Third Time's The Charm At The DISNEY COLLEGE PROGRAM Fall '19! (COMPLETE - 8/14)

[PlutosRHM55]

That was an awesome little pixie dusted right-place, right-time situation!! LOVE Minnie's seaside dress!

I never happened upon anything like that since so it was definitely a sign for something. Their outfits gave me LIFE.

Ah, yes. When I was in college, I was the only one who was car-less, so bless my friends who carted me everywhere I needed to go!!

Haha, literally me since high school. I had my license but... I don't like driving. This CP was the first time I really took advantage with cars since I had so many and they all offered so quickly. I couldn't say no lol

 

[missjackiemcg]

Aww, what an awesome reunion and afternoon with your friends And awesome running into Bert like that!! I love those unexpected character meets. They're so much better than waiting in line!!!!

 

[NancyLuvsMickey]

Hey Timmy, I watched the final episode if Buddy vs Duff on the Food Network and they made a Star Wars cake for Disney's Galaxy Edge... Buddy made the Millennium Falcon and Duff made the X-Wing fighter and Yoda... They revealed at Galaxy's Edge in front of a crowd of people... It looked like it was a bit chilly there because everyone was wearing coats??? Were you there in the crowd???

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Aww, what an awesome reunion and afternoon with your friends And awesome running into Bert like that!! I love those unexpected character meets. They're so much better than waiting in line!!!!

It was and you're totally right. They are always the ones that end up being the best. I don't know what it is, maybe it's the organicness of it like there's a heightened sense of nuance. I wish I had managed to catch more of them (there was one day I was in Studios and Meg & Herc came out to meet and I missed them :'()

Hey Timmy, I watched the final episode if Buddy vs Duff on the Food Network and they made a Star Wars cake for Disney's Galaxy Edge... Buddy made the Millennium Falcon and Duff made the X-Wing fighter and Yoda... They revealed at Galaxy's Edge in front of a crowd of people... It looked like it was a bit chilly there because everyone was wearing coats??? Were you there in the crowd???

That's pretty cool, but I was not. I never even heard of that happening so it potentially could've happened in Disneyland too. Disneyland's generally gotten more publicity than WDW's since they opened first and they are closer to TV and movie production.

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Media Day? Yes, The Galaxy’s Edge Cast Was Instagram Ready After Today
8/22/19: Galaxy’s Edge Media Day

As both titles say, today was a media day in Galaxy's Edge. I didn't start until mid-day so before I went I had to make a few Walgreen's runs. I got some cough drops and other medicine to have on hand since this cold was really coming on. However, I ended up getting the wrong ones so I had to go back. In the midst of this, I also ended up facetiming my old roommate Kemuel who told me he was going to be coming to visit some time soon. He was asking if I had any passes possibly for him, which normally is something I hate but I hadn't seen him IN YEARS, much like how I hadn't seen Kaitlyn or Emily. I was more than willing to use a pass or two up for him and I told him I'd let him know.

(For the record, he originally planned on coming during Christmas but this got pushed back and he ended up coming in around February where he, Kaitlyn and I had another reunion together. Again, won't be documenting that but he did come visit and brought his brother for his first time at the parks. I got them both into Epcot for a day. It was a pretty great day. Kaitlyn and I went to Garden Grill that day, which was my first time since my family's trip back in 2010. We also did quite a bit of Festival of the Arts. Again, pretty good day.)

Eventually, it was time to go to work and I was out the door off to Batuu!

When I got there, Sydnee was at cast services so we walked over to the land together. We had time so as we passed in front of the Falcon with nobody around, we decided to go get some photos of ourselves. It was a beautiful day out so it was perfect for these types of photos.







At Batuu, as I mentioned in the title, it was a media day but they had already done most of it in the morning and the next time they were really doing anything was in the evening. Everyone was still there for the in-between time and we had nothing to do. Nobody in the land besides us, no previews, no selling or buying, no surprise VIPs, NOTHING. And we were kinda left to our own devices so... what else do you think we'd do?

Click to watch!














Click to BOOMERANG!


Click to watch!










Click to BOOMERANG!


I'm sure nobody is surprised. Really, we were being a lot more productive than you think. We were officially opening in a week so we were basically sent off to do some refreshes on things, so obviously I went to Droid to go practice activating them to make sure I could remember what I was doing which I discovered I wasn't. Luckily I figured that out then so I wouldn't have issues in the future when Droid was a crazy packed house. But after I figured that out... we weren't directed to do really anything minus our breaks so we decided to play around a bit. We had some fun practicing our merchantaining with the droids, lightsaber battles, got to figure out how to talk with Dok and even wandered the Market a bit. Eventually however the media did show up again and I was in Savi's today so I was pulled there to help with the Disney Parks Blog media shoot.

It was truly, a true-to-form media shoot. I had to fill out a waiver and everything letting them use me in the shoot for future advertisements. I haven't seen any of that footage end up anywhere yet, but I can assure you if you catch a glimpse of me in a Disney advertisement, you are not going crazy. It is indeed me. It was really fun doing that, even if a bit awkward. We got through it all in ample time and after that, we were sent home.



When I got back to Vista, I decided to continue to nurse myself by helping my throat with some Ramen in a special mug.



This ended up being my designated Ramen mug for the future.

I did a quick load of laundry then passed out. Tomorrow I was off and I had some let's just say... some pretty exciting plans. Don't be too scared though, it's really not THAT... exciting *wink, wink*

Continue Here​

 

[NancyLuvsMickey]

That's pretty cool, but I was not. I never even heard of that happening so it potentially could've happened in Disneyland too. Disneyland's generally gotten more publicity than WDW's since they opened first and they are closer to TV and movie production.

Duh, it never crossed my mind that it would have been filmed at Disneyland... Which makes sense since in last weeks episode they made a cake for Knott's Berry Farm...

The more I read about your adventures on Batuu, the more I realize what a dream job you have... You have the best job ever!!!!

 

[TheLittleKatie]

Hey Timmy! This sounds like such a good day of work Such awesome empty shots in front of the Falcon, I bet that's a rare shot! Also loving the droids, I still can't wrap my tiny brain around how the BB8 shaped ones move... I'm going to have to sit down and really stare at one for a while Looking forward to hearing what your exciting plans are tomorrow

 

[missjackiemcg]

I wish I had managed to catch more of them (there was one day I was in Studios and Meg & Herc came out to meet and I missed them :'()

O.M.Goodness. I want to cry just thinking about that.

This is SUCH a great picture!!! I was going to say it looks like it belongs in a Disney Parks blog post, so it made me laugh that you actually ended up signing waivers for them later on!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Duh, it never crossed my mind that it would have been filmed at Disneyland... Which makes sense since in last weeks episode they made a cake for Knott's Berry Farm...

The more I read about your adventures on Batuu, the more I realize what a dream job you have... You have the best job ever!!!!

Yeah, probably Western Batuu then.

It really was! I miss it so much. I wish I had appreciated more at the time. I tried, but it's tough when real life and the job can be equally taxing.

Hey Timmy! This sounds like such a good day of work Such awesome empty shots in front of the Falcon, I bet that's a rare shot! Also loving the droids, I still can't wrap my tiny brain around how the BB8 shaped ones move... I'm going to have to sit down and really stare at one for a while Looking forward to hearing what your exciting plans are tomorrow

Hello! It definitely was. We were all just having a grand ole time and I became friends with someone I'm now super close with. I can totally tell you how the BB units move since it's really pretty simple, you just want to think a little outside of the box (or inside, if you catch my drift). Those make sense with their movement if you build one or know how they are built.

Gonna have an update or two or three on a really fun day, rest assured!

O.M.Goodness. I want to cry just thinking about that.

I was so mad that I missed them. My soul hurt. I just need to meet Meg one day. Just Meg, all I ask. There also was a day where Shang and Mulan met together!

This is SUCH a great picture!!! I was going to say it looks like it belongs in a Disney Parks blog post, so it made me laugh that you actually ended up signing waivers for them later on!

Thank you!! I didn't have to sign waivers for these photos. The waivers were for videos and photos that they took of us in the workshop, like professional level stuff that I again I have not seen pop up anywhere. If they have, it has slipt past me but someone has possession of those and will probably use at some point because I agreed to it lol

 

[PlutosRHM55]

We'll Call This "The Pre-Game"
8/23/19: My First Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Of This Program!

I don't think it's much of a secret but today was the day I was going to MICKEY'S NOT SO SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY!

My favorite and, in my honest opinion, the superior holiday event. It had been three years since I'd been able to go and I was so excited, not just because it was a return to an event I both worked many times and went to on more occasions than most, but also because I had spent quite a bit of time and money and creative energy on a costume I was really proud of. My Figment costume from my first program was something I threw together from stuff I just happened to have. This was much more of a cosplay in a way so I can't wait to reveal it to you.

First, we had some final preparations to make so I made a run to Wal Mart. I will note that on this day I was really starting to feel under the weather as I had been starting to feel that week, but today it was particularly evident. I still wasn't going to miss out on Not So Scary. So I put on some Taylor Swift...



and looked at the Lover sky...



and got myself in the groove.

At Wal Mart, I picked up some black hair dye to complete the look. It didn't take too long to find it so after I found it, I kinda wandered in the store before heading out to catch the bus back to Vista.

At Vista, I immediately started getting ready. I texted Jenna, Alex, Caitlin, Morgan and Alan about who was gonna be there. They all said they were planning on getting tickets or already had the party pass that was introduced this year since Not So Scary really was just THAT POPULAR (and was not introduced for Very Merry since she can't compete with the repeatability of MNSSHP). All confirmed they would be there so I had a nice squad to meet up with! Perfect.

It was around 2:40 when I caught the A bus to the Contemporary.



I arrived at the Contemporary around 3ish and realized I was hungry so I decided to go inside the Contemporary to grab a bite to eat before the party. Contempo Cafe took the cast discount so it was cheaper to eat there for me than anywhere at MK (and I had a bit of time before they started handing out wristbands and such for the event).



I ended up ordering the Spicy Chicken Sandwich from Contempo Cafe, which came with a side of fries.



I will admit that a lot of things might taste better with that cast discount, but this was really good. I ended up getting a few times since. Contempo Cafe just has really nice options that while may seem like generic theme park food or kinda gross fast food, but is actually really well done food. It hit the spot and didn't make for a weird night tummy wise. We love that.

Also, this was the first time I experienced the nicer dining style they had at Contempo Cafe. Before, you picked up your order from wherever and paid for it. Now, you order and they give you a buzzer that you put on your table and someone brings your food to you! It was great and the cast members there were the sweetest.

Once I finished my sandwich, I went downstairs to the bathroom by the Wave to put the finishing touches on my costume aka the make-up, which totally involved lipstick on my nose.



Any guesses on who I went as? I know many who follow me on social media know, but some don't so I'd love to hear your guesses before I reveal later in this update.

But anyways, it was finally time to get on over to Magic Kingdom! I did make a hiccup in bringing my duct tape with me (I used it for one part of my costume) so I got held up a bit at security for that. I told them to just toss it, even if it was a full roll and they offered to let me go put it back in my car, which I did not have but I didn't have that and it was on me so bye bye newly bought duct tape. When I actually got MK, I got through no problem and got my wristband, got my event park map and I was ready to go!



I decided to go right into the special event thruway they had by the Town Square Theater, the area they usually open up for crowds post fireworks so it's easier for the crowds to get through. They have tons of Photopass here so it seemed to be the perfect spot to get my first photos in my costume.

And what was that costume?

Black hair dye, nose painted black like an animal, red top, duct tape being used for some reason...

What could it be?

I was going to Mickey's Not So Scary as...



























MAX GOOF!!

If you guessed Max, you'd be correct so here's your moment to celebrate!

I decided on Max months ago. A Goofy Movie I only recently saw, during my Disneyland program actually, and I just loved it so much. The father-son bond of Max and Goofy is one of my favorites. They are adorable and to go as Max, it seemed just a perfect choice for my gangly stature as well as trying to be on a little bit of a budget with the costume. Not to mention, I had a Pluto hat lying around that I knew I wasn't gonna use which had ears that would be perfect to cut off and duct tape to the blue snapback. It all just fell into place nicely and I was so happy with how it all looked in the end. Yes, it was super hot with the undershirt (an inside out Grease shirt I got when I was in my high school production), but worth it. I got a lot of compliments and great reactions throughout the event.

I took a few more photos with the statues and photo ops.





Once I finished that, I got my starter candy pack and considered the event merchandise then continued on my way. The first thing I hoped to do was meet Jack & Sally since I loved how the photos looked at their new location (they met in the Liberty Square veranda, but now they are inside Town Square near where Tinker Bell meets and the veranda now occupies). Unfortunately, I was a bit lost as to how that worked so I was all over the place looking for them. I texted Alan to ask where they were and he steered me right. The way it was set up was they had one of the event cast members handing out wristbands in front of the separate queue they made for Jack & Sally so you could get in line before the party started since they would start meeting before the party officially started. I got in line and then Alan found me as I walked up so I joined up with him. Usually I'm not about line cutting but he very much called me out so I had to oblige and I mean, it cut my wait time in that line significantly. It also made the time go by talking to him and discovering that you could get into that line even earlier which is why it was so long. Back during my program, you could only get into that line as early as 4pm but now they were letting people in as early as 3:30pm. Good to know for the future.

Eventually, we went in to meet them.

Click to watch!




Alan and I first met them together and he kinda took over the conversation so I kinda stood there and watched. After he was done, we got our group photo and it was time for me for my individual, Jack said, "Oh look at him, he reminds me of Zero!" which was cute but that's about what I remember. I know Alan wanted me to a bit more for them, but I don't like to force my meets I kinda like to go into them with a go-with-the-flow attitude. It makes them more organic and less of an opportunity to be THAT disappointed. If you try hard and the characters just aren't into it, it makes it all feel like a waste, but I was happy with what went down here. I got my photo, I got to see the new entrance area, which is so cool having Tink's lights be purple for the event, just the lighting in general and the music. I lived. It was great. I'm glad Jack and Sally meet where they do now.

After we talked for a bit about possibly meeting up later, I split off from Alan in the hopes he'd send me the photos (he had an AP so got free Memory Maker as long as he had his pass). Jenna had texted me by now so I went to find her and Caitlin who were hanging out by the entrance where Caitlin bought some cute witchy Mickey ears. Soon after finding them, Alex found us. Morgan was still on her way so we decided to do window shopping and such until she got there.

We ended up in the Emporium where Alex got the Hocus Pocus LE Magic Band they had for the party and Caitlin got a pin. They were both rung up by the sweetest cast member. Her name was Melly and she was a Legacy Winner (blue name tag). She talked with us quite a bit about working for Disney in merchandise and such. I believe one of us wrote a cast compliment for her. She was just wonderful. Really got our night on the right start.

When we left the Emporium, Morgan had arrived so we started to look for her. On the way to find her, we spotted the Flag ceremony happening in Town Square so we stopped to watch that.

Click to watch!


Way more emotional than I expected it to be. Nothing quite like hearing the Dapper Dans sing some lovely patriotic American ballads.

After that, I realized that Jenna, Caitlin and Alex had not gone through the thruway where all the statues are so we went through there and I got another photo of myself with the Goofy statue since I had someone to take it (there was no Photopass near it).



I got a second starter pack bag by going through twice so already double the candy of most people at the event. SCORE!

We then noticed that the special zoom magic shot that they had by the hub grass in front of the Plaza restaurant was happening. Jenna had an AP so we could get the shot and have her download that as well as the video. I'm not sure where the video went but I do still have the photos of the shot from afar and up close on us.





Quite possibly the weirdest, most hilarious magic shot to every exist but I love it. I'm glad I can say I did it and have the proof.

It was right after this that we finally met up with Morgan. Now united with her, we had our full squad. I believe someone wanted popcorn so we stopped by that quickly. From there, we all decided we wanted to go ride the PeopleMover.

There was little wait so we got on in no time and enjoyed our grand circle tour of Tomorrowland.





Click to watch!


It was around when we were going through one of the tunnels prior to Space Mountain that we were stopped for quite a bit. We got really excited since we were sat there for so long, we thought we'd be evacuated. Heck even the lights came on for a moment. The other group that were in the carts next to us were not nearly as excited as we were.

Click to watch!


Unfortunately, we did end up start moving again to finish our tour. We were a little sad, but that was cool for the moment that it might've happened. So very close. To this day, I still have not been evac'd off an attraction.

When we got off, we decided to go start lining up for Space Mountain. They close it down a little early to switch over to the special Halloween overlay which I had heard rave reviews about and was the only one worth doing at the event so I had to get on that. A crowd had already formed so we got our spot in line. We chilled for quite a bit there. Alex, Caitlin and Jenna all hopped out of line to get the Oogie Boogie popcorn bucket. When they got back, Morgan and I left to go to Auntie Gravity's to try out all the Pumpkin Spice offerings. Morgan got the soft serve while I got the milkshake.





It was super cute, but super super SUPER sweet. Like to the point I couldn't finish it. I tried to drink as much as I could but it got the point that I just couldn't finish it. On the flip-side, Morgan's soft serve was not sweet but focused more on the pumpkin spice aspect of it. It was strange since I imagined them to taste a bit more similar to each other. It also didn't help that I thought I'd be fine wearing gloves drinking the milkshake but it got all over them. That became the precedent for how those gloves faired throughout the night with all the food and such I had to touch and hold. Way more of a nuisance than I ever thought.

We waited a bit longer in the line and soon enough we heard the Ghost Host announcement of the party starting. We expected that would be the moment they would let us onto Space, but it wasn't. We waited more and more until by way of some really good game of telephone that the ride was officially down. The cast members at Space actually came down the line encouraging all of us to go do something else since it would not be opening for some time so we did.

I mean, the party had only just begun!

Continue Here​

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

I love your Max costume! Such an underrated movie. Can't wait to hear more about your night!!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

I love your Max costume! Such an underrated movie. Can't wait to hear more about your night!!

Thank you! It really is. And there are plenty more stories from the night coming your way soon!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

All Leading Up To A Special Request At The Monstrous Scream-O-Ween Ball
8/23/19: My First Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Of This Program!

As proclaimed by the Ghost Host, the spooktacular festivities had begun!

We all were ready to get our trick-or-treat on tonight. I believe it was Morgan who told us that they had a treat trail where they were giving out squeezable apple sauce and that treat trail was Carousel of Progress, which wasn't a treat trail back on my program so we hit that up first. It wasn't anything spectacular, just up and down the ramp cause CoP was closed for the night (sadness). We got what we came for and continued on.

From there, we went to Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, another new treat trail to me and to this year. They advertise it as a special type of treat trail.

Click to watch!


It was pretty cool. Not only was it a treat trail with multiple stops for extra extra candy, but also they had the show running all night where you could sit in on a show themed to Halloween. It was pretty cool. I believe we stood for a moment just to catch some jokes. I think they might've made a comment on Caitlin's ears or something. I can't remember, but I was glad we went through that trail.

Our next stop was to be Fantasyland since I really wanted to meet Goofy tonight for obvious reasons. On the way, we noticed the Cosmic's treat trail was there so we went in there. This is where the Descendance party was happening, which was also new to me. We didn't stick around since it seemed way more geared towards kids than the Monsters Inc. party. We were in and out of there and went over to Storybook Circus to go meet Pirate Goofy!

We got in line directly behind my friend Dana that works at Slinky Dog. She had gotten the party pass and this wasn't her first party, but it was her first time meeting Goofy. This was my first time meeting Pirate Goofy since at my last MNSSHP, they had Goofy out meeting in his regular Goofini outfit which was stupid. He never had lines, but there was no point in meeting him when you could meet him like that on the daily and everyone else had cool costumes. Now he had a cool costume, his line was still rather short, but I was super hype to meet him. Dad and son reunited, it was gonna be epic.

The attendants saw me long before Goofy did and about lost their minds. They were so excited as were all of us. This meet was clearly for me and only me so we tried to keep him out of vision so it would be a surprise. Dana finished what looked like a fun meet and then it was our/my turn...

















Click to watch!


Literally the cutest reaction ever. Goofy lost his ever-loving mind. I tried my best to play up the Max character but it was just so cute. Honestly, one of the best meets I've ever had and I've had a lot of good ones. He gave me the biggest and long hugs. Running around, making heart signs to which I returned, oh it was great. My heart.

After, everyone got their own individual photos and Goofy spent his own little time with everyone. He even tried to vary what he did with photos. Like Jenna with her Monsters get up, Goofy had her do a monster pose. We also a group photo of which I cannot find anywhere. I know somebody posted it somewhere but I for the life of me cannot find it. It turned out pretty cute so if I find it I will add it to this update.

Goofy and I hugged one last time before I left and I told him I wouldn't get myself in trouble on Batuu since we talked about where we all worked with him and the attendants.

What a great night this already had become.

Once we had met Goofy, we went to the treat trail in the Circus train station which had two sides so we made two rounds through it to get as much candy as we could. When we got out, Goofy was walking on over to his m&g spot and so he saw me and I got another hug. He actually took my hand and walked me over a bit showing me off a bit. It was so sweet. What a great dad. I couldn't stay nor could he so we had to say goodbye again.

Not long after Goofy, the other characters meeting in the area, which were Donald, Daisy and Minnie, came out to start meeting. Donald and Daisy came out together first and we got so hype about them. They were living especially Daisy. We made sure to tell Donald he was #1 and he was all about that. They were really funny. Minnie came out not too long after them. We tried to hype her up, but she didn't seem to care. Oh well, not feeling it that night Miss Boss Mouse was.

We left Storybook Circus after that and continued on into other areas of Fantasyland. We went into the treat trail at Ariel's Grotto, which was also new to me. The way it was routed you didn't go near the ride or her M&G area so it wasn't anything special. We then saw Eric and Ariel were out. Eric was one of the only major princes I hadn't met so I had to get in line.

Waiting to meet Ariel and Eric was probably the longest wait we had all night. I was with my squad so it didn't feel as long. We also watched the cutest baby Flounder meeting Ariel and Eric. They originally were behind us and we let them go in front. It was the most adorable thing to watch. Honestly, that was the highlight of the eventual meet with them.







They immediately noted that I reminded them of their own Max. Less hairy and slobbery than him obviously. While we met, we also heard the Goofy cover of the Monster Mash. Ariel inquired if that was me to which I said, "Oh no, that's my dad!" This apparently was a really funny response. I don't know if it was my matter-of-fact answer but everyone found it funny. I also talked with Eric about traveling and where I wanted to go. It was a sweet M&G.

After me, everyone met them and we just got individual photos this time around. I believe Morgan might've skipped on this one if I remember correctly. They definitely weren't spending as much time as Goofy was, mostly due to the wait they had I'm sure. The star of their meet was their attendant, Devin to be honest. I ended up writing her a cast compliment. She was both able to manage the line as well as offering to take everyone's bags and putting them in the right place. It was almost like watching a nice ballet with the way she dealt with all that. We were all very impressed.

Once we had left them, we headed deeper into Fantasyland where we hit up Pinocchio's Village Haus where there was another treat trail. This was another new one for me. I don't know what happened in here but I know we got a decent amount of candy. However I have "(Ranch guy)" in my notes. I'm not sure what that means. I want to say some guy trying to give away Ranch packets. I can't remember. It was strange and I probably have blocked from my mind to be honest.

After PVH, we went on over to PhilharMagic where they were showing Disney Halloween shorts and they had two stops there too. I believe when we walked through we saw that the Headless Horseman was about to start playing, which I definitely considered watching but there was so much still do for us so I wasn't gonna hold anyone up.

We stopped in the Philhar gift shop after as they had a special trivia game going on in there. We had to guess what certain characters were on a board and if we got another right, we would get a prize. As a group, we ended up doing really well and got some cool Mickey lollipops as a prize. It was really fun. Made me wish I could've picked up more Fantasyland shifts.

Back out in Fantasyland, we came across the stepsisters who were just wandering around Fantasyland, no specific M&G just living their best Fantasy lives.

Click to watch!


We followed them for a bit on our way to Tomorrowland where we also came across Pooh and friends all dressed up in their cute Halloween outfits. Nobody in particular wanted to meet them, not to mention they have easily the worst line of the event, so it was an easy skip (I had met them all before anyways).

Next, we just made a mad bee-line for Space Mountain which luckily was re-opened and ready to take on riders!

The wait wasn't awful and they gave us a rocket to ourselves! This did leave a spot open in the back, but it was still cool since we all just had each other and omg we were not ready for this.

I'll post our on-ride photo. Caitlin, Alex and I were in the front rocket.



I knew that everyone told me the whole attraction was pitch black. I did NOT realize that started at the launch tunnel which usually has the launch lights going off, but NO it was dark. You couldn't see anything. It was the scariest thing I've ever experienced going up that lift hill, no clue where that turn was. Wow, we were shook and were losing our minds. The poor people who were on the lift hill next to us must've wondered what was going on. It was crazy and the music they piped in fit the atmosphere great. I know for the Villains After Hours they do a similar thing except it's villains cackling in the dark. I can only imagine how crazy that is, but this was so fun. We were screaming and laughing and freaking out. It was the best. Best version of Space Mountain at Walt Disney World and might even be up there with Disneyland's Hyperspace. It was THAT good. I totally got the hype on this one.

We got off so giddy and thrown. What a BLAST that was to deeper space.

From there, we stopped by the Monstrous Scream-O-Ween Ball which is the main dance party at the Tomorrowland stage where the Monsters Inc characters hang out. It's one of my favorites. We mostly went for Jenna who really wanted a picture with Sully. I told her he was there for the party like us so wouldn't really stop for photos. We managed to get a pic with some characters for her but Sully was doing his thing and not bothering.

In the midst of this though, George Sanderson, the big orange guy if you didn't know, pushed his way through and came up to us.

Click to watch!


Click to watch!


He came through so quickly he about knocked us and a few people over. I didn't know what was going on but he kept on pointing at me. The attendant with him soon followed and he kept gesturing me. She was like, "Yes that's Max Goof." Then he pointed at the DJ and back at me. Eventually, we figured it out. He wanted to request "I2I", the big Powerline song from A Goofy Movie.

Not only that, he wanted to dance to it with me. And not just any dance, no no no no NO!

The Perfect Cast was what we were gonna do.

If you are not familiar with The Perfect Cast, I say you need to watch A Goofy Movie IMMEDIATELY. I believe it is on Disney+ for unlimited viewings. For those who do not know, it was not originally a dance. This was Goofy's way of being able to cast a fishing line in the best and most methodical way possible. It is so extra and silly, but it has a rhythmic aspect to it that just worked for when Goofy and Max ended up on stage in Powerline's concert and needed to do SOMETHING. George obviously is a Powerline fan and being me I had to oblige.

We walked up to the stage with him and the attendant. My friends followed and we got the attention of the DJ. It took a few tries but we finally got his attention and we tried to explain without words what we wanted and he smiled and nodded. At this time, I thought he was going to do it by himself but George placed me exactly beside him at the front of the stage and next thing we knew the DJ introduced him and I as performing.

And well... it happened. And captured on film for all of you to enjoy.

Click to watch!


You'd think someone who has performed in front of massive audiences before would be accustomed to this, but it was so unrehearsed and on-the-spot I was shaking in my boots. My squad hyped me up the whole time and George and I were keeping each other in check, even when we almost collided at that one point. It was a great time. I got a big hug from George after and waved goodbye. I will never forget that moment ever. Even at the end, the DJ made a point to tell me I killed it as did my friends. Being me, I felt I did terrible, but the audience are the critics and they know the tea so I'll let them make that decision haha

We stuck around for a bit after since Mike came over and started dancing with us. It wasn't with me luckily so I got a little bit of attention off me. The Not-So-Spooky Spectacular was gonna be starting soon-ish but not too soon-ish so we left mid-song and decided to try and meet Elvis Stitch before the fireworks. The line didn't look too too bad (25 minutes abouts) so we got in.

I was still reeling from what happened though.



We ended up cutting it pretty close since he had to go check on Lilo midway through, but it was def worth it when we all finally got to meet.







Elvis Stitch and I just had the grandest ole time. I showed him the Perfect Cast and we even had a little dance off. It was really cute and fun. I didn't keep him too long since I didn't want to keep us too long. However, he really spent time with all of us. He really liked our group. I remember comments about the popcorn buckets and such. Once everyone met him, we decided against a group photo and booked it out.

We all struggled to get out with all the cargo we had, not to mention they had candy for us at the exit of Stitch's meet. It was quite the clustershow, but none of us had seen the new fireworks (well new to me as I was more familiar with HalloWishes and they knew no Halloween fireworks) so we had to go. We tried not to run, but our walk was definitely hurried.

Was it enough? Did we make it on time? With good viewing spots?

You'll find out soon enough.

Continue Here​

 

[PlutosRHM55]

The Night Ends SPOOKtacularly
8/23/19: My First Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Of This Program!

Our scramble to make it to the hub to catch the new fireworks, Mickey's Not-So-Spooky Spectacular, worked out perfectly as we got there just a few moments before it started. The castle was just changing its colors and our spot wasn't too too bad. We really lucked out.



I didn't take any photos or videos as I wanted to really experience it without a phone or camera in my face. Enjoying it the way I first did HalloWishes, which was my favorite fireworks show at Magic Kingdom so this had a lot to live up to?

Did it live up to that? Not really. The Jack Skellington puppet at the beginning was cute, but it felt so out of place. The event may be not-so-scary, but the Ghost Host and Disney villains have always been such a strong presence and this just minimized that involvement so much. I guess it might be to balance everything out with the parade and Hocus Pocus, but it fell kinda flat for me. It was cute, but something felt off. They tried to spookify some classic Disney songs and it just didn't work. It was too weird. The fact Jack Skellington was helming it made it feel even weirder. It wasn't really super bad, but I just left a bit confused by the choices. HalloWishes will forever be the superior fireworks show on this one. Hands down.

Once it ended, we weaved through the crowd to get a spot for the next Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular aka my favorite show! I saw it at least twice a night at the three parties I went to on my first program so I was so excited to see it again. I did however hear some criticisms that it just hasn't aged all that well. For some reason, the quality of the performance has deteriorated significantly. I was worried, but still excited especially since most of my friends had not seen it before.

Click to watch!


The Sanderson Sisters are BACK!

Click to watch!


Click to watch!


Click to watch!


Click to watch


I have to agree with everyone on that the quality of this show has gone down. It was still good, but not nearly as fine-tuned as it used to be. The Sanderson Sisters used to be much stronger in vocal and acting ability. Now, it's very gimmicky. It doesn't have the finesse and unexpected nuances like it did in 2016. The casting itself is also really not that great. My friends did love it, the ones who hadn't seen it before and first saw it more recently than me but I was a little disappointed. I'd still come see it again but three shows in one night... I don't think I would.

After the show ended, we turned around and tried to grab the best spot we could for the last Boo To You of the evening. It was the last thing we hadn't really done in terms of major things and we timed it so perfectly by doing that sequence of NSS then HoPo and now BTY. We however had a bit of waiting still to go. Morgan decided that since she'd be coming back, she wanted to bounce so that left only Jenna, Caitlin, Alex and myself. Alex pulled out her polaroid to try and get some selfies with us but we just couldn't fit everyone in the show or it came out really dark. It was unfortunate.

PAC eventually came on through to make sure everyone was safely on the curb and were getting everyone hyped up. It was really fun. I tried to get some video but was struggling as I was pulling my DSLR out to take photos of this parade.

Click to watch!


We soon heard the announcements for the parade and finally the lights dimmed in arrival of the Headless Horseman. I tried to get a decent photo of him but he moves so fast and it's so dark I couldn't get a good clear one so I apologize. Frankly a video would've been best but somehow I did not have one of him. I don't know.

However the parade was not too too far behind him and Mickey, Minnie and all their friends had come together to say "Boo to you!".









































Of the nighttime spectaculars, this one was definitely my favorite this year, which is crazy since it was my least favorite during 2016. I was rather disappointed but this year I liked it a bit more. I don't know what it was. It might've been I always picked horrible spots for it in previous years whereas this time we were right up front and I was getting noticed a bit more or I was with a good group of people whereas I was by myself previously. I don't know something switched. Might've been the fact my roommate was part of the Boo To You cast so I was trying to hype him up although him and his friend Wendell didn't notice.

It also might've been the updates because some of them were definitely good choices. The best one being the addition of Constance. She was so amazing to watch gliding by glaring at everyone. Oh I was obsessed. The Haunted Mansion section was already the standout of the entire parade but this made it ten times better.

After her, I really liked the addition of Clarabelle to the Frontierland section where she leads it and she even got a whole makeover with big poofy skirt and all. It amazed me in retrospect that she hadn't been there all along.

In slight changes, I liked how they changed the costumes in the villains section a bit. I don't know, the David Pumpkins get-up for the band just hit a bit better than what they wore before. Made them standout. Also thank goodness they got rid of that godawful orange they had on Maleficent and gave her better make-up. She looked more like herself.

Other than that, I wasn't too fond of certain changes. The biggest being the addition of the Tomorrowland section (Incredibles and Buzz Lightyear). First off, it cut the Pirates section down a bit I feel, even with adding Tinker Bell's treasure chest, it wasn't the same seeing Captain Hook and Peter fight on their boat. Now it was just Angelica and Barbossa lounging on there. It lacked the fun of that section. The pirates color guard still killed it though. Anyways, back to Tomorrowland... that whole section just seemed so lazy compared to the rest of the parade. It didn't make sense. A lot of people argue Frontierland doesn't really fit but this felt even less so than that. Edna Mode, bless her heart, really had no purpose. I didn't get what was going on with her, it seemed so thrown together. The overlay on the old Pirates hoard float for Buzz looked cool but it seemed so bare. The dancers there did what they could, but gosh they couldn't think of anything better? Theme it to Halloween or Villainy a bit more? It was so lazy.

Also, the girl who originated the baton twirling diva role in the Sugar Rush section was no longer there and the new girl just wasn't as good, which I guess that happens, but it made me miss her since she was so impressive with what she could do.

One that I'm pretty middle-ground on is the costumes of the main four in the gazebo. Their costumes were just as cute as the original. It wasn't a bad or a good upgrade, it fit.

Overall, I really liked Boo To You this time. I looked forward to hopefully seeing it again.

Once the parade passed, we all decided it was time to go. Leaving now, we'd be the Hocus Pocus end of night crowds.



We were all pretty beat so we went to Starbucks to get some big cups of water to hold us over (it was a pretty hot day and night with no relief). After that, we found one of the Photopass on Main Street and got a proper castle photo, even if we were missing Morgan and not looking nearly as cute as we did earlier in the night.



We continued on out from there. I requested a staircase photo on Main Street before we left so we did that.



I don't know what compelled me to get that photo, it just felt right.

It was time to say goodnight to MNSSHP. We had a blast but we were tired.



Alex offered to drive Jenna and I back to Vista while Caitlin found out a friend of hers was around so she went with them since they lived in the same complex whereas Jenna, Alex and I were in different ones with Jenna and I both in Vista. We said goodbye and split off. We debated whether we wanted to take boats or the busses. We decided on the busses since the line for the boats were filling up and when we got to the busses, we noticed we were getting one of the new ones.





They had a line of them but there was no rush out so we almost had a bus entirely to ourselves, which let us explore the newness of it. The coolest part about the new busses are the USB ports and charging stations. You can charge your phones on the bus! I personally have no use since I keep my own portable charger with me fully charged by the day of at all times, but I decided to test these out anyways and they worked great.

The busses were very quick and efficient at getting us to the TTC. Alex has some conditions that make it difficult for her mobility sometimes, even though she is SO athletic when she's not in pain so she can park in handicapped parking which was nice since we didn't end up having to go all the way out into the middle of nowhere in TTC parking. Got to look at the positives. We were out of there before any major traffic hit. We were a bit of a ways so we didn't get to Vista until very late, but thank goodness Alex offered to drive us or we would've been back way later. I thanked her profusely.

I didn't hang with Jenna because the illness I clearly had fought off to have fun that night was creeping up on me again but worse. I did not feel good at all and was ready for bed. I got into my apartment at around 3am and before I went to sleep, I called out the next day knowing I'd be so overdoing it if I went into work. It ended up being a good call on my part after the fact. The rest was so necessary, but for the night I had it was all worth it. I had the best time and despite it being an earlier Halloween start than normal I couldn't have asked for a better way to kick it off. I for sure was going to have a good Halloween season (and for the record, I was so unbelievably right).

Continue Here​

 

[TheLittleKatie]

I can totally tell you how the BB units move since it's really pretty simple

PLEASE do! I could hazard a guess but I don't want to sound dumb if I'm wrong

Great updates! I miss MNSSHP so much. Loved your costume, and your dance with George How busy was it at the party in August? I love how empty it was when we were there a few years ago. Before reading your updates I wanted to take a Christmas trip, now I'm hankering for a joint halloween/Christmas trip

 

[NancyLuvsMickey]

You did a great The Perfect Cast dance! Disney should have put you in entertainment not merchandising!!! And that's so cool that George wanted to do the dance with you!!! It sounds like you had a great MNSSHP!!! I hope this is was just the first of many that you were able to attend...

And your costume is spot on! You look just like Max! My oldest was born the year The Goofy movie came out... And we would watched it all the time... I still watch it with my youngest who's now 12... Love that movie!!!

When we went to MNSSHP a couple years ago, I swear we came home with 45 pounds of candy (3 of us trick-or-treating).... I had brought zip lock bags so it was easy going thru security at the airport with all that candy!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

PLEASE do! I could hazard a guess but I don't want to sound dumb if I'm wrong

Haha you're fine. I was shook when I first was taught on how to build the BB units. The way it works is that the motivator, which is the motor, is inside the ball. That ball is actually just a shell with two halves that you twist together where the motivator is placed inside. That motor has a magnet that connects with the dome or head of the BB unit. The magnet is on top while on the bottom, there are little wheels that cause the ball essentially to role while the head remains in place. Let me know if that makes sense. If it doesn't, here's a video of someone building at Droid Depot and you'll see what I mean:

Great updates! I miss MNSSHP so much. Loved your costume, and your dance with George How busy was it at the party in August? I love how empty it was when we were there a few years ago. Before reading your updates I wanted to take a Christmas trip, now I'm hankering for a joint halloween/Christmas trip

Thank you! I miss MNSSHP too. So many great memories. And thank you on the costume and dance. I clearly did not know what to do. It was so sudden, but I'll forever remember.

I don't really have much of a comparison except my experience with the event all the way back in 2016 when MNSSHP began first week of September and I didn't go until the second week. As far as I know, we got a lot done so it wasn't too too bad. I think the fireworks were a tell-tale sign of how not busy it was. HEA crowds were ten times bigger than what we were in for the Not-So-Spooky fireworks. I mean, we got there right in the knick of time and could see everything pretty clearly. I will say my second party had a greatly diminished crowd, but that was mostly due to Hurricane Dorian so I doubt a party will ever be THAT quiet.

You did a great The Perfect Cast dance! Disney should have put you in entertainment not merchandising!!! And that's so cool that George wanted to do the dance with you!!! It sounds like you had a great MNSSHP!!! I hope this is was just the first of many that you were able to attend...

Haha, thank you so much! I'm glad you think so. Entertainment is my DREAM department with Disney. I was so shook by all of it that when the song started I basically froze. Good thing George knew what to do lol It really was such a great MNSSHP. I'll say there was one more, but they were two fantastic parties so be ready to hear all about that.

And your costume is spot on! You look just like Max! My oldest was born the year The Goofy movie came out... And we would watched it all the time... I still watch it with my youngest who's now 12... Love that movie!!!

Omg thank you! Again, I was really glad with that final result. I remember trying it on back here in NH and I was almost in tears seeing how good it looked. Writing about it has made me want to rewatch the movie. It's on Disney+ so why not? I kinda want to show it to my family because I know they would absolutely adore it.

When we went to MNSSHP a couple years ago, I swear we came home with 45 pounds of candy (3 of us trick-or-treating).... I had brought zip lock bags so it was easy going thru security at the airport with all that candy!

My first program, I had candy for MONTHS and when my roommates had gone around the same time I did, we had buckets of it. It was crazy. Granted the craziest was the one MVMCP I attended. Now that they package the cookies, you couldn't help but loading up with those lol

 

[PlutosRHM55]

The Final Countdown, Celebrated With Slushies!
8/24 – 8/27/19: Final Days Before Opening SWGE

I just want to give fair warning here that from here on out, post-opening day, the updates on my work weeks are gonna be a whole lot less detailed or might not even have its own individual update and will just be listed in the table of contents. I worked A LOT come September onward and as I became further behind on my notes, the less I remembered to put down in my TR journal. Some days that are a bit richer, but lack specifics might be more summaries with photos. We aren't exactly there, but this update will be particularly sparse of photos so prepare yourself, we'll be back to photo filled updates soon enough.

August 24th, 2019

As I mentioned after my AMAZING MNSSHP the night before and the days prior, I was coming down with something and was not feeling great. In light of opening up the new land in a few days and not wanting to be too sick to work what was probably gonna be a crazy 12 hour long shift, I called out today. Today was actually supposed to be my day off, but I had picked up a Ranch/TOTS shift. It was one of the last opportunities I had to do so so it was sad having to call out, but it was definitely the right decision.

I spent the day just resting, eating candy and basically what we would call "quarantining" in a COVID-19 world except that was not what I had (for all we know). It was nice and I could feel my entire body starting to get its footing back and the sick leaving. It felt great. I was feeling so good I almost had a movie night with Emily, but in the end decided against it. I wasn't calling out again, I felt refreshed enough that I went to sleep ready to return to work.

August 25th, 2019

Today was another training shift in Savi's to prep us for opening the land. It was apparently a pretty rough shift. I don't know what happened but I just wasn't feeling it on this day. After a rather devoid day prior, it was hard getting back into it and with being hit over the head with the Savi's training manual again and again and again just was not how I imagined getting back into it.

The training flowed over into a day at droid and Savi's again. It got better, but not the greatest. The leaders could tell something was up with me and were being really supportive and caring. It was nice knowing the leadership cared that much at that time. The day ended on a really good note.

August 26th, 2019

Today was another whole day of training. Like all training. It was the last day of training we had since the next day was another media day and the 28th, the land was closed and I was off so this was the last chance we had to fine tune everything. It was truly the final countdown.



Before we began, leadership wanted a photo of everyone who was opening team cast so we went over to the Falcon where we got this shot of everyone. This is a photo of every person that was there those first two months. Disney casts are always changing so it only took that long for this group to change a bit but this was the crux of the group that ended up being my family during my time on Batuu so not gonna lie, I get a little emotional looking at this photo.



All your gatherers, engineers, curators, creature caretakers, toydarians and everything in between.

See also if you can find me. Hint: Look where you'd least expect me.

After that photo, they split us off into groups to go over everything minus Savi's that was worth knowing about the land. The history of Black Spire and all its proprietors, the logistics of Droid, package pick-up processes, the Batuuan spira, Legacy Counter, etc. etc. Stuff I would never end up doing for months.

Once we had done that, we did a little special thing with a Wishing Tree. If you didn't know, there is a tree out in front of Savi's that has little pieces of cloth hanging off it. That is the Wishing Tree where Batuuans tie their wishes to in the hopes they might come true. Those aren't the wishes we made today since it had been there since the land was finished, but we had our own that sits somewhere backstage of which I cannot remember. It was a cool sentiment.

Once we had done that, they had a slushie machine going since we got there and we drank all that up while blasting some fantastic bops backstage! It was a great way to get us amped up for opening day and getting the good vibes going. A great day to look back on, but a long one.

When I finally did leave, I stopped by Intermission on the way to Cast Services and they had free cupcakes there that I stocked up on and bounced. You give me free food, I take it all. A Taurus has the right idea every time.

When I got back to Vista, it started storming really bad so I was basically confined to my apartment. I tried to be as productive as I could, uploading photos from prior days and all that stuff. I might've written an update or something, I don't know. Eventually, it was time to rest again. We weren't gonna let that sickness creep up on me again.

August 27th, 2019

I don't have much to write about on this day. It was yet another media day on Batuu so there wasn't much for me today. I don't even remember much, especially after the jam-packed day prior. All I have in my notes that is of any importance or stands out is "media are wild."

I was off the day after, which was my last day off before the travel restrictions to Batuu were lifted. This was also the last day before Studios was blocked out from cast members and Food & Wine began at Epcot so lots to do before that madness. Rest up for that one.

Continue Here​

 

[KsGiGi]

Loved your meet with Goofy. Your costume was so cute!! And great job on your dance with George.

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

Your pictures of Boo To You are fantastic!! Sounds like you guys had a blast at MNSSHP. I can't imagine the chaos of being on that opening team--such an amazing experience for you, and I'm so enjoying reading about it!