The rules that make Disney World the happiest place on Earth
Her family basically stayed on site, at a resort within the Disney World complex.
And she came back with some intriguing information. I'll get to it in a moment but first, I want to let the wave of nostalgia flow over me as I recall everything from my childhood associated with Walt and his show The Wonderful World Of Disney.
Even just saying that name makes me almost step back in time: I'm suddenly propelled to the 1970s with a feeling that's almost painful. Sometimes I feel like I really want to go back to my childhood but am unable to do so.
As we all know, you can go back to the place but not to the time.
Yes, I'll admit it: I'm the king of nostalgia in my house. The feeling is often triggered by a familiar smell, sound or memory.
It's a good thing to wax nostalgic, right? And of course, you often look back through rose-coloured glasses with this sense of longing.
When I was a kid I used to love Sunday nights because at 7pm (right after dinner) on came The Wonderful World Of Disney.
Later, I also liked watching The Winners, which really got me interested in playing footy but that's another story.
Many Australians of my generation have great memories of The Wonderful World Of Disney: a TV show that created a love for all things Disney. What brilliant marketing.
And guess what? Walt Disney died in 1966, when I was three, but he still appeared on the show for as long as I can remember. With his wonderful, warm folksy style, he was irreplaceable.
But back to the reason for the column (and thank you for allowing me to take a trip down memory lane). My friend, fresh back from Disney World, told me about the Disney 'hug rule' and I couldn't believe I'd never heard about it.
Apparently the actors dressed as Disney characters at any of their theme parks are trained to not pull out of a hug with a kid before the kid does.
Because as legend has it, according to Walt, 'you never know how much they may need that hug'.
How good's that?
My friend also discovered many other Disney rules that help ensure the magical bubble isn't burst while you're at the park.
As they say, Disney World, or Disneyland, are places travellers go to experience magic and make memories.
Walt even insisted everyone use only their first names, which caused a few problems as you can imagine. Just think of how many Olivias you'd have today. So to combat confusion, no two people working the same job on the same shift can have the same name.
It goes without saying tattoos and piercings are banned, or at least can't be visible, even if you are playing a pirate.
And cast members must always stay completely true to their character. So Ariel will talk a lot about the ocean, Maleficent will be aloof and a bit mean, and Aladdin knows all about flying carpets.
Another rule is that characters should never be seen eating while in costume, which makes sense: imagine seeing Tinkerbell chowing down on a hot dog.
Even words are important; 'I don't know' is not a phrase that should be used.
And as well as learning their character's mannerisms, there are other skills: if you want to be Mickey Mouse, for example, you must learn his 'official' autograph. So even if a kid collects several autographs from the mighty Mouse, they'll all be roughly the same. It keeps the magic alive.
And how's this? For cast members playing characters, they must act as if nothing exists outside of the Disney universe. So if you ask Jasmine where Adventureland is, she won't have a clue. If you question Mr Smee about his favourite fast food, he'll act like you're speaking Swahili.
How good?!
Every Disney park has underground tunnels that they use to move cast members (referred to as CMs) around so that Minnie Mouse doesn't get held up on her way to a meet-and-greet.
The CMs also speak in code, so as not to cause alarm. If there's an emergency, it's a code red. I bet you can guess what a code V is . . . that's right, a guest has vomited.
And on your next trip, get a character to point at something, say, Magic Mountain: they'll do it with two fingers, because one is considered rude. I kid you not.
All characters must pick up any rubbish, too. Walt was a clean freak. But you can't just bend down and pick it up; that's too obvious and could spoil the moment.
I kid you not, CMs are asked to use a 'swoop and scoop' motion to gracefully remove trash from the ground. They are also required to drop it in a bin 'nonchalantly'.
It truly is the happiest place on earth.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
11 hours ago
- ABC News
Mandalorian actress Gina Carano settles lawsuit against Disney and Lucasfilm
Actress Gina Carano has settled her lawsuit against Disney and Lucasfilm after she was fired from Star Wars franchise spin-off The Mandalorian. Disney dropped Carano from the cast in 2021 over social media posts that implied being a Republican today was like being Jewish during the Holocaust. "Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors … even by children," Carano wrote on Instagram, according to a Variety report at the time. Disney labelled the social media posts "abhorrent and unacceptable" at the time for "denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities". Carano sued Disney in 2024 for wrongful termination and sex discrimination with backing from billionaire Elon Musk. The actor argued she was fired for voicing conservative opinions and that male stars who spoke out did not suffer any consequences. Carano also came under fire for posts on Twitter, now X, in which she derided mask-wearing during the COVID pandemic and echoed false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. In a statement on Thursday local time, the Lucasfilm spokesperson said Carano "was always well respected by her directors, co-stars, and staff, and she worked hard to perfect her craft while treating her colleagues with kindness and respect". "With this lawsuit concluded, we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future," the spokesperson added. No details on the settlement were provided. Carano, in a post on Musk's social media platform X, called the resolution "the best outcome for all parties involved". "I am humbled and grateful to God for His love and grace in this outcome," Carano said. She thanked Musk "for backing my case and asking for nothing in return" and said she was excited to "move onto the next chapter". "My desires remain in the arts, which is where I hope you will join me," she said, adding "Yes, I'm smiling". Reuters
The Advertiser
17 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Pay attention, there's plenty going on in this twisty swap plot
Freakier Friday (PG, 111 minutes) 2 stars Body-swap movies are nothing new. It's a surefire premise when done well, with well cast actors who can handle the challenge of playing "each other". We've seen lots of people - often a parent and child - spend time in each other's shoes. They're often comedies - Vice Versa, The Change-Up, to name two - but can also be horror movies, like The Skeleton Key and Freaky. Freakier Friday bears no relationship to that last film. It's a sequel to the comedy Freaky Friday (2003). That's one of four screen adaptations - movie and TV - from Disney of Mary Rodgers' 1972 novel, one of which was based on a stage musical version (the company certainly knows how to exploit its properties, though the musicalisation was no match for Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King). Although there were name and story changes, the premise remained the same in the various incarnations. This film's predecessor told the story of a mother, Tess Coleman (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) and her teenage daughter, Anna (Lindsay Lohan) who swap bodies Now it's happened again - with a new wrinkle. This time, four people are involved in the exchange of bodies. It makes things a little trickier to follow and there are a lot of returning and new characters. At times it feels like notes are needed to keep up (this review might help). More than 20 years after the first film, things are a little different. Anna (Lohan), a single mother, retired from performing to work as a music manager so she can spend time raising her now-teenage daughter, Harper (Julia Butters, who was so good opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Hollywood). Tess (Curtis) helps out when she's not working as a successful therapist, author, and podcaster. Everyone seems pretty happy. But, of course, things aren't perfect. Harper's enemy at school is Lily (Sophia Hammons), a snooty English girl who's worked in fashion and who's in the US for a year with her widowed father, Eric (Manny Jacinto), a celebrity chef. After a massive food fight at school started by the two girls at a cake sale (it's quite a spectacle), their parents are summoned for a meeting with the principal (X Mayo) and, before you can say "meet cute", are instantly smitten with each other. Six months later, Ann and Eric are about to be married and the prospect of being stepsisters does not please Harper or Lily. And where will the blended family live? This time, the changeover comes courtesy of a psychic (Vanessa Bayer) and involves four rather than two people. Anna trades bodies with Harper and, less expectedly, Lily and Tess swap. Now the girls have a reason beyond simply disliking each other to see that the wedding doesn't happen. But, as before, there's something that has to occur before everyone can return to their own bodies. And the switching doesn't make things easier. There's a lot of fan service here. Among the several reappearances from the first film: Chad Michael Murray is shoehorned in as Anna's ex, Jake, with the tease that she might return to him; Mark Harmon is pleasant as Tess's husband Ryan (but has little to do); and skilled character actor Stephen Tobolowsky once again plays goofy teacher Elton Bates. It's quite impressive that so many actors were reassembled all these years later but the film does feel overstuffed as a result. And it also feels underwritten. The screenplay - by seasoned scribe Jordan Weiss (Dollface), from a story devised by her and Eyse Hollander - has its moments but feels like it could have been better. As mentioned, there's a lot going on, much of which doesn't really lead anywhere. A lot of comic possibilities are either overlooked or not exploited to really good effect - there's so much story to get through and so many characters to juggle. The emotional side is also shortchanged. Lohan (who's had her share of ups and downs but is, we can only hope, in a happier state now), Butters and Jacinto are appealing but Hammons and especially Curtis have the best parts and do well with what they're given. Curtis, evidently thick-skinned, seems to be having fun as the vain Lily frequently bemoans the effects of age on her new body and Hammons is able to channel the cool, smart grandmother (it's a pity more wasn't done with this). Director Nisha Ganatra (Late Night) keeps things moving and the film is pleasant but not memorable. Fans of the original might think it was worth the wait more than I did. Freakier Friday (PG, 111 minutes) 2 stars Body-swap movies are nothing new. It's a surefire premise when done well, with well cast actors who can handle the challenge of playing "each other". We've seen lots of people - often a parent and child - spend time in each other's shoes. They're often comedies - Vice Versa, The Change-Up, to name two - but can also be horror movies, like The Skeleton Key and Freaky. Freakier Friday bears no relationship to that last film. It's a sequel to the comedy Freaky Friday (2003). That's one of four screen adaptations - movie and TV - from Disney of Mary Rodgers' 1972 novel, one of which was based on a stage musical version (the company certainly knows how to exploit its properties, though the musicalisation was no match for Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King). Although there were name and story changes, the premise remained the same in the various incarnations. This film's predecessor told the story of a mother, Tess Coleman (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) and her teenage daughter, Anna (Lindsay Lohan) who swap bodies Now it's happened again - with a new wrinkle. This time, four people are involved in the exchange of bodies. It makes things a little trickier to follow and there are a lot of returning and new characters. At times it feels like notes are needed to keep up (this review might help). More than 20 years after the first film, things are a little different. Anna (Lohan), a single mother, retired from performing to work as a music manager so she can spend time raising her now-teenage daughter, Harper (Julia Butters, who was so good opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Hollywood). Tess (Curtis) helps out when she's not working as a successful therapist, author, and podcaster. Everyone seems pretty happy. But, of course, things aren't perfect. Harper's enemy at school is Lily (Sophia Hammons), a snooty English girl who's worked in fashion and who's in the US for a year with her widowed father, Eric (Manny Jacinto), a celebrity chef. After a massive food fight at school started by the two girls at a cake sale (it's quite a spectacle), their parents are summoned for a meeting with the principal (X Mayo) and, before you can say "meet cute", are instantly smitten with each other. Six months later, Ann and Eric are about to be married and the prospect of being stepsisters does not please Harper or Lily. And where will the blended family live? This time, the changeover comes courtesy of a psychic (Vanessa Bayer) and involves four rather than two people. Anna trades bodies with Harper and, less expectedly, Lily and Tess swap. Now the girls have a reason beyond simply disliking each other to see that the wedding doesn't happen. But, as before, there's something that has to occur before everyone can return to their own bodies. And the switching doesn't make things easier. There's a lot of fan service here. Among the several reappearances from the first film: Chad Michael Murray is shoehorned in as Anna's ex, Jake, with the tease that she might return to him; Mark Harmon is pleasant as Tess's husband Ryan (but has little to do); and skilled character actor Stephen Tobolowsky once again plays goofy teacher Elton Bates. It's quite impressive that so many actors were reassembled all these years later but the film does feel overstuffed as a result. And it also feels underwritten. The screenplay - by seasoned scribe Jordan Weiss (Dollface), from a story devised by her and Eyse Hollander - has its moments but feels like it could have been better. As mentioned, there's a lot going on, much of which doesn't really lead anywhere. A lot of comic possibilities are either overlooked or not exploited to really good effect - there's so much story to get through and so many characters to juggle. The emotional side is also shortchanged. Lohan (who's had her share of ups and downs but is, we can only hope, in a happier state now), Butters and Jacinto are appealing but Hammons and especially Curtis have the best parts and do well with what they're given. Curtis, evidently thick-skinned, seems to be having fun as the vain Lily frequently bemoans the effects of age on her new body and Hammons is able to channel the cool, smart grandmother (it's a pity more wasn't done with this). Director Nisha Ganatra (Late Night) keeps things moving and the film is pleasant but not memorable. Fans of the original might think it was worth the wait more than I did. Freakier Friday (PG, 111 minutes) 2 stars Body-swap movies are nothing new. It's a surefire premise when done well, with well cast actors who can handle the challenge of playing "each other". We've seen lots of people - often a parent and child - spend time in each other's shoes. They're often comedies - Vice Versa, The Change-Up, to name two - but can also be horror movies, like The Skeleton Key and Freaky. Freakier Friday bears no relationship to that last film. It's a sequel to the comedy Freaky Friday (2003). That's one of four screen adaptations - movie and TV - from Disney of Mary Rodgers' 1972 novel, one of which was based on a stage musical version (the company certainly knows how to exploit its properties, though the musicalisation was no match for Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King). Although there were name and story changes, the premise remained the same in the various incarnations. This film's predecessor told the story of a mother, Tess Coleman (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) and her teenage daughter, Anna (Lindsay Lohan) who swap bodies Now it's happened again - with a new wrinkle. This time, four people are involved in the exchange of bodies. It makes things a little trickier to follow and there are a lot of returning and new characters. At times it feels like notes are needed to keep up (this review might help). More than 20 years after the first film, things are a little different. Anna (Lohan), a single mother, retired from performing to work as a music manager so she can spend time raising her now-teenage daughter, Harper (Julia Butters, who was so good opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Hollywood). Tess (Curtis) helps out when she's not working as a successful therapist, author, and podcaster. Everyone seems pretty happy. But, of course, things aren't perfect. Harper's enemy at school is Lily (Sophia Hammons), a snooty English girl who's worked in fashion and who's in the US for a year with her widowed father, Eric (Manny Jacinto), a celebrity chef. After a massive food fight at school started by the two girls at a cake sale (it's quite a spectacle), their parents are summoned for a meeting with the principal (X Mayo) and, before you can say "meet cute", are instantly smitten with each other. Six months later, Ann and Eric are about to be married and the prospect of being stepsisters does not please Harper or Lily. And where will the blended family live? This time, the changeover comes courtesy of a psychic (Vanessa Bayer) and involves four rather than two people. Anna trades bodies with Harper and, less expectedly, Lily and Tess swap. Now the girls have a reason beyond simply disliking each other to see that the wedding doesn't happen. But, as before, there's something that has to occur before everyone can return to their own bodies. And the switching doesn't make things easier. There's a lot of fan service here. Among the several reappearances from the first film: Chad Michael Murray is shoehorned in as Anna's ex, Jake, with the tease that she might return to him; Mark Harmon is pleasant as Tess's husband Ryan (but has little to do); and skilled character actor Stephen Tobolowsky once again plays goofy teacher Elton Bates. It's quite impressive that so many actors were reassembled all these years later but the film does feel overstuffed as a result. And it also feels underwritten. The screenplay - by seasoned scribe Jordan Weiss (Dollface), from a story devised by her and Eyse Hollander - has its moments but feels like it could have been better. As mentioned, there's a lot going on, much of which doesn't really lead anywhere. A lot of comic possibilities are either overlooked or not exploited to really good effect - there's so much story to get through and so many characters to juggle. The emotional side is also shortchanged. Lohan (who's had her share of ups and downs but is, we can only hope, in a happier state now), Butters and Jacinto are appealing but Hammons and especially Curtis have the best parts and do well with what they're given. Curtis, evidently thick-skinned, seems to be having fun as the vain Lily frequently bemoans the effects of age on her new body and Hammons is able to channel the cool, smart grandmother (it's a pity more wasn't done with this). Director Nisha Ganatra (Late Night) keeps things moving and the film is pleasant but not memorable. Fans of the original might think it was worth the wait more than I did. Freakier Friday (PG, 111 minutes) 2 stars Body-swap movies are nothing new. It's a surefire premise when done well, with well cast actors who can handle the challenge of playing "each other". We've seen lots of people - often a parent and child - spend time in each other's shoes. They're often comedies - Vice Versa, The Change-Up, to name two - but can also be horror movies, like The Skeleton Key and Freaky. Freakier Friday bears no relationship to that last film. It's a sequel to the comedy Freaky Friday (2003). That's one of four screen adaptations - movie and TV - from Disney of Mary Rodgers' 1972 novel, one of which was based on a stage musical version (the company certainly knows how to exploit its properties, though the musicalisation was no match for Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King). Although there were name and story changes, the premise remained the same in the various incarnations. This film's predecessor told the story of a mother, Tess Coleman (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) and her teenage daughter, Anna (Lindsay Lohan) who swap bodies Now it's happened again - with a new wrinkle. This time, four people are involved in the exchange of bodies. It makes things a little trickier to follow and there are a lot of returning and new characters. At times it feels like notes are needed to keep up (this review might help). More than 20 years after the first film, things are a little different. Anna (Lohan), a single mother, retired from performing to work as a music manager so she can spend time raising her now-teenage daughter, Harper (Julia Butters, who was so good opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Hollywood). Tess (Curtis) helps out when she's not working as a successful therapist, author, and podcaster. Everyone seems pretty happy. But, of course, things aren't perfect. Harper's enemy at school is Lily (Sophia Hammons), a snooty English girl who's worked in fashion and who's in the US for a year with her widowed father, Eric (Manny Jacinto), a celebrity chef. After a massive food fight at school started by the two girls at a cake sale (it's quite a spectacle), their parents are summoned for a meeting with the principal (X Mayo) and, before you can say "meet cute", are instantly smitten with each other. Six months later, Ann and Eric are about to be married and the prospect of being stepsisters does not please Harper or Lily. And where will the blended family live? This time, the changeover comes courtesy of a psychic (Vanessa Bayer) and involves four rather than two people. Anna trades bodies with Harper and, less expectedly, Lily and Tess swap. Now the girls have a reason beyond simply disliking each other to see that the wedding doesn't happen. But, as before, there's something that has to occur before everyone can return to their own bodies. And the switching doesn't make things easier. There's a lot of fan service here. Among the several reappearances from the first film: Chad Michael Murray is shoehorned in as Anna's ex, Jake, with the tease that she might return to him; Mark Harmon is pleasant as Tess's husband Ryan (but has little to do); and skilled character actor Stephen Tobolowsky once again plays goofy teacher Elton Bates. It's quite impressive that so many actors were reassembled all these years later but the film does feel overstuffed as a result. And it also feels underwritten. The screenplay - by seasoned scribe Jordan Weiss (Dollface), from a story devised by her and Eyse Hollander - has its moments but feels like it could have been better. As mentioned, there's a lot going on, much of which doesn't really lead anywhere. A lot of comic possibilities are either overlooked or not exploited to really good effect - there's so much story to get through and so many characters to juggle. The emotional side is also shortchanged. Lohan (who's had her share of ups and downs but is, we can only hope, in a happier state now), Butters and Jacinto are appealing but Hammons and especially Curtis have the best parts and do well with what they're given. Curtis, evidently thick-skinned, seems to be having fun as the vain Lily frequently bemoans the effects of age on her new body and Hammons is able to channel the cool, smart grandmother (it's a pity more wasn't done with this). Director Nisha Ganatra (Late Night) keeps things moving and the film is pleasant but not memorable. Fans of the original might think it was worth the wait more than I did.
Perth Now
19 hours ago
- Perth Now
Selena Gomez: Wizards of Waverly Place changed my life
Selena Gomez's "whole life changed" when she joined Wizards of Waverly Place. The 33-year-old actress auditioned for a series of TV shows, including the spin-off of Lizzie McGuire, before she joined the cast of Wizards of Waverly Place, the hit Disney Channel sitcom. Selena - who starred on the TV show between 2007 and 2012 - said on the Therapuss with Jake Shane podcast: "It was actually a weird thing because I was on three pilots for the Disney channel. One was the spin-off of Lizzie McGuire. One was the spin-off of the Suite Life of Zach and Cody and the last one was Wizards. "So by then all of them didn't get picked up and I was just kind of at my wits end, but not in a bad way just kind of thought 'okay, well this is not going to work out' and Wizards got picked up and my whole life changed after that." Selena still feels proud to be part of the "Disney high school experience". The brunette beauty - who has also enjoyed huge success with her music - reflected: "It was an immediate feeling of oh I achieved my dream at that point in time. "I was such a huge fan of the channel. I was a huge fan of what they did for our generation, and it was an honour. I wear it proudly. I definitely am not ashamed of being part of the Disney high school experience … It was all of us, all from the Jonas Brothers, to Miley [Cyrus] and Demi [Lovato], and then it was Zendaya. It was just so cool to see all the people you so 'went to school with' if you will. It's good to see them all do their thing." Despite her success, Selena's family tried to ensure that she remained grounded. The actress - who is now engaged to record producer Benny Blanco - said: "I just remember my mom being on my a** all the time about making sure that any sort of sudden exaggerated fan moment is meant to be treated with respect."
