Originally Posted By Duncan32 I am sorry. you all have to read into everything and cant be happy for the family. I am sorry they not PC enough for you but I will always be happy for them that they felt disney magic all around them
Originally Posted By danyoung Why can't I be both? I'm completely happy for them, and I'm sure it was an experience that they'll remember all their lives. That doesn't change the fact that we've been discussing - that it's very suspicious that the winners of these contests are always from the same ethno demographic.
Originally Posted By WDWs Future I believe you can send in a request to get a list of names of all of the winners..although I don't think that will prove or disprove any of your points. It's all still exciting nonetheless
Originally Posted By MPierce >>No photo necessary when entering. You could enter online or via snail mail.<< Thanks Labuda for that information. I can't imagine how anyone could fix a contest over the internet or by mail, where a white middle class family were the only one's who had a chance at winning. Do all of you mean this family was preselected and no drawing actually took place for a winner?
Originally Posted By danyoung If I had to guess, I'd say that the deciders of the contest kept drawing till they had the family that they wanted. This thing isn't overseen by Price Waterhouse - Disney can do whatever they want and tell us it's totally fair. It's just too big of a coincidence for me. When I see a black gay turban-wearing family win a contest, then I'll readjust my thinking.
Originally Posted By Boardwalkbum Not to put too fine a point on it, or to stir up controversey, but I wonder what percentage of WDW's daily attendees are "black gay turban wearing families?" I mean, I wonder what how the demo's break down? Should disney continue to draw names of families until it can be sure of its diverse ethnicity, sexuality and headwear preference? I have a feeling, and I dont know, but it wouldnt suprise me to find out that most visitors (or at least most people who enter WDW internet contests) are white with 2.3 kids from Ohio et al.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<This thing isn't overseen by Price Waterhouse - Disney can do whatever they want and tell us it's totally fair.>> Danny shoots from beyond the arc and swish...nothing but net. <<It's just too big of a coincidence for me. When I see a black gay turban-wearing family win a contest, then I'll readjust my thinking.>> Hahahah. Hey, the bottom line is when you are at WDW, you see all kinds of people that represent a broad spectrum of humanity. Yet when you see a family/individual 'win' a contest and put in the media spotlight, they are always that perfect 'Disney family.' You're (and I'm speaking of anyone) is very naive if they don't believe winners are 'selected.' I've been at the opening days of three Disney parks and every time, the winners of first family are selected from a dozen or more lined up at the various turnstyles. It's no different with a contest like this. I'd love to see some people that don't fit Disney's fave demo win some MAJOR prizes in this contest. But until I do, it's business as usual. Frankly (donning flame suit) if Disney wanted to pick a guest(s) that best represented the typical WDW visitor it would likely be someone at least 100 pounds overweight, wearing three lanyards of pins, a Pooh tee and DAK cap, while riding an ECV carrying everything but the kitchen sink. But I don't ever see those folks win either!
Originally Posted By jkayjs <<a black gay turban-wearing family>> Dan my man you forgot something. You should have ended that with "smoking a peace pipe". We don't want to leave out the native americans now do we. BTW before anyone gets offended my grandmother was full blooded Cherokee and a beautiful women she was.
Originally Posted By ChiMike This entire promotion is ridiculous. From the commercials that are way too disconnected from the actual park-going experience, to the overuse of staple, quantifiable dream experiences (be a princess, be a pirate, be a space pilot), or to the detrimental one size fits all resort synchronization, this promotion is nothing but a lot of MBA gobble-de-gook. What every happened to the sweet commercials about traveling to WDW that were simplistic yet effective? Like the little boy who was too tired to sleep the night before a trip or the picture of that same Ohio white family of multiple generations riding BTTR? Maybe I’m the outcast but a bunch of CGI animations of things that aren’t even at the parks doesn’t strike me as being very effective. I really do think the public will catch on this time around. Other then the marquee prizes I don't see much excitement. Ohh, and by the way, anyone still want to argue that FP is fairly distributed and that we are not on a pathway of tiered guests? This whole equal to all who participate argument now strikes me as archaic considering the amount of dream FPs given out daily.
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey <<Not to put too fine a point on it, or to stir up controversey, but I wonder what percentage of WDW's daily attendees are "black gay turban wearing families?">> I'll go ahead and say it outright - up until recently, I saw VERY few black families at WDW - VERY few. The numbers have SLIGHTLY increased over the last few years, but black visitors are still in the most miniscule of minorities. I'm not agreeing or disagreeing as to whether Disney handpicked the winners of this contest, I'm just stating my experience. BTW, no matter who won the contest, I still think it's a pretty darn nifty prize, and the video makes me tear up like a little girl.
Originally Posted By MPierce I guess I am just plain dumb, but I still can't figure out a way that these folks were hand picked. Now when it comes to the night in the Castle we will find out the real story. I believe you have to submit a picture, and a reason you want to stay there. If everyone is an All-American white family then I would say people have the right to not only be concern, but also question how the people were selected.
Originally Posted By danyoung In these Internet-rich days, it would be easy to draw a name, go online and do a quick profile, see that they won't work, and then just draw another name till they get someone that fits their mold.
Originally Posted By a1stav From the offical rules, <a href="http://adestinations.disney.go.com/media/disneyparks/en_US/html/yomdrules.html?CMP=OTC-VanURLYOMDRulesEng" target="_blank">http://adestinations.disney.go .com/media/disneyparks/en_US/html/yomdrules.html?CMP=OTC-VanURLYOMDRulesEng</a> "Decisions as to the selection of winners and the identity of the first person or persons present at a randomly selected location and time are subject to the Dream Squad's sole discretion and the Dream Squad's decisions on these matters will be final and binding. Only Dream Squad members can designate a potential winner at the Disney Properties." This could allow for some profiling, but if an official memo was ever found that Disney was discriminating for prizes it would be a HUGE scandal. I would think that Disney would try to avoid a situation like that. For a complete list of winners go to, <a href="http://www.disneyparks.com/winners" target="_blank">http://www.disneyparks.com/win ners</a>
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 I doubt that you'd ever find something in writing. But when it comes time to hand out an $85,000 DVC membership or a $30,000 Adventures by Disney trip etc ... I am reasonably sure that the given dream squad is given marching orders from high up on just what their discretion is/means.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 ^^I'd take it too! In a heartbeat. But I think it'll go to a nice midwestern or New England, white family of four.
Originally Posted By a1stav "I am reasonably sure that the given dream squad is given marching orders from high up on just what their discretion is/means." How would they do that? By having a secret meeting with the dream squad members telling them to discriminate? Again this would be very dangerous to do, at most there could be an unspoken, understood culture that the dream squad would just "get". Again I don't know how this is done, but I doubt that Disney would open themselves up to a huge lawsuit and massive negative publicity that a policy like that could bring about.
