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treetopdaddy
05-15-2005, 05:32 AM
Please let me know if you think May 4th at DL for the Media Event was a Prize...
Here are a few facts to ponder when you decide...

My wife and I are Premium AP'S with access to the park 365 days a year, so May 4th should have been open to us anyway, but we understood the reason it was not and were very happy when we were chosen to attend as AP winners.
I would also like to say that we both adore DL very much and found this event to be anything but what it should have been for the AP'S who had the chance to attend.

1. We had to pay full park prices for all food and drinks, nothing was set-up for us to enjoy.

2. No Pin or gift bag for being there like the Media people got or mention of our attendence as AP Guest.

3. Park closed early at 5 pm for Celeb. bash that the wife and I saw cases of Beer and Wine being brought in for them ( reason they kicked us out early).

4. Did not get to preview the fireworks at night.

5. We had planned a trip to the Park on the 29 th of April and had hotel reservations of which we had to change to the 4th at a much higher cost of $110. a night because of this event.

6. They made it very hard if not impossible to view any of the media events, with huge stands for the medias staff and the Celebs very close to them then walls or props around their backs so you could not view them.

7. They had shut off all the Parks music for the media so it would not interupt their shows, which made for a very errie sense of silence and not the true Disney experence.

8. They had cut back on all the CM'S on the rides and ran them at min. capacity to cause lines.

9. Very long lines at the food outlets because they had cut back on the CM'S there to...up to 30 to 45 min waits just to order your food.

10. We where used as props for the parade then treated as second hand guest...like being invited to a party then asked to sit at the childerans table and later told to leave before the enterainment begins.

The wife and I filed a three page complaint at city hall and was told by the suits that the prize was the right to say we were there for the event...

Well for the cost and the lack of the Disney Charm we would decline anymore events like this.

Post Note...We heard that someone payed $1700. for four tickets on EBay to attend this one day event...I wonder how they felt ?

bradk
05-15-2005, 06:24 AM
and to think, just like most people, you could have stayed home for free!

but, what to complain about then?

how dare they entice you with any special benefits and make you drive in and then lock you into the park so all you could do was stay and be miserable!

by the way, i just did a search on ebay and want to ease your mind. nobody paid $1700 for 4 tickets. most pairs sold in the $300 range. the highest price paid total was $555 and that was for 4 tickets.

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
05-15-2005, 08:12 AM
I understand your feelings. I think they hype behind all this really raised expectations at to what you were really getting on the 4th. Sure as the other poster said, you could have stayed home like most of us did. I would have had high expectations too, and would have been disappointed as you were. I am sorry it was not what you expected and you were disappointed. From what I have heard, it didn't sound at all like what I thought would have gone on that day.

cstephens
05-15-2005, 08:18 AM
Please let me know if you think May 4th at DL for the Media Event was a Prize...

It's a shame that you were forced to attend this prison and held hostage for the day. They probably did that because they begged people to show up that day and no one would, so they had to resort to kidnapping people.

Rather than repeat myself, here were my thoughts about May 4 (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showpost.php?p=609424&postcount=32).

(from a PAP who actually had to go out of my way to do something to get tickets to May 4 and was really happy to have been able to go and didn't expect to be treated like a celebrity)

sunfun94
05-15-2005, 09:11 AM
Please let me know if you think May 4th at DL for the Media Event was a Prize...



I would have LOVED to be there on the 4th just to say that I was able to go! Especially since my DH favorite news channel ( well, at least the one he watches in the morning) was there and there was no crowds!!! That alone would have been awesome! I saw no notes beyond admission that there was going to be anything "special" for AP winners.

cstephens: I wasnt there on the 4th (obviously) but I agree with you wholeheartedly and was glad to hear that you had a good time! Thanks for the notes on your visit that day! :)

Disneyfun
05-15-2005, 09:22 AM
It's a shame that you were forced to attend this prison and held hostage for the day. They probably did that because they begged people to show up that day and no one would, so they had to resort to kidnapping people.

Rather than repeat myself, here were my thoughts about May 4 (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showpost.php?p=609424&postcount=32).

(from a PAP who actually had to go out of my way to do something to get tickets to May 4 and was really happy to have been able to go and didn't expect to be treated like a celebrity)

Just one note on your comments on the 4th. The AP preimum pass use to say good 365 days a year. Just as each of the other passes give the number of days it is valid for. This being said it has changed to it is good during regular operating hours. But for the many people like my self who have had the full access for any day of the year I did not look at hte new writing. However I did know the 4th was going to be closed as was told for preperations for the 5th. Which is not true. Again If I was told the truth that is was for a speical event. Cool I can go for that. And then to be told I have an opprotunity as a pass holder to win a chance to get in cool too.
NOw once in I would expect the same disney professionalism as always. I would expect if it is a private event I would get the benifits of a private event ie. smaller lines. So Yes I would probably complain onthis account.
AS for a schedule Yes I would expect I should of been able to pick one up at the park.
As for free stuff. No I do not expect this. I am surprised that disney did not do anything.
I have since learned that on the 4th kids were givin golden ears when walking in. SO that is something.
I did think they would give a button of The date 05-05-05 or 0=a welcome to our home coming or something. Since disney gives these pins at other drop of the hat event. I mean come on just a week prior they gave guests pins becuase it was earth day. I would think a few pins on the 5th would of been a great advertising campain in the smallest. But they did not and I have lived with it. I do not think it is something to complain about not getting some thing free. But I think I can express my surprise when I know they give out these pins for other openings.

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
05-15-2005, 09:27 AM
I am still hoping for some more special things for guests on the 17th of July, although I won't be there. I can remember back to the 35th birthday celebration, I graduated from high school that year, in Phoenix and we took our senior trip to California, all the giveaways etc. They had the pardi gras parade and threw out beads, I still have mine. It seems to me that a 50th birthday is HUGE! Cake, something free, giveaways, nothing! I hope they do something on the actual birthday!

sunfun94
05-15-2005, 09:35 AM
Just one note on your comments on the 4th... However I did know the 4th was going to be closed as was told for preperations for the 5th. Which is not true.

Actually it is true... they were not fully finished with quite a few things in and around the park as posted earlier by another padder...much painting still going on and the finishing of placing the 50's in places... all sorts of stuff



I did think they would give a button of The date 05-05-05 or 0=a welcome to our home coming or something. Since disney gives these pins at other drop of the hat event. I mean come on just a week prior they gave guests pins becuase it was earth day. I would think a few pins on the 5th would of been a great advertising campain in the smallest. But they did not and I have lived with it. I do not think it is something to complain about not getting some thing free. But I think I can express my surprise when I know they give out these pins for other openings.


But keep in mind, the actual celebration didnt start until the next day, the 5th..we are talking about the 4th here. It seems as though it was a multi purpose day for DL... media, final prep, celeb party..etc

treetopdaddy
05-15-2005, 11:24 AM
The one thing I think some of you are missing here, is this was suppose to be a PRIZE for WINNING !!

What did we WIN ?????

Bragging Rights ??

Marox3
05-15-2005, 11:39 AM
The one thing I think some of you are missing here, is this was suppose to be a PRIZE for WINNING !!

What did we WIN ?????

Bragging Rights ??


Why are you so late in posting your compliants There have been other threads already started about people whinning about the 4th.

It's over - move on....

sunfun94
05-15-2005, 11:43 AM
Why are you so late in posting your compliants There have been other threads already started about people whinning about the 4th.

It's over - move on....



LMAO!!! :D

SCUBAbe
05-15-2005, 11:51 AM
The one thing I think some of you are missing here, is this was suppose to be a PRIZE for WINNING !!

What did we WIN ?????

Bragging Rights ??

just because you won a prize, that every AP person was automatically entered in, it didn't mean you had to go. You chose to go and you chose to change your hotel. Who are you mad at DL or your chooses?

Disney promised entry into the park on 5/4/05...thats it...everythign else are high expectations...it' is not disny's fault if they are not met.

DEADmenTELLnoTALES
05-15-2005, 11:57 AM
wow...i dont think ive ever heard so much complaining about a day when NOBODY was supposed to be there anyway. who cares that you dont get anything special...i was privledged enough to go and i had a BLAST! im not one to care about PRIZES or FREE STUFF. to me just being there was good enough.

i think we often forget the other side of the coin though, you figure this is the day before the "biggest celebration" of all time and i can only imagine the stress and tension felt by EVERYONE who was working. people had jobs to do and i dont feel bad that they couldnt "make us feel special" they were trying their best to make sure that everything was gonna go smmothly the next day. its almost as though we are so unwilling to give THEM any slack. instead we stomp our feet and stick out our bottom lip and complain like a 4 year old about how: "it didnt make me feel special, i didnt get anything for free, etc, etc, etc"

like i said, i myself had a blast and loved EVERY MINUTE that i was able to be there.

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
05-15-2005, 12:22 PM
Why are you so late in posting your compliants There have been other threads already started about people whinning about the 4th.

It's over - move on....


Is there a time limit! For heaven's sake, it was only 11 days ago! Some people don't post daily, or even weekly. Give the OP a break!

cstephens
05-15-2005, 01:43 PM
The one thing I think some of you are missing here, is this was suppose to be a PRIZE for WINNING !!

What did we WIN ?????

I won a day of fun.

You won knowledge. You now know that if anyone ever offers you anything free again, you should turn them down.

DopeyWife
05-15-2005, 02:53 PM
I have since learned that on the 4th kids were givin golden ears when walking in. SO that is something.

Really? Was there only a certain number? My daughter didn't get a pair when we went on the 4th.

Marox3
05-15-2005, 04:49 PM
Is there a time limit! For heaven's sake, it was only 11 days ago! Some people don't post daily, or even weekly. Give the OP a break!
No, you are right - there is no time limit. However, reading how people are so upset about their visit is becoming a repeated and tired subject.

Treetopdaddy - It's a shame you don't or can't appreciate what has been given to you. Look back into previously posted threads and you'll see many posts from MP'ers who enjoyed their special experience on the 4th (and even the 5th).

Just like our family did :)

Crazy4DL
05-15-2005, 05:24 PM
No, you are right - there is no time limit. However, reading how people are so upset about their visit is becoming a repeated and tired subject.

Treetopdaddy - It's a shame you don't or can't appreciate what has been given to you. Look back into previously posted threads and you'll see many posts from MP'ers who enjoyed their special experience on the 4th (and even the 5th).

Just like our family did :)

Treetopdaddy just joined MP - give him a break! sheez :rolleyes:

He is entitled to his feelings too.

biolabetty
05-15-2005, 05:52 PM
I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your experience on the 4th. We had a great time. We never had any long ride lines, the only line that was long was for the Blue Bayou since no priority seating was being done. We figured we had nothing else to be at, so we waited about an hour to be seated. The CMs working there did their very best to keep everyone entertained and happy while in line. They came out and played games with the crowd, giving chocolate mints or pirate menu hats as prizes. We had had 5 mints before we got in. It was difficult to see the media events, but I knew they were called media events for a reason. I fully expected the large amount of media workers, maybe it's because they film so much in our area and I'm used to going to the mall and working around their equipment.

I really am sorry you didn't enjoy your day, it must have been very disappointing for you. I hope your next visit is much better!

treetopdaddy
05-15-2005, 07:27 PM
[FONT=Century Gothic] :confused:

First I want to thank the people who have used understanding in their replies to our disappointment of May 4th.

But to Marox 3...no one is making you read this thread...there was a title to it and you could have stopped at any time...because you knew what it was about and could have made an intellegent and informed choice....so your sarcastic voicing of meaness...was only for that purpose.

Same for bradk and cstephens...First off why would anyone think the tickets on e-bay were worth $555 for 4....because they had high expections of what was in store for them.

We did not want to be treated as celebraties...we wanted to be treated as we are always treated at DisneyLand...with respect and a sense of fun being the feeling of the day...

We stood in line with 2 cast members that told us they thought for certain that people would be able to stay throughout the night...that it only made sense that the red carpet treatment for the celeb's would need a crowd of happy onlookers....

WE LOVE DISNEYLAND...

WE REALLY NEED DISNEYLAND.... we have been going thru tuff times financally and emotionally....we save up to drive the 200 plus miles to go every month. We had been there on April 4th...to celebrate my hubby's birthday...we were planning on being there for 3 nights...that is how long we usually stay... we had to cut it short on the 5th of April as we received an emergency e-mail from our sister...our nephew had been murdered...

We immediately left and stayed by the family for 5 days....on returning home we went straight to our computer to make new reservations for April 29...for 3 nights. WE NEEDED DISNEYLAND TO BRING BACK OUR SANITY!

We received the e-mail about the tickets on April 19. It did not have any specifics on it... no time allotment...no hotel accom. info...nothing...

We waited for the mail as long as we could and finally called a Disney number to find out if there were hotel accom. included for the night or if we should shift our reservation dates to cover that day.

Yes...we had high expectations...why? Only because it was Disney...and it was for the 50th Celebration... We would not had high expections had it been for Knotts Berry Farm or Magic Mtn....we do not go to them....why?

Because Disney is the Best at what they Do! It was not until after we had made the changes in our reservation that 2 days later the tickets came and we found out it would be closing at 5pm.

If we had known that.. we would have stayed with our original plans as we would have had longer hours and less crowds for the remaining days there.

We knew it was going to be crazy on the 5th and so on...we would have enjoyed soaking in the Great Times that are Disney Times.

As to thinking we were going to be included in the Celeb Party...we did not expect that at all....as one person mentioned it was not crowded...Since they close Toon Town for the FireWorks they could have easily used a portion of that area to place the eating tables...drinks and etc...or part of Tommorrowland for that Matter.

We are not whinning...we are voicing our concerns...we did not mean that the AP's should have been treated any different from the other "Winners"

As any Disney fan must admit to....a childish innocence and since of fairplay...is the hallmark of Walt's vision..

To watch things being set up for the Celebraties, to be corralled out of the park.... to have to stand out side of the Park...peeking over the trees to see the Fireworks...and to see media people leaving with bags of goodies afterward....was deflating and rude.... yes we may be childish in a sense...but that is why we love DisneyLand so much...and why it was a shock to us and others that the "suits" did not even think about our feelings.

DisneyLand is feelings...warm...wonderful...childish...

As always the Cast Members were wonderful...the only soverniers we received were from the 2 that were in line with us!

That's it thanx for listening.

olegc
05-15-2005, 07:38 PM
The one thing I think some of you are missing here, is this was suppose to be a PRIZE for WINNING !!

What did we WIN ?????

Bragging Rights ??

I did not win AP access but did win Radio tickets - and it was clear that what we "won" were passes to attend the private Preview Day of the 50th celebration. In fact the letter stated that since they were still preparing for the 5th that some things throughout the day would not be considered normal operating circumstances...

So - what you won is a private day at the park with small crowds, maybe see one or two stars, and an "official" running of PoD. There was no other element to the event and it was never advertised as a special event for AP holders with special prizes, etc. You should go back and read the letter that came with your tickets. Someone else posted this to MPad.

Remember - we live in an age where your prize sometimes is a discount coupon or free food if you buy one first... only on rare occasions is something given out as a prize in full to a large number of people - for nothing....

The Mouse Is Back
05-15-2005, 08:31 PM
I do think Disney pumped this thing up in a way that did not reflect what
was actually going to happen to the *ahem* "lucky winners" once they
got to the Park. However, speaking for myself, the fact that DL was
unusually empty would have been a great perk by itself.

Helpful hint from experience: Anything that is designated a "media
event" is destined to be a snorefest populated with industry types who
have a greatly overinflated sense of their own importance, and the
butt-kissers who always accompany them wherever they go.

Avoid at all costs! (unless you go for those short lines and uncrowded
walkways, which I definitely do, although the lack of background music
would be kinda creepy)


-Allegra-

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
05-15-2005, 08:43 PM
No, you are right - there is no time limit. However, reading how people are so upset about their visit is becoming a repeated and tired subject.

Treetopdaddy - It's a shame you don't or can't appreciate what has been given to you. Look back into previously posted threads and you'll see many posts from MP'ers who enjoyed their special experience on the 4th (and even the 5th).

Just like our family did :)

I don't read in to the tretopdaddy's post that he doesn't or can't appreciate what was given to him. I read a person who expected something, maybe they shouldn't have expected it, but they did and they were disappointed. So maybe they were wrong to expect it. And maybe they didn't have the great time or special experience that your family did on the 4th. But that is their opinion and they are entitled to it. I just don't find it fair to knock someone's opinion, just because it is different from your own.

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
05-15-2005, 08:48 PM
we had to cut it short on the 5th of April as we received an emergency e-mail from our sister...our nephew had been murdered...Very sorry for the tragic loss of your nephew. I cannot even imagine a loss like that.

I understand what you expected, it is Disney and they always do everything all out.

I hope your next visit to the park, whenever that may be, is a joyful time!

Uncle Remus
05-15-2005, 09:16 PM
I showed up to disneyland on may 4th, wtf?






















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