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My Time as a Cast Member

alice in wonderland
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My Time as a Cast Member

Postby alice in wonderland » Sat Aug 04, 2007 10:57 pm

Hi everyone,

Due to popular demand, (hahahahah) here is some of my cast member experiences. There is so much to tell so ill probably do this over a few posts.

It was April 2000 and my life had taken a rather horrible turn, I was 19 years old and I had been engaged for a year to my high school sweetheart (now my husband). After the constant reminder of how young we were, especially by his father and friends he ended the relationship. I was completely devastated. Everyone told us that we were to young and how did we know we had found the right person if we had only been with so few thus far. We both knew that we were soul mates after 5 years of friendship but I guess he just had to find out that for him self.I very realised saw that this break up was for a good reason as I would never experienced being a cast member if we were together as I wouldn’t have moved away from him. It is ironic to think that the worst time in my life managed to become the best time in my life. All it needed was a little MAGIC!!!!

I have so much to tell i don’t know where to start. I saw the job advertised in the travel section of the paper in 2000. Requirements were universitystudent 18-35 years, speaks english. As I fit all of those criteria i went to the interview. It was in a hotel in Sydney and there were hundreds of other Australians there. I was so nervous, I have never wanted anything more in my life. We sat there watching presentations about WDW and life as a cast member. We were so excited. We then were given an interview time and we all sat and nervously waited. The interview went well and I was fairly confident that I had got it. I am very bubbly and I can talk, especially Disney!

It was an agonizing 5 month wait but ill never forget the day the acceptance letter arrived. We went to Orlando on a J1 visa. We lived on Disney property in the international and cast member housing called Chatham Manor. It was pretty much the Truman show. All the building were identical. I remember arriving and thinking, “how an I ever going to find which house is mine?” I lived with 3 other girls and all up there were 200 Australian and New Zealanders.After arriving at about 12pm and all of the excitement I don’t think we slept that night. The next morning they took us on a bus to Wall-Mart. Wow what an experience! I had never seen a store that big, it even had a McDOnalds inside it. We went crazy buying groceries. We were amazed by the size of the portions and the strangest discovery was “cheese in a can”. How strange. I was also completely blown away by the fact that there were guns for sale in the store. That was the first time I had ever seen a gun.

I was assinged a job at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
We were assigned our jobs on the 2nd day. I was very lucky and i had a great job in Animal Kingdom at ODF (out door foods). (ice cream crats, hot dog carts, tarzan show popcorn etc). People worked in all different areas of theparks and resorts. Some were mickey mouse, some in the parades, onegirlfriend drove the safari trucks at kilamanjaro in AK, some where burger flippers at pinnochios, some where in merchandise at tinkerbell’s treasures at MK.

I probably enjoyed going through the training days at the Disney university called Traditions the most. I loved learning all about the WDW history, Mickey Mouse and of course Walt Dinsey. Of course I new all of the answers to everything they asked. It was quite strange that of the 200 Aussie and NZ not many of them actually had an interest in Disney. I was labeled the Disney freak shortly after that day, a name I wore proudly.I very rarely worked!

I only ever worked enough to pay for my accommodation and I was always the first to put my had up to go home early. As a CM, we were given free entry to all of the parks. I wanted to play not work.
I spent way to much money on merchandise but it was hard not to. There is this great place called Property Control. It is a big store that is under big tents. They sell all old stock and broken stock at really cheep process., I remember I got a snow globe for $5!!!!!!!!!!!!

There were many great things that CM got to experience.At the end of my time we had a graduation ceremony and our diplomas were presented to us by Mickey mouse. I had a wonderful time exploring the tunnels at MK, not that I was allowed to be there because only MK cast members were allowed. But nothing was going to stop me from experiencing the tunnels. It is amazinghow easy it is to get back stage.... I am worried when i go back Iespecially want to go back stage to where i used to work in AK. I think illask a cast member it can’t hurt to try. We had great discount at the resort but i only had time to stay at All Star Music. At Christmas time we had 50% off merchandise and all year round I think it was 30% or 40%.I should probably stop now, I have probably bored you all to death.
Sorry, once I get started I just can’t stop. If there is anything else that you specifically want to know, just ask. It is really hard to summarise 3 months worth of memories into one page.

I think i only had one bad experiences as a cast member. I remember it being my first day of work. My back stage area was at the back of pizzafari in Animal Kingsdom. I walked around the corner and i say Chip and Dale both with their heads off and they were smoking. I burst into tears. I didnt want to see them with their heads off ever again. I guess it was a good thing that i didnt have to be a character as it would have just spoled the magic to much for me. I made sure that i was always walking with someone any time i turned a corner when walking back stage from that point in.

Jess
I have no holidays planned to disney for a while....how depressing...i will just have to live through all your adventures!

Krystyne
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Postby Krystyne » Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:39 pm

Hi Jess

What a great story! It sounds like you had an amazing time over there although I'm not sure about Chip and Dale with their heads off, that would be enough to scare anyone.

I'm glad everything worked out in the end for you and your husband, do you get on with his father now?

We also loved Walmart and were amazed at the guns, before this I had never seen a real gun. When we arrive in Orlando this trip, Walmart will be our first stop.

As a previous cast member are you allowed to still have discounts when you shop at Disney? I think you should.

Please please please tell us lots more about your time working at Disney.
One more thing, when you go on your cruise I've heard that they have a Disney trivia night with some obscure questions so with all your inside information you should do really well.

Krystyne

alice in wonderland
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Re: My Time as a Cast Member

Postby alice in wonderland » Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:20 am

I just wanted to say how much i love these boards!! I had lost this review That i wrote about my time as a cast member back in 2000.. At 3am i woke up and thought, I think i wrote about it on the boards. Sure enough...here it is and after a quick copy and paste it is now saved on the COMPUTER!
thanks DUD!!!! -/ -/ -/ -/
I have no holidays planned to disney for a while....how depressing...i will just have to live through all your adventures!

churros
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Re: My Time as a Cast Member

Postby churros » Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:56 am

I have often gone back to look at my own trips but what are you doing up at 3am?

KeithS
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Re: My Time as a Cast Member

Postby KeithS » Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:33 pm

I love going back through the old posts and reading them again, good times!
Keith

Trip history:
DLR: 2005, 06, 09, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18
DLRP: 2006
HKDL: 2006 (Mar & Sept), 11 (Apr & Dec), 14, 19
SDR: 2017
TDR: 2008, 10, 17
WDW: 2006, 13 (Mar & Sept), 16, 19
DCL: 2013, 15 (Alaska & Hawaii), 18
Aulani: 2015

alice in wonderland
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Re: My Time as a Cast Member

Postby alice in wonderland » Mon Jan 23, 2012 10:06 pm

It wasn't 3am.. It was 630am!!
I have no holidays planned to disney for a while....how depressing...i will just have to live through all your adventures!

alice in wonderland
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Re: My Time as a Cast Member

Postby alice in wonderland » Mon Jan 23, 2012 10:07 pm

I just remembered at 3am!!!
I have no holidays planned to disney for a while....how depressing...i will just have to live through all your adventures!


kuchnie Czeladź

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