Get Happy with ABC now open at Disney MGM Studios

[OnWithTheShow]

The new show in the abc tv theater (formerly doug live) Get Happy with ABC opened today. It is basically a preview of the fallup featuring a live host and some interactive elements (namely free t-shirts). It also features some celebrities speaking to the audience. As much as it is basically a big commercial it at least has put something in where there was an empty space.

 

[DisOrBust]

I wonder how long before they name the park Disney/ ABC Studios?

 

[Another Voice]

There are “rumors” that many portions of the video presentation will be shown as video wallpaper at the ESPN Zones around the country and at some Disney Stores as well. Also expect to see one of those promo/filler type programs (the one they show at 3:30 pm on a Sunday afternoon when there’s no sports) on your local ABC affiliate that is close to identical to the WDW show.

When Disney first bought ABC, one of the justifications was the network would be a way of promoting all the other brands of The Company. This year, all the other brands will be doing their best to promote ABC. Expect to see mailing inserts in your Disney Card bill, lots of ABC show highlights on your hotel room TV, ABC themed napkins at ESPN Zones, and plenty of articles in Disney Magazine.

P.S. – Yea, the Disney/ABC Studios – that’s been talked about A LOT around Burbank.

 

[Werner Weiss]

Let's see... admission to Disney-MGM Studios is $48 per person. And the newest attraction is basically a preview of the fall lineup on ABC. I hope that the "live host and some interactive elements" are really wonderful, because otherwise this sounds like an awful "attraction."

Sorry to be so negative, but I expect more from Disney.

 

[Bob O]

The last thing i want to see when i go to MGM is any type of show based on ABC. I dont watch the network at home and would never want to waste vacation time seeing a PR flak show on abc's new fall lineup!!!
This is awful. Why dont they get rid of that and if they want to do something cheap and for pr purposes i would much rather see " The making of L & S" than any abc show!!!!

 

[Peter Pirate]

While we actually miss Doug a lot and while I am not thrilled at a 'simple promo' utilizing this space, I must ask, isn't Disney, the corporation, doing the right thing here? They are a multi-faceted company and ABC is the one ship in the fleet sinking the fastest. Is it not in the Company's best interest (and ultimately all of ours) for them to take whatever measures deemed appropriate to stop the leakng of the sinking ship and hopefully get her under sail on her own again?

I agree that many patrons (like Bob) will not visit (or like) this offereing, but again, in the big picture why is it wrong and ultimately not a good move for the the parks to help out ABC in any way possible? After all, further ABC failure would only ensure no new money to park expenditures...

 

[All Aboard]

Pirate, true it is marketing. But, I suspect that the unwary park visitor could come away somewhat upset that they spent part of their park day on this.

It's not exactly what most have come to expect as an attraction at a Disney park. If it were named "Preview the ABC Fall Lineup" at least it would be truth in advertising.

There actually is a downside risk to this.

 

[Bob O]

I think this is more than likely to upset alot more people than to get people ahppy to see the junk on ABC that nobody watches anyway. If you dont watch it at home, which most people dont, you dont want to waste valuable vacation time watching it.
When people come to WDW they expect to be "wowed" and not see some pr BS for the abc lineup!! Of course this is cheaper than actually putting in something NEW and exciting for people to watch.
A pr show at wdw cant help, quality programming will and all the pr shows cant change that fact. How is a pr show going to change the fact that their shows arent good and people dont want to watch them??
The Disney Co. once again is making a bad decision and just cheapens the park experience without doing anything useful.
Why not add something new to MGM that may excite people???

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Get Happy with ABC

This isnt the real name of the "attraction" is it?

 

[airlarry!]

I agree with M. Weiss on this one.

Would it have killed anyone in Cali to design a 'SuperStar TV' attraction around the Fall line-up?

Wow. That took me all of three seconds to design. With the gifts that Imagineering can bring to the table, they could have had an attraction where guests would scream their head off to pretend to participate in the 'making' of an episode from each of the new fall shows and maybe some shows they want to promote.

New attraction. Subtle marketing. Some of the project is already in the can and easy to produce. And you can update it each year and still let it be 'free' advertising for your new line-up.

And Ei$ner is supposed to be the 'Czar of Synergy?'

 

[Another Voice]

The concept behind synergy is that a success in one area of the company can provide success to other parts. ‘The Lion King’ was a successful movie which lead to large merchandise sales (a success for the stores) and attractions created around the story brought more guests to the parks (a success for that division). Many areas of the company were able to generate profit from one key asset.

But these days, synergy seems to be more about free advertising than about the ability to exploit a success – the exact opposite of ‘The Lion King’ model. There is no profit in showing guests a commercial for ABC or in giving them napkins with pithy ‘8 Rules for Dating My Daughter’ sayings. What exactly are The Disney Stores selling when they promote ABC?

And the impact of ABC’s audience is questionable at best. More people watch one episode of a top ten TV series on one night than will go through WDW in a full year. To turn guests at ‘Get Happy With ABC’ into loyal viewers, you have to cut an annual attendance down by the people going to Disney/MGM Studios, another cut to the people that actually see the stage show, another cut by the people who are impressed by one of the clips, another cut of the people who go back and tune in the show on television, and another cut of the people that like it and become loyal viewers. To me it seems the impact on ABC ratings will be trivial.

Would not all the time and resources be better spent creating new and good products rather than attempting to find ways of marketing the stuff people have already choosen not to buy?

 

[WDWHound]

When I go the theater to see a movie, I end up have to set through as many as 4 commercials before the previews even start. Now I am expected to shell out $50 so I can watch a commercial for ABC. There is absolutely no way I will be visiting this "attraction".

 

[Safari Steve]

Well, I went to see it yesterday... It's air conditioned, you might get a free t-shirt or "monday" night football. It's not awful (but it's not anything to write home about). It'll be gone in September, which leaves the door open for something great in the future. Also, not only are you personally not obligated to visit, but there's really no need to spend much time convincing others not to visit. It's not on the map or show times sheet and it occupies the bottom slot of the tip board. The theater was only 1/4 full, and I don't think those numbers will improve.

As far as "The Disney/ABC Studios" I would have no problem with that name change. I think it's better to be connected with ABC than with a dying, dying, dead Hollywood dinosaur that only releases one film a year on average.

Oh, and TV audiences are very fickle. NBC was #1 for a while, then they got cocky and dropped almost to #4 while ABC was riding high, then CBS popped up for a little while, and NBC's back on top again (but they didn't learn their lesson apparently... have you heard the new Today theme song about how great NBC thinks America thinks NBC is??? YUCK!)