BREAKING: Selfie Sticks Entirely Banned at Walt Disney World; Hong Kong and Paris to Follow

Previously, Disney banned selfie sticks on rides, to the surprise of some Guests. However, it makes total sense: there's a reason that before each ride, you're warned about keeping your hands, arms, feet and legs inside the vehicle.

It's just plain dangerous.

People on Big Thunder extending selfie stick beyond reach envelopes. This HAS to stop!!! #BanSelfieSticks #Dangerous pic.twitter.com/7MOnymAEWN

— Theme Park Review (@ThemeParkReview) January 10, 2015

Many of us hoped that Disney should take it a step further and completely ban the sticks from the Parks entirely. (Here's 5 reasons why.)

Finally, they've done it.

Even the Big Cheese and his girlfriend can't do this!
Image via a Google search.

Effective June 30, all selfie sticks will not be permitted inside Walt Disney World, for any reason. Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Paris are to follow suit soon, WDWNT reports. According to the same report, though not officially confirmed by Disney:

By July 2015, guests will not be permitted to even bring these items into any of the Walt Disney World theme parks due to safety concerns imposed by the items being brought onto rides (and the rather careless ways some guests use them when not on attractions). Guest relations cast members will be assigned to the security screening areas in front of all of the parks to assist the security cast in dealing with guests trying to bring their “selfie sticks” in. If found, guests can opt to take the stick with them and leave, or they can check it with the guest relations cast member who will have the item stored, give the guest a ticket, and request that they retrieve the item upon leaving the park later that day.

Personally, I am quite glad they finally banned them...as tempted as I was to buy a selfie stick for use as a monopod... What are your thoughts?

ttfn!

***UPDATE***

After all, usually one's not in Walt Disney World alone...why not just have a friend take a picture? Or if you want a friend in the photo, ask someone to take your photo for you!

A Better Kind of Selfie Stick: "Friend"
A Better Kind of Selfie Stick: "Friend" - Finally, take selfies so good they're just called "pictures".
Posted by CollegeHumor on Wednesday, June 24, 2015 

***UPDATE***

Apparently, the reason this policy is going into effect is as a response to the California Screamin' roller coaster incident on Wednesday. The Disneyland ride was stopped after a guest pulled out a selfie stick on the coaster.

What's the lesson learned? Obey the rules. They're there for a reason. Because at Disney, safety is the most important of the Four Keys.

DCP: A Guide to Traditions!

Everyone in the Disney College Program has to go through Traditions, which is the orientation overview to the Walt Disney Company, specifically Walt Disney World. You'll have orientation pertaining to your role later, and then orientation at your location, followed by actual role training.

But the first step is Traditions. And the best part?

After Traditions, you become an official Cast Member, with free entrance into the theme parks, finally!

Your day begins on the bus ride to Disney University, where your Traditions "class" takes place.

Regular classes offered during the DCP are usually here too, though
mine is at Chatham.

I was in group A, and we pretty much deducted that it was organized alphabetically by last name. So if your roommate's last name starts with the same letter as yours, you'll probably end up together! Sadly, Dana and I were separated the entire day.

My name on our classroom screen!

You're ushered into a room, and the leaders start off with some trivia to earn special pins. These pins can only be received at Traditions, so don't expect me to be trading mine any time...ever!

The more you know, the more pins you can earn! Fellow vlogger Sam
earned two pins for knowing two answers.

Eventually, your leaders begin the session. I had Jen, who works in Entertainment, and Tasha, who works in stocking. They were really great, bringing a whole level of fun to the slow day!

What do I mean by 'slow'? Well, the entire morning is spent going over what working for the Walt Disney World really means. For example: what's the goal here at Disney? It's all very important to know, but without a bit of lightheartedness, it can become painfully slow and dull.

Luckily, with good leaders, it won't be!

At each table sat a red box. We were told quite explicitly not to open them, and about halfway through the day, we were allowed to. Inside were our very own pair of Mickey ears, as a gift from Disney to us.

I can't wait to get mine personalized!

So, briefly, what all is discussed during Traditions?

Be prepared to learn some of Disney's business success secrets, their special "language," the Four Keys, creating magical moments and interacting with Guests, and a look back at Walt's life. (Tip: it gets emotional at that point!)

We watched many videos of Guests explaining how Cast Members made their vacation extra magical, and how the Cast Members responded to the Guests' letters. There were videos of children being told they were going to Walt Disney World and their reactions to the news. Ladies, you're going to want to bring a wad of tissues!

Let's step back for a moment. What are the Four Keys? These are Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency. These are integral to success at any branch of the Walt Disney Company. And you will never stop hearing about them while on your Disney journey -- they are that important!

The best part of Traditions comes around lunch time: a special visit to the Magic Kingdom to see these Four Keys in action!

Since we can't get into the theme parks until receiving our Disney IDs at Traditions, this was my first visit to Magic Kingdom since arriving for the DCP!

Yes, I'm aware there's a pole coming out of my head.
Was it intentional. Maybe. (No. Always no.)

We were able to go into the "utilidors"--or, the underground tunnels that make up the real first floor of Magic Kingdom. This was my favorite part of the day, as I'd been dying to explore these tunnels for year! I can't tell you anything (Disney secrecy at its finest, folks) but they are pretty incredible! And very efficient.

When you get back to the classroom, the leaders quiz you over what you saw, and then say something like this: "Well, we had some Cast Members, experts in the Four Keys, show you how to utilize them in action. Now we need an expert in magic to help us finish up your time here!"

Cue Mickey Mouse.

Proud to say I wasn't a bit scared!

Jen announced that Mickey Mouse had brought us something a little special. Inside a gold gift-wrapped box were our official Disney nametags, sprinkled with a little extra pixie dust by the Big Cheese himself!

Mickey left to create more magic right after this, but it was nice
to see our new boss on our first day!

And with that, your time at Traditions is completed, making you an official Disney Cast Member. Welcome to the team!

The loot of an official Cast Member!
Earned Donald and Goofy for volunteering in class. Make sure
to raise your hand and speak up!

Watch my video below of my first Cast Member trip to Magic Kingdom, as well as Sam's vlog featuring me in a cameo role!





See you all real soon!

'Inside Out' Opens, Characters Appear in Parade Float at DCA

Pixar's Inside Out opens today, and at the Disney Freak's Blog, we couldn't be more excited! Very soon, I'll see the movie and post my review!

Get to know the little voices inside your head - TODAY at a theater near you! #insideout #Pixar #disneyside #disneysidecast #Disney #joy #anger #sadness #disgust #fear #emotions #majoremotionpicture #mollythedisneyfreak #mollytdf #silly #goofy #WeAreFunny

A photo posted by Molly the Disney Freak (@mollythedisneyfreak) on Jun 19, 2015 at 8:57am PDT

In conjunction with the film's release, the emotional stars of the movie are now appearing in a pre-parade float in Pixar Play Parade at Disney California Adventure.

I can't get over how cute Sadness is.
Also, I imagine that Fear and Disgust are on the other side.
Both images via Disney Parks Blog.

Love using Riley's memories as props.

The meet and greet characters debuted at the Hollywood premiere and previously appeared at a special Inside Out meet-up at Downtown Disney earlier this month.

As soon as a video of the float is uploaded, I will update this post to include it!

Love Inside Out? Check out this sale on merchandise inspired by the major emotion picture.

ttfn!

***UPDATE***

SoCal Attractions 360 has provided this short and sweet video of the pre-parade float. The emotions are created through animatronic figures versus costumed characters, which I didn't realize till I watched the video. Also, look very closely to find Fear!



I have to say, I'm a little disappointed in the float. While the animatronics are extremely well-done, with plenty of smooth movement, there's definitely a lack of energy. Perhaps using more music and less dialogue would help, and giving the dancers something to do that's more interactive with the crowd would definitely improve the overall feel. Of course, once more people have seen the movie, I'm sure there will be more reaction from the crowd.

However, points to Disney for Anger's head actually lighting on fire -- that's really cool!

DCP Bucket List: Conquering the Kitchen Sink?

Within our first week at Walt Disney World, my roommates and I decided to cross an item off our bucket lists and conquer the Kitchen Sink!

Get to know these faces -- you'll be seeing them around here a lot!
Photo credit: Miranda (L)

If you're not sure what the kitchen sink is, it's eight scoops of ice cream (two chocolate, two vanilla, two strawberry, one mint and one coffee), all the toppings you can think of, and a WHOLE CAN of whip cream.

That's right: a WHOLE CAN.

In (almost) all its glory! As you can tell, we'd started
eating it by this point. So began the process.

And because of the gigantic task before you, the entire restaurant takes a moment to celebrate, with siren-like lights and your Cast Member guide explaining the Kitchen Sink before placing it on your table. We had two other families get the Kitchen Sink while we were there, and each time, I expected the fire alarm to go off because of the lighting!

Would the four of us be able to eat it all and therefore conquer this sweet concoction? Take a look at the photos below!

Unfortunately, we did not completely finish the Kitchen Sink, but we were pretty darn close. All in all, we had a blast together, as you can see in the following video!

Remember: it's all about having fun together during this activity. If you don't finish it, then that's okay. Of course, it's an nice accomplishment, if you do.

Some fun tricks and tips for during your Kitchen Sink experience:

• See how many toppings you can identify. I definitely remember a few cherries, candy oranges, Oreo cookies, brownie pieces, frozen strawberries and, of course, the whipped cream.
• Pace yourselves and utilize those individual bowls!
• Make sure to get a photo of your group -- our Cast Member guide offered, so I think yours will, too. But it's always worth asking!
• And the more interaction with the Cast Member, the more fun your experience will be!

You can purchase a Kitchen Sink at Beaches and Cream, found at the Yacht and Beach Club Resort at Walt Disney World. It's the most expensive desert, just under $30, but it's also a lot of food!

ttfn!

My Disney College Program Bucket List!

During my Disney College Program, there are a few fun activities and events I want to attend, do, create, etc.

In other words: I have a DCP Bucket List!

As my program progresses, I will add more items to this list, but for now here’s what I have in mind:

• Meet all the princesses
• Find 50 Hidden Mickeys
• Drink all around the world (especially on 21st birthday, July 6)
• See Fantasmic! with Glow with the Show ears
• Meet another Family of the Day at the Grand
• Meet as many characters as possible, especially rare/long lost friends
• Play Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom
• Watch “last” Dream Along with Mickey show
• Have dinner at Be Our Guest
• Play a role in Belle’s Enchanted Tales
• Take a Keys to the Kingdom tour
• Get stuck on a ride
• Take a class at Animation Academy (closes July 12)
• Witness a proposal
• EARN MY EARS
• Go to Universal Studios and Wizarding World of Harry Potter
• Hunt down friends/roommates working
• Disneybound for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary-Halloween-Party
• Send character greetings to family
• Watch outdoor movie at the Grand
• Play mini golf at Fantasia Gardens
• Conquer the Kitchen Sink
• See Kiss Goodnight
• Watch the Magic Kingdom opening ceremony
• Attend Star Wars Weekend
• Meet Lane (@ferdalump) at one of the Parks
• Play DisneyQuest
• Find Jodi Benson (voice of Ariel) during her visit to Magic Kingdom on July 19
• Go to Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival, especially cast preview
• Attend every DCP Welcome Event
• Conquer the Four Mountain Challenge (Space, Thunder, Splash and Everest in a day)
• See Emily perform in Epcot's Candlelight Processional
• Ride Pirates of the Caribbean when it reopens in September
• Get appendicitis (har har har)

And here’s the bonus part: each and every item on this bucket list will be vlogged for your viewing pleasure! One, so I can record it for posterity and two, so that you can experience my adventures alongside myself!

Plus, and this is future Molly speaking, for any items that I’ve accomplished—click the appropriate hyperlink to watch/read all about it!

See you real soon!

'Zootopia' Teaser is Here Already!

Even though Zootopia doesn't open till next March, Disney has already released a short teaser trailer for the flick!

Image via USA Today article.

Zootopia US Teaser Trailer
Like nothing you’ve seen be-fur... #Zootopia
Posted by Zootopia on Thursday, June 11, 2015

I don't know about you, but I am super pumped for the return of a Disney film in the style of Robin Hood! That film is classic!

What about you -- what are your thoughts?

Zootopia stars Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde (the fox) and Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps (the bunny).

See ya all real soon.

I've Arrived at Walt Disney World!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this Disney fanatic is at the Happiest Place on Earth!

Reaction: Crazy!
Source link missing.

To be completely honest with you, I've been here since Monday, which was my check-in/arrival date. Unfortunately, we were running late, so I didn't make it to my actual check-in time, so I'm on the late arrival schedule. But Monday was filled with shopping for supplies and visiting Downtown Disney before finally getting to hit the hay that night!



Dana, Michelle, Miranda and I are all living together in the Commons, with free laundry (such a plus!). Miranda is from our original group of six but went random in the end, so what a lucky coincidence that the girl originally supposed to be my roommate ending up being my roommate!

Tuesday, I had Casting, which is just paperwork saying that yes, I'm a citizen of the Unite States and yes, I am eligible to work in the United States. We also got fingerprinted, which felt very official!

And then today, Wednesday, I had Housing, which basically went over all the rules of living here, who to contact for what, and fun events and activities available for College Program interns.

Now I'm back from my third visit to Downtown Disney, ready to hit the hay for the day!

Be sure to follow all my adventures through #MollyDCP on Instagram.

ttfn!

Maleficent vs. Maleficent: Who's More Kantian?

Molly's note: I originally wrote this as an essay assignment for Business Ethics last semester (Fall 2014). It was graded an A, with notes from the professor: "NICE job explaining -- this is unusually well-done" and "your analysis of Kant is so unusually good." So, I figured it worth sharing here. All Immanuel Kant quotations are taken from his Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals.

Disney released a retelling of its classic Sleeping Beauty over the summer, delving into the backstory of their villain Maleficent. In Maleficent, the villain has been recreated with a new backstory. However, Kant would wonder who is more Kantian: traditional Maleficent or the recreated Maleficent?

As much as I hate the re-imagined Maleficent, I would argue she is much more Kantian than the traditional Maleficent. And it's all because of her maxim, compared to the original character's maxim.

Kant introduces the maxim when he says "the will can be subjectively determined by the maxim that I should follow such a law" (13). We defined, in class, the maxim as what you say to yourself about why you're willing or doing something. Kant believes the principle of morality (or universal morality) is based on a universal maxim, or a maxim everyone should follow, not just for ourselves. "For I should never act except in such a way that I can also will my maxim should become universal law" (14). With this in mind, we can now analyze each Maleficent's maxim and her actions to determine who has the maxim which can be willed universally.

Original Maleficent cursed baby Aurora because she wasn't invited to the christening party. But there's more to it than that. Maleficent's maxim is "I want to make everyone's lives miserable, just for my own enjoyment." It's a great maxim for a villain to have, but is it universal? Not at all.

First, to back up her maxim, let us examine Original Maleficent's actions. She kidnaps Prince Philip so as to make his life miserable in missing his true love and being frustrated in his inability to escape and kiss Aurora. She curses Aurora so as to make King Stefan and the Queen's lives miserable in that they now fear and dread for their daughter. She also taunts Philip about not letting him leave until he's practically decayed, to make him miserable in that he won't save Aurora until it's practically too late (he will be an old man, but the princess eternally young). Maleficent scolds the three good fairies and laughs in their faces to make them miserable in their guilt for leaving Aurora alone to her fate. Therefore, we can see Maleficent's maxim is to make others miserable, because as a villain, she enjoys it.

However, this is not a good universal maxim. If everyone made each other miserable, the world would be a terrible place. Also, no one would enjoy it, as Maleficent intends to, because if everyone's maxim is to make others miserable, then one person is both making others miserable and being made miserable. And that's not enjoyable. So there is no personal enjoyment in an universal maxim based off Original Maleficent's. Therefore, she is not Kantian.

Let us now examine Re-imagined Maleficent. The interesting thing about her is that her maxim actually changes. At first, it is similar to Original Maleficent's: new Maleficent's first maxim is "have my revenge by making other's lives miserable." This is seen in how she gets revenge on King Stefen (for breaking her heart and "raping" her of her wings) by cursing Aurora.

But as Re-imagined Maleficent begins to develop a relationship with Aurora, her maxim changes. Maleficent becomes an anti-hero, regretting the curse she placed on Aurora. She tries to take it back and, when she cannot, tries to fix it by bringing Aurora's true love to her to wake her. Finally, she also (SPOILER) kisses Aurora's forehead and breaks her own spell. This is all reflected in her second maxim: "Make someone else's life better than my own."

Re-imagined Maleficent was hurt by the "lie" of true love, but she realized the only way to help Aurora was to bring in the princess' true love (which ends up being Maleficent). Maleficent is heartbroken over true love, but she does not want Aurora to be, and so her second maxim is true.

It is also an universal maxim. If everyone tried hard to make others' lives better than his or her own, the world would be a less selfish world. It would be moving closer to Kant's kingdom of ends: "a systematic union of different rational beings through common laws" (39). This is Kant's ideal world, and if everyone followed Re-imagined Maleficent's second maim to put others' lives before our own, we would be closer to this ideal kingdom.

Also, her second maxim closely reflects what Kant writes about dignity. Kant writes: "Act in such a way that you treat humanity...always at the same time as an end and never simply as a means" (36). This means persons should not be treated as objects, or things, to get what one wants. But with Re-imagined Maleficent's second maxim, persons/others are treated as ends, and not selfishly, but unselfishly, for that other person. No one is using another, but is simply respecting that person.

Kant sums up his universal maim as the categorical imperative in this way: "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law" (30). Re-imagined Maleficent's maxim can become universal, and therefore is the categorical imperative, whereas Original Maleficent's maxim cannot become universal. So to sum up, Re-imagined Maleficent is the more Kantian in this battle of the two Maleficents.

Live-action ‘Fantasia’ in Development

According to Variety, Disney has announced that a live-action remake of Fantasia is in development, with two writers already attached to the script.

Oh, and to be specific? A live-action remake of the “Night on Bald Mountain” segment.

You know, that one with the really scary demonic being and a bunch of ghosts and dead people?

Bow down before Chernabog.
Image via diehard-disney.tumblr.com

Yeah. That one.

Reaction source link.

Of course, my reaction should be no surprise to you, so I decided to videograph The Disney Mermaid’s honest reaction to the news.



As for my point about live-action or CGI Chernabog (the demonic being), I merely meant: would we be getting an actor for him or a CGI model? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

However, Once Upon a Time did use a CGI version of Chernabog in one episode, giving us an idea of what he might look like.

(And yes, I approved.)

Image via magic-alwayscomeswithaprice.tumblr.com

What’s your reaction to the news? Comment below!

See ya all real soon!

Character Magic: Cruella and Man's Best Friend

It's been a long time since I've done a Character Magic: Making Memories in the Park post, but today I found the perfect video to share for the third installment in the series! For a brief description, this series revolves around Disney Characters in Character!

We all know that crazy, bi-color-haired lady obsessed with puppies...

Image via Disney Movies Anywhere on Tumblr.

But, what happens when she meets one in the parks?



Cruella's acting here is superb, right along with her character. She's very elegant and classy, with dark undertones. And the way she always refers to the dog as merely "it" -- well, I think it just shows what that dog really stands for in her mind: not a living creature, but a fur coat.

Best line? "You've got no idea what I have in store for you."

If you have a character moment you'd like me to post, please share the link in a comment below. I'll be sure to check out each suggestion!

ttfn!

Disney Drops 'The Good Dinosuar' Teaser Trailer!

Pixar's The Good Dinosaur was supposed to open in theaters last year but was pushed to this year after a major rewrite of the script and replacement of the original director. That's why we had no Pixar movies last year, and why every Pixar movie has now been pushed back.

After all that, we've finally gotten a first look at the movie with the arrival of its teaser trailer. Take a look!



I, for one, am eagerly counting down the days till Thanksgiving!

Image via Oh My Disney.

See ya all real soon.

It’s a Messtival of Fantasy!

What do you get when the daytime parade goes horribly wrong?

A Messtival of Fantasy!

Wendy's not sure what she thinks
about the mess ahead...
Image via itsadisneything.com

Disney fanatics across various social media platforms posted videos and photos of the May 31 Festival of Fantasy, when the parade encountered several mishaps, including a deflated balloon!