AllEars® Team Blog

All Ears® Team Member Linda Eckwerth attended this past weekend's MagicMeets festivities.

My memories are just unbelievable. Fred, you out did yourself, yet again!

This is the third Meet that Deb and I have attended. I must admit that I was hesitant about the first one, (Fred’s second). I thought it was just a gathering of a few folks - nothing that great, just go up for the day, say hi to some fans and then back home.

Boy! Was I WRONG! Each year it has been more fun than the last. And yes, each year has been more work than the last. Each year there are more new fans to meet and old ones to greet. Each year there is more laughter and magic to share with one another. Each year there are many more memories to embrace.

It's important to know that this type of an event doesn’t just happen overnight. There is much planning that goes into it. In fact, for AllEars, we start planning right after the last meet ends.

Deb and I give much thought about gift baskets and collecting items throughout the year. What shall we include? We look for special sales just about every time we are in a store that just might have Disney related merchandise!

Would Deb be a Main Ballroom speaker or breakout session speaker? Deb chose the Breakout room for its intimate feel. What decorations would we have in the room? What items would we giveaway at our table? What items could AllEars® contribute to the charity auction? Would Deb Koma’s schedule allow her to attend this year? Are we going to be able to get all our stuff in one car or have to take two?

Well it all worked out! Everything looked great when the doors opened at 10:00 AM Saturday morning. All of us already in the room could not wait for those doors to open. We could not wait to share with each of you the excitement we had been feeling all year!

It is so hard to explain what that excitement is. I just get all warm and fuzzy when I think about it. Seeing folks with great big grins on their faces, hugging one another, hearing screams of joy, seeing photos taken to capture and hold the memories. It just amazes me each year. It is so wonderful to meet everyone that stops by the AllEars table and “thank you” for all of your thank you’s!

The prizes have been awarded, the charity auction is over - $9000 to Make a Wish…AWESOME, all of the screams have quieted from the roller coaster rides at Hershey and everyone is safely home. Wait! Is it time to start thinking about next year?!

We at AllEars will do our part to help make 2008 as good or better! I can’t wait to see all of you again!

Having fun sharing the Magic!

Linda Lou
P.S. Several folks at the meet thought I was LindaMac. So instead of just going by Linda, I'm now going to go by Linda Lou!!!! OK? So now, AllEars® has Orlando resident LindaMac and me, LindaLou!

Capture the Magic is a Tagrel Community MouseFest ritual that answers the age old questions: How many people can you find with Disney tattoos in the Magic Kingdom, is it possible to persuade guests to form a chorus line and do high kicks, and can you convince cast members to use their bodies to spell out the word “Mickey” in Liberty Square?

Picture this: several Walt Disney World veterans wearing matching shirts, running all around the World in a photo scavenger hunt for which the only prize for winning is a year’s worth of bragging rights.

We decided to tag along as our All Ears Team, composed of our fearless leader, Deb Wills, and team members Linda, Gloria, Laura, Andrea, and Lisa tried to score points and beat the clock in this 90 minute challenge.

Two AllEars reporters grabbed their camera, notebook, and running sneakers as we tried to catch up with this energetic crew. Here are a few of the memories that we captured as they tried to work as a team to Capture the Magic.

AllEars team takes off!
With time of the essence, the AllEars team rushes to their first clue led by team photographer Lisa Berton. They were fast – even though both reporters are training for Disney races and found it a challenge to keep up with this determined crew.

The Eyes Have It
At one stop in Tomorrowland, the AllEars team members consider changing the name of our website to AllEyes.net.

Sharing Disney knowledge
The AllEars Brain Trust deciphers the next clue.

Abbey Road
The AllEars rendition of the Abbey Road album cover, as they follow their fearless leader to the next task.

When You Least Expect It, Disney Magic Happens
The AllEars Team shows that there is strength in numbers as they lift Merlin’s Sword.

Wishes
Are there enough coins in the world to ensure our beloved AllEars team wins this scavenger hunt?

The AllEars Rendition of the Dream Team
What exactly is it about the Hall of Presidents that makes you sleepy? Even being outside this attraction (currently closed for refurbishment) seems to make our fearless team members want to take a nap.

Checking to See What is Left
Keeper of the clues, Linda Eckwerth, keeps the crew on track while she checks to see what is left.

A Cast of Thousands Tried to Help Them Meet Their Goal
During the competition, the AllEars Team and some cast members got a big kick out of this stop on the scavenger hunt.

They’re a Little Bit Country
A country jamboree AllEars style!

Really Minnie Mouse?
With 15 minutes to go and exhaustion setting in, the AllEars team apparently started to see imaginary characters (your humble reporters, however, noticed nothing….hmmmm).

Doing the Holidays the Disney Way
When on Main Street, U.S.A., it’s always the right time to break out into hardy renditions of your favorite holiday classics.

See Ya Real Soon!
Although they may not have won, the AllEars crew had a wonderful team-building experience and got to see the Magic Kingdom in a different way.

We are very proud of their efforts on behalf of the entire AllEars team and these reporters are grateful to have tagged along during this spirited (and, at times downright strange) trip through the Magic Kingdom.

by Debra Martin Koma
Senior Editor
AllEars®

ESPN The Weekend Schedule!
Saturday Part 1
Saturday Part 2
Sunday Part 1
Sunday Part 2

Some of you may know that I visited Walt Disney World during ESPN The Weekend for the first time last year, and that my son came away a winner after participating in the Dream Job Experience (read his blog a see video about the event HERE).

Well, he's twisted my arm, so I'm taking him down for the event again this year -- we'll be heading to WDW later this week!

While I was in the World LAST week, though, I had the chance to speak about ESPN The Weekend to Jason Dobbins of Disney's product marketing. For those of you who also might be going to the see the star athletes and ESPN personalities, here's what he had to tell me about this year's event.

The format for the event will be the same as last year's -- as Dobbins noted, it was so successful last year, they didn't see any reason to change anything this year. So you'll still see the motorcades with the athletes throughout the day, and they'll still have conversations under
the Sorcerer Mickey Hat.

There will also be live broadcasts of popular ESPN shows like "NFL Live" and "1st and 10," live ESPN Radio broadcasts, and interactive game shows like the returning Dream Job Experience and Stump the Schwab for fans to take part in.

In the former show, members are selected from the crowd and have a chance to act as broadcasters of a major sporting event. The
audience votes who does the best job, while the participant gets feedback from some celebrity athlete judges. (That's the one my son the ham participated in.) In the latter, select members of the audience team up with an athlete to answer trivia questions, hoping to outscore ESPN personality Howie Schwab.

Dobbins added that they have been trying to add on another new interactive experience with one of the athletes scheduled to appear, but details weren't quite ironed out when we spoke... so keep your eyes peeled for something new on the schedule!

Shows like these and other activities will again be spread out all over the park, some taking place in the Theatre of the Stars (working around showings of Beauty and the Beast), others possibly in the Sounds Dangerous theater. One of last year's venues, the ABC Theater, is now home to the new American Idol Experience attraction, so instead some shows will be held in what's now called the Premiere Theater, back in the Streets of America area of the park. That theater, former home of the Hunchback of Notre Dame show, is now fully enclosed and air-conditioned.

The theme park will also host the ESPN SportsZone, located behind Rock'n' Roller Coaster and the Soundstages. You get a really cool perspective of the park from back there, plus there's lots going on -- basketball and baseball "clinics", autograph signing... you won't be bored, that's for sure.

Sort of a random note: attendees will be treated to the introduction of a new Powerade product -- apparently, Coca-Cola is giving ESPN The Weekend guests an exclusive first taste.

A tentative list of attendees for the weekend's festivities can be found HERE, but remember -- it'll be changing up until the last minute, as details are being finalized. (But Steeler Lamarr Woodley had better show up, or I'll have one disappointed Pittsburgh fan on my hands!)

If you're heading south for the event, have fun! And if you spot me in the park (I'm sure I won't get out of Disney's Hollywood Studios all weekend!) be sure to say hi!

Watch for a report on the weekend when we get back.