Grace Griping
I’ve worked at many places whose brilliant plan was to be open on some holidays. I did work at Disneyland… and I expected to work holidays… it was expected that you expected to work holidays… and that’s okay. Same token… I get pout-y when I go to a store that isn’t open on like Labor Day, or a Sunday or something.
Not just slurping sodas, but Guinness Floats as well (discussion a couple days back).
Whaa? Chickens have lips?
Seems Grace would get into Memorial Day festivities, the graveyard ones.
So, brig, what kind of job did you have at Disneyland, and did it involve a costume, rather than just a uniform?
Ah, uniforms, outfits worn so that every one looks alike, er, uniform.
LOL why does the idea of Brig in costume immediately spring to mind? OK it did for me too. Possibly as a dancer in the parade? A sugarplum fairy? Tinkerbelle? Actually, I bet I saw her doing amazing caricatures in New Orleans Square.
Stick: I was a retail person and worked on Main Street… more specifically Candy Palace. I wore a costume (those Disney-ites don’t like you to refer to them as uniforms)… it was a striped Olde-timey polyester number… with a skirt. I looked like a fish out of water said duds.
Kona… hee hee… me? a sugar-plum fairy? However, a couple years ago for Halloween, I was Tinkerbell… I had a sparkly green shirt, spiked hair & green converse tennies to match. It was more punk than cute… fun… Note on the New Orleans Square caricaturists… many were Cal State Fullerton Art Students… who, as I believe, weren’t employed by the park.
brig… Tomboyish Bridgett in a skirt? Twice? You’re right, those had to be costumes.
As today is Memorial Day, I saw this very telling comic in the paper and thought I’d share.
http://comics.com/grand_avenue/2011-05-30/
We could probably compare dates and find that my late wife and I crossed paths with you in one of those previous lifetimes. We visited D’land once or twice a year, and we never missed the Candy Palace. Most memorable to me was the only time I saw them making fruit pectins and bought a box straight off the pan. Melt in your mouth! And I’m sure you looked quite “sweet” in that costume!
Walmart–almost six years–every Sunday and holiday I could get because I was one of the few people still getting time and a half on those days. They used to do that since few stores were open on those days in the beginning. They don’t pay it now since most stores are open on those days. Nine something an hour in the mid eighties made it worth the hassle, when I was earning a little more than minimum.
Always Look On the Bright Side of Life!
…even if you’re an undead critter like Grace.
*hehe* The memories, huh, Brig? Oh, we complained about it, but most of us loved it and love to have been associated with The Happiest Place on Earth. I kept my ID and still carry it in my wallet, 30 years later. Did you keep yours?
As you know, I worked for the Mouse, too, though many years before you. And even though I also worked Main Street, it was to clean it after the park had closed. I wore a blue shirt with my name sewed on (first name only, as is the rule); blue “janitor” pants; belt and flashlight; and knee-high rubber boots. And, just like your ensemble, Brig, it was called a costume and I was called a cast member.
As for the Cal State Fullerton reference, that’s where I attended. There were so many Cast Members that attended CSUF that it looked like a Disney-annex, what with all the short haircuts on the guys. We were, in fact, often referred to as “Cal State Disneyland”. 🙂
Stick: that’s a great comic offering.
Kona: You might could’ve been there when I was working there… 1990 betwixt April-ish and October. Chubby girl… striped shirt, polyester skirt… medium to longish hair… honestly, you wouldn’t have recognized me.
Ruth: I just saw a depressing documentary how Wal-mart underpaid and cheated its own people out of overtime… and how it kept women out of management. Sigh. I trust that they were still a reputable company when you worked there.
Dada; critter is too “nice a word” for Grace. “Rodent” might do better.
Pete: Yah… Cal State Disneyland… yah! I’ve heard that! My aunts graduated from Cal-State F… I, at one time, had aspirations to attend…. but chose UC Santa Cruz instead. I did keep my ID, I think… it’s around. I will have to hunt it up. I earned my Mickey pin… or was that at The Disney Store (?).
I think we got a Mickey pin, too, though I don’t really remember.
I DID work on July 17, 1980, the 25th Anniversary of the park’s opening. To celebrate, the park was open for 25 hours that day (and one hour into the 18th). Of course, THAT meant that the party started at midnight, just as the park was supposed to close for the day on the 16th. And, of course, THAT meant the park was open continuously from 9:00am the 16th to 1:00am the 18th, which was forty hours straight. *shudder* We on the midnight shift had a less than pleasant experience. Besides, every Cast Member got special 25th Anniversary name tags to where; tags that sell for hundreds of dollars now. Everyone EXCEPT we on the midnight; our names are sewn on to our shirts. 🙁 Bummer.
Pete: It’s a gold Steamboat Willie pin… I think I got it after a year of service… at the store. Anyhoo… drag about not having a name tag… rats! I was in attendance during that 25th Anniversary year… I remember the ticket stub… I didn’t actually attend July 17th, though.
You went to Disneyland in 1980? You musta been a little twerp-girl. Well, if you stayed until midnight (or 1:00am on Fridays, as I recall), you may have seen me. WHY DIDN’T YOU WAVE??
*hehe* Small world, huh? WAIT!! NO!!! Don’t sing the song!! Noooooooo!!
I was a twerp-y ten-year old. I do remember being there late… my cousins and I wouldn’t have any “leaving early” stuff…. My dad secured us a military rate, which was something like 13 dollars or something. CRAZY, non?
“It’s a smaaaallllll worrr…” no, no! I won’t do it!