Adrenaline At Epcot

Not everything about being a Security Host at Walt Disney World is fun and games, sometimes reality or the threat of reality creeps in.
One day I was working Epcot East which is the area of Future World that has Universe of Energy, Mission: Space and Test Track among other things.
I was walking around the area by the fountain when I heard this on my radio earpiece:
Epcot East, Echo 2
Epcot East by (my response)
Signal 21 Universe of Energy
10-4 I'm 51 (my response)
Translation:
Epcot East, this is Echo 2 dispatch
This is Epcot East standing by
There is a burglary in progress at Universe of Energy
OK, I'm enroute
Well, I started to walk briskly as we are trained to do while thinking what I was going to do as an-unarmed security host against a potential burglar.
As I came around the corner I caught movement out of the corner of my left eye and was relieved to see my Duty Manager Charlie Moran hot footin' it out the bushes that was a shortcut from the security office.
We approached the door and Charlie signaled me to hold back. No problem there Charlie.
We entered the building and heard voices from another room and we slowly made an approach.
What we encountered were two IT guys lounging in chairs behind a desk. One of them had hit the

panic button located under the desk with his foot or knee as he rocked back in the chair which sent the silent alarm.
We called it in and cancelled back-up and Orange County Deputies.
You know, for about 4 minutes of adrenaline filled investigation I was a security guard like the ones in real life.

Just Another Night At Walt Disney World: Performing With Kool and the Gang

One afternoon I was working as Main Gate 10 at Epcot. Main gate 10 is the Security Host that patrols the entrance area of the park before you actually enter the park.
Well, I got a call on my radio earpiece that said there was a man trying to gain entry to Epcot by saying he was with Kool and the Gang. I approached and the gentleman had dry cleaning over his shoulder and told me that his name was "Little Jimmie" and that he had to meet up with the rest of the band because he was late getting his wardrobe from the dry cleaners for that night's performance.
I took him backstage via a side door called Eastgate and we went to the security office. I told Charlie Moran my Duty Manager the situation and he tossed me the keys to his marked sedan and as we were getting in the car, Little Jimmie started to get in the back.
"Whoa, sir, that's for the bad guys, you sit up front with me. He laughed and we went to the American Garden Theatre via Avenue of the Stars which circles the property backstage.
I escorted him to the dressing room where the rest of the band was waiting for him and he got a lot of teasing for being late and getting "the star treatment" by being personally esorted by security.
On the third night of their three night performance schedule, I signed up for an extra-hours detail guarding Kool and the Gang as they performed.
As you look at the stage I was positioned at the foot of a small flight of stairs on the right that lead up to the stage and I was facing the audience stopping people from rushing the stage or getting too close. At the beginning of the performance, Little Jimmie came out pretending to tune a boom box to good music eventually landing on a Kool and the Gang tune and danced off stage as the band appeared and played the song on the boom box live.
It was the end of the performance that was unique. As I was standing there facing the audience and looking well, as security guardish as can be at Disney, The lead singer danced his way across the stage while singing "Celebrate!" and put the microphone in my face and the spot light shone on me so I just broke out dancing and singing along. This is Disney World right?
Well, as soon as the mic and spotlight left me I went right back to the serious security look. The singer started laughing and the audience started laughing because the singer was laughing and trying to keep singing. I thought, "Ok, it was nice working here while it lasted."
The next day I went to the morning briefing and my Duty Manager, I don't recall if it was Charlie or Gary, asked me if the detail went OK. I thought, "I'm toast" well, he told the assembled security hosts what happened because he was in the audience and saw the whole thing and described it in ever excruciating detail. While I was looking for the nearest rock to crawl under he said something amazing.
"This is the Disney attitude. We're here to make the guest's experience a wonderful one and Jay did that by being in the Disney spirit."
I got an Atta-Boy!! I loved my job!
Until next time, Have a Magical Day!!