May 16th 2010

So I am exactly 6 days away from going on vacation to Disney World to visit my past roommate Maile while she does her Summer Alumni program, and going with me is my friend, and also past roommate, Meagan. I have missed them SO much, they became like family to me and it is really hard to not see them all the time.

I am beyond stoked to be back at Disney, if only for a week. We are staying at Pop Century and will be playing all the time :) I will be sure to post some photos from the vaca.

I am also 98 days away from my move in-day for August 23rd! however this means I am about 91ish days from actually leaving my house, since my sister and I are driving down together.

I have not started prepping for this move in yet, because... I dont know what i'm taking this time around. you think with a previous experience, packing would be so much simpler.
NOPE. at least not for me.. i know what I NEED, but i always want the things I want ... obviously. and a lot of it I can do without. so we'll see ....

I am currently working 2 jobs, so it will be nice to go back to one at Disney. because I am working 3 night audits a week, and about 5-6 days (roughly 30ish hours) during the week

i have never been so exhausted in my life.
however, i've never been richer either haha. so once I save enough for a Macbook I am gonna buy one and save the rest of the money for Disney. huzzah!

Fall 2010

So after a really long hiatus I am finally back.

I clearly stopped blogging during my 2009 CP but I hope to keep up with it this time around, but who knows.

clearly that is not my actual letter, but I have not yet gotten my purple folder in the mail so a screen-cap of my online one will have to suffice for now.

I am a Concierge Cast Member and will be arriving for the Fall 2010 program. How I got Concierge, I have NO idea.
i mean yes it was on my list but I did not think I would get it, I mean I am not even a hospitality major (not that I don't wish to be but my current Univ doesn't have it) I suppose it must be more so due to my previous Disney experience, more than my school experience? either way I'm happy
even if the training will be insane! i hear it is a week of Front Desk training, then a month on the job, and then a week of concierge training and then probably another month on the job, and then you get random shifts?? but who knows, especially if you pick it up faster?

I did actually just get a job at a hotel front desk. so that will help me a lot when I get down there which will be nice. here's to hoping.

however the more important reason I am making this blog, is to make a 'bucket' list of Disney to-do's while i'm there, that I did not get to do last time. (or what I just didn't do lol)

1.Eat Dole Whip (yeah i get a lot of suprised faces about this one?)
2. See all the 'shows' (Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo etc)
3. Ride all the Mountains in a row, and get a picture from each
4. Drink around the world in 1 day (after I turn 21 clearly)
5. Attempt to see all 3 night shows in one night (Wishes, IllumiNations and Fantasmic)
6. Get photos with every princess
7. Find and complete some type of park scavenger hunt? (does anyone have one/know where I can find one?)

EDIT:
8. Find a family of 3 at ticketing and get them into the park for free, pull the ultimate magic moment :)

and I have a few more but I can't think of them haha

I am so tired...

from Tuesday to Saturday I worked 47.7 hours. it was CRAZY. like absolutely crazy.

and today, i worked for 10.7 hours or something weird like that. and I was soo not looking forward to going into work today, I was moaning about it to my roommates, who I pretty much haven't seen since Monday, because Maile gets up before me, and goes to bed before I get home everyday.. so I actually saw her this morning so taht was fun.

but then I got to work, and I got to ring hte 'dinner bell' for 3 hours. which sounds ridiculous, but I LOOOOVE doing it. I get to be outside (but in the direct path of our open doors so i get a nice a.c. breeze, plus i'm under an overhang thingy so i dont get direct sunlight) and I get to ring a bell and wear a lanyard of pins for Disney Pin Trading (which is like this HUUUUGe thing. i mean there are conventions. and rare pins can go for thousands of dollars... craaaazy. but I think I may get into it because it's reallly funn)

and today while ringing the bell for 3 hours, my mood was immediately lifted, and I had the best time. although I am alone most of the time, as in there are no other cast members with me for any significant amount of time, I really just have so much fun. I get to talk to everyone coming in, the kids love pin trading (actually so do a lot of the adults) and I really really feel like I am 'making the magic' as its said.

I get to see all the kids dressed as princesses (who DONT come into the restaurant) and I can call out to them and make them happy (like.. if someone is dressed as snow white, you calll them snow white, their parents didnt shell out the big bucks for you to say 'ooh heeeey!')

and you get to see so much more.

I had my picture taken like 5 times, some with kids, some with adults and some of me ringing the bell. it's crazy!

and there was this woman today who had a sleeping baby, and her family was all on Haunted Mansion (which is directly across from the CHH) and she was just pushing hte stroller in circles under the overhang area, so she was getting the a.c. blasts as well. and me and Steven, who was outside w/ me at the time, were talking with her for a good half hour while she waited, and i mean we exchanged life stories basically, and we got a pin for her baby because it was the babies first time here. and she was just so excited that we were so out of our way nice to her, it was great.

and later I saw a couple who were wearing our Engaged pins (they were celebrating their Engagement, Disneys thing this year is 'what are you celebrating' and you get pins for whatever) so I congratulated them, and I guess I was only the second one to do so, and they were so happy, and I love doing that, it's so fun :)

so even though I hate closing, and its ridiculous unfair that I have closed every night this week, that i worked anyway, which everyones like oh well new CPs usually do close all the time, and i was like okay fine, thats a fair thing, howver... I am literally the only one who has been closing counter every night this week, I have had a different helper every day.... it suckssss.

but in the end, it's the things like my bell ringing session that make me happy, and are the things I'm going to remember. becuase I know when I get home from this experience I'm not going to look back and remember every night I was stressed over closing, I'm going to remember the times I made a kid smile because I acknowledged thier dress, or had the Pin they were looking to trade for. and that is exactly why I am here, to make the magic happen for these kids.

but in all honesty, as cheesy and cliche as it is, I'm fully getting more out of their magical 'moments' then they will.

so despite all my moaning about long days and sore feet/back, in the end, it's completely worth it. I just have to remind myself of it sometimes.

everyday isn't covered with pixie dust, but I can't even imagine leaving, ever. it's absolutely amazing and I love it here. soo much.

8.23.09

Can I just start by saying that Reality Hell is the most ridiculous show ever?! but it's funny to watch the one girl who doesn't know what is going on...

so I worked for 5 days, and i ended up getting 4 days off... which is ultra weird, but I don't get another break until neext monday. oh well.

work is fine, I'm still learning what I'm doing. the only really exciting thing that happened was I met a guest who was from Novi and actually knew about the Farm. It was so crazzyyyyy

Friday I went to Magic Kingdom all day w/ Savannah, we went on almost everything. I went on Thunder Mountain Railroad, which was not at all scary.. not sure what my fear was because there aren't any real drops. I have also been on Haunted Mansion which also isn't scary.

I have been so busy with work but nothing 'exciting' has really happened other than playing in the parks, which is of course a lot of fun.

I was planning to go on a walk or something today, but the sky is getting overcast and for once I think this rainstorm is going to last more than 30 minutes :/ so I'm settling into a lifetime movie and hoping that by the time it's over the weather will be nicer...maybe.

okayyyy I need lunch. but when something more exciting happens I'll be sure to updateee :)

I don't like making titles...

So I worked for real yesterday.

according to my training schedule I worked 9:45-16:00 (yes they use military time, i'm still adjusting) so I got up early and got myself there early.

but oh wait. they screwed up my schedule. not only did I not work until 1:45, I didn't haave time to go home, becuse I would have had to turn around and come back, I didn't have a change of clothes so I couldn't go into the park.

so I sat there for almost 4 hours doing nothing! gahh I was so bored, my iPod died and my phone was on it's way to dying. mehh

but once I got into work it was fine, I am learning closing stuff. and am doing the counter, where you go and pick up food. so I make drinks and hand out food, easy enough. but I don't know like anything and I feel bad when people ask because I'm soooo clueless. I mean I love Disney, but i know noooothinggg about where ANYTHING is.

so yesterday.. was quite a day. to say the least.

but I have Friday/Saturday off I think so I'll be going to MK then and aside from having fun I'll hopefully gain some knowledge of my work surroundings.

which I went on a tour of MK on sunday, before it opened and everything. and it's so different than I remembered! like... so different. I think I keep picturing Disneyland because that's the one on TV all the time, in TV shows etc.. so it was a pleasent surprise.

After 'day' 1

So I have been SO busy since I got here, it's been so fun, but busy! I have barely had time to talk to ANYONE. even my texting has been lacking some (I know, I'm equally as shocked)

I had Traditions on Friday morning, I got my Access pass to the parks, and learned about the history of Disney, it was really interesting, even if I did have to be there at 645 am.

then afterwards me and Maile, and Savannah went to EPCOT for the afternoon and I took my touristy picture with Spaceship Earth in the background.

We only ended up riding like 4 rides because we got there at 4ish, and it closed at 7 and one ride had a 95 minute wait!! Soarin' that one were you are like virutally flying over California, they rec. if you are afraid of heights, don't go on it.

and I can see why, the beginning is really scary! you are like virtually flying in/above clouds, and they put a breeze on you and you sway in your seat and it's scary!! but everything else was fine, but that first one i freakedddd (silently though)

today I had my F&B basics class, learned basic food safety tips and some of the fun things that happen in the parks, including the Magical Moments that happen. I am so excited to be involved with those.

anything to bring the magic to these kids I am SO excited for, I mean as a child Disney was such a wonderful magical place becacuse of all the cast memebers and now I get to be a part of that for the children now it's amazing!

tomorrow I need to be up at 5, so I can catch a 605 bus to get to my second training (Magic Kingdom history/basics) by 715. oh my goshhh.

but then Maile wants to go to MK when we're done for the day, so that'll be good. I'll be there until 345 though. a good 7.5 hours, although some of that time is lunch break and costume fitting that I may get done early if costuming is last, i don't have to wait for everyone.

here's to hoping!!

:D

I'm HEREE

I'm here in Orlando, finally!

I've had the craziest day, SO much going on, and too much being thrown at me, I'll be lucky remember ANYTHING. but I LOVE it.

I'm working in Magic Kingdom!! which is AMAZING because I wanted to be there. I'm literally soo stoked.

All the 'news' from today is that I got my apartment (Patterson, 3 bedrooms) and I got my job. My roommates are all really nice, the 'in' room roommate is really awesome, she's from Hawaii and really really nice so I'm really excited about that. and the other 4 seem really awesome too, but I haven't talked to them as much.

I can't wait until I get the rest of my bedding!! this bed is not very comfortable and I have a slight feeling I may fall off in the middle of the night?? hahhh.

I made a video from the airport this morning, and one a few seconds ago from the room, I will make one later of the actual apartment which will be fun to make. but I am gonna try and wait until my roommates aren't around :)

hehehe.

tomorrow I just have a meeting at 945, then I'm gonna try and hit up Wal-Mart for some basics, hopefully with Maile, the roommie, so we can sort of colaborate on stuff.

and thats all!! Friday starts the craziness of traditions and training!! so I'll hopefully update after all that so it'll be more interesting? :)