Come one! Come all! Step right up to see me! In three! yes, THREE! Different kinds of stripes! 

For my Spring Advantage college program I was a merchandise cast member in Magic Kingdom, specifically at Big Top Souvenir (across from Dumbo). 

And let me tell you, I was not too happy about it when I first found out. In fact - I could have cried if I didn't have to pose for my ID picture right after I was told the news. Don't get me wrong, I had nothing against the circus, it just wasn't where I pictured myself working.

But the more people I told about my placement, the more I heard about how much of a "family" it was and how much I would love it. So I was going to make the most of it!

Its a tough place to work when you get thrown in for your first few weeks. While earning my ears I didn't just have to train on registers, but also on hat stitching, merchantaining, stock and kitchen shifts. While it was all pretty overwhelming, the circus quickly became my home. I found what I liked and avoided kitchen shifts like the plague. I actually made a lot of friends because of it, beccause apparently I was in the minority when it came to my opinions on working production.

I pin traded, made magical moments, sewed hats, fought with sewing machines almost every day but I was lucky enough to somehow never have to work our outdoor cart! 

But I wasn't always at the circus, I was deployed a few times during my program and was really excited to get to work in different areas. I made magic for a few weeks in Fantasyland where little girls wanted to take pictures with me because they thought I was a princess.

 Then I got the dreaded Main Street closing shifts that were interesting but something that I had on my cast member bucket list. Then there was Hollywood Studios... I worked for two weeks as a strawberry on Sunset Blvd. and it was amazing because I was getting paid to hang out in one of my favorite places in Disney.

But then I was assigned to stroller and ECV rentals for a week; not my best moment. Although, the people who worked with me were some of the most amazing and welcoming people I met working outside of the Big Top. but driving scooters and stacking double strollers was not something I had any business doing.

 BUT I also got to do the coolest thing that week when I had to do the closing park walk - that's when you walk around the whole empty park to grab any strollers that we abandoned throughout the day. Considering Studios has been one of my favorite parks forever, I was fangirling the whole time. 

I loved working merchandise so much because I had so much guest interaction and really cool experiences that allowed me to see my favorite parks the way not many other people can.
 My biggest bit of advice to future CP's? Don't be afraid of deployment! Don't give away your shifts and branch out of your home location.