QB Tom Brady 'Going To Walt Disney World' Following Heroics In Patriots' Super Bowl XXXVI Win - LaughingPlace.com: Disney World, Disneyland and More

QB Tom Brady 'Going To Walt Disney World' Following Heroics In Patriots' Super Bowl XXXVI Win

Quarterback Tom Brady 'Going To Walt Disney World' Following Heroics In Patriots' Super Bowl XXXVI Win

Super Bowl XXXVI MVP Tom Brady of the New England Patriots is headed from "The Big Easy" to the "Vacation Kingdom" -- from Bourbon Street in New Orleans to a theme park Hollywood Boulevard at Walt Disney World Resort.

Brady, at 24 the youngest quarterback ever to lead a team to the Super Bowl championship, proclaimed Sunday night that "I'm going to Walt Disney World!" as he taped the 32nd episode of the famous Disney commercial on the 15th anniversary of the first "What Next?" spot. And he planned to make good on the pronouncement Monday afternoon as the focal point of a gala parade down Hollywood Boulevard at Disney-MGM Studios in Florida.

Brady became Disney's choice for the commercial spot and visit for his key role in the Patriots' 20-17 upset victory over the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl Sunday night at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, capping a Cinderella season for New England. Brady threw a touchdown pass that put the Patriots in control just before halftime and then, after the Rams climbed back into a tie with 1:30 remaining in the game, moved the Patriots 53 yards in nine plays to a winning 48-yard field goal by kicker Adam Vinatieri on the game's final play.

Then, in the after-glow of his sterling performance in the National Football League's championship game, Brady beamed for the commercial camera. It has been an oft-repeated moment of celebration since 1987, when Phil Simms of the New York Giants became the focus of the first "What Next?" commercial following the Giants' triumph in Super Bowl XXI. Simms, the Giants' quarterback, didn't realize it, but he was introducing an American catchphrase when he shouted, "I'm going to Disney World!"

Since then, stars from Super Bowls, Major League Baseball, the NBA, NHL, Olympics, World Cup and more have been featured in 32 commercials in which they responded to the question, "What are you going to do next?"

The commercials have been produced and aired on a timetable when the celebration is still going on -- typically on the day after the accomplishment.

Icons of professional sports -- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Joe Montana, Michael Jordan, Barry Bonds, Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, Jerry Rice, John Elway, Terrell Davis, Mark McGwire and Kurt Warner among them -- have filled many of the commercials.

But there have been exceptions. America's darlings of soccer, the victorious 1999 U.S. Women's World Cup team, were featured. Dennis Conner of America's Cup sailing fame was featured in the campaign's second spot, in 1987. Miss America Gretchen Carlson smiled for the camera in 1988.

Even Santa Claus has gotten into the act. After the toys were delivered in 1997, he capped another successful Christmas by announcing his plans to visit a Disney park in a "What Next?" spot.

"What Next" Fact Sheet

First Spot: Super Bowl '87 (Phil Simms, New York Giants)

Number of Spots Since Inception: 32

Chronology of "What Next" Spots:

2002

  • Super Bowl XXXVI (Tom Brady, New England Patriots)

2001

  • Major League Baseball home run record (Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants)
  • Super Bowl XXXV (Trent Dilfer, Baltimore Ravens)

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)
  • 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)
  • (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)

--posted February 4, 2002

Source: Walt Disney World Press Release