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.

We Just Keep Swimming On

Another weekend full of parks! I'd say "I could get used to this," but I already am. Yeeeeaahhhhh.

Fantasia mushroom topiaries (Hop Low on the right, I think) at Epcot.
The International Flower and Garden Festival ends in May.

Yesterday began by the poolside with some safe tanning (under SPF 50, but still picking up colour somehow). I then accompanied my friend Corin to the main Lost & Found of Walt Disney World, located (for future reference) at the Ticket & Transportation Centre. We took the long way, on the bus to Epcot from the Commons (where we live), then the monorail from Epcot to the TTC. After successfully recovering the lost item (her UK drivers license), we took another monorail from the TTC to Magic Kingdom, as I haven't spent nearly enough time there. First, we had a reunion with our big boss (aka we met Mickey Mouse). He kissed my hand, I died of happiness, and his character attendant scolded him and reminded him of Minnie, at which point Mickey got really embarrassed. It was the cutest thing I had seen so far!

Corin, Mickey and I at the Town Square Theater.
Our boss cleans up well. 

As soon as we left the Town Square Theater (where Mickey was), the Celebrate A Dream Come True parade was due to start (one of three MK parades), so we parked ourselves on the ground like children and thoroughly enjoyed it. After the parade, we found the nearest bathroom (Tomorrowland) and the next nearest character without an hour-long wait, the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, right outside the Mad Tea Party ride (more famously known as the Teacups). He saw Corin and immediately proposed (the now cutest thing I've ever seen). He was only slightly less thrilled to see me.

...And I am obviously pleased to see him. 

We grabbed lunch and queued for It's a Small World (it was hot out, we had to get inside). Guest Insider tip for It's a Small World: I don't care how awesome your family picture is going to be, under no account should an entire family slide to one side of the boat! Balance, people. We didn't tip, but I did begin to doubt the basic physics knowledge of Disney World guests as a whole. On our way out, we came across Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny, special limited edition character guests. No line! Amazing!

Orchids in bloom at the entrance to Animal Kingdom

Today, Corin and I and two new Canadians (new to Epcot, not Canada) went to Animal Kingdom. We went a bit too late in the day to see the animals (they go to sleep when it's too hot), so we focused on other things. We started with Finding Nemo: The Musical. It was amazing, and yeah, I cried (Have you seen Finding Nemo? Do you know how much I like musicals? Have we even met?).

Fish Are Friends, Not Food.
Yeah, I took this legally. 

Then we high-tailed it to Expedition Everest to get Fast Passes for later, then to Festival of the Lion King. From now on, when people ask me what I do at Disney World, I'm going to say I'm a tumbler monkey in Festival of the Lion King. Totally believable. We stopped for lunch at Restaurantosaurus, I met Thumper and Mrs. Bunny from Bambi, as well as Pluto, and then we queued an hour for the Kali River Rapids ride. It was incredibly boring, but we got soaked and cooled down considerably on the ride. We were out just in time to catch Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade and hop on Expedition Everest. Terrifying. It goes backwards in the dark. Who's idea was that?! Anyway, I conquered Everest today.

It's been a good weekend for characters for me.

Expedition Everest, it's been a slice.

I've been cleaning tonight, as we have an inspection coming up soon. I just heard the dryer, and if you don't already know, culottes wrinkle quickly...


TTFN


Note: I was extremely mislead as to my hours here. There is now way I'll ever have to do a 15 hour shift as a Canadian. World Showcase isn't even open 15 hours a day. I do have to complete 32 hours weekly to keep my Visa though.

Thanks to: Mickey's character attendant at Magic Kingdom, who made the very unfortunate decision to joke that I couldn't use my own camera for Mickey pictures. He laughed like you wouldn't believe, even after finding out I'm a Cast Member.



Don't recognize my Disney song lyric title today? There's actually a song called Just Keep Swimming in Finding Nemo: the Musical.

Be a Very Wary Bear

My days of the week are all mixed up. I think it's Thursday, but it's just my fourth consecutive work day. Anyway...

Sunday I went into work slightly earlier than usual. I really wanted to do a few things around Epcot that I'm not allowed to do in costume, like for example take pictures or make purchases.

Amazing sand sculture I've been wanting to photograph since Day 1.

So for the first time ever, I went to work in normal clothes with my costume in a bag (boots are really heavy to carry, btw). Luckily for me, my timing was just perfect, because Duffy the Disney bear had just come back from his break and was ready for another round of hugs and pictures! YAY! My first character picture! I plan to purchase my own Duffy, probably in Jedi attire, and then get another picture. Big Duffy also changes outfits around holidays, so I'm looking forward to that.

Duffy the Disney Bear and I!
Besides whoever's in the UK, Duffy's the closest character to Canada.

Monday marked the beginning of yet another Spring Break. Seriously America, stop staggering your Spring Breaks. I can't handle it. Everyday when we arrive, there's a notice on our dry-erase board with projected park attendance. Yesterday was projected to be Medium. Yeah, no. So many guests, and so many guests wanting leather engraving done at 8:40 at night. It's a little trickier at night, due to darkness and insects, not to mention huge masses of people and IllumiNations warning music (thumping jungle music starts at 8:30). I was quite glad to head home. Since it was Monday, it was games night at Jen's house (she always hosts games). I brought cookies again, but only five people showed up, and four were from merchandise. Fine by us, we played multiple rounds of Apples to Apples and Scattergories, both of which ended in hilarity due to lack of sleep. Lots of fun though!

I started today by the pool and am due in Canada for 1500. Stay tuned for more adventures?

TTFN

Note: Price Management (who maintains the housing) has decided to simultaneously repave 90% of the parking lots. I now park further from my house than the exit. Riiiiiight.

Thanks to: Fellow lumberjack Amanda for showing up in Canada in normal clothes to take pictures.

Briana and I, lumberjacks with Canada Mickey Ears.