Good Morning!

Good morning world! I was too tired to write last night. So here's what happened last night! :)

It was really busy, but the night seemed to drag on. That's the first shift where every two hours seemed like one six hour shift. I don't know why. Nothing overwhelming was happening. My first position was Merge, that's where we combine the Fastpass and Standby lines. Sometimes people are not so happy about that. A little girl fell and hurt her knee on something so we had to call a Coordinator to come help out. I felt bad.

After Merge I worked on Mountain 3, which I think I've defined before, but it's the one that helps Guests with wheelchairs. It was fun.

Then I just rotated through positions. Nothing too special.

At 8 p.m. the park officially closed, but if Guests happen to be staying at Disney Resorts we do "Extra Magic Hours" so we were staying open until 11 p.m. The way we do Extra Magic Hours is we have to ask for hotel key cards before we let anyone on the rides. At 8 p.m. we also have the big fireworks show that happens every night unless there's a weather problem. After the fireworks Space Mountain was rushed by our Extra Magic Hour Guests. I felt kind of scandalous asking to see people's room keys... LOL. Halfway into the rush two older men came through the line and started asking me if I wanted to go to a jacuzzi party that night. They were totally serious but I didn't realize that until they'd almost passed me and when I did I blushed to the my ears. LOL ugh. My co-Cast Member helping me check room keys during the rush laughed at me and thought it was funny that I blushed so bad.

So now I'm off to work in a few hours. Should be a fun day. Have a good day everyone!

Crazy, crazy day....

Tonight I spent the morning hanging out on my own running errands. It was so great. It was a beautiful day here today. Sunny, and lovely.

At four work started. I clocked in and went down to work on Unload and the first Guest I talked to had lost his shoe on the ride. I have no idea how you could lose a shoe on Space Mountain unless you were fooling around or purposely threw it out of the car... but it's not my place to question a Guest's honesty, at least not in that case. So I took care of that.

A little while later I got rotated to one of my very favorite positions, Restraint. I sent through a few rockets and then the buzzer went off telling me I had a call on the little black phone next to me. "We're cycling down, stop loading Guests." What? Why? Okay... so I talked for a few minutes to the people in the rocket in front of me. There were some Italian people who I'm pretty sure didn't understand a word I said, and an older couple from somewhere in Florida. We had a great chat about what I was doing at Disney and how I got involved with Disney.

Then one of my fellow Cast Members reminded me that in a stop situation Restraint is responsible for the Guests stuck in the Dispatch area... oops. I forgot. So I ran over there. They were fine. It was a little family from New Jersey. So I stayed down there for a bit and talked with them. Eventually I got the call saying we were starting the ride again. I pulled my button so the rockets could be moved from Dispatch and walked back to Restraint. The coolest thing happened then. When you exit out of Dispatch on A side, where I was, you come into view of any Guests in line, and since we were completely full at the time there were hundreds of people who saw me come out of Dispatch. Right as I came out they turned off the lights in the Mountain which generally means that the ride is starting again. There was lots of cheering and it felt like they were all applauding for me. :) It was awesome! I know they weren't, but it was still cool.

So after that I went to Tower and almost fell asleep which probably wasn't the best. And then I had my first break. I can't remember much between the hours of 6:15 and 8:15. I think I worked Grouper, and Unload. I don't think anything exciting happened. Then I had my second break.

I was then sent to Greeter and the lines were so long. I think there was a 50 minute wait time. The park closed at 9 and at 8:30 we had an hour+ wait time. Okay... so I called Tower and asked if they wanted me to close the line early... no. Okay... 8:45 are you SURE you want me to keep letting people in?? Well... alright. So finally at 9 we closed the line and there was still a 50 minute wait time. Right at 9 the ride stopped! Fifteen minutes later the ride started again. We didn't get the last Guest through until 9:45. I was off at 10 and wasn't signed up for anything so I left.

When I got to the bus stop there were at least 50 people waiting to get on the one single bus that would arrive at 10:10. The 10:10 bus showed up and was packed. Luckily one of my fellow Cast Members took pity on my training buddy and me and took us home. My roommate (who I didn't know was in the wolf pack of bus riders) didn't get home until 11:20 and she got off at 9:45. The busses here are crazy, and slightly not as effective as one would hope. I'm SO grateful for the co-Cast Member who took me home.

That was my day. I hope yours was wonderful and I hope your Sunday is even better. :)

Three Days

I have found that there is SO much to write about that when you miss a day it's extremely overwhelming to try and write about everything when you miss some days. :)

So...

The yummy baguette I had.

Where I had lunch, and got my yummy bread.

Wednesday was my day off. I slept in which was great and then went to Epcot where I spent and hour or two in France and then walked around the rest. I liked France. I ate really yummy bread and saw this amazing video. They had this cool imax type of theater and showed an overview of places in France. Beautiful! I'm jealous that Chris got to spend two years there. I bet it's much better in person.

Epcot!

I also visited Italy, Morocco, and Germany as well. After that I went to the Magic Kingdom and spent some time on Main Street. Just looking at shops. I wanted it to be a quieter day.

A cool mask I saw in Italy.

Thursday I had my extra shift. It was fun. I jumped between just about every position and had a lot of fun. I'm making friends with my co-cast members which is nice. There was one interesting thing on Thursday. I was working on Mountain 3 (we're kind of like an extra Grouper but if there were ever an emergency we're the ones with the power, which is kinda scary) when one of my managers came over. I can't think of her name now. I've met her one time before this. She came over looking for something in lost and found and stopped to talk to me. She was very nice and asked me about my major and where I was from. We had a nice little chat. She also told me that she had been impressed with me when she'd seen me get down "on the kids' level" while I was working at a different position. I was pleased because first of all I didn't even know she'd been there. I still can't remember ever having seen her yesterday before she came and talked to me. Second I don't remember talking to kids. I mean, I did, but I don't remember. LOL The managers here are so nice. Today I noticed one standing with a coordinator while I was working Restraint. I hope I'm making a good impression, and more importantly I hope I'm standing out and I'm not just one of a crowd.

Today was fun. I got to work in Tower some more which made me feel a little more confident, made some more new friends, talked about my wedding, and had great experiences with the guests. There was a group of boys who were blowing me kisses as they went through. They came through twice because they were happy that I talked to them. It was a good day.

So that's the short version of my three days. :)

“Mom! That’s the girl…”

Going off the same idea as last night’s post, today my first assignment was to give Space Pilot Magical Moments! I found out that that means that I go to Unload and pick families and take them back up and let them ride again with no wait. :) I took the first family after only five minutes. I didn’t have to redeploy again for another fifteen minutes so I decided to find another family. I grabbed a dad and his two boys. Later I was working on Merge Point (which basically means I direct traffic) and the boys and their dad were back again with their mother. The dad and the younger boy went through and the older boy turned around to his mom. As they walked through I heard him say “Mom! That’s the girl who let us go on the ride again!” Hehe! I loved it.

Today was very slow, but still a good day. :) I picked up an extra eight hours which is nice. Tomorrow is my day off. I’m excited.

Have a great day everyone!

Best Job Ever...

I had more neat experiences today! I love my job!!

I jumped between Grouper (the person who asks “how many in your party” and then tells you where to sit) and Load (the person who stands there and waves at you as they send you into the dangers of the roller coaster with nothing but a little lap bar to keep you in) tonight. I was pressing my buttons as usual and smiling and waving more than anyone in the place, and this lovely southern lady came through with a huge group of people. One of her friends got in before her and she was pointing at me and telling her to notice how happy I was. “If everyone were as happy as she is I’d never worry about getting on another roller coaster in my life.” Ah! It made me even happier than I already was! Every time I started feeling tired tonight I thought of that lady and kept smiling and waving. By the time the night was over my wrist was sore I’d waved so much.

Another time I was also at Load and this family of four through. I got the group in front of them onto the ride and the mom leaned over to her son and I heard her tell him that he had nothing to worry about and that the kids in front of him were way younger than he was. I was confused at first but then I started loading the little boy and his family. The little boy was white as a ghost and absolutely scared to go on the ride. I had a few extra seconds before I had to send off their rocket so I went over and helped him push down his lap bar and got down on my knee next to him and he was looking at me. I told him that this ride didn’t go any faster than his car at home. In fact his car at home goes twice as fast as this little ride. I promised him that he would be okay and went back to my station. The little boy wasn’t as excited as I’ve seen little boys be about this ride, but he absolutely lit up. He didn’t look scared anymore! I completely forgot to look at his parents, and I have no idea if that little boy actually enjoyed the ride, but I felt good about being able to make him feel a little better.

There was another little boy named Ryan who came through with his dad while I was Grouper and it was his birthday. He turned seven, and I let him sit right in front. :) Tonight I had kisses blown at me, one guy called me sexy, and I had little kids practically jumping out of their seats to wave back at me. This job is so much more wonderful when you just put in a little extra effort to make people smile. It’s exhausting, but it should be. Brother Bates told me once that at the end of a rehearsal you should be dead on your feet because acting is physically and emotionally draining. If I’m being paid to be an actor here, then it’s the same kind of thing. It doesn’t matter what’s going on in the outside world, when you’re onstage that’s your life, those are you feelings, and you do whatever your director tells you to do. My director, Walt Disney, said I should make dreams come true. Being one of at least 40 working Space Mountain there’s not a lot I can do, but I’ll do the very best I can to make his show what he wanted it to be.

Have I told everyone yet that I love my job? I do. I love it. It’s perfect for me.

Assessment Day!

Yesterday I passed my assessment with flying colors! :)

The very first thing we did was take a written test with 122 questions on it about different things that happen in Space Mountain. It took Stephen (my training buddy) and I about an hour to finish. I think we both missed only about ten questions. There isn't a set number you have to get right or wrong. The person who is the proctor for the assessment goes over the test with you and if he feels like you know the information it doesn't matter too much.

Besides the written test we also go through each position and take over from whoever is there and show our assessor that we know the position well enough to be left alone to do it. When we finished our written test we were ahead of schedule and were able to get a head start on the outside positions. We took turns and it wasn't too difficult. I was surprised that we were both okay considering how much had happened between the first couple of days when we were trained on those, and the day of our assessment.

After lunch we met with one of our managers. His name was Brian. He asked us about the four basics that we are supposed to uphold and talked about why the managers would need to take disciplinary action. I really like my managers so far. They're nice, and enjoy their jobs and I really appreciate that.

We then finished the rest of the positions. We practiced storing rockets, and took over load, and restraint, and grouper. It was fun being able to do some of the jobs. Others I'm still a little nervous about, but confidence will come with practice.

We passed and were able to take the "earning my ears" badges off our name tags.

Today we tried to get to church, but missed the bus and weren't able to make it in time to get to the bus stop in time to be picked up. So instead we came home and now we're listening to the CES fireside from a few weeks ago. Two of us missed it. It's very good.

The other day I was reading my scriptures and I realized something very similar to the topic of this fireside. I was feeling a little homesick. I know, it seems crazy! How could anyone feel down at Disney World?? I love Disney World and I won't ever stop, but being across the country from my family and finace can be a little overwhelming. Anyway, I realized that Heavenly Father wants us to have great desires, but he doesn't want us to focus on them so much that we forget to enjoy right now. It seems like Heavenly Father wants us to strive for more, but to be content with the good things we have right now. It seems contradictory, but I have found that being content and striving for more can be applied at the same time. We can love the good things in our lives and still want to fix the bad things. It's all about our attitude.

I am grateful for the blessings in my life. I am grateful for the wonderful things that I am able to do.

Have a WONDERFUL Sunday everyone, and thanks again for reading.

Assessment Tomorrow!

It's going to be short tonight.

Tomorrow is my assessment. There will be a 122 question multiple choice test, a 2 or 3 hour thing where you're tested on actually doing the jobs, and then an hour you spend with the manager. It will be a long day.

I can't wait until I pass the assessment. I feel confident in my job, and I think I'll do very well tomorrow.

Goodnight all and thanks for reading. :)

“This is Not a Normal Break Down”

Closing Space Mountain is not difficult and generally takes about fifteen minutes to close both the Alpha and Omega tracks. Tonight, however, we were being trained on how to handle emergency stops, and evacuations. This included causing the ride to break down so we could fix it.

After we E-stopped the track we practiced going out and jogging rockets from place to place on the track like we would in a normal evacuation. When we got to Zone 10 (actually one of the first zones on the track) we found the rocket right where we knew it would be. We called the people on the computers to help us get that section of track going. We tried the first time…. nothing. We tried the second time…… nothing. We powered down the ride and restarted it…… nothing. In the end we had to call maintenance.

When maintenance got there one of our managers came with him. We managed to get the train off the track and finish evacuation training in time to clock out without going over our shift. It was quite impressive. N o pictures. Pictures backstage are a big no-no.

Besides that, today has been pretty leisurely. I got up at 9 a.m. and went and worked out which was kind of fun. Then I went to work a little early and saw different parts of the backstage area. I had a low blood sugar today while we were training. After 11 years on a pump one would think that it wouldn’t be such a big deal when I can handle emergency situations like an unexpected and untimely low. We had a scheduled break about a half hour after I started feeling icky and didn’t feel like the low was bad enough to call for an early break. SO! I started a temporary basal rate that would only last for that half hour and would cut all insulin from my pump. For those of you who don’t know I get a steady amount of insulin every hour. By increasing or decreasing that amount I can increase or decrease my blood sugar. Tonight I stopped it completely for just a half hour. I tested at dinner and I was only 73. I was so excited. Such a little thing, but it made me happy. :)

After all that I did ask my trainer what I would do in a normal work situation if that happened. Sometimes when I’m low I don’t think very clearly and would rather not put someone in danger because of that. He said I’d call control and they’d send an immediate replacement so I could have a quick break.

So that’s all for tonight.

Hollywood Studios

My first day off! I slept till 10 a.m.! It was amazing.

Hollywood Studios!

We saw this great show on the Backlot Tour. We got to use the special effects that they used in Pearl Harbor. This was just one of many, but it was so funny I had to post it.

Take a seat. You don't even know what's coming.

Pretend you're on the phone with the Captain.

Oh the water? Don't worry about that.

Hehe you're gonna get wet.

Yep. Soaked. :)

After spending a leisurely morning getting ready for the day my roommate, Becca, and I went to Hollywood Studios. On the way we met up with John, a guy who lives downstairs. Hollywood Studios is smaller and less crowded than The Magic Kingdom which seemed perfect for today.

We rode on the movie ride that I can't remember the name of. It had Singing in the Rain in it, Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, and a few other movies I've never seen before. It was very cool. I can't quite remember what all we did exactly but Becca and I rode Tower of Terror, and we rode The Rockin' Roller Coaster, and we went on the Toy Story ride, and the Muppet's Show. It was fun.

My very favorite part of the day was (can you guess?) The Beauty and the Beast show that they have. It was a shortened version of the movie and the costumes were incredible. I loved the dancing. I took a ton of pictures and got a lot of ideas for the day I ever direct that show. It was very cool. I want to play Belle so badly! Maybe someday.

The grand finale of the show.

I'm tired tonight. I'm so glad I have tomorrow off as well. Then it will be back to work.

Thanks for reading! 

"I think I killed my trainee..."

Four a.m. workdays are really difficult. I've decided I'd much rather be up late than get up SO early. Today we took a fifteen minute break and I put my head down and promptly fell sound asleep. My trainer, Peter, came over and said to my training buddy Stephen "Oh dear. I think I killed my trainee." Which, of course, I didn't even  notice or know about until lunch time when Stephen told me. :P

Today was almost like a review of everything we've done. We walked the track again this morning pointing out the different important stations and rehearsing what you do on them. After that we went to "the tower" where the ride controls are and opened that. It was really exciting at first because you're juggling four phones and a thousand buttons and twelve surveillance screens. It's a two person job. :) After all the buttons have been pressed in the right order, and guests have been allowed in all I do is sit and watch surveillance monitors and make sure nothing bad happens. It gets a little boring.

After we finished up with the tower we took a break and that's when I fell asleep. After that we ran as fast as we could through the absolutely pouring rain and sat in a room and read through different operational policies. After my nice nap I didn't fall asleep. :) After that it was lunch time.

After lunch we went back to the room and read some more. Then we reviewed how to store rockets, and went over how to work at merge points and groupers. Then it was time to go home. It was exciting. Now it's my weekend and I'm very happy. :) I get to stay up late and sleep in and go to the parks and play tomorrow! Yah!!

Thanks for reading everyone!!

Two Days

Sorry about no post for yesterday. I posted one for the day before and then didn't write the new one.

It has been a hectic two days. Yesterday we had pretty easy (dull) basic training where we went over safety procedures again. I guess we can never go over those too many times. After lunch though we got to try out different positions. My favorites were Greeter (the person who directs traffic in the lines) and Fastpass Distribution (the person who helps with the tricky Fastpass machines). After that we tried out the Unloading positions 1 and 2. Space Mountain stopped running twice yesterday. I got to help hand out fastpasses to compensate guests. The second time was right before I left. It was a very interesting day.

Today started at a grand 4 a.m. It was such an early wake up call! I can't believe I managed to stay alive today. When I got to work we hiked the ride tracks. It's so similar to theater catwalks. It amazed me how similar it all is to theater. After walking the first track we opened the second. It was a lot of information to take in and I can only remember pieces now. We'll do it again tomorrow.

After that we read another chapter going over what opening Cast Members do. Then we got to go and be loaders. We pressed buttons and made the rides work. We got to do the Restraint position which I think is added to my list of favorites. We got to see the Tower and will be more extensively trained on it tomorrow. It'll be great.

I'm tired today, but looking forward to my two days off on Tuesday and Wednesday! It will be wonderful to sleep in.

Today we got to help a child find his lost parents. I almost cried. The little boy was sobbing and we stopped and talked with him and then found his parents. When he saw his dad he yelled "Daddy!" and ran into his teary parents arms. Ah! It was so sweet. I had to choke back the tears. And then felt silly because I was with two guys. LOL oh well.

Today's been another great day. I'll sleep well tonight!

Thanks for reading. :)

The Best Place to Work Ever :)

I’m in love. Head over heels in love. With Chris, of course. :) But also with this place. Tonight I’m feeling so inspired by Disney. I’ll get into that in a minute.

Today started at 6 a.m. I started work at 8 a.m. and got to be a part of the opening events for Tomorrowland. Every day Tomorrowland chooses a family and they get to ride whatever they want first. One of our trainers chose the family. While he took the family to their ride of choice the rest of us stood and talked to the guests waiting outside our land. It was exciting to finally interact with guests. There were two little boys right in front who were very excited to get in. One was eleven and the other was five. We had a nice Space Traveler to Space Traveler talk about Buzz Lightyear and Space Mountain. It was great! I can’t wait for more things like that.

After Tomorrowland opened we spent the day learning about Fastpasses and reloading machines, we learned the role of Greeters, and we saw the individual break rooms for those working in different parts of Tomorrowland. After a while we ate lunch and then spent three hours going over regulations for our park. It sounds boring, and it was a little, but it was wonderful at the same time. After three or four exhausting days it was great to have a day with a little less craziness. So much has been packed into the last few days that it feels like I’ve been here for weeks already. My fellow Cast Members and I are having trouble remembering what day of the week it is.

Why am I in love with this place? Tonight Chris asked me why I was at Disney. It’s something I’ve been thinking about since I got here. Not in a bad, or homesick way. I wanted to come to Disney since I heard about the program, but I didn’t think I’d ever really do it. I didn’t think I was “big” enough for that, “big” meaning I didn’t think I had the personality to work in the happiest place on earth. I know all of you are thinking “yeah right, I’d have placed you with Disney in a heartbeat.” “You are your own worst critic” as the saying goes.

In the first few days of our training the goal of the classes we take are to teach us the basics of working with Disney, obviously, but also to inspire us into the kinds of “actors” they want for the part they’ve cast us in. We watch videos of fellow Cast Members talking about the program, we listen to people tell about little moments that could reach into the coldest of hearts and spark warmth, we watch old videos of Walt Disney himself, we watch Guests in the park; all in the hopes that we will realize the magnitude of what we’re a part of.

There are a few things that have really touched me as I’ve gone through this inspiring process. These are out of order. I realized that this isn’t as big a leap from a normal, everyday job as I had originally thought it would be. All of what I will learn to do here is going to be applicable to every job I have for the rest of forever.

One of the first insights I had was probably something I should have thought of, but didn’t realize. The people I will see every day might have saved their money for years to make this trip. They are expecting the time of their lives. That’s a big deal. I will see them for two or three minutes at the most and I can either help with that dream, or I can take it down a few notches. When you’re dealing with people’s dreams you’re working with the most fragile stuff in the world.

Another insight that I had is that this is the first time that I will ever be paid to act. Disney World is a monster of a theatrical show. The Cast Members are the actors and the Guests are the audience. Theater is my career. It’s my passion. I can do this because this is something I love very very much.

All of these insights, particularly the second two, have really made me think. After I realized that I would never be an astronaut, or a movie star, I decided that if I could do one thing in this life that I would want to change someone’s life in some small way. I always thought that that wouldn’t begin for many years when I started teaching. Through this program it will start a lot sooner.

I’m glad to be at Disney World. It’s not just a theme park, or a job. It’s not just a place for Guests. It’s not just a place for Disney Princesses and Mickey Mouse. It’s for anyone who just wants to imagine that the world isn’t as big and scary as it is and that is a really big deal.

Sorry to write and run to bed

"You work for the Mouse, don't you."

The past few days I've wanted to start every post with "what a day", and then I realize that if I start that way it'll be the opening line to every entry! Every day will be different with different ups and downs. I also thought that perhaps I should put my journalism class to work and write like a journalist... but that's a lot of work so we'll see. There is a lot to tell about tonight.

My day started at a very early 5 a.m. this morning. I caught the bus to my first day of training at 6 a.m. and promptly fell asleep on the bus. I wonder what people think when they see their fellow Cast Members nodding off like that. We got to Disney University and were directed into a cafeteria with others who would be working in the Magic Kingdom. After making some new friends we were split into two groups. The first group left for the park right away, while the rest of us sat at our tables and listened to two of the sweetest ladies you've ever met teach us about the principles we keep at Disney. Following a short, interesting lecture we boarded a bus and got to the park.

We switched buses a few times in a very confusing fashion. After just five or ten minutes we were delivered directly to the front entrance to the Magic Kingdom! We got to see the park open and the dancers and welcome our Guests receive. It was impressive, and surprisingly freezing. We were all shivering in our business casual. We entered the park and were given a tour to top all tours. In the years leading up to the building of Disney, Walter Disney was buying land in central Florida. It was all swamp land. Using different names, Disney kept the purchasing of this land under wraps. The state was in an uproar over who was buying the land. After about half the acres needed a reporter was determined to find the answer. She scheduled an interview with Walter Disney. Her first question was if Disney was purchasing the land in central Florida. He said "no, it would take thousands of dollars to cultivate the land" and continued with the interview. The reporter asked again and got several of the same answers. The reporter went away and was disappointed with his answers. A little ways away from Disney's place the reporter thought "for someone who isn't buying the land, he sure knows a lot about it". The headlines in the newspaper the next day read "Disney's the one". Land prices in central Florida went from $180 per acre to (I think the number was) $80 thousand in a week. Somehow they were still able purchase the land and over time were able to create the Disney World we know and love today.

Long story short, we hiked around Magic Kingdom and then met the people who would begin training us on our individual jobs. We got our first schedules and I'm proud to announce that I AM WORKING ON SPACE MOUNTAIN. I was hoping to work for this attraction.

The title of this post came from a man at the Subway in Walmart today. I was trying something new (a steak and cheese sandwich) because I didn't want to cook tonight. I was asking the man behind the counter what he would suggest to put on this sandwich. What on earth do you put with a steak sandwich? Cucumbers? Tomatoes? This was all very new for me. He laughed and helped me order this sandwich and at the end I told him I'd love trying the spicy sauce. His reply was that I must be from out of town. I confirmed and he said "You must work for the Mouse, don't you." I laughed. It made my night. :)

At the end of our day we received our costumes and we were able to go home. I am VERY excited to start work and get to work with the Guests. This job becomes more and more a dream come true for me every day. Tomorrow I start at 8 a.m. with more training. I wish I could write down everything I'm feeling about now. I am so honored to be working here. This is already the experience of a lifetime. I'm so excited.

Thanks for reading everyone!

DISNEY WORLD!!

Today was GREAT! Today I went to Disney World for the first time ever. I got to meet Belle!!!!!! She was pretty! I liked her dress. I also met Cinderella, Aurora, Tiana and Prince Naveen. It was fun.

I rode Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, the Brainstormer, and a lot of other rides I can't remember now.

I am amazed that I get to work for this amazing company. "We create happiness," is the first part of the work goal. What they're teaching us as employees is so similar to things we learn at BYU-I all the time. This three month job will be one of the greatest experiences of my life I think. I get to make a difference, and grow all at the same time.

I have lots of pictures! :D

I felt like a little kid. Notice the cheesy, HUGE smile on my face. LOL

I also met Sleeping Beauty.

And Cinderella. I think she was the cutest Princess there.

It has been a wonderfully exhausting day. :) I'm very excited to have finally been to Disney World.

Grocery Day!

There is an amazing bus system for the Disney Cast Members that goes to a Super Center Walmart! It's amazing! Considering the closest grocery store to my apartment is two miles away I'm very grateful for the bus system today.

After a standard housing meeting this morning we had the rest of the day to ourselves. I used my time to get groceries. Now I'm not sure what I'll do. I have nothing to do until tomorrow morning at 6:45 a.m. when I catch a bus to my first paid day at Disney!

Hurry up and Wait

This morning I woke up just at the right time to get ready for today, eat breakfast, pack up everything, and get down to the van that takes me back to the airport. When I got to the airport I got to the bus station and headed for Disney!  The drive was pretty and only took about a half an hour. When we got to the welcome area they took our bags and stored them for us while we waited in lines. We were waiting to get our housing paperwork taken care of. We filled out contracts, and contact sheets, and were given room numbers, and keys, and housing ID passes. We finally got to the end of the line and were hoping for that time to run home and put our stuff away. Instead we sat for awhile and waited for the bus to take us to the casting building. It was beautiful. The Disney style goes into everything including the architecture of the business buildings on Disney property. The doors we went through at the front of this building had the Alice in Wonderland doorknobs (which are unique to only the Disney version of that movie). We spent three hours waiting in line after line after line. We were doing all the normal stuff you would do when you get a job; filling out W4s, signing paperwork, writing your social security number a hundred times. The only part of the three hours I spent waiting in that building that I can remember is the guy who took my paperwork at the end, being finger printed, having a background check run on me, and having my picture taken at the end. Altogether those things took a total of maybe ten minutes. What I did for the other 2 hours and 50 minutes I cannot remember.

When we finished at the Casting building we went and picked up our luggage. Come to find out my backpack, which I’d chosen to leave in the care of those storing the luggage, had been left sitting in a puddle of water inside the tent. Luckily this morning I’d listened to the promptings to move all my books to the bottom of my bag, move my camera equipment to the top, and to take my laptop with me. The only damage done was to my Book of Mormon which is now drying on my dresser. By the time I got home I was exhausted and thrilled to finally get to my apartment and unpack.  Two young men helped me bring my heavy suitcases up the stairs. I opened my door and what a surprise! My apartment is HUGE! Mommy says that it’s just a regular size apartment and that if I were to be renting one in a normal situation (besides schooling) this is the size the apartment would be. Compared to the dorm room sized apartments I’ve been living in, these apartments are very big. There are four of us to the one apartment. The room is bigger than my room at home, the bathroom has a walk in closet and could probably fit a twin sized bed in it. I think it’s ginormous .

After unpacking I went with my new friend Cherika to dinner and stopped at Walgreens to get breakfast for tomorrow morning. Tomorrow we have a housing meeting and the rest of the day to grocery shop and settle in. After that we have the “Traditions” meeting which is where we begin training. Thursday will begin my actual training and from there I will be told to do.

It is very warm here! Every time you go outside you expect the chill and it never comes. It’s going to be fun to see what this experience brings.

On My Way

I'm in Florida!

It has been a long day of traveling. We started at 3 this morning on the drive to Portland. We got through security without problems and at 7:30 I took off for Chicago. In Chicago I had a two hour layover; enough time to eat and recover a little. At 3:55 I took off for Orlando. The flight to Orlando was shorter than the one to Chicago. It was only supposed to be two and a half hours. It was clear until about 30,000 feet when it got foggy.  From there the flight was turbulent. When I finally got to Orlando I rode on a monorail and got my bags and took a bus to my hotel.

Tomorrow morning I'll get myself to the check in point and begin learning about my place in Disney's workforce. It will be very exciting.

Thanks for reading!

PS I saw both sunrise and sunset from the sky today. This happens to be sunrise.