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View Full Version : 50th Birthday "Door Prizes?"



Merm8fan
06-15-2004, 01:20 PM
Our family was at Disneyland for the park's 30th Birthday, and they had random (I think) prizes you had a chance of winning as you went through the entry gates. My sister actually won a pair of big Minnie and Mickey plush dolls when her ticket was a "winner." Some of the other prizes were even better, I heard.

Does anyone know if they will be duplicating that type of celebration for next year? Also, did they do it for the 40th Birthday?

disney_j
06-15-2004, 08:25 PM
Didn't they have car giveaways one anniversary? Or am i dreaming things?

Opus1guy
06-15-2004, 08:30 PM
Yep. Free cars and other gifts. Plus "The Gift Giver Extrodinare" machines at the turnstiles that spit out Loser or Winner tickets. Had GM new cars out in the parking lot like a car dealership. And had the car that come out of the ground when someone came up and pulled the lever and won, at the Hub where the Walt statue is now.

I wonder if that elevator/lift is still down under Walt?

Disney Vault
06-15-2004, 09:06 PM
I have never heard of their being a lift at the hub. Is it similar to the old on in Tomorrowland? Does anyone have pictures?

ChipmunkStar
06-15-2004, 10:25 PM
The "lift" mentioned was called the Dream Machine. I forgot which anniversary it was for. In any case, when you walked through the turnstiles, you would recieve an extra ticket that said "Sorry, try again" or "You're a Winner! Go to the Dream Machine!"

The "winner!" ticketholders could then go to the Hub, present their ticket, pull a giant handle on the cake, and win a prize. I remember there being Giant stuffed Mickey and Minnie dolls, cars, and other things. I was in second grade at the time, and I won two tickets to anywhere Delta flew in the US. Of course, I went to Disney World...

Edit: Ah, see what some research can do... Go to Yesterland.com and look up the Party Gras Parade. There's a blip of the Dream Machine at the bottom. And it was the 35th Anniversary. I was one lucky four/five year old....

Disney Vault
06-16-2004, 01:58 PM
So did they cover up the walt statue with the dream machine?

ChipmunkStar
06-16-2004, 02:11 PM
I believe the Dream Machine promotion happened before the Partners statue was even there. The statue hasn't been there all that long. I want to say what... 10 years maybe?

The Dream Machine wasn't the only structure to find residnce on that spot of land, either. There was once a Ferris Wheel there for the Country Fair promotion as well.

Disney Vault
06-16-2004, 02:55 PM
i never knew that wasnt always there. im so glad they have it

Opus1guy
06-16-2004, 06:46 PM
The Dream Machine wasn't the only structure to find residnce on that spot of land, either. There was once a Ferris Wheel there for the Country Fair promotion as well.

And don't forget "The Globe Of Death!" that sat at the Hub during one of those Circus/Fair promotions. Ahhh. Now that was so Disney. :(


i never knew that [Walt statue] wasnt always there. im so glad they have it

I was told Lillian Disney was not at all happy about the Partners statue being installed at Disneyland. Not because she wasn't proud of her late husband or his accomplishments. Seems she felt Walt would have been appalled at the idea and that Walt wanted Disneyland to be dedicated to the ideals of America. Not something dedicated to him personally.

Guess she felt that Walt thought the "Disney" part of the name Disneyland spoke more to the kind of product the company "Disney" produced...rather than just some ego namesake tag.

I remember thinking at the time, "Good for you Lilly, for not wanting Disneyland to take on too much of that "Wally World" kinda attitude."

Of course Walt's brother Roy purposefully and publicly changed the name of "Disney World" to "Walt Disney World" so that no one would forget it was his brother's vision that created the place. I always wondered how Lilly felt about that one.

Although I know for a fact she wasn't against outside tributes or memorials to Walt. And I witnessed such with some things she said back when she got the ball rolling on the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

Pammer
06-18-2004, 02:13 PM
I remember that giveaway in 1990 ~ my hubby won a very nice Mickey Mouse watch! I was so envious...

I seriously doubt that the Eisney Administration will consent to repeating such an extravagance (that money needs to go back into his pocket, ya know?) No, those days are long gone, I'm afraid.

And WDW also did something similar in the late 80s/early 90s with similar giveaways...it was fun too, although we didn't win anything big then either! Oh well...those were the good ol' days!

Dlandmom
06-18-2004, 02:27 PM
How much more could it possibly cost? The cars were probably "donated" by GM, they could give away 100 large plushes a day at a cost of probably $1000, they could give 1000 pins a day for $1000, etc.

Somebody remind those marketing "experts" at TDA the amount of goodwill they'll earn with a small daily investment. And think of all the repeat business from people trying to win a car!