Well, it's been long time in coming, but I'm finally prepared to talk about my family's visit (more accurately, I'm done procrastinating, haha).
On April 24th, my family arrived at their resort, the All-Star Sports resort. I had told my mom that I worked that night and that I wouldn't be able to see them (especially since I worked at a decently early time the next morning), so they were expecting to see me around 4:30pm the next day. What they weren't expecting was for me to be waiting at the resort with their rooms already checked in for them.
Needless to say, the reunion was priceless. Many tears were shed; might I even say that my oldest sister screamed (that's right, SCREAMED) when she saw me? I never thought I'd get to experience that same joy of reunion with family that a missionary gets to experience, but by golly it was pretty dang close to it!
It's hard to talk about everything in the correct order we did them in, so I'm not going to try to remember. Instead, I'll talk a little bit about the highlights and the experiences of having family visit during the program.
First off, having my family here has been the highlight of my program. Don't get me wrong, I love experiencing the parks with my friends, but there's something magical about having the people who fed my love of Disney here with me at the place where dreams (mine, specifically) come true. I can trace back some of my earliest memories to Disney, which has helped so much in shaping me into who I am today. If not for these people that I love, I would not be here. I probably wouldn't be near as much of a dreamer and a romantic as I am.
From my experiences being on this program and enjoying the parks with the freedom of choosing who I go with (or if I even want to go alone), I never get the same feeling of nostalgic wonder as I do when my family is here. I never realized how much I missed that feeling until I walked through the parks with them and noticed just how much of my childhood has been spent here. Being able to watch my nieces' eyes grow in wonder and amazement as they experience the magic I know so well for what feels like their first time is such a beautiful thing. It truly brings back the reason why I've wanted to work here for so long -- I want to give back the magic so many cast members in my past were able to give to me.
It was also so very refreshing to have my little sister back at my side. I've always been a big sister, and she has always been there with me whenever I did anything. I can definitely attest that not having her constantly with me to talk to has been hard; it's like losing a part of me and I have felt the absence. But the moment she and I were reunited, we immediately relapsed into our usual habits of teasing one another and talking about the latest happenings in our lives as if we'd never been separated.
While here, we got to experience some things that were on my DCP bucket-list (more like my Disney bucket-list in general):
Our first experience was the Kitchen Sink. For those of you who don't know, "Beaches and Cream" at The Boardwalk offers an ice-cream challenge to all those who feel courageous (or dumb) enough to try what they call "The Kitchen Sink". It is a huge bowl in the design of a kitchen sink, filled with all of their ice-cream flavors, toppings, and a whole can of whipped cream. You are welcome to bring in as many people as you want for your team, if only to see if you are able to finish it and get your picture on their wall of fame.
Our team consisted of my thirteen year old sister, seven and two year old nieces, my brother-in-law, and myself. Considering that all that was left was a pool of melted ice-cream in the bottom of the bowl, we did a pretty good job all around. For anyone considering doing this challenge and beating it though, definitely bring at least four adult stomachs that have an appetite for ice-cream. You're guaranteed to win!
My family was lucky enough to attend Dapper Day during their stay here, and I cannot express how excited I was for it. Since I was fifteen and first discovered Disney Bound, I had wanted to be apart of Dapper Day since I love period fashion so much. We spent our day in Magic Kingdom, and my family was also able to come visit me at work. It was so special to be able to show them how much magic I'm able to make, and to show them why I love what I do so much. Getting feedback from them was so nice too, and I feel that they have gained a new appreciation for all cast members since I began this program.
Rule of Thumb: Don't expect that you can do the parks like a regular guest just because your family is visiting. You are not a superhuman and you do not have superhuman stamina; just because your family is here does not mean you're not still working hard for Disney. As much as I loved having my family to visit, I cannot stress how important it is for CPs to realize that it's okay to ask your family to take it a little slower for you, and how important it is for CP families to realize their CP is not able to be at their 100% during their visit.
I found myself feeling guilty more often than I should when I just couldn't keep up with my family's pace. I wanted to be present with them during their entire stay, but when you have to time transportation perfectly between shifts and you end up spreading yourself out thin, it certainly wasn't possible for me to be at my best. In fact, there were times when I got irritable with my family (and I felt awful about being rude with them immediately after).
But I would like to point out that after living here, I have gained a much different viewpoint of playing in the parks than my family has. My older sister puts a lot of planning into our trips and does her best to make sure everyone can do what they want within the time that they’re here. We all really appreciate her staying up until late (or waking up very early) to make those fast passes and reservations, but we also want to make sure she’s enjoying the trip just as much as she wants us to have fun. She works so hard to make sure we make it to our reservations on time, that sometimes I worry she forgets to leave time for her to fully experience the magic. I’d love for her to someday understand that no one will be upset with her if we don’t make it to a fastpass or one of our many favorite rides, because we all know we can’t stay away from Disney World haha.
I would like to issue a warning to those who wish to bring their family and friends to Disney (and wish to visit their CPs): Expect the unexpected. Disney is very unpredictable and no matter how many plans are made, something will always go “wrong”. But that’s okay; the parks are big and there’s lots to do. As much as it is evolving, the parks will always be just as magical as your last visit, so embrace the moments you have there.
I've found that some of the best park memories I have are from moments in my life were moments of spontaneity while on a Disney trip (both on and off the program). So give yourself and your family some time to just soak in the magic. Let that magic remind you of why Disney is known so well for being a family park; for being a park of memories.
The moral of the story is that your "Ohana" are some of the most important people in your life. They are the ones to influence you from the start and will be there with you 'til the end. Through wind and shine, rain and heat, we've seen through it all together. No matter what the circumstance, I will always love my family and I would never trade any of them or the memories I've made with them for the world~
"'Ohana" means "family." "Family" means "no one gets left behind."
- Lilo, "Lilo And Stitch"t
