Finale

I cannot believe this time has come. In just about two weeks my adventure in Orlando as a Disney College Program Intern will be over. My eyes are seriously watering as I type this, so please forgive any typing errors..
These past few months have been the best time of my life.. One of the slogans for this program is ” When the time of your life is life-changing,” and they weren’t kidding. This place and the people here are absolutely amazing. Every single person who has come into my life while here has changed it. I have met some of the best friends I could ever ask for, and experienced some of the most amazing opportunities. I honestly can’t even imagine my life without these people or this program. I know this seems silly to a lot of people who haven’t been here or done this, but I guess you can only truly understand if you’ve been in any of our shoes.
I know this program hasn’t been for everyone. And I can easily see why. It has many ups and downs and can be absolutely exhausting. Everyone who I know, who has left the program, I absolutely miss. I love them and will definitely keep in contact. Clique 3803 for life 🙂 🙂 🙂
I think, however, the hardest thing about my program ending, is going to be the goodbyes. There is seriously a special bond between cast members here. We experience all of the magic together. We also experience all of the not-so-magical moments together. We work 12+ hour days together, and are still able to have weekly game nights, movie nights, and laugh about the long days and insane things that have happened to us. I believe that  Winnie the Pooh said it best ” How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” 

Doing this program has seriously been one of the best decisions I have ever made. It has opened so many doors that I didn’t even know existed. I have grown as a person, even though I still know I have a lot more growing to do..I’ve learned that part of the wonderful life that we are all given is the unknown. Its the adventures of the days to come and the memories that are made each day. Its the people that come in and out of your life that help shape you and the unforgettable moments that help define you.  The hard times only make you stronger and more adaptable. And the future, as scary as it may be, is only part of a journey and a new adventure. 
As sad as I may be about my program ending, I am very blessed to be able to continue my role as a cast member. It won’t be at Sci Fi, but as a Campus Representative for the Disney College Program. I am so excited to share my experience with new CPs and help them begin their journeys as cast members with this amazing company 🙂 
To all of my family and friends who supported me during this program, thank you. I know I really sucked at keeping contact. And when I did contact you guys, all I did was talk about Disney…and I’m sorry.  A lot of us were talking about how weird it is to think that life has kept going since we left and that everyone at home hasn’t lived the same life we have these past few months..But I can’t wait to see everyone at home and at school. I love and have missed you all so much! 

Blessings

So recently our work schedules have been adjusted for the holidays, meaning I usually only get about 1 day off a week. Between that, and realizing I only have 2 months left, and registering for classes for next semester, I kind of felt like I had lost of bit of the magic. 
However, this afternoon I went with two of my roommates to Magic Kingdom. The weather was perfect and MK had just been decorated for the Christmas holidays. It was beautiful. We ate nutella and fruit waffles and watched the 3 o’clock parade as well. Afterwards we walked around a bit before watching the show in front of the castle. However, instead of watching the show, I found myself watching the children’s reactions to the show. I specifically watched a little girl who was down syndrome. She had been to the bippity boppity boutique and was all decked out as Belle. Watching her reactions whenever the princesses and Mickey and MInnie were on stage was priceless. It made me realize how blessed I am to be here and how amazing this opportunity really is. I really felt the magic that Disney has to offer. No matter how hard the job may be and how long the hours are, magical moments like today really make it all worth it. So for those of you who are having a hard time with school, job, politics, etc. I hope this story kind of made you smile 🙂 

Sorry guys…

So I know I have been absolutely horrible about blogging….I guess it’s a good thing bc it just shows that I am making the most of my time here? Let’s just go with that instead of the “Andie is too lazy to blog” route. So the parks have really picked up. Which I am not a big fan of. Starting now through the end of my program the crowds will only get longer, the wait lines will only get worse, and the days off will get fewer. But it does mean that the Holiday seasons are quickly approaching: Halloween, my birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years! Pretty exciting stuff. The Christmas lights have been going up for a few weeks around the parks, and a few days ago I was backstage and saw the beginnings of the Christmas trees getting put together. Its crazy to think that it isn’t even Halloween, and the stores already have Christmas things! 
I can’t even begin to describe how sad I am that my program is just about halfway over. I have loved every minute of my time here. I don’t know how to explain it, but this place is wonderful. Despite some people “losing the magic,” I have learned to love making the magic. I have loved meeting new people and learning more about myself. 
I have applied to be a Campus Rep for the DCP and will hopefully hear back in a few weeks. So, that’s exciting. 
Sorry this blog is a bit random and rushed, but I’m meeting a few friends for shopping and dinner. I love you all 🙂 Have a magical day!

1 month…wait, what?!

I don’t quite understand time here in Disney World. On vacation, time flies by, and before you know it, you’re depressed for the entire 9 hour drive home. However, while living here I find myself feeling like I’ve lived here forever. And at the same time, I have a hard time believing that 1 month of my internship is already over. Talk about depression. I guess that means I have to cram as much as humanly possible into the next 3 months. Quite a daunting task. 
Lately I have been all work. Which in the case of Sci Fi, is also all play. Seriously, I have entirely too much fun with my job. The long hours really don’t even bother me that much.(shocking, I know). And as long as there is a large supply of Coke at work, I’m good to go 🙂  
As for the fun stuff,  my roommates and I went to meet Jack and Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas (rare character sighting) and attempted to dominate the kitchen sink  (8 scoops of ice cream with cake, brownies, candy, and all other toppings all in a kitchen sink). Needless to say, the dessert won, but the server did rate us an 8 out of 10 in our effort. And being at the Yacht and Beach Club (where the kitchen sink is) it really hit me that I miss being a guest here. It’s such a different experience being a cast member, and I love it, but it is nice to be the guest occasionally. We also went to celebrate Epcot’s 30th Anniversary and got cool vintage buttons and maps. Today looks like it may be a water park day with a few of my friends from work if the rain holds out, then dancing tonight 🙂   
On another good note, it looks like my brother and his girlfriend are getting to come visit in a few weeks. I’m so excited! They will be my first visitors as a cast member 🙂 
I guess that’s all for now. Sorry for the lack of updates lately (my mom called me out on it, lol) I guess trying to make the most out of the program isn’t the most conducive to daily blogging, but I will make a better effort. love and miss everyone! 

Update

Sorry I haven’t blogged in a while…the past few days have a been super long and busy. I had last Tues. and Wed. off and got to do laundry, grocery shop, etc. Then I went with two of my co workers to play in Hollywood studios on Wed. It was fun to play in the park I usually work at. I forget that I’m actually living in Disney World , so it was nice to enjoy and remember the magic that my daily guests experience. I worked on Fri., Sat., played at Magic Kingdom Sat night with my roomie, and just finished working 11.5 hours. SO LONG. I started at 8:45 this morning with Safety in Motion Training where we learned the proper ways to life, carry, etc. different sized loads. It was incredibly boring and lasted about an hour and a half. 
Afterwards I went back to Sci Fi, and continued my shift. I seated for a bit, then greeted for hours by myself for the first time. SO stressful. We were super busy today and I underestimated exactly how much work it took to get everyone checked in and how literal people take quote times. Nothing too major went terribly wrong, but I tend to take mistakes personally, something working here will definitely change. 
The elephants who live above us, we have learned, are actually all in Culinary here at Disney, so I guess if they cook for us, I can forgive their constant stomping, jumping, herding, etc. But until they cook us dinner daily, I will continue to hit the ceiling with a swiffer stick to shut them up. I mean, really, who runs/stops/jumps at all hours of the night?! No one sane, that’s for sure.
Tomorrow is my Friday, thank goodness, and I have Tues., and Wed., off. Hopefully I get to observe the PTs that work with Entertainment here. My manager’s are still working on making all the connections since I don’t have the access to a lot of that info. 
Love and miss everyone 🙂 

It’s my Friday :)

Although today is Monday, a day traditionally dreaded by man and woman alike, I love today. Why you ask? Because in Disney days, today is my Friday! That’s right ladies and gentlemen, after my 6 hour shift today (So excited its not an 8 or 10) I have two days off! And to top things off, I got about 9 hours of sleep.It was desperately  needed. 
Yesterday I had my first shift as stocker/change runner by myself. Not my favorite position, but it wasn’t horrible. I got a great workout from it, but it seriously exhausted me. I worked 11-8, then got home and one of my lovely friends drove me to get food. I hadn’t really thought about it, but dinner last night was probably my first full meal in a few days. The way our schedules work here is super weird. I eat breakfast, then go to work, but my break usually falls around 3 or 4 which is too late for lunch and too early for dinner, so I just don’t eat. Then by the time I get off and get back home (the buses take forever) it’s too late for me to eat dinner. And, after being around food all day, the last thing I usually want is to eat. So, that whole situation is definitely something I’m going to have to work on and force myself to eat. 
As for the next few days, I don’t exactly know what they have in store for me. Playing in the parks is a given, and hopefully I can go observe a PT that works with the entertainment 🙂 (One of my lovely managers is working on arranging it since I don’t have access to a lot of that kind of info.) 
By the way, applications for the WDWCP for Spring 2013 came out last week, so yall should do it. It’s been one of the best experiences so far. I don’t know how to exactly describe it, but seriously awesome 🙂 
Time for work  🙂 Love and miss everyone! (And DLAM to all of my lovely Deltas) 🙂 

Update :)

So, basically all I have done the past few days is work, a lot. I tried out skating for the first time…it was a little rocky, but nothing too bad. However, if I fall at work on them I could get a reprimand…so I won’t be skating that much ( after all, I fall 24/7 without having 4 wheels attached to my feet). I have about 2 more days of work before I finally get some time off. I’m SO excited. The whole big kid working thing is tough.
So, I realized that there are probably some people who are reading this who are considering doing the College Program…so, I thought I would give you guys a few realities that you may not realize.
1. You are here to work, not on a 4 month paid vacation to Disney World.
2. You will work long, late shifts. You are called CP’s (aka closing persons)
3.You are here to make the magic, not experience it. However, there is a different kind of magic you receive when you make magic for the guests 🙂
4. Your job may suck, but the people you work with and meet during your time here will make your program. (btw my job does’t suck at all, I really lucked out)
5.  People say you lose the magic by working here, but realize that you will most likely only see one small part of one park. So, on your days off, go experience the rest of the parks and remember why you love Disney.

That’s all for now. I’m just spending some time with my roommates for the night 🙂 Talk to yall later!

Earned my Ears :)

As of yesterday, I have officially earned my ears! Which, in non-Disney lingo, means I am no longer a trainee. I have to admit, this kind of makes me sad….this also means no more free food 😦 However, it does seem that I get to be the new kid for a while since no other CPs have joined the Sci Fi crew, which makes me happy 🙂
And I have to say, I have been so lucky so far. In both jobs I have ever worked, I’ve lucked out with great co-workers. The Sci Fi/ABC crew has been so inviting and nice to me. It’s awesome 🙂 
The past few days after work, I’ve gone out and gotten to know my new co-workers and played in the parks a bit with friends and roommates. But from the looks of my schedule, I will be staying late/closing from tonight through Monday…
Also on the exciting (well, not really) front, today is our first apartment check. Lucky for me, my amazing roommates have had the past few days off (since I haven’t) and have gotten the place super clean (or as clean as a 20yr old apartment can get). Hopefully we pass 🙂 
That’s all for now, yall! Have a magical day!

More training :)

Hello all,

So yesterday was day three of training at Sci Fi. I got to use the computer system to check guests in, take in walk-ins, and seat guests whenever needed. It wasn’t nearly as hard as I expected. ( I was a little nervous of single-handedly crashing the system) I also got to make a run to the bakery to pick up a few things for one of my manager. Let’s just say, the bakery smells AMAZING. Like you have no idea. Today’s  menu tasting included BBQ chicken wings with blue cheese dipping sauce, shrimp pasta, grilled chicken sandwich, and apple crisp. Luckily, my trainer let me box up most of it to bring home since I was so full.  So, I worked from 1-10:30pm (long day/night) and then had a lovely 45min bus ride home. Needless to say I was exhausted. I instantly crashed as soon as I hit my bed. And, believe it or not, slept til 9am. Miracle. I never sleep that late. I pried myself out of bed to go running, only to find out that one of Florida’s lovely pop -up rainstorms has decided to visit. So much for being productive. Today, however, I have a day off. Hopefully this storm will pass and my roommate and I will get to have a few Magic Kingdom adventures:)

That’s all for now 🙂 Have a magical day!

Training: Episode 2

So today was my first experience with a 10 hour shift…not a big fan. I got there at 11:15 and just got home (yay public transportation) Once again work was good. Not as fun today since I worked in the back but people weren’t kidding when they said work doesn’t make your program, but the people do. I seriously am so lucky to have met such great and fun people 🙂 Today I shadowed the stocker/change keeper, bar tender, and culinary. The Chefs were convinced I should learn to cook…I laughed. Hysterically. The park was super slow again today so I got to go back to seating ( way more fun with lots of guest interaction. I Love helping to make magical memories) . The plus side of today, I got to wear a super official headset. Pretty legit. Today’s lunch/menu tasting consisted of BLT soup, spinach/artichoke cheese dip for the appetizers. Then a turkey club and multigrain pasta. The best part, however, was the peanut butter chocolate cake. SO GOOD. However, being from the south, I feel like I’m being rude leaving any food, so I’m doing my best to give it away since I obviously can’t eat all of that. While I was training two of my lovely roommates came to step back into the 1950’s and I got to be their parking attendant 🙂 
Tomorrow I work 1-close. THEN TWO DAYS OFF. Best news ever.
On a side note, I miss southern gentlemen who let girls onto the bus first. Especially when it’s raining Toto I don’t think we’re in Mississippi any more….
That’s all from this CP. My bed and I are about to BFF for the next 10 hrs.