In 1992 the first Disneyana convention was held at Walt Disney World in Orlando. The original event was created in response to the ever-growing sector of Disneyana collectors.
The convention became an annual event through 2002, and regularly drew thousands of Disney collectors. The highlight of each event was the unique themed buttons and badges that were given out to each attendee in their welcome kit. Each convention also featured a limited edition resin figure that was sold through a lottery system. The limted production and distribution of these pieces made them instant treasures.
2003 marked the end of the Disneyana convention being hosted by the Walt Disney Company. Although there are numerous rumors as to why the popular tradition was cancelled, most collectors believe it to be the backlash of the many complaints filed about the 2002 show. Many attendees complained that the 2002 show was held at the Epcot Center as opposed to the traditional theme park. When the 2003 version was announced as another Epcot event, the complaints poured in. Most out-of-state collectors incorporated their annual visit to Disney world with the convention, and they wanted the opportunity to experience the full resort instead of one segregated area. Disney made no official comment on the reason for the cancellation.
It has been five years since the last official Disneyana convention, and the future of the event remains in doubt. No announcements have been made in regards to future events, and the general consensus is that Disney is still upset over the 2003 backlash. The NFCC continues to hold their national convention every year, and there are number of regional shows hosted by local chapters of the NFCC. While these shows are always well supported, it is safe to say that collectors would ultimately like to see the original convention return. Part of being a Disney collector is to enjoy the hobby with fellow collectors. There is no better way to do this than with the full sponsorship and support of the Walt Disney Company.
You can view a complete history of the original Disneyana Convention at MouseTreasures.com
2 responses so far ↓
1 DisneyanaArtist // Dec 29, 2009 at 3:27 pm
I agree that there were many problems that led to the demise of the “official” Disneyana conventions. However, it’s obvious the loss is still mourned by collectors and artists alike. I was told by someone involved in the production of these events that “guest expectations (and complaints) went through the roof.” As someone who participated in most of these events I can confirm this.
First of all, there was a group of ‘professional complainers’ who feel they are doing the world a favor by raising a stink over the most minor things. They truly believed they were helping insure Disney lived up to the impossibly high standards they demanded. More often than not, they just wanted something for free. Complain as they might, they still returned every year.
The second problem as I see it was a boneheaded accounting system imposed by Disney HQ. By and large the group that put on these events did an amazing job and sold a ton of stuff. However, at the end of the week, they had to show a profit for all their efforts. And the only way they could do this was by showing how loudly their cash registers rang. What wasn’t accounted for –and which they richly deserved– was credit for the substantial spending boost that occured throughout the entire resort during the convention. That simply wouldn’t have happened without that influx of rabid, zealous Disney enthusiasts. Their profit was further depleted by Disney’s bizarre accounting which required the Disneyana team to take a charge for every little service (bus transport, park passes, ballroom rentals, comped rooms for artists and celebrities etc). Disney is divided into little mini kingdoms wherein a system of internal ‘credits and charges’ impacts the bottom line of each division. That may make sense to an accountant or MBA.. but it’s a stupid way to measure true success.
The remaining problems as I see them were outside of Disney’s control. First was the rise of Ebay which began to take off in 1998. For the first time collectors had an honest market which showed them what their items were (or were not) worth. Suddenly they could no longer financially justify their obsession as being an “investment.” Then came the “dot com” bust followed by 911 and the subsequent recession. The 2002 convention was plagued by a perfect storm of problems.
I’m curious to know the thoughts of others. Disney still has “mini” events (Halloween, Pirates, etc) and ther NFFC still manages to find interest in theirs. Maybe Disney could partner more closely with the NFFC to find a workable solution.
2 DisneyanaArtist // Dec 29, 2009 at 4:04 pm
A few other things:
The rise in pin collecting seems to have coincided with the demise of interest in other art and collectibles. Like ‘Beanie Babies’ they were typically cheaper than the cheapest convention collectibles and produced the highest profit margins for profit-mad Disney executives. I’m not sure it can be proven that pin collecting undermined other collectibles or the convention.. but pin collectors seemed to have tunnel vision in that regard.
Another thing, Disney realized the most profitable merchandise was the “logo” items created by their salaried cast member/ staff artists rather than that of the limited edition artists such as myself. Most of the logo merchandise was manufactured for pennies in China. Also, most of these artists lived in the area and didn’t require complimentary hotel rooms or park passes –both of which were charged against convention profits.
Finally, Disney can be roundly critisized for the incredibly short-sided practise of discounting and liquidating unsold merchandise after the convention. We all know nothing undermines collector confidence quicker than learning your investment suddenly dropped by half or more. Better to simply retire or destroy unsold rather than dump it like that!!!
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