Tom Corless’ 1/14-1/17/13 WDW Photo Report

WDWNT on March 3, 2013

I know it is a few days late, but I decided that I should share some newsworthy photos from my last trip to Walt Disney World with you, so let’s take a look at a couple of interesting things happening around the resort:

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The Epcot Center charm bracelet is now available

The “Oz The Great and Powerful” playground fro the Flower and Garden Festival is being constructed near Imagination!

The FastPass+ queue seems to be finished at the Seas with Nemo and Friends

Yes, the cut a hole in the mural…

The Main Street Bakery is closed until May to convert to Starbucks service

Tomorrowland Terrace has breakfast for now

FastPass+ scanners uncovered at Tomorrowland Speedway

Also uncovered at the Barnstormer

The umbrellas have finally arrived for the tables in Storybook Circus

The construction walls at the Grand Floridian now sport concept art for the Villas at the Grand Floridian

The FastPass+ scanners at Toy Story Midway Mania are tinker-toys!

The exhibit area at the Magic of Disney Animation now has a poster up for Frozen

There is also a poster for Planes

A Walt Disney World charm bracelet has also been released

There’s a ticket from 1981 on it

They also sell a large charm with this artwork

There is a Dumbo New Fantasyland board game out now

New magnet clips, including the Orange Bird

The kids cups at restaurants now match the light-up character they come with

A temporary banner has gone up at the Animal Kingdom turnstiles to let resort guests know they can enter here with their RFID tickets

Fab 5 figurines have been released, they are only $12.95 each

A new surprise release pin set has been started celebrating extinct attractions. The first pin is the Mickey Mouse Revue!

WDWNT: The Magazine – To Our Readers

WDWNT on March 3, 2013

When issue 19 of the magazine was released, the Letter from the Editor included a note that the magazine staff was taking a short break, and would use the downtime to consider improvements to the magazine. During that time, the magazine team considered many different options.

Now the break is over, and I’m thrilled to announce that we are significantly changing the way we publish our content. Instead of releasing a monthly PDF version of the magazine, we are going to fully integrate our content into the main wdwnewstoday.com website. Our magazine articles will be published as featured content of the site. The plan is to publish a couple of articles each weekend. The articles will be highlighted as magazine articles to stand apart from the regular news posts on the site. I’ll try to answer some questions that may come up, but please let us know if you have any other questions.

Why are we making this change?

There are a couple of reasons, most notably:

  • This will allow us to significantly reduce the publication time of articles, getting them to our readers much quicker, thus allowing for more timely and relevant articles.
  • This allows better searching of the magazine content for our readers.
  • Easier for our readers to access the magazine content. This will allow readers to go to a single site for Disney news and analysis, rather than going to multiple sites.

When does this start?

Right now! With the publication of this post, we will begin regular posting of magazine articles to the wdwnewstoday.com website. As noted above, we will be publishing new content on a weekly basis. So check back often.

So is this the end of the print version of WDWNT: The Magazine?

As a monthly print magazine, yes. However, we are working on some ideas that will allow us to publish a quarterly or semi-annual print version that contains a review of articles published during the previous period. In addition, the first 19 issues will continue to be available.

Isn’t this basically just turning the magazine into a blog?

While we are using blog technology, we strongly believe that what differentiates us from a traditional blog is going to be our content. Our publishing model might be changing, but our content and our editorial voice is not going to be changing. We are going to continue to focus on longer articles with creative topics that will appeal to Disney fans. I am extremely proud of the fantastic content that the magazine team has produced over 19 issues, and I am confident that we will continue that going forward.

I hope that this post provides an overview of the new direction for WDWNT: The Magazine. I am very excited about where we are going, and I am certain that we will continue to bring you the most educational and most entertaining content available to Disney fans anywhere.

As always, we want to hear from you. Please email us any questions or suggestions you may have to wdwntthemagazine@wdwnt.com.

WDWNT: The Magazine – Life Outside of the College Program

WDWNT on March 3, 2013

Life Outside of the College Program

By Bret Shroats

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[one_half]If you are interested in participating in the Disney College Program, you may have several questions about the program. One of the questions you should have is, “Will I have a life outside of the role Disney casts me for?”As a Disney College Program alumnus, I am pleased to report that the answer is completely up to you.

The Disney College Program offers a diverse amount of options for a cast member’s schedule; you may take as much or as little overtime at your work location as you want. Now, you have no control what you get scheduled, but you control the amount of overtime and what you do with your free time. I know participants who went to Walt Disney World to work, and that was all they wanted to do, and they were happy. They were living their dream, and they knew they would continue to live the dream as long as they wanted to. These people Walt Disney’s words, “You reach a point where you don’t work for money,” quite literally.

There are also people who apply and accept their offer to the Disney College Program so they can move to Orlando, Florida and party while they are there. They request as few hours as possible and try and give away hours whenever they can. They are also happy.

I, and many others like me, go down for the full experience of the Disney College Program and Orlando, Florida. I was completely content with the hours I was given, and I still made time to do almost everything Orlando and Tampa, Florida had to offer. Sometimes I even requested more hours. One week I worked almost 80 hours, and I had no complaints. During a separate week I had a 14 hour shift. Cast Members at the Magic Kingdom kept me busy; they knew if I was there the job would be done.

I was not a slave to Disney though; I did everything I could around the central Florida area that I wanted. I went to competition theme parks, and I went everywhere from Cocoa Beach to Clearwater Beach. I took the stroll down I-Drive, I shopped at the Florida Mall, and I did some of the activities that Disney offers to College Program participants.

Now, having a life doesn’t just happen when you have free time outside of work. Obviously, as you work in the role that Disney has casted you for, you will make friends with co-workers even if you do not work with them every day. You may have a social life at work and outside of work. I made some of my greatest memories hanging out with friends while working at Magic Kingdom such as the rare times when the park was slow or stopping work July 3rd and 4th to watch the Magic Kingdom’s July 4th fireworks show. Watching the same show as the rest of the near 100,000 crowd was a truly magical experience.[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Outside of work, there are many places Disney College Program participants enjoy. A couple of popular hangouts, for when we would get off after hours, were Steak and Shake and I-Hop. I can recount a myriad of times of getting off at 1 or 2 A.M. and going to one of those places with friends from Magic Kingdom or Downtown Disney. Another popular hangout spot is the Disney College Program’s apartment complexes. Each complex has plenty to do within in it, including: exercising, swimming, or playing a sport. Also, if you live in Chatham Square or Patterson Court, you live next to Mickey’s Retreat— a recreational area just for Disney cast members.

There is so much to do outside of working for Disney as a Disney College Program participant. Orlando is a fantastic place to live, work, and play. It has seven world class theme parks, and you can get into four of them for free anytime you want. There are four amazing water parks, and you can get into two of them for free at most times. There is great food, places to shop, and entertainment for everyone. It’s hard to not find something to enjoy. Because of this, Orlando, Florida was voted the #10 Best Vacation Spot in the United States by TripAdvisor in 2012. You do not get that ranking without some great things to do around the area. Additionally, the Tampa, Florida theme park and the beautiful beaches, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, are within reasonable driving distance.

One day, to remind myself from home, I created an exciting, memorable outing. I am originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and I had a Cincinnati day in Tampa, Florida. I went to Clearwater, Florida for the beach and a Cincinnati restaurant—Skyline Chili. In that restaurant, they had a pennant from my high school. Later that night, the Cincinnati Reds were in town to take on the Tampa Bay Rays. The Reds won the game by a score of 5-0. It was a great reminder of home that I had time to create while attending the Disney College Program.

If you want a social life while working at Disney, you can have one. If you do not want a social life while working at Disney, you don’t have to have one. I recommend having the best of both worlds; if you don’t, the magic will wear off one day. It may not happen immediately, but it will eventually happen. When the magic does wear off, you will want friends to share your magical memories with. The magic will return with time away from Disney. Sometimes people overdose on magic; that’s when you need to step away and breathe in the breath of the sea or experience the frenzy of another local attraction. Once you do that, the magic will return to you, and you will continue to be successful and happy at “The Happiest Place on Earth.”

Have a magical day.[/one_half_last]

WDWNT: The Magazine – Test Track: First Impressions

WDWNT on March 3, 2013

Test Track: First Impressions

by Ron D’Anna

December 11, 1998 was a landmark day at Epcot. While not officially open, it was the first day Test Track saw riders. After over two years of waiting and delays, Epcot received its first thrill ride. While official Cast Member previews would begin the next day, Epcot cast members and their guests got to experience the attraction before anyone else. However, though I wasn’t working at Epcot, I managed to get in with a group of friends that night as well. After years of waiting for the ride to open, I was there for its first night, and what appeared to be its first breakdown. Just as I pulled into the unload area, the ride suddenly stopped and the Imagineers who had been lining the platforms scattered. It was a truly memorable first ride.

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Just a shade over 14 years later, I approach Test Track for the first time again, just after park opening on a Saturday morning. The line is already sticking out past the shade-providing canopy. The ride is down. “At least some things haven’t changed,” I think to myself. I’d seen plenty of reviews and videos of the so-called Tron Track and I hadn’t decided what to think about it. Rationally, I’d decided to wait to experience the ride before condemning it. I decided to get my Fastpass and come back later.

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Finally, I came back in the afternoon to ride via Fastpass. Immediately, I saw we were segregated from the main queue, though the few exhibits Fastpass and Single Riders see are interesting enough for the short wait. Finally we come to the design stations. We quickly select our predesigned vehicle, and within a couple of minutes we’re loading on to our Sim-Car and we’re off. Little did I know I had bypassed the most compelling component of the new experience.

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What first hit me was how beautiful the environment of the ride track is. The graphics are incredible, and definitely convey the feeling of being in the computerized environment. However, I immediately began to feel at a loss of where I am and what I’m doing in the vehicle testing storyline. The ride track may be exactly the same, but the change in narration and décor of the building don’t quite impress on the riders what exactly they are testing. When the ride switches to the cornering and high-speed sections this lack of direction is essentially minimized as the ride’s focus switches to the sensations rather than the environment. Along the way the design ranking screens have been displaying how our cars have been doing, but having chosen a pre-made design I felt no real connection to my design.

Any emotional connection to the ride is lost by taking the Fastpass or Single Rider options. The heart and soul of the attraction lie in the design features, and after going back and playing with that, my entire outlook on the ride instantly changed. Exiting into the post show, I still felt somewhat cheated. All the elements of the post show revolve around your design. From the simple performance readouts to the interactive “create your own” commercial and the drive tables, I still had fun but it felt cold and sterile. Something was missing to make the new Test Track the E-Ticket anchor Epcot deserved.

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Everything changed again the second I found the design stations in the post-show area. After waiting for the station the person ahead of me had been using to time out (these desperately need a functional “I’m Done” button), I thoroughly enjoyed the design process, playing with option upon option for the full amount of time each section allowed. Everything I had just experienced hit me in a different light. I know the physical experience wouldn’t have changed, and it really hadn’t from the original ride, but I could see the emotional attachment to the car rankings and post show elements.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take my new design back through again because of timing on a busy holiday weekend, the posted wait time was well over two hours. I really wanted to see how it felt with my own car. I found it hard to believe that something so intangible made all the difference in what is billed as a thrill ride. And even more surprising, Disney has finally come up with a compelling reason to skip Fastpass. Hopefully, the advent of MyMagic+ will allow guests to predesign their vehicles and allow those who use the Fastpass option the same experience as those in the standby queue with out the hour plus waits.

In all, the new Test Track is a worthy successor to the original, but the heart of the attraction isn’t the thrill factor, it’s the tie in you get from preshow to post show with the vehicle you create. Unless the option to design your car ahead of time is introduced, I will highly recommend making Test Track your first attraction in the morning, rather than relying on Fastpass to experience the full version.

Ron has been going to WDW longer than he can remember. As a former Cast Member, he has always tried to share his love of Walt Disney World. Ron can be reached at graceysbutler@gmail.com.

Around the Hub – Season 2 – Episode 1

WDWNT on March 1, 2013

Around the Hub is a game show based on ESPN’s Around the Horn. Four contestants from around the WDWNT Network of Podcasts match wits in a game of competitive banter. Points are awarded for good arguments and points may be deducted if a podcaster loses their train of thought or says something the host does not agree with. There are 3 rounds of play, starting off with the Rope Drop (which covers the biggest news stories of the week from the entire Walt Disney Company) and ending with the Face-Off between the last two podcasters standing. At the end of each round the podcaster with the lowest point total is eliminated. The winner of each episode gets a thirty second Meet ‘N’ Greet to discuss anything from the World of Disney that is on their minds.

In this episode, Around The Hub dissects EPCOT’s International Food and Wine Festival. The panel features a special appearance by AJ Wolf from The Disney Food Blog. Other panelists include David Smith, Taylor Martina and Justin Heyman.

Around the Hub – Season 2 – Episode 2

WDWNT on March 1, 2013

Around the Hub is a game show based on ESPN’s Around the Horn. Four contestants from around the WDWNT Network of Podcasts match wits in a game of competitive banter. Points are awarded for good arguments and points may be deducted if a podcaster loses their train of thought or says something the host does not agree with. There are 3 rounds of play, starting off with the Rope Drop (which covers the biggest news stories of the week from the entire Walt Disney Company) and ending with the Face-Off between the last two podcasters standing. At the end of each round the podcaster with the lowest point total is eliminated. The winner of each episode gets a thirty second Meet ‘N’ Greet to discuss anything from the World of Disney that is on their minds.

Disney’s acquisition of LucasFilm takes center stage on this episode of Around the Hub. The panel also hits up all the news that was missed between Seasons 1 and 2. The panel features Taylor Martina, David Smith, Ron D’Anna and Justin Heyman.

Around the Hub – Season 2 – Episode 3

WDWNT on March 1, 2013

Around the Hub is a game show based on ESPN’s Around the Horn. Four contestants from around the WDWNT Network of Podcasts match wits in a game of competitive banter. Points are awarded for good arguments and points may be deducted if a podcaster loses their train of thought or says something the host does not agree with. There are 3 rounds of play, starting off with the Rope Drop (which covers the biggest news stories of the week from the entire Walt Disney Company) and ending with the Face-Off between the last two podcasters standing. At the end of each round the podcaster with the lowest point total is eliminated. The winner of each episode gets a thirty second Meet ‘N’ Greet to discuss anything from the World of Disney that is on their minds.

LIVE From the WDWNT Toys for Tots Marathon it is Around the Hub. The Hubbers take aim at the Holiday season on this special episode. The episode features many first time panelists and always people to donate points to the panelist of their choice by donating to Toys for Tots. On this very special panel is Jose Castillo, Ron D’Anna, Eric Lancy, and Ben Harris.

Around the Hub – Season 2 – Episode 4

WDWNT on March 1, 2013

Around the Hub is a game show based on ESPN’s Around the Horn. Four contestants from around the WDWNT Network of Podcasts match wits in a game of competitive banter. Points are awarded for good arguments and points may be deducted if a podcaster loses their train of thought or says something the host does not agree with. There are 3 rounds of play, starting off with the Rope Drop (which covers the biggest news stories of the week from the entire Walt Disney Company) and ending with the Face-Off between the last two podcasters standing. At the end of each round the podcaster with the lowest point total is eliminated. The winner of each episode gets a thirty second Meet ‘N’ Greet to discuss anything from the World of Disney that is on their minds.

Around the Hub returns to its usual news format as the biggest news of the week from the Walt Disney Company is batted around. Included in this episode is the infamous Disney Dragon, New Fantasyland, and much more. The panel features Around the Hub wins leader Tom Corless, WDWNT Original Jason Diffendal,and two new panelists Brandon Brush and Josh Hall.

Around the Hub – Season 2 – Episode 5

WDWNT on March 1, 2013

Around the Hub is a game show based on ESPN’s Around the Horn. Four contestants from around the WDWNT Network of Podcasts match wits in a game of competitive banter. Points are awarded for good arguments and points may be deducted if a podcaster loses their train of thought or says something the host does not agree with. There are 3 rounds of play, starting off with the Rope Drop (which covers the biggest news stories of the week from the entire Walt Disney Company) and ending with the Face-Off between the last two podcasters standing. At the end of each round the podcaster with the lowest point total is eliminated. The winner of each episode gets a thirty second Meet ‘N’ Greet to discuss anything from the World of Disney that is on their minds.

The future is bright for Around the Hub and the entire Disney company. That’s why in this episode the future of the Company is discussed. The Magic Kingdom and Disneyland get the most love but there is a little something about the future of every aspect of the Disney Company on this episode featuring Marci Smith, David Smith, Ben Harris, and Brandon Brush.

Around the Hub – Season 2 – Episode 6

WDWNT on March 1, 2013

Around the Hub is a game show based on ESPN’s Around the Horn. Four contestants from around the WDWNT Network of Podcasts match wits in a game of competitive banter. Points are awarded for good arguments and points may be deducted if a podcaster loses their train of thought or says something the host does not agree with. There are 3 rounds of play, starting off with the Rope Drop (which covers the biggest news stories of the week from the entire Walt Disney Company) and ending with the Face-Off between the last two podcasters standing. At the end of each round the podcaster with the lowest point total is eliminated. The winner of each episode gets a thirty second Meet ‘N’ Greet to discuss anything from the World of Disney that is on their minds.

The latest additions to the Walt Disney Resort are discussed on this episode of Around the Hub. The focus is mainly on the newly renovated Test Track but Splitsville, new entertainment, the new interactive games, movie news and much much more are touched upon. Tom Corless, TouringPlans.com Scarlett Litton, Ben Harris, and Ron D’anna are featured.