Give A Day Get A Disney Day.
The Disney Park's 2010 Promotion "Give A Day.  Get A Disney Day" has been wildly successful.  In only 10 weeks since the January 1st, 2010 launch of the program they have reached their goal of having 1 million people to sign up and volunteer.

In this tough economy, people have responded with their time by being willing to volunteer in exchange for a one day ticket to a Disney theme park.

If you have procrastinated, you have missed your chance.  The registration for this promotion has now been closed since they have reached their goal.

Here is an excerpt from an official Disney Press Release:

“By any measure, the ‘Give a Day, Get a Disney Day’ program exceeded our expectations,” said Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “These one million volunteers touched their communities with their hearts and hands. Their commitment to service is truly worth celebrating, and there’s no better place to celebrate than at Disney Parks.”

Volunteerism has been a part of the Disney culture since the beginning. Through Disney VoluntEARS, cast members have been giving back to communities for more than a quarter century. More than 5.5 million hours of volunteer service worldwide have been donated, and Disney’s commitment to volunteerism will continue even as “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” draws to a close.

Officials at HandsOn Network credited the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program for increasing volunteer activities this year.

“The innovative nature of this program has exponentially increased our capacity to both invite and excite people about volunteerism,” said Michelle Nunn, co-founder of HandsOn Network and CEO of Points of Lights Institute. “The overwhelming participation of families – and youth especially – is a testament to a growing trend. Many of these volunteers are serving for the first time, and some will develop into service leaders who help change the face of our nation.”
Encouraging that kind of commitment was one aim of the Disney program, Staggs said.

“The goal of the ‘Give a Day, Get a Disney Day’ program was to lay the groundwork for a new spirit of volunteerism,” he said. “The need for volunteers across the country is ongoing. We look forward to more people, especially families, carrying on the momentum and giving back to their communities through volunteerism.”

Congratulations Disney For A Great Idea!
This was a landmark concept for a marketing campaign.  Not only did Disney generate interest for their theme parks (Disney World and Disneyland) they got their customers to do something to benefit their own communities in the process. 

Great Job Disney! - "Give A Day. Get A Disney Day" was a great idea, that will hopefully inspire people to continue to volunteer long after they have used their one day park ticket at Disney World.

Give A Day.  Get A Disney Day.
For 2010 Disney launched a promotion that encourages Volunteering.  With the "Give A Day. Get A Disney Day." promotion people are asked to volunteer for a day in order to earn a free one day Disney Park ticket that is good at either Disney World in Orlando, FL or Disneyland in Anaheim, CA.  Not even Disney probably imagined the far reaching ramifications of launching this promotion.

Case In Point: Salem, Ohio
Salem, Ohio is located 1,032 miles from the closest Disney Parks at Disney World.  It has a population of 11,781 (2008), and would seem to be an unlikely beneficiary of a promotion held by Disney, but it is, and so are many other towns large and small clear across America.



The article discusses the opportunities for local residents to sign up for the Disney program and volunteer at the local Habitat for Humanity to earn a free Disney Park ticket.

The impressive part is that this is not a story from a major metropolitan area, but rather a small town in Ohio that is receiving help getting volunteers for worthy programs due to the Disney promotion.  Disney's decision to partner with the HandsOn Network has enabled them to provide all of these volunteering opportunities.

Why Mention Salem, Ohio?
Salem, Ohio is the town that I grew up in and where my Mom has been a resident for over 40 years. When I heard about the Disney promotion, I suggested that she check it out, figuring that she would have to go to the nearest “big” city to find a volunteering opportunity.

Sure enough she was able to find the opportunity at the Salem Habitat for Humanity and actually completed her volunteer service there prior to the newspaper article coming out.

She has now earned her Disney Park Ticket Voucher that can be redeemed for a day at one of the Disney Parks.


Creating Repeat Volunteers

The real power behind Disney’s promotion is not just the initial waves of volunteers it creates, but the number of people that will discover the joy of volunteering and that continue to come back again and again. They won’t get additional tickets from Disney, but the satisfaction of helping others will be their reward.

In this time of financial crisis, people will discover that charities and other organizations can use more than just their financial donations. They can use their talents and abilities to volunteer. People will discover that this is much more rewarding than just writing a check, and hopefully will continue to help where they can.

More Than Just A Promotion
Disney will discover that “Give A Day. Get A Disney Day.” is much more than a promotion to give away free park tickets. It is a way to enable people to get in touch with their communities big and small, and give a little of their time now and hopefully even more later.

If you would like to sign up to Volunteer, visit: Disney Parks – Give A Day. Get A Disney Day.