I made it!!!

Hey guys!

I'm having a lot of trouble with the internet here in Florida...but I'm still alive!!! I can't upload pictures yet...but I have the afternoon off tomorrow, so I'll work on the uploading!
I've had a pretty interesting couple of weeks...I left last friday, and (for those of you who haven't heard the story) the car didn't make it, so we had an interesting few days. I'll post more about it tomorrow!
We arrived safely in Florida on the 2nd, and stayed at the All Star Sports for a few days (with jr. cheerleaders galore!)...and ever since then we've been training away.
Today was my first official day as a Disney Cast member....so I got my nametag (Lisa from Hamilton, Ontario...not Hamilton, Canada!) and a bunch of us went to Epcot to enjoy the free entry!! THAT'S RIGHT!!!!!!
I also got my sched for next week...and I am training on popcorn cart for the next few shifts...then starting trainings for bussing and podium!! I am REALLY psyched to start work!!!

That's it for now, as my internet is limited...but I'll post more tomorrow! I hope everyone is really good....as I am really missing Canada right now!

for anyone who is interested...here is my address and phone number down here in sunny florida!

Vista Way Apartments
13501 Meadow Creek Drive (Apt, 2202)
Orlando, FL 32821
407-560-2280 ext 4202

Send me pretty Canadian things!!

xoxo!

It's a great big beautiful tomorrow...shining at the end of everyday...

Hey everyone!

Well....

ONLY 4 days to go!!!!! after all that waiting, only a few more sleeps and I'll be in sunny florida with a mouse as my boss!

I sort of feel like a chicken with my head cut off...but everything is coming together, all that is left is to switch some money over to American dollars (YAY to the Canadian dollar being so strong...it was meant to be I tell ya!) and to get my ridiculously out of control hair cut and coloured.

Hopefully I'll be able to post more often (and some pictures as well), now that I am officially on my way...We should arrive in Orlando on the 2nd (staying in the all-star sports for a few days to get us in the Disney mood!), and arrive at one of the complexes on the 4th!

...and in saying that, I'll talk to you guys soon enough....I'll leave you with a picture of my disasterous room, and my sad attempt at packing my life away!

Orlando...here I come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (watch out!)

29 days!!!

29 days until Disney everyone...Shut you're mouth...I KNOW!!!

It is now less than a month until I will be working for the mouse, and living in the most magical place on earth! A few major things have happened lately. After I got my Disney pack, I went looking for some work shoes (a.k.a. black nurse shoes) Let me tell you that I felt like a complete fool/50 year old woman buying them, but I have them, and they are appropriate to the "disney look".

I also got some new glasses (cheap...but lovely!) and some vacuum seal travel bags...you know the kind from the infomercials that suck all the excess air out (they do work...you can get them at zellers for pennies apparently!), that will help me to stuff all of my belongings into two measly suitcases.

I also took a sort of tentative trip to Ikea to look for a new comforter and some sheets, thinking that I probably wouldn't find anything cheap...but I did, and its cute! a colourful polka-dot/stripey set for only $19.99, that included a comforter and sheets! so thats done, and I also paid my $85 assessment fee, which means that my apartment placement has been confirmed (get ready future roomates?), I'm not sure which complex I will be in, but I have a bed, which is excellent news! I also went to CAA to get our trip-tich for the way down...that plus a travel book, and a GPS which should get us there safely...right?!

Now all thats left is to get a haircut, and some insurance...and with 29 days to do so, I'm thinking that should be no problem!

I really want to be going in like 2 days, but I'm happy to have to only wait another few weeks, instead of another few months. I'm thinking that I'll probably have to wait until next year to see Mickey's not-so-scary halloween party, but the christmas stuff should be up when I get down there, which is VERY cool...because if you don't already know, there is nothing quite like Disney at Christmas!

I think that is everything for now...hopefully next time I post I'll be very close to leaving/already down in Florida, and re-capping all the wonderful-ness that shall be happening to me!!

**update that is totally unrelated to anything, but I just saw Across the Universe, and am listening to the soundtrack non-stop...it is awesome...please go and see it!**

Welcome to the WDW International Programs Family!!

I finally (stress the "finally") got my Disney pack YAY YAY!!!!


I got it at the end of last week (sorry about the delay...again!), and it was a very exciting day! I had been checking the mail more than I usually do (I almost said incessantly...but I wouldn't classify this as incessant checking...just more than usual!), and there is was on friday...waiting for me! Also waiting for me, was a second...count it SECOND, official Disney e-mail....basically re-iterating what I need to do with the Disney Pack stuff.

There is lots to share, but I am going to truncate it a bit, so that this post won't be a novel! Basically, the pack comes with a welcome letter, an acknowledgement form, Cast member policy form, a community codes agreement for housing, some luggage tags (which I will be attaching to my luggage even though I'm not flying...those puppies are not going to go to waste), some cute Mickey stickers, no idea what these are for....but they also won't go to waste, my Q-1 Visa form...and the treasure....the Disney "Look Book"

Just for the sake of my excitement, I am going to excerpt from it a bit...and show you what I have to do to be up to the Disney standards!

• I'll have to get some new glasses as mine do not have "frames and lenses...that are a neutral colour, with a conservative style"...meaning my burgundy and turquoise frames probably won't do!


• I'll have to buy a long sleeved black shirt...to cover up my wrist tattoo because "Intentional body alteration or modification" is NOT allowed to be seen by guests!


• hahah...I love that this has to be in writing! "Due to close contact with Guests and other Cast members, the use of anti-perspirant or deodorant is required"


• Also, the "Disney Look" does not allow hair colouring...or I should say it does allow for very minimal hair colouring...so I'll have to request minimal colouring at my next hair appointment...but my hair place is actually quite obsessed with the "natural look" so I should be fine there!
  
• necklaces and bracelets are not allowed (??), you can only wear very small studs for earrings (with...obviously, only one per ear), and unless you have a wedding set...only one ring per hand is permitted


• And lastly, I must wear appropriate undergarments at all times??

** all of the quotes are directly out of the Disney "look book", therefore not my words...therefore I am not plagiarising!

Haha....that is about it for now, here are some pictures to round out the post!

** Update...Less than 2 months now....actually, 3 days short of being a month and a half!!

...and she's back!!

Hi everyone!

Sorry about the delay, and the misleading blog title, as I have in fact been back for about a week now...I've just been having some blogger technical difficulties...but I am in fact safely back in Canada (no thanks to the plane getting struck by lightening on the way into Sydney, and the deathly 7 hour turbulence on the way out of sydney...but that's another long winded story for another time!) Anyhoo, I had a great time being an honorary aussie...but I'm glad to be home, and am glad to only have about a month and a half to go before my Disney adventure!!

Sadly, no Disney pack as of late...but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it comes very soon, because I have been waiting an awfully long time! I don't have much to share...other than a few photographic selections from my trip (if you want to see them all...and I don't know why you wouldn't, add me to facebook, they are all up there!), so I'm going to end it here, with a promise that everything following this post will be the Disney related goodness, that you all look so forward to I'm sure!

Wahoo! 3 months to go...

Indeed, indeed...it is now three months to go until the faithful day!!!!

I can't believe how much has happened in the last little bit...I think it is mostly my doing though. I had my birthday, then (of course!) work (my kiddies are off to school *sniff, tear*!!), and then I had lots of family stuff and school stuff going on this week...then the e-mail from Disney, and Australia next week....Eeeek!

haha...I'm not complaining though, all this stuff is making time fly...which is SPECTACULAR!! and by the time I get back from Aus, there will only be two months to go...just enough time to work out all the final details...and of course, before I know it, it'll be time to leave!! I still can't help but have a HUGE smile on my face everytime I think about it!

So just a heads up...I probably will not be updating much (...or at all) in the next month, as I will be half-way across the world...but I'll be sure to keep you all up-to-date when I arrive back the first week of october...should I survive to multitudes upon multitudes of flights I have to take *double eeek!*....so everyone keep your fingers crossed that I arrive, and return safely, and in one piece...and then I shall keep VERY on top of this thing...and keep you all informed as to the Disney goings-on in the last few weeks before I head to the O dot (tehe!)

To keep all your picture viewing urges satisfied, I shall share my trip to the Ex this past weekend (for all those non-Canadians out there...it is basically a HUGE fair in Toronto to close off the summer! woo-hoo!!)

Officially Official!

Hey everyone!!!

So I opened my e-mail this afternoon to find that I had an "official" Disney e-mail welcoming me to the team....UBER exciting!!! It is now kind of more officially official heheh....I'd be jealous of me.................if I weren't me!!

Anyways...I am going to attempt some screen caps for you, so you can see the excitement that I am feeling! (please take extra notice of the creepy, hidden in shadow, oddly Spanish looking Walt Disney! haha)

**update, I can't screencap, as my technological abilities seem to be lacking tonight, so here is a transcript, and a copied picture of creepo Disney**

**update to the update, I don't actually think Disney himself, was a creepo, I just think the picture is pretty creepy, and that a better picture could have been chosen for such an occasion!**

Congratulations, Lisa!

We are so excited that you have accepted our offer to participate in our Cultural Representative Program at the Walt Disney World Resort! We look forward to your arrival on December 4, 2007 as a/an Canada Food and Beverage Cast Member.

Tell all your friends and family the exciting news! You are going to be working at the number-one vacation destination in the world - The Walt Disney World Resort!

We are sure that you have a lot of questions regarding next steps and your experience here in the United States and we look forward to providing you with all of the answers!
To get things started please be sure to review our website at www.disneyinternationalprograms.com.

You will be receiving a package of information in the upcoming month regarding your acceptance, complete with a booklet of information to get you prepared. You will also be receiving e-mails from our team to keep you informed of all of the things that you should be thinking of prior to your arrival. Please remember to check your e-mail periodically and let us know if your e-mail address should change between now and your arrival!

Congratulations again and welcome to the team!

Kim

So that is about it for now...a short update, on the non-disney portion of my life...my birthday was a success, no parade or anything (tehehe!) but I got a good shopping day in, and a GREAT dinner with my daddio...and a SWEET new digital camera (colour: pink!).

A little less than 2 weeks until Australia!!!!!!! which shall be documented in this here blog, so you all can enjoy with me!

That really is it right now....so keep an eye out for my next entry, as it is sure to be disney related...as I now have contact with Disney itself!! WOOOOT!

Can't Really Come Up With a Cohesive Title for This One, So I'll Just Leave it as This...

Hi everyone!

Seeing as how it has been a while since I've updated this thing, I thought I should!

A few Disney related things have happened to me in the last little while...

The other Disney-bound Lisa and I had a lunch date last week, and it was QUITE fun...just discussing Disney with another interested person makes it seem all the more real. We talked about everything from Disney re-furbishing old rides (i.e. if EVER they touch Spaceship Earth, I will be crying myself to sleep!), to the interviews, to our families, to our travels down there...it was lovely! (hopefully we can get a few more in before December!)

I've been speaking to a few people who are already down there, and they seem to be having a GREAT time...despite the ridiculous heat down there at this time of year...and I've also been told that they are re-inventing the Canadian 360, and the opening ceremony at Epcot is going to have Martin Short and Eva Avila (because they narrate the new film?)...which should be pretty fun and interesting, despite the fact that not a whole lot of people are going to know who Eva Avila even is!

Also, I was at work last week, and cast-a-way called me!!! Now, I was SOOO excited (I'm not sure for what?!) but it turns out that all they needed was my police check, which I am in the midst of doing right now...so they should see it sometime within the month.

I'm also in search of some insurance (no luck so far), I've looked into CAA, STA travel, Blue Cross and/or extending my school coverage...if you're Canadian, or if you just happen to know an awful lot about insurance coverage, please let me know...because I am at a complete loss.

That is all Disney-wise for now...sadly, no Disney pack yet...I know, I know I am continuing to think very positive on this, and it probably will not come until after I leave for Australia...but I can still hope!

A lovely note, however, is that it is my birthday tomorrow!! I absolutley LOVE being the birthday girl...and my dad has promised me a fun birthday date...so I'll keep you all posted on that!

That's it for now I'm afraid...I haven't had too much of a life lately...working insane hours, and planning for Australia is eating up all my time...but I promise that I won't let the blog fall to the way-side...I'll keep posting, even if it just exists as my inherent rambling until December.

Please stay tuned...

4 months y'all!!! (Disney related, I promise!)

Just as the title says....it is now 4 months until Disney!!!!!!!

...July sadly, did not go as quickly as June did...but somehow it seems that the 4 months since the interview has gone pretty quickly, which is a GREAT sign!!

Other than that I have nothing really new to share...I'm not going to be booking my flight for a few months yet (or planning my driving sched...as I have spoken to the other Disney bound Lisa, and she was interested in maybe driving down, which could be a fun time...one that would get me out of work a little earlier than expected, which is an added bonus!), and my Disney pack isn't going to be coming for a few months as well....but I will keep you all updated if I hear anything at all!!

To keep you all content however, I will share some more Disney related photography...

Enjoy, until next time my friends!

too cool for school!

50 days until Australia.....I am just TOO excited!!! (wow, am I cool or what?)

it is now not only official...but paid off and official ;)!

...and it's official

Lisa is off to Australia!!!!!!!!!!!

That's right...not for good or anything, only for vacation....to visit my sister!!!! I am flying from Buffalo to Sydney (via Chicago and S.F.) and then from Sydney I am off to Brisbane! (September 12th-October 1st).

WOOOOOOOO....I am super excited...it should be a GREAT time!!


I am kind of weary of travelling so far by myself, and of the food (I have been warned that it is VERY different from Canadian food) but still....I am SOOOOO excited!! If there is anything in the area that anyone can suggest that is a must-see....or a must-eat...please leave a comment and let me know!!

For those of you in search of some Disney context, I have some news. A few of the people from my interview group are in Orlando (both college program and cultural representatives), and I've heard REALLY good things...and I am also in the planning stages of a few lunch dates with my friend Lisa, who is off in December with me!! that's it for now...sorry so little to report!

ps...If anyone is interested I am definetly going to be in search of P.Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney...If I don't find it, someone is going to get a letter!

so, thats it for now...hopefully the info pack will come soon, and I can share that with you all!

Lisa is...

One step closer...

Can't say anything for sure yet, but one major step has been taken!!! More info will follow early next week...

Here's a clue for your viewing pleasure!

I'd also like to apologize for anyone who may be reading this blog for Disney info...it seems that this is slowly morphing into a Lisa-type everyday Canadian adventure blog...but I promise as things move closer to December it will morph back into the Lisa-type Disney adventure that I have promised!

Until next time my friends!!

ps...happy friday the 13th all...I seem to be having an alright day (*knocks on wood*), but good luck to everyone out there who may need, or believe in the luck of such a day!

If you can dream it...

....another month has passed, which means...



LISA'S DISNEY ADVENTURE IS 5 MONTHS AWAY TODAY!!!!!!!!





I really have nothing new "disney-based" to post other than this...but I'm glad that june went by fairly quickly...here's to july, august, september, october and november following suit!

...I'll definitely keep everyone up to date with my/disney goings-on in the near future...

"The only way to get started is to quit talking, and begin doing" (Walt Disney)

Lisa, the coaster enthusiast?

Nothing terribly new to post...but I am bored (I took the day off work to drive my dad to the airport, but I was home by 3:30...so I am bored!)....

However, someone once showed me this website (http://www.themeparkreview.com/photos/index.htm) and now I am pretty much obsessed...From what I gather it is supposed to be a coaster enthusiast website (...a coaster enthusiast I am NOT!!!) but all of the different pictures and stories of the different types of theme parks from around the world really interest me...particularly the Disney's around the world, and now I have found myself wanting to know more and more about these parks...

The first one I stumbled upon was Disney seas, in Tokyo...it looks AMAZING!!!

First of all is has a VOLCANO!!! and tons of great styling...trust me, take a look at the website! I WANNA GO!!! It look is sort of like Epcot, but it features real and simulated cities that are based on the seas (i.e. American waterfront, Venice etc)...and from what I can tell the best ride is the Journey to the Centre of the Earth

I haven't seen pictures of the inside of the ride, but I've heard it may be like Dinosaur in AK, but more like a rollercoaster? and everyone says there is nothing like it!

Secondly, Tokyo Disneyland looks very cool! Which, from what I can tell is really just a transplanted California Disneyland, but with its own Japanese Twist. For example, the castle...

WEIRD!!!! but so cool! All of the rides seem to be the same, but something really strange happens over there...

Chip and Dale are the most popular characters! WHAT??!! like more popular that Mickey and Minnie...I don't get it??

Anyhoo, those are the two I really want to see...there is also Disneyland Paris (aka, Euro Disney)...which I stood outside of once, but I neither had the time or the Euro's to pay for a ticket, and I chose the Louvre over anything else at the time...

So in closing...I thought I should share...and if anyone who reads this (probably no one!) is planning, plans or has gone to any of these parks...please send me pictures...or e-mail me? I'd love to hear about them!!! or even better, take me with you??

Also, just as an ending note...one major hurdle between me and Disney has been passed...I am now an official degree holder. I now own a Honours Bachelor of Arts in studies in arts and culture. It was really exciting, and surreal at the same time. I am very excited to be done, but I also am pretty sad to be done with Brock, and to no longer being a part of arts and culture (only three graduates from my program this semester...we were a sad sad bunch!)...here are some pictures for your pleasure!

Me with the obligatory graduation punch...

Thats it for now...

6 months to the day...

6 MONTHS today!!!!

I can't really believe I still have so much time to wait...

I just have a little anecdote to share....just today, after my craptacular day at work (long story....looooong day!), a fellow Disney go-er e-mailed me to ask me if I'd like to switch departure dates with her. So at this point, I'm pretty excited, hoping that I could knock a few months off of my waiting time. So I ask her when her leaving date is, and she tells me that her contract starts...get this...NEXT WEEK!!! So, I'm not going to lie...I thought about it for a second and a half...but then realized that there is no way I could do that...first of all, I promised my employers that I'd be around until the last week of november, and while I think that they would probably understand in the long run (very easy going people that I work for!!!)...I think I would feel terribly for a very long time to leave them high and dry like that! Secondly, I would never have enough time to get all my stuff together (i.e insurance, packing etc etc) and thirdly, and MOST importantly I could never leave my life just like that...I have already given my friends a buffer zone of me leaving in 6 months, and my dad as well...and my dog! I COULDN'T DO IT!!!! so thats that I guess....

I am SOOOOOO excited to be going...but I really have no idea how I am going to last for 6 months...it seems SOOOOOO SOOOOOO SOOOOO far away! I've already been going stir crazy and its only been a month....any fellow disney alum that can shed any light on how to cope with the waiting, please share!! other than that...I am terribly excited that a month is behind me...and I have some fun stuff coming up to look forward to

1) convocation is next week...very exciting in itself (4 hard years of work!!) and me and my dad are going to spend the day in Niagara falls...after I walk the stage and get my diploma, we are off to the casino and niagara on the lake for dinner! it should be quite fun! (speaking of which...I have 4 days off next week...how that happened I have no idea, but I am going to milk it for all it is worth!!)

2) lots of fun summer stuff coming up...doogies (LOL!), the pool, some summer reading, road trips, concerts etc etc...

3) I've come to the conclusion that since I am actually earning

some money (i.e. haven't really worked since last summer!)...that I should do something fun in between now and december...so me and one of my sisters good friends have decided to go to Australia to visit my sissie! WOOOOO...nothing is for sure yet...but I've been researching...a week in sydney and a week (few days) in the sunshine coast....could be a blast!!

4) also...not terribly fun, but I have to prepare myself for school following disney (MA in arts administration in New Zealand!) which is going to be alot of work in itself...but I have received my acceptance pack, and am looking forward (dreading?) to planning for loan applications, housing, Visa's, emailing back and forth...maybe a few expensive phone calls etc

So in closing....6 months to go...lots of fun stuff/not so fun stuff to do in between! and I am still QUITE excited!!! WOOOOOOO

POTC 3!!!

...Just getting ready to go to work, drinking some tea, and I thought I'd post a little on my recent pirate-y adventure...


SO this is slightly delayed, but I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End a few days ago, and here is the story...

So about a week ago, I decided that I was going to pre-buy tickets online for the theatre just around the corner from me (for just myself....that's right, I go to the movies by myself....not usually, just for Pirates apparently!?) and they were completely sold out for the friday show...so not going to lie, I was a little depressed...but I accepted that I would probably have to go this weekend coming.

I then went on with my day, went to work...probably watched a disney movie or two, played at the park....dressed as a princess (I am a babysitter...I don't do this regularly...well as far as you know...) then I got a message from my friend telling me to re-check tickets cause her work friend found some tickets in Mississuaga...so as soon as I got home I checked tickets a little farther from home (i.e. Brantford, about a 30 minutes drive!) and low and behold there were seven left for the following day (friday the 25th) so I bought one...called up my friend at work and thanked her profusely!!

Friday then came around, and 9pm came very quickly! so I left with plenty of time to spare...but because I took a run to starbucks for a car treat, I didn't leave alot of time to get there! so I finally made it with about 10 minutes to spare...ran in (to what turned out to be a cinema in a mall) and gave in my pass to get my pre-bought ticket...now thank goodness I was only one person because everyone and thier mother were saving seats...but luckily I found a seat close to the end in the middle of the theatre, so I leapt over the rest of the row and sunk my tooshie in! Now little did I know that because it was opening night, they delayed the start by 15 minutes because of the backlog of people at the concession stand. Also little did I know (or maybe this only happens in Brantford) that they have security watching for movie pirates (tehehehe) and warned everyone that if they had a cell phone/Ipod (or any other type of electronic device) that was turned on during the duration of the movie that that person would be kicked out. Now I wouldn't normally have taken this seriously (and would have been texting like crazy, considering all my friends were at home...not taking part in my pirate-y adventure!) but they literally had unifromed guards patrolling the theatre for the whole show, so I promptly turned off everything I owned ASAP (cause let me tell you that they would have rued the day that they ever kicked me out of an opening pirates show!!!!)

So anyways, after all the security warnings for the rowdy 13 year old crowd (I was by far the oldest one there by at least 5 years!!) the movie finally started with a HUGE amount of trailers (the transformers one looks really good, but you couldn't pay me to actually see the movie....and the new disney one "enchanted" featuring the one and only Patrick "McDreamy" Dempsey looks like it is also going to be an opening night-er) and I am not going to give away much of the plot....but if you are planning on going to see it, please be advised that spoilers be ahead...Rrrrrrrr

So I think I still LOVE Pirates: the curse of the black pearl the best, but this one definitely makes up for the silliness of dead man's chest!

LOTS of shirtless depps makes Lisa VERY happy!

I loved the storyline with Calypso and Fishface (aka. davey jones) made me like him and her a whole lot more than I did in number 2

LOVED LOVED LOVED the references to the DL and WDW ride in the middle....but I'm afraid that I was the only one in the theatre old enough to remember the old school pirates rides :(

The story was mighty confusing (a.k.a looooooooong and drawn out, with lots of pirate-y alliance switches) but stick with it....the last 45 minutes makes it VERY well worth the time!

KEITH RICHARDS....KEITH RICHARDS....KEITH RICHARDS enough said!! (may have been some of the best minutes of the film)

I really liked the trippiness of Jack's scenes in Davey jones' locker and in the brig....VERY sparrow!

All in all I thought it was really well done...a MUST see for SFX aficianados (the maelstrom was amazing!!!) and of course a must see for pirate losers/lovers such as myself!

Drink up me hearty's....YO HO!!

ps...I've since seen it a second time, this time around with pirate-y friend, and knowing all of the twists and turns....it was really interesting to see the reactions of the audience...and knowing what happens to certain characters...it was really fun to hear the chatty cathy beside me actually shut up for 10 minutes straight!

pps....as for disney stuff, it is almost 6 months on the dot until I leave, but I am going to do a big post on the 6 month mark...other than that, really nothing to post! I have met a few more people leaving on the 4th, and we are all very excited!!

...and a rusted staircase to nowhere...

LOL...this could be the one of the funniest things I have ever seen! A cat with large ears, and a rusted staircase to nowhere? I predict good things...

http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/12176706.html?#cutid1

http://www.themeparkreview.com/japan2004/nara1.htm

Nostalgic for Some Disney Fun!

Nothing new to post today, but as I was watching LOST tonight (which by the way was absolutely INSANE!!!) and eating Special K chocolate-y Delight out of my newly purchased Mickey Mouse bowl, I started to feel nostalgic for my home away from home, and decided to post some pictures of my last trip (feb, 2007) to get everyone in the mood (but mostly ME!!)

Enjoy...

...and the adventure begins

Hello cyber world...Here I am...

So this is my first blog (obvious!) I apologize if it is uneventful..if so please just discontinue reading right now!
Anyhoo...My name is Lisa, and I just recently found out that I am going to be moving to Florida to work for the mouse for 1 year as a Canadian Cultural Representative in December of the year...and I COULDN'T BE MORE EXCITED!!!!!
I just finished school, and am taking a break from the job search to start this blog. The main reason I am doing this blog is for information for those who may want to apply to the program and for my lovely friends and family in Canada, so they can read and stay updated on my uber exciting adventure in Disney.
So basically, I am going to re-enact my recent adventures in a nut shell up until today.
SO waaaaaaaaaaay back in February, I had reading week, and I went to Disney to have a little fun in the florida sun! and I had a great time...Now before I left, I had some bad news regarding graduate studies, and long story short, my Dad and sister suggested that I apply to Disney (because we had known people who had done the program in the past...and LOVED it *ahem* Amanda!!)...so I DID!!
And after alot of waiting and stressing, Eric (from Cast-a-way) finally called me for a phone interview, only for me to find out that my tattoo (small inner wrist one) could potentially pose a problem. I had to then wait another week for him to find out if it was "okay" or not, and it turns out it was not a problem at all! so off to the Toronto face to face interviews I went...
(and for those of you who are wondering, he asked me no questions other than the tattoo one during my phone interview...so really I stressed for nothing!)
So about a month and a half later, I was on the GO train to the Grand Hotel in Toronto, dressed in my finest garb, to meet Eric and the Disney Folk (I got up far too early, and was there before Eric and friends had even gone for breakfast, so I sat happily in the front row with an INSANELY huge smile on my face, and filled in my Disney paperwork.) I loved the interviews so much, and the video, and the whole extravaganza...so I was more than ready when my actual interview rolled around about an hour and a half later. I was interviewed with two other girls, one going for the college program and one also going for the year long CR program...now in my "high on life" brain I thought that these two ladies did a much better job at answering the questions than I did, but I think what put me over the top was the pirate-y pictures of myself (the very one that is at the top of this blog)...thats right, I gave that in as my picture!!!
So about a week or so later, the College program people started to hear word of thier acceptance, and that in turn caused me to start checking my e-mails incessantly for a few days. Now my memory is not what it used to be (LOL!) but I think it may have been at the end of that week, that my fellow applicant, Lisa (yep, we're everywhere!!) messaged me in an emergency fashion, and sort of indecipherably to check my e-mail...and here is what I found...


CONGRATULATIONS!!!

You have been successful in your interview last week for the "CULTURAL REPRESENTATIVE PROGRAM" at Walt Disney World.

Your departure date and end date will be given to you when you call our office at xxx-xxx-xxx You can ask for Julie or Eric. We would really like to have all job offers sent out before the end of the week, so you can reach us starting at 9:30am all week. Please be patient, we are extremely busy at this time of year and we will get back to you ASAP.

I will need you to fax me a criminal back ground check to xxx-xxx-xxx ASAP.

Please call us ASAP and we will let you know what Position you have been hired into and go over the rest of the details, and answer any questions you may have!

It was a pleasure meeting you and thank you for attending our presentation and interviews.

Thanks
Eric Theriault

Now...I must add that first of all, I checked my school e-mail, which is the one I usually use for business-y type things (which this should be classified as...) and there was nothing there...so I am having a mini panic attack as I am checking my other e-mails, and junk mails, and when I finally found it I was ready to jump out of my skin, which I think I did!!! so I pretty much e-mailed, facebooked, and texted everyone I knew to tell them, and ran downstairs tell (scream?) my dad the great news!
SO then I had to try and call Cast-a-way to find my departure date, and they of course never answered/called me back, so I had to wait until the next day to find out my departure date and position, which is....

December 4th, 2007 - November 28th, 2008 (Food and Beverage!!!!)

as of right now, that is basically it...I have to wait for my info pack (which I am told will not come until late September), in order to go onto the next step, which involves a whole bunch of paperwork etc I am sure. But I will definetly keep you all updated! If you feel the urge, please leave a comment, let me know what you'd like to hear about?

And in the near future, I am in search of some short-term employment...fun shall be had by all!

Until next time my friends!