YOAMD - A good thing?

[Soubrette]

I don't love the YOAMD promo. It's like they're announcing with much fanfare what used to just be considered pixie dust. Before YOAMD, those little bits of pixie dust being sprinkled around the parks were heartwarming. Now that they've "gone public" with it, it seems like it's going to leave a lot of people feeling cheated.

You nailed it.

If they've got to promote the "pixie dust," maybe that means it's in such short supply that there's not enough to go around.

 

[Crankyshank]

I'm really not crazy about it because it's promoted. if it was something that was promoted internally - like each cast member has 10 dreams to give away a day at random, or if it were police officer day or nurse day, I would have no problem with it. I think what they are doing now only leads to people feeling cheated, especially with all of the line cutters. I would be pissed if the people that cut in front of me in line were given dream passes, but would have no problem if it was a local hero that was nominated for a dream.

 

[va32h]

I'm really not crazy about it because it's promoted. if it was something that was promoted internally - like each cast member has 10 dreams to give away a day at random, or if it were police officer day or nurse day, I would have no problem with it. I think what they are doing now only leads to people feeling cheated, especially with all of the line cutters. I would be pissed if the people that cut in front of me in line were given dream passes, but would have no problem if it was a local hero that was nominated for a dream.

I think that even if it was promoted quietly and internally, word would still get out, and people would come to expect things. How many people come to DIS in a snit because they didn't get towel animals or their kid didn't get to ride in the front of the monorail? People hear about these things through the grapevine and they want them too. Waking up Tinkerbell used to be a low-key spontaneous moment, and now there are gangs of parents shoving their kids up front for that too.

Disney did a very nice promotion for military families in 2003 - 40% off any room, free park hoppers for the military member and $99 park hoppers for family members. It was a wonderful, amazing gift, and probably our most fun WDW trip ever, because we didn't have to watch our nickels and dimes every second of the day. I know lots of families for whom that was a truly once-in-a-lifetime chance to see WDW.

I wouldn't want a nominating system, because it would just encourage people to come up with bigger and better sob stories; and let's face it, lots of people would probably lie about all sorts of personal crises to get free stuff from Disney.

 

[Crankyshank]

People feel entitled. That's the flaw in what I suggested, but it's even more so when it's random like they are doing for YOAMD. They are taking away something magical and spontaneous and making it a promotable catch phrase for publicity, which cheapens it imho.
I personally would rather know in advance the criteria, that's all that I am saying.

 

[disneymom3]

I don't love the YOAMD promo. It's like they're announcing with much fanfare what used to just be considered pixie dust. Before YOAMD, those little bits of pixie dust being sprinkled around the parks were heartwarming. Now that they've "gone public" with it, it seems like it's going to leave a lot of people feeling cheated.

I've never really had a cast member go out of their way to sprinkle pixie dust on my family (guess we're too small and boring) but we've been showered with pixie dust by fellow WDW guests. From the family that let us share their ressie at Cinderella's Royal Table on DD's birthday, to the kind strangers giving away their extra fastpasses, every trip to Disney has been filled with more than enough magic, official or not!

Yep, this is about it for me too. I have to admit I had a few "wish it was me" moments this last week when we were there. I didn't tell my kids about it at all because hey, they are kids and I sure didn't want them being disappointed and the expectation would simply be there if they knew there was a possibility. As it was it was a great day (just went to MK this time.) but I agree that all these commercials may very easily set people up for disappointment.

I had fun creating my own "dream" by giving away a couple of FPs to Big Thunder and Space Mtn. We had gotten one for everybody and then the boys decided they didn't want to ride so we were left with extras. The dad and boy who were standing waiting in a 40 min line for BTMRR and got to walk right into the FP line were the best. The boy was pretty psyched!

 

[Fitswimmer]

We were there in December, in the pre-show for ToT and we won dream fastpasses. It was really exciting and fun, and we were able to "pay it forward" by handing out the fast passes we already had for RnR, and giving away the ones we didn't have time to use. (we had ADR's in MK so we were under a time constraint)

It was more fun to give our extra ones away actually. We gave our RnR passes to a father and his 2 boys who would have had to wait another hour or more to ride if they got passes themselves, so they were pretty happy. Then we gave our Little Mermaid ones to a family of 3 that we rode Star Tours with. The little girl was really excited. I think it would be cool to be a CM and get to make people happy that way.

 

[Crankyshank]

It was more fun to give our extra ones away actually. We gave our RnR passes to a father and his 2 boys who would have had to wait another hour or more to ride if they got passes themselves, so they were pretty happy. Then we gave our Little Mermaid ones to a family of 3 that we rode Star Tours with. The little girl was really excited. I think it would be cool to be a CM and get to make people happy that way.

I would love a program that allows guests to give a dream away to another guest, like pins or certificates or fast passes. That would be so much fun to do.

 

[Soubrette]

I would love a program that allows guests to give a dream away to another guest, like pins or certificates or fast passes. That would be so much fun to do.

That would be cool.

 

[musicotb]

I agree w/whoever said "at least you got to go this year!"

count your lucky stars, ppl. I went last year and had a FANTABULOUS time! And it wasn't during a promotion, and even if it had been, e never would have expected to win a thing nor would we be pissed if we didn't.

 

[Fitswimmer]

I agree w/whoever said "at least you got to go this year!"

count your lucky stars, ppl. I went last year and had a FANTABULOUS time! And it wasn't during a promotion, and even if it had been, e never would have expected to win a thing nor would we be pissed if we didn't.

I've had this same conversation over on the DVC boards and it usually falls on deaf ears. Anytime I'm in Disney, I'm happy. I'm not at work, I'm not sitting in traffic and there's tons of fun things to do. If they're running a contest and I'm fortunate enough to win, cool. If I get a towel animal on my bed, it will make me smile. If nothing "special" happens, I'll still spend my time there with a smile on my face. I think people get so wrapped up expecting extras that they forget how great it is to be able to be there in the first place. Maybe the YOMD is making that problem worse by setting up those expectations and that would be a valid concern.

 

[DaisyD]

I think it was fun! No one is guarranteed to win any contest so what makes the YOAMD any different? I couldn't go to WDW with an attitude that I am not going to win something.

 

[cardaway]

I think it was fun! No one is guarranteed to win any contest so what makes the YOAMD any different? I couldn't go to WDW with an attitude that I am not going to win something.

I think the current promotion is different in two ways.

1. The commercials and other printed materials are designed around giving the impression that many, many people are getting these prizes, and they are, and that leads too...

2. Guests are in the parks seeing other winners on a very regular basis. On other promotions there may be an a cermony to give away the prize (car in my earlier DL 50th exmaple) but in with YOAMD people are surrounded by "winners" all day.

And once again I think people are still reading my OP and thinking we walked bummed all day and it ruined our vacation. Not at all true. It's simply a joke my wife made because we didn't win anything in 7 days of being at the parks all day. But once I thought about it I couldn't help but to wonder if others are having a less than wonderful feeling about the whole promotion.

As others have posted, there always has been a grand marshall for the parade, but only now are they spinning that as something somebody won as part of this promotion.
It's a matter of opinion whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. In the past I never thought of it as losing a contest when I didn't get picked to be the grand marshall, and that's why in a nutshell why I thought my wife's comment was more insightful than we first realized.

 

[Crankyshank]

My issue is that the promotion aspect is leading to false expectations for an all ready super entitled society.

Whether or not I get bestowed a dream will not hamper my enjoyment one bit. I would be annoyed if someone was rewarded for rude behavior (line cutting).

 

[DaisyD]

We were there in October and saw many folks winning stuff. I never felt disappointed or slighted. I just felt happy for them! LOL!

 

[MushyMushy]

We were there in October and saw many folks winning stuff. I never felt disappointed or slighted. I just felt happy for them! LOL!

Well, I would still feel happy for them, but it doesn't change the fact that I don't care for the promotion. I have no sense of entitlement or any of that other nonsense -- I just don't care for the promotion. I like the other celebrations better because they included EVERYbody.

 

[Buckalew11]

I think it is a fun promotion. I think any little extra is WDW magic whether during this or any other time. A few years back, we did a kitchen sink at B&C at the BC and DD was allowed to help make it. She got a certificate and I got some cute photos.

I've been to WDW for 20 days since Dec. (Dec trip, Jan and Mar) and we didn't get anything. Saw those special day fastpasses but nothing else...well, I did see someone win some popcorn.

 

[Buckalew11]

After reading through most posts, I do understand what is being said. I think it is better to just "get lucky" than to almost be "my hopes are built up" type of feeling. No sense of entitlements (I saw enough of that this past trip anyway-ick!) and no sad-sack days. Just observation and a bit let down because never got picked or saw anyone being picked.

 

[disneyfan67]

IMO, I think they should continue this program in some sort of fashion long after YOAMD is over. I'm not suggesting giving away the Mickey Mouse penthouse or the Suite at the WDW castle, but just small things. Surprise a couple of people a day by handing out a set of Fast passes or free Mickey Mouse Ears, a box of pop corn, etc. Do it by a computer random program and it will make someone's visit that day, just a little more special. Don't advertise it or promote it, but make it part of visiting a Disney park for the day. Giving a child picked by random a special balloon or pin lanyard for riding Dumbo at a certain time, would add to that family's vacation and help raise the image of Disney mystique even further. It's a win win situation for everyone.

 

[cardaway]

IMO, I think they should continue this program in some sort of fashion long after YOAMD is over. I'm not suggesting giving away the Mickey Mouse penthouse or the Suite at the WDW castle, but just small things. Surprise a couple of people a day by handing out a set of Fast passes or free Mickey Mouse Ears, a box of pop corn, etc. Do it by a computer random program and it will make someone's visit that day, just a little more special. Don't advertise it or promote it, but make it part of visiting a Disney park for the day. Giving a child picked by random a special balloon or pin lanyard for riding Dumbo at a certain time, would add to that family's vacation and help raise the image of Disney mystique even further. It's a win win situation for everyone.

You mean like they used to do prior to YOAMD.

Oddly enough we were given things at random prior to this whole thing including a whole "Spaceship Earth First Family" thing at Epcot which is quite cool, but like everything else, is now part of this new promotion.

 

[disneyfan67]

You mean like they used to do prior to YOAMD.

Oddly enough we were given things at random prior to this whole thing including a whole "Spaceship Earth First Family" thing at Epcot which is quite cool, but like everything else, is now part of this new promotion.

I never knew Disney did that on a regular basis. I've been to WDW 5 times and never saw or heard about it. I hope that they keep doing it at the pace they're currently are, long after this promotion is over.