More Princesses at WDW? Ugh!

[Rekenna]

I was reading here on Intercot about the anticipated changes/updates to Fantasyland. Each Princess is getting her own section! Give me a break!

As a mom of 3 boys, the Princess thing is getting really old. I get that Disney is making mucho dinero, but enough already!

What about a Toy Story section at MK? Or Cars, Robin Hood, something. Oh well. Does anyone else feel like this about the Princess stuff? What about a Toy Story dining experience? Or a Pirates dining experience? We went to T-Rex on our last trip for this reason, geared towards kids who like Dinos and no Princesses!

[MaxPower]

I agree that Disney has a problem with finding something that appeals to boys the way the Princesses do to girls.

Yes, there are Pirates and Cars - but they really appeal to young boys. It's 2010 now and most 10 -13 year old boys are too old for those type of attractions. They live for Video Games- which explains the popularity of Buzz and Toy Story Mania - essentially ride-through video games. Take a look sometime and notice how many pre-teen and early teen boys ride those two attractions alone with no parents in sight.

Disney needs to theme some more attractions that take into account what the boys of of this decade like - which means more Technology , Gaming and Thrill elements.

I'm sure many people will post about how their boys love the current attractions- and I agree that many do. My point is that I agree with the original post that there is still a void.

[Rhetoric2000]

It's an interesting situation actually. My thoughts on this:

- It is harder to market to boys than girls by a country mile. I actually think it's a little unfair to suggest that Disney haven't tried to cater to boys, it's just that the more "boyish" additions (Motor Show, Mission Space, Test Track, even T-Rex) are really niche - something specific like Cars is going to turn off as many boys as it attracts. There is simply nothing as universally appealing to boys as princesses/glamour is to girls. For every boy that loves comics/motorsports/space/pirates, there is anothe that thinks it's stupid.

- I agree that Princesses are going to be saturated very soon. It is because, like Pixar, Disney didn't plan ahead and as a result they are currently scattered. The Fantasyland Expansion actually sounds great to me - provided princesses/fairies are removed from any other section of the Disney property and there is just one place you should/can go to see them.

- As for what to provide the boys. The issue with computer style games is that they can experience that at home. For the most part boys (and indeed those girls who don't like princess stuff) are best off DOING stuff, which is why something like the Speedway, which is essentially rubbish, still have huge queues. Other boy-popular attractions like BLSRS and TSM involve a level of control. I think Disney need to start looking at a major attraction that involves a significant level of the experience being controlled/driven by the guest (in the real world, not on the screen like they get at home). Even something like a choose-the-story dark ride (Robin Hood would be very suitable for this).

- Finally going back to the OP - Are we now suggesting that we never have new-theme attractions again? It seems everything is now being attached to a (usually newish) Disney property. It always makes me sad to think that Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise, Thunder Mountain, Haunted Mansion would simply not happen nowadays. Instead of Thunder we'd have something like "Woody's Wacky Frontier Debacle" and Mansion would become "Jack Sparrow's jumping-out-of-various-locations Mayhem".

- As I said, I actually really like the look of the Fantasyland Expansion, but if it doesn't keep all the Princess stuff in one place it will continue to verify that Disney is increasingly going from a family resort to a girls-and-very-small-childern resort.

[SBETigg]

Oh no, a whole area of one land for princesses? So unfair! What is there for boys? Let's see... all these years we've had Frontierland (so girly), Tom Sawyer Island, Pirates, Buzz Lightyear, Indy Speedway, Peter Pan, and characters of all kinds in meets. There's a whole land for dinosaurs at the AK. But wow, a few princess-centric breakfasts and now an area that revolves around princesses alone, and boys are being discriminated against at WDW.

I get it. I do. I have a son. But boys seem to lose interest in the character breakfast earlier. Once they reach a certain age, the character breakfasts seem like they're for younger kids and boys want no part of them whether you have pirates or Pooh. But girls? Girls will hit teen years and still want princesses. I know grown women who want to see the princesses and those character breakfasts. So really, I understand why there are character breakfasts with the general favorites (Mickey and friends) and Pooh characters, and then a few revolving around princesses. And as for having one area of one park that focuses on princesses? I think it's only fair, and near the castle is where they belong.

[Gregandmel]

I have 2 boys - ages 18 & 9 and we went to Disney World for the first time as a family last October. We are going again in April. Although there is certainly a fair number of "girly" things there - never once have either of the boys complained about it. There are so many things to do at Disney World that I don't think they've ever thought that it's geared specifically towards girls more than boys. I think they get the whole "Princess" thing with the castle, etc.... They love all of Adventure Land & Liberty Square & Tomorrowland and although we always hit ALL the rides in Fantasyland - the only one they've ever complained about was "It's a Small World" ha ha. I would love to see a Pirate Themed Area, but my younger son rides Pirates over and over. I agree with the above poster though that it's much easier to market to girls than boys. HOwever - many high thrill areas in each of the parks for everyone - and in a few years, we'll probably hit the new Harry Potter area over at Universal. But I DO agree that it would be nice to have an area more catered to boys

[Reedy Creek Buccaneer]

I vote for as many princesses as they can put in there! That means more beautiful women I get to have my picture taken with!!! LOL!!!!

[disneyluva]

Have DD 8, and DS 6. He loves all character breakfasts. However, I've been asking for years - Where is the Toy Story/Monsters Inc. Character Meal?!? That would be a gold mine. Why hasn't it been done? DD would also love it!

[Ms. Mode]

Well, I would just add 'villians' to the pirates and Toy Story character meals....other than that we love WDW for what it is.

[KAT1811]

Oh no, a whole area of one land for princesses? So unfair! What is there for boys? Let's see... all these years we've had Frontierland (so girly), Tom Sawyer Island, Pirates, Buzz Lightyear, Indy Speedway, Peter Pan, and characters of all kinds in meets. There's a whole land for dinosaurs at the AK. But wow, a few princess-centric breakfasts and now an area that revolves around princesses alone, and boys are being discriminated against at WDW.

I get it. I do. I have a son. But boys seem to lose interest in the character breakfast earlier. Once they reach a certain age, the character breakfasts seem like they're for younger kids and boys want no part of them whether you have pirates or Pooh. But girls? Girls will hit teen years and still want princesses. I know grown women who want to see the princesses and those character breakfasts. So really, I understand why there are character breakfasts with the general favorites (Mickey and friends) and Pooh characters, and then a few revolving around princesses. And as for having one area of one park that focuses on princesses? I think it's only fair, and near the castle is where they belong.

That was funny! Our girls (3 of them) have never done Tom Sawyer Island, mostly becuase it isn't something that appeals to them so we skip it. But I am sure that we will certainly make it a stop on our tour when DS is old enough to enjoy it. I have to agree with the boys think thins are foolish way before girls do. My 13 year old still loves everything Disney and all the character meals and character pictures she can get. I am sure my nephews would find it foolish and would just make jokes and roll their eyes if they were forced to endure such a thing.

Well, I would just add 'villians' to the pirates and Toy Story character meals....other than that we love WDW for what it is.

They used to have a "villians" character meal at 1900 Park Fare. It was the dinner meal that the villians were present at but it didn't do well and was always just about empty every thime we went hence the change. We loved it but by and large there are a great many children boys and girls alike that find villians scary. Disney is all about making money and these things just don't have a big draw.

They did just add the pirate studio thingy where boys can get a pirate makeover so at least they are trying to find something. But I can tell you when we walked my there it was dead but when we went by the BBB is was jammed!!!

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Oh no, a whole area of one land for princesses? So unfair! What is there for boys? Let's see... all these years we've had Frontierland (so girly), Tom Sawyer Island, Pirates, Buzz Lightyear, Indy Speedway, Peter Pan, and characters of all kinds in meets. There's a whole land for dinosaurs at the AK. But wow, a few princess-centric breakfasts and now an area that revolves around princesses alone, and boys are being discriminated against at WDW.

I get it. I do. I have a son. But boys seem to lose interest in the character breakfast earlier. Once they reach a certain age, the character breakfasts seem like they're for younger kids and boys want no part of them whether you have pirates or Pooh. But girls? Girls will hit teen years and still want princesses. I know grown women who want to see the princesses and those character breakfasts. So really, I understand why there are character breakfasts with the general favorites (Mickey and friends) and Pooh characters, and then a few revolving around princesses. And as for having one area of one park that focuses on princesses? I think it's only fair, and near the castle is where they belong.

Also, DHS has Toy Story Pizza Planet so there is a dining experience geared towards Toy Story. I also have a son and he was no longer interested in character dining after the preschool years.

[Ian]

Personally, I just feel like they should have added more around Cars by now. It's almost inexplicable to me why WDW is so far behind DL (again!) when it comes to capitalizing on what has, inarguably, been their hottest boy oriented property in decades.

[Rhetoric2000]

Personally, I just feel like they should have added more around Cars by now. It's almost inexplicable to me why WDW is so far behind DL (again!) when it comes to capitalizing on what has, inarguably, been their hottest boy oriented property in decades.

I think Cars is the sort of thing I mean above - a huge amount of boys love cars, but a huge amount think they're actively boring.

Plus while you could set something in Radiator Springs, basing anything in the clearly-NASCAR setting of their competition (which would be far easier to do) would be very risky in terms of a non-US audience. The movie itself had a very inbalanced US-Worldwide box office take. So whilst the movie itself and especially merchandise surrounding it has been extremely profitable I understand why they wouldn't open it up at WDW.

I'd jut like to make it clear I myself like Cars (the movie that is, not the things themselves).

[GloMonkey]

I agree that Disney has a problem with finding something that appeals to boys the way the Princesses do to girls.

Yes, there are Pirates and Cars - but they really appeal to young boys. It's 2010 now and most 10 -13 year old boys are too old for those type of attractions. They live for Video Games- which explains the popularity of Buzz and Toy Story Mania - essentially ride-through video games. Take a look sometime and notice how many pre-teen and early teen boys ride those two attractions alone with no parents in sight.

Disney needs to theme some more attractions that take into account what the boys of of this decade like - which means more Technology , Gaming and Thrill elements.

I'm sure many people will post about how their boys love the current attractions- and I agree that many do. My point is that I agree with the original post that there is still a void.

I think that's why they bought all those Marvel Comics. Look for more "adult kid" charactors running around. Maybe not at MK or DL but at DCA or Hollywood park or whatever you call it

[PirateLover]

Walt Disney built his empire on Mickey Mouse and PRINCESSES. Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty... these were the original princesses. I was a young girl during the more recent golden age of Disney... Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid etc. I am now 24 and still excited by the new plans. I think that almost every girl in her heart of hearts has dreamed of being a princess. When my father would put me to bed he would say "goodnight, princess." Each year for Halloween I was usually a princess. This is nothing new. Also, why can't boys enjoy princesses, too? I enjoy dinosaurs, pirates, stunt shows, frontierland etc. I think that boys may not enjoy the princess experiences as MUCH as girls... but that doesn't mean that just because something is princess-oriented that boys are automatically excluded.

[TheRustyScupper]

IAs a mom of 3 boys, the Princess thing is getting really old. I get that Disney is making mucho dinero, but enough already!

1) Unfortunately, there is a fact of life here.
2) Mothers will spend boodles and dolt on girls
. . . princess meals
. . . princess outfits
. . . princess makeup
. . . princess hairdo's
3) They don't spend that much on boys.
4) Pure economics.
5) And, Disney knows this.
6) I seriously doubt a predominately boys' meal or area.

[Greenlawler]

Dad of three boys...I think DHS is very boy centered.....

1. Power Rangers
2. Toy Story
3. Star Wars
4. Indiana Jones

Let the girls have there princess area.

BTW my boys are 8,6, and 3 and love the characters. And I garuntee you I spend more money than 80% of the women on all the boy targeted stuff.

I do have a problem with how Disney buries Robin Hood. My boys love that movie. It used to be so prominant at the parks with the characters and all. I would love a dark ride but odds are Robin Hood will fade out of sight. It is a shame, as Robin Hood was a huge hit for them.

[Ian]

I think Cars is the sort of thing I mean above - a huge amount of boys love cars, but a huge amount think they're actively boring.

Plus while you could set something in Radiator Springs, basing anything in the clearly-NASCAR setting of their competition (which would be far easier to do) would be very risky in terms of a non-US audience. The movie itself had a very inbalanced US-Worldwide box office take. So whilst the movie itself and especially merchandise surrounding it has been extremely profitable I understand why they wouldn't open it up at WDW.

Mmmm ... you might be underestimating just how much Europeans love cars.

Racing is far more popular in Europe than it is in the U.S. And that includes Gran Prix, rally cars, stock cars, modified ... they love it all.

[Rekenna]

- Finally going back to the OP - Are we now suggesting that we never have new-theme attractions again? It seems everything is now being attached to a (usually newish) Disney property. It always makes me sad to think that Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise, Thunder Mountain, Haunted Mansion would simply not happen nowadays. Instead of Thunder we'd have something like "Woody's Wacky Frontier Debacle" and Mansion would become "Jack Sparrow's jumping-out-of-various-locations Mayhem".

Thanks guys, good discussion.

I liked this above comment. Maybe the real trick is to have more Disney rides, not Disney character rides/attractions. Our family favorites are HM, POC, CoP, etc. Not the Character based rides. Getting back to the real meat and potatoes! So forgetting about the boy/girl stuff and creating family rides again.

BTW-my boys don't hate princesses, actually DS4 thinks they are "Bootiful!"

Thanks again!

[BrerGnat]

I'm totally with Ian on the CARS thing. I mean, I have two boys too. They are 5 and 3. While the older one hasn't gotten into anything besides Thomas the Train, the younger one LIVES for Cars...from the Disney Pixar movie and toys to Hot Wheels, Monster Trucks, etc. He will absolutely FLIP OUT when we can finally visit DCA's Cars Land (by then, we'll have moved away from here, but we are planning a trip back JUST for that reason).

We have gone into DCA JUST so DS can visit with Lightning McQueen and Mater, and then we leave and go back to Disneyland. He is fascinated just seeing the cars and being able to touch them.

Just walk into any Toys R Us or Target toy aisle and look at the magnitude of toys manufactured for the CARS franchise.

I've said it once, and I know a lot of people agree that a re-theme of the Tomorrowland Speedway to CARS would be an amazing opportunity for Disney. By simply adding a gift shop at the end full of CARS merchandise, they would undoubtedly sell more of those toys than they currently do having them in random gift shops around WDW...

I am willing to bet we see more from both CARS and Toy Story in the near future. These franchises are not going away soon, and boys LOVE them! My son's second favorite Disney movie is Toy Story...

I think even if I had a girl, I'd be with princesses by now. I understand it from a marketing perspective, but I also sort of wish Disney would move away from the Pirate AND Princess obsession, and provide better role models for our boys and girls to aspire to.

At least there will be a Legoland near Disney soon. All the parents of boys will be going there, I would think.

[Rhetoric2000]

Mmmm ... you might be underestimating just how much Europeans love cars.

Racing is far more popular in Europe than it is in the U.S. And that includes Gran Prix, rally cars, stock cars, modified ... they love it all.

Ian I was referring to the specificity of the Cars setting within what was clearly a Nascar environment.

Nascar is not popular in Europe and elsewhere specifically because of the popularity of other types of racing.