DCL Party Planning Thread (combined threads)

[barney4liz]

That is great news! Thank you DCL! And thank you InstImpres for making the inquiry.

I hope they will also let my co-hostess use it though she is not an "official" HP host. Did they happen to say whether the code is linked to the host's name? I suppose it must be linked somehow otherwise people could give out the code.

I did not get that kind of detail. I know there are instances where we have to mail in certificates.

I am thinking they are counting on people to follow Jiminy Cricket's lead and "always let your conscience be your guide" and not share this code as it is only intended 1 person per certificate

I want to clarify that I did NOT mean that we BOTH would use it! I wanted to give it to her as a "thank-you" for helping with the party. When we were first told that we were getting OBC's for our guests, it was my intention to give her one of those.

 

[Soccer Princess]

It's positive time...

HERE IS SOME GREAT NEWS:

The $50 OBC for the host is combinable with all other offers and is now applicable to existing bookings.


This is directly from an email I received from Disney!!!!

Disney is listening and trying do right by everyone.

Enjoy the good news
Sandy

Awesome news! This brings our OBC up to $325!!

 

[InstImpres]

I want to clarify that I did NOT mean that we BOTH would use it! I wanted to give it to her as a "thank-you" for helping with the party. When we were first told that we were getting OBC's for our guests, it was my intention to give her one of those.

Sorry, that was not directed at you. I was just thought that sentence might prevent all the please PM me a code requests. My concern is the PMing could ruin it for everyone. I am hosting but can't use mine because of work and thought I could give it to the person renting me the party location.

Enjoy your party and hopefully you and your guests will have the chance to enjoy DCL soon!

 

[barney4liz]

Sorry, that was not directed at you. I was just thought that sentence might prevent all the please PM me a code requests. My concern is the PMing could ruin it for everyone. I am hosting but can't use mine because of work and thought I could give it to the person renting me the party location.

Enjoy your party and hopefully you and your guests will have the chance to enjoy DCL soon!

Yes, NO PM's please!!!

Sandy, do you know if they are still applying the date restriction? If my co-hostess is unable to use it for her July sailing, it would be nice to apply it to my existing booking but that is not until August 2009.

 

[Bareacuda]

We received our package yesterday and we are THRILLED!
Even if they sent nothing, I have enough items to show my guests(scrap books and posters) and I can give my guests the items that I would have given away in FE!!!
Good food and great time,good conversation toss in afew funny games makes a party great.

With the OBC is a BIG bonus for us... we've NEVER had a single penny of OBC. And we've done 14 cruises!!!

Hope everyone has a great time this weekend!

 

[PrincessAvie10]

I have really enjoyed planning my party. I am putting together a party navigator for my guests. Can anyone tell me the name of the shop on Castaway Cay?

 

[lillygator]

has anyone called yet to apply the OBC to an existing cruise?

 

[InstImpres]

I have really enjoyed planning my party. I am putting together a party navigator for my guests. Can anyone tell me the name of the shop on Castaway Cay?

She Sells, Sea Shells (with an x through Sea Shells)

 

[Soccer Princess]

I think it is She Sells Sea Shells and Everything Else.

 

[dsnygrl2003]

I just got off the phone with the director of marketing for Disney Cruise Lines who was calling me in response to the email I sent to Tom McAlpin President of Disney Cruise Lines. I sent the email after reading all the negative comments here on the boards and expressed our displeasure in the party packages.

He called to thank me for the feedback on the boxes we received. He then went on to explain some of what happened. He claimed that since this is thier first time throwing a house party, they turned to the house party people to help them put together what was in the packages. He said the first list of items that were posted here was just a rough draft of what they would have liked to put together in the packages and was not set in stone. He said that he was aware that the houseparty people had released that information to us and that they have said they made a mistake in doing so because it was not a done deal.

He told me about lifting the restrictions on the onboard credits and said there was new information about this on the house party site but I have not been there yet to see what it says. He said they now understand that we were not given enough things to fill the goody bags and that have now learned this for the next time. He said that they had originally had plans for Cruise lines merchandise like a cruise lines plush but that did not pan out for whatever reason so they turned to thier warehouse to fill the boxes with stuff they thought was comperable. He said they also turned to other departments for help with merchandise since they knew that children would be coming and what they got from that was the Peter Pan merchandise. He thought it was a great addition because it was a popular Disney character for the kids.

I told him we were not looking for expensive things but that the boxes really lacked the Cruise theme and was way too generic Disney. He said he totally agreed but they worked with what they had at the time it was needed. I told him we really did not appreciate getting 10 bags and then not enough stuff to add to the bags. I said on the ships they give away small items all the time that have the Disney cruise logo on them, small things like pens, keychains, magnets, stuff people could take home use and see the logo to remind them about Disney cruise lines, family fun magazines do not do that. He again said I was correct and that they have learned for the next time.

He told me he appreciates all that we have done to make these parties happen and even though the packages did not come out as planned that we still have a great time at the parties. I just thought I would pass on the info I had gotten from them and let everyone know that the higher ups at Disney are aware of our unhappiness. I also gave them the link to this thread in my original email to them so I hope they have read just some of the comments here too.

 

[allears]

Wow, I haven't really been on this thread much, my DW has been reading and the one deeply into the planning of our party. I've been putting away the Christmas decorations. But I'm floored about the negativity from what she has told me and what little I've chosen to read. If I remembe correctly when we all applied to be hosts, I don't think there was a list of items we'd be getting for the party, yet we chose to apply and share our excitement about DCL. Yet there are now a lot of complaints about the free stuff we've received.

We're very excited about the package and the party. Sure, everyone has their opinion on how things should or could be done better, but give the company a break, this is their first shot at this. And it's not a little endeavor, 1000 parties, that's a big deal. I do think constructive feed back will be very useful and productive and that DCL will learn from the experience and enhance it in the future.

I'm sure we'll all have a great time. Good luck to everyone and your parties.

 

[PrincessAvie10]

Thank you!

 

[InstImpres]

But I'm floored about the negativity from what she has told me and what little I've chosen to read. If I remembe correctly when we all applied to be hosts, I don't think there was a list of items we'd be getting for the party, yet we chose to apply and share our excitement about DCL. Yet there are now a lot of complaints about the free stuff we've received.

Just my 2 cents....you are right, no one did this for "the free stuff". It is unfortunate House Party released a list too early of items for the box before everything was confirmed. I think the negativity is more accurately disappointment, as people were planning around the original list. As others said, people on the HP site are thrilled with the boxes and that is because they had no expectations. Us DISers are just to savvy for our own good some times.

Me, I'll just hope UPS arrives with my box and have a great time anyhow. Since the parties are on a Saturday, we can pretend we at the sail away party and will be on board for the next 7 days. It will be discouraging Sunday morning when the "wait staff" at my house is looking for me to make serve Mickey Waffles instead of waiting on me Guess I'll have to go back to reality at some point.

I am sure everyone will have a MAGICal and WONDERful time!!

 

[Luckymomoftwo]

I think it is "She Sells Sea Shells"

 

[barney4liz]

But I'm floored about the negativity from what she has told me and what little I've chosen to read. If I remembe correctly when we all applied to be hosts, I don't think there was a list of items we'd be getting for the party, yet we chose to apply and share our excitement about DCL. Yet there are now a lot of complaints about the free stuff we've received.

I think you have to read the comments in the context of what a "House Party" (tm) is supposed to be. I did a lot of research on the HP site before applying to be a host, so I knew in advance that a typical party package included items for 10 gift bags for guests. Because the HP concept IS all about sharing the product with your guests, and the gift bags are planned accordingly.

As I mentioned above, the DCL Party package has some adorable things and the host thank-you's are very generous (nice plush, great litho, OBC -- now with restrictions lifted so we can actually use it).

However -- if you do some research about other HP's, it seems clear that the items included for the guests' gift bags were not well thought-out.

Just my .02! I have some very enthusiastic former and future cruisers coming, and I know we will have a blast. Party on!

 

[miatamel]

Wow, I haven't really been on this thread much, my DW has been reading and the one deeply into the planning of our party. I've been putting away the Christmas decorations. But I'm floored about the negativity from what she has told me and what little I've chosen to read. If I remembe correctly when we all applied to be hosts, I don't think there was a list of items we'd be getting for the party, yet we chose to apply and share our excitement about DCL. Yet there are now a lot of complaints about the free stuff we've received.

We're very excited about the package and the party. Sure, everyone has their opinion on how things should or could be done better, but give the company a break, this is their first shot at this. And it's not a little endeavor, 1000 parties, that's a big deal. I do think constructive feed back will be very useful and productive and that DCL will learn from the experience and enhance it in the future.


Well, for me, it was this: I applied and was thrilled to be accepted not knowing what was in the party package. But I applied knowing there WAS a party package--which, for me, meant there was going to be something to help make the party fun and special. Maybe a little something to set up as decoration but certainly something to hand out to guests. I had perused the HP site before I applied and looked at some of the past parties and went by that when I applied. Again, it was NOT about getting something free for myself but making it a fun, unusual party and for the guests to leave with something that made them smile and be even more curious about DCL (nobody around me has ever been). These goodie bags in no way do that. And while it is their first shot, I imagine these other HP parties were first shots, too, (Friday Night Lights, Clairol, Gerber) and they seemed to manage a bit better. It is just uncharatercistic of Disney, is all, as I think most would agree, not to do better than this.

ETA: OTOH, I probably would NOT have applied had there been NO party package. I really did need help with favors, etc as I mostly only have pics from cruises and nowhere around me to buy Disney stuff and certainly not alot of $$ to go fill goodie bags with stuff without help from the party site. So I think knowing there was something coming was definitely an incentive to apply to host and therefore we are somewhat justified in being upset.

EDITED AGAIN: UHHH, BARNEY4LIZ SAID IT MUCH MORE ELOQUENTLY THAN ME!!

 

[SILLYANDI]

Wow, I haven't really been on this thread much, my DW has been reading and the one deeply into the planning of our party. I've been putting away the Christmas decorations. But I'm floored about the negativity from what she has told me and what little I've chosen to read. If I remembe correctly when we all applied to be hosts, I don't think there was a list of items we'd be getting for the party, yet we chose to apply and share our excitement about DCL. Yet there are now a lot of complaints about the free stuff we've received.

We're very excited about the package and the party. Sure, everyone has their opinion on how things should or could be done better, but give the company a break, this is their first shot at this. And it's not a little endeavor, 1000 parties, that's a big deal. I do think constructive feed back will be very useful and productive and that DCL will learn from the experience and enhance it in the future.

I'm sure we'll all have a great time. Good luck to everyone and your parties.

I guess it's easier said when you actually receive your package. My party is in 24 hours and I have nothing from Disney. The best I've got was "it should be here sometime today". Don't get me wrong, I don't want freebies and the House Party people have been very helpful (as much as they can be) and responsive. But when you are expected to promote something and you have no chance to preview what you are handing out to your FRIENDS, it kinda makes the whole thing seem shady. I have no option if the DVD doesn't work. I have very little time to sit down and review what Disney is asking me to "sell" to my friends. I have an idea what gaps I will haveto fill in the goodie bag department, but that all cane from the DIS not Disney itself. That is my beef-freebies or not.

 

[Mi3stooges]

It's positive time...

HERE IS SOME GREAT NEWS:

The $50 OBC for the host is combinable with all other offers and is now applicable to existing bookings.


This is directly from an email I received from Disney!!!!

Disney is listening and trying do right by everyone.

Enjoy the good news
Sandy

Great news indeed!!! Thanks for that research!!

 

[Tikihula]

Great news indeed!!! Thanks for that research!!

I received that email today, too. Disney is listening!!

"As a matter of fact, based upon your feedback, we want to take this opportunity to advise hosts who are already booked on a future Disney cruise that the $50 onboard credit you received with your party pack can now be applied toward your existing booking and is combinable with other offers."

 

[kpros]

Just a quick question. Has anyone received a confirming E-mail that they are entered in the House Party Host drawing? The HP webpage says e-mail will go out before the drawing confirming your entry.

Ken