Realm of Imagination...

College Program: Day 1

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:29:07 GMT

     So, your alarm goes off, and you are ready to start Day 1 of your college program. Once you catch the bus, it is a 15-20 minute ride to the opening brief. You will be split into groups, because there are far too many people to fit into one room all at once. Follow your group down the hall to your meeting room. Before you enter the room a cast member will ask for your name and have you sign in. This is when you get your Disney name tag.

     Remember when I said this would be a long meeting, I wasn't bluffing. The four-hour long meeting consists of tricks of the trade. (What do you do if you see a child crying? What if someone is bleeding or injured and asks for assistance? What if you have been working a 10-hour long shift, a real possibility during peak seasons, and someone just asked you a question that you have answered a million times before?)

     I would recommend you keep this thought in mind. You are a Disney cast member, therefore privy to a lot of information the guests are not. You may think it is obvious that Pirates of the Carribbean is a water ride, or that Splash Mountain is a water ride, but some of the guests are from foreign countries, or just plain tired and confused. If you answer each one as if it is the first time you have been asked this very good question, and try to genuinely care about the people asking for help, you will make their Disney trip unforgettable. A smile and enthusiasm are contagious, so help spread the joy!

Note: If you think I am exaggerating about the questions let me give you an example of a few that I have been asked. I worked at The Great Movie Ride and was asked hundreds of times if it was a ride. I was also asked if it went upside down, or if it were a water ride. Things that were obvious to me, but the guests didn't know.

     Back to the meeting. You will receive your guest pass card at this time and a booklet that contains the discounts you are now eligible for. People love Disney and the Orlando area shows it by offering discounts to cast members. Don't be afraid to ask. This meeting is also where you will receive the second most important card you will have. (Remember the first is your ID card!) This second card will have a barcode on the bottom and it will be what you use to enter the Disney parks for free on your days off. You will also have to show both this card and your ID card to security when you arrive for work.

A nifty gadget: At the cast member store, (Cast Connections) located in the same building as this meeting, card holders are sold. These are immensly helpful. The cost about 5-10 dollars and come with a character of your choice. (I got Belle and I still use the holder.) It is a hard, transparent case, that you wear around your neck. This allows you to just hold the case up and flip it around to show security both cards when you arrive at work. Often times your hands will be full with your costume or change of clothes, so this card holder makes life a lot easier.

At the end of this inspirational meeting you will be bussed back to your apartment complex. I spent the rest of my day getting to know my roommates and setting up a chores schedule. As a cast member you will be expected to keep the apartment clean, and there will be inspections. We divided up the chores between the eight of us and never had a problem. You will probably want to turn in early again, as Day 2 is when you will be taken through your new work area, but we'll save that for the next entry.

Tierney

Lesson One: Arrival Part II

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 08:02:14 GMT

     Wow! You made it. You were selected to participate in an amazing opportunity, and now you have arrived in Florida. I arrived by plane, therefore I will go into great detail about navigating the airport and arrival. First off, the airport is huge. The signs help you to navigate pretty easily, but getting to Vista Way is another matter.

     Once you get your luggage wander over to the transportation area. If you have arrived a day early, which I had to do. You will need transportation to your hotel. Mears is probably your best bet. A one way trip to your hotel is about 20 dollars.

     If you arrived on the day of check-in, then a shuttle should meet you at the airport (this is second hand information from one of my roommates. Once you get to Vista Way, you should see arrows pointing the way to the new arrivals area. If you can't find the arrows, don't be afraid to knock on a door and ask. The people you will be sharing the Disney experience with are all very friendly, and most of them are glad to help! The check-in begins in a rather large building where you will be asked to leave your luggage. There are signs placed through-out Vista Way directing you to the next step in signing in. You will be walking, and standing, quite a bit so I would recommend you wear comfy shoes, shorts, and a t-shirt.

    I arrived in May, and it was very warm outside. The locations where you check-in occasionally have fans, but walking to and from these locations is an outdoor event. After filling out lots of paperwork and waiting in quite a few lines, you will be given an apartment number and key. In the same line you will also be given a packet that outlines the details of your new job. (If you are a character actor you already know most of the details, but you still receive a packet with important information.)

     A bus is provided to cart you off to your new living area. (Note: If you are assigned Vista Way, you will need to cart your luggage to your dorm building, and maybe even up a flight of stairs.) I lived in Chatham Square, which was very nice, so I was one of the ones who boarded the bus. The drivers are pretty friendly and make multiple stops inside the living areas. If you ask where the nearest stop to your dorm building is you will save yourself some walking. Once you get into your dorm room, you get to pick which bedroom you would like to sleep in.

     After putting your luggage in a bedroom on the bed of your choice, I would reccommend a shopping trip. If you live in Vista Way, your best bet is Walmart. Check the bus schedule to see when it will arrive. If you live in Chatham, then Publix is both closer and less crowded than Walmart. Publix is about a 10 minute walk away from Chatham. Don't forget to take your ID card!!!!! I cannot stress this enough! If you forget your card it is a HUGE hassel trying to get anywhere. Save yourself the headache and put it in you wallet or around your neck as soon as you get it. I will go in to more inventive ways to keep your card on hand in a future edition.

     When you get back from shopping, make yourself something to eat while you unpack. Most of your roommates should be in the apartment by this time, so start the introductions. Everyone is psyched to be at Disney and you may find you all have more in common than you thought. Try to call it an early night, and get some rest because the next couple of days will be fun, but exhausting. Set out your semi-formal clothes for the next day and set a couple alarms.

     Looking out for yourself is important, but don't forget to help out your roommates too! Make sure you arrive at the bus stop 15 minutes earlier than the bus is scheduled to arrive. This is another big one! The buses are capricious and aren't always on time. I missed a few of them because they were 10 minutes early! In the next installment I will go into what to expect on your first day of Disney magic. Hope this has helped!

Tierney

Walt Disney College Program 1

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 06:08:30 GMT

Here is where I plan to document what I hope are helpful tips for future CP's.

Lesson one: The Arrival

This could be a very large entry so I am going to break it into parts. On the website where you signed up, you can find a list of the paperwork you need to bring, so I am not going to list it. After my experience I did learn that less is definitely more. Unless you have the luxury of driving to Florida, a very good idea if you are able, I would suggest packing two medium sized suitcases and a backpack. Here are the reasons why:

You will need to get your luggage to your room and, unless you are lucky enough to get the first floor, this will require you going up stairs.
This cuts down on the hassle at the airports. Security is frustrating enough without them checking two huge suitcases.
You will accumulate quite a bit over the course of your program. I brought home a lot more than I brought with me on the trip. With Wal-Mart and Publix, not to mention the theme parks and downtown disney, only a bus ride away, shopping opportunities are everywhere!

What should you pack? You already know about the basic necessities, but here is what you might not know:

Plan on packing 5 pairs of shorts and three pairs of jeans. Florida is usually hot, but once you have been there for a couple weeks, you realize it does get chilly.
A bathing suit is a must. The water parks do cost money to get into, even for a cast member, unless you are a lifeguard in one of them, but there are pools on the property and water rides in the parks.
An umbrella!!!!! I cannot stress this one enough. It rains very frequently in Florida, so to avoid getting soaked pack a retractable umbrella.
Sheets, they can get kind of expensive in Florida, so pack a set or two you like, and a blanket. Unless you have a favorite pillow, they are easier to buy once you arrive.
A light jacket. Again, Florida is not always hot.
7 t-shirts and 2 long sleeve shirts.
Toiletries such as towels, toothbrush, toothpaste, face wash, shampoo, and conditioner, are all "duh" items, but there is no toilet paper, paper towels, food, cleaning supplies, or anything of that nature therefore bringing toilet paper might be a good idea.
Comfortable sneakers, one pair of dress shoes, and flip flops, or sandals. While you are working, which will be quite a lot depending on the season you go, you will be required to wear specific shoes that you will buy after arriving, but for exploring the parks and walking to do laundry you will want comfy shoes.
Two or three professional outfits. The first things you will be attending are seminars and greeting meetings. For these you will be required to wear nice slacks, or skirts, and a dress top. Bring something you can wear for a long while because the meetings are quite long (4 hours).
Coffee machine, iron, ironing board, hangers, and a hamper are all things you might want or need, so if you already know who you are rooming with talk about who will bring what.
If you are bringing a laptop don't forget a long ethernet cable or a wireless router. Also, even though they say the internet is high speed, it is actually pretty slow, so be forewarned.
Movies and music you might want to watch/listen to.
Finally, I would recommend you bring an alarm clock. Catching the buses, which I will go into later, requires you to be at least ten minutes early, so bring an alarm clock.

There are formals for every program, but finding an outfit was a shopping outing with my roommates so I did not list a formal outfit. I also skipped TV, DVD Player, and game consoles. These are things you will have to talk to your roommates about. We had one because two of the girls had driven. I also didn't list food, but you might consider bringing a snack, as there will only be time at the end of the day to shop for food. That's all for now. I hope this clears up some questions and feels free to ask any you want.

How Long?

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:21:45 GMT

   Oops...

     Sorry I haven't written in so long. I was caught in the middle of a family move. Here is what I have learned. I am a pack rat of the worst kind. I had objects secreted away at the back of my closet that I don't even remember having received. I also found books from when I was a young teenager and, boy, were some of them strange. Speaking of strange...one of the book was called Strange Tales, a series of short horror stories for sleepovers, and it freaked me out. I remember the story called Taily-po the most. When you hear the name you have to giggle, but the story itself scared the heck out of me when I was younger.

     Now that all the packing, and unpacking, has been finished I can get back to the world of fiction, not that I ever left it. I have little bits and pieces of stories written in every journal I own. The trouble is piecing them together to form a coherent series of events. I also found a notebook containing an original story I wrote when I was in middle school. I laughed so hard when I read through it; the characters and the situations I put them through are ridiculous! Shea was my main character and I used her to build another original character for the trilogy I am writing. Since I am a major mythology buff, I used my notes on Japanese, Egyptian, and Norse mythology to inspire the plot twists. It is so much fun to write. I plan to send out manuscripts to publicists when I have the second novel completed.

   In the meantime, I am writing like a maniac when it comes to fanfiction. Between editing and writing, the only things I have time for anymore are sleep (very little), food, and exercise. My dog, Chessie, takes great delight in dragging me up and down the hills around my new location, which is right across from Walmart and Sam's Club; yet another reason I cannot sleep. I have taken to carrying around mace because of the bad neighborhood as, between my dog and me, we do not make a very intimidating pair.

Me: Stop, or my dog will bite you!
Chessie: Busy cleaning herself.
Me: 0.o* Never mind. Run away!

     Yeah. Real scary. Careful, I might have her lick you. My friends are all spreading out across the country, so I feel it is now my turn to explore. Oh! This reminds me I am going to do a "Disney Series" which will hopefully give insight to those who plan to do the Walt Disney World college internship in the future; an experience I highly recommend. Until tomorrow. I'm out!

Sat, 31 May 2008 04:55:41 GMT

There is an abundance of maniacal laughter in my head. I just put poor Inu in a really awkward situation and my muse is loving every minute of it. I think it's a good thing the characters don't really exist, because if they did Inu would be in the middle of hunting me down. I'm guessing hiding under my desk wouldn't work. Lol. Here is an excerpt from my newest story/adventure.

"What do you think you are doing?" Kikyou glared at Kagome's prone form.

"Washing a car." It had been a very bad day, and Kagome was not about to take any of Kikyou's crap. Why did she always have to show up at the most embarrassing moments? Did she have invisible minions that reported back to her on a regular basis?

Kagome slowly righted herself from the ungainly sprawl on the tree branch where she had landed. She had certainly hit hard enough to bruise a couple of ribs. A soft hiss of pain escaped her lips as Kagome finally managed to shift into a seated position on the thick branch. "Did you need something?"

"Kagome? Where are...?" Inuyasha came skidding into the small clearing just as Kikyou opened her mouth to speak. Inuyasha glanced from the glaring girl of the future to his confused former love, "I can explain."

Fri, 30 May 2008 04:24:59 GMT

   I am a Supernatural fan. I suppose it is time I admit that I love that show. I wasn't thrilled with the second season, but they seem to be picking the show up again. I can't believe they left Dean in Hell! That would really suck. Talk about a bad day. Hell hounds, an evil demoness, and rusty hooks piercing your skin. Ouch. Okay, enough with that rant.

     Did I ever mention that I hate packing? Well, I do. I am a pack rat, so now I have 30 some odd boxes I have to sift through. What do I need? What will I never use in the future? What holds sentimental value? All I know is that I need my bed, my laptop, and some clothes. My books are all coming with me too. I am incapable of throwing away, or even parting with, any of my books. I love them all too much. If I end up an old maid, then I will be the old maid who lives in the library and has a laptop permanently attached to her side. Lol. It's sad that I can picture that.

Does the madness never end?

Thu, 29 May 2008 05:11:14 GMT

*Sigh* What a hectic schedule I have. My mother is searching for a new job (she just retired from the military), and I am helping by editing her resumes and cover letters. My father is trying to find a place for them to live; my job is to keep him from panicking. My little sister, younger by seven years, is going to be entering high school and has all kinds of questions. I have a great many good memories of high school, but I have trouble answering some of her questions. Mostly because her questions revolve around finding the perfect boyfriend, and I focused on studying and writing.

My laptop died! My hard drive crashed and I dragged my traumatized butt to Best Buy and the capable hands of the Geek Squad. They fixed my laptop for free. So, armed with coffee and weeping with relief, I started in on a new story idea. I love when they just pop into my head. Last night, or at 4 in the morning to be exact, I was dragged out of sleep by my vindictive muse. I call her Dami, short for Damianna, and she loves waking me up at odd hours to whisper inspiration in my ear. My next oneshot will be titled The Dangers of Flying, and will be an Inu/Kag fic. I am considering doing a Sessh/Kag fic with the same title, because it would be so much fun to write! My muse is whispering again, so I am going to heed her call. Bring on the caffeine and hide the chocolate; Dami is at it again.

Tierney

Drat!

Tue, 27 May 2008 21:57:18 GMT

   I seem to suck at this. I love having a journal online, and being able to write my thoughts on here is wonderful, but I can't seem to keep up a steady post thread. This is my attempt to remedy that. I will start posting at the same time everyday. Hopefully, the structure will help me remember to post more often. : )

     Now that I am on my blog I should probably keep writing. I can't believe how many great authors are popping up on my favorite fanfic sites. I am currently editing 4 different stories, but I'm reading 20+. I love it! To all those who love to write, please keep doing so. I live for a good story and all of you are doing a fantastic job!

     I just realized that I haven't talked very much about my interests. I happen to love InuYasha. InuYasha is a kind, but often oblivious, character who had me cheering for him almost as soon as I met him. Kagome is tough not to like. Sometimes I just want to smack her for not telling Inu about her feelings, but then I remember Kikyou and I forgive her again. Ah. Kikyou. I am not a Kikyou hater, but I really wish she would move on. I understand her reasons for remaining secluded and for asking Inu to become human, but I don't know why she allied herself with Naraku. He did cause the whole situation in the first place. Naraku, I hate. In all of my stories he is evil or non-existent. Miroku is my comic relief. I think the interactions between Sango and him are cute and sometimes so sad. I feel for Miroku and hope he lives to see his children. Sango is the kick-ass, femme fatale character. Her demon slaying ability is contradicted by her shy demeanor, which makes her fascinating.

     Sesshoumaru is not seen as often as the others throughout the series, but he has inspired fangirls everywhere to make him a main character in their stories. The tension between Inu and him is almost palpable, and allows for interpretation. Why does he hate Inu? Is it because Inu is a half demon, or because Inu reminds Sesshoumaru of his failure to be a true brother? Rin is proof that Sessh does not necessarily hate humans, so does he hate that they fade with time while he does not? Jaken is my favorite punching bag. I like making him an old man like Totosai and seeing what havoc he can cause. All in all, I fell in love with the whole InuYasha gang and love twisting the story to see what happens.

Tierney

Days later...

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:30:15 GMT

It has been a while since I have had time to write, so this is a welcome change. The weather here is crazy as usual. Yesterday I was able to go on my morning run outside, but today was too cold and the weather report says tomorrow is not looking good either. Oh well. I love the elliptical glider. If the weather holds up then I have a huge Psych exam tomorrow. Yay for shrinks. I don't think I will ever fully understand the concepts we are discussing, and there is no real way to test a lot of the theories. I am one of those annoying people who needs scientific evidence. Well, usually.

Ok. This sucks.

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:38:50 GMT

I completely forgot why I started a post in the first place. See, today was interesting. I had an appointment earlier this morning and had to take "the van." "The van" is a monstrous vehicle that I hate driving. I have to sit on a pillow with the seat raised all the way just to see over the steering wheel. I didn't notice anything unusual about the way the vehicle was moving, so I parked and went to my appointment. Afterward the lady at the desk happened to glance outside and noticed that I had a flat tire. That's right, I had a crippled van on my hands. After texting a friend and searching for anything that could possibly help, I located an automatic tire pump. Thinking that it was broken I ended up needing to be rescued by my family. *Sigh* It was pretty pathetic, especially when one of my family members hooked the contraption to the tire and it inflated. I never though of myself as a girly girl, but apparently when it comes to cars I am the ultimate girly girl.

Writing

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:22:37 GMT

Well, I always heard this was a good site, so I decided to give it a try. I am huge on writing, but not usually about myself. I enjoy fiction stories so much more. I'm creative and live in my own world most of the time. I also love fanfiction; the torturing of fictional characters for the enjoyment of the readers. the characters from InuYasha are my favorite victims. Think about how horribly writers treat their characters. We push them over cliffs, embarrass them at every turn, and provide enough evil to wear the hero and heroine down to marrow. We drag out a frazzled, ticked off muse and threaten it until we get a new idea. Then beat it into submission while we seek ingenious twists and turns for the story. I don't think I will ever tire of writing, but I am more than willing to find out.