X Marks the Spot

Let me start by saying I’m feeling good today. Wait, scratch that. I’m feeling AMAZING today. In fact scratch that too. I’m having a Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah-Day.

Now today’s tip is not one that you do in the park but that you can do right now. Many people do not realize but Disney Parks actually have a map customization program on their site where you can customize your own Walt Disney World maps with your favorite attractions and restaurants marked. And best of all, when you’re done they will mail your customized maps to you for….wait for it……FREE! I know that as soon as I heard of this I ordered my maps right away. And when I got them I was completely blown away by how amazing they looked. Anyways, here is the link to the maps page http://bit.ly/pKoFC.

I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate those who have been accepted into the program including Eric, Princess Ashlie, and old roommate Tom. I also want to say to those who are still awaiting a reply and those who haven’t had their interview yet, GOOD LUCK!!!! And finally those who are applying for a future season or who are just fans reading this blog, in the words of Walt Disney “Keep Moving Forward.”

Have a Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah-Day!!!!

FOCUS DUDE!

If you are reading this blog then must have a passion for the Walt Disney Company, the College Program, and possibly future employment in the company. And the last thing you want to do while you are on the program is do anything to harm your chances of working for Disney again. That is why, if you follow only one piece of advice I have ever or will ever post it’s this one. First though look around you for a scrap of paper or a note card and any sort of writing instrument in your general vicinity. You have it? Great! Now write down the following in big letters:

“REMEMBER WHY I’M HERE.”

Now that you have that done stick it into your wallet, purse, or whatever you carry around with you. Make sure you always know where it is and when you start your program make sure you bring it with you. It only takes one day. On my program I knew any fellow CP’s who were sent home packing for making the stupid mistakes and thinking about only the short term gain and not focusing on the big picture. You do not want this to happen to you. If you tarnish your record by getting terminated or racking up reprimands then you make the job of the cast members in charge of the Professional Internships and casting in general real easy. So to conclude this post here are some points to focus on as well as some common mistakes to avoid.

Think about it

-You are there to work fun and have fun second. Yes you are in Disney World and it’s fun to explore the parks and Orlando in general but don’t skip work just to have fun.

-If you are a minor, it isn’t worth having a beer or going to a friend’s place to drink. They really crack down on underage drinking and if you are found with alcohol in a wellness apartment then you are also putting your roommates in danger of termination as well. Plus you don’t want to have to leave just because you wanted a buzz.

-Just because you are a cast member does not mean you have any more rights than a guest when you are in the parks. Point being, when you are in the park act like youare a guest because guess what.....you are. And don’t try to draw attention to the fact that you are a cast member when you are exploring the park, only bad things can happen.

-And finally I can’t stress this one enough because I was told about six people during my program that were termed because of it. Do not I repeat do not try to sneak anyone into the apartment complexes. If it’s too late at night then tough or they weren’t granted access for whatever reason, then tough. Trust me, it is not worth it to have them over for the night if it means you are putting yourself or your roommates at risk

Have a Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah-Day!!!!!

Quiet on the set, roll the Links, and ACTION!

Let me start this post off by saying that these are by far my favorite of the links that I have posted so far. With that being said, On With The Show:

Over the past week I have talked to three different people, all of who said that they would love to work on the Great Movie Ride. And why not? There is a fun spiel, there are two potential story lines, you can be a ride operator or a thug or even a bank robber, and of course there’s that great movie montage at the end of the ride. So I was inspired to post this link which was put together by a fan of the attraction and which features the many different movie montages The Great Movie Ride had featured over the years. Enjoy!

http://prettygoodmovieride.com/

This next couples of links are commercials but stay with me on this one. These are what I will call my top five commercials that really carry the Disney spirit with it. Enjoy!

5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ2KHcGksw8&feature=related
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM-8SrBbOTE
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahGsElNsaQM
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flrt_cs6Dms and yes that’s Dr. Taub from House
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2KojRy5na4&feature=related

Last week I said that this week I would post what is arguably one of my favorite Disney links and here it is. Have you ever wanted to work a Disney attraction? Of course you have, it’s the most requested position on the College Program. Well now you can have a taste of what it’s like to control such rides as the Tower of Terror, Expedition Everest, and a few others including some extinct attractions like Who Wants to be a Millionaire Play It. So go to the site, click one of the simulators on the right side of the screen, and have fun. (Hint: Don’t get frustrated if you can’t figure it out right away. Just think of what the next logical step in the process is and do it).

http://themagical.nl/


Have an Actual, Factual, and of course Satisfactual Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah-Day!!!!!

Three top five......that's like fifteen

Last Friday I took a look at my calendar and I saw that I had a tough two weeks ahead of me that included three quizzes, three tests, and a handful of essays and papers to do. And I sit here now, in front of my desk, feeling relived that I am half way through but also looking at the week ahead knowing that I still have a few more challenges including an Accounting test to complete before I can really breathe easy again (until I have to do it all over again of course). These weeks however did help inspire my Top Five list for today. So with that said here are the three quick top five places to relax and take it easy at Walt Disney World.

Top Five Relaxing Rides (There’s kind of a theme here)
5. Ellen’s Universe of Energy (EPCOT)
4. La Gran fiesta Tour (EPCOT)
3. Tomorrowland Transit Authority (Magic Kingdom)
2. Living with the Land (EPCOT)
1. Spaceship Earth (EPCOT)

Top Five Relaxing Hotels and surrounding areas
5. Grand Floridian
4. Port Orleans Riverside
3. Animal Kingdom Lodge
2. Fort Wilderness Campgrounds
1. The Boardwalk

Activities around the “World”
5. Mini Golf at Winter/Summerland
4. EPCOT World Showcase Segway Tour
3. Rent a Surrey Bike with friends and bike around the Swan and Dolphins, Yacht and Beach Club, and Boardwalk resort
2. Rent a single person motor boat and ride around the Seven Seas Lagoon
1 Attend a campfire at the Fort Wilderness campgrounds

Have a Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah-Day!!!

Think About It.

There are many good things about the Disney College Program but probably the neatest thing is getting to meet, live, and work with other college students from around the world. During my program I worked with kids from France, China, Romania, England, Haiti, Jamaica, Brazil, and few other countries. I actually worked with a student from the Netherlands at EPCOT that spoke nine languages (INSANE). Oh and this one time……wait what? My point? Oh yeah my point is this, it would behoove you to try to familiarize yourself with some different cultures before you head out. I’m not saying that you have to be able to identify every body of water in the country or to learn to speak a bunch of foreign languages fluently but just have a basic understanding of where they are coming from. Try to focus on the big countries (England, France, China, Brazil) but if you have the time explore other cultures. I tell you from experience, they do appreciate the effort to make them feel more welcome (Oh and if you are an ICP student coming to America and you think it’s weird, just humor us). So here it goes:

What you should know
-Where the country is
-What the capital and or two or three other big cities
-At least three interesting facts (good ice breaker)

Learn to say in the language (another good ice breaker)
-Hello
-How are you?
-I’m doing (good, bad, okay)
-Thank You
-I just saw a platypus highjack a blue Prius in the Magic Kingdom parking lot. (just in case)
-Goodbye

Good luck and enjoy. Oh and have a Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah-Day!!!

Your Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah Tip for today

My WDW tip for today is a basic run down of the best of the best table service restaurants around the "world."

Magic Kingdom

Liberty Tree Tavern- Admittedly the Magic Kingdom doesn't have a large. The Liberty Tree Tavern has arguably some of the best food in on Disney property. My top three entrees on the menu are probably The Clam Chowder, The Chicken Pasta, and The New England Pot Roast. The atmosphere is also a definite plus in this restaurant because it has a real “welcome home” real to it with all the nautical knick knacks hung everywhere.

Hollywood Studios

The Fifties Prime Time Café- Let me first say that if you want the best atmosphere then go to the Sci-Fi Drive-in. My choice for best overall restaurant in the Studios has to be the 50’s Prime Time. As soon as you step into the restaurant you are at home……oh and you are now roughly eight years old (yes mom and dad too). Your “mother”, “father”, or “cousin” takes your order and then makes sure you wash your hands (Be warned…..they ask you what color the soap is to make sure you do). Then you watch old 1950’s TV shows until dinner is served. The food is traditional family dinners better than your mom used to make (with the exception of mom of course). The best items on the menu are probably the meatloaf dinner and the turkey dinner. All and all it’s a warm meal at a home many miles from your own.

Animal Kingdom

Yak and Yeti- All right I’m not going to go into too much detail on this one for two reasons. The first is that I have only eaten here once and the second it’s really the only sit down restaurant in the Animal Kingdom. What I will say is that the food is definitely good and if you haven’t eaten here before it’s worth a try. But there are enough quick service locations with good variety in the park that if you didn’t eat here you wouldn’t really be missing much. My favorite quick service location though is the Flame Tree BBQ (primarily the Ribs with Cornbread).

Now by far the hardest one

EPCOT

This really is a hard one because let’s face, you really can’t go wrong. That being said I have broken EPCOT into a couple of small categories.
-Best Food: Le Cellier- For those of you who don’t know, Le Cellier is the steakhouse in the Canadian pavilion. It has some of the best steak I have ever had and the pretzel bread that they give you at the beginning of your meal and it is AWESOME.
-Best Atmosphere: San Angel Inn- As soon as you walk into the Mexican pavilion it is immediately night time in a lively Mexican city. The neat thing about this restaurant is, much like the Blue Bayou in Disneyland that looks out on the Pirates of the Caribbean boats, this restaurant is right on the water that La Gran Fiesta Tour goes through. When you put this all together it leads to a great relaxing meal.
-Most Entertaining: Teppanedo- Your food is cooked right in front of you by a show chef…….do I have to say more.
-Best Restaurant at Night: The Rose and Crown Pup- This restaurant located in the England Pavillion has too types of seating. You can sit inside the pub around the bar OR you can sit outside around the World Showcase lagoon. So if you sit outside and you time your meal right you will have a breathe taking view of Illuminations while you eat.


This is only my opinion though. Everybodies taste is different and so I eat where ever you can and find your favorite place to eat.

Have a Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah-Day!!!

P.S.
I want to try Iron Chef Cat Cora's new Greek restaurant, Kouzzina, at the Boardwalk resort so if anybody eats there then give me your feedback. I heard the Lamb Burgers are amazing.

College Program Tip for Today

For the College Program Tip today I am continuing the piece that I wrote as my second blog article, What to and not to bring.

What you might not have brought but should consider bringing

An ID Lanyard-First off let me say this isn't really something you "need" to bring from home but it is definetly something that you will want when you are at Disney. You think I'm joking? One of the primary rules that you will have to follow when you are backstage and not in costume is that your ID needs to be visible or at least readily accessible. That being said, you don't have to have one of the boring lanyards like those that you were forced to wear in highschool. Disney has (for a fee) really cool and unique Disney lanyards for their castmembers. I personally have a Steamboat Willie, Disney villans, MKRO (Magic Kingdom Restaurant Ops), and Mickey Christmas lanyards that I still use even now that I am back in college. But whether you bring your own or get get one when you are here, make sure you have a lanyard for your ID........as Dr. Seeker on Dinosaur (Countdown to Extinction for those Disney purists) would say, "You'll be glad you did."

This is the Steamboat Willie one that I currently sport.


What you might bring but shouldn't

A Ton of Clothes- And I say a ton of clothes strictly because I believe some people brought cases of clothes that in fact weighted about a ton......or two. As a general rule I would say don't bring any more clothes than would fit into an airport regulation suitcase. I understand that you are moving from where ever you are from to live in Orlando for several months but you really don't need too much clothes. For a majority of your program you will in fact be in your costume, in fact you may even find yourself getting dressed for work and not taking off the costume until your ready for bed only to do the same thing the next day. So make sure you have what you need. I personally brought five pairs of pants (1 pair of jeans, 2 pairs Khaki shorts, 1 pair of basketball shorts, and dress pants) and something like ten shirts (a couple polos and t-shirts and a dress shirt) and I did pretty good. I know most people need more than that but again just try to bring what you need.


I say bring what you want but consider what I say and as always......wait I can't do it today because somebody *cough* Ashlie *cough* used my outro so for this time only.....

Let me think
Let me think

Okay and so

Have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious-day

Okay not feeling that....eh I guess I can use the original so......

Have a Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah-Day!!!