So those ground rules. The no frackin' sympathy and no telling me I'm special for what I did in the parks still stand. However, here I am among friends from whom I don't mind the breaking of my fourth rule a little bit. We get it without me posting a story like this. As long as it's kept to a dull roar, I am good with that.Cleaning my house, I just found something that almost made me cry. It's a card that a guest gave me with his information, because he wanted to keep contact. You'd better believe I am going to be writing. It was given to me because the person who wrote down the information was so touched by something I did. I made a really bad mistake, that affected a lot of guests. I did what I could to make it right, using No Strings cards to give families some of their time back. But one family was here with Make A Wish... A father and son. In the course of what I would do to make up their time, I would learn that they were here because of the son's fight with a disease that was threatening his life, but they were very hopeful that he would still have a long, healthy life. The man's wife and son's mother had died fairly recently, and there were no other siblings. As family goes, they were alone in the world.
I called down to a manager to get special permission for what I did for them, and it was a great time. I was able to give them a gift: an experience that few have had as guests. I gave them an experience that very few Disney guests have ever had. I took them for a round on the Resorts train in the non-operational Cab 1 of Green. It was a night that I will never forget, and it was a night that helped me to hold on to my sanity in the days that would follow. It was the last time that I really cared about making magic for guests, especially on the trains. That was July 4, 2009. Later that night, I would revert into myself, into a shell of myself, for the next three and a half years.
That was the night that two trains collided and a coworker, a great person with whom it would have been worthwhile to be closer, was killed.
So now, with five years coming up, I have found the info and the address, and I can't wait to sit down and write a letter to say hello. I am hoping that when I write this man, he has great news about his son.
This may be the first time I have told anyone about this experience. It is my favorite moment at Disney. Little did I know it would be the last time while I was there that I would care about the magic. I tried to rekindle that sense by transferring, but I had lost it.
Where am I now? Today, I am glad to say that the magic is back, and if not for the fact that I am doing things that create a significantly higher income, I would go back to work for them in a Planck time. Who knows, maybe in the future I will. I treasure the place that Disney played in my life, the people I met and interacted with on a daily basis, and the interactions I had with guests. But I have moved on and from now on will enjoy it as a guest.
I miss being able to go backstage. I miss some of the truly special places that few guests know about. I miss being a part of making the magic happen.
When I came to Florida, it was with a desire to work for the mouse. Many come here to do that, but few from across the country. I poured all my ambition and heart into my guest interaction. My first year here, I was driving a bus six days a week and playing in the parks for the other day.
For those of you who choose to comment on this, I have some ground rules. Warning: some of you will think what I am about to say sounds cold, especially after the way I've been talking up to this point.
First, this isn't about One Rail One Family. Frankly, I am over all that. After leaving the department, it amazes me when I would go back and say hi, just how many would give me the cold shoulder. I'm sorry the friendship didn't actually mean anything. Sorry if saying that offends you.
Second, I don't need pity, sympathy, or anything else you want to call it. All I wanted to do was share a moment, and I hope it brightens your day. As for the wreck, I hate that it happened, I hate that a great guy was killed... and I am thankful for the long-term effect it had on my life. It's the pain that caused me to reassess where I was going, and make the right decisions.
Third, I don't need to hear that I am special for anything I have done; I'm not. You have your gifts and skills, I have mine. I loved making the effort to brighten someone's day in the ways that I was able to when I was there. I have so many great memories and I wouldn't trade a single one for the world. It's just who I am, and it's part of my purpose in the world.
Finally, I didn't write this for people to b***h about what happened, how they feel the service may have gone downhill, or anything like that. I know that if I went back, it doesn't matter where I go; as long as I was in a place to have guest contact, I would make guest magic. I would choose a place where I am not operating an attraction unless it's a spieling attraction. As a Cast Member, yes, your hands have been somewhat tied, but you can still make the magic happen one way or another. Remember, it's about how the guest feels, not what you did for them.
I hope you enjoyed the story of an unforgettable moment I would never have had anywhere else in the world besides behind a Disney nametag, and if you respond, repost, etc, I expect to hear a story of a time you gave exceptional guest service, either in the parks or in your field of work.
Thank you.
