A Cold and Very Sad Day

Today was a very sad and dreadful day. One of my best friends on the program went home. She was one of the girls in my apartment who I had been close with since day one finally called it quits. This internship can really take a toll on people. I am sad to see her leave and I know my program will not be like it used to. I am just happy that she only lives 2 hours from my house so the first thing I do when I come home is go see her! Her leaving really makes me realize how awesome this program was because I got the opportunity to make amazing friends like Rikki. God knows that I will be very sad for a long time. It always sucks to see someone in your life walk out, but I am happy that she will always be my best friend and future bridesmaid.

In other news it is extremely cold here in sunny Orlando. Even with the sun shinning with no clouds to be seen it was only 59 today. I know that may seem like a nice cool fall day back in Chicago, but keep in mind that I have been living in the land of eternal summer... This is the first time that the temp has been below 80 so my body is in shock mode! At least my costume (uniform) changes with the changing weather. Instead of a dock worker I will now look like an intense downhill skier. I will be decked out in a winter hat, ski type pants, and a heavy winter jacket. And not to mention a long sleeve shirt and a fleece. I will be all bundled up like the kid from The Christmas Story. I can't wait to see how I act when I come home and see SNOW on the ground. I will need to mentally prepare myself for that one.

Since it is quickly approaching Halloween my work is preparing in the best way recreation people know how... Throwing a massive work party for all the kids. This includes 10+ pumpkins that have been carved and have been slowly decaying in our office/meeting area, 300 pounds of candy, and most importantly fun games that we get to play with the kids all Wednesday at work. Yup my job is awesome. I think the best part about getting prepared for Halloween is the role they gave me. I am the official candy test taster. Basically I (and everyone else at my work) get to eat as much of the 300 pounds of candy to make sure it is "safe" for the kids. As unofficial as my role is I am quite okay eating tons of candy just to test for poison and check for razor blades. We have to look out for our guests ;).

Well that is all the updates for now have a magical night everyone!

Pictures Galore!

His first visit pin that he wore everywhere

His very first Disney World ride! The Tea Cups

<3

We had to try the Snails from France at Food and Wine

The interactive dresser in the Belle ride!

Gaston's Tavern

His first Mickey Bar waiting for the parade

Be Our Guest Resturant

The stain glass 

the dining area

The little mermaid ride

Long over due!

So I know my last post was not as great as it could have been so this one will be better (I hope). Since my last decent blog a lot of great things have happened. My wonderful boyfriend David came to visit me for a long weekend about 2 weeks ago. It was his very first time being in Disney World so it was like bringing a little kid to the parks. He automatically fell in love with everything he saw and of course his jaw dropped the first time he saw the castle. It was crazy to think that I had not seen anyone in my family for over 2 months and the weekend with him flew by way to fast! Now I start my countdown to when I see him again in January... A little over 70 days away till I come home for good.
     I am currently in the application process to become a Campus Rep for the Disney College Program at my  school, Aurora University. If I get this position I basically get all the perks of working for Disney without being away from my family. As a Campus Rep I will be in charge of all the meetings and info sessions for recruiting people to the college program. I will also be a mentor to anyone applying or preparing for there semester away. Fingers crossed I get it!!!!!
     Another awesome thing that is happening in Disney World right now is Food and Wine Festival over at Epcot. Basically what is a huge food eating event. Countries from around the world have stands set up around the World Showcase (google it if you don't know what that is) and bring the best and most random food. Although it isn't cheap and it would be more fun if I was able to drink its an awesome experience!
     Many of you may know or you may not know that at the Magic Kingdom there is a big construction project going on... NEW FANTASY LAND! Yes they did tear down Toon Town, but it is for the better. The new Fantasy Land has Prince Adam's and Prince Eric's castles (aka Beauty and the Beast and Little Mermaid). They also have Gaston's Tavern and my favorite the Be Our Guest Restaurant. This is the biggest thing that has hit Disney World since they brought Soarin' to Epcot. Although Fantasy Land is not set to fully open till Dec 6th it is currently open now as their "dress rehearsal". And I have been there over and over again!
    Other than that I am still loving my life down here and Disney and definitely loving the still 80+ degree weather. I am getting a tad homesick from my family and friends but soon my mom, aunt, and sister will be down here for some fun in the sunshine state!!!

Have a magical morning :)

Long time no post!

Sorry for not posting in awhile. This post is dedicated to Jordan who harassed me to post it. So I guess what everyone wants to know is what have I been doing lately. I have been super busy working and started my Disney class. A little bit about my awesome class. My class is called Enviromentality and Sustainability. It is all about how Disney saves the environment. It's awesome mainly because I have so many field trips. We are going to Animal Kingdom to meet zoo keepers and the animals that you see on the safari ride. We also get to go to Epcot and swim with the two dolphins and manatees that Disney owns. Simply stated this class is amazing. Work is work still chilling on the dock. Tonight is Halloween inservice for lifeguard. There will be more details on that once I actually figure out what I am doing in it tonight. I promise I will blog more since I still need to explain how awesome Food and Wine Festival. Have a magical night!

Pictures, Pictures, PIctures

Feel good moments at Disney World

The other day at work something truly magical happened. I was working at Port Orleans outside of the cashier box playing with the kids like I normally do when rentals are slow. A mother and son walked up and was wondering if they could rent a surrey bike. For those of you who don't know what a surrey bike it is like 2 bikes side by side and it looks super cute. While I was talking to the mom she told me a story from a long time ago that melted my heart (she also allowed me to share her story online). Her son was born almost 5 months premature and had developed autism at a very young age. When her husband realized the amount of energy it would take to raise his son he left her on her own. The mom always dreamed of taking her children to Disney World, but realized that it would take a lot of saving up. When her son Devin turned 10 years old she finally had the money to go. They decided to stay at Port Orleans because it was affordable. Once they arrived they walked passed the bike rentals and Devin automatically feel in love with the Surrey bikes. So everyday on their vacation they rented a Surrey bike so he could ring the bell. Unfortunately because of his disability he is unable to pedal the bike so his mom did all the work which is quite a workout. Even though it was hard she rented one everyday just to see Devin smile. Their vacation came to an end and they had always planned to come back. 10 years later they came back to Disney World and Devin requested they stay at Port Orleans just so they can rent a surrey bike everyday. So that brings us back to present time. As I was getting them set up on their bike Devin was smiling and clapping and ringing the bell like it was the best thing ever. When they came back from their ride the mom thanked me and asked if I would take a picture with Devin because he loved how nice I was. So the next day at work they came back to rent a Surrey bike like usual. When they came back from their first ride Devin wanted to go again. His mom was really tired out, but she wanted to make her son happy so they went again. They came and Devin requested to go around just one more time, but his mom was just to tired since she is the only one who can pedal. Meanwhile there were 3 soldiers standing by listening to the mom tell her son she couldn't do it again. The 3 soldiers stepped in and said that they had been thinking about renting out a Surrey bike and asked the mom if Devin would like to go on a 4 seat Surrey bike with them so the mom could rest. Devin was so excited he got to go again and the mom was in tears. I have never witnessed something like this and it really gave me hope that their are people out there who are looking out for others. I was truly blessed to meet Devin and his mom along with the 3 soldiers. I simply love my job!
Have a magical afternoon :)

Time is flying by!

I cannot believe that it is almost October already! I seriously feel like it was just yesterday that I was moving in and saying good to mom. Now I am almost half way though my program and never want to leave. Time here goes by so much quicker than anywhere else in the world. I swear an 8 hour shift at home felt like it would drag on for days, but here I work 8 hours everyday and I am shocked at how quick it goes by. Must be something about the Disney magic. Enough about the time lets talk about the weather. It feels like it is the middle of July here. It is constantly close to 100 degrees out everyday, but luckily the humidity factor of the weather is gone! It is funny to see pictures of people back home who are in jeans or boots and I am laying out by the pool. It is crazy to think that I will have to leave this wonderful weather for the dreadful Chicago snow in only a few short months. But lets not think about going home just yet! I am still spending every hour I am not working at the parks with best friends here. I seriously don't know what I would do without their craziness! Well I don't to waste a beautiful day indoors so I guess its time to go lay by the pool!
Have a magical day!

Busy Busy Busy

Sorry I haven't posted anything in awhile I have been super busy! I am still having the time of my life. At work right now we are in "slow" season, but it doesn't feel like it at times. I am starting to miss home a little bit. Mainly missing my mom which I know I shouldn't seeing as how I talk to her 3 or 4 times a day. The day that I missed my mom the most was when I was watching the Emmys. None of my roommates were home so I ended up calling my mom every time I saw a dress I loved or an unexpected win. I am such a mommy's girl I cannot wait for her to visit. Other than missing my mommy a little I am doing great and having tons of fun here in sunny Florida where the temperature is always 95!
Have a magical night!

Rainy Days!

Today was simply amazing. I started work at 9 am at Port Orleans. It was a nice hot and sunny morning. Around 10 am it started to get a little darker but nothing to worry about. At 12 I swear the sky opened up and down poured. So we did what we normally do when it rains and no one wants to rent boats. We played catch, colored, and hula hooped. To top of my lazy day  at work we had recreation appreciation day. We got to go to lunch for longer than an hour paid of course, played the Wii and ate free pizza, which was so good! Overall today was a great work day!  After work I came home to my lovely roommates who decided we needed to get out of the apt. Thank god it was Vegas night so we got our gambling on and who can resist some free food! I guess it is time for our ice cream sundae bar and a scary movie at 1 am! Oh well!
Have a magical night!

Making Memories

Tonight my roommates and I were at Magic Kingdom (of course) around closing time. We decided to sprint towards Space Mountain to see if we could get one more ride. As we were passing the castle in a full out sprint yelling and screaming at each other we stopped to wait for our roommate who was lagging behind. As we stood there we realized that there was a couple standing alone by the castle hugging and crying. To our surprise he had just proposed outside the castle right as we were running by. As soon as we realized what we had interrupted we starting to scream and shout (and most of us cried). As we watched them hugging and  jumping around it was so surreal to realize that this kind of thing happens everyday. Since we were the only ones around we were more than excited to take tons of pictures for them. We realized that we are now a part of their engagement story (in a very unconventional way). Safe to say tonight was a night I will never forget!
Have a magical night!

Roommates!

The one thing I am most thankful for during this semester away from home is my roommates. Callie and Rikki seriously get me through my days here. Whether it be a picture of something crazy or a text asking me where I am, they know how to make me smile. Even if we are just sitting in the apartment watching a movie (we are currently watching Caspar right now) I know that a laugh is right around the corner. Tonight we went to Hollywood Studios and ate at the Sci-fi Dine In and something our waiter said really stuck with me. He said that no matter what happens stay close to these girls keep in contact with them and 20 years from now you will be meeting here with your families looking back on these moments. When he said that we looked at each other and laughed.... We already made plans for them (Callie and Rikki) to live in my backyard. I am so grateful that I can call these girls roommates, best friends, and future babysitters for my kids!
Have a magical night!

Family Time

After being in Disney for almost a month its hard to believe that I used to come here just for vacation. Now I go to the parks to get my favorite pretzel or get a candy apple. Now that my aunt, uncle, and 2 little cousins are here I have realized how much more fun the parks are when you have little kids with. Don't get me wrong I love going to the parks with my roommates, but having a little kids with you makes things so much more fun. Everything makes my cousins excited! Seeing their favorite characters or their favorite rides makes their eyes light up. I wish my little cousins were around everyday just so I could see their excitement about everything. I guess that is all for now!
Have magical afternoon!  

All by Myself.

Today was my first official day of work! I am a big girl now! As nerve wracking as it was, I loved not having someone standing over my shoulder talking me through everything. My first customers ended up being from Georgia. I am pretty sure the nicest people come from Georgia (like my best friend Jessie). I helped them decide which boats to get, told them the rules, and got them wrist bands. When I was finished they asked me how long I had been working there and after I explained it as my first day the family started clapping and cheering. My boss who was in the other room came out and was so curious to see what was going on. He said that was the first time someone ever cheered for a cashier. I feel pretty dang special and really proud to be a Disney cast member!
Have a magical night! 

Finally Earned My Ears!

After 5 long easy days of training at Port Orleans Marina and Downtown Disney Marina I finally passed my kapa (knowledge assessment test). That means that I "earned my ears" or that I can finally work on my own! Everyone who works at Disney has to earn there ears in whatever role (job) they  get. Which means you have to wear this little sticker under your name tag that it bright red and say "EARNING MY EARS" so everyone you talk to has to ask what does that mean... Well its a great conversation starter for one, but it is such a pain in the butt most of the time. So I can now proudly say that I no longer have to wear that sticker ever again! I am so excited to start my job all by myself with no one hanging over your shoulder telling you how they do it. Everyone does their job differently so when I train with 5 different people and they all, say for instance, write out the boat tickets differently obviously they tell me their way is right and the other way is wrong. I am just thankful that training is over with now and I am all grown up in the Disney Company. I cannot wait to see what the next 4 months has in store for me!
Have a Magical Day! 

First Day of Work!

Today I started my on the job training at the Port Orleans marina.  I thought it was going to be boring and lame. I mean how much fun can you have being on a dock in the Florida heat. Well safe to say I was wrong. When I first got there I met my amazing trainer who honestly had me laughing the entire day. Everything that came out of his mouth was either sarcastic or completely out of left field. We started going over the basics of the dock. Talking about what we sell, how we rent things out, and where everything is. After we realized that we were bored with the "training guide book" he was supposed to follow, we decided that we should make it more hands on learning and of course more FUN. So from that moment on all we did was fun things. We started with going over things about the boats and the only way to learn that was of course to take them out and "test" their speed down the river. After that was done we moved on to the bikes that we rent. We decided that those also needed to be taken out for a "test". Next up was the break room for a super lovely lunch! After lunch I sadly had to get back to online tests, but of course I was saved by my favorite lake patrol men who decided that it was time to take a tour of the lake. My trainer and I were dropped off at Downtown Disney to visit my second job location. After we were done at that dock we went back to Port Orleans and decided to wash a boat. After my long fun day was over I thought about everything we did and all the awesome people I met and realized I might never want to leave Walt Disney World! This is the first time in my entire life where I am excited to go to work no matter how early it is or how ugly my costume is. That is Disney magic in the works right there.
Have a magical night!

All Jazzed Up!

Today was my first day of Port Orleans Resort orientation. After waking up at 6:30 to get on a bus at 7:20 (which was late as per usual) I finally arrived at  Port Orleans for my All Jazzed Up class. If you are not familiar with the Port Orleans resort I will give you some basic information on it. The Port Orleans motto is where Disney magic flows with southern charm. From the motto you can obviously tell that it is inspired by old Louisiana (which means the word "ya'll" rings from wall to wall). The resort is broken down into two areas. French Quarter was the first one opened in 1991 and is designed after the French Quarter in New Orleans. There are brightly painted buildings and doors with classic southern jazz playing all around you. The second area, and the biggest area, is Riverside. Riverside opened  in 1992 and is themed after the Louisiana bayou. The entire resort is the largest resort on Walt Disney World Property with exactly 4056 rooms. The resort is amazing with amazing pools and gardens. It also looks over the Sassagoula River which is exactly where I will be working. If you want more information on this hotel um Google it. Anyways after a two hour tour of the resort grounds and a whole hour based only on how to safely lift heavy object we were released into the gross Florida rain, typical day. As for the rest of my night with my roommates we are planning a very relaxing night of food and Pretty Little Liars. I guess that is all for now.
Have a magical night

Tropical Storm Isaac...

This is all I have to say about these "tropical storms"

The Things I Do for My Boyfriend

The other day my roommate Kelsey and I decided that we wanted get autographs from all the characters we saw. So we started our adventure at Epcot since she had never been there before. As we were walking around the different countries we found ourselves in France. We saw a long line and wondered what character was over there, since long lines in Disney World either mean a popular ride or, of course, characters. As we started running to the line just like all the other little kids. As soon as we got in line I realized it was Belle from Beauty and the Beast. I instantly thought of my boyfriend who is probably more in love with Belle then he is with me (that might be exaggerated). So I had a brilliant idea and get her autograph just for him. Once I got up to Belle I told her who I wanted the autograph for and she was more than happy to do it. When she asked who this "David" was I explained that he is my boyfriend. She asked me one more question about David before I left and it was "Oh, is he your Prince Charming?". Of course I just had to say YES! 

Have a Magical Day  

Traditions and the Longest Day of My Life.

Today started bright and early. How does waking up at 5am sound to get in line for a bus at 6:30 am sound... Yeah and most of you complain of 8 am class. No sympathy for you guys. Well the reason for the early wake up call and 45 minutes bus ride was because today was the most important day of my DCP (Disney College Program). We had traditions, which is basically orientation for just working at Disney. Most people would think that was boring, but at Disney everything is fun. Our leaders were amazing! We watched old clips of Walt Disney talk and people from all around the globe talk about their experiences. Taking all of this in was a miracle and really showed my how big of a role I play in creating magic for people young and old. So after the typical sit in a room stare at a Power point for 3 hours was done we got to do something that  most people will never be able to say. Ready for it? I got to go under the Magic Kingdom. Yes, you read that right we went under ground. For ya'll (my Louisiana roommate is getting me to say it) who don't know this fun fact I will explain it more. The Magic Kingdom is 2 stories. The castle and the rides are actually on the 2nd story.. Crazy right?!? So what is the first story you may ask... Well it's a secret that I am not giving away, but if you Google it you will understand. Let me just tell you it is simply amazing. After a 5 hours of sitting and walking for traditions, my roommates decided it was time to hit up the parks (for free I should add) for the night. So after 7 hours at Epcot and Magic Kingdom and a late night trip to Walmart later here I sit blogging about my amazing experience. And trust me this is only the beginning. To all of you in college enjoy your classes while I spend the days lounging by the pool and hitting up the Disney World Parks.
Have a Magical Night!

Shout Out to My Roommates

I have the best roommates anyone could ask for! They are super nice and it feels like I have known them my whole life. Everywhere we go people always ask us if we were friends before and we shock them by saying we met on facebook! As homesick as I might get down here I know that my lovely roommates will be there every step of the way.

Sorry for the Delay

I was hoping I would have had time to write this yesterday but I didn't so don't hate me for writing this 2 days late. Yesterday August 20th was check in day for my Disney College Internship. It consisted of standing in line, checking in, standing in line, getting my apartment, standing in line, getting my photo id, waiting an hour in Florida heat just to stand in line to get on a bus, stand in line, going to casting, where you also stand in line, then finally going to my apartment. It was a rough day to say the least so lets start at the beginning. Prior to check in my roommates and I were talking about what time we should get to check-in in order to get the apartment we wanted. We decided that 5:15 AM was the perfect time to get in line.... Which meant a nice and early wake up call and lizards crawling every where! Gotta love Florida mornings. There were some advantages to being there that early though. We got the best apartment complex and we got to watch a few girls do the walk of shame at 6 in the morning. For those of you who don't know what the walk of shame is google it. Other than that it gave my roommates and I time to get to know each other. Check in was supposed to start at 9 am, but luckily the line started moving at 7:30! After we checked in we went from line to line to standing to a bus to another building. Slightly ridiculous I know. Unlike most jobs you know where you are working right away, Disney doesn't roll like that. I found out what type of job I would have, but not where I was working at. So at casting I found out my official Disney role. Get ready for it......... I work at Port Orleans at the Riverside Marina. So google it and check it out! It's simply amazing. So for right now that is all I know about my upcoming adventure in Disney! I promise to be blogging more and photos to come of my amazing apartment that everyone who lives in a crappy college apartment will be jealous of (I mainly want to rub it in my sisters face).
Have a magical day!

Who am I?

Well I figure that most of you viewing this blog know me, some of you won't so I will give you some background on who I am and what I am doing. For starters my name is Taylor and I am studying Pre-Law at Aurora University. Since I was little I was in love with Disney especially going to Walt Disney World. There is something about Disney that makes me feel like I am at home. So when I got to college and found out that Disney World had an College Internship Program of course I had to do it. So I applied and clearly got accepted. So here are the basics of my upcoming internship. I move into my apartment with 5 other girls on Monday August 20th. After move I begin my journey as a Walt Disney World Cast member aka I get a job working on Disney property. This internship is great in two ways. The first is I get experience working for such a outstanding company and second I get paid. So what job am I doing. Well out of a long list to pick from which had everything from house keeping to being a character I got recreation. Recreation... What does that mean? My thoughts exactly. Basically I could either work water slides at Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon or I could work with children at the resorts on Disney property. I won't know my exact job until after I move in. Everything is just a big surprise at this point but I am taking it one day at a time. So feel free to follow my life for the next 5 months through this blog and enjoy the Disney College Experience through my words!
Have a Magical Day!

Waking Up in Disney World

Today is the first day of my pre-Disney vacation. Yes, my family, my mom, my brother, and I, insisted on spending the weekend before I move into my apartment at the parks! Our hotel room is cluttered with 5 huge suitcases that are home to my huge clothing and shoe collection. It is hard to believe in a little under 4 days I will be saying goodbye to my Mom and be left alone in Disney World for the first time in 19 years. As for right now I will be enjoying what little time I have with my family and loving every second in Walt Disney World.
Have a Magical Day!