Things I Love About My Job

For Valentine's Day last month Disney went around asking people to give a reason why they love their job.  I couldn't pick only one...

1.     You’d think working at Disney would make you feel like a number, but I’ve never felt like that.  From my first manager who drastically improved my resume writing skills to my more recent managers who support me in every role I want to pursue, I’ve always had an excellent experience with my leadership teams.
2.       The “above and beyond” attitude just fits in with what I’ve been taught my whole life. It may be partly due to the church I was raised in, or because my dad was a teacher, but I’ve been taught since I was young about the difference between getting the job done and actually putting forth a good effort.  You can get A’s in school, but if you don’t actually learn anything does it really matter?  You can get a decent job, but if you don’t love what you do you’ll never love your life.  I love being pressured to always find new, creative ways to make things not just good, but incredible!
3.       Getting to dress as a manager and walk through the tunnels is always fun.  People think I’m a manager and straighten up as soon as they see me coming.  Sometimes they even ask me questions as if I know what I’m doing!
4.       It’s a Small World After All.  Seriously, despite the fact that tens of thousands of people are employed by Disney World, and thousands are CPs who come and go every few months, I still find myself running into the same people again and again.
5.       Going upstairs to watch shows, fireworks and parades on my lunch break are one of my favorite parts of the job.  I don’t think there’s any job anywhere else in the world that provides that.  I literally hear the fireworks every single night!  Days off aren’t half bad either.  “Hey, I’m bored… what do you wanna do?”  “I dunno… should we go to Disney World?”  “Eh, I guess so.”
6.       Everything is always themed.  Even backstage.  There are Mickey posters everywhere reminding you to be safe.  When they show pictures or videos in classes we take of people doing things the “wrong” way it’s always a character like “Maleficent.”  Timon and Pumbaa I’m pretty sure were the characters of some of my training videos.
7.       I love fixing things.  It makes me feel so accomplished.  My favorite calls are the wacky problems where people tell me, “This weird and ridiculous thing happened… can you help me?”  And then we figure it out!  I also love that I’ve been here long enough that I can help teach other people stuff.  “Oh, you don’t know how to make that change in CDS?  Let me explain it to you.”  I still don’t know everything.  And I still make mistakes.  But for the things I do know, I really love it.
8.       The old couples who work here.  I love it when a man from ESPN calls me on the phone to change his time and says “And can I change my wife’s time too? I know her number!”  So cute!  I love seeing the old couples walk through the tunnels holding hands on their way to work.  And if I see their matching last names in CDS I always try to make their breaks at the same time.
9.       Disney World is famous.  I’ll admit it, that gets kind of fun sometimes!
10.   Themed cast parties.  I love them!  Piles of free food.  Leaders serving you.  Raffles.  Prizes.  Free food.  Desserts.  Music.  Food.  Characters.  And all the while there are unknowing guests just chilling in the parks. And did I mention piles of free food!?
11.   The Cast resources we have.  Libraries where you can check out books and even Disney movies!  Computers and other learning resources.  And also discounts around Orlando.  Nothing super great, but it’s always nice to be eating out at a random restaurant and then realize you get 10% off the tab!
12.   Disney lingo.  ER.  FT. TA. MNSSHP.  MiSiCi.  DTD.  FOLK. DAK. DAAR.  DHS.  ST.  NCNS.  ADO. BOG.  I could go on forever.
13.   I auditioned for a teaching job on Friday.  Disney is the only place I know of that makes you audition for things like this.  I was given a script to memorize and everything.  Smart idea, though.  Everything is themed and everyone is part of the show.
14.   Every single thing at Disney has a story.  Every. Single. Thing.  Everything is so detailed and there’s a reason for all of it.  The Imagineers are artistic geniuses!  And I love getting to learn the stories behind everything.  Look for the ring stuck in the pavement by the Haunted Mansion next time and learn the story behind it.  Ever notice in the ceiling of the Sir Mickey’s store in Fantasyland, how it has what looks to the be the fingers of a giant lifting it up?  Pay attention to the detail on the roofs of buildings, especially in Animal Kingdom.  It just blows my mind.
15.   I’ll be honest.  As sad as it is that my office has no windows, I kinda like telling people I work in the dungeon of a castle.