Kodak Cuts Ties With Epcot Pavilion

[Ian]

From the Sentinel Disney blog:

Eastman Kodak Co., a corporate sponsor in Walt Disney Co. theme parks since the opening of Disneyland in 1955, has pulled out of a prominent Epcot attraction.

Representatives for Rochester, N.Y.-based Kodak and Walt Disney World confirmed this week that the venerable photo-and-film company ended its sponsorship of Epcot’s Imagination! pavilion, home to the ride “Journey Into Imagination with Figment” and a play area dubbed “ImageWorks.”
Neither company would discuss the reasons behind the move. Kodak has also ended its sponsorship of a theater in the Tomorrowland section of Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.

“Our alliance partnerships are ever-changing, and this adjustment reflects the dynamic nature of the sponsorship business,” Disney World spokesman Zoraya Suarez said.

Disney said the move will not lead to noticeable changes around Imagination! beyond the removal of Kodak signs. The resort made cosmetic changes to a theater in the pavilion earlier this summer when it revived the “Captain EO” 3D movie featuring the deceased pop singer Michael Jackson.

Disney said that about a dozen employees who worked at the pavilion through a Kodak contractor were given opportunities to apply for other jobs at Disney World.

Even without the Epcot attraction, Kodak will maintain a substantial sponsorship presence throughout Disney’s theme parks. The company continues to sponsor the 3D movie “Mickey’s PhilharMagic” in the Magic Kingdom and approximately 50 “Kodak Picture Spots” scattered throughout Disney World and Disneyland.

Disney will also continue selling Kodak products in its parks.

“We continue to have a positive, productive relationship with Disney, and we are discussing possible future collaborations,” Kodak spokesman David Lanzillo said.

[Disney4us2]

I hope it doesn't mean an early end to the run of Capt. EO. We will see tomorrow at Disneyland. DD is hoping to see it at WDW in Dec. Hope it is still there.

[DizneyRox]

Usually you take the good with the bad, but seems that Kodak doesn't have to.

Seems pretty one sided, they stay in with Philharmagic (new and popular) and the pictures (profits), but dump the aging Imagination pavillion that's is dire need of an update.

Personally, I wouldn't want to be associated with the Un-imagination pavillion either, but who's fault is it that it's as bad as it is? Surely the sponsor should get some of the credit for that as well. Probably a sign of how desperate Disney is currently. In the old days, they probably could have maintained an all or nothing stance and won.

This probably is a pretty big nail in the coffin to HISTA reappearing as well.

[Ian]

This is definitely a disturbing trend for Epcot. I fear an empty Imagination pavilion soon to go along with the still-empty WoL pavilion that Met Life abandoned.

[brownie]

This is definitely a disturbing trend for Epcot. I fear an empty Imagination pavilion soon to go along with the still-empty WoL pavilion that Met Life abandoned.

I hope not.

[JPL]

I am hopeful this leads to the return of Dreamfinder and perhaps a refurb of the attraction I know it sounds like this goes against logic but afterall it was Kodak's decisions that lead to the disaster of an attraction we have today!

[seanyred]

Another take: maybe this is good. Why couldn't a new company take over the sponsorship and breath life back into the pavilion. Not sure if I'm reading to much into this but I saw on the disney blog a pin with Figment with shovel in hand for a ground breaking in 2011. Maybe there is something to this?

[Ian]

Another take: maybe this is good. Why couldn't a new company take over the sponsorship and breath life back into the pavilion. Not sure if I'm reading to much into this but I saw on the disney blog a pin with Figment with shovel in hand for a ground breaking in 2011. Maybe there is something to this?

This thought crossed my mind, but then I was thinking ... if Disney was able to land sponsors, why would WoL still be closed? Wouldn't they have put something in there by now?

[seanyred]

This thought crossed my mind, but then I was thinking ... if Disney was able to land sponsors, why would WoL still be closed? Wouldn't they have put something in there by now?

you make a good point. Maybe they needed Kodak to officially stop sponsoring? I guess I'm just being hopeful they can put the Imagination back in the Imagination pavilion. Maybe some Phineas and Ferb inspired imagination.

[Zone Stop]

Wonders doesn't have a sponsor for two reasons:

1) The dome is actually a very large sieve-the insulation needs to be replaced frequently so it doesn't start turning colors, and just about everything in there would need to be updated to make it worth having as a sponsored space. Think of the New Global Neighborhood->Project Tomorrow update, but for the entire pavillion.

2) It's great event space.

[Gator]

It shouldn't be hard to find a sponsor for Imagination. There are probably lots of groups lining up to get their brand in line with "Imagination" in the title.

What if Mac sponsored it and turned it into "i-magination"?

[Tekneek]

This adds one more pavilion to the list of those without sponsorships. We're down to Spaceship Earth, Mission: SPACE, and Test Track for sponsored pavilions in Future World, right?

We knew this was coming anyway. Been hearing about it for weeks.

[BrerGnat]

Was Kodak the original sponsor?

This pavilion needs some serious help. I hope someone steps up, and it doesn't end up closed.

I liked how it was in the 80's...

[BrerGnat]

What if Mac sponsored it and turned it into "i-magination"?

First of all, the company is Apple.

Second of all....

Not that it will ever happen, though. Jobs is buddies with the Universal guys, no?

[Tekneek]

Not that it will ever happen, though. Jobs is buddies with the Universal guys, no?

Steve Jobs is a member of Disney's Board of Directors, and is also the largest single shareholder (holding about 7% of the shares himself).

[Ian]

We're down to Spaceship Earth, Mission: SPACE, and Test Track for sponsored pavilions in Future World, right?

And of those three, probably only Spaceship Earth is solid. I think we all expect GM to bail on Test Track at some point in the near future.

Steve Jobs is a member of Disney's Board of Directors, and is also the largest single shareholder (holding about 7% of the shares himself).

Correct. Happened as a part of the Pixar sale. In fact, I've always been a bit surprised that Apple didn't have any in-park sponsorship. Although, I suspect to some degree that Jobs might be a "pickier" sponsor than WDW management is willing to deal with. He might demand things like quality and innovation.

The horror.

[BrerGnat]

Correct. Happened as a part of the Pixar sale. In fact, I've always been a bit surprised that Apple didn't have any in-park sponsorship. Although, I suspect to some degree that Jobs might be a "pickier" sponsor than WDW management is willing to deal with. He might demand things like quality and innovation.

The horror.

Oh SNAP!!!

[AndrewJackson]

This adds one more pavilion to the list of those without sponsorships. We're down to Spaceship Earth, Mission: SPACE, and Test Track for sponsored pavilions in Future World, right?

We knew this was coming anyway. Been hearing about it for weeks.

Doesn't Nestle still sponser The Land?

My guess is that this was some hard-line negotiation on Kodak's part. Since they were able to keep the other sponserships, and continue to sell their product in the parks, my guess is that it was a take it or leave it attitude from Kodak.

[WDWfanatic742]

You figure that it's only a matter of time (if it hasn't already happened already, been rumored for awhile) before GM pulls out of Test Track. HP and Siemens seem to be the only two solid sponsor's left in the foreseeable future.

Doesn't Nestle still sponser The Land?

According to Wikipedia, (Yeah, I know ) Nestle ended it's sponsorship with the The Land in February 2009.

[BrerGnat]

According to Wikipedia, (Yeah, I know ) Nestle ended it's sponsorship with the The Land in February 2009.

When is Nestle gonna end the sponsorship with the Coffee?