Castle Dream Lights Inexplicably Ended 12/31/10?

[mickey2008.1]

This address is from a letter we got for rude service during out trip two years ago. We sent an email, and then were contacted, i will try to find the email address. Be sure to include your phone number, as they will call you in 7 days.

Guest Communications Services
PO BOX 10040
Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830

 

[mickey2008.1]

Here is the email address

www.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Here is the email address

www.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

I would send a physical letter as opposed to e-mail. It seems to get handled with more importance.

 

[Korfar]

Disney makes it very clear that all dates are subject to change and nothing is 100% guaranteed to be running during your trip. Sorry.

True but it isn't a good business practice. If you advertise something you should live up to up. Especially in this case when it is lighting on a building. There isn't much that can effect this. Weather plays no factor in turning on lights.

 

[wdwfan22]

I don't feel why you believe you should be compensated for an entertainment change. It states everywhere that ALL entertainment and events are subject to change without notice. If you were that interested in seeing the lights then you should have planned your visit during the holiday season, not after.

 

[vonpluto]

This website mentioned here (wdwnews) is not an official Disney website. Just thought I'd throw that out. :shrug:

Actually it is, this from the "Terms of Use" from said site:


" http://wdwnews.com Terms Of Use
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the wdwnews.com website (the "Site"). This Site is owned and operated by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, LLC from its offices within the State of Florida, United States of America (referred to herein as "WDPR", "we," "us," or "our"). "

 

[JWG]

So anyway...

I'd check the times guide for 1/2 or 1/3 to see if "Cinderella's Wish" was on the schedule for 6:15pm.

That's a pretty good indicator of if it was planned or not to happen/be on. That is the actual lighting of the castle, so if it wasn't on the times guide, it wasn't planned to be lit.

If it was, Disney may have still changed their mind, but you have less of an argument then if they adverised through 1/3 and then changed their mind in advance (taking it off the guides).

If it didn't happen 1/3 for some reason, it may have simply been a technical difficulty issue as we've confirmed 1/1 happened (which does prove the GR CM wrong however).

 

[WDWFigment]

I don't feel why you believe you should be compensated for an entertainment change. It states everywhere that ALL entertainment and events are subject to change without notice. If you were that interested in seeing the lights then you should have planned your visit during the holiday season, not after.

I don't see why people keep spouting this as if it gives Disney freedom to do whatever it wants without guest recourse.

First, because of past precedent: Disney announces, in advance, what attractions are and are not going to be operating on what dates. People rely on these announcements to plan their vacations, plain and simple. It is reasonable for people to rely on these announcements.

Second, just because something is buried in fine print somewhere does not make it the law of the land. If Disney included the term, "by purchasing this ticket, you agree to deed your house to the Walt Disney Company" on the reverse of the ticket, certainly that wouldn't be enforceable just by virtue of it being written.

More-so than anything, I am surprised that you all don't empathize with the OP a bit more. If you were in his shoes, and you did your due diligence researching when to take your trip, based on Disney's own schedule, and Disney did not conform to that schedule without any announcement, wouldn't you be a little ticked off? This isn't a matter of Space Mountain having technical difficulties unexpectedly for a few hours or rain causing a show to be canceled--this is Disney failing to provide entertainment on certain dates that it previously indicated it would provide.

 

[Korfar]

I don't see why people keep spouting this as if it gives Disney freedom to do whatever it wants without guest recourse.

First, because of past precedent: Disney announces, in advance, what attractions are and are not going to be operating on what dates. People rely on these announcements to plan their vacations, plain and simple. It is reasonable for people to rely on these announcements.

Second, just because something is buried in fine print somewhere does not make it the law of the land. If Disney included the term, "by purchasing this ticket, you agree to deed your house to the Walt Disney Company" on the reverse of the ticket, certainly that wouldn't be enforceable just by virtue of it being written.

More-so than anything, I am surprised that you all don't empathize with the OP a bit more. If you were in his shoes, and you did your due diligence researching when to take your trip, based on Disney's own schedule, and Disney did not conform to that schedule without any announcement, wouldn't you be a little ticked off? This isn't a matter of Space Mountain having technical difficulties unexpectedly for a few hours or rain causing a show to be canceled--this is Disney failing to provide entertainment on certain dates that it previously indicated it would provide.

I agree. If the shoe was on the other foot they would sing a different tune. Hopefully the OP can find some resolution with Disney.

 

[wdwfan22]

I don't see why people keep spouting this as if it gives Disney freedom to do whatever it wants without guest recourse.

First, because of past precedent: Disney announces, in advance, what attractions are and are not going to be operating on what dates. People rely on these announcements to plan their vacations, plain and simple. It is reasonable for people to rely on these announcements.

Second, just because something is buried in fine print somewhere does not make it the law of the land. If Disney included the term, "by purchasing this ticket, you agree to deed your house to the Walt Disney Company" on the reverse of the ticket, certainly that wouldn't be enforceable just by virtue of it being written.

More-so than anything, I am surprised that you all don't empathize with the OP a bit more. If you were in his shoes, and you did your due diligence researching when to take your trip, based on Disney's own schedule, and Disney did not conform to that schedule without any announcement, wouldn't you be a little ticked off? This isn't a matter of Space Mountain having technical difficulties unexpectedly for a few hours or rain causing a show to be canceled--this is Disney failing to provide entertainment on certain dates that it previously indicated it would provide.

Disney doesn't cancel shows without reason. Obviously there was some reason the show couldn't be presented through 1/3. I do know for a fact the lights were lit on 1/1/11. Things happen that are beyond control when it comes to the operation of a theme park. With that being said, I don't feel that you should be entitled to compensation. There are way to many people looking for handouts.

 

[tahqa]

Actually it is, this from the "Terms of Use" from said site:


" http://wdwnews.com Terms Of Use
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the wdwnews.com website (the "Site"). This Site is owned and operated by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, LLC from its offices within the State of Florida, United States of America (referred to herein as "WDPR", "we," "us," or "our"). "

My bad, a whois lookup didn't show a Disney company as the owner.

 

[WDWFigment]

Disney doesn't cancel shows without reason. Obviously there was some reason the show couldn't be presented through 1/3. I do know for a fact the lights were lit on 1/1/11. Things happen that are beyond control when it comes to the operation of a theme park. With that being said, I don't feel that you should be entitled to compensation. There are way to many people looking for handouts.

Your first statement reveals that both of us are assuming different premises. You're assuming Disney had a valid reason to cancel the show on 1/2 and 1/3. I'm assuming it was a not a valid reason, but rather, Disney made the decision voluntarily (like I said in a previous post, my bet was to expedite the projector installation). Since we're both assuming, neither of us can be sure that we're right.

If my assumption is correct, I stand by my position that he should be entitled to compensation. I don't see how that's a handout. He booked his trip over a certain period of time in reliance upon Disney's statement that it would be showing the Castle Lights until then. He incurred additional expenses because of this. The trip occurring after December 25th is irrelevant if the lights were to be on per Disney's schedule. If I spend extra funds to see something Disney tells me will be displayed, and it's not displayed, my wanting compensation (due to those extra funds I spent) when Disney voluntarily elects not to display that offering, is reasonable. It's not a handout.

I know a lot of people here take the stance that they send letters to Disney 'not because they want something, but because they want Disney to know what it did wrong, and fix it for future guests.' I'm not one of those people. If Disney does something that I feel "financially wrongs" me, I absolutely want compensation. I suppose that is another discussion for another day, though.

 

[samshem]

Obviously there was some reason the show couldn't be presented through 1/3.

Apparently it wasn't that obvious if the CM had to research for 20 minutes and still not have a reason as to why they wouldn't be lit.

 

[wdw4brits]

As already stated, I would write them a letter showing the news article and express your disappointment and i'm sure you'll get compensated!

There must have been some sort of technical fault.

 

[Neverland]

I was told long in advance that the last castle lighting would be on 1/1/11, and I was told to tell guests that. I think it rather makes sense, since that was the last Holiday Wishes as well. Also, that's unfortunate that the Guest Relations CM treated you that way. All the ones I've ever come across have been just the most charming people. It's kind of their job to be the nicest CMs in the park, and yours obviously wasn't.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Apparently it wasn't that obvious if the CM had to research for 20 minutes and still not have a reason as to why they wouldn't be lit.

Correct--I received no answer after standing around for a half hour in total. All he said was that I was clearly wrong, they had never announced anything, and he had nothing more to say. That is the type of "guest service" I would expect at Six Flags, but not at the flagship park of Walt Disney World...especially not when I go directly to Guest Services. More-or-less, their only job is to deal with guest complaints (which I know, because later in the trip, when I stopped by wishing to actually file a COMPLIMENT for how a CM had treated us, they didn't have a form for that! I guess they don't get very many positive comments there...).

 

[ToTBellHop]

I was told long in advance that the last castle lighting would be on 1/1/11, and I was told to tell guests that. I think it rather makes sense, since that was the last Holiday Wishes as well.

Quoted from Disney's press release:

"Castle Dream Lights – When daylight has passed during the holiday season, Magic Kingdom guests can behold a breathtaking transformation during the Castle Dream Lights ceremony. Each evening Nov. 8, 2010, through Jan. 3, 2011, Cinderella and favorite characters decked out in holiday garb take to the stage and magically transform Cinderella Castle into an ice palace aglow with 200,000 white lights – a perfect centerpiece to a park all decked out with wreaths, bows, garland and towering Christmas trees."

 

[samshem]

Quoted from Disney's press release:

"Castle Dream Lights – When daylight has passed during the holiday season, Magic Kingdom guests can behold a breathtaking transformation during the Castle Dream Lights ceremony. Each evening Nov. 8, 2010, through Jan. 3, 2011, Cinderella and favorite characters decked out in holiday garb take to the stage and magically transform Cinderella Castle into an ice palace aglow with 200,000 white lights – a perfect centerpiece to a park all decked out with wreaths, bows, garland and towering Christmas trees."

It doesn't make the situation any better, but it now seems as if the press release was incorrect from the beginning. It seems less like they canceled it for unknown reasons and more like it never was supposed to be displayed past 1/1/11 in the first place.

 

[Neverland]

Quoted from Disney's press release:

"Castle Dream Lights – When daylight has passed during the holiday season, Magic Kingdom guests can behold a breathtaking transformation during the Castle Dream Lights ceremony. Each evening Nov. 8, 2010, through Jan. 3, 2011, Cinderella and favorite characters decked out in holiday garb take to the stage and magically transform Cinderella Castle into an ice palace aglow with 200,000 white lights – a perfect centerpiece to a park all decked out with wreaths, bows, garland and towering Christmas trees."

I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying that they must have changed the date a while ago, and thought it fit to tell cast members and not guests, which, in retrospect, they must be regretting. There wasn't any technical reason stopping the castle lighting on the second and third, it's just that they decided that the first would be the last day, and for some reason chose not to announce it. Or perhaps the press release was just incorrect. We all know how accurately they handle the dates on their website... They said that Tiana's Showboat Jubilee would be continuing into 2010, and not ending on 1/3/10, and that made me upset, too, because it did end.

 

[MicheleK]

I was in the park(s) on 1/1/11 from 8:00am until 10:30pm, the castle was lit and Holiday Wishes was the show.

I'm so sorry you missed it on the 2nd and were treated so poorly . A strongly written letter to management might help get some results.

I was just bragging to my family and friends what a spectacular day/night we had visiting DHS/Epcot/MK all day and night. We hit everything just right, lines were short, fast passes, super, and 30% off lunch and dinner... Amazing! I wish you had the same experience as I did :wave:.