Why did WDW stop making EVENTS out of Disney movies?

[FettFan]

So two days ago, the live-action (and visually bland, but that's just my opinion) remake of Aladdin hit theaters, but as with most recent Disney movies, there seems to be zero synergy of the movie in the parks.

This wasn't always the case..... I remember back in the heyday of Disney-MGM Studios, where most new Disney releases were treated with a lot of pomp and circumstance.

Case in point: in 1992 when the original (good) Aladdin was released, Disney-MGM went nuts heralding it.

Pictured: Aladdin's Royal Caravan parade.


In 1997, we saw the release of 101 Dalmatians which was promoted by revamping the Backstage Tour to showed off props and behind-the-scenes clips of the movies, interviews with the stars, and a photo op areas of scenes from the movie.

Heck, they even went so far as to paint the Earful Tower in dalmatian spots.

Alas, those days are pretty much gone it seems.



So what gives?

 

[Dead2009]

Not every Disney movie that comes out needs to have a presence at the parks.

 

[lazyboy97o]

These types of promotional events are paid for by the Studio from a movie’s marketing budget. This is why even a popular promotional meet and greet will end. It’s not that Walt Disney World stopped, it’s that the Studio stopped.

 

[Bartledvd]

I would also guess with the cost effectiveness of internet advertising you can promote a film far easier and cheaper online so while fun it makes these event a waste of money now.

 

[UKDisney Dave]

I wondered the same thing, why there is no synergy between parks and marketing.

Sure adding live entertainment such as a new parade has large costs, but how hard would it be to show a trailer of the next big film ahead of HEA or ROL? Or to add photo ops at parks or resort hotels - not always with a cast member, just a scenic photo op like they have at cinemas for some films.

Seems like an easy win, with an audience that already feel an affinity with The Disney brand.

 

[JIMINYCR]

They could do lt more in their parks and resorts but maybe they see it as a redundancy of material and effort. Its a different world with instant access to the material. After all, everyone clicks on their device and sees trailer #1, trailer #2, trailer #3 and before the film opens, everyone has read multiple online reviews, sees more selected segments of the film with spoiler alerts and behind the scenes interviews with every major star and bit player. Its not as big a deal to promote in the parks as it once was.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

If I recall the last parade based just around one film was 97's Mulan..

 

[danlb_2000]

I wondered the same thing, why there is no synergy between parks and marketing.

Sure adding live entertainment such as a new parade has large costs, but how hard would it be to show a trailer of the next big film ahead of HEA or ROL? Or to add photo ops at parks or resort hotels - not always with a cast member, just a scenic photo op like they have at cinemas for some films.

Seems like an easy win, with an audience that already feel an affinity with The Disney brand.

The still do previews of some movies in One Man's Dream.

 

[GhostlyGoofy]

The new version of "Prince Ali" feels like a dry run for something they'd want to produce in the parks.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

The new version of "Prince Ali" feels like a dry run for something they'd want to produce in the parks.

More of like something for a Disney Channel movie vibe to me..

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Different era, different motivations for the parks (and MGM/DHS specifically). Now with SWGE, they don't need to do anything to get people in the gate. It's on autopilot now.

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

If I recall the last parade based just around one film was 97's Mulan..

I think you’re right, but Mulan was 98, and Hercules was 97 (I think...hard to believe those are over 20 years old!).

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I think you’re right, but Mulan was 98, and Hercules was 97 (I think...hard to believe those are over 20 years old!).

Ah.. I was off by a year....

 

[thomas998]

In years when we hit both WDW and DL over the last 5 or 6 years we still noticed they would do some marketing at DL for movies that were about to come out. I think the reason is that the marketing push in a park that caters to locals is probably more effective at selling seats and getting word of mouth out than it is to have a marketing push in a place like WDW which tends to target lots of international visitors.

Think about it this way WDW is probably filled with a higher percent of long term multi-day guests... While DL is filled with more locals that are just there for the day... Which group is going to be more likely to get pulled into going to a movie they saw advertised at the theme park?

 

[Kevin_W]

Also... Disney puts out a ton more movies than they used to.

 

[celluloid]

The same reason that the rides are not up to par. Current management is very content with letting standards be "good enough" with missing elements.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Also... Disney puts out a ton more movies than they used to.

Not so much the number of movies, but the number of tent poles. In the past, you'd have one or two big "event" movies (including one animated release) and several smaller titles, like low budget comedies and romances. Movies were also in theaters longer and you wanted to keep up the promotion for the home video release when it came 6-8 months later.

Now most everything they put out costs $150-$200 million each and they can't all get the big year-long promotions. Theatrical windows are also shorter and home video is a fraction of the revenue stream it used to be, and Disney doesn't wait to release them very long.

 

[FettFan]

These types of promotional events are paid for by the Studio from a movie’s marketing budget. This is why even a popular promotional meet and greet will end. It’s not that Walt Disney World stopped, it’s that the Studio stopped.

Makes sense. I figured it was the parks doing their own thing for cross promotion.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Makes sense. I figured it was the parks doing their own thing for cross promotion.

Well, there was the Frozen Royal Welcome parade during Frozen Summer fun if you count that..

 

[Tick Tock]

There was the nighttime show at DAK a few years back for The Jungle Book remake.