We Have Now Reached the End of the Journey

Well....my Disney College Program is officially over. I graduated on Thursday, moved out of my apartment yesterday, spent one last day in the parks, and came home today. It's hard to believe that I no longer live in Orlando, that I no longer work for Disney, and that I'm no longer surrounded by magic pretty much 24/7. What really sucks, though, is not being around the amazing people I got to spend my time with down there. Especially my besties. It's hard knowing that all of sudden I'm going from seeing them on a daily basis to not being able to see them at all. So this whole Post-Disney Depression (PDD) thing is very real. I'm going through such a wide range of motions, usually within a few minutes of each other. I'm happy to be home, back with my family, with my boyfriend, and with my friends here. I'm happy that I won't miss anymore family get togethers, and I get to spend the holidays with them this year. And that's going to be amazing because honestly, Christmas kind of sucked last year because it wasn't what I was used to. So I'm definitely looking forward to being surrounded by my huge, amazing family this year. :) But I'm also very upset about the fact that I'm no longer at Disney. I don't get live with pretty much constant sunshine (something I never thought I would get used to). I don't get to go play in the parks when I want. I don't get to get that wonderful Cast Member discount on pretty much everything. And I don't get to say that I work for the Walt Disney Company. I absolutely loved my life in Orlando, so I am definitely sad that I don't have it anymore. Being back home is definitely something I'm going to have to get used to again. And as sad as I am that this wonderful journey, this dream come true, is over, I am pretty excited to see what my next adventure will be. I've got a job interview lined up next week, and I'm applying for grad school, which if I get in, I will start in the fall. So I definitely have some kind of plan for my life right now. But, no matter how amazing it all turns out to be, nothing will ever truly replace my experiences on the Disney College Program. I had the time of my life, and I'm so glad I did the program. For everyone who kept up with my journey through this blog, thank you. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. And for those of you who are looking into the program, do it! You will never get another experience even remotely close to this. You will make amazing friends, work in the most magical place on Earth, and have the time of your life. It won't always be easy, but it'll be worth it. I promise. :) Well...that's it, I guess. My college program is done, and so is this blog. So, for the final time.... Have a magical day!

Sorry for the Disappearing Act

I know I've disappeared for awhile, and I apologize for that. I've been settling into my new apartment, hanging out with my friends, and working. So I've been a little busy. :p

Just a few updates since I've been away from the blog for over a month. I know I said in my last blog that we were supposed to be getting new roommates, and I hoped that 2 of them would be Australian. Well, they are! Their names are Clare and Taylor, and they are such sweet and fun girls. I love sitting and talking to them and comparing cultures.....and of course, listening to them talk with their accents. :)

On a work note....we've got 6 new CPs at my location, making it a total of 8 CPs, when really, we only need 4. This means that those who work part time at my location aren't getting hours, and Kim and I are getting fewer hours than we're used to. As a CP, we're guareented at least 30 hours a week. When I checked my schedule on Sunday for next week, I was only getting 28.5. Luckily, when I told my managers, they fixed it and got me the hours I need. But I really feel bad for the part-timers because they need hours, too. Whoever is in charge of placing CPs didn't really seem to think this one through. Hopefully things will work out and people who need hours will be able to start getting them again soon.

Last week, my parents came to visit me. :) We got to stay at the Grand Floridian, which is the nicest resort on Disney property. It was a very relaxing vacation, and even better since I only had to work one 6 hour shift while they were here. :) I love getting to spend time with my parents like this, and I'm sad that I won't see them until May now.

And speaking of May, I have officially decided to go back home to Georgia at the end of this program. Don't get me wrong, I love being here in Florida and working at Disney. And 2 of my best friends are here, and I hate to leave them. But, I miss my family, I miss Ronnie, and I miss home. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my life once I get home, but I'll figure something out. I'm just ready to go home. After going home for a few days last month, I know that's where I need to be again.

So there's what's been going on with me for the past month. Hopefully I'll be able to update (meaning: hopefully I'll have something to update about) more than just once a month. So until next time....

Have a magical day!

Update on Life

I suck at blogging here lately. >.<

Anyway, I finally heard back about the PI I applied for, and........I didn't get it. :( Oh well. At least I still have my extension, so I can stay here a little bit longer. :) That's definitely an upside.

Speaking of staying here, I go next Tuesday to find out my new housing placement. I know I'm going to be living with one of my co-workers (Kim) who is also extending. We've gotten pretty close during this program, so I'm excited that we'll be living together come January 4 (move-out/move-in date). We don't know who else we're going to be living with. I guess we'll find that out next week. :)

So, I know that my blog has been mostly about the positive experiences I've had while I've been down here. And for the most part, this has been a very positive experience for me. However, there are times when it gets hard being here and away from my family. Like the holidays. I have a pretty big family, and I'm used to spending Thanksgiving and Christmas around them. And I love being around them. So, it does suck that this year, I missed Thanksgiving, and I'm going to miss Christmas. And it makes it hard because I haven't really had a chance to incorporate some of my families traditions down here. However, my parents are coming back to visit me over Christmas weekend, so that will definitely help because I'll be around them on Christmas morning. And I'm also planning to Skype with my brother and his family that morning as we open our gifts. :) It's not going to be the same as actually being around my nieces and nephew when they open their presents, but it will definitely help. :)

And the program does a lot to make sure that we have a good holiday season down here, too. They know that we're all away from our families, so they try to make up for that. They had a Thanksgiving feast for us the week before Thanksgiving, and on December 20, they're putting on a special edition of Grocery Bingo. Which reminds me, go to at least one Grocery Bingo game while you're here. They are so much fun, and if you win, you get a ton of stuff. They definitely treat us well here. :)

Plus, Disney has some amazing holiday traditions to experience and be a part of. The Magic Kingdom has Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party on select nights in November and December. That's probably one of my favorite traditions. I've been to the party 3 times in the past 10 years, and it always amazes me. :) Epcot has Holidays Around the World, which is my favorite thing to do. You get to walk around World Showcase and learn about the holiday traditions in the different countries. It's so cool! :) Hollywood Studios has the Osbourne Spectacle of Lights, which is amazing. I need to get over to the Studios to see those this year. And Animal Kingdom has Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade, which I need to go see as well.

So, even though I'm away from my family this year, there is a lot to do to still get in the holiday spirit. Although, I'm not exactly used to wearing shorts in December, which I was doing up until Wednesday night. Then we actually got a cold front, which meant I could finally wear jeans and a jacket outside. But we're apparently going to be warming back up here today. Our high for the day is 78 degrees. It never stays cold long here in Orlando. I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about that. :p

Well, time to get ready for work! Have a magical day!

Picture Time!

Okay, here is the long awaited picture post I've been promising.

And yes, I'm aware that you all are saying it's about time. :p

So without further ado........I give you:

THE PICTURES.

First roomie picture! Taken at Casting right before we found out where we would be working.

Me and Cayla with Pooh and Tigger

Me and Mexican Donald. :)

Me and Cayla on a boat. :p

The oh-so-attractive costume.

Back when I was training. :)

Finally got to meet Pinocchio!

I sent this picture to my parents. :)

Minnie and Mickey came to my apartment complex for a Western style party. :)

Got to meet Gaston at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. :)

I met Captain Jack, too. :p

Me and one of my co-workers, Emily. :)

Finally took that hot air balloon ride. This is the view of Downtown Disney.

Panorama shot of World Showcase.

In Canada. ;)

Beautiful sky at sunset.

Found this on my car. I don't know who put it there, but it was definitely a magical moment for me. :)

Sorry it's sideways....but, Kristie, Chris, and Hannah visited Disney! :)

He danced with me. :)

Raspberry wine from South Korea. Yay for the Food & Wine Festival at Epcot!

Tiff and Jordan enjoying F&W, too. :)

Trying out the different sodas from all over the world! :)

I found out I got to audition for my dream job the day F&W started. This is how I celebrated. :)

I came home to find this lovely head in my bed. >.>

Those are just some of the many pictures I've taken since I've been here. Life has been pretty amazing down here. :)

Today is the first day of classes for me, so I'll post a blog later tonight telling ya'll all about them. :)

PI Auditions

So this morning was my audition for my Professional Internship. The day started off good, minus the fact that I was a bundle of nerves this morning. I think I became so focused on my nerves that it got to me, and I ended up messing some things up a bit. I forgot my nametag, so I had to turn around and go get it from home. Then, I got all the way to Disney University, and was about to check in when I realized that I left my paperwork hanging on my bulletin board. Thank God I talked to them and they're letting me turn it in tomorrow morning. Luckily, they have an office at Epcot, so I can drop it off before work tomorrow.

Then, I realized that I was supposed to schedule a phone interview last week when I applied online, and I hadn't done that. The email I got after I applied told me I was supposed to schedule the interview within 2 days of applying, so I was really nervous when I realized I hadn't done it. If I wasn't able to schedule the phone interview, then this audition today would have been for nothing. THANK GOD I was able to schedule my interview for Friday morning.

However, now it's time to play the waiting game. The next step in the process (after this phone interview Friday with Casting) is to hopefully have done well enough in the audition to get a phone interview with the Y.E.S. Program. However, I won't hear about that for 2-3 weeks. This is the frustrating part now. I probably won't find out if I got the internship or not until sometime in November or December. I don't want to wait that long, but at this point, I guess I don't have a choice. I just don't know what I'm going to do if I don't get it. I guess I'll put it for an extension when the time comes (which is apparently some time this month) just to cover my bases.

So, because of everything that happened this morning, I was feeling pretty low. I want this internship so much, and I was so scared that I was screwing everything up. However, once I was able to schedule the phone interview, I started to feel better. And then I went to CFA and did some shopping and resort sight-seeing with Cayla, and that made me feel better. Then we came back home and cooked dinner (chicken alfredo tacos!) and watched "Lion King" and then went for a walk. It was definitely a good ending to a day that started off less than steller, and it was a good way to end my weekend.

Work the rest of this week is going to be nerve racking. Actually, work all this week has been nerve racking. I was trained in a new position Sunday and Monday (General Teller), and I'm going to be trained as Assigner tomorrow. Then Friday and Saturday, I am the GT. I'm not feeling comfortable with it at all, but hopefully I can talk to the GT tomorrow night and get a little more comfortable doing this on Friday. We'll see. I'm just glad next week I get to go back to the positions I'm comfortable with.

Well that's all for this update. I really do need to get some pictures up here. Maybe I'll have time tomorrow night to do so. I'll try! :)

Have a magical day!

Happy Birthday WDW!!!

So, there is both big and little news today.

Big news: Today is Magic Kingdom's 40th birthday! Yay!

Little news: Today is also Epcot's 29th birthday! Yay again! :)

I didn't get to go to MK today, but that's okay because apparently this morning, 6,000 people were on Main Street. I don't like crowds (and I work at Disney World. Yes, I'm aware of the irony.), so I'm glad I didn't go this morning. However, it would have been nice to get a 40th anniversary cupcake. Or a button. Or a map....which are already on eBay. Go figure.

But anyway, I was thinking that my first trip to Disney World was taken during the 25th anniversary celebration. Fifteen years ago, I entered this world of fantasy and magic and dreams, and I never wanted to leave.

Fifteen years later, I don't have to anymore. :)

Oh....so I do have some more big news, and it kind of ties in with all of this. Tuesday, I went to an information session for the Y.E.S. program to find out about the audition process and all of that. I found out that I could apply for a Professional Internship since I'm currently in the College Program, so I did. I had to apply by Wednesday, and they were going to notify people yesterday that they wanted to move up into the next phase of the process, which is the actual audition. So everyone who submitted a resume did not make it to the audition round.

How did I do?

Well..........

..................

I made it!!!! I get to audition for a PI in my dream role this coming Wednesday!!!! I'm so excited! And I celebrated by going to the opening day of the Food & Wine Festival at Epcot with Cayla, Tiffani, and Jordan last night. :) Now I just need to work on what I'm going to do for my audition. I'll work on it tomorrow. :)

Fifteen years ago, I came to the happy place and told my parents that I wanted to work here someday. To me, Disney has always been a place where I can escape reality and see my wildest dreams come true.

And fifteen years later, Disney is still making those dreams come true. This place is truly magical. And I truly am blessed.

Wish me luck on the audition! :)

Have a magical day!

All About Work

Work is making me exhausted. Seriously. Today is my 6th day in a row of work, and it's my Friday (yay!!).

I guess I should give you a little insight into what it is I actually do at work. Well, there are several different kinds of jobs that I do.  I know when most people think of hosting, they think of the people who greet you at the restaurant, take your name, and then show you to your seat. This is exactly what I thought of when I thought of hostessing in a restaurant. But there is so much more to it then that. Of course, I've done the greeting thing where I check people in (this person is called, appropriately enough, the greeter. We also call this position podium.), and I've also shown people to their seats (also appropriately called a seater). But, as a hostess, or Front of the House (FOH) CM, I've also been in charge of stocking either the left side of the restaurant or the right side of the restaurant (known as left side or right side). We have side stations on both sides of the restaurant where extra place settings are kept so that the servers can just come grab them when they need to reset their tables. The person working left or right side is in charge of making these settings and ensuring that there are enough plates, napkins, forks, and knives to continue making settings. It's actually more difficult than it sounds, especially when you're having to hunt down forks and knives. The person who does right side is also in charge of making sure that the ice at the drink station in the kitchen is kept full, and that the butter that comes out with the bread is in the butter dishes and ready for the servers to just grab on the way to their tables. The person who does left side also helps with seating guests, too. Right side doesn't unless it's extremely busy. I hate being right or left side, because I hate stocking, but it does make the time go by a lot faster. So does seating the guests, especially when we're really busy.

The last job that I could do as a FOH CM is be the assigner. This is the person you see walking around the dining room checking for open tables and then assigning parties to them. I've shadowed assigners twice, but I haven't done it myself yet. To be honest, I'm not sure I want to. It seems to be a pretty tough job because there's so much you have to take into consideration. Plus, it wasn't really explained to me, I was just observing, so I'm not 100% clear on what to do.

All in all, I love my job. The Coral Reef is a great place to work. It's a beautiful restaurant with amazing food (yes.....I did get to do a tasting with one of the chefs! I love my job!) and great CMs to work with. And I love getting to talk to the guests and such. I have realized that there are 2 languages that I need to learn at least the basics in though--French and Spanish. I took French in high school, but that was so long ago, and I have forgotten a lot of what I've learned. Luckily, there are several CMs at the Reef who speak Spanish, so I should be able to learn some things from them. :)

Once again, sorry it's been a few days between updates. I've been working some long days lately. But, like I said, today is my Friday, so hopefully I'll get in an update or 2 tomorrow or Wednesday.

Have a magical day!

The Crazy Schedule Begins

So, I was off yesterday, which was good. I got some laundry and some grocery shopping done. I also got some cleaning done, and some other errands that I needed to take care of. And I still had time to hang out at MK for a couple of hours last night. :)

Today is the start of 6 straight days of work for me. And it's kind of a crazy schedule. Today and tomorrow, I work from 12:30pm-9pm. Friday, I work from 4:30pm-10:30pm. Saturday is the day I'm dreading. I work 11:30am-10:30pm. But, part of me is thinking that this is when my assessment will be, and that they've allowed time for that, which is why I'll be working so long. Sunday and Monday, I'm back to working 11:15am-8:45pm. And then I'm off Tuesday and Wednesday of next week! Yay! :) I think the only thing getting me through the next 6 days is the fact that I do get 2 days off in a row.

But, the good thing is work tends to go by fairly quickly because I'm always doing something. I'm learning that the restaurant business is a very fast paced business, and that's good for me. Yes, it's repetitive, but that's okay. And I have several different jobs that I do. So far, I've greeted people (basically checked them in if they have reservations, or put them on the list if they didn't) and I've sat people. And I enjoy both of those. I will say, if we're not busy, it does get boring. But, I work with fantastic people, and there's always someone to talk to. :)

Well, I'm off to finish getting ready for work!

Have a magical day!

Reasons Why I Love Disney [[Day 36]]

**1 day until check-in!!!**

Source: Simple Disney Things

I'm such a geography buff, so this is my favorite part of Disney World. I could spend all day at World Showcase if people would let me. :p

Well, this was my last "Reason I Love Disney" for awhile anyway. Tomorrow is the big day for me (finally!!)!! So, be looking out for actual blog entries about the program now. :p

And later on today/tonight, I'll blog about the drive down to Orlando yesterday, as well as getting to finally meet my lovely housemates in person. And of course, the check-in dinner is tonight, so I'll blog about that, too. :p 

Have a magical day! :)

Reasons Why I Love Disney [[Day 34]]

**3 days! 3 DAYS!!!!**

Source: Simple Disney Things

I love Kilimanjaro Safaris. In my opinion, this is the best ride in Animal Kingdom. You get to ride in this cool vehicle and see all these animals that you would see if you really went on a safari in Africa. And the coolest part? The animals are real, and yes, they will walk up to your vehicle. In fact, I got to see a rhino up close and personal back in April when it wandered up to the part of the truck I was sitting on.

Yeah....no zoom needed.

Reasons Why I Love Disney [[Day 31]]

**6 days!!!!!**

Source: Simple Disney Things

I love the TTA. It's the first thing I have to ride when I go into Tomorrowland. And going through Space Mountain while on the TTA is probably my favorite part. Seeing the little model village, and then seeing the actual roller coaster....it's all so cool! And of course, after I get off the TTA, I must go ride Space Mountain. :p

One Week!!!

Well, here I am at the one week until check-in mark! I'm so excited that this time next week, I will have my apartment, have my job placement, and be settling into my new life as a Disney Cast Member. And I am beyond excited! I can't wait to get down to Orlando this weekend and meet the awesome people that I will be living, learning, and earning with. :)

I'm still in packing mode, and I have been for most of the summer. I think I've got a lot done, but I don't really feel like I have. Which sucks, because I leave Saturday, and I feel like I'm nowhere near ready. But I'll get there. I have to work tonight and get my bed cleaned off (which means I have to do some more packing) so that I can finally sleep in it again. :p Sharing a couch with my dog is not fun...especially when she keeps trying to push me off because she believes that the couch belongs to her. :p

I will definitely be doing some more actual blog posts this week, but for now I must go and work on some more packing and figuring out what I still need to get before I leave!

For my fabulous D-Fam, I leave you with this:

I can't wait!!!

Reasons Why I Love Disney [[Day 30]]

**1 WEEK!!! 1 WEEK!!!!**

Source: Simple Disney Things

This is one of my favorite rides, and when those doors open and you get the view of Hollywood Studios....it's so cool! :)

Reasons Why I Love Disney [[Day 29]]

**8 days until check-in!!!**

Source: Simple Disney Things

What's even cooler is to see the look on your niece's face when she sees her face on the globe. :)

Reasons Why I Love Disney [[Day 28]]

**SINGLE DIGITS!!!! 9 DAYS!!!!!**

Source: Simple Disney Things

This is one of the perks of staying on property as a guest....getting a wake up call from the Big Cheese himself. :) You can also get wake up calls from other characters, too. Both the trip in April, and the trip in December, I got wake up calls from Stitch with Mickey. :) It's always good to wake up to Stitch saying "No sleep!" :p

Reasons Why I Love Disney [[Day 27]]

**10 days until check-in!!! Ahhhhhh!!!!**

Source: Simple Disney Things

The little scenarios you see in Camp Minnie-Mickey at Animal Kingdom are adorable! They have quite a few of them there that include the Original 4. :) Plus, they have one where Donald is taking his nephews camping. So cute!

And for those of you who don't know, Camp Minnie-Mickey is the place in Animal Kingdom where you can go and meet a lot of the characters, including some you don't see too often. Back in April, we saw Thumper and his girlfriend. We didn't get to meet them because the lines were way too long. And, we were on our way to see "Festival of the Lion King", which is also in Camp Minnie-Mickey. But that's another post. :p

Reasons Why I Love Disney [[Day 26]]

Source: Simple Disney Things

One of the best things about having celebrations at Disney. Especially at Chef Mickey's. :)

My birthday cupcake from Chef Mickey's. :)

I love how they even give them out for breakfast. This is the best way to start a day. :)

Reasons Why I Love Disney [[Day 25]]

Source: Simple Disney Things

Ah, Test Track. :)

Reasons Why I Love Disney [[Day 24]]

Source: Simple Disney Things

I love walking down Main Street. :)

Reasons Why I Love Disney [[Day 23]]

**2 weeks until check-in!!!! Ahhhhh!!!!!**

Source: Simple Disney Things

I love seeing the earful tower, both the hedge one and the real one. :)