012 - 3/27/10

Today is going to be SUPER short. I'm really really tired and I still need to pack all my stuff. Today we went to the beach, for about a minute. It was SO cold, but I was determined to go! We also went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner, which is officially my new favorite restaurant. The rolls and that cinnamon-honey butter were AMAZING! I'm so glad there aren't any in the NW or I would be fat. Tomorrow is going to be spent flying, all day. I guess I'd rather fly all day than fly all night. The red eye flight out here was a horrible idea. I felt so sick on the plane.


I'm so glad I'm getting to know some other CPs before we get to Florida. I'm a million times more excited for this program than I was for my first one. Especially because I have an idea of what to expect. The first time, I had no clue. No one I knew had ever done the program before, so I didn't realize exactly how amazing of an experience it really is.


Well, my bag isn't going to pack itself (I wish), so I really should do that. Hopefully I'll be able to post tomorrow sometime. My flight lands at 8 or 9, so that isn't too late. Especially considering right now its almost eleven here.

011 - 3/26/10

Today has been such a long day. The worst part is that we barely even left the house! You don't realize how much work a baby is until you're with one for over a week. I love baby Hunter to death, but he is such a handful! He's just starting to crawl and stand up by himself, and with that comes a lot of, "Hunter! NO!" and chasing him around. Boy oh boy is it exhausting. On top of all that, he cries so much! On the plus side though, he's absolutely adorable and his laugh is probably my favorite noise is the world. I honestly have no idea how Hope does this all day, every day, but she deserves an award or something! I leave on Sunday afternoon, and tomorrow is my last full day here. I'm sad that I'm leaving, but I'm ready to get back in the swing of things at home.


Once I get home on Monday, I'm moving out of my apartment and into a lovely house down the road from school. I'm a little apprehensive about the walk to school, but at least its spring quarter, so the weather shouldn't be too bad. Well, except the fact that it's supposed to SNOW on Tuesday, which is the first day of classes! I'm also really looking forward to my classes this quarter. All but one are actually in my major, which is a nice feeling. The only breadth requirement I have left is Introduction to Religion, which should be an interesting class. My friends keep question why I (the least religious person you will ever meet) am taking a class about religion. Honestly, it was either that or some lame philosophy class. Plus, religion really interests me in a historic sense, just not in practice (please don't take this as a cue to preach to me). Once I finish that class though, I'm done with all my breadth and gen ed requirements! Well, as long as my petition for my astronomy class from Pierce goes through.


I am so so so excited for my fashion classes this quarter! I'm taking Fashion Show Production and Basic Sewing Techniques. How fun does that sound?! The sewing class is going to be so long though! It's only once a week, but its FOUR hours long. I don't think I can sit still for that long. I honestly have no idea what the fashion show class is going to entail, but its relatively late at night (6:30-8:10), which is a little frustrating for me. I'm not looking forward to walking home at night from campus. The class sounds like its going to be a lot of fun though, so that's exciting!


I'm also taking two retail management classes this quarter. I'm not looking as forward to those, but they still sound fun. I'm taking Web Site Construction, which is just the 400 level version of Web Fundamentals, which I took last year. Definitely not my favorite class, mostly because I'm not at all a creative person. It wasn't too hard though, either. Plus, being able to create a fully functional, 16 page website is pretty legit. The other class I'm taking is Leadership and Supervision, and I have absolutely no idea what to expect. My teacher has already posted our syllabus, but it seems like a foreign language to me! I'm hoping for the best though, considering it's a class in my major and all.


I'm also really excited to go to the gym. I know that sounds lame, but after not really working out all of spring break, I realize how much I enjoy going! I have like a six hour break on Thursdays, so that's probably going to be an intense work out day for me. Especially considering my new place is so far away, its pointless to go home and come back. I'm also done by eleven on Fridays, so I'll probably work out then, too. I really want to be toned for Florida. I don't really want to lose any pant sizes or anything, but I want to have some definition to my body. Getting back into my normal eating routine is going to be a nice change as well. I feel like I've eaten so horribly all of break! It was all so good though! I miss my salads and grilled chicken and Kashi cereal and coffee. Having a dishwasher in my new place is going to make my life so much easier! I'm very excited. 


Once the quarter starts, I need to officially declare my Retail Management Technology major and my Tourism Management minor. I've already started taking the classes, but it isn't official yet. All I have to do is fill out some papers, but it seems like so much work! The funny part is that I already have the papers filled out and everything, I'm just too lazy to go give them to the departments. I also need to sit down with all my advisors and find out how exactly internship credits work, as well as how possible it is going to be to do Distance Learning for Fall 2010. I'm already so far behind, I don't want to dig myself any deeper in that hole. If CWU can't accommodate me going to school in the fall, I might look into what Pierce can do for me. Hopefully things will fall into place. If not, I'll just make it work. I seem to be really good at that.


Well, I think that's enough for tonight. I'm going to watch Project Runway from last night and head to bed. Actually, I might just head to bed. I'm exhausted!

010 - 3/25/10

So, considering the fact that I've only ever been to WDW once, I've decided to make a list of things I want to do while I'm down in Florida. Some things I've done before, and others I haven't. Some are about Orlando and the surrounding area, and some are about WDW. The list is a work in progress, so I might add to it later. Here we go:

  • Attempt riding Dinosaur again. (When I went on it last time, I almost cried. That has got to be the loudest ride I've ever been on)
  • Get SCUBA certified (I have no idea where or how) and do the DiveQuest experience at EPCOT
  • Take in all the little things, like the entertainment and attractions that always get overlooked. (At DLR, I was amazed at how great some things were that I'd never even thought about "wasting my time" doing on vacation. The Animation Academy at DCA was so much fun, and I've heard there is one at DHS!)
  • Take a few classes at Disney University. (My resume could use some serious work)
  • Stay at one or two of the Disney Resorts. (I've never stayed at one before!)
  • Go to Blizzard Beach. (I've never been to either of the water parks, and I have no desire to go to Typhoon Lagoon)
  • Check out DisneyQuest. (Another one of those things I didn't get to do last time)
  • See Cirque du Soleil La Nouba. (I've heard its really good)
  • Go on Characters in Flight at DTD. (A hot air balloon ride?! I'm down!)
  • Go to a show at House of Blues. (I attempted to do that at DLR, but I didn't want to go see CIWWAF by myself. Talk about a waste of $35!)
  • Attend a Sunday Gospel Brunch at House of Blues. (I'm not at all a religious person, but this sounds like so much fun!)
  • Get a t-shirt from Design-A-Tee at DTD. (I wonder if I could put Jessica Rabbit on a shirt!)
  • Buy bags and bags of gummy worms! (You won't understand or appreciate this until you taste them for yourself. Disney does something to them, I don't know what, but they're addictive!)
  • Get my grandpa a shirt from the Harley-Davidson Store at DTD. (He collects them. Well, he used to at least.)
  • Go to Beaches & Cream and get the Kitchen Sink! (I plan on doing this for dessert on my birthday. Good end to turning 21, right?)
  • Dress up and go to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. (Its worth it just for the candy!)
  • Attempt to beat Jaime at Toy Story Mania when he comes to visit. (He beats me every time! I don't know how!)
  • Buy something at the Festival of the Masters. (One-of-a-kind art? Count me in!)
  • Attempt to watch the Christmas Day Parade when it's taped in December. (I missed out on my first program. I was already gone.)
  • Go to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. (They don't have that at DLR, so I definitely have to go!)
  • Watch the Candlelight Processional. (It seems pretty cool, but it isn't something I absolutely must do.)
  • Get a picture on all of the rides that offer them. (Tower of Terror is always my favorite!)
  • Go on a tour or two. (I'm not sure which ones yet, but I love the tours at DLR.)
  • Watch a Movie Under the Stars at the All-Star Resorts. (You probably have to stay there, so that would be killing two birds with one stone!)
  • Go on a carriage ride somewhere on property! (I've always wanted to go on one!)
  • Do a ride along at the Richard Petty Driving Experience. (I'm pretty sure I'll pee my pants, but it's totally worth it!)
  • Participate in as many Cast Member only activities as possible. (They're once in a lifetime opportunities!)
  • Collect a map from every park in every language. (They are definitely a good souvenir!)
  • Watch Fantasmic with Katie once she gets to Florida in August. (Not because I want to, just because she's obsessed!)
  • Have breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table. (Wait, I'm already planning on that one!)
  • Explore all of the resorts. (Jaime and I got to hang out at the Grand Californian's pool once on our day off. It was awesome!)
  • Visit Celebration! (The town Disney built? Yessir.)
  • Ride in the front of the Monorail. (So much fun!)
  • Get an annual pass to Universal and USE IT! (Why not?! They've got coasters!)
  • Buy something from every land in EPCOT. (Souvenir or food item. Doesn't matter to me!)
  • Get a birthday button! (On my birthday, of course!)
  • Watch the fireworks from a hammock on the Polynesian's beach. (They shouldn't be too loud there!)
This list could just keep going and going, but I honestly feel like I've really got a lot there! If I think of a lot more things, I might do a part two though.

    009 - 3/24/10

    Today was a pretty good day. We went to the mall in Wilmington, which actually reminded me a lot of the malls at home. They had a Disney store, which really excited me, because ALL of the stores around me have closed. I found the cutest Marie coffee mug EVER! I totally bought it, plus I bought Hope a Minnie Mouse mug (they were $8.50 each or 2 for $12, how could I not?), and I got Hunter a pair of red Mickey Mouse sunglasses. They said ages 3+, but they fit his almost-nine-month-old head! 

    We also went to Borders, and I bought The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World. It looks like a really interesting book. I saw it on Amazon a few days ago, and it just grabbed my attention. Before I start reading it though, I need to finish Cast Member Confidential, which I'm probably halfway through. Its a really good book. Not as vivid as Mouse Trap though, which is definitely a book I'd recommend reading if you're doing the DLR-CP. The book paints a picture for you of EXACTLY what backstage at Disneyland looks like. Its so amazing. Cast Member Confidential seems a little far-fetched at times. Still a good read though, so far. Then again, they guy wasn't actually a WDW cast member, but rather a sub-contracted photographer, so his story is a little different.

    I've been talking to a few fellow Fall and FA CPs, and everyone seems so friendly. I'm really excited to get down to Florida and start this experience already! The days are slowly ticking away, and I am so ready. I still need to get everything figured out with my school, but I figured I'd worry about that AFTER I declare my second major and minor. 

    On another note, I'm really thinking about vlogging once I get down to Florida, but I'm not sure how to go about it. I know that my MacBook has some basic video editing software on it, but I have no idea how to use it. I've also been looking into getting a Flip video camera. They don't seem too expensive, and they're pretty small. Does anyone have any experience with them? I really want to be able to document my experience the best I can. Scrapbooking would be fun too, but that seems too time consuming and creative. I am definitely not the creative type, it takes too much energy!

    Speaking of energy, I'm beginning to run out. I think I might actually be in bed before 2 tonight! I'm excited for another lazy day tomorrow. Plus, I get to meet one of Hope's Dover friends! I'm just going to finish watching Gerard Butler on Ellen and head to bed! Feel free to comment or ask me questions on my formspring! (I've yet to receive a single question, kind of sad actually)

    008 - 3/23/10

    I've decided that today I'm going to do a roommate survey. I'm not really doing it to find a roommate, more just so you guys can get to know a little more about me. Plus, today was uneventful and I have no idea what to blog about.
    1. Your name?:
    Kayla

    2. Are you legal (over 21)?: 
    Not yet, I'll be 21 in August

    3. Male or female?: 
    Female

    4. Gay, straight, bi (optional)?: 
    Straight

    5. Where do you live?: 
    I'm from Tacoma, WA. However, I currently live in Ellensburg, WA for school.

    6. What role will you have at Disney?: 
    QSFB

    7. What are your arrival/departure dates/program (fall, fall advantage, fall quarter)?: 
    Fall Advantage Quarter (6/14/10-1/3/11)

    8. Which apartment complex would you prefer to live at?:
    Either Chatham or Patterson. I don't party and I would like decent places to live.

    9. How many roommates/rooms would you like (1-7 roommates, 1-4 rooms)?: 
    Two bedroom at the absolute most. I tend to have issues with roommates, so any more than 3 other girls and I'll probably go crazy.

    10. Do you like to party? Will you be hosting parties in your apartment?: 
    I don't do parties. I like having people come over, but not to party. I like cooking dinner for people and watching movies/playing games. I know, I'm lame.

    11. What's your favorite food, and more importantly, can you cook well?: 
    My absolute, hands down, favorite food is Pad Thai. I know, weird choice right? I like to think that I'm an awesome cook, especially because I've never heard anyone complain. I love cooking, and always make WAY too much food.

    12. If your friends could describe you in three words what would they be?: 
    Honest, sarcastic, and fun.

    13. What kind of music/movies do you like?:
    Music: Everything and anything really. Right now, my favorite playlist on my iPod has 3OH!3, Asher Roth, CIWWAF, Demi Levato, Ke$ha, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Taylor Swift.
    Movies: I'm all about comedies and chick flicks. However, I also like a lot of movies that most girls don't.

    14. Do you smoke, and if so, inside or outside?:
    Never. I don't mind being around smokers, but I'd prefer not to.

    15. Do you drink (socially or alcoholic)?: 
    Again. Never have, never will.

    16. Are you a night person or a morning person?: 
    Night person. Definitely. I hate waking up early.

    17. Are you driving or flying down?:
    Flying. Oh the joys of your car being totaled.

    18. What do you do for fun?:
    I do a lot of texting and talking on the phone. My best friends are scattered all over the country, so I spend a lot of my time trying to talk to them.

    19. What is your favorite quote?: 
    "The lesson I've learned the most often in life is that your'e always going to know more in the future than you know now""

    20. What are you most excited about in being in the WDWCP?: 
    Getting to make magic every day. It sounds really cheesy, but I love knowing that I've helped someone make an amazing memory. The best job I've ever had was working for Disney.

    21. Favorite things to do when not working: 
    Go shopping is definitely number one. I also like to work out. Eating is another big favorite of mine, hence the working out.

    22. Name one good quality about yourself: 
    I tell it like it is.

    23. Name one bad quality about yourself: 
    I tell it like it is.

    24: Your college: 
    Central Washington University.

    25: Your major: 
    Fashion Merchandising/Retail Management Technology with a minor in Tourism Management

    26. Any medical conditions (optional):
    I was diagnosed with asthma a long time ago, but its never actually effected me. I also have ligyrophobia, which is a fear of loud noises (and no, it isn't funny to pop balloons around me on purpose or turn your radio up to the max in your car).

    27. Are you messy/tidy?:
    I'm more on the tidy side. Usually, if things are messy, I clean them up pretty quickly. Especially if there are a lot of people going in and out of the apartment.

    28. Anything else you want to state: 
    I'm really not as horrible as I sound. I'm one of those people though that you either love or love to hate. I've been that way more a long time and I don't plan on changing.

    29. Favorite Disney movie: 
    The Little Mermaid and Oliver & Company. I think of Disney movies in terms of 'boy movies' and 'girl movies'.

    30. How many times have you been to Disney?:
    I've only been to WDW once. However, I worked at DLR for a few months, so I'd say I've done my fair share of Disney.

    31. Favorite park:
    Hollywood Studios

    32. Favorite ride:
    Tower of Terror. I think that might change once I ride Everest though. Toy Story Mania is a close second though.

    33. Favorite show:
    I'm going to have to go with Aladdin at DCA. I know, it isn't WDW, but its an AMAZING show. I'm sad that they're getting rid of it.

    34. Favorite resort:
    I've never actually stayed at a Disney resort, but I absolutely love the BoardWalk.

    35. Favorite dining:
    It's a tie between Prime Time and Cinderella's Royal Table.

    36. Favorite character: 
    Jessica Rabbit, Marie, and Tinkerbell

    007 - 3/22/10

    Today was spent driving from Dover, DE to Camden, NJ to go to the Adventure Aquarium. Totally amazing place, even if it was almost $25 to get it! I'd suggest going there if you're in the Philadelphia area for sure!




    I just wanted to quickly tell you guys about a few of my favorite things I think you should do that I’m pretty sure are only at DLR, not WDW. I’ve been asked about DLR, and didn’t really know what to talk about. These two things, however, were hands down my favorite part of my experience at DCP.


    Academic Field Experiences! They’re opportunities that only College Program get to do! They fill up quickly, but they honestly can’t be missed. Sadly, I was only able to participate in one before I left the program, but it was amazing. The AFE I participated in was the Space Mountain Experience, but there are a handful offered every program. The ones I know for sure were offered are below:




    • Haunted Mansion - Backstage Tour
    • Backstage Tour of Disney’s Pyrotechnics
    • Finding Nemo Expedition
    • Space Mountain Experience
    • Backstage Experience of Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams




    I was told that after I left, there were a few others, including a tour of Walt’s apartment on Main Street. I also heard that the month before I got to DLR, there was a Tower of Terror Experience as well. The Space Mountain Experience was really really cool. First, we rode Space Mountain as you normally would. Then, the fun started. First they turned off all the lights, which wasn’t really too terribly different. I made the mistake of riding in the front row, so I could still see the green blinking lights on the track, so the element of surprise wasn’t really gone. The coolest part though, was riding with all the lights on. You don’t realize exactly how close you are to the other tracks until you’ve seen it with your own eyes. It was intense, and definitely made me rethink putting my arms up on the ride after that.


    From what I heard, some AFEs were more exciting than others, which makes perfect sense. Those experiences were honestly one of my favorite things about DCP though. I don’t know if WDW does anything along those lines, but I sure hope so!


    Special Events! I was lucky enough to get to work Miley’s Sweet 16, and it was so awesome. Mainly because I didn’t really do a lot of working, more just wandering around. I called the ODV office every ten minutes for an hour straight, because I wasn’t scheduled to work but they said they might need extras. Finally, the lead gave up and told me to come in. I was so excited! They didn’t really have anything for me to do, so they told me to just go to Fantasyland and see if people needed help. I was told to walk backstage, but that would have taken me about 30 minutes, considering the ODV office is behind Splash Mountain. So, rebel that I am, I walked out the far end of Critter Country and took my sweet time going to Fantasyland. It was amazing exactly how all-out Disney had gone for this party. Makes sense though, considering each ticket was $250! Over the course of the night, I walked past Kobe Bryant and his extremely angry wife and children (we’re talking a foot away), I saw the Naked Brothers Band with their VIP tour guide on multiple occasions (and no, it wasn’t the Jonas Brothers, although a few people wanted to fight me on that), I had a friend tell off Mr. Jay (of ANTM) and have Tyra Banks apologize to him for Mr. Jay’s behavior (he was being a diva), watched Miley Cyrus perform on the Rivers of America in an extremely short skirt, and I was almost run over by a line about 15 limos deep backstage next to the ODV office.


    It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I’m so glad I got to say I helped in making that magic come to life. I wish that I had been at DLR longer, because it would have been really fun to cross-train and do Special Events. If WDW offers cross training of that sort, I am totally signing up!

    006 - 3/21/10

    I absolutely love lazy days. Today was spent watching movies and obsessing over Disney. I'm pretty sure my best friend is sick of hearing my random Disney facts. I've also subjected her to watching Aladdin, Snow White, Mulan, and the Princess and the Frog in the last two days. She has a little boy, and she's decided that she needs to start investing in movies for him before they go back in the vault. She wants all the girly movies though, which makes me feel bad for him a little bit. Poor boy, he's going to be subjected to all these princesses and question his sexuality before he's even 5! 


    The Princess and the Frog was actually pretty cute. I was debating renting it, just because I'm not usually a fan of the newer Disney movies. Then I figured, what the heck, for a dollar at RedBox, why not?! I was pleasantly surprised. It was a really cute movie, and I really liked the fact that Tiana was a normal girl, not one of those super well off or super poor princesses. 


    I have so many ideas for what I want to do in the future with this blog, but I don't know where to start! I was told I should tell a little more about my DLR-CP experience, but I'm not really sure what people want to know. I have a formspring, so maybe people could ask me questions about my experience, or comment here and tell me what you'd like to know. I didn't really have the best experience, so I'm worried if I start rambling I'll get myself in trouble and start negatively ranting. We don't want that.


    I do want to make a list of things I'd like to do while I'm down there. I also want to do a roommate survey, more for the fun of it than to actually find a roommate. Like I said, I'm new to blogging, so I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do here. I like talking about myself, so that's always a good thing I guess. I was that girl on your Myspace friend's list that did like a survey a day, and you would eventually de-friend me, just because you got sick of all the bulletins I posted. Yep, I was that girl. Now though, my Myspace is gone, and Facebook doesn't really have a concept like that, so I guess this will do.


    I also want to say that its completely awesome that I already have 14 followers! The best part is that I only actually know one of you. Why haven't you guys introduced yourselves?! Feel free to find me on Facebook or comment here and tell me a little about yourself. I would love to get to know you guys!


    Well, I'm not sure what the plan is for tomorrow. Its supposed to rain, so we don't want to spend the day outside really. We're debating going to Newark (DE) or Wilmington, but we aren't sure yet. Plus, Hope already went to bed, so I guess we will figure it out in the morning!


    Time for me to finish watching Frank the Entertainer (yes, I'm addicted to reality TV), and read a little more of my book. I think I'm going to try to keep updating every day for as long as I can! This is really fun.