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May, 2012

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20th May 2012

Assigner Training

This week was all about Assigner training – all 50 hours of it. The Assigner allocates tables to groups of people coming into the restaurant. The idea is to make sure the servers all get roughly the same number of tables and that none of them are overwhelmed with too many guests. At the same time you have to balance making sure reservations are sat as soon as possible with getting extra walk in parties in to make sure the restaurant is as full as possible. To make it slightly more difficult we also accept requests for tables in the inside or outside sections of the restaurant and you need to try and fulfil as many of these as possible.

Initially I was following Janet, our permanent Assigner, and then slowly I started taking over. The first couple of days went OK but on the third day we were hit by a big storm which meant that nobody left the restaurant and I had not stopped the walk ins early enough causing some people to have very long waits. I felt really bad and in the end Janet had to help dig me out. I went home feeling pretty bad but the next day I came back determined to do better. We had an amazing lunch where we got lots of walk ins into the restaurant and the servers were nice and busy. I even got a GSF card from one of the servers for good Assigning while training! Dinner was also good which increased my confidence. On Thursday I was trained by Dave instead and he mostly left me to get on with it, giving me advice where I needed it. My first proper shift is next Friday for EMH before Memorial Day – we’ll just have to see how it goes!

Due to my schedule changing to accommodate my training I finished the week with 3 days off. On Friday I went to MK with G, Becky and Rob although it was pretty busy so we did not do too much. We were really just killing time until we headed over to the Polynesian for Cocktails for Katie’s birthday. It was lots of fun, I had a really nice cocktail and got to watch Wishes from the Poly beach which is always a lovely experience.

Star Wars weekends started this weekend so on Saturday Craig and I went nice and early to see what was happening. We met Jedi Mickey and saw lots of other characters before watching Indy. Craig had to head to work so I wandered across the studios to meet Sam who was there with her mum, we ate on Sunset and rode Muppets before meeting Jaci and her friend Ashley. Sam and her mum went shopping and the three of us rode Toy Story and Star Tours before meeting Lesley and doing the Backlot Tour and being attacked/photographed with Storm Troopers. We did GMR and then watched Indy (again) before getting a spot for the Hyperspace Hoopla. This is the closing show for Star Wars weekends which includes the YouTube sensation of “Dance Off with the Star Wars Stars”. Last year it moved from the small Star Tours stage to a massive stage in front of the hat – you can see why, it was so busy! The show was awesome, I have included a video below for anyone who won’t be able to make it but I recommend seeing it for real to get the full effect. We are going to go back next Sunday so we can get front row position!

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13th May 2012

Thursdays are not my lucky days

Tuesday night was meant to be another midnight Kickball but a miserable day of weather meant that at about 10 I got a message saying the pitch was waterlogged and the match was abandoned. I was actually really disappointed as I had been looking forward to it all day. In a turn up for the books I was asked to be a Disney trainer which I am very excited about – I have the Train-The-Trainer class in early June and hopefully I will get to train some of the newbies who will arrive in the first week of June.

Wednesday was my first Chippy opening shift since training and G was training Luke and Stacey from the latest arrival group. For some reason we were all scheduled for a 10.45 start with 4 of us opening which meant we were actually finished with plenty of time to spare for once. Things took a turn for the worse later in the day though when problems in the kitchen meant that Chippy and the restaurant had to close for about 3 hours. I finished at 17.45 about an hour or so after we reopened and banked out my fairly empty till before joining Sam, Craig, Bailey and Emily who were drinking around the world for Sam’s birthday. G and I went and got changed at Cast Services and by the time we got back they had reached the UK and were enjoying some beers in the beer garden. I then got my first character photo of this program – with Winnie the Pooh and Tigger in the UK Pavilion. We then moved on to Canada where the slightly worse-for-wear group enjoyed some final drinks before we cam back to the Commons and everyone went for a post-drink nap. We met later by the pool before transferring to Sam’s apartment where we did our standard pizza order, although from Pizza Hut this time – never again, Dominos is way better!

Thursdays are getting far too exciting for my liking – last week I had to call 911 for a guest and this week a mother came up to me and told me she had lost her 4 year-old son. We did a quick sweep of the restaurant and surrounding area before I called Joe my manager who sorted a proper search of the pavilion and then started the normal procedure for lost parents. Everything ended happily when we found out that the child was safe and well at Baby Care. The group were dining in the restaurant and at the end of their meal came and thanked me at podium for my help earlier in the day –  I was only doing my job but it was really nice of them to come and say something.

Friday and Saturday I was off and both days were spent in the parks. On Friday G, Mel, Rob, Laura and I went to Epcot where we managed to not ride a single attraction but rather wander around World Showcase for hours – it was quite fun and I had a really nice burger from the American Pavilion which I definitely want to try again. When we got back some of the CPs (American College Program) text me and asked if I wanted to join them for their final Wishes and Main Street Electrical Parade at MK since they finish their program in the next week – I joined them for an emotional evening, some of them I have known since 2009 and I will miss having them around. When I got back to Commons I went with Dave and Craig to McDonalds for some very late night dinner and chats about life, the universe and everything.

Saturday started with G, Lesley and I going to DHS where we managed Tower, Lunch at the Commissary (Fish and Chips!), Star Tours and Coaster within 2 hours before dashing over to MK to watch the parade which I realised yesterday I had not seen since I got here. To finish the day we headed for our 3rd park, Epcot – we did Mission: Space, Sum of All Thrills, Ellen, Food at Sunshine Seasons (My new favourite Quick Service), Living with the Land and Nemo before deciding to call it a night. Lots of people were heading to Cowboys tonight which I really want to do but Lesley was not feeling great so I walked with her to Walgreens to get some Meds and by the time we got back it was too late to get sorted – plus I start Assigner training in the morning and it would probably be a good idea to have had more than a few hours sleep beforehand. Just have to go next week!

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