Cinderella Castle Stay
in [Disney Parks]
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From: Patty on 28 Jan 2007 14:18 Rob, thank you for the very informative posting. I hadn't even considered the legal implications of Disney trying to mess with the randomness of the contest. I'm sure the Dream Squad folks are under strict orders to follow the directions issued by the computer. Patty
From: admiralBoom on 29 Jan 2007 01:31 On Jan 27, 11:30 am, Patty Winter (pat...(a)wintertime.com) wrote: > In article <yXKuh.17739$w91.7...(a)newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net>, > > Konsler \(Solivita\) <ggk...(a)comcast.net> wrote: > > >Let's say the computer picks the 4th person to come out of a particular gift > >shop after 3 PM ...and that 4th person is really strange, lots of tattoos > >and body piercings, wild hair, etc. How much you want to bet that the Dream > >Squad has the leeway to select #5 or #6 instead of #4?Dunno. Since the only example we've had so far was more specific > than that, we have no way of knowing whether some of the instructions > are as vague as "4th person coming out of shop after 3:00." Maybe > some of the lesser prizes (e.g. Dream FastPasses) work that way, > but the castle stays are programmed tighter. > > I had the same questions in my mind until I saw the details of the > first castle winners. Any of our resident CMs or parents of CMs know > more about the process and care to share?? > > Patty Patty, All of the bigger prizes in the YMD are chosen the same way. Management has created a list of locations (3267 to be exact) that are then fed into the YMD computer. To make the computer's choice more random, a 'seed' number is obtained from a park ticket serial number, taken live from a random gate / park - at at a pre-determined time during the day. The locations include attraction seats, cash register locations, parade seating, entry gates, etc... and allow for the possibility that a location is not occupied at the moment of choice. It should be noted that these locations were chosen such that the Dream Squad would not be called upon to make any kind of judgement call (so remember to keep your guide-dog in one of those empty seats). As a side note, the MK is quite alive all night long - emergency services, security and various area managers were already available to take on the added responsibilities. The 'families' chosen can make arrangements to leave the park although they are asked to prearrange any outings so that an official 'guide' can get them in and out while making sure the backstage areas are clear of 'un-disney-like' conditions. The first two 'families' quite enjoyed themselves and I am sure you will read about their experiences in the press. No decision has been made about keeping the room in use after the YMD ends - management is waiting to see how 'things work out' over the next few months. Boom
From: Anne - EZ Fun Guide to WDW on 29 Jan 2007 18:49 This was included in the official news release: "The Fouches became the recipients of the opportunity to become honorary Disney royalty for a day and night because 16-year-old Brad Fouch was sitting in seat eight in the second row of Simulator 4 of the Disney-MGM Studios' Star Tours attraction at 9:50 a.m. Thursday. That was the randomly selected location and time determined by the Disney Dreams Giveaway computer to award the Cinderella Castle stay." Happy day, Anne EZ Fun Guide to Walt Disney World: www.ez-wdw.com Also available on Amazon.com http://www.cafepress.com/acrossamerica On Jan 27, 6:24 pm, "Rob Steere" <ste...(a)charter.net> wrote: > "Bartender Sam" <bartender...(a)earthlink.net> wrote in messagenews: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: Patty on 29 Jan 2007 19:31 In article <1170052284.991677.293170(a)l53g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, admiralBoom <admiralBoom(a)bigfoot.com> wrote: > >All of the bigger prizes in the YMD are chosen the same way. >Management has created a list of locations (3267 to be exact) that are >then fed into the YMD computer. Wow, that's a lot of lcoations! Is that just for WDW, or does it also include DL/DCA? >To make the computer's choice more >random, a 'seed' number is obtained from a park ticket serial number, >taken live from a random gate / park - at at a pre-determined time >during the day. Ah, okay, I've heard of "seed numbers" for random selection programs. >It should be noted that these locations were chosen such that the >Dream Squad would not be called upon to make any kind of judgement >call (so remember to keep your guide-dog in one of those empty seats). Okay, folks, there you have it... BTW, can you speak to the criteria for the smaller prizes? Thanks as always for the info, Boom! Patty
From: Bartender Sam on 29 Jan 2007 19:34
Okie I'll buy it, it just seems like it would be easier to do it at the gate as you come in like they did for the car a day giveaway 15th anniversary. --- Yet another satisfied customer of Bartender Sam! "Anne - EZ Fun Guide to WDW" <anne-easterling(a)earthlink.net> wrote in message news:1170114558.617192.307780(a)l53g2000cwa.googlegroups.com... > This was included in the official news release: > > "The Fouches became the recipients of the opportunity to become > honorary Disney royalty for a day and night because 16-year-old Brad > Fouch was sitting in seat eight in the second row of Simulator 4 of > the Disney-MGM Studios' Star Tours attraction at 9:50 a.m. Thursday. > That was the randomly selected location and time determined by the > Disney Dreams Giveaway computer to award the Cinderella Castle stay." > > Happy day, > Anne > > EZ Fun Guide to Walt Disney World: www.ez-wdw.com > Also available on Amazon.com > http://www.cafepress.com/acrossamerica > > > > On Jan 27, 6:24 pm, "Rob Steere" <ste...(a)charter.net> wrote: >> "Bartender Sam" <bartender...(a)earthlink.net> wrote in >> messagenews: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 > |