Adventures by Disney Backstage Magic – Day 3

MouseFanTravel President Beci Mahnken was part of the first ever Adventures by Disney Backstage Magic Tour!

Here is Day3 of her blog – Making Magic:

Since the theme for the day is Making Magic, now is a great time to tell you about our guides.

But, before I do, let me just say, I was never keen on the idea of group travel. It always conjured up thoughts of waiting on people who are slower then I am or trying to catch up to people going faster then I am and trying not to be that person holding up the group, yet still wanting to avoid being rushed. You get the picture. Then I went on my first Adventures By Disney to London & Paris and my whole idea of what group travel was, well, changed.

Each adventurer has at least one thing in common when we walk in the door – a love for all things Disney and we can share our stories of being a fan, how many times we have been on various theme park rides (Tower of Terror!!!) or the crazy things we do to avoid riding on others. (For me – anything that has anything to do with water) Anyway. That one thing bonds the group right out of the gate and you find you enjoy being around these people as if it was a group of longtime friends who have gathered each year and miss each other in between trips. Then when you get home, you miss them. Seriously.

The guides play a key role in the success of that group dynamic. They create a warm welcoming feeling the moment you meet them and help everyone get to know each other with the greatest of ease. And for me, there is an added benefit. I am usually the one having to stress about the details. Even on vacation with my family there is an element of stress to make sure everything is as magical as it can possibly be.

Adventures By Disney takes care of everything with the kind of TLC that I give my clients and my family on their vacations. And after 3 of these trips I can say I am extremely pleased with the consistency. These folks are on top of everything and you can turn to them for assistance at anytime. They always respond with a smile and are a great example of the Disney service standard we are all so accustomed to.

The magic makers on this trip? Diana & Quinn

Diana (pronounced deeana) is a 13 year veteran of the Walt Disney Company. She has had a wide variety of experience including Food Ops, Administration, Walt Disney Travel Company and was a guide on the Spirit of America Adventure. She is extremely friendly, has an infectious smile and is at ease with everyone in the group, especially the kids.

Quinn is also a long timer, having dedicated 14 years to Disney. He started in attractions in Fantasyland, worked his way into guest relations and earned his plaid vest which is a very high honor to achieve. Most recently working in communications, he has been a finalist for the Disneyland Ambassador position which with his knowledge and stellar service skills, he would be a natural at that job.

My only complaint so far on this trip? Having to be up and packed, ready for luggage pick up at 7 am. Somehow I managed to sleepwalk my way though the packing process and set the luggage just inside the door for the hotel bell services to retrieve and transport to the bus.

Then I remembered – its IMAGINEERING DAY!

I’m wide awake now! We head to breakfast at a restaurant in the hotel called Twist. They had a very nice breakfast buffet with eggs, a variety or meats, fruits, cereals, and breads. A great way to start the day!

After breakfast we all gathered in the lobby and began squealing like 8th graders about the days itinerary. The bus was a bit delayed in LA traffic, so Quinn handed out our id badges for the day. Oh that was cool and it felt like we were holding winning lotto tickets.

Once the bus arrived we loaded up and headed out on the 45 minute ride to Disney Imagineering. Along the way we were given some news.

First – before leaving the bus we would be required to hand over all cameras and cell phones and leave them on the bus.

Second – We would be allowed 30 minutes to shop in the very exclusive “Mickey’s of Glendale”. This is the Cast member store that is the only place where you can purchase Disney Imagineering gear. This store is not open to the public, so it’s a very special benefit to this adventure and the news completely drown out the disappointment of having to leave my camera behind.

But wait! There’s more! — Each person in the group will also get a coupon good for 40% off ONE item. I just about had heart failure as I started digging on my wallet to ensure I had an appropriate credit card! More on that in a bit.

As we made the left turn past the buildings, it was hard to tell anything Disney was going on, unless you were paying attention to the address markers which are shaped like a cast member name tag, or if you happen to get a glimpse of something Disney in a window now and then.

Below are some of the exterior shots before we had to put away the cameras.

We got off the bus and met David, an imagineer who would be our guide to all the wonders beyond the glass doors in front of us. As we entered the building we walked down a long hallway that was decorated with various posters and drawings commemorating the history of Disney including attractions, films and events.

The hallway itself was like being in a museum and we could have spent hours staring at each of the pieces along the way. But there was a schedule to keep so we made our way to room full of chairs and a screen where we saw a presentation on the history of Imagineering and some news on upcoming projects that have been officially announced.

After the presentation, we were split into our 2 groups and off we went to visit a few of the departments to see what’s happening. Our first stop is the sculpture studio. When you walk in you are greeted with a large room with a high ceiling and glass cabinets around the perimeter of the room filled with pieces. Valerie, also an imaginer/sculptor who studied under one of the masters Blaine Gibson, introduced us to the marquettes (pre-mold) they use as part of the process to get to the size they want for the project. There were examples of the presidents heads, many characters, Walt, Mickey and even the marble Snow white and seven dwarfs sculptures that were in Disneyland park but were replaced after years of wear and tear..

Next we moved to a sweet sound studio where we enjoyed an amazing sound presentation of the technology they use for the Lincoln attraction. Anyone remember the Civil War presentation where you are the young soldier getting his haircut? It’s also available for your hearing pleasure at Sounds Dangerous. It was the same technology with the headphones and all, but plus’d up a notch or two in the dark. It was extremely cool! Of course you automatically assume it’s a trick with the headphones, but in fact, the headphones themselves are pretty much standard, straight off the rack variety.

He explained the recording process was actually the real wonder with the ingenious use of a head with strategic microphone placement and recording processes that produces a recording of the sounds just as a human would hear them. They have a head rigged with microphones that they affectionate call “Klaus” and apparently have put the poor guy through all kinds of paces for the love of realistic sound.

From there we moved down a hallway past a large open area with mock ups and models of what appeared to be the designs for the new and improved California Adventure Park. Of course, nothing was close enough to see detail and it was very noticeable that anything within our eye line was already out there for public consumption, but still, it was magical!

Last stop on the tour, before shopping of course, was a visit to Joe Cocker. This is A100 animatronic that put on quite a show, even without skin. It allowed you to see the skeleton and wiring as a demo to see what it really takes to make a human form move and sing. Why Joe Cocker? Seems his favorite tune is “Feelin Alright” complete with back up singers in the form of 3 heads (no bodies) on a table a couple of feet away.

After the demonstration, we exited the building into a courtyard where there were a couple of vintage ride vehicles like a people mover and a skyway bucket from Fantasyland.

In front of us was a building with “Mickey’s of Glendale” on the side, and I heard the words, “You have 30 minutes to shop and your time starts now!” For those Top Chef fans out there, I felt like it was a quick fire challenge, or as if I just stepped into a twisted game show of grab as much as you can in 30 minutes, but then you have to pay for it!

It was a frenzy of finding the right sizes, shapes and colors for everyone on the list. Then I had an idea. I saw some very special items that I thought might be of particular interest to Disney fans, especially those attending MagicMeets! So I bought a few items that will be added to the silent action for the Dream Team Auction. Watch the announcements on the auction site!

Periodically you would hear off in the distance, “you have 10 minutes left to shop”. “You have 3 minutes left to shop” – Personally I am hoping they have a security tape of that day – it would be a great to watch the mayhem! Side note – Thanks to all the folks who ended up behind me in the check out line. Its for a great cause and I appreciated your patience.

After the feeding frenzy at the shopping stop, Michelle and I loaded our multiple oversized, overstuffed bags on the bus and we headed to the next stop. Walt Disney Studios.

oh! one thing I wanted to mention – A couple of times on the trip we experienced true magical moment or two but even though others are posting the spoiler, I will refrain from detailing it here. I want you to feel that’s sense of “Oh! My! God!” the way I did.

Read Beci’s Entire Backstage Magic Blog!

Beci Mahnken is the President/CEO of MEI & MouseFanTravel.com . To date she is a veteran of 3 Adventures By Disney trips, more then 40 cruises including 16 with Disney and countless Walt Disney World and Disneyland adventures. Read her blog on the London and Paris Adventure by Disney.

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