Disney Planning DVD and PIN Codes for Australians?

[PrincessInOz]

It does sound like a bounceback!

Did you get that in the mail (snail mail) with the documentation (magical express, vacation package ?) for your upcoming trip?

Yes, snail mail. I booked through a TA (Small World Vacations) and the clauses were on paper with their letterhead; not Disney's. And it looks like I might also qualify for a Special Offer for the Disney Photopass service as well. There's a registration card in my vacation package documentation. I'll be registering my card shortly and see what happens - "Register this card now to save big later. Offers received may vary and are subject to change. Offers will be sent via email during and/or after your trip, not prior."

 

[aussietravellers]

Yes, snail mail. I booked through a TA (Small World Vacations) and the clauses were on paper with their letterhead; not Disney's. And it looks like I might also qualify for a Special Offer for the Disney Photopass service as well. There's a registration card in my vacation package documentation. I'll be registering my card shortly and see what happens - "Register this card now to save big later. Offers received may vary and are subject to change. Offers will be sent via email during and/or after your trip, not prior."

I booked through a TA too. I hope my pack arrives in time with going to NY before WDW.

The photopass might be the discount if you prepurchase deal that is for guests staying at onsite resorts. Everybody used to be able to prepurchase and get the discount, then they stopped it. But I read on Stitch Kingdom today (well in their newsletter first) that they are opening it up for everybody again

 

[PrincessInOz]

I booked through a TA too. I hope my pack arrives in time with going to NY before WDW.

The photopass might be the discount if you prepurchase deal that is for guests staying at onsite resorts. Everybody used to be able to prepurchase and get the discount, then they stopped it. But I read on Stitch Kingdom today (well in their newsletter first) that they are opening it up for everybody again

I hope so. The DVD is expensive at around US$130. I understand that they used to offer $50 off. We have our own (new) camera now ; but even with taking our camera on previous trips, we found that we did have a few photos taken by their photographers and if we end up with an offer, I may end up getting the photographers to take more and using their editing facility to add special touches to the pics.

I'm pretty sure that most of the TAs are pretty good at getting the packs to international travellers. Mine told me at the start that my pack would arrive about 2 - 3 weeks before I left.

 

[queenie82]

Is the DVD the one that just goes on with crap, and doesn't actually have any information in it?

That's the one

I got the US one through a friend a couple years ago which is much better although it is now out of date.

I want the cruise one!

 

[Willow25]

Hey Aussietravelers,

I received my last pin code via my .com.au account. But I believe I might have put down a US address for the email address because I ordered the WDW planning dvd and had it sent to my parents address in the states.

 

[aussiemickeys]

A few years ago, when Disney wouldn't send the DVD's to Aus, I ordered one via my friend who lives over there. I did use my email address though (which is also .........com.au). Since then I have had a few PIN offers sent. Unfortunately we have not been able to use any so far, as we always seem to be going at a different time to what they had offers for. Really happy though that we seem to be on their radar now for PIN offers. I have my fingers crossed for everyone else who are still waiting to receive one!

 

[Saskiwi]

ummmm .....what's a PIN code?

We ordered the " Million Dreams" DVD which arrived AFTER we got back from our trip - still the kids think it's some kind of wonderful souvenir and love watching it - and nagging about going back for Christmas or Halloween!!

 

[aussietravellers]

ummmm .....what's a PIN code?

A pin code is something Disney sends out either via email or snail mail. It is usually a code for a particular offer, like a %off.

They appear to not usually be sent out to anyone outside the USA (although I think Canada may get them ) I am an annual passholder for Disneyland (will soon be for WDW too ) and I do not get any of the emails or newsletters that are sent to annual passholders due to being an international resident (which is annoying, but I cope ).

As you will have read above, some people seem to have received Pin code emails in Australia and it seems that most have registered using an address in the USA. But just because we don't receive them, I have heard of people who are registered on the WDW website calling and they do have a pin code attached to their email address, so it's always worth checking. It's probably not sent to us so as not to upset the Australian wholesalers of WDW and DL packages and accommodation as it may bring to more peoples attention what ridiculous, over the top prices they charge and cause problems for those wholesalers, what I am meaning for example, there is a brand that I have purchased before they sell jackets, jumpers, boots etc in the US. Those products are as usual much cheaper in the US and also they have a larger range. Well I have tried to order from a few online stores over there and whilst they ship other products on their website, they are not allowed to ship from this particular brand here and that is the brands rules to all of their suppliers in the US and it is because the product is sold here in Australia and they obviously have some sort of agreement with the Aussie Wholesaler. Not saying that Disney do, but who knows, I just find it strange that we don't and also that we can't book through Disneyland or Disneyworld.com.au like other countries can book through their .co.uk etc sites. Just my opinion and totally made up, I could be way off target

I have about 4 or 5 email addresses registered and have never received a pin code by email or snail mail

 

[1rocky]

have just registered with Disney and ordered the dvd. as i did not receive any confirmation i tried three times. so do not know whether i will receive one or not but at least i received a welcome email for registering for disney.com.au.

 

[Adrienne]

just remember that you can always book through Dreams unlimited or other Disney TA's in the US, or alternatively directly on the American or Uk websites

sometimes booking at disneyworld.co.uk is much cheaper particularly depending on the length of trip (because of the special tix 7 day and 14 day ulitmates) and the exchange rates AUD to USD/ AUD to GBP

Check out all your options before you give your money to evil ppl here in Aus like flight centre... they will rip you off as soon as look at you.

Adrienne

 

[dollarmite]

just remember that you can always book through Dreams unlimited or other Disney TA's in the US, or alternatively directly on the American or Uk websites

sometimes booking at disneyworld.co.uk is much cheaper particularly depending on the length of trip (because of the special tix 7 day and 14 day ulitmates) and the exchange rates AUD to USD/ AUD to GBP

Check out all your options before you give your money to evil ppl here in Aus like flight centre... they will rip you off as soon as look at you.

Adrienne

I booked our WDW package through Dreams Unlimited last year. They were fanstastic!

The agent also booked our Mickey's Christmas Party tickets and ADRs for us, which was a huge saving in both time and money (I dread to think how much it would have cost in international phone calls to make 2 weeks worth of ADRs).

The DU agent also applied free dining to our booking when it was released and immediately refunded the money we had paid already paid for the dining plan. (The money/refund was already in my account when I checked it after getting the email re. the free dining - a saving of almost AUD2000).

I got a quote from my local travel agent. I don't how I refrained from laughing hystericlly when she gave me the price. The dining plan alone was almost double what I could get it for through the WDW website or DU agent, and I very much doubt we would have received the free dining.

 

[queenie82]

The agent also booked our Mickey's Christmas Party tickets and ADRs for us, which was a huge saving in both time and money (I dread to think how much it would have cost in international phone calls to make 2 weeks worth of ADRs).

Just thought I'd point out that the online dining reservations worked really well for us. We went online at the exact starting time on the 90days (now back to 180 days) in advance point and it worked perfectly well.
We even got OFFERED Cinderella's Royal Table reservations when we ran a search for other restaurants.
We got everything we wanted...
So no more International calls!

 

[dollarmite]

Just thought I'd point out that the online dining reservations worked really well for us. We went online at the exact starting time on the 90days (now back to 180 days) in advance point and it worked perfectly well.
We even got OFFERED Cinderella's Royal Table reservations when we ran a search for other restaurants.
We got everything we wanted...
So no more International calls!

We were a week too early for the online reservation system unfortunately. Actually, when I started booking my trip I couldn't believe they hadn't had an online system in place for years.

I did use it once during our trip when we had to change a reservation, and I did remember one tip I had read here on the DIS. We were a group of 4 and just couldn't get a reservation for the place/time/day we wanted, so I put in that we were a group of 5 and hey presto! Reservation exactly when and where we wanted. (There were plenty of empty tables during our reservation and all the tables in our area were round and could seat 4-8 people so I don't know why we couldn't get a booking for 4 originally).

 

[ehsmum]

Just thought I'd point out that the online dining reservations worked really well for us. We went online at the exact starting time on the 90days (now back to 180 days) in advance point and it worked perfectly well.
We even got OFFERED Cinderella's Royal Table reservations when we ran a search for other restaurants.
We got everything we wanted...
So no more International calls!

I did mine online too and got everything I wanted, including Cinderella's Royal Table .

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

It's good to know the online system works well, esp for us international peeps.

 

[aussietravellers]

Yes the online ADR booking works so well. I love the online system. When we went last time I spent so long on the phone, now it's a breeze!

I booked all of our meals for our Sept/Oct trip online, including CRT and Mickey's backyard BBQ. I have also just bought tickets to MNSSHP online and they are on their way here as I type this . I did call and book illuminations and wishes cruises but I should have got my TA to do that too but just didn't think about it at the time.

My TA (I have used Magical Journeys Travel) has booked the sunset safari at AKL for me too. She has been great but I really loved booking all of the ADR's myself online, then I could see what times I had to choose from and I can go and change them if I want to, which I have done a few times already

 

[PrincessBelle39]

We get pin codes also. We haven't used any of them but its nice to see they are coming through. I have noticed though that they have only come started coming through since our last trip. I received none previously despite ordering dvd's etc.