Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of the headline: <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/News-HID.asp?ID=30855" target="_blank"><b>Headlines: LATimes: Sad Tale of a Disneyland Passholder's Blackout Date Adventure</b></a> The <I>Los Angeles Times</I> reminds Disneyland Annual Passholder to consider blockout dates when planning around Disney's current "free on your birthday" promotion.
Originally Posted By u k fan I don't see what the problem is here. The guest in question was offered free admission when she wouldn't have otherwise had it. I did laugh at the comment about being forced to wish her happy birthday though!!!
Originally Posted By -em I don't think Disney was in the wrong here (unless the CM was as nasty as they said- but they dont sound like they were the nicest of people...) If you have blackout days you should know when they are.. Disney isn't going to give you both a free day into the park AND the gift card... -em
Originally Posted By MomluvsDisney I agree...Disney has been pretty clear what has been offered, and you can always call if you have questions. It kind of sounds like the article writer and his wife wanted to be compensated for their own ignorance. I mean why would she start crying when they inform her that she is ineligiable for the fun card, but will get free admission? Crying?? What is she, five? So as adults if we dont get our way we should just cry? I had multiple questions about the free birthday and waht I could do with it. I called and tracked down the answers to all so that when I went on my birthday I had all the informaiton I needed.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I also like how it doesn't mention until a note at the very end of the article that the blockout days vary with the different passes. They did a very good job of making it sound like nobody can get into the park if their birthday just happens to be the wrong day. Looking at that list, it appears that my birthday is a blockout day, but that doesn't really matter because I can get in on my pass. With even the littlest ammount of planning that whole situation could have been avoided. This whole thing is being promoted as "Get in for free on your birthday in 2009!" Yet for some reason that lady thought that she should get more than that. She was offered what everybody else in the world is being offered, but didn't want to accept it. So what if they don't think going to DL is very special since they have passes. Is that DL's fault? They were offering her what was being promoted. I want to have sympathy for the situation, but clearly they didn't do enough research during their 30 internet search to see that they would get a fun card. I really see nobody else to blame but themselves. And how old is wife Nancy? There are several mentions of the experience being on the verge of ruining her birthday. Sounds like she might need to grow up a little before trying to re-enter the real world.
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains I am guessing the verge of tears and ruining her birthday was just to make the story more dramatic. I agree all they had to do is read the rules and they would have known what to expect.
Originally Posted By JeffG What I find amazing is that this basically idiotic article is by Brady MacDonald, who is the principal travel writer that the L.A. Times has long assigned to covering the area theme parks. It certainly doesn't say much about his skills as a travel writer that he is publicly stating his ignorance of the rules and policies of such a heavily advertised promotion at a venue that is pretty much his primary beat. I would imagine that McDonald himself probably has a Premium AP that is paid for by the paper, so I can at least kind of understand that he might forget that his wife had a pass that was subject to black-out dates. The proper reaction on his part should have been "Oops! I should have thought of that!" rather than an article that is basically attacking Disney and yelling "unfair!" simply because they followed their well-advertised policies. -Jeff
Originally Posted By Mickeyfan1 The Los Angeles Times has lost so much credibility in so many areas. What use to be a great newspsper has now turned into something terrible. It deserves to go out of business. As for poor Nancy.....grow up woman. Read the rules of the AP you purchased. If you don't want to play by the rules than don't buy an AP. But please don't cry and blame Disney for destroying your birthday like some little five year old that doesn't get their way. If you want all the benefits than simply fork over ther additional dollars and upgrade to a Premium Annual Pass.
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains This is the line that really cracked me up... <To me, the raw deal seemed completely random. You can’t control what day your birthday falls on.> So should I be complaining since all 3 of my sons have their birthdays during the school year and all 3 are on tuesdays this year. So they can't take advantage of it either - Oh well - but now I guess I should complain to Disney that it's unfair and they should bend the rules to make it work for me... Give me a break!
Originally Posted By ADMIN <font color="#FF0000">Message removed by an administrator. <a href="MsgBoard-Rules.asp" target="_blank">Click here</a> for the LaughingPlace.com Community Standards.</font>
Originally Posted By u k fan I think it's unfair that I was born in the UK. My birthday is a weekend, but I can't make it to the park. I can't control where I was born! (Disney, please send me $69)!!!
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains Funny thing is he could have bought a 2fer and still gotten his wife the free gift card and still came back on another blocked day.
Originally Posted By Mickeyfan1 See, there always is a silver lining at the Happiest Place on Earth....if you look for it!
Originally Posted By wonderingalice Hey, all I've got is a printed birthday voucher since I couldn't drive in from LV yesterday... I was working, don't I deserve some kind of compensation for THAT. Imagine having to pass up Disneyland for WORK on my birthday. Somebody owes me!!! ;-)
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 After reading the article I assumed it was written by "outraged reader." It read like something my kids would have written in High School. You know, the essay they all had to write about something terrible and life changing that happened to them Brother what a weenie. I agree with all those that pointed out that there are many of us and our family members who missed the freebie because of their birth date falling on an inconvenient day. Today is my DD's birthday and she has finals in Davis. They are hoping to go to DLR to celebrate next week but no freebies for her. Stupid finals! I think she should write an article complaining to the UC Regents that they ruined her birthday I think this guy will get a lot of teasing from his colleagues
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones Hell, my birthday has come and gone and I was very free to take advantage of it and I still didn't do it.
Originally Posted By TP2000 Brady MacDonald's wife, Nancy Luna, is actually the main Food writer for the OC Register. From photos she has posted of herself on the Register website (as a girl at Farrel's in the 1970's) she would seem to be in her 30's or early 40's. So both Brady MacDonald and Nancy Luna are journalists working for the two major LA/OC papers. And judging by the list of blockout dates Brady MacDonald posted in his blog, his wife has the cheapest AP available; the $134 SoCal Select Pass. I'm stunned that this man and woman really feel this entitled, and are using their positions as journalists to air their ridiculous complaint with Disneyland. You just can't help but be embarassed for them.
Originally Posted By ni_teach Do the MacDonald's think that cruise ships will change their schedules just for them also?
Originally Posted By mele I still really wonder about a grown woman in this situation who would say "that's not fair" while being on the verge of tears. Does this woman suffer from some sort of head trauma that alters her mental capacity? Seriously, grow up, lady. (Of course, her poor me attitude did prove that life isn't fair...for all of the other people who had the self-respect to not whine to the company in order to be over-compensated for this slight against them.)
