To Infinity and Beyond!

So my college program is coming to a close. It is over on January 6th. Back in October, I started looking for the next step. I saw several different avenues, and began following three of them. I was also going to pursue one or two more, but it never came down to that.

The first avenue was a temporary assignment. It would have been for the spring, and to do it, I would also have to have a "home" position (as part time or full time). The temporary assignment would be working for Magic Music Days and the students who come down to perform. I turned in my application and was given an interview. At the interview, part one was to give a presentation. After, 50 percent of the people are asked to stay for a question/answer section. I was one to be asked to stay and went in for the interview. One week later I received a call. Unfortunately, I did not get it.

The next avenue was extending my current program. During that application process, I was able to pick my preference on position. I could choose to stay where I am currently working or ask to be moved. I really wanted to work attractions so I put that down as my first choice. I put down custodial for my second choice. And then for my third, I asked to stay where I am.

At the same time I was applying for the extension, I was also applying for a Professional Internship. These are much more prestigious and competitive. There are far fewer positions compared to the college internships. I applied for a few internships that were for College Program Alumni. I received a phone call asking to set up an interview for one of them and went in later that week.

One day I heard back from the extension saying that I was chosen to extend and would be moved to attractions. I was really excited, but I had to give them an answer by the end of the week. I still had not heard back from the Professional Internship. I did not want to commit to the extension and then also receive the Professional Internship. On the other hand, I did not want to deny the extension and then not receive the other internship and then be out on both. I was freaking out just a little because I did not know when I would hear back from the Professional Internship.

One hour after I received the notification of the extension, I received a phone call and was offered the Professional Internship! Needless to say, I was ecstatic! So now, I did accept the Professional Internship. The title of the internship is the College and International Program Housing Office Coordinator. I'll be doing a lot of different things. I will no longer be located in any of the Disney parks; instead, I'll be in one of the living complexes, in an office. I'm very excited for it! When I interviewed, they said this position was a nice springboard into leadership and management.

The internship pays more and I will be getting more hours. I'll still get the same benefits as I do now. The new internship is from January until the beginning of June. After that, we'll see what comes my way! I will be signing a year-long lease with some friends. So at the very lease, I'll be here in Florida until the end of 2012.

No Time to Say Hello, Goodbye!

I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!

For real though, I'm super sorry to everybody who likes reading my blog (cough Hannah cough). I know I should update more often. But I get super duper lazy. When I have free time, I don't feel like writing. So here is the update you've all been waiting for. Hopefully it's not too long.

A lot has happened that I've wanted to write about since my last post. So, now that means this post is going to be a conglomeration of everything. Let's start off with Halloween. Yes, I know tomorrow is Thanksgiving, but it's been that long since I've posted.

In September, my roommates and I went to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. It's a special event held a couple times a week at the Magic Kingdom. They kick everybody out who does not have a special ticket, and then they stay open until midnight. In addition to the normal rides and frivolity, Disney provides special events and appearances. For instance, in front of the castle, they have a villain dance party, followed by meet and greets. So I got to meet Jafar and Gaston. Sadly, I did not wait in the lines to meet the other villains. Disney also offers meet and greets with other characters that are not usually out. So I also got to meet Jane Porter and (my personal favorite special meet and greet) Tarzan. We were going to try to meet the seven dwarfs, but the line was too long. Disney also provides a special Halloween version of their nightly show (Wishes) called HalloWishes. And they have a (really super cool) Halloween parade! It was a blast and I am glad I was able to go. You can view pictures on my facebook of these events!!

On October 1, Disney World celebrated their 40th Anniversary. On October 1, 1971, the Magic Kingdom opened its doors to the public. And 40 years later, they had an awesome celebration. They had a special ceremony (televised) with the President of the company and other special guests. I got to meet the Tremaines (Evil step mother and ugly step sisters). It seems that they are not out very often at the Magic Kingdom, so I am glad I waited to meet them. They are by far my favorite characters to meet! But the whole event was really something awesome to be at. I am so glad I went.

Then on November 1st, Disney World did a quick change from Halloween to Christmas. Literally over night, at Hollywood Studios, a lot of Decorations were put up all over the place. The same thing happened at the other parks, I'm just not sure exactly what date. Christmas is a big deal here at Disney. Every park has special Christmas events. The Magic Kingdom has Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. This is similar to the Halloween Party, but obviously for Christmas. They also have Cinderella's Castle that is covered in magical ice and a show you can watch as the fairy godmother covers the castle in the ice. Epcot has Christmas Around the World. I have not been over there yet for that. Animal Kingdom has a special parade. And Hollywood Studios has the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. The entire back part of the park (Streets of America) are covered with 5,000,000 (or more?) led lights. And every few minutes, they "dance" to a song. It really is really super duper cool! If you are ever in Disney between November and December, you should definitely check them out!

Some of my aunts and uncles are in town right now, so I'm going to eat lunch with them today before they leave. Then my parents and godparents are coming down the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. And then my best friend (Mandi) from college is coming down with her mother after my parents leave. I'm so excited for all of these events! I'm taking my parents and godparents and Mandi to the parks!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. But to me, it still feels like September. If not, it definitely does not feel like tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I have to work 2:15 till 10pm tomorrow. But after, all the college students I work with are going out for a Thanksgiving Meal. We are going to a really classy place. Not sure which, but we have it narrowed down to Perkins, IHOP, or Denny's!

This is getting pretty super long, and kinda random. So I'm going to end it there. I do have more to say, so hopefully it won't be two months before I post again! Check out my facebook page for pictures of all my adventures. I just uploaded a lot of them yesterday!

Visitors from another land

I received my first visitors from home this past week. My sister and brother-in-law, as well as his parents came down for their vacation. The first part of the vacation they spent with their family. The second half they spent in Orlando with me. They arrived in Orlando Tuesday night.

Wednesday morning we went out for breakfast, and then we spent the rest of the day at EPCOT. We did all the main attractions in Future World in the morning and early afternoon. Then we headed over to the World Showcase and they got a little taste of the Food and Wine Festival.

Thursday, we went to Universal's Island of Adventure. This was my first time at Universal. It was a long day. I had fun, don't get me wrong. But it wasn't Disney. It reminded me too much of Six Flags Great America. It was fun for a day trip, but I'm glad that I didn't buy a season pass.

Friday I had to work so we just went out for lunch before I headed to Hollywood. Saturday I also had to work, but we spent the morning and early afternoon at Magic Kingdom. We actually made really good time and we were able to get over to Hollywood Studios earlier than expected. They all spent the rest of the day there, while I worked.

On Sunday morning, I took them to the airport... at 5am.... I was there and back before it was light out! Ha!

They all had a good time. I tried to give them a few magical moments, but they really lucked out! They received several magical moments that I did not plan. At the Magic Kingdom, we were walking in and just talking about getting pictures at the Castle. One of the cast members overheard us and asked if we would like a ride in his vehicle to the castle. So we all jumped on and drove on by all the people walking. It was fun. This is just one example of their Magical Moments.

I'm glad I was able to spend time with my sister and her family! It was a lot of fun, albeit exhausting. I don't know how vacationing families do the parks open to close for several days straight.

Happy Anniversary Walt Disney World

On Saturday, October 1st, Walt Disney World celebrated it's 40th anniversary. On that exact day 40 years previous, the park opened it's gates for the first time to the public. Needless to say, the magic has been kept alive for the past 40 years. So of course, we had to celebrate! The Magic Kingdom had a special celebration that day. They had a ceremony at 10 am. They also passed out special park maps and 40th Anniversary pins. In addition, they had special merchandise that was only sold on that day.

Me and one of my roommates got up early and (after dropping another roommate off at work) went to the Magic Kingdom for the opening Train Ceremony. This is something they do every morning, but I don't recall ever seeing it. I was like a kid in a candy store! I was so excited. Then we got in and went on a couple rides. At 10, we watched the ceremony which was really fun. I almost started crying just thinking about it all. Walt Disney is such an inspirational man!

After the ceremony, we met some characters and then went on more rides. It was a really fun day. And I felt so special being able to participate in the 40th Anniversary Celebration. My life is so Disney! And I love every minute of it!

Boo to You

This post is a little late as the event happened a week ago, but oh well. Last Sunday, I worked until 11. Under normal circumstances I would go home and hang out a little bit, then head to bed. But not Sunday. Sunday was a special event. You see, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (known as MNSSHP for short) started this week. It runs on Tuesday and Friday nights now until Nov 1. It requires a special ticket to get in. But it's a great time. There are special Halloween fireworks called HalloWishes (the normal night show is called Wishes). There are special Halloween shows. There are special Halloween meet in greets with characters that aren't out every day (like Jack and Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas, and other Villains). There is also a special parade called Boo to You.

Now, most of these special events can be rehearsed back stage because they don't require a lot of space. But a parade? Kinda hard to rehearse backstage. So, on Sunday night, they had a cast exclusive preview of the parade. At 1:15 AM!! Anybody who wanted to go had to be at the parking lot/bus stop by 12:30am to be bused over to the magic kingdom. They bussed us to the utilidors and we had to walk underneath and stay (crammed) into one small section of the park until all the guests were gone. Once the guests were up front, they allowed us to move to the parade route. Then we waited a little longer until the park was completely free of all guests. So around 1:15 AM, the parade started. First the headless horseman ran through the parade route. Then the parade followed.

I love love love Halloween, so this parade was right up my alley! It was so much fun. They had a lot of characters that you don't normally see. And they incorporated floats that you don't normally see. A section of the parade was devoted to Haunted Mansion! This, I think, was my favorite part. This section started off with one of the live characters you see in the ride, the grounds-keeper and his dog (played by a real dog!). The section also included gravediggers, that danced with shovels. And waltzing ghosts. As well as a couple floats. It had the hitchhiking ghosts as well!

The entire parade as a blast. And the atmosphere was a lot of fun! There were thousands of cast members there to see the parade. Getting out was crowded. They put us back on buses and took us back to the parking lot. Nick and I randomly ran into some girls, who we became good friends with! I'm definitely glad I went!

MLID: closing shifts

As I stated yesterday, I only work nights (as of now). I'm assuming once more interns come, my seniority will go up and I'll start getting some days. But for now, closing shifts it is. Which is fine. I enjoy them.

Yesterday, I stated that I enjoy working closing shifts. For the most part, this is true. But there are a few things that I don't enjoy about it. The first thing is because I work late, I don't get social time. Not that I want a lot of social time, but most of my friends work days. Or, by the time I'm done with my shift, I'm too tired to go out. Not to mention all the parks are closed. I don't get to watch the nightly shows unless it's my day off. But at the same time, this may be a blessing in disguise. I don't want to get burnt out going to the parks all the time. So perhaps this helps that cause. On the opposite side of the shift, I start in the early afternoon normally. That means, I don't have much time before my shifts to hang out with people. A lot of the college students sleep in late so by the time everybody is up and ready to do something, I have an hour or two is all before I have to get ready for work. So again, the social aspect goes out the window. I mean, I make time to for social activities, and I try to fit things in where I can. I just miss not having some nights off.

The other part I don't like about closing shifts is that I rarely get to work my entire shift. We are scheduled until two hours after the park closes. About thirty to forty-five minutes after the park closes, we are sent to clear the park. Sometimes it takes the entire time. But, more times than not, the park is cleared early. Once the park is cleared, we are normally sent home early. Sometimes this is only fifteen minutes early, sometimes thirty minutes. Rarely it is forty-five minutes early. This week alone, I am down almost two hours for the week from being sent home early. On one hand, I don't mind being sent home early, but on the other hand, I want to work as much as possible! I need the money to pay back school loans!

MLID: work

Most people have now heard of the website called MLIA or My Life Is Average. Well, I've started using the term MLID or My Life Is Disney. I seriously love working for Disney. I love living in Florida. I love the perks. It's absolutely fantastic.

Don't get me wrong, I miss IL. And I miss my family a great deal. But this is the experience of a life time. Being so far away is hard, but I (usually) don't let it get me down. I've had some moments of complete vulnerability. Every once in a while, I just get really down and feel partially unsafe. At those times, I feel like I don't have anybody to lean on. My family and close friends are all over a thousand miles away (except Jordan, but she's still too far away!). And I don't have a significant other to provide the comfort I desire. But these times have been few.

I stay busy with work. I work around 40 hours a week. I work five to six days each week. I usually have Tuesday and/or Wednesday off. I believe that will change once October comes and I start my Disney Heritage Class. Then, I will probably have Mondays off. During training, I worked in the morning and afternoon. But now that I'm on my own, I have only worked afternoon and night shifts. More times than not, I am closing. Which is fine. I enjoy closing. Park Greeters who work a closing shift stay till the park is completely cleared of all guests. This is approximately an hour and a half to two hours after the designated park closing time. So right now, that means I work till 11pm most nights.

It's super fun to work late. There is a definite lull in the middle of the shift where things kind of get monotonous. But if you're closing, it's interesting to see everybody leave and say good bye and interact with them all. We have a nightly show called Fantasmic. When the amphitheater is full, it holds over 8,000 people. And when Fantasmic is over, most of these people head for the exit. It's a slightly awe-inspiring moment to see this many people come straight at you!

The other fun part about working late is what we call the Finales. Normally, park greeters are stationed at the front of the park, working entrances and exits. This is what they do all day long. But if you close, four people are assigned Finales. We are the only park out of all the Disney parks where Park Greeters (and not Security) do this. The four people each are assigned a main road in the park. We walk to the back of the park, and then usher all the guests to the front. It doesn't sound that exciting, but it's a lot of fun. And after spending 6-8 hours up front, it's nice to move about the park.

I work with a lot of fun people! There are a handful of college interns, and then quite a few more part- and full-time workers. But all of them are really nice and fun to be around. I really lucked out with my placement.

I don't want to make this too long, but I have a lot more to say so (hopefully) look for more entries coming  your way!

Busy Busy Busy

Sorry for not updating for a while. I've been super busy! On Friday, I had what Disney calls "Traditions." It's the Walt Disney orientation that all Disney employees at all the parks from around the world have to complete before they can be considered employees. During this class, we were given our formal Disney ID. In addition, Mickey came and gave us our name tags, which doesn't sound all that exciting. But believe me, name tags are a big deal! During Traditions, I got this overwhelming feeling that I'm exactly where I need to be, doing what I should be doing! It was wonderful! Once we received our official IDs, we could then enter the parks (for FREE!!).

I started training on Saturday. That day was an orientation to Hollywood Studios. And then on Sunday, I started on the job training. I've worked Sunday and Monday, opening shifts. Today, I work 3:30pm until Midnight to learn the closing shift things. I have assessment tomorrow. If I pass (which I should because it's super easy), I will then be done with Training and will start working on my own. All my shifts next week are closing shifts so that'll be interesting! But I love my job! And all the people I work with are really great and nice!

Outside of work, I've met a whole bunch of interesting and fun people! My roommates are great! All six of us get along really well!

That's about it for now! I'm only starting my seventh day, but I feel like I've been here a lot longer! But it's great!

Traveling and Check-In Day

Sorry for the long over due update! It’s been crazy and I haven’t really had internet access. The last two days of my trip down went well. Monday we drove from Louisville to Grovetown. It was actually an easy drive. We made it to my cousins’ house by about 4:30pm. It was great to catch up with Rob and Lis. We left on Tuesday and drove down to Palm Harbor, where Jordan lives. We drove through a bunch of rain for the first time on Tuesday. Other than the rain, and hitting rush hour traffic in Tampa, it was also a good drive. However, once I dropped Jordan off, things went a little downhill. Google gave me some poor directions. Add that to construction and to the crazy driving rules that is Florida, and I felt lost for the first time on my trip. But I got through it and made it to Phil’s apartment. I was completely brain dead by the time I got there though. Just exhausted. Went to bed and got up early for check in.

Check in was actually super fun. I got there about 6:40am. Met up with all five of my roommates right away. They are cool guys! I think Nick and I lucked out with having such a good group. We waited in line for about an hour. Disney people let us in an hour early. How it goes down is like this. People show up and have to wait outside Vista Way (one of the housing complexes). Security does not let us in so we line up on the sidewalk along the road. When we are let in, the line just moves to a building (the clubhouse? I can’t remember). Here, you wait in line some more. You get some paperwork that you have to fill out and then there are several stops in the line to go through.

One of these is housing. We got the complex we wanted. Originally we wanted Chattham Square. But last minute, we changed to Patterson Court. So that’s where we are, in building One. As of now, building One seems to have a lot of parking because we are in the back corner. This may change, who knows. After housing we go through some other stops, we get out housing ID as well so that we can get into our complex. We also go through parking registration if we brought a car. After all that, we wait for a bus to take us over to casting. At this point, it had started to rain so we were waiting in the rain.

At casting, we did all of our working documents and such. I found out that I will be working at Hollywood Studios as a Park Greeter. I’ll tell you later what this entails, as right now I’m not entirely sure of all my duties. We got the I-9 forms turned in and direct deposit. Filed a background check and did a few other things. We got back to Vista Way and then had some free time. My roommates and I came over to check out our new apartment. It’s a nice complex. We’re on the third (top) floor which means we have to climb stairs. Usually not a bad thing in my book, but moving in was not fun. We got all our stuff into our apartment and then sat down with the roommates and discussed some things that needed discussing. Then at 3pm we had a housing meeting. It was an hour and a half long. Kind of boring, but had some interesting parts as well.

The meeting was over at 4:30. And then, not having eaten all day, the six of us wanted food. We drove out to Downtown Disney and ate at the Rain Forest Café. We came back to our apartment and did some more unpacking. Then went to bed. Long day! But that brings you up to date on everything!

If you have any specific things you would like me to answer, please feel free to put them in the comments and I will answer them in the next blog!

Traveling, Day 1

Well, we left Hampshire at 1:30pm. Google said it would take six and a half hours to get to Louisville, KY. We stopped a couple times, but made it by 7:30 (8:30 KY time). So that's good. We cut off a half hour from the trip. It was a good drive. We hit some stop-and-go traffic in Norther Indiana, but otherwise, we were good. I drove the entire way today.

Tomorrow, we are getting up early and hitting the road. We hope to be on the road around 8am. Just a quick update for ya'll.

DDC #1

Last day of the Double Disney Challenge! I leave today between 1pm and 2pm for Florida!!

Day #1: Your favorite theme park attraction/ride
As it stands right now, my favorite park ride is The Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom. And my favorite park attraction is Fantasmic in Hollywood Studios.

Day #1: Your absolute favorite Disney song
So, most of the songs that I have used for previous days are my favorite songs. And instead of picking a brand new one (which is proving difficult), I'm going to pick one I've already used. I tend to sing this one randomly all the time. From Hercules, Go the Distance.

DDC #2

Day #2: Your favorite theme park
I've been to Disney World three times. Once in 1997 (fourth grade) and twice in high school. From these experiences, I would have to say Magic Kingdom is my favorite. But I look forward to re-evaluating that decision when I'm down there.

Day #2: From your favorite Disney movie.
I'm going to have to say, at least at the moment, my favorite Disney movie is Mulan. This may change periodically. But right now, that's what it is.

Down to the Wire

So, it's about that time! Tomorrow is my last full day at home. I go and pick up Jordan from the airport in the afternoon. Then, it's my hometown's annual festival. So Jordan and I will hang out there with my family for food and fireworks. Sunday morning is the pancake breakfast. We'll go to that as well as pack the car sometime in the morning. Then at noon, there is a parade. Straight after the parade, Jordan and I hit the road.

Our first day traveling, we are heading to Louisville, Kentucky. We'll stay there for the night. It'll take us about six and a half hours to get there. The next days (Monday), we'll leave in the morning and head to my cousin's house right outside of Augusta, Georgia. That will be about a nine and a half hour drive. And then Tuesday we will head to where Jordan lives in Florida. I'll drop her off, then head over to Kissimmee where I will be staying with Phil.

Then Wednesday is the big day. I'll arrive to our place of check in about 7am. Check in doesn't start till about 9am, but the crazies are out and the line gets long early. Haha. I'll be vlogging about the whole trip down with Jordan. I will also vlog about the check in process. I'll probably blog about these things too.

It's just so close. Right now, I'm past the apprehension that I was feeling a few days ago. I'm back to pure excitement! It's going to be great! And we're going to leave it at that

DDC #3

Day #3: Your favorite quote
One of my favorite quotes comes form Disney-Pixar's Ratatouille. And I think it's really applicable to my situation right now. Gusteau says to Remy "If you focus on what you've left behind, you will never be able to see what lies ahead!"

Day #3: From an old school Disney movie
Can't get much old school than Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs!

DDC #4

Day #4: Saddest death
There are several sad deaths in Disney movies. I'm gonna go with Ellie's death in Up! Because that one truly got to me.

Day #4: From a Disney movie that you think is underrated
A few days ago, I stated that one of the Disney movies I thought was underrated was The Sword in the Stone. And in that, I'm picking one of my favorite songs from that movie. 

DDC #5

Day #5: Your favorite scene from your favorite movie
Off hand, I'm going to pick a scene from Mulan. If I really thought about it, I might have come up with a different scene or different movie. But oh well, I like this one. I actually already used it, but in a different context. But this scene makes me giggle immensely.

Day #5: The song that is the most beautiful
There are many beautiful songs in Disney movies. Some I've already used, others I have not. For now, I'm gonna stick with Mulan and pick Reflections.

DDC #6

Day #6: A movie that makes you cry
Gonna go with the Fox and the Hound. The one scene always gets me!

Day #6: The song with the best lyrics
I've used many songs with good lyrics. So as to not repeat any of those songs, I will pick one I haven't used yet. I'm gonna go with Just Around the Riverbend from Pocahontas. 

DDC #7

Day #7: A movie that makes you laugh
Most of the Disney movies make me laugh at some point. I'm going to shoot for Disney-Pixar this week though. There is one in particular that really makes me laugh every time I watch it: Up!

Day #7: A song you would play at your wedding
 There are many Disney songs that are worthy and appropriate for a wedding. A few of them I've already used and do not wish to re-use. But there is one I specifically love and would love for it to be played at my wedding. Trevor, you'll enjoy this!

Leaving it All Behind

I finally made a second vlog. It is below. There are so many wonderful things and people in my life. Going to Florida to work for Disney is a great opportunity. But I'm going to miss my friends and family. And I'm going to miss home and school. In addition to these, I'll also miss things like Autumn in Northern Illinois and holiday gatherings with family. I'm leaving a lot behind. But I also feel like I have a lot to gain. It's a give and a take. We'll see what comes of it. Enjoy the vlog.

DDC #8

Day #8: An underrated movie
There are a few movies that I think are underrated. I'm gonna go with The Princess and the Frog. There are many people out there who love it. But I've also heard many discussions about how people didn't enjoy it. They didn't like it. They don't think it was in league with the others. They don't think Tiana should be considered a Disney Princess. Etc. But I'm here to say that it's a wonderful movie! I loved every second of it. And I absolutely love love love the music. Yes, the music is in a different style than most of the other movies, but I think it's interesting!

I also feel like The Sword in the Stone is underrated. You don't hear very much about it. But, it was definitely one of my favorite videos growing up! So I'm gonna go with that as well!

 

Day #8: Sung by your least favorite character

I really had to dig for today's song. It wasn't easy because there are few characters that I really don't like. I mean, there are some characters, such as the villains, which are easy to hate for their personalities, but they make good villains. And so on and so forth. I've decided to go with the Siamese Cats from Lady and the Tramp. They are evil, conniving, stupid characters. I know they don't play a big role in the movie, but I still hate them.

DDC #9

I almost forgot to do this today.... I have 25 minutes left. Haha

Day #9: An overrated movie
Off hand, I can't think of one specifically. I mean, Disney does a pretty bang up good job making movies. So I'm just gonna go ahead and say that I don't have an answer for this one! Sorry!! Which means, no picture today.

Day #9: Sung by a non-princess female
There are some songs that I wanted to share and I had no other place for this particular one, so I decided to put it here. It's one of my favorites.

DDC #10

Day #10: Favorite sequel
Some sequels (in general, not specifically Disney) just aren't any good. Others are. This applies to Disney as well. Some of them are just bland. But others are just as good as the original. I feel like Both of the Aladdin sequels are very good. I enjoyed them both. So I'm gonna stick with those.

Day #10: Sung by a male
Sticking with Aladdin, I'm going to pick one of his songs for this question. I've always enjoyed this song!

Everything at Once

I hope you all have enjoyed my Disney Challenge. I've been so busy lately that I haven't had much time, nor effort, to write a real entry. But here we are.

Update: I have officially decided to change my driving plans. I will be taking three days to get down to Florida instead of the original two. I will write more about my plans in a later entry. The reason I actually bring it up now is in reference to the Disney Challenge. I timed it out just right where my last entry would be on the day that I leave. Due to the fact that I'm leaving a day earlier now, I will have to adjust. I won't really have internet access on the trip. So that means, I will be doing two posts in one day to catch up and get back on track. I just wanted you to know that when you see two entries in one day, I really do know how to count!

But the real point of this entry is not to discuss the Disney Challenge I have been working on. It's to discuss my mental and emotional state right now. Which, currently, is a big mess. I'm still totally excited about the Disney aspect. And excited to meet all the new people and make friends. The experience will be great, and it'll be fun to live in a new state and try new things. What is getting me is the not being at home part. As my departure comes closer, I've started to think about the physical aspect of leaving this place. It's going to be strange. And I'm getting nervous. I'm going to miss so many things. But it's more than the missing. It's the not being able to come home. It's the being so far away from my family part. I'm starting to have little panic attacks here and there. I think once I get down to Florida, for the most part anyway, I'll be fine. But it's nerve-racking to think about this next big step in my life.

Then I find out that my father really isn't too keen on this decision. He thinks that doing the internship is "okay" but that I need to seriously consider things when I look into any future plans with Disney. The whole conversation had a dire undertone that, at least to me, meant that he is not supportive of working for this company. I hope he's wrong. I think I will seriously enjoy it. But now the seed is planted and I'm suspicious. What if I don't like it? Or what if something does go wrong? Or what if the company is fine, but I just don't like being away from IL and my family? It's just all so confusing.

There is a quote from the Disney-Pixar movie Ratatouille. Gusteau tells Remy "If you focus on what you left behind, you will never be able to see what lies ahead." I feel this is definitely true. Part of my freak out is that I am focusing on what I'm leaving behind. My home, my friends, my family, etc. I'm not saying I shouldn't keep them in my thoughts, but I can't let that be my main focus. It tends to blind me to the possibilities in the future. I can't let that hold me back. I really have no idea what's going to happen, but I've decided that I am just going to go for it. Am I going in blind? Definitely. But I'll never know what the future has in store for me if I don't take chances. This is a chance that I've decided is worth the risk. I'm going to see where Disney leads me. If I have a future with them, wonderful. If I don't, no harm no foul. But either way, at least I'll have fun in the process.

DDC #11

Day #11: Your least favorite Pixar film
I'd probably have to say A Bugs Life for this. Not that I hate it by any means. I still enjoy it. I just enjoy the others more than this one!

Day #11: Your favorite love song
Again, there are several that I very much enjoy. For now, I'm going to say That's How You Know from Enchanted. It's fun and I love love love Amy Adams.

DDC #12

Day #12: Your favorite Pixar film
Back to the hard questions. I pretty  much LOVE all of the Disney-Pixar films! It's pretty much a tie between Finding Nemo and Up! So I'm just gonna pick both and upload two pictures! haha.

Day #12: Your favorite duet
There are several out there. But I'm just gonna pick one of the first ones that came to mind. A Whole New World from Aladdin.

DDC #13

Day #13: Your least favorite classic
Gonna have to go with The Jungle Book again for this one.

Day #13: A song that you want to sing on stage
Instead of picking one that I want to sing on stage, I'm going to pick one that I did sing on stage. Last year, for my senior recital, I chose Out There from The Hunchback of Notre Dame to sing in my musical theater set. It's a great song!

DDC #14

Day #14: Your favorite classic
No brainer! (Hey! Look at that! It's a "favorite" question, and I didn't have a hard time with it!). Cinderella is by far my favorite Disney Classic movie!

Day #14: A song you like to fall asleep to
I don't really listen to music when I'm sleeping. So I'm going to change this question to "A song you could fall asleep to" In that case, I'm going to pick a song I love, that's soothing and beautiful, but that I just had no other place for. God Help the Outcasts from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

DDC #15

Day #15: The first movie you saw
As stated several days ago, I believe the first Disney movie a watched was The Little Mermaid. I'm not entirely sure about this, but it makes sense. If you'd like to read a little more, go to DDC #30.

Day #15: From a direct-to-video sequel
Some sequels, especially Disney's, don't do much for me. But I have liked (and do own) all of the Aladdin movies. I'm picking a song from Aladdin and the King of Thieves. I believe this movie is a direct-to-video sequel. Forgive me if I am wrong. The song I chose was Welcome to the Forth Thieves.

DDC #16

Day #16: Your favorite kiss

I'm torn. Frankly, none of the Disney kisses stand out as absolutely amazing in my opinion. Some are better than others, but none raise to be my "favorite." So in lieu of picking my favorite kiss, I happened upon this picture!

Day #16: Your least favorite Disney song

For yesterday's entry, I said that my least favorite song was Colonel Hathi's March from The Jungle Book. Again, it's not that I hate this song, just not fond of the movie. And the song doesn't really do much for me. 

DDC #17

Oops! Yesterday was a long day and I kinda forgot to do the daily post. So here is yesterday's. Today's post will come later today!

Day #17: Your least favorite song
Today worked out rather well that they are "least favorite" questions. However, they are still both hard questions. Now, when I answer this question, it's not to say that I hate the song or the movie it's from. I actually had to seriously search for a song. The song I picked isn't bad, it just doesn't do anything for me. I picked Colonel Hathi's March from The Jungle Book.

Day #17: From your least favorite Disney movie
And again, when I answer this question, it's not because I hate this movie. It's just doesn't do much for me. Perhaps I should give it another go and watch, since I haven't watched it in many years! But I'm going to stick with the answer above and pick The Jungle Book. I picked a different song than above however.

DDC #18

Day #18: Your favorite villain song
Earlier, I posted the video of my favorite villain song. I still stick by that choice. Ursula singing Poor Unfortunate Souls. I'm sure there are other villains songs out there that I enjoy just as much.

Day #18: Sung by a character that you would date if he/she was real (or the same species).
So the choice of whom I would date was relatively easy. However, I've made the realization that this may come to a surprise to some family members, seeing as I am picking a man to date... But that put aside, back to the question at hand. I would pick Flynn Rider. I know he's newer, but he still has a personality similar to what I look for in a man. For those of you who may not know, Flynn is the male lead in the new movie Tangled.  Now for the hard part. I've only seen the movie once and I don't know the songs that well. But from my research, he only sings in two songs. The song he sings a big chunk of I will be using for a future question and do not want to use it twice. However, the other song he sings, he only has like... two lines is all. Oh well, the latter is my choice. For those of you who have not seen the movie, Flynn will be the handsome man that sings in the middle of the sung, not the burly biker-esque dudes. haha!

DDC #19

Day #19: Your favorite love song
There are a lot of good love songs that I enjoy. Many of the movies have awesome love songs. I'm gonna take a step out of animation (although this film is partially animated). I may be choosing this song mostly because I love and adore Amy Adams, but I'm gonna go with That's How You Know from Enchanted.

Day #19: A song that inspires you
There are many. The Disney Company has really written some truly amazing and heartfelt songs. Many have strong words of inspiration. The one that stands out above the others (off hand anyway) is from Hercules, called Go the Distance. This is one of my favorite Disney songs.

DDC #20

Day #20: Your favorite song
These "favorite" questions are going to be the death of me. I feel so bad choosing just one, like I'm neglecting all the others. For now, I'm going to say Go the Distance from Hercules.

Day #20: A song that scared you when you were little
Easy. I can only think of one that really stands out that scared me when I was little. Pink Elephants on Parade from Dumbo.

DDC #21

Day #21: Your favorite original character (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, etc.)
Out of the originals, I'm gonna have to go with my boss, Mickey. And no, I'm not trying to suck up!

Day #21: A song that reminds you of your best friend
I have many best friends from different parts of my life. And if I thought about it hard enough, I could probably find a song for each. But the first song that comes to mind is from a Disney-Pixar movie. This song reminds me of several of my friends, rather than just one. Plus, it's really short!

DDC #22

Day #22: Your favorite couple
Again, there are several. But for now, I'm gonna say Bianca and Bernard. They make me giggle!

Day #22: Sung by an animal
There are many good Disney songs sung by animals, as there are many Disney movies that feature animals as their main characters. I'm going to pick one of my favorite songs to sing. Trashin' the Camp from Tarzan.

DDC #23

Day #23: Your favorite villain
As you saw a couple days ago from the "song" portion of the 30 Day Challenge, my favorite villain is Ursula from The Little Mermaid. I really don't know what it is about her that makes her my favorite. I think it has to do with this: I have a strange attraction to little old ladies. Even when they are evil, I find them endearing and humorous. There are many female villains, most of which are probably older, but Ursula just seems to fit the cooky little old lady role. Or perhaps it has to be that I've watched Little Mermaid so often in my childhood that it's just what stands out. Who knows.

Day #23: A song that makes you cry
Okay, this took a little thinking. I really had to go back and think about all the Disney movies. But in looking at the research, I found that although many of the sadder Disney songs make me tear up, only one makes me bawl like a little baby! Just watching about 15 seconds of a youtube clip was enough to get me going. The song is from The Fox and the Hound, called Goodbye May Seem Forever.

DDC #24

Day #24: Your favorite sidekick
Like all the other questions, I have many favorites, depending on my day and such. And like yesterday, I'm gonna pick the one from the movie I've seen most recently. Ray from The Princess and the Frog. I love his character, he's absolutely hysterical, and I love his family! haha.

Day #24: A song that makes you happy
One of the Disney songs that makes me happy is Be Our Guest from Beauty and the Beast. There are several others, but this one will suffice!

DDC #25

Day #25: Your favorite animalWell, I have several favorite Disney animals (what's new? These "favorite" questions are hard for me...). I could list them all, or several of them. But instead, I'm just gonna jump straight to the answer. For the only reason that it was one of the last Disney Movies I watched, I'm gonna say Pascal from Tangled. He's super cute, and made me laugh ridiculously hard.

Day #25: Sung by your favorite villain
Later, I will discuss my favorite villain. Today, I'm just going to post the video.

DDC #26

Day #26: Your favorite hero
Off the top of my head, I think my favorite Disney hero would probably be Hercules! Like the other categories, there are definitely several who come to mind. And they switch on a daily basis. Today, it is Hercules.

Day #26: Sung by your favorite princess
Well, a couple days ago, I said my favorite princess was Belle. So here is a song sung by her and others!

DDC #27

Day #27: Your favorite prince
Another hard one. I like several of them for different reasons. I think (for today) my favorite is going to be Aladdin. Some of the princes play such a small role. Some of them I've never really liked, or feel indifferent about them. There are a few that I do like and are up there on my favorite list. But yeah, I think I'll go with Aladdin. Runner up would probably be The Beast.

Day #27: From a movie in which you want to be a character
The first movie that comes to mind is Peter Pan. I actually haven't seen the Disney version many times. But I love the stage version (is that even Disney?). Either way, it's the same story. And don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the Diseny Version. I would love love love to be either a lost boy, or one of the three children in England (it is England, right?). I've always loved the aspect of being able to fly without mechanical means! Dreams of flying have always been a delight of mine! And the whole idea of Neverland just seems great! So I choose Peter Pan.

DDC #28

Day #28: Your favorite heroine
I'd probably have to go with Mulan. Not only do I love the story and movie, but Mulan truly is an amazing woman. Not to mention, I love the setting. China is one of my favorite countries! And I've been to some of the places in real life that were shown in the movie. But that's off topic.

Day #28: A song that you can't help but sing along to
There are several, but I think the one that stands out as a song I always sing along to is Part of Your World from Little Mermaid. I have had it memorized for years and years and no matter what the setting is, I always sing along! I'll even sing it in the shower sometimes! haha

DDC #29

Day #29: Your favorite princess
I had to stop and think about this one for a few minutes. Again, favorites change with me. There are now nine official Disney Princesses. And I can only choose one. But I did narrow it down. I'm gonna go ahead and claim Belle as my favorite. I feel like she is one of the most down-to-earth princesses. Some of the others seem so helpless and hopeless without their princes. There are a few who seem rather self-sufficient, Belle is one of them. She also has a slight attitude, and doesn't give in to her prince right away. None of this phoney "love at first sight" crap.

Day #29: From the last Disney movie you have seen
The last Disney movie I watched was Princess and the Frog. I love this movie, the music is so wonderful. And it was hard to choose just one song. But alas, I did. Enjoy!

Is this Real Life? - DDC #30

OMG It just hit that I'm leaving in about 30 days! This is crazy! I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. Really, it goes back and forth between the two emotions. Right now, I'm super excited. Actually, there is a third emotion that I also feel. This is a mixture of nostalgia and sadness. I'm already missing my family and my house. I'm missing the fields and the summer and the autumn. It's gonna be super different. But it will be good.

As promised, today I start my 30 Day Double Disney Challenge. I will create a post each day. You'll notice in the title it says "DDC" which stands for Double Disney Challenge. Sometimes, the post will just be the entry. But other times, it might include a little extra info (like above) and thus will have a double tittle like today's post. But, without further ado, let's get on with it!

Photo Day #30: Your favorite character

I'm not going to lie, this is an incredibly difficult question for me. First, it depend on my mood and the day and whether Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow and if the stars are aligned and if it's snowing.... you get the picture. It changes daily. I have come to the conclusion though that although I love all the main characters, it is the sub-characters that tend to be my favorite. Flora, Fauna, and Merirweather (Sleeping Beauty); Grumpy (Snow White); Meeko and Flit (Pocahontas); Grandmother Willow (Pocahontas); Laverne (Hunchback of Notre Dame); etc. I tend to like the old women who are slightly off their rocker. I have several favorites and it's hard to pick just one. But today, I'm feeling Grandmother Fa from Mulan. I love her randomness and she has great one-liners! But she is also caring and thoughtful. Instead of posting a picture, I'm going to post a video that has two of my favorite lines from Grandmother Fa. Enjoy!

Song Day #30: From the first Disney movie you ever saw 

Alright, so here's the deal with this one. I don't actually remember the very first Disney Movie I saw. But I'm going to go ahead and assume it was The Little Mermaid. You see, my sister, as a young child, was obsessed with this movie. Every day after school, she would insist on watching it. So I'm just going to say that The Little Mermaid was my first. Below is the song I chose. 

30 Day DOUBLE Disney Challenge

Many of you may have heard of the 30 Day Photo Challenge, or Music Challenge, or what ever it may be. The low down is that each day, the participant has a specific photo, song, etc that they must find and upload/post. You'll see below what I am talking about. Many of you have probably already figured out that there exists these 30 day challenges with themes. I have found several Disney-themed challenges. I've decided to do two of these challenge at the same time. Each day, I will write a post containing both of my answers. I have included the tasks below for each challenge. 

Additionally, to help the countdown to when I will be arriving, I will start these challenges on this Saturday, July 9th. If you count it out, that means that my final challenge will be on August 7, instead of August 10. I did this on purpose. I am leaving home very early in the morning on August 8 and will not be around my computer. So in essence, this is the countdown to when I leave, whilst the countdown on the side of the blog that you see, is the countdown to when I check in. 

I have numbered the countdowns backwards so as to be an authentic count down instead of count up. However, I have not changed the tasks or order of said tasks. I hope you enjoy! Expect the first post this Saturday! And then every day after that!

30 Day Disney Photo Challenge

Day #30: Your favorite character
Day #29: Your favorite princess
Day #28: Your favorite heroine
Day #27: Your favorite prince
Day #26: Your favorite hero
Day #25: Your favorite animal
Day #24: Your favorite sidekick
Day #23: Your favorite villain
Day #22: Your favorite couple
Day #21: Your favorite original character (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, etc.)
Day #20: Your favorite song
Day #19: Your favorite love song
Day #18: Your favorite villain song
Day #17: Your least favorite song
Day #16: Your favorite kiss
Day #15: The first movie you saw
Day #14: Your favorite classic
Day #13: Your least favorite classic
Day #12: Your favorite Pixar film
Day #11: Your least favorite Pixar film
Day #10: Favorite sequel
Day #9: An overrated movie
Day #8: An underrated movie
Day #7: A movie that makes you laugh
Day #6: A movie that makes you cry
Day #5: Your favorite scene from your favorite movie
Day #4: Saddest death
Day #3: Your favorite quote
Day #2: Your favorite theme park
Day #1: Your favorite theme park attraction/ride

30 Day Disney Song Challenge

Day #30: From the first Disney movie you ever saw 
Day #29: From the last Disney movie you have seen
Day #28: A song that you can't help but sing along to
Day #27: From a movie in which you want to be a character
Day #26: Sung by your favorite princess
Day #25: Sung by your favorite villain
Day #24: A song that makes you happy
Day #23: A song that makes you cry
Day #22: Sung by an animal
Day #21: A song that reminds you of your best friend
Day #20: A song that scared you when you were little
Day #19: A song that inspires you
Day #18: Sung by a character that you would date if he/she was real (or the same species)
Day #17: From your least favorite Disney movie
Day #16: Your least favorite Disney song
Day #15: From a direct-to-video sequel
Day #14: A song you like to fall asleep to
Day #13: A song that you want to sing on stage
Day #12: Your favorite duet
Day #11: Your favorite love song
Day #10: Sung by a male
Day #9: Sung by a non-princess female
Day #8: Sung by your least favorite character
Day #7: A song you would play at your wedding
Day #6: The song with the best lyrics
Day #5: The song that is the most beautiful
Day #4: From a Disney movie that you think is underrated
Day #3: From an old school Disney movie
Day #2: From your favorite Disney movie
Day #1: Your absolute favorite Disney song