Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/Latest.asp?I1=ID&I2=3915" target="_blank"><b>Latest: Animal Kingdom 'Goodnight Kiss' Celebration Gathering</b></a> <p> </p> <div></div> <div>From Walt Disney World publicity..<span></span></div> <div><br /></div> <div style="padding-left: 30px;"><i><span>Disney’s Animal Kingdom guests get so involved in adventures with birds and beasts of many kinds that they tend to put off one of their priorities all day long: a little quality time with Disney characters. “So when guests come out of the park, they are absolutely determined to see our characters,” said Chris Ambrose, general manager of entertainment at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.</span></i></div> <div style="padding-left: 30px;"><i><br /></i></div> <div style="padding-left: 30px;"><i><span>In a classic example of giving guests what they want, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has launched Adventurers’ Celebration Gathering, an interactive experience near the theme park entrance each evening during park closing. Khaki-clad cast – including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy – gather to bid farewell to guests with a music-filled celebration. Cast members shake their pom-poms and urge guests to join in the street-party fun by dancing to the music and forming a conga line procession while Mickey, Minnie and Goofy keep the beat from atop their safari vehicle.“We’ve created a way for our guests to experience our characters … and it’s a way for us to have a fun, exciting way to end the day at Animal Kingdom,” Ambrose said.</span></i></div> <div><br /></div> <div><span><br /></span></div> <div><span></span></div>
Originally Posted By FerretAfros "...they tend to put off one of their priorities all day long: a little quality time with Disney characters" Mhm. I'll just leave that there. The idea sounds kind of cute. It's a nice way to encourage folks to stick around in the park a little longer ("hey, if we wait an hour we can see that Mickey thing where they say goodbye"). I don't think that guests are really complaining about missing characters, as from my recollections, DAK seems to have the most out of any of the parks, especially when you count Camp Minnie Mickey in there. I don't think that see some characters on top of a truck is going to give guests anything they haven't already seen that day (it sounds an awful lot like the Jammin Jungle Parade), but I'm never one to complain about the addition of new entertainment. I just have to wonder where it's going to be, since the exit at DAK doesn't exactly have anything that could be used as a stage, like the MK train station. I could see them doing it by the Tree of Life on Discovery Island, or just across the bridge from there, so that guests will be walking toward it on the way out. I think it would be kind of cool if they did it out by the ticket booths, but I'm sure that would never fly, since they want people to buy park tickets and spend time in the shops once they're done for the day.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: What's that you all say, ducklings? A good night KISS might be offered? That's enough to lure a witch out of her other dimensional hiding place--especially if Tarzan happens to be one of the characters doing the kissing. Do keep me informed...
Originally Posted By leobloom >>...urge guests to join in the street-party fun by dancing to the music and forming a conga line procession while Mickey, Minnie and Goofy keep the beat from atop their safari vehicle...<< Street parties! Geez, is this the only kind of new entertainment Disney offers these days?
Originally Posted By dshyates So it seems that folks pretty much ignore the characters all day, so DisCo. is intent of shoving them in you face one way or another. And in the form of yet another street party. I have taken the liberty of rewriting the press release to say what they mean (alterations in CAPS): "Disney’s Animal Kingdom guests get so involved in adventures with birds and beasts of many kinds that they tend to put off one of OUR priorities all day long: a little FACE time with Disney'S MARKETABLE PROPERTIES. “So when guests come out of the park, WE are absolutely determined to FORCE our character-BASED PROPERTIES,” said Chris Ambrose, general manager of entertainment at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. In a classic example of DISNEY MARKETING, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has launched LAST-DITCH MARKETING EFFORT, an interactive (trendy buzz word) experience near the theme park entrance each evening during park closing. Khaki-clad cast – including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy – gather to bid farewell to guests with a music-filled celebration. Cast members shake their pom-poms and urge guests to join in the street-party fun by dancing to the music and forming a conga line procession while Mickey, Minnie and Goofy keep the beat from atop their safari vehicle.“We’ve created a way for our guests to BE FORCE-FED our characters before they leave the park … Ambrose said."
Originally Posted By leobloom LOL, dshaytes. Don't you wish just once we could get a brutally honest press release from WDW with phrases like "Last-ditch marketing effort".
Originally Posted By JenniBarra I'm kind of surprised that this is being mentioned now because I thought that what I saw on my January trip *was* an AK version of the goodnight kiss. While no conga lines were being formed, and I don't recall seeing any CMs with pom poms, I did see the Fab Five on top of their safari vehicle, waving to guests.
Originally Posted By MPierce I have no problem with the characters being out for Park closing. What I do have is this party like atmosphere that seems to be force fed as a What Will You Celebrate marketing campaign. Why not just do it. Do they really have to have a press release every time Mikey breaks wind?
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: Thank you for your kind words, Disneymom443, duckling. As for Disney wanting to shove the characters in the face of guests, my sisters and I don't believe that's what's happening at all. If anything, they're responding to something that many guests want because we're constantly hearing other guests inquiring where they can find the various loveable creatures who started it all. And if you're someone who doesn't like Mickey, Minnie or whomever, all you have to do is side-step them. It's a shame to have to see so much character bashing on a Disney site though. Without characters you have no mythology for a theme park. Instead you have a mostly Six Flags type of experience--which some may prefer--but it doesn't seem that most guests do.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> And if you're someone who doesn't like Mickey, Minnie or whomever, all you have to do is side-step them. It's a shame to have to see so much character bashing on a Disney site though. << I haven't seen character bashing in this thread at all.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper I swear, if there is one more attraction branded/created to go along with this marketing ploy, I'm going to go ballistic.
Originally Posted By CarolinaDisneyDad I'm ok with a character goodbye but I know my kids much prefer actual face time rather then watching them from a distance so something like this would probably be something we would watch as we walk on through. Of course it would be worth a stop if they can actually get guests dancing. I'm sure that could get funny.
Originally Posted By CarolinaDisneyDad 11 and 13 and they still love getting pictures with characters.
Originally Posted By Tip Top Club Well Hey, I predicted a new night show in the podcast, for Animal Kingdom. This totally counts. ME: 1 /Sarcasm.
