Disney Announces New Theme

Last Thursday, just before the last quarter of the fiscal year, Disney officials announced the theme for Walt Disney World Parks to begin January 1, 2011. The theme: Let the Memories Begin.




It seems that after conducting much research, Disney extrapolated that 9 out of 10 families traveling do so to create memories for their families. Duh! It makes we wonder why the 1 out of 10 families travel, if it not to create memories.



Most of us have memories of family travel growing up. For my husband, it was the annual trips to the lakes in Minnesota. The cabin they stayed in and the dog the belonged to the owner of the resort. He remembers swimming in the cold lake and the car rides to get there.



For me, I can recall a trip to, where else, but Walt Disney World. We stayed in a Howard Johnson’s because I can remember the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Only the Magic Kingdom existed at the time of the visit—approximately 1976 or 1977. And, there were the ticket books, you know the ones with so many E ride tickets, D tickets, etc. It was summer and after visiting Walt Disney World, we drove to Daytona Beach and stayed for a few days. I remember drinking Dr. Pepper, the smell of fish and salt water, and getting sunburned.



There was a funny moment on the way when we stopped to get gas somewhere in Georgia, just north of the Florida border. Gas stations at the time cleared the previous sale as soon as you lifted the lever. So, after filling the car with gas, my younger brother lifted the lever and cleared the sale, before we had had a chance to pay. Imagine the negotiation that went on in trying to pay for the gas when no one was quite sure of the amount. Imagine the gas station attendant thinking we were performing that stunt for the entire trip from Iowa to Florida.



Yep, memories. That’s what family vacations are all about. So, while Disney could have come up with this one on their own, without the researchers, I agree with the upcoming theme. I can’t help but wonder what the boy’s memories will be. What will he be telling his family about when he is the dad? Will he, too, take his family and travel to the most magical place on earth? What will Disney be like then? It really doesn’t matter where he goes or what he does. What matters is that there are memories and will continue to be memories of cherished moments as a family. Let the memories continue. . .



One way Disney plans to capitalize on the theme is to project the images of guests captured throughout the day onto the castle as part of a nighttime spectacular. Check out the test video at the top of the blog.