Last Wednesday my phone rang while I was reading, and I was surprised to see that the call was from Disneyland. Being a seasonal cast member, my last day of work had been on New Year's Day, and I wasn't expecting to work again until starting the Disney College Program at the end of the month. I picked up the phone."This is so-and-so from the Disneyland Resort. I'm calling about your training schedule for the college program. You'll be starting on the tenth."
"Excellent," I said. "The tenth of February, I presume."
"No, actually the tenth of January," came the reply. "This Sunday." Unexpected, but not at all unwelcome.
"Sounds good," I said, pulling up my calendar.
"You'll start at 6 a.m. and then you'll working these hours on these days to train for your new attraction."
"Okay, and what attraction is this for?" I asked. I had been gunning for the Haunted Mansion ever since I applied to become a cast member.
"Oh, you'll be working the submarines."
Inside, I broke down a little. Kinda like Space Mountain. I had really hoped to continue working at Splash Mountain throughout my time with the Disney College Program. The New Orleans/Critter Country area had really begun to feel like home, not just because I spent so much time in the area but also because I really liked the atmosphere of the place. And now I was the kid who was told by his parents that the family was moving out of the state. In less than a week. One phone call had suddenly thrust me from home to the other side of Disneyland.
Of course, I didn't go down without a fight and asked if it was possible to stay where I was. Unfortunately, this year happens to be the year that the Rivers of America get drained for routine maintenance and will be down for several months. That means everyone who works a river-based attraction has to find a place at the other New Orleans/Critter Country attractions, and sadly there was no room left for me. So I took the defeat graciously (I'm in reality quite mild-mannered when it comes to fighting) and accepted the loss.
Okay, so I make this sound like it's a tragic ordeal. It's really not. The situation has been bittersweet at worst. Yes, I was disappointed to no longer wear the burgundy suspenders and work at Splash Mountain, but that disappointment was eventually overshadowed by the excitement of piloting the legendary submarines, Walt's original fleet of eight. So far, after one day of training, the work has lived up to my expectations. I think I'm really going to enjoy working the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage in the world of tomorrow.
Here's to the future!
T.H. Excellence
