Disney Princesses, Disney Memory
I raised two Disney Princesses. No, really. Jen and Becca were born during the Disney renaissance. Not only did our VHS library include classic Disney films like Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, but they grew up in the age of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. The very first movie they saw in a movie theater was The Lion King.
My Disney credit card got quite a workout at The Disney Store. Every time Disney would release a movie, they'd also have a line of merchandise tied into the movie. T shirts, stuffed animals, dolls. Nightgowns that looked like the heroine's costume. Swimsuits. I think I remember dalmatian pocketbooks when they released the live action 101 Dalmatians starring Glenn Close.
I was a bit overindulgent, I bought a ton of Disney stuff... We'd see the movie (usually opening weekend), and the girls would find a few presents when we got home from the theater.
(Later, when Harry Potter came into our lives, I also spent a fortune at the Warner Brothers Studio Store...)
We enjoyed a lot of Disney movies.
But nothing compares to what we did for Hercules in 1997.
Remember, this was the era when Disney was just starting to gain a foothold on Broadway. Beauty and the Beast opened on Broadway in 1994, followed The Lion King in the fall of 1997. There was the World of Disney Store erected on 5th Avenue in 1994, followed by three additions Disney stores by 1997. Then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani wanted to clean up Times Square, but others objected to the "Disneyfication" of the Theater District.
Well, in the summer of 1997, Disney decided to have a huge NYC premiere for Hercules. No, we did not go to the premiere, though I am sure it would have been fun. The movie premiere was at a Broadway house, the New Amsterdam Theater. There were other events around the city that weekend, including the Main Street Electrical Parade, imported from Disneyland, presented in Times Square immediately after the movie; a ceremony honoring athletes; an after-party at Chelsea Piers; a ritzier after-party at Windows on the World at the old World Trade Center; fireworks on the Hudson River; and a breakfast at the Essex House.
And then there was the event that interested me. The Hercules Summer Spectacular at the New Amsterdam Theatre, an exclusive 12-day New York engagement of the film before its release, “including a live stage show featuring a full orchestra and a cast of Disney characters.”
Now only did we see the movie before its official release, we also got to see a great stage show.
And the girls got a ton of Hercules merchandise.
No wonder they are still Disney Princesses.
My Disney credit card got quite a workout at The Disney Store. Every time Disney would release a movie, they'd also have a line of merchandise tied into the movie. T shirts, stuffed animals, dolls. Nightgowns that looked like the heroine's costume. Swimsuits. I think I remember dalmatian pocketbooks when they released the live action 101 Dalmatians starring Glenn Close.
I was a bit overindulgent, I bought a ton of Disney stuff... We'd see the movie (usually opening weekend), and the girls would find a few presents when we got home from the theater.
(Later, when Harry Potter came into our lives, I also spent a fortune at the Warner Brothers Studio Store...)
We enjoyed a lot of Disney movies.
But nothing compares to what we did for Hercules in 1997.
Remember, this was the era when Disney was just starting to gain a foothold on Broadway. Beauty and the Beast opened on Broadway in 1994, followed The Lion King in the fall of 1997. There was the World of Disney Store erected on 5th Avenue in 1994, followed by three additions Disney stores by 1997. Then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani wanted to clean up Times Square, but others objected to the "Disneyfication" of the Theater District.
Well, in the summer of 1997, Disney decided to have a huge NYC premiere for Hercules. No, we did not go to the premiere, though I am sure it would have been fun. The movie premiere was at a Broadway house, the New Amsterdam Theater. There were other events around the city that weekend, including the Main Street Electrical Parade, imported from Disneyland, presented in Times Square immediately after the movie; a ceremony honoring athletes; an after-party at Chelsea Piers; a ritzier after-party at Windows on the World at the old World Trade Center; fireworks on the Hudson River; and a breakfast at the Essex House.
And then there was the event that interested me. The Hercules Summer Spectacular at the New Amsterdam Theatre, an exclusive 12-day New York engagement of the film before its release, “including a live stage show featuring a full orchestra and a cast of Disney characters.”
Now only did we see the movie before its official release, we also got to see a great stage show.
And the girls got a ton of Hercules merchandise.
No wonder they are still Disney Princesses.
Okay, now I have the Main Street Electrical Parade music stuck in my head... Very distinctive.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, I remember that era really well. I worked for the evil toy store (now defunct), and I remember most of that merchandise. We didn't have the selection of the Disney stores, but we had quite a lot of stuff.
I’m sure you did. The toy store got plenty of my money back then, too, but for Disney stuff it had to be the Disney Store
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