News: Halloweentime market research, new CM hires, etc.

[RobotMirror]

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=industryNews&storyID=2006-09-29T232235Z_01_N29376332_RTRIDST_0_INDUSTRY-MEDIA-DISNEY-HALLOWEEN-DC.XML&WTmodLoc=EntNewsIndustry_C1_%5BFeed%5D-8

"Disney said although its parks in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Paris throw Halloween parties, the Disneyland event in Anaheim, California, is among the most detailed as it involves a transformation of the entire park.
The park declined to say how much it is spending on its HalloweenTime promotion but it is hiring 75 new workers and supporting the monthlong event with a regional TV ad campaign.
The park invested in elaborate decorations, alterations to its restaurant menus, Halloween costumes for the Disney characters and a slew of not-so-scary activities such as a Petting Boo and Spookie-Kookie-Cookie decorating.
Disney was guided by market research showing that parents wanted to celebrate Halloween but were concerned about the safety of letting their kids trick-or-treat, said Lisa Cotter, vice president of marketing strategy..."
More at the link above.

[brigeet]

Re: News:

My friend was just saying that DL should have those characters out to scare people like Knotts does. I told him if Disney does, then I won't be coming out for Halloween. I don't want to go somewhere to be scared. (Am I getting old or what?)

[Lost Boy]

Re: News:

How can they look you in the face and say that Disneyland's Halloween makeover is more detailed that Tokyo or Paris? I have seen pictures from those two parks, and the recent pictures posted here showing DL's decorations, and while nice and all, they are in no way better than the work that goes into Tokyo or Paris DL's. The DL Publicity Dept. should take another look at what those 2 parks are doing before making a statement like that.

[Druggas]

Re: News:

Good move by Disney.

Knotts is a little over the top for little kids and this is a better venue.

[Disneyland Daddy]

Re: News:

My friend was just saying that DL should have those characters out to scare people like Knotts does. I told him if Disney does, then I won't be coming out for Halloween. I don't want to go somewhere to be scared. (Am I getting old or what?)

Those people who jump out and scare you like they do at Knott's do not SCARE me - the ANNOY ME IN THE WORST WAY!

Doing something like this would be VERY Un-Disney - I highly doubt they'd do this.

[RobotMirror]

Re: News:

Yes, they've said over and over again that this would be a "not so gory" Halloween celebration, and is little kid friendly. Here's another story from Friday's LA Times

[Doofy]

Re: News: Halloweentime market research, new CM hires, etc.

That article was very interesting. I was thinking last night that Disney should do a more adult oriented, scary special ticketed event. They could do the kids event at Disneyland and the adults event at DCA. Then I thought twice and said that doesn't sound like Disney at all. They would never want to exclude anybody.

I do enjoy the Hollywood Horror Nights at USH but it is something that really has no place at Disney. I am glad that I have some place to take my two year old and I know that I will have fun too.

[MickeyMania]

Re: News: Halloweentime market research, new CM hires, etc.

Personally, I always thought an ideal Halloween plan would be to effectively turn it into a Villain's Park for the night. Mickey and the other "good guys" are sealed away in Toontown while the villains take over the rest of the park. This would allow children a happy friendly character meetngreet halloween in Toontown and give all us evil villain lovers something to appreciate.

I want to see funny-colored fog on the riverbank, I want to see the lighting on Main Street adjusted to give it a lit but creepy alleyway kind of look, etc. Most of all, I want a villain show!

[Sam]

Re: News: Halloweentime market research, new CM hires, etc.

The thing with the Halloween time at DL is the whole park is not in Halloween decor mostly its main street and thats pretty much it.

[RobotMirror]

Re: News: Halloweentime market research, new CM hires, etc.

The thing with the Halloween time at DL is the whole park is not in Halloween decor mostly its main street and thats pretty much it.

Well, that's not entirely true. The Big Thunder Ranch dining area and petting zoo have more decorations per square inch than Main Street, and the Haunted Mansion Holiday and the Pioneer Mercantile also are heavily decorated -- but if you meant "decorated heavily in spots", I certainly agree with you!

[MickeyMania]

Re: News: Halloweentime market research, new CM hires, etc.

See, WDW uses colored floodlights to light up Main Street in bizarre colors, has a lightshow on Space Mountain (the new lighting on DL's dome could be just as impressive if not more so), and both a Halloween fireworks show and a Halloween parade. This is an individually-ticketed event, of course, but with the AP population as big as it is Disneyland would need to do that anyway to keep the park from being flooded by the half-million AP holders just wanting to check out the overlay and go home.

Since the MK is physically very big compared to DL and presently Anaheim is assumed to have the bigger budget, you think they could trick out most of the park in Halloween themery. If they had to they could leave Fantasyland alone, and the other big chunk of land is the lagoon/Autopia which wouldn't see any changes.

[mrfantasmic]

Re: News: Halloweentime market research, new CM hires, etc.

Did the Times just say Cinderella's Castle?
EDIT yeah they did. Oops!

[aerinpegadrak]

Re: News: Halloweentime market research, new CM hires, etc.

Well, remember, they're going to be phasing in this whole Halloween thing. There's no point in going whole hog right out of the gate if no one's going to care. Considering that it's probably going to be a huge success (judging by the crowds at opening weekend, though I could be mistaken), we'll be seeing a lot more Halloween stuff in the years to come.

[mcow1]

Re: News: Halloweentime market research, new CM hires, etc.

Are the crowns of the castle down? They sure weren't yesterday. I think it's going to be a big draw for Disneyland.

[Doofy]

Re: News: Halloweentime market research, new CM hires, etc.

Personally, I always thought an ideal Halloween plan would be to effectively turn it into a Villain's Park for the night. Mickey and the other "good guys" are sealed away in Toontown while the villains take over the rest of the park. This would allow children a happy friendly character meetngreet halloween in Toontown and give all us evil villain lovers something to appreciate.

I want to see funny-colored fog on the riverbank, I want to see the lighting on Main Street adjusted to give it a lit but creepy alleyway kind of look, etc. Most of all, I want a villain show!

I just wanted to say that I love your idea. I think that would a lot of fun. At the end of the event they could stage a breakout where Mickey leads a parade back to Main St. to reclaim the park for the evening.

[MasterGracey]

Re: News:

How can they look you in the face and say that Disneyland's Halloween makeover is more detailed that Tokyo or Paris? I have seen pictures from those two parks, and the recent pictures posted here showing DL's decorations, and while nice and all, they are in no way better than the work that goes into Tokyo or Paris DL's. The DL Publicity Dept. should take another look at what those 2 parks are doing before making a statement like that.

I agree. Thats quite the bold statement for Disneyland to make, but then again, Matt Ouimet said that the Blue Bayou would be the BEST Disney in-park restaurant, ANYWHERE.... and many said that statement was laughable, at best.

I've been to see the HalloweenTime decorations, and they're awesome and I'm THRILLED to have a Halloween celebration in the parks, but the HalloweenTime decorations don't get anywhere CLOSE to matching the amount, quality, and quantity of Tokyo or Paris' Halloween celebrations.

[mycroft16]

Re: News: Halloweentime market research, new CM hires, etc.

I am glad that I have some place to take my two year old and I know that I will have fun too.

Sounds like something Walt once said So true though. I wish I could go and take in all the Halloween fun Disney style.

[Melonballer]

Re: News: Halloweentime market research, new CM hires, etc.

I really like what I have seen of the park so far. While I would agree that it is not yet to the level of Tokyo or Paris, its cert6ainly a step in the right direction. I figure that they will add stuff for the next few years, like a parade one year, fireworks the next and improve the show year after year.

[elly]

Re: News: Halloweentime market research, new CM hires, etc.

i really think the efforts this year are just the start of something that once fleshed out will be absoluetly fantastic

[almandot]

Re: News: Halloweentime market research, new CM hires, etc.

"Disney said although its parks in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Paris throw Halloween parties, the Disneyland event in Anaheim, California, is among the most detailed as it involves a transformation of the entire park.

Uuuuuuh... what?!! nice try marketing. go look at paris' main street and frontierland and then get to work on our halloween parade and fireworks that the other 5 disney resorts get while you're at it. Thanks for playing, but the bunters are nice though... really.... :P (note: yes, i'm happy they're starting to do stuff and i know it's a work in progress over the years. but that comment bugs me. :P)
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