Finally! I'm done with work for this week. Five lovely days of hot sun and crazy customers and now I can take a break. Or, at least, I could, if I didn't have a crapload of other things to do, like shopping for food and getting stuff cleaned for the apartment inspection on Monday.
Oh, and going to the parks ;)
But I did want to post a quick entry. I've just finished dinner, which consisted of fettuccine and broccoli mixed with some Italian herbs and olive oil and topped in some places with a little (or a lot) of Parmesan cheese. I'm kind of proud of myself for making this, since the original recipe called for sun-dried tomatoes and no olive oil. Does this mean I've gained the ability "adaptability in cooking"?
Apparently not, for I haven't been feeling well the past couple of days. It all started about three days ago when, making my lunch for work, I decided I should finish up the grapes I had bought about two weeks prior. I figured they were still ok. They'd been plucked from the vine and washed and stored in a tupperware container in the fridge. So I packed them up and went on my merry way. I didn't get a break for a good portion of that day, but I mentioned this to the coordinator (I think it was Tammy that day) and she sent me on break where I had lunch. Now I had been feeling fine all day, but after that lunch, boy I wasn't a happy camper. I was at least on bussing outside, so that wasn't too bad. I was learning sign language too ^-^ Jon, one of my fellow Cast Members (and husband of Tammy, who I'm pretty sure was the coordinator now), was teaching me how to say "yes", "no", and perhaps most useful "Tammy, may I go home please?". It was great fun to learn, but then I was called into Scoops to take Frank's place so he could go to the bathroom. I guess he'd called at least 45 minutes before, and no one had come to get him, so I was glad to help, especially when I heard he wasn't feeling well.
So I scooped some ice cream, and that's when it hit me. My stomach started to bother me, and I felt it would be a very good idea to not really interact with people's food at that point. I really needed to use the bathroom, frankly, and ended up calling the coordinator area to see whether or not Frank was coming back. He was, in fact a minute after I got off the phone, he was there, and I headed out and to the bathroom.
Grapes. Don't eat them when they're two weeks old.
I wasn't sick, but I certainly wasn't feeling well, and I mentioned this when I ended up back in the coordinator's office. Everyone sort of laughed, since "I ate bad grapes" doesn't really sound like a real reason as to why someone's not feeling well.
I did get a little happiness boost though. Susan (I think that's her name?), one of the managers, was talking to a guy who, as far as I understood, had just volunteered to help close an area instead of just leaving when his work day was done. She was very impressed, and then turned to me and asked what I'd done that day to go above and beyond. I answered that I had gotten little cakes and a glass of water for two Guests who were celebrating their birthdays, which was special, but even more-so because they hadn't had much to eat (either as a result of the dining plan they were on or because everything's so darn expensive at Disney). She was pleased with me too, telling me I did a good job and saying she was going to use the guy and I as examples in...I think it's some morning meeting? I didn't quite catch it.
That was nice. And I was happy to help those Guests out, especially as they live near my college, Lewis, and the husband used to work in my hometown (so he actually knew where it was!).
But I still felt poorly.
Then yesterday, I was feeling better, a little iffy, but better, and went to lunch with no grapes...but left over ham and cheese I had gotten the same time as the grapes. Sure enough, I ate my lunch, and by the time I reached costuming to grab my street clothes, I wasn't feeling well again. I made it through the rest of the day, thanks in part to an early release because we were slow, but decided then and there that the left-over spaghetti I was planning to eat that night was a no.
Today was better than the other two days, although my head was hurting and so was my right arm for some random reason. I called my Mom this morning to say hi, and she and my Dad suggested it was from the food (obviously), but also the transition to Florida catching up with me. That, and the water. I could hear my Dad in the background saying all I should drink is Coke and beer. I'm not one for beer, especially after serving it all day and having it drip and chug and spray all over me, but I took the Coke advice. Usually I try to drink water while at work, what with the hot weather and all, but today was all about soft drinks and no ice. I think it helped.
Speaking of yesterday, what an interesting day. I had to work, but because September's a slow month, the managers have been sending people home via Early Releases. I felt kind of bad taking mine (that's why I got off at six instead of five-thirty or earlier like manager Matt had asked) since my work ethic tends to dictate that if I'm working somewhere, I should stay until it's time to go home. Not that I have anything at all against leaving work early, but I feel it reflects poorly on me as an employee if I continually look to go home.
But I was happy to get out early yesterday, mostly because I wasn't feeling well, but also because I had plans for Fantasmic that night. Alex had her day off yesterday, and while she did Magic Kingdom most of the day, she swung by Hollywood Studios (still wanted to type MGM) for the evening. I saw her coming out of Beauty and The Beast while I was in Fairfax Fare, and we agreed to meet up once I got off my shift. Since I didn't want to keep her waiting, I had gone to Costuming during my break to get my street clothes, so I could just change and go. But while I got an early release, I didn't get off until after six. I texted Alex to find out where she was and got the response she was coming out of the animation pavilion. I figured that would give me enough time to run to Take 5 and change, which I did, but then I found myself wondering what I should do with my costume.
There's lockers that we have at the restaurant locations; I've actually been using one to store my rain coat for the awesome Florida hurricane season. But I wasn't sure what all Alex and I would be doing and whether or not I'd be able to get back to my stuff in a decent amount of time. Plus, frankly, I could've used a little freshening up after a day of bussing, which meant my car was the place to go.
Oh but first I had to talk to manager Matt about my schedule and requesting days off. As if I wasn't behind already, I had to hunt him down, had to figure out when I needed off, and then had to learn what Disney's policy is towards days off. Not really anything bad, but when you're meeting someone and are running late, every minute seems to drag on, even if it DOES have super important information. But Matt was nice and helpful, and so I texted Alex, raced to costuming (trying to conceal my costume, which would've been fine except for the hat), got a hanger out of the locker I had rented there, rushed to my car, and headed back.
By this point, I hadn't heard anything more from Alex, and was beginning to wonder where she was. I wandered around, even ducking backstage (with an Animation Cast Member's permission of course), to try to find her. No luck, and I was denied putting in my requested days off on the hub computer in Take 5 by a cast member who decided right then and there would be the time to look at all the Extra Hours available. It's fine, it's fine...just was trying to find my roommate.
By about 7:30, I noticed they were seating for Fantasmic (which was being held because Magic Kingdom was closing early for the first Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party - which Cordelia had invited me to out of the blue). Figuring that that was where Alex would be eventually (that WAS one of the reasons she'd gone to Hollywood Studios), I headed in and sat down to wait.
It was like Where's Waldo. The two center sections of the seating area were rather full, and more and more people were filing in. I tried scanning the crowd and wandering by the food areas, hoping to find Alex somewhere within the growing masses, but no luck. Eventually I picked Row O and sat down. Surprisingly, I soon found myself chatting with one of my fellow Cast Members from Sunset. She'd been looking for Extra Hours too and was earning some by working as a walk-around cotton candy seller. She informed me that she'd worked at Epcot the day before, and had even had some time selling merchandise. I'm gonna have to look into these extra hours...
8:00pm rolled around and I began to think I was going to be seeing the show by myself. The crowd was much larger now, and I kept alternating between scanning those sitting and those filing in. I took a break to get some chips (similar to what I had done back in October before Fantasmic), and then returned to my seat (now Row N) to keep looking and to listen to some cutsy couple behind me (who had stolen my original seat) talk about why the girl had gotten the guy a light-up bubble machine. Suddenly, I spotted Alex, just a section over and getting ready to sit down. I lept up, jogged over, and managed to get a space on the aisle next to her.
Yes, I am THAT good...thanks to Where's Waldo.
A quick second trip to the refreshment stand (Coke for Alex, bottled water for me) and then it was on with the show!
I should point out, really quick, that the whole theme with Hollywood Studios is "On with the show!" They have this printed backstage on some of the mirrors right before you go on stage. It was also mentioned a bunch of times during training.
Fantasmic was wonderful, just as I remembered it. Fireworks, characters, masterful editing of film (seriously, I applaud whoever edited the sequences shown on the water), and a lake lit on fire. Ahh...such good times. It actually was a bit of an interactive show, because due to the direction of the wind, the spray from the water was blowing right at the audience. It was kind of funny though, since a couple parts of the show are water themed, such as Monstro splashing down and the brooms from Fantasia emptying out their buckets. So maybe Disney just turned it into a 4D show? Thanks also to the wind, when the fireworks went off, the smoke swept back and over the audience, engulfing us in an explosion-scented fog. This was especially cool thanks to some very pretty theatrical lighting, which tinged the smoke with dramatic imaginative colors.
After it was over, and Alex and I agreed it had made us want to watch every Disney movie ever made, the Cast Members began ushering us out back into the park...except that we didn't go the way we had come in. I figured it was because then the people trying to get into a later Fantasmic show (if this was a normal night) would encounter the people trying to get out, and Sunset would become a horrible mess. Instead, we were directed BACKSTAGE.
Now, I remembered this from October. I remember being in a large crowd of people, leaving Fantasmic, and looking around me thinking that I was very most definitely backstage somewhere in the park. I thought it was just something they were doing for that night. But as Alex and I began to walk with the rest of the people, things definitely started to look as I remembered them, and I figured that this must be the normal thing for Fantasmic nights.
Then, as the crowd ahead of us turned left and went around a building, I realized This all looks VERY familiar. So familiar, in fact, it was as if I had seen it every day I worked at Hollywood...
And indeed I realized that the exit for Fantasmic connects to one of the backstage areas I walk through every day to get to and from Sunset.
That was neat. It really was. It was cool to be 100% certain that leaving Fantasmic meant one would actually get the chance to be backstage. It was cool to realize that something I see and go through every day has a second purpose. And on a random note, it was cool because I had just been wondering earlier in the day why that particular backstage area had a little more theming to it than the other backstage areas I go through.
Sure enough, today, when I was walking to work, I looked down the long alley the Guests travel through and could see, at the very end, the beginnings of some green hills.
Neat ^-^
Speaking of today, and one of the reasons I started writing this post, I wanted to mention not what I did during work, but what happened after work. Today wasn't too bad. Rainy near the end, which was funny because it started to rain a little, so I got my raincoat on, only to have the rain stop. I put my rain coat away, and not 10 minutes later, the skies totally opened up. Anyway... On my way out through costuming, I noticed that the Disney Learning Center was still open. Usually it's closed when I'm walking through, but since today was my first "assigned to leave before the park closes" day, it was still open when I got there.
I decided to stop in. Alex had picked up two movies from the Learning Center near her, so I figured I should see what mine had in stock. And while it didn't have tons, I am now the proud borrower of The Black Cauldron, which I've been wanting to see for a while. It's one of those Disney movies that exists, but people don't really know too much about it (ok, I don't know too much about it). I also checked out the cds, since I had just read earlier online that Phineas and Ferb have a soundtrack out now. I'm not a huge fan, but I've seen the show, and I like what I've seen. Thought I'd give it a go and see if it was in. Unfortunately, the Learning Center didn't carry it, but I did see other music I'd be interested in. Princess songs? Disney's greatest hits? I think there was even some park music in there, so woo!
But as I was checking the movie out, I spotted (or should I say re-spotted, since I saw it when I first came in) an entry for a Disney trivia crossword. I glanced over it, seeing as I had done the one at Sid's when I was exploring MGM (HA!), and found that this one had things I knew, and things I didn't know and would have to think about. After a little thinking myself, I asked if I could give it a shot. I only had 15 minutes, since that's when the Learning Center closed, and since today was the last day to do one, I had to get down to business. Things like "What's Belle's favorite activity?" were easy (reading), and I got a little help to some of the tougher ones thanks to other answers (What color is Dumbo's hat? Second letter's an "e". Yellow). But there were three that had me really stumped:
1. What name do Tony and Joe give Tramp in Lady and the Tramp?
2. In Tarzan, what's Jane's last name?
3. What animated film features a character named Ziggy?
#3 had an "l" in it, and after a heck of a lot of brain pounding and clock ticking, I had a flash of lightning "ah ha!" moment and scribbled in "junglebook". The first one...I kept thinking the name "Butch" for some reason, but I hadn't seen Lady and the Tramp in AGES (ditto with Tarzan). It was five letters, so perhaps it could have been Scamp? I know, it's the name of Lady and Tramp's son, but maybe Tramp was called Scamp and then as a sort of inside joke, the son's named Scamp instead? I put down Butch...
And then Jane. Ah, Jane. There was an "e" in this one too, and whether it began with a "P" or I just felt it did, I eventually put down Persen. Yeah, I know..."Persen"?
But I finished just in time, which was nice because I had at least wanted to give it a try. There was one other guy in the room who was working on it too (in fact, he was one of the other reasons I wanted to try. Me? Competitive?). I had overheard him earlier as having been stuck on two questions, and now he was down to one: What character has also been known as Mr. Geef?
OMFG if ANYONE would know this one it would be ME!
That was another reason I did the crossword. I totally know that answer.
The woman working at the Learning Center's desk was...not helping him with it...but was assuring him that "Geef" was the correct spelling as I handed over my crossword. And that's when I noticed the internet-enabled phone in his hand. Turns out we could've used the internet.
F#ck x.x
Well, anyway, at least I gave it my best shot, and as I told the woman at the desk, it would've been kind of scary if I had known all the answers. Although for the "Geef" question, I told her, I knew it because I'm a huge fan. She had suggested that maybe the guy and I could've collaborated, but that never really came to fruition for some reason. Instead, I gathered my things, hoping my wet raincoat hadn't done too much damage to the computer chair I'd been sitting in when I worked on the crossword, and I headed out.
While walking across the parking lot, I realized that the crossword's directions had asked that people "bring in their completed crosswords by September 5th" which made it plainly obvious that internet and other resource usage was encouraged. But they did say that bringing it in could earn you a special prize. How do they feel about second place and a brain bursting with Disney knowledge?
I got back to the apartment, made dinner (surprising, since I REALLY wanted to know the answers), and finally got the chance to sit down and look them up.
Turns out...I was right ^-^
Right about Tramp being called Butch and Ziggy being in The Jungle Book. In fact, Ziggy's voice isn't even credited in the movie, which makes me wonder, who the hell is Ziggy?
Anyway
But Jane, ah Jane.
For the record and my future knowledge:
In Tarzan, what is Jane's last name?
Porter.
And now I know ^-^
Although dang, just the one...
Anyway, but I'm proud of myself for giving it a shot, for knowing random Disney facts, and am just plain happy that that's the way I ended my work day today. And on that note, this has been a pretty lengthy post. There's still plenty more to share, and plenty more to catch up on, but for now, there's dinner dishes to attend to, a shower to take, and some good ol' sleep to be had.
Also, Amanda told me about some Disney character videos online where they take a couple of falls, so those'll be worth investigating.
And to explain the title of the post...Ruth (real name Shalom(e)) left her phone in her room, and has apparently received a text message, and her phone REALLY wants her to check it. So every couple of minutes, that phrase goes off. It's been going off since I got home :P
Oh, and Mr. Geef (if you haven't guessed) is Goofy. During his "everyman" period, specifically when he portrayed the family man with the wife and son, he was often called Mr. George Geef.
Hooray for my crazy Disney knowledge and for there being Disney knowledge to get all crazy over ^-^
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Just a quick note
Just got back from the cast preview of "Mickey's 'Boo To You' Halloween Parade" (or something like that title).
In a word: AWESOME!
If you like villians, catchy music, theatrical lighting, and, of course, candy, this is the parade for you.
And hats off to Disney for being able to keep everyone organized.
Really, really, REALLY worth the wait.
Now, I absolutely gotta attend Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.
I also need to find a way to get into the parades. Or be a villian. Or both.
Awesome ^-^
In a word: AWESOME!
If you like villians, catchy music, theatrical lighting, and, of course, candy, this is the parade for you.
And hats off to Disney for being able to keep everyone organized.
Really, really, REALLY worth the wait.
Now, I absolutely gotta attend Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.
I also need to find a way to get into the parades. Or be a villian. Or both.
Awesome ^-^
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
And why should we not put things off?
I finally got around to looking at the Casting calendar, to see if I could find a day to try out. Turns out, they've got an open audition going on this Thursday, September 3rd at 4:00pm.
I work 11:45am to 10:00pm that day.
Crap >.<
I work 11:45am to 10:00pm that day.
Crap >.<
Well while I should be updating...
This morning I woke up and I felt kind of...bummed.
Well no wait, first I was tired, then, as I was coming back from my mini-trip to Walmart, I started feeling bummed.
I'm not sure exactly why either. I mean, yeah, I just had two days off and now I've gotta go back into work. I'm sure that's contributing. But this bummed feeling, it's a little more empty than the usual "Work...ugh" feeling.
I hypothesize that it has something to do in part with my going to the Magic Kingdom yesterday. Yesterday was great, by the way, and I intend to do a full update on it (just like everything else, right?). Anyway, in short, yesterday I met some characters, got some hugs, had some fun, it was rather pleasant. But today I'm guessing it's reminding me of my family, of home, of being at Disney for vacation, not for work.
I mean, when I was here in October, I was out and about doing as I pleased. And that's how it was yesterday: I wandered around and did what I felt like and just generally enjoyed myself. But today, instead of my going to the parks again or having to sadly leave, I'm going to work. None of that vacation freedom today, at least, not unless I bring a change of clothes and have the energy once Hollywood Studios closes. I guess I'm just missing that "vacation enjoyment" aspect of Disney. I mean, it's absolutely wonderful that I can get into the parks, and for free at that, but I find it's just a little bit of a downer to come back and think "I've gotta go to Walmart tomorrow" instead of "I gotta get some sleep so I can be first on Expedition Everest tomorrow".
And then there's the family aspect. Not that I don't like my roommates, but I don't think they're exactly keen on giving out random hugs (except one, but that's her job). Back at home, it wasn't like my family had Tanner family hug-a-thons, but there was some contact, even if it was just shoving my sister out of the way.
Meeting those characters yesterday and getting showered in hugs and kisses (wow, what a trip) reminded me today of the closeness I had with my family. I know, I know, it sounds weird, but I believe physical contact is important, or at least a sense of connection with those around you. Sitting in a room watching tv with three other family members or close friends is a heck of a lot different from sitting in a room watching tv with three roommates.
Naturally, I would start thinking of these things before going to work :P
I think I might just be a little homesick, although I'd figure if I were, I'd be leaping to make my flight registrations now. Instead, I'm noticing the time and thinking that it would probably be a very good idea to start getting ready for work. I'm also a little miffed because I'm trying to register for one of the Disney University events and it's just not happening. I get taken to the Disney Development Connection webpage, but any link I click on brings me right back to that front page. It's very frustrating, especially when there isn't anyone to really ask. I think, when I stopped by Vista Way one day, I tried asking one of the girls in the computer lab how to register, and I got an answer that went something like "You click on there and...register?"
Yeah, I need to investigate this a little more.
Anyway, I know I've been behind in updates. I'm also behind in sending out postcards and e-mails and clearing out my inbox. Needless to say, I need to get started on this, so maybe I can give that a shot tonight. For now though, the clock is ticking, both down to work and on this limited registration event I was so hoping to do. Did I mention that I e-mailed the Disney heritage group at one point (since they're the ones that put these events on) asking them how to register and never got a response?
I think I'm also just a little annoyed.
Ha...I just got asked how to make grilled cheese.
Time for work then. Woo.
And then hopefully, hopefully, I'll get to updating. I mean, for goodness sakes, it's about time, right?
Well no wait, first I was tired, then, as I was coming back from my mini-trip to Walmart, I started feeling bummed.
I'm not sure exactly why either. I mean, yeah, I just had two days off and now I've gotta go back into work. I'm sure that's contributing. But this bummed feeling, it's a little more empty than the usual "Work...ugh" feeling.
I hypothesize that it has something to do in part with my going to the Magic Kingdom yesterday. Yesterday was great, by the way, and I intend to do a full update on it (just like everything else, right?). Anyway, in short, yesterday I met some characters, got some hugs, had some fun, it was rather pleasant. But today I'm guessing it's reminding me of my family, of home, of being at Disney for vacation, not for work.
I mean, when I was here in October, I was out and about doing as I pleased. And that's how it was yesterday: I wandered around and did what I felt like and just generally enjoyed myself. But today, instead of my going to the parks again or having to sadly leave, I'm going to work. None of that vacation freedom today, at least, not unless I bring a change of clothes and have the energy once Hollywood Studios closes. I guess I'm just missing that "vacation enjoyment" aspect of Disney. I mean, it's absolutely wonderful that I can get into the parks, and for free at that, but I find it's just a little bit of a downer to come back and think "I've gotta go to Walmart tomorrow" instead of "I gotta get some sleep so I can be first on Expedition Everest tomorrow".
And then there's the family aspect. Not that I don't like my roommates, but I don't think they're exactly keen on giving out random hugs (except one, but that's her job). Back at home, it wasn't like my family had Tanner family hug-a-thons, but there was some contact, even if it was just shoving my sister out of the way.
Meeting those characters yesterday and getting showered in hugs and kisses (wow, what a trip) reminded me today of the closeness I had with my family. I know, I know, it sounds weird, but I believe physical contact is important, or at least a sense of connection with those around you. Sitting in a room watching tv with three other family members or close friends is a heck of a lot different from sitting in a room watching tv with three roommates.
Naturally, I would start thinking of these things before going to work :P
I think I might just be a little homesick, although I'd figure if I were, I'd be leaping to make my flight registrations now. Instead, I'm noticing the time and thinking that it would probably be a very good idea to start getting ready for work. I'm also a little miffed because I'm trying to register for one of the Disney University events and it's just not happening. I get taken to the Disney Development Connection webpage, but any link I click on brings me right back to that front page. It's very frustrating, especially when there isn't anyone to really ask. I think, when I stopped by Vista Way one day, I tried asking one of the girls in the computer lab how to register, and I got an answer that went something like "You click on there and...register?"
Yeah, I need to investigate this a little more.
Anyway, I know I've been behind in updates. I'm also behind in sending out postcards and e-mails and clearing out my inbox. Needless to say, I need to get started on this, so maybe I can give that a shot tonight. For now though, the clock is ticking, both down to work and on this limited registration event I was so hoping to do. Did I mention that I e-mailed the Disney heritage group at one point (since they're the ones that put these events on) asking them how to register and never got a response?
I think I'm also just a little annoyed.
Ha...I just got asked how to make grilled cheese.
Time for work then. Woo.
And then hopefully, hopefully, I'll get to updating. I mean, for goodness sakes, it's about time, right?
Saturday, August 29, 2009
The Good Day
As I sit here in full costume dress, waiting to dry off from the regimental sunscreen I slather on myself everyday before work, I thought it'd be a good time to update my blog.
A little behind, I know, so let's get started.
Today's the sixth day in a row I'm going to be working. Not terrible, but not great either considering Tuesday and Thursday were both ten hour days. It's a little...much, especially for someone new like me, whose training was...well I learned things, but when I officially started working, I had (and still have) a lot of questions.
But I wanted to write about yesterday, since yesterday was actually a (gasp) good day. Now, now, I don't mean to say that since I've arrived here it's been nothing but crappy days. More like really overwhelming days, as I try to grasp the way Disney's organized things while attempting to appear trained.
Yesterday, however, started off with my getting assigned to trash. Now, I know, this doesn't sound like a great way to start off a day, but you have to understand that besides the heat, the smell, and the trash factors, trash isn't necessarily a horrible thing. You get to be outside (which can be good or bad depending on the weather), you go at your own pace, unless there's a rush, and even then you can still take it a little slower, you get to wander both on-stage and off, and, perhaps one of my favorite aspects, you can have a little bit of guest interaction without them expecting food or drink or proper change from you.
So I got my trash assignment and headed out to take over from Cordelia, who was happily reassigned to Scooper at Hollywood Scoops. And then...well...I took out the trash. I noticed the park attendance seemed a little lighter. There were still plenty of people, and lines at all the food places, but the seating areas just didn't seem to overflow with people so much. Frankly, I was a bit happy, just a little bit. After a week or so of mass people wanting food and tossing trash, it was nice to have things let up just a little.
During my trash run, I happened upon an abandoned Guest bag. It was a tote bag (if that's the correct term for it), so basically an open rectangle with two large straps at the top to lift it (think vertical cloth grocery bag?). I could see it was jam-packed with all sorts of touristy park-visiting items, but "SafeD begins with Me" or so our little safety spiel goes, and I got Emilee (who was bussing and whose name I'm sure I'm spelling wrong) to look at it before she ran off to tell a manager. Word reported back to wait for about five minutes, and if nobody showed, they'd call security. After all, this innocent bag could be harboring something not so innocent.
No one showed up, and by this point Omar, who's from Mexico, had joined our little waiting party. He went to talk to a manager and returned saying that security had been called. Twenty minutes later, a guy finally showed up and proceeded to poke around in the bag and talk on a walkie talkie about heading to lost and found. I'm pretty sure they figured the bag wasn't a danger, otherwise I think they would've been there a lot sooner. I had seen one previous unattended bag left in the middle of the Tower-side eating area (as opposed to the Produce-side eating area), and security had acted a little faster and cleared more people away. But because this one was sitting on the little stone wall ledge near Fairfax Fare, I don't think they were as super concerned. While we were waiting, I happened to spot a pair of sunglasses someone had left on Fairfax's counter, and so before the security guy left, I handed them to him too. He thanked us for calling it in and went on his way. Emilee and Omar went back to bussing, I went back to trash duty, missing the shade of the bush I had been standing beneath while waiting.
Unfortunately, because of how long everything took, the trash had built up a little bit, so I spent the next little while trying to catch up. I nearly ran out of space in the garbage roller at one point, and at another time, had such a large bag of garbage I was pulling from a can, that when I tossed it into the rolling garbage holder, it proceeded to nearly tip over. I grabbed it at the last minute, but still, that's a lot of trash.
And, of course, sometimes bags are leaky. We actually put holes in them when we put them in the trashcans because it lets the air out and allows them to hold more. This does cause a little leak problem though, and the bottoms of the rolling holders sometimes end up with a puddle of soda and other garbage juices. This leads to lots of "fun" trying to hoist the bags out of the holder and into the trash compacter, especially with liquid flying everywhere and the bottoms of the bags begin soaked and not very fun to touch when they need that little extra push into the compactor.
One bag was particularly wet and I got juice backsplash. A little lot of liquid landed right on the corner of one of my lips. I finished the trash and rushed over to Rosie's/Eddies to get some water to wash my mouth out.
I did trash for a few hours, managing to get it under control and talking to a woman about her very nice-looking hat, which, it turns out, she got at Kmart. Then, just before I was going to make another round, Emilee found me and told me there had been a slight mix-up. Apparently I was supposed to be scooping ice cream, but the person who was supposed to bump me over there never did, so I had been working trash for a half-hour to an hour longer than I should have. In any case, now I was on break, so I rushed to the assigner's desk to be sure, and when he said it was okay, I ran to Take Five to wolf down a sandwich and some delicious grapes.
And that's where I have to end it for now, as it's time for me to head off to work again.
A little behind, I know, so let's get started.
Today's the sixth day in a row I'm going to be working. Not terrible, but not great either considering Tuesday and Thursday were both ten hour days. It's a little...much, especially for someone new like me, whose training was...well I learned things, but when I officially started working, I had (and still have) a lot of questions.
But I wanted to write about yesterday, since yesterday was actually a (gasp) good day. Now, now, I don't mean to say that since I've arrived here it's been nothing but crappy days. More like really overwhelming days, as I try to grasp the way Disney's organized things while attempting to appear trained.
Yesterday, however, started off with my getting assigned to trash. Now, I know, this doesn't sound like a great way to start off a day, but you have to understand that besides the heat, the smell, and the trash factors, trash isn't necessarily a horrible thing. You get to be outside (which can be good or bad depending on the weather), you go at your own pace, unless there's a rush, and even then you can still take it a little slower, you get to wander both on-stage and off, and, perhaps one of my favorite aspects, you can have a little bit of guest interaction without them expecting food or drink or proper change from you.
So I got my trash assignment and headed out to take over from Cordelia, who was happily reassigned to Scooper at Hollywood Scoops. And then...well...I took out the trash. I noticed the park attendance seemed a little lighter. There were still plenty of people, and lines at all the food places, but the seating areas just didn't seem to overflow with people so much. Frankly, I was a bit happy, just a little bit. After a week or so of mass people wanting food and tossing trash, it was nice to have things let up just a little.
During my trash run, I happened upon an abandoned Guest bag. It was a tote bag (if that's the correct term for it), so basically an open rectangle with two large straps at the top to lift it (think vertical cloth grocery bag?). I could see it was jam-packed with all sorts of touristy park-visiting items, but "SafeD begins with Me" or so our little safety spiel goes, and I got Emilee (who was bussing and whose name I'm sure I'm spelling wrong) to look at it before she ran off to tell a manager. Word reported back to wait for about five minutes, and if nobody showed, they'd call security. After all, this innocent bag could be harboring something not so innocent.
No one showed up, and by this point Omar, who's from Mexico, had joined our little waiting party. He went to talk to a manager and returned saying that security had been called. Twenty minutes later, a guy finally showed up and proceeded to poke around in the bag and talk on a walkie talkie about heading to lost and found. I'm pretty sure they figured the bag wasn't a danger, otherwise I think they would've been there a lot sooner. I had seen one previous unattended bag left in the middle of the Tower-side eating area (as opposed to the Produce-side eating area), and security had acted a little faster and cleared more people away. But because this one was sitting on the little stone wall ledge near Fairfax Fare, I don't think they were as super concerned. While we were waiting, I happened to spot a pair of sunglasses someone had left on Fairfax's counter, and so before the security guy left, I handed them to him too. He thanked us for calling it in and went on his way. Emilee and Omar went back to bussing, I went back to trash duty, missing the shade of the bush I had been standing beneath while waiting.
Unfortunately, because of how long everything took, the trash had built up a little bit, so I spent the next little while trying to catch up. I nearly ran out of space in the garbage roller at one point, and at another time, had such a large bag of garbage I was pulling from a can, that when I tossed it into the rolling garbage holder, it proceeded to nearly tip over. I grabbed it at the last minute, but still, that's a lot of trash.
And, of course, sometimes bags are leaky. We actually put holes in them when we put them in the trashcans because it lets the air out and allows them to hold more. This does cause a little leak problem though, and the bottoms of the rolling holders sometimes end up with a puddle of soda and other garbage juices. This leads to lots of "fun" trying to hoist the bags out of the holder and into the trash compacter, especially with liquid flying everywhere and the bottoms of the bags begin soaked and not very fun to touch when they need that little extra push into the compactor.
One bag was particularly wet and I got juice backsplash. A little lot of liquid landed right on the corner of one of my lips. I finished the trash and rushed over to Rosie's/Eddies to get some water to wash my mouth out.
I did trash for a few hours, managing to get it under control and talking to a woman about her very nice-looking hat, which, it turns out, she got at Kmart. Then, just before I was going to make another round, Emilee found me and told me there had been a slight mix-up. Apparently I was supposed to be scooping ice cream, but the person who was supposed to bump me over there never did, so I had been working trash for a half-hour to an hour longer than I should have. In any case, now I was on break, so I rushed to the assigner's desk to be sure, and when he said it was okay, I ran to Take Five to wolf down a sandwich and some delicious grapes.
And that's where I have to end it for now, as it's time for me to head off to work again.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
nihongo o wakarimasu!
I just heard my roommate talking on the phone in Japanese...and I actually understood little bits and pieces of it.
Arigatoo gozaimasu Motoyama-sensei!!
Arigatoo gozaimasu Motoyama-sensei!!
Friday, August 21, 2009
A backpost of bussing and trashing
This is a backpost, since I was plenty tired at the end of this work day. Plus, I needed a shower.
Today was one of two “double days” as I've decided to call them, wherein I work the same time and hours two days in a row. 11:30 to 8pm were the hours, which isn’t terrible. But, of course, that all depends on what you are doing. I started off the day by sitting in the parking lot of Hollywood Studios, calling my Mom (and hearing my Dad in the background), trying to figure out exactly what to say when I called my bank back. Via text the day before, my Mom had suggested that trying to talk to them about the over-draft would be a good idea, and my desire to have my finances in order (and to not be awarded another over-draft fee) prompted me to pick up the phone and call. I couldn’t completely understand what the guy on the phone was saying – his accent was a little heavy, I was a little tired (and teary), but somehow, somehow, I managed to get some of the fees taken off, which was simply WONDERFUL. I need to watch my bank account like a hawk ::goes to do so now::
Then it was time to go off to work. I have to pause here, because I’m not sure if it was today or the day before or some combination of the two, but I actually got to see some behind-the-scenes work being done for the Toy Story Block Party Bash parade that runs every day at 3pm. In either separate or whole combinations, I was walking from my car to the costuming building where Cast Members enter the park, when I overheard the music for the parade playing. Sure enough, as I was counting the number of rows I was away from the building, I could see people up on one of the floats and could hear directions being called out. I also saw Slim (the walking-stick bug from “A Bug’s Life”) wandering around. Later, when I was on my way to work, the backstage road I was walking down was getting the parade set up, so I saw large orange traffic cones with scooters, and a couple of rectangular costume holders on wheels. They were open, and in one I could see Sully’s body, and in the others I could see the body and head of one of the dorky interns from Monsters, Inc. I know, I know, I should know his name. I’ll get it when I watch the movie. He’s the orange one.
I also saw Mr. Potato head, but he was turned around, so I saw potato butt. But I thought it was kind of neat, seeing people practice in the growing heat and getting this glimpse into all the effort that goes into putting a parade on.
Since today was my final day of training (woo -.- ), I figured that our taste-test lunches would be going away pretty soon and decided to bring a lunch. Of course, I was a little unsure of what to do. Unlike the Magic Kingdom, which has the utilidors (underground tunnels) to transport the Cast to and from where they need to be without being seen, Hollywood Studios only has backstage area. So when it’s time to go to work, a Cast Member like me has to walk from backstage area to backstage area, occasionally going on stage and passing through the park and the guests. For me, it sort of ruins the atmosphere a little bit, seeing Cast Members wander across Hollywood Boulevard with backpacks and purses. I know, I know, they’re people, they need these things, but this is Disney for goodness sakes!
Anyway, I was unsure of what to do because I had brought a lunch with me – a squished, sad looking sandwich from the day before with Lucy and Lisa, an apple I had been trying to eat for the past couple of days, and a water. I managed to put them all into a grocery bag, but it just didn’t seem right walking across stage with it. But I needed to get to work, and I went, trying to quickly speed across the Guest areas so they wouldn’t notice.
I met with my trainer, Ronnie, a guy who I believe is from Puerto Rico if I read his name tag right. He informed Frank and I that we’d finish up with our computer training and then it’d be off to the excitement of bussing and trash. As usual, we were offered something to drink before we set off, and then it was time to wander backstage, past buildings that used to be part of a functioning studio, around the front of the animation building (I like walking by it), across the street from a parking garage and the Earful Tower (water tower with the Mickey ears on it that used to be the park’s icon before the big hat moved in), and into Bungalow 2. They then had us move over to another building where the Disney Learning Center (room with a bunch of computers) was. This is being moved into the Costuming building, but for now, it’s still there. I was surprised to see someone had doodled on the dry-erase board in there. They had drawn Mickey’s head, and a very well-done Donald’s head. Donald looked right on character, and I kept glancing over at it instead of paying tons of attention to the module showing me how to work the register.
Alas, the air conditioned comfort ended all too quickly and it was soon time for us to head back outside. Ronnie informed Frank and I we were first up…on trash. It was lucky someone had overhead we were learning bussing and trash today and mentioned wearing sunscreen, because I spent the rest of the day outside. Trash is…as you would expect it to be. We go around with a big trash holder, checking trash cans and taking out the bags if need be. It’s kind of surprising how quickly those trash containers can fill up. If we take out a bag, we put one in to replace it, tying knots and poking holes in the bag in order to keep it secure and air-free. And once we’ve hit all the trashcans (and occasionally Farefax and Scoops when they need it), we wheel the trash holder back stage and head to the trash compactor. The job can be kind of messy, but this is where it gets really messy. The scent of over-heated, leaking trash permeates the air in this area, and as you pull the bags from the holder and throw them into the compactor’s open door, you have to take care to avoid getting garbage juices on your gloved hands or on your costume. I tried…but I still ended up smelling sort of trashy at the end of the night
Bussing was a little better, despite the heat. It’s mostly cleaning tables and organizing chairs, but every once in a while you can help grab a Guest’s tray and toss their garbage out for them. Which, it’s not that I like working on trash, but when my family arrived in Florida during our roadtrip to get here, we ended up stopping in Gainsville to eat at a Chick-Fil-A. Their service was absolutely wonderful there. Cow mascots, when they were taking a break, would come by and visit with the people eating in. Managers and employees alike would go from table to table, asking how the food was, getting people refills on their drinks, and taking the trash from the customers when they were done. It was excellent service, and that’s something I’d like to try to pass along to the Guests here at Disney. Granted, I can’t get them refills (I guess we don’t do them? Not at Sunset anyway), but I can still try and reflect that service I had at that Chick-Fil-A. I think it’d be just a little better if it wasn’t so darn hot and humid. And that was a bit of an issue. I was sweaty and hot and my face turning red a little bit from the heat. Not exactly something you want to see while you’re eating, ne? But we’re allowed to have water breaks, since it’s important to keep hydrated, so every once in a while I’d duck into one of the Sunset restaurants and get some water.
Our break came around four, and I managed to grab my sandwich, apple, and drink from the Cast Member fridge in the kitchen before we left. While everyone else went to buy something, I sat and ate my squished sandwich in peace. The apple…well before I ate, I headed to the bathroom, and although the apple was in a bag, it fell out of the plastic bag I was carrying it in, and then at the table, it slipped out of its little bag and onto the seat. That kind of ended it right there. Luckily, I had grabbed a granola bar too, so all was not lost. Then, after a little sitting, the trainees and I headed over to costuming to get ourselves rain gear. It was said that hurricane Bill was coming our way, and even if it wasn’t, we were supposed to get rain. It was here that I found out our food is not supposed to be visible to Guests. My clear bag (and apple) were taken back to the fridge, and I walked to Costuming with the rest of the group, wondering what I was going to do about lunches. We soon readed Costuming and walked right in to tell the Cast Members there what we were looking for. We were directed to a portable clothing rack near the door which carried the rain gear. I accidentally picked up rain gear that consisted of a jacket and pants, but the other trainer, Scott, caught it, and I swapped for a big, clear, plastic jacket. Then it was back to work for more bussing, and eventually, condiment table-replenishing for Frank and I. Although it rained a little bit, it wasn’t anything too bad, so I began to get sweaty inside the rain gear in addition to my costume.
Needless to say, that night I took a shower.
The condiment bar wasn’t too bad. It consists of a lot of restocking, both of the things that people grab, and the supplies underneath. Trying to do this in a raincoat was more than a little awkward, and one of the buttons got pulled out because of the thinness of the plastic, but Ronnie, Frank, and I managed to get it done. We had to wait to leave, however, because the Checker (the person who checks to make sure your area is set for the night before you can leave) had to wait until the last Guests left the area. And there were a couple that REALLY liked to linger.
Btw – one of the questions was how Disney gets its Guest out of the park at the end of the night. The answer, as far as I’ve seen, is that the shops and restaurants and rides close, which means that there’s nothing else to really do in the park. And for any Guests sitting and relaxing, a manager or some higher person will go and stand awkwardly next to them, subtly trying to tell them to leave without (as far as I know) actually saying anything.
There’s also a spiel that plays, as when I was in Hollywood Studios in October, I heard it. Alas, either we’re too busy, or it just doesn’t travel by us, but I haven’t heard it yet.
I was supposed to help put covers on the condiment bar, but all the trainees were called to the manager’s office to go over and sign a form basically saying we wouldn’t eat the food while working (or afterwards) and that to do so was a terminable offense. Fun.
Then we could leave, and I happily returned my trashy, sweaty clothes to Costuming the next morning.
Oh, by the way, I got a lovely light "necklace" of sunburn on my chest because I forgot to put sunscreen there. And now I know :P
Today was one of two “double days” as I've decided to call them, wherein I work the same time and hours two days in a row. 11:30 to 8pm were the hours, which isn’t terrible. But, of course, that all depends on what you are doing. I started off the day by sitting in the parking lot of Hollywood Studios, calling my Mom (and hearing my Dad in the background), trying to figure out exactly what to say when I called my bank back. Via text the day before, my Mom had suggested that trying to talk to them about the over-draft would be a good idea, and my desire to have my finances in order (and to not be awarded another over-draft fee) prompted me to pick up the phone and call. I couldn’t completely understand what the guy on the phone was saying – his accent was a little heavy, I was a little tired (and teary), but somehow, somehow, I managed to get some of the fees taken off, which was simply WONDERFUL. I need to watch my bank account like a hawk ::goes to do so now::
Then it was time to go off to work. I have to pause here, because I’m not sure if it was today or the day before or some combination of the two, but I actually got to see some behind-the-scenes work being done for the Toy Story Block Party Bash parade that runs every day at 3pm. In either separate or whole combinations, I was walking from my car to the costuming building where Cast Members enter the park, when I overheard the music for the parade playing. Sure enough, as I was counting the number of rows I was away from the building, I could see people up on one of the floats and could hear directions being called out. I also saw Slim (the walking-stick bug from “A Bug’s Life”) wandering around. Later, when I was on my way to work, the backstage road I was walking down was getting the parade set up, so I saw large orange traffic cones with scooters, and a couple of rectangular costume holders on wheels. They were open, and in one I could see Sully’s body, and in the others I could see the body and head of one of the dorky interns from Monsters, Inc. I know, I know, I should know his name. I’ll get it when I watch the movie. He’s the orange one.
I also saw Mr. Potato head, but he was turned around, so I saw potato butt. But I thought it was kind of neat, seeing people practice in the growing heat and getting this glimpse into all the effort that goes into putting a parade on.
Since today was my final day of training (woo -.- ), I figured that our taste-test lunches would be going away pretty soon and decided to bring a lunch. Of course, I was a little unsure of what to do. Unlike the Magic Kingdom, which has the utilidors (underground tunnels) to transport the Cast to and from where they need to be without being seen, Hollywood Studios only has backstage area. So when it’s time to go to work, a Cast Member like me has to walk from backstage area to backstage area, occasionally going on stage and passing through the park and the guests. For me, it sort of ruins the atmosphere a little bit, seeing Cast Members wander across Hollywood Boulevard with backpacks and purses. I know, I know, they’re people, they need these things, but this is Disney for goodness sakes!
Anyway, I was unsure of what to do because I had brought a lunch with me – a squished, sad looking sandwich from the day before with Lucy and Lisa, an apple I had been trying to eat for the past couple of days, and a water. I managed to put them all into a grocery bag, but it just didn’t seem right walking across stage with it. But I needed to get to work, and I went, trying to quickly speed across the Guest areas so they wouldn’t notice.
I met with my trainer, Ronnie, a guy who I believe is from Puerto Rico if I read his name tag right. He informed Frank and I that we’d finish up with our computer training and then it’d be off to the excitement of bussing and trash. As usual, we were offered something to drink before we set off, and then it was time to wander backstage, past buildings that used to be part of a functioning studio, around the front of the animation building (I like walking by it), across the street from a parking garage and the Earful Tower (water tower with the Mickey ears on it that used to be the park’s icon before the big hat moved in), and into Bungalow 2. They then had us move over to another building where the Disney Learning Center (room with a bunch of computers) was. This is being moved into the Costuming building, but for now, it’s still there. I was surprised to see someone had doodled on the dry-erase board in there. They had drawn Mickey’s head, and a very well-done Donald’s head. Donald looked right on character, and I kept glancing over at it instead of paying tons of attention to the module showing me how to work the register.
Alas, the air conditioned comfort ended all too quickly and it was soon time for us to head back outside. Ronnie informed Frank and I we were first up…on trash. It was lucky someone had overhead we were learning bussing and trash today and mentioned wearing sunscreen, because I spent the rest of the day outside. Trash is…as you would expect it to be. We go around with a big trash holder, checking trash cans and taking out the bags if need be. It’s kind of surprising how quickly those trash containers can fill up. If we take out a bag, we put one in to replace it, tying knots and poking holes in the bag in order to keep it secure and air-free. And once we’ve hit all the trashcans (and occasionally Farefax and Scoops when they need it), we wheel the trash holder back stage and head to the trash compactor. The job can be kind of messy, but this is where it gets really messy. The scent of over-heated, leaking trash permeates the air in this area, and as you pull the bags from the holder and throw them into the compactor’s open door, you have to take care to avoid getting garbage juices on your gloved hands or on your costume. I tried…but I still ended up smelling sort of trashy at the end of the night
Bussing was a little better, despite the heat. It’s mostly cleaning tables and organizing chairs, but every once in a while you can help grab a Guest’s tray and toss their garbage out for them. Which, it’s not that I like working on trash, but when my family arrived in Florida during our roadtrip to get here, we ended up stopping in Gainsville to eat at a Chick-Fil-A. Their service was absolutely wonderful there. Cow mascots, when they were taking a break, would come by and visit with the people eating in. Managers and employees alike would go from table to table, asking how the food was, getting people refills on their drinks, and taking the trash from the customers when they were done. It was excellent service, and that’s something I’d like to try to pass along to the Guests here at Disney. Granted, I can’t get them refills (I guess we don’t do them? Not at Sunset anyway), but I can still try and reflect that service I had at that Chick-Fil-A. I think it’d be just a little better if it wasn’t so darn hot and humid. And that was a bit of an issue. I was sweaty and hot and my face turning red a little bit from the heat. Not exactly something you want to see while you’re eating, ne? But we’re allowed to have water breaks, since it’s important to keep hydrated, so every once in a while I’d duck into one of the Sunset restaurants and get some water.
Our break came around four, and I managed to grab my sandwich, apple, and drink from the Cast Member fridge in the kitchen before we left. While everyone else went to buy something, I sat and ate my squished sandwich in peace. The apple…well before I ate, I headed to the bathroom, and although the apple was in a bag, it fell out of the plastic bag I was carrying it in, and then at the table, it slipped out of its little bag and onto the seat. That kind of ended it right there. Luckily, I had grabbed a granola bar too, so all was not lost. Then, after a little sitting, the trainees and I headed over to costuming to get ourselves rain gear. It was said that hurricane Bill was coming our way, and even if it wasn’t, we were supposed to get rain. It was here that I found out our food is not supposed to be visible to Guests. My clear bag (and apple) were taken back to the fridge, and I walked to Costuming with the rest of the group, wondering what I was going to do about lunches. We soon readed Costuming and walked right in to tell the Cast Members there what we were looking for. We were directed to a portable clothing rack near the door which carried the rain gear. I accidentally picked up rain gear that consisted of a jacket and pants, but the other trainer, Scott, caught it, and I swapped for a big, clear, plastic jacket. Then it was back to work for more bussing, and eventually, condiment table-replenishing for Frank and I. Although it rained a little bit, it wasn’t anything too bad, so I began to get sweaty inside the rain gear in addition to my costume.
Needless to say, that night I took a shower.
The condiment bar wasn’t too bad. It consists of a lot of restocking, both of the things that people grab, and the supplies underneath. Trying to do this in a raincoat was more than a little awkward, and one of the buttons got pulled out because of the thinness of the plastic, but Ronnie, Frank, and I managed to get it done. We had to wait to leave, however, because the Checker (the person who checks to make sure your area is set for the night before you can leave) had to wait until the last Guests left the area. And there were a couple that REALLY liked to linger.
Btw – one of the questions was how Disney gets its Guest out of the park at the end of the night. The answer, as far as I’ve seen, is that the shops and restaurants and rides close, which means that there’s nothing else to really do in the park. And for any Guests sitting and relaxing, a manager or some higher person will go and stand awkwardly next to them, subtly trying to tell them to leave without (as far as I know) actually saying anything.
There’s also a spiel that plays, as when I was in Hollywood Studios in October, I heard it. Alas, either we’re too busy, or it just doesn’t travel by us, but I haven’t heard it yet.
I was supposed to help put covers on the condiment bar, but all the trainees were called to the manager’s office to go over and sign a form basically saying we wouldn’t eat the food while working (or afterwards) and that to do so was a terminable offense. Fun.
Then we could leave, and I happily returned my trashy, sweaty clothes to Costuming the next morning.
Oh, by the way, I got a lovely light "necklace" of sunburn on my chest because I forgot to put sunscreen there. And now I know :P
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