While it's difficult to squeeze three months of the best summer of my life into four articles, I'm going to try. Although my story is one of hundreds, I don't think anyone has had an experience quite like it. So close your eyes as we go back in time to the year of The New Tomorrowland: The Summer of 1998. — Shoshana
Well I had been enjoying my time in Fantasyland, and I thought I would spend my entire summer there — but my scheduler had other plans. Previously I mentioned how there was a tendency to overschedule and how seniority was everything. So for a few days (which coincidentally happened to be during my 20th birthday) I was sent to help out in “The New Tomorrowland.”
The costume was nowhere near as cute as the one in Fantasyland, but I did have the option of wearing a baseball-type cap.
My “guest control” circuit began in front of the Rocket Rods, where I helped measure people in line and answered questions. It was a lot of fun, until the ride kept breaking down several times a day. It eventually got to the point later in the summer when my job was to stand in front of the Rocket Rods and explain that they were closed today, “but feel free to enjoy any of out other wonderful attractions.”
I would then head over to Honey I Shrunk the Audience (HISTA), where I helped straighten strollers, explained that there was no height requirement (for some guests who thought they were getting in line for Space Mountain), and tried to keep kids from running barefoot around Cosmic Waves (an almost-impossible task).
My next stop was to the upper level of Space Mountain, where I would answer questions and keep people from crawling on the planters. I would first be near the top of the ramp and then would move to the entrance to the ride. A LOT of guest control is just that — keeping guests from doing thing that could harm them — or cause them to sue.
Occasionally, I would have to monitor the NASA Experience — not that exciting, but I did get to wear the radio, although I could never figure out how to work it.
I would take my breaks where the HISTA cast took theirs, in a room with two doors — one leading to the attraction's entrance and the other leading to the exit. One of the coolest things about that was that I not only got to meet the famous Maynard, I actually had a couple on conversations with him. One time he was running late because his car broke down — but you would never know it because he would put on the lab coat and glasses and become his “Professor/Mad Scientist” character.
I really enjoyed working in Tomorrowland. In many ways it was less stressful than Fantasyland, as there were no rides to operate. But, at the same time, I would have to play “bad guy. ” I thought once my week in Tomorrowland had ended, I would return to Fantasyland for the rest of the summer. I did return – but only for a few weeks — scheduling decided I was such a good Guest Controller that I would be working Fantasmic!
Now, I know I was the low man on the totem pole, but there were several people who were hired after I was who remained in Fantasyland. I don't know if I was moved because they knew I was only there for a few weeks, or if they wanted me to experience as many different roles as possible. In any case, for two weeks I was sent to the Rivers of America and had the opportunity to work 20 Fantasmic! shows.
My costume was a yellow, blue/black ensemble. The black gym shoes and socks I had bought at the beginning of the summer were finally used during my time in guest control. One of the coolest aspects of working an evening event is the awesome yellow Disneyland flashlight. I even had a holder to put it in.
There were several guest control groups for Fantasmic! each assigned to a different area. My group met in a room under the bridge in front of Pirates of the Caribbean. (Next time you are in line, notice the secret door on the left.)
Our first job would be to take a raft over to Tom Sawyer's Island. We were assigned to take down all the fencing around the front of the island, which first involved unhooking a lot of latches and then carrying the fences to a shed. I was really good at the unlatching, but because of my height and lack of upper body strength, I wasn't a very good carrier. One of my fellow CMs (whose name I can't remember but boy did she have an attitude) said, in a very snotty voice, “Are you injured? Because if you aren't your should be carrying fences like everyone else.”
I looked at her and said, “I am not injured and from the looks of things, the big, strong hulking guys are doing just fine without me slowing them down. I should be in Fantasyland right now, but I am here. If you have a problem with me, you can tell the manager. Otherwise, please excuse me, I have latches to work on ”
She never said another word.
Once we cleared the fences, we had to clear the island. Some of the CMs would return to the dock and begin the task of setting up lights; others would stay on the island and make sure there were no guests around. Once all the light towers were set up, we would take turns going on dinner break. Prior to show time, we would set up the poles and ropes, and explain to people who were standing or sitting where they shouldn't be that they would have to move. We would have to tell the people standing in the front that they would have to sit once the show began, and tell the people sitting in the back that they would have to stand once the show started if they wanted to see anything.
Crowds can get really rowdy when it's hot. One night I had to help break up a fight between two groups of people who were accusing each other of swearing and calling each other names. Luckily, there were some big “football player-looking” CMs who were around to help me out.
Once the show began, our flashlights came on and we made sure the guests either kept walking or took a spot behind the rope. We had everything timed so that when Mickey said, “This is my dream,” we were to start taking the poles and the ropes down or — as I had to do a couple of times — make sure the area near the Mark Twain was roped off properly so the new guests couldn't come in until the old ones had departed. (I know its annoying, guys, but it's done for a reason. If the rope wasn't there, it would be chaos and people could get injured.)
After almost two weeks of this, I dreaded going to work. I wanted to be back in Fantasyland. I missed it and I knew I didn't have much time left. Luckily my scheduler sympathized and brought me back for my final two weeks in the Disneyland College Program (DLCP).
Right around this time, our coordinators told us that they would be looking for Campus Reps to help recruit. We would have to fill out an application and write an essay explaining why we wanted to be reps. I turned mine in and kept my fingers crossed. I figured my odds were pretty good as I was the only Missourian in the program. Sure enough, a few days later I got a call that I was selected, along with a handful of other participants to be a Disneyland Campus Rep. I was excited, but sad, because it means our time was coming to an end.
On my last day in Fantasyland I had asked for an early shift so I could attend our “End of the Year Party” that night at Aladdin's Oasis. I was put on the Snow White's Scary Adventures/Pinocchio's Daring Journey/Casey Jr. Circus Train rotation. I wanted to end my last day on Casey, so I had the other CMs bump around me. I had one of the CMs take a picture of me driving the train. On my final trip around the track, I think I cried the entire time. I loved working at Disneyland, but I felt like I was in a dream and my alarm was about to go off.
After turning in my costume, I changed into some nice clothes and headed to the Team Disney Anaheim building to help bring the items to set up for the party. We took a golf cart there and back to Adventureland, where we set the check-in area (my department), the video screen and the section where we'd be taking pictures with Mickey Mouse.
After we ate and watched the video that some of the participants had made of our summer adventure, it was time for awards. We were asked to fill out superlatives: Nicest, funniest, most likely to hit on a character (for some reason both of my roommates put me down for that one), and so on.
Award after award was announced, and the winners were all from Group Two (I was in Group One, Two would be there for another month). Then they announced that the award for Biggest Disney Fanatic (Female) was going to Shoshana Lewin. The whole room erupted in applause! To this day, though, I'm not sure if part of that wasn't because there were glad someone from Group One won something.
For the second time that day, I cried.
Here I was in a room full of people who loved Disney, and it was like they had elected me queen. I was given my award: a paper fan glued to a black base, which I still have on my desk.
After we left the Oasis, we headed to a special area so we could watch – yup, you guessed it, Fantasmic! We all felt like VIPs. Then, just before the park was about to close, a group of us ran over to Toontown for a ride on Gadget's Go Coaster. We got the last ride of the night. It was the perfect end to an amazing day.
I had the most incredible summer of my life. I met incredible people, had the chance to see Walt's apartment above the Firehouse on Main Street, had a summer fling (more about that in a much later story), learned the behind-the-scenes secrets of Disneyland, bought way too much stuff, and challenged myself to do some things I didn't think I could do.
It was hard to squeeze a whole summer into a four part series, and there was so much I didn't even get to tell you, but some things have to just remain a memory — although I do still have the parking sticker on my car.
I hope you enjoyed learning about the Disneyland College Program and I do hope they bring it back someday. Who knows? Maybe they'll ask me to run it. Yeah, and maybe the Mighty Ducks will win the Stanley Cup.
