A couple of days ago, I noticed something very interesting on Disney+. While watching Bluey with the grandkids, I noticed that Disney+ had added a POV video for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. The information screen stated that the video was part of celebrating Disneyland’s 70th anniversary. This POV video got me thinking about whether Disney has finally decided to get a piece of the POV pie that Disney content creators feast on through YouTube channels and other social accounts. Was the video a one-off?

This morning, I found it is not a one-off.

This morning, I saw a second Disneyland 70th video, this time for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Now, it appeared to me this isn’t going to stop soon. The POV videos produced by content creators generate significant revenue, attract subscribers, and garner large numbers of views for those creators. My YouTube channel features numerous POV videos from Disney attractions. The channel I’ve built focuses on Disney, travel, and cruising, so POV videos are a large portion of my content. Because of my content focus, I viewed Disney+ as firing the first shot in a brewing conflict.

The Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance POV Disney produced is clean and can be filmed when the ride is closed. Because the ride was closed, it didn’t have the crowds who often are loud, get their heads in the videos, and featured much more professional equipment to film the ride through. I admit that the Disney+ POV is wonderfully shot, and it’s nice not to have anyone in the production other than the cast members.

These two POV videos are branded Disneyland 70th, but will Disney stop there? How many other rides in Disneyland are getting this same treatment for the 70th? If this remains localized to the Disneyland 70th anniversary, it isn’t what it appears to be. However, if it expands to Walt Disney World or the international parks, it can be seen as a direct response to the growing market on YouTube for Disney content. I stated above how large the Disney creator community is, and Disney may have finally decided it wanted a piece of the pie. Will their videos expand beyond Disney+? We shall see.

I have a great interest in seeing how this plays out. It doesn’t appear that many other people are noticing this, and I will be keeping a close eye on developments or new POV videos on Disney+. How this grows will go a long way in determining the future of Disney content creation. Be sure to subscribe here or on any of my other social media accounts to stay informed about what’s happening in Disney, cruise, and travel.

Thanks for stopping by the Crossroads, and I’ll see you on the road,

Brent