IT HAS IT'S MOMENTS..

People always ask. "Is it fun to work for Disney?"

I have to be honest, "It has it's moments."

True, we get awesome discounts on the Disney Cruise Line and free addmission to the parks (both California and Florida). They have some pretty nice sales on end of year merchandise. Companies and restaraunts around the theme park area often offer Disney/Universal/SeaWorld employee discounts.

HOWEVER, when I was in costuming and something went wrong in a show, a certian group of performers managed to always blame it on costuming. The Stage Managers usually sided with the performers. Thus, costuming folks seem to live in 'fear' (I use that word loosely) of being accused of doing something wrong. For a while, certian 'precious performers' would intentionally do things to thier costumes just so they could get out of doing a set, then blame it on costuming. Our managers rarely stood up for us. We tended to play CYA in everything we did.

Working the shows was awesome. To hear the audience respond to something I was apart of is an amazing feeling. Our characters become instant classics and the music soundtracks help to define a generation. During my last blog I mentioned the Spirit of Pocahontas show. I wnet back and watched it on youtube afterwards. . . The music has been stuck in my head ever since. :) The holidays, especially Christmas, are bare-none. A forty five foot Christmas tree is in one resort lobby. Chocolate carousel horses are in another resort lobby. Candlelight processional in December at Epcot is simply amazing. When Disney does something, they know how to do it right.

It doesn't mean they always 'did it' right, however. There are plenty of examples of WTH ? The Goosebumps show. "Hey let's put on a show where the audience has to stand in an asphalt road and not put any kind of seating. . . anywhere. And, I know, let's make the ending of the show totally contingent upon a young child saying some lines in fornt of a hoard of strangers." In theory the show could never end if the chosen children got stage fright and/ or backed out at the last minute.

Working for a company that is known world wide for quality and family heritage makes each of us an instant celebrity. . . when we're more than 200 miles from home. My friend and I took a trip to England in the early nineties. We drove from London to Edinburg and stayed in bed and breakfasts along the way. We were running late getting into Edinburg that night, but the little girl who lived at the house refused to go to bed with out seeing the people who knew Mickey Mouse.

THe internet is an awesome infromation tool. Guests can book their vacations, make dining reservations, find out what rides are best for thier interests. They can also find out how to scam tickets, con managers and learn key phrases like "How are you going to compensate me." and "That is not acceptible." Unfortunately, we have to treat everyone the same way, so if it looks like a scam and smells like a scam. . . we're pretty sure it's not a bed of roses you're dishing out.
We had a guest recently come to the desk and demand a manager. She told the manager that her room was filthy and that there was potatoe chips scattered on her balcony. The manager came back later and said the supposed potatoe chips was dried leaves from a near by tree. STILL, this guest wanted fast passed and other compensation. Needless to say, now, he was ticked.

Where else can you work were you see a 'Tron-o-rail' (monorail painted to look like a Tron bike) on your way to work AND see a flock of wild turkeys meandering through a golf course all in the same day ? Because of the Shades of Green resort being a military owned and ran property, we get to see fighter jets fly over Magic Kingdom every so often. How many private companies have the honor of hosting a swearing in ceremomony for thousands of new American immagrants ? Think about it, there is a group of Disney cast members (imagineers, I think) that every time there is a new President of the United States, goes to the White House to meet with them so they can accurately recreate their likeness in the Hall of Presidents. And what other company has future kings (of England), former presidents and celebrities from all walks of like wanting to reconnect to thier child hood. . . if even for a day.

A well know rule at Disney, if you're working is never, ever ask for an autograph. It is possoble to get fired for it. That doesn't mean that we can go 'back stage' and say "YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHO I JUST SAW, OMG. I CAN DIE HAPPY NOW." Another well known Disney rule is that if you use one of your passes to let someone in the park, you are reponsible for thier actions. So if you let your beer drinkin' cousin you bearly know into the park, he desides to jump out of the boat in the Pirates ride and runs around the village scenes. You could be reprimended as your relative gets carted of to jail for . . . what ever.

Is Disney a fun place to work ?

To that, I say, "It has it's moments."