My PO-RS, GF, and BCV Vacation With A Disability

[Janet2k]

I woke up with a smile upon my face. Today was going to be a busy day for us. This morning we were going to hang out at Stormalong Bay with my friend, then in the afternoon we were joining Nutz4dzny and her husband at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, followed by an evening dinner party inside the Disney Studios Theme Park. It just didn’t get any better than this.

We arrived at Stormalong Bay shortly before it opened. We sat down at our usual umbrella table (click here). As I’ve mentioned before, this particular table was located near the swimming pool’s handicap entrance and also near the Beaches & Cream Soda Shop.

I know that I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but today was another beautiful Florida day – the temperature was once again in the 80’s and the blue sky was filled with white, fluffy clouds (click here). During our vacation, we were fortunate to have only had one rainy day so far (and we spent that particular day on the Gulf Coast so it didn’t put a damper on our plans).

After the swimming pool had opened, we got our towels and our Stormalong Bay wristbands. We had been required to show our Beach Club Villas room key for every day of our stay so far.

We once again enjoyed our time at Stormalong Bay. It really is a fun swimming pool complex. Every afternoon we saw a makeshift water polo game being played by the resort guests in the “sinking sands” area of the pool. Everyone always seemed to be enjoying themselves during those games.

Today I brought along with me to the pool a special waterproof bag that could contain my digital camera and camcorder. I had purchased that bag last year but had never used it. I promised myself that I would try it out on this vacation.

Normally, I purchase a disposable underwater camera. Those pictures usually turn out okay; that is, whenever I can manage to get my subject into the range of the lens (easier said than done when looking through the small viewfinder of a disposable camera as chlorine is stinging my eyes). I always thought it would be better to take underwater photos with my digital camera – that way if a photo did not have a subject in it (or only a portion of a subject since they were floating away from me), I could delete it and re-shoot the picture. But my digital camera is not waterproof, thus my need for something that was that could contain it.

I placed my digital camera inside the underwater camera bag and then I got into the pool. It was easy to turn the camera on even though the thickness of the bag was nice-sized. Once the camera was on, I began taking photos. I took photos both above water and below water. Some of them turned out okay and some of them didn’t. I suppose if I would have held the plastic bag tighter around the lens of the camera, more of the photos would have turned out better (with the bag held loosely, some of the images are blurred in certain areas). Click here to see a mini-slideshow of the photos that were taken through the waterproof camera bag.

For those of you who have always heard that Stormalong Bay has sand-bottomed swimming pools but did not quite believe it, I offer the following photos as proof:
Sandy Photo # 1
Sandy Photo # 2
Sandy Photo # 3

The beige stuff that you see in those photos is really and truly sand. No kidding.

After I was done with the digital camera, it was time to put my digital camcorder into the bag. The video footage that I shot with my camcorder was a real hoot – too bad I can’t share it with you folks. I was very surprised that even though my camcorder was in the waterproof bag and actually held a foot or two under water as I recorded, the microphone still picked up the voices of my family and friend. That was a very pleasant surprise.

When lunchtime rolled around, my husband and dear friend walked over to Beaches & Cream to get us a bite to eat. When they came back to our table, they mentioned that someone had ordered the “kitchen sink.” They said the Cast Members in the soda shop had made a big deal out of it. It sounded cute and I wished I could have seen it (I have only seen the “kitchen sink” on the Travel Channel’s Great Hotels show).

Soon it was time to head up to our rooms so that we could shower and change. Nutz4dzny and her husband were picking us up shortly.

Once everyone was ready, we went outside to the porte cochere. We found Nutz4dzny and her husband waiting for us there. They drove us to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Since my friend had never seen the resort before, they gave her a tour of their concierge room and a tour of the resort’s grounds. While she was getting the grand tour, I sat in the Kilimanjaro Club and chatted for a bit with my favorite Disney Cast Member. It is always such a pleasure to speak with him. He teased me and asked me when I was going to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge again (he knows how much I adore that resort). I’m hopeful that I’ll get to stay there next year.

With the tour over with, everyone met back in the lounge. Promptly at 2 PM, a Disney Cast Member joined us. Nutz4dzny had arranged for him to give us an informal talk about the recent African safaris that he had returned from.

The Cast Member had brought with him photo books of the two safari lodges that he had stayed at while in Africa. He showed us pictures and described his safaris. It was wonderful listening to him talk, and we all learned quite a few things from him about a safari. I should note that his safaris were strictly photo safaris and not hunting safaris.

As I listened to him speak, it was easy to see that he had had an incredible time in Africa. I could also tell that he really enjoyed his job with Disney and the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I was very thankful that Nutz4dzny had set this up for everyone. What an honor it was to attend such an intimate presentation, and at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, no less.

Once the presentation was over with, Nutz4dzny’s husband was kind enough to give us a ride back to the Beach Club Villas. We had already had quite a full day and yet it wasn’t anywhere near over with. Awaiting us in only a few short hours was the event of a lifetime – dinner inside Disney Studios’ Soundstage 4. We could hardly contain our excitement.

 

[MJS]

Great pictures! What type/brand of digital camera do you use? We are in the market, and would love any help you could give us!

Thanks also for the PM. I look forward to your daughter's comments on the Sandcastle Club!

 

[nutz4dzny]

Janet,


Your Posts are like a seven course meal in a very fine restaurant! You save the best for last....just like dessert! I can't wait to read about it and I was there! LOLOLOLOL! Thanks again for the most spectacular dinner ever to be had at WDW!

 

[Janet2k]

I only recently received permission to post about the “Haunted Mansion Movie Set Dinner” event. Why? Because I was the first one to host a dinner party on the movie set that is presently sitting on Soundstage 4 inside the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park. From my understanding, the Disney Studios folks needed time to decide if and how they were going to offer this event to other interested parties. I can only assume that since I was finally allowed to publicly discuss the event, it is a book-able event. I do not know how to book it, though, since my situation was unique. If anyone is interested in booking this event, please let me know and I will try to find the answer for you.

Before I begin describing the event, there is something that I need to mention. You folks know that I always try to share whatever knowledge I have about anything that is related to vacationing in Walt Disney World. This time, however, I will not be able to do so. Please understand that I cannot divulge the pricing information for my event.

There are a lot of factors that come into play when pricing a unique event at Walt Disney World. Some of those factors include but are not limited to the following items: time of year, time of day, number of guests, location of venue, selection of food, selection of drink, and selection of entertainment. I have learned the Disney pricing lesson over the years from friends and acquaintances who have held weddings and conventions in both Disneyland and Disney World. What one guest or group may be charged for an event will certainly be different than what another guest or group may be charged for a similar event. All pricing discussions should strictly be between the event planner and Disney since they are the only two parties who know the exact specifics of the event that is being planned. That is why I will have to keep quiet about what I was charged for my event. I hope you understand.

I went into a lot of detail with the following post. I did this for two reasons. One, I have read many detailed reports regarding the planning of a special Disney event and have always found those reports helpful. Two, by writing my own detailed report regarding the planning of my own special Disney event, I hope to help someone else with the planning of their own event. I believe Disney calls this the circle of life.

 

[Janet2k]

You folks already know that I broke my leg a few months prior to my vacation. You also know how important it was that I went through with that vacation by the first words that I spoke to the (1) paramedics, (2) emergency room physician, and (3) surgeon: “My Walt Disney World vacation is in a few months – I can still go on it, can’t I?” So less than two months before that vacation was to begin, I sat there wondering (A) if it would ever happen and (B) if it happened, how would I celebrate my wedding anniversary?

Normally, I celebrate my wedding anniversary with dinner at Victoria & Albert’s. But considering the hardship that my injury had placed upon my husband and family, I wanted a more unique way to say “thank you” to them. I decided to contact my Grand Floridian Concierge Pre-Planning Cast Member to ask him for some anniversary celebration suggestions. I mentioned that I wanted celebration suggestions that would encompass anywhere from two people (my husband and myself) to a small group (my family, parents, and friends). I also mentioned that if there were any suggestions for a fun and funky way to celebrate, I was all ears.

It took some time, but eventually some anniversary suggestions were given to me. I will list a few of them below:

• Fort Wilderness Carriage Ride (Drinks Optional)
• Cirque du Soleil Performance (Dinner Optional)
• Grand Floridian Private Dining Event (Butler Optional)
• Grand 1 Yacht Charter (Dinner & Drinks Optional)

Those suggestions sounded great; however, they weren’t unique or funky enough for me. I really wanted to do something extra special as a personal thank you to my family for having put up with my health issues for so many months. I decided to ask my Concierge Pre-Planning Cast Member to check into a special event that I thought might be possible to host at the Magic Kingdom Theme Park.

My Concierge Pre-Planning Cast Member checked with the Magic Kingdom but struck out with the event that I had in mind. I told him that even though I knew the event was a long shot, I sincerely appreciated his efforts in checking into it for me.

Just about the time that the Magic Kingdom idea fell through, my Concierge Pre-Planning Cast Member mentioned the possibility of an event in the Animal Kingdom Theme Park. He said he might be able to arrange something special for me that had never been done before. I was excited to hear that. It took a few days but eventually he was able to set up a VIP Safari. I knew that if my family attended that event, it would be a memorable way to celebrate my wedding anniversary.

With the possibility of celebrating my wedding anniversary on a VIP Safari, a few more anniversary celebration ideas were suggested to me. I will list some of them below:

• Lunch with an Animator
• Private Dinner with an Imagineer
• Intimate Dinner Party on “Haunted Mansion” Movie Set

The last two items were presented to me as never having been done before. I don’t have to tell you folks that my interest was once again piqued. I was told that a tentative hold had been placed on the dinner with the Imagineer since he was only available for one day during the week that I had wanted to celebrate within. I was also told that the pricing for the “Haunted Mansion Movie Set Dinner” event was costly and might not fit what I had wanted to spend.

For the dinner with the Imagineer, I was given explicit pricing information – it was “X” dollars multiplied by the number of guests in my party. As to the Haunted Mansion Movie Set Dinner, I was given tentative pricing information – there was a site fee of “X” dollars and a minimum food and beverage fee of “Y” dollars. It wasn’t mentioned to me yet but I had learned over the years that Disney normally adds tax and gratuity onto their event pricing. So with the pricing that had been stated, plus the pricing that I had added on for tax and gratuity, I wound up with a rough idea of what the Haunted Mansion Movie Set Dinner event might cost me. I was told that if I wanted to pursue that event further, the Grand Floridian would be happy to do so on my behalf. I gave them the go-ahead.

I next called my husband to tell him about the event. He thought it sounded wonderful but was concerned that the event would be too costly for a simple anniversary celebration. I told him to hold off on passing judgment until we had received the official pricing for the event. He gave me his word that he would sit tight, and he also stated that the final decision would be mine alone (over many years of marriage, my husband had wisely learned that once I put my mind to something, there was no point in trying to stop me).

Several days later, I received the official pricing information for the Haunted Mansion Movie Set Dinner. At that point I told the Grand Floridian that I would like to book the event. Okay, so maybe that’s a ~slight~ understatement on my part that doesn’t relay the excitement that I felt regarding the booking of the event. If memory serves me correctly, my exact words were the following: “I think I am going to faint. This is incredible. I would love to do the dinner. YES, YES, YES!” And so the planning began.

I believe in the “more the merrier” philosophy. I could have planned the dinner party for only my husband and myself; or for only my husband, my daughter, and myself; but I felt that wouldn’t be as much fun as sharing the dinner with Nutz4dzny. She had really been there for me as a friend throughout my whole disability. She had e-mailed and telephoned me frequently and offered me words of encouragement when I was feeling blue. And so I asked Nutz4dzny if her family could join us for the dinner party. She was thrilled with my invitation and asked if she could help somehow with the event’s cost. I told her that I wouldn’t hear of it – this was my dinner party and her family would be my guests. With her acceptance of my dinner invitation, the party’s guest list included six people: my husband, my daughter, myself, Nutz4dzny, her spouse, and her son.

The Grand Floridian told me that Jason Surrell was available to attend the dinner party. I was very pleased to hear that. Jason Surrell is a Disney Imagineer who had just written a book entitled “The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies.” During my upcoming vacation I was already going to hear Jason speak at a DoomBuggies.com event. Because of that event, I was aware of who he was and truly felt he would add something extra special to what was going to be an already memorable dinner party. I felt fortunate that Disney was offering Jason’s services for my event.

As far as the dinner party’s menu went, I was told that the Disney Studios folks were preparing something unique for it. They would present the menu to me once it was ready. I should mention that when the subject of the menu initially came up, I had stated, “As far as the dinner event itself goes, we don’t expect much because it’s the venue that will be the thrilling part of it all. Heck, we could eat hot dogs for all we cared (but it would be nice if we at least ate them by candlelight – I think hot dogs are more romantic by firelight).” Yes, I was serious when I stated that. The heck with the food, just give me that venue. Luckily for my guests, the Disney Studios folks continued on with their planning of a unique dinner menu.

So that you folks don’t think I was completely useless regarding the dinner menu, I did put forth one request: individual ice sculptures in the shape of skulls. I had read about those ice sculptures for years. They were usually served at private dinner parties that were held inside the Haunted Mansion theme park ride. I felt strongly that those ice sculptures would go beautifully with hot dogs and candlelight. Strike that. I knew that no matter what the Disney Studios folks presented to me in the way of a dinner menu, those ice sculptures would add nicely to it.

The timeline for the planning of my dinner event was very short. By the time things began to really fall into place, I was only days away from leaving on vacation. Within those final days, I must admit that I became a little concerned that everything was going to fall apart at the seams because I hadn’t heard personally from the Disney Studios folks. When I voiced my concern to the Grand Floridian, they assured me that everything was moving along beautifully – the Disney Studios folks were all over my event. I was told not to worry.

As soon as I was reassured by the Grand Floridian that my event was moving forward nicely, I took a deep breath and stepped back for a moment. I realized that the anxiety that I had been experiencing was understandable because I was the first person to host a private dinner party on the “Haunted Mansion” movie set. Because of that simple fact, there were decisions that were being made about my event at a certain level inside Walt Disney World. I was not privy to those decisions, nor should I have been privy to them. Once I accepted that fact, I felt more at ease. Disney knew way more than I knew about the planning of a special event. I had to trust their judgment and have faith that everything would work out splendidly.

My dinner party for six people was initially scheduled for a certain date. Then we hit a snag. Unbeknownst to either Disney or Jason Surrell, Jason’s agent had booked him for another event on the exact same date as my dinner party. I was told that I could stick with my original date and have the dinner party without Jason Surrell (Disney Studios would try to find a suitable entertainment replacement for me), or I could move the date and have the dinner with Jason Surrell in attendance. Since I had grown attached to the idea of Jason attending my dinner party, I decided to move the date. But as I was dialing the telephone to let the Grand Floridian know that the new date would work for me, I suddenly realized that my parents and dear friend from home would be in Walt Disney World by that new date. Yikes! How could I host the event without them in attendance? And so another potential snag was facing me.

I explained to the Grand Floridian my guest list predicament if I moved the date of the event. I asked them to contact the Disney Studios folks because I needed to know what the new pricing would be for the increased dinner party size (the party was increasing from six people to nine people). I also needed to know if it was even okay to increase the size of the dinner party at this late notice. The Grand Floridian got in touch with Disney Studios and worked out the final details for me. Then the Grand Floridian contacted me and told me that everything was good to go. That was music to my ears.

The day before I left on vacation, I finally received a phone call from the Disney Studios folks. We discussed the new dinner party size, and then I held my breath and asked if it could be increased by two more (I had wanted to invite Minybear and her spouse to the party since she had been so supportive of me throughout my disability). They said the party could be increased from nine people to eleven people but the table arrangement would have to be changed. I didn’t mind the table arrangement change, I was just so happy to hear that the guest list could be increased by two more people. With the headcount number finalized at eleven people plus Jason Surrell, the Disney Studios folks next explained what was going to happen during my dinner party.

After the party’s timeline had been discussed, the Chef de Cuisine of catering for the Disney-MGM Studios and the Animal Kingdom theme parks described the dinner menu to me. The chef said he wanted my dinner menu to have a bit of a Cajun flavor to it since the “Haunted Mansion” movie was set in New Orleans. I was amazed by this attention to detail (I had no idea the movie took place in New Orleans). Since I love flavorful food, anything Cajun sounded wonderful to me. I should note that if I had not liked the menu that was presented to me, I could have asked for something else. But since you folks already know that I am a simple girl with simple tastes (a.k.a., hot dogs), I let the expert plan my menu. What was presented to me by the Disney-MGM Studios Chef de Cuisine was perfection. I knew my guests would love his menu of lamb and quail way more than they would love my menu of hot dogs and fries.

Everything on the menu sounded delicious with the exception of two seafood items. I asked for a substitution for the two seafood items for only my meal because I am allergic to seafood. The chef stated that it would probably be better if he altered the dinner menu and removed the two seafood items completely. He was afraid that somehow my meal would become contaminated and he did not want that happening since a food allergy was a serious issue. I appreciated his concern and took him up on his suggestion for an altered menu. He told me he would e-mail me a new dinner menu before the day was through. I mentioned that if he couldn’t get the new menu to me that day, he should FAX it to me at the Grand Floridian Resort since I was leaving for Florida the next day and would therefore be unreachable until my arrival at that resort. He said it wouldn’t be a problem getting the new menu to me. Before our telephone conversation ended, I stated how excited I was for the opportunity to host a private dinner party inside the Disney Studios Theme Park; I knew the dinner party would be the highlight of my vacation.

Just like the chef had promised, before the day was through, I had received an e-mail message containing the new dinner menu. I will state below exactly what that dinner menu included:

Haunted Mansion Dinner

Amuse Bouche:
Sundried Tomato Napoleon

Spiced Fois Gras with Seasonal Apples, Verjus and a Caramelized Shallot Tarte

“Crystal Ball” of Miniature Greens with Goat Cheese and Black Pepper Terrine
Champagne Vinaigrette

Blood Orange Sorbet in an Ice Skull

Creole Spiced Rack of Lamb with Marchand du Vin Sauce
Bourbon Marinated Quail with Blackberry Glaze

Yukon Gold Potato Tarte with Applewood Bacon
Haricot Vertes

Bananas Foster Crème Brulee

Friandiese in a Chocolate Coffin

As stated in the menu above, my guests were going to get individual ice skulls. Yahoo! But I decided to keep that particular course a secret from them. I wanted everyone to be surprised when it was presented. I even kept that course a secret from my daughter and my husband. I was the only one who knew about it. When I e-mailed the dinner menu to my guests, I made sure to remove the reference to the ice skulls from the menu. Yes, it would be fun to see the looks on everyone’s faces when the ice skulls were placed before them on the dinner table. I just love surprises, don’t you?

With all the final details worked out, and only a few hours left before my vacation began, I let the excitement of my vacation envelop me. Even though I couldn’t walk due to my disability, I was literally floating on air. It was a wonderful feeling to have. But then I thought of one final detail: photographs.

I had been given permission to take photographs during the event even though photographs weren’t allowed during the day when theme park guests were touring the movie set. I was relieved to have received permission to photograph; however, I did not want to worry about taking photographs while I was trying to enjoy the event. I picked up the telephone and called Disney’s Event Productions. I wanted to hire a photographer to photograph the event for me. That way I could relax and truly enjoy the evening. But since it was so late in the day, I only received their answering machine. I left my name and photography request and asked them to contact me at the Grand Floridian Resort regarding photography packages and pricing information.

With that last detail out of the way, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I was going to have the vacation of a lifetime and it was going to begin in just a few short hours.

 

[pixiechick]

WOW! What an event you planned! Love the skull idea!
I can't wait to hear how the actual dinner goes.

Originally posted by Janet2k
and he also stated that the final decision would be mine alone (over many years of marriage, my husband had wisely learned that once I put my mind to something, there was no point in trying to stop me).

Smart man--you obviously married well!

 

[Terry S]

Oh Janet, this sounds absolutely fabulous. Can't wait to hear more!

 

[floridafam]

Janet,

How wonderful! I can't wait to hear more.

 

[Minybear]

Janet, I want to hear more and I was there . I wish we could do this same event again . It was an experience that will never be topped.

 

[Janet2k]

Minybear, I was so HAPPY when the Disney Studios folks gave me the okay to increase the dinner party size so that you and your husband could join us. The party would not have been the same without the two of you there. I will never forget that evening.

 

[Janet2k]

MJS, Pixiechick, Terry S, and Floridafam, it will be a few days before I can post about the actual dinner (I haven’t written it yet, yikes!). In the meantime, I hope the following Disney Event Productions’ photograph of the dinner table arrangement will be enough to tide you folks over for a day or two: click here for photo.

 

[Janet2k]

MJS, I have various digital cameras (Toshiba and Yashica are the ones that I primarily use). But any digital camera on the market today will take wonderful photos, have no fear. If I were you, I would get one that was at least 3 or 4 megapixels. I would also make sure that it had a 3 times optical zoom (or more if you don’t mind the size of the camera becoming too large).

In regards to your childcare questions, there are varied activities for the kids to do at the Disney kids’ clubs. Amongst other things, they’ll find books for reading, computers to play games on, crafts to make, toys to play with, movies to watch, and music to dance to. My daughter states that there is something for everyone.

As to the Sandcastle Club, my daughter told me there was a CD player there. The Cast Members would walk around the room asking the children to vote on what songs they wanted to hear. The songs that received the most votes were played two times in a row. She said that music was not played all the time, only when there were fewer children in the club.

My daughter also told me that there were lots of plush toys to play with. She saw the following ones: Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse, Chip, Dale, Goofy, Pluto, Donald Duck, and Daisy Duck.

As to arts & crafts, one night my daughter made three poster collages of her favorite things. She mentioned that the older children were allowed to use glue bottles of all colors for their artwork projects, while the younger children were only allowed to use the regular school glue. There were plenty of crayons, colored pencils, and markers for everyone to draw with.

I questioned her about what toys there were to play with. She told me that there were two boxes containing all sorts of Mr. Potato Head parts. She also said that there were various action figure toys: Batman, Robin, X-Men, Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse, Pluto, etc.

For those children who liked puzzles, there were various sized ones: 60 pieces, 100 pieces, and greater. And for those who liked to play board games, there were quite a few: Candy Land, Hi-Ho Cherry-O, Chutes and Ladders, Operation, and more.

For the doll lovers, my daughter stated that there were plenty of Barbie dolls and lots of clothes to dress them in. She even saw Lilo and Stitch dolls, too.

My daughter said that there were four tables in the club, and each table seemed to have a specific purpose: a table for reading or playing board games, a table for working on arts & crafts projects, a table for playing with dolls, and a table for eating dinner.

I know that you were curious about the club’s sign-in and sign-out procedures. When I checked my daughter in, I was given paperwork to fill out. If memory serves me correctly, there was a line on that paperwork where I wrote down where I was going for the evening (for example, the BoardWalk’s Belle Vue Room). I was then assigned a pager and told that it was required in case the club needed to contact me in the event of an emergency. Before I left, I was given a receipt and was told that receipt would need to be produced when I came back to pick up my daughter. A few hours later when I returned to the club, I did produce that receipt. I was also asked to sign the sign-out sheet and return my pager. Then I was given my charge receipt for the club’s services, and finally was allowed to take my daughter home.

I should mention that my daughter has always enjoyed her time in any of the Disney childcare clubs. And she has always enjoyed the Cast Members who work there.

 

[pixiechick]

Love the table and "ambiance"! We're "dying" to hear the rest, but I guess we'll let you enjoy Christmas first!

MJS, my son loves the kid's clubs. He has been to Sandcastle club a few times and always enjoys it there. My somewhat picky neice went with him once and even she raved about it! I wouldn't hesitate to use them. In fact, we have to, because he always requests going to one. It's "his night out".

 

[Keggy]

Ahh! I just found this thread and have been reading it all afternoon (shhh don't tell my boss) and now I am joing the throngs of people waiting your next installment!

Kelly

PS - I love how you vacation!!!!
Thank you for sharing!

 

[Janet2k]

Early on in my vacation, I realized that I had not heard from Disney’s Event Productions people. As you folks already know, the day before my vacation began, I had left them a phone message stating that I wanted to hire them to take photographs during my family’s Haunted Mansion Movie Set Dinner event. In my telephone message, I had asked for someone to contact me at the Grand Floridian Resort regarding photography packages and pricing information. A few days after my vacation began, I suddenly realized that I had not heard from them. I immediately gave them a call.

The Disney Event Productions Cast Member who I spoke with stated that he had indeed received my telephone message the prior week. He said that I should have received a FAX containing photography packages and pricing information. When I told him I had not received it, he immediately stated that he would FAX it to me again as soon as possible. In the meantime, he began describing the various photography packages and their pricing information.

Since I knew that photographs could be placed on a password-protected Disney Event Productions Photography website, I inquired if that was an option I could have. I was told that it definitely was. To go along with that option, a candid photography package was recommended to me.

The Cast Member explained that for a candid photography package, the photographer would take candid photos throughout the event. The photographer would try to stay in the background so as to not intrude on my event. I asked if the photographer could also take posed group shots and I was told that he could. I was relieved to hear that. I was then told that I must book the photography package for a minimum of two hours. I said that was fine because my dinner event would last anywhere from two hours to two and a half hours.

I was next told that a few days after my event, the photographs would be available for viewing and purchasing on the Disney Event Productions Photography website. Since my guests were scattered all over the United States, I really wanted that option in case any of them decided they wanted to order photographs of the event.

I went ahead and booked the recommended candid photography package since it sounded perfect for my event. I was told that the photography package's charge would be applied directly to my Grand Floridian room bill.

Before I hung up the phone, I asked the Cast Member to relay to my photographer my wishes that photographs be taken of the movie set and dinner table arrangement before the party began. He told me he would be happy to pass my wishes along.

With the photography issue finally out of the way, I breathed a big sigh of relief. It was comforting to know that I would have professional photographs to commemorate my family’s once-in-a-lifetime event.

 

[IloveDMB]

Wow, this trip is amazing and you have a great writing style. I can't wait for the next installment!

 

[Janet2k]

I must preface the following posts by stating for the record that had it not been for the staff of the Grand Floridian Resort, the “Haunted Mansion Movie Set Dinner” event would not have been possible. Because of their kind help in the planning of my event, they will always have my deepest gratitude. My husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary during this truly once-in-a-lifetime event. We will never be able to top it. We might as well get divorced now.

Without further ado, on with the show…

 

[Janet2k]

With much anticipation, my family readied for the evening’s dinner party. We had decided to dress up a little bit in honor of the special event. My husband would wear a jacket and tie, and my daughter would wear the same outfit that she had worn to the Grand Floridian’s “My Disney Girl Princess Grand Tea Party.” What would I wear? Well, that was a good question considering that my leg was is in a rather large cast. I eventually decided to wear a stretch crepe pantsuit because it was the only thing that would fit easily over my cast (thank goodness for synthetic fibers).

My guests (Nutz4dzny & spouse & son, Minybear & spouse, WeFullTime & spouse) were going to meet us in the lobby of the Beach Club Resort between 7:30 PM and 7:45 PM. Transportation was scheduled to pick us up at 7:45 PM since our dinner party was slated to begin at 8:00 PM. Every person in our party was required to have a photo ID with them, and they would not be allowed backstage at the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park without it. This was a requirement from Disney that would not be waived.

My dear friend from home and my family made our way to the Beach Club Resort’s lobby shortly before 7:30 PM. We were the first guests to arrive. I was soon approached by one of the wonderful Cast Members from the Beach Club’s Front Desk. She told me the name of the person who would be driving my guests to the event, and she said he would transport us to Disney Studios at 7:45 PM.

It wasn’t long before the rest of my guests arrived in the lobby. Everyone looked great, and they were excited about the dinner party. I secretly wished that I had arranged for the Disney Event Productions’ photographer to join us inside the Beach Club instead of inside Soundstage 4. It would have been nice to have had a group photograph taken at the Beach Club Resort.

The gentleman who was driving our group over to the Disney Studios Theme Park introduced himself to me. Within a moment or two, I discovered that his vehicle was not large enough to contain my entire party of eleven people. He said he’d see if he could find a larger vehicle and then disappeared. Within a few minutes he reappeared and stated that he couldn’t find a larger vehicle but he did find an additional one. He said the two vehicles were big enough to transport the entire party to the event. I was very pleased to hear that. And so everyone went outside to the porte cochere and began boarding the vehicles (click here).

Within a few minutes, our mini-caravan was at the Disney-MGM Studios’ backstage guard shack. Once the Disney Security Guard had verified that our dinner party was on his event list, our vehicles were allowed to pass through. After a short drive, our vehicles came to a stop. Waiting for us there were a few Disney Cast Members. My guests exited the vehicles and produced their photo IDs. After our bags were checked, we were told to follow the Cast Member with the flashing red baton. We were officially on our way to the dinner party.

It was a lovely night outside. As everyone walked and I rolled, we could hear music playing through the Disney Studios’ loudspeakers. It was strange hearing theme park music and yet being the only guests in sight (the theme park had closed at 7 PM that night).

We arrived at Soundstage 4 and the entrance to “The Making of the ‘Haunted Mansion’ Movie” attraction (click here) exactly at 8:00 PM. We saw a mausoleum and a large movie billboard displayed there (click here). We were then led inside the building.

Once inside the soundstage, we saw all sorts of movie production items on display: notes, sketches, photographs, and more. We also saw our Disney Event Productions’ photographer and a few other Disney Cast Members, including Imagineer Jason Surrell (click here).

As we entered the actual movie set portion of the attraction (click here), we were awestruck by what we saw. The ballroom set was huge and our dinner table was gorgeous (click here).

Jason Surrell introduced himself to our group (click here) and began talking about the “Haunted Mansion” movie (click here). As he spoke to us, we were free to ask him questions, which my guests did on several occasions. It was nice having that sort of intimate interaction with someone who was so knowledgeable about both the “Haunted Mansion” movie and the theme park rides.

Jason informed us (click here) that John Myhre was the movie’s Production Designer, and John had won an Academy Award for the movie “Chicago.” Another Academy Award winner, Rick Baker, was mentioned as the “Haunted Mansion” movie’s Special Effects Make-Up Designer. And Mona May, we were told, had been the movie’s Costume Designer.

As to the “Haunted Mansion” movie sets, Jason felt John Myhre’s sets really recalled the spirit of the Haunted Mansion theme park ride, and also probably every haunted house movie that had ever been made. He told us that the mansion was truly the star of the movie.

The differences between the Haunted Mansion theme park ride buildings in Disneyland and Walt Disney World were contrasted. The ride building in California had a Southern plantation look (New Orleans), while the ride building in Florida had a Dutch gothic look (New York Hudson River Valley). Jason also mentioned that the movie’s mansion was based on the Disneyland mansion (the movie was set in New Orleans). Instead of using marble columns on the mansion’s exterior, John Mhyre chose to use more wrought iron due to the massive size of the mansion (marble columns would have given the mansion more of a “White House” look than a “haunted house” look).

Jason stated that the dinner table that was set up for tonight’s event was reminiscent of what appeared in the movie. In the movie, Edward Gracey had sat at the head of the table, and Mr. Evers and his family had sat along the sides.

He went on to describe a few scenes that took place on the ballroom set: the Mardi Gras Ball, the dinner with the Evers family, and the climax of the movie. He then explained that the ballroom set had to be dressed to reflect two periods of time: 1888 and today. When the Mardi Gras Ball was filmed, the ballroom was decked out in all its glory. But when the dinner with the Evers family was filmed, the ballroom had fallen into disrepair and had obviously seen better days.

According to Jason, Soundstage 4 had been specifically cleared so that it could be dedicated to “The Making of the ‘Haunted Mansion’ Movie” attraction. During normal park hours when theme park guests tour the attraction, they have the opportunity to view a short preshow experience that includes preproduction artwork and conceptual designs. Then they get to see the ballroom set come to life before their very eyes, with the set going from work-lighting conditions to theatrical-lighting conditions (click here to view a lighting slideshow). There is even a little thunderstorm that happens on the set. The theme park guests also have some time to walk around the set. In one corner of it they will find costumes, a zombie head, and various other movie items. Jason stated that the movie set attraction is such an immersive environment that the guests truly get a feel for what it is like to be on a major movie set.

We were also told that during the theme park tour, guests get the opportunity to view a 5-minute video piece regarding the making of the movie (click here). The video is hosted by Don Hahn, the “Haunted Mansion” movie’s Producer. There are a few other movie folks in the video, too: John Myhre, Rick Baker, Mona May, and Jay Redd (Visual Effects Supervisor). The video even shows how Jennifer Tilly (Actress) was turned into Madame Leota.

It was hard to believe that Jason had been speaking with us (click here) for almost twenty minutes. His talk had been both informative and entertaining. He then stated, “Welcome to Gracey Manor. Enjoy your dinner; enjoy the book; and enjoy the movie.” Our group replied with a heartfelt “thank you.” Jason had truly added a special element to the evening for all of us. I was grateful that Disney had arranged for him to speak at our dinner party.

With Jason’s talk over with, my husband asked him if he would please autograph his book (click here) that we had brought along with us tonight. Jason graciously personalized our “The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies” books (click here). As he signed them, we heard a haunting music box melody being played in the background. Jason stated that some of this evening’s music was from the Phantom Manor theme park ride (Disneyland Paris’ version of the Haunted Mansion ride). After that last little piece of information had been dispensed, Jason finished signing our books and bade us farewell.

Coming up next, my description of the “Haunted Mansion” movie’s ballroom set…

 

[Janet2k]

On the official “Haunted Mansion” movie website (click here), anyone can view a preview of the movie. It was in that movie preview that I first caught a glimpse of the ballroom set (click here). I viewed that movie preview a few times before I headed to Walt Disney World for my vacation. I wanted to get an idea of what my dinner party might look like. Even though I viewed that movie preview, I decided that once my family arrived in Orlando, we would not visit the attraction. I wanted us to be completely taken by surprise when we walked onto that set for our dinner party. I am so glad that I made that decision because when we actually arrived on Soundstage 4, our jaws just about hit the floor.

At the dinner party when I finally had the opportunity to really look at the ballroom movie set that stood before me, I found it breathtaking. And I wasn’t even viewing the full set – the full set was too large to be contained within the portion of Soundstage 4 that had been devoted to it. From what I could see of the set, it looked like I was only viewing about one-fourth of the original. I could only imagine what it must have felt like to have stood on the real ballroom set during the filming of the “Haunted Mansion” movie. I bet it was extraordinary.

As I viewed the ballroom set head-on, on the far end of it I saw the grand staircase. It was quite handsome. Here is a picture of a Disney design illustration of the grand staircase that was created during the preproduction of the movie (click here). Now compare that illustration to a photograph of the actual grand staircase that I saw on Soundstage 4 (click here). I always find it interesting to see how closely “reality” (a.k.a., the actual movie set) mimics “theory” (a.k.a., the preproduction design illustration). In this particular case, the two looked almost identical.

Halfway up the grand staircase sat a pipe organ (click here). As you can see, its design was quite elaborate. Here’s another view of the pipe organ on the grand staircase (click here). I liked the symmetry of the staircase around the organ. With such a striking backdrop, our Disney Event Productions’ photographer could not resist asking us to pose for a group photograph (click here).

On the right side of the ballroom sat our dinner table. Before I post the link to a photo of it, I thought it would be fun to compare a picture of a Disney design illustration of the dinner table that was created during the preproduction of the movie (click here) to what the dinner table looked like in the movie preview (click here). Now compare both of those images to what I saw as I stood on the actual movie set on Soundstage 4 inside the Disney Studios Theme Park (click here). Once again, reality closely mimicked theory.

Immediately to the left of our dinner table was a smaller dinner table (click here). This table contained actual props from the movie. Jason Surrell briefly sat at this table as he autographed our books (click here). The chair that he was sitting on was used in the movie (notice the cobwebs on it). On the table before him was a candelabra and a centerpiece that were also used in the movie; both were thickly coated with cobwebs (click here). I thought I’d also post an image of what the real movie table looked like for the Evers family as they dined with Master Gracey inside Gracey Manor on that stormy night (click here for image from movie preview). Again, I find it interesting to compare what I saw on Soundstage 4 to what was actually shown in the “Haunted Mansion” movie.

I don’t know how many people the movie’s dinner table could seat, but the dinner table for our party had seating for twelve people (click here). Our table was beautifully set, too; that is, if you like cobwebs on your candelabras (click here) and centerpiece (click here).

At the front of the ballroom movie set, on the right-hand side, stood a large fireplace. And I do mean large. Its hearth was probably eight feet tall. The fireplace was very ornate. Our Disney photographer took a photograph of our group standing in front of it (click here). As you view that photograph, please note the movie props that were placed around it: movie camera, spotlight, floral arrangement (click here), etc.

One area of the soundstage was devoted to various movie pre-production and production items (click here): ballroom set model, set design sketches, fabric samples, set decoration items, costume sketches, and more. Guests even had the opportunity to view one of the movie’s zombie heads (click here),

Also on display in that area of the soundstage were two costumes. In regard to those costumes, under normal lighting conditions they looked rather ordinary:
Costume # 1 (click here)
Costume # 2 (click here)
However, under certain lighting conditions, they looked ethereal. When those costumes were being created, they were painted with a solution that contained microscopic glass beads. When the light hit those beads just right, it was reflected back in an eerie manner:
Glowing Costume # 1 (click here)
Glowing Costume # 2 (click here)

The grandeur of the “Haunted Mansion” movie’s ballroom set was simply stunning. The attention to detail was amazing, from the elaborately-designed pipe organ to the ornately-detailed fireplace. In my wildest dreams I never would have imagined that I ever would have had the opportunity to dine in such an extraordinary setting. I felt humble in its presence. And so very, very fortunate.

Coming up next, my description of the “Haunted Mansion Movie Set Dinner” meal…

 

[nutz4dzny]

Janet,

Thanks again for the most memorable evening. I can't wait to read your next installment. I am going to spend today watching my video of the event. I saw the movie last week and it was such a treat to see the Ball Room scene and to know we had dinner there!

One question Janet....what are we going to do for our next vacation? LOLOLOL!

Your friend,

Renee