Trivia Answers

So I realized I never put up the answers from the last batch of trivia and since I had to miss class last week due to a scheduling conflict with work I sadly don't have new trivia from class to give you. But here are the answers to the last batch and on Thursday I'll be back in class and hopefully have lots of fun new trivia for you. =)

ANSWERS!
1. Blizzard Beach
2. Spaceship Earth at EPCOT and it's tough to be a bug in the Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom
3. Pinnocchio
4. Disney's Old Key West Resort
5. ESPN (owned by Disney)
6. The Atlanta Braves
7. Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort
8. April 18, 1998
9. The Main Street Electrical Parade
10.Bob Iger

How'd ya do??

Around the World and Keys to the Kingdom Tour

So you remember me saying I was going to update my blog everyday?? Well apparently my computer decided it didn't want to cooperate with that and has crashed for the second time in 2 years. Yeah...we're not gonna talk about that one. But, that being said, I still promise to update the blog as often as I can. So..Lets see what interesting stuff I can tell you about from the past week.

I went to Typhoon Lagoon last week with some of the guys from DAKL and had a blast finally really enjoying the nice weather. They even managed to get me on the water coaster which was actually really fun! I did though, get a wicked bad sunburn which has finally after a week turned to tan. lol. Of course now the plan is to go to Blizzard Beach this week and I promise to remember the sunscreen this time. =P

Last week we also celebrated one of our friends 21st birthday by drinking around the world at Epcot, which was a blast! 11 countries, 11 drinks and a whole lot of fun. Although I wound up being the semi-sober sitter since I wasn't 21 we had a whole lot of memories and a ton of fun. (And of course lots of pictures) =) I def. want to come back and do it for my 21st if I get the chance. Or my next trip to Disney thereafter.

Yesterday I had a super, super busy day at work. One of the busiest I've had since I've been here. I'm not 100% sure why is was so busy. I think it was the fact that some people are still on Spring Break coupled with the fact that none of the Europeans that have been here for their spring breaks can get home due to the volcano. I really feel bad for some of these families. They come here often for over a week, some up to 2 and now are being forced to stay here away from home and jobs and school for up to another 10 days. Some people say you can never get enough Disney but upwards of 20 days is really pushing the limit. I'm hopeful that the weather will cooperate and get them home really soon.

And today, Jen and I went on the Keys to the Kingdom Tour!! For those of you that don't know, the Keys to the Kingdom Tour is a tour that any guest can take and it's a 5hr walking tour showing you the ins and outs of the Magic Kingdom including backstage areas and the Utilidors. It was awesome! I was afraid that I was going to know all the information that she was telling us but I learned a ton about the parks and the attractions and everything in between. We walked down Main Street and learned about the shop windows, took a ride on both Jungle Cruise and the Haunted Mansion and learned the secrets to the effects in both those rides. Went backstage and saw all the floats for both SpectroMagic and the Share a Dream Come True Parade. Saw the back of Splash Mountain and how they operate the water systems. And of course saw the Utilidors which for me wasn't all that exciting since I've been in them a bunch of times but it was still really cool to learn all about the history of Walt and Roy and the rides and what makes them work. If you're into Disney trivia or history or just want to give another dimension to the way you look at the Magic Kingdom, I highly, highly recommend it. It's $75 plus theme park admission and I would say it's worth it (although we only paid 50% of that. Hurray for Cast Discounts!!).

After the Keys tour we left our wonderful tour guide Claire and Jen and I went to Cast Connection to stock up on pins for pin trading!! I have always collected Disney pins but have never really wanted to trade them because I always buy the ones I like. That is, until I got here and discovered the wonderful Cast Connection store which has pins for 50 cents each!!! So we both stocked up on a ton of those so we had ones to trade. We also went into Property Control and got these amazing snow globes that used to be $89.95 for $22!!! It's got all the characters on it, plays Zip-Ah-Dee-Doo-Dah and has a monorail that spins around the bottom. I love it and am so happy that I was able to buy one to commemorate my trip. And for $22. How can you beat that?! So after we carried our 10lb snow globes to the car, we came home and had dinner and then decided even though it was raining we were going to go to Epcot for some pin trading, ice cream and Illuminations. There is never again a time in our lives where we will have the kind of luxury to experience the parks like we do now and I've decided to make them absolute most of it in the last month of my college program.

Alright, I think that's a good update for now. More to come hopefully soon. Can't believe it's almost over. Love you all!!

-Jess

Enjoying Those Lazy Days

So I've spent the last 2 days enjoying the lazy days and the beautiful Florida sunshine. Yesterday Ren and I spent the late afternoon playing mini-golf at Fantasia Gardens which is the mini golf course at the Swan and Dolphin. I had never played there and it was really, really fun. Each hole is themed around the different musical numbers of Fantasia and of course in true Disney fashion there are special surprises along the way. And...I beat Ren by 3 strokes! =) After mini golf we took the boat to the Studios where we had a delicious dinner. They make these sandwiches that are like a half a loaf of Italian bread that is then stuffed with Caesar Salad. So good!! After dinner and watching the American Idol Finale show, we went and watched Fantasmic. That show never gets old no matter how many times you see it. Even though I know like the whole thing by heart.

Then today I did absolutely nothing but lay at the pool and try and look like I have lived in Florida for the past 3 months. lol.

I've got another day off tomorrow. Not sure what I'm going to do. Probably some more laying at the pool and then maybe a park? Not sure what's in store. One of the magical things about living in Disney World. Until then...

Love you all,
Jess

Another Day...

Dumela!!

That's hello in some African language. I should probably find out which one it is since I say it to every guest that walks through the door. Anyway...Yesterday I had work from 3-11:30PM over at Kidani Village which is the vacation club building for Animal Kingdom Lodge. I like working over there way better than working at Jambo. I'm not really sure why though. The days are less full of stuff because much fewer guests come through the doors but the set-up of the front desk makes it easier to talk to people and get to know the other cast members and CPs who work front desk, concierge and bell services. Sorry to say no really interesting guests came through the doors yesterday. None with any special stories. Although I did talk to these two little girls for about 10min. who were absolutely adorable telling me all about how they wanted to meet the princesses and which were their favorites and stuff like that. And of course the African tribal parade which is always a big hit of the night was super fun. Just an excuse for all the cast members and guests to make a lot of noise playing instruments in the lobby. =)

Alright, I think that's it for now. Sorry it's not such an interesting post. Now I've got today plus the next 2 days off so Yay!! Ren and I are going to play mini golf today and then maybe some fireworks tonight. I'm in a wishes mood. (And I love being able to say that. lol) For now...Love you all. <3

Love,
Jess

An Easter Update

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Hope this entry find you all doing very well. Now that my program is quickly coming to an end (only one month left, can you believe it??) I've decided to try and write in the blog as much as possible. So...here's another update. Last night (4.3.10) I worked the late night shift from 6:15PM-2:15AM. It sounds like a really terrible shift but in all honesty I actually like it and I haven't had it in a while so it was good. And to make things interesting, there's nothing like some power outages and alpha unit calls to spice up the night. lol. The Lodge isn't all that busy but still lots and lots of questions, lots of parties travling together complicating life and lots of foreigners making the language barrier interesting. But, it's all good and gives a little spice to the day. =) Working the same shift tonight at Jambo House and since it's Easter I'm sure it'll be crazy. We're on a "hard close" today which means you can only get past security unless you're staying at the resort or have a dining reservation which for us is nice because otherwise it would be INSANE!! I know there's a whole bunch of fun stuff going on today. To bad I missed the characters this morning. =( Hopefully there will be some fun stuff tonight as well.

In other news, 2nd inspection is tomorrow and the apartment is on its way to getting cleaned. Hopefully this will be the last one before we go home because they're just a pain in the neck.

Alright...have to go get ready for work. Hopefully I'll remember to update tomorrow. Love you all! Enjoy your candy and don't eat to many jelly beans. =)

Have a Zip-Ah-Dee-Do-Dah Day!!

Another Week, Another Update

Hi Everyone!!

Well...we didn't win the scavenger hunt. That was sad but it was still fun none the less. I didn't have class this week because of Spring Break but last class (3.25.10) we talked all about animation and the Golden Years of Disney Animation. We got to see some very cool stuff including a deleted song from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and the original Mickey Mouse Club footage. Very neat stuff. Other than that, lets see what else I can update you on...

First off, Happy Passover or belated Passover to everyone that is celebrating. I'm attempting to keep Passover while I'm here although it is very difficult since we live off Italian and Mexican food. lol. But! I did successfully make my first ever solo batch of matzo ball soup. I was very, very proud of myself for doing that and now I have something to eat for the week. :)

Work hasn't been nearly as busy as I had thought it would be since it's Spring Break. The Lodge hasn't had a ton of check ins and check outs but there have just been lots of people in the lobby asking all the same questions. lol. But it's all good, I don't mind it. And generally the CPs work together at night so it's fun to get to know each other and just talk. So it all works out in the end. And the nice large paycheck because of the extensions don't hurt either.

There was a very fun day at work the other day when the infamous "Max" checked into the lodge. It was more like a covert spy mission than anything else but made work very interesting and fun. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you'll just have to ask.... =P

Yesterday I had the day off and I spent the afternoon in Animal Kingdom enjoying the GORGEOUS weather. I'm so happy it's actually finally spring in Florida! Took long enough, seriously. So I went and walked around and say the Animals until Meg and Laura met me for dinner and Safari. :) Then we went over to EPCOT for Illuminations where I ran into Will Bonesso! It was so nice to see him since I hadn't in forever. Just goes to show you, you can run into anyone here in the happiest place on earth. So we watched Illuminations and then came home and Meg, Laura and I went to the Cowboy Bar with some of Meg's lifeguard friends. It was really fun although I can't line dance to save my life. lol. But I enjoyed the attempt and making a bit of a fool of myself. Hopefully next time I'll have better luck.

I also got to see Danielle Naglieri who was down here for Spring Break with her fam. Nice to have a little piece of Delaware for a little while here in Florida since I miss being at school. And visitors are just fun! :)


Other than that...Not to much more to update you on. I will give you the answers to last weeks trivia questions but since I didn't have class this week I'll just have to come up with some fun trivia of my own. lol.

ANSWERS:
1. His Initials W.D.
2. Toy Story 3, Cars 2, Rapunzel
3. The American Idol Experience
4. He won one big Oscar and 7 tiny ones
5. On a train ride from NY to California.
6. Mortimer Mouse
7. His wife Lillian
8. One ear is used as a lightening rod.
9. Grumman's Chinese Theater
10. So I realized this one and 3 are the same, but if you got it right, you get double. lol. The American Idol Experience.

NEW QUESTIONS:
1. What park celebrated its 15th Anniversary yesterday, April Fools Day?
2. Two of the Four Major Park Icons hold attractions. Which ones do and what attractions do they hold?
3. What was the second animated feature created by Walt Disney?
4. What was the first Disney Vacation Club resort to open?
5. Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex recently changed its name to reflect its new sponsor. Who is their new sponsor?
6. What MLB team has Spring Training at the Complex?
7. What is the newest resort to be added to the Walt Disney World Property?
8. In what year did Animal Kingdom Open?
9. What was the name of the nighttime parade the preceded SpectroMagic and that will be returning to Magic Kingdom this summer?
10. Who is the current CEO of Walt Disney World?

Alright...give those a shot. OF course my next entry will have the answers. No class next week either because we're still in Spring Break week but I'll still try and keep you updated. Happy Easter to everyone!!

Love Always,
Jess

Scavenger Hunt Around the Studios!!

This week's Disney Heritage class was a scavenger hunt around Hollywood Studios!!! We were set up in teams of 4-6 and were sent all around Hollywood Studios looking for clues having to heal with Walt and Roy and the architecture of the park. It was a lot of fun getting to run around the parks and have it be called "class". Seriously, where else on earth can you do that?! I also learned a lot about Walt mostly though looking at the One Man's Dream attraction which is where a lot of the scavenger hunt took place. He really was a brillant man with lots of amazing ideas and he was someone who never was afraid to push the envelope and do what was never done before. We'll find out this Thursday (3.25) who the winner is and apparently there are prizes so keep your fingers crossed for me. :) I think we did a pretty good job so it'll be close. Now for the answers to last weeks heritage trivia questiosn and some more new ones.

Answers:
1. Chicago
2. Marceline, Missouri
3. Disneyland in California. The train is the same train that runs through Marceline and the one that he saw his entire childhood.
4. Coca Cola. The last building on the main street of Marceline had burned down and then only thing that was left was a Coca Cola sign, hence where the logo came from.

NEW QUESTIONS:
1. What did Walt carve on his childhood school desk?
2. What are the 3 movies currently being worked on by Disney? (One should be very easy)
3. What is the newest ride to come to Hollywood Studios?
4. What was special about the Academy Award Walt won for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?
5. Where was Mickey Mouse first drawn?
6. What was Mickey Mouse's origional name?
7. Who's idea was it to change Walt's drawnings name to Mickey Mouse?
8. The Mickey on top of Crossroads of the World has a special purpose. What is it?
9. The Great Movie Ride is housed inside a replica of what famouse building?
10. I'll end with an easy one. What is the newest ride to be added to Hollywood Studios? (hint: It is based of a popular TV reality show).

GOOD LUCK!! Until Next week.

Love,
Jess

Allie and Lee come to Disney!!

Hi Everyone!!

Thought I'd update you on my birthday weekend that was absolutely wonderful baring a couple of misfortunes. Allie and Lee came to visit me from Thursday night to Monday afternoon and we had lots of Disney fun. :)

I arrived at the hotel and got all settled in late on Thursday night and waited for Allie and Lee to land. When they did, I got a call from them with some unfortunate news. Apparently Southwest had sent Allie's luggage with Seth Stein to West Palm Beach and she was without her bags. So without her suitcase, they boarded the Magical Express and were soon at Pop Century!! So we hung out in the hotel room for the rest of the night just talking and watching TV. The next day we got up nice and early to...RAIN. =( But we decided to brave the rain at make our way to Hollywood Studios anyway. We had lots of fun riding the rides, taking pictures with Mike and Sulley and of course getting a little wet. Or a lot wet. lol. Liana even got Allie on her first roller coaster. She went on Rockin' Roller coaster twice and LOVED it!! I was very proud of her. :) When we had decided we were done seeing everything in the Studios we made our way back to Pop. Laura then came and picked us up so we could go to Walmart to get Allie some basic essentials since they still hadn't returned her luggage to her. When we got back to Pop, we all ready for dinner. We had dinner at Wolfgang Puck's Cafe which was fantastic!! Being on the dining plan, we got to eat lots of wonderful meals for a very inexpensive price compared to what it would be without the dining plan. I had a steak which was delicious especially since I haven't had steak in forever. After dinner and some shop browsing in Downtown Disney we went back to the hotel. At midnight we celebrated my birthday and then went to sleep since we had to be up early for a full day in Magic Kingdom.

So we got up very early to get to Magic Kingdom for our 9:30 breakfast reservations at Crystal Palace. And, to everyones relief, it brought about Allies luggage!! So we got up, got dressed and I opened my presents (from Mom and Dad and Larry and Donna...Thank you!!) and we made our way to the bus. We got to Magic Kingdom and because we were there before the park opened at 9, we got to see the opening show and throw the Mickey confetti to celebrate the opening of the park for the day!! When we got into the park we made our way to Crystal Palace for a delicious breakfast with Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore. It was my first character breakfast since I've been here and it was so much fun to get to do it with Allie and Lee. We then spent the day in the park and even met up with Lisa, Conor and Alexa for most of the day. A few highlights were, Allie riding Space Mountain for the first time, seeing Jake the bachelor and his fiance Vienna taking pictures in front of the castle and seeing the 3 o'clock parade for the first time since I've been here. When we were tired of being in Magic Kingdom and needing a nap we went back to the hotel and hung out until it was time to leave for dinner. Tonights dinner was at Whispering Canyon at the Wilderness Lodge. So we took the bus to Magic Kingdom and then the boat to Wilderness Lodge. Dinner was again, delicious and thankfully they didn't make me stand on a chair or ride a hobby horse around the lobby or anything crazy like that because it was my birthday. lol. We got back to the hotel and promptly fell asleep, very tired from a long but wonderful birthday. :)

Sunday brought about a beautiful day just like Saturday and we decided some time at the pool was very much needed. So after sleeping late, we laid at the "Computer Pool" at Pop and worked on our tans. :) Around 1 we got dressed and made our way to EPCOT for the rest of the day. We rode lots of rides including Nemo, Soarin' (which we waited an hour and a half for), Spaceship Earth and Test Track (twice)! We weren't supposed to ride test track twice but the first time we went our TV and speakers didn't work so the guy who we told about it was really nice and let us go right back to the front of the line and ride again. Just a little Disney Magic for ya. :) We even got to see some of the EPCOT flower and garden festival which was really cool. Then, after running to make our reservation we had a fantastic final dinner at the Coral Reef restaurant at the Living Seas Pavilion. It was fantastic. And something really cool was when we were done, the park was closed so we got to feel like VIPs being in the park when it was closed to everyone else. We left EPCOT and made our way to Magic Kingdom via monorail for the extra magic hours. Lee was really tired so she didn't come with us but Allie and I left her once we got off the monorail and to my very excitement, I saw lots of people lining Main Street USA to watch Spectromagic!! I hadn't realized it was a double Spectro at 9 and 11 so Allie and I found a great spot on the start of the parade and watched it. I hadn't see it since I'd been here so I was super excited for it. :) We then rode Dumbo just for Allie (well ok, that's a lie, for me 2) and Buzz Lightyear where Allie promptly kicked my butt and decided it was time to call it a day. We took the bus back to Pop, climbed into bed and went to sleep.

Monday we woke up and since Allie and Lee were leaving at around 1 and I had work later that afternoon we spent the morning taking pictures of the hotel and laying at the pool. Sadly, I said good-bye to them and boarded the cast bus to come back to my apartment. About an hour or so later, they hopped on the magical express bus to go back to New York. It was a very, very fun vacation and a wonderful way to spend my first ever birthday in Disney World. :)

Disney Heritage

So this past Thursday, I finally started my Disney Heritage class and it's awesome!! For those of you that don't know, Disney Heritage is part of the Disney Exploration Series classes and it is all about the history of Walt Disney World from the parks to animation to Walt and Roy and everything in between. I absolutely love it. I was afraid that I was going to know to much of the information taught in the class because I'm a nerd and what not but I realized that that really isn't true. My teacher, David told me a ton of stuff that I didn't know at all and that was only in the introductory class. He's worked for the company for 15 years so he knows a ton of interesting things about it. My 2 favorite classes are definitely going to be the scavenger hunt around Hollywood Studios and the walking tour around Magic Kingdom pointing out all the fun facts about Walt and Mickey and what not. Seriously, where else do you have field trips to Disney theme parks?? How awesome is that??

Since I know that a lot of you are interested in the Disney fun facts, I decided to make it like a game for you. Every week, I'll post a handful of fun facts about what I learned in class in the form of questions. The next week, I'll post the answers to the previous weeks questions and a handful of new ones. If you want to know the answers before the week is up, e-mail me what you think the answers are and I'll tell you if you're right or not. Sound good? So here's the first batch of questions. =)

1. Where was Walt Disney born?
2. Where was Walt Disney's hometown which was also the inspiration for Main Street USA?
3. Where can you find the Santa Fe railroad and what was its significance to Walt?
4. What company sponsors the last restaurants on the left side of both Main Streets in Disney World and Disneyland and why?

Only a few this week because most of the class was about policies and things like that but see how you do. Good Luck!!

Love,
Jess

Thousands of Guests - Each with a Story

Some guests you love, some guests you hate and then there are some guests that are just a little special and that you'll remember for a long time. So here's some stories about guests that I'll remember.


I truly enjoy getting the guests that are celebrating truly special occasions. I get to give out lots of first visits buttons and birthday buttons and things like that but rarely do I get to give people buttons for truly special occasions. I have had the honor to write 3 "I'm Celebrating Beating Cancer Buttons", 2 of which went to children that really made me smile. They're very special little heroes in my book.

Today I got to give a button to an entirely different kind of hero. While one of my coworkers was checking in two adult parents I had the opportunity to talk to a 9 year old girl. As we started talking I soon found out that she was here celebrating the fact that she had saved her fathers life. She was an avid swimmer and took swimming and boating lessons from a young age. At one level, they learned what to do if someone is drowning and thankful for this little girls father, she paid attention. Emily's father was drowning and because she called for help, he's here today. So on her button I got to write "I'm celebrating being a hero". It was something I felt very honored to do and was incredible proud of this little girl I had only talked to for 5 minutes.

And then, there are some guests that maybe don't touch your heart so profoundly but truly do surprise you with what they do. One late night working at Jambo House, a guest approached me checking in. It was late and after having some trouble finding his reservation I discovered like many guests had done before, he was checking into the wrong building at was staying at Kidani Village. I tried to get a runner to drive him and all of his baggage and guests over but because it was so late, our runners were gone and I advised him he either had to walk over or take the bus because we couldn't unfortunately accommodate him. He was very upset about this and didn't want to but after I told him he could have bell services transfer his luggage
I bid him farewell and didn't really think anything of him after that. A few days later I was working at Kidani Village and the same man approached me. After a few words out of his mouth (he was from England so he had a distinct accent) I remembered who he was. To my shock and gratitude, he came up to apologize for being so angry at me the night he checked in. He told me that it had just been a very long and stressful trip and I happened to get the brunt end of it. I smiled and told him that it was not a problem and after finding out that he was enjoying his trip, he again went on his way. It made me smile to think that he really did care about the way he treated myself and the other cast members and was willing to admit his mistake and apologize for it. Again, some guests just surprise you sometimes.

And then...There's a ride that sits across from Peter Pan's Flight in Tomorrowland that sings a song about the world we live in. It's a small world after all couldn't have been truer than it was today.

At around 4PM today a guest approached me who looked very, very familiar. Looking At the guest with an "I know you look" I smiled and asked, "Can I ask what your last name is?" She said, "Sure, It's Andreoni. Why?" And I soon explained to her that she was my 4th grade teacher. Yes, Ms. Andreoni, my favorite grade school teacher happened to be staying at the lodge and approach me to check in. After I reminded her of my last name, took off my glasses (I didn't have them until 7th grade) and pulled down my hair, all the pieces clicked into place and I was soon catching her up on my life since TJL and reminiscing about other classmates that were in that class. She introduced me to her husband and 2 kids, John who is 5 and Abbie who I believe is not even 1 yet. John looked very confused to why his mom was so excited to talk to me and Abbie is such an adorable baby. And she's still best friends with Ms. Shannon. For those of you that were in the class and are now reading the blog, she says hello and hopes you all are doing well. It was such a small world moment seeing her but very, very exciting. I loved having her as a teacher and hadn't seen her in years. She says she's gong to come down to the desk later in the week so we can reminisce some more about that class. =)

So as you can see, guests come in all shapes and sizes. Some you love, some you hate, some touch your heart, some surprise you and some you're just surprised to see but all are special. They're what makes our job interesting and what makes the job worth while.

Another Update from Florida

Hi Everyone!!

Another update from my life with the mouse. The last week or so has been filled with lots of fun stuff. Last week (Feb. 16-18th) Mom, Dad and Allie came to visit!! I was very, very excited to see them because I missed them a lot. Tuesday afternoon we had a delicious dinner at Sanaa which is the new restaurant in Animal Kingdom Lodge's Kidani Village Building. Sooo yummy! Then we checked into the hotel and I hung out until I had to go to work. So much easier just walking downstairs to go to work then to have to deal with the buses. lol. The next day Mom, Allie and I got up and went to Magic Kingdom where we met Larry and Donna and the munchkins. Daddy didn't come because he hurt his foot and couldn't walk around the parks all day. We spent the day walking around Magic Kingdom and bumped into a very suprising face, Mr. Kahler! Allie, Mom and I were on line for Tomorrowland Indy Speedway and as we were crossing over the tracks, Allie spotted him riding with his daughter. It was very funny and ironic seeing him there but fun all the same. lol At around 2 we went back to the hotel and met Dad for lunch at the hotel. When that was over Allie and I decided we wanted to go to EPCOT to ride Test Track and maybe Soarin' and then we would meet Mom and Dad for dinner at Citricos. Now this all sounded like a good idea until we got to EPCOT and saw that the wait was 110min for Test Track and 130min for Soarin'! We didn't even have enough time to ride and get back to The Grand Floridian for dinner. So instead we walked around and went on the Seas with Nemo and Friends and Turtle Talk with Crush and of course grabbed some candy from Mouse Gear. After that, we took the monorail over to the Magic Kingdom for dinner where we ran into some more friendly, yet less farmiliar faces, a pair of UMASS Band Parents. For all of you that know the UMASS show, it was Jack Sparrow's parents. =P So we spent the entire monorail trip over to the Grand talking about band and Ireland and all sorts of stuff. When we made it to our destination, we bid them farewell until Gameday and met Mom and Dad for an absolutely delicious dinner at Citricos complete with Wishes from Magic Kingdom. After dinner we were all tired so we went back to Animal Kingdom Lodge to hang out and go for a swim. Thursday we got up and hung out, packed up all our stuff and they took me grocery shopping. After shopping we went to Downtown Disney for lunch at Portobellos. Really good restaurant. Then it was time to say good-bye so they dropped me off at my apartment. =(

The rest of the week has been full of half work and half play. The Lodge is really empty this week so we've gotten a lot of time off which I've taken full advantage of by being in the parks. I spent lots of time in Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom and EPCOT and checked off some more items off my bucket list. I now have seen Illuminations from another country (Japan), had my Mickey Mouse Ice Cream, seen Fantasmic, watched Wishes from Main Street, taken a picture with Mickey and Minnie and ridden of Cindarella's horse on the Carousel. So it was a very productive week as far as the bucket list is concerned. lol. It's been a lot of fun. I love getting to go back into the parks since I don't do it as often as you might expect because I'm so busy. This weekend is ESPN the weekend so I'm hoping to get to Hollywood Studios on Sunday after work to see it. There are also a ton of celebrities here including a whole bunch of athletes and Johnny Depp (promoting Alice and Wonderland) so I've got my eyes peeled for them. I might just go hang out in the Grand and look for them although a couple are staying at the lodge. =P

Alright...I think that's all for this update. This week brings some more days off and the beginning of my Disney Heritage class. Yay!! I'm so excited to start the class. So more updates about that soon.

Love,
Jess

The Week in Review

Hi Everyone!

Another update on my wonderful Disney life. I actually have had a lot to say over the past week but just keep forgetting to actually write in the blog. I just got home from work about an hour or so ago and I'm laying on the couch watching the Luge so I figured now would be a good time.

So this past week I've been doing a lot of working but also getting to do some fun stuff. On Tuesday (2.9.10) I got to work and it turned out our entire computer reservation system was down. Actually, the resort wide reservation system had completely shut down. Now, for most companies, nothing could get done without the computer which makes me realize that Disney is truly in a category of its own. They had such an amazing handwritten system check guests in and get them tickets and do pretty much everything they needed without any real disruption to them. It was pretty incredible. And to make it even better, our big boss manager (the manager of the whole front office) Michelle, had decided by chance to spend that day in costume seeing the operation from our level. It was quite funny to see her out on the floor with her "earning my ears" ribbon. I love Michelle. She's so friendly and open to listening to you and your problems and really never makes you feel like she's above you unless she has to. At around 2 the system was finally up and running and everything was back to normal. And then the managers bought us pizza to thank us for making everything go so smoothly.
When work was over, I went downstairs and changed into "normal people clothes" and took the Downtown Disney bus to meet Ren for La Nouba!!! I got very, very discounted tickets from my managers for product knowledge so I can convince other guests to go and see it and tell them how awesome it is. So after grabbing a really delicious sandwich and the Earl of Sandwich for dinner, I met Ren (I got 2 tickets so she came with me) and we went to La Nouba. It was absolutely incredible! If you ever get the chance to see it, Go! It's such an amazing show which and I loved it. My favorite part by far were the little Chinese girls playing with the Diabolo. They can't be more than 8 years old and they are unbelievably talented. So yeah...go see it. You'll love it.

Lets see...more fun stuff. Well, on Friday (2.12.10) Larry and Donna and the munchkins came down to Florida for vacation and I got to see them. I spent most of the day bumming around the apartment since I hadn't had a day off in 9 days but I met them all for Mariel's birthday dinner at Jiko in Animal Kingdom Lodge. It was delicious! I wasn't sure how much I was going to like it because I generally don't love African/Indian foods like curry and such but everything was phenomenal. I had lamb chops with cous-cous and a curry sauce that was so good and we had an olive and goat cheese flat bread pizza which I could have eaten as my meal I loved it so much. I highly recommend it if you want to spend the money. I also got to hang out with the munchkins and family on Sat (2.13.10) since I had off. So they picked me up around 10 and we went to Animal Kingdom for the day. It was a lot of fun although slightly cold during the morning. We went on pretty much everything including It's Tough to be a Bug which which broke down while we were there. While we were watching the show, Hopper never sprung out of the ground so they stopped the show and started it again and when they did neither Hopper nor Flik came out so they actually made it worse. It was still a fun show none the less. And I talked to this adorable 3 year old girl named Sydney for like a half hour while we were waiting for Finding Nemo: The Musical. She was so cute and telling me all about how she was going to have lunch with the princesses and how she was Belle for Halloween. It was really adorable. After we decided to leave the park we went back to Larry and Donna's timeshare so Donna could change and went to Planet Hollywood in Downtown Disney for dinner. There was a long wait for dinner so we walked around the shops and then finally got our table and had dinner. I had a Spinach salad which was really, really delicious. Then we went and got caramel apples from Candy Cauldron for dessert.

So today, well I guess yesterday was Valentine's Day. Now in the world of hotels, that means lots and lots of flowers being delivered to rooms, lots of check-ins and just lots of people. But honestly, it really wasn't that bad. I worked all day in the Vacation Club Villas so that made it slower then if I was working in the actual hotel part. And, to make Valentines day very cute, the boy across the hall left us a cake, flowers (well actually the flowers were from a few days ago) and a card with a poem in it on our doorstep. It was adorable of them. Both apartments like to leave gifts at the others doorstep, knock and run away. The funniest thing is that we haven't even really met all of them. Everything we sign is from "The Girls" and they are "The Boys". We've vowed to finally try and all hang out together so we can meet each other formally. It should be fun.

Other than that, I don't have to much to say. Mom and Dad and Allie come on Tuesday and I can't wait to see them!!! I should probably go to sleep now though considering it's 1:30AM. But until next time...

Love,
Jess

Princesses, Pools and Problem Solving

Hi Everyone!!

Hope this entry finds you doing well. Sorry it's been a while since I've updated. I've been busy with work and getting used to my Disney schedule. The last few days I've been working the night shift which is from 6PM-2AM. Normally you'd think that would be absolutely terrible but honestly, I don't mind it to much. After around 11 o'clock, it gets really mello in the lobby and you have the time to really talk to the guests that do come to you as well as chat with the other cast members that are working the graveyard shift. I've been very fortunate this week to meet lots of very nice families who I've really enjoyed talking to and like seeing in the lobby everyday. I've had some particularly cute children who love to tell me all about their princess dresses and plans to go meet Mickey and all the fun they're planning on having while they're here. It's fun to talk to them like they really are princesses and see their eyes light up.

Unfortunately, along with working the night shift you also have to have problem solving skills in high gear because that is generally when guests come to us and complain about anything and everything. Our main issue right now at the lodge is the fact that the pool is under construction and we get lots of guests that come to us upset about that and we try and recover the situation and make their stay as magical as possible. It takes lots of patience but I can already see myself becoming better at dealing with it and that my problem solving skills are improving. I can only imagine that those skills are going to be incredibly important later on it my career and in life.

Overall, it's been fun working at the lodge and I'm really enjoying myself. Tomorrow I'm going to see La Nouba with Ren and I am soooo excited!! I've wanted to see it for quite some time so I'm really happy I finally will. 4 more days of work before my days off on Friday and Saturday and Larry and Donna and the munchkins will be here! Yay!! And then Mommy, Daddy and Allie will be here next Tuesday!! I can't wait to see them. :)

Until then...

Earning my Ears!!

I earned my ears yesterday which in non-Disney terms means I'm officially done with training. The day went on as any other training day would, lots more check-ins and check-outs and answering questions and things like that but at the end one of my managers (Alfredo) presented my with my Mickey Mouse ears and welcomed my officially to the Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Front Desk Family. =) I was very excited and now have my ears sitting on my nightstand right next to my bed. Now for a 3 day weekend!! Yay!! More later...

Love,
Jess

Even More Training...

Hi everybody!! Hope this entry find you all doing well. Sorry I haven't updated in a while but its been quite busy around here and I'm still getting used to having such a crazy schedule. But I promise that I'll update you on everything now. I've spent the last few days in on the job training learning the ins and outs of working at the AKL front desk. So far its been going pretty well although it's a lot of information to take in and remember but I'm doing my best and my trainer says I'm doing really well so I'm going to take her word for it. I spend every day behind the desk practicing checking people in and out and answering guests questions. It's not such a hard process but it does have a lot of steps so the more you do it, the easier it gets. I'm finally starting to understand the details of the resort which is beautiful and BIG. There's lots of direction giving and I think I've just about got it so that's good.

Everyone I work with is really, really nice and will do what they can to help you in any situation from front desk cashiers all the way up to our front office managers. They embody the Disney happiness and so far have really made it a fun place to work. It's also a really cool thing working for Disney that I get to work with people from all over the world. I've worked with people from England, France, Pakistan, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Puerto Rico, the Netherlands as well as many different states. It's something I'm convinced you can't really get working for any other company. I've also in such a short time noticed the "Disney Difference" that people talk about. You'd be amazed at how everything Disney does, no matter how simple and seemingly unimportant is done for a reason. It's really what I think makes the company so unique and different from any one on the planet. All of those small differences put together that make up on big difference.

Tomorrow is my last day of training where I will finally "Earn My Ears". They have a little celebration for me and I get to wear Mickey Mouse ears around all day so that should be fun. Hopefully I'll remember to update the blog tomorrow and tell you all about it. And then....I'm off on my own. Well sort of. I won't have my trainer to ask lots of questions to but with all the people there are around to help me I can't see it being to much different.

I think that's it for now. Until then, love you all.

On the Job Training

Yesterday (1.23.10) was my first day of on the job training at Animal Kingdom Lodge. My day began at 3AM when I woke up to get dressed in my costume for my shift. Because the buses don't run that early to AKL I had to take the special early morning van at 4:30. So I got dressed and had breakfast and walked down to the bus stop at 4:10. I had no idea what actually was coming to pick me up, be it a bus or van or whatever since I've never had to take the early morning shuttle. I happened to see my friend Kevin from First Impressions while I was there so I sat and talked to him until his bus came (some buses run 24/7). At 4:45 I was worried that I had missed the bus since it hadn't come yet so I called the bus company and they reassured me that it would be here in another 5 min. At 4:50 the A bus (Magic Kingdom Bus) rolled around and the bus driver got out saying it was the early morning bus and that he would take me to Vista where they would put us on the shuttle. So I got on the bus and went to Vista where we were directed to a van that would take us where we wanted to go. At 5, myself and 5 other cast members were driven to our respective resorts to start our shifts. Since I worked the farthest away, I was the last one dropped off at around 5:25. So at 5:30 I clocked in (we can clock in up to 15 min. early) and waited by the time clocks for my trainer. At 6, I was a little worried that I was in the wrong place because my trainer wasn't there yet so I went to the security office next door to ask if they could call the front desk to make sure that my trainer forgot about me. They told me to just wait and she would be there soon. So I waited another 15min. and convinced the my trainer forgot about me I called the training office hotline and they told me to go to the security office and they would bring me up to the front desk. So I went back and a very nice security officer brought me up to the front desk where 1 lady was standing behind the counter. I approached her and said, "Hi. My name is Jessica and it's my first day and I think my trainer forgot about me." She happened to be my trainer and after apologizing 100 times for forgetting about me she brought me in the back and I got to start my day.

My trainers name is Marie. She's from France and is super, super sweet. I really like her even if she laughs at me because I talk fast like a New Yorker. =P So she brought me in the back and explained everything for me and let me watch her deal with some guests. After about 2 hours or so she let me try and I spent the majority of my day checking in and out guests with her standing behind me filling in the holes when I forgot things and answering all my questions. It was a lot of fun but def. challenging at times with certain guests. Thankfully all the guests I got were really nice and since they knew I was in training, they understood when I made a mistake or took a little longer. Marie also took me on a quick tour of the concierge level of the hotel and all the back areas of the front office. Everyone I work with is really nice and they all seem like happy people who I'm going to like. So, so far so good. =)

I had today and have tomorrow off as well and then back to training on Tuesday. More updates then!

Love,
Jess

Welcome Home to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

Tuesday (1.19.10) I FINALLY got to see my true new home for the semester, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. And it is beautiful! If you haven't already I highly recommend just stopping in there to look at the beautiful lobby and the animals that surround it and if you can splurge the extra money (it is quite expensive) stay the night. I would say it's definitely worth it (although I may be a bit biased) lol. So yesterday I had my property orientation which is pretty much a "Welcome to where you're going to be working" day. We got a tour of both Jambo House and Kidani Village which opened in September and is brand new. We got to see the whole hotel including all the restaurants and the savannahs that surround the hotel. They are so cool. Guests walk outside their balcony and come virtually face to face with giraffes and okapi and flamingos and a whole host of other animals. We also had to take a safety in motion class which was soooo boring. It's all about how to move so you don't hurt yourself and was taught by a crazy woman who thankfully kept us laughing. After we took the class and got our schedules for the week our trainer for the day drove us over to costuming to pick up our costumes. If you’ve ever actually taken time to look at the costumes in Disney, you’ll soon discover that they’re actually quite ridiculous. Thankfully, mine isn’t all that bad. It’s a gray skirt, cream colored blouse with a gray safari type jacket over it and an African like printed tie that goes around my neck. It isn’t really terrible; it’s just really heavy so thankfully I’ll be inside for 99% of my day. Once that was over I was allowed to go home so I boarded the J bus back to Chatham. When I got home Jen and Lo were back so we went out because they needed some stuff from the store and I needed to buy my shoes for my costume. The rest of the night we all just spent hanging around and then I went to bed on the earlier side because I was very sleepy.

Yesterday (1.20.10) I was back at Disney University learning more stuff to help field guest questions at the front desk. Today was all about the Disney Vacation Club. Although I did learn a whole lot I didn’t know about DVC, I wished I would have been back at the lodge actually at the front desk. They’ve been feeding me so much information and taking it all in is tough. And I can’t imagine how much information I would have to remember if I didn’t know so much about Disney. Then I’d seriously be overloaded with information. But it’s all good, I’ll be at the lodge soon enough. =) After a full day learning about DVC, I can back home and hung out until Jen got home from work at around 6. When she got home, she got dressed and we drove over to Illuminations to meet the other girls and watch Illuminations! We walked over to Test Track to meet Laura, Ren and Meg and then got to ride it (because it was finally not closed for refurbishment). It was soooo funny riding it with people who had never been on it (everyone but Meg) because they didn’t know what to expect. With lots of screams of “I don’t want to die” from Jen we exited test track laughing hysterically. Then we made our way over to World Showcase where we had dinner in the China Pavilion after watching the amazing Chinese acrobats. Once we had finished dinner, we walked around the world to France so everyone could get some French pastries for dessert. I was so full from dinner that I didn’t get anything but the crepes and croissants and pastries were incredibly tempting. We sat around in EPCOT and waited for Illuminations to start. I love Illuminations. It’s such an amazing show. I could watch it every day and never get bored. When it was over we walked back towards the entrance where we surprised Lo outside her merchandise shop saying good-bye to everyone as they left the park. We stopped and talked to her and then left the park to come back home. That’s about all the fun stuff I have to say about the last 2 days. I have today and tomorrow off and then my first official day of work bright and early Saturday morning. Until Then…
Love,
Jess

P.S. For those of you that will understand this, I saw our friend the Disney Duck today and he is alive and well living happily in the World Showcase Lagoon. =)

Time for Training

Sorry I haven't updated in the last few days. It's been pretty crazy because I've been in training. Ever wonder how a Disney Cast Member always seems to know the correct answers and what their doing?? I'll tell you our secret....lots and lots of training. The past four days I've had classroom training at Disney University learning how to use the Disney PMS (Property Management System) System and how to deal with all sorts of guest scenarios. I had two amazing trainers Jamie (pronounced Hi-May) and Evan. They both work at the front desk and were really cool teaching us everything we needed to know. I also had a really great class and we all became really good friends. Karen, Jen and Yolanda are all working at the Port Orleans Resort, Kevin's working at the Coronado Springs resort and Mike is working at the All-Stars. One of the coolest things about First Impressions (the name of our classroom training) is the real, fake front desk lab we get to work in. It gives us practice on checking eachother in and out and is really neat. ok...I promise to talk more about stuff later but I'm exhausted because we went to Magic Kingdom last night and then I worked a full day today. Until then.

Love,
Jess

Time to Play

One of the best perks about working for the Disney World is the ability to go to the parks whenever we choose.

Last night, I met Ren and Meghan at Magic Kingdom after their traditions class for an hour or so of MK fun! I even got to ride the monorail for the first time on my trip. We walked over to Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin for our first ride of the trip! After me failing epically at playing Buzz Lightyear we made our way over to Space Mountain so Ren and Meg could ride it but it was closed for the night already so we opted to take Ren on her first ever ride on it's a small world. We got off it's a small world and walked around the park to the Jungle Cruise. We rode the Jungle Cruise and while we were, we heard the fireworks start to go off. We left Jungle Cruise and walked towards the sea of people watching Wishes and dodged through them as fast as we could to get to the monorail first because we knew that Jen, Laura and Lo (Amanda) were waiting for us to go to Downtown Disney for dinner. So we rode the monorail to the TTC with some boys who were from Iowa and on a road trip. At the TTC we caught the bus back to Chatham where we quick changed and met the girls in Downtown Disney for dinner at House of Blues. It was very delicious (especially since I was really hungry) and a lot of fun. It was especially fun because it was our first family dinner as an apartment. After dinner we walked around Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island doing some "window shopping" and got some ice cream and the ghiradelli shop. Soooooo yummy! After we were stuffed to the brim, we came back to our apartment and went to sleep ready for another day of fun!

So today, 3 of us were lucky enough to have a day off before beginning training so we spent it in EPCOT! We boarded the bus to EPCOT at around 11:40 which took us to the backstage parking lot. After orientating ourselves, we made it through the cast entrance to the front of EPCOT. We were really hungry at this point so we made our way to The Land pavilion for some lunch. I grabbed us all fastpasses for Soarin' and then we had a really delicious lunch at the Land, Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Candied Walnuts and a Sherry Vinaigrette. When we had finished lunch we decided to ride Living with the Land since we still had lots of time before our fastpass was ready. After Living with the Land (and seeing some very cool plants), we walked over the The Seas with Nemo and Friends! We took a bunch of pictures of the Seagulls outside because they're fun and cute and then went on the ride. Once the ride is over it leads you out to lots of aquariums and stuff which we spent lots of time looking at including the Dolphins who are so adorable. At 2:15 there was a demonstration with the dolphins that we stayed to watch which was really, really cool. They were doing research with the dolphins about how good their memory is and it truly is incredible how smart they are. When that was over, it was time for our fastpasses so we walked back over to Soarin' which I love! Such a fun ride. After Soarin' we decided to make our way around the world....World Showcase that is. We started in Canada and spent lots of time taking pictures and just walking around. I also stopped at a pin stand and bought my first pin of the trip! A 2010 pin, fittingly enough. When we got towards the end of our walk, something really cool happened, the bridge opened up near China and out came THE ILLUMINATIONS GLOBE!! I've never seen it that close before and it's even bigger than you think. That was such an awesome thing to see and I didn't even have to be backstage to see it! On our way back towards the front of the park, we stopped at Mouse Gear so I could buy some postcards and I also bought the Illuminations CD since I've been wanting it for so long and they had it. Hurray for Cast Member Discounts! We then walked more towards the entrance to the park and road Spaceship Earth before we left and got back on the bus to come home. When we got home, Jen picked us up and we ran to target to get some things and have just been chilling out since then. Ren also made us a delicious pasta dinner. :)

First day of training tomorrow! Can't wait to see what I'm really going to be doing. Until then,
Jess <3

Walt Disney World: Where Dreams Come True

That statement has never been truer than it was today. I just got home after my traditions class and I don't know if I should laugh, or cry, or smile, or jump up and down. I'm just so overcome with emotion because my dream HAS come true.

As most of you read this post, you're going to probably laugh a little (mom, you'll cry) and probably think I'm cute but the truth is, this is my dream. I've dreamt about working for the Walt Disney World Company since I can ever remember. I think it's the only place I've ever truly wanted to work and now that I'm here, I can't believe it. But it really is real. I'm here. I work for the mouse. I'm part of making the legacy and instilling the love of Disney into some little child (and maybe some adult) just like hundreds of cast members did for me throughout my lifetime. This truly is a magical place where dreams come true.

It all started this morning with a buzz on my alarm clock at 5:30AM. I gladly rolled out of bed and got dressed in that Disney look I keep talking about. Bubbling with excitement (yet still quite sleepy) I went down to the bus at 6:30. There we boarded buses that took us to Traditions Class held at Disney University. Yes...It exists. Disney University, a place that most only dream about where everyone is happy and pictures of Splash Mountain, Cinderella Castle and Spaceship Earth adorn the wall. Where a smile cures everything and Mickey comes to visit just because. It sits right outside the Magic Kingdom in a place that most people are never allowed to see. And as the bus drove into the "undiscovered" Disney World, my eyes lit up. Although nothing more than some extra props and lots of buildings are back there, I knew there was more to come and that this was just the beginning. Boy was I right...

We entered Disney University and were checked for our Disney look before receiving our IDs. These are the fun ones. The keys to the Kingdom that get us into the parks, give us the discounts and pretty much let us do what we please. We were then put into a classroom where we got a lecture about keeping stuff confidential and the culture of integrity and all that fun stuff. Unfortunately for you all, this means I can't tell you everything that goes on. But I wouldn't do that anyway. I want you to have the magic right like you're supposed to. This was the boring part of the presentation. I honestly almost fell asleep. But then, we met our 2 traditions leaders Maggi and Alicia who ensured us that it was ok to yell and scream and cheer and be happy because that's what Disney is about. It's about FUN! And if we have fun, the guests will have fun too. So we had a character naming competition (my group came in 2nd...missing by 3 characters), learned about Disney and Safety and all sorts of other fun stuff when about an hour into the class, Maggi said that we were going to take a field trip to see the Utilidors! I honestly couldn't contain my excitement. Really? Right now? We're going there? I get to see them? The number one thing on my bucket list is going to be crossed off less than 48hrs after I get here?! I was so excited. So we gathered our things (we had a little project we had to do while we were there) and boarded a bus to get to the entrance to the Utilidors. It was amazing!! No details here other than they're huge and amazing and have pretty much everything you could need. Cafeteria, costuming (we got a peek...very neat), medical services. If you need it, it's under there. So we walked through those and were brought up some stairs which led right to Main Street USA! We walked down Main Street starring at the castle in amazement. It's never any less exciting no matter how long you've been there or how many times you've seen it. It's just magical. We proceeded to Mad Hatter's Tea Party (for all of you that know your way around the Kingdom) and stopped where we were let go in our groups to find examples of some "Disney important" things. It is there that I ran into another "must see" item from my Disney bucket list. PUSH! Ok...for all of you that have no idea who PUSH is, he is a talking garbage can that can easily be found around Cosmic Ray's Cafe in Tomorrowland. He is a working garbage can but he can move around and talk to you. Hey, this is Disney. So naturally, I knew what it was and when we spotted it, me and my 3 teammates stopped to look at it. It was then that he rolled on over and started talking to us. After poking fun at us (we were wearing earpieces and probably looked like FBI agents) we attracted quite a crowd both of fellow group CPs and of guests. One little boy was quite taken a back from him but it was really cute and all in good fun. After about 10min. of searching around Mad Hatter's Tea Party, we were led through a secret entrance in Fantasyland back to the Utilidors where we walked back to the backstage entrance and got on the bus to go back to class. The whole experience was awesome! On the bus ride back, I also got to see where the new Fantasyland expansion is going to happen. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, google it. Very exciting stuff.) :)

Back in class, we did more learning about all sorts of Disney stuff when there was a knock at the door. Maggi opens the door and who else but MICKEY walks through it!! And he was holding a present. Seriously, where else on earth does Mickey come to class and bring you presents?! And these weren't just any presents. This was the best present of all...Our Nametags!!! So with some hi's, hugs and hi-fives, Mickey was off to see the other classes and we continued on with class. It was so much fun and we even got to hear about some new stuff Disney is getting ready to do. At the end of class we finally got our nametags where we were instructed to put them on as we left the building because we all were now, officially Disney Cast Members. We boarded the buses back to Chatham and when we got off I found the rest of my apartment (they all got the afternoon class) and without giving away any hints of what was to come I just said, "It's amazing. Have Fun. I'll see you later" and went back to my apartment. I wanted them to discover all the magic for themselves because it was amazing. Actually, it was more than amazing. It was my dream come true.

So that was this morning. I'm not sure if a day could be better than today but I guess I'm just going to have to find out. I'll probably post again later. Magic Kingdom tonight with my apartment!! Can't wait to finally get to play!!

Love Forever and Always,
Jess

Welcome to Disney!!

So I'm going to apologize in advance for the length of this entry but it was a very busy, very fun day that has lots and lots to tell. Today was my first official day at Disney!!! So far it has been incredible although I'm still adjusting which is taking a little time. Just a lot of information to digest and think about but it's all amazing! (I'm going to try and remember everything...there's a lot)

So that day began at 7AM when Mom woke me up at the hotel to get dressed for check-in. We went down to the first floor of the hotel for breakfast and when we finished breakfast we went up and got my stuff and it was off to Vista Way to begin check-in!! Once we got there we were directed to the first of many tents and tables for the week. I then called my roommate Meghan (who I had met on facebook) and we met up to go through the whole process together since you have to if you want to room together. I met up with her and we got our "program guides" (pretty much our DCP bible for the next few days) and nametags. Then we waited on a line to go to a table where we filled in some paperwork. Then we went inside a picked where we were going to live. Meghan and I got a 3 bedroom (6 roommates) in Chatham Square which is where we wanted to live so that was really cool. Then we went to a table where they gave us our keys and explained the bus schedule to us. Next was a table where we got our pictures taken for our housing IDs (not the fun ones that get us into the parks just yet). Once we left that building we made our way outside to another line where we met with a guy who told us where we would have to be for the rest of the day. It's also where we ran into 2 of our other roommates Jen and Amanda (more on them later). We all parted ways and I met up with Mom and Dad who were at a parents holding area of sorts to go to Chatham to quick claim my room and bed and stuff before we had to take the 10:40 bus to Chatham.

So we drove over to Chatham and to my apartment 19303 and since I was the first one there I claimed our room and bed and stuff. At around 10:20, we walked over to the bus stop to take to Casting. After asking many bus drivers if that was our bus and being denied, we finally found our bus which did in fact take us to the casting center. We were then greeted by doorknobs that were in the shape of Alice and Wonderland Handles and we knew we were in Disney. We were then led to a line which would tell us where we were going to work. I got ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE working front desk!!! I was soooooo excited. I really wanted to work at one of the upper class hotels here so that was really exciting. I also got a window decal for my car which I’m very excited to be able to put on when I go home. I then moved to another table where they talked to us about the Disney Look and we got the inspection to make sure we didn’t have to change anything before we go to Traditions class because you’re not allowed to enter traditions unless you’re in the Disney Look. Disney Look is huge list of rules about your appearance that you must be in every time you’re “on stage”. It’s pretty intense but luckily I passed. :) Next we moved to a room where they took all of our work verification forms and gave us our pay cards. Next was a room where we got our training schedules and times for traditions class. The next room was on to be fingerprinted and then with a quick explanation of photopass and a first day picture, I was on my way out of casting. I met up with Mom and Dad and we went to lunch at Fridays. After lunch, they helped me unpack more of my stuff until 2:30 when they drove me over to the commons for the housing meeting. There Meg and I met up with Amanda and Jen and met one of our new roommates Laura. We went into the housing meeting which was 2 hours long. Now I know that that may sound like the most boring thing on the planet. Think first day of moving into a dorm meetings at college. But this is Disney, so it was actually really, really funny. The first girl was super boring but the guy who was there from Disney kept us entertained the whole time. When the meeting was over I walked back to my room and started unpacking my stuff. I (naturally) brought wayyyy to much stuff with me. But somehow I managed to get it all to fit. We spent most of the rest of the night getting our rooms in order and getting to know everyone in the apartment. So far everyone seems really cool and it looks like we’re going to get along. I’m still trying to get everyone straight but I’ll see if I can give you a quick rundown of everyone.

Meghan: My roommate. Meg and I live in room 1 of the apartment. She’s originally from Towson, Maryland and is a sophomore at Virginia Tech as Hospitality and Marketing Major. She’s working as a lifeguard in both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.

Amanda: Amanda lives in room 2 and is from somewhere in the middle of nowhere Illinois. She’s also an interior design major and a junior. She’s working in Merchandise in EPCOT.

Laura: Laura lives in room 2 with Amanda. She’s a freshman from Texas majoring in Psychology, Biology and minoring in Anthropology. She’s working in I believe Quick Service Food and Beverage and the Animal Kingdom.

Lauren (aka Ren): Ren lives in room 3. She’s a cinema major originally from England although she’s lived in Reading, PA since she was 8. She goes to school in Tennessee (I think) and is working Merchandise at Hollywood Studios.

Jen: Jen is Ren’s roommate and like Amanda is from Illinois although more of the city part of the state. She’s working Full Service Food and Beverage at the Liberty Tree in the Magic Kingdom and is super excited about having to wear a bonnet (not!). =P
So that’s our room…We manage to cover every single theme park and the water parks plus a hotel so we’ve really got the entire property covered. I’m excited to get our costumes (Disney’s word for uniforms) and see how different they are. We’ve already vowed to take an apartment picture in full uniform no matter how awful they may be.
That’s pretty much day 1. It was a ton of information to take in (I told you the post would be long) but I don’t want to forget it. Today (day 2) we have off and then we start full force tomorrow with Traditions Class! With all the excitement is coming so nerves but I just can’t wait to really get started. More later…

Have a Magical Day.
Jess

P.S. I decided that at the end of each post I’m going to post a Disney fact. Hopefully it’ll make you all a little more Disney knowledgeable the next time you talk to me.  Disney Fact #1: The Magic Kingdom Tunnels under the park are called Utilidors which is short for Utility Corridors.

Less than 12 hours...

Another short entry because I'm tired...

The day started with a visit by Amiee and Devan at the apartment who I was very excited to see since I haven't in over a year. Then at about 2, we drove to Orlando and are currently staying at the Marriott until I check into my Disney apartment early tomorrow morning. We also had dinner with Uncle Keith and other than that, the day wasn't all that intersting to write about. lol. It still doesn't feel like I'm actually checking in tomorrow. The nerves are setting in a little as is the excitement. I promise tomorrow will bring an entry full of lots of fun stuff. I can't wait to find out.

Until Tomorrow,
Jess

Off and Running...

So here it goes, day 1 of this amazing adventure I'm about to embark on this semester. Technically I guess yesterday should have been day 1 because that's when we flew into Ft. Lauderdale but today was my first full day in Florida so I'm starting now.

First off, it's FREEZING in Florida! I wanted to go swimming today but that couldn't happen because it as like 40 degrees and raining. It even snowed in some parts of Orlando and Tampa today!! Florida is supposed to be warm. This is not ok. lol. It better start getting warmer pretty soon. I am in desperate need of a tan.

It was probably better off that it was not a pool day because we spent most of the day shopping getting me all the extra stuff I need for Disney. The day ended with a delicious dinner with the Boilens and the Teitelbaums at the Boca West Steakhouse. Soooo yummy! (Thanks for dinner Howie!) Now it's just about bedtime. Tomorrow we leave for Orlanda and then check-in on Monday! It still doesn't feel real. I can't believe it's all really happening. More to come soon...

Love Always,
Jess