So It's 12:30 and I have to be up at 4:00....but I can't sleep. You wanna know why? Do ya wanna?

BECAUSE I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!

I literally cannot sleep because I'm so excited.My plane boards at 6:40 and takes off at 7a. I arrive in Orlando at 9:33 and my good frien Caitlin (see my vlogs) will be picking me up. (Saving me money from going Mears) and I'll check in at Vista Way and settle in at Patterson Court (Hopefully).

I wish I had a camera or my computer to document it along the way, but when I get settled, I'll head over to Vista Way Learning Center and blog all about it. I can't wait to get down there after 2 years and continue my career with the Walt Disney Company!

Have a Magical Night and like my boss always says...
See Ya Real Soon! ;)

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

My last vlog from school and on a Mac...SADNESS PERSONIFIED! Hopefully I'll get that computer I talk about in the vlog for my birthday so I can make sweet vlogs again!

So I was tagged in a survey and I thought I'd share it with you all...consider yourself tagged if you even bothered to read this!

Fill this out and tag (at least) 25 people you know who worked or still work at Disney... Remember to preserve the Disney magic with this thing though, folks. :)

1. Do/did you take your costumes home or pick them up daily?
   I took mine home and picked up a good weeks worth and returned them when I was done to repeat the cycle.
   
2. What locations do/did you work at?
   I mainly worked the the Emporium on Main Street in the MK, but was deployed a couple of times to Strollers, Glow and Adventureland. I also picked up a few shifts from time to time at DAK.
   
3. Have you ever been on an opening crew?
   Yup, early mornings at the Emporium were KILLER...but rope drop was fun waving to people as they passed by!
   
4. What positions do/did you hold?
   Merchandise Host, Glow Boy, Stroller Attendant
   
5. How many times have you come back to working for Disney?
   Not counting my Campus Rep position, none. I haven't been back to Florida since I left two years ago...I know sadness personified BUT now it's 27 days until I return!
   
6. Do/did you prefer working when it’s busy or slow?
   It depended on who I was working with and what day it was. The Emporium was seldom slow and call me crazy..but sometimes I loved the rush we would get after the fireworks or anything like that. I like helping people.
   
7. Have you ever been assaulted by a guest?
   Physically? No. But moms can get pretty verbal when you tell them that there are no more princess dresses in their daughters size! You don't wanna be on the losing end of that battle! Also this one time when I was working Glow one guest got mad at me because he literally took something off of the cart and walked away and I told he he had to pay for it bu he was just showing it to his son (who happened to be on the other side of the park but whatever) and thought I was accusing him of stealing. Meh.
   
8. What’s your favorite parade?
   Only because I saw it EVERY TIME I worked, Spectromagic, I loved the Disney Dreams Come True Parade as well, but the lights and such get to me lol.
   
9. What’s the longest shift you have worked?
   Don't even get me started...um...I think 16 hours but don't quote me on that. Grad Nites and Holidays can be BRUTAL!
   
10. Ever been let go from Disney?
    Nope.
    
11. Favorite Disney attraction to go on?
    Gotta say Pirates of the Caribbean...I get chills every time I go on that ride!
    
12. What is your favorite land?
    Adventureland. I freakin LOVE POTC, Tiki Room and Jungle Cruise.
    
13. If you could ask Walt any question, what would it be?
    "Can I have a job?"
    
14. What is your favorite show?
    FANTASMIC! ...duh.
    
15. Favorite Disney Character?
    Right now it's a tie between Stitch and WALL-E. Although Mickey will always hold a special place in my heart!
    
16. Favorite Disney Song?
    A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes
    
17. Favorite thing to do at the park other than going on attractions?
    People watching. Guests are extremely funny people. A close second would have to be character greeting.
    
18. If you could do anything at the park, what would you do?
    I would want to see Walt's Apartment and explore around. That would be extremely cool.
    
19. What’s your favorite costume you've had to wear?
    Pirates of the Caribbean by far...LOVED the long striped socks and baggy and breezy shirt/pants combination.
    
20. What’s your least favorite costume?
    The Emporium only because it was so unnecessary! The slacks and dress shirt would get hot all the time, plus I had to wear a tacky plad vest that did nothing for my complexion (haha) and the tie the boys had to wear were so complicated to put on I swear I never did it right ever.
    
    ------------------- *TWITTER BREAK* ------------------
21. Have you ever done any volunteer work for Disney?
    I did Give Kids the World once and it was one of the best moments of my program.
    
22. If you could work any other attraction, what would it be?
    Either as a host at the Haunted Mansion or Tower of Terror. I love being creepy.
    
23. Did you ever have an annual pass?
    What kind of a question is that?
    
24. Have you ever had an annual passholder tell you how to do your job?
    Yes, it always annoyed me when people came and were like "This isn't how they did it 2 years ago" or "I know you carry (this particular item), I saw it here when I was here 2 months ago. THINGS CHANGE PEOPLE!
    
25. Are you a pin trader?
    Yes, but I'm not a fanatic. My friend Caitlin and I would go to Cast Pin Parties and find cheap crappy pins and goody bags and trade while we were in the parks. As a merchandise cast member it's pretty hard not to get into Pin Trading if you wear them all the time. I'd see some that I like on my own lanyard and trade with myself. I know...sad.
    
26. What is the oddest thing you have had happen to you on the job?
    This one old lady checked me out one time and gave me the "up and down" and flashed her eyes. Very creepy.
    
27. What is the most points you have earned?
    Psh, I don't remember. I was a good(ish) Cast Member.
    
28. Ever been a trainer?
    Nope
    
29. Ever been a leader?
    Nuh-uh.
    
30. Ever worked grad nights?
    See Previous Post
    
31. Ever worked at a location that isn't there anymore?
    Falso.
    
32. CM that you miss that used to work at the parks?
    Everyone I worked with on my Spring '07 Program. Especially my roommates (neighbors included) and my special Emporium friends...
    
33. Manager that you miss that worked at the parks?
    Dwight was the best manager ever. He understood our grievances and asked us all the time if we needed anything. Sometimes even gave us ER's if things were slow or if we weren't needed. Coolest manager ever.
    
34. Do/did you love working at Disney or are you ready to leave?
    If i didn't love it, I wouldn't be going back! I had bad days, yeah, but I put myself in the mindset of "This is an experience, something that I can (and will) remember for a lifetime so I'll make the most of it."
    
35. How long have you been/were you a Cast Member?
    2 years. Spring '07 - Present.
    
36. Where was your first Disney job?
    The Emporium in the Magic Kingdom
    
37. What is your current Disney job?
    I'm a Campus Representative at Bowling Green State University and we'll see where I end up for the summer. Hopefully back at the Emporium *crosses fingers*!
    
38. Least favorite place you've worked?
    MK Strollers "Please take your strollers through the tunnel please....strollers through the tunnels please!" I swear...no one listens. Also working in the small little shop in the front of the park wasn't fun either.
    
39. What's your favorite park?
    Magic Kingdom. Always and Forever.
    
40. Favorite resort?
    I like the Polynesian. My mom loves it too, trying to get it booked one say so she can stay there.
    
41. Which mountain is your favorite?
    Splash. Gotta love the water drop!
    
42. Favorite water park?
    Blizzard Beach. I love the Lazy River.
    
43. Favorite fireworks show?
    Wishes! ...duh. I saw it every time I worked nights. Sometimes we would sneak out and watch it in the crowd with the rest of the guests. I know it by heart which is both sad and entertaining. When guests weren't looking (because no-one was in the store during Wishes unless they were smart and shopped when no-one was there) I would find one of my girl cast members and waltz with them during the middle section lol.
    
44. Do you go to Company D every week?
    Company D? No. Cast Connection and Property Control? Yes. Those stores were my heaven. Can't wait to go back and buy lots of merch on discount!
    
45. What was your most memorable guest experience (good)?
    I have alot of them. Probably going up on the roof during Grad Nite with a coupe of my CP Emporium friends and watching The Frey perform and the fireworks after. Or, when they closed down the store outside of Space Mountain (the arcade) for Emporium CP's and we had a little Goodbye party. I also loved just watching people (adults and kids) smile and have fun. Those moments were always special to me.
    
    ------------------- *TWITTER BREAK* ------------------
    
46. What was your most memorable guest experience (bad)?
    See #7. He tried to take down my name and I thought I was going to get fired after that. Meh.
    
47. Favorite California Adventure Attraction?
    I've never been to DisneyLand. And it's a sore subject for me so lets skip it ;)
    
48. Least Favorite Cast Member Dining Location?
    Adventureland. It was a small like break room where people had to squeeze to get into. Blech.
    
49. Favorite Cast Member Dining Location?
    Mouseketeria by far. Good food, Subway, everyone goes there and it was cool seeing the characters in full makeup trying not to smudge their costumes.
    
50. Favorite dining location?
    Crystal Palace. I got taken there on my birthday by a good friend.
    
51. Have you been on the Disney cruise?
    Not yet, I'm planning one for my family though if I get a full-time job though.
    
52. Do/did you eat at work or do you pack your lunch?
    Sometimes I bought lunch but most of the time I packed it.
    
53. Least favorite guest question?
    "What time is the 3:00 Parade?"
    "Why is this stuff so expensive?"
    "Do you guys have the Shrek or Thing 1 & 2 shirts? I saw people wearing them and I want it."
    "Where's the castle?"
    "Where's the Golf Ball?"
    "Why are you all wearing the same thing?"
    "Where's the Tower or Terror?"
    "How many Mickey's are there?"
    "Do you have any shirts left" (when there are clearly none on the rack...)
    "Do I get a discount?"
    "Is this all one store?"
    "Where's the bathrooms?"
    "Do you work here?"
    
    

Shall I go on?

....Well if you stuck around and read all this, then good for you. Maybe you learned a little about my Disney life, or maybe you're just that bored but in any case have an awesome weekend and make it magical!

Happy Sunday!

I figured after the monstrosity that was my Pop Film essay that I posted on Thursday, I'd keep this post short. Big news (for me anyway) is that I've passed the 40 Day Countdown and things are finally starting to come together for me for the summer. I still have some paperwork I have to do, haven't found a roommate yet and I have to patiently wait until after finals to actually get my butt in gear and get things ready for the big move.

I'm kind of sad because the two BG Campus Reps I told you all were coming down with me are no longer accompanying me on this journey. Kelly has a teaching job this summer which she should totally take if she wants to graduate and Tana just told me yesterday she wasn't coming down anymore either...sadness personified. But at least I have Caitlin and all my other friends I've been communicating with through Youtube vlogging...

Speaking of which, my friend Michelle, whom I worked with at the Emporium, is uploading her first vlog today! (She's having trouble because YouTube is being stupid) so once she gets that posted I'll give you all a link.

Finally, someone needs to tell me why I am following Miley Cyrus on Twitter...cause I can't for the life of me. It just happened lol. I even taught her how to "@reply"!

Kay that's all for now, couldn't find a suitable topic to talk about so I thought I'd just update you. This wasn't really that short but shorter than my last post!

Have a magical week!

For most of you who didn't know already, Space Mountain at WDW will soon begin refurbishment. Taken from the Orlando Sentinel:

Walt Disney World has filed notice that work is about to begin on its Space Mountain overhaul. The filing doesn’t provide many new details about what’s in store for the iconic Magic Kingdom coaster. But it does say improvements will be made in four areas: Facility, ride control, fire alarm and guest flow.
Disney has previously said the rehab will include installing new track (though the track layout won’t change), a new queue enclosure and a new ceiling. Space Mountain will shut down April 19, just after the Easter holiday. It isn’t scheduled to reopen again until Nov. 21.

This obviously means I won't be able to ride it while on my program. Not that it's my favorite ride, I mean I'm in fear of decapitation or severance of my limbs every time I ride but it's still a classic ride at the Magic Kingdom that I enjoy riding. I fortunately got the opportunity during my Spring Program to ride it with the lights on and see everything that it entails - let me tell you how both exciting and terrifying the experience was! But it was fun seeing all the CP's in the light and how much different the atmosphere was...it's a well known fact that you either want the front or the back to get the most out of the ride!

There are some advantages however. They did mention guest flow would be improved and that would be a major improvement to waiting in that long line that seemed to stretch on into eternity. while the giant meteorites that looked like chocolate chip cookies were ample entertainment paired with the sequenced screams of passengers passing by, the wait for the ride is always long, boring and tedious so I'm glad that will be improving.

Also if a new track is being put in, it might make for a fun ride. Lets just hope they don't do anything stupid like they did with the original "It's a Small World" in Disneyland CA, and input Stitch, Wall-E or any other Disney space-esque character into the ride, because I've already done a post about the stupidity of some of Disney's ideas. See previous post.

In more personal news, 43 actually days until the big move to Orlando! I've started to prioritize and see what exactly I'll need on my first trip down, and started to see if anyone wants to room with my sorry self =P. In being a good campus Rep, tomorrow I'll be calling one of my student's parents to talk with them about the program, they wanted to talk to someone who's done the program before and wanted their input. So that will be fun. I'll start to put together a send-ff party for our students and send them on their way!

But until then..I have a marketing exam that needs to be taken, a Pop Film paper that needs to be written and bed that needs to be slept in.

All that, plus it's GREEK WEEK! =)

Have a magical week!

So have you ever been walking around the parks either as a guest or a cast member and look across the way and shout either to yourself (if no-one else is around you) or to your friend next to you - (who's not paying attention because she's anxious to go on It's a Small World) "Hey! That's (Insert Celebrity Here)!!" - and try to restrain yourself from rushing over there for their autograph? Because you'd get terminated if you did so (maybe not as a guest but it'd just be tacky...I mean come on - they're on vacation too!).

A couple of days ago John Stamos and Tina Fey visited the Magic Kingdom and took a picture with Snow White, Cinderella and Belle inside Cinderella's castle. That got me to thinking back on my celebrity experiences as a cast member and those I've heard about:

• During the cast preview of the Pirate and Princess Party (one of the perks of being a cast member - getting sneak peaks of events and attractions), it was rumored that the Jack Sparrow in the parade was actually Johnny Depp in makeup. From street view I could hardly tell the difference but it could've been. (I also heard that he was actually at the event, but hiding up on one of the roofs of Main Street watching the parade so I'm not sure which one to believe...
  
• One time while browsing EPCOT, I saw both Steve Harvey and rapper Ludacris with his young daughter walking around the park. I was with friends and we were on a tight schedule though and there were already other people lining up around them. I didn't want to bother.
  
• One time in the Magic Kingdom while waiting in line for Splash Mountain I saw the Harlem Globetrotter team exiting the special exit. They really stuck out. (Because they were very tall and surrounded by body guards)
  
• While working Grad Night at the Emporium, one of my friends told me of his friend who worked the year previous that during his Grad Night he went to the service elevator to bring a bin of toys up to the floor and as soon as the elevator opened up Beyonce stepped out with a white flowing gown and the light was shining down on her. He didn't know what to do so he just fell to his knees and smiled. She smiled and asked him if he wanted a picture and he nodded. (this one I know is true because there's a picture of B with 3 princesses in front of the castle on one of our pictures for our Campus Rep display board!)
  
• Also during Grad Night, as I was preparing for my 10pm shift riding the bus from Property Control to the Main Entrance way for cast members, The Fray (who was headlining that night) was on the bus just chilling! I got to chat with them and they said they had a little bit of time before they had to do a shound check and they were bored. It was awesome I didn't really know what to say but it was really cool.
  

That's all that I can remember for now. Anyone have any celebrity experiences of their own while on their program or at the parks? Any rumors you found out to be true/false? What about mine? Are they believable? Leave your stories in the comments.

In other news...Today marks the 50 Day Countdown until check in at Vista Way. I still have some things to figure out, like what to pack, what to take with, how much cash flow I need to survive for the first few weeks and where I want to live + how many roommates.

I'm making a Talky Blog later on today for a special person who just revived her letter after a LONG time of waiting so keep an eye out for that.

Nothing else to report! So with that...Have a magical day!

As I sit here facing my computer looking at my Pirates of the Caribbean flag in the background and my many Disney paraphernalia around my room including (but not limited to), many lanyards of pins, a goofy pirate hat, my character autograph book, Stitch (both regular and (Tower of Terror edition) dolls, Campus Rep bag, Disney College Program banner, Mickey Mouse doll, my graduation ears from my last program and many many photos of friends and characters met...i can't help but smile as I internally shout:

I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!

I was accepted into the Disney College Summer Alumni program on February 20th after one month of patiently waiting for my purple folder to come. The moment I heard about the summer alumni program (which was on the first day they announced it) I didn't hesitate to apply. Partly because I was super excited, and partly because I applied for the Disney Land Summer Alumni program last summer, and they never even let me know if I was aaccepted or not, so I wanted to make sure my information was in on the first day.

My role is Merchandise, and I hope to God that I get put back into the Emporium. As much as I complained about it when I was on my first program, I miss the place. The people, the co-workes, the atmosphere, the rush, the way that people always seemed to ask stupid quesitons , the way that the shop would get flooded after the fireworks, the long hours, the frustrating managers, the painfully uncomfortable and tacky costumes...everything.

More than that, I'm excited to be on this program because I'm using it as a chanse to network. I plan on auditioning for a role with the company after graduation and this would be a great place to start. Although sumemr alumni CP's are not able to attend classes, there are still speaker series available and chanses to network. I plan on taking full advantage of it, making business cards, making contacts, shadowing, anything I can do to get my name out there.

Also I get to see old friends again doign the program with me, this time around, I'm gonna have the time of my life and I'll never forget it.

So you're thinking to yourself...Why do I care?...I mean you're visiting this site for a reason anyway...unless it just to happened to pop up under "I'm feeling lucky" under Google in that case...WELCOME! But ther reason you should care is because you're going to be expereinceing everything I do with me! I plan on making this blog not only so I can remember everyhing that happened leading up to and during my program, but to share it with my friends and loved ones! So suscribe, bookmark, whatever you want to do with this page because I'll be updating it frequently with everything relating to my program, anything Disney and anything particualry interesting relating to those topics lol.

This year the park's theme is "What Will You Celebrate?" It's only March and that quesiton has already been answered for me...I'm celebrating being a castmember at the Walt Disney World Resort once again!!

Who's excited? You're excited!! Heck, I'M EXCITED!!

Have a Magical Day!

- Will

(60 Days)