The history of 'I'm going to Disney World!' at the Super Bowl

"I'm going to Disney World!" and "I'm going to Disneyland!" have staked their places in the pop culture lexicon because of the Super Bowl. The phrases (both exclaimed after the game, with different commercials airing depending on where you live in the country) have been uttered by non-Super Bowl champions frequently since the first instance in 1987, but the association is closest with the Super Bowl, an unrivaled celebration of commercialization.

Since 1987, the phrases have been used as part of Disney's "What's Next?" campaign. Phil Simms kicked off the tradition after the New York Giants beat the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI.

Simms wasn't being candid. The idea was supposedly concocted by Jane Eisner, the wife of Disney CEO Michael Eisner. Both Simms and Broncos quarterback John Elway agreed to utter the famous line in exchange for $75,000 if they were victorious. Simms ultimately walked away with the cushy payday.

The format for the commercials has followed the same essential format since Simms' turn. After a series of highlights set to "When You Wish upon a Star" from Pinocchio, the camera cuts to a player in the immediate aftermath of a Super Bowl win and a narrator poses the famous question, "_______, you've just won the Super Bowl, what are you going to do next?" The player looks into the camera and answers. The commercial ends with an image of fireworks exploding over Cinderella's Castle at Disney World, or Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland.

The unseen voice posing the question is Mark Champion, who is very familiar with the professional sports scene. Champion is currently the primary radio play-by-play voice for the Detroit Pistons, and has called games for the Detroit Lions, Detroit Fury (WNBA), Michigan State men's basketball and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the past.

The commercial has aired after every Super Bowl since 1987, except for one. In 2005, the commercial did not air, though the reason for the absence is still unclear. The NFL was still reeling from Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction in 2004, and may have been leery of any advertising relying on spontaneity. Disney may have also felt that the campaign was losing its effectiveness after 19 years.

There is no formula for who gets to utter the phrase. If you are a quarterback or a Super Bowl MVP, your odds increase, though coaches, running backs and wide receivers have also taken part. Other sports have gotten in the act, too, though not with any regularity. The same year Simms began the tradition, Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers and Frank Viola of the Minnesota Twins also uttered the phrases, though their performances didn't have the same iconic hold.

Other honorees include Santa Claus, Gretchen Carlson as 1988 Miss America, various college graduates and a recent spate of "American Idol" winners. You can check out the full list below.

Super Bowl participants

Super Bowl XXI, 1987: Phil Simms, New York Giants
Super Bowl XXII, 1988: Doug Williams, Washington Redskins
Super Bowl XXIII, 1989: Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXIV, 1990: Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXV, 1991: Ottis Anderson, New York Giants
Super Bowl XXVI, 1992: Mark Rypien, Washington Redskins
Super Bowl XXVII, 1993: Troy Aikman, Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXVIII, 1994: Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXIX, 1995: Jerry Rice and Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXX, 1996: Emitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXXI, 1997: Desmond Howard, Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl XXXII, 1998: John Elway, Denver Broncos
Super Bowl XXXIII, 1999: Terrell Davis and John Elway, Denver Broncos
Super Bowl XXXIV, 2000: Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams
Super Bowl XXXV, 2001: Trent Dilfer, Baltimore Ravens
Super Bowl XXXVI, 2002: Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Super Bowl XXXVII, 2003: Jon Gruden and Brad Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Super Bowl XXXVIII, 2004: Tom Brady New England Patriots
Super Bowl XXXIX, 2005: No commercial
Super Bowl XL, 2006: Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl XLI, 2007: Tony Dungy and Dominic Rhodes, Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl XLII, 2008: Eli Manning, New York Giants
Super Bowl XLIII, 2009: Santonio Holmes and Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl XLIV, 2010: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Super Bowl XLV, 2011: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl XLVI, 2012: Eli Manning, New York Giants
Super Bowl XLVII, 2013: Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
Super Bowl XLVIII, 2014: Malcolm Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Super Bowl XLIX, 2015: Julian Edelman & Malcolm Butler, New England Patriots
Super Bowl 50, 2016: No commercials, but Peyton Manning went to Disneyland to celebrate

Non-Super Bowl participants

Dennis Conner, sailing, America's Cup, 1987
Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Laker, NBA Finals, 1987
Frank Viola, Minnesota Twins, World Series, 1987

Gretchen Carlson, Miss America, 1988
Orel Hershiser, Los Angeles Dodgers, World Series, 1988
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA Finals, 1988

Al MacInnis, Calgary Flames, Stanley Cup Finals, 1989
Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons, NBA Finals, 1989

Jim Thompson, Temple University, college graduation, 1990
Matt Kaldenberg, Simpson College, college graduation, 1990
Phyllis Kaldenberg, Simpson College, college graduation, 1990
Laura McEwen, Simpson College, college graduation, 1990

Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls, NBA Finals, 1991

Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens, Stanley Cup Finals, 1993

Jeff Gordon, NASCAR, 1994 Brickyard 400, 1994
Nancy Kerrigan, U.S. figure skater, Winter Olympics, 1994

Santa Claus, jolly fat man in red, Christmas, 1997

Mark McGwire, St. Louis Cardinals, MLB home run record, 1998

U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, FIFA Women's World Cup, 1999

Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants, MLB home run record, 2001

Scot Spiezio, Anaheim Angels, World Series 2002

Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz; Boston Red Sox, World Series, 2004

Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat, NBA Finals, 2006

Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Ducks, Stanley Cup Finals, 2007

David Cook, Season 7 "American Idol" winner, 2008

Kris Allen, Season 8 "American Idol" winner, 2009

Bruce Springsteen, The Boss, Super Bowl XLIII halftime, 2009

Lee DeWyze, Season 9 "American Idol" winner, 2010

Scotty McCreery, Season 10 "American Idol" winner, 2011