Can you take the Heat?

Well, it's officially May and with the first of this month Florida has brought with it some extreme heat. I have never been so hot this early in the year. I was sweating before 10am. The heat mixed with thousands of guests makes for a bad combination. Angry guests, crying babies, smelly odors, and exhausted cast members. With 90+ degrees of heat beating down on you, you're going to be hot no matter what. But when you are wearing navy blue Polyester pants, high cuff black socks, heavy black shoes, and two shirts, being out in the heat can make you feel like you are literally melting away. As a member of The Seas crew, I am one of the many who must endure the long, hot hours in the EPCOT attire. Now you might think that EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow but i've come to find out that that is incorrect. No, after this last week working in what feels like a gigantic outdoor oven, I have come to find that EPCOT really stands for Evil Polyester Costumes Of Torture. Without the ability to wear shorts with our costumes we at the Seas must endure numerous hours trapped within these devices they call "themed attire." Having to be in the costume alone is torture, but then having to deal with all of the other disgruntled and sometimes enraged guests who, for some reason can't be happy on their vacation and have to complain to the very people who's job it is to make sure that their time is as magical as possible, is just cruel and unusual punishment. A cast member's ability to be courteous and respectful to all guests when under these conditions is the true Magical Moment that can be seen throughout the park. Not quite sure what I mean? let me give you an example.

---The following is based on a true story---

The Scene: Stroller Parking (aka The Netherworld)

The Talent: Kelsey Perron: Disney's College Program Intern
Nameless, Stroller using Guest (aka complete Jerk)

The Story: It's 11:35am and the sun is rising ever higher over the gardens of EPCOT, focusing what seems to be all of it's rays on the lone, stroller parking attendant at The Seas, Kelsey. She is currently fighting a losing battle against hundreds of guests as they haphazardly jostle their strollers into spots that couldn't fit an umbrella, let alone their monstrosity of a three seater. With one goal in mind, "Get to Nemo," the guests carelessly leave the helpless cast member to single handedly rearrange the parking area to find some order from the chaos that they are so content in increasing. With rows backed up and double parking happening left and right, she attempts to clear out the walkways for those who are leaving. After much deliberation and careful strategy she has victoriously cleared not one, but both stroller walkways leading from the Seas to The Land. Resisting the urge to jump for joy, she is about to engage in a small victory fist pump when a guest brings his double stroller and parks right in the walk path that she has just cleared. dumbfounded, Kelsey clears her throat and kindly says, "Hello, sir? I'm sorry but no more strollers can be parked at the end of this row as it will block the path out of the parking area. If you could please move your stroller to a different spot that would be..." but she is unable to finish and the guest, who shall remain nameless, jerks his stroller around, jostling those beside it and rounds on Kelsey and interrupts barking, "Well where the hell do you want me to put it?" Taken aback, she motions to the spot just four strollers down which will perfectly cradle the man's stroller, "Over there would be alright, sir." Unhappy with this simple and obvious solution, the man then throws off his strollers brakes and launches it forward, catapulting it's contents which cascade all over the side walk. exclaiming unintelligible sounds of rage he glares at Kelsey throughout his tantrum as though it was all her fault as he hurls his contents back into the stroller. Annoyed beyond belief at this toddler like display of rage from what she had thought appeared to be a grown man, Kelsey, feeling more than a little wronged by this mans behavior, dons her most Disney like voice with just a hint of her uncontainable sarcasm and says, "Sorry for any inconvenience that this has caused you. Have a magical time!" And grabbing another stroller, she continues about her business. It is 11:37.