept art of the MK. I think it would have been great if the banners showed some of this castle artwork and WDW history, perhaps alongside and complementing Blair’s drawings.

Magic Kingdom Concept Art and Models

Walt Disney Imagineering and WED concept art and concept models of The Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.
www.retrowdw.com

I (think I) get what you and others are saying, that showing concept art for the film is a way of celebrating Cinderella, whose castle is at MK/WDW, which is the main icon of MK/WDW, and that’s how it all ties into the 50th, because celebrating the film is also celebrating the castle and thus celebrating WDW. I’m not necessarily disagreeing, only saying that I believe that approach isn’t as WDW focused as it could be.

It’s a subtle difference, but in an anniversary celebration that seems to have very little in the way of WDW history (@Sir_Cliff nailed it in their post about the lack of nostalgia for this celebration), these banners were another instance to me where they could have featured a more WDW focused approach but went a different direction instead.
 
wtyy21

wtyy21

Well-Known Member
Squishy said:
Way more pyro than HEA, I guess with this much pyro we can wave goodbye to any nighttime parade budget getting approved unless the 50th flops..
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The finale is still weak for me despite better than previous testing version. I think, the close-proximity fireworks l in first part in that video (1:54 to 2:04) should be placed in flnale.
 
Gottliebjess

Gottliebjess

Member
hpyhnt 1000 said:
No worries, no combativness coming through at all! I just would have preferred something more WDW specific, like castle artwork or concept art from when the MK was being designed, showing how the castle was to look as the icon of the park. That would have celebrated Cinderella Castle in, I feel, a more WDW centric way for the 50th than Mary Blair’s artwork for the film of the Disney version of the Cinderella story.

Here’s early concept art of the MK. I think it would have been great if the banners showed some of this castle artwork and WDW history, perhaps alongside and complementing Blair’s drawings.

Magic Kingdom Concept Art and Models

Walt Disney Imagineering and WED concept art and concept models of The Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.
www.retrowdw.com

I (think I) get what you and others are saying, that showing concept art for the film is a way of celebrating Cinderella, whose castle is at MK/WDW, which is the main icon of MK/WDW, and that’s how it all ties into the 50th, because celebrating the film is also celebrating the castle and thus celebrating WDW. I’m not necessarily disagreeing, only saying that I believe that approach isn’t as WDW focused as it could be.

It’s a subtle difference, but in an anniversary celebration that seems to have very little in the way of WDW history (@Sir_Cliff nailed it in their post about the lack of nostalgia for this celebration), these banners were another instance to me where they could have featured a more WDW focused approach but went a different direction instead.
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Thank you for explaining. This makes sense what you are saying. I don’t think anyone is going to be 100% happy and I think we’ll never know exactly what could have been if it wasn’t for COVID. I fully admit I don’t have insider info just a CM friend and a friend who is sort of a low level manager position. But maybe four years ago they kept mentioning 50 for 50. 50 new rides or updates for the 50th. Things like bringing back the hat box ghost, an updated ending to Carousel of Progress type stuff. I know a lot of that are changes we all would love to see. But Disney closed its parks and lost money and there is a pandemic so I can’t really blame them for everything.

thank you for so being kind and eloquently explaining your ideas. I love learning more about Disney from these forums but some people are very aggressive and I hate that. I just wanted to understand your point and you took a moment to explain it eloquently. So thank you!
 
Rich Brownn

Rich Brownn

Well-Known Member
Cmdr_Crimson said:
Okay, so why is it not being used as a symbol and an icon for the park? They seem to like symbolizing abandonment for a theme park and ToT really looks like the odd man out on this..
WDW_AO.jpg


Everytime I see it I think...
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Because ToTis more "Disney". The Chinese Theater is replicated on a lot of other stuff. The other 3 icons are all Disney originated. (Originally the icon was the Earful Tower, but that was torn down) FYI: The real Chinese Theatre opened in 1927. Architectural works from prior to 1976 are not protected by U.S. copyright law. In 1976, Congress changed the law for anything new since then.
 

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