The Walt Disney Company’s first major venture into Las Vegas will occur next month during the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Mouse House has partnered with Formula 1 to launch “Fuel the Magic,” a multi-day entertainment campaign.
As part of the collaboration, Disney’s Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Pluto characters will all make appearances throughout race week. These will culminate on race day, November 22, with a performance of the national anthem by the Disneyland Band followed by “Maestro Mickey” starring in a Disney Live Entertainment production staged in front of the Bellagio fountains.
Additionally, selected main grandstand ticket holders will enjoy a pit-lane walk with the characters ahead of the qualifying race.
“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.
The “Fuel the Magic” collaboration is offering fans two race-viewing packages in the East Harmon Zone by Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. Starting at $2,250, the main grandstand and Skybox packages both include a three-day ticket with an assigned seat, the pit-lane walk and a view of the Heineken Stage.
Radical Course Change
Despite the occasional myth about Disney opening a resort on the Strip, the company hasn’t dipped much more than a toe into Sin City with its annual “Disney on Ice” stops at the Thomas & Mack Center and an immersive installation of Disney animation that ran at The Shops at Crystals 2023 until this past March.
“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 the industry trend
- 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 anywhere near Walt Disney World
- Played a significant role in quashing 21st Century Fox’s 2019 plans to build a theme park into the Resorts World Genting casino resort in Malaysia.
But companies that want to remain successful in a changing world learn to break with tradition. This started slowly, in 2023, when Disney’s ESPN subsidiary launched ESPN BET.
Now, apparently, all bets about Disney avoiding Las Vegas presence are off.
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