The D23 Expo is “the ULTIMATE Disney fan event.” At this event, Disney makes a ton of surprise announcements. For example, Test Track will be reimagined, DINOSAUR may be rethemed, and It’s Tough to be a Bug will be replaced with a Zootopia show. Well, in another surprising announcement, Disney will be using Kickstarter to help fund their new Moana Water Ride.
As you may remember, we just recently reported here on a new Splash Mountain-like Moana water ride coming to EPCOT. In fact, it will replace The Seas Pavilion and sit right next to the new Journey of Water Inspired by Moana. People are thrilled about this new Moana water ride, Moana’s Epic Voyage, which seems awesome. However, Disney is taking a fresh approach to this project by funding it on Kickstarter.
Disney Using Kickstarter to Fund New Ride
For those not familiar, Kickstarter is a crowdfunding website. According to their website, “Kickstarter exists to help bring creative projects to life. A home for film, music, art, theater, games, comics, design, photography, and more.” Both individuals and established companies use the platform to fund their ideas and turn them into reality. Typically, they are companies that need significant revenue to bring a project to life.
Disney is struggling financially. We have touched on this in many previous articles. For example, charging people for Wi-Fi in their parks. This is the primary reason Disney is turning to Kickstarter to fund their new Moana ride. The public reaction to Moana’s Epic Voyage has been extremely positive. Disney knows they need to build the ride, but their finances don’t support a massive project like this, so they are turning to Kickstarter.
Disney using Kickstarter to fund their newest ride is actually good for fans as well. Kickstarter projects offer different rewards for the amount of money someone spends to back the project. In fact, the more you spend, the more rewards you get. This is one of the main ways that Kickstarter is different from GoFundMe for example. Anyways, Moana’s Epic Voyage has some amazing rewards for those who fund the project!
Disney Kickstarter Rewards
Disney is attempting to raise $50,000,000 on Kickstarter. If funded, this will be the most backed Kickstarter project of all time. This of course is due to how much a new ride costs to build. Moana’s Epic Voyage is expected to cost far more to build, but this will be a great start to funding the project. However, in order to achieve a goal this great. Disney needs to offer some compelling rewards to the backers.
Here is a breakdown of the rewards. For those who pledge $100, Disney will give them 20 Lightning Lane passes for the attraction when it opens. That means each Lightning Lane pass is $5, which is a great deal. Those who pledge $1,000 will be invited to a special early preview for the ride. However, there is a cap of 1,000 people who can pledge that, which means the preview crowds will be light, allowing guests to go on the ride more.
Now here are the best rewards. Those who pledge $100,000 will automatically become members of Club 33. This $100,000 will cover their initiation fee and first 5 years of membership at Club 33. The last reward is $1,000,000. This will get you five lifetime passes to both Disney World and Disneyland for you and four friends. Also, like many Kickstarters, you unlock every level prior. This means the top reward gets you lifetime passes, Club 33 membership, the early preview, and Lightning Lanes. This is truly a great offering for those who can afford it.
What do you think of Disney using Kickstarter to fund their new attraction? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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