For Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks, the phrase, “I’m going to Disney World” has become a cherished tradition. It’s as much ingrained in our folklore as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays. But when and how did this campaign begin? And who was the first QB to say the phrase? Well, let’s dive back into the annals of history and find out.
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First, let’s talk about the phrase itself. Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner credited his wife, Jane, with coming up with the iconic “I’m going to Disney World” slogan in 1987. Eisner recalled in his memoir that he was having dinner with Jane and flight enthusiasts Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager during the opening of the “Star Tours” ride.
Rutan and Yeager had just become the first pilots to fly around the world nonstop in a jet. When Eisner asked what they would do next after accomplishing such a monumental goal, they responded, “Well, we’re going to Disneyland.” Jane then suggested that it sounded like a good slogan.
Eisner quickly got to work on a new campaign called “What’s Next?” He decided to offer both quarterbacks from the Super Bowl teams $75k if they would say the catchy phrase after winning the game. The quarterbacks were John Elway of the Denver Broncos and Phil Simms of the New York Giants.
In the end, the Giants beat the Broncos 39-20, and Simms became the first QB to ever mutter, “I’m going to Disney World” after winning the Lombardi trophy. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Say the phrase, and you get a $75k check along with an all-expenses-paid trip to Disney World in Orlando. Disney then takes the recording of the player saying the phrase and uses it in their promotional campaign for commercials that year. The idea is to entice fans of the player or team to visit the park to celebrate with their hero, helping to drive up attendance.
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It’s a fascinating story about one of the most ever-present advertisement campaigns in our lifetime. And to think it could’ve all gone by the wayside if Eisner’s wife didn’t point out the legitimacy of the slogan.
So who has said the Disney phrase in the recent Super Bowls? Well, Patrick Mahomes has owned it as of late, getting to say it in three of the last five years. In 2022, we got to see Matthew Stafford of the Rams say it alongside Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald. A year prior, Tom Brady got to say it alongside Rob Gronkowski. Brady has said the slogan four different times in his life.
At the end of the day, it’s a fun phrase to say and a successful marketing strategy. Not only is it said in the NFL after the final whistle on the season blows, but the NHL, MLB, NBA, FIFA World Cup, and even American Idol winners have adopted the phrase in the past. It goes to show how strong of a campaign the company has built over the years.
