In 2009, Come to a Disney Park on Your Birthday and Get In Free!
A Disney ‘First’ Launches ‘Celebration Vacation’ Travel Trend

NEW YORK (Sept. 18, 2008) — Everyone who visits a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort theme park on their birthday in 2009 can get in free, as Disney Parks embraces a newly identified family-travel trend called "celebration vacations."

A June 2008 survey of approximately 4,600 adults conducted by Ypartnership reveals that vacationers are increasingly motivated by events of high "personal significance" - milestone anniversaries,and birthdays, weddings and honeymoons, graduations and reunions and more. Seventy percent of respondents revealed they have taken a vacation primarily to celebrate a special occasion.

In 2009, Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts will lead this growing trend with new entertainment and services that allow guests to turn their personal milestones into magical Disney experiences.

And to kick it all off: a first-ever opportunity for guests to receive a free ticket to one of the Disney theme parks on their birthday in 2009.

"Birthdays are the one occasion that we all share every year," said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, at an announcement event today in New York. "We thought a free birthday ticket would be the icing on the cake as we extend this new 'celebration vacation' trend to Disney Parks."

"The motivations revealed in this fascinating piece of work suggest that vacations are increasingly viewed as an appropriate way to either recognize or reward the participants for some event of great significance in their lives," said Peter C. Yesawich, whose marketing services firm conducted the survey. "As such, we call them 'celebration vacations'."

Research showed that when families take that "celebration vacation" they are looking for destinations that provide activities for children and - better yet - activities that adults and children can enjoy together, Yesawich said.

"Given these findings, it's not surprising that Disney Parks topped the list of destinations where families would most like to celebrate these special occasions," he said.

Respondents rated these as the top destinations for a celebration: Disney theme parks (40% combined), Hawaii (18%), Florida {other than Walt Disney World Resort} (13%), Europe (13%) and the Caribbean (12%). Interestingly, respondents without children in their household mentioned Walt Disney World Resort as the preferred destination for a "celebration vacation" with a comparable frequency to those with children (33% versus 27% respectively). The same was true among respondents over 55 years of age versus those between 21 and 34 years of age (34% versus 29% respectively).

"We see our parks as the ideal setting for a personal celebration," Rasulo said. "Guests can immerse themselves in their favorite stories and their favorite characters, creating a visit they'll never forget.

"And when our cast members get involved, it feels as if the entire park is celebrating along with you."

At Walt Disney World Resort, guests can add on to the fun, choosing from more than 200 experiences ranging from breathtaking (magical fireworks cruises, sunrise safaris, diving the depths with undersea creatures) to mirth-making (Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, character dining, kids' pirate adventures). At Disneyland Resort, celebrants can book more than 50 magical experiences including "My Disneyland Birthday Party" and guided tours that reveal Walt Disney's inspiration for Disney Parks.

With all there is to do in Disney parks, guests can tailor their celebration with favorite attractions, favorite characters and special experiences. Maybe they have a "princess" day with themed meals, shows, attractions and perfectly princess merchandise at Disneyland. Or they turn Walt Disney World "wild" with trail riding, bass fishing and parasailing.

Thanks to new Web tools, guests can discover magical experiences, unique events, dining enhancements and more. The planning tool is accessible by way of www.disneyparks.com.

Disney Parks also is presenting park experiences with memory-making in mind, including street parties in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Park, a Tomorrowland video dance party (Walt Disney World Resort), a celebration barbecue and festive birthday party (Disneyland Resort) and colorful park décor.

Disney parks are the ultimate setting for any celebration, turning a special occasion into a magical Disney experience. And with the opportunity of free admission to a Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort theme park on your birthday in 2009, it's even more special. All it takes is a valid ID including proof of birth date. Guests can get more details and start the process by registering their birthdays at www.disneyparks.com.

Free theme park admission details:

To receive free admission to one of the Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme parks on your birthday in 2009, guests must bring valid ID including proof of birth date. Guests who already hold a valid multi-day ticket they will use on their birthday may choose from other birthday treats instead, however, no cash refunds or credits will be given. To register your birthday and find out more details, visit www.disneyparks.com.

Here it is folks, the big announcement we've all been waiting for.

OK, I've spent the last half hour digesting the info in the press release and on the Web site as it relates to Disneyland (I'll let Mark handle WDW), and there's a lot more going on than a free birthday ticket. I'm somewhat surprised, actually, that the rest of this stuff is so buried.

The "What Will You Celebrate" promotion is based on five different celebration themes - Birthdays, True Love, Triumphs, Reunions and First Visit.


Here are some of the other elements to the promotion and/or new additions to the resort:

What Will You Celebrate National Tour (http://www.disneyparkscelebrations.com/default.aspx)
Online sweepstakes with instant-win prizes. (http://www.disneyparkscelebrations.com/sweepstakes.aspx)
Celebration Roundup and Barbecue at Big Thunder Ranch
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique - opening in Spring 2009
New "Celebration Street Party"
New Sweetheart Dinner package at full-service restaurants.
Return of the customized birthday cakes at full-service restaurants.
Back to the free admission ticket offer, there are three alternatives for those who already hold valid admission:

A "birthday fun card" equal to the price of the admission ticket you would otherwise receive, that is valid ONLY on the day of your birthday. It can not be used for food, but it can be used for merchandise, tours, etc.
A "birthday fastpass" valid for up to 6 people at selected attractions. It SOUNDS like this is similar to the Dream FastPass, and I've asked for more details.
A one-day, one-park admission ticket valid for YOUR use anytime in the year before your next birthday. (So you could use it once your AP expired if you didn't plan to renew) This ticket is not transferrable.
AVP

Nice! Sounds awesome! By birthday is on a Thursday in 2009...I think I'm going to have to plan on either going right after work - or just taking the day off! :)

Celebration Roundup and Barbecue at Big Thunder Ranch

This makes me happy.

New Sweetheart Dinner package at full-service restaurants.

Yes!!!!

This makes me happy.Consider this an official announcement - MousePlanet will celebrate our 11th anniversary there on Friday, July 17th 2009. Details to be announced eventually.

AVP

Hm. It's a bummer that my boyfriend's birthday is three days before 2009. Oh well, it still sounds great! I can take my best friend to Disneyland on her birthday! WOOHOO!

I predict a bump in the fake ID market in Southern California.

My birthday is in the summer during peak season, so I doubt I will take advantage of the offer.

I don't know if I could take advantage of it either, but I made sure to register my birthday. How cool. :)

My birthday is in the summer during peak season, so I doubt I will take advantage of the offer.

Are you a passholder? If so - I say why the heck not, go, get your gift card, do a little shopping to treat yourself, then head on out. :)

My birthday is sometimes during Spring Break (in 2009 it's 4 days after Easter - so assuming a lot of kids will be on break)...but why not enjoy some Disney perks? :D

Are you a passholder? If so - I say why the heck not, go, get your gift card, do a little shopping to treat yourself, then head on out. :)

Regardless of Steph's status, not all passholders live close enough to the park that they have annual passes for, to be able to 'pop in'. I live a 2 hour plane ride away from the park that I have a pass at, and will be there later on in the same month, so it really doesn't make sense for me to do that!

Hm. It's a bummer that my boyfriend's birthday is three days before 2009.

Ummm, isn't he going to have a birthday in 2009 as well?


I predict a bump in the fake ID market in Southern California.

I wonder how the registration thing will work and if that will alleviate the problem.

I signed up.

And for APs who are blacked out on their bday and would rather not go that day....?

Elizabeth

And for APs who are blacked out on their bday and would rather not go that day....?

ElizabethIf you're blacked out that day, you use the free admission to get in. If you'd rather not go that day, it won't matter at all, since the benefits are ONLY valid ON your birthday. No extensions, rain checks or early celebrations.

AVP

This is SO exciting-- & like Walt said, "Disneyland is your land." What better way to celebrate a milestone than in a place created to spread happiness & fun?

My two Disney birthdays (16 in WDW, 19 in DLR) have been the best ones yet, & I hope other people can take advantage of this opportunity to have fantastic experiences as well.

If you are blacked out and you pay the $40 to get in, then you get the other privileges? (Sorry, Mom's bday is July 4th and while she'd rather not do that again, we're just trying to figure out the details of it all.)

Elizabeth

DH and I signed up.

I am so there. I was planning a BIG 30th Birthday bash for me any way at DL. Now Disney has just added more fun to my big day. Now I need a count down clock to Jan 4th. I can't wait. Now off to look for Club 33 tix.

I found this comment made by John Frost over at The Disney Blog interesting...

http://thedisneyblog.com/2008/09/18/disney-parks-new-promotional-theme-celebrations/



What disturbs me most about this promotion is how Disney is equating themselves with the local Chuck-e-Cheese. Little Johnny’s having his Birthday? Where do we want to celebrate? How about Chuck-e-Cheese? Or maybe Disneyland? That’s not an effective way to get people to drop their “staycation” and travel to Anaheim/Orlando instead. You have to offer excitement and value.



OK, I understand the 30 day tour to promote the parks, that should help sell more Vacation Packages (And I presume the cities selected have been in the past areas where large amount of packages have been sold), but the actual Birthday thing is more of a gimmick, similar to Year of a Million Dreams.

In the end, new attractions, more cruise ships, more hotels truly drive additional attendance and revenue.

But then again, if this new marketing campaign fails, maybe Jay Rasulo will finally be shown the door....

That's Awesome! I can't wait for my birthday!

Oh yes! Signed up myself -- Do you just enter the birthdates for your kids on the same form? I did not see any text that mentioned "add children ages 3-13 living in your household" ...

Else, I looked through the AP section of the Disneyland website and AP holders can enter for a free sneak peek viewing of Tinkerbell, plus other things:
Thank you for entering the Tinker Bell Annual Passholder Sneak Preview Sweepsakes. Winners will be notified by e-mail on or around October 9, 2008.

Take advantage of a special offer for Annual Passholders. While supplies last, you can pre-purchase Walt Disney Pictures' Tinker Bell on Disney DVD, which includes special bonus features like a set top game and behind-the-scenes "making of" featurette. Order now (http://www.register123.com/event/profile/form/index.cfm?PKformID=0x6168938f14) to receive a Tinker Bell phone charm with each DVD purchase!
Link (https://secure-disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/ap/gated/landing?name=AnnualPassholderLandingPage) (first entry on AP Holder News & Events page)

When you sign up it says thank you for entering then at the bottom of that it says add child click that and you can add.