In the Next Four Days.

Saturday. Sunday. Monday. Tuesday... I'm going to:

• Work 35 hours
• Clean my room
• Clean the bathroom
• Eat nothing but yogurt, kashi, and english muffins
• Be paranoid about missing my flight
• Not sleep due to paranoia about missing my flight
• Stare at the clock to make time go faster
• Pack and repack my carry on bag
• Triple check my flight
• ... then check it again
• Take a deep breath.
• Get the hell away from Disney

I can't wait. See you soon, Fargo!

Just Because I Can

I'm sharing a photo from my Disney "weekend." I went to Epcot with Miss Kate Salisbury and met the Mexican version of Donald Duck... does the sombrero make him culturally sensitive or racist?

I'm currently doing laundry, planning my parent's trip to Disney in December, cleaning for inspections this week, being overly excited for my visit home, and skyping with Ali and Jordon... all in my bra and zubas. Why? Because I can.

Make*A*Wish

It never fails. Seeing a family in Disney with a Make-A-Wish button on always chokes me up. Today was no different.

Tonight, a gentleman came up to our podium inquiring if we had any availability for his family for the evening. As always, we responded with a resounding, "I'm sorry, sir, but we are fully booked for the evening. If you'd like, you can call the Disney dining line at 407-WDW-DINE and see if there are any openings for the duration of your stay." He, looking crestfallen, told us that it was okay, he understood, he was there with his family for his daughter's Wish and he knew that getting in was a longshot, and walked away.

I feel guilty every time I turn away a guest. Realistically, we are fully booked everyday, and we book out six months in advance. If I could, I would let every family come inside and visit Cinderella's Castle, eat with the princesses, and have a great time; however, seeing as there are only 43 tables and a capacity of 211 (including staff) this, of course, is not possible. Seeing the disappointment on little girls' faces everyday is hard to see, especially when parents blame me for ruining their child's vacation... but seeing a Make*A*Wish family walk away without being able to show their family the castle is heartbreaking. I know that, if given the chance, they would give anything to change the cards they were dealt, and these vacations are a chance for them to escape, if only for a short time.

The end of the night came, and the father came walking back up to the podium in the off chance we were able to let his family inside. As luck would have it, my coordinator told me to go ahead and take them in as a walk-in for our last turn. As I turned and told the father that we were able to take his family inside for dinner and asked for his information, he started to tear up. He profusely thanked me, sharing part of his story...

His daughter, Ella, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. Despite numerous rounds of chemotherapy, the cancer wouldn't back down,  and the doctors told their family there was nothing else they could do. She was given approximately two months to live, and sent home to spend the remaining time with her parents and big sister. Make*A*Wish granted her wish to spend a week in Walt Disney World, and seeing where Cinderella lived was the top item on her list.

While I know that I wasn't the one who made her wish come true, but knowing I was involved in a very special, very important memory for this family lifted me up and made me feel good.

Most of all, it made me so grateful for the life I was given.

What You Missed

Technically speaking, "What you Missed" is a song by my best friend Mitch Skajewski and his band-mate Topher about a less-than-present father; however, the mood of the song is setting the theme for my evening. 


The past two days have been fantastic. I had my "weekend" (at Disney, your weekend can be any time throughout the week... it just falls whenever they can give you two days off in a row, ha ha) and did it big.

Wednesday I went and played at Magic Kingdom with Logan, Ryan, Drew, Steve, Teejay, and a friend of theirs whose name escapes me... Kaitlin, maybe? (My apologies if you're reading this... I'm a little sleep deprived, not intentionally rude!) Being on the other side of Cinderella's Castle is much more enjoyable. I finally was able to meet my main man, Pluto, and my boss with the big, round ears. It was an excellent, slow day at the park... we walked on rides left and right, rode the three big mountains at MK (Splash, Big Thunder, and Space) bounced over to Hollywood Studios, rode Tower of Terror over and over... on which I was FINALLY able to strike a cheesy, serious pose, something I have never been able to do due to the bloodcurdling screams escaping my mouth as I plummet to the Twilight Zone. Being able to spend time with some friends, relaxing and reliving childhood adventures was needed.


Today I went to see The Lion King 3D with Michelle and Katie (friends from work) and a few others from Chatham Square, which was another great chance to relive the Disney magic from my childhood. I also had the chance to ride around in a convertible in the raging tropical heat, which was awesome... before the daily afternoon downpour struck the Orlando area...


Despite the great days I've had this Disney-weekend, I'm wicked homesick today. I woke up this morning, rolled over to an empty race car bed (on a side note, I'm so lucky I'm petite... I can't imagine being an average-size adult male and trying to sleep on a Disney housing bed), longing for my one and only, and it was a feeling I couldn't shake today. That in no way means I didn't enjoy my time off and time with friends, but it's that nagging feeling. Like a hangnail, that persistent, nagging pain in your thumb that doesn't rule your day but is just painful enough to bother you throughout the day... my homesick-ness was my metaphorical hangnail. 


Everyday I'm away I miss the people back home. The people back home are my metaphorical hangnail. My boyfriend, my family, my friends... I'm so blessed to have the people in my life I left up north (temporarily, of course), and being away from them is hard. 


I've been listening to 3rd and Main tonight, which is my best friend's band back home. His name is Mitch Skajewski, and he is always, always, always in my corner. I was watching a video recording of his song, "What you Missed" when I recieved a picture message from my cousin who is currently visiting Fargo from her internship in Rapid City, SD. Her and my brother are kicking my grandma's ass in Rummicube, an intregal part of my childhood... which was immediately followed by a Skype session with my boyfriend, and two friends from back home, Jordon and Chris... my homesickness is clearly overwhelming. 


Thankfully, I'll be able to escape the tropics soon enoough... I'm FARGO BOUND in one week and five days. Yes, I'm counting.


After my weekend, I'll be going back to the castle for a 13.5 hr shift. Welcome to the Disney family, Miss Jorgenson! 

Boo to You!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Believe it or not, it's officially Halloween at the Walt Disney World Resort. I've been here just about a month and a half, and I've settled into the Disney lifestyle. I've adjusted as much as humanly possible... but seeing that there is no rhyme, reason, or sense to our schedules my body isn't exactly on a time clock. Oh well, that's working for the Mouse, I guess. My boss is a tough cookie.

Halloween time at Disney world starts, officially, on September 13, 2011 and runs through November 1, 2011. Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is the center of attention for the WDW Resort this time of year, and for good reason. As an extra ticket event, a select number of ticket-holding guests are admitted to the Magic Kingdom Theme Part, exclusively, from 7:30p until midnight. Any other guest at the park, starting at 7:00p, will be escorted out by a Cast Member until only those wearing the Not-So-Scary wristbands are left in the park. The Halloween Party has a separate, Villain-themed Castle Stage Show, a unique fireworks spectacular, "Hallowishes," meet and greets with characters who can be seen ONLY at Mickey's Halloween Bash, as well as the highlight of the show, "Disney's Boo to You Halloween Parade," which shows twice per party. 

I had the opportunity to view the cast preview of "Boo to You" and it was an experience! The photo shown at the beginning of the blog is the Headless Horseman, who starts the parade by galloping down the parade route, from Frontierland to Mainstreet USA. The horse is unbelievably beautiful, which is why this was my personal favorite part of the parade. 

I'm the first to admit that working at WDW has destroyed a lot of the world famous "Disney Magic" that tourists from all around the globe come to Florida to see. There are Disney theme parks in California, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai... but Walt Disney World in Orlando was Walt Disney's dream, and I've heard that there is nothing like the real thing! Despite the lack of Magical Moments in my Disney life, watching the Boo to You parade brought that Disney magic back to life for me. It's engaging, it's fun, and the character performers are so ridiculously talented! 

Disney employment isn't all it's advertised and cracked up to be, I'm going to give it some time to settle and see what sort of tomfoolery Cinderella can get me into until I formally share my opinions with everyone. My job is exactly that... a job. One that consists of crazy hours, crazy guests, and a crazy over-priced menu! ;)

Aside from my job, I'm meeting new people from across the country, and they are making my time off from Disney an adventure in and of itself. 

I'm heading home for a visit in three weeks (to the day!) and I'm ready for some Fargo Hospitality. I'll tell you one thing, since Orlando *IS* a tourist town the folks down here are NOT so friendly! Once you get outside the Disney bubble they are some of the most rude, inconsiderate citizens I've had the displeasure of meeting... someone needs to send them up north for a lesson in Minnesota Nice! 

I've said this once, and I will say it every day until this program is complete... THANK GOD FOR SKYPE. It is keeping me connected with my boyfriend back home, and it's a lifesaver for me when I'm feeling down. My evening off tonight consisted of a hardcore study session with Mr. Ali Dhanani for an upcoming anatomy exam, and it was an excellent night off. I love being able to have a sense of normalcy and consistency in my life, and seeing his face every night before I go to bed brings me right back home. 

That's all for now, I have some more creative updates stored in my memory banks... unfortunately, unlike when I'm in ND... down in FL I have seasonal allergies, and they are kicking my ass right now! My brain's in a fog, my nose is itching ALMOST as much as my eyes... and seeing as Disney housing is pretty similar to a freshman dorm's social setting, sleep is hard to come by with your neighbors slamming doors and jamming out to music at all hours. As soon as I have a minute to process my thoughts you'll hear all about the precious younglings I've met so far, the code Vs, the AFRs, the code yellows... so much to share, so little energy and brain cells.

The Longest Ride at Disney

I recently got stuck on the longest ride at Disney. 


I know what you're thinking, she has to be talking about Tower of Terror... or Its a Small World... or Kilimanjaro Safaris... maybe The Great Movie Ride?


No. I'm talking about the elevator inside of Cinderella's Royal Table. Inside of CRT, there are four elevators. The Royal Elevator, which takes guests from the lobby to the second floor dining room, the Princess Elevator, which brings Cinderella and her princess friends from backstage to the CRT kitchen. The third elevator is the elevator to the Cinderella suite, and the fourth elevator is the CRT kitchen elevator. This fourth elevator is the longest ride at Disney. 


To get from the first floor prep kitchen, through the second floor break room, and the third floor main kitchen you have to sit through nearly a full minute of pops, snaps, creaks, and squeaks emmiting from the elevator shaft, warning you of your impending doom. Normally, this elevator, while loud, works just fine; however, that is not always the case...


I was bringing the dirty linen cart back from the utilidoor, and hopped on the kitchen elevator to ride it back up to the main kitchen area. We made it to the third floor, the doors wouldn't open... and the elevator went back tot he first floor... then back to the third floor... then back to the first floor... then in between the first and second floor.... then we stopped. 


For those of you who don't know, I am bat shit terrified of elevators. I have an anxiety attack just thinking about getting stuck in an elevator. All I can see is a horrible, devastating plunge to my doom down the shaft and flatten at the bottom like a pancake.


The elevator door jammed, so all I can imagine is the elevator plummeting to the bottom, to my doom... it was horrifying. 


Fortunately, after prying the doors open I was allowed to eat chocolate mousse and recoop from my elevator panic attack. Nothing calms the nerves like excessive amounts of sugar and repetitive napkin folding! 


Aside from my brush with death (ha, okay... maybe not quite) I'm starting to settle in here nicely. I work 50+ hours per week, and am aiming to save for a Spring Break trip with my wonderful boyfriend :) I'm heading home in a mere 38 days for my mid-program visit, the time is flying. I can't wait to see everyone and lay in bed next to Ali. It's the simple things that keep me going. 


The job is easy, very easy to get the hang of. For the most part, my coworkers are all pleasant people... I work with a fair amount of older adults. One of my coworkers is in her 80s, bless her heart! Working for the mouse, making magic for guests... let the memories begin! 

We Create Happiness!

I am now officially a Walt Disney World cast member! I've joined the ranks of over 60,000 WDW cast members and it was a long, exhausting day with an exciting end!


I saw Cinderella Castle for the first time in eight years, and it's just as magical as the first time I saw it. That's one amazing thing about Walt Disney World, it truly is timeless. No matter how old you are, the magic of Disney sweeps you off your feet time and time again! It has a little more power over me this time around since I'm lucky enough to be spending nearly 40 hours per week inside Cinderella Castle for the next five months, which is something many people around the park envy!


The day started out EARLY, catching the bus to Disney University at 6:30 this morning, and heading to a 4.5 hour long lecture about Disney History and what it means to be a Cast Member at this amazing company. I also got the honor and priveledge of meeting my boss... I'm pretty sure Mickey Mouse is the best boss there is! Seeing Mickey Mouse is always exciting, no matter your age, and seeing the entire classroom erupt into thunderous applause and squeals of excitement when that mouse strolled through the door just goes to show how exciting one little mouse can be!


After a LONG afternoon of lecture, I skipped back to my apartment and had a nice Skype date with my one and only :) I don't know what I would do without the wonders of skype. Getting to see Ali's face every day makes being away so much better than if I couldn't see him. It's almost like being there, just not nearly as good! I'll be home in seven weeks to visit, I can already tell the time is going to fly!!


Ashley, Maggie and Sara all had afternoon Traditions, so we got all dolled up and hit up Magic Kingdom to watch "The Magic, The Memories, and You!" projection show and let me tell you, if there's one thing you need to see the next time you come to Disney World (aside from visiting me of course) is this show. It's only fifteen minutes long, right before and after "Wishes" and it is bar none spectacular. I was so memsmerized I couldn't even manage to snap any photos!


Ashley and I decided to hit up her new home away from home, SPLASH MOUNTAIN, instead of watching the remainer of "Wishes" after Tinkerbell zip lines off Cinderella Castle (which is terrifying to witness, that's one brave girl!) We got SOAKED, but it was fantastic! I've forgotten how much detail goes into the Attractions at WDW, it's really something.


The rest of the week is going to fly by! Tomorrow I get to sleep in (FINALLY!) with a Food and Beverage Core class at Disney U, which is thankfully only three hours, then overloading on Rock N' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror, followed by Fantastmic with my ever so lovely roomskie. I have my eight hour long "Once Upon a Time... Is Now!" Magic Kingdom orientation on Friday starting at 7:15a (another EARLY morning... bus leaves at 6:05a!!)


Settling in to have an awesome experience! :)