Geoff_M
DIS Veteran, DVC Member, "Cum Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2000
This morning was supposed to be part of a "clean up day" at the parks. We've been at WDW for 10 days now and we're spending the last couple of days doing the things on our "to do" list that for one reason or another we haven't gotten around to. Our 8 year-old son wanted to do BTMRR one more time and we couldn't get to it yesterday, so that was on our list, and the 13 year-old son wanted to ride the Indy Speedway but every time we passed it in the past the line was way too long for our liking for that attraction. So the game plan today was to go to MK at opening do Indy, BTMRR, Tiki (my want), and then boogie over to Epcot and try for another Soarin' FP.
We got to MK for opening, my wife took the kids to Indy while I headed to BTMRR for FPs. We were to hook up at the Briar Patch shop and go from there. We rejoined, went on Splash in the stand-by line and then head over to BTMRR as our FPs were now in the window. We rode in a car about 3/4 the way back and when we got off at 10:22 AM. As we exited I noticed a small party of CMs (some of them looked like management). One of them (CM Nancy) approached me and asked what state I was from. I replied "Michigan", and Nancy asked "Do you have time for a couple of questions?" I hadn't noticed her vest at this point and figured that she was part of a marketing research team. I said "Sure" and they asked if I worked for Disney or a company that was owned by Disney. I said "No." And then they informed me that I was the lucky winner of a $500 shopping spree at the Main St. Emporium. Needless to say, I was floored.... So we took a picture!
We were escorted to City Hall and taken back to one of their VIP Rooms to fill out the required paperwork and confirm my eligibility. It was pretty cool, as we were taken behind the counter all of the CMs working in City Hall applauded us as we walked past them. In the room, I also had to sign as to whether I wanted to formally accept or reject the offer. (A bit of trivia here they told me.... Canadian law requires that Canadian winners have to pass a test to win. They said that they aren't allowed to just "give" a prize to Canadians, it must be "earned". The management CM said they give them a simple math equation like "200+40-12=?".)
Me signing the paperwork in the VIP room:
After it was confirmed that I was a legal winner, we were walked over to the Emporium and there was a staff of CMs and the store manager (Dru) greeted us at the door with shower of YOAMD pixie dust. I was told the $500 was mine to do with as I pleased. Given that there are five of us, I alloted $100 each. We were given a personal crew of CMs with shopping baskets to assist us...
We spent the next hour or so milling around the store filling the baskets. It was pretty funny once during the shopping when I stopped in the middle of the store to look for a family member. A CM not with our "party" came up to me and asked "Are you being helped???" I just grinned and said "Yes. Thank you!"
In the end we went a bit 
over our limit (we just had to pay for the overage and any shipping).
CM Nancy found out that our 8 year-old was going to buy a pin set with part of his prize share because it contained a pin his brother wanted so he could give him the pin. Nancy was so impressed that she went and got the pin from her office and gave it to him as a present!!!
Nancy and our 8 year-old:
CM Nancy asked us in the VIP room if there were any FP attractions that we wanted to ride. We had already been on Splash and BTMRR, but our 8 year-old said that he would like to go on Space Mt., Buzz, and JC again. At the end of the shopping spree Nancy walked us over to Buzz and escorted onto the FP line and rode with our 13 year-old. We got "stuck" at the start of the ride facing the 100K targets on the robot and we maxed out the score even before the ride started!
After our Buzz ride, Nancy took out a booklet and wrote out VIP FPs for Space Mountain (Nancy said she doesn't do coaster plus she had to go assist others) and JC. We said "goodbye" and went on our way...
We got to MK for opening, my wife took the kids to Indy while I headed to BTMRR for FPs. We were to hook up at the Briar Patch shop and go from there. We rejoined, went on Splash in the stand-by line and then head over to BTMRR as our FPs were now in the window. We rode in a car about 3/4 the way back and when we got off at 10:22 AM. As we exited I noticed a small party of CMs (some of them looked like management). One of them (CM Nancy) approached me and asked what state I was from. I replied "Michigan", and Nancy asked "Do you have time for a couple of questions?" I hadn't noticed her vest at this point and figured that she was part of a marketing research team. I said "Sure" and they asked if I worked for Disney or a company that was owned by Disney. I said "No." And then they informed me that I was the lucky winner of a $500 shopping spree at the Main St. Emporium. Needless to say, I was floored.... So we took a picture!
We were escorted to City Hall and taken back to one of their VIP Rooms to fill out the required paperwork and confirm my eligibility. It was pretty cool, as we were taken behind the counter all of the CMs working in City Hall applauded us as we walked past them. In the room, I also had to sign as to whether I wanted to formally accept or reject the offer. (A bit of trivia here they told me.... Canadian law requires that Canadian winners have to pass a test to win. They said that they aren't allowed to just "give" a prize to Canadians, it must be "earned". The management CM said they give them a simple math equation like "200+40-12=?".)
Me signing the paperwork in the VIP room:
After it was confirmed that I was a legal winner, we were walked over to the Emporium and there was a staff of CMs and the store manager (Dru) greeted us at the door with shower of YOAMD pixie dust. I was told the $500 was mine to do with as I pleased. Given that there are five of us, I alloted $100 each. We were given a personal crew of CMs with shopping baskets to assist us...
We spent the next hour or so milling around the store filling the baskets. It was pretty funny once during the shopping when I stopped in the middle of the store to look for a family member. A CM not with our "party" came up to me and asked "Are you being helped???" I just grinned and said "Yes. Thank you!"
In the end we went a bit over our limit (we just had to pay for the overage and any shipping). CM Nancy found out that our 8 year-old was going to buy a pin set with part of his prize share because it contained a pin his brother wanted so he could give him the pin. Nancy was so impressed that she went and got the pin from her office and gave it to him as a present!!!
Nancy and our 8 year-old:
CM Nancy asked us in the VIP room if there were any FP attractions that we wanted to ride. We had already been on Splash and BTMRR, but our 8 year-old said that he would like to go on Space Mt., Buzz, and JC again. At the end of the shopping spree Nancy walked us over to Buzz and escorted onto the FP line and rode with our 13 year-old. We got "stuck" at the start of the ride facing the 100K targets on the robot and we maxed out the score even before the ride started!
After our Buzz ride, Nancy took out a booklet and wrote out VIP FPs for Space Mountain (Nancy said she doesn't do coaster plus she had to go assist others) and JC. We said "goodbye" and went on our way...
I love how the CM brought out the pin to your sweet son.
4u.
