Ema Earns Her Ears: My Secret Walt Disney World Cast Member Diary (Earning Your Ears Book 2) by Ema Hutton Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ema Hutton
and my eligibility to remain in the U.S. for the college program. Despite Mickey’s advice, I didn’t want to chance it. And moreover, I didn’t want to make the situation worse by letting my managers know that I was unhappy with my role. I didn’t want to be seen as negative or ungrateful, and I didn’t want to risk people thinking that any mistakes I made were not of the accidental variety but rather the result of me not caring about the job.
At this point, I’d been transferred from Magnolia to the main section of Port Orleans, and then transferred again to my permanent post at French Quarter. There was a lot more activity here, and the building where I usually worked was right next to the pool, so I could hear the music that was played during kid’s activities.
As a CP, I didn’t have the privilege of cleaning the same rooms every day. I was given the leftovers, or told to cover for other housekeepers on their days off. Being in a different part of the resort meant different managers, as well. In general, they tried their best to make me feel at home. I even confided to one of the managers, Jill, about my problems with the role. I had a bit of a clash with one of the other managers, since she was determined to get me into trouble for the smallest of infractions. Jill, fortunately, got the ball rolling to have me trained as a runner, where I would have more guest interaction, and hopefully a happier experience.
I had yet another training class, and this meant I got a short board. My class was at 2pm, so I finished my rooms by 12:30 and then had some lunch. I made a little nest in the linen room with a pile of towels and sat on the floor. After I’d finished my Lunchable, chocolate bar, and bottle of water, I went to stand by the stairs near the rooms I’d been given that day. Jason, one of the managers, showed up at 1:40, and said he had sent a runner to come get me, but they were a no-show. So he rang another runner and waited with me until she came. Her name was Hasnet. Such a unique name, I thought to myself. She was American, as well. I had no idea that there were people my age here at Port Orleans speaking English as their first language.
This was a turning point!
chapter twelve
The Ronnie Who Wasn’t
The next week of work was easier. On May 27, I finally felt like I was working at Disney. I was engaging in more guest interaction. One oblivious guest even asked me: “Can you tell me how to get to Disney World?”
As a cast member, you are trained to translate stupid questions like these. And what this guest actually meant by “Disney World” was “Magic Kingdom”. After confirming that Magic Kingdom was her destination, to which she giggled upon realizing how silly she must have sounded, I directed her to the bus stop and wished her a magical day. In addition to the guest interaction, I had learned that I could also enjoy Housekeeping. I was getting on average $20–30 in tips per day. On top of that, I was able to help myself to a variety of groceries and snacks that guests left behind in check-out rooms.
The first part of the morning was like a primary school assembly. The room was freezing, so I started to bring a top with me to wear over my costume during the presentation. Little did I know at the time that this was going to be a topic of conversation amongst the managers. But this is a story you will get in full later. Even after being in my role for a month, waiting for the sheet of paper which had my board printed on it was a nerve-wracking process. Luckily, this day I had the same rooms as the day before and that meant:
1 linen change
5 check outs
11 occupied rooms
When I got to my building, I took the stairs to the floor where I’d be working. I always took the stairs, even though all of the other housekeepers head straight for the elevator. On this day, I passed by an overweight couple who gave me a look somewhere between disgust and confusion. I couldn’t understand why: I was
At this point, I’d been transferred from Magnolia to the main section of Port Orleans, and then transferred again to my permanent post at French Quarter. There was a lot more activity here, and the building where I usually worked was right next to the pool, so I could hear the music that was played during kid’s activities.
As a CP, I didn’t have the privilege of cleaning the same rooms every day. I was given the leftovers, or told to cover for other housekeepers on their days off. Being in a different part of the resort meant different managers, as well. In general, they tried their best to make me feel at home. I even confided to one of the managers, Jill, about my problems with the role. I had a bit of a clash with one of the other managers, since she was determined to get me into trouble for the smallest of infractions. Jill, fortunately, got the ball rolling to have me trained as a runner, where I would have more guest interaction, and hopefully a happier experience.
I had yet another training class, and this meant I got a short board. My class was at 2pm, so I finished my rooms by 12:30 and then had some lunch. I made a little nest in the linen room with a pile of towels and sat on the floor. After I’d finished my Lunchable, chocolate bar, and bottle of water, I went to stand by the stairs near the rooms I’d been given that day. Jason, one of the managers, showed up at 1:40, and said he had sent a runner to come get me, but they were a no-show. So he rang another runner and waited with me until she came. Her name was Hasnet. Such a unique name, I thought to myself. She was American, as well. I had no idea that there were people my age here at Port Orleans speaking English as their first language.
This was a turning point!
chapter twelve
The Ronnie Who Wasn’t
The next week of work was easier. On May 27, I finally felt like I was working at Disney. I was engaging in more guest interaction. One oblivious guest even asked me: “Can you tell me how to get to Disney World?”
As a cast member, you are trained to translate stupid questions like these. And what this guest actually meant by “Disney World” was “Magic Kingdom”. After confirming that Magic Kingdom was her destination, to which she giggled upon realizing how silly she must have sounded, I directed her to the bus stop and wished her a magical day. In addition to the guest interaction, I had learned that I could also enjoy Housekeeping. I was getting on average $20–30 in tips per day. On top of that, I was able to help myself to a variety of groceries and snacks that guests left behind in check-out rooms.
The first part of the morning was like a primary school assembly. The room was freezing, so I started to bring a top with me to wear over my costume during the presentation. Little did I know at the time that this was going to be a topic of conversation amongst the managers. But this is a story you will get in full later. Even after being in my role for a month, waiting for the sheet of paper which had my board printed on it was a nerve-wracking process. Luckily, this day I had the same rooms as the day before and that meant:
1 linen change
5 check outs
11 occupied rooms
When I got to my building, I took the stairs to the floor where I’d be working. I always took the stairs, even though all of the other housekeepers head straight for the elevator. On this day, I passed by an overweight couple who gave me a look somewhere between disgust and confusion. I couldn’t understand why: I was
Similar Books
Just South of Rome
Judy Nunn
The Right Temptation
Diane Escalera
Death in Hellfire
Deryn Lake
Kristy and the Walking Disaster
Ann M. Martin
Daughter of Australia
Harmony Verna
The Hot Pilots
T. E. Cruise
This Rough Magic
Mary Stewart
Lord Deverill's Heir
Catherine Coulter