Miami, Christmas and the New Year!

Wow, what a time it had been recently! I feel like so much has happened since I last updated this blog!

The first big thing that happened is that I took my first trip outside of Orlando- to Miami no less! I was chatting to Tom about travelling saying that there were so many places I wanted to go that I didn’t even really know where to start, and he asked if I wanted to go with him and Ashleigh, a lovely south African girl from our arrival group to Miami for a few days. We all had the Wednesday off, and him and Ashleigh had Thursday off also- I had the Tuesday off instead, but luckily Sammy wanted to swap so we did that and it meant I could go!

On the Wednesday we got up super early and got the bus into the dolphin resort, where we picked up our car, as Tom drives. We took the toll road down as it was the quickest way, even though it cost us like an extra $20, but it did mean that we got there in just over 4 hours. Tom and Ashleigh had found a backpackers hostel right on South Beach which was just over $22 a night which I thought was pretty sweet- there was a big parking lot nearby for us to use ans it was only a few minutes walk from the beach-and what a beach! It was absolutely beautiful, and even though it was December it was still wonderfully hot and pretty busy. We had a walk up and down the beach and the over the front and had a little explore. The area has a lot of art deco buildings as it was that period that Miami seemed to get its big boom, and it was incredibly beautiful. It looked just like what I imagined it to look like but more so- the art deco buildings, neon lights and palm trees. That night we headed to a sushi restaurant and had another wander through town.

The next day we agreed we didn’t want to spend only at the beach, so we got the bus downtown, and then walked for ages in search of an area called Wynnewood. We must have walked for about an hour and a half and went through some really dodgy areas that made me glad that it was the daytime- at one point we had to walk over train tracks and I honestly wondered if it would be worth it…but it so was. So Wynnewood was this really poor area in Miami (hence the scary outskirts) and all of these graffiti artists suddenly started to decorate the area. But not just a few graffiti tags-the covered entire walls and streets with massive art works that all try to make some sort of statement. Some of them were really breathtaking, and in fact there was a little gallery and bar set up for tourists like us. So we got to chat to someone about the history of the place and then have a drink and a bite to eat. It was definitely worth seeing and would tell everyone to see it if they get the chance.

 

After we went back downtown and got a bus into an area know as little Havana  this is where lots of Cuban immigrants came in the 60s after all the troubles in Cuba to settle and make a new home, and the area is indeed its own little community.  there were loads of cigar she, coffee shops and everything seemed to be in Spanish  we stopped and had a cup of coffee in this little corner shop which was actually a gorgeous cup of coffee, and just as we decided to have a mojito we were joined by a fellow traveller also having a wander around, who turned out to be in the wine business, so we had a good chat with him. The whole experience of being in a hostel, travelling and good conversations with strangers kind of reminded me of being a backpacker, and made me miss it so much! Just before it got dark we headed back and then had a great Mexican dinner on the historic Spanish street in south beach.  The whole trip was different to how I imagined a weekend in Miami would be-I guess I imagined more partying and shopping etc, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way as I had such a fantastic time.

We got up early again on the Friday as I had a safety training class  1:45. The journey was fine but the closer it got the more nervous I was that I would be late- Tom dropped me off in the guest car park and I ran through backstage and just about clocked in right on the dot! Best timing ever for sure.

On the 23rd I was sitting in the break room on lunch when Sarah came in for hers as well, and had the bright idea that we book a hotel for Christmas eve night, so that night we booked into all star movies. We both had Christmas eve off, so we checked into our hotel and then had a lovely afternoon in Epcot. I wasn’t feeling too well unfortunately as I was coming down with a cough that a few people at work had, so we didn’t stay too late, but instead headed back to the room and ate pizza and watched films! It was just what I needed actually, as the beds were so big and so comfy and as I don’t have a television it was a real treat to get to see a film.

The next morning, after a cracking nights sleep, we opened our presents, I had a secret Santa gift filled with chocolate and green tea (they chose well!) and a box of gifts from my dad. He’d chosen really thoughtful presents and they all meant a lot to me, as it just shows he knows me so well. It was more emotional than I was expecting it to be, but I just had to not let if get to me as I was working that day. I was actually scheduled to have Christmas day off, but I really wanted the experience of working Christmas so I took Maireads shift as she had flown home to surprise her family. Work itself was strange, as a lot of guests were actually in a bit of a bad mood and I think quite a few staff members were withdrawn because they missed home. But overall it was worth it, especially a few families who were so grateful we were working so that they could enjoy their Christmas! Another lovely present I had was from Anna- she had written me something called a four keys card.  In Disney there are four ‘keys’ to being a good cast member- safety, courtesy, show and efficiency, and these cards are written when you are recognised as doing one or more of these well.  I was so grateful for it, as merchandise people seem to hand them out quiet regularly, but they don’t seem so common in food and beverage, and it was sweet to feel like someone had taken the time to write one for me and it was nice to be recognised for working hard. After that I resolved to start handing them out myself to anyone that I saw being a good cast member. I also got one on Christmas day from a random member of staff after I fixed a rope that was a potential trip hazard, which was nice but pretty random.

A few days after Christmas I was randomly talking to a guest while stocking the condiment bar in chippie, and she said that her mother had fallen over on her way to Epcot and was in hospital for surgery, but had made her daughter and grandkids go into Epcot so as to not spoil their day. Poor thing seemed pretty stunned, so I told her to wait at her table for a few minutes and rushed into the Toy Soldier shop, and asked Danielle and Alex for some help to help her feel better. so we gave her a Winnie the pooh plush toy to give to her mother in hospital and wrapped its arm in a bandage, telling her that it wasn’t to be removed until her mothers arm was better. She was so happy and grateful, and I felt like I had really made a difference to her day. It was exactly this sort of thing that made me want to work for Disney, and I even got recognised yet again with a four keys card!

So in terms of me giving them out myself, I gave one to a girl who worked on Mission: Space, because she was wonderful with this young girl who was crying because she was so scared, and really took time to comfort her and make her feel better. Then on NYE (more on NYE in a moment) I had ordered a chocolate milkshake with my drink, but when I got to the counter they had ran out, and the girl who served me was so helpful about it, offering me any alternative (even more expensive things) and a desert to make up for it so I gave her one as well, and she was so happy for it I was glad I had taken 2 minutes to write one for her.

In other news, I had my first solo stocker shift on the 30th. I was nervous about it but Tom and Natalie gave me some help with it which was really appreciated, and overall it went pretty well-generally I managed to keep on top of things even though I obviously was nowhere near as good as Connor or Mark, who nearly always do it, but now that I’ve done a shift on my own hopefully I can start getting better at doing it. Overall I’ve been working more than previously, as I’ve been asked or have asked myself to come in early a few times and for Christmas week and new years week I have worked 6 days, and several shifts have been between 8-12 hours, when before I often worked only 6. I’m pleased to have more hours, even though it can be tiring!

New years eve I worked from 9 in the morning until 9 at night which was crazy. It meant that me and will, one of the newbies, had to open chippie, even though neither of us had opened since training, which seemed like a flaw in the scheduling. It was easy to be honest though as it’s basically opposite to closing chippie which we do every night, even though there were a few changes because they were expecting it to be so busy, one example being that we weren’t to sell any hot drinks because comparatively they take too much time to make. We also had to create a que line that extended much, much further than usual, and we had to pre bag many more cookies than usual because we would sell so many. For the first 45 minutes after opening, I thought everyone had been over reacting… and then the crowds came. And came. And came. An hour after opening, we had a que for chippie 4 times longer than I had ever seen it before, and it stayed like that ALL THE TIME. Most of us were working today, but we needed it. I was chippie filling for 2 hours, but we had 5 people inside rather than the usual two, and even with all the extra man power we just kept everything running on time. I had my first break at 12 and then took position on chippie register, but I’m pretty sure that inside they had at least 5/6 people working, plus 3 instead of 2 chefs. There were also 2 chippie stockers all day, which is a position that usually only exists for one person for a few hours, and there were 2 people doing the rest of the stocking.  Instead of the usual one, there were up to 4 people on beer cart. Everyone had to work so hard all time  and within a few hours I’m pretty sure many people were starting to get tired, but I have to say I’m pretty proud of everyone because we managed to get through the day well without any major mishaps. There was a terrible moment when on register we were told not to sell any fizzy fountain drinks because the machine had broken, but it was soon fixed and then things carried on as before. And what really impressed me was that all the managers and coordinators got stuck right in, even doing stocking and chippie filling when needed. So even though I was bloody knackered by thru time my shift finished, I left happy. I bumped into Sarah from HRC on the way out, and we got some food at the American Adventure (where I gave out the aforementioned four keys card) and then got a space to watch the fireworks. It was incredible actually, as Epcot had had a showing of illuminations at about half 6, for those with young families that needed to get home early on.  They then showed illuminations again at half 11, finishing with the Christmas section for the last time. For the final 5 or so minutes before the next year was about to start, they listed in turn which countries had celebrated their new years at one time, listing them in order. So china and Japan had celebrated theirs first, so they had a mini firework display set of in turn behind each of their pavilions set to themed music. They did this for all the countries around the world showcase, and the fireworks for the UK was set to Rule Britannia, and was had red white and blue fireworks.  it was way more emotional that I thought it would be, especially because at 7 in the evening everyone had cheered for the UK and I had had to not let myself think about it too much because I didn’t want to get upset while I was working thinking about everyone back home. But watching the UK fireworks was incredible, and it made me so incredibly proud to be working in Disney. And the fireworks that went off at 00:00 were literally the best I have ever experienced, especially with the atmosphere of everyone there cheering and singing and hugging each other. I just couldn’t believe that I was ending one year and opening another in such a wonderful place with so many wonderful people, and it’s made me excited all over again for the time I have left on the programme.

So, happy new year everyone! I hope you all get what you dream for in the new year

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• Miami, May 2012, just visited for the day, but completely worth it (funkyellasuk.wordpress.com)

No longer the newbie!

As of this week me and Tom are no longer the newbies at work! We’ve had another arrival group, which includes 3 people in food and beverage, so it’s another pretty small group. I first met them last Thursday for their throw in, and they all seem really lovely which is cool. But it was incredibly strange to see them in the some position that I was just a few weeks ago, and to know that they are at the very start of their Disney journey. Quite emotional actually! It’s also nice knowing that it’s getting closer and closer to the girls that I met in Manchester coming out. I don’t at all want to wish my programme away but I am really looking forward to them being here!

We had another Disney housing event as well late week- the Winter Formal. Disney hired out a couple of the Ball Rooms in the Contemporary Resort, and organised buses to take us there from housing, where they had food and a DJ and characters to meet! It was a wonderful event to be part of, because everyone dressed up lovely and it was great to see people making the effort. After a few of U went for some drinks in Applebee’s, and theonly downer on the night was that we wanted to get into Vista only so we could get the bus home, but you’re not allowed in any of the complexes that aren’t your own after 2:00, so we was told we could only come in if were we willing to receive a housing point or warning or something, which we didn’t want, so we had to walk home. That was a bit annoying, they really need to change that system as I would be none to happy if I had to walk back on my own.

I’ve done an awful lot of eating out recently, which has been good and bad. Good, because the food is incredible! Sometimes I’ve gone into work early to go to one of the other pavilions , usually Morocco or Japan for some lunch before work with someone, so it’s social as well. But with that and not going to the gym I was starting to feel a bit podgy! So I’ve tried to reduce my casual eatings out now, and the other good thing about that is that it actually saves quite a lot of money, which I want to try and out towards bigger things like a mini break! It’s finding a balance, as I don’t want to never go out, but also don’t want to be ridiculous at spending. It helps that I’ve started doing better at grocery shopping so I can make proper food to take in with me instead of just snacks. I’ve started taking in things like Pasta to heat up at work, which is a bit healthier and a lot cheaper!

Talking of money, I’ve now also opened a proper bank account here. I have a checking account, which is basically a current account, and a savings account. I actually feel a lot more settled having a proper bank account now, and it wasn’t too hard to set up- me and Tom went up to Disney University on the bus and we only had about half an hours wait before we were seen, and we’d heard it could be much longer, It means that if we want we can put our money into a savings account where we are less likely to spend it!

On my mornings before work I’ve tried to be more productive, so that means grocery shopping, or increasingly going to the gym. Maybe because I’ve never had a full time job before, but I’ve found it exhausting trying to work out and go to work! Still learning to grow up I guess haha.

Work is still fantastic, I can honestly say I do really enjoy it- sometimes, especially after a day off, I would prefer to go to a park or something, but as soon as I get into work I cheer up. Surprisingly I’m really enjoying working in the chippie, despite much preferring podium to begin with. One of the reasons may the moment podium is much busier than usual because of candlelight. Anyone who comes in the candlelight package, which is most of them, have to be in and out quickly in order to make it to the show on time, so tables get turned over quicker. This means more tables are needing to be bussed and sat. Also, because guests have made reservations quite far in advance, they expect to get whichever tables they want- outside if its warm, or inside of its cold and/or windy. If they don’t get what they want them some of them can get really quite rude, more so than guests before candlelight. Whereas at chip shop guests seem more happy in general, and I’ve had some lovely customers recently who I’ve had nice conversations with, especially if it’s quieter and I can spend more time with them.

Some times we’ll also get assigned to tasking, which is basically doing small jobs for between 1o minutes and an hour and a half. I usually do bits of stocking in this time a it is a useful job, and I’ve had some longer conversations here when guests start chatting to me and I know I have the time to talk to them as I don’t have a proper task which is nice.

On another Disney note, I saw Frozen at the cinema the other day, and it was so good! I enjoyed every second of it, mainly because the songs and animation are so beautiful!

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A whole month!

1 month down , 11 to go! God that’s depressing. This whole experience is going too fast! I feel like I’ve only been here for 2 weeks, even though I feel settled and comfortable now. The strangest thing is that I know next week there are some new people coming, so I will no longer be the newbie! I am looking forward to some more people arriving- everyone was so great to me when I arrived that I want to do the same for someone else!

So this week I’ve been mixing it up by doing things other than working, drinking and going to one of the parks. Last Wednesday housing put on an event for thanksgiving, where they gave us a free dinner and put on some music and brought out some characters for us! It took place in some fields in one of the housing complexes and it had a great atmosphere, and the food was actually well tasty! It was nice to have a night out that was a bit different instead of drinking or gong for a sit down meal, and it gave me a chance to meet some of those working in merchandise that I haven’t seen much of yet which was very nice.

meeting Donald at Thanksgiving

 

The next day I met up with several others from the UK and we went to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood studios- my first time park-hopping! It was fab because it was so quiet- we got on the safari ride, expedition Everest, tower of terror and rock n roller coaster several times each! It rained quite heavily at one point but even so it was a fun day, especially when the Christmas lights came on. It was a shame that fantasmic got cancelled because of the weather,  but I know that there is plenty oft time to see it!

I also went to the cinema for the first time since being here to see Caching Fire. It was weird being in a cinema again as it feels like it’s been ages but the film was really good and now I can’t wait for the next one to come out.  I took advantage of having afternoon start at work to go to Cici’s for a $5 pizza buffet with Sarah and have a look around the World Showcase. It was nice being in Epcot as a guest and not a cast member- it’s something I really haven’t done enough, so will try and do it more often!

I have also now completed my final training shifts! One role was beer cart which I only trained on for an hour but is pretty simple. The final role was the one I was dreading most was stocker. In this role, you have to; make sure that all the condiments, trays, cups, cookies, etc etc in the chippie are stocked; ensure that the kegs in the kegroom are full, and change them if they are not; make sure the soda machines are well stocked; keep the fridges in the bar stocked; keep the kitchen fridge stocked; beer cart stocked. I think that’s it. So basically you do all the running around and making sure that the other cast members have everything they need to perform their job. There’s a lot of lifting and running around and up and down stairs in this job, but the good news is that because you are kept busy the shift goes very fast. I had 2training shifts which actually didn’t go bad, but the park was relatively quiet. I am slightly concerned that on busy days it’s going to be incredibly hectic, and probably very stressful as everything needs stocking more regularly and people will be barking orders down the radio left right and centre. Still, I will cross that bridge when I come to it! But the main thing is that now I have done all my training I can safely say there is no job that I dislike so I can continue to have fun at work everyday!

Went to lasses again on Monday and we ended up at  karaoke bar! I loved it but I didn’t sing haha. We played flip cup as usual, and I swear I really need more practice as I am rubbish at it! And then last night to celebrate being here for a whole month, some of our arrival group went to Applebees for some dinner and drinks. 3 of us from the UK went, but in total there must have been 25 of us from all different countries. It was a cracking night and it was lovely to see how everyone was getting on in their respective jobs.

So another fab week. I am sad that this experience is going so fast- it just keeps reminding me to make the most of being here!

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Traditions, training and four loko

Another busy few days, so I thought I would update before I start forgetting things!

After my last post I skyped my Dad for the first time since arriving which was really nice, and then I caught the bus from commons over to Vista Way where we had some more immigration work to take care of. For some reason none of my hire documentation was online, but the staff were great and said they would take care of all of it and I was not to worry. While waiting in the que I sat next to a girl who recognised me from the facebook group which was nice, so I got the bus home with her and we had a nice chat. On the way to Vista I had bumped into my friend Sammy who I had met at both the interviews and Manchester, so I was well excited to see her, She invited me round to her flat on the night for pre drinks before going out to Downtown Orlando, which I of course accepted!

In the afternoon Alex met me Kim and Anne Marie to show us the outlets that are near by and some of the supermarkets that are in walking distance. One thing that really struck me was how friendly everyone was- even in the small stores the cashiers greeted us really warmly which I was SO not expecting! It was useful to have chance to go to another supermarket and I came away with a fair bit of stuff (including nandos sauce).

I was pretty tired when I got back, as I think the jet lag had caught up with me, so I went back home after Vista to do a bit of tidying and to have a nap. It was so hard to get up as I honestly felt like I could have slept through the night, but I managed to get up and cobble together a Halloween outfit. To be honest it was basically a big football shirt but I used some eye shadow to try and look like I had bruises- not the best but pretty good for my limited resources! I went round to Sammy’s place as she lives in the same complex as me and bless her she had bought me a can of four loko to celebrate my arrival! I got to meet quite a few more of the Disney CRPs and they were again really lovely, so it was great to get to meet them, Then we went clubbing in downtown Orlando! I had so much fun and I found downtown…interesting haha. Was definitely feeling it in the morning though, so I took advantage of the day off to have a decent lie in. Then Kim’s friend Josh came to see her- they had met in their own interviews, which took place before mine, so us three went out for a little wonder round the shops and explored the local area. Then me and Kim chilled in our room for a bit before deciding to go out to Downtown Disney again to have another wonder which again was great- the atmosphere was brilliant as there were so many people and types of music. I still can’t wrap my head round the fact that I’ll be here for a year!

Next morning was the day that I had been waiting for…Traditions! We got up really early to get ready into our first day of business attire and then get the bus up to the Disney University (yes, such a thing exists).  The day was to basically introduce us to the company- its past, present and future. Me Kim and Anne-Marie sat at a table with a lovely Canadian called Carolyn who we became fast friends with. The room itself was beautiful with a massive mural on eiother side of the room of Disney characters. I answered the first question correctly and got rewarded with a critter, which is a little figurine that you can only get in a traditions class. I got 2 more throughout the day, one fore being voted team other because me and my team won a round where we had to list as many Disney animated characters as possible. I was so happy to get  my little critters- I got Pluto, Donald and Daisy. The presenters were fantastic and gave us loads of useful and interesting stuff but gave it in a way that felt entertaining to listen to. We also got a tour around Magic Kingdom where the demonstrated different features which made the park as great an experience as possible, Even though it was raining really heavily I had a great time. As team leader I had to keep an eye on my team to make sure they didn’t get lost, but it was pretty easy as we all stuck together anyway.

I couldn’t believe when traditions was over, but I was excited to know what I would be doing next. On the way out Anne-Marie saw a friend also finishing her traditions, who had a car and took us to Mall at Millenia which is BEAUTIFUL to look at phone options, and to a supermarket so we could get some heavy stuff which was so kind of her.

And the today after I was back at Disney University for food training. It was mainly basic computer stuff so it was really boring but I got chatting to some nice people and went to the costume building after to get my GORGEOUS (lol, jokes) non-slip shoes for work. I get to finally go to EPCOT for work tomorrow which I am so so excited for as I’ll get to see where I’ll be working!

A lot can happen in a few days it seems! Will keep things posted as long as I am busy

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Less than 2 weeks left!

Been a while since I last posted so I thought I would give a little update 🙂

Since my last post several more people have had offers which is great news! There are 4 people left on our opportunity list, who are really nice girls, so I hope some more offers will be rolling out soon! I think that means around 7-9 people from our opp list now has an offer. I hope this helps people see that the opportunity list is not a bad thing at all, most of us have dates now and all the waiting has been completely worth it! Applications have now opened again, and I know some people who got through to the pre-screen interviews applied again. Unfortunately no many of them seem to have gotten through the first application stage, which is a real shame. It made me realise how lucky I am to be going to Disney on my first application. I think the first stage must be the hardest and I bet a lot of luck is involved, so to anyone who is applying please don’t be disheartened if you don’t get through the first stage.

I kept trying to log in to the Disney website in order to pay my programme assessment fee. It wasn’t letting me log in, and I wanted to make sure it was paid before I went, so I emailed Disney directly and they emailed me saying it should be working now- which it was! Not long after I got an email asking me to fill in an online form requesting which apartment complex and type I would like to live in. I put Patterson as my first choice and would like it to be a 3-bedroom, as I think 6 would be a nice number. Having said that, I don’t think I’ll mind too much where I go, as everyone I have spoken to says they love where they live, regardless of which complex they are in. I’ve put in to try and get an apartment with a girl called Kim who is arriving on the same date and who I have been speaking to loads

I did a practice pack today, to see if I can take everything I need in my luggage allowance. Luckily it went well, I packed most things and my suitcase came in at just under 30kgs, which is the upper limit I’m allowed to take on the plane. It made me feel better as I was concerned it was going to be too heavy, but it’s all fine!  Packing was well strange- trying to fit a year of your life into one suitcase! It still felt like I was packing for a holiday! Got me so so excited though so it was a bit of a shame when I had to put everything back.  It’s all starting to feel so real now! I just want to et over there!

I’ve done all of my shopping now I think. I plan to spend the next 2 weeks picking up any final bits and bobs, and saying goodbye to people. Will update when I have more to update on! Lots of love,

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Manchester Meet Up!

So even before I knew I had a place on the programme I had been talking a lot to other candidates from Disney, some who had places and some who were on the opportunity list. We had made plans to have a meet up to get to know each other better, and finally decided to meet in Manchester as it was pretty central to everybody- we had Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and from all areas of England! We booked apartments in the centre on Manchester, and on the 23rd 9 of us arrived! The night before there had been biblical thunder and lightning storms, causing a fair bit of chaos on the railways. My train was cancelled and loads of others delayed, but I got up there just shy of two hours late. We met in Whether spoons, dropped our stuff off at the apartments and went to the Hard Rock Cafe for Food. Steak= delicious! The plan was to have a night in watching Disney films, but we made some cocktails and after watching Tangled decided to hear out, ending up at Tiger Tiger. Mint night, and by the time we stumbled home I felt like I had knew these girls forever. Next day we got up rather late, although unfortunately Rebecca wasn’t feeling very well so had to go home :(. In the afternoon the rest of us went shopping and then went out for round 2. The night was possibly one of the craziest- and best-I’d ever had.

Saying goodbye was actually a bit sad. I knew one girl- Sammy- would already be at Disney when I arrived, but I was sad at the prospect of the others- Ashleigh, Annaliese, Emmy, Jenna, Kathryn and Katherine- not arriving until between January and March next year. But at least they will be coming- everyone except Katherine has a date and I have no doubt she’ll be taken off soon.

It was lovely meeting everyone, and made me feel a million times better about moving over there as I know I’ll have a great group of girls over there.

Only a few months now until I leave!

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Oh my goodness……I’ve been offered the job!!

So life has been insanely hectic and then wonderfully peaceful for the last few months. The end of my last term at uni was crazy, I felt like I’d moved into the library. All worth it in the end though as i got my 2:1 in English Literature so I am pretty happy 🙂

I’ve signed up for something called the Wolf Run in September. Its a 10km open country run through lakes, mud and over obstacles. Exciting stuff! And I’ve had time to train for it since finishing uni. I’ve been enjoying having lots of time at home with my family- the last few years I’ve barely spent more than a few weeks at a time back in Birmingham, what with uni and my summer in Vietnam, so it’s been great to be back. I’ve been training, reading, relaxing, seeing my Dad and spending time with my cats and dog (call me crazy, but I bloody miss them when I don’t see them!)

It was strange finishing uni literally having no idea where my life was going. I had no plans whatsoever- I put on hold planning anything because of Disney. As a back up I started browsing travelling websites, figuring I could to some travelling for a little while. But not having a firm idea whether and when Disney would play a role in my life was really restricting. But all the waiting paid off…

This morning Dad was making breakfast I walked from the kitchen into my living room, and saw I had a missed call on my phone…from Yummy Jobs. I knew this could only mean one thing. I yelled “Dad  come in here I have a missed call from Yummy Jobs!!” He came dashing in, and we sat on the settee and called James from Yummy Jobs, putting him on speaker. We went through the agony of general chitchat, before he finally…offered me the job! For October 29th! I screamed and sobbed down the phone, probably sounding like a bleedin lunatic. I was told I would shortly receive an email.After I got off the phone, I looked at Dad; he gave me a massive hug and said he was the proudest father in the world.

I have been given the role of Food and Beverage- although I said in my interview I would be happy with either- which I would be- I did want to have F&B as I think it’ll be a busier job which I’ll enjoy, I have a bit more experience in this sector and I’ve heard that if you can move up to a tipped position you can make a better amount of money.

It’s all quite new at the moment and I don’t think it has quite sunk in. But I am so very very excited!

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Things feel better after a while

So I’ve had a long while to consider these results. At first yes, it was pretty disappointing. I felt sadder than I let anyone know. And it has been awkward when people ask me if I got the job at Disney, because I don’t know, and the opportunity list is kind of hard to explain. I just say I have to wait a few months longer, possibly a few months. They look a bit quizzical, and then the conversation turns to something else while I’m still thinking about Disney. I’ve been through phases of feeling not good enough. That I messed up my interview. That I’m that annoying person people are secretly hoping will just leave

But after a time to think I’m feeling much more positive. Like people have pointed out, if they didn’t like me, they would have flat out told me no. But they didn’t, and chances of me getting it are high. I’m not going to give up hope. About 900 people applied on the Yummy Jobs website, I am lead to believe, and I estimate around 30 of were either offered a place or put on the opportunity list. So not doing bad at all.

“I’m wishing…I’m wishing…for the [job] I love. To [phone] me…to [phone me] today!”

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Hmm…

So it’s been quite a while since the interview. I’ve been on tenterhooks most days, even though I know we won’t be hearing for a while. I calmed down the last few days, and had popped home to see the family for a little bit. When I’m at home I check my phone and emails far less, and on the evening when I looked I saw the facebook had gone crackers- people had been rang if they had an offer, and emailed if they hadn’t. Heart sinking, I saw an email from Yummy Jobs and not a missed call.

It was a pretty confusing email. It sounded like an opportunity list email, though it didn’t say that anywhere explicitly.

Let me explain. So after face-to-face interviews, there are three responses. There is the straight out ‘no’, the straight out ‘yes’ where you get told the month your offer is for, or the opportunity list. The opportunity list is there so Disney is never short of people if they decide they need a few extra people, or if someone drops out or is fired- stuff like that. From all the blogs I’d read the opportunity list is not a bad position at all- it’s not a ‘no’, but just a ‘please hang on in there.’ It seems like a good 70%-80% of people on the list get a place.

A lot of fantastic people got dates, from January 2014-March 2014.  I’m happy for them, and happy I didn’t get a no.

But still. It feels like a no.

Disappointing. But certainly not hopeless. I still have a few months of uni left to occupy my time. After that, it becomes a bit more desperate to know if I’m going or not, because I have to plan….well, life really.

Watch this space………..

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The Face to Face Interview

Today’s the day! The sun is shining, the tank is clean, and we are…. wait that’s not how it went. It was actually kind of cloudy. Well anyway, it IS interview day and I woke up a bag of nerves. Despite the interview being just 15 minutes away I set my alarm for 5:00am to give me time to get ready. I’d asked my dad to give me a wake up call (he was able to because of his shift pattern at work), and before I woke I dreamt that it was 5:47 and I was about to start running really late…I woke up holding my phone and 3 seconds later my Dad rang apologising for the late call- it was 5:47!! Somehow THREE of my alarms and my trusty father had failed to go off at 5- but the stupidly early time was predominantly a caution, so if I got my skates on the 50 minutes lateness wouldn’t be too terrible. I feel like something (or someone <3) was watching over me to make sure I would wake-up with enough time to get to the interview.Shockingly I didn’t get much sleep last night, and I had no appetite whatsoever- especially when my instant porridge solidified into one giant lump (how did that happen…?)

Regardless of all this, I got ready and packed and left my suitcase at the desk and headed to the Starbucks in Waterloo station to meet others that had gotten through. I only recognised a few people- including two from my pre-screen group- but once again everyone was super friendly and it helped to calm me down. We walked down together and was so early that the building wasn’t open- luckily it wasn’t raining or snowing as it had started to rain earlier, so we just had to deal with the cold.

Eventually a few other people joined us and then we were let in to the same room as before- I got a seat at the front and we were introduced to Sue who would be interviewing us. She was one of the happiest looking people I’d ever met but I was still bloody terrified of her! The presentation was similar to before but more detailed- people in the videos were like “If you’re unsure, just apply” and I wanted to scream “WE’RE ALREADY HERE AND WE ALREADY WANT IT ! GIVE ME GIVE ME!” But I kept a calm smile on my face and nodded occasionally. You definitely couldn’t tell.

My p-p-poker face…

Then we were given our interview times- mine would be at 12:45, and we were told to arrive half an hour before to do a little bit of paperwork. I was happy to have a bit of time to prepare, but glad to not have to wait too long. If we weren’t amongst the first to be interviewed we had to go with a Yummy Jobs member to get pictures of us jumping outside the London Eye.

High School Musical eat your heart out

There I am in the far left in the grey coat (picture was added to the post later)

I had to change from my heels into my boots for the jump! Was a bit awkward for all us lasses with skirts and heels, but I think we managed a pretty decent picture!

Waterloo station has lots of places to eat, so those who had a little, or long, while to wait went back for some food- we sat in Burger King but most of us brought in food from elsewhere, like sandwiches or in my case noodles! Certainly a few dirty looks from the staff, but they didn’t say anything. Just before my interview, me and a girl with the time slot just before me went to the toilets to freshen up then went back. Paperwork was a doddle, and then I spent about 25 minutes having a chat to some of the Yummy Jobs team while I waited. To begin I wanted to be left on my own, but actually talking to them helped me to not get caught up in my own nerves. And then the door opened…and Sue invited me in! Sweet. Merciful. Jesus.

Though to be fair the interview went ok again. I was definitely more nervous and it showed, I bumbled over my words a little and one of my answers was along the lines of : “If you see a spillage, mop it up. Just mop the thing up as soon as possible…with a mop!”

Oh God.

I think that was the worst bit though- she seemed very interested in my experiences in Vietnam and asked me a lot of questions about it. So I tried to use buzzwords like “cultural sensitivity” etc. However true the experience behind these sorts of phrases are, the phrases them selves make you seem like a bit of an arse. But she was smiling throughout and I think I did myself justice. Questions were very simialr to the last interviews to be honest, but it felt about 2 minutes, even though it was actually 15 minutes. I talked a bit about how a lot of my family is based in industry which Birmingham is famous for- car production on my Dad’s side and the jewellery quarter for several generations on my mom’s side which I thought she may like as I figured it steeped my family in the history of Birmingham. Yeah, I know it sounds pretentious but she responded quite well to it! Thanks family 😛

At the end, she asked if I had any questions, shook my hand, and then left. And just like that, it was all over. As I walked back to the station to meet the others it hit me that there was literally nothing more I could do. But initially I left feeling quite positive, and met the others on their way to Las Iguanas- cue cocktails! Great was to wind down after all the stress. Talking to the others that had had their interviews I realised Sue had the best poker face of all- she smiled and nodded and responded well to everyone’s interviews! Nerves re-entered as I tried to discern whether I thought it was a genuine smile or fake one in my interview, but could not tell. Told myself to stop thinking about it- it was over.

An hour or two later I left to meet my cousin in Covent Garden, collecting my suitcase first. It was great to see her- she’d gotten engaged since I saw her last and we had lots of catch up on. I had an amazing paella and then we had a cupcake in a lovely little bakery shop- great way to end the trip to London.

I said goodbye to her and returned home. The tiredness hit me on the train, so I curled up and had a nap. When my flatmates asked how it went, I didn’t really now what to tell them- I couldn’t decide how good or bad it had gone. All I knew was I really wanted to get it. Apparently it’s going to be a good few weeks now until we hear. Hopefully my uni work will keep me distracted enough so I don’t dwell on it. Here’s hoping!

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