Not All Movie Rewards Programs Are Created Equal (1 Viewer)

[Todd Erwin]

I have got to say that so far, Disney has pulled a Sony and Universal with what’s available to redeem points for.

Most movies are out of stock or are exclusive to Canada. Lots of complaints on DMI’s Facebook page of e-gift cards also being out of stock.

 

[Jason_V]

I grabbed a few movies for a friend and then got the Aladdin group hug statue for me. Still got 3600 points so we'll see what else they drop.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I have got to say that so far, Disney has pulled a Sony and Universal with what’s available to redeem points for.

Plus, these are the same movies that have been available for a long time.

 

[Chip_HT]

I am signed up for the Disney Bundle Duo Premium (that’s quite a mouthful) thru D+ and you can add a gift card when you click on your account and then the Subscription, then Your Plans & Billing.

The disclaimer is there because a grandmother purchased hundreds of dollars of Disney+ gift cards for her kids and grandkids to use at the theme parks during their vacation. She was unaware that she had purchased the wrong type of gift card (only Disney gift cards can be used at the parks, not D+ gift cards). It made national news and Disney eventually relented and allowed the family to exchange the gift cards for the correct ones.

I don't think the disclaimer is specifically for the confusion between a Disney or Disney+ gift card, because of the way they emphasize "purchased directly from Disney+".

When I pull up my account, I see this:

No matter what, I have to manage my account through Hulu. I really thought I went through Disney+ directly to sign up, but it looks like they pushed me over to Hulu. Probably because I went for the no-ads triple bundle, which wasn't as widely advertised at the time.

Did some digging, and found the Disney+ help center, which includes this text:

Disney+ Gift Cards and Disney Gift Cards cannot be used for an annual Disney+ subscription or a subscription that is not billed directly by Disney (e.g., billed by Hulu, Apple, Verizon, etc.).

And that sounds like I'm out of luck with using any of the gift cards from DMI for my Disney+ subscription. Which kind of sucks. I get not being able to use it through third parties like Apple or Verizon, but Hulu is owned by Disney.

 

[BobO'Link]

During the last few days of code entry I managed to get my remaining codes entered and picked up a couple of BRs from the very meager selection. Currently have just over 3000 pts left. Pickings are very, very, slim in spite of the "We'll be adding more stuff." which is likely to be the leftovers they find in the warehouse. I'm tempted to just burn them off on movies I really don't need/want or on some "collectable" junk rather than take a chance on anything better coming along or possible restocks on a few movies I'd go for.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

FWIW: NEW/Relisted DMI Items Sept 4, 2024
3-Month Free Trial - Disney Bundle Trio Basic (US Only) 0

I grabbed this free 3-month trial. I only got it for ESPN+, which I was planning on re-subscribing to next month just for the duration of the NHL regular season, as I have done in the past. This would get me about half the season for free. I can then cancel after 3 months, and just restart an ESPN+ only subscription for the 2nd half of the season.

 

[DennisBassi]

I’m sitting on 25,000 points with everything out of stock. I really hate that company.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I really hate that company.

SCREW Disney! I will NEVER again subscribe to a Disney service, nor visit a Disney park, nor buy a Disney film.

I have been a member of Disney Movie Rewards/Insiders since October 3, 2006. I remember the date because that's when The Little Mermaid Platinum Edition came out as the first DVD to include a code. I signed up immediately. This part I know for sure.

I remember, though with less specificity, some of those early titles having fine print that said the program would run for six months. This part is a vague memory and the timeline might be incorrect. But it was something like that.

I just got my copy of Inside Out 2. It is the first Disney movie I've purchased in not quite 18 years without a code for points in it. That is a little sad. I used to go to the site and redeem the code for points as soon as I opened the package, often before watching the movie. I do wish that Inside Out 2 included points and that the program would continue on indefinitely. But we got 18 years of rewards when Disney originally only said they were going to do something like six months or so. I know I have gotten a lot of value out of my membership during that time.

I decorated my dorm room with posters I got from Disney Movie Rewards for six years while I was in college. I don't have those anymore because six years on a dorm wall took their toll on the posters and they weren't in good condition at the end. But I looked over at my wall every day for all those school years and saw those rewards points. My room was a lot more pleasant to live in because I had those posters on the wall than it would have been without them. I got a number of Blu-rays from them that I will still use. I also gifted others with movies redeemed from Disney more than a few times, and I know those people are still using those discs too.

I got The Art of Mulan, an expensive deluxe hardcover volume, without paying for it because they had it as a reward a few years ago. That reward is probably my favorite that I've ever had.

I got the Soul T-shirt earlier this year and wore it to the opening night screening of Inside Out 2. I don't have an Inside Out shirt, but Soul is Pixar, so adjacent.

These are just a few examples. I've had more rewards in 18 years than I could list completely.

I understand the disappointment about the program closing down. It sucks.

But I don't hate Disney for this. I'm not going to stop supporting Disney for this. Anyone who says they are going to stop supporting Disney because of this is welcome to their opinion. But if you have hundreds of thousands of points, you got them from buying Disney movies. Disney made enough movies that you like in order for you to get to that many points. I can't turn my fandom off like that.

If you no longer want to buy Disney movies, that's up to you. If you want to hate the studio now, that's up to you. But if I boycotted Inside Out 2 just because it doesn't include reward points, I would be denying myself the chance to own and enjoy a really wonderful movie that I love. I don't think it is worth doing that just because they won't be letting us earn points toward free stuff anymore.

I know that it sucks. But I know that I will think of the program with fondness in the future whenever I pull out a Blu-ray that I got as a reward or the next time I want to look at that Mulan book. The benefits I have received from this program have far outweighed my disappointment that it is no longer continuing.

And I'm still going to buy Disney Blu-rays moving forward because they're still making movies I want, whether the rewards are there or not.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I’m sitting on 25,000 points with everything out of stock. I really hate that company.

Wait. Everything's really out of stock? I haven't gotten around to checking at all...

_Man_

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Wait. Everything's really out of stock? I haven't gotten around to checking at all...

_Man_

No, that's an exaggeration. Quite a few of the BD and UHD discs are out of stock, but I count 46 titles still in stock. I didn't check the other categories.

I ended up using all but 131 of my points. I only use them on discs, so I am done, as that's not enough points for any more discs.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I haven't gotten around to checking at all...

I would strongly recommend that you do so. They still have a small selection, but items are going out of stock faster than usual as people look to use up points. However, generally speaking, the remaining items are posters and Blu-rays that have already been available for quite some time. You might not find anything you want if you already passed on these items before. Of course, the likelihood is that you probably already have many of the Blu-rays that remain in stock.

It is technically possible that Disney could add some really awesome new surprise items between now and December. The Aladdin statue, which sold out very quickly last week, last week looked pretty cool. But I would not hold my breath for a huge change in the selections as the program winds down. The higher-ticket items like the studio tour have already been removed.

As of the time I'm writing this, they still have the Aladdin Signature Collection Blu-ray. This is the second release of Aladdin following the earlier Diamond Edition. If you already have the Diamond Edition but are looking to use up some points, I would not hesitate to redeem the Signature Collection version as well. There is a really great new retrospective documentary with Scott Weinger, the speaking voice of Aladdin, which was newly produced for the Signature Collection edition. It is one of the best documentaries produced for any Blu-ray disc in the last several years. The Signature Collection version does not carry over all of the Diamond Edition extras, so you won't want to get rid of that edition. But the new documentary is really, really good.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I checked the website and it looks like Disney added a few things on Wednesday. But don't get your hopes up.

I'm nowhere near as knowledgable or through about the full extent of the rewards catalog as @David Norman. But the new rewards I noticed are a $50 Disney gift card for 6500 points; a Lilo & Stitch Jim Shore figurine for 6500 points and a Nightmare Before Christmas Jim Shore figurine with Jack and Sally for 125,000 points.

Only Jack and Sally are still in stock as of the time I'm writing this.

Amazon also has the Jack and Sally figurine. It has a list price of $200 and is currently discounted to $94.99. So that is certainly a big ticket item.

 

[Todd Erwin]

I just contacted DMI customer service, and they are still "promising" that new items are being added thru to the December shutdown. I politely explained to the agent that I have been an active member for nearly 18 years, and am very disappointed in the fact that, like Universal and Sony, members were pretty much blindsided by this decision, and, again like Sony and Universal, the selection of rewards to redeem our remaining points on is pretty pathetic.

Like the two other studio programs, she offered to forward my feedback. <sigh>

 

[BobO'Link]

And I still firmly believe those "new items" will be nothing but warehouse clean out items. They just need to remove all the "OOS" items as they'll be unlikely to be restocked.

I, too, am only interested in physical media, which is sorely lacking. Anything "good" went OOS quickly with what's left being the same Marvel/Documentary titles that have been offered for years. Titles that most people already own if they're even remotely interested.

 

[Todd Erwin]

And I still firmly believe those "new items" will be nothing but warehouse clean out items. They just need to remove all the "OOS" items as they'll be unlikely to be restocked.

I, too, am only interested in physical media, which is sorely lacking. Anything "good" went OOS quickly with what's left being the same Marvel/Documentary titles that have been offered for years. Titles that most people already own if they're even remotely interested.

As well as those "Mystery" movies and bundles, which are likely items that they have inventory of in the single digits that most already own. I told the rep that I had been burned on those before, receiving movies I had already owned in a superior format.

 

[BobO'Link]

I did one of those mystery movies *once* only because it came with the same number of points used to redeem the chance. It was an epic fail on the movie front - one of those horrid live action kid movies I'd never select or even want to allow my grandkids to watch.

 

[Todd Erwin]

I did one of those mystery movies *once* only because it came with the same number of points used to redeem the chance. It was an epic fail on the movie front - one of those horrid live action kid movies I'd never select or even want to allow my grandkids to watch.

The one time I redeemed points for a "Mystery" movie was when it was the weekly reduced points special (400 pts?), and it ended up being Turning Red on Blu-ray, which I had reviewed on 4K.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Turning Red on Blu-ray, which I had reviewed on 4K.

This is why I never redeemed a mystery movie. I own so many Disney titles that the likelihood of me getting something that I want but don't already have seemed slim to none. I wanted to know exactly how I was spending my points.

That being said, Turning Red is a great movie and I know some friends who don't have it. So perhaps you could gift the Blu-ray to someone? It is unfortunate that the redemption didn't benefit you, but maybe it could benefit somebody else you know who might like to have the Blu-ray in their collection. Just a thought.

 

[Todd Erwin]

This is why I never redeemed a mystery movie. I own so many Disney titles that the likelihood of me getting something that I want but don't already have seemed slim to none. I wanted to know exactly how I was spending my points.

That being said, Turning Red is a great movie and I know some friends who don't have it. So perhaps you could gift the Blu-ray to someone? It is unfortunate that the redemption didn't benefit you, but maybe it could benefit somebody else you know who might like to have the Blu-ray in their collection. Just a thought.

I ended up donating it to a center that works with at-risk youth.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I ended up donating it to a center that works with at-risk youth.

That's a great use for it.

Like the two other studio programs, she offered to forward my feedback.

I understand the frustration. There are currently no rewards available under my point balance, so it looks like my remaining points will probably have to expire. But I don't think the customer service people actually have the power to do anything more than pass along the feedback. I don't think they're the ones choosing what rewards to offer.

I don't think the guy who took my call about The Lion King not being eligible for points when it was in theaters in July had any power to override the directive from the top that Inside Out 2 was the only theatrical release eligible for points. He also offered to pass along my feeback. Now, looking back on that conversation in retrospect, I think Disney probably had already made the decision that the program was going to be ending and just didn't want to bother giving points for another theatrical title.

Honestly, I feel bad for the customer service folks. They are the ones on the front lines dealing with the legitimate fan disappointment over this decision even though they aren't the cause of it. It likely affects them most of all. When the program closes, Disney will likely lay them off.