Have you watched Disney’s show, Behind the Attraction? If not, now you know what you are doing tonight! But seriously, we couldn’t get enough of it. A peek behind Disney’s attractions? Count us in.

This new series on Disney+ tells the iconic stories behind rides at both Disneyland and Disney World. Disney’s ability to reimagine their characters, rides, and movies in new (and profitable) ways is truly amazing. And as Disney lovers, we continue to buy and consume their content through live-action remakes and new movie spin-offs, as they weave together their stories through multiple new mediums. 

Learn how Disney uses their magic to repackage and reinvent their characters and concepts so you can apply the same key principles to your small business.

Pulling Back the Curtain 

Creating happiness is hard work! Disney released their Imagineering Story right when Disney+ came out, taking viewers on a journey to see what it actually took to create, design, and build Disney parks all over the globe – a peek behind the parks’ curtains. Then, they released their newest documentary series, Behind the Attraction, where they share the stories of how various rides and attractions came to be. 

Disney is so smart in how they create something and then use that same intellectual property in a number of ways. At the same time Disney was filming Imagineering, we imagine they were brainstorming various ways they repurpose that content in a different light – and bravo! – We now have Behind the Attraction. 

Disney repurposes engineering ideas the same way they are now repurposing their content. Take Rise of the Resistance. They used the same technology from Tower of Terror to make the “free floating” feeling happen on Rise of the Resistance. If it works, it works! Instead of reinventing the wheel, they recycle what is working…what their customers are loving. And you can do the very same thing in your business. 

The Magic of Reinventions 

It’s not normal to talk about how to rethink something that already exists. As business owners, we’re trained to constantly be coming up with the “next big idea.” But Disney doesn’t listen to that bad advice. Just think: Disney has remade classic movies and characters we all love into new live actions! Lion King, Cinderella, and Cruella to name a few. Some people love them, some not so much, but we are total fans.

Over the years, Disney has also taken several of their attractions and used them as inspiration for new films: Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion. The most successful being Pirates of the Caribbean, where they made a blockbuster movies series from the original ride, and then went back and updated the ride to match the movie!

In your business, think about where you have existing content or an existing product that you could create a spinoff from. Maybe you have an origin story, but perhaps you could share a different path you haven’t yet revealed or divvy it up. Could you take your YouTube video and cut it up to share it on Instagram Stories or on a Live? Ask for yourself: How can you reuse things in different ways?

Also consider how you can look at things from a new perspective: Twenty-five years after 101 Dalmations came out, Disney made a new movie featuring Cruella, revealing her backstory. They did this same thing with Maleficent, and now they have Disney Villains after-hours, a separately ticketed, special nighttime event showcasing some of Disney’s most-loved villains. Who would have thought we would be so in love with even the baddies’ backstories! It’s so complex how they resell us on yet another experience from the same movie characters and concepts. Disney keeps making money, using the same intellectual property and repacking it in so many different mediums.

Leveraging your IP 

Let’s dive into how you can leverage your intellectual property (IP) by recreating and repacking your concepts, ideas, and products. 

Sell the Inverse

For those of you with products, think about selling the inverse of your best-selling product. Take a T-shirt, for example. Hold it up to a black light and do the inverse of it! 

Reapply Frameworks

For service-based businesses, think about how you can take the frameworks you apply to the work you do and put a different spin on it. Here at Pixie Dust & Profits, we teach a similar framework whether our client has a million dollar business or operates a smaller revenue producing business. We can apply the same principles to multiple mediums rather than starting at ground zero, trying to reinvent the wheel.  

Ask for Feedback

Speak to your spouse or friend for some new ideas or feedback on your current offers and see what ideas they have. Take it to a mastermind, or ask other business owners for their feedback! Sometimes, it’s much easier for someone on the outside to see things differently than you. 

Look Through a Different Lens

Go watch Cruella and ask… What would she say about this product? Okay, okay, it may seem like a silly suggestion! But it truly can help you to look through a different lens into your business. 

Use What Your Customer Already Love

Disney is so smart with how they create something and then use that intellectual property in a number of ways. But it’s not just big businesses like Disney that can do this. You can take your ideas and concepts in your business and repackage them in a number of ways! We can’t wait to see what you create next. 

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