Is Mickey Mouse relevant anymore ?

[Blueslegend]

I don’t know if this is the right place to put this. To be honest couldn’t find anywhere else but then hey I am bit of a technophobe so forgive me.

As a technophobe. Looking at a cell phone all day with Genie this and Genie + that isn’t ideal. In fact I set my alarm for 7.00am when onsite to take advantage of booking this ‘magic’ only to find I forgot to put it on charge.

But then I think why, why am I waking up so early ? I’ve paid to get into the park and now I am paying to do something whilst in it. To really mug me off not only am I paying more but I am actually getting less.

The parks and rides are, whilst nostalgic old. So I say is it relevant anymore, is Mickey Mouse all that ? Are the generations that adored and loved Disney fading ? I really cannot see this mish mash of IP and straying from Walt’s ideology appealing to the next generation. They simply do not have the attention span. They simply do not have the love for the history. Current generation is more about tomorrow than what happened yesterday.

Disney need to wake up and smell the coffee. Their current demographic will fade away and there will be nothing to replace it. Will Mickey Mouse be relevant anymore ?

 

[TikiRob]

The parks and rides are, whilst nostalgic old. So I say is it relevant anymore, is Mickey Mouse all that ? Are the generations that adored and loved Disney fading ? I really cannot see this mish mash of IP and straying from Walt’s ideology appealing to the next generation. They simply do not have the attention span. They simply do not have the love for the history. Current generation is more about tomorrow than what happened yesterday.

Disney need to wake up and smell the coffee. Their current demographic will fade away and there will be nothing to replace it. Will Mickey Mouse be relevant anymore ?

Sorry you had a bad experience. But, yes, Mickey is relevant. He has his own ride for the first time in 67 years!

Don't forget that Walt used the park to market films that weren't even out yet, sold the naming rights to attractions, and built lands dedicated to "tomorrow".

 

[Schneewittchen37]

Yes. I love to watch episodes of The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse. Season 2 is in progress right now. The next will be released in a couple of weeks.

 

[IndyToThere]

Judging by the high crowds and and demand, I'd say the whole experience is as relevant as ever. There are some different categories of target audience that I see:

- Young children (slow, smaller rides; character experiences)
- Families in general (fun, all-encompassing park with something for everyone)
- Young adults (experiences, food, instagram-y photo spots)
- Middle-age to older generation (nostalgia)

While interest in certain attractions/characters will change over time, I think the key idea of a large park system & resorts will be in demand for quite some time. There's always going to be groups of families that want a place where everyone can have fun and have something to do. There's always going to be the young kids seeing something bigger than life for the first time. And all of this results in nostalgia for those later in life who've seen it before.

 

[FCDub]

NOT WHAT WALT WANTED!!!

 

[Westerner]

As a technophobe

Being a technophobe is going to be a challenge bc more and more WDW is being tech'd out. One idea is to recruit the younger generation to help. DD booked my $ILL and makes our mobile food orders. She's on her phone all day with her friends anyway (if I let her), so a few more clicks at WDW isn't a big deal.

 

[The Foolish Mortal]

NOT WHAT WALT WANTED!!!

https://images.app.goo.gl/UjRDZgRZZcbd3jqCA

 

[WLSILVERCREEKSPRINGS]

I don't like many of the changes and have adjusted our trips accordingly (frequency, duration, days in the parks, etc.), but crowds at the parks seem to indicate that Disney is not having trouble attracting visitors. Relevance and price demand destruction conversations have been going on for years but the only times that Disney seems to need to discount to attract guests is during difficult financial times and of course early into the pandemic.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

The parks and rides are, whilst nostalgic old. So I say is it relevant anymore, is Mickey Mouse all that ? Are the generations that adored and loved Disney fading ? I really cannot see this mish mash of IP and straying from Walt’s ideology appealing to the next generation. They simply do not have the attention span. They simply do not have the love for the history. Current generation is more about tomorrow than what happened yesterday.

Disneyland has been a mish mash of IP since 1955. Mickey Mouse is IP.

 

[Blueslegend]

Disneyland has been a mish mash of IP since 1955. Mickey Mouse is IP.

Thanks. My point is if parents are priced out and can’t go how are their children supposed to become Disney fans for the future ? A whole generation could be skipped. I am not so sure Mickey is IP. Is that the parents talking ? Are kids not more into say Peppa Pig ?

 

[CampbellzSoup]

I take it you don’t have young children OP? Mickey is on pampers, toys, and my kids plays Mickey Mouse club house….over and over and over and over

…and over

Mickey is very relevant

 

[loves to dive]

We took my grand daughter to WDW when she was 5 months old. Even at that young age she knew who MM was and any time she saw anything with him on it, she would laugh and point. She loves to watch him on TV. Heck, one night she was in a mood and would not stop crying. I sent Mom and Dad down to the bar for a break, put MM on the TV and danced with her. She stopped crying as soon as she saw him, at once point the power flickered and the TV went out and she started up again. I quickly pulled up some cartoons on Utube which did not stop her until I found the mouse, she stopped immediately.

We had 3 almost 4 generations there, myself 64 at the time, my son 40, his SO 30, baby 5 months and everyone had a great time.

 

[The Foolish Mortal]

I am not so sure Mickey is IP.

That's a ... perplexing declaration, lol. I'm sure Disney would disagree, lol (because if its not IP, I'm going to start stickig that mouse on everything I can get my hands on and sell the merchandise without paying Disney a percentage, lol).

But serously, it seems your point is more of (yet another) generalized complaint about the cost of a Disney vacation and your dislike of recent changes at the parks, not really an argument that mickey mouse is no longer relevant. At best, I think you could argue that WDW isn't as relevant as a vacation destination because of the cost (I wouldn't agree with you and the attendance numbers wouldn't back you up, but you could at least logically make the argument). But even if WDW did not exist, mickey would be and still is a relevant IP. He appears in so many cartoons and merchandise that it is incredulous to say he is no longer relevant.

 

[kimmar067]

Relevant is what you MAKE relevant.

[...however, I can understand the OP's P.O.V.]

 

[Blueslegend]

That's a ... perplexing declaration, lol. I'm sure Disney would disagree, lol (because if its not IP, I'm going to start stickig that mouse on everything I can get my hands on and sell the merchandise without paying Disney a percentage, lol).

But serously, it seems your point is more of (yet another) generalized complaint about the cost of a Disney vacation and your dislike of recent changes at the parks, not really an argument that mickey mouse is no longer relevant. At best, I think you could argue that WDW isn't as relevant as a vacation destination because of the cost (I wouldn't agree with you and the attendance numbers wouldn't back you up, but you could at least logically make the argument). But even if WDW did not exist, mickey would be and still is a relevant IP. He appears in so many cartoons and merchandise that it is incredulous to say he is no longer relevant.

Fair point. But the intention was to create debate, which it has LOL.