L.A. Times blog - let's just blame Disneyland

Originally Posted By mele

If the wife had gone there to really celebrate her birthday, then maybe I'd feel bad for her (big maybe). But the article says that they just went there to get their loot. They didn't want to celebrate anything at DL. They just wanted money.

And if this kind reporter had really wanted to do a story to alert unsuspecting people, he could have written the article from a different angle, not with all of the drama surrounding his poor, pitiful (greedy) wife.

 

Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains

<<You're right you weren't there, I wasn't there. I just went by what Old MacDonald said in his article. I've personally had an experience with a "surly supervisor" at DL (had to do with that play pass dealio back in the summer) So I know that how strict they are when they have no way to bend the rules can make someone cry, it happened to my sister. So thats why I decided to stick up for his wife. Also maybe it was just a really crappy experience for her. I hold nothing against her for crying. Thats all I really wanted to say in my first response.>>

I can totally see your point on this - but the part I found really odd was in the way he told the story, Miss Nancy started crying when Miss Smiley told her no to the gift card and offered a block out pass (which according the Disneyland.com site is what she was suppose to get) and before Miss Surly appeared in the picture.

With his telling of the story the tears seem more like a way to try to turn the tables in their favor... You know with others still waiting in line and Miss Smiley wanting not to have a scene.

 

Originally Posted By SpokkerJones

I don't even like this promotion and I think that blog post was retarded. That's saying something I guess.

 

Originally Posted By cstephens

Darkbeer wrote:
>If anything, the FIRST Ticket Booth CM should have mentioned it!

Which FIRST Ticket Booth CM would that be? Heck, what ticket booth CMs are you talking about at all? The blog writer said they waited at Guest Relations, not a ticket booth. Or are you making stuff up now to try to better defend the blog post?


> WHY not a couple of Posters explaining the program, and all the fine print on each Ticket Booth, and/or fliers that are clearly shown at each ticket window, with visible wording such "Free Birthday Offer"...

And how many languages do you think that should be in? And you don't think that many people waiting in line who don't have a birthday won't take a lot of time quizzing each ticket seller about the program, thereby making the ticket lines unnecessarily longer and then more people will complain about how Disney customer service sucks because oh my gosh, the line took FOREVER.

And where are all the signs on property about the 2fer? Because, you know, nobody knows about THAT promotion either. And if you don't tell them about it ONCE THEY'RE ALREADY AT THE PARK, how in the heck are they supposed to know about it?


Waistcoated Rabbit wrote:
>So I know that how strict they are when they have no way to bend the rules can make someone cry, it happened to my sister.

I'm sorry that your sister was upset, but I just don't see that there should always be some way to bend the rules. The rules are in place for a reason. If you bend them for one person, you should bend them for another person, and then another, and then what's the point of having the rule?



/cs

 

Originally Posted By Waistcoated Rabbit

<<I'm sorry that your sister was upset, but I just don't see that there should always be some way to bend the rules. The rules are in place for a reason. If you bend them for one person, you should bend them for another person, and then another, and then what's the point of having the rule?>

I agree with you cs.

I don't condone all rule bending though.. I bend the rules sometimes hahah

I was just saying DL are very strict with their rules..and I've seen it firsthand. I didn't expect them to bend the rules for my sister, but I won't say that I didn't hope they would

 

Originally Posted By DlandDug

>>I was sent a first draft of the article, with him asking me to make sure that all the info in regards to Disney rules was factually correct.<<

Why in the world would any knowledgeable person let something like this run? From the get-go this article is larded with half truths, distortions, and outright errors. Least of which is the whole "AP holders-- BEWARE HIDDEN BLACKOUT DATES!" Yet, there was no distinction between different types of APs. No acknowledgement that any AP knows about their own blackout dates. And a pretty deceptive claim that Disney was attempting to snooker this couple.

At least this thread has explained one thing to my satisfaction. Apparently, the LATimes and other "journalists" are going to bloggers (albeit knowledgeable and enthusiastic ones) for their fact checking on Disney Company policy. Now I understand how reporters seem to get it wrong more often than not...!

 

Originally Posted By DlandDug

As far as providing posters and signs goes, I really doubt it would do more than provide further fodder for sticklers who are trying to scam the system. The promotion is very straightforward: Get a free ticket on your birthday. But if you already have valid ticket media, get a gift card.

 

Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan

>>At least this thread has explained one thing to my satisfaction. Apparently, the LATimes and other "journalists" are going to bloggers (albeit knowledgeable and enthusiastic ones) for their fact checking on Disney Company policy. Now I understand how reporters seem to get it wrong more often than not...!<<

LOL!

 

Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan

>>As far as providing posters and signs goes, I really doubt it would do more than provide further fodder for sticklers who are trying to scam the system.<<

Indeed. There are people out there who seem to make a lifelong hobby of this, always trying to miss what is basically a generous promotion by trying to work the system. Screws it up eventually for everyone, but for people who enjoy contorting themselves to bend rules to their benefit, that doesn't matter.

 

Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan

miss = mess with

 

Originally Posted By TP2000

This is the silliest thing I've seen in a long time. And from the Travel Writer for the Los Angeles Times!

It's very clear to me, even after his follow up explanations and re-explanations, that Brady MacDonald and his wife are way out of line. He's really kind of made a fool of himself with this one, in my opinion. The issue of "protecting his wifes honor" and that this allegedly "ruined her birthday" is embarassing. You just can't help but be embarassed for this couple.

There's just no way he could have spun this ridiculous issue to not make him and his wife look greedy, self-entitled, petty and difficult. I can't believe he used his position at the LA Times to broadcast this to the world, and that he actually thought people would side with him on this one.

It almost makes me wonder if he's not pulling a big joke on everyone. Some sort of a performance art gag about the stereotypical behavior of Disneyland AP's? Sadly, that's probably not the case.

 

Originally Posted By TP2000

And for those who missed it, based on the blockout dates Brady MacDonald posted on his blog, he and his wife have the cheapest AP's available; the $134 SoCal Select Pass.

 

Originally Posted By Darkbeer

>>And for those who missed it, based on the blockout dates Brady MacDonald posted on his blog, he and his wife have the cheapest AP's available; the $134 SoCal Select Pass. <<

HUH??? Did you even read the info at the link, including the comments???

<a href="http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/disneyland-birthday--4266/" target="_blank">http://travel.latimes.com/dail...y--4266/</a>

>>Brady says: We specifically purchase the Deluxe passes in order to avoid the park on the busiest blackout days. We went to the park on Nancy’s birthday only to pick up the gift card. I never checked the blackout dates because we had no plans to go into the park. That was my mistake.<<

They have DELUXE AP's.....

Yes, he did post ALL Blockout dates, as the main theme of the post, as based on the title was "Watch Out for Blockout Dates"....

 

Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains

< I never checked the blackout dates because we had no plans to go into the park>

Wait the whole deal is based on you actually being in the park on your birthday!

So they only went for the gift card not to go to DL for her birthday! So all the whining about her b-day being ruined it just a bunch of bull!

I have reread the article - not all the comments though - In the article he never mentions having a deluxe pass...

So the opening line
<<By now, most people know you get into Disneyland free on your birthday in 2009. But if you’re an annual passholder, you’d better read the fine print.>>
Is a misrepresentation since they could go in for free but had no intentions of doing so!

 

Originally Posted By cstephens

gottaluvdavillains wrote:
> I have reread the article - not all the comments though - In the article he never mentions having a deluxe pass...

Well, for pretty much the entire article, he never mentions that there are different levels of passes that allow different access to the park. His proclamation of "if you have an AP, you get this other thing instead" is wrong and misleading since that completely depends on what kind of pass you have.

There's only a throwaway line at the very end about there being different passes available. Yeah, that's a pretty important point, and something that should have been addressed in the blog post itself, as well as what level of pass he had and that he had a completely childish and entitled attitude.

But you only get that admission if you read through all the comments. Instead of hiding that info in the comments, he should have been man enough to include it in the blog post itself.



/cs

 

Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains

He also should have said from the start that they only went by to pick up a gift card and not to actually go to DL for her b-day!

 

Originally Posted By FiveBearRugs

WAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

My birthday is on June 21...I have to share it with Father's Day AND I don't have an AP!!! My birthday is RUUUUUUUUUUIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEED!!! IT'S NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT FAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIR!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan

5BR, you should be the travel writer for the LA Times. That post right there might have earned you a Pulitzer.

 

Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan

>>We went to the park on Nancy’s birthday only to pick up the gift card.<<

Later, he took Nancy out for her traditional birthday lunch on the town at Costco, eating free Bagel Bite samples.

 

Originally Posted By DlandDug

Actually, her birthday celebrations have never been the same since Hickory Farms closed most of their retail locations...