Day 101-107: Memories are more than Merchandise

January 14th, 2024

Dear Disney,

Memories are more than merchandise.

Taking this concept, memories are more than merchandise. Disney leadership has recently stated that due to differing turnout at the movie theater, merchandise sells have dropped. These sells represent a part of the company’s bottom line. Without a sound bottom line, companies falter. I understand this concept, but I must push back. Disney is not merchandise, Disney is memories.

My first movie theater experience was watching The Land Before Time. My first Disney Movie Theater experience was watch The Little Mermaid. My family was living in a small town in which there was not a Movie Theater any longer, it closing in the early 1980’s. In order to watch the movie, my father put us all in an old Buick and drove 50 miles to the next town to watch the movie. When we got to the theater, I was so excited by the lights and sounds of everything that I do not remember whether I enjoyed the movie or not. This movie going experience did not make me into a Disney fanatic, it did not even make me into a movie fanatic.

The first experience that made me a Disney Fanatic was watching at home, with my sister, Sleeping Beauty. I remember falling in love with the bejeweled book and the sound of the narrator’s voice. The artwork intrigued me. As a young man, the illustrations of knights and dragons enchanted my mind. As I am reflecting on all of this, I realize that Sleeping Beauty changed the way I think and want and desire. To this day, I have never seen Sleeping Beauty in theaters, yet the core memory regarding watching and re-watching this movie is more important to who I am then any Disney Theatrical release to date.

Bringing this back to that fact that memories are more than merchandise and Disney Executives compare the Theatrical experience with selling this merchandise. I am not in habit of telling Disney Executives what to do, but if I were I would tell them to stop worrying about Theatrical successes and start worrying about creating core memories. Sleeping Beauty was a theatrical disaster, almost bankrupting the studio, yet here we are today, with it being one of the best, in my opinion, Disney Classic movies created.

We do not know what tomorrow brings, so stop worrying about it. No one can know what the someone’s memories will be what and will make someone a Disney fan-for-life. Treat each opportunity as the best opportunity and everything will work out in the end.

Until next time,

Sincerely,

Jim Dear and Darling