SECOND DAY AT DISNEY

My second day at Disney was less of an Expedition Everest than my first day. My only task was to attend Casting so I fill out my forms and get fingerprinted to satisfy government regulations. (Scrooge McDuck disagrees with all of them.)

I awoke early to make sure I was perfectly on time. Disney is strict on that essential issue and our bus system is a bit tricky to grasp at first. I got on the bus which left me at Vista an hour early. Well, lesson learned and I did not let a lover crash and burn. I consider that a victory. In the grand Disney World tradition of chatting with strangers, I talked to two Cast Members about all those things Disney related from the parks to their jobs.

The female Cast Member told me that when she was in the Program, she regretfully had to cut back on the number of her shoes to bring due to limited space in her car. They both agreed that the cold that settled for the morning was not welcomed. I joked that Elsa sometimes lets it go. That earned me a chuckle. Both of the Cast Members exhibited the amount of outgoingness required to work at Disney. They displayed a remarkable ability to make a conversation personal and appear as close friends.

I was joined during my early sojourn by fellow female, DCP participants one hailed from a small hamlet in Kentucky and the other from Dansville, Illinois. The Kentuckian and I discussed how small towns (especially towns from the South) received an unfair stereotype from the general public, but we agreed that it is nearly impossible to overcome. That is the amazing part about the DCP, you meet many people that are not similar to you but you also meet many people that are similar and it is reassuring to know you are not alone in your beliefs.

The bus arrived promptly on time (as usual in Disney) and we all boarded after showing our I-9 documents and government issued ID to the overseer. Disney does a great job of running a tight operation. The Mickey Mouse jokes cannot refer to the company itself. The housing for the DCP is not on Disney property, thus a medium length bus ride is required to past the magical gates. The two Cast Members on this trip did a fine job of easing any nerves. Both were foreigners, showcasing Disney’s diversity. One was from Hamburg, Germany. Alas, I did not have enough time to chat with him and the one from Argentina who did most of the talking explained that she was with the company for 25 or 35 years. Impressive. That is my ultimate goal, albeit as a screenwriter or an Imagineer. But she obviously enjoys her role and making magic.

The Casting building is located across from Disney Springs, the revamped and renamed Downtown Disney. I expect that the old name (like MGM Studios) will remain in circulation for some years as the old guard (like me!) hold fast to tradition. After all, Walt Disney explored the future but remain nostalgic for the past as iron horses transport guests around his Kingdom.

We were ushered into a marvelous golden room with golden statues of iconic Disney charscters, most of which dated from Walt’s hand. I spotted, of course my favorite, Mickey Mouse, but he was joined by temperamental Donald Duck, his loyal pooch Pluto, bizarre Goofy, wise Jiminy Cricket, and a host of others. I wanted to take a statue for myself.

The Casting process was efficient, as everything from hot dogs and autographs are at Disney. I went back and met in a cubicle with a helpful Cast Member who processed my I-9 documents. She was thankful that I filled out the Portal information as instructed. I try my best.

From there, I went to fingerprinting as called for by Florida law. It is not all sunshine in the Sunshine State, despite what the advertising campaign states. The lady running the station I was directed to was extraordinary patient with my unruly and un-relaxing fingers. Refusing to submit to any government outreach must live in my fingers as they did not take to being scanned. Eventually, with enough pressing and turns, the results were obtained.

I must comment on how all the Cast Members not directly involved in the process were helpful and looked out for us as we navigated the labyrinth that is the Casting Center. Many of them were also in the DCP and probably like watching the next Disney generation pass through. It would be easy to lose yourself, not just from the medieval maze design but from the distraction presented by historic Disney memorabilia. It certainly caught my eyes. Too bad, my employee discount does not work on it.

After the fingerprinting, I headed back to the bus and talked with another Kentucky native on the way back. He said he hailed from Louisville and I mistakenly assumed that he rooted for the Cardinals. He quickly corrected me that he pulled for Big Blue Nation. I further discovered that this was his second go-around for the Disney College Program and that his previous Casting years ago took nearly 4 hours while this time only swallowed up 45 minutes.

We parted ways at the bus stop back at Chatham. My second day did not have the emotional upheaval as my first day, but I made important steps in my DCP journey. Not every day will be a memorable one, but every day is necessary to grow.