Showing posts with label Downtown Disney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Downtown Disney. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Arrived!!



I'm currently typing this from my apartment in the Commons!!! How exciting is that?! I am in a 2 bedroom apartment that looks over Mickey's Retreat's soccer fields!  To be honest it was a bit surreal arriving and didn't feel real, even through the Wal-Mart shop.  I went with this lovely girl Linsey from Scotland and picked up some hangers and groceries.  Then after coming back and unpacking a bit Linsey, Tamara and I went to Downtown Disney for dinner!! Tamara is from Comox which is the town right beside mine and we have some mutual friends so that's cool.

We ate at Wolfgang Pucks in the bar area (it was a 45 minute wait for the dining room...no thanks!) and all three of us had pizza.  Mine was pesto and cheese and really yummy. It was thin crust and not insanely greasy so it didn't give you that 'I feel super grossy sick and shouldn't have eaten that feeling.'  Always a good feeling to avoid! So the meal was good and then we walked through Downtown Disney looking in a few stores including Goofy's Candy Factory/Store.  It is so crazy in there!! I can't imagine letting a child in - they would go nuts!

After coming home from dinner I unpacked a bit more of my clothes so I only have bathroom things and kitchen things left.  Then I was so tired from the red-eye flight and day that I went to bed around 1130.

Today we have lots of paperwork to do! It starts soon so I should be on my way!!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Last Week at a Glance

You may recall this little thing I was doing called the 30 Day Disney Challenge.  Somehow that Challenge has turned into the 60 Day Disney Challenge.  But I'm going to try and creep the rest of them in here along the way, as I'm sure hearing what I learn in class everyday isn't going to be all that entertaining (although it will save you tuition fees ;) ).  Actually I find my classes super interesting and I enjoy going to them, even though it means I have 8am class 4 times a week, I wouldn't miss one for the world.
Sign at Lake Eola
Alrighty, we're going to run down the last week quickly and then I'll focus on keeping more up to date.

Monday
This was my first day of classes! I was nervous walking over for my 8am class, but that is when I met Professor Logan.  He is a really interesting guy and tells some pretty incredible stories about himself and Disney.
7 Facts I have Learned from Professor Logan This Week:
-The Osmond Brothers were discovered at Disneyland by asking the Dapper Dans if they could sing for them.
-Cary Grant had a cockney accent and his real name was Archibald Leech
-Hollywood Studios was originally planned with the Hollywood 'actors' (The gossip, the Director, the star etc) as the only entertainment.  Now the park is over 50% entertainment.
-When Disney executives produced a parade for Carnival in Rio some of them got guns pulled on them in a car, but were all right once the gunmen realized they weren't who they were looking for.
-(I should have figured this one out myself)  Parades were scheduled when the rides were busiest (to shorten lines) or near closing (to keep crowds from leaving).
-If you wanted to see and be seen by the hollywood elite you would go to Morton's East Hollywood, where you could always find Bernie Brillstein at his usual table; one of the most successful Hollywood agents and the author of "Where Did I go Right? You're no one in Hollywood unless someone wants you Dead"
-Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade floats are made in South Dakota

Stay tuned for Next weeks edition....;)

Next up was Financial Accounting. My professor seems pretty good as long as you do everything she wants and she likes you. haha.  I've heard from many people that it all depends on if she likes you because she has a lot of discretionary assignments.  I answered a few questions in class and showed I actually did the work, so hopefully that works in my favour.  There is an accounting club you can join, but I would only be able to go to one meeting, so I'm going to hold off until I return to school.  Also she is writing her PhD exam (apparently it's 8 hour days long) so she will either be super happy or super unhappy after that.

My final class is Human Resource Management.  My professor is very kind and from Korea.  He makes some pretty hilarious jokes/comments. Such as "Why do you call it going South when things go wrong? Hopefully it doesn't come from the civil war. In Korea the South is good and the North is...anyways, I just don't understand." He also told us a cute story about his 16 year old son getting invited to a few Sweet 16 parties and how he thought it meant he was popular until he realized the girls invited everyone in their class to the parties. hehehe.  The course itself is interesting.  Everyone got in a big debate over whether employers should be able to dictate if employees can smoke cigarettes or not, and if they should have to pay higher wages.  My homework assignment was about obesity and if the American Disabilities Act should/does count obesity as a disability and therefore they should get coverage.  (The ADA actually only covers morbidly obese Americans, that is people who weigh 100% more than their ideal body weight).  See I'm learning ;)
Baby Swans at Lake Eola!
Besides class I have been trying to adjust to running in the Florida heat.  Dang does it hit you hard.  No matter how much water I drink I get dry mouth like no ones business part way through.  (Because you all wanted to know that! TMI!) But I'm getting better so that's good. I need one of those running water bottles with the hand grippy thing. My roommate Emily has p90x so we're going to try doing that in the mornings before class. Yikes! Apparently it's going to kick my a** so bad I won't be able to walk/sit/move. Sounds great :)
I've been trying to enjoy the sun a bit, and have been spending time with my roommates, who are amazing! They were so welcoming and kind and fun.  This morning Emily and I went to the Lake Eola Farmer's Market, walked the mile loop around the lake, talked to all the vendors, I ate wayyy tooo many plantain chips, and we both nearly cried from the spice of some sauces.  It was a gorgeous day and so much fun.  We went early but apparently they have live music and an organic beer and wine garden around noon! It just has such a great vibe :)
Swans at Lake Eola!
Last Thursday I got to hang out with my friend Kristin! We went to Downtown Disney and got ourselves a Baileys iced shake, which I'm going to tell you, is the greatest thing ever! I really don't like dairy, but I'll make an exception for this drink.  It's a huge treat, and a once in a long while thing, but worth it.  It's from the Hole in the Wall pub beside Raglan Roads and if you are heading down there anytime soon....get one!! We took them with us over to Earl of Sandwich and it was the best meal ever. Earl of Sandwich is the bomb. They always have the longest time, and it's very obvious why. After dinner we headed back to Kristin's to hang out and relax.  I ended up staying over because we got hooked watching old episodes of Weeds, and when I got home the next day my roommates said they almost texted because they didn't know where I was. It was cute, I think they like me :)

Showing Carrie my bad hair! I curled that whole thing and nothing!
I think that pretty well sums things up except for Saturday night which was incredibly special.  On Monday morning Professor Logan told us about a foundation event he was playing trumpet for/MCing on Saturday and asked for volunteers.  I gave them my name and am so glad I did.  We arrived around 430pm and helped finish setting everything up, then I was a greeter and welcomed the guests.  The event was for The Pink Ribbon Princess Foundation which raises money to help local Orlando cancer patients pay for the incredibly crazy medical bills they get.  It was the foundations first event and I think it went incredibly.  They had a raffle and a silent auction, the yummiest cupcakes ever and the star of the event was Debbie.  She is an incredibly courageous and radiant woman and was the belle of the ball.  Please check out their website, they have a brand new one that is up/should be up soon!! Many cancer survivors shared stories and testimonies which were incredible (one lady lost three siblings, and her husband to cancer before being diagnosed herself), it's such an epidemic, it blows you away the strength these people have.  Another highlight for me at least, was when I walked into the room and all the volunteers were dancing to "Oh when the Saints Go Marching In," we were clapping and having fun and an older gentleman popped in and starting singing! So then Professor Logan said "Follow Me" and led us in a parade around the room through the guests playing his trumpet! It was really cool.
I have an early morning tomorrow so I'm going to pass out, I hope everyone else had an amazing weekend (especially because it seems as though the world didn't end on Saturday) and let me know if you have any questions, comments, or things you want me to find out! 

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Clodagh was born! Arriving in Orlando...DC11!

April 7th, 2011

Clodagh was born today at 3:04am PST!!! SOOOOOO EXCITING I'M AN AUNTIE!!! She is beautiful, healthy and incredible :)


We left Alabama pretty early as we were really excited to get to Orlando!! We headed south east and found this
Yay!!!


We stopped in Tallahassee to take a look around Florida State University (Go Seminoles!) which was beautiful! The campus was gorgeous and even though we just drove around it had a really good feel. 
 

Pretty Florida Swamps


Then since we made my stop in Tallahassee we headed down to Gator Country for Ashley's stop in Gainesville! 


It was also a pretty campus and had some really cool trees with some moss type stuff hanging off of them (they're the spooky looking trees around the Hollywood Tower Hotel at Hollywood Studios!).  

Then we made our way closer and closer to Orlando! I was super excited when I saw this billboard:

and eventually this sign:

YAY!! We made it!!!

We rolled up to our friends Kristin and Oscar's house around 5pm! Kristin was actually napping when we first knocked, but Ashley awoke her with her fantastic doorbell skills and we hung out by the pool for a while meeting and remeeting their other roommates! Then we ventured down to Downtown Disney and walked around, then found the most delicious slushie drinks at the Hole in the Wall outdoor pub and watched the Magic Kingdom fireworks over the trees from a bench in the evening heat. It was amazing.  Then we picked up Oscar from work and got to see some other familiar faces which was fun :) Then we headed back and crashed!

Disney Challenge Day 11: Favourite Love Song

This one is easy...

I'm not going to analyse it, or think to hard about it. This song and scene are so nice and it's my favourite love song. Although Beauty and the Beast is of course amazing and Belle Notte from Lady and the Tramp. I'm going to throw this video up as well:

and this one from Enchanted is nice as well: