Free Disney Birthday Ticket
In this troubled economy companies are forced to be more creative than ever to attract new business and keep previous customers coming back. In the past I thought Disney would never be affected by a lagging economy, but yes, even the mouse has had to actually work for his cheese this year. One effort to boost Disney ticket sales this year has been the birthday campaign. They gave free admission to anyone who registered their birthday on Disney’s website, then provided proof of their birth date when arriving at the park.
At first, people thought it was too good to be true, but think about it. No one goes to Disney World alone. No, you’re going to bring at least one person with you, especially on your birthday. Plus, you’re going to buy souvenirs or food while you’re there, so they aren’t losing money on the deal. But it is a nice break if you’re planning to go to a Disney park this year. At least one person would get in free and that saves a good chunk of money. All year I have been thinking, “If only my husband and I shared the same birthday. How cool (and rare) would that be, to both get in free at the same time!” Oh well. I bet it has happened, but not often.
Anyway, next year, 2010, Disney’s campaign is going to be that to get a free ticket, you have to volunteer at a selected charity for a day. Like with the birthday ticket, you’ll need to sign up to volunteer at one of the charity options on Disney’s site. Once you complete your volunteer work, you will receive a voucher to take to a Disney park, which you will redeem for your one-day park ticket.
Well, if this campaign is as successful as the birthday campaign, a lot of charities will have a lot more help next year. Disney has given out almost a million free birthday tickets so far this year. Yes, they are trying to get and keep business, but at least they have paired it with helping others. It’s a win-win for everyone.