The Great Red-nosed Reindeer Conspiracy - Where's Rudolph??

[2DieFR]

Terrible news, everyone - Rudolph has been boycotted from Disneyland!

I challenge you to find Rudolph - the real Rudolph - anywhere in the park. I tried, and couldn't. And no, reindeer Pluto doesn't count, and Zero neither!

Logically you would expect to find our red-nosed friend at Santa's Reindeer Round-up. And while there are eight live reindeer on hand, all of them most definitely have normal colored noses.



There are yummy treats for all eight - but a bucket for Rudolph is blatantly missing!





At it's a small world holiday, there is a reindeer topiary with a red nose on top. It's clever alright, but wouldn't you be disappointed if you came to Disneyland to see Mickey and there was only a mouse-eared shrubbery?



I haven't a picture to show for it, but inside the Polynesian room of the attraction, we see signs for Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen, but where is Rudolph's? He used to have one too, and it was all lit up with lights and of course a big red nose. But this year (and the one previous) his is nowhere to be found.

So now we return to Main Street - which taunts us with the song bearing his name twice in the holiday loop - and sit down for the Christmas Fantasy parade.



Eight reindeer, all black-nosed.


[image by Yesterland]

In a lengthy state of depression, Max just doesn't feel up to sporting the nose anymore. I don't blame him. If I were hanging on the back side of the wall in a shell of my former attraction, I wouldn't either.



Across the way at DCA, Dasher and Dancer have been hired as lifeguards.



Rudolph applied but was rejected - what you have to remember is that reindeer do not have the same anti-discrimination laws that humans do.

So what's the deal here? The tale of Rudolph's rise to victory as the guide at the forefront of Santa's sleigh is one of the greatest turn-around stories ever told. You'll go down in history. Was it not the most wonderful dream come true for Rudolph? And is making dreams come true not the focal point of the current promotion at Disney Parks? Is it not Rudolph who deserves, if not to be in the parade, to ride in the fire engine as the winner of - if not the Penthouse suite in the DL Hotel - at least the pen at Santa's Reindeer Round-up? With a bucket of sweet treats? Why are turkeys getting this kind of royal treatment, but Rudolph is left in the dust?

Frivolous imitations and the song are not enough. Rudolph is not getting the attention and respect he deserves at the place where dreams come true.

[composerboy]

I wonder if it's a copyright issue? Does Pluto still have his red nose in the parade?

[aashee]

Rudolph is in Small world. It mentions him in the island area, lit nose & all.

[2DieFR]

Originally Posted by composerboy

I wonder if it's a copyright issue?

It doesn't make sense. Granted, the story is owned by The Rudolph Company, L.P., fyi, but you'd think if it were a copyright issue, the song wouldn't play in the Main Street loop - and twice at that.

[2DieFR]

Originally Posted by aashee

Rudolph is in Small world. It mentions him in the island area, lit nose & all.

No, it is absent from the scene this year.

[themarquisde]

It is copyright issues... I don't remember all the details but it's something about how we don't own rights, royalties are gnarly, all of that. I'll ask at work tonight.

[composerboy]

Disney pays blanket licenses to ASCAP and BMI - they can play literally any music they want anywhere in any of the parks at any time. Just imagine the possibilities!

[fo'c's'le swab]

As a side note--they misspelled "DONNER". Unless they added a cannibal reindeer, the correct (original 1823 Clement Clarke Moore story) spelling is "DONDER".

[2DieFR]

^ Donner is his nickname.

www.donder.com

[Pirate Lover 68]

Originally Posted by composerboy

Disney pays blanket licenses to ASCAP and BMI - they can play literally any music they want anywhere in any of the parks at any time. Just imagine the possibilities!

Really??? That's so cool, I wonder what a blanket fee like that would cost.

[mousechild]

Originally Posted by fo'c's'le swab

As a side note--they misspelled "DONNER". Unless they added a cannibal reindeer, the correct (original 1823 Clement Clarke Moore story) spelling is "DONDER".

Yes but like so many other immigrants, while passing through Ellis Island ...

[composerboy]

Originally Posted by Pirate Lover 68

Really??? That's so cool, I wonder what a blanket fee like that would cost.

I can't say exactly, but it's a LOT. In the hundreds of thousands for the US parks.

[EmeralineDragon]

Originally Posted by fo'c's'le swab

As a side note--they misspelled "DONNER". Unless they added a cannibal reindeer, the correct (original 1823 Clement Clarke Moore story) spelling is "DONDER".

I'm sure they'd get more complaints for spelling it correctly than for following the popular misconception that it's Donner.

On the other hand, cannibal reindeer would answer the question of "Where's Rudolph?"

[aashee]

Originally Posted by 2DieFR

No, it is absent from the scene this year.

Hmm, now I'll have to check it out. Aren't the rights to Rudolph owned by a department store? Or was the Frosty. I remember that a company like Montgomery Wards owned the rights to one of those famous cartoons.

[2DieFR]

Originally Posted by aashee

Aren't the rights to Rudolph owned by a department store? Or was the Frosty. I remember that a company like Montgomery Wards owned the rights to one of those famous cartoons.

Originally Posted by 2DieFR

The story is owned by The Rudolph Company, L.P., fyi.

.