#also pro tip if you ever see disney parks fans other than me saying a new expansion will ruin the park it won't i prommy

[bumpscosity]

too scared to go off anon but we are mutuals and i love seeing your posts about the disney rides and such. its like peeking in a window to something i know nothing about but enjoy seeing on my dash regardless

HAI MYSTERY MUTUAL!! glad ya like it! disney parks are a hyperfixation so it's always fun to post about for me :)

[flynnerider]

Do’s and Do Not’s

"Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit." --e. e. cummings

Happy Halloween, everyone!

It’s been Halloween in Disney since August, so even the most ardent Halloween lovers are getting tired of it. Thankfully, in Disney, as soon as Halloween stops, Christmas begins! The Christmas season is my favorite time of year, and I know I’m not alone- my trainer at my new job says that the music they play during the holiday season makes the guests happier and friendlier!

Speaking of my new job, it’s going great! I just finished my second day of training and I’m having so much fun. On day one we had a tour of Magic Kingdom and got to experience some of the fun Main Street has to offer, like meeting Tinker Bell, riding the steam train, and watching the Festival of Fantasy parade!

Today, we got to watch (and participate in!) the Move It, Shake It, Dance, and Play It Street Party! We watched as the parade came down Main Street and into the Central Plaza in front of Cinderella castle, then we all joined in the fun as the characters led everyone in a big dance party!

We looked totally foolish, but had so much fun. We helped escort the parade, danced with two ADORABLE tiny princesses, and hung out in the street with Nick Wilde from Zootopia. And that was just what we did before lunch!

I’m really enjoying my new role and I can’t wait to learn more about it. I have my first shift working the beloved Happily Ever After fireworks show tomorrow night, and then I’ll be trained on day parades like Festival of Fantasy and Move It, Shake It, and special events like the Christmas Parade!

I’m also looking forward to having family visit this week! This will be my first family visit since I’ve arrived in Orlando, and I want their trip to be the best it can be. As a result, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to make the most of a Disney vacation, and I’d like to share with you some of my Disney Do’s and Do Not’s so those of you planning vacations or CP’s can enjoy them as much as possible! Let’s get started!

-DO: be respectful to Cast Members, no matter what! This should really be a no brainer. We’re people too! Listen to Cast Members when we give you directions or instructions and speak to us politely when you have a question or complaint. With very few exceptions, we want to make your visit as amazing and special as possible. Trust me, we’re not here for the money: we’re all here because there was something about the story and mission of Disney World that spoke to us. Sometimes we do have to tell you things that are less than magical, but don’t shoot the messenger; if a Cast Member tells you something that you don’t want to hear, like a ride is closed or they can’t find your dining reservation, please stay calm and courteous while you work with them to find a solution. Cast Members are trained to do anything in our power to keep our guests happy, and if you are patient and understanding I PROMISE you will get better service than someone who is screaming and causing a scene. We will take care of whatever problems you encounter in the park, and if you feel like a Cast Member isn’t, all you need to do is politely ask to speak to their Coordinator or Leader. These are people who have been with the company for a long time; they’re the Disney equivalent of managers. They are experts at Guest Relations and if you feel like a regular Cast Member hasn’t taken care of your needs, they will be more than happy to step in and help.

-DON’T: assume that you know better than a Cast Member. This is my pet peeve. If a Slide Operations CM asks you to take off your sunglasses, don’t say “oh, they’re on a cord, they’ll be fine.” If a Parade Audience Control CM tells you not to stand in the parade route, don’t say “oh, well I could stand here when I saw the parade six months ago.” Every single rule at Disney World is in place for a reason. They are there because something happened and we don’t want it to happen again. Sometimes rules change. If you’re curious about why a rule is in place, it’s totally okay to ask, as long as you’re polite about it and open-minded about the response. We LOVE big Disney fans, but no one knows everything about how the parks operate- not even us! Rules are set by people several steps above us, and even Coordinators and Leaders can’t change them. If you have a concern, feel free to bring it up to one of these higher-ranking CM’s- as I said before, they’re happy to help.

-DO: your research! I cannot stress this enough. Especially if you’re traveling with children or guests with special needs/accommodations, be as prepared as you can be. Know which rides have super high waits so you can use your FastPasses accordingly. KNOW HOW TALL YOUR CHILDREN ARE, in inches if possible! Disney’s measuring system isn’t perfect, I’ll admit- there’s room for human error. If you know your child is juuuust at 48 inches or 44 inches or whatever the height requirement is for a ride, you can mentally prepare yourself (and your child!) to be turned away and sent to another attraction. If this happens, you can always ask the Cast Member what they recommend instead. If you’re traveling with a guest who will need any kind of accommodation, know ahead of time what they will need and talk to a Cast Member at the park as soon as you can. Know which rides can accommodate wheelchairs and which rides require transfers, which rides have loud noise or flashing lights, etc, etc. All of this information, and I do mean all of it, can be found in the My Disney Experience app. You can look up any attraction and see height requirements, accessibility information, current wait time, and a description of the ride.

-DON’T: force your child to go on a ride. “What?!” you say. “Who would do that?!” Believe it or not, in my time as an attractions CM, I have seen SO. MANY. PARENTS physically force or bully their children onto a ride they are terrified of. Not only is this, in my opinion, awful on a moral level, but it’s not safe. If your child stands up or starts thrashing around on the ride, they could be seriously hurt. It doesn’t matter if the ride is one we commonly deem as “not scary”; kids don’t know any better. If your child is getting nervous about going on a ride, ask a Cast Member if you can step out of line and watch for a little bit. Talk to them. Try to build up their courage and lead them to the decision to go on the ride for themselves. If all else fails and they just aren’t ready, don’t ride the attraction. I’m sorry. Being a parent is about sacrifice- Disney World is no different.

-DO: take alternative forms of transportation home from Magic Kingdom at night! This is very specific but really one of the best pieces of advice I can give. It is always a zoo getting out of MK after the evening fireworks. It just is. Anytime between then and park close is just as bad, no matter how long you wait. This is because, unlike the other parks, Magic Kingdom doesn’t connect directly to its parking lot: guests must take a monorail, boat, or bus to get in and out. YOUR FASTEST OPTIONS IN THE EVENING ARE:

-the Resort Monorail (stop #2 is the Transportation and Ticket Center, or TTC, where the parking lot is)

-the Resort launches (small boats that take you to the resorts around the Lagoon; get off at the Polynesian and walk to the TTC, about 10 minutes)

-Disney buses (take a left when you exit the park; there are two bus lines that run to the TTC and they’re usually not as popular. Ask a Main Entrance CM for more information)

-DON’T be afraid to take breaks! Yes, the parks are awesome, but it is so easy to burn out if you plan to be there all day. Head back to the hotel in the afternoon for a nap and a swim, then come back or head to another park for the evening. If you do choose to stay in a park all day, build in some quality rest time; all parks have “decompression zones” designed to be a little quieter and more peaceful. You know what I’m gonna say: Ask a CM where they are and take all the time you need to sit, charge your phone, and rest up for the rest of your day.

-DO: bring water and snacks! You’re allowed to bring in all the outside food and drink that you want (except alcohol), so take advantage of it! I’m not going to lie, park food and bev is EXPENSIVE. A bottle of water is $3.50 now. Bring your own water bottle and ask any quick service food location for cups of ice water to refill it with- they’re free! If you have picky eaters or you’re just looking to save some cash, bring your own meals and snacks, too! I will often head to a park around 2 with my water bottle, a couple snacks, and a sandwich, and stay there quite happily until close without buying anything. Another money-saving pro tip: buy kid’s meals! Disney portions are huge anyway and CM’s will always let you get one- you could be buying it for a younger sibling or child!

-DON’T: get lost in the photographs. Please, take pictures of your vacation! Those memories are so special- I would never ask anyone to stop taking pictures of their friends and family. However, I have seen guests become so absorbed in documenting their vacation, they forget to experience it! Those pictures could vanish any day. Your camera might get stolen, your phone might get wet, but you will have your memories forever. Make good ones. Don’t stop every five minutes in the Flight of Passage queue to snap a selfie: take one or two or three, then enjoy the beautiful surroundings for yourself. Don’t hold your phone in the air, filming the entire 20 minute fireworks show; really watch it. It’s spectacular. If you want to relive it at home, there are dozens of professional recordings on YouTube. Plus, the constant photography can be annoying to other guests if it holds up a line or blocks someone’s view: be aware of those around you and pick appropriate times to get your phone or camera out.

That’s it! Ta da!!!! Obviously, all opinions expressed here are my own, and they are just that: opinions! I’m sure other people will have their own thoughts and that’s just fine. These are some things I have learned in my three months here, but every experience is unique- do what you need you for your own personal visit. If you’re planning a trip and have any specific questions, just ask! I don’t profess to know everything, but I love Disney and I want to help everyone else enjoy it as much as I can.

Thanks for bearing with me through this long, ramble-y post. I hope it was helpful at most, informative at least. Coming up: Working a Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, birthday fun, and more Main Street Merriness.

Have a magical day, everyone!

-FR

[whereintheworldisdani]

Monday October 16th, 2017 - Sunday October 22nd, 2017. The bulk of this post is going to be about my birthday over the weekend, but before I get into that, I do want to talk about the great experience I had at Epcot on Thursday.

I decided I wanted to avoid cooking and grocery shopping, so I went to Food & Wine at Epcot right after work. I spent a good deal of my time there walking around Japan and Great Britain (surprise surprise, right?). I actually posted a video of some of the drum show they do in Japan, it is really entertaining so I encourage you to check it out. In Japan there is a Japanese department store which I spent way too much time in (probably). There are SO many different types of souvenirs and candies and clothes and things in the store. And yes I wanted to buy it all. However, I settled on a post card and a picture. When I checked out, I got to speak in Japanese to the cashier (or at least what Japanese is left in my brain to speak). It wasn’t much, but it certainly was something.

After that, I wandered into the tea shop in Great Britain. As we all know, I LOVE tea, and what tea do I love the most? Twinings. And what was the only tea they sold in the shop? You guessed it (hopefully). There were also lovely tea cups and pots and mugs in the shop. BUT there were also biscuits and Mars bars which I have missed so dearly since leaving London. And there probably isn’t any shock or surprise as to what I bought: Lavender Earl Grey Tea, biscuits, and a Mars Bar. I struck up a conversation with the cashiers about being a Disney Cast Member and having lived in London (one of them was quite impressed I could pronounce his hometown “Leicester”, England. Look it up, probably not pronounced the way you think).

Later I met up with some friends and we ran around to a bunch of different food stalls for dinner. It was a pretty fantastic evening for lack of a better way to put it.

And then the weekend happened. WOW what a birthday. Honestly, this may have been the best birthday yet, or at least it is in the top. But really, how great does a birthday at Disney sound? And even better, my lovely and wonderful parents flew in for the occasion. This past weekend was truly amazing.

On Saturday I picked mom and dad up from the airport and we wasted NO time; we hit the ground running and took off for Epcot to check out the Food & Wine Festival. We made a quick stop at “Club Cool” (the place where you can taste Coke products from around the world) so we could try some sodas and get myself a birthday button. Pro tip: if you are looking to feel like the royalty you truly are, pick yourself up a birthday button at any store in the Disney parks. On the surface, it is just a circular pin that says “happy birthday” on it, but underneath, oh it is SO much more. You put that thing on and BOOM you get smiles and happy birthdays left and right! People even write happy birthday on stuff for you, and you get gifts when you go out to eat!

So with my new super power on hand, the three of us took Epcot by storm. We went to food stalls in Scotland, Ireland, The U.S., and Australia, and honestly probably others, we ate so much food. We also road on Test Track and Soarin’. I’m convinced Soarin’ has become mom’s new favorite ride. She was in complete awe the whole time. But as far as Test Track went… well you can see in the photo that only one of us wasn’t so photogenic. You can also check out the car Dad and I designed.

At night, we went the Biergarten restaurant in Germany. In true Bavarian style, they seat you at a table with random people, and there is a buffet full of AMAZING German food. And while you eat, there are performers playing instruments and singing songs. I was a big fan of the place. 10/10 would recommend. And of COURSE what helped to make it awesome was the waiter printed a Biergarten birthday certificate for me, and gave me some Mickey and Minnie stickers.

Oh, and a note on the people we were sharing a table with: there was a guy there by himself, and a family of four, and then the three of us. The guy who was there by himself was from just outside of Seattle, and as you all know, my lovely brother Craig and future sister Heather live in Seattle, and the family of four was from Portland (not the same, but near there at least). And then the guy from Seattle was talking about how he had just come from Baltimore before going to Disney, which is what my parents did (they had just spent the weekend in Baltimore), and the father of the family of four is originally from Baltimore. BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE. The mother of the family of four was celebrating her birthday this past weekend JUST LIKE ME. WHAT?! Pretty crazy.

So now on SUNDAY (my actual birthday) Mom and I went to Hollywood Studios while Dad had to rest up his knees for the Halloween party later in the day. I, of course, had happy birthdays left and right, and even the barista at the Starbucks wrote happy birthday on my drink. Honestly, I felt like royalty. Like, people telling me happy birthday just made me feel on top of the world.

Mom and I did all our favorites and then some. I took her to the Frozen Sing-a-Long, and we cracked up the whole time. We also went to the Beauty and the Beast show, which we went to when I was a tiny human. When it gets the part in the show (or any rendition of Beauty and the Beast) where Beast turns back into a human, and he says “Belle it’s me!” And then she looks at him and says “It is you!” We always laugh because when I was little, I always called him “Prince Itisyou” and my parents never knew why, UNTIL they took me to see the Beauty and the Beast show at Hollywood Studios. Mom says it was the biggest “aha” moment ever. Anyway, when it got to that point in the show, mom and I started laughing, and then we started crying, and then we were laughing and crying. He will forever be Prince Itisyou.

Afterwards we saw The Voyage of the Little Mermaid and rode on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Star Tours, and Tower of Terror. It was a long day, but it was GREAT.

AND THEN in the evening, we snagged Dad, I put on my costume (Honey Lemon from Big Hero 6; look up a picture for comparison, I look just like her, and FOUR people recognized me and complimented me), and we headed off to Magic Kingdom for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. For five hours in the evening, Magic Kingdom turns into one giant Halloween party, complete with trick or treating. We started the night on Space Mountain, the single most greatest ride in the world. The whole party, however was started with the Sanderson Sisters of Hocus Pocus brewing up a “party potion” with the help of some villains. Check out the videos I have posted, they were AMAZING. I absolutely adore Hocus Pocus, and it was amazing to see the Sanderson Sisters perform. Where else could this happen other than Disney?!… and well I guess, Salem in 1993, but whatever.

Later, we rode the Haunted Mansion, which Dad doesn’t think is scary, but I think it is pretty terrifying. Then again, I can hardly watch a Goosebumps film without jumping. After that we went on Peter Pan WHICH I HAVE NEVER BEEN ON. Shocking, right?! Seeing as I know that film, book, and all other adaptations backwards and forwards. The cue leading up to the ride is truly magical. You get to walk through the Darlings’ home, and see the nursery and Peter’s shadow appears, and Tink comes in as well! It is safe to say I love the ride. It is amazing, at least for those of us who are obsessed with Peter Pan.

We got off the ride in time to see some of the Halloween parade. The parade has TONS of characters, and they all dance and sing along to the Halloween music playing on the loud speaker. Again, check out the photos, I even posted a video of the Jolly Roger (Captain Hook’s ship in case you don’t know).

We had to leave the parade early in order make our dinner reservation at Be Our Guest. Now, Be Our Guest is this amazing French restaurant made to look like Beast’s castle, complete with picture gallery, Ballroom, and West Wing. Before you enter, a host comes out in the dim light carrying Lumiere to escort you in and to your table. They play instrumental versions of the music from Beauty and the Beast over the speakers, and Beast comes out to meet his guests. Dinner was delicious. I had ratatouille, and tried the onion soup and shrimp and pasta my parents had. It was all just wonderful. And for dessert, the waiter brought out a plate of the Grey Stuff (it’s delicious!… if you don’t get it, please listen to Be Our Guest) with a candle, and in the shape of Mickey. It was such a wonderful surprise, and he later came up with a birthday card signed by Belle and Beast. Truly, the birthday button has power. After we paid, we met Beast and took a photo with him. He was quite the gentleman. Maybe someday Prince Itisyou will be there to greet guests…

After we left, I was wiped, but the parents wanted to run around and snag as much candy as possible. Honestly, from the way we were talking you wouldn’t be able to tell who was the parent and who was the kid (I had work the next day, so sue me!). It was so much fun. Honestly, the day was practically perfect (in every way!… really, if you don’t get it, then get on my level).

I could not have asked for a better weekend. Thank you to EVERYONE who wished me a happy birthday; it meant the world to me. And also, thank you to my parents for flying out to spend it with me and make it AWESOME.

This adventure is brilliant, and I am loving every minute of it. (Well maybe not EVERY minute, but you get it! Right?)

Until next time!