Chapter Text
When Carson lay in bed every night as a kid, she dreamed of working at Disney World. It was the one place that felt magical and safe for her and her sister growing up. Annually, Carson’s family would make the trip to the “most magical place on earth, just be together. They would meet characters, ride rides, and forget all of their elementary school problems; their dad was always right alongside them basking in the moment.
Carson had been working towards a bland business degree, not having any idea what she really wanted to do with her life when, one day, scrolling through Instagram, she noticed an ad for a hiring event in her hometown to work at Disney. It was something she had considered, but never really thought about actually working at her favorite place in the world. She had to be realistic about her career. Her heart overrode her mind for a moment as, chewing on her lower lip, she clicked into the ad and got the information.
A week later, Carson was sitting in a room full of people with her resume in her hands. Everyone around her also looked unsure and nervous but also excited. This was the magic she was searching for in her life, and if the interview process was any indication of how working for the company would be, she decided right there that she would fight with everything she had to get the job.
A few days after her interview, Carson opened her email and saw an email from Disney Recruiting that she had been hired to work for them after completing her degree.
A month later, Carson was reeling with anxiety and excitement and she felt completely overwhelmed while she packed up her car, preparing to drive from Idaho to Orlando with her sister. This would be their last sibling outing before Carson would be out of the house and her younger sister would have to deal with their dad alone.
They had an amazing relationship, and Carson was excited to take her sister back to a place they hadn’t been since they were both small.
They started the roadtrip with blasting music and sharing snacks. Starting with a classic, Life is a Highway to really get in the mood for their adventure. They were going to be in the car for at least two days, and knew that they would have to stay entertained.
They took turns driving, switching every time someone had to go to the bathroom or every time they needed gas, scheduling a few stops at roadside attractions along the route.
Their first stop was in Cheyenne, WY for no reason in particular. They were just going insane in the car and needed to get out and get some energy out. They stopped at a small diner and had lunch and then found a little park where they could have a catch.
“It’s “play catch” Car..” Meg rolled her eyes and caught the ball that her sister threw at her.
“Mmm.. Pretty sure it's “have a catch”. I’m older, so I would know wouldn’t I?” They both laughed and continued playing for another few minutes before restocking their cooler and setting off to their destination for the evening.
They finally pulled into the hotel they would be staying at for the evening in St. Louis, MO. Carson yawned, checking her phone to see that it was a little past midnight.
“We’re heading out at like 8 tomorrow morning ok? I can drive first but I need you to get some actual rest.” Carson grabbed her overnight bag and locked the car door after Meg got hers.
“Car, seriously, don’t treat me like a child. I’m 17, I can be responsible.. I just don’t wanna be.” They both laughed together, getting their room keys and settling into their room. Carson pulled out a small device to put on the door to make sure they were safe for the night.
Once they were both changed and ready for bed, Carson plugged her phone in and turned off the light, the light from Meg's phone lighting up her face in her bed. “Hey Car?” Carson opened her eyes and looked over at her sister.
“What’s up?”
“You’re not going to forget about me right? I mean, you’re gonna make a lot of new friends and maybe finally replace Charlie -”
“Ok, first of all, can’t replace someone who’s not part of my life.. He just won’t leave me alone.. And two, you’re my sister. I’ll fly you out as often as you want and we can go play in the parks.” Carson smiled over at her sister, suppressing a yawn. “No one will ever replace you, and no one could ever make me forget about you ok?”
Meg just nodded and sighed, looking over at Carson with her phone still illuminating her face. “You’re my best friend, and I know we don’t always get along, but it’s gonna suck in Lake Valley without you..”
Carson nodded and got out of her bed, crawling into bed with her sister and pulling her into a hug, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I am your big sister, you’ll never get rid of me. And don’t worry, I’ll still find ways to embarrass you on the other side of the country.”
They both laughed and Meg tried to push Carson away as she started to tickle her little sister. “CARSON! You’re the one that said we needed to sleep!! Stop!!”
They both laughed for a little while longer, talking about nonsense and about everything they wanted to do once they arrived in Orlando. After about an hour, they both had drifted off to sleep, Meg’s hand pressing into Carson to keep some distance between them. Carson didn’t care though. She wanted to spend as much time annoying her little sister as she could because she knew soon she wouldn’t have nearly as many opportunities.
The next morning, Carson woke up around 6:30 am, and after sleeping for maybe five hours, she decided she needed to find coffee. She sent Meg a text so she would see it if she woke up, which Carson knew she definitely wouldn’t, and went down to her car, looking for a nearby coffee shop. Unfortunately, her only option was Starbucks, but she was desperate. They had another 14 hours to drive until they were in Orlando.
After Carson got coffee secured, she made it back to the hotel and packed up all of their things so Meg could just wake up and get in the car and go back to sleep. Once the car was packed, she gently woke a grumbling Meg up, sticking her vanilla sweet cream cold brew into her hands before she could protest further. “I also got you a breakfast sandwich in the car, you just gotta get there..” Carson laughed and guided her sister downstairs, slipping her into the car and covering her with a blanket. “Sleep for a while, I’ll wake you up when we need gas.”
“Car, we need gas now..”
“No stupid, I got gas when I got the coffee. Go to sleep.”
Carson closed the car door and climbed into the driver's seat, setting her Disney playlist to get her in the mood to be heading towards her future home. Meg wasn’t super into Disney, but wanted to tag along and go to the parks, so Carson took the time to herself to listen to some of her favorite songs.
Their next big stop was in Nashville, TN. Neither of them really liked country music, but it was somewhere their dad was excited for them to see. They decided to drive through downtown and grab lunch before they both agreed they were over it and hit the road again.
Once they were in Atlanta, Carson knew they were in the final stretch. “Alright, we’re like 8ish hours away, so we’ll probably stop one more time for gas, but other than that, are you good just pushing through? If we get there early enough, we can go to Disney Springs for dinner or something.”
Meg nodded and focused on the road. She was new to driving, and Carson had gotten them mostly out of the city, but knew her sister was nervous with all of the traffic around. “Hey, you’re good. You know what you’re doing.”
“Do I? Because it’s gonna be just me and dad. What if I can’t do it?” Meg’s outburst made Carson pause, looking her sister over.
“Meg, dude, you are so smart. Also you don’t have a choice, we only got one plane ticket. So you gotta go back. And you know you can always call me. I’ll never let you feel alone, ok?”
Meg nodded and took a breath, glancing at Carson before back at the road. “I didn’t think I was gonna miss your stupid face, but I definitely am going to. But, we’re gonna focus on the next week of bonding right?”
Carson smiled and nodded, taking a sip of her water. “Yeah shitass, we’re gonna rule Disney World.” They both laughed, realizing this would be the last week they would be together for who knows how long.
Finally, they pulled into Carson’s new apartment complex around 5pm, grabbing their bags and walking up to the door. Carson pushed the door open, having talked to her new roommate an hour before to let her know they were close. Max, her new roommate, had unlocked the door for them.
They finally made it to the new apartment and unpacked the bare minimum, officially meeting Carson’s random roommate she had found on a Facebook page.
Max was drinking a coffee in the kitchen when they had arrived. As they walked in, she greeted “Hey, I’m Max. It’s nice to officially meet you! I tend to keep mostly to myself, but I definitely wanna do some roommate bonding shit if you’re down. Maybe a movie marathon before you start work?”
She seemed really nice, and Carson was grateful that she was exactly as the Facebook ad advertised. It was awkward moving into an apartment with someone who was already established, but Carson was here to be pushed out of her comfort zone and make new friends. And this is how she was going to do it.
“What role did you get for the mouse?” Max had asked while Carson was waiting for Meg to get freshened up before heading out to explore the area.
“Oh, um, I don’t actually know yet, I find out at Traditions. I-Is that normal?”
“Yeah I think so. I work at the “rival” theme park but a lot of my friends work at Disney.. I can ask them if you want.” Carson just nodded and looked around the apartment.
“I like what you’ve done with the place..” She let out a nervous laugh and Max just smiled, shaking her head.
“My girlfriend decorated. Said I was living like a college frat boy, whatever that means. With that said, I always have beer in the fridge, and I can show you what stores to go to and what to avoid.”
“I’m not 21 yet, but I will be next month, so maybe then.. And yeah, I would appreciate knowing where I should and should not go..” They both laughed as Meg came out of the bathroom.
“Ready?” Carson stood up and grabbed her keys, looking down at Max on the couch. “We’re going to Disney Springs for dinner if you want to join..”
Max shook her head and smiled kindly at the sisters. “You would not catch me dead there on a Saturday, but have fun. Esther might be here when you get back, but we’ll mostly be in my room. Especially if I can convince her to order in instead of cooking.”
Carson nodded and looked at her sister. Meg gave a quizzical look, glancing at Max before walking to the door and heading out for dinner.
“Did she say ‘girlfriend’?” Meg looked over at Carson as they got into the car. They were from a small town and didn’t have much exposure to the queer community.
“Yeah. I don’t have an issue with that though. We talked about it before I signed the lease. Max is cool and her girlfriend seems really nice from the pictures and stuff I’ve seen. I’m excited to meet her.” Carson smiled and headed towards Disney Springs.
“That’s really cool. Makes me feel better about maybe also..” Meg chewed on her cheek, glancing at her big sister. “Maybe I like both?”
Carson smiled and put her hand on her sisters. “We have a week to talk about all of this. But we can figure everything out together. I'm always here for you always.”
After a week of open to close park days, laughing, eating, and learning the area, Carson brought Meg to the airport. It was a bittersweet goodbye, both sisters crying as Meg went through security.
Max was nice enough to drive them, knowing Carson would be a mess after Meg left. Once they got back to the car, Max looked over at Carson.
“So, your sister is bi? Is that what we figured out this week?” Max smiled and nudged Carson’s shoulder, pulling out of the parking garage.
“Well, she openly drooled over Gaston AND Elsa, so I think we were able to confirm. I just know she’s nervous about going home with our dad.. He’s not nearly as accepting.”
“You know that from experience or?”
Carson’s face flushed, looking down at her hands in her lap. “Um no.. I’ve had an on again off again boyfriend who is not straight, and my dad kind of hates him. Charlie is really nice though. So I don’t see why my dad is such an ass.”
Max just nodded, trying to hide her smile. “Yeah, that makes sense. Old people suck.”
They both laughed at that and then were quiet for the rest of the ride home.
“I’m gonna go to bed.. I have a big day tomorrow. Thanks for everything today, Max. I don’t think I would’ve made it without you.”
Max grabbed a beer and smiled at Carson. “Sleep good, Shaw. Good luck on your first day of training.”
*****
Carson arrived at Disney University the following Monday, awkwardly signing in and sitting down, waiting for her class to start. She looked around at everyone in her group, noticing they were all looking down at their phones. Someone sat next to Carson and smiled at her, sticking her hand out. “Hi! I’m Shirley. Are you as nervous about this as I am? Do you know where you’re going? Or what park? I know nothing so I’m stressing a little.” Shirley laughed softly, looking at Carson. It made her feel better to have her feelings validated.
“No, no I don’t know where I’m going actually. I’m hoping we find out today!” Carson smiled and looked around the room.
“So, where are you from? I’m from Rockford, Illinois. It’s a small town so this place is wild to me. I mean, I’ve been to Chicago, but only for like a day.” Carson nodded along to Shirley’s story, taking a drink of her water.
“No, I’m from small town Idaho. So this is a big change to what I’m used to.”
“Well, maybe we can stick together. I would love to grab food with you after this. I heard some people talking about a place called Ale House? Or Miller’s? I don’t know the actual name, but friends are good right?”
Carson laughed and nodded her head, handing Shirley her phone so she could get her number in case they were split up later in the day.
A bit later, the facilitators came and gathered everyone, taking them up to one of the classrooms on the second floor. Everything after that was a blur — they watched videos, answered questions, did trivia, and finally, got their name tags from none other than Mickey Mouse himself.
Carson was trying to take in all of the information from her Traditions class, knowing that it was the basics of working for the company. She learned the 5 Keys, learned about Walt himself, and got to meet some of the leaders that worked throughout the park.
She knew she made the right decision in working for a company that cared so much about their guests and cast. She was excited to see what role she was placed in and at what park.
She was grinning from ear to ear after the class had finally ended. She had made a couple of friends in the class, exchanging numbers and promising to keep in touch with each other. Once the class was over, they were split into smaller groups to be given their official roles within the company. One other person from her Traditions group was with her.
Carson couldn’t remember her name after all of the chaos of the day. Was is Linda? Lucy?
“Lupe? Here’s your role. Congrats.” One of the facilitators handed her the paper and she smiled and stepped to the side. Lupe! That’s right. Lupe seemed really cool and like a genuinely nice person.
Carson’s name was called next.
She was handed her paper. She took a deep breath and unfolded it, her eyes scanning the paper to see that she had gotten her dream role.
Then, her eyes landed on it: she was starting out her time with the company as a character attendant.
Lupe pushed her shoulder and smiled widely at her. “You got attendant too? What park?!” Carson was completely out of it and couldn’t find the words. She just shoved her paper at Lupe and smiled at her. They were both going to be at the Magic Kingdom.
“Hell yeah! I can’t wait to get started! We’re gonna rock it!” They hugged and smiled as some others joined their little group, all chatting and talking about what they were looking forward to and where they were all going to be based. Lupe, Carson, and someone named Ana were all going to be at Magic, and the three others were split between Animal Kingdom and Epcot. Carson was excited to work at Magic Kingdom because she had a special place in her heart for the princesses.
*********
After all of her “Welcome to Disney” classes, Carson was finally able to pull on her khakis and blue button up costume, looking at herself in the mirror. She had made it to the first step of her goal, becoming a character performer at Walt Disney World.
She grabbed her nametag and car keys and headed out for her first day of training. She made her way to the Magic Kingdom cast parking lot, a spark of joy filling her as she made her way to the tunnels under the Kingdom. As she walked through the threshold, she looked around and took in all of the different people and costumes and princesses.
She made her way to the entertainment base, signed in, and waited for her trainer when she decided to walk around a little and get acquainted with her new work place. She smiled as she read all of the posters on the walls, getting lost in the magic of even the backstage area. She turned to head back towards base, running face first into a tall redhead, her open water bottle splashing onto her costume.
“Watch where you’re going! You’re lucky I wasn’t in my dress yet,” the girl said, trying fruitlessly to wipe off the water. Then, the girl looked Carson up and down and smirked, tilting her head to the side. “New here?” All Carson could do was nod, unable to find the words because of the embarrassment running through her body. The redhead nodded, “Cool, first lesson, don’t get in my way, ok?”
The girl grabbed a towel and walked off to wardrobe, leaving Carson leaning against the wall, watching after her.
“Hey, are you Carson?” A soft voice came from behind her, causing Carson to turn and nod again. “Hi! I’m Maybelle, but you can call me May. I’ll be your trainer this week.”
Carson let herself relax slightly, smiling at the small blonde in front of her. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.. Um.. do you know who that was… and why she was so rude?”
May looked down the hallway and shook her head, laughing off the awkwardness. “Yeah, that’s Greta. She’s the media Elsa and like every other princess too. She thinks she’s a god and we all bow down to her.” May laughed and hooked her arm into Carson’s, pulling her towards a set of stairs.
“Wait, she's Elsa?” Carson laughed nervously and pulled out her phone, looking at the pictures of her and her sister from the past week. “No way. She’s the one me and my sister met last week. She was so nice..”
May laughed softly and looked at the picture, nodding her head. “Yeah, she’s a wonderful actor. Just stay away from her and you’ll be good. They usually stick Jo with her because she’s the only person who can keep Greta in line, so I doubt you’ll ever really work with her.”
The two climbed the stairs, entering another backstage area behind Main Street USA.
“Today, we’re just going to get the lay of the land, walk around and I’ll show you what to do at base and how to get your characters and stuff. Pretty easy first day.” Carson smiled and nodded. This is exactly what she thought working at Disney would feel like. Happy people working to make others happy. Not whatever Greta was.
“I know the park pretty well actually. My sister and I came a few times last week so I could see everything again. I haven’t been since I was really little, so it’s nice to see everything that’s changed.”
Maybelle smiled and listened intently to Carson, pulling her to different break rooms and different backstage areas while Carson talked. It was refreshing to have someone actually listening, not telling Carson to be quiet or that she was just being too much.
Heading into the Mouse, which Carson learned is what they call the cafeteria for cast members in Magic Kingdom, Carson looked around and saw so many different people and costumes. She smiled and stuck close to May, grabbing a salad and a water. “So, this is for everyone? What if you work on the other side of the park?”
May just laughed and paid for their food, glancing back at Carson. “Then you’re shit outta luck. One of my friends works in Tomorrowland at the Buzz Lightyear ride and she has a vending machine lunch if she forgets to pack food.”
“Oh, that sounds horrible.. Will definitely not forget to pack my lunch then!” Carson nodded and sat down at a table across from May.
“Probably a good idea. Depending on where you are, you should be good but definitely bring snacks.” May glanced up and saw a small blonde in basics. Carson was still learning all of the entertainment lingo, but she learned that basics were the gray t-shirt and sweatpants a performer wore either under their costume or when they are not in costume.
“Madison! Get your ass over here I haven’t seen you in ages!” May squealed and stood up, pulling the small girl into her arms. “This is Carson. She’s training this week! She’s already doing great.”
Carson awkwardly smiled and waved, offering a small “hi” to the girl. Most of the performers that Carson had met so far had been nice enough, but none of them really looked at her like Madison did.
“Hi Carson! It’s so nice to meet you. Usually I’m friends with Anna, but today I decided to hang out with my girl Minnie.” She laughed and set her food down next to May. “Can I sit with you guys? I love getting to know new people.”
This girl was a goddamn breath of fresh air. She actually wanted to talk to Carson and get to know her. Also, she was a princess and not stuck up? And was willing to be a fur character? Most people try their best to get out of fur and get to face, and they never leave. At least that’s what May had said.
“So Carson, who are you most excited to work with?” She smiled and took a bite of her sandwich.
“Oh. Um, well. I guess you now.” She laughed nervously. “I mean, I’ve only met one other princess and she was.. Um..”
“She ran into Greta this morning. She was her charming self.” May stepped in and raised an eyebrow. Madison just nodded and set her food down.
“Greta is fine once you get to know her. I don’t know how many people would agree with me, but as her faux sister, she does have a big heart. She just won’t let anyone see it.”
Madison glanced up and smiled, seeing someone walk into the cafeteria. This girl had the attention span of a gnat and seemed to know everyone. Even more than Maybelle.
“I’ll be right back. My boyfriend just came in.” She jumped up and ran over to the door, jumping into someone’s arms who vaguely resembled Flynn Ryder? This place was wild.
A few minutes later, Madison returned, dragging her boyfriend by the arm. “Say hi to Carson. She’s my new favorite attendant.” The guy she was with smiled and shook his head, his arm wrapped around her waist.
“Hey, I’m Cody. Or Flynn. Whichever. Maddy said she met you about 20 minutes ago and she’s already obsessed with you. Trying to steal my girl?” He laughed and looked down at Carson whose face was already flushing.
“W-What? Um.. N-No. I-I..”
“Car, he was kidding. He thinks he’s funny but he’s just funny looking.” May looked up at the couple and nudged Cody’s leg with her elbow. They were all friends. This was something Carson had wanted for so long. To have friends. To fit in and belong. She had been in training for half a day and already had three new friends who seemed genuinely interested in her friendship.
“How much time do we have left?” Carson awkwardly asked, gathering up her trash to throw it away.
“Like 15 minutes. What’s up?”
“Oh, I just wanted to run to the bathroom before we get back.” Carson smiled and looked at her trainer. Madison smiled up at Carson and nodded her head.
“Come on Carse. I’ll walk with you. I need to get changed back anyways.” She stood up and grabbed the trash, kissing her boyfriend on the forehead before linking her arm with Carson. “Don’t worry May. I’ll bring her back in one piece.”
“I mean.. I can make it by myself..”
“Nonsense. We don’t want anymore run-ins with Ice Queens.”
What was happening. Carson wasn’t completely sure of who she was, even after college, and she was using this experience to fully find herself. Having people wanting to spend time with her and leaving their boyfriends to show her to the bathroom across the hall was something she couldn’t figure out. Was she flirting? Or was she just being friendly? It was probably the second one. Carson shook her head as Madison pulled her out of the cafeteria.
“Ok, I didn’t want to say this in front of May because she HATES Greta, but she really is a good person. I don’t want that one experience to ruin how you see her or prevent me from hanging out with you if you get scheduled at the hall.” The hall was what entertainment called Princess Fairytale Hall. It was where all of the princesses met guests and spent most of their time.
“Oh, I mean, I don’t.. She was fine. I did spill my water on her so she kinda had a reason to be mad.” Carson laughed awkwardly, looking down at her hands.
“Well no, she shouldn’t be mean ever. But she.. Ok. Greta is a bitch, but..” Madison sighed and rubbed her neck, trying to find the words. “Don’t let her scare you away ok? She’s really good at pushing people away. She’s also kind of one of my best friends? So I want to make sure she gets a fair shot. And I’ve known you for like an hour, but you’re great and I do want to be your friend if you’ll let me.”
Madison rambles when she’s nervous. Carson smiled a small smile, nodding her head. “Madison, I get it. Make my own opinion. No worries. And I think you’re really cool and would like to be friends.”
Madison laughed and nodded her head, grabbing Carson’s phone out of her hand. “Here's my number. If you need anything, lemme know okay? This was a weird interaction but we move on!”
Both girls laughed and hugged before Madison ran into the locker room, realizing she was late for her set. After Carson was set, she went back to the cafeteria and found May talking to more people.
“Hey, I’m good whenever.” May nodded and grabbed Carson’s hand, finishing her conversation and pulling Carson back into the tunnels.
“Ok. Ready to go hang out with some characters? Any requests?”
“Um, maybe we could go to the hall? I know we have a whole day there this week, but I wanna see it from the other side.”
May nodded slowly and pulled out her phone, checking schedules and sighing. “Yeah, I’m assuming you want to see the Frozen side?”
“Oh, no I’m not picky. Either side. I like Cinderella and Snow White.” Carson shrugged and looked at her trainer. “We don’t have to. We can go somewhere else.”
“Car, it’s fine. Maddy said to give her another chance didn’t she? Regardless, she won’t be any different but Jo is there and they like me so. Let’s roll.” May smiled and grabbed a radio from base, walking with Carson towards the hall.
Walking into the hall for the first time as a blueberry (another weird thing character attendants said. They were calling themselves fruit, how odd) Carson smiled as she took everything in. It was even more magical from this side of the rope. They walked into one of the meet and greet rooms and Carson’s eyes instantly fell on Greta.
May started giving her the rundown of how things worked in the hall. The entire time she was talking, Carson could feel eyes on her back. It was weird to have someone looking at her in any context, but it felt like these eyes were glaring.
Carson took her time in the hall to talk to some kids that were in line, nodding along with them, listening so intently to their stories. May had said she needed to run out and check on something, leaving Carson alone with one other attendant she hadn’t met before. She knew her safest bet was to talk to guests, knowing she might say something stupid otherwise.
A few minutes later, the attendant came over and pulled Carson to the side. “Hey, we’re going on an ice break. Do you wanna take them back or stay with the guests?”
Carson looked like a deer in headlights at the question. “I um..”
“May said it was your first day of training, but you seem pretty competent. If you take them back, you just make sure there’s no exposures or anything and if you stay in here, you just talk to the guests and keep them entertained until we come back.”
“Oh.. Well I don’t know what that means so I can just stay in here until May is back.” Carson nodded, and glanced over the other attendants shoulder at Greta, who let a small smirk fall on her lips. A moment later, she was behind the attendant.
“Joey, I think she should stay in here. Keep my little princesses entertained while I check on my kingdom.” Greta said it in such a lovely, princess voice. Carson almost missed the cockyness in her tone.
“Yeah. Yeah I can stay here. I love talking to royalty.” Carson nodded and turned back to the line before either of them could say anything else.
“You do that then.” Greta whispered as she walked out the door into the backstage area. May finally came back a minute later with another attendant, relieving Carson of her duty.
“Come on Car. We gotta go do some reading about how things are done.” May sounded mad, but Carson didn’t question it. She followed behind her as they walked out. She noticed May shoot an angry look at the attendant and Greta, shaking her head and pushing the door open.
“Are you ok? Did I do something?”
“No. You didn’t do anything. We’re just gonna focus on getting you trained the right way and make you the best damn attendant here. They shouldn't have left you alone in there on your first day of training and Jo knows better.”
Carson nodded and smiled softly to herself, ignoring how May was mumbling about how Jo knew better. May thought she could be the best attendant? She was definitely looking forward to the rest of her training.