Does Anyone Win Disney Vacation Contests? Yup! Here Is Someone Who Won.

On the World of Walt site, I often post links for contests for Disney vacations. Vacation packages can be sponsored by a variety of organizations,and occasionally by subsidiaries of the Disney Company itself – such as Disney Movie Rewards.

I often get this question:  Does anyone ever win these contests?  Are they legitimate?

I’m happy to share the story with you of someone who learned about at Disney sweepstakes from World of Walt and won a wonderful vacation to Walt Disney World!

Let’s learn more about what happened in this interview with Becky:

Q: What contest did you enter, and what did you have to do to qualify?

A: The contest I won was called ‘Recreate the Magic,’ and I saw the link on your Facebook page. The sponsor, Disney Destinations, was looking for old family photos taken between 1960-1990 and asked how contestants would recreate the magic from that photo if they won. Since photography is one of my hobbies, I have tons of pictures.  I found the perfect shot from 1989.

I wrote how my two children in the photo were the same age as my two grandkids are now and joked about my 80’s hair-do. I explained that I wanted to recreate the photo with my oldest daughter and her husband and children.

The prize was for round-trip airfare, Magical Express transportation for six, deluxe suite accommodations at a Disney Resort, and Club Level service for 8 days and 7 nights. The winner would also get six eight-day park hopper passes, two character dining experiences, VIP fireworks or parade viewing, MemoryMaker, $800.00 in gift cards, and a huge welcome basket waiting in our suite with hundreds of dollars’ worth of treats, a plush Mickey and Minnie, fresh flowers, and turn down service each night.

Q: How did you find out that you won?

A: I got an e-mail from a prize fulfillment center on August 26th, 2014, saying I may have won the grandparents part of the Recreate the Magic contest pending verification of my information within 72 hours of receiving their e-mail. Of course, my first thought was this was a scam or a joke, but I overnighted the requested information to verify my identity including social security numbers of everyone who would be traveling with me.

Q: What advice would you have for folks who are concerned about entering contests?

A: As I mentioned, I was afraid that this could be a scam, so I had all of my information notarized and sent the documents via certified mail, which requires a signature upon delivery. I wanted to make sure I had proof that I followed the instructions exactly and got all my ducks in a row on time.

Q: Can you describe your trip?

A: The trip was a dream come true from start to finish. We decided to go in April to give us plenty of time to plan since FastPass+ and Advanced Dining Reservations book up fast. When we went in 1989, we just met the characters along the way and snapped a photo or two. This is not the case anymore! Fortunately, we planned well and got to do everything we wanted. It was more fantastic than my wildest dreams.

It's great to get the whole family together for a Disney vacation!
It’s great to get the whole family together for a Disney vacation!

Club level, one of the package inclusions, is the best indulgence I’ve ever experienced. Breakfast included muffins, coffee, juices, eggs, hot and cold cereal, deluxe pastries, & cookies that we could take in our Disney day bag as snacks for later. We also had Cast Members whose job it was to assist club level guests with reservations, navigating, and tips and tricks for our every whim. At night, the adults enjoyed drinks and hors d’oeuvres, and the little ones had access to movies and treats like milk and cookies. I don’t know if I could ever go again and not get club level. It was great!

MemoryMaker was another must-have. We didn’t have to lug around a camera, and the photographers posed us for any shot we wanted. They were willing to take all the time in the world so we could get as many shots as we wanted. The cast members go above and beyond the call of duty, and the characters, as busy as they are, took time with the kids to answer all their sweet little questions. They seem to sincerely love their jobs.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share?

A: This was by far the best experience of my life. It meant so much having my whole family together- my husband, our three adult children, my son-in-law, and our grandchildren. My wish to be remembered as ‘Grandma who took me for my first Disney visit’ has now come true.

There is nothing that can compare to not having a huge credit card bill looming over our heads after vacation; we could have never afforded this on our own.

Thank you again for all your Facebook posts and contests. If not for that, I may not have these awesome bragging rights.

Dreams do come true when you wish upon a star!

How would you feel if you won a vacation to Disney World?
Leave your comments below.