Skip to content

sponsorship

Test Track to get makeover, sponsor change

EPCOT’s popular Test Track attraction will be getting an updated theme to go with a new sponsor. Rather than General Motors sponsoring the ride, it will change to Chevrolet. Chevy is, of course, a GM brand, but the company wanted to focus the new experience on just one brand.

Plans call for closing the current GM Test Track in April 2012, with an anticipated opening of Test Track Presented by Chevrolet scheduled for fall 2012. A few months ago updated cars were spotted testing on the track, they’ve obviously been working on this for a while already.

With the credit crisis of 2007-08 sending GM into bankruptcy, there was a question if the 10 year #10 million sponsorship would continue. But Disney and GM worked out a series of arrangements that allowed them to keep their name on the ride until finances could be lined up to renew the arrangement.

The new theme reminds me a little of how the ‘Sum of all Thrills’ attraction works. But the execution will have to be different to keep the capacity of the attraction moving at a quick enough clip.

Read More »Test Track to get makeover, sponsor change

Polaroid Disney World

Eastman Kodak, longtime sponsor of Disney’s domestic theme parks, is reportedly considering bankruptcy any day now. It’s not clear what this means for the parks, Kodak is still the sponsor of the guidemaps that 1o’s of thousands of guests pick up and use every day… Read More »Polaroid Disney World

Ocean Spray brings Cranberry Flavor to EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

I wonder if these guys will be at EPCOT

The food and beverage partnership that was announced last October, is finally coming to fruition. The last few months have seen small changes at Walt Disney World restaurants. Craisins are now showing up in more recipes and on restaurant signs. And now, Ocean Spray will bring the Cranberry to the Epcot(R) International Food & Wine Festival. Chef Ming Tsai and Ocean Spray Growers will debut the first Cranberry Bog Exhibit celebrating the taste, health, and heritage of the Cranberry at the festival.

“Three quarters of Americans have never heard of a cranberry bog, never mind witnessed the beauty of the cranberry harvest firsthand,” said Ken Romanzi, Ocean Spray’s chief operating officer, North America. “Through our sponsorship with Disney, we are thrilled to educate a whole new group of people who might not otherwise understand the journey of their favorite Ocean Spray products, like Ocean Spray(R) Craisins(R) Dried Cranberries, from the bog to their favorite recipes.”

I’m actually a big fan of Craisins myself. I like adding them to my chicken salad or just eating them plain. I’m looking forward to this exhibit and maybe learning a few new uses for the flavorful food.

The full press release is below the jump:

Read More »Ocean Spray brings Cranberry Flavor to EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival now sponsored by HGTV invites channel’s stars

Preparations are underway at Walt Disney World’s popular EPCOT theme park for the 18th annual International Flower and Garden Festival. It opens March 2nd and runs through May 15th. In addition to the usual fun exhibits and beautiful displays, Disney welcomes a new sponsor to the festival this year with the home improvement channel HGTV importing the celebrities and how-to that will help the festival bloom.

Also returning to EPCOT’s Flower & Garden Festival are Tinker Bell and her Pixie friends promoting the fourth and final (?) film in their direct-to-DVD series. That series continues to improve every year and Disney’s in park promotion for the pixies gets better too. Can’t wait to hear what they bring this year, I hear that they’re introducing a new winter pixie from the next film.

HGTV’s first-time sponsorship will feature weekend appearances by its acclaimed designers and landscaping experts. The star-studded lineup includes Genevieve Gorder, Lisa LaPorta, Kim Myles, Brian Patrick Flynn, Taniya Nayak, Ahmed Hassan, Patti Moreno, Michele Beschen, John Gidding, Frank Fontana, and Vern Yip.

“We are thrilled to welcome HGTV and so many of the network’s great Talent to Epcot this spring,” said Dan Cockerell, vice president of Epcot. “HGTV’s design and gardening personalities add an exciting, and entertaining new element to a festival that reinvents itself year after year.”

Expected appearance dates and more festival information is below the jump:

Read More »EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival now sponsored by HGTV invites channel’s stars

Is Walt’s Brand of Marketing the Way of the Future?

A story in the NY Times Media Decoder blog brings the good news that Disney Parks have arranged a partnership with the cranberry farm collective Ocean Spray. This will involve Disney selling Ocean Spray products, such as a co-branded Craisin package that features Chip &… Read More »Is Walt’s Brand of Marketing the Way of the Future?

End may be near for GM’s sponsorship at EPCOT

General Motors is in the red and leaking money faster than a fleet of speeding Corvettes burn through gas. Last week the papers even ran a story saying that financial auditors may be forced to declare the company ‘not a going concern’. Needless to say,… Read More »End may be near for GM’s sponsorship at EPCOT