News Round Up 2019

[TheMaxRebo]

Feels like all we heard for years what that Disney had nothing for boys and everything was princesses ... and now, just like that, Disney is Anti-princess just because Star Wars and Marvel movies make money?

Everything is cyclical - they went years without a princess movie and then had the renaissance with Littler Mermaid, etc. They just had Frozen not that long ago and then Moana, Frozen 2 coming out, and I think a future unnamed princess movie too

I think more they are just evolving what a princess is and the role they play in the movies - but that is like everything. Moving from "someday my prince will come" to "I am Moana!!!!" - just like moving from "See what a little wishing can do?" to "Reach out and find your happily ever after"

Obviously I would never tell anyone how to raise their kids, but rather than just banning things, why not make it a teaching moment and explain how times have changed and, with Snow White, it wasn't anything sexual to it but why you can't translate that to other settings, etc.

 

[mikepizzo]

Very interesting chart. Wondering about the source of this info and if the numbers are inflation adjusted.

As @rteetz stated the numbers are not adjusted for inflation. I've never been an executive, but I would argue that executives care about today dollars, not historical dollars.

Also, the screenshot was grabbed from All Time Worldwide Box Office for Walt Disney Movies. BoxOfficeMojo is typically my go to for this kind of stuff but I was having trouble finding a worldwide box office list by studio on their site. Probably just me not looking carefully enough.

 

[rteetz]

News

New Epcot inspired Mickey sipper

http://blogmickey.com/2019/01/epcot-inspired-mickey-sipper-arrives-at-disney-parks/

 

[TheMaxRebo]

As @rteetz stated the numbers are not adjusted for inflation. I've never been an executive, but I would argue that executives care about today dollars, not historical dollars.

Also, the screenshot was grabbed from All Time Worldwide Box Office for Walt Disney Movies. BoxOfficeMojo is typically my go to for this kind of stuff but I was having trouble finding a worldwide box office list by studio on their site. Probably just me not looking carefully enough.

Box office definitely is one part ... but having just recently went to see Disney on Ice presents Frozen and seeing the building packed and full of girls in their princess dresses all buying glowing wands, etc. and singing "Let it Go" at the top of their lungs, definitely other revenue sources to the Princess line for Disney

 

[YesterDark]

Not that I am aware of.

@j2thomason I just purchased photopass when I booked for later this year. The cost was $160 something bucks.

 

[YesterDark]

Box office definitely is one part ... but having just recently went to see Disney on Ice presents Frozen and seeing the building packed and full of girls in their princess dresses all buying glowing wands, etc. and singing "Let it Go" at the top of their lungs, definitely other revenue sources to the Princess line for Disney

As you may already know having a young one yourself (my daughter is about to turn 6), my whole house is filled with princess dresses and princess branded toys. I have a flip open Princess computer for gods sake with Aurora on the top of it.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

News

New Epcot inspired Mickey sipper

http://blogmickey.com/2019/01/epcot-inspired-mickey-sipper-arrives-at-disney-parks/

A Lion King sipper?!?!?!

I hope it's still around in a week (if it is at WDW)!

 

[amalone1013]

News

New Epcot inspired Mickey sipper

http://blogmickey.com/2019/01/epcot-inspired-mickey-sipper-arrives-at-disney-parks/

I finally want a sipper.

Why is it in DCA first again? Lol.

 

[FrankieWinthrop]

News

Disney PhotoPass Has New Website; Guests Should Complete Purchases by Tonight

Can I just say THANK GOODNESS it now sorts newest to oldest! When you had a year's worth of pictures getting down to the newest took forever. Hopefully the download process has improved, too.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Can I just say THANK GOODNESS it now sorts newest to oldest! When you have a year's worth of pictures getting down the newest took forever. Hopefully the download process has improved, too.

I like the new look too! At first glance, easier to quickly see pictures.

 

[j2thomason]

I like the new look too! At first glance, easier to quickly see pictures.

It's much easier to see your most recent pictures instead of having to scroll to the bottom. Now you can filter oldest to newest. That is a great improvement!

 

[saskdw]

And I want to see 2 of these. Maybe 3. Meh.

The 3 Marvel movies and Star Wars are the theater movies for us. The others are wait until we can watch them at home movies.

 

[MommaBerd]

The emphasis has been on all things non-princess for some time at Disney. Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar, Toy Story.

Add to that these comments from some high profile Disney actresses. I can't imagine they would come out with these comments, pretty close in time, without approval from Disney.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/life...ut-snow-white-consent/?utm_term=.ea7dae01c5f2

Thanks for sharing this article, though it makes me sad that people extrapolate sexual violence from an innocent kiss - “true love’s kiss.” I can’t imagine a single one of my boys, or any of their friends, watching Snow White or Sleeping Beauty and thinking, “Hey! If a prince can kiss a sleeping girl, then I can do whatever I want to a sleeping girl.” Just ugh!

 

[saskdw]

I think the big issue, which you have mentioned, isn't the number of movies, but the fact Disney basically needs all of them to clear $100m just to break even (and then after marketing maybe not even then). While other studios might have more films, they will have at least a handful that had like $40-60m budgets. Just no way all those films do that well - thinking Aladdin, Dumbo, and Artemis Fowl are the most likely to look like "busts" but at least partly due to budgets

I'm no expert on this, but I wonder with a movie like Dumbo if they judge it on the long term success?

It might not be a huge success at the box office, but when you factor in, digital copies, Blurays, tv rights etc over the next 10 years would it be profitable?

This is a movie that won't get us out to the theater, but I might buy a Bluray or certainly watch on tv in the future.

 

[PolyRob]

Can I just say THANK GOODNESS it now sorts newest to oldest! When you had a year's worth of pictures getting down to the newest took forever. Hopefully the download process has improved, too.

I like the new look too! At first glance, easier to quickly see pictures.

It's much easier to see your most recent pictures instead of having to scroll to the bottom. Now you can filter oldest to newest. That is a great improvement!

I'm hoping there is a server enhancement or storage capacity upgrade combined with the website redesign. I'm in the practice of contacting PhotoPass support before a new trip to purge my account of old photos. I was told I had "too many photos" back in 2017 and it was causing my account to crash. With the AP I stop at any/all PhotoPass opportunities if time permits!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I think the Kristen Bell comments were a bit ridiculous myself. I can't think Disney was thrilled with her comments. I also don't think they would be remaking all of the princess movies (especially the little mermaid as thats one thats been called out) if they were worried.

Her comments are ludicrous. That's pretty consistent for her, though. I agree that it's extremely unlikely that her mouthing off was in any way sanctioned by Disney. One need only look around the parks to see that a good deal of their bread and butter is still in the princess arena.

That said, I think that @mom2rtk is onto something with Disney jumping on the bandwagon with a concerted effort to portray girls and women differently. Sometimes they hit, sometimes they miss on that one, IMO. I think a lot of it feels contrived and ignores that there actually are some differences in very many kids' interests along gender lines. *GASP*

Thanks for sharing this article, though it makes me sad that people extrapolate sexual violence from an innocent kiss - “true love’s kiss.” I can’t imagine a single one of my boys, or any of their friends, watching Snow White or Sleeping Beauty and thinking, “Hey! If a prince can kiss a sleeping girl, then I can do whatever I want to a sleeping girl.” Just ugh!

If it's any consolation, my kids come home at least once a week hearing something lunatic like this uttered by a teacher or other adult in their sphere, and from what they say, the KIDS all think it's completely insane. My hope is that tweens/teens these days will be smarter than the adults of today as this pendulum inevitably swings back some... not all the way, but some.

News

Disney PhotoPass Has New Website; Guests Should Complete Purchases by Tonight

PLEASE let this be an actual improvement in what has been a HORRIBLE website...

 

[wareagle57]

Do we know if this is sold out in the parks yet or not?

I saw a post in the Disneyland forums of a huge stack of them yesterday. I'm hoping the huge pricetag leaves them scrambling to get ride of them and possibly lower the price.

 

[OKW Lover]

As @rteetz stated the numbers are not adjusted for inflation. I've never been an executive, but I would argue that executives care about today dollars, not historical dollars.

Certainly true in the moment. But when comparing movies released many years apart its harder to tell what is really the "big thing"

 

[mollmoll4]

I saw a post in the Disneyland forums of a huge stack of them yesterday. I'm hoping the huge pricetag leaves them scrambling to get ride of them and possibly lower the price.

They are available at ShopDisney as of this morning

https://www.shopdisney.com/alice-at-the-mad-tea-party-pop-vinyl-figure-by-funko-1502644

I can't believe they are charging $50 for this. I know it's slightly larger than a normal POP! but they average $8-15 retail most of the time. The splash one actually ended up as part of the "twice upon a year sale" and is currently $30 from $40. That's larger than the Alice one.

 

[Roxyfire]

Her comments are ludicrous. That's pretty consistent for her, though. I agree that it's extremely unlikely that her mouthing off was in any way sanctioned by Disney. One need only look around the parks to see that a good deal of their bread and butter is still in the princess arena.

That said, I think that @mom2rtk is onto something with Disney jumping on the bandwagon with a concerted effort to portray girls and women differently. Sometimes they hit, sometimes they miss on that one, IMO. I think a lot of it feels contrived and ignores that there actually are some differences in very many kids' interests along gender lines. *GASP*


If it's any consolation, my kids come home at least once a week hearing something lunatic like this uttered by a teacher or other adult in their sphere, and from what they say, the KIDS all think it's completely insane. My hope is that tweens/teens these days will be smarter than the adults of today as this pendulum inevitably swings back some... not all the way, but some.

It's probably a good idea to question the ideas and things we see in media. Just because Bell worked on a Disney movie doesn't mean she has to agree with everything ever produced by the company. It's probably a good idea to not accept random food things from strangers or kiss people when they're asleep and remember a story is just that: a story. I don't see what's ludicrous about it at all. But that's the beauty of free speech and expression: we all have our own thoughts and ideas.