eric-abrams.net

From Facebook … Cast Member Survey

eric — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 04:36:34 +0000

1. Do/did you take your costumes home or pick them up daily?
Both of the above. Depends on which costume, and how long I’d be working at that location

2. What locations do/did you work at?
AK Main Entrance, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Wildlife Express Train, Backlot Tour – Tank, Backlot Tour – Shuttles, Lights Motors Action, Honey I Shrunk The Kids Playground, The Magic of Disney Animation, Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream, Playhouse Disney Live on Stage, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm, The Mad Tea Party, The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, Peter Pan’s Flight, its a small world … plus picked up PAC shifts in Africa, Main Street, Tomorrowland, and Fantasyland, have worked bell services, recreation, and resort lobby greeter

3. Have you ever been on an opening crew?
“Rollout” team for Magic Your Way tickets, if that counts for anything.

4. What positions do/did you hold?
Currently: Attractions Coordinator

5. How many times have you come back to working for Disney?
Haven’t left yet

6. Do/did you prefer working when it’s busy or slow?
Busy … I get bored easily

7. Have you ever been assaulted by a guest?
Physically, verbally, and mentally

8. What’s your favorite parade?
Jammin Jungle

9. What’s the longest shift you have worked?
17 hours

10. Ever been let go from Disney?
No

11. Favorite Disney attraction to go on?
Rock N Roller Coaster, starring Aerosmith

12. What is your favorite land?
Tomorrowland

13. If you could ask Walt any question, what would it be?
“What do you think of the direction this company has taken, and what would you change?”

14. What is your favorite show?
Illuminations

15. Favorite Disney Character?
Chip and Dale, Pluto

16. Favorite Disney Song?
Promise … part of the Illuminations post-show music

17. Favorite thing to do at the park other than going on attractions?
other than eating? Listening to Off Kilter / Voices of Liberty / Four For a Dollar / American Vybe / Dapper Dans

18. If you could do anything at the park, what would you do?
complete park buyout, with fireworks, just for me and my friends

19. What’s your favorite costume you’ve had to wear?
Wildlife Express engineer looked hideous but was very comfortable. KSR Coordinator looked pretty sharp

20. What’s your least favorite costume?
MK Coordinator

21. Have you ever done any volunteer work for Disney?
GKTW a few times, plus the bowl a thon

22. If you could work any other attraction, what would it be?
Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion (even though I smile too much)

23. Did you ever have an annual pass?
No

24. Have you ever had an annual passholder tell you how to do your job?
yes

25. Are you a pin trader?
only because I have to wear a lanyard

26. What is the oddest thing you have had happen to you on the job?
had to help a guest with a broken prosthetic leg

27. What is the most points you have earned?
2 point safety reprimand

28. Ever been a trainer?
yes

29. Ever been a leader?
i’m a coordinator … does that count?

30. Ever worked grad nights?
sadly, no

31. Ever worked at a location that isn’t there anymore?
only if you count “MGM Studios”

32. CM that you miss that used to work at the parks?
I’ve worked with a lot of good people over the years

33. Manager that you miss that worked at the parks?
Well, because I don’t get to work with them anymore … Beth E, Kevin L, John H, Ted H, Benny F, Anthony B (both of them), Mike M

34. Do/did you love working at Disney or are you ready to leave?
Still enjoying myself

35. How long have you been/were you a Cast Member?
Since 8/27/04

36. Where was your first Disney job?
AK Main Entrance

37. What is your current Disney job?
Attractions Coordinator

38. Favorite place you’ve worked?
KSR for the animals, Toontown for the people

39. Least favorite place you’ve worked?
Caribbean Beach … being a bellman is hard work, plus i didn’t get paid correctly

40. What’s your favorite park?
Epcot

41. Favorite resort?
Beach Club has some nice personal memories for me

42. Which mountain is your favorite?
Everest

43. Favorite water park?
River Country … RIP

44. Favorite fireworks show?
Illuminations

45. Do you go to Company D every week?
No

46. What was your most memorable guest experience (good)?
I was working a greeter position, and a little girl, probably 2-3 yrs old, with a sweatshirt that had her name stitched on walks past … I said “Hi there Princess Michelle”, her eyes got really wide, she got a huge grin on her face, and she ran up and gave me a hug.

47. What was your most memorable guest experience (bad)?
December 30, 2004. Had a guest threaten to hit me because I wouldn’t allow her to go backstage at MK

48. Favorite California Adventure Attraction?
California Screamin

49. Least Favorite Cast Member Dining Location?
Anywhere Aramark. But especially Discovery Diner

50. Favorite Cast Member Dining Location?
the cast cafeteria at Coronado Springs … but if I have to pick an aramark location, Pride Rock

51. Favorite dining location?
Ohana, Beaches & Cream, Boma, Trails End

52. Have you been on the Disney cruise?
I’ve been on the World Famous Jungle Cruise, does that count?

53. Do/did you eat at work or do you pack your lunch?
Both

54. Least favorite guest question?
Why can’t my (too short) kid ride? I’ll hold onto them!

Lyrics, part 2

eric — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:25:11 +0000

In roughly chronological order, newest first

Phantom of the Canyon … a re-write (incomplete) of Phantom of the Opera, back when some friends and I were thinking about doing “Backlot Tour: The Musical”

Female:
On tours he bothered me
Some shows he gave
That problematic set
Is not the same
And do I speil again?
No shaker five
The phantom of the canyon is there
Inside my mind

Male:
Tour one more time through me
A show, you’ll get
My hand carved concrete walls
Grow weaker yet
And though you turn from me
To drive behind
The phantom of the canyon is there
Inside your mind

Female:
The maintenance crew today
They disappear
I am the guide you hear

Male:
It’s me you fear

Both:
My/Your fires and my/your floods
Will soak your/my side
The phantom of the canyon is there
Inside my/your mind

Chorus:
Is that the phantom of the canyon?
Beware the phantom of the canyon

Male:
In every tour you give, wonder remains
Will you see a show?

Female:
Will it rain?

—–
next 4 are all from my days playing Ultimate Frisbee, and composing quick little postgame cheers for our opponents, usually incorporating some elements from the game that just happened … one of the other post-game traditions in this league was to go out for drinks with the team you just played. All of these were written from the sidelines, during breaks in the game, not really done with the benefit of time on my side.

1) theme to Gilligan’s Island, for a team named “Yellow Fever”

Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale
a tale of a friendly game
that started on a thursday night
upon this grassy knoll

your throws were always accurate
your defense played us hard
Yellow Fever ran and played
a 3 hour game
a 3 hour game

The sunlight started getting dim
the tiny disc was tossed
we all saw the quickness of the flying tent
and now it’s time for beer
and now it’s time for beer

2) the Beatles ‘Let It Be‘, re-written for a team called “Sunny D”

When I find myself on thursday evening
and a frisbee comes to me
it is always blocked by Sunny D
And in the hour of darkness
the frisbee flying over me
playing such a good game, Sunny D
Sunny D, Sunny D, Sunny D, Sunny D
Now let’s go to Banfield’s, Sunny D

3) another Beatles song, ‘Hey Jude‘, re-written about a team called “Mocha Taboo”

Taboo, you just played well
hucked the disc long, and made us chase you
remember to force us into the wind
now it is time for be-ee-er

na na na mocha taboo
mocha taboo, good game

4) This one’s probably my favorite … O Canada, re-written for a nameless Blue team

Oh blue-ooo team
our brave and noble foe
you hucked the disc, and made our team feel slow
with a stifling d and some leaping grabs
you played us till we fell
now the game is done, and the sun is gone, let’s go-o have a-uh beer
Put away your discs, take off your cleats
Oh Blue-ooo Team, we say good game to thee
Oh Blue-ooo Team, we say good game to thee

Lyrics, part 1

eric — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 03:28:35 +0000

As promised on Facebook, some examples of re-writing lyrics to songs. It’s a little bit of a hobby of mine, that started way back when I was playing Ultimate Frisbee in Ann Arbor. Our league had a bit of a tradition that we would write an original cheer for our opponent after every game. I started re-writing lyrics, and had some fun with it, so I kept doing it. The next post will be some of my older work, some that I saved from that league, some that I’ve worked on since then.

This particular one was team written with a bunch of folks that work in Operations at Mickey’s Toontown Fair, at the Magic Kingdom. It’s (vaguely) about working at the Barnstormer.

Original song: Lean On Me, by Bill Withers

New song: Send Train Three

Some … times in our lives
We all open
We all pet chickens
But if we are wise
We know that there’s always a down-time

Chorus:
Send Train Three
When lines are too long
and all of the cast
will help you cycle on
for it won’t be long
Til I’m gonna push
The button to send a train

Please exit left side
kids on the seat
come back tomorrow
to fly down the hill
and lose hats in the trees
hey! Only two in a row!

You just might have a deadzone
And then we are screwed
We all need somebody to send a train
I just might have to reset
And need a few hands
You-u have your enable, and smi-i-le

Chorus

You just might have a deadzone
And then we are screwed
We all need somebody to send a train
I just might have to reset
And need a few hands
You-u have your enable, and smi-le

If there is no wait
You can re-ride
And we will add one
But if there are guests
Waiting for your row
You can just move back

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

eric — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 03:05:23 +0000

Growing up in Michigan (albeit inland), it was not uncommon to hear stories about the Great Lakes, both good and bad. On November 10, 1975, a freighter loaded with iron got caught in a storm, and sank.

If you walk through the Canada area of the World Showcase, you can still hear, as part of the background music loop, the haunting song that was written by Gordon Lightfoot.

Rest in Peace, Captain McSorely, and the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

The legend lives on from the chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called gitche gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of november turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the edmund fitzgerald weighed empty.
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of november came early.

The ship was the pride of the american side
Coming back from some mill in wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for cleveland
And later that night when the ships bell rang
Could it be the north wind theyd been feelin?
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too,
Twas the witch of november come stealin.
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of november came slashin.
When afternoon came it was freezin rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind.

When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin.
Fellas, its too rough to feed ya.
At seven p.m. a main hatchway caved in, he said
Fellas, its been good tknow ya
The captain wired in he had water comin in
And the good ship and crew was in peril.
And later that night when his lights went outta sight
Came the wreck of the edmund fitzgerald.

Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searches all say theyd have made whitefish bay
If theyd put fifteen more miles behind her.
They might have split up or they might have capsized;
May have broke deep and took water.
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters.

Lake huron rolls, superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion.
Old michigan steams like a young mans dreams;
The islands and bays are for sportsmen.
And farther below lake ontario
Takes in what lake erie can send her,
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the gales of november remembered.

In a musty old hall in detroit they prayed,
In the maritime sailors cathedral.
The church bell chimed till it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the edmund fitzgerald.
The legend lives on from the chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call gitche gumee.
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of november come early!

September?

eric — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:14:28 +0000

Well, September seems to have passed us by, with nary an update on the blog from me. I’m working on something somewhat more substantial than this, but it’s not here yet.

WordPress updated to 2.6.2, but it really shouldn’t make any difference to the reader.

Of Stupidity and Apartment Complexes

eric — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 01:11:40 +0000

I came home from work the other day, and as I turned into the driveway of my apartment complex, I noticed a new sign. Apparently, the powers that be have decided to turn the spare room in the clubhouse into a bar. On the surface, not such a bad idea, to get some income from a space that really wasn’t ever used for anything.

Our apartment complex is also now doing short-term vacation rentals, and has adopted a “tropical” theme. The new logo is two palm trees growing out of the name of the complex. In keeping with this theme, the management decided to give the new bar a name that fits the tropical theme. So, they decided to use the name of an island, attached to the name “Tiki Bar” … Conjures up a very tropical image, right?

The name of the bar is “Ellis Island Tiki Bar.”

Because, clearly, there is nothing that gives off a more tropical vibe than Ellis Island.

Morons. All of them.

Just a day

eric — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:07:19 +0000

Woke up this morning with a sinus headache, and an upset stomach. The headache is nothing terribly unusual, humidity and sinuses don’t usually get along very well. I’m a little more perplexed by the stomach, as usually I can eat nearly anything without getting sick. And I’m not sick in the sense that I’m puking (“protein spill” in Disney-ese, or “de-fooding” according to my friend Robin), I’m just not feeling well. I blame Aramark.

Hoping both of the above clear up soon.

Also of some slightly notable interest … I have upgraded to the latest version of the WordPress blog software. Please let me know if you have any issues with the website.

A blog? My Kingdom for a Blog!

eric — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:35:24 +0000

Yes, I realize it’s been way too long since I’ve written a blog … I’d say that I have nothing interesting to blog about, but that’s not really true. I’ve had some pretty significant changes in my life, probably most notably, I’ve transferred. While still with Disney, I’m no longer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, I’m now working at the Magic Kingdom, in the Fantasyland/Toontown area.

The real reason I haven’t updated the blog? (aside from the fact that nobody reads it?) I’m just lazy. Thats it. No ulterior motives. Just plain simple laziness. But I did add a new theme, and update to the latest version of the WordPress software.

I don’t know what to title this

eric — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 23:50:46 +0000

So, I’ve apparently been slacking pretty badly in the “Put Up New Posts” department. That’s probably ok though, there’s very few folks (if any left) that actually read this blog. And enough of the stuff that happens in my life is completely un-noteworthy, that I’m not quite sure what you do get by reading it. However, my regular reader(s) will have undoubtedly noticed a new theme. As usual, I felt it was time for a change. Even if nobody else cares.

I’m ready for the holiday season to be over. Yes, I knew that when i started working in a Theme Park, I’d frequently end up working holidays, and moreso, working long hours during the holidays. I’m just tired. Physically, and mentally. For most of this holiday season (and by “Holiday Season”, I mean “Month of December”), I’ve been pretty much the only coordinator at the Backlot Tour. Which means a lot of open to close shifts. Granted, we close pretty early, but it still starts to add up and just drag on a person. Hopefully once we get into January, we can get another coordinator or two on board, and I can end up with more “normal-ish” hours. I like the overtime, but still …

I hope everyone had a happy (insert your favorite religion’s “winter-season” holiday here), and I hope everyone has a happy new year.

I leave you with a quote from Albert Einstein. “Reality is merely an illusion; albeit a very persistent one”. (gotta love quotes that include the use of a semi-colon)

Because it’s been far too long

eric — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 04:49:59 +0000

Still at Disney, still working at the Disney-MGM Studios. Applied for a management position, got turned down. Thinking about applying for Adventures by Disney again. We shall see. Softball team actually won a game, it was our first one ever. Volleyball team is doing pretty well, we’re 2-1 on the season so far. Yeah, it’s a short update, but I’m tired.

(And besides, seeing as how certain other blogs I read have either disappeared or not been updated since 2006, well, any update is a good update)