Disney Heritage Class 1

Tuesday was the first day of my Disney Heritage class. This class is just a seminar, so we don't have assignments or grades or anything. We just sit in the classroom for two hours each week and listen to the instructor talk about Disney history! This is definitely a great class for anyone who just wants to learn about Disney. For all of the people who do the college program and don't learn anything about Disney, it is because they didn't take this class. I am really excited for what is to come.

In class on Tuesday, our instructor told us about himself and all of the different roles he has had with the company. He did his college program about 17 years ago. He was a park greeter at Disney's Hollywood Studios, back when it was MGM Studios and you had to stamp the tickets instead of scanning them. He hated it. This was also at the time where CP's didn't get to pick their roommates because there was only one apartment complex available. They were just put in whichever apartment had an empty bed. He didn't really care for that either. Once he graduated college, he became a manager at the Disney Store, then he joined the opening team for Coronado Springs resort, and after a few different roles, he worked with college and international recruiting, then he was on the opening team for Aulani, and now he works for Disney Programs and Internships.

After informing the class of his history with the Disney company, he told us a story about his trip to Marceline, Missouri. If you don't know, Marceline is the city that Walt Disney considered to be his hometown. He lived there for a part of his childhood. Marceline was Walt's inspiration for Main Street, USA in Disneyland. My instructor, David, and three other cast members decided to drive to Marceline for the day when they were out visiting different colleges in the area. When they arrived in Marceline, they all took pictures of each other near the gazebo in the middle of town. While they were taking pictures, a woman was walking by and asked if they all wanted to be in the picture together. They were all very excited because this is something that always happens on Disney property. After taking the pictures, they headed over to the old railroad station which is now a museum. They were so excited to visit the museum until they realized it was closed for the entire winter. This left them disappointed, so they tried looking into the windows of the museum to see if they could see anything. Most things were covered up, so they weren't overly successful. While they were looking in the windows, the museum curator walked by and asked if they wanted to go inside. Then he lead them to Walt Disney Elementary School, where the flag that was originally flown at Disneyland is now flying. He showed them around the school and then suggested they visit the theater in town square because there were more pictures and stories there. (Town Square Theater is where you currently meet Mickey and the princesses in Magic Kingdom) They went to the theater and the owner showed them around. They learned that above the theater was a bed and breakfast. The owner told them that if they didn't have reservations, they were welcome to stay there. They canceled their reservations and stayed there anyway. The owner of the theater and bed and breakfast called the owner of the Disney House to see if she was home. She wasn't, but she let her know when she would be and said the guests could stop by when she got home. When they arrived, she was on the porch waiting for them, waving as they pulled up the drive. David said she welcomed them into her home, made them tea and snacks, told stories about "Uncle Walt," gave them a tour, and even showed them Walt's bedroom. She also showed them the barn out back. The barn has been rebuilt because the original barn was deteriorating and was unsafe. The new barn was built so that it looked as much like the original as possible. Since it is not the original, she decided to make a tradition out of it. Any time a Disney Cast Member, past or present, visits the barn, they can leave a message for Walt on the walls of the barn. David said it was incredible to see messages written by so many cast members and be able to write his own message. That was the end of his story about Marceline. I thought it was a great story. My roommate, Sarah, and I decided that we want to go to Marceline now!

Today I was friends with Stitch at Epcot. It was super fun. Stitch is a very fun character. He is very curious, but he is also a troublemaker, so as long as you aren't defacing others' property, you can get away with a lot. I had a great time with Stitch. Whenever he would find a cool pen or something, he would try to keep it, but always ended up giving it back in the end. Sometimes, he would try to balance the pens or books on kids heads. It never worked, so he would blame it on the kid so he wouldn't get in trouble with Lilo later. The guests loved it. My attendant seemed to have a good time with it too. A little girl gave me a trading pin with Stitch on it. I was really excited about this. I absolutely love when kids give the characters gifts. No matter what it is, it's always a big deal. Even if it is just a picture they colored or a card they found on the ground. It doesn't matter. They thought that character would like to have it rather than keeping it for themselves. It's so nice to see that children can still give gifts wholeheartedly. I love watching it happen. I always make sure to give the kid a big hug after they give me a gift so they know I truly appreciate it.

I hope everyone had a lovely day! :) It was a beautiful day here in Orlando.... FINALLY.