~ It's a PROTEST! UPDATE! Disney PhotoPass called - it is fixed!!

[WebmasterAlex]

I'm real confused on how starting a Tweet and letter writing campaign to get a policy changed is blackmailing the company whose policy you are trying to change. Could you explain that for me?

Me too but what I'm mostly confused about is why in the world anybody cares so much? Are they afraid Disney will raise prices for everyone else if they give a discount?
Nobody has to participate in the tweets or letter writing and it's beyond me how anyone can see it as anything but a good cause.
Sometimes I swear people post just to be anti something

 

[eyor44]

Businesses that take care of our Wish Kids will get my business and "Go Disney" tweets for weeks for what they did for these kids!

Way to go Maroo! What a wonderful thing you have accomplished here.

I am so proud of you for the way you campaign and make such positive things happen for the Wish families. You Rock Girl!

 

[TCPluto]

I'm real confused on how starting a Tweet and letter writing campaign to get a policy changed is blackmailing the company whose policy you are trying to change. Could you explain that for me?

I suspect the jist of the statement is in regards to negaive pressure to force Disney to change the policy. I see the point they were trying to make.

This entire policy change is likely due to the fraud of all the photo pass shares. That took real money from Disney. So they had to change the policy, and many folks got hurt along the way.

Begrudging WDW for protecting their interests from theft is a bit odd. And a previous poster noted that the only way they could do a photo pass was with a share, werre they sepnt a small fraction of the total/real cost. This defrauded WDW out of a substantial amount of money when you added it all up.

Seems kind of rude to steal from WDW after they're already giving so much, don't you think???

 

[Mermaid02]

The hate, the vemon, the spite on this thread chills me to the bone. Do you heartless, cruel, hateful people not realize that you are scoffing at true heroes? They've had hardships you couldn't even imagine, damn it! How can you be so incredibly rude as to say that Wish kids don't deserve a dicount on their pictures, their memories?

I was a cancer kid, and a Wish kid. I know what it's like to have little money because of bills and other expenses due to my illness. It ate me up because I knew the hardship boiled down to me. And you seriously, SERIOUSLY don't think that it would be worth it to give them a discount, or get one free? Most Wish kids are sick or DYING. You think it's undermining Disney to give a dying kid's family a few more memories?

When I went on my trip I was 12, and well. But most Wish kids are younger and some have special needs or equipment. This takes good amounts of time and care, and I'm sure most parents couldn't juggle keeping their child comfortable and happy and try to take pictures at the same time. They honestly have enough on their plates already.

You are sick, sick people. This is shocking. Enjoy your health, your ability to buy a PP CD full-price. Many would do anything for it.

SERIOUSLY? This isn't a personal attack on ANYONE who didn't agree with what the OP was doing??
And BTW my health, not so great and my child has some mental health issues... but thanks for the judgement.

You missed the whole point. The Op was trying to blackmail Disney by going on a public board and asking to write protest e mails and letters.
She gave Disney a bad name and she did the WKF no favor.

Exactly!

 

[Ppufi]

I apologize. I just hate seeing people rip on things like this. I take it as a personal jab, and a jab at every kid who has ever suffered. It is truly some of the worst stuff you can go through.

But seriously, why is it such a big deal for them to get a discount? They're not cheating the system, or anything.

And I'm not saying no one who was saying that has ever suffered. I'm sorry, it just rubbed me the wrong way and I went into attack mode.

 

[RayaniFoxmur]

I suspect the jist of the statement is in regards to negaive pressure to force Disney to change the policy. I see the point they were trying to make.

This entire policy change is likely due to the fraud of all the photo pass shares. That took real money from Disney. So they had to change the policy, and many folks got hurt along the way.

Begrudging WDW for protecting their interests from theft is a bit odd. And a previous poster noted that the only way they could do a photo pass was with a share, werre they sepnt a small fraction of the total/real cost. This defrauded WDW out of a substantial amount of money when you added it all up.

Seems kind of rude to steal from WDW after they're already giving so much, don't you think???

I personally don't agree with Photopass shares myself, so I can understand why Disney made the policy, but I can also understand Maroo's point of view as well and why she would want to perhaps start letter writing campaign to get a policy changed. Not completely reversed mind you, but changed just a little bit.

I don't think anyone who's for the GKTW photopass discount is really begrudging Disney for wanting to protect their interests, but see another need from their perspective that was overlooked by Disney when the change occurred. I don't see that as wrong of Maroo or anyone who agrees and wanted to get the policy changed. They're not even asking for free photopass CDs, but the same discount for the GKTW families that onsite families get since many places automatically send their wish kids to GKTW without giving them an option for staying on site.

I don't agree or disagree with the policy itself, I'm neutral on the situation. But if Maroo wanted to start a letter writing campaign on a tweet campaign I believe she's well within her rights... policy's we don't agree with don't change on their own!

 

[stephielela]

i guess i am not seeing how it could really make a difference to disney financially if they offered a discount to wish families. i mean lets be serious, they are not the majority of visitors that disney sees, and mkes money off of, but they are some of the ones that the trip means the most to. i love disney and i am glad they do so much for wish families, but lets not act like they need the extra $50 from these families, and clearly the "higher ups" realized it too since they are working with the op to find a solution. they clearly don't feel bullied or blackmailed, and since it didnt take long for them to change their minds, they must realize they are doing the right thing. i am truly sorry for anyone who posted on this board and has experienced hardships, but why would anyone begrudge these families this small token? way to go for maroo for pursuing this! and incidently, those of you that opposed it, this post wasnt asking for a debate on the issue, it was asking for support, and if you didnt agree, there was no need to cause any misconstrued feelings here. i for one am thrilled at the result, which makes me far more likely to also purchase a photopass cd, at whatever the going rate is for my next trip.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

I apologize. I just hate seeing people rip on things like this. I take it as a personal jab, and a jab at every kid who has ever suffered. It is truly some of the worst stuff you can go through.

But seriously, why is it such a big deal for them to get a discount? They're not cheating the system, or anything.

And I'm not saying no one who was saying that has ever suffered. I'm sorry, it just rubbed me the wrong way and I went into attack mode.

yeah, me too. be well.

 

[Mermaid02]

I personally don't agree with Photopass shares myself, so I can understand why Disney made the policy, but I can also understand Maroo's point of view as well and why she would want to perhaps start letter writing campaign to get a policy changed. Not completely reversed mind you, but changed just a little bit.

I don't think anyone who's for the GKTW photopass discount is really begrudging Disney for wanting to protect their interests, but see another need from their perspective that was overlooked by Disney when the change occurred. I don't see that as wrong of Maroo or anyone who agrees and wanted to get the policy changed. They're not even asking for free photopass CDs, but the same discount for the GKTW families that onsite families get since many places automatically send their wish kids to GKTW without giving them an option for staying on site.

I don't agree or disagree with the policy itself, I'm neutral on the situation. But if Maroo wanted to start a letter writing campaign on a tweet campaign I believe she's well within her rights... policy's we don't agree with don't change on their own!

I think it's great that Disney is going to do this for these families..... I really have no problem with it...... I guess I'm just a little tired of the "boycott" this attitude (not that she was asking for a boycott- but you know what I mean) Just seems as a whole we are so quick to boycott someone or sue someone in this country. My son said something yesterday- can't even remember about WHAT but he said, "We should sue them" SERIOUSLY? Sue them? I explained to him that just because something doesn't happen the way you want it to- or turn out the way you hoped- you don't SUE everyone.

Okay, I feel better now. LOL

 

[DancingBear]

I apologize. I just hate seeing people rip on things like this. I take it as a personal jab, and a jab at every kid who has ever suffered. It is truly some of the worst stuff you can go through.

But seriously, why is it such a big deal for them to get a discount? They're not cheating the system, or anything.

I don't think anyone said they don't have compassion for these families, or that Disney can't afford to give the discount. What they were questioning is maybe it's not appropriate to start a very public "PROTEST" to try to obtain this particular discount (to reduce the price from $150 to $99) on this particular item against a Company which by all reports has been very generous to this cause.

Disney is a Platinum Corporate Hero for Give Kids the World and a Featured Sponsor of Make a Wish. You can read about the things they already do at:

http://www.gktw.org/corporateHeroes.asp?a=4&page=wdw
http://www.wish.org/supporters/current_sponsors/mission_champion/the_walt_disney_company

Including, for GKTW:

Back at Give Kids The World Village, Walt Disney World’s favorite characters visit twice a week – providing personal photo opportunities. Each family receives a printed portrait with the characters, presented in a specially designed Disney portfolio.

(And for that they were villified by an earlier poster for trying to make money off of these families by sending Photopass photographers over to the Village).

These organizations obviously have direct and regular connections with Disney management--they wouldn't need to call the general Photopass number to discuss this discount issue. Rather than start a "PROTEST" intended to publicly embarass Disney into offering this particular individual $50 discount, if the OP though this was important then perhaps she should have gotten GKTW to request this through their regular channels. I hope if she has any similar issues in the future she will give this some thought.

 

[Acklander]

i guess i am not seeing how it could really make a difference to disney financially if they offered a discount to wish families.

I don't think it makes much difference to Disney financially, and I'm not sure why this tweet/e-mail campaign bothered me. I guess it's because knowing how MUCH Disney (and the other theme parks) already gives to MAW and GKTW it seems a bit ungrateful to ask for more. The thing is, when you're sending a tweet, it's going to be short and brief. All you're sending is an "I want". Instead of doing a tweet campaign asking for more, we should all do a tweet campaign thanking them for all they do with Make a Wish - no strings attached.

 

[Ppufi]

I don't think anyone said they don't have compassion for these families, or that Disney can't afford to give the discount. What they were questioning is maybe it's not appropriate to start a very public "PROTEST" to try to obtain this particular discount (to reduce the price from $150 to $99) on this particular item against a Company which by all reports has been very generous to this cause.

Disney is a Platinum Corporate Hero for Give Kids the World and a Featured Sponsor of Make a Wish. You can read about the things they already do at:

http://www.gktw.org/corporateHeroes.asp?a=4&page=wdw
http://www.wish.org/supporters/current_sponsors/mission_champion/the_walt_disney_company

Including, for GKTW:

(And for that they were villified by an earlier poster for trying to make money off of these families by sending Photopass photographers over to the Village).

These organizations obviously have direct and regular connections with Disney management--they wouldn't need to call the general Photopass number to discuss this discount issue. Rather than start a "PROTEST" intended to publicly embarass Disney into offering this particular individual $50 discount, if the OP though this was important then perhaps she should have gotten GKTW to request this through their regular channels. I hope if she has any similar issues in the future she will give this some thought.

I can see what you mean. And believe me, Disney made my wish trip completely magical; I have no doub they give a lot for those charities. I guess the OP just thought this would bring the most timely results for the families going soon.

No hard feelings!

 

[PrincessBelle23]

I don't think it makes much difference to Disney financially, and I'm not sure why this tweet/e-mail campaign bothered me. I guess it's because knowing how MUCH Disney (and the other theme parks) already gives to MAW and GKTW it seems a bit ungrateful to ask for more. The thing is, when you're sending a tweet, it's going to be short and brief. All you're sending is an "I want". Instead of doing a tweet campaign asking for more, we should all do a tweet campaign thanking them for all they do with Make a Wish - no strings attached.

I don't think it's wrong to ask that you get free photos from your trip considering the reason for a make-a-wish trip to begin with. Those children go through hell and many wont ever make it back there. I agree that Disney does a lot for wish kids, but we just returned from a wish trip and i was somewhat disappointed. Universal was way more accomodating that Disney was, and some CMs were completely clueless and hardly acknowledged the "wish" girl. Disney doesn't hurt from giving out a lousy cd full of photographs to commemorate a trip that signifies something so important.

 

[fall08CP]

These kids can't stay on-site. They are not given a choice. They stay at GKTW as part of their wish.

When I was a front desk CM, we had tons of Make a Wish families stay with us through GKTW. GKTW was directly noted on their reservation and helped pay some, and Disney made up the difference. The families told us that they had the choice whether to stay at Disney or at GKTW.