Well I don’t know where to start. Today I am now officially a quarter century old. Yep, Webby has turned 25. Sorta scary but sorta cool at the same time. It is also my golden birthday! How cool is that? What else is cool is that I start this new year in my life with a new role here at Walt Disney World!
Effective today, I am now a member of the elite Dream Squad. I will be joining the team at the Magic Kingdom, yes I know I don’t seem to travel too far away from there. As a Dream Squad Cast Member, I will be a representative for the Walt Disney Company and official prize fulfiller for the Year of a Million Dreams at Disney Park’s Disney Dreams Giveaway. For more Information, visit www.disneyparks.com.
Tonight it’s off to the Alehouse for another fun filled birthday night. If you are in the area, stop in. Till then, I’m out.
Published on Monday, January 15, 2007 .
Well, after a busy holiday season, I have finally packed away all of the Christmas decorations. The decorations at the Resort went down on January 8. Due to my busy schedule, I wasn’t able to get mine down until yesterday. I’ve either been working (which I know I do a lot of) or I’ve been out with friends.
This past weekend was a nice change to the craziness. For those that are not aware, my days off are now officially Friday and Saturday. This is a strange adjustment since I have had Wednesday and Thursday off since March 2005. So, Andrew thought that I should take advantage of it and we both decided to go back to visit the ‘ol stomping ground of Eckerd College.
Once we arrived on campus, it was strange to sense that not much had changed in the three years since I have left. My mailbox still opens (1497) with the same code I had in college and the students are still just as eco-conscious as always. Granted, I have not been out of school THAT long, it’s just funny to see that even with a new dorm, new library, new administrators, and new programs, that the school has not changed at all.
Andrew and I had a nice chance to walk around campus and see new dorm which I must say, is very new and modern but, has the total feel of an Eckerd Dorm. We also saw Jim, the Dean of Students and a close friend/mentor to me and met up with him and his wife Anna for dinner. It was a nice treat and always great to reconnect with old friends.
Work this week is full with me back to training new College Program students on turnstiles intermixed with my regular coordinator shifts. My biological clock though is all out of whack with my normal close, close, mid, open, open schedule being changed around. After next week, I hope to be back to normal.
Published on Sunday, December 31, 2006 .
As 2006 comes to an end, I thought I would shar year end update that went out in an e-mail to friends and family:
This year started off with me completing engineer training for the Walt Disney World Railroad. That’s right, for those that remember little Tommy Webster being in the trains as a child, well guess what, he now drives a real turn of the century steam powered locomotive on a “Grand Circle Tour” of the Magic Kingdom. Like people, each of our four trains on the WDW RR have their own personality and I have learned a lot about adjusting my skills to fit the train. Continuing on with work, I became an area trainer on Main Street, USA where I trained Park Greeters, Conductors and also facilitated Guest Service Training for new hires.
It was in August that I left my home for two years at the Magic Kingdom to move to a role that I had been trying so hard for over a year to get, Guest Relations. I moved to Guest Relations at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park where I got the chance to work with an amazing group of people and learned a lot about carrying on the traditions and quality standards set forth by our company’s namesake, Walt Disney. Guest Relations was a great opportunity for me and really gave me the tools I needed to make sure that each and every one of our guests had the most wonderful time of their lives.
Fast forward to November, I have returned back to my home on Main Street, USA now though as an Area Coordinator where I oversee the operation and cast for Turnstiles, Steam Trains, Vehicles, and Parade. On any given day, I am responsible for not only 250 Cast Members but, our many thousand guests who visit our park every day and ensuring that they have a smooth and care-free transition to our world of fantasy. This is my next big step on my path to a full-time leadership role with the Walt Disney Company.
Leaving work aside for now (I know it’s hard considering I work a lot), I did have some great travel experiences this year ranging from quick visits to Naples, FL to see family and even the surprise visit home from Grandpa Don’s Birthday. October also brought along what is beginning to look like an annual trip out the the original theme park, Disneyland and Southern California. There is something about the original that draws me back.
This holiday season will also mark my third year with the Candlelight Processional Cast Choir at Epcot. Candlelight is a tradition started at Disneyland in 1957 that tells the Christmas story with traditional scripture and song with a different celebrity narrator each night. It is truly a moving experience and if you get the chance, come and see the show.
So as we end 2006, Happy New Year and best wishes for 2007!
Published on Saturday, September 30, 2006 .
I know that I have not been as diligent on my updates as I once was. I wish there was more time for me to just sit down and write again. Since I have moved from attractions to Guest Relations, I am still in the process of learning a whole new role and a new park at the same time. I have left my comfort zone of the Magic Kingdom and entered in to the entirely new world of Disney’s Animal Kingdom (DAK).
DAK is a completely new experience. The attitude is so different than MK that I don’t know where to start. Things are so much more laid back in a sense but so much more strict in another. Where the Magic Kingdom is all about the world of Fantasy, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is much more about the real world with the animals taking the leading role in our park. This is evident in several policies in place. We do not allow balloons or stickers in the park and no where can you get a drink with a lid or a straw. It’s just strange to me to not see all those lovely Mickey stickers being given out.
My training though is finally complete. Aside from the training I will be getting just by doing my new role more, I just completed my global property tour. 21 people, 1 fun bus, 3 days and 49 square miles of property to travel and see. Yes folks, we went to every hotel, every park, every restaurant, and more in three days. A lot of review for a Disney Veteran like myself but I will be the first to admit that I did learn a thing or two. Plus, I had never been to Horticulture of Holiday Services before.
Speaking of Holiday Services, this place is crazy. In this hidden warehouse, is all the Christmas decorations for the entire property include Disney Cruise Line. They spend all year just maintaining all the decorations that will begin to show up on November 1. If you ever have a chance to go on Backstage Magic or see this operation, I recommend it.
Aside from tour and work, not much else going on. Candlelight Rehearsals have started again and I am diligently going to get my 10 in before the cut off. The nice part about working DAK is that I can get out of work by 6:30pm at the latest. Nice to reconnect with that social group after almost a year with out seeing some of them. I am also in the process of finalizing my plans to head to Disneyland in a few weeks. I’ll be out there with Joe, Jeff, and Brian October 24-30. I can’t wait to go back out and am looking forward to a much needed vacation considering my last REAL vacation was the same time last year.
Well, that is the last month in a nutshell. Look for more regular updates to return soon.
Published on Monday, August 21, 2006 .
For those that haven’t checked your e-mail or did not recieve my update, here is my latest quarterly update:
I want to first off apologize for my lack of e-mail messages and updates over the past several of months. I have been working very hard here at the Magic Kingdom and Main Street Operations. Since I last wrote, I became a relief or substitute coordinator (lead staff) for the area. What does this mean? Some days I am up front at turnstiles where I am responsible for not only our Cast but ensuring that all 50 turnstiles at the Magic Kingdom are up and running and that our Guests have a seamless experience while entering the Magic Kingdom. I also do coordinating on Main Street, USA. While on Main Street, USA, I am again responsible for our Cast but also ensuring the safe operation and efficiency for our Steam Trains and the safety of our Guests at parade time.
Along with coordinating, I am also an area trainer for Be Our Guest (new hire Guest Service training, Turnstiles and Steam Trains. As some of you know, I was a lifeguard training instructor for several years and it is nice to get back to training. Main Street Operations has been the most rewarding area I have worked here at the Walt Disney World Resort and has a great team of Cast Members. It is on that note that I move to my next bit of news.
After almost two and a half years, I will be leaving the Magic Kingdom. No, I am not leaving the Walt Disney World Resort. After over a year of hard work, and six-months of waiting, I have accepted a role in Guest Relations at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. My last official day at the Magic Kingdom will be on Saturday, August 26 and moving to Animal Kingdom on Sunday, August 27. This is an exciting time for me and I am looking forward to the change in pace and the role that I have been working so hard to get in to since I started. It will be hard to let go of a great area like Main Street Operations but, I know that I am finally moving on path upwards in the company, no part of which would not of been possible with out the great support my leaders on Main Street have provided.
Aside from the change in location, I am signed up to participate in the Candlelight Processional Cast Choir again at Epcot for the Holidays Around The World, which will begin in late November. This will be my third year in the choir and it will be great to be a part of the exprience again. For those that are coming to visit, try and come for a show that is narrated by Marlee Matlin. She is by-far one of the best speakers I have met and seen. I am also in the process of planning my trip back to Disneyland in October with several of my friends from Epcot.
That’s all the update I have for now. Look for more updates by visiting http://www.webbyaquatics.com . From there, you can access my blog and current photo collections. Please feel free to come down and visit anytime or drop me a line.
