Year of Million Dreams -- anyone else get something yet? Post your wishes won here!

I just wanted to add that in the official rules, that in all the BIG prizes that are awarded, there is also a cash payment provided in addition to the prize in order to help the winner pay for the taxes.
 
pongoperdigirl said:
I just wanted to add that in the official rules, that in all the BIG prizes that are awarded, there is also a cash payment provided in addition to the prize in order to help the winner pay for the taxes.

I admit I'm not a financial whiz, but wouldn't a person owe taxes on the cash payment? I wouldn't think the IRS would let you get by without taxing everything possible.
 
Feralpeg said:
I admit I'm not a financial whiz, but wouldn't a person owe taxes on the cash payment? I wouldn't think the IRS would let you get by without taxing everything possible.

Well yes, I would imagine they would, but I still think that it is great that they provide something.
 
Our trip had it's magical moment also, though I didn't think it was suppose to start until October first. We were there September 18-25th and our DD had the most fantastic magical moment!

For each theme park, I had made a special outfit themed to the park. It so happened that my DD caught the eye of a wonderful cast member named Judy at MGM. She visited with us for quite awhile asking our birthday girl(turned 6 while we were there) about the outfit she was wearing. My daughter told her how we had made it with 96 dalmatians on top and 5 on the shirt with Cruella chasing them and how Cruella was her favorite villian. Being the sweetheart that she was, Judy made sure Cruella noticed our DD during the parade. Cruella give her a big red kiss on her cheek, called for the other villains to come check out our DD...right during the parade. Our little girl was so tickled with actually meeting Cruella and getting the magical red kiss on her cheek. At this point we thought WOW...it couldn't get any better than this.

WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After the parade at MGM, Cruella came out, took our DD by the hand and after a quick few words to us, off they went together. Cruella proceeded to take our DD to each of the characters who happened to be signing autographs. Not to the back of the line, but right up to each and everyone of them. Hand in hand, off they went to Lilo, Mary Poppins, Alice, Jasmine, etc., all the while stopping to talk to cast members and other guests at MGM that afternoon. For 45 minutes, they were best friends meeting and greeting everyone. Cruella never made it to her "station" to sign autographs that afternoon, but one little girl will tell you Cruella RULES!

As for us, we were completely blown away by this. We didn't realize that CM was allowed to do anything of this sort. To spend her Autographing Time with one little girl, skipping all over MGM, hand in hand, and not signing autographs. All I can say is THANK YOU!

Our DD started that day with 10 pins on her landyard but finished with 27. Many cast members just gave her pins because it was her birthday and her special Kiss from Cruella. HEHEHE...each time a Cast Member commented on her "princess Kiss" she would tell them, "No. it's better than a Princess, it was from my best friend Cruella."

(P.S. Disney recieved a letter on this Wonderful CM, she truly made an impression on us!)
 

1) Connor got to be Gaston in Belle's Storytime. He squeaked out,"You will marry me Belle!" just like Mickey Mouse.

2) Maura got to teach us how to be giraffes at FOLK. And they were both in the parade.As she walked by Timon he grabbed her hand and told her how wonderful she was.

3) A brand new Pal Mickey to replace the broken one that I bought for $27 in 2005. The manager just brought out the new one and handed it to Connor, who was crying at the thought that Mickey was dead. :sad:

4) The kind CMs everywhere who went above and beyond to play with my kids in Innoventions and Pirates of the Carribean.

5) The kind CM who traded a Belle pin with Maura, and just happened to drop the pin Connor wanted on the floor "oops!" and walk away when Connor didn't have any pins to trade!

6) Captain Hook and Smee playing with them for at least 7 minutes while getting autographs. Sorry to the others in the queue :blush: but my kids were so thrilled.

7) Maura getting to show Wendy the Wendy pin she had just traded for.

We had such an amazing vacation. I can't imagine any more magic when we go in March, but I'm sure there will be!
 
I had a magical pin trading moment....a CM allowed me to do a mystery pin trading...it was awesome!
 
In my real life I am a tax accountant. :guilty:

And yes you would have to pay taxes on the total value of the prize (including the cash they pay to defray taxes). But it is nice they pay the cash, otherwise some folks would be in a big bind to pay the taxes on some of the top prizes.
 
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silmarg said:
In my real life I am a tax accountant. :guilty:

And yes you would have to pay taxes on the total value of the prize (including the cash they pay to defray taxes). But it is nice they pay the cash, otherwise some folks would be in a big bind to pay the taxes on some of the top prizes.

Thank you for clearing that up. I always wondered how it worked. :thumbsup2
 
eblack0409 said:
I had a magical pin trading moment....a CM allowed me to do a mystery pin trading...it was awesome!

What is a mystery pin trading?
 
We just got back from a three night trip and my daughter had a few moments of pixie dust. She just started pin trading and only being 5 1/2 it took her awhile to understand the whole trading thing. She would go up to CM and say what pin she wanted, but forgot that she would have to trade one of hers. :) Two different CMs gave her pins without trading because we hadn't bought any of the "small pins" to trade with. She was thrilled. She got a Marie pin and a Disney Magical Express bus (which she promptly traded for a princess pin)

She also got a Magical Moment Certificate for racing the "shake up" race cars outside of the Indy Speedway.

Nothing "official", but just some fun :tink: (pixie dust)
 
We saw a family at Epcot today that had been given the cloud dream ears! Very cute! Sunday at Crystal Palace we saw the fastpasses being given out on Main Street and also at the exit to Crushn' Gusher at Typhoon Lagoon yesterday! Very cool!

:sunny:
 
Kycha said:
What is a mystery pin trading?


A mystery pin trade is when a CM has a pin backwards on his lanyard -- that is, only the pin back is showing. You trade for it, without knowing what it is. Often it is a really neat, maybe CM-only pin. DS got some Mickey CM-only pin that way, and he was so happy. :)

-gina-
 
We just got back and had two great things happen.

The first was at MGM on Sept 24. We walked through the gates around 1pm and were intending to go get Fastpasses for Aerosmith when we were stopped by a cast member who wanted to know if we had lunch yet and what we were up to. When we told her we were going to get Fastpasses she smiled and said, "well, you are the family of the hour so let's go get those for you!" I asked her if this was to do with the Million dreams and she said it was a "warm-up" of sorts... As it turns out, we didn't get Fastpasses, she just walked us through the exit line right onto the ride!! Then, she said she'd meet us in the picture area where she proceeded to buy us the 8x10 photo of us on the ride! Then when I thought it wouldn't get any better she gave us a coupon for two free ice creams!! Needless to say it was an amazing way to start out the vacation.

The second thing that happened was at MNSSHP on Sept 29. I went as Jack Sparrow and the wife was dressed up as Tinkerbell. We had just gotten our picture taken with Captain Hook, and after it was done he motioned for us to stand to the side and wait there. I had no idea what was going on and soon there were 4 of us there, Smee, Tinkerbell, Jack Sparrow, and Peter Pan. The cast member who was with Hook then announced - "Captain Hook has decided that he would like to take you on The Pirates of the Caribbean with him - right now!" So we followed Hook through the entire line (which was probably about a 30 minute wait at that point) He was hilarious, pushing people out of the way as we followed him in. The coolest part was that he wasn't just taking us to the ride - he actually got in the boat and came with us!!! We had a blast, singing along to the pirates song, and just having a great time!

Both of these things made the trip just that much more special, and if it's a sign of things to come I can see us booking another trip around the same time next year.....
 
silmarg said:
In my real life I am a tax accountant. :guilty:

And yes you would have to pay taxes on the total value of the prize (including the cash they pay to defray taxes). But it is nice they pay the cash, otherwise some folks would be in a big bind to pay the taxes on some of the top prizes.


Awwww why are you sad that you are a tax accountant.

I like tax accounting.
 
Can't wait to experience some magic next week! Thanks for the posts!
 
Isn't today, 4th Oct, The day of the big secret announcement in MK?

xxx
 
I too am beside myself with excitement - DH and I are taking DS (2 1/2) to WDW in December, and I just can't believe that it will be even more magical. We stopped at Disney on the way home from visiting family in Florida this past March. DS turned two on the trip. My son is obsessed with trains, so one of the first things we did in the Magic Kingdom was ride the Steam Train near Splash Mountain. We had just missed one, and were the only ones on the platform. DS wanted to talk to the "ductor", so we went over and I introduced him to her. They had quite a conversation (as much as a 2-year-old can :rolleyes1 )and then she asked him if he could say "All aboard". When he satisfied this requirement, she made him the guest conductor on the train, and he got a special card commemorating the event, that he would not let go of for the rest of the trip. The next night, we were waiting to see the fireworks near Space Mountain away from the crowds. I took DS into the gift shop there to occupy him and buy him a lollypop. While I was paying, he threw up all over me! Of course, he felt better immediately after, so after the cast member helped me clean him up, I proceeded to pay. The wonderful cast member pointed out that some had gotten on my shirt, and then told me to pick out any shirt in the store - they gave it to me for free! My son loved the lollypop and his first fireworks, and I love my fabulous Peter Pan shirt! I can't wait to go for a week in December to experience the Christmas magic for the first time!
 
Last Thursday, while we were waiting for Muppets, DD read the sign about the key being under the mat & asked me what it meant. I had forgotten that I had read about that, so I took her over to look.

There was a Magical Moments certificate under the mat.

Have they always done that, or is it new?



DD also got a certificate at AK for answering some animal questions, and a trading pin at MGM's Darkroom for leaving a note for Mickey - but I think I've read about those being done before.


We saw quite a few Magical Moments certificates being presented, but we don't know what they were for.

The hats are really neat. As soon as we saw them on Sunday, DD wanted to buy some. when we couldn't find tham in the stores we realized they must be special hats that they're giving away.
 













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