Contest Mail-in Entries

[Another Voice]

Breaking this out for the other thread:

Here, as best as my non-legal mind can understand these things, are the bits of the Official Rules that pertain to mail-in entries:

Also, starting on September 18, 2006, eligible participants can enter without being present in a Disney Property by writing their full name, complete mailing address (including postal code), daytime telephone number (including area code), and date of birth on a 3"x5" postcard and sending it with proper postage affixed to: (i) if a legal resident of the United States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada or Mexico: P.O. Box 8629, Elmhurst, IL 60126; or (ii) if a legal resident of the United Kingdom: Disney Dream Giveaway, 483 Green Lanes, London N13 4BS. Participants may enter once per day during the Giveaway Period. All mail-in entries must be mailed separately, postmarked by December 31, 2007 and received by January 14, 2008 or they will be void.

Although both attendees and mail-in entrants are eligible to be selected as winners, certain prizes are Disney Property-specific (for example, DREAM FASTPASS badges, events and overnight stays) and may require same day use, and therefore, are only available to participants present at the California Disney Properties or the Florida Disney Properties (or certain parks or locations within each), as applicable. Mail-in entrants selected to receive a Disney Property-specific prize will be awarded an alternate prize.

For each prize or Batch of prizes, the Sponsor must first randomly select the pool of entrants from which a winner or winners will be selected. The randomly selected pool of entrants for a particular prize or Batch of prizes will be either: (i) the pool of mail-in entrants received that day; or (ii) the individuals visiting a location that is randomly selected that day from among the many locations within the Disney Properties suitable for that prize or Batch of prizes.

If, on any given day, the mail-in entry pool is randomly selected: the winner(s) of the applicable prize(s) will be determined at random from among all eligible mail-in entries received on the applicable day. All eligible mail-in entries will be bundled and bagged on the date received, except that eligible mail-in entries received between September 18, 2006 and September 30, 2006 will be deemed to have been received on October 1, 2006 and mail-in entries received between December 31, 2007 and January 14, 2008 will be deemed to have been received on December 31, 2007. Also, for Sundays and U.S. postal holidays on which Disney Properties are open, all eligible mail-in entries received during the prior six (6) mail delivery days will be included in the Sunday or holiday (as applicable) prize selection pool. Mail received in the UK on a U.S. postal holiday will be included in the U.S. postal holiday prize selection pool along with the prior six (6) mail delivery days. For UK postal holidays on which Disney Properties are open, all eligible mail-in entries received at the UK postal address for this Giveaway on the day after the UK postal holiday will also be included in the prize selection pool on the day of that UK postal holiday. Please note that the U.S. and UK holiday calendar will govern this Giveaway. On approximately the 20th day of each month during the Giveaway Period, and on or about January 20, 2008, Marketing Resources, Inc., an independent judging organization engaged by Creata, will conduct random drawings at Marketing Resources, Inc.'s offices in Elmhurst, Illinois to award the prize(s) for each of the days of the immediately preceding month for which mail-in entrants were to be awarded a prize(s). Each drawing will be from among all eligible mail-in entries received on or allocated to the day for which the drawing is taking place. Potential winners from the mail-in entry pool will be notified by mail or telephone (at Sponsor's sole discretion) within approximately fifty five (55) days after each monthly drawing. If a prize requiring winner to be present at a Disney Property is designated for award (such as a DREAM FASTPASS badge or the one-night stay at the Cinderella Castle Suite), a winner entering via mail will receive an alternate prize of comparable or greater approximate retail value as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, such as a special edition pin and lanyard, a special edition Dream Mouse Ears or a merchandise gift basket (which may include a Disney Gift Card).

In addition, in order for a resident of Canada to be declared a winner, he/she must first correctly answer, without assistance of any kind in ascertaining the correct answer, whether mechanical or otherwise, a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question to be administered in person or by mail or telephone, at Sponsor's option.

Am I, with my my feeble non-legal mind, seeing this right? Half of the prizes are going to given to mail-in entries (see the third quote)? Better still, mail-in entries won’t be getting FastPasses or free ride photos – but something of equal or greater value? I won’t win the stay in the castle, but I’ll accept that for 15 months of chances to win cruises, DVC memberships or the other big prizes (and a bonus chance on Sundays!).

I wonder how many people are going start mailing in their daily postcard.

All of the rules can be found here: http://adestinations.disney.go.com/...MP=OTC-VanURLYOMDRulesEng#YOMDParticipateText

 

[BeccaGrace]

OMG, I was totally thinking that I was only mailing daily entries between now and THIS December...I totally missed the part that I'm going to be doing this for 18 months...hmmm, THAT could get expensive Maybe I'll just limit myself to weekly ones in that case!

But yeah...you read it right. Start mailing in those entries...no more than one per day (which I'm assuming if they did check would be by the postmark date?)!

 

[DannyDisneyFreak]

Okay, someone tell me what to do because this is so confusing....

 

[DannyDisneyFreak]

In addition, in order for a resident of Canada to be declared a winner, he/she must first correctly answer, without assistance of any kind in ascertaining the correct answer, whether mechanical or otherwise, a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question to be administered in person or by mail or telephone, at Sponsor's option.

Does this mean Canadians have to pass a math test to win?

 

[Jason71]

Very curious to see what value WDW puts on a night in the Castle...

 

[DannyDisneyFreak]

Very curious to see what value WDW puts on a night in the Castle...

Starting at the end of January 2007, three hundred and seven (307) ONE-NIGHT STAYS AT CINDERELLA CASTLE SUITE are available: AEach prize consists of a ONE-NIGHT STAY ON THE NIGHT PRIZE IS AWARDED for winner and up to five (5) guests at the Cinderella Castle Suite in the Magic Kingdom® Park. Prize includes: dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table, photos with Cinderella, VIP viewing for SpectroMagic and/or Wishes shows (subject to availability) and select snacks and non-alcoholic beverages in the room. Each winner may also be celebrated in the Magic Kingdom® Park daytime parade (at Sponsor's sole discretion). ARV of each prize: US$587.

$587, I'm very curious how they came up w/ that amount and will you be able to stay there after the YMD?

 

[Another Voice]

Okay, someone tell me what to do because this is so confusing....

The first box quote in the main post contains all the requirements. It seems to me to be a typical "no purchase required" post card kind of deal - fill out a post card with everything that Disney wants and mail in one a day.

Does this mean Canadians have to pass a math test to win?

My guess is that it's due to Canadian law. Disney is awarding the prizes at random - meaning everything is up to chance. In some places that can be interupted as gambling. But if you have to answer a question - then it becomes a game of "skill".

I'm very curious how they came up w/ that amount and will you be able to stay there after the YMD?

The way I read the rules, it's likely that half of all the stays in the castle will be "awarded" to mail-in entires. Since the winners won't be at WDW to claim their prize, Disney will have to send them something of equal or greater value. Disney probably picked the lowest price existing hotel room of equal size from the Deluxe resorts and priced the castle room the same. I'm sure if they rent out the room after the giveaway, Disney will suddenly discover the room is valued at hundreds of dollars more per night.

This also brings up an interesting point. The Castle Room is only going to be given away 307 nights during the full 18 months of the campaign. And then based on the rules, by odds 50% of the time the winner won't be a guest at WDW. So on most days you won't even have a chance to win, let alone be face the 1 in 150,000 odds.

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

Quite honestly... How many people do we think will send in a daily postcard???? Anyone venture to guess? I know I won't be... but maybe my wife, my 2 boys, my parents, my wife's parents, her sisters and their kids will....

 

[Keyser]

Just a couple of comments:

- While it says the pool from which the winner will be drawn (on-site or mail-in) will be selected randomly each day, it does not say that the odds will be equal for the two pools. "Random" does not (necessarily) mean "equal chance." They could make it random, with 1% odds of the mail-in pool being selected. They could give each major park an equal shot (thus making the odds of the mail-in pool being selected 1/7). Or, they could have a random drawing weighted, e.g. by the number of mail-in entries received and the number of park entries for the day. This last one is the one I'd have used, in keeping with the "give mail-in entries an equal chance to park entries" concept that is probably the reason why the mail-in option is even available. I'm surprised this isn't specified more clearly one way or the other.

- Second, I'd be willing to bet (though I haven't done the math) that if the pools are selected by a weighting based on number of entries received/number of park entries, the expected return on a postcard entry (since each must be mailed individually) would be less than the cost of a stamp - i.e. you'd be better off to save your money (not to mention effort). But, if the odds are actually 50/50 (or even 1/7), and if only a few people mail in entries each day (I have no idea how often people will mail these in), you could end up with a significant advantage by mailing in your entries.

 

[Another Voice]

The way I read the rules is that first a prize is selected to be awarded. Then one of two pools is "randomly selected" (in-park or mail-in) to receive that prize. The rules don't say anything about weighting the pools differently, a rather significant point. If the pools were weighted in some way, wouldn't they also have to expalin that process in the rules?

Also the prize will awarded to the mail-in entries that were received that day. Since Disney could not know how many cards they will recieve when the pools are picked, there would be no way for Disney to "weight" the size of the pools.

Lastly, the "Odds" section of the rules mention nothing about mail-in entries having different odds than in-park people. It's soley based on the number of other mail-in entries. If the pools were weighted, then my odds on in a post card would be affected by the number of people in the parks.

Odds
The odds of being randomly selected as a winner on a given day depend on the number of eligible participants at a selected location or within the mail-in entry pool for the time or date (as applicable) selected. A person may win more than one prize. Odds of winning a prize in the second chance drawing, if any, depend on the number of un-awarded prizes randomly allocated to mail-in entrants, if any, and the number of eligible mail in entries received.

I haven't done the math either (I'm not that bored), but it sure seems like mailing in a post card will produce a much better return than going to WDW. And certainly while there are going to be thousands of people in the Magic Kingdom every day dreaming of winning the DVC membership - there are going to be a lot few people that send in a mail-in entry. I'll take my chances with the smaller pool.

 

[Lewisc]

I'm not an expert in contest rules, laws and regulations. I assume the opposite, if the pools weren't weighted it would say something like both pools have an equal chance of being selected.

Awarding a cash equivalent to a night in the royal bedchambers doesn't make much sense. I'd assume the mail in is some kind of legal requirement. Don't most contests say purchase not necessary?

My guess. The weighing will approximate the total number of post cards vs the total number of guests at WDW. Disney might even use something like maximum park capacity or even maximum capacity of WDW including resorts in weighing. I can't picture that many people sending a daily post card so the weighing would be toward live guests. The thrust of the contest is CM magically selecting guests. I'd expect the rules would be interpreted in a way that would allow Disney to award more prizes to live guests. Disney would then pick an actual location if a live guest was selected.

The way I read the rules is that first a prize is selected to be awarded. Then one of two pools is "randomly selected" (in-park or mail-in) to receive that prize. The rules don't say anything about weighting the pools differently, a rather significant point. If the pools were weighted in some way, wouldn't they also have to expalin that process in the rules?

 

[Another Voice]

The thrust of the contest is CM magically selecting guests.

But the rules say the exact opposite.

Two "pools" are created - in-park and mail-in.

A computer randomly picks a prize.

It them randomly selects which pool will be used.

Since the rules say the computer "randomly selects" the pool to use, and since it only has two choices, the odds are 50-50 the prize will go to the mail-in entires. If there was a weighting factor involved, the choice would no longer be "random", a fact that would have to be mentioned in the rules.

If the computer picks the mail-in pool, a random drawing of all the post cards recieved that day is held. Your odds of winning are based on the number of cards that were recived the day the prize was picked.

If the computer picks "in-park", it then picks a location and time to award the prizes. The computer sends the "Disney Dream Squad" to place picked, and those people them give the prize to the first guest at the right location at the right time. It doesn't matter how many people are in the park, you just have to be at the right place at the right time. And there's no "cast members magically selecting" anything - that would be a legal nightmare.

In fact what I think happened was that Disney's marketing "thrust" ended up in a tangle. This resulted in a few uninteneded changes to the game, like the mail-in entires.

 

[Lewisc]

A computer can randomly select two choices with odds other than 50-50. Awarding prizes to the mail order entries on even days of the week, only on Saturday, only on the first day of the months etc wouldn't be random. It's certainly random if the mail in entries only have a 10% chance of being selected. I don't think random has to mean equal chance.

I roll a die. If the number is 1 the mail in pool is selected. If the number is 2,3,4,5 or 6 the park pool is selected. Assuming an honest die this is random, just not even.

You're assuming Disney would have to specify if the random didn't mean 50-50. I'm assuming the opposite, Disney would have said both pools have an equal chance of being selected if that's what was intended.

Probably only a lawyer who understands contest rules would know exactly how to that phrase can be interpreted.

Contests can't generally require a purchase, I wonder if theme park admission comes in that category.

edited to say, I understand your interpretation, I just think the wording gives Disney the ability to at least weigh the selection to reflect the number of entrants in each pool.

Since the rules say the computer "randomly selects" the pool to use, and since it only has two choices, the odds are 50-50 the prize will go to the mail-in entires. If there was a weighting factor involved, the choice would no longer be "random", a fact that would have to be mentioned in the rules.

 

[DannyDisneyFreak]

If the computer picks "in-park", it then picks a location and time to award the prizes. The computer sends the "Disney Dream Squad" to place picked, and those people them give the prize to the first guest at the right location at the right time. It doesn't matter how many people are in the park, you just have to be at the right place at the right time. And there's no "cast members magically selecting" anything - that would be a legal nightmare.

So it would be like the next person to sit on this bench or the next person to get into this line will win and the "Disney Dream Squad" will just be waiting? That is better then a CM just looking around thinking, "hmm... who should win... oh that chick is cute..."

 

[raidermatt]

You're assuming Disney would have to specify if the random didn't mean 50-50. I'm assuming the opposite, Disney would have said both pools have an equal chance of being selected if that's what was intended.

You could be right, but isn't that counter-intuitive?

I agree on the "random" point. Random does not mean equally weighted.

I'm not an expert either, but I believe the idea behind requiring the disclosure of contest rules is to ensure nobody is duped.

Look at it this way, if in-Park had a .0000000000001% chance of being selected, I'd think that's something the law would want people to know. As opposed to 50-50, which is a more intuitive assumption.

 

[raidermatt]

Also, from the USPS website:

Minimum and Maximum Sizes

Minimum Size

If a mailpiece is ¼ inch thick or less, it MUST be rectangular, and at least 3 ½ inches high by 5 inches long.

From Disney's rules:

...3"x5" postcard and sending it with proper postage...

 

[JNSNJNT]

Hi everyone!!

From a person who enter's contest everyday, I can answer some of these questions.

First
It says they want a 3 x5 postcard. Well USPS won't accept anything that size without an envelope so I suggest plain 3x5 notecards with all your info and place in a #10 envelope (long one) and address it as normal.

Second:
Disney has to offer this mail in contest because the law requires a "No Purchase necessary" clause. And if you have to purchase a ticket to be there then its against the law. Florida has ALOT of laws about sweepstakes. So they will probably have a certain amount of prizes to give away to the mail in contestants.

Third-
Canadians must answer a math question if they win but they usually ask what is 2 +2. Nothing really hard.

Fourth
Dinsey will require you to sign an affaidavit and give them you SS# if you win any prize over $600 which you will have to pay taxes on. These taxes vary in price because its added to your income. The night stay in the castle is close to the $600 so you might have to pay taxes on that.

I know I'm a newbie but I enter over 300 contest everyday and these rules seem like a newspaper to me

If you have any other questions please ask or PM me.

Good luck everyone!

 

[dwaters]

Quite honestly... How many people do we think will send in a daily postcard????

Lots.
There are sweepstakes boards and communties out there as big as The DIS.
(I'm part of them). This will be spread around to everyone.

It's true. You can't mail a 3x5 card. It's too small. I'd suggest USPS cards you can buy that are 3.5 x 5.5. I don't know why huge companies like Disney and their lawyers can never figure out that 3x5 is too small.

Good luck everybody.

 

[DancingBear]

Dinsey will require you to sign an affaidavit and give them you SS# if you win any prize over $600 which you will have to pay taxes on. These taxes vary in price because its added to your income. The night stay in the castle is close to the $600 so you might have to pay taxes on that.

Just to be clear, you're supposed to pay taxes on amounts smaller than $600, the $600 is just a reporting requirement. Just as you're supposed to pay taxes on the first dollar of gambling winnings or other small income items. But of course most folks don't.

 

[DC7800]

It says they want a 3 x5 postcard. Well USPS won't accept anything that size without an envelope so I suggest plain 3x5 notecards with all your info and place in a #10 envelope (long one) and address it as normal.

So, if you send a 3.5 x 5 postcard in does it automatically get disqualified? Does the USPS (or the contest people) really get out the ruler and check? Seems silly over 1/2 inch.