Sponsorships????

Post by **rdeacon** » Feb Tue 08, 2005 9:26 am

I was always curious what the arrangement was with the sponsorships that are in WDW and WDL.

Does anyone have any info on them...what the sponsor pay etc....

Just curious

Rich

Disneynut · Post by **Disneynut** » Feb Fri 11, 2005 3:28 pm

I'm not sure how sponsorships are arranged with Disney, but just to give you an idea - AT&T paid about 1.5 million per year to sponsor Spaceship Earth.

rick-g-tn · Post by **rick-g-tn** » Feb Fri 11, 2005 8:43 pm

Hey, I wonder how much to sponsor C.O.P.?

QuickGold · Post by **QuickGold** » Feb Sat 12, 2005 10:27 am

rick-g-tn wrote:Hey, I wonder how much to sponsor C.O.P.?

Got some extra cash?

rick-g-tn · Post by **rick-g-tn** » Feb Sun 13, 2005 12:09 pm

Just wondering what something like that would cost. Maybe I should ask Disney.

Post by **rdeacon** » Feb Sun 13, 2005 11:22 pm

rick-g-tn wrote:Hey, I wonder how much to sponsor C.O.P.?

I wonder if Disney would even accept sponsership for COP. Since it was Walt's idea, and the only ride in WDW that bears his name.... they may not want a Walt Disney's COP sponsered by _____

Rich

rick-g-tn · Post by **rick-g-tn** » Feb Mon 14, 2005 8:07 am

But it was orignally sponsored by General Electric. I would just want a name out front, not a complete rework of the audio tracks.

QuickGold · Post by **QuickGold** » Feb Mon 14, 2005 1:40 pm

rdeacon wrote:
rick-g-tn wrote:Hey, I wonder how much to sponsor C.O.P.?
I wonder if Disney would even accept sponsership for COP. Since it was Walt's idea, and the only ride in WDW that bears his name.... they may not want a Walt Disney's COP sponsered by _____

Rich

Disney will do anything for money.

Post by **rdeacon** » Feb Tue 15, 2005 9:31 am

QuickGold wrote:Disney will do anything for money.

That is sad.. but probably true. I try not to think of Disney as the large corp. entity it is....

Corperations are not magical

Rich

QuickGold · Post by **QuickGold** » Feb Tue 15, 2005 2:38 pm

rdeacon wrote:
QuickGold wrote:Disney will do anything for money.
That is sad.. but probably true. I try not to think of Disney as the large corp. entity it is....

Corperations are not magical

Rich

Despite it's flaws, I think we can agree that Disney has done a pretty good job of not totally destroying the parks. Walt's vision for the theme parks seems to be somewhat still alive and going.

rick-g-tn · Post by **rick-g-tn** » Feb Tue 15, 2005 3:58 pm

Until this year. I am seeing more cut backs and hearing more employee's complaining out in the park. The Pixie Dust is being kept locked up some where.

Vonderbach · Post by **Vonderbach** » Feb Tue 15, 2005 4:20 pm

QuickGold wrote: Despite it's flaws, I think we can agree that Disney has done a pretty good job of not totally destroying the parks. Walt's vision for the theme parks seems to be somewhat still alive and going.

I was with you until the last sentence. Walt's vision has been pretty much obliterated in lieu of commercialism. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with commercialism, just that it wasn't Walt's main motivation. Walt Disney was one of the few entreprenuers that had a pure heart, and he thought of his community before his profits. Can you say that of Disney today?

Epcot is literally nothing like what Disney had planned. Epcot was supposed to be a real community, with real residents. MGM wasn't even in the picture during his lifetime, and Animal Kingdom is simply a Busch Gardens clone, and a poor one at that.

And I dare say that Walt is probably spinning in his grave over E-pass. Sure, it's great if you're the person in the express lane, but for the poor sap who wasn't so fortunate, you get to stand in line twice as long, while watching the ride fill up to capacity with E-pass holders.

Ask Roy Disney is Walt's vision is still alive. You just might get an earful.

Edit: I should clarify. I have no ill will towards Disney Corp, nor their board, I simply feel that the original magic has been changed, altered if you will. It's still a wonderous place to visit.

QuickGold · Post by **QuickGold** » Feb Wed 16, 2005 10:36 am

When I said Walt's Vision is still with the parks, what I meant is that there is still some Walt in the theme park division whereas I feel Walt's pressence is totally gone from their movies, television and other ventures of the Walt Disney Company. By no means do I think that today's WDW is exactly what Walt envision(far from it) but I think that there's enough of Walt's guidance left there.

rick-g-tn · Post by **rick-g-tn** » Feb Wed 16, 2005 10:44 am

I think we all agree when Eisner took over originally, he had Walt's vision, but as the years went by, he started listening more to stock holders and less to his "What Would Walt Do"

Post by **rdeacon** » Feb Wed 16, 2005 10:48 am

Vonderbach wrote: Walt's vision has been pretty much obliterated in lieu of commercialism.

I would have to agree…but with some thoughts…

We know EPCOT did not match Walt's dream, but who's to say if Epcot would have ended up as Walt intended in his original designs, even if he was alive. WDI ideas get twisted and pulled in many different directions. There are many projects that have been designed that get shelved and many that were shelved that get reworked for today's park (pick up a copy of the Imagineering book). And most of the time it comes down to the bean counters. I've read that Walt also had many run-ins with them designing WDL. WDL had to cut corners too, with Walt at the helm. You also have to remember just how big and how fast the Disney Company has grown. Before WDL, Disney could barely pay his employees, now it’s a mega-company grossing billions. And with that large corporation comes a corporate mentality.

How would things be different if Walt was still around? I think the imagineers have done a fairly good job, to maintain the Disney dream. Do I think they would have been better if Walt was around...duh yeah. The great thing about Walt was his vision and his commitment to quality. The Disney name is built off that. That is a tough burden to maintain, in a corporate world.

So far I think they have just maintained that level...maybe that is also the issue that we as Disney-nuts expect that bar to raised. It’s a good thing we expect so much, it’s a tribute to Walt, but it’s also hard to fulfill. Take AK for example. For a ride stand point I would agree that its needs some work. It’s a half day park. Walt would have not liked the carnival aspect of Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama. But if you look at the pure beauty of the park..It’s amazing. The landscaping and land themes are incredible, I just enjoy walking around sucking it all in. I get the same feeling walking down mainstreet…just pure joy. That is the Disney magic at work. And that is what makes Disney, well Disney.. the intangibles that you can put your finger on.

One other point. You also have to remember, Disney now has competition. Universal Studios, Sea World, Busch Gardens, Six Flags….etc. With competition comes a change in mindsets.. something Walt did not have to deal with. WDL was the originator. After the success of WDL he didn’t have to worry that his park would not pull attendance, something that the Disney company does think about, probably too much. In my opinion, the other parks are no match for Disney..but that’s just me. None of the other parks have that Disney feel.. that magic.

To rap this long ramble up… I think we all would agree that Disney the company would be better off in Walt’s hands. Since that is not a possibility, we have to be thankful in some respects that Disney the company has not completely lost its focus and lost that magic. Has the pixie dust, been spread thin in certain area..sure. But just remember that feeling you get walking down mainstreet, under Spaceship Earth, or thru the lush vegetation of AK, and things don’t seem that bad. Yeah they could be better….but they could also be worse… there is no magic in Universal

Rich