Cinderella Castle Stay
in [Disney Parks]
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From: Rob Steere on 27 Jan 2007 19:24 "Bartender Sam" <bartendersam(a)earthlink.net> wrote in message news:EaLuh.15252$pQ3.11402(a)newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net... > > OK I re-read the article again and I was wrong (it happens). The quote > from the article is "randomly picked by a roving Disney Dream Squad." > > This still sounds like Disney could pull some shenanigans if the random > person is "undesirable" in Disney's eyes... > Sorry this will be a long post. I'll copy onto here what I wrote in the WDWMagic Forums. They've been having a similar discussion over there about how "convenient" it was for the first winners to be such an average, picture-perfect American family. (though the general agreement over there is that an "average" family won because they are just that: an average make-up of the typical Disney park Guest, especially at this time of year, so there was a greater chance of the randomly-selected winner being an average family). There's a few "conspiracy theory" people over there who also think that the giveaway is rigged. Here was my first response in that discussion: ------------------------------------------ "Disney wouldn't mess with the contest just to make it look nice for the cameras (which, according to the stores I've heard, they tried way back when for the one-millionth Guest or something like that, and they got called on it and really had some amends to work out) What people aren't realizing is that Disney didn't *have* to make a big spectacle out of the first winner. Not to sugar-coat it, but if the Disney PR people didn't feel that the person who won the prize was "camera ready", they wouldn't have paraded them in front of the media. They could just award the prize following the official rules. The winner would be none the wiser because they got this great night in the castle, and the press wouldn't know about it because the Disney media would have shifted the story slightly to zoom past the point of *who* won the first night. I'd bet that all press interviews happened hours later, which gave the Disney PR people time to gauge whether to "display" the true first winners. This time they just lucked out that it was a picture-perfect family. (Though I agree with other posters who said that they could probably spin a great story out of just about ANY winner) So, while Disney doesn't have any control over the contest (in fact, I'm sure the specific details are operated by an impartial outside firm like most contests are), they *can* control whether the winners are widely shown in the media." ------------------------------------------ After that, the main "conspiracy" person persisted, insisting that there's no reason Disney couldn't pick who they wanted. Others then provided the official rules and the Florida state laws that govern giveaways of this type. Because Disney states that it's a giveaway, and that selection is random, Disney would be in BIG hot water if they didn't follow the state laws to the letter. Specifically, it's Florida statue 849.094, which says in-part: (2) It is unlawful for any operator: (a) To design, engage in, promote, or conduct such a game promotion...wherein the winner may be predetermined or the game may be manipulated or rigged so as to: 1. Allocate a winning game or any portion thereof to certain lessees, agents, or franchises (b) Arbitrarily to remove, disqualify, disallow, or reject any entry; (If you're interested in reading the entire statute, you can do so here: http://www.800helpfla.com/pdfs/StatuteSweeps.pdf ) Not following the random selection instructions to the letter and skipping over a "less than desirable" person when they should be the winner would fall under section (b) above. (And you "enter" the contest by going into the parks or mailing in a postcard) Also, apart from this first day of the contest where they put the people in front of the media, the only real public acknowledgement of any given daily castle suite winner is the parade, which according to the rules, Disney may, at its discretion, choose whether or not to have them ride in the parade. It was also posted on there that the castle won't be given away *every* night, just most nights. It won't be given away on nights with after-hours parties like Pirates & Princess, MVMCP, Night of Joy or MNSSHP, or when they have to do late-night scheduled rehearsals on the Castle Forecourt Stage. -Rob
From: Alpha on 27 Jan 2007 20:41 Carol says: > While a stay in the castle would be neat, I imagine it instantly kills > any plans you had for the day. That occurred to me too, because we always have a pretty detailed plan when we arrive at WDW. The night in the castle suite would definitely muck all that up. But as far as I'm concerned, Disney, go ahead and mess up my plans! :-) A night in the castle suite is really a once-in-a-lifetime thing, something many of us WDW fans have had a little secret wish about for years, and spending a night there would be something our family would talk about for the rest of our lives. I guess though that if you had your heart set on Hoop de Doo or Cirque or whatever you had originally planned, you could just decline the prize. Or sweet-talk Disney into switching around your reservations. :-) -- Alpha
From: B.J. Herbison on 27 Jan 2007 20:51 clkelley564(a)msn.com wrote: > So would being virtually locked up in a hotel room for the night be > worth the disruption no matter how nice it is??? Yes. Certainly. Positively. Absolutely. (And I'm a male with three teen-aged sons, no daughters.) B.J. -- B.J. Herbison / bj(a)herbison.com / http://www.herbison.com/herbison/bj.html The Next Asylum / 203 Long Hill Road / Bolton, MA 01740-1421 / +1 978 634-1061
From: Rob Steere on 28 Jan 2007 00:51 "Alpha" <notreal(a)verizon.net> wrote in message news:Xns98C5D2817181Dalphawave(a)130.81.64.196... > I guess though that if you had your heart set on Hoop de Doo or Cirque or > whatever you had originally planned, you could just decline the prize. Or > sweet-talk Disney into switching around your reservations. :-) > I'm sure that Disney would be accommodating in your plans for the evening. I mean, if you don't want your free dinner and are willing to go to something you're paying for, would they *really* put up a fuss? :-) -Rob
From: Lesa on 28 Jan 2007 06:31
"Rob Steere" <steerr(a)charter.net> wrote in message news:rRWuh.358$zu.357(a)newsfe02.lga... > "Alpha" <notreal(a)verizon.net> wrote in message > news:Xns98C5D2817181Dalphawave(a)130.81.64.196... >> I guess though that if you had your heart set on Hoop de Doo or Cirque or >> whatever you had originally planned, you could just decline the prize. >> Or >> sweet-talk Disney into switching around your reservations. :-) >> > > I'm sure that Disney would be accommodating in your plans for the evening. > I mean, if you don't want your free dinner and are willing to go to > something you're paying for, would they *really* put up a fuss? :-) > > -Rob I thought I had read something somewhere about having a car ready to take you out of the park should you want to go somewhere for the evening. Wouldn't that include reservations for Cirque or a dinner show? |