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“I don’t do business with carnival people.”
In 1959, a landowner turned down Walt Disney’s attempt to purchase beachfront property in the Florida Panhandle with these words: or so the legend keeps. It could be one of the biggest economic blunders of all time. To create the East Coast version DisneylandThe father of the theme park industry went instead to a sleepy Central Florida town called Orlando and opened a resort on October 1, 1971, which now spans 42 square miles, employs more than 70,000 people and attracts nearly 50 million visitors annually. : Walt Disney World.
On Friday, Disney World began celebrating the property’s 50th anniversary as confetti balls, the only medium Disney Parks marketers had, turned into full-on blizzards. The promotional event will last at least 18 months and will include new roller coasters. Epcot and the Magic Kingdom; new high end hotel simulating travel on a “Star Wars” galactic cruiser; two new fireworks displays; limited edition furniture; and MagicBand+, wearable technology that will unlock interactive experiences (for a price).
There’s also a theme song with a not-so-subtle title: “Magic Calls”
Those who don’t like the company’s supertanker candy-filled approach to family fun will certainly backfire even more. But millions of people will heed Disney’s call and pour hundreds of millions of dollars into the company, the airlines, and the Orlando economy, all of which are still trying to recover from the pandemic.
“There’s huge demand,” said Jeffrey Merola, owner of his company. Mouse Holiday Planning, a Disney-focused affiliate of Direct Travel in Syracuse, NY “But I’ve definitely rescheduled some people for 2022. They want to wait to see what happens to the coronavirus, and some of Disney’s bigger anniversary offerings aren’t coming online until then. then whatever.” (For example, those roller coasters.)
Mr. Merola, who is also the guidebook author, spoke from the Orlando airport Friday afternoon. He had visited the Magic Kingdom in the morning. “I wanted to be there on the actual anniversary because it felt historic,” she said.
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products made a profit ($356 million) in its most recent quarter as the availability of coronavirus vaccines encouraged families to return in large numbers. (The division lost $1.9 billion in the same period a year ago.) “We will increase capacities as demand comes in,” Christine M. McCarthy, Disney’s chief financial officer, told analysts on August 12.
But the Delta variant has led to cancellations, with travel agents saying families are worried about traveling again. Floridaespecially in children too young to be vaccinated. Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek acknowledged at a recent investor conference that Delta had “some influence”, but said bookings for the year-end holidays were underway. He noted that Disney’s security measures, including mask requirements, were in place. proven effective.
Mr. Chapek and Disney’s chairman, Robert A. Iger, kicked off the 18-month marketing event Thursday night with speeches in front of Cinderella’s Castle (called EARidescent in Disney promos), which the company has adorned with gold trim and iridescent paint. . Fan response to the new look has been mostly positive—especially when compared to the castle’s unfortunate 25th anniversary look in 1996, when Disney turned it into a Pepto Bismol-colored cake.
Then again, you can’t please everyone:
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