Here I am with one of the great friends I've met through my time as CMO; Disney fan, author, podcaster, and all-around great guy, Lou Mongello. He happened to be visiting Disney's Hollywood Studios™ and I try to never pass up a chance to let the magic of Disney bring friends together! Making Dreams Come True: Hollywood Style! As with each of my previous CMO journeys, one of the things I was most looking forward to was the chance to spend some quality time with the Dream Squad. This collection of some of the most energetic, passionate Cast Members who are empowered to go the extra mile when trying to create magic for our guests is one of the finest examples of what makes the Disney Parks such unique and unforgettable destinations. Throughout The Year of a Million Dreams the Dream Squad would distribute the highly sought after variety of prizes in predetermined allotments and at randomly computer generated times and locations (often referred to as 'Prize Drops'). When not on an official Prize Drop, the Dream Squad went out of their way to find delightful ways to enhance our Guests experiences. These times of spontaneous fun, brought on by a genuine desire to create happiness for the Guests were often some of the most enjoyable parts of my time with them.

Between my time celebrating with Michael Phelps and my incredible evening with the Ford family at Cirque du Soleil®La Nouba (if you haven't read part two of my August Adventure, be sure to check it out for all the details!) I was able to squeeze in a few hours at Disney's Hollywood Studios™ Park making some extra magic moments happen. One of the first assignments shortly after I arrived at the Park was to head over to Muppet*Vision 3-D for an official Prize Drop. We handed out a whole lot of special Year of a Million Dreams Mickey Ears to the lucky folks who happened to be in the right place at the right time. I was most definitely in the right place at the right time as I never want to pass up a chance to have this much fun with our Guests!

After we finished with the official responsibilities, it was time to really amp up the fun and the Guest interaction by grabbing some fun games and props and hitting the parade route before Block Party Bash got started. The high-energy street party style parade features some of your favorite characters from the Disney-Pixar movies in an interactive, dazzling display that is fun for all ages. People were lined up all along the route which gave us the perfect opportunities to play some games, dance with some of the kids (and a few of the adults!), and help the crowds beat the August heat with the best remedy of all - laughter! I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever rolled around on the ground playing 'parachute' with dozens of kids in front of crowd at a Disney Park. Hopefully it won't be the last!

Later in the afternoon, I walked through the Park with two of my great new Disney friends, Lisa and Patrick. They, along with their entire team (Danny, Andy, Molly, Bethany, Chris, Jenson, Anastasia, Jean, and Erik) couldn't possibly have been any more friendly or gracious toward me. We brightened some days, shared some laughs, I introduced them to some friends of mine who I randomly ran into (I love when that happens!), and we traded a lot of pins. I don't know if there is a better way to spend a day than this!

A Wildly Magical Day!




Just when I thought I couldn't meet a group of Cast Members as enthusiastic, entertaining, and determined to make each moment a dream-come-true for our guests as the Disney's Hollywood Studios™ Park Dream Squad, I awoke for my final day on this adventure and headed to Disney's Animal Kingdom® Park. I had one more day in Walt Disney World, one more chance to make some magic happen, and one more opportunity to meet a team of people who will forever symbolize for me what it means to be a true dreamer.



The Dream Squad at Disney's Animal Kingdom welcomed me with open arms and huge smiles and wasted no time helping me get acquainted with the specifics of their roles. We quickly got the day started in great Dream Squad fashion with a Prize Drop right near the entrance to It's Tough to be a Bug!® inside The Tree of Life. This time we were handing out Dream FASTPASSES® to some of the first Guests to arrive. We just made their day - and it had only just started!

Watching the members of the Dream Squad work is an awesome experience! After we finished distributing the allotment of FASTPASSES we moved on through the Park in search of more magical moments we could create. We met some wonderful Guests near Dinoland, U.S.A.® and we set them up with reserved priority seating for a later performance of Finding Nemo - The Musical.

As we strolled through Harambe village in Africa, we spotted a large group of Guests all decked out in Ears and great Disney Park attire who were obviously celebrating something special. We soon discovered they were the Mari and Pinto families who were travelling together all the way from Italy! After working our way around the language barrier (it is true that two things universally understood in any language are a smile and Disney!) the Dream Squad members and I wanted to do something really special for these families who had come almost half way around the world for the chance to experience the magic together.







Even the African wildlife seemed to realize that this was a special occasion. None of us had ever had a safari where the animals were quite this active and where we had as many fantastic photo opportunities. The giraffes couldn't wait to get a closer look at our special Guests!

Speaking of the wildlife, the Dream Squad manager for the day had an awesome surprise in store for all of us. After parting ways with our Italian friends, the entire Dream Squad and I had the chance to head backstage to meet the newest member of the Animal Kingdom elephant family. Tsalvo, an adorable two-month old baby elephant was learning all about his extended family and preparing for his opportunity to join them in roaming the savannah. We met with Danielle, one of the incredible caretakers who make sure that the elephants are always in great health. She shared with us the never-ending work that goes into caring for these immense yet beautiful animals.

After over a half an hour of learning more than I ever thought possible about elephant care and being mesmerized by the precious baby elephant, it was time to grab a quick lunch and then part ways with the fantastic Animal Kingdom Dream Squad. Everyone here at Disney's Animal Kingdom® Park- Steve, Betty, Linda, Drew, Kara, Linda, Lindsay, Ryan, Brandy, Penny, Josh, Aaron, Kaitlyn, and Mike - played a huge part in my experience as CMO and taught me valuable lessons about making magic for others with reckless abandon and pure joy. Is this really my life?



One More Chance to be a Part of the Magic

Before heading to the airport for my flight back to Pittsburgh, I had the time to make one more stop. After having such an incredible experience with T.C. Newman and Kerri MacPherson of the 2008 Walt Disney World Ambassadors team earlier on this trip, I couldn't pass up another chance to see more of the ways the keep the magic alive on a daily basis. I met up with Kerri backstage at Disney's Hollywood Studios™ so that I could join her for a presentation she was sharing with some of the Cast Members. The Ambassadors have a wide variety of presentations about the heritage and tradition of the Walt Disney Company as well as about the most current news from all of the Disney Parks around the globe committed to memory so that they can offer information and inspiration on a moment's notice.

In this case, Kerri was updating a team from Disney's Studios on the latest developments at each of the Disney Parks so that the Cast Members in this one location could gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the role that they play. It was a fascinating presentation. The Cast Members asked some great questions and were sincerely interested in learning what their counterparts around the world were experiencing. Kerri and T.C. are both very natural in front of crowds of any size, and in this room Kerri's genuine passion for Disney and enthusiasm for her fellow Cast Members was incredibly apparent. At the end of her presentation Kerri introduced me the Cast and I had one more opportunity to express my gratitude for all they do and to encourage them to keep up the great work!

With that it was time to pack the bags and catch my ride to the airport. This trip was full of more incredible experiences than I should have a right to see and do in an entire year. I still can't believe this was only my third official trip. What could the rest of my tenure possibly hold in store?

From the very first moments of introducing that wonderful family to the Cinderella Castle Suite, through the brilliant brainstorming sessions, through my time working with T.C. and Kerri who absolutely shine as the Walt Disney World Ambassadors, to meeting Michael Phelps, experiencing La Nouba from the front row with the heroic family from North Carolina, and getting on the front lines of the magic with the Dream Squad, I have a lifetime's worth of memories from these four incredible days. Thanks for coming along for the ride!

Have a magical day!

Justin Muchoney
Disney Parks Chief Magic Official