Traditions.

Friday, January 31st I had Traditions! Traditions is your first day of work and basically Disney Orientation. Traditions for me was at 8 AM, which meant I was awake at 5:30 AM, out of the house by 6:10 AM, and ready to catch the 6:45 AM bus! We got there and they stuffed all of us college programers into the lobby while we waited for them to separate us. My roommate, Estefania, had Traditions at the same time as me, but unfortunately we were in two separate classes.

As we checked into our classes, we were handed a very special card; our blue ID's! This card is our company ID which we use to receive our discounts, get in the parks, and clock in and out of work.

To be honest, during the first part of Traditions I was fighting to keep my eyes open. We watched a 30 minute safety video that was led by an animated guy who looked similar to a Sim. After this part was (finally) over, we were told to leave the room and take a break.

When we came back there were red boxes in the center of our tables with a big pretty bow on it! Everyone opened it on the count of three and we received our very first pair of Mickey ears (as a cast member, at least.) The classroom was now filled with about thirty college aged kids, now all wide awake, with smiles on their faces and Mickey ears on their head, ready to learn about the company.

We then switched to a video that displayed the magic of Disney. It was a montage of little kids learning that they were going to take a trip to the parks and if you know me at all... I LOVE these. We watched a few more videos from the CEO and about Walt Disney's life and then learned about the "Four Keys," Safety, Show, Courtesy and Efficiency.

After that, it was time for the most anticipated part of Traditions. A tour of the Magic Kingdom, beginning with the utilidors. This is Disney's top secret set of hallways underneath Magic Kingdom, making it easy for cast members to get to one side of the park to another. My roommates who had Traditions before me told me about how they saw Ariel running around eating a sandwich and Cinderella hair spraying her hair. I kept my eyes peeled for any offstage character sightings, but unfortunately saw none. I did see a girl who looked like Tinkerbell and had her hair and make up done like her, but I'm not 100% certain it was Tinkerbell. We then stepped onstage and into the Park, right into the Storybook Circus area. We were all wearing professional business clothes, so it was fun to walk through the park that way until it started to rain.

When the tour was over, we headed back to the classroom and went over a review of things. Then a very important person came to visit; Mickey Mouse! He had a big gold box in his hands that he gave to our teachers; inside was our name tags (okay, this is tied with the utilidors as the most anticipated part!). One by one our teachers called out the names and universities of the college programers who would now be on their way to earning their ears!

My boss! 

Traditions then came to a close and I got on the bus to take me back home. Paige, Tori, Estefania, and I now had our blue ID's with access to the parks and were dying to get a chance to use them, so off to Magic Kingdom we went for the first time as cast members! It was very exciting because it was also Estefania's very first time. Although it was rainy and foggy we managed to squeeze in a few rides and watch the Castle Show, which almost made me tear up. It's all about believing in your dreams and making them come true. I've been waiting years to be in the spot that I am now. I never really thought it could happen, but here I am; an official cast member of the Walt Disney World Company!

After Traditions. 

Blue ID, name tag & Mickey ears! 

Tori, Estefania, Paige & I going to the park as Cast Members for the first time!