Traditions

Traditions.

We had to be at the bus stop at..  6.15.  AM!!  Which would usually be awful, except that I keep waking up super early, making it not that bad.  Except that it was a super long day.  They first went through this ridiculously boring e-learning module about ethics and the like which I'm sure I've done a few times before in other jobs I've worked.  

Once that was over with, the fun-er stuff began!  We were all in groups of five and someone had to be the leader, that person ended up being me!  So I got this Donald Duck Figurine, which was cool, cus I really didn't do anything.   We watched a few videos, talked about a bit of stuff, then went on a tour of the underground of magic kingdom.  If you didn't know Magic Kingdom (actually all the Walt Disney Parks) are built above ground, and below them they have these things called utilidoors, where cast members get to their location, as well as a way to transport stock.  Fun fact, they never empty the bins at Disney, the bins are all connected to a pipe system which the rubbish falls to.  We aren't allowed to take photos, so you can just make something up in your mind.

After our tour we went back to our class, where Mickey arrived with our Name Tags!  Yayy.  So with our name tags received, we were all set.  We also got our Blue ID's which get us into the park for free.

SOOO, A few of us went to Magic Kingdom that afternoon and rode Splash Mountain and the Haunted Mansion.

We didn't stay too long because we all started training bright and early the next morning, and will continue in my case for the next 6 days to have training from 8.30 - 5pm which requires a 7.22am bus.  Fun.

Although a couple of us went to CiCi's pizza which has all you can eat desert, pizza, pasta and salad for $6.   So pretty amazing.  

Anyway, I'm falling behind on this blog, but hopefully tomorrow I'll get a chance to update you all on training!  Yayy.

Work Locations and Schedules

This blog is all over the place but I guess the main thing is I'm updating.

So,

Today we had a whole lot of information sessions which were to fill out applications for social security numbers, taxes and other stuff.  Considering how dull it is Disney do a pretty good job of making it at least interesting.

After that my roomates wanted to go to Publix and get some groceries, it's about a twenty minute walk from our complexes but you don't have to rely on buses and the food looks a much better quality.  It is definitely pricier than walmart though.  I'm definitely going to need to get one of those grandma trolleys, the club central bingo ladies swore by them and I totally see why.

Which brought us to the afternoon where we handed in all our paperwork and got given our work locations!!!  Yayyy!!!  I'm vacation planning in Magic Kingdom or I guess the ticket and transport Centre. (TTC for those in the know)   AND my training starts THURSDAY!  The day after tomorrow, and tomorrow is traditions with a 6.30 bus call.   And then my first lot of training is 6 days straight 8.30am to 5pm, which means being at the bus stop by 7.10.   So I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to eat and wash clothes let alone visit a park.

Definitely going to miss coming home to a home/hot cooked meal!

On the plus side I'm still jet lagged so keep waking up super early!

Apartments and Rules

So i've finally gotten around to photos of the apartment!






We got to put in apartment preferences about a week or so before we checked in, they kind of went off them.  I was placed in Patterson Court, which was my second choice.  It's pretty good, although we have to walk to the Chatham bus stop and I need to vacume the carpet.











Our apartments two bedrooms on the third floor.  I have done so much walking and climbing in the last few days I don't think my legs are ever going to feel the same.








This is my bedroom, there's only three of us in the apartment at the moment while we wait for someone else.  So I get my own room and bathroom!  I should probably enjoy it while I can.











Pin Board!


Dresser!


I'll post the rest of the apartment laters :)

PEOPLE ARE REALLY NICE

I forgot to mention yesterday in my sleep induced blog, how nice everyone is.

My housemates are super nice, which is good, I don't think we will have any drastic issues, and yesterday when I was walking from the bus stop to my apartment a super nice girl called Cecilia came up to me and helped me, basically saved my life.

Ohh and the guy who dropped all our bags around, carried my overweight suitcase up three flights of stairs like it was no big deal. Also saved my life.

Just thought this deserved a mention

Check In!!

Finally!

I'm officially at Disney.

I woke up again super early, and just tried to amuse myself until 10.30 where a few of us caught a cab over to Vista Way for Check in.

It was super quick, we dropped our bags down, got our names checked off, lined up in a line of about eight, got our passport/visa clearance done and got given our welcome packs and apartment keys,

I'm in Patterson Court, a 2 bedroom on the third floor. So I have two other room mates from Australia, they both know each other, are 22 and are super nice which is a relief! haha. We are still waiting for my actual roomate, I just hope she isn't crazy. It has been kind of nice though having today to get organised by myself. I'm going to take photos tomorrow, so I'll upload a few.

We went to walmart to get a few more essentials, but we will definitely have to go back to get some more tomorrow.

We get tomorrow off, and on Monday we start having housing meetings, and then on Tuesday we have traditions. Exciting stuff!

Walmart and Cell Phones

In my attempt to not fall behind in this whole blogging thing ill do a quick post.

So, today started with breakfast at Applebees, where I met a few of the Disney girls, jasmine, Kate and Janine. The juice was gigantic. Like huge.

Following the gigantic juice myself and a few others went to walmart. It was so exciting, I have pics to prove it. Then we came back to the hotel where we chilled in janines room and waited for a few more people to surface, arrive and went to downtown Disney! It was hot! Super hot! It still is hot. We had lunch at the rainforest cafe thing, they split bills every each way. Quite cool. Following that after much deliberation we went to Florida mall and I got my american sim! It's extremely complicated getting sim cards because America runs on a CDMA network that doesn't use them, only a few networks do.

After that we came back to the hotel, and I crashed. /end blog

I made it!

Apologies, this entry is going to be All over the place, half of it was writtenon the plane, a third after no sleep for thirty plus hours, and the rest just then.


Blog entry one

So I hadn't left the airport and i had already accepted drugs from strangers. Drug of choice being a hot pink sleeping tablet with a name which I'm sure I've heard in the movies but cannot remember. Don't worry it didn't work.. There's only five hours left so there's still time but I highly doubt it.

When I write it like that it does sound kind of dumb however they were med students, Brian, lance and Brian. and their story all matched up so at the time it seemed like a good idea. (famous last words?) But they were all very nice, and killed the forty or so minutes we had to wait to board. They live near Disneyland!! Although they did say the novelty died off once they had to start paying for entry - lucky, I get in for free! Anyway most of them had been studying from '04, '05 and '06 but they won't graduate till 2015!!! Crazy so glad I'm done. They also said walmart is always good to boost lift self esteem. Imma check that out. Virgin also have a seat chat thing so you could chat during the flight so the last hour went by fast because it took so long to type on the weird controls.

Anyway the planes pretty empty which is lovely as the seat next to me is empty and the guy next to the empty seat let me use the empty seat - still no luck sleeping though. He also said my sleeping tablet looked like an ecstasy tablet. I think we are in the all clear now, consider I took it about 6 hours ago.

Anyway I'm really bored which is why I typed all that, I also took a photo of my plane food because I'm cool like that, I'll upload if I remember. Five hours to go!!

Oh yeah, Alanna suggested to blog about three things I miss, so I figured I would do that now but I'll also do three things I'm looking forward to!

3 things I miss
My pillow
Leg room
Sleep

3 things I'm looking forward too
Checking in at the hotel
Meeting all the other Australians.
Going to walmart.

Ohh this is all out of order but I can't be bothered re ordering it, and I'll have to edit the pictures in later because I can't seem to get Internet on my Mac only the iPad.

Anyway got through intimidating customers the fastest I've ever got through customs and got on a very full flight to Minneapolis. Haha so random. But that airport is huge! And made it t my gate with five minutes to spare. When they say you have a fuzzy head I actually know what that feels like and it is not very pleasant. My head felt like I had an eye mask on My forehead. But by the time we landed it had disappeared and I made the epic journey to baggage claim, got my baggage, figured out how to get the mears shuttle to the hotel got to the hotel, checked in, got lost finding my room,found my room, washed my hair logged onto Internet and fell asleep. And just woke up.

Ohh and I got upgraded to exit row in premium economy on my last flight which was nice.

I epically rushed the last half but I wanted to get it down before the fun starts. Lance, Brian, brian and Albert (my seat buddy) if somehow your reading, hope you have a nice life!

I definitely needed the walmart boost after the epic journey!

T minus... 2 DAYS!!!

Ahhhh!!

TWO DAYS!  T-W-O Days! So exciting!

I can't believe its finally here, from my countdown in the 200's.

Anyway, so the big the news is, my lovely friends threw me a surprise goodbye party that I had absolutely no idea about!  I can't believe they actually managed to pull it off considering I've been having going away breakfasts/brunches/lunches/coffees/afternoonteas/dinners for the past two weeks.  So I was very surprised!  I'll post some photos when I get some.

Anyway, all thats left is to pack and to catch up with the last few people.  My next post may be in Orlando!  Ahh!

Why does Disney send exciting emails when I need to go to bed early?!

So breaking news,

We all just received an email about putting housing preferences in!  This kind of throws all my plans off as I was leaving it to Disney fate.  Now that we have this option I'm preferencing.  I'm still not room mate matching but I guess this is a pretty good option.  No program to my knowledge has been able to do it this way so perhaps they are trialing it with our group.

I figured in light of this I would explain how the housing works as the most common questions I get asked have to do with where I'm living blah blah blah.

SO

For all the disney programs there are four housing complexes.  Vista, which is the oldest, largest and has the reputation for being the party scene, then there is Patterson Court which is the newest but also has the reputation of a retirement home, then there is Chatham Square which is somewhere in the middle.  Lastly there is the Commons, which seems very mysterious as only internationals doing cultural representative programs live there but they are apparently mega fancy, i.e. having in built laundries.  

I'm pretty skeptical with doing preference systems, except I figure if I was going with Disney fate anyway it doesn't make much difference.  So I put Chatham, Patterson and Vista, in that order.

Then we had to pick number of rooms, there are 2 people for each room and we had the option of a 2, 3 or 4 bedroom.  I put 2 bedroom as number one because that way I'm guaranteed a bathroom to each of the rooms.  Followed by 3 then 4.  

We also got to pick the level we wanted, 1, 2, or 3.  I really don't care about the level so i just went 1, 2, 3.


SO yes, that is housing.   Will just have to wait and see!  Less than two weeks!  And 8 Days till I leave!! EEEEEEEK!

16 Days!! Zomg!! And Australian Flag Tattoos!!

Ahh I can't sleep and I'm excited so it's resulting in a blog post!!  I figure I should try and get into the habit of posting so that there is still a chance that I will post when I'm over there.  I make no promises.

So for a Fortune 500 company Disney sure like the element of surprise.  I guess it keeps us on our toes. Anyway, last week we got this lovely long email from Disney going through all the important last minute bits of info we need before checking in, when bam out of nowhere, slotted in the middle of the last paragraph of dot points, was a dot point along the lines of

• and your monthly insurance will be deducted from your pay monthly at a rate of $65-$75 depending on the cover you have chosen.

WTF?!  This was the first we had heard about it.  We had paid a $100 insurance fee and figured that covered us, but then they sprang this on us.   Long story short, and a few frantic phone calls later turns out this doesn't apply to us and we don't need to fork out an extra $70 a month.  Which is fantastic because a) the cover was hardly worth the money, basically just the essentials and b) I am getting my own insurance so the Disney insurance would have been redundant.   

But the good news is, it is all sorted!  

To add to all the excitement, last night some lovely Australians who are already doing the program started looking up all the locations for our roles!  So most of us (apparently they gradually release people into the system) know where we are working.  I wasn't sure if I wanted it to be a surprise or not but everyone else was finding out and I got caught up in the excitement.   So.. Drum Roll... I'm working at the TTC which is the Ticket and Transport Centre or something like that.  Exciting!  It's the biggest Vacation Planner spot so hopefully it will be fun, the only thing I'm not sure about is apparently TTC people get a few parade control shifts which I don't think I really want.  But we will see!

Umm, what else, well its 16 days till I leave, which is crazy.  I feel like everything's under control but I'm sure one week out I'll  be freaking out like crazy.

I've sort of, kind of started packing,  I'm aiming for only one suitcase, but I struggle with one suitcase for two weeks, so this will be interesting.

I'm having a Princess Tea Party as a goodbye kind of thing for my school friends for a bit of fun.  Hopefully I'll actually take some photos and upload.  

OHHH and the biggest news ever.  I bought my first ever Australia Flag Tattoos!!    The Olympics are going to be on while we are over there so I figured to show some Australian spirit they may come in handy.  And on that note it is going to be so weird watching the Olympics in another country!  But it will be half the fun.

So I am pretty sure I am rambling, so I'm going to leave this here.  Feel free to comment, ask questions etc etc!  

22 Days.

Only 23 days to go!  Without work or anything though it still seems kind of far away.  Although people from our little Disney group are starting to leave now, so I'm sure time will start to speed right along!  Almost in to the teens!!  We have come along way for the 200+ days.  I'm not even going to be there for 200 days.  Thats a scary thought.  It's actually 198 days until I am back!

The only things left are paying for Travel Insurance and converting to US $$$ but I think I'm too scared to bite the bullet.  Today might just be the day!.  I think I'm going to go with 1 Cover, considering I'm already doubling up on the Disney Insurance. 

There's really not much else going on, but I feel like I haven't updated in forever!

Visa - Ah-proved!

38 Days!!  Eeek!

It actually still kind of seems a decent amount of time away.  Especially now without work, and I think one last week of interning.  Then my interning days are over.   Crazy.

I did get my Visa approved on Wednesday and got it back on Friday (they take your passport, to put your visa in it)  which is great, because I've now booked/paid for my hotel accommodation,  my Disney fees, Disney Insurance all that's left is my insurance.  Just need some time to work out what is the best.

So getting the visa was rather pain free, despite the chronic waits.  I was second last for the day, everyone else's interviews (all 50+ of them) seemed to take at least 10 minutes.  Mine was literally 2 minutes.  Maybe it was the fact that I was practically the last one, who knows.  But it's done, and it's official.  I'm going to America!

I also registered for a Disney Class.  I chose exploring leadership, it will be two hours every week for eight weeks.  It's more a seminar type thing, so its not college level, but I didn't want it to eat into sight seeing, day off times.  I was really tempted to do corporate analysis, which is college level  but thats three hours, for 13 weeks and includes homework and assessments and I don't want that sort of commitment.  Especially since I've graduated and have a job.  I am looking forward to the leadership class.

Apart from all this, the countdown continues...

Blah

Reinstating my bitch about potential room mates blog post.

Telstra contract received.

Visa interview tomorrow.  Results Pending.

Bucket List posts to begin again.

45 Days!!!

I have been terribly slack in posting anything so I'm guessing by the time I get to Disney this blog will be all but extinct.

Anyway, I was going to post a few weeks back (but got lazy) because I met up with some lovely Sydney Disney people!  We went to pancakes on the rocks and proceeded to have desert before enjoying the vivid festival!  Everyone is super lovely and we never really ran out of things to talk about!  I'm sure I will appreciate knowing  a few faces and not just facebook faces when the nerves kick in!

Speaking of nerves, so far they don't exist - which is good.  I think its still that nice distance away that its still a nice surreal sort of dream but close enough to be exciting.  Once it gets to the packing stage things might change.  I'm at the sorting stage currently, today I went through my wardrobe and tossed out an entire garbage bag of clothes and got my coat hangers in order.  Making room for all the additional american clothing purchases.

I've also decided in purchasing  a new suitcase.  Mines big, but I want a huge one to fit everything I want to bring home.

Hmm apart from that Visa interview is on Wednesday - so it will be nice to get that sorted and thats about it!!


p.s. still no Telstra contract.  rage.

x

Resignation and Visa Interview!

Soooo world,

Things are starting to happen.   I officially handed in my resignation - last day 18 June!!  Three more rosters to come out and about 14 more shifts to do!  I've already been sent my exit survey and a list of things I need to do before I get my last pay check.  Mostly washing the ridiculous amount of uniform I've accumulated over the last 3 years.  Thanks Mum!

And in other BIG Disney related news, I've booked my VISA appointment!!!  Yayyyy - although it's still forever away - 20 June.  Kind of wish I had booked it for earlier, so I could get everything else organised, but I have so much stuff going on that it's just going to have to wait until then.  Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly.  So far no one in the Disney group has had any issues so I think I'll be fine!

The Starlight Five Chefs Dinner is next Thursday!!  So finally all the months of (unpaid)work will have paid off and we can see it all come together.  That will be a HUGEE day!  But I'm looking forward to it!

Following that, on the Friday we are all having a Sydney catch up (it was meant to be Saturday originally but a few people including myself can't make it, so there will be one on both Friday and Saturday).  It will be nice to put some faces to facebook.

I guess that is the next week in a nutshell!  Then we are into June and only 2 months to go!!!  Just waiting on my Telstra contract - then we are all set for the next 2.5 years.  Scary!!

Facebook.

So here is the fabulous thing about social media- it has given me the ability to get to know people before I even get to Disney.

The not so fabulous thing about social media - it has given me the ability to get to know people before I even get to Disney.

I have had this blog post in drafts for a while a wasn't sure if I should post it - don't want to start something before I've even gotten to Disney, but I don't want the blog to be just all about the good and neglect the bad.

A lot of people have have told mr all the things that could go wrong and what will I do then.  But I think that's part of the whole experience and I'll learn something regardless.

This may be a lesson in first impressions aren't always right, however....

Some people on our facebook group are just retarded and I have no idea how they are going to survive six months to a year abroad, nor how I am going to survive with them.. Haha ahh.  (That said though, there are A LOT of lovely people who I would love to get to know, but this post isn't about them).

Maybe it's just the way the written word on facebook comes across, but I'm seriously concerned about the possibility of having to be one of these peoples roommates.  My idea of leaving it up to Disney fate may not be the smartest.  What's better?  Settling for someone who will at least be tolerable in the very least, or going with the flow and having the possibility of living with people who drive me crazy.

Anyway, I could be wrong, I hope I'm wrong, but at the same time I'm not naive enough to think that we would all get along like happy campers ,  I too will probably drive people up the wall, but at least I try to refrain from being too annoying.

Haha there are about 3 people who I think I'll clash with, if I do I'll do another post.  Who knows, maybe I'll be best friends.  lolz.

Bad Blogger

Ahhh I can't even remember the last time I updated or what I said in the last update.  So for that I apologise (to all my millions of readers).


Anyway my excuse is...  drum roll..  I got into a graduate program!!!!  Wooo!!


This means that when I come back from Disney - 23/01/13 for those of you playing at home.  I will have a job to come back to!  Starting two weeks later!  Screams!!!


Yeah so I will be working at Telstra in their graduate development program.


So that is my excuse as to why I have not updated in forevers!


Anyway I did get my pack - not sure if I mentioned that,  I got it the day I was going to my assessment centre for the grad program.  Which was the first delay in doing anything with it.  Then everything kind of kept piling on and I still haven't submitted my Visa application.  I think I will have to do that tomorrow.


Apart from that nothing else has really happened.  I'm waiting for my Visa approval before i book insurance/accomodation/housingfees etc.  So until then everything is on hold.


Starlight has been getting busier.  The event is only two weeks away so lots of stuff needs to be done.


In more exciting news, now that I know I have a job, I know when I will be resigning from Club Central.  19 of June 2012!  Will hand in my official resignation  on Thursday!




In other news,  I've been stalking disney blogs, and came across a college program one, of a sixty-something year old who did the college program.  SHe managed to update every single day.  Little posts.  If I did a little bit everyday it wouldn't seem like such an overwhelming task.   Haha I doubt I could keep up but maybe I should try.


Anyway that is all for this post!


x

T Minus Less Than One Hundred Days!!!

AHHHHHHHH  It is officially less than one hundred days till I embark on my Disney adventure*!  95 Days till I leave!!  Now when people ask when do I leave I give them the day by day countdown.  I'm sure they don't really care but they asked so they should be prepared to endure my Disney chit chat for the few minutes proceeding.


So anyway for all my millions of readers,  actually fun fact I've almost hit 1000 views.  It's probs my mum.  Actually it's not, I don't think she knows about my ramblings, she gets to live the build up 24/7.  Lucky her. 


Anyway there is really nothing to report other than I still haven't recieved my disney pack which means I cant book a visa interview, which means I don't want to book my accommodation  or pay my housing fees incase something goes wrong.  So I'm stuck.  Ughh.   Here's hoping it will be on my door step next week.  


However, it is less than 100 days which is definitely a mile stone.   I have 8 rosters left (at the most) to get from work, so thats also quite exciting!  A part from that whole lot of nothing, nothing else has happened so I'm going to stop right here.






*provided I ever get my Disney pack and visa approval!

Stilllll Waitingg

Ahhh.

Still, still waiting.   I now needed to send in a copy of my diploma.  I sent my official transcripty thing from the uni which hopefully should cover it but ahhh.

Anyway, aside from the waiting, in a few days it will 100 days till I leave!  I can't believe we are finally down to double digits, in some ways it seems only yesterday like we were in the 200's but then that also feels like ages ago, and another 100 days seems so incredibly far away.

Apart from waiting, and waiting, and refreshing my emails, I've still been interning at the Starlight Foundation.  It's cool, a lot of work but I've brought in a fair bit of money for the organisation and have got to do some very cool things.  The event is called Five Chefs, and they bring 5 top chefs from each state to put on a five course dinner at the very accessible price of $500 per person to raise money for Starlights programs.  It's Starlight's biggest annual fundraiser and there is still so much to do with only about 6 weeks to go!  Ahh.  So at least that is keeping me occupied.

I've also been working a fair bit which is tiring me out like crazy but at least I will have plenty of funds to splurge at Disney!

I guess the only other thing that is keeping me distracted from Disney would be my grad job applications. I've had a few rejects but overall things are progressing nicely.  Fingers crossed!  And if I don't get one, I guess I'll just spend another 6 months at Disney!  Tough life.

Anyway, I thought it was time to update you all - it wasn't very Disney related but it may have given you a bit more of an idea of who I am.  Ooh  that was corny.  Annywayyyy.  I will update as soon as anything Disney-esque comes through.

Over and out.
x

Waaiiiiitttinnngggg

& Waaiiitttinngggg for my Disney Welcome Pack :(

Everyone's got theres but I don't :(

So sad :(

Cameron hates me, he probably did it on purpose :(

Wahhh