Within 24 hours I left my job, my boyfriend, and life behind to go work for Walt Disney World!

[pfalcioni]

Something a lot of people appear to be forgetting: if a young man from the Midwest had decided against taking similar risks, there would be no Walt Disney World.

The thing is Walt had an original idea and was following a creative and unique vision, the OP is leaving a job where she was able to let her unique creativity show in order to take a minimum-wage job in a position that doesn't allow much individual creativity.

I agree that 21 without ties is the perfect time to do something like this and it's a great time to make big mistakes that don't result in big consequences - especially if it becomes a learning experience. I also think the story has been embellished a bit - call it creative license if you wish but many things don't add up (including the money spent versus the money in-pocket).

 

[chartle]

Not necessarily - depends completely on what coverage you carry and what exactly your policy covers. While you personal auto policy may cover such things, not all do. Also, comparing insurance for Uhaul trucks vs rental automobiles is certainly like comparing apples vs oranges - 2 very different things.

All and all, very poor advice - one more false fact on the internet

For a 4 hour rental of a Uhaul I just get the insurance. Its just easier not being harassed also the getting charged for any loss can be an issue. What I worry about more though is I'm going to miss a scratch from a previous renter that I would get charged for. They mark every little scratch.

 

[Alexsandra]

Just stumbled onto this Trip Report and I am so happy you shared your journey with us. We've all been in situations where we felt hopeless and alone. You could have just given up after hitting that first hurdle but you didn't. You picked yourself up and kept moving forward. It takes a lot of courage to do what you did and you should be proud of yourself. Not to be cheesy but "you only have one life to live" and at 21 you have the right to take those kinds of risks especially if it is to follow your dream. There are always going to be people who judge or criticize but just ignore them, you have to make decisions for yourself not others. Every time you take risks, you will hit obstacles. It is overcoming those obstacles that make us stronger and every experience whether good or bad teaches us a lesson. It is by taking risks that you reach the impossible. I think Walt himself is proof of that. Anyway, just wanted to show my support. Good luck, hope it all works out!

Oh by the way, I love you hair and makeup

 

[ronandannette]

...I feel like a lot of the recent comments are negative. I hope that they are just people concerned about me and not trying to put me down. I very much realize the risk in what I did, but though it all I still regret nothing!

Thank you again for every positive thought and comment. I wish I could just group hug you all!!

Hon, please understand that perspective is EVERYTHING. Those that are able to frame your experience in relation to their own desires to have a similar opportunity are obviously all about the and ; perhaps vicariously wishing to share in your potential success. Those that frame your experience in relation to how they would be feeling if one of their children did what you are doing are . Very few of us would be able to honestly say that the risks/rewards are balanced enough to tolerate watching our kids go through it.

Either way, the beauty of being fully accountable is also having complete freedom and that's YOU! Nothing anybody on this board says (either for or against) can change your ability to make your own decisions. And whether we like it or not, I'm sure everybody here ultimately wishes you well.

P.S. This is a message board; not a blog platform. Anything you post here will evoke comments and as people become more invested in your story, the closer they will scrutinize the details - not because they're trying to find something to call you out on, more because they want to understand. Don't be offended when requests for clarity are made when things don't seem to be jibing - people want to be sure they're not missing or misunderstanding anything. That's why there's been so much discussion about the money - perhaps either be more clear or much more general about details like that.

 

[DreamLikeWalt]

HELLO EVERYONE!
I feel like I haven't gave you a good update in forever! I have been trying to keep myself busy down here - networking and making friends! I am still in training at work! Yesterday was the first day we went out to take photos for the first time. We went to Epcot and just took pictures of eachother for practice. I WAS SO NERVOUS. Everyone in my class thought I was being ridiculous with how nervous I was to shoot - but in my eyes something was wrong if my practice photos weren't the best out of everyone elses. Not because I'm competitive or anything, but I'VE DONE THIS BEFORE ! What if I forgot everything?!
We'll we got back to the classroom to look at the photos, and my trainer didn't have one thing to correct me on! RELIEF! I've still got it! It was still nice to go through training again to review everything, and be updated on how the magic bands work with photopass. Here is a photo of my friends and I that I met during training! You can see me in my magical fairy godmother makeover! haha.

My few friends here have been amazing to me. They have been picking me up and taking me out. I also have made a lot of friends at training already, I can't wait to start working and make more. I just love being down here. I love driving around and seeing the florida scenery - and calling it HOME!
I've been spending my time doing things that are little money. Unfortunately with my training schedule I haven't been able to work much - I've been living off granola bars and chipolte hahaha. One thing I love doing is taking my acoustic to a quite spot to jam for a little bit!

The other day one of my friends from when I was on the college program met up with me at Dunkin Donuts! He took me to a few local shops just to spend time and look around. We went to hobby lobby! Have you guys been there?! I've never been to one. IT WAS SO FUN. Just random things everywhere - I got some cheap art supplies. He then took me out to lunch and we snapped a selfie before we parted ways. It's nice to have friends down here that will help if I need it... and he promised a beach day soon!

hmmmm - What else have I done?! Oh!! I met up with my roommate from the college program again and we watched wishes from the Polly beach! OH MY GOODNESS - first of all - WHAT HAVE THEY DONE WITH THE LOBBY!? It's not ugly - buttttttt... come on! I feel like they took away the beautiful jungle paradise and was like " Here - have a tiny center piece and a dinky waterfall." Hahaha. AND THEN. THE BUNGALOWS!? NOOOOOOOOOOO. It completely ruins watching Wishes from the beach! Okay - maybe I'm being a little over dramatic and am a tiny jealous I'll never stay in a bungalow - BUT COME ON. We had to sit all the way to the left of the to view Wishes and it just isn't the same. Also, the music they were playing for Wishes kept cutting in and out, and for some parts it was silent.

None the less - it was beautiful and I enjoyed every second of it! I can't believe soon enough I'll be in the park every night singing along! I KNOW I'll be sick of the electrical parade - I already am just from seeing it so much when I did my college program - but I wonder if Wishes will ever get old? I don't think so.


Okay so can we just talk about this other place that my friend took me to and i FELL IN LOVE WITH?! You guys are going to laugh..... Old Town USA/Fun Spot! hahaha. If you know what I'm talking about you're probably like "What the heck?!" It's that place that you see if you drive around Orlando that has the big swing thing, and a bunch of other rides. That part is called Fun Spot, and it's BEAUTIFUL. Now, if I was a mother with children I would not be as much as a fan. But as a 21 year old?! It's like my childhood 4th of July carnival that would come through my town, with really scary rides, impossible games, greasy awful food, and over-priced everything! BUT ITS THERE YEAR ROUND! That was like my dream as a child - A YEAR ROUND CARNIVAL! Which I guess is why we all love Disney so much - because its that but Disney is SO MUCH MORE. This is a version of the bad carnival that my parents dreaded taking me to every year! But here it's free to park and I can just walk around and enjoy at atmosphere - I love it so much! Then it is attached to Old Town USA, which I also love! They describe themselves as, "Enjoy a unique shopping, dining and entertainment experience at Old Town Theme Park in Kissimmee, FL." They have all kinds of weird shops that remind me of beach boardwalk type of places. They have a voodoo rock and roll shop, a tattoo parlor, bars, and just so many cheesy fun things to go in and look at. As well as bumper cars, laser tag, go carts, arcades, etc! My friends think I'm so weird to love this place so much. It definitely brings in a whole different crowd than Disney, haha. But it brings back a lot of my childhood and I find it fun and entertaining to walk around! Have any of you been here? Do you think I'm crazy?! Here's a photo I took of my favorite carnival ride! I can't wait to go back with a little money so I can ride it and eat an overprices funnel cake!

Another friend took me out to a bar to play some pool! I had a pool table growing up, so I thought I'd be at least like 5% good, NOPE. I WAS AWFUL. but it was a fun time !

Anyways - that is what I've been up to! Going on adventures and just waiting to work more hours! The car situation is still really up in the air. Thankfully I've been getting rides to and from work because I made friends in training and we have the same hours - but that won't last long. Options are being talked about, but for now there's no magical car that fell out of the sky. I am SO happy down here. I just can't wait to be working more, making magic, and saving money!! hahaha. Thank you again for all the support! Most of my family isn't too supportive of this decision, and I thought that I was so close with my coworkers back home - but not one has texted me asking how things are. It makes me really sad. Which is why you words have been helping me so much, THANK YOU INTERNET FRIENDS. Come visit me soon <3

 

[DreamLikeWalt]

Something a lot of people appear to be forgetting: if a young man from the Midwest had decided against taking similar risks, there would be no Walt Disney World.

I LOVE THIS POINT... THANK YOU! I can't believe so many of your are upset that this way said! My Goodness, now that is absolutely ridiculous and I won't take it! I will take the comments on my choice to move down here and how that can be seen as too risky and immature. I think it is important to have both opinions stated, and I am always happy to hear both sides so I can make my own choice. But, Calm down. It's not like someone is comparing me directly to Walt, although he is definitely someone I look up to. I kept thinking the whole time I was stuck in GA that when Walt left that awful meeting and got that train to NY - he didn't sit and sulk! He did something! He created Mickey Mouse!!!! That inspired me to not give up and go back home- but to keep moving on and make it to Orlando!!!!! Walt's difficulties and triumphs inspired me, and just because I'm not here creating a whole empire, I hope that my little story to follow my dreams inspires others the way Walt inspired me to make it through!

 

[ilovefh]

We love Old Town. And yes, all our friends thought we were nuts! We'd go and just walk around. We would also stop at the Downtown Deli and get gyros and Slush Puppies (from our childhood!)

Glad to hear you're enjoying yourself! People always thought we spent a fortune down there, but there is really so much to do that is cheap or free!

 

[Loves The Mouse]

I'm glad your making new friends and settling in! Your right about Old Town USA/ Fun Spot. My 20 yr old daughter and her friend would have a blast there! Not so much us parents! Enjoy this time before you have to hit the grind stone and your working full time. I hope you are still working at WDW in 7 months when we are on vacation, I will look for you to say hi!!

 

[wiscbugs]

Love the update...looks like you are having so much fun. I am so happy for you!

 

[thiabelle]

Following along and sending TONS of Pixie Dust!! I very much hope to see you on Main St. when we visit in August

 

[briellemary]

So happy you finally updated! Glad things are working well for you. (With the exception of a car) but things will work out!

 

[erij11]

This is so awesome, Khalee! I've just read this entire TP tonight and I just want to say continued best wishes! I'm totally going to look for you in July!

 

[That Mom]

I have such good memories of Old Town. We went there many years ago and my then 7 yo son was soooooo proud when he bought Cokes for everyone with his own money. They were a nickel apiece! We had a great time just walking through, looking at all the shops.
I have been accused of being "terminally optimistic" so I applaud your wonderful attitude. You have goal and you are doing everything in your power to reach it. You won't be looking back with "what if" later in life.
I have one child who is very grounded, no big risk taking and the other who is much like you. I support both of them ( that doesn't mean I don't worry but I don't discourage them). I am sending you all the good thoughts and that I can.

 

[goofy4prez]

Not necessarily - depends completely on what coverage you carry and what exactly your policy covers. While you personal auto policy may cover such things, not all do. Also, comparing insurance for Uhaul trucks vs rental automobiles is certainly like comparing apples vs oranges - 2 very different things.

All and all, very poor advice - one more false fact on the internet

For a 4 hour rental of a Uhaul I just get the insurance. Its just easier not being harassed also the getting charged for any loss can be an issue. What I worry about more though is I'm going to miss a scratch from a previous renter that I would get charged for. They mark every little scratch.

Excellent points made out. As a former insurance agent (23 years) I touched on this very subject as well on post #178 of this thread.

To the OP. Love the update... You are young, keep following your dreams!

 

[sprousehouse]

It's funny, part of me thought this sounded CRAZY but fun when I first read it. I thought, I could never do that. Oh how quickly we forget! Ten years my husband and I picked up and moved from CA to NC. I left a job and he had just finished a masters degree. Neither of us had jobs (we both had tentative work lined up that fell through) and we had already bought a house! My husband was unemployed for 6 months and I was for almost 3 months and then I worked on a campaign and got paid very little. We did it because we felt like long-term NC was the better place to be. And you know what, it was! Not too long after we moved here the real estate market in CA started to tumble and our previous house dropped in value by over 100K. We have both found good jobs and are raising our kids in an amazing neighborhood. It was CRAZY when we started out but it works out. Being poor and at loose ends for awhile is not the worst thing in the world. It helped our marriage, our faith and taught us a lot about perseverance. You will learn great things from this experience. Most of your problems have really been "first world problems" and you will solve them soon. We spend way too much time in this culture focused on our own comfort. It is through discomfort and struggle that we grow.

 

[nickle831]

This is true and untrue. If you purchase the insurance from a rental car company you will not be subject to deductibles nor will you be responsible for loss of use which is the lost revenue they experience while the car is being repaired or replaced. Also, as long as an incident report is not made out by an officer there will not be any impact on your insurance rates since there is no claim being placed. If you waive the insurance you are subject to your own auto policy and it's deductibles and there may be a very good chance you will not be covered for loss of use since many insurance companies do not cover this. I never purchase the insurance because my Visa card will pick up these costs. One needs to know the risks and make a decision that is best for them. I say this as a person who had 23 years experience as an agent/owner of an insurance agency representing a major insurance company until I sold my business a couple of years ago...

To the OP, I'm sorry to hijack your thread. Your story has kept me glued to this trip report. I truly hope and look forward to you sharing how everything has turned for the better for you.

Which Visa do you have that covers the rental? I only ask b/c I opted out of the insurance last time I rented and of course I had an accident. What a huge pain in the rear, (I think most of the pain though was waiting 3 hours for a cop). I want to look into the Visa option before my next rental.

To the OP don't let the negativity get you down. Your story is amazing and exactly what a lot of people would of loved to do. I wish I had done more in my twenties.

We are visiting the world on Tuesday for a week. Are you assigned to a park yet?

 

[coffeecassie]

So glad to see your update! I hope you really enjoy your new life in Florida! I hope you don't let the naysayers keep you from wanting to share your adventure with us. Now that I'm creeping closer and closer to 40, I really miss the freedom that I had in my early 20s. Adventure is out there!

 

[Team Agent P]

Aim for the stars, that way even if you miss you just may hit the MOON!!!......by the way love the hair, very pretty young lady

 

[jandlinz]

Great update Khalee. So glad to see you're making friends. It sounds like you're having an amazing time. I love your positive attitude.

 

[tarak]

Ahhhhh!! I rarely even lurk on the boards to be honest, so I wasn't aware of this! This makes much more sense now, thanks for letting me know! I am much to proud to ask for money from any of you! Haha. Like I said before though, I will accept all donations of positive thoughts&pixie dust! <3

All the positive thoughts and pixie dust I have to spare for you. It's not quite the same thing, but after I graduated from college, I followed a boyfriend from California to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I had no job and no clue where we'd be living. And, to be honest, he was a less-than-stellar boyfriend. But I did find my place and had a blast the year I lived there. Yes, I was broke and had no health insurance. But I met some amazing people and had a wonderful time.

I have the Memory Maker, too so I'm coming to see you to take a gazillion pictures!! And Magic Shots!!!

Me, too. We'll be there in August, and I would love to get our photo taken by you!

Khalee, let me say this as a Grandmother (old enough to be YOUR grandmother): A life well lived is not without a few risks.

Most of those on here are too young to know that many of us (or our parents)either came to this country with just a few dollars in their pockets or moved to cities from farms/ranches with NOTHING. Or you've chosen to forget this.
Yes I know it's probably a more dangerous world out there, but ours was not without it's own dangers. IF we all would have feared every waking moment, been skeptical of everything, then this country would never have become what it is today. Many people used and still use public transportation out here where I live in the wild wild West, so as she said, she does have that option.
For those 'overplanners' on here (sorry no offense but I read about how some people plan what rides they're going on or what food they'll be hungry for 6 months in advance) that route isn't for everyone.
For those of you speaking about an older automobile and the issues, trust me I've had issues with newer cars more than some of my old reliables. Now days cars aren't like they were back when.
Khalee's dream isn't for everyone and no one is asking anyone else to live it. But, I sort of think that a lot of us are a bit envious of someone living this dream that many of us have had (yes I wanted to work at Disney after College when it was a very new and uncertain place to work, but I had responsibilities and expectations put on me, that seem more unreasonable now than this dream of Khalee's). Khalee seems like a self sufficient young woman and even those types are allowed a good cry now and then.
She has her reasons for this move and we may never know what they are. In reality though, young, unencumbered people set off on adventures every day, heck even back in my time when I graduated college a lot of my friends were backpacking in Europe or working their way cross country. No it's not for everyone but it's fine for those with the intestinal fortitude to try it.

If you don't approve or don't believe her, then there are a few thousand other threads out there to read. Happily ever after everything in Disney is Magical type threads.
The one thing a lot of people seem to forget is the young lady has a skill set that she can earn a decent living with.

Carry on Khalee!!

My husband's grandfather came here from Greece not speaking a word of English. He was maybe 13. He settled in central Pennsylvania, got a job in a restaurant, and eventually bought his own. He supported countless other Greek immigrants and gave them a place to stay and a job until they could make it on their own.

Loved seeing your update and happy photos!