Woah I just realized I haven't updated this in a little while... So, here's what's been going on:
Monday I had a little more training for the Swings, and then I had my PA (practical assesment? proficiency assesment? i still don't know) and passed. The worst part about working that ride (besides grouping - i can't count that fast) is having to tell kids that they are too short to go on it :[ If they get really upset though, we give them something called a Height Certificate - which is a little card with a picture of the Swings on it, and on the back it has Mickey saying something along the lines of "When you're big enough for our concert," come back and present this card and we'll get you to the front of the line. Most of the rides with a height requirement have these certificates, and it's cute watching a little kid's face brighten up instantly when we give them one :)
I had a few days off to recover, and now tonight is my first post-training shift, from 6:45 to 10:45 pm. Honestly, I'm kind of nervous... The PA isn't very strict, it's just to see if you have basic proficiency, so I don't really feel all that comfortable running the ride by myself yet...
Oh, I still haven't posted a picture of me in the main costume I wear... I'll do that next time maybe!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
I've got no strings, to hold me down
*Breathe in ... and breathe out*
Okay, I am pretty exhausted from the last few days, and my brain is on sensory overload. Yesterday, I started at 8:30 am - which is before DCA opens - and I walked through the opening procedures for Mickey's Fun Wheel with my trainer Brad. He then taught me how to operate the ride, and there was a LOT to remember. How to stop the ride early if someone wants off, how to determine what the wait times are, what to do in emergency situations, how to accomodate guests with disabilities, how to contact maintenance or custodial, ETC.! Once the park opened, I got to practice letting guests on and off the gondolas and dispatching the ride. A couple hours of the day were spent in one of the Learning Centers, reading the Operating Guide (OG).... yeah, my eyes were fighting to stay open. OH! I got to go on Little Mermaid again :) I haven't even used my Cast Preview tickets yet!
Today was pretty similar to yesterday. I finished reading the OG for Mickey's Fun Wheel, and had a refresher on operating the ride. Then, I had my PA - which I think means Personal Assessment...? I don't know, they use SO MANY ACRONYMS here, it's hard to remember what they all mean!! Anyway, basically it means that a trainer followed me around as I did each of the different roles for the attraction, asking me questions during the whole thing. Kind of nerve racking, but I passed and can now operate a 160 foot tall ferris wheel :) There were some delays with my training though - the ferris wheel went 101 (meaning we had to shut it down) twice - it wasn't my fault though!
After lunch, I got a crash course on the Silly Symphony Swings, and then had to go read it's OG... blah. Tomorrow is my last training shift - from 9am to 1pm. I'll be having another PA done for the Swings, and then I'm officially done with training! Here's hoping I pass!
Oh, I also witnessed my first Code V today... yummy
Okay, I am pretty exhausted from the last few days, and my brain is on sensory overload. Yesterday, I started at 8:30 am - which is before DCA opens - and I walked through the opening procedures for Mickey's Fun Wheel with my trainer Brad. He then taught me how to operate the ride, and there was a LOT to remember. How to stop the ride early if someone wants off, how to determine what the wait times are, what to do in emergency situations, how to accomodate guests with disabilities, how to contact maintenance or custodial, ETC.! Once the park opened, I got to practice letting guests on and off the gondolas and dispatching the ride. A couple hours of the day were spent in one of the Learning Centers, reading the Operating Guide (OG).... yeah, my eyes were fighting to stay open. OH! I got to go on Little Mermaid again :) I haven't even used my Cast Preview tickets yet!
Today was pretty similar to yesterday. I finished reading the OG for Mickey's Fun Wheel, and had a refresher on operating the ride. Then, I had my PA - which I think means Personal Assessment...? I don't know, they use SO MANY ACRONYMS here, it's hard to remember what they all mean!! Anyway, basically it means that a trainer followed me around as I did each of the different roles for the attraction, asking me questions during the whole thing. Kind of nerve racking, but I passed and can now operate a 160 foot tall ferris wheel :) There were some delays with my training though - the ferris wheel went 101 (meaning we had to shut it down) twice - it wasn't my fault though!
After lunch, I got a crash course on the Silly Symphony Swings, and then had to go read it's OG... blah. Tomorrow is my last training shift - from 9am to 1pm. I'll be having another PA done for the Swings, and then I'm officially done with training! Here's hoping I pass!
Oh, I also witnessed my first Code V today... yummy
Friday, May 20, 2011
BEST...DAY... EVER!!
Seriously, I'm pretty sure there isn't a job out there whose first day of training is more fun than mine was. Let's walk through the day! (and trust me, we did plenty of walking)
First off, I parked in the Katella cast member lot for the first time! Took the cast shuttle to Harbor Point (where there's a Team Center and lots of important offices, like scheduling). Met up with the other girl I was training with (they usually put two trainees to one trainer) and then we met our awesome trainer, Clinton. He showed us around and then took us to the costuming building, where we got our first costumes, as well as locks to put on lockers. The costume we wore today is the one that we wear when we're scheduled for World of Color shifts. We also got a coat because it was chilly at night!
Don't I look precious?? .....
I also got another costume (which I'm supposed to wear tomorrow) that's for my shifts at the Swings or Fun Wheel. It's also the same costume for Midway Mania. After we got our snazzy outfits on, we walked over to DCA. We got to do some really fun things today - and got paid for it! We went on the Monster's Inc. ride, and then went around to the back to the control room for Roz (at the end of the ride, Roz talks to guests in the car). It was super interesting to see how it worked - I always wondered!
It was a long day, so I can't really remember the order in which we did everything, so I'll just summarize. We went into the Animation Academy, and did the quiz in the Beast's Library and the voice-over thing in Ursula's Lair. We met our trainer for tomorrow, and then went on Toy Story Midway Mania. We went into the Blue Sky Cellar (where they show upcoming changes to the park) and watched the movie that plays in there. We met a TON of people and managers, saw a lot of different breakrooms, had a delicious and cheap lunch in the cafeteria, and then went on the new Little Mermaid Ride!! - let me just say, it was really really pretty :) and the costumes are soooo adorable!! I filled out the cross-training form, where you list your top three rides (in your area) that you'd like to be trained for. I put 1.) Little Mermaid, 2.) Midway Mania, 3.) CA Screamin'. I really hope I get it, but it won't be for at least a couple months because we are on a probation period right now.
Basically, today was called "Guest Interaction Training." We were mostly just walking around the entire park with Clinton pointing out where things are for when a guest asks for it. To end the night, we got to watch World of Color :) And it was ESPECIALLY awesome because today was the first day that it had a new part in it - an extended Pirates of the Carribbean portion, with a lot of scenes from the new movie! Very cool.
All in all, a VERY fun day of training! Of course, it's not going to be as fun after today - tomorrow we are going to be stationed at our attractions (the fun wheel and swings) and learning how to do those. Still excited for it though! :) Even though I'm on a turn-around, starting at 8:30 am...
First off, I parked in the Katella cast member lot for the first time! Took the cast shuttle to Harbor Point (where there's a Team Center and lots of important offices, like scheduling). Met up with the other girl I was training with (they usually put two trainees to one trainer) and then we met our awesome trainer, Clinton. He showed us around and then took us to the costuming building, where we got our first costumes, as well as locks to put on lockers. The costume we wore today is the one that we wear when we're scheduled for World of Color shifts. We also got a coat because it was chilly at night!
Don't I look precious?? .....
I also got another costume (which I'm supposed to wear tomorrow) that's for my shifts at the Swings or Fun Wheel. It's also the same costume for Midway Mania. After we got our snazzy outfits on, we walked over to DCA. We got to do some really fun things today - and got paid for it! We went on the Monster's Inc. ride, and then went around to the back to the control room for Roz (at the end of the ride, Roz talks to guests in the car). It was super interesting to see how it worked - I always wondered!
It was a long day, so I can't really remember the order in which we did everything, so I'll just summarize. We went into the Animation Academy, and did the quiz in the Beast's Library and the voice-over thing in Ursula's Lair. We met our trainer for tomorrow, and then went on Toy Story Midway Mania. We went into the Blue Sky Cellar (where they show upcoming changes to the park) and watched the movie that plays in there. We met a TON of people and managers, saw a lot of different breakrooms, had a delicious and cheap lunch in the cafeteria, and then went on the new Little Mermaid Ride!! - let me just say, it was really really pretty :) and the costumes are soooo adorable!! I filled out the cross-training form, where you list your top three rides (in your area) that you'd like to be trained for. I put 1.) Little Mermaid, 2.) Midway Mania, 3.) CA Screamin'. I really hope I get it, but it won't be for at least a couple months because we are on a probation period right now.
Basically, today was called "Guest Interaction Training." We were mostly just walking around the entire park with Clinton pointing out where things are for when a guest asks for it. To end the night, we got to watch World of Color :) And it was ESPECIALLY awesome because today was the first day that it had a new part in it - an extended Pirates of the Carribbean portion, with a lot of scenes from the new movie! Very cool.
All in all, a VERY fun day of training! Of course, it's not going to be as fun after today - tomorrow we are going to be stationed at our attractions (the fun wheel and swings) and learning how to do those. Still excited for it though! :) Even though I'm on a turn-around, starting at 8:30 am...
Sunday, May 15, 2011
I'm never gonna catch my breath, say goodbye to those who knew me...
Wow. I am SO exhausted from the last few days. That being sad, today was pretty cool. It was our "Welcome to..." orientation, and mine was for Park Operations (which includes Parking/Transportation, Main Entrance, Guest Relations, Custodial, Attractions, and Security). The majority of the 8 hour day was spent in a conference room, where we learned about safety and all sorts of other things that would be REALLY boring if our facilitators weren't so entertaining.
My favorite part of the day was when we got to walk around the park and hear from a manager in each of the park operations departments. OH, and because we are Park Ops, we got to see an "example" by going on Buzz Lightyear astroblasters! :) At the end of the day, a few of us took the shuttle to one of the "team centers," where we got our Little Mermaid preview tickets!! But what we didn't know was that we got off the last shuttle, which meant we were pretty much stranded backstage. We found our way back into the park and walked all the way through it to get out through the Toontown exit, and finally made it back to TDA!
Oh and we also got our schedules for the next couple weeks, I have some time to relax, and then I have on-the-job training Friday-Sunday! I can't wait to get my costume, I think they are actually pretty cute. I also found out my specific rides! I am starting with Mickey's Fun Wheel and the Silly Symphony Swings. Obviously, these weren't my first choices, but I asked my facilitator and he said I have a very high chance of being cross-trained for Little Mermaid or Toy Story! :) *fingers crossed*
Forgot to mention.... Star Tours was AMAZING!! I missed that ride :)
My favorite part of the day was when we got to walk around the park and hear from a manager in each of the park operations departments. OH, and because we are Park Ops, we got to see an "example" by going on Buzz Lightyear astroblasters! :) At the end of the day, a few of us took the shuttle to one of the "team centers," where we got our Little Mermaid preview tickets!! But what we didn't know was that we got off the last shuttle, which meant we were pretty much stranded backstage. We found our way back into the park and walked all the way through it to get out through the Toontown exit, and finally made it back to TDA!
Oh and we also got our schedules for the next couple weeks, I have some time to relax, and then I have on-the-job training Friday-Sunday! I can't wait to get my costume, I think they are actually pretty cute. I also found out my specific rides! I am starting with Mickey's Fun Wheel and the Silly Symphony Swings. Obviously, these weren't my first choices, but I asked my facilitator and he said I have a very high chance of being cross-trained for Little Mermaid or Toy Story! :) *fingers crossed*
Forgot to mention.... Star Tours was AMAZING!! I missed that ride :)
Saturday, May 14, 2011
TRADITIONS!
So somehow I managed to get up at 6:30 am to be at Traditions by 7:30 - it's a miracle, I know. But I was so stoked that I wasn't even sleepy at all! (until about 1:00 pm when I completely crashed) To summarize the day, after signing in that we were there (so we could get paid for our time!) we went to an auditorium in the TDA building, which is where we spent most of our 8 hour day. It looked something like this:
Basically our four trainers showed us video clips, had us play a few games, and did a LOT of slideshows about what it means to be a Disney employee (WE CREATE HAPPINESS!!). We learned about the Four Keys of Disneyland (Safety, Courtesy, Show, Efficiency), as well as the past, present, and future of Disney. Hey, if you want to pay me to learn about one of my favorite subjects, that's fine with me! =)
The best part was when we took a one hour tour of Disneyland, going both onstage and backstage (for those that don't know, onstage is what we call any area where the guests can see you). It was funny watching the guests trying to figure out who this huge group of nicely dressed individuals was, we must've looked very important - and we are! ;) Then we got a lunch break. We ate at the TDA cafeteria, which had some pretty good food and wasn't too expensive. After a few more skits and slideshows in the auditorium, we were visited by a very special guest who brought us these...
Oh! But one of the most important things today was the white piece of paper they gave us first thing in the morning when we signed in. Why you ask? BECAUSE it tells you what area you are working in! Which is how I found out I'm going to be working attractions in Paradise Pier in Disney California Adventure Park. At first I was like " awww :( " especially when the girl next to me got New Orleans Square/Critter Country and a guy I talked to got Fantasyland. But then I thought about it more, and now I don't think it's such a bad thing. Let's talk about why:
No matter what attraction I got, I'm super excited for tomorrow! I have to be at the TDA building at 8:30 am for our division-specific welcome orientation (I'm part of park operations). Oh and I forgot the best part...
TOMORROW IS OPENING DAY FOR THE NEW STAR TOURS AND I'M GOING ON IT!!! Thanks to my awesome friend Claudia!! Seriously stoked.
Basically our four trainers showed us video clips, had us play a few games, and did a LOT of slideshows about what it means to be a Disney employee (WE CREATE HAPPINESS!!). We learned about the Four Keys of Disneyland (Safety, Courtesy, Show, Efficiency), as well as the past, present, and future of Disney. Hey, if you want to pay me to learn about one of my favorite subjects, that's fine with me! =) The best part was when we took a one hour tour of Disneyland, going both onstage and backstage (for those that don't know, onstage is what we call any area where the guests can see you). It was funny watching the guests trying to figure out who this huge group of nicely dressed individuals was, we must've looked very important - and we are! ;) Then we got a lunch break. We ate at the TDA cafeteria, which had some pretty good food and wasn't too expensive. After a few more skits and slideshows in the auditorium, we were visited by a very special guest who brought us these...
Oh! But one of the most important things today was the white piece of paper they gave us first thing in the morning when we signed in. Why you ask? BECAUSE it tells you what area you are working in! Which is how I found out I'm going to be working attractions in Paradise Pier in Disney California Adventure Park. At first I was like " awww :( " especially when the girl next to me got New Orleans Square/Critter Country and a guy I talked to got Fantasyland. But then I thought about it more, and now I don't think it's such a bad thing. Let's talk about why: - My hours won't be as crazy as if I were in the main DL park. DCA usually opens an hour or two later, and closes two hours earlier. No SUPER super early mornings :) Maybe.
- It's very scenic! No one can deny that the view is lovely.
- At night, all the PP rides close down early for World of Color, which I would be doing guest control for. Once the show starts, you basically get to hang out and watch it! (I'm sure the music will get really old though...)
- There are three cast member cafeterias on the Disneyland property. The only one in DCA is located backstage of Paradise Pier, so it will be super convenient for my lunches.
- As long as I don't get the Zephyrs or Jumpin' Jellyfish (which have ugly Hawaiian shirts) , my costume isn't too bad. In fact, I think they are kind of cute.
- I might have gotten Toy Storia Midway Mania.
- I MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN THE NEW LITTLE MERMAID RIDE.
No matter what attraction I got, I'm super excited for tomorrow! I have to be at the TDA building at 8:30 am for our division-specific welcome orientation (I'm part of park operations). Oh and I forgot the best part...
TOMORROW IS OPENING DAY FOR THE NEW STAR TOURS AND I'M GOING ON IT!!! Thanks to my awesome friend Claudia!! Seriously stoked.
Friday, May 13, 2011
The dreams that you make do come true...
Today was my check-in appointment, 2:00 pm at the Team Disney Anaheim building!! First, let me just say that the TDA building is amazing, I want to live there. When I walked in, I immediately felt the Disney magic - the walls were navy with gold sparkles painted on them, the carpet was mickey-print, the employees were super friendly and pointed out which way to go, I loved it.
First 45 minutes or so, we were filling out the rest of our paperwork (tax information, union membership, etc), and then we got our photo taken for our picture I.D. After that, we were led upstairs to a room with tables, where we sat and watched Ratatouille until everyone got in the room! So cool!
While we were waiting for everyone to get there, we had time to peruse the hefty folder they gave us, full of information and goodies! Some of the things we got include:
The next hour and half were filled with a few presentations from different departments. We heard about the education requirements with class descriptions, from an awesome guy who is a teacher for some of the classes (Paul Solis). We had a presentation from Scheduling, and filled out an availability and preferance sheet. The final presentation was about community updates, housing events (which local CP'ers are still allowed to go to), college program events, etc. Oh, we also did one of those ice breaker games where you go around the room and have people write their name on your paper and stuff....
The most exciting part is, we start Traditions tomorrow!! For those that don't know, Traditions is the orientation that all new employees go through. I'm not sure everything that we talk about, but tomorrow I will be sure to post another blog about it :) The only bummer is that we have to be there at 7:30 am, yikes... Sunday is when we have our introductory orientation for our specific division within the park. Since I'm attractions, I'm part of park operations, and I have to be at TDA 8:30 am, which isn't as bad as some people (like retail) who have to be there at 7:30 am again.
It's going to be a looooong but exciting weekend, I will be sure to document everything for you guys! :) Well, I'm off to buy my work shoes!
First 45 minutes or so, we were filling out the rest of our paperwork (tax information, union membership, etc), and then we got our photo taken for our picture I.D. After that, we were led upstairs to a room with tables, where we sat and watched Ratatouille until everyone got in the room! So cool!
While we were waiting for everyone to get there, we had time to peruse the hefty folder they gave us, full of information and goodies! Some of the things we got include:
- A fancy and detailed guide to the Disney Look
- Brochures about things like Disability Insurance, Workers' Compensation, Sexual Harrasment, etc.
- Our "Safe-D" manual
- A random white board and dry erase marker
- Employee policy manual
- Information about their Federal Credit Union
- A 2011 Program guide, complete with day planner! (with cute things on the dates, like Goofy's birthday)
- A DCP keychain thing for our cast member ID!
- A disney pen :)
The next hour and half were filled with a few presentations from different departments. We heard about the education requirements with class descriptions, from an awesome guy who is a teacher for some of the classes (Paul Solis). We had a presentation from Scheduling, and filled out an availability and preferance sheet. The final presentation was about community updates, housing events (which local CP'ers are still allowed to go to), college program events, etc. Oh, we also did one of those ice breaker games where you go around the room and have people write their name on your paper and stuff....The most exciting part is, we start Traditions tomorrow!! For those that don't know, Traditions is the orientation that all new employees go through. I'm not sure everything that we talk about, but tomorrow I will be sure to post another blog about it :) The only bummer is that we have to be there at 7:30 am, yikes... Sunday is when we have our introductory orientation for our specific division within the park. Since I'm attractions, I'm part of park operations, and I have to be at TDA 8:30 am, which isn't as bad as some people (like retail) who have to be there at 7:30 am again.
It's going to be a looooong but exciting weekend, I will be sure to document everything for you guys! :) Well, I'm off to buy my work shoes!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Time is Racing Toward Us!
Only three days until I check-in at the Team Disney Anaheim building!! I can't believe how fast it's snuck up on me! I really don't have much to say except how absolutely excited I am to begin my adventure and make new friends!
So on Friday I have my check-in appointment, where I finish filling out additional paperwork and have my cast member ID picture taken. Then I find out what my schedule is going to be like for Traditions and orientation. My emails say that Traditions (which is our first paid day of orientation that every new employee must go through) doesn't happen until a week or two after our check-in day, which is a bummer because I want to start NOW!
Anyway, I will be back on Friday to let you all know how it went!
So on Friday I have my check-in appointment, where I finish filling out additional paperwork and have my cast member ID picture taken. Then I find out what my schedule is going to be like for Traditions and orientation. My emails say that Traditions (which is our first paid day of orientation that every new employee must go through) doesn't happen until a week or two after our check-in day, which is a bummer because I want to start NOW!
Anyway, I will be back on Friday to let you all know how it went!
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