Picture Crazy

I think I have contracted the Picture Disease! I will be on my third photopass cd once these photos are about to expire. 700 some pictures on this coming cd alone! Not to mention the thousands of facebook pictures I have already. Oh boy. I'm turning into Mom more every day.

Speaking of Mom...

My family flies in tomorrow! I am sooooo excited! We are staying at the Port Orleans Riverside, which is gorgeous! Oh my gosh! We've never stayed there so I'm really excited to be somewhere new. We have so many things planned :)

Tomorrow Eliza and I are hanging out with Bolt and Mittens. If they weren't my first priority I'd totally be with my family. But they are going to visit us right after they check in to the hotel. Ray Hale is coming too. He's going to be the unofficial tour guide, though they really don't need it. But it'll be fun to see him again. And he is very well connected to Disney, so that doesn't hurt any :) Oh Ray.

Well, bed time!

~Crystal

Not Ready...

~to leave Disney

~to leave my friends at Disney

~to go back to reality

~to go to freezing weather

~to see my friends hook up and leave me alone and single

~for another chapter in my life to end

~for a long, cold winter

~for Christmas to be here already

~for brother to be far away

I can't believe it's almost over. It can't be possible. It can't.

Today I realized how much I yearn for a relationship. Being a 7th wheel (or any wheel for that matter) really sucks. Everyone had someone to hold on to, except me. Sure both Ben and Laura tried to include me in the holding hands thing, but it just felt like I was intruding.

I'm not sure if I like a guy or if I just like being around him (like I do Josh). And wouldn't you know, this guy is older than me for once. Haha. Go figure. I really wanted him to be there today to keep me company. He was supposed to, but his friends from out of state surprised him with a visit so he stayed with them. Understandable...but still...

My family will be here soon.

5 days.

I can't believe it.

I can't.

Last Few Weeks In Summary

~Basically, I had been hanging out with Bolt for about 4 weeks.

~The day after Thanksgiving I flew home to surprise Brooke for the Nutcracker. Only Mom, Dad, Auntie Cathie, and Lynn knew I was coming. After Act 1, I ran backstage and attacked Brooke. She didn't realize it was me at first, for she knew I was working and it is rather difficult to get time off. I had even called her from the plane (once it had landed in Portland) to wish her good luck/break a leg and to let me know how the performances went. She thought I was on lunch/break still in Florida. Brooke was a beautiful Snow Queen and an elegant Sugar Plum. I can't believe Aunty Bette made the SP tutu! Way to go Aunty! I loved seeing my SQ tutu put to use again. Brooke looked gorgeous in it. I was able to see all 4 performances and stay a few days longer than planned thanks to Tonya picking up the Monday shift that was the only thing standing in my way of staying longer. I was able to see Kirsten for a bit. I'm sooooo glad I did! I went to Zoo Lights with my family. We met a variety of characters, including Rudolph. Grandma told them all what I do for Disney without being secretive and with a kid right there. I of course corrected her immediately. Silly Grandma :) I flew back to Florida Tuesday. As sad as I was to leave home, I was definitely glad to come back.

~Today I had the good fortune of hanging out with Mr. and Mrs. Incredible (Bob and Helen). We had so much fun hanging out!!!! I really want to do it again very soon! A family came with their kids dressed as Incredibles. The dad introduced them as Jack Jack and Dash. Helen about died. Unfortunately, Helen had a few issues with her super suit today. These issues weren't major, but they definitely occurred more than once...3 times to be exact. All I can say is...she needs to lose a little butt cushion. A women of her abilities should not have that big of a tushy. Maybe she should enroll in Crystal's Ballet Butt Camp to work off the padding :)

~Friday and Saturday I get to be in the filming for the Christmas Parade! I am Ballon Carrier 10. Look for me on TV!

Lots of Love

~Crystal

Working Hard

So I am now on my 6th day of working straight. Usually you don't get that here at Disney. As a CP I am required to have 2 days off, but may pick up shifts as I want on those days. This time, however, I didn't really pick up. It was more...pleading for me to do so. 

Yesterday I hung out at Chef Mickey's for breakfast with Pluto and the gang. This means I needed to be up at 5am to be at work by 6:36am...yay very slow buses. About half way through my work time, there is a phone call asking both myself and me back to back if one of us could go to the Studios to play with Bolt since the person supposed to do so called in (I had heard from Eliza that she didn't really like playing with Bolt). Lindsay really didn't want to do it, so I said that I would. Not only did this mean I would miss the rest of my time at Chef Mickey's, but it also meant I got overtime! As soon as they got a replacement for me (a spare face who had never done dining or my friend...go figure), I headed off to the Studios. Upon arriving there, I checked in and was told to get my stuff together quickly because the managers really wanted to see me and my new friend in action...and the public was demanding it too. I got dressed at the costume room and pargoed to my location. Not only was Mittens happy to see me, but Eliza was too! I had soooo much fun! Special friends came to see Bolt and Mittens...Josh, Phil, Liddy, and their friend Daisy. At a different time Erik and Gabby came too. I know that Bolt and Mittens loved visiting with them. By the end of the day, I was pretty tired from playing with the superdog. But he had fun with me, so I guess I can't complain. 

So this morning I am woken by one of my roommates...either Nicole or Mary (I was pretty tired so I couldn't tell who was talking). She told me that I had a phone call. When I answered the phone, a duty manager from Studios asked me if I could possibly help them out and play with Bolt again. This time, the girl who was supposed to do it went to first aid. Since it was my day off, I didn't have to say yes, but of course I did. I think I actually like hanging out with him. Anywho, I missed my first time hanging out, but got to Studios as Mittens was leaving with Eliza (I was very excited to see that Eliza and I got to hang out with Mittens and Bolt again). After checking in, I gathered my stuff together and did self warm-ups. The new warm-ups are more strength conditioning than warm-ups, but I think they're ok because I don't do a lot of strength stuff on my own. I just wish we could stretch more. Oh well. So anyway, I got dressed at costuming again and pargoed to my location with Bolt. This time Nikki, Ben, Ryan, and Elizabeth came to see Bolt and Mittens. The animals loved seeing them! Ryan almost decapitated Bolt because he gave him such a big hug. 

I have a feeling that Studios will cal me again tomorrow...also my day off...to see if I can hang out. You know, I'll be ok with that because I like Bolt. He and I get along pretty well. And working with Eliza again would be fun! We joked that I should be a diva and demand to work with her only if they call for me tomorrow. Eliza and I work very well together. However, if they need me, I'll probably do it anyway...working with Eliza or not. 

Today meant overtime for me. And if I get called tomorrow that means way lots of money. Haha. I kind of like being the only person who likes hanging out with Bolt who was trained to do so. I do know though that soon other people will be able to hang out with him who weren't trained. Meh. Oh well.

We'll see what tomorrow brings. I know I am going to Studios to visit Bolt and Mittens if I don't get called to hang out :)

~Crystal

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party October 30, 2008

I know it was a little overkill, but I went to the party again...but for the last time. It was so much fun! Robert, Erik, and I went as Zombie Dancers. The make-up was done by non other than Robert DiGiovanni. My hair was done by...me! I'm so proud of myself :) One of the other reasons for going to the party again (besides wanting to go) was because the family I had spent the day with wanted me to go. And of course I couldn't let them down! 

Let me start at the very beginning...a very good place to start. 

2 days ago, Erik, Robert, Nikki, and I went to Studios. We met a Green Army Man (too bad Clara couldn't be there to meet him) and Nikki met Caspian for the first time. We went to see Beauty and the Beast and guess what? We got to go backstage afterward! It was amazing!! A lot of detail was put into the show that no one would ever think about just watching it. I really want to watch the show from backstage now! Our next show we hope to have the good fortune in seeing behind the scenes is Nemo followed by Lion King and Fantasmic. Wish us luck! Anywho, since we all had to work later in the evening (except Erik) we started to leave the park around 2:15. On our way out, we spotted a kid dressed as a Block Party Bash captain. Of course, we went crazy! And of course we went over to him and his mom and talked. Shortly into our conversation, his two sisters and father came back...the sisters were dressed as BPB captains too! The mom told us that they have been coming dressed as Character Attendants for a few years. It turns out that this family is a celebrity among the cast at the Magic Kingdom. There are pictures of them in the break rooms. The mom then told us that they were going to Animal Kingdom dressed as Timon and the Tumble Monkeys the next day. After this, we departed to go to work.

Robert and I went to Animal Kingdom the next day to 1) see our weekly Nemo, 2) visit Terk (too bad Nikki wasn't with us), and 3) find the Tumble Monkeys and Timon. We saw Nemo and Lion King and while visiting Terk the family walked by. Of course Robert and I flipped out. We caught up to them and talked while walking to the parade gate (they were going to be in the parade). We exchanged numbers and watched them in the parade. It was fun! Robert and I then left for Studios to see Fantasmic. It was fantastic...or was it fantasmic? Haha. Later in the evening, I received a text message from Jessica (the mom of the family) asking if I wanted to go to breakfast with them the next day. I couldnt' refuse, so I made reservations for Boma (at the Animal Kingdom Lodge...we tried Chef Mickey's where Erik was working, but that didn't work out).

Boma was amazing! I loved it! I soon became part of the family...Bethany (one of the girls) wanted to hold my hand all the time. It was really cute! This time, Eric (the brother) and Joclyn (the other sister) were dressed as Character Attendants while Bethany was dressed as a Tour Guide. They were so adorable! We spent the day at the Magic Kingdom, where everyone loved them. During the parade, almost the entire cast stayed to the right side (where we were located). Maleficent told them that they were in the wrong spot...that they should be attending characters, not watching the parade. Br'er Fox gave the distress signal...1) because they were character attendants and 2) because all of the Flood Characters were off in the dance. It was pretty hilarious. After that, we left the family to get ready for the Party.

Robert and I decided that we should go as dead people again, since that was a hit last time. So we went as dancing zombies. About 6:30 I got a text message from Jessica asking when we would return to the park...the natives (the kids) were getting restless. We ended up getting there about 7:30. We met them at the Confectionary on Mainstreet (where I told Katie we'd be so she could see us while in the parade). Yet again, we had a blast staring people down. We didn't get as big of a reaction as last time, but it was still fun. After the first parade, we wandered with Jessica and family. After seeing a few characters and going to a dance party, Robert and I went to Liberty Tree to see Dale (too bad Eliza couldn't see him too). Dale was pretty scared of us. Then we decided to visit Captain DeCay. He wasn't at his post, so instead Robert and I pretended to be living statues. We entertained the guests for about 40 minutes...that's when Captain DeCay came back from his break...or wherever he was. When the Boo to You music came on, Robert and I came to life and danced around. Other than that, we moved randomly, with Robert cracking a one liner every so often. Most of the guests couldn't tell if we were real or fake...and they thought we actually worked there! Once Captain DeCay got back, we left so that he could do his job. Then we went back to our spot for the second parade. However, instead of being by the Confectionary, we went to the end of the parade route. Of course I video taped the parade this time. And I was still able to stare people down. Some of them remembered us from the first parade. It was great. After that, we said our goodbyes to jessica and family and returned to the apartment...since Erik had to get up early for work the next day and he was our ride...and we all had to work the next day as well. 

I loved hanging out with Jessica and family! They were a blast. I'm so glad I went to the party again as well. I can't wait for the Christmas Party...though I don't think I'll go to as many of those. Haha.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032102&l=f9b79&id=53403230

~Crystal

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party October 23, 2008

So I went again...this time as the cast of the Haunted Mansion! Rob, Nikki, Sam, Josh, and I went together. Nikki and Rob were Constance and Master Gracey. Sam was Madam Leotta. Josh and I were a dead waltzing couple. We had soooo much fun!

Yet again we were in full makeup and character. Granted, for Josh and I people thought we were drunk rather than dead, but if they had seen the dead waltzers in the parade they would have understood. unfortunately, the waltzers weren't out due to the rain, so basically only cast members knew who we were. 

The entire night we tried to get people to join us at our home...the Mansion. Even though we had room for one more, no one wanted to come. So we are still at 999 happy haunts. before the parade and on our way to our spot to watch it, we waltzed down Mainstreet and interacted with the crowd. One cast member said we were the pre-show...which we basically were. Almost everyone enjoyed taking pictures of us acting our parts...I say almost because I am sure there were some people less than thrilled at the sight of us. I do know that at least 5 cast members loved watching us do our stuff. The 8:15 parade included unwanted on and off rain. So not only were the waltzers missing, but the Hitchhiking Ghosts just stood there with umbrellas :( We did have a great time "scaring" some of the characters in the parade though. We totally stayed in character during the parade. It was fantastic. 

Afterward, we went to the Mansion. Again, we stayed in character, however the ride operators didn't seem to keen on our outfits. None of them welcomed Master Gracey home. Before getting on the ride, we met up with Woody and Alicebell (Creighton and Libbi). After the ride, we stayed near the exit and entertained the guests coming off the ride. Of course we took pictures as well. The black light was amazing! We all glowed in the dark. Some people thought we were actually part of the attraction. It was sooo cool. I wish some managers or casting directors would have seen us. However, I suppose if they had, they would have asked us to stop because we were "taking away from the actual attraction and the paid actors" or something like that. We had a great time in any case. Nikki and Rob stayed there while Sam, Josh, and I went to get some signatures...Libbi and Creighton went somewhere as well. We saw Minnie Mouse and the Queen of Hearts. I left shortly after that because 1)my feet were killing me and 2) I had to be at work the next day at 5:54am...so I needed good sleep.

I don't know what happened the rest of the night, but I do know we all had  blast! Here is the link to the pictures!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2031853&l=23ab8&id=53403230

~Crystal

A Day With The Reynolds!

So today started out as a normal day. I woke up and got on the bus to the Magic Kingdom for a day of character hunting at all 4 parks. I ate Breakfast at the Crystal Palace to visit Piglet. I wish Cynthia could have joined me, but she had to work. In any case, I had a great time visiting all of my Hundred Acre Woods friends. After that, I went to see Captain Hook. While waiting for Josh (brother) to show up (which he didn't due to work...I found this out afterwards), I talked to the family behind me about autographs. The Dad and son thought they were going to see Captain jack Sparrow. They were rather disappointed when they found out that it was Mr. Smee and Captain Hook. However, they waited in line until the mom and daughter came to them. The dad and brother decided to go on Splash Mountain while the sister and mom stayed in line for Hook and Smee. We started talking about different things and got around to the subject of how Hook and Smee kind of scared her. I told her that Captain Hook and I had an understanding and that if he knew what was good for him, he would not bother Noelle (the girl) too much. When it was my turn to see them, I told both Smee and Hook about Noelle. Of course, Mr. Smee wanted money for it, but I told Hook to keep control of Smee. After seeing the control I had over Hook and Smee (rather difficult I might add), the mom (Emily) told me that Noelle wanted a picture with me. So of course I said yes and we took a few pictures together with Hook and Smee. Noelle ended up kissing Smee on the nose and Hook on the hand. Unfortunately, some dad 2 families behind us loudly and rudely said "There's a line!" near the end of our meeting with Hook and Smee. I really wanted to tell him that the characters can spend as much time as they want with whomever they want, but I didn't because I didn't feel like being irritable in Noelle's presence. After the pictures and meet and greet, Noelle asked if I could spend some time with her. Of course I obliged. And instead of spending some time with her, I ended up spending the entire day with the family! I had so much fun with Noelle, Ashton, Emily (mom), and David (dad). We saw the princesses and Mickey and Minnie. We also rode a bunch of rides. Terese, Cynthia, and Nikki visited for a while too! I learned that Noelle got to ride the magic carpets with Jasmine this morning! How cool! I also learned what it is like to have a 6 and 4 year old. I forgot how they actually get tired and need naps. Noelle (the 4 year old) had a little tantrum due to tiredness, but it didn't last too long.

After they left, Nikki and I went to get her ready for the Halloween party. She loved the family, even though she only spent like an hour and  half with them. We had a great time talking about my adventures and how we love playing tour guide on our days off.

The only unfortunate thing about today is that I now have a very soar throat and don't feel too well. I think it's a combination of the drink I had last night, not enough water last night, not getting a good night's sleep (not sleeping well that is), and talking basically all day. Oh boy. I better not be getting sick.

In other news Erik got pulled to be a Toy Soldier in the Castle Show! I'm really excited for him! However, I do wish I got something cool like that too. But of course he is the professional networker, whereas I am not so professional at it. I also think that knowing Alice (the dance captain for christmas shows) before getting here (thanks to his dance studio) helped. I bet she had a few words with people higher up when she heard they needed toy soldiers. Meh. I'm excited for him. I can't wait to watch him up there!

I know things happen for a reason. I know my time will come for something spectacular to happen like that. And who knows...maybe my job is to create magical moments like I did today with the Reynolds. I get such satisfaction creating magical times for families. I definitely know that meeting the Reynolds and sharing today with them was no accident :)

All I can do is trust that God has a plan for me and when the time comes, He will show me where I'm meant to be and what I'm meant to do. I love being here.

~Crystal

P.S.

Here are the links to see the pictures from the Halloween Party last night.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2031356&l=9e28e&id=53403230

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2031358&l=63812&id=53403230

Enjoy!

A lot has happened...

Since I last posted.

Eileen, Courtney, Kathy, and BROOKE came to visit me! I couldn't believe it...ok I could, but it was still a very nice surprise. I had a great time with them. I only wish they could have stayed longer. They got to see me at work...which was really fun! They ate at the Garden Grill. However, Brooke was a slacker and didn't bring her autograph book, so I'm told, so Pluto couldn't sign it for her...nor could Mickey, Chip, or Dale. But I'm sure she'll bring it at Christmas. So far I've only had one "I hate Disney" moment. Unfortunately it happened during their visit...however it did prepare me for Christmas. I was scheduled to work the last day they were able to play in the parks. I tried to give my shift away, which didn't work, and I also tried to get an early release. A spare wanted to take my shift, but they wouldn't allow hi to do so 1) because it would be overtime for him and 2) he was scheduled to clock out at 12:30pm...my shift was from 10am-9pm. So I waited for the 3pm spares...all of whom were taken to C Spot because all of those people had called in. So I was stuck working an 11 hour shift with no way to visit (since Brooke and comp. were park hopping). I cried so hard at lunch (which was 3pm ish) and let out a very loud scream...I had to or I would have exploded. Don't worry; I was far enough away from guests so they wouldn't hear me and be worried. Since I was basically promised an ER (at the beginning of the day), Courtney and Brooke planned to stay at the Halloween Party...me with them. Instead, after work (which ended at 9pm, the party starting at 7pm) I went to MK to sit outside the park and wait to meet Courtney and Brooke at 10:30pm. On the way there, i met a mom and her son Austin on the Monorail. We ended up going to the party together. I found Brooke and Courtney, though very close to the time they needed to leave to catch the bus. So I was able to spend a little time with them before they left. Then I mt back up with Austin and his mom. Austin was soooooooo cute! I hope to see him again sometime soon. The next morning, I took Nikki's car and drove to meet Brooke and crew before they left. I had such a great time with them! I still can't believe they were already here. What fun we had.

I went to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party yesterday with my friends. We went as the cast of Peter Pan: Phil as Peter, Robert as Captain Hook, Nikki as Wendy, Cynthia as Mr. Smee, Liddy as Josephine (Captain Hook's wench), and myself as Tinkerbell. Both Phil and I were covered in glitter. It was fantastic! And both of us carried around some Pixie Dust to sprinkle on people...of which I did a lot. I even helped a little girl through the Haunted Mansion with my Pixie Dust. I put some on her to protect her. And I rode with her and her mom. And after the ride, I sprinkled more Pixie Dust on her. I wish I could have spent the rest of the night with her...as does she I'm sure. We also me Elvis! He was in the Princess Room with us. He was sooooo cute! He did all the moves and even put his scarf around Aurora's and Cinderella's necks. He was the cutest thing. Early on in the evening, Phil left us for his other friends so we were Peter-less. However, this just gave us the opportunity to seek out other Peter's. By far, my favorite was the last one we met. He was about 6 and very into his role. Of course, Robert played his Hook role very well. The boy kept running away from Robert. Finally, we were able to get pictures with this boy wonder. We all wanted to take him home with us!

Those are the highlights. 

I'm so happy Courtney, Eileen, Kathy, and Brooke came to visit! What fun times I will remember always!

~Crystal

An Update

It's been a while, but you know how entertainment is subject to change at a moment's notice and whatnot.

So I have a fictional story that in no way relates to myself or my friend Nikki. Here it is:

Once upon a time, there were two girls named Nikki and Crystal. They decided to go to the Magic Kingdom. Both girls took out their ID's to show the bus driver (as is required) and sat down. Crystal proceeded to do Nikki's hair on the bus. Then they got off at the Transportation/Ticket Center to ride the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom. Once on the Monorail, Crystal gave Nikki a bunch of phone numbers of people Nikki didn't have. Then they got off the Monorail and proceeded to the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. Once at the Security Gate, Crystal suddenly couldn't find her ID, Nikki had already gone through. Crystal stopped and freaked out a little bit. Nikki then came back through the security point and called the bus station to see if Crystal's ID was on the bus they had taken this morning. While waiting for the bus, the girls went to the Monorail to see if Crystal's ID had been left on the Monorail. Both were checked with no luck. Same with the buses. So Crystal and Nikki decided to go back to the TTC to see if the ID had fallen somewhere between the bus and the Monorail. Once the girls were back on the Monorail, Nikki asked herself if she possibly had it. Nikki looked in her purse and sure enough, she had Crystal's ID. After a huge hug and a hearty laugh, the girls lived Happily Ever After. The best part is, the girls had no idea how the ID got into Nikki's purse.

Great fictional story, right? Yeah, I thought so too. I was fortunate enough to tell it yesterday. Unfortunately, I didn't get it up in time last night, so here it is today.

Speaking of today, I went to Animal Kingdom with Kelley. She had only been once as a guest. We were super hyped to see the shows and the opening ceremony. Once in the park (being the first two into the park most likely due to our extreme happiness), we walked to the Tree of Lfe to see the Adventure Begins (the opening ceremony). Music was playing so naturally we started singing and rocking out. A cast member named Mike came up to us and asked what we were up to today. After telling him shows and safaris and whatnot, he asked if we wanted to be the first family on the safari. Naturally, we said yes! So we got a private tour of the safari!!!!! It was sooooo cool. Mike sat facing us while another person drove the jeep. We drove pretty slow in so we could see the animals better. Mike said that he was giving us a tour that usually costs $80. Neat huh? We drove by some giraffes and actually got into touching distance of one of them. I about died. After the safari, we got a first family certificate and a fastpass for the entire day to use at the safari! Unfortunately, I had to work today so we didn't actually get to use it :(

And speaking of work...I was late today by 11 minutes. I left 45 minutes to get from Animal Kingdom to Epcot. However, I had to take the WDW buses, which took forever. I waited for the Epcot bus, which didn't come, so instead I got on the TTC bus to ride the Monorail over. The bus driver told me to take the Boardwalk bus because it connects to Epcot and would save me time. So I got on the Boardwalk bus instead. Unfortunately, that bus also stopped at the Swan, Dolphin, Beach, and Yatch resorts. And the driver drove extremely slow...most likely on purpose since he knew I was running late. I called in to tell them I was going to be late and they said just to let them know what time I clocked in when I got there. Once at Boardwalk, I ran to Epcot. Yes, that's right, I RAN. It's a lot farther than you think to get to Epcot. Once in Epcot, I ran some more to get to the Entertainment Base. I clocked in at 4:11...11 minutes late. Lucky for me I was at the Swan Dinner, which doesn't do a Van run until 4:45. And the Base was very nice about me being late. I love Epcot. The costumers were really nice too. I totally ran in there like a chicken with my head cut off. They helped me check everything out that I needed and got me a cold, wet towel to use and cold water to drink. It was amazing. The thing that mad me the angriest was that I wasn't even supposed to work today. I picked up this shift for a friend. Blah. Oh well. All I know is, I don't need to got to the gym now from today's lunch. I already got my exercise!

And for lunch today, kelley and I ate at Tusker House in Africa. It was delicious!!!! It is a buffet with an African style. The food was fantastic! We definitely ate way too much...which is why I'm glad I had to run to get to work. End of story...eat there!!!!!

Lessons for today:

~Always be very outgoing and happy cus cool things can happen when you are.

~NEVER leave your car in another state when you are a CP. The bus thing sucks!

~It takes way too long to go from one park to the next.

~There are never enough buses.

Eileen, Courtney, Kathy, and Mike fly in tonight!! I get to see them tomorrow! I can't wait!!!!!!

~Crystal

Only A Few More Days...

til Eileen, Courtney, Mike, and Kathy come!!!! I can't wait!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, I have to work every day they are here. Boo. I'm trying to get at least one day off, but we'll see what happens. I also found out that I am scheduled to work on my birthday. Problem: I will be in Ohio. So I'm trying to get that resolved and need to not be scheduled on the 12th either. So yeah.

I'm sooooooo proud of Brooke! She is the Sugar Plum Fairy!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, she's also the Snow Queen, but I am super excited about the previous. Brianna is her other half. Figures.

Now I really need to see if I can get home. Probably not, but hopefully things will work out. Cross your fingers.

I get to work at the Garden Grill in the Land at Epcot and Liberty Tree Tavern in Magic Kingdom this week! I also get to work in the Visa character spot. Basically, only Disney Visa card members can go here...aka my family could visit here! I can't wait. I've heard good things about all three places.

~Crystal

Nutcracker Blues

After realizing that Brooke had Nutcracker auditions today, I became extremely aware of how much I wish I was home right now. It makes me very sad that I most likely won't be able to see Brooke in her last Nutcracker role as a high schooler. Especially since I know she's going to get a big part...I don't know what...I know what I want her to get but I don't know what she is and won't know until Monday. I want her to be Sugar Plum. I want to be there to help her. I want to watch her dance her heart out in a role both of us want. I am close to tears at the thought of not seeing her dance. Nutcracker is a part of my life. It always will be. And of course it's not just any Nutcracker....New Vision's Nutcracker. I love it. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself if I can't go...I know, I know, move on. That would be the logical thing to do. I miss Brooke o much right now. I want a big hug from her. I want her to visit me, or me to visit her. 

I know I can request 2 days off, but I need those days for me to go to Ohio for dance concert auditions. I'm definitely going to talk to a manager to see exactly how many days I have to request off. *sigh*

Today Pluto got a picture of Donald Duck from a little boy named Anthony. Even though Pluto was his favorite character, he apparently didn't have one drawn of him, so he gave Pluto a Donald instead. Anthony is 5 years old and the picture was amazing! Pluto gave it to me for safe keeping. I love it!

Eileen, Courtney, Kathy, and Mike can't come any sooner!

~Crystal

Adventurer's Club

I went to Pleasure Island for the first time in my life last night. I had a blast! Nikki, Cynthia, Paul (Nikki's new bf), and I went to the Adventurer's Club. This is one of the few clubs where you don't have to be 21 to get in. It is a comedy club...and boy was it funny! It's too bad I didn't know about this place a long time ago because I totally would have gone more times. Unfortunately, PI is closing forever on September 27th so there is no chance of taking anyone from home unless you come visit before then. Sad day :( Oh well. I had such a great time last night. I can't wait to go again!

In other news, I bought a Tinkerbell costume to wear at the Halloween Party on the 7th of October. Phil is going as Peter Pan, Nikki as Wendy, and me as Tinkerbell. I can't wait :) The Sanderson sister's/Hocus Pocus Cast is still a go, but obviously we will be doing that a different night which means I'll be going twice...oh darn :)

Cynthia and I have Code Green (aka Creepy Guy) on our tails now. For more details, call me.

I have today and tomorrow off. As much as I'd like to work, I'm glad I don't have to. Cynthia and I are going to Company D to check out ticket stuff for Eileen and then we're going to Millennia Mall because she's never been.

That's pretty much it from here.

~Crystal

Birthday and DiveQuest

So, I've been pretty busy, as you can tell from my lack of updates. I am having a great time! I love it. One of my favorite things to do is character hunt...aka find my friends and take pictures with them and their friends. Today, for example, I went to the Studios to see Mike Wazowski. We had so much fun! Sully was there too, but Mike stole my heart today :) If I could, I would character hunt all the time. I love watching kids' reactions and interactions with each character.

September 5th was my friend Nikki's birthday (training Nikki not the one who's allergic to everything). I was able to ER (early release) from work because they needed people to do so...so I spent the rest of the day with Phil and Nikki. We went to Animal Kingdom for a bit, where we saw Goofy. It was unfortunate Ben was not able to join us at the time. Oh well. Nikki and Phil saw Tigger and his friends before I joined them. They had a great time. Robert missed out of the activities as well. Anywho, after Animal Kingdom we went to Magic Kingdom. We saw Liddy at work with Lady Tremaine and her daughters. It was so cool. We played around for a while and then went back to the apartments to get ready for Nikki's surprise. Ben, Liddy, Robert, Libbi, and I took Nikki to the Grand Floridian Cafe at the Grand Floridian. She was so surprised, she didn't know what to do. We took pictures after dinner. It was so much fun!

Today, after playing around the Studios, I went to Epcot for DiveQuest. I had such a good time. Mom definitely needs to do this with me. DiveQuest allows certified scuba divers to dive in the gigantic tank at Epcot. We swam around for 40 minutes and were filmed for 20 of it. In the tank, sea turtles, fish of all sorts, sting rays, and sharks swam all around. It was incredible. My favorite memory was seeing the turtle come from no where. It swam basically right up to me. If it wasn't illegal to touch the turtle, I would have and could have done so very easily. The sharks weren't that scary really. Of course, I didn't swim next to them very often, but they kept to themselves for the most part. Another favorite thing was playing with the dinner guests at the Coral Reef restaurant. Since we were swimming in the tank, we were put on display for the entire world to see. Not only could the diners see, but those looking at the animals from the Living Seas could watch us too. It was pretty neat. I can't wait until Mom comes down so we can do this together. And yes, I did get the video of this experience.

Unfortunately, from this afternoon's activities, I got a little burned. Boo. So the Apple Cider Vinegar will definitely be applied.

Tomorrow I am a spare at Animal Kingdom. This means that I sit around the entertainment base for a long time. If they need me, they'll call me and tell me what they need. If not, I'll sit there and read or do whatever. So yeah. Fun stuff....or it would be if I didn't have to be on the bus at 5:50am to be at Animal Kingdom by 7! Bleeeeeeeeeech!

~Crystal

Days Off

I love having days off to play. Today, I went around and saw a bunch of my friends at work/play. I had a great time wandering around Epcot and Magic Kingdom. For lunch, I went to Les Chefs de France in France. I spoke a little french, but mainly I stuck with English. I know Brooke would like this place better than the other one. After a while, I went to Magic Kingdom. My feet were pretty tired from walking around Epcot, but I suffered through it and walked some more. So now my feet are going to hate me tomorrow...not that they don't already. Oh...I forgot to mention...I had dressed up today because I had the day off and had the opportunity to do so. So...I wore my dress from Charlotte Russe and my heels from Musical Comedy Murders. My feet held up pretty well...until the last 1/4 of the day. So, not too bad in reality.

Tomorrow, Michael Phelps is going to be at the magic Kingdom! I'm totally going to see him! Also, Cole and Dylan Sprouse and Brenda Song (Suite Life of Zack and Cody stars) were here yesterday...Dylan and Cole at DinoLand and Brenda (London Tipton) at the Grand Floridian Cafe. Who knew? And one of my roommates swore she saw Alan Rickman (Snape) in DinoLand yesterday too. I was totally there yesterday and didn't see anyone. Go figure.

Well, I need my beauty sleep for the big day tomorrow. Haha.

~Crystal

Living the Dream

So...I am now on my 3rd day working for the Walt Disney Company. It's been quite an experience. Yesterday, I worked with the same people I did today, which was nice. Both offered me great insight to being a cast member. Not all of it was good (as I expected). Also, they were a lot of fun...but at the same time, they weren't very positive when it came to their jobs. Both seemed pretty tired of doing this every day. But we did have a good time talking about families who were great, awful, or whatever. We also swapped stories that we had heard of that happened years ago. 

For the past two days, I opened ToonTown. It was neat. Did you know that Goofy gets to ride the Barnstormer with a selected family before ToonTown opens? I didn't, but now I do and so do you! Donald and Pluto greet the rest of the families at the rope drop. It was neat to watch. Also, today Minnie and Mickey joined the Pals in the Hall of Fame because the Judges Tent was flooded from last night's rain. Needless to say, the line for that room was REALLY long. Haha.

Ben, Liddy, Claire, and Cynthia visited me today while I was working. It was great to see them!

It's weird being too tired to do anything once you get home. That is how I've felt the past 3 days. Whew! I'm glad I have two days off! Yay recovery. Well, it's time to get back on my feet and park it up!

~Crystal

First Day of Freedom

Well, today was the first day I didn't have training. It was definitely weird. Some of the family was working today, so Ben, Robert, Cynthia, Liddy, and I visited them. It was fun. We also saw Pooh Bear and Mike Wazowski...or however you spell it :) Yes, we totally have an autograph book that I will put together and cherish forever. Hurricane Fay hasn't been kind to us. The last 2 days of training were screwed up due to the rain. Instead of being in the Magic Kingdom, we hung out at the Contemporary Resort, which is actually pretty nice on the inside. We had a great time!

Today, those of us visiting those working started at the Animal Kingdom. We rode all major rides except the Safari. We also saw Lion King and Nemo. Our favorite was Lion King. After that, we ate lunch and saw one of our trainers. He was training another group...but they were at lunch at the time. We had fun talking to him. He said that he missed our group because we were very energetic and fun. After lunch and Nemo, we went to the Studios to visit Gabby, who was working. While there, we ran into Mike from Monsters Inc. That was really cool, as I have never seen him before. We were able to see most of the Lights, Motor, Action! show...all but the jet-ski part. Ben was really fun to watch/listen to. He was like a little girl in a doll shop :) We were going to see the Fantasmic, but it rained a lot so we couldn't do so. I think it rained all day except for like 2 hours. Welcome to Sunny Florida. Yay Hurricane Fay! I do have to say though, the show we did get instead of the Fantasmic was pretty good....it was basically the Fantasmic without the characters and scenes. It was a nice water show. And yes, it was pouring down rain while we watched the show. Meh. We had a lot of fun anyway.

It's weird that I'll be working soon. I won't have my family to stick to and figure out where to go. We were so close and did everything together. But now, we all have to work solo...scary! I know that we will make sure to visit each other as much as possible. I can't wait to start making dreams come true!

~Crystal

Tired and More Tired

Completion of Day 3...check!

Wow. Who would have thought that I could bring so much joy to people just by filling someone's shoes? My favorite memory of today has to be the little blonde girl who danced with Phil, Robert, and me. She was laughing so hard and didn't want to leave. She was a blast to have around.

I did four sets which means that I was out for about 1 hour and 15 minutes all together (of corse I had breaks in between sets). I was extremely sweaty and extremely tired, but it was totally worth it! There is no doubt in my mind that I will be in great shape very soon. Yay for sweating and basically cardiovascular activity!

I love my training family! I wish we could work together all the time. But sadly this is not the case. After day 5 it is all for one. I'm sure we'll still hang out together and whatnot, but it just won't be the same :(

Well, it's time to hit the showers and get some well deserved sleep!

~Crystal

Relaxation Before Training

Today was priceless. Training was fantastic. I love the people who trained us today! And we had a surprise visitor...Pluto! That was a blast. I am pretty tired from all that we did today.

While Erik and I were training, Mom went to Animal Kingdom. Naturally, she saw Lion King and Nemo 2 times each. Once we were done with training, we picked her up, went to the apartment so Mom could see it and we could change, and then went to EPCOT to eat dinner at Morocco. That was so good!!!!! And so starts Erik's and my Tour of the World...dinner wise.

Now I am here, hoping to get good sleep before tomorrow. I am going to be so tired. Sigh.

~Crystal

AUGUST 15

Erik and I got up early to ride Toy Story Mania at the Studios. We had a blast! Then we met up with Rachel, after riding Rockin' Roller Coaster. After a while, Erik and I headed to Typhoon Lagoon to see Claire in action. While waiting for Claire, we ran into Stitch! Now, most of you know that I'm not a huge fan of Stitch, sorry Stitch, but there was something about him this time that just captured my heart...maybe it was how excited Stitch was to see both of us...or perhaps it was the fact that Stitch brought his camera and wanted a picture with us...yeah, I think that was it. Too bad Claire wasn't there to experience this. After our Stitch encounter, Erik and I went to Crush 'N Gusher, while waiting to hear from Claire. Unfortunately, after having a great time lazing about in the Lazy River, we got Claire's message saying that she had dinner reservations with some other people. So we have yet to hang out with Claire, but I know it'll happen.

Mom came in today. It was so good to see her. We went to Magic Kingdom once she got in. It was fantastic. I wish she could stay with me or that I could stay with her (but I have to get up early tomorrow).

I am having so much fun. I can't wait to start training tomorrow!

~Crystal

Tradition!

I had my Traditions class today. It was fun. I learned a lot of things...and was reminded of some things I already knew. Most of the movies we watched were tear jerkers. They were basically all testimonials. After completion of Traditions, we were given our Cast Member ID's!!!! Now I can get into the parks for free!!!!!!!!!!

Erik and I celebrated this by going to The Prime Time Cafe. It was so much better than last time. I loved it! the food was fantastic too. We then tried to ride Toy Story Mania, but it broke down or something, so we headed to Magic Kingdom to catch Wishes. We stopped at the bakery on Main Street, where I was introduced to the best Ice Cream Sandwich ever. 2 chocolate chip cookies with vanilla ice cream in the middle. Yum! After Wishes, Erik and I took the Monorail back to the Transit Center to get to his car. We got to ride in the front! The operator, Ralph from New Jersey, was so cool! he told us a lot about how to drive it and how he gets in trouble for speeding....the computer screen just streams at him, not an actual person. It's pretty nifty. We will definitely drive one someday!

Even though tonight didn't really go as planned, I still had fun.

Well off to bed I go. I have a big day tomorrow...getting up early to get fastpasses for Toy Story and Mom comes to visit!!!!

~Crystal

A Lovely Night

So I'm a little behind in the dates, but oh well :)

AUGUST 14

I had a class bright and early at 8am today. So 7am was my wake up :( The class was basically telling us the Do's and Don'ts of apartment living. It was pretty boring, but I got a Disney College pin out of it! After class, Erik and I headed back to the apartments, with a girl named Eliza who was at our audition in Columbus in tow, and had another meeting. This meeting was where we learned where we are stationed and whatnot. Well, since we are both Character Performers, we are all over the place...not just in one area. So that really wasn't a surprise. However, I did meet a lot of new people while in line :) Then we met up with Nikki and went shopping for Erik's tradition outfit. I ended up buying a very nice green top at Banana Republic that will go well under one of my jackets or as is if we're going out or something.

When Erik went to dinner with his family (the last one before they leave), I went to my apartment, talked with my rommies, and then went to the party Disney was throwing for the College programmers with Nikki and her roommates. One of them is best friends with Eyeore :) The party was your typical club atmosphere, so I didn't really like it until we all started talking instead of trying to dance. We did have a special guest greet us....Mickey! That was neat. Near the end of the party, a group of guys walked up to us and started talking. We are all going to be good friends, I know it. The biggest surprise is that one of them, Danny, is from California but goes to University of Oregon!!! He kind of knows Cora and is really sad he won't get to watch his Ducks in action. He is into filming so he, mucky duck, gets to do the class I want to do but might not get to due to my major (I guess you're supposed to be a theatre major in order to get it for sure...lame). Anywho, we had a great time talking. Since we get our Cast Member ID' tomorrow (so we can go to the parks for free!), we were all going to go to the parks to play. Well, we made it a huge group thing and I am the leader (surprise, surprise). It started as just me showing the guys around the parks, since I know the parks so well, but then I invited the girls to come along (they had left me all by my lonesome with the boys before we had made this arrangement). So yeah, after Traditions, we are all going to The Studios to have fun! I can't wait!!!! Yay for me being social! After the party, the guys came over to Nikki's apartment and we watched to Olympics, while talking of course. I learned that Josh is best friends with Goofy and Danny is a ride operator at Everest. I also learned that Nikki took gymnastics for 13 years. So while we were watching women's gym, we were constantly asking her what she thought of them. I had so much fun! 

So I still need hangers. I think I'll walk to Walgreens if Erik and I don't go soon.

This is sooo cool! I am so glad I am here, experiencing this, meeting new friends. I know I will have a blast!

~Crystal

Funny/Stupid Story for This week...so far

Sorry for the long post...and ADDRESS at very end.

So....Tuesday (aka Aug 12):

After finally checking into my room at about 2:50pm, I called Erik to see where he was. We decided that we would meet at Downtown Disney for dinner. About 5pm, I headed to Downtown. I never knew there were sooo many roads. We seemed to go every which way to get there. We passed by like 50 billion hotel gates (all Disney owned and operated of course), each time I thought we were picking someone up from there or something like that. Finally, we made it to the Market Place. I walked around for a while, then called Erik to check on his progress. He wouldn't show up til about 8pm, and since it was about 6pm I decided to grab a snack and look around...what else was I going to do? :) I walked all around Downtown. It's a pretty long walk. One thing I love about Downtown is that I basically found everyone's Christmas presents already...plus 50. And most came from one store...not the World of Disney either...big surprise! Anywho, after grabbing a snack, I park myself near the water to drift off into mindless wonderment. It was very peaceful. Finally, Erik called and we met up. It was sooooo great to see him again! We decided to eat at Bongos...the Cuban restaurant owned by Gloria Estefan. Our waitress, Betty, was amazing. She was very helpful and a blast to talk to. And being the dorks we are, we took a picture with her...on facebook for anyone who wishes to look at it. With this restaurant comes the stupid story for this week...so far anyway.

STUPID STORY: Erik was rubbing his eye, due to contact issues, and what should happen? His contact fell out and onto his plate. After looking for it, with no success, he handed the plate to me. Switching plates, I found his contact fairly quickly. When I handed it to him, neither of us had an actual hold of it, so it fell somewhere, either on my plate or on my lap, which I brushed off after giving Erik his contact. So then we searched for his contact on the table, floor, plates, etc. Basically, we looked ridiculous. People around us were definitely wondering what we were up to. Betty thought this extremely funny, as did we, but got us a flashlight to help us. No luck in finding it. So yeah. That was the talk of the next few days :) And I totally did a Dad and wrote a nice comment about Betty. I felt so good afterward. If you every go there, the fruit salad is AMAZING...well, everything is amazing, but I had the fruit salad so there you go. We also had a chocolate something or other that was made with three different kinds of milk. It was DELICIOUS! Get that!

After that adventure, we went our separate ways...me to the All-Star Movies and he to the Double Tree Hotel.

AUGUST 13, 2008

First day.

Nervous.

Not sure what to think.

Several people in line and it's only 9:15am.

Met lots of really nice people in line. I am sooo excited to start.

As we waited in line, there was a guy who asked trivia questions. Of course, both Erik and I knew the answers to like every question. We both received a small photo book for a correct answer :) A girl named Cynthia was in front of us (I didn't know at the time but, go figure...she ended up being the Cynthia who is my roommate). We had a great time getting to know people while waiting FOREVER in line after line. Erik tried to get a building next to each other...which ended up working out. We both live in Vista Way (the oldest but cheapest apartment) and are a building away! While in line, Erik met a girl named Nikki who lives in the same building as he. She is really cool! I know we all will stay friends throughout the program...if not longer :) Her roommate, Megan, is really cool too. Anywho, we all went to Downtown Disney and ate at the Rainforest Cafe for lunch. Unfortunately, Nikki is allergic to basically everything food wise :( But we are totally going to eat at least once a week together in an apartment. 

After coming back from lunch and dropping Nikki off for her class, Erik's parents came to pick us up for shopping. We went to Target, where I bought a lot of unnecessary stuff that are pretty essential as well...if that makes sense...lol. We unpacked our purchased items, which didn't take long, and went to the beach Club Resort (where Erik's family is staying). It is BEAUTIFUL!!!! I love it there. They were upgraded to the concierge level (they have all the luck), which meant that you needed a hotel key to get on those floors and there were free snacks, and a balcony, and whatnot. The main pool was awesome! One of the lifeguards was on her last day of the college program. She gave us a lot of insight and tips. While in a hot tub, two kids decided to be very obnoxious. They were like, "We are going to jump in and you might get hurt or splashed" and things like that. Erik and I held our ground and the kinds finally had enough of us not leaving and t left themselves :) Then we went to an ice cream shop, where we met another college programmer who was on her last day. She also gave us tips and insight. And she looked like Mandy Moore...I'm not sure if that's a plus or not...meh. 

After getting dressed, we went to dinner at the Grand Floridian. Yeah, that's right. The Grand Floridian. It was fan-tas-tic. Katie (Erik's sister) and I shared French Onion soup and a rib-eye. I'm soooo glad we shared. Also, I had a New York cheesecake. Delicious. Mmmmm....I'm hungry already just thinking about it. And yes, we took pictures too :)

That's about it so far. I'll post later tonight for today's activities. Love you!

Address for mailing wonderful things :)

Crystal Carlisle

13501 Meadow Creek Drive

Apartment 2204

Orlando, FL 32821

~Crystal

Getting There

So I totally meant to write today, but it is late and I need sleep. So here is what went on yesterday. I'll update on events today tomorrow!

AUGUST 12, 2008

Let me start out by saying…HAPPY ANNIVERSAIRY MOM AND DAD!!!!!! I wish I could be there to celebrate with them. However, I will say I am glad not to be camping…I know…what a loser I am.

I do wish, though, that there were someone here to keep me company. I arrived to the All-Star Movie Resort about 10:30am. It is now 2:00pm and I have yet to get a room. I know the official check-in time is 3pm, but I was hoping I might be lucky. Guess not. So how have I passed my time? I went to the pool and got a tan (I hope), took a dip in the pool, dried off by using the sun’s rays, ate a pretty fabulous taco salad and mint chocolate chip milkshake, went back to the lawn chairs and soaked up more rays while sipping root beer and doing a logic puzzle or two, went to the arcade and got a small Mike and Ike, a fruity chewy turtle treat, and 7 small erasers, and finally am here typing away.

As I have no internet access…at least not some I’m willing to pay for…I won’t post this until probably tomorrow at my new apartment. I’m quite nervous at the thought of moving into an actual apartment. What will my roommate(s) be like? I’m sure she/they’ll be nice…and probably the same genre as myself…that is, a character of some sort (probably Pluto, since my for sure roommate is).

I can’t believe that this has finally come. I don’t really feel like it’s time. But I know that it is. I know that this is the start of a great new adventure.  I can’t wait to experience all that is Disney…and spend 5 months with the one and only Erik. I know we will grow closer in friendship.

I am so thankful for my family. Yesterday, they sent me off with a prayer. All said a prayer for me and my journey. I cannot say enough how much that meant to me. I wish all of them could come visit me. I know they had a great time the last time they were here and I know they would love it even more this time…especially since they now have an insider J

So far, the only bummer has been my almost meeting with Michelle. In Salt Lake I had a 3 hour layover. We were going to meet, but she was stuck in the city. When it was almost time to get on the plane, I decided to ask if the airlines needed bumpers. They said they most likely would. I was first on the list.  They asked if I had a place to stay and I said that I would call up Michelle to see if I could stay with her. Well, of course, she said I could and we made arrangements. Unfortunately, they told me they didn’t need me to bump after all. So I called Michelle as she was driving to the airport (or probably already there) to say that my flight was leaving and I needed to be on it due to the lack of needed bumpers. What a bummer. Hopefully, we’ll be able to see each other in the near future!

So far, every employee I’ve talked to has said I will love it here and in the College Program. I hope they are right…I know they are.

I love each and every one of you. Here is a BIG HUG!!! 

~Crystal

More Excitement

I've come to the realization that two weeks from today I'll be on a plane to the Happiest Place On Earth. It seems unreal.

I've been watching old home videos of our Disney trips, which have been really fun...both to watch and to remember. I look at the characters from a whole new standpoint. Now, I analyze where the character "sees" to be able to sign the books and whatnot. I could be wrong, but it's still fun to guess.

I am definitely looking forward to this experience, however, I am terrified of possibly realizing I don't want to do this for the rest of my life. But I will try not to focus on that, because that is negative and I don't want that to affect my time. I can't wait for the week I have with Rilley, Erik, and his family. I also can't wait for Christmas time with my family. And Halloween with Erik. And my 21st birthday.

I will miss everyone at Otterbein and home, but I know I will have a fantastic time. I can't wait!

Getting Excited

After visiting Disney World with my sister's dance group, I can't wait to get started! Seeing Claire and talking to her about her adventures thus far was very exciting. 

While on our trip, I was in charge of taking the adults around. It wasn't a given job, but my family did it to help out Heather and Lynn in keeping the adults away from the kids so that the kids could enjoy themselves. I had a blast. I was basically the tour guide for the adults. We had so much fun. This confirmed my desire to be a tour guide for Disney. Once the college program is over, and college for that matter, if I don't get the opportunity to be a character performer, or a performer for that matter, I'd love to be a tour guide. And from what my interviewer said about my Disney knowledge, I don't think it'll be too hard to obtain the job....but we'll see, of course.

I can't believe that in 34 days, 18 hours, 15 minutes, and 45 seconds I'll be working in the Happiest Place on Earth!

The Start of Something New

This is my blog while I am at Disney World. It will include preparations, getting there, being there, and afterwards.

So here we go:

I am really, really excited. I have a friend, Claire Longest, who is down there for the summer. She leaves Saturday. What I'm pretty psyched about is that she'll be working while New Vision is there and my first month of being an official Disney Cast Member. I can't wait to see how she likes it. 

Erik, my friend who is there the same time I am, and I have made so many plans already. Of course, these plans aren't official yet because we can't get discounts until we are Cast Members. But at least we have ideas of what we want to do. 

Such as:

1. Eat at every restaurant in the park.

2. See Cirque du Solei...La Nuba

3. Disney Quest

4. Swim at every resort's pool

5. Ride every ride

6. Take backstage tours

I can't wait to see what else we come up with!

We are required to document our journey through this internship, for Otterbein credit. So we are making scrapbooks (one for each of us as well as one for our advisor) and videos. We are going to have sooooo much fun!!!!