ORLANDO, Fla. – “I’m going to Disney World!”
We’ve seen the ads and heard the iconic phrase after Super Bowl wins from some of the game’s most iconic athletes, but how did this tradition come to be?
Recommended Videos
It all began at a dinner in 1987 with the former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, his wife Jane and the first people to fly around the world without stopping, Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager.
Michael Eisner asked Rutan and Yeager, “Well, now that you’ve accomplished the pinnacle of your aspirations, what could you possibly do next?”
To which Rutan jokingly replied, “I’m going to Disneyland!”
Jane Eisner paused and said, “You know, that’s a good slogan.”
An idea was born. A strategy was put into place, and Disney targeted both quarterbacks of each Super Bowl team. They informed them they would give the winning quarterback $75,000 to say “I’m going to Disneyland” as he walked off the field after the game.
Phil Simms, the winning quarterback for the New York Giants, said the phrase “I’m going to Disney World!” after his 1987 Super Bowl victory. The rest is history.
Super Bowl MVPs since that day have said the phrase after their big wins, and each get treated to a celebratory parade at the Disney park of their choice.