FROM: Amber Earns Her Ears Published Mondays

Amber's Time of Disney Discontent

After a marvelous trip to New York and attendance at the premiere of the final Harry Potter movie, Amber returns to the College Program at Disney World feeling... discontent. Is it dull work? Is it sleep deprivation? Amber explains...

- Amber Sewell, July 18, 2011

I have not had time to take a breath.

The past two weeks have been some of the most hectic I've ever experienced. The previous week I was working as much as possible to earn extra money for my trip to New York, even picking up a shift in Downtown Disney. Extra shifts are a lot harder to come by in this program than they were in last year's program; they've now changed it so that, even when people are trying to give away their shifts, managers can restrict it to those Cast Members already within the area. Which is great, expect that usually those people ask around first, and the Hub is more of a last resort. That means there is a plethora of shifts out there, just out of my reach.

I was also frantically trying to find someone to take my shift for last Sunday. I was leaving for New York City on Saturday, and while my managers took a more, "Oh, well, I knew you were looking forward to that trip," tone, I was incredulous at the thought of cancelling my trip for one day of work. It's a side of Disney that I don't exactly see eye-to-eye with.

I found four people willing to take my shift at the Seas - if Seas is short people, on some days you can really feel it, as it's such a small staff anyway - but they were all denied because they were already working forty hours. While I understand not wanting anyone to work overtime, I was a little skeptical that they were willing to be short-staffed for most of the day rather than give someone willing to take my shift the hours.

Amber in the Apple

Not much happened leading up to my trip; nothing of note, anyway. I worked as much as possible, fell asleep trying to write this article with just a little to go on, and then had to wake up at three in the morning to leave for the airport.

I spent a fabulous four days in New York City: seeing a show, sleeping in the street as my friend and I camped out for the Harry Potter premiere, eating hot dogs in Central Park. Words cannot describe how amazing it was. I would highly recommend it for anyone in the College Program who isn't desperately saving their money to take at least one trip while they're down in Florida.

It was much needed, especially after the 4th of July. By the end of the day, I was no longer the happy, smiling Amber that I usually am at work; I was grumpy, I was tired of obdurate parents forcing their kids to fly around the bloody castle when the child was crying, and I was not able to tolerate anything else.

The next day was just as bad; people were behaving in a less than intelligent manner, to phrase it as nicely as possible, and I was quite ready to go home and wait for school to start again. I returned to a sink full of dishes, which only improved my mood, of course.

Amber Returns to Disney

I came back from New York much restored, which was good, as I'd gotten home from the airport at about eleven that night, and had to be at work at ten the next morning. I was so sleep-deprived, I can't even put it into words, but I made it through.

The next day I was awake even earlier, at six o'clock, to meet with four girls whom I'd met at the Harry Premiere premiere in New York. I managed to make it to Universal in one go, without my GPS (which is a huge accomplishment), and I spent the day in Islands of Adventure - mostly Wizarding World - hanging out with fellow Harry Potter fans. I went home with the intention of napping, as I knew I'd be up very late for the premiere of the movie, but found out that lines were already forming. I showered, donned my Harry Potter attire, and headed to the AMC theatres in Downtown Disney, where my roommate showed up a few hours later with her father. We sobbed through the ending of our childhood, I drove home in a stupor, and rose again early the next morning for work at eleven.

Sleep deprivation seems to be a running theme, and time seems to move slower. I found myself saying to my mother the other day that I would actually in some aspects have preferred this to be a summer program; I'm not having nearly as much fun as I did on my last program, and staying home would have led to more benefits, as far as getting all of my general education requirements out of the way so I could focus on my major more.

Amber Mulls the Magic - Or Lack Thereof

The combination of a boring job that is way too easy, roommates that try my nerves and tolerance, humidity, and the allergies that have lately caused my ears to ache and throat to swell - it's all creating stress, and the only thing that is keeping me here is my annual pass to the Wizarding World, where I can stop by for a butterbeer, and the knowledge that this is helping to pay for my studying abroad.

I am trying, however, to remember that I still have a while yet to go, and though that seems like a negative thing right now, it means there's time for things to improve. A new batch of people comes in next month, as some of the people on the College Program now are leaving in just twenty-five days.

Although I feel that I haven't slowed down in a few weeks, remarkably little has happened. I've worked, I've taken pictures, I've straightened far too many plush toys, and I've checked people out. I went to New York, where I finally met fellow dorks who know who Archie is and own magic wands.

Then I came back to work, mood buoyed by my travels, yet still more discontented with what I'm doing. I like to new challenges, I like to keep learning. Maybe it's because I've done the program before that is kind of marring this experience; maybe I had a more challenging role (okay, that's a definitely, not a maybe) and that's why I enjoyed it better.

The restlessness that set in about four or five months into my program last year has already kicked in, and I feel like I should be doing something more. Perhaps I'll make that my next project: finding how I can move about while I'm here.

Until then, I guess I'll just keep swimming. (Lame! But I've been at the Seas all day, and it just sticks with you, you know?)

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