Report: Who Wants To Be a Millionaire - Play It! 1,000,000 Point Winner
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1000 Point Cap
As far as the game went, I cruised through the first eleven questions, earning a collectible pin for each one I managed to get right. At the 1,000-point level I earned a logo baseball cap, and at 32,000 I earned a logo polo shirt and a CD-ROM video game. However, I was completely stumped at the 125,000-point question. Who was Olivia DeHavilland’s sister? I’d never heard of her, so I went to my complete stranger, who was only 20% sure that the answer was Joan Fontaine. I proceeded to use 50/50 and Ask the Audience, who backed my complete stranger’s answer. After I reluctantly made Fontaine my final answer, the hostess did her thing and did it well...scaring the crap out of me. She paused for a moment, and then said, "Oh, Josh...I am sooooooooo...glad you said that you’ve got 125,000 points!" Someone teaches these people very well.
The next two questions were fairly easy. Then came the moment of truth. I got a small break before I would have to answer my million-point question. If I got this one, I’d get a leather jacket, another collectible pin, and a trip for two to New York City to meet Regis Philbin and sit in the Millionaire audience. Then came the dreaded clock, upped this time to 55 seconds, followed by a modified version of a Regisism. Along with the hostess’ "Let’s Play it!" came my final question.
32,000 Point Polo Shirt and CD Rom
Fear quickly became joy when I told the hostess that Doc Holliday was a dentist (and that, of course, it was my final answer). Streamers shot from the ceiling, and the floor manager brought out two fake boarding passes, trophies of the victory, like Regis’s fake cheques. The audience screamed, and I was whisked away to a prize room to sign affidavits after the end-of-game horn sounded. They gave me all of my material prizes (some of them for a second time) and a number to call to book my vacation. Sometime between now and the end of the year, I’ll get to fly to New York from Orlando, all expenses paid. After the trip, I’ll be sure to write again to let all you readers know how it went.
For now, though, here are some tips to getting in the hotseat:
- It is virtually impossible to win a fastest finger against 600 other people. Just key in four letters randomly as quickly as possible, and hope you get lucky.
- Finally, persistence pays off. If you go to Disney a lot and have seen everything, or you have the extra time, get in the standby line just to the right of the building if you don’t make the hotseat. The second time has always been the charm for me.
And if you should happen to make the hotseat:
- Be cool. If you’re a person who gets nervous easily, don’t look at the audience. Focus on the screen and the host/hostess. When you start getting less and less nervous, crack jokes (clean ones) when you’re on a roll or when the audience poll comes up even. They love that kind of stuff.
- Milk your timer. If you’re stumped on a question, let it run to about five seconds, then ask for a lifeline. Each lifeline except the phone call adds 20 seconds to your clock. Use 50/50, then the audience, and finally the phone call. When you phone your complete stranger, get their answer and then converse with them, using your full thirty seconds of talking time. After your thirty seconds are up, twenty more seconds will be allotted to think over what they’ve told you.
- Finally, if you win the million, expect to be mobbed. People were recognizing and talking to me for the entire rest of the week, and one even wanted a picture with me. If you get such a request, humour them.
Discuss It
Related Links
- May 18th Walt Disney World
Update
Includes pictures and information on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire - Play It!
-- Posted May 29, 2001
-- Story and pictures by Josh Benton