Magical Moments: December
It's the most magical time of the year, and at Disney, it's even more magical!
If you haven't kept up with my other posts, I bought a white long-sleeved Cast Member shirt at the beginning of my program so that characters could sign it as a keepsake, and I still had a LOT of empty space left on it when December rolled around...
One day, I had time before work, so I treated myself to a little character excursion at Hollywood Studios!
As I was walking across the park, I passed some Storm Troopers, and boy are they scary! I actually held my breath as they walked by!!!
My first meet and greet for the day was with Olaf! I had heard that he didn't have a signature (which proved to be true), but he's one of my absolute favorite characters, so I absolutely had to meet him! Since I had work later that day, I had a bit of a time crunch to get through everything I wanted to do, so I was disappointed to see a very long line for Olaf. As I got closer to the line, I realized that the Cast Member at the entrance was none other than the younger sister of one of my closest high school friends! We chatted for a bit, and then she let me go through Olaf's FastPass line! I was so grateful!!! Olaf loved my shirt, of course, and we got some warm hugs in, too!
Next on the agenda were Buzz and Woody! While I was in line to meet them, there were two little boys in front of me dressed as Buzz and Woody. When the boys went up to meet them, Buzz and Woody tried to convince their Attendant that the boys should do the meet and greet in their place, and the character performers started walking away!! It was hysterical! When I got my turn, Buzz and Woody were dancing to the Christmas music that was playing in the background. Woody asked me if the shirt that I was having them sign was for him to wear, but I pointed out that it might not fit over his hat!
For the last character of the day, I journeyed over to the Star Wars Launch Bay to meet everyone's favorite droid, BB-8! Again, he didn't have a signature, but I've never had a meet and greet quite like this one! When I pointed out to BB-8 that we matched in our orange colors, he made an "oooOOOOOOoooooo" sound and I definitely exploded.
One night, at Illuminations, I saw one of the guys that led my Traditions class, way back at the beginning of my program. He had told us at the end of the class that we should say hello if we ever saw him in the parks, SO I DID. He gave me a huge hug and told me that it made his night :)
Over the course of the month, I saw the Candlelight Processional 3 times! If you're ever there when the Candlelight Processional is going on, YOU SHOULD GO! It's an absolutely beautiful concert, and each celebrity narrator puts their own personal spin on the evening. The first time I saw it was on Dec. 3 with Whoopi Goldberg, the second time was Dec. 6 with Jodi Benson, and the third time was Dec. 19 with Neil Patrick Harris, who loves the Candlelight Processional so much that he comes back to do it every year!
My favorite of the three was easily Jodi Benson. Not only is she a Disney legend, she was just so engaging and fun to watch! She read the Christmas story as though she was speaking directly to the Lord himself!!! As far as I know, she was the only celebrity narrator to stay after the final performance and do a meet and greet! The line formed very quickly, and she basically had to rush people along, just saying hello and taking pictures. I really wanted to tell her that "Part of Your World" was my favorite audition song when I was little, but she probably wouldn't have been able to hear me over the fireworks (the line took so long that it continued well into Illuminations!)
I never thought I would go to a water park in the middle of December, but then again, I never expected to live in Orlando! Two of my roomies and I spent a cloudy morning at Typhoon Lagoon, and as you can imagine, there was almost no one there!!!
Consequently, we went on most of the water slides twice, and even had time to explore and appreciate the intricate details that contribute to the theming of the park.
My favorite detail is the insane backstory behind Miss Adventure Falls and its Captain, Mary Oceaneer. If you haven't read about S.E.A. (The Society of Explorers and Adventurers), then check out this article!
While I was working at Dispatch on a very slow day, I recognized a family that came in - a family who I had grown up with! They took a selfie with me at the Dispatch console and we reminisced about the good ole days when we did theater shows together.
Later that day, the ride broke down while I was at Transport, so I had to go into the ride while there were guests stuck on it. Fortunately, we didn't have to evacuate, but it was so weird to walk through the ride path when there were guests in the ride vehicles, since I was so used to walking through at the end of the day and being totally alone!
While I was minding my own business outside the ride at Doctor, a family came up to me and asked if I knew the "I'm a little tea pot" song. Well, yeah!!! Who doesn't?! Rather than simply saying, "yes," I just sang the whole thing for them, motions and all! To say that it surprised them would be an understatement...
During my program, I not only went to my first Not So Scary Halloween Party, I also went to my first Very Merry Christmas Party!!! This time, I was not alone, but went with one of my coworkers and her roommate.
First, I met Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps - Nick kissed my hand to greet me, and Judy was pretty embarrassed.
My coworker's favorite movie is Snow White, so of course we had to meet the Seven Dwarves! It may have been the most overwhelming meet and greet I've ever had - there's so many of them!!! My favorite dwarf is Happy, so I thought it would be fun to get a picture of the two of us with our hands in the air. As I showed my idea to Happy, ALL OF THE DWARVES began to raise their hands with us!!! But my favorite picture to come out of the encounter was from when Sleepy used my head as a pillow and began to snore.
The best part about the Christmas party was how many princes I got to meet! They usually don't make an appearance, so it was so exciting!!! We met Tiana and Naveen, the best Rapunzel and Flynn that I've seen so far, Snow White and her prince, Aurora and Prince Phillip, Cinderella and Prince Charming, and ended the night with Elena of Avalor! The most memorable of these meet and greets was the one with Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip - as I approached the pair, I slowly realized that the character performer who was friends with Phillip was a guy that I had gotten to know a little through Night of Stars! It was the most surreal experience because we silently acknowledged that we knew each other, but he kept his character integrity at the same time! SO WILD.
Possibly the best thing about the Christmas party was all of the free food (well, I guess that's what you pay for when you buy the extra ticket!) Hot chocolate, sparkling apple cider, and cookies galore! And of course, we had to see the parade!
I got hit on while I was guiding guests to the exit at Rosewalk... He asked what my name was and then said, "Well Monica, you're very beautiful! Like, if I was single.... good Lord!" He was kind of walking away while he said it, so I laughed and raised my hand to point at my engagement ring and he was like, "OHHHH YIKES." Hahaha it's so satisfying to have a ring to fend off guys like that!
One night, there was a special Passholder event at Epcot, so we were open till 1am. I'm a night-person, so I live for those kinds of shifts (as long as I don't have an early shift the next day!). My last spot for the night was Doctor, and even though it was fairly cold, I had SO MUCH FUN. There was a dance party going on in the center of Future World and they were piping their music through our speakers! So I literally DANCED for the entire hour that I was at Doctor and it was SO GOOD.
Near the end, a family came through - the dad and daughter went into the ride and the mom and son stayed outside. I went up to the mom and asked the little boy if he wanted to join my mini dance party! He enthusiastically said yes and leaped out of his stroller. We did some dancing and then I got into talking to him and his mom about the things we love about Disney! I love being able to connect with families and make an impact on their vacations like that, and I can only hope it was as special for them as it was for me.
It felt too early to have our graduation on December 12th, when my program didn't end until January 4th, but it was fun, nonetheless! There was food, a DJ, a meet and greet with Stitch in his Elvis costume, and plenty of CP's! But of course, the most exciting part was receiving my certificate of completion and graduation ears, then taking a picture with the boss and his lady!
I walked out of the break room to do a task, and there's Donald Duck casually strolling around! I waved and said, "Hi, Donald!" and he GAVE ME A HUG. I was having a pretty icky, groggy morning, but that made me so happy!
My family came to visit me during the week before Christmas. I had been told that the parks are INSANELY full during the week of Christmas (and boy, was that right!), so I knew my family wouldn't enjoy the parks as much then. I was very glad they came when they did! My sister was with me the whole time, and my parents split the week. The way we timed it, my sister and I had a day all to ourselves! We had always dreamed of going to Disney as just the two of us, and it was truly a day to remember. When my dad was with us, we even did a day that covered both Universal parks! It is 100% doable, if you've ever considered trying it!
Probably my favorite part of the trip was introducing my mom and sister to Flight of Passage. First of all, as an Attractions Cast Member, I learned that you can get in line for a ride right before park close, and they still cycle everyone through, rather than kicking everyone out of the line. So here's my Flight of Passage life hack - if you can't get a FastPass for this experience, just get in line for the ride 5 minutes before park close. After park close, there won't be any more FastPasses coming in, so the line will solely move from the regular Stand-By line! Normally, the line can be a 2-3 hour wait, but I always got through in an hour or so when I used this hack! Anyway, right after the ride finished, I looked over and my mom and sister were just staring forward, astonished, with their mouths hanging wide open. My sister talked about Flight of Passage for 8 straight minutes after we got off and even shed a few tears! It's that good, people!
Here's a story about how and why you should not be a horrible person at the parks:
On one of the days when my dad and sister were visiting, I had to work in the morning, and I met them at Animal Kingdom when I was done. As I was parking, drama unfolded near Expedition Everest. From what my sister told me later, a man and woman were rolling along in their motorized chairs, and their young adult daughter walked with them, shouting for people to move and make way for the handicapped people. My dad turned to them and remarked that everyone was trying to make their way through the area, and their vehicles did not give them the right of way. The man in one of the chairs stopped his vehicle, stepped out, and got in my dad's face. He was a rather menacing, large man, and he threatened my dad, saying that he could, "take him down," or something of the sort. My dad did not retaliate, and thankfully, another guest got between them and reminded everyone that they were at Disney, on vacation, and they should just relax.
Well, all of this had blown over, but my dad was still kind of shaken. He saw the man go by again, and he quickly grabbed a Cast Member and informed them of what had happened, pointing out that family to them. The Cast Member contacted one of their managers, and he came out to speak to my dad. By the time I reached my family, my dad was filling out an official report on the incident. My sister and I had FastPasses for Expedition Everest at that time, so my dad continued talking to the manager while my sister and I basically walked onto the ride. When we came off, my dad was not only with the manager, but multiple security personnel and the guest that had broken up the potential fight. The manager informed us that it was still going to take a little time to resolve the issue, so he let my sister and I go through the FastPass line for Everest again! We were thrilled, of course!
Eventually, security found the family, and escorted them out of the park. Threatening another guest is a big deal, and Disney takes it very seriously! I'm glad that I had told my dad about Disney's procedures in scenarios like this, otherwise he may not have known that he could report this incident to a Cast Member! Interestingly, that family had just begun their vacation, so getting temporarily suspended from the parks most likely put a dent in their plans. Once again, the moral of the story here is: don't be a horrible, entitled person, because it will bite you in the butt, eventually!
To my surprise, two of my roomies had been planning a bridal shower for me! However, their plans were cut short when one of my roommates self-termed a few weeks before the end of her program so that she could be with her mom, who was dealing with some major health issues. They threw some things together at the last second, before she left, and it was so thoughtful!
*Edit* I'm happy to say that both of them were able make the long drive from New Orleans to attend my Nashville wedding, and they have continued to be close friends of mine! The Disney College Program truly sparks lifelong friendships!
I did another sweet magical moment with three British kids in the Magic Eye Theater! They did a wonderful job of using the clapboard and saying, "Action!" Their parents were so excited and stood right next to the podium to video them!
If you've never taken a "rest day" during your Disney vacation, I highly suggest it. Running around the parks can be exhausting, so it's important to take a day in the middle of everything to slow down, hang out by the pool, and explore the resorts! My favorite thing to do on a rest day is pay a visit to one of Disney's mini golf courses! There's the Christmas themed Winter Summerland courses at Blizzard Beach, and my favorite, the Fantasia Gardens courses near the Swan and Dolphin Resorts.
As Cast Members, we got a discount, so it was an obvious activity choice. I took an evening to play both Fantasia Gardens courses with my roommate, and it was a blast! We started on the more standard course, with regular putting greens, sand traps, and rock obstacles. When we finished, we signed up to do the more whimsical course. The Cast Member took our name, and said he would call out our names when the family ahead of us had finished the first hole. Well, he forgot that he hadn't called us, and he let another family ahead of us. We came up to the desk to see if it was our turn yet, and he realized that he'd forgotten us. He felt so bad, and he gave us each a special receipt that would get up to 4 people into the mini golf course for free, with no expiration date. You'd better believe I save that in a place that I'll never forget!!!
The whimsical side of the course is my absolute favorite mini golf course of all time. The ball interacts with the environment to make music play and set off fountains and animatronics! It's truly an awe inspiring course that should be at the top of your "rest day" to do list!
CHRISTMAS DAY!
A lot of my coworkers had family in town for Christmas, and since I had already spent time with my family the week before, I was able to pick up their shifts to help them out! Thus, I worked a shift on Christmas Day!
I absolutely loved spreading cheer and saying "Merry Christmas" all day! The guests were so kind and grateful for our time, that day. It was really special to hear so many of them thanking Cast Members for working so that they could enjoy their vacations! Some families went the extra mile and sang carols around the parks! While I was outside at Doctor, a family sang "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" to us!
Disney has very specific rules about jewelry - earrings must be smaller than a quarter and be gold or silver (or a color that matches your costume). For the month of December, I had been wearing my silver and gold gift bow earrings, but I got special permission from my coordinator to wear my red ones on Christmas Day!
When I got home from work, I opened the presents that were sent to me from my fiancé and his parents, and made Christmas cookies and Mickey waffles for my roommates.
I finished off my memorable Christmas Day by driving down to Celebration, a city owned by Disney! They had an area downtown that felt a bit like Main Street, and it was all lit up with Christmas lights! They even had an outdoor ice skating rink and carriage rides!
As I was closing doors at Transport, I noticed a little girl dressed as Rapunzel. So of course I addressed her as Rapunzel and asked if today was the best day ever. She looked up at me with the biggest eyes and said, "EVER!!!"
It took 4 months, but I finally saw Rivers of Light! I literally took a special trip to Animal Kingdom at the end of the day, just to watch it! I was also thrilled to be sporting my brand new Pascal hat!! At the end of the day, I didn't want to take it off!
Okay. So. FastPass is a fairly simple system. If you're not sure how to use it, there are plenty of resources online that can help you navigate My Disney Experience to make the most of your trip. I'm not sure if these people didn't know what they were doing, or if they were trying to work the system, but it blew my mind, nonetheless.
When I was working at FastPass, a family of 8 scanned their FastPasses and I immediately got really confused. One showed that it was for Figment, one was for Spaceship Earth, one was for Nemo... so I asked to see their My Disney Experience app. They had booked each of their FastPasses for one guest, so they had a bajillion FastPasses. That's not how it works!!!!! It made me so angry. I explained to them that they only had one FastPass for Journey Into Imagination with Figment, so I could only let one of them into the FastPass line. I was not about to let that kind of trickery fly...
Wow. This had to have been one of my favorite meet and greets. I wore my Joy dress [from Hot Topic!] and a blue bandana in my hair. When I got to the front of the line, the Character Attendant looked at me, looked around the corner at Joy, and said, "Joy, I think I'm seeing double!" When I walked into the room, Joy exploded with excitement! She bounced around the room, twirling her dress and pointing at mine! Sadness looked at us and gloomily began to walk away. Joy is one of my all-time favorite characters, but I might have enjoyed my interactions with Sadness even more!
I also met Baymax for the first time that day, and he gave the best hugs EVER. My roommate and I also ate at the Garden Grill, and our boss, Mickey, scandalously recommended his favorite adult drink on the menu! We couldn't stop laughing!
At the end of the day, I began my hunt for a pin that I'd had my eye on for a while. It came from a mystery set of pins that illustrated the symbols for each area of Future World. I had seen the Imagination Pavilion's pin on the lanyard at Doctor many, many times, so I knew it was a common pin for trading away. But I really wanted to keep it! So I bought the mystery pack, and I didn't get the right pin. But I was happy to trade away the two that I did get! I searched the Land, Journey Into Imagination with Figment, The Living Seas, but it was nowhere to be found. Then I started my trek through the World Showcase. I started in Canada, and went counterclockwise through the countries, casually eyeing every pin lanyard I saw. Finally, at the very end of the night, at the last stop in Mexico, I found it. I ran up to the Cast Member who had it, and I may or may not have freaked them out with how excited I was... But I got it!!!
I was truly blessed with the best co-workers anyone could ask for. They planned a Secret Santa (titled "Secret Figta," after our favorite purple dragon) and we gathered at one of their housing apartments to swap gifts. It was so much fun! We spent the night laughing and playing games, and the gift exchange was a huge success!
*Edit* One year later, we set up yet another Secret Figta! We mailed our gifts to each other and opened them up together on a FaceTime call!
I spent yet another day at Hollywood Studios collecting character signatures! Daisy was super excited to sign my shirt when she saw the CM logo! She gave me a big hug when she saw it, and I have never felt more proud to be a Cast Member.
Later, I wore my Rebel Spy shirt to meet Kylo Ren. I was literally shaking because I was so nervous about what he would say. I'd never met him before, but I had heard about how scary his interactions were. When he noticed my shirt, he said, "Your thoughts betray you. Your allegiance lies with the rebel alliance." I hardly spoke for the whole interaction. He just loomed over me menacingly.
Meanwhile, Chewy gave me so many hugs! He was very excited to see that I was the Rebel Spy!
NEW YEARS EVE
In case you've lost track, I worked on Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years Eve! [All by choice!!!]
When I signed up to work on New Years Eve, it was for a crowd control position, so I wasn't doing my usual rotation duties. Essentially, since the park gets so full on New Years Eve, they open up two walkways through backstage areas so that there was more space for guests to travel between Future World and the World Showcase.
I was blessed with the most low stress spot possible! I worked in the bypass between Journey Into Imagination with Figment and Canada, and it was way less busy than the bypass from Test Track to Mexico! And since I was by Figment, I got to see all of my coworkers throughout the day! AND THERE WAS DANCE PARTY MUSIC. So I basically just danced for hours!!!
THE FIGHT: Now, I had very few bad guest interactions in my time at Disney. This was the only time that I experienced a guest who escalated so much that security needed to be called. Apparently, there was a family with a boy in a wheelchair, and he stood up. A woman passed by and made a rude remark to the family about how the boy didn't really need that wheelchair if he has the capability to stand. Then the boy's dad yelled at the rude lady and cursed at her in front of her daughter. Then she got mad and stormed over to me and one of my co-workers, raving about how the man had accosted her. The two adults proceeded to yell in each other's faces. I was so thankful that my co-worker had a radio, because he was able to call security and one of our coordinators for help. The two adults were separated and spoken to. They were not thrown out of the park, but a few security guards followed them in secret for a while, just to make sure they didn't "accost" each other again!
The best part of the day was the very end, of course! Epcot does a special New Years Eve fireworks show that gives a special moment to each country! They build up scaffolding behind each pavilion, and each one gets its own mini-fireworks show as the narrating voice proclaims the time of day that each country began the new year! Our coordinators closed off the bypass so that we could all head over to Canada to watch, and it was the most incredible fireworks show I've ever experienced!