AUTHOR: Dara Ross



Touring with a Senior: Grammy’s ‘First’ Trip to Walt Disney World

Taking Grandma to Walt Disney World for the “First” Time Grammy’s first trip to WDW was in 1974. Her second trip was with our family this June. We are serious park tour-ers who were once accused of a driven pace. “Just one more princess?  Please?” Our decision to invite her developed out of a desire to Touring with a Senior: Grammy’s ‘First’ Trip to Walt Disney World



Joe Rohde’s Instagram underscores his depth as a Creative Designer

One of these photos was taken in a space created by Imagineer Joe Rohde.  The other was taken at an abandoned property near my work.  The intriguing profusion of insulated wires appears to have occurred over time.  The structures’ caretakers were responding to changes in infrastructure as well as the needs of nearby people in an attempt to Joe Rohde’s Instagram underscores his depth as a Creative Designer



All Race, No Parks

Just spent Marathon weekend at Disney World without a single park pass. Does the World hold its own as a runcation destination even without a single ride on an attraction? Our weekend was so packed that I don’t see where visiting a park would have added a bit of value.  I’ll describe what we did, All Race, No Parks







Walt Disney World, Karma, and Newton’s Third Law

Here’s the difficulty: the Walt Disney World Parks in Florida are demonstrating a trend towards marketing exclusivity and premium experiences.  While long-time fans are feeling uncomfortable about this on many levels, the bean counters at WDW are surely optimistic. But would it ever benefit a business to divorce itself from its roots in order to make Walt Disney World, Karma, and Newton’s Third Law



Current Obsession: Clutter-Free Disney Souvenirs

They are not souvenirs.  They’re more talismans. Talisman 1:  an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune 2:  something producing apparently magical or miraculous effects talisman. 2016. In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved January 22, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/talisman What you bring back from the World is important.  You can bring back Current Obsession: Clutter-Free Disney Souvenirs



Does it matter that Citizens of Hollywood will be decimated by staffing cuts?

Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ Citizens of Hollywood will be reduced from 29 actors to 10 by April 2016. I’m digesting this story and filtering out what I think this means.  It could mean that guest surveys indicate that the Streetmosphere performers are not a significant part of a visit to Hollywood Studios.  It might mean that labor dollars Does it matter that Citizens of Hollywood will be decimated by staffing cuts?