IMHO - Stupid marketing campaign

[kaytieeldr]

WHINE WHINE WHINE We're going to WDW for WDW. For the fun, magic and good times. If someone's family wins the caste while i'm standing close enough to see them I would be in heaven just seeing their happiness.

You don't think quickly enough. In that situation, I'd yell out, "I'm with them!"

 

[lucincia]

I'm so upset about not winning anything that i will never go anywhere again. Because alot of places i go they have random drawing and i never win.
Give me a frigging brake. You people whining over not winning anything is so sad. If you think just because you been 5 to 10 or more time means you are going to increase your odds . Whatever, lord don`t buy a lottery ticket. You may not win because the person who spent more than you will win not you.
I go to Disney to have fun and be a kid again not to win anything. People need to stop getting themselves and there kids so hyped up about YOAMD. Get over it you didn`t win a damn thing so what.
Just be happy you can afford to go. Alot of people cannot afford to go to a local fair much less than WDW.

Again, this kind of post shows the intent of my original thinking for starting this thread. If people like you still go to WDW with or without promotion, and the promotion is ticking some people off, so where is the benefit in having it?

Yes, most places have promotions. McDonald has its annual Monopoly thing and people can buy lottery tickets. But, the Monopoly game runs over for a few weeks (not 2 years) and it's not like you walk into a restaurant and people are walking around with freebies all around you. And a lottery ticket is only $1, not tons of money a lot of people have save for years. There are no comparisons here.

I think people need to step back and stop getting so emotional about some people feeling a tad bad about not winning. If you do not feel envious, more power to you. Now, I am not saying I am envious - I am staying at GF next trip and it's paid for completely by casino winnings - so I don't care about dream fastpasses or whatever - I am going to WDW for free! But the original intent of this thread is - why have it when 1) people who likes it will still go no matter what and 2) it ticks off some people - so where is the advantage in it?

This thread is not about how whining some people are. We are all human. We all think grass is greener somewhere else (or the human race would have perished a long time ago). We all whine and get envious of others - the difference is how we handle it. So do not get on a high horse and look down upon those who actually voice out the logic (or illogic) of the current marketing campaign.

 

[lucincia]

And Marketing did not 'get lazy'. Are you in Marketing? Do you have better ideas/suggestions, or were/are you just bored?

So, then, Disney shouldn't have run the promotion about, what, twenty years ago when every tenth person entering the Magic Kingdom won a prize? I went. I didn't win a prize. Rotten Disney. Rotten promotion. I was there. Would it have been soooo hard for them to have given me a prize? Stupid me. I've been back thirty times.

Do you need to know how to play all instruments in a symphony to know a good classical music performance when you hear one? But, to answer your question - yes, I was in couple marketing companies before.

And again - this is not about people whining about not winning. And it's about this campaign, not 10 years ago. What does 10 years ago promotion has to do with anything? Again, your post supported the original intent of the thread. You went 30 times despite winning or not winning. Promotion or not promotion, we go to WDW for our own reasons. So, it doesn't get us to the park (we don't go to try to win - we go because, well, we like to spend $6000 on a vacation in the middle of Florida), but it does tick a few others off.

So, where is the benefit in it?

 

[lucincia]

You don't think quickly enough. In that situation, I'd yell out, "I'm with them!"

Heck -

Dream Team: Congratulations! You got a night in the castle! What's your name?

Winner: Bob Smith

Me (standing close by): UNCLE SMITH! IT'S ME! COUSIN LUCI! FOUR TIMES REMOVED!

 

[Andyjo0930]

I guess I'm one of the people that are being called stupid or dumb here. I felt very disappointed about the YOMD game. Was it too much to hope my daughter got a free set of 2 dollar ears or maybe a fast pass just to wear even if it was not used. No she did not hit the Disney lottery. She was left out of the fun and good feelings. She spent the whole week hoping and seeing others get dreams. Leaving me to try and explain why we were not chosen.

The person who dreamed up such a stupid ad campain must really be a sadist. They came up with something that cost Disney almost nothing in real money besides advertising it and makes thousands of loyal patrons feel left out.

The final straw was when I saw who won the Castle suite one day. It was a family from Celebration Florida. I thought Disney employees and family were excluded from promotions such as this. I guess not.

I think it would have been better if they would have done something to reward people who are loyal and visit every year. It would be simple to put a code on your reservation and have you go to city hall for your surprise gift. Maybe you could get a better prize each year.

Just for the record I do not expect things for free. But I did pay a lot of money to visit Disney only to feel slighted. It's not the money, it is the principal of how it is handled. Maybe I need to start looking for a new place to go on vacation.

Sounds to me that your were more upset than your daughter was. As far as telling your daughter why she didn't win something, its called "life." I don't know how old your daughter is, but we came back a few weeks ago with a 17 year old, 13 year old, two 7 year olds, a 5 year old and a 4 year old. Not once did I hear from any of them about mickey ears or fastpasses. In fact, if it wasn't for me, they wouldn't have even known about the promotion, or what the prizes were. How about when the grocery stores have a promotion for a free turkey and you don't win that, gonna start shopping elsewhere??? Or when your local bar has giveaways for Monday Night Football and you don't win a t-shirt, not going to drink there again too??? We choose to go to Disney for the magic of Disney, not to win something... and if that is your thinking, then maybe you DO need to find a new place to go on vacation!!

 

[lustergirl]

<<< goes to disney without hoping to win something. I have know about the current contest going on, also knew that they extended this but this isn't the real reason I go to disney (in hopes to win something because dog gone it I spent all of this money on a disney vacation), I go to disney to be in the most magical place on earth and leave my worries at home.

 

[MNWDWMANIAC]

You don't think quickly enough. In that situation, I'd yell out, "I'm with them!"

You got me there

 

[MNWDWMANIAC]

To the point of a failed marketing campaign I'd have to wonder how many new pin traders there are out there....

How many people are talking about Disney that might not have before?

Smile people.. it's Disney

 

[lucincia]

To the point of a failed marketing campaign I'd have to wonder how many new pin traders there are out there....

How many people are talking about Disney that might not have before?

Smile people.. it's Disney

Give every ticket holder a free random pin out of a batch of just normal, average Disney pins (how much does it cost Disney to make one - less than a buck I am willing to bet). Or to limit the campaign can just say free pin for kids. Throw kids and parents together into WDW and watch the wallets fly open. Watch the pin sales go up. Don't need a promotion to do it.

Pin trading is evil. Just bought another bag of 50 pins on eBay for trading purpose in the upcoming trip. We need professional help.

 

[BabyPiglet]

FlameTamr, you are obviously mad at Disney because you didn't win anything. YOAMD is supposed to be a special thing. You're making it into a competition with the other vacationers.

Good god, I think some of you just need to be happy you're at Disney at all. Many many people can't afford to even go once, and you guys are griping because you didn't get free ears.

 

[MNWDWMANIAC]

Give every ticket holder a free random pin out of a batch of just normal, average Disney pins (how much does it cost Disney to make one - less than a buck I am willing to bet). Or to limit the campaign can just say free pin for kids. Throw kids and parents together into WDW and watch the wallets fly open. Watch the pin sales go up. Don't need a promotion to do it.

Pin trading is evil. Just bought another bag of 50 pins on eBay for trading purpose in the upcoming trip. We need professional help.

Yes, I agree their may be OTHER ways to start pin trading as a while. But this is a discussion about the whole campaign. Disney nor I ever said the point was to start people collecting pins. The point over all is that people might start talking about Disney when they otherwise might not. Seeing a clip on the local news about a local family winning a night in the castle is bound to spark conversations and even get a family talking about visiting WDW when they might not otherwise have a reason to discuss it. My point about pin collections going up was a side note pointing out that giving away a 2 dollar landyard and pin set a a sound investment. Disney doesn't need a promotion to do anything. But giving people something to celebrate, discuss and enjoy at times be that directly or indirectly is the entire point.

Marketing by no means got lazy with this promotion. Do you have any idea the work they are putting into setting up, tracking, sorting sending and working out this entire promotion? Just the postcard side of the campaign alone has to be a major workload. I send postcards to Elmhurst IL and 3 months later my prizes arrive from Lake Buena Vista, FL??? that doesn't translate as lazy to me. They have to maintain prize lists and follow strict rules in how they handle the giving of prizes. Again that can't be handled by a lazy marketing group.

The idea also translates into getting CM's into the "magic" more so. They are given the ability to make a child smile with a free cookie or an extra ice cream with Disney's blessing. The moment there even if brief is something I refuse to call stupid or a failure.

We're not going because of the YOAMD prizes. HOWEVER the discussion my wife and I had back in April is directly connected to our discussing the promotion and the post cards we started sending in for fun with our family. With the birth of my news child and life in general we got caught up in life. Mickey got our attention.

Now that we are back on our Disney Track we will be visiting again in march for a secret trip with out kids and another Oct 2008 trip as well. I'm not going because they gave me a lanyard or ears. I'm going because they got us talking about Disney again.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I could have purchased them if they were for sale.

See Ebay http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=disney+dream+ears&category0=. And, while "the" Year of a Million Dreams Ears aren't for sale in the parks, A version of ears honoring this year's celebration, is.

Yes, most places have promotions. McDonald has its annual Monopoly thing and people can buy lottery tickets. But, the Monopoly game runs over for a few weeks (not 2 years) and it's not like you walk into a restaurant and people are walking around with freebies all around you. And a lottery ticket is only $1, not tons of money a lot of people have save for years. There are no comparisons here.

1) But McDonald's runs the SAME Monopoly game year after year after year after year after... well, you get the point. And you think THAT'S not lazy? But Disney is? Whatever.
2) Oh. You know this because? The winners' food prizes look different? It comes wrapped in different paper? There's a special seating area for winners? You have to figure, winning a food prize in McDonald's Monopoly sweepstakes is like winning Dream Ears or A Dream FastPass (in value) at Disney.
2.1) While it may appear that prize winners - I can only think that's who you mean when you say freebies - are "all around you", again, given the number of prizes awarded per capita per day, it's likely you're seeing the same people.
3) That the cost of a lottery ticket is flexible notwithstanding, WINNING A PRIZE IS NOT A RIGHT!

There are actually 1,250,000 prizes.
They're being awarded in eight venues (Disneyland, California Adventure, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, MGM, Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney, and by postcard entry).
The current promotion is 457 days long.
That's - please excuse the calculation error above - an average of 342 prizes per location per day.
A slow day in the Magic Kingdom is 25,000 Guests.
That works out to one prize for every 73 Guests.

And, specific to the Dream FastPasses, there are 125 per day in Epcot, and 210 per day in each of the other three parks:

95,970/457 = 210
57,125/457 = 125

457 days = Year of a Million Dreams start date October 1, 2006 through December 31, 2007.

Now, I am not saying I am envious - I am staying at GF next trip and it's paid for completely by casino winnings - so I don't care about dream fastpasses or whatever - I am going to WDW for free! But the original intent of this thread is - why have it when 1) people who likes it will still go no matter what and 2) it ticks off some people - so where is the advantage in it?

Oh? Are you sure about that? Are you sure you hadn't first given the casino(s) more money than you ultimately won, over all the times you visited casinos? Anyway: Because it has and will ENTICE people who feel lucky; who were on the fence about Disney and need/ed an extra push; who've never been and think maybe, just maybe, one of their Dreams can come true...

Give every ticket holder a free random pin out of a batch of just normal, average Disney pins (how much does it cost Disney to make one - less than a buck I am willing to bet). Or to limit the campaign can just say free pin for kids.

I don't want a "random" pin, and I don't have kids. THIS promotion isn't fair to ME, and look at all the money I'VE spent at Walt Disney World over the years and dagnabbit, all that matters is ME.

The idea also translates into getting CM's into the "magic" more so. They are given the ability to make a child smile with a free cookie or an extra ice cream with Disney's blessing.

Child? Heck, they're given the ability to do that for ANY Guest (said the anonymous Guest who insisted she didn't want 'anything', she just wanted Guests Relations to be aware of a situation - where the CM insisted equally firmly and pleasantly that there must be something the Guest - by now addicted to Mocha Frosts - might enjoy...)

 

[MNWDWMANIAC]

Child? Heck, they're given the ability to do that for ANY Guest (said the anonymous Guest who insisted she didn't want 'anything', she just wanted Guests Relations to be aware of a situation - where the CM insisted equally firmly and pleasantly that there must be something the Guest - by now addicted to Mocha Frosts - might enjoy...)

Correct...I tend to think in terms of "child" knowing everyone at WDW is a kid

 

[maxiesmom]

The problem is some people don't feel "a tad bad" about not winning. They feel so bad that they don't want anyone else to win either.

And as far as it being a bad campaign, and Disney knowing how it would upset some guests, I'm thinking Disney gave people too much credit. They though that people would get that they are not guaranteed to win, and that it would add some excitement to the parks, the possiblity of winning. And instead too many guests have decided to complain and moan because they didn't win. It is pathetic that some people have decided to turn a campagin designed to delight and thrill people into something mean and nasty.


It is one thing to feel bad about not winning. It is another to be actively mad and decide that you were wronged somehow.

Society is turning into a bunch of selfish, spoiled, grumpy people.

 

[lucincia]

Yes, I agree their may be OTHER ways to start pin trading as a while. But this is a discussion about the whole campaign. Disney nor I ever said the point was to start people collecting pins. The point over all is that people might start talking about Disney when they otherwise might not. Seeing a clip on the local news about a local family winning a night in the castle is bound to spark conversations and even get a family talking about visiting WDW when they might not otherwise have a reason to discuss it. My point about pin collections going up was a side note pointing out that giving away a 2 dollar landyard and pin set a a sound investment. Disney doesn't need a promotion to do anything. But giving people something to celebrate, discuss and enjoy at times be that directly or indirectly is the entire point.

Okay, I agree here that you are correct in this viewpoint. The promotion gets people talking, gets press excited about big winners, and get more people talking - which may push some people who are on the fence about where to go for vacation. I admit my assessment of the marketing campaign is skewed in the beginning (as the OP)

Any press is better than no press!

 

[lucincia]

Oh? Are you sure about that? Are you sure you hadn't first given the casino(s) more money than you ultimately won, over all the times you visited casinos?

Scary - but I track my casino runs in Quicken - and it is in high positive territory The upcoming trip to Vegas is also paid for by my gambling addiction. Not want to brag but you asked

1-800-BETS-OFF ....

 

[lucincia]

Society is turning into a bunch of selfish, spoiled, grumpy people.

Society is also filled about grumpy people complaining about grumpy people!

 

[maxiesmom]

Society is also filled about grumpy people complaining about grumpy people!

I'm not sure what I said that made you think I was grumpy. Disgusted, maybe. Saddened too at how so many people can turn something fun into something negative.

The grumpy ones are the ones doing the complaining about not winning, imho.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Society is also filled about grumpy people complaining about grumpy people!

Society is also filled with realistic people refuting the unsubstantiated complaints of grumpy, selfish people

Seeing a clip on the local news about a local family winning a night in the castle is bound to spark conversations

Dang it, man! You're going to force me to pack my "fancy" outfit, aren't you, for the TV cameras, on the absolutely miniscule chance I'm in the exactly right place at the exactly right time one day next week, aren't you?

Scary - but I track my casino runs in Quicken - and it is in high positive territory The upcoming trip to Vegas is also paid for by my gambling addiction. Not want to brag but you asked

Excellent! Um, care to share some of your secrets? Not the Quicken ones - the gambling ones?

 

[lucincia]

Excellent! Um, care to share some of your secrets? Not the Quicken ones - the gambling ones?

Come to Vegas with us!

Okay, I withdraw my original comment as OP regarding the stupid marketing campaign. After some fun back-and-forth debate with a few people (not those who are just trigger happy and using a knee-jerk reaction to chalk this thread up as another whining poster who did not win) I can see that this promotion does not cause the diehards like people on DIS to go or not to go to WDW - we will go no matter what - but it does cause the press to write up about winners which will cause those undecided people to start talking about Disney, which may in turn cause them to sign up for the kool aid line. If Disney pisses off a few people along the way, the newcomers justifies the loss.