Trip Reports

Cast of Characters:

Joe (Me…age 29)
Too many others to mention without leaving someone out. I will describe each person as they appear in the report. The trip started out as just me, but with 3 months to spend at WDW I made friends with many others!
Synopsis: This ‘trip report’ will cover the 3 months that I spent as part of Walt Disney World’s College Program. It covers everything I did in the parks, at my apartment, places outside Walt Disney World, and…of course…the reason I was there, the work!

Background:

My childhood was spent watching Disney on television every Sunday night in the 1970s/80s. I was always fascinated by anything Disney and the mere mention of the name brought a smile to my face. As much as I wanted to visit one of the Disney parks, my parents never took me. Perhaps it was my fault for not badgering them enough…or it just might be my mother’s fear of flying. My neighbors went to Walt Disney World several times during my formative years and I was always jealous when they came back with gifts and stories of that magical place. One time they brought me a 4" x 2" Mickey Mouse name plate with my name JOE right next Mickey Mouse! I hung that on the front of the door to my room for many years…until I decided I was too old for it to be there. Now it is attached to the top of my computer monitor and I am looking at is right now as I type! Hi Mickey!

Anyway, I always had the idea that someday I would visit WDW, but I never thought it would actually happen. Around 1994, my best friend, Rich, went on vacation down there with a few of his other friends. I was disappointed that he didn’t invite me…his BEST FRIEND…but I understood, because I was going through some difficult times at that point and I wouldn’t have been able to go even if he had asked me. However, it would have been nice to be thought of! About two years later I finally had enough things straightened out in my life so that I could make a trip myself. After careful study of several pieces of literature and a complete search of WDW sites on the interest (did you ever notice that WDW sites were scarce in late 1995/early 1996 compared to now where there are THOUSANDS!) Anyway, I booked everything online…airline tickets, rooms at the Caribbean Beach and even bought my park passes online. I went down there for 10 days, from July 12-July 21, 1996, and it was everything I dreamed it would be. I had a fabulous time with my girlfriend (Mary), Rich (I forgave him and invited him), his brother (Phil) and two of his other friends…Dave and Chris. I thought about a trip report back then, but never did one. Perhaps I will write a brief one after I complete this one.

While at WDW in 1996, I ran into a girl working at Donald’s Dairy Dip at the Disney Village Marketplace. For those of you that do not remember, it was the BEST ice cream shop on the planet…because it was themed after my all-time favorite, Donald Duck. It has since been torn down (BOOOOO!) and is now the home of McDonalds. The Donald Duck Topiary is still planted nearby. But, I shall return to the story…when I was inside, the girl who waited on me mentioned that she was working at WDW for the summer in the College Program. I asked her a few questions about it because, being in college, I was interested. She gave me some insights and I was determined to find out more about it once I got home. When I got back to Connecticut, I dig some investigating and found out that they only accept full-time students. Since I was still working, I was only in school part-time and I abandoned all hope.

Moving ahead 2 years, I was still in college (yes…I know I am 29, but I didn’t go to college right after high school. I got a job and worked for many years until I finally decided to go back to school and get that elusive degree that so many of us strive for.) I desperately wanted to go back to WDW, and even planned two trips with different friends in 1997, but had to cancel them both when my ‘supposed’ friends canceled! Eventually, my old stand-by friend, Rich, and his brother Phil decided it was time to go back. We discussed it, and on January 20, 1998, I made reservations for the All-Star Sports for June 1999! Yes, I know, it was a year and a half away, but that was the earliest they could afford to go.

About a week after I made the reservations, I saw a sign up at my college that advertised when Disney was coming to the area to interview for the College Program. I figured even if I wasn’t eligible, I would still attend the seminar just for the experience. The day finally arrived (Feb 9, 1998) and I went to the seminar not expecting anything. It was very informative. The former alumni that were in attendance described their personal experiences and made me so jealous. I wanted this…so I decided to interview anyway. During my interview, I mentioned that I was only part-time…and guess what? I was told it didn’t matter! I almost had a fit! I could have done this for two years, but I never tried for it because all the literature on the College Program said you had to be a full-time student. Heck, even the recording when you call the College Program says the program is for full-time students! Anyway, I regained my composure very quickly; after all…I was in an interview. It went over well, I bid the interviewer goodbye and I went home, hoping I would be selected…but not counting on it.

A month later (March 11), the package finally arrived. I knew what it was and what it said. From talking with former College Program Participants (CPs), I knew if a small envelope arrived you didn’t make it…but if a large, stuffed envelope came your way, then you had been accepted! Yes! I was so happy…until I opened it up. Inside was a form that I had to get my school advisor to sign. Being a part-time evening student, I didn’t even know who my advisor’s name was…let alone meet him/her. Also, the form that they had to sign included a statement testifying that I was a FULL-TIME student. I didn’t think that anyone at my school would sign this knowing that I was part-time. I chanced it anyway and called up my advisor…after figuring out who it was! To my surprise, he was in an accident and was not returning that semester. There was a substitute handling his duties, so I promptly went there and met her. She read it over, congratulated me…and SIGNED IT! Yes! I was in…3 months at Disney! Now all I had to do was get my boss to agree to let me have the summer off! This was easier than I thought…he was my professor at school that semester (I had just started working for him) and he was more than willing to let me go off to play at WDW for the summer! Now all I had to do was book my flight and wait for June 2nd to arrive!

As a side note, I didn’t start writing this report until November 1998, almost five months after the first day! I also didn’t finish writing it until April 1999, which added another five months to that total! Therefore, some details over the course of the summer are vague. After I had been in WDW for about a month I started to work less hours, take better notes, and take a lot more photos. All of these factors should allow me to reconstruct some of those bygone days. However, please bear with me, as some of the exact details of every day may be lost as I was trying to have fun and not write a detailed account of my life! Thank you!

SUMMER 1998 (Finally!)

JUNE 2, Tuesday:

The DAY finally arrived, and I had my sister drive me to the airport. I said my good-byes and I boarded Delta Flight 2493, at 7 AM. Express service from Hartford, CT to Orlando, FL. On my last trip I had a changeover in Miami…this time I wanted a direct flight. It was an uneventful flight and we landed safely at around 10 AM. The first person I met was Wendy; she was on the same flight as me and attends UCONN. She was very quiet and we only talked briefly, I only mention her because she would appear later in this report as she wound up being roommates with a few girls who became friends of mine.

I found the Mears shuttle service and purchased a round-trip ticket to the Vista Way Apartments (which is where Disney houses almost all of it’s CPs.) That was $25…my first expenditure of many in Florida!

After arriving at the complex, I waited to be assigned a room, etc. and then I went to my apartment (#704) where I met the five guys I would be living with for the next 3 months. They were a bunch of great guys…the first one, who I had met in line, was Dan. He was 19 and goes to the University of Kentucky and wound up being the only one of us who was not from the North East part of the US. Because of that he was instantly given the nickname of Kentucky! He wound up working as a custodian at Blizzard Beach…one of my regrets this summer, I was there for 3 MONTHS and I didn’t go to any of the water parks! Next time…I promise!

The next two roommates I met where Steve (Otter) and Mark (Dooza). They were friends from back home in Boston, MA and their nicknames were from back home. They never really explained what they meant…and I am not sure I want to know! Otter, who was second oldest behind me at 24, was assigned to The Flame Tree Barbecue at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Dooza, who was 20, worked at Toy Story Pizza Planet at Disney-MGM Studios. Both were bussers.

The last two roommates where Brian (occasionally called B-Dogg by Otter) and Tim (no nickname). They had met at the airport in Orlando and became instant friends. Brian was assigned as a merchandise host at Mickey’s Star Traders at the Magic Kingdom…while Tim got the most envious job of all of us…Skipper on the Jungle Cruise! They were both 19.

And me? I was originally assigned to work outdoors and sell popcorn throughout the Magic Kingdom…but I was transferred before I even started to the Columbia Harbour House (CHH), which is also in the Magic Kingdom! I was happy, even though I was working in ‘fast-food,’ it was still in my favorite park. I think I would have been a little disappointed if I was assigned at any other place at WDW, so I didn’t complain.

I met a few other people that first night that will appear at different points in the report:

Jillinda…she met Brian and Tim at the airport and worked custodial at The Disney-MGM Studios.

Kristy & Tracy….Jillinda’s roommates. Kristy worked at the Emporium on Main Street, while Tracy worked for the Columbia Harbour House with me. However, she was assigned to the ‘other’ sections of the Columbia Harbour House complex, such as Aloha Isle and the outdoor carts in Frontierland, so we never actually worked together.

Zack…he became quick friends with Otter and Dooza and at times he was like the seventh roommate because he was over so much. He had a cool job too…He drove the Kilimanjaro Safaris at the Animal Kingdom.

That first night was spent just getting to know my roommates…and the surrounding area. Across the street from the apartments were Walgreen’s and Wendy’s. Some of us took a walk there that night to eat and pick up a few necessities.

JUNE 3, Wednesday:

I had to get up at 7 AM for an early morning meeting at Vista Way (VW). It was a welcoming session and was somewhat boring. After that, it was back to the apartment to hang out and then we all decided to go down to the ESPN Club at the Boardwalk. Zack brought his car…so he drove Otter, Dooza and another guy down to the Boardwalk. Kentucky and I took a Vista Way Shuttle there (which, by the way are terrible…nothing at all like the Disney Transportation!) I will not be specific about what I ate, either here or at any other place, because I am writing this well after my summer ended. I will not be quoting prices either…for two reasons. #1-I did not keep any receipts…and #2-I got a cast-member discount on most meals and the prices would not have any relevance to anyone else planning a trip. However, I will say that the food and service was excellent. One of the NBA playoff games was on the screen and we watched that until we left…which wound up being too soon! About 5 minutes after most of us left, Drew Carey walked in and bought the whole place a round of drinks! Just my luck! After an uneventful trip back home, I retired to my bed around 1 AM.

JUNE 4, Thursday:

Today was a complete day off. I was not scheduled for any training until June 6, so today and tomorrow was completely mine! I woke up 8:30 AM and hopped a VW shuttle to Epcot. The VW shuttles do not stop where the Disney Transportation does…they are all backstage, so this was my very first appearance backstage at a Disney Park! I was thrilled. I walked through costuming and then back outdoors where I had to catch a Disney Transport bus (for Cast Members Only) to the front of Epcot! I went alone, because none of my roommates was up when I left and I was not about to wait for anyone. I went on several of the attractions, many of which had no waits! I spent hours there wandering around…pacing myself. I knew that with 3 months to do everything, I did not have to wait in any line that I felt was too long. If it was, I could just come back another day and do it. I went through most of the World Showcase Pavilions because on my last trip in 1996, we spent very little time at Epcot…especially in the WS section. I wanted to experience everything that I missed the first time.

I went back home at around 4:30 PM and got ready to go out to Pleasure Island (PI) with Kentucky and some girls that he met. We, as cast members, get free admission to PI on Thursdays. Funny, I only took advantage of this one other time all summer. I guess PI is not my thing…but there is a lot to do there and I want to go back. We bounced around from club to club until we finally settled on the Rock ‘n Roll Beach Club…where we stayed until closing. We arrived home at 2:30 AM and promptly fell asleep.

JUNE 5, Friday:

I woke up at 9 AM and did my laundry. 75 cents to wash and $1.00 to dry! Oh well, I had to do it…and I would be doing it many more times this summer. After I finished, I was ready to get out to a park. I mentioned it to some of my roommates and they were willing. So, Otter, Dooza, Brian, Kristy, Jillinda, Wendy and I all hopped onto a VW shuttle and went to the Magic Kingdom. I had briefly met Wendy at the airport after arriving. She was also from Connecticut…but she was quiet. She barely spoke to any of us all summer…and went out with us even less.

We went on several attractions…with a short wait on all of them, except Splash Mountain. We hit Alien Encounter and it was Brian’s first time on it. Our pre-hype had him scared and he did not know what to expect. When Kristy grabbed his knee during it, he screamed loudly! It was great! Personally, this attraction has a limited lifetime. By this, I mean that I absolutely loved this attraction when I went on it in 1996. However, even though this was only my second time on it and 2 years after the first, I did not find it at all scary. In fact, I thought it was boring. If not for the fun with had with Brian, I would have been extremely disappointed. I did not go on it again all summer. Next was Splash Mountain, my all-time favorite! I love this ride and I could ride it all day and night! I bought a photo of my first time on it in 1996, so I did not get one for this time.

After that, we went on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the first roller coaster that I ever rode in my life (in 1996) and then Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. The day before in Traditions, it was confirmed that it would be replaced in September by a Winnie the Pooh attraction. We were told not to say anything until they made the official announcement…but that wound up being in September when I was already back home in Connecticut. After that, we went on a few other attractions.

We all hungry by this time and me, Brian and Dooza ate at the Columbia Harbour House. At the time, I did not know I was going to be working there, so looking back on it is funny! I was still assigned to Popcorn at this time…and it was not until several days later when I was moved to CHH. However, my ID still said Popcorn and I had to get my paycheck from the Outdoor foods section and not the Quick Service food area. Not a big deal…but it would have been nice to get a new ID when I was re-assigned. After some more walking around, and buying a souvenir cup over in Frontierland…we decided to head home. We jumped in the pool to cool off and I went to bed early…10:30 PM because I had to get up early the next day for my first day of Traditions! Big mistake…I never fall asleep early, and trying to was horrible. When I finally fell asleep at 3:30 AM, I was angry with myself for wasting so much time in bed. I could have done something instead of trying to fall asleep.

JUNE 6, Saturday:

After getting a little more than 2 hours of sleep, I woke up at 6 AM to attend my first Traditions class. We filled out a ton of paperwork, watched some interesting videos, and played some trivia games. We then boarded a bus to Epcot for a quick tour of World Showcase, which was quite interesting! Here we are, all dressed in FULL SUITS and we are walking in 100 degree weather…it was very hot! I could not wait until we reached the Odyssey Center…because right behind that was where the cast member cafeteria is and we went inside the air conditioning and ate. As a nice bonus, we were given a free lunch. Normally, Traditions classes go to the Magic Kingdom, but it was ‘Gay Day’ there and I guess they did not want to make it any more crowded than it already was. It was nice to see some of the backstage areas of Epcot…especially since I was not going to be working there. I would see enough of the backstage at the Magic Kingdom this summer, so seeing Epcot’s was a nice bonus. We finished Traditions around 5 PM and I went home. I walked over to Walgreen’s to get dinner and called my parents when I got back. It was nice to hear their voices…but I was tired and I went to bed at 10:30 PM. This time I feel asleep right away…exhaustion was setting in. Tomorrow would be a longer day!

JUNE 7, Sunday:

I woke up at 5 AM. It was time for me to report to "Once Upon A Time…Is Now" (otherwise known as Traditions II.) We had to get up early because we were heading over to the Magic Kingdom to walk down Main Street before it opened. Man, what a beautiful sight! Then we did something that I know many of us have dreamed of doing….I walked through the tunnels! At first, I was too excited to think anything, but after my initial excitement wore down, I was actually disappointed with them. They were dirty, the paint was peeling…and in areas near the dumpsters, it smelled very bad. It was also very noisy whenever trash sailed through the EVAC systems. However, by the time I left in August, most of the tunnels were repainted…including the floors and it was beginning to look nice. Anyway, after a walk tour of them, we appeared next to the First Aid Station. We walked up and down Main Street discussing the various things that make it special (sorry…top secret stuff!) It was amazing to see it without anyone hurrying along…there was a few custodial CMs sweeping and moving benches around…but it was very quiet and serene. I wish I had brought my camera. I promised myself that I would get up early one day and go there before the gates opened and photograph and empty Main Street. That was another one of the things I thought I would have time for, but never did! I definitely have to go back…there are so many things that are left to do!

Anyway, we took a tour of the Plaza Pavilion and were given free sodas…and then we headed over to Liberty Square where we were on the other side of the rope-drop! Our instructor talked with some of the guests waiting to get into Liberty Square and then she announced that we were all new cast members on our first day at the Magic Kingdom. She started clapping and before you know it there was a hundred or so guests clapping and cheering us on. It was a great moment! After that, it was upstairs into some of the offices above Main Street for more classes and instructions. We were even given a chance to look out one of the windows and seeing everyone scamper by…pretty cool! I also got a chance to do some role-playing. I played an irate guest who was angry and tired after a long day at WDW and all I wanted to do was have a nice meal with my daughter, played by another cast member. For this, I was awarded a Donald Duck PVC figure…which sits atop my computer now! Hi Donald!!!!

After taking us on some rides, Peter Pan, and the Haunted Mansion (we were ‘back-doored’ onto that attraction), they gave us a break. We went back into the tunnels and ate at the cast member cafeteria…I had left my wallet at home, so I borrowed some money off this girl, Sarah. We hung around a little that day and she gave me this girl Carrie a ride back to VW. I never did pay her back, I did not know where she worked and I never saw her around VW. I feel bad about it…and if I ever see her again I will make good on the $5 loan! Carrie, on the other hand, I kept seeing on the VW busses all summer. I wound up working with her roommate, Carla, at CHH…but I did not know that yet!

After eating dinner, my roommates threw the first of the many parties they would have all summer. When I went to bed at 2 AM, it was still going on! Back home I have a hard time getting to sleep if there are any noises or lights in the surrounding area. In Florida, I feel asleep with parties going on in the next room and a big bright lamppost shining through my window. I guess it was just being at WDW that made things easier for me!

JUNE 8, Monday:

Rise and shine at 8 AM. More laundry and then off to my first seminar. As part of our College Program, we have to attend several seminars throughout the summer. Mine were scheduled on Mondays from 12:30 PM-3: 30 PM. This first one, was just an Educational Curriculum Seminar where they explained what was expected of us this summer…and it was a brief history of the Walt Disney Company. I enjoyed this first seminar, but some of the other ones were boring.

After this, I went home…changed and then head on over to the Disney-MGM studios where I met up with several people for a RADP meet at the Tower of Terror, set up by 13 year old Danielle. A complete description of that meet, including photos, can be found at Deb Wills’ WDWIG site. Someday Deb will fix the spelling of my name in the report! :-) Unfortunately, it was the only RADP meet I was able to attend all summer! I had a nice time meeting all of you, and I hope to do so again someday.

I spent a few hours wandering around the Studios and taking in more attractions, then I went home and went to bed around midnight. I had to prepare for more training this week. I had three days of training to do before I started my first day on the actual job…which was scheduled for June 16.

JUNE 9, Tuesday:

I again woke up at 8 AM…quite a contrast to my WDW trip in 1996 when I invariably awoke to the sound of Mickey’s voice calling me at 6 AM! I knew I did not have to get up early unless I had too. There was enough time this summer that early entry did not matter to me…that is one luxury that I will miss!

Anyway, today was not a play day…I had another training class. This one, at 2 PM, was titled, "Be Our Guest" and we learned many things about how to treat guests. One of the things we learned was how to point! Yes, your mother was right, it is rude to point, so we had to learn a special way. First rule…never point at the guest! Second rule; do not point with one finger! In some countries, that is considered an insult and in one country (I forgot which one) it is a way of swearing! Anyway, we learned to point either with a full hand open (or a variation of that…all four fingers out with the thumb tucked against the palm) or pointing with two fingers (index and middle fingers) together. Never, under any circumstance, should you point with only one finger! However, that did not stop some CMs from doing it anyway. I took notice of it all summer and I saw many CMs not using the "Disney Point." What a shame, I should have mentioned it to them…but, alas, I did not!

When class finally ended at 10:30 PM, I went home and unpacked a few packages that I had my parents send me. I could not carry 3 months of clothes, etc. with me on the plane…so I had some mailed to me. I also talked at great length with my roommate Brian. Then I went to bed; tomorrow I had nothing scheduled…so it was time to play!

JUNE 10, Wednesday:

I slept a little later today, 8:30 AM…it’s nice to have that luxury! After getting dressed, me, Dooza, and Kentucky got up and went to the Disney-MGM Studios (that’s another thing we learned in class…never call it the MGM Studios! That is in California! Call it either the Disney-MGM Studios or just ‘The Studios".)

We rode The Tower Of Terror…where I pointed out some Hidden Mickey’s to them. It was their first time on it…I love going on rides with someone who is doing it for the first time! It is a pleasure to watch them! After that we ate a quick lunch at the cast member cafeteria…and then we checked out where Dooza was going to work (Pizza Planet). Then we caught a bus over to the Animal Kingdom. We walked in through the front gate (it is really a pleasure just to flash your Disney ID and walk in! I loved it!)

We walked around for awhile…it was all of ours first time there. We went on the Kilimanjaro safaris…where Zack would be working. I never got a chance to ride it when he was driving…although I went there several times during the summer to ride it! Another regret! It was still pretty early in the day, so many of the animals were out. A few of the animals came over to the truck and we had to wait for them to pass. The poacher story was somewhat lame…but I enjoyed it when the truck sped up. Without a story line, there is no reason for that speeding…so I am not complaining!

After the safari, Otter and Dooza wanted to go back home…but it was too early for me. They left and I wandered AK alone. I saw "It’s Tough To Be A Bug" and it quickly became my favorite of all the 3-D shows! I loved it! I personally think it is the best attraction that is inside all the ‘icons’ of each park! There is nothing inside Cinderella Castle. Spaceship earth has an interesting attraction…but rather boring to me. In addition, the Great Movie Ride is nice, but the acting that some of those CMs do is lame.

After I saw the "Flights Of Wonder" show, I was tired of walking around…so I went home. My roommates were having a party by the pool. Let me just say that I had the BEST room at Vista Way. I was in the building next to the pool on the first floor. We had a direct view of the pool and the walk to it was about 15 seconds! We were also next to the Clubhouse where the offices are…and where anything we needed to use (like irons, brooms, etc.) was located. So, I went by the pool and had a few drinks. We even convinced two of the girls that were there to skinny dip! It was very quick…they did not want to be caught. Moreover, I am glad they did not, because if they were they would have been terminated from the program and sent back home…banished from ever working for Disney again! The party wrapped up around 2 AM…that is when security comes by and locks up the pools for the night. Therefore, we all went to bed.

JUNE 11, Thursday:

I slept until 8:30 AM again…this is a pattern I would follow almost all summer! No reason to get up early if I did not have to! I did some cleaning of the apartment…because there were beer cans all over the place! It was at this moment that I decided to convert one of the two trashcans we had into a recycling bin! No reason to throw away all that metal and glass when it was just as easy to throw it into the recycling bin next to the dumpster!

I did some more laundry (how I hate that!) and I relaxed for a few hours watching TV. We finally got one! The apartments do not come with televisions…and none of us brought one. We had to rent one for the summer. It worked out to be about $4 a week each, which was not too bad. However, we had only limited cable in the apartment…about 15 channels. I was not going to watch much TV over the summer anyway…just the occasional Yankees’ game on ESPN!

Around 3:00 PM, I went to my next class at the Magic Kingdom, "Cash Handling." Here were learned how to spot counterfeit money and how to work the cash registers if we ever needed to. I was not actually put on a register at work until late July, so I needed to be re-trained by other CMs at my location. Since it was PAY DAY, I picked up my first paycheck during one of the breaks. Since our rent is automatically deducted from our paychecks, some people got checks as small as 7 cents! This is because they worked 2 days the prior week and all the rent was taken from the check. I only worked one day last week and I did not make enough to cover the rent, so two weeks worth of rent would be taken out next week. Since mine was large enough to cash (direct deposit would not start until next week) I decided that I would cash it one day at the bank across the street from PI. If it was a small one…like 7 cents…I would not have bothered and I would have just framed it when I got home! Anyway, we finished at around 11:00 PM and I went back to the apartment. Although my next class was scheduled for tomorrow at 6 AM, I was not tired yet. My roommates were partying, again! So, I sat up and had a few drinks with them…until I forced myself into bed at midnight.

JUNE 12, Friday:

Up at 5:00 AM…the earliest I would get up all summer! I had my last class at the Magic Kingdom, "Getting Prepared," where they showed us how to get our costumes for each day and we took a mini tour of the place where we would be working. We learned a lot of forgotten information about food handling…like temperatures, etc. I never was assigned in the kitchen so all that I learned in this class never went to any use. It is funny, when you are on the CP, you are supposed to be rotated 3 times among your location. I never moved once! Everyone else did Counter (serving the food and drinks…and including the cash register), Kitchen (cooking) or going to one of the other locations in the CHH complex. Those locations included Aloha Isle, the hot dog and beverage stand near the Hall of Presidents…or one of the stands over in Frontierland (Churro/egg roll/etc.) I guess I was just too good on counter…they did not want to lose me! Ha! Ha!

We also were given 2 hours to eat lunch and then go on a ‘scavenger hunt’ in the Magic Kingdom where we had to find the answers to a list of questions they gave us. I answered them very quick and then used the rest of the time to jump on a few rides! At one point, a small child was walking around looking for the Haunted Mansion. He came up to me and asked me where it was. I was not wearing my nametag (we were told to take them off), so no one could tell I was a cast member. But, I guess because I was the only one around him wearing a tie in 100 degree weather he must have thought I was someone important! I looked at his map, showed him where he was, and then I gave him directions to the Haunted Mansion. His parents came over and his mother asked him what he was doing. I told her that I was helping him find the Haunted Mansion, and she thanked me, but then told her son not to bother strangers. I told her I was a cast member and I was glad to help him! She smiled and thanked me again, and then they were off to the Haunted Mansion!

We were done with everything at 4:00 PM and I hopped on the VW shuttle back home. The shuttle to and from Vista Way is a hassle. It does not just go to the Magic Kingdom, it stops first at the Polynesian, then it goes to the Grand Floridian. After that, it goes to the Magic Kingdom Cast Parking lot (from which we have to catch a Disney Transport bus to the tunnel entrance). After the MK, the VW bus stops at the Contemporary Resort, The Wilderness Lodge and then the TTC! Then we finally go back to VW. A 10-minute ride turns into a half-hour because of all these stops. On top of it all, the VW shuttles are not very reliable. I read all the time about guests complaining about waiting 15 minutes for a Disney bus…there was more than one occasion this summer where I had to wait over an HOUR for a VW shuttle! If I ever go on the College Program again, I am bringing my car!

Since it was still early, I wanted to do something. Surprisingly, no one was home at the apartment…and I did not really know anyone besides my roommates yet, so I went out alone. I did that a lot this summer…even after I met many people. I just liked being alone sometimes…moving at my own pace, doing what I wanted to do…when I wanted to do it. It is a real luxury to do that. I had plenty of time to do things with everyone else…and I did…but sometimes you need to explore the World by yourself!

So, I hopped onto a shuttle and went to Downtown Disney. This was my first trip there since I arrived (besides that one night where I went to PI.) I was amazed at how much it has changed and expanded since 1996. The entire West Side was new to me. The AMC theaters expanded from 10 to 24…and the Marketplace area was almost completely changed. I already ranted about the loss of Donald’s Dairy Dip…but I will also whine about losing Goofy’s Grill! That place had the BEST hamburgers I ever tasted. They were huge and delicious. I think it is a shame to lose all those character places…but Disney will do what they want to do and not what I want them to do!

After walking around and doing some window shopping, I decided to take in a movie. As cast members, we are given a discount. I never paid more than $4.75 for a movie there…and most of them were $3.75, not a bad deal! No time limit either…anytime you want to go you can! Some of our discounts are limited to certain days and/or times. So, I decided to see "Can’t Hardly Wait’ because I like Jennifer Love Hewitt! It opened that same day and I had said before I left for Florida that I would see it the day it opened if I had the day off. I did, so I went! I am not a movie critic…and this is not the place for a movie review, but I loved it. Probably because of her…and not the actually movie. ;-)

After the movie, I called my scheduler and received my work schedule for next week. It was amazing that I had so many hours scheduled! I thought to myself, I am here on ‘vacation’, why are they scheduling me so many hours. I will discuss the long hours when the time arrives, but for now it was back to VW and more partying with my roommates. It was a sight I got used to this summer. Walking towards my apartment, I would always see them sitting by the pool with drinks in their hands! I usually went out there and spent a little time with them, but being 29, my days of partying every day are past me. I still like a good party…but not to the extent they do. I did all that when I was their age…I was in Florida for one reason, to have fun at Walt Disney World. College parties were not on my agenda…although I did have fun with them.

At 2:00 AM, security came and my bed called. It was time to end the evening and prepare for the next day, which would conclude with a party that was talked about all summer!

JUNE 13, Saturday:

9:00 AM came and I awoke. Again, I became Mr. Mom and did the laundry and cleaned the apartment. Then it was off to Epcot, alone. Nothing in particular went on there…I did some more of World Showcase. I never imagined that all those pavilions held so much. I mean, inside Mexico it is like a whole world! I loved the themeing inside them! Since I had all summer, I did not rush anything…I went over to the UK pavilion and sat down in the park that is in the back. The park was crowded…but no one was there! I honestly sat there about 15 minutes and no one came through. It was very peaceful…I definitely recommend everyone to go there. It is a chance to escape all the hustle and bustle of the World and just relax. It is a very grounding experience…a definite "Hidden Attraction!" I ate over at the Lotus Blossom Café in China. That and the Liberty Inn in the US were my two favorite places to eat in Epcot. I did not have the money to eat at any of the ‘sit-down’ places at Epcot, and I would rather eat at one of those with someone else. Chalk up another thing for me to do the next time I return!

After a quick stop at Downtown Disney for some shopping, I went back to the apartment and took a ride with this kid Benjamin James Love, who went by the name of B.J. Pretty funny name, huh? B.J. Love! Ha! Ha! We had a good time with that name all summer! We went to the local Wal-Mart to do some shopping. I picked up some food and some cheap shorts. Could you believe that I only brought down one pair of shorts? I do not usually wear shorts at home…but down here, I needed more than one pair!

After Wal-Mart, it was back to the apartment for the party that became infamous! It started out innocent enough…just a few dozen or so of the closest friends of my roommates! However, it quickly escalated to a gigantic blowout! I was not much of a drinker anymore. Years ago, when I was younger, I could drink people under the table. However, I gave most of that up as I ‘matured.’ I decided that since I did not have to work tomorrow, and because I had not let loose in years, that tonight was the night to party! I drank everything that was put in front of me…at one point I was handed a full bottle of rum. Some kid bet me I could not drink the whole thing…but I did. Straight…from the bottle…in TWO gulps! This was a full liter of 100 proof rum and I inhaled it! My roommates were in awe…and they started cheering me on and telling everyone about what I just did! Then we had a great idea…it was hot in the apartment, so we moved the couch outside! We enjoyed that comfort for about 15 minutes before security came and made us bring it back in. After that point, I do not remember what happened. I blacked out and I woke up on the couch…which was lying crooked in the middle of the living room.

From that point on, my roommates referred to that night as "Hurricane Joe Night" and Otter started calling me "Big Joe" from that point on! Amazingly, I felt fine in the morning. When Dooza woke up, he found me on the couch…reading! He was shocked that I could drink so much and not have a hangover the next day. I was also shocked…I was expecting the worse, but everything was fine. I do not recommend to anyone to drink…especially as much as I did that night. I do not condone it, and I considered leaving it out of this review…but in order to be ‘complete’ I had to leave it in the report. Plus, when my roommates read this they will wonder where ‘Hurricane Joe Night" is!

JUNE 14, Monday:

After that night, I woke up at 10:30 AM and read. Then I cleaned the apartment a little bit before I took off for the Studios. It was a rather uneventful day. I went on several attractions that I saw back in 1996…Star Tours, Muppets 3-D, Indiana Jones, etc. I did try to take in some of the things that were not there in ’96, like One Saturday Morning. I personally liked it better when it was the Monster Sound Stage Show, but again, Disney does not have to answer to me! Back in ’96, my girlfriend was picked to do some of the sound effects. This new version is more aimed towards children, which is fine…but give me the Chevy Chase/Martin Short show! I also saw Superstar Television, which I did not see in ’96. I am glad I finally got a chance to see that. I really enjoyed it and when I heard the news it was leaving, I was saddened.

Back at the apartment, nothing eventful went on. No parties for my roommates…finally…and I called back home to check in on everyone. Then, after watching some TV and reading I went to bed at midnight. Tomorrow would be my last day on ‘vacation’ before I started work on Wednesday.

JUNE 15, Tuesday:

Today was my last day off before I had to start work. I was looking forward to working…the opportunity to meet new people was enticing. However, the greatest thrill would be putting my nametag on a costume and walking onstage. This was something I dreamed of since I was a child and it was all about to come true tomorrow, even if it was ‘fast-food.’ However, that was tomorrow…what would I do today?

As it turned out, I did nothing special today. I awoke at 8:30 AM with big plans to do everything I could think of. However, instead of jumping in the shower and getting a start on the day I just sat in the couch and continued to read my book, "The Last Don." I was not far from the end and I wanted to finish while I still had the time. As I mentioned, I started work tomorrow and my schedule left little room for reading.

Upon completion of my book, Dooza and I took a walk to Wendy’s to get some lunch. Many places give CM discounts…I asked here, but there was not any. The gas station next door did give a discount, although it was only about 2% off. We stopped off at Walgreen’s on the way back to the apartment, and then I got dressed up in my business suit for my second seminar, "The Cultural Adjustment Process." In this seminar, we discussed ‘adjusting’ to living in Florida with new people…and working for a new company. It included some insightful information, but overall it was very interesting. I kept letting my mind wander off to the Magic Kingdom or some other place on property. I could not believe my last day off before work was being wasted in here. When I got out of that at 3:30 PM I knew I had to do something…but what?

As I have said, I had not started work yet, so the only people I knew were my roommates. I asked them what they were doing. Kentucky was going out with some girl and Otter and Dooza were throwing another party. That left Tim and Brian, who had plans to go to a movie. They asked if I wanted to come along, and since I had nothing else to do, I agreed. It wound up being me, Tim, Brian, Kristy, and Kristy’s other roommates, Sunmy and Kelly. We all piled into Sunmy’s car and we drove to PI. It was a good thing it was only a 10-minute drive because she had such a small car and six people did not fit well in it. Once we got there, they all decided they wanted to see "Can’t Hardly Wait." Well, I had already seen it. However, that’s what they wanted to see…and unless I wanted to see another movie alone, I would have to see it again. It’s a good thing Jennifer Love Hewitt was in it; otherwise, I would have fallen asleep!

After the movie, we drove home and I went to bed, anticipating and dreading how tomorrow would be!

JUNE 16, Tuesday:

Arise and shine at 7:00 AM. Today was the big day…I would start work! I was scheduled to start at 10:00 AM…the only day all summer that I worked before opening time. The Columbia Harbour House (CHH) opens at 10:30 AM and everyone’s first day is an early start. After that you are moved to whatever your regular shift will be. I spent the entire day handing out food. The cashier takes the orders and the computer sends the order to the kitchen for them to make. The soda area gets the soda order on a screen for them to make and then there is someone who takes the order from kitchen…matches it with the soda…and then hands it to the guest. That is what I did all day. Today was only seven and ½ hours, one of the shorter shifts. I was given a lunch, during which I went to the cast member cafeteria and ate. I ran into Jillinda there. She wasn’t working today (custodial at the Studios) so she stopped and ate lunch with me.

After my first day, I went directly home and called home to tell them about my first day. It was brainless work, but I didn’t hate it. I knew the hours would be getting longer and for the first 2 weeks, I was scheduled 6 days a week. That left little time for fun…but I stuck it out because I knew things would lighten up and there would be plenty of time for fun later. I just had to ‘put in my time’ first. One of the girls on the CP didn’t make it. She was in my training classes and after a week of working she packed up and went home. She just couldn’t handle all the hours. It’s too bad, because as the weeks wore on the hours were cut considerably. In fact, my first week I worked 45 hours…the most I worked all summer was 53 hours (which was the second week) and the least I worked in one week was 15 hours (I asked for time off that week.) On average, I only worked about 30 hours a week…that left plenty of time to explore the World!

Although I was tired from work, and I knew I had another long day ahead of me tomorrow, I took a ride with B.J. to Wal-Mart and K Mart. I had to pick up some things for the week. By the time we got home, it was midnight and I just went to bed.

JUNE 17, Wednesday:

I didn’t have to be in work until 11:00 AM, so I slept until 8:00 AM today. Upon awaking, I watched some TV…I had to keep track of how my future World Champion Yankees were doing! Then I hopped a VW shuttle to work.

Today I was assigned something different…drinks. All day long, all I did was look at a screen that had the drink orders popping up on them. I made the drinks and lined them up in a nice neat order for my fellow cast member to find when they were matching the orders. That’s all I did all day…pretty boring I thought. However, before I could do any of the other positions I had to learn the basic ones. I worked until 9:30 PM…a 10 ½ hour day. It was long and boring considering all I did was make drinks! However, I got through it!

Upon arriving home, I sat in the living room and talked with Jillinda and Kristy who stopped by to visit. I fell asleep around 2:30 AM, dreaming of a day when I would be off so I could go play in the parks!

JUNE 18, Thursday:

Woke up at 8 AM, caught a little TV, then some shopping at Walgreen’s. After eating a quick lunch, I set off for work at 2:00 PM. This was a long day…my first at closing the restaurant. CHH usually closes one hour before the park so we shut down at 10:00 PM). Later in the summer, with attendance down…mainly due to the fires running rampant in Florida…we started to close at 9:00 PM. However, for now it was 10:00 PM during the week, and 11:00 PM on weekends.

Closing got to be fun once I learned everything. You had to clean all the counters and machines that were used during the day. You had to restock everything for tomorrow, etc. There was a whole checklist of things that needed to be done. Once all the new CPs got used to it, we could close up the place in 45 minutes! The longest and toughest job was closing kitchen…thank goodness I never worked there! I would have hated it. I’m not sure if I mentioned it previously, but all CPs are supposed to go on a 3- turn rotation. I never did, but all summer I dreaded looking at the schedule wondering when they were putting me there.

Upon arriving home around midnight I just huge around and talked with my roommates for a little while. At 1:30 AM, I say goodnight and went to bed. They had a habit of staying up all night, and it wasn’t unusual for me to be leaving for work in the morning and seeing Otter just coming home from partying! I still don’t know how he paid the rent; he never seemed to work.

JUNE 19, Friday:

Today I did something for the first time that became a habit over the summer…I got up and went to the park to play before I had to start work! I was up at 9:30 AM and rushed off to the Magic Kingdom. I walked around leisurely, just observing the guests. It really bothers me to see many of them rushing around trying to get things done before they have to leave. I am guilty of doing that too on my last trip in ’96…and I even did it a few times this summer. However, not to the extent that some of these guests were. I wish there were something I could do for all of them…I don’t know, perhaps grant them a longer stay or something. WDW is truly a magical place that can only be truly seen in all its glory in a relaxed manner. There is too much to see, and rushing around only causes you to miss it all. However, alas, I am not a miracle worker…I can only work at little magic when I am working…as we will see in later days.

Not having to be at work until 2 PM, I caught the show in front of the castle. There are two shows that are shown there and they are interchanged daily. This one was the "DisneyMania" show. I saw this one a few times throughout the summer, but it took me until August to see the "Every Day’s A Holiday" show. I still can’t get that song from that one out of my mind…"Every day’s a holiday…when you’re at Disney World, etc." I loved that, because I feel the same way. Even working I was in a good mood and felt like I was on a ‘holiday’ getaway. In fact, I came to call my time here a ‘vacation’ instead of a job, etc. One of my managers got so sick of seeing me happy. She would think of all sorts of terrible jobs for me to do…scrub the wall, mop the floor, clean out the chemical closet, etc. However, nothing bothered me; I used to tell her all the time…I love Disney World! Moreover, she would give me this look as if I was crazy! Later in the summer, after I made many friends at CHH, I would go in on my days off there to visit…or hang around after I finished work for the day. At first, she would just tell me to stay out of the backstage area…but eventually she banned me from being inside CHH when I wasn’t working, even if I wanted to eat there! I think she was just jealous!

JUNE 20, Saturday:

Today I woke up at 9:30 am and caught a shuttle to Epcot. I walked around there for awhile, not taking in any attractions, but instead just enjoying the ambiance. It was very enjoyable knowing that I could come to these parks everyday if I wanted to and know that I didn’t have to rush to see anything. If there was a long line, I could come back another day. Back in 1996, I spent very little time at Epcot. I didn’t know what to make of it then, and I actually thought it had nothing to offer. Man, was I wrong. Just walking around this place today made me realize how sadly mistaken I was 2 years earlier. I thought the landscaping was gorgeous and I really liked walking around World Showcase and seeing the different ‘countries.’ I knew that I would be coming back a lot this summer to take it all in. But, for know I had to get to work…so a quick lunch at the Lotus Blossom Café in China and I was on the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom.

I still had an hour before I had to be at work, so I walked around watching everyone having fun. I never took the time to actually ‘people watch’ before, and seeing all the children having so much fun (as well as the adults) brought a smile to my face. That was quickly vanished as I looked at my watch and realized that I had to go to work…so I headed for the tunnels to change and I went to work.

After work, I headed home and took a dip in the pool. I talked with my roommates for about an hour and then it was off to bed at 2 AM. Tomorrow was Father’s Day and I had to make sure I called my father before I went to work.

JUNE 21, Sunday:

I woke up at 9:15 AM, called my father to wish him well, and then I did some much-needed laundry. I hopped a shuttle to the Magic Kingdom, and arrived at work just as my shift started.

It was a rather uneventful day at work, as most of them were, but my second break at night coincided with the passing of SpectroMagic through Liberty Square. I went ‘onstage’ in full costume during my break to watch it, but I was distracted by many guests who stopped to ask me questions. Oh well, that’s okay…I had plenty of chances to see it this summer. It was running twice at night at this point, but as the park hours shortened, it only ran once a day.

Today, like yesterday, ended with me going home after work and hanging by the pool with my roommates. I hit the mattress again at 2 AM, and had pleasant dreams, as tomorrow was a day off from work!

JUNE 22, Monday:

I awoke at 9:00 AM (this sleeping late is really nice!) and I headed for the Animal Kingdom with my roommate, Otter (Steve.) I was off to have some fun, while he was off to go to work (He worked at the Flame Tree Barbecue.)

This was only my second time at the Animal Kingdom, but my first time entering the back way. The cast members enter in the rear…you can see the entrance past the lake on your left hand side as the bus/car/etc. you are driving in makes it’s way to the front of the park. In any case, we were dropped off at the cast member cafeteria. I don’t know if I could work at this park. This café is so far away from the actual park…a good 10 minute walk…and if you are in deeper in the park, you could spend a good deal of your hour lunch just walking here. As you may know, there are no tunnels under the Animal Kingdom, and the backstage areas are not all connected, so you must walk ‘onstage’ a few times to get from one end of the park to another.

Anyway, we came out near the Pizzafari restaurant. He showed me a quick (backstage) way to go to Countdown to Extinction (CTX), and then we separated as he went to work. I enjoyed my second trip to the past, but it wasn’t as fun as the first time. I knew exactly what to expect, and although it was still spectacular, the thrill was not the same as the first time. It certainly isn’t The Tower of Terror or Splash Mountain, both of which I still ride with joy each time I go on them. They never feel old, each time is like the first time for me…but CTX just didn’t have that repeat value for me. I only went on it one more time this summer, just before I left for home in August.

After that I went on over to where Steve worked for lunch. The food was a bit overpriced in my opinion, and there is no discount for cast members at ‘fast food’ restaurants. I went looking for Steve, but couldn’t find him. It turns out that as soon as he walked in his manager asked him if he wanted to go home. Disney has a thing about over-scheduling and then cutting everyone’s hours as soon as they get there. There were a few times this summer that I worked about 5 minutes before being asked to go home. On other occasions, I wound up being extended a few hours because they sent too many people home too early and it got busy later.

The view of the river was nice…and you could see the construction going on over in Asia. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be there for the opening of Asia, but I will be going back before 1999 is done!

I headed over to the Discovery River Boats and, listening to Steve’s advice, I used the entrance near the Flights of Wonder, and not the one in the Safari Village. The wait was only a half-hour compared to 45 minutes to an hour for the other one. The ride isn’t all that spectacular…I wasn’t surprised when I heard it closed in September, but the reptile show on board was slightly interesting.

After that, I headed on back to the apartment, where I found Steve and he explained why he wasn’t there. He was already drinking by the pool with Kari, and although he tried to persuade me to join him, I only had one quick drink and then I was off to the Magic Kingdom for some more fun.

At MK, I visited one of my other roommates, Brian, at work. He was over at Mickey’s Star Traders and I bought a license plate and a key chain with my cast member discount. Then I headed over to the Galaxy Palace Theater for the Galaxy Search Show. It was exactly as I remembered it from 1996, and I still enjoyed every second. I just love Donald Duck…he was the star of the show if you ask me. Nevertheless, as always, he lost…his entry was eaten by Goofy’s entry (a big Elvis impersonator I wanted to see the show again later this summer, but I never got around to it…a common occurrence. However, I took two rolls of film so that, combined with the two rolls I took in 1996, makes it well documented for me!

I walked around the park, as I did much of the summer, just taking everything in and asking myself how I was lucky enough to spend 3 months here! I kept thinking that I should have done this in the Spring or Fall semesters since they are there for 4 months instead of our 3 months!

I stopped in the see some of the people I worked with at the Columbia Harbour House, but I wasn’t much into photographing everything yet, so I didn’t take any pictures of them that day. For June and the first part of July, I used nine rolls of film. From the middle of July to my departure in August, I used about 29 rolls…quite an increase. And, as I look at the photos I took, I keep thinking about all the things that I didn’t take photos of! That just gives me a reason to go back and take 38 more rolls of film!

I stayed for SpectroMagic and the first of many, many times watching the fireworks. I don’t know about you, but those fireworks…while not as ‘technologically advanced’ as Epcot’s…they put a smile on my face like nothing else. Every time I see them, and hear the accompanying music, a big smile comes across my face and stays with me even after the show is over. I even swell up with tears…especially during Walt’s part. That show conveys all the emotions for what I feel about Disney. I don’t know why, but I could watch those fireworks every single day. Even without the music, they are still magical…but not as much. Yes, I have seen them a few times from the cast parking lot while I was waiting for the shuttle to come pick me up. I wish they piped the music in there as they do at some of the resorts. Oh well, I can’t have everything.

After the tears dried, I caught a shuttle back to Vista Way and hung around with the roommates for awhile. It was a regular thing for me to come home, no matter what time it was, and Steve or Mark was always either by the pool or in the apartment entertaining someone with a drink in their hands! They didn’t have the same type of fun as I did this summer, but I guess everyone has different agendas! They were happy, so I never forced them to become a Disney Fanatic like me!

Bed called at 1:30 AM and I answered with a resounding snore!

JUNE 23, Tuesday:

Woke up today at 10:00 AM and read for a little while. I called back home to see how everyone was doing, and then if was off to another long day at work.

After work, I went back home and went down to the pool to meet some of the people I work with. Before today, the only people I hung around with outside of work were my roommates and the people they knew (and they knew a lot because they hang around at the apartment complex instead of the parks like me!) Anyway, a few of the girls from work (Carla, Lisa, and Katie) and I did a little swimming and hanging out in the hot tub. Katie was tired and left early, then Carla and Lisa came back to my apartment and met my roommates. We had a few drinks and then I went to bed at 2:00 AM.

JUNE 24, Wednesday:

Today I woke up at 9:30 AM. I left for work for another long shift (11 hours.) I am getting used to them, but they leave very little time for anything else that day. Today I had lunch with Carla and another girl from work, Mandy. I found out that this girl Carrie that I had in all my training classes (see June 7 entry) was a roommate of Carla. A small world indeed! The conversation got pretty funny, Carrie told me that sitting down with my costume on (the top was a white shirt), she said I looked like a doctor! I wish I was paid as well as a doctor!

After work I rushed home and went with Jillinda to the Walgreen’s package store that was across the street from Vista Way. We went back to my apartment and had a few drinks, and then it was off to bed.

JUNE 25, Thursday:

I woke up again at 9:30 AM, and, as usual, went off to work. Today was one of the rare days that I didn’t have to close. So, after work I changed and went up into the park and watched the fireworks and the 11:00 PM showing of SpectroMagic. As I said before, I never get tired of them!

I also used this free time to go see the Lion King show. I saw this back in 1996, and it never fails to amaze me. The show is fabulous. It seems that everything that is associated with the Lion King is amazing. I live close enough to New York City, so I should go see the Broadway show. If it is half as good as the Lion King show in the Animal Kingdom then I am sure I will love it.

After playing around in the park, I went home. My roommate, Tim, was heading over to Jillinda’s so I joined him. The three of us were joined by 2 of Jillinda’s roommates, Kristy and Wendy, and we stood up talking and playing cards until I went home to bed around 2:30 AM.

JUNE 26, Friday:

Today I slept later…9:45 AM! I did some laundry and then it was off to work. Again, nothing eventful happened at work, but I will use this time to mention something that happened at work (although I don’t recall which day it was.) As cast members, we are empowered to correct bad situations for guests without getting a manager’s approval. Throughout the summer, it was not uncommon for us to give a drink or food to someone who dropped it. No questions asked. In addition, we are allowed to give free food away if a guest has a complaint that has nothing to do with their order. If they are unhappy, and you can turn that negative situation into a positive one just by giving them a free slice of apple pie, then we are allowed to. I did this many times, if an order took too long to get to the guest I gave them a free slice or a large soda instead of the small they ordered. Many guests never said a word, but some said ‘thank you.’ I never thought much about it, but it made me feel good that I had the power to make a simple decision without bothering a manager. I have had so many jobs where everything had to be approved by a manager, in my opinion it slows the whole process down.

One day when I was ‘on bank’, which meant I was on the cash register taking orders, a little boy about 7-8 years old came through my line and ordered a small soda and french fries. The total came to over $2.00 and all he had was $2.00. I couldn’t take a less amount than the total, or else my bank will be off at the end of the night and I could get a reprimand. He had this real sad look on his face, and seemed embarrassed. His parents were no where around, so I told him he didn’t have enough and I was going to cancel the drink order. He paid for the fries, and after I gave him his change I turned around to the cast member who was filling the order and I told him to add a large drink to that french fry order. This little boy put on the biggest smile I ever saw and said, "Awwww…thanks mister!" Now, if I could have looked into a mirror at that time I am sure my smile would have beaten his. It was only something small, but it made him so happy. To top that off, the woman in line behind him said to me that, "that is such a Disney thing to do!" and she had on a big smile too! I really wish I could have done more things like that…especially on a grander scale. However, whenever I got down about working long hours or anything else, I just looked to that incident and immediately everything surrounding me seemed less stressful. I enjoyed ‘spreading the magic’, even if it was only a small part of the show!

Anyway, after work I went back to the apartment and talked by the pool with two of my roommates, Otter and Dooza, and their friend Zack. Not being the night owl that they are, I went to bed at 2:00 AM, while they were still outside having fun!

JUNE 27, Saturday:

Today I woke up at 9:15 AM and promptly called home. Today was my sister’s birthday, but she had already left for work so I couldn’t wish her a Happy Birthday. I left for work and prepared myself for a long day…but I was in for a surprise! I got an ER!

I only worked a few hours, about three, when my manager came up to me and asked me if I wanted to go home early. Being in Walt Disney World, I never refused an opportunity to not work. That always gave me more time for fun, so I immediately said yes. In fact, all summer every time I was asked if I wanted an ER (Disney’s abbreviation for Early Release) I said yes. In fact, I started to come in every day and the first thing I said to the manager was "Can I have an ER?" Everyone started joking around that I never worked, and asked how I paid my rent because I never was there. It was tough, but I always worked enough hours to pay the rent and to have spending money.

I must have anticipated the ER, because I had my camera with me today. So, I went off with my ER and watched the Magical Moments Parade for the first time. The last time I was in WDW, the afternoon parade was Mickey Mania. I enjoyed that one, but this one was nice too…especially since Donald Duck was in it. I guess Donald Duck is just as important as Mickey Mouse. In this parade, Mickey doesn’t get off the float to play with the children like Goofy and Chip and Dale. I assume it is because he is so popular that he would be mobbed and the parade wouldn’t be able to continue. Whatever the reason, Donald Duck also does not come off his float. I would have loved to hang with Donald during the parade, but it is good to see the duck finally getting some respect! :-)

After the parade, I caught the DisneyMania show in front of the castle, and then I caught a shuttle for home to eat.

I then caught the shuttle over to Epcot and spent some time walking around and going into some attractions. I took in Body Wars and Cranium Command, both of which I love and then I went over to the Universe of Energy to see the new show. I liked it, but I had never seen the old show so I couldn’t compare. For whatever reason, I missed this one in 1996. By now, it was getting later and I parked myself over near Mexico to watch Illuminations. I was surprised that you can see the Disney-MGM fireworks from this position. After Illuminations, I decided to do a clean sweep of the fireworks and I hopped a monorail over to the TTC and then switched monorails to go over to the Magic Kingdom to catch their fireworks. Every time I saw Illuminations, both this summer and in 1996, I zoomed over to the Magic Kingdom to see their fireworks. Epcot’s fireworks always seem to leave me wanting more…and since I think the Magic Kingdom’s are best, I had to go see them.

After enjoying Tinkerbell’s flight and those magical fireworks, I headed for home and went directly to bed…for once!

JUNE 28, Sunday:

I woke up at 9:45 AM, and went to work. Amazingly, I received another ER after 3 hours! I didn’t bring my camera today, but I still went into the park to catch a few attractions. I saw the Hall of Presidents, which I didn’t see in 1996, and then I went on a ride on the Rivers of America. I went home to grab dinner, and then headed back to the Magic Kingdom, but this time with my roommates Tim and Brian. Wendy was over visiting so she joined us. We went on Splash Mountain and a few other minor attractions, and then settled in front of the castle for the fireworks.

We headed back home around 11:30 PM and I wasn’t tired so I settled on the couch and read for a bit. I settled in for a good night’s sleep around 1:30 AM.

JUNE 29, Monday:

After waking up at 9:45 AM, I decided that I should use this day to my advantage. Monday’s are my seminar day. On those days, we meet for classes as a requirement for the college program. Mine are scheduled for Monday’s 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM. However, during the summer we have a few of these Monday’s off from seminar. They are given off to use so that we can use the time to do our Independent Studies…but since I could do them at anytime, I decided not to waste this nice afternoon hitting any books. Seminars take precedence over the work, so I am never scheduled earlier that 5:00 PM on any Monday. Therefore, since I didn’t have to be at the Magic Kingdom until 5:00 PM, I decided to check out DisneyQuest, which had opened the week before.

A card with the maximum points cost $20.00, but with my cast member discount, it only cost me $10.00. I went inside and the place was empty. I didn’t know if that was good or bad, but I kept an open mind. I talked to a few cast members and they told me that the place gets busy after 2:00 PM. Most people are in the parks in the morning and they don’t show up there until after they leave a park. Therefore, I was able to ride Space Mountain twice in a row with no wait. The first roller coaster I built was lame, but the second one had all the twists and turns and was rated the maximum number (I think a 5.) I really enjoyed it, but I didn’t want to use all my points on that one ride. I went on the Hercules ride, which was fun. I competed against a woman and her son. Their grandmother didn’t play, but the Cast member allowed her in the room to watch. I got the most lightning bolts by the way!

Next, I tried out the Aladdin game. It was fun, but the helmet pinched my head. I didn’t accomplish what I was supposed to do in the game by the time my time ran out, but the cast member said I was close. In fact, if I had went left instead of right I would have completed the game. Just my luck!

I played that game where you control the remote controlled cars by looking at a screen that displays what the camera in your vehicle is seeing. I found a few of the secrets on my own, but it would have helped if I had someone there to yell directions to me. That is what they recommend, but I didn’t bring anyone. I tried all summer to go back, but it was another thing that I didn’t make time for. I had a ton of regrets this summer!

I had a small amount of credit left, so I decided to make some paintings with the computer animation. I considered buying another card, but I decided against it and headed home. After a quick trip into Walgreen’s I left for work. Again, it was uneventful, and I returned from work and did some more reading and then it was off to bed at 2:00 AM.

JUNE 30, Tuesday:

I had today off from work, my first day off after 7 days in a row of working, so I slept until 9:45 AM. After a brief telephone call to my parents back home, I took the shuttle bus to the Disney-MGM Studios. It was there where I saw Donald Duck standing near the front gate signing autographs! During my trip in 1996, that is all I wanted to do…get a photo of Donald and I together…and here was my big chance. I took some photos of him, but for some strange reason, I didn’t have the courage to get next to him and ask a cast member to take the photo. I told myself that I had two months left to get it done…so I just walked away. Would I get the chance later? I guess you will just have to read the whole trip report to find out!

I don’t recall exactly what I went on or saw during this brief visit, but it wasn’t much. I was only there for a few hours…but I do remember eating at the Commissary. The food was all right…but the service was much slower than it was back in 1996! It wasn’t even lunchtime, but it took about 20 minutes for me to order and get my food. Oh well, I guess not all WDW restaurants can be as good as the Columbia Harbour House! Ha! Ha!

After my brief visit to the Studios, I took a Disney bus on over to the Caribbean Beach Resort. I wanted to visit every resort by the time I left and this was the first one I went to because it was where I stayed back in 1996. I got off in South Trinidad and walked over to the last building where my room was. I got misty eyed as I relived the memories…and I placed a call to the girl (Mary) I went down there with in 1996 from one of the phones.

After walking around the grounds for a little bit, reliving those memories, I took a bus back to the Studios and caught a shuttle back to the apartment. I didn’t stay there long, because I was soon on my way to the Magic Kingdom…where the biggest memory I have of this day is that it poured! It was fine by me…I didn’t have my camera with me and I knew I still had 2 months left here. Rain wasn’t going to spoil anything for me! I walked over to my place of work (Columbia Harbour House), ate some dinner, and talked with some of my co-workers. The rain wasn’t letting up, so I gave up and went home. I hung out with my roommates for a few hours and went to bed around 1 AM.

JULY 1, Wednesday:

After waking up at around 10:00 AM, I placed a call back home again to say hello. I relaxed this morning before leaving for work around 2 PM.

After a long and boring day at work, I finally got home around midnight and didn’t do anything special except check the baseball scores on ESPN. I also talked a little with my roommates and the crowd of people that were usually at my apartment. I finally hit the sack around 2 AM.

JULY 2, Thursday:

I got up around 9:00 AM, and wasted away a few hours before I went to work. After work, a bunch of my co-cast members got together for what became a regular ritual on the weekends…we went to a movie over at the AMC Theaters at Pleasure Island. Since we were cast members, our movies were never more than $4.75. Some (including this one) were $3.75. It depended on the time and the day that you went.

So, after work we walked over to the Contemporary and caught a Disney bus to Pleasure Island. It was Katie, Karen, Mandee, Lisa, Latrice, Louis, and I. All of us, except Louis, were in the College Program. Louis lived in Florida and was in high school. We saw the late showing of Armaggedon.12:25 AM, which means it ended around 3:00 AM! We were all exhausted and didn’t feel like waiting for a Vista Way shuttle to come, so since it was only around the corner we split a cab home. It was funny trying to squeeze everyone into the cab, but we did it! Since I was the tallest, I sat in the front, with Mandee sitting on my lap. In the back, squeezed together, were Karen, Katie, Latrice, and Lisa. Louis had his own car and decided to go home without offering any of us a ride…nice guy! ;-) The ride only cost about $5.00…so it was only about a $1.00 each…not too bad! We stumbled into our apartments and went to sleep!

JULY 3, Friday:

I was exhausted when I woke up at 9:00 AM, but all I kept thinking about was how was I going to get out of work today? I had an 11-hour shift scheduled and I really wanted to go to Pleasure Island tonight for some concerts that were there. I joked about it last night saying that I would either call in sick or pretend I was sick so I could go home. Unfortunately there is this rule that if you miss your shift and are found anywhere on Disney property during that shift then you would be terminated…so I went to work figuring that I would miss the concerts.

I walked in at 11:30 AM and got the surprise of my life…I was offered an ER! An ER is Disney terminology for ‘Early Release’. It seems that although this was a holiday weekend, park attendance was at an all time low…mainly due to the fires that were spreading throughout Florida around this time. So, because of the holiday, they scheduled many hours, but they wound up not needing them…so, since I was the first one in on the closing shift I had the option of going home early, which I jumped at!

I changed back into my regular clothes and went into the park for some playtime. Again, I cannot remember my exact plan of attack, but I know I really enjoyed myself this day. It was hot, so I left the park around 2:30 PM to go home and cool off, as well as grab some lunch. I went back to the park and went to work to see who else was let go. I found Karen who said she would be getting out at around 6:00 PM and she said she was going to go to Pleasure Island tonight to see the concert. I told her I was going and suggested that we go together. After a quick walk around the park, I went back home to get ready for Pleasure Island.

Around 7:00 PM, I met up with Karen and her roommate Katie and we hopped a bus for Pleasure Island. We bought our discounted (half-price) tickets and went inside the gates. We walked over to the South Stage where Rick Springfield was getting ready to go on stage. After a great one hour show, he departed…he would be getting back on stage in another hour for another concert, but we decided to walk over to the House Of Blues where there were more concerts we wanted to see. It was a tour of four 80’s Metal Bands, and we already missed one of them while we were watching Rick Springfield. I knew we would miss one, but since I never saw Rick Springfield before I had to watch his show. Luckily, the band we missed was Firehouse who I had seen in concert before. The other three bands were all good. Slaughter was one second, then Warrant, then Quiet Riot. After about 5 hours of listening to music we finally got back to Vista Way around 2:45 AM and went to sleep, where I had dreams of getting out of work for the second day in a row!

JULY 4, Saturday:

Although I went to bed late, I still couldn’t sleep past 8:30 AM. I got up and dressed for work, hoping that somehow I could get out of work today…I really wanted to see the special Fourth of July Fireworks that were scheduled. Well, I got my wish…I worked about 10 minutes before I was asked if I wanted an ER, and you know I took it! However, the bad news was that the fireworks at all the parks had been suspended due to the forest fires that were burning badly in Florida. Since there had also been very little rain recently, everything was dry and I believe the state banned fireworks for a short period. It was about a week or so before fireworks resumed at any park! Oh well, it was for the best…no sense in burning the place down!

I knew that Don was going to be given an ER about an hour after mine, so I stayed in the park and rode the train around it. I found one of the flag pins that they were handing out that day, so I wore it all day…that is until Lisa asked me where she could get one and I gave it to her.

At around 1:00 PM, I met up with Don and we went over to the arcade next to Space Mountain and played some air hockey and raced some cars. We then met up with Katie and Lisa, who both had the day off. We went on a few rides together…most notably the Tea Cups where the four of us squeezed into a cup and Don and me switched off on turning us. We were all so dizzy when we got off, but Lisa and Katie told us that they never had some much fun on the tea cups. Don and I had the perfect system whereby one of us would turn it alone, while the other three enjoyed the ride. We would then pass it off to the other one after a minute so that we could maintain the same speed and fun factor without the confusion of multiple hands on the spinner. The cup was spinning so fast the entire time…and we loved to move our heads up and down during it to get the real dizzy motion. It was fantastic! Don and I would return later in the year to take another unknowing victim for a whirlwind ride!

We decided to catch a movie down at Downtown Disney, so we hopped in Don’s car and drove there. We finally decided on ‘Hope Floats’, which I thought was a decent movie…but overlong. They all hated it, I guess they have no romance in them. Like I said, the story was nice, but it took way to long to get to the end.

After the movies, it was time for dinner, so we all drove to the International House of Pancakes (IHOP). This wasn’t our first choice; we stopped at several places first before we went to IHOP. The service was extremely slow, but that was because the scheduled cook wasn’t there and the waitress was waiting on tables AND cooking until a replacement cook arrived. The food was as what you would expect at an IHOP…nothing extremely great, but affordable.

We hung out a few more hours doing nothing, and we arrived back home at around midnight and went to bed.

JULY 5, Sunday:

I woke up at 9:30 AM and went to work. I didn’t have to close tonight, so I got out of work early enough to get some dinner at the Wendy’s near the apartments. I also stopped at Walgreen’s to pick up some food for the apartment. I hung around there for awhile before retiring to bed. Another boring day…work really gets in the way of fun at Walt Disney World!

JULY 6, Monday:

Today was a day off from work, so I slept until 10:00 AM. I probably would have gotten up earlier and left for a park or something, but I had my seminar at 12:30 PM. It was boring as usual…so I won’t go into details.

Afterwards, I changed out of my suit and hopped on a shuttle to Epcot. I checked my email over at Innoventions (as I usually did as soon as I arrived at Epcot) and then I walked around the park just taking in everything. I took one of the boats in the lagoon from one side to the other, just because I consider it an attraction rather than a means of transportation. It is very relaxing and I always ride on the outside in the rear of the boat! I didn’t take any notes while I was on most of these visits, so I am unsure as to which attractions I saw on this day. I know it wasn’t much, because I left for the Magic Kingdom around 6:00 PM.

While at the MK, I stopped at my job (as usual) and took in a few more attractions…again, no details for this particular day. Some days I have well documented, by notes, photos, or just plain remembering…but after 3 months, you tend to forget exact things as days start to blend into one another!

I went home around 10:00 PM…the fireworks were still suspended…and I read for a little while before going to bed around midnight.

JULY 7, Monday:

Although I had today off from work…and despite the fact that I had my alarm set for around 8:00 AM, I just couldn’t get out of bed until 10:30 AM. It is nice to have this luxury of sleeping late and not feeling rushed. If I were only here for a week or two, I would have forced myself out of bed when the alarm first went off.

Two of my roommates, Tim and Brian, also had the day off and the 3 of us and this girl Sam that worked with Brian all decided to go to the Disney-MGM Studios. Sam brought her car, so we all piled in and drove there. The walk wasn’t that far, but I do recall that it was raining that day…although not much. It was a slow, steady rain that lasted almost all day.

The first thing we decided to do was eat some lunch. I took them over to the cast member cafeteria near the Tower of Terror, since I was the only one who knew where it was. Then, regardless of the fact that we just ate, we rode the Tower of Terror. Brian had never been on it before and he was scared because we kept telling him horror stories about it, but he wound up loving it! Tim had mentioned the ‘penny’ float, so I tried it. Just before the drop, you put a penny in the palm of your hand and hold it up in front of your face. As you drop, the penny just hovers in front of you and looks like it is floating until it eventually disappears. This is because you are being pulled down at a speed faster than gravity, while the unattached penny is falling at the speed of gravity. Needless to say, the penny ‘disappears’ and is lost somewhere in the ride. Oh well, it was worth it to see that effect!

Another attraction we went to see was Muppets 3D, because we all love it! It is my favorite 3D movie at WDW after "It’s Tough to be a Bug!" at the Animal Kingdom! I don’t know the exact sequence of events, but we also went to see Indiana Jones, which had the airplane sequence cut out because it was raining. I had seen it before so I wasn’t disappointed too much, but Tim and Brian had never seen it and I told them they should come back on a day it is not raining to see the whole show!

We did some window shopping, where I tried to find a place that sells watch batteries since mine had died. I was told that watch batteries are not sold anywhere on property and that I should check out jewelry stores in the surrounding towns. Since that was difficult without a car, I decided it was time to start looking for a new watch, since I never owned a Disney watch before this would be the perfect time to start! We caught a nice show of the Streetmosphere performers near the main entrance…they put on quite a show. I would catch them again later in the summer putting on a different performance and both of them were excellent. I highly recommend stopping to watch them!

After a quick ride home, we ordered a pizza and settled in to watch the baseball All-Star game. After a few innings, we were restless to do something. No matter how much the three of us love baseball (and the Yankees), we just couldn’t see spending the whole night in front of the television. We decided to head on over to the Marketplace and do some shopping. Brian stuck off on his own and told us to meet him at 11:00 PM. Tim and I were having too much fun shopping and walking around. We decided that we did not like having this artificial time limit put on us. Therefore, we decided that if we were done by 11:00 PM, we would meet him, but if we weren’t, we were going to continue to do what we were doing. Needless to say, we were not finished on time and Brian wound up catching a shuttle home alone.

Tim and I did some serious gift shopping, and I still hadn’t found a watch I liked. We had some ice cream over at Ghirardelli’s (It was good, but I still wish Donald’s Dip wasn’t replaced!) We sat over near the water and talked about how we wished we could stay here forever! Tim and I really seemed to agree when it came to loving Disney. Brian was right behind us, but not close. The other three roommates could take it or leave it; they weren’t here for Disney fun, just fun, which is fine. We caught a shuttle home and went to bed around 1:00 AM.

JULY 8, Wednesday:

I woke up around 10:00 AM and made a quick call back home, but no one answered. Oh well! I took a shuttle bus over to the Crossroads Shopping Plaza to look around at some of the shops and to make one last attempt to get a watch battery instead of buying a watch. No luck, so I took the shuttle back to the apartments and then caught another one to the Magic Kingdom. I had a little while before I went to work, so I did some shopping on Main Street and found the perfect Disney watch. Although Donald Duck is my favorite Disney character, the only Donald watches seem to be geared more towards children, so I settled for a Mickey Mouse watch. It is a gold watch that has a gold picture of Mickey’s head directly under the 12. I was told that it was a brand new item and just put on sale the day before. I bought the watch, with the good grace of my 20% cast member discount, and headed off to the tunnels to change for work.

After another meaningless day of work, I went home and made some telephone calls. I found a few people to hang out with and I went to Walgreen’s to get some fuel for the evening. We stayed up talking until 4:00 AM, when I finally went to sleep.

JULY 9, Thursday:

I woke up at 10:00 AM and headed off to work. I got out early and Don and I hung out until the others got out of work. Don didn’t really like to go on rides much, Disney World didn’t impress him much…I guess since he grew up 10 minutes from it and now works for it, but I forgave him for it. We headed over to his favorite place, the Tomorrowland arcade next to Space Mountain and played some video games and some more rounds of air hockey.

We headed over to the Columbia Harbour House around the time they closed and met up with the others. Beside myself, it was Katie, Karen, Will & Lisa who were all in the college program. The Florida residents, besides Don, were Louis, Joanne, Chris, Javier, and Christine. We headed over to Downtown Disney to see a movie, but by the time we got there it was too late…all the movies had started already. Therefore, we stood around arguing about what to do next. Will gave up and entered Pleasure Island, while I argued with Christine because she wanted me to buy alcohol for everyone (I was the only one over 21). Yeah, right! I’m going to risk jail time to buy alcohol for all these other people that I just met not more than a month ago…especially this obnoxious girl who was still only 17! In her dreams!

Anyway, we decided to just go grab some food since most everyone was hungry. We all drove over to Denny’s, I was the unfortunate one who had to ride with Chris who had his license all of about 1 month and it showed! I was more scared riding with him than I was riding Space Mountain my first time! After a nice dinner, we went home and to bed around 1:30 AM.

JULY 10, Friday:

I woke up at 9:15 AM and, after a telephone call from back home, I went off to work. I was getting lucky, because I didn’t have to close today, so after work, I met up with Don and we hung out at the park. We grabbed his free meal ticket for being "Captain of the Ship" for June. This voting is done monthly at the Columbia Harbour House by cast members. We all vote for Captains of the ‘front’ (servers) and ‘back’ (cooks). Don was the winner for the front in June and his prize was a free dinner at CHH. So, while we ate, I used my camera (I was now starting to carry it daily) and snapped up some photos of my fellow cast members!

After everyone was through with work, we all went down to Downtown Disney to catch a movie. Since it was Friday, movies started later and we weren’t in any danger of repeating yesterday’s fiasco! It was Don, Karen, Katie, Louis, Alex, and I. Alex was on the college program too, but he was from Brazil. Since the summer has so many tour groups from Brazil, Disney has started to recruit them as cast members to help with work and interpreting. Alex and Juliana, who was also from Brazil, were very helpful in translating for us all summer.

Anyway, we went to see ‘Lethal Weapon 4’, the movie was good, but our biggest laugh came when Louis decided that he must sit in another row than the rest of us. Although there was plenty of room, he said that he preferred to watch movies alone! Therefore, he sat in the very last row…about three rows behind us! We got home around 3:30 Am and promptly went to bed!

JULY 11, Saturday:

I woke up at 9:15 AM and went to work. It was after today where my reputation as someone who never worked started to grow. When I got to work, I immediately was asked if I wanted to go home. Of course, I said yes, but she had to ask one other person who came in before me, if she said she didn’t want to leave, then I would be able to leave. She didn’t want to leave, since she was a Florida resident and this was her full-time job, so I thanked her and the manager and I clocked out! I met up with Don on my way out and he said he was going to ask to leave too, and as I was changing in the locker room, in walked Don…with his ER! Don didn’t want to stay in the park, big surprise! Therefore, we decided to go back to where I was staying since Don had never been there. Before we did, he took me to Payless Shoes across from Wal-Mart where I picked up a $5.00 pair of shoes for work, since the old ones I had brought to Florida had developed a large hole in the bottom!

When we got to my apartment, we called Katie and she walked over. We took her to a tattoo place next to a place where they rent out helicopter rides and she got an Irish shamrock on her ankle. From there, we called Karen, who was still sleeping when we called her from the apartments, and we went and picked her up. We went to Sizzler for a nice buffet dinner, and when we walked outside it was pouring! It was like a huge monsoon outside, all the rain and the wind was terrible. We had planned to drive to one of the local malls, but the weather was terrible, so we just went back to the apartment. As a side note, when Don drove me to Payless, it was 100 degrees and sunny outside. On the way back from Sizzler, about two hours later, it was cloudy, rainy, and 80 degrees! What a difference 2 hours makes!

Katie had plans to go somewhere with her roommates, so when we got to the apartments, she went home while the rest of us went to Karen’s apartment and I watched part of a Yankees’ game and played some cards. It had stopped raining by now, and I was ready to head off to a park or something else. Sitting inside is not my idea of fun at Disney World, so Karen suggested seeing a movie. I said they could go if they wanted to, but I was not up for another movie. When she said she wanted to see ‘Mulan’, I changed my mind and went with them. I mean, after all, how could I refuse seeing the latest Disney masterpiece while I was in Walt Disney World working for Disney?!

When the movie ended, I went home and got into a ‘drinking game’ with one of my roommates, Kentucky, and three of our friends, K2 (Kentucky’s roommate from back home), Jillinda and her roommate, Tracy. After our other roommates, Brian and Tim, got angry at our noise level, we walked over to Jillinda and Tracy’s apartment to finish the game. By 3:00 AM, we were all feeling good and I went home to bed.

JULY 12, Sunday:

I woke up at 9:00 AM and went to work. Another productive day working for the Mouse, but as usual, nothing major to report as all the days blended into one! On the way home, I ran into two of my co-workers, Carla and Byron, and we chatted it up during the lengthy ride home.

After I arrived home, I ate some dinner, called home and went to bed.

JULY 13, Monday:

I woke up at 8:00 AM and I went to my Speaker’s Forum. I almost fell asleep at this thing. The gentleman giving the speech was so boring…he reminded me of that teacher on the Wonder Years! The only good thing that came out of this was the fact that since I had my Speaker’s Forum today, I didn’t have a seminar to go to at 12:30 PM. I had the day off from work as well, so as I was changing out of my suit I was deciding on what to do with this free day!

I first decided to go to Epcot and check my email as I have been doing a few times a week. Afterwards, I went on Ellen’s Energy Adventure, which I hadn’t seen before the renovation. I liked it, although I have never been a fan of Ellen’s. On a side note, at the Disney-MGM Studios, there was a store called "Ellen’s Buy The Book", after the one in her show. By the time my summer was over, not only had the show been canceled, but also the name on the front of the store was changed to "Disney’s Buy The Book." I found it very interesting, but it may be just me.

It was today when I decided that I should actually start the plan that I thought of when I first arrived…visit all the Disney Resorts. I had already visited the Caribbean Beach earlier, as well as the Monorail Resorts, but I decided to spend some more time at these resorts to photograph them (and all their entrance signs!)

I also purchased a souvenir at each of the resorts. I really wanted to start a license plate collection, but I didn’t have enough money to buy one at each resort. I wasn’t being paid much to work, and I took as much time off from work as they would allow me to. Therefore, I settled for the cheaper magnet or a key-chain with the resort’s name and/or logo on it

Since I wanted to go to the Magic Kingdom later, I decided to do the Monorail Resorts today. I started at the Polynesian Resort. I really liked the décor of this resort. The inside waterfall was nice and I liked the added touch of a free Disney movie being shown in the children’s corner of the lobby almost all the time. Although I never stopped to watch one, I saw many children (and adults) gathered around laughing at the magic on the screen. An interesting side note, the following week’s issue of the cast newspaper, "Eyes and Ears", had a small mention about cast member Scott Butler who brings his own Disney videos to show there. There was a photo of him and a young guest picking out a movie! It is another way that the cast of Walt Disney World tries to make a difference!

I walked the length of the resort, and took the first of my ‘resort sign’ photographs. I noticed that one of the buildings was going through a major rehab. It was the last one before the walkway to the Luau, I think it was "Tahiti", but I am not sure. From there, I took the path to the Grand Floridian, but first I had to walk through the beautiful Wedding Pavilion. I didn’t stay long in this area, because it was extremely hot and I wanted to get to the Grand Floridian to get a drink. I did stop long enough to take a photograph of the beautiful horse drawn "Cinderella" carriage that was carrying a lovely bride and her new groom. So, if you were married at the Wedding Pavilion on July 13, 1998, I have a photograph of you in the carriage and I would be happy to make you a copy!

After a long walk to the Grand Floridian, I bought a drink over at the food court near the rear of the building and I walked around the grounds. This is a beautiful resort, both inside and out, and I would love to stay here someday. However, I think that if the pathway is really to be called a "walk around the world", then they should extend the path from the Magic Kingdom to the Grand Floridian. I know that there is swamp there and there is a small channel where they store the Electric Water Pageant floats, but I think it would be a really nice walk to the Magic Kingdom from there. The path from the Magic Kingdom goes off in the direction of the Grand Floridian, but comes to a dead end at the channel. It is an almost deserted path, and I feel sad for anyone who has a brick on that path since it is rarely seen. I did walk that path later in the summer, at night and I thought it was a wonderfully romantic area. Next time I will bring someone with me. I feel it is an ‘overlooked attraction,’ but if too many people discover it then it will lose that appeal.

Anyway, back to the Grand Floridian. I thought the central pool was not that appealing. I didn’t see another pool, so if that was the only pool it is quite a disappointment. The beach was lovely, but it always seemed deserted. All those empty beach chairs seemed to be going to waste. I remember being at the Caribbean Beach in 1996, and they could have used a few more beach chairs. Perhaps they should send some over from the Grand Floridian.

I hopped on the Resort Monorail from the Grand Floridian and went on over to the Contemporary Resort. I had been there earlier in the year, as well as a quick walkthrough in 1996. Some people do not like it’s theme, or feel that it is outdated. I like the idea of this resort. I think there are so many positives, that they outweigh any of the negatives. You just cannot beat the location…it is walking distance to the Magic Kingdom. The view from the top, which I did not visit today, is fantastic. In addition, the uniqueness of the monorail going through the resort is awesome. It is a boat ride away from several other resorts, Discovery Island, and River Country. The grounds, while not all that attractive, are pleasant and I just love the Mickey Mouse metal sculpture near the exit in the rear. Mickey sitting on large "Mickey ears", truly amazing! It lights up at night, but I never seemed to have my camera with me when I was at the Contemporary during the evening. The pool area seems adequate, but since I didn’t do half of the things I wanted to this summer, I didn’t swim in it. In fact, the only pool I swam in all summer was the one next to my apartment. Later in the summer, I brought my swimming trunks to the Dixie Landings with the intention of swimming, but I didn’t do it. My plans were to swim in all the pools, but as with anything that you have "too much time for", you wind up not doing many of them because you keep putting them off saying you will do them later. Never again! When I go back there, I am pool hopping…especially at Stormalong Bay at the Yacht and Beach Club. The closest I got to swimming in one of the pools was late August when three others and me wound up at the Wilderness Lodge. We grabbed some towels and headed to the pool, but some cast members stopped us because the pool was closed. It had just stopped raining and lightning was still in the area, so the pool was shut down.

Anyway, after I walked on over to the Magic Kingdom, where I noticed a brick from someone who lived in the same town as me! What a small world! I didn’t photograph it like I wanted to, and when I tried to find it again later in the summer, I failed. Let this be a lesson to you, don’t procrastinate…do things when you say you will, because you may never get the chance again. I learned the hard way!

I didn’t spend much time over at the Magic Kingdom…I mainly went there to catch the shuttle bus back to the apartment. Once I got home, Tim and I ordered some pizza and relaxed with the television. Later, Steve came home with his girlfriend from back home. She was down for a visit and it was on this night that Steve finally convinced Tim to have the first beer of his life! It was some Cherry flavored beer, I think a Samuel Adams brand but I am not sure. Anyway, after one beer Tim was acting all crazy. We weren’t sure if he was serious or if he was acting (he is a film major and wants to be a director), but he soon settled down and we all went to sleep around midnight.

JULY 14, Tuesday:

Today I woke up around 9:00 AM, and waited for the others. We had plans to go to Universal Studios today, but we had to wait for the driver, Tracy, to get ready. When she was finally ready, it was about noon and Tim, Brian, Tracy, Kristy and I headed off to Universal Studios. I used my AAA card to get everyone discounts and then we walked in.

I had been there once before in 1996, and while it was nice, it wasn’t as good as a Disney park. There also is not enough here to fill a whole day. I suppose once their second park opens in 1999, it will be enough to fill a whole day and possibly a second one, but we shall see.

We first went on E.T., which I missed in 1996. Tim loves this movie, and he has been on the ride before and absolutely loved it. I thought it was nice, but I didn’t think it was as good as he built it up to be. Perhaps if he didn’t talk so much about it I would have enjoyed it for what it is, but after his talk, it was a letdown. I did enjoy the walk through the forest before hand and thought it was an interesting way to make a line queue. Anyway, we then went on some attractions that I saw in 1996. Terminator 3-D, which is one of the best 3D/4D attractions in Florida! We walked around the park and went on Earthquake, where I was selected to be the person who shakes the railing in the back. It was nice, but the others jokingly accused me of a ‘conflict of interest’ because I work for Disney and I helped out at Universal!

We then grabbed a quick lunch at Richter’s Burger Co. and then went on Jaws. By this time, it had started to rain, but we didn’t seem to mind. The rest of the park seemed to, because it started to clear out and we had small waits on the remainder of the attractions. We went on Twister, which we all deemed as being ‘nice’, but an extreme disappointment from all the pre-hype that Universal put into this attraction. I personally felt that Ghostbusters, which it replaced, was better. We went into the Hanna-Barbera ride, which I loved in 1996, and still loved now. I think it is a great show and I wish Disney would make a simulation ride with their characters. I could really get into a ride that featured Mickey Mouse and my all time favorite, Donald Duck!

By this time, it was pouring, and instead of spending money on those expensive ponchos, I asked a custodial employee for two trash bags, which I promptly gave to the two ladies. We walked on over to Back to the Future, which is a great simulation ride. I usually prefer Disney to anything else, but this ride and Terminator and as good as anything at the Disney parks. They are worth the price of admission. We went to the Alfred Hitchcock show and then decided to stop for the day, after we exchanged our tickets for a free pass within 7 days. Universal had a promotion where you could get free re-entry within 7 days; all you had to do was exchange your ticket for a new one before you left. We all had next Tuesday off, so we made plans to come back. Tracy and Kristy exchanged their tickets too, but they wound up not making the return trip.

We went back to the apartment and changed into some dry clothes and then the five of us went out to dinner at the local Perkins. We received a small discount because we were cast members. The food was delicious and reasonably priced. We went back to my apartment, where Zack had brought his VCR over and attached it to our TV. They had rented Good Will Hunting, which I had not seen and we all sat down to watch it. I got a call from home about a half-hour into the movie and wound up talking on the telephone for the next two hours, thereby missing the movie!

After getting off the telephone, I went to bed. It was 2:30 AM.

JULY 15, Wednesday:

I awoke at 10:00 AM, ate a quick breakfast as I usually did and then headed on off to Walgreen’s to do some shopping. After unpacking the groceries, I went to work. I called home on my lunch to help with a problem back there, and then I went home after work and collapsed into a deep sleep at 1:00 AM. It was a rough day, both physically and mentally.

JULY 16, Thursday:

I woke up at 9:30 AM and went on off to work. Again, nothing special at work, as all of those days blended into one after awhile. After I got home I took a walk with Jillinda to the store (gas station/Walgreen’s), went back to my apartment, and chatted with everyone. I was in bed by 1:00 AM again.

JULY 17, Friday:

I woke up at 9:30 AM and went on over to one of the other buildings where the Red Cross had set up shop. I donated blood for the first time in my life, I guess that Disney Magic made me fell generous, and then I went off to Downtown Disney to do some shopping. I seemed to eat a lot at Wolfgang Puck’s while I was there. I must have eaten there at least 4 times, but I always went into the Express section…never the full service part. They have good food there, and it is one of the few ‘counter’ places where cast members are given discounts.

From there I caught a Disney bus and went to the Magic Kingdom to work. After another uneventful day of work, we did what became our regular Friday night outing…we went to the movies. Beside me, it was Javier, Christine, Karen, Louis, Katie, Dan, Lisa, Willie, Don and one of Don’s friends from school. The movie was enjoyable, but I was tired and had to fight from falling asleep. We got home around 2:30 AM and I went directly to bed.

JULY 18, Saturday:

Today was another boring day. I woke up around 9:00 AM and left for work. After a long shift (they are usually 10 hour shifts), I talked briefly with Alex, the CP from Brazil, and then I went home. I had a quick dinner and then it was off to bed around 1:00 AM or so.

JULY 19, Sunday:

After waking up at 9:00 AM, I got a short telephone call from back home and then it was off to work. Again, this workday was like all the others and I have no specific details.

After arriving home, I talked with a few of my fellow cast members, Alex, Delena, and Lisa. It seems that Carla, whom we also worked with, was having a small party at her apartment. Alex and Delena backed out at the last minute, but Lisa and I headed on over there. It turned out that it was a small party. Not much going on there, even Carla was bored. So, Lisa decided to pack it in and go home, while Carla and I headed on over to another party that her roommates heard about. This one was much better, but still nothing special. I stayed for about an hour talking with Carla and then I left and went back to my apartment. It was bedtime for me at 2:30 AM.

JULY 20, Monday:

I woke up a little earlier than usual today, at 8:00 AM, because I had to get to the ‘Mouse Pad’ at the Magic Kingdom. It is one of the ‘Centers of Excellence’ that Disney has for it’s cast members. There you will find many books on not only Disney, but on the corporate world. It is like a small library where you can check out books and videos or use their computers where you can access the Disney Intranet, which are web pages with tons of information accessible only through these computers.

I was there to do the first of my two Independent Studies, which are required for the College Program. I breezed through that and then headed on back to the apartments so that I could attend my second Speaker’s Forum. This one was much more interesting that the first one and dealt with obtaining a permanent position with Walt Disney World. After that, I headed back to the apartment to change and then I was off to work. After another unspectacular day at work, I got a ride home from Don and hung at the apartment watching some TV and talking with my roommates. I was off to bed at 12:30 AM as we had a big day planned tomorrow.

JULY 21, Tuesday:

I should mention that today started my ‘vacation’ from work! I had requested this week off, telling the scheduler that I had to return home to attend a wedding. I originally asked for today through Monday (July 27) off, but I was only given until Sunday, which was perfectly fine by me! I guess the main reason why I asked for this time off is because my first 2 weeks here I was working about 60 hours a week, which would have been fine anywhere else but Walt Disney World. I came here to have fun as well, so I requested a full week off to get a real Disney Vacation going! Luckily for me, I was granted the time off without any questions.

I woke up at 8:30 AM and called for a cab. Brian, Tim, and I were headed towards Universal Studios for our ‘second day free.’ Last week we had gone with Jillinda and Tracy, who drove, but they didn’t want to go today; they would rather hang out by the pool working on their tan! Therefore, it was just the three of us.

The cab cost about $20 for all three of us, and as we were walking towards the entrance, Tim…who earlier joked that we shouldn’t forget our tickets…noticed that he had left his back at the apartment. Therefore, we went inside to talk with customer services, explained our predicament. We weren’t sure if they would believe us, but Tim had the bright idea to tell them that we were cast members at Walt Disney World. At first, Brian and I thought that was a mistake since Universal and WDW are rivals, but almost immediately after Tim mentioned that fact we were escorted into the park with no problems. They didn’t even ask to see if Brian and I had our tickets! Cool!

After that initial hump, we went through a few of the attractions that we missed the last time and repeated a few of our favorites from last week. We didn’t spend much time there. In fact, if we had gotten their earlier last week, and stayed later we wouldn’t have bothered to return today. Universal is a decent park with some real nice attractions, but it really can be done in one day. I look forward to the opening of their second park in the summer of 1999. They had a preview center open during this trip and we had a look at it.

After Universal, we went back to the apartment where I had a quick dinner and headed off to the Magic Kingdom. I hit a few of the attractions, like the Hall of Presidents and the Haunted Mansion (I had to get a photo of the ‘Hidden Donald’ that is inside this attraction, since Donald Duck is my favorite!) Then, I stopped by work to say hi to my fellow cast members who had to work this week!

I went home around midnight and went to bed around 1:00 AM.

JULY 22, Wednesday:

I woke up at 9:00 AM and called back home. Then I did some desperately needed laundry. I walked on over to the Chick-fil-A for lunch and then stopped at Walgreen’s for some necessities. I caught a bus on over to the Magic Kingdom, where I got my haircut on Main Street. This was something I had always wanted to do, and since my hair was getting long (my last haircut was almost 2 months ago), I decided to get it done on Main Street instead on down in the tunnels. In the tunnels, you need an appointment, but on Main Street, you can walk right in for a haircut. They normally charge $15 for a men’s haircut, but being a cast member he only charged me $10, which is the same price as down in the tunnels. I didn’t even have to tell him I was a cast member…he knew! I guess he has seen me in the tunnels before. I thought it was cool, twice during the summer a cast member knew I was a fellow cast member without me telling them or showing any ID. The other time was at Aunt Polly’s on Tom Sawyer Island. I went over there one day to look around and decided to have some ice cream, and the cast member who sold it to me recognized me from the tunnels! Anyway, after the haircut I hopped on a bus back to the apartment and took a short nap.

Upon awaking, I hung out with my roommates for a few hours while I waited for Karen, who I worked with, to come over. I had wanted to go to a nice restaurant while down here and the first one that came to my mind was the California Grill. I mentioned it to a few people a work and Karen said she wanted to go, so we checked our schedules to find a common day off. That day was today, so once she came over we hopped onto the Magic Kingdom shuttle. It makes a sto