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I miss Disneyland, my job, and all of my friends like crazy. Now that the program is over and I’m settled into what my day-to-day life will be like from now on, I realize it’s a lot different; it’s calm and blah and very predictable. I miss the exciting Disney days. The funny-heartwarming-wild-often ridiculous tourists, working in unpredictable weather, walking walking walking everywhere, my high-waisted cullottes… I work at PetSmart now…I literally stand at the cash register for only 16 hours a week schmoozing people and their dogs, offering tips on the care and keeping of fish, or just waiting and waiting for someone to check-out. Don’t get me wrong, I love animals and I’m grateful to even have a job, but I’m used to being busy and being responsible…I can’t seem to shake the Disney lifestyle and ethics. This compared is lacking and completely unfulfilling.

The sad news is I think I’ve ‘officially’ decided I WONT be coming back to Disneyland to work. If I came for spring I would have to come back for summer and winter, every year, forever. I can’t have two separate lives, back and forth… PetSmart would NOT like me continually asking for a month off and it would be hard on my family and myself. I will eventually have to either choose to move to Anaheim to work at Disneyland as my life-long career, or end it. I might as well end it now. Who am I kidding? I know I will never move there permanently. I miss my JOB to death but I can’t live that far away from my family and the valley. I still don’t know what I’m going to DO with my life but I do know that my elderly grandparents (all four of them) and my four-year-old little niece are more dear to me than any career (even my beloved Disney one). The good news is, during Spring break I’ll be in LA (going on a cruise!) and will hopefully (I don’t see why not) be able to come to Disneyland and see everyone. I could never bear to completely remove Disney from my life…I wish I could always work there but I’m just not willing to live so far away. I plan on visiting as often as I can. It won’t be the same, but it’s something.

Its going to kill me to say that in just three days, I won’t be a cast member anymore… I will most likely never work for Disney again. It’s so weird to think it’s over, that it was just ‘something I did when I was in college’. I’m going to miss it incredibly, but I’ll still come as often as I can to be one of those crazy tourists I miss. I’ll still hopefully get to see all my cast member friends and my much-loved roommates (404 forever!).

I hope I find something that makes me happy and fills the hole in me that yearns to do something worthwhile, something that HELPS people. I may be making a huge mistake but the choice is mine and I guess I’m choosing that family comes first. I love you Walt Disney and Disneyland. Thanks for the opportunity, the wonderful experience and all the wisdom and utter inspiration it has given me. Now I move on to ‘bigger and better things’ *she said jokingly* Just trying to cheer myself up….

I just renewed my domain and I realized that its definitely time to write another blog. I’m afraid I’ve been putting it off for a LONG time and I’m sorry…For one thing, the longer I put it off, the more I’m stressed and avoid it at all costs. I am so busy, every single day! It’s hard to have time to send a letter or do laundry, forget exercising, writing blogs and cooking real food haha.

I’ve officially been working at Disneyland for one month. There are obviously a million things I could say (truly, a million) but if I did, this would become an absolute novel. I’m also unsure of what exactly I’m allowed to discuss about my role and everything about the Walt Disney company in general.

I am in Attractions and I run the Jumpin’ Jellyfish and the Golden Zephyr. My role is great because I get to be around guests ALL day long. I really love telling silly jokes on the Zephyr and making people laugh…there’s nothing quite like seeing a little girls face light up when I hand her an Honorary Scuba Diver sticker… Making guests happy is what I strive for; as I said in my interview, I treat people the way I would like to be treated…and believe me, I expect a lot when I’m at Disneyland! I really do try to go above and beyond.

It hurts a lot when a guest is upset (especially when they blame it on you specifically) but, as difficult as it is, you have to try not to let it bother you. I take everything personally myself; when a guest is upset for whatever reason, I try to fix it if I can. I absolutely hate telling guests that California Screamin’ is down for a month, for example, or that they aren’t tall enough to ride the Jellyfish… I know it makes them unhappy (sometimes VERY unhappy) and they are both things I cannot resolve. But, you have to get used to it and know that you’re doing the very best you can to make the guests have a great time, and if they go away upset or unsatisified…hey, you know you did everything in your power to change that.

No matter how monotonous the job gets (‘Please stay inside your rocket vehicles until they come to a full AND complete stop’ 50 times a day) you must remember that every three minutes your attraction is filled with new guests who are all unique and special, who have never been on this ride, who are with their families, who are having fun. You have to remember this and stay as happy, as friendly, as ‘Disney’ as possible. It’s a great job though and I love it immensely.

Everything in life has some cons with its pros but my job has more of the latter and less of the former, thank goodness.

Overall, I like my roommates, I really enjoy my job, I’m having lots of fun! I do miss my family horribly (and my poor car)! I also miss ANIMALS. I never realized what a big part pets have played in my life…I miss petting cats and dogs so so much. What I would give to have a warm little body resting next to me on the couch, or to hear my Benny Joon barking at his squeak toy. I would love to have a little betta fish but alas…we aren’t allowed even that. I joke with Jake that when he comes to visit me, he should bring one of his thirteen cats over with him for the day, let me pet it and then take it back with him. I’m only half-joking.

Me and my Roommates!

Me, Katie, Kylie, Cynthia and Alyssia

Much has happened since I left, I know that much is true. My dear ‘little’ cousin got married two weeks ago and I MISSED it. I’m truly crushed and heartbroken I couldn’t be there. I am going to try as hard as I can to come home for Christmas for a few days but we’ll see.; I don’t have a car, its hard to get days off, and gas/transportation would be expensive.

But on a positive note, this experience has been/is wonderful. Being truly on my own, paying real bills ($600 rent, yikes!), grocery shopping, cleaning, working a full-time job, going to class, all with the good ol’ city bus. My everyday life takes some serious planning, just to get all the trivial things done that need to be done. I’ve always been mature and independent so it’s not anything new…I know I’m grateful for already having been ‘an adult’ BEFORE I got here; I know many people who are having a hard time being away from mommy and daddy; they can’t budget, clean up after themselves or get to work on time.

Having fun on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

So…this is all for now. A big, unexciting ramble of mush. I’m sorry it’s not amazing, especially for having been so long from the last blog, but like I said…I’m so busy and right now I’m tired and I would like to lay in my bed and read some good ol’ Jane Austen. Tomorrow I’m waking up early, going to the boardwalk games in Disney California Adventure and winning me a Bullseye plushie (from Toy Story). Wish me luck!

I miss you all! Come and see me. We’ll have so much fun, I promise! :-D

Hey everyone! Sorry it’s been slow lately- expect it to get much slower. I’m afraid my family and I aren’t doing very well financially. My cellphone, the internet, and a variety of other things are/is getting shut off. Stay tuned though; I promise to bring regular blog posts back in the near future, hopefully. My Disneyland career is coming up fairly quickly, not quick enough though haha. Come on August 14th, please hurry…pretty please?

I know that all of us are positively DYING with excitement and maybe a little friendly jealousy, hearing all about our fellow CMs experiences at Disneyland. I think I speak for everyone when I say that I am so proud of all the new employees, I’m so glad that everyone is having such a great time. I’m sure the first few weeks take a lot of getting used to and are probably quite stressful but you guys rock for going down to Los Angeles and toughing it out. Way to go! I know that I am sincerely looking forward to meeting each and every one of you in person; “See you real soon!” ^.^

Now on to today’s Countdown Fact:

One of the Imagineers on the technical team for the recent renovation of The Twilight Tower of Terror estimated he rode the attraction nearly 3,000 times and often spent as much as three hours at a time strapped in while the drop sequences were tested.

79 days left until August 14th, the day we begin our adventures at Disneyland!

:-)

In the beginning, the narrator of the Goofy “How To” cartoons, animator John McLeish, was not told that the script was a joke and that Goofy would be doing everything backward. The deadpan narration that resulted is partly responsible for the series’ success.


Bonus Trivia: What were some of the names by which Goofy was known before the moniker “Goofy” firmly stuck?

Dippy Dawg, Dippy the Goof, and Mr. Geef

Only 91 days until August 14th- Check-in day for my job at Disneyland!

Self explanatory- poor Roscoe

And a dear little honeybee was relaxing on a leaf of me and Jake’s tomato plant. ^.^

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