Sam I Am

So, today my name was Sam. From Orlando, FL.

There are two stories here: How I got to be Sam, and then how my day was as Sam. The story is long, but stick with me, it’s good.

It all started when I realized I needed to do some Christmas shopping. I know, it’s not even Thanksgiving yet! But I’m going home the first week of December to see my family, and I don’t know if they’re visiting me later, so I’m bringing home Christmas gifts. Which means I need to shop now!

SIDEBAR- I am Christmas Story-ing my sister. She asked for footie pajamas for Christmas, so while I was at Target, I found them. They’re pink. They have bunny faces and ears on the feet. And they’re perfect. Well. Almost. I had to swing by Jo-Anne fabrics to buy a pom-pom. I’m sewing it on as a tail. 😛 If you’re totally out of the loop, this is a photo from A Christmas Story, so you see the humor…. don’t worry, I bought her another pair with less bunnies…

ANYWAY. I was with my friend and we were trying to find a store. Bath and Body Works. Google Maps told me where to find it…but we got there and it was a parking garage. IT LIED. So Mallory and I decided we should get me to work. We google maps the fastest route to my bus stop.

After a few minutes of driving, I am sensing something is wrong. I recognize the area from when I was driving INTO Orlando. We’re not heading in the right direction. I tell this to my friend, who reassures me Google Maps knows what it’s doing. After a few more minutes of driving, I am very positive we are heading….FOR UNIVERSAL. Mallory still doesn’t believe me. I can see the parking deck. I can see the Incredible Hulk ride. I can see the tower for Islands of Adventure. We are most certainly in Universal. 

Now, that would have made an interesting call to my managers, I’m sure. “Hey guys, I’m going to be late for work. Yeah, I’m at Universal. I thought I worked here, see.” I’d be fired for sure! (I told this story to my coordinator and she went YEAH I WOULD HAVE SAID YOU’RE FIRED. In jest, of course.) 

So we follow Google maps. We drive along Universal. The map takes us to the edge of it, before having us go back. The way we came.

Needless to say, I was late for work. By a minute. Just a minute. Sorry, Google, but I work for DISNEY WORLD, not UNIVERSAL. MAYBE IT’S A CONSPIRACY. UNIVERSAL WANTS ME. So. Late. Half a point. Half a point closer to messing up my transfer guidelines, my chance for going Part Time.

Anyways. Someplace in all this drama, I lost my nametag. So they gave me a new one for the day. Sam, from Orlando, FL.

I was having a pretty crappy day. So I decided to go along with this Sam persona, and see if she could have a better day. (I’m not crazy, I swear. It was an exercise we used to do in one of my drama classes.)

Sams day went much better than mine. It started with one of my co-workers. Okay, fine, I guess this part was me, but I believe it to be the power of the nametag. 😛 There’s a co-worker who believes I am the bomb. I watched a parade with him, and I was superhyperactive, like I usually am at work. I waved to all the characters. I waved to all the people. I fangirled, like I do. And he loved it. Every time he sees me, he tells everyone about how awesome I am and how I’m the best person here. He did that again today, telling the story of how I was waving to everyone in our break room. It’s really what I needed to get me motivated for a good day. 

So I go out and I act silly. The first people who got Sam to be happy was this group of girls. They adored Sam. They were mentally challenged (they had shirts stating that they were and in a group together) and SO SWEET. They told me all about going on Space Mountain and how cool it was, and how they were going to go on Big Thunder Mountain later. They were so enthusiastic! And for the rest of the night, they rememebred me. I would be taking photos, and I would hear someone yelling HI SAM!!! and they would be there, frantically waving at me. I’d wave back. They returned later to tell me all about Big Thunder Mountain. They were great. 🙂

Next was the Santa guy. This family came over, and the grandfather looked like Santa. I decided he had heard enough of the jokes, so I didn’t mention it. But then, one of our media guys came over and mentioned it and took his photo. We all got to talking, and he told us he did play Santa. He showed us he had a Sleigh license in his wallet, it was so funny! And then he gave us stickers saying we had met Santa. After he left, I got to talk to the media guy (because I want his job!) and he told me about what he did. That was nice.

The best thing that happened to Sam was… OOH I CAN’T SPOIL IT LET ME JUST TELL YOU HOW IT HAPPENED. So I’m taking photos, and these two girls walk by. They circle me a few times, and I wonder if they’re okay. I finally get rid of my line, and they come over to me. They’re very shy and embarrassed, and they tell me that they want to take a photo kissing in front of the castle, but they don’t know how people will react. I reassure them that I certainly don’t mind, and if it bothers others, then it’s their problem; as long as the girls are happy. It’s Disney! They’re very happy to hear this, so they hand me their card and their camera.

I take their photos, and they kiss, and nobody is bothered by them. I’m very happy. I’ve heard some stories about people who get angry when they see same-sex couples being happy. I’m glad nobody was a bother. 

One of the girls mentions she wants to take another picture, so I get their camera ready.

And then I see the little box she is holding.

HOLY CRAP SHE’S GOING TO PROPOSE CUE MAD DIVE FOR MY CAMERA. I GRAB IT OFF THE TRIPOD. I’M SORRY, MANAGEMENT, I DIDN’T HOOK IT UP FIRST. I ALSO DIDN’T TAKE IT OFF DUSK SETTINGS. WHO CARES SHE’S DOWN ON ONE KNEE AND I AM TAKING PICTURES. I’m careful to hold the camera steady, though. 

The girl says yes, and they kiss, and people nearby start cheering like crazy. And then I have to go over and take more photos, and I feel like I am intruding on an incredibly private moment. But they don’t seem to care. I actually give them a hug, and tell them they were my first proposal and I am so happy for them. They are so happy.

The only thing that makes me mad is this lady who passed and said “I should have photobombed them.” I had the mental image of hitting her with my tripod (Dear readers, please note I am a nice person and would never actually hit a guest with a tripod in a million years. Also note that I do not like photobombers and I will call you out on it and embarrass you if you attempt to do so. You waste people’s time and money when you do that. And if you ever photobomb a proposal…….just don’t. I don’t know what I could do, but that would be rude.)

MY FIRST PROPOSAL. SAM HAS ALL THE LUCK.

After my first break, I was out at our holiday shot as the assistant. No super cute families there (except for the challenge girls (I think that is what their shirts said and I mean no disrespect by calling them that) yelling HI SAM at me. BUT we had primo seats for the Christmas parade! I finally got a good look at the in-between parts of the parade. Usually I can only see the big floats but I got to see all the dancers today. My coordinator and I got Santa to wave at us!!! BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT.

Next was the Celebrate the Magic slideshow, with the premiere of the Frozen scene. IT WAS AWESOME AND HOLY CRAP I FORGOT ELSA WAS IDINA MENZEL. *fangirls* I want her voice.

And then we got to watch the fireworks. Flagpole is the BEST spot for the Christmas fireworks, because you get the surrounding fireworks as well. Yay. 🙂

My last spot for the night was the shot facing Main Street and the train station. The end of the night. The big group of girls came by to wish me goodnight (BYE, SAM!!) and it snowed. It crazy snowed. I had to cover my camera from all the snow. It was BEAUTIFUL. One of the attendants was visiting the park with her friends, and they were dressed up as trees and reindeer. It snowed. We were happy. And my night ended.

Now I’m back to being me. I guess I had a pretty good day today. 🙂