My Location and the Dreaded Swim Test

I had my lifeguard swim test along with all the other lifeguards from the UK and Hong Kong at 6pm last night at Mickeys Retreat, which is an area for cast members and their families where theres a pool and tennis courts and a little beach etc. There were two lists, one had the names of the people in water parks, the other was the people in resorts, i was on the resort list, and we did everything second.

First we had an eye test, just like when you go to the opticians, i don't need glasses or anything so that was completely fine for me. Then the watermark lifeguards did their test. They all had to do the deep water test, regardless of whether they were a deep or shallow water guard. They had to swim 8 lengths of the pool (200 metres i think…), tread water for two minutes with their hands out of the water, then pick up a brick from 8 foot deep water.

Then we had to do the shallow water test, where we had to swim two lengths of the pool (50 metres?), then we had to pick up a brick from 5 foot deep water. Its safe to say we all passed, although a couple people struggled with the brick, but its disneys choice…

We then got told that we would have to do the test all over again when we start our proper Ellis training.

Then, the moment we had all been waiting for, we found out our locations!

You get a bit of paper with your schedule for the next few days, and the top right corner looks like this,

So my main resort will the Coronado Springs Resort! 

I have never stayed in any of the Disney resorts, but my roommate says it is one of her favourites so i am quite excited to start.

It also says AKL beside my area so I'm assuming that this means that i will also rotate between Coronado and the Animal Kingdom Lodge!

I officially start work on Friday with Traditions, then i have my recreation training on Sunday, then i start my lifeguard training on Monday and i am on my way to being Disneys newest qualified lifeguard!

(Pictures are not mine)

Arrival and the First Few Days.

I arrived in not so sunny Florida at about 4pm (9pm uk time) after travelling for about 11 hours, and having not slept for about 24! This was not so fun. But all my flights went fine, immigration wasn't as bad as i was expecting and we easily got a mears shuttle from the airport to Vista Way using the discount vouchers sent by Disney, so it only cost us $16.

Now, after travelling for hours and feeling horrendously jet lagged, of course the first thing they do is take your picture! This is for housing id's, and i found out that i was in Patterson Court.

Patterson is the newest of the apartment complexes, and in my opinion, the nicest. It was my second choice on dorms, but that was mainly because there is no bus stop, it shares the one at Chatham. But this was made out to be a 10 minute walk away, when really, it takes about 2 minutes. I also like how close it is to The Commons, and its within walking distance of the outlet mall, where we went for lunch in one of our breaks between hours of meetings at The Commons Clubhouse.

Most of our time so far has been spent either checking paperwork, filling in more paperwork, and learning what we can and can't do. Its pretty dire, but Disney try their best to make it bearable, and its quite nice not having anything too strenuous to do while you're still jet lagged.

So i arrived on Monday night, and heres a little summary of whats happened so far:

Monday

The dreaded Walmart trip. I was lucky that i managed to fit bedding in my case and i am SO glad i brought it! I went to walmart because i wanted food for the morning but i didn't really have to go, but i felt like a zombie the whole way round, it was horrible, but i did get a phone and hairdryer and things so it wasn't a wasted trip.

Tuesday

Im lucky that two of my roommates, Bex and Rachel are lifeguards too, and they were meeting another lifeguard, Curt, for breakfast, so i tagged along. We went to Applebees and i got french toast, it was amazing but i couldn't finish it, there was just so much! Then we had a drug test in one of the apartments at Vista Way where we met the rest of the lifeguards, and let me tell you, peeing in a cup is more stressful than you think! Then we all stuck together and went to The Commons where we had a passport check, then got lunch at the outlets, then went back for our housing welcome session. Then i had some time to myself and skyped my mum and sorted my phone and everything. Then we met up with the other lifeguards and some other people and went to the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney for tea! Its safe to say i slept well that night.

Wednesday

We had an early start at The Commons where we got told about the Disney Look and checked to see if we were sticking to it. Then we had hundreds of forms to fill out for social security stuff and we were told more about what would happen if we broke the law and why we shouldn't break the law! But we also got our times for Traditions, and mine is on Friday at 2pm, which is when we finally get our cast member id's (which let us into the parks for free!) and our name tags. Then we headed over to Vista Way where we killed some time while attached to our phones because of the wi-fi. Then we had our 'recruiting welcome' which is where most people found out there work locations, but we won't find out until after our swim test at 6pm tonight!

So its been a busy few days, and I'm so glad we have tomorrow off! Although i don't have any plans for it yet, but that might be a good thing!

Disney and exams!?

So my past few weeks have been great fun.

Its exam season. And luckily i only had two, but they were both pretty near the end of the exam period, and pretty spaced out, which at first sounds like a good thing, but once all your friends are out on their celebratory end of exam nights out, and you've only had your first one, it gets quite annoying.

Anyways!

I was a bit stupid. During my January exams, i pretty much did anything but study up until the very last moment, meaning one thing. Resits. In August. When i will be working in Disney.

Whats that you say? Its a shame ill have to self terminate and come home early? Before I even know what it'll be like?

Hopefully, not so much!

I found out through Yummy jobs that Disney offer proctoring (invigilation) services through Disney University. So i have spend the past few weeks, whilst on my study breaks of course, sending emails back and forth to my department at university, writing formal letters to try and find a way for it to be possible for me to sit my resit exams in Disney World. Its not been confirmed yet, but i think its looking positive, I've had the thumbs up from my department, i just need the final yes from the university and i should be good to go!

I know this probably sounds horrific to some people. Sitting exams and having to worry about studying whilst you're in the happiest place on earth. But really, i could do a lot worse that being able to study somewhere with a view like this.

(Not my photo)

Now i am two exams down, with my fingers crossed i won't get any more resits, and with 13 days to go!

Visa Appointment

In my opinion, this was the most daunting part of this whole ICP experience. The interviews are nerve wracking, but they aren't the difference between whether or not you're allowed into a country! Even though I've been to the states a few times, i was really nervous when i went to get my visa!

There are two embassies in the UK that you can choose from to go to, either London or Belfast. As I'm from Edinburgh, this is really annoying. I would say that Belfast is probably the cheaper and quickest option travel-wise, but i chose to go to London because i know my way around better, so if i would've had to go by myself i wouldve been alright.
I booked my appointment for Wednesday the 3rd of April, and all J1 visas (the type you need for a 'cultural exchange') get an appointment at 11.30 in the morning. Yummy jobs sent all the necessary paperwork, and all you need to do is pay the booking fee, the sevis fee, and fill in an online form.
The online form is the trickiest part. The yummy jobs instructions were quite hard to follow too, so make sure you set yourself up a nice cup of tea and a biscuit or something to stop you smashing your computer while filling it out.

Me and my mum travelled down to London on the Caledonian Sleeper on the Tuesday night (which i would highly recommend!) and arrived on Wednesday morning stupidly early, but we found a Pret to have some breakfast. We killed time with some shopping and wandering around until it was a more reasonable time.
I met Rosie, who i had met at my second interview, so we could go to the embassy together. And it was good because i didn't have a clue where i was going!
We also went to Goulds pharmacy to leave our phones etc en route. I have to say, i was very sceptical about the whole 'leaving your phone in a random pharmacy' thing because i didn't really trust how reliable it would be, but it is very professional and trustworthy, i would really recommend it because it meant my mum could go and do her own thing, but still know i could get it touch with her once everything was finished.
We then went and joined the massive queue to get into the embassy. If you are going to do this in March/April time WEAR WARM CLOTHES. When we got asked for certain bits of paper, my hands were so cold i could barely move them! It was also nice to have some company in the queue.
Once we were in it was pretty straightforward, you get given a number, which you get to know very well the amount of times you check it, then you just wait to get called to a window. I thought this would be it, so i was very impressed when my number was called after only being there for about an hour or so, but it turns out this is just where they collect the paperwork…
I was lucky and got a lovely american man who was very chatty and happy, and he took my forms and my passport then gave me a form to fill in which was for my passport being couriered back to me.
Then you sit back down, and realise why some numbers are called in order, and some randomly.
There was a little group of us all going to Disney, so it was nice to have people to chat to, i didn't even need my book! We were told that it could take from 2 to 5 hours until we were called for our interview, but i was really lucky and my number was called in what felt like another hour or 2, i was the first out of the Disney crew! I went up to a different window, got asked what my plans were after Disney, what university i went to and what i studied, then he told me my visa was accepted and my passport would be sent back to me, easy as that!

I was probably in the embassy for a total of about 2 or 3 hours.

So for all you current/future applicants, my visa advice would be,

• Dont stress. Its not as bad as you expect it to be.
• Meet someone before if you can. The Disney guys are all friendly (we are employed by the 'happiest place on earth') and it helps put you at ease, and keep you occupied during the sitting about.
• Double and triple check your paperwork. And take an extra, different set of passport photos.
• Put your electrical stuff in the pharmacy. Its only £3 and saves SO much hassle.
• Eat before you go. I was so hungry…

Top Choices

So i know you don't get to pick where you get put at Disney, but if you did, these are the places i would totally ask to get put.
So i am going to be a lifeguard, and i would love to end up at one of the waterparks. To be honest, I'm not particularly fussed when it comes down to it, because theres probably more chances for guest interaction and getting to know different people at one of the resorts. But I've never stayed in a Disney World resort, and I've spent many a hot Florida day at the waterparks!

Blizzard Beach
My personal favourite. I think its because, being Scottish, i can relate to the snow…
For anyone who's never been, the story is, Blizzard Beach became a popular ski resort during a freak snowstorm in Orlando, but now, as the snow has melted (obviously Florida isn't exactly known for its skiing…) it is a waterpark!

It is amazing. And although i love Typhoon Lagoon for the wave pool and things, i think this is the waterpark that has the best use of Disney magic!

As for the parks, if i had been put in another role, such as operations or merchandise, i already know where i would want to be.

EPCOT
The Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Ive always been a sciencey person, i study maths at uni and I've grown up with a chemist for a dad, so its always been there. Epcot is my sort of thing.

 

My favourite part is Future World, i think its full of the best parts of Disney that not everyone knows about. Things like Journey to Imagination, most people hate it, my mum being its worst fan (except the first time when she was all about the Figment merchandise!) i love it, it never has a queue, theres a song, and the guy out of Monty Python is in it. Also Ellen's Energy Adventure. Bill Nye the Science Guy. Need i say more? And of course, one of my two favourite rides, Mission Space.

The first few times i went to Disney World i was too scared to go on this, mainly because i didn't even know what it was. But as i got older i thought i would try it and i fell in love. And not just with Gary Sinise. Ive always been a simulator ride person.

Finally, my second favourite ride. While its not in my favourite park, this ride has always been one of my favourites, ever since i went on it in Disneyland Paris, where is was exactly the same, but i didn't have a clue what the robots were saying.

Star Tours
I like Star Wars, I'm not like, obsessed by it, but i enjoy watching them. I love this ride. Even more so now its been updated so its different every time you go on it AND its 3D! Even though me and my sister would happily go on the old version over and over if the queue was short.

So those are my favourite parts of Disney World. The places i would happily work, and the places my inner Disney geek comes out.

Im trying to update this with stuff to get excited etc, and to put off uni work… But obviously its going to be pretty bare until i get there! 

Theres only 196 days! 

(Note: I take no credit for photos)

Summer 2013? Disney here i come!

So for a few years now, I've known about a little thing called the Disney International College Programme. My family went through a phase where we went about 3 or 4 summers in a row going to Orlando every year. It was mainly for Disney World. Ive always been a fan of Disney. Not in a massive way, like I've seen most of the films like Snow White, The Lion King etc. but i can't remember the last time i watched them, most of my favourite Disney films are the new Pixar ones. But i have ALWAYS wanted to work for Disney. Ever since my first time in a Disney park, Disneyland Paris, when i was about 4.
In my final year at school, i thought i wasn't going to get into university, so i was looking at what my options were if i had a gap year. I looked at jobs at Disney, but it was one of those things that i thought would never happen because i would have to get a visa, move to America, and i was only 17 and i live in Scotland… It was then that i found the Disney College Programme and it was perfect.

I turned 18 last January, so i decided to apply in August through the Yummy Jobs website. It was one of those things that i did without really thinking about it. I thought that there would be so many applicants that mine would just be brushed aside and i wasn't even expecting to hear back. I submitted my cv without even looking at it, let alone updating it, then forgot about it. I went back to Glasgow, went back to uni. Then i got an email inviting me to a Pre-screen interview in Edinburgh. So i went along. I didn't really know what to expect, but it was alright. I arrived by myself and when i went into the room, i ended up sitting in a row by myself whilst everyone was making friends and chatting, so i got worried that i would stay like that even in the group interviews. But when they came around i came out of my temporary shell and it felt like it had gone really well. I said my top choices were operations and lifeguarding.

The next day i was home to see my sisters dance show, and checking my emails in the interval, i saw that i had been invited to the second round of interviews, this time in London, with the Disney representatives. The idea of going all the way to London by myself scared me, but it was for a job where if i got it i would have to go all the way to Florida by myself, so i manned up. So i had a little adventure to myself, arrived in London on the Monday, and stayed in a Days Inn at Lambeth North. The interview was the next day at a restaurant in Waterloo, so i met some girls off Facebook at the station and we wandered round together. I felt so much better at this interview because everyone there was so friendly and chatty so i was a lot more at ease, so when the actual interview came, i just carried on chatting to the interviewer as if she was one of the other applicants. I don't think it could've gone any better! I don't think I've ever been so confident. I had to order my top 5 choices, and it went like this:

1. Lifeguard
2. Recreation
3. Operations
4. Merchandise
5. Full Service F&B

Then came the waiting. It is the worst part of the whole application process! 

Until finally, around 6pm on the 2nd of November, Facebook went mental. People were getting emails, but only to say if they had been rejected or were on the opportunities list. I was constantly refreshing my email, and face timed my mum. I got the email while i was talking to her and i didn't want to open it! But i am glad i finally did.

So, from the 3rd of June 2013 i will be working as a lifeguard in the Walt Disney World Resort. 

It can't come quick enough! I don't know how I'm going to last the wait...