Celebrate YOU in 2009! A Disney FIRST!

[Mousefever]

Lame.

[Polynesian Dweller]

A rather underwhelming announcement. It will probably be more useful to locals than those of us who have to travel to get there. Even the amounts aren't that great. If you are going for seven days the one day on a MYW pass works out to $34.68 based on a $242.82 7 day pass.

They are counting on you spending money on food, drinks, merchandise (over and above the $75) and then for a birthday its quite likely more than just the birthday person going. So, they get the ticket and food etc for any extra person. As well, they are counting on a certain number of the 'at a cost' items being purchased.

Its a promotion that makes you feel like you are getting something when in reality they are encouraging you to spend more. Not what I expected from a 'first for Disney' type announcement.

[casey@bat]

I will be in WDW on my birthday in June and I am so exctied! I was thinking that all the decorations would be just for me! Everyone will be celebrating MY birthday. That's what I'm telling my kids anyway!

I am pumped the most about the 4 fast passes for up to 6 people!!!! When it is crowed, that is worth more than $75!!!! So does that mean you get 24 fast passes? How will they know who is supposed to be using them? Do we all have to be together? Do you have to use them ON your birthday?

I can't wait to tell my brother!!!!

[Sunshine1010]

yeah....are the fast passes for just 1 ride,...or is it unlimited fast pass to everything, all day?

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

We were planning to go for DD's birthday again this May, so for us, this is just fine.

She'll love spending her "disney birthday present" herself.

I agree, it isn't super-fantastic, but then how many of us actually won a great dream during the current promotion?

[SAHDad]

I agree, it isn't super-fantastic, but then how many of us actually won a great dream during the current promotion?

We didn't win anything, but some friends of ours scored the night in the castle. We just had to enjoy it vicariously.

[ryca1dreams]

I agree that it is pretty dumb from my consumer perspective. But, Disney is a business and the bean counters probably did a cost analysis and determined that they could get some money out of this too. Balloons, banners, and "bait" (ie, a free ticket) don't make me feel special. Being treated like a person instead of a commodity make me feel special.

It won't change my vacation plans - my birthday is on a major holiday and there is no way I will go to WDW on that day.

BTW, I did win a dream fast pass and only had to use the Peter Pan tab. Short lines. It was still cool though - CMs do a good job of making you feel special.

[BIGDOG]

So let me see I take my family of 7 normally stay for 7 to 10 days at a moderate resort. We need 2 rooms, and food and tickets and goodies for all. Normally drop from 7 to 9 k each trip including air and limo and extras. Disney the marketing wonders of the world can only come up with a birthday ticket for 1 person(unless you have twins) if you happen to be there on your birthday. I think they should be ashamed of themselves with the economy the way it is, is that really the best you could do. Save 75.00 or so and have to look at cake all day thru out the park. I have news for you some of us don't like to be reminded we are getting older ! Of course you probally will not be able to use this with any other promo like free dining or special room rates or some limits of some sort. We actually took this year off due to fact of being dreamed out from last year. Looks like another vacation on Marthas Vinyard with our boat this coming year too. -Sorry I had to vent been waiting all year to see what the new promo was very disapionted....

[Ian]

*yawn*

This is, without a doubt, the lamest, most ridiculous idea they've ever come up with.

Completely underwhelming and very, very dull.

[KronkHere]

How many people will this really help out. I would imagine most people that attend WDW either have APs or stay for mulitple days and get extended day passes and/or hoppers. The additional cost from day 4 to day 5 and beyond is minimal at best. So if I buy a 7 day hopper, are they only going to charge me for a 6 day hopper.... Seems like a lot of big news grabbing promotion for nothing.

Am I missing something???

[yjgirl32]

this is awesome. We will be there for two events- our annicersary and my father-in-laws birthday!!!! I am so excited!!!

[EpcotChic23]

9/10/09 is my 30th Birthday I was hopeing to go to WDW for my BDAY. With this going on I def. want to celebrate my 30th birtday there, now I just have to decide what park

[Roo Girl]

I think it's wonderful. Celebration or not, marketing or not, admit it- we're all mostly going to be in a Disney park for one reason or another so this celebration really won't make or break the fact that we're going to visit if it's in our budget. To me, I will be a Disney park at least once next year. If it's not on my birthday or DH's birthday, that's fine, but we will still get to be in the air of a grand celebration of someone else's special day. I'm SURE we will enjoy all the balloons, decorations and whatnot that will make it just one more special day in WDW for us. Of course it's marketing!!! Aside from us crazy Disney nuts, there are average Joe's out there that need the bonk of the head of a free admission into the park to remember oh, yeah, Disney, let's go!! I think we all benefit from these themed celebrations. Why not?

[TikiGoddess]

I, too, think this is underwhelming. But think about it this way. Before the YOAMD promotion, did Disney give anything away? From what I remember, their promotions were just a different 'theme' of their advertising for the year (or 18 mos). YOAMD was a fantastic idea... and now they follow it with something like this.... it's bound to look underwhelming. And judging from this thread, there are people who will benefit from this program.

I think Disney was smart to advertise all their little programs that people don't usually know about... like the fireworks cruises, cakes at dinner, tours, spa treatments... lots of people only know Disney for the parks. This is their way of getting the word out and gaining more revenue.

Kathy

[princessesmom]

We are a family of 6 and will be in Disney for my son't birthday in February. We weren't planning to be there for his birthday, but I had to move our dates around to get reasonably priced airfare, so it turned out that way. I'm thrilled about the 4 fast passes per person! It is our last day in the parks, so I figure that will save us a lot of time.

For those of you who aren't happy about this, I'm sure they will still be running promotions with room discounts and free dining throughout the year. If the economy gets a lot worse, they will be running more.

When we were there in 2006, I don't remember them giving anything away for free to anyone. It was before the year of a million dreams promotion.

[Anthony007]

I have to side with those who are not impressed. Me and my fiance both can't get time off during our birthdays, and since all of the "celebration" offerings are things that have already been available it doesn't seem that exciting. And I don't think that families are going to take their child out of school in the middle of the year to save a couple of dollars. And its not like they are saving $65, since most likely they would get some sort of pass, say a 7-day and isn't the difference between a 7-day and 6-day ticket like $3??? I agree with the previous person that it is most beneficial for Florida residents who only want to go for a single day.

Although one thing I thought was that since its only for 1 yr (and I know the Million Dreams was only suppose to be 1 yr) but maybe they are using this as a down year to something really big in 2010?

Too bad for the leap year birthday people huh?

[coloradowendyl]

Leap Year people will be given the opportunity to celebrate either on Feb.28 or March 1.

Wendy

[casey@bat]

Some have already pointed out that the $75 is nothing compared to your overall Disney budget. It's not about the money. It's the magic!

Some are bumbed out they won't be there during a birthday. Just celebrate while you are there anyway! Tell your kids Disney is decorating for their birthday/s. We don't always have our kid's parties on their actual birthday.

We will be there for my 36th birthday. I told my 4 yr. old daughter that Disney was throwing a big party for Mommy and the park would be decorated! Her eyes lit up! She is so excited!

That's what it's all about! Go Celebrate!

[Volunteer]

For everyone concerned about how much you only save between a 6 day and 7 day park hopper, for example like $3 - there is also the option of getting a $75 gift card to use on your birthday only. Sounds like a good alternative.

Call me a sucker, but personally I like this announcement. I've been throwing the idea around for a short/weekend trip for a while now but I've always been turned off by the inflated prices of 1 or 2 day park passes. My birthday next year falls on a Friday. I have a 1 day park hopper pass saved from a past trip, and with this I'll have two days at the park I won't be paying for (of course i will be buy souvenirs, food, hotel, etc), and I also have essentially a free flight with SW. All this adds up to a possibly of a weekend trip for me at a very reduced cost. Now 2 days isn't 4 or 5 by any means but it beats no days at all!

But, that's just my humble opinion. Anything to get back home

[casey@bat]

I think it would also be a great opportunity for someone with an annual pass who lives nearby to take a friend who doesn't have a pass on that friend's birthday! That could be your gift to all your friends who don't have a pass. And let your child take a friend on the friend's BD.