Dream Stalking



Kathy, Chelsea and I were walking through Frontierland heading for the restroom when Kathy asked, "Where are they going?" I turned around but didn't see who she was referring to at first. But then I noticed three members of the "Dream Squad" walking in the other direction.

Two of them were lugging huge duffel bags so we decided to follow them. I was assuming they had "Dream Ears" because of the bags. Another couple decided to follow them too before the trio disappeared behind the McDonald's French Fry cart. The other couple left disappointed but I said to Kathy that we should wait there. So we hung out watching trains from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad run by every so often and trying to look "cool" as we waited for a potential payoff.

Sure enough, 10 or 15 minutes later, they emerged with the two carrying the large bags now wearing their white vests. We hung back far enough to not look like we were pursuing them but close enough that when they pulled out the prizes we'd be rewarded.

They set up on Big Thunder Trail, counted down 3-2-1 and started awarding passersby with the ears. We crossed the award line, thanked the cast members for the ears and then headed for the restroom as we had set out to do a short time before.

This is the third time I've won a "Dream" award. We got lanyards and pins last July upon exiting Dumbo. And I won a Dream Fastpass once while on my way to the Disneyland Railroad in Tomorrowland.

I've just missed winning a few other times. I saw guests wearing hats near Pirates of the Caribbean only to find out that the Dream Squad was set up at the exit of Tarzan's Treehouse and had just given away their last set of ears as I found them. We were close to winning FastPasses near the castle but they had run out before we could make our way to the Dream Squad. And a bunch of people came through Big Thunder Trail with FastPasses but I never did see the Dream Squad.

There have been times when we've seen Dream Squad members before carrying prizes but they disappeared backstage to set up and there was no way of knowing where they would re-appear. This time, it appeared they had nowhere to go once they left to wait behind the fry cart. Besides winning a stay at the Dream Suite in the old Disney Gallery location, the only other Dream prize that I was interested in was the hat.

Not sure how proud I am to say that I stalked the Dream Squad but I am happy to have a set of ears to show for it.

Matt

Not Getting My Panties in a Bunch

Before being promoted to writing director at the public relations agency where I work, I was an account manager who had a software company for a client. My job, among other responsibilities, was to serve as a go-between between my client and editors at various publications in an effort to secure editorial placement in said publications.

I was contacted by someone at a magazine wanting to get a copy of my client's software for a review in their publication. When I relayed this interest to my client, they had me question the person as to what their publication covered, how many readers the publication had, etc. I performed my job as requested and received word that it was a Jewish publication written entirely in Hebrew. My client was skeptical that it was a "real" magazine and had me ask them to send in a copy before OKing the request. Well, I got the magazine, it was real and it was written entirely in Hebrew, which I do not read. Although I didn't really see much in the way of technology reviews, I convinced my client to finally send a copy of their software rather than continuing to make this editor jump through hoops to receive it, fearing that by doing so, we were negatively affecting what would ultimately be written.

What does this have to do with Disney? Well, Disneyland's publicity department recently made personnel at various publications jump through hoops and "re-register" for access to the various press releases and editorial photographs available on its media-only website. After doing so, StartedByAMouse.com found itself in a similar position to the aforementioned Jewish magazine written in Hebrew -- somehow "not real." While -- congratulations! -- I was accepted as a "registered user" of the media website, my "credentials" have been reduced from what I've enjoyed for years and I can no longer access the "editorial photography and videography section of [the] website."

While I feel a bit snubbed, it doesn't change our coverage that much. I've long provided my own photography to accompany articles that I write about Disneyland. That should continue if I continue to cover the "Happiest Place on Earth." But there are times that I'm not able to get photographs to share with readers, such as the images that Disneyland publicity provided of the recently re-done Dream Suite apartment in the former Gallery area or the concept art for the upcoming DCA improvements. In those cases, I guess I won't be able to report on the goings on at the Disneyland Resort and will have to chose to cover the events without pictures, not cover the events at all or to replace Disneyland coverage with coverage from one of the other areas that still recognizes this website as media and provides full access to their editorial content -- such as Walt Disney World, Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Home Entertainment.

In a world where readership at print publications continues to fall and people increasingly get their news from websites such as this, StartedByAMouse.com is as "real" as any publication out there. I have a degree in journalism from an accredited university and we are financially supported by ad revenue generated from our readership. As a business, income and expenses are reported on our tax returns. By restricting our access by not including us among their "approved media outlets," Disneyland Publicity is negatively impacting our readership and may cause us to close down or change our editorial focus to include some non-Disney entertainment venues as well.

Who knows if that Jewish magazine truly wanted the software for reasons other than editorial review, as my client suspected, but I think it was worth the effort to send a copy to them and take the chance that maybe the software might have found a niche audience that we never would have imagined and one whose access we would otherwise not have been privy to.

This particular niche site continues to receive thousands of page views a day from Disney fans around the world. Perhaps if we had access to images to include with the press releases Disneyland sends out, we may have influenced readers' decisions in planning a vacation to experience what they saw posted here. But instead readers might only see articles about the latest Disney movie in the theaters or DVDs available for purchase.

It seems like a rather short-sighted decision to limit exposure to this information through sites like StartedByAMouse.com. But I'm not going to get my panties in a bunch. While I feel like I've lost a bit in not being recognized as true media, and Disneyland may lose from a reduction in editorial coverage, I'm most sorry that our readers will ultimately be the ones to lose. Hopefully, they'll frequent the "authorized media" as well.

Matt

Possibly Published Again

OK, so after I ask where all the good Disney sites have gone, I disappear for a little while.

I had no intention on going anywhere but when I have the choice between sleep and posting here, sleep is almost always going to win. And the more I have to make that choice, the more I consider letting the site sleep with the fishes, as it were.

But one of the reasons I have such a hard time letting go is because of the cool chance encounters keeping this site up and running sometimes brings. Tonight I got an email from someone who had previously published an academic book about Disney and wanted to use one of my pictures in the paperback version of the book he's preparing to release. It's a non-profit venture so I'm not making anything off of it but it is still cool to be asked and have my work included in their particular work of love.

I haven't really kept a full list of places where I've had my writing or photography published or where I've served as a source for an article but it is getting to be fairly lengthy. I've had photos printed in my friend Steve DeGaetano's book about the Ward Kimball engine, as well as in several of his train-themed articles on MiceAge.com. I was interviewed and had a quote published in Pat Williams' book How to Be Like Walt. I was a subject of a story that ran in "Cool 'n Smart" magazine, which included a couple of my pictures. My report on Roger Broggie's Main Street Window ceremony got published as the front-page story of the Carolwood Chronicle. I was asked to write a series of articles about Walt Disney for LaughingPlace.com. Burnsland.com has run various articles and posted photos that I've taken. As well as the miscellaneous writing and photos that have appeared in various newsletters.

I've served as the editor in chief of my college newspaper and magazine, and I actually earn my living writing press releases and other collateral pieces for clients at a public relations agency, but it is still thrilling when someone wants to include my work in something they are publishing. I guess that's the thrill I still get whenever I'm able to publish something here on StartedByAMouse.com. I may never be famous because of my writing or photography but I enjoy being able to share my knowledge, artistry and interest in Disney with like-minded individuals. And I'm happy to still have a venue such as this to do it.

Matt

Where Have All the Good Disney Sites Gone?

Recently, I looked at my Internet viewing habits and wondered why I wasn't spending as much time on the various Disney-related websites that I used to visit each and every day. There was a time that I simply went from one bookmark to the next reading as much daily information as I could. Certainly, I don't have the time that I once had to dedicate to scouring the world wide web for nuggets of news but that wasn't the sole reason I wasn't viewing these sites anymore.

The truth is that many of the sites began to resemble one another with very little original content. The same news was reported and discussed ad naseum. When I first started looking at daily Disney sites, there were but a handful of them, but more and more continued to pop up, making it not only harder to keep up, but also making them all look more and more like each other. Some sites with discussion boards again had the same topics over and over - many times with the same poster, posting the same information on each site. Some boards were becoming too negative for my tastes, others were too cliquish. At least one site began offering so many ads that finding content was next to impossible. Plus, after years of reporting on many of the changes in the World of Disney, there wasn't as much to report on without the opening of new theme parks, etc.

I know I was suffering from this very burnout when trying to figure out what I wanted StartedByAMouse.com to be. The fact is that I didn't want to be just another Disney site and I wasn't going to be able to compete against some of the megasites that had larger staffs and more readers. There are posts on some of the discussion boards by average Joes that I would have made entire articles out of for posting here. As time has become a precious commodity that I no longer have much of, I've sincerely thought about closing the doors to this place for more than a year and a half.

But while I've kept pressing on, at an admittedly slower pace, one site this week decided to fold up shop after a recent server crash. MouseInfo.com has been around for about 10 years and was one of my favorite spots on my daily list years ago. Looking back on a review that I had once posted to this site about MouseInfo.com, I was impressed by its Disneyland Resort News & Information Updates, chats and discussion boards. Webmaster Michael McSparran seemed to be able to provide first-look scoops and the interaction between staff and readers was incredible.

Somehow, I'd drifted from frequenting the site in recent years. I'm not exactly sure why. More of the same, I guess. I don't think I loved a format change that had all the information served from their discussion boards rather than a dedicated website separate from the boards. Whatever the reason, MouseInfo.com's closure didn't affect me so much personally but did make me sad that a Disney site that I had once felt such a part of wasn't available anymore. Some of the site's members are working hard right now to take over the defunct site and get it back up and running again. I wish them luck since I know how hard it is to do and I understand the owners' decision not to continue with the venture.

Though I've decided to keep StartedByAMouse.com going for the time being, there might be some closures affecting this site as well. With little activity and too many would-be spammers requiring my administration, our own discussion boards may soon cease to see the light of day. We had a nice, little community even recently but there just isn't anyone talking so I may ax it. I never wanted my list of Disney links to be overwhelmed with commercial ventures such as travel agencies or services. I may get rid of a bunch that I deem unworthy, perhaps pulling the ability to submit sites and just going with a smaller, more intimate list of my favorite places. Sections of this site, such as Mousellany, hardly ever get updated so I may consolidate sections and have a more narrow focus going forward.

One of my "Flickr friends" recently left a comment on a photo saying, "thanks for bringing Disneyland close to me :)" It is this sentiment that makes me want to continue sharing my Disney experiences with others and continues to drive me to keep this site up and running. I'm sure there are many people who lament our lack of updates and may question where all the good Disney sites have gone as well. Hopefully, we're still here. We're just waiting for a little extra time in our day to return to greatness.

Matt

I Passed the M.A.T.



It's strange that just a couple of days ago I mention on this very blog that I still have recurring dreams of working at the Disney Store and now today I've passed a test that will allow me to pursue my "dream job" - that of Chief Magic Official. Haven't heard of this position? Then you must not have seen the press release that was issued today.

"We're looking for that perfect someone to serve alongside our talented Cast of dream makers," said Craig Dezern, Vice President, Global Public Relations, Disney Parks. "The CMO will serve as an ambassador of dreams to help create the magic that only Disney can bring to its guests."

Apparently, as part of the (Second) Year of a Million (and More) Dreams at Disney Parks, they are looking for someone to travel to various functions on behalf of the Disney Company and spread pixie dust and good cheer to all the guests they encounter. It is sponsored by CareerBuilder.com and seems to be a guest ambassadorship in the same vein that there were guest Jungle Cruise skippers and guest Haunted Mansion cast members during a similar contest last year. If you pass the M.A.T., you can then film a 1-minute video telling the world why you should be the C.M.O.

I haven't decided whether I'm going to do the video part. I have a couple of ideas but at least one or two of them can't be submitted because the rules say so ("Music cannot be included in any Online Entry submitted. Any Online Entry submitted with music will be disqualified.") If I am going to apply, I have to do it soon. The contest closes in less than 18 days.

Honestly, it sounds like it could be a lot of fun. I'd certainly love to give it a try but as it is only a part-time job, I'm afraid it would be impossible to give up my present position and difficult to arrange for vacation to accommodate all of the travel and appearance required as part of the gig.

For additional information about the CMO search and to apply, visit www.DreamCMO.com. Good Luck!

Matt