Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end

A little over seven months later, and I've graduated from the Disney College Program! I can't believe how fast time has flown. The CP was an unforgettable experience. I learned a lot, worked a lot, and most importantly, I played a lot. :) I met and worked with people from all over the world: Columbia, China, France, Australia, Singapore, Morocco, Taiwan, Brazil, and England are the ones I can remember off the top of my head.

I jumped in about 15 times, and almost half of those times were for the Vigilance Awareness Tests (vats). My best time was just under 3 seconds. We had to get to them within 30 sec. I was visually audited by Ellis once and by Disney a handful of times (I passed those!). Within the last couple of weeks the Wilderness Lodge was audited by Ellis. I thought I'd make it through my program without being audited...they must have known I wouldn't be there much longer. lol An Ellis instructor faked an unconscious drowning in the deep end of the pool. We had to backboard her out, take her pulse, do CPR, use the fake AED, etc. It was one of the most intense moments I've ever had as a lifeguard. Thankfully, we passed the test!!! The Bay Lake Region recreation team was amazing. They are like a family to me, and I was fortunate to be placed as a lifeguard there. While lifeguarding was a nice change of pace for me, I'm so looking forward to designing again!

Next Tuesday I begin a new chapter in my life. I begin my Professional Internship with the Disney Design Group. I'm quite nervous, but extremely excited! I'll be working M–F 8am–5pm, which will be a nice change from my 10 hour lifeguarding shifts. And the only way I'll get even a little wet is if it's raining when I head into work! I move into my new apartment tomorrow morning with three other interns. I lucked out with some amazing roommates in my CP and I hope the same will happen again.

Well, I think that's all for now! I'll blog when I can!

Thanks for reading,
Erica

I've been slacking on my blogging lol

Well, I tried to keep up with blogging, but I just seem to run out of time to do it. However, I'm glad I did it at the beginning of my program to document all that happened. In summary, I've been working a lot. I'm at the Wilderness Lodge almost every time I work, but I don't mind because it's an absolutely beautiful resort. I usually work around 50 hours a week, and in my free time I've been trying to network, design, and of course, enjoy myself! :) My family came to visit a couple weeks ago, and we had a wonderful time together! Then a couple friends visited (it was their first trip to Disney) and we had an awesome time as well! Two of the original roommates have left. We've already gotten two new ones, and we all get along great! I've been so fortunate when it comes to roommates. I'll try to blog periodically, but I'll be better at uploading pics to facebook. :) I miss everyone back home, but I'm heading home for a week at the beginning of October! I can't wait! 

Thanks for reading, 

Erica :)

Past the 1 month mark!

6/24
So, I ended up staying around the apartment most of the day. It rained a lot in the afternoon and evening. I didn't mind staying in the apartment and taking it easy part of the day. I played Disney Charades and drank some wine with a couple of my roommates in the evening. A great ending to the day! :)

6/25
It rained quite a bit again today. I had the intense coordinator again, and it was a little better today. I wasn't quite as intimidated because I've learned more since I had last had him as a coordinator. One of the lifeguards told me Walt Disney World employs 60,000 + people (that doesn't include the Cruise Line, or any of the other Disney parks). That means they rank first for the size of the area and the number of employees. The Pentagon is second. lol I also learned that there is something called the Disney Bubble. Due to the large amount of people in such a condensed area at Disney it creates more heat than usual. Therefore, we'll either avoid storms because the water evaporates before reaching the ground, or the heat will help in the development of the storms. I had no idea!

6/26
Work was pretty eventful. A girl had a pretty bad nose bleed, and a boy got stung by a bee. In the evening I gave my coworkers a ride back to their apartments because none of them have cars because they're from other countries. They were from Morocco, Australia, and China. My car was full of diversity! After work my roommates and I went to House of Blues at Downtown Disney. There was a long line just to get into the club. Sunday nights are free for Disney Cast Members. It was absolutely packed! The dance floor was huge, but we were packed like sardines! It was crazy, but fun!

6/27
So, I ended up getting to be around 2am, and I had In Service Training at 7:15am. Yes, it probably wasn't the best idea to go out the night before, but my Disney College Experience can't be all about work all the time. I set my alarm for 5:30, and I heard it go off, shut it off, and went back to sleep. I woke up again at 6:52. It takes me about 15 min to get to work. I was scrambling around like a crazy person, but I was out the door at 7! I made it to the in service on time too! I thought I had to work a double after the in service, but then I found out I only had the PM shift. So, I got to go home and relax for a bit. The PM shift went smoothly except for one part of the day. I was at the slide stand, and a woman came up to me and pointed at some girls walking away from the pool in the distance saying she didn't think the backpack they were carrying was theirs. I asked where it came from, and then a woman in the pool asked if it was from where they had put their stuff. Unfortunately, it was her bag, and by the time we came to this realization and I called my coordinator the girls had walked away from the area. I wasn't sure if I should have run after them, but my coordinator said that could have created a lot of problems. The girls weren't found, but the backpack was, and some of the contents were missing. Apparently they had stolen multiple things from the pool. I felt so bad for those people. It's unfortunate that you can't always trust people. Guests should be able to leave their bags by their chairs on the pool deck, and shouldn't have to be concerned about it being stolen. I wish there was more I could have done, but the more I think about it, I think I did the right thing. After work, I gave two of the Chinese coworkers a ride home. We were talking about the number of children allowed in each family. They really only want one per family, but if you have more you have to pay extra to have each child. However, if you are famous (actor/actress, sports star, etc) you can have as many kids as you want. I learned a lot in that car ride!

6/28
Work didn't start off very well. I was at the slide stand, and a couple kids went down in tubes. Kids are allowed to go down the slide with life jackets, floaties, and anything that stays attached to them. The tubes could slide off, so we don't allow them on the slide. I told a couple kids they couldn't wear them down the slide, and then the grandpa came over and asked what the problem was. I explained the rule, and he responded, "That's the dumbest rule I've ever heard." I remained polite and told him we had complimentary life jackets they could use instead. At one point his granddaughter became upset, and he said to me, "Happy? Look at what you did. Are you pleased with yourself?" I apologized, and told him about the life jackets once again. He told me to go get them. I told him I was guarding, and couldn't leave my stand. Anyway, he argued with me for a little longer, and then finally went to get the life jackets. I know that won't be the last time I deal with guests like that, but I sure didn't like it. The rest of the day went smoothly. After work I met up with two of my roommates and a couple other people at Planet Hollywood for some drinks. We hung out at Pleasure Island/Downtown Disney for awhile, and then headed back home after a fun night!!

6/29
It rained quite a bit today, and was mainly overcast. I know it's Florida, and it rains a lot, but I'm ready for a day or two without the wet stuff! At one point during the day a little boy came up to me and said, "My mom needs a break from watching me. You can watch me?" Then he said he wanted to build the slide we have at the Lodge at home, but they couldn't do it. Then he asked if I built the slide, and I said no, Mickey Mouse built it. Then I got another "why" question. I talked with him for just a short time, but in that time that kid asked a ton of questions! He was a sweet and entertaining kid. :)

6/30
It rained again. lol

7/1
I was actually somewhere different today! I was at the Fort. It was a fairly boring day. I definitely prefer the Lodge. Oh yeah, and it rained. Surprise, surprise. This evening I went out to dinner to Bahama Breeze with three of my roommates. Then we went and visited our fifth roommate at the Contemporary. All in all, a good evening!

7/2
This was my one day off this week. I went to Animal Kingdom with my roommate, Madison. Then we went to a place called Cast Connections and Property Control. CC is a store for Cast Members that sells overstock Disney items, etc. PC sells broken merchandise that can't be sold in stores for 75% off to Cast Members. Later in the evening I went to the pool.

7/3
It was mostly sunny today! The pool was pretty packed today due to July 4th weekend. However, later in the evening the crowds really dissipated. I could hear and see a few of the July 4th fireworks at Magic Kingdom. I have to work tomorrow evening too, so I didn't think I'd get to see any fireworks. However, tomorrow night I'm on break during the fireworks!!! So, fingers crossed, I'll get to go to the roof of the Lodge to see the fireworks! I can't wait! :)

Happy 4th of July!!! :)

Erica

Staying Busy

6/16 – 6/18 @ WL
The 18th was my day off for the week! I slept in, went to the pool, and then went to Magic Kingdom with Tanya. We watched a parade, walked through the shops on Main Street, rode Space Mountain, and then left. I went out to dinner with Madison, her parents, her boyfriend and his parents to celebrate her birthday!

6/19 – 21 @ WL
On the 21st I made my first call to 911 at work. A woman came running over to one of the lifeguards saying there was a woman who fell unconscious on a bridge near the pool. The lifeguard called the coordinator, and I was told to call 911. I found out the woman had epilepsy and was having a seizure. It was pretty scary, but we all worked well as a team and received Great Service Fanatic cards. These cards are given out to cast members when they go above and beyond and/or do something really well.

6/22 @ WL
Today I worked my first double. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Plus, I kept telling myself I would have the next 2 days off to recuperate. I stopped by a 7 11 after work and bought some ice cream to reward myself for surviving a long day in the heat. :)

6/23
I slept in and then went to the pool for a couple hours. I'm still trying to even out my tan when I can. :) I went grocery shopping and then met up with a couple of my roommates at Magic Kingdom. We went on numerous rides and then watched Let the Memories Begin. It's an absolutely amazing show displayed on the castle. It's unlike anything I've ever seen, and it's so creative! Wishes (the firework show) followed Memories, and as always, Disney fireworks are the best!

6/24
I've been pretty productive today, so I think I'll go to the parks this evening to enjoy the remainder of my day off!


Summary
I didn't do the greatest job blogging over the past number of days, so I'll try to do better this coming week. :) Last week there were a number of days when it rained and we had to close the pool down for various amounts of time. Now I feel more comfortable with the procedure for pool closings. I've been at WL the past 2 weeks, and I'll be there again all next week. I'm not complaining though because it's a beautiful resort, and it's giving me plenty of time to become accustomed to working there. Dianne, one of my roommates moved out on Wednesday to start a job back home. So, now we're down to five people in the apartment. Thankfully our rent will not go up, and they won't put more people in the apartment until we're at 50% capacity.

While I'm working, it has been interesting to watch families interact among each other. Some parents actually play in the pool with their kids. Other parents watch from afar or don't even pay attention. Some parents enforce the pool rules on their kids, especially after I've told their kids to walk, etc. Other parents let me do all the yelling, and don't bother to tell their kids they are breaking the rules. I've also seen a lot of families having a blast at the pool. I definitely enjoy seeing that while I'm at work. Something I don't think I'll ever understand is the number of towels that are left lying on the pool deck. There are two towel bins located right next to the clean towel bins. It's not too hard for people to pick up their towels and toss them in the bins. When I'm cleaning the pool deck though I pick up dozens and dozens of towels, and a pretty good amount of trash too.

Slowly but surely I'm starting to network. I've talked to a couple of my managers to find out more information about the graphic designing done at Disney. I would like to shadow a Disney graphic designer if possible. Thanks for reading!

Erica

 

Work and Play

6/9 @ FW
I forgot to journal today, and the days are all running together. Therefore, I do not remember what happened on this day...apparently nothing too interesting. lol

6/10
My day off this week! It was an absolute blast! I went to Typhoon Lagoon with Madison, one of my roommates, and had so much fun. After the water park we came back to the apartment and then headed to Hollywood Studios. We ate dinner at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, watched Fantasmic, and went on a few rides. We packed a lot of fun into one day, and I definitely needed that break from work!

6/11
Today I was at the Contemporary (CT) and Bay Lake Tower (BLT). It was my first day at both since I had training, so I was a little rusty on the rotations, etc, but everyone was very helpful when I had any questions. Towards the end of the day I got to see some of the fireworks from Magic Kingdom because the resort is so close to the park. I thought it was a nice ending to a day of work.

6/12
I was at FW, and it was hot today. I had the morning shift for the first time, so I worked from 9:30am-6pm. I had the evening shift yesterday, so it was a quick turnaround of working again this morning. I wasn't entirely in the mood to work this morning, but it makes me happy when I see families having fun on vacation. I saw that many times today, and that changed my attitude about work. I want to mention that I have been working with people with so many different ethnic backgrounds. Today I worked with a person from Morocco and one from China. It's so interesting to learn about all of these different cultures.

6/13 @ WL
This morning I had my first in service. I have to attend two in services per month to maintain my lifeguarding skills. It is very helpful to practice these skills so they are engrained in my memory. Then I had to work after training, so that made for a fairly long day. However, my roommates and I went out for ice cream this evening, which made for a good ending to the day. :) I am still meeting new lifeguards every day, and I'm thankful everyone has to wear name tags because that is way too many names to remember! I work 53 hours again this week. Right now I'm getting one day off a week, but I'm hoping that changes to two per week periodically. I need time to network!!!

6/14 @ WL
Today was just not my day. However, it was Taco Tuesday for the cast members in the Bay Lake Region. This meant that we all got a free lunch consisting of nachos, tacos, and Mickey ice cream bars. That was a great start to my shift. Then it started storming, so we had to close the pool. That was the first time I've had to deal with closing the pool due to the weather. So, I remembered what I could from training, but I followed what everyone else was doing. My coordinator today was incredibly intense. I don't think I saw him crack a smile one time. He made me very nervous and stressed. It was just a crazy day with the weather, etc. I was happy when I finally arrived home.

6/15 @ WL
105 is the heat index forecasted for today. It's going to be very hot, but I'm thankful I can jump in the pool periodically to cool off during the day. :)  

That's all for now! Thanks for reading!
Erica :)

OJT=OMG

Day 11 (6/2) 
Wow, my first day of on the job training (OJT) was pretty overwhelming. Not only am I trying to remember all of my lifeguard training, but I need to remember the names of the lifeguard stands, where the bathrooms are located, where the towels are, where people can get lifejackets, the pool hours, the pool rules, the codes used on the walkie talkies we have to carry around, what to do when it storms, and more. I began my training at Fort Wilderness (FW), and it's a spread out campground, which feels like a maze to me. I followed a senior lifeguard around. I have to bike 1/2 mile to get to the pool. We rotate every half hour, and we also assist with activities for the children. The second half of the day I followed another senior lifeguard at Wilderness Lodge (WL). It was basically the same type of training at a different location.

Day 12 (6/3) 
Day OFF!!! I was thankful for this day. I mainly stayed around the apartment. I took the time to organize more of my stuff because I hadn't really organized it all that well on move-in day. That evening I met up with Steve DiSalvo from Maryville because he is on vacation with his family!

Day 13 & final day of training (6/4) 
My OJT was at the Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower. Two more pools and hotels to learn about. I also have to help out at the marina. My trainer was really great, and I learned a lot from him. Everyone is very nice at all of the resorts, and they act kind of like a family, which is really cool. The coordinator at BLT and CT comes up with nicknames for every guard. I told him I was an easy target with my last name. He thought of the "V card," but said he would come up with an even better one. Oh the joys of having the last name that I do. lol Later in the evening I went out to dinner with a couple of my roommates. We went to a Mexican restaurant and had margaritas. By the time I got home I was so tired from my training as well as the margarita. I went to bed early. :)

6/5 
Today was my first official day of work! I'm pretty sure my feet hate me. I worked from 2-10:30pm, and I was walking and standing most of the time. It feels so good to be off of them, and I'm wondering how they're going to feel at work tomorrow. I was at WL today, and I was super nervous to be on my own without a trainer. However, I got the hang of the rotations, etc fairly quickly. I'm still learning and trying to remember as much as I can, but I know learning everything will come with time. I didn't have to jump in today, but I felt like I yelled "please walk" 100 times.

6/6
Today I was at Fort Wilderness. I'm glad I get to help with the children's activities because it gives me more interaction with the guests.

6/7 
I was back at FW today. I had my first save!!! A boy slid out the bottom of the slide and was struggling to swim in the current, so I jumped in! He was fine, but his grandmother wasn't paying attention to him. A few minutes later an older man came up to me and said he saw the whole thing. He told me he was about ready to jump in, and told me that I didn't hesitate and did a great job. That was incredibly nice of him, and it made me feel good. There were some other kids that were dropped off at the pool, and some of them were way to young to be alone. Lifeguards are not babysitters, but unfortunately some people think of it that way.

6/8 
This morning I went for my second run this week. I'm still trying to get used to the humidity, but one thing I don't have to worry about down here are hills. Before heading in to work I went to an outlet mall near my apartment. I bought my first pair of Crocs because my feet weren't fairing so well in my sandals, so I thought I'd try Crocs. So far, they're working well. :) Today I was at WL. I had a good day, and there was nothing too eventful. I am continually learning more and more, and I'm starting to feel more comfortable. At the end of this week I will have logged 53 hours of work. My day off this week is Friday, and I can't wait!!! I'm going to Typhoon Lagoon with one of my roommates.

Below are photos of my apartment, the pool, and the night we went to the Mexican restaurant. We made a hidden Mickey with our margaritas. :)

Thanks for reading!
Erica :)

The end of training is near!

Hello everyone! 


Day 3 (5/25):  
Traditions was a fairly long class, but it was a very beneficial experience. We learned about the history of Disney, and how even Walt Disney experienced some roadblocks throughout his life. When he was in the process of building one of the parks (I can't remember which one) he had to chose between having water fountains or a plumbing system. (FYI:  He chose the plumbing system) Even though he experienced many challenges during his life he never gave up. 


The common goal of the Disney Cast Members:  We create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment for people of all ages everywhere. When we're at work we're "onstage" because we are part of the show. We make the magic! :) This is why we're called Cast Members. The four keys Cast Members need to remember at all times are:  Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency. This was drilled into us! About half way through the class we went to Magic Kingdom and got to walk through the underground passageways. So cool! We walked around the park for a bit looking for the four keys being put to use by the Cast Members. Afterwards we came back for some more learning, and then we had a surprise guest come to our classroom...the one and only Mickey Mouse! :) He was there to deliver our name tags, which I thought was pretty awesome. Seeing my name tag and putting it on was so surreal. Whether I was watching video clips of Walt Disney or watching the excitement of kids when they found out they were going to Disney, I got the goosebumps because I knew I was going to be a part of this amazing corporation. I've been to Disney so many times, and I've created countless memories with my family there. I want to give back, and make sure families have the same (I'm going to go ahead and say it) magical experiences. 

Day 4 (5/26):    
I had my Core Recreational Class today. This class concentrated more on my field of work. Since I'm a lifeguard, I'm part of the Recreation group. We learned more in depth information about Recreation at Disney, and how Safety is the most important key for ourselves and the guests. That evening I went to Hollywood Studios with my roommates and had a blast! I really enjoy the perk of getting in for free! :) 


Day 5 (5/27):
I had my first day of lifeguard class. It was from 8am-5pm with a one hour lunch break. We had a few short breaks here and there, but they kept us busy the entire day. We practiced saves in the water, learned CPR, and went through a bunch of other information. Later in the evening my roommates and I attempted to watch Fantasmic at Hollywood Studios, but the rain prevented us from doing so. lol We were absolutely drenched by the time we got back to our car, but that made for a good memory. :)


Day 6 (5/28):
Day 2 of lifeguard training. The same as yesterday, but new information, and we learned how to use the backboard. 


Day 7 (5/29):
Day 3 of lifeguard training. This was our final day, and also our test day. We had some time at the beginning to practice CPR, etc. Then we had our team test in the water. A scenario was created, and we had to respond like it was a real emergency. Our team had to use the backboard, perform CPR, and use the AED. Then we had to complete a written test of 60 multiple choice questions. The final test was CPR (adult, child and infant). I passed all the tests and received my deep water lifeguard license at the end of the day! I was so relieved! I went out to eat with my parents for dinner to celebrate! 


Day 8 (5/30):  
My first day off! I spent the morning with my parents before they headed home. I went to the Wilderness Lodge to pick up my costumes! (when I say costume I mean my uniform) Then I went to the pool with one of my roommates and relaxed (it was so great!). That evening I went to Downtown Disney with some of my roommates for margaritas, and that was a great way to end the day. 


Day 9 (5/31):
I had orientation at the Wilderness Lodge (WL). We learned about the history, information, their vision, mission, etc. We were shown where the hidden mickeys were, and given a tour of the resort. From 6-8pm there was a Welcome Pool Party at Patterson Court. The place was packed! 


Day 10 (6/1):
I had orientation at Fort Wilderness (FW), Bay Lake Tower (BLT), and the Contemporary (CT). We were given a tour and learned a great deal of information at each resort. I went to Hollywood Studios again and went on a number of rides. I still need to get to the other parks! 


Day 11 (6/2):
Today is my first day of On the Job Training (OJT). I finally get to wear my lifeguard costume! I'll be at FW and WL today. Tomorrow I have a day off, and then I have my final OJT on Saturday at BLT and CT. Then I'll officially start work on Monday!!! :)

Note:  Acronyms are a big thing down at Disney, and I will be using them in my blog. :)


Thanks for reading!

Erica