WDW Daily News

I just returned from a brief Walt Disney World visit. It got me to thinking about the things that bug me while I am there. Granted, it is the most magical place on Earth, but sometimes you can tell your fellow Guests have had too much Disney for one day!!! Sometimes that Guest is me, so I am listing a few things that just push me over the edge.

1. Guests leaving a waterpark via bus transportation without a shirt on……especially when they have to stand right in front of me……Please put your shirt on!!

2. Guests who continually use their cell phone to share their magical vacation memories via text but do not silence the phone so it keeps dinging as everyone replies with envy.

3. Groups traveling together who insist on experiencing an attraction together even though one member of the party doesn’t want to, might even be scared, and is having a meltdown in line.

4. Guests who forget that they are not the only ones wanting to see the fireworks or parade, especially if they perch a smaller Guest on their shoulders. I want everyone to be able to see the magical, beautiful fireworks and floats but we all must remember that we are sharing the experiences with other Guests. Take a look around.

5. Guests who are rude!!! Not just to other Guests but to Cast Members. There is no place for rudeness anywhere and especially not on vacation. It is just another form of stress!

Everyone has their limitations and we all have to realize when we are reaching ours. It is a vacation after all and meant to be enjoyed. Sometimes we can overlook things sometimes we cannot! But if everyone remembers that the magic is for sharing with a little consideration we might all have a better time.

Now that I have been a cast member for about six months, I have helped lots of guests plan their vacation days. Since I have been working at the Frozen Sing Along, I have definitely noticed the lengths that people go to in order to plan every minute of the day. I have seen laminated plans and charts as well as graphs and binders with sheet protectors. Planning is really helpful, but when does the planning start to suck the fun and spontaneity out of the day? I think that too much over planning can lead to a lot of stress, and you will lose some of those magical moments that aren’t always planned.

Disney has really made a certain level of planning necessary by instituting the Fastpass+ system as well as dining that requires a reservation six months in advance. However, you can balance planning with spontaneous fun. You don’t have to hit every ride or every show in order to get your money’s worth on a Walt Disney World vacation. I know this does not sounds like great advice, but the time spent with your family as well as the quality of those precious moments should be your priority. Riding every ride is fun, but by the end of the day, you will all be miserable, hot, tired, and cranky with each other. Granted, I can go to the parks whenever I want, but I have seen so many families have breakdowns over trying to do every single attraction with every single millisecond planned. Constant bickering is just not a fun price to pay in order to ride every ride in every park! The families who have a more laid back approach on their trips tend to have more fun, and they get to enjoy the time that they spend together.

I always try to remind guests that they are supposed to be on vacation! It is supposed to be fun! If you take your time, you can explore some of the areas that make Walt Disney World such a unique place to visit. For example, you can ride some of the boats that are on Bay Lake or the Seven Seas. Lagoon. At Epcot, you can actually explore the countries as well as the exhibits that most people don’t even realize are there. The Animal Kingdom has so many hidden gems; the animal trails alone are so well themed and beautiful. Basically, WDW has too much to offer to catch everything on one vacation. So, try and decide what you really want to see and prioritize. Hopefully, when you go on your next Disney vacation, you will try to find a happy medium of planning and spontaneity. Until next time, have a magical day, and keep moving forward!

The American Idol Experience in Hollywood Studios is officially closed. Most people are probably ok with this change, but not me. This is a former Cast Member saying good-bye to their attraction and sharing what it was like during the first days at the American Idol Experience.

My dream has always been to work for Disney. That dream came true in 2009 when I did the College Program. I was assigned to be part of the opening team for the American Idol Experience. At first, I wasn’t thrilled. I didn’t even like the show, but since I already worked in TV I guess it made sense to put me there. I showed up for training anticipating an attraction I wouldn’t enjoy, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Being part of an opening team was an remarkable experience. As a guest, you experience the outcome of all the hard work beforehand. We were a group of people trying to create a flawless experience for guests. Changes happened constantly. Our motto was, “It’s all carved in Jell-O.” This means there was some confusion or frustration time to time, but by the time we opened we were confident in the American Idol Experience.

Opening day came February 14th, 2009. All of the Cast Members were in the park extremely early for the “blue carpet” media event. All of the Idol winners were there along with Ryan Seacrest, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson. David Cook and David Archuleta performed for Good Morning America. It was an amazing day that I will never forget. This grand opening is what opened my eyes to how amazing this attraction was going to be. Not only was my dream coming true, but I was being a part of making others’ dream come true too. This was the best feeling in the world. I spent the next 5 months of my program with a smile on my face every day.
Much of my happiness came from the incredible team I worked with. I left with lifelong friends and too many memories to count. I think about my team a lot, and sometimes wish I had extended my stay. But everyone knows all good things must come to an end. I wasn’t able to make it to the last shows on August 30th, but I was there in spirit, clapping and singing “I’ve Got the Music in Me” with all the other Idol cast members. I have so many other stories and emotions I could share, but I think all there is really left to say is thanks for the time of my life American Idol. Being a part of this was an honor.

I’d love to hear your American Idol Experience memories. Maybe that will cheer me up! Hit me up on Twitter @hoodie_life.

Hey everyone! So as I’m sure many other people have started school this week, did you take like 500 weeks to decided what you were gonna wear the first day? Maybe you didn’t, and jeans and a tshirt were you’re thing, (That’s awesome), but for me it took weeks of planning. And finally, I got the idea. I’m gonna DisneyBound. If you don’t know what DisneyBound or the art of Disney bounding is, it’s a fairly simple concept. Created by a blogger named Leslie Kay, DisneyBounding is dressing up like a Disney character, only not in their costume, in regular street clothes. For example, if you were to DisneyBound as Jessie from Toy Story, you would simply need some regular jeans, a white button up shirt, a yellow hair bow, cowboy boots some black or,maybe if you’re wild, cow shaped, earrings.

You may not look exactly like her or her face character in the park, but you incorporated her look, her colors, and even some of the patterns her character. Disneybounding is a very basic form of cosplaying, only not dressing in full out costume. It’s a really fun thing to do, especially to get around the rule in the parks saying adults can’t dress up in full costume. Sometimes however, it can be hard to do on a budget, especially when you’re wanting to do a specific character. Thrift stores, Goodwills and clearance racks are the best places to shop when trying to do this. When I got around to trying to pick a character, I knew for a fact that I couldn’t do my favorite character, I would have to buy a whole news complete outfit, and I wanted to try and use the stuff I already had in my closet. After doing research, watching tons of Disney movies, and raiding my closet twice, yes twice, I finally found all my pieces to DisneyBound as none other…. Fix-it-Felix. Now Felix’s outfit was pretty easy to duplicate.

All I had to put together was a chambray shirt (it’s a button up made out of denim), some skinny jeans, and brown lace up boots. It was still fashion-y while a strong present of Felix was represented. I wish I could Disney bound every outfit, and I encourage you to try it at least once. And make sure you check out DisneyBound’s Tumblr. Or if you search DisneyBound in the tags, many other people’s creations and their takes on Disneybounding. Stay magical!

On one of my very first Disney trips, I had the great misfortune of meeting…Jafar. I say misfortune because I was four or five and I was TERRIFIED of him in the movie so seeing him up close and personal more or less scarred me for life. Since that point I was never really a fan of the villain’s but as I got older and less scared of characters, I wanted to meet a few. So when tickets for Villain’s Unleashed became available I jumped all over it! I didn’t hurt that the event was the day after my birthday so I decided to treat myself to a little fun with some Disney villains. The event itself is my very first hard ticket event at a Disney park so I didn’t really know what to expect. I had heard the horror stories about the event last year and while I had no real expectations I was a little bit nervous about what I was jumping into.

I kept an eye on the blogs to see which villains would be making an appearance that night and I was pleased with the list. I’m a hard core Princess and the Frog stan so Dr. Facillier was at the top of my list and of course bowler hat guy because I absolutely LOVE Meet the Robinsons. With this in mind I set out to Disney Hollywood Studios for the event on Saturday. I’m lucky I live very close to the park so my drive was short and sweet and I parked my car and headed to bag check. I didn’t have any issues with parking. On my walk up to the entrance I realized that people were actually dressing up for this and I saw some AMAZING costumes. I got through everything quickly grabbed my badge and headed to get a map. Even when I arrived I noticed there weren’t a ton of maps left but I got mine and headed off towards the sorcerer’s hat. I looked around it didn’t seem to be particularly busy but I wanted to be near to where the characters were meeting so after asking directions I headed to the back lot. That was the central hub of characters for the night and about every 60 feet there was a meet and greet. I looked at the times and I got in Bowler hat guy’s line.

He came out promptly at 8:30 and we were then informed that the characters would not be signing so when the meet started we flew through. I headed off to see Dr. Facillier and I had to wait a little bit because he had to go converse with his friends on the other side for a few minutes. Once he returned it took no time at all to get through the line, but I got to speak to him long enough for him to tell me I was pretty. I was VERY happy about that :P. It was then I decided to make the trek over to the Animation Courtyard to see about Maleficient- who is the snazzy new Angelina Jolie version now- and her wait was 3 hours long! So I skipped off to see about Captain Barbossa and after deciding I didn’t want to wait an hour for him I went to see about the evil queen. I hopped in her line and got to chat up Gaston while I waited. Cut to 25 minutes later and I had my photo and ran into Prince John and got a regal looking selfie. And Mr. Stromboli was ever the gentleman. And my last character of the night was Shan Yu himself and let me tell you he was so scary but awesome in person.

I was so pleased I managed 6 characters that evening and they might not have been everyone’s top picks but I was really happy with it. I’ve heard so many complaints about the event and I won’t say it wasn’t without its flaws. But it was what your made of it. I personally went into the event with the idea I wouldn’t get to do everything. I wanted to see the characters, so I skipped all the shows, and the merchandise. I had an amazing time that night and my hope is that Walt Disney World will have this event multiple times during the Halloween season next year. I can hope right but heres to a night of wicked wiles and villainy I had a blast!

To me, Disney is all about being together. It’s a place where family, friends, and strangers can enjoy a step out of reality into a world of pixie dust and just spend quality time together. Sometimes, I have to step back and marvel at this amazing place that is, quite literally, my heaven on earth. So many people come together to make each and every guest’s vacation a magical one, from the custodial workers, to the performers in the parades, to the people controlling the crowds at the end of a long day. At Disney, every cast member is important to the big picture, and that’s not something that is realized at all companies.

Even though not everyone understands the appeal of the Disney parks, the ones that do share a special connection with each other. That’s why I am so thankful for the internet- it allows me to connect with an incredible amount of people that understand exactly how I feel about Disney. It’s refreshing to talk to someone who “gets” Disney, someone who understands just how amazing the smell of Pirates of the Caribbean water is or how there’s nothing better than passing under that Walt Disney World arch. Whether it’s on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook groups, or Disney fan sites like WDW Daily News, it’s wonderful that people that share that common bond can follow along with other’s trips and lives. I don’t think that there are really a lot of people that feel that way about Disney, so it’s important that we stick together!

I fell into the “Disney trap” when I was eight years old, and I wouldn’t have wish it any other way. I’m so glad that I’m able to be a part of a community that is centered around a place where it’s okay to still act like you’re five years old, wear Mouse ears that would look ridiculous anywhere else, and sing along to Disney songs at the top of your lungs. As Walt Disney once said, “You’re dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway.” I think he had the right idea.

As readers know I am always going on and on about the details. I have seen many postings on social media and other informative sites that do the “Where am I?” game. I thought I would offer my own version of that challenge. You may find mine to be a little more…difficult. I actually use these photos to try and stump my friends that work IN the parks, and usually do. I’d be happy to hear your responses, too. Send them to my e mail: rtc30306@live.com I may even offer up a nice little prize! Good luck!!

Can you?? 1) Name the park, 2) Name the specific location

Happy Hallowishes! Boo-to-You!

It’s hard to believe, but Halloween decorations have already started to show up at Walt Disney World. The Magic Kingdom is already decked out with pumpkins and all manner of Halloween decorations. Last year, we attended Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, and we had a great time, so this year, we are definitely going to visit again this year!

With regard to costumes, we love to get dressed up for the party. We haven’t quite decided on costumes yet for this year, but we still have some time to come up with ideas. However, this past year, we decided to go with a Disney theme for our costumes. After much thought, we came up with the idea to go as the husband and wife from the Carousel of Progress. I purchased a vintage paint smock, and used a scarf to tie back my hair in order to re-create the scene where Sara is painting the rumpus room. My husband went as John from the scene that takes place during the summer in the 1920s. For his costume, we needed to find a blue shirt with a white color, and I made the Niagara Falls fan that John holds during this scene. Overall, these costumes were pretty inexpensive to create, and when we walked through the Magic Kingdom, most people knew who we were, especially when we went to visit our “home” in Tomorrowland. The cast members at the Carousel of Progress got a kick out of our costumes, and we received much praise for our efforts!

After taking a few photos and walking around for a little while, we decided to start making our way through the candy trails and trick-or-treat locations. When it neared time for the first parade of the evening, we made our way to Liberty Square to snag a spot. I highly recommend attending the second parade of the evening. The first parade was very crowded, and it was difficult to get a clear view of the floats and characters. After the parade, we experienced a few attractions, and then we walked over to the hub to watch the Villains Mix and Mingle. We missed this show last year, so we definitely wanted to see it. All of the villains were really great dancers, and the show was funny, but it was a little short. After the show, we decided to stay in the hub to catch Happy Hallowishes. This show is a must-see because the fireworks are truly spectacular. There are perimeter fireworks during this show, and the best place to feel truly enveloped in the action is the hub or Main Street.

After enjoying the fireworks, we stopped at the last few trick or treat locations that we had missed, and then we decided to call it a night. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is great fun, and we left with a serious haul of candy for the evening. The fireworks and parade were topnotch, and we love getting dressed up as well as seeing the creativity in other people’s costumes. If you have the opportunity to attend this event, it is definitely worth the money. Until next time, have a magical day, and keep moving forward!

This past weekend we had the opportunity to attend WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO COMIC CON at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. To begin, the location is terrific. The venue is literally right off the interstate across from O’Hare International Airport. (There are some toll fees to exit so be prepared with some change.) Once we exited, it was merely a few blocks to reach the parking deck. I knew we were in for a great experience because it was packed. It took some maneuvering and some patience, but we finally got a spot and were ready to roll. Our teenage daughter came with us and was ready to do some serious CosPlaying. She went the Anime route this time (Ouran HighSchool Host Club), but pretty much anything goes.

As we approached the main entrance, we saw people representing Doctor Who, Star Trek, Star Wars, Marvel superheroes, The Walking Dead “walkers” and main characters, Jake and Finn from Adventure Time, SpongeBob, Ghostbusters, Transformers, and more. The list could go on and on. My favorite was “Carl” from The Walking Dead who was carrying around a huge can of pudding. (If you do not watch the show, that will make no sense to you, but believe me it was outstanding). I also loved the guy dressed like the Rick Moranis character in Ghostbusters. So clever! I actually felt pretty simple in my t-shirt and shorts. It is clear from the first few moments that we found “our people.” Others may think Comic Cons are nerdy or for weirdoes who dress up, but if we judge it by the crowds, this Comic Con would outnumber many of the largest sports and music events in the country. Clearly there is something pretty cool going on here. After doing some people watching we stopped by the official merchandise booth and picked up some t-shirts, a sticker for our van travel topper, and a koozie (Herds of Nerds!). The prices were reasonable and the selection was good.

Security did a quick scan for our passes and we were in the main hall. WOW! There was awesomeness as far as the eye could see. We did our best to stay the course and go row by row in an orderly route, but with so much cool stuff to check out, we ended up doing some twisting and turning and double- backing. It was so worth it. We took photos with other CosPlayers, saw incredible artwork, met some up and coming authors, and spent some cash. The trick is to try not to spend it all in the first five minutes! In other parts of the venue there are opportunities to attend panel discussions on all sorts of topics. There was also a horror film festival throughout the weekend. Celebrities appear at various times for autograph and photo sessions. These often included an extra cost so if you plan to attend next year, start saving up now for your favorites like Stan Lee, William Shatner, Matt Smith, Norman Reedus, Dave Bautista, and John Cena.

WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO COMIC CON is so much more than just a bunch of stereotypical nerds hanging out together. It is an experience for all walks of life. It is a chance to become someone else for the day,and have strangers ask to take a selfie with you because your CosPlay is so amazing. It is the opportunity to view outstanding fan art and original characters. It is something that you might not understand at first, but then come to respect and love. Comic Cons can bring people together who may not always fit in with the “norm” at work or the “populars” at school. Comic Cons have taught our artsy daughter that it is ok to be yourself and to march to your own beat. WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO COMIC CON is an event that both young and old, rich and poor, cool and geeky can all share some pretty amazing moments. Check one out in your area. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

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I have been a Disney fanatic for as long as I can remember. I have also been a “darker” person for most of my life. Surprisingly (to me at least) the two go together well. Especially since it appears to me that Disney has been boosting its “dark side” the past few years. This week, I’m going to share some of my favorite darker Disney things.

Nothing says dark like hanging out with the dead. There are two attractions that really excite my dark side in the Magic Kingdom. The first is the Haunted Mansion. It’s my all-time favorite ride, and it always seems to lift my spirits. The second is Pirates of the Caribbean. How can you go wrong with ghosts and pirate skeletons? Merchandise for Pirates of the Caribbean has always been easy to find, but I’ve noticed more Haunted Mansion goodies in the past few years. I guess it’s done well since Disney recently announced it’s turning the Yankee Trader shop in the Magic Kingdom into a store dedicated to the hauntingly fun attraction. I hope Disney feels my sympathetic vibrations and opens the store by my October visit!

The darkness doesn’t stop there. There are also two events whose attendees are probably like me. “Villains Unleashed” is a new event being held at Hollywood Studios on August 23rd. There will be more than 50 villains in the park and it sounds like it’s going to be a frightfully good time. I’ve also noticed more villains merchandise is now available year round. Now, I can guarantee the next event is screamingly fun for all. “Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party” takes place several nights September-October in the Magic Kingdom. This will be my fourth year attending the special event, and I’m so excited I’ve already started working on my costume. The fireworks and parade are my favorite parts of the evening. The parade features some amazing characters like the Headless Horseman, a skeleton band, pirates, the hitchhiking ghosts, and all of you classic favorites (in costume of course.)

Finally, I want to highlight some of my favorite Disney movies that lean towards the darker side of things. First, my favorite movie ever, The Nightmare Before Christmas. I have to say I love that this movie has made its way into the parks. The Haunted Mansion in Disneyland turns into a Nightmare ride in the fall. I hope I get to ride it one day, but for now, I’ll have to appreciate all the merchandise available in Walt Disney World. Another movie I’m fond of is Maleficent. I really didn’t expect to like it, but I do enjoy this strong, dark female character who isn’t a villain. Other favorites include Pirates of the Caribbean, Hocus Pocus, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Beauty and the Beast, and The Princess and the Frog.

I can’t be the only grim grinning girl out there! Tell me your favorite dark Disney things on Twitter @hoodie_life.