High Ho! High Ho! It's off to work we go!

So work has been so much fun! Now that I'm getting the hang of things, everything seems a lot easier. I still get the occasional weird question from a guest or a guest that doesn't speak English, but overall I'm having an enjoyable time.

My favorite part is when I greet people and I get to give little kids stickers. Seeing their faces light up as I give them something as simple as a sticker just makes my day. I get to make their day magical!! Apparently we’re only supposed to give them out selectively, but I went sticker CRAZY today! As soon as you let one kid have one, mobs of little children wanting stickers SWARM you! It’s insane, but so much fun.

I got two mentions in our daily newsletter already for doing a good job! Some of the full-time members also orchestrated a valentine’s day exchange like we used to do in elementary school. We all made our own bags and hung them up on the bulletin board. I’m so excited!!

Rumors have been going around that all the CPs at my location are going to be training for the Jedi Training Academy show, and half of us have already started training. Some said that they would love to get away from Muppets, but I’m happy with where I am. I don’t hate it at all. Like some parts of the job can be boring or gross, but it’s good that I’m doing a physically demanding job while I’m young.

I feel like I haven't been to the parks to play in so long. Everyone is on such different schedules and usually when I get off work I'm exhausted and starving so I come home to sleep/eat. I went to Flippers and Menchies the other day and it was delicious!!

I’m also on a hunt for the Muppet Balloon Vinylmation from the Park Series. I need to find it by the end of my program, but I’m having a hard time!!

Training

So for the past 3 days I have been training at The Muppets! I definitely have a different appreciation for cast members and the attractions now that I am always behind the scenes. Being in the park before opening was the most eerie and coolest thing ever.

My trainer's name was James and he was awesome. Muppets seems really relaxed on a bunch of rules in comparison to some other attractions. There are a ton of old ladies that work with me and they are all so sweet! I messed up my spiels a bunch of times, but he said that I've been doing a good job, so I guess it's not that big a deal. I have to stack glasses after people wear them, and I swear we go through a bottle of hand sanitizer a day when doing that!

Costume

Lab Coat

Playing in the parks has been fun. I haven't spent a ton of time in them or taking pictures, but I'm having so much fun! I have never been more exhausted, but I have never been happier at a job or place before. There is just so much that I haven't experienced or seen even though I've been to these parks more than the average person.

Never had such enthusiastic photopass photographers before!

We Trolled Cindy

The FOOD I have eaten this past week. Of course I have spent a lot of money (my mom is going to kill me), but ugh Disney definitely has some of the best food in the same area. I had my first Minnie Mouse apple and it was soo good but soo sweet! I almost couldn't finish it due to the sugar overload!! I can't wait for my first paycheck because otherwise my mother would be cutting me off!!

Onion Volcano!

Good Japanese Stir-fry

Sugar High

I have my performance review tomorrow and I feel like I've forgotten everything! Hopefully I won't fail!

Work It Girl!

You know the feeling when you come back to school after a long vacation? You're excited for a new semester, but you're nervous that you might get lost or not make friends. Yeah, that's what today felt like... except I started working for the mouse.

The day started off with so many uncertainties. Once we got into the casting building there was a holdup at the turnstiles. Those things were confusing! People didn't know how to swipe into the building and there were directions, but when the real cast members are behind you expecting to just go in quickly you start to freak out a little. We ended up running around the building like chickens with our heads cut off because we didn't know where the green room was and there weren't any maps around.

I was lucky and got the funniest guide ever. We spent 2 hours walking around the studios and learning basically everything there is to know about the history and the hidden stories that the Disney Imagineers came up with in their designs. We also got to walk around backstage which was totally mind-boggling. We were walking down sunset boulevard one moment and the next we were in animation courtyard.

The characters were hilarious when we ran into them. Stitch like ran up to our guide and told her he ate Lilo. Gahh love these parks.

The best part of all? I was getting paid for that :)

And now unfortunately I have a 7:30 am - 4 pm shift tomorrow and monday so I'm pretty sure I'm going to be exhausted for the rest of my life. Oh well!!

Day Off #3

So today is probably one of the last days I will be making regular posts. I start training tomorrow and I assume that I will be working and such for most of the days after that. Between work and playing in the parks, I will probably be exhausted every night and nothing noteworthy will happen everyday that will compel me to make a post. But thanks for following along!

Today I went to Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom with my roommates. We just happened to catch one of the buses as they were changing drivers so it literally took 2 hours and the bus was sitting at Vista Way for a looong time! But we were able to ride Everest twice and the Safari.

At Magic Kingdom we did the Swiss Robinson Treehouse, Pirates, Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion, and Snow White (before it closes!). We also got Dole Whips, which are always amazing!! We then ran by the parade to get a good viewing spot for Wishes, which was amazing!! The projections on the castle were fantastic!! We then went to Cici's because we were starving and we didn't want to spend a lot of money on dinner.

I didn't really take a lot of pictures, but here are some I took on the safari:

I have my park orientation tomorrow! Time to learn all the backstage secrets even though I already know where Company D and the Cafeteria are at the studios!

Day Off #2

So today was my second day off and I went to Hollywood Studios with a friend that I met at Casting and who will be working with me at the muppets!

It was awesome being able to go into the parks for basically free.
The first ride we got on was Rockin' Rollercoaster and it was awesome! We also did the new Star Tours, Tower of Terror, Muppets, and Backlot Tour. It was a really great way to start off this adventure with someone I hope to be friends with for a long time!

My New Home

We didn't want to pay outrageously high prices for food so we decided to ask where the cast cafeteria in the park was. After meandering around backstage (which felt rebellious in a HUGE way), we eventually found the cafeteria and Company D, which is a cast-exclusive store behind the Magic of Animation attraction. It was so cheap - I got a burger, fries, and a drink for $5!

It was really awesome how nice the Cast Members were when we were lost. I was freaking out that they would yell at us and kick us out because we were in street clothes and didn't have our IDs out, but everyone was really helpful!

Today was also a housing event party called O'Hana and Lilo & Stitch and Mickey & Minnie were taking pictures! There was free pizza, which was amazing because we barely have any food in our apartment, so I was a happy camper. And I made new friends!!!

They Were Dancing And Grooving

Tomorrow is my last day off before the real work starts. I might be going to Animal Kingdom or Epcot or Magic Kingdom with my roommates or people that I met today so we'll see!! I'm definitely starting to love being here in Florida and meeting different people, and I'm getting along great with the roommates that are already here. I'm so glad I made this decision.

First Official CP Picture!

Traditions

Today was possibly the second longest day of my life. "Traditions" is the company's crash course training session on work conduct and the Disney legacy. Before I went it sounded like some cult ceremony where we would be bowing down to the mouse on an alter at the end of a candlelight procession.

All Hail Mickey

Just to put my gay activist persona on here, it made me so happy when the presentation said that the company prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity while showing a picture of two male hands interlocked. It just makes me so happy that such a powerful company can be so inclusive while other companies fail to be socially progressive.

This Was The Actual Picture They Used!!

Basically the 4 hours consisted of sitting in a classroom at Disney University (yes it exists!) going over why Disney is so good at what it does. I was elected the Team Leader of my table and I got a little figurine of Donald! However, I now understand why Disney is so successful as a company and a brand. My lips are sealed on the secrets!

All Of Walt's Secrets Are Locked Away In Here

Successful Day

The coolest part of Traditions - going in the tunnels under Magic Kingdom! There were so many people down there and we got to wave to some princesses getting ready!! We entered at the back of the park and walked down this huge corridor and ended up at the front. It was amazing!! It kind of made me want to work at Magic Kingdom so I could walk around in those tunnels some more.

No One Will Ever Know What Was Down There

At the end, Mickey himself came and delivered our name tags! I got my cast member ID and I can now get into the parks for free!! This is what the program is about!! I'm going to Hollywood Studios tomorrow and apparently Obama is going to be at Magic Kingdom!! Exciting!

I've talked to a lot of different people over the past few days but I don't really have a set group of friends yet... We'll see how that goes.

And NO, Wilson I did NOT see the frozen head of Walt Disney!

Day Off #1

Today I spent the day just walking around the complex and seeing what's here. The weather was a gorgeous 80 degrees and it felt awesome being in the sun in shorts and a t-shirt! The buildings look really nice on the outside and the pool area is cool. I like how my apartment is really close to everything - it only took me 5 minutes to walk to the bus stop at Chatham.

Home Sweet Home

Hanging Poolside

So apparently I have to move out of my room and into the other apartment. There are 2 other guys that are going to move in and the housing is making us consolidate so there is a free room open for them when they arrive. I'm kind of annoyed that I have to move all my stuff after it's all put away, but it's not really a big deal. Just hope everything works out!

Tomorrow is Traditions! I think we get to go under Magic Kingdom in the tunnels!! And I will finally get my Disney ID so I can get into the parks! I don't have training until Saturday so I have 2 days to go play in the parks!! Exciting!!!

Check-in Day!

I made it through the first day! It has been a long, long process and I am super exhausted.

After a restless night, I finally arrived at Check-in at Vista Way at about 8am. The information says it officially started at 9, but people were checked in way before then, even before 8am! It basically felt like waiting for a ride, except at the end of the line there was a mountain of paperwork. 

I'm living in a 3 bedroom apartment in Patterson! There are currently two vacant beds in the apartment - one in my room and one in another, so fingers crossed the people that move in aren't crazy. The guys who are here seem alright. If you know me in real life you know that I don't do well with the male gender so we'll see how it goes.

We were shipped off to Casting where I had a mini-heart attack when they told me that the birth certificate card I had brought was not a valid document. BUT they double-checked and it worked. Phew. It was only 9:30 in the morning and I was already having heart palpitations! That usually doesn't happen until at least 2pm.

I am working at Hollywood Studios at The Muppet show! At first I wasn't that jazzed about it, but now I'm thinking it's beginning to grow on me. We'll see for sure once I go to Traditions and my training and such.

After Casting Allie moved me into my apartment! I then had my first experience at Cici's. It was awesome - Mac and Cheese pizza!

After lunch there was a housing meeting which was a grueling 2 hours long. They went over basic information like no alcohol in wellness apartments and visitor information and all the things that could get you terminated! I'm determined to not be termed obviously, but I feel like some people are here for the wrong reasons. We're here to work and not just party. I may be a negative nancy about this, but I have heard so many stories of people getting rejected even though they are perfectly good candidates and actually want to work. 

My apartment went out to Wal-mart (ahh!) and dinner at Planet Hollywood for the first time! It was insane - we had a cart overflowing with stuff for the apartment and we seem to be attempting to share food... We'll see how long that lasts. I feel like we're all going to be on different schedules so the food will be all scattered. Planet Hollywood was awesome. Bette Midler was on the wall from when she was in Hocus Pocus!! It was awesome!

Where's Waldo On Crack

Tomorrow I have the day off! I don't really know what I'm going to do... Have I made friends? Kind of. I talked to people in the lines but we didn't really exchange numbers or anything... I have Traditions on Wednesday and I actually don't begin training until Saturday. Still - I have this lovely bedroom and bathroom all to myself until (probably) Wednesday!!

Biggest Walk-in Closet I Have Ever Seen

I Will NEVER Go Back To Dorm-Style Bathrooms

I Took Over

All To Myself For Now!

Oh and it's going to take me awhile to get used to military time - I have to subtract 12 hours every time I look at my watch!

Anticipation

And so it begins...

I survived my first flight by myself! My bag got stopped at security and I swear that my heart was racing at a million miles a second when they were looking through it. I didn't check all the pockets in that bag because it was sort of a last minute switch and it only turned out to be toothpaste and body wash that I didn't take out. I'm not a bad person, I swear! That and a long flight squished between two people while running on no sleep were not kind on my anxieties.

But after all of that, I finally arrived in Florida! One of my friends who works at Disney full-time picked me up and I'm staying at her apartment tonight for check-in tomorrow morning! We spent the day driving around and going to Downtown Disney where I got my first Vinylmation and saw Beauty and the Beast 3D in a dine-in theater!

Remember that time I spilled my Menchies?

So many thoughts and emotions going through my head about tomorrow. I'm mostly nervous... There are just so many things bombarding me at once that it is overwhelming. I really do need to learn how to control my anxiety/stress... Hopefully everything will work out in the end!

This is what I live by

Word For The Wise

Check your documents way before you check-in. I pulled out my passport for the first time in a few years thinking that it would be fine, but I quickly realized that it expires on Saturday! So today, the majority of my time was spent running around trying to find other eligible documents from the list that I could bring with me in place of my passport. We tried to renew my passport but my mom and I didn't realize that they needed to send in my original birth certificate, which was an alternative document I could have used for authorization. We have a copy of that, my license, and my SSC, but I'm hoping there will be no problem.
sigh
This is what happens when I procrastinate. Time to really start packing!

So Close Yet So Far

Happy New Year!

Darren Criss was amazing in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. I am so glad I got to see him and Daniel in this awesome show.

Yay for bad photoshopping!

Today is the 11th which means that I leave for Florida in 4 days! I still haven't even started packing yet!
Because I'm flying down to Florida without a car, I can't really take a lot with me. I figure I can buy a lot of stuff once I'm down there, but who knows if I'll be able to bring it back home with me. Southwest is awesome because they are the only airline to offer the first 2 checked bags under 50 pounds for free. I'm only bringing clothes for the most part so I don't think it will be a problem.

I have to remember to get a haircut before I leave! I like my hair kind of long-ish and I grow out a small beard sometimes when I get lazy, so this is going to be a huge change for the next 4 months. I think I look like a pre-pubescent teenager when I shave - that and the lingering acne. sigh


I'm starting to get excited!! My work location has been posted, but I want to leave it as a surprise for when I check-in. That way I won't be dreading it for the next few days before I even get there if it's a location I'm not thrilled about. I'll be getting my work location and roommates all at once so I can get it all over with at once. I'm hoping to live in Patterson. Since I'm going in random I don't know how it really works, but I hear that they just room you with whoever is next in line. I'm kind of nervous, but I've stuck it out with random roommates twice before so I think I'll be able to handle it. The anticipation is always the worst thing about any situation...

Anyway, most of my paperwork is filled out so all I really need to do is pack! I can't wait to get out of this cold New-England weather and into the Florida sun! My next post will probably be when I'm all settled in my new home!