So, I just have to say the lastfew weeks have been fantastic! So many good things have happened, both in and outside of work, that I can honestly say this experience is turning into everything I hoped it would be and more!
So, work stuff first. I’ve had lots of training shifts now, so many so that doing them feels pretty regular now instead of a special occasion. I have to say I really really have enjoyed training, especially as I’ve been lucky enough to train on several different positions. After being here 5 months some of the jobs can start to feel a little tedious at times, especially with all the long hours we were doing, but getting the chance to be a trainer completely re energised me and made me think about podium more like I did when I first arrived here, when it was all new and exciting.
I also had a service class scheduled. I thought this was odd, as at the time I hadn’t even done my pre-service test, let alone been scheduled for any server training. It was held at Disney university, and the first half of the day we went through different service standards, and the had a wine class for the rest of the day. I actually learned more than I thought I would, and I found the wine class particularly useful so it helped me with revision for my test. It finished at 5pm which is early for us, so those of us who had been in class and a few others who happened to be free went into Magic Kingdom for the evening to eat at the Liberty Tree Tavern and watch wishes. The food in liberty tree was amazing- its food which is very similar to Sunday roast food and you can have as much as you want, and it was sooo tasty! It was really nice to be in Magic Kingdom again as well 🙂
So not long after my service class I decided it was time to start revising properly and actually do my test. You have to pass this test before you can be scheduled your training, and you can do the test after being on podium for 3 months, which is when most people do it. So I should have taken it a long while ago, but because the transition from podium to service had completely slowed down I haven’t been able to do it until now. I’d been doing bits of revision for about a month before I actually took it, and the last few days was when I properly crammed everything in. I had been told I was doing the same test as those who did it before me, but two days before I was due to take it I was told that I was doing a new test, which included new menu items. I was a bit angry that I had been told so late that I should have been revising a different menu, but I just got on with it and took my test as I originally planned… and passed! With 97%! It was so nice to get it completed finally, and shortly afterwards my manager presented me with my service training schedule! After all this time on podium it feels like its all moving really fast now- I go in on the 27th which means I only have a few podium shifts left. Now that I can see the end, I know that in some ways I am going to miss podium, but overall I am super excited to be going into service. Everyone says that its a lot more fun than podium, and a hell of a lot more interesting, but a lot harder also. To be honest I’m quite looking forward to the challenge. Will certainly be keeping you posted!
So I mentioned that I went to see wishes again, which I hadn’t done for ages. Well, that was true, but that week I ended up seeing it four times in total! I just seemed to have an unusual amount of days or evenings off which mean I could go and do something really special that reminded me of why I came to work for Disney in the first place.
Again, in this location you generally start on pms, and then gradually move onto ams before you go into service. However, because everything had slowed down I’ve been on pms he entire time that I’e been here. I don”t mind the pm shifts themselves, it just means that I’ve had less opportunity than others to do evening things, like going to watch the fireworks. Work had been getting a bit quieter and less stressful anyway, but I was lucky to have a few extra days off. I basically tried to book four days for a holiday, but only got two of hem approved so it fell through. Well, I forgot to cancel the two days I had approved, but in the end I am SO glad I kept them as I had a really lovely few extra days off with people I don’t usually have time off with. I went on a fantastic day trip to cocoa beach. I put a tonne of suncream on and still got burned, nut it was so worth it as it was just a lovely relaxing days and it was fab seeing a beach again after being away from it for so long. The beach is actually really near the space centre, and there was an incredibly surreal moment when we saw a rocket being launched whilst lounging on the beach the next days I also went to animal kingdom, which is somewhere I haven’t been in a while which was great. I absolute love the safari ride and expedition Everest so it was great to be back. On both days I headed up to magic kingdom on the evening to watch celebrate the magic, which is my favourite Disney show ever, and wishes.
Another lovely activity I did recently was to go horse riding in wilderness lodge with Eleanor and Llauren. wilderness lodge is another one of those resorts where you feel like you are completely outside of Orlando, so it was a nice but of escapism. We got a really good cast discount on it, and had a great 45 minutes walking down a trail on horses. after we went to Whispering Canyon café which also does amazing cast discount and I had an incredible burger. They have this weird thing where if you want ketchup with your meal you ask your server and they shout it across the restaurant, and any table that has ketchup has to run over with their bottle and give it to you, which is kind of fun, if a little embarrassing!
On another note, Annie and Katherine arrived this last week, which means now that everyone who went to Manchester is now here! I didn’t think I’d love having new people constantly arriving as I thought it would be awkward getting to know so many new people, but honestly I’m finding it to be one of the coolest parts about my programme. Even though we all have something in common, wanting to work for Disney, there are still so many different personality types here and I find it fascinating. It also means that there aren’t really any set friendship groups as people are always coming, going, and working at different times, which is great as no one is ever excluded in anyway as everyone pretty much gets along with everyone.
I’ve also now been inducted into lasses as I’ve been going so much now, and when I do go I make an effort to get involved in the games. This means that next week I should receive my shirt… and my lasses name! The name is basically a nickname somehow related to what people know you for, particularly in lasses. Most of the names are hilarious and have great stories behind them, and its a lovely way to show how close you’ve got within your team, so I’m looking forward to receiving my name. Mondays are pretty brutal now though, as Sunday nights at HOB are now basically a constant thing, and I have to recover from HOB during the day and then get ready for lasses all over again by monday night! However, me and Kim both agree that universal studios is a great hangover cure- it worked this week and I’m sure we’ll try it again…
So yeah life is pretty sweet right now. I get occasional pangs of homesickness for my family, but other than that at the moment I wouldn’t change my life for the world. And my family are coming out at the end of may anyway to visit which is going to be amazing, so that’ll keep me going. Hopefully by my next blog post ill be just as happy!
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Emma's Disney Blog 