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Giants made Super Bowl history with Disney ad in 1987, can Eli Manning say the phrase for a second time
It was 25 years ago The New York Giants won their first Super Bowl and also helped launch one of the most popular catch phrases in the world: “I’m going to Disney World.”
The date was Jan. 25, 1987. The place was the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Quarterback Phil Simms had just led the Giants over the Denver Broncos 39-20. He completed 22 of 25 passes for 268 yards and threw three touchdowns passes. When it was all over a cameraman came from behind and asked the question: “Phil Simms, you just won the Super Bowl. What are you going to do next?”
His reply: “I’m going to go to Disney World.” Thus Phil Simms became the first of dozens to be part of an ad campaign that has been been a mainstay of the Super Bowl and lampooned by many. (Simms’ payday? A reported $75,000.)
In preparation for the product placement, Disney went to both Simms and Broncos quarterback John Elway before the game. The idea that was whoever won would say the phrase during the post-game euphoria.
In 2008, Eli Manning uttered “I’m going to Disneyland” for the first time. The question now is, will he become the fifth person to to say it multiple times or will Tom Brady of the New England Patriots say it for a record three times? That will be decided by this year’s Super Bowl on Feb 5.
While everyone knows, and has mocked the catchphrase, the ad campaign is officially called the “What’s Next” campaign. While Disney has never come out and talked about its origins, Michael Eisner, who was Disney CEO from 1984 to 2005, credits his wife with the idea in his book “Work in Progress.” Eisner said it all began when he and his wife Jane were out to dinner with friends. After dinner Eisner’s wife asked the couple what they were planning on doing next, their reply: “Well, we’re going to Disneyland.”
Most of the people used for the campaign have been athletes, and mostly from the Super Bowl, but starting in 2008 “American Idol” winners joined the crowd. That coincided with the opening of the American Idol Experience at Disney Hollywood Studios in Disney World.
In 2005, Disney held off the using the campaign in Super Bowl XXXIX saying it conflicted with a 50th anniversary celebration for Disneyland and the “Magic Your Way” ad campaign at Disney World. It was also the year after the famed Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction in which everyone was getting hyper about live performances. But in 2006, when the Super Bowl went to Disney owned ABC, the campaign returned.
There have been four people who have appeared twice in the campaign: Joe Montana (1989 and 1990), Emmitt Smith (1994 and 1996), John Elway (1998 and 1999) and Tom Brady (2002 and 2004).
Here is the official list of those who have said those magic words:
2011
Super Bowl XLV (Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers); American Idol Winner (Scott McCreery)
2010
Super Bowl XLIV (Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints); American Idol Winner (Lee Dwyze)
2009
Super Bowl XLIII (Santonio Holms and Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers); American Idol Winner (Kris Allen)
2008
Super Bowl XLII (Eli Manning, New York Giants); American Idol Winner (David Cook)
2007
Super Bowl XLI (Tony Dungy and Dominic Rhodes, Indianapolis Colts)
2006
Super Bowl XL (Hines Ward, with Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh Steelers)
2004
Super Bowl XXXVIII (Tom Brady, New England Patriots); Major League Baseball World Series Champions (Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox)
2003
Super Bowl XXXVII (Jon Gruden and Brad Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
2002
Super Bowl XXXVI (Tom Brady, New England Patriots)
2001
Super Bowl XXXV (Trent Dilfer, Baltimore Ravens); Major League Baseball home run record (Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants)
2000
Super Bowl XXXIV (Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams)
1999
Super Bowl XXXIII (Terrell Davis and John Elway, Denver Broncos); Women’s World Cup (United States Championship Team)
1998
Super Bowl XXXII (John Elway, Denver Broncos); Major League Baseball home run record (Mark McGwire, St. Louis Cardinals)
1997
Super Bowl XXXI (Desmond Howard, Green Bay Packers); Holiday Gift-Giving (Santa Claus)
1996
Super Bowl XXX (Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys)
1995
Super Bowl XXIX (Jerry Rice and Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers)
1994
Super Bowl XXVIII (Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys); Olympics (Nancy Kerrigan, U.S. Figure Skater)
1993
Super Bowl XXVII (Troy Aikman, Dallas Cowboys); Stanley Cup (Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens) 1992
Super Bowl XXVI (Mark Rypien, Washington Redskins)
1991
Super Bowl XXV (Ottis Anderson, N.Y. Giants): NBA (Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls)
1990
Super Bowl XXIV (Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers); Graduation (Jim Thompson of Temple University, and Matt Kaldenberg, Phyllis Kaldenberg and Laura McEwen of Simpson College)
1989
Super Bowl XXIII (Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers); NHL (Al MacInnis, Calgary Flames); NBA (Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons)
1988
Super Bowl XXII (Doug Williams, Washington Redskins); Miss America (Gretchen Carlson); World Series (Orel Hershiser, L.A. Dodgers); NBA (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers)
1987 Super Bowl XXI (Phil Simms, N.Y. Giants) ;America’s Cup (Dennis Conner); NBA (Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers); World Series (Frank Viola, Minnesota Twins)
