Disney.
I'm sitting in my new apartment, lights off, watching Man Versus Wild and listening to my roommate talk to her boyfriend and my other roommates chat in the kitchen.
It's like living at college all over again.
I don't have much time to write, as usual, but since today was a rather big day, I feel you're owed at least something of an entry. So let's begin...
This morning, I was the second one up, which is amazing because it usually takes a sonic boom to get me out of bed. Wait, scratch that, I've slept through a sonic boom. Of course, it took a half hour of rolling around and listening to jabbering morning television, but eventually I got up. While I dressed, my Mom, who seems to always be the first one up, managed to rouse the rest of my family. Sleepily, we headed downstairs to the Holiday Inn Express' continentental breakfast. Nothing too amazing, but I had delicious sausage and had a yogurt spit at me when I opened it.
I found myself amused watching the people around me. Behind me was a tv with the Disney Channel playing (of course). Special Agent Oso was on and I couldn't help but watch as people randomly became entranced with the show. Even my family was swept in, my Dad wondering why Oso was teaching three year olds how to make pancakes and my Mom wondering why Oso is yellow and green. My Dad said it was jaundice from all the drinking.
We headed back upstairs and I tried to grab all my items scattered around the room. I left the food, and Mom and I headed out toward the car, Dad and my sister following soon after. Although I was tired and would've rather gone back to bed, it was beginning to dawn on me what was going to happen today: I was going to become a Disney Cast Member. I was starting to feel a little nervous.
My roommate Alex had called me earlier in the morning to tell me she was going to arrive by 8:30am. I had aimed to live a little early too, so as to make the nine o'clock starting time. Needless to say, the drive to Vista Way had taken just a little longer than usual (traffic). We arrived, my Mom and I in one car, my Dad and sister behind us, and found ourselves having to navigate around the unfamiliar complex. There were signs, of course, and Cast Members directing traffic. I was a little worried about one Cast Member: with my window open, I could hear her directing the car in front of us, and when we pulled up, she repeated the directions in the exact same voice. And then did it again to my Dad and sister. It was like being in the queue for a ride and hearing the same sound track repeated over and over again. Creepy.
I wonder if they train you to do that.
Winding our way on the roads through the close beige complexes, we finally found parking spaces, mine opening up when a nice guy removed a yellow cone blocking a space. From there, my family retraced our path, walking together in the humidity, already building in the early morning. I called Alex trying to figure out where she was waiting for me. We had spotted a white tent full of people that I had presumed was the check-in area, but it turned out to be a tent for family and friends. Proceeding onward, we went around a gentle curve in the road and found a building swarming with teens. I kept walking, past a slow moving family, and turned just in time to hear a Cast Member tell my family they couldn't go any further and would have to go back to the tent. "Bye Kate!" my Mom called, and I was off.
Walking up to the building, which was one story and had "Welcome!" posters featuring classic-style Disney characters, I encountered three or four Cast Members, two standing, the others sitting at a table. I waited behind a person who had walked up before me, and heard her being asked her name. We were getting name tags, but not the officially official Disney ones. Just white oval stickers upon which our first names were written in black sharpie. We were told to put them on our left side, turn to the left, and follow the red carpet. I didn't quite notice the carpet until I was almost off of it. I was busy being distracted by the large group of people I saw before me. It was an outdoor area in the shape of half a hexagon. There was a low metal divider guiding newcomers to the left side, past what looked like a giant postcard featuring the classic characters and welcoming us to Disney (near Donald was the phrase "I'm here and you're not". To my right, beneath a celing of fans, were tables where small groups of people stood, grabbing pens laying in the center and filling out paperwork. Beyond them, in typical Disney fashion, lay a huge line of people winding its way into a building. Over the din of chatter, a dj pumped loud beats.
At the end of the divider, a Cast Member stood, greeting people, answering questions, and handing out thick paper books. She spotted me, said hello and smiled (in Disney fashion), and handed me one of the books. I was instructed to fill it out and the paperwork within. On-boarding had begun.
And that's where I've got to leave it for tonight. More tomorrow, hopefully, but for now, sleep once again is definitely a good idea.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Disney
I made it!
And I got free chocolate!
Tomorrow's the check-in day. More information then. For now, sleep definitely seems like a good idea.
But if you're looking for something to read...
Man Convicted of Groping Minnie Mouse
AP
ORLANDO, Fla. (Aug. 11) - A 60-year-old man has been convicted of groping a woman in a Minnie Mouse costume at Walt Disney World.
John William Moyer of Cressona, Pa., told the judge he is innocent. His son said before sentencing that his father would never inappropriately touch a woman.
He was convicted Tuesday of misdemeanor battery and sentenced to write the victim an apology, serve 180 days probation and complete 50 hours of community service. Moyer must also pay $1,000 in court costs and possibly undergo a mental evaluation.
The victim says she had to do everything possible to keep Moyer's hands off her breasts.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
2009-08-11 16:26:18
And the caption beneath the picture of Minnie:
A 60-year-old tourist has been convicted of groping Minnie Mouse at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. The cherished cartoon character is seen here in happier days.
...
Good night.
And I got free chocolate!
Tomorrow's the check-in day. More information then. For now, sleep definitely seems like a good idea.
But if you're looking for something to read...
Man Convicted of Groping Minnie Mouse
AP
ORLANDO, Fla. (Aug. 11) - A 60-year-old man has been convicted of groping a woman in a Minnie Mouse costume at Walt Disney World.
John William Moyer of Cressona, Pa., told the judge he is innocent. His son said before sentencing that his father would never inappropriately touch a woman.
He was convicted Tuesday of misdemeanor battery and sentenced to write the victim an apology, serve 180 days probation and complete 50 hours of community service. Moyer must also pay $1,000 in court costs and possibly undergo a mental evaluation.
The victim says she had to do everything possible to keep Moyer's hands off her breasts.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
2009-08-11 16:26:18
And the caption beneath the picture of Minnie:
A 60-year-old tourist has been convicted of groping Minnie Mouse at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. The cherished cartoon character is seen here in happier days.
...
Good night.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Cordele or bust
Time for another postcard post!
Last one up this morning. Went to Waffle House. OMG happiness. Started driving around 9:50am. Sky cloudy with humid shades of white, grey, blue. Drive through Nashville and just keep going. Attempted to find Bug Scuffle this time around. Still no luck. Maybe too far south? Hit the mountains in Tennessee. Rest stop had bug-infested tables, but beautiful lake/mountain view. Had a sweet tea and a salad from Wendy's. Stopped by a Truett's and learned the origins of Chick-Fil-A. Baptism by fire into Atlanta's rush hour traffic. Nothing but driving after that, with more-than-occassional construction. Saw signs for Orlando Discount Tickets right along with Adult Superstores. Finally made it to Cordele. Ate at Captain D's. Sweet employee gave my sister and I some food. At hotel, trying to finish Disney on-boarding paperwork. Dad was watching show about baboons, now we're on to the space program.
As with yesterday's post, I'll write more later. I do have another question that needs answering. While my family and I were eating dinner, we began to wonder how it is that Disney gets all of its Guests out of the park at the end of a long day. Another thing to learn!
Last one up this morning. Went to Waffle House. OMG happiness. Started driving around 9:50am. Sky cloudy with humid shades of white, grey, blue. Drive through Nashville and just keep going. Attempted to find Bug Scuffle this time around. Still no luck. Maybe too far south? Hit the mountains in Tennessee. Rest stop had bug-infested tables, but beautiful lake/mountain view. Had a sweet tea and a salad from Wendy's. Stopped by a Truett's and learned the origins of Chick-Fil-A. Baptism by fire into Atlanta's rush hour traffic. Nothing but driving after that, with more-than-occassional construction. Saw signs for Orlando Discount Tickets right along with Adult Superstores. Finally made it to Cordele. Ate at Captain D's. Sweet employee gave my sister and I some food. At hotel, trying to finish Disney on-boarding paperwork. Dad was watching show about baboons, now we're on to the space program.
As with yesterday's post, I'll write more later. I do have another question that needs answering. While my family and I were eating dinner, we began to wonder how it is that Disney gets all of its Guests out of the park at the end of a long day. Another thing to learn!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Bowling Green or bust
It's late. 12:40am Central to be exact, which is kind of funny since we were in Eastern for a while. Guess Days Inn offers many of the amenities of home, ne?
Anyway, since there is a leftover KFC biscuit to be had and some stretching out to do, I'll give the shortened version of today. Call it a postcard post:
Left late. Came home from last night's wedding and fell asleep instead of packing. Left at 11:43pm. Went to library, post office, then friend's house. Had to pick up shoes left there from yesterday. Pair of sneakers, really needed, Disney not foot friendly. Great amounts of driving. Great amounts of construction. Drove through/around big city for first time. Lunch at McDonalds, dinner at KFC in Kentucky. Reached Bowling Green after 9:30pm. Family and car taking a well-deserved rest.
When I have a little more time, I'll write a more complete post about the day. Or at least as much as one can write about a ten hour day consisting mostly of driving.
But there's one more thing before I go.
A month ago I had wondered where I would be today at 8:04pm. Although I was on Eastern time (so it sorta counts), at 8:04pm today I was just minutes south from the boundaries of Louisville and had run into yet another section of road construction. The shoulder of the road had become the left lane, and as we sped over the safety ridges, the resulting noise could only be equated to a rather large dog in an empty, echoing house, barking through a window. The safety barks carried through the frame of my car, immersing me in surround sound, and for a split second I was convinced there was a Doberman outside my door.
Yes, a dog outside my car at 70mph. That makes sense :P
But it was pitch perfect, which was pretty impressive. And interestingly enough, I Dream Of Jeanne's on right now, and it's an episode featuring dogs. Perhaps we've reached the Dog Days of summer?
Boo.
As for 8:04pm Central time? Unfortunately, my phone was in my pocket at the time, so I didn't quite note where I was, but I'm very sure I was driving, and possibly singing along with the radio.
And on that note, I'm off to finish that KFC biscuit and to go stretch out.
Anyway, since there is a leftover KFC biscuit to be had and some stretching out to do, I'll give the shortened version of today. Call it a postcard post:
Left late. Came home from last night's wedding and fell asleep instead of packing. Left at 11:43pm. Went to library, post office, then friend's house. Had to pick up shoes left there from yesterday. Pair of sneakers, really needed, Disney not foot friendly. Great amounts of driving. Great amounts of construction. Drove through/around big city for first time. Lunch at McDonalds, dinner at KFC in Kentucky. Reached Bowling Green after 9:30pm. Family and car taking a well-deserved rest.
When I have a little more time, I'll write a more complete post about the day. Or at least as much as one can write about a ten hour day consisting mostly of driving.
But there's one more thing before I go.
A month ago I had wondered where I would be today at 8:04pm. Although I was on Eastern time (so it sorta counts), at 8:04pm today I was just minutes south from the boundaries of Louisville and had run into yet another section of road construction. The shoulder of the road had become the left lane, and as we sped over the safety ridges, the resulting noise could only be equated to a rather large dog in an empty, echoing house, barking through a window. The safety barks carried through the frame of my car, immersing me in surround sound, and for a split second I was convinced there was a Doberman outside my door.
Yes, a dog outside my car at 70mph. That makes sense :P
But it was pitch perfect, which was pretty impressive. And interestingly enough, I Dream Of Jeanne's on right now, and it's an episode featuring dogs. Perhaps we've reached the Dog Days of summer?
Boo.
As for 8:04pm Central time? Unfortunately, my phone was in my pocket at the time, so I didn't quite note where I was, but I'm very sure I was driving, and possibly singing along with the radio.
And on that note, I'm off to finish that KFC biscuit and to go stretch out.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Two weeks to Disney!!
Two weeks until Disney.
Is it me, or did this happen sort of quickly?
In my defense, I have been more than a little occupied these days. There's weddings afoot, which means I've been trying to go through library books on being a bridesmaid just so I have some clue as to what it is I'm supposed to do. I've also been trying to figure out where to buy a gold chain. Just a simple gold chain, nothing else. This is for my friend Anjali's wedding which is coming up in just a week and a half. Though the ceremony's going to be Catholic and held in a Church, Anjali and us bridesmaids will be wearing saris, and it has been requested that if the bridesmaids are going to wear jewelry, it's going to have to be gold.
I'm a silver person. Not that I have anything against gold, I just prefer silver more. Thus, I'm on a hunt for something gold to wear. Not so surprisingly, a lot of the stuff I've seen in Claire's and After Thoughts isn't necessarily going to work for the wedding. Too...teenage clubish? And anywhere else I've gone tends to charge a little on the higher side, even for a plain chain.
But this doesn't have much to do with Disney...
What DOES have to do with Disney, and has also been a time-waster, has been my hunt for a netbook. I've weighed the options (ok, thought about them...a little), and determined that it would be in my best interest to bring a computer with me to Disney. The desktop won't be going, no way do I want to lug it down there, and as I learned from my year dorming at college, computers in a computer lab are great to have, but are also for public use, not in a private location, not yours to mess around with, etc etc.
I have a laptop, but it's in a weird Zombiefyed (or perhaps, more popularly, Vampirefyed) state where it won't recognize the operating system and won't turn on, but if you leave it alone for a month and a half and don't touch it, it'll work fine. Is it living? Is it dead? It's not gonna work for Disney, that's for sure. So I need a computer to bring with me.
Back in October, once I had gotten back from my Disney trip, I had talked to my friend Dan and told him how I'd tried to send myself text messages to keep track of what I had done each day in the parks (I DID mention I was a Disney dork, right?). I felt the text messages worked well as little outlines, but didn't really suffice as a way to write about all that I was experiencing. Dan then suggested a neat little contraption called a netbook, which is portable like a laptop, but smaller, lighter, and not meant to be the most amazingly powerful computer around (i.e. cheaper!).
That caught my interest, and when I finally agreed to head down to Disney, I figured a netbook'd be the right thing to bring with me. I could keep in contact with home, do work for classes, and even entertain myself with the internet (may I humbly suggest http://www.youtube.com/user/Blendtec or http://www.youtube.com/user/JeepersMedia for your time-eating pleasure?).
But alas, the hunt for the right one has been "difficult" as I've mentioned to Dan. Mostly, it's been the price. I won't go into all the little details, but let's just say weddings + Disney + college loans = where'd my money go? I was thisclose to buying one yesterday, but wouldn't you know it, Best Buy was out of stock. In an even bigger twist, three other stores in the area maybe had one left in stock, but otherwise everyone was sold out, and there was nothing being sent out from the warehouse for the next couple of weeks at least.
Perhaps I'm rushing in to this just a little bit. The guy at Best Buy did suggest that maybe I go with a laptop instead, and found me one for roughly the same price as the netbook. And while I appreciated that, I guess I was just a little more set on the netbook, although now I've got to look at other options. My Mom's also asked me why I don't just wait a little while until funds pick up and get it then. But the way I'm seeing it, if I go to Disney without a computer, I'll learn to adapt to the sans computer lifestyle. Which isn't necessarily a terrible thing, especially seeing as Disney does provide computer labs for people to use. That was what I did back in college. But I was also going home every weekend in college, and had many of my friends living on campus too. I also had a single with my own tv, so entertainment was all of my own choosing.
One thing's for sure though - in two weeks, I'll know whether or not I brought a computer to Disney.
Dan's actually got a roommate who's leaving for a 6 month deployment soon, and I couldn't help but think of the slight similarity between his roommate and myself. When I asked how his roommate's reacting, Dan replied:
Dan: the same wayone prepares for dissappearing on a ship for 6 months
Dan: he's pretty much left emotions behind and is going through the motions
Dan: he's distant depressed and withdrawn
Oh boy.
It's funny, in a way, because as opposed to Steve the roommate, here I am pondering over netbooks and gold chains, and not really giving any thought as to where I'll been soon. I mean, I know I'll be an absolute emotional basket case the day I leave home; it's just my way. And today I went with Ralph to the zoo, and once I got home, I felt a slight twinge of sadness, thinking that today may have been the last time we'll spend time together before I leave. But obviously there's a HUGE difference between being deployed for the protection and safety of the nation, and doing a college internship at Disney.
Dan's response to my less-than-thrilled reaction to what potentially could be me in any number of days?
Dan: you'll be fine
Dan: just look forward and keep your head high, y'know
Simple. And it works so well.
In any case, two weeks from now, I should be somewhere on Disney property. Will I be getting settled in? Perhaps still at the meet and greet dinner? Who knows? In the mean time, I really should get back to attempting to start to clean my room. I did manage unearth a bit of floor yesterday, which was promptly covered up when I unloaded everything off my bed to get some sleep. And my To-Disney pile downstairs has grown a little, although the selection of items is growing tentacle-like outward from the tub base like some weird garage sale octopus. Packing, by way of using my mad Tetris skillz, should soon be up next.
Maybe I'll just go read for a bit :P
Is it me, or did this happen sort of quickly?
In my defense, I have been more than a little occupied these days. There's weddings afoot, which means I've been trying to go through library books on being a bridesmaid just so I have some clue as to what it is I'm supposed to do. I've also been trying to figure out where to buy a gold chain. Just a simple gold chain, nothing else. This is for my friend Anjali's wedding which is coming up in just a week and a half. Though the ceremony's going to be Catholic and held in a Church, Anjali and us bridesmaids will be wearing saris, and it has been requested that if the bridesmaids are going to wear jewelry, it's going to have to be gold.
I'm a silver person. Not that I have anything against gold, I just prefer silver more. Thus, I'm on a hunt for something gold to wear. Not so surprisingly, a lot of the stuff I've seen in Claire's and After Thoughts isn't necessarily going to work for the wedding. Too...teenage clubish? And anywhere else I've gone tends to charge a little on the higher side, even for a plain chain.
But this doesn't have much to do with Disney...
What DOES have to do with Disney, and has also been a time-waster, has been my hunt for a netbook. I've weighed the options (ok, thought about them...a little), and determined that it would be in my best interest to bring a computer with me to Disney. The desktop won't be going, no way do I want to lug it down there, and as I learned from my year dorming at college, computers in a computer lab are great to have, but are also for public use, not in a private location, not yours to mess around with, etc etc.
I have a laptop, but it's in a weird Zombiefyed (or perhaps, more popularly, Vampirefyed) state where it won't recognize the operating system and won't turn on, but if you leave it alone for a month and a half and don't touch it, it'll work fine. Is it living? Is it dead? It's not gonna work for Disney, that's for sure. So I need a computer to bring with me.
Back in October, once I had gotten back from my Disney trip, I had talked to my friend Dan and told him how I'd tried to send myself text messages to keep track of what I had done each day in the parks (I DID mention I was a Disney dork, right?). I felt the text messages worked well as little outlines, but didn't really suffice as a way to write about all that I was experiencing. Dan then suggested a neat little contraption called a netbook, which is portable like a laptop, but smaller, lighter, and not meant to be the most amazingly powerful computer around (i.e. cheaper!).
That caught my interest, and when I finally agreed to head down to Disney, I figured a netbook'd be the right thing to bring with me. I could keep in contact with home, do work for classes, and even entertain myself with the internet (may I humbly suggest http://www.youtube.com/user/Blendtec or http://www.youtube.com/user/JeepersMedia for your time-eating pleasure?).
But alas, the hunt for the right one has been "difficult" as I've mentioned to Dan. Mostly, it's been the price. I won't go into all the little details, but let's just say weddings + Disney + college loans = where'd my money go? I was thisclose to buying one yesterday, but wouldn't you know it, Best Buy was out of stock. In an even bigger twist, three other stores in the area maybe had one left in stock, but otherwise everyone was sold out, and there was nothing being sent out from the warehouse for the next couple of weeks at least.
Perhaps I'm rushing in to this just a little bit. The guy at Best Buy did suggest that maybe I go with a laptop instead, and found me one for roughly the same price as the netbook. And while I appreciated that, I guess I was just a little more set on the netbook, although now I've got to look at other options. My Mom's also asked me why I don't just wait a little while until funds pick up and get it then. But the way I'm seeing it, if I go to Disney without a computer, I'll learn to adapt to the sans computer lifestyle. Which isn't necessarily a terrible thing, especially seeing as Disney does provide computer labs for people to use. That was what I did back in college. But I was also going home every weekend in college, and had many of my friends living on campus too. I also had a single with my own tv, so entertainment was all of my own choosing.
One thing's for sure though - in two weeks, I'll know whether or not I brought a computer to Disney.
Dan's actually got a roommate who's leaving for a 6 month deployment soon, and I couldn't help but think of the slight similarity between his roommate and myself. When I asked how his roommate's reacting, Dan replied:
Dan: the same wayone prepares for dissappearing on a ship for 6 months
Dan: he's pretty much left emotions behind and is going through the motions
Dan: he's distant depressed and withdrawn
Oh boy.
It's funny, in a way, because as opposed to Steve the roommate, here I am pondering over netbooks and gold chains, and not really giving any thought as to where I'll been soon. I mean, I know I'll be an absolute emotional basket case the day I leave home; it's just my way. And today I went with Ralph to the zoo, and once I got home, I felt a slight twinge of sadness, thinking that today may have been the last time we'll spend time together before I leave. But obviously there's a HUGE difference between being deployed for the protection and safety of the nation, and doing a college internship at Disney.
Dan's response to my less-than-thrilled reaction to what potentially could be me in any number of days?
Dan: you'll be fine
Dan: just look forward and keep your head high, y'know
Simple. And it works so well.
In any case, two weeks from now, I should be somewhere on Disney property. Will I be getting settled in? Perhaps still at the meet and greet dinner? Who knows? In the mean time, I really should get back to attempting to start to clean my room. I did manage unearth a bit of floor yesterday, which was promptly covered up when I unloaded everything off my bed to get some sleep. And my To-Disney pile downstairs has grown a little, although the selection of items is growing tentacle-like outward from the tub base like some weird garage sale octopus. Packing, by way of using my mad Tetris skillz, should soon be up next.
Maybe I'll just go read for a bit :P
Thursday, July 23, 2009
I'm on a mini-sugar high so I thought I should post
A thought occurred to me sometime last night - today's the 23rd.
To most people, this really isn't anything special. But for me, the 23rd marks the last day of my Disney vacation back in October. Since then, any time the 20th - 23rd rolled around, I'd stop and think "Wow, it's been X months since I was at Disney. What was I doing this time back then?"
I know, I'm a dork.
But this particular 23rd was special because it's the last one I'll be spending away from Disney, at least for the next couple of months. When August 23rd finally rolls around, I'll have already done the drive to Disney, settled in, and even have gotten my role AND have worked a couple of days. It still means I'll look at the calendar and think "What was I doing on the 23rd?", since I'm pretty sure I won't be lounging at the Animal Kingdom trying to get in rides on Expedition Everest like I was back then. But I'll be on property, or at least in the state of Florida as opposed to my not being on property nor anywhere near the state of Florida now.
In any case, Happy 9 Month Anniversary since I went to Disney!
...9 months?
Why do women want kids inside their bodies for that long again?
Oh! One other thing. There was a special on Spongebob Squarepants' 10 year anniversary tonight and it got me wondering - does the theater in Downtown Disney play any of Dreamwork's movies?
This is something I shall have to find out.
To most people, this really isn't anything special. But for me, the 23rd marks the last day of my Disney vacation back in October. Since then, any time the 20th - 23rd rolled around, I'd stop and think "Wow, it's been X months since I was at Disney. What was I doing this time back then?"
I know, I'm a dork.
But this particular 23rd was special because it's the last one I'll be spending away from Disney, at least for the next couple of months. When August 23rd finally rolls around, I'll have already done the drive to Disney, settled in, and even have gotten my role AND have worked a couple of days. It still means I'll look at the calendar and think "What was I doing on the 23rd?", since I'm pretty sure I won't be lounging at the Animal Kingdom trying to get in rides on Expedition Everest like I was back then. But I'll be on property, or at least in the state of Florida as opposed to my not being on property nor anywhere near the state of Florida now.
In any case, Happy 9 Month Anniversary since I went to Disney!
...9 months?
Why do women want kids inside their bodies for that long again?
Oh! One other thing. There was a special on Spongebob Squarepants' 10 year anniversary tonight and it got me wondering - does the theater in Downtown Disney play any of Dreamwork's movies?
This is something I shall have to find out.
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