It’s been two months since ending my time in Hollywood Studios and beginning my new job at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Disney Springs. I have gotten really lazy about keeping my blog current. Lots of people have been curious about what I’m doing now. I’m still in Disney, still living in my apartment with 4 other girls, but A LOT has changed. I’m a Fairy Godmother in Training, which I talk about below. People have come and gone. It’s been a trying couple months, but I’m looking forward to finishing my Disney College Program strong, enjoying as much time as I can in the parks, doing new things, and spending time with the people I love here.
To catch you up, I was working merchandise in Hollywood Studios from August-December, and extended my program until May, but started working a new job. I landed “Boutique Hostess” at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Disney Springs. My title at the boutique is “Fairy Godmother in Training” (or “FGIT”) and I do the hair, makeup and nails for princesses 3-12 that come into the boutique. There are 3 different packages that determine what is included in the princess’ “transformation”. The largest package includes hair, makeup, nails, a princess dress, matching tiara, wand, a princess backpack and sash.
But it’s not only hair, makeup and nails that I do for the princesses that sit in my chair. As a Fairy Godmother in Training, I am a storyteller. The entire 30-40 minute transformation is also 30-40 minutes of getting to know my princess and telling stories about the Disney princesses, myself as a fairy godmother and the magical things that happen in the boutique. For example, princesses are always amazed to find out that I am 220 years old. Or that Tinkerbell flies into the boutique every morning and sprinkles pixie dust into our nail polish and they get to make a wish on every finger that we paint. I often times talk about the Disney princesses that come into the boutique to get their hair done. Rupunzel comes in every morning to get her hair brushed, but her hair is so long that it wraps around the boutique 3 or 4 times and stretches straight out the door and all the Fairy Godmothers have to work together to brush it and it takes SO LONG because her hair is so tangled from all the adventures she goes on each day. I talk about how FGITs have pet dragons and how I’m best friends with Ariel. The water we use in our princess’ hair is wishing well water, and it comes from the very bottom of Snow White wishing well, where all the water is the most magical-it helps wishes and dreams come true. Hairspray is not hairspray. We use Elsa’s freeze spray so that our princess’ hair doesn’t “let it go”. The gel we use is actually jellyfish jelly and Ariel tickles jellyfish to get it. It’s really fun and it can be silly, but it makes for a really magical experience for the princess and their family that is often times involved in the experience as well (dads love it when I tell my princesses that they are not allowed to kiss any frogs-or boys-until they are 35).
I’ve been asked which job I like more: merchandise or Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. But I don’t actually have an answer for them. The thing is, they are so different that it’s hard for me to choose one over the other. Merchandise is much more laid back and less stressful, however. The boutique is always busy and loud and often times my anxiety spikes while at work, which is never pleasant. But it’s a much more magical job. And even though my role as a Fairy Godmother in Training is not considered an Entertainment role, I would easily argue that it is. It borderlines on Entertainment because when I walk on the floor, I am a Fairy Godmother. Everything I say and do must reflect that. Part of my job includes walking around the store (World of Disney) and pixie dusting people. I wave my wand over their head and say, “Bibbidi Bobbidi boo, may all your wishes and dreams always come true!”
Luckily, I can still pick up shifts in Hollywood Studios in merchandise, which I love, because it gives me a break when the boutique is getting to be too much for me. I struggled through training for my new job, because everything had to be perfect. Everything from the hair, to the way you story tell, to the way you look as a FGIT. We deal with the possibility of “Pumba” every day, otherwise known as lice. Since Valentine’s Day, we’ve been swamped and have had full reservations every day. I will do between 7 and 10 princess transformations in a short 6-hour shift.
Luckily, very recently, I got deployed to the Magic Kingdom! So it’s been a few days of getting used to things in Cinderella’s castle. It’s different, for sure. The floor has more space, our carts are on the left side instead of the right (forcing me to reach around my chair in the most awkward and uncomfortable ways to just grab a bobby pin or hair tie), the lighting is dimmer, it’s a bit quieter and not as hectic, in my opinion, compared to Disney Springs. The atmosphere is just a tad bit more calm. I know, you’d expect the opposite, but personally that’s how I’ve felt since being there. It’s so nice!
January was a hard month for me. I experienced the same struggle this year that I had last January too. Last year, I was living alone in my apartment in Stevens Point, taking an online class, cooped up inside when there were freezing temperatures outside. I was lonely and I was not motivated to do anything. I felt really bad all the time. This January was, oddly enough, the same. I worked, but when I wasn’t at work, I was at home, on the couch, watching TV, eating crap, and spending my days off at home. I was gaining weight. I was not motivated to do anything good for myself. The weather here in Florida was colder and often times very rainy, so I never wanted to leave the apartment. I wasn’t spending free time in the parks either, which I regret, because come May when I am home, I won’t ever be able to go to the parks in my free time. Heck, my next visit to Disney World might be when I’m a mom myself, with my own family. Let’s hope that’s not the case, but it’s a possibility and reason enough to hit up the parks as often as I can and make worth of the time I have left here. Like I said, January was a low month for me, probably due to my anxiety and stress surrounding my new job, as well as seasonal affective disorder.
January also saw the departure of my roommate Paige, who has been a rock for me since day one. She is one of the best people I’ve ever had in my life. She made the personal choice to leave the program, so I supported her. But not having her around has been hard ever since. If you’re reading this Paige, I love and miss you! Change is never easy, so it was really difficult to lose someone that had become like a sister to me. Below are pictures from Paige’s last night before heading back to North Carolina. <3
Around Christmas, when I decided I was staying in Florida another semester,  it was decided that I would go home for a week in February for my birthday. This was a trip that was much needed. I looked forward to it for so long and I can now say that it was exactly what I needed. All of my stress and anxiety relating to work went away for a week.
The trip was planned in December and I got plane tickets home from Atlanta, Georgia. My roommate Kristin lives in Athens, Georgia, so we decided to road trip up to Atlanta from Orlando and from there I would catch my flight and go home for a week and then fly back to Atlanta, where she would pick me up and we’d drive back to Orlando. Kristin and I both put in the requested week off early in January, but the time got wait listed, so we weren’t sure if we’d actually get the entire week off or not. It was a huge stress for us, because we were possibly going to have to worry about trying to give away shifts if it didn’t go through.
However, when the schedule came out for the 20th-26th, we both got every day off! Disney granted our wish and it was a huge weight off our shoulders. We even ended up having a couple days off prior to the 20th, so we left Orlando early, drove the 8 hours to Athens, Georgia and I stayed with Kristin at her house for a couple days before she took me to the airport to head to Wisconsin. She took me on a tour of Athens, Georgia, with it’s cute boutiques and college-town atmosphere. Everyone is Georgia is friendly and nice, which is a stark difference from some people in Orlando, but I digress. We also spent a day in Atlanta before my flight that night. We found ourselves at the Ponce City Market, a huge urban building full of stores and boutiques that used to be a jail house. We ate lunch at Mary Mac’s, where I had my first true southern meal of my life. It included corn bread, sweet cinnamon rolls, spiced apples, sweet potato soufflé, mac and cheese, and fried chicken of course, plus pot likker, courtesy of our wonderful waitress, who knew it was my first time in Atlanta and wanted me to have the full experience. It was grand. I ended up with lots of leftovers to eat for dinner before my flight. I had peach cobbler to go, so as I went through security at the airport, the censors detected liquid in my bin, but were relieved to see it was only peach cobbler. I enjoyed eating it all later as I waited at my gate.
We spent a day in Atlanta at the Ponce City Market!
My first true southern meal at Mary Mac’s in Atlanta. SO yummy.
My time at home was everything I needed. It was so good to see my family for the first time since August. Six months is a long time to go without seeing family, especially when you’re so far away. I planned to mostly be with them all week, so I saw only a few close friends while I was home, and I spent a lot of my time hanging out with my sister and my parents, shopping, going to a couple movies, bumming around Madison with friends, and relaxing at home. My favorite day was spent downtown in Madison, hitting up State Street and spending time with friends before going out to dinner at P.F. Chang’s.
I also got my summer job back while I was home. I’ll be working at the Palace Cinema in Sun Prairie again this summer. I wasn’t interested in any other kind of job this summer, because Disney has set such a high standard in costumer service for me. I walk into Target, Walmart, or any other retail location and I’m disappointed. The customer service is nothing like Disney’s. The floor is messy. There just isn’t as much care for customers like there is at Disney, in general. Disney is focused on the “four keys”: safety, courtesy, show, and efficiency. These are principles that aren’t hugely enforced anywhere else, as far as I’m concerned. However, Marcus theater does a good job of enforcing good customer service and concern for their clientele. I hold high respect for the Marcus corporation, the leadership there, and how they treat their guests. The customer service I was expected of last summer at the theater was on par with Disney’s and it’s the reason I will enjoy another summer there before finishing my last semester of classes at UW-Stevens Point in the fall.
February was a big waiting game to get home, but prior to that, I had good days spent in the parks with friends. It was a good month overall, so I’ll just share some pictures from throughout the month. I did some pin trading and hung out at Magic Kingdom more than any other park.
I am so blessed. I am so excited to be home in only 2 short months.
However, my heart aches at the thought of leaving this place. March and April are going to fly by and before I know it, May 12th will arrive. I will head back to Wisconsin for good. I have had the adventure of a lifetime in this place. I’ve done so much and I’ve met so many people and made so many friends along the way. The friendships I’ve made will last a lifetime. I am amazed at how perfect my program has played out. I’m excited for what’s to come in the next couple months. I have so many things to do, places to go, people to spend time with and magic to make. It’ll be a full and wonderful two months, for sure. I’m in the home stretch!
From Polka Dots to Pixie Dust It's been two months since ending my time in Hollywood Studios and beginning my new job at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Disney Springs.
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