I seem to be very bad at making the time to actually sit down and write these things. Aaaand to be honest, I can't say I remember every day-to-day detail from this last week. So I'll try to give you a more general overview of things.
Firstly! Working at Blizzard Beach. Yes. It can be exhausting, but more often than not it's fun, or at least rewarding. I don't know that my co-workers have the same outlook, but I personally really enjoy my job. They say you'll get back what you put into it, and I'm tackling things with as much enthusiasm as I can. Hey, how often does a person get to say that their first job was at Walt Disney World?
Job-related: Warming Hut re-opened this week at Blizzard. It's a seasonal location where one can get pulled-pork sandwiches, turkey legs and the like. I also worked as a stocker for the first time yesterday, which was a lot less scary than I thought it would be, once I figured out what to do. Mostly it's just bringing supplies out to the counters at the Lodge when they need them (like fresh cookies or ice for the drink machines).
Less job-related: I can't think of any stand-out events besides an Animal Kingdom meetup with Ariane and Heather on Tuesday. We met the same Eeyore we'd met earlier that day (in costume, of course) on the bus home -- he'd been looking at us funny when we sat down and tried to wrack his brain as to why we looked so familiar. We also went grocery shopping that evening, and had a mild panic attack when we saw a group of fellow CPs wandering around in costume with their nametags on. We've been told that shopping or going out in costume is okay, as long as the nametags are off -- scary stories about CPs being terminated for not complying led us to warn the girls before they got in trouble. How Disney would find out is beyond me, but it's better to be safe than sorry! They're mostly worried about misrepresentation of the Disney image, anyways.
...And that's it for now. I need to get out of here in a hurry, or risk being late for work. And I still need to post a photo dump or something!
Talk to you guys later!
Saturday, 28 May 2011
Monday, 23 May 2011
Another weekly recap!
I can't believe it's already been a week! I get so caught up in my job and in Disney that I tend to lose track of the date (and the outside world, sometimes -- I can't remember the last time I saw a newspaper). But it's all so much fun!
Anyways, I'm heading off to work in a bit, but I still have time enough to give you guys an overview of what's been happening in Mouse Country:
Monday, May 16th - I don't think I did much on Monday besides head to Cast Connections and pick up some groceries. Oh, and I went to the Polynesian Resort for the first time! See, a friend of mine is working their in merchandise, so I wanted to swing by and say hello. She wasn't there that afternoon, so I called her to ask when she would be working and came back that evening. I caught her just as she was going on break, and she showed me the backstage cafeteria at the Polynesian. Just before that, as we were walking towards backstage, a family of guests stopped her and asked where they could find the food court at the Polynesian. She was still Earning Her Ears at that point, but I realized then what I had been warned about was true: the nametag means guests do expect you to know everything. Not that it's a bad thing! it's just...not so great when you only started working a few days ago. (At present, I'm trying to memorize the layout of Blizzard Beach so I don't give any guests bad directions...again).
Tuesday, May 17th - All the ICPs who had arrived earlier in the month had to board a bus at Vista Way (at six in the morning!) and head downtown to work out our Social Security paperwork. We can't work in the U.S. unless we have valid U.S. social security numbers (and obviously, a Canadian social insurance number doesn't do squat for us here). We won't actually receive our numbers for another few weeks. Also, I still find it entertaining that our paperwork lists us as "legal aliens".
After that, I had lunch with two friends at my apartment (the same friends who work at Magic Kingdom's bakery and the Polynesian). Then we headed to Hollywood Studios for the rest of the day. And two of us got to be in the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular! That involved us putting on costumes and running around as extras. Other hilights included seeing Fantasmic, meeting another friend while she was working at the Backlot Express, and spotting the construction wall around what will be a Phineas and Ferb character greeting spot (eeeeee!). I searched for a Perry the Platypus plushie like the one my apartment mate has, but only found little ones. They're not the same -- they're not cuddle-sized! And I'm not being picky, I swear.
Wednesday, May 18th - I'm trying to remember what happened on Wednesday. Hmm...oh! Now I remember: working, mostly. The first half of my shift was easy, since I was the catcher at the broiler, and that job is incredibly simple. Second half? Not so much. I was sent to the soft-serve ice cream location in the park for the first time (I.C. Expeditions), and the ice cream I was making mistake after mistake. I like guests, and I want to make them happy on what could possibly be their only visit to Walt Disney World. Hence why it's so crushing when I'm slow or otherwise make mistakes that darken a guest's day. I couldn't keep up with the orders on the screen, and after about an hour I burst into (very noisy) tears. I knew I shouldn't be crying onstage, so I headed to the locker room to bawl instead. One of my managers found me, and sent me to the Cooling Hut for the rest of the day, where I was much more comfortable.
I'd been waffling on whether to go to the water park cast party at Typhoon Lagoon, but some co-workers invited me along, so I made up my mind. I hadn't thought to bring a bathing suit (because I'm soooo smart), but I ran out into the wave pool anyway in the change of clothes I'd brought with me. After the sun went down, it was really cold, but there was dancing and a DJ, and free food from an outside caterer. Also, I answered a trivia question and scored some passes to one of the minigolf locations in Walt Disney World. I've never been, so yay! I need to pick some friends to drag along with me once we get a day off.
Thursday, May 18th - I pretty much worked at I.C. Expeditions all that day, which was initially a terrifying prospect, considering my meltdown the previous day. Fortunately, I helped open the place, so it was slow enough when I started my shift that I could learn how to do everything properly. And once I did, I was...actually pretty good at it! Not too shabby at all, really. Plus, I was working with a co-worker whom I've idolized pretty much since Day 2 (she is so good at her job and talking to guests). Things were a little crazier in the afternoon when people got shifted around -- mistakes were being made in entering orders, and there were a lot of mixups. One guest waited 15 minutes for a strawberry sundae while were trying to get everything straightened out, and she had one of the infamous eruptions I'd heard we would have to deal with on the job. Through it all, though, I felt very calm, so I'm hoping I can get through future screw ups just as easily. What I've found here is that I learn most easily by making mistakes. And I make a lot of them. But I always learn something!
That night, I'd been planning to just stay home, by my apartment mates were all itching to go see the midnight premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean, so I went along with them to Downtown Disney. I don't regret it!
Anyway, if I stay any longer I'll be late for my bus, so I'll need to finish this recap later. Maybe not today -- I'm supposed to heading straight from work to see Pirates again with my ICP friends. But we'll see!
Anyways, I'm heading off to work in a bit, but I still have time enough to give you guys an overview of what's been happening in Mouse Country:
Monday, May 16th - I don't think I did much on Monday besides head to Cast Connections and pick up some groceries. Oh, and I went to the Polynesian Resort for the first time! See, a friend of mine is working their in merchandise, so I wanted to swing by and say hello. She wasn't there that afternoon, so I called her to ask when she would be working and came back that evening. I caught her just as she was going on break, and she showed me the backstage cafeteria at the Polynesian. Just before that, as we were walking towards backstage, a family of guests stopped her and asked where they could find the food court at the Polynesian. She was still Earning Her Ears at that point, but I realized then what I had been warned about was true: the nametag means guests do expect you to know everything. Not that it's a bad thing! it's just...not so great when you only started working a few days ago. (At present, I'm trying to memorize the layout of Blizzard Beach so I don't give any guests bad directions...again).
Tuesday, May 17th - All the ICPs who had arrived earlier in the month had to board a bus at Vista Way (at six in the morning!) and head downtown to work out our Social Security paperwork. We can't work in the U.S. unless we have valid U.S. social security numbers (and obviously, a Canadian social insurance number doesn't do squat for us here). We won't actually receive our numbers for another few weeks. Also, I still find it entertaining that our paperwork lists us as "legal aliens".
After that, I had lunch with two friends at my apartment (the same friends who work at Magic Kingdom's bakery and the Polynesian). Then we headed to Hollywood Studios for the rest of the day. And two of us got to be in the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular! That involved us putting on costumes and running around as extras. Other hilights included seeing Fantasmic, meeting another friend while she was working at the Backlot Express, and spotting the construction wall around what will be a Phineas and Ferb character greeting spot (eeeeee!). I searched for a Perry the Platypus plushie like the one my apartment mate has, but only found little ones. They're not the same -- they're not cuddle-sized! And I'm not being picky, I swear.
Wednesday, May 18th - I'm trying to remember what happened on Wednesday. Hmm...oh! Now I remember: working, mostly. The first half of my shift was easy, since I was the catcher at the broiler, and that job is incredibly simple. Second half? Not so much. I was sent to the soft-serve ice cream location in the park for the first time (I.C. Expeditions), and the ice cream I was making mistake after mistake. I like guests, and I want to make them happy on what could possibly be their only visit to Walt Disney World. Hence why it's so crushing when I'm slow or otherwise make mistakes that darken a guest's day. I couldn't keep up with the orders on the screen, and after about an hour I burst into (very noisy) tears. I knew I shouldn't be crying onstage, so I headed to the locker room to bawl instead. One of my managers found me, and sent me to the Cooling Hut for the rest of the day, where I was much more comfortable.
I'd been waffling on whether to go to the water park cast party at Typhoon Lagoon, but some co-workers invited me along, so I made up my mind. I hadn't thought to bring a bathing suit (because I'm soooo smart), but I ran out into the wave pool anyway in the change of clothes I'd brought with me. After the sun went down, it was really cold, but there was dancing and a DJ, and free food from an outside caterer. Also, I answered a trivia question and scored some passes to one of the minigolf locations in Walt Disney World. I've never been, so yay! I need to pick some friends to drag along with me once we get a day off.
Thursday, May 18th - I pretty much worked at I.C. Expeditions all that day, which was initially a terrifying prospect, considering my meltdown the previous day. Fortunately, I helped open the place, so it was slow enough when I started my shift that I could learn how to do everything properly. And once I did, I was...actually pretty good at it! Not too shabby at all, really. Plus, I was working with a co-worker whom I've idolized pretty much since Day 2 (she is so good at her job and talking to guests). Things were a little crazier in the afternoon when people got shifted around -- mistakes were being made in entering orders, and there were a lot of mixups. One guest waited 15 minutes for a strawberry sundae while were trying to get everything straightened out, and she had one of the infamous eruptions I'd heard we would have to deal with on the job. Through it all, though, I felt very calm, so I'm hoping I can get through future screw ups just as easily. What I've found here is that I learn most easily by making mistakes. And I make a lot of them. But I always learn something!
That night, I'd been planning to just stay home, by my apartment mates were all itching to go see the midnight premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean, so I went along with them to Downtown Disney. I don't regret it!
Anyway, if I stay any longer I'll be late for my bus, so I'll need to finish this recap later. Maybe not today -- I'm supposed to heading straight from work to see Pirates again with my ICP friends. But we'll see!
Sunday, 15 May 2011
...And apparently my promises aren't worth much
Things have just been so busy! And honestly, since I actually started working, I've been dog tired by the time I get home in the afternoon. Today was a day off though, so I'm taking the opportunity now to update you guys on what's been happening:
Sunday, May 8th - This was the day of my orientation at Blizzard Beach,"Forecast Blizzard". There was a slide show at Gator Hall (it's backstage, so don't bother looking for it on a park map), and then we went out into the park for a tour just before it opened to witness a Magical Moment: basically, they select a family from the front gate, and one of the guests in that family is named "Ski Patrol Captain" for the day. Then there's a countdown, and the Ski Patrol Captain slides down Summit Plummet just as the park opens. And if they survive to tell the tale, they and their family get a marked cabana for the day right near the wave pool! (not to be confused with one of the fourteen rental cabanas) We were getting funny looks from the guests when they finally entered, and honestly, I'd be inclined to stare too if a large group of well-dressed people walked by me in a water park. There are ankle-height sprinklers along the pathways in the park, which is great for swimsuit-wearing guests, but not so great for us -- we kind of had to jump over them to keep our fancy shoes from getting wet. It was fun!
After that, we headed back to Gator Hall, where there was a trivia game designed to test us on what we'd learned. And that was followed by an incredibly dry Safety in Motion class. Not that the cast members in charge of the orientation weren't trying to keep things interesting (so kudos to them), but in all honesty, I'd gotten up pretty early to catch the bus to Blizzard that morning, and I was getting a little cross-eyed trying to stay awake. And most of the stuff in the presentation was covered in a manual I got at Traditions. When it was over, I was given another work schedule and told where to go to get my costume. I headed home, got changed, and then headed out again to Pop Century/Caribbean Beach's cast services to pick up some costumes at the costuming department. I got there just before they closed, but they were very patient while I ran around trying to figure out the sizing for my pants. As an ICP, I was allowed five tops and bottoms. (speaking of which, I need to head back in today and have them wash the costumes I've used already -- I don't trust myself to wash them without bleaching out the colour or something)
Monday, May 9th - This was another free day, and I had been planning to spend most or all of it doing chores, but I caught up with a friend the night before and she wanted to go to Epcot on Monday. All work and no play is less than fun, so I agreed to join in the group as long as I could leave early in the afternoon and head to Wal-Mart. I'm so glad I went! We got on Soarin' first thing since the line was still relatively short, but remembered to get fastpasses before doing so. I had no idea there was a new, interactive queue! That seems to be happening all over the parks now. Right after that, we headed over to World Showcase and headed left to Canada, where we all had a good laugh and got plenty of photos. We also chatted up the girl in the gift shop, who told us she'd been there for about six months so far and was lovin' it (she's part of the Cultural Representative program, which is separate from the college program and lasts a whole year -- all of the participants live at The Commons complex). Then we met Mary Poppins in England, Aurora in France, and spotted Alice skipping by to her meet-and-greet spot. After we went back to Soarin' for our fastpass time, I head to the monorails with another girl from the group who had to work that night. She told me she was working at Cosmic Ray's, and showed me some of the training material she'd been given (specifically, a menu of all the items available there).
Later, I headed to Wal-Mart to get some groceries. I wanted to get my work shoes as well, but I couldn't find what I wanted, and they were running low on white slip-resistant shoes anyway. So I postponed that errand for another day.
Tuesday, May 10th - I think this has been the only day of my program so far that I really, truly didn't like. I showed up at Blizzard Beach's backstage again to begin Elearning, which basically involves sitting down at a computer and listening to one online presentation after another, complete with soothing voice-overs. I was there for a very long time, and I wasn't sure whether I was going to get a lunch break or not, so when my trainer finally came back to check on me around one in the afternoon, I was about ready to cry (so melodramatic, LOL). By that point I was hungry enough that I couldn't concentrate, and there was so much information being given that I was terrified none of it was going to stick. Amazingly enough, though, most of it still comes back to me when I need it -- or at least, it has since I've been on the job. I didn't pack a lunch, so I had to buy one backstage. Blizzard Beach's backstage is quite the contrast to Magic Kingdom's -- it's pretty small, and I can literally walk from where the bus drops me to my work location in less than a minute. But maybe I shouldn't have told you that. Eep.
Wednesday, May 11th - I took the Magic Kingdom bus three times that day. The first time was to get to West Clock in the morning and arrive for my Food and Beverage class at Disney University. I was actually able to clock out a few hours earlier than most of my classmates, since I'd done almost all of my online classes the previous day at Blizzard (my trainer had warned me that I wouldn't be allowed to leave Blizzard until all of the available ones were finished). So I clocked out, loitered for a bit to take some pictures inside the university, and then headed back to the bus stop. That was around ten or eleven in the morning, so it left the rest of the day open. When I got back to Chatham, my roommate offered to take me to Cast Connections and Property Control, which are on the other side of Magic Kingdom's employee parking lot. I'm not gonna say too much about them, since I'm not sure what's supposed to be confidential, but I will say that cast members can get some good deals on groceries and other goods there. I might describe 'em once I find out whether or not doing so will get me in trouble with my boss, the Mouse.
After heading home with my purchases, I had some dinner and went out a third time to go pester a friend whom I knew was working on Main Street that night. She works at Main Street's bakery and ice cream shop, and when I got there that night via monorail from the TTC, she was working the counter -- as in, taking ice cream from the back to the guests waiting for their orders. It wasn't super busy, so I went in to buy a rootbeer float and chatted her up between orders. I didn't stay long, since I didn't want to distract her from her work, but she looked like she was having fun (and said as much). After that, I just hung around Main Street for a while, poking in and out of shops I'd never lingered in before as a guest. There's something so relaxed about visiting with the knowledge that you can always come back and see more. It's pretty fantastic, and -- dare I say it? -- magical.
Thursday, May 12th - My first on-the-job training! I was late getting in, but only by a few minutes, since I misread my schedule and took a bus that arrived at Blizzard later than I thought it would. Ever the drama queen, I burst into tears when I finally met with a coordinator, apologizing over and over for being late on my first day. I was told I wasn't in trouble, and introduced to my trainer for the day, who showed me the ropes in the kitchen at Lottawotta Lodge. The work wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be, even though it was quite exhausting -- I ended up being fryer #2, which meant that I ferried bins of fresh fries and chicken nuggets to the order windows as soon as they were out of the fryer. Things were pretty quiet before and after lunch, but during? Yikes! Again, it wasn't difficult work, but it was tiring, and I burned my arm on a hot surface at some point (the mark is till there). After a break, I worked at window #2, which was less hectic and mostly involved putting together hot dogs and baskets. I also helped close the kitchen at the end of the day, which was a very long process that was entirely confusing, newbie that I am. I watched my trainer and another cast member clean the broiler, which seemed pretty complicated, going by the number of detachable pieces alone. All in all, working in the kitchen isn't really bad or anything, but it's isn't my favourite part of the job.
Friday, May 13th - Dude, I didn't even realize this was Friday the 13th until today. Bummer. Anyway, this was actually a pretty good day, aside from scheduling confusion. Apparently their schedule differed from mine, so although I thought I was going to train at the counter, I was sent to one of the outdoor locations instead. This may have been a blessing in disguise, since I enjoyed the experience so much. Sooo much more fun being onstage and actually interacting with guests, even if every role is "a starring role" in Disney's eyes. I was at Frostbite Freddy's in the morning, which serves smoothies as well as other beverages, than at the Cooling Hut in the afternoon. I helped close the Cooling Hut at the end of the day, which didn't seem nearly as long or confusing as cleaning the kitchen. After that I clocked out and ran to the bus stop in time to narrowly miss a ridiculously heavy rainstorm. Florida weather. Eesh!
Saturday, May 14th - I honestly had no clue whether I was supposed to show up to work on Saturday, since my schedule seemed to be at odds with the one my coordinators had. But I was advised to show up anyway, and was eventually given a trainer to shadow. I thought I would finally get to train at the counter, and I did...for a little while. But then my trainer got moved back into the kitchen, and I spent the rest of the day at the fryer. Again, I really don't have a problem with kitchen work, but I hope I get trained at the counter soon. I don't want to be "earning my ears" forever!
I was allowed to clock out at four, with the hopes that I would get some chores done that afternoon. Unfortunately the bus broke down just outside the Wide World of Sports, and we were stuck for forty minutes waiting for the next one. I was able to banter a bit with the other stranded cast members, though, so that was nice. That's what I like about Disney -- a majority of the people you meet are bound to be pretty friendly. That's been my experience so far, at least.
Sunday, May 15th (today!) - This was a quiet and unremarkable day, during which I did some cleaning around the apartment (along with one of my roommates), went to costuming to exchange my dirty costumes for new ones, and did my laundry. I didn't sleep much on Saturday night, since I was developing what appeared to be symptoms of some illness and couldn't get comfortable anywhere. Currently my throat is still pretty sore and my ears are blocked up. And my nose is a little runny. And my stomach hurts. Other than that, I'm peachy!
...And that's been my experience so far! Or the gist of it. I still need to call my manager and find out why I don't have any scheduled shifts this week (I tried calling her today AND labor services, but I wasn't able to get through for some reason). And hopefully this sickness is nothing serious. But my experience here has been very, very positive, so please don't think these few negative incidents have characterized my stay here in Florida. I've been having a blast! And I hope things stay this interesting, because really, even the "bad" stuff has its charm...in that being-independent-for-the-first-time kind of way.
Sunday, May 8th - This was the day of my orientation at Blizzard Beach,"Forecast Blizzard". There was a slide show at Gator Hall (it's backstage, so don't bother looking for it on a park map), and then we went out into the park for a tour just before it opened to witness a Magical Moment: basically, they select a family from the front gate, and one of the guests in that family is named "Ski Patrol Captain" for the day. Then there's a countdown, and the Ski Patrol Captain slides down Summit Plummet just as the park opens. And if they survive to tell the tale, they and their family get a marked cabana for the day right near the wave pool! (not to be confused with one of the fourteen rental cabanas) We were getting funny looks from the guests when they finally entered, and honestly, I'd be inclined to stare too if a large group of well-dressed people walked by me in a water park. There are ankle-height sprinklers along the pathways in the park, which is great for swimsuit-wearing guests, but not so great for us -- we kind of had to jump over them to keep our fancy shoes from getting wet. It was fun!
After that, we headed back to Gator Hall, where there was a trivia game designed to test us on what we'd learned. And that was followed by an incredibly dry Safety in Motion class. Not that the cast members in charge of the orientation weren't trying to keep things interesting (so kudos to them), but in all honesty, I'd gotten up pretty early to catch the bus to Blizzard that morning, and I was getting a little cross-eyed trying to stay awake. And most of the stuff in the presentation was covered in a manual I got at Traditions. When it was over, I was given another work schedule and told where to go to get my costume. I headed home, got changed, and then headed out again to Pop Century/Caribbean Beach's cast services to pick up some costumes at the costuming department. I got there just before they closed, but they were very patient while I ran around trying to figure out the sizing for my pants. As an ICP, I was allowed five tops and bottoms. (speaking of which, I need to head back in today and have them wash the costumes I've used already -- I don't trust myself to wash them without bleaching out the colour or something)
Monday, May 9th - This was another free day, and I had been planning to spend most or all of it doing chores, but I caught up with a friend the night before and she wanted to go to Epcot on Monday. All work and no play is less than fun, so I agreed to join in the group as long as I could leave early in the afternoon and head to Wal-Mart. I'm so glad I went! We got on Soarin' first thing since the line was still relatively short, but remembered to get fastpasses before doing so. I had no idea there was a new, interactive queue! That seems to be happening all over the parks now. Right after that, we headed over to World Showcase and headed left to Canada, where we all had a good laugh and got plenty of photos. We also chatted up the girl in the gift shop, who told us she'd been there for about six months so far and was lovin' it (she's part of the Cultural Representative program, which is separate from the college program and lasts a whole year -- all of the participants live at The Commons complex). Then we met Mary Poppins in England, Aurora in France, and spotted Alice skipping by to her meet-and-greet spot. After we went back to Soarin' for our fastpass time, I head to the monorails with another girl from the group who had to work that night. She told me she was working at Cosmic Ray's, and showed me some of the training material she'd been given (specifically, a menu of all the items available there).
Later, I headed to Wal-Mart to get some groceries. I wanted to get my work shoes as well, but I couldn't find what I wanted, and they were running low on white slip-resistant shoes anyway. So I postponed that errand for another day.
Tuesday, May 10th - I think this has been the only day of my program so far that I really, truly didn't like. I showed up at Blizzard Beach's backstage again to begin Elearning, which basically involves sitting down at a computer and listening to one online presentation after another, complete with soothing voice-overs. I was there for a very long time, and I wasn't sure whether I was going to get a lunch break or not, so when my trainer finally came back to check on me around one in the afternoon, I was about ready to cry (so melodramatic, LOL). By that point I was hungry enough that I couldn't concentrate, and there was so much information being given that I was terrified none of it was going to stick. Amazingly enough, though, most of it still comes back to me when I need it -- or at least, it has since I've been on the job. I didn't pack a lunch, so I had to buy one backstage. Blizzard Beach's backstage is quite the contrast to Magic Kingdom's -- it's pretty small, and I can literally walk from where the bus drops me to my work location in less than a minute. But maybe I shouldn't have told you that. Eep.
Wednesday, May 11th - I took the Magic Kingdom bus three times that day. The first time was to get to West Clock in the morning and arrive for my Food and Beverage class at Disney University. I was actually able to clock out a few hours earlier than most of my classmates, since I'd done almost all of my online classes the previous day at Blizzard (my trainer had warned me that I wouldn't be allowed to leave Blizzard until all of the available ones were finished). So I clocked out, loitered for a bit to take some pictures inside the university, and then headed back to the bus stop. That was around ten or eleven in the morning, so it left the rest of the day open. When I got back to Chatham, my roommate offered to take me to Cast Connections and Property Control, which are on the other side of Magic Kingdom's employee parking lot. I'm not gonna say too much about them, since I'm not sure what's supposed to be confidential, but I will say that cast members can get some good deals on groceries and other goods there. I might describe 'em once I find out whether or not doing so will get me in trouble with my boss, the Mouse.
After heading home with my purchases, I had some dinner and went out a third time to go pester a friend whom I knew was working on Main Street that night. She works at Main Street's bakery and ice cream shop, and when I got there that night via monorail from the TTC, she was working the counter -- as in, taking ice cream from the back to the guests waiting for their orders. It wasn't super busy, so I went in to buy a rootbeer float and chatted her up between orders. I didn't stay long, since I didn't want to distract her from her work, but she looked like she was having fun (and said as much). After that, I just hung around Main Street for a while, poking in and out of shops I'd never lingered in before as a guest. There's something so relaxed about visiting with the knowledge that you can always come back and see more. It's pretty fantastic, and -- dare I say it? -- magical.
Thursday, May 12th - My first on-the-job training! I was late getting in, but only by a few minutes, since I misread my schedule and took a bus that arrived at Blizzard later than I thought it would. Ever the drama queen, I burst into tears when I finally met with a coordinator, apologizing over and over for being late on my first day. I was told I wasn't in trouble, and introduced to my trainer for the day, who showed me the ropes in the kitchen at Lottawotta Lodge. The work wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be, even though it was quite exhausting -- I ended up being fryer #2, which meant that I ferried bins of fresh fries and chicken nuggets to the order windows as soon as they were out of the fryer. Things were pretty quiet before and after lunch, but during? Yikes! Again, it wasn't difficult work, but it was tiring, and I burned my arm on a hot surface at some point (the mark is till there). After a break, I worked at window #2, which was less hectic and mostly involved putting together hot dogs and baskets. I also helped close the kitchen at the end of the day, which was a very long process that was entirely confusing, newbie that I am. I watched my trainer and another cast member clean the broiler, which seemed pretty complicated, going by the number of detachable pieces alone. All in all, working in the kitchen isn't really bad or anything, but it's isn't my favourite part of the job.
Friday, May 13th - Dude, I didn't even realize this was Friday the 13th until today. Bummer. Anyway, this was actually a pretty good day, aside from scheduling confusion. Apparently their schedule differed from mine, so although I thought I was going to train at the counter, I was sent to one of the outdoor locations instead. This may have been a blessing in disguise, since I enjoyed the experience so much. Sooo much more fun being onstage and actually interacting with guests, even if every role is "a starring role" in Disney's eyes. I was at Frostbite Freddy's in the morning, which serves smoothies as well as other beverages, than at the Cooling Hut in the afternoon. I helped close the Cooling Hut at the end of the day, which didn't seem nearly as long or confusing as cleaning the kitchen. After that I clocked out and ran to the bus stop in time to narrowly miss a ridiculously heavy rainstorm. Florida weather. Eesh!
Saturday, May 14th - I honestly had no clue whether I was supposed to show up to work on Saturday, since my schedule seemed to be at odds with the one my coordinators had. But I was advised to show up anyway, and was eventually given a trainer to shadow. I thought I would finally get to train at the counter, and I did...for a little while. But then my trainer got moved back into the kitchen, and I spent the rest of the day at the fryer. Again, I really don't have a problem with kitchen work, but I hope I get trained at the counter soon. I don't want to be "earning my ears" forever!
I was allowed to clock out at four, with the hopes that I would get some chores done that afternoon. Unfortunately the bus broke down just outside the Wide World of Sports, and we were stuck for forty minutes waiting for the next one. I was able to banter a bit with the other stranded cast members, though, so that was nice. That's what I like about Disney -- a majority of the people you meet are bound to be pretty friendly. That's been my experience so far, at least.
Sunday, May 15th (today!) - This was a quiet and unremarkable day, during which I did some cleaning around the apartment (along with one of my roommates), went to costuming to exchange my dirty costumes for new ones, and did my laundry. I didn't sleep much on Saturday night, since I was developing what appeared to be symptoms of some illness and couldn't get comfortable anywhere. Currently my throat is still pretty sore and my ears are blocked up. And my nose is a little runny. And my stomach hurts. Other than that, I'm peachy!
...And that's been my experience so far! Or the gist of it. I still need to call my manager and find out why I don't have any scheduled shifts this week (I tried calling her today AND labor services, but I wasn't able to get through for some reason). And hopefully this sickness is nothing serious. But my experience here has been very, very positive, so please don't think these few negative incidents have characterized my stay here in Florida. I've been having a blast! And I hope things stay this interesting, because really, even the "bad" stuff has its charm...in that being-independent-for-the-first-time kind of way.
Thursday, 12 May 2011
It's beeeen one week since you looked at me~
Actually, it's been over a week since I looked at this blog. Sorry guys. Things have been a little hectic!
As it is, I'm leaving in about half an hour for my first on-the-job training session (which means I'll be working in costume at Blizzard Beach's Lottawatta Lodge), so I'm going to try and sum up the last week's activities as well as I can:
Tuesday, May 3rd - following my previous post, I headed over to Vista Way with the other new ICPs, and we had more paperwork done. This was also when we were officially told our specific locations within the parks/resorts/whatever and given our initial schedules. Afterward, I went to Wal-Mart to get my hair dyed. Unnnfortunately, only a few of the women at the salon spoke more than a few words of English, so I wasn't able to communicate that I wanted my hilights covered until it had already been dyed. Then someone asked me what I wanted, and she told me the shade of blonde I'd picked was too light. So they kinda had to do the whole thing over again. My hair looks fine, though, so I'm not complaining.
Wednesday, May 4th - Traditions! This was our first class at Disney University (and yes, it's actually called that). We got up early and hopped on a prepared shuttle at seven, so we were there around eight. Traditions basically covers things like Disney heritage and the four keys. Basic stuff to remember. They bribed people to answer questions by handing out these spiffy little figurines of Mickey and the Fab Five. Other events included a field trip to the nearby Magic Kingdom, where we went Onstage AND Backstage to contrast the two, and a visit from our new boss, Mickey Mouse himself.
This is also the day we received our nametags! We were sooo excited for that. The above is mine!
Thursday, May 5th - This was one of my free days before training started, so I headed over to the nearby Florida Outlets with a friend -- she wanted to buy some work shoes. As I understand it, we ended up taking the long way around to get there. We should've just walked down to The Commons and gone through the parking garage. Oh well! Live and learn, I guess.
Friday, May 6th - A friend of mine wanted to organize a trip with some new pals to Typhoon Lagoon, and this is the day we went. I have never had so much fun at a waterpark. It was awesome! As it turns out, we get free admission to the waterparks in addition to the theme parks. At least until mid-June.The only part that wasn't fun was the brutal sunburn I got on my shoulders and back. That stuck around for about three days, and stung something fierce. Yowch! They don't call this the sunshine state for nothin'.
Saturday, May 7th - One last free day, but I chose to spend it at home, doing laundry. I'd been meaning to figure out how the "laundromat" here works (there's one right down the street from my building in Chatham). All I had to do was load a card with money right there, and use that card to pay for washing and drying. It's about a dollar to do either, so I spent about four dollars cleaning my whites and everything else.
...shoot! Looks like I'm gonna have to stop here, folks -- I have a bus to catch soon. But I promise, I'll finish up with this later today in a new post. If you're at Blizzard Beach anytime soon, well, I guess I'll see you on the slopes!
As it is, I'm leaving in about half an hour for my first on-the-job training session (which means I'll be working in costume at Blizzard Beach's Lottawatta Lodge), so I'm going to try and sum up the last week's activities as well as I can:
Tuesday, May 3rd - following my previous post, I headed over to Vista Way with the other new ICPs, and we had more paperwork done. This was also when we were officially told our specific locations within the parks/resorts/whatever and given our initial schedules. Afterward, I went to Wal-Mart to get my hair dyed. Unnnfortunately, only a few of the women at the salon spoke more than a few words of English, so I wasn't able to communicate that I wanted my hilights covered until it had already been dyed. Then someone asked me what I wanted, and she told me the shade of blonde I'd picked was too light. So they kinda had to do the whole thing over again. My hair looks fine, though, so I'm not complaining.
Wednesday, May 4th - Traditions! This was our first class at Disney University (and yes, it's actually called that). We got up early and hopped on a prepared shuttle at seven, so we were there around eight. Traditions basically covers things like Disney heritage and the four keys. Basic stuff to remember. They bribed people to answer questions by handing out these spiffy little figurines of Mickey and the Fab Five. Other events included a field trip to the nearby Magic Kingdom, where we went Onstage AND Backstage to contrast the two, and a visit from our new boss, Mickey Mouse himself.
This is also the day we received our nametags! We were sooo excited for that. The above is mine!
Thursday, May 5th - This was one of my free days before training started, so I headed over to the nearby Florida Outlets with a friend -- she wanted to buy some work shoes. As I understand it, we ended up taking the long way around to get there. We should've just walked down to The Commons and gone through the parking garage. Oh well! Live and learn, I guess.
Friday, May 6th - A friend of mine wanted to organize a trip with some new pals to Typhoon Lagoon, and this is the day we went. I have never had so much fun at a waterpark. It was awesome! As it turns out, we get free admission to the waterparks in addition to the theme parks. At least until mid-June.The only part that wasn't fun was the brutal sunburn I got on my shoulders and back. That stuck around for about three days, and stung something fierce. Yowch! They don't call this the sunshine state for nothin'.
Saturday, May 7th - One last free day, but I chose to spend it at home, doing laundry. I'd been meaning to figure out how the "laundromat" here works (there's one right down the street from my building in Chatham). All I had to do was load a card with money right there, and use that card to pay for washing and drying. It's about a dollar to do either, so I spent about four dollars cleaning my whites and everything else.
...shoot! Looks like I'm gonna have to stop here, folks -- I have a bus to catch soon. But I promise, I'll finish up with this later today in a new post. If you're at Blizzard Beach anytime soon, well, I guess I'll see you on the slopes!
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Dancing and hair-dye
I finally found out where I'm working today -- Blizzard Beach! An unexpected and totally awesome surprise. A specific location hasn't been brought up yet, but that'll probably happen either later today or during Traditions. Just guessin'.
So! What's happened over the last few days? Well, Saturday was pretty much the Best Day Ever when dad got us into Magic Kingdom with some old park tickets he was hanging onto; later we had dinner at Trail's End. The next day we drove to Vista Way, and I climbed into a van with three other arrivals and was driven over to Chatham Square, where I'll be living for the next three months. Instead of moving into an empty apartment with other newcomers, though, I was given an empty bed in a 4-bedroom apartment occupied entirely by regular College Program participants. So I've basically got seven American roommates, all of whom have been here since February (or around that time). They come and go due to different shifts, but I think I've met all of them at this point -- they're very different from each other, but they've been nothing if not friendly with me, so I think we're off to a good start. I've since learned that we're not in the habit of sharing groceries, so I figure as along as I pick up after myself and wash my own dishes, I should be fine.
I cried a lot when Mom and Dad left on Sunday (although to be fair, they did too, maybe moreso). From then until yesterday, I couldn't bear to sit still for too long -- sitting alone in the apartment made me feel anxious and weepy. Today was better, and the apartment is starting to feel more like a home. My first "official", paid day of work is tomorrow, when I attend my first Traditions class (I have no clue what that will involve). The last three days have pretty much just been short info sessions at The Commons in the morning, and paperwork in the afternoon. I understand there's something about Onboarding paperwork I've overlooked, but I'm pretty sure someone said that they would have the papers there this afternoon.
Even with my moping, I've been having a much better time than I've let on so far. I've met so many new people! Mostly ICPs like myself. I'm having a much easier time hitting it off with other newbies than I would've thought. Plus, we were allowed to attend the Spring Formal at Coronado Springs last night, which was amazing. Pretty much blew my prom out of the water (although that really isn't a difficult feat). I didn't have any makeup, and my hair was a mess, but I had so much fun. It was villain-themed, and there were characters there! I got to meet Maleficenty, and I saw Hades, and...gosh, it was fun. 'Nuff said.
Crap, I just looked at the clock. I have to get out of here and catch a bus to Vista Way. One last thing, though: I was told by the women at orientation this morning that my hair wasn't Disney Look-approved...because of last fall's streaks. Crap. I have to go to Wal-Mart later and have them dye my hair, otherwise I won't be allowed to attend Traditions tomorrow. Ugh. I'll have to time it so that I can still go to Downtown Disney with some friends later.
So! What's happened over the last few days? Well, Saturday was pretty much the Best Day Ever when dad got us into Magic Kingdom with some old park tickets he was hanging onto; later we had dinner at Trail's End. The next day we drove to Vista Way, and I climbed into a van with three other arrivals and was driven over to Chatham Square, where I'll be living for the next three months. Instead of moving into an empty apartment with other newcomers, though, I was given an empty bed in a 4-bedroom apartment occupied entirely by regular College Program participants. So I've basically got seven American roommates, all of whom have been here since February (or around that time). They come and go due to different shifts, but I think I've met all of them at this point -- they're very different from each other, but they've been nothing if not friendly with me, so I think we're off to a good start. I've since learned that we're not in the habit of sharing groceries, so I figure as along as I pick up after myself and wash my own dishes, I should be fine.
I cried a lot when Mom and Dad left on Sunday (although to be fair, they did too, maybe moreso). From then until yesterday, I couldn't bear to sit still for too long -- sitting alone in the apartment made me feel anxious and weepy. Today was better, and the apartment is starting to feel more like a home. My first "official", paid day of work is tomorrow, when I attend my first Traditions class (I have no clue what that will involve). The last three days have pretty much just been short info sessions at The Commons in the morning, and paperwork in the afternoon. I understand there's something about Onboarding paperwork I've overlooked, but I'm pretty sure someone said that they would have the papers there this afternoon.
Even with my moping, I've been having a much better time than I've let on so far. I've met so many new people! Mostly ICPs like myself. I'm having a much easier time hitting it off with other newbies than I would've thought. Plus, we were allowed to attend the Spring Formal at Coronado Springs last night, which was amazing. Pretty much blew my prom out of the water (although that really isn't a difficult feat). I didn't have any makeup, and my hair was a mess, but I had so much fun. It was villain-themed, and there were characters there! I got to meet Maleficenty, and I saw Hades, and...gosh, it was fun. 'Nuff said.
Crap, I just looked at the clock. I have to get out of here and catch a bus to Vista Way. One last thing, though: I was told by the women at orientation this morning that my hair wasn't Disney Look-approved...because of last fall's streaks. Crap. I have to go to Wal-Mart later and have them dye my hair, otherwise I won't be allowed to attend Traditions tomorrow. Ugh. I'll have to time it so that I can still go to Downtown Disney with some friends later.
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