From: Rich_Koster@agwbbs.new-orleans.LA.US (Rich Koster)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney
Subject: 1993 Disney Predictions
Distribution: world
Date: 25 Dec 92 18:07:29 CST
Organization: The Amiga GateWay BBS * New Orleans, La.

(This is from my wife Carol:)
 
First of all, Happy Holidays and Happy, Healthy, Peaceful and
Prosperous New Year 1993 from Rich and me to all of you!
 
I got an idea for a thread:
 
1993 Disney Predictions! (sounds a little like "McLaughlin Group" on
PBS)  What do you think is ahead for the Walt Disney Company in any
way, shape or form in the New Year?  Can be based on varying degrees
of fact, pure speculation, fantasy, whimsy, tongue-in-cheek, humor,
etc. but it might be best to label what what you're predicting
appropriately (as varying degrees of fact, pure speculation, fantasy,
whimsy, tongue-in-cheek, humor, etc.) so that newcomers to the group
don't think we're talking about real things if you're only joking.
It can also involve yourself, your friends and family members, such
as if you think you'll go to one of the theme parks, or win the
lottery and want to buy a big Disney thing, or whatever!  The purpose
of the thread is to have fun, not flames.
 
So, here are my 1993 Disney Predictions, based partly on marketing
trends I observed this holiday and partly on how some of the people on
FidoNet's Disney Echo and Internet's rec.arts.disney react to Disney's
consumer marketing policies and theme park attractions, and partly on
'way too much spiked eggnog, *not* based on any announcement from
Disney, just my totally unfounded speculation:
 
I predict that for the 4th Quarter of 1993, the holiday shopping
season, Disney will package a three-video-cassette or three-laser-disc
collection consisting of "The Little Mermaid", "Beauty & the Beast"
and "Aladdin" (after having withdrawn "Beauty & the Beast" after
the end of the 1st Quarter), in addition to releasing "Aladdin" singly
and as a Deluxe Boxed Set of some sort, based on public demand for
these titles.  The public will snap up the three-set, but not everyone
will be happy.  Those who already own two out of three of the titles,
and only want one of the titles (like "The Little Mermaid") will be
royally peeved.  Those who can E-mail will melt the phone lines and
others' computers with their flames.  "Pinocchio", the restored
version re-released onto video cassette, will have respectable but
disappointing sales (rentals will be very successful) and you'll be
able to buy it at a good price next holiday season before it gets
withdrawn from the market.  I also predict that "Mickey's Toontown"
in Disneyland will open in January 1993 to huge success and
popularity, so much so that crowds will be a problem.  The Disney
Company will figure they've got such a merchandising winner that they
decide to create a new cartoon for TV syndication in 1994, called
"Mickey's Toontown" to tie into the attraction and bring back Mickey
and Minnie Mouse to popular culture.  The bold step of this is to
announce that it's for what's called "prime access", the time slot
between the end of local evening newscasts and the start of network
prime time programming, because Disney recognizes that adults and
kids are enjoying cartoons in this time slot (witness "The Cartoon
Network" and "Looney Toons" on TBS, TNT and Nickelodeon, plus how
adults are patronizing Disney animated films).  I also predict that
The Disney Channel will begin to do even more original programming
along the lines of "Avonlea", "Adventures In Wonderland" and "The
New Mickey Mouse Club" and that subscribers will reach new record
levels in '93, causing the cable TV and broadcasting industries to
wonder how Disney does it.
 
No facts here at all, in any of this!  What are *your* 1993 Disney
Predictions?
 
--Carol Koster, Rich Koster's wife

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