It did not just do that!!!!!!!!!

The last few weeks have gone by pretty fast. We've still been pretty busy at the Seas. It's certainly been busy enough to keep us on our toes. I now have less than a week left, and my last day is next Wednesday. I've been working pretty hard at at work, and my off time has been devoted as much time as possible with the friends I'll soon be leaving. It's hard to believe that I leave in a week. While I'm ready to come home to my family, Poppins, and good ole T-Town, I'll definitely miss the friends I've made here and the opportunity to make magic for people everyday, not to mention the pretty awesome perk of being able to go to a theme park whenever I want. It's been pretty darn hot in Florida. It hit 90 the past three days, and being outside in bright blue polyester pants doesn't help.

Last week there was a graduation celebration for those of us who are about to leave and finish our programs. I received a nice little certificate, a poster, a picture with Mickey and Minnie in graduation robes, and a nifty little pair of graduation Mickey ears.

If you watch Modern Family (and if you don't you should), you'll recognize the title of the post from an episode of the show where Phil gets an iPad for his birthday. Today, I traveled to the Florida Mall to purchase one of my own. Needless to say, I feel just like Phil Dunphy. I'm actually writing this post from my new iPad. I absolutely love it. I even bought the application that is featured in the episode where Phil blows out the candles on a cake on the iPad. Happy graduation to me!

Hello

Glad to report that I have survived the Spring Break rush with most of my sanity in tact. I feel really blessed to be a part of a truly awesome Seas Cast. They have truly made these past couple of weeks fly by. I was also blessed with a visit from Catherine to see Sheryl Crow perform at Universal Orlando as part of their Mardi Gras concert series. However, I would like to know where their seriously jilted views of Mardi Gras came from, because I'm fairly certain that the real New Orleans celebration barely resembles like the one I witnessed last Saturday. Sheryl was great, and definitely made up for the confusion caused by the Mardi Gras shenanigans presented by Universal.

This week brought the event that I have eagerly anticipated for nearly four months. Unfortunately, I'm not talking about the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (disappointing Universal). I'm talking about the most important pop culture event in my mind right now: the return of my favorite show, Glee. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. The first episode was amazing, and I hear that they only get better. I'm so excited for the rest of this season, as well as the Glee tour that Catherine and I are attending in Los Angeles this summer. Hooray Glee!!

I can't believe that I now have under a month left here. It's gone by so quickly. I'd say it's been one of the best experiences of my life. I'm definitely going to miss it.

Spring Breakers Assemble!

Ahh Spring Break. What can I say about this week? A 52 hour work week combined with only one day off and a wee bit of a sinus infection has sure made for an interesting week. Needless to say, I'm pretty exhausted. I will admit that I have come to enjoy busy times. It makes work go by much faster when they are people crawling out of the woodworks at the Seas. It's getting a little harder to walk about the building, and we've started employing extra positions in our rotation to help with crowd control (most of them are more fun actually). We expect to be pretty busy next week as well with all of the Easter crowds. We at the Seas are having a lot of fun playing one of my personal favorite games, "Spot the Brit." I'm pretty darn good at this particular game. I can't believe how fast this semester is going. It made me pretty sad when I realized that I leave in a month and a half. Boo....back to the real world.

Getting pretty excited about Catherine's visit next week for Sheryl Crow. Woo hoo! Now if only Universal would soft open Harry Potter...June 18th is waaaaayyy to far away, especially when they're already rehearsing (IN COSTUME no less!) and that new ride is done. I just want a Butterbeer...and a wand...and other things Harry Potter nerds like myself would want. Sneaky Universal....so mean. Please open before I leave. I've been staring at Hogwarts for far too long now. Kthanks.

Practicing my Afritude!

So I previously mentioned how much we adored our first time at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We love it so much that I think it deserves its own post, and given how I sometimes forget to blog, that's a pretty big deal in my book. In my opinion, AKL has some of the best theming of any WDW resort, and the attention to detail is extraordinary, even for a WDW resort. I might go so far as to say it's my current favorite resort. We stayed in the Kidani Village section, which holds many of the Vacation Club Villas. It truly is beautiful, and I would seriously consider moving in if possible. It's pretty heavily influenced by The Lion King, and many of the details in the room come from imagery from the Broadway musical version, which greater increased my love for the resort. Here's some pictures.

The master bed. The carvings above the bed show Simba and Nala.

The back of the kitchen table chairs, which show Mufasa's face from the logo of the musical.

The carvings on the armoire that held the TV. Amazing detail.

How many other places in the world will you have a Lion King mural above the bathtub?

Most rooms at Kidani have a balcony from which you can see the savannah that is in the middle of AKL. There are many different types of animals living in the savannah. Here's some more pictures.

The view from our room.

How we spent a majority of our time in the room.

Oh hey Mr. Giraffe. And an ostrich.

Zebras. NBD.

A cute little animal whose name I cannot recall.

We absolutely adored AKL. I would definitely put it near the top of my wish list of resorts when visiting WDW. We loved the animals, the accommodations, and of course, the Afritude (their word, not ours). Hooray for the Animal Kingdom Lodge!

Leaving my teenage years behind

So now I know I'm a terrible blogger. I didn't realize it's been a month since I've sat down at my computer to do this...this is actually the first time I've turned on my computer in about a week (no lie). Things have been pretty busy here at WDW as spring breaks have made our numbers skyrocket in the past weeks. To put it into perspective, the Nemo ride had a 45 minute wait yesterday. Our average wait in past weeks has been 5 to 15 minutes tops. Needless to say we've been working pretty hard over at the Seas. That little fish is pretty stinkin' popular.

Nothing too terribly exciting has happened outside of the everyday magic we make at WDW. With ESPN the Weekend came visits from some ESPN personalities and athletes who came through with their families. I recognized a few of them, but the boys at the Seas were much more excited than the girls.

Two weekends ago, I was paid a visit by Catherine and the parental units to celebrate my 20th birthday. We had a pretty stellar time playing in the parks. I'm pretty sure it was the first time we've ever been in the parks on a family member's actual birthday, and we got to stay at a new resort with our inaugural stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I've definitely got a new addition to my favorite WDW resorts list. Here's some pictures from our trip.

Cupcake for breakfast. Best was to start a birthday, no?

Tusker House Daisy. Best character interaction ever. Period. I'm serious. Plus, it's not very often that you get to see Daisy in an area specific costume, let alone at a breakfast buffet.

The cake that my wonderful family ordered for me for birthday dinner at the Brown Derby. The cake was delicious, and even better was the company that designed it. Thanks so much for everything family. Wouldn't be here without you. Love you all from the bottom of my heart.

What do ya say to taking chances?

YAY! Mission Celine is a success! Hooray for a fun birthday....next year. Thought I'd let you know.

Anyways, work has been pretty crazy this week. What with the Super Bowl in Miami (Go Saints!), President's Week, and the whole state of Louisiana being in town for their Mardi Gras holiday, we've been pretty busy. We actually had to turn people away from Turtle Talk, which makes people fairly unhappy. Nemo actually had a 30ish minute wait, which is huge when you average 5 minutes at peak hours.

I would also like to announce my first famous(ish) person sighting at the Nemo ride. I put Johan Santana and his family on the ride. For those of you who don't know, he's considered one of the top five pitchers by most baseball experts, even if he does play for the Mets (boo). He was very nice, and I guess I can forgive him for playing for the Mets as long as he doesn't beat the Braves.

Yesterday I had a day off, so I ventured over to Universal with my coworkers Kelsey and Scott and Scott's fellow Aussie Kate. All of us are Annual Passholders, and we had a pretty great time. We arrived before the park opened to allow time for ticket pickup, and we were shocked when we were let through the gates and allowed to walk right up to the first attraction without being held back by Universal workers like we cast members have to walk in front of Guests at rope drop. We were able to do all the attractions at both parks that we wanted to do, and we even had time to stop and take touristy pictures. Here are a few of my personal favorites.

Here's a group shot: me, Kelsey, Scott, and Kate.

In front of Hogwarts Castle. Clearly I am very excited about this, and so were my fellow Universal explorers. We took a lot of pictures of the site, and I am pleased to report that they seem to be progressing very well. Word on the street is that Dueling Dragons, which they're retheming to be Harry Potter related, is closing for three weeks at the end of this month. Good sign, yes? I say yes.

And speaking of good signs, Universal has pretty funny rider warning signs. Here's my favorite. It's outside of Dueling Dragons, and it's my favorite sign that I've ever seen in a theme park. Ever. Please forgive my odd, and apparently somewhat twisted, sense of humor.

This picture fully conveys my feelings after riding Dudley Doright's Ripsaw Falls, the log flume ride at Islands of Adventure. I was wearing a rain jacket, yet water somehow seeped under it onto my shirt. My jeans took four hours to dry.

So all in all, a pretty good week. I'm just enjoying a pretty mellow day before work tomorrow. Thought I'd fill you in. Currently listening to Celine Dion to prepare for the awesomeness to come in March 2011. Can't wait. Also listening to Sheryl Crow lately as I'll be seeing her in April as part of Universal's Mardi Gras concert series. I love living in a place where I can spend one day at one great theme park and the next at another across town. You should all come see me, and we'll do it together. I'll be here.

"Tu habla espanol?" "Sorry, no"

So I figured it was time for another blog post, mostly to prove that I can in fact be a better blogger. I've been working a good bit, which I guess is good since that is the reason I came down here in the first place. Sometimes I do get pretty tired, but rest puts me right back in fighting shape for the next work day. My days have been pretty standard, but they always prove to be pretty interesting. About a week ago, a father and his daughter rode the Nemo ride for a solid hour. That's about 12 times in a row. Needless to say we were pretty impressed, especially when they returned the following (they only rode once the next day I believe).

Turtle Talk always provides with pretty memorable moments. With different audiences, each show is a different and new experience. Some questions are common and tend to get asked at most shows (ie what Crush likes to eat), but once in a while I've heard some pretty funny ones. My favorite question I've heard was when a kid asked if Crush was a Democrat or a Republican. Crush said he was a member of the Turtle Party upon the kid's clarification that the difference between the two was that one was a donkey and the other was an elephant. Crush also provided a moment that made me cry. He saw a special needs Guest who wasn't able to ask a question, so after the theatre cleared, Crush came back out just to talk to the girl and her family. I was standing outside the door practically weeping. Just another example of the difference we can make as Cast Members, which is something I wish to be able to do one day.

Since we get into the parks for free, my roommates and I frequently visit the parks on our days off. I would like to share with you a particular experience we had on the Jungle Cruise. Our guide's name was Lisandro, and he was one of the best skippers I've ever had. One joke in particular made me snort with laughter. When we came to the part with the plane crash, Lisandro spit out this beauty (imagine it with a Hispanic accent): "Oh no, a plane crash! That can only mean one thing...Lost! Tonight at 9 on ABC! Oohhhh. Dun dun dun..."

I also got a surprise visit from Catherine and a couple of her moot court team members last week. They drove up from Tampa after their competition, and I used my Main Entrance Pass to help them get into The Magic Kingdom and Epcot. It made for a quite pleasurable day, and I'm always happy to enter the parks with friends and family. So thanks for the visit Catherine, Gretchen, and Jennifer.

This time a year is apparently a time in which lots of tour groups visit, so they've been pretty interesting. They range from school groups to foreign groups (mostly Brazilian). They sure do keep you on your toes, especially the ones who don't speak English. This week is the National Cheerleading Competition at Wide World of Sports, so WDW has been blessed with the presence of 8500-ish cheerleaders (and their just as entertaining stage moms). Wish me luck for the rest of their stay. Please.

And on a completely Disney-unrelated, but equally exciting, note, I came across an announcement yesterday while eating my Barbeque Chicken Salad at Wolfgang Puck Express in Downtown Disney that stopped me dead in my tracks, and also heavily imacted my music listening habits for the last few days. Some of you probably won't care at all, some might make fun of me for caring this much, and some of you (ie Catherine Bridgers) will share my enthusiasm for this announcement: Celine Dion is returning to Casear's Palace in Las Vegas! And just in time for my birthday in 2011! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Here's a not-so-subtle hint for a 21st birthday present for me parental units.....a weekend with Celine!!!! That is all.)

Raindrops keep falling on my head

So yesterday was a day that I feel needs to be shared with all of you. It rained almost constantly all day yesterday. When I asked a roaming Custodial Cast Member if he knew the forecast at the start of my day he said to me, "Rain, rain, heavier rain, more rain, and end the day with some drizzles of rain." Needless to say the Custodial Cast Members around the Seas usually have pretty good senses of humor. So I slapped on the Disney issued rain gear (a see through rain jacket made of similar material to the $7 ponchos they sell) and headed out into the rain when my turn came, which was three hours out of my eleven hour shift (that's a good bit when there are about ten positions in the Seas and you spend an hour at each one).

To my surprise, the rain put me into an arguably better mood. Most Guests I came across where nicer to me than usual, probably because we have to stand in the rain while they just run from attraction to attraction. One man even came up to me and the manager who had come to talk to me outside and said "I just wanted to thank y'all for standing out in the rain for us. I know it's probably not what you want to be doing, so I thought I would come over and say thanks." Ashby (the aforementioned manager) said that he had never had that happen to him before.

Another highlight of the day was when a Guest came up to me and asked where he could find the Michael Jackson 3D movie, Captain Eo. I was very excited at this question, and I was devastated to inform him that the show had not been at WDW in approximately 15 years. He was quite heartbroken, but was quite pleased when I told him he could find the whole thing on YouTube and that it was being brought back to Disneyland this month.

Now the last highlight of the day will require some knowledge of both Lady Gaga and Jersey Shore, even though I am fairly opposed to the latter. I saw a girl yesterday that I laughed really hard about later. My first impression when I saw her was guidette. She was definitely taking fashion pointers from Snooki from Jersey Shore (think Ed Hardy and fairly short shorts), and homegirl was definitely wearing a Bumpit. That's right, a Bumpit. And then she turned her head to call her similarly dressed friend. Omgeez, she had tied her hair in a bow. She had a legit bow of hair about the size of my hand on her head. For a visual, imagine putting these two hairstyles together. You can imagine the hilarity, and for those of you who know, the urge to fist pump.

Alas, not every Guest can be so entertaining thought provoking. As it is pouring again. I'm hoping it will once again be a fairly entertaining day.

I've been a bad, bad, blogger

I'm so sorry folks. I'm a really bad blogger, and I didn't realize that I would be upon my undertaking of this blog. So I apologize if you or anyone else you may know has lost faith in my blogging motivation and followthrough.

The last few weeks have been pretty hectic, yet at the same time seemingly routine. Days at The Seas kind of flow by, water pun completely intended. We rotate between all the possible positions with a couple of breaks here or there. My favorite positions have ended up being in the theatre at Turtle Talk and being outside as the greeter at the entrance of the Pavilion. I get to talk to guests at both, albeit through a turtle at the first position. The only true downfall of the Seas in my opinion is these guys.

If you've seen Finding Nemo, you'll recognize these birds. I'll admit that they were funny in the movie and still quite hilarious the first time I visited the ride. However, hearing them for the solid hour that you're standing outside, and hearing the impressions of them that tourists yell at the top of their lungs and find so hilarious and amusing, can be a little rough, especially on a day like yesterday when I was outside for three hours of my 12 hour shift. Luckily, they're quite easy to drown out, that is until a Guest asks how annoying those birds must be. So thank you tourists, for reminding all the Seas Cast Members of those little friends of ours which we work so hard to ignore.

So it's been a pretty good, yet tiring, couple of weeks. Last night's 12 hour shift (with a respiratory infection I might add) has been part of a 45 hour week, which has been about the normal work schedule for me since I've started working. The days really do run quite the same, which I guess I never thought about when starting this program. Now I'm not saying that I'm bored, not enjoying myself, or would rather be anywhere else, because those statements definitely are not true. While I'll admit that The Seas is not where I envisioned myself working when I received my invitation, I really am truly happy about where I work and the people I see everyday. They've all been very helpful and supportive of me as a start my time as a Walt Disney World Cast Member. Even though it does get quite repetitive being asked about the whereabouts of Soarin', the restrooms, or the nearest smoking area, or how many miles a day I walk on the Load and Unload belts, there really is nothing I would rather be doing right now than working at Disney World.

I apologize once again for the delay in this post, and I hope you can forgive me in my tardiness. Now you can all be assured that I am here, doing well, and fully available for a visit from you.

Apartment Video Tour

I've been looking for a good use my Flip video camera for a while, and I thought I'd give you a tour of my apartment while my roommates are at work. I'd like to apologize for the mess in the sink, as we have no dish washing soap and have to wash everything by hand and let it dry. But none of the stuff there is mine, so I just wanted to let you know that so you don't think less of me. And the girl I share a room with is from Ohio, not Iowa. My bad.

I've earned my ears!

That's right, folks. I've officially completed my training, and I've earned my ears. That makes me a full fledged "Nemo Ranger." Yep, that's what those of us who work at The Seas are officially called. Fun, eh? I am now fully capable (I think) of being able to work at all of the positions in The Seas without the supervision of a trainer. I can even put on a show of Turtle Talk by myself. My first show was quite an interesting one: the audience was full of 150 middle schoolers. Talk about your fun atmosphere. I think being the hostess of Turtle Talk is my favorite position at The Seas, and I hope I get to do that fairly often.

I've been enjoying a couple of days off after my 40 hours of intensive Nemo training. My roommates and I went to the parks yesterday, which made for a pretty fun day. Today I am the only roommate off, so I've declared today a lazy day, aside from the necessary task of doing laundry. Tomorrow I start working for real, so it should be a pretty interesting day working without constant guidance and supervision of my trainer Jaime. Here's hoping it goes well.

Oh, and here is a picture of me in my costume. Don't laugh, because you'll probably want to given that it is not the most flattering of costumes. I'm pretty sure that the only people who look good in this costume are boys (sometimes) and the few Brazilian girls who work at the Seas. If you do, just don't tell me. I'm already fairly subconscious of the disappearance of my torso every time I put on this lovely costume. Thanks so much, Disney costuming. I appreciate it.

Training Update

Hey there folks. I sincerely apologize for the gross lack of information about the past couple of days. Between training and spending quality time with the roomies, I haven't been home a lot other than the times I'm sleeping. Eight hour shifts and playing in the parks until close really takes it out of ya. I know I won't be able to keep it up once the park hours return to normal, so I should probably ween myself off that habit.

Training has been pretty hectic. I've had to learn all about every aspect of every position at the ride, and I think I've pretty much gotten over the overwhelmingness that I felt when I began. I started Turtle Talk training today, and I even got to talk into a mic! Turtle Talk is an interactive show where Guests get to talk with Crush from Finding Nemo, and Cast Members serve as hosts of the show and help Crush talk to our Guests. Tomorrow I get to do a whole show by myself (I think), so we'll see how that goes. I think I've got the spiel pretty down pact, so hopefully it will stick when my time to shine comes.

I'll go into more detail (or at least as much detail as I'm allowed to tell) later when my training is officially over Thursday and I've "earned my ears." Night all.

Just keep swimming....

Hey there folks. Today I had my park orientation at Epcot, called "Discovery Day." Here, we new Cast Members were taught everything we need to know about Epcot, including its past, present, and the ever important places to take a break and where to go if injured, which might be pretty useful information since yours truly is sometimes not so graceful. We also took a walking tour of the park, which was slowed by the presence of participants in the Walt Disney World Marathon. I would like to at the same time congratulate those runners and question their sanity as they were running this marathon is sleeting weather. I'm frankly quite surprised that I didn't fall on the treacherous and slippery terrain of Future World, so how those runners managed not to is a feat beyond my comprehension. Given the sleet and 35 degree weather, our Discovery Day leaders took pity of us freezing newbies and spared us of the 1.5 mile walk around World Showcase and gave us the tour via the Friendship Boat instead.

After more fun information key to our success at Epcot, we received our role location and training schedule. I was quite pleased to find out that I'll be spending my time here:

I was super excited to learn that I will be working the two attractions at The Seas Pavilion, The Seas with Nemo and Friends and Turtle Talk with Crush. Finding Nemo is my favorite Disney/Pixar movie, and I am particularly fond of both attractions. I'm pretty darn excited to start my training tomorrow, and thankful that I get to spend it inside given this frigid (by Florida standards) weather. So if you come down to Florida, look for me. I'll be chillin' in the big blue world with my buddy Nemo.

It all started with a mouse...

Hey friends. So sorry that this post is somewhat delayed. I've been pretty busy, and I just established an Internet connection yesterday.

I'd like to take this time to announce that I am an official Cast Member of the Walt Disney Company. That's right, be jealous. My dream is finally a reality. The past days have been interesting ones, and here's the rundown.

On Wednesday morning, I braved the cold to check in for the Disney College Program. I went through the lines and stations, and then ventured over to my apartment complex, Chatham Square. I started the move-in process, and I have some pretty cool roommates. There are two New Yorkers (not from NYC, but other parts), one from North Carolina, one from Iowa, and one from Ohio. There are two of us to a room, and we're getting along pretty well thus far.

I then went to catch the bus to Disney Casting to find out my position and take care of all the not-so-fun paperwork necessary for work. So a bus pulls up, and about fifteen of us new DCP participants hop on, and we are told that we are on the correct bus. At the next stop, the bus becomes filled with participants in the Disney International Program in their World Showcase costumes. As the sounds of at least five different languages flood into the tightly packed bus, we DCP participants begin to talk to each other and question our current situation. Guess what? We were on the bus to Epcot. We needed to be going towards Downtown Disney. Being late to Casting is not a great way to start out your employment at Disney World. Luckily, a bus going to the area was at the stop, and we were not alone in our bus mishap.

Casting went pretty well. I'll admit that the building is slightly overwhelming and intimidating, but it's not really that bad upon further investigation. I received my job assignment at Casting, and I will be working attractions in Future World East in Epcot. From what I've been told, the included attractions include Test Track, Mission Space, Universe of Energy (the one with dinosaurs, Bill Nye, and Ellen DeGeneres), and Spaceship Earth. Keep this in mind so you can come see me should you make it down to Florida to visit.

Thursday was a free day, so naturally, I went into Epcot with Catherine and Mama with the main intention of scoping out my possible job locations and costumes. This venture was very successful. We did Mission Space for the first time in probably three years or so. It was actually pretty pleasant now that it's been redesigned to have a less intense version. I think that's what I'll be sticking to in the future. The fam and I then went to the outlets to find solid black work shoes, an adventure that was much easier than anticipated. It was that night and with much sorrow that I had to say my goodbyes to Catherine and Mama.

This morning, I woke up literally before the crack of dawn to be on a bus at 6:45 to head over to Disney University for my Traditions class, which is mandatory for all Cast Members. It kind of serves as a welcome to the Disney family, and Mickey Mouse himself delivered our nametags. It was awesome.

After Traditions, my roommate Liz and I braved the intricacy of the transportation system to go to Magic Kingdom for the first time as Cast Members. I'm happy to report that no mistakes were made, and we made it to MK in one piece. We were so excited to get to use our Company IDs to get into the parks for the first time. Sad news: they didn't work. Apparently it takes a while for all the new Cast Member IDs to register in the system, but the nice turnstall man let us in anyway. This small devastation behind us, we worked our way through Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. So it's still pretty chilly down here in Florida, and while we were on the Tomorrow Speedway, it started to rain. Not fun when driving an uncooperative tiny race car. And no SpectroMagic. Other than that, our visit to the Magic Kingdom was quite enjoyable, and I would say a lovely start to this time of free park admission and getting to use the Cast Entrance.

It's been a pretty cool couple of days, and I can't wait to continue on this journey. Tomorrow I head to Epcot for my park orientation, with location training to follow later. I should probably get to bed, another early morning tomorrow.

Sisterhood Retreat

For years, my sister Catherine, our dear friend Leah Taylor Ballard Frazier, and I have been planning and dreaming about taking a trip to Disney World together. We finally had the opportunity to take our Sisterhood Retreat this week. Leah is a Disney College Program (DCP) graduate, so she took the time to show me the ropes of being a Cast Member and answering any last minute questions I had about the program.

We drove down on Saturday the 2nd and rode onto Walt Disney World property at 11pm. The drive was very enjoyable (sample quote, "I will gain 100 pounds eating something big and round," said about homemade treats sent on the ride), but I was exhausted from the drive, as I have never driven so long in one day before. Upon check-in at All Star Movies, I was quite delirious to say the least.

But here's something you should know before we go any farther: it was absolutely freezing all week. Now I hear it's been even colder at home, but people, this is Florida, and it's supposed to be 72 degrees and sunny all year long, not in the 40s (in the sun at noon) with a breeze that doesn't help. I think the lady we saw on the bus wearing three pairs of pants would agree with us, and she was from Chicago. Never have I ever purchased more paraphernalia in one trip from the Walt Disney World Resort. Example: the pants and two of the three shirts I wore today (all layered at once I might add) were pieces of clothing that I did not own before Sunday. And it wasn't just us; based on the number of WDW sweatshirts we saw, I think it's safe to say that WDW made a killing in merchandise this week. I was grossly underprepared for the frigid weather that was present in Central Florida this week. Multiple trips to various gift shops and one trip to Target later, I was finally well-prepared enough to brave the uncharacteristically rough elements of Orlando weather.

Despite the ever present chill and wind in the air, our next three days have been filled with fun time in the parks, which has served as great "job research" for me. We moved to Saratoga Springs, and upon arrival in our SS Villa, a special surprise gift was waiting for me. I even questioned whether we were in the right room. The Mickey Mouse balloon and stuffed animal were certainly a fantastic way to kick off my time in Florida.

Catherine, Leah, and I had time to just enjoy being at our favorite place with people that we really love and enjoy being with, which is the best that anyone can ask for. We had what was quite possibly the most enjoyable dinner experience I've ever had at the Brown Derby, which was supplied by the fantastic service of our waiter, Joshua. He lovingly mocked all three of us, and was one of the most attentive and awesome waiters I've ever had anywhere. He even spoke a few words in Japanese to the Japanese couple seated besides us (side note: said couple was looking at photos that they had taken at the park, and they were quite hilarious). We also played some games at Animal Kingdom in an attempt to win a giant turtle for LTBF's husband Adrian, and the nice attendant Tracy gave me a little turtle for playing so many times and being so terrible at this game. Those two are the types of Cast Member that I hope to be, one that makes an experience truly memorable for the Guest and goes out of their way to make a Guest feel special. Hats off to you, Joshua and Tracy. You rock my Disney Cast Member world.

Today, while Leah was working a shift at MGM (which is what I will probably always call the park that is now referred to as the Hollywood Studios), Catherine and I left property to venture over to Universal Orlando. I know, all you reading this might be surprised, and some might slightly scoff at that statement, but hear me out. Although it is certainly no Disney and will never take its place in my heart,Universal is, for what it is, a pretty good little theme park. They have some pretty cool rides (ie the Mummy and Spider-Man) which make it worth the admission. Plus, you can cover pretty much everything you want to do in a day. Catherine and I did in about 5 hours.

But here's the main reason I will be returning to Universal later this spring:

That's right. Harry Potter is getting a theme park. Some of you won't care (cough cough Ariel Reynolds), but other Harry Potter nerds like myself are going absolutely bonkers over this. I probably spent a solid 30 minutes of our time at Islands of Adventure scoping out The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and trying to figure out as much I could about it. We even rode Dueling Dragons, an outside roller coaster, in the freezing cold to try to get a glimpse of the park. Said venture failed as the ride was too fast to really see anything. Here's some pictures that other HP fans should appreciate. First, the gate to the park and the Hogsmeade Village sign over where the entrance will be.

Next, a cute little Ministry of Magic sign and the coat of arms on the fences blocking HP world from view.

Finally, Hogwarts Castle.

Holy pajamas, that thing is gargantuan. We first saw it from the Interstate before we even turned off on the Universal exit. The building is actually quite beautiful and pretty close to what you see in the movies. From what I saw today, I'm pretty stinkin' excited about the opening of this new addition to Islands of Adventure.

Needless to say, these past couple of days have been pretty great. Knowing that I'll be spending my next five months here is pretty awesome. I'll admit that I'm kind of nervous about checking in and starting the DCP tomorrow, but I'm even more excited about what's to come. Disney World has always been one of my favorite places in the world, and finally getting to work here is really a dream come true. I should probably go to sleep now, big day ahead.

Florida, Day 1

We're here. We're safe. We're freezing. In the parks until midnight, dozed off on "It's a Small World." About to pass out. More to follow at park break tomorrow.

Teaser: Saw a woman on the bus wearing three pairs of pants. LTBF lovingly mocked.

First Day of 2010, Last Day in Tuscaloosa

So I know that it's slight overkill to post twice in one day, but that I figure that my last day before I move to Florida for the semester is worth mentioning.

12:30am. Awoken by sister with urgent news. She had a carpet nail go through her toe and has to have a tetanus shot. Prize to Catherine for best kickoff to 2010.

6:30ish am: Crawl back into own bed after having a slumber party with Catherine as a result of being kicked out of my room for a visiting toddler. Don't worry Emma, you are forgiven.

9:30am: Awoken for the day by aforementioned toddler for breakfast. On the menu: bacon and a Bridgers family tradition, Mickey Pancakes.

P.S. Catherine would like to apologize for slight blurryness. She hasn't quite mastered the new camera yet.

12pm: Last minute shoe shopping for Disney appropriate business shoes. Not fun, but successful venture.

1:15pm: While playing on the floor with my dog, burst into tears upon realization that I won't see her again until May. You would too if you knew her. Her name is Poppins (after Mary, full name Mary Poppins ShaLloyd Shenanigans Bridgers the 47th), and she is charmingly mischievous. Just look at that face.

3pm: Last Sibling Fun Time. Lots of Beatles Rock Band was played.

5pm: Quite lengthly family dinner, including grandparents, at Outback Steakhouse. Fantastic steak. Highly recommend.

7:45pm: Arrive home, play with Poppins some more, and continue to pack. Not fun at all, room destroyed.

10ish: Finish packing, pile of stuff to take to Florida forms in foyer. No strength left to load car, and no will to do so because it's so darn cold. Decide to create blog instead.

1am: Finish second post blog post, decide to turn in. Big drive tomorrow.

And so it begins...

What is a blogger to write for their first post on their first ever blog? I guess I should say some things about myself...that's usually a good place to start, even though everyone who reads this will already know these facts. I guess that this part is more for me than it is for you, just to make me feel like a legit blogger.

Hi, I'm Elizabeth Bridgers, I'm from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and I believe that I am soon to become a wee bit obsessed with blogging. This sudden urge of mine to blog has stemmed from a love for the movie "Julie and Julia" and a pretty entertaining blog by my sister-in-law. The idea for my own blog came to me on Christmas Day 2009. I received a Flip video camera (which I might add is a fun little gadget), and I began to think of how to best utilize said camera. Our family also watched the aforementioned "Julie and Julia." My early inklings and fledgling ideas of a blog were fueled by this movie. I decided that if Julie Powell can blog, then so can I (I personally think I'm a lot less annoying than Julie). My family supported this idea, and I figure it's a pretty efficient way to keep in touch with everyone and to keep track of this journey on which I am about to embark.

Our family has vacationed at Disney World every year since I was two years old (my first trip is documented in a particularly entertaining home video). What followed was a childhood filled with Disney-influenced memories, from all the trips to parks in Florida, California and Paris to taking in most Disney animated films on opening weekend to a pretty ballin' ninth grade research paper on the Walt Disney Company (which received a 98 I might add, and I think I was cheated out of the other two points). All of this led to a personal dream to one day work for the Walt Disney Company, especially in the Theme Parks. My dream is finally coming true this spring as I am participating in the Disney College Program. I am spending this whole upcoming semester working as an Attractions Cast Member. This blog is my little (and slightly self-indulgent) way of documenting this dream fulfillment at the place where "dreams really do come true."

So thanks for taking this journey with me, and I hope you enjoy the ride.

P.S. Another subtitle for this blog is "Musings from the House of Mouse." That's for you, Mama.