Another year, another million dreams
posted by ScottPowers on Aug 7, 2007 11:19:46 AM
As Walt Disney World moved from the millenial "2000 Celebration" to Walt Disney's birthday "100 Years of Magic" celebration to
Disneyland's 50th anniverary "Happiest Celebration on Earth" to this year's "Year of a Million Dreams," it seems the celebrations almost never end.
With four major celebration/promotional campaigns spanning most of the past eight years, the obvious question is: what's next?
How about another year, of another million dreams.
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has decided to extend its popular "Year of a Million Dreams" promotion through the end of 2008, spokesman Rick Sylvain announced. The program is highlighted by daily, numerous giveaways of prizes, which can be as simple as FASTPASS tickets or seats on parade floats, or as grand as around-the-world vacation packages or a night in Cinderella Castle. All are awarded to randomly selected visitors.
Since the "year" debuted in Oct. 2006, the campaign has been credited by everyone from local park officials to Walt Disney Co. President Bob Iger with helping drive a strong and steady surge in customers at Disney World's four theme parks over the past year or so.
"This has been a huge success with our guests and our cast members to date more than 846,000 dreams have been awarded to our guests at Walt Disney World and at Disneyland," Sylvain said. "We expect to hit a magical one million dreams late next month."
"Because it has so resonated with guests, Year of a Million Dreams has helped drive a strong year for Disney Parks and Resorts," Sylvain said.
Word went out earlier this month to Walt Disney World passholders.
The campaign has shined new luster onto a customer-service image that Disney Parks and Resorts officials insist they always have fostered: that visitors may expect unexpected pleasures at any moment. I've seen people picked to march in parades. And I've seen two little girls invited to make cookies at the Main Street Confectionery The girls, about 6 and 8, were starstruck. But most times I've been to Disney in the past 10 months or so -- and I pretty much go weekly -- I saw no giveaway moments. Magic Kingdom alone draws 16 million people a year, so the vast majority of the millions of people who come to Disney during the celebration, of course, won't win, and might not see anyone else win.
Still the campaign also has garnered Disney widespread, localized publicity from hometown media whenever someone has been selected for one of the big prizes, such as when an Ohio family won the right to have the Magic Kingdom theme park all to themselves one morning.
There may be new wrinkles coming. Sylvain said he couldn't yet provide details of the next year of dreams, but said they had "plans for exciting new awards in 2008."