Exploring Disney Heritage Day 1

Wednesday, June 18 

My first day of Exploring Disney Heritage was today. It took place in one of the classrooms in my apartment complex, Chatham Square. The class is from 1:30pm to 3:30pm every Wednesday. I was notified prior to class about the attire, which is business casual or you can wear your costume. You also need to make sure to wear your name tag.

The classrooms are just a short walk down the street from my apartment, which is really nice! I left about twenty minutes early to give myself time to sign-in and get a seat. I sat next to two really nice girls, Eve and Emily. Eve works at Kilimangaro Safari and Emily works Food & Beverage at Port Orleans Riverside Resort.

Class started promptly at 1:30pm. That is when I met my instructor, Jeff. Jeff started his Disney career by doing the College Program and working at the Haunted Mansion. From there he worked Guest Relations and then started facilitating Traditions which transitioned into being an instructor for the Disney Internships and Programs. He is very enthusiastic about the company and shared his understanding of the highs and lows we all will experience on our program.

After Jeffs introduction, we had an ice breaker with the people we were sitting with. Emily, Eve, and myself shared our favorite/first Disney memory and why we wanted to take this course. I have so many favorite Disney memories, so it was hard to pick just one!

Jeff then explained the expectations for this course, such as arriving on time and the no cell phone policy. He also shared an overview of what we will be learning for the next eight weeks. This course will cover the early years of the company to the opening of Epcot.

The weekly breakdown looks like this:
June 18 - Introduction to Disney Exploration Series 
June 25 - Walt and Roy: The Original Dream Team 
July 2 - No Class: Labor Exception Period (Independence Day) 
July 9 - The Very Beginnings of the Walt Disney Company (Guest Speaker Michael Lyons) 
July 16 - Early Milestones in Disney Theme Park History 
July 23 - The Man, The Mouse, The Dream - Magic Kingdom 
July 30 - The Florida Project (Guest Speaker Christopher Stewart) 
August 6 - Heritage Competition - Disney's Hollywood Studios 
August 13 - Disney Exploration Series Closing Session 

I am so excited for all of these sessions!

To close the class we got into groups of eight and played a "Who wants to be a Millionaire" trivia style game on Disney history.

End of Training & Earning My Ears

Tuesday, June 10 

Today was my last day of training! My shift was from 5:00 pm to 12:30 pm. I trained with Rebekah on runner/stocker. This position entails running dirty dishes to the dish room, running clean dishes from the dish room to the restaurant, stocking the toppings and ice cream for in-house and to-go. This position consists of a lot of running around, hence the title "runner", but I really like this position because the time goes by so quickly.

Wednesday, June 11 

This afternoon I had my assessment at 3:00 pm. After my assessment, I worked until 12:30 am. My assigned position was for To-Go cash.

Thursday, June 12 

Today I was scheduled 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm. When I got to work I was assigned to be the runner/stocker. After a couple of hours my manager told me that I was extended until 9:00 pm, due to several call ins. At 5:00 pm I changed positions to be the breaker. In the position you break the closers that need a break, and take over their positions until they get back. This position is nice because you are not doing one thing all night. After work, I went home talked to my family and then just relaxed.

I also found out today that I got a 100% on my assessment. I have officially earned my ears!

Epcot & Training Day 4

Saturday, June 7

Today I had plans to hang out with my cousin Anthony and his girlfriend Kayla. They were doing four parks in one day! I told them that I would meet them at any park. They started at Animal Kingdom and then headed over to Hollywood Studios. By that time I had gotten ready and started to head over, until I realized that this weekend there is a blackout for all cast members for DHS. This is the first year Mark Hamill, the actor who played Luke Skywalker, was going to be at Star Wars Weekend. So, I am sure that is why we were blocked out from Hollywood Studios this weekend.

I headed over to Epcot from the Beach Club. Anthony and Kayla were going to that park next, so I figured I would just hang out until they got there. When I first walked in there was a Joffreys stand and I just had to get that frozen strawberry drink again! So delicious! I then headed over to The Land to grab lunch at Sunshine Seasons. I ordered a Turkey Sandwich on focaccia bread with potato salad. So yummy!

Fresh Turkey with Lettuce, and Chipotle Mayo on Focaccia Bread

The Land 

After I ate, I talked to my Dad on the phone and then FaceTimed my Mom and Katie. It was very nice talking to them and it was just what I needed. I miss them and everyone else back home so much. It is very hard being away from my family.

I then went over to MouseGear to torture myself with all of the Disney merchandise. haha! I wanted to buy everything! I then headed over to Spaceship Earth, because Anthony and Kayla were starting to head over to Epcot. I rode Spaceship Earth and then waited outside for them.

Spaceship Earth and Palm Trees

It was so great seeing them! We headed over to Test Track. It was a 40 minute wait, but it was good because it gave us time to talk! After the ride, we started to head over to the UK pavilion. I had to walk back to the Beach Club to get ready for my fourth day of training.

For my fourth day of training I worked the entire time on the register in To-Go. I like this position the most, because of the guest interaction. Towards the beginning of my shift Anthony and Kayla came to visit me! After they left, the line was out the door until 10:15 pm! I was scheduled until 12:30 am, which is considered the closing shift. After we close at 11:00 pm, we need to clean everything! Heather taught me how to clean the To-Go station. Once we cleaned everything we got to go home. I clocked out at 12:45.

As soon as I got home I went right to sleep! I have the next two days off! Woo!

Training Day 2 & 3

Thursday, June 5 

Today was my second day of training. My shift started at 9:00 am and ended at 5:30. I wore my Beaches and Cream costume for the first time today! It is surprisingly very comfortable, including the shoes. I was trained on the in-house section. This section is responsible for making all of the ice cream dishes for the tables. I really enjoyed it! I got to make a bunch of sundaes and learned how to make the famous kitchen sink!

First Day in my Beaches & Cream Costume!

After work, I made myself dinner and then decided to go to the pool with my roommate Kat. This was my first time at the pool and it is beautiful. It is also a short walk from our apartment. We spent about two hours in the pool before we started to get cold and went home.

The pool at Chatham Square

Friday, June 6

Today I had my second day of training. I worked 1:30-11:00. My trainer today was Nickie. She first trained me on working the register for the to-go line. It is going to take some time to get use to this position, but I really enjoyed the guest interaction. I had a 45 minute break. When I came back Nickie trained me on the potium. This is a position I will never do, I am just being trained to gain a general understanding of the position. Towards the end of my shift I could see the Symphony in the Stars fireworks! After work I headed straight home and went to sleep.

First Day of Training

Wednesday, June 4

Earning My Ears

Today I had my first day of training at Beaches and Cream. I was scheduled 11:00 am - 5:30 pm. My first day of training was all about Culinary. I trained with one of the chefs, Julie. She was so awesome! Coming in today I was soooo nervous! My boyfriend has spent majority of his professional career in the kitchen, so I know how tough it can be.

Julie calmed my nerves from the beginning of my shift. She cooked on the flat top and she had me prep the sandwiches, burgers, and kids meals. It was tough work, but I really enjoyed it. I love working in a fast paced environment. My shift flew by!

Before the end of my shift, Julie went over what I need to know for my assessment, which is next Wednesday. Once I pass this assessment I will have officially earned my ears!

After work, I cooked myself dinner and prepared for my second day of training tomorrow. For the rest of the night I plan on taking it easy and then going to bed. I have in-house house training tomorrow, which includes learning how to make the sundaes and the famous kitchen sink!

Second Day of Orientation

Saturday, May 31 

Today I was scheduled for my second day of orientation at Disney University. I had "Welcome to Operations!" at 7:30 am this morning. Today was my first day I wore my name tag and clocked in! The class material was dry material, but the facilitators made it as interesting as they could.

At 11:30 am I got a thirty minute break for lunch. They have a cafeteria where you can buy lunch, but I just packed a sandwich and snacks for myself. After I ate I went up to the second floor for my second class, "Welcome to Food and Beverage".

This classroom was a computer room. The first part of the class talked about the different categories of the Food and Beverage role, such as Quick Service or Full Service. The facilitators applied the four keys basics to Food Service. We also learned about ways to create magical moments for guests in our role.

We got a five minute break and then we registered for The Hub. The Hub is a resource for all Disney Cast Members to find out things like your schedule, request time off, discounts, and so many other things. After we were all registered we all had to take an online module about general safety guidelines when working with food, such as cleanliness and food temperatures.

After we were done with our modules we were sent to Magic Kingdom Costuming to receive our free slip resistant shoes. Going into costuming for the first time was another great CP moment. After I received my shoes I clocked out and was able to go home.

Slip resistant shoes supplied by Disney

My outfit for my second day of training 

Housing Meeting and Moving In

Wednesday, May 28

Today I woke up early to get ready for my scheduled Housing Meeting at 8 am in the Commons Clubhouse. Two of my roommates Marysa and Merecia were scheduled for this meeting time also. We walked over to the Commons Clubhouse, which is about a 10 minute walk from our apartment in Chatham. When we got there it was about 7:50 and the line was wrapped around the building. They didn't let us into the building until about 8:20.

When we walked in they had loud music playing and gave out Disney Internship luggage tags. The meeting was about an hour and thirty minutes long. They started out with some trivia and then went over housing rules and precautions. The woman who were running the meeting tried to make it as fun and interesting as possible.

After the housing meeting I headed home to go run errand with my Dad. He picked me up in the rental car and we headed to Wal-Mart. I got a bakers rack for extra storage for my room and a couple other essentials I needed. We went back to the apartment and he put it together for me. We also cleaned the baseboards really good and vacuumed. The room did not smell good at all. I bought heavy duty febreeze and a plug in. It made the room smell SO much better. We worked on setting up my room for a couple of hours until it was finally complete minus my cork board.

We then went to pick my car up from the AAA Care Center in front of the Magic Kingdom. I was so relived and happy to have my car back. I was so scared that it wouldn't be able to be fixed. We then headed back to the apartment to get my parking permit. There was a delay because my insurance card did not have my name on it only my parents. We called the company and they were able to fax a declaration to them saying I am on the policy.

Then we headed over to the Yacht and Beach Club to check out where I am working for the next seven months. I immediately fell in love with this resort. Beaches and Cream is directly in front of there beautiful pool. We had about a ten minute wait to be seated at the counter for dinner. When I walked in I loved the decor but noticed that it is a lot smaller than I thought it would be. I ordered the turkey meatloaf sandwich and my Dad ordered the cuban sandwich. We decided to split them so we could both try them. They were so delicious. The turkey meatloaf sandwich was so different in a good way! We both were way too full to try the ice cream.

We then decided to walk around the resort and the boardwalk. The great thing about my location is that Epcot is literally a walk away. The boardwalk is also so close! After we walked all the way around we decided to go home and get some rest. 

My Dad dropped my off at my apartment, but before I went to bed I wanted to get my bulletin board done. Once I completed that I was officially set! I was so relieved! I felt so uneasy not having my room how I wanted it. I am so happy with how it turned out.

Pre-DCP Family Vacation

Welcome to my pre-DCP Walt Disney World family vacation trip report! My Mom, Dad, sister Kaitlin and I are going to the parks for three days prior to my DCP check-in. This is our first time staying at the Art of Animation Resort. We are staying in the a Cars room. I am going to update after each day and post the full trip report in its entirety after the trip.

Day One - Leaving New Jersey & Magic Kingdom
Saturday, May 25 

This morning my Pop-Pop picked up my Mom, Katie, and I to take us to the airport at 4:30 am. We arrived at the airport and went through security with ease. After that we grabbed some breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts and headed to our gate. We had about an hour to wait until they started boarding. I was so tired I slept about an hour on the plane. Immediately when we landed my Mom gave us our Magic Bands and it was time to go on the Magical Express!

About an hour later, we arrived at Art of Animation! We waited to see if we could check-in early, but our room was not ready yet. We waited about 15 minutes before it was ready. Right as they alerted us that our room was ready my Dad called and said he just arrived at the resort. He took my car on the auto train, so I can have my car throughout my program. 

We were all in awe over how awesome this resort is. It feels like you are actually in the movie! We got all of our bags into the room and then started getting ready for Magic Kingdom!

From Art of Animation it is about a 30 minute bus ride to Magic Kingdom. As soon as we went past the gates we decided to grab lunch at Pecos Bills. Pecos is one of our many Disney family traditions. They have the best cheeseburgers with an amazing toppings bar. 

Our first ride of the day was Pirates of the Caribbean. From there we went to Tomorrowland, because we had a fast pass for Space Mountain. Then we went to Liberty Square to secure our spot for the Festival of Fantasy parade. Once we found a spot my sister and I went to grab Dole Whip Floats for all of us. YUM! They are so delicious and are a perfect snack for a hot park day.

We waited about 45 minutes for the parade, which was well worth it. My family and I had watched the parade on YouTube when it first debuted, but seeing it in person was just amazing. The music, floats, characters, and costumes are all so spectacular and the combination of those things is breathtaking!

After the parade we went on as many rides as possible! We took a break around 5:00 pm to have dinner. We ate outside at Pinnochios Village Haus. We got two orders of chicken fingers and fries to split.

My Dad then went over to see if the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was still running. We had walked past it early when it was running, but we weren't willing to wait in the huge line. After he saw that it was still running he came back to get Katie and I. But, by the time we got over there they had stopped letting people on the ride. Bummer!!

We went to ride Journey of the Little Mermaid for the first time. We all loved it! After my Dad went over to the Fastpass+ Kiosk near PhilharMagic. While he was doing that Katie went to check to see if the Mine Train was running again. Sure enough they had started running it again! Yey! We grabbed my Mom and Dad and headed for the line.

The Mine Train queue is extremely detailed. There are beautiful colored gems everywhere. They also have interactive games. We went through the queue pretty quick and waited for about ten minutes to get on the ride. It gets even better! My sister and I got the front row! So awesome! The ride itself is amazing. My Mom who is not a big coaster fan also really enjoyed it. The animatronics are beautiful. There is so much visually to experience. I am so happy my family was able to ride it this trip. The officially opening isn't for another four days, so we didn't think we would be able to ride it together. Definitely made our day!

After some more rides we went over to Sleepy Hollows to get another one of our favorite Disney snacks, chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches! The warm chocolate chip cookies with cold and creamy ice cream makes for a delectable dessert. You have an option to choose from vanilla ice cream or a special flavor they have that day. This time we ordered cookies and cream. YUM!

My Dad, Katie, and I then went over the Splash Mountain. We had a fast pass earlier in the day for it, but at the time it wasn't working. From there we went back to grab my Mom to leave. As we were walking down Main Street U.S.A. we noticed that people were waiting for a parade. We were not sure what it was, so we asked a Cast Member who notified us that the Main Street Electrical parade would be starting in 45 minutes. We went closer to the exit and found a perfect spot to watch the parade. As a child I always remember seeing this parade. It brought back a lot of memories seeing it again, although it is different then it was back then.

We decided to wait to watch Celebrate the Magic and some of Wishes. We headed out of the Magic Kingdom and onto the bus back to our resort. We were all exhausted and ready for bed!

Day Two - Hollywood Studios 
Sunday, May 26

The second day of our trip we planned to go to Hollywood Studios. This weekend was the second weekend of Star Wars Weekends! We always have a couple of rides that we know we want to ride but other than that we really just wanted to experience Star Wars Weekend.

Our first ride of the day was the Tower of Terror, my sisters favorite ride. The ride sequence was on of the best ones yet! After we started to walk toward Star Tours. On the way there we stopped to watch a small show that the Stormtroppers were doing on the stage in front of the sorcerers hat. We then started walking toward Star Tours again. On the way we saw a lot of the Star Wars characters out ,which was really cool to see! The costumes are so detailed! The line for Star Tours was only 10 minutes! We got lucky with this ride version also. It was definitely one of the better ones!

My Mom, Katie, and I then went to go into the Little Mermaid show. I love this attraction! I remember going on it as a kid, my favorite part was always the bubbles!

We then went into Darth's Mall. It is set up kind of like a convention. It has all Star Wars merchandise and collectables inside. There are also photo opportunities and a character meet and greet area. When we were in there. I bought a Star Wars weekend pin for my Mom for her collection, a Darth Vader shirt for Pete, and a Star Wars Vinylmation set. Katie also bought me a blind Star Wars Vinlymation box.

We then went to secure a spot to watch the 3:00 pm parade, Star Wars Celebrity Motorcade. We couldn't get a spot in the shade and it was so hot, but was totally worth it. The first part of the parade are the classic Disney characters dressed up as the Star Wars characters. The second part is all of the Star Wars characters and some voice actors. This parade is a must see if you are coming for Star Wars Weekend. 

After the parade, we headed to Mama Melroses where we had lunch reservations. We did the Fantasmic package where you eat at Hollywood and Vine, Brown Derby, or Mama Melroses and you receive preferred seating tickets for that nights Fantasmic show. At Mama Melroses every person chooses an appetizer, entree, and everyone splits a dessert sampler. My Mom and I got the Mozzarella and Tomato appetizer and my Dad and Katie ordered the Calamari. For entrees my Mom and Katie ordered the chicken parm. My Dad got the chicken cappelini pasta dish and I ordered the pasta all vodka with chicken. Each dish was absolutely delicious! 

My Dad, Katie, and I went to ride Toy Story Mania while my Mom left for the resort. After Toy Story Mania we also left to relax at the resort until Fantasmic later that day. When I got back to the room I slept until we left to go back to the park. 

When I woke up it was storming, so we were getting nervous thinking Fantasmic might be cancelled. We still headed back to the park and grabbed dinner at Rosie's All American Cafe. The line was so long and it took forever! We split two orders of chicken fingers and french fries. It was close to the time we had to be at Fantasmic so we ate quickly and headed over. 

The show went on with a light rain the entire time, so I wasn't able to get any pictures. It was still absolutely amazing! After we headed over to watch Symphony in the Sky, the special fireworks for Star Wars Weekend. They were also so amazing!!! 

Before leaving the park we wanted to stop at one of the shops. I bought a Disney Vera Bradley backpack and me and Katie bought matching Alex and Ani Minnie Mouse hat bracelets. We then headed out to go to the bus, but first we stopped for Mickey bars! Yum! 

A Cast Member drew this in the gravel. So cool!

Day Three - EPCOT 
Sunday, May 26

We started the day by taking pictures around the Cars part of the resort.

Then we headed to the bus to go to Epcot! Our first ride was Spaceship Earth and then we went on Living with the Land. After that we headed to go to the World Showcase. We stopped for a Joffreys frozen drink. I got Strawberry and my Mom and Katie got Cappucino. They were so delicious and a great treat for a hot day!

We headed toward Norway to go on the Maelstrom and ended up waiting about 30 minutes! I don't remember ever waiting for this ride. We usually just walk right on, but not this time. 

My Dad mourning the loss of a good friend. haha 

We explored some of the other countries and then headed to Italy for our lunch reservation at Via Napoli. This was my parents first time there and they loved it. Me and my sister went our last trip with my Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop and raved about it so they wanted to go this trip. We ordered a large half pepperoni and half cantaloupe, prosciutto, and arugula pizza. So yummy!

We then made our way over to American Adventure to watch the show, which is one of my Dads favorite attractions. He is a big history buff. We walked around the rest of the World Showcase and then my Dad got us School Bread from Norway. This was our first time having it. We found it to be just okay.

We shopped around a little then went back to the resort.

My vacation with my family was over and it was now time to start my Disney Adventure.