Welcome Home

So our last portion of the Orlando training was Disney. Mike Scopa -from http://land.allears.net/blogs/mikescopa/ - recently wrote some articles about your 'hook' at Disney. Not the big things like seeing the castle or the Magic Kingdom sign when you get to Walt Disney World, but those smaller things that when you get there makes you feel like you are home at last. Well, mine is sort of literal. I just love when you get to the front desk at your resort and they say to you "Welcome Home". I just smile and say "thank you", sincerely. That is how I felt when I walked in to my room at the Boardwalk Resort and saw this on my bed. Ahhh, I am home. It had been a very busy and long week, and wasn't about to slow down, but at least I was home. =)

The first day we spent the whole day in a conference room just learning about all things Disney. Fun gifts to put in people's room and different ways to make our clients stay at Disney World just a little more magical. Right before lunch, as we were wrapping up that session, who should make a surprise visit? Well, I think you can see...


For a room of Disneyphiles, you can imagine the response. I won't say there were tears, well ok yes, there were tears.

After we finally got done with the 'school' portion of the day, we had the whole evening off to go to the Magic Kingdom!! Woohoo! Sharla and I took off and got as much done as we could. I love the way MK is decorated for the fall...


The next day we started out at Epcot in France. They had this whole breakfast set up for our little group before the park even opened. It was truly an enchanting experience. It was so quiet and peaceful and just a great experience.


Throughout that day we got to go and see so many neat things. We saw a bunch of stuff behind the scenes that I was absolutely not allowed to take pictures of, but one thing we got to see was their HR building. When you walk in, instead of seeing like pictures of the forefathers, these statues were all around the room...


So cute.

That night we finished off the evening in a room above the American Adventure for dinner. We could watch the Eat to the Beat concert out of the window and there were lots of hilarious shenanigans that took place. We were all given magic wands and then we were taken to Test Track, where we were taken to the front of the line and given a ride. Then we got to go to a dessert party for Illuminations and were given these amazing, what looked like 3-D, glasses, that made all the fireworks look like Mickey Heads. I don't even know how to really describe it, but we must have looked like maniacs because every time the fireworks went off, we all were like FREAKING OUT. People must have thought we had never seen fireworks in our life.

To end the night we were taken backstage in to a back entrance to Soarin'. I LOVE Soarin'. So to get an after hours private ride was a perfect way to end the week.

I was only gone for a week for this training, but it was so busy and intense, it felt like a month. I was so glad to get home, but it was a wonderful experience. I would never have been able to experience it without MEI and Mouse Fan Travel letting me be a part of their team, so thanks to them!