No planning DVD for Brits :(

[scoobydooby]

I am bummed with Disney. The new planning DVD is only available for US and Canadian citizens. They will send me the brochure and little planning book but I wanted the DVD. We used to be able to get them from the UK. Looks like I'm stuck watching the clouds version for ever or the one with the four presenters which was good but is old now. Bad show Disney.

[TinaMouse]

You'd think with the number of Brits in WDW, they would have marketed something for you! I am quite surprised. Maybe they don't want your pounds.

[THpoohbear]

That stinks scoobydooby! I'm sorry. And surprised as well.

[danyoung]

You'd think with the number of Brits in WDW, they would have marketed something for you! I am quite surprised. Maybe they don't want your pounds.

More likely they just don't want to go to the trouble of making dvds coded for British use.

[tappenfeat]

Scooby!!! That's not good news at all!!! Are they cutting back that much that now they aren't offering out of the US? What gives? Anyone have an idea? Thumbs down!!!

[tappenfeat]

By the way Scooby, if it helps you feel any better...I haven't been able to order a new DVD either...I've tried several times...when I fill out my information, the submit button disappears!

I've tried for 2 weeks now. I know my information is stored in their system, so maybe they are cutting back all around?

[Silvercat]

Another Brit here who is also missing out . I have loads of these going back years, including some planning videos rather than DVDs, and used to really look forward to the new one each year to see what changes had been made. Then they began to be the same one year after year, for about 3 or 4 years they were the same. And now we have none at all.

And when I think how much money I have spent at Disney over the last 21 years too!! Shame on you, Disney company.

[scoobydooby]

You'd think with the number of Brits in WDW, they would have marketed something for you! I am quite surprised. Maybe they don't want your pounds.

Not sure about them not wanting my 's. They happily took 4,000+ of them for my hotel and tickets!

Really they are missing a trick here. The free DVD is what you watch in between trips when you are working yourself up to the next one. It helps to keep me in 'the zone'. A small incentive for them financially given how much I have been spending every two years on Disney. And I am one of many.

[currence]

The DVD helped convince my parents to rent a villa rather than a regular room when we went in 2008. And now I'm a DVC owner! Definitely worth the price of postage for that one. I don't think I would have bought DVC if I hadn't stayed in the room and I doubt I would have convinced them to splurge for the upgrade if it wasn't for the video.

[DisneyDaisie]

I'd be more than happy to order one to be sent to my house and forward it on to you. Let me know! :o)

[danyoung]

Daisie, if you're in America, your dvd probably won't work on Scooby's dvd player. These things are coded to play in a specific region, and America and Britain aren't within the same region.

[Silvercat]

*sob* my heart soared there for a moment before Dan in all his wisdom brought it crashing down again!!

[DisneyDaisie]

@danyoung, really?? I never knew that. I wonder if it would work in a computer drive?

[tappenfeat]

I have a friend in England and he and I tried to share music concerts on DVD's...it didn't work because we have different electrical currents or something along those lines.

He sent me a VHS and I played it and it was all squiggly and there was no way I could even view it.

[currence]

VHS was on a different format. DVDs are usually region coded, but I don't know if Disney would bother for a planning video. There is a chance that it would work elsewhere. If I - or anyone else - can find their latest planning DVD, you can look to see if it is region coded on it.

[danyoung]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_region_code

As currence said, it's possible that Disney might not use region coding on a promo dvd. So I say go for it and see if it plays. It won't do any damage to your dvd player - it just won't play if it's coded for another region.

[njtravelerof6]

I know this would be a bit "extreme" but DVD players are super cheap in the US now (you can get a decent one for less than $50) - if you really want your Disney fix and the planning DVD, it might be worth it to order a DVD player from the US (through Amazon.com maybe?) and be able to watch all US made DVDs? Just an idea ... not sure if a DVD from the US would readily hook up to your TVs in England.

[arnoldvb]

@danyoung, really?? I never knew that. I wonder if it would work in a computer drive?

In general, computers (at least Windows PCs) will let you change the region for which the drive will play DVDs. But it will only do this for a pre-set number of times (like about 10). I have done this in order to watch Japanese anime DVDs. I set my laptop to region 2 (Europe & Japan) and left my wife's set to region 1 (U.S.).

[arnoldvb]

I know this would be a bit "extreme" but DVD players are super cheap in the US now (you can get a decent one for less than $50) - if you really want your Disney fix and the planning DVD, it might be worth it to order a DVD player from the US (through Amazon.com maybe?) and be able to watch all US made DVDs? Just an idea ... not sure if a DVD from the US would readily hook up to your TVs in England.

I'll chime in again. Please note that the TV systems in the U.S. and Europe are not compatible. Therefore, a DVD player made for the U.S. will probably not work with a European TV. That's why the use of a computer (again I don't know about Apple Macs, only Windows PCs) would be the way to go to.

[Ohthatjeff]

In general, computers (at least Windows PCs) will let you change the region for which the drive will play DVDs. But it will only do this for a pre-set number of times (like about 10). I have done this in order to watch Japanese anime DVDs. I set my laptop to region 2 (Europe & Japan) and left my wife's set to region 1 (U.S.).

That shouldn't be necessary. The software should let you do that without having to change hardware settings. I use my HP (w/ Vista [ugh]) to watch PAL discs all the time and I was able to do so on my XP machine with no problem. Off hand, I think I watch them through Apple Quicktime, but Media Player may work too. (You may need to download the proper codec from Apple/Micro$oft.)

[Silvercat]

Tell you what, somebody send me the latest planning DVD, and I will try it and let you all know! PM me - I will refund any postage costs.

Thank you guys though for all chipping in on this - us Brits do appreciate it!

[danyoung]

I use my HP (w/ Vista [ugh]) to watch PAL discs all the time and I was able to do so on my XP machine with no problem.

There's a difference between NTSC/PAL and region coding. I think arnoldvb was correct that you are more limited in being able to change the region coding of a device.

[scoobydooby]

See. Disney could resolve all this confusion if they just reinstated our DVD rights!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ohthatjeff]

There's a difference between NTSC/PAL and region coding. I think arnoldvb was correct that you are more limited in being able to change the region coding of a device.

Yeah, wasn't thinking about that. I have a cheap APEX DVD player that's region free for those.

[tappenfeat]

See. Disney could resolve all this confusion if they just reinstated our DVD rights!!!!!!!!!!!

j

Scooby, maybe you can email a letter of concern on this to Walt Disney communications/services. Just a thought.

Walt Disney World Guest Communications
PO Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040

wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com