Rico's Cast Experience

A daily Rememberance

2009-09-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

Today is the anniversary of the greatest attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor. It is a day I remember well being from the New York area. There is no amount of words to describe what this moment meant in the hearts of Americans, the changes in lives and the shaking of our nation.

Every day the Walt Disney World resort recognizes the men and women who have served with the Flag Retreat and it is a special moment for the security officers and most often the guests who have or are serving our country. This happens on stage but every day I walk past many memorials to the heroes of 9/11. There are multiple dedications to the men and women who gave the ultimate public sacrifice that day. These often feature NYPD and FDNY pictures, badges and other mementos. It is inspiring that even today this company really recognizes our nation.

The tunnels are a meaningful area and a place for the Cast Members. I see a lot of things from posters on the basics to sports team representation to memorials for 9/11. I would like to commend the Resort on their ability to give Cast Members a place to express themselves.

Again, I would like to remember those we lost and thank every public servant in the United States for their amazing commitment to us.

Benefits already!

2009-09-03T21:44:00.001-07:00

Being Concise here is going to be difficult. One of the largest perks of being a Cast Member are the preview nights. It just so happens that I am here during one of the best holidays in a Disney park, Halloween. With Halloween comes Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party, an after hours event at the Magic Kingdom that requires an additional ticket. With this party comes a bunch of candy, Hallowishes and the Boo To You parade. Going along with the Cast perks last night we were allowed to attend the Boo To You cast preview and watch the Halloween parade after hours in the Magic Kingdom.

This parade was brilliant. Showcasing the creepy attractions and the amazing characters that are seldom scene it really blends adult frights with kids fantasy. My favorite group of entertainers were the Haunted mansion groups. With the gravedigger, hitch hiking ghosts, ballroom dancers and skeleton gravediggers there was no disappointment. The floats were fun and the actors very fun and into their characters.

These cast events are not perfect. The lighting was off, timing was sketchy and characters were getting used to having guests there. It made things a bit rocky when it came to timing or photography or real organization at all. That being said I did manage to get a few pictures and a couple videos, nothing great but it will give you a rough idea and hopefully helps you choose if you want to attend the party while in WDW during this season.

Right about here is where my camera died and I couldn't get things working right. It is very tough to get great pictures when the lighting is literally fighting between theatrical and ambient light. Enough excuses the point of this is to show the unique experiences that cast members get in seeing rehearsals and previews of the wonderful Disney entertainment. Disney recognizes that it takes their amazing cast members to put on these parties and then gives them a great opportunity to see the entertainment they wouldn't usually be able to watch.

On a guest note, I would absolutely recommend this party. I will be doing as much as I can to work and attend this party while here. This party has great entertainment that is unique and very fun. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary is Not-To-Be missed.

What day is it Again?

2009-08-30T06:17:00.000-07:00

It is Sunday already? I can’t believe everything that I have done so far! So since my last post I have attended Traditions, had Magic Kingdom orientation, Tomorrowland Orientation and Guest Service orientation. Did I mention that I have done this all since Wednesday? So that is what has happened in the first few days of being here on the college program.

So the day after checking in is really the day to settle down. Trying to unpack the first is really a lot of work. It takes time to learn how to get everything situated and put into place. So for the first day I would try and hold off on unpacking unless you have a large amount of time, or a parent to do it for you. The second only contains a housing meeting. It is much easier to complete the housing meeting and then take that day to unpack and go out to Wal-Mart and do some shopping.

Tuesday is also a good day to finally talk to your roommates and for me it was really the last day I was able to do so. The schedules here are so hectic that you rarely see each other. My roommates and I took some time Tuesday to hang out and get to know each other. I would suggest the same unless you have family around or other things that need to be done. Tuesday for me was also exciting because I was anxious about what the next day held.

Being as tired as I was sleep did not come easy. Traditions is the starting gate for the entire program. You are not a cast member until you successfully complete Traditions. It is the first plunge of the Disney roller coaster. That night I was up late thinking about what was to come probably the same as many marathoners before a race or children before vacation. The next morning I jumped out of bed before the sun and had never been that excited to be up that early.

So that is everything Pre-Traditions, next time I will take a look at traditions and what it meant to me. Also tips for getting through the first few days.

The First Day

2009-08-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

I am now moved into and a part of the College Program. I am living in Patterson Court and it is awesome. My apartment is beautiful but housing will be covered later on. The topic for today is the check in process and how it worked. The housing process was one animal and the casting process was a beast. This will be an overview of what happened today and everything that we went through.

The first stop was Vista Way apartments. From the arrival and dropping off my bags while I went through the process my experience was awesome. I felt like a guest checking into a long-term resort stay. Everything was so much fun and paper work never was more fun then doing it with a DJ in the background. We moved from station to station like the wheels of a well oiled machined. The process was to get me my housing, and my schedule for the rest of the day and the next, if you have a car this is the place where you receive your auto sticker.

I must say that the one hiccup in the works was the bus. Moving over to Patterson was very difficult and annoying. Our bus driver would not drop us off where we were supposed to go and things were pushed late. This is typical with WDW transport whether it is to parks or anywhere else.

The next step was the most difficult. After trekking my bags up three flights of stairs, they really need elevators, I had to more or less run to the bus stop. Things were pushed so late that even when I forgot my passport I missed my initial bus to casting. This put a hitch in my plans but it was what it was. I waited for the next bus and was greeted warmly by a College Program Recruiter who treated us to some trivia and tips during the ride to casting.

Casting as I said before was a beast, and this is an understatement. There were so many people there that it was difficult to even move down the hall. I don’t know what they could have done about this. We all needed to go through this process so it had to be that way. The casting building is enchanting on its own and it gives a great feel for the company and in my opinion served as a portal to my time with Walt Disney World.

At casting you are told your position area, you go through the Disney Look guidelines, your on boarding paperwork, a bit of payroll, human resources, and a security background check. This laundry list took forever. They tell you to expect anywhere from one to four hours to complete everything. It took about three hours for me. I did not enjoy it but that is what it took. The whole process was tough but you have to stick through it.

These were really the activities for the first day. Moving in is long and a drawn out process but actually very easy. I love my new Paterson apartment, minus the lack of size and short walk to the bus stop. Later on I will talk about the other apartment complexes and compare and contrast. Also I will have more information on the second and third days activities including a look at traditions.

If you have any comments please leave them, questions can be directed to Ricoscast@gmail.com and please follow me at twitter.com/rico117 or friend me on facebook at facebook.com/rico117.

The Next Step

2009-08-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

I have talked about my preparations for the College program little by little through this blog. I really haven’t had time to sit and think about what I am actually going to be doing for the next few months of my life. This blog was meant to be educational for those who want to take a chance and be a part of the College Program but without some introspection I couldn’t give anyone an idea of the perspective that I have.

This Internship will be for me a time when I decide what I want to do. I have jumped from profession to profession unsure of what I wanted from life. I have finally found travel and tourism as an emphasis in my major, business administration. This time at WDW will be my test on this profession. Will I still want to work for Disney or hotels or any other part of the travel industry? I don’t honestly know. This is really at the center of my apprehension.

What I do know is that the CP is the best chance to test any career. The college program gives students the full time work experience with a safety net. You don’t have to have a car, there is no need for full price rent, and a steady job is provided. The safety net experience is one that I will use to gauge my responsibility as a functioning adult. I intend to have no monetary support from my parents once I am receiving a paycheck. I haven’t done this before so it is a huge step and one that will teach me a lot about the person that I am.

The time I hope to spend at WDW hopefully will be shared with people like me. Meeting new people isn’t hard, meeting new friends and creating lasting relationships can be. I want to come home with a great group of friends that enjoy Disney as I do and that understand me. I am definitely getting the first day of school jitters but it is nothing that I can’t handle.

Tomorrow I set off on the next chapter of my life. A time of learning and growing awaits me in the coming months and I hope that as readers you all enjoy following me along and learn something about life as a College Program member along the way.

How Are You Getting Your Stuff Down There?

2009-08-13T06:49:00.000-07:00

Since my last post I have been all over the British Isles, it has been amazing but it’s time to get back to work. I am currently planning my move down to WDW and into the College Program. I wanted to take a few moments to talk about how to get your stuff down there.

The way I am doing it is a simple process, kind of. Since I am in the UK my family is actually doing a lot of the work while I coordinate it from here. The items I have are a regular apple box, a large wheeled duffel bag, a medium/carry-on sized suitcase, and a large backpack. I am flying down the Sunday before check-in as it’s a great chance for me to see a park and get settled. I have few enough suitcases that I could take it all on the plane but most of it is located in California at my university. The apple box we decided is best to ship. It is being sent directly to my hotel, the Hilton. I have checked with WDW and if you are staying at any of their results you can send something to yourself and it can arrive within the week prior to your check-in. This is great because it can save on airline fees and transfer hassle from the airport to your hotel.

My other suitcases I am bringing with me on the plane. I know airlines can charge a lot for baggage but within the weight limits it is the same as sending it. The advantage with sending comes when you need to bring more than two bags. My three-part luggage saga isn’t a normal one and all of this can be avoided by just driving down. Driving is the best solution and Disney recommends it. Although they offer shuttles and transport it is easier if cast members have their own vehicles. I’ll take a look more at this once I have spent time using the transport.

You could always ship everything down to Florida but that is expensive. Depending on how much you are taking that could be a nice chunk of money. When airlines only charge 25 dollars a bag at most then it is not economically responsible. There are a variety of ways to transport your belongings to the College program. From what I have gathered through traveling and 3 years of moving into College one rule applies more than any other, Less is More.

Please leave comments if you have traveled down to the program or your thoughts on the best ways of getting things to and from Walt Disney World. Also feel free to E-mail me at Ricoscast@gmail.com with any comments or concerns with the blog, Disney World, or life in general.

Heading off to Europe!

2009-06-29T17:23:00.000-07:00

This is my first blog from the road; I have just begun travel through Europe and will be on the road until august. So far travel has been good, besides a few mishaps with computers breaking it seems like the trip will be awesome. I am working towards Paris and Disneyland Paris this week then on to Dublin for a few weeks. I can’t wait to see all that Paris has to offer me.
I have heard so many things about the Disneyland Resort in Paris. Originally there were complaints about so many of the cast members being rude and all of the new kinks with the parks. Recently I have heard only glowing reviews. The things I am looking forward to are definitely Space Mountain 2.0 and Indiana Jones. Both of these attractions are unique. Space Mountain 2.0 is so different from what is in both US parks from start to end. Indiana Jones is a full roller coaster featuring an inverted loop in the center of the attraction. The intricacy of the themes I expect to be better than what we see here in the US and I look forward to comparing everything during my time at WDW.
The Hollywood studios park is not really something I am anticipating and may not even do. I was hoping to catch Crushes Coaster but it’s not on my absolute to see list. I really want to take as many pictures and spend as much time in the parks as I possibly can. I’d like to hear from veterans about what they think of the parks and what are the must see parts. As always you can reach me at Ricoscast@gmail.com, find me on facebook at facebook.com/rico117, and follow me on twitter via twitter.com/rico117.
My last bit of news is that I will be trying to photograph everything while in the parks in DLRP. If there is anything specific you would like a picture of please let me know and I will do my absolute best to grab a picture of it for you. Get a hold of me preferably through twitter.

DLR: Is Summer Nightastic Really that Magical?

2009-06-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

Sleeping beauty's Castle in Laker Purple and Gold

For many of you who have been paying attention to the online Disney community you have become familiar with the recent offerings and improvements coming to the night time spectaculars featured at the Disneyland resort. If you haven't been watching then here is a quick run down. The Main Street Electrical parade has been enhanced with the new Tinkerbell float and amazing new LED lights and a pixie dust effect, Fantasmic has been made even more spectacular with HD projectors, New Tick Tock the Crocodile and Flotsam and Jetsam (Ursulas eels) characters, and supposedly a new Dragon, The final piece of the puzzle is Magical a fireworks spectacular featuring the debut of Dumbo flying above the castle in the same manner as Tinkerbell. That is a basic recap of the Summer Nightastic offerings and I was "fortunate" enough to be there on opening.

Lets start with the crowds, I began my day in DCA and the crowds were heavy but minimally affected where I was going or what I was doing. What was cool to see was the Ratatoullie float rejoin the Pixar Play Parade. I am not a huge parade fan but this was great to see. This is one of my favorite floats of any parade and its return signals the height of the season and hopefully an end to the entertainment cutbacks. I didnt get to stay for the Electrical parade but I plan on going back Monday to properly take a look at the new floats and effects. The crowds getting ready for the parade were insane, the entry plaza was starting to fill around 7:35, a full hour and change before the parade began. Take a look at the Disneyland News Today website for more pictures and news about the parade and other events.

I moved over to Disneyland at the begging of my friends who accompanied me. The Park was twice as crowded as DCA, walking down main street was honestly more difficult than I can ever remember. What I found very cool were the Lakers NBA Finals shirts. They looked great but only 18 of each side were made and sold at the Emporium and World of Disney, luckily I got one for my younger cousin and it was literally the last one to be available anywhere. Besides the crowds and lack of Lakers shirts not much was different from a normal day, but when the lights went down the park came alive.

The excitement before Magical was palpable. I was sprinting towards the HUB to try and get a good viewing spot but it seemed I was about 2 hours too late and I arrived in the sea of people moments before the first fireworks were fired and Eden Espinosa's enchanting voice rang through the night. I have seen her perform in Wicked a couple times and she was brilliant but her singing some of the most heart wrenching Disney songs of all time is above any of what I had heard her sing before, it was pure beauty. The music was by far the best aspect of the show and the rest was good, but not anything near the Disney great. The largest part of the show was completely missing, the official public debut of Dumbo. The new puppet was absent and at the moment can only be seen on Youtube, but will hopefully will fly today or as soon as possible. I was extremely disappointed that this crown jewel of a new fireworks display was missing. After the disappointment in Magical I was really looking forward to Fantasmic.

After making my way over to New Orleans Square and taking a ride on Pirates, with some very annoying passengers intent on bothering the people dining at Blue Bayou, I attempted to find a good vantage point for Fantasmic and it seemed that if I wasn't in place before the first show there were no other good seats to be had. Prior to the show an announcement came on saying that Fantasmic had reached capacity! I have never seen or heard that before and it was shocking. So again, I didn't have the greatest view in the world but I saw what I needed to and definitely enjoyed myself. The new HD projectors were okay, from my position the images did look clearer but not much. The new Tick Tock was amazing. The movements were perfect and mimicked the original animations perfectly. The brilliance of his green glow against the water and back drop was superb and really gave him a new life. This moved him from a prop in the Peter Pan sketch, into his own category and focal point of the show. The highlight, or should I say highlights, were Flotsam and Jetsam. They were perfectly evil, maniacal, creepy, and added a brilliance to a great section of the show. The movement of their tails in the water was masterful. Without seeing the Dragon I must say these two, however brief their appearance, definitely made the best addition to the show. Fantasmic is better than ever and is still my favorite Disney show.

(Flotsam floating through the Rivers of America. I apologize for the quality)

My overall grade for this night was a B-, failing grade for Disney. I can't imagine what the entertainment team is doing with a night such as this. Magical was okay, Dumbo was absent and the fireworks are still oriented to the left. It made me want more and when it ended. I was wondering when the real show was going to begin, that could just be me being cynical at not seeing Dumbo. Still though it wasn't what I expected Disney to do. The crowd situation was horrible, and before you flood me with comments saying its Disneyland what do you expect, let me just say it was the way crowds were handled. I am all for more people at the parks because I want everyone to enjoy them but when the crowds are so out of hand and Cast Members are yelling at the same person to keep moving when they can't and are yelling from opposite sides then there are issues. I was also really disappointed to see Cast Members in the wrong lands. I may be nit picking here but a Fantasyland costumed Cast Member should not be serving me a pretzel in Tomorrowland. Disney is perfection, it's what makes them perfect and makes them Disney, The crowd situation compromised the true feeling and look of the parks and the indivigual lands.

I have come to expect a lot from the parks and every time I see things like these happen it makes me realize why I am going to work for Disney. I want to give everyone the best time that they can possibly imagine and help them enjoy the parks as much as I do. I hope that one day I will be fixing and preventing issues like the ones seen last night. When I release my brilliant summer spectacular you can bet it will be more of a success than the opening of Summer Nightastic.

Getting Credit, Will Your School Let You?

2009-05-14T15:05:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest concerns for many students going down to the college program is how to get credit for this amazing experience? I personally believe that just having the Disney name on a Resume and the experience working at a place like Walt Disney World or Disneyland really gives all the credit one needs. School however should come first and getting College credit for the work done is a major plus.

I could not receive direct credit from my university for the classes I will take when I arrive. According to my Dean, the school is not certified by our same certification board. I could apply to have one count as an elective, and I still may, but as of now I won't be receiving any sort of Business School credit directly for the classes I'm taking. I still have a couple avenues to pursue though.

One way that you could get credit at your school is through one of the colleges that offer credit for the Disney program. These include colleges like Purdue and UNC Greensboro. Now to get these credits it is necessary to pay the schools for the credit as well as enroll in the school and all the hurdles that normally have to be jumped through. Contact the schools listed on the College Program website for more information.

If your school is like mine there are a few options for getting credit for this program. Mine will give me 1 credit for the internship itself and it has to be registered through the school. The second is through an internship class. This is by far the most beneficial. It runs as a 3 credit class that has some things like a paper and such required but its worth it to me. I am going to have to pay my school for the credit but it will be incorporated into the next semester and not add a cent to what I already plan on paying.

I would look through your course handbook and talk to the dean of your school. often times there are unexplored options that may not be offered readily. One group of people to definitely contact at your school is the internship and career office. They work with students every day to find jobs and help them receive credit for their work. The options I have described are the routes that I have taken and I hope that you all can get credit and that my suggestions and stories have helped you.

Getting credit for these classes if it can be arranged is great. They are extremely low cost and offer a different experience from the classes any student takes part in. Whatever the reasons for attending the program, the availability of college credit should not be among the reasons to turn it down.

Top 5 Places to cool down during the Summer

2009-04-22T23:37:00.000-07:00

So with the summer months approaching things at the park are heating up, not just the construction but definitely the temperature. During the hot months it is important to know where to grab shade and where are the best places to get it. These may be general but they are great spots to stop and take a moment.

5. Stores
While very general think about how many stores there are in the Disney resorts. You can duck in quickly and take your time perusing the shelves while getting shade and some A/C. My favorites are the shops on Main Street U.S.A. and the Adventureland stores. They are long and have awesome stuff inside. You can take a good amount of time in each of these.

4. Shows, 3-D Shows
There are three that I am thinking of in particular. It's a Bugs Life, Honey I Shrunk the Audience, and of course the wonderful Muppets 3D. These shows are a great break from the elements. They offer a great pre-show and above all A/C. It is great to take advantage of the low crowds and a great break. These shows are fun, definetly entertaining and really give a great rest from the outdoors high paced attractions.

3. The Enchanted Tiki Room
Well this is my favorite past time. Besides Carlos, my favorite bird, there is a little something in front of the tiki room that is amazing. My friends I speak of the Dole Whip it is my favorite snack. Grabbing a Dole Whip and watching some birds sing to me is perfect on a hot day. It provides a great place to relax and with its proximity to Indiana Jones, The Jungle Cruise and the rest of the attractions moving back from Adventureland its a great rest stop for any park goer.

2. Grizzly River Rapids
The reason that this is number two instead of number one is the wait time. On a hot day this wait can be pretty brutal and though it has great themeing and a good amount of shade, waiting just isn't extremely fun. The risk is worth the reward in every sense of the saying. Grizzly doesn't just get you wet it gets you soaked. It is by far one of the best ways to take a little refuge from the heat and one that can last fairly long.

1. Innoventions
This may seem as surprise but truely it is the best place to catch relief from the heat. Innoventions is one of my favorite places in the parks but one I rarely visit, only because i never leave! Innoventions offers so much to be seen and found. Now this definetly highlights my minor nerdiness and I think that it is amazing the things they put into this place. Check out ASIMO, check out the XBOX games, even the Health section can be fun. I have spent so many hours in Innoventions and it is the best place to take a much needed break from the heat. I know the issue with this attraction is you cant bring food i but right outside there is a frozen lemonade stand and accross the way a natural snack area so you can find food right after you're out.

Those are my Top 5 favorite spots to stop and take a rest. These are just my favorite and I am sure that I am missing some that I could be yelled at for, and please feel free to do that at egenriquez911@yahoo.com. Thanks guys and hope this helps you get out of the sun.

A Short Trip: 4/20/09

2009-04-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone. I was lucky enough to have to "run an errand" at the resort and went into California Adventure soon after it opening Monday the 20th.

The Park loked great and all of the preperations for the Food and Wine festival had begun. Tents were added at the entrance and things seem to be on a larger scale than the past years. The tent provided some nice shade under the amazingly hot sun. I figure it will be filled come next week, so not as much of a respite from the glaring sun.

Paradise pier was beautiful and the area seems almost finished. The signs and sun on California Screaming are beautiful. With a bit of the Mickey face still blocked by construction it wasn't in its full glory but still looks great. I can't wait for that skyline to be finished. Even after with the water it will be even better looking and an amazing place.

The construction around the park is dying down with the opening of the pacific wharf bridge. This definetly makes sense because of the Food and Wine festival coming to town. Also a definetly cool add is the new advertisement for world of color. It is a great picture of the pocohontas seen and if anyone doubted a "Paint with All the Colors of the Wind" sequence then they weren't looking at the name closely.

Finally the last thing I am wondering, as a business student is what are they going to be doing with all the merchandise showing different Paradise Pier images. So much concept art and Blue Sky drawings have appeared that the final product is somewhat different from what we have seen. These images have made there way into promotional material and on onto merchandise.As you can see the top picture is a representation fo the new paradise pier, missing is the Mickeys face and other items. The colors and everything represent the new look perfectly but the details aren't there. What will happen with the rest of the merchandise? Further the second example is a shirt without many of the new symbols and still with the mickey ears on the Rollercoaster.
I have no doubt many of these will be sold and none of them will go without a home. It was just interesting to me as a Business Major what would a compan do with this kind of inventory. I doubt we will see discounts but one can be hopeful.

That is a wrap on this trip report. Its a great time to visit the parks and summer crowds are right around the corner. Keep your eyes out for the next blog post, definetly by the end of the week. You can email me at egenriquez911@yahoo.com and catch me through twitter and facebook. Until my next post bring your love for disney to the rest of your life.

The Cut-Backs: How could it affect the College Program

2009-03-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

News has been circulating around the Blogosphere and in the Orlando and Orange County news about the cut-backs in the Disney backstage operations. They have cut hundreds of jobs in an effort to remain financially stable during this time. Park attendance is obviously going to be lower but because of the wonderful Disney discounts being offered almost monthly they have managed to keep park attendance relatively level. I think that these discounts while amazing for the consumer have had an affect on the Bottom line and the feasibility of keeping the managing staff that does such a great job. It is in these tough economic times that the people who could do a somewhat minimal job are separated from those doing the excellent job Disney expects from all employees. These cut backs in the backstage operations are meant to save those front line cast members integral in providing a great experience for the guests. While this reasoning is logical it could put added pressure on the cast members interacting with guests in a negative way.
How does this affect the College Program? I honestly won't know until I get there but I can speculate. Disney prides themselves on Take-5's and Magic Moments. While I am not necessarily sure how these are authorized or happen I feel that there is backstage personnel that sign off on it. I am sincerely hoping that this support or the help that these backstage representatives provide is not missed and does not affect front line cast members who directly effect the Disney experience. Also as a college program member I know that we will all need support in some way or another. The recruitment team works as a college admissions board as well as a housing committee and all of the other necessary positions required to run any university. I hope that these positions being eliminated do not affect the experience I signed up for. I am working at Disney to get a feel for he Travel and Tourism industry, my desired field, and part of the attraction of the opportunity is the housing and support they provide college program members. It will be a great lesson in recession operations in the industry. I am worried though that the cut backs could affect the support I need as a cast member and if these lay-offs put that in jeopardy it could hurt the attendance and enrollment in the program, something I hope that doesn't happen.
In the end Disney needs to survive the recession and I have no doubt that they will. Their operating and profit margins are usually high enough that there is room to work and offer discounts. The discount programs will continue and no doubt be better than ever. I just hope that the lay offs and cut backs end soon so that no guest experience is compromised.
Until the next post you can follow me on twitter or friend me on facebook. Always feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or concerns. Remember "All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them" -Walt Disney

Disneyland Trip 3/21: Club 33 and Big Crowds

2009-03-24T15:51:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

So I had a great trip on Saturday March 21st and this is my trip report. I took a friend who had never been to the parks before so it was the first time i had "celebrated" something this year. We got her 1st visit button which was great and the cast member made it special with the date and to my friends surprise mickey ears. The lines were unbelievable. Soarin' was a consistent 65min wait minimum and Star Tours was an unbelievable 35 minutes. Star Tours even had to extend the line. I haven't seen this in so long and I find that people almost find refuge within the Disneyland Resort during these tough times.
The absolute HIghlight of ym trip was my first, and definetly not last, trip to Club 33. It was an awesome experience. From picking up my tickets to getting in the door it was all a part of the show and pomp associated with the club. We were greated downstairs and had a good chance to look around. The woodwork was gorgious and the room was very rich and felt extremely homey and comfortable. This wasnt typical of other high end restraunts I had visited, the homey feeling was the Disney touch I could feel. We were lead up to the dining area and were seated in the Trophy room. It was a unique room that Walt had designed to be like a hunting trophy room filled with talking anamitronic heads, later this was changed but some remnants still remain including microphones built into the light fixtures. our starting course was a great salad with dried fruit and walnuts topped with an excellent balsamic vinagarette. We moved slowly to our main course which I enjoyed the most. I had a chataeubriand steak, the filet of a filetmignon. It was cooked perfectly medium rare and was a brilliant cut. It was served over perfectly smooth mashed potatoes. I was unbelievably pleased. We took our time to extend our dinner to where we could watch fantasmic from the balcony. This was a beautiful expereince, although blocked by trees we could enjoy it high above the crowds and not feel pushed or pressured. we went back inside and sat down for a great dessert i had an upside down almond cake with chocaolate cherry ice cream, absolutely unbelievable and my friend had a layered orange chocolate mousse cake. it was absolutely amazing. the cake was rich and sweet with the creamy orange chocolate mousse. I couldnt get enough of it. Our meal was great and we definetly enjoyed the experience as a great respite from the "hustle and bustle" of Disneyland.
Now the Club was a fantastic experience. If I could afford it consistently it would be the best way of enjoying the parks. I thought the value was brilliant, even with the minimum price of dinner it was actually less than two one day park hopper passses which is what we recieved. The food was excellent and a culinary feat I would love to enjoy more often. There were some issues. I would have liked to see the dress code enforced a bit more. While my friend and I made an effort to dress to the dress code otheres were ther in t-shirts, dingy sweatshirts and other park attire that I didn't enjoy looking at. Disney is all about the atmosphere and I would have liked to see that upheld. It was not enough to detract form the overall experience and I enjoyed it beyond every other Disney experience I have had in my Adult life in the parks. I hopefully will enjoy the experience again and hopefully next time they will have the Club 33 pin.
The rest of my trip was uneventful , we hit Indy( a 70 minute wait at 10:45) and Space mountain(60min wait at 11:15) and finished with Nemo(5 min at 11:45) It was a great way to end the day.
I will hopefully be starting a podcast soon and stick around for that. Otherwise follow me on Twitter and/or Facebook. Until the next update try and carry the Disney spirit into every other part of your life.

Started Planning

2009-03-20T09:01:00.001-07:00

So i have started planing and getting details locked down. I have been looking at how to get all of my stuff down to the apartments and some advice I got from a mother was great. She told me that I could UPS any boxes up to a week in advance to the hotel I would be staying at. now just to be clear you must be staying at a hotel in order to do this and I know this applies specifically to resort hotels. I think this is a great opportunity now I just have to book a night at a resort hotel!
The other part of my summer I have been planning is my trip to Dublin. I have a couple of free weekends and I cant decide where I want to go. Spain, Germany, and maybe even Russia are places I would love to visit. I want to go to Paris but its so expensive and I am doing this on my own dime. I also have to save all the money for that trip, its going to be difficult to find a job for only a couple of months.
I am off for now, working all day and then I have a friend in town. so goodbye for the weekend.

The Full Story

2009-03-18T00:15:00.000-07:00

Alright, The first post was a little introduction and now I can really start talking about my experience so far. I have been looking at the college program for a while. I finally applied this year and had some great luck. I applied on February 16th and interviewed the 18th.
The interview was intense, it was unbelievable that they could sense my smile over the phone. The questions were unbelievably difficult, the situational questions were posed well and after reading "Creating the Magic" by Lee Cockerell I knew what Disney was looking for and wanted to give them that in the interview. For the new interviewee looking forward to it know they can tell if your smiling, and take your time. The faster you react and answer the more you'll have to think on your feet. They do not mind if you take your time and it lets you get a hold of your thoughts. Enough on interviewing.
I was lucky enough to get the letter soon after. The wait though was difficult to say the least. It only took two weeks for it to come and even the people in my campus mail room were excited for me, they had heard me talk about it a few times.
So now that I am accepted it took a while for me to turn my parents on to the idea but after promising to financially support myself, doesn't seem like the greatest idea now, they gave me the all clear. I turned in all of my stuff and its all set. I was unclear on the $100 service fee but its the same as my dorm or housing fee. That fee goes to support the housing programs and the other fun stuff Disney supplies. I am trying to figure out the last details but I think that is the last bit of an update for now. Till next time.

The First

2009-03-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

So my name is Eric, I am a Junior at Loyola Marymount( the one in Los Angeles). I was recently accepted to the Walt Disney World College Program and I am going to be using this blog as a way to follow my progress and experiences. This is only the first post, my next will catch everyone up on what has happened since I interviewed and since I got my Purple Folder.