If you won the OMD sweepstakes which

[Dizzy4DL]

Grand Californian for sure!

I went to the site to enter for today....saw your name.
Congratulations!!

 

[Megajos24]

Congrats!!! Keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[larina]

I wanted to see your name (silly, but I did) so I went to the site thinking I'd have to wait through all the winners but your name came up next as the page loaded. It was cool.

 

[watkinsme]

I wanted to see your name (silly, but I did) so I went to the site thinking I'd have to wait through all the winners but your name came up next as the page loaded. It was cool.

Isn't it cool!

FTR - I have NEVER won anything like this....the most I have ever won was 40 bucks on my anniversary on a scratch off ticket...lol

I NEVER thought I would win - lol

 

[Nox54]

Isn't it cool!

FTR - I have NEVER won anything like this....the most I have ever won was 40 bucks on my anniversary on a scratch off ticket...lol

I NEVER thought I would win - lol

I just had to see your name, too, and waited through the other until I saw it
Congratulations!!!

and I would choose GCH, not even a doubt in my mind

 

[Sherry E]

watkinsme -

Congratulations! That is huge news because it is an outstanding prize. How amazing! In fact, I'm not even sure if a lot of people have read the fine print in the definition of what the exact prize is to see what it entails. I was shocked (when I was reading it the other day) to see what it included! It is a lot better than some other contests to win trips to Disneyland, that's for sure! It looks like all transportation is covered and you get spending money (in gift card form) too!

May I ask - how did you find out that you won? Did they e-mail you one day after you entered? Did they call you? How did you know? And if they called, was it an 800 number they called from? I'm sure people would love to know what to look out for in case they win too.

Is Disney actually giving you a choice of which hotel to stay at (many contest sponsors choose the hotel for you)? If they are letting you pick, stay at the Grand Californian. I prefer the size of the rooms better at the other 2 Disneyland Resort hotels, but I think, hands down, go for the "upscale" hotel if you have a choice. It's a great location. It's a beautiful hotel. It's the most expensive!

 

[ORMom2Four]

How awesome!

For sure I would stay at the Grand Californian!

 

[marciemouse]

Congrats on winning! I didn't even know about the sweeps... too much time on the DCL board lately, I guess! If I was in your shoes and already going to WDW, I'd pick DL, too. Either the Grand or Disneyland Hotel. Note that the Grand is closer to the park entrance, but as someone accustomed to WDW, either hotel will seem incredibly close to you!

Don't sweat planning for DL. It's totally doable. We were WDW vets who decided to give DL a try since we moved closer. Yeah, that resulted in being AP owners! Have fun!

 

[watkinsme]

watkinsme -

Congratulations! That is huge news because it is an outstanding prize. How amazing! In fact, I'm not even sure if a lot of people have read the fine print in the definition of what the exact prize is to see what it entails. I was shocked (when I was reading it the other day) to see what it included! It is a lot better than some other contests to win trips to Disneyland, that's for sure! It looks like all transportation is covered and you get spending money (in gift card form) too!

May I ask - how did you find out that you won?

I found out when Fedex showed up and left a letter on my front porch. We were at home so DH grabbed it. This was the first notification I got - no e-mail, no phone. I don't know how they got my address other than from the website (I book all my vacations/dining/ etc online) HOWEVER there is a second poster on the WDW board who said her DH got an e-mail from Ventura Associates (this is who my package was from) which said to respond ASAP then she got the package that had to be notarized and sent back

Did they e-mail you one day after you entered?

I got the package on Monday the 9th, my letter was dated the 6th, but at the bottom it had the date of Jan 3rd. My package included a letter, the form to fill out and notarize, a copy of the rules to read, and a return form (for postage) that said it must be in their office no later that 3pm on the 11th.

We left about an hour later, went to the bank - got it notarized, and to the fed-ex office that same day

According to the letter I would receive my next correspondence via us mail in 7 days - but it just so happens someone else said they were listed - and BEHOLD it was

Did they call you? How did you know? And if they called, was it an 800 number they called from? I'm sure people would love to know what to look out for in case they win too.

Is Disney actually giving you a choice of which hotel to stay at (many contest sponsors choose the hotel for you)? If they are letting you pick, stay at the Grand Californian. I prefer the size of the rooms better at the other 2 Disneyland Resort hotels, but I think, hands down, go for the "upscale" hotel if you have a choice. It's a great location. It's a beautiful hotel. It's the most expensive!

I have heard that we get a choice, but as soon as I get the next set of paperwork I will know more

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Sherry, looking at the website they say they choose winners 7 days at a time. But from the dates on OPs letter it sounds like they didn't actually do that.

 

[disneyfan4ever54]

Sherry, looking at the website they say they choose winners 7 days at a time. But from the dates on OPs letter it sounds like they didn't actually do that.

Yes, I know what you mean. They said the first drawing would be on the 11th for the dates of Jan. 1-7, but from reading the OPs post, they must have drawn them daily, or close to it.

 

[rentayenta]

Congrats! GCV all the way.

 

[PrincessSitka]

Congrats

 

[Sherry E]

I have heard that we get a choice, but as soon as I get the next set of paperwork I will know more

watkinsme -

Thank you so much for answering my questions - I really appreciate it and I think it will help other DIS'ers in knowing what to look out for if they win.

For example, I am not sure how many people would know to look for anything from Ventura Associates, via e-mail or FedEx. So that's a valuable bit of info right there. I would assume that a lot of people may just expect to see "Disney" or "Disney Destinations" or something like that on the correspondence.

Also, knowing that the notification could come by way of a FedEx package is crucial, too. Even though it sounds like the winners may get e-mails or FedEx packages, knowing that FedEx could possibly show up with an unexpected package is very important because it may affect whether or not people leave the house! (I wouldn't want to go out, only to come home and discover that FedEx had "attempted" delivery of something while I was gone, because it is a huge pain in the rear getting them to redeliver in my building - half of the time they give my packages to someone else in my building, even if I am home!)

Plus, I should add that sometime last year (November, I think it was), I won 4 Park Hoppers...and then promptly LOST them within the course of a few minutes, simply because I stepped into the other room after I entered the contest and was unavailable when the phone rang to let me know I won. The contest sponsor literally called me within 3 minutes of receiving my entry. I expected to get an e-mail, not a phone call...and not that soon. Since I was not available to answer the call when it came through, the contest people did not try again. They did not give me a second chance to claim my prize. They just moved on to the next person and gave them the Hoppers I won!

So because of that unfortunate experience that I had last year, I want to make sure that I - and everyone else - know exactly what might happen in the event of a win - how the notification is delivered, in what amount of time, who it comes from, etc. It's a lousy feeling when you know you won something and then lost it within minutes because you couldn't get to the phone!

Anyway, again, congratulations on winning this amazing prize and thank you so much for giving me the further scoop. I really hope you get to choose your hotel and that you can pick the Grand Californian. But if they send you to the Disneyland Hotel, that won't be bad either. The remodeled rooms are quite spacious and nice.

Sherry, looking at the website they say they choose winners 7 days at a time. But from the dates on OPs letter it sounds like they didn't actually do that.

3Minnies1Mickey -


Yep - you're right. It sounds as if they went against their own plan! Oh well, as long as we now know that the notification could come through FedEx or e-mail, and that it's from Ventura Associates as opposed to Disney, that's vital info right there. You can bet I will be stalking all the FedEx trucks I see parked on my street for the next month and a half!!

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

I know what you mean Sherry. We don't typically go in and out our front door because we park in the garage. But I'll definitely be checking my porch daily...hourly now.

 

[watkinsme]

watkinsme -

Thank you so much for answering my questions - I really appreciate it and I think it will help other DIS'ers in knowing what to look out for if they win.

For example, I am not sure how many people would know to look for anything from Ventura Associates, via e-mail or FedEx. So that's a valuable bit of info right there. I would assume that a lot of people may just expect to see "Disney" or "Disney Destinations" or something like that on the correspondence.

Also, knowing that the notification could come by way of a FedEx package is crucial, too. Even though it sounds like the winners may get e-mails or FedEx packages, knowing that FedEx could possibly show up with an unexpected package is very important because it may affect whether or not people leave the house! (I wouldn't want to go out, only to come home and discover that FedEx had "attempted" delivery of something while I was gone, because it is a huge pain in the rear getting them to redeliver in my building - half of the time they give my packages to someone else in my building, even if I am home!)

We didn't have to sign for the package - he just knocked and put it on my front porch

 

[duckwife]

Thanks to the OP, I checked out the contest again and discovered that it is open to Canadians! Most Disney contests aren't so I was not really paying attention to this one. I will definitely be entering every day from now on and watching for emails and Fed Ex trucks!
If we win, I would love to go to WDW but would probably opt for GCH at DL as it is so much closer to home!

 

[Sherry E]

We didn't have to sign for the package - he just knocked and put it on my front porch

In my building, unless I am able to intercept and get my packages from them, the FedEx and UPS people will just hand my packages off to other people in my building - signature or no signature - even if I am home and could have taken the package myself! It infuriates me to no end. If it's a package that requires a signature, they will buzz my apartment manager instead of buzzing ME, and have them sign for it. They are too lazy to buzz me and walk over to my apartment (but they claim they "don't have time" to come to me, and that it saves time to just deal with one person at the front of the building). If it's a package that does not need a signature, they will literally toss it over the balcony of either my apartment manager or one of the neighbors who has a balcony and assume it will reach me!

If FedEx buzzes my apartment manager to sign for something and the manager is not home, the FedEx guy will take MY package back with them in the truck, writing that the recipient "was not home" on the delivery slip - even if I WAS home!

And if my manager is out of town when FedEx tosses a no-signature-required package for me over their balcony, this means I do not learn about the package or receive it until the manager gets home!

The last FedEx delivery guy I dealt with actually wanted me to walk 2 blocks over to meet him so he could hand me my package after he attempted to leave it with my manager - who wasn't home - and I saw him leaving my street and called FedEx immediately! (I refused to go meet him and made him drive over here, but I had to run outside to take the package from him because he wouldn't get out of the truck.)

So, as you can see, it helps me immensely to know that the winning notification could come via FedEx without a warning e-mail - and that, when the package does arrive, it requires almost immediate attention as far as getting the notarization, and then shipping it back to Ventura Associates! This means I have to stay home at all times and literally keep watch for the FedEx delivery truck every day to make sure they do not hand a package for me off to someone else.

 

[Lynzer Torte]

That is so awesome! Please keep us updated all along the way so we can live vicariously through you!

 

[isisisme]

I will be interested to see if anyone wins from the text entry. That requires being able to receive text messages and gives them permission to call you at the number that you texted from. I am trying this out and have a friend at a different address using the online method to enter.
I do like just having to send one text each morning. (I have unlimited texting).