When You Wish Upon a Star

I don't remember the last time I watched Pinocchio. It wasn't a favorite of mine as a child - I was a huge fan of Peter Pan, and demanded to watch those instead of the Princess films. When I heard Pinocchio was returning on DVD, I was excited to see a movie that I hadn't seen in such a long time, a Disney film I haven't watched over and over again.

The 70th Anniversary release of Pinocchio is absolutely wonderful. The movie looks more beautiful than ever, with the animation cleaned up and better restored. And this fact helps to illuminate how truly beautiful the animation of Pinocchio is. Disney's second full-length animated feature, the animators at the Studio had more knowledge than ever before on what worked and what didn't on the screen, and took risks with the production. A talking cricket who narrates the story?

The true stars on this release, however, are the special features. My favorite is "The Making of Pinocchio: No Strings Attached". This nearly hour-long documentary focuses on the importance of Pinocchio from an animation and filmmaking standpoint, as well as comparison of the original story to the Disney version. There's also some interesting live action reference footage, and dozens of production, development, and publicity footage to check out.

Pinocchio: 70th Anniversary Edition comes to a store near you March 10th!

All The World's A Stage

Someone posted this video in the Fall 2009 group on Facebook, and though it's old, it's interesting to see. The video explains the "show" motif of Walt Disney World and the importance of putting on a show. It also provides a look into Custodial and Attractions roles, specifically the Jungle Cruise.

There will be more posts this weekend, including a review of a "Platinum Edition" Disney DVD, coming soon to a store near you. Stay tuned!

Guess now it's official!

I'm happy to report that my meeting today with one of my Deans went very well, and she advised me to officially "accept" my offer. We have a follow-up meeting next week to discuss the courses Disney offers (I've already had two pre-approved for major credits), but the important thing to note is that I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!

Here's something interesting to look at while waiting for your purple folder or for my next post ;) - MiceAge has an article today detailing the layoffs happening around Disneyland and Disney World. The article also mentions how John Lasseter & family frequently make trips to the park to stay in the Disneyland Dream Suite, an apartment made for Walt that was not completed before his passing, located in New Orleans Square. The Lasseters spend full days in the park, riding attractions and watching shows like any other guests. Can you IMAGINE having a perk like that in your contract?

Disney Couture

When I was fifteen years old, and was about to embark on my first summer in New York, I went on the quest for a purse. I never needed a purse before, as the only place I went without my mother those days was school, and I had my trusty backpack. However, in NY, you need to lug a lot of things around at all times of the day, and my backpack was a little too bulky. Frustrated while shopping in the mall, I stopped into Hot Topic, a store that kind of intimidated me beforehand. While shopping, my eyes fell on a burgundy bag with the outline of Aurora. Dotting the outline were dozens of small rosebuds. I instantly fell in love, and used that bag until it fell apart. Thus began my love with Disney Couture.

Fast-foward to present day. Although I love Disney merchandise, wearing a "Walt Disney World" shirt in the fashion capital of the world isn't very chic. I've bought many a Mickey Mouse shirt at the Happiest Place on Earth, but tend to wear them to bed instead of out on the town. Recently, while surfing the internet, I found the Kidada by Disney Couture line. Kidada Jones, daughter of music legend Quincy Jones, is a Disney fanatic, and designed a line of upscale jewelry for the Disney-loving fashionista. The line came out last summer, and has been spotted on celebs like Miley Cyrus and Nicole Richie. Most famous are the wrap bracelets, which feature charms that represent different Disney characters. There are bracelets for Alice, Cinderella, Aurora, Pocahontas, Belle, Tinker Bell, Bambi, and the Seven Dwarves. There's even a bracelet that has a charm to represent some of the most famous Disney princesses - a lamp for Jasmine, an apple for Snow White, a feather for Pocahontas, and so on.

I picked up one of the wraps that represents most of the Princesses, as well as a gold ring that reminds me to "think of a wonderful thought".

A College Program-related entry will come soon - I have (yet another) meeting tomorrow with one of my financial aid advisors from my school. Everything seems to be going smoothly, I just have to make sure and follow every step to earn credit and retain my scholarships while on the program.

Also, my hearts go out to all of you getting rejected from the program. The economy is affecting everyone, even including the Happiest Place on Earth. Your time will come soon enough!

The Princess and the Frog

If you're a fan of Disney, you're definitely a fan of Disney animation. It's what Walt started with. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, the first full length animated feature, was only the beginning of the magic. Disney animation is what gave Walt the money to pursue his dreams of a place where both kids and kids at heart could have a great time together.

In 2004, Disney released Home on the Range, the last 2D feature to come from the studio before a decision to go completely 3D. The movies weren't making money, and Disney deduced that people were no longer impressed with the 2D style. John Lasseter says it best: "“The whole notion that the audience didn’t want to watch hand-drawn animation any more was ridiculous. It would be like saying the audience didn’t want to watch something made with a particular camera. Give me a break! It’s storytelling. No one goes to a movie to see a particular technology. They go to see story and characters. They go to be entertained. What it was is that 2D became the scapegoat for bad storytelling.”

Enter The Princess and the Frog, marking the return of 2D animation. This movie also marks another milestone - Tiana, the main character, is the first black princess to join the Disney Princess group. The picture above is Anika Noni Rose, a Tony-winning actress, who is the voice of the new princess.

I must admit, I'm so excited for this movie. There's nothing I love more than the hand-drawn animated movies , and I can't wait for this new one.

A few more questions and what's coming up next!

I've gotten a few more questions today and was going to combine them with a post on how the meeting with the Dean went. However, I've decided to save the school information for a later and more informative post! So, here's a few more questions people have been asking:

When did you interview so I can know when to expect my letter?
Here's the deal - everyone's application is different. Depending on what you applied for, when you interviewed, your recruiter, and a ton of other factors, you never know when you're going to receive your letter. I recently talked to someone who was interviewed right after me, with the same interviewer, and has yet to receive a letter. There's no obvious pattern to the batches Disney's sending out.

What hotel are you going to be working at?
I don't know! Although we find out our specific roles once accepted into the program, we don't find out where we are until check-in.

I hope to post the school information blog early next week. Look out for a post this weekend where I review some great Disney documentaries!

We're following the leader wherever he may go.

Hello everyone! My name's Danielle, and I'm doing the Fall Advantage '09 Walt Disney World College Program in a Hospitality role.

I was originally going to chronicle my Disney experience in video form, but after making one, I find I don't come off very well in videos. I'm a much better writer than presenter - I was really never one for public speaking. I promise that in person, I am much more bubbly and talkative.

Today, while getting ready for school, I checked the mailbox as always, and gasped when I saw an envelope with Mickey Mouse on it. My roommate yelled, "IS IT HERE?" and I could barely contain my excitement. I ripped open the package to reveal that wonderful purple folder.

As all of us have said in the chat rooms and the group, we'd share when we got accepted with each other. Since, I've been flooded with questions and Facebook friend requests. I've answered a few questions on my vlog, but I'm going to list them here.

Q: When did you apply/interview?
A: I applied the day the forms came out, which was a Tuesday. I found out on my BlackBerry, came home, watched the E Presentation, and applied online. The next day, I called at around 9:30 AM to schedule my interview. I interviewed on January 23rd at 11AM with Elizabeth. After the interview, I faxed my role checklist and application, and later in the day, snail-mailed both as well.

Update: A friend of mine recently tried to apply, and we discovered that all application materials are now online! The process I went through was apparently part of the old system. Refer to the WDWCP website for application instructions.

Q: How do I find out if my recruiter/Disney recruiting received everything they need?
A: Simple - if you believe something may be missing, email your recruiter, or Disney college recruiting (you can find the email on the website). This is what I did, and my recruiter confirmed that everything had been received and my application was being processed. However, understand that the recruiters are swamped with these emails at moment, and it's important to be patient. If you haven't seen your folder yet, and you haven't confirmed that all your information has been received, it'd be a smart idea to email your recruiter. Also, note that Disney usually only contacts you if they find something to be missing. Keep your emails formal and respectful - the DCP is a job, after all, and you're talking to potential employers.

Q: Can you post the check-in dates for the program?
A: I'd rather not. First of all, I'm not sure if this is "priviledged information". I believe someone has already posted these in the group, but I decided against it. Plus, I haven't clicked "Accept" yet - I'm meeting with my Dean tomorrow to discuss how much credit I can get for the program and the courses offered at Disney. Once everything is finished, I'll be accepting, sending in my money, etc.

If you have any more questions, feel free to comment, or shoot me an email at showperson@gmail.com. I'll be updating this blog frequently, with things related to the program and also related to Disney as a company.

I hope you enjoy my blog!