Obsession

I've definitely become more obsessed with the whole WDW thing. It was quite bad just after I'd applied. I was watching random YouTube videos every day of different things in WDW as well as ex-cast members' photograph slideshows and apartment tours! I felt somewhat like a stalker, but it didn't deter me in the slightest. It was just feeding my determination to get into the programme.


Now I'm in there, I've been getting a little obsessed with every aspect of WDW and Florida in general. I've even started planning what I want to do for my birthday in January, but lately it's mostly been the hotels. I've been trying to decide what hotel I want to work in. I know it's highly unlikely I'm going to get a choice but a little wishing never hurt.

The Boardwalk was my favourite place in WDW when I visited as a youngster so I was sort of hoping for The Boardwalk Inn, but as I've been researching all the different hotels (and the cast members' costumes) I think the Beach Club Resort would be the best for me. It's right next to the Boardwalk, plus you get to wear a sailor-esque outfit! It's only the deluxe hotels that offer the concierge service so pretty much all of them are fabulous and have the best locations throughout the park. Even if I don't get to be in a hotel near the Boardwalk, I'll probably be ale to go to work on the monorail which would be frickin' awesome!

Any who, the best site I've found for all your Disney dreaming needs is this one: http://allears.net/index.html. AllEars has pretty much everything you could possibly want to know about WDW. There are reviews and photographs galore so check it out.

"But who cares? No big deal. I want more" - The Little Mermaid

The courses

OK, finally found out what the different courses available from Rosen College are. Can't believe that I couldn't actually find any of this information on the actual Rosen College website (although it is the prettiest campus ever from what I've seen). I had to find it from a random WDW fansite so here they are...

Guest Service Management - This seminar is created to develop an appreciation for, and an understanding of, customer behavior in hospitality organizations. Since all managers in all organizations have internal and external guests or customers, the focus of this course is on how guests think, respond, and behave in response to organizational decisions. Guestology is the scientific study of guests needs, wants and behaviors.

Theme Park Management – A seminar designed to be an overview of the Theme Park and Attraction business. The program will explore the vast array of Parks that fall under this category so that by the completion the participant has a firm understanding of the for profit park system and the guest allure to them. By the end of the course we will be able to define and understand the concepts of themeing and identify the economic impact and tourism value that this industry brings to a community.

Hospitality Brand Management – The most important asset of a company is its reputation. This reputation embodies many things, including its name, the products it sells, the services it supplies to its customers, and its convenient locations. But there are many more, intangible things, which also build this reputation. All of these things, together, can be called the company’s Brand. How hospitality companies create, maintain, and occasionally destroy, their brand value will be the focus of this course.
At the seminar’s end students will have achieved an awareness of the importance of protecting a company’s brand equity. They will possess a set of skills intended to make them better prepared for a successful career in the corporate hospitality environment.

Food & Beverage Operations in the Hospitality Industry – The intent of this seminar is to provide the participant with a firm understanding of the contribution that food & beverage operations make to the hospitality industry. The scope of the lessons will include free standing restaurants, hotel food & beverage operations (including catering & banquets), as well as food & beverage operations in theme parks.

Information Technology and E-commerce in Hospitality and Tourism -- This course is designed to cover topics related to: (1) concepts of information systems in hospitality and tourism; (2) fundamental principles of communication networks in hospitality/tourism; (3) online consumer behavior and e-commerce in hospitality/tourism; and, (4) future direction of technology development and technology strategies in hospitality/tourism.

Leadership and Strategic Management -- This course focuses on principles of contemporary leadership and strategic management for hospitality and tourism organizations. It introduces leadership and strategic management concepts and perspectives into the hospitality and tourism field. The course particularly emphasizes the development of analytical, decision making, problem-solving and communication skills.

Event Management -- This course considers how organizations use events to achieve their strategic goals and objectives. It includes an introduction to the different types of organizations that produce events, the types of events that are held, the planning process, and evaluation tools. Also, students will learn about the businesses that provide facilities, goods, and services for events.

Survey of Wines of the World* -- A comprehensive study of wine for students that want to learn about using senses to evaluate wines, the methodology of tasting and evaluating wines, and growing, processing, and production of grape varieties used in making wine.

*Additional $100 lab fee

Not sure what I'm going to pick yet, definitely going to be theme park management, definitely not going to be wine tasting. Horrid stuff that's costing an extra $100? I don't think so! I guess I've still got a little while to decide. Once I'm there I'll make sure I give everyone an insider's look at the different classes.

"School, a noble institution. What would this stupid world be without it?" - Pinocchio

Post

I got a couple of letters through the post yesterday. The first was my criminal background check, that was all clear so happy days. They've no reason to keep me out of the States now!

The second, which bizarrely arrived three hours after the first, was a letter which looks like it should come through with the original acceptance pack but was never sent until the crb check came through. It wasn't just me though, everyone else I've spoken to got the same impression from the letter. It's a little confusing as it advises you to do things you've already done, but the good thing about the letter is it finally explained what my role is! Here's the official Disney spiel;

Lobby Concierge Cast Members will be working in one of our many resorts across the WALT DISNEY WORLD resort. Individuals in this role must be willing to work in all of the following areas: Front Desk, Guest Services and Phone Room. Cast Members in this role may experience many different facets of the Front Office operations, including using a computer based system, working in an environment with a high level of Guest interaction, resolving challenging Guest situations and cash handling.
Responsibilities may include: checking Guests in and out of resorts, processing payments, answering Guest phone calls and providing information to Guests. Lobby Concierge Cast Members must be comfortable in a strong sales environment, as they will be responsible for creating individualized ticket packages and making dining and other kinds of reservations for guests.

Wouldn't this be more beneficial to us before we accept the role? To be completely honest, I am not completely happy about having to be comfortable in a sales environment because I'm not. I hate that sort of thing, not enough to turn down this opportunity but enough to have put a bit more consideration into my decision, plus I would have had more time to get prepared for it. Oh well, I guess it means less time to worry about it, right?

On the upside, at least I noticed the big ole Mickey Mouse sticker on the envelope this time. The last time Yummy Jobs sent something to me, I didn't even see them. Whoops!

You will work between 30-45 hours per week at a rate of $7.88 per hour.

Looks like my savings are going to have to be raided! Oh well, how often does a chance like this come around?

"This just arrived from the palace" - Cinderella

I'm A Customer Service Advisor, Get Me Out Of Here!!

Aaarrgghh!! Can not stand to be working in that crap hole much longer.

:(

Spent most of today just thinking and talking about Disney. Counting down the day until I can quit, pack my bags and get the frick out of here. So do not want to go back. I've completely stopped caring whether I sort things out for the customers or not. Why should I? I'm getting paid either way and I'm not there long enough to get in trouble so why bother? Hoping I can quit sooner than I first thought. I need time to de-stress before I set off for the most magical place on Earth! I do not want to take all that negativity over there considering a perma-smile is a role requirement.

59 days to go!

"Everybody's always talking at me, everybody's trying to get in my head" - High School Musical 2

Long Way Round

Got the sun on my face, Sleeping rough on the road, Tell you all about it when I get home.

Aahh, the magic of that programme. Just watching Ewan, Charlie and Claudio travelling around the world on those big ass motorbikes makes me want to be on my way round the world; granted, they went all the way round the world through the likes of Mongolia and Russia and all I'm doing is flying to the USA and back, but I've got the urge to get going all the same.

Come on October!

"Unbelievable sights, indescribable feeling" - Aladdin

All becoming real

I booked my flights yesterday so it's all becoming more real. £540 return, so not exactly a bargain but one of the cheapest options available. I did want a direct flight from Manchester but that was about £800-ish with Virgin so I'm flying from Manchester to Gatwick and then on to Orlando. There are quite a few other people doing the same and even more joining us at Gatwick so should be fun. I am going to make sure I've added enough Disney films on my iPod to keep me entertained though, just in case the boredom sets in or if everything is slightly awkward with my fellow cast members on the flight.

What I would recommend to anyone else doing one of the programs, is to book your flights as soon as you are sure you are going to go. I waited for weeks, just in case the flights got cheaper and well, that was a mistake. They don't get cheaper, just more expensive. Back in June I could have booked a Delta flight via Atlanta for £360-ish. By the time I actually booked it had gone up two-hundred smackers! It would've saved money but the one I'm on now is more convenient really. Plus it's British Airways and they let you check-in two suitcases so score!

"Think of all the joy you'll find when you leave your world behind and bid your cares goodbye, you can fly, you can fly, you can fly, you can fly, you can fly!" - Peter Pan

Two Months To Go

October 5th 2008=The day I fly over to Florida and start my internship at Walt Disney World.

And in my mind, it can not come around fast enough!

Where did it all begin? I guess it started last summer, aimlessly trawling the Internet for something interesting to do after university. It was then that I came across the Walt Disney World International Graduate Program. Six months living and working in the most magical place on Earth complete with a graduate programme at the University of Central Florida sounded perfect for me. I wanted to apply there and then, but it took until the following Spring to work up enough courage to even send off the e-mail. It took until June to get down to London for the interview and then one agonising week later to find out I'd got the job. I was ecstatic and accepted straight away (even though I had no clue what the role of "lobby concierge" even entailed...in fact, I still don't two months later).

The only problem with it is the funds. There's the tuition fees, not to mention having to pay for flights and visas and a million other things, so I'm stuck in a crappy soul destroying job in a miserable little call centre until then. I guess a girl's got to finance her dreams somehow.

"It's the start of something new" - High School Musical