Year of a Million letdowns?

[seashoreCM]

>>> looking for the Dream Squad

Might they try to disguise how the prizes are given away:

CM working a normal shift, on middle of Main St., and dressed in white gets call on a walkie talkie: "Where are you"
He answers, "In front of Main St. Cinema"
Caller: "We have a manure spill (from the trolley horse) in front of the railroad station, please meet me there."
CM in white reports to designated location where there is no manure but (or maybe there is and he cleans it up first and then) a CM dressed in red, having just arrived from offstage, comes up and says, "Pick any person and engage him or her in conversation about Photopass". (About Photopass is to create a short time delay.)
CM in white does so. First guest walks away disinterested. Second guest pauses to talk.
Within ten seconds CM in red arrives and interrupts, "Sir, are you spending the night in or near WDW?"
Guest: "Yes"
CM in red, "How would you like to spend the night at Cinderella Castle?"

 

[Skroops]

Well you'll all be glad to know that your chance of winning has increased by one! I'll be there, but I never, ever win!! Seriously. It is comical how close I have been to winning trips, and prizes, but I never ever do! I have won powerball $1 before though. So, my family are losers, but only as far as contests go!

We are extremely blessed otherwise, and thrilled to be able to go to the happiest place on earth!

Just know that as long as we are there, your chances increase!!

 

[DiszyDeanette]

Are you sure? Cuz Epcot 25th Anniversary is supposed to start in October 2007.

Oh! Are they going to dress Spaceship Earth up in a birthday cake too!?

 

[Feelslikeadream]

I have to say...We have a trip planned for Jan/Feb and this does not impact my trip in anyway....All I care about is making sure that my family and I have a blast!

I want everyone to stay healthy and happy on this trip....

I want to see the smiles on my DD's faces when they see Snow White...That is the best prize I could ever get!

I couldn't agree with that more. I am soo upset with some of these posts. Is Disney about going and winning or is it about being with your loved ones and feeling the MAGIC no matter what. I never imagined that I would ever be able to go for 9 days with my family and my parents as well as my MIL & FIL. Now we leave in 45 more days. ONCE IN A LIFETIME!!! This is what we haved named our trip. This means more to me than any WDW promo. Just enjoy every sec, soak it all in, embrace the look on each others faces and FEEL THE REAL MAGIC. This is any prize for anyone!!! ITS FREE!! EVERYONE WINS!!
To tell you the truth I know we will be there for the constest, but the thought "Will we win,what do I have to do to win?" Never crossed my mind.
I have already won, more than you can imagine. So, if I see one of the CM's handing out prizes ,you will see me getting in line for a great ride with my family. (This might work in my favor, shorter lines)

Best of luck to all the people with their minds set on winning. I hope all of your time worrying or sending in crazy amounts of post cards will be worth it.

To all of us who end up to be the CHOSEN ONES, congrats.Enjoy it.

Dear Walt Disney,

Please pay no attention to some of your guests, they haven't had taken the time to feel your dream yet. Thank you for letting my dreams come true.

Sincerely, Feels like a dream

I apoligize for the harshness, this thread really upset me.

 

[PatriciaH]

You will automatically be entered into the Giveaway (subject to meeting the eligibility requirements set forth above) and have a chance to be randomly selected to win a prize in the Giveaway by being present during the Giveaway Period in: Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, Epcot®, Magic Kingdom® Park, Disney-MGM Studios, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park, or the Downtown Disney® area near Orlando, Florida (collectively, the "Florida Disney Properties"); or Disney's California Adventure® Park, Disneyland® Park or the Downtown Disney® area in Anaheim, California (collectively, "California Disney Properties"). Each of the Florida Disney Properties and each of the California Disney Properties are individually referred to herein as a "Disney Property" and collectively referred to herein as the "Disney Properties." Sponsor anticipates that potential winners will be selected at the Disney Properties between opening and 5 pm local time; however, certain prizes (for example, Mickey Mouse Penthouse and Cinderella's Castle Suite) are likely to be awarded early in the day to help ensure that a winner will be able to claim the prize and Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to select winners at the Disney Properties during any operating hours.

Disney Dream Squad Members ("Dream Squad") will arrive at the randomly selected location and: (i) in the case of a single prize, subject to Sponsor's initial verification process, the first person present at that randomly selected location and time will be notified that he/she is a potential winner of the prize; or (ii) in the case of a Batch of the same prize being awarded at the same time, subject to Sponsor's initial verification process, the first number of people matching the number of prizes in that Batch at that randomly selected location and time will be notified that each is a potential winner of one (1) of the prizes in the Batch. For certain prizes that are only good for an event at a Disney Property on the same day or evening as the day the prize is awarded, the potential winner may be required to tell the Dream Squad members(s) (or, if the winner is a Minor, his/her parent/legal guardian must tell the Dream Squad member(s)) whether or not he/she wants to claim the prize won within two (2) hours of being selected as a potential winner. The prize descriptions at the end of these Official Rules contain more information about event and day specific prizes. Decisions as to the selection of winners and the identity of the first person or persons present at a randomly selected location and time are subject to the Dream Squad's sole discretion and the Dream Squad's decisions on these matters will be final and binding. Only Dream Squad members can designate a potential winner at the Disney Properties.

 

[Disney8704]

When me and DH planned and booked our trip it was before they mentioned anything about YOAMD. Sure it would be nice to win something. I mean no one can deny that. In my honest opinion everyone on here can tell me a million times over that if someone won something but not you, you would feel happy for them, you would still feel some sort of disapointment. It happens to everyone. You could still feel happy for the family or person who won, but you will still feel a lil disapointed. Just like when you enter any other contest or play the lottery. When you dont win, you feel a lil disapointed. It may only last for a few mins but you still felt a lil disapointed. To be honest with you the only prize I would actually would love to win is the vacation club. All the other prizes, if I won it..cool, if not oh well. To be honest with you, the one thing I would LOVE to happen isnt even on the prize list. And its to get a free upgrade to savannah view from a standard view at the AKL. If thats all I got and didnt actually win anything off the prize list, to me I would still feel like I did win something. And actually that would be MY dream coming true. Not disneys. One thing that I dont get is how can disney call this YOAMD, when Disney isnt granting dreams and wishes of what people want. They are giving out what Disney wants to give out. So if I end up getting a free upgrade to savannah I could REALLY say that my dream did come true. While everyone else is winning prizes of either they cant accept (trips) or really dont want and really not getting their dreams coming true.

 

[Disney8704]

They did it with the castle, so who knows. This is Disney we're talking about here. Anything is possible down there.

Oh! Are they going to dress Spaceship Earth up in a birthday cake too!?

 

[Smooshdog]

As cool as it would be to win, you must remember that you have already won because you are at Disneyworld (unless you send in a 3x5 card)! So many people are not fortunate enough to be able to make it to Disney at all. Yes I want to stay in the castle, or win a DVC, but getting to go to Disney is prize enough, I wont be let down at all, I'll be too busy having fun in WDW!

 

[MonkeyPants]

I can see what the OP means. I mean it will be incredible to win, no question about it, but to have no clue that anything was going on and have someone come up and blindside you with a sack of pixie dust would be even cooler.

 

[Rudegrle]

Disney is a business, and part of running a business is marketing, and the "year of a million dreams" is just that...so what's wrong w/ it? The year of a million dreams will hopefully (in Disney's eyes) attract travelers to their resorts. So what if you don't get a night in the castle, a special meet & greet, or a golden fast pass...Are those the reasons why you really come to WDW??? I didn't think so!

I see no let down, just an added incentive to visit the parks during the next year .

There's been lost of talk about societies sense of entitlement and I guess this is a prime example .

 

[seashoreCM]

"the potential winner may be required to tell the Dream Squad members(s) (or, if the winner is a Minor, his/her parent/legal guardian must tell the Dream Squad member(s)) whether or not he/she wants to claim the prize won within two (2) hours of being selected as a potential winner.

Acceptance also establishes the prize (as are almost all prizes) as taxable income to the winner, and a "fair market value" has already been published in the prize list. For small prizes such as the golden one day fastpass, Disney probably won't bother to gather any personal information about the winner.

 

[U2_rocks!]

Yes, the rules say the promo will run until Dec. 2007.

I understand that some of the trips (cruises, excursions, etc.) have limited dates. If your family can't be away for 15 days or can't go on a cruise on the dates the boat sails then you are out of luck. And I agree that it is standard "contest" legal mumbo jumbo. But it is sad that a family who doesn't have much flexibility as far as travel dates would have to give up a prize and have NOTHING. That is where this contest is a bit different - some contests offer a prize (a car, a trip, whatever) OR cash that is approximately the same amount as the value of the prize.

We could swing an unplanned 4 day trip to a US Disney park pretty easily, but a 15 day trip to multiple countries would be impossible. I hope the people who win the big prizes with tricky logistics are actually able to use the prize. Imagine how disappointed you would be to have a big prize slip through your fingers just because the dates weren't workable!

I was talking to DH about this, and he agrees that seeing other people win is not as much fun as winning yourself, no matter what spin you put on it.

Add to that the tourists from countries other than the US, Canada, Mexico and the UK - they can't use the prizes either! How disappointing to be handed a wonderful prize and not be able to use it! I really hope there aren't too many ineligible people who are handed prizes.

ETA: If it were me I'd rather not be handed anything than be handed something I couldn't use. I don't disagree with a promotion - however, I do see how it could a little complicated, as there are several eligibility issues that have to be sorted out. You can't just be given a prize and that's the end of it. Not Disney's fault I guess - all sweepstakes are like that.

Me, I will just be at WDW enjoying myself, and I will thoroughly enjoy watching the reactions of the prizewinners if I see any. I certainly won't be worrying about winning anything myself.