Day 548: Disney Performing Arts

If you've read all my blog posts about my Disney trip with the Seymour High School Band, I'm sure you're getting tired of them right about now.This final post about it will make 11 posts on the topic all in a row, but you'll get why I'm talking about this in just a minute.

You see, for the last how many years (alright, more like year and a half), I've said that I want to work for Walt Disney Imagineering. I've answered countless questions about what that is and what they do and how I would do that and how in the world music and English work into that career path. It's a long winded discussion every single time. But since then I've had to do some...we'll call it soul searching.

This blog is actually one of the main reasons that I came across the idea and dream of working for Disney. For years, and if you've been reading for a long time you've probably heard this before, I always said that I never wanted to work for Disney. I want to keep the magic for me at Walt Disney World and pursue a career elsewhere. But life likes to make twists and turns on us, and sometimes our happy ending isn't always what we expect it to be.

Speaking of which, Once Upon A Time did change this a little bit too. It's because of the show that I realized that I would be more than happy to work ANYWHERE in the Disney company, not just in Imagineering. If for some reason my writing someday is good enough to land me a job writing for a show like Once, I'm certainly not going to complain. And Adam and Eddy certainly inspire me to continue pursuing and working on my own writing.

That's still not the point though. When Nick gave the speech at the end of our parade, something in my clicked. I previously talked about how I was the little girl on the side of Main Street that watched the Marching Bands go by, and that's what inspired me to go into music. All of this did, and it's been a long journey. But as I go through the music program here at SNC I've realized how much I'd miss music if I didn't go into a career there either, and it occurred to me that I would love to work with Disney Performing Arts. Essentially, I would love to be Nick, and work with the groups themselves, leading them down Main Street. Because I've lived every other step of that journey, and I know what it takes to get there.

So now my path has changed, once again. I am looking forward to working with music, and I certainly am excited for this coming school year when I can get a practice room back and play my alto whenever I really feel like it, right alongside my friends who are doing the same thing. And then, someday, maybe I'll take that final step with Disney Performing Arts and become a part of the team, so I can help inspire even more people just like me. Because that's what we all really want to do with life, isn't it? We want to inspire and be inspired.

Plus, a career that involves Disney AND Music sounds pretty great to me.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 8).

Day 286: Avatarland?

In order to not reveal any spoilers from tonight's SPECTACULAR episode of Once Upon a Time, I'm putting off that post until tomorrow. That at least gives people a little bit of time to catch up. Plus, I'll probably rewatch the episode on Hulu before I blog about it, just to clarify my own feelings a little more. It was a really really interesting episode, to say the least, but we'll talk more about that tomorrow.

And then I was going to write about how Princess and the Frog is playing while I write this and finish my homework, and I was almost done, when I realized that I wasn't going to blog about that either. I knew I had something in my head to blog about, I just happened to keep forgetting it. Honestly, I had an entire blog post finished about Princess and the Frog when I realized that I really needed to blog about this instead.

Avatarland.

Just a day or two ago the very first concept art for Avatarland was released, and to be truthful, I don't know what I think. I did not enjoy Avatar as a film. I just didn't like it. My brother loves it, and my family in general likes it I think, but I just never got into it. So when I heard they were bringing it to Animal Kingdom I was really skeptical.

Now I think I'm even more skeptical, but I don't really know. Here's a rundown of what's going on.

Things over in what is now Camp Minnie Mickey will look a bit different. Ok, a lot different. We're talking floating mountains and all these waterfalls and basically Pandora all over the place. My big question here is how is this going to look? I mean, where is the transition going to be from Animal Kingdom as we know it into this? 

Next, in what I assume will be a new thrill ride, bringing the number of E Ticket attractions up to 5, we'll ride on one of those things. Whatever it is. A Banshee? I don't know if I like this addition because it sounds a bit like what's already at Universal...even if they did kind of take that from Disney. It's a complicated relationship. Of everything being added this is the one I think I'm the least excited for.

And then we have this. Some sort of boat ride, I think? Well, ok, I know it's a boat ride, but what in the world is it going to showcase? What's the storyline going to be? Every Disney attraction has a storyline, right? Maybe it will be like the story of the movie, but we'll see.

Now here's where things get weird. This expansion won't just be Avatarland. We're getting a full-scale night version of Animal Kingdom. That's right, we're adding new stuff everywhere. This part, quoted from the Disney Parks Blog is, "a new nighttime spectacular where live music, floating lanterns, water screens and swirling animal imagery all combine to bring a show to Discovery Riber that will delight our guests and truly cap off their day at Disney's Animal Kingdom." But that's not all. We're also getting a, wait for it, nighttime version of Kilimanjaro Safaris. 

Now, I love Kilimanjaro as much as the next person, although it's been going down in my rating book since they got rid of Little Red and the storyline of the poaching. I miss the adventure. But the animals go in every night. HOW are they going to pull this one off? 

I guess, overall I just question how this is keeping the original focus of the park. I don't want more thrill rides at Disney's Animal Kingdom, and as much as I'd love to see Camp Minnie Mickey turned into something awesome, is this all really the answer? Yeah, it's probably the lowest attended (or Hollywood Studios is, but it's close), but do we need floating mountains and Pandora and another thrill ride and a nighttime version of Kilimanjaro Safaris? 

I'm not whining about this, I'm just as excited to see what's coming as the next person. I'm just skeptical, that's all. I'm saying that, for me, a person who isn't a fan of Avatar, Imagineering REALLY has to wow me this time. If they can wow me, then this will be a wonderful addition to Animal Kingdom, and they often times do just that: wow me. But after my dislike of Ariel's Undersea Adventure, they're going to have to be really careful. Plus, what about all the animals? Am I the only one thinking about how Pandora isn't real and this isn't doing anything to educate us about the animals that share our planet? 

I guess I'm just really really conflicted, because one part of me sees why this is going in and is excited, but the other part of me is like "wait, what?" because what about the original theme? How IS this going to fit in? What about the care of the animals? There are a lot of questions here, and I hope we get answers soon. Plus, it doesn't help that plans for this have been a long time in coming and we're going to have to wait even longer to see this thing come to exist. We waited a really long time for New Fantasyland...and we're waiting still longer and longer when it comes to the finishing touches. So when can we expect any of this to happen? 

So what do you think? Avatarland got you excited or are you like me, skeptical? 

Here's today's Disney History: 1940: Disney Legend Dave Smith, official Disney historian, author, archivist and the ultimate authority on all things Disney, is born in Pasadena, California. The founder and first head of the Walt Disney Archives, located in the Frank G. Wells building at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, Smith is also the author of such books as Disney A to Z and Walt Disney Famous Quotes.

Oh, but before I leave you, here's a funny video because this was kind of depressing:  

Have a magical day!

Day 142: Awards Banquet

Tonight was my senior Academic Awards Banquet, and I have to say that while it was pretty long, it was also pretty great. I haven't always had the best grades, but my work has still shown through and I got several awards and scholarships. The best part of the night though? All the talk of Disney!

It seems that every time I was up on stage, someone was talking about Disney and me...well, every time it was just me they were talking about. It came up at least three times...well four depending on how you look at it. First as I got my Business Department Award (Outstanding Computer Student), my Business Teacher gave a bit of a shout out to this blog, which was pretty awesome if I do say so myself. She also talked about how I went to National FBLA with her and we went to Disney, which is still one of my favorite Disney trips to this day.

And then, as I got both scholarships, Disney came into play. For one, the presenter wished me luck with my internship at Disney (College Program and hopefully an Imagineering internship), and that really meant a lot. Second, as I got a Memorial Scholarship, my Creative Writing teacher, who was presenting the scholarship, mentioned that I was receiving the award because of my love of "reading, writing and Disney." He should know plenty about my love of Disney since I'm writing my memoir on it! Speaking of that...I should probably keep working. I'm only on chapter three and I have seven chapters total...unless I write more, which at this rate is quite possible.

Either way, it was a successful night for me, and I have a pile of certificates and a plaque and cords for Graduation now sitting in my house. Now I just have to stop denying the fact that I'm graduating I suppose.

Here's today's Disney History: 1998: Disneyland officially unveils its newly renovated Tomorrowland. New additions include Rocket Rods (a high-speed attraction running on the former PeopleMover track), Redd Rockett's Pizza Port (a restaurant located in the former Mission to Mars attraction), NASA Space Experience and the short "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience." Also re-opening is the Astro Orbitor attraction, having been relocated to the entrance of Tomorrowland and placed on ground level, thus making the ride the new focal point as guests step from the main plaza of Disneyland into Tomorrowland.

Have a magical day!

Day 107: No Disneyland

Today is my first day back to normal life after spending the last few days at our State FBLA conference, and sadly, I have to report that I'm not headed to nationals this summer...and therefore, there will be no Disneyland this summer. I received 6th place at the competition in Public Speaking II, and while I'm fine with not winning, it is still a bit disappointing to not go to Nationals...and specifically for me, Disneyland.

But since my speech was largely about how FBLA has changed me as a person, and about my goals to become an Imagineer, I figure that I shouldn't dwell on it for too long. Life does go on, after all, and we always keep moving forward. That's certainly something both FBLA and Disney have taught me, and it makes no sense for me to stop listening to that advice now.

Honestly though, I think more than anything, I'm just awful tired. The state conference is an amazing event...but the downside is that you get very little sleep...and therefore, everyone who went is walking around with glazed over eyes today. I have to say that I found it a bit amusing when I got out of bed and it felt as if my feet had been to Disneyland without me...when in reality it was just from wearing my heels so much the past two days.

Hopefully there will be a trip to Disneyland in my future though, and in fact, I know there will be, because I'm not going to stop chasing my dream of becoming an Imagineer. I may have lost, and I may not be going to Disneyland this summer, but I'll get over it, and I'll continue to obsess over Disney as I always do. It's how life works.

We keep moving forward.

Here's Today's Disney History: 1924: Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures and the Louis B. Mayer Company merge to form Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...or MGM. MGM will become one of the biggest producers and distributors of films and television programs and even team-up with Disney to open a Florida theme park in 1989 called Disney-MGM Studios (known today as Disney's Hollywood Studios).

Have a magical day!

Day 77: Jeopardy

As I continue to submit applications for things involving college, I have written quite a few essays. But here is my most recent, which obviously and easily relates to Disney. The question was "If you could create your ideal Jeopardy board, what six categories would you choose? Give an example question in each category."

As long as I can remember, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with the popular quiz show, Jeopardy. Each week millions of people tune into the show, and while I am generally not one of them, the show still holds quite a bit of sentimental value. It is no question to any of my friends that I love Disney, considering I have traveled to the Walt Disney World Resort 23 times and I write a daily blog called Everyday Disney. But there is one attraction at Walt Disney World that is largely centered around the quiz show, meaning that I will forever think of Ellen Degeneres learning about energy with Bill Nye the Science Guy when someone begins to hum the theme song. But with categories ranging from “The Final Frontier,” “That Old Time Television,” “Mind Your Manners,” and “Yeah, I play the oboe,” it’s hard to imagine knowing any of the answers to just one game, much less those for many games in a row. Personally, if I do watch, I feel much like Ellen in the Disney attraction, having no idea how to respond to any clue the show gives out. I celebrate if I know just one answer each show, unlike the contestants who come back day after day with one correct response after the other. But if I were to create my own Jeopardy board, what would happen, and more importantly, what would the questions be?

Since Jeopardy always reminds me of Disney, it should be no surprise that my first category is located there. Titled “It’s a Small World,” after the popular attraction, this group would focus on everything that includes the Disney Parks. I took my first trip to Walt Disney World at only 15 months old, and I’ve gone back as often as possible, meaning that I know the parks like the back of my hand. I often get the question if I ever find it boring to return year after year, but the truth is, I never do. There’s always something new to explore, such as the newest addition to the Magic Kingdom, New Fantasyland. But it’s also the reason that this category really has endless questions, ranging from simple ones that I could answer in a heartbeat to ones that would take some time for me to figure out. For instance, for $200 the clue might be “This 18 story geodesic sphere is the symbol of Epcot.” The correct response? “What is Spaceship Earth,” my all time favorite attraction and the symbol of my second home. But for Final Jeopardy, Alex Trebek might say, “This fictional character is the creator of the Main Street U.S.A. Emporium at the Walt Disney World Resort.” After wagering some of my winnings and quite a bit of thought I would eventually come up with the answer, “Who is Osh Popham.” I knew the answers to both of these questions, but there are many others that even I wouldn’t be able to answer. Still, having a category such as “It’s a Small World” on my Jeopardy board would definitely set me ahead of my competition.

The second category focuses around one of my favorite things, especially in the “small world.” The Disney Parks are no stranger to good food, and so it’s no surprise that my board continues to focus around what I know best. In honor of one of my favorite Disney movies, “Beauty and the Beast,” as well as one of the newest Disney restaurants, “Be Our Guest,” this category is titled “Try the Grey Stuff, It’s Delicious.” As a child I often helped my mom in the kitchen, using my own little knife made specifically for kids, and for the past 10 years I have been a member of my local 4-H club, where I have entered in the Foods & Nutrition category for many years. While I don’t spend all of my time in the kitchen, I do enjoy recreating recipes from Disney restaurants as well as coming up with creations of my own. Of course, I own every Disney cookbook that has ever been in existence, and thanks to one of them I know the correct response to “Walt Disney usually offered lunch guests a glass of this vegetable juice or something similar before going to the studio commissary” would be “What is V8.”

For most of my life, and next to Disney, music has been one of the most important things to me. Named “Give a Little Whistle” after the song from the animated feature, Pinocchio, this category would focus around all things having to do with the melodies that I’ve grown to love. Eight years ago now I began playing oboe and only four years ago I started playing saxophone. Music in general, although specifically jazz, has defined who I am, and has provided me with leadership roles to help me grow and learn. For $600 a question here might be “This composer has been nominated for an Oscar more often than anyone else in any other category.” The answer is “Who is John Williams,” composer to popular films such as Star Wars, and one of my personal role models in the world of music. Although I am only a recent fan of much of his work, he has really inspired me to always give my best performance, and his music itself has helped me work on the expression needed to play my instruments. Aside from this he has also been part of my inspiration in my decision to pursue music as I advance in my education.

A fourth group on my Jeopardy board would easily focus around books, and would be titled “They’ve Got Character.” Reading has always been an interest of mine, and has taken me to far off lands many times over. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to choose just one favorite book, since there are so many to choose from, but I am fond of a series called The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson. It is a multi-book series that features a group of teenagers who fight to save the Magic Kingdom. I’ve loved the series since the start, and am always waiting for the next book in the series to appear. But The Kingdom Keepers isn’t the only series I enjoy, as there are many other books on my long list of favorites. A few honorable mentions? The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Marley and Me by John Grogan and Peter and the Starcatchers, also by Ridley Pearson. I always love reading new books, often times in completely different genres, because if I don’t I’ll never discover some of the treasures that are out there. That’s why a great clue here would be “A historic novel that tells the story of W. P. Inman, a deserter of the Confederate Army during the Civil War,” in which the correct response would be “What is Cold Mountain?” What is now one of my favorite books started as one I had to read for class, and something that if I saw it at the library, I’d never pull it off the shelf. It just goes to prove you should never judge a book by it’s cover.

Speaking of the American Civil War, my next category would be “This Day in History.” I’ve always been interested in history, mostly due to an attraction at, you guessed it, Walt Disney World. The American Adventure at Epcot tells the thrilling tale of our country, and it features a song called Two Brothers, which tells the story of a family before, during and after the Civil War. As you can imagine, when I started Advanced American History in High School, I was quite excited, and throughout the course I really learned something about almost every piece of American History. At the beginning of each class period, our teacher would read us a list of what happened that particular day in history, and I’ve continued the tradition each and every day on my daily blog, Everyday Disney. It’s amazing to see what has happened to get us where we are today, and I find it all quite exciting. “It was on this day in history that the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio was created” would be a great clue to ask me, because I’d know the answer right away to be “What is October 16, 1923.” Knowing about our past enables each of us to push on into the future, and for me, knowing my Disney history will certainly help on my path towards working at Walt Disney Imagineering. Using lessons learned from the past, I will be able to create new and exciting experiences for guests visiting the Disney Parks in the future, and then someday maybe I’ll be in the history books!

It seems like common conversation to ask what one’s favorite movie is. I, on the other hand, am not exactly fond of this question, because I truly have no simple answer. The name of this final group is “The Great Movie Ride,” titled after the attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The ride features some of Hollywood’s greatest films, and the number of movies included in it showcases just how hard it really is to pick just one favorite movie. I personally have to separate my favorites list into categories, ranging from “Favorite Animated Disney Film” to “Favorite Live-Action Non-Disney Film.” It gets a bit complicated the further in depth I go, but the point still stands - I do not have just one favorite movie. But this isn’t a problem, not for me at least, since just as I love reading new books, I love watching new movies. If there is a movie I haven’t seen, you can bet I’ll probably want to watch it. That is, if it’s not a horror movie. Either way, a daily double clue might be “A dog was the inspiration for this adventure film hero’s nickname.” The correct response, “Who is Indiana Jones,” the star of some of my favorite films of all time.

With a Jeopardy board like this, there is no way I would feel like Ellen in her attraction at Walt Disney World any longer. If it wasn’t obvious before, my ideal board would focus around Disney, because as cheesy as it sounds, a board all about Disney would be my perfect round of Jeopardy. There are endless questions you could ask me, and I assure you there would be some I don’t know, but Disney has provided me with a lifetime of entertainment, experiences and lessons that have shaped who I am and will benefit me in the future. When it comes to Jeopardy, I can’t say I’ll always watch, but I do know the response to one final answer that I’m sure Alex Trebek, Ellen Degeneres and Walt Disney would all approve of. “This is the one source of power that will never run out.” The correct response - “Brain power.”

If you've ever been in the Universe of Energy, you'd know just as well as I do where the end of my essay comes from...and that it's the truth. The one source of power will never run out is Brain Power (although now that I look back I probably should have put "What is Brain power," but oh well!)

Here's today's Disney History: 1967: The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction opens in New Orleans Square at Disneyland, California. The debut kicks off with great excitement, as a group of marauding sea-dogs, led by Wally Boag, first sail on the sailing ship Columbia before bursting through the new attractions' doors with a battering ram. Also opening at Disneyland is the Blue Bayou Restaurant in New Orleans Square.

Have a magical day!

Day 40: Auditions

Today was the day that I had auditions for music scholarships at the college I plan on attending next year, and I'm happy to say that it went well!

Of course, I think you can always expect to make a few mistakes...and I certainly made a few mistakes...like not breathing for the second half of one of my pieces. That was probably a really bad idea. But still, the whole process was pretty casual and I didn't really have a lot of questions about the program since my mom went to college there and I've spent a lot of time on the campus growing up. It helps that one of my best friends is already going there this year, and she too is a music major.

I guess I really haven't talked about what I want to do though...like what I want to major in. I plan on attending a four year college and double majoring in English with a writing emphasis and Alto Saxophone Performance. Of course, my band director isn't happy with this since he believe I should go into Music Ed...but I just can't see myself as a music teacher for the rest of my life. Not when I want to pursue a career with Disney.

I know that there are plenty of writing opportunities in Imagineering, and they have a music area too, so either major would hopefully eventually help. The truth is, English and Music majors aren't exactly the best majors...there aren't really a lot of jobs in either one. But I figure that while I'm at college and have the opportunity, I might as well double major. I love writing and I love music...so between the two I'll hopefully be a happy...and stressed out...person!

Here's today's Disney History: 1996: The Disney Institute Opens at Walt Disney World, Florida. The Institute offers more than 60 programs in 8 interest areas such as animation, culinary arts, rock climbing and wilderness exploration. The institute is an attempt to allow guests to have a vacation...with a dose of educational entertainment.

Have a magical day!

Day 30: Disney Geek

I'm going to talk more about this in Saturday's post, but today I was practicing my speech for my FBLA competition. FBLA, for those that don't know, stand for Future Business Leaders of America...and I will be competing this Saturday at the Regional competition in Public Speaking II. As I said, I'll talk more about this on Saturday, but at the moment I figured I'd talk about something I mention in my speech.

I talk in my speech about my want to be an Imagineer, and in order to explain what that is and why I want to pursue that career, I needed to explain my background with Disney. So, I refer to myself as the term of "Disney Geek." I don't know how many people have heard of Disney Geek, but it's a thing put on by the official Disney fanclub, D23. My dad became a member a few years ago when we found the D23 convention would be going on when we traveled to Disneyland...and I learned about Disney Geek not long before that. It's a podcast and honestly just a whole bunch of stuff...including videos and just a lot of awesome. I don't have a lot of time to watch it all the time, but I do suggest you at least check it out if you love Disney...and D23 is awesome too! I really hope to attend the D23 Expo this upcoming August as well.

Click here to be taken to the Disney Geek website.

Have a magical day!

Day 24: Scholarships

Over the past several weeks I have been working on scholarships...which of course have to be due the same week as finals. Just what I wanted when I'm already stressed out, but none the less I think they brought some calm to my hectic life.

In all of these scholarship essays we have to provide what we hope to do with our future and what brought us to want that in life. Of course, I recently have finally made my own decision...I want to be an Imagineer...more than anything. Of course, it's a difficult position to obtain, and I often feel like maybe I'm not good enough, but at the same time I won't stop until I get to my dream.

So I thought I'd share my college application essay, as I rather like it...which I'd hope is true since I wrote it in the intention I'd be getting hopefully accepted to the college I applied to...which I did. =)

"It is early in the morning, somewhere between four and five, and the sun has yet to rise. The only light in the house comes from the hallway and the only noise from my family, gathered in the entryway making final preparations. I am excited, more excited than I have ever been, although I know my parents will tell me to stop jumping off the walls. My father pulls out the old video camera, one I have seen many times before, as it is as old as I am. Soon the familiar red light appears on the front of the camera as he begins to film, and the routine question follows, “Where are we going?”

And then my response, as old as the camera and as familiar as the little red light, “We’re going to Disney World!” the most magical place on Earth.

Throughout my life, this scene has been repeated before each family vacation, as we gather around the front door and my father pulls out the camera. No matter how much I age, my response is always the same, said with the same enthusiasm and excitement as when I was three. Disney is, in every way, my home, a safe haven from the real world filled with stress and worries. It gives me something to look forward to and something to use as an example. Disney hasn’t changed me, but it has made me who I am, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

While most see my demand for a project to be perfect to be bizarre, my closest friends know that it is not because I am paranoid, but because I have set my standards based on the examples that Disney has given me. Just as the attraction “The American Adventure” features historical figures Mark Twain and Benjamin Franklin, both as audio animatronics featuring real human hair, I took the extra effort to create a silent film for our history class with aspects of a real silent film, such as the background music and black and white appearance. If I had done anything less, I would have regretted my decision, for I did not accomplish it to the best of my ability. Another example can be found in my National History Day project, “Les Paul: A Marvel of a Man.” As a group, we decided to do an exhibit, since it would easily apply to each of our talents, consisting of researching, writing and art, or in this case, designing the exhibit. But it doesn't always work the way we plan, and our history project was no different. One member of my group felt that we should construct the exhibit using simple materials such as cardboard and paper, while I argued that since we were planning on entering this exhibit in competition, and previous competition winners were made out of materials such as wood and paint, we should do the same, even though it would require extra work. Eventually we created the exhibit out of the components I suggested, and included additional features such as an interactive timeline and decorative guitar panels. Our display advanced to state competition, something that would not have happened without my persistency to create an exhibit you would easily find in a museum, or in my mind, a Disney park.

I have lived my entire life surrounded by the magic of Disney, and it has made me the person I am today. The Disney theme parks have given me the examples of perfection I need to balance my own expectations in life, and complete tasks such as a history project to the best of my ability. I know that this mentality will follow me throughout my life, help me to improve situations, overcome obstacles and break barriers in the society around me."

Have a magical day!

Day 20: Imagineering the Magic

On this lovely morning, as I work on my English Paper, I've decided to put on a video...specifically a Disney one.

So I asked my friend which of the movies I had I should watch, and she decided I should watch this one:

So now I'm watching it, and honestly it's an excellent DVD...and I'm only a few minutes into it! It really makes it apparent how this really was Walt's last dream...although I think we all know he would have kept dreaming long after Walt Disney World. I honestly can't understand why people would be so angry or negative about something like Walt Disney World. Maybe he bought land under a code name, but they would have made prices so impossible if they had known. And today, I don't think people understand the magic and the determination and the effort that went into creating the Magic Kingdom. 

And if you've never heard the story of how Walt's brother Roy worked to open the Magic Kingdom, you really need to. It's an amazing story of how Roy came out of retirement after Walt's death to make sure that his dream came true. It's just amazing...the bond between those two brothers. 

Now, if you can watch this video as a Disney fan and not want to become an Imagineer...let me know. It really makes me more determined that ever to follow my dream to that program, no matter what it takes to get there. =)

Have a magical day!