FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Disney’s ‘franchise orientation’ is still heavily influenced by public demand

Frozen

Image: HarshLight, Flickr (license)

Here’s the cool thing about a ‘franchise orientation’: To a reasonable extent, it’s shaped by consumers’ preferences and buying power. Films that do well at the box office, from Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens to The Avengers to Avatar, are far more likely to inspire Disney’s next slate of attractions, shows, parades, and fireworks displays than those that don’t (case in point: we’re not going to see a Good Dinosaur-themed dark ride anytime soon).

For the last several decades, Disney has largely profited off the nostalgia of its older properties and the burgeoning popularity of its newer ones. This was never more clearly seen than with the Frozen frenzy that hit the parks in early 2014. After raking in a worldwide gross of $1.2 billion, Frozen (2013) spawned a plethora of singalongs, parades, character meet-and-greets, stage shows, storytelling performances, firework spectacular segments, and themed dining events, culminating with the development of Frozen Ever After, a boat ride that supplanted the more culturally-minded Maelstrom in Epcot’s Norway pavilion.

Although the Frozen fever wasn’t received well by all subsets of Disney fans, particularly those who embraced the parks’ more retro elements, it’s difficult to argue that the franchise’s sudden and overwhelming representation at the parks wasn’t satisfying a great public demand. Merchandise sales soared, queues pushed into four- or five-hour wait times, and children from Main Street, U.S.A. to Mickey’s Toontown were clad head-to-toe in Arendelle’s finest.

On some level, it may be disappointing to hear someone like Chapek blatantly admit that the development and expansion of the Disney Parks is not driven by a need to innovate, to make art for art’s sake, to think out of the box the way Spaceship Earth and Kilimanjaro Safaris and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln proved they could. It may feel like a cop-out that Disney chooses instead to direct all of their efforts toward Frozen and Star Wars and Marvel simply because they know they’re sitting on a veritable gold mine of ticket and merch sales. But, at the end of the day, they are paying attention to the stories and characters their guests care about—guests whose money is just as good and whose opinions are just as valid as those who would see Disneyland revert to its 1955 self.

 
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Comments

The "franchise orientation" is killing the Disney theme parks especially Walt Disney World in Florida.

Add new comment

About Theme Park Tourist

Theme Park Tourist is one of the web’s leading sources of essential information and entertaining articles about theme parks in Orlando and beyond.

We are one of the world’s largest theme park guide sites, hosting detailed guides to more than 80 theme parks around the globe.

Find Out More About Us...

Plan Your Trip

Our theme park guides contain reviews and ratings of rides, restaurants and hotels at more than 80 theme parks worldwide.

You can even print them.

Start Planning Now...