Do older couples stand a chance?

[dtum]

re: year of a million dreams. Do they seem to only pick families with small children? This trip is only DH and I, but some of the dreams would be nice to win for two older disney fans. Have never seen anyone but families pictured when the commercials are one.

[katylady]

My husband and I aren't an older couple, but we don't have kids, and we got one of the dreams on our trip (we just returned on 12/26). We each got one of the pin lanyards with the special YOAMD pins and it was pretty cool. It was the only time we ever saw the Dream Squad on our trip, although we saw plenty of dream fastpasses and pin lanyards throughout our stay. My husband spoke to a cast member who said that the Dream Squad has to keep everything random, so I would say you have as good a chance as anyone else.

[dtum]

Thanks for the info. I can't wait...maybe we'll get lucky like you :wizard:

[nbodyhome]

Yes, my parents are in their 60's, and won the castle stay (where we were on Saturday night).

[kaytieeldr]

Remember, the 'winners' in those commercials are most likely actors (i.e. not actual YOAMD winners) and for some reason, businesses think that by using a 28 year old they're appealing to a wide - read, aging baby-boomer - audience... :rolleyes2 :teeth:

Anyway - the prize portion of Year of a Million Dreams is being administered by an entirely independent-from-Disney firm, in accordance with all applicable laws. It doesn't matter who you are*, where you're from, whether you have children with you, how old you are, how you look... if you're in the right place at the right time, you win. Period. Completely random. Times/locations/which prizes when are predetermined by computer. Dream Squad is informed where to be, when, and what prize to give. Whoever's there wins (within the limitations of how many of a prize are being granted right then).

[Hixski]

Yes, my parents are in their 60's, and won the castle stay (where we were on Saturday night).

I think that is great!!!!!

Although.......when we were there we overheard someone complaining about a couple without children winning something. They said whoever wins a castle stay better have children since WDW is ONLY for the children.:scared1:

I would have loved to win the castle stay but not at the risk of death threats!!!!!:rolleyes1

DH and I don't have children which is why I was listening to that person complaining in the first place.:sad2:

[nbodyhome]

Disney is for everyone - so don't worry about what others think. :) And if someone says something to you, just say that you are big kids (or don't say anything at all).

[Hixski]

Disney is for everyone - so don't worry about what others think. :) And if someone says something to you, just say that you are big kids (or don't say anything at all).

Trust me if she would have looked at me wrong I would have let her have it. According to some folks DH and I should not even go to WDW (late forties), and don't get me started what some people think about us belonging to DVC. I have had to tell more than a few to MYOB.:rotfl2:

[nbodyhome]

Trust me if she would have looked at me wrong I would have let her have it. According to some folks DH and I should not even go to WDW (late forties), and don't get me started what some people think about us belonging to DVC. I have had to tell more than a few to MYOB.:rotfl2:

Well, I'm not sure I'd let someone have it. :) But if you win, just keep a smile on your face! I get comments sometimes still, not so much as I used to. (I am 41, no kids).

[DisneyJen0504]

We are in our late twenties, no kids yet and we were chosen to be the Grand Marshalls in the parade at MK. We got mickey hats with our names embroidered on them, certificates, and professional photos of us riding in the car down Main Street. It was a blast!

[eliza61]

re: year of a million dreams. Do they seem to only pick families with small children? This trip is only DH and I, but some of the dreams would be nice to win for two older disney fans. Have never seen anyone but families pictured when the commercials are one.

We're officially AARP qualified :banana: and it may be that pretty much older folks don't really care if we win little prizes like that or not. We get our kicks watching you youngins' run around the park. I've been awarded million dream fast passes twice and turned them down twice. both times I've told the cm to give them to a family with kids. Mainly since my kids are older and I've got disposable time I don't have to run around from attraction to attraction anymore and I know I'll be back.

Now if someone wants to award me a couple of million bucks....:yay:

[newharmony]

DH and I are in our late 50's and got to WDW twice a year (without kids or grandkids). We have won the special YOAMD lanyards twice!

[kimis]

I hope YOAMD is for older adults. We have been to disney four times this year and not won. Also we haven't seen the dream team either. We are going back in 26 days so maybe our luck will change. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

[mountdew1]

As long as you are the 5th person to wear a pair of mickey ears while riding on the 3rd green teacup, you too can win. It really doesn't matter who you are or what you look like, as long as the computer randomly selected you to win. And from all accounts the selection process is truly as random as I just said. It tells them to look for a certain person at a certain place at a certain time.

Now statistically you have a better chance if you have more people in your group, I.E. children, simply because you have the additional people who may meet their randomly selected criteria. However, you are talking about changing the odds from 2 in 30,000 to 4 in 30,000. Still fairly small odds. (This is mentioned not knowing if they have a minimum age on winners. If so, through this whole section out the window)

[disneycatz]

We're officially AARP qualified :banana: and it may be that pretty much older folks don't really care if we win little prizes like that or not. We get our kicks watching you youngins' run around the park. I've been awarded million dream fast passes twice and turned them down twice. both times I've told the cm to give them to a family with kids. Mainly since my kids are older and I've got disposable time I don't have to run around from attraction to attraction anymore and I know I'll be back.

Now if someone wants to award me a couple of million bucks....:yay:
You sound like "Nice Folks"! We. too, are AARP qualified, however we have a 12 year old DD & due to many reasons, DO NOT have alot of disposable money. We did, however, win Disney annual passes from a radio contest(be the 10th caller...) while I was home on a long medical leave. We did manage to use them once since winning. While we have seen people with the fast pases & other YMD items, we have nopt been in the right place at the right time! It is nice to know there are nice people like you out there- here is hoping you have a very happy & healthy wonderful new year.
Disneycatz

[nbodyhome]

I have heard that an 8 year old won the DVC prize, so I don't think there is an age limit.

[grannyminnie]

What?!? Disney just for kids?? I don't THINK so..hahaha..my sis and I are "seniors" and we absolutely love it! We want that castle stay sooooo bad!!:goodvibes

[ms.ojo]

My brother and his wife (late 50's) visited in Nov for the 1st time w/out children. They were chosen to be the grand marshals of the MK parade and then sit in a special viewing box to watch the rest of the parade as it came past. Sure made the trip special for them!!!:goodvibes

[maryt01]

we met a family of four that won stay at castle. they were age 40 to 80. too bad we 3 seniors did not win anything in 2 yomd visits. good luck. enjoy

[acm563]

I have always wondered if this was just a promotion where children only would be awarded the prizes so I am happy to know that age doesnt necessarily play a role in the prize disposition:):) Its refreshing to know that the possibility of the dream still exists even at my age:):)lol (44)

[Lovin' Lorne]

I had no idea they were giving out so many prizes! :woohoo: DH and I are going to be there at the end of this month, and maybe the computer will see fit to spit out the location where a couple of "older" (37 and 43) guests will be sitting/standing/walking at the time.

[pooksma]

I had no idea they were giving out so many prizes! :woohoo: DH and I are going to be there at the end of this month, and maybe the computer will see fit to spit out the location where a couple of "older" (37 and 43) guests will be sitting/standing/walking at the time.


I hope so for your sake and mine. The same aged couple will be there in August!:rotfl2:

[inkkognito]

A retired couple here in Celebration won the castle stay. It's all about being in the right place at the right time.

[markºoº]

For prizes with any value, like Dream Fastpasses, Dream Ears, and even the castle stay, the winners is not randomly selected out of the crowd. Winners are selected by being at a specific place at a specific time. The exact time and place prizes will be awarded is determined in advance.

For example, the first 100 people on a specific ride at a certain predetermined time will win Dream FastPasses. For individual winners, it could be the third row of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad returning to the station at 2:25pm.

Disney can't leave the selection process up to Dream Makers since this obviously could lead to discrimination or favortism allegations.

[Safari Princess]

Remember, the 'winners' in those commercials are most likely actors (i.e. not actual YOAMD winners) and for some reason, businesses think that by using a 28 year old they're appealing to a wide - read, aging baby-boomer - audience... :rolleyes2 :teeth:

Wrong. Those are all real winners, they just carefully select the videos that they use. Most if not all of the bigger prize winners are videotaped or photographed.

Here's some good footage of the Spangler Family from the kickoff of the celebration.... prnewswire.com/mnr/disney/25613/

[Violet Crayon]

I'm sure they might not have wanted some ragamuffin college kids getting the Dining Experience, but we won thanks to the predetermined location and time. :)

[kaytieeldr]

Wrong. Those are all real winners, they just carefully select the videos that they use. Most if not all of the bigger prize winners are videotaped or photographed.

Here's some good footage of the Spangler Family from the kickoff of the celebration.... prnewswire.com/mnr/disney/25613/
We must be talking about different things.

Since I've never seen the (seemingly promotional) videos of the initial winning family, I'm referring to the widely-aired television advertising with a voice-over by a slightly gravel-voiced male, showing actors, and including special effects like swirling pixie dust, and listing some of the possible prizes. THAT'S the advertising to which I feel the OP is referring

[bbyee]

I'm sure they might not have wanted some ragamuffin college kids getting the Dining Experience, but we won thanks to the predetermined location and time. :)

Are you kidding? I think it's fantastic that you guys won! 4 "poor college students" being able to eat a very, very nice meal that they wouldn't normally have been able to enjoy seems to me a fantastic prize! From a marketing perspective, it's a great promo of, can't go to Vegas yet? Come to WDW!

My husband and I (late 30s, no kids) stand just as much chance as any of winning or not winning, and we would love to win the prize that you got! Honestly, a free dinner at Artist's Point (I think that's what the restaurant is called - looked it up earlier and we'll be dining there - WL, right?) would be an awesome freebee for us which we'd honestly appreciate more than a night at Cinderella's Castle.