Thursday, August 25, 2011

Disney University Food Core Cafe

Yesterday morning we had a Food Core training course at Disney University.  It was another very early morning and to be honest about 95% of the class had difficulty staying awake.  It was also mainly about Food Safety which is an online course that usually you would take yourself.  I think being able to click through the slides myself and do the little activities would have kept my eyes wider awake.
Tamara and I got to left class early because we had already done the majority of the e-learning classes.  We also got given work shoes during this class.  I hope they are comfortable and don't ruin my feet as my real work shoes (SAS shoes) are the most comfortable shoes on the planet and I wish we could wear them. Oh well!
After class Tamara went home to do some chores/shopping and I waited for Chelsea to finish.  We ended up popping over to Magic Kingdom and grabbed burritos for lunch! If you know me, you know how much I LOVE burritos! It was yummy but huge!
We came home and as my Italian roommate moved out two days ago they changed our locks and I had to get a new key.  After a wee nap (okay, I napped for two hours...and it was beautiful) we went back to Magic Kingdom! We started off with some dinner at Pinocchio's Haus (kids meals!) then cruising the Caribbean with Jack Sparrow followed by a huge drop into a briar patch.  We then rode through a haunted mansion, boated with children of the world, went to the 'opry' with our avourite Disney characters and finished off with ice cream on Main Street! (Tofutti for this kid!) It was pretty darn fun!

Today I had a much needed glorious sleep in.  I've been up before 6:30 all week and doing things all day so it felt amazing to sleep in.  Today is my first seating shift in Le Cellier and I'm pretty nervous about being in there again.  Should be interesting. I'm going to whip up a smoothie and some flash cards before catching the bus!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Traditions

On Friday night before Traditions I got asked to go to Rascal Flatts!!
Justin Moore, Easton Corbin and Sara Evans opened for them!!
Ashley, Candice, Wade and Brittany

It was at an amphitheatre..and hot!
The Band!

  Kaity, one of the super nice girls who greeted us before the throw in got really sick on Friday and couldn't go.  She was kind enough to think of me as a replacement and I'm very glad she did.  It really sucked because I don't want to gain from her being sick but I was really excited to get the chance to go! It was so much fun! I also appreciate Kaity's kindness, she could have offered so many other people but thought of me, and that really does a lot to make someone feel more wanted/welcomed into the pavilion.
 It was super fun!!


On Saturday we had Traditions class.  It is a long day.  You start out with a union talk, and they don't tell you that it actually costs money, and that you get to have union representation whether you pay them or not... My aunties will be very unpleased that I said this...however think of the extra nearly $500.00 that I'm saving..especially because I'm not going to do anything dumb enough to need the union for.  If I were a full time actual cast member I would join for sure, but being only on the visa they can't really help you out on a lot of things, and the ones they can they will anyways.  Plus you don't get to vote or make any decisions for/with the union so there you go.

 
After the union 'chat' Traditions actually starts. I won't tell you all about it, but in general it's a look at the Disney culture, the Disney 4 keys, the Disney basics and the traditions of the company.  You also get a super cool tour of the Utiladors under the Magic Kingdom as well as get to have lunch in the Mousecateria...where Snow White, or Cinderella's step sisters, or the Fairy Godmother might be having lunch as well!!! It's so unbelievably cool to see them having lunch in the same place as you. Yup, I'm a geek!




Mickey Mouse himself even delivered our name tags to us!! We got our cast member IDs which we clock in and out of work with, as well as get into the Parks with! Yay!




That being said, we went home, had some dinner and headed to Magic Kingdom!!! It was so exciting! 





We rode Pirates of the Caribbean and then watched part of the Electrical Parade, Wishes and ended by riding Space Mountain.  We had the most hilarious photo and it kinda still makes me laugh 2 days later. hahaha.


Getting home was a bit of a mess though! The monorail wasn't working so the ferry was crazy packed, so we devised a plan to go to Pop Century and take the cast bus from there. However the pop century line was then huge! So we hoped into the Caribbean Beach bus line (which is on the same cast bus line...confusing eh?) and after about an hour made it home!
Phew!




We had Sunday off as well so after a quick trip to the doctor (when I say quick I mean about 3 hours all together) (I had an inflamed eyelid..whoops!) we went to Hollywood Studios!!
Extreme Stunt Show!

This plane flew Disney executives from coast to coast..including my Rosen professor
Ron Logan!!
 We were also in the Backlot Tour Pre-show!! Chelsea and I decided to ask how you got to do it, and she said you ask me! and Bam! We were in! It was pretty funny, I was the ship captain, Chelsea and Linsey swabbed the decks and Tamara was the mechanic.  If you've seen the show you know what I'm talking about...if you haven't I'll try to steal some pictures off Brett!  Basically they show you what it's like to shoot a scene and then play it back with all the effects etc.  We were under attack!

After Hollywood Studios Tamara headed back home for a relaxing evening and the rest of us headed to Epcot for dinner! Originally we were going to do Marrakesh the restaurant in the Morocco pavilion but decided Mexico instead.  It was so yummy...but then we found out we didn't get a cast discount! Doh!
Good thing I had water and vegetables ;)
We also stayed and watched Illuminations as it was Brett's first time at the parks! Also I love Illuminations..but you know that! 

Vegan Cupcake Tops!
 Yesterday we had Discovery Day at Epcot where you learn about the park, it's history, Walt's original idea and how it became what it is today.  Then we had a Le Cellier/Canada tour with DJ our Trainer.  After this Chelsea and I went to Downtown Disney to visit Babycakes the vegan bakery!! It was pretty exciting! We both got just a cupcake top (hers was red velvet, mine was blondie) and they were good!

We originally had thought about ice cream but after the sweetness of the cupcake top we couldn't do it.  We grabbed some Earl of Sandwich (SOOOOO YUMMMY!) and caught the bus to Ft. Wilderness!!! They have a sing-a-long campfire with Chip and Dale here nightly!!! We missed the sing-a-long part of the evening (whoops!) but made it to watch a large chuck of 'The Rescuers Down Under'! Right before it ended the fireworks were about to start so we bussed/jogged down to the lakeside to listen to and watch Wishes!!
After the fireworks we got a private boat ride over to the Contemporary! We had to wait out in the water a bit because the Pirates Fireworks cruise was just about to dock...and meet Peter Pan!!!
And since we were right behind them...we got to see Peter too!!!

Today was more e-learning at Epcot and then the afternoon was spent going over things with Janice, one of our Le Cellier managers.  I'm about to go for a run and then who knows! ttfn!


Friday, August 19, 2011

Pictures!

One of the frozen people! She was impressive.
and somewhat creepy.
These people are why I'm frightened by statues.

That's us!

First of many, many visits to come! Being there makes me so excited for
Mardi Gras...which isn't until March

Does it ever...

Hogwarts across the water

HULK!

Never tooo early for a brew

Hogwarts!

Photo op!

The Hogwarts girlw as really funny, she kept making comments about how its
weird to be in still photos, why wouldn't everyone just have wizard cameras?

Blurry Woody!

Beetlejuice

The monsters. I think the bride of Frankenstein looks kinda like Khloe Kardashian in costume

E.T's boss man

Flip!

Break Dancers at Universal...they were good and funny!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Rewind!

This is the post I should have done before any about arriving in Florida - Whoops!
Therefore I'm writing it now :) My last week in Canada in short form!
Tell me this isn't the most adorable face ever?
I miss my Lily pug already!

My Mum/sister made Banana Nut Pooh and Tigger waffles!
Mornings don't get much better than this!

Saturday August 6th I attended a wedding on Denman Island! It was a blast
but I didn't take any photos of the wedding or reception...
just of the ferry boat ride back. 

This excited me so much! The Vancouver Sun is a big newspaper!
And the little ol' ship wrecks in my little ol' use-to-be-a-regional-district
made the front cover of the paper and got a two page colour spread!
Fun Fact: One of my relatives was on one of these ships!

This is what I woke up to my second last night at home.
A blurry german shepard licking her chops..and my face!
 After the wake up call I had brunch with some of the most wonderful girls I know. It was so much fun, we laughed insanely, and just always have a good time together. I miss them already.

This is where I live! Well, not this precise sandy island, but you get
what I'm saying.

Usually when you drive along this chuck of road (the Dyke) you
can count 10+ Bald Eagles!!

This is where my fantastic Mum works as well as the location of my
own last day of work in Canada! I was a receptionist filling in for a bit
during summer hours.

Goose Spot! Now you know ;)

Home Sweet Home

Tall Trees. Vast Mountains. Deep Valleys.

Lewis Park!

You can always go...downtown.

Royston! This is the beach I always ran past, walked to and that we got to see
lovely fireworks from for BC Day!
 In between the last picture and the next picture I had a fantastic goodbye dinner with my family including my parents, Carrie, grandparents, aunties and cousins! We had lots of fun, soooo much food (yummy!) and it was wonderful!
This is my friend Simon who happens to be the Blue Bottle Number 1 for Ralph Lauren currently.
I doubt that's what it's actually called, but it's funny seeing him everywhere!
This is in Vancouver! 

Impressive Watermelon Ice Cream Cake!
This was while on wedding to-do list shopping!

This is my new pug Penny.
Or it would have been...

We had a lovely dinner at Milestone's in West Vancouver to get to know some
more of Gareth's family as well as just to all hang out and have a good time.
This is Aoife, she was so much fun and so easy to get along with.  

Check out that last one! The Break Up Tub?! Oh man...

While picking up Carrie's dress we found my future wedding dress!
Minus the black..

True Love in Real Life.
Most wonderful day ever!

Savi and I spinning!

Gorgeous flower girls and bridesmaids

Ahh! Leaving already! International Departures at YVR

See ya Later Canada!