Walt Disney Marketing

Walt Disney once said, "Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." Walt Disney was a person who had a great deal of imagination and he knew that the basic marketing principle of success was to have your business grow even though you are not there to help it grow. That means you can
stand back and the business will continue to grow and operate and grow because you have set up a system or methodology to have it continue to expand and grow.

Walt Disney understood the principles of marketing. In 1954
Disney started gaining interest (creating a buzz) for his theme park
by announcing that the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim,
California would be opening in one year. True to his word, on
July 17, 1955 Disneyland was operational. Disney's theme park was a wonderful success and another theme park "Walt Disney World Resort" was announced in 1965. It was a sad loss when in 1966 Walt Disney died, but he had his methodology and system in place. Walt Disney had wished for his theme parks to continue to grow and that continued to happen because a  plan had been established and those that followed continued to follow the plan.

In 1971 Roy O. Disney dedicated The Magic Kingdom on October 1, and Walt Disney World Resort was opened to
 the public. Then again, it was a sad loss when in 1971 Roy Disney died, but the system and plan continued and in 1982 a second Walt Disney World theme park, EPCOT center was opened. In 1983 Tokyo Disneyland opened in
Urayasu, Japan, and in 1989 a third theme park, Disney-MGM Studios was opened at the Walt Disney World Resort.

In 1992, Euro Disneyland (Disneyland Paris) opened in Marne-la-Vallee, France. Again creating a buzz before
opening the new theme park, in 1995 Disney announced that the Disney Animal Kingdom, the fourth Walt Disney World
 theme park would be opening, and true to Disney's wish that his theme park system would never end, in 1997 Disney
announced Disney's California Adventure and Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort. In 1998, more buzz was
created when a five-year plan to open a new theme park at each of its resorts across the globe. On April 22, Disney's
Animal Kingdom was opened and on July 8, Disney Magic was opened. In 1999, a buzz was created when a theme
park in Hong Kong was announced to the public. On August 15, 1999 the Disney Wonder cruise ship was operational.

In 2001 Disney's California Adventure and Downtown Disney was opened at Disneyland Resort, and Tokyo Disney Sea was opened at the Tokyo Disney Resort. In 2002 Walt Disney Studios Paris opened as the second theme park in France (now called Disneyland Resort Paris). On September 12, 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort opens on Hong Kong's Lantau Island and Disneyland celebrates its 50th anniversary.

In 2006, Disney was creating a buzz with a new marketing campaign called, "Where dreams come true." On October 1, 2006
theme park cast members will select guests to win prizes in a "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration. Disney didn't have to ask the question, "Are we having fun yet?" His theme parks are fun. Disney's magic was that he imagined and created a system and methodology that enabled his business to continue to grow even after his death.

" If you can dream it you can do it." --- Walt Disney
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