Within 24 hours I left my job, my boyfriend, and life behind to go work for Walt Disney World!

[littlejimmy]

. I bet if we ask her of any time she quit something in her life I bet there would not be much. People that are adventurous like her don't give up. Which is why we love this report. It would be kindly appreciated if we let her tell her story. Thank you so much!!!

Well, she did quit her last job, via phone, with no notice. so there is that.

 

[Lori77]

Khalee-
Congrats on the car! That is awesome! My feeling is that we all should take risks...some pay off, some don't, but the learning and experience gained is priceless! Keep on dreamin'! Hugs to you!

 

[DreamLikeWalt]

I have been enjoying reading about your adventure! I have a question for you (since I "know" a real life Disney photographer), is it rude for a guest to request certain shots to be taken or to ask for magic shots? Just curious and looking for inside knowledge. Hope you are having an awesome day.

Thank you! That is not rude at all! We are there to serve you and what you want!! You can always ask for magic shots- as well as for "different" shots to be taken. I recommend this especially for anyone who has purchased the memory maker ahead of time!!! Since you have already bought your photos - you should take advantage of every photopass photographer you see - ask for magic shots as well and different photos. (ex: ask a photographer on main street to take photos facing Cinderella Castle as well as turn around and get a shot of you with Main Street USA behind you!) The only thing I would keep in mind is asking for "different" photos if the photographer has a long line - because then everyone will want them and it could get crazy! However, if I don't have a line I love to have fun and take some extra photos! Thanks for asking!

 

[Wall-E]

Well, she did quit her last job, via phone, with no notice. so there is that.

And even with that, she said she got an open offer to come back ANYTIME. That speaks that. And from her story... she was hired by Disney and in FL for another 8 days after... AND needed to be back to start her new job a week after that... so calling was the right thing to do in order to give the most notice time. Obviously she handled it the best she could with the time crunch and it worked for her.

Quitting a job for a better career step is NOT what I meant by quitting thing... I think that was clear though. This girl does not sit in the mud, she gets up and cleans herself off and goes on. That is NOT a quitter!!

Please stop inserting negative twists. If you do not like the story.... move on... move on... there are plenty of threads that you can enjoy here. TY

 

[DreamLikeWalt]

Sorry about the sunburn, hope if feels better now. Congrats on the car!! Getting to photograph proposals has to be amazing. It's special to be a part of someone's special day.

I have a question, since makeup melts off, how do you cover your tattoos on your hands?

Thank you!! I am so excited!!! Tattoo cover up has become a perfected art for me! Step One - Concealer or Foundation! I have been switching between Brands to see what I like best. I have tried two so far that have been working great. The first is Kat Von D concealer.($19 Sephora) I like this stuff because it is thick, and very light! The other product I have been using is Estee Lauder Doublewear foundation. ($37 Sephora) The 2nd step is the KEY. Setting powder! I ran out of my favorite setting powder (Smashbox) so I have been using a cheap Cover Girl one that has been working perfectly for my tattoos! Sorry if you were looking for a short answer it's just Foundation/Concealer + Setting Powder!

Just an FYI, there is a CM board on the DIS. I've been told that WDW sort of frowns on CM's posting on the DIS, but you are more than welcome here if you continue to do so.. I just wanted you to be aware of the CM Board. You also have members of the DIS that want to meet with you or maybe get their Photopass picture taken with you. Just remember this is an open Forum, and you may get a little freaked out by people that will seem to know you, and you will have no idea who they are. Good luck with your job at WDW.

Thanks so much for the information! I'm excited to meet everyone of you as well as take your photos!

Reading this entire thread inspired me to apply to WDW last week...and now I have an interview there on Tuesday! Tips? Advice?

edit:
a bit about me-
22, 5'2 female blackish hair, medium build, 2 small tats, BA in english,3 yrs experience in fine dining and two years writing for a blog in the UK where a few small things got published.

position I applied for just said 'marketing coordinator'

AHHHHHHHH YAYYYYYY! I am so happy this inspired you!! That's just want I wanted to do! Good for you, that is so exciting! I will message you so we can talk more!

 

[tinawv]

Or maybe it shows what a good person she is that so many want to help her?
And to try and 'qualify' your overall negative statement with a don't get me wrong? Why do people always want to be 'right'...........

I so agree Tink2Day! She's not asking for advise; just telling her story.

 

[ForeverAlice]

Hello!!! I have been following and I meant to write this a while back but just wanted to tell you I love your HIM tattoo!

 

[kinggartk]

I have been reading through your report. I find these TR's written by cast members fascinating. I have also read through a couple of other TR's written by "starry eyed kids" who left home or school to work at WDW.

One of the TR's was by a girl who was so giddy at the beginning that you would think she could literally float with the clouds. Everything she posted was about working this great job (really long hours), meeting these fantastic co-workers who would become her best friends. She would work 8-12 hour shifts then go park hop. It seemed she never slept and every single activity revolved around disney. She kept this up for 3 months, then abruptly quit posting only to post 2 months later that she quit disney to go wait tables at a restaurant, so she could save money.

She tried to live the disney experience 24/7 and I don't think she gave $$$ a second thought. Now disney is an afterthought.

I say all this to lead up to this. When I first started reading your TR, I thought to myself, here we go again. Another "Starry eyed burnout" just waiting to happen. But, I've changed my mind. I think your attitude is different. I think are are a bit more realistic about what all this means than most of the folks who post their CM dreams here.

You are the first one I have seen who is actually worried about $$. This is a good thing. It's not all about $$, but without $$, your dream won't last long. You don't have family sponsoring you in this so you seem to be taking your life outside of disney responsibilties much more seriously than the others I've read.

Don't forget that life is not all about the disney magic, you still have those outside resposibilities that will never go away. You keep that in perspective and you could live your disney dream for a long time to come.

Kudos to you for not getting lost in the magic.

 

[DreamLikeWalt]

HELLLOOOO AGAIN.
Okay so I haven't posted in a while - and the real reason is because a few days ago I wrote up an entire post and when I checked back on it realized I never posted it and I have no idea what happened to it! I didn't want to re write it again haha - so here I am!

Shout out to the wonderful family that came up to me last night and asked if I was Khalee from The Dis!!! It was the first of you to come visit me and I absolutely loved it! I decided I should probably post a photo of me in costume so you all can recognize me better if you do come to search for me! I'll work on that!
Work has been amazing! It's so silly to have to go through all the training again, but I am finally night trained now! Which means all my shifts coming up are night shifts and I LOVE IT SO MUCH MORE. Do you guys like Magic Kingdom better in the day time or the night time? The day time is nice, and I could understand if you like that more, but at night it just comes alive to me. ALSO, as a CM I am not out in the blazing sun if I'm working at night so I can keep my energy levels up which is the best! On the 3rd I don't start work until 9 PM! That should be interesting hahaha.

The past few weeks I normally worked something like 7AM-6PM, or 8AM-2PM, which most people like those shifts but I was completely DONE by the end of them. Standing on Main Street that long under the sun just really takes a toll on me, even with sunblock and lots of water. Some days I got such a heat headache it was a struggle even walking to the car. By the time I got home, I went right to bed until the next day. Another reason why I like these night hours, I can sleep in, have a few hours to myself, and then work! It's perfect.

On my days off I have been finding things to do and explore in the Orlando area that don't cost a lot of money. However, It's come time to start to register my new car and deal with my insurance and what not so for the next few weeks I am going to try and be extremely frugal and Netflix will be my best friend. The house I am staying in has this pool in the backyard that I love! It's so perfect after a hot day.

I think the biggest tip I could give anyone else who would move to the area to work for Disney is that you shouldn't make Disney your life 24/7. I have only been to the parks 3 times for fun since I've been down here, and been twice to eat on property. Do not overload your life with Disney. I also came here with another agenda - to explore Orlando. What a beautiful city- I love it.

One thing I've been trying to do is find a good iced coffee around here! Back home my go to was Mary Lou's - delicious flavored Iced Coffees! My coffee search hasn't been to successful down here yet. If anyone has any suggestions let me know! The first place I went to try was Austin's Coffee - a 24/7 shop that hosts open mic nights, comedy, poetry, and live music. I will be back for late night chills, and entertainment, but the coffee was just okay.

After that I drove to a secret gem I found on the internet called the Kraft Azalea Garden in Winter Park. It was a beautiful place to walk around, enjoy the breeze and shade, and enjoy the outdoors. I had the entire park to myself!

I've also visited the Greenwood Cemetery. The internet says it's the most haunted place in Orlando, so it must be true. haha. It was actually one of the most beautiful and well kept cemetery's I've ever seen. They also hold midnight walking tours every few months I can't wait to sign up for!

I'll share some more adventures with you soon - and I'll be visiting the parks more often soon so yall can get your Disney fix!
I leave you with this question!
Last night it was raining and lightning for most of my shift, so it wasn't safe to be on Main Street. My location was moved to the Tomorrowland Terrace by the Tomorrowland entrance. While making the transition from Mainstreet to walking under the Tomorrowland sign, there are a bunch of rocks. Does anyone know how these rocks fit into the themeing of Tomorrowland or what the meaning is behind them? It's all I could think about after standing there for hours, and I never really noticed them before. Can any of you tell me the answer to this!? I asked a few cast members last night and no one had an answer, but I know there is one!

 

[wiscbugs]

It looks like you are having fun...I love your report!

 

[MrsSkellington]

Glad things are looking up!

 

[LanaBear-ox]

Wow what an inspiration! You give up everything to follow your dream, I seriously am happy for you! I can't wait for more updates

 

[once]

You remind me of Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones! You’re both cool and funny.

I’ve never posted in a trip report before but your story was so compelling that I had to say something. Congratulations on taking the big leap to come to Orlando. You did what I’ve always dreamt of doing (same Photopass dream!) but never dared to. On the sunburn note, make sure to cover yourself with sunscreen, don’t forget the eyelids and behind the ears. I’ve learnt that the hard way.

You said you’ll be working during the summer months. Will you still be there in September? So you have flexible hours and no fixed schedules? How early in advanced do you know your work schedule? For the Photopass or any other positions, are there any differences between working as a college intern vs. non-college worker like you?

Does Disney offer any benefits to temporary workers? Do they have an internal job posting board for current employees? With you cosmetology background, I think either working at the BBB boutique or as a wig styler/designer (not sure of the actual name) for all the performers would be a good fit. Do the performers and characters do their own makeup? If there’s a job position for that, you could apply for that as well.

Sorry for bombarding you with questions!

 

[ReadyforDsNy]

Something a lot of people appear to be forgetting: if a young man from the Midwest had decided against taking similar risks, there would be no Walt Disney World.

Amen - not only did that young man risk it, he failed and had to start over, and that has made all the difference..

 

[TinaMcTeer]

Joining in. I love the adventure you are on. sometimes the greatest experiences are ones that we are unsure of how we are going to make it in the end. It looks like you have a great group of people around you. I am sure you will grow as a person from this experience and I am excited to hear more.

 

[ICanDis]

Wow, Wow and Wow!!
Good for you for following your dreams, life is short and should be an adventure!

 

[EpicPrincess]

I'm so excited for you! I've been wanting to move to Orlando for a while now but keep talking myself out of it! I guess for now I can live vicariously through you!

 

[vikster1]

You must be very busy working,(which is a good thing). Missing your updates. Hope all is well.

 

[jstkpswimming]

Just discovered your TR, and spent my lunch hour reading through it! As a former CP-er myself, it's fun to see what it might have been like if I had decided to head back down after college. Maybe someday I'll work for the mouse again!

Thank you so much for sharing your story, especially with the occasional negative comment. I'm glad that they aren't dissuading you from sharing your experiences!

Looking forward to reading more

 

[Maty]

What an amazing story. Very inspiring. I'm glad you followed your dreams and are making your wishes come true.