A Day in the Life of an Outdoor Foods Vendor

If you are a student that gets accepted into the Disney College program, there's a fairly good chance that you'll be working in Food and Beverage. About one-third of all college programmers are placed in Quick Service Food & Beverage, in fact, and I am one of those!

First of all, forget whatever horror stories you may have heard of QSFB. It isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Yes, it's hard work, and yes, the hours are long, but so far I love my role and I'm glad I was placed where I am now--Outdoor Foods at the Magic Kingdom.

A typical shift for me ranges from six to fourteen hours. It really just depends on the season, what land you are in, and whether or not you will be cleaning a wagon at the end of the night.

Outdoor Foods at the Magic Kingdom is responsible for vending three items: ice cream bars, popcorn, and cinnamon-glazed almonds. There isn't much prep involved in any of those, so I handle food less than you may think. In ODF, your main responsibilities are handling money and handling guests. You are placed in a certain section of the park for a day and usually work only two or three wagons in a given shift.

One of the biggest advantages of working ODF in the Magic Kingdom is we get to move around the park. I have can wear seven different costumes, one for each land in the park, plus a costume worn when I am acting as a breaker or a stocker. When you work ODF at Magic Kingdom, you get really familiar with the park, more than you would if you were zoned in a certain area (Tomorrowland Merchandise or Main Street East, for example).

Other pro's of working ODF:

-We get a lot of hours. This is great if you are needing the money.

-Like I said, we don't have to stay in one place, which keeps things interesting and helps expand our knowledge of the Magic Kingdom.

-You get to be pretty independent; some days you will have a whole wagon to yourself, all shift. This can get boring, but if you like to work alone, it's a dream.

-In most of our locations, we can see the fireworks, the parades, and other outdoor entertainment the Magic Kingdom provides. Every day.

Some cons of ODF:

-We work hard. This isn't a role where you can slack off. You are busy, you're outside, it's hot, and you'r constantly dealing with guests. It can be a challenge if you aren't a hard worker.

-Sometimes guest interaction can be limited. You want to work quickly to keep your line down and provide good service, but sometimes that means you can't have a ten-minute chat with a little princess about how her day is going.

Ultimately, though, I am very satisfied with the role I was placed in. I don't mind the work and I love the people I've met so far. If I were to do another program, I would probably asked to be placed in MK ODF. It's an excellent role if you're willing to work hard at it.

Out of the Blue

These guys ... are our guys.

Here's a free tip for anyone considering the college program: it's a lot of work. Typical shifts for food and beverage and custodial range from eight hours to fourteen hours, depending on the day. On average, you may get two days off per week, but that can change dramatically, depending on the busy-ness of the season and your need for cash.

In a roundabout way, I'm trying to explain our blogging silence. THERE ARE NO EXCUSES, I know. But it's hard! We work a ton! A ton a ton! And after a few weeks, I start feeling too guilty to even try to update the blog, at least for a few months, where I mentally vow to turn over a new leaf. And then the whole process starts all over again.

I apologize for our absence, of course. And I wish I could say it won't happen again, that Tash and I will be better about updating this blog from now til August 5th (our departure date). But I just can't promise anything!

We just had to another picture with Mary Poppins! She's the best!

They have the fountain from Splash in the back of Hollywood Studios. Tasha and I have a very special relationship with the movie Splash, so we had to take some pictures.

Lotso! What a guy!

We're back on the wagon

Wow! Did you all think we were dead or something? Well, we're not, no worries!

It always used to annoy me back in Utah when one of my favorite Disney College bloggers stopped posting once they actually got to Florida. And now I am one of those people! I have become what I once despised. It's the circle of life.

Florida is still great. The Magic Kingdom has picked up and is getting to be more and more busy. Presidents Day weekend was INSANE. The hours are getting longer and longer, and it's warming up quickly. But it's still a lot of fun and we are both so happy to be here. I feel like I am learning everything and toughening up. After this college program, ordinary jobs will feel like a breeze.

We started our first class, Creativity and Innovation. The instructor is Tricia Garwood; she's fun and enthusiastic, and has a lot of interesting stories. Today we are starting our second class, Disney Heritage. Hopefully we will have a post soon fleshing out our learning experiences more thoroughly.

I promise we are recommitting to blogging. No more months of silence! Just remember we are having a great time, and now we have all sorts of experience, so if there are any college-programmers-in-waiting with any questions, send them our way!

We're finally here, part two!

After a six hour plane ride, nine suitcases (!), two nights in a hotel, and a loooong check-in, we finally moved into our Chatham Square two-bedroom apartment. (Come visit us!)

Exciting news: Tasha and I both got placed in the Magic Kingdom! She is doing Custodial in the Streets, and I am in Quick Service Food and Beverage, outdoor. We're excited that we'll be in the same place and in our favorite park!

We made it through Traditions, Disney's program to introduce every new employee to the company philosophies and parks. We each did some e-training, I went through park orientation, and Tasha is doing hers today. Later today, I am going to suit up in my costume and go work on location. Tash should be getting her costume today, so perhaps we'll have a picture post later this week.

Florida is fun. It's different. We are having a few money stresses, and the transportation is hard to get used to, but once we get the hang of it things will be great.

This is a short post, I know, especially after such a long break. More is coming, I promise! In the meantime, here is my training schedule (for those of you who are interested in what the hours are like down here):

Monday (today) the 24th: 15:15 to 23:30

Tuesday the 25th: OFF

Wednesday the 26th: OFF

Thursday the 27th: 13:15 to 21:30

Friday the 28th: 11:15 to 19:30

Saturday the 29th: 8:15 to 16:30

Thanks for reading! Another post is coming soon, I promise!

The Disney Look (Costumed)

So about a month ago, we both got an email about the famous Disney Look. We'd already heard all about it, of course, but it was still a nice summary of the official dress code of Disneyland. If you want to check out all the information Disney offers, look here. Here's a quick survey of a few of the Disney Look guidelines that are especially pertinent to me and Tasha:

Hair, Makeup, and Fingernails

Hair should be 'neatly combed' and conservatively colored; extreme hair colors are not permitted. Basically, it just needs to look natural and professional. Makeup should be well-blended and in neutral colors. If Tasha wants to wear nail polish, it has to be a "classic" shade; no black, gold, neon, or multi-colored. Since I am in Quick Service Food & Beverage, I'm not allowed to wear nail polish at all (which isn't that big of a deal, because I only ever wear clear coats anyway).

Costumes and Accessories

We will be responsible for keeping our costumes neat and clean. Hair accessories need to match the costume, and no more than "three small accessories" can be worn at once. Rings, earrings, and a "classic, business style" watch are allowed, but no bracelets or necklaces. Earrings can't be larger than a quarter.

Footwear

THE BIG MYSTERY. We don't know what kind of shoes we need to buy for our costumes yet, but on the Disney website, it says we will have adequate time to buy shoes before we start work in costume.

So there are the guidelines for Costumed Cast Members, female! I don't think that any of the rules will be a huge problem for either of us. Check back sometime soon for a post on the Disney Look for non-costumed roles.