What happens in Daytona stays in Daytona..

Except for the stuff I put in a video and post on my blog.

Another video I slapped together in a few minutes to show you why my life is better than yours. (Kidding... kind of.)

It's Disney Bitch

My webcam bites so you will have to have it really loud at the start and then turn it down when the music starts. Sorry guys but can't be effed re-doing it. Told ya I was lazy!
(I had a chest cold, shuddup.)

So long yet so very short.

Today marks exactly a month living here at Disney (according to Renee, I could look this fact up to confirm but I choose just to believe her, I'm lazy), and in some ways it feels like it has flown, in other ways, I cannot believe we are STILL IN FEBRUARY!

In that time I have:

STARTED and completed my training, and am now OFF my earning my ears (and have been for about 2 weeks now). I've even been trained in a role that I didn't originally apply for (greeter) which means that I can pick up shifts in the parks for extra money, which is always lovely.
MET too many people and made a lot of new friends, and still getting along with the flatmates swimmingly. They are awesome girls.
DISCOVERED Cicis (and been there 3 times). This will be my downfall.
BEEN to all the parks at least one, some more, and ridden all the rides I was really excited about (except Haunted Mansion which insists on breaking down whenever I am in Magic Kingdom).
PLANNED my first trip away, an overnighter in Tampa next week to go to a very exciting event that I will dedicate an entire post to once I have attended, although anyone who wants to stalk my facebook for a second will easily be able to figure out what it is.
APPLIED for time off for a trip to The Big Apple in June and am waiting nervously until it is approved or denied. Sex and the City tour here I come!
APPLIED for my social security number, something that is apparently important but I don't think it was worth the time or effort of getting up at 5.30am for.

My work schedule is a dream so far. Late afternoon starts and home at midnight at the latest (Disney Quest closes at 11.00). Perfect for my preferred sleep routine. Pay sucks but I will start trying to pick up more shifts once I get over the filthy cold I finally caught (it was going around the apartment and I thought I had dodged it.)

Security Mickey

Never in my life have a had a 'blankie' a special teddy or even a particular pillow I was attached to. I just never had that phase in my life, even though almost everyone I know did. Anytime I've tried to sleep with some kind of stuffed animal it inevitably ends up on the floor after 30 seconds. This is why I'm confused as to why I wake up every morning clutching the stuffed Mickey I bought like my life depends on it.

Surely 20 is a bit old to suddenly need a security Mickey?

Vista Way? More like VISTA LAY!

Playboy voted Vista Way the second easiest place to get laid. Nice.

Be careful what you wish for. Got home tonight after an 8.5 hour shift at 11pm, have to be up for another 8.5 hour shift at 8am. Love it but too wired to sleep tonight so tomorrow will be brutal. Being around loud noises and flashing lights all day does not make it easy to switch off your brain after work.

Loved Animal Kingdom. Expedition Everest rocks my socks, but I still love Rock'n'Roller Coaster the best. Hurt my neck on it because it throws you around a lot!

Learned how to run CyberSpace Mountain today. SO FUN! Seriously too chicken to go on it though, too claustrophobic to get in some tiny pod that locks you in and throws you around, prefer real coasters! There would have been a protein spill today for sure if I had been made to go on it, just watching those things spin around made me feel queezy. One of these days I better try it though, just so I can tell guests it's awesome.

Miss my friends in Australia a lot today.

Want to get a Disney Quest hoodie. Hopefully they have them, will look tomorrow.

Do any Disney experts know anywhere on property that I can buy a Beast plushie? He seriously does not get enough recognition around here.

Magical whatever...

It's raining, it's pouring, the... sprinklers are on?

Alright America, how about a little lesson in 'life outside the USA'. I realise many of you may not know this, but there are other countries in the world, it's not just the United States! Shock horror right?

In the country I live, which if you haven't already figured out, is Australia, we have been in different stages of a drought (which means, not enough rainfall therefore not enough water to grow crops) for years and years and years. We are on this thing called 'water restrictions' which dictates how long we can shower, when we can water our gardens (usually never), how we can wash our car. If it comes to water, there is a rule on how you can use it to make sure there is enough to go around.

What this mean is:
A directly negative affect to 50,000 farmers and the economy and the price of food will significantly rise, contributing to inflation.
Electricity shortages if hydroelectric generators are forced to shut down.
Long term, maybe irreversible, severe ecological damage for the whole Murray-Darling basin.
Many towns in Victoria (my state) are close to running out of water.
Australia cannot continue to sustain its current rate of population growth without becoming overpopulated (because there is not enough water for everyone!). In fact, if we want to continue with the current standard of living we have now, the maximum population we should have, is 10 million. Too bad we already have 20.86 million.

Let's not forget America, Australia is a first world country, just like you. If this is happening to us, imagine what 2nd and 3rd world countries are experiencing.

So why, when it's raining today, is there sprinklers on everywhere?

I'm no saint, I do sometimes have long showers and I have been known to accidently leave the tap running while I brush my teeth, but this is just deliberately wasteful

So whilst you're watering your already green grass, when it's already raining, maybe think of this:

[And just so there is some Disney news. I went to Hollywood Studios last night! It was awesome. I loved Tower of Terror and Rock'n'Roller Coaster!!]

Disney Down Days

So who has heard of Disney Quest? That's where I'm working!!!

Actually, I lie... that is where I will be working, one of these days, fingers crossed. My schedule is slow and training hasn't even started yet, which makes me sad as I watch all my room mates head off to their fun jobs and I am left at home to do nothing. I know that once I have finished training they have to give me at least 30 hours of work a week, it's just getting me down at the moment.

On a happier note, my first visit to the Magic Kingdom was everything that I imagined! It was amazing. It really is like leaving the real world and walking into a dream (I realise that sounds corny but there is no other way to describe it). Our plan was to go straight to Space Mountain, which unfortunately, was broken down, so we headed over to the nearby Buzz Lightyear ride, which was so fun, definitely one of my favourites so far. By the time we got out of that, Space Mountain was up and running again! I'll admit it's not as scary as I remember the Disney Land one to be, but when I went on that I was about 10, so it's quite possibly similar and I just remember it being worse. It was still awesome though, we laughed the whole ride!

This had given us a taste for fast rides, so we decided Frontier Land was next, and a ride on the Thunder Mountain Railroad was in order. The lines this day were short so we got on after just a few minutes, and were loving life, laughing our heads off again, screaming even at the none scary parts... then it stopped. Still laughing we assumed it was part of the ride... minutes passed. Nope. We were stuck! Well we thought this was hysterical! It was actually a much more fun experience than you would expect, definitely a great story to tell your friends, and the Disney Cast who had to get us off the ride were awesome and funny.

Broken seemed to be the theme of the day. Haunted Mansion and It's A Small World were also down, and Splash Mountain has been dry for awhile now, but due to reopen soon. We still managed to have an amazing time.

I am in LOVE with Mickey's PhilharMagic and plan to visit everytime I am in the Kingdom. The highlight of the day however, was most definitely Wishes. I've never been hugely fussed by fireworks, but the combination of them with the music and quotes and just the general atmosphere, the view of the Castle, it was really special and I may or may not have shed a little tear at the overwhelming feeling that I GET TO LIVE HERE! WORK HERE! HOLYSHITBALLS!!

On that note, I think it's time for me to start my homework so that when I start work I can spend all my free time at the parks loving life, and not stuck behind some silly computer.

Before I go though, I need some advice. Should I or should I not go skydiving whilst in the USA?

Vista Way

I have arrived in the USA!

I've been here a bit over 24 hours, and have not met any Americans. Currently the apartment complexes are filled with Aussie's and Kiwis.

Everyone who arrived today (and it was only Australians and New Zealanders checking in today) was put in Vista Way. Out of all the complexes it was the one I wanted least, just because I had heard it was the oldest, but now that I'm here I'm enjoying it, I think living at the Village has made me a much less picky person, its a palace compared to there.

I got a 3 roomer which means 6 girls in total, including me, (and yes, I realized as soon as I wrote this that this sentance was redundant) will be living here. My room mate is also Australian and there are 2 girls from NZ as well, which leaves 2 empty beds that are yet to be filled. I hope we get some Americans, since it would be nice to actually meet some.

Here is the cliffsnotes version of my first day as a Disney Cast Member!


9.30am - Woke up at POP Century, possibly the coolest hotel in existence, and got ready.

11.00 - Caught a mini-van to Vista Way to check in with 5 other Aussie's.

11.30 - Sat through a short presentation welcoming us.

11.45 - Got shown to our rooms.

[This was followed by unpacking.]

1.15pm - Catch up with some other Aussie's and head to Walmart.

[We were in Walmart for a ridiculously long time and I have no idea what time we finally got back, but I now have the essentials including a pillow, bagels and a cellphone! Yippee.]

5.00(ish) - Sitting around the apartment discussing whether or not to go to Downtown Disney with some other Aussie's for dinner, decide against it.

[We then walk around, running into people we know everywhere so stopping to chat along the way. (It's AMAZING how many people you can 'know' without knowing, the powers of Facebook I tell ya.)]

8.00(ish) - 4 of us for a walk to the shops just outside the gates and get Wendy's. Was surprisingly delicious.

10.00pm - Present. Ready for bed, getting annoyed at AT&T for charging me 20c per text sent and received when it's supposed to be UNLIMITED for $1 a day. Seriously, the phone system here is retarded. If someone decides to send me 300 messages, I have to pay 20c per message even if I don't read them, it makes no sense. /Rant.

[Except this: THERE IS NO HOT WATER AT ALL IN MY APARTMENT!)



I'm torn on whether or not to keep ending this with 'Have A Magical Day' since I've heard it approximately every 5 minutes since arriving in Florida. I'll keep you posted.

Retail Therapy

[Yes, I did feel like a douche-bag tourist taking these.]

Toilet Turbulance

15/1/2010

I am writing this 10100m above the ground going roughly 1000kms per hour! How cool am I? Don’t answer that, I know. It’s 2.44am local time, which is now L.A time, but I have no idea how long I’ve been awake or when I should or shouldn’t be sleeping since I left home at least 30 hours ago now. According to the little map on the screen in the back of the seat in front of me (say that 10 times fast) we are heading directly to Hawaii! Which I’m pleased about since the pilot said that was the plan, so looks like he’s doing a good job.

I’m writing in the air for a few reasons. Firstly, I’m bored. Secondly, I’m so tired I feel gross but there are a million crying babies on this flight, and thirdly, I’ve already watched the same Sandra Bullock crossword movie one and a half times, and I can’t be bothered concentrating on my book.

So far I have left Melbourne, spent a ridiculously long time in transit in Fiji, which is an awesome place, but seriously, go in Winter, it was SO HOT, it was more the humidity that got to me, it made me scared for Florida’s 100% humidity, I could barely function, but it could have seemed worse because I was also so tired.

Finally I am on the plane to L.A, then a 6 hour stop over there and a 2 hour flight to Vancouver if all goes to plan.

Just really started to notice the security had been upped as I was leaving Fiji, every single person got their whole bag searched, as well as a full on pat down (this isn’t a tame one people, there is spreading involved, both sides. Just sayin’). We got told once we were on the plane we aren’t allowed to congregate around the bathrooms. Haha. Seems funny but I can see the reasoning behind it, I just hope they extra security doesn’t make me miss my connecting, I need a real bed already!

Speaking of bathrooms, does anyone else seem to notice that the turbulence always gets the worst just when you’re locked in the bathroom about to use the toilet. Its happened to me twice already on this flight. Actually as I type this we’re heading into a rough patch (but I’m not typing this from the toilet, don’t worry!). It’s been pretty bumpy and its supposed to get worse a few hours out from L.A, but I’m getting better at ignoring it, I don’t scream ‘WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!’ anymore anyway, just some minor hyperventilation.

For someone who is mildly scared of flying (as someone who claims to be an atheist I have turned to God in times of severe turbulence, or just when I think the squeaking of the snack cart coming down the aisle is actually the sound of a wing detaching) flying Air Pacific was probably not the best choice. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been great, really good food too surprisingly, it’s just the planes are OLD! Like… really old. When my travel consultant told me they used Qantas planes I thought he meant they borrow current ones. I think what he actually meant is they use the original planes Qantas had when flying was first invented. My first flight didn’t have a working intercom, and I’m almost positive the ‘fasten seatbelt’ signs quit working halfway through the flight. There was a lot of ‘fasten seatbelt’ dinging, with no seatbelt light coming on, is all I’m saying. This one isn’t too bad in the interior, but I really wish I hadn’t looked at the outside while I was boarding, I may have seen duct tape fastening a wing (not really but close enough). The way you can tell they are really old though, is that they have ashtrays in the armrests. For those of you who do not travel by plane, you know a plane is old when they have ashtrays, since smoking hasn’t been allowed on planes in a long, long, long time, possibly longer than I’ve been alive, so I’m guessing this plane is approx 30 years old.

I’ve met so many Americans already, and they all have different accent! How confusing. I plan to have mastered recognising which region they are all from by the end of the year. I’ve already had to explain to one group that Australia Day is more of a ‘piss up and BBQ!’ than a fun family gathering day, I don’t think they were very impressed.

I’ve been walking around since I left sure that everyone is deaf since everytime I say something, they go ‘WHAT!?’. Then I realised they actually can’t understand my accent, which is an EXTREMELY fun novelty. I love being the foreigner already.

Anyway I better go as my laptop is telling me I only have a couple of minutes of battery left, but I’ll leave you with some airport highlights:

Little kids speaking French = AWWW!!!!

Obese men who’s accents sound to my untrained ears, to be American (look at me being all PC!), complaining about their diabetes, then eating Milo bars.

An American lady talking about how Emu’s are the most dangerous birds on earth and how they can jump really high and claw your face off.

Sorry this post had no mention of Disney, but I’ll be there soon enough and then you will be sick of hearing about it!

Uh oh… it’s getting bumpy again…

Have a Magical day/night/whatever the hell time it is right now.

Leaving on a jet plane.

So the vlog about packing never really eventuated! Sorry about that, but i will try my hardest to do one eventually.

Just popping in to say I leave tonight at 11pm my time, so that's in 7 hours! Leaving for the airport in a few hours so about to go and have a shower and hang out with my family.

I will be seeing many of you in Orlando on the 23rd!

Bye Australia! I will miss you and your stinking hot Summers and unpredicatable Winters, and your funny slang and awesome people. See you again in 2011.

USA here I come!

Please Explain: American things I just don't get.

[Picture from my vacation to the moon]

So I decided my packing installment will actually be my first vlog, since I will be able to jazz it up with music to make it less boring, and the planning it and messing around with editing will be a lovely distraction from the fact that I leave the country in LESS THAN A WEEK! HOLYcrap!

In my preparation to leave I've been reading up on the American way of life. Australian's often call us the 'Mini America', however in my research I have noticed some severe differences. I'm hoping to understand these and embrace them in my time in the beautiful country, and some things I kind of understand, however, these are the things I just don't get.

(Please note that I in no way want to offend any residents of the USA with this list! I am generally curious, and would be happy to explain why we Australians do things that may seem odd to you!)

Fanny and Root - do Americans not realise these are hilarious and slightly dirty words? They most certainly do NOT mean bum or to cheer for a team. I don't see myself not giggling whenever I hear these used.

Mobile phone charges (sorry, cell!) - Firstly, why is it called a cell in America? Mobile makes more sense to me, since it's a phone that is mobile, but I'm sure there is a reason behind the name. The thing I really don't get is, IN AMERICA YOU HAVE TO PAY IF SOMEONE CALLS OR TEXTS YOU!!! I don't think I will ever get my head around this. If someone texts you, you have to pay money! Why!? That's so mean! It's like stealing money! I don't get it and I would really love to know why that system is in place.

Supersize - Yes I will do this, once, for the novelty, but really... why? Our large cups are the size of an american small and I can't even finish that. Large serving sizes are something I will definitely have to get used to.

Spelling stuff with a z - Realize (should be realise) for example. What was wrong with the original way of spelling? It's all English.

U.S. customary units - Why you would want your weight to be a LARGE number I have no idea. Here over at the metric system I'm in double digits, and it feels GOOD.

Driving on the right side of the road - Okay so this is one where I just think every country should pick a side and stick to it. Why confuse people, why can't we all drive on the same side of the road, be it left or right.

Green money $$ - Why is all the money the same colour? That's confusing. (Also, back to spelling, why drop the u from colour America?)

When I meet Obama I'm going to have a nice list of suggestions for him.

As wacky and crazy as reading about America has made it seem, I am just so excited to meet the people and learn the reasoning behind all these funny things!

Until next time, I'm off to get a sore fanny from sitting in the stands rooting for my team.

Haha... so dirty...

HAVE A MAGICAL DAY!

Disney: Friend or Foe? The countown begins.

Disney is growing ever closer. Looming is actually probably a better word. Glooming. I am getting the previously expected 'fuck-shitting-myself' feeling that I suspected would rear it's ugly head this close to leaving.

It is 11 sleeps now until I board a plane, and 22 sleeps until I get to Disney. From here on in this blog will move from informative to more, updating the friends and fam, but I will still do this post, and probably one more on packing, before I switch modes.

Visa interview. Holyshitballs. This was actually a ridiculous ordeal, simply because I booked a flight to Canada that transited through helL.A.

The first one was a breeze, but because I wanted to enter then leave the States in the 30 day allowance you get prior to the Visa starting, I had to get a whole new one just to sit in LAX for four hours. Very annoying, very costly, very time consuming, but I now have a passport that happily sports two visas with some very sexy looking mug-shot style photos in it. Yippee.

The actual 'interview' takes about 3 minutes, but the whole process takes around 2 hours. There is LOTS of waiting and you can't take in your phone, or even a book, to entertain yourself. Your documents and yourself only. Luckily in my second go I met some other Disney bound people so I had someone to talk to.

The consulate is very intimidating, but if you enjoy getting patted down by someone of the same sex (and hey, I'm not judging, whatever floats your boat), this is your place. The security is actually probably more hardcore than any airport I've encountered, and the inside is like what I imagine the interior of the White House to be like, flags, massive photos of American landmarks and pictures of Obama and all the past presidents. You also get treated to a video of stereotypical American people (think: cowboys) welcoming you to America, which is weird, since you are actually still in Australia, but a nice sentiment non the less. There is also a lot of babies in that video... a lot, it actually made me think USA may be 80% babies.

Once it was all done it only took around 3 business days to get my passport back, so thankfully the whole process is very quick, just very pricey.

Right now I'm getting around to seeing all my friends for the last time, and making my packing list. Once I get more organised I'll try really hard to do a packing update with some pictures and my epic list of what I'm taking. Unfortunately the list is huge despite my best efforts to be brutal and pack light, so wish me luck!

Until next time, have a magical day!

Until then, entertain yourself with this lovely blog: http://fuckyeahfacecharacters.tumblr.com/