Back to top | Day 1- Looking the look and talking the talk

Early on the morning of Tuesday, May 13th I caught a ride to the Pittsburgh International Airport with my dad with my suitcase packed, my head full of dreams, and my stomach still holding a few butterflies. I couldn't believe I was off on my first great adventure as CMO!

I met Heath, the Promotions Manager for the CMO contest, at the airport. We then drove to Downtown Disney for a quick lunch at Earl of Sandwich. I had a few minutes to catch my breath, ask a bunch of questions, and learn more about what was in store. As little details were divulged, I realized that even my fertile imagination hadn't fully grasped just how incredible these trips were going to be.

After lunch we made the first of what would be several stops that had me walking around with my jaw hanging open and my eyes wide in awe. In order to fit the "Disney look" and because Disney's impeccable attention to detail truly covers everything, we paid a visit to a department called Creative Costuming. This group makes fantasy reality by creating costumes for special events on property, whether unique parade uniforms or special themed talent wardrobe for corporate meetings. This place was full of the kinds of visual treats that would dazzle any Disney fan as well as some incredible artistry that truly made me wonder, "How'd they do that?" And here I was getting fitted for a costume of my own

As CMO, I wear either khaki pants or shorts and an official Disney Parks CMO polo shirt. The shirts come in several shades of blue so that I can be sure to have one for every possible occasion.

The skilled cast members in Creative Costuming were very attentive and rushed alterations that day since I needed to be in front of cameras early the next morning.

After the Creative Costuming visit, I had the opportunity to head back to the Disney Destinations Marketing department in Celebration, FL. I was able to reconnect with some familiar faces from the April Competition. I can't explain how genuinely kind, enthusiastic, talented, and passionate every person I have encountered has been. The excitement and creativity that these Cast Members bring to their jobs - even though most of their work behind the scenes - is both incredible and inspirational.

I met with Julianna from the Public Relations team. She trained me on how to communicate with the media. She shared with me tips and advice on how to handle interviews, how to respond to questions, how to stay focused on my topics and areas of knowledge, and how to be the best representative of the Walt Disney Company that I can be. It was a truly fascinating crash course (and I've found her advice to be unbelievably valuable several times). I have to give a shout-out to Alejandro as well. He is an intern in Public Relations department who truly does embody the spirit, hospitality, and courtesy of a true Disney Cast Member! Afterwards, Benjamin, one of the PR managers on the CMO team took me to dinner in Celebration to help prepare me for the next day.

It was already the end of my first day on the job, so I retired to my resort for the evening. On this trip I had the pleasure of staying at Disney's Wilderness Lodge. What an incredible resort!

This was the view from my room. Talk about breathtaking!

I really wanted to explore all the Wilderness Lodge had to offer, but decided to head to my room and unpack. I knew I didn't have much time to rest, as I needed to be rested and ready for the next day...

Back to top | Day 2- Part 1: Up early to play with Toys

There are so many wonderful things to share from this trip, but I feel like the real details all start at 3:45 a.m. on Wednesday, May 14th. That's right, 3:45. In the morning. Those of you who know me will understand that the Disney Parks may just be the only thing that can get me out of bed at that time of day with a smile on my face! Regardless, that was when the alarm went off so that I could get up and start my first incredible day in the parks as the CMO.

My May assignment allowed me to play a part in the launching of a brand new attraction! It is a dazzling, entertaining, joyous ride you may have heard of called "Toy Story Mania!" (Can you tell I liked it?) For this special occasion, Disney's Hollywood Studios would be buzzing with media from all over the country as well as guests hoping for a little magic during the Year of a Million Dreams.

We gathered at Disney's Hollywood Studios at 5:00 in the morning at what was called a "TV Live Site". What this essentially means is that there were cameras, satellite feeds, and every tool needed to allow reporters to just step in front of a camera and communicate with their local stations audiences back home. To allow the reporters the richest newscast possible, Disney provided interviewees, props and the characters from Toy Story. That morning, I was interviewed by Mitch English from the Daily Buzz as a Disney representative; the next morning I would go live with a Fox affiliate from Charlotte, North Carolina.

I was interviewed by Mitch English from the Daily Buzz

I found the atmosphere enlightening during these early morning hours in the park. More than a dozen dancers and parade performers in full costume and makeup rode scooters, jumped on trampolines, and danced their hearts out during those wee hours of the morning. They helped to enhance the experience and make it even more "Disney" for the reporters and TV stations. I stood amazed at the number of cast members behind the scenes doing what they excel at: incredibly talented technicians, choreographers, media relations personnel, and especially the Imagineers.

During one of my amazing opportunities, I met Kevin Rafferty and the team of Imagineers who designed and created "Toy Story Mania!" I was present for the big press event at 1:30 in the afternoon which was complete with music, dancers, acrobats, hundreds of colorful Nerf balls shooting out of air cannons, and an address from Meg Crofton, President of Walt Disney World Resort.

Back to top | Day 2- Part 2: Two Magical Memories

There are two memorable moments I want to share: one was special because of a particular family; the other because I got to basically hand out smiles. Both allowed me to get back to my goal of one-on-one interactions with the guests and media.

Between Press event activities that morning, I met Homer, a cast member from the Dream Squad, who I met during the CMO competitions. I would be shadowing him for a few hours. After spending time greeting, guiding, directing, snapping photos, and just being a friendly face at the park entrance, we set off to accomplish our mission of finding two lucky families who would get a sneak peek at Toy Story Mania! - even before most of the media could ride! Homer guided me to Mickey's Sorcerer hat, where we would try to find the first lucky riders.

After only a few minutes I met this truly remarkable family from Minnesota. This was their first visit to Walt Disney World, they sadly had to leave their Dad back at home working, and these were three of the sweetest, most polite and appreciative kids I'd ever met. What a wonderful family! After helping to take a picture for them and getting to know a little about them, it was obvious that this group deserved a special surprise.

This is the family from Minnesota

They were extremely excited to be the first family on the ride. We decided to let the kids pass the magic along and decide on another awesome family to join us on the new attraction; they chose another family of four. We headed off to give them a magical experience only Disney can provide. Having the queue area all to ourselves was one of the first treats. The kids (and I!) soaked up all the details—childhood games blown up to immense proportions helped set the stage for the attraction to come. We took our time looking around. We stood for several minutes listening to Mr. Potato Head (an amazing audio-animatronic carnival barker who actually calls out traits of people in line) crack jokes and get us excited for the attraction that was just around the corner. Then it was time for us all to experience Toy Story Mania! for the first time.

This is the family from Providence

Wow! My first ride through was a blast and I was so consumed with the details and listening to make sure everyone was having a good time that I admittedly had tough time aiming! The scenes and ammo changed quickly, going from an egg throw at a barnyard to an outer space ring toss. My score was 72,000. I'm proud to report, however, that we returned later in the day for another go and I greatly improved my score to 119,000 - for those competitive types out there who want to compare scores!

I might remember my first feeling on that attraction for a long time, but I will never forget seeing the faces of these families when we exited the ride. The genuine excitement and joy was priceless. Knowing that I'm working for an organization that aims to see every guest experience this kind of happiness made me remember once again how really lucky I am!

The second great experience came later that afternoon. I joined Walt Disney World's Special Events team at Disney's Hollywood Studios' main entrance to welcome various print and online press who were arriving for the afternoon event and the chance to get a first-hand look at (and tell everyone the greatness of) the new attraction. After making sure each press member had registered and received their credentials, schedules, and a bag of event goodies, I spoke to each one of them about The Year of a Million Dreams and my role as CMO. The best part of all of this was that I gave every member of the media a Toy Story Mania! "Dreampass." This was a special card that had been created for this event which allowed a family the opportunity to ride Toy Story Mania on a day when they may have feared that only the members of the press would have the chance. But there was a catch . . .

Each Dreampass holder had to head into the park and seek out guests who looked like they could use a little magic that day and invite those guests to experience the attraction as well. What a wonderful idea! We now had the members of the media in on making magical moments happen. Every person I spoke with loved the concept and their expressions were priceless. For one day, they would get to be a Disney dream-maker and experience the joy of giving someone something truly memorable. Without a doubt, this was an unforgettable way to start my tenure as Chief Magic Official!

Justin Muchoney Disney Parks Chief Magic Official