Marketwatch commentator Conor Sen makes an interesting proposal, Steve Jobs should take Apple’s massive cash holdings and purchase The Walt Disney Company. What should it buy? Increasingly, Apple is moving away from computing and toward the intersection of computing, communications, and media delivery. That’s Steve… Read More »Should Apple buy Disney?
While looking for that last Videopolis featuring Fantasmic from a Marching Band, I was reminded of all those Orange Bowl halftime shows that Disney used to put on back in the day. Searching for some of those I stumbled upon this bit of Disney weirdness.… Read More »Main Street Electrical Parade Halftime Show, 1978
Personally, I’m a lot less enamored with the British Royal Family since the death of Princess Diana. But if the Royals are your thing, this is the perfect opportunity to combine two things you really love. Walt Disney World’s Wedding Pavilion will be throwing a… Read More »View the Royal Wedding at Disney’s Wedding Pavilion
Ed: Please welcome back Adam Britten. I promise to get him a full user account for the next recap.
After taking another short hiatus, Modern Family returned last night for “The Musical Man.” This episode introduced us to Jay’s brother Donnie, played by Jonathan Banks. Their storyline revolved around the fact that Donnie and Jay have some distance between them due to poor communication. The only times they talk, they are either picking on each other or making a joke. (Too similar to the relationship between Phil and his dad, if you ask me.)
Speaking of Phil, he’s taken the initiative to increase his “brand awareness” as a Realtor by wrapping the Dunphy’s minivan with an advertisement, complete with a picture of the whole family. (Claire and Haley actually end up on opposite sides of the car, with the rest of the family on the back – this is where it gets funny.) As Claire and Haley are driving through town, several cars honk while passing by. Claire dismisses it, not realizing that the text near the picture is….suggestive. Phil’s phone is ringing off the hook, and of course he thinks that people are calling to look at a house, and later finds out what’s going on when people start asking for “the hot blonde.” Claire, who has been upset that her better years might be behind her, has her confidence boosted by the fact that she received more calls than Haley.
Meanwhile, Cameron is deeply invested in turning a middle school concert into a full-blown spectacle. He has been named interim musical director of Franklin Middle School, and he decides to finally give their show some “flare” and a theme. The show has been rebranded as “a musical trip around the world” and Cameron is prepared to teach the entire set before the performance that night. Of course, disaster ensues during the production. Luke is stuck hanging in a harness above the stage, even while saying the line “learning about the world was fun, but I’m glad to have my feet back on the ground.” Cameron directed the children to hold up letter cards which would spell out “WE LOVE THE WORLD.” Luke’s absence combined with Franklin’s insignia being lowered into just the right spot caused the children to actually spell out “WE LOVE THE F WORD.”
Back to Jay’s brother, who we find out has cancer. This causes Jay to treat him differently, which upsets Donnie. The brothers agree to resume their normal relationship, which is sealed by Jay punching Donnie in the stomach.
Yes, this episode was funny. Generally, every episode of Modern Family has that quality. However, I do not think this episode was as good as the previous episode, or the ones before that. What did you think of “The Musical Man?”
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Adam Britten is a student social media strategist and marketing major at Syracuse University. Read about him more at www.AdamBritten.com or @AdamBritten.
Don’t miss the memorable quotes below the cut:
The Walt Disney World Resort just released an interesting report that looks at the economic influence Team Mickey had on Florida in FY 2009 (which ended Oct 2009).
The $18.2 billion in annual economic activity generated locally by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts accounts for a staggering 2.5 percent of the gross domestic product for the entire state.
Of the 7.2 million Floridians in the workforce in 2009, more than one out of every 50 had a job that can be directly or indirectly tied to the operations of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Locally, 6 percent of all jobs in Central Florida can be attributed to Disney’s operations.
Those are some big numbers. But it has to be put in perspective. The end of 2007 saw a contraction of Florida’s economy that only grew worse through 2008 and 2009. While housing and auto sales plummeted dramatically, tourism was not as impacted as an industry. So Disney’s percentage of the GDP for the entire state is probably inflated. Similarly the percentage of the workforce.
Is it a little manipulative for Disney to release these numbers right now or justified crowing about legitimate economic impact? Let’s call it Mickeynomics – a little of both.
Sure without Disney, Florida’s economy would really be in a shithole. But to pick those particular numbers to crow about without sharing how that compares to similar numbers in a healthy economy is less than straightforward. Still, can you blame them?
Now let’s look into the near future a bit.
2011 is shaping up to be a lot like 2008. Gas prices are rising, which threatens to impact Disney’s family vacation based business. But 2011 is different than 2008 in that we’re coming out a recession, not heading in.
I have a theory about gas prices. When planning a vacation, families are actually more concerned with the overall cost of the vacation than the price at the pump. As gas prices go up so do airline tickets, making it significantly more expensive to fly a family of four to Orlando. So expensive that driving, the time it takes, and the wear and tear on the car begins to look like a better option. If you do the math, it actually is far less expensive.
This economic equation means families who live within a days drive of Disney World are now more likely to drive to Disney for a vacation instead of flying somewhere (Mexico or the West Coast, for instance). That’s new traffic for Disney, and it can actually come close to replacing the volume of visitors who live more than a days drive away and are instead choosing to vacation closer to home.
What Disney saw in 2008 was that those who drive, tended to stay in Orlando a day or two longer on average. But they didn’t travel as frequently throughout the year, rather they saved it up for one long vacation. This means that the number of visitors to the parks only declines slightly, and it also tends to spread the visits out over the whole year. That’s the pattern we saw in 2008 and 2009 and the pattern we’re seeing now.
My only question is with the economic recovery just barely underway, are families saving more and passing on travel this year in order to rebuild their savings? What Disney needs is for the Southeast US to recover quicker than the rest of the nation. Those are the customers Disney World needs to covet for the foreseeable future. DVC members are already locked in, but everyone else wants maximum entertainment value for their vacation dollar. Disney can provide that, but they must continue to offer the highest quality as well.
I’m sure Disney would prefer to continue to ween its market off the discounts it offered in 2008 and 2009 to bring in business, so the only other option is improved entertainment value. To me this means, more rides per capita, more shows and parades, tastier food options, longer park hours, and better festivals. I think we’re seeing some of this already. What else would you like to see Disney do, excluding discounts, to increase the value for your travel dollar?
Read the rest of the 2009 Mickeynomic numbers released by Disney below the cut:
Parlez Vous Francais? Non? Well even if you don’t speak French, you can still enjoy a sneak peak of the Soundtrack to the new Winnie The Pooh Movie. But hurry, it will only be available until April 11th. To get the preview you’ll have to… Read More »Preview Winnie The Pooh Soundtrack
Actress and recording artist Zooey Deschanel gives us a little preview of ‘So Long’, a song she sings in Disney’s next animated feature, “Winnie The Pooh.”
“Winnie the Pooh” hits theaters July 15, 2011.
Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WinniethePooh
Below the jump you’ll find a short, but cute, clip from the movie:
Read More »Zooey Deschanel sings “So Long” from Winnie The Pooh
On a recent walk through the construction site at Aulani, Djuan Rivers, Vice President of Disney Vacation Club and Resort, Hawaii, talked about Pu’u Kino, the lava outcropping which is probably the most imposing and eye-catching landmark in the Waikolohe Valley recreation and activity area… Read More »Aulani details begin to emerge