Originally Posted By cstephens A friend alerted me to a blog post on the L.A. Times website called "Disneyland passholders: Watch out for birthday blackout dates" - <a href="http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/disneyland-birthday--4266/" target="_blank">http://travel.latimes.com/dail...y--4266/</a>. The link pops up the blog post now, but I'm not sure if sometime in the future, it will require that you register first. The article is so stupid that I don't even know where to begin. "You better look out for those blackout dates!" Ummm, yeah, if you have any level of AP other than premium, you probably pay fairly careful attention to when your blackout dates are. The entire article is written from the implication that only one level of AP is offered. Some people may not know that there are different levels of AP that allow different kinds of access. Quote from blog post: Obviously, for the average Disneyland annual passholder who visits the park on regular basis, the free-on-your-birthday deal isn’t much of perk. So "average" is supposed to equate to "premium annual passholder"? Because not all AP holders can visit year-round. And for those who don't have access every day of the year, access on your birthday if you can't get in otherwise is just as good as for anyone else who doesn't have an AP. Quote from blog post: So the Anaheim theme park offers a free $69 gift card (the standard price of admission) to their most loyal customers. That would be true - but only if you equate "most loyal customers" to "premium annual passholders". Quote from blog post: "So, just because my birthday falls on a blackout day, I don’t get the gift card?" said Nancy, on the verge of tears. "That’s unfair." So is this for dramatic effect? Because I have to say that I'd be very surprised if a woman could be reduced to the verge of tears because she isn't getting a gift card BECAUSE SHE ISN'T ELIGIBLE. "Unfair". Really? What does fair or unfair have to do with it? She and her writer husband didn't bother to read all the terms and conditions of the offer. They obviously must have seen more than just the "free on your birthday" commercials, but those commercials say nothing about what happens if you already have admission on that day. So someone must have either been told something by someone else, or someone did a cursory look at Disneyland's website, but they decided to only pay attention to the "I get free money on my birthday!" aspect rather than actually paying attention to the terms of the promotion itself. The offer is getting into Disneyland free for your birthday. As a non-premium AP holder, she did not already have admission into the park on her birthday. So, that's what was being offered to her - admission on her birthday, same as anyone else. For a premium annual passholder (or other qualifying admission media holder), yeah, free admission on your birthday is literally worthless because it's not giving you anything you don't already have - which is why they have the alternate gifts, one of which is the gift card. So if someone says "So, just because my birthday falls on a day when I don't have admission into the park, I don’t get the gift card? That’s unfair", would that fly too? Should Disney then fork over $69 in that case as well? Because that statement applies exactly to the situation of the writer's wife. If random person shows up at the resort with no admission media, should they be allowed to demand a $69 gift card just because it's their birthday? That person wouldn't be doing anything different than what was depicted in the blog post. Or maybe you have to prove that you're a loyal Disney customer. OK, how about someone who has the full WDW AP - that should be enough credential to be deemed a loyal customer, right? If they show up at Disneyland and demand $69 for their birthday, should they get it? No. Because they don't qualify under the terms of the promotion. Quote from blog post: with Nancy’s birthday on the verge of being ruined I put the blame for that solely on the writer and/or the wife, whoever it was that didn't bother to actually learn the rules of the promotion. Quote from blog post: Disneyland officials, contacted for a response, offered apologies but stuck by the company policy: “Our policy for Annual Passholders regarding Free On Your Birthday and blackout dates is clearly stated in Annual Passholder publications and on our website. It is unfortunate that the guest was not aware of the policy and we apologize that she was disappointed.” And yes, the rules are fully on the site. The writer publishes this response, but then takes ZERO responsibility for the fact that neither he nor his wife knew the actual terms of the promotion. He could have ended with, "Well, our day didn't go as we had planned, so I thought I'd warn other people to make sure to pay attention to their blackout days. If we'd done the same, we wouldn't have encountered the problem we did." And THEN, the writer has the *nerve* to link to the birthday thread on a Disney-related website, saying this similiar situation has happened to a lot of other people. OK, I've been reading that thread from the beginning, and maybe I'm just forgetting, but I don't recall ANYONE saying they went on their birthday, which was a blackout day, and they didn't get a gift card and had their day totally ruined. Furthermore, if the writer knew enough to link to the thread, he could have known enough to actually READ the thread, where we've been talking FOR MONTHS about blackout days and how you can get what gift for your birthday under what circumstances. Oh, and look, at the end of the article, he does say blackout days vary depending on the kind of AP you have. Duh. However, I will say that I'm laughing hysterically at the comments posted in response to that blog. Most people seem to be saying the same thing I'm saying here - it's your own fault for not paying attention. /cs
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains <,Quote from blog post: So the Anaheim theme park offers a free $69 gift card (the standard price of admission) to their most loyal customers.> What's funny about this - is a first time visitor with a valid hopper pass being used to enter on their birthday would be entitled to the gift card!
Originally Posted By Bellella I'm not an AP holder (unfortunately) so I'd better be able to get in on my b-day.
Originally Posted By MomluvsDisney As I said on the other message, Why would a grown woman cry for this? Ask before you go, so that you know. Be an adult, not a five year old child.
Originally Posted By MOLLYSMOM Of course you'll get in on your birthday, Bellella. We are deluxe AP holders. My DH's birthday is on a black-out day. He would be able to get in free that day, but he would NOT be able to also get the gift card. My birthday is on a non black out day. I WOULD get the gift card because my AP is good for that day.
Originally Posted By Bellella So basically the blockout dates only apply to AP holders, right? What gift card are you talking about. Is it only for AP holders?
Originally Posted By mele This story is so irritating. A woman crying over this just makes her sound like an idiot.
Originally Posted By cstephens MOLLYSMOM wrote: > We are deluxe AP holders. My DH's birthday is on a black-out day. He would be able to get in free that day, but he would NOT be able to also get the gift card. > My birthday is on a non black out day. I WOULD get the gift card because my AP is good for that day. Your husband should complain that it's not FAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIRRRRRR. Maybe he'll force you to share your gift card with him. /cs
Originally Posted By imadisneygal Or, alternatively, you could pay $40.00 for a block out day pass and then get your $69.00 giftcard (netting you $29.00 to spend). That article chaps my hide.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<alternatively, you could pay $40.00 for a block out day pass and then get your $69.00 giftcard (netting you $29.00 to spend)>> Apparently this is not true. From another thread on mouseplanet: "Tickets that are not eligible for the Alternate Gifts are any 1-Day, 1-Park Tickets, 1-Day Park Hopper Tickets, Blocked Out APs, or Comp Tickets. Those APs who are blocked and want one of the alternate offers MUST UPGRADE their AP BEFORE getting the Birthday Gift."
Originally Posted By imadisneygal Oh!! I'm sorry. I thought I heard on here that it was possible. Thank you for the correction and I'm sorry for the incorrect info.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss No skin off my back and no worries... you're still an invaluable source of info, imadisneygal. It seems like you haven't been on the boards much lately; you're input has been missed.
Originally Posted By oredisneyfan just wondering how did the husband propose to get into the park on a black out day it wasnt his birthday.....? so they were just going to collect the $$ to use at another visit? seems greedy to me. so they must have had to pay the $40 for him to get in on the black out day also, so you spend $80 to get your free $29??? seems it backfired and that is why they were mad......disney is a multi million dollar company for a reason, nothing is ever really free anyway...
Originally Posted By MOLLYSMOM bellella...yes, the gift card is in regards to AP holders. If your birthday does NOT fall on a black-out day, you get the gift card instead.
Originally Posted By MOLLYSMOM cstephens...maybe if DH were to cry at the gates they'd give him a gift card so his day wasn't ruined.
Originally Posted By DlandDug The author of the original piece (Brady MacDonald) responded to several of the comments in the Times blog. Here's his response that pretty much sums it up for me: >>I like the $69 consolation prize better than getting into the park for free. IMO, Disneyland is being surprisingly generous, whether they let me into the park for free, give me $29 gift card or a $69 gift card. Yet, I still feel Nancy was gypped. And I am acting childish and entitled. I’m not proud of it. But it’s true.<< Childish and entitled-- he took the words right out of my mouth...!
Originally Posted By DlandDug I would also love to hear the cast member's side of this. This comment from the blog jumped off the page for me: >>...it had proven a pretty grim experience. Throughout the entire ordeal, nobody ever wished Nancy happy birthday — and when I pointed that out, the manager said: “I’m not going to be forced to wish her happy birthday.”<< For a Disneyland "manager" to make a statement like this, there must have been some provocation. Annual Passholder + big shot LA Times writer + wife's birthday... how many different ways do you have to say, "I'M ENTITLED!"
Originally Posted By cstephens trekkeruss wrote: ><alternatively, you could pay $40.00 for a block out day pass and then get your $69.00 giftcard (netting you $29.00 to spend)>> > Apparently this is not true. From another thread on mouseplanet: "Tickets that are not eligible for the Alternate Gifts are any 1-Day, 1-Park Tickets, 1-Day Park Hopper Tickets, Blocked Out APs, or Comp Tickets. Those APs who are blocked and want one of the alternate offers MUST UPGRADE their AP BEFORE getting the Birthday Gift." That might be old information, since they've changed the rules of the gift card alternate gift a few times. In the blog post, the writer says that's exactly what they did - buy his wife a blockout ticket and then got the gift card. /cs
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>In the blog post, the writer says that's exactly what they did - buy his wife a blockout ticket and then got the gift card.<< Then again, this could have been a "make-good" to get the guy and his wife to go away!
Originally Posted By Waistcoated Rabbit Macdonald should've just paid attention to the rules.. He knows that. he responded to a lot of the comments people left. A lot of people say what a baby about his wife for for crying, at first I thought the same things. Grow up woman! But then I really thought about it and she was probably just really stressed and angry, or maybe she felt foolish for not reading the rules correctly. Also after waiting in that long line and getting zero kindness from the CMs at the guest relations window (in the form of apologizing for not being able to help them out the way they wanted or offering a happy birthday).. I'd probably cry too. With that said. They should feel grateful for the 30 bucks that got handed to them. That's enough to buy a few little souvenirs! But did she get gypped that day? No.
