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.