"When nothing goes right ... go left."

When I got married, my whole life was set out before me.  School, children, the whole package.  It was a simple enough plan, and I was happy with it.

When my marriage ended, the plan changed.  Now, my goal was simply to be happy again.  After that, when my mom got sick, things started unraveling faster than I could keep up.  Nothing was stable, nothing was sure, and I've never been the type to handle change very well.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that Disney saved me.  It gave me a series of simple goals, things I could handle: Survive the College Program.  Find a place to live once it was finished.  Keep my job.  Make magic.  And I am grateful for it every single day.

But even here, things change.  Disney is sometimes the only thing that is stable.  Housing situations change.  Financial problems arise. Hearts are broken, opportunities missed, and it's far too easy to drown in the panic that comes with knowing how close you are to falling apart.

But I haven't fallen apart.  Not yet.  Because something happened shortly after I moved down here, a little more than a year ago : I finally started becoming the person I always wanted to be.  Someone who could handle change.  Someone who could bounce back.  A fighter.  A survivor.

I've been through more in the last two years than most women my age have to cope with in a decade.  And I'm at peace with it.  All of it.  I want to be the type who can fight through the hard times and come out on the other side a stronger person.  I want to have the courage to follow new paths.  When nothing goes right ... I want to be brave enough to go left.

Star Wars World vs The Real World

For those of you who don't know, the Jedi Training Academy at Hollywood Studios is a wonderful little show where children learn the ways of the Force. They are taught a simple little combination with their light-sabers, and then they fight Darth Vader to complete their training.

Recently, the ending of the show was altered so that the entire group of little ones (with the help of the Jedi Master) "Force-Push" Vader. Which is thrilling when you're a little kid (and, let's be honest, most of us grown-ups would be just as thrilled to participate.) But this new ending brought about a heated discussion about what would actually be possible in the Star Wars World.

"I'm just saying, there's no way that a group of Younglings who had just been trained would be able to Force-Push Vader. It just wouldn't be possible! I don't care how strong they are!"

... I'm sorry, what? Let's just for a moment disregard the fact that Darth Vader is patiently squaring off against each individual child (and that they all manage to defeat him one way or another, despite the fact that most of them don't remember their training combination.) Let's ignore the fact that our Jedi Masters regularly make ridiculously corny anachronistic jokes that have no place in a galaxy far, far away.

Bypass all of that, and still, all I have to say is this : does it look like we're too concerned with reality here?!

The above is a clip from this year's Hyperspace Hoopla. A magical show of wonder and awesome that I can't even begin to describe.  And as it clearly proves, keeping the reality of Star Wars World alive is at the very top of our priority list.

May the Force be With You. Always.

Thought Bubbles

I have never had a job that brings quite the assortment of random on-the-job thoughts as Disney World does. If real life had thought bubbles, here's a sample of some of the things you might see from me.

When I work at Tinkerbell's Nook, I spend all day going through that portal and shrinking down to pixie size. And then going BACK through the portal to the hallway and being normal sized again. No wonder I'm so muddled all the time!

12-year-old children with fully functioning arms and legs should NOT be riding around in a stroller. And Americans wonder why we're fat ...

Public Service Announcement : NEVER give Tigger a light-saber. The resulting "Darth Tigger" (as he likes to be called) will inevitably proceed to frolic around Crystal Palace, challenging the guests to duels and scaring poor Piglet out of his wits.

If I start singing "Just Can't Wait to be King," how many of the people in my line would sing along?

I should really learn to start being more aware of video cameras ... and not say really stupid things while someone is recording. I apologize for any horribly corny jokes I have made that were caught on anyone's family videos!

Is it fair that I'm getting paid to conga line with Pooh Bear and his friends? Who cares!

Funnel cake ... I wonder if there's enough time in my 15-minute break to change, run to the other end of the park, stand in line, buy a funnel cake, and get back in time to change and be on set by the end of ... nope. Mmmm, funnel cake ... I wonder if anyone in line has one. I wonder if I could convince them to go BUY me one ... I wonder if I would get in trouble for that ... Funnel cake is delicious.

Disney Confessions : 3 Months In And Still Magical

Today marks 3 months since my move to Florida. Already it has been a truly magical journey. The friends I've made here will last me a lifetime, and the memories are irreplaceable. And while every job will have its ups and downs, I love it here. So thank you for stopping by and sharing in the magic, dear reader. And have some third-month-fun-facts!

My absolute favorite ride in The Magic Kingdom is Peter Pan's Flight. I will happily ride it over and over, and never get sick of it. It is a dream of mine to get stuck in the 2nd room, where you're flying over the streets of London. Something about that whole scene just makes my heart soar.

While the Electrical Parade is wonderful and great fun, and I truly enjoy watching it, I want SpectroMagic back! It was the first parade I ever saw in person, and it was glorious. Pretty, pretty please with fiber-optic lights on top?

I secretly feel like I'm being judged when I don't have "good" pins on my lanyard. I'm sorry, but it's not my fault that everyone takes them! I can't say no to a guest! That's not the Disney Difference, people! *pitiful whimper* Little brat took my Princess Jasmine ...

Every single time I see Fantasmic, I find myself conducting along with the main theme. I have received two reactions from this little habit : "Aww, Kaitlin, you're so precious," and "Oh my gosh STOP IT!" I choose to think that I'm precious, rather than obnoxious :)

I would happily give up real food (and my waistline) to live entirely on a diet of theme park treats. There is nothing like them. Funnel cake, hot dogs, nachos, ice cream ... and may I just say, Dole Whips are the most magnificent thing on the planet. I love pineapple, I love pineapple juice, I love pineapple ice cream. I would eat five a day if I could get away with it.

And finally : Dream Along with Mickey. This show is performed throughout the day on the castle stage, and no matter where I'm going or what I'm doing, I'll stop to watch it if I'm in the area. It is my favorite show at Disney World. Before I started working here, I thought it was ... eh. I could take it or leave it. And then, during my Welcome to Entertainment class, we were touring Magic Kingdom. We were just in time for one of the showings, and we were asked to watch. As I stood there during the pre-show hubbub, I started talking to a young woman in the audience. She was a character performer who'd been working here for a few years, and she was the sweetest thing. As the show started, she pulled the classic employee-who-has-done-this-way-too-much thing and started mouthing along with the words (and yes, I'll admit I've picked up that habit too, thank you very much) and smiling as big as any of the guests who were seeing it for the first time. But to me, it was still just fine. And then, when Mickey came out on stage, the girl leaned over and said, "That's my boss!" It's been my favorite show ever since. Everything about it makes me smile. I sing along, I make a wish every time they ask me to. And whenever Mickey Mouse comes out on stage, I think to myself, That's My Boss. It never gets old, and I don't think it ever will.

Any dream is possible, wishes do come true ...

Holy Updates, Batman!

The Show

Compatibility now has a Kickstarter page! Everyone head on over and take a look! We're about halfway to our goal, and every little bit helps! Click here to donate as little as $1 to the cause. And by "the cause," I do of course mean the ultimate geek takeover of the world.

And speaking of geeks taking over, apparently I need some kind of costume for the "convention" scene. Thoughts? Suggestions? Cruel jokes that will nevertheless be taken into consideration?

The Work

Disneyworld is continuing to treat me fabulously. I've just applied to extend my program, which means I'll be here until August (if they approve me.) I love my job, and I feel so incredibly blessed to be a part of the magic every day. This is only slightly marred by the fact that my work life and personal life collided rather painfully the other day (the universe has a very cruel sense of humor sometimes) but I'm shaking it off. Picking up the pieces of the wreckage and moving on. All will be well again. I hope ...

The Family

Chemotherapy sucks, but it appears to be working! Every other Tuesday, Mom spends about six hours at the cancer center. Book recommendations for the long hours are always appreciated, by the way. During her first session we had a bit of a hiccup ... she ended up in the hospital two days later, too nauseated to keep anything down. She had to be nourished and hydrated through an IV overnight. But they seem to have ironed out that little kink, and she's doing much better after this second round. It's still a difficult road, but she's a fighter. And she's got a great support group. Thanks to all of you who are taking care of my family. Love you all!

The Friends

Some days, I honestly don't know how I got so lucky. I can't begin to thank all of the wonderful people I've met here and who have become such an amazing part of my life. So for now, I'm not going to try. I love all of you, and you know who you are. Thank you for being there for me, each in your own way.

The Life

It's hard, being dropped into an entirely new set of circumstances. Life throws you curve-balls every other day, it seems, but I'm hanging in there. Here's to new challenges. Here's to adventure. Here's to music and magic and pixie dust.

Hold your breath ... make a wish ... count to three

"Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." 
~ Roald Dahl

It's easy to go through life only focusing on the bad. Sometimes, it seems as though hardship is the only constant. That happiness is a fleeting moment, not to be expected, and not to be trusted. We get caught up in the day-to-day tragedies and we think, "This is my life." And every time something else happens, it becomes that much easier to give up hope. To accept the fact that life sucks, and there is nothing we can do about it.

And with that kind of attitude, you are absolutely right.

Happiness is a tricky thing. It is all around us, just waiting to be noticed and loved, whereas tragedy strikes us whether we're looking for it or not. It is so much easier to see pain and suffering. Oftentimes it's all we hear about. But if you're looking closely, with an open mind and heart, you'll see how much magic there truly is in life. I see it every day. Even when I'm surrounded by tragedies, even when it seems as though everything is falling apart.

I see it in all the little princesses who come to see Mickey and his friends. Those little girls still believe in Happily Ever After, and Prince Charming, and dancing. I see it in the smiles of the grown-ups on their first visits, just as excited as their children to see their favorite character. I see it every time we have an anniversary couple come to visit, because I know how hard it can be to keep that kind of magic alive. And I see it in every single "Make a Wish" child, and the pure love their families have for them. There is magic in every one of their stories, if we look for it.

Someone else might see the screaming babies, the frazzled parents and the bored teenagers. I see a family who still cared enough to go on vacation together. You may see Christmas lights wrapped around trees, I see fairies coming out to play. A handful of glitter becomes pixie dust.  A simple tiara hair clip makes a girl into "Your Highness."

And wishes DO come true.

Behind the Curtain

Today marks one week in Orlando. One week of learning. Of training. Of bonding with my roommates and fellow cast members. One week surrounded by magic, and seeing it come to life.

Some people have (understandably) been somewhat disappointed to now be on this side of "the curtain." They see how the magic works, and they miss just watching. I won't go into the specifics, but I'm sure you can imagine.

I, however, feel completely the opposite. Stepping behind the curtain, and seeing how everything comes together is simply overwhelming, and my belief in the magic has only grown with each passing day. I can see the pieces, and I know just how many things can go wrong. But knowing that so many people have come together for so many years to put on this show ... they put aside their differences to create a dream. They build memories. They are a part of something bigger than themselves. In this world, how often does something as happy and beautiful as this really, truly survive?

Here, we believe in magic. And dreams. And pixie dust. And smiles. And happily ever afters.

That, I think, is the true magic of Disney.

"I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing -- that it was all started by a mouse." ~Walt Disney