These siestas are getting chorter and chorter

Oh man...less than 2 weeks left here. Part of me is dreading it, while the other half is SO excited for what is to come. The people I have met here have been some of the most passionate, intelligent, caring, and hilarious people I have ever experienced. Plus, they all love Disney just as much as I do.

But I don't need to go into any goodbyes yet...I still have about 80 hours of work left here. :)

Last week we had our CM Christmas party, DCP Prom and Graduation - all events that I had a blast at.

Every year Disney takes 2 days in December, closes the park early, and allows to Cast Members to come in and party with their family and friends. Food is discounted (churros for 2 dollars!) and cast members who are on the job are allowed to do things in costume that are normally against the rules. Basically, it rocks. Jessica and I spent most of the party hunting down characters for her autograph book, and we had an amazing time.

Prom was held at the Paradise Pier hotel in one of their ballrooms - they had another photobooth and free mickey pretzels/rice crispy treats. I was excited to say the least.

Graduation happened in the Grand Ballroom at the Disneyland hotel. Some people made a really big deal out of it (parents flying out from the east coast and such). I must say that after my college graduation in May it seemed a little ridiculous to ask my parents to come down for this as well :) It was short and sweet though. There was an adorable skit at the beginning, two speeches that described our program very well, and then the presentation of the "diplomas". (Even at Disney graduation you just get an empty folder)

Afterwards I received my "Mousters" degree and a certificate of completion for the program. Gotta be honest - those are probably going in a drawer somewhere. Nonetheless it was fun to get the mouse ears with the tassel and dress up and sit with my friends.

The next 2 weeks are going to be packed with work, friends, and packing. I work until 2:45am on the 31st (gasp!) then have all day on the 1st to move out by 9am on the 2nd - and that includes emptying my storage unit and moving all my furniture to Lauren's new pad! It's gonna be hectic, but at least it will keep me busy so I don't get super sad about leaving all these amazing people.

That being said, my road trip with Lauren Gutierrez/Fernandez/Sanchez/Gomez/etc is all planned and I am STOKED. More details on that when it gets closer to go time, but it's gonna be epic. Then I start a new adventure in Florida...can't wait!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I love Disneyland at Christmas!

Some imagination, huh?

Another blog post so soon? I know, you're all shocked.

Well it's the week of Thanksgiving and I must say, the Disneyland Resort is a bustlin'! Here's a quick tip, avoid Disneyland on holidays at all costs. Seriously. You will wait at least an hour for almost every ride, and it's impossible to even walk around without smacking into someone. Go for the off season days - and spend the holidays at home on the couch the way they're supposed to be enjoyed. :)

That being said, I'm loving how busy the parks are! Working those 69K days makes the 8 hour shifts go by so much faster. I have endless guests to answer questions for, spiel at, get on and off the astro orbitor as fast as possible, pin trade, and most importantly, people watch. Busy Disneyland is miserable for a guest, but so much fun for me as a Cast Member. That's not usually how people see it...but hey. I've never been one for tradition. I'm enjoying my 8 days in a row of work (including an 8 hour closing shift on Thanksgiving) and I'm excited for the upcoming events! Here's a list:

Tonight: Fantasmic! shift!!! I'm so excited...I've wanted to wear that yellow bomber jacket since I was 12

Tomorrow (11/25): Tangled with Julie!

Wednesday 12/1: Touring the Disney Studios in Burbank. I'm stoked to see all the behind the scenes goodies over there. Plus, the Burbank store will have pins available nowhere else...I'm such a collector

Saturday 12/4: My friend's 21st birthday!

Saturday 12/11: World premiere of Life is not a Musical: the Musical at Pepperdine. Can't wait to see how the film turned out!

Tuesday 12/14: Cast member christmas party!

Wednesday 12/15: DCP Prom and potentially CLUB 33!!!!! (I seriously have the best friends ever)

Friday 12/17: DCP Graduation

And that's not even the end of all the good stuff that's coming up! I can't wait to see what Florida has in store, but I'm fully enjoying the end of my time here as well. :)

My family came to visit!

All dressed up for Harry Potter 7.1

My beautiful roommate and I played dress up

Bo frickin Burnham!

To see how Jack has wrecked our halls, kindly drag your bodies away from the walls

Yet again I waited a ridiculously long time to give you all an update, but it's because nothing much has been happening until now. The last month has been a lot of the same - work, play, sleep, love life...general goodness. I officially have some big news though!

Yesterday I received a call from Disney World casting offering me a Professional Internship in Guest Relations! I applied for this professional internship back in September assuming I didn't have much of a shot and it probably wouldn't pan out. Since then I've kept it in the back of my mind as a possibility, but have been making plans under the assumption that I would not be asked to move out to Florida; however, the whole time I couldn't help but think that if I did happen to get the internship, I'd be crazy not to give it a shot.

Well, time to put my words into action, because I got the internship. My role will be working the Guest Relations desk at one of the parks in Disney World. Apparently I will be dealing with any guest issues including re-issuing tickets, making reservations, dealing with lost and found, and most importantly, handling any guest complaints. And you know what? I can't WAIT to spend all day listening to people complain. Crazy, right? Wrong. Because once I hear their problem, I get to fix it for them. I'm going to make so many magical moments for families from all over the world...dream come true.

So there's my big news. I will be abandoning pretty much everything familiar, driving across the country, and living in a place where I know pretty much no one for 6 months (at the very least). I can't wait to start this adventure (as long as the humidity doesn't kill me).

My next two months will consist of finishing up this Disneyland program, working way too much over the holidays and loving it, experiencing my first holiday season away from my family (but if I can't be with them, what better place than Disneyland?), moving back to the bay area for a few days starting January 2nd, then leaving for an epic road trip that will land me in Orlando by January 11th.

I just can't believe how incredibly blessed I am and I am so thankful for all these amazing opportunities God is sending my way. I am so happy to have the chance to get a different Disney experience and expand my knowledge of the company. And best of all? Star Wars weekends in May with guest appearances by Ray Park, Billy Dee Williams, and Peter Mayhew. What. Up.

For anyone who is reading this that's thinking of doing the college program- DO IT. It's been one of the best times of my life. I wouldn't change a thing.

Captain...there's something weird out there!

Seriously....I get an epic fail in the blog updating department

I have turned into one of those bloggers that annoyed me as I was preparing for the program. You know who I'm talking about...those people who drop off the face of the planet right when we've gotten to the good stuff.

But here is the face of the matter-

there's nothing new to say! I love my life, I love my job. It's basically the same day in and day out, but it's the same of something that I adore, and so I'm sickeningly happy.

To give you a bit more detail though - I went to Mickey's Trick or Treat party and had an amazing time. It was SO much fun to be able to dress up at Disneyland (a rare privilege for an adult!) plus there were practically no lines anywhere! DCA's newest party ElecTRONica is a kick in the pants...it's so much fun. Plus they're previewing a new TRON section of World Of Color tonight. I will be checking that out in the coming few days.

I've driven to Malibu more than I should be, but it's been nice getting stuff done out there (filming videos and such) and seeing old friends. Upcoming events include touring the Dream Suite, Bo Burnham concert, parents visiting, and a potential trip to Vegas next week.

I love my leads and my co-workers and my friends and my job...I have no idea what my life will be like come January, but it's ok because I'm obsessed with it right now!

Remember...Dreams DO come true

Today I was given a Great Service Fanatic card from the main lead at Captain EO. It recognized my theme phrasing and fantastic spieling at the attraction. I turned it into the Team Center and am apparently now entered in a drawing for the month where I could win movie tickets or something like that. Honestly, don't care much about the prize...mostly I'm just super flattered to get the recognition.

Tomorrow night I will be working EO during Mickey's Halloween party which I'm excited about because I'll get to see all of the fantastic costumes. I plan on attending the party at some point (most likely dressed as Belle), so tomorrow will give me my first look at what it will be like.

Knott's Halloween Haunt is coming up, along with Universal Studios (if i can make it over there). Life is awesome...I love it.

Captain...there's something weird out there!

Here's the smiling face you'd see if you came to Captain EO or the Astro Orbitor on most weekday mornings. It's certainly not the most flattering costume in the world (makes me pretty shapeless frankly) but it's super comfortable plus we don't have to tuck it in. always nice :)

Now THIS is what winning Scavenger Hunt team looks like! Chantel, Jessica, Patrick and I completely dominated at the College Program hunt, and as our prize we won a Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour! I'm really excited and I'll be sure to inform everyone about how awesome it was.

Meet Duffy, Mickey's bear and the newest addition to the Disney parks in California and Florida! Starting in October Duffy will be out and about in Disney California Adventure for meet and greets, and his merchandise will be sold exclusively in that park. Not gonna lie - I think he's adorable.

There have been lots of fun afternoon trips with new friends, this one in particular was to the Disney Soda Fountain in Hollywood for some pin trading/buying action.

The weather has been unbearably hot recently (we're talking highs of 113). What better way to cope with the heat than a lovely beach day at Huntington? (As well as marvelous company)

Pretty much...I haven't been this happy in a long time! I'd like it to last forever please!

Thank you for visiting the Astro Orbitor...where every flight is a round trip!

Welcome back, dear readers! I have another fun Disney update to entertain you this lovely evening. Today we went on our first field trip to the animation studios at DCA. For those of you familiar with the park, yes this is indeed the attraction in the Hollywood section of the park that any Joe Schmo can go in. No, the field trip had nothing special about it. However...I loved it anyway. :) Our guide pointed out some beautiful theming details that I have never noticed before, I learned how to draw Goofy, and Crush named me Jamaica Jillian during Turtle Talk. Overall it was a jolly good experience. I'm excited for future field trips though and hope they get to be a little bit more exciting. Check out my Goofy though...I'm pretty proud.

Here's another fun fact: The Jonas Brothers were at the park today! I unfortunately didn't see any of them, but a bunch of my friends got to see Kevin when he came to visit Captain EO. I am a very jealous girl.

There are more Innoventions Host auditions in a week or two and so I am going to find out if it's possible for me to transfer to that attraction. They get paid more and I would love to be able to perform...so cross your fingers for me please! Otherwise life is great! I'm loving the friends I'm making, the roommate situation is glorious, and work is a blast. It's simply supercalifragilisticexpialidocious :)

Somebody push the red button!

Updates have been scarce...I know. Honestly, nothing incredibly interesting or different has been happening. I mean I could update every day with, "Went to work. Danced at EO. Mouth hurts from smiling. Love life" but that would get a bit dull, wouldn't it?

However....last night we finally had a college program event and so I have something to write! Yesterday was my day off, and so Lauren and I went into the park for some funtimes goodness. Before we got to Disneyland though, we stopped off at Company D where Lauren got her lanyard started out! I have infected yet another helpless soul with pin trading addiction. So I finally was able to pin trade in the park! Stop at every cast member I want and chat with the crazies...oh man. I had missed it.

Then that evening we had the privilege of riding space mountain with the lights on! I grouped up with Steven from St Francis and some of his friends (Justin, Jessica, Jessica, Kelly and Nathan to be exact!) and we were all SO excited. So first we ride it with the lights off...totally normal. But then they turned all the lights on and wow...it's so different. First of all, it feels way slower with the lights on. Secondly, the show building is so much smaller than I expected! I mean, when you're on the ride it feels like you're flying through space. But then you see the building and it's so crowded! It was a really cool experience though. The techie in me was geeking out.

Now it's back to the normal schedule, but I'm still thoroughly enjoying myself. We tour the animation building at DCA on wednesday, so I'll probably update after that.

Until then!

Docious-ali-expi-listic-fragi-cali-rupus

I have now had 2 days of official work, and I gotta say....I LOOOOOVE it. Both have been pretty short shifts (4 hours one day, 5 the next) which is a little sad, but it also makes it nice because then I have a ton of free time. So yes, the shifts rotate between all of the EO positions and then Astro Orbitors. Each position has something I really enjoy about it. For example, on the first day, I got to talk with some really adorable children while loading people at Astro. One little girl was super shy, but her mom told me that her name was Jillian as well and she was adorable. Another little girl curtseyed for me and told me that her favorite princess is Aurora. I also am obsessed with little foreign children, so whenever I hear a British or Australian accent I die a little bit. Especially last night when I was working greeter at EO, and this little Australian boy (maybe 4 or 5 years old) showed us his "muscles". It was precious.

Astro is also fun because you get to run the ride and spiel - two things that make me feel powerful, which I always enjoy. I'm also digging the spieling at EO - I looked up some trivia about the film online the other day so that I can have something to talk about during the awkward 2 or 3 minutes of preshow.

Another thing I'm loving about the job is the opportunity to make new friends. The people who work at my attraction are so friendly and easy to talk to. I'm not gonna lie - I get a little bit sad when I talk to people who have been there for a while and have lost the magic and just focus on the frustrating parts of the job. Of course no job is perfect, and I would never expect Disney to treat their employees the way they treat their guests. But I truly believe that Disney is a company who will give back what you put into it, and so I have full faith that I will be able to achieve my goals within the company some day. It just might take a while.

The only bummer in my life right now is that I can't audition for a show because I need to have full availability. Luckily, none of the theatres in this area are doing shows that I'm interested in. So I guess I'm not that bummed. :)

Tonight I'm working a parade shift which I am actually really looking forward to. I'm planning on checking out some pins and getting my fill of guest interactions.

Seriously - I have the greatest job. And it's only gonna get better

"Where's the map??" "I think I ate it!"

Guess what?

It's official! I'm all trained and signed off to work Captain EO and the Astro Orbitors by myself! My final day of OJT was on Sunday, but first let me talk about training on Saturday.

I didn't start until 4pm that day, which means I got to sleep in. So lovely. We spent the day practicing what we had done before and learning the theatre. I felt great about spieling - the first time was a little rocky, but once I got that initial one over with I was practically a pro! Theatre is really simple - you introduce the show, and then sit and watch the movie while making sure everything is working right and everyone is behaving themselves. The only thing that was kind of lame about that day of training was that it went until 12:30am...and I am so not good late at night. Give me the mornings any day of the week!

Then came Sunday - the day of our performance assessment. I wasn't nervous at all. Scratch that - I was stoked! I knew that I had everything down perfectly, so I was excited to show off what an amazing cast member I am bound to be :)

That morning I saw Francesca and her Italian family outside the ride, and even tried to speak a little Italian to them! Then I saw Austin scurry past to get fastpasses for his grandma's 86th birthday. I had been wondering when I would run into someone I know while on the job and POW, first week I see 2!! It was a little awkward...like seeing a teacher at the mall or something. But it was fun and I felt proud to be representing the Walt Disney Company. I also had my first experience of someone calling me by my name and wondering if I knew them for a split second, then realizing that I was wearing a nametag. I was really excited for that to happen and it was just as fun as I thought it would be. :)

The PA went absolutely smashingly. We got a little overwhelmed at greeter but handled it very professionally. It was like we'd been doing it for years. Or at least months. Then I was able to do the welcome spiel which I totally ate up and milked for all it's worth. Give me a microphone and an audience and good luck getting me to shut up!

The PA only lasted like 30 minutes because we were so awesome, so then we got signed off, clocked out, and were ready to go! That afternoon I met up with Noelle, David, Missy, Samantha, Tyler, and their friend Ashley in the park after they finished their scavenger hunt. It was lovely seeing them and feeding off of their excitement! Then I went to Rock Harbor with Jason that evening for church. I loved it! The energy was intoxicating and the music was fantastic and the talk was very thought provoking. Plus I made a new friend which I'm always a fan of. Depending on my hours this Sunday, I'll definitely be going back.

Yesterday and today were my days off and they have been awesome. Yesterday I rode my bike over to the park to figure out timing and the best route. It only took about 20 minutes and the entire thing is pretty flat, so I'm feeling good about that for sure. Later that day Skyler came out to hang with me and my friends. We went to the beach then played cards and talked in my apartment. It was so much fun - I think my photobooth photos are proof of that.

Today has been spent chilling and cleaning and making sure I have everything together for this coming week. I'm going to be working 6 days in a row, but I have absolutely no clue what my hours will be. Since I wasn't signed off when they made the schedule, they couldn't give me specific shifts. Now I have to call in every day to see what shift they have available for me the next day. The positive thing is that I will definitely get some hours - I just have no idea how many or when they'll be.

So that's my life! I love it. I'm obsessed with my job and my roommates and my new friends...I couldn't be happier. Truly.

See you later, trash cans!

Today was a potential disaster.

So I check my alarm before falling asleep last night and it says 6am, on. Good to go, right?

Wrong.

I wake up this morning and look at my phone. 6:30. I'm sorry, what? I need to be clocked in at the tomorrowland break room in exactly 30 minutes! I literally fly out of bed, grab all of my stuff, and run to the car. I brush my teeth and put my shoes and socks on in the car, impatiently wait for the shuttle, and run to the office.

Luckily I managed to clock in with 2 minutes to spare. Disaster averted.

After that the day was relatively calm. I started to learn EO which was a lot of fun - the two greeter positions offer quite a bit of guest interaction and chances to smile and laugh. We took an adventure to the west side of the park which was fun to see something new, and I learned how to clean the 3D glasses which is a relaxing, assembly line type job. I fell asleep while reading the Operating Guide again, so I had to use my tools of jumping jacks and stretching to keep me awake.

Tomorrow we learn the theater (spiels here I come!) and how to close down the ride. Another long day learning everything Tomorrowland, but I am absolutely loving it so I can't wait.

For now it's nap/recuperating time (my knee is a hurting a bit so I want to stretch that out too) then tonight I believe I'm going to see Fantasmic with some friends. I'm excited because I haven't seen that in quite a while.

Until next time!

Attention Space Travelers!

Day 2 of OJT!

Today I got to learn the Astro Orbitors. Yes, I got to Disneyland at 5am. No, the sun wasn't up yet. Yes, it was empty and weird with the custodial staff cleaning everything...but guess what! When they made an announcement for the cast, it was the same announcer guy voice! My trainer then told me that apparently it's some dude in Michigan with a home studio and they send him whatever they want him to say. Crazy. But anyway.

So we learned how to open the ride and work all of the controls and everything. It's pretty basic, but it's really exciting holding peoples lives in your hands....muahahahaha. but seriously, you feel powerful. wearing that name tag gives you endless confidence.

Lacey and I learned the ride super quick, so then we had to go read the Operating Guide. All 122 pages of it. I had to keep slapping myself and doing jumping jacks so that I would stay awake! That was one of the hardest things I've ever done.

But then we went back to practice a bit, and then we had our Practical Assessment. I was a little stressed at first because the manager came down pretty much RIGHT when things were going a little crazy and I was frazzled, but I didn't forget anything and I kept my cool. Then when I got to work the tower and do the spiel over the mic I totally rocked it. Thanks speech training!

So yes, now I am signed off on the Astro Orbitors - fully able to operate the ride by myself! Tomorrow I start to learn EO (at 7am...not as early but still unpleasant) and I'm stoked!

You have saved our lives - we are eternally grateful

The last three days have been amazingly fun and challenging and wonderful. Just like the rest of the program.

I spent Monday and Tuesday at the park with new friend Beau and old friend Julie. I love them both and so it was absolutely fantastic. I got to see World of Color and ride some great rides and make new friends!

Today was the first day of OJT (On the Job Training). It was great! We started at 11:45, got our costumes, and then took a massive tour of backstage and onstage. We learned where the offices were, scheduling, costuming, eating...pretty much where everything was. I was trained in guest interaction today - so basically herding people during parades. I didn't think I was going to like it much, but SURPRISE - I loved it! It's a great opportunity to listen to fun music and interact with guests. Plus I can wear pins when I work that, so even better.

I also loved our trainer Cyle. He was fun, informative, and made me feel so comfortable with everything I was doing. I can't wait to get training on the rides the next few days - I'm sure he's going to teach me everything I need to know and make me feel like a star doing it!

But anyway, I have to be in at 5am tomorrow (puke) and am writing this as I wait for the Nyquil to kick in, so I must bid you all farewell. More later!

We are here to change the world!

Exciting news! I have now officially found out where I will be working the next few months. Drum roll please...

Astro Orbiters and Captain EO!

Frankly, I was happy with anything other than Autopia, but the fact that I get Captain EO right off the bat is pretty cool. Funny story about those pesky orbiters though...

Once upon a time, Dan, Rebecca and I decided it would be fun to try to go on every ride in Disneyland in ONE DAY. Crazy, I know. But come 11:58pm we only had one ride left to complete our quest! We rush to the Astro Orbiters and arrive with a minute to spare - but alas, the jerk off cast member closing the ride refuses to let us on. We plead with him and explain our plight...this was after all, our last ride in a near impossible day! But he refused to relent, and midnight passed without us getting on the ride. HOWEVER. We still claim we got through all the rides because if it weren't for the jerk on the Astro Orbiters, we totally could have done it! So we decided that ride doesn't exist. Therefore, I am now working on a ride that doesn't exist. :)

Anyway, training starts Wednesday and I'm very excited (even though I have a 5am shift on Thursday. Barf) Today was our "Welcome To" class which was probably the longest and most tedious thing I've done here- and it really wasn't that bad. A lot of sitting through lecture, but then we got to take another tour of the park and even ride Buzz Lightyear! (Where I whooped everyones BUTTS by the way)

So now two days off to play in the park, make friends and get my voice back! Then it's off to watch Michael Jackson change the world for 5 months :)

Traditions...traditions. TRADITIONS!

So pretty much every day here keeps getting better and better.

Yesterday we had Traditions which was long, but honestly I enjoyed every second of it. Even though we had to get there ungodly early, we learned so much and did it all while having fun. We played some games that related to Disney history, learned about the 4 keys to their customer service, and took a tour of the park. I was probably really annoying with all of my Disney trivia, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

The most magical part of Traditions was at the very end - but I won't say what happens because it's so much better if you don't know it's coming. But yes, I pretty much cried.

So now I have my ID and Nametag and I'm officially a cast member! I have a Park Ops class tomorrow morning and then On The Job (OTJ) training all next week. Today is my day off so I'm probably going to go grocery shopping and relax. I'm a bit sick (translation - I have a cold that has stolen my voice. I can't speak above a whisper) so I'm going to forgo going in to the park today.

The best part of this program so far is the people! I have met so many wonderful, friendly, excited people that are so happy to be here and love what they do! I've been playing cards, listening to great music in the car, and even went to a line dancing bar with 2 friends last night! The people here are seriously amazing - and we're just getting started!!!

Move in and Orientation!

Greetings loved ones! (Let's take a journey?)

So I am officially checked in and a member of the Disney College Program. Check in day went a little something like this:

Arrival - 7:30 am. The line is already huuuuuuuuge. I stood around for a while and talked to Kallie who was near me, and Natalie when she showed up. When I checked in they gave me some instructions and sent me upstairs (sans the parents) to take care of getting my room key, parking pass, i-9 paperwork, and commuter assistance. Based on a glance at my paperwork, it looks like I'm going to be placed in Tomorrowland, but I'll find out for sure tomorrow at the end of Traditions. Once I filled out all my paperwork (and moved my car) I climbed up 5 flights of stairs to my lovely top floor, corner room. It's a pretty big place (I'll post pictures soon) and I think we've made it pretty homey despite the fact that it's pretty much the farthest apartment from anywhere.

Moving in was....intense. Awful. Exhausting. And yet exciting at the same time. I brought waaaaaaaay too much stuff. I even consolidated and decided not to bring a lot, and it still took about 15 trips (me, mom AND dad) up either 5 flights of stairs or the crowded, hot, slow freight elevator. Not exactly my idea of fun. But I was able to get everything moved in and put away and even did some decorating - now I feel right at home. The only thing I'm NOT excited about is when I have to move out in 4 months. :-/

After all the packing (and a 1 hour housing orientation meeting) the parents and I ran to target for some errands, ate chinese food, set up the electronics in the apartment, and chatted with Lauren (roommate) and her dad. Once all the parents were gone, some of the girls and I went to get fro yo. There's one literally 2 minutes away...it's gonna be dangerous.

On our way back we noticed some boys playing cards in the window. Because everyone at Disney is friendly, we knocked on their door and invited ourselves in! Now we've got 2 great friends (Pat and Kirby!) and an unhealthy desire to play cards whenever possible.

Ok. Day 2. This day is a small orientation. You show up, get your ID picture taken, hear about class options and scheduling, CHOOSE your class and schedule (I'm doing Blended Learning Series and put full availability) and then get SNACK TIME. I feel like I'm in elementary school again, but I do love me some snack time. We then heard a bit about all the college program staff, played a getting to know you game, and did Disney trivia. I won a deck of cards (ironic?) by answering: "Who are the fab 5?" Do you know?

After orientation I joined the parents in the park for a bit, but then returned to Team Disney for the resource fair. This was basically an opportunity to get some free snacks and random stuff that no one needs. The evening consisted of dinner with our new friends, and inviting everyone we saw to our apartment to play cards. Despite being in the corner, we know how to throw a shindig :)

So that's the general info for days 1 and 2. Tomorrow is Traditions and I'm sure I'll have a lot to say about that. But the moral of the story here is that there's TONS of information SHOVED at you, and lovely people to experience it all with. Seriously, I'm living the dream.

Showing off for your muggle admirers, Potter?

So...I was pretty much right. This was the best vacation ever.

Let's start at the very beginning (a very good place to start?) The flights went well, got into Disney in the evening and had a delicious dinner at the T-Rex restaurant. Great food, great service, great night. The next morning Christina and I went to audition for American Idol Experience. We both got cast in a show and were so excited for later in the day! I performed at 1 and sang "Alone" by Heart (I was hoping I would get that song!) I won my show and went off to ride star tours (for the last time) and TOT before Christina's performance. She did an amazing job singing"Holding out for a Hero", but she had some bad luck and got placed in the same show as a hot guy singing "Circle of Life". And he sang it well. :( So he moved on instead of her. But I think she had a great time which is really the most important part. I just like competing because it's a chance to perform!

So I moved onto the finale show that evening and had some pretty stiff competition! A 15 year old girl put some serious soul into "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". Kristin Chenowith's distant cousin (named Krysten Chenowith...weird right?) totally rocked "Black Velvet", Christina's competition was like a boy band member singing the Lion King, and this Colombian guy brought the house down with "La Bamba!" I was pretty nervous, but when the host announced the winner he said my name! I was so surprised and pleased and sad at the same time, because I can't use my golden ticket this year! The last auditions for the season are in San Francisco on Thursday, when I will be down at Disney (and an employee of the company, so ineligible to use my ticket) I felt a little guilty taking it away from someone who may use it, but the experience was fantastic so I didn't feel THAT bad. :)

The next day we went through all of Animal Kingdom and Epcot before heading off to Universal Studios and checking into our hotel for the night. After a cheap but delicious dinner, we went to sleep, stoked for what was to come early the next morning. Because what was it? Oh none other than THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER. As soon as I walked through that archway into Hogsmeade I became a 10 year old again. I couldn't stop smiling...and if I did it's because my jaw was practically dragging on the ground. It was so incredibly magical. There are no words to explain it! So we ran and got in line for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey - the main attraction for the park. It's this fantastic mixture of videos and set pieces and the ride vehicle is so smooth. You really feel like you're flying!

So while waiting in line for the attraction (which by the way, the line is in the Hogwarts castle...ummm could there be a better place to stand around for 2 hours??) we started heckling one of the employees who was dressed like a Slytherin (and looked like Draco...which I will be calling him from now on). After a little bit of waiting, our new friend Draco came to find us, whereupon he took us out of the big line, and brought us up the back entrance - putting us right on the ride! We skipped the whole line! He even rode with us, and when the ride stalled for about a minute, he told us he would get us right back on. We ended up going on the ride 3 times that morning PLUS he gave us an unlimited express pass, which basically meant we didn't wait in line all weekend!

We spent the rest of that first day exploring Island of Adventure, buying too much candy from Honeydukes, eating in the Three Broomsticks, seeing Scott Pilgrim, and downing margaritas at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville in CityWalk. The next day was slightly less enjoyable, but only because it would be hard to top the magical experience from the day before! We went to the Universal Studios theme park that day and had so much fun. My favorite ride there was probably the Men In Black ride. It's kind of like Buzz Lightyear because it's a shooting game, but you have no control over the vehicle and it throws you around a bunch. Plus I was TERRIBLE at it. So I texted our new friend Draco and asked for some tips - with his help I scored about 100,000 more points!!

Our last day at Universal Studios Orlando was absolutely perfect. We slept in, went on a few rides in the morning, and then headed over to Harry Potter where Draco not only got us on the ride with no wait again, but also gave us passes so we could come back without his assistance. By the end of the evening Christina and I had been on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey 11 times in 2 days. I even have most of the dialogue memorized now! This trip seriously

wouldn't have been the same without that employee...it gave me a great example to follow as a Disney cast member. It is so easy to make someone's trip magical - simply engaging them in an enjoyable conversation or heckling match can make the day 10 times better. Then again, helping them skip lines is always great too. :)

So now I'm back in San Jose for the evening, and I head down south bright and early tomorrow morning. Most of the packing is done - I just have some toiletries and a few more bags to stick in the car. Tomorrow is gonna be a long day of driving, more packing (dumb storage unit), doctors appointments and waiting around. But come 8am Wednesday morning I will be checked into my new apartment and (hopefully) have some kind of idea where I will be working!

All in all, fabulous final week of summer, and I can't WAIT for what is to come.

Permane ser sentados, por favor

In 8 short days I will be on my way to Florida to visit 2 of the most magical places in the world. Stop #1: Disneyworld!

My dad, good friend Christina and I will be spending 2 days at the Saratoga Springs Resort. (a DVC resort that we have not yet visited...excited to see what it's like!) While we're there I'm sure we'll dine in Mexico at Epcot, (Christina and I are addicted to Mexican food) go on Mission: Space, ride Midway Mania/TOT/Rockin Roller Coaster, and participate in The American Idol Experience! That attraction always makes me feel like a star. I mean, check it:

epic, right?

After 2 leisurely days (in which I'm sure we'll chill by the pool because of horrific Florida humidity) we're heading back into Orlando for Stop #2: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

We'll get to walk through Hogsmede, have some butterbeer, ride Harry Potter's Forbidden Journey, and experience Hogwarts up close and personal! The 10 year old inside me is freaking out.

Heck, the 22 year old on the surface is freaking out! It's the closest thing to actually being a wizard I'll ever get.

Definitely gonna have to bring my wand.

Once I return from Florida, I'll have a day to pack everything up, and then I'll be departing for Anaheim bright and early the next morning! The roomies are all planning on getting together for dinner that first night before check in, but unfortunately there's no way my fam will get there in time. Luckily we'll have a few months to hang out. :)

Dan and I are also trying to work out a plan for housing once the program is over. He wants to come down and work at the park, and then the two of us will live together once January rolls around.

So pretty much, my life is awesome and God is good.

The end.

Celebrate you!

19 days!!! So excited I can barely stand it!

In other news, Disney posted on their blog that they are creating a new show for California Adventure that will take the place of High School Musical: Right Here, Right Now. This new show will be along the same lines with dancers, 4 main vocalists, and a moving float. It will incorporate songs from HSM, Camp Rock, StarStruck, and other Disney Channel music. Here is the link: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/07/new-show-coming-to-disney-parks-this-fall/

But here's the issue...auditions are 2 days before my sister's wedding. So basically, that's not happening. I suppose that works out for the best because I couldn't be in the show this fall anyway, and I'm sure they'll have auditions again in a few months. But anyway, exciting new development that includes another opportunity for me to perform at a Disney park! (Even though I'm too tall)

If any of you are interested in the auditions, you can go to DisneyAuditions.com to check it out, but basically they are August 5th for girls and the 6th for boys.

Meanwhile I'll keep counting down the days until my real life starts!

"See you real soon!"

Today I got a really wonderful email. It was titled "See you real soon!" and you know what? I WILL see them real soon! The email was all about checking in - what we need to have with us, wear, how long it will take, where we will go, and what those first few days should look like. According to the email:

Day 1:

Arrival and Check in: Family and friends are welcome to join you and can wait in one of our common areas while you check in. Due to limited space they may not proceed through the check in process with you. You can expect to spend approximately 90 minutes checking in and completing your housing and I-9 paperwork. Attend 45 minute mandatory housing meeting in the Housing Office, #300. Your specific housing meeting start time will be scheduled upon arrival.

Day 2:

Finalize On-boarding processes and attend Orientation in the Casting Theater. Attend Disneyland Resort Resource Info Fair: 5:30-6:30 P.M. Here, you will have the opportunity to meet and learn about many of the different Organizations and resources available to you as a Disneyland Resort Cast Member

Day 3 or 4:

Attend Traditions: Your first paid day of work, you will meet your on-boarding Specialist, receive a training schedule and other information to begin on the job training. You will have the day off whichever day you are not scheduled to attend Traditions.

So all in all, I'd say pretty freaking exciting! I check in at 8am (bright and early, but at least that gives me plenty of time to unpack and figure out what I need to put back in storage) and then I get to spend the day getting to know my lovely new roommates! I'm also happy to know that Day 2 will not be super busy, so I'll probably be able to join the parents as they frolic around the parks. Awesome.

The email also reminds us to arrive with the "Disney Look". Luckily, today JC Penney had a massive sale and I was able to complete my "business wardrobe". For anyone who is curious, that wardrobe consists of a pencil skirt, some slacks, long shorts, button up blouses, sweaters, and a few dresses from Anthropologie that definitely have a sophisticated look. After reviewing the "Disney Look" email I am confident that those will be more than adequate for the few times we have to be dressed professionally. To be honest though...I sort of enjoy dressing up. I keep saying I'll most likely just wear my costume to class, but who doesn't love an excuse to wear a great outfit?

So anyway, that's all the news I've gotten recently. 25 days until check in! I'll update as I learn more, but until then...see you real soon!

The Road to Tomorrow!

Quick update - only 1 month until I head down to Anaheim! I am so excited I can barely stand it. I just have to get through this paper, my sister's wedding, and a fantastic vacation to Disneyworld and Harry Potter World! (What a horrible life I lead)

Last week I auditioned for the Aladdin show at DCA. I've auditioned for Disney a few times in the past and never made it anywhere. I always sit around at auditions for a few hours, go in, sing my 16 bars, and get dismissed with a "thank you for your time". In the past I haven't always sung my best, so I always blame my lack of advancement on that; however, this time, I totally ROCKED "Just Around the Riverbend". I mean, it's a pretty easy song, so there's no way my singing ruled me out. So I have now reached the conclusion that I am just too tall to perform for Disney. Which sucks, because there is absolutely nothing I can do about it.

On the other hand, I also auditioned to be a host for Innoventions - a job that doesn't have a height requirement! The audition included more waiting (of course) and then we auditioned in groups of 10. We were each asked a few questions about ourselves, then given one of the monologues to read. It was pretty easy and fun - I just got to be myself! Only problem? Training is for three weeks starting August 7th - non negotiable. Fiona's wedding? Saturday August 7th. There is NO WAY I am missing that. So when they called to offer me the job, I unfortunately had to decline. Major bummer. But it would also mean that I wouldn't get to participate in the college program anymore. No college housing with awesome roommates, no classes, no fun activities...no. I am happy with the decision I made.

And maybe I can audition again in 6 months when my program is over. If they wanted me once, why wouldn't they want me again? :)

Feel free to take pictures of the elephants - they all have their trunks on

Hello again, friends! I got some more information in the last few days that I thought it might be nice to share. On Tuesday my friend Emily was nice enough to show me the college program apartment she is currently living in, and boy, was it nice! It was certainly spacious enough for 5 girls (although I am a tad concerned about where all my clothes are going to go!) and all the appliances and furniture were in great shape. I am so excited to have a nice oven!

So anyway, I toured a 2 bedroom that's meant for 5 people. The living room was pretty big and their apartment had a great view of the parks. She told me that she can see the fireworks every night! They were provided with a couch, armchair, table and chairs, and TV stand. The bigger bedroom had a bunk bed and a twin bed, walk in closet, and attached bathroom. The other room had 2 twins, and then bathroom is a few steps away. Both rooms come with a pretty large dresser. I think some smaller drawer/shelving units are going to be necessary.

I think the best info I got was that the apartments are definitely within biking distance. The girls told me that you get paid $2 every time you ride your bike to work, plus it may just cut some time off of my commute. At the very least I'd get exercise and some extra cash, so I am definitely in.

I can't wait to get down there to decorate and settle in. Being at Disneyland was practically torture. I've ridden the rides enough times...I want to get in there and start working! I think I've decided to attend the Aladdin auditions, but no matter what I will be working at Disneyland in the fall and nothing could make me happier. :)

Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to work I go!

Work Location Wish List!

#1 Jungle Cruise!

Most of my wish list was chosen because I’m a fan of the costumes in that land or attraction, but in spite of jungle’s less than adorable outfit it’s still my number 1 pick. Jungle is one of the few locations where I would get to play a character. Guest interaction is extremely high, and it would allow me to utilize my theatre roots. Plus, who doesn’t want to tell bad jokes all day? Dream come true.

#2 Fantasyland

Ok this one is purely for the costumes. I adore the little flowered lederhosen and the beautiful green peacoats with toggle buttons in the winter season. Plus, I would get to experience children at their happiest….especially if I got the opportunity to work Storybook Land. That was one of my favorite rides as a child. I would LOVE to create that magic.

#3 Midway Mania

Another ride where I love the costumes. Cute gaucho pants, plaid, blue bow ties and straw hats? Plus the ride is so much fun.

#4 Tower of Terror

I would love to be able to get into the creepy character on TOT. I always love it when I get a CM that’s super into it, so it would be great to do that for other guests. Plus the bellhop costumes are pretty cool. I love the hats.


So those are the 4 locations I would love to work. I’m praying I don’t get stuck in Tomorrowland or Toon Town. It would be nice to work in DCA because at least I would get off relatively early every night, but the dream is to work in the Disneyland park. A friend made a call to a higher up on the Jungle Cruise and recommended that I get placed there, so cross your fingers that works. Whatever happens I’m just excited to be working for Mr. Mouse!


Side note, I read about some auditions for Aladdin in DCA. I’m considering attending…even though I can’t be Jasmine (stupid height) I could potentially be cast in the ensemble. Not sure if I’m not allowed because of my placement in the program though. Also, I’m supposed to be back in NorCal by then, so that could cause a problem. Hmmmm…difficult decisions.