The Tremendous Bowl is nearly as famed for its iconic commercials as it’s for the Massive Recreation itself. From the Budweiser Frogs to Apple 1984 to adverts that includes Michael Jordan, Imply Joe Greene and extra. However no spots are as memorable or efficient because the the well-known “I’m going to Disney World” and “I’m going to Disneyland” slogans which were uttered by most Tremendous Bowl MVPs since 1987.
The historical past of Disney’s “What’s Subsequent” commercials began, like so most of the firm’s nice enduring concepts, with former CEO Michael Eisner. Within the 4 many years since, the catchphrase has entered our collective vernacular, changing into a popular culture fixture that has grown far past the Tremendous Bowl, with numerous different iconic–and ironic–utterances in non-sports contexts.
For good purpose, because the advert is probably the most iconic in sports activities. That includes Disney-anthem “When You Want Upon a Star” as confetti falls on-field after the clock hits zero, and the profitable gamers announce their intention to rejoice by going to Disney. It’s a second as all-American as, nicely, Walt Disney. Some may even name it Distinctly Patriotic.
The genesis of the “What’s Subsequent” Disney Tremendous Bowl business dates again to January 1987, when then CEO Michael Eisner and his spouse, Jane Breckenridge, hosted a dinner at Disneyland with filmmaker George Lucas and different celebrities to advertise the opening of the park’s new Star Excursions attraction.
Amongst these in attendance have been pilots Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager. Simply weeks earlier, the duo had made the Rutan Voyager the primary plane to fly around the globe with out stopping or refueling. They accomplished the nine-day journey on December 23, 1986, flying over 26,000 miles earlier than touchdown at Edwards Air Power Base.
In keeping with Eisner’s 1998 memoir, Work In Progress, Jane requested the pilots what they have been going to do subsequent after doing “probably the most adventurous factor conceivable” just some weeks earlier. Rutan jokingly replied, with out hesitation: “Effectively, we’re going to Disneyland.” Eisner laughed and mentioned they made the appropriate selection, however Jane later pulled him apart and mentioned the road would make an ideal promoting marketing campaign.
Inside weeks, Disney set in movement its now-famous “What’s subsequent?” marketing campaign, arranging for the Tremendous Bowl MVP to say the long-lasting phrase within the fast aftermath of his workforce’s victory. A decade in the past, Eisner and different former Disney executives who labored on the marketing campaign and athletes who helped make it well-known sat down for a spherical desk with Sports activities Illustrated to elucidate what make the “I’m going to Disney World” advert one thing particular.
Eisner defined to SI that, instantly after that dinner, he grew to become obsessive about the concept. It was the right natural advertising second. He questioned what venue can be excellent for such a ‘profession pinnacle advert marketing campaign’ and immediately considered the Tremendous Bowl. After climbing that mountain, so to talk, a visit to Disney can be the last word reward.
And in order that’s what Disney did, attending to work on creating the right Tremendous Bowl advert that might have the ability to be recorded and air shortly after the Massive Recreation ended.
The logistics weren’t simple, based on Tom Elrod, Disney’s former head of promoting. They’d have a crew on the sector to movie the second the sport ended, trying to movie a spot within the completely chaotic ambiance, with confetti falling and gamers celebrating.
Elrod mentioned that Disney wished it to be genuine, which meant being the primary digicam on the sector in that frenetic atmosphere. He famous the problem of competing with broadcast crews and journalists and teammates and everybody else. “That first 12 months, I don’t assume anybody thought that was achievable,” mentioned Elrod.
Disney mentioned the concept with then NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, who was on board with the concept and noticed Disney’s imaginative and prescient for the advert marketing campaign. Rozelle was supportive and facilitated the spot; it in all probability helped that Disney had an excellent relationship with the NFL because of Disney producing the halftime reveals.
In keeping with Eisner, the corporate proceeded with the concept forward of the Massive Recreation by figuring out the seemingly MVPs, quarterbacks Phil Simms of the New York Giants and John Elway. Simms led his workforce to a 39-20 win over the Denver Broncos in Tremendous Bowl XXI to earn MVP honors.
As Simms recounts, his agent approached him with the concept and he initially wished “no half” of the advert as a result of it appeared like a “distraction” forward of the sport. His agent persevered, informing Simms that Disney would assure the cash ($75,000) whether or not the Giants received or misplaced.
The identical deal was made with the youthful Elway, who reportedly walked away with between $15,000 and $75,000 regardless of being on the shedding workforce. Through the “When You Want Upon a Star” episode of “Peyton’s Locations” on the ESPN+ streaming service, Sims advised Manning that his agent referred to as him 5 instances a day resulting in the large sport and he lastly “gave in” and agreed to take part the Friday night time earlier than Tremendous Bowl Sunday.
Quick-forward to the conclusion of Tremendous Bowl XXI, and Simms is on the sector celebrating, soaking within the second when a Disney cameraman faucets him on the shoulder to document the spot. His response: “Are you kidding me? Now we have to do that now?!” He’d forgotten in regards to the deal, however recorded the “I’m going to Disney World” business, and the remaining is historical past.
He and his household have been handled to an all-day expertise on the Magic Kingdom, which has turn into a part of the custom for the Tremendous Bowl MVP. Simms referred to as the expertise “bizarre.” He mentioned that the following couple weeks, individuals congratulated him on profitable the Tremendous Bowl…however he additionally heard from simply as many individuals who mentioned, “I cherished your business!”
Eisner was happy with the footage, calling it the “superb picture” that was healthful and supplied an emotional reference to viewers.
Mark Allen, a digicam man with NFL Movies, defined that was a part of the attraction. It wouldn’t have resonated was a lot if it have been only a man standing there in a static studio atmosphere, that they wished the advert to have motion. The attraction is within the dynacism, and placing followers in the midst of the frenzy on-field second instantly after the Tremendous Bowl concludes. It places the viewer within the sneakers of the profitable athlete.
Allen added that the advert was troublesome to execute from the start, however acquired much more troublesome over time. Larry Lundy, former Director of Sports activities Advertising at Walt Disney World, echoed the identical. That because the Tremendous Bowl and advertising across the sport acquired greater, reserving profitable athletes’ time after the Massive Recreation grew to become extra aggressive.
He defined that along with the on-field frenzy, there have been reps from the entire late night time reveals, morning reveals, and so forth. “You’re in a battle to get this participant extracted from the Tremendous Bowl, to Disney,” Lundy defined.
It isn’t at all times the MVP who says “I’m going to Disney World” (or Disneyland).
Within the early days, Eisner and Elrod would talk about who it ought to be someday throughout the fourth quarter of the Tremendous Bowl. For one factor, the MVP might, in principle, be a participant on the shedding workforce. (Though that’s solely occurred as soon as ever, and never within the final 50 years.)
Disney wished the participant saying “I’m going to Disney World” to be answerable for probably the most memorable and climactic moments within the sport. Due to the issue in realizing prematurely who this could be, they determined to have each participant on each groups signal the contract for the “What’s Subsequent” spot earlier than the Tremendous Bowl, simply in case Disney wished to decide on them.
One of the crucial notable cases of Disney selecting somebody aside from the MVP got here after the Ravens’ 34-7 win over the Giants in Tremendous Bowl XXXV, when Disney selected Trent Dilfer as a substitute of MVP Ray Lewis, who had been arrested one 12 months earlier on homicide fees. On the time, Lewis was considered as being in “endorsement exile” as a result of so many manufacturers wouldn’t work with him.
“We search for an ideal story, and Trent Dilfer supplied us that story,” Disney spokesman Craig Dezern mentioned on the time again in 2001. Lewis shrugged off the snub. “I wasn’t going there anyway,” he mentioned. “I’ve children who weren’t going to let me go to Disney World. They wished to see me.”
Lewis finally struck a deal on obstruction of justice fees, however the reputational harm was accomplished. (Lewis has since rehabilitated his picture, having fun with a profitable profession post-NFL in broadcasting, and doing many adverts–though I can discover no proof he’s ever labored with any Disney manufacturers.)
With that mentioned, Lewis is way from the one exception. When Tom Brady received his fourth of a record-setting 5 Tremendous Bowl MVP trophies, James White as a substitute represented the Patriots at Walt Disney World. Brady had been earlier than and has been again since, although. White scored three touchdowns in Tremendous Bowl LI, together with the one additional time rating in Tremendous Bowl historical past to cap off a unprecedented 25-point comeback win. A typical Disney fairytale ending…except you’re a Falcons fan!
Whereas the “What’s Subsequent” advert marketing campaign began with the Tremendous Bowl, it has been prolonged far past soccer. Eisner notes that when it grew to become profitable within the NFL, Disney prolonged it to the NBA Finals, Olympics, World Sequence, and the Stanley Cup Finals. From 2008 to 2011, the winner of “American Idol” exclaimed that they’d be going to Walt Disney World as a part of the advertising marketing campaign.
Different corporations have additionally tried to piggyback off the success of the advertising marketing campaign, with their very own knock-offs of the business. Eisner recounted to SI that he discovered of Warner Bros. making an attempt an analogous marketing campaign: “I went utterly nuts. I advised Warner Bros., “That’s ours; you’d higher keep away.” I don’t know if we had a copyright, per se, however we had so ingratiated ourselves with America. We satisfied Warner Bros. to again off. This was a Disney factor.”
Through the years, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are among the many NBA stars who’ve introduced that going to Disney is what they’re doing subsequent following a championship win. The latest was 2006 NBA Finals MVP Dwyane Wade, who joined teammate Udonis Haslem as grand marshals for a Miami Warmth victory parade at Walt Disney World.
In 2004, three stars for the Boston Purple Sox — Curt Schilling, Pedro Martínez and David Ortiz — took a visit to Walt Disney World after breaking their workforce’s 86-year title drought. In a quintessential Michael Eisner synergy transfer, Santa Claus uttered the well-known phrase in a business on the finish of the ABC Disney Christmas Day Parade for a number of years within the late Nineties (watch under).
Eisner famous that he’s unsure why it “hasn’t caught” for different sports activities, saying that it could be a budgetary factor as a result of the business is dear to placed on.
Spitballing right here, however logistics are one other potential rationalization. Not one of the different main sports activities have a singular championship, so having the sources mandatory “on name” for a number of video games won’t be price it, particularly given viewership disparities.
It’s additionally unclear simply how a lot free promoting Disney has gotten out of the “What’s Subsequent” marketing campaign, as athletes and others who’ve achieved greatness have undoubtedly uttered “I’m going to Disney World” in celebration with out having any contract with the corporate. It’s turn into that distinguished within the popular culture zeitgeist.
The “What’s Subsequent” marketing campaign additionally has great worth when it comes to model consciousness and as an advertising software at a time of 12 months when households are within the midst of creating their summer season trip plans.
We often talk about this on the subject of the ABC Christmas Day Parade, which is mainly an hour-long business for Walt Disney World and Disneyland at a time when households are gathered collectively and discussing the 12 months to come back.
The identical sentiment applies to the “What’s Subsequent” Tremendous Bowl business. The most important variations are its length (a lot shorter) and that it options no footage to truly promote Walt Disney World or Disneyland. However, it’s very priceless as a result of brings Disney to thoughts, is sentimental and so aspirational.
Eisner has famous this in interviews, saying it’s one of many the explanation why there was “by no means any doubt the marketing campaign would preserve going.” He defined that yearly, a highschool athlete will win one thing, and inevitably shout, “I’m going to Disney!” Eisner mentioned a lot of them ship that video to Disney, and he’s seen 1000’s of clips of children repeating these traces as in the event that they have been nationwide heroes.
Eisner added: “In sports activities right this moment, we concentrate on who’s traded or lower or getting one other contract. That is the opposite facet of that. [The ad] has nothing to do with cash or transactions, it’s only a second of pure bliss and excessive achievement. It’s actual.”
Right here’s only one instance of that (notice the date):
A big a part of the catchphrase’s cultural presence is it being a fixture of just about each Tremendous Bowl since 1987.
There was no “I’m going to Disney” business following Tremendous Bowl XXXIX in 2005. It was a short hiatus for the marketing campaign, which has continued yearly within the almost twenty years since.
And virtually yearly since, the chosen participant normally takes half in a parade at both Disneyland or Disney World. Whether or not that happens at Magic Kingdom in Florida or Disneyland in California is dictated by the host website of the Tremendous Bowl–it’s whichever is nearer. Lately, there have been a number of gamers featured within the parades when the Tremendous Bowl is performed in Los Angeles, Tampa, or Miami–in all probability because of the ease of visiting the respective Disney parks from these in-state host cities.
Till 2025, the final time the Tremendous Bowl champions appeared in a public-facing parade at Walt Disney World was in February 2020 when the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs additionally performed and defeated the San Francisco 49ers. The Tremendous Bowl that 12 months was held in Miami and MVP Patrick Mahomes celebrated with a parade down Fundamental Avenue in Magic Kingdom.
The next 12 months, Mahomes and the Chiefs have been again in Tremendous Bowl LV, however the hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated them at Raymond James Stadium. Following that victory, Tremendous Bowl MVP Tom Brady and longtime teammate Rob Gronkowski turned to the TV cameras and mentioned that iconic line: “I’m going to Disney World!” However they didn’t. A minimum of, not instantly.
Gronk was there the next day, however backstage on a cavalcade float posing for pictures. There was no parade on account of COVID and the phased reopening. We all know this as a result of we have been additionally there (there was nothing higher to do on the time and I assumed it’d be cool to catch a glimpse of Tom Brady in actual life). Brady ended up doing a publicity go to to Walt Disney World a number of months later, and I didn’t see him or Gronk.
Yearly since, the Tremendous Bowl parade has been at Disneyland. In 2022, it featured former Detroit Lion Matthew Stafford, plus Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams. Each years since then, it’s been Patrick Mahomes once more. He’s presently behind solely Tom Brady for probably the most “I’m going to Disney” Tremendous Bowl commercials, and tied with him for #1 when it comes to precise parade appearances.
We will see whether or not Mahomes makes it an “I’m going to Disney” three-peat, or if Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts make their first journey to Walt Disney World as Tremendous Bowl Champions. Talking of which, should you’re going to be in Magic Kingdom on Monday, right here’s How you can Watch the 2025 Tremendous Bowl Parade at Walt Disney World & Our Previous Experiences with the Celebration.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider the “I’m going to Disney” Tremendous Bowl business? Is it efficient advertising and a staple of the Tremendous Bowl and popular culture at this level? Do you agree or disagree with our ideas right here? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
