Things will be great when you're Down-Town

This afternoon I continued my exploration of the Disney property by visiting Downtown Disney. It's across the street from casting so I had been close the other day but didn't stop by.

My roommate Michael and I decided to hop aboard the bus and spend the afternoon there rather than in boredom. Our first store we stopped in made me so happy. I was greeted by one of my favorite Disney characters.

I was so excited I found a Lego store. I was disappointed that I did not find a Captain America key chain that I have been searching for, but soon I will. Around the store we saw several other fun displays.

Next door to this store was an even more dangerous store for my wallet. There's a huge store full of Disney merchandising of all kinds. I can't remember the name but imagine the Disney Store but times 100. Among the trinkets and items I wish I could take home, I found a Goofy plush toy. It reminded me of my first Goofy toy I got last time I was here in '92. Now I don't remember this toy, but my mom told me all about it last weekend at my going away party. So I had her send me a picture to compare.

Now there are a lot of options when it comes to buying some Mickey ears. I didn't buy my first pair today, but I came close and got a picture.

Love Woody and hope I'll be best friends with him soon.

The rest of the shops passed in a blur. A chocolate shop here, several amazing toy shops that I could drop a hefty paycheck in, and many more. Minus the rainy, cold weather, I had fun just walking around with Mike. In the short time we've all been roomies, I've enjoyed him and feel we're the most alike. Both quiet but quirky; not the center of attention but we can add our jokes to the mix. We sang along with the Disney songs ringing through the shopping area and even added in a random Wizard of Oz moment. How that was triggered, I don't remember. Plus, it was nice to get to hang out one on one, without Andrew, with him; meeting new people. It was a great adventure and I can't wait to return with my employee discount.

When You Wish Upon a Star

Yesterday was quite eventful I would say.

To pick up from my last entry, I decided I would ride the bus routes they have for the program and time them to my stops. So I got to ride the bus route to Epcot Center and back. I got to sit around several international students and see all of the interesting costumes from each country. I even got a glimpse of the ball. After the 45 minute round trip, the roomies and I took another quest to Walmart followed by a trip to the local outlet mall for dress attire for our Traditions on Friday. Soon thereafter, we were off to the Magic Kingdom.

Andrew is a returning alumni so he knows all the cool sights and things to do. Since we don't have our park entry cards yet, we rode to the Disney resorts on property and explored the 3 around Magic Kingdom. I was so shocked at how large the Disney property is all together. It seemed like a city within a city; with all the side roads and paths loading everywhere. Our first stop took us to the Polynesian where we got some Dole-Whip and strolled out back to the beach and got our first glimpse at Cinderella's castle in the distance. We met some other college program friends here and then boarded the monorail to the Floridian.

The Roommates (Mike, Andrew, Jason, Dylan, Conner)

If you've never been to the Grand Floridian, it is quite a sight to see on the Disney property. I can't remember the price per night, but I won't be staying there anytime soon.

We walked in to the serenading sounds of the pianist playing "All I Ask of You". After standing here and admiring the open atrium, we walked downstairs to see more and meet Andrew's friend at the reception desk. 

Back on the monorail, we head off to our final stop, The Contemporary Resort, where we will watch the firework show "Wishes". We briefly get a view of the Main Gate as we fly by and head for our next resort.

At the Contemporary Resort, we wind our way down from the monorail platform down to the main floor. From here, Andrew navigates us to the outdoor patio facing the castle and up some stairs to a balcony over looking the park. This presents us with a great view of the castle and Space Mountain.

We all anxiously await the show to come. We cannot hear the music very well from this vantage point but the fireworks are magnificent once they begin. The whole time I consider it my sneak peak at the show and don't consider it my first time since I am watching it from the wrong angle. It still is quite a spectacular show and makes me smile to know that this is my home. I am now part of this magic that is made every night for people around the world. 

This morning my day begins at 8am as I have to be at the main housing complex by 9:15 for my shuttle to have my character imaging scan completed. I shared this time slot with 9 other people who were very fun to talk with. We had two international students; an Australian and a New Zealander. As we waited for the shuttle, we chatted about our homes and journeys here. We enjoyed hearing from the international students. I got to hear about every one's audition process and of course we touched upon the Harry Potter subject.

Once we arrived at the Animal Kingdom wardrobe and rehearsal building, they gave us a change of comfy socks for our scans and our measurements sheet to be filled out. We then went in pairs to the room with the scanning booth. We had every aspect of our heads measured and our feet. Apparently I'm a 11.5 left foot and a 12 right. Haha. We then got a stylish unitard to slip on for our scan. I snapped a picture, but only for my memory sake in the future. After changing, I put on the robe they gave us and got weighed and measured. In the 3D imaging booth, it was like a spacious photo booth you'd see at the mall. They closed a curtain to block out the light and had us stand on marks with our hands holding rail I guess to angle our bodies correctly. Then the machine flashes light from all angles and takes pictures and uses the shadows to create a 3D image of our bodies. The whole process took about 10 minutes tops but just took overall so long being in a group. It was a fun experience only because I know that only characters get to do it. Pray that I don't get a phone call tomorrow telling me that my body frame was rejected because it doesn't match any characters. I am hopeful and besides I'll be roaming the parks with a friend who has passes for me. I hope soon to reveal who my best friends will be. 

Orlando! I love you Orlando! Sea World. Disney. Putt Putt Golfing.

After a long journey and many miles, I am finally at the most magical place on earth. I am so excited to get started. With everyday hearing the Disney songs and seeing the fun that is store, I cannot help but tear up and think of how I am now part of the Disney magic. 

Our first day of check-in went smoothly. Arrived at 10am and made our way through the line in about an hour. I got my official housing ID and all my rooming information. Thereafter, I began the move in process. I was excited that I got the roommates that I signed up for along with 2 other guys who have been cool so far. The room I'm sharing with my friend Andrew already looks like home. I home my Quidditch broom on my cork board along with other trinkets. It's bare now but I hope to fill it up with pictures and souvenirs soon. My friends Buzz and Woody made the trip with me and are sitting by my desk watching me blog my adventure.

After move in, Andrew and I headed to the Casting building where we filled out and turned in our employment papers. It was a very short process from other stories I've heard; only about 45 minutes. It is so fun to see all the decorations and aesthetics around the Disney property. 

We then ventured off campus to find Walmart and food. Walmart was extremely packed with move in folk. Nearby property is a CiCi's that gives discounts to Disney employees so we were all about the cheap pizza buffet.

Today my only event was housing meeting. A run down on the safety of the property, how to respect roommates, and other things that every should know but have to be said. This meeting was fun only because of the trivia and fun music played throughout; all Disney jams of course. All wrapped up in the end with a preview of the housing events and trips to come. It's going to be a fun program. I cannot wait to experience it all.

Now that the day is free to me and sunny (74F), I'm going to walk to the outlet mall 5 minutes away and grab some lunch. Feel free to ask questions and tell me what you want to see.