Same Dance, Different Song

I think.
I finished Day 3 of work today at DAK and it's pretty much been amazing.  I wasn't sure how I would feel, having had the last five months off from work, but I really feel like I never left and picked up right where I left off.  I found myself thinking today that I feel like I can see more now than last time. I mean, I see more photo opportunities. Before, I would see the full timers moving around and grabbing these pictures from all sorts of angles, but not doing that myself. Yesterday I was behind the characters, in front of them, zooming in and taking pictures of just faces, just lots of different angles that I didn't do before at EPCOT. At the same time, I'm more conscious of what angles to avoid. Also what's in the background (signs, trash cans, etc). I feel like it's really coming together. :)
So I had Daklimation on.... what day is it? lol Saturday! I had Daklimation on Saturday and it went from 8:30-12:30 (exactly). I then had 30 minutes to eat lunch, run to base, change, and clock in for work. I was not happy with this short of a change over, but it worked out in the end (sometimes, that's all you can ask for). I then worked from 1-7pm in Camp Minnie Mickey. The first character I pulled was actually Daisy!! I had only ever worked with her once at EPCOT so I was super excited for this chance, and sure enough, she was amazing. At 2, she left and Donald came out and was really on it. I eventually worked with Goofy, who I absolutely fell in love with. He was such a charmer that day! I shot just over 1,000 photos that day. Yesterday (Sunday) I was with Minnie for my first two sets, before ending with Donald, and I shot apprx 1,200 photos. Today I was back in camp from 10-5:15 and actually got to start the day with my two favorite nuts, Chip and Dale!! I LOVED working with them at Studios last year, and I can happily say, they were just as crazy in DAK as at Studios! I laughed sooo much! I was able to work with a cool Attendant named Brian, and together we were cracking up with C&D. At one point I looked though my lens to see Chip holding a guys arm straight out and gnawing on it like a corn on the cobb.  I yelled out, "Chip! What are you doing, you can't eat him!!" Chip (still holding the guys arm out) pointed to the guys shirt, which read, "HERSHEY." I responded, "Chip, that's a shirt! He's not ACTUALLY a Hershey bar!" Chip then pantomimed unwrapping a bar of chocolate and pretended to eat it. I reassured Chip again that the guy was indeed, not made of chocolate. Chip spent the rest of the morning gnawing on guests that came up and I would have to yell at him. Chip also tried to escape a couple times today, to go harass Donald who had come out to mingle. I yelled out, "Brian! Chip's trying to escape!" and Brian went running over to grab Chip and shove him back towards his area. Dale thought he could succeed by putting a kids autograph book over his eyes, and side stepped his way towards Donald, but Brian was smarter than that and caught on quick.
After lunch I actually got to spend the whole afternoon with Pocahontas, who just recently was assigned a Photopass member. This was amazing, as I really haven't had much experience working with characters who can actually talk back. I had two shifts (I think) with Belle in France, but that was it. Pocahontas was AMAZING!! I feel like she and I really got a system down, and I could tell when she was going to give someone an extra special hug and was able to really take some fabulous photos. There was one girl who came through today that I think had cerebral palsy. She was in a wheel chair and spoke only Spanish, but her mom was able to translate for her. Pocahontas spent quite a while withe her talking and just really being down on her level. I was able to capture this great moment when Pocahontas leaned in and kissed the girl on the cheek (which she NEVER does) and the little girls face was just lit up with such joy. I really can't believe that I get to experience these moments and capture them for families. (It's also amazing I don't cry more, lol). I ended the day just under 1,000 photos.
I'm off Tuesday and Wednesday, and Thursday I'm in DAK south, which is the bridge area, entrance and Boat Dock (where Pooh and friends are found). I'm the only CP so far at DAK, but I've heard talk that we should be getting some more in February (which is really right around the corner). I'm really going to be spoiled as since I'm fully trained, and the new cp's won't have character training for a while, I'll probably end up with most of their shifts. Once they're trained, I'm going to be really sad to not have as many character shifts, lol.

Exploration: DAK

Hello! So I'm going to have to change the description of my blog, as I'm no longer an EPCOT photopass member; I'm now an Animal Kingdom Photographer! That's right, today is my third day (second day since check-in) and I have officially been placed at DAK. I have to say that I was a bit disappointed to leave EPCOT as I'll always consider it my home! I find it funny though, that I was placed in the one park that I was too afraid to pick up shifts in. It's as if Disney knew... What was it I said about stepping outside of my comfort zone...? I take it back!! The one thing I really remember from my roommate working DAK was that she had looong work weeks, and always came home tired. So I'm a little apprehensive. Well, at least I don't have to worry about a lack of stuff to write about!
The last few days have been CRAZY. I checked in on Wednesday the 18th, and people began lining up at 3:45am. Wow. What a difference from my last group (6:30am). By the time I showed up at 6:30, the line was around the corner and to the bus entrance. Probably a good 150+ people. I will admit, I totally saw someone I had been chatting with on facebook at the front of the line and wormed my way up there.  I went in without any roommates this time and was pretty nervous, but I knew that I wanted a 2 bedroom in Chattham this time. This was a last minute decision as I really liked being able to walk everywhere from Vista, but I really didn't want to live there this time. I wanted someplace nicer. And I am super glad everything worked out. Just like last year, the Chattham rooms went really fast. I really think that since I was a single, I grabbed one of the last 2 bedrooms, because I know my friend Jasmine was a bit behind me and they were gone by the time she got there with her roommates. There were however, 2 bedrooms in Patterson and Vista. Anyways!
I am not going to bore you with details, but things have not really gone smoothly with my checkin. It's nothing that I could have done, just miscommunication between departments, but it made for some stressful days as people had different information regarding me. This will not happen to you, and I think it's only happened because I was seasonal and didn't get switched over til last minute, but everything is fixed now. Because my last program ended in August, I am still certified in all my areas and did not have to go to any trainings!! I did not have to go to Traditions, or Welcome to Entertainment, or any camera trainings. As such, I just had to go to my park specific training today and am jumping straight into work. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. Good because I will immediately be making money (yay!) Bad because I feel like i'm not really getting to meet any other program participants. (boo). Everyone is bonding over training or going to the parks, and I have 10 hour work days already!
The days have not been without fun though! And the people I have met are all amazing! I really like my roommates. They all came in blind as well (without roommates) and it's worked out great. They're all from the Chicago area, which is weird....
QUICK THINGS!! I LOVE my Chattham apartment. It is SERIOUSLY better than Vista. Don't get me wrong, i loved every minute of living in Vista. There were not that many parties, and I found it quiet and still quite social. Chattham is sooo much newer though, it's great. I do already miss being able to walk places. If I want to go to Cici's or Wal-Greens, i have to take the bus to Vista and make sure to be back inside Vista by 9pm, or else security won't let me in to catch the bus. However, I have actually also shipped my car out this time. It is currently on a truck in Georgia and should be here sometime next week. I plan to still take the bus a lot to save money on gas, but still. I will have a car!! :) More later.
Shoutout to Samantha and the other girl (I'm sorry! I forgot your name! x_x) I met today who read my blog!

Interview with a Vacation Planner

So I thought I'd interview my friend Tracy, who was a Vacation Planner during our cp. She was also an amazing roommate! :)

Name: Tracy

Role: Vacation Planner

Location: Magic Kingdom, TTC represent!

Were you excited when you first found out you were a VP? Kind of. I didn’t really know what it was until I got there. I thought I was going to be planning peoples vacations. Like hotels, tickets, Disney dining.

How long was your training? Oh god… I think it was ten or twelve days, with a day or two off towards the end. I think (the day off)  was right before my final assessment.

My training was in class training for 4 ou 5 days, with on the job training for another 4 or 5 days. My final assessment was being able to sell tickets the proper way we were trained. There is a four step process.

What was your favorite thing about being a VP? Probably the people I worked with. We were all really close since we spent all day in the booth together.

Least? Maybe not having the option of picking up more hours.

You were able to pick up PAC (parade audience control) shifts. What did you think about that? I loved picking up PAC. I loved being able to be at Magic Kingdom during Wishes! multiple times a week.

Did you ever work in any other parks? I did work in EPCOT for one shift cause they had a whole bunch of people call in sick. I was actually at MK partway through my shift and had to take the monorail over to EPCOT to work there. We had to take off our vest on the way over (So they weren’t in full uniform You are not allowed on public Disney transportation in uniform).

What would be your advice to any incoming VP’s? Start studying the parks now! Like what kind of rides and restaurants are in each park. As well as the water parks.

Did you get asked any crazy questions? I did have a really religious lady come ask me about if Disney was supportive of gay rights and lifestyle.  She didn’t want to buy a ticket from me until she knew more about Disney and their interactions with gay groups. I ended up telling her that we don’t discriminate from anyone coming into the parks. I also always got asked, “Where’s Harry Potter World?” or “Can I get a ticket to Universal?” 

It's a (photopass) picture post!

Apologies to people with slow internet.... :)

Jump shots; So cliche, yet so fun!

Those flattering shorts are part of my uniform! Worked a shift and then went straight to Donald's line.

Best guys to work with EVERRRRR!!! They're my favs. :)

Photopass members unite! From left: Rapunzel, Hillary - DAK, Kelsey - EPCOT, Flynn (duh)  Me, Traci - MK

Fly awaaayy!!

Traci and I found a Rover and made them do our bidding!

The caption says it all.

Once more with feeling

Oops... has it been two days already?? Ugh, in between Thanksgiving I got sick, and then logistically I hadn't really told my work the news yet, but it's not like they read this anyways.... but I have been accepted back to the WDW CP for SA 2012 for Photopass again!! I'm super excited, and actually pretty shocked that I got the same role! I mean, Photopass (from what i've heard) is really hard to get into, and the fact that they're letting me do it again, rather than a role like merchandise, is really kind of flattering. I need to set myself some goals this time, but I don't even know what park I'm going to be in! I was asked in my interview where I would like to work, and I said that I would LOVE to work in EPCOT again. I feel like it's my home, and I think the tone in my voice really showed my love for that park. At the same time, I said, it might be good to get out of my comfort zone and try a different park. As such, I said that I would love to work in MK as I feel like that's the epitomy of what people think of when they think of Disney World, and there's just so much magic that happens there. I think everyone loves their first park, but I have to admit that I would be kind of bummed if I got Studio's or DAK. I'm sure I would learn to love them, but i LOVE EPCOT!!!
Okay, so I got that announcement out of the way, and will try to blog more, but between finals coming up, not really sure how good that will be, lol. But I shall venture on!!

Wow, it's been how long...?

Well, that's just embarrassing. I didn't even come back on to do an end post! Truth be told, I was REAAAAALLLY depressed. I have made some of the best friends doing that program, and I couldn't believe that I was leaving them. I went back to California while my friends went back to Wisconsin, Texas, Chicago and New York. August 12th really was the saddest day of my life, and I cried a lot (and had very little sleep). I think that's something to be prepared for. No matter if you love your job, if you stick it out to the end, you leave with some of the closest friends. And I mean, I'm closer with these guys than I was with the friends I made in college.  Living and working and playing together for six months will do that.
Let's see, how did I end my program:
August 3rd: One of the BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE! I went to Universal: Islands of Adventure for the last time with my friend Danny and his friends (some of whom I knew, some I met for the first time). Being in Disney really gave me back the passion for photography, and I think you can see that in some of my photo's:

Personally, I claim Ravenclaw, but the boys all claim Slytherin.  It was an "interesting" day, lol :)

  Katelynn claims Hufflepuff, and was also picked for the wand show in Olivander's.

The Hog's Head pub serves several types of beer, as well one made specially for HP land.

Since we all went home August 12th, August 11th we were not scheduled to work as to get all our packing done. See, the trick is to get all your packing done early so you can spend that whooooole day in the park (much like I did with my friend Sahil when he went home). As such, I kidnapped Danny and we went to MK for a few hours before he headed back to pack.

 I made him ride Big Thunder while I took our pictures. They came out pretty good, imo :) (it was seriously 110 the last two months of the program. Prepare to sweat....)

One of my favoritest pictures EVER!!

I went off to EPCOT to say good bye to my friend Kelsey, whose extension was granted, and as such was working.

  I then headed back to MK to meet up with one of the Tracy roommates where I took this SICK photo!!! It was during The Magic, The Memories and You. The whole stupid park was shut down because of a lightening storm in the area, which meant that alllll the rides were closed. >.< HOWEVER! As I was taking a picture of the castle lit up, lightening struck!! I could not believe my luck!

 

Sorry guys, had to put my name over it, I'm so proud :) It's even better since the castle is lit up with cute fluffy clouds :)

More to come.... promise much sooner than four months... more like less than two days as I have some exciting news to get to! :)

Mind the gap....

Hi guys! I'm so sorry about disappearing for two months (ish) but I am still here, trooping along in photopass.  After my friend went home in June (after his Spring program ended), I got kind of depressed because it's scary to think that this is coming to an end.  I would find myself writing entries in my head, but just kind of avoided putting them down here.  It's like... as long as I don't think too hard, I don't have to be reminded that it's ending.  I realized when he left, that I think I hate the spring program, but only because you have to say good bye to everyone early.  When you're in the fall program, Advantage kids arrive early, and while you make friends with the left over SA kids who leave in a few months, you still have the majority of the fall kids coming in later, and you all leave together.  For Spring, everyone arrives at the same time, but it seems like you're saying goodbye to people every month, if not every other week.  It was really hard.  This has really been the best decision of my life, to come out here. I have made friends out here that I know I will always talk to and cherish.  I didn't save a dime, and even raided my savings (a lot) but I enjoyed every dime that I spent out here.  Sometimes I'm the only friend with money and treat people to places/things, but I have fun the entire time, and know if would have been different if so and so hadn't been there.  This program (and life) is short, so enjoy it to the max!!!

I did apply for the extension, but sadly did not get it.  Applications went up June 8th-17th, and we found out July...1st? I think.  Either the 1st or 3rd, which was funny since it said we would find out anytime between July 4th and 11th. Very few people got acceptances. And I mean, VERY FEW. The majority were denied, even if they had no points. This led many to believe that there was some mistake, and that people got denial letters who should have been accepted, and the real letters are coming out on monday... blah blah blah. It was all rumors.  All I can say, is please don't go with the mob mentality. It's so frustrating to read people spreading stuff when they weren't actually told themselves by a Disney employee.  I will say, keep your record card SPOTLESS.  Just because they say that you only need less than five points to qualify for extensions, the people who were accepted had 0 or 0.5 points.  I had 4.5. Which is another thing.  Photopass apparently has a completely different requirement to go seasonal or PT (transfer guidelines) So the whole time I thought I was okay with the 4.5, i was actually 0.5 over.  Photo is 4 or less which I didn't know and didn't find out until a few weeks ago, shortly after my extension denial.  (Like I said... a little depressing the last month or so...)  I'm working with a head manager to see if there is anything that can be done, otherwise I have to go home and wait til September 12th for my first point to fall off (six months after I got it) at which point, I can apply for seasonal or PT work.

Despite all this, work has still been amazing!!!  It's hot as heck out here, and the humidity makes it hard to go to work sometimes, but I think i'm getting a little used to it!  I'm really glad I came for Spring (despite what I wrote earlier...) because it was a gradual change to this humidity.  If I had come straight out here from California, in the middle of summer, for the fall program, I don't know if I would have made it.

That's me in the back! Second from last.

Take advantage of every opportunity that comes up!!!! I did the scavenger hunt back in May, and this past couple weeks I participated in C.R.O.W. which stands for Canoe Races Of the World.  This was a contest between 75 teams around Tom Sawyer island in Magic Kingdom.  EPCOT DPI put together a team, and it was hysterical.  We raced one at a time and had two practices, on a Monday and a Wednesday, at 6:30 am and 7:30 am. I had to be at MK by 5:30, so I was up at 5am. and it was haaaaaaard getting up that early. Another friend said that Soarin thought of putting together a team, but then realized that they wouldn't wake up for it, lol. Our race was the following Monday at 6:30am, and we didn't come anywhere near the top, but I had so much fun nonetheless.

I have more as I want to write down everything before the end. August 12th is quickly approaching. :(

The EPCOT Photopass CROW team!