DisneyBiz

Sunday Ad Roundup: The Lion King Edition

Scott — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 19:33:48 +0000

Printed your coupon for The Lion King on Blu-Ray yet? Let’s take a look at the ads this week and see if there’s a good deal to be found.

2-disc Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack (no coupon)

Best Buy – $19.99
Target – $22.99
Walmart – $24.96, includes 15 month calendar gift set
Toys ‘R’ Us – $19.99. Toys ‘R’ Us is claiming in their ad that the $5 coupon can be used for the 2-disc combo pack, contrary to what Disney says. If Toys ‘R’ Us accepts it, the 2-disc set would be $14.99. Toys ‘R’ Us is also offering a free 22″ x 28″ 3D poster.

4-disc 3D/Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo Pack ($5 coupon valid)

Best Buy – $29.99 – $5 coupon = $24.99. Best Buy is also offering a “Collectible Lunch Box Combo Pack” for an additional $5.
Target – $29.99 – $5 coupon = $24.99
Walmart – $29.96 – $5 coupon = $24.96
Toys ‘R’ Us – $27.99 – $5 coupon = $22.99. Toys ‘R’ Us is also offering a free 22″ x 28″ 3D poster.

8-disc The Lion King Trilogy Gift Set (Includes the 4-disc Lion King Combo Pack plus The Lion King 1 1/2 and The Lion King 2 on Blu-Ray and DVD)

Best Buy – $74.99 – $5 coupon = $69.99
Target – $76.24 – $5 coupon = $71.24
Walmart – $74.96 – $5 coupon = $69.96
Toys ‘R’ Us – $99.99 – $5 coupon = $94.99

Best Buy is also offering an additional $8 savings when any version of The Lion King and either Disney Nature: African Cats or Beauty and the Beast 3D is purchased at the same time.

If you are close to a Toys ‘R’ Us, or if another store will price match Toys ‘R’ Us, it looks like they have the best deal if you are just looking to purchase The Lion King. For those of you looking to purchase the trilogy, head to Best Buy or Walmart. If you have an interest in purchasing African Cats or Beauty and the Beast 3D in addition to The Lion King, also visit Best Buy on Tuesday.

More coupons may be on the horizon as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is scheduled for release on October 18. Three different packages are scheduled for release: a 2-disc Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack, a 4-disc 3D/Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo Pack, and a 15-disc collection with all four Pirates of the Caribbean movies. I expect that coupon to be similar to The Lion King‘s; $5 or maybe $8 off the 4-disc or 15-disc editions.

The Lion King Blu-Ray Coupon Now Available

Scott — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:12:11 +0000

Just before its release next Tuesday, Disney Movie Rewards has released a $5 coupon for the 4-disc Blu-Ray combo pack edition of The Lion King! Also, Disney notes on the page that the coupon is also good for the 8-disc Lion King trilogy set.

Disney is certainly expecting to sell a bunch of copies of this movie since they are only offering $5 off.

Check back Sunday as I’ll be posting the usual price summary from the various retailers’ ads!

Pooh’s Plight

Scott — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:00:09 +0000

This past weekend my wife and I took the kids to see Winnie the Pooh. It was everything I had heard; charming, funny, and extremely well-animated. It’s easy to tell this is a 2011 film, but it certainly fits in with the Pooh shorts that make up The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. In some ways, this is a better movie than The Many Adventures because it’s one complete story rather than three shorts tied together with a couple of extra scenes. Speaking of shorts, The Ballad of Nessie precedes Winnie the Pooh and is a very good short film about the Loch Ness monster.

The only (admittedly nitpicky) fault I found with Pooh is its length; it clocks in around an hour. However, the shorter length makes it a good movie to bring young children too, and it would be perfect for a child’s first movie.

As of this writing, Winnie the Pooh has made $17 million in the United States, with an additional $6+ million overseas (from Box Office Mojo). Not bad for a movie with a $30 million dollar budget (LA Times blog). However, I can’t help but fell that Winnie the Pooh could do better.

While Cars 2 was being shoved down everyone’s throat through every possible medium, Winnie the Pooh was also being advertised but not as voraciously. In many ways it makes sense that Cars 2‘s advertising far outstripped Winnie the Pooh‘s. The potential for merchandise sales was far greater for Cars 2, and Cars 2 needed a lot more revenue to break even. However, the Cars 2 rush has died down since its release a month ago; meanwhile, Pooh‘s reviews have been very good (currently 90% on Rotten Tomatoes). Disney, as far as I’ve seen, has not released any additional advertising promoting these reviews (please correct me if I’m wrong).

Additionaly, Winnie the Pooh is viewed as a movie for only young children. While Cars 2 has a built-in wider appeal, the movie starring talking stuffed animals in the Hundred Acre Wood is instantly perceived as a young child’s movie. This was obvious on a Sunday afternoon at 5:00 when there were about 8 families with children in the movie theater I viewed Pooh in.

However, the largest disservice to Winnie the Pooh came at the hands of whomever schedules film releases at Disney. Admittedly, it’s not an easy job; I’ve been looking at the 2011 film calendar and it’s a pretty full schedule. Disney, in its infinite wisdom, chose to schedule Pooh‘s opening the same day as what will probably be the biggest movie of 2011: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Looking at a 2011 film release schedule, August 19 might have been a better date. Winnie the Pooh would have had competition in the children’s movie category from Spy Kids 4, but who wants to see that?

Hopefully Winnie the Pooh will be better received when it comes out on Blu-Ray. I’d expect it to come out before the holidays, and Disney will probably have a coupon to go with it. As usual, I’ll be covering the coupons and the prices for movies as they come out and hopefully we’ll see a good deal for Winnie the Pooh.

Cars 2 Review

Scott — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 11:00:02 +0000

It finally happened: Pixar made a mediocre movie. Cars 2 is the average of its two parts; a poor storyline and fantastic animation.

Want the general storyline for Cars 2? Watch a buddy spy movie and pretend Mater is the zany one. The majority of the movie is dedicated to Mater and his adventures while getting caught in the middle of the spy action. Sure, there’s a lesson about friendship somewhere in there, but it gets lost in the action. The most touching moment of the movie is the tribute to Paul Newman that occurs near the beginning. Since this is essentially a spy movie, it’s filled with guns, bombs, explosions, mines, and other gadgets. The cars are not limited to the somewhat playful wrecks of the first movie; this time, cars are crushed and killed in various ways. Destruction abounds, and I’m slightly surprised this passed as a G movie. I was able to follow the story, but I’m not sure my daughter was able to.

As disappointing as the story is, the animation is the polar opposite. The scenery as Lightning, Mater, and the Radiator Springs crew travel the world is gorgeous and incredibly detailed. The environments are immersive and the characters fit right in. The animation is really what holds this movie together. I’m sure I didn’t catch every reference to other Pixar movies, but there’s a nice reference to Ratatouille.

Cars 2 is more like a very long Mater’s Tall Tale than a true sequel to Cars. In my mind, this is a mediocre film and easily ranks as Pixar’s worst to date. The Toy Story Toon “Hawaiian Vacation” was a nice little story that was a bit of a throwback to what goes on while the child is away. It’s not Pixar’s best short, but it’s a good little piece. Overall, the whole experience watching Cars 2 at the theater was disappointing; Pixar definitely dropped the ball here. I’m hopeful Brave will be a return to form for the Emeryville studio.

Disney Parks Price Increase 2011: The One Day Pass Increase Doesn’t Tell the Story

Scott — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:00:20 +0000

Disney ticket prices increased on Sunday, as you’ve probably heard by now. In recent years this has happened in August, but Disney has opted to increase them two months early. Last August I covered the price increase by comparing price increases for 10 years to inflation over the same 10 years.

The single day Walt Disney World ticket with no options has increased from $82.00 to $85.00, a 3.6% increase. This is the increase most news outlets usually quote, and it’s slightly smaller than last year’s 3.8% increase. More disturbing this year is the multi-day pass increases. A seven day adult base ticket, for example, has increased 8.1% to $267.00. The seven day base ticket last August only increased 4.2%. The percent increase for this ticket has nearly doubled. An Annual Pass’ percent increase has also doubled from 2.0% to 4.0% ($499.00 to $519.00). While most will simply quote the one day pass increase and move on, Disney is increasing the prices of its multi-day passes at a higher rate.

The 8% price increase for a seven-day ticket is baffling to me. This is nowhere near an increase just to cover inflation and implies that guests should be getting more for their money. The Fantasyland expansion is underway, but none of these attractions are scheduled to open until late 2012. By then we will most likely see another price increase. Where exactly in the Disney Parks is the guest getting a better experience today as the price increases? Star Tours is one example of an improved experience, but that’s one attraction in one of the four parks. Meanwhile, there are no major changes going on in Epcot nor Animal Kingdom. Attractions such as the Imagination Pavilion continue to flounder.

Instead of giving consumers more reasons to visit Walt Disney World, Disney hopes this increase in price will be what the Parks and Resorts division needs to show an increasing profit margin. Honestly, this seems to be the same old story with Disney lately. Disney is depending on consumers to come to the Parks and Resorts just on its brand reputation. This reputation, to the average person, is strong. Dig a little deeper, however, and this reputation is starting to be challenged. Universal is pulling guests in like never before with its Wizarding World of Harry Potter. While Disney believes that the Fantasyland Expansion is an appropriate response, it’s not quite on the same level.

To me Disney is saying “NBD” (no big deal) with these price increases. They think guests will happily pay anyway. I think, however, these price increases will do more harm than good. Potential guests who are already struggling to make ends meet may shy away from a vacation at Walt Disney World when a week’s worth of tickets alone are 8% more. Factor in soaring gasoline prices which affect airfare or traveling by car, the eventual hotel price increases, and dining price changes and making that trip to Walt Disney World is not looking like a great value.

DisneyBiz 3.0!

Scott — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 11:00:22 +0000

It’s been a little quiet around here lately, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been working. Today I officially release the fruits of the labor behind the scenes.

The home page is where most of the changes have taken place. The 10 most recent posts have moved from the main part of the page to the sidebar on the right underneath the social media icons. In place of the 10 most recent articles is a rotating featured posts area as well as featured categories of posts below it. The main menu now contains all the post categories; if there are subcategories, menus will drop down to show them to you. The very top menu contains the old main menu’s pages.

The footer contains some new information as well as some things from the old sidebar. From left to right, the most recent DisneyBiz Twitter posts, a tag cloud, the links to the sites that were in the sidebar (I’m hoping to get the icons back in, but I haven’t quite figured out how to best accomplish this yet), and my nine most recent photos on Flickr.

More new content will be on the way, but I thought it was time to get this out. What do you think of the new site? Let me know below or on Facebook or Twitter!

No More New Imagination Movers Episodes

Scott — Tue, 31 May 2011 11:00:17 +0000

From my hometown newspaper’s website (The Times-Picayune in New Orleans) comes an article on the future of the Imagination Movers. Disney has decided not to renew the show for a fourth season.

Imagination Movers is, in my opinion, the best show on the Disney Junior block of programming, and with a 5 year old and an 18 month old I’ve seen a lot of it. It’s better than Chugginton, Special Agent Oso, and even Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Sure, it follows a pattern as most of these shows do, but it’s the only show on the block to actively encourage creative thinking and brainstorming. The music is also enjoyable for both kids and adults. It’s a show that the whole family can watch.

However, from the article it sounds like the Imagination Movers will be on a Disney station for some time to come. They’ll continue to air new episodes until season 3 runs, out and when Disney Junior makes the move to a full station it will air episodes of Imagination Movers as well as music videos and other segments.

The article also revealed that Disney received a percentage on tour and tour merchandise revenue. This was the first I had heard of the arrangement and I’m sure the Imagination Movers are glad to have the extra touring income.

Although I’d rather see more episodes of Imagination Movers, it seems the show is at a point where Disney has enough (75 episodes) to repeat them on Disney Junior without making it seem like the same one is playing over and over again. Meanwhile, the Imagination Movers can focus on other things without spending a good portion of the year producing the television show.

Disney Sues Dish Network over Starz Promotion

Scott — Wed, 04 May 2011 17:34:02 +0000

Disney is suing Dish Network for copyright infringement and interference with contracts. Starz is also suing Dish Network for violations of its contract with the premium channel. Both of these suits are being filed because Dish Network is giving away Starz to its customers for free for its 30th anniversary. (Los Angeles Times source)

So what does a satellite provider giving away a channel to its customers have to do with Disney? Starz is part of Disney’s revenue stream for each movie released. Paidcontent.org describes this as the “windowing” system. For each theatrical release, Disney moves its movies through a number of venues. The first place a movie goes after the theater is hotel video-on-demand systems and television providers’ pay-per-view channels. Video-on-demand through television providers and the home video release (Blu-Ray and DVD) follow. After this, the movie is then broadcast on premium channels like Starz as well as HBO and others. Later the movie is broadcast on basic cable channels (TNT, Disney Channel) and finally network stations (ABC, NBC). Disney is paid for the movie in each of these situations in different ways.

By allowing all Dish Network subscribers access to Starz, Disney feels this will cause harm to the revenue stream for each movie because viewers who did not pay for Starz will watch and possibly even DVR a movie that they would have watched and paid for in a different way without the free access. It could also potentially harm home video sales because viewers will wait for it to come on Starz.

It seems ridiculous at first, but Disney may actually have a case here. Dish Network has an agreement with Starz, not Disney, for how Starz is broadcast on Dish Network. Disney has an agreement with Starz for the rights to broadcast movies on Starz, but no agreement with Dish Network on who views Starz on the satellite provider. Disney, however, also has other agreements with basic cable channels on which channel gets to broadcast each movie first. Disney claims that Dish Network’s broadcast of these movies knowingly interfered with these contracts as well as the copyrights of these movies because they were not in the basic cable window yet.

Starz may or may not have a case depending on the contract between the channel and Dish Network for how the channel is supposed to be broadcast. Is this frivolous? Perhaps; I’d like to know how much this will actually affect the “windowing” revenue stream. If Dish Network is able to continue this promotion, it may affect which movies Starz and other premium channels are allowed to broadcast. I’ll be keeping an eye on this as it develops.

Protecting the Castle from the Birds

Scott — Tue, 03 May 2011 11:00:32 +0000

Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites have become an outlet for people to speak their minds. Whether it’s about the latest episode of American Idol, politics, or anything else, opinions fly across the Internet constantly. The Internet in general also seems to breed negative opinions. Just look at any apartment finder site; almost all the reviews are from people who had a bad experience in a complex. It seems many people only find it worthwhile to write a review when they’re not happy with the product or service provided.

In response to the increasing voice of social media, many companies have created customer service Twitter accounts. AT&T, for example, has the main account @ATTCustomerCare and also individual accounts for their Twitter representatives. When I was having trouble with U-verse, I was contacted by @ATTJenn who helped me reach a higher level of customer support. TechCrunch has recently brought up a couple of instances where social media responses by American Airlines and the Luxor hotel have been nothing more than public apologies and a push to send people to normal customer service.

Disney has a lot of social media accounts. @WaltDisneyWorld, @Disneyland, @DisneyParks, @Disney, and @DisneyPixar are among the numerous accounts run by The Walt Disney Company on Twitter. Most of these accounts, however, simply convey information. Here’s an example:

Most of these accounts never respond to mentions. They simply keep pumping out information. Isn’t the point of social media to have a conversation? Granted, many of the mentions @WaltDisneyWorld gets are probably along the lines of “Bring back Horizons!” but replying to at least some of them shows us that someone out there is reading the messages. I’d imagine someone at Disney feels responding to online criticism might make things worse instead of better. However, a response lets us know that the message has been heard by someone and perhaps will be acted upon.

There are a couple of Disney Twitter accounts that are interacting with others. The first is @DisneyPhotoPass. Most of its tweets are responses to users with questions and even just responses to people who are using PhotoPass. The second is @DisneyStorePrez, the account of Jim Fielding, the Disney Store president. He responds to many tweets and on occasion will jump in on conversations about Disney products that he runs across.

The rest of the Disney-operated Twitter accounts need to follow the example of @DisneyPhotoPass and @DisneyStorePrez. The responses and interactivity, in my opinion, are refreshing and represent how a company should interact on Twitter. Instead of sweeping the comments under the rug and collecting them for analytical purposes, give us some thoughts in return. The magic of social media lies in the conversation and Disney as a whole should give us more conversation.

This, of course, is just one man’s opinion. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter!

Sunday Ad Roundup: The Incredibles and Cars Edition

Scott — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 13:53:34 +0000

Two more Blu-Ray titles, The Incredibles and Cars are being released in Blu-Ray combo packs this Tuesday. Both titles will include a ticket (up to $8.50) to see Cars 2. Here are the prices.

The Incredibles 4-disc Combo Pack (2 Blu-Rays, DVD, and Digital Copy):

Target: $26.99 – $10 coupon = $16.99
Best Buy: $24.99 – $10 coupon = $14.99
Walmart: $29.96 – $10 coupon = $19.96
Toys ‘R’ Us: $29.99 – $10 coupon = $19.99

Cars 2-disc Combo Pack (Blu-Ray and DVD):

Target: $24.99 – $8 coupon = $16.99. Includes “Ultimate Cars Gift Pack” which looks like two die-cast cars.
Best Buy: $24.99 – $8 coupon = $16.99
Walmart: $29.96 – $8 coupon = $21.99
Toys ‘R’ Us: $24.99 – $8 coupon = $16.99

Best Buy and Toys ‘R’ Us are offering $10 off when purchasing both The Incredibles and Cars on the same receipt. Best Buy has the best prices before the extra $10 discount; after the discount, $21.98 for both is a pretty good deal. If you’ll be using the Cars 2 tickets, the price is even easier to take because $17.00 of the $21.98 can be put toward pre-purchasing movie tickets.

Many (including myself) have been seeing supply issues with the last couple of Blu-Ray releases. I’m hoping that because The Incredibles and Cars only have one Combo Pack supply issues aren’t going to be as big of a problem. Amazon may match the Best Buy deal of $10 off when purchasing both The Incredibles and Cars, but won’t accept the coupons. This wasn’t a big deal last week when Amazon matched TRON and TRON: Legacy’s prices at Target because not paying tax was almost the same as the $5 coupon, but two coupons valued at $18 total will make a big difference.