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Well I did not expect to be writing another email before Christmas but I had to say something. We all know 2008 has been a rough year for most and I myself am done with 2008 and ready to start off 2009. I think 2009 will be a transition year heading toward the better. It will be the year of Tikifest 2009 and my web sites 10th anniversary. Today I got some news that points things in the right direction for guests of the Polynesian.
As of tomorrow, December 23rd it was announced that the Torch Lighting Ceremony will resume! Lets hope it is a permanent thing and not just for the Holidays.
I will see you in the new year!
A story about this years Gingerbread Houses at the Polynesian.
Any Lilo and Stitch fan knows "Ohana"- check spelling on this means "family," and that message is particularly strong during the holiday season. At Disney's Polynesian Resort, Cast Members celebrate with a yearly gingerbread house contest that inspires creativity, fun competition and added decoration to the resort.
Chef Michael Thompson began the annual competition with a challenge to resort Cast Members to build the best gingerbread house. In turn, he built his own gingerbread house that averaged 80-100 hours to create. While his creation is not part of the judging, he set the bar high with a Hawaiian palace out of gingerbread, wintermint gum and other secrets.
This year, 12 Cast Members, including Disney chefs and hourly Cast Members, accepted the challenge, creating their own version of gingerbread bliss. Included is a Hawaiian church, airplane hanger and tiki bar, as well as traditional gingerbread houses.
Participating Cast Members were provided two 16x18 inch pieces of gingerbread and a baking pan and from there, their creativity ran wild. Since Thanksgiving, they have been able to work on their masterpieces, most averaging 20-30 hours of labor.
"This is a great testament to our Cast Members and how they can have a good time," said Cast Services Manager Shawna Whalen. "It adds to the Ohana [and] boosts the moral of the Cast Members. It helps them feel like they're part of the Ohana and they get to know each other even more. I [also] think this is a great opportunity for our Cast Members to showcase their talent."
Courtney McBride won first place for the Polynesian Cast Member category. Jon Obrien won first place in the Chef category.
"It's a wonderful competition," said Vincent Valdes, general manager of Disney's Polynesian Resort. "Not only does it give our Guests the pleasure of seeing gingerbread houses, but it creates the holiday spirit within the resort and the Cast Members just enjoy doing it and the other Cast Members enjoy seeing it."
The gingerbread houses are being displayed the second floor of Disney's Polynesian Resort
