Don has been the Director of Hospitality on the Arabian Nights team for a whole week and a half now and we thought this would be a great way for us all to get to know him together.

Don Rousseau has been hitting the streets as Abra Cadabra, a genie from our nightly show, spreading the word about what a great dinner show we have here at Arabian Nights. In fact that was the reason Don came to work here – he wanted to be part of what he calls “the #1 Dinner Show in the USA”. We managed to snag Don away from the World Bowling Center where he was a Director of Sales. Let’s find out what a typical day for Don, aka Abra Cadabra, is like on the hospitality ‘streets’ of Orlando…..

I woke up this morning around: 7:00 a.m.

My Breakfast of Champions: Peanut Butter on Toast and a Mountain Dew

Time I usually get into work: 9:00 a.m.

First thing I do when I get here: Pray Jason (one of our Directors of Sales) isn’t in yet – haha

My Lunch of Champions: Hooters wings and a Mountain Dew

Highlights of my day: CVB (Convention Visitors Bureau) Lunch @ Hooters and meeting with clients to let them know I am now at Arabian Nights and what a great show it is!

My day usually ends at: 6:00pm

What I do after I leave work: Computer work and play WII with my daughter

My favorite part of working here: The people and the show

Signing off thoughts/comments: Come in for the most incredible show in the USA and I say that with 20 years of hospitality experience under my belt. I’m looking forward to a long career with this company.

I don’t know about you, but what I took away from that is  Don is definitely a salesman and he sure does love his Mountain Dew! Either way, we are glad to have him onboard. Next week, we’ll get a behind the scenes look at our Wardrobe department, who are responsible for Don’s amazing outfit – so stay tuned!

Here at Arabian Nights we pride ourselves on providing the best experience for our guests, and our latest effort is an overhaul of our menu – based on feedback from our guests! Our guests asked for bigger portions, better presentation, a delicious new dessert and more choices – and now they will have it all, only at Arabian Nights!

The changes to our menu begin the moment guests sit down; with a larger garden salad served with a dinner roll. Following the salad we have our entrées which have also had some tasty improvements. We are now offering an upgraded cut of both Sirloin Steak and the Black Angus Chopped Steak that are more tender and flavorful. Our recipe for Pork Tenderloin has changed to include a delicious Marsala Wine Sauce and we are also serving an increased portion of our Grilled Chicken Breast. Last but definitely not least a fan-favorite from the past, our Creamy Vegetarian Lasagna is back on the menu. Children’s Chicken Tenders are also served with Macaroni and Cheese.

All entrees will now be served with upgraded sides: Steakhouse-mashed potatoes with real chunks of potato and broccoli spears with shredded carrots. If all that wasn’t enough, we are most excited about our new choice of desserts! Guests will now be able to choose between an Oreo Fudge Brownie or Cheesecake with Strawberry Drizzle! Delicious! We will still offer ice cream or a fruit cup for those who request it.

As always, we will work with our guests to handle any special meal requests, including kosher meals, with a 24-hour notice. The kosher menu options are a choice of Rib Steak, Half of a Chicken, Grilled Salmon or a Veggie Burger. These entrees are also served with our delicious new Steakhouse mashed potatoes and broccoli spears with shredded carrots.

We are very excited about these changes to our menu and we know our guests will be too!

*We would just like to note that all our food is as it appears, we did nothing special to the plating/presentation for this photo shoot. As you can see from the picture below everything was quickly devoured as soon as the pictures were taken!

Second in our “Day in the Life of…” line-up is Paul Proly, Vice President of Sales and Resident Funny Man.

Paul has lead our amazing Sales Team for the past 8 months in building community relationships, organizing in-house events, handling group needs, informing international and domestic tourists about our show and helping Arabian Nights in maintaining a strong presence in Orlando’s tourist heartland. That’s just to name a few! As a long-time patron of the show he was a perfect fit for the team and we were able to lure Paul away from ESPN Radio and Radio Disney. It probably helped that we said he could train to jump through the ring of fire that appears in the show. Let’s hear what a typical day in Paul’s life is like….

Woke up today at: 5:45 a.m.

My regular “Breakfast of Champions”: Einstein’s Bagel with the kids on the way to school

Got into work today around: 9:00 a.m.

First task of the day: Say “Hi” to everyone in the office, check my e-mail, and voicemail.

Highlights of my day include: Generating revenue. It’s a great day when every Sales Director has a sale and the shows are full. Also, getting to plan guests special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, groups) so it is truly a great evening for them.

My work day ends and my home life begins again: Typically around 8pm

After work I: Help the kids with their homework and have dinner together. I also coach my kid’s baseball & football teams.

My favorite part of working here: Seeing the excitement on our guest’s faces during the show.

My life’s goal: To jump through that ring of fire like Csaba!

Final thoughts/comments of the day: Be positive, every day is a great day!

Next week we’ll be getting to know the newest member/character of our team, Don Rousseau! Not only is Don coming on as a member of our Sales Team but he’s also going to be performing in the show… very interesting combination. Stay tuned to hear more about Don!