Today, I got to play in the parks! Even though it's Tuesday, which is my regular class day, I had no class, because they take 2 weeks off during the busy time so we can work more. I also didn't have work. My friend Kegan's family visited, so we went to EPCOT because it was the only park that my guest passes could work in.
We basically did every ride in the park because we were there most of the day. Kegan's brother had never been to Disney World, so that was really fun getting to walk them around. Later that night, I went to Magic Kingdom with CJ, Jordan and another friend of theirs. They got us fastpasses, so we went on some good rides even though it was busy.
We also did all the classics that didn't have much of a wait. We stayed almost until park close and watched the Main Street Electrical Parade at the end of the night in Frontierland. No one was there, so we acted like hams and got waves from all the characters. Definitely a fun day!
'Til next time!
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Monday, March 30, 2015
Day 71: More Baskets!
Today, I worked 14:30-23:00 doing another basket shift. Unfortunately, this one wasn't as fun. When I got into work, I was told to merchantain near the baskets and answer people's questions, instead of making baskets.
The issue I ran into was that we are still 6 days away from Easter at this point, so hardly anyone is going to buy baskets. If anyone did, I was to help them out, or re-make the basket that they purchased to replace it on the floor. But most people said they would come back closer to Easter, as expected. Most of the night, I ended up straightening the store, I helped with putbacks, and ran to the stockroom occasionally to help out the people on the floor.
The rest of my basket shifts are closer to Easter so hopefully I'll be able to make baskets more!
'Til next time!
The issue I ran into was that we are still 6 days away from Easter at this point, so hardly anyone is going to buy baskets. If anyone did, I was to help them out, or re-make the basket that they purchased to replace it on the floor. But most people said they would come back closer to Easter, as expected. Most of the night, I ended up straightening the store, I helped with putbacks, and ran to the stockroom occasionally to help out the people on the floor.
The rest of my basket shifts are closer to Easter so hopefully I'll be able to make baskets more!
'Til next time!
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Day 70: First Baskets Shift
So today was my first actual baskets shift at the Contemporary. I don't think I fully explained what we do, but all the resorts on Disney property do pre-made and custom Easter baskets during the week leading up to Easter. This year, Easter is April 5th, so the week before that was when we make baskets.
All the baskets would either have a theme, or a certain character, or is targeted to a certain age range. Once we pick the items to go into the pre-made baskets, we assemble them into the basket and shrink wrap it.
Today was my first non-training shift on baskets. Since it was really early in the week and we didn't think many, if any, people would be buying baskets, we made some more pre-made ones. We were given the theme and a price point and given free reign to make the basket!
During my shift from 9:00-17:30, I made about 3 baskets. There was still a learning curve when it came to picking the right items, as well as shrink-wrapping the baskets. Near the end of my shift, there was some overlap with the closing basket shift, so we worked together to make a few baskets.
Tomorrow, I close on baskets.
'Til next time!
All the baskets would either have a theme, or a certain character, or is targeted to a certain age range. Once we pick the items to go into the pre-made baskets, we assemble them into the basket and shrink wrap it.
Today was my first non-training shift on baskets. Since it was really early in the week and we didn't think many, if any, people would be buying baskets, we made some more pre-made ones. We were given the theme and a price point and given free reign to make the basket!
During my shift from 9:00-17:30, I made about 3 baskets. There was still a learning curve when it came to picking the right items, as well as shrink-wrapping the baskets. Near the end of my shift, there was some overlap with the closing basket shift, so we worked together to make a few baskets.
Tomorrow, I close on baskets.
'Til next time!
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Day 69: Working in Animal Kingdom
Today was definitely one of the most frustrating days I've had in a while, and I did it to myself mainly. Buckle up kids, we're in for a bumpy ride.
Today, I worked at Animal Kingdom. If you're keeping track, that means that I have successfully worked in all 4 parks! Yay, cross that off my bucket list. Given my great depth of experience working in other parks, I thought I would know what to expect working at Animal Kingdom but I was very, very wrong.
I drove up to the guest turnstiles and asked the parking cast member where to go for cast parking. She told me I was in the wrong place, and I was supposed to head towards Animal Kingdom Lodge and there was a service entrance. Fair enough, that's my fault. I need to mention here that I had already forgotten my nametag at home and had doubled back to get it, so I was cutting it a little short for time than I would have liked. So I find cast parking and I'm looking for the costuming building. I ask a cast member, who told me that it's located about a mile away. She tells me how to get there, and asks what time I start. I tell her in about 45 minutes. She responds, "You might make it."
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So I kick my butt in gear. I know that the latest I can call out is 30 minutes before my shift, and I'm starting to get a little frustrated with how ill prepared I was for this shift, and thought it might be better if I just go home. But I really wanted to work in all 4 parks! And would I try to come back to Animal Kingdom? Probably not. So I pushed through. I got in and out of costuming in about 7 minutes, and I was back at cast parking. I ask a custodial cast member how to get backstage to head to Discovery Island, and he walks me in the direction of the 'cheese grater' entrance. You need your blue ID to get in. Do you see where I'm going here? Somewhere in the chaos, I lost my blue ID. I call security and they let me in.
Eventually, I make it to Island Outfitters with a few minutes to spare, and I am all set to go. I spend most of my night bouncing from register to register, and standing out on the pin patio. I am one of the closers, so I restock the cash wraps with bags, receipt paper, etc. and start organizing a section of the store. One of the managers pulls everyone in and shows us how she likes the racks of clothes to look- she straightens all the hangers and spaces them out evenly so it looks really nice. I definitely appreciated that- she told us how she wanted it to look, so we could do it exactly the same way. I think it looks a lot better too! I do it all the time now.
I get back to my car at the end of the night and I start looking for my blue ID. I search the area around my car, inside my car, everywhere. I head back to costuming, because I had it there to check out my costume. I can't find it there either. I get back to my apartment and I look one more time. Amazingly, I find it in the cracks between the passenger seat and the cup holder. Thank the Lord I don't have to purchase a new one!
So, moral of the story, children: Always check where parking, costuming, anything important, is. Don't assume all the parks do things similarly, because they don't. The End.
'Til next time!
Today, I worked at Animal Kingdom. If you're keeping track, that means that I have successfully worked in all 4 parks! Yay, cross that off my bucket list. Given my great depth of experience working in other parks, I thought I would know what to expect working at Animal Kingdom but I was very, very wrong.
I drove up to the guest turnstiles and asked the parking cast member where to go for cast parking. She told me I was in the wrong place, and I was supposed to head towards Animal Kingdom Lodge and there was a service entrance. Fair enough, that's my fault. I need to mention here that I had already forgotten my nametag at home and had doubled back to get it, so I was cutting it a little short for time than I would have liked. So I find cast parking and I'm looking for the costuming building. I ask a cast member, who told me that it's located about a mile away. She tells me how to get there, and asks what time I start. I tell her in about 45 minutes. She responds, "You might make it."
Had enough time to take a selfie, though
So I kick my butt in gear. I know that the latest I can call out is 30 minutes before my shift, and I'm starting to get a little frustrated with how ill prepared I was for this shift, and thought it might be better if I just go home. But I really wanted to work in all 4 parks! And would I try to come back to Animal Kingdom? Probably not. So I pushed through. I got in and out of costuming in about 7 minutes, and I was back at cast parking. I ask a custodial cast member how to get backstage to head to Discovery Island, and he walks me in the direction of the 'cheese grater' entrance. You need your blue ID to get in. Do you see where I'm going here? Somewhere in the chaos, I lost my blue ID. I call security and they let me in.
Eventually, I make it to Island Outfitters with a few minutes to spare, and I am all set to go. I spend most of my night bouncing from register to register, and standing out on the pin patio. I am one of the closers, so I restock the cash wraps with bags, receipt paper, etc. and start organizing a section of the store. One of the managers pulls everyone in and shows us how she likes the racks of clothes to look- she straightens all the hangers and spaces them out evenly so it looks really nice. I definitely appreciated that- she told us how she wanted it to look, so we could do it exactly the same way. I think it looks a lot better too! I do it all the time now.
I get back to my car at the end of the night and I start looking for my blue ID. I search the area around my car, inside my car, everywhere. I head back to costuming, because I had it there to check out my costume. I can't find it there either. I get back to my apartment and I look one more time. Amazingly, I find it in the cracks between the passenger seat and the cup holder. Thank the Lord I don't have to purchase a new one!
So, moral of the story, children: Always check where parking, costuming, anything important, is. Don't assume all the parks do things similarly, because they don't. The End.
'Til next time!
Friday, March 27, 2015
Day 68: My Half Birthday, and Some Training
Not that it's relevant, but today is my half birthday! Yay!! Today, I was trained on Easter baskets! As tomorrow marks the beginning of Easter week, this training was super fun and definitely important. We could sign up to be a part of the basket-making team, which meant we would be outside the shop making custom baskets for guests and their families leading up to Easter.
We also had some pre-made ones that we could sell right off the shelves, which is how we spent our training. Our manager gave us a theme and a price point, and we would go shopping and find things to make a basket. Once the items were approved and the budget looked good, we would go downstairs to our stock room, and assemble the basket. We had to make it look really full even if it only had a few items, or make sure you could see everything if there was a lot inside the basket.
Once everything looked pretty, we put it into a shrink bag and got to shrink wrap the whole thing, which was simultaneously the coolest and most frustrating part of the whole thing, or should I say 'hole' thing because if you held the heat gun too close to the wrap, there would be a hole and you would have to redo everything. I almost rage quit a few times, but once I got the hang of it, it was so much fun.
So during this 6 hour training, we made several pre-made baskets that will be on display during this week. If they sell, we go downstairs and remake it. Pretty simple! I think I'm gonna like this. During Easter week, I have 4 basket shifts and 1 register shift.
'Til next time!
We also had some pre-made ones that we could sell right off the shelves, which is how we spent our training. Our manager gave us a theme and a price point, and we would go shopping and find things to make a basket. Once the items were approved and the budget looked good, we would go downstairs to our stock room, and assemble the basket. We had to make it look really full even if it only had a few items, or make sure you could see everything if there was a lot inside the basket.
Once everything looked pretty, we put it into a shrink bag and got to shrink wrap the whole thing, which was simultaneously the coolest and most frustrating part of the whole thing, or should I say 'hole' thing because if you held the heat gun too close to the wrap, there would be a hole and you would have to redo everything. I almost rage quit a few times, but once I got the hang of it, it was so much fun.
So during this 6 hour training, we made several pre-made baskets that will be on display during this week. If they sell, we go downstairs and remake it. Pretty simple! I think I'm gonna like this. During Easter week, I have 4 basket shifts and 1 register shift.
'Til next time!
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Day 67: Working in a Resort, But Not The Contemporary
Today, I worked at the Boardwalk. One of my coworkers at the Contemporary was deployed there for a week, and wanted to trade shifts back at our resort, so I switched with her for one day to try a new location. It was definitely weird to be at another resort, and oddly enough, it was slower than the Contemporary. I liked the costume though, even if I'm not smiling in the picture.
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They had street performers right outside the window I was standing next to, so that was fun being able to watch that during my shift. After the performer would finish, we would get a little rush of people, but other than that, it was really slow. My closing duties were to straighten the middle section of the store, even though it was already looking really good because of how slow it was.
'Til next time!
They had street performers right outside the window I was standing next to, so that was fun being able to watch that during my shift. After the performer would finish, we would get a little rush of people, but other than that, it was really slow. My closing duties were to straighten the middle section of the store, even though it was already looking really good because of how slow it was.
'Til next time!
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Day 66: Playing at Magic Kingdom, Working at Magic Kingdom
Today was a lot of fun. I was going to just relax before my shift at Magic Kingdom, but Tess called and asked if I was doing anything, so we went to Magic Kingdom to play for maybe 2 hours before my shift started. We got to do some really small rides like Carousel of Progress, Laugh Floor, and PhilharMagic which are also some of my favorites so I was cool with that.
I already had my costume, so I just drove to Magic Kingdom parking and changed in the bathroom. As I was waiting for my shift to start, Tess texted me and let me know she was extended into attractions too! So we will definitely be rooming together! I'm so so so excited. I worked in Storybook Circus at Big Top Souvenirs, which was super cute. I really loved the costume.
The shop is basically a big circle, and there's also a cart outside near the water spouts that makes a killing every night selling towels. I got rotated through almost everything. One of the girls I work with at the Contemporary also picked up a shift at Big Top, so that was cool that we were there at the same time. We both closed down the pin section- they had such an awesome setup for their pins- it was organized in SKU order which made it really easy to find. Definitely one of my favorite shifts so far!
'Til next time!
I already had my costume, so I just drove to Magic Kingdom parking and changed in the bathroom. As I was waiting for my shift to start, Tess texted me and let me know she was extended into attractions too! So we will definitely be rooming together! I'm so so so excited. I worked in Storybook Circus at Big Top Souvenirs, which was super cute. I really loved the costume.
The shop is basically a big circle, and there's also a cart outside near the water spouts that makes a killing every night selling towels. I got rotated through almost everything. One of the girls I work with at the Contemporary also picked up a shift at Big Top, so that was cool that we were there at the same time. We both closed down the pin section- they had such an awesome setup for their pins- it was organized in SKU order which made it really easy to find. Definitely one of my favorite shifts so far!
'Til next time!
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Day 65: Day Off
Today was one of my days off, but I had class. I was getting really sick of my long hair, so I decided to cut it off. Here's a comparison:
This was 'Before'
And this is 'After'!
I can't really pull it back into a ponytail, so that's the only annoying thing, but I really like it!
'Til next time!
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Day 62: Baseball Season is Back!
Today, we did something a little different. Kerry, Kriss, Becca and I went to ESPN Wide World of Sports to see the Atlanta Braves play a Spring Training game against the Washington Nationals. It was so cool! Donald even helped throw out the first pitch.
We got lawn seats down the left field line- it was really sunny, too sunny for me, but it was still really awesome to be back around one of my favorite sports! We all got some balls from the Braves bullpen catcher, so that was a lot of fun. After that, we went to EPCOT for just long enough to get a drink, then headed to Downtown Disney and saw Cinderella, myself for the second time! It was just as good.
'Til next time!
Friday, March 20, 2015
Day 61: Playing at EPCOT, Working at EPCOT
So today, I officially paid my extension fee! I want to room with my friend Tess, but I'm waiting for her to hear back. Hopefully she gets her good news soon! In the morning/afternoon, I went to Epcot with Tess, only for a little bit. We had time to walk about World Showcase a little bit and grab a bite to eat and that's about it because I was off to work soon!
I also got an e-mail to schedule an interview for the Disney Gift Card Services Marketing Internship. In the e-mail, it said the internship was mainly creative, with a heavy emphasis on Adobe Creative Suite, so I declined. I am proficient in Creative Suite, but I wouldn't want my entire internship to depend on my ability to use it.
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I picked up a shift at MouseGear, which is the third biggest store on property. Maneuvering backstage Epcot was pretty frustrating. The entrance to MouseGear was right near the front of the park, but I had to take a bus to get to costuming, and wait for it to circle back around to take it back. The only problem was that the bus doesn't run very often at all. Of the shifts I have picked up, this one was honestly probably my least favorite. It's just such a big store, it's tough to even get a walk through from a coordinator which made it tough to do my job and assist guests if they got lost or needed information. Other than that, it was still cool to work in a new location.
'Til next time!
I also got an e-mail to schedule an interview for the Disney Gift Card Services Marketing Internship. In the e-mail, it said the internship was mainly creative, with a heavy emphasis on Adobe Creative Suite, so I declined. I am proficient in Creative Suite, but I wouldn't want my entire internship to depend on my ability to use it.
I picked up a shift at MouseGear, which is the third biggest store on property. Maneuvering backstage Epcot was pretty frustrating. The entrance to MouseGear was right near the front of the park, but I had to take a bus to get to costuming, and wait for it to circle back around to take it back. The only problem was that the bus doesn't run very often at all. Of the shifts I have picked up, this one was honestly probably my least favorite. It's just such a big store, it's tough to even get a walk through from a coordinator which made it tough to do my job and assist guests if they got lost or needed information. Other than that, it was still cool to work in a new location.
'Til next time!
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Day 60: Good News! And Some Networking
So, today was pretty eventful! It was the first day a lot of people were hearing back about their extensions- it was all people who got "Same Role/Same Location", which I did not put on my preferences, so I knew I wouldn't hear back yet. I was driving one of my coworkers in to work because we had a networking event before our shift, and I hear my e-mail ding. Lo and behold, there is sitting another 'Congratulations' e-mail!! I got extended, y'all! Into attractions, which was my first choice! I am so so excited to be able to work in a park finally!!!!
The networking event was interesting. It was pirate themed. Several leaders at the Contemporary dressed as pirates, and we had to gather information about them to match them up with their pirate alter-ego. There were so many leaders and so many CPs there that it was kind of difficult to maneuver through everything and get any quality time with them. I got a free lunch box and a Mickey premium bar at the end though, so that was awesome.
We all headed upstairs to get our assignments- even though I was scheduled as Front of House, I was the Market stocker which is ok because that's probably my favorite position out of everything. There were 4 other people in the market, all CPs, which is way more than we need normally considering we only have 3 registers, but it was still a lot of fun! I went to the stocker's meeting about an hour after I started, and I was floorstock the rest of the night.
'Til next time!
The networking event was interesting. It was pirate themed. Several leaders at the Contemporary dressed as pirates, and we had to gather information about them to match them up with their pirate alter-ego. There were so many leaders and so many CPs there that it was kind of difficult to maneuver through everything and get any quality time with them. I got a free lunch box and a Mickey premium bar at the end though, so that was awesome.
We all headed upstairs to get our assignments- even though I was scheduled as Front of House, I was the Market stocker which is ok because that's probably my favorite position out of everything. There were 4 other people in the market, all CPs, which is way more than we need normally considering we only have 3 registers, but it was still a lot of fun! I went to the stocker's meeting about an hour after I started, and I was floorstock the rest of the night.
'Til next time!
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Day 59: An Interview! And Work
Today was my interview with DVC Marketing. I drove down to Celebration and gave myself lots of time in case I got lost but it was really easy to find! My interview was scheduled for noon, because I had to work at 4 until midnight.
The ladies there were really nice. They asked some standard questions, like how would I handle having to report to two different bosses. They asked about my past experience as a marketing intern, as well as explained part of the job duties to me. They asked what a memorable marketing campaign was for me, so I talked about the Dove Love Your Body campaign- that was the first one to pop into my head!
I'm not terribly confident that I made a great impression, just because I don't have a lot of education in marketing yet, since I have a year left of school. But it was still really cool to at least have an interview and see some progress!
Later in the day, I worked from 1600-0000 at the candy counter. It wasn't really that eventful. Things in the parks are getting busier because of Spring Break- Becca, Kerry, and Alayna are all working more hours- but we don't really feel it at all in the resorts. Still pretty slow!
'Til next time!
The ladies there were really nice. They asked some standard questions, like how would I handle having to report to two different bosses. They asked about my past experience as a marketing intern, as well as explained part of the job duties to me. They asked what a memorable marketing campaign was for me, so I talked about the Dove Love Your Body campaign- that was the first one to pop into my head!
I'm not terribly confident that I made a great impression, just because I don't have a lot of education in marketing yet, since I have a year left of school. But it was still really cool to at least have an interview and see some progress!
Later in the day, I worked from 1600-0000 at the candy counter. It wasn't really that eventful. Things in the parks are getting busier because of Spring Break- Becca, Kerry, and Alayna are all working more hours- but we don't really feel it at all in the resorts. Still pretty slow!
'Til next time!
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Day 58: Solo Trip to the Movies
Today, I had class 1:30-5:30. During my break, I got a call from someone at Disney Vacation Club Marketing to schedule an interview with them!
If you remember correctly, when I applied to the Disney Marketing PI, they said they would pass my information on to any departments that they felt I might be a good fit for. After that, they could try to get in contact with me. So this is that. I was able to make an appointment for tomorrow! Such short notice, but I think it's better that way- then I can't overthink it.
After class got out, I went to go see the live-action Cinderella by myself. I loved it so much! I thought it was really well done. And Prince Charming was gorgeous. I almost lost my car in the Downtown Disney parking lot, but I found it eventually!
'Til next time!
If you remember correctly, when I applied to the Disney Marketing PI, they said they would pass my information on to any departments that they felt I might be a good fit for. After that, they could try to get in contact with me. So this is that. I was able to make an appointment for tomorrow! Such short notice, but I think it's better that way- then I can't overthink it.
After class got out, I went to go see the live-action Cinderella by myself. I loved it so much! I thought it was really well done. And Prince Charming was gorgeous. I almost lost my car in the Downtown Disney parking lot, but I found it eventually!
'Til next time!
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Day 56: Concert at Universal!
Today Kerry, Kriss and I went to Universal! One of my coworkers also joined us for a little bit. We did all the shows today because it was kind of busy, considering it's the start of Spring Break season. We got to go on all the good rides though.
Kriss had to leave for work halfway through the day, but Kerry and I stayed until after the park closed. We watched the Mardi Gras parade, fought some children for some beads, and got to see one of my favorite bands, American Authors! They were so good. They're one of those bands that I've always missed- they've been in Chicago when I've been at school, or they've been in the South when I've been home. We went to Panda Express after the show to let the crowd clear out, but it was definitely a good day!
'Til next time!
Kriss had to leave for work halfway through the day, but Kerry and I stayed until after the park closed. We watched the Mardi Gras parade, fought some children for some beads, and got to see one of my favorite bands, American Authors! They were so good. They're one of those bands that I've always missed- they've been in Chicago when I've been at school, or they've been in the South when I've been home. We went to Panda Express after the show to let the crowd clear out, but it was definitely a good day!
'Til next time!
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Day 55: Happy Dapper Day!
Today was a blast! But it was so hot, I got possibly the worst sunburn ever. All my roommates got super dressed up for Dapper Day, and we got to the park just in time for the first meetup at the PeopleMover. After that, we wandered around for a bit, we did the Steamboat meetup too.
We went on Space Mountain, Big Thunder, met Chip n' Dale, and more! Later in the night, we had reservations at Tony's for dinner. After we left the park, we went to Publix and got stuff to make oreo balls. they were delicious. A perfect end to Dapper Day.
'Til next time!
We went on Space Mountain, Big Thunder, met Chip n' Dale, and more! Later in the night, we had reservations at Tony's for dinner. After we left the park, we went to Publix and got stuff to make oreo balls. they were delicious. A perfect end to Dapper Day.
'Til next time!
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Day 51: Back to Universal, and More Work
Today, I went to Universal Studios with my friends CJ and Jordan. It was pretty dead so we started at Islands of Adventure, did the good rides like the Hulk, Spiderman, and the Cat in the Hat. After that, went to the Universal side for the rest of the day where we did the Mummy and Men in Black multiple times because the lines were so slow. We decided to skip over Harry Potter because we knew that was busy, but went back to Islands for a water ride because it was so hot outside!
After, I worked 16:15-00:00 on floorstock, Floorstock and me still don't get along. I don't really know what I'm doing still. Someone was nice enough to help me with packages at the end of the night and whatnot, but I'm still just struggling to prioritize tasks in floorstock. It's a good thing that I'm not scheduled for very many more of those shifts coming up.
'Til next time!
After, I worked 16:15-00:00 on floorstock, Floorstock and me still don't get along. I don't really know what I'm doing still. Someone was nice enough to help me with packages at the end of the night and whatnot, but I'm still just struggling to prioritize tasks in floorstock. It's a good thing that I'm not scheduled for very many more of those shifts coming up.
'Til next time!
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Day 50: Seeing Friends From Home, and Fun in the Parks
So, today I did something bad. I skipped class (oops). But I had a good reason. Some friends from back home in Gurnee were at Disney, so I went to go to lunch with them! We met at Pizza Planet, and it was so nice to be able to catch up with them. I haven't seen them much lately, so that was fun that we could see each other down here. On my way out of the park, I stopped to watch Mulch, Sweat, and Shears perform.
Later in the night, I went to Magic Kingdom with Tess.
Later in the night, I went to Magic Kingdom with Tess.
(We became princesses)
Magic Kingdom is definitely my favorite park at this point. I love Hollywood Studios, but there's just not a lot to do there at the moment. Hopefully the Chinese Theatre looks amazing when they're finally done with all the construction around it!
'Til next time!
Monday, March 9, 2015
Day 49: Howdy, Y'all!
Today was so much fun! I started at DHS in the morning with Kerry and Kriss. We went on a few rides, and we did the animation class, played Toy Story Midway Mania, and met Sorcerer Mickey.
After we were done at Studios, I headed to work at Frontierland! My friend CJ, who works at Splash Mountain, helped me navigate through backstage to get to Frontierland. I found a leader who gave me a walk through of the area, and it turns out he used to work at the Contemporary! Disney really does connect everyone! The coordinator who was on duty tonight went to Bama- seriously it was getting kind of freaky.
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I got to work at upper registers, which was composed of the Trading Post, Prairie, and Big Al's. I worked at Big Al's the most, which is an outdoor stand. This was probably my favorite shop. It was so much fun to see people walking and help them out. I got asked a lot of questions, got to trade some pins, pretty fun stuff. At night, I got to see the Main Street Electrical Parade from outside the Trading Post, and because we weren't busy, we could watch from the doorway. After that, we could see Wishes as we were closing down Big Al's. I also talked to the Tomorrowland area manager, who put me in the nightly recap for pin trading with her and some guests.
Overall, I really enjoyed Magic Kingdom a lot! It was fun to work in a faster-paced environment, and being in the parks made it really feel like Disney!
'Til next time!
After we were done at Studios, I headed to work at Frontierland! My friend CJ, who works at Splash Mountain, helped me navigate through backstage to get to Frontierland. I found a leader who gave me a walk through of the area, and it turns out he used to work at the Contemporary! Disney really does connect everyone! The coordinator who was on duty tonight went to Bama- seriously it was getting kind of freaky.
I got to work at upper registers, which was composed of the Trading Post, Prairie, and Big Al's. I worked at Big Al's the most, which is an outdoor stand. This was probably my favorite shop. It was so much fun to see people walking and help them out. I got asked a lot of questions, got to trade some pins, pretty fun stuff. At night, I got to see the Main Street Electrical Parade from outside the Trading Post, and because we weren't busy, we could watch from the doorway. After that, we could see Wishes as we were closing down Big Al's. I also talked to the Tomorrowland area manager, who put me in the nightly recap for pin trading with her and some guests.
Overall, I really enjoyed Magic Kingdom a lot! It was fun to work in a faster-paced environment, and being in the parks made it really feel like Disney!
'Til next time!
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Day 48: A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Far Far Away
Today was my second straight day working in a park. This time though, I was at Hollywood Studios at Tatooine Traders, the Star Tours gift shop! Since 3 of my roommates work at Hollywood Studios, I kind of knew where to go. After I went to costuming and got my costume, I headed around backstage Studios. That was so cool!
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Once I got there, the coordinator walked me around again and showed me where everything was. It was kind of slow compared to Fantasyland, but it was still a lot of fun. I was switched to the 'build-your-own lightsaber' station for a few minutes without being trained on it, but other than that it was smooth sailing!
For closing, I re-stocked the 'BYO Lightsaber' and 'BYO Droid' sections of the store, and made sure there was enough for the morning. It was slow enough that we all finished with time to spare, so we got ER'd. I also worked with a girl who went to Bama, which was such a coincidence.
'Til next time!
Once I got there, the coordinator walked me around again and showed me where everything was. It was kind of slow compared to Fantasyland, but it was still a lot of fun. I was switched to the 'build-your-own lightsaber' station for a few minutes without being trained on it, but other than that it was smooth sailing!
For closing, I re-stocked the 'BYO Lightsaber' and 'BYO Droid' sections of the store, and made sure there was enough for the morning. It was slow enough that we all finished with time to spare, so we got ER'd. I also worked with a girl who went to Bama, which was such a coincidence.
'Til next time!
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Day 47: My First Shift in a Park!
So, today was my first shift in a park! It was so exciting! It was at Fantasyland Courtyard at Magic Kingdom, which was so freaking cool!
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I left myself a lot of extra time, since I had never worked outside the Contemporary. There was a lot of traffic because of construction, so that was a good thing! Once I parked and took the shuttle, I changed into my costume. Fantasyland is one of the quickest places to find as far as Magic Kingdom goes, so I was able to find the meeting area and call for a coordinator.
The coordinator gave me a quick walk-through of the area and showed me the shops I could work in, where the break areas are, and any general things to know like where the bathroom is, where the smoking areas are, etc.
After I clocked in, I got my first assignment from CDS, the computer system that most places use. The Contemporary doesn't use it, so that was cool! My first assignment was to "merchantain" in Castly Couture which meant pixie dust! It was so fun- for about 45 minutes, I got to pixie dust all the princesses and knights. An area manager was walking through the shop while I was doing this, and told me he was going to put me in the nightly write-up for talking with the princesses and pixie-dusting everyone. That was so awesome to hear!
Throughout my shift, I got the chance to work in all 3 shops (Sir Mickeys, Castle Couture and Fantasy Faire). My shift started really late because there were Extra Magic Hours until 2. I got off at 1:30, but tonight was also daylight savings, so by the time I got home, it was nearly 3 in the morning.
All in all, it was a wonderful night. I'm really excited to get to work in the parks some more this weekend!
'Til next time!
I left myself a lot of extra time, since I had never worked outside the Contemporary. There was a lot of traffic because of construction, so that was a good thing! Once I parked and took the shuttle, I changed into my costume. Fantasyland is one of the quickest places to find as far as Magic Kingdom goes, so I was able to find the meeting area and call for a coordinator.
The coordinator gave me a quick walk-through of the area and showed me the shops I could work in, where the break areas are, and any general things to know like where the bathroom is, where the smoking areas are, etc.
After I clocked in, I got my first assignment from CDS, the computer system that most places use. The Contemporary doesn't use it, so that was cool! My first assignment was to "merchantain" in Castly Couture which meant pixie dust! It was so fun- for about 45 minutes, I got to pixie dust all the princesses and knights. An area manager was walking through the shop while I was doing this, and told me he was going to put me in the nightly write-up for talking with the princesses and pixie-dusting everyone. That was so awesome to hear!
Throughout my shift, I got the chance to work in all 3 shops (Sir Mickeys, Castle Couture and Fantasy Faire). My shift started really late because there were Extra Magic Hours until 2. I got off at 1:30, but tonight was also daylight savings, so by the time I got home, it was nearly 3 in the morning.
All in all, it was a wonderful night. I'm really excited to get to work in the parks some more this weekend!
'Til next time!
Friday, March 6, 2015
Day 46: A Day Off Means Fun at the Parks
Today was another busy day! I'm picking up some shifts outside the Contemporary in the next couple of days, and my roommate Jen is too, so we decided to go to costuming in the morning to get the costumes before our shifts.
So we started the day at MK Costuming for myself. This coming weekend, I'll be working in Fantasyland Courtyard and Frontierland! After I picked out both of my costumes, we headed to EPCOT costuming for Jen, She's working near World Showcase, so that was fun to see both costuming locations!
After that, I walked around World Showcase by myself since Jen had to go to work. I was walking through American Adventure, and I decided to stop and watch the Voices of Liberty perform. That was super cool. After that, I did Captain EO for the first time, EVER. It was amazing and I'm not kidding. I love the kitschy 80's feel and of course, Michael Jackson.
I also did Soarin' for the first time since moving down here. After, I headed to the Florida Mall with Becca to pick out some accessories for Dapper Day! We had dinner at the mall, and went back to the apartment and watched a kids movie.
'Til next time!
So we started the day at MK Costuming for myself. This coming weekend, I'll be working in Fantasyland Courtyard and Frontierland! After I picked out both of my costumes, we headed to EPCOT costuming for Jen, She's working near World Showcase, so that was fun to see both costuming locations!
After that, I walked around World Showcase by myself since Jen had to go to work. I was walking through American Adventure, and I decided to stop and watch the Voices of Liberty perform. That was super cool. After that, I did Captain EO for the first time, EVER. It was amazing and I'm not kidding. I love the kitschy 80's feel and of course, Michael Jackson.
I also did Soarin' for the first time since moving down here. After, I headed to the Florida Mall with Becca to pick out some accessories for Dapper Day! We had dinner at the mall, and went back to the apartment and watched a kids movie.
'Til next time!
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Day 45: More of the Same
Today was a busy day. In the morning, I went to Animal Kingdom with Tess. Our Mission? To become Wilderness Explorers! Well, we got about half way. It was still pretty fun, we went around to the different stands and learned about some animals and cultural traditions. We also went up to Rafiki's Planet Watch for the first time, which was really interesting! They have a petting zoo up there, which I did not know.
Later that night, I worked in the market. The market is probably my favorite place to work. It's small enough to keep track of everything you need, After closing, instead of straightening the racks, I did money drop with the coordinator. Basically, we just deposit the money into the safes at the end of the night, but the only problem is sometimes the money counting machines don't like to work. Tonight they did though, I got out around 12:15, so not much later than normal.
'Til next time!
Later that night, I worked in the market. The market is probably my favorite place to work. It's small enough to keep track of everything you need, After closing, instead of straightening the racks, I did money drop with the coordinator. Basically, we just deposit the money into the safes at the end of the night, but the only problem is sometimes the money counting machines don't like to work. Tonight they did though, I got out around 12:15, so not much later than normal.
'Til next time!
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Day 44: A Day Off
So, I've been a bad blogger. I'm roughly a month behind, as of today when I type this. So I'm gonna try to chip away and catch up on these posts.
Today, I had my regular day off because I have class on Tuesdays and I can't be scheduled to work. I took my car in to the shop for some repairs due to a recall, so while I waited for my car to be fixed, I caught up on some of my other blog posts, and I also tried to build my fall schedule in case I go back to Bama in the fall.
After that, I went to class. My Human Resource Management class is always roughly the same. We take notes for a big chunk of class, watch a few videos, do a few group assignments. Class got out a few minutes early today, so I grabbed dinner on the way home from Vista and just lounged around the apartment for the rest of the night.
Tomorrow, I'm going to Animal Kingdom and work at night!
'Til next time!
Today, I had my regular day off because I have class on Tuesdays and I can't be scheduled to work. I took my car in to the shop for some repairs due to a recall, so while I waited for my car to be fixed, I caught up on some of my other blog posts, and I also tried to build my fall schedule in case I go back to Bama in the fall.
After that, I went to class. My Human Resource Management class is always roughly the same. We take notes for a big chunk of class, watch a few videos, do a few group assignments. Class got out a few minutes early today, so I grabbed dinner on the way home from Vista and just lounged around the apartment for the rest of the night.
Tomorrow, I'm going to Animal Kingdom and work at night!
'Til next time!
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Day 43: So Much Food
Today I also had off work because I requested it off for dining reservations. Sydnee, my friend from work, and I went to Magic Kingdom. I don't think I'll ever get sick of going to that park. We decided that we would try some rides that neither of us had done, so we went on Jungle Cruise for Sydnee, and we finally experienced Country Bear Jamboree and Hall of Presidents.
The birds in Frontierland were fearless and actually came very close to hitting the family next to us so we headed for Tomorrowland as quickly as possible. We ended the day at Laugh Floor and headed back to the apartments. That night, my roommates and I had reservations at Chef Mickeys!
The food was so good! I also checked my dashboard while we were waiting to be seated, and I saw I was moved to 'In Progress' for two more internships! As it stands:
Disneyland Fairytale Weddings- In Progress (3/2/15)
Park and Event Ticket Sales- In Progress (2/7/15)
ESPN Stats and Information- In Progress (1/31/15)
Disney Marketing Internships- In Progress (Phone Screen 2/13/15)
ALUMNI ONLY- In Progress (Phone Screen 2/12/15)
ALUMNI ONLY- Ticket Fulfillment- NLIC
Disney's Fairytale Weddings- In Progress (3/2/15)
Tomorrow, I have class 1:30-5:30. Maybe I'll go to a park after!
'Til next time!
The birds in Frontierland were fearless and actually came very close to hitting the family next to us so we headed for Tomorrowland as quickly as possible. We ended the day at Laugh Floor and headed back to the apartments. That night, my roommates and I had reservations at Chef Mickeys!
The food was so good! I also checked my dashboard while we were waiting to be seated, and I saw I was moved to 'In Progress' for two more internships! As it stands:
Disneyland Fairytale Weddings- In Progress (3/2/15)
Park and Event Ticket Sales- In Progress (2/7/15)
ESPN Stats and Information- In Progress (1/31/15)
Disney Marketing Internships- In Progress (Phone Screen 2/13/15)
ALUMNI ONLY- In Progress (Phone Screen 2/12/15)
ALUMNI ONLY- Ticket Fulfillment- NLIC
Disney's Fairytale Weddings- In Progress (3/2/15)
Tomorrow, I have class 1:30-5:30. Maybe I'll go to a park after!
'Til next time!
Monday, March 2, 2015
Day 42: Hollywood Studios, How I've Missed You
Today, I slept in! It was glorious. My friend Tess and I both had the day off, so we decided to go to Hollywood Studios because we hadn't been in a long time. The place was packed!
We made fastpasses for Toy Story, my absolute favorite ride. After that, we visited Becca at her restaurant and grabbed a milkshake! We saw Indiana Jones, aka my one true love, and then visited Tess' roommate too.
It was a pretty short day in the parks but definitely fun!
Tomorrow, I'm going to Magic Kingdom and then the roommates have reservations at Chef Mickeys!
'Til next time!
We made fastpasses for Toy Story, my absolute favorite ride. After that, we visited Becca at her restaurant and grabbed a milkshake! We saw Indiana Jones, aka my one true love, and then visited Tess' roommate too.
It was a pretty short day in the parks but definitely fun!
Tomorrow, I'm going to Magic Kingdom and then the roommates have reservations at Chef Mickeys!
'Til next time!
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Day 41: Rainy Day at Magic Kingdom and Busy Night at Work
Today was exhausting! I got up super early because I went to rope drop at Magic Kingdom for the first time! Sadly, it was rainy all day. I don't think it stopped either drizzling or raining the whole day, but it was still fun. I went to the park with CJ, one of my friends from the facebook page, but we hadn't had a chance to meet in person until today!
We made fastpasses once we got to the park, and somehow got early fastpasses for Mine Train! It was so fun, it's only the third time I've been on that ride, but I really like it. The park was pretty slow in the morning, but even though it was raining all day, by 1:00 there was a pretty decent size crowd so we headed out.
After the park, I headed in to go to work. It was still raining when I got to the parking lot, so by the time I got inside, I had to get a new costume from costuming because of how much water got on my costume. When I got upstairs to start my shift, I realized how crazy it would be.
Multiple people had called off, which left us pretty short. Add to that, many guests choosing to stay indoors due to the rain, and we were very busy all night. Our manager told us at the end of the shift that we made 'Christmas money' tonight because of how busy we were.
Someone asked to take my floorstock shift for tomorrow, which I happily gave away in lieu of some sleep!
'Til next time!
We made fastpasses once we got to the park, and somehow got early fastpasses for Mine Train! It was so fun, it's only the third time I've been on that ride, but I really like it. The park was pretty slow in the morning, but even though it was raining all day, by 1:00 there was a pretty decent size crowd so we headed out.
After the park, I headed in to go to work. It was still raining when I got to the parking lot, so by the time I got inside, I had to get a new costume from costuming because of how much water got on my costume. When I got upstairs to start my shift, I realized how crazy it would be.
Multiple people had called off, which left us pretty short. Add to that, many guests choosing to stay indoors due to the rain, and we were very busy all night. Our manager told us at the end of the shift that we made 'Christmas money' tonight because of how busy we were.
Someone asked to take my floorstock shift for tomorrow, which I happily gave away in lieu of some sleep!
'Til next time!
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