My Disney Semester

Guess what? I'm obsessed with Disney.

Did the blog give it away? Or the closet full of t-shirts? Well, the monkey's out of the bottle now.

In my obsession with Disney, I've tried to make it the centerpiece of my life. I worked at Walt Disney World for seven months, I created this blog, and I'm trying to get them to let me make magic full time. If it doesn't happen now, it will.

Going along with that theme, this semester, just about every big project I've had has been about Disney. This has been a running theme of my college career, having started this very blog in my online media class.

My course load has consisted of a media production class, a graphic design class, a class on the future of journalism, a class on business journalism, a photojournalism class, a one-credit class on the FOX company (so not Disney! Oh, but wait) and an advanced online media class.

For almost every one of those classes, I've managed to apply my Disney love for a grade. I have not yet incorporated it into my business journalism class, but there's still an essay to make it happen. I'm a little annoyed with myself that I didn't buy Disney stock for the faux-stock market assignment we had (I already own it in real life, so it didn't seem fitting.)

My Cars Land Magazine Layout

I've managed to make the first two big assignments for my graphic design class Disney centric. The first, a magazine layout, was done on the opening of Cars Land. The second, an info graphic, was done on the prices and popularity of Disney. I don't know what my grade is on the ladder, but I only got four points off out of 200 for the former. Ka-Chow!

My Disney info graphic.

With my online media class, I'm creating an entire website devoted to explaining just what is
it that attracts Disney to what many see as the child's entertainment company that is Disney.

For my media production class, I did a fake podcast on the Disney parks. That didn't go so well. But I got my Disney in! For my photojournalism class, I turned in a picture I took on my recent trip to Disneyland of the new Carthay Circle Theatre.

The Carthay Circle Theatre

With my future of journalism class, I'm turning in this blog, and a composite video I made for the two components of the final. Most of my grade for the class will be decided on things having to do with Mickey Mouse.

Then there's my class on FOX. How'd I do it? Well, I haven't yet. But I am going to write a (fantastic) paper comparing Walt Disney to Rupert Murdoch. My conclusion, I can tell you, is that they're two very different people.

Oh, and this is my senior year, and every credit counts towards graduation. So, you could say with my college career, "It all ended with a mouse."

What People Are Saying About: AVENGErail

This will be the first in a new series where I mine the twitterverse and bring to you what people are saying about current items of Disney news.

My Favorite Sherman Brothers Song

Today, the Disney community has learned of the sad news that Robert B. Sherman passed away. The man lived a long, productive life, and provided a great amount of joy to many people (and agony to some when they got a song of his stuck in their head, which in a way is a compliment to his talent).
There's a great documentary, which I have reviewd on Robert and his brother Richard, and I highly reccomend it. There's a great story behind their great music.


I wanted to focus on Robert's legacy, which of course, is music. Though I find most of the Sherman brother's music throughly entertaining, there is one song I favor particularily.


I'll give you a hint: it's about bird who sings words and crooning flowers.



It's the best Sherman brothers song that you can find in a Disney park. Considering its comptition is "it's a small world," that may not be saying much (Though, "it's a small world (after all)" is a genius song, both in concept and the catchiness factor that so many detest).

Unlike "it's a small world," with it's elaborate sets and scenes, the "Tiki Room" theme is the attraction, especially viewed by today's standards. The singing audioanimatronics were extremely innovative when the attraction debuted, but as with all technology, it has become dated. The music, though, is timeless, and is a pleasure to have stuck in your head.

What's your favorite Sherman brothers song? Winnie the Pooh? Chiti Chiti Bang Bang? Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious? Comment with your pick!

I'm Going to Disneyland...On My iPad!

Boo! The new Haunted Mansion Queue

I've talked about my admiration of the classic Haunted Mansion attraction before, how I love it's mixture of campy fun, great storytelling and Disney magic.

Generally, when I talk about how I love just about anything Disney Parks, I'm talking about the Disneyland version. Well, lucky for me, Liberty Square's Haunted Mansion was built at just about the same time as New Orleans Square's, and the attractions are virtually the same. I may go as far as to say the World's version is slightly better, with it's haunted stair case scene. Now that it has the new hitchhiking ghosts and interactive queue, it's almost definitely the superior of the two manors.



Yesterday, I finally had some time off from my job at the Magic Kingdom, so what did I do? I went back to the Magic Kingdom. They've been getting quite the array of new features, so it made the most sense to go back to the place I spend 40+ hours a week.

First off, I went to visit Magician Mickey. More on that later.

Then, I went over to Liberty Square to visit the Haunted Mansion. Along with half the park.

One of the criticisms of the new interactive queue is that there's hardly anyone ever in the queue for the Mansion, seeing as it has an omnimover system, thus resulting in an extremely high rider capacity. Not the day I went. The stand-by wait time was posted at 50 minutes, which I ignored, because as the future often proves, it was a little exaggerated.

The Captain

Once I got up to the new and exciting features I came to, I was surprised to find that it was an optional part of the line. You could either go through and experience the new features, or go straight into the foyer and then the stretching room. I obviously didn't do the former.

What I found in the interactive queue was great. The touch-and-play instruments, the misty organ, the bookcase and the interactive poetry were great. Also, Madam Leota's living tombstone was very creepy, and thus fantastic.

My only negatives words on the subject would be that it was really more of an area than a queue. It was nice seeing everything in one fell swoop, but it would have been nice to see it while I was actually waiting in line, like "Space Mountain's: and "Soarin's" games. There was a tone of boring, chain-linked queue as a predecessor to the interactive part that could have been livened up.

Then, there was the other part of the Haunted Mansion that I came for, at the exact opposite end of the attraction: the new hitchhiking ghosts. I'll get to the point: they're amazing. I've always pantomimed petting or elbowing the previous, static hitchhiking ghosts, and now they do the same (kind of) thing to me! I went on a tour of the mansion twice, and I was a little annoyed that both times I got the bearded ghost, who both times put his beard on my face. The other ghosts seem to switch the heads of the guests it sits in between, and I don't know what the third one did. But it was cool, whatever it did.

People were raving about both the queue and the new hitchhiking ghosts, both seeming to be a huge hit. I though the imagineers did a great job enhancing a classic without changing it too much and respecting its legacy.

Have you been in the new queue or been in the company of a new hitchhiking ghost? How was your experience?

Traditions, and Seeing the Magic Kingdom through Disneyland eyes

 When I hear the word “traditions,” I generally think of the song from Fiddler on the Roof. Here at Disney, it means something completely different.

For the Disney College Program, "traditions" means officially starting the program and taking your final steps towards becoming a full fledged cast member.

Isn't it pretty?

Final steps as in watching a number of videos, and learning what makes the Disney company the fantastic business that it is. Most importantly, it means getting your Disney Cast Member name tag. Not to blow it out of proportion or anything, but getting my Cast Member name tag is probably the third most important event of my life, only less significant than my future marriage and future birth of my child, neither which have happened yet, which puts getting it at numero uno for right now.

Part of Traditions was taking a trip into the Magic Kingdom, a park I have not been too since I was 12, so it was a completely new-ish experience for me. I’m a Disneyland guy, so seeing this interpretation of Walt’s original Magic Kingdom was shocking. The part I first walked into was Main Street, next to Fantasyland which is quite possibly the least similar part of the Magic Kingdom in comparison to Disneyland. The whole time, all I could talk about was how different yet the same things are here at the World.

After Traditions was over, I ate a quick lunch of PB&J and Ramen (not eaten together) at my apartment and then headed back to the Magic Kingdom in my street clothes to visit with some friends. It was pouring, much like it was in the morning, so the park was nearly empty. The first ride we hit up was Stitch’s Great Escape, which was was Preston’s Great Disappointment. Essential it’s a cheap re-theming of the old Alien ride.

Main Street and Cinderella's castle in the rain 

Then we went on Space Mountain, which was much different than the Land version, but still pretty good. The two separate tracks were cool, and I found the ride itself pretty thrilling, though the sound system on the ride was nothing compared to the headrest speakers at Disneyland.

We also went on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and The Haunted Mansion, which were both essentially the same as in California. After that we went on Big Thunder Mountain Railway, which we got stuck on right out of the gate. We got to have a fun conversation with some extroverted cast members, and were given fastapsses to any one ride of our choosing, which we wisely used on Peter Pan.



After partaking in a few more rides, we watched 'The Memories, the Magic, and You,” a projected show that takes place in Cinderella's castle, using pictures taken that day and projecting them onto the castle, using different themes from a number of Disney movies. It was a truly innovative show that really scored some points with me for the World. I thought it better than even the “Wishes” fireworks show. ‘Twas definitely a great example of Disney magic.

But it’s late, and I’ve got training in the morning, and I don’t have much else to talk about from today, my third day in the Disney College program. So this is the end of this.

The Lighting of Sleeping Beauty's Castle

While waiting for the "Believe...In Holiday Magic" fireworks show at Disneyland, I got to see the lighting of Sleeping Beauty's Castle. I shot the whole thing on my iPhone, and now you can watch what I saw. Enjoy!