Disney’s Billboard And Store At Times Square
Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
In regards to the new Disney store opening in New York and the related Disney billboard in Times Square, as noted by JP Blamby’s article last Friday, we’re pretty impressed by the technical aspects regarding the board – and the fun of the store opening.
The Disney Store Times Square Spectacular, soaring 68’ above Times Square. is the second placement of an LED Spectacular in Times Square by The Walt Disney Company. Weighing over 1,000 pounds, stretching 2,250 square feet and featuring 2.3 million diodes, the bright beacon showcases new and exclusive Disney content 365 days a year.
Nearly 10,000,000 LEDs in total are on the board. The 7.2 megapixel display has nearly four times the resolution of High Definition Video. The display formats content specifically: a 10-minute animation exceeds 480 GBs.
“The Disney Store opening, along with its spectacular digital billboard, is both literally and figuratively a powerful sign of our continuing commitment to the growth and vitality of Times Square,” said Gerald Griffin, senior vice-president, ABC Regional Sports & Entertainment Sales. “This glittering digital platform, carrying the magic of the Disney brand, expands the tremendous opportunities available to ABC Regional Sports & Entertainment Sales clients in an iconic New York City area aptly known as ‘the crossroads of the world.’”
Disney Store celebrated its worldwide high-tech makeover with an over-the-top grand opening of the premier Times Square location. Crowds of fans wearing Mickey ears cheered on while a colorful parade of Disney’s most beloved characters, from Mickey and Minnie Mouse to Cinderella, Tinkerbell and Buzz Lightyear, arrived to join Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Bob Iger, Walt Disney Co. president and CEO; various celebrities, Broadway stars, and Disney executives at the largest Disney Store in North America. Disney Store Times Square culminates the first phase of a worldwide transformation that solidifies the retailer’s global leadership in children’s retail.
“Disney Stores play a critical role in how millions around the world experience our brand,” Iger said. “The new store design allows kids and families to have a fun and immersive experience while shopping for their favorite Disney products.”
Disney Store’s digital billboard played an integral role in the celebration as exclusive clips from upcoming highly anticipated Disney holiday films Tangled and TRON: Legacy were shown to thousands of fans in Times Square during the grand opening ‘pre-show’.
Guests flooded the store when doors opened to experience the two-level, 20,000+ sq. ft. store and its key attractions including: A two-story, 20’ high Disney Princess Castle complete with its ‘talking’ Magic Mirror; colorful Lucite trees springing up throughout the store, showcasing custom Disney content; A Disney-Pixar CARS-branded Ridemakerz custom car building experience; An expansive 12’ screen nestled in the 350 sq. ft. Disney Store Theatre that allows guests to personalize their experience by selecting favorite Disney film clips, videos, classic animation and more; Exclusive New York City-inspired Disney merchandise found nowhere else in the world. The Disney Store Times Square will be open 9 a.m. to midnight every day.
Vornado Realty Trust was sponsor of the Disney Store Times Square grand opening event. Vornado is one of the largest owners and managers of commercial real estate in the United States with a portfolio totaling over 100 million square feet, primarily located in the New York and Washington, DC metropolitan areas.
November 15th, 2010 at 19:50 @868
There seem to be some numerical typos here – does it really weigh under 500kg for a 68 foot tall LED screen?
2.3 million diodes, 7.2 million pixels, 10 million LEDs – there have to be at least 3 LEDs per pixel (R,G and B), so that would suggest around 22 million LEDs – maybe the decimal point is in the wrong place in the diodes statement, but can’t see where the 10 million LEDs number comes from…
Not that it particularly matters 😉