Time flies

So two months since my last post...sorry. But I guess not much happens here in O-Town. I've only heard one e-mail from internships, and it was a no. But neither event internships have sent me any kind of notification, which really pisses me off. Thanksgiving has come and gone, and now it's almost Christmas. I don't think that's a great way to treat your employees, even if we are just college program kids. We already invested our lives in their company, and they don't have the decency to send an e-mail. But, other than that, I'm just biding my time until I go home.

I only have about two weeks left here, and I think they are going to be the busiest. Christmas and New Year's are notorious for the longest lines and the crankiest people. I'm not very excited about it. But I've been trying to take advantage of the parks while I can, going shopping or eating at Epcot, seeing Christmas lights at the Studios, or just bumming around Magic Kingdom. I will say, the ONLY thing I will miss when I leave is getting into the parks whenever I feel like it. But I think after a few years of being away, the parks will become that much more special again when I return.

Let's see, what else have I been up to...we've tried to get all the turnstile people together for some big group things, which are pretty fun. We did an IHOP night at midnight, and we got a bunch together for dancing at House of Blues the other night. I'm exhausted, but it was worth it.

My parents just came to visit, and that was so much fun. I love being able to share the parks with people who don't work here. We're so used to everything, it's fun to try and find new things to do. We went to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party, and I've never been. It was a blast (even though it was freezing and I was still sick). We saw a Christmas show, a Christmas parade, and special Holiday Wishes fireworks. They were all magical. Then we hit up all our favorite rides and parks, and we even fit in a day by the pool at Coronado Springs Resort (which I must admit, was pretty great). The highlight of the trip had to be the food though, go figure. We ate at a bunch of new restaurants including Rose and Crown Pub in the U.K. and Yachtsmen Steakhouse at Yacht Club Resort. Those were two of the best meals I've had at Disney, and I got to use my 50% off holiday cast member coupon, so I could really enjoy the meal knowing my parents didn't have to pay an arm and a leg for them. We also revisited Les Chefs de France for lunch, and it was even better than I remember (the waiter wasn't too bad either, lol).

So all in all, my program is quickly coming to an end, and I don't have much to show for it. But, I must say, Disney is still one of my favorite places in the world. And, even though I didn't get a job, I sure did have one heck of an amazing four month vacation!

The only thing in life that's certain is change...

Well, I've been waiting to post until I had some good news, but I guess I can't wait forever. I haven't heard back from internships yet, good or bad news. It's getting irritating, and that's all I can think about. I've been trying to keep busy, but it's what my mind goes to immediately anytime I have downtime at work or home.

I guess if I don't get an internship, I'll still be happy to come home. I guess that since I'm not 100% happy down here means it won't be hard to leave here in two months. I've started applying to jobs outside of Disney. It's all so nerve-wracking and time-consuming. I just hope that I'm not back at square one in January. I thought this College Program would turn into something, and now it's turning out that maybe Disney doesn't hire from within as much as I thought.

Does anyone want to come down Jan 2nd and drive back up to Sleepy Hollow with me?

Just some pictures :)

My Shepard's Pie at Raglan Road Irish Pub at Downtown Disney/Pleasure Island. Delicious! Also, Strongbow on tap=happiness :)
Me, my roomie Heather, and Kelly and Wilmer, two other CPs who work with my roomie. We work here! Yay! Note: Food and Wine Festival decs are up! Cities in Wonderland, gorgeous design. Based on the artist who designed It's a Small World, which I also adore a little too much.

Having some fun on Spaceship Earth. Brian and I decided to do funny faces, and it made the end of the ride so much better. We were in hysterics the entire time! I highly recommend this when you make your next trip to Epcot.

My roomie Heather, me, and my friend/co-worker Brian at the Germany pavilion in Epcot for dinner. The buffet was delicious! And look how tan I am!


That's all for now. Just a sample. Almost two months since I've been here. Crazy.

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

Well, since I last posted, a lot has happened on the internship front. And pretty much none of it is good stuff. Lots of changes have happened because I had to adapt to things going wrong. So let's start at the beginning.

When I last posted, I had taken the rest of the day off because I almost passed out. The next day, I was called into my manager, Caleb's, office. I thought I was in trouble or something for getting an early release (E.R.) because my coordinator didn't tell me why Caleb wanted to see me. So I get in the office, all nervous, feeling like I was sent to the principal's office. But Caleb greeted me with a big "Hi!" and a smile, so I knew it was nothing bad. Basically he just called me in to see how the Prof. Internship soiree was and if I got to talk to the people I wanted to talk to. We discussed the soiree, what internships I was looking at, what the application and interview process would be like, and he offered to look at my resume and "Disney-fy" it. I was really appreciative of him because he was really in my corner with this whole thing. He told me lots of tips and said that he's going to do everything he can to help me get an internship. Basically, he was in the same position as me a year ago. He graduated, did his CP, then applied for Management Internship and got on in Park Ops, where he is still a manager now. He said I came in the first day and said I wanted an internship, and he was going to help me get one because of that. So I'm super pumped that he's rooting for me. And, that will hopefully mean a good recommendation when it comes time for them to assess me.

So the next day I dropped off my resume, and he returned it to me via email with some suggestions. It really helped, and I think my resume is better for it. So, then I started deciding which three internships I was going to apply for. Caleb gave me a lot to think about considering the Management Internships. But I think my heart was still in Event Planning. So my top three were going to be:
1. Convention Services Associate (perfect for me, considering my Conference Services job)
2. Event Assistant Magic Kingdom Intern (just plain fun)
3. Travel Industry Marketing Event Planning Intern (plan trade shows in the travel industry, sounds sweet)

So I was going to start applying this past weekend because I worked mornings and would have the whole afternoon to write my cover letters and fix my resume. I worked at International Gateway on Sunday morning, and before the park opened, I was just standing around, staring off into the World Showcase, when I saw a bunch of people in France. The women were all wearing the same dress, and the men were all fancy in tuxes. They were up by the fountain, and then I see about thirty people sitting in folding chairs facing them. Then, I see a bride being escorted up the aisle by her (I'm assuming) father up to the fountain. I couldn't take my eyes away from it. It was the cutest little wedding I've ever seen. So, after I watched the whole affair, my mind went back to the Fairy Tale Weddings Internship that I had taken off my list because of various reasons, the biggest one being EVERY girl on the program applies for it, and therefore, to me, it has lost it's appeal. But, it's the reason I came down to do this program, and I shouldn't let all the other people applying stop me from something I really want. You've gotta fight for what you want in life, and I'm not going to give up that easily. I might be one of the 6 they pick out of 350. So, after work, I went home and applied immediately for the Weddings Internship. Then, I moved on to Convention Services, but when I got to the web page, that internship had disappeared from the list. It wasn't offered anymore. I tried contacting as many people as I could about what happened to it, but I couldn't wait any longer to apply to two other internships. So I applied for the Event Assistant MK Internship. But, when I applied for it, the web site never asked me to upload my cover letter. It just said, "Thank you for applying." I know this isn't right. So I was pretty sure that internship was out for me. You're not going to get a position in a competitive field with no cover letter, even if it says "optional" next to it. Again, I called a list full of people, and no one was calling me back.

So Tuesday, I met with Amanda's sorority sister Emily, who is one of the current Wedding interns. We talked for about and hour and a half about the internship, what a regular day is like, and her past experience in events (which was barely any). The job sounds crazy and hectic, but so amazing. We also talked about her next steps after this internship, and I found out that if I get an internship, it's my last program. You can only do two consecutive programs, whether it's CP and an internship or two internships. So, she told me that Weddings, from day one, tells you that they are NOT (I repeat, NOT) hiring you on after. She told me that the management internships, however, have a much bigger chance of hiring you on after. So that got me thinking again, along with what I talked about with Caleb. So after my lunch with Emily, and the prospect of hanging out with her again soon, I went home and applied for a Management Internship in Rooms and Related, which to me, is a lot like what I did at Conference Services. We planned conferences' stays with UW-Housing. Rooms and Related would be housekeeping, front desk and other services at the resorts. I didn't know if I would enjoy being a manager at first. I like working in teams, and I don't know if I've ever had to be the boss of someone, or would emotionally be able to handle the confrontation and balls it takes to be a manager. But then I thought about Conference Services again, and realized I kind of had to manage all the other areas. I did walk-throughs with maintenance to check that everything was clean and working, and had to get them to make it right if it wasn't, I oversaw check-ins with the front desk staff, and I dealt with angry sponsors and guests when things were messed up. So, I started thinking that maybe I could be a manager, and might like it after all. So, my top three changed a bit. I applied for:
1. Fairy Tale Weddings
2. Event Assistant Magic Kingdom
3. Management-Rooms and Related

Quite different than I began with. I only found out yesterday that Conventions was taken off, and the next available internship would be in June with Catering Services. So I don't know what happened there. But it SUCKS. I really wanted that job. And as for my Event Assistant MK application, I finally got a hold of a guy with recruiting to tell him my cover letter predicament. He told me I could upload it to my profile and title it specifically for the MK internship. But, of course, things couldn't go smoothly. It was the day of the deadline, it had to be in by 5pm. I worked at 2:30. So I had to do it right away that morning, but OF COURSE, my internet wasn't working that day. So I had to haul ass to Panera and upload it there. I'm still a little skeptical that they'll get my cover letter, but the guy said that he would forward it on. I hope he's right. Otherwise I'll only have a shot at two internships.

Now it's finally October, and now I play the waiting game. Hopefully I'll be hearing about some interviews soon. Otherwise, I'll start making my plans to come home in January, haha. But life sure hasn't been easy these past couple of weeks. I'm wondering if life ever is. Probably not. I've been crabby the last couple of days, which is probably a mixture of stress and homesickness. It's officially 9 days until my mom and sister come to visit. I CAN'T WAIT! I just need to see someone from my regular normal life to make me feel better.

Well, Happy October. I know I'm happy it's October. September and I didn't mix well.

Hakuna Matata

Well, things at work haven't picked up much, since the Food and Wine Festival has yet to begin. But that's coming soon, so hopefully it will start to get busier and the time will go by faster.

This past weekend I had sort of a crisis. I started researching all the professional internships I could get in January, and they all had a similar requirement: must be enrolled in a college or university. Since I have already graduated, I panicked. I made a bunch of calls, and no one could seem to give me a definite answer if I was still eligible. Heather and I decided to go to Downtown Disney, so I could drown myself in good food and Strongbow at Raglan Road Irish Pub. It was just the pick-me-up I needed. We did a little shopping too, and it was just a great overall night.

So Monday was the Professional Internship networking soirée, and I just had to bite the bullet and find out from the recruiters if I could still apply. I got to talk to a woman from Disney Event Group, and she told me as long as I do everything consecutively, I was good to go. So I graduated, then am doing my program now, and if I do my internship in January it will still be okay. I was so relieved. Crisis averted. I also talked to people from Management-Rooms and Related and Management-Food Service. Those are other areas I might be interested in, but since I'm eligible for the Event Planning ones, I'll probably apply for the Convention Services and Event Planning internships. I plan on talking to my manager (if I can ever get a hold of him...) and the Event Group woman to see what would be the best fit, a Professional internship or a Management internship. Deadlines to apply are Oct. 3rd, so I'll be making my decisions soon. I'll let you guys know what I choose.

So after the soirée, I went with Heather to Animal Kingdom, where we met up with Kelly, another Epcot Vacation Planner, and her friend Chris from UGA, who brought his friend Jacqui, who is "best friends" with Belle. So that was pretty cool to meet a "friend" of a princess. We did Pocahontas and her Forest Friends show, which is closing soon, and of course Finding Nemo the Musical. I love that show, and Heather bought the soundtrack, so I'm excited to possibly burn it. Then we came back and watched Enchanted because Kelly had never seen it (which is crazy because I've seen it probably a million times and never get sick of it).

On Tuesday, Kelly and I stopped by Property Control, where they have tons of Disney merch that's severely discounted for Cast Members. I got a really cute Tinkerbell watch for 12 dollars, and an oven mitt so I can stop burning myself when I cook. Oh! And I got a haircut earlier that morning. It's kind of short again, but I can still put it up, so that's good. I think I'm growing it out, but it's nice to have a style again, since my last haircut was awful. But anyway, going shopping was fun, and I think I made a new friend. Then, at night, Heather and I were in a musicals mood, so we watched Once and Phantom of the Opera.

Yesterday, I went to work in the morning, and about two hours into it, I got really lightheaded all of a sudden, took my break early, and almost passed out on the way to the break room. I ate a granola bar and sat in the A/C for awhile, but I went home early in case I was overheated or dehydrated or something. It was weird, but I'm feeling better.

So now I'm going in to work from 3:45-9:45, and I hope all goes well.

P.S.-Today, I have officially been here a month. It's crazy how fast time flies. Not sure if I'm in the place I'd thought I'd be a month ago, but life is definitely better than the first week. I have a couple friends, a nice roomie, and I'm liking work. AND I'm still eligible for an internship, the whole reason I came down here.

I'm also excited at the prospect of all the people visiting me soon. Mom and Amanda in less than a month (woo woo!), Anna possibly in November, Mom and Dad in December, and I talked to Andy a couple days ago, and he wants to come down in December. I miss everyone, and the only way I'm getting through work is daydreaming about my loved ones coming down here soon.

Keep it real, folks.

Finally a Fantasmic day!

I had a great day today. Well, it started last night I suppose. I got off work around three (which was soooo boring because there are NO guests) and planned on chilling at home for the rest of the night. But, when I got home, our power wasn't working correctly, so I had no lights, no TV, no internet. I had to find something else to do with my night. Since my roomie and I already had a blast at Magic Kingdom earlier in the week, I wanted to hit up either Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom next. So Brian and I went to Hollywood Studios to meet up with Kristen from work, who was out there with her roommates. We rode Star Tours and the Great Movie Ride, and then went to Fantasmic! show to meet up with the other girls. But, we got there and didn't realize what a zoo it would be, and there was no way we could find them in the crowd. But we stayed and watched the show, and it was amazing! I barely remembered it, so it was like I was seeing it for the first time. You see all the important characters (the princesses and princes and Mickey & Co.) and hear a bunch of classic Disney songs. Now I'm in the mood for Disney movies :)

Today Brian and I came back to the Studios to take on the full park. We hit up Aerosmith Rock'n Roller Coaster first, since there was only a 10-minute wait. It rocked! (obviously). Then we wanted food, so we grabbed a bite at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. THAT was awesome as well. We want to go back and get a car next time, we'll just have to make reservations. So then we went to the Studios new ride Toy Story Midway Mania, which was completely not what I expected...it was BETTER! I highly recommend it, and I plan on riding it several more times to improve my score (it's like Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin where you shoot targets, but waaaay cooler). And then we did (in no particular order) Muppet 3D, Backlot Tour, Little Mermaid show, Beauty and the Beast show, and Rock'n Roller Coaster AGAIN because we grabbed FastPass for it again (but there was still only a 10-min wait). And I got chocolate-covered marshmallows on a stick, which were so tasty, but they made me homesick because I thought of Christkindlmarkt, and how I'm not going to be able to go.

But we kept on trucking, and took the boat to Epcot because we apparently can't have a day go by without being there. I bought some stuff for Anna because she sent me the sweetest care package ever, and I thought some Disney stuff would only be an appropriate thank-you. So then we caught the bus back, and wanted to take a dip in the pool after being in the sun all day and being gross and sweaty. So we went for a night swim, which is always nice because the pool is really warm at night somehow. Once we were good and pruney, we left.

I just had a really great day, and it lifted my sunken spirits. Even though I don't have a lot of friends yet, Disney felt a little bit like home today. Brian and I know each other better, my roomie and I are making plans to hang out whenever we can, and Epcot is the best office I could have. I do get sad sometimes, because I miss home and Madison, and it's hard to see/hear about people doing tons of stuff with tons of roomies and friends, whereas I have one friend and one roomie and a few acquaintances, but I'm trying to make the best of what I have. I have the day off tomorrow, and I'm going to run errands, but maybe do something fun in the evening. Then it's back to the turnstiles from Wed to Sun.

Some exciting things coming up:
1. Hibachi in Japan with Heather (my roomie) on Wed before work. Another World Showcase restaurant I can check off!
2. Professional Internship Soiree next Monday. I get to schmooze with recruiters and pass on my resume. Wish me luck!
3. Day-trip to Cocoa Beach next week Tuesday. If Brian has the day off, we may go with other CPs to Cocoa Beach! And if he doesn't have the day off, I might be brave and go anyway. Ahhh! We'll see. That'd be a HUGE step going on a day trip, not knowing anyone. 'Cause if I'm having a rotten time, I'm stuck there all day. But the prospect of some ocean water--not fake pool water--sounds pretty good. I could always resort to my book and iPod if I'm having a bad time. Anyway, we'll see.
4. Spotlight on Disney Fairy Tale Weddings seminar. Does this need an explanation?!?!

Ok, as Tigger would say, Ta-Ta For Now!

Labor Day weekend (lots and lots of labor)

Tomorrow will be my seventh day in a row working. Whew, am I tired. Most days have been six hours, but a couple, like today, have been eight hours. Wednesday and Thursday are my two days off, and I can't wait. I think Wednesday Heather and I are going to try to do something since we never see each other because our schedules are always opposite. I'll probably invite Brian and the girls we met at the pool, and maybe try to get some other park greeters involved. Hollywood Studios is my pick for Wednesday, but we'll see where we end up.

Before work today, Brian and I got sushi in Japan, and it was delicious! They also have another side of the restaurant where they do hibachi, so I really want to go back for that. I think it would be fun with a big group, so hopefully I'll make more friends and we can all go together.

Work is going well. I'm learning the tricks of the trade very quickly, as I'm starting to realize how shitty people can be sometimes. They take advantage of us, and I'm sick of putting up with it. So from now on, no more Miss Nice Heather. If your finger doesn't match your ticket, or your ticket says recently used, you're not getting in unless my manager says so. I'm not a pushover anymore. So there. But yes, all in all, work is good. It's been really hot lately (I know, duh, it's Florida) but I'm under a covering so I haven't been getting burned or too overheated. The other park greeters are really cool. Lots of CPs to meet and lots of really cool old people.

Anyway, I'm super tired, can't wait for my days off, and I'm encouraging all of you to visit Disney World on Labor Day weekend because we were bored out of our minds this weekend while working from the lack of guests. Just some advice.

Goodnight and good luck.