Up coming WDW 50th Anniversary

[John park hopper]

In 1996 we went to WDW for the 25th WDW anniversary and they were giving out Guest of Honor badges with the date of your firist visit and also gave out a 20 X 16 lithograph of the Castle. Still have the 3 copies of the lithograph and the Guest of Honor Badge (1972). Wonder if there will be similar free gifts for the 50th? Still have the 25th anniversary t shirt with Mickey on the front. Wondering what things others may have saved from their 25th visit

 

[Surfin' Tuna]

I heard they are giving away free things, but you have to pay for them. I also heard they were going to charge people for the freebees they were given in 1996.

 

[John park hopper]

I heard they are giving away free things, but you have to pay for them. I also heard they were going to charge people for the freebees they were given in 1996.

My last trip in May I think I more than paid for any freebees and then some

 

[Cowboy Steve]

In 1996 we went to WDW for the 25th WDW anniversary and they were giving out Guest of Honor badges with the date of your firist visit and also gave out a 20 X 16 lithograph of the Castle. Still have the 3 copies of the lithograph and the Guest of Honor Badge (1972). Wonder if there will be similar free gifts for the 50th? Still have the 25th anniversary t shirt with Mickey on the front. Wondering what things others may have saved from their 25th visit

My family visited for the 25th as well... and Disney Fiancé turns 50 the same year WDW does, so we will definitely be visiting for the 50th! Our first year was also 1972 (I was 6, my sister was 2). I think I still have the lithograph tucked away somewhere - I know sis has it mounted and matted in a frame. It was a pretty awesome trip - specially seeing the Castle as a birthday cake! This was pre-projection technology, so it literally had to be physically altered. I'm hoping for a similar celebration experience for the 50th. It is amazing to see how the property has transformed over the past 46 years.

 

[John park hopper]

My family visited for the 25th as well... and Disney Fiancé turns 50 the same year WDW does, so we will definitely be visiting for the 50th! Our first year was also 1972 (I was 6, my sister was 2). I think I still have the lithograph tucked away somewhere - I know sis has it mounted and matted in a frame. It was a pretty awesome trip - specially seeing the Castle as a birthday cake! This was pre-projection technology, so it literally had to be physically altered. I'm hoping for a similar celebration experience for the 50th. It is amazing to see how the property has transformed over the past 46 years.

The DW and sons and grandchildren will be there for the 50th with all the new construction it should be awesome. A lot of people did not like the castle decorated as a cake but I thought it looked great

 

[Simba's Mom]

I remember for the 15th anniversary they were giving away coupons for free items to every X guest. I still have my coupon for a free coke. Wonder if I could use it now?

 

[Surfin' Tuna]

I was there for the 25th and thought the castle was pretty cool as a cake. As time passed and I grew more Disney I found myself disliking it. The point is well taken, however, that it was pre-projection and had to actually be transformed. It makes me like it a bit more. Sure the castle was "gone" for a while, but it was also something special that we will all always remember. I like that they were willing to spend the money to do something so grand that didn't provide an immediate return. I'm sure they will feel that the changes are our gift for the 50th. If we spend enough we'll all get magic bands. Oh no...what if the special thing they do is a ticketed 50th celebration?

 

[John park hopper]

I remember for the 15th anniversary they were giving away coupons for free items to every X guest. I still have my coupon for a free coke. Wonder if I could use it now?

Do you remember what WDW charged for a coke back then? Tickets to get in were less $26

 

[Simba's Mom]

I don't remember what they charged for a Coke, but I do know that our 6-day passes cost $97 per adult.

 

[danyoung56]

I was there on the 25th, and I was royally cheesed off. They had the big anniversary event with Eisner and Hillary Clinton, and the only people who actually got to see it were specially invited guests. The rest of us unwashed could watch it on video walls set up in Tomorrowland and Frontierland. They ran a HUGE promotion to get people in for this celebration, and then made us all watch it on TV. Very very uncool, and a strongly worded letter to Disney got a pretty good response. I guess a lot of people were royally cheesed off, and Disney handed out free passes to try and compensate. It didn't solve the problem, but at least they were trying.

 

[John park hopper]

I was there on the 25th, and I was royally cheesed off. They had the big anniversary event with Eisner and Hillary Clinton, and the only people who actually got to see it were specially invited guests. The rest of us unwashed could watch it on video walls set up in Tomorrowland and Frontierland. They ran a HUGE promotion to get people in for this celebration, and then made us all watch it on TV. Very very uncool, and a strongly worded letter to Disney got a pretty good response. I guess a lot of people were royally cheesed off, and Disney handed out free passes to try and compensate. It didn't solve the problem, but at least they were trying.

I would be super PO also, did you get to us the free passes during that visit or later on a subsequent trip?

 

[danyoung56]

I sent the harsh letter after I got home, and received both an apologetic letter and the passes a few weeks after that.