Celebrate YOU in 2009! A Disney FIRST!

[Carol]

What about if you are going to Disney to celebrate your birthday but you won't actually be there on the actual date. Our trip is April 20-27 but my actual birthday is on the 30th.

It only applies on your "actual birthday".

[elmjimmlm]

OK now they should have a new planning dvd out for this ... I love getting these and watching it over and over and over and over and over...

[Magic_Mirror]

Hi
How about the Disney Cruise Ships? We arrive for 8 days at AKL in Feb 09 from the UK, then we are at Sea for my wife’s 50th birthday (we are at Castaway on the actual day 3rd March 09)
What does anyone think?

We were there at WDW for our 25th Anniversary, our 30th Anniversary my 50th Birthday
We will probably miss out on this, as it will probably be only in the parks

[ShinynewJB]

OK now they should have a new planning dvd out for this ... I love getting these and watching it over and over and over and over and over...

Second! I've played the Happiest Celebration on Earth one so much that if it were a VHS it would be worn out. Infact, all the planning VHS tapes I have from way back when are worn out :P.

I actually bought the DVD box-set from the parks last week, but I really don't enjoy them as much as the free planning DVDs (which DIDN'T cost me $80! )

[Disney Doll]

I guess great minds think alike. We are celebrating DS 1st b-day in WDW next month.

[Jasper]

OK, I do kind of like this promotion but I just wonder about one thing. Do you all believe that 70% of people take vacations to celebrate a special event in their life? Maybe we are the exception rather than the rule but I really can't ever remember taking a trip to WDW, or anyplace else, just to celebrate a birthday or any other event. Sure, there have been times when a trip happened to land on a special event but that was just luck and not planning. So what do you think of that 70% figure?

[jray21]

OK, so they could add more, but......

I do like the free entrance, or other gift things, but overall it just doesn't seem too exciting. To me, it just seems to be more marketing, versus a celebration. Everything in this celebration except for the birthday special, costs money, and is nothing new as it has already been available.

I am all for being able to pay more for a better experience, we can already do that with grand gatherings and cruises, but I wish they would just do more in the parks for everyone as a yearly promotion. More activities, more surprises, more characters, upgrades, new rides, and more entertainment (hopefully that is what the street celebrations are, or are they just counting the walking garbage can and high school music rallies as the celebrations?), as part of the celebration and in addition to what is already being built. But unfortunately, it's all about money. As an example, I will use my upcoming marathon trip. The wife and I have a cruise planned, dinner at V&A, and the dinning plan, plus a couple of tours. So how will this new promotion help? It doesn't really. The sweetheart dinner has an app, entree, and dessert, dinning plan is probably still the better deal (no limit on entree with the DDP). Also the cake and gift box really does nothing for me. It will be expensive, and anyone could do it on their own for a lot cheaper and in a very short amount of time. Plus, I would much rather have us both get an individual dessert from the different restaurants, than share a cake.

I hope I am wrong, but reading and watching everything on the official website isn't that different from what is already available. The free entrance, gift baskets, dining specials, and cakes, are the only things not currently available. When I go to the official sight, I see what should have been there for years - every activity available, and the contact information. For example, to get the fireworks cruise you would have had to first, know it exists, and second, know the number. The website just throws it all out there in one easy place like it should have from day one. Now, I am sure that some things could be added later, I hope, but as it looks now, it's really not that different. I would even go on to say that the year of a million dreams (I never did like it even though I won a hat and pins) was brilliant in comparison.

I was really thinking they were going to go all out this year. I thought I would really be blown away, but it just seems they took some stuff from DCL and brought it to WDW. I was hoping for something groundbreaking and unique like when Fastpasses came out. Now that was a great idea. I also don't think advertising a new parade is anything special. That is an absolute given. To me it's like announcing that the dapper dans or voices of liberty will be singing new songs this year. Sure a lot of time and money go into it, but mention it, don't use it as a big selling point. This new celebration is nice, but really nothing special.

Again, I am all for capitalism, like the Fantasmic dessert at DL, Grand Gatherings, personal portraits, VIP services, etc. Hey if you've got the money you should be able to get a little extra, but for a parkwide celebration you shouldn't make everything have a cost to enjoy the promotion. How about doing something with the old lagoon, the show buildings at DHS, wonders of life, or keeping Fantasmic open everyday. Do those along with this promotion, and then people would be beyond happy.

One thing you have to check out on the new website is the "memories" tab. 15 out of the 16 items are just Photopass items. Wow, they put a catalog on the website and called it celebration memories. I just hope I am wrong.

[thumperbug]

I like this new idea. We will be in WDW 2 weeks before my son's 7th B'day so it will be nice that the theme is celebration vacation. My son's first trip to WDW was on his 4th B'day and we celebrated the whole week.

I am glad for a change and I do think that a lot more folks go to WDW for a celebration purpose.

I am going to look into the room decorations for him.

[Dsnygirl]

I, too, am a little thrown by this... it's certainly not up to Disney's normal "woohoo, let's celebrate" standards. I wonder if it's an economy thing, and that instead of throwing out the big bucks for another "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration, which has to have cost them quite a bit, they're trying to emphasize what they already do to get more folks there w/o having to spend a bunch to do it. The free day on your b'day is nice, but the "clause" that says it can't be applied for AP holders or multiple-day pass holders is too bad... b/c most people are one or the other. Not too many 1 day at a time folks out there, even in FL - most of them are AP'ers. And if you're booking a package w/ multi-day passes, you can't just do a "free" day first on your b'day and then the rest, b/c that'd be two reservations and/or packages. (At least according to how they do it now...) So, seeing it work well will be interesting. So, okay, instead you get a $75 gift voucher -- truthfully, I think that's very nice - but the Fast Passes? C'mon, they're free, and truthfully, not worth getting me there on my birthday, esp. if my birthday falls during peak travel times.

I'm not too impressed by this... we have our plans set for next year, and no one's b'day is involved... okay, our 15th wedding anniv. probably is, but we already know all the special stuff we can do for it -- nothing they're offering is new -- and I certainly won't change our travel dates to encompass a b'day, just for $75 in one of the shops. (I'm an AP holder, and the rest of my family will have multi-day passes, so no free entrance for us. )

Just my ...

[SAHDad]

I'm hoping that they add some more information soon. Right now, the "Dining Enhancements" are all available at "most" full-service restaurants, and available "Spring 2009". Nothing on price, and I personally don't consider the end of January next year to be "Spring 2009".

It's nice that everything is in one location, instead of the "mystery meat" navigation that sometimes has plagued the WDW site, but I was hoping for more concrete information.

[Catzle]

I guess I am not the norm. But I am going to be greedy here and say what about everyone else that goes to Disney but not on their birthday? It's great for those who happen to go on someone's birthday but what about the other % of people that go and can't go on their loved ones birthday's. The promotion doesn't seem for everyone just those that can get their on a certain day of the year.

[pixiesmimi]

It says that this is a celebration for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Does that mean that the free day also includes if you go on your anniversary or is it just for your birthday?

[kakn7294]

Well darn! We're celebrating DD's 14th B-day but we'll be there 15 days early. No way to change the dates either - we're tied to the HS Band schedule.

[pink]

I do like the free entrance, or other gift things, but overall it just doesn't seem too exciting. To me, it just seems to be more marketing, versus a celebration. Everything in this celebration except for the birthday special, costs money, and is nothing new as it has already been available.

I think getting in for free on your birthday is great, since usually when my family goes it's during one of our birthdays. However, I feel the same way. They're promoting extras that they've already had as a way to make more money. It's easy for us to spot but to the untrainted eye it looks like they've created all these new wonderful experiences.

It says that this is a celebration for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Does that mean that the free day also includes if you go on your anniversary or is it just for your birthday?

I think it's just for your birthday. They just mentioned anniversarys and such to say you can celebrate those in a big way at WDW too.

[dizluvr71]

Has anyone figured out what exactly the Celebration Tour is? They are coming to a city near us in January however I can't really figure out what it is. Do we need to buy tickets to an event or what?

[Septbride2002]

Personally I think this "celebration" is LAME not to mention going to be hard to enforce. On other sites (not this one) people spends lots of time trying to get around the system. They fake birthdays to see if they can get something free, they do fridge swaps, stroller swaps, and other little ideas to try and get around paying for something. How much do you want to bet you start seeing "Birth Certificate Swaps for kids."

Not to mention overall the theme is just lame. I would much rather they NOT have a theme and hey - come to disney because it's DISNEY!

~Amanda

[coloradowendyl]

Special Occasions and events other than birthdays will be included as part of the "What Do You Celebrate? program. However, the Free Admission program is strictly for birthdays. If you choose the $75 Gift Card or Fast Passes, they must be used on the day of your birthday. It will not be valid on any other day. The one day admission is valid for 12 months, but may not be used by anyone other than the Birthday Celebrant.

There is more information here:
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/dis...Birthday/index

Valid proof of birthdate will include gov.issued ID such as drivers licenses, passports, etc. Original or notarized copies of birth certificates may be used for children under 18 who do not have driver's licenses or other form of gov. issued ID. Many states will do a state ID for minor children with picture and birthdate.

Wendy

[lockedoutlogic]

ok....i'll be the one to say what we're all thinking:

"why bother.....this is garbage"


seriously....what a bunch of bull....they clearly can't survive without putting up some silly promotional signs and ads.....so they come up with even less than they have for the last three stupid "celebrations"

and i though 100 years of magic was stupid....


you know...there used to be somekind of point to this....and anniversary....obviously the 2000 thing was an easy sell....


now they just are coming up with nothing....just a thinley veiled attempt to get people to return and spend more of their shrinking discretionary funds at WDW....


am i wrong?

[Dawneeeey]

Just another reason why I should go to Disney World for my 40th birthday!!!!!!!!!

[MegaDisney]

*yawn*