Replacement for GAD?

[KittieKat]

Is it just me or does it seem really lame that it is being stopped. I mean, what did they expect? They knew people who sign up for this. And now 3 months in it has ended, and so has the promotion for the year.

Do you think they will replace this with anything else?

 

[shinysparklybubbles]

I'd like to know how many people will actually turn in their vouchers and follow through with volunteering.

 

[doconeill]

Volunteering has been taking place for two months now - Disney I'm sure has numbers as to what the actual completion rate is and has likely factored that in to the closing number. I think the completion rate was fairly high though...it is one thing to register your birthday way in advance, as you may not have even planned your trip yet. But the volunteering couldn't be scheduled more than 60 days in advance, and you were making a commitment to an organization that needed your help. And that is independent on whether you actually make use of your ticket or not.

This promotion was never advertised to be for the entire year. I still think it caught Disney by surprise at the response.

 

[elleherself]

To answer your question, yes I do think it is sad that the promotion has ceased. With 1 million volunteers achieved this quickly, imagine the good that could have come out of running the program for the whole year. But they made the commitment for 1 million tickets and it looks like they are sticking to that.

 

[MouseloverJD]

I do think its sad. I read somewhere that its Disney's count is actually based on 1 million people that signed up at the Disney site for the program not really 1 million who volunteered or 1 million vouchers. There are plenty of organizations that would have benefit from volunteers in the fall or winter.

 

[doconeill]

I read somewhere that its Disney's count is actually based on 1 million people that signed up at the Disney site for the program not really 1 million who volunteered or 1 million vouchers.

They are sort of the same thing, within a margin of error.

When you sign up online, you an pre-register yourself, but not necessarily commit to a volunteer opportunity.

Once you commit to one and are fully registered, you are counted among the 1 million. That's what they were cutting off - so you've volunteered to do the service, but not actually completed it yet, but Disney is holding on to a voucher in your name. There is still a 60-day pipeline of people who have committed to opportunities, so they definitely have not issued 1 million vouchers - yet.

Once you satisfy your commitment and it is verified, then you receive the voucher. If you fail to complete, you don't get it. There will be some percentage that fail to complete, so the total number of vouchers issued may be less than 1 million - but they may have account for some failure rate as well.

We may hear more numbers later today in the shareholder meeting.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

We may hear more numbers later today in the shareholder meeting.

This is when I expect more offical announcements and any replacement, etc. But then again with the suddenness of the promotion ending so early I think it may be too soon for a new promo to be announced. I can see the marketing department pulling all nighters right now to get something in the works. I started searching first thing when I got to work today to see what I could find. Sad I can remember when thier quarterly meetings are but barely can make it to my own companies even with my calendar popping up reminders every few days. What time is the meeting doc?

 

[doconeill]

I believe it started at 10am...I've been too busy to see if there is any sort of webcast...

Edit: I found that they will supposedly audiocast it at http://corporate.disney.go.com/investors/index.html starting at 11am, but there is no link right now.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

I believe it started at 10am...I've been too busy to see if there is any sort of webcast...

Edit: I found that they will supposedly audiocast it at http://corporate.disney.go.com/investors/index.html starting at 11am, but there is no link right now.

Great minds think alike! That is what I was getting ready to post, but you beat me to it. I found the site just a minute ago.

 

[doconeill]

Here it is:

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=129198&p=irol-eventDetails&EventId=2649084

I had to install a mediaplayer plugin to get it working.

Edit: Hmmm...apparently when they show a video presentation or something, they block it out and just play music with an announcement that it will continue in a moment...

 

[doconeill]

I may have missed it, but I didn't hear any particular mention of GAD. But there were a number of "blacked out" sections where they were showing videos about things going on.

They did announce the new Premier Passport, the AP good at both WDW and DL, and the price will be $700.

It was fun listening to the soap box section

 

[AZMermaid]

Disney has said they are trying to wean people off expecting promotions (free days, free dining, percent off etc.) at all times of the year. I suspect they knew what they were doing with the million tickets. I think they knew it wouldn't take until Dec. But, they may have been caught by surprise with just how fast it filled. Or maybe not.

 

[eliza61]

Is it just me or does it seem really lame that it is being stopped. I mean, what did they expect? They knew people who sign up for this. And now 3 months in it has ended, and so has the promotion for the year.

Do you think they will replace this with anything else?

No I don't think it's lame at all. The had a promotion, the dead line has been met, the promotion is over. Why is this so upsetting to every one? Are you this upset when a store ends a sale promotion?

Free dining, buy four get three, codes and pins are all promotions. They end.

Why does Disney have to offer any thing? Sorry I just don't see where we feel Disney is entitled to give us any thing for free. Definitely not understanding the uproar of ending a program.

 

[YukiPhnx]

I agree with Eliza. Also, I know everybody talks about warm fuzzies after they volunteer and talk about how good it was to give back. But now that the promo is over, there seems to be a lot of people worrying they won't get a free ticket even if they DID volunteer. As if it were a waste of their time.

I thought this was supposed to get people inspired to help others, not only just to get a free ticket out of it. It's sad a lot of people only ever considered volunteering because of Disney's promo.

 

[Allison]

No I don't think it's lame at all. The had a promotion, the dead line has been met, the promotion is over. Why is this so upsetting to every one? Are you this upset when a store ends a sale promotion?

Free dining, buy four get three, codes and pins are all promotions. They end.

Why does Disney have to offer any thing? Sorry I just don't see where we feel Disney is entitled to give us any thing for free. Definitely not understanding the uproar of ending a program.

I agree. How is this lame or sad?

How about how great it is to have so many people volunteer so quickly for the organizations that need help?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Who Knows What EVIL Lurks In The Heart Of Disney Marketing?!

When Disney feels ready to implement their next promotion they will do so. If other recent promotions have been any indication, for about the first month nobody will really understand it and the Marketing people will not have thought out all the ramifications.

 

[elleherself]

It's sad because it did inspire many people to get out and volunteer, and many more could have been inspired (or incited, or bribed-- depending on how jaded/realistic you are) to give to organizations. It was a great promotion because it actually helped out many communities and organizations that do good in the world, instead of just solely lining Disney's coffers. NOT that I think ending the program undoes that good-- it certainly doesn't, and I give them tons of credit for even trying something this innovative in the first place. But after all the advertising and all the hype, to shut it down after two months does seem a bit surprising and also a little disappointing.

They ran the "year of a million dreams" for two and a half years, that was also giving things out for free. I just really liked this promotion for the simple fact that charities that needed people to help were getting those people, and whatever their motivations were, it was a good thing. It's sad and disappointing that something that got people so excited about volunteering and giving back is ending after two months.

But I got my tickets so I guess I'm dancing all the way through the "free stuff" line. Disney, gimme more!

 

[Scott MC]

I'm inclined to agree with the OP. I don't think the OP is looking for handouts, but Disney campaigned so heavily for this promotion, and while they never put an official timeline on it, they did not heavily promote the fact that it would be capped at one million, and I don't think anyone expected the deal to dissapear so quickly. Many of us, myself included are booked to go later in the year, and figured we'd do our day sometime this spring. I'm only looking for the fastpass, so there is no monetary reward for my day, and it's sad that I'm going with a group of 9 where 6 members already found something that interested them and will be getting their fastpasses, and the remaining 3 of us will not. In this sense, I'm dissapointed. I think that in the commercials, the 100,000,000 cap should have been made clear.

 

[eliza61]

I'm inclined to agree with the OP. I don't think the OP is looking for handouts, but Disney campaigned so heavily for this promotion, and while they never put an official timeline on it, they did not heavily promote the fact that it would be capped at one million, and I don't think anyone expected the deal to dissapear so quickly. Many of us, myself included are booked to go later in the year, and figured we'd do our day sometime this spring. I'm only looking for the fastpass, so there is no monetary reward for my day, and it's sad that I'm going with a group of 9 where 6 members already found something that interested them and will be getting their fastpasses, and the remaining 3 of us will not. In this sense, I'm dissapointed. I think that in the commercials, the 100,000,000 cap should have been made clear.

Why is that sad? Seriously. so 6 people happened to get a 70 deal then every one has to get one? If you go to Mcdonalds and they guy in front has a coupon for free fries is it sad that every one is not getting free frenchies?
seriously, it's a promotion, like any other. We (the general public) thought it was going to last like the "dreams" campgain and now we are salty because it didn't. Go figure.
If you want free dining you have to go during XXXX time frame. If you don't go during that period you don't get the free dining. Every promotion known to man has disclaimers, black out periods and restriction. Every disney commercial always has that little blurb at the bottom with the rules. If they had made the cap clearer, people would still have been left out probably a lot quicker.

I think Disney needs to run a ad campaign that says.
We send out pin codes, not every one is going to get one
We have free dining, not every one will be able to take advantage of it.
We have a dream team, not every one who visits the parks will get a free prize.

 

[Scott MC]

Why is that sad?

I think you've missed my point. I'm attending a Grand Gathering in which it would have been nice for all of us to take advantage of a nice campaign Disney had launched. Unlike campaigns for Free Dining, Buy 4, Get 3 etc..., in which the end dates are clearly advertised, this one gave (at least in my opinion), the impression that it was a year-long promotion. The people going with me on this trip are heavy planners, who know a frightening amount about planning a Disney vacation. I include myself as one of the obsessive planners. The fact that none of us was aware that there was a cap on this tells me that Disney didn't do much to publicize the end of this promotion.
Again, no one is looking for free hand-outs, nor do I believe that anyone is entitled to anything free, I'm simply saying that I wish Disney had done more to alert people that they had to act fast in order to take advantage of this promotion.