Disney Parks Announcements - Let The Memories Begin!

[princessgirls]

Wow...I wonder how many hours and hours of sitting around a conference room table it took for them to come up with This "Spectacular" new promo.
YIKES...my company has better vision!

Nostalgia is only going to go so far people!! We want a COOL EXCITING PROMO that includes GREAT give-a-ways. Excitement, buzz, fresh, fun.
Whatever...
Julie

[Melanie]

Oh, and what did everyone think of the song, those that heard it?

Not impressed.

[seanyred]

It is a underwhelming considering it was billed as a major announcement when it has turned out to be a minor one. That being said I think on the surfice it sounds like a neat idea. Not a earth shattering stop the presses idea but neat. But I'll save my final opinion for when I see it. To often boo-birds of intercot come out way to quickly.

[Scar]

I, for one, am not the least bit disappointed, because I expected nothing good.

[Melanie]

To often boo-birds of intercot come out way to quickly.

I've not been a big boo-bird (cute term) in the past, but this is totally underwhelming, and I can honestly say, even having not seen it, I will not be taking any extra steps to see this. It holds zero interest for me.

[Ian]

It is a underwhelming considering it was billed as a major announcement when it has turned out to be a minor one. That being said I think on the surfice it sounds like a neat idea. Not a earth shattering stop the presses idea but neat. But I'll save my final opinion for when I see it. To often boo-birds of intercot come out way to quickly.

I understand your point, I guess, but really ... they basically created a huge hullabaloo and ran a 30 minute presser to announce that they've figured out a couple things:

1. People plan trips to Disney Parks with the express intention of making memories.

2. You can now shoot digital pictures and insert them into Power Point in real time.

3. Power Point allows for high quality digital projection onto large surfaces.

#1 I've pretty much known since I've been old enough to think about such things and #2 and #3 were news about four years ago.

This is an announcement that deserves to bring out the boo-birds. Check their Facebook page ... 99.9% of the comments are negative.

[Tekneek]

I, for one, am not the least bit disappointed, because I expected nothing good.

Set your expectations low in order to avoid disappointments, eh?

I didn't have a lot of expectations. I didn't expect quite what they served up though. A press event that turns into a net loss is always bad. It can be a huge snooze-fest as long as it is counterbalanced by big news that makes people forget the sideshow. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of those.

[Polynesian Dweller]

I've been a bit of a Disney booster but this instantly changes me. I can't believe how little imagination this shows. Is there any left in the company?

Then, could they have done anything cheaper. All they put into this is a couple of projectors for IASW and the castle. Then a website to get the photos that's it for cost. The customer creates the content so no content cost. This is about as cheap as they could get.

This is abysmal for a company that was the leader. What made Disney special was that they represented the standard. This announcement for the very first time makes me worried about the long term quality and prospects for the company. Extremely disappointed and disturbed.

[brad192]

I sure wouldn't want to be the guy that green-lighted this gem when the feedback starts coming in. Those percentage figures are gonna be UGLY!

[BrerGnat]

Oh, and what did everyone think of the song, those that heard it?

Not impressed.

I didn't want to slam the singer, cause she's talented and all, but that song was AWFUL. I mean, seriously, just terrible. I can't wait to hear it every night. (sarcasm)

[BrerGnat]

Oh, and by the way, GREAT way to kick off the new fiscal year Disney. Really excellent...

I wonder how long it will take the marketing team responsible for this to pick up their dignity from the floor today...

[Melanie]

Oh, one thing that did actually stand out to me today is that Skaggs mentioned you could ride the new Star Tours up to 6 or 7 times without the same experience. Is that something we already knew?

[GothMickey]

Disney has officially lost its way. This company is a shell of itself. I never thought I would say this but Iger is a doofus CEO. Staggs, I had high hopes for. But now, this? Seriously? And he is the future CEO?

Can we bring back Michael Eisner?

And one more thing. Universal needs to NOW announce Phase 2 of the Wizarding World expansion. If they announce this NOW, we can start to put the nails in Disney's coffin.

[BrerGnat]

Oh, one thing that did actually stand out to me today is that Skaggs mentioned you could ride the new Star Tours up to 6 or 7 times without the same experience. Is that something we already knew?

I heard that on a podcast about a week ago, so it's not news to me, but I don't think it's been discussed here on Intercot.

I actually heard there were MANY possibilities (more than 6 or 7). It's apparently somewhat dependent on audience participation. I suppose there is a way to "vote" where you go, similar to how Horizons worked. The outcomes can be different, depending on what the majority chooses.

[DisnIse]

It smacks of the pillars of photographs at the EPCOT entrance. I never quite understood that campaign either.....

[Tekneek]

The Star Tours mention was probably the best news out of it, but that was hardly given the attention it deserved. How does this rank for those who are veterans of these kind of events? Do they usually come off so poorly, or was this one as "special" as it seems to be?

[Melanie]

How does this rank for those who are veterans of these kind of events? Do they usually come off so poorly, or was this one as "special" as it seems to be?

I think this one was definitely special. I think it's somewhat Disney's fault for all the hype - "exciting plans for Disney Parks", "some good stuff that you’ll want to know about", "watch and interact in real time as we raise the curtain on what’s coming". And all the advertising for it on Facebook, Disney Parks blog, Twitter, etc. And what's even more disappointing is the only thing to come out of this (the memories projection show) was leaked ahead of time.

We at INTERCOT have been invited and have attended previous press events, and they were awesome. Everything first class, including announcements, special guests, gifts, accomodations, etc. Maybe without all the hype, this announcement wouldn't have been met with such disappointment.

[Tekneek]

Maybe without all the hype, this announcement wouldn't have been met with such disappointment.

That's the key. You need to know when it is a big major announcement and when it is just a regular refresh of your marketing, and promote accordingly. Still reflects poorly on Disney management...

[Imagineer1981]

Again, i'll go back to my theory of NO THEME being the best theme to have. Lets just go to WDW and not have to celebrate or make 2 years of a year of a million dreams, etc. Just let me enjoy the parks

[Tekneek]

Again, i'll go back to my theory of NO THEME being the best theme to have. Lets just go to WDW and not have to celebrate or make 2 years of a year of a million dreams, etc. Just let me enjoy the parks

Indeed. Slash the marketing budget and put it into showing a parade every night, or open up a mothballed attraction/pavilion. Maybe pay somebody to find sponsors for Future World, instead of marketing drivel that only disappoints anyway.