Last week I told you this was my first time working on our Car Masters Weekend event at Downtown Disney. Today, I’ll admit that this past weekend was my first time actually attending the event! As they say, “better late than never.” Here are a few thoughts from a newbie, in no particular order:
- The “car show” part was a lot cooler than I expected. Though I’m not a huge car buff, I really enjoyed seeing the huge variety of 150+ vehicles displayed throughout Downtown Disney West Side. There were old cars, new cars, fast cars, famous cars … a great mix of classic, muscle and exotic cars. And while they were fun to look at, my favorite part was talking to the owners and hearing them tell their stories. Those sweet rides have a lot of history.
- I still get starstruck around Lightning McQueen and Mater – I was grinning from ear to ear (can you see my giant simile or is my hat blocking your view?) and judging from their line of fans, I was not the only one. Totally worth the wait!
- The event really was designed with families in mind – I saw tons of kids and they were having as much fun as their parents, if not more. I think the interactive experiences from “Monsters University,” “PLANES” and “The Lone Ranger” really added a nice touch. Add to that the chance to play Disney Infinity and test drive remote control RIDEMAKERZ vehicles and it was definitely a weekend with something for everyone.
- Having Chip Foose and Jay Ward at the event was awesome – I got the chance to meet the popular car enthusiast and Pixar filmmaker, and both were so genuinely excited about cars that their enthusiasm got me even more revved up. Even better? They were great with the fans and put on three amazing shows each day, plus Chip did daily autograph sessions. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll be able to bring them back again next year.
- People love a good cone hat – I wore mine throughout the event and got so many smiles and waves that I started to feel like a celebrity in a parade. I even had a few guests ask to take photos with me, which I happily agreed to. (Note: The Luigi tire hats are fun, too, but I think we can all agree that orange is my color, right?)
To bring this one to the finish line, I’ll just tell you that Car Masters Weekend was so much more than I expected. You can bet your last tank of gas that I’ll be making this an annual tradition! Hopefully you will, too!
by Darcy Clark, Marketing Manager, Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World Resort