OFF-AIR

Tomorrow I bid farewell...but not really

2009-09-24T12:28:00.003-05:00

As I sit here in my office on lunch, I think about this morning and how tough it was to break the news to everyone regarding the future of the Tiki Room Morning Show. It was not easy. In radio there are certain times where you can easily get emotional. And some of the time you go by a 'script'. This morning I went off the top of my head, spoke from the heart and even...got a bit emotional. Thank goodness no cameras were around...the beauty of radio!

After nine and a half amazingly fun months of doing the Tiki Room Morning Show live from a radio studio which I do another show for as well (locally in Winnipeg), it is time to put a cap on the daily version of the show. My life has sadly taken a very, very busy turn. I no longer have the time needed to prepare this show on a daily basis, and yes, it hurts me to say this. I had so much fun in the chatroom every morning....but the good news is...the Tiki Room Morning Show is DOUBLING it's length! Thats right, the Tiki Room Morning Show will still go to air, LIVE for TWO hours each and every Friday! Beginning in the usual time slot of 8am Eastern and going straight until 10 with an extra magic hour, the Tiki Room Morning Show will continu

e to provide you with all the Walt Disney World music you need to get your weekend started! The

Animation Courtyard with interviews and some interactive skits will also still happen, so not to

worry...things will sound normal on Fridays still! I hope you all can join me live!

Now, the reasons? There are several of them. Where to begin? I am working at 830-430pm every single monday to friday for a local university. Besides this, I am also doing a radio show every Thursday night on a local station here which focuses on UFOs and mysteries, then I have Aladdin rehearsals, where I'm playing Jafar, 5 days a week and Sunday afternoons for four or five hours. On top of this, I am happy to say I have a weekend morning talk show on the #1 station in Winnipeg, and am proud to be back on-air for this! Oh and I guess I should find time to breathe in there, too.

So unfortunately the Tiki Room Morning Show will be ending it's weekly run BUT there is a whole new daily LIVE SHOW schedule at 8am Eastern daily that I want you to check out, courtesy of Sorcerer at SRsounds.com:

Monday

8:00 am - Top of the World LIVE (SRN LIVE)

7:00 pm - Top of the World replay

Tuesday

8:00 am - Sorcom Review

1:00 pm - Loopy Tuesday

7:00 pm - Sorcom Review replay

Wednesday

8:00 am - Backstage

1:00 pm - Top of the World replay

7:00 pm - Backstage replay

Thursday

8:00 am - DW:60

1:00 pm - Backstage replay

7:00 pm - DW:60 replay

Friday

8:00 am - Tiki Room Morning Show (2 hour shows)

1:00 pm - DW:60 replay

7:00 pm - TRMS replay

Sunday Replay Schedule

11:00 am - Loopy Tuesday replay

12:00 pm - Top of the World LIVE

1:00 pm - Sorcom Review

2:00 pm - TRMS

4:00 pm - DW:60

5:00 pm - Backstage

In the meantime, I beg you to stop by the chatroom tomorrow (September 25, 2009) for a fantastic party, where we'll celebrate you, and celebrate the last-ever traditional run of the Tiki Room Morning Show. We'll be live at 8am Eastern until 9am Eastern over on the chatroom at www.SRsounds.com/forum!

Chris

Becoming Jafar: The Read Through

2009-09-18T16:11:00.002-05:00

Alright, so, Day One.

The read thru went great. The best part was that I already knew my role: Jafar. I had played him on-stage back in 2007 as I've already mentioned in my previous blog post. But this time I get to be a tiny bit more creative. See with the last performance of Aladdin being in 2007, and my first with Fantasy Theatre, now that this is my 6th show between now and then, I'm a bit more comfortable at what I can do with the character.

When I got to the rehearsal studio, we were handed out scripts. I knew all of the actors except one who I havent worked with. Everyone else I have performed with in shows such as Treasure Island, Wind of A Thousand Tales, and Max and The Grinch.

You know something, it is amazing how much you forget! At first, the story is about a bunch of gypsies who want to do a play, and they end up performing the story of 'Aladdin'. It's actually pretty funny how much you forget, as I have a whole two or three scenes that I had no idea about. But it all came back, and so did the lines. I felt myself looking up after glancing at the line, because it was slowly coming back to me. Slowly but surely!

When we got in to the 'Aladdin' part I was able to begin using my deep, evil voice. And of course I could have just 'read' it, but something took over me and I felt myself booming out the lines as if I was on stage. Keep in mind I was still at about 95%, recovering from laryngitis! Close to the end of the scene where my character is yelling at Aladdin to give him the lamp from the Cave of Wonder, my voice starts to go. I knew there were only a couple more lines until I had a substantial break, so I continued to belt them out. My voice nearly blew out completely. I can't help it, I just like being so evil and getting in to the character! I found myself sweating on my forehead JUST from reading the lines, so you could imagine how much I'll be sweating at rehearsal and on stage during the performances!!

At the end of the read thru, the other actors were assigned/designated their roles, and I went out for a beer with the director. We chatted a bit about how I want to do a few things differently this time compared to last time, to develop the character more. All he asked is that at next rehearsal (Sunday September 20), I take it easy on my voice. "I know what you can do, so don't strain your voice!," he told me. I respected that!

So I just highlighted my lines and will aim to know them all by Sunday.

Wish me luck!

Chris

Becoming Jafar

2009-09-15T16:02:00.002-05:00

So today is the first read-thru for the 2009/10 Season Opener for Fantasy Theatre for Children, Aladdin.

It isn't the typical Aladdin with all the Disney jazz, it's more the traditional version, with two genies (genie of the lamp AND genie of the ring), and the villain is The Evil Magician. Although with my love of all things Disney, and with my love for acting, in a play that was done as a movie and stage-show in Disneyland, I like to think of the role as Jafar. After all, he's a tall, skinny, greedy man with a low voice, who wants the lamp, princess, palace, and power!

Upon finishing college in May 2007 I was looking for theatre companys to join. When I read one was auditioning for Aladdin, I immediately memorized the monologue of the opening beggar for Disney's Aladdin, and landed the role of the bad guy right away.

Since then, I've been cast in the same company as a sword-fighting, angry pirate...an evil king (twice, in two different shows!) and The Grinch last Christmas. Seperately - in a different theatre company after my initial Aladdin run in 2007 - I've been cast as a greedy, borderline-psychotic Las Vegas hotel owner, and a retired, short-tempered military sargeant. Is there a trend of evil going here or is it just me?!

Anyhow...as Tony, the director, first told me...villains are the most fun to play. And what is exciting for me this time is to play the role AGAIN. Getting a second chance nearly two years after the first run will be so much fun. You get to develop the character more, become the character more. I remember the entire crowd of 150-200 kids yelling at me as I kept saying, "The whole world will be MINE!" The audience went, "NO!"...and it went over and over....I sing a song at one point, and that specific audience booed at the end of it...talk about them hating me, rather, the character, lol. It's an amazing adreneline rush! I am going to blog every week about rehearsals and how they are going, and I hope you'll enjoy what I write.

Tonight is the first read-thru for selected individuals for the show. The rest of the show has to determine their characters...I'm the only one pre-selected for this show. Oh, and I get to try on the official Disney-licenced adult-sized Jafar costume tonight for this run! It's going to be absolutely amazing!

And...of course getting the chance to do this for a second time? It's like....a dream come true...and for audiences to see it again? Heh...just wait til they see how sssssssssssnake-like I can be, THIS time!

Chris

Back on the dial/Help a friend

2009-09-02T10:51:00.003-05:00

It's my true calling: the broadcast industry. And yesterday I was swept off my feet and given a 'welcome back' to CJOB 68, Manitoba's Information Superstation.

I consider myself to be a pretty busy guy, doing the Tiki Room Morning Show live MOnday to Friday at 8am Eastern, then going and working a full-time job at the University of Manitoba. On top of this, I do the Sorcom Review show on Sorcerer Radio as well on Mondays at 9am Eastern, and then of course, I have my acting - where at the v

ery least I'm once again performing as The Evil Magician in Fantasy Theatre's prduction of "Aladdin" this October 12-18 with rehearsals starting soon.

Oh yes, and I need to remember to breathe in there, too.

But as I said, I have graciously accepted the offer to come back as the regular, perminant host of The Weekend Wakeup Show on CJOB. Why do I want to work 7 days a week, you ask? Easy: I don't do a whole lot on the weekends, I'm in my later 20's and don't go out too much

anymore, or at least too late. I figured I may as well do something with my weekends, and I'll be honest...the broadcasting bug had been nipping at me for quite some time! I love Sorcerer Radio and all that I do for it, but the Weekend Wakeup Show on CJOB has more of a personal feel to it as I connect with Manitobans in their every day lives, greeting them on the birthdays segment, or interviewing individuals who are putting on special events in our fair city.

Now, does this mean I am leaving Sorcerer Radio? Absolutely not. I'm going to continue doing the Tiki Room Morning Show.

But now I can be heard 7 days a week...Monday to Friday with Sorcerer Radio, and Saturday and Sunday mornings with CJOB.

I am so privledged and honored to be asked to come back and host the show. It really means a lot to me!

The big difference compared to being on Sorcerer Radio, is that CJOB is an all-talk station. Talk and news. So you can expect a lot more chatter than you're used to on the Tiki Room Morning Show, and keep in mind I'll barely be talking Disney...but will throw it in, if it's appropriate! ;)

My re-debut as host of CJOB's Weekend Wakeup Show goes September 12 at 6am-8am Central, then on September 13 from 6am-9am Central. You can stream the show live at www.cjob.com, or simply visit the same site and click Audio Vault (about half way down the page) to re-listen to the show (if you tend to sleep-in on weekends!).

In closing, on a seperate note, I received an e-mail this morning to my fantasmic@srsounds.com address from Rebecca. Her good friend from college is recovering from cancer treatments and is looking for two passes to EPCOT for TOMORROW so that she and her fiance can enjoy a special dinner at the park.

If possible, please e-mail Rebecca at farrell_rebecca@hotmail.com or contact her on Twitter at @FarfsGirl. She would really appreciate it.

Thanks everyone, and have a great day.

Chris

Pride Rock 'the king' on Broadway

2009-08-24T12:30:00.003-05:00

What an amazing spectale. The Lion King on Broadway is phenominal!

And now for a more descriptive...description:

Upon entering the glorious Minskoff Theatre, on 46th Street just off of New York City's Times Square, you're immediately immersed with the colors of the Lion King. A wax figure of a female Rafiki shows herself off as you make your way up the elevators, and the next thing you know...you're in the theatre.

There are two balconies on either side of the stage where bongo dru

mmers slapped their tunes with the help of the orchestra.

The show opens immediately with the all-too-familiar "Circle Of Life". By the end of this, I was welling-up with tears. Just fantastic audio, loved their voices, and the way the actors marched down the aisles in animal costumes was breathtaking.

The show didn't miss a beat...there is a reason they've been performing it since 1997 to sold-out crowds. What a priveledge to be part of.

The gentlemen who played Mufasa and Scar were outstanding, but the entire cast was very very strong.

When "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" came on, cue tears #2. No show made me choke up two times...but I wasn't done yet.

The finale also got me choked up! Anyone familiar with the Circle of Life song knows the last beat of the song is a huge drum...and on that cue, the lights go out, but it was so well-planned that I was seriously speechless while walking out after the standing ovation.

The special effects are just phenominal. VERY creative. Whoever it is that put the creative effects in the show should be extremely proud.

Out of all the shows on Broadway, if you're heading down there, I beg you to see this show! There are really no words to describe the amazing feelings you'll get when watching it.

And I have no doubt it'll be around for generations to come. Show it to your kids, as they'll show it to their kids as well. What's that called?

Oh yeah...the Circle of Life.

Five out of Five Stars.

Chris

Vacation Week 2009!!

2009-08-14T14:33:00.004-05:00

The Tiki Room Morning Show studio will shut down for one week, as I'm pleased to announce that I'm going on vacation!! I'm extremely excited about this vacation. I announced it on the morning show today that I'll be flying in to Philly tomorrow afternoon, then getting picked up by fellow Disney enthousiast Lady Aurora (follow her on twitter at @lady_aurora, and she also has an awesome blog, check it out on my 'Friends of the Tiki Room' section!).
Trust me, we've been keeping this a huge secret for close to a month now!!

On the agenda:

Leave for Philly Saturday morning
SUNDAY - Hershey Park, PA

MONDAY - Wildwood, NJ - The ocean!!!

TUESDAY - Claymont, DE

WEDNESDAY - New York City, NY - The Lion King on Broadway!

THURSDAY - Claymont, DE

FRIDAY - Flight back to Winnipeg!

It's going to be a blast! I'm really, really looking forward to this vacation as I've never been to this part of the United States before.

Stay tuned next week on the Tiki Room Morning Show for replays, 8am Eastern daily:

MONDAY - First-ever live broadcast of TRMS from Jan 9, 2009!

TUESDAY - RetroDis!

WEDNESDAY - The Muppets featuring an interview with Jim Henson's daughter, Heather!

THURSDAY - Tower of Terror Closing? Find out! ;)

FRIDAY - An unheard edition of TRMS that was made in 2008 during the TRMS planning stages!

Until I'm back at 8am Eastern on the 24th of August at SRsounds.com...have a magical week, everyone!

Chris

Rainbow Stage's latest production a Beauty

2009-08-12T09:29:00.009-05:00

It takes a lot to recreate an animated Disney masterpiece while bringing it to life on the stage. Take in to consideration the costumes, sets, music, talent needed....its a lot of work to recreate a sensation such as that.

But that is exactly what Rainbow Stage did last night in their performance of Disney's Beauty

and the Beast. I had the pleasure of treating my mom to this performance last night, as a birthday present for her...and a treat for myself, too!

First off, you all know I'm a fan of Disney, so I may be biased towards this review, but ask any one of the estimated 1,500+ people at Kildonan Park Theatre last night if it was anything less than outstanding, and I'd be surprised if you hear something different.

Rainbow Stage first presented this show back in 2004 at the Pantages Playhouse, another brilliant theatre in Winnipeg. My only complaint about this specific show at the Pantages, however, is that the stage was too small.

Kildonan Park's stage looks to be 3 times as deep and about a third more wide, allowing the show to spread out and show more of it's colors in an organized fashion.

Directed by well-known Winnipeg actor Robb Paterson, the classic story was filled with amazin

g sets, brightly colored, large, fun costumes as worn by the actors portraying Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts and The Dresser, to name a few.

Belle (played by Samantha Hill, who played Wendy in Rainbow Stage's 2008 production of Peter Pan) and Beast (played by Kevin Aichele) both had outstanding voices. Their chemistry on stage was amazing as the love story develops, and the Beast becomes more of a fan-favorite

towards the children in the crowd.

In my opinion, the true show-stealer was the evil man himself...thats right: Gaston (played by Peter Huck).

Huck was right on cue, and must have studied the cartoon numerous times to play the role as he did. He stole the show with his amazing voice, gestures, and acting skills.

One of the highlights of the show, which received one of the loudest applauses, is the bar scene where the song "Gaston" plays. The ensemble grabs beer mugs and uses them with each other, clanking them around, as you might see during a performance of Stomp. No one missed a beat here either, and add some tap dancing to the number...and you've got yourself a fantastic piece.

A live orchestra accompanies the actors to their every move on stage, and follows them along to the tune of their voices. Just an amazing performance by the musicians, as well.

Several other well-known local Winnipeg actors graced the stage such as Chris Sigurdson playing Lumiere, Stan Lesk as Belle's Father, Maurice.

Another cool addition to the show, as I mentioned at the beginning, was the theatre. This is an outdoor theatre, with a dome to protect patrons from the rain. On such a gorgeous night like yesterday, it added to the overall excitement of the show.

Receiving an instant standing ovation once all cast was on stage, Beauty and the Beast at Rainbow Stage is not to be missed. I've heard a few people comment that they've done the show in 2004, why go see it again? People, please! It is a whole new experience out at Kildonan Park.

If anyone is going to be in the Winnipeg area between now and the 28th of August, I highly recommend checking out Beauty and the Beast. The music is sensational and the story is truly a tale as old as time...but a tale not to be missed!

Five stars out of five.

To order tickets for Beauty and the Beast or for more information on Rainbow

Stage and their 55-year history, click here for their official homepage.

Chris

Above: Kildonan Park's Rainbow Stage outdoor-domed theatre.

Interactive Disney Magic

2009-08-06T14:57:00.006-05:00

The world of Tweets is amazing.

I don't care if you like it or not, Tweeting is an amazing creation that attracts hundreds of Disney guests, fans, and Cast Members.

An unfortunate circumstance happened this past week, to my complete and utter surprise. Somehow, I got hacked. Not sure how it happened, but the over 650 people following me, including the Walt Disney Company (@DisneyParks), were the recipients of some 'direct messages' from me about Google Business. It was obviously not sent by myself. Rather, someone got in my account. Now if it was a revenge, or something like that, I'm certain it would have been more than just a spam-bot type of message.

So anyway they got me, and they got me good, so good that when I came home, one of the most popular Disney fans, @lady_aurora, sent me an email saying that my account was now suspended due to suspicious activity.

Playing it smart, I jumped on the Tweeting bandwagon right away and created the new @tikitikiroom. Now the big challenge came: I had to gain back the trust of many people in the Tweeting world.

It took from January 2009 until July 2009 to come up with the over 650 followers. And something really, really amazing has happened: Already, within lessthan 48 hours from starting the @tikitikiroom feed for the Tiki Room Morning Show, there are over 200 followers!

This started with me just adding one person, @lady_aurora who spread the word from one, to another, and another RTed my need to restart on Twitter...and now, to the 200-and-climbing number of people who are adding me to their following...a huge, huge thank-you!

On the contest related note, Sorcerer Radio presents VOICE YOUR LOVE, where, if you have a skype account, you can call SRSOUNDS and leave a voicemail on how much you love Sorcerer Radio, All entries are put in a draw and randomly selected to win a Walt Disney World Character Photo Frame! Be sure to leave your name on the voice mail too, and e-mail address, so we can be in touch if you win!

And on a final note, Original Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer Lonnie Burr will be on the Tiki Room Morning Show live tomorrow, August 7 at 8am Eastern for a special chat on the Animation Courtyard segment!! We'll also kick the show off with new music from the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade!

Thanks again everyone, for following in the World of Tweets, and thanks so much, for tuning in to the Tiki Room Morning Show and making it a part of your Disney Day!

Chris
fantasmic@srsounds.com

Resurrection of The SorCom Review

2009-07-28T16:14:00.005-05:00

Allow me to try and write the first few lines of this blog like one might listen to a movie trailer:

For eight months, it sat in silence.
For eight months, it wasn't heard.
It disappeared suddenly, to make way for a morning show.
But now, after all these months, it's ready to re-start!

* * *

Okay so basically, my first ever live show on Sorcerer Radio was launched in late August 2008, and it was called the SorCom Review. SorCom, short for Sorcerer Community, and Review, because it looked over the wonderful community that Sorcerer Radio provides it's listeners. Whether you want to know how to register on the forums, become pat of the chatroom discussions, or just interact with our fine staff and DJs, you'll be able to get all of that information on the SorCom Review when it re-starts, re-launches on Monday August 3rd!

The show will be heard on Mondays, live at 9am Eastern, immediately following the Tiki Room Morning Show. It will replay at 8pm Eastern on Monday nights, and the following Sunday at 1pm Eastern.

We'll play Walt Disney World music, talk about hot topics on the forums, and tell you how to be involved! And of course Sorcerer Radio has the best music selection of WDW hits, so we'll be sure to including some programming notes about our other shows like Backstage with Krystal, and DW:60 with Jeff Davis.

The SorCom Review is a catchy show that I'm happy to revive for the listening audience of Sorcerer Radio. The music in the background is different than TRMS, and the last thing I want to do is make it sound the same. Its a different show for a different purpose! But it means a lot to me to be able to do it again, so my thanks to Sorcerer for giving me the opportunity.

Stay tuned folks, Sorcerer Radio has some major announcements still to come. And if you haven't heard, we're the #1 rated station on Live365's BlackBerry application. There are thousands of stations out there, so THANK-YOU! It means so, so much!

Now come join the Sorcerer Community, by clicking here!

Chris

Life outside Disney

2009-07-23T12:11:00.003-05:00

So the whole point of the Tiki Room Morning Show OFF-AIR blog is to tell you about what is going on in my non-Disney life. In my time behind the scenes of the most magical morning show offered on the internet, I do have time for other things besides Disney 24/7...and I'm even pleased to say I have a trip coming up! More on that shortly....

During the past few weeks, I've been chatting with someone simply amazing. This person is so kind and caring and wonderful to talk to! Talk about my spirits being at an all-time low (see an earlier blog post for reference), this person has raised my spirits so incredibly high, I tremble with excitement just when I get the chance to chat!

On a separate note, I will be taking off for a week in mid-August! That's right, August 17-21, the Tiki Room Morning Show will be taking a pause for an entire week while I go on a venture! Now I'm sure you're about to think to yourself, "what Resort are you staying at? Caribbean Beach? Pop Century?" The answer there, folks, is neither.

I'm venturing off to places I have never been before. I am also traveling solo on the plane. It'll definitely be a first, but I have so many, many activities planned, it is just going to be amazing. I can't tell you much more than that right now, other than stay tund to Twitter for live updates and photos of where I'll be! It isn't anywhere in Florida, or California...not even in the same vacinity of those places, actually! I predict I'll be visiting 4 states, not counting the lay-over for the flight from Minneapolis to my vacation destination.

On a show-related note, I'm always looking for guests to appear on the Animation Courtyard segment. If you're a former WDW Cast Member and want to share stories, feel free to e-mail me at fantasmic@srsounds.com.

Also, I've had a number or requests for another Extra Magic Hour show. Basically its the Tiki Room Morning Show that runs two hours long on Fridays!

Tomorrow (Friday, June 24) the first half of the program will wake you up right to start your weekend off with some remixes and upbeat music from Downtown Disney, Disney Transportation, Pop Century Lobby, and the pre-show for Fantasmic!.

I'm also working at putting on a Friday Special edition that will feature Disney sea music. Living Seas, 20K Leagues, Nemo and more will be part of the entire hour of under-the-sea fun!
Finally, I gotta give a shout out to all the loyal listeners of Sorcerer Radio...you all rock!

Chris

The calm after the storm

2009-07-13T10:25:00.006-05:00

What a week it has been. And while I've loaded up the playlists for Monday through Thursday's show, I have to say that this past weekend was one of the greatest in a very, very long time. I want to thank each and every one of you for your support last week through a couple of areas in my life that weren't the greatest.

One was the aformentioned break-up, that happened a while ago now. The other was a string of unusual events that went from Magical to Monstrous in the matter of moments.

For those who aren't aware, the Tiki Room Morning Show shocked several people last week by giving away the first Tiki Dream Come True. It was a 1-year Charter Membership to D23. It was given to one of the many, many Disney enthousiasts who have shown their support for the Tiki Room Morning Show.

The recipient, known to the online Disney community as Lady Aurora (@lady_aurora on Twitter!), is a devoted listener who joins us in the chatroom at The Sorcerer Community Forums every weekday, she posts on the forums over there, interacts with Twitter, and has an amazing Disney spirit!

A couple people, who will remain annonymous, got carried away automatically blaming me for doing a "Twitter contest". They basically made a mountain out of what should have been a magical molehill. However, I digress: I want all that crap behind me now, as we are all mature adults and have to move on!

In closing on that topic, I want to say thank-you to the dozens and dozens of you who supported me through my rough time, whether it was for the break-up, the 'Twitter incident', or both. Everything means so much to me. I received TONS of emails regarding both, and I am catching up on emails every day - remember, I respond to every single email that I read!

You all know that I'm going to be reviving the role of "The Evil Magician", aka Jafar, this fall in a stage-version of Aladdin. I've been looking forward to this for a long time. Actually, ever since I did the role for the first time back in the fall of 2007. I'm very-much looking forward to this, because Jafar has always been one of my favorite Disney villains. And this year, I have the costume to go with it! It's the official 'licenced by Disney' costume. It'll be a lot of fun!

But the reason I bring up Jafar is because over the weekend, I acquired a lizard. Not a gecko, not a snake...a lizard! He is about 1.5 feet long, and he's a Sudan Plated Lizard. Pretty friendly, lets you hold him but he was a but squirmy yesterday - probably because he's in a new environment! Any way, he's a lizard, not a snake, but can you guess what I've named him?

That's right: Jafar!

Have a magical day everyone :)

Chris

Feeling like a 'lost boy'

2009-07-06T11:51:00.002-05:00

As I mentioned when I started writing this OFF-AIR blog, the main focus is to let you know things that happen in my life when the mic goes off. I enjoy telling you about these times, as I prep for the next day's show. Disney is literally always on my brain. But sometimes life isn't all magic and dreaming. Sometimes, it can come to an abrupt hault.

The only reason I am choosing to publically say this is so I don't get mistakenly hurt with questions, inquiries or get mistaken in the future as being 'together'. Here is what I mean:

Sadly this past weekend, my relationship with Crystal, my girlfriend of nearly a year and four months, came to a close. We had been friends for about two years prior. While I do not wish to go in to all the details as it is a very long story (as I've explained to some), I can tell you that her and I are still talking. We're likely taking a breather from seeing each other but hope friendship will work out and continue down the short road.

How am I holding up? I'll be quite honest, I'm devastated. It is heart-breaking, especially as my last memories at the Walt Disney World Resort were with her. Time heals all wounds as they say. Again I want to reiterate: there was no dispute, argument, it was a 'peaceful' break-up. It just hurts right now, of course.

So my mission is to get back to the WDW Resort and make some new memories. As you know, Jeff Davis (host of DW:60 on Sorcerer Radio at 8pm Eastern on Thursday nights) and I are planning our big Walt Disney World Press Box trip in February 2010. At this point, I'm just waiting on Jeff to get back to me on official dates, and then I'll try to get the week off of work.
It was a tough weekend just now, and I know it'll continue to be tough in the times ahead. She is a great young woman, and I'm going to miss it. We had some great times together.

I have things to look forward to, though. Such as the planned WDW Press Box trip with Jeff (talk about a Disney geek trip at it's finest! haha! It'll be great!). I'm also very-much looking forward to recurring my role as Jafar in a local theatre production of Aladdin this October for the first time in two years.

And as always, I have you, the Disney fanatics that I couldn't live without. Each one of you who reads this, interacts on Twitter, the Sorcerer Community Chat Room, Sorcerer Community Forums, through my e-mail (fantasmic@srsounds.com), and who tunes in to the Tiki Room Morning Show, my heartfelt thanks. You are the greatest Disney fans a host could ever ask for. You all mean so much to me.

On a side-note, for those looking to join us for Walt Disney World chat during the live broadcast of the Tiki Room Morning Show, visit http://srsounds.com/chat_reg.php and take literally 10 seconds to register a username and password (yes...in 10 seconds you'll be registered. Its free and VERY easy!!). We'd love to have you there. The Tiki Room Morning Show goes live Monday to Friday at 8am Eastern at www.srsounds.com.

Have a magical day, everyone.

Chris

Winnie the Bear

2009-07-02T14:35:00.008-05:00

So you all know Winnie the Pooh. He's the lovable Disney bear that is fascinated by honey, and his friends like Eeyore and Piglet.

If you're in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, you can dine with Pooh and friends at the Crystal Palace - and I suggest you do if you haven't; the food is great and...it is a buffet.

But why am I talking about Winnie the Pooh on the OFF-AIR blog? Simple: Winnie the Pooh has a very close connection to the city I live in.

WINNIpeg. Was our city named after the bear? No.

Was the bear named after our city? Sort of, yes.

But if you ever get the trivia question asked prior to watching EPCOT's Canada video, "What Canadian city has a connection with Winnie the Pooh?", be assured the answer is Winnipeg.

Winnipeg (or "Winnie") was the name given to a female black bear that lived at London Zoo from 1915 until her death in 1934.

She was bought as a small cub for $20 (probably from the hunter who had shot her mother) at a stop in White River, Ontario, by Lt Harry Colebourn of The Fort Garry Horse, a Canadian cavalry regiment, en route to the Western Front during the First World War. The bear was smuggled into Britain as an unofficial regimental mascot. Lt. Colebourn, the regiment’s veterinarian named her after his home city of Winnipeg in Manitoba. Before leaving for France, Colebourn left Winnie at London Zoo.

Winnipeg's eventual destination was to be the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, but at the end of the War, Colebourn decided to allow her to remain at the London Zoo, where she was much loved for her playfulness and gentleness. Among her fans was A. A. Milne's son Christopher Robin, who named his own teddy bear “Winnie” - thus giving Winnie-the-Pooh his name.

The story of Winnie the bear has been portrayed in the 2004 movie A Bear Named Winnie starring Michael Fassbender as Harry Colebourn. A statue of Winnie and Captain Colebourn stands in Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg.

So, a little bit of Disney magic originates, and sits, right here in Winnipeg, and I encourage any visitors to this city - even if you're passing through - to check out the Assiniboine Park Zoo to see the original Winnie the Pooh!

Partial credit goes to wikipedia.org.

Broadcasting = Acting?

2009-06-25T00:37:00.003-05:00

Well, I wasn't going to write this until tomorrow but...I can't sleep (and have to be at the station for 6am to load the music for TRMS. Yay!).

Actors do it.

Broadcasters do it.

Cast Members at The World do it.

(Let's do it; let's lay an egg. Sesame Street, anyone?).

All jokes aside, yesterday late afternoon and evening was a bit of an emotional one. For a moment my body felt like it went numb, it was hard relationship news to take. I didn't eat since 12 noon yesterday (Central time) and still haven't (it is 12:38AM now). I will not go in to any details other than to say things have seemed to work out. Thank God. Crystal and I are fine, and are still hoping to either buy a house and/or go to Walt Disney World this fall. Which is so comforting. I can honestly say I've never, ever been more happy in a relationship. She is so caring, so understanding and accepting of everything I do...very patient and is always there for me.

But this is a tough part not only with actors or Cast Members...but with broadcasters too..finding the balance to keep going no matter what personal situation you get involved in. I've had to do some pretty tough things in my broadcasting career.

Back when I worked up in Dauphin, Manitoba, I had to read a newscast, only a moment before I heard on-air that a good friend's relative passed away. The act was not to sound depressed, shocked, or distracted while on-air. Same with when the DJ on the other side of the glass mooned me while i was reading a newscast....a total act of concentration on my part.

When I worked at CJOB, the leading news/talk station in all of Manitoba, it was awkward enough, but I had to read the name of a Canadian Corporal who passed away. His name? Chris Reid. Now that was a tough act to put on...for those who don't know, that is my name too.

But when I got home tonight, and opened up the Tweetdeck for a quick look at what people are chatting about...I was just amazed to see that so many people saw my last Tweet and took it to heart. It truly means a lot, from one Disney fan to all of you fellow Disney fans.

Thank-you also to all the blog links you've sent me; I will get them up here on the OFF-AIR blog by the end of the week.

Fact is, you'll listen to me on TRMS and I guarantee you that you won't be able to tell something is/was ever wrong here. It is an 'act'? No. It isn't. Not in this case. Honestly, there is nothing I like doing better than waking you all up to start your Disney day. I have so much fun on Sorcerer Radio, it's just amazing. I wanted to Tweet the message about 'something' being wrong to let everyone know I wasn't ignoring them. I just got hit hard for a bit earlier...and am now learning to cope with it. But, remember now, all is well. Crystal and I went to rehearsal yesterday, we talked, and all is well.

Of course outside of our Disney Driven Lives, we all have personal lives too - but it is so comforting to know you were all there for me through thick and thin.

Disney fans rock my world. Thank-you!

Chris

Sorcerer Radio and The Disney Driven Life

2009-06-24T10:27:00.004-05:00

It has been a busy couple of days here at the station. With work, rehearsals, TRMS, it was so nice to relax last night and catch the live viewing of Wishes and SpectroMagic from Disney's Magic Kingdom. And it was so nice to be joined by everyone in the chatroom at srsounds.com, too!

This morning, I'm proud to say that Sorcerer Radio has teamed up with The Disney Driven Life (www.thedisneydrivenlife.com) to provide you with some of the best in WDW music and information! The following is a press release as written on the Disney Driven Life website:

"The Disney Driven Life has found another partner in Sorcerer Radio, the premier online Walt Disney World radio station. It can now be streamed directly from our site by clicking on the Sorcerer Radio banner located on the right sidebar. Sorcerer Radio is the only online Disney radio station to have the entire package of live chat, live cams, live DJ shows and podcasts. Therefore, it is no surprise that we are proud to announce its endorsement as the radio choice for those leading The Disney Driven Life.

TRMSWe want to give a big NDP welcome to Chris Reid (NDI#18) of The Tiki Room Morning Show on Sorcerer Radio. He holds the title of Official Neurotic Disney Broadcaster, and his show is one of two brand new Official Neurotic Disney Broadcasts that can be played on demand by clicking the self-titled banner located at the bottom of the right sidebar on our site.

The Tiki Room Morning Show is the only Walt Disney World morning show on the internet! Broadcasting Monday through Friday at 8am, your host, Chris (aka “Fantasmic”), guides you through the morning with your personal Disney song requests and the daily theme and water park schedules for the Walt Disney World Resort. Chris also lets you know what the Walt Disney World refurbishment shedule is and will tell you about all the happenings in the Sorcerer Radio Community.

Most Fridays, the Tiki Room Morning Show presents The Animation Courtyard. It is a segment that features interviews related to Walt Disney World. Past guests include Heather Henson (daughter of Muppets creator, Jim Henson), Amy Leslie (former Disney On Ice figure skater), and Lou Mongello (author of the Walt Disney World Trivia Book).*e-mail Chris with your comments, song requests or suggestions at: fantasmic@srsounds.com

DW:60Jeff Davis of DW:60 on Sorcerer Radio has become a part of the NDP family too! As NDI#22 he shares the title of Official Neurotic Disney Broadcaster with Chris. His show–an afternoon and evening event–goes hand-in-hand with The Tiki Room Morning Show. For this reason, Jeff’s show is the second, new Official Neurotic Disney Broadcast that can also be played on demand by clicking the banner located at the bottom of the right sidebar on our site.

Airing Thursdays at 8pm and replaying Fridays at 1pm and Sundays at 4pm, DW:60 is just as stated–the World in 60 minutes. Host, Jeff Davis, takes you through all corners of Walt Disney World, providing you with unique music from the parks to boot.

In his 60 minutes, Jeff tackles news from the parks as well as gives his honest opinion about the developments taking place. He is a professional at delivering the best quality news from the Walt Disney World Resort, even traveling to Disney’s Hollywood Studios at times for special announcments that air live on Sorcerer Radio. In addition, his feature segment called Press Box has been greatly anticipated and just premiered on Sorcerer Radio. But to make sure that all Disney fans receive the authentic magic of Disney through their radio, Jeff caps off each episode of DW:60 with a Disney attraction ride-through. Bringing all these things in one hour, the NDPs rely on Jeff as our number one Disney news guru!

*e-mail Jeff with your comments, new tips, song requests or suggestions at: dw60@srsounds.com"

Working the Sorcerer Magic

2009-06-22T15:28:00.003-05:00

It has sure been a crazy, fun day so far here on Sorcerer Radio. I headed back to the studio this afternoon, as many listeners will know, to welcome the launch of WDWPB.

What does WDWPB stand for, you ask?

We've had some pretty good guesses for the PB part of it:

WDW Peanut Butter

WDW Public Broadcast

Those are a couple of many guesses. In fact, it means WDW Press Box. Jeff Davis and I were able to make the live connection at 1pm Eastern. It doesn't come easy, though. Jeff broadcasts, as many of you know, from Biloxi, MS. I broadcast from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. We have to get permission from the Sorcerer Radio Network to be able to do a joint broadcast. We did this as a 'test' last week on DW:60, where I jumped on the show for a few moments to talk about Stitch's SuperSonic Celebration and the rumors that it is closing down as a show (or being tweaked, as we've heard).

After properly and successfully testing the connection on DW:60 last week, we knew we'd be in fine form to broadcast to you today for the WDWPB extravaganza. And what an extravaganza it was! Many, many people chatting in the chatroom. Jeff had some technical glitches on the chatroom side of things, but was still coming through loud and clear over the air. It was great Twittering with people all morning too! All the Twitter fans are so great and loyal, and they all mean the world to me.

I was also proud to be named the official broadcaster for The Disney Driven Life (http://www.thedisneydrivenlife.com/). They are all dedicated listeners to the Sorcerer Radio Network, and named the Tiki Room Morning Show their official show. You can go to their site and be part of the rollcall, if you'd like. Special shout out to NDM_1 ;) and thanks again!

Big interview planned for The Animation Courtyard this Friday. Never done one like this before, but its going to be real fun. A hint: it's beyond the fifth dimension :) but that is all you're getting for now!

One last big thank-you to the listeners of Sorcerer Radio. You all have a magical place in my heart!

Chris

TRMS Technical Difficulties

2009-06-17T10:36:00.002-05:00

Some could blame Stitch for the technical glitches of this morning's Tiki Room Morning Show.

But, I will confess: It's my fault. Simple as that.

Now, allow me to explain.

The Tiki Room Morning Show, as you know, goes live Monday to Friday at 8am Eastern every day.

Well, because of what some would call a special day tomorrow (June 18, aka my birthday), I had pre-packaged the show because I was going to be unable to attend the live chat session, as I was going out for an early birthday breakfast celebration as we do on an annual basis in our family.

I had all of the requests, songs, and Disney park schedule information lined up, and started broadcasting at 8am Eastern, live as always. But then I turned to the chatroom, where everyone was wishing me a happy birthday. That is when I got confused, and realize my one-time error of pre-packaging a show was airing on the wrong day.

Now realizing that by mistake, the Sorcerer Programming Group (SPG) put the THURSDAY, pre-packaged show on this morning (obviously a day early). It was an accident.

So, all the stuff that I was broadcasting in the first 15 minutes, was not going through to the LIVE stream. Let me explain (hope you can follow):

When I start at 8am Eastern daily, Sorcerer inputs a signal to my broadcast booth allowing me to go to air. It generally comes out on the Live365 signal a minute after. This is why sometimes, the VIP and FREE options on Live365 are not synced, and one ends up a minute or two ahead.

When I realized what happened, I sent the SPG a message and told them to 'pull' the pre-packaged show from the air. SPG did so, but was unable to send me the signal to continue with my live broadcast.

So, a quick decision was made between myself and the SPG to drop any attempt of a live broadcast today, and we filled it with Sorcerer Radio's staff favorites from the Walt Disney World Resort.

In the end, as I said at first, it is completely my fault. If I never pre-packaged a show for Thursday, this wouldn't have happened. And I NEVER pre-package my shows! Not in the over six months that the Tiki Room Morning Show has been on-air.

Rest assured the Tiki Room Morning Show goes LIVE every Monday to Friday. The only other time I had to pre-package a show was back in August 2008 during an episode of the old show called, 'The SorCom Review', because I was at the WDW Resort.

I apologize for the wide amount of requests that were made but weren't played. Since the playlists for Friday's show is already put together (with some space to fill for the special interview with Mr. Lou Mongello), send me your requests NOW for Monday's Tiki Room Morning Show, and we'll have a blockbuster All-Request hour show. I'll just need to get those before the weekend, if possible, because I prep for Monday's show usually on Saturday night.

As long as my birthday breakfast is still planned for tomorrow (Thursday), you will hear the complete pre-packaged edition of the Tiki Room Morning Show. If anything changes, I'll be there LIVE once again broadcasting for you.

Don't forget to join in the chatroom over at the Sorcerer Community every morning at 8am Eastern.

The Tiki Room Morning Show is, and always will be, committed to giving you the best in Walt Disney World Resort music on a daily basis, live, on Sorcerer Radio.
Chris

Making local headlines

2009-06-15T11:22:00.004-05:00

So before I started going in to the official studio to broadcast the Tiki Room Morning Show, I did it from home each morning, live with a professional mic, and the whole set-up at my home.
Here is an article that was published in a Winnipeg newspaper in February 2009:

RADIO HOST GIVES THE DISH ON DISNEY WORLD
By Matt Powers

Feb. 12, 2009

When Chris Reid gets up in the morning, he goes to Disney World.
Not literally, of course, but Reid hosts an online radio show devoted to Disney live from the bedroom of his Fort Richmond residence.

“It was a couple of years ago when I stumbled upon a massive list of these Disney stations on a radio station called Live365,” said Reid, a graduate of the creative communications program at Red River College and former weekend morning talkshow host on Winnipeg's leading radio station CJOB 68.

“The guy who owned one of the stations was looking for some new ideas and I pitched him five to 10, along with a demo of my voice and shortly after I had my own show.”

The show is called The Tiki Room Morning Show and airs live on Sorcerer Radio every weekday morning from 7 to 8 a.m .

During the hour, Reid discusses the theme park schedules of Disney World, Fla., updates people on the refurbishment schedule of rides or attractions, and promotes discussion on Sorcerer message boards and forums.

“It is all voluntary, but I look forward to it every day. We do different chat room sessions where we talk about what’s going on because there is always news coming out of the park. It is amazing how much of a following there is to these Disney stations,” Reid said.

The station also plays its fair share of classic Disney tunes. Reid says there’s a song list of over 2,000 to choose from, with everything from movie soundtracks to attraction music that’s only found at the park.

In fact, it was Disney music which gave "The Sorcerer", the idea to launch the station.

“The initial idea of the station was for me to listen to my Disney music at work. It was not intended to be for popular consumption, as I thought I was only one of a very few that listened to this music. It took me by surprise when packs of people began to flock to my station,” 'Sorcerer' said.

On a weekly basis, over 14,000 listeners tune into Sorcerer Radio at www.srsounds.com.

'Sorcerer' says he is trying to provide listeners with “something that can transport them from the everyday drone of work, or school, and place them in one of the happiest places in the world.
“It’s also a great place to sit the kids down and enjoy. Kids can’t listen to music nowadays without being force-fed images and ideas that are for adults.”

Reid says the station can also be a great research tool for visitors planning their first trips to the park.

“It is huge, it is very intimidating when you look at it on the map. It makes it a lot easier for a first-timer if they have gone on the message boards and the community forums; you learn a lot of tricks and it makes it more enjoyable,” he said.

As for Reid, he knows the place fairly well, having been there three times in the past year and a half.

“Some of it is research, but it is mostly just vacation. Some people like going to Mexico and lying on the beach, I like going to the parks and hanging out on the rides,” Reid said.

“The whole atmosphere is great at the resorts, everyone is really friendly and it is just a whole new world.”

Some call me a 'bizzy bee'

2009-06-15T10:32:00.009-05:00

So this morning I was asked the question that - again - I get so very often. "How do you have time for real life when you're twittering, blogging, show-prepping, etc etc..". It's pretty simple actually. Sure it can be exhausting at times, and there are times where I just don't have the energy to put any effort in to it at all, but something always sparks me to work on show-prep.
Twittering just comes naturally to me now. With so many dedicated listeners and Disney fans following the show on Twitter, its so fun to interact with everyone on a daily basis. Twittering only takes a couple of moments at a time, anyhow. But half the fun is reading what everyone else is up to...whether its finding out what the wait-time is for Expedition Everest, or answering a question about vacation planning.

As for finding the time to blog, it doesn't take too much effort either...jsut type out what I've been up to on the Tiki Room Morning Show and in my daily life, and there you go.

Sometimes all it takes is for me to hear a familiar Disney song, reference, or image to get me in that true 'Disney' mode. And with so many people twittering about Disney, it makes it very easy to be motivated to produce the show each day.

As for "having time for real-lilfe", I'll be honest...I don't spend much time in a "real-life world". I find I'm less stressed that way. Managing stress in life can be difficult. Financial, emotional, and work-related stress can always creep up and stick around for months at a time. If you just remember on a daily basis that everything is going to be alright, keep a clear mind and, of course, keep the Walt Disney World Resort in your mind, plus know that we at Sorcerer Radio are here to play your favorite vacation tunes when you want, you'll be more at ease. I've learned to manage stress much better in the last few years, after (as mentioned in a previous post) suffering a bleeding ulcer some years ago. So, spending time with loved ones, escaping to, or dreaming of, Walt Disney World, acting on stage, and living in a "Disney World" is how I manage life in the "real world".

I want to take a moment and say how much I really appreciate everyone listening to the Tiki Room Morning Show. Every day my email inbox is packed with messages from listeners of the show saying how much they truly appreciate listening. I, just as much, enjoy producing the show for you on a daily basis. It means so much to be able to broadcast the program for you, and take you all on a trip to Disney World each morning Monday to Friday.

On a personal closing note, the Manitoba Moose lost to the Hershey Bears in game 6 over the weekend, so my game seven tickets were useless. But the Moose gave it their all...Hershey just wanted the Calder Cup more. Kudos to both teams for a fun series.

And, I'm now on-the-go with both a BlackBerry and a brand new generation II iPod Touch. It's a fantastic device, giving me more access to the internet on a daily basis. So rest-assured that whenever you e-mail me a request, information, or have a question about the Tiki Room Morning Show, it shouldn't take me too long to reply. You can always be in touch by sending me an e-mail by clicking here.

Chris

The chosen ones

2009-06-12T11:48:00.004-05:00

More than anything, I'll get music requests for the Tiki Room Morning Show. On a daily basis I check my e-mail and always have some songs that people want to hear from the Walt Disney World Resort. Generally, I will add them to the next-day's show, as I've already prepped for the show that is about to go live the night before.

The requests that come in are for a variety of music that we play. Very rarely will I get a request for a song that I do not have. And if I don't have it, its just a matter of looking in the right places to get them.

On the Tiki Room Morning Show, I like to play a blend of Walt Disney World theme park music, with the occasional track from Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, with a few tunes from the Resorts as well. Sometimes, the odd song from Disney Transportation and Downtown Disney/Pleasure Island make it to the airwaves, in an attempt to give you the best selection and experience on Sorcerer Radio.

I also like debuting a lot of new music on the show. One of my best finds which was introduced late last month on the Tiki Room Morning Show and DW:60 was Disney's Celebrate You - the instrumental version. As heard in the lobby of Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort, this is a wonderful song that has brought tears to the eyes of some Disney fans that think back to their last trip to The Most Magical Place on Earth.

There are also some popular tunes like Disney World remixes like Hilary Duff's The Tiki Room and of course, from the Italian Pavilion in Epcot, we have Nova Era, which is a comical song involving an opera singer-gone-techno. Fun stuff.

Here now are the top five songs requested on the Tiki Room Morning Show:

1. Journey into the Imagination - EPCOT
2. Tapestry of Nations - EPCOT
3. Soarin' - EPCOT
4. The Tiki Tiki Room - a remix by Hilary Duff
5. Standing in Motion - EPCOT

Want proof of Sorcerer Radio's giant playlist of music from the Walt Disney World Resort? Or, do you want to request a specific song for the Tiki Room Morning Show? Click here to see the hundreds of songs the station offers!

I hope you all have a magical weekend. I have tonight to relax, and Crystal and I will probably watch the ever-important AHL game 6 between my hometown Manitoba Moose and the rival Hershey Bears. It's being played here in our city, and our Moose are down 3 games to 2. If there is a game 7, it goes on Sunday night for all the marbles (aka The Calder Cup)...and I already have my ticket to that sold-out game! Hershey has won it 10 times in the past; the Moose have never won it before. So having said that, GO MOOSE GO!

Late on Saturday, it's back to the planning stages of Monday's Tiki Room Morning Show...which as always, goes live at 8am Eastern here on Sorcerer Radio!

Next week will also feature the return of The Animation Courtyard, with a very special Disney enthusiast, so stay tuned for details!

Don't forget to check out my buddy Jeff Davis' show, DW:60, live and on-demand on Sorcerer Radio, by visiting the DW:60 show page. You can also follow him on Twitter.

How it's done

2009-06-12T09:34:00.000-05:00

A lot of e-mails I get to fantasmic@srsounds.com ask me how I have the time to do a morning show five days a week, plus work a full-time job, plus do the numerous amount of stage shows that I do. Well, I'll be straight-up honest with you: It is a lot of work, long days, stressful times...but every inch of effort I put into it is worth it.

Prepping for the Tiki Room Morning Show on (for example) a Monday requires a couple of days worth of thinking. Usually late on Saturday night, I am thinking of ideas, topics, and stuff to talk about. Then I go in to my Sorcerer Radio music database to select an hour's worth of songs. Every song and segment I do is recorded in a folder, so I don't double-up on songs throughout the week (unless it is a request by a listener).

On Sunday night, I generally sort which songs I'll play during the hour, and pick out what background music I'll use for the show. I like playing the Resort TV Loop music in the background of my segments, rather than play them as tracks on the show now. I choose them because they're light, and don't over-power the segment. And of course, because they're familiar Disney tracks.

Once I've got all that stuff sorted out, I generally browse the forums at the Sorcerer Community to see what the latest gossip is. Trust me, this can make it a late night. With catching up on all the other Disney stuff online, I can be up until 1 or 2am. And yes, my health feels it...but trust me, I'm taking care of myself. I suffered a bleeding ulcer 4 years ago now and have learned to balance stress, free time, and taking care of myself...nuff said.

Once the online Disney information search is over, or, whenever my eyes can't stay open any more (quite literally...I've fallen asleep with my laptop on my stomach before), I get to sleep.

Now having prepped the night or two before, I'm all ready to go. I head down to the Tiki Room Studio, which is luckily a short drive from home, around 6:00am. I catch up on any other Disney gossip that may have happened over night, load up the show's music on the harddrives, and at 7:00am (CENTRAL TIME) I'm broadcasting live.

Now what a quick hour it is. I generally am able to chat in the chatroom for most of the hour on the Sorcerer Community. Its a bit of a challenge trying to type, chat, and do on-air stuff all at the same time though, so if it ever seems like I'm 'away' chances are I'm just trying to not distract myself.

At 8am (CENTRAL TIME) the show comes to a close, and I shut down all my on-air programs and the connection to the Sorcerer Radio Network. After bidding everyone a magical day in the chatroom, its immediately off to work for 8 hours, then generally off to a rehearsal 3 of 5 week nights.

Hopefully that gives you all an insight in to my weekly routine.

Let me close by saying Walt Disney World means so much to me. I wouldn't do the Tiki Room Morning Show if it wasn't for such a big love, and such a giant fan base. Whether you're following us on the Sorcerer Community, or on the show's Twitter page, I truly cherish and appreciate every moment you spend tuning in to the only daily Walt Disney World morning show on the internet...the Tiki Room Morning Show.

Remember to tune it in, live at 8am (EASTERN) Monday to Friday on Sorcerer Radio.

Welcome to OFF-AIR

2009-06-11T16:25:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone, this is Chris Reid aka Fantasmic with the first ever edition of the OFF-AIR blog. You know, its an amazing society we live in. Through technology developed in the past few years we are able to reach out across the globe and instantly communicate about news, weather, or my favorite topic: the Walt Disney World Resort! Thanks to those following me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/tikiroommorning), I've launched my official show blog. It was suggested to me by a fellow Tweeter a while back, but I'm pleased to have just launched the blog on this sunny afternoon in Winnipeg, Canada.

Why call the blog 'OFF-AIR'? Simple, really. This blog will not only be comments, ideas and topics on the Walt Disney World Resort...it is also a place to discuss and talk about the Tiki Room Morning Show. I'd mention things here that I'd never mention on-air. It'll be more personal...everything from the contents to thoughts.

This is obviously a shortened version of what I'd normally be posting, but periodically...meaning in my world, once or twice a week, I'll take the time to write about a Walt Disney World rumor, refurbishment, or just go on a rant about something I really liked...or didn't. Consider this your off-air portal to my world.

My name is Chris Reid, and I go by the DJ name 'Fantasmic' on Sorcerer Radio. A big thank-you to the Tweeters that pushed me to get this started. I'm excited to get this going. Look for another update tomorrow, June 12, 2009!

Please be in touch with ideas, thoughts and comments at fantasmic@srsounds.com.

Chris