The Florida Bucket List

One of the new features I've added along the side bar to the left is my "Florida Bucket List" (yea, I think it needs a better name too. Suggestions, please?). This is my list of must-dos while living in Florida, my "Mission: Disney World" of sorts. I had one (at least in my mind) while living in California, and managed to complete many of the items on that list. I thought it might be fun to keep track of my Florida one on my blog this time. I hope to make blog updates about each item as I complete it, and eventually turn the items on the side bar into links that direct you to the blog entry about them.

Some of the items on my list include:

Visit Miami

I would like to explore outside Orlando, as that is the only part of Florida I have ever seen. Miami is a reasonable drive from where I'll be living in Lake Buena Vista. To top it off, the concert of my dreams is happening there on my birthday. Incubus, my favorite band EVER is performing there that night. Over the past 4 years, I have succeeded seeing them exactly zero times and missing them by a few days 3 times, due to moving or vacation. Is this fate, perhaps?

Have Dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table

It's one of the most expensive restaurants in Walt Disney World, and very likely the most difficult to get into. People make reservations more than 3 months in advance to eat here. I don't even know if my Cast Member discount would work here. But darn it, I'm going to have dinner here one way or or another. I've heard the food is great, and it is inside the castle. If that doesn't get a girl's inner princess going, I don't know what would. The princesses, and Cindy's Fairy Godmother are out during dinner, which makes it a good stop to get more autographs in my autograph book too.

Drink Around "The World"

My favorite part of Epcot is the World Showcase. And there's a challenge you can complete, known as "Drinking Around the World", at this lovely collection of mini countries. There's margaritas in Mexico, dark beer in Germany, and wine in France. Eleven glorious locations to stop and try authentic booze from countries around the world. And, being almost 23, I'm fully able to complete this challenge. For obvious reasons, the challenge is best completed with a buddy or two and I'm sure my room mate Ellen will be totally prepared for this.  This item may have to wait until the cooler months, as drinking excessively in the late summer Florida sun and humidity sounds about as fun as running a marathon around World Showcase in the middle of July.

So these are just a snippet of the full list, which you can check out on the side bar. Does anyone have any ideas for a better name for the list? Suggestions of what to add? Let me know in the comments!

First half of Leadership Speakers' Series!

Part of my program here at Disneyland involves taking at least one class through Disney University. A handful of courses were offered to us, varying from actual collegiate courses with homework to a speakers' series. I chose to take the latter, the Leadership Speakers' Series. Each week, a leader from a different area of the resort comes into class to talk about what they do, how they got there, and take questions from the class.

It's been a fascinating experience altogether.We've heard from everyone from the manager of Resort Enhancement to Jon Storbeck, VP of Disneyland Park.We've heard some information I can't truly repeat in this blog as well,since it has to do with financial information about the resort.

But, some of the interesting things I've heard that I can say are:

• The most expensive attraction in Disneyland Resort to upkeep is "California Screamin'", a roller coaster in California Adventure
• Disneyland cost $17 million to build in 1955, or, in today's dollars, $84 million
• In comparison, "Tower of Terror" cost $100 million to build
• Resort Enhancement is a really fun department. They are not only in charge of decorations around the park, but props inside attractions (such as the apple in the Old Hag's hand on the "Snow White's Scary Adventures" ride, which guest frequently steal)
• The resort Horticulture Department does all their work from midnight to park opening. Much of the transformations of planters and such have to happen over night. The manager we spoke to was a really great lady - she got her start just because she was an avid gardener and applied for a job for the heck of it. She thought she was really under qualified, and still got the position. She said everything from the Mickey floral planter out front to the smallest of bushes on the Rivers of America are cared for and have specific requirements
• Industrial Engineering is a actually a really fun sounding profession. The two women who came in to talk to us even had us work through problems with them so we could understand exactly what they do - which is make sure attractions and their lines are moving efficiently, and that there are the proper amount of restaurants, bathrooms and other amenities.
• How much money it takes to do even the seemingly tiniest things, like a display in a window on Main Street, is astronomical.

I've got a few more classes left, including this week's speakers from the Special Events department. I'm particularly excited about this one, and will hopefully be able to get contact information from them and speak to them more outside of class. This is the department I really want to get into with Disney, so wish me luck! :)