I’ve always known that in order to be successful in a company, you usually have to start at the bottom of the latter, and work your way up. Well, today I learned just how far down that latter truly is…
I spent my morning greeting at the park. I really don’t mind greeting, it’s not too difficult and I’m starting to know more about the park. Therefore I feel more comfortable about answering the guests’ questions. After I took my lunch break, I went to a meeting to learn about various park procedures. A full stomach, air conditioning, and a comfy chair is a dangerous combination for me. I was definitely noticeably resting my eyes for long periods of time throughout the entire meeting. Way to make a good impression self!
The meeting ended at 2:00 and I was scheduled to be off work at 3:00. I went and asked my manager what he would like me to do for my remaining hour. On my way to my manager’s office I created the perfect scenario in my head. “Hi I’m scheduled to clock out in an hour, what would you like me to do?”
“Oh, you’ve done such a great job being attentive to our guests needs today. You’ve upheld all of our Disney values today, and remained positive and attentive even after standing in the direct sunlight and horrible humidity in this 100-degree weather for the past seven hours. Go ahead, leave early, you deserve it!”
But, in all reality his response went a little more like this, “Ok, well we don’t really have a lot of guests coming in this late in the day. I saw quite a few cigarette butts and little pieces of trash. Why don’t you go grab a broom and dustpan and tidy up the entrance a bit.”
So my college educated self used all of my knowledge I’ve obtained from four years of diligently studying (maybe a bit of a stretch) at a university, grabbed the broom and dustpan, and swept up every last cigarette butt, candy wrapper, and ticket receipt laying on the pavement for an hour.
Everyone’s gotta start somewhere, but this may be a very long climb to the top!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Park Greeter Turned Shark Swimmer
So one of my favorite perks of working for Disney is that I get free entrance to all the parks fo-free!!! Walt Disney World also has two water parks, but cast members are only allowed in them during certain parts of the year. Yesterday was the last day until September that cast members are allowed in for free. So naturally on my day off yesterday, I headed to Typhoon Lagoon. After spending a solid summer working at Raging Rivers, I swore I would never step foot in a water park again. However, I decided I might as well give this one a chance. I’m glad I did because it was VERY fun!
It was pretty much you’re typical water park, BUT the coolest part was that you can snorkel with sharks AND it’s included in the ticket price, or in my case it was completely free. Basically there is a ten feet deep pool filled with saltwater that has nurse sharks and other tropical fish swimming on the bottom. There is no barrier in between the sharks and the swimmers. Five people get in at a time and snorkel across and check out the creatures. I’ve never really snorkeled before, so I was really trying to focus on breathing through my mouth only. Not going to lie, about halfway across the pool, I kind of started hyperventilating. Drama queen, right? But in between panic attacks, I could tell that the sharks and fish looked way cool. I definitely recommend this to Orlando visitors!
After my long day at the water park, two of my roommates and I headed to Magic Kingdom. Keep in mind the last time I came to Walt Disney World I was five, so all of this is pretty new to me. I still scream like a little school girl on the roller coasters, and I may have peed a little on the last drop in Splash Mountain. Surprise surprise! My apologies to the girl setting with me on the seat…
We also stayed for the fireworks and parade at Magic Kingdom. Right now there is a light parade going on, it’s awesome! The fireworks were amazing too. It’s unbelievable how the fireworks are timed so perfectly with the music. Come visit me, and you will see what I mean!
This morning I visit Animal Kingdom for the first time. The amount of detail that is put into Walt Disney World is crazy. The first thing we did in the park was the Safari Ride. Basically we were hauled around in a Jeep/Hummer vehicle and saw all the different animals (Giraffes, Elephants, Cheetahs, etc.) The roads are all paved, but it appears that you’re driving on a dirt terrain. There are even ruts stamped into the pavement that look like tire marks. Very cool!
Peace and blessings my dudes and dudettes!
It was pretty much you’re typical water park, BUT the coolest part was that you can snorkel with sharks AND it’s included in the ticket price, or in my case it was completely free. Basically there is a ten feet deep pool filled with saltwater that has nurse sharks and other tropical fish swimming on the bottom. There is no barrier in between the sharks and the swimmers. Five people get in at a time and snorkel across and check out the creatures. I’ve never really snorkeled before, so I was really trying to focus on breathing through my mouth only. Not going to lie, about halfway across the pool, I kind of started hyperventilating. Drama queen, right? But in between panic attacks, I could tell that the sharks and fish looked way cool. I definitely recommend this to Orlando visitors!
After my long day at the water park, two of my roommates and I headed to Magic Kingdom. Keep in mind the last time I came to Walt Disney World I was five, so all of this is pretty new to me. I still scream like a little school girl on the roller coasters, and I may have peed a little on the last drop in Splash Mountain. Surprise surprise! My apologies to the girl setting with me on the seat…
We also stayed for the fireworks and parade at Magic Kingdom. Right now there is a light parade going on, it’s awesome! The fireworks were amazing too. It’s unbelievable how the fireworks are timed so perfectly with the music. Come visit me, and you will see what I mean!
This morning I visit Animal Kingdom for the first time. The amount of detail that is put into Walt Disney World is crazy. The first thing we did in the park was the Safari Ride. Basically we were hauled around in a Jeep/Hummer vehicle and saw all the different animals (Giraffes, Elephants, Cheetahs, etc.) The roads are all paved, but it appears that you’re driving on a dirt terrain. There are even ruts stamped into the pavement that look like tire marks. Very cool!
Peace and blessings my dudes and dudettes!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Monorail
Today I did Greeter Training, it’s actually a much harder gig than I imagined. We basically stand at the front gates of the transportation center to Magic Kingdom and welcome guests. The tricky part is they ask a million questions, of which I usually don’t know the answers. So I spent my day learning the answers to the most common questions such as: Where are the nearest restrooms? What time does the Monorail leave? Where do I rent a stroller?
Overall, today wasn’t too bad. The guy that was training myself and the two other Vacation Planners was really laid back, so that was nice! Interesting fact for today, when cast members are riding the Monorail (the train that transports guests around the property) they must stand up at each stop. If no guests get in the car the cast members are in, the cast members may sit down after the train passes the stop. However, if any guests get on the car the cast members must remain standing the entire time. This is done so that the cast members appear alert and attentive to any needs guest may have.
So there ya go!
Overall, today wasn’t too bad. The guy that was training myself and the two other Vacation Planners was really laid back, so that was nice! Interesting fact for today, when cast members are riding the Monorail (the train that transports guests around the property) they must stand up at each stop. If no guests get in the car the cast members are in, the cast members may sit down after the train passes the stop. However, if any guests get on the car the cast members must remain standing the entire time. This is done so that the cast members appear alert and attentive to any needs guest may have.
So there ya go!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
More Tired Than A Pet Rooster
So I’m not sure if pet roosters are tired, but I sure know I am! These past few days have been jam packed. Yesterday I had a class called “Traditions.” It was all about how the company was created, what is currently going on with it, and what the future plans are. I really did learn a lot in the class. For example, I never knew that Walt Disney actually died before Disney World even opened. Who knew?! During “Traditions” us interns were also given a tour of Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom actually has tunnels underneath the park so that guests never see characters acting uncharacteristic. I also learned more about Disney lingo. At Disney we never have lost children, we have lost parents. There are no employees, just cast members. Our jobs are our roles, and last, but not least, we don’t have uniforms, but we do have costumes.
Speaking of which, today I got mine. Hopefully soon I will post a picture online so that all of you can see this wonderful outfit. Just to create a mental picture, I’ve got black pleated pants that come just below my brazier. On the top I have a short sleeve white button down blouse, yes, I did just use the word blouse. It’s all topped off with a very attractive pinkish vest. Basically, It’s going to be tough to do my job and deal with the masses of men attracted to my hotness.
Anywho, today I had Magic Kingdom orientation in the morning and orientation for my role this afternoon. I had to be at the orientation at 7:15 A.M. This meant I had to catch a bus at 6:15 A.M. This also meant I had to wake up at 5:15 A.M. Guhhhhhh. Surprisingly, after only four hours of sleep I’m still functioning. Today I was able to observe a vacation planner in action. I’ve come to find out that vacation planning is actually just a fancy name for ticket sales, which is fine with me. I will be working right at the entrance gate at Magic Kingdom. My booth is air conditioned, I have a seat, and it’s usually pretty slow in the afternoon. I don’t think this sounds like a bad gig! The lady that I was observing told me that she was hired 13 years ago because the company was looking for people with accounting experience to work in ticket sales. Now, however, the focus has changed and they are hiring people who have good communication skills, are outgoing, and can engage well with the guests. Interesting!
Tomorrow I start training as a park greeter. By tomorrow night I should be saying, “Welcome to Walt Disney World,” in my sleep!
Speaking of which, today I got mine. Hopefully soon I will post a picture online so that all of you can see this wonderful outfit. Just to create a mental picture, I’ve got black pleated pants that come just below my brazier. On the top I have a short sleeve white button down blouse, yes, I did just use the word blouse. It’s all topped off with a very attractive pinkish vest. Basically, It’s going to be tough to do my job and deal with the masses of men attracted to my hotness.
Anywho, today I had Magic Kingdom orientation in the morning and orientation for my role this afternoon. I had to be at the orientation at 7:15 A.M. This meant I had to catch a bus at 6:15 A.M. This also meant I had to wake up at 5:15 A.M. Guhhhhhh. Surprisingly, after only four hours of sleep I’m still functioning. Today I was able to observe a vacation planner in action. I’ve come to find out that vacation planning is actually just a fancy name for ticket sales, which is fine with me. I will be working right at the entrance gate at Magic Kingdom. My booth is air conditioned, I have a seat, and it’s usually pretty slow in the afternoon. I don’t think this sounds like a bad gig! The lady that I was observing told me that she was hired 13 years ago because the company was looking for people with accounting experience to work in ticket sales. Now, however, the focus has changed and they are hiring people who have good communication skills, are outgoing, and can engage well with the guests. Interesting!
Tomorrow I start training as a park greeter. By tomorrow night I should be saying, “Welcome to Walt Disney World,” in my sleep!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Day One... DONZO
Saturday morning the journey began! Kristen and I left at 11:00 A.M. in the jam packed Corolla. We made really great time and only made one major stop the entire way down. The stop rhymed with Spracker Carrel… We arrived in Daytona Beach bright and early at 7:00 A.M. on Sunday morning. Our hotel wasn’t ready so we were homeless for several hours. Thankfully, Kristen’s old neighbor from Edwardsville just moved to Daytona and allowed us to crash on his couch for a few hours until our hotel was ready. It also poured yesterday, so no beach for us. We then ate at Bubba Gumps for dinner, good stuff.
This morning started out bright and early! Kristen and I were running a little late and made it to the airport a measly 30 minutes before her flight left. I was fine when I dropped her off, only because the goodbye was so rushed. Then I started driving to Disney by myself, and thinking about how I was in Florida…. by myself. So I did what anyone would do, pulled into the nearest Seven Eleven, called my dad, and cried. Eventually I composed myself and ventured into Disney.
Disney definitely has the entire internship program down to a science! While I was waiting in line for check in a girl from Pennsylvania and I started visiting, and decided to become roommates. We seem to have a lot in common, so I may have a potential friend on my hands! After check in I went to our apartment and met the rest of my roommates. There are six of us. We’re from all over (Pennsylvania, Texas, Colorado, Mississippi, and Missouri), but all seem to be laid back and chill.
The apartments are nicer than I expected. We’re all sharing rooms, but they’re pretty spacious. We have two bathrooms and a pretty big living room. FYI, it’s hot, like a different kind of hot, here!
Love and miss you all!
This morning started out bright and early! Kristen and I were running a little late and made it to the airport a measly 30 minutes before her flight left. I was fine when I dropped her off, only because the goodbye was so rushed. Then I started driving to Disney by myself, and thinking about how I was in Florida…. by myself. So I did what anyone would do, pulled into the nearest Seven Eleven, called my dad, and cried. Eventually I composed myself and ventured into Disney.
Disney definitely has the entire internship program down to a science! While I was waiting in line for check in a girl from Pennsylvania and I started visiting, and decided to become roommates. We seem to have a lot in common, so I may have a potential friend on my hands! After check in I went to our apartment and met the rest of my roommates. There are six of us. We’re from all over (Pennsylvania, Texas, Colorado, Mississippi, and Missouri), but all seem to be laid back and chill.
The apartments are nicer than I expected. We’re all sharing rooms, but they’re pretty spacious. We have two bathrooms and a pretty big living room. FYI, it’s hot, like a different kind of hot, here!
Love and miss you all!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Packin' Up and Movin' Out
In less than one week I will be in the sunshine state! I’m somewhere in between being so excited I could burst, and being scared and nervous to the point of wanting to crawl up into the fetal position and cry! In Hope Floats, one of my top three favorite movies, Sandra Bullock’s character says, “Beginnings are scary. Endings are usually sad, but it's what's in the middle that counts.” I think I would have to agree!
In between graduation and the end of my internship I had one full week to do NOTHING! It was glorious! My days pretty much consisted of the following. I would wake up around the crack of eleven, at which point Allison would wonder into my room. We would lay on my bed for about an hour pondering life. After a while we would discuss what we’re going to eat for lunch, and then get up and eat the lunch. Next we would have to watch t.v. for an hour to let our food digest. Then eventually I would muster up the energy to tan and go for a run. Each night usually ended up with us showering and heading out for our final nights on the town in Macomb. Somehow we would manage to wake up the next morning and do the whole shebang all over again. Just thinking about that final week brings a little tear of happiness to my eye.
Well that fantasy world came to a screeching halt the Monday morning following my graduation. I woke up to two text messages and an angry voicemail from Mama Schutz, who was slightly irritated that I had been hanging out in Macomb, doing nothing for a week. I believe the exact wording of the voicemail was, “Kelsey Ellen, I think you can get your butt home! I have no idea what you’re doing up there. Are you just drinking all of your graduation money?!?!”
So needless to say I packed up the Silver Bullet and made my way back to Schutz Farms. Before doing so I said my goodbyes to Jenn and Allison. That was hard. Not to get all mushy here, but those girls really did become, not only my best friends, but also my family at school. It’s going to be very different not having them by my side all the time.
As far as my gap between college and Disney, I really only set two goals for myself: Finish my bedroom and hang out with my family and friends. I would go as far as saying I have been successful on both accounts! I really haven’t done anything too exciting, just the everyday normal happenings of life, but that’s what I think I’ll miss the most while I’m gone. I did complete my first 5k of the year last weekend. Brock, my bro, and I ran the entire thing together and did it in a little over 27 minutes. Not too shabby considering the lack of training we both did!
I have no idea what this next week will entail. My friend Kristen and I are leaving Saturday afternoon, driving straight through the night to Daytona Beach, and hanging out there for a day. Monday morning I will be dropping Kristen off at the airport, and then I report for Disney Duty. Stay tuned folks!
In between graduation and the end of my internship I had one full week to do NOTHING! It was glorious! My days pretty much consisted of the following. I would wake up around the crack of eleven, at which point Allison would wonder into my room. We would lay on my bed for about an hour pondering life. After a while we would discuss what we’re going to eat for lunch, and then get up and eat the lunch. Next we would have to watch t.v. for an hour to let our food digest. Then eventually I would muster up the energy to tan and go for a run. Each night usually ended up with us showering and heading out for our final nights on the town in Macomb. Somehow we would manage to wake up the next morning and do the whole shebang all over again. Just thinking about that final week brings a little tear of happiness to my eye.
Well that fantasy world came to a screeching halt the Monday morning following my graduation. I woke up to two text messages and an angry voicemail from Mama Schutz, who was slightly irritated that I had been hanging out in Macomb, doing nothing for a week. I believe the exact wording of the voicemail was, “Kelsey Ellen, I think you can get your butt home! I have no idea what you’re doing up there. Are you just drinking all of your graduation money?!?!”
So needless to say I packed up the Silver Bullet and made my way back to Schutz Farms. Before doing so I said my goodbyes to Jenn and Allison. That was hard. Not to get all mushy here, but those girls really did become, not only my best friends, but also my family at school. It’s going to be very different not having them by my side all the time.
As far as my gap between college and Disney, I really only set two goals for myself: Finish my bedroom and hang out with my family and friends. I would go as far as saying I have been successful on both accounts! I really haven’t done anything too exciting, just the everyday normal happenings of life, but that’s what I think I’ll miss the most while I’m gone. I did complete my first 5k of the year last weekend. Brock, my bro, and I ran the entire thing together and did it in a little over 27 minutes. Not too shabby considering the lack of training we both did!
I have no idea what this next week will entail. My friend Kristen and I are leaving Saturday afternoon, driving straight through the night to Daytona Beach, and hanging out there for a day. Monday morning I will be dropping Kristen off at the airport, and then I report for Disney Duty. Stay tuned folks!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Things I Have Learned From My Internship
1)In life we have lots of choices. Some are big and some are small. You can analyze your choices all you want, but ultimately sometimes in life you just have to pick one. That was what happened with choosing my internship. I was offered two of them; one at a hospital and one with youth services at Catholic Charities. I made pros and cons list, consulted my advisory panels (aka the same people probably reading this), and thought about which one to choose over and over. The day I sat down to write my professor an email telling her which one I had decided to go with, I really had no idea which one I was going to write. Ultimately, I just had to choose one. I picked Catholic Charities because I just felt like I clicked better with that supervisor. Sometimes in life you just have to pick one. It’s not always that one is right and one is wrong, sometimes you just have to make a decision and go with it!
2) I like having my own office! My office at C.C. isn’t huge, nothing fancy, but it’s MINE! I liked knowing that if I wanted to pick my nose, I didn’t have to look over my shoulder. Having my own office felt like my own little domain. And to be quite honest I felt a little sophisticated saying things like, “could you step into my office for a moment.” Even though in all reality I really think those words only came out of my mouth about three times throughout the entire internship…
3) The cycle of poverty is so real, you can almost physically see it! If I had to pick one single thing that I became frustrated with throughout this internship it would be this cycle. You really have to train yourself to think differently when you’re working with people who are in a different socio economical status than yourself. I think the differences between social class is WAY underplayed. It’s such a taboo subject, that it just gets ignored. If you keep ignoring a problem though, it doesn’t go away, it just keeps perpetuating itself.
4) I don’t like getting up at 7:30 A.M. I have done it five days a week for the past four months, and I don’t like it one bit more now than when I had to do it on my first day. Mornings are meant for sleeping, nothing else!
5) There are people out there who do horrible shit to kids. My apologies for the profanity, but seriously there is no other way to describe some of the things the kids I have worked with have gone through. I think kids are amazingly resilient creatures! These kids overcome their abuse and are happy, successful, productive human beings. But I am almost certain you never fully get over being abused. It really makes me sick to my stomach and I kind of want to cry when I think about it.
6) Age and wisdom do not always go hand and hand. I’ve had to do lots of reality checks throughout my internship. Yes, this 45-year-old mother really is seeking me out as a professional to offer her parenting advice. Yes, this parent really did just say they were proud of their seven-year-old son for breaking another kids arm cause “he’s learning real young ya gotta stick up for yourself.” IDIOTS!
7) I like dressing up for work everyday. It’s fun! And believe it or not I actually feel better about myself when I’m wearing my stilettos, black dress pants, and Express sweater, than when I’m wearing my infamous black sweatpants, which contrary to popular belief fit me just fine!
8) Boredom is only a state of mind. Anyone who grew up with Gaily knows one of her favorite phrases is, “If you’re bored, I can find you something to do.” I never wanted mom to find me something to do, so I just made it a point to never be bored. This skill has served me well in life. I can really only think of about two days I was bored at work, and honestly there was stuff I could have done, I was just being lazy!
9) It’s a good thing to get a long well with your boss! I’ve honestly had a blast working with Carrie, my supervisor, this semester. She’s gone out of her way to be helpful and make me feel welcomed at the agency. I would go as far as saying we’re best friends. Ok, maybe not that far, but she has been really awesome!
10) Sooooo about being a social worker……. I’ve never been dead set on my profession. I am a firm believer that life is way more about the journey than the destination! I think I could be a good social worker. I also think I could be a good airline stewardess, or a cruise line director, or a business owner, or a Peace Corp Volunteer, or maybe even a vacation planner at Walt Disney World. I’m not real sure what my career will be or, hell if I’ll ever even have one. I do know that the world is big, HUGE and I wanna go play in it!
2) I like having my own office! My office at C.C. isn’t huge, nothing fancy, but it’s MINE! I liked knowing that if I wanted to pick my nose, I didn’t have to look over my shoulder. Having my own office felt like my own little domain. And to be quite honest I felt a little sophisticated saying things like, “could you step into my office for a moment.” Even though in all reality I really think those words only came out of my mouth about three times throughout the entire internship…
3) The cycle of poverty is so real, you can almost physically see it! If I had to pick one single thing that I became frustrated with throughout this internship it would be this cycle. You really have to train yourself to think differently when you’re working with people who are in a different socio economical status than yourself. I think the differences between social class is WAY underplayed. It’s such a taboo subject, that it just gets ignored. If you keep ignoring a problem though, it doesn’t go away, it just keeps perpetuating itself.
4) I don’t like getting up at 7:30 A.M. I have done it five days a week for the past four months, and I don’t like it one bit more now than when I had to do it on my first day. Mornings are meant for sleeping, nothing else!
5) There are people out there who do horrible shit to kids. My apologies for the profanity, but seriously there is no other way to describe some of the things the kids I have worked with have gone through. I think kids are amazingly resilient creatures! These kids overcome their abuse and are happy, successful, productive human beings. But I am almost certain you never fully get over being abused. It really makes me sick to my stomach and I kind of want to cry when I think about it.
6) Age and wisdom do not always go hand and hand. I’ve had to do lots of reality checks throughout my internship. Yes, this 45-year-old mother really is seeking me out as a professional to offer her parenting advice. Yes, this parent really did just say they were proud of their seven-year-old son for breaking another kids arm cause “he’s learning real young ya gotta stick up for yourself.” IDIOTS!
7) I like dressing up for work everyday. It’s fun! And believe it or not I actually feel better about myself when I’m wearing my stilettos, black dress pants, and Express sweater, than when I’m wearing my infamous black sweatpants, which contrary to popular belief fit me just fine!
8) Boredom is only a state of mind. Anyone who grew up with Gaily knows one of her favorite phrases is, “If you’re bored, I can find you something to do.” I never wanted mom to find me something to do, so I just made it a point to never be bored. This skill has served me well in life. I can really only think of about two days I was bored at work, and honestly there was stuff I could have done, I was just being lazy!
9) It’s a good thing to get a long well with your boss! I’ve honestly had a blast working with Carrie, my supervisor, this semester. She’s gone out of her way to be helpful and make me feel welcomed at the agency. I would go as far as saying we’re best friends. Ok, maybe not that far, but she has been really awesome!
10) Sooooo about being a social worker……. I’ve never been dead set on my profession. I am a firm believer that life is way more about the journey than the destination! I think I could be a good social worker. I also think I could be a good airline stewardess, or a cruise line director, or a business owner, or a Peace Corp Volunteer, or maybe even a vacation planner at Walt Disney World. I’m not real sure what my career will be or, hell if I’ll ever even have one. I do know that the world is big, HUGE and I wanna go play in it!
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