Glow Ears

[I❤MICKEY]

I purchased glow ears during our visit in September. The CM showed us how to turn them on/off using the little silver thing under the ear. We turned them off when we weren't in the park and they've been off since we got home. I'm packing for the trip and I can't get them to turn on. Does the battery get used even when they are off? Very disappointing.

 

[Avery's mom]

You will have to replace your batteries to get them to work again.

 

[Nomarian]

How long do the batteries last? Will they last a 4 day trip? If not, then what kind of batteries do they use?

 

[Avery's mom]

They take AAA batteries, and they will last for a 4 day trip. Ours lasted over a month!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I think the batteries that Disney puts in them do not last too long. Regular AAA batteries should last longer.

 

[I❤MICKEY]

In hindsight I should have taken the batteries out when we got home last time. I will remember to do that for this trip.

Packing the car and getting on the road tomorrow...

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Don't forget to bring extra batteries with you (and a tiny screwdriver). If you use the ears all day and for shows at night, the batteries will drain more quickly.

 

[cmwade77]

DON'T PANIC! Ok, now that we have the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference out of the way, let's talk about what the options are:

You can indeed buy new batteries and they will most likely work; however, there have been instances where that doesn't.

Disney actually has been very kindly giving out replacement batteries in the parks for free. If the ears still don't work, they will direct you to go to guest relations, who will take the ears and give you a voucher to get a new pair of ears. No one is quite sure why the stores can't simply exchange them directly, but this does provide an option that does not cost you anything as well.

Bottom line is Disney wants every pair that they have out there to be working properly as an advertisement and they are bending over backwards to make sure they are working properly. I am sure the price tag associated with them is another reason that Disney is doing all that they can to make sure that the owners of the ears are happy.

The amazing part about this is that it doesn't matter to them if you paid for the ears or got them free from the AP WOC event, they treat all of them equally.

Oh, and yes, the battery still drains when they are turned off as the radio receiver is still working to try to receive a signal. So the only way to prevent that is to remove the batteries. From what I have heard this is one of the reasons that they are replacing the batteries at no charge, as many people were not made aware of this.

Of course, as with ALL things Disney, your mileage may vary, but it should give you an idea of what to expect.

 

[Nonsuch]

In hindsight I should have taken the batteries out when we got home last time. I will remember to do that for this trip.

That is a good idea
The ears cannot be 100% "off", since some part of the circuitry must be active to sense the power "button" (which is not a mechanical switch).

 

[theluckyrabbit]

...Disney actually has been very kindly giving out replacement batteries in the parks for free. If the ears still don't work, they will direct you to go to guest relations, who will take the ears and give you a voucher to get a new pair of ears. No one is quite sure why the stores can't simply exchange them directly, but this does provide an option that does not cost you anything as well.

Bottom line is Disney wants every pair that they have out there to be working properly as an advertisement and they are bending over backwards to make sure they are working properly. I am sure the price tag associated with them is another reason that Disney is doing all that they can to make sure that the owners of the ears are happy.

The amazing part about this is that it doesn't matter to them if you paid for the ears or got them free from the AP WOC event, they treat all of them equally...

Of course, as with ALL things Disney, your mileage may vary, but it should give you an idea of what to expect.

Glad to hear that Disney is willing to deal with the defective ears, but our mileage varied quite a bit. We received our ears at the AP WOC event, and by the time of the Fantasmic! event, both pairs were not working (even with fresh batteries). F! CMs told us to exchange them, but when we tried, the CMs at the kiosk refused. They told us that since the ears were marked on the tag as being from the AP event, they could not be exchanged since they were free. When we said that Guest Relations had said exchanges were possible, they very reluctantly (with lots of attitude) found 2 pairs under the register and gave us those. Turned out that those pairs were defective (probably why they weren't out on the display) and one pair even had someone's name written inside (so it couldn't have been new). After F!, we finally found a nice CM who exchanged the 2nd pairs for new pairs, made sure they worked, and did everything with a smile. Yay for him!

A poster on another board said that she was refused batteries throughout DCA until she finally found a sympathetic CM by GRR. He gave her new batteries and installed them for her.

All this to say, if the policy on the GWTS ears has changed and trickled down to CMs by now, great! But, as with all things Disney, just be prepared that things might not go so smoothly.

 

[lizdotcom99]

Glad to hear that Disney is willing to deal with the defective ears, but our mileage varied quite a bit. We received our ears at the AP WOC event, and by the time of the Fantasmic! event, both pairs were not working (even with fresh batteries). F! CMs told us to exchange them, but when we tried, the CMs at the kiosk refused. They told us that since the ears were marked on the tag as being from the AP event, they could not be exchanged since they were free. When we said that Guest Relations had said exchanges were possible, they very reluctantly (with lots of attitude) found 2 pairs under the register and gave us those. Turned out that those pairs were defective (probably why they weren't out on the display) and one pair even had someone's name written inside (so it couldn't have been new). After F!, we finally found a nice CM who exchanged the 2nd pairs for new pairs, made sure they worked, and did everything with a smile. Yay for him!

A poster on another board said that she was refused batteries throughout DCA until she finally found a sympathetic CM by GRR. He gave her new batteries and installed them for her.

All this to say, if the policy on the GWTS ears has changed and trickled down to CMs by now, great! But, as with all things Disney, just be prepared that things might not go so smoothly.

When mine were purchased by an AP in September....she was told if the batteries run out...come back and see her..and she would replace the batteries...free of charge.

I am guessing that mine will not work when I get them in December as they were bought in September..but will be brand new. So, I am hopeful that this is all true!