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October 2011

Health & Wellness Chief at Walt Disney World Wins Award

When you have a cast of 60,000 employees managing their care and well-being can be quite a challenge. This is one area where Disney has been known to excel. From Health & Wellness centers on property to safety and risk management programs, Disney Parks is a known leader. Finally getting some recognition for that is Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Chief Medical Officer Pamela Hymel, M.D. who was named the 2011 recipient of Global Leadership in Corporate Health Award, recognizing her career as a proponent of workplace health and wellness in leading U.S. companies.

At Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, Dr. Hymel is responsible for integrating a segment-wide health and wellness strategy for Disney’s parks and resorts which includes Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Lines and Disney Vacation Clubs. She is also responsible for implementing a segment-wide electronic medical record, with integration into risk management, safety and HRIS systems as well as developing standardized practices and processes with a focus on improved efficiency, outcomes and cost effectiveness.

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Dancing with the Stars, Week 6 Recap

Hi there everyone and welcome to this week’s Dancing with the Stars Recap. Last week we saw Carson Kressley get kicked off the dance floor, this week DWTS celebrated the Great White Way and Broadway.

During Rehearsal Week, Rob Kardashian’s mother Kris Jenner dropped by the dance studio to offer Rob some words of encouragement. Jenner said Rob has gone from a boy to a man and she was proud of him. She said Rob used to be a shy boy who could never do something like this. Jenner said Rob has a lot of competition against people who are used to being competitive and added it’s time for Rob to do the job and it’s time to kick some ass and he can’t be nice anymore! Such mother’s love, she kisses her son with that mouth? J Rob said he was ready to “kick some butt”, glad to see his language was cleaner than his mom’s!

Rob and his dance partner Cheryl led the show off with the Cha-cha-cha to Walk like a Man from Jersey Boys (p.s. It doesn’t get any better than Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons!). Rob opened the song with a nice little butt shimmy and then gave the crowd some big hip thrusts. He displayed nice footwork and technique but seemed a little too focused on technique and was a bit stiff throughout the dance.

Judge Len said it was clean and precise and good timing but the Cha-cha-cha has got to show rhythm and to Len there was no rhythm tonight and was a bit “stiff and starchy (Reminder to self: pick up my dry cleaning tomorrow). I must be getting better at this; even I recognized Rob seemed stiff. Judge Bruno said it’s Opening Night on Broadway and he has to take it on full board from the beginning. He added the dance was adequate but didn’t have the impact or power it should have and that Rob has to be in charge and more forceful with his movements. Judge Carrie Ann said it wasn’t as great as Rob’s performance last week but she saw much more charisma coming from him than she ever has. She said Rob is right on the cusp of being a man on the dance floor; he’s not a kid, not a man but an adolescent and getting there.

Rob’s overall score from the judges: 22.

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Neverland on Syfy

It’s not exactly Disney, but this retelling of the Peter Pan mythos has must watch TV written all over it. Plus they got Bob Hoskins to come out of retirement. That says good things about the miniseries. Learn more on the show’s Facebook page. This… Read More »Neverland on Syfy

Viral Video: This Is Halloween Home Light Show

A quite talented individual in Riverside, CA has programmed his home with thousands of lights and Halloween decorations to be choreographed with music. One of the songs is “This is Halloween” from Nightmare Before Christmas. Performing are “singing pumpkin faces, tombstones, hand carved pumpkins, strobes,… Read More »Viral Video: This Is Halloween Home Light Show

Once Upon a Time – Season 1, Episode 1

After lots of anticipation and hype, ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” premiered last night. The show was created by two writers from “Lost,” and already there were several connections between the two series. (The clock in “Once Upon a Time” is stuck at 8:15, the… Read More »Once Upon a Time – Season 1, Episode 1

Feds Test Communicating Cars at Walt Disney World

Pixar’s Cars characters are no longer the only talking cars at Walt Disney World, the U.S. Department of Transportation sponsored a special test at the Walt Disney World Speedway last week, where cars communicated with each other to improve roadway safety. On hand was U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who received a firsthand look at “connected vehicle” technologies that have the potential to improve safety and help drivers avert crashes.

“Thanks to the efforts of automakers and the safety community traffic fatalities have reached historic lows. Despite these great strides though, more than 32,000 people are still killed on our nation’s roads every year. That’s why we must remain vigilant in our effort to improve safety,” said Secretary LaHood. “This research should bring us a step closer to what could be the next major safety breakthrough.”

Analyses by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show connected vehicle technology could potentially impact approximately 80 percent of vehicle crash types involving non-impaired drivers. Specifically, NHTSA research shows these technologies could help prevent a majority of kinds of crashes that typically occur in the real world such as crashes at intersections or while switching lanes.

I’m sure Disney finds this potentially useful technology given the size of the bus fleet they operate in and around the resort.

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Disney to bring Shakespeare in Love to London Stage

While Disney Theatrical got its start in Stage Musicals, they will be breaking the mold with their next production. Disney will bring the Oscar winning 1998 film Shakespeare in Love to the West End of London, known for theater and dining, with the help of… Read More »Disney to bring Shakespeare in Love to London Stage

Pixar Up House Still Drawing Tourists to Town

The house modeled after the home from the Pixar movie Up is turning into the little home that could for the community of Herriman, Utah. Originally built as a hook for a 3-week Parade of Homes event, the cute little home from the movie continues… Read More »Pixar Up House Still Drawing Tourists to Town