As many of you have already heard, the Walt Disney Company is undergoing some profound changes in how it will operate as an entertainment company. Its recent acquisition of FOX and the integration of a new streaming service have become major focuses of the company. This all comes at the behest of its corporate leader, Bob Iger as well as the already tech-savvy Disney Board of directors.
As the motion picture division evolves its animated product line from a limited release “classic vault” approach into a huge banquet of always available entertainment offerings, there are many other areas the Disney Company has been exploring they can expand that concept into.
Here’s an outline of one idea at the resorts division to reduce passholder-driven overcrowding by taking them out of the physical parks and offering them a more affordable Disneyland streaming experience directly to their favorite device.
My Disneyland: Streaming Annual Passport!
Imagine being able to visit Disneyland, Disney California Adventure and the rest of the Disneyland Resort with no blockout dates, as many times as you desire, at an affordable price point unseen in decades. With the new My Disneyland Streaming Annual Pass program you will get to spend even more time visiting a digital version of the resort. Dreamed up by Disney’s crack Imagineering team, it’s designed with the idea that the desires of children nowadays is to spend as much time as possible in virtual rather than physical spaces.
Of course, that really translates to: “How are we going to get more pass holders out of the parks without losing the revenue!”
Yes, My Disneyland Streaming Annual Passholders will still be able to physically visit the most oversold parks on earth™ yearly, but for one day only. But unlike the current hoards that find out too late that a visit to the park is a huge time and money commitment, virtual visitors will enjoy spending just as much time (and oodles of money) with Mickey and all his pals in the Disney-owned i.p., universe without the long parking structure waits, spending hours camped out on curbs saving parade, fireworks or show seats, or waiting an eternity in those pesky Dole Whip lines. It’s a win/win for everyone . . . but mostly for Mickey.
My Disneyland Streaming Annual Pass allows children, families and Disney fans of all ages to step into a virtual Disneyland park to take flash pictures inside their favorite attractions (exclusive to this Passport offering!), engage in challenging adventures such as Corn Dog or Monte Christo binge eating contests (also exclusive to this Passport offering!), Marathon race training, as well as a frustrating search through every shop in the land for an XX-Large-sized sweatshirt. There are even stray cats slinking around for guests to spot, as well as acres of candy shops to rot out that sweet tooth, glass blowers that specialize in virtual tchotchkes you can buy and add to a virtual bookshelf, and balloon vendors that pop into the scene on afternoons.
Head project Imagineer Doris VanKook elaborates, “Yes, you can scroll around every square foot of the entire Disneyland Resort. With the new My Disneyland Streaming Annual Passport we really wanted to pay homage to the original Magic Kingdom, so we made sure you’ll have access to a digital version of the entire resort. The hard work Imagineering did resulted in a very accurate depiction of the park on a virtually perfect scale – so much so that every Churro and Pin sales cart is in the exact same spot as the actual park. If you know where to find your smoking area or popcorn seller in the park, you’ll find it in the exact same place online.”
Think about it as a not-quite-real place where My Disneyland Streaming Annual Passholders get to interact with beloved Disney characters, and other guests as well. This magical digital resort offers the same 43 “Meet and Greet” photo spots where you can give characters such as Donald or Snow White a big virtual hug, get their autograph and photograph and place into your ‘My Disneyland Photo Album.’ We’ve enhanced the park experience by adding quests and interaction from over 100 characters. Guests will be able to explore the park while completing requests from the characters by doing them a favor or purchasing items. For example, Snow White may ask you to buy her a caramel apple and Baloo may need a new pair of Mouse Ears with his name embroidered on the back.
My Disneyland Streaming Annual Passholders will be emailed frequently with incredibly limited discounts, shopping opportunities, as well as other offers and invitations to online Passholder events! Up to 10% off select virtual dining venues and menu choices. Up to 5% off select, overstock merchandise online.
While there are no blockout dates at virtual Disneyland, guests will only be able to visit the real thing one day per year and extensive blackouts will apply.
Other things My Disneyland Streaming Annual Passholders have that are a nod to the fun and magic of this streaming place are the hidden Mickeys – which are an obsession for many people. Included are many of the hidden Mickeys that are in the real park, plus plenty of newer virtual ones as well. Popular virtual Mickeys may be added to the real park based upon guest demand.
And finally, the attractions are recreated for the My Disneyland Streaming Annual Passholders. These digital renderings are not just video games that you pretend to ride by prancing or wiggling your booty in front of a webcam. When the Disney Imagineers were working on this unique version of the resort, the one thing that was clear to them is that every attraction is an adventure where there are also exit shops full of cashiers, custodial personnel, queue managers, pirates, ghosts or runaway trains, all in meticulously recreated worlds of their own, each with a unique story to tell.
The experience will be so accurate that when an attraction is closed for refurbishment in the physical park, it will also be closed in the virtual park. The same is true for breakdowns and even weather-related operation changes. The experience will be so real and dynamic that some guests may not even realize they aren’t actually at Disneyland.
With 18 iconic, interactive Disneyland Park attractions plus the new Space Wars: Tunisian Shopping Experience in the back of the park – My Disneyland Streaming Annual Passholders can battle their way from a place not so near near, away to the island town of Pirates, then ride with friends down the leaves of Alice in Wonderland. Maybe you’ll spot an older princess being evicted from her cottage by a snow queen, or even catch a flaming duck during an evening performance of Fantasmic. Everything is possible in the virtual world, and your My Disneyland Wallet will take care of each and every purchase automagically. Now every Disney guest can have their Turkey Legs and Snickerdoodles too . . . without ever gaining a pound.
We’d like to thank the REAL Al Lutz for joining us today and we look forward to seeing him again next April 1st.
#AprilFools
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