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