Reedy Creek Fire Department has responded to the Epcot park in Walt Disney World after reports of a fire breaking out in the Norway pavilion.

Click Orlando has reported that a fire did break out on Wednesday afternoon in the Norway pavilion and Reedy Creek Fire Department did respond. Apparently, the fire started in a construction area behind the pavilion, and not in an area where guests were.

Numerous fire trucks were on the scene and the whole area was evacuated of all guests for a period of time. The shops, attraction areas, and Akershus restaurant were all evacuated while the scene was brought under control.

Epcot Cast Members did block the entire entrance to the Norway pavilion off for a period of time, but it has since reopened to guests. There does not appear to be any severe damage to any visible structures, and no injuries have been reported at this time.

WESH reported that it isn’t yet certain how the fire started in the backstage construction area, and no real damage was reported back there either. The firefighters responded to the Norway pavilion around 4:20 p.m. on Wednesday.

Reports had started going out on social media that the entire Epcot theme park was shut off to guests and no one was being allowed to enter for a while. Those reports have turned out to be false and at no point did Disney find it necessary to close the entire park.

Currently, the Norway pavilion is under a lot of construction as the Maelstrom attraction closed late last year and is being totally remodeled. An attraction called “Frozen Ever After” based on Disney’s hit movie Frozen is what the ride is being changed into.

Also, next door to the Norway pavilion, construction is being done to build an entire new area that will house a meet-and-greet location with Anna and Elsa from Disney’s Frozen.

The construction on the pavilion and surrounding areas has been ongoing for almost a year now, and they are expected to open in late spring of 2016. According to Disney, the fire was not big enough nor strong enough to cause a lot of damage and delay anything.

As the damages are assessed and checked out, there will be more information on any issues.

For now, the situation with the fire at the Norway pavilion in Epcot is under control, and the area is open once again to all guests. Walt Disney World has long been known for having emergency crews nearby in case of any situations such as this.

Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/2405823/breaking-reedy-creek-responds-to-fire-at-norway-pavilion-in-epcot-at-walt-disney-world/#yFGz5AXA5l6FhOpK.99

Disney is always making changes to rules, policies, attractions, shows, dining, and more. This is done to better the experience for all of their guests at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and theme parks around the world. Now it appears as though they are making a change that may upset a number of people, but make many others happy as Disney is reportedly banning group “chanting” in its theme parks.

Walt Disney World has a lot of guests walk through its park gates every single day. Many times during the year, there are large groups that come together from Brazil and other countries around the world. They are large packs of often 30 or more who wear the same colored clothing and explore all the fun.

Many of these groups often sing songs and “chant” in their own language, and quite loud. While some may see them as just enjoying themselves, others see the chanting and loud singing as being bothersome.

That may soon come to an end.

According to Orlpassholder, an “incident” of some sort happened on Main Street U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom, and it involved a tour group from Argentina. Apparently, the group was chanting and singing and some kind of bad situation came up involving other guests, but it was not revealed exactly what it was.

As stated in the report, Cast Members at Walt Disney World have now been advised to put a halt to any chanting and group singing by any large amount of people. This means for the tour groups from Brazil, France, Argentina, the United States — anywhere.

If this is true, then it could also be in place for just large groups, in general, such as cheerleaders, sports teams, family reunion groups, etc.

Disney has not released any official word on this, so nothing has been confirmed at this time. Orlpassholder said that Cast Members are being instructed to keep an eye/ear out for chanting, but signs likely won’t be going up or anything like that.

Earlier this year, Walt Disney World officially banned selfie sticks from being used in their parks. Signs are now posted at the front of each park, and Guest Relations does take them for the day if found in a guest’s possession. The selfie sticks are then returned when the guest leaves.

According to a user named “YodaMan” at WDWMagic, the banning of the chanting at Walt Disney World isn’t overly new. Cast Members are always to be on the lookout for things that are disruptive to other guests and discourage it.

As expected, though, it may be rather hard for one or two Cast Members to actually stop an entire large group from singing loudly and chanting. This may be especially true if there is a language barrier.

Whether the banning of chanting at Walt Disney World is true or not remains to be seen, and it may never be something made official to the public. For now, it’s said that Cast Members are being made aware of it, but Disney has still not confirmed anything.

I came across this very interesting article on Disney outsourcing

I used to have a dream career at one of Americas most iconic and admired companies. Twenty years of hard work, technical skill building, the fostering of relationships and a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology guided me to a coveted position as an Information Technology Engineer for Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

On a sunny Monday morning in late October of 2014 I drove down the interstate toward the huge 40 square mile Disney Orlando, Florida property to my office. Ten days earlier Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, had just announced that the company’s earnings were up well over 20 percent for the quarter and this was just one among a long series of record breaking financial results for the company. About six months earlier, a new CIO, Tilak Mandadi, was appointed for the Parks and Resorts Division of Disney, which would result in huge changes to our lives. Little did I know what was about to happen that very same day to me and hundreds of other fellow Disney Information Technology Cast Members.

Read More Here
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/09/07/exclusive-displaced-cast-member-how-disney-replaced-me-other-americans-with-cheap-foreigners-on-h1b-visas/

Update:  We were stopped again today by the Goonz. They asked what the radios were for. We explained again they cant monitor their system and they let us go, but he hung around following us for a while until he lost interest.

It has seem that I raised interest with the Disney security patrols. Me and my friend were in Epcot yesterday and were using our MRKs on 446.000. I caught one of the uniformed guards make a quick turn as soon as we passed by him. He followed us from France to Morocco until my friend stopped to take out his phone to find his girlfriend. The guard approached us and asked what were the radios for. We explained that they were for us to talk to each other when we spit up in the park. We explained we were ham radio operators. He seemed unsure about us and asked if the MRKs can listen to Disney’s radios system. We told them Disney used a digital radio system and we were analog. This seemed to make him content and he mumbled something into his speaker-mic and he went on his way.

Authorities continue to search for a person of interest in a rape after a woman was found naked and disoriented at Walt Disney World.

The woman, whose age was not released, was discovered by a security worker last Thursday morning in some bushes outside the House of Blues and Cirque du Soleil, Orange County sheriff’s deputies said.

According to deputies, the woman’s underwear, clothing, purse and a used prophylactic were found nearby.

The woman told deputies that she was drinking with her friend and a roommate at her apartment and consumed two bottles of Redd’s Apple Ale and seven or eight shots of vodka before going to the House of Blues.

The woman said she does not remember leaving the House of Blues.  She was found outside by the security officer around 5 a.m.

The woman said she was unaware of being involved in sexual activity but was certain that if she had sex it was not consensual, authorities said.

On Wednesday, Orange County deputies released a Crimeline flier saying they were working to identify a person of interest in a sexual battery near Lake Buena Vista.  Surveillance pictures were also released of the man.

Anyone with information about the man is urged to call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS.

A 3-year-old-boy drowned Tuesday night in a pool at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, authorities said.

The child was visiting from out of town and was somehow separated from his parents, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. After a search, the child was found underwater. He was pronounced dead at a hospital, shortly after 8 p.m

WESH 2 News, an NBC affiliate in Orlando, reported that the child and his family were visiting from New York.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragedy and our main focus now is assisting the family during this difficult time,” said Disney World spokeswoman Jacquee M. Wahler.

Former Disney worker dies in fireworks accident

A Maine man who died after trying to launch a firework off the top of his head on the Fourth of July used to work for Disney in Orlando, Local 10 News affiliate WKMG reported.

Stephen McCausland, a spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said Devon Staples, 22, of Calais, had been setting off fireworks with friends Saturday night in the back yard of a friend’s home.

He said Staples placed a mortar tube on his head and set it off. He died instantly.

Police said the friends had been drinking.

Staples’ brother told a local newspaper in Maine that his brother used to be a character actor at Disney. In a post on social media, a friend posted a picture of Staples in a Gaston costume from “Beauty and the Beast.”

McCausland said Staples’ death was Maine’s first fireworks fatality since the state legalized fireworks several years ago.

Calais is in eastern Maine, on the Canadian border near New Brunswick.

http://www.local10.com/news/former-disney-worker-dies-in-fireworks-accident/34013172

Found this great article on defensetech.org

Some of you may have felt a little under-qualified to become a manhunter for Special Operations Command. Never fear. An anonymous pal has found a job almost as good: “Intelligence Analyst” for the Walt Disney Company. Yeah, you read that right: a spook for the Mouse… “highly developed Internet skills” and “US Government security clearance (at least Secret-level) desirable.“

Employer: The Walt Disney Company
Sector: Public
Type: Job
Status: Full-time
Location: Burbank, CA
Title: Intelligence Analyst
THE SITUATION: Basic Purpose and Objective of the Position: The Intelligence Analyst anticipates and assesses threats that could harm, or make vulnerable, The Walt Disney Company (TWDC), its employees, guests, or assets.
THE POSITION: The analyst thoroughly reviews information from open/public sources, official sources, and professional contacts, and conducts regular assessments of world events, regional/national security climates, and suspect individuals and groups. The analyst produces a range of written and verbal analyses for employees and management of the Company and provides tactical intelligence support to the Company’s security and crisis management operators…
% of Total Duties and Responsibilities
45 [%] Monitors open source media, homeland security and law enforcement bulletins, and information from professional contacts, for international, national, and local news and intelligence that may affect the security and safety of TWDC. Maintains comprehensive files of intelligence on key issues and parts of the world; maintains record of threats received, assessments, and their disposition. Plays key information processing role in the Corporate-level Emergency Operations Center, when activated.
35 [%] Anticipates scenarios, analyzes information, and produces written or verbal assessments and warning forecasts for Global Security management and other appropriate TWDC consumers. Assessments will be assigned or self-initiated. Recommends strategies to mitigate security risks as appropriate or required.
10 [%] Develops and maintains regular liaison with local, national, and international law enforcement and intelligence community partners. Maintains and broadens professional skills and contacts through external training and attendance at conferences.
5 [%] Becomes subject matter expert on issues such as counterterrorism, travel security, and international affairs.
5 [%] Finds and coordinates training opportunities and intelligence production of analytic cadre throughout TWDC…
Education Level: BA/BS Required AND 4–6 Years of Experience
Field of Study/Area of Experience: Political science, international relations, national security studies, or related field preferred Other
Training/Technical Skills/Knowledge:

* Highly developed Internet skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office-based applications, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access
* Foreign area knowledge and understanding of contemporary affairs gained through study, travel, or work abroad ” Knowledge and understanding of analysis on security issues, especially though not exclusively related to terrorism
* Familiarity with information resources and data-mining techniques ” Analytic experience and formal training with an intelligence agency, law enforcement organization, the military, or the private sector required
* US Government security clearance (at least Secret-level) desirable.

Abilities & Behaviors

* Strong research and critical thinking skills to identify, collect, and evaluate data; to absorb and synthesize large amounts of information; and to draw logical, interpretable, and potentially actionable conclusions.
* Strong written and verbal English presentation skills.
* Solid interpersonal, teambuilding, and networking skills
* Ability to work under pressure of tight deadlines and high, exacting standards
* High motivation, desire for professional growth and continuous improvement, and a sincere willingness to learn
* Ability to interface with and represent Disney Global Security to all levels of management, executives, and external partners
* Ability to organize, balance, and prioritize multiple projects
* Exhibits creativity and innovativeness ” Willingness and ability to train others ” Strong professional ethics and ability to maintain absolute discretion, confidentiality, and trust.

Read more: http://defensetech.org/2006/02/27/be-mickey-mouses-spy/#ixzz3f9i9PG2C
Defense.org

From 1940 until his death in 1966, Walt Disney served as a secret informer for the Los Angeles office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to documents that have come to light under the Freedom of Information Act.

Details about the film maker’s F.B.I. connection emerge for the first time in “Walt Disney: Hollywood’s Dark Prince,” an unauthorized biography by Marc Eliot to be published in July by Birch Lane Press.

Mr. Eliot, who has written several books on popular culture, provided a copy of the Disney file to The New York Times so that information and direct quotations in the book could be verified against the Government documents. Experience with similar F.B.I. dossiers leaves no doubt that the material submitted by Mr. Eliot is authentic. As it happens, because many of the 570 pages in the Disney file are blacked out or withheld for national security reasons, it cannot be determined what names of Hollywood figures Disney passed on to the bureau as Communists or subversives.

During a strike of animators at the Disney studio in 1941, however, he publicly accused the strike leaders of “Communistic agitation,” according to an advertisement taken out by Disney in Variety on July 2, 1941. And when Disney, whose right-wing leanings were well-known, testified before the House Committee on Un-American Activities in Washington, he named several of the animators who had led the strike as Communists. What Hoover Got in Return

Read the full article here
http://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/06/movies/disney-link-to-the-fbi-and-hoover-is-disclosed.html