Down Here All the Fish is Happy, as Off Through the Waves They Roll

Updates: Remember that magical moment I mentioned a few posts back about the girl named Princess and the birthday mustaches? Good news everyone! I acquired a picture.

Princess is the far left guest, and I am obviously the lumberjack.
We are twirling our mustaches. 

Yesterday, what I thought was going to be a day of laundry and cleaning turned into a day of the Board Walk and resorts. Amanda, Megan and I bused it to Epcot, where we zoomed through Future World and Canada, got stuck in the UK for a few minutes (I'd never seen it as a guest), and left the park via International Gateway, the second entrance to Epcot (today's trivia is that Epcot is the only park with two entrances). International Gateway leads to Disney's BoardWalk, the most adorable strip of shops and restaurants and an arcade and dance hall that you'll ever see. Anyone know of Cat Cora from Iron Chef America? That's where her restaurant is located.

Yay for BoardWalk! So much pretty!

The BoardWalk leads to surprise! the BoardWalk Inn. We were able to wander straight in and tour the lobby, hallways, porches and pool area. I'm pretty much in love.

A way better version of those doors in Labyrinth. You know the ones. 

Further along the BoardWalk, there's a fork with the Swan and Dolphin resorts to one side, and the Yacht and Beach Club to the other. We wandered to the right, the Yacht and Beach Club. It's gorgeous. Again, we were able to wander about the lobby and grounds. There's a restaurant there called Beaches & Cream which serves an ice cream monstrosity called the Kitchen Sink. I plan to conquer that at some point over the next ten months.

We met up with another Canadian, Jason, and decided to move along with our resort visits by booting back through Epcot and onto the monorail to the Polynesian, one of the original Walt Disney World Resort hotels. It's obviously Hawaiian themed.

The Polynseian's beach. And hammocks.
That I fell out of. It's fine. 

OH! Since an underlying theme here is my weakness for dairy, I should mention that the Polynesian has self-serve Dole Whip, which is pineapple and/or vanilla soft-serve deliciousness. From the Polynesian back to monorail into the Grand Floridian aka the Grand Daddy of pimped-out Disney resorts (I think they phrase it that way in the guidebooks). I want to live here. It's the most giant, decadent, detailed piece of architectural gorgeousness one would ever hope to witness. Fact: When we walked in, I got goosebumps, and not due to air-conditioning. Fact 2.0: An orchestra was playing Part of Your World in the lobby when we arrived. I must live there.

Why they call it the "Grand" Floridian.

Donald Duck detail in the main entrance way. 

Today I hit up Blizzard Beach for the second time in two months. It gets blocked out in the middle of June (cast can't go for free), so I'll have to get there at least once more in the near future. It was the first of many days of Jen's birthday celebration (tomorrow, Magic Kingdom). We went for park open and stayed til park close -  that's seven whole hours of (free) Blizzard Beachiness, people. Seven glorious hours of no sunburns and frequent rehydration, not to mention a few slides I hadn't done before, like the Downhill Double Dipper, a set of racing slides featuring a pretty solid drop, and Snow Stormers, another set of racing slides that are set up like slaloms and you take them on foam toboggans. Most importantly, multiple visits to Cast-Away Creek (the lazy river, ringing some bells). Oh but MOST importantly was this, the Sand Pail. It's a literal plastic sand pail filled with ice cream, fudge, caramel, whipped cream and sprinkles shaped like Mickey. It was amazing.

AMAZING. Not to be consumed solo.

TTFN,

Note: Water parks do have characters, but they don't behave like they do in parks. For examples, we saw Goofy twice today at Blizzard Beach. The second time, he was standing on a bridge over Cross-Country Creek and dumping buckets of water on riders. 

Thanks to: Angela, for her mail, and Mackenzie, who's coming to visit soon!

What I Love Most About Rivers is, You Can't Step in the Same River Twice

No new pictures since I helped save the world the other day! I'll work on it!

Look at that sky. Of course it rained for three days. 

So it's rained for the last few days here. I was down at the cart yesterday, and my rain gear was at the store (good place for it). Of course, it started to rain. Of course, it poured buckets. Of course, I could not close the cart fast enough. Of course, me and two other Canadians, not to mention two of our coordinators and one manager (also Canadian!), got absolutely positively soaked.

It's times like that when I remember this happened.
OMG What does Duffy do when it rains?

The three lumberjacks (me included) pretty much stood in the backroom of the store for the next ten minutes being sad, cold and wet (and eating chocolate brought in by a mystery donor), until our Canadian manager, Jamie, gave us a pep talk about working the Jungle Cruise at Animal Kingdom in the rain, then told us to put our best smiles on and go open the cart again. It had stopped raining in the ten minutes we had committed to being sad. I actually had to wear my lumberjack winter gear (it's a red plaid, polar fleece, double-breasted coat) to survive the evening on cart. That was also the evening of apparently most of Florida being very inappropriately intoxicated at Epcot. Really? You gotta drink at Epcot? (Interesting fact though, Magic Kingdom is a completely dry park). It's not even the International Food and Wine Festival yet. Who wants to teach me bouncing skills?

Random photo time: Lotso topiary actually smells like strawberries!

Also new this week: We got a new lumberjack! Another Lindsay! There's always another one. Also good news: I'm only third lowest in seniority now! Yay! Sadly I still can't have every Star Wars weekend off, but I don't think anyone actually does.

Sorry for the random post. It can't be breath-taking adventures in Canada everyday!

TTFN


Note: Off Kilter, our band in Canada, will celebrate their fifteen-year anniversary at Epcot this July 1st. Huzzah!

Thanks to: Jamie for his rendition of Tangled's When Will My Life Begin. It'll never be the same again!

I'm Your Basic Average Girl, and I'm Here to Save the World

Being a lumberjack is apparently engrossing work. There's no other reason for me to have not written anything lately.

Canada Magical Moment of the week: It was a girl's birthday. Her name was actually Princess (I checked her ID). Princess and her friends were going around the world and getting photos with Cast Members to celebrate. Oh, did I mention they were sporting matching fun-fur mustaches? In at least both the UK and Canada, they picked Cast Members to pose with them for photos and gave them mustaches at the end. I was that Cast Member in Canada, and my friend Linzi from Scotland was that friend in the UK. Our manager took our photo with our matching mustaches. It was magical.

I switched my days off for another lumberjack who wanted multiple days off in a row, so this week my weekend was Wednesday and Thursday, so this is in fact my Sunday night. Wednesday I woke up earlier than usual (uuuuhh 9 am) to get to Hollywood Studios to ride Star Tours all day with my friend Jen, who I mentioned last time was celebrating her 50th ride this week. Jen, Lesley and I rode Start Tours all freaking day! That's 29 times in a day for me, 33 times for Lesley and 35 times for Jen (correct me if I'm wrong).

What Star Tours looks like during an ice cream break.
What Star Tours Cast Members look like when you ride the attraction all day. 

The only noticeable side effects from the same ride all day were real or imagined swaying upon sitting, and withdrawal from Star Tours Cast Members. I also walked by Jedi Training Academy that many times, and you all should already know how I feel about Jedi Training Academy...

Jen, Lesley, our new friend Jon, and I.
One of Jon's flights was brought to us by Wookie Cookies. 

Today I woke up early again (9) to go for breakfast with my friends Anastasia and Arden (I have an American friend now, Americans are cool). We went to Cracker Barrel (YEAH, not Steak 'n Shake) then to Epcot to complete Kim Possible's World Showcase Adventure before it's re-imagined as Agent P's World Showcase Adventure (KP was cancelled...).

Arden and I beginning our mission in Italy.
The World Showcase Adventure makes you walk a lot.

We managed to save Japan, Norway and Germany today (You're welcome!) and stayed undercover to boot. It made me realize how lame the Canadian Pavilion is compared to all the others. We may have delayed the mission slightly to meet a very special World Showcase friend...

Arden, Anastasia, Duffy the Disney Bear and I.
This time I got the "I Hugged Duffy the Disney Bear!" sticker I was owed from last time.

I should really expand on the characters I queue to meet...but look how cute Duffy is! Did you notice his face is shaped like Mickey's head?

Note: A family from Perth came by last week! Their kids were too young to have ever overlapped with my years at Stewart or PDCI, but still!

Thanks to: My friend Samantha for sending love in the mail, and Kim for feeding the addiction I'm trying to kick.

No One's Gloomy or Complaining While the Flatware's Entertaining

Thursday, my Saturday, started poolside as lovely days often do. Yes, I was very sun-safe, thank you. 

In the afternoon Corin and I headed to Hollywood Studios for random fun. We almost walked into the Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun Parade. Luckily, there are Cast Members who make sure you don't walk into parades. After checking the wait time for Toy Story Mania (70 minutes!), we accepted the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular as consolation. Then we walked by Jedi Training Academy, as I have never wanted to be younger than 12 more in my entire life (I wil befriend you, JTA Cast Members!), and straight to Muppet Vision 3D, which had a fantastic wait time of 5 minutes.

Remy in the Pixar Pals Parade

Dug and Russell
No Kevin, sadly.

Lotso.
Funny story. The Lotso topiary apparently smells of strawberries.
Also, little kids carrying Lotsos encourage Cast Members to smell them.
Weird?

Then it was time for our Fast Passes to Star Tours (and walking by another round of JTA), and I nearly collided with a Storm Trooper. Okay, the re-imagined Star Tours is freaking amazing. I'll be doing that ride as often as possible for the duration of my program. I know a girl (Jen, who hosts games) who's done it some fifty times. I'm going to do that! We then were able to catch the last Studio Backlot Tour of the day, in which a few key things had changed since my visit in 2006 (the chicken coop for Hannah Montana: The Movie is there now!!!!). 

Aforementioned awesome chicken coop.

On our way to food at Rosie's All American Cafe (they most put something in the chicken fingers here), we caught Beauty and the Beast - Live On Stage. 

That evening, I experienced a marvelous thing called Fork & Screen for the first time with two fellow Canadians. It's a movie theatre in which order dinner and the food is brought to you while you watch the movie. There are little tables with lights to summon the servers and everything. Amazing. AMAZING. Oh, we saw Mirror Mirror. Also amazing. I was way overstimulated on Thursday. 

Corin and I at Hollywood Studios'  icon,
the Sorcerer's Apprentice Mickey Ears

I committed my Friday to cleaning the kitchen. I don't know if you all know that I have an absentee roommate (ie I haven't met her yet). That's the awesome part. What's not awesome is that I felt compelled to clean out her cupboard, which was attracting Floridian wildlife. Not anymore! Go Canadian cleaning power! I went to the outlet malls close to the Commons later and someone had had the terrible idea of introducing some kind of Food and Wine Festival to an outdoor mall. NO! I just want to shop. No, I haven't grown more tolerant of large herds of people yet.

Today was another lovely day of magic-making, but in the evening swarms of fancily dressed teenagers starting coming past Canada, obviously headed to World Showplace. For Prom. PROM. Who gets to have their prom at Epcot? Uuuuhhhh jealous. 

TTFN,

Note: I might be addicted to Steak 'n Shake. Evidence:

Briana (from BC) and I at Steak 'n Shake.
Why you gotta be so wonderful, Steak 'n Shake?!

Thanks to: Fork & Screen for existing. Jen for introducing me to it. 

Plenty of Sunshine Heading my Way

Spring is in the air in Orlando! Spring and a whole bunch of bugs.

My Saturday started early by the pool (early means 10:00 now) with Amanda, a fellow Canadian, to safely work on our tans. About ten minutes in, we heard these really strange and loud bird calls and I couldn't figure out where the birds were. It turns out, housing has a recording of ducks playing every so often around the pool area so the ducks don't land in the water. Five minutes later:

Fail.

On Easter Sunday I had traded for an opening shift (to be more accurate, someone else had traded for a closing shift), which means I started at 11. Anastasia (from Ottawa) and I had started off the day early with Easter breakfast at Steak & Shake. Yes, they have breakfast. Yes, it's amazing. Then we headed to work and were ridiculously early, so we wandered our way to Bambi's Butterfly House in the Future World section of Epcot. It's a big greenhouse full of flowers and butterflies, and was an extremely girly way to spend Easter morning.

In front on Bambi's butterfly house.
Two seconds later, there was a butterfly on that butterfly topiary. 

Bambi, Thumper and Flower in the Butterfly House.
No, I do not in fact know what's wrong with Thumper. 

Once we returned to be lumberjacks, all the Canadians received a message saying 'Opening meeting in France'. So I met the UKers, the other Canadians and the managers and coordinators behind the UK and we were all herded to France, which was still closed to the public, and we had to go onstage through the UK to get there. We were greeted with an Easter egg hunt in the gardens of France, in which all the merchandise Cast Members from Canada, the UK and France ran around France like idiots searching out plastic eggs. Horticulture was not amused. Once we headed back to Canada (I was stopped three separate times to answer questions...people, I am a lumberjack, I do not belong in France!), we were rewarded with yet another Cast Member Easter egg hunt! This time, it was pictures of Thumper emerging from an Easter egg hidden in various Cast accessible areas. When we found the eggs, we called a manager and were rewarded with more candy. Not to mention the individual bags of candy on our backstage bulletin board. And the huge basket in the back room. And the huge basket in the break trailer. Yeah.

I also found a real life bunny. Probably the Easter bunny.
Again, horticulture is not amused. 

Tonight is my first time working Extra Magic Hours. The parks either open early or close late for Disney Resort guests, and they can shop or ride or eat until midnight tonight. And I'll be there.

TTFN

Note: Last night, I finally watched Brother Bear, which is supposed to be set in Canada. Can anyone tell me whether Homo sapiens and Wooly Mammoths existed at the same time?

Thanks to: Extra Magic Hours guests in advance for not wanting an engraved bracelet after 11:30 tonight. Mmmk?

Forget About your Worries and your Strife

It's been a very tiring and full few days.

Last night, after a full day of magic-making, the Canadians all high-tailed it to Magic Kingdom for a round of The Amazing Race - Magic Kingdom, which had been arranged by our resident games gurus. Having never seen an episode of Amazing Race, I had no idea what was coming. My team, Chelsea and I, basically sprinted all over Magic Kingdom between 11pm and 1am, completing tasks and collecting photos faster than other Canadians while trying not to destroy the other guests. 

Frontierland Pluto: Found in both Frontierland
and (wait for it)...Canada!

Examples include getting our photo taken with Mickey and getting his autograph (Town Square Theater), retrieving the golden number above the Hall of Presidents (1767, I think...), getting photos of four different cast members' costumes, finding a hidden Mickey in Frontierland and riding the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. 

Chelsea and I attempting to pull the sword from the stone.
Only for the Amazing Race would I even try.

We were eliminated in the second-to-last leg, which conveniently concluded right at the entrance of a very empty Splash Mountain. Guess how we cooled off? We then discovered the glory of 24-hour Steak & Shake between Magic Kingdom and housing, along with several other Canadians who had the same idea. 
This morning I am embarrassed to admit I had to set my alarm to get my lazy self out of bed by 11am. Anastasia (from Ottawa) and I were going to Property Control, which I may have mentionned earlier in a post. It turns out I was only half right about it, as there's a completely different trailer full of slightly to severely damaged goods that Cast Members get a pretty serious discount on. Example: I am now the owner of the World's Coolest (and fat kid-est) Mickey Ears.

The most amazing Mickey Ears I've ever seen and owned.
Yes, I immediately thought of the Simpsons.

They're usually sold at the Vinylmation store Downtown Disney with the ears and a Vinylmation figurine all wrapped up in an elaborate hatbox for $70-ish. The figurine was missing from the set, and the hatbox was pretty smushed, but all I wanted were the ears, which I paid only $20 for. That's the normal price for Mickey ears at any park.
While we were at Property Control, Anastasia discovered I had never been on Pirates of the Caribbean, and suggested we head there after (Property Control is backstage Magic Kingdom). We did, and ended up staying all afternoon and evening, crossing attractions off of the list and generally having an awesome spontaneous time. I have now seen the Move it! Shake it! Celebrate it! Parade, conquered the Haunted Mansion, ridden the Walk Disney World Railroad and taken a cruise on the Liberty Belle.

Probably now my favourite Magic Kingdom Attraction,
not solely due to the death and dying puns ("Be sure to fill in all the dead space!").

The Move it! Shake it! Celebrate it! Parade/ Street Party.
Yup, I've now danced in a parade. With a bunch of toddlers.

We may have gone to Steak & Shake again after. It'll for sure be my undoing.

TTFN,

Note: I am way to sore from the Amazing Race to be considered even slightly in shape. But seriously, try running and avoiding people through a park.

Thanks to: My mom and grandma for the mail I received this week! Thank you!

You Can Do a Lot When You've Got Such a Happy Working Tune to Hum

Hi ho! Nothing much new in the world of Disney, except making magic every single day.

I've done closing shifts the last two days (this is my Wednesday, but I still wear pink on actual Wednesdays). I went early on Saturday with the intention of picking up more costumes. Instead, I sat inside my car in the parking lot for 15 minutes waiting for the torrential Florida downpour to even slightly lessen and allow me to exit my car without getting absolutely soaked. I was finally able to make it to costuming from the parking lot using a $0.99 poncho from Walmart with my arms iside and pulling down the hood. Needless to say, I now have costuming-issued rain gear that I keep in the car. Nope, not plaid.

It also rained for at least the first hour of my shift, so I stood in the rain outside and handed out stickers. I'm made of magic, people. After the rain disappeared, I was coaxed into standing outside with another (less tone-deaf) Cast Member to sing Oh Canada while holding a flag. Apparently the guests loved it, as I was issued this as hour later:

I am a Great Service Fanatic, apparently.

That's a GSF, or Great Service Fanatic, meaning I was recognized for doing a good job by one of my co-Cast Members (Rodi, in this case). That'll go on my work record. YAY!

Yesterday I went to work early again, not in costume, to go on Test Track, which I had heard was closing shortly for refurbishment. It turns out it's closing in two weeks, not today, so I didn't have to rush, but I got to do it, and barely had to queue at all.

Thumbs up for Test Track! See you in six months!

Of course, I had to boot it back to Canada, and running in culottes is not easy at all but I made it on time. The park's attendance is projected to be rather high for the next two weeks or so, due to Easter and more Spring Breaks, so there's lots and lots of lumberjacks around, especially outside and especially at night.

I arrived home to find out my roommates and I had passed our apartment inspection, and were of course rewarded the Disney way:

Reward cleanliness with cookies? Amazing. 

All in all, everything is still magical, I'm not sunburned, and I finally have American car insurance! Woo!


TTFN

Note: I don't know if I've ever mentioned Drinking Around the World, but if I told you every country's pavilion had a beer cart, I'm sure you could figure it out. My roommate Nozomi did it a few weeks ago with her friends and ended in Canada.

I think facepaint happens in Italy, maybe?

Thanks to: The Test Track Cast Members who made magic for me! Thanks for the short line.