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… Read More »Bus Hostage Situation Ends at Downtown 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… Read More »Disney World Guidebook wins Writers Digest award
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… Read More »Walt Disney World 2009 Ambassadors Announced
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… Read More »RFID at Disney Parks
Tuesday night we made it over to Downtown Disney’s Marketplace to experience “T-Rex” the latest addition to the food and entertainment options. Lines were long, but moved fast as guests were entered into a virtual queue to wait for their tables. Inside the place was loud, but everything seemed surprisingly well run for the first night open to the public.
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 opens on-site health and wellness center for cast members and families
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… Read More »Video: Wildest Ride In The Wilderness
The Le Cellier restaurant at the Canadian pavilion at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT Center features this out of the world Cheddar Cheese Soup. It’s also featured in the Canada booth during the popular Food & Wine Festival. Now you can learn how to make it yourself from Master Chef Brian Piasecki of Jiko-The Cooking Place (although he’s at neither restaurant for this demonstration)