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thekimmiandjackieshow · 6 years

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The Weekend I Joined the Circus

When I first visited Walt Disney World in 2013, I fell in love with Magic Kingdom. I wanted to explore every inch of it. It solidified my desire to do the Disney College Program. I wanted to be part of the magic that I was feeling. I’m sure that’s what inspires many college program kids to apply. But the stand out moment to me was an odd moment. It wasn’t seeing the castle for the first time. It wasn’t the first time I saw one of the many inspiring Magic Kingdom shows. No, it was the moment I walked into Storybook Circus. The Cast Members behind the registers were wearing red striped vests, yellow striped shirts, carnival hats, and a giant striped tie. I looked at my mom and said, “I want to be a Cast Member and I want to work in this store with that giant ugly tie.”

I didn’t know my wish would actually come true.

I hadn’t had any luck finding shifts at Storybook Circus. It appeared everybody who worked there, loved working there, and rarely were people willing to give away shifts to outsiders. My friend Emily had recently picked up a shift there though and said she loved it, so I was determined. One girl was giving away two shifts, a night shift on a Friday and a morning Saturday shift. I took them both. It was the only time I had really done that. Because my goal was to pick up shifts in as many different locations as possible, I wasn’t really repeating locations. But, I needed hours and the convenience of it was too much to pass up.

I had always said, “I will work anywhere in Walt Disney World. I don’t care what costume they put me in - in fact, I hope they give me the most ridiculous costume!” I had repeated it to friends before I left SEVERAL times. I was hoping for a costume as memorable as Storybook Circus. The Animal Kingdom Strollers costume is a pretty great costume when it comes to “ridiculous costumes that only Disney would put you in”, but the Circus was my dream costume. I can’t really explain it, I just had my heart set on it. Getting to work there was so exciting. It was the shift I was probably the most excited for and the least nervous for.

The costume has several pieces. The first is an optional carnival hat. I loved wearing Disney’s hats. Strollers had one and it was great at first, but after a while it became too much of a hassle. The costumed band around it always slid off and the humidity made my hat hair unbearable. I gave up on it shortly after starting my program. Still, I knew I had to have the circus hat. The next piece is the big yellow, red, and blue striped tie. Luckily it was a clip on. This sat underneath the collar of the yellow and blue striped, long sleeved shirt. The shirt was a little stiff at the ends where you could either button the white cuffs closed around your wrists, or roll it up a few times depending on the weather. Next were the pants...high-waisted red pants with even deeper red stripes. They were as soft as silk pajama pants, but they sat ridiculously high.

Over the top of all this sat a matching red striped vest. I checked out everything I needed and headed to the bus. I can’t even tell you how thrilled I was.

The thing about working at the Circus is it’s technically part of “New Fantasyland”. The Circus portion of the land had been revamped on several occasions. It started as “Mickey’s Birthdayland” and progressed to “Mickey’s Toontown Fair”. The idea was that the land was filled with vacation homes for Mickey and his friends, who of course lived in Toontown in California. From what I heard, it didn’t go well and was later reimagined to the Storybook Circus around the same time as New Fantasyland. In the land there were two Dumbo rides, a kid-friendly rollercoaster, circus themed meet and greets, and of course, Big Top Souvenirs. Because New Fantasyland was an expansion of Magic Kingdom in 2012, the tunnels system didn’t travel all the way underneath that part of the park. I don’t know how it worked for Mickey’s Birthdayland and all that when it first opened, but Storybook Circus was also expanded a bit when it was rethemed, meeting up with a backroad that the West Clock Buses took to the tunnel entrance. So, instead of the bus stopping at only the tunnels and requiring Cast Members to walk to their work places on stage, they had another bus stop that allowed New Fantasyland Cast to walk to their work locations through the backstage area. I think New Fantasyland Cast Members could use the tunnels if they wanted to but I know that several got off at the other bus stop.

The West Clock Bus’s first stop was at Clown’s Alley, the backstage area behind Storybook Circus and leading to a gate for other New Fantasyland Cast Members. My coworker Emily had recently picked up a shift at Storybook Circus, so she had texted me what to look for and where to go. I felt like I had found where I needed to be, but I was a little bit nervous. I never knew what to expect from doors backstage. Would the door lead me on stage or would it be to another backstage area? Walking on stage half-ready with personal belongings in tow is frowned upon at Disney, so doors always gave me pause. I went in anyway and got lucky. Inside sat a row of lockers, CDS (where we clock in), and double doors that clearly marked the way to on stage. There were also a few offices. I went around the corner to the offices to see if I could find a coordinator that would introduce me to the area. As I waited, I watched the TV that was mounted above the CDS. Music from Festival of Fantasy played as daily announcements flashed across the TV, and then a short skit made up by some Cast Members who worked at Storybook Circus played. The loop went on and on, filling the back area with music from the parade. I was surprised at how much effort they had gone to for this merchandise location. At my home location, we were lucky if we got briefed by coordinators before starting our shifts. Things that were “need to know” were announced to those who opened, and everybody else got their information through the grapevine, if at all. I was excited to have picked up two shifts at the circus, seeing how organized everything was.

I got a tour of the backstage area and the entire store. Big Top Souvenirs is so interesting because it has so many moving parts. They sell almost everything there. There’s of course the regular merchandise like hats, shirts, plushes, jewelry, postcards, keychains, etc. But there was also an entire concession stand in the middle of it all selling caramel apples, dipped marshmallows, and other Disney snacks. They also sold MagicBands, which (at the time) required Cast Members to be able to link the bands up with guests’ accounts. Behind a different register, guests could get their ears they purchased embroidered. I was amazed. Cast Members who work at Big Top are able to be trained in so many different things. To work with food they had to be trained in food safety and have the training to actually make the food, to link MagicBands they had to be trained to link it up with guest tickets, and to embroider ears they had to be trained in Costuming. I was curious about what I would be able to do as a Cast Member who was only qualified to sell regular merchandise and MagicBands. They told me that backstage was called Clown’s Alley, and in that alleyway were the cast restrooms and break room. They showed me where the stockroom was, and then I was on my way!

Assignments were given by register, but each register was themed to look like a circus cage. Each cage was given a particular animal, so instead of being told to go to Register 1, you’d be told to go to Lions 1. There was also the option of working the outside cart by Casey Jr’s Splash and Soak Station. It’s really only open during peak days when the weather is warm enough, otherwise the Splash and Soak Station is turned off and the cart remains closed.

The cart sits off to the side and sells basics like hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, and towels for those who got a little more soaked than they intended.

I didn’t even realize the cart was back there until the coordinator showed me around. My hope was that I’d get a healthy mix of being outdoors and getting to work around the store. Knowing that I wasn’t trained in everything made me nervous that my entire shift would be outside. Sure enough, I started my shift at the cart. It was fun watching the kids play in the water. It wasn’t a boring cart by any means. I was working the cart by myself though, and I wasn’t a fan of that. Every so often somebody would come and restock the cart with a towel or two, but beyond that I was by myself.

Later on I got to be inside, and I loved it. There were parts of the store that were hard to keep clean, like the plush walls or the walls of Mickey ears, and sometimes the registers got surprisingly busy for a story in the back corner of Magic Kingdom, but keeping busy was what kept it fun. When I got my break slip it was called a “cookout”. Something about walking backstage where Festival of Fantasy music is being played and running into a Cast Member who asks if you’re headed to your coookout makes the whole thing more magical. It didn’t feel like real life because it didn’t feel like anybody would live a life where they dress head to toe in carnival themed clothing to sell merchandise to guests. The evening signaled the end of my shift and I went home, all smiles.

I worked a Saturday morning opening shift. We skipped the tour since I had just worked there the night before. The store was incredibly slow. Guests hadn’t really gotten all the way to the back of the park by that time, so we were pretty over staffed. With that, I got to do “tasks”. Tasks are the assignments that merchandise Cast Members pull every so often. They can be because something really needs to be completed or because there are just too many Cast Members at that time. One of my tasks was to take the trash cans out, including the ones in the kitchen area where all the caramel apples and other snacks were being made. It was the only time I was ever allowed back behind one of those counters as I wasn’t food trained or anything. It was neat to see how its set up and how it functions. Not that taking out the trash is special or anything, but when you’re curious about the magic made at Walt Disney World, any glimpse of backstage that you’re not used to is exciting. Another of my tasks was to entertain guests outside. There were a few carnival style games we were allowed to bring out to the front of the store to bring attention to the store and bring that extra magic to guests. The Cast Member who was doing it before me was clearly tired of having to work outside in the sun, playing the same carnival game they’ve probably been forced to play for hours on slower days. It was all new to me though, and it was far more fun than the worn down hula hoops Animal Kingdom Strollers has.

I stood outside and played with guests willingly. It was better than straightening out the Mickey plushes for the 90th time. I was glad I had picked up an opening shift because it was so different than my almost-closing shift from the night before.

With it being so slow, they decided to briefly train me on how to ring out embroidery orders. Typically, one Cast Member takes the order and rings it up while the other Cast Member preps the sewing machine and embroiders the ears. I wasn’t there long enough to be trained on the embroidery part of it, but I read through the rules of embroidery orders, wrote out orders on the little cards, and rung them out. I realized that I really missed being constantly challenged at work. My favorite part of working at Tower Gifts was when I learned how to find, edit, print, and ring out ride photos for guests. Learning how to do embroidery orders, no matter how small that was, was fun for me. I liked being pushed to do new things and learn more. It was the primary reason my job back at Animal Kingdom was getting stale. CP’s were so limited at DAK Strollers that after a certain point, learning new things wasn’t really an option.

I also got lucky in that the Saturday morning I was working also happened to be the day Ricky was in town. He had come in town for Animal Kingdom’s Birthday (and the release of Rivers of Light that never happened) and was hanging around the parks. He stopped in Circus for a visit and even though he had just visited me at Animal Kingdom a few days before, it was awesome to see him again. Plus, he was able to get a few pictures of me working which was cool.

When I made that joke years ago about wanting to work at Big Top in the silly hat and giant tie, I didn’t think it would actually be possible. I honestly think that if I hadn’t done it, it would have been one of my biggest regrets. I loved working at Storybook Circus and if I had to do the program all over again, I think I’d request it as my home location.

#storybookcircus #bigtopsouvenirs #cp #collegeprogram #disneycollegeprogram #dcp #merchandisecp #merchandisecastmember #ehhcastmember #magickingdom #waltdisneyworld #wdw #disney #disneyprograms #caseyjrsplashandsoakstation

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destinationsdesi · 4 years

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Have you all seen these Cast Member Nametag Jackets by @doodlebugboutique_ !?! You have to get one! So comfy! Makes me feel like I’m back working at the parks! 💙💙💙 . . Awesome tumbler by @hawkkrafted . . #castmember #collegeprogram #cp #collegeprogramalumni #wdwcp #wdwcpalumni #collegegear #disneymerch #disneygear #magic #magicalmoments #jackets #custom #embroidery #tumblers #starbucks #holographic #blue #fashion #disneystyle #disney #disneyworld #day #sunshine https://www.instagram.com/p/CCbmqx9DatG/?igshid=ytb1u72sod99

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jtemtsocialmediadude · 4 years

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So many College Programs students walking behind Festival of Fantasy today 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

#collegeprogram #castmember #disney #seeyourealsoon #magickingdompark #magickingdom #walt disney world #disney parade

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waltzdisneythings-blog · 7 years

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The dcp tag!

What’s up? I’ve had a lot on my mind, and I’ve been hard at work brainstorming what I want my page to be about, but, while we wait, I’ve decided to do the DCP tag!

Originally, I’d started to create my own — if you’re interested in seeing it, let me know and I’ll think about sharing! — but I quickly fizzled out due to school. Anyway, here we go!

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1. How did you hear about the program?

I’ve known about the program since I was probably ten years old; I have an Aunt who actually did the Program back when it first started, and she met her husband on the program! Crazy, right?

2. How was the interview process?

This is actually my third time applying for the college program, and I aced my first WBI/PI (but had to turn it down 🙁), was waitlisted last semester, and aced this semester’s process as well!

The WBI was mostly just your general form, so if you’re nervous, don’t be! Lots of companies have one to see if employees are a good fit!

My first two phone interviews were with Christy, and the most recent with Lynn!

3. Where were you when you found out?

When I found out that I was accepted for Spring of 2018, I was in bed! I was just browsing my phone before i needed to get ready for classes, and it was a pleasant surprise!

4. What is your role? Preferred roles?

I was accepted for QSFB; my top three were Attractions, Merchandise, and QSFB (in that order). I’ve never had experience in food, so it should be an interesting change!

5. How did you find your roommates? How many do you want?

Currently, we have seven set while we search for an eighth and final roommate! We all met through the Facebook page and chatted over GroupMe.

6. What are you going to miss while in the program?

I’m going to miss my fiancé and pets more than I can even begin to express; we recently moved into our own apartment and it’s going to be tough, but we started as LD so it shouldn’t be too awful.

I’ll also miss my family a lot, because I don’t get to see them much now, so being across the country means I’ll likely see them even less. Hopefully, they’ll come to visit!

7. What’s your favorite Disney park?

My favorite park has and always will be DAK. There’s something magical about the message, and it truly feels so realistically immersive.

8. First thing you want to do when you get there?

I either want to go to Disney Springs for a mini shopping spree, or resort hop! When I get my main gate, the first thing I’ll want to do is go to Pandora, however, I’ll probably end up at MK first 🤣

9. What is number 1 on your bucket list?

I want to dedicate an entire day to DAK, and more specifically, Pandora and the Rivers of Light! I haven’t gotten to experience either so far, and I can’t wait!

10. One thing you hope to take away from the program?

I hope to make some genuine friends while on the program! Also, I hope it’s a factor in helping me shape my future. Fingers crossed!

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That’s all for now guys! Let me know if you want my personal tag, and until next time...

Have a Magical Day!

#dcp spring 2018 #dcp #wdw #CollegeProgram #disney

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magicalthingsbykimmy · 5 years

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I FILMED EVERY DAY OF MY DCP! . . . I’m so excited to finally start sharing it all! Link in bio! . . . #disney #disneyworld #waltdisneyworld #dcp #disneycollegeprogram #collegeprogram #mydisneycollegeprogram #dcp2018 #dcpfa2018 #dcpfall2018 #dcpfalladvantage2018 #disneycollegeprogram2018 #dcp2019 #dcpspring2019 #disneycollegeprogram2019 #disneycastmember #castmember #wecreatehappiness #dailyvlogging https://www.instagram.com/p/B33KXvAgzW7/?igshid=1bnmkr5gjt77p

#disney #disneyworld #waltdisneyworld #dcp #disneycollegeprogram #collegeprogram #mydisneycollegeprogram #dcp2018 #dcpfa2018 #dcpfall2018 #dcpfalladvantage2018 #disneycollegeprogram2018 #dcp2019 #dcpspring2019 #disneycollegeprogram2019 #disneycastmember #castmember #wecreatehappiness #dailyvlogging

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alittlepurpleduck · 7 years

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The Festival of the 🦁👑! 🔥❤ . . .. . . . . . . #disneyworld #wdw #animalkingdom #dak #disneysanimalkingdom #festivalofthelionking #waltdisneyworld #unforgettablecast #collegeprogram #wdwcp #orlando #florida #fire (at Disney's Animal Kingdom)

#collegeprogram #wdwcp #florida #waltdisneyworld #orlando #disneysanimalkingdom #dak #fire #wdw #animalkingdom #disneyworld #festivalofthelionking #unforgettablecast

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jeahloraine · 3 years

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I’m starting to have a little interest, hope it will not fade away.

#CollegeProgram

#ContemplatingMindForNothingness

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gibs-bangalore · 1 year

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GIBS Business School, located in Bangalore, India, is one of the top private BBA & PGDM(MBA) colleges in the Bangalore. With its state-of-the-art infrastructure, world-class faculty, and industry-oriented curriculum, it has established itself as one of the most sought-after business schools for aspiring managers.

Founded in 2014, GIBS has consistently ranked among the top business schools in India, providing students with a comprehensive learning experience that equips them with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in the corporate world. The school offers a range of MBA/PGDM programs that cater to the diverse needs of students, including a full-time BBA & PGDM(MBA), an executive PGDM(MBA).

#business school #top bba colleges in india #top management college #pgdm college #collegeprogram #businessmanagement

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sydwazhere · 6 years

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Being basic #disney #epcot #bubblegumwall #collegeprogram #dcp #cp #disneycollegeprogram #disneycollegeprogram2018 #disneyworld #disney #waltdisneyworld #waltdisneyworld2018 #thisistheend #graduation #magic

#disney #waltdisneyworld2018 #cp #disneyworld #dcp #graduation #thisistheend #magic #disneycollegeprogram #waltdisneyworld #bubblegumwall #epcot #disneycollegeprogram2018 #collegeprogram

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thekimmiandjackieshow · 7 years

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My Day on Main Street.

Main Street, U.S.A. It’s what many Disney fans think of when they think of visiting the parks. Whether guests visit the west coast or the east coast, they will definitely take a stroll down Main Street, one of the most magical streets on Earth. Just under the train tracks at Walt Disney World is the not-so-subtle scent of Disney’s famous popcorn. Guests on one side are rushing into City Hall to get their celebration buttons and park recommendations. Guests on the other side are rushing into the theater to meet Mickey Mouse or Tinkerbell. Right on the corner, where the Town Square ends and Main Street begins, sits the famous Emporium. On the other side sit a variety of shops from a classic confectionary to the famous ice cream parlor. The walk down Main Street turns very sweet as smells of freshly made caramel apples and fudge waft into the air. At the end of Main Street, to the left, sits Casey’s Corner. To the right, Plaza Ice Cream Parlor. Depending on which way the wind is blowing, one can smell hot salted fries and hot dogs, or perfect waffle cones. The street is bustling with guests and upbeat instrumentals throughout the entire day, greeting guests the way they’ve been greeted since Magic Kingdom first opened their gates. Of course, just beyond the quick service restaurant and ice cream parlor, is the hub grass, creating a perfect garden that sits in front of the magnificently tall Cinderella Castle.

As the day rolls on, parade performers will dance down the street, characters will take to the stage right in front of the castle, the fireworks will signify the end of the night, and the final Kiss Goodnight will light up the castle and thank guests for another magical day.

It’s no wonder that so many Cast Members love working on Main Street. While it has its own challenges, working the shops of Main Street sounded like one of the most magical places a Cast Member could work. So obviously, I had to try it out for myself.

I had been hesitant about picking up a shift at the Emporium. Famous for being “the shop that had it all” and “the one stop shop for Disney merchandise”, it was arguably the busiest store on property, if not second only to World of Disney in Disney Springs. I had gotten so used to Animal Kingdom that I was worried I’d be overwhelmed by the Emporium. My roommate from the spring happened to work there though, and insisted it wasn’t that bad. Sure enough, a shift fell into my lap and I knew I had to take it.

My shift was a midday shift, so parking at the Magic Cast lot was awful. I parked in a spot near a lake I had never seen before and walked towards costuming. The Emporium costume was easy to find - one of the perks of being such a large store with so many Cast Members. It also helped that I had been in Magic Kingdom costuming several times before for the other shifts I had picked up. The accessory bin in the middle of costuming held the clip on tie I needed, and I was soon on my way. This costume was one of my favorites. While most costumes went perfectly with the theme of the land, most of them were also uncomfortable and fairly unflattering. The Emporium costume is pretty cute for what it is though, looks good on almost everybody, and is comfortable. Though I bet people who have to stock in a skirt are less than thrilled about that. I went into the tunnels, changed into the costume, and took the straight shot beneath the castle to Main Street.

Finding the doors to the Emporium made me a little nervous. It wasn't that it was difficult to find, but I was worried that I’d open a random door and find myself on stage. I found my way to two large swinging doors at the top of a staircase, but the sign on it said to be sure you were 100% stage ready before going in. I still hadn't found the lockers yet. I walked back down the stairs and a few signs led me to the Main Street breakroom. Lockers sat directly across from that - the type where you punch in your own code to lock it. A few Main Street Cast Members were standing there, throwing things in their locker and putting their name tags on, so I figured I was in the right place. Back to the double doors I went. I thought that even if I had ended up on stage in the middle of the Emporium, I could ask somebody for directions to CDS (where I was meant to clock in). It turned out that the double doors led only to a small stock room with a CDS computer and a shelf where coordinators were planning their day. The CDS corner had a few Cast Members awkwardly shifting their weight back and forth, all wearing skirts that fell at different lengths, who were nervously making conversation with each other. They were all EHH too.

I imagine that a place as big as the Emporium always has EHH Cast Members awkwardly roaming around. Even our small DAK location had a few EHH come in each day. A small paper just above CDS told us to talk to a coordinator right after clocking in and before getting an assignment. There was so much to take in though, that our entire small group missed this memo and picked up an assignment.

Cast Members go to CDS frequently throughout their shift to “get assignments”. What it means is that a computer software program has the preset information that determines what position needs to be filled at any given time. A coordinator can add or take away these presets to fill need on-demand. It’s also the system that gives cast their breaks or “bump outs” (for clocking out at the end of their shift).

A stressed out coordinator turned around and told us we all should have waited. I guess it’s one of those things that seems obvious to the people that are there all the time, but we were all new and all taking everything in. To us, it was just another piece of paper amongst all the other notices surrounding CDS. He rearranged our assignments so that other Cast Members didn’t miss their breaks and assigned us all to a meeting with him. He printed out brochures welcoming us to the Emporium and had information we’d need throughout our shift. It included an actual map of the Emporium with a key stating what merchandise was where. That was the moment I started to feel overwhelmed. Then he assigned each of us a Cast Member to give us a tour of the shop and explain some of the things we’d definitely need to know.

The Emporium, of course, had some themed language. This was one of my favorite parts about picking up shifts in other places. Animal Kingdom Strollers didn’t tend to have any themed language. Breaks were breaks, registers were just registers, stacking and prepping strollers was just stack/unstack, etc. Themed language made a huge difference for me. It was, to me, (at least in part) what set Disney apart from other places. It was what helped remind Cast Members that they were more than Merchandise Cast Members, they were part of a story. While some assignments in the Emporium were just assignments, going to the bathroom and going on break had code phrasing. Even things as small as that made the job more fun.

My shift started out in one of the large rooms, the one with high ceilings and tall windows. I couldn’t begin to tell you what zone that was, but there I was, ringing guests out left and right. It was mid afternoon, so the store was slow. A guest occasionally asked me where something was, but another Cast Member was always there to walk the guest directly to the item. I stood in one spot, behind the register, until my next assignment.

It wasn’t long before Festival of Fantasy passed by our windows. The store emptied out to uplifting FOF music, and nearby Cast Members started to hum along as they cleaned up the store. Maleficent stretched her head high above the crowd to breathe fire, and I watched her amaze guests from the tall windows in the room. The Emporium was quickly becoming my favorite place to work.

After the parade, a small rush of people popped into the store. I rang a few guests out back to back, managing the line with another Cast Member on register next to me. A few guests bought an extraordinary amount of souvenirs, while other guests spilled out their pocket change for one last Mickey Mouse keychain for their fully decked out kid. The line dissipated quickly though, and I was once again in awe of Emporium’s efficiency. See, at Animal Kingdom Main Entrance, the person at registers is never JUST the person at registers. They are also the people wandering the store floor to make sure that everybody is finding everything they need. They are the ones tidying up the store to make sure things are in their proper place. They are the ones checking the back for a different sized shirt because the ONE stocker is either on break or is working the cart across the way. They are the ones manning the ENTIRE store. The store is small, but it does sometimes get filled with people, and when it does, there aren’t a lot of Cast Members to get things done. It often leaves the person at register running around the place quite a bit. This also happens at the actual strollers location towards the end of the night. One person is checking people out, collecting strollers/wheelchairs/ECV’s, refunding ECV deposits, collecting locker keys, maintaining the package pick up service, and trying to wish guests one last “wild night” before they leave Animal Kingdom. This might be manageable if guests all stood in one single-file line and waited for assistance, but the reality is that guests are approaching the garage area with their strollers and such while folks waiting to check out hang out by the registers. It’s doable with the right energy and attitude, but picking up a shift at the Emporium made me realize that other locations are well-staffed. Sure they’re busier for a larger percentage of the working day, but it means that each Cast Member is purely responsible for their one job. They trust that the other Cast Members will do their part, so they can do their’s. My assignment was to be on registers, whether a guest was there or not. I stood in one place the entire time. It felt unusual.

Throughout the day I was moved to various rooms. I worked in the princess area for a while and sorted charms. When I got my slip for my “tea” (my break), I was given a 30 minute break. I thought it was a mistake but apparently six and a half hour shifts warrant 30 minute breaks in Magic Kingdom. At Animal Kingdom, six hour shifts = 15 minute break. As I was hanging out in the Magic Kingdom break room, I ran into my old coordinator. He transferred to Magic Kingdom for parade audience control, but had been one of my favorite coordinators at DAK. We talked briefly before I went back upstairs. Shortly after that, I took another 15 minute tea. I felt like I hadn’t even worked at all but there I was, on another break. I spent it talking to a girl who worked outdoor food vending on Main Street before going back upstairs.

The rest of my day was very casual. I worked at different registers in different rooms. I made acquaintances with the other Cast Members during the slow periods. I hummed along to the princess music in the princess room, up until a little guest pulled on my skirt to ask me if I was a princess. And then, before I knew it, my carriage had arrived and my day was over. Typically at DAK, Cast Members can receive a “bump out” 15 minutes or less before their shift is over. It’s meant to give the Cast Member time to wrap up what they’re doing with the guest they’re working with before walking back to the register to clock out. At Magic Kingdom though, Cast Members are allowed to clock out a few minutes early and still get paid as though they clocked out at the end of their shift to account for the time it takes to get back to their car. This means that bump outs happen even earlier than they usually would.

I clocked out, but I felt surprised that the day was already over. Between the tour of the Emporium, the 30 minute break and the 15 minute break, and the early bump out, it felt as though I hadn’t even worked. Staying in one position and only being responsible for that one job was also far less exhausting to me. I looked at my phone to see how many steps I had taken during my shift.

6,000.

My norm for a 6.5 hour shift at Animal Kingdom was roughly 15-18,000.

Now I’m not saying a job at the Emporium is easier than a job at DAK. I know it has drawbacks that I didn’t experience. But I was surprised to find that it was so well organized and so well staffed that I didn’t need to do a million things at once. All I had to do was focus on the guest in front of me, and that made for more memorable conversations and more magical moments.

I walked through the tunnels and back to the shuttle. At that moment, I was so grateful to be a Cast Member. I imagined all the people that dreamed of the day they would get to watch Festival of Fantasy from the window of their workplace before clocking out and making the walk in the infamous tunnels beneath the castle. I thought about all the people who were on Main Street, getting ready to watch the fireworks and thinking about how they never wanted to leave Walt Disney World. I thought about all the people, still at home, applying over and over again to be part of the college program. The simple magic of the Emporium and the fantastic leaders there made me want to continue being a Cast Member for as long as I could. I wished that I felt that way more often as I boarded my bus back to my car.

As I stepped off the shuttle at the Cast parking lot, I realized I had parked in such a hurry that I didn’t really know where I had parked. All I had remembered was that it was by some body of water. I spent the next while trying to find it, and managed to catch some of Wishes as I searched. It made me miss home. It made me miss the days where I would walk back to the Cast parking lot at Disneyland after a shift in Downtown Disney during the fireworks. Although the fireworks at Disneyland are much closer to the cars, so all the car alarms would be blaring and all that could be heard was the sound of cars going haywire and booming fireworks. I did miss home, but I was happy to be where I was. The Emporium was a magical place, and I wish I got the chance to work there more.

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