Thursday, May 29, 2014

I'm Not on Drugs, Just Let Me Pee!

May 28th- the day after check-in.

In my last post I mentioned I had to go for a drug test, if you work in attractions, transportation, or are a lifeguard you are required to take a drug test. My drug test was scheduled for 9:15 am the day after check-in, they told us that we should not pee before the drug test since we wouldn't be properly hydrated and wouldn't be able to have enough pee to do the drug test. So when I woke up that morning (at 7:30 for some reason) I had to hold my morning pee for 1 1/2 hours. The drug test is at Vista Way in one of the apartment buildings, it was really weird. Needless to say I had enough pee to fill that cup.

After I got back to the apartment Celine and I went down to the clubhouse to get a form to fill out in regards to things that were wrong in the apartment- broken things, missing kitchen stuff, etc. After that, the two of us and Charlotte hung out by the pool for about an hour and then Charlotte, Cate, and I had our housing meeting.

The housing meeting is a bunch of things you can and cannot do. Most of it is common sense, they try to make it fun, it's not terrible but it kind of drags. It was about an 1 1/2 hours long and it was at The Commons, which is like a 15 minute walk from Patterson. Overall it felt like a waste of time and I just wanted to go back to the pool.

After the housing meeting we all had lunch and hung out for a bit, then we went to Downtown Disney to explore and have dinner. We decided that after dinner we would go and see Celine and Hannah's work locations since they both worked in resorts! First stop was Pop Century where Celine would be working in the gift shop there. She got to meet her scheduling manager and some of the other cast members there. It is a cute store, we got "I'm Celebrating" pins from the front desk and we learned that the CMs from the store come out and do the electric slide and dance with the guests. We walked around for a bit and took a bunch of pictures, Celine even got a Pop Century post card that she pinned to her cork board. After that we got on a bus to Magic Kingdom where we then hopped on a bus to the Wilderness Lodge where Hannah is working. The Wilderness Lodge is beautiful! The only one of us who had ever been there was Celine, the rest of us were in awe, it is an incredible resort. We walked around for a while and took pictures again, Hannah also got a post card of her resort. She even got to meet the front desk manager, he seemed really nice. After that we got on the bus back to Chatham and went home.

It was about 9:30 pm when we got home, we all took showers and then hung out in the living room playing Would You Rather and Headbanz, Cate even joined us. It was a pretty fun day! I absolutely love my roommates and I just feel so at home here. Next up is a housing event, traditions, finally getting to play in the parks, and then training!

Check In Day!

So I checked in May 27th but I was so busy yesterday, I never had time to write what happened. So here's a recap of check-in day

Everyone crouching around me makes me look
extremely short, but still a cute pic check-in day!
My roommates and I were scheduled to check in between 7:30 am and 9:00 am, we decided that we wanted to get it over asap so we planned to get in line around 7:00 am. We all met up at 6:45 am at the hotel where Charlotte, Hannah, and I were staying and then we headed over to Vista Way. On the way over we grabbed some breakfast, Ashleigh and Hannah got Chick-Fil-A and Charlotte, Celine, and I just bought some granola bars from the gas station. We then got in line a little after 7:00 am. We waited just under 20 minutes for them to start letting people in.

The first things we got were our program guides, they were handed to us while we were waiting in line. Next we got stick-on name tags, Disney is on a first name basis with everyone, everyone greets each other by name. After that I thought we got our housing assignments and more boring stuff, but I was wrong! Next stop was our job locations! I was not mentally prepared for that moment so I was already freaking out when I found out I was going to be working at... MAGIC KINGDOM IN NEW FANTASYLAND!!!!!!!!!! So after I found that out I was freaking out even more. Quick side note- I am so excited to be working there! Fantasyland is like the epitome of Disney World, I can't think of a more iconic place in Disney. I didn't really have any area or park I specifically wanted to be in, I was leaning toward MK because it's the most well-known and popular park, it is also my favorite one, but I wasn't going to be upset if I didn't get it. Literally can't be more excited! Anyways... after getting our locations we found out where we'd be living; we got a 3 bedroom in Patterson! Our first choice! After that we took a picture for our housing IDs, got our keys, and received our recently printed housing IDs- they print them out right there. After that we got in line to receive our itineraries for the week, it will tell you what time you have casting (some people have it right after check-in some had it later in the day- like me), if and when you have a drug test (I did), when you have your housing meeting, when you have Traditions, and if and when you have a language test (I didn't- this is if you can speak another language fluently and want to have a pin that says you do). After that we broke up into groups of about 5 for someone to go over our schedules and we could ask questions about it. Then we went to a table to make sure all of our pay information is all set, then we filled out I-9 forms (& kept them) then we get a spiel about safety- Safe-D begins with me! Then we were finished with check-in, it took about 1 1/2 hours. My roommates all had casting right after but I didn't have mine until 1:00 pm that day so I got to be the first one in the apartment which means... the biggest room!

After check-in I walked back to the hotel and my sister, my mom, and I drove over to Patterson to start moving me in! We are on the 3rd floor which kind of sucks because it is a bit of a hike, but our building is really close to the front (so we don't have to walk as far to the Chatham bus stop), pretty close to the pool, and also close to one of the laundry facilities, so we got pretty lucky! Our apartment is awesome, I absolutely love it, it also helps that I nabbed the biggest room for Charlotte and I, so overall I'm pretty happy with it. I got everything in the apartment and got a bunch of stuff unpacked and then went out and bought more stuff. After unpacking some stuff I realized there was a lot of stuff I still needed to get like: a lamp, plastic drawers, baskets for under the sink, more hangers, laundry basket, hamper, and a few other things. On our way back Charlotte texted me and said that the 6th girl (who none of us knew) had moved into my room with me, my stomach basically dropped, fortunately Charlotte's dad took care of it and it was fine. I dropped everything off at the apartment and then me and the 6th girl- Cate and I went to Casting.

While check-in was fun and exciting, casting was boring and tiring. Casting is a lot of waiting in line and all boring stuff. You get finger printed, hand over your I-9 stuff, get your training schedule, and get information about traditions and busing. Make sure you have your I-9 stuff- a passport OR a license and your social security card/birth certificate, they have to be the original documents no copies. Lots of information, lines, and boring stuff- but you get to meet a lot of other CPs, which is cool.

After casting I finished unpacking my stuff and got all settled in. My mom and sister were leaving the next morning super early so I hung out with them the rest of the night and said goodbye to them. I didn't really want them to go but I was okay with it. My mom cried, which made me sad but I'm going to see her in 2 months so it is really fine. I already feel at home here, I love my roommates, I love our apartment, and I love Florida!

Monday, May 26, 2014

One Day More!

Check-in is TOMORROW! I'm so excited and also anxious! It is crazy that I'm finding out where I'll be living and working for 7 months in less than 10 hours!

Today was a full day for me, we woke up early and went to the outlet mall-- it is amazing there, I already know I will be spending a lot of time there and we get a cast member discount which is amazing. After that my sister and I laid out by the pool for a bit, then I got ready to meet my roommate Charlotte at Target to buy some of our bathroom stuff. Of course the time we decided to leave it starts storming so it was delayed a bit and then we ended up at different Targets, so that was an adventure. We bought a Mickey & Minnie shower curtain and got a bathmat and hand towels to match, our bathroom is going to be adorable! After we were done shopping we went back to the hotel to get ready to meet 2 of our other roommates out for dinner! We all met up at Planet Hollywood with our families, it was a great time! All of the parents got along great which was awesome and my mom absolutely loved my roommates, which I don't know how you couldn't, they are a great group of girls! After dinner we went to pick up Hannah from the airport which was kind of another adventure since her flight was delayed and we couldn't find her, but eventually we did and it all worked out!

I am just so excited!! Even more so after meeting my roommates in person! Tomorrow we are all meeting up at 6:45am to get breakfast then over to Vista Way for our check-in time at 7:30! I'll definitely update tomorrow but that is all for now!

Sunday, May 25, 2014

ORLANDO!

Today around 2pm we finally made it to Orlando! We started driving around 5am on Saturday and drove all day until about 7pm; we stopped in Savannah, Georgia for the night. We got up today at 7am and struggled to find a place for breakfast, we finally found a place and were back on the road by 9am. Fun times!
The drive wasn't as bad as it seemed, it took us 18 1/2 hours total, 1,200 miles, and we were in a teeny tiny car but somehow I didn't mind as much as I thought I would.

When we got to Orlando it was 95 degrees which was crazy, I haven't been in that kind of weather in sooo long. We basically headed right for the pool after we checked in to the hotel, it was so hot. After the pool, we went to dinner, then we tried to go to the outlet mall. The traffic was insane, I know Orlando traffic is bad, but today was terrible. We made it into the parking lot of the mall and couldn't find a spot so we decided to head to Downtown Disney. On our way we kind of saw where the DCP housing was, which was pretty cool to see since my mom and Kara haven't seen them before. We only spent a little time at DTD since it was so hot and crowded, we actually had to park across the street at Disney's casting building since there was no parking in the DTD parking lot. It was actually pretty cool to see casting before I check in, I had no idea it was right across from DTD until today. We finally left when it started to rain, we were tired. We stopped to get some food for the hotel and now we are relaxing and watching tv.

It was a long day today, I am exhausted. Tomorrow I'm going to meed up with my roomies! Charlotte and I are going to shop for some stuff for our bathroom and then we'll meet up with Ashleigh and Celine in Downtown Disney for dinner at Planet Hollywood, then we are all going to pick up Hannah from the airport! Then Tuesday is check-in! I can't believe I'm here and it's almost time for me to move in and start my life here! Crazy!

Thursday, May 22, 2014

So Prepare For a Chance of a Lifetime

... be prepared for sensational news. A shining new era, is tiptoeing nearer.

Preparing for arrival in Disney has been a whirlwind. There has been so much stuff I've had to get together, there was a bunch of stuff I've had to buy, stuff I had to dig for to find in my house, I've had to go through my entire wardrobe and figure out what I should bring and what stays at home, and then pack it all up and make sure it fits in my car. Speaking of my car, my lease is up in September and I originally wanted to turn it in early so I wouldn't have to worry about it down there, but it ended up being to expensive to do it now. So instead I'm going to get new tires and keep my car until September, turn it in down there, and then my mom will drive her car down and I'll use her car for the rest of my program. So I've had a lot going on in the past few days, but it is all worth it!

Packing has been such a fun experience stressful. I know I've over packed but it is so hard not to when I know I'm going to be down there for so long! I'm going to want options says the girl who wears the same 5 outfits in the summer and I'm so used to the cold I still pack for cooler weather just in case, even though I'm sure I'll be melting during the summer. At least I'll have room for all the stuff (mainly clothes) I'm bringing, it's looking like my roommates and I will definitely be in a 3 bedroom apartment, today a lot of people were posting that they got emails saying they were assigned triple occupancy rooms. None of us got that email so we're pretty confident we got a 3 bedroom, fingers crossed!

Back to packing, I have a huge suitcase that is filled with clothes, one large tote with a bunch of toiletries, a small flat tote with bags and shoes in it, and I think I'll be bringing a laundry basket that I'm going to put my bedding and towels in. I'll be sure to post a picture once everything is all packed up so anyone who is reading this can get an idea of what I think I need for 7 months. There isn't too much more I have to pack, if I needed to leave right this minute I could.

I am only 2 days away from leaving for Disney. UM WHAT? Wasn't it like 40 something not too long ago? How did this semester go by so fast? Craziness. My sister has about 70 days left until she checks in, when I got accepted I was 76 days away from check-in. So to all those who think 70+ days is a long wait, it's not, that time is going to fly by!

Goodbye May Seem Forever

 ... farewell is like the end, but in my heart is the memory and there you will always be. -Walt Disney

It has been a week of goodbyes. I had a going away party with my family on Saturday, said goodbye to my boyfriend on Sunday since he left for Italy on Monday, had my last day at work on Monday, said goodbye to my paternal grandparents today, and today I also said goodbye to some of my coworkers that I didn't get to see before my last day of work. And there are even more goodbyes still to come later this week, and those are going to be really tough.

I know I talked about leaving my family in my last post but I think it really hit me today. I am leaving home for 7 months, the one time I tried living away from home was a disaster and I was home after 3 days. I was only 17 at the time though and I wasn't as confident as I am now. It also didn't help that I was going to school and not Disney... so there's that too lol. I am worried about getting homesick and wanting to come home but I know that I won't give in to it. There will be days that are going to be tough but I mean, I'll be working in DISNEY WORLD so there's no reason to be sad about anything. Only 3 more days now until I leave!


Side note: I am really happy I decided to have a blog during my program, even if no one reads it, it helps me to express everything I'm feeling; it even makes me feel better about things. I started writing this post feeling nervous and a little sad but the time I ended I was excited again and feeling really confident! If anyone reads this who is going to do the DCP, I highly suggest blogging or just keeping a weekly journal. Even if you write something and no one sees it, it may help you feel better by writing everything down, plus at the end of your program you can go back and read everything and maybe relive some things you've forgotten!

Sunday, May 18, 2014

M-I-C See Ya Real Soon...

K-E-Y Why? Because we like you! M-O-U-S-E


Today my mom threw a little going away party for me with some of my family. I can't believe I'm not going to see all of them for 7 months! I didn't realize until today exactly how much I was going to miss everyone. I basically see them all at least every other weekend, my cousins I see every single weekend for the entire weekend. I'm only 10 days (technically 9 since it's midnight right now) away from check-in, and only 6 days away from leaving. 6!!! Where did the time go? I'm excited to go and I am so ready but it hadn't really hit me how much I was going to miss my family while I'm gone.

I'm not sad, so I don't want anyone reading this to take it that way, but I'm not happily leaving my family either. I am so lucky that I have such an amazing family who are happy for me and support me in everything I do. I'm just distraught over the fact that if I want to go hang out with my cousins I can't make the 3 minute drive to their house to see them or the fact that I am missing so many big holidays that I always spend with my family. It is a huge change for me and it is probably going to be really tough.

But, it is time for me to do something new, I'm so comfortable with my life right now that it is becoming monotonous. School, work, school, work, hang out with cousins, work, etc every single week. I need a challenge, something that will put me out of my comfort zone and into a new situation, which is exactly what I'm doing. Sure I'm going to miss my family, but they will come visit me and they will all be there for me when I come home.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

The Home Stretch!

Yesterday was my last day of exams! So now I can officially focus on all things Disney without feeling like I'm procrastinating! Yay!! I'm 13 days away from check-in and 9 days away from leaving home! That's crazy, I honestly can't believe how fast that time went by; it feels like it was only a week ago when I first found out I was accepted and made a post on Facebook saying I was 76 days away from check in. I seriously can't believe it!

So yesterday my roommates and I got our DORMS email to put in our preferences of where we want to live. Our original choice of a 2 bedroom in Patterson, with one of the rooms being a triple, did not work out; apparently not all of the choices are available for each check in day. We just assumed it would be fine since no one else really wanted the triples and we were fine with it. But nope, it wasn't available for us, so we settled for a 3 bedroom which means we'll be getting a random girl joining us! It's exciting and nerve wracking, the 5 of us get along so well already, I feel bad for the girl who is coming in to this not knowing us and us already being friends. We'll make it work but it was just an unexpected twist in our plan.

So now that I'm so close to being in Disney, there are just a few things I still have to buy and take care of before I leave! I've decided to buy my bedding, towels, and stuff like that here in Buffalo just so that there is less stuff for me to worry about when I get down there. I'm also in the process of figuring out if I can get a new car before I leave since my lease is up in September or if I should just wait it out and do it then. So I've got lots of things to take care of in a short amount of time! But that doesn't stop me from being so excited!

That's all I have to update for now. I really hope I can keep up with posting during the program!

Thursday, May 1, 2014

It's May!!!!


It's gonna be May! Which means this is the month I leave for Disney!!! 26 days until check-in, 22 days until I leave Buffalo, and 20 days until my last day of work!

I know I've said this in almost every post already but I'm getting really excited! The fact that I'm leaving home for 7 months and living on my own, 1,200 miles away from everyone and everything I know does not bother me in the slightest. If anything it makes me even more excited, it's like a total fresh start. I've already though about staying down there/extending after my program is over. I'm usually not like this at all, in the weeks leading up to my first year of college (I had decided to dorm) I was having like a melt down and my school was only 25 minutes away from home! This time around I can't wait to leave, I have been stuck in the same routine for like 3 years now and it is definitely time for a change. Everything I do has become such a chore with very little reward, so while I'm working at the same ride everyday in Disney I can at the very least get through it knowing I'm living in the most magical place in the world!

The days seem like they're going by faster and faster, I can remember when my countdown was at 76 days and now its 50 days later and just a few weeks away from leaving! I have been preoccupying myself by reading every DCP blog I can find and I'm pretty sure I've seen every DCP vlog on YouTube. I have a ton of stuff packed already, all of my toiletries are ready to go and I have a ton of clothes in my suitcase, I could leave tomorrow if I had to and I want to! Most of my time in class has been spent making lists of stuff I still need to buy, stuff I'll buy in Florida, what attractions I'd like to get at each park, and other random things regarding the DCP; who needs school when you're moving to Disney? That's kinda bad but I just can't help it, I'm so EXCITED!