The NBA Finals mayors' bet - Disney style

June 3, 2009, 12:41 PM · Yeah, it's cliche by now. The mayors of the two cities whose teams are playing for a pro sports championship make some silly "bet," usually involving shipping some famous product from the losing city to the winner. Both cities send out a press release, and bored journalists dutifully write it up.

Well, with the Los Angeles Lakers meeting the Orlando Magic in this year's NBA Finals, we have a twist. The presidents of Disneyland (located just south of LA) and Walt Disney World (located just south of Orlando) are making a bet.

From Disney's press release, dutifully written up here by this theme park journalist:

If the Magic win, [Disneyland president Ed] Grier will walk down Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland park wearing a pair of specially made Mickey Mouse ears in Magic blue and silver. If the Lakers win, [Disney World president Meg] Crofton will don a pair of Lakers’ purple and gold mouse ears and walk down Main Street, U.S.A. at Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom.

Mickey ears? That's the best they could do? How about a Blue Bayou Monte Cristo versus some Le Cellier Cheddar Cheese soup or something?

Update: A reader reminds me that Walt Disney World is not actually located in Orlando (it's in Lake Buena Vista) and Disneyland is not in Los Angeles (it's in Anaheim). In fact, the only theme park chain that is in the actual cities of Orlando and Los Angeles is... Universal.

But "Universal Studios Hollywood vs. Universal Orlando" doesn't fall off the tongue the say way as "Disneyland vs. Disney World." Nor have Universal's PR teams rushed to own this match-up the way that Disney's have.

Replies (10)

June 3, 2009 at 1:00 PM · The loser should have to ride the winner's version of 'It's a Small World' 50 straight times.

By the way, this is a clever way to get some free publicity!

June 3, 2009 at 2:32 PM · I'm not sure about Meg Crofton, but getting Ed Grier to walk down Main Street, or any other part of Disneyland, for that matter, is the real story here.
June 3, 2009 at 4:54 PM · weak...how about they make a real bet.
June 3, 2009 at 5:34 PM · Like if the Lakers lose, Kobe Bryant is forced to ride a small world 50 times !!!!
June 3, 2009 at 8:29 PM · How 'bout 50 rides on Stitch's Great Escape vs. Tuck 'n' Roll's Drive 'em Buggies.
June 4, 2009 at 9:46 AM · Or... if LA wins, Disney World has to take Tuck 'n Roll's, and if Orlando wins, Disneyland gets stuck with Stitch. :-p
June 5, 2009 at 7:22 AM · Right now it doesn't look good for Orlando...Lakers 100 Magic 75.

Superman Dwight Howard, 12 pts on 1-6 shooting...Orlando 30% from the three line. Kobe..40 pts. I told you that Phil wouldn't let Howard run wild. Another performance like that and you can probably consider Orlando cooked.

June 7, 2009 at 4:43 PM · What aboout free admisson for the city that win!
June 7, 2009 at 8:35 PM · This is funny! Although, I'm worried that if Magic wins, the President is going to be hunted down by Lakers fans at Disneyland.
June 8, 2009 at 2:26 PM · Add the foods and we have a great bet!

So what they are not in the respective cities? Close enough! (Especially in Orlando)

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