Disney Offers Free Admission On Your Birthday In 2009 Company: Promotion Ties Into 'Celebration Vacations' Walt Disney World and Disneyland will let everyone who visits on their birthdays in 2009 into its theme parks for free. The company announced the promotion Thursday in New York, saying it was plugging into “a family-travel trend called ‘celebration vacations.’ ” A guest must present a valid identification that includes date of birth to get the free admission to one Disney theme park in Florida or California. Disney, in a news release, quotes a June 2008 survey by Ypartnership that showed 70 percent of people “revealed they have taken a vacation primarily to celebrate a special occasion.”
can you imagine in your family all had the same birthday? EDIT: like this family http://www.nbc11.com/news/14313928/detail.html?rss=bay&psp=news thatd be sweet
good to hear they're taking SOME steps at making it more affordable, although giving ONE person free admission for ONE day is hardly a big step of good faith. i'd rather see them lower prices across the board so we could afford to bring our whole families there again. i remember back in the 80's/90's, where disney was an actual family vacation/destination.... now with prices the way they are, it is very difficult to finance an entire family of four's trip to disney for a week. i'm not complaining about this offering, but it really is small potatoes when you consider how bad the economy is right now, how little of a hit that disney will suffer from this "offer", and how disney has over the years priced itself out of the market from its key demographic: lower & middle class america. i loved disney as a kid and want to take my son there but definitely can't afford it.
They also offer free meal plans for those staying at the resort in September. That means free Breakfast, lunch and dinner. And why should Disney reduce prices? How many other companies reduce prices when the cost of product is up?
seriously? many do! for starters, i'd hesitate to call the "cost" of disney's product as "up", but when we are in distressing times in the economy, you have to accomodate your patrons. Car companies do this all the time with their car offerings and on a bigger scale the Fed does this when it cuts rates... rates that indirectly affect you with any interest rate you may have on your car, house, or even credit cards. i don't expect disney to run a charity, but it has become very expensive in the last ten years. how much is a single-person's ticket for a single day cost? like between $45-80, depending on which park and if you're a resident or not. So disney is passing up earning $45-80 for a day in order to garner positive publicity. They still make their money on the rest of the family paying full ticket price, plus the cost of all meals (september notwithstanding), toys, gifts, merchandise, etc.... they're not hurting for cash by any means. again, not trying to stare a gift horse in the mouth, but i look at this (financially) a lot like that Oprah promotion where she "gave away" Pontiac G6s to her entire audience... she didn't buy those pontiacs, pontiac donated all the cars to the show (possibly because they weren't moving them off dealers lots).... so Oprah spends nothing and gets TONS of positive publicity all over the world. its GREAT marketing, for sure. this is all sounding very anti-disney (i'm realizing), and i'm NOT, so i apologize for that.... and i'm not arguing with you or saying its bad, Green, so don't think i'm attacking or picking on you.... i just think if they really wanted to help the core audience/demographic they are supposed to appeal to, a reduction of prices would be more in order. Even hotel rates in the area and their resorts are astronomical. What used to be the theme park for the "Everyman" has now become a rich family's playground.
I can sorta top that....... My grandfather (mother's father) was born Aug 12th 1897. He got engaged to grandma Aug 12th 1925. Grandmother had a teaching degree and she wanted to use it and teach for a couple of years. They finally married Aug 12th, 1930. My mom was born on Aug 12th, 1931, their 1st aniversary. Grandma and Grandpa had a 2nd daughter, my Aunt Carolyn born (not on) Aug 12th, but she married and had her only child, my only 1st cousin Mark, on Aug 12th, 1962. She divorced and remarried to my Uncle Quinn, who was a bit older, and had the birthday of.........Aug 12th 1919. Last but not least, my birthday is June 23rd, 1960......well that only cousin, has only one son, Christopher (we call him Kit) born on..........June 23rd, 1992 !!!!! Its all true......someone once said we should send it in to Guiness Book of Records, or Ripley's Believe it or not......
The thing is, Disney gives away more free stuff then you are the general public see. For example, just last week when the British airline XL went under and canceled it's flights, Disney gave free rooms to those affected. And there are a huge number of British tourists.
Bringing all 4 of us down to Orlando Nov.18-27 Driving down to Miami for the Pats game Budget for the trip is 7-8 thousand Yes its expensive but to send a family of 4 down to Mexico or the D. R. its abour 5,000 so for an extra 3 you get the trip of a lifetime (and 2 Hannah Montana makeovers)
Yea no joke, that was almost what it cost me for a semester of school (tuition, housing, and food). I can't imagine spending that on vacation.
WOW PM! that's crazy.... i bet you guys celebrate August 12th every year anyway eh? understood. i definitely DO appreciate that, that is a good thing to do. i still would like to take my kid to disney world though that's exactly what i'm talking about. sure it's doable if you have a budget of $7-8k, but how many people do? certainly not those affected most by the troubling economic times.
Well yeah, Mom just celebrated her 77th, my cousin Mark his 45th. I never got to meet my grandpa, as he died in Feb of 1951, and Uncle Quinn died in 2004.
Very cool. I'll have to take advantage of this. Hopefully you get a park hopper to get into Ca Adventure as well...
When the Canuck$ was .60 cents that trip was over 10,000 We have saved for a few years for this. Life is all about choices and this was our families choice The Disney part is not bad 4 Dolphin tickets $400 2 Madonna tickets $360 (wife and daughter going) flights are 2,000 I went over the cost an it should be under 7,000. I know this will sound crazy but I can't believe how cheap gas and lodging is down there. Way more expensive up here. Last week gas was 1.47 litre or 5.88 a gallon
My soccer team won Manitoba and made it to Nationals in Victoria Thanksgiving weekend Would cost 1,000 for 3.5 days with 4 guys to a room. I decided to not go and save that dough. Would have been fun to go but like I said choices PS: Plus the last time I played in Burnaby all your pitches were artificial grass and I still have rug burn from slide tackles
wpg you live in or around Burnaby area? i was just up there several weekends ago. and i need to thank Green Machine for bringing the discounts & offerings to our attention.
WPG is for Winnipeg. It's just above North Dakota Went to Burnaby 3 years ago for soccer. It's nice country out there. I think Unified is out that way
Disney's prices are the way they are for a reason. They are like no other theme park in the world when it comes to cleanliness, attractions, shows, and most of all customer service. Do you have any idea what it must cost alone just to run the fireworks shows in three of the four parks EVERY night? Go to Universal and then go to Disney the next day, you'll see what I mean when you see the differences between the two parks...and Universal is just as expensive. I'll pay whatever Disney charges to spend time at a place where the workers are friendly and helpful, trash isn't all over the place, and EVERY attraction is top notch.
Perfectly said....i have never came across a rude employee, everyone is helpful, music playing always, street performers, the best actors, great rides, great line even lol.....sometimes its just as fun to stand in line before the ride......mission space's line is cool, as is the star wars simulator at disneys hollywood studios (formally mgm studios) and expedition everest is a cool line.... i mean, its worth it imo....i have gone to disney millions of times....my dad is in love with the place....there is no place like it....you forget everything....every bill, all the stress, all the problems in your life, when your standing on main street looking down the road at the castle and all the stuff going on around you!
A few years ago I thought I was the only one who thought like that. Since then I've been finding there are more than I thought. It's true...you become 8 years old again. Wish I could have met Uncle Walt and thanked him personally. I can only imagine what it would feel like knowing that something you created made so many millions of people happy. The best testament to the magic of the place is this...I've been going there for 17 years now, and although it's a HUGE crowd with MILLIONS of people, I have YET to see an altercation in the parks. Yet to hear an angry word. People run into each other and it's just "Excuse me! Sorry!" Anywhere else you can imagine what would happen.
yeah pagan that's great and all, doesn't change the financial difficulty for many to attend the parks. i don't have access to the numbers, but the prices have risen greater than the national COLA rate, and (obviously) greater than inflation - i know this from my own research and trying to plan a trip there with my son for several years now. Of course i used to go before i had my son too... and had also watched the prices then as well. i completely agree with your guys assessments of the parks themselves - that wasn't in question. that is also why i'd love to take my son there. it was such a big deal to me as a kid growing up, i'd like to afford the same opportunity to my kid.
So instead you'd like deteriorating quality in order to let more people in? It would seem that the parks are filled to capacity every day. So obviously there are ways to make it there, unless everyone who attends is well off. Do some more research bro, there are ways to get there. You don't have to stay on property for one. Knight's Inn or Ramada on 192 are $39 a night. Disney also has MANY package plans that are damn affordable, judging from the trailer park rejects I've been seeing there lately. I am no way rolling in dough, yet I've been able to afford to go for 10 days or two weeks every year for 14 years. And that's the point. In order to maintain that level of quality, it has to be paid for somehow. The overhead at Disney theme parks must be astronomical, and there are even little things people don't take into consideration. One little thing is "Ice Station Cool" in EPCOT. There are samples of cola products from all over the world in there...for free. You can take as many samples as you like. I see people in there standing there for 10-15 minutes drinking their fill of soda. You don't think that adds up? The fireworks displays, like I said before. The cost to put them on EVERY night...in THREE different parks, must be mind-boggling. You want them to cut prices fine...you'll be able to take your kid to see a lesser park than what's available now. Like I said, a day at Universal costs MORE than Disney...yet the quality at Universal is far below Disney standards.
I am no way rolling in dough, yet I've been able to afford to go for 10 days or two weeks every year for 14 years. You must love it to go that often We just booked our Condo for 8 nights at $600 which is a lot cheaper than I thought You have kids Pagan?? We are down there for 8 days. 1 day to Miami for football and 1 more day to Miami for Madonna So we have 6 free days and 1 day is for Sea World So now we have 5 days. My question is do we go to the park all 5 days or is too much. My kids are 8 and 6 and wifey will be 5 months prego with #3
i think the idea of how expensive something is, is clearly relative. i never challenged disney's right to make money, just complained that i can't afford to go there.... i guess i would be considered "lower class." the fact that you guys can afford it - that's great. but the amount of money you guys are talking about that you think is reasonable, exceeds my annual budget of "fun" money. hence my not being pleased and saying its priced out of a key demographic.... if you LIVE in florida and/or around the park, its significantly cheaper for sure... but if you're out of state and have a family, other costs start to come into the picture (including costs that are unrelated to disney) like airfare, which don't help when you figure the overall budget. and Pagan - i never spoke of disney lowering their quality or deteriorating the service involved... but there definitely is room in the profit margins to shave some off IMO. You can look at their reported numbers online, which i have. they aren't exactly "hurting" in the profit column... and given the state of the economy and the financial strain everyone is going through, i don't think it would hurt.
the sad reality is my man.....untill attendance drops......and disney is no longer the most visited place in the world....they won't really change anything.....why would they? its always packed, always jamming with visitors all times of the year......so why lower prices? not gunna change enless people stop paying the money to go there.......i don't see it happenin soon
Yes I do. Nope...just me and the missus. Well...the point is that there are parks. Four of 'em to be exact. And EPCOT usually takes more than one day, so if you hit all four and EPCOT for 2 days, you're golden. You definitely won't see everything, but you'll cover alot. Sorry to hear that bro. It usually costs the wife and I about $2,500 for ten days. This is true. JetBlue usually is around $400 for the both of us to fly down there. I know you didn't bro...but I've been there when they have cut back. They cut costs by cutting some of the manpower, and the park suffers for it. I was there a few years ago and it was bad, to say the least. They've picked it back up. And sick is right, as long as people pay no way they cut back. Like I said man, look into it deeper. I've seen some families there in recent years that there was definitely an empty doublewide somewhere. If they can do it there has to be a way somehow for ya.
my suggestion is "tropical palms" resort.......right behind "old town" love those places....better than a hotel and walking distance from old town andthey have awesome car shows....... tex really man my mom had 4 kids by time she was 28.....we always make it up there.....6 people.....how? well pack lunch, take advantage of package deals.....instead of renting a car....take a tram from the hotel....almost all of them have them for free....maybe getta crappy hotel? spend all day and night at parks....who cares what the hotel looks like.....all the same with the lights off wake up early the next day and head out for more fun.....wendys for dinner....and my ultimate favorite... ponderosa all-u-can eat breakfast buffets......cheap and tons of awesome food!!!! just budget right and maybe cheap it alot....but time at the parks rocks..... also a tip.....tons of ways to get free park tickets.....sit thru boring *** timeshare presentations for an hour or so......say "no" and get 2 tixs to seaworld one day......2 tixs for magic kingdom the next.... there's tons of ways to save man!!!!
