Happy trails...

So it's been a little over a week since I packed up all my shit, got on a plane, and moved out to Orlando. Florida is certainly different then Southern California, that's for sure!

I don't start Walt Disney World's version of Traditions until this upcoming Saturday, so I've had time to kinda explore my temporary surroundings here. I'm currently staying in a house owned by two friends of mine from the Disney podcast community and it's been great... they've been so wonderful during this stressful time that it's actually so different then what I'm used to! I like go to the local Wal-Mart (which is open 24 hours!) and I feel like everyone is staring at me... like they haven't seen a skinny Asian guy in a hawaiian tee-shirt and cargo shorts before.

I haven't spent much time in the Parks either, mainly because I'd mostly be going by myself. I figure that when my friends come to down I'll spend more time in the Parks then.

Other then that, it's been going pretty good. I'm so thankful that I have really good friends here in Florida as well as in Southern California! I couldn't have done this without you all.

Things that I'll miss...

So there's a bunch of things that I'll miss when I head off to Orlando. Nevermind the things like family and friends (I'll miss you guys sooo much!) but like locations and stuff... like Disneyland. So here's a list of stuff that I'll miss...

First off... In 'n Out. Omg. I know that some folks out there thinks that it's overrated and such, but man is it good. I'll miss that a lot. I'll know how my friends feel when they come down for the Disney Podcast Network's Westfest gathering every year and the first thing that they want is In 'n Out. I know that'll be the first place I'll want to hit when I come down for Westfest 2010.

Disneyland is a place where I spent literally years at. I worked at Disneyland for 12 out of the last 15 years... I spent a lot of time working and playing there. I'll miss our attractions, our shows... I'll miss a lot of stuff that's being built and will debut soon. I'll miss the World of Color opening and the rest of the DCA makeover. I'll miss the friends I've made throughout the years working at the Happiest Place on Earth... from co-workers to Disney podcast fans to folks I met on the various Disney message boards.

There's a bunch more stuff, but I got to go. I'll just edit this when I think of more stuff. :D

I'm really gonna miss the DLR. With all the hours I've worked and all the time I've spent playing at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure... you could say it would add up to a good year's worth of time of my life, if not more. 12 out of the last 15 years I spent working for the Mouse at Walt's original Magic Kingdom... I really am gonna miss it here. Last night I went to Disneyland with a few friends and watched Magical!... and frankly, I lost it towards the end. I think it's just now setting in that I'm not going to be able to come here whenever I want, even though I will have Walt Disney World's four Parks and such to enjoy, it's probably not going to be the same.

My life is filled with great, and not-so-great, memories of my time working when it was just Disneyland to the present day Disneyland Resort. I saw a lot of changes, lots of additions including being part of the grand opening team for Disney's California Adventure, and a lot of closures. I saw the Main Street Electrical Parade glow away, only to come back the year or so after Disney's California Adventure opened. I remember spending every weekend that I could at Disneyland to watch the Lion King Celebration, in my opinion the best parade Disneyland has ever done (and makes me sad to replay it back in my mind when people proclaim Parade of Dreams to be a "good" parade, they have no idea what a good parade was back in the day). I'll remember all the Cast Premieres, starting with the Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye, I got to attend. I'll remember the special media/press events and things like the Mighty Ducks FanFaire or the very first Mickey's Halloween Treat that I got to work.

Yah, I'm gonna miss this place.

Well, I'm the newest Walt Disney World Cast Member now. I start on the 28th... so not much time to pack up my stuff after BlizzCon and drive out there.

I hate my life.

That is all.

So basically I called WDW again and the CM read the transfer process "word for word". I apply online, wait until a response, then FLY over to do an interview. No phone interviews anymore. I asked if that wasn't the process for a few folks I spoke with and she said that she's reading it "word for word". Wow... talk about making it difficult/impossible.

So much for the "One Parks" initative... no wonder it seems like no one can get anything done around here. When did Disney regress into the stone age of doing business?

She also told me that she could not give me a follow up on the DPC position I applied for on JOBS. Said that after four weeks it's probably "safe to say that you are no longer a candidate" because not everyone gets a follow-up of acceptance or rejection.

For a Company that's all about customer service, that doesn't seem at all very courteous... right?

Oops!

So I guess I wasn't supposed to go through JOBS Online? I went over to Casting (TDA) and they kinda laughed at me when I told them that I felt that JOBS Online either doesn't work or I have a feeling that wasn't supposed to be the way current Cast Members are supposed to apply for stuff... and they didn't deny it. :/

Ugh. So they gave me the number to call in WDW and I spoke with Casting over at WDW. They told me that there was no transfer applications but I had to just apply online like someone walking off the street. Sigh.

So I did. Put in for Disney Planning Center Coordinator, Hotel Concierge, and I think Front Desk. I can't even remember what my third choice was. Heh.

Daisy e-mailed me today and said that the Concierge positions open at the Lodge are just Lobby Concierge, not the positions at the Old Faithful Club. Still good though, I guess it depends on if it's full-time, the amount of hours that I will get, and how much of a decrease in pay (which will be made up by the hours, I guess) I'll have to take.

Well, I haven't heard back at all from the Disney Planning Center Coordinator position that I applied to a few weeks ago... and now I'm convinced that JOBS Online either hates me or something. I seriously wonder if it's just borked for current Cast Members, because it technically goes through Monster.com... you would think that current Cast Members would be treated differently then people applying from the outside.

My girl BFF Daisy, who works at WDW, just e-mailed me this morning saying that there are positions opened up in her department... so I'm in the process of finding out how to go about applying for it and not go through the JOBS Online board. Anyways, I checked and it's not even on JOBS Online so now I don't know what to do. I guess I go to our Casting (or maybe call WDW's Casting?)... maybe I should just cash in my FF miles on Delta and fly down over there and apply in person, but I'd rather not do that.

Sigh.

It's been seven days since the deadline for applications... and I'm sad because I haven't heard back from it yet. I'm convinced that the JOBS Online site either hates me or doesn't work.

Well, the Disney JOBS board and I have like this love/hate relationship. It happily tells me that there are positions available all around Resort and also with the entire Company... but when I reach for that carrot and actually apply for jobs that I'm qualified for, I never get a response back from a live human being.

I just get that automated, "Thanks for applying!" e-mail with the job posting... and that's it.

So yah, I reached out for that carrot again... this time for Walt Disney World for a position that is VERY similar to what I do now.

We'll see this time. I think I'll just be ecstatic if I get a response from a real person.