Favorite Things

Hello hello! I'm back! A lot has happened in the last month, I had some family come visit me and I also accepted my extension offer. I will be here until May, so many many more fun details to come in the next couple of holiday months. Of course, it won't be the easiest to be away from home for the holidays but that inspired this post! I wanted to share with you all some of my favorite things to do, eat, see, and so on! (It might be a long one.. Enjoy!)

1. Ride the Seven Dwarves Mine Train during the Wishes firework show @ MK
2. Eat at Sanaa @ Animal Kingdom Lodge (Tandoori Chicken on Naan bread and a view of safari animals)
3. Rent Disney movies from the learning center and watch them on my days off
4. Clam Chowder from the Columbia Harbor and riding the Haunted Mansion right next door
5. Riding rides during holiday parties (ex. Walking right onto space mountain during the Christmas party)
6. Shopping for Disney merchandise
7. Showing family/friends around
8. Expedition Everest @ Animal Kingdom. Favorite ride!
9. Actually everything about Animal Kingdom
10. Eating at Trail's End at Fort Wilderness. Beautiful place and yummy food.
11. Going to Universal Studios. I have an annual pass, its always fun to break out do the Disney bubble.
12. Food & Wine Festival. Needs no explanation really, but is sadly over now. It will be missed.
13. Walking around the world showcase @ Epcot
14. Mickey Ice Cream Bars
15. Not having to jump in and save anyone at work
16. Actually having to jump in and save someone because its a wonderful feeling
17. Taking cheesy photos on rides because I know where all the photo spots are
18. Visiting my roommates at work
19. Warm weather/palm trees/being by the ocean (even though I have yet to go)
20. Going to Disney Springs alone

To be continued when I think of more things, which I know I will!

A Day In The Life

Hello again!

It has been almost a month since I've updated oops! It has been crazy but getting the hang of everything has been awesome. I feel like a full blown Florida resident and part of the Walt Disney family, even if both are temporary.    

So, I thought an interesting blog post would be about what my typical work day looks like! It kind of takes me explaining a little bit about the All Star and life guarding so be prepared to experience a little bit of rambling. 

The All Star Resort includes 3 separate themed resorts: Movies, Music, and Sports. 'Where fun is larger than life' is the motto of the All Star and this is because of the intricate themeing and very large statues that can be found all over. I'll try to find some cool pics and add them to the bottom of this post. It is considered a value resort so guests can stay at a lower cost and have an equally magical resort experience. Each theme has 2 pools, one large pool and one small pool. So each theme requires 3 guards at a time, 2 at the large pool and 1 at the small pool. (6 pools total for those of us who can't math) Each time we come in for a shift we are randomly assigned a theme and we rotate those 3 stands during our shift. 

A typical shift for me is either a morning shift which begins at 8 or 8:30 am or an afternoon shift which begins at 3:15 pm. The pools used to be open until 11 pm but the hours just recently changed to 10 pm. This was a nice change and means I get home a lot earlier. We are at each stand for about 50 minutes and then have a break after doing all 3 stands, which helps time go by pretty fast and it's nice to change up the scene every little bit. I love that we rotate throughout the themes each day and our coordinators keep it pretty fair to ensure we aren't at a theme for a lot of consecutive days. 

I have quickly learned that lifeguards are a little family. We all know what it's like to stand in the sun for long hours and have good and bad days. I like to think the All Star lifeguards are better than most because we all get along so well and they have all been so welcoming. Another neat thing about my day if I am a morning guard is the Changing of the Guard! Every day when the PM guards come to replace the morning guards on stand we do a little line dance with the pool guests and kids and Children's Activities cast members. It is such a wonderful way to end a day and reminds me how wonderful my job is. 

While I don't work at Magic Kingdom and I may not have the coolest job possible according to most, I am loving every second and have learned to love and appreciate All Star and all of the wonderful people in the All Star fam (: 

DCP Week 1-2: Survival Guide

Hi all! So it has been a long couple of weeks! There has been a lot to get done, from check in to Ellis lifeguard training now to on the job training. This makes for a couple bumps in the road and some less than wonderful days. I decided to put together a little survival guide with a little personal twist to give you some insight into my first few week! 

1. If you are not a morning person, you better adjust quickly. Lots to be done means lots of early mornings. This may change once you are settled in, so don't be too alarmed. 

2. Band aids. Boxes and boxed of band aids. I cannot tell you how many times I have walked to Walgreens in the last 2 weeks. Also, fellow lifeguard friends, new crocs are horrendous when they get wet. Put a little extra money in the preventative blister care so you won't end up spending your day off tending to your horrific blisters. 

3. Make friends with people in your role and people at your location. It just makes everything a little less stressful when you have someone else who is going through the exact same struggle. 

4. Call your parents. It just helps. 

5. You don't HAVE to do everything those first few weeks. It's all so new and exciting but if you feel like that extra hour of sleep will help you have a better day at work tomorrow, do it. There will be plenty of time to see all 4 parks in one day and eat all the Mickey shaped food and your roommates will understand.

6. (Sort of an extension on #5) Know that if you decide to go to Magic Kingdom at night for a show or a parade, it is going to be a late night. Especially if you are taking the bus, it is an adventure. Take into consideration the travel time and the Orlando traffic around Disney World when it closes... But definitely do this once in a while because it's incredibly awesome.  

7. Frozen dinners. At least while you are adjusting. It's all well and good if you are a great cook and feel like whipping up something after a long day. But I however am someone who will get so wrapped up in stress or time management that I will eat a handful of almonds for dinner. So, this has been my solution and it works beautifully. 

8. Save. Money. Before. You. Come. I am SO glad I did. Unexpected things happen, like my 50 boxes of band aids. You will start getting paid but it isn't until after the first week (obviously gotta work before you get paid) and some places take out more money because the deposit didn't cover the full rent amount. And you can't say no to buying a Mickey bar the first time you go to Magic Kingdom, you just can't. Bring money. 

9. Lifeguards... Ask lots of questions. If you are stuck on CPR or don't fully understand the in's and out's of your location, ask. They will help you. They know your job is important and the last thing they want is to put you up on stand not feeling confident in your job. The first day of Ellis training is intimidating, and training isn't easy. But you will pass if you are confident and you ask lots of questions.

10. Last but not least, everything will be okay. I am still new and have yet to see some more hard days, but I remind myself everyday how wonderful this opportunity is. Take some extra time to interract with a guest and create a magical moment if you are having a bad day, it puts it all into perspective. 

That's all, I hope this is helpful and let's you know what I've been up to. Thanks for reading! 

Some Work, Some Play

Hello again!

Wow what a crazy few weeks it has been! I cannot believe how much I have squeezed in to such a short amount of time. So as the title states I have had a pretty awesome amount of work and play. This post will specifically be about PLAY and all the fun park going and such that has happened in the last little bit (:

Words can't really explain how unreal it is to walk up to Magic Kingdom, scan my ID and go right in. I also have the freedom to do as much or as little as I would like that day, rather than cram it all into a 4 day vacation. So that's exactly what we've been doing.

The first night we ventured out to Magic Kingdom was on Sunday, the day after Traditions. We went later in the day because I had a training until 4 and so we could catch Wishes and ride some rides. We took the bus to the Polynesian Resort (insanely gorgeous) and rode the monorail to MK.

We rode Space Mountain, Its a Small World, and Haunted Mansion and stopped for some Mickey shaped ice cream of course! We got done in perfect time for Wishes to start, one of the shows that projects images on the castle and plays music and such. It was such a cool experience and was a perfect end to our first real night at the parks.

The next day we went to Hollywood Studios, where 2 of my roommates are going to be working! We spent most of the day there and left around 1 or 2. We took a bus to the Boardwalk which is insanely gorgeous and I would suggest everyone go check it out! We took a ferry boat to Hollywood Studios from there. We went on the Great Movie Ride, watched one of the Frozen Summer Fun shows, did the Tower of Terror, the Rockin Roller Coaster (favorite and only ride I sort of remember from when I came as a kid), and Star Tours! We seemed to luck out with wait times and had an awesome time. I really was looking forward to exploring the area where my roommates were going to be working during the program.

Fast forward about 3 days to the end of my Lifeguard training and we went to Magic Kingdom again on Wednesday night! We got to ride the Seven Dwarves Mine Train! This is the newest ride and has wait times that can get up to 3 hours on any given day. We went during Wishes while the rides are a little quieter and only waited about 45-50 minutes. IT WAS AWESOME. On the open parts of the ride we were actually looking right over the castle and could see the firework show from the ride. We also did Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain. We hung out in Frontierland for the Electric Light Parade which apparently is the most popular, according to my roommate who is working this parade. It was so neat and we all geeked out a little when Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother had a moment with us. We ended the night by going to the castle for the clock to strike midnight and 'The Kiss Goodnight' with a magical goodbye announcement. It was close to empty and there was only a few people still taking pictures with the castle and walking around. Walking down Main Street while it was empty was a perfect ending to a long couple of weeks!

Wow long post but thanks for reading!

TRADITIONS!

Hello all! 

Today was the big day! I woke up bright and early to catch the 6:55 bus headed to Disney University. Everything about today was so surreal and getting to finally experience something I have heard so much about was just incredible. 

Essentially Traditions is your first day of training, your first official day as a Cast Member, and a day to take in as much Disney heritage and core values as you possibly can. You learn what it takes to be a part of a company in charge of making thousands of magical memories every day. *cue the tears* just kidding, but in all honesty there are some tear jerking moments. 

This has been one of those days where I feel so glad I took the leap and accepted my offer. Every day I am realizing just how special this opportunity is, I've heard lots of numbers tossed around but the most accurate seems to be that 20,000 people applied this round and 7,000 recieved offers. I have already met so so many incredible people and stepping into the Magic Kingdom and being made to feel at home was too unreal. (By this I mean specifically when Merida waved at me btw) There is no way I could regret taking this semester off because I have already learned so many things that I could never get from a classroom. 

Just a little story I thought I'd throw in here was that Traditions requires you be in Disney Look as well as business casual attire. I broke out the heel flats and am now full of regret now that my heels are covered in blisters. Random story, but necessary, in case any of you join the DCP, go to Traditions, and break out your most uncomfortable pair of shoes. 

Moving on.... I am now back in my apartment waiting for my other 2 roommates to complete their Traditions so we can all finally get into the parks! I will post some awesome pics below, although I feel you should know they are VERY strict at Traditions about what can be photographed and posted, and what cannot. So I am giving you what I can while preserving the magic and so on.. 

Also, I have no clue who actually reads this. But if it ever gets far enough to a future DCP or someone looking to apply and you have questions feel free to comment. I felt so clueless before I came and hopelessly read tons of blogs, as I become a little more informed I am happy to help anyone out! 

Shenanigans

So, as some of you may know we cannot get into the parks for free yet until we go through Traditions and become official and what not. BUT we are certainly making the most of our time regardless. Today we woke up and went to a pool party at one of the other Disney Housing places (Commons) and it was a blast! They are themed and have a DJ, food, etc.. I am typically not the type to really go out of my way to attend these type of events but this situation really almost requires (to me) that I go out and make the most of every second. We got back and waited for our other roommate, who was at Traditions most of the morning. 

It was time for our first Downtown Disney adventure! Our intention was to go to eat and explore. We got on the bus and Vista is the first stop and DTD is the last, so it took roughly 30 minutes. And then Florida weather not so kindly reminded us that you should ALWAYS have some sort of rain preparation. It started pouring rain. We went to the TRex restaurant and it was such a neat experience. The atmosphere is so cool and there is even a 'meteor shower' every 15 minutes with flashing lights and animatronics. (Not as cool after you've been there for an hour though...) We then had a mini adventure trying to find the bus stop home and make it in time while walking through more rain. It was an awesome little day off, and I look forward to many more days like this when our schedules line up. 

Traditions is tomorrow and I am so excited and anxious! It's basically my first real day and the beginning to my journey to 'Earning My Ears' or completing training. Lots of cool info and pics to come so stay tuned! 

What Next?

Hi! 

Little update on my upcoming schedule for those who are interested! It's going to be a whirlwind, but the roommates and I have vowed to make time to visit the parks as soon as we possibly can (for free anyway 😉). 

The first big thing going on is Traditions! Time to truly become a cast member and learn all about this incredible company. Lasts about 4 hours on Friday. 

Next I start role specific training. I have a general (and VERY long) training about Operations, which includes lifeguards as well as attractions and other roles. 

Then lifeguard training begins..the real deal! 3 days of 7 hour training sessions. I'm so so glad I have lifeguarding experience and feel somewhat prepared for this. 

Last, but probably the most exciting for me... Location specific training! I'll be learning all about my location and hopefully get a good sense of what it'll be like. 

That's all I know for now! I wanted to put this out there because I have no clue if I will have time for updates. 

Thanks for reading! 

Apartment Pics!

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of space and furniture we have! Also, we lucked out and I am obsessed with our huge window and high ceiling in the living room. I was worried that it would make it even hotter in our apartment but so far so good. My Colorado self has stayed a lot cooler than I expected. It is a 2 bedroom apartment and each room has one bathroom and an extra sink/vanity area. 

Check In Day!

Let me just begin by saying check in day was pretty insane! It was an incredible day but they don't mess around, there is a lot to get done. Also, the only piece of information I had going into it was my check in time and the limited amounts of info I scraped together from blogs/Facebook. 

A few days before you arrive you select your housing preferences and roommates. This will not be confirmed until you check in and is not a guarantee. I had been getting to know 3 other girls and was so hopeful we would be roommates. Somehow, it all worked out as planned and we got both our housing AND roommate preferences! We are in Vista Way and I honestly love our place, pics to come later! 

Anyway back to check in.... I arrived at 7:45 am and immediately was directed through a very well organized set of stations, I guess you could call them. We got our housing assignments, went to Casting (HR type of thing, by Downtown Disney), got our housing ID's and some other random things like confirming that we were in Disney Look. **sidenote about Disney Look, my hair actually was deemed unnatural looking (highlights), and I was told to get my hair colored before Friday. This immediately stressed me out, but I got it dyed this morning and all is well** 

(Around 12:30 pm) After check in and casting we returned to Vista and I was able to join my roommates in unpacking and explore our room! Not for long too though... Earlier in the day I was given instructions about our lifeguard test that night. I was in charge of figuring out how to get there on time using the cast member buses (Transtar). This was totally new to me but I figured it out fairly quickly and am honesty looking forward to being able to rely on the bus. I passed the test and got my location and upcoming training schedule. Up to that point my amount of info was VERY limited and it was such a relief to feel like I had some solid info about my upcoming months. 

Sorry for the long post, they won't all be this way. Like I said, this was a packed day! 

Until next time (:

About Me/Introduction!

Hello everyone! 

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Merritt and I am a college Junior. I am hitting the pause button on my life and school in Colorado to participate in the Disney College Program. It is a 5 (ish) month paid internship that involves working in the Disney Parks. In my case, I will be a lifeguard at Disney World, working in the All Star Resort. I am so thrilled to see what the future holds and cannot wait to document my adventures. 

PS, for those of you who are unfamiliar with Disney lingo; 'Role'=Job, 'Costume'=Work Uniform, 'Backstage'=Any area not open/seen by the public 

Thanks for stopping by, enjoy!