What Intellectual Property Belongs in Disneyland?

[PragmaticIdealist]

What intellectual property to which The Walt Disney Company does or can have access belongs in Disneyland? Where in Disneyland does the material fit? And, how should it be incorporated into the experience?

Such intellectual property can include everything from characters and stories to music and trademarks. Materials in the public domain can also be suggested.

[merlinjones]

Anything associated with the works and passions of Walter Elias Disney is the essence of Disneyland proper. (His movies, characters, influences, historical and literary interests).

Also, those subsequent Walt Disney Company properties or original ideas that compliment and expand on Walt's particular vision and point-of-view, hence the name "Disneyland." Pixar films do that.

Disneyland is NOT about films and ideologies unassociated with the Disney name or franchises from other companies, studios (Harry Potter) or even non-Disney internal divisions. Or material with contrarian or alternate agendas or purely commercial exploitation. Put those in DCA if necessary (I would incude the Lucas properties in that, but it's too late now, sadly).

[cellarhound]

Judging from box office results, I would say Narnia should be considered... It is a problematic property because you have to show it a LOT of respect...

I would like to see something more impactfull done with the Muppets other than a 3D feature...

I think it would be interesting to adapt some themes from Miramax movies into the park... I think it can be done and kept kid friendly...

I also think there needs to be more key synergy between the Networks and the Parks... Which means more TV shows in the parks...

[PragmaticIdealist]

Anything associated with the works and passions of Walter Elias Disney is the essence of Disneyland proper. (His movies, characters, influences, historical and literary interests).

Also, those subsequent Walt Disney Company properties or original ideas that compliment and expand on Walt's particular vision and point-of-view, hence the name "Disneyland." Pixar films do that.

Disneyland is NOT about films and ideologies unassociated with the Disney name or franchises from other companies, studios (Harry Potter) or even non-Disney internal divisions. Or material with contrarian or alternate agendas or purely commercial exploitation. Put those in DCA if necessary (I would incude the Lucas properties in that, but it's too late now, sadly).

I was interested in specific items, and I'll provide some of my own soon. But, I wanted to address the George Lucas issue before I do.

I remember going to Disneyland as a little kid back in the 1980's and seeing a poster with R2-D2 and C-3PO on a construction wall surrounding the former Adventures thru Inner Space attraction. And, I can remember being puzzled because I did not understand the relationship between Disney and Star Wars, although I was intrigued.

The things that mattered most to me, as a child, came from Walt Disney, Jim Henson, and George Lucas. I was enthralled by the Muppets, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars, and I even owned an audio storytelling of Star Wars that was distributed by Disney.

Much of the reason all these things appealed to me is because both Jim Henson and George Lucas considered Walt Disney to be their foremost inspiration for their own careers. They both understood and embraced the Disneyan philosophy of art, and they used it to develop their own works.

While I do regret that Walt Disney Productions rejected making or distributing the film, "Star Wars", in the late 1970's, I think George Lucas, all along, had it in his mind for his saga to fit in Disneyland. Star Tours is a kind of permanent reminder that Disney made the mistake it did back in the '70's, but I don't think most people think of 20th Century Fox when they visit the attraction.

I actually consider George Lucas now as just one of the many authors who contributed to Disneyland. Lewis Carroll had his own publisher. J.M. Barrie had his own producer. Lucas' source material is actually quite like that provided by the other original authors.

20th Century Fox is not really known as a corporate author, anymore, either, at least in the same way Disney is, so, even though films often have more prominence than books or plays, the distributor of such things is still incidental. Walt Disney, himself, didn't distribute his own early films, either.

[FrumiousBoojum]

I think it would be interesting to adapt some themes from Miramax movies into the park... I think it can be done and kept kid friendly...

You mean like a Quick Stop on Main Street?

[cellarhound]

I remember going to Disneyland as a little kid back in the 1980's and seeing a poster with R2-D2 and C-3PO on a construction wall surrounding the former Adventures thru Inner Space attraction. And, I can remember being puzzled because I did not understand the relationship between Disney and Star Wars, although I was intrigued.

Theme Park Synenergy wasn't something was talked about in the 80's... It seemed very odd to me because Star Wars wasn't a Disney property... it was pretty clear to me actually that Disney would sell anything including park attractions to bring more people into the park...

If you do some research in the early 80's Disney was hurting for cash and didn't have much to sell... Which is why Eisner came on board... and imediately they tried selling the farm to increase film production and raise revinue... The link to Lucas was a natural, because Eisner already had a deal going down with him in regards to the Indiana Jones property back at Paramount...

Star Wars was something Eisner implemented without thinking about it much... Eisner is on the record as HATING the old Innerspace attraction with a passion... calling it an "dog" if I remember correctly...

Lucas was in a mood to use any means to market his films... I think the idea was both crazy and shrewed at the same time... Star Wars was this mythic serial film francise...

[cellarhound]

You mean like a Quick Stop on Main Street?

Jack Rabbit Slims in DCA... I would love to see kids do the twist with Buddy Holly

[merlinjones]

>>Star Wars was something Eisner implemented without thinking about it much... Eisner is on the record as HATING the old Innerspace attraction with a passion... calling it an "dog" if I remember correctly...<<

Reportedly, Eisner took his kids around Disneyland and anything "old" that bored them became a target (InnerSpace, Submarines, etc.). He instead tried to fill the park with non-Disney things they liked (Star Wars, Michael Jackson, Gummy Bears, Videopolis - most of those things have already imploded for lack of lasting value - Star Wars and Indy being an obvious exception). That's when Disneyland started to jump the shark as a concept (something to consider for historic restoration). Note that the one attraction from this period based on Walt's work (and an Eisner-banned 1946 film at that) - Splash Mountain - is by far the most lasting and successful!

Walt was smart enough to ignore teenage Diane when she didn't like his movies or thought they were "corny." He simply stopped screening rushes at home.

This is another good reason to avoid "Sahara." Those Eisner kids helped kill InnerSpace!

[FrumiousBoojum]

Gummi Bears was made by Walt Disney Television. Captain EO is a Disney-original character, as are everything in the film. How are these non-Disney things?

[cellarhound]

Note that the one attraction from this period based on Walt's work (and an Eisner-banned 1946 film at that) - Splash Mountain - is by far the most lasting and successful!

And at the same time it isn't very well synergised as todate they still refuse to release Song of the South...

They keep saying it is comming...



(tick, tick, tick)



OK... Where is it?



(tick, tick, tick)



Maybe they know something we don't by not releasing it?

Perhaps the ride is successful inspite of Song of the South...

And Glendale is afraid of the reprocussions with the NAACP...

[PragmaticIdealist]

While Steven Spielberg never appealed to me in the same way George Lucas and Jim Henson did, the director of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" repeatedly stated throughout his career that his chief influence as a filmmaker was Walt Disney.

In the following thread, I suggested that Disney get the clearances to use John Williams' music from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" at Tomorrowland Station of the Disneyland Railroad:

http://www.micechat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15202

The score includes "When You Wish upon a Star", so the images that the music evokes might gain a special meaning at Disneyland.

[aerinpegadrak]

And Glendale is afraid of the reprocussions with the NAACP...

I've always found that rather ironic, since the actor who played Uncle Remus was the first Black actor ever hired by Disney, yet the film has been buried under mountains of controversy and this milestone has been forgotten.

I think Narnia would be an excellent fit; the merchandise is doing quite well in the parks, and the White Witch is a very popular addition to the cast of atmosphere characters.

[ah schucks]

I would suggest all things related to Discovery Bay- ala Julies Verne, HG Wells, Edgar Rice Burroughs...so that we can have a land behind Fantasyland that connects the themes of fantasy, adventure and science fiction...clone a few rides from the various parks, recreate the restraunt from 20,000 Leagues, Journey to the Center of the Earth ride, Space Mtn Paris version, a time traveler ride and bamn we have a new area with intectual properties that Walt was interested.

[PragmaticIdealist]

In a recent thread, I mentioned different heroes and heroines that reside in Frontierland, all of whom I would like to see interacting with Guests.

Frontierland is the home of such legendary figures as: Pecos Bill; Slue Foot Sue; John Henry; Paul Bunyan; Johnny Appleseed; Br'er Rabbit; Uncle Remus; Tom Sawyer; Huckleberry Finn; Becky Thatcher; Capt. Jack Sparrow; Zorro; Davy Crockett; and, Pocahontas.

http://www.micechat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16644

The Critter Country area would make a great place for Johnny Appleseed, Uncle Remus, and Br'er Rabbit to appear. Pocahontas and Meeko should be represented somewhere near Big Thunder Trail.

[PragmaticIdealist]

The California park should make J. Audubon Woodlore and Humphrey the Bear its unofficial ambassadors.

The two characters would do well greeting guests near the waterfalls just North of the Mondavi winery.

The opportunities to use the two on merchandise and in advertising are also really promising.