Once upon a time, in a land far away, a girl left her home and family to travel the countryside and move to the tallest castle in the land. She traveled over 800 miles, bringing with her everything she could, until she crossed into the happiest place on earth and found her new home.
This is where our story begins.
Yes, I do think that my life is a bit of a Disney story right now. I smile daily thinking about how I now live in and work for Walt Disney World!
Let me take you with me on this journey. Come and see how the Disney Adventure has gone so far!!!
The Preparations:
The week prior to leaving for WDW was crazy! Not only did my family and I get back in town from Colorado three days before I had to leave for Disney, but suddenly, I faced too many "lasts."
Last time with my kitty until next year.
Last time with my family until they visit.
Saying goodbye, even for a temporary time, was hard for me. Even when I was saying hello to a joyous journey!
The Journey:
It was... long. I drove for two days. For a girl who hadn't driven more than three hours at a time, 12 was a big step, but I did it!
With the help from many Chick-Fil-A stops and Emily P Freemen podcasts, of course.
This sign greeted me at the finish line, letting me know that my journey had just begun.
Mother/ Daughter Day:
My mom and I planned a fun weekend before I checked in. We began it with this little beauty- Mickey Mousse. (How punny!)
Our first full day of fun began in the best possible way: TANGLED CHARACTER BREAKFAST. You heard me right. We ate at Trattoria Al Forno, which has a character dinning experience for breakfast.
First, we gobbled up these delightful pastries. Can we talk about how cute this is?
CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW CUTE THIS IS?
Then we met Rapunzel...
Ariel...
Eric and FLYNN RYDER!!!
Then we resort hopped, meaning we gave ourselves a little tour of the Disney resorts. We looked at most of the deluxe resorts, including Fort Wilderness, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Contemporary, Boardwalk, Beach Club, and Yacht Club. Guys, Disney has some really cool resorts.
But you really can't have a Disney day without just a peak at Magic Kingdom. Although we chose to not go to the parks to save money, I did pose in front of the train station, the very place that I now work.
If you can't already tell, I love breakfast food. So our next adventure was perfectly perfect. We had this delightful spread over at the Grand Floridian. It truly was grand.
Move in and casting:
Five other girls and I met on Facebook and chose to room together. Even though we had a few bumps in the application process as Disney changed the process on us last minute, we ended up able to room together! It was an answer to prayers!
Then I went through casting, a fancy word for paperwork. I did get to see this pretty cool room, though.
Training:
Disney holds a cast member orientation called Traditions. Like most things Disney, it was magical. Yes, there were several long rule videos and such, but at the end of the day they gave us our NAMETAGS!!!
FUN, FUN, FUN:
We had several days to have fun before work began. Unfortunately, we didn't have our passes to get into the WDW parks. This left us only the Dark Side- Universal Studios (a.k.a.- Harry Potter World).
We also celebrated Natalie Anne's birthday with some late night ice cream on the Boardwalk!
EXPLORING THE PARKS:
Finally, we got our passes to get into the parks for free! Of course I went to Magic Kingdom first. I stepped inside and giggled. Smiled. Soaked in how this is my new home.
Then Jenna and I hoped on over to Animal Kingdom to meet Thumper and Miss Bunny, a rare character meet and greet.
The next day, Hannah (yes, there is another Hannah in our apartment) explored the wilderness of Animal Kingdom, including the immersive Pandora! (BTW, the two hour wait for the "Flight of Passage" was totally worth it.)
Next up, Epcot! Now is the perfect time to go to Epcot because it is Food and Wine Festival, where 40 food vending stations set up around the park offering unique and delicious options! Hannah and I tried fancy ravioli, scrumptious mac and cheese, and delectable chocolate lava cake.
Hollywood Studios was the last park I explored. Jenna and I had a blast meeting characters!
Can one go to Epcot during Food and Wine too many times? Jenna and I tried chocolate baklava and some creamy pasty thing.
Also, we visited what is fondly called the "bubblegum wall," a perfect Instagram spot!
Work, Work (Angelica):
My life here isn't all fun and games. I am here to work. I am a merchandise cast member at Magic Kingdom's stroller location. This means that I rent out strollers, wheelchairs, and ECVs to guests. We also have a couple of small gift shops.
The first couple of weeks consisted of mainly training, both in the classroom and on location. Just recently I started working on my own, though!
Here's my costume:
And here's my location:
And that sums up my first few weeks here in Disney World! It's been magical, scary, exciting, and fun!
Please update me with what's going on in your lives!!!! Also, if you have any questions about Disney, the college program, or what I'm doing, please comment below! I'll be sure to answer them in future posts!
Princess Hannah