tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25892822040449364912024-03-14T06:08:19.575-04:00Suzie's Disney AdventureMy experiences of the WDW International College ProgramSuziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.comBlogger171125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-75233570688001581772014-09-27T20:21:00.001-04:002014-09-27T20:21:03.748-04:00GoodbyeToday was a strange day. <br /><br />In recent years I have taken to looking up refurb schedules for while I'm in town and deliberately making sure that I do everything that's about to go into refurb because these days you never know quite what state it will come out in. So it was yesterday when I watched The Enchanted Tiki Room and rode the Walt Disney World Railroad. <br /><br />Today, though, wasn't about visiting attractions about to go into refurb. It was about visiting an attraction that has been through many refurbs and finally saw its last guests today. The Backlot Tour. <br /><br />Today was the last time that I would get to ride those red trams. Unlike a few people I know, I never worked the attraction but I have a lot of memories of it and in many ways it has had a huge influence on my life and decisions that I have made. Maybe that seems overly deep to have that kind of relationship with a theme park attraction but nonetheless that is my bond with the Backlot. <br /><br />I watched the water tank and remembered getting drenched with water while wearing rubber boots that you had to try to stretch over your trainers. In that same tank years later I would also watch one of my friends release a water tank onto another.<br /><br />I walked through the prop house, saw the Binford Tools logo and thought of Tim the Tool-man Taylor. I boarded the tram that used to have the live spiel. Drove past the Earful Tower that used to wear a Santa Hat, past the planes that used to be Pearl Harbor props not characters from an animated movie, past the costume house I once walked into, past the boneyard that was twice the size, past the stunt show that covered up Residential Street, looked down New York Street that used to have an archway, and exited past the old AFI exhibit. <br /><br />The Backlot Tour today was a shell of its former existence. I thought I would feel sad today. I didn't. Instead I was just full of nostalgia for what once was. The Backlot Tour belongs in Disney-MGM Studios not Disney's Hollywood Studios. Sleep well my old friend and thank you. <br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Disney's%20Hollywood%20Studios%20&z=10'>Disney's Hollywood Studios </a></p>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-26880340564451291942013-07-18T06:39:00.001-04:002013-07-18T06:39:25.224-04:006 Things I Can Believe Still Exist at Disney WorldI know, I know these days my blog posting doesn't happen anywhere near as much as it used to or should but today I bring you a new post to read while you enjoy the summer sunshine or unbearable heat depending on your outlook.<br /><br />Recently, (and by recently I mean 5 mins ago) I read a blog post entitled 6 Things I Can't Believe Still Exist at Walt Disney World that was posted over at parkeology.com and it made me kinda mad so here's my version...<br /><br />Disney park fans are regularly up in arms about changes that happen across Disney Properties around the world. Most of the anger seems to be directed at WDW more than the others. Sometimes it's justified, sometimes it isn't and its certainly true that an entire generation of fans has now missed out on some of the classic attractions such as 20k, the skyway, and Mr Toad (although I don't think anyone's missing out on smelling oranges seeing as they use the effect in Soarin'). <br /><br />Yes, Disney closed a classic attraction last summer. Snow White's dark ride had one of my favourite hidden mickey's and I will miss spotting the dwarf with the mouse ears but you know what, if I REALLY want to ride it I can spend my money going to Disneyland Paris instead (yeah...I still prefer visiting WDW).<br /><br />To be clear I LOVED Horizons and 20,000 leagues under the sea. I love technology so both really appealed to me as a kid. I could choose my future and see the craziest of sea creatures that no one else on this planet would get to see. Have you ever looked back at photos of those attractions? Because let me tell you, as awesome as they were back in the early 90s they would look pretty terrible now, just like the video calling sequences in spaceship earth would look terrible and dated if they were still there. I actually think the bigger crime with both attractions was how long it took to close them. 20k had this long drawn out shut down where it was constantly in refurb and horizons was shut down long before mission space replaced it. That always felt like a bigger crime to me.<br /><br />Sure they could close American Idol but space there is relatively limited and personally I'd prefer avoiding another sorcerer's hat eyesore in the middle of the park. Carousel of Progress...touch that at your peril! In my opinion there are 4 attractions that should always exist in some form at Disney Parks because they are important to history and nostalgia: Small World, President Lincoln's Speech, TTA ride vehicles and yes, Carousel of Progress. The 4 attractions created or developed from attractions created for the 1964 World's Fair. As for the Universe of Energy, in this world energy is the one thing that we will always use and its important that kids and adults learn its value, sure the thing needs updating but the pavilion itself needs to stay. Plus getting to see Dinosaurs where they're not trying to eat you or are in skeletal form....still cool!<br /><br />Lets move on to those 6 things shall we...<br /><br /><b>Film and Camera Stores</b><br /><br />Have you ever been in these? They sell camera accessories, batteries,cases,etc, DVDs and offer recharging services. You know what else lives in them? Disney's Photopass and there always seems to be a queue whenever I go in them. So am I surprised that they still exist? Not really, no.<br /><br /><b>Payphones</b><br /><br />Yes, most of the world does carry around a cellphone but suppose your party splits up and the battery dies because you've been busy taking photos or playing Angry Birds in the queue or whatever. When you've got a quarter in your pocket you might be quite grateful for those payphones. Phone books, as ridiculous as they might seem with the amount of paper they require do still exist and while we might not use paper encyclopaedias as much I should think there are very few people that have been online that have not used Wikipedia at some point which, last time I checked, is an encyclopaedia even if it does only exist online.<br /><br /><b>The Electrical Water Pageant</b><br /><br />I always consider this one of WDW's hidden gems for so many reasons, not least of which is that you can see it nearly 24 hours a day. But it only runs at nighttime. True, but its also one of the few backstage things that Disney don't hide away. Next time you're on the monorail between the Grand Floridian and Magic Kingdom look away from the Polynesian and down a little canal you'll see the floats. I used to love seeing them as a kid because it was backstage stuff that didn't ruin the magic. During the day you can't see Poseidon or the turtle or the sea serpent so the illusion isn't ruined but you still get to see a little glimpse of how the magic is made. Everyone I've ever taken to see the water pageant has loved it so yes, it may be from the 1970s but Disney's longest running parade has still got it.<br /><br /><b>Half the Games at Disney Quest</b><br /><br />Now I've never actually done the sums but I'm pretty sure that if you added up all the games in the indoor theme park that only a handful of them are the virtual jungle cruises and mighty ducks pinball slams of this world but that's beside the point. This was actually the one section where I was in agreement with the author. This place is dated. It became dated about 3 years after it opened. I find the VR games extremely uncomfortable due to a combination of 3D and the heavy headwear and a lot of the other stuff feels unresponsive. The arcade stuff is pretty awesome though ummm hello GIANT TETRIS! I actually laughed when I was there a few months ago because half the arcade games were based on phone apps, temple run, angry birds, fruit ninja and so on and I think we discussed at the time that we could just play that stuff on our phones. The problem is that I don't really know what can be done with Disney Quest. The whole place really needs gutting and being redone but that won't change the fact that technology is continuously evolving and in a few years it will become outdated again. Have you ever been in there at the weekend or when it's raining? That place is packed, so it's hard to imagine it disappearing anytime soon.<br /><br /><b>That Pop Art Store in Downtown Disney</b><br /><br />Remember when it was a guitar store? Now that always seemed odd to me. I can imagine tourists buying art and having it shipped home but, as much as I love guitars, I could never really imagine people doing the same with them. The fact is that no business is going to stay open unless they're taking more money than they're spending in rent/bills/etc so people must be buying stuff. The place isn't causing anyone any offence or having a negative influence. It's a nice looking store. I think it's quite a rude jump to start suggesting it must have mafia connections because why would anyone buy art while they're in WDW. I think many vacationers have access to a lot more money than people realise. Case in point - the infamous South American tour groups. Along with the regular complaints about other tourists finding them annoying and loud they are also known for carrying around large quantities of cash. Now when I was 15 I considered myself lucky to be carrying around 20 bucks let alone hundreds of dollars while on vacation. I'm not saying they're the ones buying the art from that store but it just wouldn't surprise me if there are plenty of adults doing the same that would happily buy art from there. As for the other stores I've always enjoyed looking in them because they're something different and are really there to add to the atmosphere of the place.<br /><br /><b>Postcards</b><br /><br />Funnily enough, before the age of the smartphone I never really saw the point of postcards. As a kid you don't tend to know your friends addresses and they always felt a bit "look where I am and you're not". Plus when home is abroad they'd usually arrive well after you'd got back home and if they didn't it was because you written them 5 mins after arriving and didn't have anything interesting to say. Now I'm older and wiser and we live in a world where post has become this magical entity (mostly due to some owls and JK Rowling). Let me tell you if you write a postcard from Disney and get it stamped at City Hall it goes from being a novelty piece of cardboard to something magical. Over the last 2 years I've sent dozens of postcards to my friends from wherever I happen to be in the world. It's not about where I am or what I'm doing, it's about sharing the moment and making someone smile. Long live Postcards!<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-5403704319048246362013-06-01T06:54:00.001-04:002013-06-01T06:54:32.780-04:00June 1st 2010 - 3 years on3 years ago today my life changed.<br />
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Since I was a kid all I ever wanted was to work for Disney. It's probably the same dream that a lot of kids have. This time 3 years ago that dream was hours away from coming true.<br />
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I was sat on a plane heading to Washington DC in a state of nervous excitement at the prospect of finally getting to do what I'd always dreamed of: making people happy as part of Uncle Walt's incredible company.<br />
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There is no doubt in my mind that a big part of who I am right now, in this moment, is because of that summer, the job I did, the people I met, the friends I made and the family that extended.<br />
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The amazing thing is that I know I'm not alone in thinking that. There are very few days when I don't see a post from someone reflecting on that summer or talking about something that's happened because of that summer. Careers, relationships, marriages have all come about because of a few months spent working for a mouse.<br />
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It's incredible to reflect back.<br />
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I'd never been to Star Wars Weekends.<br />
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I'd never met Tinkerbell.<br />
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I'd never been to Hogwarts.<br />
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I'd never had a graduation ceremony.<br />
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I'd never eaten a chocolate moose.<br />
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I'd never had the top score at Fantasia Gardens.<br />
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I'd never attempted to eat a Kitchen Sink.<br />
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I'd never met some of the best friends in the entire world - June 7th Forever.<br />
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This week is a week of celebration for so many parts of my life and June 1st is the day that kicks it all off. A day forever highlighted in my timeline.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49032331@N05/8911110114/" title="40362_10150246694985302_536470301_14054363_6490052_n by helium7suz, on Flickr"><img alt="40362_10150246694985302_536470301_14054363_6490052_n" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7304/8911110114_3c31c2b204.jpg" width="375" /></a>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-30403020761103887022013-04-26T11:10:00.001-04:002013-04-26T11:10:41.786-04:0024 Hours of Disney NewsSo this has been a busy 24 hours of announcements for WDW. I mean, why announce one thing when you can announce loads. Here's a rundown...<br />
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<b>Magic Kingdom is going to be open for 24 hours on May 24th. </b>Bit of a repeat of February 29th from last year and once again I won't be there to enjoy the fun. Would I spend the full 24 hours in a Disney Park? Probably not. If money was no concern I'd probably book a room at the Contemporary or the Polynesian, be at MK for park opening and stay until after lunch, then hit the hotel for a nap and head back into the park for dinner and stay until park closing.<br />
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<b>Star Wars Day - May the 4th Be With You. </b>It's like a teaser for Star Wars Weekends which begins later in the month. Actually I always wondered why they didn't schedule SWW to coincide with May 4th so I think it's kinda cool that they're doing this. Plus the idea of getting to ride Star Tours with the Disney characters is amazing. It would be like re-enacting the safety video from the original.<br />
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<b>Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade.</b> FINALLY MK gets a new parade. It feels like Celebrate a Dream Come True has been around forever so it'll be great to have a refresh. It's not going to arrive until Spring 2014 but still...NEW PARADE!!! Now we need a new evening parade and some new fireworks and it will be sorted!<br />
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<b>Disney Magic Refurb. </b>The Disney Magic is getting some love and the Marvel Superheroes are going to be visiting. Speaking of Marvel Superheroes, this week the rights to Daredevil (one of my favs) passed back to Marvel opening up the possibility of a movie refresh which would be AMAZING.<br />
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<b>Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend adds 10K and Glass Slipper Challenge. </b>Obviously my athletic self is excited about this....errr...not really but I'm sure there are people that are and if I was going to do a 10K Disney would be the place I'd want to do it.<br />
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<b>FastPass testing for MK Parades. </b>The viewing area is apparently going to be in the centre of Town Square, which makes sense. It's the easiest place to block off without disrupting traffic flow. As for being able to get FPs for parades I'm not sure.<br />
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Other recent news includes the Monsterail, DAK's 15th Birthday, Joffrey's Coffee replacing Nescafe (sadface because I love the Nescafe Hot Chocolate), a new restaurant over in Morocco, Conewiches arriving at DTD, and Disney Springs.<br />
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New videos will be coming just as soon as I find some time to edit them together.Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-91293486684806186562013-03-26T06:39:00.001-04:002013-03-26T21:36:51.757-04:00Episode 43 - The Return<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7vrJb2LVciQ" width="640"></iframe>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-19285071742212974312013-03-01T06:34:00.000-05:002013-03-01T06:34:13.939-05:00Another way to get in touchThis is just a very quick update to say that there's now a whole new way of getting in contact with Suzie's Disney Adventure...via email! The address is <a href="mailto:SDAdventure@icloud.com">SDAdventure@icloud.com</a> so if you have any questions, comments or suggestions about what you'd like to see on here then let me know!Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-47336327265683188682013-01-17T17:34:00.004-05:002013-01-17T17:34:55.120-05:00New DevelopmentsHello wonderful readers, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, a good new year and that 2013 has been treating you well so far.<br />
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In the wake of various announcements and happenings around the world, I thought I'd take this opportunity to write another post.<br />
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During my last trip to WDW there were three official openings that were all crammed into one day. Deciding that opening day was not the time to visit all three I took the opportunity to experience them in previews to avoid too much craziness and for reasons that I shall reveal shortly that was probably the best decision all round.<br />
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So let's kick off with New Fantasyland, because honestly, that was by far the thing I was most excited about. While I was there they were filming segments for the Disney Parks Christmas Parade featuring the kids from Modern Family.<br />
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I can't say I watch the show, in fact at the time I thought it was just the one kid but I've since found out there were three. So while people were taking photos of people with cameras we headed into Belle's Cottage for what is, by far, the most elaborate character meet and greet that I've ever experienced. Now I'm not going to spoil any magic (although there are plenty of youtube videos online if you really want to see what happens) but the interior of the cottage completely blew my mind. The level of detail and storytelling is truly astounding and it was so nice to get to learn a little more about Belle's background and upbringing. Case in point.. the following painting which I loved.<br />
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Next up Gaston's Tavern, home to pork shanks, cinnamon buns and LeFou's Brew.<br />
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I'm told the cinnamon bun was delicious and for me LeFou's Brew was so much more enjoyable than butterbeer. This isn't a Disney bias, it's an apple juice bias. The frozen apple juice with a hint of marshmallow and topped with mango foam is certainly special, and the souvenir cup, while somewhat plasticky does feature a hidden mickey.<br />
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I much prefer the taste of an apple juice based drink to a cream soda one, although while I'm talking about it frozen butterbeer DEFINITELY tastes better than the unfrozen kind. I didn't try a pork shank although they smelt pretty good. It's the downside to visiting at 10am, you've already had breakfast but it's way to early for lunch!<br />
Once again lots of lovely detail, the imagineers have definitely excelled themselves with the design of New Fantasyland. The Tavern genuinely feels like it's been lifted straight out of the movie.<br />
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For any of you hoping to hear about the Be Our Guest Restaurant, I'm afraid that this post will disappoint you. There was so much going on that I feel I'll have to dedicate an entire post to it so look for that soon. In the meantime here's the castle in all it's loveliness (and close up!).<br />
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Let's move on to the other castle that is new to the Magic Kingdom: Prince Eric's. Now I'm a big fan of The Little Mermaid, so I was really excited to see the new ride and the exteriors certainly didn't disappoint.<br />
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In fact they are quite breathtaking, and the exit queue even features one of the most elaborate hidden Mickey's I have ever seen in my life. I haven't uploaded the photo yet but believe me, when you see it your mind will be blown!<br />
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After walking through such wonderful exteriors and rock work, the ride proved to be a little on the disappointing side. It was good, and certainly Ursula was quite something in person, but there were things about it that just left me sad. it almost looked unfinished. My friend, who had never been to WDW before was genuinely surprised when I told her that technically the ride hadn't even opened yet. She thought it was from the 1970s. It seems like such a shame to spend so much time on some parts and then leave other sections feeling so backwards.<br />
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Opening Day featured many a Disney celebrity, including Jodi Benson (voice of Ariel), Paige O'Hara, Jordin Sparks (who I'm told helped dedicate a cruise ship) and everyone's favourite Once Upon a Time star Ginnifer Goodwin.<br />
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I've got to say I love how the powers that be keep inviting Ms Goodwin to events because she always comes across as a huge fan of the parks, to the point where she apparently tried to negotiate a membership to Club 33 as part of her OUAT contract.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49032331@N05/8292103042/" title="Opening of New Fantasyland by helium7suz, on Flickr"><img alt="Opening of New Fantasyland" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8491/8292103042_a660dec15f.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Confession time. Despite owning an "I was there" opening day T-shirt I wasn't there. I spent 9 months planning to be there and then the morning of work up with the most horrendous stomach flu. I'm told that at some point I was crawling along on my hands and knees, waving a camera at my friend, telling her to go on without me. So off she went to buy merchandise and take photos and if you ask me she did a pretty good job.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49032331@N05/8291081939/" title="Opening of New Fantasyland by helium7suz, on Flickr"><img alt="Opening of New Fantasyland" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8079/8291081939_4f58dbc757.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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The other two new attractions, I'm afraid, are without photos. Test Track has been significantly reimagined although continues to use the same track. The only way I can describe it is that the whole thing has been Tronified. The queue is a huge improvement over what was there before and I really liked the interactivity of designing your own car. I think a bit more cast member guidance would have been helpful because it wasn't always obvious what was going on, and the ride unfortunately didn't interact with our design, but we still got to play around with it in the post show which was pretty cool.<br />
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When we went to the new Captain Jack Sparrow attraction I was expecting it to be more like it's Narnian predecessors, it was similar in that it was a walkthrough attraction but it was much better than them. In fact it was probably one of the best uses of technology in an attraction that I've seen for a while. No spoilers but if you're a fan of Mr Depp then I'd head over there.<br />
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Before I go I'll just finish by talking about something that isn't new, in fact it is original, but it's been so long since I was able to see it all up close that I stopped and took some pictures. If you've never walked through Cinderella Castle and get the opportunity then I highly recommend it because it features some beautiful mosaics that feature Cinderella's transformation from cinder girl to princess. I'll let the photos do the talking. Look out for more posts about New Fantasyland and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party soon!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49032331@N05/8216584031/" title="24 Nov 2012 10:21 by helium7suz, on Flickr"><img alt="24 Nov 2012 10:21" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8485/8216584031_6058091af5.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49032331@N05/8217666902/" title="24 Nov 2012 10:21 by helium7suz, on Flickr"><img alt="24 Nov 2012 10:21" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8343/8217666902_f1971ae86a.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49032331@N05/8217667558/" title="24 Nov 2012 10:21 by helium7suz, on Flickr"><img alt="24 Nov 2012 10:21" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8489/8217667558_5d84c7b3b6.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49032331@N05/8217666822/" title="24 Nov 2012 10:21 by helium7suz, on Flickr"><img alt="24 Nov 2012 10:21" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8204/8217666822_2b8074f4cc.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49032331@N05/8217666152/" title="24 Nov 2012 10:21 by helium7suz, on Flickr"><img alt="24 Nov 2012 10:21" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8486/8217666152_6e33fc2021.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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Oh and if anyone from Imagineering or New Fantasyland is reading this, please, please, PLEASE can someone remove the ridiculous portrait of Phil Holmes from the new merchandise location. It's not even funny to the few who know who he is. Please, invite an original proprietor for the store, have Cogsworth run it or something.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49032331@N05/8217637012/" title="24 Nov 2012 12:13 by helium7suz, on Flickr"><img alt="24 Nov 2012 12:13" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8197/8217637012_9e4b56fda8.jpg" width="375" /></a>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-91605079639618348272012-11-14T20:39:00.001-05:002012-11-14T20:39:27.193-05:00'Tis the SeasonFor all my years visiting WDW I have never seen the Christmas decorations there in person. I've seen them at Disneyland Paris and Disneyland but never at the set of Disney Parks that I visit the most. I blame geography entirely. I feel incredibly fortunate that 2012 has allowed me to see the Halloween decorations already and in a few days time I'll be experiencing the Christmas festivities as well.<br />
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Of course the decorations aren't the only things that have been appearing at WDW recently. New Fantasyland has been in previews and it is one of the trio of December 6th attractions (Test Track and Jack Sparrow) opening/reopening. Bit of an odd decision to have things in different parks opening all on the same day but maybe its for crowd control.<br />
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So much has been announced recently by both Disney and Universal that I'm beginning to lose track but for me one of the most exciting has been the acquisition of LucasFilm, not least because it makes my Disney/Star Wars phone case look even more awesome. Those who aren't too keen on this merger have clearly never been to Star Wars Weekends at Hollywood Studios. From what I've seen Disney has historically shown a huge amount of respect for the Star Wars Universe. For me, the fact that there is now the potential for A Star Wars theme park to exist is incredible and it would be way more exciting than any other film franchise that has been linked to Disney theme parks, (yes Avatar I am thinking of you). So far the only thing announced has been Episode VII but I can't wait to see how the imagineers run with this.<br />
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As during my last trip I shall post trip photos to my <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49032331@N05/">flickr page</a> so keep an eye out for those. I don't know exactly what they'll be of yet but expect Mickey's Christmas Party, Candlelight Processional, New Fantasyland and Harry Potter at the very least.Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-64854954629755835732012-09-24T02:44:00.001-04:002012-09-24T02:44:13.960-04:00Episode 42: This is Halloween<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qR7wggDL0dQ?list=UUvFZTiDziFGm7OjZX8ph1QA&hl=en_GB" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-21758430298573882152012-08-18T22:39:00.001-04:002012-08-18T22:39:09.755-04:00Technical DifficultiesApologies to anyone expecting to see the post I wrote yesterday. For technical reasons it failed to post. I intend to rewrite and repost it shortly. <br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-57143567949360132052012-06-24T23:53:00.001-04:002012-06-24T23:53:32.619-04:00Trip ReportHello everyone!<br /><br />Once again I'm writing to you from onboard an aircraft. Whenever I read Disney Park forums Trip Report posts appear where people either delve into the inane details of their family vacation or provide an in depth criticism of the current state of the parks. I hope this trip report doesn't sound like that.<br /><br />The last time I posted I was genuinely excited to be getting back to Orlando, visiting the parks and seeing friends. And so I did.<br /><br />I went to Star Wars Weekends, which by the way is consistently one of the best events I've been to in a Disney park. I can guarantee that you will never see so many grown men get excited about a parade anywhere else.<br /><br />I managed to get lost while driving. I've got to say I was petrified of driving in Orlando. If I had filmed myself on my first morning driving solo you would have seen me give myself the most epic pep talk of all time. Other than getting lost on the way to TGI Fridays and ending up at the Magic Kingdom I think overall I ended up doing rather well and thoroughly enjoyed being able to just drive everywhere instead of being reliant on Disney buses. It led to a far more relaxing and time efficient experience. <br /><br />Side note: I LOVED having an annual pass to both Disney and Universal. It meant that I didn't have to find money for parking each day. On this trip alone I would have spent in the region of $150-200 just on parking. It also meant that I could go to the parks for a few hours everyday and not worry about using up a day on my ticket, useful when the majority of the people you're at the parks with are getting in for free.<br /><br />Over the last 25 years, I've thought of Orlando as being a second home. This trip that changed. This trip I realised that emotionally Orlando has become my first home. Now I realise that probably sounds a bit pathetic to have formed a strong emotional attachment to what is essentially a giant tourist attraction but there you go. I actually wonder how I managed to go 9 months without visiting Orlando and I was counting down the days until my trip like a small child. 2 weeks ago I had already planned a trip to Orlando for November, which was part of the reason that I went for annual passes instead of the specially priced UK residents ticket or relying on friends to get me in for free. That would be an Orlando-free 5 months, significantly less than the gap between my ICP and this trip. If I didn't come back again until the following summer that would be 7 months between visits. So about halfway during my trip, when I was having a depressed moment at the thought of leaving I started researching flight costs for January, after all I already had park tickets and knew a place I could stay for free. The moment you realise that such a trip becomes feasible the excitement level starts building again. Unlike the kids in the Disney commercials on tv I wasn't excited about seeing Mickey, or the castle, just hanging out with my friends. It's like a dose of magic that helps keep me sane for the rest of the year.<br /><br />That's enough of the old for the moment, let's talk about the new.<br /><br />The first two parks I visited were Hollywood Studios (DHS) and Animal Kingdom (DAK), and there really wasn't anything new there (or so I thought) other than the yeti looking more off colour than usual. Personally I think it's because she missed me.<br /><br />Universal. Well, on the positive side the mini golf courses look awesome and the Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem was a lot of fun (BANANAS!). The new HD graphics in Spider-Man were a great improvement, especially with the various Marvel-related cameo appearances. And then there was Harry Potter...<br />Those that have seen my vlog episode from 2 years ago will know what my original reaction to that area was and I really do want to like it ... but ... well ... I avoided the stores completely, mostly because the traditional sweet stores in Cornwall have more ambiance (and probably need my money more) and also because when you go with people that live in Orlando everyone avoids the shops. So we just did the bit that I did like the first time around: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Well, I think Harry Potter and the Broken Journey would have been more appropriate because that's what happened. The one good thing was that it didn't break down in the Aragog section, which as an arachnophobe I was quite grateful for. So...yeah...Harry Potter still leaves me a little cold.<br /><br />Moving swiftly on... The Magic Kingdom. Well let's see there's Sorceror's of the Magic Kingdom which was pretty fun (I did the Fantasyland section fighting Maleficent), then there's Storybook Circus which felt much more permanent in style than its Toontown Fair predecessor. I loved the poster work and train station in particular. Peering over the barrier into the Fantasyland expansion I could see the Beast's and Prince Eric's castle which are looking really good. The whole area feels really open. I'm not sure how open it will feel once the mine train ride is in there too but we shall see.<br /><br />Epcot had two new things: lots of cast members I didn't recognise and the Agent P attraction in World Showcase that has replaced Kim Possible. They were testing it when I was there so I didn't get to experience the attraction myself and, if I'm honest I don't think that Agent P's colleagues have as much style as Kim Possible's. Still, I'm looking forward to experiencing it once it's open.<br /><br />What else can I say about my trip? Well, it turns out I know A LOT of people in WDW. Way more than even I realised. The moment you go and see a movie with friends and see at least 8-10 additional, completely unrelated people that you know it begins to sink in.<br /><br />Writing this, I am now less than 2 hours away from Heathrow and 78 days from returning to Orlando. "78 days?" I hear you cry, "That's not 5 months!". Well...I decided to plan a completely financially unrealistic trip to Orlando instead of going to Cornwall in September. Two reasons: 1) I am insane and 2) I was heavily exposed to a reggae version of the Halloween music that they use in MK (long story). So while everyone else was packing to leave I was making a spreadsheet trying to work out what such a trip would cost, after all I do already have my annual passes - right? It was looking like a Blue Sky dream as I flew from Orlando to Washington feeling teary-eyed. I was staying in DC overnight and I guess I wished upon a star once upon a dream because this morning....<br /><br />I was sat at the airport gate with the Sub I'd bought for my flight (icky plane food) and I got called to the desk. They'd overbooked the flight and needed to bump me onto a later flight. On the one hand I was gutted that i could have stayed in Orlando an extra day and hung out with the super awesome people I know there, on the other there was the compensation.<br /><br />I've been bumped off flights before for 24 hours and ended up with nothing but a $3 meal voucher and a 30 minute bus ride to a Holiday Inn, but today (SUPER HUGE SHOUT OUT to United Customer Service for this one) I got $30 dollars worth of meal vouchers (waaaaay more than I needed) and an $800 flight credit that I can use for any trip as long as I book it in the next year. You know what $800 buys me? Only a return trip to Orlando in September! Hello to THAT Magic Moment! It works out as being about $80 per hour I was delayed which is pretty sweet. I'd have probably flown United again anyway but now I definitely will!<br /><br />While I remember... I want to say a big THANK YOU for all the comments on the Facebook page throughout my trip. I do read them all even if I don't reply and some of them were really sweet. I've been trying to uploads one of my favourite photos from the trip to my Flickr page each night so feel free to check them out there if you want to see more than what's on the Facebook page.<br /><br />Blog you real soon!<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Over%20the%20Atlantic&z=10'>Over the Atlantic</a></p>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-90851214985545112942012-06-07T21:42:00.001-04:002012-06-07T21:42:55.878-04:00Blogging in the airI always feel a little weird taking photos on planes when you're in close quarters with other people so imagine this: <br />Right now I have 2 seats to myself and I have turned my little corner into the equivalent of the old style business class cabins, the ones when they didn't have flatbeds. I'm staring at a cheese and pickle baguette from Pret and a can of Coke from America (yes it tastes different) while typing away on my iPad which has a larger screen than both of the ones in the seats in front of me.<br /><br />Personally I think every flight should be this empty. There's. No worrying about disturbing the person next to you or vice versa and the staff on board become 10 x more pleasant.<br /><br />There are a few people doing Camp America on board which reminds me of my flights to Florida the last two summers, looking forward to 3 months in another country and what they may bring.<br /><br />I know that today is sandwiched between two ICP arrival dates. Some people will have flown out on Tuesday and then others are flying on Saturday. I have no idea if any of you are reading/ have read my blog in preparation but I wish you all the best. I'll be keeping an eye out for any Brits with the "Earning My Ears" tag. Just remember to work hard and play hard and you'll have an amazing summer.<br /><br />Time for some Big Bang Theory with my sandwich!<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Somewhere%20over%20the%20Atlantic&z=10'>Somewhere over the Atlantic</a></p>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-58816078335806391062012-06-03T19:51:00.001-04:002012-06-03T19:51:59.080-04:00Disney World Is...<br /><br /><center><a href='http://www.flickr.com/photos/49032331@N05/7331463590/'><img src='http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8162/7331463590_157337e1f7_b.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />To me Walt Disney World is...<br /><br />- sunshine<br />- rain<br />- thunderstorms<br />- friends<br />- family<br />- food<br />- fireworks<br />- parades<br />- music<br />- magic<br />- adventure<br />- familiar<br />- evolving<br />- home<br /><br /><center><a href='http://www.flickr.com/photos/49032331@N05/7331464512/'><img src='http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7072/7331464512_a340b722c7_b.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />I worked there but it never felt like work. I can't decide what I'm most excited about doing or seeing. Every time my departure date approaches I get the same feeling of excitement that I've had about WDW since I can remember. It may be shocking to most people but the place never gets repetitive. There's always something new to discover or see. I can't wait to see Everest and Towers again, and the progression of the Fantasyland Expansion, and have Dole Whip on the Beach of the Polynesian.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://www.flickr.com/photos/49032331@N05/7331465260/'><img src='http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7101/7331465260_b386bf382d_b.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />This year I'm going to try to do several things I have never done before. If/when they happen there will be blog posts. The first thing is drive in America and quite frankly if it doesn't happen then I've completely wasted renting a car. The other things shall remain a mystery ... for now!<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://www.flickr.com/photos/49032331@N05/7331466120/'><img src='http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8007/7331466120_5c218aa9a6_b.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Observant readers will notice that I've now added a link to my Flickr Page on the right and that's where I'll be posting all my photos from now on!<br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-28766578956219100002012-06-02T12:35:00.001-04:002012-06-02T12:35:28.258-04:00The Perfect Couple<div style="margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49032331@N05/6891637162/" title="The Perfect Couple"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7210/6891637162_2b5b6f9653.jpg" alt="The Perfect Couple by helium7suz" /></a><br/><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49032331@N05/6891637162/">The Perfect Couple</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49032331@N05/">helium7suz</a> on Flickr.</span></div><p></p>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-22559209881804477532012-05-30T16:59:00.001-04:002012-05-30T16:59:11.336-04:00Pack/UnpackMy last program ended 9 months ago and I still haven't finished unpacking. It's my way of pretending it never finished. But alas it did and what remains is a half full suitcase and a lifetime of memories. <br />
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Next week will be my first time going to Disney World as a guest in 3 years which seems completely crazy to me. More so than last year I cannot wait to see my friends again. Actually scratch that. I can't wait to see my family again. <br />
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I know some readers have been eagerly awaiting the videos from last summer and I promise they do exist so please bear with me they will be uploaded eventually. <br />
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The online gallery will be going offline at the end of June so if there are any photos you want to look at then look now. (link on the right). <br />
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Photos from my upcoming trip will most likely get posted to instagram where my username is helium7suz and also to the Facebook page. <br />
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Looks like I better start unpacking so that I can ... errrrr ... pack!<br />
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Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-80235568096192159722012-02-17T19:52:00.001-05:002012-02-17T19:52:51.104-05:00Coming Soon!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TP1p20eXh5I?hl=en&fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-76077237976174375872012-02-08T19:39:00.001-05:002012-02-08T19:52:14.877-05:00Parlez-vous Anglais?<p>Last night I returned from my fabulously awesome and entirely hysterical trip to Disneyland Paris and my next few posts will be entirely dedicated to some of my observations from the trip.</p>
<p>Aujourd hui is all about … the FOOD!!!</p>
<p>You don’t need to have seen Lumiere dancing on the dinner table to associate France with some pretty amazing food but theme parks, on the other hand, tend to have a pretty bad rep for it. I had visited a couple of unofficial sites dedicated to the food at Disneyland Paris to get an idea of how many euros I should be taking with me and I was fairly horrified by the prices. The stuff’s expensive in WDW too but in France the exchange rate is a bit more of a killer for me, especially when some of the main courses are priced at 30€ each. One of the other food-killers, if you will, is the fact that during the week the parks close at 6pm, pretty much straight after the parade ends, resulting in two things:</p>
<p>1) Everyone leaves the parks at the exact same time.</p>
<p>2) Everyone is forced to either have dinner in their hotel or in the Disney Village</p>
<p>This means some food planning is required and i’m not kidding when I say that every day started with us discussing what we were going to be doing for lunch and dinner.</p>
<p>If you’re planning on eating every meal as a quick service option then good luck because outside of the parks that leaves you with 2 options: McDonald’s and Earl of Sandwich and as much as I love the Earl (we ate there twice) this could leave things getting pretty repetitive.</p>
<p>All that being said there was only one meal where I was left feeling disappointed, and it wasn’t the sneaky Big Mac from McDonald’s!</p>
<p>So now, for your viewing pleasure je presente le cuisine de Disneyland Paris!</p>
<p><strong>Ludwig’s Castle</strong></p>
<p><img title="IMG_0873.jpg" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qD7weE02BWU/TzMU64ajBGI/AAAAAAAAA54/h24zbVa1K5g/IMG_0873.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" alt="IMG 0873" width="600" height="450" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Apparently this place is modelled on the castle of one of the Disney Princesses (we still can’t decide which one) and we think (because of the discount vouchers they gave us) that it has some ties to the Rainforest Cafe. It’s basically a cross between French and German cuisine with lots of pictures of knights everywhere. Like pretty much EVERY restaurant (including the quick service ones) there was a set menu involving a creme brûlée dessert (which was pretty good actually) and it seemed to be the only restaurant with Onion Soup on the menu. I believe I shunned the set menu option so that I could have Apple Strudel for dessert and then had a vegetable pasta thing (which was pretty tasty) for my main. We ate here on Friday night at around 6ish and the place was dead. 30 mins later it was significantly busier but you still could have walked in without a wait. Gives you an idea of how busy the parks are on weekdays in January!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Pizza Planet!</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img title="IMG_0921.jpg" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Ds2uUgvoOSY/TzMU8xXdezI/AAAAAAAAA6A/p1xOHlii82Y/IMG_0921.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" alt="IMG 0921" width="600" height="450" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>This is a real life, totally like in the movie, Pizza Planet restaurant!!! I'll just let the photos do the talking…</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img title="IMG_0923.jpg" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-TJus3GK4NKk/TzMU-LuHEMI/AAAAAAAAA6I/nlg2JbDwU4U/IMG_0923.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" alt="IMG 0923" width="600" height="450" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img title="IMG_0925.jpg" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_9sLovc3oQQ/TzMU_9sZ-MI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/o7U3lMbNFio/IMG_0925.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" alt="IMG 0925" width="450" height="600" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img title="IMG_0926.jpg" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-3EDl2inz4lc/TzMVCCuzAgI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/WrM8NdiZSRU/IMG_0926.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" alt="IMG 0926" width="600" height="450" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Oh yeah and it was a buffet costing about 17.90€ per adult which included soft drinks, salad, pizza, pasta and desserts in unlimited quantities.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>La Confiserie des Trois Fees</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img title="IMG_0980.jpg" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-xhhReh0na3Q/TzMVD1feuYI/AAAAAAAAA6g/0gv20uJAU7A/IMG_0980.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" alt="IMG 0980" width="600" height="450" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ok, so this is actually a sweet shop rather than a restaurant but some of the stuff in here was crazy so I had to mention it. First of all there's a cast member that stands outside making candy floss (aka Cotton Candy) and also selling Candy Apples (with the red sugar coating) and then inside they sell things like this…</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img title="IMG_0981.jpg" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qFpKRKoNLYQ/TzMVFW0m7uI/AAAAAAAAA6o/ymnUYnHdbkA/IMG_0981.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" alt="IMG 0981" width="450" height="600" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Yeah, that IS a pack of Haribo with Sorcerer Mickey on!</p>
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<p><img title="IMG_0982.JPG" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-YLp5EMQDUwY/TzMVGoDp8VI/AAAAAAAAA6w/afiIcMWaaZw/IMG_0982.JPG?imgmax=800" border="0" alt="IMG 0982" width="600" height="450" /></p>
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<p>Words cannot describe the size of the Mickey marshmallow monstrosity!</p>
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<p>Marshmallow sandwich anyone?</p>
<p>Then there was kinder chocolate and all sorts of other sugary treats.</p>
<p><strong>The Blue Lagoon</strong></p>
<p>This restaurant has it's equivalents in Disneyland and Epcot but this is the first time I've ever eaten in a restaurant that's been part of a ride. The Blue Lagoon is part of Pirates of the Caribbean and as a result the inside is an extremely pleasant temperature (particularly when it's FREEEEEEZING outside :P). It's also quite dark so if you want to see the food you're eating then this possibly isn't the place for you. This was, by far, the nicest restaurant we ate in and had the best quality of food I've eaten in a theme park for a long time. I was lucky enough that this is where I got taken for my birthday lunch. One of the unusual things about Disneyland Paris is that they serve alcohol so there's quite an extensive range of cocktails available. Look away now if you're feeling hungry…</p>
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<p><img title="IMG_1064.jpg" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9z8dBeuGmdQ/TzMVM0i8H2I/AAAAAAAAA7A/4JRwGCgxn7k/IMG_1064.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" alt="IMG 1064" width="600" height="450" /></p>
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<p><img title="IMG_1067.jpg" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-MrDH2CWT0Gc/TzMVa_pFs9I/AAAAAAAAA7Y/9vj2m4qiY7c/IMG_1067.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" alt="IMG 1067" width="600" height="450" /></p>
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<p>It's a Flaming Creme Brulee!!!</p>
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<p><strong>In Other News</strong></p>
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<p><img title="IMG_1074.jpg" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4n8Gx5Nehgg/TzMVl7A4CpI/AAAAAAAAA7g/ky6UHhV0a2g/IMG_1074.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" alt="IMG 1074" width="450" height="600" /></p>
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<p>Why would anyone think Cheeseburger Crisps is a good idea? (and no I didn't buy any!)</p>
<p><strong>What follows next is one of the greatest battles to have ever taken place…EVER!!!!</strong></p>
<p>It all started when we decided to have a lie-in…such an innocent act but it resulted in us getting to breakfast about 3 hours later than usual. Now i know what you're thinking - so what? - right? Well that late breakfast meant that we had a late lunch (finishing at about 3pm). That late lunch was also a buffet, a French buffet, that had so many delicious foods that it would take me too long to mention them all. Well by the time the parks closed at 6 we weren't even close to being hungry and wanting any dinner so we decided to head back to the hotel shop and have some snacks instead. The savoury options were pretty much limited to the cheeseburger crisps (which are just ridiculous) so we went for the more sugary options: Haribo, chewy things, sour things and finally…………………</p>
<p>The GIANT LOLLIPOP!!!</p>
<p>Now if you've ever been to a Disney Park then you've probably seen one of those round, colourful, sugary treats that are made from the same stuff as candy canes. They look so tempting don't they? I always remember my parents telling me I wasn't allowed them because I would never finish it and this was my chance to finally have one! So after examining the packaging Gina and I worked out the different flavour variations and then both picked the purple and grey one which had a Pirates of the Caribbean logo on the wrapper. (If anyone's interested it was Apple and Blackberry flavoured). We returned to the hotel room and then I suggested a challenge: a race to see who could finish theirs first without biting into it. That basically means tongues only. This was my lollipop after about an hour and a half…</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img title="IMG_1479.jpg" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-fpchuBQW1xM/TzMVnaq7A-I/AAAAAAAAA7o/-AZn7AlVSs0/IMG_1479.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" alt="IMG 1479" width="450" height="600" /></p>
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<p><img title="IMG_1480.jpg" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-LU6H0GXKBjI/TzMVozeDpEI/AAAAAAAAA7w/j02DhUgKL9E/IMG_1480.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" alt="IMG 1480" width="450" height="600" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Note that I'd basically created a tongue shaped imprint in the lollipop because I was just licking the same spot constantly.</p>
<p>Over 2 hours later, we still weren't even close to finishing but had gone completely insane from the combination of sugar, hunger and Camp Rock 2 (which had been showing on Disney Channel). By mutual agreement it was decided that we would stop for a dash to McDonald's which by then (11pm) was pretty much the only place to get food. Refreshed we battled on for another 2 hours, watching the loop reel of the "Top 10 things to do at Disneyland Paris" starring Sophie who, quite frankly, was even more insane than we were that night.</p>
<p>I can't even describe how exhausted my tongue felt by 2am and I was completely out of saliva with over half of the lollipop left to go. A decision to scrap the no biting rule was made and within minutes the competition was over with Gina left as the victor (although I'm pretty sure that by that point it was really the lollipops that had won).</p>
<p>I was reliably informed the following morning that much of our conversation during the Great Sugar Spike was completely ridiculous. I vaguely remember saying something along the lines of Eric being the best prince because he's the only one that dares to show his ankles along with other ridiculous insights.</p>
<p>Let me conclude today's post with the following statement:</p>
<p>If I ever buy another giant lollipop again it will be too soon!</p>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-79557092770113990432012-01-21T23:58:00.000-05:002012-01-21T23:58:19.086-05:00Suzie, you've just graduated. What are you going to do next?<br />
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Now, I know what you’re thinking…long time no see. Right now I’m sure there’s a whole new bunch of people getting excited about their upcoming adventures in Orlando, Florida while I have been blissfully uninvolved. I say blissfully because in many ways this point in the adventure would be full of ups and downs as you try to book flights and insurance and worry about when your Disney folder will be arriving and so on. </div>
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So what have I been doing since my last post in October? Well mostly been a grown-up Mouseketeer and working but on my days off I’ve been able to hang out with a couple of CPs from my Epcot days in London. Every now and again Disney comes bounding into my life - a colleague playing Disney songs, someone spotting my Mickey Mouse watch, Sherpas from Everest appearing on This Morning and so on.</div>
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Last week I finally graduated from university having first started my excursion into Higher Education back in September 2005. With the things I’ve done since I wouldn’t have had it any other way but still 6 1/2 years is a very long time. Shockingly, despite all the time I donated to the cause my graduation gown excluded a hat (Vivienne Westwood designed gown, health and safety, yada yada yada) so in protest I took along my own, and got a few jealous looks as a result.</div>
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So what’s next in my Disney themed adventures? Well I’ve got a few things lined up, the first of which is….</div>
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Disneyland Paris!</div>
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I’ve been twice before when I was 10 and 14 which means it’s been over 10 years since I was last there and back in my day there was only one park and no Earl of Sandwich. So what could make a trip to Disneyland Paris better than just being a trip to Disneyland Paris? 3 things:</div>
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1) I get to go with not 1 but 2 awesome WDW Cast Members that, quite frankly, help make every day more magical than the one before.</div>
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2) No flying. Well I actually kinda like flying these days but no flying means driving and driving means…. ROAD TRIP!!!!</div>
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3) It’s my BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!! I’ve always been jealous of people that have their birthdays conveniently located during school holidays because they potentially could be spending it somewhere really cool, like a Disney park, but I’ve spent most of mine in a classroom (with the odd exception when I was sick or it was a snow day) so this year will be the very first time that I will be celebrating my Birthday in a Disney park and I … can’t … wait!</div>
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Last time I was there my family didn’t own a digital camera, so unfortunately my computer is extremely lacking when it comes to photos of DLP so I’m sure that this is something I will have to make up for. </div>
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So until then, here’s a photo of me on a roller coaster. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">As always, if you have any questions about Disney parks or the Disney International College Program then send me a message either via the comments section, the Facebook page or twitter.</span></div>
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<br /></div>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-36899575625842166362011-10-09T09:00:00.000-04:002011-10-09T18:46:39.283-04:00Some adventures have only just begun...It’s now 37 days since my second ICP finished and I returned to the UK.<br />
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What some might call a blogging fail, I prefer to refer to as being super busy and barely taking any time to stop. I was barely back 48 hours when my next adventure began and quite frankly I haven’t stopped since. To my amazement, even after I had left the magic of Disney World I was apparently still being spotted there so let assure you of 3 facts right now…<br />
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1) I have been in the UK since 3rd September<br />
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2) I do not own a pair of pink mouse ears with my name on.<br />
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3) Agent P is only ever visible in my backpack when he’s travelling internationally (it makes life easier at passport control :P )<br />
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Before I launch into a bit of a catch up I shall say this. If you have been reading my blog, watching my videos, or following my adventures via the Facebook page and have been thinking about having your own Disney adventure applications appear to be currently open on the Yummy Jobs website <a href="http://www.yummyjobs.com/opportunities/programmes/14/disneys-summer-work-experience/">http://www.yummyjobs.com/opportunities/programmes/14/disneys-summer-work-experience/</a> and I can’t recommend the experience enough. In all likelihood I shall never have the opportunity to work directly for the mouse again but the 6 months I had were 6 of the most incredible months of my life and I would encourage everyone to apply.<br />
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Right…well that’s enough of that!<br />
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Around the time of my last post the mountain was going through a bit of a CP exchange, the old Cps were leaving and the new ones were arriving and I can safely say that I wish I’d been able to spend more time with both groups of people. There was mini golf, parks, steak and shake, sweet tomatoes, TGI fridays, fireworks and more and I loved every moment of it except for the leaving part. There were rumours that during my last few shifts some tears were sighted and I can safely say that was true. <br />
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Since my departure it has been announced that Animal Kingdom will be getting some new residents. Something similar happened over at Epcot after I left and I can only assume that each time I leave a gaping hole is left and that the only way Disney can fill it is through millions of dollars worth of investment. Epcot got Duffy and now Animal Kingdom will be getting the Navi, a race of giant blue humanoids from Pandora that featured in James Cameron’s documentary: Avatar. If you’ve seen Ferngully or Pocahontas you can basically just replace the fairies/native Americans with blue people and save yourself a couple of hours. That film is also the reason everyone insists on bringing films out in 3D, giving me a migraine in the process.<br />
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I shall be continuing this blog because there is much about the summer that I haven’t talked about and because Disney World is an ever changing place that occupies a high space in my heart. Until next time I shall leave you with two photos from the summer.<br />
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<br />Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-19735836144726610192011-08-11T19:57:00.001-04:002011-08-11T19:57:26.356-04:00We interupt your regular broadcast....<p style="clear: both">...to talk about films!</p><p style="clear: both">What can I say? I'm a film student and as soon as I stop studying them I enjoy going to the cinema even more!!!!</p><p style="clear: both">But first there is an important thing to mention here...that I am in no way affiliated with AMC or indeed any of the people that make the films I'm about to mention. Well...except for Disney but they aren't paying me to promote their films.</p><p style="clear: both">This week I have been to the cinema 3 times. Well actually, it's been 3 times in the last 24 hours and I would have gone a 4th time but figured I should leave something for me to watch in the next 3 weeks! One thing I LOVE about the AMC is how cheap it is to go and see a movie. With a flash of the old Cast ID a ticket is $8 which is A LOT cheaper than I'm used to paying in London where you can easily pay $20-25 a ticket. That means that those 3 films cost roughly the same as me seeing just one film at home. CRAAAAAAZY! One thing I don't love about the cinema, and let's face it, it's pretty much a universal thing, is the price of food and drink. Today I bought a large soda for $5.25 which entitled me to a free refill. Usually I don't bother with the large soda because that thing is way too huge for one movie but as I was seeing 2 back-to-back I figured why not? Well...I never even got close to finishing it by the end of the second movie. Even by the time I walked back to the bus stop I hadn't actually finished the thing so that means you'd need at least 3 people to be sharing it to finish it within 1 film and don't forget you then get a free refill on top of that so really you need 6 people. Mad isn't it!</p><p style="clear: both">Despite the soda I thoroughly enjoyed all 3 films I saw so if you want some entertaining then go and check out Cowboys and Aliens, The Change-Up, and The Smurfs! They are all as ridiculous as each other but in a good way.</p><p style="clear: both">The other source of movie fun that I love having here is the Disney Learning Centers. There's one at Vista Way and then ones at the various theme park cast service centers. There's a whole range of stuff to choose from (not just Disney!) and it's a free service. Vista Way lets you check out 2 films at a time for up to 4 days each (but not in the last 2 weeks of your program) which means you can leave those DVDs at home (Don't forget that you'll need to set your laptop/DVD player up to play Region 1 discs though!).</p><p style="clear: both">Well, I think that's pretty much it from me for today. Sayonara!</p><br class='final-break' style='clear: both' />Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-70384964482956767802011-08-03T12:53:00.001-04:002011-08-03T12:53:12.133-04:00For Sarah<p style="clear: both">Today's post is dedicated to Sarah who says she's slaving away over her MA Dissertation and would appreciate hearing about how much fun I'm having in Florida. She genuinely asked me to blog more so it's not just me rubbing it in.</p><p style="clear: both">So far I haven't posted many pictures on here and there is a reason for that that I won't go into right this second but shall become clear once I've returned to the UK. One thing I can say about doing my second program at Disney is that I have continued to experience new things and go one new adventures. I didn't know how it would compare to my first program but it has been a completely different experience and I have made entirely new discoveries about myself and what I am capable of doing.</p><p style="clear: both">So with that said let's talk about some of this "fun" that Sarah thinks I'm having :P</p><p style="clear: both">Last week I got to go on the Wild Africa Trek at DAK (Disney's Animal Kingdom) that usually costs about $189.95 + tax but I was lucky enough to do for free as part of some DAK cast appreciation thing. There were 6 of us (all cast members) plus two tour guides: Bethany and Chapin, and many, many photos were taken.</p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/--UY1gb5IEZk/Tjl1AlevLSI/AAAAAAAAA0k/s1tr40PAeaQ/s800/WildAfricaTrek002-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ZzpkAAKSB_8/Tjl2KhJJSWI/AAAAAAAAA2A/kn_tPnraLBk/s800/WildAfricaTrek002-thumb.jpg" height="252" width="380" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a></p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-WahgjHaKklA/Tjl1IzAZeaI/AAAAAAAAA0w/TuKZ7mVS5Jc/s800/WildAfricaTrek028-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uFFNf0kZgYc/Tjl2YNY5MMI/AAAAAAAAA2M/xze3xhP9o5I/s800/WildAfricaTrek028-thumb.jpg" height="252" width="380" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a></p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qq0XoXBWDkY/Tjl1OuemTUI/AAAAAAAAA08/UDZBdtlrDzo/s800/WildAfricaTrek032-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-JQI6_afFtwg/Tjl2-XbvgbI/AAAAAAAAA2U/Y_Hp5nF0VmA/s800/WildAfricaTrek032-thumb.jpg" height="570" width="378" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a></p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-7vKiLpoHFA4/Tjl1UukVF5I/AAAAAAAAA1E/8l9csOQauUQ/s800/WildAfricaTrek060-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-j0MzuE39lwU/Tjl3UmpaOOI/AAAAAAAAA2c/ldppfkVIkYY/s800/WildAfricaTrek060-thumb.jpg" height="252" width="380" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a></p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-MCsao725uI8/Tjl1c4oMIFI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/4f7nI5J64yw/s800/WildAfricaTrek078-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-HYESmoOzQbk/Tjl3ynlEO4I/AAAAAAAAA2o/gmCZQK_jyL8/s800/WildAfricaTrek078-thumb.jpg" height="570" width="378" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a></p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7dnN1puHMRA/Tjl1k7jln-I/AAAAAAAAA1Y/tXvgOHjwfhw/s800/WildAfricaTrek088-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-JVgEDALUheA/Tjl4VHeZV4I/AAAAAAAAA20/PzkbN0TOnh8/s800/WildAfricaTrek088-thumb.jpg" height="252" width="380" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a></p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-W1a8fy443tg/Tjl1t_1H3jI/AAAAAAAAA1g/SEP5BE2TWBY/s800/WildAfricaTrek109-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ntWvMXKe28E/Tjl414GQASI/AAAAAAAAA28/5aVqT9yX-zU/s800/WildAfricaTrek109-thumb.jpg" height="252" width="380" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a></p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-BgtIfNCHDx8/Tjl106CYw9I/AAAAAAAAA1s/s1QX7cF3k1c/s800/WildAfricaTrek138-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tkIx_KjShOY/Tjl5XZQqhbI/AAAAAAAAA3I/ljYaAmM_8q4/s800/WildAfricaTrek138-thumb.jpg" height="252" width="380" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a></p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-bT6mxYDMaOU/Tjl18x8QwHI/AAAAAAAAA14/SuHGcuEU7Rg/s800/WildAfricaTrek143-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KC0TI1WRpPQ/Tjl5wj3_-wI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/LXhyItL7wuo/s800/WildAfricaTrek143-thumb.jpg" height="252" width="380" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a>One of the best things about the day was that I got to share it with 3 other cast members from Everest. Also....if anyone ever offers you jungle juice at Disney World then I highly recommend trying it.</p><p style="clear: both">My sister came down for the day a couple of weeks ago which was fun but also ridiculously busy. We visited Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney all in the space of 24 hours and got to meet some of the great people she works with at Hilton Head Island. Here are a couple of photos (I didn't take nearly enough though!) </p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-b7YFJrzDStI/Tjl6ieytWqI/AAAAAAAAA3c/rYuedCTeOfk/s800/DSCF0252-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-DrqtLUyDZJc/Tjl6Nhch0PI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/JSDmjYniGJk/s800/DSCF0252-thumb.jpg" height="285" width="380" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a></p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-uJK3rmOFlFY/Tjl6sM8a2ZI/AAAAAAAAA3s/oO71Bj2lG1w/s800/DSCF0253-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-OYe3_dQ23mM/Tjl6jN9oQMI/AAAAAAAAA3k/GypZ_xbTX_8/s800/DSCF0253-thumb.jpg" height="285" width="380" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a>This summer I've been trying to do things I haven't done before and it turns out there was quite a bit of DAK that I hadn't seen before including Rafiki's Planet Watch which is right in the back of the park and is only accessible via the Wildlife Express Train over in Africa. One thing that surprised me a little was that they have character meet and greets there so I got the chance to hang out with.....</p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ir83cZgahws/Tjl68IXSf4I/AAAAAAAAA30/pzeEIP3CTvM/s800/DSCF0074-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-RAn4hDbFZAI/Tjl6tGF46pI/AAAAAAAAA3w/T0I_shwkVdk/s800/DSCF0074-thumb.jpg" height="506" width="380" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a></p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_CWE-Rvp1FQ/Tjl7FvVLkkI/AAAAAAAAA4A/bxcU9vOh-P8/s800/DSCF0075-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-hGspCOzrqF4/Tjl687s9ITI/AAAAAAAAA38/gvjqRfAhsIM/s800/DSCF0075-thumb.jpg" height="506" width="380" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a>....My consicience - Jiminy Cricket and Rafiki (who was in a very flirty mood by the way and was making some very odd noises!)</p><p style="clear: both">THere were also lots of animals that you could see up close: frogs, turtles, lizards, 10ft pythons, etc. Actually the snake seemed to be enjoying staring at everyone through the glass and had a surprisingly small head considering how big he was.</p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-k19895RCfZ4/Tjl7Q2ZRQSI/AAAAAAAAA4I/ixEkAzRLhQo/s800/DSCF0095-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-PQZLPLmo0Sg/Tjl7GveF3NI/AAAAAAAAA4E/g3miZORTvaA/s800/DSCF0095-thumb.jpg" height="285" width="380" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a>I also took some photos of Pandas...</p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mxg2yk99dBk/Tjl7anUuSiI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/E40YEjJuf70/s800/DSCF0099-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IZj-O3MtP4w/Tjl7R4gzk0I/AAAAAAAAA4Q/UOJ8axrZViE/s800/DSCF0099-thumb.jpg" height="506" width="380" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a></p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FM-vX2PQuEQ/Tjl7lB9-OHI/AAAAAAAAA4g/BJm0ERUHZcI/s800/DSCF0100-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-m2qpPVbZn9U/Tjl7bjBidrI/AAAAAAAAA4c/rMFteQg31ac/s800/DSCF0100-thumb.jpg" height="506" width="380" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a>:P</p><p style="clear: both">Once I returned to Africa I met, hands down, my favourite animal of the trip so far</p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-tyQQtaLqgUs/Tjl7uPaGebI/AAAAAAAAA4s/BekatB7PZEg/s800/DSCF0201-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-HgUKD8xIV90/Tjl7l3W1EjI/AAAAAAAAA4o/ShfuMDkuUa4/s800/DSCF0201-thumb.jpg" height="285" width="380" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a></p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-LGYoebT0OFY/Tjl8SQC1hLI/AAAAAAAAA40/qr6dsY44kXA/s800/DSCF0200-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gUGQV5UgoMc/Tjl70IHkZoI/AAAAAAAAA4w/haUhjQAwYe8/s800/DSCF0200-thumb.jpg" height="285" width="380" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a>This hippo was hilarious and clearly enjoyed showing of and having his picture taken. I haven't yet worked out whether it was Hans or Henry (who I met at the Wild Africa Trek) but H was awesome nonetheless.</p><p style="clear: both">Oh and then i did this....</p><p style="clear: both"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-oiymlrXME2w/Tjl82xJ2RCI/AAAAAAAAA5E/QPsOMzKeZYQ/s800/DSCF0222-full.jpg" class="image-link"><img class="linked-to-original" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-yORKjESrhOk/Tjl8Y_gO_OI/AAAAAAAAA48/8whDbsEfEso/s800/DSCF0222-thumb.jpg" height="506" width="380" style=" text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 10px;" /></a>So I have this fabulous ride counter app on my phone (made by wdwmagic.com) which basically does what it sounds like so here are some stats of the trip so far...</p><p style="clear: both">I have done 155 rides.<br />My 5 most popular rides are:<br />- Expedition Everest (36)<br />- Disney's Bus Transportation (9)<br />- Rock 'n' RollerCoaster (6)<br />- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (6)<br />- Space Mountain (4)</p><p style="clear: both">The monorail would be on that list but it counts the different colours separately!</p><p style="clear: both">So yeah....that's all you're getting for now. I'm heading off to Animal Kingdom soon to say goodbye to some of the CPs that are leaving :'( and then heading off for dinner in a super secret location which I have been instructed not to talk about. I'd tell you, but my roommate kinda knows where I live!</p><p style="clear: both"></p><br class='final-break' style='clear: both' />Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-40308842260013185612011-07-25T23:36:00.001-04:002011-07-25T23:36:59.773-04:00Mountain Climbing<p style="clear: both">I've literally had the first 2 sentences of a blog post on my computer screen for the last 2 weeks and have failed to write anymore than that. </p><p style="clear: both">I'm now approximately halfway through my ICP program and have been having an amazing time. I've been hanging out with people from Everest, met up with my sister for an action-packed 24 hours and have spent a fair bit of time climbing the same mountain over and over again.</p><p style="clear: both">Now, I could go into loads of detail about every day so far but quite frankly I think I'd bore myself. So instead I'm going to talk about some of the differences between this year and last year, starting with............</p><p style="clear: both">MY ROLE!!!!</p><p style="clear: both">Obviously I have no idea what's going to happen in the next 5/6 weeks but as life stands I have loved working in both Attractions and Merchandise but they are very different.</p><p style="clear: both">Last year I spent a lot of time talking to guests whereas this year I spend a lot of time using a raised voice and repeating the same things over and over again while learning very little about the people I'm coming into contact with. Phrases such as "How many in your group?" and "Please pull up on your lap bar" are now a permanent part of my daily routine.</p><p style="clear: both">Side note: If a cast member ever asks you to "pull up on your lap bar" please do just that. Thrusting your pelvis in their face achieves nothing and will only mean them continuing to tell you to pull up on your lap bar or forcing them to push further down on it themselves.</p><p style="clear: both">Other differences that I've noticed is that guests get far more upset when something is wrong with something that is included in the price of admission than if they have to pay extra for it, which surprises me a little. So attractions requires a lot more skill in the damage control department because we can't issue refunds in the same way that you can in a store but on the upside we don't have to handle money on a daily basis so you don't have to concentrate on whether you're giving someone the right change or not while trying to converse with them at the same time.</p><p style="clear: both">One potential bonus of attractions (depending on what attraction you get) is that you'll get to ride your attraction - a lot! So far I've ridden Expedition Everest over 28 times and get to do so most days that I work (all for health and safety reasons, of course!). If you don't like riding the attraction you're working on then I can imagine this getting a bit boring after a couple of ride-throughs but so far I've not got bored of my mountain.</p><p style="clear: both">Before I sign off again I would like to state a few facts about my ride that I'm questioned about on a daily basis.</p><p style="clear: both">1) Everest is 3.5 minutes long.<br />2) You do NOT go upside down.<br />3) It is both indoor and outdoors.<br />4) The yeti is real, she does exist and her name is Betty.<br />5) The yeti is still in the same place as she was when the ride first opened.<br />6) The yeti is DEFINITELY there.<br />7) You do NOT go upside down.<br />8) It's a bit like Big Thunder Mountain except better, smoother and with a backwards section.<br />9) You only go around the mountain once.<br />10) There's only one drop and that's the one you can see from next to the bazaar<br />11) Yes I have been on the ride.<br /> </p><p style="clear: both">BTW if you want to feel like you're going upside down then the best place to sit is the front of the train. If you want to go faster through the double spiral then sit in the back of the train.</p><br class='final-break' style='clear: both' />Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-86497323811291465442011-07-06T13:22:00.001-04:002011-07-06T13:22:14.697-04:00A Week in the Himalayas<p style="clear: both">The last week I've been waking up at some ridiculous time in the morning to head over to Animal Kingdom for training at Expedition Everest. </p><p style="clear: both">The first day was a bit "Aaaaaaaargh" because for the first time I got to do a ride at Disney with the lights on, got to see Betty the Yeti up close, walked all over the mountain and was trying to absorb a lot of information very quickly. </p><p style="clear: both">Occasionally I had to clear up some differences in wording of things. For example, Patrick (my trainer) kept saying stuff about trains being backed up and it took me a while to realise he wasn't talking about trains reversing but being stuck in a sort of traffic jam.</p><p style="clear: both">Over the first week I was taught how each position worked and where everything is in the mountain. On Monday, after 5 days of training, I had my assessment day which is apparently always done with a trainer that hasn't trained you. There was a written test, some oral questioning and then I had to show that I could perform each position correctly.</p><p style="clear: both">Attractions is completely different from Merchandise. Obviously, you're operating a ride so safety is more of an active concern but also the way you interact with guests is completely different. Very rarely am I able to wish people a happy birthday because most of the positions simply don't have time to do it or you have to be focussed on something else so can't do it.</p><p style="clear: both">One thing that I love about Everest is that you're only on each position for about 45 minutes with a break roughly every 2 hours and almost every position has you moving constantly so while I have suffered with blistered feet this week they're never suffering because I'm basically standing still for 3 hours which would happen in Merch. Some of the positions are pretty straightforward in a kind of "watch the train and hit a button" way while others can be a little more overwhelming at first because it feels like there's a lot you're trying to juggle at once. I've found that the key is sounding like you know what you're doing even if you're not 100% sure.</p><p style="clear: both">As for everything not work related....</p><p style="clear: both">Today lots of people had their social security appointments. Thankfully, I got to just sleep in instead because I'd already done that stuff before. I've been going to the parks a lot during downtime - either on days off or after work and then in the evenings we've mostly just been chilling in the apartment. </p><p style="clear: both">This week I've been to Earl of Sandwich twice which was obviously awesome! Those sandwiches taste soooooooo good!</p><p style="clear: both">Oh....and yesterday I found out my degree classification - 2:1 which caused me to burst into tears so I celebrated with a trip to the Magic Kingdom with Kirsty where I FINALLY went to Tom Sawyer Island. The place astounded me because there's so much detail there and some of the stuff was quite fun too, especially the barrel bridge and waving to people on Big Thunder Mountain and the paddleboat.</p><p style="clear: both">For those that are interested I have, in the last week, ridden Everest 10 times. It'll be interesting to see how many times it'll have been by the end of the summer.</p><br class='final-break' style='clear: both' />Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-27592356059849584062011-06-28T16:02:00.001-04:002011-06-28T16:02:45.738-04:00Downtime<p style="clear: both">Last year I had maybe 1 day off between my park orientation and starting at Towers. This year I've been given 4 days off. Now, if I'd only finished uni 2 days before I arrived in Orlando that would be fine but honestly, I just want to get working now!</p><p style="clear: both">Today has been spent "coaching" Joanne for her run in September, chilling by the pool, sorting out housing stuff, packing and skyping. Fear not loyal followers I have no intention of leaving Orlando yet. I'm actually just moving apartments which was always on the cards since I found out that 3 of my roommates are finishing their program next week. I'm not moving far though and have 3 days to move my stuff. Hopefully it should only actually take about 30 minutes or so to move it all but it's nice that they've given me more than enough time to move. Good thing I haven't really bought anything yet!</p><p style="clear: both">I STILL haven't eaten at Earl of Sandwich yet but hopefully that should be resolved within the next week. If I have to I'll send the yeti out to get one for me!</p><br class='final-break' style='clear: both' />Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589282204044936491.post-48329169213900921672011-06-26T11:49:00.001-04:002011-06-26T11:49:44.496-04:00People make the magic!You know those days when you keep spontaneously bursting into laughter? Yesterday was one of those days.<br /><div><br />It started in Epcot with Melissa and Joanne and then later on we were joined by Matt and various others as we did a whistle stop tour of the countries, occasionally taking shelter from the rain. In Mexico I got to see Lee and Patricia (2 of my co-ordinators in Towers) for the first time in 9 months and then a little later saw Kathy over in Kiosks. It's ALWAYS great to see my Towers family again!<br /></div><div>Then there was a little mission to space and some soarin' over California before we headed to the Studios to meet Rebecca, Kirsten and Kirsty. What happened next was a mixture of laughter, singing and multiple trips on Tower of Terror. Needless to say that some highlights were videoed by yours truly.<br /></div><div><br />I think I'm finally going to make it to Earl of Sandwich tonight and then we're going to spend a little more time in the studios but before any of that can happen I need to get to Walmart to buy some hiking boots.<br /></div><div>Remember to keep an eye on the facebook page!</div><br class='final-break' style='clear: both' />Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00139013054651377799noreply@blogger.com0