| Kent Slocum's Official Newsletter | May 2019 |
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A Turning Point Dear Readers: As you may have guessed by the delayed release of this newsletter, the month of May was full of activity--not just for myself, but also for my friends, family, and fellow cast members. As you begin scrolling down through the sheer amount of written and visual information that I have packed into this issue, I am sure that you will agree that May was a momentous month. Even though much of my newsworthy activities revolve around my work at the Disneyland Resort, this does not necessarily indicate a lack of balance in my life. In fact, this week's sermon at Saddleback Church was entitled "Building Character at Work." In his sermon, Pastor Rick Warren reminded me of the Bible verse which says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people" (Colossians 3:23). This puts everything in a new perspective. Pastor Rick explained that the Lord primarily uses our work to teach us three things. First, God has been using pressure at work to teach me responsibility. Second, He has been using problems at work to teach me character. Finally, He has been using people at work to teach me how to really love. This last point is especially important, since it is the hardest lesson of all. Because life revolves about relationships, and work is a microcosm of life, God is using my work as a way to teach me how to love others in the same way that "God so loved the world, that He sent His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). In this issue of my newsletter, I invite you to read about the incredible, relational work activities and recreational events in which I've had the honor to participate during this past month. Happy Reading! -Kent |
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"On any one day you can massively change the direction of your life." - Jim Rohn - |
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At work in Tomorrowland, I do my best to be my best every time I show up ready to work. Using that verse from Colossians, I strive to be authentically hard-working and enthusiastic, even when no one is watching. Sometimes they are watching, however. Recently, one of my managers expressed his gratitude for my excellent work by giving me an unexpected gift--two free movie tickets! |
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"Never suppress a generous thought." - Camilla E. Kimball - |
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Pleasantly surprised by the free movie tickets, I decided to take one of my roommates to watch the live-action remake of Disney's "Aladdin." My curiosity had been piqued by an exclusive preview being shown in Disneyland, and I wanted to experience it on the big screen. Not only did we have a good time at the theater, but I was absolutely blown away by the quality of the film. 2019's "Aladdin" is now my favorite live-action remake of any Disney film, and quite possibly one of my favorite Disney films of all time. This movie sets high expectations for the other Disney films coming out this summer--especially the live-action reimagining of "The Lion King." The success of "The Lion King" may depend upon whether the film will preserve the musical heritage of the original. |
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"Limitations live only in our mind. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless." - Jamie Paolinetti - |
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On May 31, I witnessed history being made at the Disneyland Resort. On that day, CEO Bob Iger was joined by George Lucas, Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), and Chewbacca to officially open the single-largest land expansion ever. Besides the hundreds of celebrities, members of the media, and Disney employees present in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge during the opening ceremony, I joined over 21,000 people who viewed the spectacle via online livestreaming video. |
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Just one week before the entire Disneyland Resort was swept into Star Wars fever, I was permitted to attend a special Cast Preview of Galaxy's Edge. I invited my cousin Carter to accompany me. On the day of the event, we met up with two other College Program participants and their invited guests, making a party of six--just the right size to fly the Millennium Falcon! |
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"I don't have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness - it's right in front of me if I'm paying attention and practicing gratitude." - Brené Brown - |
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During my Cast Preview of Galaxy's Edge, we experienced heavy rain, lightning, and thunder. Although the weather was miserable for myself and other visitors to Batuu, the smugglers, scoundrels, and shopkeepers of Black Spire Outpost were well-prepared with comfortable clothes and wet-weather gear. In fact, the outfits worn by the Star Wars cast members are crucial to completely immersing guests and intergalactic visitors in the new land. Each cast member has the ability to mix and match their articles of clothing, creating a unique look that is entirely their own. |
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My cousin and I didn't spend the whole day in Black Spire Outpost, however. Because we only had a four-hour reservation to the planet of Batuu, we started our day in California Adventure Park, where Carter soundly defeated me in a game of Toy Story Midway Mania. After lunch, we rode Hyperspace Mountain before enjoying Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, "the wildest ride in the wilderness." |
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"We may encounter defeats, but we must not be defeated." - Maya Angelou - |
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In celebration of the opening of Galaxy's Edge, the Tomorrowland Retail management team engraved special Star Wars name badges for all of their cast members. I was pleasantly surprised and honored to receive the badge pictured, which has my name written in Aurebesh (see below). Although I can't wear this nametag at work, I can wear it in the park as a guest. |
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Just as my official Disney nametag has both my name and hometown engraved upon it, my Star Wars name badge has both my name and my (fictional) homeworld. According to my new badge, my homeworld is the planet of Coruscant, which is the most populated planet in the known Star Wars universe, and also the former home of the Jedi order and Galactic Senate. |
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On my Star Wars name badge, my name is written in Aurebesh. Aurebesh, as pictured, is the Star Wars equivalent of the English alphabet. Although most of the Aurebesh symbols have direct English-language equivalents, there are also eight "dipthongs"--essentially, combinations of letters. You can see these replacing common letter sounds such as "ch," "ae," "eo," "kh," "oo," "sh," and "th." I am currently learning to read and write Aurebesh. |
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In keeping with my efforts to build stronger relationships with my friends and coworkers, I recently attended a LA Dodgers baseball game. Due to a detour, we arrived midway through the fourth inning. Nevertheless, we enjoyed eating popcorn and cheering until we were hoarse as the home team handily defeated the San Diego Padres. Later this summer: Anaheim Angels! |
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"Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships [together]." - Stephen Covey - |
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On Mother's Day Sunday, I was blessed to attend the morning church service with my parents (and especially my Mom!). After the service, my Mom received a special parting gift: a miniature succulent! Since she was unable to take a potted plant on the plane flight back to Eugene, she generously donated it to me. Upon taking the plant back to my apartment, however, I discovered that the potting soil was attracting bugs. Therefore, I had to content myself with placing it outside my bedroom window and tending to it there. Despite the fact that this little succulent is neither fuzzy nor mobile, taking care of the plant has helped fill the hole I have had ever since leaving my family's adorable hamsters behind. |
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"Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges. So relax." - Bryant McGill - |
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Before Josh D'Amaro ascended to his current position as President of the Disneyland Resort, management had planned to replace much of the Downtown Disney District with a four-star luxury hotel. In preparation for demolition and construction, multiple businesses were closed, including the AMC theater, the ESPN Zone, and the Rainforest Cafe. Unfortunately, the plans for the new hotel quickly fell through, leaving empty buildings where successful businesses once resided. Although the empty buildings were eerily empty at first, the former ESPN Zone has been converted into a highly-successful Mickey Mouse walk-through experience. With more changes coming, there is still hope for the empty restaurant and theater. |
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"Dwell in possibility." - Emily Dickinson - |
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Despite being separated from my sizable collection of LEGO building bricks, I still follow breaking news regarding my favorite construction toy. Since I also work at Disneyland, you can imagine my excitement when one of the latest LEGO sets to be released is this gorgeous throw-back to the very first black-and-white Mickey Mouse cartoon: "Steamboat Willie." Of course, the LEGO store in the Downtown Disney District is selling this set. |
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"Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." - Walt Disney - |
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As I ride the Orange County public bus system each day, I read many of the advertising posters displayed inside. There are, of course, the usual culprits: community college and university ads, public service announcements, and ads for free tacos on Tuesdays (with a valid bus fare and an equal or greater purchase at participating locations). However, the ad on the left particularly stood out to me for one glaring reason: a simple, yet serious grammatical error. The bold text reads as follows: "Feeding over 20,000+ children a week." In language (and especially ads), conciseness is crucial. Repetitiveness is unnecessary. Saying "over" and then using the "+" symbol literally means "feeding over over 20,000 children a week." That's probably not what they meant, but that's certainly what came across. This organization certainly cares about kids, but it's too bad they don't feel the same way towards grammar! |
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"You make your mistakes to learn how to get to the good stuff." - Quincy Jones - |
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If there is one piece of merchandise that Disney has mastered, it is most certainly the t-shirt. In my job, I not only sell t-shirts, but I also see every possible permutation of print designs. With such a wide portfolio to draw from, Disney seems to have elevated t-shirt puns to an art form, as this photo demonstrates. One of my favorites is a t-shirt that says, "not into matching t-shirts," but matches one that says, "me neither." |
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Of course, many guests can't find official Disney t-shirts that match their preferences or price range. This has given rise to a massive secondary market for unofficial Disney-esque t-shirt prints that are remarkably humorous. This image illustrates my point. Although neither Disney nor I would ever approve of such a t-shirt design, its very existence proves just how easily Disney's many logo marks and brand names loan themselves to puns. |
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"Every thought you produce, anything you say, any action you do, it bears your signature." - Thich Nhat Hanh - |
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Every once in a while, Tomorrowland cast members bring treats to work to share. When a bag of fortune cookies showed up one day, I couldn't resist the opportunity to have a snack and read my fortune. Of course, I don't believe that fortunes predict or determine my future--but it's fun to read them anyway. Thankfully, I can happily say that all of these fortunes are already coming true: The Lord has given me peace and satisfaction despite massive changes; back home, my family celebrated my parents' 25th wedding anniversary; I still can't get over how lucky I am to be working at Disneyland; and I opened a Certificate of Deposit at a whopping 3% APR. |
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"If you do tomorrow what you did today, you will get tomorrow what you got today." - Ben Franklin - |
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"Weird Al" Yankovich got it right when he wrote a song entitled "First World Problems." In my daily life, I often complain about small things while completely ignoring all of the incredible things that I should actually be extremely thankful for. Take, for instance, my job. I gripe about the hours, the coworkers, the management, and training. Yet I forget that I am working in "The Happiest Place on Earth," in an absolutely beautiful climate, in an affluent country, making far above minimum wage. Here's a challenge for you: every day, take the time to sit down and consider what you have to be thankful for. You will surprise yourself! |
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"Gratitude...goes far beyond saying 'thank you.' When we are grateful, we affirm that a source of goodness exists in our lives." - Robert A. Emmons - |
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When the Disney College Program announced that they would be taking professional photographs of participants in Disneyland Park, I was overjoyed. Here was an incredible opportunity to dress nicely, have my photo taken by someone who actually knew what they were doing, and update all of my profile photos on the internet! However, my joy quickly deflated when I discovered that the photos were being taken in ToonTown, the goofy, nonsensical land of mischief and whimsy in the far northern reaches of Disneyland Park. Despite my disappointment, the opportunity quickly became a blessing, because it was the impetus I needed to head into Downtown Disney with some of my friends to take our own pictures. Not only did our (non-professional) photos turn out wonderfully, I also rediscovered just how much natural beauty is in bloom! |
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"Choose to be optimistic, it feels better." - Dalai Lama - |
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Disneyland is home to a lot more than Mickey Mouse and his friends. On a regular basis, I see lizards, ducks, ducklings, crows, and even cockroaches. However, despite Cinderella's castle looming in the center of the park, you won't ever see a real mouse running around. That's because the resort encourages a large number of cats to roam about the park at night and catch rodents. |
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"Animals are unpredictable things, and so our life is unpredictable. It's a long tale of little triumphs and disasters and you've got to really like it to stick it." - James Herriot - |
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Perhaps the scariest word ever uttered to a college-age young adult is "Networking." This single word conjures up frightening images of long emails, cold calls, imposing managers, untimely appointments, terrifying questions, and awkward conversations. However, I have learned that the most effective form of networking is simply getting to know the people you would otherwise pass by. |
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"If you push through that feeling of being scared, that feeling of taking risks, really amazing things can happen." - Marissa Mayer - |
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During the week leading up to Mother's Day, my parents spent three days in Anaheim, spending time with me and each other. The highlight of our time together was a fortuitous meeting with a long-time cast member whom we originally met on a family vacation nearly six years ago. It is an honor to work at the same park and in the same land as a treasured family friend. |
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"I don't mind what we do. I just want to spend time with you." - Peter Slocum - |
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My parents' visit to Disneyland was full of firsts. To begin with, I went on the Haunted Mansion attraction for the first time with them. Then, we went on the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage together for the first time. I was able to convince my parents to ride the Incredicoaster for the first time, followed by Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout. In need of rest, my parents watched the musical stage production of Frozen for the first time, and went Soarin' Around the World with me for the first time. In order to get all of their "firsts" out of their system, they experienced Hyperspace Mountain and the Disney Junior Dance Party for the first time, as well. |
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"Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have." - Eckhart Tolle - |
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