Disney Headlines for February 24th, 2022
This past week, Disney cut a deal with State Farm, plotted graceful aging for some of its fans, and discussed corporate responsibility.
Oh, and we found out how Disney hides its buildings right in front of your eyes! Let’s talk about all of it in the latest batch of Disney Headlines!
Growing Old with Disney
The other day, I asked a question. Do you want to live at Disney all the time?
Several of the comments fell into the bucket of, “Is this a trick question?”
Obviously, we all would, and that’s why Disney shows wisdom in entering this new field.
As previously discussed, fans trust the Disney brand more than any other in the world.
So, the idea of living in a Disney community will appeal to lots of folks.
However, I didn’t touch on one part of the story. In announcing Cotino, the first Storyliving by Disney project, I ignored the 55+ neighborhoods.
My confession here is that I wanted to cover it in Disney Headlines as well. After all, that’s the part of the story where Disney stands to gain the most.
The average American is more than 38 years old and lives to be nearly 79.
So, in about 17 years, the majority of the population will fall into this category.
In fact, roughly 60 million citizens are already there. But unfortunately, not all of them are willing to travel to Disney theme parks.
Currently, Disney can monetize these fans via merchandise, television, movies, and streaming.
Those core businesses provide inconsistent revenue, but housing for 55+ communities works differently.
These so-called senior housing communities usually require less space, making them cheaper to build.
As people get around, they tend to move around the house less and eschew staircases.
Plus, they want local entertainment and a higher level of healthcare.
You can count the number of ways that Disney could generate revenue from such residents.
All the while, they’d be selling the beloved Disney brand and making people feel safer and happier than ever in their own homes.
Disney is about to make a LOT of money off the 55+ crowd!
Mickey Mouse and…Jake from State Farm?
I’m not sure whether any company in the world advertises more than State Farm.
Image by Becky Stein, courtesy of Atlanta Hawks
I feel like I’ve seen those Jake from State Farm ads more than I’ve seen my own mother. And whatever happened to the dude in the Cheesehead who shouted a quarterback’s name?
Anyway, State Farm has been very good to my family, as my father-in-law spent his entire career as an IT executive there.
JUST ANNOUNCED: @Disney is teaming up with @StateFarm to create good neighbor magic. ✨ Find out more about this new relationship on the Disney Parks Blog: https://t.co/41u8bZ0swW pic.twitter.com/xsMRnzunxd
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) February 22, 2022
Since I love Disney just as much, the Parks Blog pleasantly surprised me this week. Did you notice this odd post?
Yes, for some reason, State Farm and Disney have joined forces to show corporate synergy.
According to Disney, the two sides agreed on “a new, multi-year relationship spanning Disney Parks and Resorts and Disney Advertising Sales.”
As part of this deal, “State Farm will be the presenting sponsor of the brand-new planDisney Podcast.” So, it’s, you know, advertising.
State Farm’s ad budget could fund NASA for a year, couldn’t it?
Anyway, naming rights are also a part of this agreement. So, get ready for Walt Disney World Resort: State Farm Waterview Park!
Also, ESPN Wide World of Sports will now host State Farm Field House.
State Farm as a company pre-dates Disney by about 16 months. So, we’re talking about two businesses from the 1920s who are Top 50 corporations today.
10-year-old Laila Ratliff, who has a booming lemonade business, gets big surprise from our sponsor, @StateFarm – a @Disney trip! 🍋 https://t.co/t5QhoSAvIu pic.twitter.com/Pf9mx2hGHu
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 23, 2022
The agreement makes perfect sense. It just feels a bit silly to talk about State Farm and Disney in the same sentence.
The two companies don’t seem to have much in common, do they?
Anyway, Jake from State Farm seems likely to spend the holidays with Mickey & Minnie Mouse now. Have fun with that, Team TikTok!
The Corporate Responsibility Report
In early February, I wrote this piece about a unique shareholder request.
Image: Disney
An activist investor wants Disney to provide more transparency about its salaries. The shareholder’s goal centers on pay equity for people of all races, genders, and sexualities.
Data supports the notion that when companies publish this data, they’re more likely to treat (and pay) everyone equally.
Disney won’t vote on the matter for another two weeks. However, the company has posted its recommended votes for shareholders.
To nobody’s surprise, Disney wants people to vote no on this idea.
For its part, Disney believes that it already reveals enough corporate secrets through its annual corporate responsibility report.
The latest one of these came out the other day, and it highlights three focus areas.
Those are World of Belonging, World in Balance, and World of Hope.
The primary initiative of World of Belonging is Reimagine Tomorrow.
This is Disney’s plan to “advance opportunities for diverse communities, amplify underrepresented voices, and highlight the importance of representation in media and entertainment.”
Credit: Disney
Obviously, these are all admirable goals, and Disney has often led by example in each aspect.
World in Balance prioritizes environmentally friendly practices, another area where Disney has stood tall.
Image Credit: Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment
If you’ve noticed the solar farms at Walt Disney World, you know this is a high priority!
Finally, Disney uses its World of Hope silo as a way to bring joy into the lives of sick children. Many of its philanthropic endeavors support this goal.
This report notes that Disney gave away more than 400,000 items like gowns and toys to 500+ children’s hospitals.
Along the way, Disney also created themed experience hospital wings at five children’s hospitals in the United States and Singapore.
Image Credit: Disney
Overall, this report fills many of the blanks from that shareholder request…but not all of them.
One Last Thing…
You HAVE to watch this TikTok!
@themouselets this is how Disney hides their buildings! #disneyworld #disneysecrets #disneyfacts #imagineering #disneyplusvoices #epcot #themouselets
♬ Pirates Of The Caribbean – Main Theme – He’s A Pirate – Geek Music
I’ve mentioned these paints before, but the TikTok shows how much dull colors can cause your eyes to glaze over something.
