Lessons Learned

To say that I have been busy for the last few weeks would be a GROSS understatement. Without going into much detail off all that happened, lets just say, I have been stressed and sleep deprived. I have been extremely happy only to come crashing down to the near polar opposite. But if I have gotten anything out of these last few weeks, is that a human can survive a lot more than they realize. We so often underestimate ourselves. Can you imagine how much more we could accomplish, if we didn't let ourselves be limited by what we think we can get through as opposed to what we can actually get through. Now its not to say that everyone should go out and push themselves as hard and far as possible to their near breaking point. That is highly inadvisable. HOWEVER, it may not be a bad idea to push the envelope, just a little farther. I think that was my subconscious thought process when I took this job knowing just how much effort it was going to take to get through it. There are times I would rather just curl up into a corner and just give up, but there is still something in the back of my head, that just wont let me. It gets frustrating at times but I keep telling myself it will be worth it in the long run.

Since the last time I wrote, I have been trained in restroom cleaning which has proved to not be AS bad as I was expecting, but it is hardly a walk in the park. I have started my class through the Disney College Program on Corporate Analysis. At first I was worried about the class, for I thought that no good to come out of a class that had the word analysis in the title, I am really enjoying it. I have met some great people and I am learning more about this company that I love so much. I thought for sure that learning about the nity-gritty money and business part of the company was going to make it 'lose its magic'. But honestly, it hasn't. The secret I have found is that one must have different mind sets depending on what part of the company you are dealing with. I see the parks differently when I am wearing my 'work hat' (so to speak) as opposed to my 'guest hat'. I see the company as a whole differently when I am wearing my 'cast member hat' as opposed to my 'customer hat'. And I think that has made a huge difference in keeping my love for the parks and the company while learning about all the nooks and crannies of it. 

On a random note. I was talking to a friend last night and he told me he was listening to "You Can Fly" from Peter Pan and I can NOT get that darn song out of my head to save my life. My favorite line is "Think of all the joy you'll find, when you leave the world behind and bid your fears goodbye". Some people who didn't know the movie would think that was a morbid line, but it really isn't. Everyone has a place to go or a think to do that lets them 'leave the world behind'. Mine more often than not is music, making videos, reading, and the occasional blog. So as just a bit of food for thought, how do YOU leave the world behind?

With that being said, it looks like Thursday late morning, early afternoons are going to be a good time to do just that and hopefully that is when I will blog from now on. Only time will tell if I stick to that, but hey, it's always good to have a goal.

I love you my little lemon drops <3 

A Brief History 

Now everyone knows that Disneyland came from the brilliant mind of this man 

When he was sitting on this bench

While at the park with his daughters one day.

When he brought up the idea of building an amusement park to his wife she replied "Why would you want to do that? Amusement parks are always so dirty" To this Walt replied simply "Exactly... Mine wouldn't be" He wanted a CLEAN park where people young and old could escape reality into a wonderland of fantastical proportions. On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened its doors. 

Now when the park was first opened Walt had contracted with many different companies in order to run the rides, the parking, the food, and the cleaning of the park. Though the other parts of the park operations ran smoothly without many too much hassle,what he quickly began to notice is the janitorial service would come in before the park was open and clean it to its utmost pristine condition. However by about three or four in the afternoon, the park was very dirty and this was exactly the thing Walt did not want in his park. So, he took matters into his own hands. He first laid off the contracted janitors and then hired and trained his own custodial staff. Too this day, the custodial service at Disneyland is the only aspect of the park operation that was originally started by the big man himself. 


I am proud to call myself a Disneyland custodian regardless of any kind of teasing I may get from the outside. It gives me a great sense of pride knowing I am carrying out a big part of Walt Disney's dream fifty plus years later. Yes it is messy and tiring but something about coming back to my dorm room absolutely exhausted and sore feet, knowing that I made someones day just THAT much better makes it all worth while. I work tomorrow and cannot wait to share with you the magic I witness.


Until next time.... I am looking for a sign-off... any ideas? Comment and let me know :)

"The time has come," the Walrus said,

"To talk of many things:

Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--

Of cabbages--and kings--

And why the sea is boiling hot--

And whether pigs have wings."

-The Walrus and the Carpenter by Lewis Carol

I have been batting around the idea of starting a blog for awhile now. I tried the blog thing on Tumblr and wasn't horribly intrigued and soon fell into the habit of never posting and just reposting my favorite pictures and moving on to the next one. Never letting myself take the time to write out what I wanted to say or what I was thinking. I would simply find a GIF or a picture that somewhat expressed what was going on and let it be. But there is something so much more relaxing and refreshing then to take the time to write things out. 


Some would wonder why a blog and not just a journal or a diary? And I did consider that option. The internet can be a very scary, dangerous, and destructive thing when not used properly. I have had my fair share of misunderstandings and arguments all stemmed from something that started on the internet. With that being said, this will never be used to say anything accusatory, rude, or even used for venting. 


I was inspired to start this blog by someone who does not even know she inspired me to do so. But before I get into that I should probably tell you a little about myself.


My name is Jill, but a common nick-name I have is Chile. That has a long story behind that I don't feel like going into, so your best bet is to just go with that fact that some people call me that. I am a college student and I work at the Happiest Place on Earth. Also known as Disneyland. I am a custodian to be exact. And though it is far from the most glamorous job in the resort I would not want to do anything else. No other position gives you the same amount of guest interaction as as custodians. Which is what I love the most. 


Which leads me to the main purpose of this blog. My job is full of magical moments for other people and I feel truly honored to be part of those moments when I have the chance. Those moments that warm your heart to the core. Whether is be having the pin that person has been looking for for years or just saying 'Happy Birthday' to the little girl in her princess dress who is at Disneyland for the first time ever. Seeing the smiles a simple custodian can create is an amazing thing and I would love to share those moments. Which is where you come in. I want to share these things with you in hopes it warms your heart, like they warm mine. Of course I will throw in the occasional humorous run ins and questions I get from guest. But I want this to stay as positive as possible. 


As to my blog title, I felt an obscure Disney reference was a must. Plus whenever I think about conversing with others with my random thoughts and notions I think of the that one stanza of "The Walrus and the Carpenter" that they refer to in Alice in Wonderland. And on top of that, next to Snow White, Alice in Wonderland is probably my favorite Disney movie.

Will I be able to keep up with this as much as I want? Time will only tell. But I believe it will definitely be worth a try. Thanks for taking time to read this probably overly drawn out intro to my blog, but I really do appreciate it. In the words of one of my favorite YouTubers and the creator of The Gradual Report, "I love you my little lemon drops. I will see you soon. Where we will continue our VERY important work"