By BRODIE H. BROCKIE

SUBMARINE SEND-OFF

Day 3 - June 11, 2007.

Today was the big day! Most of the Dream Job winners assembled in the lobby of the Disneyland Hotel at 6:30 a.m. A few of us had interviews scheduled with their local TV stations, and they had been up since 3:00 a.m. I have never been so happy not to receive extra attention.

We headed straight to the park, still closed to the public, but already full of journalists on hand to cover the launch of the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. Where the party had been the night before, there were now legions of booths full of radio personalities.

We could see a stage set up near the edge of the submarine lagoon and a group of dancers were practicing a routine while wearing flippers. We finally learned what our role would be in the opening ceremonies: we would walk by the front of the stage and, without stopping, wave and keep moving until we were gone again. We practiced once and somehow managed to pull off the stunt in our first try. Truly, we were a talented bunch.

Next, we walked through some of the closed sections of the park on our way to the costuming building. I saw a few of the off-hours crew sprucing up the park before opening. A man with a rubber mallet was evening out some of the cobblestone in Fantasyland. Once we got backstage, we were walking past what appeared to be a plain-looking warehouse, painted green on the outside. I didn't pay any particular attention to it until we passed a vent and I could hear the faint strains of "It's a Small World" playing from within.

The Dream-Jobbers wait to go on.

We returned to the costuming building and got back into our costumes and makeup. We had to wait around a little bit until the princesses (naturally) would be ready. While we waited, we learned a bit about what the pirates would be doing. They were singing pirate songs with the Bootstrappers band on the recently re-themed Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island. Each had been given their own pirate curse. Kenny, the minister turned pirate, was cursed to smile no matter what emotions he was really feeling. Billy, an elementary school principal in his real life, was re-named Billy Books and cursed to be the only pirate who could read. Eventually, the princesses were all spiffed up and we could go.

Back in the park, the crowds had started to assemble and we started getting the usual looks we all received when traveling together. I was walking behind honorary Princess Eliza from New York City and saw a little girl raise her hand, perhaps looking for a handshake, perhaps just waving. Eliza wound up and gave the girl an enthusiastic high-five. It wasn't the most princessly behavior I'd ever seen, but the little girl was positively elated.

I smile and wave at the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage launch ceremony.

We lined up again along the queue area for the Submarine Voyage and waited to be called up. I listened to a couple of the other winners talking about how it was nice that we were all getting to know each other and how we all seemed versus the expectations we had. I heard honorary parade performer Lisa explain, "I was surprised Brodie really talks like that! I thought he was faking his voice in the video!" I laughed at this and she assured me she meant it as a compliment.

Finally, Disneyland Resort President began the ceremony and introduced the Dream Job winners, listing each of the categories and ending with "and lastly, John Lasseter's favorite and my favorite... Jungle Cruise skippers!" The band struck up "Heigh Ho" (since it was off to work we were going) and we marched across in front of a smallish crowd and an army of cameras. In the second row, I saw John Lasseter again who raised two thumbs into the air and shouted "Jungle Cruise!" as we passed.

Disneyland President Ed Grier looks on as the Dream Job winners photographed by a small army of media.

Next was lunch at the cast-member cafeteria The Inn Between, a round of singing "Happy Birthday" to Kimberly, one of the Princesses (what a way to celebrate a birthday!), and then it was time at last to head off and perform our Dream Jobs. We said "so long" to the other groups and headed off to Adventureland.

The monorail all dressed up for the launch of the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.

PART EIGHT: SKIPPER BRODIE AND THE WORLD-FAMOUS JUNGLE CRUISE