In the Disney-sphere news this week there was an item that came
out which has seemingly turned the online world on its’ ear. Tweets, Facebook posts, blob posts - even
online petitions have bemoaned the fact that the Main Street Bakery at Walt
Disney World’s Magic Kingdom has essentially received its’ eviction
notice. All thanks to the second
implementation of a deal that Disney signed with Starbucks – or some might say
the devil – nearly a year ago that will ultimately put a Starbucks branded
location inside each of the 6 domestic Disney theme parks. Disney California Adventure was the first
park to receive a Starbucks location back in June with the grand opening of the
Buena Vista Street reimagining of that theme park’s entrance corridor.
But is this particular deal truly worthy of
all of the uproar? Is the Main Street
Bakery truly an icon not worth changing, or is it all just overblown due to
individual preferences and desires. I’ve
read many statements that categorically and emphatically state that “Walt would
NOT have approved” of such a thing. Is this deal really as bad as if, say, a
corporation were to be handed the rights to start selling their wares from inside say, the
White House here in the US, or inside the Notre Dame cathedral in France, or inside the Taj Mahal in India? Is Main Street, U.S.A. truly that
sacrosanct? Apparently it is to some,
yet go with me, if you will, down a little
stroll back in time through the history of the Disney parks and let’s just see
together, if Walt truly would “NOT” have approved of such a deal.
But before you shoot me, just listen for a moment. Remember that I worked at Disneyland (the
original park and the only park that Walt ever stepped foot in, ate in, slept
in...) - and the only one that he actually had creative input for. Remember too
that the Magic Kingdom and Walt Disney World, while Walt's dream for expansion
for the company, were not designed by Walt, or his brother Roy for that matter
- but rather by the team of Imagineers that Walt had assembled in the years
since starting to design Disneyland back in '53. Walt died in December 1966,
and the team didn’t truly start doing anything until summer of 1967 when Roy
and Lilly kept encouraging them to go on because Walt would have wanted the
show to go on, and even then, the MK didn’t open until October of 1971.
As a student of all things Walt Disney from a very early
age, I can say definitively that from the very beginning, Walt and Roy realized
the need for capital in order to get the park built. If it hadn't been for the
amazing deal that Roy was able to structure with then-fledgling ABC, the park
never would have actually been constructed because neither the company nor the
Disney brothers had enough resources to do it on their own. Inside the park -
and yes, on Walt's beloved Main Street, U.S.A. there have been concessionaires
since the very beginning in 1955 - and in other lands too. Walt personally
invited several companies to participate, and Roy did others. Eventually they
created an entire department to handle those business dealings. Anyone like the
blown glass beauties that Arribas Brothers does? They've been inside New
Orleans Square since it opened in 1966. I know they are at WDW as well - I know
at DTD, but they also used to be on Main Street in the MK. Anyone ever see all
of those corporate sponsorships for attractions, and shops? Has anyone noticed
how every new attraction built in the past decade or two has a shop at the exit
- many of which are sponsored locations? Did anyone realize just how important
corporate sponsorships were to get Epcot built in time to open on the mandated
date of October 1, 1982 set by then CEO Card Walker? 95% of all pavilions HAD
to have a corporate sponsor - basically to use the other company's money in
order to design and build what they did. There are 4 classic attractions that
came out of the 1964-65 NY World's Fair - all of which ended up at Disneyland
after the Fair closed, and later were added to the MK at WDW in one form or
another as well. NONE of them would have been built without the corporate deals
that Walt himself, and Roy too, put together.
I certainly do
recognize the sentimentality and nostalgia that swells up around Main Street,
U.S.A. It is an idealized vision of what
small-town life at the turn of the 20th century was - but let's face it - the
entire strip has changed so much from what the original Imagineers designed. Gone are so many of the charming non-revenue
elements such as the Flower Market that used to inhabit Center Street… in fact
gone is half of Center Street, with the closing in/expanding of the Emporium to
basically encompass the entire west side of the street all the way up to
Casey’s. On the east side – there’s a charming little ice cream parlor… anyone
like ice cream? Well it’s sponsored by
Edy’s Ice Cream in case you hadn’t noticed that before. The reality is folks –
this deal was done nearly a year ago. The
ink wasn’t allowed to dry on the contracts before every single location that
Disney was committing to it – one in all 6 domestic theme parks remember –
until Starbucks also committed to a wide array of supporting details from their
side of the equation. I have many friends who live in the area near Disneyland ,
and others who still work at Disneyland, and all have said that the Starbucks
location that opened with the new Buena Vista Street inside Disney California
Adventure turned out really well, and it’s not as noticeable or detracting as
you might expect. There’s a brand new
wave of imagination coming out of the Imagineers these days – gone are the “on
the cheap” designs of the late 90’s and early 2000’s. There has been a very
real re-birth out of Glendale – just look at the amazing stylings of New
Fantasyland. Don’t get so worked up about this deal. Yes, it will change your
experience a bit, and yes, the menu might be different – but don’t throw
tomatoes just yet… Disney didn’t just give away the farm on this one. There were strict standards and rules on both
sides of the equation that were hammered out. I have a friend who worked for
decades in commercial real estate for a very large corporation that wanted a
deal with Disney. It took nearly 15
years for it to finally be hammered out because neither side wanted to budge,
but finally they did, and it turned out to be a very profitable partnership for
both companies for at least a decade thereafter. In all that you do – remember
this fact – Disney the company, while continuing the tradition that Walt set
with family entertainment and wonderfully immersive experiences (theme parks,
etc) – is first and foremost a business. Yes they listen to their guests, but
ultimately, they will do what they believe is best for the long-term growth of
their
business units… and this deal with the coffee company is just one part of
the overall pie. I agree that giving up
the Bakery AS WE KNOW IT doesn’t seem like the best fit – but at the same time
– think of the prime real estate that it is. There’s no way that Starbucks would commit to
a deal that put them in the back of the park, and Disney was willing to make
some changes in order to boost their business. Disneyland too is going to have Starbucks on
Main Street – and after Epcot, both Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park will
get them. It’s all a done deal ladies
and gents – your uproar won’t do much to change that. I feel your disappointment, but in the grand
scheme of things, I’d much rather have a healthy Disney company that continues
to draw guests – who by the way want to use my services to get them there – then
worry about whether I personally can get an overpriced cinnamon roll on Main
Street. From what I’ve been told, the
Starbucks deal is truly a blended deal… their primary product, techniques and
processes coupled with Disney products at the same time.
Starbucks even created
a softer logo for the theme parks that better fits into the existing Disney
environments. In the end, yes, this deal was all about money, but then so too
were things such as the acquisitions of Marvel, Pixar and most recently LucasFilm. Disney is not a benevolent organization, but
rather a forward-thinking company looking to sustain long-term growth the
entertainment that all know and love.
There were many things that the company has done both during
and after Walt's lifetime that were/are a bit strange. The Wizard of Bras store
on Main Street in 1955-56 - the Wurlitzer Organ shop... yes, people could
actually go to Disneyland purchase an organ to be shipped home... the Hallmark Cards Store on the corner of Main & Center (that lasted until the early 80's)...
none of those truly fit the theme that Walt desired, but all were good for
business. I agree that Starbucks isn't
necessarily the best fit, and I agree that they could have been placed further
in the parks... but in the end, it is what it is. I have spoken with many people who are
thrilled to be able to get their favorite morning coffee now when they go to
Disney parks... and others who absolutely despise the decision.
It’s true that The Walt Disney Company is NOT the same as it
was during Walt’s lifetime... it all changed the day that Michael Eisner was
hired by the board in 1984, but at the same time - if it weren't for Michael
Eisner... we wouldn't have all of the fabulous resorts, the 3rd and 4th parks
at WDW, the water parks or many of the other good things that came about during
the high-growth period of the late 80's and through the 90's. Nostalgia plays a
BIG role in the Disney parks. I agree. But
it's the OVERALL experience that they sell. There are so many little things that disappear
annually in Disney parks and resorts and NO ONE seems to notice... at least the
uproar is diminished because something like this comes along and then it seems
like it's the end of the world. I felt the exact same dissatisfaction when back
in 1995 Disneyland announced the end of Carnation Main Street... a restaurant
that Walt enjoyed and a company that he had invited to come in and be a part of
his park as a sponsor for his new table service location on Main Street. Carnation as a company had been sold a couple
of times since Walt was alive, and at that point was merely a shell of what it
had once been being absorbed by Nestle. But
Nestle maintained the arrangement for several years because of the relationship
with Disney. There was an uproar back then amongst the fan community, though
not online since it wasn't really something available back then. The company listened, but did not change their
plans. Same as will happen now. They'll listen, but won't change anything.
Ultimately we grew to enjoy the revised restaurant that went
in to that same space, which in 2012 was changed again. Change happens. Walt himself took out things in his park when
he saw that they weren't working or if he thought something better could
improve what was there first. It's not always fun, but it happens. And yes, it can be divisive - almost to the
same degree as speaking about politics or religion can. Disney fans are some of the most vocal and
rabid out there. I get that too. But in the long-term, again, I am looking not
a coffee drinker and truly don't care about that aspect. I also don't have the same love for the Bakery
as others online seem to - other
locations yes - the Bakery no. I've been
very torn through the years watching things be homogenized and removed. It's always for the almighty dollar, but in
the end, I would rather they have a healthy, profitable organization. Rather than whether a Starbucks is bad
business inside Main Street, I personally feel that many other things they have
done and are getting ready to do are worse business than coffee.
Walt was yin to Roy's yang... Walt was creative and very
guest-focused, knowing that resources were necessary to keep his vision moving
forward. Roy was all business, and
didn't always agree with Walt's ideas, but went along with them because he knew
that together they could achieve more. In
the years following Roy's death, yes, the business side of the business
definitely grew more important. bEisner and now Iger were truly businessmen. bWhile
the company publically sells nostalgia - family entertainment and experiences -
memories for a lifetime - it's the stockholders who truly demand that the eye
be kept on the ball and the company move forward and profits keep pouring in
year after year. Yes, there is no
denying that the Walt Disney Company of today is different from the 1950's, and
that money drives everything - if that weren't the case, we'd still have a
Dining Plan that gave appetizers and included gratuities, and was priced $10-20
less than it currently it is.
Think of it this way, and perhaps we can agree slightly that
in this vein, the company hasn't really changed as much as one might think...
the Imagineers keep Walt's dreams and vision moving forward - it's the Accountaneers
who we all have to watch out for, keeping Roy's dreams and visions alive and
well for a company that is profitable, viable and healthy. Roy & Walt first took the company public
in the early 60s. Demand for growth has
been there all along. So with all of
that said – before you go claiming that Walt would not approve of this, that or
anything else… just think about the fact that Walt was the world’s greatest
salesman – he just didn’t think he was selling anything, but better than anyone
else, he understood the importance of resources to keep moving his dreams
forward.
So whether you are excited about the possibility - or loathe the reality - Starbucks will be moving in to what is currently known as the Main Street Bakery in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in early 2013. I look forward to at least checking it out and seeing how it all plays out for myself. No I won't be getting a grande mocha latte-whatever, but I will be checking out all of the rest of the details. Because as we all know, the devil is in the details.
Until next time,
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