Good Morning interweb.

Last week I choose to rather impromptly pull a vanishing act and left an impending cold front likely to drop a foot of snow for the sunny warmth of Florida. I had three main objectives this trip.

1. Deliver salsa to the victor of my College Football regular season game I started in August for friends from the wdwcp: Karen who oddly was on vacation in Florida.

2. To surprise many friends. Karen didn't know I was coming down, just the same way the rest of my friends didn't either. However more on surprising Karen in a moment.

3. To help introduce new cp's to Disney and more importantly to decompress from the busy Christmas wedding season and finals.

Now granted, I had gone down to Florida in October during Fall Break Disney has not released their grip on me yet. The trip itself was only a week but felt like it passed by in a flash. I got to see my old roomates Will and Austin, surprise my old 9103 neighbor Tori and above all help with the biggest surprise of them all.

I told you we would circle back to surprising Karen. Karen was actually the first person I met just before I started the wdwcp last January while at EPCOT with my mom. Fittingly it was also almost one year ago since we met so the trip (from the standpoint of a writer) had a lot of layered meaning. Now me being me I never show my hand completely until the showdown. During the cp, Karen presgained me into being her wingman of sorts on a date with another cp, Robby. I was the failsafe if the date went completely to part which I hoped it wasn't because from what I had heard from Karen before this, Robby seemed like a great guy. (Didn't like my salsa and was from Alabama, but that is neither here nor there at the moment) Since then Robby and Karen's relationship grew strong and i've become very good friends with both of them.

On Christmas Eve, during my familial tradition of eating pizza before watching Christmas Vacation, Robby sends me a picture text. I open it and promptly start choking on pizza. A ring flashed up from my iPhone and this got the wheels turning.

Needless to say under veil of secrecy within hours my trip was booked.

On January 4th 2011, beneath the twinkling glow of Cinderella's Castle after Wishes illuminated the night sky, Robby proposed to Karen.

This has been my second time helping a friend propose to his girlfriend, and oddly the first time was with my friends Kevin and Emily at Disneyland two years ago. Disney holds magic for everyone and with the "Let the Memories Begin" campaign going on now at WDW, I can honestly say that some of the greatest memories I've made and have helped with have begun at Disney.

You all probably thought I was dead didn't you? And by you all I am of course refering to the one or two people who even know of this blog's existence. I digress. I have much to discuss and inform the interweb about, so let's get this gig rolling.

My last entry was March. Wow time has flown by. You are probably asking why I have gone silent these last several months well, i've been fairly busy. March was the start of Spring Break down in WDW which blended with Easter and then quickly turned to summer travel with the flood of tourists and Brazil dissolving it's title as a country. (Cast Member humor. You'd understand if you were there)

My college program was filled with so much fun and experiences that I honestly can not do it justice in paraphrasing. I'm met so many wonderful friends and shared so many memories with them that it was incredibly hard to walk beneath the train station on the final day of my program in August. I liken it to my final concert with Madrigals in 2005. Thankfully, I choose to create a series of videos on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/avsfan3721)so that i could remember all the good times and also as a means of showing my friends back in Utah what I had been doing with myself.

You may ask why I would give up the magic and return to reality. Sadly, prior obligations the biggest being school and I needed to come home to work at my old job so that I could make some money. I was the only person in my apartment (9102 will always be my apartment.) to actually recieve an extension to my program which would have allowed me to stay from August through January. Believe me: Every day I changed my mind on whether I would accept or decline it. In the end the obligations outweighed my wishes this time but I was able to stay with the company as a Campus Rep for the U of U. So while i'm stuck in inversion filled Utah, I am still in my heart working for a mouse.

I'll do more than just this cursory blog next time, for which there will be a next time and not before 2012.

Peace

The DCP Challenge

What exactly are Disney challenges? They are simple events that are set up by either college programees or devoted Disney travellers. They can range from endurance challenges (Riding a specific ride X number of times in one day), Hidden Mickey Hunts, to the strong livered Drinking Round the World Challenge.

Since I am down in WDW for this internship, i've crafted my own challenge if you will. I've combined together a grouping of WDW objects into a unique treasure hunt that hide behind the doors of riddles. Each riddle is a challenge, and your overall goal is to get them all completed within one day.

Single Rider lines and Fastpass lines are out of the question. This is a challenge that will also test your time management.

Pictures or video proof are required to prove you did the challenge on the same day.

Also, you may breeze through these challenges, but the inclusion of a hidden mickey hunt will also test your deductive skills.

Good luck!

Rules:
-Able to devote a full day to the challenge
-No FASTPass or Single Rider lines
-Camera/Vlog proof
-Find 10 Hidden Mickeys

Challenges:
-Stamp the Serling Letter
-Unearth the Hyperion Resort
-Sacul Egroeg's Wild Ride
-Over the Falls, around the riverbend
-Bryce
-Pray to the Mythical God
-Defeat the warlord with over 200,000
-to the forum
-Mangiano un gelato a venezia
-Seven....oh ya Seven
-Hold Earth on your shoulders
-Adorn the Sorcerer's hat
- Lt. Dan would be proud
-Grissom would disapprove
-That is my golf ball!
-Always the Groomsmen, never the groom
-Castilla del Mare
-Blood on the Walls
-Life and the wonderment about it
-The Stroke of Midnight

So we have 16 rides, 4 pictures and 10 hidden mickey requirements.

Summer Surprises

By Derek Prior

            After making it’s final parade down the sweeping shops of Main Street U.S.A. on April 1^st 2001, the Main Street Electrical Parade paved the way for the return of Spectro Magic.  Now, the roles are reversing this June, when Spectro Magic steps to the wings and allows The Main Street Electrical Parade to return for The Magic Kingdom’s Summer Nightastic.

            But what changes do we have to look forward to with this new iteration of the classic Electrical Parade?  For starters, the introduction of three new floats, Tinkerbell, Pinocchio and a new version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will be integrated within the parade as Tink lights the festivities each and every night as the lead float.  An additional improvement to all those twinkling floats are LED lighting and new audio technology set to make this classic parade fit for the new and old.

            Also to be added to the Walt Disney World Resort for the Summer Nightastic, guests at The Magic Kingdom will be able to witness a new fireworks display.  The Tower of Terror over at Hollywood Studios will also be getting a few tweaks:  new thematic lighting and a new addition…one can only wonder what has crossed over from the Doorway of our imaginations this time.

Almost a month

Hello world, I realized that my busy world needs to take a momentary stand still to let everyone know about my progress.  Currently i'm about to round the one month mark of being not only a Florida resident, but also the one month mark of being a Cast Member at Walt Disney World.  I've got to say that it has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life. 

A recap:

My mom and I drove down from snowy Salt Lake and spend the night at the Luxor in Las Vegas and were lucky enough to enjoy Disney's The Lion King musical at The Mandalay Bay Casino.  Phenomenal show.  We then drove to El Paso, coming within a couple hundred feet of Mexico.  After a day and a half drive, we finally got out of Texas only to drive with pride through Alabama with my Sugar Bowl Champions U of U license plate bracket proudly affixed to my car and spent the night in Talahassee. 

From there, it has been Disney, Disney Disney. 

I entered the program on the 20th and after enjoying the constant que known as housing, payroll, casting, security and a complex meeting, I was officially a Disney Company Cast Member.

My role is that of a Greeter at the Contemporary Resort's Chef Mickey.  Chef Mickey is a buffet style eating experience where you will have the pleasure of enjoying a morning or evening with Chef Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald and Goofy.  My co-cast members are all great i'm learning the system and codes well.  The best part is that for almost every shift I will be working the dinners which means that I can enjoy sleeping in, doing a quick load of laundry then making my way over to whichever park or attraction I have a desire to see that day.

Living the Disney life style is well worth it with an unlimited entry pass card to the parks during my stay which doubles as a fast pass and discount card and free parking.  What can be better?

I've made a ton of friends down here and have been pleased with my decision to take a break from schooling for this once in a lifetime opportunity that who knows...may lead to something further within the company.

That's all i've got for right now blog universe.  To know more about me and what i'm thinking, follow my twitter @ www.twitter.com/utedcp

Update

Currently, it is T minus one month before I leave, and now that I am finished with classes...it's finally starting to hit me that in one month, I will be working for the Disney Company...and working in a world that I could never see myself actually doing.  Saying that, I now intend to keep this blog updated constantly.

Also, in the far right side bar, you can follow me on twitter for everything that pops into my head, disney or not.

Also, i've created a vlog since a lot of WDWCP participants seem to do them as a means of getting to know everyone before hand. 

http://www.youtube.com/user/avsfan3721#p/a/u/0/i72bVR14Xww


So for now, I shall depart.

Disneyworld

Starting in 2010, I'll be working in Walt Disney World as a Full Service Food and Beverage cast member from January to August.  I'm so extatic that the last week I've not been able to stop and realize the sheer impact of that line because of crazy work until today.

Not only is this something I've been pushing back and pushing back in my mind, but it is the first time I will be taking the enitiative to do something that I want to do.  I'll admit, my jobs and choir and productions fell into place for me and I have no complaints against it, but I have never really (since HS) done something that I wanted to. 

I've bitten the bullet, for good or bad.  Welcome to the crazy ride...but just remember to have your hands, arms, feet and legs inside of the vehicle at all times.

Salutations

Hey Internet, i'm coming at you with force.  Decided to set up a blog to chronolize my quirky life.

Please keep your hands, arms, feet and legs inside the vehicle at all times...it's going to be a bumpy ride.