So as the days get closer to me leaving for Florida (4 days, 20 Hours, 0 Minutes, 0 Seconds),I've realized my blogs are getting more sparse. So for those who absolutely love reading these everyday, I apologize. If I come up with interesting topics between now and Check-in I'll make sure to post them...

One topic that has been on my mind ever since I came home for what is considered all one-week of my summer vacation is the ever painful subject of Packing.

I say painful, because I am known to be somewhat of an over packer. So much that on my first program, my mother flew down with me so that I could have one extra suitcase for all of my things for 5 months (there were other reasons but that was one of the main ones)! Thai time however, I do not have that luxury.

I finished packing my ONE (yes I shall repeat, ONE) suitcase of clothes, bed spreads and towels that I'll need this summer. It is literally packed to the core nothing else can fit into it. If a gernerous relative gives me some clothes to take down I would have to say "Sorry Generous relative, but I cannot fit it into my suitcase, so therefore I cannot take it with me...' Okay, so I won't be doing that but that's how much the suitcase is packed!

Lets just say I'll be doing laundry every two weeks...which means I'll have to make good friends with some ICP's because there is NO WAY I'm sanding $10 every two weeks on laundry. Not happening. Call me stubborn, thats just the way it is.

If you haven't realized by now, I'm flying down to Florida and so I do not have the luxury of packing 3 suitcases of things that I will ultimately not need, but I'll want to have with me for sentimental reasons because thats what an over packer does...

Northwestern Airlines (the airline I wlll be flying on) lets you have one suitcase per customer with charges for suitcases over 50lbs. (Which I'm hoping mine is under but we can never be too sure) And I'm bringing a carry on that can be considered a carry-on but they'll have to put in that special bin before you get on the plane. That will be used to bring my material possessions which does not include my computer because the screen burned out and I'm using my television screen right now to get online and use other things my computer does and I unfortunately cannot bring my TV and I don't plan on shipping it. So this little bug will be without a computer unless I get the urgent need to get on a bus to Vista Way from Patterson (fingers crossed) to go to the Media Center to log on for hours. Fun times!

So I'll be packing my material possessions which I can tell you right now will include my pin set, my POTC flag, my Little's Fraternity Plank he made for me (everybody go "awwww" now!), a mickey photo album, many DVD's to watch on my roommates TV which I'm sure we'll have because I'm optimistic about that...

Other things I'll figure out as I go along. Some things I'll have to leave here but I honestly have no use for them, it'll just be nice to have them with me. But sacrifices will have to be made because for this 3 months summer expedition I will not have the luxury of packing everything I own. I'll get over it eventually!

How is your packing going? Any interesting stories to share? Anything you're sad about leaving? Are you flying or driving? How much are you packing? Help me out and leave me your stories and tips about packing in the comments below....

...and I have yet to find my ID. Lets hope I find that today in the midst of my cleaning and packing. Lauren has to find her chapstick and 8GB Flash Drive...I'm right there with you Lauren!

Have a Magical Day!

- Will

A recent fad going around on the Summer Alumni Facebook group is having cast members who are currently statused and have access to the Hub to find out what their work location is early.

For those unaware, the Hub is a virtual resource that provides all Cast Members with a single source for accurate, timely and

relevant information, including messages from executives, company news, work schedules, information about products and services, tools Cast Members need to perform their roles, Cast discounts and Cast activities.

I haven't had access to the Hub since May of 2007, the last time I was in Florida and on WDW property, and I can't log in again because every 3 months they make you change your password for security reasons. Ergo, I cannot log in and try to see my work location early.

Some people (including myself) have tried getting people who do have access to look them up under contacts and try to see that way if their work status would show. For some of them, they work, for others they don't, and for some they are not even in the system yet. For me, I've had two people try to see if my status shows, and since I am a Campus Representative, it either shows up as "Attractions H/H" or "Campus Representative" ... meaning until they transfer me over (when the season ends), I cannot find out my work location for the summer.

A part of me is relieved, I kind of like the element of surprise - which is one of the reasons I'm rooming blind, I mean unless an awesome roommate potential comes along and sweeps me off my feet (literally) and I change my mind. The day I was on my first check-in and I was told I was working in the Magic Kingdom, my heart jumped out of my chest (literally...it wasn't a pretty sight) and I had the biggest smile on face because of the surprise...

On the other hand, when I go for my second check-in and I get lets say...a resort or EPCOT - two places where working merchandise would not appease me - and they tell me I get one of those areas in Merchandise, I don't want to have my heart sink into a dark abyss and be disappointed the entire summer...I mean don't get me wrong, but once you work at a place like the Emporium, it's pretty hard to upgrade.

But none of that currently matters, because I cannot check my status until they change me over anyway and 20 days is seeming to come closer and closer now, so I'll guess I'll just wait.

What would you guys do? Would you keep trying to see if they put up your status? Would you wait out the storm? Would you contact a old manager friend and pull some strings? Leave your comments below...

Oh! That reminds me...I had a little chat with one of my favorite managers Dwight about a week ago. (Before my computer screen died...sadness) He was very excited that I was coming down for another program (though it may be short) and said he'd try to pull some strings to get me back into the Emporium...so maybe I'm doing all of this worrying for nothing! We'll see in 20 days.

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In other Disney News:

• If you're a fan of Pixar Animation character's turning up in the parks like Wall-E or Remy from Ratatoullie then you'll be pleased to hear (a rumor) that the Pixar logo him/her self will make an appearance in the WDW parks soon. Luxo Jr., the lamp shown at the beginning of all Pixar Films either jumping on the I, or doing something else funny is being worked on right now. Read all about it at TheDisneyBlog.

• As I said in my last Vlog on Friday, I'll be having lunch/dinner with LaurenandMatt from YouTube - however, not in Michigan as I planned...when we get down to Florida we'll have a grand 'ol time in one of the parks or off property getting to know each other cause they're such awesome people!

• There has been some controversy with Disney changing the name and profession of the first Black princess in The Frog Princess scheduled to open soon. Instead of being a chambermaid - she'll be an aspiring restaurant entrepreneur and her name will be changed from Maddy (being too closely related to "Mammy" a common term for Black Female slaves) to Tiana. I plan on doing a blog on this later so I won't focus too much on it here. Just making you aware.

Enjoy your week and make it magical!

- Will

So I got an email today from casting/recruiting letting me know the opportunity to put myself in the roommate selection database was available to me. Basically what this is is a way for me to know the identity of one of my roommates way in advance so I can meet them, chat with them and get to know them before my program begins.

It seems like a good idea, they do the same thing in university. However my experience with that my freshman year wasn't the best - I tried contacting my roommate about 5 times, said he was from Las Vegas, on the 6th try his dad picked up and said he dropped out of school and to stop calling. Hence I didn't have a roommate for the first 2 days of freshman year, but that's besides the point...

It would be nice to know who I'm sharing a room with for the three months but the only problem I have with the system is that once you sign up, and if the person you're automatically matched with has signed in before you did and already preferences their housing option, you automatically get stuck with that housing.

Me myself, I would like to be put in Patterson Court. The chances of that happening? I'm not so sure, but it would be good to have the option. If I get matched up with someone who previously selected Chatham Square (where I stayed on my last program - really nice apartments) or even worse Vista Way (party central, really small apartments, yet equally friendly) I have no choice in the matter. Plus, they didn't have this option during my first program so I went in blind. I ended up being good friends with all 5 of my roomates and we all stay in contact today. In fact One of my roomates Jeff, currently is a castmember and I'll be seeing him in May, and my actual roomate Terrence lives in Tallahasse and said he'd come visit in the summer. So I don't have a problem with rooming blind.

Yet on the other hand, getting to know someone in advance leaves many opportunities open. We could figure out who brings what, what our interests are and help us to be better roommates before we even get down to Florida.

What do you guys think? Should I go into the roommate selection option and hope for the best? Should I put all my eggs in one basket on move-in day and hope I get the housing option I want and a good roommate? The answers aren't clear, and I have time to decide. It's not necessarily life or death right now but something to consider...