Chat with the Chief Magic Official

[Marshay]

Wow Justin -- great updates!!

You know we are just loving your enthusiasm and each trip seems more magical than the other.

 

[jeminni]

Hi Justin,

I can't believe I just found this thread, I'm read the boards everyday. Congrats on your dream job, that is so magical. I meet you back in 2002 when you were the band director at Highlands High School. My kids Drew and Michaela were both in marching band and concert band as percussion players. Our band trip that year was at Disney of course.

Hope you are having a great time in Disneyland. Any chance you will be at WDW Dec 11-16? Michaela and I will be there for a girls only trip going to MVMCP 12/11, CP12/12 and the TSM 12/13. We'd love to see you if you are going to be there. If not have great holiday season . I hope Disney continues to employ you when your year is done.

 

[Donna]

justin,
you were the BAND director at HIGHLANDS? thats my alma mater! was that the marching band director? i was a majorette for highlands waaaaaay in late 70s when you were probably still in grade school, but it IS a small world afterall!

 

[Justin M]

Thanks!

I'm back from Disneyland and, WOW, was it another amazing trip!! I took a lot of pictures for you all and I promise to come here as soon as I get caught up at the "real" job to fill you in.

Some highlights certainly included: meeting Dave Smith - THE Disney historian extraordinaire and keeper of the Disney Archives. We toured the Archives and I had the chance to see some incredible pieces of Disney history. I had the chance to take a very extensive tour of the Walt Disney Studios - including visiting the animation building and touring the sound stages where some of our favorite movies and TV shows have been filmed.

I also spent some more time with the Dream Squad and helped to host some of the media who were in town to cover the incredible holiday festivities at the Disneyland Resort.

Other highlights for me were: meals at the Blue Bayou and Napa Rose, the Candlelight Processional, the 'A Christmas Fantasy' parade, the Believe . . . in Holiday Magic fireworks spectacle, AND, the incredible lighting, special effects, and music presentation known as Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle.

Be sure to come back here AND to visit www.dreamCMO.com over the next several weeks to read all about it!

All in all it was another incredible adventure during which the magic of Disney really was on display!

 

[Justin M]

Justin, thanks for the update. I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving as well. I was actually looking at your CMO website just the other day to see if you had any updates. Have a great trip to Disneyland!

Thanks! Please keep checking the site. We've all been so busy this fall with the incredible CMO adventures, that we are (admittedly) a little behind on the site. I have a A LOT of great pictures and stories to share and the Dream CMO website (www.dreamCMO.com) is still the place to get the whole stories.

I promise we'll have new updates on my journeys in August, September, October, and now December up on the site soon!

 

[Justin M]

I'm so happy that you had a chance to update us a little on what's been going on and what comes next for you. I know you must be so busy and it's very hard to try and do everything you want to do. Very glad you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. Soon you will be off on another adventure at Disneyland and I can't wait to hear all about it. Have a wonderful trip.

Thanks for understanding and for the well-wishes. It was a wonderful trip (as always) and I will get here to share the details with you all!

Don't worry about us Justin! Just enjoy your various trips. We will be here when you can free up some time. I can't wait to hear about the Disney Fairies trip and hopefully see some photos!

Suz

Ah yes, the Fairies! Everyone loves Tinker Bell and her friends! I'll be sure to post some pictures from that trip soon. The September adventure to Walt Disney World is where I need to pick back up again here, so those pictures and stories should be coming shortly.

Thanks for understanding and for continuing to follow my travels!

 

[Justin M]

Wow Justin -- great updates!!

You know we are just loving your enthusiasm and each trip seems more magical than the other.

Thanks! Every trip is incredibly magical and it's impossible to really compare any one to another. Thank you so much for being a part of this unbelievable time in my life!

 

[Justin M]

Hi Justin,

I can't believe I just found this thread, I'm read the boards everyday. Congrats on your dream job, that is so magical. I meet you back in 2002 when you were the band director at Highlands High School. My kids Drew and Michaela were both in marching band and concert band as percussion players. Our band trip that year was at Disney of course.

Hope you are having a great time in Disneyland. Any chance you will be at WDW Dec 11-16? Michaela and I will be there for a girls only trip going to MVMCP 12/11, CP12/12 and the TSM 12/13. We'd love to see you if you are going to be there. If not have great holiday season . I hope Disney continues to employ you when your year is done.

Hello!!! I'm so glad you found me here! How are Drew and Michaela?? Of course I remember them (and you!). Even though my time at Highlands was brief, I had a fantastic experience and I'll never forget the students who were so great to me. That band trip we took that spring to Walt Disney World, believe it or not, was (I believe) one of the first steps in my life taking this incredible turn.

Have a wonderful time on your trip next week! I'm sorry I won't be there because I would love to see you guys again. My December journey was to Disneyland (I just returned late last night) to experience some of their holiday offerings. PLEASE, come back here and tell me all about your trip when you get back. ALSO, please stop over to www.dreamCMO.com and leave me a note about your trip - I can't wait to hear what you think about the amazing holiday festivities in Walt Disney World.

 

[Justin M]

justin,
you were the BAND director at HIGHLANDS? thats my alma mater! was that the marching band director? i was a majorette for highlands waaaaaay in late 70s when you were probably still in grade school, but it IS a small world afterall!

It IS a small world, isn't it??!! Yes, I was the marching band director at Highlands, but only for one year, (2001 - 2002 school year) before my life took me in some new directions (one of which now includes being CMO for the Disney Parks!)

Thanks for checking the thread and following along - I love meeting local PA folks and discovering just how much we have in common.

Have a great day!

 

[mistydoodles]

Thanks!

I'm back from Disneyland and, WOW, was it another amazing trip!! I took a lot of pictures for you all and I promise to come here as soon as I get caught up at the "real" job to fill you in.

Some highlights certainly included: meeting Dave Smith - THE Disney historian extraordinaire and keeper of the Disney Archives. We toured the Archives and I had the chance to see some incredible pieces of Disney history. I had the chance to take a very extensive tour of the Walt Disney Studios - including visiting the animation building and touring the sound stages where some of our favorite movies and TV shows have been filmed.

I also spent some more time with the Dream Squad and helped to host some of the media who were in town to cover the incredible holiday festivities at the Disneyland Resort.

Other highlights for me were: meals at the Blue Bayou and Napa Rose, the Candlelight Processional, the 'A Christmas Fantasy' parade, the Believe . . . in Holiday Magic fireworks spectacle, AND, the incredible lighting, special effects, and music presentation known as Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle.

Be sure to come back here AND to visit www.dreamCMO.com over the next several weeks to read all about it!

All in all it was another incredible adventure during which the magic of Disney really was on display!

Wow Justin! It sounds like you had another great trip. We just saw Candlelight Processional at Disney World the day after Thanksgiving. I absolutely loved it.

Can't wait to read about this trip. Have a good day.

 

[LUVMICKEY]

Thanks!

I'm back from Disneyland and, WOW, was it another amazing trip!! I took a lot of pictures for you all and I promise to come here as soon as I get caught up at the "real" job to fill you in.

Some highlights certainly included: meeting Dave Smith - THE Disney historian extraordinaire and keeper of the Disney Archives. We toured the Archives and I had the chance to see some incredible pieces of Disney history. I had the chance to take a very extensive tour of the Walt Disney Studios - including visiting the animation building and touring the sound stages where some of our favorite movies and TV shows have been filmed.

I also spent some more time with the Dream Squad and helped to host some of the media who were in town to cover the incredible holiday festivities at the Disneyland Resort.

Other highlights for me were: meals at the Blue Bayou and Napa Rose, the Candlelight Processional, the 'A Christmas Fantasy' parade, the Believe . . . in Holiday Magic fireworks spectacle, AND, the incredible lighting, special effects, and music presentation known as Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle.

Be sure to come back here AND to visit www.dreamCMO.com over the next several weeks to read all about it!

All in all it was another incredible adventure during which the magic of Disney really was on display!

It sounds like you had another very magical trip to Disneyland. I look forward to hearing all about it and I will be checking out the dreamCMO site. Being there for the holiday festivities must be wonderful. We've been to WDW several times for the holidays, but have not made it to Disneyland yet. One day we will. We leave on December 26 for a seven day cruise on DCL for New Years Eve. We will be going directly to WDW from there for 4 nights. We will just make seeing the decorations at MK and see the Osborne Lights on the last day for them both. We are very excited about that. So anxious to hear more and more about all your great adventures.

 

[TimothyTheLurker]

Thanks for the postcard!

And your Steelers really embarrassed my Cowboys this past weekend!

 

[Justin M]

Hello! Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you are all enjoying a great holiday season with your families and that you are dreaming of incredible new memories you plan to make in 2009.

Thank you for being such a big part of my life during this past year. I can only imagine what this new year may have in store for all of us, but I'm so grateful that we can all come here and share our adventures with each other.

I wish you all nothing but the best this year and always. May 2009 be a year of wonderful, magical surprises!

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

Happy New Year to you too Justin.

You aren't going to happen to be in WDW next weekend are you? I'll be there to run the half marathon, and it would be great to meet you.

 

[Marshay]

Happy New Year Justin!!

I can't wait to hear about your final trips this year! Hmmm, maybe Disney will hire you permanently??? Wouldn't that be an absolute blast!

 

[LUVMICKEY]

Happy New Year to you also Justin. Waiting to hear some of your wonderful reports.

 

[Marshay]

So what does the New Year have in store for CMO? I hope it's even bigger and better for you!

 

[Justin M]

Hello! I can't believe it has been this long since I've had the chance to stop by here and post any update. Is there anyone still here?

Thank you for the notes, thoughts, emails, and kind words ... this has been an incredibly busy past few months, but they've also been richly rewarding.

In addition to the trips this past fall and the December adventure to Disneyland, I travelled to Chicago in January. I spent part of the time getting to know the team at Disney's Doorway to Dreams (DVC) store in the Woodfield Mall and the rest of the time learning more about careerbuilder.com and all that they do. It was an unexpectedly fascinating trip and if you ever have the chance to be in Schaumburg, Illinois, be sure to stop by the Woodfield Mall and see the remarkable Doorway to Dreams store!

My tenure as CMO is still slated to come to and end at the end of April. What an incredible ride it has been, though! It looks like I'll be a part of 3 more trips - starting with one I leave for TODAY!

I'm headed back to Walt Disney World to help out with the press event for the opening of The American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios. I can't wait to get there, experience the spectacle, and come back with lots of pictures to share. I believe I'm staying at the Contemporary this trip, so there is at least one highlight I'm already looking forward to!

 

[Justin M]

After this trip I'm planning a visit the first weekend of March and then one final trip in April (with some really fun surprises in store for everyone!)

This past weekend I recorded a brief segment with Dave Parfitt for the DIS Unplugged podcast. I'm not sure when it will make a show, but check it out sometime! I also hope to reconnect with a bunch of friends from the various forums and podcasts who will all be in town this week for the American Idol Experience event.


Finally, I hope you haven't given up on www.dreamCMO.com just yet! I know there was a bit of a dry spell in terms of new content there this fall, but we have a bunch of exciting new udpates in the works and you should start seeing reports from many of my adventures this past fall on the website this week. We are working hard to finish my tenure with a bang, so please spread the word and check the site out soon!

Have a wonderful week! Talk to you again soon!

~Justin

 

[LUVMICKEY]

I am still here Justin and was so happy you got a chance to post a little bit. I always look forward to hearing about all of your wonderful adventures. Please keep us updated when you can, I know you are very busy and it makes it a lot more difficult to have the time to write. Have a great end of your exciting year and I know you will go out with a bang. Can't wait to hear all about everything.