Becoming a Cast Member at Walt Disney World is something that is a true honor for any Disney-phile. When being accepted as part of the Walt Disney World College Program (WDWCP) back for the summer of 1999, I was thrilled.
Doctor Disney (who I wasn’t at the time) was going to actually work inside of the Walt Disney World Resort, and that leads to my next installment of “Tales of a Former Cast Member” and this one is called – “Main Street Mayhem before SpectroMagic.”
I was assigned to the Magic Kingdom for my WDWCP and my job would be in Outdoor Foods (ODF). That meant I would spend my summer working the popcorn, ice cream, fruit, and coffee carts spread throughout the park. Doesn’t sound ideal, but it didn’t bother me any because I was going to be working inside of the Magic Kingdom!
After working there for about two weeks, my department came up short staffed one evening. After arriving for my shift, my ODF manager let me know that they needed me to be a stocker and that simply meant running out to the different carts and refilling their supply when they’d call for it.
Simple enough, right?
My first few runs were pretty easy and didn’t seem overly complicated. Carts would radio in for supplies, I’d gather what they requested, and then run it out to them. Again…simple, right?
As the night wore on, the time was approaching for SpectroMagic to run. Everything was going smoothly, but that was when it happened.
“Popcorn 1 to ODF…I need a restock.”
For those not aware, every food cart in the Walt Disney World Parks is assigned a number. “Popcorn 1” happens to be the cart at the front of the park on Main Street USA, and generally the busiest cart in all of Magic Kingdom.
That is why they needed a restock…of virtually everything…on an incredibly busy summer night…about 15 minutes before SpectroMagic was set to run. Guess who was the only stocker available?
So, I was called upon and I stepped up to the job. Boxes of popcorn buckets stacked on my cart. Bags of popcorn kernels thrown on top. About 10 pallets of soft drinks piled on top of one another. Popcorn 1 needed a restock big time and there was about to be a huge rush.
10 minutes until SpectroMagic.
My cart was packed and it was time to head out. I opened the gate to Main Street and saw it lined with hordes of people waiting for the parade to start so things had to happen quickly.
8 minutes until SpectroMagic.
I pulled my incredibly heavy cart past Le Chapeau and in front of Tony’s and proclaiming, “Excuse me folks. Pardon me please!”
7 minutes until SpectroMagic.
As I carefully pulled the loaded cart down a ramp and onto the street, things were going good…but that was when it happened.
6 minutes until SpectroMagic.
My cart got caught in the track for the Main Street horse and buggy and tipped over. My eyes widened as the box of buckets hit the ground and spilled out. My mouth dropped open as the bags of popcorn simply fell onto the street. My stomach then totally dropped as over 100 bottles of soda hit the crowd and scattered everywhere imaginable.
5 minutes until SpectroMagic.
I had messed up. Big time. And there was no way that everything could be picked up in time. It would have been easier to just walk right out the front turnstiles of Magic Kingdom and turn in my cherished Disney nametag on the way out.
But again…that was when it happened.
4 minutes until SpectroMagic.
A guest came out and picked up my cart. Then guests…from their spots on the curbs of Main Street got up from all over and started picking up the drinks. A couple put the popcorn buckets back into the box. Other guests placed the pallets back onto the cart. Numerous others grabbed the drinks and put them back onto the pallets.
2 minutes until SpectroMagic.
All of a sudden, the cart was back exactly as it was before heading out from ODF base. Guests patted me on the back and returned to their spots on the curb. Applause broke out as I started to walk toward the curb and to Popcorn 1. My smile was huge and I know my face had to be 40 shades of red.
The lights turned out and SpectroMagic rolled out onto Main Street.
My embarrassment now aside, I restocked Popcorn 1 as the parade rolled behind me. When all was said and done, every single drink (over 200 of them) was there and accounted for. Not one was missing. Not one was taken.
Now, that’s…some Disney magic.
That is one amazing story. Sometimes it’s really nice when everyone pulls together to make a magic moment happen at Disney.