I hate to sound cynical here, but I guess this will. I'm just not that excited about the "magical gatherings" - or maybe I'm just disappointed with what it has turned out to be. Frankly, it doesn't seem anything more than re-labeling things that people could ALWAYS do if they wanted to pay for it, by booking it through group sales - things like fireworks viewing deserts, fireworks cruises, character breakfasts. Besides putting a label on it, I'm not sure what the big deal is - you could always do this. Heck, if you wanted to spend the money you could rent out an attraction or even a park. Big deal. Of course you could buy it if you are staying with dvc - all you need is 8 people and take your money and buy the stuff. Big deal. You could always get a group or people together and pay enough money and have Mickey himself come over and hang out. So this doesn't seem that neat to me, and I don't see any reason that dvc members wouldn't be able to take advantage - of course they would. It isn't like a discount or something, heck I don't even see why you would have to be a resort guest at all. I guess i was hoping for a promotion that would have a discount, rather than a promotion just wanting you to spend more. We had about 25-something people there when we had our wedding a few years ago, and so we may have more experience in going through the group sales people than other folks have? Like getting meals and restaurants and stuff. By surendipity, we were planning on bringing about 25 family members with one branch of our famiy tree to BCV next fall, so at first I was really curious about what this would be, but it doesn't seem like anything more than a gimmick to me. How about giving people in large groups a 10% discount on tickets or something, or letting them buy 3 day hoppers or something like you can with a wedding group or convention group. I think this is sizzle and no steak, imho, a gimmick. Just my opinion, and I hate to sound negative if other folks are excited. I just don't get it I guess. I mean isn't "the grand gatherings" division is just the same old "group sales" division they've always had? I guess the "on-line planning" tool is something new, I wonder if that will be much more than a way to send out group e-mails.
DR