Disney gets goofy

A corporation like Disney doesn’t become a multi-billion dollar behemoth by treating its customers like dirt. That’s what makes the company’s decision to cancel the Disney Music Block Party Tour without one word of explanation completely baffling.
The 23-date, nine-city tour of the United States and Canada was supposed to start this week at Rentschler Field in Hartford. Here’s how it was being pitched by Disney: “The Disney Music Block Party Tour is an engaging festival experience for the whole family incorporating live musical performances by They Might Be Giants, Imagination Movers, Dan Zanes, Ralph’s World, and Choo Choo Soul as well as multiple interactive activity areas focused on stimulating the imagination through music, arts, and play. Kids are encouraged to explore their inner superstar in a fun, kid-friendly environment.”
Sounds great. Sort of like a Kidpalooza.
My family wasn’t going, even though our personal favorite — Dan Zanes — was on the bill. But plenty of people showed up and were disappointed. Here’s what Channel 8 said: “Dozens of families found out that the show had suddenly been canceled as they pulled into the empty parking lot. People say they were still buying tickets online even up to an hour before what should have been show time.”
It’s true. The tour Web site is still active and there’s no mention of any shows being cancelled. So unless you got an e-mail from the artist, like we did from Dan Zanes, or you checked Tickemaster, there was no way of knowing Disney pulled the plug at the last moment. All that’s left is three shows at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island.
The big question is why. One act on the bill, Barenaked Ladies, was kicked off after a member got busted for drugs. The arrest made the news, but is that enough to scrap the whole tour? My guess is ticket sales tanked. This was a big, traveling circus type of show and was probably going to lose a bunch of money, even though tickets cost about $33 each. Plenty of families are making hard choices about where they spend their cash, and filling up the tank and spending more than $100 on a concert is probably low on a list of priorities.
But I’m sure lots of families made some sacrifices and were looking forward to the show. Disney mints money off of Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers, so why not eat the costs and let the tour continue? Sure, Hannah or the Jonas Brothers on the bill would have meant instant sell outs and happy stockholders, but more people should know about Dan Zanes and They Might Be Giants.
Disney has let its fans down.