Back on the blog!

For the first day in over a month, I was at the bus stop early enough this morning to get a seat on the bus so I can sit here and blog in peace...apart from the boppin' tunes playing through my headphones.

Since my last blog I have been on a cruise to the Bahamas on the Disney Dream, which was one of the best things I have done since I got here. Everything about it was amazing, the food, the company, the shows, the restaurants, the entertainment, shops, clubs, parties, rooms, day trips, cast away cay, Christmas decorations, room service, character meet and greets etc. I was swaying for three days afterwards mind you, I would be stood at work serving guests and would sway from side to side without realising. I defiantly want to go on another cruise and have as much fun and laughs as we did on that one. To sunbathe on December 1st and get a tan was insane, how could I not love my life??

Christmas has been and gone, sad Chloe. But I was very lucky to get so many presents sent to me from back home and from my friends here with me on the program. I skyped my family on Christmas morning as they opened my presents for them and I opened mine from them. I did it as I wore my work costume with my winter Christmas Disney mickey ears hat, standard and jingle bells on my wrist. I have sounded like an elf everywhere I go since i went to Walmart and bought the best purchase of my life, $2 hair bands with big silver jingle bells on them!! It brought a lot of joy to people as I wore them in my hair on Christmas eve, day, and boxing day. I had very long shifts those days and got quite quiet and slightly upset during lunchtime on Christmas day as I ate my lunch on my own as no one had the same breaktime as me, so that was rather sad. Thinking how my whole family were together back home including my 6 month nephew enjoying his first christmas, who I've only met twice before I came out here, and of course they took a picture of the food they were eating and sent it to me and my empty merchie belly rumbled. But it just made me look forward to next christmas.... Or August when I go home and nicely order mother to cook me a full roast dinner with all the trimmings to make up for it!!

Now I'm looking forward to new years eve tomorrow at Epcot. We are starting tonight at magic kingdom watching their fireworks which will be the same as tomorrow nights so we are going to get two new years eve celebrations because I'm sure tonight will be amazing. But tomorrow is going to be insane. I'm working until 6:45pm to finish in time for 7pm to celebrate the Uk pavilion celebrate new years eve in real time because back home then it will be midnight. Epcot will make an announcement too to let everyone know in the park the reason we are all singing and jumping up and down in our street. They have put up two big screens in UKs courtyard where the band plays, we hope thats to air BBC one live from home at 7pm, that would be amazing, it wouldnt feel the same seeing in the new year without hearing bigben chime! Then we get to go nuts at midnight USA time with the rest of the 80,000 guests estimated to be in the park. That's the most Epcot can hold. And it's the busiest day of the year. I've heard stories of how it's going to look and I'm a little scared. But there a good group of us finishing early so we shall all be together to brave the crowds in the evening and see in the new year together, I'm so excited...

...and now I'm on my way home from work to go have tea, a quick nap and then go to watch magic kingdoms fireworks tonight. Got to get up early tomorrow as I start at 9:15am and we have all had a lot of late nights lately at the cinema etc so need a quick nap before a very long day tomorrow, only to start early at work new years day too. Not used to all these early mornings and working during the holidays! But it's good, I'm looking forward to payday this week and next after all my hours working. 

Going to start saving lots of money in the new year for trips around America, instead of spending it on meals out and Disney merchandise (think I have enough now to last me a lifetime!!)

Catch up of joy

Can't believe that there are floods at home and awful weather and Im on my way to work in the blazing sunshine. It's cold in the evenings, I wear jeans and hoodies then, but when the sun is shining its still hot. Why doesn't everyone move to Florida, come on people, it really is called the sunshine state for a reason.  I still don't believe it's November, it still feels like I'm July and Iv only been here for a couple weeks.

I've been behind on my blog lately, I wrote one out last week and then accidentally deleted it on my phone and got stressed so left it.  I survived my seven day stretch with no days off. I got extended at work several times to be floor stock which I was happy about because it meant extra hours, plus something different to do at work and I got to train Elle on floor stock one day too so it was nice to be a trainer for a day. 

Me, Anna and Kerry went to mickey's very merry Christmas party at magic kingdom two nights ago  which was magical. We met loads of characters and got free hot chocolate and cookies and watched the holiday wishes fireworks and the Christmas parade which was amazing!!! We all bought Christmas hats with mickey ears and looked the part walking around the Park dressed for Christmas! Even met Santa at the end for a quick photo! I asked my manager if we could wear those hats at work on Christmas day and she said yes, woop!

On my days and evenings off last week I decorated my apartment for Christmas, went to the Grand Floridian Resort to see the life sized ginger bread house, went around the world at Christmas time in Epcot and watched Candle light in America with Geena Davis and a choir singing Christmas songs, it was amazing and very Christmassy! We got to ride test track which has been closed for months being refurbished, but cast members got a sneaky peak at the updated ride which was awesome. I saw the Osbourne's Christmas lights again at Hollywood studios, have had a couple of lazy evenings watching Christmas films at mine with the gang and generally loving  Orlando life still 4.5 months in. 

Work is busy, as it was thanks giving week last week. We had a little feast at work at lunchtime and then a few if us went to Walmart and the Florida Mall for black Friday. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Hundreds of shoppers ready to dive for the sale items once midnight hit. They said at the mall "do not run"... I don't think he said it loud enough, because once the shutters went up at midnight we all sprinted through the mall laughing and screaming, slightly panicing, to our favourite stores to grab the bargains as everything was on sale! I was happy with 50% off everything Roxy as the girls went for other designers. So much fun and we ran into a few other people from work at the mall, such a local now recognising people you know outside if Disney!

Got a nice parcel from my sister and another from mum, both containing a cadburys advent calendar and paper chains, like mother like daughter!!l it's so nice to get things from home and even better when it comes in a big parcel cuz I love getting post!! Must go to work, just waiting for the "lazy bus" to take me to UK pavilion from the cast services building as I don't have the right shoes on to walk across onstage, would look a bit silly and I would get told off for not being show ready walking in my costume with flip flops on! Everything in Disney has to be perfect and it is.

I'm currently loving the compliments we get about our new costumes. It's nice to get regular guests coming in and going "oo, new costumes, they look beautiful" and yesterday I was in the Lords and Ladies store most if the day where we sell pretty shinny things (jewellery) and I said this to a guest and she replied "well you are one of those pretty shinny things too" so cute. And we had the jewellery designer in this week too, Kit Health from my home county, Devon England. He was in for a few days chatting to guests and signing autographs and so I bought the very pretty ring from the expensive cabinet that I have had my eye on for months and got Kit to sign the box. My Disney discount helped with the price because it was more than a days wages!! But worth it, it will last forever made of 925 sterling silver. I know this because we had a training class about all his jewellery that we sell in our store so now I know what I'm selling rather than just going, it's pretty!

Brimming with Joy

Christmas is coming to Disney, in fact it's just about here!! Magic kingdom has all its decorations up along main street usa and we watched the show at the castle how they turn the lights on on the castle. It looks absolutely stunning! When I saw main street for the first time I welled up with tears in my eyes because it just looks so darn pretty!! My favourite place in the world covered in Christmas joy! The only way it could have been better is if they had a "joy" sign on the castle haha. Then we went over to see Hollywood studios decs and were greeted by the biggest tree Iv ever seen and then we found the lights. The Osbourne's spectacular Christmas dancing lights down the streets of new York in hollywood studios. They are amazing! Every ten minutes a Christmas song starts to play and the lights dance to the beat of the music! It's ridiculously good because there are  million lights up there along every building and how they make them all flash and change colour absolutely baffles me! The best bit was when a Spanish Christmas song came on "Feliz Navidad" everyone started a flash mob of a cowboys routine I recognised so we all jumped in and joined in with the line dance! We were there for a few hours so it happened a few times, was so good!

My shifts and days off are all over the place the last couple of weeks as I have done so many swaps for myself and other people so it's fun to go to work and know you've got the next day off. But come Friday I'll be paying for it as I have to work seven days straight until I get my normal Friday Saturday off again next weekend. But it's all worth it as I have tomorrow off to watch the twilight marathon at the cinema all day!

....and what a marathon it was!! Five films in one day, back to back, we got free posters, lanyards, the whole audience were all together cheering and booing and laughing in unison by the end. Every time a films started and ended we cheered, all the team Edwards cheered for him when he first appeared in each scene, all the team Jacobs did the same, but then we all wolf whistles and cheered together every time Jacob took his top off, which happened a lot! It was such a funny day and even though we were sat down all day watching Twilight films, we were exhausted by the end of it.

We had a housing event Wednesday night at Chatham square, it was thanks giving themed so me Nathan and Tom fitted right in when we came straight from work in our costumes. We got free food and drink including turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing, happy Chloe. And they were throwing out free teeshirts to the crowd, we all had one by the end of the night. Plus, not forgetting a bit if line dancing with the crowd to Cupid shuffle! We got all the newbies to join in as they looked at us like, "what's going on" so got them involved to the easiest of the cowboy routines. I am ready for cowboys tomorrow night with my new cowboys boots I got, might be able to dance a bit better in them rather than flip flops! I did a bit if shopping last week, 'had' to buy three skirts, three pairs of jeans, one pair if boots and a top, all for $100 which I thought wasn't bad! No more shopping now until the new year (apart from Christmas presents)

I had a lovely evening out Monday night with Gill, Graham, Thomas and Becca who are visiting from home.  They found me in my store a few days before and we went out to dinner to Charleys and I experienced my first steak, and oh my god it was amazing! All the food was so nice and it was lovely to spend time with them again as we had been talking about this meal for months and months when I met them back home in the early summer. When they said they were visiting in November I thought that will be ages away, but it's come and gone. Time is going so fast out here, but the seasons don't change so I don't notice. It still looks like July outside so I still think its July! But when I walk into my stores at work I know it's winter now as all the Christmas decorations have gone up around Epcot ! Plus, the music loop has changed at work too! It's amazing, Christmas songs get stuck in my head - well what else is new? - and all the stores look amazing with trees and garlands and decorations!

I am going in today for my first of a seven day stretch and this one will be longer and different than the rest by far. 11:45am - 1:00am tonight. I will be in rotation (on the registers) until 2pm and then I go onto a stocker shift until 1am. I got trained up on floor stock on Sunday by Clare and she showed me what the floor stock  does all day. Basically you have to be the one to pick up the packages for delivery, stock all the registers, all the stores, and deal with the money al the end if the night putting it into clever counting machines with the coordinators. After training I have been really looking forward to it. And as I am working it on a Friday, I get more time as Friday nights at Epcot are now extra magic nights so rather than getting everything ready by 9, I have until midnight which I think is a little easier to give myself more time to get everything done in my own as I won't have my trainer with me, but I do have my list if things to do that I made on Sunday, so here goes, wish me luck! (hops off the bus, goes through the backstage gates into Epcot and skips onstage to the cheery Christmas music, yes it's going to be a long day people!!)

My Disney vacation with Erika and Princess Steph

What a magical holiday I have had with Steph and Erika! We've been staying in all star music resort and extended our stay for one more night for more Disney joy! (why do we fall in love-with Disney- is our new song girls!)

We had 14 hours in magic kingdom on Friday, which included lunch and dinner in the Be Our Guest restaurant! We got a walk in for lunch and then I made a reservation for us and my fellow cast member buddies for dinner there for 7pm so they could eat there too. So even though my cast member preview was for 2-4pm, the lovely Disney people let us in earlier and we got to experience all that new fantasy land has to offer. We met ariel who was lovely and so funny, she said "oh my, you've been to the new restaurant, do they let you eat with those dingle hoppers up there on dry land? You know they are meant to be used to brush your hair don't you?" and we met gaston who is our new favourite character. He was so cheeky and flirty and had all us girls in giggles!! 

We went on the new ariel ride and got to go on the new story time with belle which was just amazing. You will have to go yourself, I won't give away any secrets. But it was just amazing and her dress is fabulous!! 

And then we got to enjoy the magical eating experience that is the Be Our Guest restaurant. Lunch is quick service, but like I've never seen it!! You make your order, get given a rose pager to put in the table, go sit down at any table you want in the ballroom, rose garden or the west wing, and the rose talks to the plates and your food comes and finds you! And rather than plastic cutlery and paper plates, it's real fancy ones as in lovely nice knives and forks and lovely white real life plates and bowls for your magical food to be presented in! We tried a few things on the menu, the leak and potato soup was so yummy and made me think of home! Dinner was full service with our waitress, Sashi, who was excellent! She kept bringing us bread and butter and helping us choose what to eat off the beautiful menu. Such a good experience, can't wait to go back again, I'm do glad Steph and Erika got to go twice in one day! We also spent a great day going on lots of classic rides in the lovely Florida sunshine. 

Saturday was a 12 hour Disney joy day starting in animal kingdom (after a much needed layin!) turn to Hollywood studios where we did two animation drawing classes, and of course tower of terror (twice) and rock n roller coaster! Also, there were Christmas decorations up in Hollywood studios which was magical to see. I hadn't seen any yet. The lights are up but weren't turned on so I will go back for that in a few days when they are. You could tell from the amount of stringed lights up that it's going to be amazing. Then we walked to boardwalk as there were no buses to downtown that we could find, and got a downtown Disney bus from the boardwalk to go have an Earl of Sandwich and get some shopping done! I personally loved my one and only purchase which was a Christmas fairy light necklace that looked spectacular around my neck light up in the dark once the lights went out on the bus on the way home! Can't wait to dress up like a Christmas tree in december (on a night out, not just around the house to suddenly stand still in the corner and see if some jolly fella puts presents at my feet.....the more I talk about it, the more light a plan it sounds!!!) 

Sunday was a quick stop to magic kingdom to ride thunder mountain as it was closed on Friday, then we got the monorail to Epcot and enjoyed the food and wine festival together. After only recently that morning crave a roast dinner with Yorkshire puddings, I bought the lamb meatball from the new Zealand stand, purely for the fact that it comes in a Yorkshire!! Amazing! We stayed for the fireworks and then power walked back to the bus stop to go back to the resort, beat the crowds!

Monday was Guy Fawkes day, as well as Hayley G's birthday! We tried to Skype her and Lauren who are holidaying in Portugal at the moment but bad Internet connections and time difference didn't make it happen unfortunately :( but hope she had an awesome birthday in the sunshine! Steph and Erika turned into my personal photographers as we had our UK cast member photo in the street at 10:30am to celebrate guy Fawkes day and our new costumes! It's the first full photo to feature our new costumes will all cast members together and I was very happy to be in it with all my fellow cast member buddies! We then had a celebration backstage with food, drink, freebies and music all afternoon which was brilliant for my lunchbreak back at work after having three days off. Erika and Steph decided to extend their stay one night so they had a lazy day back at the resort after I went to work in the afternoon and I said goodbye to them at the resort yesterday morning as I had to go back to the commons and drop all my stuff (and shopping) and get ready for an open-close shift at work. It was rather emotional, as they won't be in Plymouth next summer waiting for me to come home, they are continuing their trip around the world and will be in Australia by next summer so a trip to Australia is certainly a possibility to help me get over my PDD when I'm back (post Disney depression) I will miss them terribly but glad they had such a good Disney stay with their Disney joy girl cast member friend making extra magic happen. I know Steph will find it tough to leave the Disney bubble as I'm sure she could stay here forever like me, but Erika was very sweet saying she could live without Disney as long as she had me in her life as I am 'Disney'. Well you don't have to worry about that girls, Chloe Disney joy girl will always be around and blogging for your entertainment and joy! Can't wait for a video and photo session when we are both back home at the same time (in about two years) to go through all the ones we took over the past five days and make photo collages/scrap books of Disney joy!! Enjoy the next part of your travels girlies!! Xx

Magical moments and creating joy!

Had a really long day yesterday at work but it had a certain few perks about it! Starting off with in the morning a family came in looking for me with a parcel and as soon as I saw the hand writing on it I knew it was from my boss from my previous job at Churchwood Valley!! This family had been given this parcel back in August when they went to visit Churchwood valley on holiday in Devon, and have held on to it until now to bring it too me, so sweet. Inside was a nice big bar of cadburys chocolate which I recognised is from Churchwood's store and a lovely card with a photo of my local beach, Wembury, and it was signed by all my former work colleges who wish me well and that they miss my joy around the place which brought a tear to my eye. It feels like a million years ago that I was last there but it was only four months. I had worked at that place for ten years and knew most of them for that long. Was so nice to see their hand writing and read all the comments, including Handy Andy's "don't get too fat on all that American food" made me laugh, typical men! Think it's time for another postcard to Churchwood V!! The family took a photo of me at work that they would email back to John and Shirley and afterwards the son whispered to his sister "I remember her from the shop on holiday now". Such a nice perk to the day and as they had asked a few cast members how to find me, they all wanted to see what was in the parcel too and they thought it was really sweet and happy the family found me. Many thanks to that family from Bristol!! 

Later on in the evening when I felt I had been working for 600 hours that day in the busy tea store, I had a big line of guests and tried to get them through as quick as possible because I don't like to keep them waiting, a fellow cast member was doing some Christmas shopping as she had lots of items, and showed me her ID to get magical discount, I asked where she worked, and she's from the California Disneyland, a manager of entertainment. What a cool job?! And at the end she asked for my managers name, I thought oh no, what did I do wrong? But she said its because she thinks I'm doing such a great job she wanted to let my manager know in writing. I was flattered and thanked her and gave her Tom's full name and then she could find him on some sort of magical network for Disney managers I guess. And soon enough, Tom came and found me later that night when I was STILL at work, and mentioned, "you made quite an impression today with a guest, check this out" and I read the email she had sent him, singing my praises "you have an outstanding cast member working with you in the UK pavilion, not only does she smile and greet each guest, but talks to them, about the merchandise, their day, their vacation and had different interaction with each guest instead of just repeating the same question each time" I said to Tom, please can I print that out and send to my mum to print out and keep :) 

Today at work I knighted a little guest called Owen and made a fuss of him, and then we had a sword fight and if course he won, whilst wearing our crowns. I was with them for a while and making his mum laugh a lot, then they went on their way. 20 minutes later I found out that they had told Bradley who was working in another store to tell Dee, my manager, that "Chloe has made our trip, she was so funny and really engaging with our son, we just wanted to make sure she knows it" :) it makes me so happy to hear nice comments like that, reminds me why I'm here, to spread the Disney Joy!! Dee and Sherry both said they should call me Joy from now on...considering changing my middle name to Joy at least!

And now Steph and Erika have arrived! We are checked into all star music resort and had a pizza and now getting to sleep before a whole day if magic kingdom joy tomorrow!! We are getting there for the 9am parade. And then they are coming with me to the cast preview of the New Fantasyland!! It's going to be magical, so happy to have my travelling Plymouth buddies with me!!

Chilly Florida!!

Very very excited about my two travelling girls coming to visit me this week. They started their trip around the world on October 1st in New York and are making their way down to Orlando this Thursday to stay with me at disneys all star music resort for four days! So excited. We are going to celebrate Christmas, birthdays everything all in one because I may not see them again for a couple if years! Eventually they are 

making their way to Australia to work for a year and then working their way back home to the UK. But I haven't seen them since July at a very tearful fair well at my house so I'm super excited to squeal and run towards them for a big hug on Thursday. As a magical cast member I can let them in to the four Disney parks for free using my main gate pass and I've also managed to get them tickets to come with me for the New Fantasy land cast preview (as we are allowed to bring up to three guests) and what I've just realised is when that happens on Friday, magic kingdom will have transformed from Halloween decorations to Christmas decorations over night!!!! I'm grinning on the bus as I type this!! Can not wait to see main street USA decorated for Christmas! That means Epcot will be decorated shortly too, including the Christmas tune loop being played all day instead of the 'lovely' traditional English 

music loop we have at the moment. I do love it, my fellow merchie cast members have seen me dance and sing around the stores to that music several times, and I'm not joking when I want a copy of it to take home with me to play and cry to when I have PDD (post Disney depression) but it will be nice to have a change of music and especially if it's Christmas!!

I did another spot of shopping the other night, some Christmas presents, some just presents for me, using my 40% discount. On my Friday off I went to Hollywood studios with the current newbies which was nice, and in the evening me and Kerry went to Mickeys not so scary Halloween party with the lovely Ben and Brett. Had a brilliant night with lots of laughs, rides, character photos, parade and firework watching, and of course trick or treating! I came home with another bag full of candy (sweets and American chocolate, almond joy chocolate bar? Not as joyful as I thought as I don't like almonds or coconut, but I still ate it, Obvs!)

I also have magical news that my best friend James is coming to visit me for ten days in december for his first trip to Disney world. And what a better way to spend it that with the best unofficial tour guide of Disney (me) flights are booked, hotel being booked, YES YOU NEED TO BOOK HOLIDAY INSURANCE JAMES and hopefully he can fit a few presents into his suitcase from my magical family and inturn I will send presents back with him to go home to the Bradley's, that's free postage for you! :)

On another note, it's freezing here!!! It's gorgeous and sunny, but the humidity has gone and ok it 18degrees, but to all us Disney folk who've been surviving working in 35degrees all summer, this is cold man! It's like a fresh December morning in England when it's sunny but cold. Coats at work are being worn already, I didn't think this day would ever come. I've only got a cheeky 6 hour shift today, then me, Clare, becky and Sammie are getting the monorail to MK to see if we can get food at the Be Our Guest restaurant. A little birdie told me they are having a soft opening today for lunch and dinner. Which means they are open but don't advertise it. It's like a dress rehearsal without having to deal with the crowds.

And another thing Facebook! I hope you let me post the link to this blog from my page, I have been banned from updating statuses and adding photos for two days because I put up 600 photos last night and I did it too quickly. Many of you may remember when I got told off a few years ago for tagging too quickly. I'm sorry if I like to share joy to all my friends via Facebook. But for the next two days at least, I guess twitter will be my new best friend. 

@chlober

Follow me people!! I've been out of touch with twitter since I got here but now I'm back with bells on!!

My Magical Guests at Disney

Working in Walt Disney World is actually as magical as you would think. I am constantly telling guests how to apply, what I had to do to get this job and telling them all about it, where we live, how long the program is for etc.  I think I should get some business cards for www.yummyjobs.com because I've lost count of how many times I've written it on a piece of receipt paper and handed to a guest.  Guests are so interested in where I'm from and how I'm liking staying here. Of course the answer is 'magical, I love it here' because I love Disney, i love Orlando and i am an American trapped in an English body!! I feel like I have been here for years already and that I've know my friends out here all my life. We work, travel and spend our days off together and are constantly making each other laugh and planning trips around America.  I've been here for just over 3 months and today is the first day I'm spending by myself which will be strange, but I'm going shopping to demolish my new 40% holiday cast member discount.  I keep talking to people in shops and making friends all the time anyways so I'm sure I wont feel lonely. My Disney buddies keep saying "you're making friends again Chloe" when I start chatting to people whether I'm waiting in line for coffee in Starbucks or to the person serving me at Universal Studios.

When I'm at work it's the same, I have had some lovely amazing conversations with guests and it's these moments where I really love my job. I wish I had started writing down the funny things guests say to me like "why is it called a digestive biscuit, is that laxatives in them?" and -spoken in a very southern American accent - "oh my lord, you are just so precious, can we adopt you Chloe?". I've had a few mothers trying to marry me off to their sons, plenty of lovely guests giving me their cell phone numbers and with "if you're ever in the area give us a and we can show you around" and yesterday a guy who asked me "if you stubbed your toe and it really hurt, what swear word would you say in England?" to which I replied "I couldn't possible repeat the true answer while I'm at work sir, but 'oh jolly hock sticks' is my answer" and he laughed his head off, to his wife's disgrace who muttered "only you would ask a nice girl like her question like that" reminded me of my patents a lot!!

As I mentioned in a previous blog, Disney World received an email from a guest about me dancing around and singing like Mary Poppins and making their 10 month old son laugh. That email is now printed and framed in my apartment, along side my Applause-o-gram I received last week from a family from New York who had a daughter called Chloe. I get very excited when I meet fellow Chloes and this family I remember came into my store a few times throughout the day and every time I cheered "yaay, Chloe's family are back" and I chatted to them for ages. Well before they went home they went to guest relations and wrote out this Applause-o-gram for me saying "we just wanted Chloe's helpfulness and magic to be recognised as she was lovely to us today" which was very nice of them. It's a shame I can't get hold of them to say thank you for taking their time to do that for me because it made my day. Another couple who I met outside when I was working on Cart, were talking about blogs and how they blog about Disney and had just bought some epcot 30th mystery pins to take photos of and write about. I said that's a shame you can't do it here because I love seeing what's inside those mystery boxes, so they both said "ok let's open them here with Chloe, do you want to be in the pictures?" -did you have to ask?! So we did several 'here's the box, what's inside, yay check them out' photos. It was so much fun, and the lady said I photographed really well, I just love my guests! Then they gave me a card which read 'you've helped my Disney vacation great' and wrote a link on the back to their blog which was brilliant. So I wrote a link to my blog on my trusty Disney receipt paper as I'm not as professional as them! But it was a really nice experience and yesterday I found the link to the blog they did about the pins and loved it and loved the photos, thank you so much you guys, hope to see you around the parks again, and I still want to do what you do for a job one day, I would love to go around the parks and just write about it and take photographs. 

The other day had a mum and daughter come in to the Lords and Lady's store where we sell jewellery including a ring that features in buffy the vampire slayer series. It's real name is a Claddagh ring, but after a few attempts of mentioning buffy, every guest looked at me strangely. So I didn't say anything again, until this girl who must have been in her late teens exclaimed "look mom, it's buddy's ring that angel gave her" and I said "yes! Thank you, finally someone who understands me!" we then continued to talk about buffy and burst into song at the same time "every single night, the same arrangement, I go out and fight the fight" to which her mum looked at us strangely, but at least I wasn't alone this time!! 

All in all, my guests are magical and I do love the compliment I get nearly everyday from an Americans, "we just love to hear you talk/it sounds so much better when you say it in that accent Chloe". I'm learning where most of the states are in America by asking guests where they are from all the time, still to this day the Alabama accent is my favourite, I was the one going "no you talk, I want to listen to your accent" that time.  And I had another couple the other day from Missouri who talked to me for ages about the good places to eat around WDW and then they came back the next day to say goodbye and thank you to me for being so kind and lovely and that they had spoken to a manager at Disney and I will be getting recognition for my hospitality soon, which might mean another Applause-o-gram, I don't know, but the fact that they took the time to talk to someone else about me really makes my day and makes me think maybe I've got the hang of this job now.  I think I would like to work for Disney forever!!

Two weeks of joy update

It has been two weeks since my last blog, I apologise people!! I've been a very busy lady moving house, tanning and enjoying myself yet again :)

Last week I spent my days off at Seaworld, universal studios to watch Impact Wrestling and then me and my friends hired a car to drive to ClearWater beach and had dinner at Seabreeze and then to the Original hooters which is near Clearwater and I bought my teeshirt! Always wanted a hooters teeshirt! During that week I also dressed up as Pocahontas for Monday nights Lasses 'Heroes and villians' and spent time with Charlie and Sarah after work to do Food and Wine festival as it was their last few days with us :( very sad. This place is magical but it's very hard when someone who's been with you since the beginning comes to the end of their program and has to go home. Charlie was my trainer and I don't know what I'm going to do without her around to double check things with. Although I did make her roll her eyes at me the other day because she did something with a returned receipt that I don't normally do when I return stuff and I said "oh, that's what you do?" and she looked at me like "yes Chloe, that's what I trained you to do"  oops! Training was a long time ago and I'm old, I can't remember it all :P

This week I had the first lazy day off I have ever had here in 3 months. I stayed in, cleaned the apartment and finished unpacking all my stuff into my and ariannas nice new one bedroom apartment, it is gorgeous.  We have made it really homely. Which paid off because on our inspection yesterday we received the highest award possible which is a white glove award because it was so darn clean! And we got a big box of chocolates to say well done, yaay! Then I went to Earl of Sandwich and had a Holiday Sandwich which was the most magical thing I've ever tasted, it was a roast dinner in a sandwich and it was warm! Then we went to wrestling, standard Thursday evening, and then we went to a Uk throw-in for the newbies who arrived which was fun, we all went out after we got back from wrestling and had a few drinks. Then yesterday was spent sunbathing for a little too long because I was then late to go to universal studios. But had a very good day there including dinner at the three broomsticks and crazy golf  which was awesome even if I did come last! Then I came home to a load of mexicans as Arianna was having a little party for the new Mexicans but I didn't mind, there was Mexican food and beer :)

And we had a behind the scenes tour if the haunted mansion this week. Had to get up at 5am and to Magic kingdom for 6:30am but it was so worth it!! We got to walk the 1.5mile track of the ride where the cast members pointer out all the secrets and told us stories about the rides history. We got to go into the famous ballroom and got to go behind the glass and become a ghost sat at the table. It was just amazing. Then we were the first people to ride the ride and were able to take flash photos. That's the only time people are allowed to. Then we checked out New Fantasyland as it is having a soft opening at the moment and it was gorgeous. The new ariel ride was lovely but storyline with belle wasn't running which was a shame. But to be in the New Fantasyland after following it for years since it was first announced was amazing!! We have a cast preview to go look at everything in the November 2nd so that's going to be magical!! AND our 40% cast member discount kicks in tomorrow so I'm going shopping before work tomorrow! I'm going to get the Christmas JOY stocking I saw months ago that's $70 normal price, so the extra 20% off than normal will help with that!! I love everything joyful, I bought philidalpia the other day with "philled with Joy" on the packaging, I absolutely freaked out when I saw it, JOY!!

What a lot of joy I have to share this time!!

Sooooo much has changed since my last blog! Me and arianna had a meeting with housing about moving apartments and we settled on me moving in with someone else in a one bedroom flat at the commons and ariannas doing the same but in Patterson court which was a very sad decision to make because we want to live together but the only way we could do that was to move into a 6 person apartment in the commons which we didn't want. So we are not living together anymore.....until we got a phone call the next day saying an empty one bedroom apartment had become available in the commons if we wanted it, YES!!! So that was the happy happy news I got and made me the best bubbly cast member I could be at work. I was bouncing all day!! So we are moving all our stuff in the next few days, I've already been buying coca cola glasses and Starbucks mugs and everything for our new home which will be ours until we leave in 9 months, no more moving :)

The first day of food and wine was ridiculous, I was in the tea store all day, I have never worked so hard in my life!!! I couldn't move from behind the register all day, just to go on break. We had free tea samples and free mugs given to guests when they spent over $25 on tea etc. it was insane, but I still had delightful chit chat with each guests and made it different to each guest so they didn't hear me repeat myself as they waited in line to buy copious amount of tea!!

We then had Epcots 30th birthday on Monday where I went into work early to get a limited edition park map and badge to celebrate. Got a free cupcake from work, listened in on a cast member only talk with an imagineer who's been here since the beginning of Epcot, but then had to go to work but we all got a present and pin to trade with guests, special 30th anniversary ones which the guests where looking for, they dived towards you if they saw this special yellow pin on your lanyard, it was a bit intense!! It was a long busy day at work because there were so many guests. I treated myself to chips from the chippy at lunch. And then, we had all heard there was special fireworks that night for the anniversary and begged our managers if we could go out and watch them. So we closed the stores at 9pm sharp, cashed up in record time and ran outside to watch the end of illuminations followed by the magic that was Epcot's special 30th anniversary fireworks. I've never heard anything so loud in 

My life. Car alarms went off in the car parks, the last fireworks could be heard in resorts  close by and even in magic kingdom guests told me the following day. It was a very special moment to watch and get paid for to watch :) great ending to a bust day! During the day in the American pavilion there was a special show to celebrate the 30th and my friends Sophie and Richard were on stage representing the UK. During this, a letter was read out to the audience, that had been received recently from a guest who had been on holiday here three weeks earlier and read something like "we would like to write in to mention a girl who works in the UK merchandise location who paid our ten month old son a lot of joyful attention. She couldn't stop smiling and telling everyone how cute he was, that he was the cutest baby shed ever seen and gave him lots of stickers. Every time another cast member walked into the store she would get there attention and point him out to them.  We said he was laughing at her because she was so amusing and he must have thought she was Mary Poppins, to which she started singing and dancing around the store to Mary Poppins songs. It wasn't the fireworks or parades that we remember most from our vacation, it was this girl's attention and entertainment that stuck out to us the most and our only regret is that we didn't get her photo so would it be possible to have a photograph of the girls working that evening in that store posted to us, here is our address" and that crazy girl dancing around and singing like Mary Poppins was me. So proud. My manager read it out to me at work the following day and I nearly cried! I've asked him for a copy of the letter to frame and that family's address to send them a postcard to say thank you. My manager also took a photo of me Kerry and sammie to send to them :) pure Disney joy!

The food and wine festival is amazing! I've been to a few countries stands so far and everything in tried has been yummy, and only $3/4 each. I've eaten in Hawaii, Greece, Canada, France and Italy so far. You get a free passport to take around with you and stamp once you've eaten there. So good. On a few occasions I have stayed after work or gone in early to try more foods. It's so good and very quiet during the week, but at the weekend the lines for food can get quite long at each country. 

My last two days off have been mostly relaxing by the pool, shopping (treating myself as it was my big pay day, found a surfy shop so bought roxy shoes, reef flip flops, o'neil dress and a billabong dress) Starbucks (skinny vanilla latte is my new drink, yes I drink mild coffee drinks now!!) and universal studios. Went to watch the wrestling again Thursday night and then last night we went for Halloween horror nights. Oh my god it was the best/scariest thing ever!!! We went through all 7 scare houses. Which are massive warehouses/sound stage buildings in the depths of universals backstage areas. They all took a bit of walking to to get there. The organisation of the thing makes the mind boggle! That park closes at 5pm and they turn it into hellville by 6:30pm! Each house had a theme, mostly a scary film like silent hill or dead end. And the houses are mazes inside but with only one path through it that you have to take and every corner every few metres there are actors dressed as the dead and scary jumping out at you with loud noises and strobe lighting to make it worse and make you scream louder!! I've lost my voice. You feel the relief of getting to the end of it because you are alive, it was like being in a real life horror film. But then once you get outside, there are scary people roaming the steets going around the whole park scaring the Disney joy out of you!! They come out of no where screaming in your face! Dressed as dead things or scare scows or demons. I did feel I was in a buffy episode at one point. I was very brave towards the end and wasn't as scared as I was when we first got there, but it was absolutely amazing!! I'd defiantly go again in a few years when I come back on vacation!! Actually thought the whole thing was excellent, one point to the other park that shall not be named!!

Quick weekend

Good afternoon chloe's Disney joy reading people! Once again I am blogging from the magical 'C' bus on my way to work on a sunshine joy day of Friday which is different than usual as I only got a one day weekend yesterday. I have been by the commons pool all morning with my lovely UK lady friends, but now it's time to go to work for a 6th day as today is a Twinnings event day in our tea shop at work. I was asked a few weeks ago if I could work extra because of the event and because today is Epcot's opening day of the Food and Wine Festival so it's going to be busy compared to the last few weeks! But it's good, it's all extra money in the bank and a busy day at work makes the time go by a lot quicker! I'm excited to see all the stands up and running because they have been creeping into Epcot over night for the last month. The stands are little huts all decorated to the country they represent including Australia, Greece, Belgium, Ireland etc. most are countries we don't have pavilions for in The World Showcase so it's going to be nice to eat foods from other countries around the world (I hope Belgium has a Belgium waffle with chocolate for me to eat!!)

My one and only day off yesterday was brilliant, sunbathing (yes the tan is coming back at last after fading for the last month) and a standard panera bread for lunch where I had soup in a bowl made of bread, yes, it was amazing!! Then me, Amy and Nathan went to universal studios to have dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe- yummy, and we the watch Impact Wrestling which was being filmed live for tv! I was laughing to begin with because I didn't realise how fake it actually was. They were running around in that ring jumping on each other, but all the punches were miles away from the faces etc. but eventually I really got into it and all three of us were cheering for Magnus at the end because he was from the UK (and rather gorgeous!) Hulk Hogan opened the show with fireworks and all, it was a brilliant free night at universal, you don't need a ticket just get there early enough to get a seat!  After we managed to race back to the iride stop and get the last bus home at 10:32pm (phew) we got a housing bus to the boardwalk and met a lot of fellow merchies at Jellyrolls. I have never been there before and it was brilliant. It's one of the evening entertainment places that was always on the holiday planning videos we had when I was little and of course I couldn't go so when I got to go inside for free because I'm a Disney cast member, I had a brilliant time with the gang and a big cocktail in a massive big red cup! Happy days. Still loving the Disney lifestyle out here, everyday. My only concern at the moment is housing are trying to move me and Arianna to a different apartment as our other housemates move out in 2 weeks and they want to apartment empty for four new cast members to move into, but me an Arianna didn't move into an empty apartment, and we would be lovely housemates to two new arrivals so I don't see why we should move. The only reason why I would move is if we could get our own one bedroom apartment and make it nice and homely, so that shall be discussed nearer the time. But our apartment is so clean, we are quiet, get on really well and feel very settled in that building, so I do not want to move, we shall see. Updates about that later on when I know more.

Loving life

I love living so close to everyone here, I can just walk next door and see Clare and Amy. I'm not used to having neighbours like this, it's nice, I accept! Work tomorrow but it's my Friday again already which is nice and Elle's birthday so I'm hoping to finish early at work and join her for Dinner somewhere fabulous in Epcot!!

Happy Halloween! (in September)

Well what a magical three day weekend that was! After the longest week of my life, working 52 hours in 5 days, finishing with a tragic 13hr shift until midnight Wednesday night, I was finally able to relax and enjoy My Orlando that I live in. Thursday morning was spent in magic kingdom with Anna before she had to go to work. After a yummy breakfast on main street including the biggest cinnamon roll know to mankind,  We went on the new and improved dumbo ride, purely to look over the Fence and see new bits of new fantasy land. They had a crane picking up pieces of the new roller coaster for snow white and the seven drawfs mine train which won't be open until 2014! I saw a bit of the track that just came to a stop, never seen a coaster being built before! But we could see in the distance beauty and the beasts castle and prince Eric's castle for the new little mermaid section, so exciting. I have been following the making of this new fantasy land since they announced it years ago and it's so nice to see it nearly finished! We get a preview of it from the end of November I believe, but it's not open to guests until December 6th. And my lovely friend Sophie managed to get a reservation for the Be Our Guest restaurant mid December and I'm going with her to eat yummy foods in that brand new place, it will be magical!

After Anna had to go to work, I had a look around the Polynesian resort with Sara and we went to cast connections to buy discounted Disney things including my nieces Christmas present, if I could fit into it I would have kept it, but obviously it is for a 7 year old princess :)

Friday was brunch at panera bread with Kerry, Amy and Nathan. I love that place, fresh soups and sandwiches for a bargain price. Nathan had to then go to work, but us ladies went shopping as you do, and got last minute things for Mickeys' not so scary Halloween party. In the afternoon I dyed my hair dark brown as it was 5 different colours by this point of 2.5 months in the sunshine state, and customised the men's XL teeshirt I bought, into a Pocahontas dress very successfully even if I do say so myself. A cardboard Pocahontas necklace and a drawn on tattoo and I was good to go! Mickeys not so scary halloween party in magic kingdom that night was absolutely amazing! I would go again if I had $42 to spare. The fireworks were incredible (panoramic) and the parade was the best I've seen, catchy tune too which I haven't stopped singing since "boo, to you and you and you, HAPPY HALLOWEEN" and we got as many sweets as we could carry trick or treating around the park, and met winnie the pooh and friends, Tarzan and jack sparrow! Hot!! I greeted him with, "jack, can I have my picture taken with you" and he just looked at me and went "CAPTAIN jack" in a drunken manner. Brilliant!!

Saturday was universal studios day with Kerry, Clare, new Nathan and new mark. Iride was 25cents there and back, thank you Disney discount, and we had a great day going on as many rides as possible. I used to take the mick out of people who wore ponchos on water rides, but now I embrace it, it kept me and Clare very dry, where as the boys go drenched! Did a little bit if shopping in Harry potter world before leaving and having tea in TGI Fridays, two courses for $10!! 

Back to work yesterday with an early finish which was nice, me, Sian and Andrew went for tea on the Boardwalk and watched Pocahontas, I think she is becoming my favourite, and then Kerry and Anna joined us for icecream treat in Beaches n Cream at 10pm. 

Today I am on my way to magic kingdom to post joy from main street USA and to have a wonder around, maybe go see the boss before hopping on the monorail and going to work in Epcot. I love how I have a normal job, but when I'm not at work, I'm instantly on holiday and can go visit these magical places on a short free bus ride. I'm currently just going through the Magic kingdom gates and will be able to see the castle very shortly out the window :) magical! Getting dropped off at the grand Floridian hotel to have a nose and then monorail to MK. Life is good. Lasses tonight, in my teeshirt that reads "joys of a Disney keeno" on the back, that is my lasses name I have earned since being here, I wonder why? JOY! :)

...just arrived at work, didn't go to MK in the end, just had a wonder around the grand Floridian and had a lovely girl Arielle help me with a magical birthday card for my sister and we filled it with joy! I gave her a four keys fanatic card because she spent so much time making me an envelope and for the extra magic that's inside. Hope it gets to the UK in time for Abi's birthday! Nothing like leaving something until the last minute us there!! If its late, I apologise, but it's totes amaze! :)

This I miss...

Things I miss...

My cottage by the seaside filled with my family and big garden with real grass where the pets play

Denzel, Jessie and George cuddles

Taking Jessie for a walk in a big field 

Being with my best friends and making them laugh with my joy and drunken dancing 

Wembury beach and trying to get James to paddle with me

My clio and singing in it whilst driving along country roads

Frankie & Bennys/chiqutos/pizza express with my coupons

Zumba and body jam classes, I hear the music out here all the time and go "Zumba!"

Plymouth nightlife, drinking and dancing with my girlies

A big cup of tea and a homemade cupcake

Looking at dartmoor from my bedroom window

Driving to the garage to buy a cadburys chocolate bar and not telling anyone

Wearing odd socks

New Look (and Primark)

Texting on my IPHONE

Snuggling up in a duvet

Wearing my hair down all day and it staying straight

Sunday roast with Yorkshire puddings and mash potato and gravy!!

Life here is magical and every day I do love going to work or having a day off in the parks because the bus drives me through the massive "welcome to Walt Disney world" sign every day and that's one of my favourite things to see. the sun shines everyday, i get to swim and sunbathe before work, and I'm surrounded by people who love Disney as much as me. i have made some fantastic friends for life. They all know how much i love being here and have seen me cry in McDonald's because I was thinking "this time next year we won't be here together in our Disney costumes, we will be having McDonald's separately in normal clothes up and down the country" i was pretty tired after a long day but i meant it, will miss this lifestyle and the people in it so much.  But just to let you know England and the people in it, I do miss you.  Wish I could pick you all up and bring you here to live with me in my disney bubble and then life would be perfect

Four Parks in One Day, after a sad goodbye

First of all, it has come to my attention that my spelling in these blogs hasn't been 100% correct.  I have also just read through my last post and decided this information is accurate. However I believe most of you can still understand me and remember I write these blogs very quickly on my 15 mins bus ride to work on my IPHONE and if my IPHONE wants to auto correct my words to the wrong words or doesn't notice an error, it's my IPHONE'S fault not mine :) I don't have time to pre-read before I upload to my blog, I just get the Disney joy out there as soon as I can for your entertainment!! Joy!

After a very quick week at work, (even if it did include the 13 hour shift of doom until gone midnight) it was my weekend again and I was able to spend Thursday afternoon and evening with Matt, Marie, James and Wayne at downtown Disney where we had Margaritas, food at the house of blues and did a spot of last minute shopping. I had JAMBALAYA for tea and it was yummy!! Will defiantly be going back there again.  Friday morning was a very tearful goodbye to them as they made their way back to England, :( poor souls, its going to be so cold and i hope they don't loose their disney joy, as I went to meet Kerry at Epcot and attempted to go around all four parks in one day. And of course we did it, in 7 hours too, record time!!

We started at Epcot and went on mission space, lunch in Japan and dessert in France, then got the Friendship boat to Hollywood studios via boardwalk. At Hollywood studios we saw the parade, did an animation class where we got taught to draw the alien from toy story, and sat down to watch the beauty and the beast stage show. From there we got a bus to animal kingdom and rode expedition  everest with no wait time, epic! But then had to leave to magic kingdom as we realised it closed at 7 that night because of halloween party! So after missing the bus to MK by seconds (!) we got the bus back to Epcot and hopped on the monorail to MK. Rode space mountain and had a quick drink whilst people watching as everyone was entering for the mickeys not so scary Halloween party and every one was in fancy dress. We saw one family where the dad was a hamburger, the mum was coke and the tiny kids was fries! Effort or what! So me and Kerry got very excited for next friday when we will be attending the Halloween party with our buckets/ pillow cases to be filled with candy as we can go trick or treating around the park, joy!! 

Back to work yesterday but the day went very quickly and then it was time for cowboys, havnt been in weeks and it was good to get my line dancing back on!! I'm now on my way to work for the shortest shift of the week, 9 hours, for the text of the days this week it's 10+ hours per day, but when I get paid for my 52 hour week next week I will be a very happy girl with money money money to spend on stuff!! :) I bought a new pair of sunglasses Friday because my red ones broke that iv had for a year, and I bought a mickey mouse pumpkin lantern ornament just like the one I sold on eBay before I got here, I just had to have it back in my life again! Right, arrived at work, faces on every one, let's go make some magic (so looking forward to my 20cents chicken noodles for lunch, they are actually yummy and taste like super noodles from back home!) Disney joy!! 

Past Disney cast members note

Yesterday, me and Sammie had a bit of a Disney Keeno moment where she found a note written on receipt paper hidden behind the mirror in Queens store at work.  The note was dated from 1996 from two cast members saying how much they loved their programme, how they were leaving in a few weeks and hope future cast members have as much fun as possible.  They had written their addresses on the back of the note so Sammie us going to write to them. We hope they are still living there or someone there can get hold of them.  I then continued to search and found another smaller note from someone who did the programme from Oct 95- Oct 96 and it has their name and home phone number on it.  So I can't wait to give that number a call. That's a good day for anyone, getting a phone call or letter from a cast member who is doing the same job you did 12 years ago because they found your note you left behind! I have been thinking about leaving a note for ages but I will wait until I go next year.  I have already created a hidden mickey in the Crown and Crest store. Hidden mickey are three circles in the shape of mickey hidden within the artwork or architecture of Disney rides, parks and resorts. It can also be a mickey face too, just something you can spot and see it and go, "Oo, hidden mickey" I do it all the time, I find them on rides and walking around the parks. So I made my own. I always go "hidden mickey!" when I see a mickey sticker on the floor and people are like, no Chloe that's just a sticker dropped on the floor. So I took a mickey mouse sticker, wrote the word "hidden" on it a put ut somewhere in the Crown and crest store in the united kingdom Pavillion in Epcot. Only a few people have found it because I told them to look for it, but I hope one day to get it into the hidden mickey book as three stickers in the HRC store have made their way into that book! When I go I will write my name on it do it's will read "Chloe's hidden mickey" and date it. As well as leaving my own note with a date, my Facebook name, twitter name, YouTube page etc, all 21st century ways of contacting me if future guests/cast members manage to find it!  I would love it if in a few years time or maybe decades, people contact me because they found my note, pure Disney joy!!

Disney and Katie and Matt plus Chloe

My days off just keep getting better and better!! This week I was lucky to have a three day weekend too! So on Wednesday I went to the beach and to a baseball match with a lovely group if people. We hired a massive 8 seater car from the swan and dolphin hotel and Anna (aka mum) drive us to Walmart (for picnic stuff and nibbles) and to st Petersburg near Tampa to a lovely quiet white sand blue sea beach where we spent the afternoon sunbathing and swimming in the sea. There were a few too many real life fish in the sea for my liking, and Nathan swears he saw a few sting rays, but I don't know if that was to just make us girls squeal even more! But I got a little braver each time I went for a swim and by the end of the afternoon was able to walk in without looking at them and know they would swim away from me, but my god if they had touched my legs I would have been out of there and never going back into the sea again, hate fish! 

So after that, Mum drove us to the tropicana stadium where we went for a quick walk to the pier and then got a free shuttle to the stadium and went to find out seats for the baseball game, Yankees vs Tampa rays! It was awesome! We had really good seats, up really high but right in the middle and could sea everything. I bought two hot dogs, obvs, but everyone else bought form fingers and I kind of wish I bought only one hotdog so I could afford a form finger now. But maybe next time! Then Nathan (aka dad) dropped us home. I fell asleep in the back while the other kids made up horror stories, but mum and dad took good care of us and got us there and back very successfully, so will defiantly be doing another roadtrip like that again. 

Thursday was seaworld day. Katie and family picked me up from the Commons and we went straight to seaworld and spent the whole day there. It was seaworld joy. Went on all three rides and saw all the dolphin, sealion and shamu shows, and had a kids meal for lunch where my chicken nuggets and fries came in a shamu box :) we kept running into Matt, Wayne, Marie and James which was nice. Watched a couple of the shows with them and I sat in the wet splash zone for the shamu show next to them where Matt tried to use me as a human shield when shamu came around splashing everyone!! But we didn't get that wet for being sat in the front row, my map got drenched though hiding my face.  After seaworld it  was straight to downtown Disney for tea at Paradiso 37, my favourite, and we ate dinner sat outside next to a beautiful subset. Followed by a bit of shopping abusing Chloe's discount card to the max for the Prouses, happy days, Molly even got the stocking she wanted because yes, we went to the Christmas store! Felt so good to be in my fav store, havnt been in since I got here. And that us where I found my favourite item that I shall be buying once my 40% kicks in, a red velvet Christmas stocking with JOY written across the top in sparkles and the O is a mickey mouse shape. I had a heart attack and started panting when u saw it and the guy behind the register must have thought I was crazy but I don't care, can't wait to buy it. 

Friday was animal kingdom day with the Prouses, Kerry my favourite lady helped me get the whole family in for free on our main gate passes and we went on all the safaris and rides. We watched finding nemo the musical last and came outside to a lot if rain. So the Prouses went home to pack up the villa and me and Katie went to Epcot for the evening as animal kingdom closed at 5pm. We went on a few rides, I showed Katie where I work in the UK Pavillion and introduced her to some of my Dusney buddies, and then we went for tea in China via Mexico for a frozen margarita which was yummy!! Said goodbye to Katie and her family as they are off to the coast now for a week before going home, I went to visit Matt and co for the evening at their resort for a few beers on their balcony (outside corridor where they've put their chairs) love it. Loved seeing Katie and her family in Disney, was strange but magical to have Plymouth folk in my disney bubble! :)

Best weekend ever!

I have had such a brilliant past few days! Starting with breakfast and a swim at the art of animation resort with Elle and Zach, then a sunbathe and Penara bread with amy, and then a meet and great and photo with Alice in wonderland in Epcot with Amy and mars, followed by a trip around the world to do a Duffy bear and back to Clare's and amys apartment for a Chinese before bed. Then Friday started with getting up at 6am to go to Epcot in costume for a 30th anniversary cast photo infront of the fountain and spaceship earth. We went back stage in costume to the wonders of life Pavillion to have free food for breakfast (even if it was chicken and rice, still yum) the we all went out to the fountain to have a massive photo of all the cast that could be bothered to get up that morning, mickey and Minnie were there, obvs. We went back to the pavilion to change out of costume and into normal clothes to go meet the characters at the character spot in the middle if Epcot. Epcot was empty as it was 8:30am and epcot doesnt open until 9am, so it was so nice to walk around with no guests. We waited (and took a few photos) then got told off by some bloke who said we had to go out at the front of the park and come back in at 9am. So after following us to the front -get a life- we waited with the other guests to get back in at 9am and then sprinted to be the first in the que for character spot as Matt had heard the first family of the day gets their photo taken with the fab five -very rare! So we got there first, loving life, and the doors opened and mickey was there waving and air punching cuz we were the first, yay, and he took my arm and walked us in the the photo shoot place with nice backdrops and I thought to myself oh Matt must be wrong, it's only mickey we get our photo with. So we all stood for a photo with the boss and we all had a tap on the shoulder and Pluto, goofy, Minnie and Donald were there behind us! Which was awesome, we were there for about 5 mins talking away and avin a convo about Disney joy, Donald got down on one knee to me - joy, he might be my new favourite! And then we all had our photos taken individually with them all to. Amazing!! Went on sorin', nemo, turtle talk, mission space and Then we met more people back at the cast party in the wonders of life pavilion where we had free buffet and drinks and I had my third mickey mouse shaped ice creams for free! Winner! 

Then after eating lots of food and having more photos taken with the characters who were walking about the party, we went back out to watch captain eo 3D show and imagination ride (for kids but love ur) followed by a trip to all star sports resort where me Anna and Nathan relaxed by the pool all afternoon. Every half hour I went back to reception to see if Matt and co had checked in and they didn't. Think their plane was quite delayed. Eventually I got a call from the front desk as I gave them my cell phone number and Matt was on the end of the phone, squeel! After they checked in and some dinner, we had a quick tour if the all star resorts where Matt and Wayne decided they wanted to stay in the movies resort as it was way cooler! Why do I bother? Lol, only joking! I got the longest bus home and went to sleep ready to meet Katie at magic kingdom in the morning!!! Spent the next morning with Katie and her family after Kate very kindly got up early with me to let them all in :) we met mickey and Minnie and went on a few rides before I got the monorail to Epcot to go for work for 1pm. Katie had brought me my dressed that I asked for from my room as well as some surprise presents from mummy which were yummy chocolates and uk things and the $14 I thought I'd lost that she found in my room! Bonus! Cheers mummy!! 

Post cowboys joy, standard sunday

Morning people, I am blogging from a much earlier bus this morning than planned because I was summoned to start as early as possible instead of 1pm. Lucky I was up and showered when they rang and it was cloudy or else I probably would have said no to go sunbathe. But I'm on my way to get paid time and a half for an extra two hours work so not all bad.

Had a really good time last night at cowboys, havnt been in two weeks and have missed that place and all the line dancing joy! I joined in with a few, took several photos and videos and had a little tear in my eye when the last song came on and we all danced in a big circle with the girls in the middle who are leaving to go home next week. Just makes me think of my last time to cowboys and how much I'm going to miss the Orlando/Disney lifestyle, it really is amazing out here and I can't believe 7 weeks have flown by so quickly. 

I have made a bucket list of what I want to do while I'm out here and after talking to Sarah yesterday at work who has just got back from one, a Disney cruise is at the top of my list!! She and Daria went for 5 days to the Bahamas and had four courses for meals, entertainment, sunbathing, trips to beautiful islands etc all with the Disney charm, for $550 all inclusive. I think that's a bargain for how much food I'm going to eat!! I would also love to go to new York at Christmas time, Disneyland California, vegas, new England etc. obviously a lot of saving will have to be done for all these lovely ideas, but I also have that 30days travel time at the end of my program so might do a load then. Currently I am trying to get a Wednesday off in September to drive to Tampa and see a Yankees baseball game! :) should be awesome, I want to send dollies down the row of seated people next to me and get a hotdog passed down to me!! Living the dream! 

Work was good yesterday, apart from the drama of an elderly man fell over and landed flat on his face and I was the first cast member on scene so had to go into training mode and remember what are the right things to do. Eventually the paramedics came and cleaned him up and he didn't want to go to hospital so continued around the park in a wheelchair. Bless him, he had a celebrating badge on so I asked him what was he celebrating and he replied "being alive, I just had surgery a few weeks ago" and he was 79 very frail old man sat on the floor with a black eye, I was like well yes you are!! And kept talking to him, wrote down asynchronous information as I could and stayed with him and his wife and other people arrived. Other guests stayed too, to talk to him and eventually help him to his feet to get into wheelchair. but then the rest of his family arrived and looked after him. I got a few high fives from managers Adam and Zach when it was all over for my great job and keeping calm :) all in a days work!!

Cast connections

I am awake early! Have just walked to Chatham square bus stop to get the A bus to Cast connections behind magic kingdom. Was thinking about going to watch the welcome parade at MK at 9am but might save that for when Katie gets here next week and watch it with her. So I will go straight to CC now once the bus gets here and be in front of the line to get in! I hope it opens at 9am, else epic fail?! 

Yesterday was a lovely day spent with Sophie and Sara by the pool and then to animal kingdom, followed by animal kingdom lodge for tea and chill out time by their pool. It is so pretty there, will defiantly be going to resorts more from now on to see what they are all like and decide which one I'd like to stay in on my next vacation to WDW!

On my walk over here to the bus stop I was thinking how cool it was in Orlando at 8am, not anymore, I'm now hot, get me on that air conditioner bus!!....and we're on! God bless you air con! 

In other news, I think it's slightly amusing that my messyness has caught on to my roommate and last night she looked at our room and said "Chloe look what's happened, my side is messy like yours" I just sat there and grinned. I tidy up every few days, but at the end of the day I like to chuck stuff on the floor, its exhausting being Disney joyful to people for 10 hours straight, I give myself a headache most days. Yes I'm drinking enough water, I don't stop, but the constant "hello, how are you? Are we enjoying our trip round the world today? Have you just started via Canada or are you close to finishing? Who are we shopping for today? Where are you from? Oh iv always wanted to travel there, iv been here for 6weeks but I have 30 days to travel at the end of my 12 months working for Disney and would love to travel around America, i applied online at yummyjobs.com, just had two interviews and I got the job, a year later here I am, would you like a bag with that one? Receipt is in the bag is that ok? No problem well thanks for stopping by the UK today, sorry we didn't have any doctor who or one direction merchandise, maybe one day you never know, well take care then and enjoy the rest of your day in Epcot, bubye-hello how are you?" OMG! Iv just got a headache reliving it! All day every day to every guest people! ... But I still love my job because at the end of the day it's talking to guests and selling a few things in Disney world and I get paid for it. Looking forward to seeing Katie and Matt and co very soon, gonna be so surreal seeing Plymouth people in my Disney bubble, need more of you to make plans, save up and come visit people!! :) 

2 hours later...

I'm on my way back from cast connections. It opened at 8:30am not 9am so I wasn't the first there but happy with my little bargains of a couple of iPhone cases, mickey Christmas decoration and mickey ice cubes all for 10 bucks! And then went next door and got a load of food, bread cheese eggs etc. and now on the bus back to housing, will dump this stuff and then get out in this sunshine because it is beautiful today, not a cloud in the sky! Gonna see if anyone wants to go to blizzard beach or just to a resort to sit and soak up the sun. This bus driver has got some blazzin tunes pumping out if his radio right now...wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle yeah!! They never have music on, loving life!! Hope I add to my tan today and will update you all later, thankyou for reading my blog and your comments about it, I do try to be interesting and give you a little taster if my life, even if it is always the thoughts that come into my head on my bus trips around WDW. But I enjoy writing them down and will enjoy reading them back next year when I'm back in the UK with PDD (post Disney depression) and going "this time last year I was on the bus back from  sat connections after buying Disney iPhone cases for $2, meh!" 

Dear future Chloe, this is a message from the past Chloe a year ago when you was tanned, 25, and living life in Disney, stop crying, yes it was a magical year and you have magical memories, photos, videos and lots if new friends around the world because if it. Now get a real job, start saving and plan your next trip back to WDW with your free complimentary tickets you got when you left that never expire! You like animal kingdom lodge and Polynesian resort, take a look at some prices in September, if you remember correctly its cheaper and quieter that time if year :)" .... Sigh!

P.s. four months until Christmas eve!!

P.p.s. Lmfao,  party rock anthem just came on on the bus, miss you girlies!! this bus drivers got it going on! What a winner of a bus trip home on me own! 

It's Friday!!!

Good morning all!! One very sleepy Chloe is sat on the floor on the bus on her way to work on her "Friday" as there are no seats left, morning busses r busy!! (I'm sat on a step on the floor to the emergency exit on the bus, I'm not actually sat on the floor cross legged looking like a lost child) speaking if lost children, patents need to take hold if their kids in Disney, I don't know how many more crying kids I can go "don't worry princess, you're not lost because you're with me! Your parents are the ones we need to go find, come on then, let's go, silly patents" to! Omg, and why don't ppl know where the restrooms are, there is a massive sign saying restrooms, u just walked past it and now you're asking me where they r and you didn't even compliment me on my adorable accent!! Haha, can you tell I'm working longer hours than last week?? Nearly finisher though, I'm just looking forward to my next two days off, they ate why I'm here, to go play in the disney theme and water parks for free, on pay day, happy days. 

I recently got a park map and crossed off all rides and places iv eaten on it and would like it to be filled by the end of the year, for all 6 parks (4 theme, 2 water). I think it's time to go back to animal kingdom as I have only been there once and now I have my giraffe print mickey ears so need to wear them there!!!! :) if the weather is good then blizzard beach too would be good as I havnt been there in years and want to go down the big one, summit plummit!

My room mate went away for a few days this week to the beach with her family so the apartment was very quiet but she's back now and bought me a cream coloured friendship bracelet which is very pretty and makes me look more tanned, she's so sweet! And Katie and Matt get here in a week, I'm so excited for my two groups of visitors. Iv got them a little bit if Disney joy each and will hopefully get to spend a lot if time with them. I'm thinking extra magic hours late at night after work too in parks to go on rides with very short wait lines!! :) eek, oh the photos!! Pure joy! Plymouth accents and familiar faces with be so magical together with me in Disney world. Welcome to my surreal little life in the Disney bubble, I feel like iv been here forever! 

Right nearly at work now, iv come in a bit early to buy some lunch. My new BFF Alice in wonderland isn't in today but she will be tomorrow so I might pop back to Epcot for a photo with her in the UK because I know she will make a fuss over me, Disney joy friends :) 

......added 16 hours after I wrote this, really need to remember to upload these blogs I write in the morning! Night people!! I've just got in from my long day ending in McDonald's and a nice long chat with some people in the beverly hills of the commons...sat on the ground! Xx

Update of Joy

Written three days ago and forgot to upload...

It's Friday Friday!! (well my Friday anyways, iv got the next two days off woop) I survived my second extra magic hours last night, worked from 1:15pm until 12:30am -that should be illegal! But it was good, I got three breaks and had lots of lovely guests to talk to, got one cheeky phone number off Mike, a guest who thought I was awesome - obvs - because I skipped through the store saying "im not allowed to run at work but I can skip!" and another guest said I was delightful and hilarious and took a photo of me with her family, I'm just so famous :) off to blue martini tonight, can't wait to have a cocktail with a glow stuck in it!!

Three days later (now)...

Just seen the most amazing thunder storm outside my window. The rain came out of nowhere, then lightening struck and instantly the loudest thunder sounded and shock my apartment building. Good old Facebook taught me that several other of my Disney buddies felt the same thing in their apartments, and it Lasted for a while, the thunder and lightening was right over us and then it began to pass, just in time for me to catch my bus to work, phew!

I'm back to work today after my lovely weekend off. Did lots of sunbathing, went to Magic Kingdom, Typhoon lagoon, planet Hollywood and downtown Disney. And not forgetting my new favourite place, cast connections. I spent $55 and got a massive photo frame iv wanted for years, a cat toy from expedition Everest iv wanted since last year, the flip flops I bought last year that Jessie ate, I got another pair for a quarter of the price of the originals, a Christmas lanyard, iPhone case, hoody, teeshirt...and i think that's it! But it's all discounted prices, and I get extra Disney discount on top and it's all old stuff that I saw last year on holiday that I get to buy cheap now! :) however iv just realised that I forgot to go food shopping over the last two days and only have crackers and cheese for lunch so will try to go to publix in the next few days, might be wise to buy more food than stuff every now and again.

I just uploaded all my photos from the last week and there's about 200! Not leaving it that late again. I had photos from Lasses on Monday night (very messy from the drinking games we did with the UK lads) pics from Wednesdays night at Blue Martini, A rather lush club we went to for Paul's Birthday and then loads and loads from my two days off-obvs! 

But back to work I go now! In the rain, in my lovely work poncho. Joy!