Disney and the Princesses

[dagobert]

What do you think about Disney and their princesses?

Is it just me or do you also have the feeling that the Disney princesses are taking over the themeparks?

Last week a plan leaked out, showing some details about the refurbishment of WDW’s Fantasyland. Although I think that it will not be the one that gets built, but it made me think about how Disney lost it’s way in family entertainment.

In my opinion a family consists of more than just little girls, but obviously not for Disney anymore.

For example there was this very nice restaurant called “Auberge de Cendrilon” at DLRP and it was completly ruined with this Princess character meal. At WDW it was even worse, because nearly all nice table restaurants in the MK had character meals. At least at DLRP Walt’s and Blue Lagoon are still character free.

And now the Fantasyland refurbishment at WDW. This plan shows so many places only dedicated to the princesses. In this new area there is nothing else, except Dumbo, than princesses (Arielle, Aurora and Belle) and pixie hollow. At least they are building one “real” attraction (Arielle ride) and not only meet and greets and shops selling princess merchandise.

Does Disney actually sell something else in the parks than merchandise branded to the princesses?

It looks like that the finance departement took over the creative departement at Disney and tries to get every single euro out of the pocket of parents with little girls. I had this impression during our last Disney vacations at WDW and DLRP.

Hopefully it will get better with John Lasseter in charge of WDI and they will design attractions again that are not based on characters.

I want to make clear that I don’t have any problems with the princesses as long as they won’t take over all the parks.
For example the boutique where little girls get dressed like princesses is very nice and it is a great addition to the parks and I’m sure every woman wants to be a child again just to dress like a princess.

So what do you think? Am I over-reacting? Do I have a wrong impression of what's going on?

[Pete's Dragon]

I'm no Market Analyser, but the way it seems to me is that DLP has segmented its consumer base into very effective catergories.
Basically I think it breaks down like this
Young Girls : Princesses
Young Boys : Cars and Star Wars stuff
The Older Pre-A.S.B.O. teens : HSM
Whereas everybody gets Stitch

[littlehairmaid]

I have a 6yr old son and he is kind of a "boys boy" but fortunately he loves Minnie and Daisy and a few of the princesses haha, although he got a little scared of a couple of the Princesses last year (a couple looked like The Stepford Wives movie with botox haha)  :shock:  and he did reguarly ask for a Peter Pan, Pinnochio, even a Mowgli    to appear! or at least sell there attire in all the shops too

[Captain Pan]

Hopefully it will get better with John Lasseter in charge of WDI and they will design attractions again that are not based on characters.

Lasseter Isn't incharge of WDI... he's head of WDAS & Pixar,  He is Principal Creative Advisor at Walt Disney Imagineering.

He helps design attractions for Disney's theme parks. Reports directly to Bob Iger, bypassing Disney's studio and theme parks executives. He doesn't get it all his way...