DISGUSTED with the 09/09/09 event and D23 merger!

[Tom Slick]

Hello all,
This probably isn't the best way to make a first post here on micechat, but I really havent had anything to contribute until now. It really disappoints me to make this my first contribution about the mishandling of the "day after" event merchandise. I am in no way a complainer, and usually hold my tongue, but seeing how this isn't the first time Disney Events/Merchandising have made bad decisions that affect all of us, I feel the need to share my story.

I was unable to get through to buy the "Hitchhikers" package event tickets, and everyone already knows the flaws of that system failure and fiasco. But to add insult to injury, the scalpers were allowed to resell their tickets on ebay for hundreds and sometimes thousands more than they were worth, aside from the fact that Disney Special events eventually harbored the scalpers by allowing transfer of ownership via the phone in/name switch.

Now since the event was last night, and the day after every special event, Disneyana usually carries the merchandise of what was left over. This is where the problem begins...
I head out to Disneyland and arrive at 7am, not realizing that the hours changed from 9am to 10 am. Ok, my fault, and no big deal, as I wanted to be a little early to ensure I would be one of the first in the Park to purchase items released last night.

I wait it out, and 10am, I'm standing in front of Disneyana. Being the inquisitive guy I am, I peeked into the store, and did not see any of the merchandise displayed on any of the shelves I could directly see. I waited until 10:15am, and Disneyana still was not open. A couple minutes pass, and a cast manager came up to myself and informed me that Disneyana would not be opening until 10:30am, which just seemed odd, since the park opened at 10am. Anyhow, she then asked me if I was looking for something specific, and I told her the merchandise that had been released for 09/09/09 event. She proceeds to notify me that Disneyana would not be stocking that merchandise until after the 14th, and the reason being was it had to be inventoried.

Now my first reaction was in thought, as I was thinking "Wasn't the event based on the Random Selection Process, in which case, everything limited edition would have already been accounted for?"
and if products are open edition, then it should have hit the shelves at Disneyana by opening time. It did for the Shag Merchandise after the Cocktail reception, so why would I think anything less?

But something just made me ask, "Are you sure the stuff hasn't been moved to D23"? She assured me it was being inventoried, so who am I to challenge her answer, right? Well I should have known better. A guy walked up to where I was standing and asked if I was waiting for Disneyana to open to purchase the HM leftovers. I told him I was, but that I had been informed by a cast manager that Disneyana was not offering any Event merchandise until the 14th or after....He looked at me as if I were pulling his leg, because not 3 minutes before he walked up, he told me he was on the phone with his friend, who was at D23 that very moment, and his friend(at the convention) stated that he was standing in front of the leftover released merchandise, and that alot of it was going quick.

Needless to say, I feel cheated, and betrayed by Disneyana. If this was their intent to release anything leftover from the event, they should have stated so, on their website that listed the 09/09/09 event. The only email I received about anything being held back was the Olszewski Illuminated Hitchhiking Ghosts Light Box, which I felt was also a bit strange since it was to be an open edition. I got that email, but did not see anything posted anywhere stating that the Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary Event merchandise would not be available in the Park until after D23.

I am completely disgusted with the way Disney Event Services have handled situations, and this was the proverbial "straw that broke the camels back."

In no way shape or form should the 09/09/09 event merchandise been made a D23 convention exclusive, ESPECIALLY the open edition. It really made me think that Disneyland no longer values the return guest. Yes, I have a Premium AP, first year, but I have been attending special events since 2000, when I attended the Pirates of the Caribbean merchandise nightmare. One would think that after ALL of the Special Events they have thrown, they would have a system down, and it would run like clockwork, but unfortunately, all I see is them getting worse, each time. They seem to outdo themselves in communication failure, merchandising placement, and basic organization skills.

Does anyone feel differently, and do you think Disneyana/Event Services are justified in selling another events merchandise at another event, before allowing the quests attending the park, without any disclosures or notices?

Sorry for the long winded rant, but I really am that dissapointed in Disneyland's total disregard for the real fans and collectors. I almost think that Disney would rather cater to scalpers and secondary resellers, since they invariably harbor this type of behavior, and show no willingness to correct and change these situations.

[Evil Step-Mom]

For me there was only one item that I really wanted and I saw a sign in the World of Disney that stated the sale date of this item was changed from the 14th to the 17th. I spoke with a CM about the change of date and she indicated it might show up sooner but probably not.

Having them send stuff to D23 does not surprise me at all. Business is business and Disneyland is a company who wants to make a profit each year which is good.

[HeyThere]

That stinks!!

[BuzzedLightyear]

Special event merch is never guaranteed to show up in the park. It has in the past, but you pay good money to go to the event because the merch is only guaranteed at that event. I don't think one should expect it to show up anywhere and be upset when it's not.

[Goover]

I completely understand your disappointment.

Still, you should never take everything Disney may say about merchandise too seriously.

The truth is, they really don't know when they're getting what for the shop.

Believe me, I had this same frustration when I kept hearing "out of stock" and when I asked when it would be in stock, they said "we don't know."

Nothing is certain.

[Tom Slick]

I guess the defining point of this would be whether or not the merchandise is Limited Edition, as in 1 out of 200 produced, or open edition, meaning thousands could be made. There are lots of open edition stuff, that Disney ALWAYS releases in the park. To top it off, Disney is not saying they are not going to release the merchandise to the park. On the contrary, it is supposed to be sold from the Park until it is gone from Disneyana and Delivears. There was just no mention of the 09/09 event merchandise to be sold at D23. To me it was almost an afterthought to send it there as an "added bonus" for the D23 attendees, without having time to inform Park guests like myself who planned on making purchases the day after the event. Also, to not waste myself and other's, time and energy driving to the Park, when it was, "to be available to the public after the event."

Don't think that just because 09/09/09 was a special event, that if the items didn't sell out, that Disney would destroy the unsold items...

That is the issue I am informing everyone who reads about this. It doesn't just stink for me, as I am only one person, but I know more people went today and experienced the same bad decisions. When Disney pulls these shenanigan-type moves, we all suffer and lose, as the true fans who blog about Disney, chat about Disney, whatever about Disney...It's a passion for all of us, and when we are done wrongly, we should try to point out the problems, and have the situations rectified so these types of situations don't arise in future events.

[Disney Wrassler]

I completely understand your disappointment.

Still, you should never take everything Disney may say about merchandise too seriously.

The truth is, they really don't know when they're getting what for the shop.

Believe me, I had this same frustration when I kept hearing "out of stock" and when I asked when it would be in stock, they said "we don't know."

Nothing is certain.

I work in retail and it's true that retail workers never know when they are going to get things. They can order things all they want, but that does not mean the products will be shipped to them.

[Tom Slick]

Still, you should never take everything Disney may say about merchandise too seriously.

I do take it somewhat serious when they are putting it out there. The Park manager told me a lie. She said the merch wouldnt be available because of inventory, when it was at D23 the whole time. It just seems like shady business practices.
I've worked in retail management for 11 years, so I also know how it goes. But I never told customers we didn't have it available because it was being inventoried, when all the while it was sent to a sister store to be sold. You'll lose guests sending them on wild goose chases, or worse, they catch you lying to them. Then you'll eventually be beating a path looking for a new job!

[Disney Wrassler]

Still, you should never take everything Disney may say about merchandise too seriously.

I do take it somewhat serious when they are putting it out there. The Park manager told me a lie. She said the merch wouldnt be available because of inventory, when it was at D23 the whole time. It just seems like shady business practices.
I've worked in retail management for 11 years, so I also know how it goes. But I never told customers we didn't have it available because it was being inventoried, when all the while it was sent to a sister store to be sold. You'll lose guests sending them on wild goose chases, or worse, they catch you lying to them. Then you'll eventually be beating a path looking for a new job!

Most stores usually keep selling their stock even while it's being inventoried. I never seen a store that hasn't done it that way so it would have been weird if Disney was holding their product in the back just to do inventory on it in the back.

[Aladdin]

Well, if you have been attending special events, and the lesser merchandise events since Pirates 2000, you really should have been preparred for this. Leftover merchandise from these events doesn't always end up in DL the following day, even merchandise that is not specifically limited edition only has a certain number of items shipped so if it sells out - you just have to wait for the next shipment.

Sometimes a limited edition item will only get part of the shipment in time for the event, some merchandise will not arrive in time for the event, and will be available at a later unspecified time, and for some merchandise prepurchased via the rsp system may end up being cancelled altogether, Yeah, I've learned all these things first hand. And those are things the Disney SHOULD be more responsible about.

But sadly, merchandise will never be able to live up to getting everything ready in time for the event. Sometimes they are more successful at avoiding too many problems, and othertimes it seems like it all falls apart. Practice DOESN'T make perfect. If this was just someone's first experience, well now they know. BUT If this was the 20th event someone has attended over the last 10 years, well, you know the old saying, "Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me."

And if you're looking for leftover merchandise after the event, it's difficult to sympathize with that. You know that the 1st leftovers are often made available to the attendees of the event, and that doesn't leave much of the good stuff for anyone else.

[TikiRoomLiz]

In the three years I've been attending various merchandise events there is one thing I have learned - something will always go wrong. I have come to expect that, and that is why I don't attend such events anymore - I just don't want to deal with the hassle of getting something.

[Browncoat]

They can order things all they want, but that does not mean the products will be shipped to them.

this.

also, what the CM told you is still correct: nothing, ANYWHERE, goes out on the floor in a store to be sold that has not been correctly inventoried first and inputted into their system. especially something that was not specifically ordered by them.

ex: back in my park days, i got boxes of merchandise that needed to be counted, sorted and scanned. the first 2 don't mean anything if you dont do #3.

another ex: my friend works at a game store and someone traded in an Nintendo 64 with a slew of games. Well, the system being so old, they got $4 for the system and nothing for the games. I looked through the bag and found a few real gems, BUT, he couldn't officially sell the games as they were not in the system and did not have a price.

he wound up selling them under the table for cash since the store couldnt make any money off them.

my point is, don't jump on her because you didnt understand that it wasn't inventoried yet. just cause it was counted for at the event, doesnt mean that exact number carries over to the store and that it went through the proper channels to be input into the system and be assigned a sku number.

Welcome to MiceChat.

[Tom Slick]

Well, if you have been attending special events, and the lesser merchandise events since Pirates 2000, you really should have been preparred for this.

Practice DOESN'T make perfect. If this was just someone's first experience, well now they know. BUT If this was the 20th event someone has attended over the last 10 years, well, you know the old saying, "Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me."

While I can agree on some points you make, I cannot agree with the "this is how the messed up system is, so take it or leave it" sound.

While you may choose to sit back and do nothing to try and help resolve these types of issues, I will try and attempt to turn my discouragement into something productive, and attempt to create awareness and expose the problem, even at the lowest level like these types of Internet Forums. This is where it all starts.

Just because this is the Disney Resort current attitude and business practice, doesn't mean that it is OK, or even remotely acceptable. I will do everything in my power to bring these types of issues to light as far up as Jay Rasulo and Bob Iger if needbe, and if possible. Then, and only then, will I be satisfied that I did everything in my power I could, to get situations like this rectified so future fan people like myself will not have to go through the letdowns that this company often throws out there. Maybe things won't change, but I'll know I did what I could to make changes for the betterment of everyones future visits. I have no personal agenda, as I have nothing personal to gain except to expect what they say and do is going to be true to the fans.

As for me, if I don't see the changes, or am not at least humored by a return contact, then I wash my hands of the whole company. I am not dependent upon Disney or any other Company to make my life seem better, and they should know that. I enjoy Disneyland as a whole, with the single exception of the rediculously out-of-sync program called Event Services Department.

You know, things would change alot faster if people just took the time to send a letter, or even an email once in a while. My one letter gets read, then tossed aside while in debate, but if there was a pile of letters addressing the same problems, you can bet dollars to doughnuts Disney Resorts would be listening more intently. One thing is guaranteed though, Nothing when their isn't any voices.

And TikiRoomLiz...You shouldn't have to expect poorly communicated and unorganized events.

Browncoat:
I know all about retail, but in response to your " I didn't understand that they needed to be inventoried...."comment, please explain to me how they could have been inventoried, as they were selling off the stuff at D23, that should have been on the Disneyana shelves?

And secondly,
The Shag Haunted Mansion Cocktail Reception was the exact same set up as the 09/09/09 event. Most of the stuff was RSP, yet all of that inventory made it right into Disneyana the very next morning. When the shipment comes in, they process it into the system. When you buy it, it is automatically deducted from the system count. Some of these POS systems can even create reorder bills when stock reaches an undefined low number. I'm sure Disney is using most of these systems. Telxon/Symbol Technology is the standard for instant bulk merchandise tracking and inventory control, and Ive seen the handheld Symbol guns used at the internals of the Park(Backstage, not castmembers working inside stores). They can use UPC stickers to scan as a shelf location, and scan the merchandise on that shelf. If the sales floor runs empty, the handheld gun will tell you exactly what shelf has more in the back stockroom.

[Disney Wrassler]

this.

also, what the CM told you is still correct: nothing, ANYWHERE, goes out on the floor in a store to be sold that has not been correctly inventoried first and inputted into their system. especially something that was not specifically ordered by them.

ex: back in my park days, i got boxes of merchandise that needed to be counted, sorted and scanned. the first 2 don't mean anything if you dont do #3.

another ex: my friend works at a game store and someone traded in an Nintendo 64 with a slew of games. Well, the system being so old, they got $4 for the system and nothing for the games. I looked through the bag and found a few real gems, BUT, he couldn't officially sell the games as they were not in the system and did not have a price.

he wound up selling them under the table for cash since the store couldnt make any money off them.

my point is, don't jump on her because you didnt understand that it wasn't inventoried yet. just cause it was counted for at the event, doesnt mean that exact number carries over to the store and that it went through the proper channels to be input into the system and be assigned a sku number.

Welcome to MiceChat.

Yeah, that's how my store is. They won't sell anything out of the system. They destroy those products though.

[btowndude]

I am assuming that you are referring to the hitchhiking piece that was made by Jim Shore for the HM event. He mentioned back in August on QVC that he was going to be at Disneyland to sign the HM piece on Wed, 9/9. When the D23 schedule was finalized in August, it had Jim Shore at D23 on Thursday, 9/10.
He was again on QVC last Tuesday, 9/8, and reminded viewers of his signings in Anaheim. His website notes that he was going to be signing at Knotts Berry Farm on Saturday, 9/12. If you are going to schedule a signing in your "store" and you don't want collectors to bring their own pieces into your store, you better have something for collectors to buy and have signed. It seems logical that the HM piece would be available at D23 for him to sign. I have a feeling that at Saturday's signing at Knotts Berry Farm there might even be a few HM pieces for sale!

Today, 9/11, the HM piece was still available at the D23 Dream Store. I was also at the World of Disney store tonight and saw the HM piece over in the collectible section.