Update for October 1-7, 2007
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News and Views
Year of a Million More Dreams | Discrimination
or misunderstanding? | Snow White
anniversary event | This and That
Year of a Million More Dreams
Disney officially announced the extension of the Year of a Million Dreams
program yesterday, and the company’s publicity machine immediate went into
overdrive to spread the word. In addition to the national announcement on
Good Morning America, the marketing blitz included a barrage of press releases
from the participating Disney Parks and Resorts, publication of an online
Dream Catalogue, and new television commercials featuring some of the new
prizes that can be won starting in 2008.
Walt Disney commissioned Dorothea Redmond to design a suite of rooms for his
family and guests. Disney archive photo.
All of this hype should help Disney overcome a big challenge faced during
the first year of the promotion: park visitors don’t exactly understand it.
Disney has a delicate task managing guest expectations with regards to this
contest—the company needs to generate enough hype that people will book
trips during the Year of a Million Dreams, but at the same time they don’t
want to create a situation where those same visitors are too disappointed
when they don’t receive a visit from the Dream Squad during their trip.
It can be argued that Disney erred too far on the side of caution during
the first phase of the promotion. To most park visitors, the “Year of
a Million Dreams” is a marketing slogan splashed across banners and T-shirts,
not a promotion that might actually involve them. Twelve months after the giveaways
began, Dream Squad cast members still routinely have to explain the promotion
and assure winners that there is no “catch” to their prize.
This time around, Disney has produced a slick online Dream Catalog (link)
to show off some of the major new prizes to be awarded in 2008. The full spectrum
of prizes is still detailed in excruciating legal detail in the Official Rules
(link),
but the Dream Catalog gives potential visitors something to… well, dream
about.
The Disney Dream Suite decor is based closely on the original Dorothea Redmond
renderings. Disney photo.
The new prizes are pretty spiffy, too. As expected, Disneyland will offer
overnight stays in the new Disneyland Dream Suite. This suite of rooms in
New Orleans Square was originally planned as a private apartment for Walt
Disney, but was never used for that purpose. For the last 20 years the space
has housed the Disney Gallery. Imagineers are now working to convert the space
into a two-bedroom, two-bath guest suite, using the original 1960s designs
created by designed Dorothea Redmond and set decorator Emile Kuri in consultation
with Walt Disney. Perhaps to address the concerns of those upset by the Disney
Gallery closure, Disney is quick to point out that the Dream Suite will now
be used for overnight guests, just as Walt Disney intended. Walt Disney Imagineering
Art Director Kim Irvine says that the suite will “be filled with things
that might have inspired Walt as he dreamed of Disneyland.” Each of the
bedrooms will feature a special nighttime lighting effect, activated at the
push of a button. This “goodnight kiss” also includes effects that
are quite frankly so charming that we don’t want to spoil the surprise for
the first winners.
Disney is planning to award 266 one-night stays in the Disneyland Dream Suite during 2008. Winners will also receive a gift basket, VIP viewing for the parade,
and dinner at a Disneyland Resort restaurant. The winners also receive VIP
viewing for either fireworks and/or Fantasmic!, but who would want to pass
up the view from the Disneyland Dream Suite balcony? Winners are not confined
to their suite after Disneyland closes—a concierge will be on hand at all
times to arrange for special after-hours excursions into the theme park if
desired. Once the Disneyland Dream Suite is open, the Mickey Mouse Penthouse
at the Disneyland Hotel will be returned to regular (if pricey) service as
a guest suite.
Mickey and Minnie frolic on a Times Square “beach” to announce a
new prize in the Year of a Million Dreams. Disney photo.
Many of the prizes are one-of-a-kind opportunities. Disney Cruise Line will
offer one lucky winner the opportunity to have Castaway Cay all to themselves
for a day. According to the DCL press release, “everything on the island
will be at their disposal—private meet and greets with Disney characters,
an opportunity to parasail over the island, gourmet lunch prepared on the
beach, kayaking excursion through the mangroves, beachside cabana massage,
snorkeling with tropical marine life—everything and anything a normal guest
could experience on Castaway Cay with a few special surprises tossed in. And,
it’s all arranged exclusively for the winner and their guests!”
The winner of the Character Breakfasts Extraordinaire prize will get to dine
right on Walt Disney World’s Main Street U.S.A. with at least 25
Disney Characters. For Disneyland fans, the Sorcerer’s Apprentice for a Day
prize is a dream come true. The lucky winner of this vacation package will
get to tour the Walt Disney Imagineering offices in Glendale, and take a backstage
tour of Disneyland with an Imagineer. Other one-time-only prizes include hot
air balloon rides above Walt Disney World or Disneyland, a trip to the premiere
of High School Musical 3, and holiday-theme trips for Halloween, Christmas
and New Year’s Eve. The $13 million prize assortment also includes VIP seating opportunities
for parades and fireworks, admission to “Dream Time” events at the
Disney theme parks, character meet and greet opportunities and shopping sprees.
And of course, the Dream Ears, Lanyards and Fastpasses will return.
The expanded Year of a Million Dreams promotion will run January 1, 2008
through December 31, 2008. Mail-in entries will be accepted starting December
19, 2007. Disney has simplified the requirements for mail-in entries and will
now accept entries by mail from Australians—see the official rules for details.
Discrimination or misunderstanding?
A San Diego man claims that Disneyland Resort security detained, searched
and questioned him in full view of other resort visitors two weeks ago, targeting
him because he was holding hands with another man. A Disneyland spokesperson
says that the entire thing was a misunderstanding, and denies that the situation
had anything to do with sexual orientation. With the annual Gay Days at Disneyland
scheduled for this weekend, many are asking if Disney is really discriminating
against gays, or if this was just a major overreaction by Disney’s security
department?
There seems to be little disagreement about what happened. According to a
report published by The Advocate magazine (“An Antigay Incident at Disneyland?“)
Wil Kenney was walking with friends through Downtown Disney on September 22
when he was approached by Disney security. Security claimed to have received
a report that Kenney threatened someone with a gun. Kenney denied having a
gun, and Disney security detained him while Anaheim police department officers
were summoned to search him. Finding no weapon, Anaheim PD left the scene,
after which Kenney demanded to speak with a Disneyland Resort security manager.
Anaheim police department spokesperson Rick Martinez confirmed that Kenney
was “detained” and “might have been frisked.”
While the “what” seems pretty straightforward, the “why”
is much less obvious. Kenney claims that a Disney cast member called security
because they were offended that he was holding hands with another man. Disneyland
spokesperson Rob Doughty told The Advocate that Kenney made a hand gesture
that a Disney Cast Member interpreted as threatening, specifically that Kenney made
his hand “look like a gun.” Kenney and companions deny this claim.
According to Kenney, the Disneyland Resort security manager could or would
not tell him what specific report had been made about him, alternately telling
Kenney that the cast member “was threatened, felt threatened, or was
offended.” Kenney also claims that the security manager refused to apologize
for the actions of her department, and also that plainclothes security officers
continued to follow his group through Downtown Disney.
Kenney claims discrimination, Disney claims misunderstanding. Either way,
Disney doesn’t look good, but it’s easier to believe that Disney security
overreacted than to believe that the company is actively targeting gays. Disney
is known as a very inclusive employer, and there are in fact openly gay members
of the Disneyland security department. Disney has recently expanded their
Fairy Tale Weddings offerings to include gay couples, and next weekend’s Gays
Days event at Disneyland is sponsored in part by Pride, a Disney employee
group for gay and lesbian cast members.
Snow White Anniversary event at Disneyland
Disney celebrates the 70th anniversary of Snow White on November 16. Disney
photo.
The Disneyland Resort will host a event to celebrate the 70th anniversary
of Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on November 16 (link). The event
will include a screening of the film inside Disney’s California Adventure,
and two packages are available.
The $25 Magic Mirror package includes admission to DCA for the event only,
admission to the screening and a commemorative gift.
The $150 Poisoned Apple package includes admission to DCA for the event only,
Snow White’s Soiree with hors d’ouevres, dessert and a signature drink, premiere
viewing of the new “The Fairest One of All” exhibit, panel discussion
featuring Pixar’s John Lasseter, moderated by Disney animator and producer
Don Hahn, opportunity to pre-purchase event merchandise via Random Selection
Process, admission to the screening and a commemorative gift.
Reservations for the event will be available online beginning Wednesday,
October 3, 2007 at 11 AM Pacific / 2 pm Eastern. We’ve been told that there
are fewer than 300 tickets available for the Poisoned Apple package, and that
Roy Disney may make a surprise appearance at the panel discussion.
