It's Been Awhile (Part One)

So, I realized that it has been FOREVER since I last posted a blog.  And thats a little sad. But my schedule has been jam packed, which means that this is going to be a super long blog (just a heads up).

So since I last blogged, I had my parents come and visit me.  They came down for a week the last week of July.  It was such a great time.  We went to the parks (Obviously), one night we went to Hollywood Studios and the Boardwalk and the next day we went to Animal Kingdom and Epcot.  While at Epcot we went to Le Cellier for dinner.  This was the first time I have eaten at Le Cellier, man was it amazing!  (And no I'm not just saying that because I work there) We also spent a day at Daytona Beach, we went early in the morning to get there for around 9am or 10am, which was perfect because we were ready to leave by 1pm (it rained around 2pm so it was good to be able to get a couple hours in at the beach).  Although I still had to work during my parents visit (only the last two days) it was great to see them and a perfect little staycation.

Visiting Hollywood Studios

Eating at Le Cellier

Daytona Beach!!

Then in the second week in August (and the reason I had started slacking on blogging) I had started food running!  As a food runner you are working from 12pm till about 10pm, so it is a very long day.
That was basically my life in August.  Meagan and I went on a day trip over to Siesta Key's Beach.  Which was just what we needed.  We rented a car and headed out of the disney bubble.  The day was beautiful and sunny, until we got to the beach and it was overcast....of course but we still got some sun and got to enjoy being in the ocean.  We then made a trip into Tampa and just drove around the city.  We found the building that holds basically the only Tim Hortons in Florida (and I'm pretty sure most of the United States) unfortunately it was closed.  We also ate at the Cheesecake Factory (YUM!) and headed home.

Siesta Keys

Tampa Bay Times (Where you can find Tim Hortons!)

Downtown Tampa

Raymond James Stadium

After I had one more week of food running, then I started my service training.  Service training is about a week long, and let me tell you that was one of the most intense, stressful weeks of my life!  To be a server you need to have extensive knowledge of our menu and just about all of our drinks (which is quite a lot), you need to be well organized and very quick paced.  These things I can be good at, but I need more time to figure each thing out and get into a routine that works for me.  Unfortunately I did not end up going into service, but I am actually quite relived because it was way too stressful for me and I did not come to this program to be that stressed and overwhelmed.  I came down here to work at Disney and to have an amazing experience.  So I am back on podium, popcorn and assigning (I'll be honest, I really missed assigning).  Although I wont be making as much as what I would make serving, I am happy that I get to enjoy my time more.  Plus life isn't all about the money, it's about doing what makes you happy and being around people you care about and who care about you (cheesy I know, but it's true).  I also found the past year that you are not always going to succeed at everything, you just have to learn how to make the best out of it and not give up and blame yourself because of it.

Now I think I will leave it at that for now, and start writing part two of this blog entry.
-Janice


"All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you."
-Walt Disney

Summer is Definitely Here

I can't believe how quickly the months are flying!

It felt like last week was the end of may and it is now the second week of July. 

So a little update about what I've been up to.

I've been doing major studying because June 30th I wrote my service test and with good news to follow that, I passed!  So excited to start food running, and start learning the menu even more. 

After my test my friends Meagan, Mallory, Nicole and I went on a couple of rides in Epcot.  We went on Captain EO (which was typical a typical 80's film with Michael Jackson....there are no words to describe it, seriously no words) and Universe of Energy (I felt so full of knowledge after, Bill Nye the science guy taught us ALL about ENERGY).  It was raining so it was a great way to stay dry for a bit, Universe of Energy is a 45 minute ride.  After we headed over to the boardwalk and put our names on the wait list for beaches and cream, we walked around and ended up looking at a suit for the vacation club.  Which from the looks of the suits, I am totally interested in buying (although the money situation changes that a little...maybe one day).  After an hour of waiting, we sat at our table and immediately knew what we were getting, The famous Kitchen Sink!  

For those of you who don't know, I will list off what makes the Kitchen Sink.

-About 12 scoops of ice cream

-Practically every topping at Beaches and cream (brownies, cake wedges, bananas, sliced almonds, Oreo cookies, chocolate bar pieces, fudge sauce, sprinkles, 24 cherries)

-A whole can of Whip Cream (Yes, A WHOLE CAN)

-And finally, all of this is brought our in a kitchen sink.

The Kitchen Sink! (Before)

The Kitchen sink after.

We began to hit our sugar comma....

Unfortunately for this round (yes, we will be attempting this again!), we didn't finish it.  In our defence, there was only three of us eating it.  I think we did a pretty good job for just three girls.  It was the whip cream that got us....way too much that we filled up on that before we hit the ice cream!  We definitely made Beaches and Cream some good business that night, it seemed that after everyone who saw us order the Kitchen sink, ended up ordering one too.  There was at least 8 more Kitchen Sinks that got ordered almost every 5 minutes.  It got pretty crazy.  Later we wen't to Hollywood Studios and went on The Great Movie Ride, which always makes me want to watch every single movie out there after I ride it.  And then we just took goofy pictures around the park till it closed.

Then the next day, July 1st, was the day to celebrate the beautiful country of Canada.  Minus the fact that it basically rained the whole day, it was a good day.  I headed over to Epcot for a special Canada Day celebration that was held for all of us Canadian Cast members in which we got free pizza, cheddar cheese soup and mickey bars and ice cream sandwiches!  After Leah and I headed over to Hollywood Studios but we only went on a couple rides because it was raining, but it was still fun.

Canadian Pavilion on Canada Day

Free Food!  YEAH!

A couple of weeks ago we also had a scavenger hunt at the Magic Kingdom!  It was so much fun, I have never ran around so much for such a long period of time!  I was on a team with Meagan and Courtney, we started at 11pm and finished around 1am.  We are given clues for what to find/what to take pictures with and we had 2 hours to complete it.  Below are some of the pictures we had to take.

Pretty Princesses!

Hanging with Roy and Minnie

Courtney and Meagan sword fighting

  

And earlier that day of the scavenger hunt, Meagan, Victoria and I went to the Polynesian Resort to soak up some sun by the beach.  It was a day of sand, dole whip and boating!

Duckies!!

The beach at the Polynesian Resort

Fun at the Beach!

Playing in the sand

Self serve dole whip!!

Meagan and I going for a boat ride

It is also still getting hotter and hotter here in Florida, tomorrow is my day off and I think it is going to be spent at the pool (as long as it doesn't rain out, which usually happens on my days of....go figure). 

Thats as much as I can currently remember that has been going on lately, I've had a couple other fun adventures, but I feel that they are more enjoyable to talk about when I can also add pictures (or else it just doesn't make sense...) so I will definitely talk about those in another blog.

Until next time!

-Janice

"We stick together, we can see it through cause you've got a friend in me."

-Toy Story

It's Too Darn Hot

That's right!  I said it!  I'm finally cracking on the weather!  

It is super hot and humid down here, and it's just getting started!  Most days are about 90°F (approx. 32°C) and it usually feels like 95°F (35°C) to 100°F (37°C) which is, well, too darn hot!

Although don't get me wrong, on my days off and lying by the pool or just hanging out, I absolutely love it, bring on the heat!  But when you are wearing a costume that involves black polyester pants and a heavy cotton long sleeve shirt that buttons all the way up to your neck, it gets a little....well...hot.  It can be very difficult to focus and concentrate in this heat!  To make up for the heat though, it rains/thunderstorms/torrential down pours almost everyday usually around 3pm...which sometimes helps by cooling things off or makes it worse and the weather becomes 10 times more humid.

As you can see my Le Cellier costume is quite a lovely thing to wear 

on a hot summer day in Florida.

On another note, I've been thinking a lot about acting lately.  I think it's because usually around this time of year I am doing shows back in my hometown.  And now that I am down here, there is not much opportunity or time to be acting or trying to be in shows.  I'm really missing it, I just want to do something...which so far is just reading scripts.  I've been thinking about performing so much that I decided to write a blog because I started singing "Too Darn Hot" from Kiss Me Kate.

I would also like to link the video of "Too Darn Hot" because the dancing in this is phenomenal.  I only wish I could dance like Ann Miller.  

Hope you enjoyed that little number and learn't something interesting about the weather in Florida.

Until next time!

-Janice

"The very things that hold you down 

are going to lift you up."

-Timothy Mouse, Dumbo

So Much to Do

So I just realized it's been over a month since I last blogged.

I've been working a lot lately, at least anywhere from 40 to 50 hours.  It's been a lot of hard work but I've been having a lot of fun too.  I just became an assigner (although I still am on podium and popcorn), which is the person who figures out and plans out where all the guests are going to sit.  It's not a physically demanding job, but it is definitely mentally demanding and sometimes emotionally.  Assigner is at the restaurant from open till close meaning the shifts are 10 hours.  This can take a lot out of you, but it's not too bad.  I find that it's really been helping me with focusing (I can become quite ADD at times, so focusing can be hard as well as plaining ahead).  It can be quite tuff because you need to make sure guests aren't waiting too long, you have to try to get large parties sitting as close as possible and you need to make sure you keep rotation of sections and not to double seat the servers.  But I have been enjoying it so far.

So not all my time here is spent at work....well actually yeah it is...but it's not because of work, but because of play!
I feel that my time playing in the parks and other adventures will best be explained with pictures!

Outside of my apartment

The Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom

The Boardwalk 

The Boardwalk

So yummy!

Me, Repunzel and Mat

The Cheesecake Factory!!!!

                       

So many cakes to choose from!

Salad was amazing!

As well as the cheesecake

Pixie Dust, think of a wonderful thought 

Jodies last Wishes

Si-Fi Dine In Theatre 

(So much fun!  Great atmosphere and some pretty yummy food!)

Me and Meagan

Meagan and I outside of the Si-fi Dine in Theatre 

in Hollywood Studios

An almost empty park, quiet and peaceful

Beaches and Cream!!

Vanilla and Strawberry Sundae 

with almonds, caramel sauce, whip creme and a cherry on top!

So this has been some of my adventures since the last time I posted.  Hopefully this gives a little in site to what my time has been like.  I'm also getting excited because in about six weeks my parents are going to be coming down for a couple days!  I can't wait because I miss them a lot!  Although I feel it isn't so hard since I have lived on my own for a couple years, but I'm still quite far away.  

Time to go enjoy my day off!
-Janice

"In every job that must be done, 
there is an element of fun."
-Mary Poppins 

Missing Canada?

Well I've been in Florida for two months now, it's hard to believe!

As time wears on, I find myself missing or craving certain things that you can't get here in the sates.
Although America and Canada are quite similar, there are some small detail that are different and can create a bit of a culture shock because you don't really expect it to be different (if that makes any sense at all).

For starters, when you go into Walmart, you walk in and don't know where to start!  The Walmart's down here are ginormous and super confusing!  They don't have roll back so you really have to really look at prices.  Also the customers aren't the same, in Canada everyone usually looks were they are going and is very courteous, in America...not so much.  I'm not saying it to be bias or trying to offend anyone, but it is true and slightly stero-typical...Canadians say sorry way too much (at least it seems to be that way with me....).

Some things I miss that they don't have in Canada:
-Tim Hortons (Seriously dying, I miss getting Timmies coffee and bagels and doughnuts!)
-Smarties
-Ketchup Chips
-Poutine (Never really craved it till I came here...now I want it all the time because I can't have it!)
-Kraft Dinner (They have Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, but it's weird not seeing KD)
-Kinder Surprise (I don't really miss it...but was surprised they don't have them)
-Plum Sauce (I go to McDonalds and ask for plum sauce for the chicken nuggets and they look at me like I have 5 eyes and ask what plum sauce is..)

Another thing is that the customer service is horrible.  It's a lot more difficult to get things done quickly when you need customer service.  Although I do have to say that even though working for Disney might sound intimidating to do, since they are very strict about having good show and looking/acting our best in front of guests at all times, I completely understand why.  Disney is probably one of the best places to go for great customer service, there is nothing they wont try to do (within limitation of course) to make sure you have an enjoyable time.  It's not always easy or possible to accommodate every guests need or solve every complaint, but Disney really does put in a lot of effort to make sure that everyone has a magical experience.  After certain experiences I have had with customer service from stores or banks while down here, I have found a lot of respect to why disney is so strict with how cast members act and I find myself trying to do my best to make sure that a guest doesn't have to deal with the stress or frustration I have had to deal with.

Sorry if this isn't a super positive post, I guess I'm just missing Canada a bit and wanted to educate you on somethings I've found out while down here.

On a more positive note, I've got 4 days off and today I am going to Animal Kingdom with my friend Sam!  Maybe one blog post will be strictly pictures of my adventure in Florida thus far!

-Janice


"You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world.  But it takes people to make the dream a reality."
-Walt Disney

Le Cellier

Hello Folks!

I'm officially no longer the newbie at the pavilion as well as I am all done my "Prove it" shifts in the restaurant.  In this blog I am going to be talking about the different positions in our restaurant, Le Cellier.

Le Cellier Steakhouse is the Canadian pavilions signature restaurant.  It is the second most popular restaurant in all of Disney World.  It usually books up three to six months in advance!  So if you ever plan on eating there....book early!  And because Le Cellier is in a Disney Park, it is not like any normal high end restaurant, there is no dress code.

Right now I am working Front of House at Le Cellier.  Front of house positions consists of greeter, seater and setter.  These are all non tipped positions.

Greeter:

The greeter stands behind the desk and checks the guests into the restaurant.  As the greeter, you need to make sure you ask a guest how many children and adults are in the party, if children; ask if highchairs or strollers are needed, ask if guest in wheelchairs/ECV's are able to transfer, ask guests if they are on the Disney Dining Plan (DDP) or Tables in Wonderland (TIW) and remind the guest that if on DDP it will be two table credits per person.  You also need to make sure that if guests want to wait outside, they must know that they can not wander past the bridge because we will not be able to find them.  Greeter does involve a bit of computer skills as well as some multi tasking.  While typing finishing with filling out a check in, you need to be able to start greeting the next guest so they are not standing there for too long waiting for you to talk to them.  

Seater:

Being a seater, you need to be very quick at memorizing and have good people skills (you need good people skills with a positions...but a little more with seater).  You need to be able to have conversations with the guests while bringing them to their table.  Things I like to ask is where they are traveling from, if they are having a good time and if they have been to Le Cellier before.  If there are younger kids I like to ask what other parks they have been too, what rides are their favourite and what characters they have met.  You need to be quick at memorizing because you need to learn the table numbers and what sections they are in.  Each section represents a canadian provence or territory, so you need to be able to know a fun fact for each provence and territory.  Another thing a seaters job is, is Disney trivia (or canadian trivia).  When the wait is starting to get long and there are a lot of guests in the front area, we do disney trivia.  It entertains the guests and it helps time go by faster...it's also a lot of fun!  And the guests that answer questions right get mickey stickers!  It's great when you have a crowd with lots of kids.

Setter:

This is probably the most exhausting job on podium.  Setter is the one who sets each table, and the shift is about 9 hours.  You are basically running around the restaurant setting tables non stop for 9 hours.  The good thing about this shift is that you do get an hour break, so you do get a chance to re-energize.  As setter you also have to refill the pretzel bread.  As setter, you don't really have much interaction with guests unless they ask you where the bathrooms are.  This can be nice when you have a cold/lost your voice and can not talk over the noise of the dining room.  

There you have it, the three non tipped positions at Le Cellier!  The next step up are tipped positions which is Food Runner and eventually Server, but I'll let you know more about them when I know more about them.  I have also started studying for my service test!  It's hard to start since you need to know what to study for, but once you start studying it gets a little bit easier.  Who knew that even when you are not in school anymore, you'd still have to study and write tests...

Time to make some tea and relax!

-Janice

"Mickey Mouse is, to me, a symbol of independence. 

He was a means to an end."

-Walt Disney 

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go.

Well, since the last time I wrote I have started working!  I started my training outside on the popcorn cart and then this past week I was in the restaurant training.  In this blog I think Im going to talk about the jobs at pop corn cart and my next blog will be about working in Le Cellier, if I don't it's going to be a super long novel which is what the last one was like.  

A quick little talk about the training at Disney.  You have one day of training per position.  Once you are done your training shifts, you have what they like to call your "Prove it" shifts.  Which isn't as scary as it sounds, it's just a day where you work without a trainer helping you and explaining things to you.  I haven't had any major issues yet with my prove it shifts I did for popcorn so I don't really know what happens if your "prove it" shifts don't go well.  I guess they just get you to do another training day to get you more comfortable with the position.  

AM Popcorn Cash:

For AM popcorn cash, you have to open the cart in the morning (you have about an hour to do so, and should not take longer then that hour because guests are waiting to buy stuff by 12pm).  AM popcorn cash talks to customers and takes their orders, handles the money.  You get one 45 minute break during this shift usually around 3pm and at the end of your shift you close the till and are escorted back to the restaurant to count the till.  The one downfall with AM Popcorn is that you are working by yourself for the majority of the time, but you do have Merchandise close by if anything happens.  

PM Popcorn Cash:

This is so far my favourite position.  You arrive and head up to the cart, open and count your till, then basically do what you do for am popcorn (except you don't have to open the cart).  You also have whoever is on popcorn stocker to help you out if it gets busy.  Dinner break is usually an hour or two after we start, so around 4pm.  Lucky thing about PM popcorn cash is that you don't have to close down the cart.  PM popcorn cash helps the popcorn stocker by cleaning up somethings while waiting for the escort and bringing things down to the dishwasher to be cleaned then you bring them back up on your way out. 

Popcorn Stocker:

This is a somewhat tedious job and is more physically demanding the the other two popcorn duties.  

Through out the day and night, the popcorn cart will get low on supplies and it is the popcorn stockers job to stock them up.  You need to change kegs, move kegs, empty spill buckets, stock up on pop, frozen drinks, popcorn, popcorn containers and cups.  There is a lot of moving back and forth for this.  Although your job doesn't really start until 9pm when you start to close the cart.  You need to count all products, clean the cart, un tap the kegs, lock everything up and bring all dry products and the two slushy drinks back down to the restaraunt.  It doesn't sound difficult, and once you get a good routine that works for you, it's really not.  It's only because you are the only closing and are working at night that makes it seem long.  But it can be kind of fun because thats when all the disney wildlife comes out!  There are about three or four bunnies that live around the Canadian pavilion, they are very cute and like to graze around the popcorn cart.  

Now time to talk about the popcorn cart itself!  It is where I learn't how to pour draft beer!  At the popcorn cart we sell draft canadian beer (Moosehead, Moosehead Light and Labatt Blue), popcorn, pop, one alcoholic slushy (Torontopolitain, which is similar to a cosmopolitain) and a North Bay smoothie (which is like a frozen sheerly temple).  For popcorn cart we wear the red and black plaid shirt, tan culottes and a lumberjack hat. (*Pictures will be posted when as soon as I get a picture of me in both my outfits*) Popcorn cart is a lot of fun because you are outside for your shift and you get to communicate a lot more with the guests.  

Since today was my day off I did my chores and plan on going to Epcot to eat at Germany (when guests are unable to get a table at Le Cellier, we recommend them to eat at either Germany, Morocco or China.  So what better way to recommend a place then by trying it yourself!  

Thats about it for now!

-Janice

Also, I thought I would add some pictures I took when I went to see "Wishes" at the Magic Kingdom.  It is seriously the best thing to watch to cure homesickness or just to brighten your mood.  It's is truly breath taking.

"When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable."

-Walt Disney