Disney's Year of a Million Dreams
Win Amazing Prizes Simply By Visiting a Disney Theme Park
If you've been putting off a family vacation to Disney World in Florida or Disneyland in California, 2008 is the year to take your trip to the land of Mickey Mouse.
In late 2006 and extending into 2007, Disney launched the "Year of a Million Dreams" to popular acclaim. The company awarded a million prizes and surprises to unsuspecting guests in its California and Florida theme parks.
This year, the "2008 Disney Dreams Giveaway" (part of the continued "Year of a Million Dreams" promotion), brings dream prizes that are bigger and better than ever! More than a million prizes will be awarded again, this year totaling more than $13 million. Here's how it works:
Any visitor at the following theme parks and resort areas of Walt Disney World and Disneyland through December 31, 2008, are automatically "entered" into the giveaway: Animal Kingdom Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, Orlando's Downtown Disney, Disneyland Park, California Adventure or Anaheim's Downtown Disney.
Disney employees, a.k.a. the "Dream Squad," will canvas the areas of the parks and select winners randomly, pulling winners from ride lines or stopping them on the streets. Prizes will generally be awarded between opening times and 5 p.m. daily.
Some prizes, admittedly, are very low cost, such as commemorative Mouse Ears, pin and lanyard sets, and FASTPASS badges (hundreds of thousands of these prizes will be awarded during the year). And some prizes are low-cost "experiences," such as VIP fireworks viewing, special character meet-and-greets, or the ability to remain in the park to visit select attractions an hour past scheduled closing time.
But there are also some super-cool, super-unusual, pricey experiences that Disney is giving away (number in parentheses is the number of prizes to be awarded):
- A stay at the Cinderella Castle Suite at Orlando's Magic Kingdom, plus dinner at Cinderella's Table (310)
- An overnight stay in the Disneyland Dream Suite: two-bedroom, two-bath, 2,600-square-foot accommodations above New Orleans Square (266)
- VIP tour of Walt Disney's Main Street Apartment in Disneyland (12)
- Access to the Walt Disney World Toy Story Mania Opening Event (4)
- Opportunity to meet celebrities at the ABC SuperSoap Weekend at Hollywood Studios in Orlando (4)
Then there are some amazing Disney vacation packages, including round-trip airfare (!), that the company will give away this year:
- Disney cruise, plus VIP stay on Castaway Bay
- Walt Disney World Halloween Trip
- Walt Disney World Character Breakfasts Extraordinaire Vacation
- Disneyland Culinary Adventure Trip
- High School Musical 3 and Disneyland Vacation Package
- Walt Disney World Christmas Parade Trip
Plus two lucky folks will win a membership in the Disney Vacation Club, valued at more than $80,000!
Dozens and dozens more prize options are available, and you can read the entire listing (plus lots of legal mumbo-jumbo) here.
But wait, the best part! You don't necessarily have to visit the park to be eligible for some of the great prizes. Just send a postcard or piece of paper (in an envelope) postmarked by December 31, 2008, with your hand-written full name, complete mailing address, daytime phone number with area code and date of birth to P.O. Box 8650, Elmhurst, IL, 60126. Limit one entry per person per day. Good luck!
