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!!