Kingdom Hearts in the parks

[Miss Marie]

I'd love to see a M&G. Seriously, someone needs to find a way of getting the characters out there so more people know them.

It's interesting how several of the characters recognized someone dressed as Sora yet a lot of CMs have no idea who he is.

Maybe if they put them in a movie based off the game.....but that's really wishful thinking. It would work though. They could put them at DHS where all the other characters that younger people know are hanging out.

I did pick up a KH t-shirt today at F.Y.E and plan on wearing it to WDW when I go.

P.S - Not many people know Duffy's backstory or who he is and yet HE gets a M&G and merchandise. That's kind of weird.

 

[mountdew1]

My understanding is that the newer KH games have a smaller presence of the Disney characters, focusing more on the SE ones. There was an article here -> http://jimhillmedia.com/guest_write...home-console-games-could-be-in-the-works.aspx (Yes I know it's on Jim Hill, but he didn't write it) that went into a bit of depth on the potential future of the series.

At this point, it doesn't make sense for Disney to try to market the characters in park. They have dozens of movies that they own complete rights too that aren't utilized in park, so why would they utilize a character from a series that they most likely have a small interest in? I'd wager they get less per copy of KH sold than they do from each copy of Where's My Water? that they sell. It's a niche market that I just can't see them targeting en masse. Now if a new game prominently features Disney characters, and sells like gangbusters, then they may. But seeing how they barely marketed Epic Mickey in park (which had their biggest star in the title) I can't really see them pushing a game where their characters are second banana.

 

[Miss Marie]

I too read that they owned Sora, Riku, and Kairi, or I read in a description somewhere that they were considered new Disney characters when the game came out.

Yup. Disney owns 'em! See for yourself:

All of the Kingdom Hearts Original Characters are copyright to Disney, not Square Enix. They are Disney characters, just ones made by SE.

And Disney owns the games. Sqaure Enix is just credited for developing them. Square gets copyrights to their Final Fantasy characters and music. But the rest is Disney-owned:

It has been long debated over the game series ownership. Due to the fact the game is developed by well known and renowned game developers Square Enix, it also contains iconic characters music and worlds created by Disney.

The Kingdom Hearts franchise, while it is made by Square Enix, is copyright to Disney Interactive Studios. To prove this one must only check the back of every single KH Game box and it will say the following:

"Copyright Disney Interactive Studios. Developed by Square Enix."

Square Enix only takes credit for making the games, not owning them. Following this above quote will be a series of copyright laws containing SE's Ownership of the FF Characters and FF Music used in the games. Square Enix does not own the Kingdom Hearts games, nor its original characters. They take credit for making the games, and owning the Final Fantasy Characters/Music used in said games.

So, Disney could very easily do a M&G if they wanted to since the central focus characters are owned by them. But since Video games aren't very well represented in the parks, who knows?

I hope that cleared things up a bit! I even checked my only Kingdom Hearts game case and it's true. Disney owns the franchise and Sora, Riku, Kairi, and any other original KH characters.

 

[Magical Kingdoms]

Yup. Disney owns 'em! See for yourself:


And Disney owns the games. Sqaure Enix is just credited for developing them. Square gets copyrights to their Final Fantasy characters and music. But the rest is Disney-owned:


So, Disney could very easily do a M&G if they wanted to since the central focus characters are owned by them. But since Video games aren't very well represented in the parks, who knows?

I hope that cleared things up a bit! I even checked my only Kingdom Hearts game case and it's true. Disney owns the franchise and Sora, Riku, Kairi, and any other original KH characters.

I figured they owned the franchise, since my KH t-shirt has Copyright Disney in the corner of the design. We all know that Disney doesn't own the Final Fantasy characters. But they own everyone else in KH. So that means Sora, Riku, Kairi, all of Orginization XIII, and any other original characters. Plus, of course, their own characters.

I wish they would do a meet and greet since they OWN the whole franchise, but I guess we'll never know.

Disney should acknoledge the three main characters as Disney characters, since they are (Even though they were designed by Square Enix).

Oh well. Glad to have the whole ownership thing cleared up. Thanks Miss Marie!

 

[disneysnowflake]

My youngest son went to MNSSHP in 2005 dressed as Sora. I had to make his costume though.

We saw a photo posted here back in 2004 of Sora. When we went in Dec 2004, DS was hoping to see them somewhere, but nothing.

He's still a fan of KH, too. He was just playing the latest game.

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

I agree! I wish that they could replace Stitch's Adventure with Sora and the gang!

 

[alexandurp]

My first post is in a KH thread, how fitting.
I love the games. Love to the point where my sister and I have Keyblades, Paopu Fruits and Sora's crown tattooed on ourselves.

Alas, the only Kingdom Hearts related thing I've ever seen in the World is a couple of over priced action figures in Epcot's Japan Pavilion. All the merchandise is registered under Disney name though. The shirts, the cosplay accessories, action figures, etc.

I'm taking my Roxas costume down for MNSSHP in October. Unfortunately I can't fit my keyblade in my luggage. D:

 

[jcemom]

Very briefly, there were Kingdom Hearts characters at Disney World. Sora, Goofy and Donald made appearances in Tomorrowland during the Halloween parties back in (I think) 2004. Very cool! But I don't think they ever been seen since at Disney World. I totally forgot about them until I read this thread!

I think it was 2004. I took DS (then 12) to the Halloween Party in 2005 and he was really hoping to see them -- we saw pics of them from the previous year's parties -- but they weren't there.

 

[Magical Kingdoms]

I love KH a whole lot (As you can see from my signature and my avatar) and am a total fangirl. Have a t-shirt, my Nook's wallpaper is KH, just love it so much, and wish I had the right systems for the first few games. I only have one on the plain old Nintendo DS lite.

I wish Disney would put more KHs out there in the parks. Replace Duffy with Sora, or the Stitch ride with something Kh (Well, the themeing may not work seeing as it's Tomorrowland, but ANYTHING would be better than Stitch.

The only park where KHs has recently been honored was Tokyo DisneySea. They had a statue there for Kingdom Hearts Re:coded that was there for a month:

Disney needs to realize that KH is also popular over in the U.S.!! We want some KHs here too!

But, who knows. 'Till then, we can only hope!

 

[reiella]

I got so many remarks from CMs [and a handful of Face Characters too] for my Kingdom Hearts Messenger Bag and Keyblade shirt when we last went.

My plan back then was to get signatures on a white KH shirt, but I wimped out of trying to ask them to sign a shirt as "King Mickey" and the like .

Best hope for another burst of KH presence @ WDW would be if KH3 ever actually comes out [while, yes, the spin off titles do have comparable sales].

 

[AshleyAnn]

Just like a ton of others, I would love to see a M & G with the KH characters. I think DH would actually be excited about those characters too!

 

[Miss Marie]

I was watching some videos of SotMK (Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom) and was constantly reminded of KHs. Seriously, Disney could tie the characters into that somehow (Kim Possible's World Showcase Adventure wasn't that forever). After all, you open the portals using a KEYHOLE. And you use cards to battle (The KHs title Chain of Memories used cards as the combat system). It just screams KHs. I see a whole overhaul where the villians use the Heartless to steal the crystals, and guests use their own magic cards to stop them.

At least, a spell card for Sora, Riku and Kairi in SotMK, please?

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

Here's one guy that I'm sure would like to see Kingdom Hearts in the parks!! My son was so excited to see Sora at MNSSHP, he asked the guy if he could pose with him!!

 

[jlima]

ITA, there needs to be Kingdom Hearts merchandise!!

I've seen the actual video games sold in DTD in Disneyland; and ONE - just one - pin was released in June that we searched for EVERYWHERE and ended up buying on Ebay - Mickey in his Organization 13 cloak.

Hot Topic has shirts & other merchandise. Gotta keep looking.

 

[reiella]

ITA, there needs to be Kingdom Hearts merchandise!!

I've seen the actual video games sold in DTD in Disneyland; and ONE - just one - pin was released in June that we searched for EVERYWHERE and ended up buying on Ebay - Mickey in his Organization 13 cloak.

Hot Topic has shirts & other merchandise. Gotta keep looking.

When we last went to WDW [2 years back], they were also selling Epic Mickey in one of the coffee shops [now I have no idea what it actually was, but that's how I remembered it ] in DHS. Not sure if they sold the other KH titles as they cropped up, but there hasn't been a marquis release in quite a while :/.

 

[Mirax]

You might try the gift shops at the Japan Pavilion in Epcot. The last time I was there in 2009, they had some KH items.

 

[ArthurFiggis]

With Dream Drop Distance just coming out for the 3DS, I'm hoping that there will be some KH stuff in Japan at least through Christmas.

 

[Magical Kingdoms]

Here's one guy that I'm sure would like to see Kingdom Hearts in the parks!! My son was so excited to see Sora at MNSSHP, he asked the guy if he could pose with him!!

LOL! Awesome.

 

[Miss Marie]

I think the reason that we don't get as much Kingdom Hearts in the U.S. parks is because Disney might think that there's not a big U.S. fanbase. They'd prefer to market it at Tokyo Disney because it's huge over there in Japan. The Tokyo parks are where the creative force behind Kingdom Hearts got his idea to add sea-salt ice cream to some of the games (They sell it at Tokyo DisneySea if I'm not mistaken). Plus, think of all the Final Mix releases of games and other merchandise that never came over to the US.

Still, I wish Disney would add some of the characters and sell some merch at WDW and DL. They have control of the franchise. And there are plenty of fans in the U.S.

Maybe in 2016 when Kingdom Hearts 3 is due.......

 

[FigNewton]

Maybe in 2016 when Kingdom Hearts 3 is due.......

Will believe this when I see it.

Nomura still hasn't delivered vs.XIII.