Sunday, I went to work and I was expo. Today was the Oscars, so Neicy was awarded a chocolate Oscar for all her hard work! She even let us try it! After work I decided that I was too tired to do anything. I needed sleep. Monday, I had a shift at beaches, but I decided I needed a personal day off because working 9 days in a row was killing me. I went to Universal with Manae, Molly, Maggie, and Michelle. We rode the Mummy, 2 Harry Potter rides, ate at the Leaky Caldron, and tried Every Flavor Jelly Beans. The only gross one I had was soap! Tuesday, I was driving to work and realized that I had a flat tire. I only had 40 minutes to get to work and I was freaking out! I called my parents and almost started to cry. I have never been late to work! I had a friend drive me to work (thanks Valerie!!) and made it to work on time. The whole shift one of my managers kept asking if I was okay. I always said I was fine. Then finally she said "Danielle, what's going on?" I said "I'm a little stressed because I had a flat tire this morning and I had to rush to work." I didn't really realize how much it shook me up! I had to take the bus home and luckily I had friends to talk to. When I got back to my apartment I called State Farm and they came to put my spare tire on my car. Wednesday, I had my hospitality class from 8:30 to 12:30. Since my car had the spare, I decided to walk to class. Then I had work from 3:30 to 11:30. I was running so I got lots of steps in! Thursday, I had traded my afternoon shift for a morning shift... not realizing that I had my HR class Thursday mornings. So I had to skip my class to work. At work I was assigned to work as an outdoor greeter. We had some VIP's in the area, so they assigned me to smile, wave, and be friendly to everyone who walked by. It was a very challenging role :) After work I met up with Hannah and Sammie at EPCOT. It was the flower and garden festival! It was so beautiful. The flowers were so bright and made EPCOT even better. After EPCOT, MY PARENTS CAME!! We drove to the Marriott hotel (which is the largest in the world!) It was huge! Friday, we woke up early and went to Walt Disney World! They hadn't been since the last time I visited Disney(I was probably 5 or 6 years old). We went to EPCOT first. We road Spaceship Earth and walked on. Then we walked around the flower and garden festival, which they both loved. Next, we met Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy and my parents love it! We walked around the world and ate a couple of great meals from France, Marcocoo and Mexico. The last thing we did in EPCOT was Soarin', and my parents said it was the best part of EPCOT! After we left EPCOT, we went to Animal Kingdom. We walked through all the animal galleries. Then we had our private safari at 5PM. The safari was great and well worth it! We saw lots of great animals. We walked over 20000 steps! What a great day! Saturday, my dad golfed at the hotel, which my mom and I were out by the pool. Then, we ate lunch at Sanaa at the Animal Kingdom lodge. We saw even more animals while we dined! The food was South African with a hint of Indian. It was very good! Afterwards, my dad and I got my car fixed. Later, we went to dinner show called Hoop Dee Doo at Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. It was fabulous! Both the show and the food was great.
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Sunday: i slept in and then I had work from 3:45 to 11:00. It went by pretty fast and I was glad to get back home and relax for my two days off. It was nice because I only had one day of work between my off days! Monday, Abby and I had off. I woke up later than her and met her and friends at Hollywood Studios. Since It was the end to President's Day weekend, the lines were still packed. We waited around an hour+ for each ride. We did Tower of Terror and the Great Movie ride. We also watched the Beauty and the Beast show and the star wars show. Then we met Chewbacca, Eeyore, and Olaf. I left right before dinner because I was so tired and worn out. I went back to the apartment and watched Netflix until I fell asleep around 8:30/9:00! Tuesday, Zach and I went to Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. In Animal Kingdom, we ate and met characters. We met Flik from Bugs Life, Donald Duck, and Russell from UP. We got a rum Dole Whip and were on our way to Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom was packed! We went to meet Rapunzel, Tiana, Pooh, and Tigger. We finally ran out of battery and decided to back home. I was supposed to meet up with Diego, Ariana, Manae, and Michelle, but I just wanted to be lazy and relax. I also was supposed to go to Senior Frogs that night, but I had class the next morning. I ended up staying up until midnight working on a group project!! So frustrated that these people waited until the very last minute to submit it to me... even though I asked for in 3 days before. I hope they don't do this the whole class! Wednesday, started my 9 days in a row of working... I had my hospitality class from 8:30 to 12:30. I learned how much profit disney makes in just one food item. It's crazy!! It makes me wonder how much an average restaurant makes per item. After class I took a nap before I had work from 3:30 to 11:00. I was running, which I like because you get to interact with the guests and move around. Thursday, I had my HR class from 8:30 to 12:30. We spent most of our time on the different laws about discrimination in the workplace. Somehow we got on the topic of Hooters and how all the servers are women. My teacher trying to explain Hooters the the 60% international students was hilarious! We ended class early, around 11:30. So I got food and went back and took a nap before I had work. Before work, Zach and I went to Chip and Dales Costuming to pick up new uniforms. I tried washing all my white pants, but they never got clean again! I also wanted to get slightly longer pants. I worked fry from 4:15 to 12:30AM. I took Zach and Robbie home, so I didn't get back and in bed until 1:30. Friday, I worked at beaches from 10:30 to 7:30. I finally picked up shorts, so I wore them. They looked so much better than the pants! We were busier than the last time I worked, which made time go by faster. Before my break, Jose said I did a great job and that he was buying me food! So I got a crab cake sandwich. It was so good! When I got back from break, it had slowed down. For the most part, we just stood around and talked. Finally 6:00PM came and we closed! When I got home at 8:00, I watched an episode of Grey's Anatomy! I was so behind! Then Sammie got home and we went grocery shopping at Walmart! It too way too long! These people acted like they haven't been shopping in years with the amount of things they bought. It was 11:30 by the time we got home. Saturday: I laid in bed until I had to go to work! This week had been super exhausting... I needed this. I had work from 3:30 to 11:00.
Sunday I had off. I slept in and planned my vacation when my parents come. Later that night Abby and I went to Chevy's for drinks and ended up eating. We got the Valentine's Day special. It included an appetizer, 2 entrees, and dessert. Abby's margarita was the size of her face! It was huge! Monday my roommates and I had Be Our Guest reservations!! When we got to the program, people said we would be lucky if we got reservations during our program. WE DID IT! We left at 8:30 for our 9:20 reservations, which usually is enough time. However, there were so many people going into Magic Kingdom and the monorail was down, that we ended up being 40 minutes late!! I was so mad and upset that they weren't going to let us in... But Hannah and I ran and talked to the hostess. She let us in no problem! We walked in and were given roses to scan for our meals. You order the food on a computer system and then go find a seat. We sat in the main ballroom. The view was gorgeous! They even had falling snow. I ate a croissant sandwich and the others had a breakfast platter. It was very good! After we were finished eating, we walked around to the different themed rooms. We left and walked around Magic Kingdom. We took a cute picture in front of the castle and Gaston's statue. We had to leave since Hannah and Sammie had work. Later that night Abby and I got food and drinks at Bahama Breeze for happy hour. Tuesday I had work from 8:00 to 4:30. I was training on stocking, which I was not excited for. Stocking meant that I had to lift heavy boxes and have people yell at me that they need something. I went in and Lourie, my coordinator, said that she didn't have anyone to train me, so I was on my own. Yay... I had to learn how to stock on my own. I had to fill out an order sheet, figure out where everything goes, and put things away on my own!! I was not happy. Not only did I have to lift boxes that were too heavy for me, but I had to do it by myself. I don't think it's right to leave someone in training by themselves. I didn't learn how to properly stock, so when someone yells at me for doing something wrong, it's not my fault. After work I wanted to go to the parks because the princes where out in EPCOT. My friends who went said it was over an hour to two hours wait. I did not think it was worth that long!! So I decided not to go. Wednesday I had to skip my class because it was my last day of training. I emailed the scheduling people and talked to my managers, but they wouldn't change my schedule. So I had work again from 8:00 to 4:30. It was supposed to be my second stocking day, but there were two other girls who were scheduled to stock too. So Lourie put me training on cashier, since I were working cashier at Beaches on Friday. Cashier isn't too hard, it's just knowing where each of the items are located. They have more than the items that we offer, which it confusing. They have different prices, so you have to make sure you click the correct one. The day went by kind of slow because you are waiting for the people to come and you are just standing there by yourself. Thursday I had my HR class from 8:30 to 12:30. After class I had the option of going to a professional event at the Grand Floridian, but I was so tired that I decided to relax instead of going straight there then to work. I would have been doing some sort of work for 13 hours straight. So, I relaxed for one hour before I headed to work. I had work from 2:30 to 9:15. Friday, I was working at Beaches pool lounge. I had never worked there or been on cashier by myself. So this was going to be interesting. The day turned out to be good. Jose made me try everything on the menu: lobster sliders, crab cake sandwich, chicken fresco sandwich, and a burger. I was so full I didn't eat anything until I got off work. The day went by pretty fast and I actually enjoyed being outside and by the pool. Saturday, I woke up and was trying to decide what to do. I didn't start work until 6:30PM. I snapchatted Zach, and he was with Michelle and Monae at Hollywood Studios. I got ready and headed over there. When I met up with them at Backyard Jamboree, they ate and then we headed out. It was too crowded and the wait time were too long! So, we headed to EPCOT where we could just walk around, eat, and not have bad wait times. We ended up meeting Elsa and Anna!! Then, we walked around the World Showcase. We finally decided to eat food at Japan. I got sushi and rainbow shaved ice. Then we walked around until Monae had to go to work. Michelle, Zach, and I met up with Alaina at the Electric Umbrella. We ate and soon after Zach and Michelle headed to work.
That night at work, I was bussing. I hadn't bussed since my first day of training. I can honestly say I don't enjoy bussing. I was so tired by the end of my shift and I got off at 12:30AM! Sunday I woke up and was still planning my trip to Europe. Sammie and I went down to the clubhouse to get our maingate passes. Maingate passes are what allows us to get into the parks anytime we want. When we went, the ladies told us that Disney decided to give us 1 complimentary park hopper pass! We were so excited we wanted to print it right away. We didn't find it on the hub, so we went back to the club house and there it was! Why didn't it work back at our apartment! I had work at 3:00-11:30. I was supposed to be training/by myself on window, as my last day. However, they had so many trainees that they moved me to fry. This was my first day on fry and honestly I wasn't too thrilled. It was so hot and boring. The fries couldn't be out for more than 3-5 minutes and the chicken nuggets were 10 minutes... I felt like I was wasting so much food! I totally would have still eaten it! Diego was my trainer and he was "teaching" me Spanish (it was stuff I already knew). I really got close to Jose and Diego while over by the cooks. They are a lot of fun to talk to. Jose is from Puerto Rico and Diego is from Peru. They would make fun of the others Spanish! Monday, I worked 3:00-11:30 again. I was on my own for fry, since I had finished my training. We had a couple of rushes, which was good. The night went by faster. I had Jose and Echo to talk to when it got slow. Echo is doing the International College Program and she's from China! We talked about the differences here verses China. It's really interesting. These night shifts are the worst. I would much rather work early in the morning; I feel like they go by much faster. Tuesday was my 6th day in a row working and I was exaughted!! One more shift... I could do it! Before my shift, Hannah, Sammie, and I went to EPCOT to shop at Mouse Gear. We wanted to get everything before our 40% off expired! I got a wine bottle stopper (is that what its called?), a sweatshirt, and a towel. When I got to work, I was scheduled to work fry again. Since, I had already done it by myself and we had so many new CP's, they put me on window. I don't like window when it is slow because you just stand there and you can't leave the window. Wednesday I had my first class, which was Advanced Hospitality. It was four hours long! How am I going to do this? The first half of the class went by fast. Then my group got split up into new groups because it's "real life." My group ended up having 2 guys from Spain! Overall this class seemed pretty easy since it was mostly group work. After my class was over, Sammie, Hannah, and I went to Blizzard Beach. This was the first time I've been to a Disney water park. It was really funny how they have christmas music playing in February. We went on all of the rides- well all the easy ones. We got food and I tried the frozen hot chocolate and it was really good! After the water park closed, we went back to change and go to Hollywood Studios. I hadn't been there yet, so I was excited! We met Moana and Olaf!! :) I told myself that I wouldn't like Tower of Terror and it ended up being one of my favorites. I was even smiling in the picture! We also rode Rock n' Roller Coaster, Toy Story Mania, and even had a whole ride to ourselves on Star Tours. When we finished Star Tours we saw the fireworks for the Star Wars firework show. Finally when we got home, I tried to do homework for my Human Resources class, and I ended up falling asleep. I was so tired! Thursday, I had my Human Resources class in the morning. I had the same teacher so that was nice. This class seems a little harder, because of the content and it is mostly individual work. Hannah and I both had off, so we headed to Universal and met up with her friends Rob and Chase. We went on Revenge of the Mummy, the Simpsons ride, the Cat and the Hat, the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train ride, and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Friday, I had work at 6AM. I worked on coffee, even though I was supposed to be on yogurt/salad training. They said I was the strongest on coffee that was there. We ended up having a lot of people, so the morning went by fast. After work, I went to Chickfila, the guy at the drive thru said my name, and I forgot I was wearing my name tag! I was exhausted, so I took a 2 hour nap. That night Sammie and I went to Taco Bell. Saturday, I had work again at 6AM. I finally trained on yogurt salad, except that the lady training me was always gone or helping someone else. So, I wasn't properly trained and didn't know where to put things or get food from. During my shift, I was suddenly moved to coffee because Echo was slowing down with the big rush of people. It was so busy that I had to move my break to an hour and a half later because they needed me. At least the day went by fast. After work a group from work went to Hollywood Studios. It ended up being just Mary, Maggie, and I. We went on the Great Movie Ride, got Starbucks, and watched the Star Wars fireworks.
Sunday, I worked from 6:00 to 14:30. Today I was training on Pizza/Bakery. During the morning it is either coffee or waffles. They gave me waffles (which are Mickey shaped!) and it was very easy. It was one of the machines that they have at bed and breakfasts. After breakfast was over, I learned how to make pizza! Since I had worked at Rosa's Pizza in high school, it was very familiar. I also learned that it depends on the cook how many toppings to put on the pizza. They are very particular depending on the cook. After work, I met Abby and Sammie at EPCOT. We spent most of the time at Mouse Gear looking at the merchandise. Then, we got ice cream (I got a Mickey sandwich). Next, we rode Mission: Space and went home. By the time we got home, I was tired and went to bed around 8 or 9! Monday, I trained on coffee. Since I don't drink coffee, I was afraid it was going to be hard. But it turned out to be one of my favorites so far. I can make a latte, cappuccino, caramel macchiato, mocha, americano, frozen cappuccino, and espresso. This day went by super fast and I ended up working an hour later. That night, Zachary, Robbie, Marley, and I went out to Happy Monday's. Happy Monday is a night were people get into groups by country. Each country has a president, vice president, and team members. You play flip cup against other countries. I didn't get to play on a team because you have to ask the president of the team days in advance. Overall it was a fun time! (The party bus isn't that bad!) Tuesday and Wednesday I had off. I was tired Tuesday from going out to Happy Monday's, soI stayed in bed most of the day. I watched Netflix or read The Selection series. Wednesday I went to Disney Springs to shop at World of Disney. I got so much stuff! I ended up seeing my roommates and we decided to hang out the rest of the day. We went to Planet Hollywood and got food. Then, we went to Magic Kingdom. We met Ariel, Cinderella, and Elena. We should have gone in the line for Rapunzel and Tiana because it went much faster! Then, we got ice cream sundaes and ate by the castle. Thursday, I was on the coffee station again. After work Maggie and I decided to go to Magic Kingdom and we met up with Hannah. When we got there they parade was just starting. It was my first time seeing it and it was amazing! All the costumes, dating, and floats were fantastic! This was Maggie's second time at Magic Kingdom, so she hadn't been on many of the rides! We rode It's a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Space Mountain. Of course Space Mountain was my favorite! While we were waiting for Pirates of the Caribbean, I had my first Dole Whip! It was sooo good! I'm going to try the Dole Whip Float next time (maybe at the Polynesian Resort). On our way out, we were able to walk through the castle!! I never knew we could do that! It was great! I was so tired when I got home that I passed out at 8! Friday was my first day training on window. The window is very easy in the morning. We pre-make all the items and have them under the hot plates. All I had to do was make the breakfast wraps, kiesh, and croissants when it was running low. In the afternoon, I had to take the order. Overall it was pretty simple and great because I get to interact with all of the guests. After work I went home and took a very long nap! These 6AM shifts were finally getting to me! Saturday, I spend most of my morning planning my trip to Europe this summer. My mom and I were figuring out where we wanted to go after I study abroad in Russia! That evening, I worked at the window by myself. I was supposed to have another day of training, but my managers and coordinators thought I was good enough to do it alone! That's always nice that they think I'm doing well with my training! This shift went by kinda slow and I got back around midnight.
Sunday was my first day of training! I was still training at Disney University. My schedule was from 7:30-16:00. Yes, Disney scheduling is in military time! My first day of training was long. I had two classes. The first class was all about the four keys of Disney, and the second was a Welcome to Food and Beverage class. The first one I was falling asleep in and the second was very fun. Afterwards, I was going to go to Magic Kingdom to see wishes for the first time, but I had a horrible migraine. So I would have to wait to see wishes at another time. Monday my training was on property of the Grand Floridian!! There was about 15 of us working in different locations at the Grand. We went to the training room and learned about the Grand Floridian. Then, we did a property tour and learned the ins and outs of the buildings. We even found out that they have on average 5 weddings a day and at most 8! Wow! After training was over, we went to get our costumes. The directions they gave us were not very good. We had to go in and out Magic Kingdom 3 times and ask 4 cast members before we finally found Chip and Dales. After getting my costume, I was supposed to go to Magic Kingdom with Abby and Hannah, but just like finding Chip and Dales, we circled around Magic Kingdom. So, we finally gave up and decided to go to EPCOT instead. This was a great idea because I've never been to EPCOT and I was dying to go! We went on Soarin', Living on the Land, and Project Tomorrow. My favorite ride at EPCOT was Soarin'. We got to fly over different places all over the world and it was magical to see. My favorite part of EPCOT was the world showcase because I got to eat food from all over the world! :) The best part of traveling is trying all the different foods, and I could do this, save lots of money, and just walk around EPCOT. Abby, Hannah, and I split 3 different foods to make it cheaper for all of us. We got nachos from Mexico, fish and chips from England, and croissant donuts from France. Everything was so good! I can't wait to go back and try more of the food! Tuesday was my second day of training at the Grand. Jessica, Maggie, Alaina, and I all had to work the same shift, so we decided to carpool. All of us in our costumes that our friends said look like a train conductor, golf catty, etc. haha! We got to the Grand and find our trainers. They are the sweetest ladies! Cindy and Cat met living in the same neighborhood in Orlando. Cindy's husband had passed away and Cat reached out to her. Later Cat's husband passed away and Cindy did the same thing. They both decided they wanted to work for Disney. They applied together, had interviews right after each other, and got hired together. They had worked at the Grand for 4 years. Cindy and Cat brought us snacks, gave us soda, and even bought us Girl Scout Cookies! They were the best trainers we could ask for! Wednesday was my first day of on the floor training. Maggie, Jessica, and I were being trained by Cat on Running/Bussing. This was pretty easy considering I use to do this while I worked at Rosa's Pizza in high school. The hardest part was knowing where to get supplies for the condiment bar and where to take the trash, dirty dishes, etc. Since it was slow, they let us watch Wishes outside. It was beautiful as it was my first time watching it! I hoped that I would see it inside of Magic Kingdom soon. After Wishes, the managers let us try some of the food. We had a sausage pizza, 2 different burgers, a chocolate mousse cake, and the coconut pot de creme. They were all amazing! I had Thursday and Friday off. Thursday I went to Animal Kingdom with Hannah, Alaina, and her roommate. This was my first time at Animal Kingdom and it was just as I imagined. We went straight to Expedition Everest because the wait time was shorter than normal. I wasn't prepared when it went backwards!! The picture they take during the ride, I look very frightened. As we were walking to the next ride, a woman stopped us and gave us her fast pass ticket because they were leaving the park and didn't want it to go to waste. Then, we went on the Kilimanjaro Safari, which was what I was looking forward to the most. I've always wanted to go on a safari in Africa, and since I can't go there just yet, this was the next best thing. We saw giraffes, a baby elephant and its family, cheetahs, ostriches, and many more! Next, we stopped at Pizzafari for food. Afterwards we decided to ride Expedition Everest again with the fast pass. Don't worry, I was prepared this time and my face was much better for the picture. Lastly, we met Russell from UP and Pocahontas. Friday I went grocery shopping and relaxed during the day. That night I went to Magic Kingdom for my first time and saw Wishes! It was amazing!!! The fireworks and music were magical. I loved it. After wishes, Hannah and I ran to Space Mountain because the line is alway long. This was by far one of my favorite rides so far. Before the park closed we were able to on in the Haunted Mansion and Under the Sea. Saturday was the first day of working by myself. It was scary! I started out running food. We had more of a rush than I had the previous days on training, so the day went fast. When the busser went on break, I was supposed to cover, but then the runners were on break too. So I had to do both bussing and running at the same time. ALSO we had a huge rush of people. Since it was my first day alone, I was very overwhelmed. I had one manager tell me one thing and another something different. I was very stressed. Once the busser came back from break, it slowed down and the others came back from break as well. So I helped with the mess on the around the restaurant. I got yelled at and praised all by the same people multiple times. Saturday was kind of a mess, but I was going to let that be the last time. I was new, I can't do everything at once. So hopefully the next time I will be better!
The first week of DCP was stressful and relaxing all at the same time. Going into the program, I didn't know who I'd be living with, how many roommates would I have, which apartment complex I was in, and where I would be working! Since I'm a planner, this was very stressful. I like to plan things out. This year they changed it a little and sent itineraries out to the cast members. It included your arrival date, departure date, where I would be working, and which apartment complex I would be living in. Among these things , it listed the times for our check in, casting, housing meeting, and traditions (orientation). This took off some of the stress. I knew I would be working at the Gasperilla Island Grill, which is located in the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa and living in the Commons apartment complex. I was living and working in the nicest places! I was thrilled! A couple of days before I was set to arrive, my parents and I explored Orlando, FL. We went to Winter Park and checked out where I would be living and working. Here are some pictures of my work: Tuesday finally arrived, which was check in day! My check in was at 8:30A.M., which was the first out of my roommates. I got to pick which room and bed I wanted, which was nice. My roommates checked in at 9:00 and 9:15. I had gotten the roommates that I requested! So, we had a 2 bedroom, 4 person apartment. As soon as getting to know the girls, I had to go to casting at 10:30. Casting is where we filled out our I-9 forms, got background checks, and received information for the next couple of days. The whole process took about an hour and a half. Then my roommates and I got to know each other and went to Disney Springs/Downtown Disney! We eat dinner and got ice cream. Great first night! I had Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off. The only thing I had Wednesday was the housing meeting, which was like your typical dorm meeting. I spent the rest of the day getting acclimated to my surroundings. Thursday, Hannah and I went to Universal Studios and got our season passes. This was my first time going and I was very excited!! I went to Harry Potter World!! I was in awe; it was amazing. I tried butter beer for the first time and it was amazing. I can't wait to go more in the next 4 months! Friday I spend time relaxing and getting some work done. Traditions finally came on Saturday! Traditions is basically like a job orientation. We learned the basic keys to success while working at Disney, met Mickey Mouse, and received our name tag, ID, and first pair of ears! We were officially cast members (employees) of Walt Disney World!!!
Although there has been a multitude of memorable events in my life, one particular instance stands out in my mind: my vacation to Costa Rica. My parents support my childhood with marvelous experiences. For starters, I have the blessing to live in a three story house with two loving parents that feed and clothe me. Also, I have the opportunity to have a paid education from preschool to a bachelor’s degree at my choice of university. I am very thankful for all that my parents have provided me with and one of the first times I realized how lucky I am, was when I visited Costa Rica. My family and I went on a vacation to Costa Rica when I was 8 years old. We arrived in Jaco Beach at the American owned Marriott Hotel, which caters toward the tourists. Then, we went into a small store to buy a swimsuit for me because I left mine at home. That was my first lesson: do not leave your swimsuit at home if you are visiting a tropical country because you most likely will be swimming. The store was very small and only consisted of four aisles. The grocery store in Costa Rica did not look like the typical supermarkets you would find in America, because our grocery stores are based on product placement, marketing, lighting, and anything to entice the buyer. It was very different experience going into a grocery store in a less fortunate country than America. The resort we stayed in was situated around the Pacific Ocean with a golf course; it was exquisite. There was an enormous pool with a swim-up bar landscaped with beautiful palm trees. The pool had a big section for the people who wanted to swim laps, play volleyball, or other games in the pool. Then, there was a unique design shaped area that seemed like a maze, with a turn at every corner. My brother and I played tag and other games throughout the resort’s pool. After we frolicked in the water for a couple of hours, we swam to the swim-up bar to get a refreshing drink. My family would order four delicious mango drinks. Then, we ventured off the resort into the real Costa Rican lifestyle. On the way to the Cloud Forest, we took a van with vacationers because my father gave up driving on the terrible conditioned roads. I noticed that several of the roads were unpaved. If the streets were paved, they were uneven and contained continuous potholes, which the driver had to drive over or swerve around. Along the way, we passed over a rickety, old bridge. The bridge looked like it was about to fall apart and it didn’t look safe the travel over. Even though it didn’t look safe, we drove over it anyways, hoping the thin boards would hold up the weight of the van. It was a long and bumpy ride, but I learned that American’s are lucky to have to taxes and tolls, along the interstates, to pay for the paving and repaving of the roads and bridges. These are some things that we often take for granted, and we should be thankful for all the things we have that many countries do not have the money to pay for. Along one of the journey’s to the Arenal Volcano, we would see houses beside the road. Many of the houses were very small one-story homes. The houses were equivalent to the size of half of one of the levels in my house. They were very small and worn out. Many of the houses were plain, simple, and lack ornate details. These living spaces would be uncommon in suburbia Atlanta, but in Costa Rica these homes were very common. A substantial amount of the residents in Costa Rica do not have the money to afford the large homes that American’s are used to. They would buy these small homes with all of their money and would not have an abundance of savings left. The money that the Costa Ricans had left would go toward food and clothing for their families. Many of the children did not have televisions, computers, or gaming systems because they could not afford them. Nowadays, some of my acquaintances complain when they do not have the newest apple product, X-box, or a car, as most of my friends are able to drive. They do not realize that some of these kids, in other countries, are lucky enough to have a bed to sleep in and a meal at night. Another thing my family and I noticed was the schoolchildren wore matching uniforms. The country enforced a dress code to allow all the children to feel equal. The school uniforms make the poor and the rich kids feel the same. At Pope High School many of the students wear name brands, such as Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie and Fitch, and that doesn’t even include all the designer purses, such as Gucci, Coach, and Louis Vuitton. The kids that do not wear the newest and most stylish clothing at school are often looked down upon. The Costa Rican schoolchildren that I saw looked just as happy with their matching uniforms and no one was excluded. Even though the most of the citizens have lower living standards compared to the middle class Americans, they are typically happy people and are also the most literate of the Latin American countries. They are a very friendly and considerate population and say “hola” or “buenos dias” when you walk past them. The natives would help us get around the city or town with pleasure. If we were lost and needed directions, they would be very patient with us because we are not fluent in Spanish and we often mess up on simple conjugation mistakes. The locals were very proud to show us their beautiful scenery. Costa Ricans have pride in their beautiful natural surroundings, including the volcanos, thermal hot springs, beaches, tropical rain forests, and their natural wildlife. Their incomparable array of wildlife includes monkeys, more than 60 varieties of hummingbirds, sloths, and has one the most concentrated varieties of flora and fauna, which includes 1,200 species of orchids and 800 types of ferns. My family’s vacation to Costa Rica changed my perspective in life. It made me aware that beauty in not in material items, such as the latest designer clothing or what type of vehicle you drive, it is about natural beauty that surrounds you and the beauty from within one’s self. It also opened my eyes to except a different culture, with their food, religion, and living conditions. I realized that we are more alike than we are different. Every year I set aside goals to help improve myself, and every year I fail to achieve them. This year I have a lot planned for me. I'll be in Orlando, Florida January to May doing the Disney College Program. In June and July I will be study abroad to St. Petersburg, Russia. Then, my last stop in Milledgeville, Georgia, where I'll be finishing up my Business Management degree. With all of these new and exicting things happening this year, I know I will grow into a better, wellrounded person. These are just a few of my goals to help make sure I have a great year.
1. Work out at least once a week 2. Make an effort to meet new people 4. Get out of my comfort zone 5. Go someplace new at least once a month 6. Don't be afraid to try new things 7. Learn to date 8. Do as many things with Disney as I possibly can! Volunteer, go on every ride, pick up extra shifts, and many other things 9. Learn as much Russian as possible 10. Try as many new foods in Russia 11. Explore milledgeville for the last time. Do things that I forgot to do the other semesters and revisit the places that I loved 12. Spend more time with friends and family 13. Read more books and listen to audiobooks 14. Read what is going on with the world everyday 15. Be better at cleaning up 16. Save money and invest 17. Volunteer more 18. Learn to be happy by myself and doing things alone 19. Get a dog and successfully train it 20. Finish school at GCSU and get a full time job starting in December/January 'Ive heard so many great things about the Disney College Program. You meet people from around the world, gain professional experience, and have an amazing experiences on your off days. So I decided to apply! My phone interview: My phone interview was 15 minutes early to the scheduled time, so be able to be around your phone and ready before the time requested. It ended up being 20 minutes long. Here are some of the questions that she asked me: 1) why I wanted to work for Disney? 2) do you have any tattoos or piercings? 3) asked about my past work experience. 4) describe a time when you dealt with an upset/difficult customer and how did you handle it. 5) have you lived with other people? 6) how did you resolve a conflict? 7) are you okay with working inside or out in the Florida heat? 8) which of these roles are you most qualified for? 9) if someone wanted to join your tour that didn't pay, how would you handle it? 10) have you ever been in an emergency situation? Thats basically it! Then she asked me if I had any questions for her. These are what I asked: 1) have you enjoyed working at Disney and what experiences have you had? (She didn't want to talk about herself, so be careful with this question!!) 2) what are the classes like? 3) how big are the classes? Overrall she didn't give me in depth answers like I wanted. She didn't know too much about the classes and was very vague. I was also upset that DCP wasn't offering very many hospitality roles. That was the my main reason for applying, but I would be okay with working in other roles too. Happy to say that I've accepted a position at Disney! 😍
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AuthorJust a college girl who loves to travel the world! Archives
April 2018
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