Monday, September 4, 2017

WDWCP: Starting My Wildest Ride in the Wilderness

While on my first Disney internship I didn't have a car. That was doable since there were vans that carried up to 12 people from Vista Way to all the locations we worked. Nowadays I see they have huge, fancy motor coaches for the College Program kids. Yeah, we didn't. Every morning I was in the van that would hit the Contemporary Resort, Ticket and Transportation Center, the Polynesian, Grand Floridian and then Magic Kingdom. It wasn't uncommon to have people sleeping on the way to work or on our way home.

Since I was the last stop, I would be up and out the door pretty early to get to Frontierland on time, and I'm not gonna lie, many times we would be in pajamas pants and t-shirts in that van! I was always the first one up in our apartment, too. For some reason I was always working earliest, but then almost working latest, too. There is a joke that was very true... CP is what we were called (CP = College Program), but maybe CP really means Closing Person!

A typical morning would be me waking up to my Nickelodeon alarm clock, taking a shower, throwing on something comfy and heading to the bus stop. After arriving at Magic Kingdom Cast Member parking lot we would wait for the big bus to drive us to the back of Magic Kingdom. Next, I would go to a big counter/window where costumes are located. I would tell them which costume and size I needed. Your Disney ID is scanned so they know which costume is checked out to whom. They don't want costumes walking away forever! Then I'd head over to the locker room to change out of my clothes and slip into whatever costume I needed that day. During this internship I had 3 different costumes, which you'll of course see as we go along!

Christina (still friends!) and Axel in the break area
My first day of work costume was the absolute cutest of any I would ever wear during my Disney days... the red saloon girl dress for Pecos Bill Cafe and the Mile Long Bar. Cute, comfy, and one the full time Cast Members cautioned me about. The ladies told me not to lean forward much or bend over because the dresses were shorter and loose on top... which means the guys we worked with could try to get a free glimpse of things they shouldn't be seeing! I appreciated their advice!

After getting changed I would head out into the main part of the Utilidor and make my way to Frontierland. By now the Utilidor is always on "Things You Don't Know About Disney" lists so often that it is far from being a secret. For the sake of those that don't know yet, the first floor of Magic Kingdom is actually under the park that guests are in. We just called it the Tunnel. It is color coded so you know which land you are in. I would head out, turn right in the big circle and just keep walking until it smelled funny. I knew this was my stop. I was in Frontierland and I was smelling the garbage system on the ceiling above me. It's actually quite impressive.

Behind Pecos
Upon my arrival on that first day at Pecos I was rightfully nervous. I went upstairs and took in my surroundings. A break area with a table. A small building that was one big freezer I'd later work in. A large open area with gates leading to Adventureland right across from Pirates of the Caribbean. The entrance to the Adventureland restaurant and the doors leading to Pecos. This would be my new home away from home!

For the first weeks of my internship I was working the Pecos Bill counter area. I would either be fixing drinks, grabbing the food and matching drinks to the order and giving it to guests, or working outside in the dining area keeping the topping bar and napkins/forks/knives/spoons stocked. Oh and my favorite, collecting trays from the restaurant area and taking them back to the kitchen for washing.

My hot dog cart partner, Ryan.
Behind to the left is the freezer.
After an orientation to the area and how it all works, I was given my first assignment: filling drink orders as they appear on the screen. I had worked at the movie theater, which involved fixing drinks, and really how hard could it be? An order pops up, I make the drink, set it on the counter behind me (my back was to the guests as I filled) then clicked a button to clear it and continue on. I could see 4 orders at a time if I recall correctly.

I got into a zone. I had a rhythm going. I was keeping up. I could totally do this! Or could I? This cranky old man Cast Member wouldn't stop. He complained every time he came by me. I still don't think I was doing anything wrong!! He wouldn't stop harassing me. It was always stupid things. He would come over and grab drinks while I was filling them instead of taking them from the counter with the finished beverages. One time he came back to me with a Diet Coke and said it was unacceptable, he can't give it to a guest because it wasn't even full. Well no shit, asshole, you took it mid-fill!

Right after that encounter, Marcy, my high school best friend and Vista Way roommate, popped her head out from behind the machine. She was assigned to the kitchen area and wanted a quick cup of water. Just seeing the face of someone that was practically family was a relief, but also caused me to let my guard down.

And the tears started flowing.

She asked what was wrong and I couldn't even speak. I was on stage and was dedicated to keeping a good show. I wasn't going to let the guests see what was happening. Some full time Cast Members came over and immediately went backstage to the manager. I was pulled off stage so we could chat. I told them about this old man and how he was going at me nonstop and yelling at me in front of guests. They then had me look at the counter behind me where my finished drink orders were. I was keeping up better than any of the people that work there all the time did. The counter was full of drinks and completely organized. They thought I was doing a fantastic job!

Kristen, the girl who saved me!
Kristen, a CP from New York that started her program before I did, was asked to show me our Cast bathroom area and help me feel better so I could go back to work. I was relieved that I wasn't in trouble, but this isn't what I thought my day would be like. I cried in the bathroom stall, heartbroken that my dream of working came true and I was hating it.

After that incident I never saw that old man again. Not the rest of that day, not ever again. When the day was over and we were all clocking out and walking back through the Tunnel together I practically got high-fives from everybody. People I hadn't even met yet, but would later become friends with, were thanking me! As it turns out, this was basically the final straw for that Cast Member and he was terminated! In my entire Disney career this would not be the first time I directly or indirectly assisted in getting a Cast Member terminated - all for good reason, I promise.

During all of my years at Disney I was proud to be a Cast Member and wanted to keep Walt's vision alive. And I wanted everyone I worked with to live up to the set standards, that were learn in Traditions. If you didn't match that and maybe did inappropriate things? Well, buh-bye!! And fellow Cast Members, again, you are welcome!

Okay so the day came to an end, back to the locker room to change and return my costume. There were huge bins across from Costuming where we would scan them back in and head to the bus station. Our bags were checked before we could board the bus, then a quick ride behind Fantasyland back to the parking lot. We CPs would then sit together and wait for our van to arrive so we could go home - this wasn't usually a short wait , either. Once at Vista Way I would make an immediate dash to the shower to wash off all the stickiness of food and drinks from my body.

Then back to normal life, which will of course be covered more as we continue!

Where I took a hard right turn to get to work every day!
Glamorous, I know!

I wrote in my journal every single day. I have meticulously documented everything in that journal and my photo albums, that have labels on every photo. Grandpa taught me well! That journal and my scrapbook are MIA currently (I suspect up in the Man Cave attic), so I'm winging this. From here on out there may be no set order to my stories!


See ya real soon! °o°


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