Earning My Ears | DCP Week 2

After checking in on the 13^th of January, my Traditions class was supposed to be on

Thursday the 16^th. I quickly learned that this first week of my CP would require patience, as I seemed to be delayed in a few steps whereas my roommates all kept chugging along!

Because of a delay in getting some background results back, my Traditions class was finally on Saturday morning. I know that that doesn’t seem too bad considering it was only a few days, but when all of your roommates have access to go play in the parks, and you are sitting at home, it is a bit of a bummer!

Instead on Thursday I was able to go to the first welcome event for new CPs! It was themed “Adventure is Out There!” and I met Carl and Russell from UP. (Which you know if you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, or are my Facebook friend because I posted that picture everywhere!)

You haven’t seen it? Well then, here you go! :)

Back to Saturday now!  I couldn’t think of a logical way to explain these few days chronologically!

At Traditions, among other things, I received my first pair of ears, a little Mickey figurine, my company ID and my official nametag!!! WOOHOO! Part of Traditions is walking around Magic Kingdom in your business clothing, feeling like big shots among many guests, which was a weird, but cool experience.

Saturday evening, I now had access to the parks as an official cast member, and went to Disney’s Hollywood Studios! Along with some of my roommates, I rode quite a few rides and drank the best Mochaccino I’ve ever had (also the only one I’ve ever had, but dang it was delicious!).

Sunday was my park orientation day! I learned more about my specific home park, and walked around the entire thing! People may not know that DAK is actually the largest of the 4 parks, because it seemingly has the least to do from a guest standpoint. Well, let my sore feet from walking the park tell you that it indeed is!

I have actually started learning many new things about animals and the park that I didn’t know! Did you know that The Tree of Life, the central icon of the park has 325 animals carved into it? I think I remember that number correctly! How cool? I always thought there were only like 20… whoops!

I forgot that I haven’t said what my role is yet! As mentioned before I am working Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you know, as opposed to the other Animal Kingdom… but I found out at orientation that I am working at Kali River Rapids!!

We then got our costumes so that we would be ready to start training soon after! I didn’t learn until I got home and then confirmed the next day at work, but I received a few pairs of men’s pants to wear. I knew the sizing was for men’s pants, but assumed it was like unisex, and they only had those pants to choose from! I didn’t see any women’s sizing at the costume warehouse though so I have no idea where these females are getting their pants, but oh well! They must know someone…

Monday was my first day of training at Kali and I started to learn how that attraction works internally which is very cool! I closed the ride with my trainer and felt pretty sweet leaving the empty park at night!

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I was moved around Asia in Animal Kingdom doing what I could without much training yet, which really just meant that I was able to talk to guests and direct them where they needed to go! A few guest interactions that stand out to me are when a little boy told me that I’m “a really nice person,” and when a family thanked me for helping coordinate their meeting up with their daughter. A man lost his backpack, and I was able to help him find it, and he was very appreciative saying, “Lauren, God bless!” and just those few little things made me feel like I was doing something right!

I really wanted to go see Fantasmic Thursday night, and one of my friends, Kirsi, who also works at DAK did too! We went and watched that show, which is always mesmerizing, and makes me sit there like a child oohing and ahhing. 

 

I'm aware these pictures from Fantasmic are dark and not the best quality,
but I figured mediocre visual elements for this post were better than none at all! 

  

 

I am obsessed with Minnie in this one! ^

 

Yes, my plan next time will be to get some better pictures of this show!

 I wanted to watch it with my eyes though and not through a lens or camera screen!

Then we hopped over to Magic Kingdom. We caught the end of Wishes, but went on to accomplish a lot in our few hours there! We talked with Mickey. That’s right folks, we talked WITH Mickey, as in he TALKED to us too! Oh man, we were talking about that for the rest of the night. It was so cool to get to talk to our boss :)

 

 

Mickey was telling us a story about a haunted house he found that had some

 hitch hiking ghosts that followed him home!

 

So he had us pose like hitch hiking ghosts! Enjoy that lovely face, folks! 

 

Sorry for the complete play-by-play, but we went on to ride Space Mountain, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, then met Cinderella and Princess Aurora, rode Peter Pan’s Flight, hung out by the Tangled-themed restrooms, beginning our hunt for the hidden Pascals, and then finished the night off with a funnel cake. Considering we worked that day, went to see Fantasmic, and then came over to MK and did all that, we were feeling pretty satisfied with ourselves.

 

 

 

I'm obsessed with Tangled! I don't care that this is just a restroom area,

I am going to spend some time looking at it all and taking pictures! 

 

On the job training at Kali resumed early this morning as I continue to earn my ears! I learned how to open the attraction! Score! I’m very excited to learn more!

Let me know if you have any questions! I would be happy to answer them or explain more if I can! And don’t worry, I’ll post a picture of my costume soon, I know you are all dying to see it! Jokes! :)

x Lauren