I cannot believe how amazing today has been. It's hard to even put a full English sentence together while talking to me in person. I'm beyond blown away. WHAT A DREAM COME TRUE THIS IS FOR ME! Here is how my day went... and for those of you Cast Members still waiting for your arrival date to roll around, take heed to my pointers because it WILL help you on check in day!!! *This is a very detailed blog.... if you're a College Programmer waiting to arrive in Orlando and you want to be surprised by the events that happen when you get here, DO NOT READ THIS! This is for those students and my friends and family who are interested in MY journey with the Walt Disney World Company!*
CHECK-IN (Vista Way, 9am-12pm... can take anywhere from 1-3 hours)
My roomates and I decided to meet early at Vista Way at 6:30am. By the time we got there at least 60 people were ahead of us already! We ended up splitting into twos and walking over to the gas station (a Chevron, across from a Walgreens---remember that landmark if you have never been in the area before) to get some water bottles and gatorade. At 8am they open the gates and you walk to the Welcome Center Pavilion where you begin your Check-In process. Anyone who had luggage with them were directed into another direction to leave it there--- this set them back tremendously, so DO NOT ARRIVE WITH LUGGAGE! Or do your best to arrive early enough to get it to that room and get right back in line. We were handed a Program Guide (which has all of the important phone numbers and information you need to know about the program) and inside the Program Guide, there were a few sheets of paper sticking out. Those forms a Cast Member goes over with you before you fill them out. Once you're done, you hand them in and you walk inside the building. This is where one person out of your group (if you have your roomates paired with you) is selected to gather all of your apartment information i.e.: apartment complex, apartment number, etc. Michelle was chosen to do so, and although we wanted Chatham, I am REALLY excited because we actually ended up with PATTERSON COURT!!!!!! I will explain about that complex later! So, once we found out we were in Patterson, we handed in one more paper, and then we were directed to take our picture for our HOUSING ID. Within seconds, our cards were printed! ******IF YOU LOSE THIS CARD, THERE IS A $50 FEE FOR GETTING A NEW ONE BACK! KEEP TRACK OF IT!****** Once we had our IDs, we walked back outside where Leighann and I gave in our License, Registration, and Insurance on our cars so we could have parking decals (the decal and parking is free). Afterwards, we were given a sticker on the back of our Program Guides for our Casting Time and our Housing Welcome Session! We waited in line for about 30 minutes IN THE RAIN for the bus to get there and take us over to Casting. We left Vista Way at 9:30am so our total time checking in and getting our housing information settled, was about an hour and a half. Parents cannot come with you during this time, but they are allowed in the Welcome Center, but it rained, and they were not inside... sooooo... plan accordingly!
CASTING (can take anywhere from 1 hour to 4 hours--- NO family allowed)
When our bus arrived to the Casting building, I was stunned! I was literally THAT Floridian still acting like a tourist. The building is so whimsical and cheery. Now, most people will never get the chance to ever be inside this building, so I took as many mental pictures as I could. Walking into Casting, the doorknob was the same as the one used in Alice In Wonderland, it was absolutely adorable.
Walking further into casting was a round room. This is where some more Disney Cast Members walked around and put ANOTHER sticker on your Program Guide. Now this sticker....... this sticker is the sticker you have anxiously waited on hearing about during your WHOLE waiting process. This sticker will tell you where you are working, and what you will be doing! For me I am: Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique in the Downtown Disney Marketplace!!!!!! I am sooooooooooooooooooo excited I can't contain myself!!!!! Once you've got that, you are brought into a small office room where they discuss Disney Collegiate Courses and then send you on your way to hand in ALL of your paperwork forms. It felt like one big maze, but it was SO incredible to walk around and see all the amazing artwork, paintings, and keepsakes in shadow boxes. While you're here, you get fingerprinted--- all 10 of your fingers! You also have a background check, so make sure you are truthful in your paperwork. They told us that last year there was a guy who did the program and he had a loitering charge when he was 14 but it was removed and he didn't think anything of it and therefore marked on his background information that basically everything was okay. The next day, he was terminated because that charge showed up. So, ask questions if you're unsure about something! After that, they take your direct deposit information for payroll, or get you set up with their Pay Pal card where your deposits will be loaded right on them. Then, you head over to another room where they go over the Disney Look with you! Once that is done, you go into a room where you are given a sheet with all kinds of fun information on it about your work location, time for your Traditions class, and your first day of work! So, my Traditions class will be held at 8am on Friday and my first day of work at BBB will be on Saturday!!!! On your way out of that room, you take a few professional Disney pictures and you're given your very own Disney Photopass =) Afterwards, I met up with my roomates right outside that room, and we waited 5 minutes for a bus to pick us up and take us back to Vista. By the time we left Casting, it was 11:20am, so it took us about an hour and a half to go through Casting.
HOUSING WELCOME SESSION (about an hour and a half long---Mandatory!!! NO family allowed)
After Casting, we had nothing scheduled until our Housing Welcome Session/Meeting at 3pm, so we split up and met with our families for lunch. Then, we met at our brand new Disney apartment at Patterson Court!!!!!
We are seriously IN LOVE (and so are my asthma and allergies)! We got a 2bdr/2bth apartment on the second floor! The doors are deadbolted and automatically lock behind you which is great! So, we all started moving our stuff in and tried to get stuff settled as fast as possible. We started to make mental lists of things we needed and had to pick up later. Michelle and I selected a bedroom on the opposite side of the apartment with one window centered on the wall, two bedside tables underneath, and two beds (one for each of us) next to the tables and against the walls. There is a 4 drawer dresser with a mirror on it, a huuuuuge walk in closet with 5 shelves and 2 spaces inside a locker. The bathroom countertop area is a bit small, and there is nowhere to hang my rollup bag, but I will make it happen!!! =) As of right now, here is my bed space... I will post more housing pictures when everything is sorted.
**Note** if you are bringing a TV, bring the cable cord because it is NOT provided in housing! I will post another blog about things that come in your apartment and what not later on.
So, my roomies and I took about 2 hours to get some stuff in and organized. I still have to put together a dresser and sort through my clothes! So far though, I can sleep cause my bed is done, and we can shower cause the curtain and liner is hanging!
At 2:35pm we headed over to the Commons, which is where all the International Students live during their program. The Commons hosted our Housing Welcome Session/Meeting at 3pm where we were given all the rules and regulations about what to and what NOT to do. VERY interesting to say the least. Not too sure if I can go into detail because I reserve that right with Disney now, but I will play it safe and not disclose that wonderful hour and a half long session! Bring a sweater cause it is cold!
Around 4:45pm we walked back to Patterson, where we then split up again. This time, my mom and I went to Walmart and Target to pick up some last minute things for the apartment. Things like: toilet brush cleaner, tooth brush holder, door hangers, lamp, storage cubby, crates, bed risers, stand up mirror, and a double extender closet rack which doubles your clothing basically... hard to explain. Basically makes another row underneath your normal row, if that makes sense. Then my mom and I dropped all that stuff off at the apartment where we noticed Jamie's dad had made us all rice krispie treats!!!!! Mmmmmmm... and then we came back to my mom's hotel room for the night.
That has been my day. It's been incredible, exhausting, and absolutely memorable. I wouldn't trade this for anything in the entire world--- I am right where I belong.
Tomorrow, we are ALL off. We plan on getting everything settled completely and hanging out! Friday is my Traditions class.... once I am out of that class, I will be able to get into the parks at ANY time I want to =) I can't wait!!! Well, that is SO enough for one blog! Goodnight everyone!
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