WDW Daily News

Interviews are always scary but there’s something about Disney that makes it feel a little more magical … and that you have a frog in your throat. Getting through the web based interview if offered after submitting you application is simple if you are consistent and truthful. Like many other online applications, the web-based process asks your similar questions but in different formats to test you awareness and consistency. Take your time, re-read and be honest. Immediately after submitting you will be asked to set up a date and time for you phone interview if you pass. This is nice because there is no waiting to see if you passed the web interview but just the waiting game for your phone interview.

My number one piece of advice for the phone interview is PRACTICE. This is very important. Find a friend who has went through the process of join one of the many groups online to find someone who has. Set up questions you believe they may ask and write down what you would say. This is helpful when you interview because when you are on the phone and nervous, some key points might slip your mind. Also, do a mock interview with a friend. Have them ask you the questions and say what you would answer. This is great practice!

Now, the interview! Naturally you are going to be nervous. Here are a few tips. Dress nice. It’s on the phone but when you feel nice your attitude changes. Smile! Another thing they cannot see but your interviewer can definitely hear it. Be yourself! This is important and will set you out from the crowd of interviewees that they hear a day. Be bubbly, fun and just show what you could bring to the table.

Have any questions about the #DCP? Tweet me @lauraweyand I’d be more than happy to ask!

2014 has ended and 2015 is beginning. I agree with Walt Disney when he said, “The era we are living in today is a dream come true.” 2014 saw some remarkable changes at Walt Disney World and in my life. 2015 promises more innovation and excitement.

First for me. 2014 was a break out year. I learned I could live alone and manage a rough winter. Thankfully my son and his wife were just minutes away as were my sister and her family! My husband was a phone call away for moral support too. But I handled the cold and snow in ways I had never had too before. During the spring, I dealt with the emotions of parting with treasured items as we sold our home of 30 years and I moved in with my son. I watched as movers loaded the most treasured items into a trailer and hauled it to our new home. By summer, my husband and I had made our dream of living in Florida a reality! Although it would be late 2014 before I actually retired and moved. What an adventure! Thanks to everyone who supported us on this journey so far.

Walt Disney World also had an eventful year. Disney continued to capitalize on all things Frozen for the entire year as lines to meet Elsa and Anna were persistently long! Frozen themed areas were added at Hollywood Studios and the girls got their own meet and greet area as well as a holiday spectacular at the Magic Kingdom. Fantasyland was completed and The Seven Dwarf’s Mine Ride opened to mixed reviews but extremely long lines. I for one liked it! Animal Kingdom welcomed new additions in the form of baby animals as well as a new venue for the Lion King show. Downtown Disney continued the renovation that will create a totally new experience but for now is creating traffic jams. The first parking garage opened late in the year and hopefully the traffic issues will lessen. Food choices were updated as were some shows at EPCOT. While I liked the new Spice Road Table restaurant in Morocco, I still miss Off Kilter. My Disney Experience, FastPass+ and Magic Bands were enhanced throughout the year offering additional perks to Guests as well as Passholders. Other renovations, updates and new experiences continue to create a dream like atmosphere for Guests.

Many of these renovations will carry into 2015. The Maelstrom at EPCOT closed and will be re-imagined. While Hollywood Studios will lose its sorcerers hat icon, the Great Movie Ride will get an update by Turner Movies. Other rumors abound as to what else will change at that Park generating much excitement for 2015. Will it be all Star Wars or will Cars be represented as well? Time will tell. Animal Kingdom will get a nighttime show and a new marketplace. Downtown Disney will continue to be a work in progress for most of the year but maybe we will get a taste of what is to come as some of the areas are completed. As technology improves, enhancements will be offered via the Magic Band system and My Disney Experience app. All in all 2015 looks like an exciting year for dreamers. I look forward to covering it.

As for me, 2015 will be exciting too. We will continue to settle into our new home and new lifestyle embracing each change as it comes along. We will become grandparents’ midyear and welcome another daughter-in-law to our family with a late year wedding.
I hope that 2014 was a good year for all and that 2015 is even better. Dream big and look for the blessings! Walt Disney World will continue to change with the dreams of the Imaginears. Remember that dreams are the wishes our hearts make. WDW Daily News will be covering it all for you.

Happy New Year!!!

Every year, we visit one of the Walt Disney World parks for New Year’s Eve, and this year was no different. Miraculously, I was not working this year on New Year’s Eve, so we had the opportunity to brave the crowds and visit several of the parks. Our adventures began on December 30th with a trip to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We saw the Frozen show, Fantasmic, and we ate dinner at Momma Melrose’s. Unfortunately, it rained the entire evening. Honestly, the weather was miserable, but this terrible weather worked to our advantage.

Being insane, we left DHS, and then we journeyed to the Magic Kingdom in order to see the fireworks. Many people do not realize this, but Magic Kingdom offers the New Year’s fireworks on December 30th and the 31st. The earlier show is much less crowded, and it is the exact same fireworks. Due to the horrible weather, Magic Kingdom was not terribly crowded. This was wonderful for us because we strolled in and found a prime viewing spot right in the middle of Main Street! The fireworks were amazing because the show happens both behind the train station and behind Cinderella Castle. There are also perimeter fireworks during the New Year’s countdown. This is a serious pyrotechnics show, and the rain did not put a damper on any part of the show. As soon as the fireworks ended, we booked it to the monorail in order to return to the TTC. We left the Magic Kingdom at 12:05 am, and we arrived home by 12:25 am. This was pretty impressive given that the Magic Kingdom had been enduring phase closures throughout the day.

On New Year’s Eve, we started off with breakfast at Kona Café, which was delicious. Parking restrictions were in effect, so we could not leave our car at the Polynesian. World Drive was a parking lot, so we couldn’t even get into Magic Kingdom parking. We knew that we wanted to end up at Animal Kingdom later that evening, so we parked at Animal Kingdom and took a bus to Magic Kingdom. There were actually guest relations cast members waiting to check ticket types at the bus stop because Magic Kingdom was in Phase closures again that morning. This means that guests with certain types of tickets were not admitted into the Magic Kingdom due to capacity issues. We have annual passes, so we didn’t have any trouble. After a lengthy bus ride, we finally made it to the Magic Kingdom. We used our three fastpasses, and then we left. It was just too crowded, and that large of a crowd does not leave a lot of room for enjoyable park touring.

After catching a bus back to Animal Kingdom, we enjoyed the Festival of the Lion King and It’s Tough to be a Bug. We then visited the Animal Kingdom Lodge for our dinner reservations at Sanaa. Dinner was delicious, and then we drove back home. I had work the next day, and we knew that the parks would be uncomfortably crowded by the time we arrived at any of them. All in all, we had a really successful New Year’s Eve at WDW. However, we planned pretty much every second of these two days so that we would not have to endure the enormous crowds that were in each of the parks. You can definitely have fun on New Year’s at Disney World, but you need a really good plan, realistic expectations, and bottomless amounts of patience! Until next time, have a magical day, and keep moving forward!

Winter is one of the times of the year that I miss Disney the most, simply because frigid air and snow are about as far as you get from Florida’s sunshine and palm trees. I try not to think about the parks too much, but they find their way of sneaking into my life with pictures, familiar scents, the occasional sound, and food cravings that come out of nowhere. This week, I thought I would share some of the things that I miss the most about Disney using four of the five senses.

The Sights: Disney is full of unique and breathtaking sights. The first view of Main Street, U.S.A. with Cinderella Castle gleaming at the end of the street as I enter Magic Kingdom fills me with a sense of belonging and complete and utter happiness, as does the sight of a bright blue Florida sky spotted while zooming around on the monorail on a sunny day. Seeing the tip of spire on Cinderella Castle from a WDW bus on the way to Magic Kingdom is enough to make me want to jump out of my seat with excitement. Similarly, the first shot of the Welcome to Walt Disney World after a long drive or flight is one of my favorite things in the world. In the springtime, the Flower and Garden Festival makes Epcot come alive with beautiful topiaries and flowers so colorful, they almost look fake. Although cameras can capture some of these one-of-a-kind sights, pictures will never be able to do the real places complete justice.

The Smells: Sometimes, when I’m out and about doing my daily business, I’ll catch a whiff of a certain smell that instantly takes me back to a specific spot in Disney World, which usually makes me feel like crying right then and there. Some of my favorite smells exist in Disney World, like the tangy citrus smell of oranges mixed with Christmassy pine in Soarin’, the musky, smoky scent of the water at Pirates of the Caribbean, and sickeningly sweet candy being made in the Confectionary. I also always have to inhale a huge lungful of air as soon as I walk into The Land in Epcot, since the food from Sunshine Seasons makes the entire pavilion smell amazing. If it were possible to bottle up scents, I know I would try to record as many Disney smells as I could.

The Sounds: Even though many sounds heard at Disney are not exclusive to the parks, it’s just not the same when you hear them somewhere else. For example, the soundtrack from Soarin’ will almost always bring a tear to my eye, but it’s even more effective when I’m actually experiencing the ride myself. The howling wolf that can be heard from the Haunted Mansion queue and the Liberty Square Riverboat sends shivers down my spine, while the chime of the doors in Star Tours makes me lean forward in anticipation of the adventure to come. When I hear the Magic Kingdom train whistle tooting I know I’m really home, and the sound of the Test Track cars whooshing by on the outside track is one of my favorites. On Main Street, the clangs of the trolley from the trolley show conjure up images of Judy Garland singing the same song in her 1944 movie, Meet Me in St. Louis. The first line of Wishes, paired with the small pop of the first firework, immediately makes me tear up. A silent Disney just wouldn’t be the same, and I miss hearing these noises when I’m not there.

The Tastes: It’s no secret that I’m in love with Disney food. There are just so many choices of cuisine, no matter what park you’re in. I have tried to recreate some Disney foods with recipes I found online, but nothing ever tastes the same as the real thing. Among my favorite dishes of Disney are the incredible taste of Pizzafari pepperoni pizza, the first bite of a Ham & Swiss sandwich (without the swiss) from Earl of Sandwich, and the peppery, mouthwatering flavor of the carved turkey sandwich from Be Our Guest. One of my personal favorite desserts in WDW is Norwegian school bread from Epcot. The mixture of sweet coconut and sugar icing with spicy cardamom bread and thick vanilla custard is enough to keep me a happy camper for the rest of the trip! It would be amazing if Disney could find a way to open restaurants with some of their most-loved dishes across the country, so we could enjoy a taste of the magic any time.

What do you miss the most about Disney? Let us know on our Facebook page WDW Daily News, or tweet us @WDWDailyNews.

‘Tis the season of being surrounded by all things tasty and we all know Disney does delicious delightfully! This week I want to share some of my favorite treats throughout the parks. (I may have also been inspired to write about yummy things because I’ve been on a liquid diet since having my wisdom teeth removed and that is not so scrumptious.) Let’s jump in!

I’m going to start in the Magic Kingdom because I think they have the most must try sweets. My first recommendation requires a friend… or three. The huge Mickey head Rice Krispy treats in the bakery on Main Street are amazing. When I was a Cast Member, I shared one with a couple of coworkers and it lasted us at least a month. This monster sized treat is well worth the price and oh so delicious. The next snack seems to be hard to come by these days. If you ever spot a cream cheese filled pretzel, snag it! They used to be located in the snack stand near what used to be Ariel’s Grotto. On my last trip, I asked a Cast Member if they still make these and she informed me they do, but they move around from stand to stand. So you can either have a small scavenger hunt or a quick service Cast Member will probably be able to help you out. The Dole Whip has probably been suggested to you a zillion times by now, so I’m just going to remind you it’s delicious and move on.

Now let’s hop on over to Hollywood Studios. Honestly, there isn’t much if a difference between the Magic Kingdom bakery and the one in Hollywood Studios… except for what I buy the treats for. My snacks in Hollywood Studios are always for Fantasmic! I love that I can generally find a Jack Skellington caramel apple or a fresh bag of cotton candy. The fruit kabobs are also quite fabulous. Another treat worth mentioning is the Yoda cupcake my husband and I shared during Star Wars weekends. It was chocolate and Nutella. Scrumptious it was. Yes, yes….

Let’s take a walk on the wild side and explore the Animal Kingdom’s greatest snackage. The first thing I have yet to try, but I don’t see how it could be bad… the coconut rum Dole Whip. I hope it’s still there next time we make the trip because this adult take on a long loved classic sounds right up my alley. The only other food I’ve eaten at the Animal Kingdom is at the Yak and Yeti. All of their food is delicious, but since this article is about tantalizing sweets I can only testify that their fried wontons are delectable.

EPCOT is our final stop, and with so many choices from around the world this should probably be my longest list, but sadly I haven’t explored that many countries foods. I found something I love at Norway and that’s my go to. Lefse is a delicious flatbread with what taste like a cinnamon butter rolled in it. It isn’t overly sweet and it’s great to share because it comes with two pieces. Another tasty treat in Norway is School Bread. It’s a pretty large loaf with icing and coconut on top and filled with a custard. It also isn’t too sweet and easily sharable.

This concludes my list of must try treats. What are your favorite snacks in the parks? Do you recreate any of your favorites at home? Share your favorites and recipes with me on Twitter @hoodie_life. Hope your holidays are filled with delicious treats!

When visiting WDW, it is hard not to rush to that favorite attraction when you enter one of the parks. However, there are so many other forms of entertainment that are available in all of the parks. For example, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a special park for many reasons, but Streetmosphere is something that is definitely a unique experience.

What is Streetmosphere? If you are not familiar with this term, it can easily be explained. Streetmosphere performers are actors who assume a certain persona that is appropriate to the area of the park in which they reside. The characters in Hollywood Studios are all related to different aspects of movie making or people who might have inhabited the Hollywood that never was from the 1940s. You might see a director, a washed up starlet, a policeman, a team of workers from the Hollywood department of public works, etc. All of these characters never lose their personas while they are on stage. They will interact with individual guests, and sometimes they are part of a small show that may spontaneously occur on Hollywood Blvd or Sunset Blvd.

These shows are not listed in the times guide, but castmembers can usually tell you when they are going to be performed. The best part about these shows is the level of guest involvement that is encouraged and required for the show to go on. We have stumbled across many of these shows, and my absolute favorite involved an “episode” of the Hollywood Match Game. For this game, one park guest was selected to be the recipient of a date with the contestant who one the game. The park guest was blind folded, and she sat in a chair on Sunset Blvd facing the Sweet Spells store. After she had been seated and blindfolded, the contestants who could potentially win a date with her came out onto the scene. First, there was a Chef, Ben Appétit, who had a fake French accent and a tiny black mustache, then Leroy Small, who was dressed in a very mismatched getup of garish plaid, and then the policeman, Officer Peabody, who didn’t seem like he could hurt a fly. The host of the show was Shelby Mayer, who is a British film director. All of these gentlemen were hilarious, and each potential date for the guest had to come up with various ways to woo her. They came up with ideas for different types of outings and events, and they each had to answer questions that were posed by their director. In the end, Officer Peabody won, and we laughed so much throughout the show that I was sad to see it end.

In addition to the Match Game, we have seen contests for the funniest Citizen of Hollywood, and we have also seen the department of public works attempt to pick up a piece of glitter from the street. This trio is also hilarious. The group consists of the Boss, Frederick, and Sparky. Both Frederick and Sparky are not too intelligent, and much silliness ensues from them not being able to follow the Boss’s orders for them. Finally, we have seen some magic card trick shows from Jack Diamond, who is a talent agent, but he is also skilled with a deck of cards.

Whenever we go to the Studios, we seek out the Streetmosphere performances because they are so entertaining. Once we even participated in one of the shows. A few years ago on the 4th of July, we were in Hollywood Studios, and some of the Citizens of Hollywood were pulling people over and asking them trivia about America. We were chosen, and we were asked how many stars were on the American flag. Of course, we responded 50, but we forgot that we were in the early 1940s, and not 2011. Even though we were “wrong,” we still won! What did we win? Well, we left with a whole lot of money, completely fake of course, but we had a blast.

Next time you make a trip to Hollywood Studios, take the time to seek out these Streetmosphere performances. You will laugh, and you will be reminded of what true Disney magic is. Thanks to www.studioscentral.com for the background information on the Citizens of Hollywood. Until next time, have a magical day, and keep moving forward!

I just spent a week at the Disney World Resort and in all of the years I have been traveling there I have never seen so many different construction projects going on at one time. There was once a time that most refurbishments took place well out of the public eye and almost under the cloak of darkness. That is certainly no longer the case.

Downtown Disney continues to work on a complete rejuvenation of the entire complex. The new reimagined Disney Springs has most of what is now West Side, Pleasure Island and the Marketplace a maze of plywood walls and detoured walkways. Gone is the Pleasure Island signage atop the structure that housed Mannequin’s Dance Palace. The bridge connecting the area where Rainforest Café and the Lego store is just about complete. They were installing lights the day I visited.

Speaking of lights, new pole fixtures with a gold patina and the new Disney Springs insignia (very reminiscent of the River Country Logo) are sprouting up throughout the property and some facades have been completed on new structures as well as existing ones. The color scheme is very “earthy” with soft landscaping and dry stack rock work. Plantings are more from a suburban- Midwest look rather than tropical. Think Evergreen Colorado if you’ve ever been there. The lines are clean, inviting and walkways are wider than before.

Many of the original structures have been razed but some that have been the topic of many articles in the past remain. Namely the Adventurer’s Club building and former Mannequin’s building. Downtown Disney is in desperate need of something to offer adults after hours and I am really hoping these venues will be redeveloped while keeping something in the line that they once offered.

The scrims surrounding the lagoon at Disney’s Animal Kingdom remain up as well as the walls hiding the work on Pandora. Most of the parking lot resurfacing and expansion have been completed.

The Magic Kingdom hub still remains walled off on either side with only hints of new planter areas and light fixtures in place. This has been going on for quite some time (my last three visits spanning 6 months) and looks like it will continue for a long while.

Work also continues at the Polynesian Village Resort around the main pool deck. The volcano structure has been stripped to the steel skeleton and “rock” work is being done on it as well as surrounding the pool area. Light poles and other uprights were laying on the beach awaiting installation, too. The Polynesian villas and bungalows on the water look really cool. I can imagine sitting on the deck over the water and watching the water pageant and nightly fireworks at the Magic Kingdom.

Inside the Polynesian, the pole and drape remains surrounding what was once the central water feature in the lobby. Rumor has it this renovation is close to completion and will be revealed soon. Outside the lobby adjacent to the monorail and check in area, the reflection pools have been drained and some of the heavy tropical plants have been removed.
Meanwhile at the Wilderness Lodge, a large section of their pool area has been closed off for the addition of a kid play area featuring interactive water features and climbing structures. The entire pool itself has seen the addition of a fence with gates and new seating areas.
The back side of Wilderness Lodge was covered in scaffolding and debris net for painting and woodwork maintenance while the entire beach area was walled off with those familiar plywood panels. I’m not sure what they have going on there.

The Back Lot Studio Tour which closed in September at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has been shuttered. The former entrance has been cleared of any remnants of the attraction and now just has a closed garage door. Also boarded up is the American Idol Experience. In case you were wondering, the “hat” is still there but its removal is coming soon to make way for the Great Movie Ride’s update by the folks over at Turner’s American Movie Classics, et al. I like the structure of the hat, just not the location they put it.
On a side note: one of the holiday drinks offered throughout the parks is called a Gumdrop. While it tasted pretty good, I made a slight adjustment to kick up the spice element. Enjoy one of these at your holiday get together. And the gingerbread white mocha latte at the Joffrey’s Coffee kiosks is amazing!

For the Holiday Gumdrop:
¾ C ice
2 oz Stoli Raz (or any raspberry flavored vodka)
1 oz Chambord or similar
1 oz After Shock or cinnamon schnapps
2 oz cranberry juice
2 oz pineapple juice
1 oz lemon lime soda

Shake (hold tight or the top will blow off) and pour into glass. Serve skewer of spice gumdrops across the foam of the beverage. Cheers! (please note this is my take on the recipe, not Disney’s but uses the same ingredients with the addition of After Shock)

Epcot/World Showcase, with the exception of the closed Maelstrom remains fairly intact. By far the most unique of the holiday overlays, World Showcase had it’s usually offerings of holiday drinks and treats. Each country also offered a telling of yuletide traditions unique to its land and Illuminations never disappoints with the addition of the Peace on Earth ending.
Happy holidays to everyone near and far, and a very prosperous and healthy New Year, too!

Once again this year I attended the Candlelight Processional during Holidays Around the World at EPCOT. I enjoyed narrators Levar Burton and Edward James Olmos. For one show I stood the entire time and the other I had a seat. Each time I was moved and reminded of what the season really means. I have written other articles at this time of the year recommending this show so I will not harp on that again but I will provide some background about the show and mention a few changes I noticed.

First the changes, most notable I noticed how popular the event was for each show, each night I was at EPCOT, huge crowds. The night we stood, the crowd was 4 deep! One change is that you cannot just walk in form the routine front entrances of the theater after the show starts, you can only enter though the areas that are used to line up on either side of the theater. The one side is for those who have dinner packages, these packages include a 3-course meal or full buffet for lunch and/or dinner and priority seating for a performance of the processional. The other side is the stand-by line/entrance, which is how we were able to obtain a seat. Although I think this is a good policy change, I was a little disturbed at the empty seats in the theater and people standing outside. Why not fill them all? I noticed that there is new décor too! I like the new ‘stained glass windows’ on the sides behind where the trumpeters play. It sort of looks like the EPCOT Ball! Beautiful!

Another notable change in the past few years has been the removal of the markedly Christian essay, “One Solitary Life,” read during the “Candlelight Processional” since 1976 and written by Dr. James Allan Francis in 1926. It details Jesus’ life, death and historical impact. Disney relates that shows are always reviewed and updated and this change was made to benefit performers. It seems the show was running so long and there wasn’t enough time in between performances for them to recover and prepare for the next show. So the 221 word essay was replaced with a 78 word narrative referencing the meaning for the season. The song DO You Hear What I hear has also been removed. The story and meaning are still there. Tis is why I still enjoy it so much.

Now a little background information. The show originated in 1958 at Disneyland. Walt Disney loved Christmas and wanted a special show for the season, so the legend goes. Carolers first with an evolution to what we see today. It was replicated at the Magic Kingdome in 1971 and moved to EPCOT Americans Garden Theater in 1994. The show is comprised of an orchestra and a mass choir that perform traditional holiday songs while a guest celebrity recites the biblical story of Christmas using verses Luke 1:26-31, Luke 2:1-18, Matthew 2:1-2, 10, Matthew 2:9, 11 and Isaiah 9:6 from the English Standard Version of the Bible.
My favorite conductor is John Sinclair. While I have seen many narrators including Neil Patrick Harris and Whoopi Goldberg, I have trouble picking a favorite! I am always moved by a narrator who I can see signing and is moved by the story by their own added words at one point in the show. I also enjoy watching the interpreter for the hearing impaired.

If you would like to have a CD of the show before some of the changes, check Amazon for a copy with Phylicia Rashad as the narrator.

Recently I’ve been writing about my last trip with my parents but I’m going to switch it up this month and write about my first experience with the Disney Cruise Line! This past weekend I sailed along with 2 of my close friends on the Disney Dream on a three night Bahamian Extravaganza! I was more than a little nervous about the cruise be¬cause me and the sea have not gotten along in the past. Well I should say me and boats don’t get along very well, but I was equipped with my motion sickness bands and hoped for the best. I packed light for the most part but I also decided along with my friends to participate in a Fish Extender gift exchange! If you’re not familiar Fish Extenders is more of less secret Santa among a group of cabins. The idea came from the Disboards and through that site and face¬book has grown among cruisers.

My friends had done some re¬search and decided to participate and I hopped on board with the plan as well. My gifts took up half my suitcase and another bag which bumped up my luggage to two bags. With my gifts, clothes and camera ready we departed early Friday morning for Port Canaveral!When you are driving in you can see the ships and I can’t lie I was squealing with delight the first time I saw the Dream. It is beautiful from the outside. You can see the Mickey Mouse heads from a distance and the ship is colorful and fun to look at. All my nerves shot out the window and I was just purely excited to get there.

We dropped off our checked luggage and headed for check in. If you know me you know I’m a Mickey Mouse fan, so I literally squealed when I saw Captain Mickey was meeting right in front of the check in line. My friends know I’m a character stalker so we got in line to meet him. We hadn’t even boarded the ship yet and a dream came true. I got my Captain Mickey photo and hug. I couldn’t have been happier.We got all checked and waited for boarding. We got to meet a few of the people from our FE exchange group while we waited which was really cool. Finally they made the call for boarding, they called our group number and off we went. We got to take a few pictures before we got onto the ship and then they let us walk on.

When you arrive they announce your family name and welcome you on board. The lobby is literally the most amazing thing ever! The chandelier was breathtaking as were all the statues. I was in complete awe of everything. And because it was a Merrytime Christmas Cruise, the tree was up and they had this amazing gingerbread house erected. It took a couple hours before our rooms were ready but we didn’t mind. We headed off to have lunch at Cabanas the buffet. It was SOOOO GOOD! They had a variety of everything from chicken tenders to crab legs. And crazy enough that was just the buffet! By the time we finished lunch our rooms were ready and we headed up to our stateroom. We were lucky enough to get a balcony view so we could see the other ships at port. We had a stateroom host that brought us our luggage and took care of us for the entire voyage. His name was Danny and he was AMAZINNNNGGG! We headed down to entire a raffle for the spa. We didn’t win but it was really cool to see all the services offered. We also got to explore the ship some and went to see the night clubs along with get¬ting to explore the pool area and I got a good look at the Aquaduck slide.

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Despite being one of the most successful companies in history, the Walt Disney Company doesn’t attempt to hide its biggest key to success. Throughout the years, one of the main practices that has kept Disney, and especially the Walt Disney World and Disneyland resorts, far ahead of the competition has been the unique combination of immersion and nostalgia.

As a Cast Member at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, I experience this combination on a daily basis, and can vouch for its importance with so many of our guests. But what a lot of guests may not know is that there’s a special way to experience those things – For half the price!

In that exceptionally cheesy intro, I’m referring to Disney Quest. I’m not going to argue that guests are not aware of the existence of this 5-story, 100,000 square foot attraction in Downtown Disney. In this day and age, I would be very surprised if anything related to Disney could possibly remain hidden longer than it takes someone to take a Snapchat. However, what a lot of our guests may not realize in the stress of planning a trip that includes four separate parks is the experience that Disney Quest can provide.

With multiple full arcades, creation zones and virtual reality experiences, Disney Quest offers a look at the potential future of theme park attractions – mixing classic games and crowd-favorites with unique experiences such as new looks at classic park attractions including Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Jungle Cruise.

Though some of the technology used may feel admittedly dated, Disney Quest is light-years ahead of its time in its concept – allowing guests to interact with the attractions and characters that they can only experience while at the parks. Guests can create their own song or roller coaster, build their own virtual toys, experience Disney animation first-hand, and even just play arcade games to their hearts desire. At Disney Quest, the guest controls what they experience.

The hands-on nature of Disney Quest is what separates it from both the Disney World parks and other popular entertainment businesses like Dave and Busters. It captures the best of both worlds and adds just enough of that classic Pixie Dust to make it feel like a futuristic extension of the parks and movies that we’ve grown to know and love.

I knew Disney Quest was something special when I saw the different ways that families were enjoying their time there. Fathers were building roller coasters and playing arcade games, mothers were playing Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution, families were making music and buying their own CDs. The beauty of those experiences is what Disney has always done best – allowing people of all ages to become kids once again and capturing the nostalgia and memories of the classic childhood.

In short – Disney Quest may well be the most underrated attraction available at the Walt Disney World resort. With a 45 dollar ticket, it’s an experience that can be had at half the price of a day at one of the parks, and provides a more hand-on approach to the routine experience of a park . It’s a great way to take a break from the insanity of park crowds, with minimal crowds during the middle of the day, without sacrificing the priceless memories.

One of the main goals for my column is to use the advantages that I’ve been given as a Cast Member to help other guests explore Walt Disney World in ways that they may not think of in the stress of planning their short stays. What I hadn’t realized was that there are still so many places, such as Disney Quest, that I hadn’t fully explored. This never-ending stream of potential new memories is what makes the Walt Disney World resort such a valuable experience time after time.

Thanks for reading folks, and don’t forget to keep exploring, because “curiosity keeps leading us down new paths”. Until next time!