People who won, how did you do it?

[june@imsarc.com]

What I mean is, did you just happen to walk into a CM who said "you won!" Or did you all wear the same color shirts to stick out, make your kids have sad puppy dog faces when you went by a CM? I want to win--how did you do it?

 

[BroadwayGirl]

What I mean is, did you just happen to walk into a CM who said "you won!" Or did you all wear the same color shirts to stick out, make your kids have sad puppy dog faces when you went by a CM? I want to win--how did you do it?

If you are talking about Dreams prizes there is no way to predict who will be a winner. The system is COMPLETELY RANDOM so as to prevent any charges of partiality or unfairness. Even Dream Squad members are kept in the dark until it is actually time to award a prize.

 

[T-i-double-g-err]

My understanding is that the official dreams are completely blind. A computer randomly generates the prize, the place and time and whoever is there wins. We, as well as everyone else in our simulator, won dream fastpasses one morning at Star Tours. I read a news article that pretty much said one of the Cinderella Castle Suite winners won becuase he was in a particular seat, in a particular simulator at Star Tours, at a particular time.

 

[PaulaMurf]

DS and I were walking up the line (the covered part that you cant see from outside of the ride) and the Dream Team CM's were standing in the queue.

Very cool. They also let the other members of our party who had not been in line get the Dream Fastpasses once we got off the ride and brought them back up so we could all stay together!

Good Luck!!

 

[Brise Nannie]

My understanding is that the official dreams are completely blind. A computer randomly generates the prize, the place and time and whoever is there wins.

That's my understanding also and I tend to believe it's true. We won Fastpasses from the Dream Team while my DGSs were playing a virtual robot game. Everyone (players and spectators) won passes and we never saw it coming until the CM made a special announcement. All of a sudden a 'vested' Dream Team member appeared out of nowhere telling us we'd won a special prize!

 

[june@imsarc.com]

Cool stories! Leave it to Disney to be absolutely fair about this--Kudos to them!

 

[Debs Hill]

Are wishes granted only in the parks or are they also given out at the Disney resorts, water parks, downtown etc. I'm trying not to get my hopes up for a win in July, but we're there for 3 weeks, so if I don't even see the dream team I'll be gutted!!!
Debsx

 

[kaytieeldr]

There's a difference between "YoaMD" Prizes, and Wishes. Surprise Wishes are granted randomly by numerous CMs all over the property; prizes are awarded by the Dream Team in a contest run by an independent agency.

eta: So, while the contest prizes are awarded 'only' at the four major parks, Downtown Disney, DisneyLand Resort, and by postcard drawing... anyone, anywhere could be given something unexpected by a Cast Member!

 

[starbox]

There's a difference between "YoaMD" Prizes, and Wishes. Surprise Wishes are granted randomly by numerous CMs all over the property; prizes are awarded by the Dream Team in a contest run by an independent agency.

"Wishes" are the sorts of things that CMs have done forever - a free trading pin off a lanyard, a ride in the front of the monorail, etc.

The YOMD prizes are totally random. I don't think there is anything anyone can do to "get picked". For example, when we were there in January, we saw a child recieve a shopping spree with Princess Aurora in Tinkerbell's Treasures. I am sure that the instructions were to pick the fifth child that entered or something like that - but it just so happened to be in the midst of a downpour so the place was filled with people who don't normally hang out in Tinkerbell's dress shop. The "Dream" was given to a three/four year old boy that was clearly having trouble finding anything he wanted.

IMHO, I think if you try to do something to get picked, it won't help you win a random prize and it may even hurt your chance of getting a "wish", since it seems like CM's try to pick people that don't expect it.

 

[littleelvis]

It is completley random. We arrived at the CR yesterday and headed straight to MK. We won 3 magical moments yesterday. So far today--zero. But what a way to start off our vacation.

Thought I would pop in while the kids are napping. Tonight is EMH at MK.

And we didn't do anything special either. Just right time right place.

 

[Gonz Of Lancashire]

We were all on Living With The Land at EPCOT when a CM came up to our boat as we were getting off and everyone we sailed with got a YOAMD lanyard with a couple of YOAMD pins attached.

 

[F1Julie]

We were in the right place at the right time. We got Dream FastPasses while in line for Triceratop Spin. It's completely random.

 

[Kristi DeLorenzo]

Sometimes they are waiting when you exit a ride(won pins getting off Space Mountain) Or try doing an activity(the recycling race @ Epcot)Good Luck!

 

[vsimeone]

Well, maybe we cheated! It was NYE morning - early - 8amish or so - at the MK and we were in a practically deserted park! We were walking through Fantasyland and saw Mary Poppins riding the carousel. I said that I wanted to ride with Mary and ran and got in line. Well, while we were in line, a Dream Team crew came in behind us. We thought "yippee! it's our last day of 10 days and we are FINALLY going to WIN something!" Well, when our turn came, Mary got off the carousel (DARN) but we were hoping for a prize so we weren't TOO disappointed. UNTIL... my family got on and after our ride started, the Dream Team started handing out ears to the people waiting to get on the NEXT ride We couldn't believe it! How could we miss Mary AND ears?!?!?

When we got off the ride, the Dream Team was STILL handing out ears to people getting in line so we ran and got in line again, got our ears and rode the carousel again!

Not sure if that's cheating but we had a great laugh, and a great time.

After we got off the ride for the SECOND time, we were walking through a deserted Frontierland and ran into another CM with the Dream Team uniform on. We were sort of whispering and pointing - as we had done every day for 10 days when we saw them - and he congratulated us for winning the ears. He then struck up a conversation with us and told us we could be Honorary Citizens of WDW if we could answer some trivia. We all scored perfect except my DH who couldn't answer a question right! We all coached him along. DS had to act like Goofy and we all had to sing Zippidy Doo Dah and we got our badges. It was really fun.

Hard to imagine just a few hours later when the MK was WALL TO WALL people that it had been so deserted early and that we had gotten so much personal attention!

I love reading all the stories of the prizes. What a great promotion!

 

[jaysbabe]

We won Fastpasses from the Dream Team while my DGSs were playing a virtual robot game. Everyone (players and spectators) won passes and we never saw it coming until the CM made a special announcement. All of a sudden a 'vested' Dream Team member appeared out of nowhere telling us we'd won a special prize!

My DS and I were in Innoventions last week playing the robot game and the same thing happened to us. We each got a lanyard with 2 YOMD pins. The dream team kind of hung around for a while and even awarded the group that was waiting in line behind us!! (I guess they like the robot game) -- HEE HEE

 

[Piglet4Ever]

DH and I were exiting HM and a CM was there handing out Dream Fast Passes. It was our last day at WDW so needless to say we were very excited!!

 

[dancemomnj]

In November we were getting off the Peter Pan rider and they called a bunch of us to the side and awarded us our Dream Fast Passes. We were so happy. It was so crowded, a Thursday during Jersey Week at the Magic Kingdom. People were asking how they could get them, can you buy them.... It turned out to be a truly amazing day!

 

[Dreams-are-4-real]

My understanding is that the official dreams are completely blind. A computer randomly generates the prize, the place and time and whoever is there wins. We, as well as everyone else in our simulator, won dream fastpasses one morning at Star Tours. I read a news article that pretty much said one of the Cinderella Castle Suite winners won becuase he was in a particular seat, in a particular simulator at Star Tours, at a particular time.

What i keep hearing that Star Tours is the place to be to win it seems that every story has Stars Tours in it!! i would check it out if i were you!!!

 

[sticker231]

We walked off Rio del Tiempo and won. I guess I we had jumped off we wouldn't have won. They were giving the pin lanyards to everyone as they were exiting the boats, just lucky timing.

 

[KrazyKowboy]

There's a difference between "YoaMD" Prizes, and Wishes. Surprise Wishes are granted randomly by numerous CMs all over the property; prizes are awarded by the Dream Team in a contest run by an independent agency.

eta: So, while the contest prizes are awarded 'only' at the four major parks, Downtown Disney, DisneyLand Resort, and by postcard drawing... anyone, anywhere could be given something unexpected by a Cast Member!

I think maybe we had a taste of both last week at the Magic Kingdom.

When exiting the BTMRR we were greeted by a Dream Team Squad and given YOAMD lanyards and pins. Each member of our group of 7 got one.

Later as we were in the que line to SM my daughter had to step out of line for a restroom break. The rest of us were about to the building entrance and my grand daughter was crying because she thought we'd have to ride with out her mom. We stood to the side letting others by as we waited for her to return and when she did the CM at the entrance gave us fast passes to continue on without the wait in the standby line. It was very thoughful and added a bit of magic to our day.