First Hand

I've always had an issue with people telling me "oh, don't see that movie; it was awful!" or "don't even bother trying that brand; it's no good." 

Have you heard the saying "Don't knock it til you try it"? I totally back that statement. Yes, something may not appeal to you, but that doesn't mean I won't like it (and vice versa). And I'm finding that this philosophy is true, even at Disney.

I was scheduled to work in a new location today-- the Magic Kingdom's Crystal Palace. Perhaps you've been there? Well if you haven't, it's a restaurant buffet-style, with a breath-taking view of Cinderella's Castle. Winnie the Pooh and his Hundred Acre Woods friends visit guests there. I ate at Crystal Palace during my very first Walt Disney World trip, and I loved it! But I find that experiencing an attraction as a guest is completely different than working at the attraction...

Last week, I told some work friends that I was working Crystal Palace. In unison, from the girls I was talking to and complete strangers that overheard what I said, they groaned "YOU MEAN CRYSTAL PRISON!!!!!!!!!" 

Crystal. Prison. 

Prison.

As a first time Cast Member... this is not exactly encouraging. I worked at two other dining locations before Crystal Palace, and...well, I did fine at those. They were not necessarily my favorite, but it wasn't bad. 

But from what everyone else was saying, Crystal Prison, er, Palace was a million times worse than any other dining location. And I could never get a straight answer as to why that was. 

I decided to buck up. After all, I was already scheduled, and I wasn't going to opt out of it. So today, I arrived at my location with anxiety woven into every single fiber of my being. I was not looking forward to this. Crystal Prison kept repeating over and over in my head. What horrors awaited me there? What kind of place was I going to? I had never been friends with my character before; would that make things even worse?

Before I even arrived on set, I had this day scratched off as bad. 

Well, now that I'm at the end of the day... I rebuke the name Crystal Prison!! 

Crystal PALACE was absolutely wonderful. I've never enjoyed working at a dining location as much as I enjoyed this place. For the most part, the guests were very sweet. My attendant (shout out to you, Miss Beverly!) was incredible. I mean this lady acted like a second mother to me, making sure every need was met. Crystal Palace was so much fun! 

And to think that I almost let my day be ruined by other people's opinions! Let this be a lesson to us all... don't be afraid to experience things for yourself! Go to that movie that 

everyone else said was too cheesy. Read that book that your best friend's sister said was soooooo cliche. Try a restaurant that has caught your eye, but isn't well known so you don't want to take a chance on it. You are you, and they are them. Two different minds with most likely different opinions. 

Who knows? Taking a chance and experiencing something for yourself can lead to some pretty awesome stuff. Take it from someone who knows :) 

February 16th

February 16th...on this day (not too long ago), a little girl was born. Cathy Lynn Fisk. This little girl inherited her mother's caring disposition and her father's feisty determination. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall, watching as this little girl grew. I bet this little girl ran uncontrollably throughout the house, wild, curly black hair bouncing as she went. This little girl probably spent more time outside under the sun than inside playing with a doll. She was fearless...this added to her feisty determination, making her a natural born leader. She probably bossed the other kids around just a tiny bit, but nobody minded much because she always ended up being right. 

Well, Cathy Lynn Fisk grew unto a young lady. She snuck her "outside" dog Rocky inside because she felt sorry for him, her caring disposition showing through. She loved her little brother more than she could say, so she probably bossed him around too (hehe). I think as Cathy Lynn Fisk grew into a teenager, she became more determined to make her dreams come true, and nothing, nothing could stop her. She became the epitome of "team spirit" in her high school, becoming cheer captain her freshman year of high school. She walked the hallways with confidence, only slowing down for her partner in crime Angela. I mean, she even had a group of friends called AC/DC. This girl was on top of everything! Everyone adored this girl. She was so kind, so smart, so pretty... she had nothing on the downside. Nothing. 

The young lady became a college student. She decided to try out for the cheer squad. That's how she met her future husband.... and well, that's another story. We'll save that for later. :)

The point is... today is my mom's birthday. And I am so happy that it is. I'm so glad she is who she is. I couldn't have special ordered a more perfect mom for me. And I'm a good online shopper, folks. :) 

Mom, you are the most kind, feisty, determined, selfless, beautiful woman. You have devoted your entire life to Christ, to being a wife, and to being a mother. This is such a special task you were given, and you did above and beyond the "call of duty". I only hope I can be a fourth of the mother and wife you are. I love you so much. Happy birthday. Enjoy YOUR day. :)

Ellie in the Orange Shirt

Today showed me why I chose to come work for Disney. 

I got to work bright and early, checked my schedule, did my warm ups, got my friend for the day all primped and ready to go. The van pulled up to take me to my set. I went inside my room to ready myself and my friend for the day. Nothing out of the usual. 

But then...

I got to my set. I was ready to go, along with my friend. The gate was opened, and I saw a swarm of faces. But none of them stuck out to me like little Ellie. 

Ellie in the orange shirt. 

Why did she stick out to me? She screamed my name (well, my friend's name actually). Suddenly this little 3 year old with wild blonde hair gathered in a whispy pony tail, bolted towards me. She couldn't be stopped. I dropped to one knee and stretched my arms wide to let her know I was welcoming her. She did something I didn't really expect... she collapsed into my arms. I wrapped my arms tightly around her, tears streaming down my unseen face. I'm actually crying as I write this...

Little Ellie would not let me go. And I didn't mind one bit. I barely notice her family surrounding us as they snapped pictures and filmed our intimate moment. Eventually she leaned back and beamed at me. Oh! That face! I stood up, taking her chubby little hand in mine. And we skipped back to my photo set hand in hand. It was the most precious moment of my life. 

Once we got the photo set, I  dropped down again, and she flung herself at my chest. She pulled back a little to plant sweet kisses on my nose before returning to the shelter of my arms. I was content to hold her for as long as she wanted. The other guests could wait!! (Unfortunately not really, but I sure was thinking it!) Mom and  Dad eventually wanted to get in on the moment. And according to my guidelines, I had to stand up for any pictures to avoid awkward poses. So I stood. Ellie turned her body towards me, wrapped her arms around my legs. She kissed the front of my pants, desperately trying to stay in contact with me. I posed once, twice, then three times with Mom and Dad, only thinking of dropping down to hug Ellie again. 

I heard Mom announce, "Okay, Ellie, tell ______ bye-bye, so ___ can see other people!" I was thinking NOOOOOOOOOOOOO. But I knew out encounter had to end. So I crouched down once more and hugged her. Then I pulled back and pointed to my nose, requesting one last kiss. But she gave me something better. She put her pudgy hands on my cheeks, and said, "I love you, _______."

Tears. Lots and lots of tears. My vision got very foggy very fast. 

I'll never forget Ellie in the orange shirt for as long as I'll live. And I know, although she didn't actually know me, she will never forget my friend.

Overcomer

Just because you have a rough day at work doesn't mean you want to give up. It just means that not everything went exactly how you wanted it to. You look forward to going to bed because that means the dawn is a new day, and maybe things will be better tomorrow. 

That was today for me. I still love what I do at Walt Disney World. But I encountered my first  couple of speed bumps. And that's okay! I decided to drive myself to work instead of take a bus. I thought I knew exactly where I was going, so I left allowing 40 minutes to get to my destination. I got completely turned around. Completely. I ended up in the Animal Kingdom cast parking lot (iow: NOT where I was supposed to be at all.) I didn't know it when I pulled up; I was prouder than a peacock for about five seconds. Then I started wandering around the parking lot... I don't know what I was expecting... my building to magically appear maybe? This is Disney after all. But I figured out "oh crap this is not where I'm supposed to be". I suppressed the urge to fling myself upon the concrete in distress. So I prayed. "God, I need some assistance pronto; I can't be late!" I looked around and around...and God answered my prayer. I spotted a kind old lady who was just arriving to work. She had on the cutest Kilimanjaro Safari outfit. Bingo. That's my walking map. So I scuttled over to her, and asked her for help. She immediately pointed me in the right direction. 

I sprinted back to my car, knowing I didn't have that long to spare. I was stressed, almost at my half-way point to "I'm done get me away from everything right now". So I was still able to function. I got in Fibrizio (my car), and the song on the radio was "You're an Overcomer" by Mandisa. If you don't know that song, the lyrics are: 

"You're an overcomer! Stay in the fight til the final round! You're not going under 'cause God is holding you right now! You might be down for a moment, feeling like it's hopeless, that's when He reminds you that you're an overcomer."

My spirits soared. My thoughts switched from panic to "I got this!" I followed the kind lady's directions, and got turned around 3 more times. And I kept singing "I'm an overcomer" over and over in my head. Eventually, I made it to my destination right as the van was about to pull away. It was a close call, but I made it!

Then the day took another turn. We started working on some specific skills that I just couldn't master. I was getting so irritated at myself, that the situation just got worse and worse. And I'll be honest... I was not singing "I'm an overcomer" in my head. I wasn't thinking the most pleasant thoughts... and guess what? It made it even worse. Even my trainers commented, "Well we just need to work on this! It seems to be getting worse, so you need to take a break and come back to it a little later." Granted, it was only the first day, but I don't like when I can't pick up on things. 

The day progressed, and we moved on to other things. Fun things. Difficult, sweaty, physically exhausting, but fun. And then thing, yet again, went downhill. I found out that I'm going to have to do something tomorrow that is a super scary and difficult thing. Something I absolutely did not want to do. I actually pretty stressed. At that moment, I became three-quarters of the way from being "stressed to the max". The day ended, and I was driving home. I was praying ninety to nothing, trying to sort out my sanity from the insanity. And what do you think came on the radio? "You're an Overcomer". Bam. I made myself shut up--mind and mouth. I opened up my heart, listening to the words of the song. The beginning of the song goes like this:

"Staring at a stop sign; watching people drive by; T Mac on the radio. Got so much on your mind; nothing's really going right, looking for a ray of hope. Whatever it is you may be going through, I know He's not gonna let it get the best of you..."

And as I listened to the rest of the song, I just felt a calmness take over my being. Luke 16:10 popped into my head (it's the one about being faithful in the small things, and you will be faithful in the big things). God whispered to my heart that maybe this particular task is my "little thing". If I do the absolute best that I can do, Disney will recognize that, and reward it with my "big thing". I'll move up a ladder, so to speak. Not that I'm looking for only promotions, but there are particular things that I want to be a part of. 

God never makes us do things that we can't do. Disney isn't going to assign me to something that will compromise my safety. I can do it. And I plan to wake up bright and early, and be the best that I can be! I'm an overcomer, and I don't give up. I'm excited to prove to myself and Disney that I'm more capable than I think I am. What an opportunity! 

This applies to you as much as it does to me. Whatever you're going through, you can do it. Seriously. We all go through some pretty crummy challenges in life. But you can turn it around, and make it a positive experience! God is just waiting for opportunities to make you shine. If you only do things that anybody and everybody can and will do, you can't stand out. Take those challenges, and make them an opportunity. You're an overcomer, after all. :)

Nude Leotards Flatter No One

Today was an interesting day. It was "3D Imaging" day. Can I get a collective "oooooooo" from the audience? The general idea of this is to determine whether or not your body shape is suitable to fit into a character's costume. Did you wince? Yeah, me too. 

I had to drive over to a different apartment complex to catch the transportation to Disney University. I'm not familiar with that particular complex, so I wasn't quite  sure where to go, but I assumed I needed to be at the bus stop. I looked to my left; I looked to my right. Only I was dressed in the required athletic wear; everyone else was looking precious in their Disney uniforms. I waited. And waited. Finally a girl in running capris came up to me with an anxious look on her face. "You here for 3D imaging?" I ask. She smiles, clearly relieved. We chat for a while, and are soon joined by another young lady going to the same thing as us. 

Time goes on. Finally one of the girls notices that it's past the time that we were supposed to be picked up. Well gosh dang it. This would happen. We find a security officer and tell him the situation. He was clueless... along with the two other security officers we asked after him. Yeah, we were a little flustered at this point. The three of us put on our expedition hats, got out our map, and began to walk. I even tried to figure out which direction we were heading via the sun... if there had just been extra tall grass, our adventure would have been compete. We got doused by the sprinkler systems. That was great. But eventually we climbed out of the well-groomed greenery, and emerged to find the rest of the 3D Imaging participants chatting at a picnic table. All 3 of our hair was standing straight up. I had a couple of leaves in my hair. One of the girl's glasses had water droplets clinging to them. We looked fabulous. 

There was about 12 of us all together. The bus must be late.. so we all got to know one another. Minutes passed. No bus. Finally a guy comes to get us... in a van. Whoopy. We pile in, and I mean that in the most literal sense. We drove to the Animal Kingdom Costuming Center (eek!), and were filed inside. We had to put on "special Disney nude socks" (oooooooh ahhhhhh). Then we were taken two at a time to be weighed and measured. They measured our head circumference, face length, neck width, finger circumference (yes, how fat your fingers are...start doin' those finger sit ups now!), hand length, hand width, foot length, and foot width. 

Then.... then we had to change into these adoooorable nude leotards. Boys and girls both. Girls had to put an elastic band around their waist and under the bust. To complete this ensemble, we got to wear these super tight, kind of like the swimmer's caps in the Olympics... we looked so glamorous, I tell ya. We then had to be weighed in and our height measured. Then we had to enter this scanner straight out of a sci-fi movie. 

And that was it. Super easy, super silly. We bonded in that moment. But I can tell you.. nude leotards flatter NO ONE. 

On the First Day of Disney

My soul was made for Florida. My hair on the other hand... well, it's catching up. But seriously, I love this place already. The weather, oh the weather, is just beautiful. My Oklahoma friends are up to their knee caps in snow, while I'm lounging by the pool. I traded my Ugg boots for a bikini... and I'm OK with that! 

So I'll let you know what's been happening so far. Check in day was the 3rd, and it was a "rush-rush" day. The brand new DCP cast members, just like any other new employee, had to go through mountains of paperwork. But unlike the typical new employee, we got to fill out all this paperwork at the Disney Casting Center! It was so neat; I felt like an official insider. Disney is extremely efficient.. I mean we were never just sitting. And lines. Lots of lines. But we never felt idle. 

Moving in... hahahaa now that was interesting. I found out I would be living in a four bedroom apartment. Doesn't sound too bad, right? Well each bedroom hosts two cast members... so do the math. Eight. Girls. Eight girls living under one roof. I didn't join a sorority at OSU because I can't live with so many females! DRAMA! I hate it! So my heart dropped. I didn't know how this could even begin to work. But I had to press on. 

So I get to my apartment (hehe I feel so grown up saying that!), and two of my seven roommates are already moving in. I notice that everyone is sweating. It did feel rather hot in the apartment, but I figured that was just because we were still adjusting to the Florida heat. No biggie. So I pick a bedroom and begin to move in. Let me just forewarn any future DCP members... the beds are LOUD. I'm not talking about an occasional squeak here and there. No, every freaking time you move, a firework explodes from under your body. So just prepare for that. No amount of padding, egg cartons, whatever else you got will help it. That's just a fact of life. 

Anyways.. As I unpack, y body temperature sky rocketed, and I literally felt myself melting. Turns out, the air conditioning was broken. It was 85 degrees outside and over 90 on the inside. WELCOME TO DISNEY! Maintenance came immediately and fixed it, but it wouldn't actually turn on until after midnight. So back to the hotel with Mom and Dad I go. I was afraid I'd miss an opportune bonding moment with my roommates.. like "if we sweat this thing out together, we will be friends forever!" But... air conditioning is important too. And without it, I get cranky. And when I'm cranky, "friends forever" turns to "run... run.. RUN!" So I think I did all of us a favor ;) 

I actually adore each one of my roommates. Each one has a different personality that adds to our household, but we are all genuinely kind. And that's what makes us able to live together. So I would encourage anyone to not be afraid to "go potluck"... it can actually turn out really great. 

The Departure

Well, folks, we made it to Orlando. My mom, dad, and I made it to Orlando, a 22 hour, 1200 mile drive.... and did I mention we drove my itty bitty Fiat 500? Yeah, we drove that. And actually it was quite a pleasant jaunt. We jammed out to Disney tunes the entire way (thanks for bearing that, guys). I mean, it just helped me get in the mood, you know?

Around 10:00 at night on the 31st, I took over the steering wheel for Dad. We were nearing Birmingham, Alabama at that point. Mom and I were chatting away while Dad tried to sleep in the back. To tell you the truth, you have to be some sort of a contortionist to sleep in the back; I slept with my feet above my head.. literally. Anyways, Mom and I were singing to "Spoonful of Sugar" when I noticed the gasoline was pretty low. Like we-had-46-miles-left-and-we-were-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-low. Ever been there? Yeah. So I casually mentioned it to Mom. And... well needless to say she immediately woke Dad. He was clueless as to where we were, and soon we were all politely panicking. (We had made a solemn vow to be nice to each other before we started the journey) 

I took the next exit available, and headed down the creepiest back road I have ever seen in my life. Not to mention the fact that Mom and I have been binging on horror movies lately; don't ask me why because I have no answer. So my instincts were on fire, screaming "RUN YOU FOOLS THIS IS WHERE MURDERS HAPPEN". But we continued to drive. Then we came upon a forest fire. Let me repeat, a forest fire. But wait.. the fire happened to be in a perfect circle. And not too far from the circle fire was a dead deer. Now I'm not sayin' anything... but I'm pretty darn sure we drove past some sort of Satanic ritual. Not that the horror movies were clouding my judgement or anything. We kept driving anyways. 

We drove until we came upon this rinky dink gas station with semi trucks parked all around it , along with a few abandoned cars. Just your typical Alabama gas station... My knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly. 

We high-tailed it out of there quicker than your typical blonde in a horror film dies. We drove past the Satanic, circle fire, past the dead deer (the sacrifice in my opinion, but what do I know?), shot back on the high way with 34 miles left until we were stranded on the road. Fun! 

To wrap this up, we found a well- lit gas station and filled up. Then we drove to Birmingham, Alabama and crashed at a disgusting, $70 per night room. The mattresses had no mattress pads. But we were so exhausted we didn't care. But I was elated because, hey! We survived a horror film! That's one for the books! 

So now we are in Orlanda, staying at a beautiful, not $70 per night hotel with sleep number beds. So stinkin' awesome. 

Nighty night, all! I'll keep y'all posted!