Originally Posted By goofy47 LOOKS LIKE DISNEY IS GOING ALL OUT THIS YEAR.... For Super Bowl XL, 'I'm Going to Disney World' Goes X-tra Large on Detroit Skyline Celebrating 20 Years of an American Catchphrase LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Surprise: Disney is not just making big plans for an "I'm going to Disney World" commercial for Super Bowl XL . . . but is also telling the world about it. "Historically we haven't talked about the commercial ahead of time," said Michael Mendenhall, executive vice president of Global Marketing for Disney Parks and Resorts. "We've had fun with the sense of anticipation and unpredictability -- the guessing game as to whether we were doing a spot. But this time, I can tell you now -- ahead of the Super Bowl -- that we are doing one." Of course, what Disney is planning is so big that it's impossible to keep it a secret. Disney is adding twists that will treat Detroiters to both a larger-than-life look back at heroes of the National Football League title game and a jumbo-sized sneak peek at the player who will be showcased in the 36th episode of the long-running TV spot. "Detroit and the National Football League consider this season's Super Bowl a special milestone, and we want to do our part to help make XL mean exactly what people interpret it to be -- extra large," said Mendenhall. To do that, Disney is working with the NFL to create a retrospective of the game's heroes and 20 years of the "I'm going to Disney World" campaign that will be projected onto a downtown Detroit skyscraper during evening hours of the extended Super Bowl Weekend, Feb. 1-5, 2006. The dazzling visuals -- as much as 150 feet high -- accompanied by lively music will add to the fun of Detroit's Motown Winter Blast in Campus Martius Park. Motown Winter Blast is a combination of hip and fun winter sports for the entire family to enjoy. Then, for the first time ever, Disney will do a post-game reveal of the player -- or players -- to be featured in the innovative "I'm going to Disney World" spot that will air on TV on Monday, Feb. 6. Like the pre-Super Bowl presentation, the player(s) will be projected XL -- extra large -- onto the side of a tall building in Campus Martius Park Sunday night after the game. In the commercial, the featured hero is captured during the glow of emotion following a notable success proclaiming that what they're doing next is going to Walt Disney World or Disneyland. When it debuted in 1987, the commercial was regarded as a groundbreaking concept -- a produced commercial involving a current event, airing less than a half-day after the event. Now, after two decades -- and on the occasion of the 40th Super Bowl -- Disney is pulling out all the stops. In addition to the special presentation in Detroit, Disney will include football stars of the future from NFL Youth Football in the player's celebratory parade down Main Street, U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort. It's all part of Disney's long-standing relationship with NFL Youth Football. As for the commercial itself, the first person to utter the now-familiar words "I'm going to Disney World" was New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, following his team's triumph in Super Bowl XXI on Jan. 25, 1987. "I couldn't have imagined that I was starting something that people would still be repeating 20 years later," said Simms, currently a network analyst for NFL telecasts. The Super Bowl has been the occasion for episodes of the commercial more frequently than any other accomplishment. Quarterbacks, sometimes accompanied by another player or coach, have been the most-often showcased position -- 14 times (most recently Tom Brady following Super Bowl XXXVIII). Brady is among four "I'm going to Disney World" repeaters, along with quarterbacks Joe Montana and John Elway and running back Emmitt Smith. The famous commercials have featured some of the world's best athletes from other sports as well, including basketball's Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, hockey's Patrick Roy, and baseball's Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds. And from outside the world of sports, Miss America and Santa Claus. The constant through two decades has been Disney's coyness prior to doing a commercial. While that isn't a secret this time, the biggest element of surprise still remains: Who's going to be shouting "I'm going to Disney World" after Super Bowl XL? That gets decided Feb. 5 at Ford Field in Detroit.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad I've often wondered HOW they get the players to say this and what if someone agreed but then said, "I hate Disney and they can bite me!" I mean, HOW much money does it take for the winning QB to say this? I guess in reality everyone loves Disney. Heck they probably say it for free!
Originally Posted By goofy47 Since I lived in NY at the time, and Phil Simms said it first and my team won the Super Bowl... It was really cool.. I followed that up by going to WDW in Feb..
Originally Posted By Ash Is Crazy 4 WDW Kurt Warner said it when the Rams won... sadly no one on the Rams has said it since.
Originally Posted By AZDLDad Not as sad as the fact that he will be the only player in a Cardinal unifom to ever had said that! :O
Originally Posted By danyoung >I've often wondered HOW they get the players to say this and what if someone agreed but then said, "I hate Disney and they can bite me!"< These spots are never done live. If someone did the Bite Me thing, they just wouldn't use the spot. I'd imagine that they have backup players in place, just in case, and probably a generic spot cued up in case of total failure.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper The "How will I say it?" commercials were, sadly, some of the best Super Bowl commercials this year. I did enjoy the "I'm taking a Bus" take on it this year. Rumor has it that back in the 80's when the American sailors won the America's cup...the captain...whose name I can't recall...was going to give the pitch. Between the end of the race and the time it took to get back to the marina he got all liquored up and couldn't get his lines out without flubbing them.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>I've often wondered HOW they get the players to say this<< It is my understanding that they sign them up in advance to do it. Of course, you only follow through if your team wins
Originally Posted By fkurucz I also seem to recall that they pay them something like $10,000. Nice work if you can get it.
Originally Posted By CMM1 It was interesting to note that Jerome Bettis showed up in Disney World to give interviews to the press (ha - ABC/ESPN of course) on Monday after the Super Bowl but then had to fly back to Pittsburgh for the celebration parade on Tuesday - hardly what one would call a relaxing vacation.
Originally Posted By RHODISNEY Bettis is probably too fired up right now to worry about a vacation! Way to go Steelers! I read somewhere that the fee given to a player or coach saying the immortal "phrase" was 30,000, and the only guy who absolutely refused to say it was the coach of the Broncos...I can't even think what year that would have been, but Elway took his place in saying it. Sports trivia guys correct me if I'm wrong here, you won't hurt my feelings....
Originally Posted By fkurucz ^^I think it was 1998. I don't recall Shanahan turning that deal down (he does endorsements now and then in Denver).
Originally Posted By Socrates Isn't Disney's deal with the NFL? Somewhere I'd gotten that impression. The players get paid, but Disney has an exclusive deal with the NFL and gets to pick the player. Anyone notice Ray Lewis wasn't picked when Baltimore won the Super Bowl? Socrates "The unexamined life is not worth living."
Originally Posted By LuvDatDisney "Anyone notice Ray Lewis wasn't picked when Baltimore won the Super Bowl?" It's amazing what being involved, and never telling the truth, about your role in a double homicide will do ... but take a look at all the endorsement deals Ray has now anyway.
Originally Posted By WilliamK99 Disney did make a movie with Ray Lewis to make up for the fact. It's called "Disney's Ray of Light" and you can see it on You Tube.
Originally Posted By brerroadrunner Remember ice skater Nancy Karrigan going to WDW and being Grand Marshall in a parade with MM and caught on tape whispering to Mickey how lame this was or something to that affect,while riding down Main Street! Think she got paid?
