Merchandising madness ...

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

...it isn't just at WDW ... it's not just those marketing commercials where they run the DL one in Florida with Cindy's Castle at the end, and run the same one in California.

I sometimes wonder if anyone has a clue left.

A perfect example I came across at DL's World of Disney tonight. It was a lenticular postcard ... kinda nice of the DL Resort ... sure it had the Matterhorn, Cal Screamin, Peter Pan ... but it also had a little purple dragon ... yep, Figment. Now, c'mon ... who does the art for something like this? Who approves the design? Anyone? Yeah, the commoners might not know or care, but that's not the point.

Speaking of postcards, as a regular recipient of some rather nice ones from our beloved TDLFAN, I can't believe what a pathetic selection the US parks have. And how outdated ... DL has a fireworks over the Castle card that is from Fantasy in the Sky, which ended in what? 1998?

You'd think with seasonal events, like the snowy castle lighting, Mansion Holiday, Small World Holiday, Snow on Main Street, Santa's Beach Bash at DCA etc ... that there would be a market for cards from these ... Tokyo produces things like this ... Hong Kong does ... Paris ... well, at least they have a wide selection of regular postcards.

I'm just amazed that DL is selling the same postcards it didn't well over a decade ago.

While we're on the subject, a friend asked me to pick up a Mansion Holiday CD. It's something I'd love to do, but ... well, they don't have one. At some point I've heard they did, but not now. Sorry ... but, hey, if you want the Holiday Wishes CD you can buy that puppy all over DL now (you do all realize this is the MK show, right? it even has the Jungle Jingle Parade theme on it ... in case anyone crosses Harbor Blvd. to go to DAK!)

But you want a CD for Holiday Believe? Forget it, because there isn't one. Nope.

This is the same disease that keeps spreading because the people in charge don't care themselves.

They forget that Disney is all about the DETAILS.

It also seems that hats are the new pins (or Pirates) at the DLR as they've taken over many a store.

They opened a shop in the old Radio Disney booth to ostensibly sell Nemo Sub Voyage and Star Wars Jedi Academy stuff, but you won't find one piece of it in there. But you will find caps, Goofy hats, princess tiaras (someone make sure VBDAD sees this thread) etc ...

It's like the whole concept of retail as part of the story ... part of the show is completely dead and it's not coming back.

One of DCA's best strengths when it opened was its merchandise, but now ...it's all the same stuff. Our own intrepid Disney gadfly Leemac suggested that Fly and Buy still had some Soarin themed merchandise and he was right ... maybe 10% of the store is aviation themed ... and then just the generic Mickey face tees, bags of Goofy-branded candy and, of course, pins.

I don't know when this is going to stop. My gut says never because this is a road Disney has been traveling since the mid-90s when Disney decreed that each location had to make a certain level of profit ... once that happened, shops slowly but steadily became crap.

I wish I could say DL is better than WDW is this regard, but it's actually worse because WDW has World Showcase (even dumbed down) and DAK ... DL and DCA have very, very little.

 

Originally Posted By Sport Goofy

<< I'm just amazed that DL is selling the same postcards it didn't well over a decade ago. >>

There is no market for postcards anymore. The ubiquity of cell phones, picture phones, and e-mail have made them virtually obsolete.

 

Originally Posted By brotherdave

I was thinking the same thing. It's not just Disney where new post cards are hard to find, but just about everywhere. I wouldn't be surprised if post cards almost become all but extinct someday.

 

Originally Posted By -em

I agree with all of it...

>>But you want a CD for Holiday Believe? Forget it, because there isn't one. Nope.<< There used to be as I have it playing in my car right now... Sad that they dont still have it released... (My guess is that it included Lumanaria and we all know how long THAT lasted...)

-em

 

Originally Posted By cmash95

this is what happens when you have someone with NO park experience handling the marketing of "Disney Parks" the sad thing is that once again DLR is the one screwed over, but what can you expect from someone who gave us those wonderful summo plushes because the asians loved them so much. I personally hate them. I hate the generic marketing and for that matter merchandise. Last june when we went to DL it was very difficult to find something other than your usual tshirts and sweatshirts, that we couldn't find in florida. I know its rare that tourists go to both resort areas but come on you can't come up with a couple of park specific items?

 

Originally Posted By HMButler79

Whoa whoa what? You mean the TommorowLanding has NO MORE Nemo Merch? I wanted the poster shirt for Xmas!! Oh Spirit, are you SURE???

 

Originally Posted By MPierce

Merchandising has turned into one big mess at Disney. I was hoping DL had kept up a better standard, something that might have persuaded WDW to go back to the old ways. I'm afraid your right Spirit, it looks like there will be no turning back in the near future. I'm really starting to see why TDLFAN loves TDR so much more. Japan is a long way to travel for unique Disney merchandise. Kind of sad you have to travel half way around the world to get what you should be able to buy here. Very near sighted of management.

 

Originally Posted By jonnyrzone420

can you purchase TDR merchandise on-line?

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

For what it's worth in the postcard debate, I was in WDW a couple years ago and I found a great postcard of SSE from the back with the fountain going and the nice blue sky. And no wand, purple cover thing, or Coke area covered in ice. I have no idea how old the postcard was, but I would guess that from the looks of it, it was probably a picture from the mid-80's at best. And I bet they're still selling them, since they seem to gradually be returning the area to that look.

 

Originally Posted By Indigo

I've just about given up on expecting Disney to change its direction when it comes to merchandise. Walking down Main Street at the MK is like going from The Emporium to the Gap. Sad really.

 

Originally Posted By vbdad55

was it a good selection of tiara's Spirit ?

 

Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub

Last weekend at wdw I observed one family filling out postcards to relatives as they waited in line for Camp Minnie character meet and greet. I also overheard a woman discussing the lack of Holiday postcards. I also always look for postcards because I do not like to carry a camera and I collect Disney postcards.It is sad and frustrating to see the same merchandise everywhere. I normally buy lots of merchandise at wdw for my family but now I do not bother because I figure they can all get the same stuff in dl their hometown area. In protest I am not "capitolizing" wdw or dl...That will get their attention!!

 

Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub

Oh I just remembered also suggesting to a set of grandparents to buy a set of AK postcards to use for character autographs because their grandchild did not have her "autograph book". So the consumer interest is still present. We just would appreciate a better selection

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

<<was it a good selection of tiara's Spirit ? >>

Yes. I thought about buying you one but I figured at the rate of our meeting (about 2014 by my guess) they'll have some new ones by then or you'll have graduated to a new fetish.

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

As to the postcard deal, I think the point is really being missed. People still buy them. People still send them. Being able to use your little cell-phone to send Granny in Wisconsin a pic of the 'lil ones with Goofy at Chef Mickey's hasn't in any way replaced the cards.

Disney is just lazy.

If you don't think people would buy cards featuring the snow-covered castle, scenes from inside and out of the Mansion and Small World Holidays, the Christmas Parade and even Santa's Reindeer Roundup, I'll just politely tell you that you're mistaken.

Disney just doesn't want to send a photographer out. Get the perfect shots and turn them into postcards.

So we get Pooh and Eeyore in front of the castle in a shot likely taken in the 1980s.

 

Originally Posted By jkayjs

<<If you don't think people would buy cards featuring the snow-covered castle, scenes from inside and out of the Mansion and Small World Holidays, the Christmas Parade and even Santa's Reindeer Roundup, I'll just politely tell you that you're mistaken.>>

Well I can't speak for everyone but I certainly still buy postcards. Most to keep but I always send a few when I'm down.

After all there's nothing that says "I'm on vacation(and you're not)" like a postcard emblazoned with some spectacular image of your destination.

I started collecting postcards decades ago. They are inexpensive but immediately reminiscent of a place or event. I remember looking all over DL during their 40th for one.

I also collect pins and ceramic discs(ornaments)but they were less common in the earlier days, but there were always postcards.

<<Disney is just lazy.>>

Well I certainly can't think of a cheaper souvenir. No artist's rendering, no prototype, no need for shipping from somewhere across the ocean. Click, click(by someone who is already on the clock) take it to the print shop and transfer to card stock with a few words in the upper left corner. Then charge $1-3(or more) which I'm sure is an astronomical mark up.

Oh well if only "we" ran the Disney parks.

 

Originally Posted By jkayjs

You know maybe we can start the newest Disney collector craze. Postcards!

They could have giant hats housing racks & racks of postcards including limited additions. Postcard books to store them in and open tables to trade @.

After all it's always said that these boards are monitored. I could be personally responsible for advancing the career of some mid-level Disney exec. Just let me say "You're welcome" in advance.

 

Originally Posted By Sport Goofy

<< As to the postcard deal, I think the point is really being missed. People still buy them. People still send them. >>

No, the point is not being missed. There is actual data out there describing the postcard "industry." The Wall Street Journal ran a front page story about how the number of postcards being sent in the mail has declined to almost nothing in a period of 10 years. This story ran a couple of years ago. A number of specialty photo suppliers and stationary suppliers are not even in the business anymore.

To say "people still buy them. People still sell them" is what misses the point. I know how we like to compare our visits to WDW with the "hay days" of 1974. If that's the standard, what's up with lack of bell bottom attire and Disney themed pet rocks on the shelves of Main Street these days?

 

Originally Posted By Fe Maiden

^^^Speaking of WDW's heyday, can we get some "throwback" merchandise, please?

At WOD they have tons of hats and shirts with "WDW estab'd 1971" but nothing that truly links it to the past. It be nice if some of the clothes had the original WDW logos on them.

I'd love to spend some of the money I actually allocate for souvenirs, but I'm just not interested in most of what they have.

 

Originally Posted By hopemax

I know postcards are very popular for scrapbookers. And they wouldn't show up in "mailing" statistics.

Disney does still come out with new ones, they are just the $2 "fancy" variety (lenticular, 3D). It's the scenic shots that they don't do anymore. I would love them to have more in-ride shots.