Going Places: Meet the Dream Team at Disney

BY LIZ FLEMING

It's a bit like Mission Impossible. When the gentleman in the unobtrusive blue shirt and khaki pants receives his orders for the day, he has no idea who he's being sent to meet, nor what he's to do when he finds those people. 

Everything is secret.

The envelope is sealed and no one knows its contents.

The only thing that's certain is that, over the course of the time that gentleman is on duty, a whole lot of people are going to be made very, very happy. 

That aura of mystery is an essential element in the huge success of Disney's Year of a Million Dreams - a promotion so beloved that it's been extended into 2008.

Each day, the members of the Dream Team - a group of largely unnoticeable folks in those blue shirts and khakis - receive sealed orders for their shifts.  Inside the envelope, the instructions might read: "Go to the 11am showing of Finding Nemo and sit in seat #198.  When the show ends turn to the person seated in seat #197 and hand him or her this envelope."  Another set of directions could be, "Go to the Japanese pavilion at Epcott Center and wait for the fifth person wearing a red shirt to exit the building.  Give him the first envelope in your package."

In every case, the instructions lead the Dream Team member to a location where there can be only one guest at a time - one very lucky guest.

It's always a toss to see who's more surprised by what's in the envelope - the Dream Team member or the completely unsuspecting tourist who was just fortunate enough be sitting in seat #197 or who happened to wear a red shirt that day.

The card Mr. Red Shirt pulls out might read, "Good for four ice cream cones" or better yet, "Enjoy a $500 shopping spree at the Disney Store on the Boardwalk."

The lucky winners never know what's in store and neither do the members of the Dream Team.  And it's all free - a gift from Disney World Orlando to the many visitors who come each year to celebrate their love of everything Mickey.

While a $500 shopping spree is nothing to be sneezed at, there are even bigger prizes to be had.  Among the most spectacular is the opportunity to spend a night in Cinderella's palace - surely the dream of every little girl who's ever played princess.

By far the most extravagant prize involves the Grande Parade.  As anyone who has ever visited a Disney park knows, the biggest events of the day are the parades.  Costumed characters, floats, magicians, dancers, and singers all combine to make Disney parades the kind of events that draw spectators from every corner of the property.

And the biggest parade of all is the Grande Parade - an extravaganza that needs a marshal.

To lead one Grande Parade would be an experience no child would ever forget, but what would it be like to lead a Grande Parade at every Disney property in the world? 

That prize - including the necessary transportation to fly the marshal and his/her family to Disneyland in California, to Eurodisney in France, Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo Disney - is a part of the Million Dreams program.

It's tough to guess which envelope it's in, if it's already been awarded, or which of those unobtrusive Dream Team members will be handing it out.

Visiting Disney World this year?  Cross your fingers and keep an eye out for blue shirts and khaki pants!