Seattle Resident First Guest to Enter Free on Birthday [Archive]

Melanie

01-03-2009, 12:45 AM

Using an oversized park ticket created for the occasion, Seattle, Wash. resident Andrew DaCosta entered the Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. on Jan. 1, 2009.

DaCosta was honored this morning as the first person in the nation to receive free admission to a Disney theme park on his birthday as part of Disney's "What Will You Celebrate?" DaCosta, who turns 49 today, redeemed his "Free On Your Birthday" registration at the Magic Kingdom Guest Relations window at 7:31 a.m.

Jan. 1 is the first day of the "What Will You Celebrate?" campaign at both Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California. In addition to offering everyone who visits a Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme park on their birthday in 2009 free admission, the "What Will You Celebrate?" campaign features new theme park entertainment, added celebration experiences and new ways for guests to customize their own "celebration vacation" at both vacation resorts.

the other micki

01-03-2009, 02:05 AM

Very Cool! Look at the size of that ticket!!!

DizRunner

01-03-2009, 09:32 AM

That is just too cool. Wouldn't that have been wild to be that guy? I'm sure he had a great time.

pdrlkr

01-03-2009, 10:01 AM

:thumbsup: :mickey:

Ian

01-03-2009, 10:07 AM

WDWFanatic

01-03-2009, 10:11 AM

While I'm happy for this guy, I just could not be more underwhelmed by this promo. It holds absolutely zero appeal for me.

To go from the creativity and excitement of the YoaMD to this is very disappointing.

I totally agree. There is no way our family of 4 will be able to go to the parks on any of our birthdays (we are going two weeks after DS b.day:mad:), but the thought of winning something from the dream squad was always exciting.

And we never won a great prize like Ian ;):D. Still cool for that man, but I'm guess this promotion will cost them a whol less money.

Look at the cast member...she looks like what the heck am I supposed to do w/this?!? LOL

MinnieMommie

01-03-2009, 03:16 PM

Thanks Mel - very cool for this person and awesome ticket! Any thought about whether they will expand this promo beyond 2009? We are planning a trip during a week in Jan 2010 when there will be 2 birthdays in our group. Would be nice if they continued! :mickey:

Melanie

01-03-2009, 07:03 PM

To go from the creativity and excitement of the YoaMD to this is very disappointing.

:ack: Which had zero appeal for me! I hated the color scheme (too much Carolina blue - enough said!) and I rarely, if ever, saw the Dream Squad on my 4 trips during the Year (read 2) of a Million Disappointments. Boring! Maybe if I'd won a night in the castle, or even dream fastpasses, I'd feel different. But I didn't and I don't. I'm glad to finally see it go!

This new promotion isn't exactly the bee's knees, but at least I know now that if I go on my birthday, I WILL get something for free, whether it be a ticket or a gift card. That's a guarantee.

Hammer

01-03-2009, 09:03 PM

:ack: Which had zero appeal for me! I hated the color scheme (too much Carolina blue - enough said!) and I rarely, if ever, saw the Dream Squad on my 4 trips during the Year (read 2) of a Million Disappointments. Boring! Maybe if I'd won a night in the castle, or even dream fastpasses, I'd feel different. But I didn't and I don't. I'm glad to finally see it go!

This new promotion isn't exactly the bee's knees, but at least I know now that if I go on my birthday, I WILL get something for free, whether it be a ticket or a gift card. That's a guarantee.

I agree with Mel. Ian, you are naturally going to be biased towards the previous promotion because you won. I was at WDW for 3 separate trips during the 2nd year of this promotion and I never saw the Dream Squad. As Mel said, you will definitely be given something if you go on your birthday.

PirateLover

01-03-2009, 11:34 PM

I think both promotions had their benefits. It's funny, I too had multiple trips during the YOAMD promotion and never saw the Dream Squad, but I was never bitter about it. I saw people all around with dream fastpassess and I know that thousands of people won prizes and that's cool. I did celebrate my birthday there in 2007 and it was the most magical day I had at Disney even disregarding the fact that I got engaged that night. Birthdays at WDW have always been special. That being said, we are going to have the opportunity to go on my fiance's birthday and June and it will certainly be nice to get the gift card. I just hope they don't slack off on all the other birthday magic they have always provided (i.e. you are already getting into the park free what else do you really need).

gueli

01-03-2009, 11:53 PM

There is merrit for both sides to the argument.

One one hand- if everyone plans carefully than at least 1 person in your group gets something extra-special.

On the other hand- there was always a chance (however small) that your "group" would win something really cool (fastpasses,etc).

I have heard a lot of people who won. I would rather take a shot in the dark at winning something- no matter how big or small- to make your experience special (on whatever day) than to have to carefully plan around 1 persons b'day. Of course I like to gamble on the lottery too...

Now in al fairness & disclosure- I did win a dream fastpass at AK, but I was there to just ride everest on the last day of our trip- when we had to fly home (I arrived at the park for the rope drop). I might have the only intact (unused) fastpass...

When I heard about this promotion - it did not get me as excited as YoMD. But to each their own.
:mickey:

Melanie

01-04-2009, 12:45 AM

but I was never bitter about it.

I hope I didn't imply that I was bitter, because that certainly wasn't the case. Like I said, I just thought the promotion was booooooring and went on a year too long. I mean what a contradiction with the promotion's title and the actual length. Hilarious!

But absolutely it's to each their own. I like the idea of everyone having the opportunity to feel even more special on their special day. I've spent a few of my birthdays in a Disney park, and it's a blast! I don't see why the previous Disney birthday magic would disappear just because you are getting into the park for free. ???

Hammer

01-04-2009, 01:01 AM

I also hope i did not come off as bitter. I just did see a decided drop off in the "Dream Squad" sightings in 2008 vs. 2007. I think the YOAMD promotion went on for too long. Mind you, I probably won't be there for my birthday anyway (I usually avoid WDW in August), so I'm not going to benefit anyway.

PirateLover

01-04-2009, 09:59 AM

I wasn't necessarily talking about you guys, but over the past few years I can recall a lot of threads that basically boiled down to "Where is MY prize?"

big blue and hairy

01-04-2009, 01:35 PM

I hope I didn't imply that I was bitter, because that certainly wasn't the case. Personally I thought you sounded more bitter about the Carolina Blue....:D Duke fan?

I don't think either is really a good reason to have to go to WDW during the celebration. I just have to go because....welll....I have to.:goofy2:

:sulley:

Melanie

01-04-2009, 04:33 PM

I wasn't necessarily talking about you guys, but over the past few years I can recall a lot of threads that basically boiled down to "Where is MY prize?"

Well, call it (and me) what you will, but I guess those people didn't like the promotion either. ;)

So for you lovers, all good things must come to an end. Now, what will you celebrate?

PirateLover

01-05-2009, 03:43 PM

Well, call it (and me) what you will, but I guess those people didn't like the promotion either. ;)

So for you lovers, all good things must come to an end. Now, what will you celebrate?

Maybe I chose the wrong word, I didn't mean to call anyone anything, but at any rate I didn't particularly think it was a great promotion I just felt kind of neutral about it. But to tell the truth I don't have much to compare it to since I've only started regularly going to WDW 4 1/2 years ago. And as I stated, we are excited to celebrate my fiance's birthday. :party:

Ian

01-05-2009, 04:20 PM

I agree with Mel. Ian, you are naturally going to be biased towards the previous promotion because you won.Can't dispute that even a little bit ... I'm quite certain if we hadn't won a couple times, I would not feel as positively about YoaMD as I do.

That being said, I still would qualify it as far more interesting and inventive as the whole What Will You Celebrate thing and, even if I hadn't won a dream, I'd still prefer that one over the new one.

But that's because the excitement of having the chance of winning something great is a lot more interesting to me than knowing I won't get a single, solitary benefit out of this promotion.

Here's the way I look at it ... every single, solitary visitor had a chance to win in YoaMD whereas in this promotion many of us know we'll get absolutely nothing out of it. How do you then manufacture excitement for something that you know you won't benefit from?

That's why I'm totally underwhelmed by it ... it means absolutely nothing to me. They might as well have no celebration at all, as far as I'm concerned.

Melanie

01-05-2009, 06:24 PM

You know what Maryanne, call me bitter. :D

I was thinking more about this after reading in another thread how a member's daughter was upset after a Dream Team CM told her that if they'd been there 5 minutes earlier, they would have won the Castle Suite for the night. It reminded me of a time we were at Disneyland and we had just entered the holding area for Haunted Mansion (the room just before the stretching room) and a group of 5 or so Dream Team CMs came in just as the doors were closing. Imagine our excitement! :yay: But then imagine our letdown :sad: when the entire room realized it wasn't for us, it was for the next group to enter that room. Ugh. Yeah, I was bitter. :secret: Now I don't think the CMs in either of those situations meant to cause disappointment, but they did. I'm sure they heard comments all the time from guests.

Sure, there was a lot of excitement for YOAMD, but the more I think about it, there was a lot of disappointment as well. To me, it's shame to even have a promotion that's going to cause any type of disappointment. At least with this new one, it's cut and dry. But again I go back to the fact that I think my main gripe with YOAMD is that it went on a year too long. Talk about unimaginative.

CaptainSad

01-05-2009, 09:03 PM

Boy, talk about bitterness... I went down December 16th-23rd 2007. I did not see the dream team at any time while I was there. Didn't really care. I went down to enjoy myself. I was there the moment the parks opened and stayed until they closed. I had a great time. There were no long lines so fast passes would have been useless. I had reservations at Bonnet Creek at WDW, so Cinderella's Castle would have been wasting the money I had spent in the first place. Do you all get disappointed when you buy a lottery ticket and don't win? They only gave out 2739 prizes a day if it was 1,000,000. Average attendance would have been 25 to 30 thousand a day at all the parks combined.. 10 to 12 million for the whole year. 10% does sound good. But I bet 90% of the prizes were Fast Passes or Pins or Lanyards. I have a better chance at the lottery then I would at WDW...

Ian

01-06-2009, 08:59 AM

Sure, there was a lot of excitement for YOAMD, but the more I think about it, there was a lot of disappointment as well. To me, it's shame to even have a promotion that's going to cause any type of disappointment.This is where I'll agree with you to an extent and where I do think the fact that we win "A BIG PRIZE" influences my feelings on it.

Even having won previously, I did still feel some disappointment whenever we had one of those "close calls" with the Dream Squad. I can only imagine how disappointing it would be to those who had never won.

PirateLover

01-06-2009, 09:54 AM

You know what, I never had any close calls with the dream squad. In fact I never even saw them, so it was sort of like an out-of-sight, ought-of-mind. But reading those stories I would have to say that I would probably be a tad jealous/upset if I actually realized that I just missed winning a prize.

As I briefly mentioned earlier, my main concern with this promotion is that some of the other special things that WDW does on your birthday will be taken away or seem less special, because people now feel entitled to something. I spent most of my birthday in Epcot. I got my pin, and the nice man gave me a princess crown to wear (paper, from the pirate and princess parties). A photopass photographer at the entrance to Epcot gave me what felt like a private shoot for a supermodel, placing me in all kinds of poses, calling me a 'Beautiful princess" (it was a woman) and making me feel really special. The woman at the :marg: stand in Mexico gave my whole party free drinks. I wasn't expecting any of this and it made my birthday so special. Now when we go for John's birthday, if he gets no special little surprises since he already got a "big" present from Disney, we might be a little bitter!

Ian

01-06-2009, 09:57 AM

PirateLover

01-06-2009, 12:16 PM

Yeah, but in fairness Maryanne you can't expect to get all that stuff on your birthday as-is. You were just fortunate.

I've had my DD in the parks on her birthday and we got nada. Zip. Zilch. It's all just random luck in terms of running into the right employees at the right time.

Hmmm. That's so weird. I would think they would want to make a child's birthday more special than an adult's. Well, I didn't expect anything before I got it. I guess I should just be grateful that I did have a nice day with surprises.

Well, I guess what this all pretty much boils down to is that no one promotion can please everybody!