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!!