It's been a week, and I've been pretty busy. Last week as you already know was our throw in. That was fun. Don't want to give away too much info to the newcomers. But you will have a blast, I promise you. The next day we did Downtown Disney again and checked out some of the shops like the World of Disney which has everything Disney from hats to costumes to clothes to books. I bought a book on the Hidden Mickeys all around the parks which I am pretty excited about. I love scavenger hunts haha. We also went to Lego Mania which is literally everything lego. It's pretty cool. I used to love legos when I was little. We ate at the Rainforest Cafe which was delicious. I had Chicken Fried Chicken. No joke. That was definitely what it was called. We went to Epcot, checked out each of our workplaces, rode Maelstrom in Norway. We also decided to check out Hollywood Studios, we all knew it closed at 7 except Taryn thought it closed later, so surely enough we arrive at 6:55 only to find it closes at 7...so then we ventured off to Magic Kingdom which was opened late because of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. But again we arrived pretty late so we only had time for one ride and that was the Haunted Mansion. I made a rule that all newbies to Disney World should go on with an experienced rider because it's so much fun to see a first timer on a ride. Saturday was Traditions which was a very long and tiring day (6:25 until about 12:30), it was basically a day about The disney basics and service, safety etc. We also got to go to Magic Kingdom with little CIA earpieces on and we had to write down different things on what makes the park so safe. Mickey also came to visit us which was pretty cool. I wanted a critter so bad but I didn't know the answer to any of the questions. At the end of the day we got our nametags and Disney ID's. Sunday I started to feel really sick and exhausted...we had F&B basics which was basically about good service and having the Disney Look. We mainly did some e-Learning on the computers as well as got accounts on The Hub which is a website exclusive to Disney Cast Members. Monday was Onboarding Day, still sick with a fever, another long day. Working @ Disney has a lot of rules and regulations, especially when it comes to checking id. They cannot stress enough how important it is to not serve anyone younger than 21 any alcohol. This results to instant termination. You have to card anyone who looks 30 and younger, and each guest can only order up to 2 drinks each. Tuesday was Discovery Day, the last dress up day. This day was the most fun as we got a tour of Epcot, and rode Spaceship Earth, and some other neat surprises which I cannot disclose at this time. Wednesday was my first day of work, on the job training at popcorn cart. So much to learn. Next time I open I have to open by myself so I'm pretty nervous, but as long as I have things written down. My trainer was so nice and bubbly. The most confusing thing for me is ringing people in cause so many people use gift cards, coupons, guest ids etc and every single form of payment has a button so it can get quite overwhelming at times. Also pouring the beer from the keg, there's a certain way to do it so it doesn't foam. You have to let it run for about 20 milliseconds until it becomes clear, and then you have to tilt the glass so it does not build up foam. I still can't do this very well and I've had 2 shifts already. But everything else I seem to be getting the hang of. It's entertaining though right before fireworks because so many tipsy people will want to buy beer. Yesterday I had a pm shift and its pretty much the same thing as am except busier. Luckily I had my trainer with me to help me with orders. So finally I have today, tomorrow and Sunday off so me and Taryn are going to check out the parks. We are actually going to bring in our 2 costumes to Epcot today to have them washed. So I will keep you all posted.
Love Nat
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Moved in
Well a lot has happened in the past couple days, it's almost overwhelming. Tuesday I met up with my friend Taryn who I was talking to for a while before the big move. We went to Wal-mart and loaded our carts FULL. I believe I had 2 carts lol. We had to pick up some food, internet cables, hangers etc. After that we headed back to our apartments, put everything away and went to eat at Olive Garden with my parents. After my parents left back to their hotel, we went out to the outlet mall with our friend Jo, which is literally across the street from the Commons. How cool is it to walk to the mall? haha. Did not buy anything as I do not have alot of money to spend at the moment. Finally met all my roommates too. My roommate is from Italy, and then the other 6 people are from Japan, Norway, England, Mexico, and Canada. Wednesday was a long day, we had our orientation where they gave us rules and regulations in and around the Commons, how we can get terminated etc. We also got our Commons id to show security, and we got information on how the Disney Look should be like what we should change before Traditions class on Sunday. Then at night we went to Downtown Disney with 2 groups. That was alot of fun. We went to Planet Hollywood with the first group, and the 2nd group was with a bunch of people from Italy and we went to eat at House of Blues. Me and Taryn just had drinks cause we had already ate. Tonight is our throw in, which I'm pretty excited for. I bought a plaid shirt for the occasion, we're supposed to dress Canadian. Tomorrow I believe we are doing Downtown Disney again, and Saturday is our first official day of work :)
Monday, October 19, 2009
Epcot
This morning we got up, ate breakfast at the food court in our resort. Mine was kind of all slopped together (french toast, eggs, sausage, bacon, home fries) and then we bought tickets to the parks, and tried to get a reservation at Le Cellier (which is where I will be working soon) Apparently in order to get a seat there, you need to book at least 6 months in advance. Unless there is a cancellation, but those chances are slim to none. Le Cellier is the best restaurant in all of Disney, aside from character dining. Should be pretty crazy. Kinda getting nervous, but I should do ok.
At Epcot, we first went to ride Spaceship Earth. The lineup goes by fast because the ride itself is on a conveyor type thing so the seats don't stop moving at all. In this ride, you are seated in "time machines". Next we hit Test Track and got a FastPass to ride that. Then it was Ellen's Energy Adventure at the Universe of Energy which is more of a movie then a ride. Then we finally went on Test Track, which is actually considered a thrill ride considering the speed. If you haven't been on it, it's a ride that is sponsored by GM. You ride in a "race car" and go through several tests, sort of like you are a crash test dummy. I don't want to spoil it all but its really cool. I wanted to go on Mission Space but unfortunately both of my rents are wusses. After Future World, we headed to World Showcase (a.k.a where I will be working for a year) Now I used to hate walking around this thing when I was little cause all it is is a bunch of stores and restaurants, and a couple of attractions here and there, but now I LOVE it. It's really neat to see Disney's version of all the different countries. Food and Wine fest is still going on now too, and besides the countries that are showcased year round, they have foods from Australia, Thailand etc. Don't forget the wine of course. Worth checking out if you go between now and November. So we stopped at the Canada Pavilion first, checked out this new O Canada 360 film starring Martin Short, I have a feeling if I watch that enough times it'll make me home sick lol. Such a good movie though. I also talked to some Canadians at the Northwest Mercantile. I was actually looking for a friend of mine from Fanshawe, but she wasn't working today, so I talked to these 2 girls. They were really nice. They answered any questions I had about moving in, the job etc. We stopped at the UK pavilion after that, ate at the Rose & Crown (which was delicious, I had Shephard's Pie) , the waitress there was also really friendly, she even told me what building she was in just in case I needed anything, and she gave me a number for the best cab. I think I'll make friends juuust fine :)
Finally we went on The Seas with Nemo and Friends, its definitely for kids, but its cute. It was my first time going on the new version actually. Then we decided to leave Epcot, and go to Target to buy some last minute supplies/goodies and then headed back to the hotel.
Tomorrow is move in day, check in is at noon. Sooo excited.
Talk to you guys soon,
Natalie
At Epcot, we first went to ride Spaceship Earth. The lineup goes by fast because the ride itself is on a conveyor type thing so the seats don't stop moving at all. In this ride, you are seated in "time machines". Next we hit Test Track and got a FastPass to ride that. Then it was Ellen's Energy Adventure at the Universe of Energy which is more of a movie then a ride. Then we finally went on Test Track, which is actually considered a thrill ride considering the speed. If you haven't been on it, it's a ride that is sponsored by GM. You ride in a "race car" and go through several tests, sort of like you are a crash test dummy. I don't want to spoil it all but its really cool. I wanted to go on Mission Space but unfortunately both of my rents are wusses. After Future World, we headed to World Showcase (a.k.a where I will be working for a year) Now I used to hate walking around this thing when I was little cause all it is is a bunch of stores and restaurants, and a couple of attractions here and there, but now I LOVE it. It's really neat to see Disney's version of all the different countries. Food and Wine fest is still going on now too, and besides the countries that are showcased year round, they have foods from Australia, Thailand etc. Don't forget the wine of course. Worth checking out if you go between now and November. So we stopped at the Canada Pavilion first, checked out this new O Canada 360 film starring Martin Short, I have a feeling if I watch that enough times it'll make me home sick lol. Such a good movie though. I also talked to some Canadians at the Northwest Mercantile. I was actually looking for a friend of mine from Fanshawe, but she wasn't working today, so I talked to these 2 girls. They were really nice. They answered any questions I had about moving in, the job etc. We stopped at the UK pavilion after that, ate at the Rose & Crown (which was delicious, I had Shephard's Pie) , the waitress there was also really friendly, she even told me what building she was in just in case I needed anything, and she gave me a number for the best cab. I think I'll make friends juuust fine :)
Finally we went on The Seas with Nemo and Friends, its definitely for kids, but its cute. It was my first time going on the new version actually. Then we decided to leave Epcot, and go to Target to buy some last minute supplies/goodies and then headed back to the hotel.
Tomorrow is move in day, check in is at noon. Sooo excited.
Talk to you guys soon,
Natalie
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Road Trip Part II/Arrival
Might as well tell you about the rest of our journey here....
So we left our hotel in Georgia early this morning, and headed on the highway for a couple more hours. We stopped at Walgreen's, was very disappointed they didn't have any good movies to buy there. After a while, sitting in that cramped backseat can make you bored and antsy, so I thought of watching a movie on my laptop but instead I played around with GarageBand. I don't think I have ever slept so much in my life, all that sitting makes you tired. So I had to keep myself occupied for a bit, have you ever been sleeping so much that you just got tired of sleeping? I definitely did lol.
We eventually stopped for some peanuts, cause in case you didn't already know, Georgia is known for them. Then we arrived in Lake City, Florida and went to Red Lobster. Another one of my favourite restaurants. Our waitress was an elderly woman. She was such a doll.
Finally after another couple hours of driving, we arrived in Orlando. We are currently at Port Orleans-Riverside, and the rents are staying here for a few more nights. The people at the front desk are actually all students in the college program and they're all staying around the same place I will be staying. Maybe I'll run into them who knows?
Tomorrow we head to Epcot to check out my new workplace, and possibly the boots they are wearing so that I can buy myself a pair. I am going to drag my dad on to Mission: Space. The last time my mom went on it, the G-Forces made her sick lmao. I also plan on checking out some of the Food and Wine Festival. Tomorrow should be fun, I am super excited!! But even more excited that I don't have to sit in that car anymore.
I move into my place Tuesday...soooo stoked!!
Ummm...I think that's everything that needed to be said for today. Have a good night everyone!
Natalie
So we left our hotel in Georgia early this morning, and headed on the highway for a couple more hours. We stopped at Walgreen's, was very disappointed they didn't have any good movies to buy there. After a while, sitting in that cramped backseat can make you bored and antsy, so I thought of watching a movie on my laptop but instead I played around with GarageBand. I don't think I have ever slept so much in my life, all that sitting makes you tired. So I had to keep myself occupied for a bit, have you ever been sleeping so much that you just got tired of sleeping? I definitely did lol.
We eventually stopped for some peanuts, cause in case you didn't already know, Georgia is known for them. Then we arrived in Lake City, Florida and went to Red Lobster. Another one of my favourite restaurants. Our waitress was an elderly woman. She was such a doll.
Finally after another couple hours of driving, we arrived in Orlando. We are currently at Port Orleans-Riverside, and the rents are staying here for a few more nights. The people at the front desk are actually all students in the college program and they're all staying around the same place I will be staying. Maybe I'll run into them who knows?
Tomorrow we head to Epcot to check out my new workplace, and possibly the boots they are wearing so that I can buy myself a pair. I am going to drag my dad on to Mission: Space. The last time my mom went on it, the G-Forces made her sick lmao. I also plan on checking out some of the Food and Wine Festival. Tomorrow should be fun, I am super excited!! But even more excited that I don't have to sit in that car anymore.
I move into my place Tuesday...soooo stoked!!
Ummm...I think that's everything that needed to be said for today. Have a good night everyone!
Natalie
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Going Away Party & Road Trip Adventures - Part 1
I am slacking on updating this thing, sorry guys. I have been super busy packing and saying my last minute goodbyes to good friends. But anyways, I will try not to make this too long.
First and foremost, my going away party was last weekend and it was a huge success. So many people showed up, I had such a good time and could not ask for better friends. Thank you to all of those who came out and said their farewells. I really appreciated it.
Packing took me like 2 weeks, no joke, but everything is finally together. And let's just say, there is no way I would have been able to fly with the amount of stuff I have packed. Currently, I am just outside of Atlanta, Georgia with the rents. We're staying here for the night then finishing our adventure to Orlando tomorrow morning. My dad has been driving since like 6 this morning and we just got to our destination at 7 pm :S
Border crossing took forever because I had to get my passport stamped. No one there had seen a Disney visa in their life, so they had to read everything over and ask some questions. I was scared for a minute because the primary officer that spoke to us first told me that I can't visit the states for a year after I come back from Florida. And if I were to come back to the states that I would get in trouble. But the people inside told me that they have no idea where he got that from, and that I can come back here after my contract is done. Thank God! So in Ohio, we stopped at Cracker Barrel, my personal fave place for breakfast. It's delicious. Then we just skipped lunch and snacked on junk food, and just got back from dinner at The Spaghetti Warehouse which is right next to our hotel. The way here though was absolutely gorgeous, after leaving Windsor, we went through Detroit, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee...and then we just have Georgia to go through and then finally Florida. 19 hour drive versus a 2 hour flight. Hmm take your pick :p
I do have pics, but theyre kind of boring, so I am going to wait until I get more of my apartment and stuff.
That's about all I can say for right now, will update this as soon as I can when I get to Orlando!
Bye for now,
Natalie
First and foremost, my going away party was last weekend and it was a huge success. So many people showed up, I had such a good time and could not ask for better friends. Thank you to all of those who came out and said their farewells. I really appreciated it.
Packing took me like 2 weeks, no joke, but everything is finally together. And let's just say, there is no way I would have been able to fly with the amount of stuff I have packed. Currently, I am just outside of Atlanta, Georgia with the rents. We're staying here for the night then finishing our adventure to Orlando tomorrow morning. My dad has been driving since like 6 this morning and we just got to our destination at 7 pm :S
Border crossing took forever because I had to get my passport stamped. No one there had seen a Disney visa in their life, so they had to read everything over and ask some questions. I was scared for a minute because the primary officer that spoke to us first told me that I can't visit the states for a year after I come back from Florida. And if I were to come back to the states that I would get in trouble. But the people inside told me that they have no idea where he got that from, and that I can come back here after my contract is done. Thank God! So in Ohio, we stopped at Cracker Barrel, my personal fave place for breakfast. It's delicious. Then we just skipped lunch and snacked on junk food, and just got back from dinner at The Spaghetti Warehouse which is right next to our hotel. The way here though was absolutely gorgeous, after leaving Windsor, we went through Detroit, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee...and then we just have Georgia to go through and then finally Florida. 19 hour drive versus a 2 hour flight. Hmm take your pick :p
I do have pics, but theyre kind of boring, so I am going to wait until I get more of my apartment and stuff.
That's about all I can say for right now, will update this as soon as I can when I get to Orlando!
Bye for now,
Natalie
Saturday, October 3, 2009
2 weeks!!
Well guys, I leave 2 weeks from tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited. My going away party is a week from today, it is going to be a pretty good turnout with the amount of people coming so I am anxious for that to come as well. It is an early Halloween party, but everyone loves dressing up so it definitely isn't a problem. My Disney package and visa finally came in. The Disney package came first, and then the Visa a couple days after. The Disney Package contains an acceptance letter with info about the job, the pay, and what the contents are in the package. There is some info about the Disney look, airport info, Vista Way guidelines, code of conduct. On the other side, contents include information about living, the overall experience and earning and learning. Now if you guys know me at ALL, I am obsessed with any sort of volunteer/charity work and wouldn't you know it, Disney offers this opportunity to Disney Cast Members. Some charities include the Make a Wish Foundation, Give Kids the World etc. I definitely plan on doing this. I wish I could audition to be a part of the Candlelight Cast Choir but auditions were back in August, and I will not be there next year for the performances in December so I really can't do it no matter what.
That is about all for today. I have not even started packing yet but I plan to do that soon. Right now my focus is getting the basement cleaned for my party next weekend. So much to do so little time, it's almost overwhelming.
I'll keep you guys posted!
Nat
That is about all for today. I have not even started packing yet but I plan to do that soon. Right now my focus is getting the basement cleaned for my party next weekend. So much to do so little time, it's almost overwhelming.
I'll keep you guys posted!
Nat
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