We are back with the latest meet the Magic Makers episode. These episodes are dedicated to showcasing the amazing talents of Disney Cast Members. We got a chance to talk with Jennifer Padley, a cast member from the Disney World Fine Arts Photography Department who can create almost anything your little geek heart desires!
Interview with Disney Cast Member Jennifer Padley
Jennifer worked in post-production at Disney World’s Fine Arts Photography department. She helped guests take their special moments captured during a Disney photography session and create custom layouts, photo books, and more to tell their story.
What started as a side hustle for friends has quickly turned into a business that is thriving. Jennifer found inspiration as a child from The Lion King (1994), to get into art and design. She takes that inspiration, her talents, and her love of all things Disney and combines them to make some of the prettiest murals, art pieces, even custom shoes that you have ever seen!
Find Jennifer on Facebook, Instagram, and Etsy @PadleyARTS. She shared that one of her best-sellers are these adorable donut magnets and ornaments. I mean don’t they look good enough to eat?
If you can dream it and want custom artwork Jennifer can do it. From handpainted ornaments and shoes to massive wall murals, Jennifer is your girl. Although she is local to central Florida she did share she is willing to travel (when life permits it again) to your home to make your rooms pop.
We both really like the character DNA canvas prints she has created like this Princess one. This type of artwork can be made for any character(s) or fandom.
Of course, before we wrapped up we had to ask Jennifer about her favorite fandoms and Disney characters. And since she worked in the photography department we also asked her to share her favorite photo spots and editing hacks for those special Disney moments.
We are back with another meeting the Magic Makers episode. These episodes are dedicated to showcasing the amazing talents of Disney Cast Members. This time we chatted with Katie Brown, a cast member who has filled many roles at Walt Disney World.
Interview with Disney Cast Member Katie Brown
Katie has done it all from photo pass photography to entertainment. She recently performed with The Voices of Liberty (her dream role) and sailed aboard the Disney Cruise Line as part of their onboard entertainment. Which she said was amazing before 2020 hit. Fingers crossed we can all get back to sailing (safely) very soon.
Since we both have musical backgrounds we were excited to talk to a CM in that field. One of us always wanted to perform for Disney, can you guess who? Let us know if you got it right.
Find Katie at Katie Brown Music and Piano Party. On her own, Katie continues to offer customized musical experiences for any occasion. She has performed in driveway concerts, socially distant wedding receptions, and is currently working on a Carol Kane Tribute show.
If you have a holiday party, class reunion, or anything that could use some live music, Katie is your girl! Or, if you’re looking for a nice night out in the Orlando area, check out The Edison at Disney Springs. Katie is a regular performer there. We can’t wait to go visit and say hi, from a distance of course!
Piano Party started as a side hustle and quickly grew. If you’ve never experienced a dueling piano show you need to get on that now. Or at least visit their website. It is incredible to watch.
We also couldn’t let Katie leave without her sharing not only her favorite fandoms but also her favorite songs to sing. She went for a classic, you’ll have to listen to find out what it was!
We are back with another meeting the Magic Makers episode. These episodes are dedicated to showcasing the amazing talents of Disney Cast Members. This time we chatted with Ashlee Santmyers, a cast member from Walt Disney World.
Interview With Disney Cast Member Ashlee Santmyers
Ashlee is a pastry chef in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. She enjoys being able to create the various treats you can find throughout the park. Cakes are her favorite thing to make!
She is also a geek just like us! So you know we had to ask her to pick her favorites and yes we know that can be as hard as picking a favorite child. Ashlee told us how she and her husband are a house divided: Batman vs. Superman and Sailor Moon vs. Dragonball Z. We had to share our own picks out of those two!
Ashlee owns Storybook Delights, where she makes sweet treats for various fandoms and occasions. Every order is custom, Ashlee will work with you to figure out the perfect flavor and decoration combinations to make your next special event shine.
Getting custom made cakes or cupcakes would be a perfect way to have some Disney Magic at home. Going into the winter months, we definitely recommend an extra dose of magic.
This Batman Wedding Cake is phenomenal! We know a few Batman fans who would love this at their wedding.
Do you even like Disney if you don’t have a Mickey-themed birthday party at least once? Look at this adorable Mickey Mouse cake complete with the ears on top!
Obviously, we love Star Wars around here so this cake is a definite favorite. And we bet she can put one together themed after The Mandalorian too if you ask! Just saying!!
Calling all witches, wizards, and muggles! These Wizard House Cookies look amazing. You need them for your next Yule Ball.
Order your custom pastries, cakes, cupcakes, and more from Storybook Delights today!
It is no secret we are big Disney fans. When the news of the furloughs and lay-offs came down our hearts broke. We wanted to help in any way we could. Part of our plan is to showcase the amazing Magic Makers, the people who are behind all the magic you experience when heading to the park. From PhotoPass photographers and character attendants to chefs and artists, it takes a lot of special people to make Disney what it is.
Interview with Disney Cast Member Felicia Wisniewski
We got a chance to talk with Felicia Wisniewski, a magic-making cast member from Walt Disney World.Felicia works in costuming primarily at Magic Kingdom. One of her favorite events to work is Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire stage show. The colors, the seasonal changes, it is all so fun.
She is also a geek just like us! So you know we had to ask her to pick her favorites and yes we know that can be as hard as picking a favorite child. Felicia loves Tiana, Daisy, and Star Wars. You know we had to talk some Star Wars with her because we Geek Girls are all about it.
As a big fan of Star Wars, she tells us what it was like to be one of the first CM’s to see what The Rise of the Resistance costumes would look like. We aren’t jealous at all…not at all…
Felicia owns Fandom Sophisticates, an Etsy shop where she makes and sells items for various fandoms, including hard to find pieces for Disney favorites! Lucky for us, and you, Felicia’s shop is also open for CUSTOM orders. So if you’re prepping for a runDisney event, a day at the parks, or just feel like showing off your fandom loving side, she is your girl.
You can’t help but love the Move it! Shake it! MousekeDance it! Street Party! The costumes are colorful, the music is lively, and it is a great time to interact with some of your favorite characters. These ears bring that joy to life and are sure to get you a ton of compliments at the park.
This one is available in English or Aurebesh. It would look great on your laptop, car window, water bottle, basically wherever you can stick a sticker.
Who said Frozen is only for kids? Warm-up your vocal cords and get ready to go Into The Unknown with this poodle skirt. Elsa not your girl? No worries, Felicia can make one custom for your favorite Disney Princess.
We had the opportunity to interview Julie Frost and Mike Dombrow, two veteran Disney performers and creators. These two have created an empowering musical adventure podcast for kids called The Super Secret Hive.
Interview with Julie Frost and Mike Dombrow
The Super Secret Hive follows the adventures of a cast of quirky characters (all voiced by Julie and Mike) as they navigate a host of challenges to help kids save the world. It covers topics like honey bees and pollinators, plastic in the oceans, germs and our immune system, inclusion and kindness vs. bullying (as expressed by a T-Rex!), loneliness, and taking care of ourselves, each other, and the world we live in.
Season one features six full-length episodes, 14 original songs, and FREE online activities. Their goal is to engage, entertain, and inspire kids while also providing parents and educators with much-needed content during this challenging time of distance learning.
Where did the idea for The Super Secret Hive come from?
Julie– “We have been building projects together for a number of years. All of the projects revolve around helping kids become happier and healthier.”
But as with everything in the entertainment business, 2020 hit and they had to pivot from their live musical formats to something new.
Julie– “We realized how impactful audio could be and how engaging it could be when it is done well. So we thought how cool would it be to do a podcast for kids? We wanted it to be extremely interactive and engaging.”
Mike– “So many of us have been sequestered to the same location for many of these last months, this opens a new world they can imagine in their mind.”
We love that this is a fun, entertaining podcast for kids. After all with distance learning happening children and even adults are getting burned out on screen time. With The Super Secret Hive you can listen in and use your imagination all without staring at a screen.
There are a lot of fun characters in this podcast, all voiced by you both. Tell us a little bit about how you decided on how each one would sound and their names?
Julie– “We had a lot of fun creating these characters. From a young age I had the ‘Disney sound.’ I never had to manipulate that sound, so this was a big stretch for me. This was the first time I had to put on a ‘character voice.’ That was a fun learning process.
Mike on the other hand is just awesome at coming up with these characters. He is very funny and very creative with how he uses his instrument.”
Mike– “A lot of it is kind of the tone and how you deliver the different words.”
Their goal was to make this podcast enjoyable for the whole family, because you know that a lot, A LOT of kid stuff is grating on our nerves and our ears. Thanks Julie and Mike for thinking about us too!
You both have worked for Disney for so many years. How did your roles as Cast Members inspire and prepare you for what you’re doing now?
Julie– “My background has been solely in entertainment. All of those roles were very much in my wheelhouse. For Disney Junior Live On Stage there was a lot of improv that happened. Because you never know how the audience is going to react to you.
That is really great for what we have to do now, improving the different voices and characters. The beauty of Mike and I wearing all the hats is that if we wanted to go off script we could do that. Disney prepared me for this [because] I was able to explore improvising and interacting with the audience.”
Mike– “My education background is what brought me to Disney. In the Disney Youth Programs I got to teach workshops to visiting choirs. We hosted a lot of events and competitions and all sorts of things to get kids excited about creating.
That is really the endgame fo us. [Teaching kids that] helping each other, being kind, and doing all these wonderful things is just the thing that you do. Performers know about collaboration and you can’t get anything done unless you work together. And all of that is hopefully it is echoed in our work.”
For the complete interview with Julie and Mike and to learn what is next for The Super Secret hive listen to the full recording below!
Be sure to check out The Super Secret Hive, available now on your favorite podcast apps and on the website HereAtTheHive.com.
Hey there geeks! We had the opportunity to interview the talented and super fun Julia Jones. If you don’t know, Julia starred as Leah Clearwater in Twilight, Omera in “The Mandalorian”, and most recently as Agent Munoz in Think Like A Dog. You know we could not let the opportunity pass by to geek out about “The Mandalorian” and other nerdy things, because Julia is also a geek.
Exclusive Interview with Julia Jones
Sometimes 15 minutes doesn’t feel like a lot; sometimes it’s enough to enjoy a few good laughs and feel like you’ve chatted with someone and known them for a long time. This was one of those times.
I was a little worried about having to do this interview via phone instead of in person but it was great. Julia was funny, engaging, and it didn’t feel awkward at all!
We started off by asking her about her role as Agent Munoz in Think Like A Dog. Funny moments on set and what it was like filming in New Orleans.
Jones: “I really responded to the script. It’s about a little boy whose science project goes awry and he forms a telepathic connection with his dog, and I had a dog growing up that I was really close to and I think felt in some way that I was connected to her, maybe telepathically, why not? And that was just very sort of sweet and personal to me.”
“I love working with the dogs. For me, there is an element of spontaneity that comes when working with dogs. I feel calm and relaxed working with them, especially big dogs like the Henry dog. These dogs are extremely professional and really well behaved. Everybody just wanted to be around the dogs. I definitely was hanging out with the dogs offset.” (laughs)
I think we all agree we would want to hang out with the dogs!
Jones: “One of the neighbors let us use their house for makeup because the trailers were too far away so we would go and do makeup touch-ups in her house. “Sure, just come on in.”
The people of New Orleans didn’t just offer up their houses for touch-ups, they also came out to watch the filming. Like a Community Theatre production.
Jones: “People would get beach chairs and at 9 am in the morning you would get out of the car to start filming and there would be all these people with their beach chairs and bottles of wine. They set up their chairs and watched us film. It was like a community theatre production.” (Laughs)
Julia is a self-proclaimed nerd. Being a big Book Worm, we asked her about how reading informs her acting choices.
Jones: “I think that reading books impact the way that I see the world to begin with. You try to understand things that you haven’t experienced or you try to understand what it’s like to live in a place that you’ve never been, different things that are going on that are outside of your little world that you inhabit.
Twilight, I definitely read before we filmed…I mean, because you’d pick those books up and you can’t put them down, first of all, but, you also want to be as much on the page of your audience as you can.”
If you started doing puzzles during quarantine you are in good company!
Jones: “Oh my gosh, I’ve been doing puzzles in quarantine. These like 1,000 piece puzzles that I’ve been extremely obsessed with!”
She has been involved in some incredible projects with really large fanbases, like “The Mandalorian,” “ER,” “Westworld,” and The Twilight Saga. We asked her what it was like to be a part of them.
Jones: “You always sort of feel like you have a family when you’re working on a film, but (with those franchises) it’s like you’re joining a family, a huge family. Cause it’s not just about getting together and telling the story that’s very beloved by millions of people. But you’re kind of in it together and you have to navigate the reception of it as well. And it is nice to do that with your colleagues as opposed to just off on your own.”
