We all started working this week and with our schedules clashing it’s been hard work but we’ve squeezed in super magic fun times between our shifts somehow! Can’t believe the girls I’ve met and the memories I’ve made already.
Week 1 – FINALLY (sorry)
So I made it to Florida safely and I have successfully survived my first full week. I have literally had about 2 minutes to myself the whole time and I’ve used them to shower rather than write sorry haha! Anyway, I made a cute little weekly montage video so here is week numero uno and I hope you enjoy it!
This week features: travelling, All Star Movies, Disney Springs, character breakfast, moving in, Walmart, Polynesian, Traditions, my flatmate Jess’ gammy bite, Boardwalk, movies under the stars, pool time, Hard Rock Cafe, Disney University, Magic Kingdom, Mickey Mouse, Festival of Fantasy, Electric Light Parade, Celebrate the Magic, Wishes, Hollywood Studios, Star Wars Fireworks, costuming, Animal Kingdom and our first Florida thunderstorm!
I’ll write a proper blog post soon, I promise.
My home for two months…
… It’s Vista Way!
If you’re familiar with the Disney housing complexes, you’ll know Vista has the party reputation. It’s the oldest of all four of the complexes but many of the apartments have or are undergoing refurbishments right now.
As you can see, it’s the nearest complex to Disney property – literally over the road from Disney Springs.
Facilities and good bits:
- Has its own transportation hub meaning its the easiest complex to get to and from work
- Walking distance to: Walgreens, Chick-fil-a, Wendy’s, Applebys, Dunkin’ Donuts, Cicis…
- Two pools
- Fitness Centre
- Volleyball/tennis/basketball courts
- Pool table
- Hot tub
- Mail room
- Laundry room
- 24 hour security
- Most events take place at either Vista or Chatham
- Usually cheaper than other sites
I suppose negatives for Vista would be: potentially loud, but completely dependant on where your apartment is and who you live with; older and so maybe needs a lick of paint and a bit of TLC… other than that, right now, I can’t see many other reasons to knock the place.
Honestly, Vista doesn’t look anywhere near as nice as the other (newer) complexes but, for me, it’s all about the company you keep anyway. I’m excited, I just hope my flatmate request works out and I’m placed with my friend!
I also received the dates/times for check in, housing welcoming, drug and alcohol testing, immigration, international onboarding, and Traditions. Only a couple of early starts in there and plenty of time left over to explore.
Can’t believe how quickly this has all come around. I’m coming for you Vista!
My Top Threes
Just to keep me entertained I thought I’d do my top threes of lots of Disney categories…
Disney classic films:
1. The Lion King
2. Pocahontas
3. Hercules
Pixar films:
1. Toy Story
2. Monsters Inc.
3. Wall-e
Princes/Heroes:
1. Simba
2. Flynn Rider
3. Woody
Princesses/Heroines:
1. Pocahontas
2. Tiana
3. Megara
Characters to meet:
1. Gaston
2. Chip n Dale
3. Goofy/Pluto in Dino Land, Animal Kingdom
Magic Kingdom attractions:
1. Splash Mountain
2. Haunted Mansion
3. Philarmagic
EPCOT attractions:
1. Soarin’
2. Mission Space (orange)
3. Gran Fiesta Tour starring the Three Caballeros
Hollywood Studios attractions:
1. Tower of Terror
2. Rock n Roller Coaster
3. Toy Story Midway Mania
Animal Kingdom attractions:
1. Kilimanjaro Safaris
2. Expedition Everest
3. Festival of the Lion King
Restaurants in the parks:
1. Cinderella’s Royal Table, MK
2. Be Our Guest, MK
3. 50s Prime Time Diner, HS
Restaurants in resorts:
1. Citricos, Grand Floridian
2. Hoop-de-Doo Musical Revue, Fort Wilderness
3. Sanaa, Animal Kingdom Lodge
Quick-service restaurants:
1. Casey’s Corner, MK
2. Earl of Sandwich, Disney Springs
3. Be Our Guest, MK
Night time show:
1. Wishes
2. Illuminations
3. Fantasmic
Disney snacks:
1. Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich
2. Mickey Pretzel
3. Chocolate covered pineapple
…might have to keep updating this one as I’m sure I’ll think of a million more categories as soon as I post it!
Disney World A-Z
With only five days of rushing around in an unorganised blur left to go before Disney, I thought I’d do something daft to channel my excitement so I’m going to go through the alphabet with Disney World related words completely off the top of my head, no Google allowed…
A – Animal Kingdom
B – Blizzard Beach
C – Carousel of Progress
D – Dinosaur
E – Enchanted Tales with Belle
F – Fantasmic
G – Gaston’s Tavern
H – Hollywood Tower Hotel
I – In the biiiiig bluuue worrrrrld…
J – Jungle Cruise
K – Kali River Rapids
L – Living with the Land
M – Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
N – Narcoossee’s
O – ‘Ohana
P – Polynesian
Q – (Disney)Quest …yeah, I cheated
R – Rock n Roller Coaster
S – Soarin’
T – Toy Story Midway Mania
U – United Kingdom
V – Voyage of the Little Mermaid
W – Wishes
X – EXpedition Everest?!
Y – Yak & Yeti
Z – Zip-a-dee-doo-dah
This time next week
Oh yeah, you got it…
(RIP Hollywood Studios hat – yes, I loved it)
I will be taking off from Manchester Airport, bound for the most magical place in the world.
The early start date cast members already look like they’re having an insane time. Like Snapchat has been both a blessing and a curse. I’ve been able to get in on so much Disney action before actually being there myself but OH MA GAWWWD am I jealous? YE BABE.
I requested the later start date because I’m finally getting to see Stone Roses on the 18th and I just couldn’t even consider missing that. I was just a poor college student earning £25 a week last time they did a set of gigs, and this year, with all of their new material coming out, it’s going to be insane.
Anywhos, back to Disney. So I’ve been running round this week like a headless chicken looking for swimsuits, sandals and then potential outfits for Disney Traditions. Traditions is like a training centre that you go to for 3 days-ish and they’re very strict on shoulders, knees and toes coverage. As part of training, however, we go into Magic Kingdom, and if anyone has been to Florida in the summer, you know it is HAWT. I’ve been trying to find a nice balance of summery but businessy and it just isn’t happening. Apparently all I own are long sleeved or no sleeved tops so I’ve been to Topshop about 20 times, scrolled through ASOS for about a million hours, and been back and forth to the local shopping centre too many times to count: still not bought anything.
Any suggestions for outfits would be great.
Also, still need to buy a suitcase hahahahahah what is my life. I’m going away for 3 months and I haven’t started packing, yup, what a fool. The mad rush is gonna hit me hard.
Another thing griping me right now is how the referendum vote is affecting the exchange rate. WHY DIDN’T I GET MY DOLLARS EARLIER?! Decided I’m literally leaving it until last minute now because it’s just too irritating watching them go up and down like a freakin yoyo.
Sorry, I’m just babbling about crap, I might make a post that makes sense and is maybe more interesting soon but, for now, I’m in Center Parcs with some pals so I’m gonna go have some fun.
Much love x
When it all pays off…
After weeks of graft, sleepless nights, crappy food, bankrupting myself on trains up and down the country and going slightly insane producing my major project, I finally got my results back…
Fair to say I nearly vommed in my mouth waiting for 4pm to come around and then at 3:57pm I checked my emails – MARKS WERE UP AAAAH.
I think I’ve only felt nerves like it once before and that was A-level results day. When I saw my grade I literally did a double take… 90/100 WHAT THE FFFFFFFF?!?!!?
After sitting with my maths degree genius of a brother, we worked out that I will be receiving a First Class Honours Degree – HOW INSANE IS THAT?! A 2:1 is enough and everyone who received a 2:1 should definitely be happy with it, but I’ve always said “it would be nice just to say I have a first” and all year I’ve been between the two grades. That 90 pushed me up to where I needed to be and now I can finally say “yeah… I got a first…”.
Everyone who’s worked hard for something will know the elation. Whether it’s GCSEs, A-levels, a national diploma, putting in the extra hours to be able to pay for that holiday… when you finally get the result you want, my God it feels good.
I don’t want this post to just be me buzzing about me but this is a crazy achievement for me, and such a huge moment in my life; that’s it, another era of my life is gone and I did it well. I’d recommend this feeling to everyone, put in the work and eventually, yeah it might take a bloody lot longer than you thought, it will pay off.
So, BBC, when are you gonna hire me?
Visa = Approved!
Thank the Lord, America is letting me in. On June 2nd, I went for my Visa appointment at the US Embassy in London so I thought I’d write a little bit about it in case you’re curious/worried about going in future yourself.
My appointment was at 8:30am so myself and my mother travelled down to London the day before and stayed over in a hotel not too far from the Embassy in Grosvenor Square (not far from Selfridges if you’re more familiar with that haha).
I had to take a number of documents with me:
- my passport
- a 5×5 passport type picture – photo booths have US Visa as an option
- the SEVIS fee receipt
- the DS-2019 form – Yummy Jobs sent that in the welcome pack
- the DS-160 confirmation printout
I was also meant to take the program acceptance letter and proof of strong home ties (i.e. uni enrolment letters, rent confirmation or something) but I was unorganised and forgot. Luckily I didn’t actually get asked for either of these things so I was fine!
You queue up outside the embassy and they get all of your forms in order for you and then you go through like an airport security system. You can take like backpacks/bags etc. but you can’t take luggage in with you. You also have to go in alone, or with someone else who has an appointment too so I had to send my mama off for a coffee.
You go into like a huge waiting room type thing and numbers come up on a massive screen telling you where to go. It seems like there are soooo many people in there but they move really quick. When your number flashes up you go to your corresponding window. It’s just like windows at a bank or a train station with someone sat behind a glass screen and you pass things underneath. Once you’re done scanning your finger prints and getting your documents back you get sent to wait again but in a slightly different area.
From there you get lead to a queue for another window – this window is your actual appointment. I was expecting a full on sit down interview but nope it’s very quick and informal. I got to my window and the lady asked what my occupation is so I said student, she asked where and what I was studying; I didn’t tell her I’d just finished uni incase it raised suspicion that I’m trying to run away to America. She then asked why I want to work at Disney and whether I’d been before and then she gave me a booklet on fair working rights and told me I was approved!
In and out in about an hour I’d say. It seems it just depends on the day how long you’ll be in there. Apparently some people were done in 10 minutes and some people were waiting for hours on end so it just depends. It’s not scary or anything, despite the armed guards outside, and once you’re done you’re off to the land of the free!
See you soon Orlando!
Disney Q&A
A few of the CEP-ers have been doing Q&A videos so I thought I’d answer a few questions here instead. You can learn a lil bit more about my Disney side and I can get pure excited for flying out in 14 days!
- Fave Disney: character? – Woody
- princess? – Pocahontas
- prince? – Flynn Rider
- hero? – Simba
- heroine? – Jessie
- animal? – Pascal
- sidekick? – Baymax
- villain? – Hades
- original character? – Chip n Dale
- love song? – I see the Light/Tale as Old as Time/Bella Notte
- villain song? – Be Prepared
- song overall? – I Won’t Say I’m in Love
- kiss? – Lady and the Tramp, of course!
- Pixar film? – Toy Story
- classic film? Lion King
- sequel? – Toy Story 2
- quote? – “Look at the stars. The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars.So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you, and so will I” – Musfasa, Lion King. Reminds me of my dad and it means a LOT.
- theme park? – Well, it was Hollywood Studios but now all of the construction’s going on it’s probably Animal Kingdom.
- attraction? – Tower of Terror
- theme park show? – The Beauty and the Beast show at HS!
- First Disney film I ever watched? – The first Disney film I remember seeing in the cinema was Lady and the Tramp but from what I’m told I was obsessed with Snow White so it was probably that.
- Least favourite: song? – We are Siamese
- Pixar film? – I love all Pixar films but if I had to choose, probably Cars 2?!
- Song that always gets stuck in your head? – A Friend Like Me/I’ll Make a Man Out of You
- Most overrated film? – I’ve never been able to watch Oliver & Company the whole way through…?
- Most underrated film? – Hercules/Tarzan/Emperor’s New Groove/Brother Bear
- Film that makes you laugh the most? – Monsters Inc.
- Film that makes you cry the most? – Up
- Saddest scene from your favourite film? – Mufasa’s death
- Saddest Disney death? – I don’t want to repeat myself… ^^^ but I also balled at Arlo’s dad’s death in The Good Dinosaur
Totally cheated some of these and gave more than one answer, such an indecisive lass sozzzzz.
Much love x
Three weeks ’til Disney!
YEEEE BUDDY only three weeks until I get my ass on that plane to Flo Rida. So much to do before then, and so much has happened since my last post.
So as I mentioned, I was on placement at Newsround at CBBC so I’ve been a busy gal erryday. Loved it so much there, let me be part of the teeeeeeeeeeaaaam?!?!?!
Thursday was our annual uni journalism awards. This year it was held in ‘On the 7th’ which is a private members club for the beeb and ITV at MediaCityUK (ooooh fancy as I know). We got together for a few piccies n proseccos beforehand and then we went over for our free Pimms on arrival. The rest of my pals were there and it was so darn cute. Lots of industry members were there, our lecturers and all of us wannabe hacks were there too. It was just so lovely! Everyone was suited and booted and I even managed to bag myself an award aaaaahhhh! Top radio journalist right here. Got some feedback from my lecturer on my final project too and it seems like things are looking good eeeeeep! Those all nighters must’ve paid off…
Friday I went back into Newsround to many congratulations (one of the editors and one of the producers went to the awards) which was so lovely and after showing the dep. editor my major project, things are looking bright – Jennie Henry face of CBBC??? It was one of the presenters birthdays so we went out for a boogie and it was wicked.
Saturday I said my goodbyes to my incredible flatmate of three years. We live what seems like poles apart (Essex and Middlesbrough) and it was just one of the most upsetting experiences waaaah cry! We met on the first day of uni and have been like each other’s right arms since. Plenty of giggles, loads of love and not one argument – I’m pretty impressed and so bloody happy I found that girl.
To stop me crying all day, me and a couple of my friends went over to the Trafford Centre. I
bought shoes to cheer me up and they’re so shiny I love it.
After emosh talk of leaving everyone and moving back home we decided to have a sleepover YEEEEEES. Moved our mattresses into the living room and played cards, watched films just enjoyed having each other there ARGH WHY AM I MOVING AWAY?!
Today we’re off to get bank holiday sloshed in Spinningfields. It’s sunshiney, it’s hot and it’s going to be so much fun! I’m going to miss these people like crazy, why do things have to come to an end?
GET ME TO AMERICA ALREADY.
Much love x
not-so-bloggy blog 