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Don’t take this the wrong way, but Disneyworld, Bitches!

With Chef Mickey!

Disney Tackles Major Theme Park Problem: Lines

An underground high-tech nerve center at Disney World addresses the most low-tech of problems: long waits.

http://nyti.ms/gvNsmz

Universal & Warner Brothers are going to create a Harry Potter area of their theme park…

FROM THE PRESS RELEASE:
READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE

Expected to open in late 2009, the new environment will feature immersive rides and interactive attractions, as well as experiential shops and restaurants that will enable guests to sample fare from the wizarding world’s best known establishments. Also debuting will be a state-of-the-art attraction that will bring the magic, characters and stories of Harry Potter to life in an exciting way that guests have never before experienced.

“We are going to devote more time, more money, more expertise and more executive talent from throughout our entire organization and creative team – as well as from Warner Bros., our partners – to ensure that
this entire environment is second-to-none,” said Tom Williams, chairman and CEO, Universal Parks
and Resorts.

Brad Globe, president of Warner Bros. Worldwide Consumer Products, added: “In Universal, we found the right partner whose unparalleled commitment will ensure that this is a world class destination. Their track record of success and the consistently high level of entertainment at all of their parks gave us the confidence to know that they will meet—or exceed— the extremely high expectations we all have for this project.”

The Academy Award-winning production designer Stuart Craig, who has worked to bring the world of Harry Potter to life in all of the feature films to date, leads the creative design for the area to ensure it remains faithful to the look and feel of the films.

“Our primary goal is to make sure this experience is an authentic extension of Harry Potter’s world as it is portrayed in the books and films,” said Craig. “I am very excited to be working closely with the Universal Orlando team to bring the area to life.”

Way back in college, our marketing professor told us about the epiphany that Xerox had one day– the day they decided they were in the Information business, and not the copier business. That small epiphany led them to a whole new level of business, and gave them an entry into well… what is now the 21st century. In some ways, it’s what stopped them from being Olivetti (the once ubiquitous typewriter that is now oh so quaint)

In a recent article in the Orlando papers (READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE.) about a shakeup at Disney Imagineering (for those of you who don’t know, Imagineers are the guys at Disney that do all of the thinking work) One of the corporate types is quoted as saying, “We are in the immersive experience business; it’s no longer the parks and resorts business.” She also promises that Disney will create more “immersive experiences”-

I like this as a redefinition of Disney as a whole– except that I would say they are in the Experiences Business. They provide experiences for people. Sometimes they can be a little too prepackaged, or not without adventure and excitement (that’s often the complaint about Disney-fying Times Square– they put their squeaky clean all over a place that is more exciting when it’s dirty)

Anyway, I thought this was worth mentioning. Immersive Experience.

Boy I had such grand plans for this website! Realy wanted to lay down what I was thinking about Walt, and connect all of the dots.

Well, the good news is I still have time. Or as they say, Disneyland wasn’t built in a day!

Starting in 2008, when current contracts expire, Disney will no longer let its characters be used as shills for junk food. It’s a good idea, in theory,and the right thing to do– but they should have gone further– as the article states, they have said nothing about the pervasive marketing of junk food on their channels. If Disney wants to be a corporate leader for good, they should, you know, lead!

This in from the Wall Street Journal:

Disney Pulls Its Characters From Junk Food

Move Sets Limits on Fats, Sugar
And Calories in Product Tie-Ins;
Getting a Pass on Birthday Cakes

By MERISSA MARR and JANET ADAMY
October 17, 2006; Page D1

Seeking to promote more healthful eating habits among children, Mickey Mouse and his Walt Disney Co. friends are changing their diets.

Disney announced a companywide initiative to phase out the promotion of unhealthful foods to kids and eliminate artery-clogging trans fats from its theme-park menus and its licensed and promotional products. The Burbank, Calif., entertainment company said its characters and brands will be used only on child-focused products that meet certain guidelines in terms of calories, fat, saturated fat and sugar.

“A company such as ours, with the reach we have, has a responsibility because of how much we can influence people’s opinions and behavior,” says Disney CEO Robert Iger. He adds: “There’s also a business opportunity here.”

While the plan is the most extensive yet by a media company to address concerns over marketing to children, it stops short of tackling the thorny subject of food makers advertising unhealthful products directly to kids on Disney media outlets. Disney doesn’t run advertising on the Disney Channel but does carry sponsor messages, which will be covered by the new guidelines. Disney does carry advertising on its kids’ programming block on the ABC television network and its Toon Disney cable channel.

This next bit is not for the kiddies: Radar online has some great info about the quickly released to YouTube, and then de-posted Euro-Disney backstage sex orgy

Here’s an excerpt:

Amateur plushy porn featuring the world’s most famous mouse and his pals has found its way to the Internet … again. Video of a furry, bisexual, incestuous, interspecies orgy at EuroDisney was quickly taken down after being posted to YouTube yesterday, according to the U.K.’s Daily Mail (via Defamer). In it, Minnie is the pivot mouse in a furry three-way with Goofy and a giant snowman. Goofy gets similarly freaky with a pair of nut-gobbling chipmunks.

Not to be outdone, the Chairman of the Board, Mickey Mouse himself, gets frosty, sloppy seconds from the snowy stud. Thought to be shot on a hidden camera, a French voice can be heard announcing “Disneyland à l’arriére plan, il fait chaud!”

Translation: “Disneyland backstage, it’s hot!”

VIDEO LINK:

SEE THE ACTION

This in from Reuters:

Shakeup at Disney:
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Walt Disney Co on Thursday said it has promoted 27-year Disney veteran Meg Gilbert Crofton to president of the Walt Disney World Resort. The company also elevated 10-year Disney veteran Jim Lewis to president of Disney Vacation Club. Both Crofton and Lewis will report to Al Weiss, president of Worldwide Operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Crofton, 52, takes over for Weiss, who moved to his newly created post as part of Disney’s company-wide emphasis on taking a global approach to its businesses.

One of the most successful strategies for navigating Disneyworld in the time that you have is to have a real plan about how you are going to do everything, and minimize waiting in line.

Here is the best tip I know: Continue reading →

Having just come back from the Disney trek, I can highly recommend NOT gassing up your car across from the Thrifty car-rental place.  It was a CITGO station, and seemed to be the only one around the off-airport car-rental places.  While gas at the two Hess stations on the Disney property hovered around 2.91-2.99, they were charging (for regular unleaded) 3.49!

A .50 cent surcharge per gallon for being on a time schedule is not really acceptable.

Gas up at the Hess on property (it’s about a 10-15 mile ride or so, so your FULL indicator won’t waver)  You can also gas up at a 7-11 one exit before the car-rental exit. Save yourself some money!