Coming soon to a mall near you: a lavish Disney road show, complete with towering widescreens, interactive video-game and movie stations, and even a mini theater.
The focus of it all isn't a hot new movie or Disney Channel show. It's the Blu-ray Disc.
Blu-ray, along with HD DVD, is what's known as 'next-generation' discs, with high-definition visuals primed for the wave of HDTVs entering American homes. The problem is, the formats have been out a year, and viewers still don't understand that special players and DVDs — in addition to HDTVs — are needed to get the full high-def effect.
Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour, which will visit 18 malls for three-day runs, aims to change all that.
'There's a lot of consumer confusion out there, and we want to help everyone understand this amazing new technology,' says Bob Chapek, president of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.
MALL TOUR DATES AND LOCATIONS
-Westfield Topanga, Canoga Park, CA Aug. 17-19
-South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, CA Aug. 24-26
-Westfield North County, Escondido, CA Aug. 31-Sept. 2
-Westfield San Francisco, San Francisco, CA Sept. 7-9
-Washington Square, Portland, OR Sept. 14-16
-Westfield South Center, Seattle, WA Sept. 21- 23
-Mall of America, Bloomington, MN Sept. 28-30
-Orland Square, Orland Park, IL Oct. 5-7
-Westfield West County, St. Louis, MO Oct. 12-14
-Tysons Corner Center, McLean, VA Oct. 19-21
-Roosevelt Field, Garden City, NY Oct. 26-28
-Burlington Mall, Burlington, MA Nov. 9-11
-King of Prussia, King of Prussia, PA Nov. 16-18
-Circle Centre, Indianapolis, IN Nov. 23-25
-Lenox Square, Atlanta, GA Nov. 30-Dec. 2
-The Galleria, Houston, TX Dec. 7-9
-Barton Creek Square, Austin, TX Dec. 14-16
-Chandler Fashion Center, Chandler, AZ Dec. 21-23
Big props to Disney for getting out and promoting this great format! Even cooler that they're prominently touting the PS3 as a Blu-ray player, and not just a gaming console. ^_^ Can't wait to see this display when it comes to the mega mall in September...
