BIG Mystery surrounding release of Disney's "The Rescuers" & "The Love Bug" (1 Viewer)

[David Lambert]

Damin, when I went to look that up and remind myself what the release date was supposed to have been, I expected to find a "February" date.

When we first spotted it, we left it on the shelf because we thought it had to be the old one. We already knew a new version was coming, and expected it "within months". So we saw it early, recognized that the box was black ("new version") instead of white ("old version"), but we were unsure. So when we got home we researched it, and I recall that the release date I found at the time was going to be FEB 2000. And ever since then we've thought about it being bought 3 months early.

Now when I went to go jog my memory, I see 1 release date that says January. And you find one that says December.

The whole thing sounds pretty fudgy to me. Maybe Artisan just jerked everyone around on that one, huh? Weird.

Either way, I'm convinced I got it weeks or months earlier than I should have been able to. A week after I bought it, I saw in in a national music store chain which today is well-known for breaking street dates. It was priced higher, so I was glad I bought it where I did.

Then it was the new year before I saw it "everywhere else". Indeed, I still feel sure that was February. But maybe it was late January. I'm SURE it wasn't December; it was definately after the holidays. Oh, well.

 

[Adam_S]

I didn't even bother trying to get these (non)Vault Disney titles from a regular B&M this year. Last year, the four Vault Titles could not be found at ANY B&M here in Joplin until one-three months AFTER the release day of May 5.

Wal-Mart even had signs up a month beforehand advertising all four titles, come release day they didn't have them and thought I was talking about the old VHS versions (which they had).

Likewise BOTH waves of Disney Treasures were NOT available at ANY B&M for several months after their release, the sole exception being Sams Club (and before it closed three months after the release of Treasures Wave one, The Disney Store). I even had the General Manager of Suncoast tell me that wave one of Disney Treasures DID NOT exist on DVD because they weren't in their system; that I must be thinking of some other titles that are probably old VHS reissues. This was on wave one Treasures release Day. I then walked to the other end of the mall and picked up all four Treasures from the Disney Store.

So JohnDoe (if that's REALLY your name ) have you tried the Disney store in these areas? THey are generally very reliable at having all the latest DVD releases.

Bottomline: on any release of any catalog title (other than Platinum Collection) from Disney, I expect NO major B&M retailers to have it by release day, a few months later they always seem to trickle in, but I've been burned too many times on Disney's two disc catalog releases--Disney's the only company I buy exclusively on line because I never expect that I'll be able to find their product in stores, I could probably go out and find something like Miller's Crossing or Barton FInk at three or more stores right now, but I bet I'd not find the Disney releases ANYWHERE.

Adam

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

Well, I just got my copy of Love Bug in the mail from DVDEmpire.com only two days after placing the order. Pretty speedy! At any rate, at least I can definitely say that the disc does exist!

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I didn't even bother trying to get these (non)Vault Disney titles

Here's the funny thing about the alleged lack of "Vault Disney" status for these discs: if you watch the opening menus for both Leagues and Bug on their second discs, they still use the "Vault Disney" animation! Clearly they decided to drop the "VD" logo after the discs were already done...

 

[James Reader]

Here's the funny thing about the alleged lack of "Vault Disney" status for these discs: if you watch the opening menus for both Leagues and Bug on their second discs, they still use the "Vault Disney" animation! Clearly they decided to drop the "VD" logo after the discs were already done...

Or it was easier to reuse a menu design designed for easy tailoring to individual releases, than design and create 2 new menus from scratch?

The Vault Disney menus don't surprise me at all.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Or it was easier to reuse a menu design designed for easy tailoring to individual releases, than design and create 2 new menus from scratch?

Maybe I didn't make it clear: the menus still say "Vault Disney" on them. If they'd not intended to continue to use that brand, I'd think they'd change it. Never mind that the packages are virtually identical to the VD titles from 2002...

 

[Sean Campbell]

Maybe 'The Rescuers' is just cursed ( although I've had the European edition for months ). Wasn't it recalled before because of a two frame nude scene? You don't suppose Disney went and made the same mistake again eh?

 

[Seth T]

No Rescuers at the Clackamas Oregon Best Buy...Down Under, yes....but no thanks.

 

[Chad Gregory]

Maybe 'The Rescuers' is just cursed ( although I've had the European edition for months ). Wasn't it recalled before because of a two frame nude scene? You don't suppose Disney went and made the same mistake again eh?

I don't think that is the case.

I received my copy of The Rescuers and The Love Bug yesterday from dvdempire.com they are definitely out there.

-Chad

 

[Miles]

Shouldn't Disney have noticed something when only DVDEmpire ordered any copies Or, when The Disney store didn't order any copies?

How many copies of each title do you figure were pressed?

Miles

 

[Chris Farmer]

Half a dozen or so, plus screeners?

 

[Dan Hitchman]

Nothing in this town except a couple copies of 20,000 Leagues (BB only had ordered FOUR, of which I got one).

No Love Bug, No Rescuers. Just a bunch of clueless employees that don't know what's going on.

Dan

 

[Mark Zimmer]

ACtually, just half a dozen, since Disney doesn't do screeners. :frowning:

 

[Peter Kline]

This is not the first time a title arrived late to retailers. This happens with older catalogue releases all the time. Disney is not the only one. There is no conspiracy or evil going on, just the vagarities of distributing product. Sometimes, a title will be pushed back at the manufacturing stage because of a need for a newer title to be pressed first or distribution is held up for any number of reasons. You'll see the product in stores by next week. Life isn't perfect my friends!

 

[Tony Scello]

I finally gave up trying to find The Love Bug and ordered it this morning from DVDEmpire.com. I received a shipping notice within a few hours saying it is on the way. I wonder if DVDEmpire.com realizes that they have a virtual monopoly on this title at the moment. Can't believe thats hurting sales any

 

[JohnDoe]

For Peter Kline (Coral Springs, FL).

(quote): "You'll see the product in stores by next week" (unquote).

Hey Peter, is that a promise???

Sorry, but I seriously doubt it. If this were true, then the vendors would know about the delay.

I think the point that you are obviously missing, is that in those rare circumstances where "distribution is held up for any number of reasons", the vendors have known about the title in advance and are well aware of any "reason" for that title to be delayed from getting out to the public.

What is MUCH different about this situation, is that NO vendor, and NO distributor (except for perhaps, Disney itself, and they ain't talking), knows or has ever known ANYTHING about these 2 titles. As told to me by the vendors for Target, Best Buy, and Sam's Club,- they have never been on any list for upcoming street dates, they have never been mentioned on any PR notices, and they, most obviously have never given any indication that there was some "problem" or delay, since no one has ever known anything about these 2 titles to begin with.

Sorry, but that reeks of a "conspiracy"

I'm just guessin' here, but there probably was some defect, with both of the discs (my source at Buena Vista Home Entertainment alluded to some sort of "problem with production"), and the distibution process has been haulted because of this. But even if that were true, wouldn't have all the vendors and retail distributors known something about the upcoming release for these 2 titles to begin with???

NONE of them did, and THAT is the mystery...

-John

 

[oscar_merkx]

I got an email from my online supplier that 20000 Leagues would be a week late

 

[GlennH]

I don't know what happened with these two titles and I doubt there are any "conspiracies." But this is not just a normal case of catalog titles being hard to find on release week as Peter suggests. The complete lack of not only supply but also information about these titles at so many retailers makes this different than what we've seen before. Somebody dropped the ball on these.

 

[Jim-M]

What is MUCH different about this situation, is that NO vendor, and NO distributor (except for perhaps, Disney itself, and they ain't talking), knows or has ever known ANYTHING about these 2 titles.

Except for the vendors that have already shipped them to customers who have already received them.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

ACtually, just half a dozen, since Disney doesn't do screeners.

Where'd you get that idea?