#canada epcot

Canada Pavilion 

June, 2015

So the past few days at work weren't super eventful. On Sunday night Jess, Carey and I went to MK for EMH since we were all off relatively early (9-9:15). We had a late dinner and then did a few rides before heading back home around 12:30ish. Unfortunately I missed Celebrate the Magic AGAIN and so I definitely have to get back there asap to see it. It's so fantastic!

This morning Hana and I met up at the pool for a bit in the morning and then I worked 2:30-9:15. The first half of my shift went by really slowly but when I got back from break I was at engraver for about 2.5 hours and I was engraving almost the entire time! I practically had a non-stop line so I stayed really busy and time went by fairly quickly. I also got to merchantain with Ralph for a while and I sold almost the whole bin! It was a lot of fun and it was a great shift for my Friday. I'll officially be off work for a week now because my days off are Wed and Thurs and then I fly home to Canada for my sister's wedding from Friday to Monday. Getting soo excited!! 

So since we had to work, and we knew MK would be filled to capacity on July 4th, a small group of us from merch went and watched the July 4th fireworks at MK on Thursday night. Carey, Sheldon, Carolyn, Tiz, Carrie and I planned to meet up throughout the afternoon and a few of us managed to catch the Festival of Fantasy parade at 3:30. It was already packed so shortly after, once everyone had arrived, we had some dinner, rode the teacups, and then just wandered and joined the dance parties in Tomorrowland and Frontierland for a bit. We found a perfect spot to watch the fireworks to the right of the Partners statue and we sat down to wait for about an hour and a half. We chatted amongst ourselves and with the families around us and time went by really quickly! The fireworks were beautiful but, to be quite honest, I was a little underwhelmed. I assumed that it was going to be a bigger show I guess? But, like I said, they were still beautiful. It was also neat because they had the fireworks going off behind the castle, but they also had the same fireworks going off right behind us, like in the direction of Main Street. So I guess you had an option of which direction you wanted to watch. The finale was definitely the best part! Not only did the fireworks go off in front of us and behind us, but all around us too! It was really neat! Also, trying to leave the park amidst the huge crowd wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I made it to the front of the park in like 15-20 mins which was very unexpected! After that Jess, Karen, Sabrina, Madeline, and I met up at Jellyrolls...of course :) 

Yesterday Epcot's hours were extended past the usual EMH hours because of the holiday...so my shift ended up being 6:30-12:30. Although it was a late shift it was a short shift so that was nice. Epcot was really busy, although I'm sure it was like 10 times crazier in Magic Kingdom. Despite the huge crowds I did get the chance to talk with a lot of guests and make a few "Happy Birthday America" buttons so that was fun. Then at 10:00 our managers were super nice and let us all come down to cart to watch the fireworks. Most people who had a day off or who had already finished their shift watched from the Canada cart as well so I got to watch the Fourth of July fireworks surrounded by Canadians :) This is like the one day a year that it matters where in the world showcase you watch the fireworks from. It's important that you can see the American pavilion, because it is a big part of the show. So Canada was actually a pretty perfect viewing location! The fireworks were really amazing and seeing the American pavilion all lit up was beautiful! I honestly think I prefer the Epcot fireworks to the Magic Kingdom ones. The show was fantastic and the finale was really big and intense! It was amazing! The only weird part was that about a full minute after the fireworks seemed to have ended, and after we had started re-opening cart...another huge finale went off. We weren't sure if it was intentional or if some fireworks just hadn't gone off...either way it was a nice surprise once we got over the shock :P The rest of EMH last night was pretty quiet and uneventful. Unfortunately the 1:10 bus didn't show up so we had to wait until like 1:30 until the next one but luckily I have a late shift today as well so I got to sleep in.

So I realize it has been almost a month since I've done a real update. It's just so crazy busy here and I'm either out and about or too exhausted to sit down and write! I'm obviously not going to go into intense detail about the past three weeks or so but I will try to cover some main events and exciting news :)

Lately our managers have been totally spoiling us and it has been amazing! One particularly hot day we finished closing and at our closing meeting our manager and coordinator surprised us with freezies because we had worked in the intense heat all day :)  It was fantastic! Just a week ago or so it was also a manager's birthday so we were invited to the managers' trailer on our breaks and there were slushies and popcorn for us too! Haha I'm definitely loving all the treats we've been getting lately.

On June 13th I was surprised in the store with a big group of managers at Post 1. They had us all start clapping and then they asked Laura and I to stop clapping...which seemed strange. Then they handed each of us an Applause-O-Gram!! For anyone who doesn't know an Applause-O-Gram is created for you when a guest goes to Guest Relations or talks to a manager or leader and mentions your name (in a good way). It was literally one of my biggest goals to get an Applause-O-Gram on this contract (I've never gotten one) and I was so excited and grateful! The Applause-O-Gram was from the couple I talked about in my last update that I met during EMH! I had helped them with some funny photo requests and then we talked for quite a while about all the travelling they had done. I am so grateful that they took the time out of their night to do this for me! Sometimes guests truly do make magic for us :)  

For the past couple of weeks I have also been doing some intense character hunting because I made a birthday video for my sister (her birthday was June 21st). I went to MK during EMH one night and it was the best decision ever! I waited about 10 mins to meet Tink and Ariel, and about 20 mins to meet Cinderella and Rapunzel. I also got to meet Anna and Elsa with a 30 min wait as opposed to the usual 300-400 min wait. EMH at Magic Kingdom is fantastic and I highly recommend taking advantage...especially because very few families will stay until 2 am. 

A couple weeks ago I switched shifts with a coworker so I had Monday and Wednesday off instead of my usual Wed and Thurs. On Monday I finally made it to Cast Connection and I found myself back in MK with Elly and Allie (fellow Canadians). That night I went to Happy Mondays for the second time since I got here. Basically every Monday the Canadian girls go out drinking with another country. The last time I went it was with the Mexican guys and this Monday it was the Italians. It was a lot of fun :)

That Thursday it was my roommate Sabrina's birthday. Unfortunately I worked so I missed out on the festivities during the day but that night I joined up with them for dinner at Morocco. The food was really good and our server was really nice. It was cool to see the belly dancer too! We told them it was Sabrina's birthday so they brought her dessert with a candle, made her wear a hat, and they sang happy birthday to her. It was a lot of fun! She also got to get up and dance with the belly dancer and we took lots of great photos. We stayed in Epcot for Illuminations and had grapefruit beer from Germany and pretzels. That night there were throw-ins for Canadians and Germans and we agreed to split up and go to the throw-ins. Unfortunately, Jess and I didn't make it back in time and we missed it which was unfortunate. Oh well, next time! Also for Sabrina's birthday I went to Animal Kingdom one morning and got Pocahontas (her absolutely favourite character) to sign a birthday card for her. We gave her the card, some Ghirardelli's hot chocolate, and a Disney mug. She is obsessed with hot chocolate and drinks it at least once a day so we thought it would be a pretty fitting gift :) We got to give her the gift a few nights after her birthday when we were all at home together and she absolutely loved it :)

On June 21st about 8 of us from merch went to a character breakfast at Cape May Cafe. We got to meet Goofy, Minnie, and Donald. The food was absolutely delicious and it was so much fun hanging out with everyone outside of work. The only downside was that the reservation was at 7:55 am so that everyone who worked in the morning could join as well. This wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't worked EMH the night before and gotten home around 1:30 am. Haha but despite the exhaustion it really was a lot of fun and it was well worth it. I also got to send my sister her birthday video and she absolutely loved it! I am so glad she liked it and I am really happy with how it turned out! I am also very thankful for Jess because without her editing skills it wouldn't have turned out half as well as it did! 

That Monday it was Mary's throw-out because her last day was Wednesday. It was definitely sad because I had gotten to know Mary a bit better than the last girls that left before her and she is definitely a big part of the merch family. But the throw out itself was a lot of fun and we told lots of merch/attractions stories and laughed a lot! I also got my first award! Mary handed down "Engraver Champ" to me...which is a really long story. But it's hilarious that she gave it to me and I am definitely loving that I got it. I also got lots of stuff like boxes of KD, Tim Hortons french vanilla cappuccino mix, and a fan for Jess and I's room! 

Tuesday was just a really good day at work. I had a lot of magical moments and really great guest interactions. It was one of those days that just reminds you why you're here and really helps you appreciate the program...as cheesy as that all sounds. I also went to Jellyrolls after work with some friends so all in all it was a pretty fantastic day! 

Wednesday was Mary's last day. We went to the morning meeting with her and took pictures and then we had the merch ceremony down at cart. It was definitely a sad day but luckily she wasn't leaving until the Monday so we could still spend time with her before she went. That night I also tried a club downtown that a lot of Canadians go to called Chillers. It was a lot of fun and I was loving the slushie drinks they serve. Definitely a good time.

On Thursday we did Four Parks One Day! Although I think I may save this and make a separate post for it because it was ridiculous and so much fun. Basically we met a character, had a snack, rode an attraction, and took a picture in front of the icon of all four parks! Stay tuned for the full post :)

Friday after work Tiz, Laura, Mary, Sheldon, Carolyn, Robin, Alex, and I met up at Citywalk for the midnight showing of Rocky Horror. We didn't dress up or anything but Sheldon and Alex definitely participated which was hilarious. Carolyn and Laura were also Rocky Horror virgins so they got to go up front and participate for a bit. Sheldon also bought them prop bags and Carolyn kept unintentionally throwing her rice directly into the faces of the people behind us...it was funny but I felt really bad for them. Although it was a really late night it was fun and it was a great way to say goodbye to Mary. She will definitely be missed! 

This Monday was Laura's throw-out because she left today. This one was definitely hard because Laura was one of my trainers and she had helped me out so much before I even got here. We met during interviews in Montreal and she got a date like 10 months before mine, but she was so helpful and patient with me when I asked her about a million questions before coming down here. She was also my "big sister" in merch and, like I said, one of my trainers. So sad seeing her go and I wish her all the luck back in Canada. I got some books/magazines and a lamp at her throw-out and she also gave Jess and I an award. It is the "Best Canadian Roommates" award and it is basically because we are Canadians who are really good friends and we are roomies. The girls who originally had the award were also Canadian roommates in merch and attractions so that is really cool! We have the award set up on our dresser and we are super proud :) 

Tuesday was Canada Day and I was so excited to be working!! The pavilion was decorated for the day and we got to wear the Canada Mickey head pin and we all wore birthday buttons for Canada as well! We handed out lots of Birthday and "I'm Celebrating" buttons and had so much fun with all of the guests who came to Canada. I got to meet lots of Canadian guests and lots of Canadian ICPs who came to the pavilion to celebrate too! We also had an "exclusive" event for Canadians in the break trailer and there was pizza, fruit, chips, cheddar cheese soup from the restaurant, pop, icecream, and freezies. The break trailer was decorated in red and white and extra tables/chairs were added for all the Canadians coming to celebrate. It was a lot of fun and I am so glad I got to be here for it. It was the fastest/easiest shift ever and we just got to have fun all day! Definitely one of my highlights from the year! 

So yesterday was Laura's last day and although I missed the morning meeting I was there for the merch ceremony. After the ceremony we explored Epcot for a bit and went around the showcase and I definitely got a cronut :)  Then we went back to the store to watch Laura put her handprint on the wall. Afterwards she got her graduation ears stitched and a small group of us went to Earl of Sandwich for dinner. We said our goodbyes afterwards and all headed home. It was tough saying goodbye to her but I know she is ready to go home and I am happy for her and her amazing opportunities back in Canada.

Today I am meeting up with some friends and we are going to see the Fourth of July fireworks in Magic Kingdom since we all work and it will be too busy anyways tomorrow night. After the fireworks I'm meeting up with some other friends and we are headed to...where else?...Jellyrolls! It is an addiction...I just can't get enough of that place!

So despite my best intentions I am not getting any better about updating regularly. So here comes another ridiculously long essay...

Last Monday I had an absolutely wonderful experience with a family. A small boy who was about 6 or 7 was in the store with his mom, dad, and sister. He was looking through all of our rocks and he was really taking his time picking out the perfect one. You could tell his family was getting a bit antsy to leave but they didn't rush him or pressure him to pick one immediately. Eventually he settled on the perfect rock and as he came to the register his mom was praising his choice. She kept telling him it was so beautiful and it was the perfect one, etc. As I handed his bag to him his mom and sister began to walk out of the store. The little boy had his dad crouch down so he could whisper in his ear. Next the dad nods, stands up, and tells the mom and sister that they are going to browse a little bit longer but they will be out in a minute. The mom and sister exit the shop and the dad and the little boy head back over to the buckets of rocks. After a few minutes the boy comes back with an amethyst and tells me it's a surprise present for his mom. I told him that was so sweet and asked if her birthday was coming up. He responded, "No, it's just because I love her". It was the sweetest thing ever! We wrapped the amethyst in tissue paper and then put it in a small box and closed it up with a Mickey sticker. Then they hid it in the dad's backpack and agreed to surprise her with it at dinner. I imagine the mom must have been so surprised and I hope she absolutely loved the gift that he picked out for her. They were just such a sweet family and I loved the way the boy wanted to give his mom a gift just because he loved her. So wonderful :)

The same day I also had my own wonderful surprise when I was out at cart! My friend Steff (we did ICP programs together in 2011 and 2012) came to visit! It was so amazing seeing her again and I am so excited that she is back for another ICP. We made plans to go for dinner soon and I hope to see lots more of her before the end of the summer.

On Tuesday I was at engraver and two girls and their mom were looking through the bracelets. The girls wanted to personalize bracelets as gifts for all of their friends back home but the mom was frustrated because they had dinner reservations in France in 10 minutes and by the time they were finished their dinner the park would be closing so they couldn't come back later. Since they wanted about 12 bracelets they would definitely be late for their reservation. I told them about the other engraving locations in Disney but they were just about finished their vacation and weren't going to any other parks. Eventually the girls convinced their mom and she reluctantly let them each pick out 6 bracelets. You could tell she was really worried about their reservation and was panicking a bit because her husband was at the restaurant already but the restaurant won't seat him unless the entire party is there. I offered to call the restaurant while Virginie started their bracelets and let them know the girls would be a bit late. The mom was so grateful! I called the restaurant and let them know and they even sat the dad and he got to order a cold drink while he waited for the rest of the family. Virginie and I worked together and she engraved while I put the rivets in the bracelets. Although they were still about 15 mins late for their reservation they had 12 bracelets (that they loved) and the mom was happy that the restaurant knew they would be late and that they were willing to seat her husband early. All of the cast members involved really worked together to help this family and I was so happy that it all worked out in the end.

On Wednesday I had the day off so Carey, Jess, and I went to Typhoon Lagoon. We did all of the slides and spent a good portion of our day just floating around the lazy river. We also ordered a sandpail together (literally a sand pail filled with swirl icecream, waffle cone pieces, cookie pieces, hot fudge, and caramel sauce and topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry). Jess and Carey were debating ordering their own and I did my best to convince them that it was more than enough for three of us!! Luckily they were persuaded because between the three of us we didn't even manage to finish one! Haha slightly embarrassing but next time we will for sure! That was just a practice round...next time we got this! Then after Typhoon we headed to Downtown Disney and had dinner at Splitsville and browsed some shops before heading home. Jess and I ended up going to Walgreens and buying some snacks and then we had a 90's movie night...it was great! :)

On Thursday I got paid so I went grocery shopping in the morning and then I met up with my friend Margery from France and Chiara from Italy and we went to Blizzard Beach. Our park passes get blocked out of the water parks during the summer so I wanted to make sure I got my fill before I lost access. We had a lot of fun and yet again I spent a couple hours just relaxing in the lazy river. It was a great day :) That night was the Canadian throw-in and we got a few new people in food and bev, attractions, and merch. The two new people in merch seem super nice and Kayleigh has already done two ICPs as well so it was great talking to her about past programs. Even though we were both here in 2012 we never met. Since they arrived I am now officially not the newest person in merch and I am very slowly moving up in seniority so that's fantastic! 

Friday night I was back at work for EMH. While down at cart I met this absolutely amazing couple! They have travelled all over the world and were so interesting to talk to! They are also big Disney fans so we talked about what they have and haven't done here yet and we traded some park tips and whatnot. They told me all about their trips and we talked for like 20 minutes! EMH nights are so great because the park is quite empty (especially in World Showcase) and you can just take the time to really talk to guests and have fun with them. Sometimes you meet some absolutely amazing people here. 

So I apologize for not updating during this week. It was crazy busy! However, I have decided to divide it up and have two (still relatively long) posts - one for work and one for my birthday. This post is just a couple highlights from my work week. I might have a few days mixed up because honestly it all feels like a blur but this is essentially what happened during my week.

Monday and Tuesday were busy days in Epcot! At one point I was Post One in the store and I had a small line. I was just saying goodbye to the guests I was helping and as I looked up to say hi to my next guest I had a wonderful surprise! My friend Elysia was in Epcot and stopped by Canada to visit :)  She and I did an ICP program together and while I was at World of Disney she worked in the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in World of Disney. So we were basically work neighbours. She came for a visit during the 24 hour Magic Kingdom event and it was so wonderful to see her! I am so glad she stopped in to visit.

The same day I also met a family that was visiting from Swift Current, Saskatchewan. When I told them I lived in Shaunavon for about a year they were absolutely ecstatic! The mom actually hugged me. We chatted about the area for a while and tried to figure out if we knew anyone in common. It was definitely very cool chatting with them and I loved how happy they were to see me. Such a sweet family :)

On Tuesday I also had a very sweet young boy named Ryan come in who told me that it was his mom's birthday and he wanted to pick her out a gift from Disney World. She kept telling him that she didn't want him to spend any of the money he had saved up, and she didn't need a gift from him at all. I wanted to help so I very discreetly gave him a Mickey sticker and told him that it would be a good gift for her because it was from Disney and he didn't have to spend his money. He was so excited and when he gave it to her she lit up! She immediately put it on her shirt which I could tell made him so proud. After that I invited her over to the register so I could give her a birthday button - and Ryan spelled out "Mommy" for me so I could write it on the button. After that his mom told me that his birthday was next week so I immediately gave him his own Mickey sticker and wrote on a birthday button for him. He was so excited and asked me to write his full name on it so that people could wish him a happy birthday "properly" - I still laugh when I think about that. Haha eventually his mom talked him into just getting his first name on the button. They were so sweet and it was so nice watching Ryan try so hard to make his mom's birthday magical.

Tuesday night it was the Canadian "throw out" for everyone whose program ended that week. Basically we all get together in an apartment and the people leaving give away all the things they aren't taking back to Canada with them. Jess tends to take a lot home from throw outs and our apartment is filling up quickly :p  She did manage to get a tv at this one though so that is pretty exciting! Then they pass down any titles or awards they have received throughout the year. Towards the end of the night they say their "last words" and anyone else is able to say their "last words" to the people leaving. Then we all sing O Canada together. Although I didn't know the people leaving super well it was definitely sad to see them go. Lots of people cried and I felt so sorry for them having to say goodbye to friends they've known and worked with for months. It was definitely sad to see Matt from the attraction go. Although we didn't work together he was so friendly and helpful since day one and he really made an effort to get to know all of the new Canadians even though he was leaving soon. I'm sure he will be missed.

On Wednesday it was Erica and Julie's last day in merch, Matt and Vicky's last day in the attraction, and the last day for a few girls in f&b. I had switched shifts with Sheldon so I worked 1:15-9:00 that day but I came in early with some other merchies for the merch "ceremony". At about 11:00 we met at the cart with some of the coordinators and managers and they presented Julie and Erica with their certificates. Jesic thanked them for their time on the program and told us all some great memories of each of them. Then the girls took turns saying their "last words" and we all took photos together. After the ceremony Carrie, Robin, Sheldon, Carolyn, Carey, Tiz, and I hung out in the showcase for a bit and got Starbucks before some of our shifts started. Unfortunately once I got to work I was down at cart so I missed Julie and Erica's boot toss and their hand prints in the back room. However, I did have a break when Matt was doing is "last spiel" in the attraction so I did get to see most of that. 

By the time I started my shift it was incredibly hot and so, of course, I pulled engraver. It was mid afternoon when I got out there so it was really sunny and I was practically dripping sweat...it was gross. And almost immediately I had a very long line which made me panic a little bit since I still haven't done engraver that often since training. I tried to be efficient but I definitely didn't rush because usually you end up messing up the bracelet and having to start again. I did my best to chat with the guests and remain friendly but also to keep setting up the bracelets while the engraver was going and to make sure the process was as smooth as possible. After about an hour or so I got through the line and moved under the cart for a break while there were no guests. I was actually feeling pretty proud because I made it through the rush and it was fairly smooth. Then Laura (who was working cart register) came and gave me a Four Keys Fanatic Card! Basically it's a card that managers, coordinators, or other cast members can give to one another when they do a good job or are seen being safe, courteous, efficient, etc. Laura gave me the card for getting through the engraver rush and being very courteous and efficient. I am so ecstatic and so grateful! That was very sweet of her! It was definitely an amazing way to end my work week :)

Thursday and Friday I was off but I am going to save my birthday celebrations for another post and skip to Saturday at work! Saturday started off amazing because I went to costuming before work and managed to find a shirt in my size and a pair of short culottes that fit!! This is a huge deal considering I have one shirt that fits, one that is a size too big, and one that is three sizes too big. Also, the two pairs of culottes I have that fit me properly at the waist are long. Now I finally found a short pair! 

About mid-afternoon on Saturday it started to pour and so I went to the back to grab the "wet floor" signs for the shop. When I came back on stage there were like 5 managers by the register and I was very confused...that never happens. Then a couple managers offered to hold the wet floor signs for me and I really didn't understand what was going on...until Tim gave me a birthday card! They wished me a happy birthday and I got a card that all the managers had signed and we took a group photo together! It was really sweet that they knew/acknowledged my birthday and took the time to do that for me :) I just love working here! 

Then on Saturday night Jess and I went to a merch/attractions event in the World Showcase. About once a month they play a Disney movie in the France theatre after work and there is free pop and popcorn. It was the first time I had been in the France theatre and it is beautiful! Before the movie starts they also do a few trivia questions and give out prizes. Jess of course answered the first question and won a vinylmation. Then we watched Aladdin and stuffed ourselves with popcorn :) When we left around midnight the park was of course closed and pretty much empty and it was so beautiful and peaceful walking around World Showcase. Definitely something I will remember from this program :)

Today I worked 3:30-9:30. I managed to go to the gym before work and I am happy that I am doing it somewhat regularly :) From about 1:00-5:00 our managers put on a "Safety Barbecue" so Tiz and I went and got some free food and ice cream before work. We learnt some sun safety tips and we got a free character pin lanyard for filling out a safety quiz.

Work was pretty good although it rained A LOT. It started storming pretty bad when I was at Post Two so I grabbed my rain gear and went downstairs to help them close cart. Afterwards I helped one of our managers, Danielle, sort through some of the cart merchandise in the back. She ended up giving me my second Four Keys Fanatic Card for helping so much when it rained. I am seriously so happy and am so appreciative! :) Other than that though my shift was good but pretty uneventful. Afterwards Jess and I went to DTD for about 2 hours and browsed/did some vinylmation trading.