I'm Going to Disney World

Where else could you go to celebrate something like that?

A series of popular ads running since the late 1980s following a noteworthy accomplishment, almost always something in the sports industry (i.e., winning the Super Bowl), and involving one of the Disney Theme Parks. They went a little something like this:

Award Bait Song-style version of "When You Wish Upon a Star" swells over a montage of whatever game Player has just won.
Announcer: "Player, you just won the Big Game! What are you going to do now?"
Player: "I'm going to Disney (World/Land, depending on which part of the country the ad is broadcast in)!!!"
Pretty shot of Cinderella Castle during the fireworks as the song fades out.

Ah, there simply is nowhere like the Happiest Place On Earth...

The slogan originated during a November 1986 dinner between Disney CEO Michael Eisner and his wife Jane, and the pilots Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, who had just completed a non-stop around-the-world flight. Jane Eisner asked what they were going to do next, to which they replied, "We're going to Disneyland." The Eisners latched onto the sentence as an ideal slogan, and Disney rushed a commercial into production. Featuring New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, it ran two months later, immediately after Super Bowl XXI, and became instantly iconic. The slogan is still a popular Stock Phrase/Stock Parody.

Examples of I'm Going to Disney World include:

Anime and Manga

  • There was a parody of this in the Anime Bobobo-Bo Bo-bobo where the main character at one point turns into a caterpillar, ends up becoming a cocoon, and later becomes a butterfly. The Narrator then pretty much entirely references this string of events, then asks "What are you gonna do next!?" to which he replies, "I'm going to Holy Guacamole Land!!"


Comic Books

  • Probably related, since there wasn't a Disneyland yet: In the first Asterix album, a Roman legionary is commended and gets a free trip to the Circus Maximus in Rome.

Roman legionary: "Hooray! I'm going to the circus!"

  • Speedfreek, upon his introduction in the Hulk series, used various football metaphors left and right, and threw in the line about Disneyland as he was congratulating himself for killing a mobster.
  • After Squirrel Girl defeats Fin Fang Foom, she tells reporters she's going to Disneyland.


Fan Works


Film

Reporter: "Hey, Topper Harley, now that you've killed the bad guy and made the world safe for democracy, what are you going to do to cash in on your newfound fame?"
Harley: "I'm going to Disneyland!"

  • Aladdin: The Genie makes the Finger Framing gesture, like he was putting Aladdin in a TV frame, and asks, "You've just won the heart of the princess; what are you going to do next?" (as "When You Wish Upon a Star" swells in the background). Aladdin does not respond. While holding a script, Genie attempts to prompt him by saying, "Your line is, 'I'm going to free the Genie.' "
    • And of course, when Aladdin does set him free, Genie sports the "Walt Disney Theme Park Tourist" look...
    • In the stage show at California Adventure, after Genie is freed, he asks himself, "What are you gonna do next? I'm going to Disneyland!" (You know, since it's a short walk away...)
  • In Repossessed, when the Satan-possessed Linda Blair escapes from the TV studio run by Expies of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker after trapping them in a horse costume and has had her plans for possessing people through the airwaves foiled by Leslie Nielsen, she says this line. It Makes Sense in Context. Sort of.
  • "Balls of Fury" has young Randy Daytona say "I'm going to Disneyland" just before he collapses after tripping over a barrier in the Olympic ping-pong semifinals. This phrase comes back to haunt him when pingpong patron Feng acknowledges Daytona with the question "How was Disneyland?"
  • In the notoriously atrocious dub of The Thief and the Cobbler, when the thief steals the three golden balls from the top of the palace, he says "This one's gonna take me to Disneyland!"
  • Inverted in Welcome to The Dollhouse, where at the end of the movie Dawn does go to Disneyland with the school choir... but hates it.
  • Zombieland.

Witchita You just traveled across zombie infested America. What are you going to do now?
Little Rock Go to Pacific Playland!

Larkin: Where are you taking my plane?
Cyrus: We're going to Disneyland!

Scolex: "Good Morning RoboGadget. You have just been animated by the most complex computer technology in the world. What are you going to do now?""
 'Robo Gadget: (Idea Bulb sound effect) "I'm gonna kick some butt!

    • During the credits, the Gadgetmobile says "I'm goin' to Disneyland!"


Live-Action TV

  • Bill Nye the Science Guy "Magnets": An accomplished young woman is asked what she's going to do next. She replies, "I'm going to see "Compass Man"".
  • After Ellen came out of the closet, she quipped "I'm going to Disneyland" when asked by a psychologist what she planned to do next.
  • In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, after Will had won the first basketball game in Bel-Air Academy and ran over to the crowd, he shouted out 'I'M GOING TO DISNEYLAND!'
  • In Living Color parodied this twice.
    • The first spoof came after Clarence Thomas was confirmed as a Supreme Court justice despite a sexual harassment scandal almost derailing the effort. He shouts "I'm going to Girlie World!"—which turns out to be a strip club.
    • The second spoof turns up at the end of the Michael Jackson parody "Little Billy's Not My Lover", a send-up of the child molestation accusations leveled against him in 1993. An offscreen announcer asks what he's going to do now that his career faces ruin, and he replies, "I'm going to Thailand!"—since in Real Life the scandal broke just as Jackson launched the final leg of his Dangerous Tour there.
  • Burn Notice:

Maddie: Why should we go to Disney World?
Sam: Because it's a magical kingdom with lots of witnesses and great security?

  • The Nanny subverted this. Mr. Sheffield is reprimanding Fran for screwing up with one of the kids. When asked what she was going to do now, she yelled "I'm going to Disney World" before running in fear.
  • Mystery Science Theater 3000: Santa Claus

Narrator: "What are you going to do now Santa?"
Tom: "I'm going to Disney World!"
Mike: "All references to Disney World are the property of the Walt Disney Corporation."

Buffy: Maybe after this thing with Spike and the assassins is over, I could say, "Kendra, you slay, I'm going to Disneyland."

  • In Wizards of Waverly Place, after Justin wins the 12 ball tournament, he announces "I'm going to Volcano Land". Except that Volcano Land is where wizards are drained of their powers. Oops!
  • Sophia does this one in a The Golden Girls episode.

Sophia: That's it, game over, I'm going to Disneyworld!


Music

  • The phrase appears in the Timbuk 3 song "Disneyland (Was Made for You & Me)" from their 1991 album Big Shot in the Dark, and the song "Dizz Knee Land", a 1993 hit by Dada.
  • "Arrivederci, Cuomo" by the Capitol Steps:

"Now that you have lost, where are you going?"
"Hey, I'm going to Disney World!"


Newspaper Comics

Announcer: "Ralph, you just broke the world record and set a milestone in the history of flight! What are you going to do now?"
Ralph: "I... I Need A Bedpan..."

  • Parodied in FoxTrot: During a story arc, in which Jason and Marcus consistently display their ineptitude for the sport of American Football, they appear to be psyching each other up for a serious play, telling each other that they "had to get this just right". Cut to a scene with the two of them and Jason's mom:
Jason and Marcus: "We're going to Disney World!"
—Andy: "Oh you are, are you?"

Rob: "Bucky Katt! You just broke every lamp in the house! Where are you going now?"


Video Games

Interviewer: "Leisure Suit Larry! You've just leapt from the 40th floor of a burning building! What are you going to do next?"
Larry: "I think I'm going to... take a cruise!"


Web Original

Earthshattering Kaboom!
Zorc: I've finally destroyed the world!
Bakura: Well done, Zorc! What are you going to do now?!
Zorc: I'm going to Disney World!... And then I'm going to destroy it!


Western Animation

  • My Life as a Teenage Robot "Historionics": After escaping an island run amok with Uncle Wizzly's robot duplicates of historical figures, Brad asks what they should do next. Tuck eagerly replies, "I'm going to Wizzly World!" to which Brad responds, "Um... No."
  • The Simpsons, "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday": After winning the Super Bowl, a football player shouts, "Woo! I'm going to Disneyland!", to which a travel agent replies, "Really? You know, I'm a travel agent and I've heard nothing but bad things."
    • Also Troy Mc Clure in "A Fish called Selma" (a man who supposedly " sleeps with the fishes")

Parker: Okay, then get this… I think they want you to play McBain's sidekick in… brace yourself, the new McBain movie!
Troy: McBain's sidekick? Hot damn! I'm going to Sea World!

    • Another episode has daredevil Lance Murdock proclaim he is "going to Duff Gardens" (a beer themed amusement park) after barely surviving a botched stunt, followed by an advert for the park.
  • As Disney and Warner Bros. animation have had a... friendly rivalry over the years, Animaniacs naturally took this on:

Announcer: Hey, Yakko, Wakko and Dot! You've just finished another episode. What are you going to do next?
Yakko: We're going to... the bathroom.
(alternately:) We're going to... sleep.

    • And in the episode "King Yakko,"

Dot: King Yakko, now that you've won the war, what are you going to do?
Yakko: I'm going to Dis... (he was then cut off by "Mr. Tator.")

  • On Tiny Toon Adventures, Babs parodied the 1987 commercial in her ad campaign to get people to come to her movie theater and watch Honey and Bosko cartoons.
  • From 1998-2001, Cartoon Network would have a cartoon special called "The Big Game" which was a spoof of the Super Bowl that aired the night before that game and would pit two traditional cartoon rivals against each other with commentary by then-FOX duo Pat Summerall and John Madden. The final match (in 2001) pitted Looney Tunes rivals Bugs and Daffy. After the game (which Daffy wins 37-31), Summerall briefly poked at both the catchphrase and the Disney-Warner Bros. rivalry with his comment.

Pat Summerall: I know where he's going. He's going to Dis..Beat Wait. I'm not sure where he's going.

Presidential Aide: Mr. President, you've nearly destroyed the world! What are you going to do now?
President: I'm going to Escalator Land!

    • And in another episode:

"We're not going to Alaska!"

  • Duckman exclaimed, "Yes! I'm going to Disney World!" after the judge presiding over his latest trial refuses to incarcerate him due to California's "three strikes" law.


Webcomics


Real Life

  • Bruce Springsteen ended his recent Super Bowl halftime performance with "I'm going to Disneyland" as a Shout-Out.
  • Parodied by Phil Simms (former New York Giants quarterback and MVP of the Super Bowl this campaign was introduced in) during a locker room interview immediately afterward that included him remarked about him saying the phrase, then mocking it.
  • In the 2000s, a Disney Parks commercial aired weeks before the Super Bowl with NFL players chanting the phrase as a mantra during their training.
  • Upon winning the first UFC tournament, this was Royce Gracie's stated intention.
  • Michael Jackson jokingly said this after he won a trial once.
  • After D'Angelo and Amanda won Live To Dance, D'Angelo said "I'm going to Disney World!"
  • A much darker version: Richard Ramirez said this, after being sentenced to life in prison.
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