DISNEY MEAN GIRLS PART 2: ANIMAL KINGDOM BEHIND THE SCENES

[@user-vy6pp1yz3c]

"They just don't want to like you, there's nothing you can do to change that." Thank You Jennifer so much. That hit me. 👍 Thank you for your realness and advice!

[@OakesPrincess]

+C W hugs to you!! Thank you for letting me know! 💞💞💞💞 it just makes you appreciate the people who matter even more..

[@ainedalton3921]

I used to work at DAK in merchandise and a lot of your comments are spot on. I think I had the same backstage bus driver (grumpy gus)! I loved DAK (I'm an animal science major), but it was the hardest to get around backstage and working on DI, I usually ended up entering the park at the front gate and then being on stage all the way to my store. It really sucked. As for costuming, I ended up just washing my own costume all the time because it was so difficult to get to costuming as a DCP without a car (they never told us about the bikes, so I don't know if they're still there or reserved for characters?)! At all times I had a warm and cold weather outfit so I wouldn't have to go back to costuming. It was hard to make friends outside of your department and being the oldest DCP, I struggled to find people I fit with (everyone was a good 4 or more years younger). Those friends I made, I'm still really close with now (several years later) and I've had several trips to Disney just to see them because they were back for another program. I'm sorry your experience at DAK was so rough and I wish I had seen this video during my program! I tried to reach out to some of the friends of Pocahontas (we had one polite one and one that was really standoffish), but if I had known how isolated it was there as her, I would have been more active in inviting them to sit with me. I had just been told to pretty much avoid face characters because they thought they were too good for everyone, and the standoffish girl really supported those rumors. (Still, shame on me for listening and following rumors.) Thank you for your videos! I've been bingeing them the past few days, haha.

[@OakesPrincess]

wow, thank you so much for sharing with me on this!! makes me feel like I wasn't so alone and I hope that others can hopefully garner something that was shared and be able to apply it to their experience at Disney. Interesting about the bikes... now you have me wondering. lol. Was the Pocahontas at her new location when you worked there?? I love that you met some great friends! that's the best!

[@ainedalton3921]

Yes, she was down on DI by Dino Land. Dug and Russel had a break room by me too, but I'm not sure how much time they spent together. I would see Dug and Russel come and go often from it, but they were rarely out in the common area, and I usually saw her in the main common space alone. I was always so jealous of the characters getting to spend so much time with guests and make magical moments. I know there are some bad eggs, but the highlight of my day was always when I could make a magical moment and I always felt characters had more opportunities to do that.

[@olivia_simone]

I feel like animal kingdom and magic kingdom have switched cultures now! I was always SO stressed at Magic Kingdom - so by the book, so into efficiency, so strict - whereas at Animal kingdom the managers were great and the atmosphere is laid back. I wasn't face (and I totally get it's different for face cast!) but that's so interesting how the culture has changed!

[@OakesPrincess]

oh WOW! thanks for sharing!! I would love to hear more feedback from current cast members to hear their feelings on this topic too! thanks for sharing! xo (and oh no about it switching to Magic Kingdom! They're the face of Disney and set the tone for the guests.. if the cast members aren't happy, I feel like the guests can pick up on that) :p

[@AngelaCatsaros]

Pocahontas is my favorite princess, so screw them!! Also, I LOVE that you clapped back and you came in with documents about the Tasmanian tiger and told those girls off!

[@OakesPrincess]

+Angela Catsaros I hear a lot of people saying Pocahontas was their favorite! Omigosh, from my experience backstage, I'd never know it!! She was treated much more "humbly," by cast members lol.. if I'm being honest, I still smile when I think about how I came back with those papers/ proof..lol

[@ZakkuTakku]

Really sorry to hear that you had such a rough time as Pocahontas. During my trip in May of last year (2016) I was actually pretty excited to meet her! "Colors of the wind" is one of my personal favorite Disney songs, and I told her about that! Hopefully that helped make her feel good.

[@OakesPrincess]

+Zach Harris I'm sure it did! I'm hoping things are different now, she's not at Rafiki's planet watch anymore and this was years ago..hopefully it's a better environment. People make the job, so if there are nicer people, it'll make a huge difference. It all depends on a lot of things.. personality, etc.. maybe what was hard for me would've been easy for another.. 🤔🤔🤗😆💞

[@JackJanowicz]

Jennifer you look SO good omg. You are in your PRIME girl!!!! Loved the videos ❤️❤️❤️

[@OakesPrincess]

+Jack J omigosh, Jack! You're the sweetest! Thank you so much! Long time no chat! Hugs to you sweet man! 💞💞💞

[@JackJanowicz]

Jennifer Oakes yes!! Thank you so much. I still watch every video of yours! You're the best.

[@DisneyMarkUK]

Great video Jennifer, can’t wait for part 3 xx

[@CaitlynSpencer]

I'm so sorry you had that experience as Pocahontas. She was my favorite character growing up. In got to meet her when I was 12 and then again last fall on my honeymoon. She meant so much to me as a kid that I nearly cried when I met her as an adult. It was such a wonderful interaction. Love your videos, Jen!

[@rachelhankle9768]

DAK is just the worst!! Lol It’s just a different world over there...the bikes! Epcot is the best. We love Internationals!! Great video PJ!!! I love you!!!

[@OakesPrincess]

+Rachel Hankle love you, Rachel! Lolol so it wasn't great for you either??? Did you experience anything similar? Lol about the bikes!!!!! 😂😂😂😂 especially on rainy days! Lol God forbid you're the last one there and you're left with the one broken bike! 😂

[@VallaMusic]

I am a middle aged man and it's so sad to me that so many men are still so emotionally stunted...they don't know how to handle themselves with any dignity or to treat a woman with a beautiful body with any dignity....I hope all the current sexual harassment stories coming out in the news lately starts to wake up a lot of men who need to grow the hell up and learn how to be a decent human being

[@Jess-zm5xt]

Val Lamon woman with a beautiful body..... how about any woman ever? Or just human beings in general..? I agree with you but if any guy fits that description they need therapy.

[@laurent9994]

" do I need to be like ..I'll cut you ?!?! " I died at that part 😂 love you Jen!! 💕

[@djdsf]

Night lighting looks better js lol

[@jackkress3238]

Aww, sweetie. You sounded so alone in Animal Kingdom. I am glad you had a clique in Epcot and Magic Kingdom!

[@SeriouslyCreepy]

Very interesting!

[@maddie3329]

I think some of them were jealous of you. I don’t like to think people are jealous, but the girl that said she was a better character than you was 100% jealous that you were a face character and she wasn’t.

[@Skaterluv21]

I disliked working at animal kingdom so much..... The guest experiences were great as a performer.... However hated being there lol. The people i worked with there were always in bad moods and just grumpy. So after that I always got such a bad vibe from being there. The entertainment there is so small comparing to magic kingdom and that was something i also hated because I would go there and not see any of my friends. Just not a friendly place. Very strict as well. They will come after you for anything.

[@OakesPrincess]

+Gaby Tapia thank you so much for sharing this with me, it makes me feel like I wasn't crazy.. and somehow makes me feel less alone.. 💞💞💞

[@Skaterluv21]

AWWW not at all

[@Skaterluv21]

BTW the van driver.... I'm pretty sure I know exactly who you are talking about ..... and he would always drive me to Rafiki's planet watch and he was just always miserable... One time I needed a van run for my lunch break and he made a stupid comment about how he hated going on van runs for lunch breaks because he thinks people should bring their own lunch and he went on a rant on how i must have money like that and all of this stupid stuff and in my head I was like..... YOUR JOB IS TO DRIVE A VAN.....LIKE THIS IS YOUR JOB TO DRIVE US AROUND.

[@johnalvinbelarmino598]

On 3: 20 you getting me laugh hahaha im film in KZbin videos the struggle is real LOL

[@stillonly35cents]

That negative van driver was probably a former fur character. Too long inside the hot fur costume and yuck altered his mind. The other ones know when to run away and slam Gatorade.

[@OakesPrincess]

+stillonly35cents lol!

[@maninthebox0]

That is a bad ass looking animal right there. It’s a shame it’s extinct.

[@OakesPrincess]

right?!

[@laurendewitt8403]

in 06 i saw pocagontas stage show ANIMAL KINGDOM were u meet her animal friends what i rember from 90s my parents and were like so diffrent from 90s when i was little the show in 90s john smith was there like beauty and beast stage show or little mermaid stage show just shorter telling of moive only thing diffrent didnt shhot john john smith at parks i dont saw that show from 90s soory some girls were mean to you

[@writerspen010]

Regarding your experience not being as well liked when you were Pocahontas, my guess is that it has to do with how the viewing public perceives the movie's depiction of Native Americans and white-washing history. There's a youtube critic who can explain it better, Linsday Ellis. She did a video essay recently about the movie, and its problems, called "Pocahontas was a mistake, and here's why!" She also has a review of the movie itself from, like, 7(?) years ago, but the video essay dives deeper into the public backlash of the film.

[@johnalvinbelarmino598]

3:20

[@MYKroe]

Jennifer, thank you for your accounts. As a rare male presence on your page, I wonder about the creepers who are living out their fantasies with face characters. With all the news of male bad behavior, how do the face characters deal with unwanted sexual overtones, particularly when hugging guests seems to be encouraged? BTW, I never met Pocahontas at the Animal Kingdom, but I would talk about environmental issues. Would that be an uncomfortable conversation for you? I'm also a "science geek" being in the business of biological research for 33 years, the mean college girls embarrass the profession.

[@Jabroniville]

As another male guest, this is a concern of mine as well. In fact, the assumption that people might think "oh, here's another solo guy in line; he's gonna perv on the Princess" actually kept me from character interactions for the most part. I eventually learned it was pretty fun, and the girls actually don't mind (so long as you keep your hands where everyone can see them, lol). It seems to happen less than I assumed it did, probably because of all the witnesses and the fact that park tickets are SUPER expensive and people wouldn't risk them.

[@alicialuna1246]

Pocahontas was my favorite before Tiana came along! She is cool lol