I hate doing these type of posts...really I do. But thanks to The Disney Blog, I've learned of yet another accident at the Walt Disney World Resort.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Anislav Varbanov, 30, died Monday evening after he was hurt while performing a tumbling roll during a rehearsal for the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, the 30-mimnute show at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

This comes as a shock to all of us castmembers especially because we have many stunt shows not only at the studios, but other stunts performed and carried out across the resort. It shows us that the stunts that our dedicated castmembers perform daily are seriously dangerous and should not be performed at home.

I've seen the show a couple of times the most recent being about a month ago with a few of my friends from work. I'm not sure what role Anislav performed but I'm sure he will be dearly missed by the rest of the Indiana Jones cast and the rest of the cast members who were dear to him.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Orange County Sheriff's Office are investigating the accident.

The Indiana Jones show is typically performed five or six times a day. But a Disney spokeswoman said this morning that resort opted to cancel all performances today "out of respect for the cast."

I'm urging all my friends and family who are castmembers to please take caution down in Florida while performing your role. Accidents do happen as we have seen all this summer. Remember in seriousness... Safe-D beings with Me.

Lets all keep the family of Anislav in our thoughts and prayers today.

UPDATE (8/19/09): I was just informed that The Federal Government is investigating Disney World for the string of 3 deaths that occured this summer - including the Monorail accident and the accident at Magic Kingdom involving a castmember performing in the Jack Sparrow Pirate Tutorial.

From reserach I've found that the government has investigated Disney World a total of 17 times in the past few years, most accident cases have been thrown out, others have cast faut on Disney because of safety errors. Most of these cases can be found by most search engines.

As a castmember I am unable to comment on any of these incidents or the safety regulations of search...but I can say that the Safety regulations brought and taught to us on day 1 are nothing less than exceptional and they even test us on safety regulations throughout our employment with the company. I do not feel that the government will hand down anything hard on WDW, but here's hoping things get better for the resort - soon.

A recent fad going around on the Summer Alumni Facebook group is having cast members who are currently statused and have access to the Hub to find out what their work location is early.

For those unaware, the Hub is a virtual resource that provides all Cast Members with a single source for accurate, timely and

relevant information, including messages from executives, company news, work schedules, information about products and services, tools Cast Members need to perform their roles, Cast discounts and Cast activities.

I haven't had access to the Hub since May of 2007, the last time I was in Florida and on WDW property, and I can't log in again because every 3 months they make you change your password for security reasons. Ergo, I cannot log in and try to see my work location early.

Some people (including myself) have tried getting people who do have access to look them up under contacts and try to see that way if their work status would show. For some of them, they work, for others they don't, and for some they are not even in the system yet. For me, I've had two people try to see if my status shows, and since I am a Campus Representative, it either shows up as "Attractions H/H" or "Campus Representative" ... meaning until they transfer me over (when the season ends), I cannot find out my work location for the summer.

A part of me is relieved, I kind of like the element of surprise - which is one of the reasons I'm rooming blind, I mean unless an awesome roommate potential comes along and sweeps me off my feet (literally) and I change my mind. The day I was on my first check-in and I was told I was working in the Magic Kingdom, my heart jumped out of my chest (literally...it wasn't a pretty sight) and I had the biggest smile on face because of the surprise...

On the other hand, when I go for my second check-in and I get lets say...a resort or EPCOT - two places where working merchandise would not appease me - and they tell me I get one of those areas in Merchandise, I don't want to have my heart sink into a dark abyss and be disappointed the entire summer...I mean don't get me wrong, but once you work at a place like the Emporium, it's pretty hard to upgrade.

But none of that currently matters, because I cannot check my status until they change me over anyway and 20 days is seeming to come closer and closer now, so I'll guess I'll just wait.

What would you guys do? Would you keep trying to see if they put up your status? Would you wait out the storm? Would you contact a old manager friend and pull some strings? Leave your comments below...

Oh! That reminds me...I had a little chat with one of my favorite managers Dwight about a week ago. (Before my computer screen died...sadness) He was very excited that I was coming down for another program (though it may be short) and said he'd try to pull some strings to get me back into the Emporium...so maybe I'm doing all of this worrying for nothing! We'll see in 20 days.

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In other Disney News:

• If you're a fan of Pixar Animation character's turning up in the parks like Wall-E or Remy from Ratatoullie then you'll be pleased to hear (a rumor) that the Pixar logo him/her self will make an appearance in the WDW parks soon. Luxo Jr., the lamp shown at the beginning of all Pixar Films either jumping on the I, or doing something else funny is being worked on right now. Read all about it at TheDisneyBlog.

• As I said in my last Vlog on Friday, I'll be having lunch/dinner with LaurenandMatt from YouTube - however, not in Michigan as I planned...when we get down to Florida we'll have a grand 'ol time in one of the parks or off property getting to know each other cause they're such awesome people!

• There has been some controversy with Disney changing the name and profession of the first Black princess in The Frog Princess scheduled to open soon. Instead of being a chambermaid - she'll be an aspiring restaurant entrepreneur and her name will be changed from Maddy (being too closely related to "Mammy" a common term for Black Female slaves) to Tiana. I plan on doing a blog on this later so I won't focus too much on it here. Just making you aware.

Enjoy your week and make it magical!

- Will

I know I've touched on D23 - the official community for Disney Fans - before. I just came across a sizzle video sent to members on YouTube that I thought I'd share.

Taken from TheDisneyBlog

Here’s an official description for D23:

D23 - Disney’s first official community for fans - celebrates the wonder and excitement that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his studio in Hollywood. Through the years, Disney’s stories, characters and experiences have captured the imagination of fans everywhere, and now D23 places you in the middle of the magic. Go backstage, behind closed doors, and get the inside scoop, while experiencing the nostalgia, adventure and fantasy of Disney as never before.

What does D23 mean?

“D” stands for Disney, and “23″ represents 1923, the year that Walt Disney arrived in California and founded what was to ultimately become The Walt Disney Company.

The cost of a membership is $74.99 and it can be given as a gift. If you buy your membership in 2009 you’ll become a D23 Charter Member. A one-year D23 Charter Membership includes:

      Disney ”twenty-three” Quarterly Publication: A one-year subscription (four issues) to D23’s exquisite collectible magazine, filled with stunning photography, dazzling illustrations and the ultimate Disney insider perspective. It’s your all-access pass to discovering the magic of Disney’s past, present and future!

            Membership Card and Certificate: Your membership card and personalized, suitable-for-framing charter member certificate feature many of Disney’s most beloved characters drawn by Disney Master Artist David Pacheco.

            Surprise Collectible Gift: A collectible just for D23 members. You’ll receive a gift you’ll cherish from the new Walt Disney Archives Collection.

            Exclusive Special Events and Merchandise: D23 offers its members unique special-event opportunities throughout the year, as well as access to exclusive, limited-edition merchandise and collectibles.

            D23 Expo: It’s the ultimate Disney fan experience, taking place in Anaheim, California from September 10-13, 2009. This can’t-miss event will feature guest speakers, celebrity appearances, breathtaking exhibitions, sneak peeks, film screenings, one-of-a-kind merchandise, and so much more! Admission will be discounted for D23 members.

            Subscription to bi-weekly D23 FanFare e-newsletter with breaking news and special offers. (You may opt out of receiving FanFare after your first e-newsletter arrives.)

            Plus, stay connected to D23 every day at Disney.com/D23, featuring up-to-the-minute Disney news, feature stories, event info, merchandise and more.

As of now no family memberships are offered. You must be 18 years old to join or purchase membership (so there is no point of a family membership anyway as discounts will probably be applied to something like “up to 4 people” (see D23 Expo details below).

There will be a variety of D23 members-only events throughout the year. Check online at Disney.com/D23 to find out about upcoming events. Special promotional codes and information for some events will be sent out via email and e-newsletters, so once D23 members start receiving D23 emails and e-newsletters, they may not wish to “opt out” of receiving that correspondence.

Finally there are some additional details on the big D23 convention:

D23 Expo
What is the D23 Expo?

It’s the ultimate Disney fan experience, taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California (across the street from Disneyland), September 10-13, 2009. This four-day can’t-miss event will feature incredible speakers, celebrity appearances, breathtaking exhibitions, sneak peeks, film screenings, one-of-a-kind merchandise, and so much more! There will be something for children of all ages, fans, the whole family, and friends.

When will tickets go on sale for the Expo?

Tickets will go on sale this spring. Check the D23 Web site for more information. Members will be alerted the day tickets go on sale.

How much will the Expo cost?

General Admission:
Adult 1-day $37
Child 1-day $27
Child 4-day $81 (4th day free)

D23 Member Admission (D23 members may purchase up to four discounted tickets per membership):
Adult 1-day $30
Adult 4-day $90 (4th day free)
Child 1-day $22
Child 4-day $66 (4th day free)

All details are scheduled to change, of course. More details can be found on the official FAQ.

This looks like something profitable to invest in. Granted, I'll be saving my money for various other things this summer, but something like this can be treasured for a lifetime. I'll have to do more research and talk to people I know who are already members of the club to see how "worth" it the experience is but so far it looks promising.

Hey there blog buddies, So I was watching American Idol tonight (of course on DVR because I'm too busy during the week to watch live TV) and I thought to myself "I wonder what it would be like to actually be on American Idol?I


For those who know me, I like to sing. I haven't done any formal performances in almost 4 years, but singing is what I like to do...my friends tell me all the time that I should try out for AI but school has gotten in the way. But tonight, a thought accoured to me...

I could actually "audition" for American Idol and not have it interfere with school! How is this possible you might ask? Through the American Idol Experience at the Disney Studios!

When I first heard of this attraction I got super psyched. I know a couple of people who have exerienced it and they said it was awesome. I personally haven't gone down there to try it yet so I'm not sure how it works. That is what you'll have to tell me. I thought to myself today as Seacrest prolonged the answer as to who was getting voted off...but it really didn't matter because I had it DVR'ed but didn't have the sense to fast forward...ummm where was I?

Oh yea...I thought to myself (again) "What if I 'auditioned' at the parks and see what happens?" On my last program I didn't do the Night of Stars competition for CP's or even Cool Beans Cafe...speaking of which, those are pretty chill. Im goinna go to as much of those as I can to meet new people and get back to performing and having a good time. I think this time I'll get back to doing what I love (at least when I have the free time) and sing the pants off Disney World (is that even possible?). **UPDATE: My friend and one-time Cast Member Serena informed me that cast members are not able to audition which pretty much rules this out...but hey...at least I can still go and watch! And Night of Stars/ Cool Beans Cafe is still an option...**

The only thing is I'm not sure how the process works though. Anyone have any experience going through the attraction? How does it work? How do you get fast-pass to perform? I'm curious...

On another note...I heard through the grapevine, and by the grapevine i mean TheDisneyBlog that Disney, mainly ABC is having talks with Hulu to put their shows on their website.

Here's why I think it's a good idea:

• It gets more viewers to traffic their shows, not just the regular viewers they get from television.
• It's FREE
• They can put old movies up on Hulu as well...movies that people haven't seen in a long time or TV specials that only came on once that people missed.
• It's FREE
• Disney needs to jump on the bandwagon. they've got Facebook down pact, but sites like Hulu, **Twitter and the like are slowly rising to the peak of popularity. Better to get on board now than wish you had later...
• It's FREE
• Hulu is starting to become (in my opinion) as popular as YouTube especially with liscensed shows you cannot find on YouTube, Disney would be stupid not to put their shows up on Hulu.
• P.S. It's F-R-E-E!

These are just rumors I've heard, nothing solid as of right now now but i'll keep you all posted. Otherwise, 47 days until the big move...I'm getting more and more excited every day! I actually got an email from recruiting today welcoming me to the program (again) and telling me to keep an eye out on the website for updates and links to helpful sites within the Login pages. I actually got to take a look at the Eyes and Ears for March, so if anyone wants to check that issue out let me know.

Keep up with these posts and my Video Logs on Youtube so you can follow along with me on this fantasmic journey as a CP!

Make it Magical!

**P.S. My Twitter...follow me!