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TikiGeek
10-04-2004, 05:33 PM
Have you seen the new Disneyland-DCA parkhopper commercial? It has the HM ghosts going parkhopping. They go to DCA to ride the TOT. They come back to DL to go on It's a Small World - they scream in horror when they see the singing dolls -LOL!!! :) It's one of the best Disneyland TV spots that I've seen.

tod
10-04-2004, 05:39 PM
There are too many people making decisions at Disneyland who do not like the place. This might be light-hearted and fun, I may even like it.

In fact, I will suspend judgment until I do see it.

--t

sediment
10-04-2004, 05:42 PM
Let me guess: they were in DCA for about 10% of the commercial?

AlohaJulie
10-05-2004, 06:41 AM
They come back to DL to go on It's a Small World - they scream in horror when they see the singing dolls -LOL!!! :)

That's my usual reaction to IASW!!

Overall, the commercial is in good fun, it's just strange that they're still advertising the regular HM when it's HMH season.

And yeah, the only glimpse of DCA the viewer gets is ToT.

bluepearl
10-05-2004, 07:45 AM
I saw a billboard last Thursday on the 405 South advertising "October at Disneyland". I thought it was slightly misleading; some people might think there's something special going on for Halloween. Yes, there's HMH, but it's not exclusive to the month and I haven't seen any other special decorations go up for the occasion.

But, I liked the billboards and I liked the commercials. I like them better than the dog ones.

cstephens
10-05-2004, 10:06 AM
There's a billboard on the northbound 5 just north of Disneyland using the three ghosts from Haunted Mansion. I thought it was funny that they're using them to promote the resort when it's the one time of year they're not actually there. Maybe that's why they're wandering around the resort - because they're homeless!

DISNEYloon
10-05-2004, 11:55 AM
[QUOTE=tod]There are too many people making decisions at Disneyland who do not like the place.


please expound on that..........

sediment
10-05-2004, 12:05 PM
We can start with the people that created DCA.

Andrew
10-05-2004, 01:05 PM
I like them better than the dog ones.
Ahem, nothing is better than the little dog commercials. Nothing.

tod
10-05-2004, 01:20 PM
There are too many people making decisions at Disneyland who do not like the place.

please expound on that..........

DCA was built by (and for) people who think that Disneyland is old and tired. They are entitled to think that: There are millions of people who want no part of Disney, or Disneyland, and that is their right. But I don't think they should be in Disneyland executive office suites making decisions about the place.

Paul Pressler built his big Taj Mahal ("Team Disney Anaheim") by the freeway. It's way the hell north, by Ball Road, has its own parking structure. Separated from Disneyland by a railroad track and a sizeable hike. Apparently Pressler didn't like having small, uncomfortable offices scattered around the property, so he built his big building. Kept all the executive types comfortable. Unfortunately, it runs counter to Walt's idea of keeping the offices small and cramped to encourage his people to actually get in the park, with the guests, see it from their point of view. Eat at the restaurants, take a ride on Alice, experience it for themselves. Talk to the guests, see how they feel about things.

There's a separate eating facility at Team Disney Anaheim, and I hear there's also an executive dining room so the high-level executives won't get their appetites spoiled by looking at secretaries and other workaday peons.

I hear that the TDA merchandisers refer to character merchandise as "core product," and I know they lower costs by packaging stuff in containers that say "Disneyland Resort/Walt Disney World" on them so things can be shipped where they're needed. This is the act of a business major trying to save a buck, not a showman trying to enhance the experience for a guest. I feel cheated when I see those packages, and seldom buy anything that comes in one. The brick pavements are a similar cost-cutting measure.

Walt Disney said that Disneyland was a labor of love, that he didn't build it to make money. In the early days, there was a picture book they sold for a quarter. It cost 24 cents to produce. Roy wanted to raise the price, but Walt said no, people will take this home and their friends will look at it and the friends will want to come to Disneyland.

Now, they charge $2.75 for a 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola that would cost $1.50 or less anywhere in Southern California.

Disneyland was almost ruined by short-sighted business majors -- shopkeepers, not showmen -- who let the place go to hell. It will take a year of dedicated effort -- and millions of dollars -- to restore the place to a shadow of its former self. The classic example of Pressler's New Way was the relocation of the Rocket Jets from their previous position in the center of Tomorrowland. Walt's idea was that "you have a weenie [point of interest] at the end of every street." You stand in the Plaza, and you can see this. There, to your left, is Frontierland, and the Mark Twain (and occasionally the Columbia) will go by, piquing your interest, drawing you in. Straight ahead, Fantasyland, and there's King Arthur's Carrousel in motion to get your interest. (When the Carrousel was moved in the Fantasyland rebuild in the early '80s, the sight line was retained for just that reason.) You can't see into Adventureland, but that's okay, it's supposed to be exotic and mysterious.

Then we have Tomorrowland. And instead of the Rocket Jets twirling away far away to draw you in, they are right there in the front, out of place, out of scale, making noise (okay, the happy sounds of guests, usually, but still...) and screwing up the placidity of the Plaza.

Pressler was a shopkeeper, not a showman, and this is a display window.

Disneyland has been under the (mis)management of people who look at it as a money factory, and the guests as simpletons who will buy into anything if the magic word "Disney" is applied to it. The stinging failure of DCA is an indication of this attitude.

Another indication of this attitude was the two late-20s smartly-dressed oval-nametagged women chattering away as they walked down the hill into Critter Country. From time to time, they would look around, pridefully, as if they were the ones who made the place go. There was a small child, no older than two, if that, standing in the walkway. Lost. Couldn't see mommy. Crying, loudly, a plaitive wail that touched me to my soul. The kid's face was beet-colored. I had been hovering around, afraid to approach the kid, hoping a Cast Member would come by and help the kid. I was relieved to see these two young women coming. They could get help.

They walked right by, talking louder so they could hear each other over the kid.

I think it's fair to say those two junior executive types had no idea what Disneyland was -- is -- all about.

I may have wandered a bit, but I hope I'm clear.

--t

sediment
10-05-2004, 01:28 PM
And, might I add, that things are turning around with the new leadership. How long until the Global Van Lines building returns?

nursemelis374
10-05-2004, 02:23 PM
I really liked the commercial! I just saw it last night!

bluepearl
10-05-2004, 03:15 PM
Ahem, nothing is better than the little dog commercials. Nothing.

Eh, I wasn't too enamored of them. I wasn't too thrilled about the ads for Snow White, either. The ones for Aladdin and Blast were okay, considering they were only clips of the actual show and not some pre-meditated commercial set-up (and of course, I'm biased since I liked Aladdin when it opened and LOVED The Power of Blast!).

An old commercial I keep coming back to was around the time Splash Mountain either just opened or was just a few years old, advertising ticket prices at $23 for Southern California residents. Ah... those were the days...

RStar
10-05-2004, 03:44 PM
I do think they are doing too much marketing with almost decieving tactics.

From their website:


"Happiest Halloween on Earth!
Get into the spirit of the season, Disney style. Ever wish you could... Become an Intergalactic Hero? A Space Alien? Or maybe even a Disney Princess? Now all of your dreams can come true!"

When I first read this I thought they brought back a form of "Mickey's Halloween Treat" or something. And I saw this in a number of places. They make it sound like an event when it is only advertising to sell costumes!

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
10-06-2004, 02:23 PM
Can anyone tell me why they show the ghosts on Matterhorn? I saw the commercial last night. Shouldn't they have had the ghosts on an OPEN ride?

cstephens
10-06-2004, 02:28 PM
My husband told me yesterday that he saw the commercial, and he made the same comment about them riding the Matterhorn and the regular HM. That can't have been that hard to figure out when they decided to air the commercial...

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
10-06-2004, 02:30 PM
They pay all this money to the people who think these things up, and make a big mistake like that! Maybe I should be in advertising! LOL

sediment
10-06-2004, 02:31 PM
Maybe it's not a commercial. Maybe it's REAL GHOSTS on the Matterhorn!!! Aauuuugh! Run for your lives!!
The Hellmouth at the top must be kept shut!!

TP2000
10-06-2004, 02:35 PM
Can anyone tell me why they show the ghosts on Matterhorn? I saw the commercial last night. Shouldn't they have had the ghosts on an OPEN ride?

It's actually going to get worse as we get closer to Halloween. The commercial ends with the ghosts on Small World. In a week and a half Small World will also be closed until November 4th.

They made a clever and cute Halloween commercial featuring two rides at Disneyland. And both of those rides will be closed in October.

The marketing department may have latched on to a clever campaign, but it's obvious they are still out of touch with the operation of Disneyland. Couldn't they have checked their rehab calendars before they filmed this thing?

sediment
10-06-2004, 03:06 PM
Anyone know where the people in charge of Disneyland resort commericals are? I mean, are they in Burbank, or are they in TDA in Anaheim?

bluepearl
10-06-2004, 03:47 PM
Anyone know where the people in charge of Disneyland resort commericals are? I mean, are they in Burbank, or are they in TDA in Anaheim?

I was looking at The List Online, and it says that an outside agency takes care of DLR's advertising. They have several offices around the country, the local one being (obviously) in L.A. and just joined with another agency in the middle of this year. They also have a Hispanic agency. I wonder what goes on in their brainstorming sessions...

TP2000
10-06-2004, 05:27 PM
I wonder what goes on in their brainstorming sessions...

Obviously they don't bring a rehab calendar with them to those sessions.

sediment
10-06-2004, 05:37 PM
Brainstorming (or lack of) is one thing. It's also who approves the ad before it goes into production.
If CM Matt or someone near him is doing it, then this would be a black mark on him.
If it's Eisner or Iger, then, well, they're all black-marked up as it is.

sdfilmcritic
10-07-2004, 12:04 AM
I saw this commercial for the first time last night and I laughed really good at the IASW reference. This commercail and the little doggie one is my two favorite DL spots. I can't wait until they come out with more 1 Day Park Hopper commercials.

jswtsang
10-07-2004, 08:17 AM
I was a little bummed, I saw "Two parks, one great price" and I kept watching to see if they were doing a two for one, but nope.
jt