Category — Walt Disney World

There’s not a whole lot to this story in the Los Angeles Times that The Walt Disney Company is facing cuts.  But it is enough to scare those working for the mouse.  Staff writers Dawn C. Chmielewski and Meg James report.

Bracing for a worsening economy and further declines in ad spending, Walt Disney Co. executives have been meeting this week to prepare belt-tightening measures that could include job cuts, according to people familiar with the discussions.

I’ve been around long enough to remember that when the economy slows down, cuts at Disney can include delaying new theme park projects and renovations, reducing the scope of projects, or scrapping them entirely.  Just because something makes it into a preview center doesn’t mean it is going to happen, or end up quite like it was described when it was first announced.  If something can’t be build to original scope, here’s hoping it is built in a way that will allow “plussing” when the economy picks up again.

Last week, ABC News President David Westin asked his staff in a memo to be more frugal “to make sure that we have all the resources we need to cover the news.” The cost-saving measures include recommendations that executives should fly “one grade below what they’re entitled to,” and “stay in ‘B’ level hotels.” Holiday parties would be scrapped this year, and the news division will cancel newspaper and magazine subscriptions.

The people at the paper can feel the pain of Disney staffers, as the paper has been sending staff packing quite a bit lately.  Most newspapers have.

Speaking of cuts… my wife and I have reduced the rent for our Anaheim condo to well below market rates.  If you know someone who would like to rent a place that is a short drive away from the Disneyland Resort and otherwise conveniently located, check out this listing.  We recently moved to a house, and so now we need to rent out our condo.

More than 200 Walt Disney World VoluntEARS lent their magical touch to the Florida Coastal Cleanup by clearing the shores of Orlando’s Lake Fran of 3,560 pounds of trash and debris. Working with Keep Orlando Beautiful and the Ocean Conservancy, Disney VoluntEARS represented the largest group participating in the community-wide cleanup event.

Like many lakes and ponds, Lake Fran (located in the MetroWest area of Orlando) collects debris and pollution through rainwater drain off from city streets and drains. Overflow from Lake Fran passes through Shingle Creek, which ultimately flows into Lake Okeechobee, the Florida Everglades and eventually Florida Bay. The cleanup not only decreases the effects of pollution on Central Florida’s natural resources, but it protects the habitat and wildlife along the coastline communities.

Disney VoluntEARS are Cast Members and their families who contribute their time, expertise and effort to make a positive impact on Central Florida while furthering the traditions and ideals of The Walt Disney Company. Since Disney first participated in the cleanup event five years ago, more than 1,200 VoluntEARS have picked up nearly 25,000 pounds of trash.

Great job from everyone involved. I have to say I miss the old Banana Yellow VoluntEARS shirts. You could always see Disney’s participation in events like this.

The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that authorities are currently looking for a man who took a Tour Bus driver hostage and forced her to drive him to Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World where he disappeared into the crowd. There’s no exact time mentioned in the story, but it sounds like it happened this morning.

According to WFTV witnesses report seeing deputies carrying shotguns around on the shopping and entertainment district. Bus and boat transportation has been canceled or rerouted.

More if this story develops further.

Forbes magazine pulls a few quotes from travel industry analysts who see a soft future for Disney Park’s attendance numbers. It’s no doubt true that not even Disney is immune from the massive change occuring in the economy. But they are far better prepared to endure a downturn in business.

Even better, Disney’s parks have always come out the other side of these slow downs with a bunch of new construction and great promotions to draw customers back to the magic that is uniquely Disney.

Congratulations to Julie Neal, author of “The Complete Walt Disney World” who just won a Writers Digest international award for nonfiction. The First Prize Award for Nonfiction in the 17th Annual Writer’s Digest International Self-Published Book Awards was out of a total field of nearly 2,500 books.

Neal completely revised and updated the Disney World travel guidebook for 2009. About half of the 447 color images are new for the 2009 edition.

Vanessa Rosas and Clay Shoemaker with Meg Crofton and last year

Much like Cinderella’s Prince Charming searching for the perfect fit for the glass slipper, leaders from Walt Disney World Resort have found two outstanding Cast Members to step into the time-honored, unique role of Walt Disney World Ambassador. During a ceremony yesterday at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Vanessa Rosas and Clay Shoemaker were named as the 38th Walt Disney World Ambassador Team and will serve from Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2009.

“Being an Ambassador is one of the greatest achievements a Cast Member can attain,” said Meg Crofton president of Walt Disney World Resort. “During the last thirty-seven years, these men and women have represented Disney Cast Members with purpose and grace, and have brought the magic of Walt Disney World to the world at large.”

The 44-year tradition offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those who demonstrate passion and knowledge of Disney heritage along with poise and skill. Each year, thousands of Cast Members are invited to participate in this process which starts with informational sessions and ends with a ceremony announcing the new Ambassador team. Individuals named as Ambassadors accept a year-long assignment representing Walt Disney World Resort’s 62,000 Cast Members. Once their term is completed, each Ambassador has the option to return to their prior job or apply for another available position within Walt Disney World Resort.

Serving as a representative of the company and goodwill ambassador to the world brings a tremendous amount of responsibility. Following a two-month training process, the 2009 Ambassador team will start their year with a full schedule and will participate in more than 1,000 local, national and international events. Typical responsibilities include hospital visits and appearances with Disney characters and participating in community outreach events and academic incentive programs. They’ll log tens of thousands of miles traveling to Disney destinations around the globe, host VIPs and dignitaries at Walt Disney World Resort, cut dozens of grand-opening ribbons, share third-shift breakfasts at 1 a.m. and read story books to Central Florida children. For them, these unforgettable experiences will make this year one of the most memorable ones of their lives.

Rosas is an industrial engineer who began her Disney career at Walt Disney World Resort in 2000. Since then she has supported many areas, including the Disney College Program, Disney’s child care centers, Project Tomorrowland, Merchandise, Photo Imaging, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, and most recently, Theme Park Operations. Throughout her career, she has also enjoyed interacting with her fellow Cast Members in activities and organizations such as the Candlelight Cast Choir, Hispanic Organization for Leadership Advancement (HOLA) as well as the Industrial Engineering community service team.

Shoemaker began his Disney career in 1994 while working as a sales host at the local The Disney Store. In 1996, Shoemaker became a Walt Disney World Resort Cast Member and has served on Operations, Sales, Marketing and Merchandise teams over the past 12 years. Some of Shoemaker’s career highlights include roles managing guided tour operations at Magic Kingdom, introducing the Disney heritage to new Cast Members and assisting with the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland.

The great honor of being selected as a Disney Ambassador began during the 10th anniversary of Disneyland when Walt was overwhelmed with requests for appearances and needed a few good surrogates. He selected the first Ambassador in 1964, and the tradition has continued ever since.

(Photo courtesy Walt Disney World)

RFID, or Radio Frequency ID, is a way of tracking things without having to physically scan the item. Just proximity to an RFID Scanner confirms the presence of the item. All new US Passports have them. Your credit cards likely have them. It’s rumored that your Disney resort room key has them now. Soon they will be everywhere and part of a giant network of devices and things that talk to each other about each other and about your use of the item.

The IAAPA: In the Queue blog interviews Randy Josselyn of Disneyland Resort who describes how the technology is being used.

For the most part, RFID is being applied as a cashless spending module, allowing guests the convenience of stowing away their personal affects. This is especially true in the waterpark environment, where valuables and wallets are stowed away in lockers.

RFID is also being utilized for ticketless access control. As more and more facilities begin installing “smart” turnstiles, we are seeing an increase of ticketless alternatives. Facial recognition, biometric scans, and RFID are just a few of the popular alternatives to traditional bar-coded tickets. Lockers, vending machines, photo stations, and self-service kiosks can all be configured to accept RFID devices.

The versatility of RFID allows the guest experience to be significantly enhanced, providing an all-in-one solution. The cashless payment solution can be linked to the ticketless RFID device, along with hotel room access, lockers, guest demographics, and even a guest’s personal preferences.

More interesting uses and some speculation over at the full post.

Central Florida theme-park attractions must report incidents and injuries to guests at their theme parks every quarter. The latest report is out and there are 10 incidents added to the list as reported by the Orlando Sentinel. Again it’s your usual assortment of broken bones, chest pains, and dizziness that could be related to anything, and not necessarily the fault of the theme park in question. If anything the trend is that guests over a certain age need to be more careful as to which attractions they experience, especially if they have pre-existing conditions.

Check the Sentinel’s database of incidents online.

This morning in a backstage area behind Epcot, the Walt Disney Company redeemed a prescription for healthy cast members when it opened the Center for Living Well as a one stop shop for primary medical car for 40,000 eligible Cast Members and their families. Disney partnered with Take Care Health Systems a provider of over 375 similar on-site facilities to bring this valuable resource to the cast members of Walt Disney World.

As a primary care center, the Center for Living Well includes Labs, Facilities, Pharmacy, and the ability to handle any urgent care matters. Additionally there are staff members who will help patients to develop the tools required to stay healthy for the long run.

With the Center for Living Well “Cast Members gain a tool for healthier living,” said Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World Resort. “It will make it easier than ever before for them to take advantage of the many health and wellness resources Disney offers.”

President of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Al Weiss, who has been appointed the Executive Champion for health and well being at the Walt Disney Company, said the center will provide cast members Holistic look at health with teaching opportunities. It will also tie-in with other facilities provided around the resort, such as health clubs, to ensure a healthy cast. That makes it a win-win in the long term.

Another benefit of the center is the outreach to the many cast members who come from overseas to work at the resort. Large populations of Haitians, Vietnamese, and Spanish speaking people work around the resort. The center for Living Well features signage in multiple languages, staff members who are fluent in one or more of the common languages, and resources available via telephone for other translation needs. This will no doubt be a big selling point as Disney attempts to attract more workers from these communities.

In addition to cultural sensitivities, they’re also taking privacy into concern. The design and layout of the facility means you’re unlikely to run into your boss while waiting for service. Wait times will be minimized and exam rooms are specially designed to protect the identity of whomever is in the room.

The Center is open to all Disney Cast Members who are enrolled in one of the 5 Cigna plans. It will be open 7 days a week (M-F 7A-7P and S-S 9A-5P) with the pharmacy open the same hours. They are recommending that everyone make appointments, although walk-ups will be accepted.

I have a full set of photos from the event this morning and a tour of the facility over at my flickr account. You can also read the whole press release below the cut.

[Read more →]

Walt Disney World guests answer the question, “What’s it like riding Big Thunder Mountain?” and give a tour of every hair-raising drop, twist and turn for this ‘wildest ride in the wilderness.’

Almost as good as being there… not really. Better than actually being there is this similar video asking guests about their favorite animal in the Jungle Cruise.