Colts' coach Tony Dungy, Running Back Dominic Rhodes Star in Latest 'Going to Disney World' Commercial
Colts' coach Tony Dungy, Running Back Dominic Rhodes Star in Latest 'Going to Disney World' Commercial
Head Coach Tony Dungy and running back Dominic Rhodes of the Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts Sunday night became the latest sports celebrities to realize a dream, stand in front of a TV camera, and shout the famous “going to Disney World�? phrase.
Their “We’re going to Disney World�? pronouncement, part of the production for one of TV’s most enduring and celebrated commercials, was captured Sunday night on tape at Miami’s Dolphin Stadium just moments after the Colts’ 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI. Dungy became the first African American head coach to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl champion, while Rhodes rushed for a game-leading 113 yards and a second-quarter touchdown that put the Colts ahead for keeps.
The commercial – which also includes a Disneyland version for the West Coast – is the 37th of a series that began in 1987 following Super Bowl XXI. The first “ I'm going to Disney World�? commercial, featuring New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, was regarded as a groundbreaking concept – a produced national commercial involving a current event, airing on major networks hours after the event. And this latest installment is to follow a similar script, airing Feb. 5.
Dungy and Rhodes join a lineup of sports heroes such as Tom Brady, Emmitt Smith, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Joe Montana, John Elway, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Doug Williams, Magic Johnson, Patrick Roy and Super Bowl XL star Hines Ward who have been featured during two decades of “I’m going to Disney World�? commercials.
Fact Sheet
Number of Spots Since Inception: 37
Chronology of "I'm going to Disney World" Spots:
| 2007 | Super Bowl XLI (Tony Dungy and Dominic Rhodes, Indianapolis Colts) |
| 2006 | Super Bowl XL (Hines Ward, with Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh Steelers) |
| 2004 | Super Bowl XXXVIII (Tom
Brady, New England Patriots) Major League Baseball World Series Champions (Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox) |
| 2003 | Super Bowl XXXVII (Jon Gruden and Brad Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) |
| 2002 | Super Bowl XXXVI (Tom Brady, New England Patriots) |
| 2001 | Super Bowl XXXV (Trent Dilfer,
Baltimore Ravens) Major League Baseball home run record (Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants) |
| 2000 | Super Bowl XXXIV (Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams) |
| 1999 | Super Bowl XXXIII (Terrell
Davis and John Elway, Denver Broncos) Women's World Cup (United States Championship Team) |
| 1998 | Super Bowl XXXII (John Elway,
Denver Broncos) Major League Baseball home run record (Mark McGwire, St. Louis Cardinals) |
| 1997 | Super Bowl XXXI (Desmond
Howard, Green Bay Packers) Holiday Gift-Giving (Santa Claus) |
| 1996 | Super Bowl XXX (Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys) |
| 1995 | Super Bowl XXIX (Jerry Rice and Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers) |
| 1994 | Super Bowl XXVIII (Emmitt
Smith, Dallas Cowboys) Olympics (Nancy Kerrigan, U.S. Figure Skater) |
| 1993 | Super Bowl XXVII (Troy Aikman,
Dallas Cowboys) Stanley Cup (Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens) |
| 1992 | Super Bowl XXVI (Mark Rypien, Washington Redskins) |
| 1991 | Super Bowl XXV (Ottis
Anderson, N.Y. Giants) NBA (Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls) |
| 1990 | Super Bowl XXIV (Joe Montana,
San Francisco 49ers) Graduation (Jim Thompson of Temple University, and Matt Kaldenberg, Phyllis Kaldenberg and Laura McEwen of Simpson College) |
| 1989 | Super Bowl XXIII (Joe
Montana, San Francisco 49ers) NHL (Al MacInnis, Calgary Flames) NBA (Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons) |
| 1988 | Super Bowl XXII (Doug
Williams, Washington Redskins) Miss America (Gretchen Carlson) World Series (Orel Hershiser, L.A. Dodgers) NBA (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers) |
| 1987 | Super Bowl XXI (Phil Simms,
N.Y. Giants) America’s Cup (Dennis Conner) NBA (Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers) World Series (Frank Viola, Minnesota Twins) |
- The Super Bowl has been the catalyst for the most "I'm going to Disney World" spots (19)
- There have been four "I'm going to Disney World" repeaters: Joe Montana (1989 and 1990), Emmitt Smith (1994 and 1996), John Elway (1998 and 1999) and Tom Brady (2002 and 2004).
- "I'm going to Disney World" spots immediately following the Super Bowl have featured non-Super Bowl MVPs eight times: 1989, 1995 (shared), 1996, 1998, 1999 (shared), 2001, 2003 and 2007.