IMO- In Mztress' Opinion: Disney & Other Tidbits: A Common Question with an Uncommon Answer

SO....how did you get involved with Disney, anyway?

This is easily the most common question I hear, so I thought it might be good to answer it here. My story is not always a pleasant one, but it does actually have a happy ending. Really- I promise.

I was expecting my third daughter when my then-spouse came home one day and announced that he had gotten a letter from a cousin that worked at Universal Orlando and there was a job waiting for him if he wanted it. This was welcome news, as my then-spouse had been seemingly allergic to any jobs at all up to that point. I was weary of the struggles we had been through and viewed Florida as the promised land through my own shade of rose-colored glasses. We announced the move to my family and off we went. We moved from Missouri and arrived a week later.

This is not where the happy ending is, by the way. No sir- this is where the bottom dropped out.

My then-spouse did get a job at Universal in pyrotechnics. However, the job paid slightly more than eight whopping dollars an hour, not the amount he insisted he had been promised beforehand. We were living in hotel after hotel, many of our rooms rented by the good graces of people our church had recommended. It was terrible. I was six months along and also had our four year old and nine month old to care for. I did the best that I could to make things stretch and make the time as pleasant for the children as I could. Each day I would teach the girls something, such as a new sign to read and recognize. I knew things were not going well, and told my family in Missouri that I had doubts about my spouse and his job. It was extremely stressful and expensive, yet I was not doing well health wise with the high risk pregnancy, so my options were limited.

We lived in and out of hotels for months. My then-spouse lost his job and in typical then-spouse fashion blamed someone else for taking his position. I was stranded in Orlando with no income, and no shelter in the summer. It was horrible. Gasoline was on the rise and we could barely afford to keep the car running. I did small odd jobs as often as I could for the church that was assisting us, but I was getting closer to my due date each day.

It was on July 25 that the day came. Early. I was alone with the children in our hotel of the week that evening when the pains began. Then-spouse had gone out, looking for work, he said. We had not been able to afford to have the phone turned on in the room, and I was in severe pain. I could not call for help. The children began to cry despite my efforts to put on a brave front. I knew there was only one thing to do, and I really had no choice. I had our four year old grab as many towels as she could find and I got in the hotel bathtub. My oldest daughter and I had a bonding moment unlike any other that night.

Then-spouse arrived back at the hotel at around 2 am. He was shaken by what he found and at last an ambulance was called. Our third daughter was early, but she was strong and thanks to my four year old and my quick thinking she was fine. I was another story, as I had lost a great deal of blood. It took three days before I was able to be released, and I was petrified that we had nowhere to bring the girls home to. I knew I had to do something. I wasn't able to do much of anything while still pregnant, but now I was not as helpless. I was determined and had enough of living in such an unstable existence. I was Disney bound. Magic happened every day there, right?

Now, normally, a person applying to work at Disney must wait two full weeks to do so after having a child. I was not interested in following rules, however. My girls needed me to be strong and solve our dilemma. I marched into the Casting Center two days after being released from the hospital and took my place in a chair after the long walk of honor up the ramp.

A CM smiled and handed me the paperwork to fill out. I did so. Then, I was asked to go to a booth with a telephone that was located in the back of the room and take part in a telephone interview. I did so. Next, I was interviewed by a live individual. Then, after another hour or so, I was shown a movie all about Walt Disney World and their expectations and look. Finally, at the end of the business day, I was called back into a live person's office again- to be told no.

Oh, she was very polite, but said that she didn't think I was qualified for any management positions. She said if anything I was overqualified due to my college degree. I wasn't having any of this, however. All I could think about was the ordeal my family was going through and what this job would mean to us. I would clean Disney toilets if necessary, it didn't matter to me if I was managing anything. I suppose it was fueled by this determination and desperation that made my next move so confident. I did the only thing I could think to do- I sat on her desk.

She could certainly have called security, I realize now, but she was fairly calm when she asked me why I was sitting on her desk. I said that I was sorry, but that I needed this job badly. I told her our situation and told her I was going to sit on her desk until she helped me find something-anything- that I could do. She smiled at me after a few moments and told me she admired my tenacity. Then, she gave me a job. I had a Disney job- I was a Cast Member in training.

I was given my certificate and told to come back on the following day, for I had to pick up my wardrobe. I was going to work in Downtown Disney, at DisneyQuest. At the time I had seen the building but had no idea what DisneyQuest was or what I would be doing. This was going to be interesting.