First Week Reflection February 2-9

This is it! This was the week I had finally waited for, my check-in. On Monday, February 2, 2015 I checked into the Walt Disney World College Program. This all started a couple days before though. Let’s back up to Friday January 30, 2015. This was my last day in Pullman with all of my friends and also, happened to be my birthday. Friday was so difficult but I wanted to make it a day to remember. I woke up late because I wanted to sleep in and thought to myself that I should probably get up and talk to people. I hung out all day with my friends and then went out to a birthday dinner. After dinner, we went out and had some fun then went to be. Then Saturday came and it was an emotional one. As my boyfriend and two best friends dropped me off at the airport there was not a dry eye. It was very emotional and hard to say good-bye, knowing I was leaving until May. They left and I walked over through security and onto my plane. The ride over to Seattle was filled with thoughts about what the Disney program would be like. It would be the very first time, since kindergarten, that I would be doing something on my own, where I did not know anyone.

                The plane landed in Seattle and I called my mother to tell her. My mother and two sisters came to pick me up and we headed to an overnight at the mall with their Girl Scout troop. On the way there I received a call saying I would get to live in my sorority house next year and I was ecstatic. We went to the mall and it was fun but kept my anxiety away at the same time.

                The next morning I woke up and realized it, today is the day. The day I go away, all on my own for the first time in thirteen years. We left the mall and went back home. My mother and sister had set up a going away party for me at the old Spaghetti Factory in Lynnwood, Washington so people could say congratulations and good-bye. My nerves were so bad I did not eat anything but bread because I could feel my stomach was already upset from anxiety.

                After we ate, it was time; time for us to head to the airport. Time for me to go away, alone. We got to the airport and printed off, my tickets, put my bags on the luggage conveyor belt, and said our good-byes. My mother, father, and younger sister came with to say good-bye and it was very difficult. They left and I went through security, then off to the gate to wait for my plane. The flight ended up being delayed over an hour, which made me worry about making my connection flight in Los Angeles to Orlando. I got on the plane and fell asleep, awaiting our arrival in Los Angeles. Once we landed, the attendant announced to let the passengers with connecting flights off first because they feared us missing our flight. It was like in the movies! Everyone was getting out of our way and wishing us good luck on catching our flight. Running through the airport, I got lost a couple times but ended up getting to the gate and finding a line to stand in. Once on this flight, I slept as much as I could.

                I arrived in Orlando, Florida and got off the plane at six in the morning. I hurried to go grab my bags and get on the shuttle. I had previously spoken to one of my roommates about bunking with her until we checked in at ten forty-five that morning. I got dropped off at my roommate, Tierny’s, hotel. I napped on the couch until it was time to go.

                We got to check in and the line was giant! We stood in line and the lady asked our last names. Luckily, my last name begins with an A, so I got to skip half of the line to the A-L line. Once inside the building, we got our locations. I looked and saw that I would be working at the Contemporary Resort as a Housekeeper. I had never heard anything about this resort so I was very nervous. Next, they checked us in with our I-9 forms and forms of identifications. I used my passport card so I did not have to bring any other form of Identification. Once we were checked in legally, we went to go get our ID cards. Like always, mine looked horrible. Next we went and got our training schedules and spoke with people about proper dress attire. Second to last, we filled out our I-9 work forms, so we could legally work. Last, we got information about classes through both Disney and our individual Universities.

                After check in, my roommates and I went to check out our apartment. I was not as bad as we were expecting but it needed to be cleaned. After looking at the apartment, all four of us went down to the cars and brought our luggage up. It was hard being the only person in my apartment without my parents there but I had been alone before so it was not the end of the world. As the other girl’s parents left, they were extremely emotional which, is why I was happy, in a way, that my parents had not come down with me. The next day, I had to go to “casting” at eight in the morning so I went to bed early.

 I woke up and hoped on a bus to casting services. I got really lucky with where my apartment was located because the bus was only fifty steps from the building. Once we got to casting, we entered an amazing building with sculptures and artwork of Disney all over the walls. We got our instructions to wait in line until they told us otherwise. They called us back, one by one, into rooms, I got room eight. I sat down and one of the people put in all of my I-9 form information, while the other person explained my training schedule to me. They asked if I understood and I said yes. We shook hands and they send us to more people. They checked my form of ID, passport card, and sent me down a hallway to the next station. Here, they did all of my figure prints and background checks. Lastly, they send me to a room where they gave me a paper with information as to how to log onto the HUB, the cast online website, and change our mailing address to the apartment in Orlando. After this, we got back on the bus and went to our apartments.

That night, my roommates and I went out for dinner and set ground rules for the apartment. Then, we went shopping for food and decorations. When we got back to the apartment, all four of us pitched in and cleaned all of the apartment. We cleaned bathrooms, bedrooms, the kitchen shelves, dishes, the floor, even the couches and walls.

A couple days went by and I got really sick. I started to think it was my allergies but my mother though that I had caught something from the plane. It was hard to function but I kept going. On Friday I had what is called “Traditions”. My roommate Danielle and I, had to be to the bus at six fifty five in the morning.

We caught the bus and headed out on Friday morning. Our destination was Disney University for our Traditions class. Unfortunately, Danielle and I were split into different groups. I was on the second floor and she was on the first. I walked up stairs, following my group. We had to find our name on the sign in sheet and sign before we went into the classroom. Once inside, there was another person asking if the name to our school was correct. For reason, they had my school down as Walter State University instead of Washington State, so I had to have it corrected. The class was four hours long but was very important. The two instructors talked about courtesy, safety in the work place, and recourses that would make our work experience easier. When we entered the classroom, there was a red present in the middle of the table which, struck the attention of many. We wanted to open it so bad and the suspicion was killing us. In the middle of class, we got to open the present and inside, was our first pair of Mickey ears! At the end of the class, the instructors took us to Magic Kingdom to experience the magic that the cast members bring to the guests. This was my favorite part by far because I had never been to Disney World before. We entered the park through the tunnels that were under Cinderella’s castle. I could not believe it! The first time I ever went to Disney World, I could officially say I was under the Castle. After we went to the park, we took a bus back to the classroom and Mickey came and gave us our name tags. It was very special to have Mickey Mouse himself, come in and give us our name tags. This was my first week at Disney and it could not have been any better!

The week’s most rewarding aspects were receiving our name tags from Mickey and our first pair of ears. The most challenging aspect, by far, was being extremely sick but still going out and getting my work done. By working through this challenge I learned, that even though life can be rough, you can work through anything and the rewards are worth it. I would not have changed anything this week. My roommates are amazing people and my experience this week has been great. The assignment this week helped me to realize that even though I am in housekeeping, I can make a difference in the lives of the Disney Guests. This gives me the drive to work hard no matter what career I am in because no matter what I am doing, it will impact other people.