Family Visits, Days Off & Demi Lovato!

Over the weekend, my family was in Orlando for the Disney Princess Half Marathons. I hadn't seen them in a year or two, so I was really excited. It was also really nice to be around family for a few hours. Saturday, I was given an ADO (approved day off) from work, so we met up at Hollywood Studios for breakfast. I had never driven to the Studios on my own before, so I typed it into my GPS and not realizing that it redirected me to Universal Studios, I drove 20 minutes in the opposite direction. Just my luck! I was super late and felt horrible! We ate at Hollywood & Vine, and it was delicious. It was a character breakfast with characters from Disney Jr. Afterward, we spent the day at the park.

Sunday and Monday were just regular days at work. I worked ice cream one day and popcorn the other. The day that I worked popcorn was really weird, because the guy that I was talking to didn't really say anything to me for the whole seven and a half hour shift. 

Tuesday and Wednesday are always my days off. Tuesday morning, Paige & I went over to our friend's apartment and watched Zoolander, before I had to go to class at 4. After class, there was an Alice in Wonderland themed Welcome Party. Paige & I headed over there, but there wasn't much to do so we left with our friend, Daniel and went to the Magic Kingdom. 

Wednesday, I have been counting down to for a very long time. I went with my friend Lauren to see Demi Lovato in Tampa! We were in the 16th row right in front of the stage and it was amazing! I had so much fun! Little Mix & Fifth Harmony were the opening act and they are two acts (I think...) from The X Factor show that Demi is a judge on. I had never really listened to them before so I was mostly excited about Demi. 

Today, I had work 11:15 AM to 18:30 PM. When I got to base, they told me they didn't need me for the day and I would be helping out the production bakery. I had no idea what I was in for but I ended up in a small bakery that is completely backstage and provides desserts and other treats for the entire park. I started off putting crushed up graham crackers in a dish for cheesecakes; which wasn't obviously really simple. Afterward though, I got to make cookies, danishes, key lime pies, croissants and a bunch of other stuff! It was really fun and work went by really fast. 

Now I'm at home with Lindsay and Paige! Tonight we are having a movie night with some friends. 

Catching Up.

It's been awhile, hasn't it? I've been really busy and when I'm not busy, it's hard to force myself to sit down and post something. I'd rather be running around a park and to be honest, if I do sit down, I'm passed out in 5 minutes. So let's get filled in on everything that's happened since February 5th...

I was being trained all the way up until the 13th of February, which was my assessment day. For training, they sent us out to a kiosk with a trainer and we just learned about that kiosk and worked there that day. It was weird being at the bottom of the food chain, since I haven't been at my previous job for a long time. The training days were really long and horribly boring, but whatever, I had to do it. All my trainers gave me compliments about how good I was with guests, catching onto procedures and stuff like that. February 13th was my assessment day, so it was just a quick verbal test about everything. The leader that did the assessment had a meeting to get to, so my assessment was a lot easier and faster than it was supposed to be. After that, I got to take off my 'Earning My Ears' ribbon, which I actually tried to keep on longer, but they wouldn't let me. It's nice to have that ribbon as an excuse for not knowing directions and stuff like that.

During the time, I was training I spent a lot of time wishing I was home and even tried to leave but no one would really let me. I was hating my job. I was homesick and didn't feel a sense of "home" here. I was starving because I couldn't get to the grocery store and a bunch of other stuff that added up and made me think that this program really wasn't what I thought it would be.

Another big thing that was really bugging me was the College Programer buses. They are horrible. When getting ready to come down for the program, everyone said to bring your car and I wanted to, but paying for all my bills with the little money we make from Disney would have been hard. I instantly started wishing I had my car, less than a week into the program. Some buses are fine, like the A or B bus that runs to the Magic Kingdom, but other buses to places that are not so 'popular' aren't very reliable. An example, the J bus to Animal Kingdom, which I had to use everyday to get to work. To each route, there is supposed to be 2 buses. You're supposed to get a bus schedule at check in. They didn't give me one, but I found one and stole it on the bus, oops.  The bus schedule is like any other schedule and you are told to arrive 15 minutes early. Say a bus was supposed to arrive at 10:30 PM and it gets there at 10:11 PM, it's not waiting. It's leaving without you even though it's way ahead of it's schedule. I called the bus company one morning and asked if both the buses were working. The lady told me, no, they weren't because the weather was bad and when it's sunny both buses are working. What does that have to do with anything, I'm not sure because even if it's storming outside, I'm still expected to get to work on time. So I was spending a lovely 4 hours plus a day, standing around waiting for the bus which at times never came when it was said it would. The worst was getting off work around 5:30 and not getting home till close to 9, which gave me very little time to go out and do anything.

On Valentine's day though, I got a delivery... MY CAR. Honestly, as soon as I got it, I felt like I could breathe. I can go to work and get home from work easily, I can buy food whenever I need it, I can go to the parks. It's just really, really nice to have here.

I'm also taking a Disney University class while I am here called Disney Heritage. That started on the 11th. It's 2 hours every Tuesday and it's only for 8 weeks. It's pretty interesting, we talk about Walt and Roy Disney and how the company came to be. We also get to learn about things that the company planned on doing that never happened or that failed, so that's pretty cool.

Other than working, I've just been going to parks. I can't believe I've almost been here for a month. Honestly the days all blend together here. I try not to look at how many days until I come home, but my roommates and I realized it's 98 days away and that's really sad.

Celebrating Erica's 21st Birthday at The Crystal Palace.

First Day of Training.

I touched on this earlier, but I figured I would explain it more. My original job was a restaurant called Pizzafari. I knew nothing of the restaurant, but I would be inside and out of the heat. When my job got changed, I moved to outdoor foods which is still at Animal Kingdom, but obviously outside. Being in the heat freaks me out, because I've fainted in the heat before. There were other factors that played into that, but it still really makes me nervous. When my job was changed, I was really upset and cranky about it. I think I was overly tired so that played into it, but I was not having it at first. So my job is outdoor foods, at Animal Kingdom. I will be working in different lands and stations everyday. I will either be by myself or with a few other people. I will be selling typical theme park foods; pretzels, ice cream, popcorn, etc. I'll have a lot of guest interaction, which I am really looking forward to. I think it'll be okay and I think I'm going to like it.

Yesterday, February 3rd, was my first day of training at my actual location. The first half was SO boring. It was just more interactive computer slides, this time about how to work a register, how to serve alcohol and how to use The Hub, Disney's website for cast members. We had four hours to do all of that. Then it was lunch time. The cafeteria for Cast Members at DAK (Disney's Animal Kingdom) has a Jamba Juice despenser, which is funny to me because they don't have Jamba stores down South but there's one here and I used to work there. Anyway, after lunch it was time for a tour of all the different outdoor food kiosks at Animal Kingdom. It was 84 degrees and the tour was almost 3 hours long, so it was super hot and tiring, but my trainer made it a lot of fun. There's a ton of different stands and kiosks, so everyday will be something new for me. There's also a lot of backstage stuff that I will be doing, such as stocking, and running product to different kiosks. I also received a ribbon to wear on my name tag while training that says 'earning my ears.'

After I got home from work, I showered really quick and then Estefania and I took the bus to Magic Kingdom to meet up with Lindsay and Paige. We got there right before Wishes started and watched that, and then went on a few rides before the park closed.

Wishes!

Disney University, Epcot & Hollywood Studios.

Sunday, February 2nd, I had a class at Disney University all about quick service food & beverage which is my main role at Disney's Animal Kingdom. We watched presentations about all the different dining options Disney offers it's guests, including quick service restaurants, outdoor vending, character dining, and full service dining.

Once those were over, we went to a computer lab where we each watched interactive game type things, teaching us about how to take care of guests with disabilities and the different ways we can make sure we are creating a magical experience for them as well.

When we completed three of those interactive games, we were sent to pick up our non slip shoes. Being QSFB, we get a pair of non slips free, while every other role has to buy there own. That's really awesome, because a good pair of non slips that will be comfortable to wear all day can be really expensive, so I'm thankful for that.

I was off at 2, made my way home and got ready to go to Epcot with a friend I had met at DAKlimation. We went to Club Cool and on the Finding Nemo ride, before we decided to be done with that park and head on over to Hollywood Studios which was a ton of fun. First we made our way over to Tower of Terror. I hate that ride, but I love it too at the same time, if that makes any sense. Honestly, I think I always have my eyes closed 90% of the time. After that it was off to Rockin' Roller Coaster, which is my favorite. Then we did Star Tours and watched The Voyage of the Little Mermaid. The lines were all really short (maybe because it was Super Bowl Sunday?), so that was really awesome to not have to wait forever for anything.

After that, we went and met some characters; Mickey Mouse (dressed as Sorcerer Mickey, which I was extremely excited about), Minnie Mouse, Mr. Incredible and Frozone. Photopass ended up losing some of our pictures, so were missing most of them.

DAKlimation.

February 1st, I had my DAKlimation class. DAKlimation is Disney Animal Kingdom's park orientation, where you learn about the mission and themes of the park, as well as it's individual lands. DAKlimation started at 8 AM, so I had to wake up around 5:15 again. I was out of the house by 6:15 to catch the bus. The bus dropped us off at the cast parking lot and then a group of us just wandered around until we found the Cast Services Building.

Once it was 8, we gathered into a classroom and went over the park map, themes, and greetings for the particular area. Then we divided into groups and got to go on a tour of all of Animal Kingdom. This started out with a ride on the Kilimanjaro Safari, before the park had even opened. Since it was early in the morning, it was really cool because most of the animals were awake and active. Once that was over, we continued on our walk around the park as it started to rain. Not just a light sprinkle, big heavy rain drops, drenching all of us dressed up in our business clothes... so much for getting up early to look presentable.

Finally once we were finished, we came back to the classroom and reviewed some stuff and then we were handed our training schedules, when I found out my job was changed. I was furious. I now will be working outdoor foods.

It was then time to break for lunch and then we went to costuming, which was the most stressful process ever. Every time we had to tried something on, we had to show a person who worked at costuming and they approved it or not. Disney's sizes run really weird and it took try after try to find a pair or pants that both fit my waist and were long enough for my legs. I was more than irritated so I gave up and found some shorts, so I went with that instead.

Not pictured: hat and fanny pack. It's real cute though, trust me.
(That's sarcasm.) 

Traditions.

Friday, January 31st I had Traditions! Traditions is your first day of work and basically Disney Orientation. Traditions for me was at 8 AM, which meant I was awake at 5:30 AM, out of the house by 6:10 AM, and ready to catch the 6:45 AM bus! We got there and they stuffed all of us college programers into the lobby while we waited for them to separate us. My roommate, Estefania, had Traditions at the same time as me, but unfortunately we were in two separate classes.

As we checked into our classes, we were handed a very special card; our blue ID's! This card is our company ID which we use to receive our discounts, get in the parks, and clock in and out of work.

To be honest, during the first part of Traditions I was fighting to keep my eyes open. We watched a 30 minute safety video that was led by an animated guy who looked similar to a Sim. After this part was (finally) over, we were told to leave the room and take a break.

When we came back there were red boxes in the center of our tables with a big pretty bow on it! Everyone opened it on the count of three and we received our very first pair of Mickey ears (as a cast member, at least.) The classroom was now filled with about thirty college aged kids, now all wide awake, with smiles on their faces and Mickey ears on their head, ready to learn about the company.

We then switched to a video that displayed the magic of Disney. It was a montage of little kids learning that they were going to take a trip to the parks and if you know me at all... I LOVE these. We watched a few more videos from the CEO and about Walt Disney's life and then learned about the "Four Keys," Safety, Show, Courtesy and Efficiency.

After that, it was time for the most anticipated part of Traditions. A tour of the Magic Kingdom, beginning with the utilidors. This is Disney's top secret set of hallways underneath Magic Kingdom, making it easy for cast members to get to one side of the park to another. My roommates who had Traditions before me told me about how they saw Ariel running around eating a sandwich and Cinderella hair spraying her hair. I kept my eyes peeled for any offstage character sightings, but unfortunately saw none. I did see a girl who looked like Tinkerbell and had her hair and make up done like her, but I'm not 100% certain it was Tinkerbell. We then stepped onstage and into the Park, right into the Storybook Circus area. We were all wearing professional business clothes, so it was fun to walk through the park that way until it started to rain.

When the tour was over, we headed back to the classroom and went over a review of things. Then a very important person came to visit; Mickey Mouse! He had a big gold box in his hands that he gave to our teachers; inside was our name tags (okay, this is tied with the utilidors as the most anticipated part!). One by one our teachers called out the names and universities of the college programers who would now be on their way to earning their ears!

My boss! 

Traditions then came to a close and I got on the bus to take me back home. Paige, Tori, Estefania, and I now had our blue ID's with access to the parks and were dying to get a chance to use them, so off to Magic Kingdom we went for the first time as cast members! It was very exciting because it was also Estefania's very first time. Although it was rainy and foggy we managed to squeeze in a few rides and watch the Castle Show, which almost made me tear up. It's all about believing in your dreams and making them come true. I've been waiting years to be in the spot that I am now. I never really thought it could happen, but here I am; an official cast member of the Walt Disney World Company!

After Traditions. 

Blue ID, name tag & Mickey ears! 

Tori, Estefania, Paige & I going to the park as Cast Members for the first time!