Disneyland Hotel to Undergo Significant Renovations
Beginning in August 2009, the
Disneyland® Hotel will start a significant renovation project that will include major improvements to its guest rooms and considerable changes to the exterior of the hotel. The hotel will remain open during the renovation, which will be conducted in phases, and is scheduled to be completed in 2012. 
Renovated guest rooms will feature a stunning new headboard that uses fiber optics to create a magical skyline with fireworks - bringing the immersive park experience into the room.
“This renovation provides us with the opportunity to bring new magic to this historic hotel, which enables us to enhance the Disney experience that our guests have come to expect,” said Disneyland® Resort President Ed Grier. “It also reinforces our ongoing commitment and investment in the Anaheim Resort District - working with the city and area businesses to continue to evolve the District into a world-class, multiday tourist destination.”
Sleuthing Cast Members Race through Disneyland® Park to
Raise $8,000 for Local Nonprofit
Disneyland® Resort Cast Members recently had the opportunity to showcase their Disney knowledge and competitive edge in the annual Minnie’s Moonlit Madness. The unique event is a Cast competition that takes place after Disneyland® Park closes, and combines a scavenger hunt with team building. More than 320 teams of four worked together to solve trivia questions and clues related to the Park all while tied together by rope - making it impossible for the teams to split up to gain traction. 
A Minnie’s Moonlit Madness team works together to compete for the first-place medal.
In addition to being a favorite Cast activity for nearly 20 years, the event also benefits a local nonprofit each year. In the past, the event has contributed to the Orange County High School of the Arts, Orange County Food Bank, and MOMs Orange County. This year, Cast Members raised $8,000 benefiting Trails4All, a group that builds and preserves shared-use recreational trails in Orange County.
“It is such an honor that an organization as big as Disney chose Trails4All to benefit from this event,” said Jim Meyer, vice president and founder of Trails4All.
Orange County Boys and Girls Clubs Experience Newest Offerings at
Disney’s California Adventure® Park
 In May, the Disneyland® Resort hosted 16 Orange County Boys & Girls Clubs for an event at Disney's California Adventure® Park. More than 320 children had the opportunity to experience Mickey’s Fun Wheel, the 151-foot-diameter attraction that recently opened with a new Mickey Mouse marquee and theming. The participants also had a chance to ride Toy Story Mania* and try their skills at the updated Games of the Boardwalk. Boys & Girls Club members were invited to enjoy Disney’s California Adventure® Park during the third annual event at the Resort.
“We value that Boys & Girls Clubs provide a safe place for after-school activities for the children of our community,” said Jill Bolton, director of community relations for the Disneyland® Resort. “We are thrilled to offer this exclusive opportunity in recognition of our long-standing partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Orange County.” The relationship between the Disneyland® Resort and the Boys & Girls Club dates back to Walt Disney's era. Today, the Resort provides clubs with 50 complimentary 1-Day Disneyland® Resort Park Hopper Tickets annually to be used for fundraising activities or for the children they serve. *Based on the Disney•Pixar Toy Story Films. |
Spirited Disneyland® Resort Cast Members Receive Golden Recognition
Once a year, a group of outstanding Disney Cast Members is honored with the highest form of recognition– the Spirit of Disneyland® Resort. This year, 69 Cast Members were recommended by their peers and received this coveted honor. 
This year’s Golden Spirit of Disneyland® Resort recipients celebrate with Disneyland® Resort President Ed Grier and President of Worldwide Operations for Disney Parks & Resorts Al Weiss.
The program formally acknowledges the top three to four percent of all Cast Members who achieve outstanding work in one of three categories: Cast excellence, guest or client excellence and operational or financial performance. Each honoree receives a gold pin to be displayed on their nametag identifying them as a Spirit Award recipient. In addition, they are hosted by Disneyland® Resort President Ed Grier at a dinner in their honor.
At this year’s dinner, seven of the 69 Cast Members received an additional award - the Golden Spirit of Disneyland® Resort - a recognition only given to those who have excelled in all three categories. All Spirit Award winners clearly exceed high Disney standards and contribute in great ways to the unparalleled Disney experience that both Cast and guests have come to expect.
Disneyland® Resort Supports Orange County Aids Walk
The Disneyland® Resort has supported the annual Orange County Aids Walk since 1997. This year was no exception, with Cast Member team participating in the event and the Resort donating 350 1-Day Park Hopper tickets to AIDS Services Foundation to be used as incentives for the top fundraisers. For the past three years, PRIDE, one of five Diversity Resource Groups at the Resort, has championed the Resort’s involvement in the walk. The group is focused on fostering an environment where gay and lesbian Cast Members feel encouraged to be authentic inside and outside the Disneyland® Resort.
Disneyland® Resort VoluntEARS have been a part of the OC Aids Walk for 12 consecutive years.
PRIDE coordinated the participation of Disney VoluntEARS and fund-raising efforts. Diversity Resource Groups like PRIDE support and enhance the diversity goals and objectives of the Disneyland® Resort by contributing value to the areas of recruitment, retention, business development and communication.
5 Millionth Graduate Celebrates Grad Nite at Disneyland® Resort
On May 28, Samuel Jacobo of Summit High School in Fontana became the 5 millionth graduate to participate in Disneyland® Resort's historical Grad Nite event. Jacobo was greeted by the Resort’s Celebration Street Team, was photographed with Mickey Mouse, and received special gifts, including a one-night stay in the Disneyland® Dream Suite. 
Disneyland® Resort celebrates the 5 millionth student to participate in Grad Nite.
Since 1961, Grad Nite at the Disneyland® Resort has been the choice for high school graduates throughout California to gather for a safe and exclusive after-hours party featuring classic attractions, dance clubs and deejays from Southern California’s most popular radio stations.
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| Wellness Walk Encourages Disneyland® Resort Cast Members to Stay Active
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|  Early on the morning of May 20, National Employee Health and Fitness Day, Quinn and I joined about 60 Cast Members from all areas of the Resort on a morning wellness walk. This event kicked off six weeks of “Work it Out Wednesdays” around the Resort, designed to encourage Cast Members to get out, get active, and try something new! Disneyland® Resort Ambassadors Quinn Shurian (left) and Danielle DuBois (right) help kick off “Work it Out Wednesdays” on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland® Park.
The Resort is offering Cast Members six weeks of instructor-led activities such as swing dancing, fitness boot camp, yoga, shadow boxing and a canoe workout around the Rivers of America hosted by the Cast Members who work the attraction. “Work it Out Wednesdays” are another way that the Disneyland® Resort focuses on the health and wellness of its Cast, by providing an additional outlet for us to focus on our mental and physical health while trying a new routine. Danielle DuBois - 2009 Disneyland® Resort Ambassador |
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