So, my daughter designed a ride...

[mom2morgan]

she is SEVEN, and was all excited about riding P.O.C., and then seeing the latest Pirates movie. So she dreamed up some sort of modifications to the existing ride, and got all excited. Drew it up in coloured crayon, wrote out a descriptions, and sent it off to Disney. Okay, I was kinda wondering if she'd get a response - maybe get back a picture of Mickey or something. She waited on tenter-hooks for weeks, to see if they'd respond. You know what she got back? Her own drawing returned to her with a prim little note written in legal-ese about how they can not accept designs from the public due to the risk of being sued. UHHH...okay, I understand the legal issue here - but COME ON!! She said right in the letter she was SEVEN! I wish they could have at least addressed it to "k's parents" or something so that I would have opened it instead of her...she was really crushed.

[dephenn]

You could always pick up a disney trinket and put it in a shipping box and tell her that it came in the mail from Disney. You could even write a letter thanking her and put in some sort of excuse on why they had to mail the first letter out separate from the thank you. I'm sorry if it seems like I'm encouraging lying to your DD. I have a DD that will turn 7 this year and I hate when she sees things that disappoint her in the grownup world. This year she will be on the school bus with kids in the fourth grade and I am praying that they do not take away the childhood things that she still believes in.

[MNNHFLTX]

Aw, that is too bad. It's a shame what this world has come to. :(

On a positive note, it sounds like your daughter is an Imagineer-in-the-making. You must be a very proud parent.

[azdisneymom]

I am sorry Disney didn't write more of an uplifting letter. Tell your little imagineer that we will be look forward to her ride designs once she grows up.

(Now I know my dream job - respond to children's letters for Disney. I am sure they get lots.)

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

As much as it pains me to say, they probably didn't even read the letter she sent.

Why? Because do you know how many thousands and millions of letters they must receive each day? If they read each one, they would never get the job done, and each day, more come in.

Just keep her hopes and dreams going, and eventually, when she is older, she can take those childhood designs and be able to apply them to a real ride and design.

All it takes is faith, trust and pixie dust.

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . You know what she got back? Her own drawing returned to her with a prim little note written in legal-ese about how they can not accept designs from the public due to the risk of being sued. UHHH...okay, I understand the legal issue here - but COME ON!! She said right in the letter she was SEVEN! . . .

1) What was expected?
2) If the legalese is not there, the kids or YOU might sue later.
3) How could you possibly state the legalese without legalese?
4) If they acknowledge the receipt, they can be liable for a design lawsuit.

NOTE: I take issue with things WDW does and I do the same with guests. In this case, I see no other alternative on Disney's behave than the legalese. Heck, they even refuse recommendations from employees. Of course, that goes against all guidelines of Continuous Improvement, but that is Disney's way.

[big blue and hairy]

1) What was expected?
2) If the legalese is not there, the kids or YOU might sue later.
3) How could you possibly state the legalese without legalese?
4) If they acknowledge the receipt, they can be liable for a design lawsuit.

NOTE: I take issue with things WDW does and I do the same with guests. In this case, I see no other alternative on Disney's behave than the legalese. Heck, they even refuse recommendations from employees. Of course, that goes against all guidelines of Continuous Improvement, but that is Disney's way.

The only thing I would say is, the legalese could have been accompanied by a thanks for your love of Disneyworld (not for the design...more legalese) and a Mickey trinket.

What's sad is, I could see someone trying to pass themselves off as seven to put Disney in a legal bind, but I would think the little thanks for Disney love and trinket would be ok.

:sulley:

[brownie]

That's too bad, but I can see where they're coming from.

[GrumpyFan]

I know she's only seven, and this is a disappointing lesson at her age, and
I know it's a cold, harsh response, but try and use it to encourage her, if possible. If she's really excited about her idea(s), tell her to keep thinking, keep drawing, keep dreaming, one day they might pay off. Walt himself had several big "NO's" before he got his break, but eventually it paid off.

Maybe you could work with her to create a book of her idea(s). I might suggest creating a lapbook for this one. If you're not familiar with Lapbooks, here's a couple of definitions.
A lapbook is a project book or file folder, laid out in a creative manner, that fits in the child’s lap.

A lapbook is an inexpensive portfolio
or collection of mini-books, flaps, and folded display material, that provides interactive space for drawings, stories, graphs, graphics, timelines, diagrams, and written work, from any topic, unit study, book you choose, gathered, glued, and creatively displayed in a coloured standard sized cardboard folder,
often folded in a “shutter-fold” (though our family doesn’t), that fits in your lap.


There's lots of information available on the Internet on Lapbooks and kids seem to enjoy making them, and this would be a great project for it. Who knows, one day it might help her become an imagineer. If nothing else, it will make for a nice memento to one day look back on.

Oh yeah, save the legal letter too. If she does make it some day as an imagineer, that too will be a memento, and something she can show others about continuing on your dreams. If you're not familiar with him, I would encourage you to go and find Randy Pausch's Last Lecture, the video is on Youtube or at the website of that name, or even read his book. He was a professor at Carnegie Mellon and dreamed of being an Imagineer. He was turned down twice by Disney, wanting to become an Imagineer, before they finally accepted him.

[Imagineer1981]

Trust me, as someone who is trying to be an Imagineer, they do this alot. Disney in fact did not look at the drawing. It was filtered out and you got the standard reply. If a person at Imagineering had seen her drawing, and somehow later had something similar designed, you could sue. They are just protecting themselves. Perhaps she should take her drawing to POTC and show CM's. They can tell her how awesome it is

[mom2morgan]

Honestly? I would have rather she not gotten any reply at all! What is ludicrous is that people in America even COULD sue if they thought Disney had "used" an idea that was freely sent and unsolicited. Perhaps if this society wasn't so litigious, the "legalese" would be unecessary, and an excited child could get a simple "thanks for the great idea! Love Mickey". I'm afraid she's a bit too young to understand that Disney is a business first and foremost.


1) What was expected?
2) If the legalese is not there, the kids or YOU might sue later.
3) How could you possibly state the legalese without legalese?
4) If they acknowledge the receipt, they can be liable for a design lawsuit.

NOTE: I take issue with things WDW does and I do the same with guests. In this case, I see no other alternative on Disney's behave than the legalese. Heck, they even refuse recommendations from employees. Of course, that goes against all guidelines of Continuous Improvement, but that is Disney's way.

[TheRustyScupper]

Honestly? I would have rather she not gotten any reply at all! What is ludicrous is that people in America even COULD sue if they thought Disney had "used" an idea that was freely sent and unsolicited.

1) And here is the Catch-22.
2) If there was no reply, you could claim they kept the idea and used it.
3) Then you might sue because they took an idea without reply or credit.


Perhaps she should take her drawing to POTC and show CM's. They can tell her how awesome it is
4) CM's are trained to not look or comment about such drawings.
5) A case can be made that they passed the idea up the chain of command.
6) Then, Disney used it without crediting the suggester.

[Imagineer1981]

4) CM's are trained to not look or comment about such drawings.
5) A case can be made that they passed the idea up the chain of command.
6) Then, Disney used it without crediting the suggester.

When I was a CM I was never told that? Must have missed it...he he:mickey:...I would have told her it was awesome!!!

[SAHDad]

Wow. I understand the need for the legalese and all, but here's what I think Disney could do:

"Dear future Imagineer,
Wow. I'm thrilled to have heard from you, and it was wonderful to see your ideas. Unfortunately, Disney cannot accept unsolicited ideas from outside sources, for legal reasons. But gosh, it sure is great that you love our parks so much. Thanks again for your interest, and have a magical day.

Signed,
Mickey Mouse"

Obviously, insert legalese as required, print on Mickey Mouse paper, and return along with original artwork.

[GrumpyFan]

I read an article on another Disney related web site that was talking about guest submitted suggestions. Interestingly, the writer told how some (wacko) guest who had submitted an idea for bringing Soarin' to Epcot and when Disney actually did it, they then proceded to demand compensation since it was their idea.

Now, I know you and your daughter were probably not even thinking of doing such a crazy thing as that, but it should show you why they have to handle things the way they do. It's unfortunate that a few greedy individuals have to ruin what could be a really great opportunity for both Disney and their fans.

BTW: I liked SAHDad's letter. That seems like a much nicer response to a seven year old.

[TheRustyScupper]

When I was a CM I was never told that?

1) Taught during Traditions.
2) Also on first computer training segment.

[Mousemates]

4) CM's are trained to not look or comment about such drawings.

An interesting behind look behind the Mouse veil (for those of us who have never worked at WDW) at the somewhat cold and emotionally detached corporate side of training to be a cast member. Its hard for me to imagine Walt teaching a cast member to not look at a child's drawing or refusing to glance at one himself.


Heck, they even refuse recommendations from employees. Of course, that goes against all guidelines of Continuous Improvement, but that is Disney's way.

Again, that seems very un-Waltish...but the 2000's are a different legal world ( from the 1960s and 1970s that is).

[mom2morgan]

An interesting behind look behind the Mouse veil (for those of us who have never worked at WDW) at the somewhat cold and emotionally detached corporate side of training to be a cast member. Its hard for me to imagine Walt teaching a cast member to not look at a child's drawing or refusing to glance at one himself.



Again, that seems very un-Waltish...but the 2000's are a different legal world ( from the 1960s and 1970s that is).

Yeah, I guess that is my whole feeling about this. I understand where Disney is coming from, but it is immensely sad that society has gotten to the point where that is necessary. I know a few years ago I was a fan of a series of books by Marion Zimmer Bradley. She published several volumes of "fan fiction" -stories readers sent in that she thought were good enough to publish. Then one day, some nut-job decided that her newest book sounded a lot like some story he had submitted that had been rejected...he sued. He didn't WIN - but he created enough havoc in her life that she STOPPED publishing fan fiction and said that all future submissions would be returned unread. Sad. Just really sad.