Year of a Million Dreams - The Non Winners thread

[Tiggerlives]

Solo-visitors, single people, TINKs, and ugly people were all just as likely (and were) picked to win stays in the Dream/Castle Suites.

Thanks, I thought I read somewhere they looked for families early in the morning.

Is it still true that many of the prizes were doled out early in the morning/afternoon?

[dlfreak]

Front gate families at opening and Grand Marshalls (when Dream Suite was either not awarded or the winners declined to be GM) WERE hand-picked but then those weren't official prizes in the year of a million dreams even though they were probably told that it was since that's how marketing celebrations go. Anything that happens during a marketing campaign is a result of that campaign. (TSMM was conceived and started construction probably long before YOMD was ever cooked up.)

And yes you'd have been hard-pressed to find anything given away after noon unless it was a magical moment which again isn't really an official prize.

[Tiggerlives]

And yes you'd have been hard-pressed to find anything given after noon.

Which, I guess, is my point. I think they were looking to reward non-Aps with families, who would be much more likely to be in the park at those times. Yes?

[dlfreak]

Oh in that I couldn't agree with you more. But the non-cynical side of me also suggests that you'd get more use of the prizes like the Fastpass in the morning or early afternoon than you would receiving them in the evening.

[Spokker]

Solo-visitors, single people, TINKs, and ugly people were all just as likely (and were) picked to win stays in the Dream/Castle Suites.

They did win. They just didn't take any pictures of them. If myself and my gay lover were picked to win a stay in the suite I doubt they would plaster our faces on the ad campaign for it.

[Alpha]

Won nothing tangable at WDW, but did have a cast member "Magical Moment" where my husband and I were taken to the front of a 1/2 hour line in honor of my birthday. Read more on my trip report in the WDW section.

[KNRG]

You know what really annoys me?

Back when the whole Year started I was like "gee, this sucks" and everyone else was saying "no, give it a chance, it'll be cool."

Now most people agree that it sucked.

It looks like this new promotion is taking some much deserved harder knocks in the early rounds - might even suffer a TKO. High-level ad execs are saying the artwork and slogan are complete crap.

[HSM fans]

I didn't get anything the first time I went. And I didn't get anything till my last day there.

[Fighttheline]

There are some huge misconceptions on what the Dream Squad did. Every assignment for prizes is random. The YOMD is the largest sweepstakes ever. A third party gave each park's dream squad computerized assignments every morning. They had no control over what they give away, to whom, where, or when. Everything is delivered to them the morning of in large duffel bags and they are not allowed to open each duffel bag until the time assigned to it.

If it is a high value prize (WDW-night in the castle, DLR-dreamsuite, vacation packages, cruises, etc.) the guests have to meet certain criteria. Mainly, they have to be from one of the (6?) eligible countries. I can't remember them all but it is mostly english speaking countries: USA, Canada, UK, Australia and I believe France is included also.

If the assignment is an attraction it has a specific time, a row, a seat, and for something like an omnimover, a vehicle number. They will great you at the loading area and ask you where you are from. I've seen the dream squad ask a guest, told an ineligible country and then told the guests to have a magical day.

[PirateGuy 815]

I thought the YOMD was cool, better then this "Celebrate" thing. That's pretty much saying "come here with your family and friends and spend money to make memories". Soem people got stuff out of the year of a million dreams. I guess the locals didn't like it because they aren't the ones there first thing in the morning, so they didn't get anything.