Have Mickey Mouse balloons. Will travel

Jim Hill

16 years ago

Danielle DuBois. You’ve just been chosen to become a member of
the Disneyland Resort Ambassador team. What are you going to do next?

I’m going to Vancouver … in January !

Quinn Shurian (L) and Danielle DuBois (R), Disneyland Resort Ambassador team members for 2009 Copyright Disney. All Rights Reserved

Okay. So maybe that’s not what you’d expect a California Girl
to say. But that said, this Chico State alum still did hit the road last month. Joining Mickey & Minnie on the West Coast leg of Disney Parks & Resorts’ “What Will
You Celebrate?” promotional tour.

And even though Danielle visited some very cold & wet places over
the past 30 days (i.e. Seattle & Portland), she still has warm memories of
her time away from Anaheim.

“We traveled as a caravan as we went from city to city,”
DuBois recalled. “And given that the truck that carried our equipment had
Mickey and the ‘What Would You Celebrate?’ logo on its side, people would honk
and wave at us as we drove down the highway.”

And at each stop along the way, Danielle met former Cast
Members, Guests who’d just been down to the Disneyland Resort or folks
who just dreamed of someday working for the Mouse. And they all came out to these
balloon distribution points because … Well, they needed another jolt of that
Disney magic.

And DuBois saw for herself how powerful that magic can be. When – at the foot of the Space Needle – she watched one child
interact with Mickey.

“We were just finishing up with the characters. And this boy
walks up to Mickey and says ‘Remember me? We met at the Park?’ And he then had
this full conversation with Mickey,” she explained. “It was only later I
learned that this child had advanced autism. And his parents make regular trips
to the Disney Parks because the only time their child really opens up and talks
is when he’s with the Disney characters.”

Another aspect of helping out with the West Coast leg of the
“What Will You Celebrate?” tour that Danielle really enjoyed was watching how
that Disney magic would then spread throughout that day’s host city. Take – for
example – San Francisco.

“Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., we gave out 5000 Mickey Mouse
balloons down on Pier 39,” she
remembered. “A few hours later, I was sitting in this coffee shop deep in the
heart of the city. And as I looked out the window, I’d periodically see these
people walk by still clutching their Mickey Mouse balloons.”

The same thing happened at Sacramento’s Arden Fair Mall. When
– after they’d distributed all those balloons with the help of local Disney
Store employees and Disney College Program members – DuBois went upstairs to
the food court to grab a bite to eat. Only to find this veritable sea of Mickey Mouse
balloons.

“All these moms were there with balloons tied to their strollers,” she
laughed. “It was pretty amazing to see.”

Unfortunately, Danielle had to bail out of the “What Will
You Celebrate?” tour just before yesterday’s stop in Fresno so that she could then
resume her duties as a Disneyland Resort Ambassador. But even so, she has some very fond memories
of her time on the road.

“You have to understand that I became Disneyland
Ambassador on January 1^st,” Danielle concluded. “So to hit the road
with Mickey & Minnie and then go to all these different cities with a fun bunch of people? That was a really
great way for my year as an Ambassador to get started.”

By the way … If you live in Las Vegas and are in need of a little
Disney magic yourself, the “What Will You Celebrate” tour rolls into Sin City this
Friday morning. Cast Members will be wandering around the Town Square mall
starting at 11 a.m., handing out free Mickey
Mouse balloons as well as inviting shoppers to come register for free admission
to a Disney theme park on their birthday in 2009.

Mind you, the fun doesn’t stop in Vegas. There are three
more stops scheduled for the West Coast “What Will You Celebrate?” promotional
tour. Next Tuesday, the caravan rolls into Salt Lake City’s South Towne Center.
Monday, February 16^th, they drop by Phoenix’s Chandler Fashion Center mall. And
then – on Wednesday, February 18^th – Disney’s balloon distribution
teams will hit a yet-to-be-revealed location in San Diego.

And just so you know: If you drop by one of these “What Will
You Celebrate”? promotional stops, you could also possibly come away with a lot
more than just a free Mickey Mouse balloon. Like what? Well, how about a free
Disney Celebration Vacation?

For further information on this contest as well as the West
Coast leg of the “What Will You Celebrate?” tour, go check out www.DisneyParksCelebrations.com