I can’t believe I’ve been here for over two weeks already! So much has happened since my last post, so I’ll cover as much as I can. The night before Traditions, I went to the Woody’s Round-Up housing event with my roommates. It was a lot of fun! We got free food and cowboy hats, met Woody and Jessie, and did some line dancing.
At Traditions, we were all required to wear professional attire and follow strict Disney Look Guidelines. After a really boring slideshow about working with integrity, we learned about the 4 Disney keys, watched some videos about the Disney Company, took a short tour of the utiladoor under Magic Kingdom, and walked through the park briefly. The utiladoor is essentially the basement under the Magic Kingdom through which all of the cast members get to work. After an exciting surprise visit from a special guest, we got our name tags and main gate passes, and officially became Disney employees.
That night my roommates and I took full advantage of our main gate passes and went to Hollywood Studios and the Magic Kingdom. The Tower of Terror was our first ride of choice and it was even better than I remembered. We had so much fun, but were shocked to discover how hard it can rain in Florida. My next two days off also consisted of playing in the parks and getting rained out. I can’t complain though, because the rain is so warm! On Sunday, I met up with one of my best friends from home, who was just about to start her program and a friend we made at our character audition in March. It was great, despite all the rain.
On monday I had my first day of training at Disney University, which was basically a Food Handlers Safety course, as well as some e-learning about Disney’s accommodations for guests with disabilities. My second day of training was a lot of fun though! I got to visit the Polynesian Resort for “Aloha Day” and learned more about my job and work location.
What’s wonderful about the Polynesian is the attitude the workers have toward one another. Our Aloha Day leader told us that the Polynesian’s workers are all about treating one another as family, and that attitude is extremely apparent. We got a full tour of our resort, met some really nice leaders, and got a hula lesson in the resort lobby.
I then had a day of e-learning during with I was also fitted for my work costume, and I was really relieved to learn that rather than wearing high wasted shorts, like many Disney workers, I was going to be wearing a dress.
The next day, I started my On-The-Job-Training, and I immediately felt so fortunate to have been placed at the Polynesian Resort. I can’t walk through the hallway to work without another worker reading my name tag and asking me about myself. The first few days I was there, I felt a little like a confused puppy. I would be walking toward the locker room and someone would strike up a conversation and it would take me a moment to realize the conversation was with me, because the person would sound like they were talking to a close friend. That sounds weird, but I don’t know how else to describe it. Another funny thing that happens is a lot of people act like they’ve never heard the name Hannah before. Or they’ll pronounce it Hah-nah like ‘Ohana, but I don’t mind.
I have now been at ‘Ohana for a week. Yesterday I worked without a trainer for the first time and everything went very smoothly.
In case you were wondering, things are still wonderful with me and my roommates! It’s so great to have a group of friends built into my college program experience. We spend most of our free time together, and we’ve done so many fun things like taking the animation class in Hollywood studios, meeting the princesses in Magic Kingdom, seeing the dueling pianos at Jellyrolls on the Disney Boardwalk, exploring fun places to eat, and having game nights when we get off work.
Thank you for reading and keeping up with my magical Disney experience. If you’re considering doing the Disney College Program, I’d love to hear about it and I’d gladly answer any questions you may have. If you’re a friend from home, thanks for caring about and checking in on me! I’d love to hear from you too!
Have a magical day everyone!
Hannah
Once Upon a Time in Disney World 