Next month, during the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix, the Walt Disney Company will make its first significant branded appearance in Las Vegas. "Fuel the Magic," a multiday entertainment campaign that combines Disney characters, live performances, and exclusive goods, is being introduced by The Mouse House in collaboration with Formula 1.
Disney's Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Pluto will all make appearances throughout race week as part of the partnership. The national anthem will be performed by the Disneyland Band on race day, November 22, and then "Maestro Mickey" will star in a Disney Live Entertainment show that will take place in front of the Bellagio Fountains.
Before the qualifying session, a pit-lane stroll with the characters will be available to a select group of main grandstand ticket holders.
"Now fans can look forward to seeing Mickey & Friends in the high-speed world of Formula 1 through experiences, content, and merchandise around the globe,” Disney said in a press release on Wednesday, which coincided with this Disney-posted Instagram video of F1 racecars using skid marks to draw Mickey’s head and mouse ears.
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas offers two race-viewing packages in the East Harmon Zone as part of the "Fuel the Magic" partnership. A three-day ticket with designated seats, pit-lane walk access, and a view of the Heineken Silver Stage is included in both the Main Grandstand and Skybox packages, which start at $2,250.
Significant Change in Course
Disney has only dabbled in Sin City with its yearly "Disney on Ice" stops at the Thomas & Mack Center and an immersive Disney animation installation that ran at The Shops at Crystals from 2023 until this past March, despite the persistent rumors that the company will open a resort on the Strip.
“I don’t see the Walt Disney Company … getting involved in the business of gambling, in effect, by facilitating gambling in any way,” Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC in February 2019.
Traditionally, Disney:
- Banned casinos from its popular cruise ships, defying industry norms
- Refused to renew its licensing agreements for “Star Wars” slot machines following its acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, and did the same with Marvel-themed slots after acquiring that company in 2009
- Lobbied against the expansion of gambling near Walt Disney World
- Helped block 21st Century Fox’s 2019 plan to build a theme park at the Resorts World Genting casino resort in Malaysia
However, businesses that wish to thrive in a world that is changing must learn to defy convention. This change started for Disney in 2023 when its ESPN division introduced ESPN BET, its first attempt at sports betting.
Apparently, there is no longer any chance that Disney will skip Las Vegas.
