Here's my story:

The Monday before Bambi was released, I realized that I had not checked to see if Disney was offering any pre-order goodies. Since it was close to 9:30p est and I wouldn't make it to one of the remaining Disney stores, not to mention I was smack in the middle of 24, I decided to give 'em a call and find out. The clerk said they didn't have lithographs. She told me to check online since the "Disney" Store wasn't owned by Disney, but the online store was. As an aside, she told me they would be offering a set of lithographs with the Incredibles. So I logged on to Disneydirect.com and checked.

Yes, they had the standard DVD+Lithographs+Pin type deal for both Bambi and the Incredibles.

I added them both to my cart. While attempting to add a code I had umm...come across...I was having problems. The code was valid, but it wasn't adding it to my cart. So I called the number on the site. I was told that the code wasn't good for "media" and also that they had sold out of Bambi plushes the hour before I called. I went ahead and ordered Bambi anyway [for the lithos]. Then they mentioned the Incredibles and I told them to go ahead and add that. Info was exchanged and everything was fine.

Or so I thought...

I'm not sure exactly how I came across it, but 5-10 minutes after placing my order, I discovered that they only had the "Eisner"-screen versions. I immediately called them back and, after confirming that they were only selling ES, I told them I still wanted Bambi, but to cancel the Incredibles. At the end of the conversation, they suggested I go to the B&M since, again, they're owned by separate conglomerates. However, I wouldn't be able to get the plush or the pins. No biggie, really.

The next day, I went to the Disney Store and pre-ordered the DVD. At NO TIME during checkout did they tell me it would be ES ONLY. Just that they were having a special where you got 10-15% [or whatever] you bought when you placed the order, and when you picked the DVD up. Fine.

FFWD to this past Monday. I check the Incredibles thread in the Bargain forum. Someone mentioned that the Disney Store said they're only getting ES copies. I call both stores near me to confirm. It's true. A clerk at the second store gives me Buena Vista's number - 800-723-4763.

I call and tell them the situation. Bascially, they tell me that since they no longer own the Disney Store, i'm SOL. I ask them for a number for the Disney store's new owners. She gives me 818-265-4660. Immediately, I call and after various menu options [2-1-9], I get a message telling me that they're sorry they missed my call and that they're closed. Their hours, the message states is "8:30a-12p. And again from 1p-4:30p PACIFIC time". I'm on the east coast. It's 12 noon MY TIME. So I leave a "detailed" message [they state that the message should be "detailed"]. I call again. At 1pm. Voicemail message. At 2p. At 4p. At 5p. I'm sure you get the point. Yesterday, the same thing. Regardless WHAT TIME I call, I still get the voicemail.

So, today I decided to call Buena Vista back. I speak with Francois who gives me another number, 800-247-8996, which turns out to be the catalog number. He told me to try them again and see what they could do and if it nothing changes, to call BV back. I call the catalog number and essentially, I get the SOL speech again. I immediately call BV back.

I give the representitive my name and let her read the messages that have been left in the computer [i've been in the system since the "Absent Minded Professor" fiasco]. After reading it, she offers me a WS copy. Initially, she gives me WDHE's address and tells me to ship it the ES to them and they'll send me the WS version when they get that.

Now, i've already spent more than I care to on this DVD [both financially and emotionally ]. My whole reasoning for not buying it cheaper elsewhere is because of the lithos. However, that doesn't mean I want a ES version of the flick. So, in a roundabout way I tell her that i've already paid more than I should of this disc and that i've been buying DVDs from Disney since they started doing the litho promotion with them, blah, blah.. which is when she offers to send me a label and tells me to send it to them and they'll ship me a WS copy when they receive it.

So that's my story. YMMV, and hopefully your end result will be the same as mine. I can honestly say that this is the second time Buena Vista stepped up to the plate as far as I was concerned. First time was sending me a label to ship back the colorized version of "Absent Minded Professor" and sending me the correct B&W one. And now this. If you're going to give it a shot, remember, though it's common sense, be polite. It's not like BV is trying to hammer FS down on us. In fact, one of the phone options is "If you would like to know the difference between Widescreen and Fullscreen, press 2".

Granted, all this would probably not be an issue if Eisner wasn't such a....well, that's another thread entirely.

Good luck.

My luck was no better. I got the same number from disney direct,but kept getting a machine. At least Bestbuy helped me out by exchanging it with a ws version even though they didn't have to.

I'm glad it sounds like everything finally worked out for you Rogue. I went and cancelled my pre-order when I found out about the whole FS only. As much as I wanted the litho, I just couldn't justify the running around that was going to come with it. Ended up just going to Fry's early Tuesday morning.

True, there was a lot of running around...but if everyone decided that it was too much and not worth it, who's to say it wouldn't become the standard to only stock flicks in FS. Why should I/we miss out on some great lithographs merely because we didn't want to go through the trouble?

Now, i'm not saying I was solely responsible for them releasing "the Absent Minded Professor" in its original B&W, but hopefully my phone call was one of a number of them that contributed to getting some of the brain surgeons there to realize that there was a market for it.

Don't let 'the Man' dictate your DVD collection, dude...

I guess I just decided that it was better to vote with my wallet. If still just blows my mind that they would be stupid enough to just get FS. I guess they have their reasons, but not sure what they are.