Could Frozen go the same way as Stitch?

[conandrob240]

The comparison makes absolutely no sense at all. Stitch as a character and as a movie was never even close to what Frozen has become. It was never a matter of over saturation or getting sick of it. Stitch ride/attraction was stupid and despised by most from Day 1. Stitch was never a "hot commodity" and was never so popular he deserved his own ride/attraction. Add to that the fact that you have a terrible ride/attraction and well, you get Stitch's Great escape. Boo.

Frozen is a huge money maker and a hot commodity. Is it getting overdone? Probably. Will it run its course and be replaced by the next hot thing? Probably. Is it so big and popular that it deserves its own permanent attraction? Probably.

 

[tjevans]

. Stitch was never a "hot commodity" and was never so popular he deserved his own ride/attraction.

Stitch may never have been hot, but Disney certainly tried to make him one.

My son was very young (toddler) when Lilo & Stitch came out, and I remember the great flood of Stitch toys. I can also remember when the walls of plush in the stores were mostly Stitch.

 

[Micca]

Frozen is a variation on classic Disney princess movies on which Disney has built an empire, Stitch was kind of a one-off. Give it 10 years, and Stich will be to Oliver & Company what Frozen is to Beauty & The Beast.

 

[Frozen Man]

I'm not sure there is much comparison.

Lilo & Stitch ranks 381st globally at the box office.

Frozen currently ranks 5th globally at the box office.

Also Stitch was a kitschy generational character who appealed to a specific age group at a specific point in history. He was weird little space alien.

Elsa and Anna on the other hand are made in the mold of classic time tested Disney princesses.


I just don't see the comparison at all.

 

[Csaks]

Like everything these days, Frozen will be a memory in short time. The next big thing will unseat it from the pedestal. Can be too soon for me.

 

[HopperFan]

Interesting article, I'll go back and read when I have lots of time .. it was long so I skimmed. Stitch attraction is stupid which is why it's a walk on. It seemed like they were trying to bring in a Disney character for a kid's attraction with "tomorrowland theme" for minimal dollars. Needs total rehab. But I'm afraid the space is strange and not expandable without closing several other spots. My hope is that Tomorrowland is on the drawing boards for some love in the future. It has so much potential. Other than Buzz Lightyear they have only spent minimal dollars in this area leaving much of it sadly original or underutilized.

Regarding OP's thoughts ....

To compare Stitch to Frozen - no comparison. Stitch did okay at box office, about $273 Million but it's not even in the same galaxy as Frozen that is at about $1.3 Billion - and that is just box office. Start adding up all the stuff being sold with no end in sight for now.

The girls love the Princesses and the boys love a rustic fun male figure, Kristoff and everyone loves the fun-loving characters like Olaf and Sven. These characters will continue to garner love and Disney's ability to make money from clothes to toys to Ice Shows to Broadway.

Stitch was an obnoxious Alien, Lilo was a little girl and a bunch of strange characters that I don't see as endearing. I don't see the characters as ones that would bring the love from the age group that will create the snowfall of cash. Little girls aren't in to other little girls, they are looking for the princess factor. I know Stitch has it's fans but it seems more like a "cult" following (in a good way). My kids love some Disney movies that others consider non-mainstream, Wall-E, Treasure Planet ...

And Frozen is a musical which takes it to another level in so many ways. It has longevity if done right. It is based on classic fairy tale and who knows, maybe one day we will see Elsa's Ice Castle in a park.

 

[ms tom morrow]

Very interesting article, thanks for sharing.

I'm pretty much neutral about Frozen... I saw and enjoyed the movie but would never wait in line or use a FP+ for A&E. I'm just as ambivalent about a Frozen attraction in Norway as I was about Maelstrom. That said, I don't think Frozen will go the way of Stitch.

I agree with the article in that Disney wanted Stitch to be "a young boys' version of a princess dress: something every boy had to have." To entice those boys they focused on the "bad" Stitch - had him TP the castle, sold bottled containers of Stitch boogers (!!!), etc. The problem is, people love Stitch (and all of the characters, for that matter) for his story of redemption. Focusing so squarely on the mischievous traits seems to me to take the Disney out of a Disney product! I'm sure you could find canned boogers other places... is that really the Disney souvenir I'd want to buy my son?

On the other hand, you have the Frozen crew. They do conform to Disney's bread and butter of a "princess dress" but also have Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf for more boy-friendly shenanigans. And most of all, the movie has a more modern take than the other traditional fairy tales. I think that fresh message is what people are really relating to, and I think people are going to remember that feeling for quite awhile. The best part for Disney is that even after that feeling is gone, nostalgia for the feeling will replace it!

 

[Planogirl]

I'm not sure there is much comparison.

Lilo & Stitch ranks 381st globally at the box office.

Frozen currently ranks 5th globally at the box office.

Also Stitch was a kitschy generational character who appealed to a specific age group at a specific point in history. He was weird little space alien.

Elsa and Anna on the other hand are made in the mold of classic time tested Disney princesses.


I just don't see the comparison at all.

That depends on how you look at it. According to BoxOfficeMojo Frozen doesn't even break the top 100 if you adjust for inflation. In fact many Disney movies are way higher in the list.

 

[MrInfinity]

That's what I'm thinking too. I feel like they are treating Elsa like she is the best, most popular Disney princess ever - and she has been for the past year. I just don't think she will hold popularity long enough to make sense for the permanent changes. Not to beat a dead horse or change the topic, but I still am miffed over Maelstrom. I think a well-done ride would be nice, but it just does not belong in World Showcase. Maelstrom clearly had people (like me) who adored it.

I can't imagine in 10 years Frozen will still be as rampant and popular for people to still be packing the new ride unless, like you said, it's something truly amazing. Also...I would think that this inescapable barrage of Frozen might even deter people like me, who not only are beaten to death by it and who may also miss Maelstrom, from ever riding it and therefore creating even shorter lines 8-10 years down the road.

I agree with you. I wanted to see a Frozen ride. And Frozen deserves a ride in every way imaginable. But not at the expense of authenticity in Norway.

WS does need something new... but playing down this being a World Showcase and turning it into more of a fantasy world is not the best option. WS is for bringing a taste and experience of other countries here, not creating movie-immersion-experiences. It is the escape where adults can go to try adult food.

I could see Frozen being integrated into any of the other 3 parks. EC was my least favorite choice, and in the WS was the worst place of all as it has no basis in real world countries.

 

[strangebutspecial]

This was a really great article. Thanks for posting it, op! Excellent analysis of both Alien Encounters and Stitch. I think the author nails it on how the attraction gets the Stitch character wrong. In the case of every other popular character, we feel fond of them. It's impossible to feel fond of the booger-flinging, belching version of Stitch.

I'm not a fan of Stitch, but I love the idea of a character whose disruptive presence is felt in the parks without ever being seen. (The bathroom voiceovers, tping the Castle). If only they'd held on to Stitch's fun side while playing up the trickster/prankster aspect. I think the Disney roster could use a troublemaker. If I were running the show and wanting to keep the character current, I'd think I'd keep him on animation shorts that evoke the feeling of the original movie.

I think the author of the article overstates the popularity of Stitch at his height. It was never as popular as Frozen. But I definitely think they've pushed Frozen a little too hard and we're going to see the popularity drop off in the next few years.

As for Stitch and Tomorrowland, I'm not sure the Stitch attraction is salvageable at this point. Even a full rehab wouldn't do it. Too many people would walk right by. I think there are some exciting new possibilities instead. There's the Tomorrowland movie, which may have attraction possibilities, and things like Big Hero Six and Guardians of the Galaxy, both of which have more staying power and audience appeal.

 

[anniebean]

I like them both, but I don't think you can really compare the two.

About the Stitch merchandise, I bought a Stitch plush backpack at WDW years ago. I wear it almost every day during my yearly trips. However, the past 2 trips, fiance and I have been amazed at all of the "Where did you get that?" questions I get from CMs and parents alike. Seriously. There's still an audience for Stitch, but he's just not the latest and greatest anymore.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

Yes, Frozen is going to start to fade in another 18 months-2 years. Anna and Elsa will just be absorbed into the Disney Princess Line up. They will become come peoples favourite of the group, but it's not going to be as out of control as it is now. People are already moving on. Many kids have now moved onto Big Hero 6. By the time Norway reopens as Arrendelle, many people will have moved on.

Already now in Australia, merchandise just sits on the shelves. Elsa is still popular but honestly, merchandise just sits there. And we now have backpacks, luggage, Barbie Type Dolls, Toddler Dolls, costumes, plush, craft items, books. They just sit there for weeks at a time now. In January, merchandise would literally sell within one day

 

[richmo]

I was surprised at the attention Stitch received at Disney. It seemed overblown to me at the time for a franchise that didn't have legs. As I'm sure you remember, you couldn't even ride the monorail without getting inundated. Thank goodness most of that has disappeared and we're left with just Stitch's Great Escape. I'd be surprised if that attraction survives another decade.

Frozen seems different. It is more in the tradition of the Disney princesses and even though we're seeing it everywhere with the possible exception of Animal Kingdom, I don't find it quite as much "in my face" as Stitch was. Could be because I liked Frozen better to begin with.

The hysteria will die down, but it will take some time. We'll eventually just have a permanent presence at Norway and a meet and greet. The meet and greet will eventually die down to reasonable levels, as they are with the other princesses/characters. Frozen will live long on DVD/Blu-Ray as a Disney classic, much like 'The Little Mermaid' has done for years and years. And that's even if they don't come up with a decent sequel, which I'm sure they will.

 

[KimBean]

While I agree that we have no way of knowing what the frenzy was really like and what Disney really thought back then, I disagree with your movie release comparison. Disney Animation Studios movie sequels have ALWAYS been direct to DVD. The only exception to this is the Rescuers. They are the ONLY DAS franchise to get a "real" second movie.

I'm sure Stitch mania probably was not what it is now, but that's comparing two different things in two different times. With the internet not as prevelent back then, you had a lot more diversity in interests and you didn't have the "____-mania" type attitude towards things we do today. I do remember that Disney marketed that movie VERY well and I believe they thought it was going to be a huge success. Stitch the character was much stronger than the movie, which is why he has had multiple sequels AND a tv show. How many Disney movies ever had their own tv show?

The point is, it is unlikely Frozen is going to have the staying power of something like Harry Potter. It is much more likely to come closer to Stitch. I say this as someone who loves Frozen and actually get kind of annoyed at people complaining about it. I also say this as someone who doesn't hate the Stitch ride as much as everyone else so maybe my opinion is just bad.

My oldest favorite ride was the stitch ride. I would laugh every time she wanted to go on it first and many times. Just thought to myself well, Dis, it's our fault it's still open.

Maybe they thought Stitch was going to be huge... I bet they hoped it would be. Disney has always tried hard to get the boy audience and has never captured that as well as the girls. The marketing of the disney princesses has been a really strong money maker for them. I think they keep trying to duplicate that with either the boys OR a gender neutral movie (not saying boys can't like princesses...)

I've never read or seen Harry Potter, but what is the point? Frozen hasn't been given its own land yet, so it doesn't need to have the staying power of HP, right? One thing I can say is that Frozen has more staying power than Avatar and they are getting their own land in AK. I will say that has no staying power at all and is unbelievable to me. But, I just keep reminding myself about Song of the South...

 

[L&Lfan]

I hated when Cinderella Castle was "toilet papered" by Stitch 10 years ago. That was a disgrace and not necessary!

 

[elaine amj]

Like everything these days, Frozen will be a memory in short time. The next big thing will unseat it from the pedestal. Can be too soon for me.

Of course hysteria will die down. That's the nature of things. Certainly they've got plenty of merchandise this year for everyone who wants one. But even as they hysteria fades, I am sure it will become one of the defining movies of this generation of kids. It is The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast of this generation and I think it's very smart of Disney to cash in and open a new ride ASAP. They are capitalizing on the movie - which still resonates strongly amongst this generation, particularly this year.

Yes there is over-saturation and a lot of folks are getting annoyed. But what super-popular things doesn't get oversaturated? They are making money left, right and centre by slapping something Frozen on it and it is completely a smart business move rather than taking 2 years to develop something to launch after the hysteria fades.

That said how many years after The Beauty and the Beast did they finally get their own Castle? Ditto with The Little Mermaid. I am in my 30s and they were the super-popular movies of my generation and I was thrilled to bits when they opened the 2 new Castles. I still buy Ariel merchandise and seeing Ariel always, always puts a smile on my face.

I feel that's who Anna and Elsa will be to this generation of kids.

 

[mummabear]

We missed the Lilo and Stitch boat, I was too old and did not have kids yet, even after watching it with my kids now I'm not a fan of the movie.
Yet we adore the character but only as our middle child became attached to him after a meet and greet.
I have never understood why he is one of the few characters for magic shots etc, he seems to have a bigger presence in park then his movie commanded.

 

[Orph]

Great article, thank you for posting.

I would love to say that Frozen will go stitch and just go away...however, I fear that it will not be the case. Frozen, as a movie and as a concept, broke the stereotypical mold of a "Disney" princess. That sibling-love speaks to what "we" (a generation of parents and would be parents currently in their 30-20s) preach, that love is encompassing.

Personally, I am sick of forzen. It took over the MVMCP wishes for sake.

 

[KimBean]

Great article, thank you for posting.

I would love to say that Frozen will go stitch and just go away...however, I fear that it will not be the case. Frozen, as a movie and as a concept, broke the stereotypical mold of a "Disney" princess. That sibling-love speaks to what "we" (a generation of parents and would be parents currently in their 30-20s) preach, that love is encompassing.

Personally, I am sick of forzen. It took over the MVMCP wishes for sake.

"go Stitch" I like it... The Disney version of jumping the shark.

 

[AnAmericanInDisney]

That depends on how you look at it. According to BoxOfficeMojo Frozen doesn't even break the top 100 if you adjust for inflation. In fact many Disney movies are way higher in the list.

That list seems dead on. I remember sitting on the floor at the local movie theater to watch Star Wars. Every bit of space was taken up by people- fire code be damned. E.T. and Jaws were so big. Everyone you knew had seen it. No one missed it.

http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm