Winnie the Pooh, and Tigger Too!

 I have had an interesting couple of days, for sure. Thursday, I was at Epcot with Pooh and Tigger again. Tigger had his coffee yesterday, so he was very rowdy! He was all over the place. At several points, we had no line. The first time, he walked off set, found a roll of Mickey stickers, handed me one end, and proceeded to walk in circles around me so that the stickers were wrapped around my body. Once I realized what was happening, I started spinning the same direction with him to help unwind the stickers. It didn't work. It really just made a bigger mess. Later, he ran off and started coloring. Another time, he took all of the Photo Pass cards and threw them on the floor! He then proceeded to scoop them up, but he doesn't have any fingers, so he couldn't pick them up! It was pretty funny to watch.

One of my last families of the night handed me a Pooh stuffed animal. It was so cute. I really just wanted to keep it for myself, but that's not what creating Magical Moments is about. So I played with it for a little and then handed it back to the girl. When I did, she squeezed it a little and it squeaked! I was not expecting that. So I took it back and continued playing with the squeaker. The family thought it was so funny. When we posed for the picture, I held the little Pooh Bear in both hands, close to my heart. And right before the picture was taken, I squeezed it so it squeaked! All of the kids started giggling. I let the photographer get in one normal photo before I did it again. I thought it was hilarious, and the family did too. I was sad to see them go because they were actually happy.

Yesterday, I had a fitting for Russell and Timon. Turns out I'm too small for those characters, too! Go figure. Since we were on a roll, I asked about the Pooh costume being so big on me and causing back, neck, and shoulder pain. The woman I was speaking to said that is definitely not supposed to happen. So I had to have a fitting for the Pooh costume too!  I sat there for about an hour and a half waiting for an athletic trainer to arrive because Disney won't do a fitting like this unless a trainer is there to tell them that what I am saying is accurate, and the costume is doing damage. Once we started the fitting, I had to put on the costume one piece at a time and let them look at me after every piece. They agreed that the costume fit me in a way that would cause damage to my body, so now I get to wear shoulder pads. It actually worked. I wear shoulder pads that velcro onto the inside of the costume and hold it in place higher on my body instead of letting the weight pull it to the outside of my shoulders. I'm pretty lucky that we found a solution. If we hadn't, I don't know what they would have done, but I have a feeling it would have started with, "How do you feel about moving to Merchandise?" It's too bad I haven't been approved for any other characters in my so called "height range" but at least we found a way to make the costume I wear almost every day not hurt me anymore!

I was at Animal Kingdom yesterday. The place where Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore are is called the boat dock. I was there all day. There were several times again where we had no line. Everything is starting to slow down since school is getting started. So instead of just stand there, I start dancing to the Winnie the Pooh music playing from the speakers above me. Disney has a thing for creating "atmosphere." While I am dancing, my photographer says, "Pooh, let's line dance!" So we start dancing. Then we move on to the electric slide, which he has to teach me because I was born in the 90's. ;) Then, Eeyore's photographer comes over to show me the hand jive! I already knew it, but I always forget the order, so she clarified. By the time the next family came to see me, I was a pro! This family had one little girl. Probably 9 years old or so. She seemed a little shy, so I decided to break her out of her shell! I started the hand jive and motioned for her to join me. It took her a little while to catch on, but eventually she played along. I made sure she and I were facing each other and our sides were visible to the adults (more importantly, the cameras). Once I taught her the entire thing, I made her put it all together and we did the hand jive so everyone could see! I was so excited that she learned it, so I started clapping. Then I raise my hands and turn toward her family, the attendants, and the photographers and continue clapping in an effort to get them to join. It worked. Her little audience of 10 was supporting her and I was so happy. So I got her attention again and show her to bow. I bow twice and she curtsies twice. I sure hope she remembers that when she is older. To me, those are the moments that stick with you. That one time where there was nobody in line to see Pooh, so he decided to teach you the hand jive. Or when Pooh and Tigger both have no one, so they play ring-around-the-rosie with a little girl. Or Pooh playing the drums and Tigger dancing around like the goofball he is. (All of those things happened yesterday) I personally think it's awesome. I have a pretty cool job :)

Today, I am FINALLY going to Magic Kingdom with Sara Robbins!! Hopefully I have more fun stories to report at the end of the day!