TLK Convention

[Ninaroja]

[quote="FlipMode"]Disney, as in general Disney, does have a really big annual convention. [/quote]

Just googled it (D23 Expo if anyone's interested) Most of what I can see is based of crappy Disney Channel shows and not anything I'd be interested in ( i.e. proper Disney) There was some cool stuff, but sadly I don't live in California

[HasiraKali]

D23 Expo is biannual. It's happening this August and not again until 2015. While it does have Disney Channel stuff, it really does focus on every facet of the company. The Parks usually have a big showing as well as the upcoming feature film division. They had TLK stuff at the 2011 Expo since it was coming out in theaters again that September. I've always wanted to go, but it usually falls right at the beginning of school, and there's no way I'd be able to go. One day maybe.

[cleargreenwater]

I think a convention for any of Disney's feature length animated films will never happen, and **ESPECIALLY** not TLK, because it releases a huge amount of content and image energy out of Disney's direct control.

Disney is a distinctive brand with a marketing machine that supports it. Even when the fandom was bigger and a lot more people were actively hardcore, Disney monitored & checked up on it's largest communities, (this was when the largest communities were ones specifically dedicated to TLK). Disney was aware of the TLK Fan Art Archive's existence and Brian Tiemann was tacitly given their blessing, which a lot of kids didn't understand towards the end there when they started posting pictures with doubtful content because it was fine and/or lost in a much larger and noisier crowd on DA and FA. And speaking of FA, if brand standards is a concern, dear god, who would guarantee the good PR of whatever Furries would show up at a TLK con? Also, it's one thing to allow fanart on the internet for the fun-happy that it generates, but why would the company allow a large pool of many other people to use "The Lion King" and draw in their name for profit who aren't at all affiliated with or employed by them? Generic "TLK Style" art is one thing, using the brand name of The Lion King to draw people in and make money off of when you are not official or legal is a whole other animal.

And now TLK just isn't a big enough thing. Maybe in 1995 they could've pulled one off, but it's pretty much a done franchise that's cashed in on mainly through pop-culture nostalgia now. The closest thing to an active TLK Disney experience that's happening anymore is TLK on Broadway.

(I'm just very disheartened at the moment, idk.)