Work Stories (Pt.2)- Tram-saster at the TTC!

Last time you heard about how I saved the lives of nearly 500 people (no, really. Read about it here!) but this time I'm going to talk about a story-turned-legend that occurred just days before I arrived at the TTC. Now, because I wasn't there, I have only pieced this story together through word of mouth and I am certain that I won't do the tale any justice, however, I'll try my best...


It was a dark and stormy evening...wait. No, that's not it...

It was a busy night like any other at the TTC, and the trams were buzzing (more like roaring) back and forth returning sleepy guests to their cars after a long day of playing in the parks. It's worth noting that the college program students who were involved on this night had only been there for a couple of weeks, and handled themselves very well despite their lack of experience. Brittney and her driver had just switched spots after pulling into the Heroes load zone, and with a full tram ready to depart, Brittney cleared her tram for dispatch. She was no further along than a few yards however when her tram lost pressure and they became stuck between the two load zones. Now, if you don't know how the TTC is set up, please take a moment to observe my crude diagram made in MS Paint at this time.

As you can see, the sides are color coordinated, Heroes being blue and Villains red. The X's mark where trams will stop to load and pick up guests or stop to wait for another tram to leave. The circles in the middle represent planters, an important player in this story. My super awesome and accurate drawing does not depict it well, but there is room for three trams to fit side by side between the Villains load zone and the planter, though it would be a tight squeeze. The next drawing will show what happened to the two trams involved in the Tram-saster.

So assuming that Brittney's tram is the purple one and Chantal's is orange, you can visualize the chain of events. Soon after taking off, Brittney's purple tram broke down with a full load of guests, but just past the turning point for the Villain's load zone. This was good news because it meant that Villain's trams could still come and go (the red dashed line) and even Heroes' trams could leave as well, they just had to take a sharp right turn to clear the rear end of the broken tram. As I said before, there was enough room for one more tram between Brittney and the planter to her right, so this was the alley which Heroes' trams were using and which Chantal, in the orange tram, was supposed to pull up into. From there the guests would have transferred trams and been on their merry way. I mentioned in a previous post, but the trams have bumpers that bring the tram to a stop if they hit anything, and that's what brought about Chantal's demise. As she rounded the planter at the end of the Heroes' load zone, her tram got caught on the edge and activated the emergency stop. Luckily, her tram was empty so no one was injured. Also, she wasn't far enough into her turn to block the Heroes' load zone from baording, and fortunately there is one more planter (not shown) to the far left that allowed the Heroes' trams to continue operating. With two trams down, a busy load zone, and a very shaken driver, the coordinators had their hands full for a while. Brittney kept her guests calm as they began to wonder what was taking so long, and Chantal received a well-deserved break (I had to pull a similar maneuver later in my program and while I was successful, I was nervous the entire time I was moving the tram. It's stressful to be in charge of such a large vehicle.) Coordinator Jeff and manager Javi kept cool heads and dealt with one issue at a time, first making sure that everyone was safe, and then working on a solution to move the two broken trams. It wasn't long before everyone was back on their way and things were once again running smoothly.

While this Tram-saster gave Chantal a good shake, she was easily one of the better drivers by the end of her program. She bounced back well and she overcame her fears, and we were all so proud of her for that (even me, who wasn't there to see it all happen.) The lot was always an unpredictable adventure- we braved the elements and reckless drivers, we controlled large machinery that sometimes seemed to have a life of its own, and we had to work together as a team to come out on the other side of every shift. We all messed up and made stupid mistakes, but one of the things that made my time so special in the parking lot was that we all stuck together like family, no matter what. 

Visitors (pt.1)- Kaylee!

While I was at Disney, I had a few visitors. It was always very exciting for me to show my friends and family where I was working and all of the things I had discovered, I felt like a super cool tour guide. The first person to make the trip down was my best friend Kaylee! I had been down in Florida for close to two months when she came down, and it was such a welcome sight to see her face. I was still struggling with intense homesickness and having one person I knew be there with me made it a little easier to call that place home. Fair warning: long post ahead!

Kaylee arrived on April 5th, a Tuesday afternoon, and left that Sunday, the 9th. I took an Uber to the airport since we had the intention of renting a car for the week. I remember standing around waiting near the bag retrieval for her to come down from her gate, and we even shared a really cheesy "run-and-hug" moment. It was a truly joyful reunion! After a small debacle at the car rental, we were on our way home- or to my apartment to pick up my things, and then to the shady hotel where we stayed for the week. I had a few friends who wanted to go see Zootopia (highly reccommend), so we drove to Disney Springs and enjoyed dinner and a show at the AMC theater, then walked around and looked through some of the shops. A nice end to a long day, but the fun was only just beginning!

The following day we were up and at 'em at 8:00 so we could catch the opening show for Magic Kingdom. While we both looked absolutely adorable, adorned with classic Disney ears and red lipstick, we missed the opening show by about 5 minutes and as the ferry pulled into the dock, the fireworks burst above the train station signaling rope-drop and the beginning of the day at Magic Kingdom. Not to be discouraged, be hopped off the boat and made a bee-line for the front gate- we were going to hit every park today, even if it killed us!

I had been to Magic Kingdom several times, but to be there with Kaylee was simply magical. To see her face light up when we were walking down Main Street was the best gift, and we she saw the castle we both turned to each other smiling like fools. Disney really is for any age. We decided to go meet Mickey because I hadn't had the chance yet and his line was pretty short. Now I know that some of you will laugh it off, but there really is something to be said about meeting your favorite characters. When I met Ariel for the first time I was almost cried, it was a childhood dream come true. To meet Mickey, my "boss", made me nervous and excited, and it was such a lovely experience. He showed us a magic trick, gave us both huge hugs, and when I showed him my Mickey watch, he commented on how swell it was! We left the meeting hall feeling giddy and high on the magic. By now, it was nearing 11, so we decided to leave Magic and possibly return later in the day or another day altogether. Heading off to Animal Kingdom, we said goodbye to the castle and hello to our next adventure.

Now, let this be a lesson to you kids- if you're going to write about something, write about it immediately. Either that, or make really good notes for you to return to. Now, nine months later, Kaylee and I have spent a couple hours combing over what details remain to try and piece our few days back together. Upon arriving at Animal Kingdom, we know that we went into the Tree of Life and watched the Bug's Life 3D show. From there, I'm pretty sure we walked the Pangani Forest Exploration trail where we saw many different animals including gorillas, meercats, and various birds. When we finished the trail, we ate at one of the quick service locations, and then moved on to Expedition Everest. Kaylee had not been able to ride Everest when she was at the park as a child, so now was her chance. I didn't tell her much about it, I just let her enjoy the scenery and the experience. Expedition Everest is a fairly new rollercoaster at Disney which features a train ride through the mountains and a guest appearance from a Yeti. She definitely enjoyed the ride, and had the line been short enough I think we would have rode it again! That wrapped up our time at Animal Kingdom, so we headed for Epcot to enjoy the world showcase, and perhaps a few adult beverages.

When we arrived, it was probably around 3 in the afternoon. We decided we really wanted a margarita from Mexico, so we headed down to the showcase right away, got our drinks, and proceeded to walk around the big circle, commenting on the architecture and the detail in every country. We may have popped into a shop or two, but by this time we were dragging a bit. We needed our second wind, and we needed a short break. We headed over to Living with The Land and the Finding Nemo ride, took a quick tour through the ocean with Dory and her friends and then enjoyed watching the dolphins and sharks for a short period. Around this time we were realizing that we wouldn't make it back to Magic Kingdom in time if we also went to Hollywood Studios. We decided that we would use Kaylee's fourth and last day for a second run at Disney instead of using the time to explore Orlando, so we headed off to Hollywood knowing we had bought ourselves and additional four hours to enjoy at the park.

The first thing we did when we arrived was check the wait times for the Tower of Terror and the Rock n' Rollercoaster. The coaster had a shorter wait, so we hopped in line and cruised the backstreets with Steven Tyler. After the ride, we realized we were starving. We hit up the Backlot Express and I enjoyed an amazing caprese sandwich, one that just cannot be replicated. After dinner, we went to meet Kylo Ren and Chewbacca, but unfortunately Chewie's line was about a two hour wait. We really wanted to catch the fireworks, so we met just Kylo instead(an experience in itself), toured the gift shop, and then found the perfect spot for fireworks, setting up shop just outside of the Great Movie Ride. We both purchased outrageously expensive BB-8 cups(but they sure are cute!) and thoroughly enjoyed Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular! We left Hollywood Studios and went back to the TTC to retrieve our car and bug some of my co-workers. We rode the trams a bit, and then headed home. Exhausted but having had a great day, we fell into bed with ease, excited for the following day- beach day!

We left for Cocoa Beach around 11am and arrived shortly before noon. It was myself, Kaylee, and my roommate Katie. We stopped at a Publix to pick up snacks and then headed down to the water. The sun was hot, even being early April, and despite putting on plenty of sunscreen, we all left with some amazing sunburn. We enjoyed the ocean and the beach for most of the afternoon and then ate dinner at a small seaside restaurant, enjoying the view from the roof. When we got back to our hotel, we made a trip to Walmart for food and drinks, but ended up passing out before we could really enjoy anything we had just purchased. This day marked the beginning of a terrible cold for me, one that I thought was just sun-poisoning but plagued me for the entire month of April until I returned home in early May for a wedding, one that turned into an upper respiratory infection, but that's another story. We fell sound asleep after our beach day, and woke up around 9 the next morning preparing for our final day at Disney. We had decided it would be all Magic Kingdom, and we were going to make the most of it.

We had already labeled our first day at the parks "DisneyDay2k16," so it seemed appropriate to keep that theme, but just slap Pt.2 at the end. As part two took off, I was dragging but trying desperately to keep up, knowing by the end of the day I would be absolutely dead but that it would be totally worth it. We arrived a little later on day two, probably around 11 and our first stop was to the candy shop to get Kaylee a birthday button, and then off to Gaston's Tavern for a cinnamon roll. We tried to catch Gaston himself, but his set ended at 11:30, and he didn't come back until 3:30. Instead, we headed over to Ariel's grotto to meet the princess, and then rode her Under the Sea tour(one of my favorite rides because of all the colors). After meeting Ariel, we wandered around Fantasyland trying to decide what to do, landing on Small World since Peter Pan would be out for a meet and greet soon. We timed it perfectly, enjoying Small World and exiting just in time to hop in a relatively short line for Pan. Kaylee was so excited to finally meet her childhood hero, I swear she almost dropped dead! Peter Pan made a few jokes about Kaylee growing up, and then offered her a high five. Walking away from meeting Peter, we were riding the high that comes from a magical moment, and decided to hop on the Haunted Mansion.

By the time we exited the ride, the Festival of Fantasy parade was working its way down the road, so we found a bench to stand on and watched some of the floats go by. Festival of Fantasy is always one of my favorite parts of a day at Magic Kingdom because it really sets the mood for the day- seeing your favorite characters interacting with the crowd and hearing the catchy music just puts a pep in your step. After FOF, we went to have a late lunch and then walked through the Christmas Shoppe(an absolute must). We headed over to Tomorrowland to ride Space Mountain, and the Carousel of Progress, and then over to Adventureland. We had lucked out during our time in the parks since they had been empty enough to allow us to ride many attractions, but at the beginning of that day we chose a FastPass for Space Mountain instead of Jungle Cruise, so when we arrived at the gates of the latter, we found a 100 minute wait. Deciding we had just enough time, we entered the queue, but 30 minutes later we realized that we weren't going to have time to eat if we stayed in line. Fairly ungracefully, we exited the line(ducking under ropes, unhooking some chains, and butting through some lines) and made a beeline for Casey's Corner. We ordered mini-corndogs and went to sit outside to wait for the nighttime entertainment to begin.

We had a pretty good spot to watch the Electric Parade, and then enjoyed Celebrate the Magic, the now retired laser light show. Finally, it was time for Wishes! Standing with the crowd and watching the fireworks was always one of my favorite things. Nothing else quite made me feel like I was really at Disney World than being surrounded by families and children all watching in awe at the fireworks bursting above the castle. It was close to 10:30 by the time Wishes was over, so we ran over to Tomorrowland and managed to ride the People Mover three times in a row as the park emptied out. We stopped at the ice cream shop and got ourselves a treat on our way out(Kaylee got extra chocolate on her ice cream cone because of her birthday button), making sure to take some candid pictures of each other, and even saw the encore of the Electric Parade as we left the park. It was a truly perfect and magical day, made even better by being able to spend it with my best friend.

We were going to bother more of my coworkers at the TTC after we left, but decided we were both entirely exhausted and headed back to the hotel instead. The next morning we left with enough time to return the vehicle to the car rental (which was a journey it itself), and then said a tearful goodbye at the gate. It was so nice to have Kaylee there with me for a few days and as she walked away I realized that I was once again alone here in this strange place. Within the next month, I would make real connections with my coworkers and my homesickness would give way to sadness upon the end of my program, but at this moment I was just sad to have my friend leaving. However, not five minutes after we separated, we were texting one another and my fears were set at ease.

With my next program approaching, Kaylee has vowed to visit again, so I have a feeling a "Kaylee-visit part two" will be coming eventually, but for now I can finally rest easy knowing that our great Disney Day 2k16 adventure has finally been chronicled!

Celebrating the Magic of My Life

The last few days have been insanely busy, otherwise I would have posted earlier. Nevertheless, here I am, and I have news.

Perhaps the best news of all...

You read that right, I've been accepted for a second program at Disney!! After the trial and error, after waiting and being (not so) patient, everything has come in its own absolutely perfect timing and words cannot describe how happy I am!

Last Monday one of my best friends who had also applied for the Fall program texted me and told me that her acceptance email had come in, and I was so excited for her. I had been sending good vibes into the atmosphere for her, hoping that even if I didn't get to return, that she would get a chance to experience this amazing opportunity. Knowing that this door had just opened for her made me certain that no matter what happened to me, I was going to be content and happy with my outcome. Two days later, I was sitting in rush-hour traffic on my way out to the movie theater to meet my mom when I decided I would check my email. I had been nervous since my friend received her letter knowing that it would probably be another week at the very least until I heard back. As I sat at the red light waiting for my email to refresh, I felt a catch in my chest when the email from Disney admissions loaded, with the subject line: Congratulations!

I started screaming in my car, guys. Like all out yelling and waving and I'm certain that anyone who saw me thought I was having some kind of fit, but I didn't care. Sitting in my lap, suddenly out of nowhere, was my acceptance email. My keys to the kingdom, so to speak. My ticket home. I had to fight tears, and the first person I called was my friend who had been accepted earlier that week. Still now, a little over a week later, I can't believe that I get to return or that I'll be doing this thing right alongside someone who is so important to who I am today, someone who knows just how much this whole journey means to me.

In 81 days I will be arriving at the gates of my designated housing complex and starting this journey all over again. I have accepted a position in attractions which, while not my first choice, excites me. There is a chance that I will be back in the parking lot, but I may also be in the parks. The possibilities are endless, and waiting for that little sticker on check-in day that gives me a clue about my location is going to be the toughest thing to hold out for. Already, I have been doing things differently- I'm utilizing the pages set up for my program and have met a handful of people who are just as excited as I am to jump into this journey head first. I'm going to take more pictures, get out of my apartment more, and experience this program for what it's supposed to be- the chance of a lifetime. I will be trying to pick up as many hours as I can(without dying), and I'm going to do everything in my power to make this a permanent move and position with the Walt Disney World Company.

So, look out Walt, the wait is over! I'm coming home, and I'm riding this magical high all the way there!

On This Day (Belated)

So, we made it. Or...I made it.

Wednesday of this week marked one year since I left for the most amazing journey of my life so far. Little did I know at the time, but this six month journey would teach me so much about who I was as a person and it would change my life as I know it.

I've been mulling over what I want this post to be- a reflection, a memory, a tear-jerker, a thank you. As I'm sitting here at Cafe Diem(switching it up this week!) the origin story seems to be rolling from my fingertips, the moments that led me there are asking to be told. I suppose the least I can do is follow my heart where it wants to lead.

Of course I grew up watching Disney movies, watching the Disney Channel, and singing along to the VHS tapes I had. We even took a trip to Disney World when I was 10 which I absolutely loved, but I suppose the real journey started my Freshman year when I found a flyer for the college program in one of my lecture halls. I had never given previous thought to working at Disney, and I suppose I didn't even imagine that it was an option. However, after reading the flyer, I thought it would be a really interesting opportunity, and decided to apply. There are three steps to the college program application process: the first step is filling out your basic information, after that you are sent a Web Based Interview, or WBI, which is a survey of questions that help to determine if you would be a good fit before you actually talk to someone. If you pass through the WBI, then you get a phone interview. On my first pass through the application process, I didn't get farther than the WBI. Now, at this time I was 18, I had never held a real job, and I had almost no customer service experience. It's no wonder looking back now that I didn't move forward, but it was still a disappointment at the time.

"Disney doesn't want me?" was the thought that ran through my head, and while I was saddened, I never quite forgot about the program. The years passed by, and I would see those flyers in lecture halls and dorms and at the library, so it was always at the back of my mind. If I believe that the Universe is calling me to people and places, which I do, then looking back now it's evident that the Universe was calling me to Disney. My junior year, someone in my sorority had the chance to go on the program. Her pictures on Facebook and her stories when she returned sparked a new interest in me. I remembered applying a few years before, and I resolved to try again, this time with her help. I read about all of the roles, I watched videos on youtube, I read blogs and I marked the day in my planner when applications opened for the Spring program: August 31 (I can tell you the exact date only because I remember the sequence of events and I have a handy-dandy calendar on my phone, not because I was so completely obsessed!) The 31st was a Monday, so when I got home from my meeting that evening, I jumped online and filled out my application. I was immediately sent the WBI and I hesitated: I didn't pass before, what if I don't pass through this time? Little did I know that I had the whole Universe on my side. I filled out the WBI, much more confident in my answers than I had been four years ago, and pressed submit. The next morning I checked and found the email offering me a phone interview. I was so excited, and by Friday afternoon of that same week, I had officially completed the entire application process. All that was left was the waiting. And there was a lot of it.

Disney not only challenged me as a person while I was there, but it came at a perfect time in my life in Ames. Everything in its own perfect timing. The very weekend following my interview, my serious relationship dissolved and I was left devastated. Disney became the farthest thing from the front of my mind, and I filled my time with friends and school activities, anything to keep me busy. I had all but forgotten that I had applied, and then one November afternoon shortly before Thanksgiving, I received the email:

Congratulations! You have been selected to participate in the Disney College Program!

WHAT?! I was at work that night, working in Wine and Spirits, and I swear that was the slowest shift of my entire life. When I finally got home, I didn't even hardly think about it- I pressed accept, and filled out the necessary information, and I was on my way. Future relationships fell into place, sights and sounds experienced, memories that would last a lifetime, all of it placed neatly before me and I was just out of reach. As if it was all behind this enormous curtain just waiting to drop. The next three months were excruciating. It was more waiting, but this time I knew I had something amazing to look forward to and I just wanted to begin. I finished my semester at Iowa State, I had time to say goodbye to all of my friends, and I counted down the days.

And boy was I terrified.

I had never been that far from home on my own for that long. The weight of this decision loomed over me as the day for my departure grew closer, and I even started to doubt myself. How was I supposed to leave everyone I knew and loved to go do this silly thing? Why did I think it would be great to move so far away? What if everyone moved on without me? Finally the day arrived and most of my fears had been quelled, thanks to amazing friends and family who supported me every single step of the way. My flight left at 1:35pm on February 8th, and my parents and best friend accompanied me to the airport. Ascending the stairs was terrifying and freeing all at once, and when I was finally seated on my first airplane, the emotions rolled over me. The fear and nervousness I had been keeping at bay came rushing in and once I again I worried that I would fail. When my plane took off, it was -10 in Des Moines, and I cried a little because I was leaving my home. When I landed in Orlando at 9:00 that night, it was 53 and rainy and I was more excited than ever to begin my journey. I had traveled half-way across the country by myself, what couldn't I handle? The next few days were chaotic and messy, stressful to say the least. For those of you who don't know that story, you can read about it HERE.

Despite the rough start, the Disney College Program quickly became the best thing in my life. It was my new start, my new chance to be me. There weren't ex-boyfriends around the corner, there weren't expectations that I would finish school and know exactly what I wanted to do, there was only freedom and childish wonder. Coming home in August was one of the hardest things I've done, and I lived 1300 miles way from home for six months. I cried so much more leaving behind the place where I had found my happiness, but I knew I would be returning one day soon. And now it may be that I am gone for longer than I originally thought or planned for, but I have to trust that everything will be in its own perfect timing. I have Walt to thank for my happiness, for my freedom, for my desire and passion. Never in a million years would I have imagined that Disney World would be calling me so fiercely, and yet...

I am not so scared to leave my friends and family this time, because I know that they will remain with me no matter how far and wide I go. I am not so scared of the newness of adventure, because if I can handle the homesickness, the distance, and the great unknown that was Disney, then I know beyond a doubt that I am prepared for anything. The Universe is pulling me to return in 100 different ways, more now than it ever has before, and this excites me and spurs me forward. On this (belated) day one year ago, I stepped into a new chapter of my life, and I cannot wait to turn the page and see what the world has in store for me next.

Fun fact:When we visited Disney when I was 10, I got a picture next to this same Goofy statue,
so of course I needed a new one, even if I had been on a plane all day and it was almost 10 pm.

Approaching One Year

In a little less than a week, we will officially have reached one year since I left for my program. While my heart aches just writing that sentence, and while I am a little worried about the feelings I'll have that day, I have decided to make the best out of a bittersweet situation. I have been making an effort to record my memories and moments from my College Program, and as the year mark approaches, I know that I am running out of time to remember everything correctly (it's already been difficult at times).

With that said, I would like to commemorate my time at Disney with an appreciation post for all of the people who made a difference in my experience. Maybe you were a coworker, maybe a friend, a fellow CP, or a roommate. Whatever category you fit in, know that you have all been special to me. You all hold a place in my heart so dear that I cannot shake your memory. Every post is for one person, and every post is titled with a song that reminds me of them. I do this often- assigning a song to a person. I can't really explain why I do this, and sometimes the song doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but each one is different and special and triggers happy memories for me. There is one copout and that's the one titled Read My Mind. That one is for everyone at the TTC, because I'm sorry, but I just couldn't write one for every single one of you. I tried to give shout outs though, so keep an eye out for yours! Enjoy this chronicle of posts, and let me know how many tries it took you to figure yours out :)

Victorious!

Shabba

Say No To This

Throw Some Bacon On It!

2 Phones

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Oye Como Va

Paradise By the Dashboard Light

Wishes!

My T-shirt

Mama's Broken Heart

Pregnant Women Are Smug

Misery Business

Tequila

Mr. Brightside

Be Easy

Brown Eyed Girl

TTC- Read My Mind

Sorry not sorry for the long post. I love you all dearly, you made my time at Disney the most memorable of my life. I wouldn't change one single moment.

Until we see each other again,
-Effie

Read My Mind

As I said before, it would have been nearly impossible for me to write something for every single person at the TTC, so this post is for all of you. Everyone I had the chance to be on a tram with, everyone who listened to me complain, everyone who made me smile. You all had an impact on me, you all made an impression, and I miss you all with my whole heart.

Mandy, your sense of humor and kick-ass attitude; Justin, your obnoxious Villain’s voice and the best hugs ever; Vince, your practical life advice; David, our nightly chats about school and life; Father Tim, all of the crap you gave me about being from Iowa; Jorge, the days you spent training me; Carlos, your kindness and patience; Darwin, the many marriage proposals I received from you; Gina, your wonderful hugs; Martha, my cheer!!

Mike Henry, the way you were always willing to chat; Andy, how sweet and kind you were; Big Mike, your positive attitude; Alejandro, your sarcasm always made me laugh, also- AYEEEE; Eddie, you always put a smile on my face; Meryl, your warm smile and kindness made the few morning shifts I had to work a lot easier, Jeff Clayton, our talks about the universe gave me a new perspective on life, Tom, thank you for reminding me of my grandpa :)

Sean, for taking my jokes in stride. I promise I don’t want to punch you in the throat anymore! Gus, for always cracking jokes in the van, Alex, your willingness to let me complain all the time; Scubsky, for the snide comments that always made me laugh in the lot; Dennis, all of our fun jokes on the trams...JUST KIDDING! :) Morgado, your “no BS” attitude. Thanks for encouraging me to come home and do the right thing.

Anyone I forgot, it wasn’t intentional. You have all been important to me, you all gave me reason to come to work, and I miss you all dearly. I will never forget the six months I spent in the lot and I won’t forget you all, you really were like a family. 

Brown Eyed Girl

Steve,

You taught me so much. You taught me about myself and about the world around me. You showed me how to think deeply and with perspectives that I hadn't imagined before, and you taught me to be even more open minded. You taught me that I am strong and brave, things that I had heard but hadn't previously believed about myself.

Thank you for befriending me, and for challenging me. Because of you I see my world through different lenses. I will always be grateful, always thankful, never regretful- except for any hurt I caused.

I think my favorite memory from work continues to be the afternoon after Rachel and I had been at the parks and I hopped on your tram to ride around for a bit. It was one of the first times we really talked, and I finally felt like I was cool enough to talk to the full-time employees :) Though all of the times you drove past in the tram and did the little head-tilt of acknowledgement always made me smile too..

My program and my life would have been entirely different. Thank you, for everything.

Be Easy

Nicole,

You didn't think I would leave you out, did you?

You have become one of my favorite people, and I’m not just saying that because of the really great homo butt touches you’ve given me :) You have such a kind heart, and I am so thankful that I have been able to get to know you.

You are smart and funny and so insightful and I have loved the few chances we’ve had to really talk about life. Our heart to hearts, and your encouragement have been things that I have cherished since I returned home. I miss your smile and the way you said my name, because somehow “Effie!” coming out of your mouth always made me smile- maybe it’s the way you screamed it from across the lot several times... My favorite thing will always be the longing reaches across the tram lane and the kisses blown through cab windows. It broke up the monotony and made me laugh every single time :)

I hope that you continue to pursue your dreams and follow your heart, because you deserve every good thing that life has to offer. You going to go so far in this world and I can't wait to watch you succeed.

I’m really glad that you and Britt are now in the same time zone as me, and someday soon I will be crashing on your couch!

Mr. Brightside

Little Nugget!!

I am still entirely shocked at how quickly we became friends. I won’t lie, I was very intimidated by you when I first started at the TTC. I think that probably comes from the fact that you worked mornings, so I didn’t see you a lot, and when I did, you didn’t really interact with the CPs much. However, I am so glad that I made an effort to reach out, because without you, the end of my program would have been so different. I wouldn’t have made some of the friendships I did without you, and I never would have actually walked through the gift shops in Epcot! :)

You have a similar sense of humor as me, and while we may have bonded over Supernatural initially, we found that we had a lot more in common as the time went on. Haven’t we pretty much discovered that we’re basically the same person? I am so thankful for your friendship, and that we have stayed in touch despite the distance. You are one of the reasons that I want to return to Florida, because I think our friendship could be really awesome if we were closer to one another- even if it takes me a long time, or longer than we originally thought to get there!

My favorite memory will always be going to Epcot and Magic Kingdom with you on my last day in the parks. Walking around, taking pictures, and enjoying the atmosphere one last time was the perfect way to spend one of my last days.

You are so strong, and so smart. I have loved getting to talk to you and have heart to hearts with you, and I am so impressed with the way you have jumped right back into school as well as juggling work and the rest of life. You're going to do amazing things in your life!!

I can't wait to see you soon!!

Pregnant Women Are Smug

Sweet May,

While we only got to live together for about a month, you were the best addition to the 3404 family we could have hoped for! You are so funny and so insightful, and I loved your uke playing skills :)

I still remember one of your first nights, all of us sitting in your room while you unpacked, complaining about boys and work, and Katie’s dislike for a certain people. Also, I probably would have used the other song that you played on your ukulele, but I figured it wasn’t too appropriate here.. I remember you all sitting in the living room once arguing over whether Steve could come with to the parks or not because Katie got jealous :)

Thank you for bringing a spot of sunshine to the apartment just when we needed it. We were the Fab Four only because of you!

Mama's Broken Heart

Ash,

You were such a welcome addition to the 3404 family! I remember Katie and I speculating about who would be moving in(she was really glad you weren't French), and we couldn’t have asked for anyone better. You were so kind and funny, and you fit right in with us. You filled a roommate hole we didn’t even know we had!

I remember the few times you got home late from work and the heart to hearts we had about our impending return home and boys. I won’t lie, I was a little jealous because you got to room with Katie, but we never would have subjected you to the other option :) One of my favorite memories is when you came with Katie to pick me up from the airport and we stopped at Outback Steakhouse for lunch!!

Thank you for being such a great roommate, and thank you again for taking me to work that one time that I missed the bus. You totally saved me there :)

Misery Buisness

Zara,

Since we both worked the night shift, when you would come home at 3am shortly after me, it was always nice to see another face. Our late night shifts and our heart to hearts, the bonding over The Walking Dead, were one of the highlights of my time in 3404!

Thank you for always making me laugh and being a positive force in the apartment. Despite the few roommate issues we all endured, you always seemed to remain happy and you always had a funny story to tell.

I hope you’ve had an easy transition home, and I hope you get to visit your real home very soon!!!

P.S. I hope you enjoy the song choice; you always reminded me of my "emo" days in middle school with your taste in music and rocking the dark lipstick :)

Tequila

Chony,

You were the very first person I met on my program. As I sat awkwardly in the living room of 3404 not knowing which bedroom I could move into, I remember being so nervous, even worried that I was in the wrong apartment. But you came out and directed me to my room.....and that was the last time I saw you for probably two weeks.

The song I picked for you probably isn’t too surprising, because we are #GrandTrash after all :) I loved how you were always so excited to go to the parks, and your photography is stunning. I still love looking back at your pictures and pretending I’m there, walking down Main Street and enjoying FOF. I’ll always remember you and Saraphine performing DAWM in its entirety in the living room for us one day, truly impressive!!

Keep dreaming love, it’s what Walt would want!

Wishes!

Sarah,

You were such a wonderful addition to our little parking family. I remember when Gus was training you and we were all so curious about you. You have the kindest spirit I have encountered- so genuine and so sweet. I loved coming into work knowing that you would be there. You never failed to put a smile on my face, and your hugs were superb!

I loved how you took care of Sir, without really questioning the weirdos who told you to put him in your pocket. You had one of the best spiels I had heard during my entire program, and your laugh was so contagious! Plus you made really great brownies!! :)

I think you were one of the first to integrate “Pokemon Go” into your spiel, and I’ll never forget laughing out loud in the cab when you were telling the guests about Wishes…

“If you look behind you, you’ll be able to watch the Wishes fireworks show, and if you are really disappointed about missing it, you can come back to me and I’ll sing the song to you!”

One of my favorite things was to start singing in the break room and annoy all of the old men, butit was just too funny to go through the whole song!!

Thank you for being a spot of sunshine at the TTC, we really needed someone like you to come along. You made the end of my program very special and I hope we were able to do the same for you!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

My little Villain!!

I miss you so much girl, you became my favorite bus buddy to chat with. I remember talking about your family and crazy roommates and everything in between. Your kind heart was so very genuine, and I loved getting to know you.

Every time we were in the lot together, I knew we would have a good time. Miming Y-M-C-A to one another from opposite ends of the lot always made me laugh, especially when we had the light wands. I wonder how many guests saw us and thought we were insane?? You could always make me laugh or tell me something to make me feel better, and I miss the way you would get so frustrated at the crazy guests when they did something stupid.

I think I’ll always remember you being so excited to see a raccoon in real life, and I was so confused about why you cared! We see them all the time here in Iowa, but you thought he was so cute and furry. That must have been how I felt about the alligators... :)

It was so hard to see you leave, because I knew you were going far away, but something tells me we will see each other again! I hope you’re having an amazing time in Spain, I can’t wait to hear all about it! Thank you for your friendship, you made my time at Disney and my transition home so much easier!

Oye Como Va

Cary,

I remember that we were going through training around the same time, and I recall you being so nervous about your spiel sounding like a robot. Your “I don’t care,” attitude was contagious and I always appreciated how you spoke your mind.

I looked forward to our car rides home at the end of our shifts, talking about life, and just how annoying boyfriends were :) It was nice to have someone to gossip with at the beginning of the program when I didn’t really know anyone.

I remember being so happy for you when you got your transfer to part-time. I know that you really missed doing culinary and guest service work, so I hope that it has turned out to be what you wanted it to be.

We had a lot of good times in the parking lot, even when it was miserably hot or we were drenched from the rain. I think one of my favorite memories was when we had to drive the truck around to reset the cones after that huge storm, and we were just trying to go fast so we could get home and get out of our wet clothes...

Miss you girl, I can't wait to see what amazing things you'll do with your life!

Throw Some Bacon On It!

Britt,

My soul sista!! No really, I feel so akin to you and I am so very thankful to have met you. From day one, you were on fire and you inspired me to be as well. You knew what you wanted from your life and you went after it. I still hold on to that.

I never would have gone surfing if it hadn’t been for you, and that turned out to be one of my greatest accomplishments while I was down in Florida. The feeling of relief and freedom as I coasted into shore was one I will never forget, and then I had you cheering at my back.

Thank you for being my cheerleader and my shoulder to lean on. For being the encouraging words and the inspiration to follow my dreams. My program would have been very different if I had not met you, my life would have been different as well. Our heart to hearts and our Facetime calls have made my days easier; it's always a blessing to speak to you and Nicole.

My favorite memory will always be traveling from one side of the state to the other during my last weeks in Florida. Seeing the sun rise and then set was so perfect, it felt like completing a journey. Though, passing each other on trams and doing the snap movements from Bacon was a close second... :)

I miss you adventure buddy, I hope to see you soon!

Paradise by the Dashboard Light

Jenn,

I’m so sad that we only got a month to know one another. You were funny and silly and you fit into our group so well. Goofing around in the parking lot and listening to your spiel was always so much fun.

I will never forget serenading one another on the tram and jamming out to the song. I have loved all of the snaps you’ve sent me of our song :) You’re damn hilarious girl, and much like Rachel, you didn’t care what anyone else thought of you. That is a quality I admire so much, and one I am trying to copy. It looked like you had so much fun, and you know now how much of a family the people in parking become.

I hope you made the most of every moment of your program, it looked like you had so much fun, and I’m so glad we can keep in touch through the wonders of technology!

P.S. Where the Hell is Sir?!

2 Phones

Kevin,

You intimidated the hell out of me when I first met you, and it took me a while not to be extremely nervous when I was on your tram. You took your role as the protector of the group very seriously, and I always admired that about you. I can’t imagine how annoying it was to come into the program and be stuck out in the parking lot with eight other girls, but you took it all in stride. Your humor brightened our days and I’ll never forget your Father Tim impression- truly spot on.

"Heh...you guys don't mind if I play the spiel again do you?"

I’ll never forget visiting Baloo with you, and the huge hug he gave me. I swear I almost cried, because I was so happy to be meeting him! We missed you so much in the parking lot, but we were all so proud of you for taking on a new role. The pride you took in your new position was so evident and you didn’t forget us small-time folks for one second.

I’m so happy I met you, and I’m very thankful I got to be on your last tram on one of your last parking lot shifts. I can't to see where you go in life, you've got big things in your future, I'm sure of it!

P.S. Remember that time that you signed Rachel’s vest thinking it was for me? 

Say No To This

Rachel,

I’m gonna be super honest with you because I love you so much- you drove me nuts when I first met you. You were so vulgar and outrageous that I was really intimidated by you, I couldn't quite figure out if you were just rude or didn't care about anything, but you made me laugh and I was so impressed by the way you just didn’t care what anyone thought. 

When we went to Animal Kingdom and met Rafiki, and then I had to drive you to work so you could change, and then had our peace pipe adventure later that night, that was when I truly began to think of you as one of my good friends. My heart hurt so much when you left, but I knew it wasn’t the last time I would see you or talk to you.

I have been so thankful to have you in my life since we both left the program; I’m glad I have been able to be there for you and vice versa. You make me laugh and you tell it like it is. (Letters with no return address and nothing inside...) You inspire me to follow my heart and do crazy things, because sometimes it’s okay to be spontaneous.

Can’t wait to make out with you, babe! I hope you enjoy every second of your second program!

Shabba

Mac,

Maybe you’ll have to go look up the lyrics to this one, because I can’t really post them here. You’ll know immediately why this one is for you though, promise!

I’m always going to remember that extremely awkward moment when Tim sat me down at your table while you were on break and asked you to give me tips and advice. You were minding your own business and he forced the sad new girl on you. To your credit though, you were very nice and gave me some of the best advice I could have heard: don’t let the old men get to you. You saved me many tears :)

You were the very first CP I met outside of Traditions, and I gotta tell you I was terrified to be walking into that break room. It made me feel better to have at least one familiar face when I walked into the room on my first day of training. Your kindness is sincere and your laugh in contagious. I am so happy that you have been able to pursue your dreams and stay there, if not a little jealous. You were the balance to the spontaneity that Rachel offered, and if it hadn’t been for you I probably would have made a few poor financial decisions. Thanks for unknowingly keeping me on track!

One memory that sticks out is that time that I accidentally turned the volume off in the tram, and you had been clearing me for so long, but I didn't know it. Whoops!!

P.S. Sure do!! :)

Victorious!

Chantal, my love!

"All my friends are glorious, tonight we are victorious!"

You will always hold a very special place in my heart. When you helped me carry my costumes across the parking lot and sat with me on the bus, you made my miserable day 100x better. You were so kind and so willing to make friends with me, I was so thankful to have your friendly face there with me. I remember one of the first questions you asked me was which Disney princess I identified with most, and then you basically described my life based on my answer. Not gonna lie, you were a little overwhelming, but I loved you nevertheless!

I remember when the day in the locker room when I overheard your conversation with your mom telling her you had passed your test. I remember when you finally started driving to work, you were so proud and I was too! I loved our car rides to and from work, our deep talks about life and boys and the heart to hearts we had. Complaining about our days and you being so excited for me to have a crush at work :) You were always so happy, and when you weren’t, we all felt it. Your positive attitude carried the whole group and I admire you so much for that.

You are beautiful inside and out and I can’t imagine my program without you. I hope someday we can both work for Disney again, because I know you’re going to make an amazing animator.

One of my favorite memories with you had to be in the lot when I freaked out at the alligator and you were so calm. Like “Oh, I see those all the time, what’s the big deal?” You must have thought I was crazy!

My T-Shirt

Tater!!

My first real friend, and the best roommate ever. I’m so glad that we were placed in 3404 together, my program would have not been the same without you.

Our late night runs to Taco Bell and Publix for Buffalo Dip. Our trips to the beach and to EPCOT. Jamming out to country music while everyone else judged us. I am so blessed to have met someone like you on my program, and even more thankful that we have remained in contact since I left.

I will never forget the late night talks about boys and crabby guests and all of the other crap life threw our way. The bourbon and rum nights, hiding from other roommates in your room, even the couple of times I really needed a shoulder to lean on. Writing all of this down, I am realizing how many memories we made together and it makes me miss you even more. I can’t wait to be back and only a few miles away. I can only imagine the shenanigans we’ll get into when we live near each other.

Your sense of humor and your outlook on the world seem to match mine and I think that’s why we meshed so well. I looked up to you because you seemed to have your life together and you were always willing to bounce right back when things got tough. I have loved hearing about your work adventures and yes, even the roommate drama. Who else am I going to live vicariously through?

Thank you for being you!! And thanks for coming to get me from the airport all of those times…