All Children Grow Up

Hm. I guess it's been a while since I last posted. Between my last post and today I had 2 days off and 3 days of work (2 of which were training days).

I spent my days off relaxing. My first day I went home to do laundry (the joys of being from Orlando!) and then saw Illuminations at EPCOT and Wishes at Magic Kingdom with my roommate, Michelina. While we were at MK we also rode Aladdin's Magic Carpets and Splash Mountain. We had the best time on these 2 rides, the first of which we probably had a little too much fun with. Something exciting about spinning in the air while controlling whether we go up or down! On Splash Mountain we made 2 hysterical faces for the picture, but of course we have no money, so it was no picture for us. When we first started traveling home we figured we'd be getting up early for a day at Animal Kingdom the next day. Yeah, that idea didn't make it past the night. We decided sleeping in would be our best option.

Wednesday was a lazy day, but we did make it over to Property Control to get a $25 television for the apartment (among other discounted items). We had to move the TV ourselves, which proved to be quite the challenge! Aside from getting Michelina's head stuck between the car roof and the television, it was somewhat of a success. I also got a fun 50 cent pair of sunglasses, as well as a $1 bag. (We ended up going back the next day and found even more sale items... it's a dangerous place!) Wednesday night Michelina and I met up with some of my pre-CP Orlando friends. I love that I don't have to leave so many things behind, and I loved that I was able to mesh the two friend groups together =D

Of course, after 2 days off it's hard to go back into work, especially if you don't have work until late in the evening. This was my Thursday. It felt like such a chore to show up to work, but I got there eventually, and of course loved being there. This rain is awful though. Every day it rains (welcome to Florida summers) and the crowds push into the stores where they stand in the worst possible places, buy nothing, and are amused by nothing. We do our best to keep them entertained though. On Thursday I got to declare one little girl "Trivia Princess of the Day" and gave her a celebrating badge and Magical Moment certificate. Her family was so happy I got to take a picture with her (yay!!!).

Friday I spent training on the cash apron cart over by Briar Patch. Let's just say that the heat makes many people need either water or squeeze breeze fans, and those are all that we sell at that cart.

Today was fun, save for waking up at 5:30AM to be at work for a 7AM shift. Today I trained on Cotton Candy and Leather Treaty. We started the morning by bagging 55 bags of blue cotton candy, which, though tedious, was very easy--even the clean up! In the afternoon we learned how to engrave leather bracelets and put in rivets or buttons. We even got to practice on a little strip that would make a good keychain.

My little keychain leather strap, made it myself!

Today was my favorite training day because I trained with another former cast member, so our trainer knew from the start that we knew what we were doing. She showed us how to do everything first, and then basically let us work the stations on our own. She was, by far, my favorite trainer. It down-poured just as I was leaving work today, and then I couldn't find my car! Even when I found it I did not remember parking there this morning! I headed straight to West Side AMC 24 to meet my dad for a Fork and Screen presentation of Bad Teacher. The movie was, surprisingly, hysterical. I also felt a sense of empowerment, meeting Dad after work and then paying for dinner and a movie. It made me feel adult, which is, after all, what I am these days. As much as working for Disney makes me feel like a kid, I'm here because I'm ready to start my career. After all, all children grow up, except one =P

PS: One of the parades that passes us is the afternoon, Celebrate a Dream Come True parade. The music gets stuck in my head most of the day =P Check it out.

Rewards of the Job

So it's been a bit since I last posted. I've been pushing myself through this last hump of work days in my 7-day straight work schedule. Tomorrow is the last one, and I cannot wait for the break!

These past few days I worked in the Trading Post, the biggest pin store in the park. Let me tell you, I wasn't into pin trading before I started the CP, but now I'm all invested! I love my pins, and it actually sort of pains me to trade some of them. As soon as I can I'm gonna buy my own starter set so I can actually keep some pins!

I wish I had the time to blog at the end of each work day. There are always so many stories I want to share! One from Friday shines above all the rest, though. On Friday I got my first GSF! A GSF is a Great Service Fanatic card. Any of your fellow employees (esp. managers) can give them to you when they see you, or hear about you going above and beyond to make a guest happy. Earlier last week I had been jealous because I knew 2 people who got GSFs on their first day of in-costume training and I never got one at DHS. Today I got one for going and getting toy guns from the closed cart outside so the people could buy them. It wasn't too big of a deal, but my manager was impressed. As soon as I got backstage I started jumping up and down and skipping to get my lunch. I was THRILLED. I'm really excited about the management team I'm working with. They all seem really happy and I can feel that they'll help me achieve my goals within the company.

Today was both wonderful and exhausting. I had a 9 hour shift, which shouldn't have been too bad, but a few people called in, so all our breaks were late and I had to extend a tiny bit so I could close Big Al's. I also had a moment today where I had to ask a coworker to take over my register for a minute so I could go backstage and vent out a little bit of frustration. Let's just say it's not always laughs and smiles when talking with guests.

My first part of today was spent greeting on the porch. I handed out lots of Mickey stickers and talked a lot with two young girls before the parade. One of the boys I gave a sticker to handed me a card that said "You deserve an award!" and had his name and hometown on it. SO adorable! It meant so much more than getting a GSF. Really we're in the business to make guests happy, so it's great getting feedback from them!

Towards the end of my porch shift I had a manager come up to me and talk with me about how great an attitude I have and what a great example I set for the new CPs. Like I said earlier, I kind of love my management team.

Tomorrow I get off at 8, so hopefully I'll have more time to blog about what exciting things happen then! Until next time <3

Hey Howdy Hey, I'm Taking Those Bubbles Away

My feet are officially killing me. I had bought the Dr. Scholls for heel support, but they kept slipping in the shoe today and giving me blisters on the back of my heel. So much for heel support.

Let it also be official that I am acclimated to the Frontierland way of life. Yup, it's happened: I greeted someone with "Howdy" when not on the clock. It has become the new way to greet people. Forget "Hey," "Hi" and "Hello". What kinda character do those greetings have?

Today was my first day working on my own without a trainer, and I feel for the most part I did a good job. I have to say though, rarely is my patience tested while on the job. Usually I keep an upbeat attitude... but today I almost snapped at a guest. It was 30 minutes before the Main Street Electrical Light Parade when someone came up to purchase a bubble gun.

---Side Note---

Before this job the last time I encountered a bubble gun was waiting for the Light Parade. A little girl I was sitting next to kept blowing bubbles and the wind kept blowing them in my face and also on the professional camera I had that day. Now bubbles are NOT water. They are NOT harmless... they are STICKY! The little girl's parents said nothing, even when I asked her to stop. This is where my favorite phrase "You need a license to bring children here" came from.

---Flash Forward---

Without giving too much away (I really shouldn't since this is a public blog) let's just say that the Bubble guns are NOT a good investment. And when someone asks you too many questions about an object that you honestly can't stand, it's hard not to just tell them to walk away from the object.

That was really the only bad parts about today (Bubble guns and sore feet). I did enjoy spending my first break in the West Side Grab-n-Go, which has very few tables. I sort of liked this because it forces you to talk with other people in your area, instead of sitting at a 4 person table by yourself, like at Hollywood Studios.

I also noticed today that many people thank you when you ask to see an accompanying ID with their unsigned credit card. This was something I did not expect, as many people just want to purchase things as fast as possible so they can get on the rides.

Forgive me, my thoughts are quite scrambled today. Personally, the day didn't start out that great. My mom left a message on my phone that my Uncle was in the hospital with some severe condition and he wasn't doing that well. I can't say Disney and work were at the forefront of my mind at work today. As of right now, no more news on that subject.

The best part of my day was after I clocked out. While on the bus back to the parking lot I kept hearing this bangs that sounded like something was caught in the wheel of the bus. I couldn't understand why no one was reacting, until I looked behind me in the window and saw the beginning of Wishes, the fireworks show at Magic Kingdom! After I got off the bus I got right in my car and opened the windows and watched the rest of the show. Wishes, if it's possible, is even more spectacular without the music. The pure sound of fireworks made watching the show a bit surreal. In it's own way, it was magical.

And then when I got home the new Harry Potter trailer was up. I can't believe it's less than a month until it premieres! SO wickedly AWESOME!

Magical Moments

Today was a much better day. With the same trainer as yesterday, finally we had an understanding that yes, I've been here many times before, and yes, I have worked for Disney, and yes, I am a fast learner. Today was wonderful!

We started the day off at Big Al's, our only outside cart. This is the place where we sell the controversial fake guns, among other things. Despite the disturbing images of teen guests picking up the guns and pretending to shoot me (seriously... how WRONG is that?), this is by far my favorite location. Perhaps it's because my job at DHS was outside, perhaps it's because you get to greet guests who don't normally come by your store, but the reason I loved it is because of the magical moments. In Merchandise, Magical Moments are more like magical opportunities to make a guest feel special. This can be by playing a game with them in the store, giving them free stickers, or sometimes we give out special certificates. Well, today at Big Al's we got to play horseshoes. This alone was fun, but one of our many players was able to get both his horseshoes right around the little pole. After congratulating him I got him a little certificate for him being a Sharp Shooter and then made this announcement: "Hear ye! Hear ye! I would like everyone here to please join me in congratulating Kian for being awarded Sharp Shooter of the Day! Yeee-hawww!" (Yup... just like that). I swear, at the end of this program I'm going to end up talking with a Southern Drawl.

Later in the day we took (and passed!) our assessments that meant we're now officially certified to work Merchandise, meaning I can now pick up shifts anywhere else on property! Yeee-haww! Whoops... that's gonna keep coming out now, isn't it? We also worked in the candy shop where I've decided cutting candied apples is the most dangerous thing I've ever done. We have to wear hairnets in the candy shop... yeah, moving on.

We had our manager's meeting today about policy and procedures. This time our manager was Michael, our cast recognition specialist. I can tell that I'm going to enjoy working with him! He's very personable and reminds me of my old leader, Sam at DHS. He also works in cast recognition, so he's in charge of creating parties for the cast members in our area, which is really awesome. In school we studied about employee morale and ways to create a unified workforce, and in Frontierland Merchandise it certainly seems like everyone gets along well! Today was so much better in terms of positive attitude, friendliness and overall I'm now SO excited to continue working here.

After my shift ended I went into the Cast Learning Center, where we have a mini-library full of books and movies (books are either Disney or work-related, movies are all Disney). Here I rented The Black Cauldron DVD, Once Upon a Mattress DVD (with Matthew Morrison and Zooey Deschannel), and a book entitled The Imagineers' Guide into Disney's Hollywood Studios (what can I say? I just can't leave it alone!)

I'm looking forward to a quiet evening at home tonight, possibly watching one of the movies and flipping through my book. I don't have work until 1:30PM tomorrow, so sleeping in will feel WONDERFUL!

Until next time <3

Well Howdy Partner! Happy Trails!

Today was my first day actually on the registers and working with guests in some of the Frontierland shops. Unlike Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom is VERY big on themes... so today was full with bunches of Howdys, Partners, and Happy Trails. At first I didn't understand why these specialized greetings were so important (we didn't really use them at DHS) but every time I ended a transaction with "Happy Trails" the guests all smiled to themselves and the adults looked like children. And there's the magic of the Magic Kingdom. It really is a place where adults can be kids again and where dreams do come true.

That being said, I was around a lot of negative people today. I had trainers and stockers and other cast members who, instead of greeting us and trying to welcome us told us everything they hated about the company, the park, our area and our managers. It certainly wasn't a very Disney welcome, and it filled me with bits of trepidation at the idea of starting anew in this area, but I think in the end it will all work out.

My trainer gave me a hard time today because I kept trying to go one step ahead of her. Needless to say, I've been like that kid in third grade who really should have been in fourth, so I act like a know-it-all. I'm also a quick learner, so what I didn't know, I learned in 5 minutes. I really try to tone it down, but I can't pretend that I don't know how to use a cash register when there are guests in need of assistance. I can't pretend I forgot to ask about package pickup because I did. At one point my trainer even asked a guest if I was lying about asking her about package pickup. Seriously? I know it was a joke and all, but it's becoming obvious that this training program just isn't prepared to work with transfer Cast Members. Once again, they assume I know nothing and go from there.

A lot of guests asked questions about DHS and Fantasmic, which is really my forte. At least my trainer accepted I knew a bit more in this area. =D

Tomorrow is my assessment, so wish me luck!

Training and Playing and Resting, Oh My!

A week ago I moved into Patterson Court and what a week it's been! Between meeting new people, running to the parks, working and settling in I've barely had time to get my head on straight.

This post is going to cover a bunch, so be prepared!

Day 1 Merchandise Training - In Costume - Magic Kingdom

On Friday I had my first day of in costume training. It ran from 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM and in ways was a very laid back day. I met my trainer at costuming and she had me pick out a few more skirts. We then went into the Utiladors where I found my locker and placed said skirts. Then I was issued my very first pin lanyard, from which I could pin trade with the guests! This was the aspect I most looked forward to with Merchandise.

The day was spent learning more about the Utiladors, learning about all the shops I'll be working at, and e-Learning. Well, not really with the e-Learning. Most CPs will do e-Learning a lot their first few days, but a lot of my e-Learning was up-to-date thanks to being a previous CM. My trainer took me through the park and pointed out different locations, like where you can find Tiana, or how to describe the Haunted Mansion. If you read my previous post you must be realizing where I'm heading with this point. I spent most of the day trying to think of a polite way to explain to my trainer that I already know the entire layout of the MK, including rides and character locations. Failing to string proper words together, I simply smiled, nodded and let her believe I was learning new information. When I got a chance I would interject my own little tidbits or sometimes provide information about Hollywood Studios, my previous park. I think it worked well in the end, and despite myself, I did learn some new information about Magic Kingdom.

At the end of the day I had a meeting with one of my managers who asked who my favorite Disney character was... this is one of my least favorite questions as it changes so often, but I told him it used to be Belle, but currently it's Maximus from Tangled. He then taught me that Tangled, being the 50th Disney Animated Feature, has references from all 49 previous films. I'm planning to watch the film a couple times over the next few weeks so I can name some next time I see him.

During our meeting with the manager we went through the four Disney Service Basics, the last of which being: I go above and beyond. This is my favorite basic as I feel it encompasses what Disney service should always be. Not to mention, I love finding ways to go above and beyond. I'm excited in the coming weeks to put this basic into practice!

Merchantainment - Professional Attire - Disney University

The next day one of my roommates and I had the Merchantainment class (Merchandise + Entertainment = Merchantainment). I thought this meant we'd be learning about using merchandise to entertain our guests and create magical moments, but basically we just learned how to use the cash registers. This was mixed with some videos, powerpoint presentations and, yup, e-Learning. Well, this meant I got to go home 1.5 hours early, which was nice since this was the start of my 2 days off for the week. (I found out the next day that after Monday I'll be working 7 days straight before my next day off!)

Playing in the Park - Disney Hollywood Studios and Fantasmic!

One of my roommates got off early the same day I did Merchantainment, so we decided to go check out the last Star Wars Weekend over at Hollywood Studios. The park was surprisingly not as packed as I would have expected. We went straight over to Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage about 15 minutes before the show and still got decent seats. Afterwards we headed over to Muppets, which was walk-on, and then over to Toy Story Mania, which had a posted wait time of 70 minutes. We thought this was a decent time, so we got on the line. Well, just after we got on the Fast Pass attendant let TWO Brazilian Tour Groups (BTGs) into the FP line. This extended the wait to 110 minutes! Well, we had nothing else to do, so we decided to wait anyways.

Side Note: For years I have despised the BTGs and their LARGE parties, loud chants and cheers and rude attitudes towards others guests and Cast Members. Even the Brazilian CMs I know cannot stand them. The idea of letting TWO huge groups into Fast Pass at the same time was incomprehensible to me!

While we were in line the children all around us used the blocked off areas as play pins... this led me to issue one of my catch phrases: You need a license to bring kids here. Sometimes I wonder at parents who let their children run wild in a public setting, especially in blocked off areas. My feelings, I'm sure, have something to do with the way I was raised, but still: just because it's the Happiest Place on Earth does not make it the Safest Place on Earth. NOTE: There were also many well-behaved children in the park, more than misbehaving.

After we got off the ride we made our way over to Fantasmic for the 90+ minute wait for the first show. As soon as we got in the theatre we got caught up in not one, not two, but THREE BTGs who were all fighting to sit together. Sigh. We lucked out though. Just before we resigned ourselves to the fact we'd have to sit among the groups, the Ops CMs opened another column of seats which we were able to climb down and claim THIRD row seats! Later in the evening the BTGs were running up and down and around the stadium trying to start the wave, and then they kept chanting with each other. Eventually the new Brazilian Super Greeters and Ops Manager talked with their group leader to calm them down. The BTGs booed the CMs, but I was so excited that for the first time in 10 years, Disney seemed to be standing up to these groups!

Fantasmic was just as awesome as always, although it should be noted: if you're in the first 5-10 rows, you WILL get wet.

Days Off, Apartment Issues, Time at Home

Sunday and Monday were my days off, so I enjoyed being in the apartment most of the day yesterday. Some things any future CP should know about Patterson: the Internet is SLOW, so don't plan to play any games or watch many videos. Also, our cooking equipment is subpar, with not nearly enough pots and pans to cook a decent meal. If you can, bring some of your own knives, pots, and mixing bowls. Also, cookie sheets and cupcake pans.

Sunday night I went home to watch the Tonys with my dad and I'm here now finishing up this blog so I can return to my apartment. It's been wonderful being home, but I'm excited to go back to my new apartment with my roommates. Having 2 homes in Orlando? I can get used to that!

Between training and real work, I'm not sure when I'll get to post next, so until next time!

New ID, Fun at MK and First Day of Training

Between yesterday and today I am totally wiped out (sensing a common theme with these posts yet?) It's been an awesome past few days though and I'm excited to share some of it with all of you!

Yesterday was the Traditions day for all the new CPs, but since I'm a current CM I didn't have to take it. That meant a day off for me! At Traditions new Cast Members get their name tags and Cast IDs. If you remember from my post about move-in day, this was something I was slightly worried about because I knew I needed to get the CP version of these 2 objects (my name tag was given to me at Casting). I was also sad because my new ID would no longer have my picture on it.

With that in mind, my new friend (and returning CP), Mary and I went down to Access Control on Wednesday morning to get our new IDs. The line was fairly long, but apparently it was the first day they were giving out the new ID badges. Well, this was wonderful! Not only did I get the new all-blue ID card, but the guy who gave it to me (and to a select few other CPs) gave me an ID with my picture. Mary didn't get the same guy though, and they gave her a non-photo ID. I guess it's because the process was new, so there's a chance they may have me change my ID again, but for now I'll enjoy still having a photo-ID!

Last night my roommates were finally able to get into the park, so we decided to head over to MK for Wishes! and The Magic, the Memories and You. When we got to the park though, none of their passes worked. So when they went to ticketing they told them that they wouldn't be active for 24-hours. We had been told we'd be able to get in, and apparently the lady at the window was a, for lack of a better word, total bitch. So we decided to watch the fireworks from the beach at the Polynesian, but 5-minutes before they started we found out that other new CPs were getting in. Some of the group went to the park to check it out, while 2 of us stayed behind to watch the fireworks. If you haven't guessed by now, I'm OBSESSED with fireworks! After the fireworks ended we caught the boat from the Poly to the MK and were able to get in after asking a much nicer lady from ticketing. We enjoyed some smaller rides and were able to get some ice-cream at the parlor on main street. One of my roomies, Michelina got a candied apple in the shape of Mickey!

As much fun as last night was, we didn't get home til about 1AM, and I had to be at Disney University at 7:15AM! Let's just say waking up was NOT an easy feat to accomplish! Magic Kingdom park training is called "Once Upon A Time... Begins Now!" After hearing about this training and seeing the start of it previously, I was really excited for this training! Sadly, it didn't live up to my expectations. Most of the new information was not new for me. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I couldn't help feeling like I was above the training. I knew how to greet guests with the different badges, and I knew how to keep a smiling face. The one thing I was truly interested in was learning how to operate the Utiladors, but even that was lost since we never really explored them. The day was hot, the sun was bright and we were all in dress clothes. After spending my whole life in the theme parks, I absolutely abhorred being forced to keep opening my map to check for things. I am not a fan of the Disney maps.

I'm sorry. This probably sounds elitist to all those who don't really know me. I should probably update the About Me section to include more about why I know so much about the Disney parks. I still greatly appreciated the parts of training that I didn't know, like fun stories about Liberty Square and the communications board in the tunnels. And both my facilitators for the tour were highly positive and encouraging. If this was your first cast tour of a park, I'm sure you would have enjoyed it much more than I did.

I also got my costume today... pictures to come at a later time to be determined.

After getting out an hour early, I decided to head to Wal-Mart to get my costume shoes, stockings, and a few other essentials. I made it back to the apartment around 1:30PM and had to leave for my next shift at 5:20PM. Yup, today was another first: my first 2-park working day. About a week ago I picked up a Fantasmic shift at DHS, since I didn't have Traditions to help supplement my income this week. I was able to squeeze in a small nap in between shifts, so that was lovely! Now back at home I always left an hour before I had to clock in and made it to work in time. After traveling to and from Disney from my new apartment I figured I could leave 40 minutes before my DHS shift and still make it in time. Well, note to self, traffic sucks during rush hour. I got to the cast parking lot with 13 minutes left to park, go through the casting building and get across the park! It involved power walking and shin-splints, but I made it to the trailer with 2 minutes to spare! Go me!

Now, one thing they tell you at MK training is that their park is the best. It is the one that most people associate with Disney World, which is totally understandable. Their purpose, during Once Upon a Time... Is Now is to instill a sense of pride in MK. That being said, I missed my family at DHS. Even though I only worked maybe a total of 4 months with them, my time at ODF will always be my first Disney experience. It's always nice walking in the door and recognizing people and acting as though you never went away. I'm excited to work Fantasmic shifts when I can, even if it does mean more work. I am, however, also excited to see what kind of home I can make at MK Frontierland, and what connections I might make there. I love hearing everyone's "Disney story" (how they started and have moved through the company), so hopefully I'll hear a few more of those.

So tomorrow I start Frontierland Tier 1 Merch Training before starting Merchantainment on Saturday and then having 2 days off. Look for a post, if not tomorrow than definitely on Saturday. Til then!

An Orlandian Perspective

I love Disney. I wouldn't be here if I didn't love Disney. I love the magic surrounding everything--from the movies, to the parks, to the fireworks shows. I am SO in love with everything Disney.

That being said, I grew up at Disney. I've had an annual pass most of my life, and going to the parks feels more like going home. I certainly understand that most of the people here don't get to attend as often, if at all. I certainly understand that they want to go into the parks straight away and have fun and ride the rides and see the merchandise. In fact, I encourage them to share in the magic!

For some reason I just can't be as excited. Now, I love going to Disney at night. I don't know why it feels so different, but going to the parks at night doesn't bug me. But going in the middle of the day just feels like a chore to me. I find sitting outside on the porch with a good book and glass of lemonade more exciting. I enjoy my alone time because I know I won't have much of it in the coming months.

In some ways I feel slightly guilty. I'm a 25 minute drive from my parents, 25 minutes from some close friends in town. I'm going home on Sunday to watch the Tonys with my dad. It's a gift that shouldn't be taken for granted. At the same time, I feel at home. This isn't in anyway a vacation for me. It's an opportunity. Of course I'm still going to make friends and have fun and enjoy myself, but it's just not the same experience. I hope this blog will serve as a good example for future Orlandians who want to participate in the CP, because as far as I've read and seen and met, I'm the only one.

Check-In and Move-In

Hello! Today has been as hectic as they get! I left the house at around 8:15 AM and it wasn't until 7:30 PM that I was able to sit down and eat something! But all is done, so now I'm better able to recount what the past few hours have been like.

Living in Orlando, packing isn't so much of a big ordeal. A few days ago I started putting books and DVDs in boxes and figuring out pictures for the frames I had. So yesterday all I really had to do was pack as though I was going on a long trip: clothes, toiletries and essentials. Well, instead of that I just created a new corkboard for my room as well as frame all the letters I got for graduation.

My newly designed corkboard

All the graduation letters I got =D

My haul of items to toss in my car... not at all organized! =P

So this morning I planned on waking up at 5:30 AM to finish so I could leave the house around 7:30 AM. Yeah, that didn't happen. 5:30 AM became 6:00 AM became 6:30 AM became 7:00 AM. So 7:00 AM came around and I still wasn't packed. Still, I was able to pack, shower, and load the car all in time to leave at 8:15 A.M. I had heard from several sources to get to Vista Way EARLY for check-in (they tell you to arrive between 9:00 AM and Noon). While originally my idea to get there around 8:00 AM, I later decided that it couldn't be awful if I only got there a few minutes before 9:00 AM. Boy was I wrong!

When I got to the check-in area at Vista they gave me a stick-on nametag and ushered me to a line (the first of many for the day). The lines all took me to meet and greet, paperwork, room assignment, housing ID, parking decal and casting bus time assignment. By the time I got through them it was 10:30 AM and I had one hour to drive over to my new home at Patterson Court and start unpacking my car.

This is where it would have been good to get to check-in early. My ideal living place, from internet research and personal preferences, was a 2 bedroom in Chatham Square. This would give me 4 roommates at an apartment complex with a bus-stop. Of the three complexes (Chatham, Patterson, and Vista) the absolute worst for my taste is Vista. This complex is known for partiers, old furniture, and a pool you're warned not to go in). When I got to the room assignment location, all bright eyes and smiling, the very nice employee told me I had a choice between a 3 Bedroom (6 roommate) apartment in Patterson, or a 2 Bedroom (4 roommate) or 3 Bedroom (6 roommate) apartment in Vista. None left in Chatham. Well, there was no way I was going to live in Vista, so Patterson it was!

The only reason I didn't choose Patterson in the first place was because I read it was a long walk to the bus stop. I've gotten off work feeling sore before, I didn't want to have to make the long trek to my apartment after a hard day at work. As soon as I got in my apartment, I loved it. The guard at the gate welcomed me home, and the one flight of stairs to the 2nd floor doesn't even feel like exercise! I got in my apartment, and no one was there! Out of 6 roommates, I was the first one to arrive. So, with only about 30 minutes before I had to leave to make the so-called long trek to the bus stop, I brought up the stuff that was visible in my car and staked out my bed. Soon I had to leave to go catch the casting bus, and no roommate had arrived yet.

The walk from Patterson to Chatham is no where near as long of a trek as some people seemed to think it was. Perhaps this is coming from a large college campus... for those from UF reading this, it's similar to the walk from the Reitz to the Florida Gym. Perhaps I just got lucky with my building's placement, but hey, it works =D

Waiting for the bus at Chatham was my first experience with the Disney College Program Bus System... ie, not on time and lots of waiting. But waiting 30 minutes for a bus was a great bonding exercise in meeting some new CPs. When we got to casting we waited in, you guessed it, another really long line. In this line we found out our work location. Just as I had thought, I'll be working Merchandise in Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom! Some other roles assigned to those close in line with me: MK Custodial, Caribbean Beach Merchandise, Pecos Bills QSFB, Beaches and Cream QSFB (extremely jealous of this one!), Safari Attractions (also extremely jealous of this one!), and World of Disney Merchandise (I actually met several people with this role today).

During our 90 minutes at Casting we traveled through several lines for our role assignments, background checks, paperwork, and information about our training schedule this next week. Since I'm a current cast member, I won't have to complete Traditions. Instead, I got my long-coveted University of Florida Disney nametag today, as well as instructions on how to pick up my new ID. Sadly I have to return my old ID, so no more special photo ID for me =(

My new nametag!

A special note: during our Disney Look session several people were pointed out for having "unnatural" dyed hair. The rule is your hair must look natural, not actually be natural. One guy in my session was called out for have subtle blonde highlights, and others I spoke with are making plans to go buy dye at the store.

Once we finished at casting the day was ours to do as we please. We got back to the apartment around 2:45 PM and I was delighted to see that I had roommates! 4 of the 5 others girls had started moving in. The last girl, my roommate, accidentally had been in the wrong room up until about 8:30 PM. For a bit I thought I was going to be by myself tonight! I'll post more about my roommates once I let them know about my blog.

The rest of my day was spent unpacking, shopping (I only did food shopping for 2 days since I don't get paid til Thursday), and getting to know my roommates.

My first walk-in closet!

Dresser with TV, frames and bears

My night-stand

My room in full view =D

Tomorrow we have our housing information meeting, and then an entirely free day. For now, I'm exhausted!

A Few Days Before Move In

Hello! For those of you who don't know me, my name's Rory and on June 6 I will be starting the Disney College Program for Merchandise. I feel oddly unique in doing this for several reasons.

1) I grew up in Orlando and currently still reside here. I'd heard cast members whine and gripe about the CPs for different reasons, so I grew up thinking about the CP in a negative connotation.

2) I'm currently a seasonal CM at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Though there are many CPs who go seasonal after their term and then come back for a second, I'll be moving from Seasonal to CP.

3) I've already graduated college. In April I graduated with a degree in Recreation, Parks and Tourism from the University of Florida.

So I guess the big question right now is, how did I get here? Why am I doing the CP?

Well, in my last semester at UF I decided that my new career goal is to work in an events department at Walt Disney World. This could be general events, conventions, weddings, park events, anything really. My specialization is Event Management, so in February I decided to apply for the Disney Professional Internships. While waiting to hear back about my applications, I rejoined the DISBoards, an online community for Disney lovers. There I found others applying for internships, as well as learned more about the DCP.

When I finally had my internship interview I was all jitters, but I had a really good conversation with my interviewer and she suggested I apply for the DCP as a backup (being a DCP Alumna is a great advantage when applying for internships). After researching a bit more through the DCP website and the DIS I discovered that to apply for internships you either have to be in college or completing a DCP. This way if I didn't get an internship I was extending my eligibility by a term.

Well, as you can guess by this whole huge introduction, I was rejected for all the internships I applied for. So here I am. But don't take this as a bad thing. I'm actually really excited for my college program. After meeting others who will be there this fall, as well as researching more on classes and workshops offered through the CP I've discovered that this is just what I need to reacclimatize myself to Orlando after being away at college for 4 years.

I've heard that it's bad to go into the CP thinking it will give you a head start with the company, but I know how hard they work the CPs. I know it's not going to be a huge party at Disney. I'm prepared to work hard and keep my ears and eyes open for great opportunities. I'm excited to start this journey.

May the magic begin!