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!
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