Post 8: Day 3 (NameTags and New Faces)

Oy, it's been a crazy few days!!! Time to play catch-up!

Sunday: Woke up at 7am today. Not even kidding. Sleeping in possibly one of the most comfortable beds I've ever been in in my life, curtains drawn, lights out, no music on or alarms set, went to bed at midnight...and...I wake up...at 7am. For serious. Oh well, I ended up taking a nap between 10am-noon anyways. :)

Tried to call my bank this morning to work out some situations with my missing debit card...and their customer service line is closed on Sundays. :( Took my nap after that failed attempt at being productive, then I was chilling on Facebook and saw that one of my internet DCP friends was across the lake in Downtown Disney! So I quickly got dressed, and boated across, and got to meet my first 2 real-life DCP buddies, Eddie and Jose.  Exciting day.

Registration!

The 5am line

Welcome Session

Monday: I got up at 4:45 in the morning, AM, when Eddie texted me to tell me that the line for check in was already to the street. I got up, got my things together, and got a taxi over to Vista Way apartment complexes. I met a few people in line and chatted a bit, but no one that I've kept in touch with to this point...They began letting us in at 7am, as the line was already wrapping around the corner. We walked in, those of us with luggage took it to an (I think) racquetball room to store (I had 3 wonderful young men help me carry all of my heavy luggage). Then we stood in line for a bit (always lines in Disney! Sheesh!), verified our information, waited in more line, got a little book that had a calander and all sorts of phone numbers inside, waited in more line, got split into little groups, had a very energetic girl tell me lots of important information and make me sign papers, wait in more line, give some of the important papers to a lady at a table, went inside a little pavilion building, waited in MORE line. Got sorted and sent to a desk to get our housing assignments. My roommate and I had already made up a list of our preferences in rooms.......by the time I got up there, even getting there at 5am...all they had left was apartments in Vista Way, which is the older complex, and the place that my roomie and I wanted to least to be. BUT we're still living in Disney, so it's okay. :) We got a 2 bedroom. AFTER THAT, we went to a table where we signed that we knew how much we were paying a week, and first 2 weeks of rent are already taken care of per housing payment you do when you get accepted. This is by 8:30 in the morning, so this process has taken about an hour. After that we get a headshot for our housing ID, and then we're free to go to our apartments. I was the first one in, so I got first pick of the beds. I got one between 2 windows (yay!). I moved all my luggage upstairs and had it mostly unpacked by the time I had to leave for my Welcome Session, where you find out what your work location is (I am photopass in Magic Kingdom, YAY!), go through all the fun paperwork and background checks and fun stuff like that. This is where you get evaluated for your Disney Look...word to those who dye your hair, make sure it's a fresh dye so they cant see your roots, its a natural color, and you don't have like, 2343243 highlight colors or something, or they make you re-do it by Wednesday. AFter that you go back to your housing complex, chill for a bit, and then you go to your Housing meeting, which is where they lay down the rules of living in DCP housing. Another word to the wise...first meeting...you can be at the bus stop 10 minutes before you leave...housing meeting....you have to be there 45 minutes before...or else be really lucky that you have a roommate's mom's car to zip you over to the Commons when you realize you missed the bus. :P After your housing meeting the day is yours. Or, evening is yours. Whichever.

My bedroom!

Tuesday: IS ALSO YOURS. Completely empty...unless you're like my roommate Darise who has housing on Tuesday, but that's it. I went all over Vista and explored, and then took Darise to Downtown Disney for the first time.

Disney University, Traditions

Hollywood Studios

I know the feeling...

Wednesday: STARTS GOD AWFUL EARLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dear Lord in Heaven. If you are in the Morning Traditions class, which is kind of like your Disney Orientation, you have to be AT YOUR BUS STOP by 6:45am. AM. IN THE MORNING. (The second Traditions meets at 12:45 I think.) This meeting is where you get your Disney ID and your nametag. And that's all I'm saying. The rest is a surprise. Ha. Ha. After that you are free to do whatever, I went to Hollywood Studios and spent 2 hours wandering around the Art of Animation Disney museum, and then watched a Video about Walt that was narrated by his voice clippings and Julie Andrews. :D tonight we have a welcoming event that is Pirate themed, where there is free food (yay for that!!) and.....then I will be going home and to bed for my 8:30am class tomorrow.

That's about it for now, I shall attempt to keep you all posted as I go through training and other fun things over the next week. Loves and miss you all!!