Trip Report You Can't Beat This Deal...Two Trip Reports for the Price of One! *COMPLETED*

Hi Everyone!

As some of you may know, it's been a very busy, Disney filled, end of the summer for us! After scrambling to find new vacations plans thanks to Hurricane Lane and having just returned from a solo trip to attend the Disney Institute Approach to Quality Service course, I have almost been able to get all of the photos downloaded and I'm nearly ready to report on our adventures.

Both trips we're remarkably different from what our typical Disney trip would look like but both were fantastic experiences and I'm really looking forward to sharing them with you.

I am planning on uploading the last of our pictures from the camera tonight and will start diving into the details very soon!
 
Click to expand...
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
mlegerto said:
Matt, I am SO sorry to hear about Marty. We went through the loss of our cats a few years ago (one went in January and the second in May, but they were a ripe old age of 22 and had a wonderful life), so I know the pain this can cause. Thinking of you guys and I hope you have the most magical Christmas with him! Just remember to keep loving him every minute!
Click to expand...

riverside said:
I'm so sorry for all that you & your family are going through with Marty(& for what he's going through also). I hope the medications do their thing!!
Click to expand...

sheriffwoody said:
SO sorry about Marty :cry: I hope the medicine works for him!! He's a cutie pie <3
Click to expand...

Thank you all for the kind words. It's been a rough few days but thankfully Kelly is no longer working and can be home with him. It's tough to see him lack the energy we are so used to seeing from him but from what the vet has said, he's not suffering or anything at the moment.

No matter how long he has left we will make sure he is well taken care of and loved very much.
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
As I continue on I’d like to thank you for the thoughts and kind words about Marty. He’s hanging in there but is still having some difficulties. We’re hoping he gets his appetite back soon but outside of that he still seems like himself, just a little more subdued. We appreciate your messages and will keep you posted.


On the bus over to EPCOT the rain began but only lasted a few minutes. It wasn’t very heavy and had disappeared by the time the bus pulled into the stop. I jumped off and sped through the security line and entrance gates. I was dying to grab something to drink and figured Club Cool would be a good place to start my visit.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MprzQK]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I sampled a number of flavours from around the world and I couldn’t pass up another chance to take the Beverly challenge. I actually took two shots of Beverly after the first wasn’t so bad. The second, however, left quite the bitter aftertaste! I tapped out after that and decided I’d get over to Test Track before any more rain came down.

I arrived to find the standby line at about an 80 minute wait. I jumped in the single rider line and made my way through the queue. It’s crazy how fast that single rider line moves. The bonus of having an odd number of seats in each row I guess.

After about 15 minutes I was added to a car and strapped in for the ride. I was pretty excited since we missed it during the family trip and the ride didn’t disappoint. I totally forgot how fast the open air stretch is. We were flying around that track and it’s always kinda cool to get a peek at the backstage area as you go around.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2a1aqHt]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I exited the ride and decided that Soarin’ would be my next stop. I walked across the park and made it to the Land.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2a7NPRm]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

As I made my way down the stairs I was surprised to find the posted wait was only 15 minutes. That worked for me so I joined the standby line.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29LYaj2]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Even with the number of times we experienced the ride last week, Soarin’ is always a hit. One of my favourites, definitely something I couldn’t pass up no matter how many times I’ve ridden it.

I was definitely rolling around at this point and since I didn’t really want to hit up Nemo or Journey into the Imagination, I decided my next ride would be the Grand Fiesta Tour since I didn’t get the chance to ride the week before.

Once more I made my way across the park and entered the World Showcase. As I toured through the Mexican pavilion I came to find the ride was closed! I was bummed! I was looking forward to the ride but ended up leaving the pavilion disappointed.

Since I had been back and forth through the park already I figured I’d slow it down a bit. I grabbed a beer and took a leisurely stroll through the World Showcase. I stopped to look at some the food and wine options and took in the sights, sounds and smells around the world. It was a tad cloudy so it wasn’t too hot but there was still no sign of rain which made for a pretty comfortable walk.

One the places I spent quite a bit of time around was the miniature train/village display in Germany. I’ve always walked by it and thought it was cool but since I had nothing but time at this point, I walked through to get a better look. It’s so much better when you have a chance to see it up close and take in the detail throughout the set up. Very cool.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2bdnHCH]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/28pjAxo]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MsqWfg]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Before I set off to the other half of the showcase I made sure to get a look at the construction of the new Guardians ride. Looks like it’s going to be pretty impressive when it’s all finished. Looking forward to seeing what they come up with.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29LkYpP]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I kept rolling through WS and found a place in England to hang out and listen to some live music. The British Revolution was rocking out to a pretty big crowd. They played a bunch of classics which had people young and old dancing around and enjoying themselves. I probably stuck around for about 15 minutes and enjoyed their set while I finished my beer. They were excellent! Again, another thing I wouldn’t necessarily do if it were a family trip.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2a5g2U5]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I moved on to my home country, Canada! I have yet to stop and watch O’Canada! So I figured what a perfect time to do so. I still had some time to kill before my Le Cellier reservation opened up so what better way to do so.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/P1Y8ys]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MpPcRR]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I was one of maybe 20 people in the theatre to watch the show hosted by a big CFL fan, Martin Short. I will say at first that 360-degree theatre kinda had me spinning a bit but once I settled in it was pretty cool to see different scenes at every angle. The show itself is a tad outdated but as a Canadian, I thought it captured a lot of what makes our country great. I quite enjoyed it, though I guess some of the folks who left halfway through had enough of us hosers. Oh well, eh!

From there I took a pause to FaceTime the girls at home and take a few shots of the beauty around the pavilion.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Mss3Np]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I probably had another 30-40 minutes before my reservation opened but since I was right next door to the restaurant I thought I might get a little lucky if I checked in early and talked to the folks at the front counter. Thankfully, my fellow Canadians were willing to accommodate an early arrival and after a short 10-minute wait I was lead to a table in the province of Alberta…I really was home!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MpJqgv]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

My server was quick to bring me my favourite pretzel rolls and I placed my order for the filet. I may not have been able to stomach a steak at 9 pm when we visited last week but this time there was no way I was missing out!

A couple was seated next to me shortly after I placed my order and for the rest of the time I was in the restaurant they said maybe three sentences to each other and spent the rest of the time on their phones, essentially oblivious to the world around them. I am definitely guilty of spending too much time on my devices but never at a restaurant and never on a night out with Kelly!

My filet arrived and I was ready to dig in. It was cooked to a perfect medium.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2b8YVC5]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I inhaled the meal in just a few minutes. It was so good, but made even better know it was being expensed! All in I think I was likely in the restaurant less than 45 minutes before I exchanged goodbyes with my server and found myself back in the park with the sun setting.

It was just after 700pm and at this point I was dead. All I wanted to do was get back to the hotel, explore my room and relax for the evening.

I made my way back through the park, taking some parting shots along the way.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29M4aRV]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2b8YL7b]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I jumped on the monorail and took the highway in the sky back toward the Grand. I was very excited to see my room. I found out it was in the same area, Sago Cay, as the Cape Coral Suite, which would be super close to the convention centre as well. I couldn’t wait to get back and take a load off.
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
As the monorail pulled into the TTC, I stepped off and debated on whether to walk to the Grand or jump on the resort monorail. Since it had already been a very long day, I elected to hitch a ride. Lucky the resort line was pulling just as I walked back up the ramp and I was soon on my way to the Grand.

After a quick stop at the Poly, I had made it back, ready to see my room! I walked through the lobby, out into the courtyard and over towards Sago Cay.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2a4MoHA]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

The MDE app had informed me that my room was number 5213 and up the elevator I went. When I booked the course, I was booked in a garden view room in the outer building. Since my organization was paying I had no intention of upgrading to anything more than just a standard room but little did I know until I walked in, I was upgraded to a deluxe room with a garden view!

Not that I really needed the extra space, it was great to be surprised with such a beautiful room for my stay.

I toured around and quickly FaceTimed Kelly and the kids to show them my digs. It wasn’t quite the lavish set up that the Cape Coral Suite was, but it was pretty top notch.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/29PYnKM]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2a4LZvJ]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/P1ZdRj]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29MsFPe]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29Lk1ex]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MpPcMx]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MpJqCc]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29PYZTt]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Of course, I was most pleased to see this waiting for me…
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2bdn4wH]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I could continue to hoard my toiletries and was hopeful that I might be able to stock up on what is now my new favourite Disney keepsake, the mint foot rub!

My excitement started to fade as the rush of adrenaline had worn off and the exhaustion of such a long day hit me. I was ready to call it a night and get some sleep. I said goodnight to Kelly and the kids and made my way to the balcony to get a quick view of the resort.

It was pouring rain at this point but thankfully I was in my room away from the downpour.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Mss7DF]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Day one of the Disney Institute would kick off at 2 pm the next afternoon so I had some time in the morning to relax and explore the resort. I also had breakfast booked at Kona and I could already taste the Tonga Toast!

I climbed into bed and watched the Bears v. Packers game on TV for a bit. With the Bears putting the boots to the Pack at the half, I decided to turn it off and hit the sack. It didn’t take long before I was out like a light. What a day.
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Longers said:
So pleased you have some more toiletries

And love that elephant picture in the water. I’ve never seen that in all my safari’s
Click to expand...

I think I was most excited about getting back to the hotel just to see what goodies I could stash!

We got pretty lucky to see the elephant in the water like that. Happy I had my phone out for pictures
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day Two – First Day of “Class”

I usually don’t sleep overly too well when I’m alone but after the long travel day and then spending the day ripping around a couple of parks, I slept like a baby once I finally settled into the hotel. I woke up to my alarm around 730 am so I could get up and go for a run to start my day off before breakfast.

I stumbled out of the bed and got ready to go for a run through the Grand, over to the Poly and back. As I left the Sago Cay building, it was definitely a beautiful morning for a run.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Mvee2i]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I set off for what turned out to be a perfect 3km run through both resorts, down towards the walkway to the TTC and back to the front door of Sago Cay. One thing I didn’t forget was how the humidity made it just that much tougher to catch my breath.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2b8Ybhh]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/P5CpNC]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

After about the first KM I settled in and enjoyed the perfect setting for the rest of my run. Even with the long day before, the run was a perfect way to get things started. After about 17 or so minutes I was back at Sago Cay and ready to shower and get myself together to head back to the Poly for breakfast at Kona.

I really enjoyed the walk back to the Poly and I had no issue with stopping to enjoy the view along the way.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2bbHt57]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MpQv4z]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Before long I was back at the Poly and I had checked in for my meal. The restaurant was packed and my wait for a table lasted a little longer than I anticipated. I was pretty hungry at this point and I really needed some coffee!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2a4M81d]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Finally, I was called in and seated near the back wall of the restaurant so I had a good view of everything else going on throughout the dining area. My server was quick to arrive and since I had already decided on what I was going to order, I was quick to provide her with my selection and off she went to ring it in.

I cannot visit Kona without a pot of the pressed coffee and this visit was no different. The perfect cup to get the meal going.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MsrkYt]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

As I was enjoying my coffee my meal arrived shortly after. I did kind of debate whether to order the oatmeal but since I already went for a run I figured I earned the Tonga Toast. Boy, was I happy I stuck with my original decision.

It’s been a little while since I had the Tonga Toast and I was most pleased with the meal, especially the Strawberry Compote. It’s just so good!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29LXsWt]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/P35Yvh]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and made sure I finished all the coffee before returning back to the Grand. As I was walking back I noticed this great tree that was losing the most beautiful flowers over the walkway. I loved the colour of the flowers with the blue sky in the background.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2b9Dh3M]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2a4Myqm]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

By the time I arrived back at the Grand, it was about 1030 or so. I had quite a bit of time to kill before the DI program officially kicked off and since it seemed like most guests were heading to the parks or other areas of the World, the pool was pretty much deserted. The perfect place to enjoy the sun and relax for a bit.

I changed into my swimsuit, grabbed a book and a cold drink and found a lounger next to the pool soaked in sun to enjoy. I really got into the first version of the Wisdom of Walt books I was reading getting myself in the right frame of mind for the Disney Institute. I’d periodically take breaks to cool off in the pool and listen to the Howard Stern Show while working on my tan.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2a59uGs]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

And since it was just a short walk from my lounge chair, I hopped into the hot tub for a little while as well.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29PYZGB]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I was so relaxed lying by the pool and the only thing missing was a cold beer or two. I figured since I was heading to class soon enough that I should hold off on the adult beverages until we wrapped up later that evening.

I was really enjoying the setting and found a couple of great details that could easily be overlooked.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2bak7va]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Eventually, I had to pull myself away from the pool to go back to the room to clean myself up and get ready for the program. I was excited and a little nervous all at the same time. I really wasn’t too sure what to expect but I was very much looking forward to finding my way to the convention centre to get this started.

Here is a clearer look of the resort from my balcony in the daytime, without the rain pouring down.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2a7NZcW]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Just before getting ready to head out I noticed a great hidden Mickey as I was closing the curtains in my room.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2a4MML9]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

And with that, I was ready to roll! I loved that Disney’s “business casual” dress code included shorts as there was no way I could wear pants in this heat and without embarrassing sweat stains! What a first impression that would make.
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I entered the convention centre and looked around for the appropriate room. Not surprisingly, the centre holds the same terrific theming and décor as the rest of the resort and was really quite nice. I was surprised by just how big it was as there were several different functions being held throughout the building but even so, it seemed like there was more than enough space for these different meetings/conferences to be going on and allow each group their own areas for food, registration, breakout areas etc.

I thought this was particularly cool as I walked from one end of the centre to the other to register for our course.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2bcHwY3]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I arrived and said a few hellos to folks who I assumed would also be participating in the course as we were all standing around waiting for the registration to open. After about five minutes of small talk, we were greeted by someone from the Disney Institute who gave us the rundown of how registration would work.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/28snjqQ]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We all signed in, picked up our name tags and made our way into the ballrooms to find a seat and get ready to meet our instructors.

Waiting for us at each place setting was a binder for the course and some Disney goodies that we could keep.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/P2zdNf]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29PXABv]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I was pretty impressed with how many people were in the room. All total there were 65 people taking part in the course from all over the world. My table mates included three folks from a bank in Massachusetts, a gent who works for a medical company in Louisiana and a very nice woman who works for the federal government in DC. We all exchanged pleasantries and talked about the where we were from and what we did for a living.

After a while, our instructors came to the front of the room and introduced themselves. We had three Disney veterans guiding us through the next four days, all of whom had been with the company for many years. Jennifer Schirmer, Jim Babcock, and Jim Mundy all addressed the group and talked about their background and what we could look forward to in our time together.

They started us off by giving us a few moments to speed date and get to know others around the room. We spent about 5 minutes running around to different people asking names and where they’re from. I was super impressed to find out that a group of 20 employees from a huge hotel chain in the UK were in attendance along with folks from Latvia, South America, and another fellow Canadian. A pretty diverse group, with only two not for profits (my sector) in attendance.

As we dove into our opening lesson, the facilitators informed us that our four days together would cover four different topics. Each session would include in-class learning and discussion along with some field work in which we would visit a different location each day to give us a sense of service in action, Disney style! I was most excited for the field work.

Our Opening day would be dedicated to telling the service story. Our binders contained numerous examples of what Disney does to ensure their customer experience is as good as it can be, even when falling short of Disney-like expectation.

They spoke a lot about Walt and the vision he had for developing Disneyland and later, Disney World. How Walt had to sell his vision to those who would follow in his plans and be there every step of the way in order to make it work. Having read a lot about Walt I knew much of his reason behind wanting to build Disneyland as something that was not the typical amusement park. Some place that families could enjoy together that would tell great stories, be super clean and the staff would be beyond courteous.

The spoke a lot about the decline of service that has happened with the introduction of more technology and even though Disney World is at the forefront of much of the technological advances they can offer to guests, the first thing they instill in all Cast Members is an in-depth knowledge about the purpose of each WDW employee (We Create Happiness) and how that statement should always be in the back of their minds as soon as they step “on-stage”.

Essentially they talked about how important it is to have your employees on the same page in order to ensure they always have the guests/client/stakeholder/etc. best intentions in mind. As they continued to present on the Disney approach, I couldn’t believe how much time and effort goes into architecting every single step of the customer experience guests encounter when planning and visiting Disney World.

While their resources are seemingly endless, the tips and tricks they provided made it seem much more manageable for every type of company to take a step back and look at their user experience to find out how they can prepare to provide a positive experience at every turn which will hopefully start to create brand loyalty.

One of the really cool things that the facilitators introduced was the use of Disney toys to inspire people to get up and share their thoughts or feedback throughout the sessions. You couldn’t believe how people would jump at the chance to get a mini Mickey or a princess figurine for speaking up to the group. I made sure I made my voice heard to get my fair share of toys to bring back home to the kids. But these guys have found a permanent spot on my desk.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Rf5D3w]Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

As we moved through the content, it seemed like the first few hours flew by. It was amazingly engaging and for a Disney nut like me, I loved all of the insights they were offering about how things come together that many guests don’t see, notice or care about.

Everyone got another shot of excitement when we were told we would be heading to EPCOT for an assignment, then a group dinner followed by an exclusive activity to wrap up day one.
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Longers

Longers

Well-Known Member
Are you allowed to say which UK company - I am curious
Also maybe I need to talk my boss into flying me over for a course (and some Disney time!) or I need a transfer to that UK company.

Looking forward to reading more and hearing about the Epcot challenge
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Longers said:
Are you allowed to say which UK company - I am curious
Also maybe I need to talk my boss into flying me over for a course (and some Disney time!) or I need a transfer to that UK company.

Looking forward to reading more and hearing about the Epcot challenge
Click to expand...

I don't think they would mind if I revealed the company name. The group was part of several different hotels in the Premier Inn chain.

They were a riot. Added a lot to the dynamics of the group.
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
MeeskaMooska0714 said:
I'm so excited that we get to hear about your Disney Institute experience. I would love the chance to attend some day.

Also, that tree looks just like mine! Give me all the Disney ornaments! :happy:
Click to expand...

I was so excited leading up to this trip and of course, the program delivered on so many levels. I'm happy to share bits and pieces without spilling all of the content but I can easily say it was the best personal development course I've attended. So many ideas that we've already started to slowly implement over the last few months. I'd highly recommend attending one if you get the chance.

As for the tree, we are out of room to display our ornament collection. Might have to get another one set up next year to make sure we can show all of our Disney decorations!
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Finally back at it…and I apologize that this post is pretty text heavy. I wasn't too sure what we could take pictures of so I was more living in the moment on this first day. Once we got a feel for what we could and couldn't do everyone seemed to snap more photos as the course went on.

With our first session of in-class learning over, our facilitators revealed that we were heading to EPCOT for a field experience, dinner and a special event to wrap up day one. We were asked to get into groups of three or four so we ended up splitting our table.

My group constituted of my new friend Henry from Louisiana and a very kind woman (whose name now escapes me) that works with the CIA in DC. Maybe for this practice its better I don’t reveal any names hahaha! We were handed an iPad with a pretty cool DI specific app that allows you to take photos and group them in order.

Our facilitators told us that when we arrived at the park we would have about 90 minutes to walk around and take 12 photos of service in action. We were all pretty excited to head out into the field and we jumped on two passenger buses and made the drive to EPCOT.

On the ride over many of the group members, we chatting and getting to know each other. As a Canadian, I found it very interesting to get an idea of what folks from around the US were feeling about the current political climate. I was super curious to get a take from someone within the intelligence agency based on some of the rhetoric that has been spread by members of the current administration. Without trying to take this off track, it seemed as if most people are quite concerned about the direction the States is headed but that’s neither here nor there.

We arrived at EPCOT and entered through the backstage area. We had to stop at the staff entrance and allow a security guard on the bus to check our bags and see our DI name tags. We ended up parking right outside Test Track and we all got a look at the Chevy cars parked backstage to persuade guests flying by on the open stretch of TT to look at the cars as opposed to the muted building and parking areas in the backstage area.

We entered the park and were set off to explore for the next 90 minutes. Our group decided to walk through the World Showcase and our first stop ended up being one of the Food and Wine kiosks to grab a cold beer. Henry is in sales and since most of his meetings involve conversation over drinks he was happy to stop and treat the group to a drink as we walked around looking for pictures.

Many others in the program would end up taking some time to jump on rides or tour through gift shops during their “work” time.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2a7NvEb]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I will say, one thing that became blatantly obvious after listening to the in-class session was how structured many of the Cast Members throughout the park are. Everything, of course, blends in seamlessly for regular guests but after seeing an early introduction to Disney’s approach to quality service, you could definitely see that the staff throughout the parks have been very well trained.

It wasn’t overly difficult to snap photos of service in action as we walked throughout World Showcase. One photo we took showed a CM pushing a young guest in a wheelchair back towards the first aid station, which I thought was going above and beyond. The distinct Disney garbage cans were a vital topic throughout the first class session so many groups took photos of the cans being used as tables or of the custodial CM’s cleaning them out. One group noticed a custodial CM on an iPhone which they thought represented poor service but as it was explained to us, the CMs have an app that they can check the garbage levels based on sensors installed in the cans to ensure they are able to keep things as clean as possible. That little nugget impressed the whole group and while the optics of the iPhone could be seen as someone not doing their job, the process behind it was pretty amazing.

When our fieldwork was completed, we all meet in Norway and were ushered above the Frozen ride into a large meeting room with a huge buffet spread waiting for us. We all had the chance to find a place to sit down and jump in line for the food. They had a delicious spread with a ton of options for people to enjoy. I was a little leery of the dish labeled “yard bird” (chicken) but it was excellent!

As we ate and got to know each other, our facilitators eventually came together and asked each group to select their favourite shot of service in action (good or bad) so they could be displayed on a large screen at the front of the room and could be discussed. Groups were able to get some great shots from around the park and it led to some really interesting conversation about Disney’s approach and how our organizations could utilize some of their practices.

All in, we were probably in our meeting room eating and discussing the field work for another 90 minutes. Once the last group presented their photo, we were told that our final surprise of the evening was VIP seating for the nightly Illuminations show. I was very excited having never seen Illuminations before and couldn’t wait to check it out.

As we wandered back outside, it had started to sprinkle a little. Thankfully it didn’t last very long but the group did get a tad wet as we walked from Norway over to our VIP location near Canada. When we arrived we were led right down to the water’s edge and handed special glasses. We were told to wear the glasses during the show (if we wanted) for an extra surprise.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aHXi47]Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Most of the group huddled as close to the water as possible as the show began.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Mpkk1B]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/P36VP3]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2b9CD96]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

The show was pretty cool, especially with such a close, unobstructed view and the added surprise of the glasses made it that much better. Here’s a bit of a look at what the glasses added.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aHXhMq]Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

The effect definitely add some Disney magic to the lights around the show, especially thre fireworks!

With the show over, our first day came to an end. We were led back to the buses that were now parked backstage behind the Canadian pavilion. Even as it was closing in on 10 pm, the energy was pretty high on the bus ride back to the Grand. The group clearly enjoyed day one and we were certainly looking forward to what was ahead of us. Having such great facilitators really added to the experience as well and they played off of each other so well.

We arrived back at the Grand shortly after ten and we said goodnight as we disbursed back to our rooms. The pool was still open for another hour so I thought I would head over for a quick dip in the hot tub before calling it a night.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/P35ft1]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Day one was an outstanding experience and I was very excited to build on what we had already learned. I knew at some point we would be doing some field work at Magic Kingdom as well which I was looking forward to but we weren’t told where we were heading until just before we left. I guess we’d wait to find out what our next stop would be tomorrow.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom