Monday, June 17, 2013

Happy Father's Day!

This is going to be a tribute post to the man who started it all...Nope not Walt Disney (haha) but my Daddy :)

I know that a lot of kids take their parent's for granted and I am guilty of that very same trait, but this Father's Day I took some time--in the midst of my summer camp--to reflect on what my life would be like without my Daddy.  I wouldn't be the person I am today or have any or all of my same aspirations or dreams without him in my life.

He and my mother both brought their love of Disney into our household and impressed it upon my brother and I.  We didn't mind in the least.  My first trip to Disney was when I was barely a year old if that.  When we lived in California, Disneyland was our go-to vacation and I remember having many Disney stuffed animals and memorabilia.  One in particular stands out for me.  I used to own (and probably still do) a figment coin purse that had a special place of residence on my dresser.  It was just used for collecting pennies, but it meant the world to me.  Over the years my Disney collection would grow and now I own approximately 2 Disney jackets, several shirts and a TON of pins.  My Daddy makes it a point to buy me and my brother pins even if we don't want them haha.  He is always thinking of us and I know that he has sacrificed many things in order to be able to treat us to such extravagant vacations.

A huge reason that I am grateful for my dad is that he supports my dreams.  I was wary at first to tell my parent's that I wanted to work for Disney.  Compared to how I described my family's chemistry it would seem that I really shouldn't be, but I wasn't sure if they thought that working there for Disney would be a good idea.  Turns out they were more than ecstatic!  They always listen when I find out a new fact and both of my parents, especially my dad is uber supportive of my decision and will be there for me through the whole application process. 

So thank you Daddy for always being there for me through the good and the bad, supporting my dreams and for just plain being awesome.

I think this video pretty much sums up how awesome Dads can be.  This moment always gives me chills even when I watch it today.  







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Friday, May 31, 2013

Disney Princess Reboot

Mirror mirror on the wall...who's the fairest of them all?

Well, certainly not the newest creation the Disney marketing plan has cooked up.  Recently Disney has released new updated images of the Disney princesses and it's not pretty.

Original Designs


Compared to the original designs, Disney is getting a lot of flack over these new revisions and I'm not surprised at all.  This comes on the tails of the Princess Merida scandal. 

Disney has been accused of over-sexualizing her character.  As you can see with a bit of animation nip/tuck they have given her a more femininely figure and taken away her trademark bow and arrow.  They even put her in the very same dress that she hated to wear in the movie.  This goes against everything that Merida stands for and is!  I'm not here to rant about her....I'm here to give my opinion about the other princesses who have been changed.

The Good

Snow White:  As far as this design goes.  I think it's quite good.  They really didn't tinker with this at all except ADD A CRAP TON OF GLITTER.  Geez, I'm a girl and yes I enjoy glitter like any other Disney girly girl but COME ON.  I don't think fairies carry this much pixie dust on them to coat this dress.  It's a great example of what is fundamentally wrong with most of these designs and it's that there is too much glitter on them.  Contrary to popular thought, I don't think that the fashion of Snow White's time involved glitter of any sort.  I know they are trying to appeal to more girls, but more is not always better.

Rapunzel:  So many sparkles, so little time.  I don't think there are any sparkles and glitter accessories left in the world.  It saddens me.  Overall this isn't a bad design.  I couldn't find a separate photo of Rapunzel but if you look at the above posted photos all they really did was take away her freckles and make her hair really....yellow.  It lost its gloss and shine, but they could have done worse (see Pocahontas).  Just as long as Disney doesn't start putting her in the outfit below I won't complain.  She has never worn this outfit and I hope she never will.  It's the worst thing I've ever seen.


Tiana:  Meh.  Just more glitter and sparkles.  You can't really mess with her design much. 

The Bad This is where it all goes downhill.....

Cinderella: 
Someday her prince will come....and tell her that her dress makes her look fat.  I don't mean to be cruel, but I hate this design.  Ok big problems first.  Her dress is supposed to be silver--so silver it looks blue--and not its a cerulean thing.  Also her hair is strawberry blonde and now this is an ugly yellow just like Rapunzel and Aurora. The bustle on her dress looks deflated and now doesn't fit in with her time period's style of dress.  They also changed her hair to make it look more modern and it's a hot mess.  Her alien bangs look strange and that one dangling tendril of hair is driving me crazy.  I want to either cut it off or tuck it back into her hair.  Its just dangling there....
Looking at this pictures frustrates me to no end. 

Aurora:  Another cringe worthy piece of Disney design.  Why must Disney just generalize all blonde hair?  I'm a blond myself and it angers me to see this ugly shade of yellow.  No one's hair is that color unless it's from a bottle.  I'm calling this pukeyellow.
She once again has alien bangs like Cinderella and her hair is oddly curled.  Don't think they had those kinds of curling irons back in the day.  I'm not even going to comment on the sparkles anymore.  There is only so much I can say.  I think you get the point.  One thing I wish they had kept in were her shoulder pads.  They were quite regal and now it looks like her dress is falling off her shoulders.  Sidenote: her dress should be blue.  She never wears pink that long in the film.  Shame on you, Disney.

Ariel:   She is my most favorite princess. I do like the green on her because I know we were all thinking it "red heads should never wear pink".  However this is something that I should have touched on earlier.  Disney has slightly altered the face shape of some of the princesses.  They now have a very generic look of wide-eyed innocence which I'm not saying is wrong...but they all have the same look now.  They are missing those distinctive features and characteristics that made us fall in love with the princesses they were.  The cute details of the shell on her bodice and her earrings are what save this design for me.  Sadly I still think that this redesign has taken the warmth out of her eyes and made her hair look like fiery plah-doh.  
The Ugly

Alright this is what you have been waiting for.  Here is where I think Disney made HUGE mistakes.  I mean HU-UGE. 

Belle:  WHY?!?!? WHY?!?!?  Belle, you can't read with all of those annoying pieces of hair in your face.  Do we need to get you a stylist cause I think the back of ur head look ridikulus.  But actually, what is going on with that? Her image is more the problem for me here.  Gone are the sensibilities of that funny girl, that Belle.  This girl doesn't even look as if she has stepped foot in a library.  Her expression is the worst.  This looks like she is beckoning you in for a treat (the come hither).  She is supposed to be a role model for girls because she thinks for herself and is knowledgeable.  I always saw Belle as the ‘comfort over style’ kind of person, this just strips away her whole personality and just makes her a bland, princess chick.

Jasmine:  All of the ethnic princesses seem to be white-washed.  Am I the only one who can see this?  Her skin and even her eyes have been lightened and I think that is just disrespectful and doesn't pay homage to her actual heritage and background.  What is it with all these dangling pieces of hair!?!  The royal stylist apparently failed to do her job this morning.   


Mulan:  Don't even get me started on Mulan.   She appears to be completely white-washed and overdone.  You can see that they have put her in the makeup that she wears in the beginning of the film which, she despised doing, I might add.  There is a whole scene and song where she wipes off the makeup because that is not who she is.  And why is her hair long again?  I don't even know what she is wearing.  Can you save the emperor and all of China while wearing this?  I don't think so.  I elect that she instead wear her soldier costume or her outfit at the end of the movie that was green.  Surprisingly enough this was not the worst redesign. UPDATE:  they have changed the color pallet to Mulan's face and her dress after the public expressed an extreme dislike to her image.  I still don't think they have done enough. 
Updated: Mulan....still not good.
Pocahontas:  This one is by far the worst. They have lightened her skin, hair and eyes and not only that but they give her boots and changed her mother’s necklace.  HOW DARE THEY.  They also sprinkled some gems here and there and feathers and…UGHHHHH Can anyone believe that a Native American would be walking around wearing this!?!  She looks like a backup dancer from a Ke$ha video caked in make up. I think the image speaks for itself, I can tell why people got so offended by this; it contradicts her character and her culture.


 I know that this has been a long and probably boring rant, but I had to get this off of my chest.  I think that the Princesses haven't been given their due. These new designs don't showcase their true values and personality and instead have barbiefied our most beloved role models for girls. The message is simple:  If you wear sparkly clothes then you can be a princess and find your prince because beauty is everything.  It doesn't matter what you look like or how you dress.  It's what is inside that counts and your actions towards others.  (yeah I know super corny).   

To sum it up its not a positive one. Lastly, I think these redesigns changing the appearance of the princesses is altering Walt Disney’s ideas. He designed Snow White, Aurora, and  Cinderella the way they used to be and now the Imagineers and animators have changed them. Why would someone alter something so perfect?

Please be respectful.  These are just one girl's opinions and I don't mean to start an argument.  That being said, let me know what you think and how Disney could improve their princess designs for the better!
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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

QSFB and FSFB

This is Disney's fancy way of saying waiter/waitress.  I decided to put these two roles together because they are very similar and only have a few differences between the two.

QSFB stands for Quick Service Food and Beverage while FSFB stands for Full Service Food and Beverage.  These are by far the most busy roles as you will be dealing with guests throughout your entire shift and things can get kinda hectic.

For QSFB, I couldn't find a specific list of responsibilities but it pretty much entails fast food working conditions like a McDonald's or a Taco Bell, but Disney style!  You would either be working a cash register or in the back preparing the food.  SUPER BUSY.  I can not stress that enough.  This is a role that has a lot of multi-tasking and focus involved.  You need to be ready to take orders and keep the line moving.  Rush hours can be killer and understandably a lot of people don't want to work this position at Disney when they can just stay home for the summer in the same working conditions (minus thousands more people).  I know that in Disneyland Quick Service also works food carts, but the information regarding WDW and this role is vague.  Don't count on it.  I've heard rumors the QSFB gets paid the most because it is so crazy....but those are just rumors.  If anyone has some hard evidence concerning pay rates please comment or send me a message!

Full Service is comparable to working in a sit-down restaraunt except with that special touch of Disney magic.  Customer Service is HUGE and the customer is always right you know.  You will have to deal with all of the worst possible scenarios and with a smile on your face!  This is a highly sought after role because of TIPS!  Disney is known for having expensive food and if you do your job well, expect some nice tips!  Really helps with the low wage Disney is paying you in the first place and it never hurts to have some pocket change.

Responsibilities for FSFB may include:
  • Greeting and seating Guests in restaurants
  • Managing a seating chart and resolving Guest situations
  • Cash handling - both manual and using computerized registers
  • Rolling silverware, folding napkins, and keeping area stocked
  • Light cleaning, multi-tasking
  • Standing for extended periods, working outdoors
Here is a massive list of all of the places you could work if you were assigned the role of QSFB or FSFB, take a gander: 

Magic Kingdom Dining:

Epcot World Showcase Dining: 

Epcot Future World Dining: 
Disney's Hollywood Studios Dining:

Animal Kingdom Dining: 

Blizzard Beach Dining:

Typhoon Lagoon Dining: 

Walt Disney World Resort Dining

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Friday, May 24, 2013

Custodial

This post will be more opinionated than most.  Heads up for y'all!  


I think that a lot of people bash this position unfairly and I want to give the custodial position its due.  Now I completely understand, don't get me wrong.  Being a janitor in an 'internship' setting doesn't seem the most appealing or educational.  BUT if you think about it the College Program leans more heavily on the job aspect of the program versus the internship experience anyway.  This program looks fantastic on your resume, but remember that this is a job and you are getting paid to work for Disney.  It's not going to be all fun and games with every day spent on vacation.  

That being said.  Do not put custodial unless you are willing to perform this role.  Most people think that by filling out interest in all the roles that you are for sure going to be extended an offer. This might be the case, but you will most likely be placed in custodial or housekeeping which are both the least requested roles.  Don't feel like you are pressured during the phone interview when they ask if you are interested in this position.  It's ok to say no!  This is not the most glamorous role compared to attractions or merchandise, but if you do say you are interested or would be willing than prepare yourself for one of the College Programs most fun role!

Responsibilities may include:
  • High Guest interaction while working independently
  • Extensive cleaning - including restrooms and toilets
  • Working with cleaning chemicals and equipment
  • Bussing tables in restaurants and outdoors
  • Sweeping and mopping
  • Emptying trashcans, lifting heavy garbage bags
  • Driving pargo carts
  • Vacuuming, dusting, and cleaning pool decks
  • Providing Guest information
  • Standing for extended periods, working outdoors
CP's who have completed their role as Custodial only have great things to say about it.  The guest interaction is extremely high and most of the custodial staff get to play games with children.  What I find to be SO COOL is the water art that they create.  Yes, you read me correctly....WATER ART.  ERMAGHERD.  It's fascinating.  I don't know, they must teach you this during training, but if you have some free time to yourself than most custodial staff create pretty detailed water art on the sidewalk.  Its cool because the effects last for a while and bring just a little more magic into the park (as if you thought that there wasn't enough already).  

Most CPs consider custodial to be one of the better jobs for the College Program.  You are the first cast member that guests meet when entering the park and its your responsibility to know these parks backwards and forwards to be able to direct guests to the right place and adequately answer all their questions.  You also will know where the nearest restroom is.  What a perk! (not sarcastic).  You are not the only CP with this role.  There are hundreds more of you!  Its pretty cool to just roam the parks all day.  You won't be stuck in that one attractions queue hearing the same spiel for 6 hours.  

Remember, you will get out of this role what you put into it.  If you don't think this role is for you than by all means, don't put it down!!  Simple as that.  Lots of people are worried about getting placed here, but if you tell Disney no, then they will listen.  I just want to set the record straight.  This is a fun and enjoyable role and people shouldn't bad mouth it.  You're in Disney!! This is truly the most magical custodial position you'll ever come across.  

Here's a cute video by Disney showing more of the Custodial Role!

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Monday, May 20, 2013

Character Attendant

How cute is this? Belle and Character attendant kissing the Beast
Just my opinion, but this could possibly be the easiest role in the College Program. Take a look at your responsibilities and you've got it made compared to other roles.

Responsibilities may include: 
  • Providing Guests with information about show schedules, Character locations, and visitation times 
  • Providing audience control, including handling challenging Guest situations 
  • Ensuring the safety of Character Performers and our Guests 
  • Partnering with Disney's Photopass® photographers 
  • Maintaining show quality and Character integrity 
  • Setting up and removing stanchions, ropes and poles 
  • Assisting Character Performers with putting on costumes 
  • Retrieving and arranging strollers 
  • Maintaining cleanliness and order in work location 
  • Standing for extended periods, working outdoors 
You just have to be comfortable with corralling people into lines and dealing with frustrated guests who are either miffed with the length of the line or upset that Mickey, Ariel (insert favorite character here) has to leave to go take a break. If you watch the video below you can see that these excuses can be as wacky and creative as you want them to be! Example : "Hey guys! Ariel has to go back under the sea to go check on Sebastian for a bit, he got a dinglehopper stuck in his claw." How fun would that be?!

I know of a lot of people who have chosen character attendant as their first choice and also go to the auditions for being a character performer. This is a good backup after auditions and you still get to hang out with characters all day! Win-win! If you think that being a character attendant after not passing the performer audition would be unbearable then this role isn't for you.

To me Character Attendants are like awesomeness in a blue shirt. You usually work long hours, often out in the sun and harsh weather. Your primary objective: to protect characters from heat and hooligans, as well as answer super-random guest questions about the parks, all while pin trading and wearing a Disney smile.

Aside from closing the line, attendants have to be a character’s eyes while they are busy meeting guests. They have to keep an orderly line, issue instructions over and over, and, most annoying of all, stop the foreign tour groups from dominating a character’s time. Despite the struggles, most attendants stay positive enough to play cheerleader for the characters. I’ve seen characters recover from a bad day because of an attendant’s kindness.

So the next time you’re in the park and you get in line for a character, please be nice to the character attendants. They hold very little power, but hold much of the entertainment responsibilities. Play along with their jokes and do as they say — it’s for your safety and efficiency, after all. Even better, if you meet a truly extraordinary attendant, give them a Great Service Fanatic card (GSF). It will take you at most 5 minutes to fill out, but it makes him/her look fantastic to management and goes on their permanent record. More than that, it’s important to tell attendants they’re appreciated; living in a character’s shadow isn’t easy. But Attendants make it magical.

This is a great video made by Disney explaining more about being a character attendant.  Enjoy! 
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Sunday, May 19, 2013

Concierge

Concierge is one of the most competitive positions in the College Program and for good reason!  Having concierge experience looks great on your resume and can be a good job boost with Disney especially if you are looking for a seasonal or full-time hire after your college program not to mention the experience would be invaluable if you were applying for a PI (professional internship) with Disney that had anything to do with hospitality or hotel management.  

People like to think that this position is only available to Hospitality majors and the life, but there are several CPs who have little to no experience as well as IP (international students) who work this role as well.  If you have the initiative to learn and good public relation skills then you would be a great fit!  

Responsibilities may include:
  • Completing check in/check out process for concierge club-level guests by inputting and retrieving information from resort computer system
  • Proactively greeting guests, exhibiting the expected high level of Disney show quality, often times interacting with VIP's, celebrities, and executives
  • Creating individualized ticket packages
  • Being comfortable in a strong sales environment
  • Making reservations and handling any special requests from guests
  • Handling cash and other forms of payment, including foreign currencies exchange
  • Maintaining cleanliness of common guest living/dining areas within concierge club-level
  • Assisting with luggage and other deliveries to guest rooms
  • Working concierge buffet line which can include maintaining overall cleanliness of buffet area and replenishing food, washing dishes, serving alcohol, maintaining inventory of liquor, and partnering with culinary team to ensure food quantity
  • Partnering with property VIP tour guides
Concierge is a fairly small role and you can be placed at any resorts. They have one of the longest training periods of any role: a week at Disney U then a week of on the job front desk training. After you do front desk for a few weeks you will be scheduled for concierge training! Which means back to Disney U then even more on the job training! They handle a lot of ticket sales and dining reservations, and guests tend to come to us with their complaints so its almost like resort guest relations sometimes. The Concierge role has only been around since Fall 09 or so which might be why there's not too many alums out there with information about the role.
Here is an example of your training schedule for Concierge:

Week 1 - 4 days of classes at DU and 1 day property orientation
Week 2 - 5 days of training
Week 3 - 2 more days of training, 3 days on your own at the front desk
Week 4 & 5 - 2 full weeks on own
Week 6 - First 2 days will be at Front Desk, then Concierge training. This is lucky though, you are moved onto Concierge once a class is available and sometimes you will have to wait as long as 8 weeks before you are scheduled to train.

Concierge desks are only open from 7am-10pm, so you won't be working earlier than 6:45 am or later than 10:30 pm. You'll have between 6-8 hours a day and will work 4-5 days a week (during slow season I had a few weeks where I had three days off).

I highly recommend reading the trip report written by Jess on DisBoards.  She is working Concierge right now in WDW and she loves it.  Not too much info about the job after she talks about training, but you can get a feel of her hours and days off from work and she performs most of what is already listed above.  She obviously finds a lot of time to visit the parks so don't worry about not being able to have fun while you're down there!
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Saturday, May 18, 2013

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Hostess



This role resides squarely in my top 3 and I will tell you why.   

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Hostess is a non-tipped role.
Responsibilities may include:
  • Performing all duties in character of "Fairy Godmother in Training"; therefore this role is open to females only.
  • Styling hair on Guests of all ages, including small children
  • Performing a variety of hair techniques including braiding, teasing, shaping, finger curls, and twists
  • Applying facial makeup
  • Painting nails or applying press-on nails
  • Utilizing a computerized reservation system
  • Checking Guests in for their scheduled appointments
  • Interacting with children of all ages, including calming upset children
  • Working in a high-volume, fast-paced environment
  • Receiving shipments of products, monitoring stock levels, and restocking as necessary
  • Responding to special Guest requests
  • Standing for extended periods
YARR!

To put it mildly....I AM OBSESSED with this role.  Guest interaction is at a maximum if that's what you are looking for.  Unfortunately the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Hostess (BBB) is only available for females, BUT Pirate's League is also an option as well especially for men!  



Just some advice for those that are dead set on working for the Pirate's League.  It's not offered every season or opened up to college program students very often.  Consider it a rare opportunity! 

Here are the different styles you can purchase at the Pirate's League.  


There used to be a mermaid package, but it was discontinued in 2011.  It's cool because girls and boys can participate in the Pirate's League as well as grown adults!  Unfortunately BBB is only for girls from the ages of 3-12.  Sorry ladies (I want to be a princess too!)

This role is great if you have had previous experience in hairstyling, although I know of several CP's who were given the role and had little to no experience in that field.  While at DisneyWorld you go through about a week of training on those creepy mannequin heads that professional beauticians have to use.  Don't worry about having to much technical experience with hair, because its not like you will be cutting.  Just styling and adding a TON of glitter.  Be prepared to have glitter in your hair, your nails, your costume, your shoes, your eyes...GLITTERTASTROPHE.  


There are two locations in Disney World for the
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

One is in Downtown Disney inside World of Disney 



The other one is inside Cinderella Castle



Other than location, customers can choose from three different hairstyles


Pop Princess
Fairy Tale Princess
Disney Diva
                                                 
Customers can choose the Package as well

First, pick your hairstyle:
Fairytale Princess
Disney Diva
Pop Princess


Then pick your package:

The Coach Package (starting at $54.95 plus tax)
Hairstyling
Shimmering make-up, face gem
Princess sash and tote

The Crown Package (starting at $59.95 plus tax)
Hairstyling
Shimmering make-up, face gem
Princess sash and tote
Nail polish

The Courtyard Package (starting at $89.95 plus tax)
Exclusive Courtyard hairstyling
Shimmering make-up, face gem
Princess sash and tote
Nail polish
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique T-shirt
Trendy tutu

The Castle Package (starting at $189.95 plus tax)
Shimmering make-up, face gem
Princess sash and tote
Nail polish
Complete costume of your choice plus accessories
One 6" x 8" and four 4" x 6" photos in a princess-themed holder

The More the Merrier
Make your day even more magical with photo add-ons, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique merchandise and the Knight Package.

The following extras are available at an additional cost:
The Imaging Package ($29.95 plus tax)
Can be added to any package
One 6" x 8" and four 4" x 6" photos in a special photo holder

Merchandise
Sparkling Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique T-shirt
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique parasol

The World of Disney location offers a wide variety of beautiful accessories, including ponytail hairpieces and tiaras.

Guests can also choose:
The Knight Package ($15.95 plus tax)
Hairstyling with colorful gel
Mighty sword and shield
Confetti



Downtown Disney even offers a Hannah Montana Package


Knight Package for boys

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