The past few weeks have been very eventful for me! I was deployed to Magic Kingdom Main Street East for some time and it was a big change of environment. First, the costuming facility for Magic Kingdom is huge! One could definitely get lost in there. I had a lot of fun looking at all the different MK costumes. Although I’ve been to MK many times, I’ve never noticed just how much thought goes into costuming.
MK Bathroom Selfie!
I hadn’t traveled through the MK tunnel since Traditions three months ago so it’s no surprise that I got lost finding my location. Fortunately, a few Cast Members helped me find my way. My deployment at MK exposed me to CDS (Cast Deployment System) which was very different for me because at the Art of Animation Resort, we used wall clocks and were generally stuck in one position our entire shift. I liked using CDS because it allowed me to move around to different shops. Most of my time at MK was spent at Uptown Jewelers.
I noticed the management at Magic Kingdom was very different than at my resort. Because there are more Cast Members to look over, the coordinators and leaders were not as aware of the store’s state. We were mostly left to our own devices and I felt like we were very overstaffed. I understand that it’s better to be overstaffed than understaffed, especially in such a high-traffic place as Magic Kingdom, but I found myself without guests most of the time.
I was also scheduled for Confectionery despite not having gone through food training so I picked up a couple of Confectionery costumes as well. One of the coordinators at MK MSE told me I shouldn’t have been scheduled for that role though so the scheduling team changed all of my Confectionery shifts to MSE. For the days I was originally scheduled to be in Confectionery, I was placed as “Confectionery Assist.” I spent my shift walking around, speaking and helping guests and occasionally ringing up their sweets.
What I enjoyed most about working at Magic Kingdom was experiencing Celebrate the Magic and Wishes with the guests and my fellow Cast Members. With my program drawing to a close, I like to be reminded of just how magical Disney World is. Time seems to stand still when the shops are silent and all the guests are outside, staring up at the castle.
