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Dining the Disney Way

thymeandplace — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:49:03 GMT

So I've been trying to decide on a few restaurants that I'm going to take people to while down in Florida and I'm asking for your help.

The first group includes: A married couple around 40, their three sons (18, 11, 8), and the grandmother (55). I was wondering what you would suggest as a couple of "must expereince" dining locations. The group wants dining experiences, though, not just restaurants.

The second query is where to go on a more romantic date for an anniversary while dating? Nothing too expensive but still nice. Any ideas?

While I'm in Florida I plan on reviewing restaurants and I'm wondering which reviews you, as readers, would especially like to see. They won't be short little blurbs like most travel guides, but rather, actual reviews of the food and atmosphere.

I'd love to hear your opinions!

As a side note for those who are following along, I should be hearing back about my audition tomorrow and Tuesday at the very latest, but the decision is already made!

I thank you in advance for your help in my little conundrum, but for now I'm signing off.

Pixie Dust and Packing Fairies

Niwel — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:02:54 GMT

I've seen the new Tinker Bell film several times. I've seen Sleeping Beauty several times. I've yet to see any of the fairies have the power of packing.

The closest I've come to is Mary Poppins, who can snap her fingers and clean things up (not to say I couldn't have used that last night, too).

We leave this week for Walt Disney World ... a trip we've been talking about every since AVP announced that the next MA would be taking place there.

I've confirmed our dining reservations at 50s Prime Time and checked in online for our resort (even double checked that the reservation mentions we're celebrating our anniversary).

Of course, between now and when we leave I have three days of work and two evening meetings... which means packing at 10 p.m. :rolleyes:

I have a list and Mr. Niwel has offered to pick up our last-minute items at Walgreens (thank you, honey)!

Since we're red-eyeing, and are going to the park before we get to our room, we'll be doing a quick change/freshen up the in Miami airport bathroom -- the last time I was there an astute traveler noted: "it smells like a bathroom in here!"

So there we are ... three days away from a magical weekend at the OTHER Happiest Place on Earth and I'm still without a packing fairy.

If anyone sees Tinker Bell's neurotic cousin OCD Bell, please send her my way! :D

DLR 2010 Promos: Buy 3, Get 2 Free; 30% off hotels; discounted tickets

AVP — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:52:04 GMT

The Disneyland Resort has officially released details of the Spring Getaway offer MousePlanet readers were chatting about last week. There are two offers, depending on whether or not you need theme park admission:

The Buy 3, Get 2 Free deal gives you 2 free nights at a Disneyland Resort Hotel when you book three nights AND purchase a 5-day "promotional" Park Hopper ticket. The offer is valid for arrivals through April 29, 2010 with travel completed by May 4, 2010, and you must book by April 1, 2010 to receive this discount.

This offer isn't as good as past Buy 3, Get 2 offers, in which both the hotel stay and the park ticket were upgraded from three to five days, but it does cover the spring break period and the opening weekend of the World of Color show.

The Promotional Park Hopper ticket, now listed on the Disneyland Web site (link), offers a slight discount of $5 - $11 off the already discounted advance purchase price, for a total savings of $25 - $51 per person, depending on the type of ticket you purchase. The promotional Park Hopper ticket is valid January 5, 2010 thru April 29, 2010, and must be purchased in advance of your trip - you can't get this discount at the ticket booths .

For those who already hold or don't need to purchase park admission, the alternative offer gives you up to 30% off at Disneyland Resort hotels. The discount is valid on a minimum two night stay, with arrivals between January 5 to April 29, 2010. Rates start at $165 (plus taxes and fees) at the Paradise Pier Hotel.

Disneyland introduces new Audio Description service

AVP — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:05:30 GMT

The Disneyland Resort has a new service for guests with visual impairments, the Audio Description device. The PDA-sized device is worn on a lanyard around the neck, and comes with a headphones. When the user enters the queue of a designated attraction, a transmitter activates the device, and a recorded voice describes the attraction or show in real time. The device works at 19 attractions and shows in Disneyland and DCA, including most of the Fantasyland "dark rides" like Peter Pan's Flight and Snow White's Scary Adventures. I tested the device last week to see how it worked, and how well the spoken narration described the actual ride.

The device is fairly lightweight, and was not uncomfortable to wear. The provided brochure recommended holding the device chest-high, so the device could clearly receive the signal from the transmitters concealed at the attractions. I quickly spotted the transmitter inside the queue for Pinocchio's Daring Journey, and it looks to be the same type of transmitter used to run the Pal Mickey device at Walt Disney World. If so, the transmitter does not actually "supply" the audio description as stated in the brochure, but simply notifies the device to begin playing a specific, pre-recorded description once it receives that signal.

Once the device recognized I was at Snow White's Scary Adventures, the recording began by describing the outside of the building, including the fact that the Evil Queen peered out from a window above the entrance. The description was incredibly detailed, to the point of reading the text of the storybook at the entrance to the queue, and encouraging me to touch the apple to hear the Old Hag cackle. Unfortunately the recording began after I had already entered the queue and was well past the book. The line was quite short that day, and the description cut off mid-sentence when the device had received the signal from the next transmitter in the ride. The narration was extremely detailed in some places, even describing the colors of Snow White's dress and the musical instruments held by each Dwarf. The narration ended abruptly in the middle of the scary forest, and there was no further description of the end of the ride. Since some complain that the ride's story also ends very abruptly, perhaps this was intentional and not a glitch. Just to make sure, I rode again, and the narration ended in exactly the same spot.

The description of Pinocchio's Daring Journey includes a detailed description of the ride vehicles themselves - down to the carved figures on each one - and descriptions of the art seen in the queue. I noted that the male narrator was very emphatic in his descriptions, as if each sentence ended with an exclamation point. The female narrator who recorded the descriptions for other attractions was a little less intense.

I was curious how the device would describe Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters, since this is not only a highly visual ride but includes a video game element that someone with total vision loss would be unable to experience. The audio description described the murals in the queue and the animatronic Buzz Lightyear figure, and provided instructions to "aim for the Z," and volunteered that some targets are worth more when lit. The narration also explained that the ride uses a moving walkway to board the ride vehicle, but did not mention that the vehicle would be to the left of the walkway, something I thought might be helpful. Throughout the ride, the device described each scene, in many cases providing details I normally overlook in my quests for high score.

I wanted to see how the device worked when used on an attraction that already has live narration, but Storybook Land Canal Boats were closed for refurbishment. Instead, I visited Honey, I Shrunk the Audience to see how the device would enhance a film-based attraction. Audio Description is also offered on It's Tough to be a Bug, Muppet*Vision 3D and Turtle Talk with Crush, as well as the Enchanted Tiki Room. My device did not activate until the show started, and I had feared it wasn't going to work at all. The narrator described many of the 3D elements of the show, and the audio description was well coordinated with the film's dialogue so the narrator rarely spoke over a character.

My final ride was the Disneyland Railroad. I boarded at the Tomorrowland station, and the device was quiet until we entered the first tunnel. However, once we reached the Main Street Station, the device launched into a lengthy recording, with narration that included everything from the architecture and decor of the Main Street Station (down to the wood trim and wall paper) to the costumes worn by the Cast Members, and even the difference between a Holiday and an Excursion-type train. If you use the Audio Description device, I highly recommend that you board at the Main Street Station to get the full benefit of the description.

The device is extremely easy to use (the only buttons the user ever needs to press are the easy-to-identify volume up/down buttons), and fairly comfortable to wear. The headphones began to bother me after a while, and so I simply removed them between rides. Like Pal Mickey, the device vibrates for a moment before it begins playing the recorded dialogue, giving you enough time to put the headphones on. I found the descriptions quite detailed in most cases, and when I closed my eyes, definitely preferable to riding along with no idea what was going on around me.

I would have liked to be able to replay dialogue I missed or was cut short (in several cases, the device interrupted itself when it sensed the next transmitter). In the example of Snow White's Scary Adventures, it would have been wonderful if the narration had begun while I was still outside the attraction, and could fully experience what was being described to me. Of course, this is a necessary limitation of the system - if the transmitter activated the device when you simply walked by it, taking a shortcut through Fantasyland would trigger a half-dozen recordings. Perhaps one of the buttons on the device could be programmed as a "skip" button, so you could terminate a recording you didn't want to hear. Minor quibbles aside, this is an impressive new option for Disneyland visitors, and hopefully descriptions of even more attractions will be added to the service in the near future.

The Audio Description device is one of three services available to visitors with visual impairments, and can be checked out from either Disneyland's City Hall or the Guest Relations Lobby inside Disney's California Adventure. A refundable deposit of $100 is required to check out the device. You can use the device at both theme parks, but must return it to the park where it was checked out. Since Disneyland usually has longer operating hours, it's probably best to check out the device from Disneyland if you plan to do any park-hopping.

Braille guidebooks are available for both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure, and include brief descriptions of each ride, show, restaurant and shop. Guidebooks are available at Disneyland's City Hall or the Guest Relations Lobby at DCA, and may be checked out with a $20 refundable deposit. Digital Audio Tours of Disneyland and DCA are available using the same handheld device, and offer an general overview of each park, designed to provide a sense of direction and a brief description of attractions and services. Digital audio devices can be checked out from Disneyland's City Hall or the Guest Relations Lobby at DCA, and a refundable deposit of $100 is required.

Holidays and more.

Jenasweetemotion — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:58:23 GMT

I love the Holidays and spending time with the family. :) I've already sent out the invitations for Thanksgiving and received back the RSVP's. As usual this Thanksgiving will be at our apartment we have a 2 bedroom single floor apartment, so getting ready for Thanksgiving requires having to move the furniture around so we don't feel like we are in a box. :rolleyes: My Grandparents (Mom's, Mom and Stepdad) don't get along with my Dad. So that means already off the bat we have two Thanksgivings which I don't mind because I love to be in the kitchen and cook but this year we leave for Disneyland and there for our Thanksgiving are back to back with me packing, and also having something special for my Mom's birthday on the 28th. I really can't wait to be at Disneyland, and be in a place where it is stress free. ;)

This trip with my Mom and Brother will be a little different then the others we usually take together. This time I decided that it would be in our (Tommy and I) best interests to have separate rooms. My Brother can be a little hard to handle sometimes so this is something that we needed.
Also this will be the first time my Mom and Brother will be there for the Holidays. I think I convinced her of going during this time because last year it left Tommy and I breathless.

I am hopping that before I go on this trip I can get my hair cut. I know this must sound odd but I've been growing out my hair to be able to donate it to Locks Of Love. After my childhood friend passed from having Leukemia it was something that I wanted to do and will continue to do. Right now I have a little more then an inch give or take. It will be the first time having my hair short in a while and I can't wait.

Until next time.

Jena :)

Sneak Peek: Tiana's Showboat Jubilee at Disneyland

AVP — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:54:04 GMT

Tiana's Showboat Jubilee opens at Disneyland this morning, and MousePlanet had the opportunity to watch an after-hours dress rehearsal of the show earlier this week. Unfortunately, no cameras were allowed at the rehearsal, so you'll have to wait until after today's public debut for photos.

According to Show Director Carla Carlile, the show takes place after the movie ends, and is not meant to tell the story of the film. Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen are enjoying their Happily Ever After, and have come to the waterfront for a celebration that will include up to 20 park guests per performance.

The show is very similar to the Walt Disney World version that opened last month at the Magic Kingdom. The Disneyland presentation begins with a processional from the New Orleans Square train station down to the Mark Twain loading dock. A cast of 22 dancers and the 7-piece Jambalaya Jazz Band join Tiana and Naveen in this procession. Waiting on board the Mark Twain is Louis, the trumpet-playing alligator from the film. Once the performers and pre-selected park guests are on board the Mark Twain, the ship moves into position for the show.

During the actual "show stop," the Mark Twain is positioned in front of the Old Mill on Tom Sawyer Island. If you're looking for a front-and-center spot from which to watch the show, look for the two speaker towers on the water's edge - the Twain will stop directly between those. Fantasmic-style viewing areas will be set up along the Rivers of America, with a walkway kept open to facilitate traffic flow through the area.

Another good vantage point is from the tiered walkway that is usually VIP seating for Fantasmic!, but you'll need to wait for the processional to pass before you can claim a spot there.

The show stop includes five songs from the film, with Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen and Doctor Facilier (who makes an dramatic entrance in the middle of the show) all performing live. The character of Louis is voiced by Michael-Leon Wooley, who also voiced the character in the movie.

At the end of the 9-minute show stop, the Mark Twain continues around the Rivers of America. During this "day cruise," the park guests selected to participate in the show enjoy a private meet and greet with Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen, and a Disney PhotoPass photographer is on board to take pictures. Once the Twain returns to dock, the performers reverse their procession and march through to New Orleans Square.

The entire show, from the moment the dancers first enter New Orleans Square to the moment they step backstage, is approximately 35 minutes. River traffic along the Rivers of America, including the canoes, the Sailing Ship Columbia and the rafts to Tom Sawyer Island, will be impacted to varying degrees by the show. Carlile was a little vague on the specifics, but expect the canoes to be closed for about 30 minutes for each performance, and the rafts to Tom Sawyer Island to be closed from the time the Mark Twain leaves its loading dock to the time it passes the raft docks, about 15 minutes per show. The Sailing Ship Columbia will continue to offer day cruises, but will wait at the loading dock while the Mark Twain is stopped for the show.

If you want to be selected to perform in the show, you'll want to head to New Orleans Square right after park opening, and hope to be selected by the entertainment cast that will be scouting the area. There is no age limit to participate in the show, and 20 guests are selected for each performance. If you are selected, you will receive a "boarding pass" with the date and time you should return for the show. Participants get to perform in the show and have a private meet and greet with the lead characters.

Tiana's Showboat Jubilee will be presented daily at Disneyland, with showtimes at 11:15, 12:45, 1:45 and 4:15. The show is currently scheduled to run through January 3, 2010.

AVP

Good news comes in twos?

thymeandplace — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:55:44 GMT

Yesterday both my boyfriend and my best friend recieved their acceptance letters to Spring Advantage 2010 in Merchandise, which means that we'll all be going together!

While this is exciting for me, what does it get you? Well, it'll get you two other vantage points to the Disney College Program and everything else in this blog so expect a few guest posts coming up very soon!

The Biggest Hot Dog I've Ever Seen

thymeandplace — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:11:58 GMT

I auditioned for the entertainment department of Disney World so that I could perform during my six month stay in the Disney College Program which turned out to be one of the most fun experiences I've ever had.

The fact that the audition was in Oklahoma City means that I had to drive 2.5 hours each way to get to this audition, and this was the closest one! Crazy, I know! But I had to do it to see if I could be in the entertainment department so alas, I must.

I arrived at the dance studio about 45 minutes before I had to sign in and still the entire waiting room was full of applicants. I swallowed nervously and waited for 3:30 so I could sign in.

Finally they passed around papers to fill out and take down the hall where you would get a number, get measured, and have your picture taken. I got there and then realized that I was first so I wound up with the sticker that read "1", which made the intense nervousness even stronger.

I stepped into the empty dance studio nervous and not ready for what was about to happen. Slowly 37 other teenagers filtered in, mingling quietly with the others until slowly it became happier and peppier and all around me was nothing but a sea of smiles.

Two women walked in, the first was the casting director and then the second one was a choreographer for Disney World. They talked for a bit about what we were going to do and told us that the first thing we were to do is an animation excercise.

The animation excercise is reminiscent of charades in which we were asked to convey a story without any words but with large clear motions. The first part of it was to act as if you saw your favorite character in which you also need to not only convey emotion, but also to identify the character for the audience.

The big tips here are:
Be expressive and use all of your body to tell the story!
Use your levels, be tall, be small, be on the ground, be flying in the air, just don't stay on one level.
Your face can tell a thousand words with a single expression, so make sure to use your face.

The second animation excercise is to eat a huge piece of food after getting really hungry. Pick something that is instantly recognizable and you should be okay. Also, the more comic you make it the more interesting it is. Just remember to use your time wisely and to make a plotline, have some conflict but resolve it creatively and quickly.

The second half of the audition material was a dance that slowly became harder and harder as the dance went on. Trust me when I say that the dance is only perfectable by those with a ton of dance experience. Seeing as I don't have massive dance talents, I didn't make every step. Instead, I put my energy into not onlly doing the foot and hand gestures but to also be genuinely excited about doing the dance. You'll have many times to work on the dance, but it's still difficult when they take it up to tempo.

After you finish the dance you come across the third part of the audition, the combination. This is the material that you will present at the very end, and so make every second count. Now you have a much shorter animation time because you have to go from your animation straight into the dance, four beats of rest, then animate again and then dance. Basically, you showcase your ability to perform in a parade. you try this a few times then you line up and are brought in in groups of four and then you have your short final show which consists of the combination you just did.

This is the very end of the audition, at this point they thank you give you a sheet of paper letting you know that you have to wait a while before you'll even learn if you're accepted for the Entertainment role. Now that's where I am: stuck in the awkward limbo of waiting for them to let me know how I did.

Wish me luck!

"Honey, the phone is for you... it's Mickey"

thymeandplace — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:41:08 GMT

After carefully researching and weighing my options with the Disney college Program I decided to go through and apply to the program that would magically whisk me off to Disney World when I should be stuck at school.

The application looks and feels similar to any job application at first: Name, Date, Social Security Number, Date Available, Work Experience... you get the picture. Then the application lets you know whether or not you can continue to the next portion: the personality test.

The personality test by itself is the longest portion of the entire application process. Online it took me about 45 minutes or an hour to complete because it had so many questions! I would say a safe bet is about 300 questions asking you how you would respond if... how do you feel about... why do you want... and so on. Eventually the questions start being timed. The first set (which is comprised of about 100) are timed at 40 seconds to respond, the second set (another 100 or so) are also timed, but this time you only hve 20 seconds to read a short sentence and then five resposes to it and decided, then click the okay button. To say the least it's stressing, but not too bad.

At the end of the lightning round of battle questions (at least I felt like they were battle questions), you are then sent to a page which either invites you to call and make arrangements for a phone interview or that you had been rejected. They give you a phone number which eventually connects you to a real person, at last.

This person then schedules an appointment for you to be called by an advisor who will then act as your representative the entire time you are getting prepped for the program. My scheduled time was 8:00 on a Wednesday night, which seemed like an odd time to me, but alright.

Wednesday came and sure enough 8:00 hit and I was called by a nice lady named Sarah. sarah and I exchanged pleasantries then started the interview portion of my interview. She asked me about my work experience and how I enjoyed my jobs and what things did I enjoy the most about them, she asked if I had ever had a roommate and that experience, then she began with the questions about the resort. But don't worry if you haven't brushed up your facts (like Donald's middle name), they're much more personal questions. The questions she asked me were if I had ever visited a Disney Resort, if so what was my most memorable experience, what was my favorite part of the trip, and she also asked me to tell her a story about my trip.

I told her a story of my last vacation which I helped plan and how worthwhile it was to see the looks on my little brothers' and cousins' faces. She then went over the requirements for each of the jobs and asked if I was going to audition for a character role, which I was, so that was that. She checked in on the Disney Look to ask if I had any tattoos as well.

She wished me a magical day and then told me that someone would be getting in contact with me and that they were excited to have me on the team.

I recieved my acceptance letter only five days afterwards since they pushed it through so that I could audition and know that I was accepted. So I'll be working from February 4 to August 14 in Merchandise, though soon I might be accepted into Entertainment.

----------------------------------------------
For the next entry I'll be writing about the exciting Entertainment audition!

The Breath Before the Mouse

thymeandplace — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:11:41 GMT

I've just been accepted into the Disney College Program and will be heading out there and arriving on February 1, 2010. I'm assigned temporarily to merchandising, but I've also auditioned for the Entertainment Department which has about 250 spots for over 1000 people to fill, so it's a bit stressful.

This is the very first entry into my hopefully continuing blog from the perspective of a cast member who not only works at Disney, but lives there and plays there.

Through my blog I hope to share insights into the day to day workings of those beloved friends, Cast Members, as well as to show exactly what the College Program is and how it can help you or someone you know.

The Peter Parker to my Spiderman of a Cast Member life is that I'm planning on spending quite a bit of time at the parks for recreational purposes. On that end, I'm planning on creating some entries for helpful tips for those coming to Disney World as well as touring plans and reviews of rides, attractions, and restaurants.

So this is the Bon Voyage to the shaky blog ship of the S.S. Cast Member in Wonderland.

My accidental half-marathon: a.k.a. "How not to train for a Disney Endurance Race"

AVP — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:22:08 GMT

In keeping with the old saying "If you can't be a role model, you can at least act as a hideous warning," here is my trip report of sorts from the 2009 Disneyland Half Marathon.

Disclaimer: Don't do what I did. It was stupid, potentially dangerous, and not really all that bright. If you're actually planning to run/walk/waddle a Disney Endurance Series event, I highly recommend first consulting a medical professional (physical and/or psychological, whichever applies) and then choosing and sticking with a training program. Don't just show up the morning of the race and hope for the best.

Several years ago, encouraged by the example of other MousePlanet staff members, I registered and trained for the Walt Disney World Half Marathon. It didn't end well, and that experience soured me on the whole concept. But when my dear friend AdrienneK started talking about the Disneyland Half Marathon this year, I said "I'll do it if you do." After some months of taunting, she signed up, I signed up (not necessarily in that order), and then... well, at some point we were supposed to start training, but life got in the way.

Over the summer, AdrienneK found a training buddy in MousePad member swanie. She had a training plan, new shoes, new socks, cliff bars, sports beans and a running skirt - what did she need me for? In the interim, I was in the process of writing and planning our first ever MouseAdventure event in Walt Disney World, organizing MousePlanet's D23 presence, buying, renovating and then moving into our first house, and running my retail business. I didn't have time to sleep, much less train for (or even remember I'd signed up for) a race. When I finally did remember (and realized I had done absolutely no training), I decided to skip it for the year and try again in 2010. But, since I promised AdrienneK I'd be there to support her, I figured I'd at least go register and pick up my race bib so I could join her at the start of the race, and then "sweep" myself so I could be at the finish line to get more photos of her.

That was the plan. I even talked to some of the race officials to ask them how best to get myself swept - what were the most convenient spots? They suggested that I try to get to mile 10, because that way I could at least "run" through Angel Stadium before getting swept. Right - that wasn't going to happen. Looking at a map of the course, I decided I'd get to the first designated sweep spot at mile 4 (which looked like it was just after the course exited Disney property), and then just walk over to the finish line.

The morning of the race I dug out my standard exercise clothing of leggings and a t-shirt, laced up my walking shoes, and then spent a moment trying to decide what purse to carry. True, half-marathoners don't usually CARRY purses, but I wasn't really walking the race, and I knew I'd need my camera and cell phone, and car keys and wallet and water bottle and the sports beans I'd gotten at the Expo the day before... In the end, I grabbed my smallest purse, one that can be adjusted to act as a small waist bag, and set out. Before I left home, I put a brace on my ankle that has a tendency to sprain at the least convenient moments, and decided to put another sock over it to prevent chaffing. HUGE MISTAKE, as I was to discover later.

After parking and finding AdrienneK, her coach and a group of other MousePlanet readers, we headed to our corrals. AdrienneK and her husband plus MousePlanet Community Leader Cathy were all in the same corral, so we waited together for the race to begin. I might have stretched a little, but again - I wasn't planning to walk more than a few miles, so I didn't feel the need to warm up. And then... we were off!

AdrienneK, Kevin and I got separated from Cathy almost at once. The last few corrals are usually filled with people who are planning to walk the race, but this year it seemed that an unusual number of runners got put in the back corrals too - probably people who hadn't submitted their proof of time. These runners were pretty aggressive in forcing their way through the crowd, and I often found myself jogging to catch up when a group of runners managed to edge me away from my friends. By Mile 1, my calves were starting to question my decision not to warm up, but the threatened Charlie Horse never materialized.

I don't remember the entire theme park portion of the course, except that it was too narrow in too many spots, and that the first water station we came to just outside DCA was in the worst possible spot. Kevin got separated from us about there, and didn't catch back up until about the time we entered Disneyland. We looped through Tomorrowland, and AdrienneK said "you want to try running a little?" I said "sure," and off she went. Of course we immediately hit another bottleneck and were forced back to walking pace. She decided to run again as we entered Fantasyland, and so ironically one of the only "official" race photos of me actually shows me RUNNING. I took Adrienne's picture as we ran through the Castle, thus completing my "job" as moral support and photographer. As we made our way to the point where we'd leave Disney property, I started to think about how and where to get swept. Oddly enough, I was feeling really strong, and had about decided to go for mile 10 when Adrienne and Kevin started running again... without me. I tried to catch up but got cut off by another group of runners as we turned the final corner out onto Ball Road, and lost sight of them entirely.

After my horrid Walt Disney World race experience, the LAST thing I wanted was someone else to get swept with me because they'd kept pace with me, and I'd told AdrienneK upfront that she needed to run her own race and not worry about me. I wasn't upset that she'd decided to go ahead, but I didn't know why she'd taken off without saying anything, especially since I'd just made the decision to try to make it to Angel Stadium with her. Now what to do? From the map, it looked like the Mile 4 sweep point was *just* off property, so I figured I'd just go turn myself in there, but it turns out it was actually quite a bit further away. AND it turns out that there were no sweep buses in place. I know this sounds odd (and you'll hear it again), but Disney did NOT make it easy for someone to drop out of the race.

So now I'm at Mile 4, I'm feeling (physically) fine, and I decide just to aim for the Mile 10 sweep point. Heck, I was almost halfway there, and who knew if we'd have the chance to run the bases in 2010? The stretch between Mile 4 and 7 was... well, another runner called it the "armpit of Anaheim," and I can't say I disagree. It was here that I found myself dealing with the mental part of the race. I had no companions, no interesting scenery to enjoy and no iPod to distract me - just me and my thoughts. And a toe that started feeling as if perhaps it might be developing a blister...

Just before the turn into Mile 7, the bags of Sports Beans I'd eaten instead of breakfast caught up with me, and I needed a port-a-pottie - badly. All along the race course there were banks and rows of these things, but when I really needed one, there were only two available... with a long line of people waiting for them. I thought briefly of pushing through, but I didn't know how long it would be until I found another one, and I didn't think it was a good idea to risk it. So I waited. And waited. And waited. There were seven people ahead of me, but a spectator decided to use one of them to change her baby, tying up one of them for what seemed like an eternity. By my watch, I lost 12 minutes in that line. Of course, as soon as I got back onto the race course and turned the corner, I saw that there was a huge bank of potties about a quarter mile ahead. THAT'S when my mental game started to break down. After standing for so long, my legs were starting to tighten up, and the blister I could feel on my toe was starting to throb. Everything hurt, and I had three miles to go. What the hell was I doing out there? I hadn't trained! I hadn't even planned to go that far when I started the race! And now I was stuck between sweep points!

This is when the cell phone came in handy. I called my husband and said "I just need you to distract me." He talked to me for a few minutes, and by the time I was at Mile 8, I was in a better mental place. I could SEE the Angel Stadium marquis, had the goal in my sights, and just kept chanting to myself "just get to 10, just get to 10, just get to 10."

Mile 8 was also the first time I encountered a pace official, who warned that were were *right* on pace, and needed to keep up or be swept. The pace official passed me as I headed to Mile 9, and was at the next marker to warn us again that we were in danger of being swept. Mile 9 was the "refreshment" stop, and I was quite disappointed to find out that they had run out of bananas and Sports Shots by this point, and could only offer us more water.

And then we were entering Angel Stadium. For me, this WAS my finish line, and I got a burst of energy as I walked into that tunnel. I admit I teared up when I noticed the small memorial for Nick Adenhart, the Angels' rookie pitcher who was killed in a car accident last year. Walking out into the sunlight, I was hit by a wall of sound from the scouts and community groups who filled the lower levels of the stands to cheer on the runners and walkers. A troop of Girl Scouts saw that I had a camera, and immediately offered to take a picture of me, an offer that was to be repeated a dozen times as I circled the track. I saw myself on the stadium's jumbo screen, and was so elated to have made it that far! As I exited the stadium, a guard said "just a few more miles!" I probably confused him when I replied "this is my finish line," and I started looking for the Mile 10 marker and the buses that would take me back to the finish line.

Did I mention that Disney did NOT make it easy for someone to drop out of the race? Unlike every other mile marker, Mile 10 was staffed by one lone Anaheim police officer, directing traffic away from the course. No race officials. No community performing group. No medical tent. No pace officials, and, most importantly, NO BUS!!!! I said to the police officer, "aren't' we supposed to be swept here?" and he replied "You're ahead of the pace - you can do it!"

I'm sorry sir, I don't think you understand. I don't WANT to do it! Where's my bus? What do you MEAN I have to walk 3 more miles?

By now there was a group of about 10 of us walking in a loose pack, occasionally offering words of encouragement to the others. I kept walking, thinking that surely they'd sweep us at Mile 11. Nope. There were cheerleaders aplenty, staffed water stations, but no sweep bus. By this time, I could SEE Space Mountain, and that's about the time I called AdrienneK to tell her that there had been a slight change in plans. I don't remember the message I left on her phone, but I'm sure it was along the lines of "you better get your butt back to the finish line."

And then we were back on Disney property. A CM who greeted us said that we would NOT be swept now, and I walked what had to be the longest mile of my LIFE. Everything hurt, I feared what I'd discover once I removed my shoes, but I was going to cross that finish line darn it! I called my husband as I neared the finish line, and was so happy to see AdrienneK and her kiddlets cheering for me... from the nearly empty bleachers. (It turns out there were only about 40 people behind me). The race volunteer who "caught" me at the finish line saw my limp and asked if I needed to go to medical, but darn it, I wanted that medal first! After collecting my bright shiny prize, I went to medical to have my feet examined. It turns out that the double layer of socks on my braced foot actually caused more blister damage than it prevented, and the toes on my right foot each sported a giant blister. My left foot was better, but the medic suggested that I wait to get home to treat the blisters - she pointed out that Disney's parking lot was hardly a sterile environment for treating open wounds. I gingerly replaced my shoes, and lurched off to the massage tents for a well deserved rubdown with cooling menthol gel. Ahhhhh...

After I felt I was stable enough to walk, I made it to my car and slowly drove home. Once home, it was right into an ice bath for me, and then I had to deal with my blisters. I'm including this only for cautionary purposes, so you don't do what I did. Remember where I said this was stupid, and potentially dangerous? My blisters were so bad that my nails separated from their beds. I lost one toenail almost immediately, and, nearly two months later, I'm still waiting for two more to fall off. And in case you were wondering, nail salons DON'T give you a discount on pedicures for having fewer toenails than normal.

To recap, here's how NOT to prepare for a half marathon:

Don't train.
Don't fuel properly.
Don't stretch.
Don't test sock/shoe combination
Don't take steps to prevent blisters.

If you're interested in the RIGHT way to train, I highly recommend joining our Team MousePlanet discussions, and chat with people who know what they're doing.
It sounds like we have a lot of readers participating in the Princess Half Marathon next year!

AVP

Disneyland Flirts with New Promotion

David Koenig — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:33:04 GMT

Disneyland's HalloweenTime promotion has been so successful that park management is calculating what other holidays they can tie into for a quick attendance boost.

Decorations and more now mark Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and Summertime. So the next big promotion? According to one source, "TDA (Team Disney Anaheim) managers are planning it to be Valentine�s Day. Expect to see hearts, lace, princesses, and all that fluff all over the resort next year. And it will be more elaborate the year after that."

My guess is that the holiday comes and goes too quickly to justify full-scale attraction makeovers, so don't expect The It's a Small World Tunnel of Love any time soon.

Menus for Disneyland

prince — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:15:21 GMT

For all of those on a budget or just want to see what each place offers to eat in dL and DCA her is a link you can go to. Hope it helps you out. Saves time going from place to place to see if they have anything you will like.

http://allears.net/dlr/din/menu/menus.htm

Disney's Animal Kingdom- A True Life Adventure (Part 4)

mstaft — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:28:09 GMT

With the gates to Disney's Animal Kingdom finally open, it was time for the company to watch and measure guest reaction to all the hard work of the Imagineers, with the end result being a precarious mix of entertainment and education. This was not the Magic Kingdom but one belonging to mostly real and not robotic animals, so a certain amount of realism was expected.

In this regard, Animal Kingdom aligns itself much more with Epcot than with the Magic Kingdom or the Studios. The latter two parks place a heavy emphasis on pure fun and entertainment, but underneath Epcot�s incredible pavilions are doses of philosophy mixed with Disney magic dubbed �edutainment�. The same holds true with this park. It may be subtle, but it is always present.

The stunning Oasis Gardens at the entrance to the park conveyed a serious message from a design standpoint: this park was meant for exploration of the unexpected. The lush jungle, multiple paths and creative and seemingly barrier-free animal habitats caught the paying public by surprise. By intentional design, the Imagineers communicated this park was more than a collection of highly themed and easily accessible adventures; it was as much about slowing down and discovery as it was about delivering the expected Disney theme park experience.

----------------
The rest of part four continues here.

Oktoberfest at Downtown Disney District - October 23-25

AVP — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:48:41 GMT

Downtown Disney is hosting their first-ever Oktoberfest celebration October 23-25. Three groups will perform "festive Bavarian music" at locations throughout Downtown Disney:

German alphorn ensemble Alphorngruppe will perform near the ESPN Zone Friday, Oct. 23 and Saturday, Oct. 24 from 6-10pm

Polka band Stewart Undem will perform throughout Downtown Disney Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6-10pm.

Polka-playing accordion musician Doug Lacey will perform throughout Downtown Disney Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6-10pm.

As we reported in the Disneyland Resort Update, Catal's Uva Bar is celebrating Oktoberfest with a special menu of German specialties and beer. Menu items include a Mix Grill of Oktoberfest Sausage or traditional dishes like Kasknoedel, Backfisch, Wurstsalat, Schweinefleisch and Apfelstrudel. On October 23 & 24, the Uva Bar will host an Oktoberfest Happy Hour from 3-5pm, with featured Oktoberfest beers for $5, $5 well cocktails and house wines by the glass, and 50% off the special Oktoberfest Menu. Live entertainment will be offered on October 23 and 24 from 6-10 PM Visit the restaurant's Web site for more information about their Oktoberfest promotion (link).

AVP

DIsneyland Resort video: CHOC Walk 2009

AVP — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:39:06 GMT

The Disneyland Resort just sent me this video from the 2009 CHOC Walk in the Park. If you really squint at :22, you can see some of Team MousePlanet with the MousePlanet banner.

On behalf of Team MousePlanet, I want to thank everyone for helping us to raise over $5000 for Children's Hospital Orange County!

Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix

Day Three & Four In The Happy Place.

Jenasweetemotion — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:40:21 GMT

I know it has been a few days since I have been able to write about the last couple days of my trip, but things around here have be needles to say very stressful. So now I will tell you all how the rest of my trip went and relive the very happy moments.

Tuesday Oct 12th - Day 3 started off early so we could get early entry into the park because I was careless and thought there was Mickey's Toontown Madness. I am a great schedular but somehow got my days mixed up so after we entered the park 8:10 a.m. and went towards Toontown where I finally figured out that I was wrong I had to figure out what we would do, and how to make it up to my very hungry and tired boyfriend and dad. So we first went over to the Matterhorn where my dad really wanted to go. The line was only 10 minutes which made me really happy. My dad loved it and was happy to be able to ride it. :)

We all then stopped to figure out where to eat and I said to myself, we'll go to Minnie's Breakfast. This is somewhere where none of us had eaten before, plus I figured this would be a redemption of making my mistake. I told my Dad and Tommy to head over to Mainstreet. I stopped and asked the cast member how long the wait would be, he said no wait. So we all shook our heads yes and went to go eat and of course see the characters. The food was really great, but of course we were on the lookout for characters. My dad saw Tigger and stopped eating and started to wave like a little kid. I was watching him and just smiling the whole time :fez: . He has never been to a character meal where he could see so many at one time and it thrilled him to the core.
We saw:
Minnie of course, Tigger, Pooh, Eeyore, Captain Hook, Fairy Godmother, and Chip.

After eating such a big breakfast we looked and saw that it was after 9:00 and why not go over to Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy and get a Fastpass. We wanted to go back at night and view it then. So that is what we did. Then we went over to Finding Nemo which was a 45 minute wait. My dad wanted to experience everything but the subs were never his thing, so he was so-so about this ride.
My dad and myself get claustrophobic him worse then myself with certain places so that is why this Dad was iffy about this ride. After we rode it I asked him how it was, he said alright I guess. So I have figured that if he gets back to Disneyland this will not be a ride that he will go on again lol. :)

We then went over to Small World and decided that this would be a great calm ride. My dad was in aww the whole time, the last time he saw this ride was 11 years ago. He thought everything was so bright and although I think we had the slowest boat lol. we were able to see all the added Disney characters throughout the ride. After Small World I asked my dad what he wanted to do and he said Toy Story mania, so we headed over to California Adventure.
After walking over to Toy Story Mania they said they were having technical difficulties and didn't know how long it would be. So we went over to Soarin which my dad wanted to do again. The wait was 50 minutes, so we got Fastpasses.
We decided we would go back to the hotel real quick so my dad could change. He was wearing shorts and wanted to get some pants on. So we cut through the Grand Californian Private entrance.

After we did that we decided we would go and see Turtle Talk with Crush we went over and waited about 20 minutes. I was trying to explain it to my dad but he didn't understand. So we got seated and my dad was so intrigued. Crush asked if anyone knew how to swim. Tommy raised his hand very low and back down really fast, he tends to be shy sometimes. Well unbeknownst to us he was chosen, because all of a sudden he had a microphone in front of him. It was so funny Crush asked Tommy what button he was wearing and he said my birthday button. Crush said how old are you and Tommy said 25, Crush said dude you just hatched lol. :) It was so funny and my dad kept trying to figure out how this Crush dude knew everything :eyeroll:

After Crush we went back over to Disneyland and went to Thunder Mountain to get Fastpasses, because the whole time we had been there it had been a 50 minute wait which wasn't to bad but Dad wanted to come back and only wait 10 minutes so that is what we did.

We went back over to California Adventure to ride Soarin with our fastpasses and only wait 15 minutes which was great. This time we got to sit in the front and in the middle of the screen. My dad again loved it and wanted to stay. I love this ride and it is always relaxing.
We then went over to California Screamin' and waited 25 minutes. My dad loved this ride and said it was the smoothest coaster he had ever ridden. :)

After going on a few more rides we decided to head over to the Monorail and ride it to Downtown Disney and go eat at ESPN. We got to ESPN about 20 minutes before our reservation time and I asked for a booth in the screening room. Since it was my dad's first time being there I wanted him to sit where not only he had all the TV's but a TV at his table. He loved it, but after ordering his food and not eating it I asked him if he was alright. He said he didn't feel good. I told him to go back to the Hotel and rest for a while. After resisting and telling me that I would somehow be mad at him :rolleyes: he went back to the hotel. We said we would come back to the hotel at 7:30 and see how he was. So that is what we did.

After finishing dinner at ESPN me and Tommy stopped at Paradise Pier to drop off the left overs and went to Disneyland. Tommy decided that he wanted to go and do some shopping with his funcard so we did. We first stopped off at Zocalo and looked at all the decorations and took some pictures. Then we did some shopping and headed back to the hotel to get Dad. Tommy went and woke him up, my dad said he felt much better. The park closed at 9:00 so we had some things to do in a short amount of time. We went over to Space Mountain with our Fastpasses in hand.
We were so happy that we had them because the line at was 115 minutes. We got up to the Fastpass line and only had to wait 10 minutes which we all loved. We also loved the sound effects outside and the colors on Space Mountain. After we rode it again this time in the front, which I think is much better we decided to go to Thunder Mountain.
After 15 minutes of having to go around the fireworks area we were finally over to Thunder Mountain, which had a time of 45 minutes. We got to the point where we handed the Cast member our Fastpass and it started to rain. We were happy that it was only a 5 minute wait. By that time the rain stopped which was great.

We then decided to go on the Jungle Cruise, I don't know why but I love to ride it at night. It was a great ride and the fireworks were going on which was also great. The park was closing in 10 minutes so we decided to go back to the hotel and pack :crying:
We got out of the park fairly easy although the fireworks had ended and everyone was leaving, we decided to cut through the shops which always saves me and Tommy time when we've done it in the past.
We all thought that, that was the hard part.. Wrong.
We get back to Paradise Pier and the whole lobby was filled with lines to the elevators I was like :eek: So having faced the elevator woes before I walked to the second floor and pushed the express elevator which of course was coming down so we were able to catch it to go to our room.
We packed and got the last of our pillow candies which is always sad to think this is my last night here. :crying:

Wednesday Oct 14th- We woke up at 7:30 and checked out and took our luggage and checked it in with their baggage area.
We then headed to the park to do some last minute shopping and some rides.
We first went to go and do Mickey's Toontown Madness, this time on the right day :)
My Dad enjoyed it and the button. He had been collecting the buttons the whole time. After the ceremony thing was done Toontown was still not open to the rest of the park so we went and did Roger Rabbit. We all had a blast and Dad had his own car, because we both knew that he would be spinning himself silly. That is what he did lol.

We then headed over to California Adventure to go on Toy Story Mania it was drizzling but we had our umbrellas with us so we could handle it. We got over there and the wait was 40 minutes so we waited. The rain continued to stop and go so we where happy we had the umbrella's. After riding it my Dad said he had a blast with the games and he did pretty well too. :)
We then went over to Monsters inc. which is my favorite ride :) I love Sully, and this ride is always a must. :)

We then headed over to Disneyland for the last time :crying: We really just walked around and got pictures taken and did some more shopping. The rain never held up and we all decided that we were ready to head home.
We went back to the hotel and Tommy and I decided to change since our bottoms of our pants were wet. So we got our luggage and changed in the bathrooms in the lobby. There was an Origins cosmetic meeting that just let out so the lobby was packed with women. So of course my dad who is single was what he called people watching. They were all really nice and after pulling my Dad to the car we left.

We first had to go to Costco to fill up with gas, then we hit the road. We left Anaheim at 4:00 the traffic was not bad. We stopped at In-N-out and got our lunch/dinner I was so hungry not eating any breakfast that I was so happy to have food in front on me.
We stopped and got gas in Coalinga, and I finally got to stretch my legs. We got back on I-5 and didn't hit any traffic on 101 and got home at mid-night which to me was great. I felt we made great time.

Now that I am home and writing this trip, I wish that I was back in the happiest place. I love the fact that even writing this trip report I feel like I am back in my little world, but I know that as soon as I stop I am back to having to deal with life. :eyeroll:

I hope that you enjoyed reading about my trip and I know that I often try to live vicariously through you all. :)

Untill next time.

Jena

Monorail Shutdown Throws Investigation a Curveball

David Koenig — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:34:27 GMT

A computer glitch on Walt Disney World�s monorail system forced the resort to shut down the Epcot line yesterday�and opens up the possibility that July 5�s fatal crash may not have been entirely human error.

Disney World operates three separate monorail lines (Magic Kingdom Resort line running from the Ticket & Transportation Center to the park and three hotels; Express, which stops only at the TTC and Magic Kingdom, and Epcot, which runs between the TTC and Epcot. Since the Epcot line does not connect to the barn, when adding or subtracting trains, vehicles travel to or from the Express line via a spur track near the TTC. Shop activates Switch 8 (connecting Express to the spur) and Switch 9 (connecting the other end of the spur to the Epcot line), and power begins to course along the spur.

Yesterday, however, switches 8 and 9 were lined up with the mainline, but the lights on the computer console at Shop erroneously indicated 8 was on the spur.

�Express is operating, but they can�t bring up power on the Epcot beam through the switches,� an insider reported early yesterday evening. �The conflict today casts doubt on who ultimately was at fault in July. It�s possible that Shop�s board may have indicated that the switches were aligned on the spur while they were actually still on the mainline.�

So conceivably those at consoles could have been led to believe all was well in the moments before the fatal crash. Even so, I have to think there was still time to react.

As one monorail old-timer shared, �Early in my career as a pilot we talked with one of the Park Rangers (that�s what Monorail Shop calls the maintenance cast who hang out at TTC so they can respond to problems faster) about the computers on the train. He quickly corrected us. He said there are three PROCESSORS in the monitoring system. However, �there is only one COMPUTER on the train: the pilot.� Meaning that we pilots were ultimately responsible for the operation of the train, and those souls on board and that we shouldn�t explicitly trust the electronics.�

Second Day in the Park.

Jenasweetemotion — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 07:11:14 GMT

Here is what we did the second day of our trip to the Happiest Place.

Monday Oct 12th- We started out the day waking up at 7:30 and decided to head over to La Brea for breakfast. We had noticed that there was not nearly as many people as the previous day which was a great sign. We had allot planned for today, because some of the things were going down for refurbishment the next day or where not going so I had everything planned. :)

We first had all decided that we would start off the day by heading to the Haunted Mansion which is what we did. We only waited 10 minutes which was great. My dad had never seen the Haunted Mansion all decorated in the Nightmare before Christmas holiday.
After we got out of the ride we noticed a 5 minute wait time for Splash Mountain so I didn't hesitate and asked dad if he wanted to ride it now. So that is what we did. Tommy is not a fan of this ride so he was going to hold on to our stuff. We got to the log and I asked my dad if he wanted to hand off anything more to Tommy and he said no, so off we went. After the first little drop I realized that I was going to get very wet as I already felt like a typhoon had gone in my shoes. After the last/big drop I was drinctched but had also known my dad was no longer wearing his hat :confused: . Well as you probably guessed he lost it on the last drop :eyeroll: We told a cast member and they said that at the end of the day they drain the water and to come back tomorrow. So that was are plan for the next morning.

We headed over to Fantasyland to Mr. Toads wild ride, to try to get a little dry :p The last scene in the ride you end in hell and the heat we thought would help :) It did we were a little drier. My dad decided he wanted to go over to California Adventure and go on Soarin over California which he had read about, so that is where we went. When we got to Soarin there was a 40 minute wait which was more of a 35 minute wait. My dad loved the pictures and the history inside. Once we got inside and got seated I looked over and he had a big smile on his face. After it was over we looked at my dad and he said I wonder if they will notice if I hide in here. I said yes lol. He loved this ride soooo... much. I told him that we would do this ride again.

We then headed back to Disneyland as not only were we really hungry but we had reservations at Celebration Round-Up so we headed there in hopes that we could get in early, which is what we did. The food was really great I think I had 3 pieces of chicken, Tommy had 3 pieces of chicken as well as some ribs. My dad ate the most he had 3 buckets of ribs no joke. I couldn't believe how much he ate. I kept looking at him like :eek: after he was finished they let us take the rest of the food to go which I thought was cool. I am used to all you can eat food not being able to be taken as left over. I think that I will definitely be eating here again. :)

After we were done eating an early lunch/dinner we decided to go and do something relaxing so we headed towards Frontierland. We saw that Sailing Ship Columbia was running and this was going to be the last day of it. We waited for it, as the Mark Twain was loading people. We didn't mind waiting as we were really full. Me and dad had never ridden on this ship so we were both really happy Tommy likes this one out of both of the ships. What was great was becuase we had been waiting they told us were to stand so when they opened the gates we could go to the front. That is what we did and I kind of had the Titanic moment on the front lol. :fez: Dad got told not to touch the black cannons, I swear he is a kid. :)

After we rode that we decided to go back to the hotel and drop off the left overs and also so I could change my pants as they still were not fully dry. Only because it was a nice cool day.

We got back to the park at about 3:30 and I had seen the Lilly Belle running and I have always wanted to ride in it. We went to the train station to ask and someone else was already there asking the same info. They were trying to find out if they had enough cast members to have someone back there. That took about a half hour. They said yes and asked how many people were waiting the person that was before us had 6 people and we had 3 so we waited as it went around the park. Someone showed up and said that they had put thier name on a list to ride. The cast member asked how many they had and they had 6 but 2 hadn't arrived yet and the Lilly Belle was approaching so the cast member told them the people they had with them would be able to go but they were not going to wait for the remainder. It made it a total of 13 people which meant we could ride. I was so happy to be able to ride that I didn't notice that it was really hot inside. :rolleyes:

After we rode that we figured we would head over to Bill Hill and the Hillbillies at the Golden Horseshoe. They were only going to be performing this day of our trip. We got over there 45 minutes before the show and got a great seat on the upper balcony. Tommy wanted some ice cream and dad wanted the chili fries he saw so that is what we did. After we got there the rest of the seats were all gone so we were really glad that we got there at that time. It was the first time seeing the show for all of us and we loved it. We were clapping and singing along and laughing :) I will definitely do this again with mom and brother in Dec.

We then decided to go and ride some rides while waiting for Fantasmic. Dad decided that this would be the best time to go back over to Disney's California Adventure and ride Tower of Terror. Keep in mind that the only reason he was riding this was because my mom rode it. They are divorced and it is sometimes a game lol. a friendly one though. :p
We got there and the wait was only 15 minutes which was only about 10 minutes. I was hoping it would be a fast wait so my dad would not change his mind. He rode it and won't be doing it again lol. He looked so ill after that I thought we might be heading back to the hotel early. He said he was fine :eyeroll: we headed back over to Disneyland because California Adventure was closing. We thought we would go over to the Fantasmic area.

We finally got over to the secret viewing area, where no one was including some of the MP'ers that were there that also know about it. We were there about 40 minutes before the show. Once the show started I felt that I had the best view out of everyone. Thanks again to the person that let me know. I will definitely being doing this again in Dec. :)

After it was over we waited in the area to see the fireworks where they had the music and turned off the lights. I loved the new Halloween Screams and hope that they keep it for next year. :)

After the Fireworks were over we decided to head to the hotel and get some sleep as we had, had a full day.

Well that is it for day 2 and I hope that you are not to bored by reading about my trip. I am enjoying reliving it :)

Until Tomorrow and day 3 of my trip! :)

Jena

First Day in the Park.

Jenasweetemotion — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:08:37 GMT

Well I know I am home and no longer at the happiest place but I thought I would write about the first day of the trip as there was allot that we did in the 4 day trip to have to write in one post.

Sunday Oct 11th- We woke up a little early as the clock in the room was set by someone who liked to arrive early to places so instead of waking up at 7:30 we woke up at 7:05. By this time I had decided to go and up my dad, which was not hard considering we were in attached rooms. After getting ready we decided to go eat breakfast at La Brea. We waited for 3 elevators at Paradise Pier before getting one that had enough room for three people. This has always been a down flaw at this hotel their elevators are very slow and when you get one it may not be your time. :rolleyes:

We first had to stop by Walt Disney Travel in Downtown Disney to get 3 Magical Exclusion booklets. We waited while someone in front of us needed lots of attention :eyeroll: . We purchased 3 at $10.00 a piece the lady at the front desk knew what we were looking to get which made it easy.
If you don�t have a package and need the Magical Exclusion this is an option. We purchased the Magical Exclusion manly for the priority seating at the Aladdin show which was only showing on Sunday of our trip, which was today so we were really happy to have them in hand. :)

After that we walked to the ticket booths to get Tommy�s birthday fun card. We soon realized that today was going to be really busy.
After entering the park it said that Disneyland was experiencing high crowds and if leaving to get a hand stamp. :|
We first headed to Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy and decided we would wait the 70 minutes it had said, otherwise the return time for Fastpass was 11:00 p.m. and we didn�t want to wait. So after waiting 65 minutes they said that they were experiencing technical difficulty and didn�t know when it would be fixed :confused: . I decided that we would wait it out. So after a total of 85 minutes me and my dad where on the ride, we both loved it :fez: Tommy is not a thrill rides person so he waited.

We then decided we would head over to California Adventure to see Aladdin the Musical although it was still 45 minutes before the show I lined up in the Preferred seating line where people were already waiting. I was glad I did because the back of the line were told they would have to come back at a later time.
Dad loved the show and we all were laughing at the genie. :)

After the show we were really hungry so we went back to Disneyland for some corn dogs at the Red Wagon. This was the first for all of us and we loved these corn dogs. If you have not tried them I would. :p

We went on some rides and headed to critter country to see if Tigger was out, he is my dad's favorite character. On our way we saw that the Canoes were going. I have never been able to do this on any of my previous trips, they've always been closed. My dad has never been able to do this. So we thought we would. We all loved it and thought it was fun to experience. :) We then went and saw Tigger and Pooh.

We stayed in the area, because we had a reservation for Blue Bayou, which was a surprise for my dad and boyfriend. So keeping them in the area was a little hard for me :rolleyes: . They both decided we would wait for Pirates of the Caribbean which was a 40 minute wait but I had the time. My dad loved what they did to the ride to add the movies to the previous attraction. It was all new to him :) When we got out of the ride we had 20 minutes before our reservation so I walked over to Blue Bayou. Their faces were like :eek: and then :fez: I asked for a seat by the water and was told I may have to wait after my time which is nothing new. So we all waited, this was my dad's first time here and he was taking everything in.
Dad had Five-Pepper Roast New York with gumbo and he loved it ate almost everything. Me and Tommy did a split plate of Filet Mignon and he had gumbo and I had the salad. I was a little bummed that they didn't do the salad wedge anymore I liked the wedge better. I also like that with the split plate that he didn't have to also get a salad which is what they've done in the past. Dinner was great and Wendy brought Tommy some chocolate moose with whipped cream and a candle which made him happy :)

After dinner we had decided to go and ride some more rides. The park was still crowded and everyone was getting ready for the fireworks and fantasmic so it was close quarters. Dad was getting tired and so was I so we thought we would head to the Mad Hatter, because my dad really waited some Mickey Ears of course :) .
Since we were in Tomorrowland we saw the line for Autotopia had a 10 minute wait so stopped their. Dad was the first car since he can tend to be a child a bump into us. We thought it was a good idea until he took of and ditched us lol. :)
After we got out of the ride we watched the Space Mountain colors and sounds and listened and danced to some music which was really great. :) Forgetting the fact we were all tired.
We had to figure out a way to get out of Disneyland. The cast members had us go in a circle from Tomorrowland to in front of the Castle towards Adventureland. Once over there we were surprised that in order to get to the front of Mainstreet they had us go to through the back of Mainstreet to the front I got to see some behind the scenes which I thought was so cool. We saw The great Zamboni machine, and some Jungle cruise boats we didn't recognize but where told to swiftly move through the area as cast members were showing us where to go. :)
Dad got his ears and as we left the store we saw Mickey all dressed up and stopped for a picture :)

We finally got back to the hotel crashed :) we were so tired.

Well I know that is only day 1 but I can only write so much lol. I hope you don't mind reading about my trip and do hope you enjoy it. :)

Until Tomorrow!

Jena

George Kalogridis named new President of the Disneyland Resort

AVP — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:09:26 GMT

Source: Disney press release / Reuters

Quote:

ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct. 12 -- George Kalogridis, a 38-year Disney veteran and former Disneyland executive, has been named president of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Kalogridis most recently served as chief operating officer for Disneyland Resort Paris, where he was responsible for leading the operations team and overseeing the highly successful 15th anniversary celebration of the resort.

Kalogridis, 55, will report to Al Weiss, president of Worldwide Operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. He replaces Ed Grier, who is retiring from the company.

"George is a proven strategic thinker whose operational expertise and strong leadership skills will serve him well in leading the Disneyland Resort," said Weiss. "We are excited to welcome him back to California and look forward to his leadership as we continue to expand and grow this beloved place."

From 2000 to 2002, Kalogridis served as senior vice president of Resort Operations for the Disneyland Resort, where he played a significant role in the first expansion of the resort - the opening of Disney's California Adventure park and Downtown Disney. In addition, he was responsible for the daily operations of both theme parks and three hotels, as well as Downtown Disney.

"I am thrilled to be returning to Disneyland, particularly during this exciting time of significant expansion," said Kalogridis. "I look forward to working with the Cast who make the magic for our Guests everyday and partnering with the Orange County community to ensure the Anaheim Resort Area continues to thrive."

During Kalogridis' tenure with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, he has held numerous executive positions, gaining a breadth of experience beyond operations and sales. In addition to his leadership roles in both Paris and Anaheim, Kalogridis served as vice president of Travel Operations at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Kalogridis also served as vice president of Walt Disney World's EPCOT park, where, in addition to overseeing park operations, he led the Millennium Celebration for The Walt Disney Company.

Kalogridis started his career with the company in 1971 as a busboy at the opening of the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World. For more than five years, he served as general manager of the Grand Floridian Beach Resort. He has held executive roles in Human Resources at Walt Disney World and served as one of the original Cast Members on the Disneyland Resort Paris development team in 1988.

No Candlelight Dining Package for 2009

AVP — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:18:34 GMT

The day after D23 announced their 2009 event holiday event schedule, which includes a $275 per person Candlelight Spectacular event at Disneyland (link), a Disneyland Resort spokesperson confirmed for MousePlanet that the Resort will not offer a Candlelight dining package this year.

Visitors who want to see the annual holiday event can either spring for the pricey D23 Candelight Spectacular package (and for D23 membership, if they are not already a member), or devote most of a weekend day to saving a spot on Disneyland's Main Street.

While this decision came as a shock to many of our readers, is it really that surprising in retrospect? Disneyland has never pulled off a sucessful Candlelight dining offering, and with each passing year the frustration and complaints mounted. In a blog post last year (link) I detailed six years of broken processes and poor communication that have marked Disneyland's efforts at offering a Candlelight dining plan, and wrote

"The time has long since come to decide what Candlelight means to the Disneyland Resort. If it's really intended to be an private event, a "thank you" of sorts for corporate sponsors, senior executives and Club 33 members, then hold it after park hours on a December week day, much as you do the Cast Member holiday parties, and be done with it. But, if Candlelight is going to remain a public event, then it's time to get serious about making this truly a Disney experience."

With this announcement, I think we have Disney's answer. Instead of fixing the myriad but not insurmountable problems with the Candelight dining packages (which I still maintain could have been easily resolved by offering brunch instead of dinner, and hiring an outside firm to handle package sales), they've decided to scuttle the program entirely - or at least hand it off to D23 to try and manage.

What seating there is will be reserved for VIPs and invited guests, and those willing to pay for the D23 package. Everyone else will jockey for position in the standby viewing area, just as it was for the years (decades, really) before Disneyland first experimented with the dining package.

Now those who plan to see Candlelight this year anyway just have to think back to 1997, and try to remember their best strategy for getting a seat. For me, I remember arriving around Noon to find a spot, and waiting with friends for hours to see the show. We brought blankets and playing cards, and made a day of it. We didn't have the best seat in the house, but we were there.

It still remains to be seen whether Disney will communicate how they plan to handle the stand-by seating this year, or if that process will be as much of a mystery as it has been in recent years. If the Main Street viewing area is set up as usual, there will be quite a number of benches and chairs at the back of the VIP seating area, and Disney always has some (if unannounced) plan for filling those seats, usually involving a long line down Main Street. We'll post more information as we have it.

AVP

Finally Back At My Happy Place!

Jenasweetemotion — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:51:17 GMT

Thought I would write in the blog since it is still early and I have free wifi here at Paradise Pier.

This trip started out a little bumpy as I got food poisoning from a salad I ate at lunch from Costco yesterday, so last night I slept 4 hours and I still felt weak but had to get myself up to go and get my dad. So we started out leaving and on the 101 at 10:30. I suppose it could have been worse. I have been just laying low as we were not planning on going into the park thank god.

We stopped only once in Coalinga and got gas, and went back on our way. We made great timing or so we thought until we went over the grape vine and they were still putting out a fire it looked like it was almost out but the 20 or so fire trucks and Helicopter made everyone want to stop and stare. Of course once we came into Los Angeles it was traffic the whole way so we arrived at are hotel at 5:30.

We saw signs flashing that Disneyland was very busy and once we decided to make our way over to look it was very busy. The ticket booths were over an hour long, and Downtown Disney was crazy.

We headed back to our hotel and went to PCH Grill which was the only place that had no wait, I got chicken noodle soup as my stomach was still :|

We headed up to the room where they left balloons and candy in both rooms and Mickey rice crispies and a birthday cloth cake. :)

Well that is it as I am going to bed.

Until next time.

Jena

News From Cast Place: WDW & DL College Program - Professional Internships

Niwel — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:17:19 GMT

Hey all!

The Disney College Program is currently casting roles for program alums, who have the opportunity to continue their Disney career by becoming a Disney Professional Intern. The Walt Disney World� Resort and the Disneyland� Resort are currently seeking candidates for Disney Professional Internships that begin in January 2010.

Students have the chance to gain insight and opportunity into their chosen field of study within a respected, world-renowned company. Students can apply the previous knowledge that they gained while on the Disney College Program and in their college studies to a real-world experience that includes networking opportunities with Disney professionals!

The deadline to apply for Disney Professional Internships is Oct. 23.

To learn more about the positions available and the qualifications for each, visit disneyinterns.com.

There are also roles available in culinary and entertainment.

For first-time applicants, recruiters are visiting colleges around the country to cast for The Walt Disney World College Program and Disneyland College Program.

Disneyland
2010 Spring: approximately January through mid to late May

WDW
2010 Fall Advantage: approximately January/February through August
2010 Spring Advanatage Quarter: approximately March/April through August (only available to students attending schools on the Quarter/Trimester Academic Calendar)
Culinary:ongoing school demonstrations and interviews that will coincide with students' time frames

Note: There will not be a Summer-only opportunity available for first time participants.

REQUIREMENTS FOR BOTH PROGRAMS:

- Participants must be currently enrolled as a full-time or part-time student in a college or university within the United States and have completed at least one semester.
- Participants must meet their school's requirements for participation (G.P.A., grade level, credit hours earned, etc.). This varies by school, so please check with a faculty member to see if you are eligible to participate in the program.
- Participants must be at least 18 years old by the time the program begins.
- Participants must also have unrestricted work authorization in the United States.

To view the online e-presentation, see a list of campus visits, or for more information, visit the College Program Web Site (link)

Disneyland Trip - October 24-25, 2009

prince — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:48:24 GMT

WooHoo! 15 days to go... We will be at the happiest place on earth. :D

D23 announces 2009 holiday member events

AVP — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:28:54 GMT

Disney announced a series of holiday events for D23 members today, with activities scheduled on both coasts. Disneyland-area members can choose between the Candlelight Spectacular at Disneyland or the Disney and Dickens event in Los Angeles, while East coasters can attend the two day Magic & Merriment event at Walt Disney World.

The California events are not inexpensive - the Candlelight Spectacular event at Disneyland is $275 per person, which includes park admission. There is no discount for those who already have an AP, and the ticket is ONLY valid the day of the event and ONLY for the person who purchased it, so APs can't even hand off their unneeded $97 ticket to a friend. The event includes reserved seating for A Christmas Fantasy Parade, a private dinner event inside Stage 17 at DCA, reserved seating for Candlelight Processional and Ceremony, and dessert and a panel discussion with the Candlelight producers back at Stage 17.

The Disney and Dickens event is essentially a screening of Disney's A Christmas Carol, followed by dinner at the Tam O'Shanter Restaurant, one of Walt Disney's favorite restaurants. Tickets are $95 per person.

Oddly enough, the Walt Disney World Magic & Merriment event is a steal considering everything that is included. The $195 per person fee includes two one-day, one-park tickets ($158 value); admission to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party ($42.55 value); and two one-day admissions to Disney Quest ($80 value). And those are just the tickets that come with the package - you also get reserved seating for Candlelight; dinner and dessert on the set of Lights! Motors! Action! (including alcohol); private, after-hours viewing of The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights; private luncheon at the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon; opportunity to tour the Cinderella Suite; reserved seating for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parade; access to the D23 Member Lounge; and a private "Holidays Around the World" presentation.

Another odd difference between the WDW and the Disneyland events - the WDW tickets can be used up until December 30th (instead of only on the event dates), and there is no stated restriction that the tickets may only be used by the event guest, as there is with the Disneyland tickets. In other words, if you already hold a Walt Disney World AP, you can probably give these tickets to someone else.

If I were a D23 member deciding between Disneyland's overpriced dinner-and-a-show events and Walt Disney World's two-day extravaganza, I know which one I'd choose. In fact... I think I'm going to see if my DVC home resort has any availability that weekend.

But back to California, this new event really adds another layer of unwelcome complication to the annual fiasco that is the sale of the Candlelight Dining Packages. As of this writing, Disneyland has not made any announcement about how (or even IF) non-D23 members can purchase the dining package, and this just means there will be even fewer seats available when (and IF) tickets do go on sale.

That Florida is looking better and better all the time...

Quote:

D23 ANNOUNCES 2009 HOLIDAY MEMBER EVENTS

BURBANK, CA � October 8, 2009 -- D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans today announced complete details for three incredible holiday events this December. D23 Members will get a chance to deck the halls and experience the wonder of the season like never before through incredible offerings at the Walt Disney World and Disneyland resorts as well as a very special "Disney and Dickens" event celebrating Christmases past and present in Hollywood.

"The winter wonderland season at a Disney Park is unlike any other and this December we are offering D23 Members a chance to experience some of our most heartfelt holiday traditions like never before," said Steven Clark, head of D23. "All three of these events are sure to create lasting magical memories and I couldn�t be more excited to cap off this incredible year of D23 with our Charter Year Members."

HOLIDAY 2009 D23 CHARTER MEMBER-ONLY SPECIAL EVENTS:

December 6, 2009 D23�s Candlelight Spectacular at Disneyland

For more than 50 years, Disneyland�s Candlelight Processional and Ceremony has heralded in the Christmas season at "The Merriest Place on Earth." This year�s Candlelight Processional and Ceremony serves as the centerpiece of D23�s first holiday season celebration during a magical day of festivities created exclusively for D23 Members and their guests. This can�t-miss event begins with a day enjoying the holiday splendor of Disneyland including reserved seating at Disneyland�s A Christmas Fantasy Parade. When night falls, D23 Members and their guests will gather inside Stage 17 at Disney�s California Adventure where a winter wonderland awaits with a sumptuous private dinner prepared by Disneyland�s Executive Chef�with a special show starring some of Disney�s most beloved characters donning their holiday best. Later that evening, D23 Members and their guests will be escorted to reserved seating for this year�s Candlelight Processional and Ceremony, a breathtaking retelling of the Christmas story with a celebrity narrator, the Disneyland Orchestra and the Disney Employee Choir. Following the Candlelight Processional and Ceremony, the party returns to Stage 17 where everyone will enjoy a sweet treat and a special "behind-the-candles" look at the history of holiday traditions at Disneyland, as well as the special care and work that goes into making the parks look their best for the season. Add in some D23 magic, and this is sure to be an once-in-a-lifetime experience!

December 10, 2009 D23�s Disney and Dickens

Join Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and fellow D23 Members for an evening of Dickensian delights at the historic El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood to experience the new Robert Zemeckis film Disney�s A Christmas Carol, starring Jim Carey, Bob Hoskins and an all-star cast in this new retelling of Charles Dickens� timeless holiday favorite. After the movie, guests will head to a holiday feast at the legendary Tam O�Shanter restaurant in Los Angeles�a frequent hang out of Walt Disney and his animators. D23 Members will have the opportunity to see Walt�s table, take a look at the wonderful artwork created by Disney animators for the Tam, and be entertained by Dickens Carolers, as well as an ensemble from the Disney Employee Choir, who will sing their favorite Disney Christmas songs.

December 12 & 13, 2009 D23�s Magic & Merriment

For two days at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, D23 Members will have the opportunity to experience the holiday season as never before. The jolly happenings begin Saturday morning, December 12 inside the D23 Member Lounge in Epcot. D23 Members will get their first behind-the-scenes look at the holiday magic Disney creates including a glimpse at how the Resort transforms seemingly overnight from Florida paradise to winter wonderland. After a day enjoying the park, D23 Members will reconvene at the America Gardens Theatre to enjoy the perennial Christmas favorite, Candlelight Processional, narrated by the incomparable Vanessa Williams. Following the show, D23 Members will head to Disney�s Hollywood Studios for a holiday feast on the set of Lights! Motors! Action! And after the park closes, D23 Members will enjoy one more signature ride before heading to the Streets of America for a private viewing of the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights hosted by two of Walt Disney World�s top creative minds. Sunday takes D23 Members to the Magic Kingdom for a full day of holiday delights. The fun includes a private luncheon inside the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon, and a once-in-a-lifetime private tour of the Cinderella Dream Suite inside Cinderella Castle. That night, the festivities continue with Mickey�s Very Merry Christmas Party, which includes a private hospitality area with holiday treats. Add in reserved seating for Mickey�s Very Merry Christmas Parade and a good helping of pixie dust and D23 Members will have a winter wonderland weekend to remember.

To find out more about D23�s Holiday 2009 Special Events Calendar, including admissions and how to register for events, visit http://www.disney.com/D23 and click on the "Expo & Events" tab. All D23 Special Events are subject to change without notice, have varying admission fees and registration processes, and may require advance reservations due to space limitations.

2 days and counting!

Jenasweetemotion — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:58:25 GMT

I can't wait to be on vacation it always seems that things all seem to happen before I leave to stress me out.

I woke up this morning my chin and neck hurt almost a burning, I look in the mirror and it looks like I had a chemical peel. Turns out that the face cream I used changed there active ingredient and I am allergic to it. So I went to Target and got some Hydrocortisone cream with aloe and am hoping it will look better. :confused:
While at Target I go to check out and while waiting in line for only about 10 minutes we get to the checkout person and he looks up at his light and says I'm closed and turns off his light. I had one thing it is not as though I'm going to take more then a minute, plus you could have told me this before. I had nothing nice to say, so I calmly walked away. I now have to go and stand in a line for 25 minutes because they only have 2 registers open.

When I get home I go online to balance my register for my bank account and see that the check I put in yesterday for $8.62 was being held for a day because it was not a bank check (I won't say the bank) which has never happened. I've never had an issue. So they charge me an overdraft fee of $33.00 on being over by $1.24 no joke. I drove to the bank and asked them what happened and the great thing is they said it was their mistake and reversed it. It was just something else.

On another note I got my luggage and am almost finished packing. I also washed the car so it look nice and pretty :)
I fixed meals last night to leave for my mom and brother that way they don't starve. I am the cook in the house. I am happy that I only have to fix dinner tonight and then not again till I get back from Disneyland.
Tomorrow we are going out for my boyfriend Tommy's 25th birthday his birthday is not until Oct 11 but we wont be here, it should be nice. :)

I am now at home watching the Boston vs. Anaheim baseball game. I know I may get flack but I am a Boston Fan so I am hoping that they can pull themselves together :)

Well thanks for listen to me ramble :)

Until next time!

Oh and by the way shows how tired I am I only have 1 day and I titled 2. I think my pillow is screaming at me :)

Jena

Free "Walt Disney World Secrets Gold" Notescast for iPhone or iPod Touch

Jeff Kober — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:01:00 GMT

Mike Westby, author of "Walt Disney World Secrets Gold" Notescast has offered five free iPhone/iPod Touch apps to the first people who send me a note at

jkober@performancejourneys.com

Also, be sure to read my column next week when I showcase my newest iPhone/iPod Touch App, Disney at Work: Epcot!

All the best, Jeff Kober

Magical Reservations and Crazy Straws

Niwel — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:25:28 GMT

Niwel's Mom Via Voicemail: Hi Honey! Do you know you aren't in first class between Miami and Orlando.

ME: Say what?

This was how my conversation with my mother went a few days ago and why, boys and girls, making airline reservations at 8 a.m. is never advised.

As I mentioned in my last blog, as a gold flyer, DH and I were able to purchase tickets to Florida, and used miles to upgrade ourselves to first class (we figured if we have to red-eye, we might as we be comfortable).

But, apparently, something went amiss ... and while we were upgraded from LAX to Miami and from Orlando back to LAX, the middle flight was booked at a "non-upgradable fare."

I contacted AA and asked -- VERY NICELY -- if that could be corrected. That 1)we didn't realize there was a category change; 2) the first class on our flight was almost entirely open 3) if the upgrade couldn't go through I would like the miles credited back.

I was put on hold in five-minute spurts. The the agent came back on:

AA AGENT: We are giving you a refund. $5 credit per person to use on a future flight.

ME: Oh? (slightly disappointed)

AGENT: And you have the upgrade from Miami to Orlando.

ME: Yes! Thank you!

So we are set on the flight -- and that night: our Magical Express tags arrived! I'll admit it... I got giddy.

The only part yet to decide is our gameplan. I just have to find the time to sit down with Mr. Niwel and plan it (I think I convinced him that while we are doing Mission: Space, we will be doing the "less intense" version).

And I am trying to figure out if we ride Test track and get an FP for Mission Space, or vice versa. And do we ride Everest and get an FP for Dinosaur or the Safari? Or Should I mush that around?

Stay tuned!

P.S. If you are going to be at the WDW MouseAdventure and want a Crazy Straw, just find me Saturday (gameday) and tell me the answer to this: I wrote an article inspired by a "land" that Betty White, one of Disney World's 15th Anniversary co-hosts, mentioned as "the one area Disney didn't think of." What was the name of that land?

Free CHOC Walk registration today - join Team MousePlanet!

AVP — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:36:46 GMT

Come join CHOC Walk with Team MousePlanet, and help us raise money for Children's Hospital Orange County at the 2009 CHOC/Disneyland Resort Walk in the Park. To help encourage more participants to sign up and start raising funds, CHOC is holding a "Free Registration" day TODAY Wednesday, October 7. Register for Team MousePlanet today, and you can create your account and start fundraising without having to pay the normal $50 registration fee up front. Walkers will still need to raise a of minimum of $50 to participate in the CHOC Walk on October 18, but you'll have until Saturday, October 17 to raise the funds.

CHOC has really upgraded the Walk Web site this year, and it's even easier for you to support team MousePlanet. You can:

Walk with Team MousePlanet � register to walk with us at the October 18th event, and earn prizes as you meet your fundraising goals (click here). Team MousePlanet Walkers will receive a MousePlanet baseball cap at the Walk.
Raise money with Team MousePlanet � register as a "Sleeping Bear," (someone who is raising money, but can't attend the Walk in person), and earn prizes as you meet your fundraising goals (click here).
Sponsor a specific Team MousePlanet walker � sponsor a Team MousePlanet walker, and help them earn prizes (click here).
Sponsor Team MousePlanet � a new option this year! (click here).

To make it even easier for you to walk with Team MousePlanet, we'll handle the sign-in for you. If you meet the $50 minimum fundraising goal by Thursday, October 15, you won't need to drive to Irvine to sign in and collect your prizes before the walk!. A representative from Team MousePlanet will take care of those details for you, so all you'll need to do is show up at the Walk on Sunday. Visit our MousePad discussion boards to meet other members of Team MousePlanet and discuss the Walk (link).

AVP