Being on the Opening Team of Disney's First Ever After Hours Lounge This opportunity came to me about a month into my program. One of the leaders at my location had been apart of the long process to get an, alcohol serving, after hours lounge in operation in the Magic Kingdom and more importantly, using the Diamond Horseshoe to do it.
This would be the first time hard liquor would be served to guests in the park. Alcohol sales in the Magic Kingdom had been banned for decades due to Walt Disney's desire to keep the park "dry." Since 2012, the park has slowed integrated alcohol sales into its restaurants keeping the Walt's vision by not allowing it to leave the restaurant and denying any restaurant from having a "bar" element to it. With that being said, the location I worked at, the Diamond Horseshoe, had a bar that was being seemingly unused. It currently exists to pour wine and beer served with the food that is also kept behind it (there is no real kitchen in the location as it was not built to be a restaurant) but you can imagine the confusion of our guests when they walk into a place with a bar that extends across the entirety of its length and no place to order a drink. This is how my leader came up with the idea to turn the place into a sort of lounge that would sell alcohol and small appetizers during more exclusive guest events such as the After Hours Villain's Event where guests can purchase a ticket that gets them into the Magic Kingdom for 3 hours after park closing, low ride wait times, and limited-time food and beverage offerings. For this to work, my leader needed to put together a team of his best cast members, who knew the restaurant and knew how to please the guests that would eventually be pouring through its doors. I was selected to be a part of that team. On opening night, I was given the responsibilities of bar back, meaning I was in charge of making sure everything was stocked for the two bartenders at all times. I needed to know where every drink was kept, every piece of glassware from all three restaurants (Liberty Tree Tavern, Diamond Horseshoe, and Skipper Canteen all share a kitchen i.e. they all share the same glassware), every garnish, every container imaginable. It was a night spent running back and forth and back and forth but it was worth it. Hundreds of people were there for opening night. The restaurant was busier than it had ever been. Executives of the company, the Director of Food and Beverage, Michael Reiss, the Vice President of the Magic Kingdom (and my personal hero), Jason Kirk stopped by to see our progress and wish us luck in the opening (and even helped carry trays back to the kitchen when we were overwhelmed with orders). The event lasted 3 hours and it felt like minutes because none of us ever stopped moving. It was a night I will never forget. After the success we had, we continued to open up the lounge with each Villain's Event (typically every Friday) adopting new strategies to handle the crowds and improving each week. I was amazed by my team and the amount of support each person was giving to the next. We were a machine, moving at rapid speed without sacrificing the quality of our service. It was an honor to be a part of it and I am hopeful for the day I will get to come back.
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AuthorAvery Button. Lover of all things Texas and Disney. Welcome to my Blog. Hope you enjoy. Thanks & gig'em. ArchivesCategories |