A CP's return to WDW

[BriarRose86]

Hello all! This is my first Trip Report (after years of silently reading many trip reports and occasionally writing on the college board before my program started) I have decided to write my very first trip report. So here goes! My name is Angela (pictures to come soon) (Angie to some, but Angela to most in Orlando-and now in many places across the US and the World), I am twenty-two years old, born and raised in Miami, Florida (four hours from Orlando) currently a junior at the University of Phoenix (online) majoring in Communications. I have been in love with everything Disney since I was two years old (my first trip). There are pictures of this trip somewhere in the back of my mother's closet, many include a 2 year old screaming in the Magic Kingdom. Numerous trips after (I have always taken the reigns when planning vacations for our family, and have always able to convince my family to make trips to Disney), the last count before my college program was 35 trips.

So how did I get involved in the College Program? I was going crazy. Honestly, well at least that's what it felt like. I had gotten kicked out of Nursing school (not due to anything bad, but still that happening is something that I am not proud of), but I had gotten up from my darkest time in my "adult" life and thought long and hard about what I wanted to do. I had no idea. I had a childhood friend that had done the program in Spring of 2007, and had always told me that I HAD to do the program. I applied to the program without telling anyone, not to my parents or my boyfriend (of four years at the time, we are no longer together).

My interview was quite possibly one of the best conversations I had in a long time, I was laughing and smiling the whole time. So October of last year, I was accepted into the Walt Disney College Program as a Merchandise Cast Member. I packed and unpacked until January 5 (when my mother and I left to Orlando, to have some time together before I moved in on January 7th). I can write about my program for days, and would love to answer any and all questions about my time there. I worked in Tomorrowland-and worked with an absolutely amazing team of cast members.

So...the point of all of this is my trip right? Here goes a quick synopsis of it-I will post more in the next entry.

Dates: October 17-20, 2008
Staying at: my friend Josh's apartment (we'll talk about Josh in the next entry)
Who's coming along: Me (22), Kristen (22-my roommate from the program, she's from Michigan), and Josh (19-currently still a cast member).

Hope I haven't bored anyone, and I'll be posting some pictures in the next entry. Which will be in a couple of minutes hopefully (I keep getting distracted by Patrick Dempsey in Made of Honor)

 

[BriarRose86]

So who's who? And what's what?

Me-Angela-22-Lover of all things Disney for twenty years. You read about me in the previous post. Let's go on to the others involved in this trip.

Kristen-22-Two time College Program-my roommate for over four months. She is bubbly and cheered me up on the crazy days, and is my very own Elle Woods. She teaches horseback riding during the summer, and loves everything and anything pink. She worked at Big Thunder and will be working there on Saturday (the 18th), and will be joining me the rest of the time. She is the first and only roommate I've ever had, and is truly an amazing friend.

Josh-19-works in Outdoor Foods in the Magic Kingdom (not sure of his current position as of now, but I'll find out over the weekend). Josh is the cheeriest person you will ever meet. Josh is just one of those people you meet and are instantly happy. Josh started the college program with us in January, extended through the summer, and is now a full time cast member. Everyone loves Josh. He is kind enough to let us stay in his apartment (this has really saved us both a lot of money). He will be working on Friday and Saturday (the 17th and 18th) but will be joining Kristen and I for the rest of the weekend.


Tentative Plans:
Friday (17th)-Pick up paycheck, bank, start driving (should take about four hours, hoping to get to Orlando at about 2:30; picking up Kristen from Josh's apartment (Kristen in flying in from Michigan, layover in Memphis, and landing in Orlando at around 12:30-Josh will be picking her up from the airport and dropping her off at his place before he goes to work) and heading over to get Kristen's seasonal ID so that she can get to work on Saturday. Hoping to be at EPCOT by 4:30 and enjoying some of the Food and Wine Festival before Illuminations (this is the only thing we have planned 100%-it was a really big tradition for us during our program-and yes I cry...every time).

Saturday (18th)-Kristen and Josh both are working, so I'm on my own for the morning. I am planning on doing Magic Kingdom solo, until Kristen gets out of work. I will be spending time in Tomorrowland, mostly reminiscing. Must do's as always: Splash/Big Thunder/Space Mountain, Philharmagic, POTC, Tiki Birds (as a favor to someone), Dumbo (which I have NEVER done), and HM. I need to eat (lol): a hot dog and fries from Casey's Corner (it is tradition) and an ice cream from Auntie Gravity's. Don't know what we're doing after.

Sunday (19th)-Either DHS or DAK during the day time, we all will be attending MNSSHP (Kristen and my first time-we're so excited-I'm going to be a Bumble Bee).

Monday (20th) Either DHS or DAK-all depends on what we did the other day. Kristen's plane leaves at 7:30-so we'll have to be at the airport by 5:30; then I'll be heading home.

Oh...very important I just purchased my Annual Pass, so I'm all set for a whole year of the Wonderful World of Disney.

I know I promised pictures in the post, but they are HUUUUGGGEEEE. I need to figure out how to fix them.

Happy reading!

 

[BriarRose86]

After asking for help on resizing pictures, I am glad to present our cast for this trip.

This is me in my wonderful Tomorrowland costume (my roommates and friends surprised me at work). I consider myself lucky, as itchy and funny our costumes may have been-there are worse.

Kristen and I at DAK (this is one of hundreds of pictures we have together-this being our absolute favorite)

Josh at our CP graduation in May

This are some very special people, these are the wonderful people that made up my "Disney Family". From L to R: Ramey (she lived in our apartment, and the three of us became fast friends, she's from Illinois and worked on Main Street East), Kristen, Caleb (from Alabama and worked at Lights, Motor, Action), Me!, Steven (from New Orleans, worked at Star Tours during the first part of his program and moved on to GMR for the summer), Chris (from Maryland worked with Kristen at BTM then moved on to Playhouse Disney for the summer), and Josh is at the bottom.

This is Elisabeth and I at an iHop reunion dinner (at 2 am) on a trip back to the World in July, also pictured is Tomorrowland Duck-he will hopefully be joining us on our trip and there are many of him in the world (New York, California, Michigan, Hawaii, and Tokyo to name a few).

Leaving tomorrow!!!!

Have lots of stuff to do today: laundry homework babysitting my niece tonight, and oh yeah something very important...I uh HAVE TO PACK!!! oops...I have forgotten to do that. No comments yet, but hey at least people are reading

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thursday. And if you want more pictures, let me know.

 

[BriarRose86]

So in a little under than 18 hours I will be back in Disney...I haven't been so excited about a trip in a very long time. Kristen has filled my text message box and we've talked on and off all day (guess she's really excited too). I've been packing slowly, still trying to figure out what to take (I'm usually an early packer, but I wasn't sure if this trip was going to happen until about four days ago). Homework is done, laundry done, and its Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, and Pizza Hut for the rest of the night. Here are some more pictures, I felt like taking a trip down memory lane.

One of the very first pictures I ever took with my camera and it has quickly become one of my favorite memories. I was having a solo day in Magic Kingdom in early January and I was just walking around (something I do lot in the parks), and just snapped this picture.

Uh this is (tries not to laugh) at Joe's Crab Shack near the entrance of DTD after a long day of skydiving and Cocoa Beach. Someone of us had been, well...you get the picture.

We had a lot of fond memories at PI and were so sad to find out that PI would not be around for long. On my whirlwind trip to Disney during the summer, I made one last trip to PI. But the picture is my roommates and my first time to PI during our program. We had an amazing time at The Adventurer's Club, and were still cracking up hours later.

My mom, uncle, aunt, and cousin came to visit me during March I think. We did Magic Kingdom in 4 hours (because I'm really cool...and I might have had some help but shhh you didn't hear me say that).

The lovely ladies of 5102-before leaving to the Pirate and Princess Party (more like the soaking wet, thunder and lightening party-but it did stop for the fireworks)

Anyone out there?