Disney is one of my most favorite places on Earth. I did my first internship with them in the fall of 2014 and fell in love with it even more, meeting people that I would be able to call my friends for a lifetime. I had extraordinary roommates who I think had superpowers with the hours they were working and could still be their happy and amazing selves afterwards and want to go park hopping.
So when I heard that the Summer Alumni Program was coming back for a second year (Thanks, Hannah!) I knew I had to apply. At the time, I didn't even think I was going to get a spot: I did it just because I could. And then it happened. I was offered a position and I knew I had to accept it.
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Summer came and I was SO excited. My dad and I packed up my little Ford Focus for the second time and we made our adventure down to Orlando from Western Pennsylvania. Move in day quickly approached, but I didn't get to stay in my apartment long because move in was at some crazy time like 9:15 and I had to be on a bus to Casting at 9:30.
For those who do not know, Casting is where you, well, get casted in your part at Walt Disney World! Anyways, there is where I learned where I was going to work, and had been my dream job and where I wanted to work since before my first program; Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Kilimanjaro Safaris is where you get on a huge truck and for two weeks (or sometimes it happens so fast it feels like 20 minutes!), you make your way through the Harambe Wildlife Reserve and see real life animals. So pretty much the best job ever.
I was so excited; this was my dream job after all! My trainer was great, Matt was the perfect trainer for me, and I trained alongside (sometimes) with Savannah and her trainer Angela. That next week or so was one of the best weeks. They made me understand why the reserve was so important and I got to know the animals that I grew to love on my first program.
I assessed and passed some days later, and then the same day went into rotation (which is just working by yourself). That was a 14 hour day. And those days didn't end. Florida during the summer is literal hell and I couldn't keep up with it even with all the water I was drinking. I didn't know it, but I was starting not looking forward to going to work every day, and I didn't admit it to myself until I got home around 12:30 am one night and called my mom.
I thought I was just being emotional because I was tired and warm and dehydrated. I had literally told one of my fellow castmates on the ride home that I loved my job and even though it was hard that, "I love my job. I could never term(inate my program)."
Well, I was wrong on that one. After talking to both of my parents, I had made a decision. I was leaving my program. Not once in a million years did I ever think I was going to leave. Hell, I left work thinking I was going to see everyone tomorrow. My mom was on a plane a few hours later and we packed up my Ford Focus (again) and drove down to West Palm Beach to visit family for a week.
I don't think any of my coworkers saw it coming. I loved that job, and I still do. I think about Safaris and the Khaki Pack every day (Khaki Rules!). I keep the flashlight I was given with the Safaris logo on it in my purse with me, just in case I need it. I see posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat and wonder why I even quit. But then I remember the hot days, the long hours, and me not even being able to go enjoy the parks on my days off because I was too tired.
My roommates didn't see it coming either. It was very hard saying goodbye to one of them (the others were at work). I honestly don't know if I would have been able to leave if I had to see all of them. I so desperately wanted to cry because these were the girls I was going to make memories with and be friends with forever. I wanted to cry because I was letting go of what I thought was my dream to work for Disney after I graduated college.
But I realized that leaving them didn't mean the end of friendships, and it didn't mean I couldn't work for Disney ever again. I still love Disney, and even though I didn't know my coworkers or my roommates for very long, I love all of them as well. And I really wanted to write this article so that they know that I care about them and I look forward to their posts because I care. And I want to see them again. And I will.
I have my certificate of passing the assessment test in my room. And everyday I look at it, and know that even though it wasn't for very long, I had the best job at Disney.
