So a little birdie told me that by calling College Recruiting and getting your Personal Number and then calling Casting that you could find out your location before your arrival date.

*Sidenote - I wouldn't advise doing this if you like surprises or If you feel
you're going to be dissapointed by what you hear...*

Well I did that today (which I really shouldn'tve have because I'm technically on Vocal Rest and I shouldnt've made any phone calls), and found out where I'm working for the summer...

...which is EPCOT Towers and Glow. If you're not familiar, Glow is a section of Merchandise which is my role - where you either walk around a park dressed in glowy tubes selling them to children and adults for usually $5 when it gets dark (usually before a parade or fireworks)...or you're stationed in a section of the park with a cart where you sell glow toys and you get to play with them. Another part of the job description is during the day you get to stand outside selling squeeze-breezes (the squirt bottles with the fan) or other water dispensing objects and in my case I would also get to work at The Two Towers - which are the two merchandise stations right before you entire World Pavillion.

When I first heard I was working at EPCOT I was on the fence. Let me explain...as some of you know, EPCOT isn't my favorite park. In fact it's my least. I particuarlly dislike Illuminations - the fireworks show at the park - and becauuse it's a learning pavillion i didn't spend as much time there as the other parks on my first program. Now that's not to say I dislike the park entirely. There are some aspects of the park I like. World Pavillion, Soaring, The Seas with Nemo and Friends and Space Ship Earth will always be favorites of mine, but as a whole i do feel the park is pretty boring.

So its safe to say when the lady told me over the phone that I would be working EPCOT Towers and Glow I was at first dissapointed.

But then I thought something...

When I was deployed to Glow in the Magic Kingdom on my First program, I had the time of my life! I loved walking around as "Glow Boy" and entertaining guests, dancing, performing and interacting with them, being in the parade and making people smile. That put a smile on my face and joy in my heart to know I was a part of something that great!

In addition to that, this might give me a new appreciation for the park and I'll get to see it in a different way than I did as a guest. I'll meet new people, interact with guests the same, and there's more to do on the program outside of work!

Plus...I won't have to wear long sleve shirts, slacks and a vest to work every day...that's always a plus. In addition, this will encourage me to pick up more shifts at other parks for the summer and get more money.

Here's what people had to say about Glow and Epcot in the Summer Alumni Facebook Group:

"Glow, is you stand around with a cart full of glowing
objects to sell to people, but glow is fun you can like play with the toys to
get peoples attention. Plus the bus rides to EPCOT from the Housing Pavillions
are short. Magic Kingdom busses take like an hour."

"I was just reading about this glow stuff, and it sounds
awesome, you'll be like a walking Raver. lol. Maybe you could add some funky
techno to your cart, and you'll have a one man party. Oh the
possibilities."

"Glow is awesome at epcot, everyone always wants a toy.
You get to wear them all crazy like and if you're lucky, you can ride a segway
with them. =D Just depends who your manager is."

" I got deployed to glow for a week when i was on my
program. it was at mk though. it really want bad at all... you get put in a
location and your out there by yourself which can kinda sound boring but it was
actually a lot of fun... I was kinda sad I was only there for a week. I did
squeeze breeze during the day too which was not so much fun bc it was superrr
hot outside!!Im not sure if it's the same at epcot though... but it def. sounds
like your doing so sort of glow. "

"Remember...no location is final until you're actually
there..."

That last one stuck with me. Nothing is final until 12 days from now when they hand me my sticker sand say you're working (INSERT LOCATION HERE). So I could've been working myself up over nothing. The Magic Kingdom will always be my favorite park, but it'll be nice to work somewhere else and get a different experience.

Cause as the songwriter says:

"Life's what you make it...so lets make it rock!"

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