Working for The Mouse

See Ya Real Soon!

2011-08-12T00:02:00.000-07:00

My summer program is officially over. Wednesday was my last night of work (and for many other people as well) Tonight we all went out to Ale House to hang out and have a good time. There are so many people leaving. I am going seasonal, so I know I will be seeing many again but there are a few that I probably will not.

After I got home tonight I read all the pages that everyone had signed in my autograph book, and cried, everyone had said such wonderful things to me, I am glad I had made an impact on them. I was only here for such a short time this summer, yet I feel like I have made friends to last a lifetime.

My one roommate Christine has already left early because of some health issues, So it has just been Katelyn and Kristyn and I. It is so strange to think that 3 months ago I had never met them in person, and had just decided that I would be their 4th roommate. Now I cannot imagine my life without them. They have extended their programs and will be staying until January now. I was offered an extension but I decided I needed to return to school this semester.

I have been moved to Seasonal status, so I will be returning again to work a few weeks this year. I am sad that this chapter of my Disney journey is over, but I know that it has opened the door for me and has really given me a chance to re-evaluate what I want to do with my life. Pursuing a career with the Walt Disney Company is my Dream, and after all this is "Where Dreams Come True"

Deployment - Round Two

2011-07-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

So I was deployed again last week, and this time I actually enjoyed it. This time I was sent to Hollywood Studios to work at Rock around the Shop (the gift store for Rockin Roller Coaster, Starring Areosmith) and Tower Gifts (the gift store for The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror)

Let's look at the costumes shall we?

This is the one for Rockin Rollercoaster

And this is the one for Tower of Terror

I think I liked working at these locations because they were a lot of fun. Rockin Rollercoaster had Aerosmith playing in the shop, granted the same 5 songs on repeat, but still much better than the music at my location. I even found myself singing along "And I don't wanna miss a thinggg" but hey I wasn't the only one singing! What I enjoyed most about these locations was working at the photo counter where you could purchase your ride photo. It was fun to do those and I saw some really hilarious pictures from Tower of Terror!

The themeing at Tower of Terror is incredible! When you get off the ride the photo area looks like it could be a front desk and then there are several door that say they go to "The Sunset Room" but really it is just our stock room.

Also the breakroom is inside the tower upstairs. It's decorated pretty cool and the walls actually vibrate from the attraction going up and down the elevator shafts.

Probably one of the coolest things was the night my friend and I were assigned to take out the garbage and cardboard. It was a long walk to where the dumpsters were so we were unhappy about it. So we are walking back there and we could see the fireworks from Fantasmic! I wish I could have gotten a Fantasmic shift while I was there (since other deployed people from my location got one) But I was happy working where I was.

I guess deployment really depends on the location you get, because I really enjoyed these two locations and I would love to work there again sometime.

Deployment

2011-07-06T23:33:00.000-07:00

Lets talk about being deployed. Being deployed means you are scheduled to work in a location other than your normal location. There are 2 reasons why you could be deployed.

1. The location you are being deployed to is short on people. This most often occurs during special events like Star Wars Weekends, Food and Wine and Flower and Garden.

2. Your location does not have hours to give you because they are over staffed. For College Program we are guaranteed to be scheduled 30 hours minimum, so if your location cannot give you those 30 hours you are deployed somewhere else.

Last week I was deployed to Tren-D a SMALL clothing store at Downtown Disney. I was deployed for the second reason, which is worse in my opinion because that location didn't really need me either.

I did not like being Deployed, one reason was since they didn't need me I kept getting assigned tasks like "Stock and organize shoes" or "Restock register supplies". I did this almost for every shift. Only once during the week did I get to be on register, so I was really bored. Also I didn't know where anything was in the store so I was always confused!

I did get to wear a sort of cute costume though, and here it is

I was very happy to be back at Mouse Gear this week though, and I hope I don't have to be deployed again!

Behind the scenes tour of The Haunted Mansion

2011-06-28T11:54:00.000-07:00

From time to time they offer a behind the scenes tour of the Haunted Mansion to Cast Members. Space is very limited as they only take about 10 to 15 people on the tour. I wanted to do the tour on my last program but I never got the chance. Well this time I did. We weren't allowed to take pictures on the tour, so I don't have any to share.

The tour is at 7am while the park is empty of guests, and it was a walking tour of the attraction. We got to walk through the entire ride with the lights on and really look at all the details. There are so many things that you never even notice because of how dark it is and because the cars are moving. But if the ride needs to be evacuated then the lights come on and guests would be able to see everything, so it needs to be complete.

So we walked through and our guide showed us how the effects worked and shared some interesting facts. For example in the room where they have all the staircases only 1 staircase is real on each side, and all the rest are just from a mirror behind it. And they can change the size of the footprints that appear on the staircases, so one day they might be really big and the next really small.

We also got to go into the Ballroom, the scene with all the ghosts is really just one big special effect. If you have been on the ride you know you are looking down into the ballroom from above. Well the audio animatronic figures are actually located in the space below and above the track, and large pieces of glass separate the ballroom and the figures. What you are seeing is the reflection of the figures on the glass. Many of the figures are also in the Pirates of the Carribean ride and if you look closely you will see that the ghost in the rocking chair is the grandma from the Carousel of Progress. It was really cool to go into the actual ballroom and walk around inside.

The graveyard scene was also neat to walk through, we got to pet that little dog (whose name is Bones) and he even has a little dog treat in front of him. Finally the Hitchhiking Ghosts have the names of Gus, Ezra and Phineas. They originally were named The Prisoner, The Hitchhiker and The Traveler, but the CM's here at WDW came up with the other names. Guests would go to Disneyland and tell the CM's there that these where their names. Finally Walt Disney Imagineering came to WDW and asked about the names, and then changed the names offically. Now in all the Disney parks throughout the world they are known by the names that the FL CM's came up with.

Finally we went into one of the two stretching rooms to view that part of the ride. If you stay long enough after everyone leaves the Gargoyles in the room talk to you and giggle to eachother. Then the guide instructed us to lay on the floor and look up at the ceiling, so we did and she reset the room and made the ceiling come down. It was really strange to see the ceiling coming down at you.

It was a really cool tour and I was so glad I got to do it this time. I really learned a lot but there is only so much I can post on here because it is considered a "trade secret" or information that I'm not supposed to share. I'm hoping to take another backstage tour before I leave, but we will have to see.

Working and more working!

2011-06-07T23:42:00.000-07:00

Since I've been finished with training I have been working a crazy amount of hours. Like 11 hour shifts and 6 days a week! One of the leaders told me it is because we are in between College Program groups and people are leaving before new people are coming in. So hopefully once we get some more CP's I won't have to work 53 hour work weeks!

I work almost every night until 12am or 2am on Tuesdays for Extra Magic Hours. Now I know what you are thinking "But doesn't Epcot close at 9?" and yes you would be correct. This is how a typical night goes. At 9pm the fireworks start and they finish by 9:20. As everyone rushes out of the park they stroll right past our store and think "Oh hey, I wanted to buy an Epcot shirt!" or "Aww crap I forgot to buy something for so and so" Which is why we stay open. Guests shop in the store until around 10:30-10:45pm, and we begin to close the registers at that time, so by the time 10:30 rolls around there is only one person on register. Everyone else has a closing assignment.

Closing Assignments vary and of course some are better than others. Jewelry, no thanks, all those earring and necklaces and charms to organize. Souvenirs is another one you don't want to get stuck with because its all key chains, magnets, postcards, basically small things that people don't put back where they belong. Any of the softlines (clothing) isn't too bad. Toys is ok too. Consumables can be a pain in the butt because you have to clean up a lot of stuff. Home Dec is my favorite because the stock room is right through a door in the area, the other stock is backstage or downstairs and sometimes you have to go to multiple places to find what you need. Home Dec is pretty easy, you just refill the displays and organize things.

Closing assignments take until ten of 12 or 2 and then we have a meeting where we talk about our sales for the day, share guest stories and have other announcements. Then it is time to clock out!!

I'm pretty much always on register, which I don't mind, It really makes the shifts go by faster, but I could also be scheduled as floorstock sometime.

Our location is getting new costumes starting June 12th. So tomorrow I have to go to Costuming to get fitted for my new one. I'm sort of annoyed because everyone got to go while they are at work, but since costuming closes at 6pm I have to go before my shift starts.

Earning My Ears!

2011-05-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

So now that I have finished training and have my first week of work out of the way I figured it was time for an update.

For Training at Mouse Gear on Day 1 I got my costume, which isn't really that bad, that took a long time because the sizes on the clothes aren't the same as regualr clothing. But after trying on several sizes and lengths of pants I found some that sort of fit alright. Then the trainer showed me how to walk to our location and also explained how the Cast Bus works. At Epcot there are 2 buses, East and West. East goes to the front gate and the access to the tunnel, West goes all around the World Showcase. The tunnels at Epcot are not really like the ones at Magic Kingdom. It doesn't go all around the park it is pretty much a straight line under Future World. In the Tunnels is where my locker and breakroom is.

Mouse Gear is actually 3 floors. There is the tunnel level which is where most of our stock is kept and then the 2nd floor has a small stock room and the sales floor area. The 3rd floor is where the manager's office and the Money Room is. It is the 3rd largest store in WDW, and it can get pretty crazy in there.

The next training day was called "Discovery Day" and that was where we walked around the park and they showed us where things were. We also watched a video about how Walt's original plans for FL and Epcot were greatly different from how they are today. We did get to go on Spaceship Earth, and we rode on one of those boats around the World Showcase Lagoon and they talked about each of the pavilions.

The next training day I had to Re-take Merchantainment, which is Disney Speak for learning how to run the register. I was pretty bored since I had already done this class once and hadn't forgotten the information.

Day 3 of Training was where I actually got to use the register and do transactions. Pretty Easy. On Day 4 we learned how to do the Embroidery on the Mickey Ears hats. I actually liked doing it, and it was pretty easy. Then we took our assessment I got a 98 on the Hat Stitching and a 100 on the Merchandise test! The trainer said not very many people get 100 on it!

I had a day off and then I had to work 11 hour shifts on Friday Saturday and Sunday. Probably because it is Memorial Day weekend. I really don't like those really long shifts, since the store is pretty busy the day goes by fast, but by the end of the 3rd day I was really feeling run down. I'm scheduled mostly nights for the next two weeks with shifts ending at midnight or 2 am.

Arrival Day, Casting, Traditions

2011-05-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

So now that I finally have internet access I can update. Arrival day went really smoothley on Monday. I met up with Christine, Katelyn and Kristyn at Waffle House at 7:30am to eat breakfast. I didn't want to really eat that much because I was nervous and didn't want to feel sick. I really wish I had eaten more though because later on I was starving.

So we checked in and got in line together since we wanted to live together. I took everyone's program guides and waited in line to see about our apartment while they waited off to the side. So I told the lady we wanted a 2 bedroom at Vista, and she said she didn't have any!! I asked her if there were any 2 bedrooms at the other complexes and she said she was looking. Then she said there was a 2 bedroom at Vista but it was a Non-Wellness (Meaning you can drink Alcohol in the apartment.) We needed Wellness because Kristyn is not 21 until June. She said she could switch it for me! So we got our 2 bedroom! The Apartment is really nice, I will post pictures of it later once we get everything put away.

Then we went to casting to fill out paperwork, be fingerprinted for the background check, get our payroll card and go over the Disney Look. I was sort of nervous that my hair would not be Disney Look. I have highlights but they lighter than they should be. I figured at Casting they would really scrutinize you more than at your location so I pulled my hair back and hoped they wouldn't notice. I was also worried that my fingernails were too long, but when we went in they barely even looked at us, and didn't ask to look at our nails. I guess they figured since we are alumni that we already know the drill.

On Tuesday we didn't have anything to do Katelyn and Kristyn and I went shopping at Target and Walmart. The car had so much stuff in it there was barely any room for Katelyn in the back seat. We ended up going back again because of all the stuff we forgot.

Yesterday, Christine and I were supposed to go to Traditions. Katelyn and Kristyn are Campus Reps and still actively employed by the company so they didn't need to go, so they got to go pick up their ID's and go play in the parks. So about an hour before we are going to leave Casting calls Christine and says that her background check didn't come back yet. She doesn't have anything against her but it is just taking forever. I heard that it happened to a few other people too. So I went to Traditions alone, and it was pretty much the same as it has always been. We were all alumni except for one girl! The people teaching Traditions kept really playing everything up for her.

Later on in the night we decided to go out to Buffalo Wild Wings, while we were leaving the complex we met the guys who just moved in for Fall Advantage directly below us. They were going to Buffalo Wild Wings too, and on the bus ride we met some guys who were going there too. We even sang Spice Girls for Karaoke and finished off the night with some Steak n Shake.

Tomorrow is my first day of Training at Epcot, which I think is weird because I don't have the park orientation until Sat?

I'm home

2011-05-14T17:03:00.001-07:00

This song by Diddy - Dirty Money "Coming Home" really fits how I feel about returning to Disney.

"I’m coming home
I’m coming home
Tell the World I’m coming home
Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday
I know my kingdom awaits and they’ve forgiven my mistakes
I’m coming home, I’m coming home
Tell the World that I’m coming home"

This place was my home for 7 months and the experience had completely changed my life. When I went home I went through some really tough times, and this summer is a chance to start again. My Kingdom (The Magic Kingdom that is) has given me a chance to experience all of this again. I will leave this summer with no regrets.

I was nervous whether I was making the right choice to return, but as soon as I drove over the FL state line I knew that I made the right decision. This summer will hopefully be better than the last. I can't wait for this journey to begin again.

Time to leave!

2011-05-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

It seems like it has been an eternity since I interviewed and accepted my offer, and tomorrow is the day I leave! I have everything all packed up in my car and I am ready to leave at around 5am tomorrow morning. I'm driving to my Nana's house in South Carolina and staying there until Saturday morning, then I will be driving to Florida and meeting up with my former roommate Layna. She still lives in Orlando so I will be crashing at her place and hanging out until my check in on Monday morning.

Someone had looked me up on the HUB and told me that I was going to be at World of Disney (the huge store at Downtown Disney) I was pretty excited since my roommate this time around, Katelyn, worked there and she told me all about it. But later on someone called me to talk to me about my medical accommodations and told me that I was going to be at MouseGears at Epcot.

I'm actually more excited for this location! It is the parks biggest store so it will be very busy, which will make shifts go by quickly. It is indoors, so I won't be out in the heat and the very best part is......CUTE FOREIGN BOYS! Epcot is where most of the international program kids work so "Hello, boys from around the world!"

Also I worked at a resort last time so it should be fun to work at one of the parks. Also if I remember correctly the costume isn't that bad either. I'm hoping to wear sneakers since last time I had to wear dress shoes, and my feet hurt from wearing flats everyday.

And now to finish off with a quote from one of my favorite Disney attractions, "The Carosaul of Progress" - 'There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day! There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, and tomorrow is just a dream away!"

Less than 2 months

2011-03-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

In less than two months I will be back at Disney! I am excited and overwhelmed at the same time. I have been trying to find someone to sublet my apartment for the summer so I don't have to pay rent, but so far no luck. I might end up paying rent here as well.

I will be finished with finals on May 5th and then will be moving everything out of my apartment (since I'm living somewhere else next year) by May 8th. I need to work on May 9th and maybe the 10th.

I plan to leave on the 11th and drive to my Nana's house in South Carolina, Stay with her until the 14th and then drive the rest of the way to FL.

I have made plans to live with some pretty awesome girls. Katelyn, Kristyn and Christine. By the end of June we will all be 21, and we are all looking to just have an awesome summer. Christine was one of my roommates on my first program, but she ended up moving out because of issues in our apartment. But she is giving me a second chance (Not that I really caused the problems to begin with).

Anyways. I plan on making a list of things I want to do while I'm at Disney this time. One will be Drinking around the world at Epcot (Not all at once) and I want to go to Harry Potter World at Universal.

I'm going to Disney World! (Again)

2011-02-28T18:59:00.001-08:00

After careful deliberation, I have accepted my offer for the 2011 Summer Alumni Program.

I'm very excited to go back as I truly loved my CP program in Spring 2010. I really hope this summer program is as much fun and that I get to meet even more awesome people.

One of the best parts is I can see some of my old friends! My former roommate Nicole will be doing Fall Advantage 2011 and she will be starting in May as well. And two of my other former roommates Layna and Amy live in FL, so I expect to see them as well!

All I know is this summer is going to be a blast!

Accepted!

2011-02-18T18:52:00.001-08:00

I've been Accepted for the Summer Alumni Program for Merchandise! I thought I would be really excited because I really want to go back, but now I'm not really sure if I want to. I have a lot to think about when it comes to deciding if I want to go or not.

Cons:
I have a lease here (I could try to sublet)
I would make more an hour at home
I wouldn't have to buy groceries if I was at my parents
Experience might not be the same, I'm in a different line of business this time

Pros:
I loved my CP. I love Disney!
Even though I would make less per hour, there is more opportunity to work more hours and even overtime!
Living in beautiful Fl
Having free entry to Disney World!

I'm just not sure what to do. I have until March 3rd to make my decision.

New Beginnings!

2011-01-28T10:14:00.000-08:00

My College Program has been long over, and I have returned to school. I miss so much about working for Disney. I think the best part of working there was making the magic for the guests. Lot's of people have asked me about the program and every time I find myself talking about giving out "first visit" buttons or making "pop buckets" for guests.

I'd like to do the Fall Program but I would need to wait until after I graduate, because I can't fit it in again with my major. So this I have applied to the Summer Alumni Program for this Summer!!

I had my phone interview last Sunday. You have to go through all the steps for Summer Alumni as the regular program. I viewed the E-Presentation and did the web interview. During the phone interview the interviewer was like "Oh you are a former Cast Member?" and then she asked what I liked about the program and why I wanted to come back.

There are only certain roles available for the alumni program. Merchandise, Attractions, Custodial, Housekeeping and Quick Service Food and Beverage. I only applied for Merchandise and Attractions. I should know within 3 to 4 weeks if I have been offered a spot. Until then, fingers crossed!

Behind the Scenes Tour of Test Track

2010-08-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

So Sometimes you can sign up to take Behind the scenes tours of attractions. This time it was set up as a group outing for my work location. We went to Test track to see all the behind the scenes stuff. They showed us each of the positions they worked and we got to go into the tower where all the controls are. In the Tower they have a video camera on each part of the ride. Then they took us out on the track to the part where you go through the tunnel and the Truck blares its horn. It was fun to watch people's reactions as they went by.

While we were there the ride went down, and they had to evacuate people off of it. They explained how the ride works too. The entire ride is electrical, so if something doesn't circuit right or if a piece of the track somehow gets electronically disconnect the ride will stop. The stop is not a gradual one either. If there is a power failure it will be an immediate stop, whether you are going 5 mph or are outside going 60!

They also took us up to the GM employee lounge. Once upon a time this was used for GM Employees, they could come up to the lounge with their families and get some free soda and enjoy the view. But because of budget reasons it is only used as convention/conference space.

This is the view of Spaceship Earth from inside the lounge. Think of the building for Test Track, you know the big shiny glass part on top? Thats where the lounge is.

This is a view of the ride from inside the lounge. Believe it or not you are looking at 90% of the ride here.

And this was inside the elevator to go up to the lounge. Take a look at the buttons.

Only 4 left out of the Orignal 8

2010-06-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

So I am in an 4 bedroom/8 person apartment, and we now only have 6 people and only 4 of us are the orignal roommates.

Earlier in the program 2 of our roommates decided to move out of the apartment because of personal differences with the rest of us. I wish we could have worked things out, but we just didn't get the chance. So we got 2 new roommates. Their names are Caitlin and Anne Bailey. They were a Vista but wanted to move over here to Chatham. So there were 8 of us for a while until last week =(

My one roommate, Lene, got terminated from the program because of attendance. She had missed too many days of work, when you are terminated they take your company ID and escort you off the property, they didn't even let her go to her locker, another employee had to retrieve her stuff for her. She had until 11 am the next day to be out of the apartment. Lucky for her, she is only from Tampa so its not like she had to make travel arrangements and stuff like that. I felt kind of sad. She was like a best friend and I wish she would have been able to stay

The other roomie, Brittany, was going home to Michigan to visit her family, while she was there she found out she had mono. She got a medical release from the program and will not be returning. Housing came over with some boxes so we could box up her stuff and they will store it until her parents come to get it and her car.

New Classes

2010-06-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

So since my program is until Aug I had the chance to take some more classes. I signed up for Creativity and Innovation. It is all about how to really be more creative. Everyone has some creativity you just have to figure out how to access it.

The class is really fun. We have to have an "idea journal" which is like a notebook that you can put whatever you want in. Quotes, pictures, drawings, new ideas whatever you want really. There is usually an assignment due but it is simple. I really like the teacher, she is really funny and there are lots of fun things we do in class. One day she gave us a bunch of pieces from different games and we spent an hour trying to figure out a new game we could play with them.

Last week we went to the Florida Mall to look around at displays and then ask the employees if they got to make them themselves. Most of the stores told us No that they get instructions on how to do it, but we went to this one really cool soap store called "Lush" and they can pretty much do what they want.

Disney Exploration Series Class

2010-04-28T19:07:00.001-07:00

So I have been taking an Exploration Series class on Guest service. Each week a different line of business comes and presents information to the class. One week people from Guest Relations came. Another week we had some people from Merchandise. The two most interesting ones were Food and Beverage and Room Operations.

When Food and Beverage came we talked about how they decide what options and products they offer, and how they decide what to charge for each item. We broke up into teams and were given a bunch of ingredients on a tray. We had to make something and figure out what it would cost for that item then charge 25% based on the cost. Then we presented our product. One groups ended up costing $25!

Yesterday we did Room Operations and we had class at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We got to take a tour of one of the deluxe villas! It was huge. There are 75 people in the class and we all fit in there with plenty of room to spare.

This is the living room/dining area

This is the kitchen

This is the pool table

This is one of the bedrooms

This is the master bedroom

This is the master bathroom

And the TV in the master bathroom

Here is the view from the balcony (Which there are 3 of)

Pop Buckets!

2010-04-06T18:35:00.001-07:00

So at Pop Century we sometimes give Pop Buckets to guests who need a little extra "Magic". Sometimes it is for a special occasion like once we made one for a couple who were getting married the next day. Sometimes guests come to check in and they have just had really bad luck, they lost their luggage, the car broke down, etc and their vacation just isn't getting off on the right foot.

So when you want to do a Pop Bucket for a guest you just need to ask a manager if you can get one. So yesterday I was checking in a guest who were part of magical gathering. She wanted to check in all 3 rooms even though the other 2 parties weren't there. She was sort of mad when I explained that I could not check in the other rooms, even though she had paid for them.

As we went through the check in process she asked about services for guests with disabilites. She explained that her mother, who was traveling with them is terminal with cancer. It was her last wish to come to Disney with her family. They had to rent an RV to bring her to WDW because she couldn't fly. I gave them some guide maps for guests with disabilites and explained how guest relations at the parks would be able to assist further. After they left I went in the back and asked if I could make Pop Buckets for the 3 rooms.

Here they are!

They have a bunch of different things you can put in them, whatever you want but it usually depends if the family has girls or boys. We have hot wheels, pez dispensers, ring pops, crayons, key chains, playing cards. I also added buttons to each that say "Honorary Citizen of Walt Disney World"

I also sent a character card, that was personally signed by Mickey and Minnie, to the grandmother, that said "Have a magical stay" The runner delivered them to the rooms, so the when the guests returned to the room, they had a surprise waiting for them.

It's really exciting when you get to do something like this, even though the guests will never know it was me who did this for them, it feels good to know I made their vacation a little more magical.

Runner Training

2010-04-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

So I was trained on Runner a few days ago. For Front desk runner you basically get to do a few different things.

The 6 am runner is responsible for delivering some of the Disney's Magical Express envelopes and the Express Check Out envelopes. Then you get a list of rooms to check to make sure they are clean and vacant. Afterwards you spend most of the day sorting and delivering character cards for guests. Every so often the back office will need you to go up to a room because the guest got locked out, or their key won't work.

The 9am runner is responsible for packages. Each piece of guest mail that comes in needs to be logged and comments need to be left on the guest's reservation or a voicemail message needs to be left on their room phone. This takes all day. It doesn't sound like it would be to difficult, but there is a lot of work involved in keeping the package log updated. Then there are floral deliveries, from the WDW Florist. They are usually pretty nice baskets, but are way overpriced. Those have to be logged and then someone has to deliver them to the room. The 9am runner doesn't get to go outside very much.

The 12:30 runner delivers the rest of the character cards/floral deliveries, and checks more rooms to make sure they are clean. Sometimes guests get to their rooms and decide they want a room change, but they have sat on the bed and used the towels and soap, so that room is now dirty.

The 4pm Runner does more things like key assists, or key deliveries, makes character cards, and stuffs the DME envelopes for the next day. If it is busy you do a lot of running around because you are the only one there from 9pm to 12:30am

You get to ride around on a Segway (once you are trained) or drive a Pargo (Which is a golf cart) I like taking the Pargo, but you kind of have to go out of the way because you can only drive it on certain paths. Sometimes you have to run from one end of property to another. Like when I was training we had to take the van over to Magic Kingdom to pick up something for a guest. That was sort of cool. We also went to some office buildings at Hollywood Studios to pick up the hotel's fastpasses for the month.

Here is my costume.

It is a short sleeved shirt, and either pants or shorts. I went for the shorts because I am always hot. The best part is that you get to wear sneakers! They have to be black, but it is so nice to wear them after wearing dress shoes everyday.

On a side note, yesterday was Easter and I made Easter Baskets for my roomies!

Inspections!

2010-04-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

So last week was our housing inspection. We've already had one and passed and none of my roommates didn't seem to care as much this time around. The other problem was it was spring break time and everyone was working 60+ hours. Now we needed to vacuum like everywhere, but you need to rent the vacuum from the front desk. This is the stupidest thing ever! The front desk is only open from 9-5. Almost everyone works during this time. Plus you need to pay $1 to rent it. So it's sunday night and I get back from work at 2:30pm and decide to rent the vacuum. I was the only one home so I vacuumed everywhere. Cleaned up the kitchen, ran the dishwasher, I emptied the garbages but ended up putting all the bags next to the front door because it was pouring. So the apt. was clean but it was getting close to 5 so I had to return the vacuum since they kept my housing ID. It was pouring still! I waited for as long as I could before deciding to put the vacuum in my car and drive to the front desk.

So Monday I come home from work and the inspection form is on the table. Everything is checked as passed, and on the very bottom is a note written "Please Vacuum Carpets". I was so mad, its like they were giving us anything wrong so we couldn't get the white glove award! Plus there is all this paint and stains on the carpet from when before we moved in. =( I guess we will never win the white glove award. But they did leave us some cookies for passing the inspection.

Great Service Fanatic Card

2010-03-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

At work they give out these cards called "Great Service Fanatic Cards" You get one for basically just doing your job, or modeling one of the Disney Service Basics. This is what it looks like

There are two copies. One you get to keep and the other you put in a box at your location. Then I guess the do like a drawing so you can win a prize.

So there I was just doing my job, checking people in when all the sudden my manager came over and handed me the card and told me that one of the guests I had checked in had told her that it was one of the best check ins they've ever had! I was so excited to finally get one of these because some of my roommates had already gotten one.

I've been really busy, but I didn't really have much to post about. Last week was spring break and now this next week is Easter so it is getting pretty busy. Plus I went home for the weekend last week because my boyfriend was leaving for Air Force BMT. I miss not being able to talk to him, but it helps being here on the CP because I can stay busy.

Finally Done With Training!

2010-03-01T14:26:00.000-08:00

Finally after 6 days of training at Pop Century, I have "Earned my Ears"! Which pretty much only means that I get to take the little red ribbon off my name tag and that I am now expected to know everything about everything!

I really like working at front desk. I think the management team at Pop is great as well. I need to brush up on my Spanish speaking skills because a lot of people speak very little English. For check ins I can give the basic questions, explain that the Key cards are the room key and the park tickets. Give basic directions to the building they are in. And even very basically explain the dining plan! (Which is really a lot of information if you think about it) The only problem is that if the guest starts to ask some follow up questions I get confused and then I need to call the Spanish Operator on the phone for assistance. I think as time goes on I will be able to do my basic spiel in Spanish as well as I can in English.

I have today, Tuesday and Wednesday off. Today I had my Human Resource Management Class and tomorrow is my first day of Exploring Guest Service class. Wednesday I don't have any classes but they gave me off anyway. I'm working Thurs, Fri and Sat the rest of the week and my shifts are all in the afternoon/evening! No more early morning shifts for me! Or at least for this week.

Next week BJ is coming to visit me for our anniversary and before he leaves for Basic Training. He is coming on Sunday and will stay until Thursday. We are staying at Pop Century so I asked one of the ladies in the back office if she could get us one of the new refurbished rooms! I am supposed to have those days off, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Costuming

2010-02-23T16:19:00.000-08:00

So I guess I will explain a little bit about Costuming here. So if you are in the college program, you are allowed to "check out" 5 sets of costumes. Some people might have more than one that they need to wear, like my roommate Amy has 2 different ones depending on which location she is assigned to. You also can get rain gear, which is very important, a heavy jacket and a lighter jacket/sweater.

How it works is you go to your costuming location, depending on where you work, and find the pieces that you need. It is basically a big warehouse with all the costumes for that location. The sizes are VERY different, so you should expect to get a costume at least 2 sizes bigger than street clothes. After you try on like 4 different sizes and find out which is right, you go and find a few of each in that size. It's just like a store, so you don't take the one that doesn't zipper or has a missing button.

Now there are two different ways that the costumes are checked out, because they are updating to a new system. With the old way the costume person scans your ID and then scans a barcode on each item. Even things like belts and hats have a barcode. With the new system the costume person scans your ID and there is a sensor bar attached to each item, you just need to place it on the counter and the sensor picks up each item. It is a lot quicker.

So after you wear it a few times you can either wash it yourself, or return it to costuming and they will wash it. When you return it you need to scan in each item you are returning, or with the new system the return chute just picks up the sensor and checks it in.

You can also order another name tag at costuming if you lose yours, or maybe you want an extra to keep on your jacket, so you don't need to switch it all the time.

The important thing to remember is to label your sweater/jacket. Everyone has the same costume at your location and they can become mixed up very easily. I just put a little piece of tape on my sweater with my name on it.

First Impressions Day 3 and 4 and First day at POP!

2010-02-22T16:35:00.000-08:00

So on Friday and Saturday I had my final two days of training at Disney university. On day 3 we did more practice check ins and learned how to do other procedures like cashing a personal check, changing rooms, exchanging foreign currency, etc.

On Saturday we practiced more in the lab and then learned how to do checkouts. The cafeteria was closed at Disney University because it was Sat, so we went over to the Magic Kingdom to eat. I had packed my lunch and I wanted a Dole Whip, so I headed up to adventureland and bought myself one!

On Sunday I had my first on the job training at Pop Century. I had to be there at 5:45am! Thank goodness I had my own car or else I would have to call and arrange for the bus to pick me up, because they don't even run that early. I met my trainer who's name is Catherine. She will train me for 4 days and then I will have someone else. We did some checkouts first thing in the morning. Later I got to do check ins by myself with just her watching in the background. She showed me where they keep everything in the front office and how to get my drawer at the beginning of my shift. She said I did really well and she didn't really need to go over too many things with me.

They give us 2 of the refillable mugs to use in the back, so we don't waste paper cups. They also have free coffee, tea and hot cocoa for us when we are on break. Everyone seems really nice and I am excited to work there!

I have off for Monday and Tuesday, so this morning I went to my Human Resource Management class. Tonight my roommates are having a karaoke/guitar hero party. Tomorrow most of my roommates and I have off so we are going to try to go to Typhoon Lagoon. The weather is supposed to be in the upper 70's so I am hoping it will be warm enough.

First Impressions Day 1 and 2

2010-02-18T17:17:00.000-08:00

So on Wednesday and Today I had my First Impressions Class at the Disney University. On day 1 we went over guest service and the Disney Basics! I'm not sure they could think of one more place to stuff the Basics down your throat! After the Basics we talked about more guest service and watched a video starring that guy who is the sun in the Jimmy Dean commercials. It had its funny/cheesy moments. In the afternoon we learned how to sign on to the computer screens. There are two different places you have to log in for front desk. The first is called Green Screen and it is a very old computer program where you can't use the mouse and have to type everything. The other program that you actually use to check guests in is called DPMS and this one is newer and easier to use. And you can use the mouse! We went over all the steps you need to do to check in a guest. Then we did some practice check ins. After that we learned to sign out.

On day two we practiced taking payments with different types of payment, like cash, travelers checks, credit cards, and personal checks (which no one ever uses). Next we practiced checking in guest who wanted to do all kinds of different things. Then we got to go into the Front Desk lab, which is a room set up just like the front desk of the hotel. We got to take turns being the guest and being the front desk person. After that we went over how to balance out our drawer at the end of the shift. We also did some more Elearning on the computer.

I have 2 more days of First Impressions Training, and then on Sunday I start on the job training at my resort.

Pop Into the Islands Tour

2010-02-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

Today was my "Pop Into the Island" tour at Pop Century. I had to go to the cast service building which is shared between Pop Century and Caribbean Beach. There were 7 people in the tour group but only 3 were going to Pop. First they took our picture and had us fill out a little information card. (Later they hung up this picture and info card on a welcome board in our location.)So we watched a power point about each of the resorts and then we headed out on a tour of our resort.

The trainer took me behind the front desk and showed me where everything was. I even got to meet one of the managers on duty. He seemed very nice and was up to date on everything that had happened with me and my being "miscast". I think I will really like working front desk a lot more than merchandise anyway. We continued the tour around the resort and since one of the people was for food and beverage we went back in the kitchens too. After the tour we went to lunch, and then did this "safety in motion" class. It was really really long and boring. Basically for an hour they talked about how to position yourself while lifting heavy items. I was very tired at this point and almost falling asleep.

When that was over we went to costuming. Now costuming at this building is not open on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, but we were told to ring the doorbell and tell them we are new cast members and need to get our costumes. So we ring the doorbell, and the costuming ladies let us in. But they don't know what we need, so they have to look it up. Finally I find what I need but the shirt doesn't fit right, well that is because I had the wrong shirt. I find the right shirt and get my costume. Here is what it looks like (not on me obviously, I borrowed these images from Disney)

I actually like this costume more than the other one I had at the Studios. First off the shirt does not need to be tucked in, and it doesn't button up the front, it sort of zippers, but therefore does not bunch up and gap. The skirt, is actually a skirt, not the weird shorts, and i purposely picked a longer one so I can try and get away with only wearing knee-highs instead of full stockings. There is a sort of ugly maroon sweater we can wear, but after a few weeks I won't need it anyway.

After the costuming we had to do some more ELearning. I had already done most of mine though because all the general ones I did while training for Merchandise. I was scheduled to stay until 5:30 But I was finished at 3:30. They gave us this cheesy certificate too.

The next few days will be First Impressions class at the Disney University, and then on the job training all next week. I was shocked when I looked at my schedule for Training! Everyday starts at 5:45 AM! I hope it is only because I am training, since it seems like everyone else on the college program works the Afternoon/Night shift.

Not working = No $$

2010-02-15T17:31:00.000-08:00

So I haven't worked since last Sunday. I was told that my managers would talk to housing about not taking the rent out of my check because I was not working, and it was Disney's fault.

So imagine my surprise today when there is a notice on my apartment door that says I owe them $114 for rent which had to be paid by Wed. So I call the number on the bottom of the paper. So they don't charge you rent the first week, instead they take double out of the next week. So I owed $84 for the first week and another $84 for the second week. I only worked one day last week, so I made a total of $58 and Price management took $53 of that for rent. Thus I owe them $114.

So being pretty mad and frustrated with Disney at this point I call them on the phone and try to explain what was going on. How I requested a medical accommodation weeks before I arrived, and had my restrictions approved on Jan 13th, yet when I arrived on Feb 1st management had no idea I needed accommodations. My managers then took me off the schedule and I haven't worked since the 7th. I told them that I was told that my managers would talk to housing about my situation so they would not take rent out of my check this week.

The person on the phone said she needed to talk to her supervisor who then needed to contact the Lady I had talked to at employee relations. About an hour later she called me back to say that Employee Relations had confirmed that I had done everything correctly, but that I had been miscast into the wrong role. They comped me the rent for last week since it was Disney's fault, so now I only owe them $30 for the first week still.

Tomorrow I start my training at Pop Century, doing the tour of the resort and getting my new costume. Then I have my First Impression class at the Disney University Wed through Sat. I'm glad to be working finally again, but not so happy about having to do all new training.

New Job

2010-02-13T15:05:00.001-08:00

So after sitting around in my apartment all week without working someone from employee relations called me to talk about my medical accommodations. She told me that they had approved the revisions and that they were trying to find a new role for me. She said that there was an opening for a front desk position, so we talked about the requirements for that.

Well today was Saturday and I hadn't heard anything so I tried to call someone who could tell me what was going on. I was kind of mad because I did everything I was supposed to do and Disney was the ones who messed up.

Today someone called me from the Training Team to tell me that my role has been changed from Merchandise to Front Desk/Cashier at Pop Century! So on Tuesday I have like an orientation at the resort and on Wed, Thurs, and Fri is my Lasting Impressions class at the Disney University.

I'm glad that they finally got everything straightened out but now I'm nervous that I won't get the days off I wanted for when BJ is coming to visit. I asked the person on the phone and they said to resubmit them and put a note on it that says you are resubmitting them because your work location changed.

Yesterday Amy, Elizabeth, Brittany, Ren, Nicole and I went to the Magic Kingdom at night. It had poured all day so the park was basically empty. Britt and Amy forgot their ID cards so they had to go back to the apartment. They were going to meet up with us but Brittany never found hers so they didn't. Elizabeth, Nicole, Ren and I went on all the rides in Fantasyland, the park was empty, we walked right on Dumbo. We rode Goofy's Barnstormer twice! and got to go in Mickey and Minnie's houses while they were completely empty, so we got to look at everything. On the way out we watched Spectromagic at 11 and then headed back to the apartment.

I don't know if people want to do stuff after they get back from work tonight. Since it is presidents day weekend the Magic Kingdom is open until midnight tonight.

Days off = bored

2010-02-12T10:06:00.000-08:00

So I haven't been working but my roommates have. The parks are only open until around 9pm right now so by the time they get home from work it is too late to go. My roommate Amy and I went to Downtown Disney a few times because we could get a 50% holiday discount until the 11th. So I bought everything I wanted while I could get half off instead of the regular 20%.

I spilled iced tea on my laptop and it died. I was really mad at myself. I took it to Best Buy were the guy told me it would cost $85 to send it out to have it looked at and for that type of damage it would cost over $300 fix. So it would have been $400 to fix a laptop that I paid $700 for. I decided to buy a new one, so I went to Staples and bought one for $730. It is a little bigger than my old one but it had the newer operating system.

I also started my class with the Disney University. I am taking Human Resource Management. It is once a week for 4 hours. So far it seems interesting and the instructor is very nice. In March I will also be taking a seminar series on Guest Service.

Last night Lene, Nicole, Christine and I went over to the Magic Kingdom, because it was the last day to get our discount. We went on Pirates and then on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Then we watched Wishes. We made our way up to Main Street were it was packed because people were trying to leave, but other people were sitting on the sidewalks to watch the nighttime parade! We went into the Ice cream shop and got ice cream with little chocolate circles stuck in the scoop to look like Mickey ears!

After that we went shopping and watched some of Spectromagic (the parade) Lene, Nicole, and I went to Downtown Disney and got something to eat at Earl of Sandwich!

Magic Kingdom is open until 11 tonight because it is Presidents day weekend, so when Amy and Elizabeth come back from work we might go over there and ride some rides.

Not working!

2010-02-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post a picture of the pin we got for completing Merchantainment.

I have been having a lot of trouble with the medical accommodations I need for work. I had submitted a packet that my doctor had filled out explaining what restrictions I needed. However my managers did not know anything about it. When I finally got a copy of the restrictions and talked to the manager I tried to explain that I don't need the accommodations all the time, but she said they need to follow exactly what is on the form. The one thing they were having an issue with is No walking/standing more than 40 mins per hour. Now I tried to explain that some days are better than others and that 40 mins is a worst case scenario, but again they need to follow what is on the paper. She suggested a 15 min break after 2 hours and I said that would be fine, but I had to talk to my Dr. and get him to send a revision.

So I haven't been to work since Sunday because they called me and told me they needed time to get everything straightened out. Okay....So then they called me and told me they were taking me off the schedule until the new restrictions were approved. They said that housing wouldn't take rent out of my paycheck for the week. But they already don't take it out the first week so by the time I get paid again I will owe 3 weeks!!

Merchantainment and Training Tier 2

2010-02-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I had my Merchantainment class. They taught us how to use the registers and talked about the different forms of payment, discounts etc. It was kind of boring since I already have retail experience. The hardest part is counting back the change. They want you to count up from the total, so if the total is $8.90 and they give you a $10 you start with 10 cents and then you are at $1, then you add another $1 so it is equal to 10. I think it is stupid that we can't just be like $1.10 is your change.

Sunday was when I had tier 2 training at the Studios, we did a lot of things in training mode and then took some customers, I also did some stocking and learned how to do package pickup, resort shipping, and damages.

Today Monday, I had my first class for Human Resource Management. I wanted to take a different course but it was all filled, so I have to wait until the summer session starts. After my class I went to Downtown Disney and to Target. Tomorrow I don't have to work so I don't know what I will do.

"On With the Show" and Merchandise Tier 1 Training

2010-02-05T18:44:00.000-08:00

On Thursday I had my theme park orientation, "On With The Show" at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It consisted of a tour around the park and backstage area, and then at the end we met one of the cordinator of training for our area, who took us to costuming to get our costumes. I found out there are 3 different costumes for my area, I only have the one right now so borrowed some images from the Disney site

This one is the one I wear if I work at the Main entrance cart or at Movieland, which is located on the left right before you enter the park, yes there are shorts and yes they are the same ugly teal color!

This one is for if I work at either of the carts in the center of the park near the Sorcerer Hat. There are shorts and they are black too.

This one is for Mickey's Of Hollywood, Sids, or Keystone, pretty much my main costume. The jacket is optional

Today, Friday was my Merchandise Tier 1 training. It was sooooo long. Seriously we could have went over everything in about 3 hours but instead they dragged it out to 8! I mostly did a lot of walking around with the trainer showing me different locations. I also had to take some training modules on the computer on Hazardous Materials (so boring) and Guests with disabilities. All day they repeat the Disney Basics over and over again. I also got a lanyard for pin trading! Many people asked to see my pins, but only 2 would trade with me. I have some pretty junky ones so when I work again on Sunday I am going to trade the junk ones for good ones that people want. I was so excited when I got to go home!

Traditions

2010-02-03T17:14:00.000-08:00

Today was Traditions. There were two separate sessions. Amy, Elizabeth, Nicole, and Ren had to be at the bus stop by 6:45am! Brittany, Christine, Lene, and I were at the second session so we had to be at the bus by 12:45 (much better lol.) So we got all dressed up in our professional clothes and went to the bus stop. There were so many other people there, We couldn't get on the first bus, luckliy there was a second one right behind it. We pulled up to the Disney University, which is located just past the Magic Kindgom.

Once inside we had to look at the back of our program guide to find our group number. Brittany had a different one so she went to a different group while Christine, Lene, and I got to stay together. We waited in line to get our company ID and then went into a room and chose a table to sit at. We talked about the Disney Company's expectations and standards, as well as guest services. We even played a game and answered questions to win prizes. I won a little pluto statue!

We then got to go over to the Magic Kingdom and walk backstage and through the Ultilidors under the park. We did an activity and then returned the the Disney University. The underground was cool, there were lots of people from all over the park , but it smelled like garbage.

Once back at the classroom there was a knock at the door. IT WAS MICKEY!!!! He had brought us a present! What was it? OUR NAMETAGS!!!!

After Traditions we went outside to board the bus. There were two there but they were filled. The bus driver said another one was supposed to come in a few minutes. We were stranded in the parking lot for like 15 mins before it finally came. The driver said he was only going to Chatham Square, but there were a few kids who needed to get back to Vista Way. He agreed to take them too. Once back at the apartment, Amy wanted us to come meet them at Epcot, but Christine and Lene needed to buy black shoes for tomorrow, so we decided not to meet them. Brittany and I stayed at the apartment.

Day 2

2010-02-03T16:56:00.000-08:00

I have seven Roommates and I live in a 4 bedroom apartment. Besides myself my roommate is Amy, she is from Fl and is working Merchandise at Epcot. Brittany is From Michigan and is working Quick Service food and Beverage at the Magic Kingdom. Christine is from Georgia and is working Merchandise at the Magic Kingdom. Ren is from Massachusetts and is a character performer. Nicole is from Florida and is also a character performer. Lene is from Florida and is working Merchandise at Toon Town at Magic Kingdom. Elizabeth is from California and is working attractions at Frontierland at Magic Kingdom.

Here are some photos of the apartment. I am not fully unpacked and organized as of yet. First is the living room/dining room area

Here is the kitchen

Here is my bed

Amy and I's closet

And the sink in our room

On Day 2 we didn't have anything offically scheduled, so I went to Wal-Mart in the morning, afterwards I went to an information session to sign up for some disney courses. I am taking Human Resource Management and a seminar on Guest Services. I really wanted to take the Seminar on Marketing, but it was all full. That night they had a welcome party for us at the tennis courts, it was football themed. There was free pizza and a DJ but the best part was this:

Check-In Day!

2010-02-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

Monday was check-in day! We left Pop Century and arrived at Vista Way at 8 am. BJ was separated from me while I waited in a long line to check in. First they gave me a program guide and I waited in a line to get my housing assignment. They asked me if I would rather live at Vista or Chatham, and I told them Chatham. I also asked to be on the 1st or 2nd floor, they said the only one open was a 4 bedroom, meaning I would have 7 roommates! I said it was okay and I moved through the line, signing the release form and getting my key, then I got my photo taken for my ID. It looks terrible. It is an extreme closeup and looks like a mugshot. I met up with some of my roommates after that while in line and we started talking. Then we got our time to go to casting. Then I went to my apartment and started to unload my car. But there was no time to unpack because I had to go to casting.

At casting I had to wait in another extremely long line. At the end of the line they took us 3 at a time and told us where we will be working. Drum roll please! I am working at Hollywood Studios on the left block, all the stores on the lefthand side when you walk in!

The excitement quickly wore off as I had to wait in multiple lines. First for discussion of the Disney look, then for my onboarding paperwork, next was the payroll card, then my I-9 employment form, then it was downstairs for fingerprinting and background check. BJ was falling asleep in the waiting area!

After casting we went over to downtown Disney to eat at Earl of Sandwich. Then we returned to unpack some stuff. At 2:20 I had to take BJ back to Pop Century so he could take the magical express to the airport. I cried when I had to leave, but I couldn't stay because I had to be back for the housing meeting at 2:45.

The housing meeting was really long and boring. They basically just went over all the rules and stuff. After that my roommates and I all went out to House of Blues for dinner.

Vacation (Part 3)

2010-02-02T17:26:00.000-08:00

Sunday was our last day, as I was moving into my apartment on Monday Morning. We started the morning at Hollywood Studios so we could see MuppetVision 3D and ride Rockin Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror and Toy Story Mania Again. This time BJ won. We got to meet Woody and Buzz too.

Then we wanted to eat lunch at Wolfgang Puck Express again! Afterwards we went to the hotel to pack up our stuff before heading over to Fort Wilderness to go to the Hoop-dee-do-Revue.

Then it was over to the Magic Kingdom for extra magic hours. We headed for the Jungle Cruise, and Pirates, then Big thunder Mountain. We wanted to go on Space Mountain but it wasn't running! thats when I remembered that once while we were on the transt authority we went through space mountain and the lights were on. We ran to get on and sure enough the lights were on!

After we went on Its a small world and Dumbo. Then we got to meet Chip and Dale

After we went on Buzz Lightyear and then finally on Space mountain. Then we headed back to the hotel and loaded up the car. The Next day was my Check in day for the College Program!

Vacation (Part 2)

2010-02-02T15:57:00.000-08:00

After the Segway tour we went over to Downtown Disney to buy our tickets for La Nouba, by Cirque du Soleil. We bought this yummy snack!

After we picked up our tickets it was time to go to Animal Kingdom.

First we did the safari, and then we rode on Expedtion Everest! Lunch was at Yak & Yeti, afterwards we saw the Finding Nemo Stage show and walked the jungle trail in Asia. We caught the parade at 4:45 The park closed at 5pm but we were staying for the Extra Magic Hours so we headed over to the Bug's Life 3D movie and then the Festival of the Lion King Show, after that we went on Dinosaur and had burgers and fries for dinner

After dinner we went back to the hotel to get ready for Cirque de Soleil. After everybody was "Neat n Pretty" we went over to Downtown Disney to see the show.

The show was interesting....the acrobats were really cool, but the show was just so strange...I had no idea what was going on! BJ really enjoyed it though. After the show we went to Planet Hollywood, because BJ had never eaten at one. We just ordered appetizers and drinks before going back to the hotel at around 12:30.

We slept in the next morning before heading over to the Studios again. We had lunch at the Sci-fi Dine In, a restaurant themed like a drive in movie theater.

We shared some onion rings, and I had a chicken sandwich and BJ had Ribs we took dessert to go because we were stuffed!

After that we had to hurry to meet the Power Rangers! BJ was prepared with his power rangers shirt and everything! The Power Rangers loved his shirt!

After that we ran over to the Beauty and the Beast Show and then did the Backlot tour. At 3 pm we watched the Block Party Bash.

After the parade we went back to the hotel to take a nap, and eat dinner before returning for Fantasmic! After the show we went back to the hotel and got some food from the food court to share.

The next morning we got up early and got over to Magic Kingdom at 9am. We saw Philharmagic, went on the Carousel , Peter Pan, Snow White, Winnie the Pooh,

BJ even tried to remove the Sword in the Stone!

At around 11am we headed over to Downtown Disney to eat at Wolfgang Puck Express and to do Disney Quest

I had the Barbeque Chicken Quesadilla and BJ had a BBQ Chicken Focaccia sandwich. We both had the Creme Brulee for dessert

After lunch we went to Disney Quest. It is an interactive amusement park. They have lots of arcade games, and motion simulator type rides. We went on Cyber Space Mountain where you design your own roller coaster and then ride on it. It made us feel so sick! Actually almost all of the rides made us feel sick. We left after about an hour disappointed.

We headed back to the Magic Kingdom and visited Mickey and Minnie's Houses

After that I wanted to meet the Princesses, after all BJ got to meet the Power Rangers so why not?

Princess Aurora asked me where I was from and I told her Pennsylvania, to which she replied " I've never been to that Kingdom before! Are there many Dragons there?" I told her there were no dragons and she said "Oh! Your prince must of scared them all away! He must be very brave!"

We had a dinner reservation at 'Ohanna at the Polynesain Resort. We checked in and asked to sit by the window so we could see the fireworks here is our view:

When the fireworks started they piped in the music from the Magic Kingdom. It was amazing!

After the fireworks ended we headed over to Epcot for the Extra Magic Hours. Our first stop was Mexico to go on the boat ride. I love this Pinata!

Then we went on the boat ride at Norway, and noticed this hidden mickey in the painting at the loading dock!

Afterwards we headed over to see the American Adventure Movie and then it was time to go back to the hotel.

The next morning we returned to Epcot to finish the rest of Innoventions. We did some storm thing, and then played Where's the Fire. After that we went on Ellen's universe of Energy, (Which was BJ's Favorite Part of the Whole Trip) After that we headed into the World showcase to play our Kim Possible Adventure in Japan. We got to meet Aladin and Jasmine and Genie and Captain Hook and Mr. Smee

Then we rode Test Track and Journey into the Imagination again.

Soon it was time for dinner at Le Cellier the Canadian SteakHouse. We had yummy bread, cheddar cheese soup, BJ had Spicy Chicken and Chipotle Sausage. I had the filet with maple barbeque sauce and BJ had Salmon. For Dessert we both got the Maple Creme Brulee!

After dinner we stopped at Club cool to try some sodas from around the world. I made BJ try the Beverly from Italy (gross)

But we couldn't stay long! We had to get to the Magic Kingdom to see SpectroMagic and Wishes!

After Wishes I wanted to stay to see the "Good Night Kiss" an hour after park closing, so we looked around in some shops and bought this ice cream cookie sandwich at the Main Street Bakery

Vacation (Part 1)

2010-02-02T12:57:00.000-08:00

So BJ and I took our first Disney Vacation ever! It was a way for the two of us to spend time together before I start my College Program and he leave for the Air Force. So after checking into our hotel we were starving! So we headed over to Downtown Disney to eat at T-Rex!

After that we headed over to Disney's Hollywood Studios and went to the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular!

Then we went to go see the Lights Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt show.

Next we met our some of the characters from UP!

Then we went to a drawing class to learn how to draw Winnie the Pooh

We rode the Tower of Terror, Rockin Rollercoaster and Toy Story Midway Mania! Where I beat BJ!

We ate dinner and went back to the hotel. The next morning we went to Chef Mickey's for breakfast and then over to the Magic Kingdom for a little while.

I wasn't feeling good so we went back to the hotel for a while, then we headed over to EPCOT! We went on Spaceship earth first.

Then we headed over to Innovations where we placed an investment savings game with this pig!

And saw an interactive comedy game show about Velcro

We went on Journey into the Imagination, The living Seas with Nemo, and Mission Space and soon it was time for dinner at Teppan Edo in Japan!

After Dinner we went on Soarin and got a good spot to watch Illuminations: Reflections of earth!

After the show we headed back to the hotel because the next day was BJ's surprise at EPCOT and we had to get up early for it.

We woke up at 7 am so we could be at Epcot by 7:45. The park wasn't open yet so we had to wait a few minutes for them to open the entrance for people who had breakfast reservations or a tour. I was nervous that someone in line would expose the surprise but nobody said anything. when we got to the gate the cast member asked for our names and we were on the list so they directed us to go to guest relations! So this is when I told BJ we were taking a 2 hour SEGWAY Tour! He was excited! We went to sign our waivers at guest relations and then went over to the Segway Central. First we learned how to use the segways, going around cones, and up and down ramps, then we took an hour and a half tour through the World Showcase, going through the countries, through the gardens and around the pillars. The guide told us interesting facts about the countries as we went along. BJ loved it!

Traveling on the AutoTrain

2010-02-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

So BJ and Set out for our trip to Florida! We drove to Virgina to get on the Autotrain. Once there they loaded my car and we had to wait at the train station

Then it was time to get on the train! BJ paid to upgrade to a sleeper cabin instead of coach, it was very nice.

After we boarded we went to the lounge car to get some free snacks, cheese, crackers, carrots, celery and dip.

We had dinner at 5pm in the dining car. I had Chicken Marsala and BJ had Salmon, we both chose cheesecake for dessert.

After dinner we went to the lounge car to watch "The Proposal" and ate some free cookies and hot chocolate! When we got back to our cabin the attendant had folded down the bunks.

The next morning we woke up at 6:30 am because breakfast was first come first serve. they had bagels, muffins, and cereals.

We went back to our cabin and waited to arrive in Sanford FL! When we arrived we had to wait for them to unload my car. It took almost an hour before they got to mine!
The train cars

The guy who called the numbers of the cars as they came out

Here comes my car!

After getting the car it was only a 30 min drive to Walt Disney World!

Our hotel: Pop Century!

Checking in at the front desk

Packing- What should I bring?...Everything!

2010-01-23T10:37:00.000-08:00

I am doing the CP from Feb 1st to Aug 13th, so I have a lot of stuff I need to pack. I am leaving tommorrow, Sunday the 24th because my boyfriend, BJ, and I are going on vacation for the week before I need to check in, then at the end of the week he will fly home.

We will be driving to Virginia and putting my car on the Autotrain, that way I don't need to drive it all the way to FL, on Monday morning we will arrive in FL and head over to our hotel, Pop Century. This is BJ's second trip to Disney, he is more of a Universal Fan, but I am trying to convert him. =) He suggested it, because we will not be seeing each other for a very long time after this because he has joined the Air Force and will be at Basic Training and Tech School for my entire CP!

So onto packing, I had to move out of my dorm at school because I was not returning for the spring semester, then I needed to unpack and repack what I needed. I'm not sure if everything will fit in my car, but I am bringing, my TV, bedding and pillows, a large Rubbermaid container, a large dufflebag filled with clothes, a cardboard box filled with more clothes, a 3-drawer organizer, and some assorted bags filled with things. PLUS my suitcase and BJ's suitcase for our vacation! I hope there is room for BJ to fit in there with all that stuff!!!

I always overpack, I know I can always go out and buy stuff if I forget something, but I'd rather not waste the money if I already have it at home. I will post pictures of my car stuffed to the brim later.

What is the Disney College Program

2010-01-23T10:22:00.000-08:00

Hello!
If you are reading this blog you probably already know what the Disney College Program is, but I'll give a brief explanation for anyone who doesn't.

The Disney College Program is an internship for college students held at Disneyland in CA and Walt Disney World in FL. Students can work in several different roles such as Merchandise, Attractions, Hospitality, Recreation, Transportation, Food Service, and many more. Students live at housing complexes owned by Disney. There are different program seasons, during the Fall and Spring semesters. For more information click HERE

So you are probably thinking "Wow that sounds great! How can I sign up?" Well first you need to watch a presentation on the program, either online or at your university. After the presentation you receive an access code to submit your application. You must then complete a web based interview which asks questions like "How often do you get angry" or "How important is teamwork"

If you pass the web based interview, you will be prompted to call to set up a phone interview. During the phone interview the interviewer will ask you questions based on what roles you chose on your application. For example if you put down attractions they might ask you a question like "What would you tell a guest if they were not tall enough to ride the attraction you were working at?" or if you chose Merchandise they might ask "Suppose a guest is looking for a specific item that you do not sell at that location, how could you help them?"

After a few weeks you will either recieve an email offering you a role, and a acceptance letter in the mail. If you are not accepted you can always try again for the next semester.