T. Rowe Price to sponsor Epcot exhibit

[TheRustyScupper]

Monday, March 16, 2009, 2:52pm EDT | Modified: Monday, March 16, 2009, 3:17pm

T. Rowe Price to sponsor Epcot exhibitOrlando Business Journal - by Sue Schultz

T. Rowe Price said Monday it will sponsor a new interactive financial education exhibit at Innoventions at Epcot inside Walt Disney World.

The exhibit — The Great Piggy Bank Adventure — is slated to open May 19.

The game is designed for a whole family to play. Once inside the exhibit, visitors set financial goals, learn about savings and work on ways to keep up with the cost of inflation and diversify their investments.

“Empowering parents to initiate discussion of the topics of saving and investing with their children is more important than ever before,” said Edward C. Bernard, vice chairman of T. Rowe Price Group, in a statement released Monday.

The Baltimore money management firm declined to disclose the financial details of the sponsorship.

[SBETigg]

Oh, that's just what I want to think about while I'm vacationing at WDW. Gee, thanks, T. Rowe Price Group.

[Tekneek]

If it as an interesting, and perhaps fun, way to bring up this topic, then I am all for it. I wish Epcot was more about edutainment, like it was when I was a kid, than it seems to be.

[brownie]

The Great Piggy Bank Adventure Exhibit to Open this Spring at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot
from Disney News Blog

T. Rowe Price to Collaborate with Walt Disney World Co. to Promote Financial Empowerment and Education for Families

BALTIMORE, March 16 -- T. Rowe Price, the global investment management organization, today announced that it has signed a sponsorship agreement to create an innovative financial education and entertainment experience at Epcot. Designed in collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering, The Great Piggy Bank Adventure(SM) is scheduled to open this spring at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. This interactive exhibit will bring basic saving and investing concepts to life in a fun and captivating way. The experience will entertain and empower families, while encouraging them to engage in regular dialogue about the importance of saving and how to manage money responsibly.

The first-of-its-kind exhibit, in conjunction with a companion online game and associated web site, broadens T. Rowe Price's longstanding investor education initiatives. The Great Piggy Bank Adventure(SM) will offer lessons on four key financial themes: setting goals, saving and spending smartly, staying ahead of inflation, and diversifying your investments. Discussions began over three years ago with Epcot Business Development and Walt Disney Imagineering to bring this experience to guests visiting INNOVENTIONS.

"Empowering parents to initiate discussion of the topics of saving and investing with their children is more important than ever before," said Edward C. Bernard, vice chairman of T. Rowe Price Group. "Financial awareness and decision-making is heavily influenced by one's early experiences, making vibrant family discussion a powerful and lifelong educational influence that can help children develop sound financial values and habits. In watching families during play-testing of the exhibit, it has been rewarding to see how The Great Piggy Bank Adventure(SM) engages families in a unique way and really does get the conversation started.

"T. Rowe Price has a long history of educating investors and helping people reach their financial goals," Mr. Bernard added. "We can't think of a better way to expand those efforts than by collaborating with an organization that is a true innovator in turning the ordinary into the extraordinary and whose name is synonymous with world-class family education, entertainment, and service excellence."

Dan Cockerell, Vice President of Epcot, shared his excitement about working with T. Rowe Price to create this unique experience. "At INNOVENTIONS, our focus is on encouraging guests to imagine, invent, inquire and inspire while exploring amazing innovations that make our lives better. The Great Piggy Bank Adventure will give our visitors a better insight into what it means to save and invest in an innovative and engaging manner."

[JPL]

I was kind of hoping it was going to be like the Enron ride paraody shown on the Simpsons

[Hayden's Dad]

Oh, that's just what I want to think about while I'm vacationing at WDW. Gee, thanks, T. Rowe Price Group.

That was hilarious! I am in the banking industry and at first this sounded great, til I saw this comment and you have a good point. Oh Well

[Ian]

I actually think it's a good idea. It sounds like the focus will be on emphasizing saving and fiscal responsibility.

As much as people like to blame the big, bad banks for this crisis it had a lot more to do with the American superconsumer who bought up way more than they could ever afford to pay for.

I think we're all due for some serious financial education and kudos to Disney for bringing it to Epcot.

[Mufasa]

This really isn't something entirely new for Disney- up until 1992, Disneyland's Bank of Main Street was a completely functional Bank of America branch (ended when Bank of America also dropped their sponsorship of It's a Small World when the attraction was brought to DL following the World's Fair)

You could actually open an account there, it was perhaps one of the only banks that was open on Sundays and major holidays and for many years the only place you could actually get checks which featured the Disney characters.

Then roughly 10 years ago I remember announcements that Union Bank of California wanted to open a special branch aimed at kids at Disneyland where parents would co-sign for a savings account, but kids would be issued their own ATM cards and the branch itself would have things like lower teller windows (at kid level).

That was supposed to happen by November 1999 but all I can recall of the Union Bank relationship was them taking over the in-park ATM machines.

[Celestria]

here's what went through my mind when i saw this

[SteveL]

As much as people like to blame the big, bad banks for this crisis it had a lot more to do with the American superconsumer who bought up way more than they could ever afford to pay for.

I think there's plenty of blame to go around.
Sure the "superconsumers" should have known what they could/coul not afford, but surely the banks should have known the house of cards was going to tumble.

Then again what better example for the consumers to emulate than their elected officials in the government that has racked up the highest debt ever.

Just have to hope the piggy bank doesn't need a bailout down the road.