“Pirates” ahoy, while “Goofy’s Candy Company” finale just annoys

Jeff Lange

18 years ago

Let’s face it. The Disney theme parks have always been used as promotional vehicles by the Walt Disney Company.

I mean, think back to 1954. When Walt Disney first revealed that his Anaheim theme park would feature a Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Photo courtesy of Google Images

“Why a Sleeping Beauty Castle and not a Snow White Castle or a Cinderella Castle?,” you ask. Because “Sleeping Beauty” was the ambitious animated feature that the studio had in production while Disneyland was still under construction. And Walt thought that this film might benefit from a liitle extra publicity.

Which is how this fairy tale castle (Which — in the spirit of full disclosure — I guess I should mention that Walt also toyed with naming this Fantasyland structure the Robin Hood Castle. Effectively tying this Disneyland icon to the live action film that Walt Disney Studios had released back in 1952) wound up being named the Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Anyway … As the years went by, Disney officials found lots of ways to use the parks to promote various projects. Take — for example — the windows at the Emporium …

Photo courtesy of Google Images

… Where animated dioramas depicting scenes from the studio’s upcoming releases (In this case 1961’s “101 Dalmatians“) made thousands of Disneyland visitors aware each day that this film would soon be “coming to a theater near you.”

As the years went by, the Walt Disney Company got more & more brazen about its promotional efforts at the theme parks. Take — for example — this “Jungle Book” theme float …

Photo by Jeff Lange

… Which was used to promote the 1991 home video release of this 1967 animated feature.

And speaking of using floats to promote films … Do you remember when “Pirates of the Caribbean” was just a theme park ride?

Photo courtesy of Google Images

Now — thanks to the incredible popularity of “The Curse of the Black Pearl” and “Dead Man’s Chest” …

… (as well as the eagerly anticipated final film in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy, “At World’s End“) — …

… “Pirates” is now a full-blown franchise for the Walt Disney Company. Which is why — earlier this year — Audio Animatronic Captain Jack Sparrows were folded into both the Walt Disney World & Disneyland versions of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” attractions.

This is also why the Anaheim & Lake Buena Vista-based theme parks have begun presenting daily street shows that feature cast members doing their very best Johnny Depp impressions.

Photo by Jeff Lange

But perhaps the strongest indicator of the importance that the Walt Disney Company now places on its “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise came with this year’s “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.” Where one of the highlights of the twice-nightly presentation of the “Boo-to-You Halloween Parade” was the new “POTC” unit. Which started off with a chorus line of winsome wenches and salty old rogues performing in the street.

Photo by Jeff Lange

Once the dancers pass by, an elaborate treasure-covered float is revealed.

Photo by Jeff Lange

Of course, in true “Pirates of the Caribbean” fashion, this vast horde of coins & jewels is guarded by a gruesome quartet of undead sailors.

Photo by Jeff Lange

But who’s that? High up there in the treetops?

Photo by Jeff Lange

Who else but Capt. Jack Sparrow. Who’s actively plotting to relieve these gruesome ghouls of their cursed treasure.

Now some Disneyana fans have begun complaining about the amount of “Pirates” related stuff that’s now popping up in the theme parks. These folks are concerned that — what with the aggressive way that the Walt Disney Company has been promoting its “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise lately — that the corporation runs the risk of running a perfectly good set of characters straight into the ground.

But me? I wasn’t really bothered by Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew making such a prominent appearance in this year’s “Boo-to-You” Halloween Parade. What bothered me was the parade’s new finale sequence. Which started out with Pluto waving to the crowd from the front seat of the “Goofy’s Candy Company” wagon.

Photo by Jeff Lange

Pluto was then followed by several cast members who were pushing 150-pound bags of candy along the parade route. And each of these bags were emblazoned with the “Goofy’s Candy Company” logo.

Photo by Jeff Lange

Directly behind these folks were additional WDW employees, who — while dressed in “Goofy’s Candy Company” uniforms — handed out free samples to all the guests seated at curbside.

Photo by Jeff Lange

These cast members were then followed by Goofy himself. Who was seated high atop this Willy Wonka-esque candy-making machine. Which also prominently featured the “Goofy’s Candy Company” logo.

Photo by Jeff Lange

“So what’s so offensive about the new finale sequence of the ‘Boo-to-You’ Halloween Parade,” you query. “I think that these new floats bring that presented-twice-nightly parade to a very colorful close.”

Photo by Jeff Lange

You don’t understand, folks. All of that “Goofy’s Candy Company” in this year’s “Boo-to-You” Halloween Parade? It actually promotes a really-for-real store that opened at WDW’s Downtown Disney shopping district in April of last year.

Photo by Jeff Lange

Now parade floats, window displays, even entire attractions that promote Disney movies & TV shows … Those I can understand and even condone. But to turn the entire finale of this year’s “Boo-to-You” Halloween Parade into an enormous plug for DTD’s “Goofy’s Candy Company” store? That really crosses a line for me. It turns a fun, seasonal celebration into something that’s rather crass.

And speaking of rather crass plugs …

In addition to being JHM’s official photographer & archivist, Jeff Lange also produces a best-selling series of Disney theme park DVDs. Lange’s most recent title is his 3-disc “Trick or Treat” set that commemorates the Magic Kingdom’s “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.” For further information on this DVD as well as all of the other titles in Jeff’s catalog, please follow this link.