50th Merch. Event Seminars Now Posted

[Disneynut]

The information regarding the seminars for the 50th Merchandise event is posted at disneygallery.com

Seminar Info

Registration for the Seminar Random Selection Process will be available beginning Tuesday, June 14, 2005 (Time TBD). Entries must be completed by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific) on Sunday, June 19, 2005.

JULY 15, 2005

The following seminars/workshops will be offered on July 15th.
Each session will be held twice daily.

Art By Design – On the Road with a Disney Artist Fee: $10
Step into the world of animation, and see how your Disney favorites are created with Disney Artist, Stacia Martin. Stacia will present a fascinating program detailing her 27 year history with Disney – and other surprises await those who attend these fun-filled Art by Design sessions. (Capacity: 40 Guests per session)

Music to Your Ears – The Magic of Atmosphere Talent
Ever wonder where the music that you hear wafting through each land originates? Then immerse yourself in the magic as you gain a new appreciation for the sounds and musical talents of Disneyland park with the help of our Talent Booking Director and former Disneyland Band Leader, Stan Freese. (Capacity: 100 Guests per session)

Cooking for Mickey & Friends – Culinary Magic Fee: $10
Napa Rose, rated #1 in the Zagat Survey since it’s opening in 2001, celebrates the natural bounty of California from its seacoast to its rich farmland, ranches and vineyards – and showcases the wine country cuisine of Executive Chef Andrew Sutton in a theater kitchen that becomes a show in itself. Andrew Sutton will be on hand to provide a detailed step by step instruction, while he prepares some of the delicious items from his repertoire. A sampling will be given out to the lucky attendees of this seminar. What a treat!
(Capacity: 90 Guests per session)

Creating the Magic – Back Stories of the Disney Attractions
Join 27-year Imagineering veteran & Senior Concept Writer and Director, Kevin Rafferty, as he shares back-stories from Disney attractions around the world. Kevin will take you from start to finish, from concept to reality, as he unveils how the magic of Walt Disney Imagineering takes shape. (Capacity: 200 Guests per session)

Your Home is Your Castle - Disney Fantasy Table Décor & Setting
Live in a fairytale world, as you learn how to prepare a fantasy table display for your friends and family with the help of our Disneyland Entertainment Art Team. Then be our guest, as you join Disney’s Grand Californian®Hotel Banquet Manager, Enache Popp, who will share what it takes to set a table fit for a king. (Capacity: 120 Guests per session)


JULY 16, 2005

The following seminars/workshops will be offered on July 16th.
Each session will be held twice daily.

Art By Design – On the Road with a Disney Artist Fee: $10
Step into the world of animation, and see how your Disney favorites are created with Disney Artist, Stacia Martin. Stacia will present a fascinating program detailing her 27 year history with Disney – and other surprises await those who attend these fun-filled Art by Design sessions. (Capacity: 40 Guests per session)

Creating the Magic – Back Stories of the Disney Attractions
Join 27-year Imagineering veteran & Senior Concept Writer and Director, Kevin Rafferty, as he shares back-stories from Disney attractions around the world. Kevin will take you from start to finish, from concept to reality, as he unveils how the magic of Walt Disney Imagineering takes shape. (Capacity: 200 Guests per session)

Molding the Magic Disney Style Fee: $10
Feel your creative juices flow, as you learn to mold and sculpt some of your favorite Disney Characters with the help of Walt Disney Imagineer, Instructor & Sculptor, Valerie Edwards. Once your mouse-terpiece is complete, take it home, where you can show your friends and family your artistic prowess. (Capacity: 100 Guests per session)

Disney Treasures to Discover - Windows on Main Street, U.S.A. and Hidden Mickey’s
See through the windows on Main Street, U.S.A. to the backstories of the honorees who have been awarded this high Disney honor, with the help of Walt Disney Imagineer Show Writer, Christine Goosman. Then discover some of the Mickey Mouse shaped images, hidden throughout the Resort, via design elements and clever Walt Disney Imagineering embellishments. (Capacity: 100 Guests per session)

How Does Your Garden Grow? - Disneyland Style Gardening Fee: $10
Learn how to nurture and prune tiny trees and shrubs to create a fairy tale-like setting in your garden at home. Disneyland Horticulturist, Rhonda Wood will share secrets and tips on techniques used to create the miniatures growing in the Storybook Land attraction.
(Capacity: 80 Guests per session)

[Circarama]

If I'm not mistaken, the top 3 tier packages qualify for these seminars, right? If that's right, that's a total of 311 guests.
Walt's Dream Package - 78 Guests
Roy's Plan Package - 46 Guests
Lillian's Inspiration - 187 Guests
Which means that we shouldn't have too much trouble getting into at least a couple of the seminars that we want over the 2 day period. Very Cool!!

[superphred]

sounds like fun! too bad I only have the quest package.
if a seminar gets low attendance, do they ever open them up to the lower packages?

[DisneyParkFan]

So which seminars are you guys signing up for?
I'm not one of the package attendees so I'm just asking out of curiousity.

[Disneynut]

So which seminars are you guys signing up for?

I am not 100% sure as of yet, but the two of most interest at this moment are:

Creating the Magic – Back Stories of the Disney Attractions

Disney Treasures to Discover - Windows on Main Street, U.S.A. and Hidden Mickey’s

[jmuboy]

- Creating the Magic – Back Stories of the Disney Attractions

- Disney Treasures to Discover - Windows on Main Street, U.S.A. and Hidden Mickey’s

- How Does your Garden Grow

These are the three shirts I must get into.

[jmuboy]

Has anyone done their RSPs for this yet? It looks to me like if you don't get your first choice of seminars for a time slot you are not able to get a 2nd choice to attend a seminar that is not full? The RSP seems to be set up so that you only get one choice per time slot and if your first choice is full, oh well...you're outta luck. Maybe I just don't understand the form.

[Disneynut]

No, you have the information correct. Another major mistake on behalf of whoever does this at WDES. I signed up and could not believe that you have no second choice available to you. In addition, they are now allowing those at the Imagineers Quest level to sign up as well.

I do not have a problem with those at the Imagineers level being part of this, but at least allow those from the Walt, Roy and Lillian package to get their choices (these are the packages who paid for this) and then allow those from the Imagineer level (this was NOT an element of their package) to fill in the extra space.

[jmuboy]

Well, I have to say all the issues that others have had with this event HAVE NOT bothered me and I've been happy as a clam about this event. I've actually been a big Pollyanna (as they say) about this event gleefully throwing out my credit card number every time Disney asked for it. However, this seminar thing is one thing that does upset me. I could possibly be shut out of all my choices and end up paying $$$ for nothing. That's makes me very unhappy. Hopefully I'll get a quick response from the email I just sent Event Services.

[Disneynut]

Well, I have to say all the issues that others have had with this event HAVE NOT bothered me and I've been happy as a clam about this event. I've actually been a big Pollyanna (as they say) about this event gleefully throwing out my credit card number every time Disney asked for it. However, this seminar thing is one thing that does upset me. I could possibly be shut out of all my choices and end up paying $$$ for nothing. That's makes me very unhappy. Hopefully I'll get a quick response from the email I just sent Event Services.

This is what I have been saying all along. I have had a lot of people disagree with my posts until one of the elements of the event that they are passionate about gets changed. None of this is personal between myself and other guests. WDES will continue to take our money and screw us each chance they can. Although I have not been affected by each change or blunder, they do compromise the experience of all in attendance and we should fight as one collective group for change.

[Disneynut]

For those who remain upset about the way that the 50th event is run, I suggest calling Martha Blanding, Event Manager directly at 714-781-4390. Voice your opinions and thoughts if you so desire. If you are unhappy, say so and ask for change.

I will be the first to admit that others have suggested that I call her. I have not called Martha recently due to her constant use of the "Disney Jedi Mind Trick" where she tells you in response to each complaint "everything will be fine" or "your experience will not be changed".

As of today 6/14/05, Martha claims that few, if any, have called to complain about how things are being handled. We should also realize that the last time Martha used the phrase "few, if any" meant a 60% increase in the number of those attending this event.

For those who are truly upset over the constant changes, let management know via a direct phone call. Maybe we can finally get what was promised to us and I can stop my online bitching.

[AmandasDad]

No, you have the information correct. Another major mistake on behalf of whoever does this at WDES. I signed up and could not believe that you have no second choice available to you. In addition, they are now allowing those at the Imagineers Quest level to sign up as well.

I do not have a problem with those at the Imagineers level being part of this, but at least allow those from the Walt, Roy and Lillian package to get their choices (these are the packages who paid for this) and then allow those from the Imagineer level (this was NOT an element of their package) to fill in the extra space.

Disneynut, I owe you a big apology This really does take the cake. I was feeling like they were trying to make the best of a screwed up situation with mis-signing up people by honoring all the reservations. But this ain't right. Imagineers should get a chance to sign up after the others. And an alternate choice would not have been a problem if they know what they were doing. I hope the end result won't be a total Charlie Foxtrot for you.

Sincerely,
-AmandasDad

[Disneynut]

Disneynut, I owe you a big apology This really does take the cake. I was feeling like they were trying to make the best of a screwed up situation with mis-signing up people by honoring all the reservations. But this ain't right. Imagineers should get a chance to sign up after the others. And an alternate choice would not have been a problem if they know what they were doing. I hope the end result won't be a total Charlie Foxtrot for you.

Sincerely,
-AmandasDad

Thank you very much! That was very nice of you and I appreciate your taking the time to post. My pointing out the errors of WDES is to ensure that everyone who is attending this event gets what they paid for. This event continues to planned on the fly without regard for those who have already paid their money. I hope that direct communication with those at WDES will bring about change and make this event all it can be!

[Circarama]

I received an email from Walt Disney Event Services (WDES) on Monday, informing me that the Random Selection Process (RSP) for the seminar/workshop portion of the 50th anniversary "Magical Memories" event was now open.

Upon reading further, I discovered that not only was there a very real possibility that I would not get into the seminars that I wanted (since there wasn't an option for a second or third choice), but that WDES is now planning on selling access to event attendees that registered for the "Imagineers Quest" portion of the event. This package NEVER had access to the seminar/workshops as an element of the package!

After calling WDES this morning, and not having my questions answered satifactorily, I received a callback from Martha Blanding, the manager for this event, regarding my disappointment with the way that the seminar RSP is being run.

Martha was very nice and she tried to answer my concerns. When she was not able to answer a question, she told me she would get back to me and she did. We had 3 seperate conversations. The upshot of the conversations was this; WDES is going to try very hard to make sure that everyone who is registered in the top 3 tiers of this event gets the seminars that they want.

I don't want to cast Martha in a bad light. As I said before, she was very nice and we had a good repoire on the phone. I was previously under the impression that the reason they were limiting access to the seminars was because there weren' enough seminars or seats to allow everyone into two seminars per day. I was fine with that, until I found out that there are going to be 550 seats per hour available for Friday's seminars and 480 seats per hour available for Saturdays seminars. Given the fact that there are only 311 guests that signed up for the top 3 tiers, then theoretically everyone registered for this event can attend two seminars a day.

I explained to Martha that the way the RSP is currently set up, the attendees are being asked to pick one (per hour) seminar that they would really like to attend. Which is difficult given that there are 5 GREAT seminars being given every hour. But you can only pick one. Then, WDES will go thru the "Walt's Dream" attendees first and award them the seminars they want. Then they will go thru the "Roy's Plan" attendees and award them the seminars that they want. Finally. they will attempt to award the "Lillians Inspiration" attendees with their seminars. The trouble with this is that by the time they get to the "Lillian" portion of the seminars, some of the seminars willl be filled up. Without knowing what we want for a 2nd or 3rd choice, WDES will not be able to place us in a "2nd choice" seminar and we will be left out of another seminar that has room for us.

It was at this point that she explained to me that EVERONE registered for this event in the top three tiers is going to get into at least ONE seminar per day. To which I responded, "why only one?" I further explained that according to the number of available seats and the number of registrants, that it is possible for every registrant into TWO seminars a day.

I further explained that my feeling was that each seminar given was going to be special, given the fact that there would be a different audience for each seminar with different topics being discussed, depending on the types of questions being asked. I explained that I would happily attend the same seminar twice, rather than cool my heels in the lobby of the Disneyland Hotel.

I went on to suggest that if they can take the time to sell seminars to members of the "Imagineers Quest" package, WDES could certainly take the time to see to that everyone in the top three tiers were satisfied with the seminar portion of their package first.

I also expressed my concern that after the seminar RSP, that WDES would contact attendees of the top three tiers with the RSP results by US Mail, rather than e-mail, which would allow WDES enough time to sell the remaining seminar seats to the "Imagineers Quest" attendees. Martha was incredibly patient with me and assured me that the top three tiers would have their seminar issues resolved before any of the seminars were opened up to members of the "Imagineers Quest" package. She also expressed more than once that all of these issues are going to be revisited.

She also told me that my phone call was one of only two that she had received regarding this portion of the event. Since guest input seems to make a big difference at WDES, I would strongly encourage anyone registered for this event in the top three tiers to call Martha Blanding, Event Manager directly at 714-781-4390.

I got off the phone feeling slightly perplexed. Although I had received a tremendous amount of reassurance, there really wasn't any resolution. Hopefully, since this issue is being addressed prior to the closure of the seminar RSP, that WDES will revisit this issue and come up with a solution that will be satisfactory to all of the parties concerned.

[jmuboy]

The DIZPINS.com board is livid over this situation. I guess it seems that it would just be easier to ask all guests to rank the 5 seminars in terms of interest and then have the ES staff place us according to package first and then our preferences second. This is not rocket science.