Three Months Left!

Well, here I am with three months to go on my DCP here in Orlando. I've been living in Chatham for nearly two months now, and it's been amazing. I love being in over 21 housing, and I love my two bedroom! It's so much more roomy and spacey with only four of us living here!

In the last two months I have been trained in our position we call runner. A runner is basically an all around position here in the Emporium. I'm the one the managers call if they need someone to go to another land to get a guest some kind of merchandise. I take care of all the packages that go to package pickup, all resort deliveries and all home and international deliveries. I take care of all the empty hangers that we put in the racks, and put them away in our back room so the people that hang clothes in the morning will have hangers to use. It's a fun and challenging job because it involves so much multi-tasking.

In other news, I attended a Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party the other night with my roommate Dani. We dressed up as Anastasia and Drizella from Cinderella and got to meet them and take pictures. It was the best interaction I had ever had with a character. They were absolutely hysterical, and when it started to rain they told us to follow them and hiked up their skirts and ran for Town Square Theater. When we got there we took a bunch of pictures and then said our goodbyes. It was great and they LOVED the stepsister ears we had made.

Other than that it's been pretty normal.. I get to see my family soon and that's going to be great!Only got a few months left though, so I've gotta make them the best!

End of the Old, Start of the New

So while the only thing changing is my housing, it's been a really tough couple of weeks and an even tougher couple of days. My roommates moved out on the 2nd, which left me and Rachel here in 5105 for four days on our own. As nice as it's been to not have to share a room and to have space in my fridge, it's been very hard to stare at the empty room, the empty shelves in the pantry and the empty fridge. I've become so used to living my life with the company of 5 others that now basically being on my own is weird and slightly terrifying.


Sadly, today is my last day in my room here in 5105, but happily it's the start of a new chapter in my Disney Career. I'm moving in with some friends, and hopefully getting some more training in the Emporium. But even though it's a happy new page, it's really sad to close the book on the last seven months of my life.


I will never forget wandering around Epcot with Kira, watching her play random video games and enjoying her food whenever she got the weird urge to cook anything. I loved just sitting on the couch while she was gaming, and just talking to her. It'll be hard to lose that. Rachel was always up for going out for food, going out to wander or just going out to go somewhere. We'd ride rides, meet characters and wander, and with her moving that's going to probably slowly come to an end. Ashley and I may not have gotten along, but we did share a room and I will miss waking up every morning to her ringtone, even though I had just gone to sleep. Giselle and I spent a lot of time together as our schedules were very similar. I will always love her for listening to me and for loving me no matter what. This girl will always be one of the people I love the most and I am so lucky to have been her friend. And then there's Katie, who I probably spent the most time with outside of work. We spent an entire day meeting characters, and managed to do all four parks AND meet 33 characters in one day. I will miss not having her around to character hunt with.


5105 has given me a lot, and I would never, ever trade it for the world. I loved every single minute of my life here, but it's time to move onto bigger and while they may not be better, different things.


So, so long, 5105 bedroom three. I'll miss you, tiny overly cluttered kitchen, dinky bathroom and laundry across the parking lot. I'll miss the crooked stove and the fact that our fire alarm used to beep at 2 AM. I'll miss those times where all six of us were home and it was mayhem, and I will ALWAYS wonder how we never got security called on us for being so dang loud at times.



I love you guys.

Extended, But Saying Goodbye

So the good news is I have been extended on my program until January 3rd 2014. It means I'll celebrate Halloween, Christmas and New Years in Disney World, and that I'll have worked 7 days shy of a full year for Disney. I'm staying in my current location, The Emporium, which opens up lots of doors for learning new skills and trying new positions. Seeing as how only one or two are left for me to try, I'm pretty excited about it.

The bad news, however, is that my roommates are going home. One was extended, however she and I will not be living together come August, one was denied her extension and the other three are ready to go home. As many issues we've had over the past six months, it's still hard to think about how in three weeks the life I've known for seven months will end, I'll pack up and move into another, smaller, apartment and they will pack up and leave for their homes in Arizona, Nebraska and Louisiana. This means no more early morning video game watching sessions and no more leftover jambalaya in the fridge. This means my roommates will no longer be in attractions, photopass and character attending, but will only be merchandise. And they will only be in the same location as myself. I'm not sure if that's a good change or a change I will come to dislike.

I knew this time would come, but the fact that it's so close is surreal. I wasn't expecting it to happen so fast, for the time I was to share with them to end so quickly, but it has. And so, if you're getting ready for your DCP, let me stress to you: savor every moment. Don't be upset too long, and don't get annoyed over the petty things. Go surprise each other at work when you can, and spend as much time as you can stand with those you love. It's a bittersweet feeling, and it's a depressing one. I'm losing three of my best friends and I have three weeks left to make it worth it.

Until next time,
Kelci

Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust!

Something amazing happened to me at work the other day. For those of you that don’t know, I work at the Emporium on Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. I have been here for five months, and while I have lots of great stories to share, this is one I thought I would share with everyone.

I was stocking the Princess room and right before Wishes a Grandmother came into my room and asked me if she could have a little bag of pixie dust. When I asked her why she explained that she wanted it so that in case Tinkerbell didn’t end up flying she could give it to her Granddaughter and tell her Tinkerbell left it for her. I told her that I would do her one better and to come back after the fireworks, no matter if Tinkerbell flew or not.

I ran to the back and got one of our little boxes and stuffed it with tissue paper and found a coordinator to get me some pixie dust. I put an extra bag in there for the Grandma and sprinkled some in the box. I then went and found a Tinkerbell pin and put it in the box so that the little girl would have it to keep. After I did all that I ran and got Tinkerbell to sign the box for me, and ran back to my area to wait for the family to come back.

A few minutes later I saw them looking for me and I pulled them to the side and told the little girl, Katie, that Tink had left something with me so I could give it to her. I handed it to the little girl and knelt down next to her and she opened it and took out the pin and whispered “Thank you.” Next thing I know she’s hugging me and her mom is taking pictures and thanking me and the Grandma is tearing up. I said my goodbyes and gave Katie one last hug and told her to have a wonderful night.

About a half hour later I was walking towards the back to take my break and the family stops me and Katie is holding a bag. Her grandma says, “Kelci, because you made such a special moment for Katie, we wanted to do something for you.” Katie handed me the bag and I opened it, pulling out one of the Tinkerbell pens we sell. I knelt down and gave Katie a huge hug and started to tear up, telling them they didn’t have to and how much I appreciated it. The mom then told me, “We wanted you to have it so you would never forget Katie and how you made her day.”

They will never understand how much that made my night, how a little girl who loves Tinkerbell made me think of myself and my own love for the naughty little fairy. I saw myself in that little girl, a trip to Disney where cast members made it Oh-So-Special. It’s the magic that has been passed from cast member to guest for generations, and repaid when a few of those guests grow up and become cast members themselves.


It’s the reason I’m here. Because one tiny little moment that costs nothing but three minutes worth of my time can make a little girl, her mom and her grandma so incredibly happy. Because the magic that is in my blood and the pixie dust that is in my hair is being passed on to little girls who are just like me.

There Are No Goodbyes

We only say "See ya real soon."

So yesterday was the last day in the Emporium for two of the most wonderful friends any girl could ask for, and boy oh boy was it a toughie for all involved. I tried to say my see ya real soon as well as I could, but I know that I'm better in writing and I knew that I'd probably end up just crying about it instead of talking so here I am. It's been nearly five months since the majority of the Spring DCPers arrived in the Big E, and while we've been saying our goodbyes over this past month to some beloved girls and our Thai friends, this goodbye was a little bit more hard hitting for me.

Not that I don't absolutely love all the people I'm friends with in the Emporium, but these two in particular are probably some of my best friends while down here. And even though we rarely hung out outside of our work location, our times in the Emporium together will always have a fond place in my heart. I am literally the luckiest person alive to have been blessed by their presence and to have been able to get to know these girls, even if it was only for so short a time.

This is probably the most difficult part of the DCP for anyone. It's the goodbyes.

Even though here at Disney we tend to just say "See ya real soon" it's hard to pretend that there isn't a chance our paths may never cross again and that this program will be the last time I get to see some of the most wonderful girls I know. We are all headed into our lives from here, and who knows when we will see each other again.

But then I look at those wonderful people I'm surrounded with and realize that even though we may be headed to our separate cities, states and countries, we will always be friends. We will always be The Emporium Family.




Photo by Mike Thomas, taken 5/24/13 at the Monsterous All Nighter at around 4:00AM.

A Day In The Life

So let's look at what a normal day in the life of an Emporium Merch CP is like!

Five days a week I wake up either at 1 or later. Some days I get up at 4 PM for my 7 PM shift, and other days I'm up at 1 for a 3PM shift. I hang around the house and make lunch, eat, get into my costume and then I head for the buses. Because I live at Patterson I take a nice walk from my home to Chatham's bus stop and hang out for a few minutes until either the A bus or the B bus gets there. The A bus stops at Vista, Wilderness Lodge, Contemporary and then at Westclock, which is where I'm headed. It takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour, which is the same with the B bus. The B bus goes to the Poly and then stops at the Grand, before stopping at Westclock.

When I get to Westclock, most days I go straight onto the Cast bus, but sometimes I go into costuming. If I have to go to costuming I allow myself about 30 minutes more time than I needed, just in case I really have to hunt. Luckily for me, I wash my 3 skirts and my expediting costume at home, and only have to worry about getting new blouses and maybe a new tie if mine falls apart. After this I head to the Cast bus and ride it to our entrance of the Magic Kingdom. A couple days out of the week I stop in the Mouse and get Subway for dinner, but if I don't get Subway I head straight down to the Main Street USA area.

A lot of the time I get there early so I hang around the tables and talk with my friends or I'll read a book. Sometimes I hang out on the couch and relax, or fall asleep in the armchairs. This really just depends on what time I get to work! 15 minutes before I am scheduled to start work in the Emporium, I head upstairs to clock in. After that I'll head outside to relax or I'll wander around and talk some more. At the time my shift starts, I go back and get my assignment which can be anything from picking up Stock 5 or Register 17, straightening the charm table, assisting a register, merchantainer 1, door greeter 6, assisting Baby Care or going to Baby Care myself!

If I'm on register I normally hope for Baby Care, but if not I head out to a register where I will hang out for about 3 hours. During those 3 hours I will chat with guests, clean up my area, put things away and of course ring up merchandise. Sometimes we get pulled for other little tasks around the store, but mostly you stay put. After about 3 hours, I get a break and go downstairs or outside to hang out and eat. I then go back up and get a new assignment and head out again. After another roughly 3 hours in my area, I will get my second break and after that I come back for my final assignment. Once our store closes, I get a new task to help in a certain area, do the trash or fill the registers. Once that's done, I head for the bus and go home.

If I am a floorstock that day, I will pick up my radio and my earpiece during my 15 minutes before I start, do a radio check and go and meet up with my expeditor. Once I get my assignment to a floorstock or replenish position, I head out to my area and start to straighten and catch up with my morning person to see what's going on. I then start going back and forth to fill my shelves, and get my carts of merchandise my expeditor pulls for me. I stock, help my guests and jump on the registers if it's getting busy. Sometimes we're slow enough to watch the parade or just spend time with a family, but most of the time this is go go go! When we close, I'll get a door assignment, which is making sure people are only moving south in our store, and not allowing them to go north. Once we fully close, then we get down to the business of fully restocking our area, and then once we are done we head home.

While I'm expediting, I start at 2, which is the earliest of most of my shifts. For this I spend my day in the back breaking down merchandise and picking stuff for the stockers to put out on the floor. I love this role the most, just because I always have something to do and I can help my friends. It's also fun because you get some downtime to chill, without the pressure of being onstage.

After I hop on the bus I take a 30 minute or so ride back to Chatham, and hop off the bus. I walk to Patterson, show ID at the gate and head home. Sometimes my roommates'll be awake, but most of the time I'm the last person home. I'll turn on a movie and make some dinner, sit down and relax a little bit. Then I hop in the shower and get into bed, red a little bit and then go to sleep. By the time I'm asleep it's about 4 or 5 AM, and I will do it all again this afternoon.

Goodnight!
Kelci

Dealing With Pet Loss Away From Home

So while I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on this subject, the recent loss of my cat of 13 years and a friend's loss of her pet has gotten me thinking and prompted me to write this. My cat, Calvin, passed away about two weeks ago now and I was at a loss for what to do. I couldn't think, let alone face my guests with a Disney smile. So, I called in and I sat and watched TV and played video games. I coped the only way I knew how: Crying and trying to forget.

Being in the DCP is a lot of the time a person's first time away from home. I'd say roughly 70% of the people I know went to community college and lived at home, while the rest lived at Universities on the campus. I think it's harder to deal with the loss of anyone or anything that you deeply love because of this. While majority of my time here is spent happily working with my friends, spending time at home or in a park, and taking classes, not enough time is spent keeping my brain from going into overdrive and keeping me from thinking. Which even now, two weeks after my beloved kitty has passed away, I still have moments where I just sit and look at his pictures and cry.

It's hard, being so far away from your loved ones, and not having anyone around you that knew your animal, or knows what you're going through. A lot of people don't have such an amazing gang of roomies that rally around them and help them out, so I thought I would share some things I've learned since Calvin moved on.

One: It's okay to be sad.
This is one I struggled with a lot. Calvin was just a cat, right? I'm dumb to have called in to work and stayed home and cried. He's just a cat.

The thing is with this, is it's not JUST a pet to you. A pet takes on a role in your family and becomes one of the family and really is someone you grow to love and know. They are our friends, our listeners and on bad days they are the ones that love us no matter what. So, go ahead. Cry. Scream. Call in sick. Grieve. Show your friends photographs and videos and tell them stories about your friend. Laugh at the good times you shared, the memories you have. Remember how they always did that one thing that they only ever did for you. It's not just a cat. It was YOUR cat.

Two: Find Closure.
3500 miles away from home it's hard to find closure that you might have been able to find at home. You don't have your family around you, but you have other people who care. Take your pets favorite human treat and go sit in a park and people watch. Go find a family of ducks to follow around. Head out to Conservation Station and pet some goats. Find your peace.

Three: Try not to dwell.
This is the one I've had the most trouble dealing with, but I'm coping. Try your best not to dwell on what happened. Remember your happy times with your pet and don't get stuck on the sad thoughts. Keep in mind that though we have pets, their lives are naturally shorter than ours and that death is a natural part of life. As sad and unfortunate as it really is, focusing on how good of a life your animal had helps a bit.



This post is dedicated to anyone else on the DCP that lost their dear pet while on their program, and also to my wonderful old man cat, Calvin. Thanks for 13 long and happy years of snuggles and purrs and for keeping me quiet company when I wanted it and sometimes even when I didn't. You were one amazing cat, Fat Calvin and you will truly be missed by your whole family. You were here for us for too short a time, but what a sweet time it was.

RIP Calvin