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Email Story to a Friend June 9, 2006 Disney's 'dreams' theme to grab new guests By Kimi Yoshino Los Angeles Times As Disneyland puts away the 50th anniversary party hats from its 18-month celebration, Walt Disney Co. executives are faced with their next challenge: how to avoid a midlife crisis at the company's theme parks. Banking on the momentum of their packed theme parks, Disney executives this week said they planned to lure tourists back using advertising, prizes and new attractions. Gary Slade, editor of Amusement Today magazine, said Disney needed to come up with something fresh. "The 50th is probably starting to wear a little bit," Slade said. "People have done their 50th trips. They've got their souvenirs bought, their pins bought, their photos and all that. And now they're ready for some new Disney magic." To that end, Disney said it would launch its first global advertising campaign, pushing the theme "Where Dreams Come True." Advertisement They plan to offer unique experiences to U.S. theme park visitors through more than 1 million giveaways that include a stay in a royal bedchamber being constructed inside Cinderella's castle at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., and a new Mickey Mouse penthouse at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif. They also will roll out new rides and attractions. At Disneyland, Space Mountain will get a twist next spring with redesigned lighting, technology and music, becoming Rockin' Space Mountain. The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage will open next summer, a remake of the submarine ride that closed in 1998. A Finding Nemo attraction will also debut at Epcot this year, as will a musical at Animal Kingdom in Orlando. The marketing campaign will feature work by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz and ad agencies Leo Burnett and McGarryBowen, all focused on "transformational moments" experienced by visitors to Disney theme parks, such as encountering swashbuckling pirates or seeing a princess. The U.S. campaign will be "Year of a Million Dreams," he said, with theme park employees giving away prizes big and small. The prizes, which will be awarded to visitors chosen statistically by a third-party company, will include free dinners, Fast Passes that get people to the front of some lines and a lifetime of Disney vacations. Guests may also be named grand marshals of parades or given access to the exclusive, members-only Club 33 at Disneyland. Although each park will use the "Where Dreams Come True" campaign, the promotions and marketing will be tailored. Disneyland Paris, for example, will promote its 15th anniversary and new attractions such as the Tower of Terror and Buzz Lightyear's Laser Blast. Company officials are still enjoying the success of their 18 months of fanfare from the 50th anniversary of the Anaheim landmark. An estimated 63.1 million people visited Disney's six parks in Anaheim and Orlando last year, according to Amusement Business magazine. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations --> online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Entertainment Guide --> Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy Advertisements Advertisement