Language Barrier

DCP – Day 19 – August 31, 2012

Tonight I worked at In Character, the store outside of The Little Mermaid ride.  I was by myself most of the night so that was interesting.  The hardest thing about my job tonight was the language barrier I had between me and the guests.  Most of the people that came in my store didn’t speak English.  If I had a dollar for every time I heard, me no speak English, or got a blank stare when I talked to someone, I’d be rich.  It was a little awkward at times because I didn’t know what to do other than point to their total and smile.  I wish there was an easier way to talk to non English speaking people without having to learn several different languages.  Because so far, this is the only down side of the job I have found.

Along with the language barrier issue tonight, I also got yet another new costume.  Fourth one this week.  This picture was taken in bad lighting so you can't see the awesome designs on it.

 

 

 

 

New Possibilities

DCP – Day 18 – August 30, 2012

Today was a wonderful day.  All because of one family that came in my store.  It was a mom and dad and their three daughters.  They were looking at the watches and I walked over to help them.  I spent several minutes showing them different watches, bracelets, and necklaces.  The dad asked how you take out the links in one of the watches to make it smaller for his daughter.  I told him since this was my first day in that store, I would have to ask someone.  So I found Kelly, my manager, and we walked back over to the family. 

After several more minutes, the girl that was trying to decide between two watches said she would just wait and buy one later.  I offered to write down the sku codes for her so she could order it over the phone if she changed her mind.  I walked off to grab a piece of paper and came back and wrote down the numbers.  When the family left, Kelly pulled me aside and said that the family kept going on and on about how helpful I had been and all of this stuff.  Kelly told me that I had the qualities they look for in leaders, who are the ones that train people and are like a step under managers. 

This opens up a whole new world of possibility for me that I hadn’t considered before.  Kelly is one of the managers over all the store I’ve been working so getting a full or even part time job after this internship might be a possibility.  But I could be a leader and work my way up to being a manager or coordinator.  I really don’t know what I want to do.  It’s still too early to decide anything now so this will just give me some good things to ponder. 

 

 

Animal Kingdom

DCP – Day 17 – August 29, 2012

On my one day off this week, I rose to spend the day at Animal Kingdom.  Here are some of my favorite pictures from today.

Giraffes - My Fav!

Me, Erika, and The Boss

Goofy and Pluto

Another Giraffe

Lion

Another Lion

Awesome Bird and Nest

 

 

Wonderful Coworkers

DCP – Day 16 – August 28, 2012

I am truly blessed to work with some amazing people.  Most everyone here is super nice and very friendly.  From my first day here, everyone welcomed me as if we had known each other for years.  That was a huge relief since the number of people I knew going in to this thing could be listed on one hand.  But with wonderful coworkers, my transition has been easy.

Three people have really helped ease this transition.  First off is Melissa.  She was my first trainer and totally got me pumped up and comfortable with my new role.  Next is Cathy, my coworker the past couple of nights at Animation Gallery.  We have a very similar sense of humor, which makes everything better.  And then there’s Kelly.  She is my leader and an amazing person.  We had a meeting a few days ago where she said she was there to help me in whatever I needed.  I know she has a ton of people under her but the fact that she took time out to sit one on one with me for over thirty minutes and talk about how she could help me was amazing.  If these first few weeks are any indication, this is going to be a great internship.

 

Of course, having such amazing coworkers here makes me miss my favorite coworkers from home.  Like these guys.

 

 

 

 

Extra Tragic Hours

DCP – Day 15 – August 27, 2012

My shift today was from 5 PM until 1:30 AM, thanks to Extra Magic Hours.  Or as Cast Members call them, Extra Tragic Hours.  I worked in the Gallery tonight and I really liked it.  There was just one other person working at the Gallery tonight with me.  Her name was Cathy and she was so fun to work with.  Since Gallery is a slower pace store, I wasn’t rushed to complete a transaction and I got to interact with the guests more.  I also got to wear this snazzy new costume.

 

 

 

Floor Stock Shift

DCP – Day 14 – August 26, 2012

With Tropical Storm Isaac making his way up the Florida panhandle, it should be no surprise that I got soaked on my way to the bus stop thanks to a random downpour.  My little polka dot umbrella was no match for the strong winds and heavy rain.  I made it to work a wet mess and headed to costuming to get my new costume.  I worked a floor stock shift tonight so I got to wear this little beauty.  And this pic was taken at the end of my shift so ignore my slouchy appearance. 

The stocking shift was monotonous.  I just had to take stuff from the backroom and put it in the show room.  There was little guest interaction, or interaction with anyone for that matter, which made the shift go by slower.  However, later in my shift, I got to talk with some of my managers and network a little so that was really good.  I closed up Villains in Vogue by myself and that was kind of fun. 

As I wait for my bus to arrive, the rain and winds are slowly stating to pick up.  Time to batten down the hatches and crawl into bed.

 

 

First Day Without a Trainer

DCP – Day 13 – August 25, 2012

Despite the fact I was a little nervous about my first day without a trainer, it turned out to be a great day.  I went in to work at 6:30 so the crowds were steady but not overwhelming.  However I worked in Villains in Vogue so as time for Fantasmic neared, we got really crowded.  People weren’t really buying anything, they were just passing through on their way to the show, so I got to mingle with people and talk.  Pin Trading is a huge deal to a lot of people and it’s so fun to trade with the kids who get ridiculously excited when they see a pin they want. 

After both shows of Fantasmic were done and the crowds were gone, we stocked the shelves and straightened everything up to make it show ready for the next day.  My manager, Brenden, showed me how everything should look when I leave for the night.  He also gave me a Four Keys Fanatic Card, which is given to the employees who demonstrate one or more of the Four Keys.  The Four Keys are Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency.  Mine was for Show, since I made the store show ready for the next day.  Needless to say, I was quite excited when Brenden gave this to me.

I also signed up tonight to work one of the Hurricane Shifts.  These are the shifts where you go in to work before, after, or during the hurricane to help with whatever they need done.  With Isaac fast approaching, it’s going to be interesting to see if they actually use me in one of these shifts.  And by interesting, I mean kind of scary.  We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto.

 

 

 

 

Last Day of Training

DCP – Day 12 – August 24, 2012

I’m officially done with training!  My trainer today was Sherry and she was hilarious.  We didn’t really do anything but wonder around Sunset Boulevard and Animation Courtyard.  I learned how to open the little kiosk thing outside the Beauty and the Beast show and I where all the stockrooms are.  I also learned that I’ll be wearing our different costumes next week.  Oh what fun that will be at costuming.  We are allowed to rent five costumes at a time which means I’ll have to wash or return them and get a new one.  It’s just a lot of carrying clothes around and changing at the Studios.  Nothing that I can’t do.

I also passed my merchandise exam today!  It’s an 58 question assessment about everything I've learned this week.  I was worried about passing it because if you fail you have to do training all over again.  But thankfully I passed!  But that means I start running the register by myself tomorrow.  Which is as intimidating as it is exciting.  It’s not that crowded right now, only 1,300 people at Hollywood today, so that will be helpful so I’m not slammed with people on my first day.  And of course, tropical storm Isaac will keep the crowd away for a few days.  But no worries.  Disney has everything under control.

 

 

 

 

Cast Connections and Property Conrol

DCP – Day 11 – August 23, 2012

I finally made my way to Cast Connections and Property Control today.  Cast Connections offers out of date and overflow merchandise to Cast Members at a slightly discounted price. 

Property Control is where they have discounted Disney merchandise for Cast Members to buy.  A lot of the merchandise is damaged but I was about to get three t-shirts, a scrapbook, autograph book, and a lanyard for thirty bucks.  And I now have a t-shirt from almost all of the different Disney Cruises.

 

Closing Sweet Spells

DCP – Day 10 – August 22, 2012

Basically closing Sweet Spells is just as exciting as opening it was.  Just more mindless cleaning while the villains soundtracks plays over and over.  But at least I worked with more people tonight so that made the night go by a little faster.  But midnight was in no hurry to arrive.

Hollywood Studios - After Hours

 

I got to work more on the registers today although the store wasn’t that busy.  When Fantasmic let out, a lot of people came into the store on their way out which made the traffic flow increase and I got to mingle with the guests.  I also got to make cotton candy, which was very interesting.

Well, my midnight bus ride is almost over.  I’ll be sure to post about my adventure tomorrow to Cast Connections.

 

 

 

 

Day Off

DCP – Day 9 – August 21, 2012

So I had today off and I did nothing exciting.  I woke up about nine, ran some errands, and cleaned the apartment.  I had a mini Gilmore Girls marathon and watched some of the bonus features on my newly purchased Hunger Games DVD.  Like I said, I did nothing exciting.  But it was very nice to have a day to myself and not do anything.  Especially since next week I only have one day off.  So that means laundry day is predetermined for next week.

When my roommates got off work, we headed to Hollywood Studios.  Erika rode the Tower of Terror for the first time.  Our picture is classic.

 Me, Abby, Erika, and Jeannine

After that, we ate dinner at 50’s Prime Time Café.  And yes, I did have French fries and mashed potatoes as my sides.  Mom’s not here to tell me no.

 

Opening Sweet Spells

DCP – Day 8 – August 20, 2012

Today was my first real day of actual on the job training at Hollywood Studios.  My day started bright and early.  I was on the bus at 5:45.  My shift started at 7 and the bus route has apparently been changed because the driver went to HS first instead of making stops at the resorts first.  So I ended up getting there way earlier than I intended too.  But all is good.  I got to eat my measly bag of Cheerios and sit in the break room.

I met my trainer, Aleida, at seven at Sweet Spells.  It’s so weird to walk through the park and no one be there.  Anyway, Aleida showed me how to open up the shop and get everything ready for the day.  It was kind of mindless, boring work but it wasn’t that hard.  I was a little worried going in to today but my fears were greatly diminished after today.  The women I worked with were really fun and very helpful.  I got to help stock the candy and all the goodies in the display case as well as sample the cake pops.  I’ll never complain to do that job.

Aleida said that I was one of the best workers she’s trained, which made me feel good.  The register work comes second nature to me which helps a lot I think.  I didn’t count change back the Disney Way but Aleida said that the way I was doing it would be ok.  I like to call my system the Robyn Disney Way.  It’s the best of both counting worlds.  If you’re wondering what the Disney Way is, see my post from yesterday.

After working in Sweet Spells in the morning and early afternoon, I moved to Once Upon A Time and worked a little on the registers.  It was so much fun to actually get to work and not be in training mode.  Or course, I don’t know everything so having Aleida there as a backup was quite handy.  Although my shift was long and my feet hurt, today was pretty great.

 

Merchantainment

DCP – Day 7 – August 19, 2012

I love Disney University.  Love it.  Can’t explain why but I just do.  There’s just something about that place that make me happy.  I love all the pictures on the wall of the parks from previous years and it gets me all incredibly excited about work.

I had training at DU today called Merchantainment, which is a Disney made word for entertainment in merchandising.  The class was kinda fun.  It was just teaching us about the different ways retail can be theatre.  We also got to practice work on the registers and learn how to count change the Disney way.  Not very excited about that.  It’s just totally opposite of what I’ve done for the past five years at the IGA and is going to take some major time getting used to.  But I fully believe I can do it. 

The most awesome thing about today was getting to eat lunch in the cafeteria in the Magic Kingdom utilidoors.  I had this most amazing three meat calzone that topped just about anything I’ve ever had at the parks.  I love my job and this place.

I also love the storms that roll in in the afternoon.  We have a perfect view from our balcony and I just love it.  I could sit out here for hours just watching it storm.

 

Jack Sparrow and A Kitchen Fire

DCP – Day 6 – August 18, 2012

Today was my Merchandise Tier 1 training.  I met my trainer, Melissa, this morning in the costuming building at Hollywood Studios.  She was so amazing.  She was a CP last year and is a CP Facilitator this year.  My training was one-on-one and I loved it.  Melissa showed me around the park and where I would be working.  There are nine stores in my area and I think I know where they all are and what they sale.  I also got my pin lanyard today.  I cannot wait to start pin trading with the Guests!

It’s really cool to see the behind the scenes action to Hollywood Studios.  I might get lost walking around backstage but I’m still really excited to get started.  I learned all about clocking in and out and all that jazz.  I walked around the different stock rooms and found the cafeteria, which has a Subway in it.  While we were eating lunch, Jack Sparrow was eating lunch across from us.  I couldn’t stop staring.  It was just like Johnny Depp was sitting across the room from me.  Apparently, they’re opening a new Jack Sparrow exhibit and he’s there to promote it.  And apparently Johnny Depp comes to the park all the time.  So I’m hoping he comes to the opening of the new exhibit.

After work, I came home to find out there had been a small kitchen fire.  Thankfully, no one was hurt.  It will definitely be a story to tell one day about my first week in the Program.

And this is my new frog friend that likes to hang out on the ledge outside our apartment.  On the third floor.

 

Theme Park Orientation

DCP – Day 5 – August 17, 2012

After waking up way before the sun, I made my way to Hollywood Studios for my theme park orientation.  I learned how to clock in and everything before we on a tour of the park.  Our tour guide was Nathan and he knew ever random fact about the park.  It was really handy to know the little facts that I can share with Guests someday. 

I got my training schedule for next week today as well.  I’ll be working at Once Upon a Time on Sunset Boulevard near the Beauty and the Beast show.  I’ll also be working across the street at the candy store.  Not quite sure how I feel about that since I have to learn to make candy but I’m sure it will be fine.  I can always just dazzle my manager with my amazing skills and transfer to another store.

I also got this snazzy new ribbon to go on my equally snazzy costume.  Please try not to laugh when you see my costume.  Trust me.  It’s better than most.  Haha.

I received my schedule for next week and was pleased to see that I have two days off.  I am beyond excited to finally get to be able to work.  Although the leisure of the past few days has been fun, I’m ready to just have a scheduled time to be somewhere.  I’ve miss the stability of having a job to do and a place to be.  I guess I’m just weird and like work.  I’m just so excited to get to work at Disney!  I still feel the need to pinch myself sometimes to remind myself that I’m really working here.  I can’t wait to make magical memories for the Guest and myself! 

 

We Create Happiness

DCP – Day 4 – August 16, 2012

Today was Traditions.  For those of you unfamiliar with the DCP, Traditions is where you learn all about Disney history and the four keys of Disney.  It’s a four hour class at Disney university that was actually kind of fun.  The first hour or so was a lot of warm and fuzzy Disney videos and talks.  They play all these inspirational videos that at the end you feel the need to stand up, cheer, point to the screen, and say, ‘I work here!’  Or maybe that’s just how I felt. 

We also played a game where you had to put different events in Disney history in order.  Halfway through the game, the woman doing the presentation was like, what better place to learn about Disney history than the Magic Kingdom!  So we went on a field trip to the Magic Kingdom.  We rode a bus to the back side of Magic Kingdom and got to go in the utilidoors.  It was really cool to see behind the veil of the Magic Kingdom.  Although, it does seem to take a little bit of the magic away.  But not much.

We walked in to the Magic Kingdom through a Cast Member entrance and walked down Main Street toward the Castle.  We had these little ear things in our ears so our leader could talk to us while we walked and as we were walking down Main Street she said, ‘Look at all the happiness we create.’  The irony of this was in the midst of all the happy people was a little boy crying hysterically.  Obviously he wasn’t happy.

After the tour of the Magic Kingdom, we went back to Disney University to finish Traditions.  We did more Disney history and learned the Four Keys: Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency.  The goal of Disney is to safely put on a courtesy show efficiently.  They have a great business model with this and the business side of me really liked this portion of Traditions.  We also played a trivia game and I answered a question right and got this cute little figurine.

When the woman doing the presentation was talking about going above and beyond the call of duty to make a guest’s experience magical, there was a knock at the door.  And Mickey Mouse came in!  He brought our name tags in a present box and it was awesome.  They laid our nametags out in this display case and let us come up and get them.  Ever since I was little, I’ve wanted to know what it would be like to wear one of those oval shaped names tags with the castle on it.  And now I know.