Homesick

I've had the last three days off of work, and while that seems like a good thing- it isn't. The more time I spend at the apartment the more I realize that it's not "home" yet. I miss the routine of home, my family, my friends, and my car. I hate having to rely on other people to take me where I need to go. I want to be able to call this place home but I don't know if I will ever be able to do that :-/ I love my roommate and most of the people I live with, but it's not home. I know that I need to stick with this experience- it will always be with me and forever apart of me but right now all I really need it a hug. I don't want to have time on my hands- it allows me to focus and think about what I'm missing at home right now. I just need to keep busy- not allowing myself to focus on home.

Costume!

Today was my on-the-job orientation at MK! I again had to be up around 5 to catch the bus at 6 (this is going to get old REAL fast)... But anyway, I arrived at the training center and we clocked in for the first time as cast members <3 Today, for our first day of work, we took a tour of the MK- we learned some back stories as well as some little tidbits of information related to the parks. During our tour we actually rode some rides, to "experience MK." So for work today, I got paid to ride Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and The Haunted Mansion. Best first day EVER.

I also got my costume today :) Frontierland Merchandise :) :)

I have an ID and a name badge! :D

So today we had Traditions, which is the orientation for new cast members. We had to catch the bus at 6:45a so I got up at 5a after going to bed around midnight-1a. So I was not the brightest light bulb this morning...BUT I still made it to the bus stop early and arrived at Disney University at 7:15a. Traditions was interesting, we learned about the heritage of the company and the business practices along with the in's and out's of being a cast member. At the beginning of Traditions, we received our ID's, the cards that officially say we are employees :) At the end of Traditions we received our name badges, making it all the more real.

Wednesday during Check-In they gave us our orientation schedules for our locations. I have to be at work Saturday at 7:15a- meaning I have to get up at 5 to catch the bus. I had no intention of attending any of the parks after 9 so I could get more than 5 hours of sleep....

After Traditions, my roommates and I were debating on heading over to the parks- now that we are cast members. After a lot of discussion, we headed over to Magic Kingdom (MK) around 8p- arriving around 8:45. Once we get there, we have to go through the gates like everybody else, except we can use our ID's to get in for free. YET when we get to the turnstile, it tells us that we are invalid and must head over to Guest Relations, so all 15 of us head over to the Guest Relations windows hoping to get this mess fixed-- Apparently we needed our ID's activated before we entered the park and no one thought to tell us that. So after waiting in ANOTHER long line, we got to the window only to be told we didn't need to be activated. SO we head over with our ID's and show them to the turnstile attendant, who then lets us in. This whole process took about 30 mins, so it is now 9:30p and we FINALLY entered MK. Upon entering, we came to realize that:
1. We chose to arrive during a parade, thus making it impossible to navigate Main Street.
2. It was Friday, which means Extra Magic Hours
And so all in all the park was PACKED, with no room to move, let alone walk. Lauren and I decided that it was time to leave around 10- since both her and I had to be up around 5a tomorrow. So we headed back to the bus stop. We arrived at the stop RIGHT after the bus left, meaning we had to sit and wait for 20 mins until the bus arrived, then we sat on the bus for 45 mins. So Lauren and I finally ended up back at the apartment around 11- a whole hour after I wanted to go to bed.

So here I am, 11:54p, and just NOW getting ready for bed. I think sleep and I are not going to get very well acquainted this program. Joy.

I work at Disney :)

So I arrived in Florida yesterday, around 2:30p after getting up at 8 to catch my flight out of Columbus. I said goodbye to my family and boyfriend and boarded the plane to start my adventure as a Disney Cast Member.Surprisingly, I didn't cry when saying goodbye, I think, more than anything, I felt overwhelmed instead of sad. I knew I would be leaving for 5 months but I don't think it really hit me until I landed, alone, in Orlando. After arriving at MCO, I followed the signs to Magical Express, which would take me to my resort-Pop Century :). At the resort, it finally hit that I will be one of them-one of the Cast Members...

My scheduled Check-in day was August 17, 2011. :) The scheduled time for check in was 9am, yet we (my roomie and I) arrived around 6:30a, and a line was already forming- some people had been there since 4! Excited and nervous, we stood in line waiting for the gates to open and our adventure to begin. Once the gates opened, there was a swarm of people heading to the building we were to check-in at. We stood in line for about an hour, floating from one station to the next, getting overloaded with information. I ended up in Patterson Court, with 5 roommates. After check in was done and we headed over to Casting- where we learned our roles :) I found out I was placed in Magic Kingdom working in Frontierland.
It's now real. I now have a place to live and an official job. My roommate's parents took us to Wal-Mart, for grocery shopping and getting the basics. It was at Wal-Mart that I had my first break down here in Florida. I'd been up since 5am and needed sleep- but even so I started to cry while shopping- I didn't want to be here, I wanted to go home, the people at Wal-Mart were not friendly and the customers were extremely rude- all of that had me crying wanting to come home where I knew what to do, how to navigate the store and city. I felt foolish for crying in Wal-Mart but I couldn't help it, I felt so overwhelmed and helpless. Once we got home (weird to be calling Disney home, but it is for the next 5 months) I felt a little better about being here, we had most of the room set up and it was quiet in the apartment.

I know that the breakdown at Wal-Mart is not going to be the last but hopefully they will be few and far between, once I get settled into a routine.