A Warning of Sorts

[mousehockey37]

It's tough to lie about it all, but based off of what is said on the outside of the thing in the picture, you could just say it's junk mail. Kinda like when local dealerships send out those scratch off flyers with the keys taped to them to see if you're a "winner" or not to get you to go to the car dealership. Just because it says about a Disney vacation, doesn't mean you actually are going. You could've just passed it off as Disney trying to get you to take a vacation there.... even though, you're on your way.

That or, just be first to the mail.

Yes, these things show up unannounced. The magnets that we received have Dumbo on them. It came in a little booklet type deal, typical "Mickey Mail", and it was a reminder about when the last day was to customize your MB and then the date of the start of your stay.

Did I think some of it was overboard? Yes, but I also know what I'm doing. For people that this could be their first trip, it's good information that they may not know about. So you do have to look at it from that angle as well. MDE, MM+, FP+, etc can be overwhelming if you don't know what it is or how to use it, so they send out this stuff within a certain timetable to educate their future guests.

 

[Steakgoddess]

What confuses me is how they decide to send out that paperwork and how fancy they get with them. I received a pamphlet in an envelope when we booked the WL. When I added a one night room only to the beginning of our trip, our pamphlet came in a really nice box. We swiched from the WL to the GF and nothing.

 

[Saimaeve]

My daughter saw ours for our upcoming trip she isn't aware of and I just told her it was advertising stuff. (We're constantly getting advertising stuff) she just shrugged it off. I didn't make a big deal out of it. I imagine if I got super dramatic when I saw it she would wonder what in the world was going on and pay more attention.

 

[aaarcher86]

It can be disappointing, but Disney will flat out tell you they won't aid in a surprise trip, so it's not surprising.

Next time use a TA and materials will go to them first and you can arrange when to get them yourself.

I do agree with a previous poster though. So many people complaining that they cut down on the mail outs. There's just no pleasing everyone. Putting it in a plain envelope sounds great until someone throws it away as junk mail because it's not obvious enough.

 

[MainMom]

I probably would have played it off "oh look, disney is trying to get us to visit. too bad we can't this year."

 

[MommytoaPrince]

Stay tuned....There will be more to come. We received 4 different mailings for our upcoming trip.

 

[scoobygrl79]

I'm so sorry, OP. While I do love all that stuff because of it's hype factor, I can still totally empathize for you and what you were trying to do. What a bummer! Hope your trip is still extra magical.

 

[luvthemouse71]

Ever since they started with the whole My Disney Experience probably thousands of surprise trips have been ruined. From the Magic Bands, the USB Drives to explain MDE, to the Fast Pass + booklet, to the magnets, etc they have gone way overboard. And with the amount of anger this has caused, I am very surprised they are still doing it. I have seen so many posts by people who have written guest services to complain and yet nothing has changed. Sigh.

They could put an option on there asking if this is a surprise trip and then send those peoples' documents out in plain envelopes. A lot of people do surprise or gift trips so I think this would be reasonable.

 

[aaarcher86]

They could put an option on there asking if this is a surprise trip and then send those peoples' documents out in plain envelopes. A lot of people do surprise or gift trips so I think this would be reasonable.

Just more work for themselves. They screw up enough honestly.

Not helping with surprises is at least something consistent across the board. I can appreciate that.

 

[bluezy]

It can be disappointing, but Disney will flat out tell you they won't aid in a surprise trip, so it's not surprising.

Next time use a TA and materials will go to them first and you can arrange when to get them yourself.

I do agree with a previous poster though. So many people complaining that they cut down on the mail outs. There's just no pleasing everyone. Putting it in a plain envelope sounds great until someone throws it away as junk mail because it's not obvious enough.

Not necessarily. I always use a Disney Travel Agent and the only thing that comes directly from her is the final paperwork -- with the coupons , luggage tags, etc. (which she always mails in a plain envelope using her husband's name as the return address). I still received all the other mailings (including the one shown in the OP) directly from Disney in all their glorious color. Fortunately, like a PP, I was able to pass the first thing off as "just another mailer from Disney...." I even went so far as to throw it in the recycling bin without opening it and then retrieved it when the kids went to bed. The one that says "Your Disney Fastpass+ Selection Date is Coming Up Soon!!!" would have been a little harder to pass off as "junk" if the kids had seen it. At least the Memory Maker receipt/card and Magic Bands came in plain wrappings.

 

[aaarcher86]

Not necessarily. I always use a Disney Travel Agent and the only thing that comes directly from her is the final paperwork -- with the coupons , luggage tags, etc. (which she always mails in a plain envelope using her husband's name as the return address). I still received all the other mailings (including the one shown in the OP) directly from Disney in all their glorious color. Fortunately, like a PP, I was able to pass the first thing off as "just another mailer from Disney...." I even went so far as to throw it in the recycling bin without opening it and then retrieved it when the kids went to bed. The one that says "Your Disney Fastpass+ Selection Date is Coming Up Soon!!!" would have been a little harder to pass off as "junk" if the kids had seen it. At least the Memory Maker receipt/card and Magic Bands came in plain wrappings.

That's interesting.

I've always seen people report everything goes to the TA. I've been paying less attention admittedly since all this new mailing stuff and MM+ rolled out.n

 

[Dis703]

Stay tuned....There will be more to come. We received 4 different mailings for our upcoming trip.

This^ We get tons of Mickey mail it seems every trip we book. But we love it so it's exciting for us each time it arrives. Looks like the ship has sailed but I would have tried to go with it was advertising like pp suggested.

 

[Tigger's ally]

Good tip on the bands... However that's apparently not well know outside the intranet.

Disney has implemented a web based resort system...the proper take would be to eliminate the printed materials in favor of web based tools/information and allow the option to request printed material if you like.

And those mailers are obnoxiously Disney...Mickey heads or incredibles on the exterior packaging...

And your suggestion to use a false address is against the "company policy" of verifying all materials and assigning all purchased items to specific individuals with specific addresses/ emails/ phone numbers/ and finger sizes...is it not?

And if not explicitly contrarian to policy - certainly in the spirit of what they are trying to do...

I'm not saying nobody likes the promos...and if they do - more power to them.

But there is a downside and it was legitimately brought up here.
I have to reject "magic" (for a brochure that includes sell techniques and tactics) and the corporate cutoff as effective counter arguments.

My opinion...to each his own.

now we're the ones waiting on the punch line...

 

[Momtomouselover]

I would like an opt out button too. As an AP holder we visit at least twice a year and sometimes split stays as well. All that paper, boxes, etc. add up and I feel wasteful tossing it out (or recycle where I can). Our last "set" of booklets for a split stay came a couple days ago. Two booklets in an Incredibles envelope (because we modified the stay so I guess we got two) and another booklet in the fancy box. The box is new to us and I appreciate it and will put little keepsakes in it but I don't need another one in the future.
.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I think eventually they will build something in MDE where you have to request bands/marketing material or at least give you a chance to opt-out.

 

[LilyWDW]

Choosing to surprise a child is 100% the idea of the parent. Disney should not be expected to change the way they do things just because someone has this grand idea on how they want to reveal the trip.

And adding a plain envelope to mail that in? No thank you! More waste of money and paper that doesn't have to be done.

I have honestly not seen THAT many complaints about this and in fact have seen more of the opposite. People get really excited when these items show up. So Disney is not going to change things because of the feelings of a minority of their guests.

 

[eeyore45]

trying to get an elusive "code" we signed up for everything, Movie rewards, DVC etc - so we always get mail -

unless they read the mail!

 

[L&Lfan]

Ever since they started with the whole My Disney Experience probably thousands of surprise trips have been ruined. From the Magic Bands, the USB Drives to explain MDE, to the Fast Pass + booklet, to the magnets, etc they have gone way overboard. And with the amount of anger this has caused, I am very surprised they are still doing it. I have seen so many posts by people who have written guest services to complain and yet nothing has changed. Sigh.

Disney probably won't care until people start actually canceling trips because the surprise was ruined. I don't see that happening, however...

 

[Okh]

Choosing to surprise a child is 100% the idea of the parent.

I got the idea from those Disney commercials and Disney social media sites.

 

[tzolkin]

Interesting. All of the things I mentioned have been delivered to us in very obvious packaging for our last 3 trips. All of them had the Incredibles plastered all over the outside.

Our MagicBands have always come in a plain unmarked cardboard box. The return address says "Experience Connection Center" not Disney. (Just got the package for our upcoming trip yesterday.) We also received a small flat box with info a while back, but that came in a plain padded envelope.

I would have dismissed the mailing the OP posted as advertising if my kids noticed it and we were planning a surprise.