S.T.E.M. AN EQUATION FOR CREATING DISNEY MAGIC. JAN FEB. 4, 2015 VOL. 45 Number 2

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1 S.T.E.M. AN EQUATION FOR CREATING DISNEY MAGIC JAN FEB. 4, 2015 VOL. 45 Number 2

MANAGING EDITOR: Brian Crimmins CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Debbie Mookini WRITER: Jay Hamburg SPANISH EDITION: Jo McAtee & Maria Ripol EDITORIAL INTERN: Michelle Larkin CREATIVE MANAGER: Simone Miranda ART

2 MANAGING EDITOR: Brian Crimmins CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Debbie Mookini WRITER: Jay Hamburg SPANISH EDITION: Jo McAtee & Maria Ripol EDITORIAL INTERN: Michelle Larkin CREATIVE MANAGER: Simone Miranda ART DIRECTOR: Mike Britton DESIGN & LAYOUT: Olga Lucía Thompson COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING: Irma Coombs CONTRIBUTORS: Shelby Curry, Jed Dunstan, Adam Earnhart, Ralphie Giron, Jay Hamburg, Jamie Jacobsen, Karen McClintock, Rachel Monnier, Ally Hellyer Pippin PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Paul Alippo DISTRIBUTION: Cyndi Bader & Magic Kingdom Park Transitional Duty To provide feedback on Eyes & Ears, please contact Brian Crimmins via at For breaking news and more features, visit Eyes & Ears on The Hub at thehub.disney.com/wdw. For advertising opportunities, contact Irma Coombs: ( ), FEATURE 14 For distribution information, contact Paul Alippo: ( ), ON THE COVER: We highlight Lindsay Mullen, Alan Skaggs, Joseph Soltis and Lee Wilson, just four of the more than 2,000 Cast working in S.T.E.M. roles. PHOTOGRAPHY: Olga Lucía Thompson All photographs and images are Disney unless otherwise specified. Disney is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All rights reserved. Reprint of materials only upon written permission from Walt Disney World Public Affairs. Disney reserves the right to reject any ad. None of the products or services advertised herein are endorsed by Disney or its subsidiaries. To receive a discount, a valid Cast Member ID is required. In addition, Cast Members should carefully read each advertisement in order to be aware of any rules, restrictions or limitations that may apply Disney For additional content look for the Backlot symbol and visit: backlot.disney.com/community/waltdisneyparksandresorts/ waltdisneyworld/wdweyesandears. 2 EYES & EARS

Marissa Suarez, Senior Project Engineer, Design & Engineering 05 FAN

Watch, Disney s Animal Kingdom Theme Park 07 SITE NEWS Disney Vacation

TASTE OF DISNEY Cheesy Enchilada Soup 12 TWDC NEWS Disney Explorers

3 CONTENTS FEATURE 14 S.T.E.M.: AN EQUATION FOR CREATING DISNEY MAGIC DEPARTMENTS 04 MEET THE WDW TEAM Marissa Suarez, Senior Project Engineer, Design & Engineering 05 FAN MAIL Disney s All-Star Movies Resort 06 MAGICAL MOMENT Rafiki s Planet Watch, Disney s Animal Kingdom Theme Park 07 SITE NEWS Disney Vacation Club Disney s Animal Kingdom Theme Park YMCA Family Center Open Mouse 11 TASTE OF DISNEY Cheesy Enchilada Soup 12 TWDC NEWS Disney Explorers Lodge Lucasfilm s Strange Magic 101 Dalmatians: Diamond Edition 16 HISTORY & HERITAGE CAST OFFERINGS 8 EYES & EARS 3

MEET THE WDW TEAM MICHELLE LARKIN MARISSA SUAREZ ROLE: SENIOR PROJECT ENGINEER, DESIGN & ENGINEERING HOMETOWN: MIAMI, FLORIDA YEARS WITH THE COMPANY: 11 HOW DID YOU FIRST BECOME INVOLVED WITH

4 MEET THE WDW TEAM MICHELLE LARKIN MARISSA SUAREZ ROLE: SENIOR PROJECT ENGINEER, DESIGN & ENGINEERING HOMETOWN: MIAMI, FLORIDA YEARS WITH THE COMPANY: 11 HOW DID YOU FIRST BECOME INVOLVED WITH SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH FIELDS? I enjoyed working on cars when I was a youngster. Even before working on the maintenance of automobiles, I always had an interest in how mechanical systems worked. My parents frustration was that I used to dismantle many of my toys out of curiosity to better understand how they worked, as well as cutting my Barbie s hair. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES? Currently, I serve as the project engineer for new Guest experiences. I am responsible for coordinating the efforts of [Walt Disney Imagineering] Creative Entertainment [with] the technical teams involved in delivering the show expectations for the safe and reliable enjoyment of our Guests. WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST UNIQUE PROJECT YOU HAVE BEEN PART OF? Rivers of Light [the new nighttime spectacular coming to Disney s Animal Kingdom Theme Park] has been a very unique project that I have been working on. With [the] diversity of show element design and the introduction of new technologies, we are opening up a new chapter in entertainment execution. More on Backlot. 4 EYES & EARS

MAGICAL MOMENT M I C H E L L E L A R K I N TURTLE PROMPTS INTEREST IN SCIENCE More on Backlot. Science is all around us especially here at the Walt Disney World Resort.

We can thank the engineers, mathematicians and scientists for the amazing attractions and offerings that we work with everyday.

On this particular day, Dr. Katie Leighty, science operations manager, conducted a series of tests on an Eastern box turtle named Mario.

5 MAGICAL MOMENT M I C H E L L E L A R K I N TURTLE PROMPTS INTEREST IN SCIENCE More on Backlot. Science is all around us especially here at the Walt Disney World Resort. It s easy to get caught up in the magic, but really, science is at the heart of everything. We can thank the engineers, mathematicians and scientists for the amazing attractions and offerings that we work with everyday. At Rafiki s Planet Watch at Disney s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, a team of scientists studies each animal at the park to ensure their wellbeing and to learn more about the different species. On this particular day, Dr. Katie Leighty, science operations manager, conducted a series of tests on an Eastern box turtle named Mario. Katie invited us to tag along with her and the Takac family from Livonia, Michigan to see Mario the turtle up close in the Science Center, a lab that Guests can visit at the Conservation Station. Her study focused on Mario s ability to learn new things. Animals are all very intelligent, we just have to know how to talk to them, she explained. Katie and her team have studied Mario s mind and taught him to recognize colored paddles. He has learned that if he walks toward a white paddle, he will receive a food treat. From there, he quickly learned to choose the lighter colored paddle. Joey and Brendan Takac gazed at wiggling Mario as Animal Keeper Vicky Pittman-Courte held him above the testing table. Research Associate Stephanie Albright put a mealworm a treat for Mario, but also a regular part of his diet behind a white paddle and placed nothing behind a black one. Vicky sat Mario down. After considering his options, Mario headed straight for the white paddle to find his reward. After a few rounds of choosing the white paddle correctly, they decided to mix things up for Mario. Let s make it more challenging! exclaimed Joey as he chose two paddles of varying shades of gray. Mario proved to the boys that he was smarter than they may have thought, choosing the lighter paddle every time. Making that choice between black and white is something you could do when you were about 1 year old, but choosing between the grays is something you couldn t do until you were 5 or 6, Katie explained to Joey and Brendan. To thank them for their help, Katie presented Joey and Brendan with their own painted turtle plates. After a morning of turtles, the Takac family went on their way to discover more science at Disney s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. 6 EYES & EARS

HISTORY & HERITAGE RACHEL MONNIER ILLUMINATIONS: REFLECTIONS OF EARTH The story of Earth illuminates World Showcase Lagoon through fireworks, lasers and water effects, all set to a moving

This nighttime spectacular was originally introduced as part of the Millennium Celebration at Epcot as IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth. Renamed Jan.

6 HISTORY & HERITAGE RACHEL MONNIER ILLUMINATIONS: REFLECTIONS OF EARTH The story of Earth illuminates World Showcase Lagoon through fireworks, lasers and water effects, all set to a moving instrumental score in IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. This nighttime spectacular was originally introduced as part of the Millennium Celebration at Epcot as IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth. Renamed Jan. 1, 2001, it continues to delight and inspire Guests nightly. The show took 26 months to develop, and more than 60 computers are required to produce each show. Earth s incredible tale is conveyed through three themed sequences chaos, order and, lastly, a finale that casts hopeful dreams for a better tomorrow in our world. COMPANY D CAST ACTIVITIES, EVENTS & DISCOUNTS CAST OFFERINGS During the month of January, Cast Members receive a special 35 percent discount on merchandise that is already on sale. This offer ends on Jan. 31 and no additional discounts apply. Type Cast #3 is the third Cast-exclusive, limitededition pin in this series and features characters from Peter Pan. Each pin costs $11.95 and regular discounts apply. Pins are subject to availability and release dates may vary. Visit The Hub >> Cast >> Cast Appreciation and Recognition >> Company D for more information. Goofy s Mystery Tour is a Cast Member event that steers teams through Disney s Hollywood Studios in search of mind-bending clues and Disney trivia to solve. This year s event is March 5, 7 p.m.-midnight. Registration opens Feb. 5 at 8 a.m. Cost is $100 per teams of four. Center your mind and body with lunchtime yoga at Maingate. Beginning Feb. 10, classes will meet every Tuesday, 12-1 p.m. Cost is $45 for an eight-week session. Improve your core strength, flexibility and more with Pilates! Beginning Feb. 2, morning and evening classes will be offered on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays in Celebration. Cost is $45 for one class per week, or $75 for two classes per week. Learn basic skills that will prepare your dog for a lifetime of successful learning. Beginning Feb. 11, dog training classes will meet every Wednesday, 7-8 p.m., at Best Friends Pet Care. Cost is $98 for a six-week session. For more information, visit The Hub >> Cast. 16 EYES & EARS

FEB. 5-18, 2015 VOL. 45 Number 3

FEB. 5-18, 2015 VOL. 45 Number 3 MANAGING EDITOR: Brian Crimmins CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Debbie Mookini WRITER: Jay Hamburg SPANISH EDITION: Jo McAtee & Maria Ripol EDITORIAL INTERN: Michelle Larkin CREATIVE