Day 191 of 365

Today I was in my home location where I have trained many College Program cast members over the past 4 years. The first group that started in January of 2008 became like a second family to me. We went to the parks together and late night dinners after work, many called me Mama. When their programs ended I had to say goodbye and it was so hard. Tear were shed, email addresses exchanged and Facebook friends were added.

After the last of that group left I vowed to never get that attached again, and I really didn't end up with too many more that were as close as that group was.

These days I get moved from area to area, maybe getting to train a new cast member more than one day and then I am off again to another location. But as I stated at the beginning, I was back where it all started today training a new International Cast Member. As we walked the area we ended up in Strollers, my favorite place to work, and cast members I had trained months before started coming up and tell me that their programs were about to end. So I started saying my goodbyes and giving hugs; when one of my former trainees asked me to write in her book in the office. So while my current trainee was meeting with the leader I sat down with pen in hand and began to write my See ya Real Soon!

One of the first things I am always asked when I train a new CP or ICP (College Program or International College Program) cast member is if I ever did the program. Regrettably I never did, but to my defense I never knew about it. In honesty I have the utmost respect for these cast members, especially the ICPs. They are anywhere between 18 - 22 usually maybe a little older, and they decide to travel, in many cases to the other side of the world where some times they don't always speak the language very well, have no hands on knowledge of the currency and no family close by.

As I wrote my goodbye to the sweet cast member from the Netherlands I said something along these lines." I hope you enjoyed your time here and you learned a lot about great Guest Service, but most of all I hope you learned something about yourself. "

You can learn all of the facts about a place you visit, but at the end of the trip is that all you learned are a bunch of fact; or did you take in more than that? With every new cast member I train I learn a little bit more about myself. Over these past 4 years as a trainer I have learned Patience, Understanding, Compassion, did I mention Patience? 


So, for all of my "kids" past, present and future, you each have a special place in my memory. I may not be able to remember your name right off the bat at times, I mean come on, I train new Merch cast, new trainers and SIMs, but you all have made an impression on me great and small. You have helped mold me into the trainer I am today. 


Remember, we never say goodbye at Disney... We always say, See You Real Soon!


Love, Peace and once a cast member always a cast member
Musicsongbird