My last day at work began at 1.15 and I am not ashamed to admit it was a really difficult day. Putting my costume on for the final time was a weird feeling, a feeling of loss because I knew that once this day was through my adventure in the happiest place on earth as a cast member at least was over, something that I would never get back. After taking plenty of pictures of the bus ride into work (sad maybe but I didn't want to forget a single thing) I got into the ops office nice and early and began work. The day was filled with 'lasts'. My last time on grouper, my last time on photocell but most importantly my last evac.
Ok so up until my final day as a track technician I had carefully avoided the dreaded outside evac simply because there is a mighty long section of track you have to walk in the heat. Well I had three cars and I got everyone out alright but I was sweating away. It was boiling! Not only did I run the length of the track to get everyone out but after walking it again as a double check tower called to ask me to walk it again to power up cars. It was tragic, but at least I was able to listen to some Wham on my phone whilst I waited for the power up ;) The day went too quickly in my opinion and just before the end of the day I wrote my name and nickname on the wall of ICPers. I was to close up Odyssy and before going outside I'm not ashamed to say that saying goodbye filled me with a storm of tears. It was horrible but I was happy to see Dan waiting for me at Odyssy, where we watched the fireworks and told off guests for trying to use the bridge hehehe. After work I went to TGI Fridays with my fellow cast members for a goodbye steak meal. It was really lovely and I was really sad to say goodbye to all the fabulous friends I had made. They really had made my experience magical and I was very sorry to see them go.
Thursday began with a start. I had decided to get all my packing done in the morning and then head to Epcot to hand in my costumes to costuming before starting having fun in the parks. My first ride had to be Journey into the Imagination as it was one of those things I had never done but always wanted to. Well to be perfectly honest I wasn't too impressed, but at least I had done it. I then decided to head to the bakery in Paris for one final baggette and creme brulee - a most excellent combo even if I do say so myself hehe. During one of my early days in Disney Louisa and I had watched the Players production of Romeo and Ethel in Italy, well today I thought I'd catch up with the Players again but this time in the UK with their most excellent show of King Arthur. Well how European did I feel sitting in the UK eating creme brulee? It was awesome! Nick came to meet me after work and we managed to have a little walk round the world before hitting up some rides. Number one on my agenda was obviously Test Track so after saying my goodbyes to all my friends, even going through the briefing rooms on the opposite site to hug my co workers at photocell we were let on the ride through the sneaky entrance i.e. no wait for us! It was great to be riding the ride like a regular guest although I did have a pang of sadness over the fact that my days as a track technician were officially over. Afterwards we scurried over to Mission Space which luckily enough was walk on and after the Orange Adventure we went on Soarin'. Thanks to my persuasiveness (as we only had one fastpass) it took us no time whatsover and soon we were taking the monorail over to Magic Kingdom.
Ok so every ICP spends their last day in Magic Kingdom but you know what, I don't blame them! We started with a little Move it Shake it Celebrate it, partying with Woody and Jessie and then after getting some much needed chocolate watched Dream Along with Mickey. We obviously looked like season pros as one woman even asked us who the pink princess was. Um I think you'll find that is Aurora - jeez why do people even come to Disney? Lol anyway after the show we went over to Frontierland where we got a fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We were just about to get in the queue for Splash Mountain when a couple kindly gave us fastpasses for that exact time. Of course we jumped at the offer and once again had a lucky non - wait. I did feel slightly guilty at passing all of those people in the standby line mind you! Nevermind, we were at the back and so didn't get too wet so it was all good. We had some time to kill before Big Thunder and decided to go on the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, which was again one of those things which is nice to do but I wouldn't hurry back. Soon it was time for Big Thunder which is always most fun and then we ended with some Philharmagic action. By this time the reality of my final day was really hitting home and I did get more than a little upset, but when you've spent a long time with people and in the place you love when you have to leave it is very tricky. We met my parents and after a little retail therepy got in a spot to watch wishes. Jayne and Amy soon joined us and having lost my parents to the ice cream parlour the four of us watched the show for the final time. A few group hugs later it was time to say goodbye and Nick and I were soon heading back to Epcot (where we left the car).
Friday was probably one of the worst days ever. After doing some last minute packing, it was shortly time to be out of the accomodation. Amy and I handed in our passes at the front desk and said our goodbyes. It was horrible knowing that I wouldn't see her everyday and sad to say goodbye to one of the best friends I have ever made. A similar situation occured with Jayne and then Ashley.
As my flight wasn't until the evening we had decided to do something to take our minds off the impending departure. Nick and I decided to try out mini golf at Wintersummerland at Blizzard Beach. We had a lovely time and naturally I won hehe. After a final trip to Downtown Disney where we finally found a Tramp to go with my Mum's Lady it was soon time to go to the airport. The flight home was fine but I was so upset at leaving I didn't really take much in.
So now I'm home and my blog is complete. I think you can tell how much my trip and adventures meant to me. Doing the ICP was the best decision I have ever made. I have not only grown as a person with my independence and strength but I met some amazing people and made such wonderful friends. It truly was, the time of my life.
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Secret tours, nemo again and getting beaten by a boy...
I had previously signed up to do the Keys to the Kingdom tour (an exclusive tour around the Magic Kingdom, only available to Cast Members) and finally, Wednesday was the day. I got up ridiculously early and headed to the park. So early in fact that the park was yet to open so I was able to hear the park opening show which was a new experience :D Being in the park before hours is certainly different to say the least, it is unbelievably quiet, it's rather eerie. After heading to the sign in area and having received my 'guided tour' tag and free water our tour guide met us and began the tour. Of course, many of the secrets disclosed are 'backstage' and therefore I am unable to post them here but I shall post some.
We were taken around Main Street and shown the windows above the shops that have people's names on them. Unbeknown to many, all of these names are significant for the construction of WDW, including some of the false names given to the newspapers at the time of land buying. Roy Disney's window is at the front and it is supposed to be like the credits at the end of a film, starting with the producer or 'money man' Roy and ending with Walt himself as the director above the Main Street bakery. We were told stories about the construction of WDW including the fact that until Walt gave an interview to a young woman detailing exactly why he wouldn't like to buy swamp land, refering to all the work needed to it, did any suspicion point to the Disney company. 'Disney's The One' was the next day newspaper's front headline, followed by more cutting ones such as 'Walt's Folly' - well I guess they showed them, eh?
Other fun facts were how the sidewalk and the road are purposly painted different colours so people realised when they were stepping from one to the other and how Disney tries to blend in construction work with canvases painted like Main Street shops. We were then taken backstage. *Ariel image, car park, jungle cruise, tunnels, maintanence, pipes, deliveries*. Afterwards we were told about all the ghosts on the Haunted Mansion ride and how the imagineering designers were able to create such illusions. Fun facts - look to the right in the graveyard when you see a large lady with long Viking hair, there will be a grim reaper holding a hidden Mickey, also in the graveyard one of the fallen heads was the voice of Tony the Tiger. In the contstruction of the hitchhiking ghosts they were made as statues that rotate with you. *Mirror, Lights* Also there are chess pieces on top of the Mansion itself - they were put on the imagineer in charge's plans by his co workers as a practical joke however, he just left them on there. Mr Toad is in the graveyard in respect for the demise of Mr Toad's Wild Ride. We were further take backstage at Splash Mountain to see Goofy's Mirror, parade floats, rehearsing characters and the Splash Mountain waterfall. This was where we were able to see the slope indicating the fact that MK is built on the first floor as opposed to being at ground level.
After the tour I grabbed a choc fudge and headed to Animal Kingdom to meet up with Amy. We had a bit of a catch up since I hadn't seen her in a while during lunch and then went to Finding Nemo the Musical (again!). We were planning on doing the safari but due to time we decided we would go and see some of the animals including the gorillas which was awesome because I have never gone to the animal watch before. Nick came and met us and after dropping Amy back home we tottled off to Downtown Disney for a little while. It was really nice :)
I began work on Thursday with a good attitude which was immediately turned sour when one of the coordinators shouted at me on photocell in front of guests for something that was out of control. Number one- in order to retain respect from your staff you should NEVER call people out onstage and number two get your facts straight. Basically after we had gone 101, I was to fill the briefing rooms. However, due to people pushing through the doors the system of rotation on the videos in the rooms got out of sync and one room was empty when it was let out. It then looked like another one had gone empty but this was not the case as one of my fellow cast members had let them out early. When the coordinator called me up on this I explained that I had not let out two empty rooms. I felt that I needed to stick up for myself and argued my case. Luckily it was all sorted but at the end of the day it's never nice to be told off for something that was 100% not your fault. The rest of the day went by so so, I was able to watch illuminations and have a sundae so this pleased me immensely and brightened my mood. I was also able to put Heather, Ken, Nolan and Olivia on the ride which was brilliant - it's always nice to see people you know!
On Friday I had planned to meet up with my parents for breakfast before work which started at 1pm. We went and had a lovely brekkie with pancakes galore!!! I then went back to the villa for a little snooze before we left for epcot. Hey I had been working 12 hours the previous day!! Work was good although it seemed distinctly different minus a load of CPs/ ICPs and not as good. Althought all the guests I encountered were pretty awesome and some even recognised me when I was on my lunch which was fun. They then came, sat and chatted to me which was really great. Guest interaction was my number one favourite part of the ICP. Nick picked me up after work and we went to Macaroni Grill which was amazing (and swish!) and I had a most lovely italian meal.
Saturday was pretty uneventful just another long day at work although we had quite a few zone stops and evacuations due to weather. My top favourite questions from guests during down time: (during inclement weather) - Q - How long will the attraction be closed? A - When the weather clears. Q- How long will this be? A - I have no clue... its..weather. (during 101s) - Q - Is the ride closed? A -(Dan Wade) Yes. Although the day wasn't completely uneventful as I was able to put my parents on the ride and they were able to see my grouper skills which was funny. Needless to say they were very impressed hehe ;)
Sunday I was working again (obviously!) but beforehand I was able to get some laundry done. My day went pretty quick and I was even able to do the ride through at the end of the day - my final one *tear*. It was funny but throughout the day I kept thinking this may be my last time on .... or.... positions. It was a horrible to think that my program was coming to an end. Ladarius, Dan and Andy asked me to go to Downtown Disney for some 'English' fish and chips at Cookes of Dublin. It was really nice but I think I'll stick to the real thing from now on :p I then met up with Nick for a little wander around Downtown Disney before heading home.
Monday was just another work day I'm afraid to say, long but with plenty of Brits to keep me entertained. On Tuesday I had my homeroom meeting with Curtis which went well and I got a nice feedback report. It was great to hear nice things my co workers had said about my positive image and attitude. Although I had an early shift (starting at 7am I didn't mind too much as it gave me the chance to do station walker for the last time. As it had been quite a while since I had last been through all the door checks I kept having to get nudged by tower as to where I should be hehe, nevermind at least I got it done on time. Nick said he would meet me after work and as I finished at 3.15pm I basically had the rest of the day. My mum and dad said they'd meet us as the plan was to go to see Fantasmic for the final time. We did Indiana Jones and the great movie ride. Unfortunately it was raining pretty heavily so after going on Tower and Rock n Rollar Coaster Nick and I sans parentals went on Toy Story Mania where Nick got 180 thousand and I got just over 150 thousand, grrr beaten again! Nevermind I will beat him one of those days.
We were taken around Main Street and shown the windows above the shops that have people's names on them. Unbeknown to many, all of these names are significant for the construction of WDW, including some of the false names given to the newspapers at the time of land buying. Roy Disney's window is at the front and it is supposed to be like the credits at the end of a film, starting with the producer or 'money man' Roy and ending with Walt himself as the director above the Main Street bakery. We were told stories about the construction of WDW including the fact that until Walt gave an interview to a young woman detailing exactly why he wouldn't like to buy swamp land, refering to all the work needed to it, did any suspicion point to the Disney company. 'Disney's The One' was the next day newspaper's front headline, followed by more cutting ones such as 'Walt's Folly' - well I guess they showed them, eh?
Other fun facts were how the sidewalk and the road are purposly painted different colours so people realised when they were stepping from one to the other and how Disney tries to blend in construction work with canvases painted like Main Street shops. We were then taken backstage. *Ariel image, car park, jungle cruise, tunnels, maintanence, pipes, deliveries*. Afterwards we were told about all the ghosts on the Haunted Mansion ride and how the imagineering designers were able to create such illusions. Fun facts - look to the right in the graveyard when you see a large lady with long Viking hair, there will be a grim reaper holding a hidden Mickey, also in the graveyard one of the fallen heads was the voice of Tony the Tiger. In the contstruction of the hitchhiking ghosts they were made as statues that rotate with you. *Mirror, Lights* Also there are chess pieces on top of the Mansion itself - they were put on the imagineer in charge's plans by his co workers as a practical joke however, he just left them on there. Mr Toad is in the graveyard in respect for the demise of Mr Toad's Wild Ride. We were further take backstage at Splash Mountain to see Goofy's Mirror, parade floats, rehearsing characters and the Splash Mountain waterfall. This was where we were able to see the slope indicating the fact that MK is built on the first floor as opposed to being at ground level.
After the tour I grabbed a choc fudge and headed to Animal Kingdom to meet up with Amy. We had a bit of a catch up since I hadn't seen her in a while during lunch and then went to Finding Nemo the Musical (again!). We were planning on doing the safari but due to time we decided we would go and see some of the animals including the gorillas which was awesome because I have never gone to the animal watch before. Nick came and met us and after dropping Amy back home we tottled off to Downtown Disney for a little while. It was really nice :)
I began work on Thursday with a good attitude which was immediately turned sour when one of the coordinators shouted at me on photocell in front of guests for something that was out of control. Number one- in order to retain respect from your staff you should NEVER call people out onstage and number two get your facts straight. Basically after we had gone 101, I was to fill the briefing rooms. However, due to people pushing through the doors the system of rotation on the videos in the rooms got out of sync and one room was empty when it was let out. It then looked like another one had gone empty but this was not the case as one of my fellow cast members had let them out early. When the coordinator called me up on this I explained that I had not let out two empty rooms. I felt that I needed to stick up for myself and argued my case. Luckily it was all sorted but at the end of the day it's never nice to be told off for something that was 100% not your fault. The rest of the day went by so so, I was able to watch illuminations and have a sundae so this pleased me immensely and brightened my mood. I was also able to put Heather, Ken, Nolan and Olivia on the ride which was brilliant - it's always nice to see people you know!
On Friday I had planned to meet up with my parents for breakfast before work which started at 1pm. We went and had a lovely brekkie with pancakes galore!!! I then went back to the villa for a little snooze before we left for epcot. Hey I had been working 12 hours the previous day!! Work was good although it seemed distinctly different minus a load of CPs/ ICPs and not as good. Althought all the guests I encountered were pretty awesome and some even recognised me when I was on my lunch which was fun. They then came, sat and chatted to me which was really great. Guest interaction was my number one favourite part of the ICP. Nick picked me up after work and we went to Macaroni Grill which was amazing (and swish!) and I had a most lovely italian meal.
Saturday was pretty uneventful just another long day at work although we had quite a few zone stops and evacuations due to weather. My top favourite questions from guests during down time: (during inclement weather) - Q - How long will the attraction be closed? A - When the weather clears. Q- How long will this be? A - I have no clue... its..weather. (during 101s) - Q - Is the ride closed? A -(Dan Wade) Yes. Although the day wasn't completely uneventful as I was able to put my parents on the ride and they were able to see my grouper skills which was funny. Needless to say they were very impressed hehe ;)
Sunday I was working again (obviously!) but beforehand I was able to get some laundry done. My day went pretty quick and I was even able to do the ride through at the end of the day - my final one *tear*. It was funny but throughout the day I kept thinking this may be my last time on .... or.... positions. It was a horrible to think that my program was coming to an end. Ladarius, Dan and Andy asked me to go to Downtown Disney for some 'English' fish and chips at Cookes of Dublin. It was really nice but I think I'll stick to the real thing from now on :p I then met up with Nick for a little wander around Downtown Disney before heading home.
Monday was just another work day I'm afraid to say, long but with plenty of Brits to keep me entertained. On Tuesday I had my homeroom meeting with Curtis which went well and I got a nice feedback report. It was great to hear nice things my co workers had said about my positive image and attitude. Although I had an early shift (starting at 7am I didn't mind too much as it gave me the chance to do station walker for the last time. As it had been quite a while since I had last been through all the door checks I kept having to get nudged by tower as to where I should be hehe, nevermind at least I got it done on time. Nick said he would meet me after work and as I finished at 3.15pm I basically had the rest of the day. My mum and dad said they'd meet us as the plan was to go to see Fantasmic for the final time. We did Indiana Jones and the great movie ride. Unfortunately it was raining pretty heavily so after going on Tower and Rock n Rollar Coaster Nick and I sans parentals went on Toy Story Mania where Nick got 180 thousand and I got just over 150 thousand, grrr beaten again! Nevermind I will beat him one of those days.
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Dinosaurs, assaults and cute cousins...
On Saturday I had planned to be picked up fairly early in the morning by my parents, drive to Sizzler to have breakfast then head to la Kingdom le Magic in the afternoon. I met them outside Chatham and to say I was pleased to see them didn't quite cover it. We had a lovely reunion and soon headed for some food. We pulled into the parking lot and suddenly another car appeared. Unbeknown to my my grandparents had decided to surprise me! I honestly had no idea, it was a great surprise :D
We had breakfast (pancakes!) and went back to Chatham to show them round. After a quick look at the untidy mess we went to view the parental's villa. After a swim and a game of pool later it was time to head to Magic Kingdom sans Gran and Grandpa. We went on Big thunder mountain, the haunted mansion, pirates and philharmagic. I had booked us a surprise meal at Tonies on Main Street USA citing a family reunion as our cause to celebrate. The lady and the tramp theme was wonderful and the meal was great. A fabulous choice even if I do say so myself hehe ;) We wore our 'family reunion' pins with great joy. We had then planned to meet up with Nick after he finished work and after the 'meeting the parents' introductions we headed to tomorrowland to go on Buzz (I beat my Dad!) and monster's inc laughter floor where Nick was picked on to 'get up and dance' which was a real treat :P By this time it was getting late and so we headed back to our respectful homes as SOME people had to work in the morning.
I worked 10am - 9.45pm and had a pretty good day albeit long. The last couple of weeks broke up the tradition of me getting stuck with stand by and pit crew on rotation. I finally was able to get positions such as grouper (my favourite) and photocell. Although the majority of guests were pleasant during this period I had two situations which made me think that unfortunately Disney joy doesn't quite reach all those who visit the magic. The first was a man who approached me on pit crew. As I had to load the cars I politely asked him to move off the platform so I could do my job. He began ranting and raving at me about his lost son. I asked him if he was a single rider and said that if so they all exit at the same place. Again I asked him to step down and he shouted straight at me, making a fist as if to hit me. Luckily a couple of other track technicians saw what was happening and intervened. The man swiftly exited and I was left rather shaken. It wasn't nice but I was happy to of had the support of my team. The second incident was when I was at grouper. Suddenly a man made to jump on the track swearing abuse but was restrained by his family. Aparently there was a man on the ride who had been inappropriate with the first man's daughter. Luckily a fellow CM intervened. Again it shook me up but these type of incidents are rare and the majority of guests I witnessed were just excited about being on holiday.
Well, back to Sunday - after work I was picked up by my parents and after an unsuccessful visit to Publix (it had closed!) it was time to say goodbye and head back to sleep. Monday I had off and after a neccessary long lie- in I got some bits and bobs done before meeting with my man for some fun at Disney Quest. We really enjoyed the vintage arcade games as well as some modern ones (guitar hero anyone?). We did the mighty ducks pinball, aladdin's magic carpet ride and cyberspace mountain (thrill factor 4), had a little parfait and a peanut butter and chocolate muffin and after a break returned later to do pirates and virtual jungle cruise. Ok so I fell upon seeing a dinosaur on jungle cruise and dropped my oar, no need to laugh though! No help or nothing, just laughter grr :p hehe. We played skiball and I am proud to say I managed to get in the 10 000 target! Anyhoo, we then went to Olive Garden for some lovely food *ranch salad* and went home to watch a couple of movies. Overall a fabulous day with excellent company :D
On Tuesday we had planned to meet the parents early in the morning to make the most of our day at Hollywood Studios. We started with the Tower of Terror and went on to do Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Muppets 3D, One Man's Dream (during the storm) and of course Toy Story Mania. I was so happy as Me, Nick and Mum all beat my Dad for once! Mwhahaha. We had a nice meal at ABC cafe and had a wander round the Christmas shop, getting a few pressies for back home. Soon it was time to go to Downtown Disney as we had arranged to meet up with some relatives who we hadn't seen in years. We all had a great time at the Rainforest Cafe and it was lovely to see Heather (my Mum's cousin), her husband Ken and their children Olivia and Nolan. Nick had great fun playing with the kids and it was a treat to be in the Rainforest as I hadn't been in absolute years. After the most delicious chocolate cake known to man was eaten we had a look around World of Disney and then parted to go our own separate ways. Another wonderful day in the place of magic.
We had breakfast (pancakes!) and went back to Chatham to show them round. After a quick look at the untidy mess we went to view the parental's villa. After a swim and a game of pool later it was time to head to Magic Kingdom sans Gran and Grandpa. We went on Big thunder mountain, the haunted mansion, pirates and philharmagic. I had booked us a surprise meal at Tonies on Main Street USA citing a family reunion as our cause to celebrate. The lady and the tramp theme was wonderful and the meal was great. A fabulous choice even if I do say so myself hehe ;) We wore our 'family reunion' pins with great joy. We had then planned to meet up with Nick after he finished work and after the 'meeting the parents' introductions we headed to tomorrowland to go on Buzz (I beat my Dad!) and monster's inc laughter floor where Nick was picked on to 'get up and dance' which was a real treat :P By this time it was getting late and so we headed back to our respectful homes as SOME people had to work in the morning.
I worked 10am - 9.45pm and had a pretty good day albeit long. The last couple of weeks broke up the tradition of me getting stuck with stand by and pit crew on rotation. I finally was able to get positions such as grouper (my favourite) and photocell. Although the majority of guests were pleasant during this period I had two situations which made me think that unfortunately Disney joy doesn't quite reach all those who visit the magic. The first was a man who approached me on pit crew. As I had to load the cars I politely asked him to move off the platform so I could do my job. He began ranting and raving at me about his lost son. I asked him if he was a single rider and said that if so they all exit at the same place. Again I asked him to step down and he shouted straight at me, making a fist as if to hit me. Luckily a couple of other track technicians saw what was happening and intervened. The man swiftly exited and I was left rather shaken. It wasn't nice but I was happy to of had the support of my team. The second incident was when I was at grouper. Suddenly a man made to jump on the track swearing abuse but was restrained by his family. Aparently there was a man on the ride who had been inappropriate with the first man's daughter. Luckily a fellow CM intervened. Again it shook me up but these type of incidents are rare and the majority of guests I witnessed were just excited about being on holiday.
Well, back to Sunday - after work I was picked up by my parents and after an unsuccessful visit to Publix (it had closed!) it was time to say goodbye and head back to sleep. Monday I had off and after a neccessary long lie- in I got some bits and bobs done before meeting with my man for some fun at Disney Quest. We really enjoyed the vintage arcade games as well as some modern ones (guitar hero anyone?). We did the mighty ducks pinball, aladdin's magic carpet ride and cyberspace mountain (thrill factor 4), had a little parfait and a peanut butter and chocolate muffin and after a break returned later to do pirates and virtual jungle cruise. Ok so I fell upon seeing a dinosaur on jungle cruise and dropped my oar, no need to laugh though! No help or nothing, just laughter grr :p hehe. We played skiball and I am proud to say I managed to get in the 10 000 target! Anyhoo, we then went to Olive Garden for some lovely food *ranch salad* and went home to watch a couple of movies. Overall a fabulous day with excellent company :D
On Tuesday we had planned to meet the parents early in the morning to make the most of our day at Hollywood Studios. We started with the Tower of Terror and went on to do Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Muppets 3D, One Man's Dream (during the storm) and of course Toy Story Mania. I was so happy as Me, Nick and Mum all beat my Dad for once! Mwhahaha. We had a nice meal at ABC cafe and had a wander round the Christmas shop, getting a few pressies for back home. Soon it was time to go to Downtown Disney as we had arranged to meet up with some relatives who we hadn't seen in years. We all had a great time at the Rainforest Cafe and it was lovely to see Heather (my Mum's cousin), her husband Ken and their children Olivia and Nolan. Nick had great fun playing with the kids and it was a treat to be in the Rainforest as I hadn't been in absolute years. After the most delicious chocolate cake known to man was eaten we had a look around World of Disney and then parted to go our own separate ways. Another wonderful day in the place of magic.
Friday, 11 September 2009
Universal, hysteria and Beetlejuice's bum...
Friday I had off so Amy, Jayne and I decided we would go to Universal Studios and Island of Adventure for the day. We got up fairly early, caught the bus to the Commons and took the short walk through the premium outlets to get the iTrolley to Universal. A short bus ride later we trudged through the greenland and wandered past the Hard Rock Hotel to the parks. We got a multi ticket and thought we would start our day at Island of Adventure as from our estimation it would probably be busiest. First we went to the Daily Bugle and accompanied Spidey on a tour of the city. I LOVE the spiderman ride, you get to wear 3D goggles, get splashed and shot at and get to move in the most attractive buggy car ever. It was fabulous and Jayne (who had never been to IoA/ Universal before) loved it too.
We then went through toon lagoon and onto the Popeye water ride which was, unbelievably enough, walk on. Well, although we wore our ponchos we got absolutely drenched. Luckily my bottom half was covered but my hair was soaked and Jayne wasn't too impressed that her jeans got wet and began to expand. Me and Amy enjoyed it though! After drying off a tiny bit, we decided to undo all of that goodness by going on the Jurrasic Park water adventure which only had a 5 minute wait time (madness!). Again the ponchos were out but Amy thought she was tough enough and so how much we laughed when she came off dripping wet whilst me and Jayne were bone dry. Yay for the power of the ponchos.
After watching a magic show in the Lost Continent (hmm I wonder if the tricks come with an instructional DVD - lol) we went to see the Eighth Voyage of Sinbad; one of my picks as the last time I went was over 4 years ago and I had fond memories. Unfortunately the show didn't quite meet up to said memories but neverless it was still good. We passed the construction of the new Harry Potter land and couldn't resist getting a little too overexcited, especially as we saw Hagrid's hut from line of the Duelling Dragons.
It was soon lunch time and we had all agreed to take a break from park one and head to the HRC for some munch. This time I had a HRC burger and it was definately worth the wait. One of the nicest meals I've had and the fact that 'gettin' jiggy with it' was played in the backround cemented the fact that I 100% love that restaurant. A quick snap of Rocky Horror and Blues Brothers memorabillia later we headed to Universal Studios. We asked the woman at the entrance about the new rollarcoaster which was being tested by crew members, specifically when it would open. 'Oh it's not been released yet, but possibly sometime in the next month'. Of course unbeknown to us the bloomin' thing was opening that very next day!!!! We were most upset when we heard the news. Oh well, I'm sure I'll be back.
As our last Universal trip was unceremoniously rained off we had vowed only to do the attractions that we had not done previously. First it was a trip to the I love Lucy shop where we literally bumped into Lucy and Ricky themselves! It was then time for Beetlejuice which was AMAZING! and every bit as good as I remembered although it had been changed slightly so no Santana :( Nevermind, I was also lucky enough to get a personal video message from Beetlejuice himself when he shook his bum in my camera - oh memories.
After the show we headed to Delaney Street to see the Blues Brothers in concert. Jayne is rather a fan and so got rather excited about the whole thing. Her reaction was kind of peculiar to me and Amy who of course realised they weren't the actual blues brothers. Oh well, she really loved it and that's the main thing. I think they could sense her enthusiasm and picked her to dance with which was lovely. It soon turned out to be a dancing in the street kind of affair so I obliged and danced the conga with the BB crew. They were brilliant and it was worth it to see Jayne - it was like her Birthday and Christmases had all come at once!
A ride on the Mummy and some Ben and Jerrys later we went to view the Horror Make up Show; again a favourite of mine. It was definately a treat for all. Afterwards we headed back over to IoA where we went on the Hulk, Doctor Doom's FearFall (where we nearly got into a fight over a woman opening a 'Do not open door' - thanks Jayne lol) the fire Duelling Dragon and the carousel at Seuss Landing. We went on the armchair ride through the Cat and the Hat and then decided to go back to Universal. After doing Men in Black Amy and I had decided we had had enough. Jayne really wanted to go on the Simpsons ride so while she rode that Amy and I had a little look around the shops. Twelve hours after starting the day at the parks we were still there and once Jayne had met up with us again we took the short walk back to the iTrolley and caught it to go home.
I had a fabulous but long day. Tomorrow I was to meet my parents, little did I know they had a surprise waiting for me...
We then went through toon lagoon and onto the Popeye water ride which was, unbelievably enough, walk on. Well, although we wore our ponchos we got absolutely drenched. Luckily my bottom half was covered but my hair was soaked and Jayne wasn't too impressed that her jeans got wet and began to expand. Me and Amy enjoyed it though! After drying off a tiny bit, we decided to undo all of that goodness by going on the Jurrasic Park water adventure which only had a 5 minute wait time (madness!). Again the ponchos were out but Amy thought she was tough enough and so how much we laughed when she came off dripping wet whilst me and Jayne were bone dry. Yay for the power of the ponchos.
After watching a magic show in the Lost Continent (hmm I wonder if the tricks come with an instructional DVD - lol) we went to see the Eighth Voyage of Sinbad; one of my picks as the last time I went was over 4 years ago and I had fond memories. Unfortunately the show didn't quite meet up to said memories but neverless it was still good. We passed the construction of the new Harry Potter land and couldn't resist getting a little too overexcited, especially as we saw Hagrid's hut from line of the Duelling Dragons.
It was soon lunch time and we had all agreed to take a break from park one and head to the HRC for some munch. This time I had a HRC burger and it was definately worth the wait. One of the nicest meals I've had and the fact that 'gettin' jiggy with it' was played in the backround cemented the fact that I 100% love that restaurant. A quick snap of Rocky Horror and Blues Brothers memorabillia later we headed to Universal Studios. We asked the woman at the entrance about the new rollarcoaster which was being tested by crew members, specifically when it would open. 'Oh it's not been released yet, but possibly sometime in the next month'. Of course unbeknown to us the bloomin' thing was opening that very next day!!!! We were most upset when we heard the news. Oh well, I'm sure I'll be back.
As our last Universal trip was unceremoniously rained off we had vowed only to do the attractions that we had not done previously. First it was a trip to the I love Lucy shop where we literally bumped into Lucy and Ricky themselves! It was then time for Beetlejuice which was AMAZING! and every bit as good as I remembered although it had been changed slightly so no Santana :( Nevermind, I was also lucky enough to get a personal video message from Beetlejuice himself when he shook his bum in my camera - oh memories.
After the show we headed to Delaney Street to see the Blues Brothers in concert. Jayne is rather a fan and so got rather excited about the whole thing. Her reaction was kind of peculiar to me and Amy who of course realised they weren't the actual blues brothers. Oh well, she really loved it and that's the main thing. I think they could sense her enthusiasm and picked her to dance with which was lovely. It soon turned out to be a dancing in the street kind of affair so I obliged and danced the conga with the BB crew. They were brilliant and it was worth it to see Jayne - it was like her Birthday and Christmases had all come at once!
A ride on the Mummy and some Ben and Jerrys later we went to view the Horror Make up Show; again a favourite of mine. It was definately a treat for all. Afterwards we headed back over to IoA where we went on the Hulk, Doctor Doom's FearFall (where we nearly got into a fight over a woman opening a 'Do not open door' - thanks Jayne lol) the fire Duelling Dragon and the carousel at Seuss Landing. We went on the armchair ride through the Cat and the Hat and then decided to go back to Universal. After doing Men in Black Amy and I had decided we had had enough. Jayne really wanted to go on the Simpsons ride so while she rode that Amy and I had a little look around the shops. Twelve hours after starting the day at the parks we were still there and once Jayne had met up with us again we took the short walk back to the iTrolley and caught it to go home.
I had a fabulous but long day. Tomorrow I was to meet my parents, little did I know they had a surprise waiting for me...
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
Fastpasses, Pancakes and Nemo...
Ok, so I haven't posted anything in ages and now my memory is slightly fuzzy but I'm going to try my best to capture my last three weeks working for the mouse as best as I can.
Monday I began work at 1pm which meant that I could get a few odds and ends done before starting. Work itself wasn't the best of experiences as instantly I was at odds with a guest at Fastpass Distribution. Usually I don't mind this position as although you are outside with no fans you are constantly busy. Seriously, someone should really memo Disney - note to update the machines - they are certainly no spring chickens. Anyway back to the point. A guest complained that one of the machines didn't work, well fair enough, however when I put the card into one of the working FP machines she received a ticket informing her that she already had a FP for Soarin' in the two hour between FPs period. According to her she had just entered the park. Anyhoo she asked for my name as it was ridiculous that she would have to take the two minute walk to guest relations to sort out the problem with her park admission card. After offering her the correct spelling of my name I swiftly moved away knowing that I had done my job correctly. Well nothing ever came of it and to be honest I think she was more annoyed about the walk than the actual FP.
We had some downtime during the day and I learnt a few things about the attraction, for example the fact that the crash doors are made of styrofome and are painted to look like real wood. I also had some trouble with a couple of young boys trying to provoke and annoy me on standby. I don't understand why people have to antagonise someone else for their own amusement. Therefore I was really pleased when Andy gave them a little 'friendly' warning and luckily once the attraction was 102 they were on and off the ride swiftly. At the other end of the scale though, I met some lovely guests who came from Hellesdon, Norwich! How bizzare, they had even gone to the same school as me - it really IS a small world!
That night after work I went out with my fellow cast members for a kind of leaving do for some of the international and college programers. We went to Bennigans and I had the most delicious chocolate brownie ever - I had been craving something sweet all day, I think Tyler was pleased when I finally had it so I would stop complaining! Although I had a great night and got a lift home from Amanda's roomates it really got me thinking that I didn't really have that long to go before I would be saying goodbye too. This wasn't a happy thought.
The next day I didn't start work until 4.30 so me and Amy decided to go to another character breakfast. This time though it was the big one - the Grand Floridian 1900 Park Fare character experience. I've always wanted to visit the Grand Flo so this was definately a big deal for me. We had a reservation for 10.50am for breakfast but when we arrived were told that an additional wait time would be added so we decided to have a little look around. The resort itself is absolutely gorgeous and I would love to stay there one day. After a little nosy around and some shopping it was soon time for food. I had the usual - fruit, way too many pancakes and Mickey shaped waffles. Amy had a made- to- order omlette which looked lovely. We were joined by Pooh, Tigger (Tigray!), Alice, Mary Poppins and the Mad Hatter. It trully was magical!
Afterwards we decided we would explore some of the areas in the MK district exclusive to cast members. Although we went to the Disney University Company D we were really disappointed by what was on offer to purchase. We then went to property control/ cast connection where I succeeded in purchasing a lovely (cheap!) t shirt. Our next destination was MK itself and instead of going on our usual rides we figured we'd opt for some of the not so well recognised ones including Snow White's Scary Adventure and Aladdin's Magic Carpets both of which I enjoyed immensely considering the last time I went on them I was 7! Philharmagic was also on our hit list = always a must. Soon it was time for me to scurry onto work and there I worked until 12.45 (grr for Extra Magic Hours).
Wednesday was the day to say goodbye to some of my fellow ICPers and beloved cast members so it definately started with a grey cloud. Yet some light relief was to be had when the Prince of Saudi Arabia visited our attraction. He jumped out of the car when it stopped and started shouting at me in his native tongue, unbeknown to me on pit crew he was upset because he had lost his hat. Um... surelly he would have enough money to buy a new one?!? Oh dear some people are never happy.
The wheelchair lifts were 101 and so we had to give cards to guests for them to come back through the exit. Although this in theory was perfect, in practice it wasn't great as there was no communication as to when to put a return time and so Station Assist kept having a queue of wheelchairs and no method for putting them into cars. I will never understand why, during wheelchair downtown the position of wheelchair wasn't dropped. I dreaded that position as you just stood around until the next rota or break went through. By the end of the night it was time to say goodbye to Fabi, Andre, Andrea and Chad. I'll admit I was upset especially because I felt that Chad was one of my TT best buddies and I knew how much I was going to miss him. Luckily Nick came to pick me up and we spent some quality time together at Downtown Disney. He really lifted my spirits after a hard day - such a great boyfriend! :D
As I didn't start work until 4.15pm I decided I would have some fun and with no one free I went to Animal Kingdom by myself to FINALLY do the safari! Although the wait time was 50 minutes I figured this may be my only chance to go so I waited in line. Of course by the time I got to the front something had gone wrong and they had stopped loading the Range Rovers. Typical! Luckily it wasn't a major problem and they were soon up and running. The thing I love most about the safari is how secluded it makes you feel from the outside world. Disney have really succeeded in making you really feel like you are in Africa, it was amazing. The sky was blue and it was a lovely day so many animals were out for us to see: Hippos, Rhinos, Giraffes and Elephants who were consequently 'playing' with each other. Well at least they had fun, hehe!
After the safari was through and Simba One had scared those nasty poachers off I met Flick whilst walking around the park. A photograph and hug later I had lunch and made my way to the theatre to see Finding Nemo the Musical. This was to be my first viewing in two years so my memory was slightly hazzy. Oh my goodness I LOVED the show, so much so that I've been singing the songs ever since and purchased the mighty soundtrack which I still listen to frequently. It was fabulous, the puppetry was brilliant and the singers were all great, a very worthy visit. After the show Nick came and met me and we went on Everest, a kissy picture later we decided to nip to Epcot as I didn't have too much time left before work and we fancied going on SpaceShip Earth which was lovely.
Work was good and I had two absolutely precious encounters with two tiny tots. Both were adorable and telling me all about their vaccation. I asked the princess for her autograph and we've been firm friends ever since. The pirate also loved test track and was telling me all about his orientation at the Pirate League. As it was extra magic hours I had my second encounter with a celebrity, the first being evac - ing Rubin Stutter (from American Idol) and his family from the ride during a downtown, the second being an encounter with the famous basketball twins the Lopez brothers who are over 7ft tall. I got a sore neck looking up to them! Naturally they wanted a car to themselves (and their puppets) so being the nice track technicians we are we swiftly obliged. Soon it was time to go and after telling guests no you can't ride again, we're closed for the 200th time sleep was calling.
Monday I began work at 1pm which meant that I could get a few odds and ends done before starting. Work itself wasn't the best of experiences as instantly I was at odds with a guest at Fastpass Distribution. Usually I don't mind this position as although you are outside with no fans you are constantly busy. Seriously, someone should really memo Disney - note to update the machines - they are certainly no spring chickens. Anyway back to the point. A guest complained that one of the machines didn't work, well fair enough, however when I put the card into one of the working FP machines she received a ticket informing her that she already had a FP for Soarin' in the two hour between FPs period. According to her she had just entered the park. Anyhoo she asked for my name as it was ridiculous that she would have to take the two minute walk to guest relations to sort out the problem with her park admission card. After offering her the correct spelling of my name I swiftly moved away knowing that I had done my job correctly. Well nothing ever came of it and to be honest I think she was more annoyed about the walk than the actual FP.
We had some downtime during the day and I learnt a few things about the attraction, for example the fact that the crash doors are made of styrofome and are painted to look like real wood. I also had some trouble with a couple of young boys trying to provoke and annoy me on standby. I don't understand why people have to antagonise someone else for their own amusement. Therefore I was really pleased when Andy gave them a little 'friendly' warning and luckily once the attraction was 102 they were on and off the ride swiftly. At the other end of the scale though, I met some lovely guests who came from Hellesdon, Norwich! How bizzare, they had even gone to the same school as me - it really IS a small world!
That night after work I went out with my fellow cast members for a kind of leaving do for some of the international and college programers. We went to Bennigans and I had the most delicious chocolate brownie ever - I had been craving something sweet all day, I think Tyler was pleased when I finally had it so I would stop complaining! Although I had a great night and got a lift home from Amanda's roomates it really got me thinking that I didn't really have that long to go before I would be saying goodbye too. This wasn't a happy thought.
The next day I didn't start work until 4.30 so me and Amy decided to go to another character breakfast. This time though it was the big one - the Grand Floridian 1900 Park Fare character experience. I've always wanted to visit the Grand Flo so this was definately a big deal for me. We had a reservation for 10.50am for breakfast but when we arrived were told that an additional wait time would be added so we decided to have a little look around. The resort itself is absolutely gorgeous and I would love to stay there one day. After a little nosy around and some shopping it was soon time for food. I had the usual - fruit, way too many pancakes and Mickey shaped waffles. Amy had a made- to- order omlette which looked lovely. We were joined by Pooh, Tigger (Tigray!), Alice, Mary Poppins and the Mad Hatter. It trully was magical!
Afterwards we decided we would explore some of the areas in the MK district exclusive to cast members. Although we went to the Disney University Company D we were really disappointed by what was on offer to purchase. We then went to property control/ cast connection where I succeeded in purchasing a lovely (cheap!) t shirt. Our next destination was MK itself and instead of going on our usual rides we figured we'd opt for some of the not so well recognised ones including Snow White's Scary Adventure and Aladdin's Magic Carpets both of which I enjoyed immensely considering the last time I went on them I was 7! Philharmagic was also on our hit list = always a must. Soon it was time for me to scurry onto work and there I worked until 12.45 (grr for Extra Magic Hours).
Wednesday was the day to say goodbye to some of my fellow ICPers and beloved cast members so it definately started with a grey cloud. Yet some light relief was to be had when the Prince of Saudi Arabia visited our attraction. He jumped out of the car when it stopped and started shouting at me in his native tongue, unbeknown to me on pit crew he was upset because he had lost his hat. Um... surelly he would have enough money to buy a new one?!? Oh dear some people are never happy.
The wheelchair lifts were 101 and so we had to give cards to guests for them to come back through the exit. Although this in theory was perfect, in practice it wasn't great as there was no communication as to when to put a return time and so Station Assist kept having a queue of wheelchairs and no method for putting them into cars. I will never understand why, during wheelchair downtown the position of wheelchair wasn't dropped. I dreaded that position as you just stood around until the next rota or break went through. By the end of the night it was time to say goodbye to Fabi, Andre, Andrea and Chad. I'll admit I was upset especially because I felt that Chad was one of my TT best buddies and I knew how much I was going to miss him. Luckily Nick came to pick me up and we spent some quality time together at Downtown Disney. He really lifted my spirits after a hard day - such a great boyfriend! :D
As I didn't start work until 4.15pm I decided I would have some fun and with no one free I went to Animal Kingdom by myself to FINALLY do the safari! Although the wait time was 50 minutes I figured this may be my only chance to go so I waited in line. Of course by the time I got to the front something had gone wrong and they had stopped loading the Range Rovers. Typical! Luckily it wasn't a major problem and they were soon up and running. The thing I love most about the safari is how secluded it makes you feel from the outside world. Disney have really succeeded in making you really feel like you are in Africa, it was amazing. The sky was blue and it was a lovely day so many animals were out for us to see: Hippos, Rhinos, Giraffes and Elephants who were consequently 'playing' with each other. Well at least they had fun, hehe!
After the safari was through and Simba One had scared those nasty poachers off I met Flick whilst walking around the park. A photograph and hug later I had lunch and made my way to the theatre to see Finding Nemo the Musical. This was to be my first viewing in two years so my memory was slightly hazzy. Oh my goodness I LOVED the show, so much so that I've been singing the songs ever since and purchased the mighty soundtrack which I still listen to frequently. It was fabulous, the puppetry was brilliant and the singers were all great, a very worthy visit. After the show Nick came and met me and we went on Everest, a kissy picture later we decided to nip to Epcot as I didn't have too much time left before work and we fancied going on SpaceShip Earth which was lovely.
Work was good and I had two absolutely precious encounters with two tiny tots. Both were adorable and telling me all about their vaccation. I asked the princess for her autograph and we've been firm friends ever since. The pirate also loved test track and was telling me all about his orientation at the Pirate League. As it was extra magic hours I had my second encounter with a celebrity, the first being evac - ing Rubin Stutter (from American Idol) and his family from the ride during a downtown, the second being an encounter with the famous basketball twins the Lopez brothers who are over 7ft tall. I got a sore neck looking up to them! Naturally they wanted a car to themselves (and their puppets) so being the nice track technicians we are we swiftly obliged. Soon it was time to go and after telling guests no you can't ride again, we're closed for the 200th time sleep was calling.
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