Ive almost been here a whole month! It doesn't feel like it at all, its gone so fast, especially now the proper work has started!
I finished my on the job training a week ago. It was over three days where we wore our costume (i STILL haven't taken a picture!) and trained at our location.
The first day was at Coronado, and i was late because of a stupid social security appointment, where Disney didn't really care that i had work early and did nothing to help me get there as soon as possible. But anyway, it was nice to finally see where i would be working, and we got to learn all the zones of the pool, how to close for weather, we did some vat training to see all the blind spots of the pool, then we got to go on the water slide!
The second day was at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and it was a closing shift, so we did the same as we did at Coronado, but also learned how to close the pool at the end of the night, which was going to be very useful as i learned CP's basically get all closing shifts! Animal Kingdom Lodge has two pools as it is kind of split into two resorts. There is the main part, Jambo house which has the bigger pool, then there is Kidani Village which is part of the Disney Vacation Club, which has its own smaller pool. We closed for lightening for like 4 hours so we spent most of the day at Kidani. This was pretty boring, just sitting around, but this is Florida and its going to happen a lot this summer!
We had to have an extra morning to make up for the training we missed at Jambo, but this was just another day of slide testing, vat training and zone learning so it wasn't too bad!
Then i had my kapa, which is the on the job test you have to pass before you can go on stand on your own. There is a written test, where i only got like two wrong because some of the questions were quite badly worded. Then a practical test, where you go on stand for real and the coordinator will drop a vat somewhere in your zone. I got it in 3 seconds and i passed!
I went straight into my first ever shift the afternoon of my kapa. It was a long day but hello overtime! Luckily i was at Kidani so it was a nice ease into it and i did quite enjoy myself! The hardest part in my opinion is when you're on the stand with the slide. No matter what pool you are at there are kids that like to test the rules, and of course its your job to tell them off! I now know from experience that no matter how hard they pretend they don't understand my accent, they do. Ive never shouted 'feet first buddy/princess' so many times in my life!
I also jumped in for the very first time, on my very first shift. A little boy ended up too far out in the pool and started panicking and crying, so i jumped in, at the same time as his dad… I felt a bit stupid when his dad just picked him up and took him out just as i got to him, but the other lifeguards all said well done to me so i felt a bit better.
My life since then has basically been the same as that pretty much every day! I work 1:45-10:15 and i have now worked at every pool. My favourite is definitely Kidani. I like meeting new people i work with since there are so many guards at Coronado and Animal Kingdom, and the guests are always nice to chat to, especially when they see I'm from Scotland.
My least favourite parts are weather closings. We have to stand and make sure the pool deck is clear while the pool is closed. Some guests get quite annoyed the pool is closed, even if there is thunder and lightening right over head! Others just get angry that you don't know EXACTLY when the pool will reopen, I'm sorry i cant predict the weather!
Ive had one or two days off but they just sort of blur into one, so heres some photos, i hear everyones enjoying my photos!
A trip to magic kingdom on my own meant Mickey pretzels!
The new Tangled themed bit of Fantasyland.
Looking extra scared on Dinosaur.
Meeting Russell and Doug!
My camera has been out of battery for the past week or so and i am yet to charge it...
