"Do a good job. You don't have to worry about the money; it will take care of itself. Just do your best work - then try to trump it," Walt Disney

Hello Friends,

So this post will probably be short and sweet (and not just because I'll be referencing candy ;)).  

Friday and Saturday: I never usually couple days together but these two days felt like that movie with Eric Von Detten where it's Christmas Day, on repeat, for week....Yes well these two days I woke up at 11:00 did some cleaning and resume work, ate food, got coffee and went to work.

Sunday: Sunday was almost the same as Friday and Saturday except when I went to get coffee at Starbucks I actually stayed there and was able to submit two applications for Disney Professional Internships and revamped my LinkedIn profile so I felt accomplished.  

Monday: I must admit it is nice to have a work week that makes Monday my "Friday." So while the rest of the week is starting their work week...I'm ending mine :)  (Friday-Sunday of everyone else's week is a little depressing for me I'm not gonna lie).  So Monday/Friday - whichever - it was a really good day.  Woke up early enough, 9 am, and headed to bus to meet up with my friend Gina.  Gina and I work together at the Emporium.  Gina is from Nottingham in England so naturally I knew we'd be best friends ;)  So my new favorite Brit and I headed to Downtown Disney on Monday morning to see our boys, One Direction, in the fan cut of their movie "This Is Us."  We were the only ones in the theater, allowing us to sing at the top of our lungs and get up and dance around in the isles if we had wanted to (but we were enjoying the comfy chairs to much).  The lads were lovely as always and it got us talking about some UK/US cultural differences and similarities.  We did a little shopping in the World of Disney and Curl before getting caught in a DOWNPOUR....side note: we forgot umbrellas.  Needless to say we got on the bus soaked and freezing.  Gina got to go home and relax because she was off.  I only had enough time to run home and get a hot shower before running to work (I was still grateful for the hot shower).  I also made myself some pumpkin coffee so it made the trip to work a little more warm and bearable.  The storms kept the crowds away, Magic Kingdom was very quiet and Main Street seemed like a ghost town at times (very appropriate with all the Halloween decor around).  The lack of activity did allow for more guest interaction with the guests that were in the store and I had some great Magical moments including giving "I'm celebrating" and "Happily Ever After" buttons to a man who's daughter had gotten married over the weekend and I played peek a boo with a 1 year old :)

I got home from work so exhausted and went right to bed.

Tuesday:  Although Tuesday was my Saturday I still had a very early start at 7 am. My friend Mary Kate was nice enough to drive me to the medical building I had to go to get bloodwork done.  We confused the woman at the front desk (typical). The actual paperwork took double the amount of time than the actual blood work so that was nice.  I spent the rest of the morning running errands.  I came home and took a nap in the early afternoon and before I knew it it was time to get ready for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party :) 

Thea, Mallorie and a few of Mallorie's friends from work got dressed up, made up, and headed to the MK for trick or treating and other good times.  We met up Kali once we were in the park.  We stopped into The Emporium so I could get a small tiara to complete my look. We saw a lot of our co workers who were excited to see us! It was funny being at the Emporium all dressed up and people told us we looked great! 

Breakfast at Tiffany's

It started to rain a little bit and I was the only one to remember an umbrella (lesson learned from Monday).  We decided to go meet Tarzan, Jane, and Kirk.  Sadly Tarzan went to go have some banana shakes for dinner so we wound up only meeting Jane and Kirk.  

Jane, me, and Kirk

Mallorie, Thea, Kali, and I waiting in the queue

After the meet and greet we went around to the trick or treat trail all around the park. We went to see some more characters and caught some of the parade (that we've several times from the store and got to see a preview of).  We walked around Tomorrowland and Adventureland.  Before we knew it it was time to see Celebrate the Magic and the fireworks. I had been told Hallowishes is the coolest thing ever to witness at Disney - right up there with Fantasmic.  Well let me just say Hallowishes was, indeed, the COOLEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN! So many fireworks - fireworks everywhere - and lots of cool colors.  I caught myself at one point with my mouth open. Yes I stood there in literal "awe."

From there we went to get more candy and met the Seven Dwafs which was awesome because there were seven girls in our group.  Mallorie's friends headed to see the Princesses and the rest of us walked around to get more candy.  We saw Peter Pan was open and basically had no line so we ran on because we knew that would never happen again (everyday that ride has at least a 70 min. wait).  We also went on The Haunted Mansion, even creepier in the Halloween atmosphere. Outside the ride there was this ghost on the lawn that did a whole comedy routine - so funny.  We saw a lot of characters dressed up and that was really cool. We JUST missed seeing Pooh, Eore, Piglet, and Tigger :(

We ended the night hanging on Main Street.  The party of a lot fun indeed.  After leaving Magic Kingdom we went to the Waffle House and I had some hash browns - they were good. 

At one point Thea just turned to us and said "Oh my god I feel like I'm in a scene from the Gilmore Girls"; I couldn't stop laughing.  

It was such a fun night.

Hallowishes - AMAZING!

Main Street :)

Candy, Candy, Candy :)

Kali, Thea, and I outside work

Goodnight Magic Kingdom!

Wednesday: Today I slept in and have been lazy....must change that.  Brit and I headed to Wawa for lunch so today was still very successful! :)  Hope to get some more errands done today and apply for some more internships.

In regards to title --- these internships have be nervous about the future but, as Walt said, as long as I do a good job I know I'll be fine.  

Keep Dreaming,

Mary-Kate 

"We can ill afford to rest on our laurels, even to pause in retrospect. Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future," Walt Disney

Hello Friends,

The other night, I called home and talked to my Dad and Eddie for a little bit and it was really nice.  I came to realize how quickly by time in Disney is flying by.  Part of the reason I think it feels so past paced is my work schedule here in Disney has left me with an unconventional work week.  Thursdays are my Mondays and Mondays are my Fridays.  It's fun on Mondays but kind of a struggle on Thursdays.
Anyway let me recap the rest of last week and my "long weekend."

Friday: I was sad I was going to be missing the Villains night at Hollywood Studios on Friday the 13th but from the sounds of it there was major traffic and crowd problems so perhaps I was spared, though, of course, my room mates still made sure they made the most of it and had a good time!
Friday night at work for me marked by first floor stock shift flying solo. I must admit I like stocking because, while it is solitary and really repetitive, I feel the shifts go a lot faster.

Saturday:  For the majority of Saturday I took it easy knowing I'd be in work late.  Saturday marked another stock shift, a long one, but everything went smoothly.  I'm fortunate to work with really nice and funny people so they help in making things less stressful at closing time. I had a few magic moments coloring with little princesses, just like the CornerKids days.  Kenzie was nice enough to drive me, Kate, and Thea home and we a had a typical, 2:30 am, girls, laughing hysterically, car ride home.

Sunday: Sunday marked my longest shift to date: 10 hours, with a fun training/welcome session thrown in.  New CPs at the Emporium got to meet with our "CP Champions" (our leaders who have, in many cases, also done the college program) and be formally welcomed in our new work location and review all the rules, etc.  Leaving the meeting feeling empowered and inspired, and with a pen that I won in trivia, I started my third stock shift in a row.  Sunday's shift also went very fast and there were several other people also assigned to my area so the work load never felt overwhelming.  It was an amazing feeling when 2 AM came around knowing I'd have the next three days off.  After work Kenzie and I stopped at McDonald's and when we realized we were outnumbered by party goers (when we had just been working for eight hours) we skipped dinning their and just took our meals home.

Monday: Every other week so far in Disney I have always I have had off Tuesday and Wednesday but this week I was given off Monday and Tuesday (not that I'm complaining).  I slept in and was slow to wake up and get ready.  By the time I sorted myself Kenzie was already outside waiting for me.  We stopped by to pick up Thea and her room mate Mallorie and were off to the Magic Kingdom. In true tourist style I documented most every moment.  I still find the process of getting on the tram car and the monorail to get into Magic Kingdom so incredibly neat :).  Of course everyday spent in the Magic Kingdom is a fun day and every day you have off spent in the Magic Kingdom is very fun but we entered the MK on a mission: to enjoy another cast member perk and see the Princess Fairytale Hall before anyone else (it formally opened yesterday). We met up with Kate and Kali (two girls we work with at the Emporium) and set off on our adventure.  It was so cool to see where Rapunzel and other Princesses hang out and Cinderella was nice enough to put their portraits in her foyer :).  After getting some pictures (please see FB) we grab some ring pops, from our Prince Charmings of course and set about to have a fun filled day in the park.
We met Terrence and Tinker Bell and Merida and went on the People Mover and Winnie the Pooh and the Carousel (which caused me to feel like I was at the shore for a spilt second and miss it).  We also went on Space Mountain, timing it perfectly as to miss the a huge thunderstorm outside.  There was a dance party in Tomorrowland that was a lot of fun.
We also saw the "Celebrate a Dream Come True" Parade.  The sunshine came out just in time for it. I'm usually at work, indoors, while the parade is going on and so I only catch bits here and there.  It was great to be able to see the whole thing and get caught up in the excitement of it all.  We got ice cream at the ice cream polar walked around some of the places where Mallorie works before calling it a day.  A great day indeed!

Making memories! 

Kenzie, Mallorie, Terrence, Thea and myself

Merida and I :)

That night we went to Olive Garden.  Thea and Mallorie are from Australia and wanted to do something "American" so Kenzie and I decided Olive Garden was the perfect place to have dinner (because we weren't going to take them to Outback but told them about the Bloom'n'Onion :)).  Thea and Mallorie really seemed to enjoy it and I'd say there's another Olive Garden trip in the future. And don't worry family strong nothing can replace the fondness I have for going to Club OG and our memories there :)

Thea and Mallorie's first Olive Garden experience :)

Tuesday:  Tuesday morning I slept in, again. Haha. I went to the gym and got ready before heading to Vista to meet up with my friend Hannah so we could go to tea.  We had plans to go for the past week.  I had told Hannah about my desire to go to a proper tea and she said she'd love to join (she was born in England and lived there almost half her life before her family moved to Germany and now she goes to school in Scotland).  We had a lovely time having full tea at the Garden View at the Grand Floridan.  I remembered walking around the hotel when I was little. Hannah and I felt so elegant in our dressing, taking pictures on the staircases, and listening to the pianist and the band that played upstairs. It was a wonderful afternoon and we hope to go back a few more times (definitely around Christmas time).    

Hannah and I at tea :)

I'll share a facebook status I made from Tuesday: "Hopped off the monorail at Epcot with a dream and a wishing heart.  There truly is nothing cooler than working in Disney." I had this moment while on the monorail from the transportation center to Epcot when I realized how fortunate I was to work in Walt Disney World and how these "oh let me just jump on the bus or monorail to Magic Kingdom then to Epcot then Hollywood Studios then Animal Kingdom FOR FREE" moments - will never happen again. So I'm appreciate it and make the most of it and savor it all while I can.  Once in Epcot I waited for Mallorie and Thea in Starbucks (they had been there since earlier in the day and were on the Ellen ride which is about 40 minutes).  Once the ride was over they met up with me and got drinks themselves - Thea had only gotten Starbucks like twice before in her life and Mallorie never had so NATURALLY this moment was documented.

Slowly corrupting Mallorie and Thea into a Starbucks addition like me :)

We continued to walk around the world show case and stopped in the UK - duh.  As we "walked down high street" we heard some music and Thea sprinted towards it.  We found the source of the music around the bend in a private garden area and a pavilion.  In the pavilion a band was performing their cover of The Who's "Who are you".  The crowd was really into it, and it was grand. We continued to walk down through the Asian countries and stopped in Morocco for dinner, Thea and Mallorie had their eyes on it all day! The girls really enjoyed their meals and as we sat and chatted about CV vs Resumes (typical CP conversation) Hannah met up with us and then we all continued walking around the nations.  We stopped in Mexico to all the festive items.  Before we knew it, it was time in secure a spot for illuMinations.  We stopped in front of Norway and set up camp.  Note: Norway is a great place to watch illuMinations - you're directly across from France :)  

Quick stop home.

illuMinations

After illuMinations we all ventured home tired but happy we all had a great day.  When I got home I finally got to see ALL of Pitch Perfect before heading to bed.  LOVED THE MOVIE and I ashamed it took me so long to see the whole thing haha.

Wednesday:  I was originally scheduled to work Wednesday night but gave my shift away in order to attend a Professional Internships Insight Seminar. I weighted the pros and cons of giving up some time (and pay) in order to attend this and saw it as a benefit to my future - so I went - and it was!  After some confusion of going earlier in the day (east coast vs west coast time issue) I returned home, worked out, shower, got into my professional wear and went back.  I knew I was on the wait list so I arrived an hour early and was second in the wait list line.  Fortunately, for all of us on the wait list, there were a lot of no shows so we got to go in.  The seminar was really beneficial and I took some great notes and was able to network.  Now I'm all set to apply to some professional internships :)

Thursday: Today I woke up and typed this blog.  Alexis, Brittany, Lauren and I went to Starbucks and now were gonna lay out by the pool.  I have work tonight and I'm gonna go early because it's cast appreciation day and I'm gonna go buy a ticket for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party for next Tuesday - wish me luck! 

My time in Disney is certainly flying by, and while I am mindful I must take the time to enjoy the small moments, I can't help but feel a certain anxiety about what will happen once my program is over.  Starting the process of applying to professional internships and jobs within the company this week that caused this anxiety to heighten a little.  I know I must remind myself to breath and take it one day at time, because though the competition is steep and the future uncertain, I guess I'm doing well with Walt's advice in so far as I am not ignorant to the future or its possibilities.  So here's to applying to internships, and jobs, and networking, and making the most of the four months left in my College Program :)

Thank you who take the time out of your day to read this blog (or only to look at the pictures ;)).  Your support means the world to me.

Keep Dreaming,
Mary-Kate

"Get a good idea and stay with it. Dog it, and work at it until it's done right," Walt Disney

Hello Friends,

Today's blog post title really encapsulates how I've been feeling the past week...for all the right reasons and you'll just have to read til the end to see what I mean.

Sunday:  Sunday turned out to be the best day of work I've had so far.  Why?! Well one the perks of being a CP - college program aka closing the park cast member - with really nice managers, when you work late enough, you get to see dress rehearsals of the parades befor the public.  That's right I sat on Main Street USA with roughly 100 cast members as we watched fellow cast members bring Mickey's Not So Scary "Boo to You" Halloween Parade to life.
(Please note: I have never been to parks as a guests during anytime of the holiday season...and I believe when we came down in Sept. 2002 we must have JUST missed as the pre-Halloween festivities).
I have been told the Halloween Parade and Halloween fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom are two of the best shows Disney puts on in the parks.  Well I can now say without a doubt the Halloween parade was the coolest thing I have ever seen.  Let's just say there was a real dog, a real horse, crazy villains, and costumes, AWESOME dancers, shovels, and naughty cowboys (that only my friend, Gina, and I picked up on - hilarious).
Sorry no pictures...can't get fired now can I ;)  You'll all just have to come down one year and see if for yourself.
It was great to be with all the girls I work with at the Emporium, sitting outside the Emporium, watching a parade...with music and lights, on Main Street, in the Magic Kingdom, and nothing else. Even with the parade the atmosphere was so intimate and I had another magic moment of thinking this was truly what the magic of Disney is all about.  That also had to be one of the best dress rehearsals the cast members in the parade could have asked for because we were, indeed, felt/acted like we were five years old..and it was all genuine and totally worth it.  Did I mention there was free popcorn left over from the food carts that we got to eat.  Well the was :)
I went home really excited and couldn't fall asleep til 3 am.

Monday:  I woke up early to get to the park before work. It was a beautiful morning and since it was my "Friday" I thought I'd treat myself to Starbucks and take a picture of the moment.

I should take out stock for Starbucks and become a member of their PR department ;)

My friends and I still couldn't get over how cool the night before was and we thought that, even if we couldn't make it to a Halloween party (because even with ticket discounts the tickets are still expensive), we saw the main attraction, except the fireworks but I'm sure I'll catch them.
My Monday work day went really well and I went home and relax before going out with the roomies at night for a couple of drinks. They were airing Monday night football so I got to see that the birds won, EAGLES.  Yay.

Tuesday: I had a bit of rough night sleep Monday night and decided not to join Katie and Lauren as they ventured to Animal Kingdom and favored sleeping for another two hours, but the rest was well worth it. In the afternoon I met up with up them to see some ballet.  Perk of being a Cast Member #2: the Orlando Ballet Company practices at the ESPN World Wide of Sports and to "thank" Disney allows Cast Members to sit in on rehearsals from time to time.  I was totally in "Center Stage" mindset. It was really nice to see some classic ballet preformed by truly amazing dancers.  I felt very posh ;). We saw bits of performances of "Romero and Juliet", "Cameron", "Swan Lake", as well as dances from their "Hollywood on Point" showcase, aka ballet dancers to music from Hollywood movies.  There was a male dancer who preformed a solo called "Time" that he choreographed and composed the music for himself.  The music was amazing.  There was also a dancer from Philly in the company who preformed and she was really good! Go Philly!!!  Their last performance was a modern, fun piece called "La Cafe".  It was evident on the dancers faces that they enjoyed preforming it. It's always fun watching performers when you can see/know they are having fun.  At the performance I also met a CP named Hanna from England.  Overall it was a lovely afternoon.  Hanna and I decided we will definitely be going to see the final production in October in downtown Orlando. We did note though how sometimes seeing rehearsals is actually a better experience because, even though it is sometimes not fully polished, it is more raw and real.  No costumes or lights to hide the sweat and struggle of it all.  During a lot of numbers you could hear a pin drop and when the music was low (or not on at all) you could hear the dancers breathing heavily and their feet hitting the floor.   It also served as a wonderful creative writing inspiration experience...so I've been rolling along with that.
Tuesday night, Britt, Lauren and I went to Citywalk to see what the competition does wrong ;).  We made the most of it as they were not a lot of people out.  We went into a club called The Groove and tore up the dance floor.  Britt and I just wanted to dance. It was evident we were the youngest people there by 15 years and I guy told us a majority of the people there were members of some company in Orlando for a science conference at the Orange County Convention Center.  Some good moments, some funny moments...Britt and I even made a magical moment at Universal... The cutest little boy was dancing around outside to the music that was playing over the speakers. We saw him and cheered him on and danced around.  His older brother then proceeded to throw his small basketball at us so we had a little catch.  The parents were laughing and seemed to be appreciative. So appreciative they asked if we would be in a picture and we said yes of course.   And that's how it's done folks hahaha.
Tuesday was also my Grandmom's birthday and I was happy she got her Minnie ears and autograph book that I sent her so she's all set for her trip!

Wednesday:  I spent Wednesday filling out some professional internship applications.  I wanted to go to Magic Kingdom at 5 pm for the retiring of the flag as it was 9/11 but I realized I missed the bus I should have taken.  I went to bed early Wednesday night.

Thursday: Yesterday I had work from 12:45-7:15.  It went fast as my day was broken up by a training session that was Halloween themed.  It was neat and we got candy - yes!!! I also had two magic moments at work yesterday. Magic moment #1: I saw a little Princess Belle and said "Hi Princess."  She turned so that she was facing me at attention, said nothing, just curtsied. I curtsied back  It was adorable.  Magic Moment #2: I met a couple from NH who told me (after I told them where SJU/where I was from) that everyone they've ever met from Philly was a (quote) "real person".  I thanked them for the compliment and it made me really proud to be where I'm from.  Miss you Philly!
Last night I came home and went back out to the Oktoberfest housing event that was being put on by WDW housing.  I spent my time there with my friend from work named Thea.  We had a lovely chat and were laughing at all the kids dancing. I promised her we'd make sure she'd learned all the dances that she had been told she'd need to know in order to be able to attend American wedding.  You all know them - electric slide, cotton eyed joe, cupid shuffle, wobble, da whop, electric slide part 2, single ladies...the classic and the new classics.  We talked about school and what gap years are like...I am in total support of the US adopting this concept.
I personally think a lot of American students are starting to take "gap years" when college is over and Thea said that's what a lot of Americans she's met on her travels have said too.  The norm is go right into school, not knowing what you want to do with your life, and finish school, with loads of debt, still not fully knowing what you want  to do with your life (or so this has been the case for me and many of my friends).
 I suppose you could say my time in Disney is in fact a "gap half year." I am taking it as a great opportunity to get started with the Disney Company but in all honesty I'm also here because I didn't have a full idea of what I wanted/should do next.  I knew I will go to grad school (and I'm grateful for that) but this experience is helping me figure the rest out.
We also concluded that guys, no matter where they're from, that are in their early 20s are the same aka dumb haha.  I promised her I'd try vegemite, though I'm scared.  She also told me some of her plans after her program is over (for international CPs the program is a year long) and how she plans to go live/work in London.  I told her I was jealous/I find a way to come over so I can work and live their too - since we realized that's our shared dream haha.
I returned home and Lauren and I watched a little bit of Pitch Perfect before going to bed. I am ashamed to say I haven't seen the whole thing but I will soon haha. What I saw was really funny.

Friday: Today I woke up and came to Starbucks to work on cover letters and blog. I heard a crow or raven when I walked outside this morning and that was a little unnerving considering it's Friday the 13th.   I am at the Starbucks near Vista - it has so much more seating as it is a proper, full store, Starbucks.  I had a flashback moment to the Starbucks in Covenant Garden as they are set up/look very similar.
I know several of my room mates are going to the Disney Friday the 13th Villains gathering at Hollywood Studios tonight but, alas, I'll be working.  I'm in the middle of my work week but I have Monday and Tuesday (and hopefully Wednesday off).

Now in regards to this week title. First of all I love the phrase "dog it" and want to bring it back into mainstream America in a classy way. But I digress...after this past week I look at it/consider Walt's words in a manner of gratitude.  Gratitude because, though my experience at Disney hasn't been all I thought it was going to be, I can truly say it has given me the kick I needed to start writing again.  Writing, everyday, for the sake of it, because it is what I love to do.  I guess being surrounded by the world's leading/largest creative company 24/7 can have the affect on you.  I knew before coming down to Disney I'd love to be in their creative field.  My time here in Disney has made me see that indeed a creative position is where I'd love to see myself in the company in the future - whether it'd be Disney creative teams or ABC or any of Disney's affiliated companies!

I have been writing non stop and have been feeling really creative - which I haven't felt in while and it feels like a saving grace at times.  Now it's time to start putting the pieces, figuratively and literally, together to make things happen for myself.  I also have been reading a lot more which has helped and I can't wait to read some books about Walt.

Keep Dreaming,
Mary-Kate

"You can design, create and build the most wonderful place in the World, but it takes people to make the Dream a reality," Walt Disney

Hello Friends,
Its seems, despite by best efforts to blog twice a week, I've only been able to blog once a week - Saturdays.  And yet it is Sunday so with that let me recap my most recent week in Disney.  I must admit it has been a rough week health wise and that is part of the reason I am only getting to post today.  At least I can say that after this week, with thankfulness and appreciate, that I am indeed surrounded by great people here at Disney.

Sunday: The first day of September...thoughts of fall in the air...but fall is from Florida my friends.  Having to adjust to the weather has probably been the most unforseen difficulty that I've faced so far during my time in Disney.  Though it seems so obvious, though I knew coming down it'd be hot and humid, I guess it didn't really occur to me how much of a lack of three separate season (summer, fall, and winter) I'd face until I was faced with the reality of the endless hot, humid, heavy rainfall, summer. The realization gave way to having to order a CHILLED pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks on Sunday....something I've never done before but will most likely order from here on out.
On Sunday I also went to Walmart and bought some workout clothes (new running shorts that I needed) as well as new sunglasses and a watch for work.
I had work from 7:45-3:45 am --- my latest shift so far.  I was doing well until the last hour when there was virtually no guests to keep my mind stimulated and entertained.  I got home and 4:30 am and was so happy to fall into my bed to sleep.

Monday: I had one of my last two training sessions on Monday which allowed me to have a lovely timed shift of 2-9 pm.  My training was in baby care. Baby care is a separate few small rooms next to first aid in Magic Kingdom with changing tables, a room for nursing mothers, and items sold for infants and toddlers.  To a very small degree it felt like I was back in CornerKids, yet I can actually say I have been in a child care area smaller than the playroom.  The baby care area is not meant to be a babysitting room, rather an area families with small children can escape the heat and recharge before heading into the park.  It gave me a new perspective of what it entails to bring children under the age of 3 to vacation in Walt Disney World.  My family came to Disney World for the first time in 1997 when Eddie was just over a year old.  Looking back, I don't know how my parents did it to be honest.  I'll have to see when I start my family if I'll be able to handle bringing my children at that young age down to Disney.  It's a conversation I've had with some guests who are in the store late at night shopping...after the fireworks...after the parade...with a screaming 1 year old, awake way past his/her bedtime. You want to help and cheer the child up but to some degree it's obvious they just need to sleep.  His father summed it up perfectly to me when he said, "Yeah when he's happy it's the best and when he is sad you think it can't be worse for you and him."  
I was on register for the last 2 hours of my shift.  I was able to change quickly and return to Main Street where --- after a lot of searching through the crowds --- I met up with Katie and Britt to watch Disney's Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes (the fireworks show).  We got treats of popcorn, Starbucks and really enjoyed the Magic of the entertainment.
We took the Monorail home - always exciting and Britt and Katie went to sleep. I stayed up for a little bit to talk to Allie and Lauren.  The three of us wound up watching the Modern Family Disneyland episode which is 10 times more hilarious when you, in fact, work at/for Disney, particularly in the theme park.  :) After a great day I went to bed happy and excited for a fun two days off.

Main Street Electrical Parade :)

Wishes

Tuesday: Alexis and I had a great day in Future wives of the century preparation including: building storage units, cleaning (for upcoming inspections), pool side lounging, working, and shopping. Well actually Alexis was the one who had work but before she went to work her and  I went shopping near the Magic Kingdom where cast members can get discounts --- didn't find anything yet. ;) I also ran into the Magic Kingdom to feel like a tourist for a little bit before returning home.  When I got home I noticed my allergies were really bad (despite keeping up with all my routine medications).  When my asthma started to give me trouble a little later in the day I decided to call the doctor's office I had been referred to down here and set up an appointment. I took it easy for the rest of the night but did have some drinks and fun with the roomies including watching some twerking lessons - not Miley Cyrus style - Brit was giving to everyone - hahaha.

Wednesday: Alexis was nice enough to drive me to the doctor's Wednesday morning.  They would like me to have allergy testing done so I'll be setting that up for this coming week.  After the returning from the doctor's Alexis, Britt, Katie, and I went to get our new Main Gate passes from the Disney buildings in Celebrations - nice area and nice buildings (though from the outside you would never guess they were Disney buildings).  

After getting our passes we all went to typhoon lagoon for the afternoon (haha I made a rhythm). It was a lot of fun going on all the water coasters at crush and gusher (3 different coasters - so awesome)! We also spent some relaxing minutes floating down the lazy river, as one always should when they are in the water park.  We grabbed lunch and got some nice time in the shade though we were surrounded by animals friends: squirrels (quick and mischievous though not quite the breed of SJU squirrels) and these birds -- I forget the name --- but they were black and purple and kept surrounding us from all sides - very unnerving.  After lunch we were able to find some of the tube slides and they were a lot of fun.  We also spent some time in the wave pool. Well....far back in the wave pool. Alexis had been the water park years ago and took surfing lessons in the wave pool due to the fact that it creates a perfect wave every 60 seconds. When you're just a bystander though a perfect wave coming at you every 60 seconds is very scary and it is best to hang near the water's edge (at least that is what I did).  

We stayed at the park til it closed and then returned home.

At night I decided to venture to Downtown Disney to do some shopping. Didn't find anything really ;). But since I was there I decided to go see the One Direction movie. Yep, saw it by myself, judge me, I don't care. Real fan ;).  Yes, I loved it. Yes, I'll see it again and yes, there will be a DVD viewing party for me Vicky and Katie when it is out on DVD. haha.

The only picture I took at Typhoon but it was needed to be taken because I had Dippin' Dots - #Dorneydaysthrowback

Thursday:  I had my last day of training at work - stock training. My trainer for the day was my first trainer, Amanda, so I was knew it'd be a good day. Amanda was really nice and the training wasn't anything too difficult and the shift was short - overall success. After work I went home and had a nice dinner and relaxed with some of the roomies.

Friday:  Friday I was not feeling well and took it easy for most of the day before work.  I actually had wound up sleeping on the couch for part of the night Thursday night because I was having such difficulty breathing and needed to be propped up more.  Friday I was able to get my medicines at they were finally ready and I was excited about the prospect of feeling better.  Unfortunately the medicines didn't kick in as quick as I thought they would. Lauren was nice enough to drive me into work but I had to request to leave early because I was not feeling well at all.  I was a little disappointed I wasn't feeling well enough to stay because it was the first night of Night of Joy- an annual two night event in Magic Kingdom where the park is only opened to guests who brought specific tickets.  The night is full of Christian rock music and other events. It was nice change of pace and music in the store.  Thankfully my request was approved and I got to go home and get some rest.  I was surprised to come home to find a package from my parents with goodies inside.  I know my mom had a great time putting it together.  Thanks Mom and Dad for the gifts and moral support through out this week! 

Saturday: Yesterday I was starting to feel better and ran a couple of errands with Alexis in the morning. We got Chinese was lunch so that's always a good day.  Alexis drove me into work as we both started work at about the same time.  My shift started out great as it was the second night of joy, the store was slow, I got to talk with guests and co workers, and enjoy the music.  But at around 11:30 pm I went into an asthma attack.  My medicines helped a lot but I was left feeling very weak and exhausted and was allowed to leave an hour early so I could get a ride home with Alexis. I am thankful management has been understanding of my health issues.  I don't want these past few days to be a reflection of my work ethic or performance but at the same time I know I need to take care of my health.

Sunday: Today I was really been trying to take it easy as I work til late tonight and really want/need to stay for my whole shift.  My medicines are helping though I don't feel 100%.  I hope I will soon enough - maybe after the testing I can get medication adjustments and be all set.  

As you can probably tell my blog title is two fold.  Of course Disney would not be Disney, the Disney reputation, without the Cast Members, but in my own Disney journey - especially this week - these same Cast Members and people have been there for me in more ways than one and I could not be more appreciative.  Shout to Alexis, Lauren, all my room mates, my co-workers, and managers - thank you for all your help! 

I hope you are all enjoying this blog.  

Until next post friends...

Keep Dreaming,
Mary-Kate

"Whatever you do, do it well..." Walt Disney

Hello Friends,
Actually...Hello from Starbucks!
Ah yes, I figured it was time ti venture down to the outlets and the Starbucks here in order to immerse myself in a place of prior blogging comfort and familiarity and dare I say, creativity.  It feels good to be back and blogging.
Also, as you may have noticed, Disney has wonderful quotes but these quotes tend to be very long for blog titles so I'll take the liberty of dividing the quotes up between the title and the end of the blog - in the hopes that the blog post can be all tied together.

So to pick up where we left off...

Saturday: Saturday was my last day of training.  I awoke before sunrise to get ready and catch the bus.  Waking up this early was actually really nice because it allowed me to watch the sunrise on my way to work, as I went through the famous Walt Disney World archway...it was as lovely as it sounds.
My trainer for my last day of training was Luica and she was very, very nice, helpful, and quite hilarious. Getting to work in the early morning, before the park opens, meant I got to join my fellow Cast Members in "the wave".  The wave is when we all stand outside the Emporium and greet the guests as the enter the park.  From what I had been told it sounded exciting and I was not disappointed.

 From inside the store we could here the countdown starting, "10...9...8...7..." and quickly we hurried to the sidewalk outside.
Now for those of you who have been to Walt Disney World and/or have experience this yourselves - picture this: Main Street, quite, empty, with the just the morning sunlight shinning gently through.  But as the countdown dwindles the excitement builds and the sunlight grows stronger. Main Street ready, the castle waiting....
"3...2..1..." The crowd roared and massive amounts of people started through the gates toward down town Main Street.  Hundreds upon hundreds of people made there way toward us.  I took a quick looked back at the Cinderella's Castle and it seemed to be glowing, almost sparkling with glory and I thought, "yes here is the magic...right here."
Parents came with their children, friends came (young and old), grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, first time visitors and season pass holders.  There were many birthdays in the crowd. It was so much fun waving my Mickey hand and greeting everyone.  "Good Mornings" and high fives all around. The little princesses were darling and little super heroes came too.  A moment that really stood out to me was as I watched a family from the time they walked through the gates, around the bend, to the top of Main Street...the little girl pulling her father a long...and as she got to just that right place where she could see it she screamed..."Cinderella's Castle! Look,"...she turned to her father, smiling with an outstretched figure.  He smiled and they both walked hand in hand down Main Street.  It was a Magical Moment for me.
After the wave we about the day as normal.  Mingling with guests and making sure everyone got their souvenirs.  The Emporium is quite a different store in the morning and day time as it is not nearly as busy at those times.  The store seriously looked/felt like a ghost town at times.  Yet this allowed for a lot of guest interactions for longer periods of time so that was nice. Towards the end of our day Luica and I almost managed to achieve watching the parade as a means of working (aka being door greeters) yet sadly there was a storm (typical) and the parade was cancelled.  But all was not in vain because a woman asked to take her picture with us.  The woman spoke Spanish and I was thankful Luica was there to translate.  Another Spanish woman asked me (with Luica's help) what my nationality was...I guess she had never seen my name before...and Luica told her I was Irish.
My last day of training was probably the easiest day I've had at The Emporium and probably will have this entire time.
P.S. - When I told Luica how I was working 8-3am on Sunday all she replied with, "oh. I'm sorry."

Sunday: Sunday was the day I wasn't quite sure how to prepare for because I knew I'd be working from 8pm-3am.  As we ate breakfast Katie, Lauren, and I talked about what we thought the VMAs and *NSYNC performance would be like.  (I was upset that I'd be missing it). This turned into a proper BSB vs. *NSYNC 1999 standoff.  Me and BSB on one side Katie, Lauren and Nsync on the other.  Later on in the day time Katie, Lauren, and I went to Downtown Disney to look around World of Disney and have lunch at the famous "Earl of Sandwich."  I was really good, definitely worth all the hype.  

Delicious :)

We also went into the Christmas store which made me really excited for my family's trip in December.  :) While shopping I bought a wonderful Mickey and Union Jack bag :)
Before I knew it it was time to head to work.  The good part was the store was so busy 2 am came quickly.  The not so good part was, because of the confusion with now having two MaryKates that work at the Emporium, I was stuck doing trash at the end of the night.  Trash duty at Cornerstone in like throwing a penny in the back that is the Emporium.  It was a lot of work actually.  Thankfully my co-worker Andrew, who worked trash duty with me, was really nice and made it less painful.  We did wind up clocking out after 3 am because we wanted to make sure we got the job done right - go us.  Andrew did a lot of the more manual labor of trash duty and added in some Dick Van Dyke-Mary Poppins-chimney sweeping inspired dance routines.
Andrew was nice enough to drive me and two of my co workers, Gina and Kate, back to the DCP housing complexes.  I got home close to 4 am and practically fell into my bed and went right to sleep.

Monday: To my roommates surprise I was up and moving by 9:30 am. I was able to get a work out in before returning to work.  Soon enough it was time to head back to work. A bright spot was Monday was really like my Friday because I had Tuesday and Wednesday off.  My Monday shift was good and went by kinda fast.  At the end of the night I was able to go out and take some pictures on Main Street and go to Starbucks (duh). I also saw all the things I missed at the VMAs --- Nsync and JT were great :)
Working at night allows me to hear Wishes (the fireworks show) and see bits and the Electrical Parade --- I hope to see both soon.

I love how the cups say "Disney Parks" and have stars on them :)

Cinderella's Castle at night :)

Tuesday: Tuesday was my first of two days off and I FINALLY got to enjoy Magic Kingdom as a guest.  Alexis and Allie went with me.  Before we headed to Magic Kingdom (MK) we stopped one of the housing offices to pick up a "special gift" for each of us that we had gotten an email about.  It turned out to be notes from our families wishing us well.  Thanks Mom, Dad, and Eddie! Then in was off to the Magic Kingdom!!!
 Allie had work so she parked in a cast member parking lot and Alexis and I decided to be jumped off near the front entrance so we could enter with all the other guests.  As we walked up we noticed that Halloween/Fall arrived in Magic Kingdom. Overnight I might add...literally when I left at 10:30 pm the night there wasn't a single decoration yet when we arrived at noon all of Main Street was orange and red with pumpkins and leaves.

 So there was this time that Disney decided we needed new passes to get in the park thereby deactivating our current cards causing us to stand in line at guest relations to get a complimentary ticket for the day - fun times, great souvenir.  (Hopefully I will get the new pass by Wednesday).   Once we finally entered Magic Kingdom we saw one of the morning parades at it was all very exciting.  We also saw Lauren and work before we went to fast pass Space Mountain.  We decided to grab lunch at Cosmic Ray's.  After lunch, We still had a little bit of time to kill so we went to Floor of Laughs featuring the Monster's Inc. characters. Alexis wasn't feeling that well so she decided to sit outside in the air while Allie and I went into the show.  When we found Alexis afterwards she still wasn't feeling well so she went home to rest and get medicine.  Allie and I made our way to Space Mountain.  It was so much fun but a lot more rocky than I remember. The whole in the dark thing is crazy and times I heard you can ride Space Mountain with the lights on but that is actually scarier because you see how close the tracks really are.  Still...can't wait to ride it again.  Allie and I then went on the iconic "It's a Small World" and that ride was not as obnoxious (in terms of the song getting stuck in your head) as I remembered.  Finally, before Allie had to go to work we stopped Gaston's and got some of the Brew (aka frozen apple juice).  It was so refreshing.  After Allie I decided to get some touristy pictures and shop for a few souvenirs...at the Emporium of course :).  It was quite interesting being in the store when not working.
After taking in some of the parade I jumped on the Monorail, wound up going the wrong way, jumped back on, went to the Contemporary, caught the bus, and made it back to Patterson after a wonderful day in the Magic Kingdom. :)

Finally a great picture of the archway! 

Main Street USA! Fall in Magic Kingdom :)                                 

Walt Disney and Mickey 

MK in MK :)

Tuesday night I spent time relaxing with my room mates.  We watched "The Lucky One" :)

Wednesday: Wednesday was my second day off.  One of the highlights of this day was being able to introduce Allie to Wawa. We went and got sandwiches for lunch. This Wawa sells alcohol...best idea ever (hint hint PA).  

Life can't get any better.  

I spent some of the afternoon watching the coverage for the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington/MLK Jr. "I have a dream" Speech.   ....and the history major comes out. I enjoyed all the speeches and the significance of the occasion.  

Brittany came home a little bit later and had bought "The Great Gatsby" with Leo and Toby. We watched it and both really enjoyed it.  Brittany writes and draws and I write so we decided we wanted to get back in the swing of doing some serious writing again a routine basis.  Yay passion and creativity...hence why we're at Disney.  

At night, all the roomies and I were able to go to the "Monstrous Welcome Event" hosted by Disney Housing. We got to represent our schools. SJU! #THWND.  Mike and Sully were there. Katie, Lauren,  Britt and I participated in a serious dance party.  

The ladies of 4201 and Sully.  (Photo credit: Allie)

 We all came back and had some drinks and bonded.  :)

Thursday: I was able to get a work out in.  I was back at work from 2-11. I had a training class for the first two hours of my shift entitled "Safety in Motion" which taught us how to preform tasks on the job safely as to not hurt ourselves.  Some people were having a hard time staying awake and the proctors had no problem calling them out on it. haha. I thought the rest of the day would be somewhat quite and uneventful until I saw my bigX3, Deanna, racing towards me in the Emporium.  She is on vacation with a few of her family members and stopped by to see me.  It pretty much made my life :) Alpha love <3

Friday: I worked yesterday from 1-10 so it was a somewhat tiring day.  I came home though and had a surge of energy so I went to the gym and did some laundry. When working nine hours and the whole trip to and from work takes up 12 hours of your day it is a looong day and after yesterday I feel as though I can definitely say I earned my ears. 

Saturday:  Today I woke up and headed to Starbucks. I'm currently in my room where I'm finishing up this blog post.  Alexis was nice enough to drive me to Walgreens to pick up my medicine. In the next hour I'll be getting ready and leaving for work.  Late shift tomorrow night but I'm ready for it.  

Please see facebook for more pictures.  

A final note on the week...I met so many people from the UK this week, particularly England and proceeded to tell every single one of them how I studied abroad in London and how much I missed it! I really do miss London.  It was great to say "Cheers" a lot as well.  I also had a dream that Disney decided to add Ireland to the parade of nations and asked me to be in charge of the Irish dancing....then I woke up.  :(  Maybe one day....sigh....

In conclusion, the quote that begins in my blog titled ends like this: "...Do it so well that when people see you do it they will want to come back and see you do it again and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do," Walt Disney. Over this last full week of work I realize all the actual hard work that goes into running a show like Disney and how important every cast member is and how integral all of those efforts are together to making memories and successful experiences for our guests.  If you can work here...I dare to say....you can work anywhere :)

In the next week I hope to clean up my resume and apply for some of Disney's Professional Internships as well as reach out to my professor who will be teaching my "Exploring Disney Heritage Class."  All about networking and taking steps forward.


Keep Dreaming,
Mary-Kate

"I only hope we don't loose sight of one thing - that it was started by a mouse," Walt Disney

Hello Friends,
This has been a busy week but I'll start back where I left off...but first..
A quick magical moment I forgot from Traditions:  Our group was walking through tomorrowland and we saw several young children playing and interacting with one of the interactive/toy trashcans.  One little boy went up and kicked it, laughed, and started to move away.  Well, the Mr. Trashcan was not amused.  He turned to the little boy and said "oh we have ourselves a trouble maker here" and proceeded to case the little boy around.  It was so funny and everyone in the general area who saw it couldn't help but smile if not start hysterically laughing.

Sunday: Sunday was my last day off before starting work. Alexis and I ran to Walmart where an ATM hated me and then we ran to Target where I got Starbucks - yay! Otherwise, I had a relaxing day resting by the pool and going to gym....decorating my room and mentally getting ready for the work week.
Also...there is a Wawa five minutes from my apartment.  So it'll be my saving grace.

Thank you Jesus!

  

                                      

Everyone is here!

Monday: Monday was my first day of training :) I got up really early in the morning to catch the bus.  A wonderful moment happened when I spotted an AOII waiting for the bus as well.  Her name was (is) Katrina.  She is from North Carolina and works in all of the parks.  We spent the entire bus ride to Magic Kingdom (MK) talking about how much we love sorority.  Alpha love and best wishes to my AOII Sigma Beta sisters!  Once at the Magic Kingdom to get my costume - which are made in quite an interesting fashion.  Next we got broken into groups by our work location to meet our trainers and start the day. I will am working at The Emporium on Main Street - the second busiest store in the world/Disney World and the busiest store in the world/Disney World per square foot.  We have a lot of merchandise and guests :)  I was in a group of four with three other girls: Megan, Aundrea, and Connie.  Our leader was named Jerry.  Jerry is a very nice gentlemen who seemed to know everyone and they all commented about him being surrounded by, "all the pretty ladies; therefore, we were known all day as "Jerry's Angels."  Jerry showed around the entire grounds of the Emporium.  Running the store seems to be a huge undertaking, but when in Disney World - we operate only as Disney World can ;)

The training was long and exhausting but a lot of fun and informative.  

After a whirlwind of a day I came home and went to bed early.  

Tuesday: Tuesday morning I had a class through Disney University.  Our leaders/teachers were Pieter and Jerry, who shared their stories and experience with the Company.  This was a class designed for all the CPs working in the Magic Kingdom.  We walked the entire park, through all the lands and other areas.  We learned about all the hidden gems and trivia about the park.  We were in the park earlier than the guests so we got go on a couple of rides: The Haunted Mansion and The People Mover (in Tomorrowland).  The People Mover is one of the first rides I remember riding during my first trip to Walt Disney World so it was kind of a full circle moment.  

After the class I returned home at lunchtime to an empty apartment - all my roommates had work.  I spent the afternoon at the gym and cleaning and helped my family figure out their trip to visit me.  

Wednesday: I met another AOII waiting for the bus in the morning!  This sister was (is) named Brittany and she is from Canada :) Wednesday was another day of training at Disney University. This was a merchandising class that fused together merchandise and entertainment - our job all in one.  We learned how to operate the registers, etc.  The class was long but seemed to go quickly.  I returned home and had dinner.  At night, Lauren, Allie, and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings for some drinks and karaoke.  It was a lot of fun and a nice treat for us in adjusting the busy-ness of our new jobs.  Our cab driver was Jean Claude and we had a lovely discussion with him about the French language.  He is our designated cab driver from now on.  I also ran into one of my new friends, also named Marykate, her boyfriend Mason, and his roommates.  Everyone was very nice.  We also ran into Brazilians and talked to them about soccer/football.  haha. 

Myself, Lauren, and Allie out and about :)

Thursday:  Katie and Alexis worked in the morning while Brittany, Allie, and Lauren had off.  I spent the morning figuring out my family's trip and going to the gym.  Allie, Britt, and Lauren went to the Epcot in the morning and also went to Breakfast with the characters - sounded like fun. The girls also met Mickey (jealous)! Alexis and Katie met up with them in Magic Kingdom.  The reason I did not join them was I had work (my second day of training) from 4pm-1230am.  My trainer was Amanda and she was very nice.  She said the store gets SO busy at night and isn't as busy during the day.  In fact, they usually reserve a night shift for day #3 of training because of how overwhelming it can be at first.  Overall it wasn't too bad and Amanda said I did very well.  Though she was right - the store was SO busy!  I pin traded with many guests and participated in some magical moments, including giving a lolly pop to a boy named Kenneth as a birthday present :).  I am getting the hang of the register so I hope I made my five-year-old-wanting-to-be-a-pay-lady(cashier)-self proud. A cherry on top the evening was when Brittany and Lauren came into the store to visit me :)

After my shift was over there was a delay with the buses so many CPs and myself waited almost 45 minutes for a bus.  I wound up getting home at 1:30 am and went right to bed.  I guess I'll have to get use to it. 

PS - NEW CARPETS FINALLY CAME YESTERDAY! 

Friday: I had the day off and slept til London time (aka 10-10:30 am).  I went to the gym and unpacked my life.  With new carpets we all can finally live in our apartment!  Lauren and I went shopping at Walgreens and Publix.  Other than that the day was quite.  I got Chinese for dinner.  Tonight - all six of us were home. We watched Friends With Benefits and relaxed...and cleaned. haha. 

Hope to get a good night sleep before my last day of training tomorrow.  I'll be working the morning shift so that should be nice. Maybe I'll meet another AOII?! :) 

Sorry for the lack of pictures but given the nature of my job I can't have my phone and or/camera out to take pics haha.  Don't worry I will have many pictures from being a guest! Hope to finally get to MK as a guest soon!

P.S. The security guards at Patterson are awesome and they love us! haha

Keep Dreaming,

Mary-Kate 

"To all who come to this happy place - welcome. Disneyland is your land...," Walt Disney

Hello Friends,
Okay so I know this blog post title is from the speech Walt gave when Disneyland opened...but the same idea applies...and I hope you all realize why through this post.

So picking up with Tuesday evening: Brittany, Lauren, and I wound up staying home and heading out to meet our neighbors.   Overall, it was a success.   Four apartment visits and a time check later (11 pm at this point), we realized, most people in our building did not arrive on Monday like we did nor could they sleep in the next day because they had work...so we took their lead and returned home and went to bed.

Wednesday:  Wednesday was a pretty relaxing day.  My old London sleeping habit came back (aka I slept in until 10 am).  I had a housing meeting at 12, which consisted of housing coordinators explaining the rules of Disney housing, etc.  Let's just say...there are a lot of rules.
I was able to get a quick trip to the gym before the rain.  It rained for much of the afternoon so Lauren and I wound up watching Good Will Hunting.
That night, Alexis, Allie, and I headed to dinner at Chick-fli-a and then to Downtown Disney for the first official roomie trip to Downtown Disney (Lauren met up with us a later on in the night).  We explored Downtown Disney and I complied a ridiculous list of items I want from World of Disney and all the other stores there :) We got sweets and enjoyed the dance/sing along party happening on the main stage area...it was a lot of fun!

Thursday: Allie, Brittany, Katie and Lauren all had traditions on Thursday morning while Alexis and I had the day off.  Day off, great, right?! Yes and No.  Yes, because we went to Dunkin' Donuts and spent time at the pool.  No, because we knew the other four girls would come home all excited about just receiving their official Disney IDs and would want to go into the park - and they did.
After some pool "tanning" and a workout I got a quick work out in at the gym, came home, and made myself dinner. When Alexis and I got home from the pool we found a note under our door saying our apartment would get ALL our carpets replaced on Friday - YAY!
Alexis and I were also able to attend the Woody's Round up Welcome Event where we had food, drinks, a throw down dance party and got to meet WOODY and JESSIE! :)
After the event, Alexis went to dinner with her big from her sorority (shout out to Greek Life) while Brittany, Allie, Katie, and Lauren spent time in Magic Kingdom --- it was Brittany's first time in Magic Kingdom and the girls got great videos and pictures of Britt's reaction to seeing the castle for the first time! :) It was a bit of a quite evening for me with the apartment to myself for a time...but you need those every now and then.

The pool...literally 15 steps from my front door :)

Alexis, Woody, Jessie, and I :)

Friday: I woke up at 5 AM to get ready for my own Traditions.  Traditions is an official class that every new Disney employee partakes in (in some form or another) as their formal start with the company (before training).  So yes, Friday was my first official day as a Walt Disney World Employee.  The whole day was really exciting.  Despite an early wake up time and a bus call at 6:45 am, which we waited for in an already muggy, hot Orlando morning, the day went very smoothly!  Thankfully, Alexis and I had Traditions together so it was nice to someone to talk to, or lack there of, on the bus ride over to Disney University.
Once at Disney University, we were all split up into groups and sadly Alexis and I were in different ones.  Walking through the halls of Disney University is really cool - Disney everywhere! It made me feel quite special.  My group went into a classroom that we came to find out was many employees favorite room in the whole building because it was so colorful.  After a short presentation on company integrity (very important) we were introduced to our group leaders, Chris and Eunice.
We spent the day learning all about the company and our affiliates, company policy, safety, internal dialogue, and all types of information one might think of when they think of business...and the business of a huge company. It wasn't all entirely business as Chris and Eunice tried to keep it fun with stories, jokes, and sharing their funny/happy work experiences with Disney.
I was named table leader for my table and as a result won a small Donald Duck figurine (these small, small plastic dolls can only be won at Traditions so it's pretty cool to be able to say I have received one).
It was a lot to take in but also surreal for me to realize I was all apart of it.
Part of the day was spent taking a field trip to Magic Kingdom - where I will be working - in fact, I think we passed my work location (I'll know for sure on Monday)!  We got to see many, many guests and even experienced a few magical moments.
Once we got back to the classroom, we talked about our experiences in the park when we were interrupted by a visit from our boss - MICKEY MOUSE :)  He wished us all luck and sprinkled our name tags with extra pixie dust :)!
After that, a magical moment came when we got our name tags!!!
The last thing we watched was  a short video with pictures and clips/quotes from Walt Disney himself.  It honestly gave me the chills and I could not be more excited to start working here in WDW! :)
As we left the classroom, other members of the company lined a part of the hall and cheered for us as we left saying "Congratulations" as we walked by!

The girls were waiting for Alexis and I when we got home.  Before I knew all six of us were headed to Animal Kingdom!  It is quite amazing to be able to park and get into the parks for free...that will never get old.  Once in Animal Kingdom we did several rides, before we were caught in an afternoon thunderstorm.  When I say caught in it I mean we heard thunder, saw lighting, and huddled in a hut like shopping vendor with other guests, where we bought ponchos, and watched the walk ways turn into small rivers.  At some point one of us decided we shouldn't wait any longer and the ladies of 4201 headed into the POURING RAIN.  The ponchos kept us mostly dry but we couldn't say the same for our socks and sneaks.  I felt bad for the poor souls we saw walking around with no poncho or umbrella...but we knew the storm would end soon AND the felt very refreshing!

All of us after the downpour! Britt and I wore our Phillies shirts in support of Charlie...:(

My favorite part of the day was probably riding Mt. Everest, taking roommate pics with Goofy and Pluto, the Safari, or walking back through the park, seeing Goofy and Pluto, and having literally run after us so they could skip with us down the path - quite the ladies' men haha.
After a great afternoon in the park Brittany, Lauren, Katie, Allie, and I went for dinner at Benihana (Alexis wasn't feeling all that well and went to bed early).  The restaurant is hibachi style and we shared a table with a family of four from NJ who were just ending their two week vacation in Disney.  We had nice conversations with them through out dinner.  The five of us have decided we will be returning to Benihana's in the near future...not only for a happy hour...but to eat dinner cooked by our new favorite cook - Ken.  Ken was a riot and he insisted he was born in Japan - in Epcot - though he's never been to Disney and doesn't like Disney all that much.  We've established a love/hate relationship - it was too great. We all came home exhausted and went right to bed.
Please note: the carpets never came....:(

Saturday: Today, Britt and Lauren had training so Allie, Katie, Alexis, and I (aka the Brunettes) decided to take on Epcot!  The only attraction we missed was Sourin' (too long of a wait).  It's also a great feeling to know we have MONTHS to be able to see/get through the parks, so we don't feel as rushed per say as we usually feel on vacation.  Alexis and I didn't go on Mission Space but went into the interactive areas and became healthy habit heroes and "went green"! We went around the parade of nations and spending time in the UK was amazing! I will be spending more time there in the future.  It was almost a relief going there, in some respects I felt like I was home.  I think my room mates could tell I was having a "moment"/I was in heaven.  I got fish and chips for lunch.  I can't wait to go back for tea.  :)  Shout out to my London loves :)

Lovin' the UK! :)

Earlier in the day we got fast passes to Test Track but right but right before we went on Test Track we headed to Mexico to ride the Gran Fiesta Tour: Starring The Three Caballeros!  This ride is significant to me for two reasons: 1.) It is the first ride I remember being on in Walt Disney World in 1997 and 2.) It reminds me of my favorite course in college: Modern Mexico with Dr. Warren (aka #WittyWarren), Aubrey, Jess, Randy, and Kelly :)

:)

Leaving Mexico and the Parade of Nations we headed to The Land...and Test Track !!! Test Track was as amazing as I remember and Katie and I got to design our own awesome car!
We left Epcot and headed for Hollywood Studios (it will always MGM to me)!  The four of us wandered around and ate pizza for dinner at PIZZA PLANET....OH COOL! (I know, right?! ;))
Lauren and Brittany met up with us in Hollywood Studios and we all sat and watched Fantasmic.  Fantasmic = FANTASTIC and AMAZING! It is seriously better than I remember.  Brittany had never seen it and we all loved her reaction to it!  It was like being five years old again (for all of us)! Best show in Disney - true magic of Disney all on that stage!
I had a moment sitting watching the show where I realized how fortunate I am to be here and even if I don't have my life figured out beyond the Disney College Program just yet, I know things will work out and great things are in my future!


Now I'm off to bed before one more day off.  Training starts Monday!

Hope everyone is enjoying the blog so far.

Keep Dreaming,
Mary-Kate

My side of the room :) I promise it'll become more festive :)

*Please see facebook for all my pictures from Disney :) 

I'd like to end this blog with the rest of Walt's quote from the opening of Disneyland...
"...Here age relives fond memories of the past...and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future.  Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America...with the hopes that will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world," Walt Disney.