My College Program is over....
I'm seasonal now, with the hopes of becoming part time! Yay!
I'm currently back in North Carolina, and I am trying to get back to Florida by the end of March. We'll see.
I'll update again and write more stuff about the DCP and what I ultimately thought of the whole thing. There are a lot of misconceptions about working as a College Program Participant, I think.
If you get the option to stay seasonal, or extend, definitely go seasonal. You'll start getting seniority, which leads to being full-time faster, at least in costuming there aren't enough full time positions to go around.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Sunday, September 18, 2011
What I've been up to.... the Halloween Parade!
Sorry I've been absolutely horrible about updating.
I know how interested I was in reading everyone elses blogs, and how there weren't more posts…. I can completely understand now, haha
I've been really busy lately. So far I'm on day 4 of 8 days working in a row, 2 of those are Halloween Parade shifts!
I was selected to work on the Mickey's Boo To You Halloween Parade which goes out during the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Parties. To work costuming for the parade i had to be chosen by my leaders, which means that they believe in me, which is definitely a good thing.
I also found out that I will be working on the atmosphere team for the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parties! That means that I will be working to make sure that every character that you can meet and greet with during the Christmas events is looking their best!
The Halloween parade shifts are 10 hours each, and I get off work at 2am, getting home around 3am… and 2 of my 8 days in a row are Halloween. I'm already exhausted, and I have 4 more shifts ahead of me until my boyfriend will be here to visit me!
We're going to the Halloween party on Friday, and I'm going to yell at all my friends in the parade. The Hyenas are pretty awesome, as well as a certain cowgirl and a gravedigger… along with Chip and Goofy! All the characters are very nice, especially Ed, haha ;) I'm sure they'll all do their best to come visit me while they are on parade route before they go rest for the night…
I've also decided that I want to extend my college program. I love costuming so much. I feel like I have the most interesting job out of everyone I've met. The dancer and characters don't even have this much fun I think. I've learned a lot about how things are made, just from observing, as well as how the costumes function. I'm really excited at the thought of staying here, and hopefully moving on up within the company. I'm going o try for a professional internship as a costuming workroom assistant. We'll see how that goes :)
Well, I'm going to got bed now since it's 5am and I have to be up at 11 to get ready and catch the bus. Hopefully I won't have to work downstairs and I will be on ELP tonight :)
I'll post more in detail about Halloween later on, I promise ;)
I know how interested I was in reading everyone elses blogs, and how there weren't more posts…. I can completely understand now, haha
I've been really busy lately. So far I'm on day 4 of 8 days working in a row, 2 of those are Halloween Parade shifts!
I was selected to work on the Mickey's Boo To You Halloween Parade which goes out during the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Parties. To work costuming for the parade i had to be chosen by my leaders, which means that they believe in me, which is definitely a good thing.
I also found out that I will be working on the atmosphere team for the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parties! That means that I will be working to make sure that every character that you can meet and greet with during the Christmas events is looking their best!
The Halloween parade shifts are 10 hours each, and I get off work at 2am, getting home around 3am… and 2 of my 8 days in a row are Halloween. I'm already exhausted, and I have 4 more shifts ahead of me until my boyfriend will be here to visit me!
We're going to the Halloween party on Friday, and I'm going to yell at all my friends in the parade. The Hyenas are pretty awesome, as well as a certain cowgirl and a gravedigger… along with Chip and Goofy! All the characters are very nice, especially Ed, haha ;) I'm sure they'll all do their best to come visit me while they are on parade route before they go rest for the night…
I've also decided that I want to extend my college program. I love costuming so much. I feel like I have the most interesting job out of everyone I've met. The dancer and characters don't even have this much fun I think. I've learned a lot about how things are made, just from observing, as well as how the costumes function. I'm really excited at the thought of staying here, and hopefully moving on up within the company. I'm going o try for a professional internship as a costuming workroom assistant. We'll see how that goes :)
Well, I'm going to got bed now since it's 5am and I have to be up at 11 to get ready and catch the bus. Hopefully I won't have to work downstairs and I will be on ELP tonight :)
I'll post more in detail about Halloween later on, I promise ;)
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Disney's Electrical Parade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HTH8oDyNh4
Sometimes if it's been raining, they will "down" performers that have the highest risk of injury from the wet ground, and they don't get to go out.
Maybe one day I'll try o make a video with my camera, but It won't be as good of quality as this...
Here's another
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HTH8oDyNh4
By the way, that music haunts my dreams, haha
Sorry for the break!
Hi again! Sorry it's been like a month since I posted.
So far I've only been working on the Disney Electrical Parade (ELP for short). The shifts are 10 and a half hours long, so on the days that I have ELP shifts basically I get up, take the bus to go to work, work, go home and sleep. Then I repeat as scheduled.
That kind of makes it sound bad, but I love it! The parade is a lot of fun, and I have learned a lot.
It still feels surreal working here. On the parade especially. As a guest I am not sure if anyone ever thinks about how many people go into putting on a single parade. I never thought about it until I was seeing the backstage craziness, either. Things like that are ways that Disney really does make magic. (I also learned that Disney puts up its Christmas decorations in TWO DAYS. For the ENTIRE park, all 22 resorts, even counting Downtown Disney. Now THAT is magical.)
Speaking of a crazy amount of crew, on just ELP there are:
9 costuming crew
82 performers
15 drivers
3 costume techs (for the lights)
spotters for the floats
techs for the floats
and mant more people that I see but don't know all that they do
which is a total of over 110 people! Crazy, I know.
The Halloween and Christmas Parades have EVEN more performers and costumers working at once, so I'm sure it's well over 200 people on a single night, easy.
I've gotten to know some people who have been there at the parade frequently, which is cool. But it sucks because the people that I have gotten to know on the parade are really the only people I have seen to hang out with....and we are all always working or ahve different shifts off from work.
Now for the negatives about my job:
I really love the shift, but since it is SO much longer than all of my roommates' shifts, I really don't get to see them much. I pretty much don't get to see ANYONE. I get home after most normal people are in bed, and I get up after most people have left for work.
It's a 10 hour shift, so I'm pretty pooped after 5 or 6 days straight. 50 hours in 5 days is a lot of work.
I can't do anything before or after my shift because of the hours, either. I'm gone from the apartment 12 or more hours in the day with taking the bus, and sometimes eating food that's terrible for me after work with friends, which has been really fun! (I really have grown to love Steak and Shake, lol)
Other than that, I'm beginning training in the character room today. The shifts for training are completely backward from the shifts for ELP. I usually don't go to bed until 4 am, but I had to get up at 4 am in order to get ready to catch the bus at 5am. The training lasts a week or so, and after that I'll usually be on fly team. Character room is where all the performers can pick up whatever they need to perform their sets for the day. Fly team is where I'll be on call in case anyone calls in sick for ELP.
When I get around to it, I will finally post a picture of me in my costume, haha. I'm not sure that most people know what the Costuming costume looks like.
So far I've only been working on the Disney Electrical Parade (ELP for short). The shifts are 10 and a half hours long, so on the days that I have ELP shifts basically I get up, take the bus to go to work, work, go home and sleep. Then I repeat as scheduled.
That kind of makes it sound bad, but I love it! The parade is a lot of fun, and I have learned a lot.
It still feels surreal working here. On the parade especially. As a guest I am not sure if anyone ever thinks about how many people go into putting on a single parade. I never thought about it until I was seeing the backstage craziness, either. Things like that are ways that Disney really does make magic. (I also learned that Disney puts up its Christmas decorations in TWO DAYS. For the ENTIRE park, all 22 resorts, even counting Downtown Disney. Now THAT is magical.)
Speaking of a crazy amount of crew, on just ELP there are:
9 costuming crew
82 performers
15 drivers
3 costume techs (for the lights)
spotters for the floats
techs for the floats
and mant more people that I see but don't know all that they do
which is a total of over 110 people! Crazy, I know.
The Halloween and Christmas Parades have EVEN more performers and costumers working at once, so I'm sure it's well over 200 people on a single night, easy.
I've gotten to know some people who have been there at the parade frequently, which is cool. But it sucks because the people that I have gotten to know on the parade are really the only people I have seen to hang out with....and we are all always working or ahve different shifts off from work.
Now for the negatives about my job:
I really love the shift, but since it is SO much longer than all of my roommates' shifts, I really don't get to see them much. I pretty much don't get to see ANYONE. I get home after most normal people are in bed, and I get up after most people have left for work.
It's a 10 hour shift, so I'm pretty pooped after 5 or 6 days straight. 50 hours in 5 days is a lot of work.
I can't do anything before or after my shift because of the hours, either. I'm gone from the apartment 12 or more hours in the day with taking the bus, and sometimes eating food that's terrible for me after work with friends, which has been really fun! (I really have grown to love Steak and Shake, lol)
Other than that, I'm beginning training in the character room today. The shifts for training are completely backward from the shifts for ELP. I usually don't go to bed until 4 am, but I had to get up at 4 am in order to get ready to catch the bus at 5am. The training lasts a week or so, and after that I'll usually be on fly team. Character room is where all the performers can pick up whatever they need to perform their sets for the day. Fly team is where I'll be on call in case anyone calls in sick for ELP.
When I get around to it, I will finally post a picture of me in my costume, haha. I'm not sure that most people know what the Costuming costume looks like.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The first week and a half of being in Orlando
So I've been really busy in my first week and a half here. I'll break it down day by day :)
Monday 6/6: Check - in
Tuesday: free day to get settled
Wednesday: Traditions and Magic Kingdom
Thursday: free day ( I went to Typhoon Lagoon and Hollywood Studios)
Friday: training
Saturday: Training and Hollywood Studios
Sunday: Training and Hollywood Studios
Monday: free day and Epcot
Tuesday: park orientation and Magic Kingdom
I've had several different classes on many different things about Disney and costuming. I've learned a lot, and I start training on my assignment tonight, which is the Main Street Electrical Parade at Magic Kingdom! I'm really excited, but the shifts are 10.5 hours long each night. The good thing is that I get 3 days off each week as long as my shifts are that long :)
Let me explain some of the tinges I mentioned:
Traditions is a class about Disney, and traditions we are expected to uphold as new cast members. We learned the basic values and ideas of the park.
I had training on what we will do as costumers, and how to work the computer system that will check out costumes to cast members. I also had basic character training.
The park orientation was a more in depth day dedicated to Magic Kingdom alone, and we learned a bit about the history and ideas behind several parts of the park. We all went on rides together as well. It was a pretty fun day, actually :)
I spent so much time in Hollywood Studios because it was the last weekend of Star Wars Weekends, and I'm a huge geek, haha. It was awesome!
So that was my week. I'm starting on training tonight for the Electric Light Parade. My shifts are basically second shift, and I'll be getting home around 3 or so every night.
Monday 6/6: Check - in
Tuesday: free day to get settled
Wednesday: Traditions and Magic Kingdom
Thursday: free day ( I went to Typhoon Lagoon and Hollywood Studios)
Friday: training
Saturday: Training and Hollywood Studios
Sunday: Training and Hollywood Studios
Monday: free day and Epcot
Tuesday: park orientation and Magic Kingdom
I've had several different classes on many different things about Disney and costuming. I've learned a lot, and I start training on my assignment tonight, which is the Main Street Electrical Parade at Magic Kingdom! I'm really excited, but the shifts are 10.5 hours long each night. The good thing is that I get 3 days off each week as long as my shifts are that long :)
Let me explain some of the tinges I mentioned:
Traditions is a class about Disney, and traditions we are expected to uphold as new cast members. We learned the basic values and ideas of the park.
I had training on what we will do as costumers, and how to work the computer system that will check out costumes to cast members. I also had basic character training.
The park orientation was a more in depth day dedicated to Magic Kingdom alone, and we learned a bit about the history and ideas behind several parts of the park. We all went on rides together as well. It was a pretty fun day, actually :)
I spent so much time in Hollywood Studios because it was the last weekend of Star Wars Weekends, and I'm a huge geek, haha. It was awesome!
So that was my week. I'm starting on training tonight for the Electric Light Parade. My shifts are basically second shift, and I'll be getting home around 3 or so every night.
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