Disney Movies and The Vault?

[WaltD4Me]

So today is my niece's 3rd birthday She is a total Disney fan...can't imagine how that happened. Her favorites right now are Minnie Mouse and Ariel. She has Little Mermaid on VHS. My brother wanted to get her the DVD...but it's in the VAULT. He couldn't find it anywhere. He thinks this is the stupidiest thing in the world and kept calling me to ask me why Disney does this. I offered him my copy as a temporary solution, but he's hung up on the vault thing and I couldn't really give him a good answer. I sort of understand the thinking behind it. Re-release it for a new generation, ect...but it did make me think. Does the vault thing really work? Wouldn't they make more money having the movies available whenever someone wanted to buy them?

 

[JacksLilWench]

I'm sure it's a marketing thing. It builds more excitement and more people are willing to spend their dollars if something is available "only for a limited time." Not saying I agree with it though!

If it helps, I saw a copy of The Little Mermaid at a CVS. I know it sounds crazy, but I swear I saw it yesterday! Your brother could check Ebay too. HTH, Happy birthday to your niece!!

 

[PinkBudgie]

I just checked Amazon. They have plenty. You can buy the two disc set from them for $50 or from many third party sellers new and used. For used you can get used like new for about $20-$25.

 

[Suz725]

my friend buys all hers from ebay

 

[WaltD4Me]

I just checked Amazon. They have plenty. You can buy the two disc set from them for $50 or from many third party sellers new and used. For used you can get used like new for about $20-$25.

I saw that too...Problem is my brother does his shopping the day before or the day of. Niece's birthday was on Tuesday, he was shopping and calling me about it on Monday.

On a side note...her party was very nice, she got LOTS of Princess and Minnie stuff. My mom is playing the princess version of Chutes & Ladders with her right now.

 

[FireDancer]

Sometimes creating a false sense of scarcity effects demand and, in return, price. Look at the diamond industry or, on the tech side of things, how Nintendo limited the availability of the Wii.

 

[DSNY4ever]

I hate the vault. I am missing Sleeping Beauty from my collection and I would like to buy it now. I think the last time it came out I was in college and didn't have the money to blow on things like DVDs.

I also hate the fact that a lot of my Disney movies are VHS's and I don't want to "re-purchase" them, but obviously VCR's are dying. Sure I can get one of those machines that transfers to DVD, but I don't know how the quality will turn out.

 

[PainInIL]

Sleeping Beauty is not is the vault right now.

 

[PinkBudgie]

I got Sleeping Beauty on Blu-ray a while back and it is amazing. Also available at Amazon. Gotta love Amazon!

 

[DSNY4ever]

Sleeping Beauty is not is the vault right now.

Haha, Oh my god, thank you guys!!!! I just told my husband to check a few weeks ago and he got me Bambi and said Sleeping Beauty was in the vault! Well now I get to be "that wife" and tell him he's wrong

 

[kaligal]

Why? They are attempting to create a demand for the item.

You can buy it on amazon.

 

[Mickeyluver26]

Haha, Oh my god, thank you guys!!!! I just told my husband to check a few weeks ago and he got me Bambi and said Sleeping Beauty was in the vault! Well now I get to be "that wife" and tell him he's wrong

I saw Sleeping Beauty @ FYE (A music/movie store). FYE alse sells used DVDs.

 

[Joshua_me]

Sometimes creating a false sense of scarcity effects demand and, in return, price. Look at the diamond industry or, on the tech side of things, how Nintendo limited the availability of the Wii.

^ Yes. That's the business model they are following.

It might have worked at one time, the theory being that every 7 years or so another "new crop" of children come along and - viola !- Disney grants us the "priivledge" of "opening the vault" again. Even in it's hay day, that was kind of a shady practice.

But now, it's just silly.

In these days of eBay and Amazon and endless other sites there's not a Disney film on DVD that isn't easy to buy.

The reason, if I had to guess, "The Little Mermaid" is in the vault is that it's going to be a major new Blu-ray release timed with the opening of the new ride in Fantasyland.

But, when oh, WHEN will "The Lion King" get the Blu-ray treatment it so richly deserves ?

After all, it's the one most of us are waiting for, isn't it ?

 

[mainegal]

I am old enough to remember life before VHS and DVD movies.

Movies were re-released in movie theaters every seven years so they would be "new" for each new generation.

Watching a movie was a very special treat, not something you just pop into the home player on a whim.

It was a very special event in our neighborhood when Wizard of Oz or the Charlie Brown holiday show was on TV. When I was really young, we gathered around the one color TV in the neighborhood. (the dad worked for RCA)

 

[JB2K]

My brother wanted to get her the DVD...but it's in the VAULT. He couldn't find it anywhere. He thinks this is the stupidiest thing in the world and kept calling me to ask me why Disney does this. I offered him my copy as a temporary solution, but he's hung up on the vault thing and I couldn't really give him a good answer. I sort of understand the thinking behind it. Re-release it for a new generation, ect...but it did make me think. Does the vault thing really work? Wouldn't they make more money having the movies available whenever someone wanted to buy them?

Not really.

If you are old enough to remember the days before home video, Disney did the same thing with theatrical releases in the 60's and 70's -- they would re-release such classics as "101 Dalmatians" and "Jungle Book" every 7 or so years. When home video came into fashion,they applied the same rule.

The reason "why", I believe is because Disney wants to whip-up a marketing frenzy each time it is re-released. As home video, goes, it's usually tied-in with a restoration of the film, along with other special features. These days,

Blu-ray is Disney's new, big thing (which started with "Sleeping Beauty", and we'll see Blu-ray re-releases of everything that was previously issued on DVD within the next few years...

 

[JB2K]

But, when oh, WHEN will "The Lion King" get the Blu-ray treatment it so richly deserves ?

After all, it's the one most of us are waiting for, isn't it ?

Wait no more -- LK gets the Blu treatment this fall!

 

[JB2K]

A good Wikipedia piece on the Disney Vault...