Fast forward two days from making that statement, and I'm checking in for the program at Vista Way, about to learn what my location will be. Somewhat to my surprise, and somewhat as I expected (worried that I had jinxed myself) I had been placed in merchandise, in Dinoland U.S.A.
Even though this was the one location I really did not want to be placed at, I don't think I ever viewed it with a completely negative attitude. In all seriousness, how upset can someone be who gets to work in Walt Disney World right after graduation? So I have to wear some funky shorts with dinosaur foot prints on the butt pockets, things could be worse.
Despite my optimistic attitude, I was initially not thrilled with anything that involved my working in Dinoland. The first visit to costuming was frustrating. Watching other CPs try on costumes from Asia and Africa, and heck, even Discovery Island, while I tried on the world's tackiest shorts, was not exactly the most fun experience. (You also need to factor in that Disney's sizing, especially for women's clothing and more specifically for bottoms, makes absolutely no sense. Our trainer told us that day to take our regular pants size and double it. If you're typically a 10, you'll probably be an 18 or 20 in "Disney sizes.") The blow to my ego, combined with the bright shorts, bowling shirt, and buttons with silly sayings on them promoting Chester and Hester's Dinorama was enough to turn me off from Dinoland right from the get-go. (On the positive side of costuming, I absolutely love the Dino Institute costume and the Animal Kingdom floorstock costume, but we all know those are not the parts of merchandise that I was worried about.)
the Dino Institute costume-- my favorite!
The part of Dinoland merchandise that I was actually worried about was working the carnival games, which I knew before I arrived was done by merchandise cast members and not attractions cast members like you would probably think. The reason for this is that the cast members running the games also sell tickets for the games which falls under the category of merchandise. If you know me personally, especially before I did the college program, you know public speaking is not my thing-- this was reason #1 why I did not want to work merchandise in Dinoland.
Reason #2 really only exists because of the nerdy Disney snob in me: I thought that Chester and Hester's Dinorama was extremely tacky and out of place, and as such it did not belong in a Disney park. It would be my luck that I'd be placed at the one location I really couldn't stand.
The last reason why I was not thrilled with this location is because I worried that it would feel "less magical." How magical could you really be while stocking water bottles near the Boneyard, or spieling and running a carnival game?
giving out prizes at Comet Crasher
While I do have a new found appreciation for Dinoland after having worked there, I'm not going to lie and say that I came to this realization overnight. In fact, I loathed my work location for much of the fall program, so much so that I often gave away my Dinoland shifts and picked up shifts in other locations. Looking back on it now, part of me wishes that I would have given Dinoland more of a chance, though at the same time, I'm really thankful that as a result of my dislike for the area I had the opportunity to work at all four theme parks and a resort in one semester.
It's funny how things change though. Since it's been (almost exactly to the day) a year since I last worked in Dinoland, I've had plenty of time to reflect on my feelings towards the place, and this is what I've come up with:
The carnival games, or Fossil Fun Games, I should say, fit the theme of the land, and they really do add a lot to what Dinoland has to offer if you give them a chance. At first glance, you might (as I did) wonder what on Earth a tacky carnival side show is doing at the Walt Disney World Resort, and that's okay! Sometimes you need to think about something a little bit more to really appreciate it. If you've never heard the actual story behind Dinoland (which is much more detailed than I have time to write about for this post) here's the basic gist of it: Fossils were discovered, hence the Dino Institute. Chester and Hester a (seemingly married?) couple from Diggs County (haha, get it?) realizes that tourists are flocking to see the Dino Institute and they want in. They convert their gas station (Chester and Hester's Dinosaur Treasures) into a gift shop, and turn the parking lot into a midway (hence the parking lot spaces on the pavement.) They also renovate the old fishing lodge (Restaurantosaurus) into a restaurant, and one that is surprisingly detailed at that. I'm not kidding, take a look around next time you're in there-- you can even spot bunks in the lofts where the interns who work at the Dino Institute stay. If you're walking through Dinoland, listen closely to the music-- it's a radio show that's run by two of the interns. There are so many details that I realize now actually make Dinoland really fascinating, you just need to take the time to find them.
hanging out with the Cementosaurus
Since working on the games, I've also learned that unlike many other carnivals they're not rigged... at all... which means that as long as you buy a ticket, you really do have a chance of winning. The only game that might seem "rigged" is Comet Crasher, but we were always told to market it as a game of luck, so guests would know that there is no way to come up with a strategy for playing it. The fact that the games are not rigged, means that you can essentially help guests (especially kids) win prizes. While we obviously couldn't give out prizes left and right, it was really easy to create magical moments for kids while working on the games. Kids who were too young to make paying for a game worth it for instance, would always be allowed to "practice" for free if I was working. (Note: this does depend entirely on the cast member working, as they have a lot of freedom in running the games.) Occasionally if two siblings played against each other, and it was clear that there would be a fight if there was only one winner, I'd make it a tie. I'd let parents help when wacking the dinos with mallets became too challenging. I'd play against kids who had no opponents (and lose.)
Of course, not everything about the carnival was (no pun intended) "all fun and games." It was hot. Regardless of where you work in Disney, and trust me, I later worked at Lights, Motors, Action! so I know heat, nothing ever seems as hot as the games did. Some of the games give off heat due to the lighting inside them, so even with all the fans, it's really just blowing around hot air. The tablets you'd use to ring guests out with were incredibly slow, making it difficult to process transactions, while spieling and/or running the game for guests who had already paid. Kids cry when they lose, and as much as you want to provide magical moments for everyone and just give the crying kid a prize, you can't. If ten kids play a competition game, you can't just give the winner and the four kids who are upset, prizes-- you'd run out of prizes, and the winning kids would catch on and be unhappy. You'd be on your feet, butt, knees, tip toes, anything that gets you to move faster picking up the comets the kids drop at Comet Crasher so they can toss them again. It's stressful. It's having at least three conversations at once-- selling tickets, performing safety spiels, giving change or credit card slips, running the game, keeping track of the winner-- it's a lot. And if you can't multitask it really isn't the job for you. You'll have great hours, like the occasional 7 AM to 3 PM, but you'll still leave work exhausted. Like any job you could have working with the public, sometimes the guests will be great, and sometimes you'll leave work wondering how another human can make someone feel so degraded. You'll never want to look at another plush snake or dinosaur, and even a year later, I still have anxiety over seeing the basketball game at my local fair.
Regardless of the stress my role in Dinoland caused me at the time, I'm grateful that I kept a mostly positive attitude, and stuck through it until my extension came and I was switched to attractions. Was I really good at spieling on Mammoth Marathon? I would guess probably not, but you know what I am good at now? Public speaking. Even though I'm not sure I'd ever want to have another three hour stint on Mammoth again, I'm so thankful for the fact that I can now give a presentation to a group without stumbling over words, and being nervous that I'll say something stupid. You know what happens when you say something stupid over a microphone to twenty people waiting to play a game? You fix it! You learn to laugh at yourself, to make jokes, to correct whatever was said, to have fun, regardless of the small mistake. Now if only this would have been a skill I could have had in college...
Sometimes the most challenging thing is to complete a challenge that you want nothing to do with. If I was in love with the idea of working in Dinoland, the level of multitasking involved in running the carnival games would have never been stressful, but I wasn't. Now that I've been out of Dinoland for a year, I realized I needed this. Walt Disney once said, "You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you." Dinoland was the kick in my teeth, and I needed that kick to realize that I can handle anything that any job in my future throws at me.
visiting Dinoland after my transfer to attractions
Even though I'll admit that Dinoland is still not my favorite part of the park, it does have a special place in my heart. I understand the theme so much better after having worked there, and even though it is still outwardly tacky to me, I appreciate the hard work that went into designing it. I've also been able to admit that working in Dinoland (or even just visiting Dinoland) can be magical. This is especially important for new CPs to understand-- don't think that just because you were not placed in the Magic Kingdom that your role will not be magical-- every role can be magical, it's exactly what you make of it.
Again, I'm not going to lie and say I loved my time in Dinoland-- I definitely think the area as a whole (especially with merchandise cast members running the carnival games, that in my opinion should be run by attractions) has some flaws, but I'm so beyond grateful for the opportunity to work there. I learned so many things about myself, and I learned not to sweat the small stuff, literally and figuratively: Public speaking isn't such a big deal, and don't wear mascara to work outdoors in Animal Kingdom in August unless you want it to drip down your face. I may not be hanging out in Diggs County on a regular basis anymore, but I still like to consider myself a "cousin" of Chester and Hester, and I'm always up for encouraging more people to read up on the backstory of Dinoland, so they too can see that it's really not so bad after all... except those shorts, those are really as bad as they seem ;) .
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