1 00:00:03,858 --> 00:00:05,359 [Self] I grew up a navy brat. 2 00:00:07,153 --> 00:00:08,654 We were always near the water. 3 00:00:12,491 --> 00:00:13,993 Started diving in the Navy. 4 00:00:18,998 --> 00:00:21,667 When I got back to California, I kept doing it. 5 00:00:26,505 --> 00:00:29,759 Here in Southern California, we've got some of the best diving in the world. 6 00:00:33,262 --> 00:00:34,513 I feel pretty lucky. 7 00:00:51,572 --> 00:00:52,907 I am Thom Self. 8 00:00:52,990 --> 00:00:55,743 I'm an outside machinist here at Disneyland Resort 9 00:00:55,826 --> 00:00:57,495 in Anaheim, California. 10 00:00:57,578 --> 00:01:01,791 The unique part of my job is, uh, most of my job takes place underwater. 11 00:01:01,874 --> 00:01:04,585 I take care of a lot of the water-based attractions, 12 00:01:04,668 --> 00:01:06,962 like the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, 13 00:01:07,046 --> 00:01:08,756 Splash Mountain, Pirates, 14 00:01:08,839 --> 00:01:10,383 the Rivers, then the Jungle Cruise. 15 00:01:10,466 --> 00:01:12,468 Keep them all running every day, ready for guests. 16 00:01:20,810 --> 00:01:22,895 After I got out of high school, I just started college. 17 00:01:22,978 --> 00:01:26,273 I started working as a culinary host at the Plaza Inn. 18 00:01:31,529 --> 00:01:33,698 I'd eventually left Disney. I went into the Navy. 19 00:01:34,198 --> 00:01:35,908 I spent ten years in the Navy. 20 00:01:36,951 --> 00:01:39,286 Buoyancy compensator, regulator. 21 00:01:40,621 --> 00:01:41,914 It's just so we can breathe. 22 00:01:45,793 --> 00:01:47,294 When I got out, 23 00:01:47,378 --> 00:01:51,215 I got a call from some people that said, "Hey. Disney's looking for mechanics." 24 00:01:53,217 --> 00:01:55,136 That's the kind of stuff I was doing in the navy. 25 00:01:56,470 --> 00:01:58,139 I figured, "Why not? Let's give it a shot." 26 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:01,392 Came in, we had an interview. 27 00:02:01,475 --> 00:02:03,394 And they hired me on the spot. 28 00:02:03,477 --> 00:02:07,398 Got to go home and tell the wife, "Hey. I'm back at Disneyland again. 29 00:02:07,481 --> 00:02:08,899 I'm gonna be a mechanic this time." 30 00:02:09,191 --> 00:02:10,276 That was pretty thrilling. 31 00:02:11,610 --> 00:02:15,364 Behind me is Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage attraction. 32 00:02:15,448 --> 00:02:18,200 Part of our job here, obviously, is taking care of the submarines, 33 00:02:18,284 --> 00:02:22,204 'cause our submarines are actually from the original Submarine Voyage attractions. 34 00:02:23,247 --> 00:02:25,124 Our girls are 60 years old. 35 00:02:25,207 --> 00:02:27,543 Bit more of a challenge for working down there 36 00:02:27,626 --> 00:02:30,296 than one of the attractions that's dry. 37 00:02:39,346 --> 00:02:41,390 All ready to go? Let's go make some magic. 38 00:02:46,479 --> 00:02:47,646 So, it's 1:30 in the morning, 39 00:02:47,730 --> 00:02:50,900 and we're in front of the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. 40 00:02:50,983 --> 00:02:52,151 Everybody's gone home. 41 00:02:52,234 --> 00:02:54,528 We're getting ready to hop in and start doing our inspections. 42 00:02:54,612 --> 00:02:55,613 Check out everything. 43 00:02:55,696 --> 00:02:57,698 Make sure the attraction's ready again for tomorrow. 44 00:02:58,407 --> 00:02:59,408 Time to get wet. 45 00:03:05,498 --> 00:03:07,583 The two divers that are in the water, 46 00:03:07,666 --> 00:03:11,087 they're backed up by a standby diver who's ready to get in the water 47 00:03:11,170 --> 00:03:14,256 if something goes wrong or we need extra hands. 48 00:03:14,340 --> 00:03:18,552 And then the dive person in charge, who oversees the entire dive, 49 00:03:18,636 --> 00:03:22,139 backs us up with any equipment or extra support that we might need 50 00:03:22,223 --> 00:03:23,224 while we're in the water. 51 00:03:27,853 --> 00:03:29,563 Our diving all takes place 52 00:03:30,481 --> 00:03:32,858 once the sun goes down and the guests have all gone home. 53 00:03:32,942 --> 00:03:36,779 It's all Tinker Bell. It's all magic and we don't exist. 54 00:03:36,862 --> 00:03:38,572 And that's kinda the way it's supposed to be. 55 00:03:53,212 --> 00:03:57,717 A Jungle Cruise attraction is 180 degrees from Nemo. 56 00:04:03,431 --> 00:04:05,933 It's all surface craft. The water's a lot darker. 57 00:04:06,016 --> 00:04:08,602 You can't see what's going on when you're down there. 58 00:04:10,771 --> 00:04:14,025 It's a nightly thing to make sure all the figures are going 59 00:04:14,108 --> 00:04:16,861 and a lot of the water elements and things like that. 60 00:04:16,944 --> 00:04:19,530 So much goes into that 'cause it is up on the surface. 61 00:04:19,613 --> 00:04:22,825 But it does take more planning because of a complete lack of visibility. 62 00:04:32,710 --> 00:04:35,671 Jacques Cousteau was my favorite show when I was a kid. 63 00:04:35,755 --> 00:04:37,506 I always wanted to be a diver. 64 00:04:38,507 --> 00:04:43,012 I never imagined that I would be a diver at Disneyland. 65 00:04:44,013 --> 00:04:47,183 It's a neat job. Anybody you tell any bit about, they say, "You work at Disneyland?" 66 00:04:47,266 --> 00:04:49,101 They say, "What do you do?" "I'm a scuba diver." 67 00:04:50,644 --> 00:04:51,645 What? 68 00:04:52,938 --> 00:04:55,816 I love what I'm doing right now. I'll stay here forever.