Tales of a Disney Student : A Week of Learning

Hello my dear friends,
It seems as if it has been a very long since I have updated my Blog. However, it has only been 6 days. Crazy how fast time goes go by, and yet how slow at the same time (if that even makes sense). A bunch of stuff has taken place in the my life since I last wrote. Without further ado, here is an update on yours truly...

     *Last Monday I had orientation. Originally I had thought it would be my first day of training, but I was incorrect. My orientation ended up consisting of taking a tour of Animal Kingdom, and meeting the trainers that would eventually train the new cast members. --In case I have not mentioned this before, Animal Kingdom is basically Disney's version of a zoo.-- Having a tour of the Animal Kingdom was pretty neat. The trainer who was my groups tour guide, knew SO much about Animal Kingdom! I asked her if there was a book with facts about Animal Kingdom? Her answer was, no, but that some of her information was from a book, but most is from listening to others knowledge. This was also the day I was able to get my costume for my job position. I am not so sure if I'm going to upload a photo yet. My costume is VERY bright! Maybe eventually you all shall see it.
      *Tuesday was my first official, on the job, day. It was a pretty law low day. Mainly getting comfortable with the back stage area as well as what type of merchandise I will be selling in each separate location I could potentially work. This day was also the start of getting sick for me. I know, not even 2 weeks into the program and I am already feeling under the weather. However, I think that the sickness is my bodies way of getting adapted to Floridian life.
     *Then on Wednesday I was off, which was fabulous! Since I wasn't feeling 100%, I had a "lazy" day. Honestly, these are my favorite. They are perfect for thinking about life, and for learning new things, as well as recharging one's energy (:
     *Thursday I spent all day at the Disney University learning about the combination of Merchandise and Entertainment that Disney so cleverly calls 'Merchantainment'. After this class, my brain was on overload! There was so much information thrown at my fellow cast members and I. I'm pretty sure all of us left that day feeling like, "what have we gotten ourselves into"? The main reason for the information overload is because this is the day I was taught how to use the Disney POS (Point Of Sale) System. The instructors were very encouraging though, which was wonderful! The lady who taught had been a school teacher for 30 years and after retiring, became a cast member for Disney. The man who taught is currently a cast member at the Emporium --extremely large Disney store-- in Magic Kingdom (for those of you located in California, Disneyland has an Emporium as well).
     *On Friday and Saturday I was able to put what I had learned into practice. At first I was intimidated. Not only was I expected to know, understand, and use the POS system, but when you wear a Disney costume every single guest assumes that you now everything there is to know about Animal Kingdom. After about 16 hours of practice, I'm getting used to the merchandise role. It will most likely take another week or two for me to feel comfortable in the role. One of the other roles I have aside from register, is stocking the floor. This part of my job is really fun actually. Some of you reading this might not know me well enough to know that I LOVE organization! Working in merchandise fits perfectly with my personality, at least up to this point. haha. During my register role, I get to interact with the guests and make them feel special. Then during my stocking role, I get to make the store inviting for guests.

In addition to the daily events I listed above, there are a few other things that I have to share with you all.
In no particular order...
     First, is that almost everyday I get caught in the rain! But seriously, without fail it happens. Even if I have an umbrella, I always end up without it just as it down pours.
     Second, because of all the rain the cloud formations are gorgeous! If it was possible for me to combine the Tucson Arizona sunset, the sunrise from an Island off the coast of Belize, and the clouds from Orlando Florida, that would be perfect! Hehe
     Third, Saturday night I went to Magic Kingdom all by myself. Yes, I can be a loner, but it ended up being just the thing I needed. First off, I love Disneyland and nothing will ever change the magical feeling I get every time I enter the property. However, Magic Kingdom has something that Disneyland won't ever have and that is a ferryboat. No joke, picture a big body of water and across it is the Magic Kingdom. Sparkling with all its white lights, and the picturesque Cinderella castle in your view, it was breath taking! Then there was the fireworks. Magic Kingdom has titled the attraction, "Wishes". Watching them was like being a child again. The combination of the exquisite castle, the fanciful music, and the sparkly-bright fireworks, all came together to create one of the most magical experiences possible. Oh, and I can't forget the fact that Disney is very talented at creating romantic settings, fyi.

Being in that environment was just what I needed to remind me why I am where I am. The past couple weeks have been difficult. Living in Florida and working for the Disney Company has caused some unexpected emotions. I am an independent individual, but being at the most magical place on earth, with no one near and dear to share it with, has been hard. There is the saying, "home is where the heart is", and the truth is my heart is not connected to Florida, yet. Surprisingly, spending a few hours reliving the child-like magic the only Disney can create, helped me to be at peace with where God has placed me. Oh, and there is also the fact that even being in the Disney College Program is an incredible blessing and opportunity. I learned that in a years time, Walt Disney World accepts about 2,000 individuals into their college program. This number is not split evenly between the Spring and Fall semester, it is whatever Disney decides. After hearing this, my mind was blown.

     Fourth, I am very thankful to those who graciously warned me about the negativity I would hear from other cast members. However, it still surprises me that people choose to focus on the negative. Also, there is a mindset of entitlement that I have noticed. I am working for a Fortune 500 company, and not only am I, but everyone else here is too. Being here only two weeks I can understand why people forget that they are working for the company that creates magic for a living. However, my newly found way of re-charging my love for the magic, is to spend an evening watching fireworks. Seems legit, right? Haha (:

To all those who took the time to read this, thank you. My life is ever changing. I'm constantly learning something new and also doing my best to remember that through all this madness, God is the one thing that remains consistent.

Once again I come to the part where I say... wishing you all a magical evening and week!