In our attraction, there are many different positions that must be filled. One of those is Stroller Greeter. This position involves one cast member whose sole purpose is to stand there and help direct guests with strollers to the parking area so that our location does not become "Stroller Chaos" with 100's of strollers parked wherever their driver felt the first inclination to drop it off. Here at this post it is also our job to make sure that the stroller parking area stays neat and tidy, meaning that we arrange and in some cases move the strollers to different locations. Over all it is sometimes either relaxing, or the worst position ever, especially when guests feel that they are above the parking area and just roll their stroller somewhere else.
As I stood in stroller parking today, arranging the rows into nice, neat and perfectly orderly lines that only someone of slight OCD behavior can do, I made this realization. "Not all Strollers are Created Equal." Why did I make this realization? well because as i attempted to move one particular stroller to the side, I realized that it's front wheels were stationary and they did not rotate to the sides at all and simply always would face forward. So naturally, I took it for a slight test drive to see how it maneuvered and the verdict was that it did not. In order for it to turn you needed to lift up it's front two wheels. I then wondered, "Why on EARTH would someone EVER purchase this stroller?" Because let me tell you, this stroller was not small, it came equipped with a baby carriage holder and everything.
This then led me to wonder why some people choose to purchase some of the strollers that they do to take to disney. So I developed a few rules for those families who are about to brave the Walt Disney World Resort with a Stroller in toe.
Beginners Guide to Strollers:
1: Do not bring a Jogger's Stroller. (no matter how great you think that one wheel in the front is going to be, with it's superb 360 degree turning ability and it's large tread wheel, it will NOT, I repeat, NOT function in the park as it does in your unrealistic dream. It will tip to either side, dumping the precious cargo of your child on the ground. these strollers are typically heavier than all the others either. All in all, a bad choice.)
2: Stadium Seating is NOT the way to go. (lots of strollers are trying to play to the fact that parents think their kids in the double stroller need a movie theater type view of their surroundings. These strollers are long, awkward, and heavy with horrible turning radius. Do not be fooled by their flashy outer appeal, your child does not care where he sits, or how unobstructed his view is while sitting, he only cares that he is sitting.)
3: Being Cheap is not always a win. (Winning on the receipt does not always constitute a win in the parks. When buying a cheap stroller, realize that you are going to be putting it through it's paces in the resorts and that a cheaply bought stroller means it was a cheaply made stroller, and cheaply made strollers often lead to broken strollers. When you have to fanangle your way around the park by counter balancing the broken leg wheel with your superior steering abilities and keeping little Timmy from falling out of his seat, you will not be turning to your wife with excitement on your face as you did in the Penny Pincher store after buying this stroller for only 9.99 and assuring her that it would last longer than the 50.00 stroller she wanted to get. Oh no, you will not be making one complaint about the broken stroller and will be avoiding any and ALL eye contact with your lovely bride.)
4: Folding Ability can be a Selling Ability. Many of our park guests are also our resort guests. That meaning that many of our stroller rolling guests will be boarding a bus numerous times throughout the day and unfortunately, strollers must be folded before being allowed on the bus. Test this out, numerous times in the store before you buy the stroller. Your strollers ability to fold fast and efficiently can be the difference between you making your resort bus at the end of a long day or your staying to catch the next one.
5: Be Unique. Do not buy the umbrella stroller that is the cheapest and the most generic color. Odds are, everyone else in the park did too, make sure that your stroller has some personality that sets it apart from the others. Something that says, "Hey, I'm your stroller, and you know it!"
6:Trial Runs are a MUST. This is the most important rule of all. Every stroller must be given a trial run before entering the parks. Pack your kids up in it and take them on a stroll through the busy mall or a few times around the local park or even around your neighborhood. Get the feel for your stroller. Turn quickly, stop randomly, stare at a map blankly and look for random landmarks like you will be doing and see if it rolls away, park it somewhere and see if you can relocate it, collapse it and open it back up again, do anything that you think you might be encountering in the parks to this hopefully worthy stroller and see if it can stand up to the test. if not, then bid it adieu and know that you may just have to take a standard Disney stroller at the front gate, because a stroller can be one of the largest nuisances on your Disney vacation or one of the best saving graces. It's your choice.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Days Off Don't Get Any Better
After a 46 hour week of hard Disney Work, i was excited to finally have a day off. And when you live in Walt Disney World, your days off honestly don't get any better. This morning I started my day out by registering for a cast member only, backstage tour of the Expedition Everest roller coaster in Animal Kingdom, which was a limited, 15 person availability and I was lucky enough to get in, (this tour will be next week, February 2nd, so be on the look out for that blog!) I then went to the Magic Kingdom in order to get my little sister Emma the best birthday greeting she had ever received, took one of my roommates to the best show in Fantasy Land of which she had never seen, moseyed on over to EPCOT on the monorail and went Soarin' then went under The Seas, talked with a turtle, watched Mickey Scuba Dive, traveled around the world, stopped in Japan to watch a Candy Art demonstration and then a drum show, stopped in Norway and went on a Viking Adventure on the Maelstrom, and leisurely made my way back to my quiet Disney apartment home. Days off don't get any Better.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Me and My Costume
So i've had a decent amount of requests from people to see what my costume is like for my job. This isn't the greatest picture, but, this is how I get to dress every day for work. Very flattering, I know.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Notes on Working in Paradise
On first thought, working in Walt Disney World sounds like one of the most amazing things that anyone could ever possibly do with their lives. after doing just that for the last few weeks, i can tell you first hand, that what it appears to be from the guest perspective, isn't exactly what it is like for the Cast Members.
I honestly think that working in WDW could be one of the most trying and difficult jobs that anyone could face. Everyday, hundreds of these world renown Disney Cast Members get up and go to work with one goal in mind: Make that Magic Happen. (haha, that would be great, but most of them get up more with the "Let's pay the bills" mentality, Making the Magic is just a side bonus when it happens.) These wonderful people, these Cast Members get up and go to work where, in there job, if there is 16K guest predicted for the day, we all freak out and wonder "why on earth is it so slow today?" because this time of the year, the average projection is anywhere from 24,000 - 30,000 guests for the day. Knowing that you are going to go work with that much guest interaction is intense. Everyone expects the CM's to know every answer to their questions that they have, while most are fine if they don't, others take it as a hideous error that this cast member was not able to solve their every vacationing need.
The crowds are intense and the interaction within must be not just great, but the best ever, for it is that, the interaction with the cast members that has made Disney World the Number 1 vacation destination in the world, not it's rides, which are great, but it's workers, it's cast. Everyday the bar for disney's cast members is set at the highest level, and everyday there are multiple guests who end up testing each and every cast members limits. As a cast member myself, I find it absolutely shocking sometimes to see just how rude and inconsiderate some of these guests can be. They come to the happiest place in the world and they can't try to raise their own bar of cordiality just a little bit.
These guests can test the Cast Members patience, pushing their knowledge and execution of the "Disney Basics" to it's limit, and amazingly the Cast Member triumphs, and has done Disney proud.
So why do cast members get up every day, drive to any location on the Walt Disney World Resort, whether it be one of the four theme parks, water parks, hotels, or restaurants if they know that they could and probably will be presented with guests like this?
It's because of moments like this:
Today I was working the Nemo attraction in the wheelchair assistance bay when i was greeted by a family of three. This family hailed from New York and their ten year old son was confined to a wheel chair, due to a severe physical disability. I explained to them that I had a wheelchair accessible clammobile for their son so that he would be able to enjoy the ride, explained how it would work, and told them that it would be a few minutes before the clam would be at the loading dock. They smiled and said that that was perfectly fine. For the few minutes that we were waiting there, I engaged in conversation with this family. Upon asking if this was their first time visiting the parks, they just laughed and said that it was their son's 13th time in ten years. I asked their son if he liked coming to Disney World, he gave me the biggest smile and looked up, which i was told was his non verbal que for "Yes." His father turned to me and told me that with a wheelchair bound child, they can't even make it around their neighborhood that well, let alone the areas of New York that they might need to visit. He said though that Disney World is the most handicap accessible place in the world that he has ever been to, and that when you find a place like this, you keep coming back, and that each time it only gets better. As the clam neared the loading dock, he turned to me and thanked me, for everything that I had done for him and his family and for everyone else, that my work was not unnoticed or unappreciated. Thanking him, I helped them onto the clam and watched them ride away.
It is gusts like that that make the Cast Members of Disney get up everyday and drive to work to face the crowds, to face the long 12-13 hour shifts, and the inevitable disgruntled guest. It's people like that family, the young princesses running around, enjoying their day in their kingdom, and those that have saved for years to be able to come, for just one week, to the happiest place in the world. That is why they do it, and that is why Disney is different.
I honestly think that working in WDW could be one of the most trying and difficult jobs that anyone could face. Everyday, hundreds of these world renown Disney Cast Members get up and go to work with one goal in mind: Make that Magic Happen. (haha, that would be great, but most of them get up more with the "Let's pay the bills" mentality, Making the Magic is just a side bonus when it happens.) These wonderful people, these Cast Members get up and go to work where, in there job, if there is 16K guest predicted for the day, we all freak out and wonder "why on earth is it so slow today?" because this time of the year, the average projection is anywhere from 24,000 - 30,000 guests for the day. Knowing that you are going to go work with that much guest interaction is intense. Everyone expects the CM's to know every answer to their questions that they have, while most are fine if they don't, others take it as a hideous error that this cast member was not able to solve their every vacationing need.
The crowds are intense and the interaction within must be not just great, but the best ever, for it is that, the interaction with the cast members that has made Disney World the Number 1 vacation destination in the world, not it's rides, which are great, but it's workers, it's cast. Everyday the bar for disney's cast members is set at the highest level, and everyday there are multiple guests who end up testing each and every cast members limits. As a cast member myself, I find it absolutely shocking sometimes to see just how rude and inconsiderate some of these guests can be. They come to the happiest place in the world and they can't try to raise their own bar of cordiality just a little bit.
These guests can test the Cast Members patience, pushing their knowledge and execution of the "Disney Basics" to it's limit, and amazingly the Cast Member triumphs, and has done Disney proud.
So why do cast members get up every day, drive to any location on the Walt Disney World Resort, whether it be one of the four theme parks, water parks, hotels, or restaurants if they know that they could and probably will be presented with guests like this?
It's because of moments like this:
Today I was working the Nemo attraction in the wheelchair assistance bay when i was greeted by a family of three. This family hailed from New York and their ten year old son was confined to a wheel chair, due to a severe physical disability. I explained to them that I had a wheelchair accessible clammobile for their son so that he would be able to enjoy the ride, explained how it would work, and told them that it would be a few minutes before the clam would be at the loading dock. They smiled and said that that was perfectly fine. For the few minutes that we were waiting there, I engaged in conversation with this family. Upon asking if this was their first time visiting the parks, they just laughed and said that it was their son's 13th time in ten years. I asked their son if he liked coming to Disney World, he gave me the biggest smile and looked up, which i was told was his non verbal que for "Yes." His father turned to me and told me that with a wheelchair bound child, they can't even make it around their neighborhood that well, let alone the areas of New York that they might need to visit. He said though that Disney World is the most handicap accessible place in the world that he has ever been to, and that when you find a place like this, you keep coming back, and that each time it only gets better. As the clam neared the loading dock, he turned to me and thanked me, for everything that I had done for him and his family and for everyone else, that my work was not unnoticed or unappreciated. Thanking him, I helped them onto the clam and watched them ride away.
It is gusts like that that make the Cast Members of Disney get up everyday and drive to work to face the crowds, to face the long 12-13 hour shifts, and the inevitable disgruntled guest. It's people like that family, the young princesses running around, enjoying their day in their kingdom, and those that have saved for years to be able to come, for just one week, to the happiest place in the world. That is why they do it, and that is why Disney is different.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
You know you have money when...
On Monday, i had the absolute pleasure of getting to work a 13 hour shift. yeah, you can imagine that that felt like one of the longest days of my life, " 'Watch your step Sir, the floor is moving'....'Two or three per shell folks'....'Who wants to see Crush?!?'....'please get inside your shell, Sir'" Yeah, you can imagine how much fun that was towards those last 5 hours. Now while normally i wouldn't want to work a 13 hour shift, this one did come with some bonuses. 1: Overtime (haha, had to put that in there) and 2: A large company called Granger, rented out the East side of Future World from 7pm to Midnight for 4000 of their workers. This only happens maybe two times throughout a year that a company will actually rent out a Walt Disney World park so it was actually quite the sight to see. First off, everything was free for these people, they had the disney culinary people cooking food for them all around the park area, they had our ice cream stands giving out our disney ice creams for free, there were open bars at every corner, and they had the full run of the Future World area of the parks. But it gets better, at 11:45pm they also had a private showing of Illuminations: Reflections of Earth, the EPCOT fireworks show that is honestly spectacular.
Now, I can only imagine what this must have cost these people to be able to rent out EPCOT, keep all the attractions open, (those that they had were Soarin', Mission: SPACE, Spaceship Earth, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, and Turtle Talk with Crush) have the money to keep all the positions staffed and cover for the cost that Disney would have made if they would have allowed the 26K guests that were projected for the day to be able to stay into the park, to have EPCOT perform another expensive fireworks show literally hours after their daily scheduled ones, and whatever else the costs would have been to keep the place running. To see just how much work it took to get the place ready and to have everything running for these people was really cool. During the conventions, there were Evergreen Tree Walls that were put up all over the park (which was great since I am allergic,) there were men walking around on stilts in lighted costumes interacting with the people, there were two men on acrobatic stilts that were jumping around doing front and back flips all over, there was a magician walking around, there were DJ's, Helium lighting, etc etc etc. It was an all out party and it looked amazing. I just wanted to take pictures, but unfortunately, i was on the clock.
Overall it was a really cool experience to see and I had a great time working it. Regardless of the fun and excitement though, there was no better feeling than clocking out and being able to leave The Seas and go home. I was unable to resist snapping the shot of The Seas with Spaceship Earth (or the commonly called Disney Golf Ball) in the back ground. And with the party over, there were already cleaning crews out power washing everything, getting ready for the next days new round of guests, and putting up that world class Disney Show.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Full Fledged Nemo Ranger!
Well, I have been getting a lot of questions from people to know just what it is that I do in The Seas and after my first full fledged day as a Nemo Ranger i can tell you, I do a lot. There are a lot of positions that we all must hold for both the Ride and Theater show to make sure that everything can be up and running smoothly. The many things that I do in a typical day include:
Nemo Ride:
Load 1: Assist guests into their clam shell. making sure that every guest is instructed to "Watch their Step," as they have to board a moving belt to get in their clam for the ride.
Load 2: This position is basically the "head Honcho" of the ride. This position holds the main control panel for the entire ride. Here i can see everything that is going on in the ride and if there are any problems, it is Load 2's job to make sure that the proper procedures are carried out. When in this position I constantly walk on the moving belt and make sure that the guest are actually getting into their shells safely and quickly before entering the ride. but i also answer the radio and check on other positions and with the manager or coordinator if need be.
Unload: Self explanatory, I make sure that the guests get off their shell, and constantly walk on the moving belt.
Wheel Chair 1: make sure that guests with a wheelchair or ECV are taken care of, that if they need are wheelchair accessible clam that they are helped into the clam when it comes around and that their entire party is able to get on the ride at the same time.
Wheel Chair 2: assists WC 1 with the guests with wheelchairs. also looks out for any guests with Guest Assistance Cards, Make a Wish Kids, or any other priority entrance pass that a guest may have.
Pavilion Greeter: Probably my favorite position. I get to stand outside under an umbrella and greet all of the guests that are going into the aquarium to ride the ride. I have to send in Flik Cards (cards that help us know how long our estimated wait time is) through with guests every 3 to 5 minutes and I am also able to pin trade with the guests as well. It is by far my favorite position because i get to really interact with the guests.
Stroller Greeter: This position is similar to Pavilion greeter except it is their job to make sure that everyone is parking the strollers in the designated stroller parking area and not elsewhere in The Seas area.
Turtle Talk With Crush:
Pre Show: This position is where I keep track of how long till the next Turtle Talk Show, letting guests know when it will be, directing them to the waiting area, and helping any guests with disabilities back into the alternate entrance path so that they can get situated before the larger audience loads the theater. It is my job, when in this position, to make announcements over the intercom to let people know the time we will be starting, what they should do, how they should load etc.
Grouper: keeps count of how many people are in line for the show and is responsible for cutting it off when we reach maximum capacity (210 people.)
Host: hosts the show. responsible for warming up the crowd, memorizing and delivering the spiels, and finding the kids/adults that Crush is wanting to interact with. This position is a lot of fun too and I really enjoy getting up in front of everyone and hosting the show and getting them excited for it.
But yeah, that is basically most of what I do. It's tiring work but when you get those few guests that pull you aside and let you know that what you did was amazing, or that they really appreciated the way you went out of your way to make sure that they, their children, or whomever was happy and having a good time, it makes it all worth it.
Nemo Ride:
Load 1: Assist guests into their clam shell. making sure that every guest is instructed to "Watch their Step," as they have to board a moving belt to get in their clam for the ride.
Load 2: This position is basically the "head Honcho" of the ride. This position holds the main control panel for the entire ride. Here i can see everything that is going on in the ride and if there are any problems, it is Load 2's job to make sure that the proper procedures are carried out. When in this position I constantly walk on the moving belt and make sure that the guest are actually getting into their shells safely and quickly before entering the ride. but i also answer the radio and check on other positions and with the manager or coordinator if need be.
Unload: Self explanatory, I make sure that the guests get off their shell, and constantly walk on the moving belt.
Wheel Chair 1: make sure that guests with a wheelchair or ECV are taken care of, that if they need are wheelchair accessible clam that they are helped into the clam when it comes around and that their entire party is able to get on the ride at the same time.
Wheel Chair 2: assists WC 1 with the guests with wheelchairs. also looks out for any guests with Guest Assistance Cards, Make a Wish Kids, or any other priority entrance pass that a guest may have.
Pavilion Greeter: Probably my favorite position. I get to stand outside under an umbrella and greet all of the guests that are going into the aquarium to ride the ride. I have to send in Flik Cards (cards that help us know how long our estimated wait time is) through with guests every 3 to 5 minutes and I am also able to pin trade with the guests as well. It is by far my favorite position because i get to really interact with the guests.
Stroller Greeter: This position is similar to Pavilion greeter except it is their job to make sure that everyone is parking the strollers in the designated stroller parking area and not elsewhere in The Seas area.
Turtle Talk With Crush:
Pre Show: This position is where I keep track of how long till the next Turtle Talk Show, letting guests know when it will be, directing them to the waiting area, and helping any guests with disabilities back into the alternate entrance path so that they can get situated before the larger audience loads the theater. It is my job, when in this position, to make announcements over the intercom to let people know the time we will be starting, what they should do, how they should load etc.
Grouper: keeps count of how many people are in line for the show and is responsible for cutting it off when we reach maximum capacity (210 people.)
Host: hosts the show. responsible for warming up the crowd, memorizing and delivering the spiels, and finding the kids/adults that Crush is wanting to interact with. This position is a lot of fun too and I really enjoy getting up in front of everyone and hosting the show and getting them excited for it.
But yeah, that is basically most of what I do. It's tiring work but when you get those few guests that pull you aside and let you know that what you did was amazing, or that they really appreciated the way you went out of your way to make sure that they, their children, or whomever was happy and having a good time, it makes it all worth it.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
First Week of Work: TRAINING!
Sorry to anyone who tries to follow me on my blog, I was experiencing some internet difficulties in my apartment and was unable to connect to update my blog. Which in a way was good because i have been so busy this week with Training that It has been just draining every ounce of energy that I have left after giving it all to the Magic of Disney in EPCOT.
After 5 days of intense training at The Seas, I had my assessment today and passed with flying colors! I've "Earned my Ears" as we call it and am ready to fly solo. The last 5 days have been grueling for a number of reasons. It is just impossible to think that I have only been here for less than a week and a half. It feels like its been two months. Working at The Seas with Nemo and friends is good for the most part. I can't wait to get out there on my own and jump into rotations. I had a great trainer but I am totally ready to not be running drills and see what working the ride and show is really like. haha.
I've been missing everyone a lot lately. Being in Disney World, a place where I only have had memories with my family makes me wish that they were there and that we were on vacation. But I am making plenty of new ones now and I can't wait to have visitors and show them around my new home.
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