Jay Rasulo - Remarks
Thank you, Peter. And thank you all. It’s great to be with you today.
As you just heard, there’s clearly a growing trend towards “celebration vacations.” More and more often, people are traveling to celebrate the milestones in their lives: birthdays … honeymoons … graduations … anniversaries … and many more.
We had already noticed this trend at our parks and resorts, but, as Peter pointed out from his research, seven out of every ten leisure travelers say that they’ve taken a vacation for the specific purpose of celebrating a special occasion.
This research further revealed that, when families take a “celebration vacation,” they’re seeking destinations that provide something for everyone in the family … including activities for children and, most importantly, activities for adults and children to enjoy together.
We were pleased – but not surprised – that, in Peter’s research, Disney Parks came out as the destination which families were most likely to visit for a celebration vacation. That’s because the whole idea of families enjoying experiences together speaks to the very essence of who and what we are.
Walt Disney originally conceived Disneyland as a place where families “could have fun together.”
Over the years, we’ve taken Walt’s mission and grown it.
Now, beyond simply having fun, our parks have become places where families can build memories together … and these memories are dramatically linked to the kinds of “life milestones” I mentioned a few moments ago.
Time passes so quickly. Children grow up much too fast … but Disney Parks are a world where time stands still … where you can transform the important moments of your lives into memories that will last forever. As we are told time and time again by those who visit us, sharing a milestone at a Disney Park connects families, friends and generations like nothing else can.
A little girl probably won’t remember what presents she got … but she will cherish forever the memory of riding Space Mountain seven times on her sixth birthday – one for each year, with one to grow on … with her proud dad, right by her side.
A husband might not be able to remember the exact words he used when he proposed to his fiancée all those years ago … but he will clearly recall standing under the glow of Cinderella Castle when he offered her the ring.
These special moments – and many more like them – are what we want to help you celebrate.
As you know, we’ve rolled out a lot of celebrations in the past – from Disneyland’s 50th anniversary to Walt Disney’s 100th.
Traditionally, our celebrations have been about our milestones … but in 2009, you will become the stars of your own celebrations as we invite you to the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and The Disneyland Resort in California by asking the question, “What Will You Celebrate?”
Our goal is to help you mark the special moments of your life in a way that the whole family will remember forever.
Disney Parks have always been the place where people celebrate the big moments in life and the small … in fact, just two weeks ago, Michael Phelps celebrated his record eight gold medals in Beijing with a parade at Walt Disney World …
You may also have heard about one special girl in particular who is already planning to celebrate her 16th birthday at Disneyland next month. Let me show you what I mean …
Miley’s done a great job of reminding us all that Disney parks are the place where people celebrate!
From the first moment you arrive at a Disney park and put on your “I’m Celebrating!” button, the fun begins.
In fact, something as simple as these little buttons enables our Cast to connect with you … to engage with you and focus on what you’re celebrating … and it’s a ripple effect. Everyone you encounter, all day long, from Cast Members to other Guests, seems to magically know that it’s your son’s birthday … or your honeymoon … or your parents’ anniversary … and they all join in your celebration.
Disney Parks are already the perfect setting for a magical celebration … that’s because you can create a visit based on your own favorite characters, favorite attractions and favorite stories. And when you add to that all of our world-class immersive entertainment … now that’s something to remember!
From the moment you step into our parks, you will see that they’ve been decked out with colorful banners, balloons and festive party hats, inviting everyone to “Celebrate Today!”
That’s because, in a Disney park, every day is a special occasion.
But what if you’re not visiting us on a special occasion?
Not to worry. It won’t take long before you’re swept up in the fun … because there’s plenty of fun to go around.
We will be unwrapping new entertainment designed to make memories. In fact, our parks on both coasts will have exciting new street parties that invite everyone to get involved in the spirit of “Celebrate Today.”
These immersive experiences are being created specifically to kick the celebration into high gear.
How are we communicating this new initiative to our Guests? Here’s a sneak peek at our new TV spot, which begins airing this week …
We wanted to kick off our celebration vacation initiative in a really big way – a way that only Disney could do.
There is one milestone, we realized, one milestone that we all share, every year.
So I leave you today with the most exciting news of all …
In 2009 … for the first time ever … when you come to Walt Disney World or The Disneyland Resort on your birthday, you will get in FREE.
That’s right – as our gift to our Guests, everybody gets in FREE to one of our parks on their birthday in 2009!
Thank you all for joining us today.
We look forward to seeing each and every one of you at a Disney park on your special day!