Generic Collectibles for All

Lee Beatens bashes the increasingly generic Disney experience

- Lee Beatens, February 27, 2011

You collect things. Just look into your attic or garage and you will see that this is true. You may not call yourself a 'collector', but you collect things.

And if you're a Disney fan, this is especially true.

Disney has many ways to make sure that if you weren't a collector going into their domains, you were by the time you left!

What do I mean?

Simple.

Disney Got You!

The Disney Marketing division works overtime to put the Disney brand into your hands, into your homes, and into your lives. If they've done their job well, you won't even realize it.

Case in point: Have you ever visited a Disney restaurant and tucked a napkin into your pocket or purse before leaving? A clean one, I mean. Bingo! They got you.

Ever find that at the end of your Disney vacation you have a drawer full of brochures and park maps? Got you again. And how many refillable mugs do you own? Yup. Got you.

The Collectible Experience

Why is it so easy to get you to collect these things? Because each collectible is unique and linked to a different experience.

Those napkins have the names and logos of every restaurant you visited. Those park maps detail every ride and attraction you enjoyed, and they often change to reflect the present configuration of each park. And that refillable mug is a reminder of the resort where you stayed.

Collectibles are memory triggers that help link you back to the joys of your last Disney vacation. They are continual reminders of how much you want to return!

Got you, indeed! So why then has Disney decided to replace these unique collectibles with generic one-design-fits-all standardizations?

Yes, why did Disney DO that?!?

The Collective Ka-Ching

Say it with me: Ka-ching!

Yes, it's cheaper to print and produce one generic napkin for all of the restaurants than it is to design, print, and distribute unique napkins for each and every restaurant.

And that is especially true of the more expensive refillable mugs.

I first became aware of this insidious trend over a decade ago when I noticed that many of the sculptures, toys, and other merchandise at World of Disney had both Walt Disney World and Disneyland stamped on them. Even if the item was depicting something only found at WDW, it still had the generic merchandising logo.

Granted, it's a small thing.

But it does dilute the joy of finding an exclusive collectible.

Mugs of the Mundane

The biggest change came when I visited Disney's All-Star Music Resort at WDW last year.

Previously, I had bought the refillable mug from each Value Resort where I stayed. I have a unique ASMovies mug, a unique POP mug, but when I got to ASMusic, I found only the generic 'What Will You Celebrate' mugs available.

And from what my friends tell me, that mug is now the standard issue for all Disney resorts, including the moderate and deluxe resorts.

Bob's Three Cents: Disney released the 2011 refillable mugs yesterday. Generic? Yep.

I'd be really ticked if I shelled out hundreds a night to stay at the Polynesian Resort and was sold a generic mug!

This is a prime example of short-term financial gains costing long-term financial windfalls.

To wit: Once you've bought your generic refillable mug, why would you buy one next year? It's the same mug. And you can use it at any resort and no one would ever know when or where you bought it. By taking away the exclusive nature of the purchase, Disney loses future purchases. It's that simple.

But worst of all, they've taken from you a bit of the magic. It's now harder to connect a collectible to a memory.

A Great Big Generic Tomorrow

It's true that park maps do still change. And many restaurants still give out unique napkins. But the trend towards generic merchandise is creeping steadily forward. You'll also see it in Disney's attempt to standardize its quick service menus at the resorts, especially the values and moderates.

Where will it end? Your guess is as good as mine, but if I had to commit myself to an answer, it would be this: The trend will bottom out on the bottom line.

Why does Disney DO that?!?

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