What's in a Hiss?
Mood:  incredulous
Topic: Uhh..Really????

A hiss.  That's what it all came down to.  A hiss.  So if you read my post below, you know my pain.  The follow up was that my managers made up an admitedly unscientific test for me to determine if I could still do my job.  I passed everything except...I didn't hear a hiss.

If you don't work for Disney, then you are probably wondering what in hell I am talking about.  Well, in certain lands, the way cast members get each other's attention is by...hissing.  You know they go PSSSSST or SSSSSSSST or SHHHHHSSST whatever.  Why?  Who knows?  But its been that way since forever.  Now, mind you, a hiss is a hiss is a hiss, but nobody, but nobody hisses the same way.  There are varying degrees of loudness and pitch and a lot of the time, it doesn't work.

But...

Failing to hear my manager's soft spoken hiss, while standing inside of two very, no...extremely...noisy attractions cost me not only my coordinator job, but any future role that requires me to wear an earpiece on stage.  So, I'll never be a manager, I'll never even be able to work a menial position in foods because...I can't wear an earpiece in my left ear.  And all because of a hiss.  But, I digress.

This post isn't about the fact that I'm furious that a few people who don't have any medical training have absolutely ruined any future I may have had with the company, or even the fact that my heart is broken because I can't work in the place I love.  Its about...hissing.

WTF??? 

When I first began my employment as a cast member, I was told about this hissing thing.  I thought even back then that it was a stupid...and RUDE way of getting someone's attention.  I have to wonder what goes through our guests minds when they hear that hissing.  Do they know why its done?  Do they laugh about it if they know what we're doing?  Do they think its stupid?  I would be willing to bet my paycheck and say..."YOU BETCHA!"  Now, not all of the lands use this obscure form of communication.  But for those that do, it is apparently the unofficial official means of requesting contact.  So...I would really like to see how it can be enforced since it isn't written down anywhere and isn't official Disney protocol.  I mean, if you work for Disney, you know that EVERYTHING is written down...in extremely exacting detail.  There is no question, you KNOW what they want you to do.  But...HISSING...isn't in the OG guys.  Get real!!!

Somewhere in all of the do's and don'ts I have read and signed off on is a little paragraph about how Disney is a first name company.  We proudly wear our names AND home towns on our name tags.  We are REQUIRED to wear our name tags.  We are NOT allowed on stage WITHOUT our name tags.  SO why o'why can't we simply call out to each other by using our first names? See what I mean?

I posed this question to the HR lady I have been speaking to and she replied that management feels hissing is a DIFFERENT way of trying to contact one another.  Really???  So this unusual, unique and extremely rude sound is more acceptable than simply calling out a name that we so proudly wear over our hearts??? 

Yeah. Right.  Ok.

Have I mentioned that this primitive and RUDE method mostly never works? Oh yeah, I did.  But did I mention that when the first hiss doesn't work, the hisser becomes more aggressive with their hisses and keeps it up, hissing louder and louder until they have worked themselves up into a frenzy and have spit all over themselves and anybody within five feet of them?  Nah...didn't tell you that yet, did I? LOL!

Well, anyway, bottom line for me is that I am now stuck in a somewhat higher paying job that I absolutely hate.  A job that I find extremely stressful and suffocating.  In an atmosphere that I find extremely wearying.  I keep saying this...I feel so much more comfortable and confident being responsible for people's lives than I do about being responsible for their money...and creature comforts at the resort.

Oh well. Guess I'll just have to suck it up.  But dammit, if I could afford to hire a lawyer to fight this hissing thing, I would.  But no, I work for Disney.  They don't even pay me enough to buy food, let alone hire a lawyer to fight them.  Uh huh. Pretty damn smart that mouse...

 

 

Stupid Stupid Stupid

I haven't written here in a long time.  Guess I've been happy, huh?  NOT!!!

So much has happened, so much bad stuff and really, nothing good.  Why did I ever think that moving to Florida was a good idea?!?!?!

You know, you give 5 years to a company and you would think they would be pleased that someone who was a good worker and actually CARED stuck around that long!  And treat that worker with respect, or at least compassion.  But no.  And why should they?  They have over 50,000 people working for them.  Why would they care about 1, or 10, or even 10,000 of us? We are so expendable.  We are so replaceable.  We are NOTHING to them!!!!  They treat us like shit and expect us to be happy happy happy, efficient and loving our way way WAY below the poverty level paying jobs all the time and always always always provide the mostest and bestest ever service to our guests so that they have the bestest vacations ever and spend spend spend making the company rich rich rich!!  So again, why should they care about "the needs of the many...or the one". (Thank you Mr. Spock for that excellent comparison.)

So, WTF????  I have had the same job for 3 of those 5 years and NOW, they say that I can't do that job anymore because....are you ready?  Because...I need to hear everything out of one ear since I am pretty near deaf in the other.  And that my friends, is something they have known about since I began my employment.  I never hid it, nor did I try to skirt any issues surrounding it.  I was always up front and even told folks right off the bat about my disability so they would understand right from the beginning. 

But NOW...NOW, its an issue.  And it has cost me dearly.  You see NOW, they say that I cannot do the job I have been doing for the last three years, (which pays mighty suckily I may add), and consequently will have to take one that will pay me at least $40 less per week, that's $160 less per month $1920 less per year, in case you're not thinking mathematically.  And I will have to stay at that whatever it ends up being job for at least 6 months.  Then, I can apply for a transfer BUT...isn't there always a but?  BUT I will never be able to advance to any kind of supervisory position aka make a decent living salary wise, because....BECAUSE...I am forbidden to wear a radio ear piece in my good ear!  But hey, its a job, right?  Yeah.

They say the reason is that I can't hear things going on around me properly, yet, I haven't had any trouble with that for the past 3 years and even wear a specific kind of ear piece so I CAN hear what's going on outside of the constant yakking on that godforsaken radio.  Oh yeah, that and they feel that the high decible level having the ear piece in my ear constantly will eventually kill the hearing in my good ear.  Yet...YET, my hearing test showed no change from the last time they gave me one two years ago in either my GOOD or my BAD ear!

Do I think its a conspiracy to get rid of me?  You betcha!  You see, I had transferred to another area for a year and then decided I missed the old area.  Silly me, huh?  So, I transferred back.  And since I've been back, I have felt extremely uncomfortable for a bunch of reasons.  On the day I came back two months ago, I received a bit of a chilly reception from some of my former and new peers, and the same from a couple of the managers, one in particular who I SWEAR is behind all of this shit!!!  Things haven't changed much.  The peers that I spoke of just act like...she's here, whatever.  But that manager, well, that's a horse of a different color.  However, I have no proof of any back stabbing, just a gut feeling.  So I guess I can't do anything about it.  The other managers will never believe me or if they do, won't admit it.  And THAT one...will NEVER change.  Well, you know what they say...what goes around, comes around.  One can only hope.

What a colossal mistake I made in transferring back there.  Oh well, its done and now I have to live with the results of my decision.  And I don't like it.  Not one bit!!!  Seriously, they can all go to hell as far as I'm concerned.  I just wish I was old enough to retire.  But that's not gonna happen.  So now I have to figure out how I am going to live.  Decide on if I should sell my home (if I even can), or should try to get a bunch of roommates, which ain't easy, nor is it how I want to live.

So who is STUPID STUPID STUPID, me or them?   I would say that STUPIDITY was all the way around on this one.  But I'm the only one who is seriously screwed.

Life's a bitch.

Oh Aunty Em, there's no place like home!
Mood:  down
Topic: Reflections

So, today I was watching a documentary on Benjamin Franklin and I suddenly realized I was incredibly homesick.  As I watched the show, fleeting memories of walking the streets of Old Philadelphia danced across my mind and I ached to once again see our country's incredible historic places and soak up our rich history.  One of the things I loved about living in Philadelphia was being so surrounded with so much of the past.  At any given time, one can walk a street filled with buildings from times long gone by and know that each one of those buildings contained many stories of those who entered their doors.

I used to joke about how tourists paid a lot of money to come and see our historic places and there I was living right there and could see it all whenever I wanted.  I remember the first time I went inside Independence Hall and was kind of unimpressed.  I don't know why, except that the room our forefathers drafted the Declaration of Independence in was much, much smaller than I had ever imagined.  But then, I suppose one always conceives such a monumental event as taking place in a huge space. 

One of my most favorite things to do was to go on the ghost tour during the Halloween season.  That tour takes you to some of our oldest homes, churches and historic buildings.  The stories about those places and the ghosts that supposedly inhabit them are pretty interesting and very believable, if one believes in the paranormal.  Just for the record, I do believe. 

Ben Franklin's house no longer stands, however there is a marked off area where it once was, so you can still stand upon the ground that this famous statesman stood upon almost 250 years ago and imagine what life was like back then.

Yes, I do miss Philadelphia.  It was my home for many years.  I miss walking through Valley Forge Park.  I miss walking through my own neighborhood for that matter.  There was so much rich history in Roxborough, where my home was, history that dated back to the 1600's.  And I eagerly read every piece that I could get my hands on. 

It's funny, but I guess even though I know Philly is a dirty, crime infested city, I've wiped all of that out of my mind and only remember the good.  I guess that's the romantic in me taking over.  Maybe some day I'll go back and visit and once again walk the streets of the city I'll always love.

The Happiest Place On Earth? Perhaps...
Mood:  d'oh
Topic: Mouse Tales

I work in the Magic Kingdom.  And it's my job to make sure our guests have the best time at WDW.  Let me tell you, oftentimes, its not easy.  I think many people come to the MK with an unreal perception of what to expect.  The following may sound like a rant, but it really isn't.  Its just reality....

Strollers ~ we move them around to keep them in some kind of order.  If we didn't, they'd be all over the place, blocking pathways and possibly being moved by other guests to some place far away from where they were originally parked, and thus be lost forever.  We're not responsible for things left in strollers, we can't possibly know who belongs to which stroller, so we make every effort to let guests know to take everything out of their strollers and keep things with them.  Mostly, that doesn't happen.  You know, its Walt Disney World.  Its safe.  Not!!

Lines ~ Guests love fast pass.  Guests hate fast pass. It's Disney.  Lines are going to be long no matter if one has a fast pass or not. But those on the standby lines may have a very long wait if the fast pass lines are long. Something to remember, the fast pass guests actually wait longer than the standby guests because most of the time, those fast passes were issued about two hours prior to their return time.  The difference is that fast pass guests did not have to wait on the line. They were able to use that wait time to do other things in the park.  Fast passes are free, and were intended for that purpose, to give guests time to do something else other than waiting for an hour on a long line.  You'd be surprised how many standby guests just don't get that concept.

GWD cards ~ these are supposed to be issued to guests who have disabilities in an effort to help them easily navigate our attraction entrances, however, the system is highly abused.  Why? Because many people know how to get around the system. In fact, due to the fact that no proof of disability is required for the card, way too many people get those cards simply to be expedited on the lines, and are in no way disabled, and then they have the nerve to complain if they have to wait a few minutes and/or are not escorted to the front of the line. But GWD cards are not fast passes, so there will be some attractions where there will be a wait, and since most of our fast pass entrances are also GWD entrances, fast pass lines will be longer and wait times increased for those on that line. Also, GWD cards are not honored at character meet and greets or parades and/or parade detours.  IOW, its not going to get a guest across the Liberty Square Bridge when its closed for a parade.  I can't tell you how many people have gotten mad at me, when they can't go where they want or do what they want after showing me that card.

Dress Code ~ we do have a dress code.  Its a family park.  You may not know it though.  People think, its Florida, so its ok to come to the park wearing a skimpy bra top and short shorts down to their hair line and up to their hips. In theory, its not ok, in reality however, it is.  And that's because unfortunately, our Security does not enforce our dress code.  About the only time they will is if someone is wearing a lewd t-shirt.  Then, they'll either ask the guest to turn it inside out or take it off.  And while I'm on the subject of dressing for Florida, it really riles me when I see infants and very young children in t-shirts and shorts during the winter.  Our winters are damp and cold.  It may be 60 degrees but the same thing that makes us hot in the summer...humidity...is what makes us cold in the winter.  Its bone chilling and those little kids HAVE to be cold.  Parents should bring something warm for their kids to wear or be prepared to pay a lot of money at the parks for sweats, hats and gloves.

Attraction policies ~ I won't get specific here because every attraction has its own set of rules.  I just want to say, I wish people would be more receptive when CMs explain our policies to them. There have been many times when I shook my head at guests who have tried to hop in or out of moving cars instead of waiting until those cars come to a complete stop.  Again, I guess they're thinking its Disney, its safe.  Uh huh....

Food & Shopping ~ yup, its costly. There's no way of getting around that. And, large coolers are not allowed in the park, so one pretty much has to buy food there. Souveniers are going to be expensive too.  I don't think we have more than a handful of items less than $5.  Most things cost $15 and up.  So those that come to Disney thinking they can eat and shop cheaply, should forget it.

Parades ~ As much as they'd like it, guests just cannot come to the parade route five minutes before step-off and get a curbside seat. If one wants a good seat, one really needs to be there at least an hour or more before. Its as simple as that.

Stage Shows ~ Vision will be obstructed for most, since everybody is standing and/or moving around. Guests who video, should be aware that parts of their taping may have a big head in front of their lense.  Also, speaking of taping, its not allowed in our 3D attractions.  The reason is not what most may think, its mostly because its annoying to the guests behind the taper, having to view the movie with the glare of the video screen in their eyes.  Also, if someone does manage to sneak a taping, they need to be prepared to view double images on their tape. Putting 3D glasses in front of the lense will not remove them.  Those glasses are made for two eyes, the video camera only has "one".

Well, I'm sure I've missed a few things, but I'm going to stop now.  This post really does sound like a very negative rant, and I don't mean it to be.  There are many, many wonderful things about vacationing at Disney.  The main one being the look in a young child's eyes the first time he or she sees one of the characters.  One of my fondest memories was of a young boy who ran joyously to Peter Pan's Flight just after the park opened one morning.  When he got there, he stood in the middle of the path, turned around to his family, opened his arms wide and said, "We're here!"  Its little happy moments like that one that make my day. That's what its all about, and I'm honored to be able to help make the magic.

A Friend Is Lost
Mood:  sad
Topic: Letting go

I lost a friend today.  More than that.  I lost a member of my family.  He had been with me for nearly 13 years.  Right now I am too sad to type his name, its just too painful.  This is not the first time I have lost an animal friend.  I have had many pets over the years and fully understand that they can never have the life span of a human.  And each time I watch one of them grow from young to old, and then eventually pass on, a piece of my heart goes with them. 

I guess I am lucky that none of them have met with violent deaths, at least so far.  Each one has lived to a ripe old age and passed rather peacefully.  This friend too went quickly.  Unknown to me, he had an enlarged heart that caused a blood clot, that in turn blocked the blood and nerves in his legs.  Literally, the day before yesterday he seemed fine...normal, doing what he always did.  Then, that night I noticed him dragging his hind legs.  The next morning, yesterday, I took him to a trauma center and was told to leave him.  This afternoon the doctor called me and told me that he had passed.  He told me about the x-ray findings and the attempts to dislodge and dissipate the blood clot.  But suddenly my friend had what we humans call a heart attack, and died.  I guess all the strange touching and proding and being with people he did not know frightened him.  He always was a bit skittish.

My heart is broken.  I didn't even get to say good-bye.  I felt so bad leaving him, but what else could I do?  I had to try.  To give him a shot at getting better.  On top of everything, the vet bill is over $1,000 plus what I will pay to have him cremated.  Don't get me wrong, I would have paid three times that much and more to have him with me right now.  But it was just not meant to be.

Why?

I guess I'll never know.  It was just his time.  I will miss him. I will always love him.  And I will always have my memories. 

Good bye my beautiful little black prince.  I hope to see you again one day.

 

Who We Are vs. Who We Want To Be
Topic: Reflections

The internet is an amazing thing.  It has given us the opportunity to do things we never thought possible.  We can travel to another country or even another world, we can talk to people anywhere, we can look up literally thousands of topics for information, we can be creative, we can auction, buy and sell items, and much, much more.  And the best part is that we can be annonymous.  Or is it?

The annonymity of the internet is questionable, IMO.  Yes, we can exist here and nobody will know who we really are unless we want them to.  But is that a good thing?  Think about it.  Being annoymous, gives us the opportunity to say things to others that we would probably never say to their faces.  Because we ARE faceless here.  Very rarely do we get to know the actual people we are messaging in real life.

I once belonged to a large and volatile (to say the least) online community.  We all came together because of our love of a TV show. We took on pseudonames known as "handles" which we chose for our own reasons.  We discussed episodes, we talked about relationships, we role played, we wrote stories and poetry and we fought.  I mean big time fighting.  But we used words instead of weapons.  And words can be very powerful weapons.  Words can hurt.  And I admit, I was guilty of using my word weapons there too.  And sometimes my word weapons hurt others.  And for that I am truly sorry.

Back in those days, logging in and reading posts was just about my whole life.  Yes, I worked and yes I had a family and yes I did other things.  But always, first thing in the morning, I'd log in, check email and check the forum I posted on.  In the evening, after work, shopping and chores, I'd log back in, check email and the posts and stay on until I could not keep my eyes open anymore.  I would even sneak on during the day from my job.  That's how much being a part of this subculture meant to me.

I have been out of all of that for quite some time now.  When I moved here to Florida, my whole life changed.  Now my life revolves around working many hours to keep a roof over our heads.  And that doesn't leave me much time to play online.  It was a painful separation at first, but as time went on, I realized how I really did not need this addictive internet existance.  And then I began to reflect upon on my past and my role there.  I saw that at the time I desparately needed to be recognized.  It was like I wanted to shout out to the world, "Hey, I'm here!  Look at me!"  And so I took on a few personnas to get the attention I needed.  But they really were not me.  They were the online me, but not the real me.  Yes, the real me is a strong and sometimes opinionated person who oversteps bounds in real life.  I cannot count how many times I've said things that I immediately regretted saying and wished I could take them back.  You know, open mouth, insert foot.  Sheesh!  But the truth is, I hate arguments.  So why did I engage in so many arguments online?  I guess it was just another way to get attention.

Now that I'm older...much older (lol), I know that for me, attention really isn't necessary.  All I want is to live comfortably.  I do like my job, even though it doesn't pay very much, and I do like living here.  I love my little family and our home and will do everything in my power to keep us together.  What I miss though, is being creative.  I haven't felt any kind of muse for years now.  Maybe that's because I really don't have the time to sit down and just write.

Well, maybe one day that will change and I can write that novel I've had kicking around in my head for years.  But for now, I'll just keep on keeping on and be glad that after so many years of living, I finally found out who I really am.

Peace out.

RedPrincess {{~_~}}, aka Who I Am

One And A Half Years Later...
Mood:  not sure
Topic: Reflections

Wow!  Hard to believe its been that long.  So much has happened during that time, yet so little has changed. 

 

I'm still here, still struggling, barely making ends meet.  I love my job...really!  But hate the stinky pay.  I've moved up a bit on the ladder, hoping to move up to LCC (management) one day soon.  I like being a supervisor, and I hope that I am a fair one.  I do try my best to handle all situations professionally.

On another random note, I don't tolerate the heat like I did when I first moved down here though.  Finally getting old I guess.

Don't write anymore.  No time.  And even if I did have the time, I have no muse.  Ahh well.  I guess I've entered a different phase of my life.  I remember when posting on message boards, writing poetry and living my life online was the most important thing to me.  No more.  I've moved on.  And looking back, I find it hard to believe that I spent so much of my life doing those things.  But, they were important at the time, so its all good.

Well, speaking of life, I've got to go to work now.  See?  No time!  Maybe one day I'll get my life back and can enjoy the simple pleasure of being myself again....

A December Time Of Year
Mood:  chillin'
Topic: Florida Lifestyle
Have I ever mentioned how much I love Florida Decembers? Well, I do. This is the nicest time of year down here weatherwise. Not much rain, humidity is down, temps are cooler...its all good.

I love Decembers because I can finally be comfortable outdoors. Sometimes I can wear short sleeves and sometimes I need a light jacket, but no matter which, the cooler weather is most certainly that proverbial breath of fresh air! I love Decembers because I usually only have to mow my lawn once during the month. LOL! I love Decembers because everybody (including me) decorates their houses with wonderful Christmas lights and other lawn ornaments. I love Decembers because here in Florida, December is Fall, and the leaves on the trees are starting to turn into their firey Fall colors. I love Decembers because my grapefruits and oranges are finally ripe enough to pick and eat! LOL! But most of all I love Decembers because it means my little family and I have made it through another year, still alive, still healthy, still here. :)

Each new year down here brings new challenges and many changes. 2006 will certainly be a year of much adjustment for us. But more about that in another entry.

Next week I train on the the remaining attractions in Fantasyland. I'll be learning to run Peter Pan, Small World and the Carousel. And after I feel comfortable about running those rides, since I will then be fully trained on all the attractions in Fantasyland, I plan on talking to my managers about possibly becoming a trainer myself, or a training facilitator (one who takes new CM's around and gives them an overview tour of Fantasyland and what their role there is). If I am successful in obtaining that goal, it will mean a little more money. I will still have to work long hours in order to make enough for us to continue to live here, but at least there will be a bit more breathing room.

Anyway, I do love Decembers down here. And next up...the challenge of Christmas in Walt Disney World, where 50,000 to 60,000 guests per day will be visiting us during the Holiday season, all with their own particular ways of enjoying their vacations...and all who most probably will be giving us CM's a whole lot to talk about at the very least! LOL!

RAGE
Mood:  don't ask
Topic: Poetry/Prose
holding back because I have to
why?
because its beyond my control?
because if I don't I'll hurt someone I love?
or maybe
because nobody really cares
and why should they?
its not their problem

wanting to scream
wanting to pound my fists into the wall
wanting to jump in my car and drive
far, far away
maybe I'd come back
maybe not
but I can't

hating my helplessness
what do you do
when what's done is done
and cannot be undone?

you just accept the unacceptable
you try to pretend normalcy
even when everything is anything but
you take a deep breath
and rethink
and reroute
and reschedule

then, in the dark
in your own private space
you cry
because you know
nobody will hear you
no one must ever suspect
no one must ever know
that your strength is faltering

must maintain courage
for those who look to you for guidance
for those who depend on you
for those who need you
but who do you turn to
when you need?

that question goes unanswered
and always will
and so you hold your rage inside
battling to keep the volcano from exploding
while battling to hold it all together
for those you love
because you
are all they have
and they
are all you have

and so you hope
that somehow
it will turn out alright

why do we think if we're bad in life
we'll go to Hell
when Hell is right here and now?
there is no Hell to fear
we're damned to stay among the living
until we atone enough
to die and go to Heaven
maybe...

Why I Love Dumbo AKA DON'T CROSS THE YELLOW LINE!
Mood:  chillin'
Topic: Mouse Tales
Wow! It certainly has been a long time since I wrote anything here!!! Well, lets see if I can play catch up really fast...

First of all, I did finally get a job. Now I too am a proud Disney Cast Member. The pay stinks. The work is not hard but physically draining. Its totally not worth it...BUT...it just happens to be the only gig in town. *shrug* Which leads me to the subject of my title today.

First of all, let me say that I work in Attractions. What that means is...I operate rides. I make Dumbo fly. I send you through Winnie The Pooh's storybook land. I send you into that dark place known as Snow White's Scary Adventures. I spin you in Alice's Teacups. And, I make you move all the way to the end of the row in Mickey's PhilHar Magic.

Actually, its a fun job. I get to interact with lots of people every day. The kids are great! The parents...well, MOST of them are great. Some of them...mostly men...are kind of grouchy. I have a theory about this. I think that Dads are not used to being around their kids all the time because most of them work during the day and only see their kids at night when they're pretty much wound down. They don't usually have to deal with the screaming, tantrums, spitting up, crying, demanding, etc, like Moms do (and yes, I do include the working Moms in this group as Moms are usually the primary care givers in the family unit, whether they are in the work force or not).

Anyway, back to grouchy Dads...here they are...workaholic men who finally manage to work in a two week or whatever vacation for themselves and family, and all of a sudden, they have to deal with all of the above PLUS endure our Godforsaken Florida heat and long lines at "the most magical place on earth". And its just too much for them. A lot of them are in management positions and are use to barking orders, so unfortunately, we Cast Members have to bear the brunt of their frustrations. Having to patiently deal with angry men getting in our faces over silly complaints, or adversity to Disney policies (i.e. parking strollers in specific areas, or having to finish their turkey legs before entering the theater, etc.) Let me tell you, I see a whole lot of men walking around the MK with that "I just wish this stupid vacation was over" look on their faces every day! LOL!

Now don't get me wrong here, I have also had to deal with my share of irritated Moms as well. Although usually those women convert their complaints into frantic pleas for rule bending. Let me give you an example of this. A few days ago I was in PhilHar Magic theater. Our policy is to make the audience move all the way across the row to the very end and then fill in every seat. There is good reason for this. If people stop in the middle, others will climb over them which is a safety hazard. Its also a pain in the ass for everybody who has to do it. Seating runs much smoother and faster if everybody just moves to their right. Since PhilHar Magic is a 3D movie on a super wide screen, you can enjoy it from literally EVERY seat in the house. But try to convince the audience of that while they are finding seats! Back to my story...as everybody is coming in, I spiel over the PA for them to move across and almost everybody is complying (a pleasant surprise I might add), everybody that is except for this one woman, who plops herself and her children smack in the middle of a row. I go over to her and ask her to get up and move down. Her response? "I have too many girls!!!!" I'm like..."huh?" So I asked her again to move down. Again she said, "No! I have too many girls!!!" Well I then realized she was trying to tell me it would be too much trouble to move all her kids down. So I said, "Ma'am, if you stay there, people will climb over your girls and they will be getting kicked and stepped on as people go by. Do you really want them to get hurt like that?" She said, "Then we'll just stand up!!! I'm not moving! I have too many girls!!!" And with that they all stood up and backed up as far as they could against their seats. I realized it was a losing battle and let it go. But what I wanted to say to her was..."How strange. You have too many girls to move to the end of the row, yet you had no problem getting them to the middle, huh?!?!" But, I couldn't. *sigh* Ahh well.

I've also had my share of heart attacks as well at Snow White's. I am amazed that some parents do not hold onto their kids while waiting for their mine car to reach the load area. I've had so many kids cross the yellow safety line and dart out towards moving cars, causing me to emergency stop the ride, so as to prevent injuries, that I just want to scream, "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU STUPID PEOPLE???? CAN'T YOU SEE THAT CAR IS MOVING??? HOLD ONTO YOUR KIDS FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!!" But...I can't. *sigh* So I stand there with my hand over the E-stop and have little heart palpatations every time kids approach the load area.

But Dumbo...ahhh Dumbo, bless his little heart. Now THERE is a ride!!! Dumbo is just your average carnival ride, yet people with kids (and adults alone too) always want to ride him. They will stand in line for an hour, in the hot Florida sun, and never complain. And right before I begin my safety spiel (buckle seat belts, etc), I always say, "Good (morning, afternoon, evening) everyone and welcome to Dumbo! ARE YOU READY TO FLY???" And they always yell back "YEAH!!!!!" with so much enthusiasm that I just have to grin. :) I mean, how cool is that? Waiting all that time just to ride your average carnival ride and still so pumped that they almost fly to the Dumbo cars themselves! LOL! So yeah, I love Dumbo. Working Dumbo is hot because there is no shade, and you're constantly moving collecting tickets, etc. but I love him. Out of all the rides that I operate, he's my favorite.

I get to move about alot during the day as they rotate us through positions every hour or so. So, I'm not actually making the rides run all day. At least the day goes fast. And all this walking around really got me in shape! And even though it doesn't pay much, its cool to work in the Magic Kingdom and see just how they make the magic happen. ;) How *I* get to make the magic happen. ;)

One of these days I'll have to tell you about one of my other positions that I groan every time I get it. I like to call that assignment, ADVENTURES IN STROLLERLAND. But...that's a story for another day. :)