If you follow me on my social media, you probably know that I spent earlier this summer paddling along the Rivers of America in the Disneyland Cast Member Canoe Races. And me and my team? Well, we’ve gone pro.

By pro, I mean we won in the Sprints Races for our division, Slugma Slugma Kappa!

More on that later, though. First, let’s talk about the big paddle in the room— what are the Canoe Races at Disneyland?

This year's theme was Monsters University!

Traditions, Traditions

The canoe races have been a tradition at the Resort for over 60 years. They began at Disneyland Park in 1963 and have since expanded worldwide to other Disney Parks (Stateman, 2022). They’re a Cast Member-exclusive perk that allows CMs to race in teams against one another, forming bonds and friendly competition.

The races took a brief hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of the Disney Parks but returned to Disneyland Park in 2022. My team and I, Time & Payrow, have been racing since its return.

Note: puns are not required in team names to participate, but they’re a lot of fun :)

In the time trials, we race to see which of the four divisions we'll get placed in. We also get a glimpse of the other team names.

What Does It Take?

CMs don’t need any prior canoeing experience before participating— only a team dedicated to putting in the early mornings and effort.

And the early mornings are hard. The effort is even harder.

It’s tough when you want to make plans with friends the night before, plan to stay up a bit later in the night, or simply just want to sleep in the morning. But you get up at 4 am anyway, show up to practice, and are ready to canoe at your designated practice time (between 5:30 and 7:30 am). Sometimes, you work a full 8-hour shift afterward.

The tougher part is when you’re in the canoe, halfway around the river, and are exhausted. You just have to keep rowing. And the faster you go, the better your time and the more likely you are to advance to race the following week. Also, the faster you row, the sooner you can stop rowing.

Results from the first week of racing for our division, Slugma Slugma Kappa (EEK).

“But it’s so early!”

It is, yeah. It’s still fun, though. And in what other job am I going to get a chance to race around the river with my coworkers and friends?

I completely understand not wanting to wake up early. If you don’t want to, then don’t! Many people join for the camaraderie, some for the fitness aspect of it, and others to challenge themselves mentally and physically. I join for a mixture of friendship and fitness (my shoulders are still strong to this day!).

Overall, it’s a lot of fun and while, yes, there are some really early mornings, it’s completely worth it to see your team succeed and overcome challenges together.

Sprinting to the Finish Line

In 2022, the first year Time & Payrow (our team name inspired by our department name at work— Time & Payroll) raced, we paddled too fast without turning quick enough and hit the wall along the river, instantly disqualifying ourselves. Oops. Not our best moment.

In the second year we raced, 2023, we made it a little further along, but ultimately our time didn’t make the cut— other teams were faster than us at the time.

This year, each week we raced, we paddled fast enough to move on to the following week, surprising even ourselves.

We made it to the Quarter Finals. The momentum inspired us to keep pushing and keep paddling to make it to the next week.

Then, we made it to the Semifinals. The support we got from our managers and coworkers was especially encouraging, too.

Finally, we qualified to race in Sprints. Teams that placed 4th-6th in each division in the Semifinals race participated in Sprints (teams that placed 1st-3rd in the Semifinals raced in the Finals), where teams raced in head-to-head heats to determine one winner per division.

And once again, my team? Well, we’ve gone pro.

We won first place in our division in Sprints!

From underdogs to division champions, we did it!

I love the feeling of accomplishment and the sense of pride after finishing a lap around the river. It’s a challenge— the canoe boats are heavy— but well worth the struggle. Pushing through the water at lightning-fast speed with your teammates fosters a sense of inclusion and community, too. The cheers from the audience at the docks are also incredibly encouraging and helpful (I hear them, but I can’t react while rowing!!).

Time & Payrow is the best team in the world, no contest.

See you next year, Finals.

Sources

Stateman, A. (2022, July 21). Paddles Up! Cast Members Celebrate the Return of Canoe Races at Disneyland Resort [Review of Paddles Up! Cast Members Celebrate the Return of Canoe Races at Disneyland Resort]. D23; Disney. https://d23.com/d23-event-recaps/the-return-of-canoe-races-at-disneyland-resort/

‌Videos courtesy of my teammate Carlos! Photos of medals (aside from my own) courtesy of my manager! Thank you! ❤️