IMHO - Stupid marketing campaign

[lucincia]

I have to say this Year of Million Dreams marketing campaign is pretty stupid.

It gets people's hopes up and when they don't get it, a lot of people feel let down (no matter how much they say they don't care about not getting any dreams). It is only human nature.

The marketing campaign, at its core, is to fail tens of thousands of visitors a day (those who did not get a "dream"). What kind of customer service-oriented company sets out to disappoint majority of their clients on purpose?

And do people really book a Disney vacation this year because they're thinking "oh boy, I may have a chance to win a night in the Castle?"

It's not like Disney has not given out wishes and dreams before. They have been doing it for years and years. Why turn the dream part into a gamble? We have state lotteries and Las Vegas for that.

Please keep in mind that I am just complaining about the marketing campaign itself and the stupid people who thought it up, and not complaining about those of you who won

 

[eliza61]

It gets people's hopes up and when they don't get it, a lot of people feel let down (no matter how much they say they don't care about not getting any dreams). It is only human nature.

The marketing campaign, at its core, is to fail tens of thousands of visitors a day (those who did not get a "dream"). What kind of customer service-oriented company sets out to disappoint majority of their clients on purpose?

And do people really book a Disney vacation this year because they're thinking "oh boy, I may have a chance to win a night in the Castle?"

It's not like Disney has not given out wishes and dreams before. They have been doing it for years and years. Why turn the dream part into a gamble? We have state lotteries and Las Vegas for that.

Because most people should assume just like the lottery, the odds are wininng are small.

I don't blame Disney, I blame us (public at large) and our gimme, gimme, gimme mentality. When you play powerball or mega millions do you really expect to win. NO! you play a few dollars, dream for a while and then get back to reality when you don't win. Why do we go to Disney and then expect that we should win some thing? You see it all the time here on the boards. People post "It's my birthday, anniversary, honeymoon" What can I expect Disney to do for me? When we check into any other resort, do we expect bells and whistles simply because it's our birthday? Should Stevie wonder break out in song? People go to Disney in July and then post, they are mad because the park was crowded. Duh
People post on the boards when they get an upgrade, next thing you know we get a million post about how every one else is mad because they didn't get a free upgrade.
Don't blame Disney, you are entitled to what you paid for, any thing else is gravy.

 

[lucincia]

Like you said, a lot of people has this "gimmee gimmee gimmee" attitude. And like you said, people expect all these special treatment simply because they saw/read/heard that it happened to someone else. So, Disney is just throwing oil onto an already burning fire.

Sure most of people out there are greedy me-me-me morons, but does Disney have to go about to make it worse? Does not affect me any, but from purely marketing point of view, it seems stupid to set a lot of people's expectations up and then watch it getting dashed. Once that happens, all other wonderful Disney magic that one would experience on a day-to-day basis (even without this stupid promotion) are tossed out the window. To me, the promotion degrades the real Disney magic that everyone feels when on Disney property. It now turns into guests competing with each other, watching for dream members, and trying to figure out how to get those dreams, ignoring all the other wonder Disney magic in the parks and resorts.

Might as well throw the guests into a Running Man movie set.

 

[BamaFan121s]

IMO, I don't think the campaign is any worse than any of the others. I actually really enjoy it and am thrilled that it's going to continue for another year. But that is just MY opinion. Yes, I have won dreams. On our last trip, we didn't win anything until mid-way through our last day there and we were still thrilled and had a fabulous time.
I think that people are just going with high hopes that they are *assured* to win something and that is not the case. Disney never claimed or made false pretense that everyone who walked through the gate was going to win...if people are upset because they didn't get anything, they have no one to blame but themselves for expecting it to begin with.

I buy lottery tickets from time to time, never really expecting to win. But I don't think that they should put an end to it or that it was a bad idea as a result of me not winning.

And before the dreaded "F" word starts getting thrown around...no, not that F-word...let me just say that I am not trying to drag the OP through the mud or crucify him for expressing an opinion. I respect that opinion, I just happen to disagree with it. Nothing more, nothing less. Hopefully this won't end up like that other thread where it was portrayed that posters were on a head-hunt to sacrifice the OP to the Disney Gods.

 

[mking624]

This is not the first time Disney has sponsored/ran sweepstakes....they do it rather often. This is merely the first time they've done it on such a large scale. People set themselves up for disappointment...this is not Disney's fault. There wouldn't be an issue if people went realizing that it's a sweepstakes, not a guarantee. When you go in expecting to win something, of course you're going to be disappointed. People have to remember that the chances are rather slim...as with any sweepstakes.

 

[mking624]

Hopefully this won't end up like that other thread where it was portrayed that posters were on a head-hunt to sacrifice the OP to the Disney Gods.

Awww man! I was preparing my sacrifice table too!!!

 

[lucincia]

Heck - I own stocks in Disney. My DD8 and DD4 have Disney stocks in their funds. So don't scacrifice me just yet

We all agree that visitors are the ones who set themselves up for disappointment. We all agree this not everyone can "win". We all agree that Disney never made any false advertising here. I am just saying from the PR and marketing point of view, this campaign is just bad. Now that they have extended it just means they're too lazy to come up with another marketable campaign. It's just easier to market something Disney has been doing for years, that is, giving out random dreams to random in the park. What's so special about it? Disney has been doing it already!

Then again, if enough people get pissed off, less people will come to the park, which means smaller lines!

 

[eliza61]

.let me just say that I am not trying to drag the OP through the mud or crucify him for expressing an opinion. I respect that opinion, I just happen to disagree with it. Nothing more, nothing less. Hopefully this won't end up like that other thread where it was portrayed that posters were on a head-hunt to sacrifice the OP to the Disney Gods.

Nah,
I feel the OP's frustration. It seems like we are seeing so many post of folks complaining because they haven't won any thing. I'm hoping folks get back to just enjoying their vacations. Nowadays they're so hard to come by. One poor lady posted today that her husband lost his job and his boss called him while they were on vacation at Disney. Kinda puts things in perspective.

 

[mking624]

I don't know, I guess it's all a matter of opinion. I think it's a fabulous campaign and I don't think it's lazy to extend the campaign rather than do a different one. From my perspective, from the PR & marketing point of view I think it's a great campaign. Obviously it was having enough success to warrant another year of it. I would think that if enough people hated it and complained to them about it, they wouldn't have extended it.

But I'm all for less people at the park!

 

[lucincia]

I don't know, I guess it's all a matter of opinion. I think it's a fabulous campaign and I don't think it's lazy to extend the campaign rather than do a different one. From my perspective, from the PR & marketing point of view I think it's a great campaign. Obviously it was having enough success to warrant another year of it. I would think that if enough people hated it and complained to them about it, they wouldn't have extended it.

But I'm all for less people at the park!

We agree to disagree

My only dream right now? Make next 31 days go faster so we can get to WDW faster

 

[BamaFan121s]

Nah,
I feel the OP's frustration. It seems like we are seeing so many post of folks complaining because they haven't won any thing. I'm hoping folks get back to just enjoying their vacations. Nowadays they're so hard to come by. One poor lady posted today that her husband lost his job and his boss called him while they were on vacation at Disney. Kinda puts things in perspective.

Oh I know! That was horrible!

 

[BamaFan121s]

Awww man! I was preparing my sacrifice table too!!!

Sadly, that's how people tried to portray it....but I'm sure if you post something about pool hopping or keeping your butt planted on the bus, someone will be glad to make THAT dream a reality!

 

[sticker231]

we didn't get a night in the castle the last two trips this years, so I am trying again in October. What a sucker I am for a good marketing campaign. If it isn't this time I will probably stop going to WDW.

 

[mazdabug]

I think the first poster saw alot of dreams given out on there last trip. And did not receive anything.
Most people do not even have the money to go to WDW at all. Yet others go 1,2,3 or More times a year. Plus the average person really does not know what they are giving away anyways. They are just there for the fun. It is Diser`s like us, who know the in and outs of the whole promotion. Then they are very disappointed when they win nothing.
Just be happy you are going. I know i am.

 

[Andyjo0930]

Do you know how many people walk through those gates and don't even know this is going on??? We were just there and I heard people talking when they saw dream fast passes around people's neck and had no idea that disney was running this promotion. My own family had no clue (my sister is our travel agent and she made all the arrangements), so our husbands and our mother had no clue that this promotion was even going on. For anyone to actually get "upset" because they didn't win a dream is just plain silly.

 

[maxiesmom]

If you book a trip to Disney World just because of the promotion, expecting to win something, then you are the stupid one. Not Disney. If you go to the parks expecting to win something, and then are upset because you didn't, you only have yourself to blame.

My dad and I were thisclose to Dream Fastpasses last year. We rode Splash Mountain with a nice woman and her young son. We talked about how we were going to ride Big Thunder Mountain next. Well, my dad changed his mind, and we didn't ride. We ran into the same lady later and it turns out they were handing out Dream Fastpasses as you entered BTM. Was I upset? Yeah, for about 3 seconds. Then I let it go and went on to enjoying my day.

All of the dreams handed out are bonuses. It is not a given you will win anything. And if people are so thick that they can't understand that, then they are only making themselves miserable.

 

[lucincia]

I think the first poster saw alot of dreams given out on there last trip. And did not receive anything.
Most people do not even have the money to go to WDW at all. Yet others go 1,2,3 or More times a year. Plus the average person really does not know what they are giving away anyways. They are just there for the fun. It is Diser`s like us, who know the in and outs of the whole promotion. Then they are very disappointed when they win nothing.
Just be happy you are going. I know i am.

You're wrong here - this is where people assume too much. I never, ever said I am jealous of people getting dreams. I have yet to go to WDW for leisure during this promotion period. Last time I went in March of this year was for business and we only went to DTD at night time to hit the night clubs, and did not see any dream stuff (was not paying attention to it). My comment is basically coming from what I have read on this board.

Yes, it is very easy to turn someone who post anything negative into a villain.

 

[lucincia]

It's amazing that people keep taking a thread and moving back into the standard response - "If they expect dreams and upset not getting them they are the only ones to blame."

We all have agreed those people are idiots. We all have agreed that we, ourselves, the posters on here, of how enlightened we are and we will never fall into such dispair of hellish jealousy.

The thing is the marketing campaign set the lofty desires, flaunt the dreams in front of non-winning guests, and then some people getting upset.

I like it better in the past when it's just random dreams given out to random people, unannounced, year in and year out. It's like Disney doing a marketing promotion stating "You will have a chance to meet a Disney character in one of our theme parks!" *duh* You have been doing that already.

 

[kaytieeldr]

And do people really book a Disney vacation this year because they're thinking "oh boy, I may have a chance to win a night in the Castle?"

Well, there’s a HUGE difference between “I may have a chance to win” and “I will”. But the same is true of ALL sweepstakes. Everybody who enters and is eligible under the rules (which are governed by the laws of the country in which the sweepstakes is run) may have a chance to win a prize.

From purely a marketing point of view – the purpose of marketing being to increase sales of your product, and Disney’s “product” being the theme parks and resorts – it’s extremely successful.

I am just saying from the PR and marketing point of view, this campaign is just bad. Now that they have extended it just means they're too lazy to come up with another marketable campaign.

It’s not bad, it’s good. It’s working. Attendance at the parks is up. And extending it isn’t lazy – the promotion is working, why NOT extend it? Double the number of Guests who may win?

we didn't get a night in the castle the last two trips this years, so I am trying again in October. What a sucker I am for a good marketing campaign. If it isn't this time I will probably stop going to WDW.

Now, see, I wasn’t going back after this year because, well, it’s time to try new places. But if Disney’s going to keep giving away nights in the Castle, sign me up for another trip!

The thing is the marketing campaign set the lofty desires, flaunt the dreams in front of non-winning guests, and then some people getting upset.

You could say the same for Powerball or MegaMillions or any nationally-run, nationally advertised contest. Off the top of my head, I can’t remember the contest but I saw an ad last week that said, “Many will enter, one will win”. Now, if THAT doesn’t make winning a desirable goal (for some, not, obviously, for me ) or set up the losing entrants for disappointment, I don’t know what does. Lofty desires? President of the United States. Hundreds, if not thousands, aspire to this goal in their lives. Only one – every four years – will win. One Guest every NIGHT wins a stay in the Castle.

 

[lucincia]

So, some of you actually book a WDW vacation in the hopes that you win something, i.e. night in the castle?

Heck, for $5000 in vacation cost, I can go stay in a real castle in Scotland for less, and for longer period of time

I know, I know, it's not Disney