October 13, 2004
With special events taking place across property, October is one of my favorite times to visit the Walt Disney World® theme parks. Hopefully, the cooler weather also means named storms are over for now. While the hurricane recovery efforts continue, local and state governments are urging communities and businesses to return to normal and focus on the future. At the Walt Disney World Resort, we are doing just that. Our "fall" season is in full swing, and we are entering an exciting time. We have more blockbuster attractions under construction right now than ever before, and the coming year will be filled with new rides and shows for our guests. We are headed in the right direction and will continue to focus on our job of providing great service and entertainment!
Emergency Workers Get Thank You from Disney
Walt Disney World Co. is recognizing the many men and women who helped bring relief and aid to Central Florida following the hurricanes by offering them complimentary, five-day admission to Walt Disney World® Resort theme parks. "Disney's Salute to Central Florida Hurricane Heroes" program includes five-day, complimentary admission to the four Walt Disney World Resort theme parks for eligible power company and emergency relief workers. More information about "Disney's Salute to Central Florida Hurricane Heroes" can be found at www.disneyworld.com/thankyou.
Cast and Company Donate $8.2 Million in Hurricane Relief
While the current weather radar provides a glimmer of hope that the 2004 hurricane season is coming to a close, daily reminders of the three hurricanes that hit Central Florida will be part of our community for months to come. For more than 9,500 Walt Disney World Cast Members, getting past the hurricane destruction will be a bit easier thanks to the more than $8 million in relief funds that have been donated to the Cast impacted by the storms. Additional contributions of $175,000 went to community organizations including The American Red Cross, Heart of Florida United Way, the Central Florida FOCUS Fund, and the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund, established by Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Walt Disney World Co., The Walt Disney Company, and Cast Members from across the country contributed to these relief efforts.
Disney's Animal Kingdom® Staff Mobilizes To Help North Florida Zoo
A team of animal-care professionals from Disney's Animal Kingdom traveled to Florida's panhandle region to assist The Zoo at Gulf Breeze with recovery and relief efforts following recent hurricane destruction. Disney's animal response team took medical supplies, fencing, and crates to assist the Gulf Breeze curators in securing and treating the animals. Over the years, Disney animal care specialists have traveled around the world helping with similar recovery efforts for animals in need.
FUNAI Classic and United Arts of Central Florida Team Up for Arts
The FUNAI Classic at Walt Disney World® Resort and United Arts of Central Florida have teamed together to create a unique arts education program in Orlando in anticipation of Central Florida's annual PGA TOUR fall event. The pilot program, Giving Back: An Arts Contest for Kids, gives Orange County public school students the opportunity to create artwork and to attend the golf tournament at Disney's Palm and Magnolia Golf Courses, October 21-24. Fifth-grade students at select Orange County schools will hear readings of the popular children's book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Students will then create their own depiction of what "giving back" means to them. All artwork will be part of a contest, and 31 winning entrants will have their artwork displayed at the golf tournament.
Disney Cruise Line Ship Gets Planned Makeover
The Disney Wonder® is currently undergoing a magical transformation during a regularly scheduled dry dock. During dry dock, the Disney Wonder will have all of its carpet and tile replaced and the decking and furniture upholstery refurbished. Additionally, the ship will be lifted out of the water so that its underside can be painted and underwater parts inspected. Once the process is complete, the ship will feature three new age-specific venues for guests: Aloft, a cozy new area for teen activities; Cove Café, an adult-only poolside coffee bar; and Diversions, a traditional-style pub.
Voter Registration Campaign Nets 2,000 New Voters
Last month, Walt Disney World Ambassador Juan Aviles and Mickey Mouse made a special delivery of more than 2,000 completed voter registration forms to Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles. The "Make Freedom Count" campaign at the Walt Disney World Resort - which supported Cowles' efforts to increase the number of registered voters in Orange County before the October 4 deadline - allowed Cast Members to register to vote at more than 100 locations around the resort. Click the photo at right to view a larger image.
Disney Receives 'Golden Ticket' Award from Industry Publication
Amusement Today magazine, a theme park trade publication based in Arlington, Texas, recently announced its 2004 "Golden Ticket" award winners, and the Walt Disney World Resort was honored for one of its thrill rides. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster® starring Aerosmith received the Golden Ticket award for "Best Indoor Roller Coaster." The Golden Ticket awards recognize theme park attractions for creativity and likeability. The coaster, which opened in 1999, thrills guests at the Disney-MGM Studios. For more information about the magazine's awards, click here.
Unique Sponsorship Package Comes in All Sizes
Champion, a division of Sara Lee Corporation, will outfit all 24,000 participants who compete in the 2005 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. Champion will provide all runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes in both the marathon and half marathon events with one of their two-layer, "Double-Dry" technology shirts, making the Walt Disney World Marathon the only top-15 marathon in the United States to provide high-performance athletic shirts to all of its participants. Registration recently closed for the races that are scheduled for January 7-9, 2005.
New Look for Disney Corporate Website
The corporate information section on The Walt Disney Company website recently received a new and improved look. The new, user-friendly site provides readers a more consistent look and feel as well as section tabs to easily navigate through the information. Two new areas also have been added: "Corporate Responsibility" and "Press" sections. Click here to explore the new site.
Partnership Offers Breast Cancer Resources
A creative partnership between Florida Hospital and Walt Disney World Co. is helping Cast Members pay close attention to their health. On October 13, Dr. Winnie King, nationally known host of radio and television medical programs, led a discussion on breast cancer awareness. Attendees received a special pin and were invited to schedule a mammogram. This free program was offered to Cast Members as part of the "Disney Difference" - offerings that make Disney a unique employer in Central Florida.
'International Day of Peace' Celebrated at Disney's Animal Kingdom
Dozens of Central Florida students recently helped celebrate the "International Day of Peace" at Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park. Students from "Roots and Shoots," an organization for school-age students founded by Dr. Jane Goodall, participated in the event. Dr. Goodall was appointed as a messenger of peace by the United Nations for her humanitarian work. Following the ceremony, the students received complimentary theme park tickets.
Cast Members Offer Leadership to Orlando Teens
Last week, a record number of twelve distinguished Walt Disney World® Cast Members were announced as the 2004 YMCA Adult Achievers. As part of our DisneyHand - Helping Kids Shine outreach efforts, Walt Disney World Co. encourages Cast Members to become involved in community activities focusing on healthy youth development - especially those that promote respect for diversity and personal growth. Walt Disney World Co. has been involved with the YMCA Achievers, a program that provides quality leadership development, educational enrichment, and mentoring relationships to Central Florida youth, since the program first came to Central Florida. For more information about the Central Florida YMCA, visit their website at http://www.centralfloridaymca.org.
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© Disney
MouseMail is a periodic news brief for Central Florida business, community and government leaders, produced by Walt Disney World Co. For information on Walt Disney World Resort hours, attractions and theme parks, please visit www.disneyworld.com.
With special events taking place across property, October is one of my favorite times to visit the Walt Disney World® theme parks. Hopefully, the cooler weather also means named storms are over for now. While the hurricane recovery efforts continue, local and state governments are urging communities and businesses to return to normal and focus on the future. At the Walt Disney World Resort, we are doing just that. Our "fall" season is in full swing, and we are entering an exciting time. We have more blockbuster attractions under construction right now than ever before, and the coming year will be filled with new rides and shows for our guests. We are headed in the right direction and will continue to focus on our job of providing great service and entertainment!
Emergency Workers Get Thank You from Disney
Walt Disney World Co. is recognizing the many men and women who helped bring relief and aid to Central Florida following the hurricanes by offering them complimentary, five-day admission to Walt Disney World® Resort theme parks. "Disney's Salute to Central Florida Hurricane Heroes" program includes five-day, complimentary admission to the four Walt Disney World Resort theme parks for eligible power company and emergency relief workers. More information about "Disney's Salute to Central Florida Hurricane Heroes" can be found at www.disneyworld.com/thankyou.
Cast and Company Donate $8.2 Million in Hurricane Relief
While the current weather radar provides a glimmer of hope that the 2004 hurricane season is coming to a close, daily reminders of the three hurricanes that hit Central Florida will be part of our community for months to come. For more than 9,500 Walt Disney World Cast Members, getting past the hurricane destruction will be a bit easier thanks to the more than $8 million in relief funds that have been donated to the Cast impacted by the storms. Additional contributions of $175,000 went to community organizations including The American Red Cross, Heart of Florida United Way, the Central Florida FOCUS Fund, and the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund, established by Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Walt Disney World Co., The Walt Disney Company, and Cast Members from across the country contributed to these relief efforts.
Disney's Animal Kingdom® Staff Mobilizes To Help North Florida Zoo
A team of animal-care professionals from Disney's Animal Kingdom traveled to Florida's panhandle region to assist The Zoo at Gulf Breeze with recovery and relief efforts following recent hurricane destruction. Disney's animal response team took medical supplies, fencing, and crates to assist the Gulf Breeze curators in securing and treating the animals. Over the years, Disney animal care specialists have traveled around the world helping with similar recovery efforts for animals in need.
FUNAI Classic and United Arts of Central Florida Team Up for Arts
The FUNAI Classic at Walt Disney World® Resort and United Arts of Central Florida have teamed together to create a unique arts education program in Orlando in anticipation of Central Florida's annual PGA TOUR fall event. The pilot program, Giving Back: An Arts Contest for Kids, gives Orange County public school students the opportunity to create artwork and to attend the golf tournament at Disney's Palm and Magnolia Golf Courses, October 21-24. Fifth-grade students at select Orange County schools will hear readings of the popular children's book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Students will then create their own depiction of what "giving back" means to them. All artwork will be part of a contest, and 31 winning entrants will have their artwork displayed at the golf tournament.
Disney Cruise Line Ship Gets Planned Makeover
The Disney Wonder® is currently undergoing a magical transformation during a regularly scheduled dry dock. During dry dock, the Disney Wonder will have all of its carpet and tile replaced and the decking and furniture upholstery refurbished. Additionally, the ship will be lifted out of the water so that its underside can be painted and underwater parts inspected. Once the process is complete, the ship will feature three new age-specific venues for guests: Aloft, a cozy new area for teen activities; Cove Café, an adult-only poolside coffee bar; and Diversions, a traditional-style pub.
Voter Registration Campaign Nets 2,000 New Voters
Last month, Walt Disney World Ambassador Juan Aviles and Mickey Mouse made a special delivery of more than 2,000 completed voter registration forms to Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles. The "Make Freedom Count" campaign at the Walt Disney World Resort - which supported Cowles' efforts to increase the number of registered voters in Orange County before the October 4 deadline - allowed Cast Members to register to vote at more than 100 locations around the resort. Click the photo at right to view a larger image.
Disney Receives 'Golden Ticket' Award from Industry Publication
Amusement Today magazine, a theme park trade publication based in Arlington, Texas, recently announced its 2004 "Golden Ticket" award winners, and the Walt Disney World Resort was honored for one of its thrill rides. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster® starring Aerosmith received the Golden Ticket award for "Best Indoor Roller Coaster." The Golden Ticket awards recognize theme park attractions for creativity and likeability. The coaster, which opened in 1999, thrills guests at the Disney-MGM Studios. For more information about the magazine's awards, click here.
Unique Sponsorship Package Comes in All Sizes
Champion, a division of Sara Lee Corporation, will outfit all 24,000 participants who compete in the 2005 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. Champion will provide all runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes in both the marathon and half marathon events with one of their two-layer, "Double-Dry" technology shirts, making the Walt Disney World Marathon the only top-15 marathon in the United States to provide high-performance athletic shirts to all of its participants. Registration recently closed for the races that are scheduled for January 7-9, 2005.
New Look for Disney Corporate Website
The corporate information section on The Walt Disney Company website recently received a new and improved look. The new, user-friendly site provides readers a more consistent look and feel as well as section tabs to easily navigate through the information. Two new areas also have been added: "Corporate Responsibility" and "Press" sections. Click here to explore the new site.
Partnership Offers Breast Cancer Resources
A creative partnership between Florida Hospital and Walt Disney World Co. is helping Cast Members pay close attention to their health. On October 13, Dr. Winnie King, nationally known host of radio and television medical programs, led a discussion on breast cancer awareness. Attendees received a special pin and were invited to schedule a mammogram. This free program was offered to Cast Members as part of the "Disney Difference" - offerings that make Disney a unique employer in Central Florida.
'International Day of Peace' Celebrated at Disney's Animal Kingdom
Dozens of Central Florida students recently helped celebrate the "International Day of Peace" at Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park. Students from "Roots and Shoots," an organization for school-age students founded by Dr. Jane Goodall, participated in the event. Dr. Goodall was appointed as a messenger of peace by the United Nations for her humanitarian work. Following the ceremony, the students received complimentary theme park tickets.
Cast Members Offer Leadership to Orlando Teens
Last week, a record number of twelve distinguished Walt Disney World® Cast Members were announced as the 2004 YMCA Adult Achievers. As part of our DisneyHand - Helping Kids Shine outreach efforts, Walt Disney World Co. encourages Cast Members to become involved in community activities focusing on healthy youth development - especially those that promote respect for diversity and personal growth. Walt Disney World Co. has been involved with the YMCA Achievers, a program that provides quality leadership development, educational enrichment, and mentoring relationships to Central Florida youth, since the program first came to Central Florida. For more information about the Central Florida YMCA, visit their website at http://www.centralfloridaymca.org.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© Disney
MouseMail is a periodic news brief for Central Florida business, community and government leaders, produced by Walt Disney World Co. For information on Walt Disney World Resort hours, attractions and theme parks, please visit www.disneyworld.com.
