This report is from DL but I thought everyone might want to read it.
We just returned from DL last nite. Our family consists of myself 35, DW 33, DS 8, DD 7, DS 3. Here is our trip report for your reading pleasure.
Our family was one of nine selected to appear in a Disney Club commercial. We were provided a room at the Grand California hotel, 5 day UPH passes, Airfare, money, and some other wonderful extras!!!
Day 1
We arrived Wednesday June 18 about 2pm. The room was great!! Our room was on the 3rd floor facing the CA theme park. After checking in we decided to visit the new CA theme park. The lines were fairly long so we went on the carousel and secured some Fast passes for Mulholand Madness. The Disney Club had a dinner reserved for the families at the Naples restaurant in DD. Upon our arrival we were seated upstairs at 2 large tables. The dinner was excellent!! I dont think they were serving us off the menu because there were more Courses to the meal then I had fingers to count. They started us off with some Wine and drinks for the kids, Pizzas, then came the Mostacolli and Sausage, next was a Caesar salad, Fillets, Dessert. The kids were full after the pizza so everything they were served went to waste. After dinner we talked to the Director and some of the other Disney Club Cast members who enjoyed the meal with us. Then they handed out DC shirts to all the families. We received the next days filming schedule and we were going to be shot at the GC hotel pool at 3:30pm. Originally we were to shoot at Toon Town at 8:00 am but some off the other families balked at being shot in the pool. Well being the nice guy I am I decided that would be fine for the family.
After dinner we went back to CA to go on the Ferris wheel and Zeypher. We were able to see the Fireworks while on the Zeypher, which was nice.
Day 2
Well, we decided to finish CA before we headed to the Pool for the Shoot. The first ride was the Grizzly Falls, which is directly outside the private entry for the GC hotel guests. This was a fun ride and its great when you can hop rite on first thing in the morning before the lines get to long. Next, we went to Soaring over California. The lines started to become long already so we had a fastpass and were able to get rite on. One baby swap later we all had enjoyed this ride. After finishing some of the other rides in the park we decided to head to lunch back at the hotel. California Screaming had broke down with riders on it so we had to wait for another day to ride it.
We all decided to eat at the Storytellers Café. The kids loved this place because they let them make their own pizzas. The food was good but a little on the pricey side. We wanted to be close to the hotel and relax some before we headed to the pool for the commercial.
Time to earn our trip. We all headed down to the pool around 3:20 and waited for the film crew to show up. Both pools were crowded so we waited at a table and had a few drinks to loosen up. After waiting about 20 minutes nobody was there yet, so I headed up to the room to see if they had called and left a message. Sure enough, they were running late and would be here at 4:00 PM. By now the heat and nerves were making us sweat like hogs!! Finally I saw some security and carts being wheeled through the emergency exit. We all headed over to the area the film crew was parked at and started to see the rest of the crew along with director. They introduced us to a Photographer who would be taking still shots of the family during the preparation and shoot. While the film crew was setting up we had to have make-up put on. Now its embarrassing enough to have make-up put on, and even more embarrassing to have a pool full of people watch while it happens, not to mention the photographer taking snapshots during the whole process.
Its time for us to take our place. They roped off an area near the small water slide and had our backs facing the pool. This made things a lot easier for us, not having to look at the people in the pool. The camera was no more than 4 feet away from our face. After getting the whole family together in the chairs we had to say things like Join the Club, Were the ******* from Illinois and then they took the kids to change into their suits. Now it was time for DW and I to have the interview on camera. This was probably the hardest thing for us. They asked us questions about the Disney Club and what we liked most. They also asked what benefits we used most. There was no rehearsing of anything; it was all off the cuff form our experiences.
Now its time for the kids to be stars. Our interview was over so they moved the cameras to get a view of the small water slide. First to go down was DS 8, they took numerous shots of him sliding down and popping up from under the water. Next up was DD 7, She is a big ham anyway and she loves to perform in front of a camera. Now its time for DS 3 to go down the slide. The first time he had a big smile and just floated over to the wall. The second time he decides to go down Head first, the director and camera crew loved it but the GC hotel had some extra CMs watching the pool and they told the director he couldnt use the shot because if someone saw it on TV they would think it would be OK for them to do it. Now they had to tell DS 3 that he could only go down on his butt, his replay was Ok, but that was cool. Everyone started to crack up!! After a few more shots of each of the kids our 15 minutes of fame was over. The camera crew wrapped up and we just stayed at the pool for awhile to unwind and relax.
While at the pool some people came up to us and asked if we were stars or a real family. We told them how we won the trip and a little about the Disney Club. Some kids were in the pool while they were shooting our kids and asked them if they were stars. All in all, it was a great experience that will last a lifetime!!
To top off the night the Disney Club Cast Members purchased reserved seating for all of the families at the Fantasmic Dessert Buffet. This was icing on the cake for our family. We received a box full of special cookies and desserts and the kids received a brownie sundae in a clear Mickey bowl. Everything was Fantastic!! Then one more surprise for the DD 7, they had remembered her birthday was just recently and had one of the waiters make a Strawberry Shortcake dessert for her. And then, it seemed like the whole crowd sang Happy Birthday to her. She had a smile that went ear to ear !!!
The rest of the trip was spent at DL and the pool.
We just returned from DL last nite. Our family consists of myself 35, DW 33, DS 8, DD 7, DS 3. Here is our trip report for your reading pleasure.
Our family was one of nine selected to appear in a Disney Club commercial. We were provided a room at the Grand California hotel, 5 day UPH passes, Airfare, money, and some other wonderful extras!!!
Day 1
We arrived Wednesday June 18 about 2pm. The room was great!! Our room was on the 3rd floor facing the CA theme park. After checking in we decided to visit the new CA theme park. The lines were fairly long so we went on the carousel and secured some Fast passes for Mulholand Madness. The Disney Club had a dinner reserved for the families at the Naples restaurant in DD. Upon our arrival we were seated upstairs at 2 large tables. The dinner was excellent!! I dont think they were serving us off the menu because there were more Courses to the meal then I had fingers to count. They started us off with some Wine and drinks for the kids, Pizzas, then came the Mostacolli and Sausage, next was a Caesar salad, Fillets, Dessert. The kids were full after the pizza so everything they were served went to waste. After dinner we talked to the Director and some of the other Disney Club Cast members who enjoyed the meal with us. Then they handed out DC shirts to all the families. We received the next days filming schedule and we were going to be shot at the GC hotel pool at 3:30pm. Originally we were to shoot at Toon Town at 8:00 am but some off the other families balked at being shot in the pool. Well being the nice guy I am I decided that would be fine for the family.
After dinner we went back to CA to go on the Ferris wheel and Zeypher. We were able to see the Fireworks while on the Zeypher, which was nice.
Day 2
Well, we decided to finish CA before we headed to the Pool for the Shoot. The first ride was the Grizzly Falls, which is directly outside the private entry for the GC hotel guests. This was a fun ride and its great when you can hop rite on first thing in the morning before the lines get to long. Next, we went to Soaring over California. The lines started to become long already so we had a fastpass and were able to get rite on. One baby swap later we all had enjoyed this ride. After finishing some of the other rides in the park we decided to head to lunch back at the hotel. California Screaming had broke down with riders on it so we had to wait for another day to ride it.
We all decided to eat at the Storytellers Café. The kids loved this place because they let them make their own pizzas. The food was good but a little on the pricey side. We wanted to be close to the hotel and relax some before we headed to the pool for the commercial.
Time to earn our trip. We all headed down to the pool around 3:20 and waited for the film crew to show up. Both pools were crowded so we waited at a table and had a few drinks to loosen up. After waiting about 20 minutes nobody was there yet, so I headed up to the room to see if they had called and left a message. Sure enough, they were running late and would be here at 4:00 PM. By now the heat and nerves were making us sweat like hogs!! Finally I saw some security and carts being wheeled through the emergency exit. We all headed over to the area the film crew was parked at and started to see the rest of the crew along with director. They introduced us to a Photographer who would be taking still shots of the family during the preparation and shoot. While the film crew was setting up we had to have make-up put on. Now its embarrassing enough to have make-up put on, and even more embarrassing to have a pool full of people watch while it happens, not to mention the photographer taking snapshots during the whole process.
Its time for us to take our place. They roped off an area near the small water slide and had our backs facing the pool. This made things a lot easier for us, not having to look at the people in the pool. The camera was no more than 4 feet away from our face. After getting the whole family together in the chairs we had to say things like Join the Club, Were the ******* from Illinois and then they took the kids to change into their suits. Now it was time for DW and I to have the interview on camera. This was probably the hardest thing for us. They asked us questions about the Disney Club and what we liked most. They also asked what benefits we used most. There was no rehearsing of anything; it was all off the cuff form our experiences.
Now its time for the kids to be stars. Our interview was over so they moved the cameras to get a view of the small water slide. First to go down was DS 8, they took numerous shots of him sliding down and popping up from under the water. Next up was DD 7, She is a big ham anyway and she loves to perform in front of a camera. Now its time for DS 3 to go down the slide. The first time he had a big smile and just floated over to the wall. The second time he decides to go down Head first, the director and camera crew loved it but the GC hotel had some extra CMs watching the pool and they told the director he couldnt use the shot because if someone saw it on TV they would think it would be OK for them to do it. Now they had to tell DS 3 that he could only go down on his butt, his replay was Ok, but that was cool. Everyone started to crack up!! After a few more shots of each of the kids our 15 minutes of fame was over. The camera crew wrapped up and we just stayed at the pool for awhile to unwind and relax.
While at the pool some people came up to us and asked if we were stars or a real family. We told them how we won the trip and a little about the Disney Club. Some kids were in the pool while they were shooting our kids and asked them if they were stars. All in all, it was a great experience that will last a lifetime!!
To top off the night the Disney Club Cast Members purchased reserved seating for all of the families at the Fantasmic Dessert Buffet. This was icing on the cake for our family. We received a box full of special cookies and desserts and the kids received a brownie sundae in a clear Mickey bowl. Everything was Fantastic!! Then one more surprise for the DD 7, they had remembered her birthday was just recently and had one of the waiters make a Strawberry Shortcake dessert for her. And then, it seemed like the whole crowd sang Happy Birthday to her. She had a smile that went ear to ear !!!
The rest of the trip was spent at DL and the pool.
