More to Do

Adding to the Disney bucket list ...again


1. Eat a Mickey Pop as a Disney employee
2. Every Attraction-114
             37 in MK
             38 in Epcot
             20 in AK
             19 in MGM (CP members can't do American Idol)
3. Fantasmic in the front row
4. Wishes on Main Street
5. Illuminations up close
6. Visit HP in Universal
7. WolfPack pictures on every picture ride
8. Picture with every character
9. All three fireworks shows in one night
10. Do every park in one day
11.Dole Whip before Enchanted Tiki
12.Space Mountain with the Lights on
13.Osborne Family Lights
14.Find Push
15.Find One of Tom and Huck's paintbrushes
16.Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach
17.Talk to an Imagineer
18. Night of Joy
19. Be one of the first in the Park
20. Find the ghost bride's ring in the Haunted Mansion
21. See Wishes on my 20th Birthday
22. Dive the Living Seas
23. Early Morning Safari
24.Drop Day (fueled by my fear of some drops):
      -Tower of Terror
      - Expedition Everest
      - Splash Mountain
25. Be part of a show in MGM
26. Make a Magical Moment
27. Disney Scene-it with fellow Disney geeks
28. Run the Disney Halloween 5K
29. Make Mickey Mouse chocolate chip cookies
30. Shift in Adventure Land
31. Do a cartwheel on Main Street USA
32. Attend at least one CP event
33. Spend time with my family in Disney
34. Convince some of my friends to come visit me

Eventful Program

So for the last few days I have been looking up things happening in WDW while I'm down there for the program. One of them is the Halloween 5K which is a costume run around Magic Kingdom, something that hopefully I'll be part of this year. Looking trough events it seems like there's something going on in at least one of the parks or resorts every weekend for those of you who will be down there with me here's just a few
-Disney's Night of Joy a Christian Music celebration held in MK September 10th and 11th
-Disney's Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend
       -Includes Mickey's Halloween Family Fun 5K- in costume!
- the Epcot Food and Wine Festival Oct 1st through Nov 14th
       -Includes Eat to the Beat Concerts in American Pavilion

10/1-10/3: Taylor Dayne, "Tell It to My Heart"

10/4-10/5: Kool & The Gang, "Celebration"

10/6-10/8: Sugar Ray, "Fly"

10/9-10/10: Taylor Hicks, "Do I Make You Proud "

10/11-10/12: Air Supply, "Lost in Love"

10/13-10/15: Sister Hazel, "All For You"

10/16-10/17: Howard Jones, "No One Is To Blame"

10/18-10/19: Expose, "Seasons Change"

10/20-10/21: 38 Special, "Hold on Loosely "

10/22-10/24: Night Ranger, "Sister Christian"

10/25-10/27: Billy Ocean, "Caribbean Queen"

10/28-10/31: Starship starring Mickey Thomas, "We Built This City"

11/1-11/3: Boyz II Men, "End of the Road"

11/4-11/5: Roger Hodgson formerly of Supertramp, "Give A Little Bit"

11/6-11/7: Jon Secada, "Just Another Day"

11/8-11/9: Hanson, "MMMBop"

11/10-11/11: Rick Springfield, "Jessie’s Girl"

11/12-11/14: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, "Go Daddy-O"

- Festival of the Masters Nov 12-14
- Holiday's around the World in EPCOT Nov 26th through Dec 30
- Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights Nov - early Jan

This doesn't even include all the parties, resort events like the ones at Grand Floridian, other concerts, Downtown Disney events, more secretive events many of which will never be announced and events for CPs! It's so exciting that there will be so much going on, I can't wait!

Watching

While I was at lunch with a few of my friends one made the comment that she envied me and that she would love  to be a princess. My friends were shocked when I disagreed, they all assumed that was what I was going down there to do, be a character and play with the kids. One of my best friends, knowing me better just smiled a little knowing that I was about to explain something. I simply said that I was going to Disney to watch the magic not to be the magic. As I am growing older I am beginning to realize that my best work is done not as a leader but as a second in command. Yes, I can lead and most of the time do a pretty good job but I am realizing that I am happier as a second, it just fits better. 

So when I go to Disney that's what I want to do. I want to be able to sit back and watch the magic. Don't get me wrong  I love interacting with the guests but I want to be able to watch the little girls run to Cinderella and see Mickey light up the faces of everyone in a room. That's just where I fit. Since my Brier Patch post I have realized something, as much as I would love that location I would much rather work as the balloon girl on Main Street USA and be able to see the guests faces right as they walk into the park.  So to all the Characters Thank You for doing what you do, I can't wait to watch. 

Why MGM is MGM

My poor friends and family have already heard this rant every time they refer to the home of the Sorcerer Hat as Hollywood Studios but I felt like putting this argument out there for all to read. Walt Disney's Dream for MGM Studios was to make guests feel like they were walking onto a movie set, right into the action behind the scenes. Hence the MGM Studios, a clear description of a movie set come to life. Iger, while certainly better then Eisner for Disney History has changed the name of this theatrical park to Hollywood Studios so that guests would feel like they were walking into the hustle and bustle of all of Hollywood, not just a movie set. Now as somewhat of a Disney purist this justification is even more upsetting then the name change. While I realize Iger's need to change the feel of MGM to be able to add even more emphasis on Shopping and Dining in a park that is already too full of both, I feel like this is much more an excuse to add our new "pop icons" and teen superstars to a park, well what happens when these teen sensations are long gone say in two short years from now, will the temporary merchandising boom and isolation of the majority of guests to "Hollywood Studios" be worth the permanent abandonment of Walt's dream for the park? I say no. So while as a Disney Employee I will be happy to refer our guests to "Hollywood Studios" in a private setting I refuse to change this part of Disney's dream.

Already Adding...

Thanks to all my peers I've got a few more plans.. (in no particular order)

1. Eat a Mickey Pop as a Disney employee
2. Every Attraction-114
             37 in MK
             38 in Epcot
             20 in AK
             19 in MGM (CP members can't do American Idol)
3. Fantasmic in the front row
4. Wishes on Main Street
5. Illuminations up close
6. Visit HP in Universal
7. Pack pictures on every picture ride
8. Picture with every character

9. All three fireworks shows in one night

10. Do every park in one day

11.Dole Whip before Enchanted Tiki

12.Space Mountain with the Lights on

13.Osborne Family Lights

14.Find Push

15.Find One of Tom and Huck's paintbrushes

16.Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach

17.Talk to an Imagineer

18. Night of Joy

19. Be one of the first in the Park

20. Find the ghost bride's ring in the Haunted Mansion

21. See Wishes on my 20th Birthday

To Do:

As I get more excited for DCP I've been thinking about what I want to do while I'm there. So here begins The List, to be changed and added too as neccessary over the coming months.

1. Eat a Mickey Pop as a Disney employee
2. Every Attraction-114
             37 in MK
             38 in Epcot
             20 in AK
             19 in MGM (CP members can't do American Idol)
3. Fantasmic in the front row
4. Wishes on Main Street
5. Illuminations up close
6. Visit HP in Universal
7. Pack pictures on every picture ride
8. Picture with every princess, the fab 5, and Jiminy Cricket
....to be continued as more must do's occur to me

Where to Work?

Where to work? In the DCP you have the opportunity to request where you want to work (although it is far from guaranteed), as a Merchandise cast member my options are almost endless, I can work anywhere from a resort to Downtown Disney, I can even work inside the  parks themselves. Never one to shy away from the hustle and bustle of a busy setting I find myself longing to be inside one of the parks. After my initial disappointment at being selected for Merchandise rather then Attractions, my shining light was the possibility of working in the Briar Patch.

The Briar Patch is connected to Splash Mountain and provides a fun place to dry off and see the inevitably terror-struck picture of your thrill ride persona. Deep in the heart of Frontierland it's connection to one of Walt's mountains guarantees a heavy stream of guests  practically year round and a chance to be right in the middle of the magic. It also adds one more special opportunity that may take a second to comprehend: working at Splash Mountain. That obvious fact holds more then you would think.Splash Mountain is absolutely one of my favorite rides, everything from the catchy song to the adrenaline of that drop. Yes, it's only 50 ft but as in almost all Disney rides, the magic's in the presentation. After all those little drops that are the ultimate fake out you've just settled into your seat when there it is: THE drop. That terrifying moment where you look down and are sure that you are going to fall into a twisted Briar Patch with Brer Bear and Brer Fox, unable to escape. The hidden magic in this brief moment of terror, if at the top of Chickapin Hill you look straight in front of you instead of down into the Briars you see the most beautiful view of Cinderella Castle in the whole park. This view makes the ride worth while to even the most drop-shy guest. The possibility of working so near this magical ride makes me almost grateful that I'm in Merchandise instead of Attractions.  In Merchandise I get the opportunity to see guests just as they leave the rides, I get to see the magic.