Saturday, May 26, 2018

Tales From the Turntable: Pata Pata

How about another easy to read photo blog? Those help tell a story. I mean who reads a book without pictures in it?? Today we will take a visit to something not everyone had the pleasure of doing as often as I did... parade duty!

Mickey's Jammin' Jungle parade has come and gone, and I was actually there for the start of it on October 1, 2001! I'd say more days than not I was working the parade. The days that I worked at Flights of Wonder I would always do the parade, as it was part of our daily routine. It was a fun break to watch the parade, but it was also a lot of work, whether it looked like it or not.

So I will share the photo day in the life of parade duty. This particular day was December 5, 2001. This day might make you perk a little if you're a Disney geek like I am ... it's Walt Disney's 100th birthday! 


After essentially working a full day at Kali River Rapids I was bumped out of rotation and sent out to prep for the parade. In the early days of the parade we didn't have stanchions. This made for the big challenge. First we had to go around looking at the ground for little black dots from a Sharpie marker. then we literally connected the dots with tape to mark out where guests to watch. As one person said, "Disney encourages us to think outside the box, but we make our guests stand in them!" And making them stand in them when the boxes are just made of tape is very difficult - especially when you get stubborn guests, and trust me there are many of them out there!! In later days we did have stanchions and ropes containing the wild animals guests.


After the route is lined out we then spent time interacting with guests. You'll see many photos of that because believe it or not I get shy and have a very hard time approaching people and just being their entertainment. So to have photographic evidence that I did it is something I want to force upon the world!



See?? I talked to people!! This particular day I was in the Minnie Mouse section. Bet you didn't know there were character sections on that parade route! When Minnie came through she would be singing Pata Pata, and clapping along. Of course we want guests to participate and feel like part of the show, but how will they know what to sing and do? That's where I come in handy! I got to walk around and tell everyone what to do when Minnie comes through. And I had to pin trade. I hated that bleeping pin lanyard so much.


For frame of reference, in this photo below I am facing the river and the Tree of Life is just across from me. Apparently I was quite entertaining, or sadly pathetic, judging by the look on the face of orange shirt mom!


Then my adorable little girl came back to me from across the "street". I remember her and her little brother. They were the cutest kids I had ever seen while working at Disney, and frankly nobody ever topped them! She wanted me to come back to her area. Wow!


As the parade gets closer you can see the spots filling up more and more. In these photos I am right in front of Caravan Stage, my other home at DAK. I guess my shirt needed tucked in better? Seriously? This is what I get photos taken of me doing???


This photo still stuns me. I was playing peekaboo with a baby! ME!! If you know me you know that prior to having my own baby I pretty much had no idea how to interact with small, young humans. But that little boy and I had a good vibe going!


Are you ready for my official parade body position?? Here it is! This is the "please keep moving in the direction my arm is pointing. Do not stop on Go. Do not collect $100. Keep going. And stay in the tape. And keep moving." pose. At this current time I was getting stray guests out of the parade's pathway because it was just around the corner and coming our way!


Wanna watch the parade? Okay, let's do it!


Can we take a moment to look at my hair in this photo below? It's incredible. I mean how is it so tidy? It wasn't freshly brushed.  How did I do that??


Pata Pata!! Pata Pata!!

Mas que nada


Iko Iko


And for your big finale, the big cheese himself ... Mickey Mouse!



*Side story... during the week of Christmas/New Year's I lost my voice working the parade route. I was always up by the bridge leading to Discovery Island, which was a very narrow walkway and a popular spot for guests to try to stop. That means it was very hard to keep the traffic flow and stay happy and get guests to listen.... and what happened to me?? A guest pushed me out of the way into the bushes! Yeah. People are awesome.


ºoº See ya real soon!

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