The Peach Goes Disney

Hello! So it’s been a while since I updated this blog, mostly because I have been extremely tired and extremely busy. But a lot has changed since last time I posted, so it seems like a good time to get back to this!

First things first, I am no longer in Fantasyland as an attractions cast member. There are a few reasons for that, none of which I really want to get into. Suffice it to say that it wasn’t a good fit for me. Luckily, I had a manager and a programs office who worked, pretty quickly, to find me a position that would better suit me. 

That’s how I ended up leaving operations and heading into the entertainment department - as a PhotoPass photographer! 

This position has been incredibly fun and satisfying for me. The thing I’ve always liked best about being a cast member is getting to talk to and interact with people. Walt Disney always stressed the importance of cast members in the parks and how we behaved with our guests, and now I get to spend literally all day interacting with them. 

My favorite part of my job is working with characters. Nothing is as special as getting to see a child meet Mickey Mouse for the first time. If I could spend every day in Town Square with the Fab Five or at Castle Fantasy Faire with the princesses, I would in a heartbeat. 

Outside of work, I’ve gotten to do some really cool things. Our mid-program event was an after-hours Tower of Terror themed party in Hollywoodland in California Adventure. I got to take a tour of Walt’s apartment on Main Street and a behind-the-scenes tour of the Haunted Mansion (!!!) which, as you all know, is my favorite thing in the universe. 

What’s been the most fun is seeing all the different things we’ve got going on for the holidays: the parades and shows and the Festival of Holidays (with tons of new, great-looking food). I love to sit backstage and watch A Christmas Fantasy parade step off. On Veterans Day, all of the cast members who formerly served or currently serve in the military participated in the flag retrieval in Town Square, and it was really lovely.

Favorite things that have happened since I became a photographer: - Well, Carianne proposed to Tristin in front of the castle (as most of you know as well) and while I couldn’t quite work it out so that I was her photographer, I was able to make sure a photographer was there for her.  - A woman about my age walked into Anna and Elsa’s room at the Animation building, said, “I’m so excited to see you!” and immediately started crying.  - A little girl, after meeting Mickey Mouse, shouted, “I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!” at the top of her lungs. - A family with a 12-year-old autistic son came to Mickey’s house and were dismayed to see that the line was 80 minutes, because he couldn’t wait that long. The character host decided to bring them in anyway, past the line, to meet Mickey just them. The boy was so excited to see him, and he chatted with Mickey and they all took pictures, and I looked over to see his mother crying. It occurred to me that being at Disneyland on a busy day must have been overwhelming and difficult for them, and that character host made their day.

It has been a little more than two years since I last updated this blog. It has been understandably defunct since I finished my Disney College Program at Walt Disney World. Fortunately for me, and maybe for you, I have just begun my SECOND DCP, this time at Disneyland. 

So I have been here in Anaheim for two weeks. Since I’ve been living in San Diego for the last three years, I’m pretty familiar with the Disneyland Resort, as an annual pass holder and general Disney nutjob. There’s a lot that’s different between the two places and also a lot that’s the same.

I’m a cast member in Disneyland Classics attractions. This means that I will eventually be trained on 10 (!!!) Fantasyland attractions: Peter Pan’s Flight, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, Snow White’s Scary Adventure, King Arthur Carrousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Casey Jr., Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Tea Party, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and the castle (yes, it counts as an attraction).

So far, I have successfully trained on Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Dumbo and Casey Jr. Today was my first day out of training and on my own. It was stressful and intimidating, but overall it went well. I was able to end my shift working the rope that closes Fantasyland during the fireworks. That meant I got to spend my last hour wearing a Mickey glove, interacting with guests and watching Disneyland Forever. I even got to see Tink fly from the castle. 

It's been like, five months, so I should probably answer them! 

Q: Were you able to eat at every WDW restaurant? A: No, but I put a serious dent in Epcot restaurants, and at least made it to restaurants that I'd never eaten in before in every park. I think the most fun I had was eating in restaurants in the various resorts, particularly Sanaa at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and The Wave at the Contemporary Resort, both of which I went back to. 

Q: What were your favorite food items? A: I was really into little things around Disney: the empanadas in Mexico and the vodka-infused ice cream in France, the apple pie caramel apples from the Confectionery, and the French onion soup at the Be Our Guest restaurant. 

Q: Would you work for Disney as a career choice? A: No. I need a little more intellectual stimulation than I was really able to get from working at Disney. It was a fun experience, but one that's probably going to remain behind me, at least when it comes to being a cast member.

Q: Would you do it again? A: I would have said no a little while ago, but now I live close to Disneyland, and I was thinking that maybe when I finish grad school, I could apply for the college program one last time to work in California. I don't know if I'll actually end up doing it. I am glad, though, that I ended up doing it. It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing.

Q: Did you think the positives outweighed any negatives on the program? A: You know, there were a lot of negatives. A LOT. I was making barely any money, paying an obscene amount of money to share a bedroom in a six-person apartment. I was treated like I lived in a dorm, and at 23 years old, that was a little hard to swallow. But working for Disney was fun. Like, the job, and the people I worked with, and the ridiculous experiences were totally fun. So except for the actual COLLEGE PROGRAM things about being in the College Program, working for Disney was completely worth it.

Spent some time with Kofi since I've been home. 

Olivia's Breakfast!

Banana bread French toast.

Sunrise platter!

The start of a productive day.