10%

“I’m so glad I left my tower!”

-Rapunzel

During my first program, I had the worst habit of counting down my time left working in Disney.  My roommates and I would be standing in line for a ride or sitting in our living room, and I would randomly blurt out, “We’re 48% done with our program!”  Though I was often met with heavy sighs and eye rolls from my roommates, the dreary undertone of these statements was always clear–our time was finite.  Rather than discouraging us, however, this realization only made us more adamant to pack each day with joy, adventure, and fantastical wonders.

I am now 10% done with my Summer Alumni Program.

Our first week was nothing short of a whirlwind!  The first few days were occupied by moving in and jumping through various formalities of employment.  For quite a while, this whole experience has felt extremely surreal.  It hadn’t fully sunken in yet that I was back in my happy place, working for the company I love.  I knew that it would not truly feel real until our Disney orientation, Traditions.

As I suspected, Traditions did the trick.

Two of my roommates and I were in the morning class on the Friday of our first week.  Although I have already experienced this orientation once before, it was just as inspiring.  There is something very special about sitting amongst fifty other (almost) Cast Members, eagerly awaiting our inauguration.  While receiving my new name tag and walking through Magic Kingdom was incredible, my favorite moment of Traditions was a fifteen second video clip from Disneyland’s opening day in 1955.  Before concluding the ceremony, Walt looked right at the camera and said, “I just want to say a word of thanks to all the artists, the workers, and everybody that helped make this dream come true.”  Though these words were spoken years ago, his gratitude is felt to this day.  Don’t worry, Uncle Walt–we’re taking good care of your dream.

Having finished Traditions, my roommates and I were finally able to enter the parks with our complimentary access.  Rather than spending our first night in Magic Kingdom like most CPs do, we decided to stray from the pack and venture out to my home park, Animal Kingdom.  The new nighttime hours allowed us to experience our favorite attractions in the dark and watch a few of the latest brilliant evening shows.

So far, this program is off to a great start.  And I cannot wait to see what the remaining 90% has in store.

1102 Reunion

“When I look at you, I can feel it.  And I look at you…and I’m home”

-Dory

For six months, I had the greatest privilege of living with five lovely ladies in Florida.  When you do the Disney College Program, you make the most incredible friends–the kind of friends that will fly halfway across the country because you’re having a rough week (thanks again, Sammi), the kind of friends who drag you out of bed to go to House of Blues at one in the morning, the kind of friends who know whether you had a good or bad day at work just by the way you walk through the door.

It’s no secret that I can get overly sappy about my DCP roomies.  They’re kind-hearted, courageous, and way too witty for their own good.  Fortunately, four out of the six of us live in the Midwest, and we’re able to see each other fairly frequently.  However, every time we meet up for dinner or to make gingerbread houses for the holidays together, it is excruciatingly obvious that there is a part of us missing–a part that’s over 1,000 miles away.

It has been 518 days since we were all together on our program.  Until this past weekend.

The youngest of our apartment, Leah, turned 21 on Friday.  Naturally, we all wanted to celebrate this milestone together.  For months, Leah and I have been planning a small reunion with the four Midwesterners and Sammi (who’s from Pennsylvania).  Between making various reservations and organizing the logistics, Leah had expressed to me many, many times how upset she was that only five of the six roomies would be together.

Unbeknownst to Leah at the time, I was in cahoots with Heather, arranging for her to show up unannounced at our Disney family dinner.  We pulled off the surprise splendidly, and there were countless tears and hugs as we were finally reunited once again.

A Very Merry (un)Birthday to You!

I often times refer to Disney as home.  But even more so, these girls are my Ohana–they are my home.

I’ve had a bit of apprehension going into this second program simply because my first DCP experience was so wonderful.  It is difficult to live up to perfection.  I was terrified to work for the Mouse without my old roomies.  They were the ones who pulled me out of my shell and helped me become the confident, ambitious person that I am today.  To say that they have changed my life would be a gross understatement.  They make me better.  They make me brave.

This weekend was exactly what I needed to head into this new Disney adventure.  My roommates all reassured me that, although this time will be different, it will be just as incredible.  I wouldn’t be able to go forward with this program without their unwavering love and support, and I am immensely grateful that they are always in my corner.

It was lovely to be reunited with my first Disney family–if only for a short while.  Now, it’s time for me to be brave on my own.  And even though they aren’t coming on this crazy journey again, I know that I carry the ladies of 1102 with me wherever I go.

Luck of the Irish

“If you had the chance to change your fate, would you?”

-Merida

“How did this all happen again?” you might ask.  Well, to be completely honest, it still baffles me.

For the month of January, I travelled abroad to Ireland with twenty-one other Tommies, studying Irish literature and writing.  We spent our days running around castles, seeking shelter from the rain in pubs, and hiking the beautiful green cliffs of Ireland.

About halfway through the trip, there was some talk on the Disney Alumni Facebook Group about the company doing a summer program.  Though I was hopeful that Disney would confirm the rumors, I was somewhat skeptical that they would actually have a summer program since they’ve been fairly inconsistent in the past.

However, lying wide awake at four in the morning (I was plagued with severe jetlag the entire trip), my hopes were fulfilled as dozens of posts caught my eye while mindlessly scrolling through Facebook.

“The apps have dropped! The apps have dropped! For the Summer Alumni Program!”

I immediately jumped from bed, ran to the living room, and logged onto the Company portal.  Lo and behold, there it was: my key to going back home.  My fingers hammered away on my laptop, finishing the application within thirty minutes of it being released.

I was informed the same day that I advanced on to the Web Based Interview, which I had 72 hours to complete.  Absolutely exhilarated by the chaos of the morning, I hopped onboard a coach with the rest of my group as we traversed the Irish coastline from Dublin up to Belfast.

Upon arriving in Belfast, I spent the few hours of down time we were given filling out my online interview.  By the time I met the group in the hotel lobby for dinner, my phone buzzed with an email saying that I had passed the WBI and should schedule a phone interview with a recruiter.

I am forever grateful to this beautiful land–and this extraordinary herd

For the next two weeks, I galavanted my way through the Emerald Isle, channeling my favorite brave princess (Okay, okay, I know Merida is from Scotland.  But if you squint your eyes while looking across the Giant’s Causeway, I swear you can see that tangle of red hair flying through the forest).

I had my phone interview within ten hours of landing on U.S. soil.  My interviewer, Andrea, and I bonded as we exchanged our “Disney stories” of how we started with the company.  And on February 9th, I learned that I was one of less two-hundred applicants (out of thousands) to be accepted for Walt Disney World.

I’m lucky.  So beyond lucky.

Disney has been one of the best parts of my college years, but Ireland is by far my favorite experience actually through St. Thomas.  I honestly don’t know how or why I was accepted for this summer.  But I have a feeling the luck of the Irish was with me back on that fateful day in January.

It was one heck of an adventure, Ireland.  Thank you for giving me my next one–Sláinte.

Here We Go Again

“Winds in the east, mist coming in / Like something is brewing about to begin / Can’t put my finger on what lies in store / But I feel what’s to happen all happened before”

-Bert the Chimney Sweep

Back again, my friends!  I am beyond excited to announce that I will be joining The Walt Disney Company for round two.  This summer, I will be doing the Disney Summer Alumni Program in Walt Disney World down in Orlando, Florida from mid-May until mid-August.

This program is exclusively for current students who have already successfully completed a Disney College Program.  In the Fall of 2014, I had decided to take a semester off of school to move across the country to work in Disney for six months.  By completing my DCP, I became eligible for the summer-only program this year.

The Disney College Program has been by far the best experience I have ever had in my entire life.  I always knew that I would someday return to the place where dreams come true as a cast member–I just never expected it would be this soon.

I have been accepted as an Attractions Cast Member, and I am absolutely ecstatic to be working in one of the parks for the first time (I worked at a resort on my last program).  The anticipation last program nearly killed me.  But this time around, it is insufferable because I know what amazing experiences await.  Nonetheless, I am absolutely overjoyed to know that I will be home in a few short weeks.

I am counting down until then…

 

Almost There

“It seems to me that we have a lot of story yet to tell”

-Walt Disney

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I officially have only two weeks left to my Disney College Program.  Over the past month or so, I’ve been panicking that my days in the place where dreams come true are dwindling down all too quickly.  My time here has come and gone before I could even mutter the word, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”  It has seemed like there is an overwhelming number of things on my Disney Bucket List that have been left unchecked, and I do not have the time to finish this long-established list.

I had plans of eating exotic foods and riding every single ride in the World and watching Wishes until my eyes burned from all the brilliant exploding lights.  There were events I wanted to attend and celebrities I wanted to meet.  I was going to pack each day with roller-coasters and character interactions.  I was going to doing every single thing that I wanted to do in Disney World because, heck, I’m living here for five months.  But there is simply too much that the World has to offer.  And I recently came to the realization that a good portion of these things on my to-do list just weren’t going to happen.  In all honesty, this thought frustrated me, and I struggled with the idea that I have wasted my time in Disney–or, at the very least, that I didn’t use my time as well as I should have.

However, after much contemplation on my predicament and some reflection on a few wise words from Walt, I know that it is perfectly acceptable that I have not seen every sight or finished my bucket list.  I cannot properly wrap up the Disney College Program in a checklist that was predetermined before I even moved to Florida.  I have given–and continue to give–this Program everything I’ve got.  And that’s enough.

I may not have gone latin dancing with my friends, but I have faced industry night at the House of Blues with my roommates.  I may not have devoured the kitchen sink at Beaches and Cream, but I have eaten the weight equivalent in Mickey ice cream bars and Dole Whips.  And I may not have arm wrestled with Gaston, but by golly I smouldered with Flynn Rider.

Flynn beats Gaston any day

At the end of the day, I’m not going to regret all the things I didn’t get the chance to do.  I’m going to look back fondly at all the incredible things that I could never have dreamt I would do.

With two weeks left, I still have my family coming for vacation to bring in the New Year in the greatest place on Earth.  There is still Christmas carols to be sung, joys to be had, and sweet farewells to be said.  This adventure isn’t over quite yet.

As always, have a magical day!

Elise

Daily Magical Moments–November

“Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine”

-Snow White

November 1st: Today was the first really cold day of fall.  It was nice to finally feel the crisp air.

November 2nd: The highlight of my day was having the opportunity to Skype with Mat this afternoon.

November 3rd: I made a little magical moment at work today!  When I was guarding the aquatic play area, a little boy and his sister ran up to me.  The little guy stuck his hand close to my face with his five fingers all extended, exclaiming that today is his fifth birthday.  The kids would smile at me as they ran by, and when I finished my rotation, I took a few minutes of my break to go to concierge to get I’m Celebrating buttons for them.  I wrote “turning 5” on the little boy’s and wrote “splishing and splashing” for the little girl so she wouldn’t feel left out.  They absolutely loved receiving the buttons, and their parents were surprised and elated by the small gesture.

November 4th: This evening, I had a much needed conversation on the phone with my dad.  I haven’t been homesick at all throughout my program, but talking to him made me miss home and yet feel assured and comforted at the same time.

November 5th: While watching the Cinderella Castle light up for the first time this holiday season, a few of my friends and I stood in awe as (fake) snow fell from the Florida sky.

November 6th: Sammi and I ventured to Animal Kingdom today to see two brand new baby gorillas!

November 7th: I received a little happy gram from my momma in the mail today.

November 8th: After I had to jump in for my eighth rescue this evening, one of my coworkers kindly gave up half of his break so he could man my position while I went to change into dry, warm clothes.

November 9th: A few coworkers and I took on Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival tonight since tomorrow is its last day.

November 10th: While on my way inside for break, a little boy scampered toward me with a plastic hook covering his hand.  The two of us exchanged an array of “arrrrggg matey” and other pirate colloquialisms while his mother was snapping away on her camera, capturing the moment between us.  I couldn’t be happier that someday they’ll look back at those pictures and I will be the smiling cast member who shared that moment.

November 11th: Late this evening, I jumped in with all of my winter gear to help a little girl who panicked from not realizing how deep the water was at the bottom of the slide.  After she was safe and relaxed, I pulled myself out, my fleece jacket and heavy pants saturated with water.  Looking up from my drenched costume, I gazed straight into the eyes of four or five parents who were completely amazed by what had unfolded before them, congratulating me.

November 12th: At the end of the night at work, the aquatic play area is practically a ghost town; no children are in sight, yet we still have to guard the area.  Tonight, one of my coordinators, Brian, came over to make my half hour in the play area more enjoyable by having a bit of a heart to heart about our lives.

November 13th: Tonight, my roommates and I put together our Christmas tree in our living room and all sat in front of it, listening to Frank Sinatra Christmas music and drinking coffee and hot chocolate.

November 14th: My roomies, Katie and Sammi, and I went to see Katie’s absolute favorite singer Phillip Phillips in concert.  The passion with which Phillip Phillips and his band played reminded me of my love for creating music.  In the Hard Rock gift shop was a practice pad; tonight was the first time in months that I picked up a pair of sticks, and as soon as I had the drum pad in front of me, it was like I had never missed a beat.

November 15th: I’m fortunate to have such wonderful roommates who listen to me vent and always have plenty of hugs for me when I’ve had a rough day at work.

November 16th: At work this afternoon, I had a big, burly dad who looked like he could squish me with his pinky come into my zone of the pool with his daughter.  The whole time, they were dancing and grooving to the pop music, making me crack a smile.  As I made eye contact with the man, he explained that they were trying to see if they could get me to laugh, satisfied by their apparent success.

November 17th: I ran into my one of my favorite custodial cast members, Pierre, who always takes the time to ask me how my day is going.

November 18th: My friends, Grace and Albert, and I battled the cold and took on Universal Studios this afternoon, where we wandered the streets of Diagon Alley.

November 19th: Tonight, I was the extra guard that was scheduled in case someone called in sick.  Since everyone showed up to work, I was able to head home early for the night and go to my favorite show, Fantasmic.  It was different watching the show tonight, because I was able to pick out some of the secret backstage, theatrical parts of the production that I recently learned as a cast member.

November 20th: Heather, Sammi, and I had one of our classic, sleep deprived, late-night chats.

November 21st: This evening, I had to drive through the traffic of downtown Orlando during rush hour in order to try on a bridesmaid dress for my sister’s wedding.  Rather than stressing me out, the traffic actually reminded me of driving through Minneapolis back home.

November 22nd: I had a guest who was extremely appreciative when I listened to his concerns about the spa and assured him that I would address the issue with management.

November 23rd: At Caribbean the past couple weeks, we received a few lifeguards who were deployed because of the water park closing.  It’s very nice to see how all the current guards are accepting them into our family and making them feel most welcome.

November 24th: I joined two of my coworkers for a delicious smoked salmon breakfast at Grand Floridian Cafe this morning.

November 25th: Leah and I had a “Minnesota” bonding night, in which we resort hopped to see all of the Christmas decorations around property.

November 26th: I saw the Osborne Family’s Spectacle of Dancing Lights in Hollywood Studios tonight for the first time this holiday season.  It is a light show of over 5 million lights set to Christmas music throughout the Streets of America.  To top everything off, Leah and I met a very kind cast member who helped us find the secret purple cat that is hidden amongst the rest of the lights.

November 27th: Right before entering our break room at Caribbean, there is a beautiful Christmas tree that is decorated with tropical fish and seahorses, which catches my eye every time I walk by.

November 28th: While in the bathroom, I ran into one of the older custodial ladies, Carrie, who reminded me that we really are blessed for having a job and living in such an amazing place.  Later in the evening, the children’s activities coordinator, Amelia, stole me away to do fun, miscellaneous tasks.

November 29th: The child in me was overjoyed as I saw the real life little mermaid, Jodi Benson, narrate the Candlelight Processional.

November 30th: Today was the first day of our pool hours being cut back for the winter months.  We closed the pool an hour earlier than we have been closing, meaning the evening shift starts an hour earlier as well.  While it’s not much of a change to our daily lives, my coworker and I were ecstatic because this means that we now have an hour more with the girls who run children’s activities on the pool deck and we can have more free time in the evening after work.

As always, have a magical day!

Elise

Auditions, Races, Birthdays, Oh My!!

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything never, no. Never. Your friendship is the best present ever.”

-Tigger

Hello, friends and family!  I’m sorry I haven’t updated my blog recently–life here in Disney has been pretty busy to say the least.  Over the past few weeks, adventures have been plentiful and I have found myself caught up in all the magic.

About a month ago, my roomies and I decided on a somewhat-whim to audition to be character performers if we choose to extend our programs.  After talking to my sister/former theatre instructor/ballet extraordinaire, Nicki, about what to expect from auditions and how to best my chances of being selected for a role, I joined hundreds of other CPs in the early morning as we faced official Disney casting directors.  Once completing a process of registering for an audition number and playing the waiting game for quite some time, my roomies and I were taken into a studio where we were briefed on what the cast directors were hoping to find.  In short, they (kindly) prepared us all for being rejected.  The entertainment representatives explained in full depth that, while we all may be qualified for a position, they had extremely specific roles that they must fit to a tee.  The best we could do was bring high energy, smile until our faces hurt, and hope that we happened to be what they were looking for on that specific day.  Upon hearing this, we were introduced to two choreographers who quickly taught us a 16-count dance routine that could be used in a parade.  Now, for those of you who don’t know, my dance experience consists of two years of tap and ballet when I was four, which I decided to quit in order to pursue an art form that suited me a bit better: Taekwondo.  Considering the fact, however, that I can be about as graceful as a newborn deer and I’ve never done a jazz-square in my life before, I think I actually held my own in the audition.  At the very least, I was able to smile my way through it.  It was soon after announced that none of my roommates or I would be going through to the next round of auditions; they were only accepting girls who were mouse height and boys who were at least six feet tall (I fall into the princess height category, meaning I could spend my days with many of the Disney princesses, but I am too tall to run around with Mickey or Minnie).  While for most people it was disappointing to hear that they wouldn’t be character performers this time around, I was absolutely thrilled by the whole audition process.  Auditioning to be a character is something that I would have never even considered doing before I started my program.  But this whole experience has made me try things outside my comfort zone, facing every adventure with courage and enthusiasm, which is what I think being a Disney princess is truly about.

A while after auditions, the Halloween season came into full swing.  Sammi and I had signed up to run the Happy Haunted 5K at Disney’s Wide World of Sports a few months back, and the time finally came for us to hit the trail.  Knowing that neither of us really cared about how fast we ran, we resolved to frolic through the course and have fun during the event.  There were various villainous character meet and greets about every kilometer, so we would stop and take pictures and enjoy the spooky theming.  The race was complete with a visit from the Headless Horseman and a glow-in-the-dark medal at the end.

 One of our many pitstops to meet characters and take a breather on the course

Once mid-October hit, we transitioned from our typical celebrations of being in Disney every day to another celebration: my twentieth birthday.  During the days leading up to my birthday, there was quite an anticipation building in our apartment as my roommates would giggle and glance at one another whenever talking about the surprises that I had in store.  I’ve never been the person to want an exorbitant amount of attention, but when my birthday finally rolled around, I knew that I was in for quite the celebration.  The morning started off with a breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe with Nicki and Mike as they were concluding their trip to Disney before heading to the airport.  There’s nothing better than kicking off my twenties with Mickey Mouse shaped waffles and a big ol’ birthday pin fastened to my dress.  After breakfast, I was Magic Kingdom bound, where I was greeted on Main Street USA by many hugs and squeals from my lovely five roommates.  While I cannot remember what specific rides we rode or how many times I was wished a happy birthday from strangers noticing my pin, I do–and always will–remember the overwhelming euphoria of being in the place where dreams come true for such a special day with such special people.  Typically, a birthday is a time when you celebrate one person.  But this year, mine felt like a celebration of the bonds built between myself and all of my roommates.  It felt like a celebration of how far we’ve all come, of how much I have grown in the few months being here.  It’s not often that all six of us have the same day off of work, and I am beyond lucky to kiss my teen years goodbye in the presence of some of the greatest ladies I’ve ever met with the picturesque backdrop of Cinderella Castle behind us.

A typical candid shot of us (minus Katie) as we’re adventuring through the World

After spending the afternoon in Magic Kingdom, Heather, Sarah, Sammi, and I headed over to Universal Studios to get the living daylights scared out of us at Halloween Night of Horrors.  Hand in hand, we ran and screamed our way through haunted houses and various scare zones, including my favorite one that was based of the horror movie, The Purge.  As someone who hates anything that goes bump in the night, the best part of the evening for me was singing and dancing along to an incredible tribute to The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  When it was all said and done, I had one of the most wonderful birthdays in one of the most wonderful places on Earth.

As always, have a magical day!

Elise

Daily Magical Moments–October

“And a voice keeps saying this is where I’m meant to be”

-Hercules

October 1st:  I celebrated the first of October with a Pumpkin Spice Latte while walking down Main Street U.S.A., which was lined with colored leaves and beautiful fall decor.

October 2nd: I had to chance to unwind by finally watching the series premiere of my favorite show, Doctor Who.

October 3rd: This evening while I was bumping off a stand, I overheard a mom and dad trying unsuccessfully to convince their little girl, Lily, to ride the big slide.  As soon as I was off duty, I got down on bended knee in front of the little girl and started talking to her about how I love going down the slide and explaining that my friend, Joe, was the lifeguard who would make sure that nothing bad happened to her.  After leaving her comforted and smiling with her mother, I continued on to my next stand.  Within five minutes of being at my next position, I heard cheers coming from the other side of the pool, quickly followed by the little girl running all the way to the other side of the pool where I was to tell me excitedly that she went down the slide twice thanks to me.

October 4th: Sammi and I laced up our running shoes today and ran the Happy Haunted 5K in Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex, complete with various character meet and greets scattered around the course and a glow in the dark medal at the end.

October 5th: Over the past couple of months, I have had the pleasure of getting to know fellow CPs, part timers, and full timers alike.  One of my favorite full timers is an older Haitian man named Pierre.  He always makes a point of asking me how I’m doing on a daily basis and has the most radiant, positive energy I’ve ever encountered.  The other day, I had told him that I am a black belt in Taekwondo and today when he saw me, he started doing martial art moves at me to make me laugh.

October 6th: Today I had to jump in for my fifth rescue at work.  The mother of the young boy tracked me down an hour later when I was guarding the aquatic play area to thank me and express her sincere gratitude.  It was definitely a magical moment for me because this was the first thank you that I have gotten from a parent for saving their child.

October 7th: I had a little girl with cerebral palsy watching her little brother play in the aquatic play area this afternoon.  Unfortunately, she was too tall to join him on the slides and play structure so instead, I made an effort to talk to her about all of her favorite princesses and rides in the parks.  As she and her family were leaving to head to Magic Kingdom, I curtsied down to her and called her “your highness” while wishing them a wonderful day.  A huge smile spread across her face as she felt like royalty.

October 8th: I got the chance to Skype with my kitties, Tinker Bell and Tiger Lily, thanks to my sister and my mom.  Apparently, Tiger Lily has been acting up since I’ve been gone.  She was even being pretty finicky as my mom was trying to get her to place her in front of the computer, but the moment she heard me talking to her, she immediately calmed down and laid right in front of the screen.

October 9th: My sister, Nicki, and her boyfriend (and my best bud) Mike flew in today for their visit!

October 10th: Today, I got to play with Mikey and Nicki all day in Epcot!

October 11th: While on the ferry boat to go to Hollywood Studios, I saw a family that was laughing and playing together and it reminded me of why I work in the happiest place on earth.  Walt always wanted a place where both adults and children can play and have fun together.  It warmed my heart to actually see that unfold in front of me.

October 12th: Nicki and Mikey got engaged!  We celebrated afterward by heading over to Epcot to watch the firework show, Illuminations.

October 13th: While I was cleaning up various towels and straightening lawn chairs, I had an older gentleman tell me that it was nice to see me smiling while I was working and that my smile would take me far in life.  I also had my seventh rescue and the mother was immensely grateful.  Later in the afternoon, one of my coordinators, Amelia, held up the whiteboard to me that said “Hey, I just wanted to remind you that you’re amazing” which completely brightened my day.

October 14th: To celebrate my twentieth birthday, Nicki got tickets for the three of us to attend a special dessert party while watching the firework spectacular in Magic Kingdom, Wishes.

October 15th: Nicki, Mikey and I enjoyed a dinner together at Ohana to commemorate my last day as a teenager.

October 16th: I had the absolute best birthday ever today!  It started off with a breakfast with Nicki and Mike, followed by an afternoon in Magic Kingdom with my roomies and an evening at Universal Halloween Horror Night with a couple roommates and friends, and ended with a very sweet birthday message from a very sweet person.

October 17th: Right as we started work today, my fellow lifeguards and I got full-on audited with an “unconscious” guest.  We had to backboard one of our trainers out of the water and perform CPR and defibrillation.  While it was a rather stressful way to begin a shift, we “saved” the person and were praised for how we handled the situation.

October 18th: This evening I witnessed one of the older custodial ladies–who is normally known to be cranky–share her dinner with a few CPs in our break room.

October 19th: This evening, I did the almost impossible for a lifeguard–I got not one, but two, four-keys cards.  These are little ways that cast members are recognized for outstanding work.  I received one for talking to and encouraging a guest who was out on a run.  Unbeknownst to me, she had been a former lifeguard at Caribbean Beach and was in great need during her workout of some words of encouragement, so she took note of my name and went to my manager to comment on how kind I was to her.  The other four-keys card was awarded to me by one of my fellow guards for something that I had done for a little girl.  While I was cleaning the island at our resort, I encountered a man in an electric wheelchair and his little girl.  The man pretended to shoot one of our pirate cannons, so I immediately played into the scene, using pirate lingo and laughing with the two of them.  As they were leaving, he said how I was a blessing–without evening knowing the blessing that I would end up being.  I continued walking around the island to the playground where I found a little stuffed cheetah.  Picking it up, I asked everyone I saw if it belonged to them.  Nobody claimed the little animal, but one woman mentioned how she thought it might be the little girl’s who was with the man in the electric wheelchair.  Remembering the general direction that they were headed, I ventured off for fifteen minutes to find them in order to return the precious doll.  I finally found them in the food court and the moment the little girl saw her cheetah in my hands, her eyes lit up and she almost started crying with relief.

October 20th: By the end of the night shift, my work friends and I are always pretty loopy which resulted in tons of laughing and goofiness tonight.

October 21st:  While guarding today, I had two adorable little girls in my pool who were choreographing a synchronized swim routine.  It made me smile, as I remembered how my sisters and I would choreograph skating routines in our basement when we were kids.

October 22nd: My girls from work and I bonded in the Party Van (aka my huge soccer mom van) on the way home from work.

October 23rd: This morning, I stepped aboard the Disney Dream cruise ship to sail to the Bahamas and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, with Mat.

October 24th: The spectacular Pirates of the Caribbean firework show lit the night sky tonight.  Gazing in awe at fireworks while on the open sea is by far one of the coolest moments I’ve had since coming down to Disney.

October 25th: With nothing but dark blue as far as the eye can see, accompanied by the scattering of hundreds of tiny stars, we spent the evening chatting out on the verandah with two other friends on the ship.

October 26th: Tonight, I sat amongst hundreds of other guests as we all shared in the experience of watching Disney’s theatrical production, Believe, in the Walt Disney Theatre on the ship.  A play that truly had a Disney heart, it was beyond magical to be absorbed in all of the happenings on stage.

October 27th: I had a relaxing morning before having to disembark the Disney Dream.  After which, I excitedly came home to my lovely roommates who I had missed very dearly while on my vacation.

October 28th: I was welcomed with hugs on my first day back to work after my cruise by my amazing coworkers.

October 29th: Tonight at work, we had a real three whistle medical emergency in which we had to completely clear the pool and have all hands on deck.  I was beyond grateful for all of my coworkers; fortunately, the man was all right but I am confident that if the situation was worse, we would have been able to competently provide care for him.

October 30th: After my friend from work so kindly offered to trade shifts with me for the following day, my coordinator called my manager and persuaded him on my behalf to let us switch shifts even though it was past the deadline for requests so that I could go to the airport.

October 31st: Today while waiting to see a friend before his flight, I realized that, despite the general frustration of going through security and being surrounded by germs and strangers, the airport is quite a beautiful place.  It keeps people honest–the exchange of hellos and goodbyes produce some of the most heartfelt hugs and sentiments shared between loved ones that I’ve ever seen.

As always, have a magical day!
Elise

Daily Magical Moments–September

“Any day spent with you is my new favorite day.  So, today is my new favorite day.”

-Winnie the Pooh

This month was really made special by all the people I have the joy of having in my life.  This post highlights some of my favorite moments with these people.

September 1st: I absolutely love my job!  Today at work, a woman came up to tell me how impressed she was with my attentiveness and dedication to my work.  While guarding the children’s play area, I had a little girl who was wonderfully inquisitive and would come up every few seconds to ask me questions such as why the playground was in the shape of a crashed pirate ship and how the ship crashed.  I also made a little buddy who would wave to me every time he trotted by and proclaimed that I was the “best lifeguard ever!”

September 2nd: While all of the guards were doing the final sweep tonight after pool close, a little girl rushed up to me to ask if I had seen her black and red flip flops.  After informing her that I had not seen them and advising her to check concierge, she seemed a bit down as she made her way back to her mom in order to turn in for the night.  A few minutes later, I noticed that another guard was holding a pair of sandals that fit her description and looked like they would suit a young girl’s feet, so I took the flip flops and chased down the girl and her mom as they were on their way across property.  The little girl’s face lit up and her mother exuded gratitude.

September 3rd: While off the stand at work tonight, I had the chance to converse with a family with two youngsters from England.  The kids and I played a few games of giant Jenga and the parents took great interest in my Program.

September 4th: Today, I boarded the Disney Dream, one of four Disney cruise ships, in order to visit a fellow cast member.  The ship was absolutely breathtaking, and the intricacies of design really brought the Disney magic to sea.  Afterward, I was able to grill Italian chicken and share a family dinner with my roommates.

September 5th: Unfortunately, I became rather sick this morning while my roomies and I were waiting in line for our breakfast reservation at the Crystal Palace.  A mix of 106 degree heat and having not eaten anything left me feeling like I was going to pass out.  After quickly running into the air conditioning to sit down and try not to faint, my roommates rushed after me, tending to my every need.  It’s nice to know that I live with such compassionate girls who really care for one another.

September 6th: After having to be up by the break of dawn for in-service lifeguard training, my coordinators let me have the Early Release so that I wouldn’t have to work my p.m. shift.  I took the night to relax and recuperate from my cold.

September 7th: Tonight I’m grateful for awe-inspiring music.  Every so often, magic happens between lyrics and melodies.  I’ve been finding that with many songs lately, and it’s wonderful.

September 8th: After numerous difficult incidents on the pool deck, tonight should have been considered a horrible day at work.  However, because of my incredible coworkers, we were able to laugh everything off and make the most of an interesting night.  On the bright side, I got to guard the band, Switchfoot, since they were staying at our resort and swimming in our pool. Also, my roomies stayed up to let me vent all the happenings of the day while eating ice cream.

September 9th: My roomies and I spent the morning at Blizzard Beach and after I got to Early Release from work, we hit up Hollywood Studios.

September 10th: I had my first rescue tonight!  Afterward, I had a guest who is a firefighter/emergency responder come up and compliment me on how quickly and proficiently I reacted to the situation.

September 11th: Tonight, I came home from a very long day at work to a beautifully fall decorated apartment.

September 12th: Sammi and I had today off so we spent the afternoon and evening having adventures and doing practically everything that EPCOT has to offer.  After coming home, we went with Katie, Leah, and Heather for another round of late-night pancakes at IHop, where we had our favorite waitress serving us.  Returning home, we finished the night with a slap-happy game of Cards Against Humanity; the laughter that rang throughout our apartment was absolutely contagious.

September 13th: Today is my dad’s birthday!  While I was a little bummed that I’m not in Minnesota to celebrate with him, I was fortunate to be able to Skype him and the rest of my family–along with my sisters’ boyfriends–for a bit this evening.  Although the frequent calls home suffice, it was really nice to actually see all of them.

September 14th: At work today, I was not on the rotation.  My coordinators are still scheduling seven guards despite the fact that we only need five at the moment to run the pool, so there were two Early Releases up for grabs.  Unfortunately, nobody–including myself–wanted to take the ER so instead of going on stand, I ended up biking around the property for seven hours straight in order to count how many people are in our seven pools every fifteen minutes.  While my quads were killing by the end of the day, I came to the realization that I truly work in paradise.  I got to watch the sunset over our lake and I even was able to see the fireworks from the various parks over the horizon.

September 15th: This evening Leah and I wandered around the Port Orleans resort and got some freshly made beignets before heading over to Hollywood Studios to watch my absolute favorite show, Fantasmic.

September 16th: Sarah’s and my Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy costumes stole the show tonight.  It was a ton of fun having random strangers take photos of us and comment on our awesome costumes as we walked by.

September 17th: Today, I heard from a friend back home who texted me just to say how happy she was to see me happy.

September 18th: Reason #19727535656 why I have the best roommates in the world–Heather, Sarah, Sammi, and I decided to go to Pirates League today and get decked out in eye patches and sword sheaths.  While most of the people who undergo this makeover are adolescent boys, we were some of the best bearded lady pirates around.

September 19th: It’s not frequent that we as lifeguards get thanked for what we do day after day.  Today at work, I had the kindest old man come up to thank me and pass on his regards to my coworkers for performing our job so well.  The whole time, he was glancing over at his granddaughter–who obviously had him wrapped around her finger–and I could tell that he was genuinely grateful for each of us.

September 20th: Part of my rotation at work today was to ride around the property on a bike for an hour to check the various pools and make sure all the guests are doing well.  It was by far the best part of my 10-hour work day.

September 21st: I got the chance to spend the afternoon with my Aunt Beth, Aunt Jana, and Nana!  We roamed around Hollywood Studios and got to enjoy the Frozen Sing-Along show.

September 22nd: In the wee hours of the morning, my roomies and I raided each other’s closets, got all dolled up for a ladies night out, and ventured to the House of Blues to dance our cares away.  It was definitely an adventure for the record books, one that only reaffirmed how fantastic my roommates are.

September 23rd: Best day at work! While bumping onto stand, my coworker announced that we had Queen Elsa of Arendale in our pool.  Seeing the little blonde, I immediately jumped into character, pretending to be starstruck and fawning over her majesty.  She absolutely lit up with delight and thought it was hilarious when I thanked her for not freezing our pool.  My favorite coordinator also came over to visit me on stand numerous times throughout the night to praise my work and express how much he trusted me with the water.  Coincidentally, I also had to jump in for a rescue tonight.  The little boy couldn’t touch the bottom of the pool and immediately got disoriented as he struggled in the current at the end of the slide.  After safely swimming him to the side, he told me how he had a 103 degree fever and was very grateful for such a young child that I was there to help.  Later in the evening while on break, I had another one of my coordinators politely interrupt me and relay how a dad had sought her out to tell her how impressed he was with my work.  These kind of days are what make me remember that all the hard work and long hours are worth it.

September 24th: While waiting for Leah to get out of class, Katie and I bonded, talking about life.

September 25th: Today was my day off so I took the evening to catch up on life a recuperate from another cold.

September 26th: For the first time in weeks, my friend and I were working together.  Before we had to start our shift, we got to line-dance Disney adapted moves to the Cupid Shuffle on the pool deck with the Children’s Activities girls.

September 27th: After begging countless lifeguards to help me out, one of my New Zealand coworkers kindly switched shifts with me for Monday so I can attend character performer auditions.

September 28th: Guest interaction was the name of the game today.  In the aquatic play area, I had a little girl pull on my shorts to tell me her name was Mia.  Getting down on bended knee, I shook her tiny hand and introduced myself, hearing her parents laugh at the cute interaction from the side.  I also met the most adorable little twins, Hope and Faith, who would follow me every time I would make a lap around the play area and giggle.  Catching the shuffling of feet behind me, I would pretend that I didn’t know they were behind me and would quickly whip around and say “Gotcha!” sending them into another giggling tizzy.  Their father then later came up to me and expressed his gratitude for my attentiveness to his girls and even confessed that we are the only lifeguards that he has ever actually trusted with his daughters’ lives.  While bumping off stand, I overheard a little boy having a bit of a meltdown for not being able to find the Hidden Mickey that was somewhere on the pool deck, causing his parents to become frustrated with him.  After safely getting off stand, I walked over to the little guy and asked if he was looking for one of those gems that are hidden all over property.  Fortunately a few days ago, another lifeguard had shown me where one of them was on the fortress by our pool, so I had the boy and his parents move to the perfect viewing spot and climbed up next to the rock to outline the Mickey head.  Making my way back over to the family, the boy was all smiles that he finally saw one and his parents thanked me profusely for calming down their son and taking the time to make his day. Finally, later that night in the pouring rain, I noticed a man who was hesitant to go out in the storm, so I fetched a stack of towels for him to wrap up in and to use to dry off once he got to his room.  He was so baffled by the kind gesture that he tried to tip me.  Graciously turning down the offer, he inquired for my name so that he could properly thank me and shook my hand.

September 29th: For the first time in quite some time, my friend and I finally worked a full shift together.  It’s always a fun time when we close down the pool together.  Joking and dancing, we have a ball wrapping everything up for the night.

September 30th: In the late hours of the night, Heather, Sarah, and I had the brilliant idea to feng-shui our apartment by moving all the furniture in our living room to our dining room and vice versa.  It’s the little random adventures like these that make me love my crazy roomies all the more.

As always, have a magical day!

Elise

Boo To You

“You’re in my world now not your world.  And I got friends on the other side!”

-Dr. Facilier

Fall has officially arrived at Walt Disney World!  It is quite magical the way Disney completely transforms the parks and decorates for the seasons, creating a whole different world.  One day we were at Magic Kingdom and it was classic Main Street U.S.A and the next day we went and there were fall leaves and pumpkins everywhere.  I was worried that I would miss fall back home–that I would miss the crisp air and crunch of yellow and red beneath my feet–but simply walking throughout the parks has that similar magical effect but with an added bit of pixie dust.

Here at Walt Disney World, we tend to celebrate holidays a tad early.  Last week, my roommates and I attended Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!  Donning our costumes, we headed to Magic Kingdom for trick-or-treating, riding roller coasters with minimal wait time, dancing with Disney villains like Dr. Facilier from Princess and the Frog, and watching all the special edition performances that feature everything spooky and wicked.

My roomies and I have been planning this night for months.  Per usual, each of our personalities completely shown through as we chose and made our costumes over the course of the last couple weeks.  Our family was divided into three cute costumes and three silly costumes.  Leah dressed as Disney’s Alice; Katie went as Pinocchio; Sammi was the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella; Heather was Darla from Finding Nemo, and Sarah and I broke the Disney pattern and went as Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy from Spongebob.

Me, Sarah, Heather, Leah, Sammi, and Katie at Mickey’s Not So Scary

The party was absolutely amazing and I was left awe-inspired watching the haunted mansion dancers in the parade and the specially themed ghostly firework show.  Being able to celebrate the holidays here and experience the different seasons so far away from home has made this whole adventure evermore exciting.  With birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas coming up, I cannot wait to see what’s around the corner.

As always, have a magical day!

Elise