Visit from the Uncle

A couple weeks ago my Uncle came to visit. My Uncle Joe, more specifically, along with his nephew Russel, whom I've known for years but haven't seen for just as many. Neither had taken a vacation very recently, with my Uncle working his ass off at his new position for the last 2ish years and Russel basically supporting himself at the age of 21. I didn't get to hang with them the whole time they were here, but I did get to hang with them for a decent amount of time.

I believe it was Friday where we went to Hollywood Studios for dinner at Hollywood & Vine (I missed Germany the night before! Shame on me). We were actually able to catch Fantasmic beforehand, which was clutch since I believe that's the best night show. Even though I saw Illuminations for like the 4th time here the other night, and it's really starting to grow on me. They also had some extra holiday fireworks after and they were real epic. Like, my face melted off. Anyway, Hollywood & Vine was a buffet and it was pretty good. Standard American fare.

I was able to give away a shift and hang out with them all of Sunday. We did Hollywood Studios all day. My Uncle had been there a couple times and Russel never, but neither one had ever seen any of the shows at the Studios. We saw both Indiana Jones and the car stunt show (no Beauty and the Beast; Russel said it would make him too emotional). I believe we managed to do everything except for Tower and Rock'n Rollercoaster. My Uncle isn't a fan of inside coasters and Russel doesn't like big drops. Oh well, no one's perfect.

Dinner that night was amazing though. We went to Shula's Steakhouse (restaurant of the great NFL coach Don Shula) and let me tell you, I don't think I've ever had a dining experience like that one. They start by rolling out the steaks on a cart so you can learn a little about each one and make an educated decisions. We all The Cowboy, a type of T-bone I believe, a couple sides, a cocktail, and dessert. It was, in a word, exquisite. Maybe one day I'll make enough money to pay for a meal like that.

Herro all. It's been a couple days and I've been up to some stuff, believe it or not.

First things first, I got a professional internship! I applied for it on a whim per an email that I received from a meet and greet contact. I think I actually applied for it the day before the deadline. There were some marketing internships available, but most were in sales, which I'm going to try to avoid as much as possible. This internship is in youth events, so all my work will center around two events: the Disney Youth Jazz Festival and Festival Disney. The first takes place over one weekend, towards the end of February I believe, and is open to high school and middle school jazz bands, choirs, and combos. Festival Disney happens over nine weekends, from March to May, skipping Easter weekend. It's open to all performing groups, not just bands...I think.

There is a bit of sales involved, when times are slow, but most will be coordinating and troubleshooting, leading around groups, and presenting awards at the end. They'll perform at Saratoga Springs , Hollywood Studios, or a couple other places. Awards will usually be given out at Indiana Jones amphitheater, but if there are that many groups, it will take place at Lights! Motor! Action! arena, which can hold something like 5,000 people. I guess they can get that big. I'm SO excited. It will last from Jan. 14th to June 2nd and will pay a lot more, $11.15/hour, aka, there's a chance of overtime. Nice. Since my college program ends Jan. 2nd, I think I'm gonna make an appearance at home!

I think it's good that I'm going to be able to move on in just a couple months. I can already feel myself falling into some sort of a rut with safari. However, it could be because I know I will be moving on soon to another project, because don't get me wrong, I LOVE where I ended up and always thank my lucky stars when I go into parks and watch other CPs slave away at incredibly thankless jobs. I just can see myself getting a little bored somewhere down the line.

I've also started looking for apartments...again. But I pretty much know who I'm going to live with: another safari guy with the same internship and his current roommate. Should be pretty sweet and real cheap too, surprisingly. They found a 3-bedroom for $280 + utilities. I am pretty sure it's in the heart of the ghetto, but they assure me it's not. I need to start the car hunt again full force. It's gonna be rough to part with that much money, but it's gotta be done.

After my parents left, it was time to focus on Halloween. A few days before my parents came, a bunch of us went to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. It's a huge celebration that takes place like 18 different nights between the end of September and Halloween. There's a completely different parade, trick-or-treating throughout the entire park, characters decked out in costume, and EPIC fireworks. It was so much. A bunch of us went as Peter Pan characters, with me going as Michael Darling, brother of Wendy. Yes, that is a woman's nighty. It was a challenge to find one not overwhelmingly gay. Who would have foreseen that as a problem?

I also went to another Halloween party, and for this one, I was Marty McFly. Most people got it, so that was good. I was considering Duffman from The Simpsons, but that would have been a) more involved and b) not sure how many people would have gotten it. But still, being Marty in the Florida warmth = poor choice. I guess I'm used to it being cold on Halloween. Silly me.

The other part of my life that is hectic is making sure I have some good contacts going on before the end of my program. It is ALL about networking 'round these parts. Luckily, it's very easy to do. We have fantastic management at Safaris who are so willing to help anyone that is wanting and deserving. I've spoken with at least two managers, and the most recent meeting was with Kevin. He told me that he sees a great cast member who comes to work everyday, does a good job, and then goes home. He told me I need to start going that extra mile and that he needs more Eric in his face. I told him I'm honestly afraid of stepping on toes around here and he told me not to be. If I get like that, he'll tell me to calm down, since he's already relayed that message to some cast members and they haven't taken the hint. Unfortunately, we all know who he's talking about.

I also had a meet and greet with Tami, someone who works with Magic Music Days. However, that program is getting a name change. To appeal to a more broad spectrum than just bands, like dancers, it will now be called Disney Performing Arts. The name change also brings more credibility to the program. Unfortunately, it's challenging to get into that position, but after my discussion with her, it sounds like the role of Production Assistant would be great for me. I would assist Production Managers with the day-to-day activities of a live show, like Indiana Jones or Lights! Motor! Action! Stunt Show. She gave me all the info on how to get into that.

In my marketing class, we met with an individual who does handles all the special events that Disney does, like Not-So-Scary, Very Merry Christmas, Food and Wine, etc. Her job sounds AWESOME. It's even harder to get into that select group, but most of them have come from Guest Relations. Guest Relations puts you through a lot of situations where anything can occur. They want someone who can really think on their toes. So maybe that's the role for me...

Oh! And I got to ride Rock'n Roller Coaster with the lights on. That was, if anything, more intense than with the lights off. The housing structure is surprisingly small. We got a backstage tour on everything there as well as at Tower of Terror. We didn't get to ride TOT with the lights on, but I think that's better for me since it's my favorite ride and the magic remains preserved.

That basically brings you up to speed. I just had an interview for the Youth Events Professional Internship which would have me directly working with the Disney Jazz Festival and Festival Disney, also a music festival. I think I would be perfect for this internship, plus it pays waaaay better than safaris. Like twice better ($13/hour). Miss everyone!

Good news: I'm still alive

Remember how I said no time? So true. This is really the first opportunity I've had to write since...well, in awhile.

My parents came last week and that was fun...you know, after I found my ID and went back for my main entrance pass. I think I was subconsciously testing their love, just to let them know that I can still do that stuff that would drive them crazy. We went to Epcot the first day to test the waters at the Food and Wine festival which was good because it was very busy. All the local yuppies coming to Disney on the weekend to spend their 'hard' earned money. That night we ate at the Animal Kingdom lodge at Jiko and let me tell, I'm pretty sure that's the best meal I've ever had in my life. SO GOOD.


Next day we all went to Animal Kingdom and rode a couple rides before I clocked in to work. I was only working so they could ride my safari. That was a lot of fun and didn't make me nervous. I've become very comfortable in that job and could really perform well regardless of my passengers. I met them at the Boardwalk later for food and then we went back to Port Orleans - French Quarter to see one of the more interesting performances at a jazz club that I've ever seen. Let's just say that 'Axel F.' was played. On an EWI. Awesome.


Next day we took on Epcot with full force. Did most of Future World in the morning and realized how flippin' lame Journey Into Imagination has now become. Effing Eric Idle! Anyway, we tried A LOT of food during the course of the rest of the day. It was very awesome. Everything was very delicious with the only disliked dish being the Potato and Lentil Crepe. Not that it was bad, it's just that none of us are crazy about Indian food. I'm just glad I finally like food and have gotten away from the bland roots that was my palette.

More to come soon!

No Time!

I really have so little time to do anything. I work at least 40 hours a week, and even worked 52 last week. However, that was some sick overtime and resulted in a $300 paycheck, even after they take out $92 for my rent. Big score there. I picked up a shift to get to that much overtime, but I don't think that's gonna be happening again anytime soon. I always have 2 days off, but now I have 2 classes on one of those days off, back-to-back, from 1-5:30, and I REALLY don't want to work on my other full day off. It's mostly for my sanity and I want to continue enjoying my job. I have a fellow CP working 17 days in a row. What a fool.

My classes seem like they're going to be a lot of fun, though. They're not really classes, more like seminars/lectures. The first is Exploring Marketing at Disney. It's 8 weeks long and each week focuses on different aspects of Disney marketing while bringing in higher ups from within the company to speak. The other class is a bit more personal, for me at least: Exploring Disney Heritage. For 8 weeks, we will basically review everything that one could possible want to know about the history of the company, beginning with Walt and Roy to where the company stands in the present. One of the weeks we get to do a scavenger hunt at Hollywood Studios! I'm really pumped about that. I have the same facilitator for both classes and has been with the company for 17 years, working all types of jobs and is the recipient of the Partners in Excellence award, a very prestigious award, the highest award a Disney cast member can receive. Just another contact in my ever-growing list.

Speaking of contacts, I have another meet and greet setup with a representative from Magic Music Days, more specifically, Performing Arts and Education Programs. However, the meeting is taking place in Celebration, about a 15 minutes drive. I have absolutely no idea how I'm gonna get there, but I have a few ideas. I really don't want to cancel. On another note, I've been searching cars here and there, starting as just a small fantasy, but it's becoming more of a need everyday.

A quick thought I had the other day: I feel like people listen to music in 2 different ways, at least initially. An individual listens first either for the words or the music. Both have the ability to evoke a flurry of emotions. I've always found myself to be a music person, or how the music makes me feel on a purely 'noise' level. I've been trying to add to that by really listening to those words, looking them up and deciphering meanings if needed (the internet is awesome). Some of the time, it completely transforms the song for me. Just a thought. Miss everyone. My parents will be here in 6 days! And I saw giraffes running! Amazing.

Boy I Need a Car

I'll tell you what...yes, I need a car. I thought I wasn't going to really have a problem getting around while I'm down here, but boy, not having a car reeeeally blows. As you know, we have a bus system, but then you end up spending most of your day commuting. For instance, I went to the Polynesian with a friend the other day because they show movies outside at the different resorts. I saw Bolt at Fort Wilderness and it was really fun. It's like a 20 ft. screen and they have a small fire going to toast marshmallows...fo free! Well, the supplies aren't, but at least the fire be there. Anyway, the times for the movie on the website were different then when we got to the resort. We thought it started at 9 but it was actually 8. This turned out to not really be a problem, mostly because they were showing 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua'. No thanks. Neither of us were very upset about missing it.

Up to this point, I've been getting around without a car. I go grocery shopping less frequently and I don't mind. I also haven't had to take the bus to work more than a handful of times. The worst part is that you're just so restricted to what the person with the car wants to do. But if I'm going to stay here, I gots to get me a car, no question. Weird thing is, a couple weeks ago, I went apartment hunting. Seriously, what the eff. I've found a couple prospects for roommates, so I'm not worried about that. And the cost of living down here isn't terrible, despite the affluence that is Orlando. Of the couple places we looked, it was between $400-450 for everything. I'll pick up shifts from time to time and HATE it. However, I gotta be a semi-responsible adult and start saving.

In reality, the only thing I really want to spend money on is good food. The older I get, the more I appreciate good food. And down here, there are a ton of good places to eat. We get a 20% discount on table service anywhere on the property.

I'm just gonna post this since it's been sitting here for 2 days now. Things are CRAZY busy.

Thinking About the Future

It's been a couple days, hasn't it? Work is just a killer, and then on your days off, you really just want to sit around and relax or enjoy the parks, since they are still fun and new.

The Food and Wine festival has started at Epcot, which means parents will be here soon! And by parents, I mean my parents, specifically. I've only been once since it started, and boy is it awesome. It runs for about a month at Epcot. There are many booths, each one dedicated to a different country, and many more than there are countries permanently at Epcot. I believe there are 26 booths total, with New Zealand, Poland, Chile, Argentina, and many, many more. They serve small-ish portions; about 3 would equal a meal. Unfortunately, just like anything at Disney,
the costs add up pretty quick. But man is it worth it. Everything I saw, I wanted, regardless of if I even knew what it was.

I know I haven't been here long, but it's definitely time to start networking. It's not terribly hard to do around here, you just gotta be friendly-like. We have some pretty friendly managers who can help hook you up with many helpful people, just so you can get your name out there and your resume distributed. My DAK pak leader, Rob, is really awesome and I met with him the other day to critique my resume. He didn't have much to say in terms of changes, sans a few notes on tense, so that was pretty exciting. Overhauling my resume is really the last thing I want to do. I also met with a college buddy of my dad's for lunch on Tuesday. Bruce works at the Disney Institute, which sounds like a really cool place. Apparently, Disney's way of running things is highly touted by companies all around the world, so much in fact that they pay good money to have people like Bruce teach them our corporate culture as well as strategies on efficiency and creativity. They also bring these individuals into the park to get some hands on. Bruce is a great guy and also gave me some names of people to contact. One individual even works in the Magic Music Days Division! How awesome would that be?


Anyway, I have to get a run in before 'The Office' starts. I feel really good about my safaris now. I hope some friends ride soon!










[Gaston bro-in out]

One of Those Days

Boy, today was just one of those days. My guests blew, hardcore. My first 5 rounds had guests that stood up multiple times, after being told multiple times to stay seated. It's important to know that they also spoke English. There's nothing else that drives me crazier, though, than guests asking me to slow down. I say at the beginning 'I cannot stop at any time, but I will slow down'. Reasonable, methinks, but also keep in mind that the truck goes 8 MILES AN HOUR, 3-4 by animals. Find me a universe where that is fast and out of control, and I will eat a pink-backed pelican. Someone even told me slow down; I almost lost it there. I ended the day closing pram (parking strollers) with one of my less-than favorite people. When I went out to bump my person and saw who I would be working with, I literally looked up at the sky and asked 'What did I do wrong?'.

Anyway, the previous week has been going well. Today was actually the first day I had that I was like, boy, this sucks. But I can't imagine a job where you could go the entirety of it without having a couple days like that. Yesterday we went to the SALSA sale (spend a little, save a lot). We love our acronyms at Disney. It's a big sale they do once a year to get rid of all the crap that guests didn't find enticing. To me, about 60% was stuff that was junk. Big poofy Christmas hats from last year, fuzzy Everest hats, Hannah Montana DVD players, 3 billion key chains, lots of nonsense. I did get a sweet jacket, originally $140, after markdowns, got it for $36. Score. Maybe I'll be back later to spend some of my hard-earned wages.

I really want to go to a beach or something soon. That would be neat. I really don't have much to say today; maybe I'll have a brain wave sometime soon and do a little adding.

p.s. This is a way better way to incorporate photos. Good job me.

Involved

I've had the last two days off, mostly. Thursday, we had a big CP meeting to go over mostly stuff we had gone over before. But the big treat was to go see Festival of the Lion King in Camp Minnie-Mickey at Animal Kingdom, so we didn't have to go far. It is one of the best shows on property, if not the best, so the rumors have been true.

Festival of the Lion King. Epic.

Me at the front desk at our DAK Pak

Yesterday two girls from safari, Carmen and Cassie, and I went to DAK and Hollywood Studios. We rode four safaris during the course of the day, all different. It's really interesting to ride others safaris because they're all so different. It's also tough not judge, because it's not necessarily wrong, just not the way you would do it.

A bunch of us from safari went to Epcot tonight to do the Kim Possible thing, which is where you sign up, get a cell phone, and go around to different areas of the World Showcase looking for clues. We started off with two teams of five, but our phone sucked real bad, so we had to quit pretty soon after we had started. Hopefully we get another chance soon, though, because it looks like a lot of fun.

I guess the most difficult aspect of the program that has risen to the surface has been the involvement of new people. You all know I'm a passionate person and get close to people, if not too close. Already I'm thinking, hey, this is great, I'm meeting all these amazing people and having good times right out of the gate. But unfortunately, all I can think about is in four months, it's gonna be over, and a lot of these people will no longer be a major part of my life. I am usually not Debbie Downer in this sense, but what makes it an issue is that the people that were such a big part of my life, my family and my Gnomies, were gone so quickly. And now I almost feel like I'm cheating on my old friends, that I miss a lot. Not playing this weekend is killing me. Thank goodness I worked today and tomorrow, because if I were sitting around all day...well, that would have been bad news.

But...I gotta learn to love the journey and sometimes it's a bad idea to think about the future.

Finding a Purpose

Disney Cast Members really only have four rules to follow:

1. I project a positive image and energy
2. I am courteous to all guests, including children
3. I stay in character and play the part
4. I go above and beyond

Obviously, the last one is what Disney is known for. New cast members are required to take a two-hour class emphasizing the importance of these 'commandments'. I thought it was going to suck, frankly, but it really reinforced my decision to come here. I know it's early to find a purpose in life, but if anything, this is a temporary if not permanent place for me in life. Going that extra mile for people feels pretty great.

King Triton, looking like a crazy old man

These Basics, as they are called, are derived from hundreds upon hundreds of guests who have visited the parks. Disney spoke with first-time guests, seasoned vets, old guests, young guests, newlyweds, recently divorced, and individuals of many different cultures. Our instructor told us that she could go on for hours about their responses...but they all boiled down to roughly these Basics. All guests also said that no one goes home and talks about how awesome Pirates was, they talk about the cast members. Every person that works here could tell you plenty of stories of how they have made someone's day by completing the simplest of gestures. I had one of these yesterday.

I was working Gatekeeper, which is the cast member that lets through individuals in wheelchairs to get them on the properly suited truck. There's a gate in the middle and on either side are short aisles that keep track of how many people go through line. We weren't very busy and both sides were way open, so I was directing guests through both sides. I had a little boy of probably 3ish and wearing a birthday button walk up with his dad. He looked confused which side to use, so I asked him since it was his birthday, which side he want to use? He was still a little confused, so I pointed to my right and said, 'Well, this is the side for birthday boys'. That helped him and off he went to ride safari. A little while later, they both came back through line. There were a bit more people and the side to my left was open, so I directed them through there. But he was confused and I realized why, because he said to me, pointing to my right, 'But that's the side for birthday boys'. It was really cute and made my day.

We went to Spectromagic last night and did a quick ride of the Jungle Cruise, the 'antithesis' of Kilimanjaro Safaris. But we like it anyway; not all jokes are acceptable on our attraction, so that's why we dig Jungle Cruise to a certain extent. I also had a couple friends ride my safari today and it was fun, despite good natured heckling. Hopefully Hollywood Studios Friday, my day off, to have a fun day and find some hidden mickeys.

I hope everyone is doing well. I'm really starting to miss friends, especially with Stanley Cup coming up.

Wednesday = Friday

Like I said earlier, everyone rarely gets the same days off. Lately, my days off have been Wednesdays and Thursdays; needless to say, I rarely know what day it is. It's weird to have my Wednesday be my Friday. I'm sure you can all guess the severity of this situation. However, there is a fund with all donations going to helping me understand the days of the week. We have a P.O. Box and we're getting around to a website.

Anyway, seems like most days off go the same way: one day committed to errands and laundry, one day committed to parks. At least for me this is how it goes. But I would like to go to the parks every chance I get. I want to do everything at least once, even the 'lame' attractions, like Hall of Presidents and Country Bear Jamboree. I actually went on Country Bear the other night and boy is that thing hilarious. But only once. After that, it's a little sad, especially since that it has been there for many, many years. But if you're into hardcore drugs, I could see you getting upset if it ever leaves.


I went to Blizzard Beach yesterday with some friends, which are starting to become more consistent. However, at least once a week, 10 days, I'm doing that whole, "I'm from here, I work here, I eat this for breakfast" etc. But things are looking up. Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is taking place from now until the end of October and I heard it's a good time. Tickets are about $40, and that's with the cast discount. But worth it. There's also a Tower of Terror 5K and 13K which sounds just right up my alley. Obviously not the 13K part; who runs that far anyway?

I finally hung up my photos that I printed off before I came to Florida and it made me pretty melancholy. I've been doing OK with my transition, but it sure would be nice to just be back for a night or so. I miss a lot of people and the good times we had. Mostly, I hope Stanley Cup gets pulled off. My parents are coming at the end of October and were planning on staying at the Beach Club...but then found out, that even with my discount, four nights costs $1200. Yikes. Plan B time. I would love to see you, so give me a holler if a visit is a possibility. It can be real cheap, because they give good discounts for places off of property as well.

Hitler cracks me up

I had Brazilians for the first time today. They are a lot of fun...but then again, cannot understand a thing I'm saying. I might have made up a few facts, but that's for another time. At least they clapped at the end.

This post is mostly for this video. A true LOL, if you will. R-rated though, so watch for children.

Jambo Wilson!

Warden Wilson Matua, that is. He's the warden of airborne patrol at the Harambe Wildlife Reserve. They're a big deal. Plus, he's always interrupting my spieling. That bastard.

Good news: I finally have documentation of my role.

But here's the not-so-friendly safari driver. I wouldn't mess with him. And yes, those are my globetrotter shorts.


I'm really feeling good doing my job by now. Every once in awhile something will come up where I'll manage to look like a noob, but I can mostly keep it on the downlow. My next goal is to receive a Guests Service Fanatic card. GSFs are what cast members give to each other when we see one another doing a great job. I will be beside myself when I get one.

I was also beside myself when I traded pins 4 times today. For anybody uneducated to the ludicrous world of pin trading, it's just that...ludicrous. They have, I believe, 3 or 4 levels of pins, with the cheapest ones being like $5, and going up to like $20. Kids (and adults) will buy these, put them on a lanyard, and trade with either each other or cast members. As cast members, we have to trade with them regardless of what crap pin they give us. But luckily we don't have to provide our own, so I just get really excited when I get to do it. Especially when I meet sweet dudes like this. Unfortunately, I can't take pictures while on stage, but thank goodness for the internet.


I get the same days off every week, so we've been going to Ale House on Tuesdays. It's ladies night, but it's also a pretty inexpensive place to drink. I went to BDubs once on Wednesday, but it was skanky as all get out. I'm not sure if I'll be back there. It felt like freshmen year, except I wasn't among the 50% of people there underage.

Tonight, however, I found out that they show a movie EVERY NIGHT at the Fort Wilderness campground...FO FREE. It's also outside, so it's like a drive-in movie. Also a place to roast marshmallows. Heaven on earth.

I also found out what I need to do to stay here for the long-term, but it's late and it's complicated. Actually, I'm not totally sure I understand it. I'll get back to you on that.

Getting Comfortable

Today was my 5th day, and I can safely say I'm getting settled in. I'm able to keep it limited to about one major dumb thing a day. For instance, at the end of the day we're supposed to fuel the trucks by pulling up to the propane pump (these trucks use propane). No more than 4 in line and that's the only rule. Pretty simple...except for when I became the 5th truck in line. I thought I would be murdered by some of the stares I got from other drivers. Luckily, everyone is pretty forgiving, especially since a lot of this stuff doesn't come up in training.

If I haven't already said it, there are about 200 safari drivers, so it's tough to keep up with all the names...wait, we all have name tags. Nice. Anyway, a lot of cast members at Disney work seasonally so they can keep the benefits. Basically, pretty much everyday I'm seeing new people. I was told today that it's only a matter of time before I get sucked into the soap opera that is KSR, but I'm trying my best to stay neutral, regardless of how I may or may not feel about a couple drivers. But I'm sure I'll tick someone off sooner or later.

One of the difficult parts about making friends around here is that most of the time, you won't have the same days off to hang out. I also can't really go out on work nights since I have to wake up so early the next day. But that's for the best since I'm making jack squat anyway. After work, I usually have time to work out, eat, and sleep. Starting mid-October, I'll be taking a couple classes, Exploring Marketing and Exploring Tradition. They're both lecture series, so no homework (praise Allah). Both classes will bring in professionals from around the company to pretty much talk about whatever they want. The non-marketing class deals with the history of Disney as well as it's structure and anything else pertinent to the company.

I keep forgetting to have someone take a picture of me in a truck. I'll remember...hopefully.

First Few Days

Monday and Tuesday were my first two days on the job without a trainer. I’m pretty sure, subconsciously, I dedicated Monday morning to screwing up as much as possible. Those of you who know me well know that I am usually not that hard on myself, but I was dropping the ball left and right. For example, going in reverse for anything is considered pretty embarrassing, like if I didn’t get close enough to the dock. Long story short, I had to back up twice. Yikes. I believe every safari I did that day had something I did incorrectly. However, the afternoon went much better. Also, all the other drivers are pretty quick to forgive when they realized it was my first day. Lots of advice was also distributed for my convenience.

Yesterday went much better. I felt much more comfortable and can’t really remember doing much wrong. Right around parade time everything gets a little slow, which is kind of nice. Also, until the end of the month, we’re gonna be open till 7 since dining reservations dropped the ball and overbooked a butt ton. The park usually closes at 6, so between 6 and 7, it’s been super slow. I was driving a departure 3 truck (handicap accessible) and on three trips had zero, four, and six people. On a side note, the departure 3 trucks are a bit tricky to dock and therefore made me nervous these past two days. Things will be good when we get back to normal, though.

To be honest, I wasn’t immediately psyched to work at DAK, since it’s not really ‘classic Disney’. However, between the awesomeness of my job and the fact that I get down waaay earlier than any of the other parks is very cool. Also as a bonus, safari drivers get paid about $.75 more per hour and get longer lunches; when I work over 8 hour days, I get three 15-minute breaks and a 45-minutes lunch. Not a bad deal. However, the best thing about safari is that the cast members control the ride. Every single ride here on property is on a track of some sort and operated electronically. But with safari, the drivers are in complete control, which makes it that much more difficult because there are roughly 23984762 things to remember.

I went out last night with a co-worker and her roommates and had a pretty good time. I’m meeting people here and there and am keeping myself busy. Pretty soon I’ll be applying for a professional internship here and I’m grilling everyone here to find out how they got here, what they’re doing to try to move up, and any obstacles they’ve encountered. So far, the optimists outnumber the pessimists and you really just have to bust your ass to get noticed.

Training: Complete

Good news, all: I passed my training. It was quite a whirlwind of activity; I had to spend at least 10 minutes at every position. I started the day with driving and did 3 rounds before management got on to make sure I'm not a complete idiot. The first time I docked, I jumped the curb and almost punched a baby. But then I got it together, dropped time off every round, and had things great by the time I was assessed. The rest of the day went swimmingly. I even got a sweet certificate and a bag of goodies! How satisfying. Tomorrow I start for real...and an 11 hr. 45 minute shift.

Training

The training for my position covered 5 days. So Sunday through Thursday, I have been getting my head filled with information. I always thought the job, or role as Disney calls it, was fairly simple. However, driving and spieling (reciting a script to guests) is actually the easiest part.

Day 1 I met my trainer, Ginni, a 5-foot nothing fireball of a lady who just happens to be 62. I was totally thrown off, but she doesn't beat around the bush. She tells it like it is, and luckily we got along quite well the whole week. So that first day consisted of walking around the park and learning all the land positions. However, before that, I got to do something pretty cool. When the park opens everyday, they select about 5-6 families to be on the first safari of the day. After that, they pick one more family to 'open' the park. So, I and another cast member held the ends of the ceremonial rope while the two people chosen held the middles. It's cool for the families and acts for us as a way to slow down people trying to run into the park. Either way, fun way to start my first day. I also got to drive the truck through the ride, sans guests, which was fun. I also typed out the whole script which ended up being 14 pages. Not all of it is required, only the certain parts that keep the story together as well as the conservation messages about certain animals. There are also about 25 animals throughout the trail and we must know 2 facts about each one. Unfortunately, those jerks sometimes appears out of order or grouped together with several different species. But, that variety is what makes the job great.

Day 2 we opened a truck, which involves a meticulous checklist, and took it out on the ride path so I could practice my spiel. The second time through, however, Ginni loaded guests onto the vehicle! I was driving, she was spieling. We did that twice, then switched places, her driving and me spieling. Good fun. Wrapped up the day with some e-learning, aka, watching 'awesome' safety videos online. Not fun.

Day 3. I did a dry run driving and spieling. After we docked and I prepared to do another dry run...but that wily Ginni opened up them doors and loaded me some passengers. So there I was, day 3 and taking passengers already. I did pretty well, and even got some applause (didn't matter to me that Ginni did say that it was my first safari). I ended doing 3 more rounds that day and got pretty comfortable. In the afternoon, I did most of the land positions, and Ginni said that I must be more charming when around guests. Once I get comfortable, it shouldn't be a problem. But like I said, there are tons of things to consider with the different positions. Plus, you really have to be on top of things since guests are just looking for a reason to walk all over you.

Day 4 I took another 3 rounds of guests and finished doing the land positions. Just for fun, they are info guide (person at the stand-by entrance), booking (fast-pass distribution), check-in (checking fast-passes), booking coordinator (takes the fast-passes and regulates the line), gatekeeper (looks for persons in wheelchairs and directs them to the right place), departure (puts guests into rows), departure assist (opens gates and closes doors of truck), departure 3 (seat guests in wheelchairs and their parties, parks wheelchairs/ECVs, and gets them ready for when they return. Hell of a job), and pram parking (stoller valet). As you can see, lots of stuff for lots of positions. In all of those, you must keep in character and put on good show. Later in the day some more training and whatnot.

Day 5 had me go out to Rafiki's Planet Watch, which is a place that has many more animals including cotton-topped tamarins, snakes, prehistoric things, cameras to look at animals that you can adjust yourself, etc. Ginni just wanted me to know what's out there for when guests asked. The only big thing I did that day was drive a departure 3 truck, just so I knew how to dock and whatnot. When I was getting grilled at the end of the day, though, my brain was shot.

Tomorrow I get assessed, just to see if I can go out on my own. I'm not nervous, but then at the same time, who am I kidding? Being jittery is my thing.

Traditions /DAKlimation

Traditions is the class Disney has every College Program participant has to take. It lasts about 4 hours and we covered A LOT of stuff. First off, we got to Disney University and I got my name tag, which was hella sweet. Representin' ISU.

Like I said, 4 hours, in which we covered the history of Walt, how everything got started with animation, the creation of Disneyland, then Disney World, Tokyo Disney, and Disneyland Paris. There are also three more parks in the world that are Disney's, but I'll get to those another day...you know, when you're not super bored with your life. We also covered safety and harassment, but we all know I would never harass anyone. The class was actually pretty interesting, but got hella boring towards the end. I think I just used up my 'hella' quota for the rest of the month.

So at Traditions we also got our company id's, so of course we had to immediately use them. Zac (roommate) had never been on a roller-coaster and I rode with him and some other people on Everest at Animal Kingdom. We also had a quick stint at MK (Magic Kingdom) but I left before the parade because I was super tired. This getting up at 6:30 thing is gonna take some getting used to.



The next I had DAKlimation, which is orientation for all the cast members working at DAK (Disney's Animal Kingdom). We talked awhile about conservation, the story behind the park, then took a walk around and learned all the lands of the park. There's Camp Minnie Mickey which has the Lion King show and lots of opportunities to meet characters, Asia which has Kali River Rapids and Everest. Africa has Kilimanjaro Safari (my ride!), Rafiki's Planet Watch, a place to see lots of animals and any procedures being done on the animals, and the Pangani Forest Trail which has gorillas, monkeys, and an open-air bird area. There's also Discovery Island, home to the tree of life which house It's Tough to be a Bug, a 3-D adventures with Flik from Bug's Life. Finally there's Dinoland, which has Dinosaur, an adventure back in time to recover an Iguanadon. Every area has different greetings relevant to the country. So every time I see a guest, I say 'Jambo!'. How quaint!

The last part of orientation we got our costumes. I keep forgetting to take a picture with it on, but I still lack the sweet sunglasses. Don't worry, you'll get to see it soon. We get 5 tops and 5 bottoms and can wash them at our own pace...or drop them off if we're lazy.

We went to the Publix, the supermarket 'round these parts, which is expensive. Looks like it's Wal-Mart for me, which is a two hour trip using the buses. Bummer. Made tacos with Zac, who has never lived in an apartment before. So it's a fun learning experience. I'm almost caught up with my posts; a few more days and then we'll get the exciting stuff going.

Much love.

Arrival

I left O'Hare about 4 p.m. Central time and got into Orlando International about 7:30 p.m. I crashed at the house of a former student of my dad's. He came here right after high school graduation and worked his way up the totem pole and now runs a parade, the High School Musical III stage show, and also works on Fantastic at Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM for you purists out there). I arrived at the main apartment complex, Vista Way, 45 minutes before check-in officially started but they were already beginning. Lucky for me, and my roommates, I was there first and snagged a swank apartment.

After about a 30 minute check-in process I grabbed my bags and headed over. I didn't have much time before they shuffled me over to casting for some more paperwork, including finding out my role which is...drum roll please...Kilimanjaro Safari! And yes, I will get to drive a truck around all day and talk to guests and see amazing animals...all while getting paid. I was so excited and just couldn't believe my luck. I guess that good Karma did come in handy. I also proved I could work, did fingerprints, all that exciting stuff. Then had another meeting, this one for housing and took 2 hours. Basically, anything that is fun, we cannot do or we get terminated. It's almost as if they're looking for a reason...but I'm keeping it optimistic.

Here are a couple pictures of my place:





And here's a picture of my roommate and I with Buzz Lightyear at a College Program party:


These posts are from a couple days ago, but I'll get caught up soon.

First Post

Hello everyone. I thought it fitting to document my Disney journey over the next five months and hopefully well into the future. Either way, I would love to share with everyone my experiences. I will post many pictures (since my new camera is awesome and easy to use) and periodically let you all know what I am up to. Please post comments, questions, anything to let me know you're alive because keeping in touch with close friends is so important to me.