As the Blu-ray versus HD-DVD fight continues to unfold, Walt Disney Studios is showing America quite clearly where it stands: staunchly behind Sony’s Blu-ray Disc format. In fact, the company is taking its Blu-ray movies — including some not yet released, such as Cars and Meet the Robinsons — to shopping malls across the country on what looks to be a pretty impressive “Magical Tour.”
Disney’s Magical Blu-ray Tour technically began on August 17, but the tour has only stopped at a few cities and still has plenty more to visit on its 18-mall tour that runs through December 23. Each stop isn’t comprised of just talking heads, though; the tour features first-look opportunities such as previews of Disney/Pixar’s Cars and Disney’s Meet the Robinsons and live demonstrations where consumers can play the interactive “Liar’s Dice” game from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Each stop along the tour includes six to 14 interactive stations (depending on the size of the mall) and a special mini theater that hosts hourly live presentations on Blu-ray technology.
Guests who stop by the tour in each market can register to win a Blu-ray home entertainment package comprised of a Blu-ray player and a library of Disney Blu-ray Discs.
So just where is the tour on the way next? Glad you asked:
- Westfield San Francisco (in San Francisco) from Sept. 7-9
- Washington Square (in Portland, OR) from Sept. 14-16
- Westfield Southcenter (in Seattle, WA) from Sept. 21-23
- Mall of America (in Bloomington, MN) from Sept. 28-30
- Orland Square (in Orland Park, IL) from Oct. 5-7
- Westfield West County (in St. Louis, MO) from Oct. 12-14
- Tyson Corner Center (in McLean, VA) from Oct. 19-21
- Roosevelt Field (in Garden City, NY) from Oct. 26-28
- Burlington Mall (in Burlington, MA) from Nov. 9-11
- King of Prussa (in King of Prussia, PA) from Nov. 16-18
- Circle Centre (in Indianapolis, IN) from Nov. 23-25
- Lennox Square (in Atlanta, GA) from Nov. 30-Dec. 2
- The Galleria (in Houston, TX) from Dec. 7-9
- Barton Creek Square (in Austin, TX) from Dec. 14-16
- Chandler Fashion Center (in Chandler, AZ) from Dec. 21-23
DailyGame is headed to the Portland, OR, tour on Sept. 14, and we’ll have a full hands-on report from the scene.
To date, Disney has released on Blu-ray Disc Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, The Guardian and The Prestige, among others.