Mini Golfing

Yesterday Tessa, Sheena, Jase and I all had the day off, we spent the day by the pool which was awesome! Then we went to Olive Garden for dinner with Kim and then went to play Mini Golf. The Mini golf place was Pirate themed and we had alot of fun!

Of course it was my idea to all wear our Pirate eye patches and get a picture!

Chillers!

Last night I went to Chillers! My new favorite bar! It was 4 levels and the top level is open air with tiki torches and djs. It was amazing there and I had an awesome time. I went with Paul from Canada and his roomate from France. There were also lots of Norweigans there. All of the drinks were $1 dollar each, Coronas, Margarita's shots anything!!! So busy and each floor had different music and a different theme.

My lucky day!

Today I was at work, when I got asked to attend a meeting. Me and Nikki from Canada went outside to see the area manager of the UK and Canada waiting for us. We jumped in her car with 3 UK girls and she told us we were going to accept our award on behalf of our pavillion at the Diversity awards. Canada was the runner up and UK got first place. There was tons of desserts and drinks there for us and we sat down very happy to be away from work for a couple hours. Everyone was congratulating us and shaking our hands, pretty funny considering I was not prepared for this today. We met and had pictures taken with the president of Epcot, who is actually quite the celebrity around here. After the awards we were served the best strawberry cream cake ever! Yum! Lots of people were super jealous! hehe so unexpected!

Orlando Outlet shopping!

Today I dragged my Norweigan roomate Iselin to the Orlando Premium Outlets. They are so good! At one point it started to rain and being an outdoor mall we had to take cover in the stores. It was not a little rain shower, it was a rain storm and the air was so hot and humid I felt like I was in that part of the Vancouver Aqaurium where the turtles and tropical birds live. I found some really great deals! The Adidas jacket and running shoes together came to $35 bucks. I absolutely love this Dooney & Booke purse I bought too! Sabrine you would love the Coach outlet here, it is so much bigger and better then the one in Burlington! Anyways that is my shopping story! We came home to find our Italian roomate making pizza and salad for a few friends she had over. This Japanese girl was here and I introduced myself and asked how she was in Japanese. She was amazed how well I could speak it! I honestly remember more Japanese that I learned in grade 8 then the French taught throughout highschool. Marianna then showed me how they eat ice cream in Italy. She put it in a mug and poured hot coffee over it! It was delicious!

Pleasure Island

Last night the all the girls went out to PI. The theme this week was Bunny (with Easter and all). It was alot of fun! We went to Motion! By the time we got there it was already 12 pm and the 2 hours go by so fast!

Happy Easter!

Well last night I went to Tessa's place and decorated Easter Eggs, then we went to John's for pizza. Today at work it was super busy being Easter Sunday, but the day went by fast! I went to the pool and wrote postcards when I got home and I am just on my way out to an Easter dinner made by some of the Canadian's tonight! Should be fun and I'm really hungry! I talked to most of my family tonight because they were all together for dinner. I miss being there!
I bought these Guava juices the other day from the grocery store so I took one to the pool today! I love Guava juice because it reminds me of being in Hawaii! I love Hawaii!!

Work today!

Today I was greeting and seating in the restaurant! It was great, and a nice change from working outside on the promenade. The Canadian restaurant im working in "Le Cellier" is rated number 1 in Walt Disney World, and Number 3 in all of Florida! You need to book 6 months ahead to make a reservation for dinner. The food looks and smells delicious and I cannot wait to try it! I will be getting a Culinary day in the kitchen that I'm also looking forward to.
From top left clockwise... Last night at Bennigens for Sarah's Birthday, Uk boys, Norweigan guys, Tessa and I on the bus home from work!

ROXY

Last night I went out with a bunch of girls to a club in Orlando named ROxy. It was huge inside! We had a lot of fun there! Good music too!

The Clubhouse

Yesterday while walking from my condo I took this picture of the clubhouse. The sun was shining over it so nicely and the water was glistening! I feel like I have not enough time in each day to do everything I want! The days go by so quick. I love working morning shifts because I am off at 4 or 5 and get home while it is still hot and sunny outside. Sometimes I will also catch a ride home with someone who is driving home from work! (Cuts down the travel time alot because the bus is very slow!). I also got a Menu description book for the steakhouse and I need to start cracking down on learning everything because the sooner the better for getting into serving!

Typhoon Lagoon pics

John had bought an underwater camera and had the pictures put on a cd. I love the waterparks, next time I want to go to Blizzard Beach!

MGM Studios

Today Gary (from the UK) and I went to Disney's MGM Studios. We both had the day off and it was alot of fun! My favorite ride was Aerosmith's Rockin Roller Coaster. It was in the dark with lots of drops and twists while playing load music! We also went on the Tower of Terror twice and saw lots of shows. We got no where near to doing everything, but thats why I can come back whenever I want! The Beauty and the Beast show was also really good! Tonight I am going out to P.I. for Canadian Girls night!, should be fun and I don't have to work til 4 tommorrow!

Then we headed to Epcot.!

Epcot was great! Even though I am working here, I still love it. There are so many things to do and see. Here I am at the France pavillion. For dinner I had a ham and cheese croissant from the bakery! It was yummy.
These are pictures I took of the Grand Floridian Resort from the Monorail. It looks beautiful, I can't wait to go check out the beach there! It's Disney's most expensive resort!

Day off at Magic Kingdom

Today at the Magic Kingdom it was really busy! The line ups were too long and we started to get grumpy. Here is Splash Mountain!
Cinderellabration at Cinderella's Castle. It was really a good showW! Saw all the princesses.
Tessa and I on the Monorail. We sat in the very front and could see everything!
The Jungle Cruise

Work...

Well today I worked, and now I have another two days off. I've been pretty lucky with my schedule! I also got a paycheck today for a couple training information sessions I had to do, they didn't really feel like work at all maybe because going on rides was involved! So that was kinda surprising! Everyone is so funny, I get asked so many silly things about Canada while working. People are actually amazed that I am actually from Canada. Today alot of people came by who were "Drinking around the World". Many people will go to each country's pavillion and have a glass of wine, beer or maybe a margarita from Mexico and then take pictures in every country. Each country has restaurants, shops, rides etc....you have to see it to understand what its like...

Typhoon Lagoon

Yesterday I went to Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, one of the water parks meant to look like it was just hit by a tropical storm. It was great! It's 10 times better and bigger than any water park back home! There is also a shark reef where you can snorkel and see lots of fish. I didn't know why they called it a shark reef, but once I was in, I found out! I was swimming above mantarays, colourful fish, and even little sharks, it was amazing! It was also really cool because some of the people I went with had never snorkeled before! There were also some waterslides that shot your tube into the air and down dark tunnels and slopes, it was crazy!

Animal Kingdom

Today we went to Disney's Animal Kingdom, it was awesome!
Here is Tessa and I, with Julie and Anya from Germany!
Tessa and I riding Expedition Everest! Tommorrow is the opening day for the ride, its a roller coaster that goes forwards and backwards and encounters the Yedi monster inside the mountain!Click to Check out Expedition Everest!

Pictures

From top left clockwise... Norweigan guy Ole's outfit for working in the restaurant and at the ride "Maelstrom in the Norweigan Pavillion". Canadian girl Sheena and I at club Motion in Pleasure Island. Me in Gemma's (from the UK's) hat. Tesssa and I with the British guys during Epcot training!

Discovery !

Today was really exciting, but I was dead tired. I slepped in and had time to only run out of my apartment this morning! The people from UK and Canada went on a tour of Epcot and learned everything we needed to know. We also got to go on some rides, and sample pop from all around the world. There are so many backstage secrets and unknown things about Disney, and it was really cool! The tour of the steakhouse where we will be working was neat, its super nice and very very busy!

1st day at Epcot

Last night a bunch of us went to Epcot. I was so excited! It is so cool and there are more things to do there then the Magic Kingdom. We started off in Future World, and I rode "Mission Space", a ride that is supposed to feel like you are blasting in a rocket to Mars. It was crazy and astronauts say its the closest feeling a person will ever get to the real thing! Alot of people get really sick on that ride actually, but I survived!

Later we went to World Showcase (where I will be working for Canada!). It was absolutely amazing! It was even better than I expected! It really feels like you are actually in that country! We rode the boat ride in Mexico and Norway, and it was so funny because my roommate Iselin from Norway was explaining everything to us and teaching us Norweigan. We ate Fish and Chips in the UK, and tasted different desserts in Italy! We also went to the wine and perfume shop in France and explored China and Japan. Germany has a huge beer garden, and Mexico has an indoor market place on the water where I bought a Epcot passport with stickers. The Mexican guy who I bought it from I found out is actually our neighbor. By the time we reached Canada, it was closed, but we watched "Illuminations" the fireworks and water spectacular and it was Amazing!

Traditions

Today was a really long day! Woke up at 6 am to go to Traditions at the "Disney University" haha. Today I got my Disney ID, park pass, schedule etc. and went through training. I also learned a whole bunch more things that Disney offers us. Yoga and Tai Chi classes, Volleyball and Basketball leagues, Marketing and Computer courses, and volunteering for "Give Kids the World" which I plan to do. You visit a Disney resort where families are staying who have children with life-threatening illnesses and play with them and make there time more enjoyable! I plan to hopefully go once a week.

Tonight went to Magic Kingdom and rode Splash Mountain, Thunder Mtn. Railroad, and the Haunted House. The fireworks were also awesome! Disneyworld is huge, found out it is the size of San Francisco, and twice the size of Manhattan! Crazy!

DT Disney

Last night went to Downtown Disney to eat at Bongo's restaurant (Cuban place owned by Gloria Estefan) and then to a movie. It was alot of fun! Gemma and Gary from the U.K. are so funny because lots of things I say mean different things in Britain. I could not stop laughing, you definately had to be there! I also took that picture of the clubhouse at my apartments!

M ickey's Retreat!

Today I went to Mickey's retreat for the first time. It's an area for all Disney employees and their friends and families! The sand is soo nice and we played beach volleyball. There are two pools, a lake, volleyball, basketball, tennis courts, paddle boats, and much more! It was alot of fun! The girl in the picture is Tessa, she came on the same day as me from Canada!

Celebration town!

Ok I took this pics the other day of the town Celebration! Celebration is Disney's town, it is much like pleasantville. It's so funny because all the houses are gorgeous, lawns are perfect, and it's very expensive to live there! The funniest thing though is I found a street called "Wisteria Lane", named after Desperate Housewives! It is almost too perfect, but mom and I really enjoyed driving through it and had coffee at a shop in the center of town!

Why me?

I don't know why but it seems like everytime I go away or on Vacation, I get some sort of bite or injury. The first night here I must have been bitten by a spider, because the last two days my foot has been swollen up like a balloon. It's pretty painful and I am getting very annoyed! I was told that Medicare would come and pick me up but the wait at the clinic is 3 hours. So I am toughing it out here tonight, I bought a cordless phone and a bunch of other stuff today! I also opened up my bank account and went to get my U.S. Social Security card. On Saturday I will get my Disney Park pass and ID, so I will get to go to Animal Kingdom, MGM, Epcott, Magic Kingdom, and the waterparks! Hooray!

Apartment Update!

Well I am now here at my apartment at Disneyworld. It is even nicer then I expected. I have a good location as well, close to the pool etc. I got an apartment that was empty (everyone just moved out)so all 4 of us are moving in today. I was the first to arrive so I have unpacked most of my stuff. Then my mom and I drove to The Walmart Superstore (Huge@!, unlike anything back home) and bought some necessities for my place. I found out my roomates will be from The UK, Italy, and Norway. I can't wait to meet them! Tonight I found out the Canadian's have a huge party planned for the 5 Canadians that arrived today, which includes me!!!

Universal Orlando!

Today my mom and I spent the whole day at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure! It was alot of fun! I loved the Incredible Hulk Coaster and Jurrasic Park River Adventure that had a huge drop! I think our favorite was "The Mummy Returns", which was an inside roller coaster in the dark with bursts of fire! The lines were not too long (exept we waited about an hour for the Jaws ride). I bought a season's pass for $99.00 which is very good considering a one day pass costs $73.00.
My mom and I on the Hulk Roller Coaster! Other rides I loved were Earthquake, Men In Black,and Popeye's Raft ride where we got absolutely soaked! Shannon you were right!!! That change of clothes really was needed! I really can't believe how much there is to do in Florida! I haven't seen anything yet, but even Universal has "City Walk" which is home to tons of night clubs and restaurants like Margaritaville, Pat O'Briens, and Hard Rock Cafe!

Downtown Disney!

Tonight we went to Downtown Disney! It is full of shops, restaurants, Cirque Du Soleil and lots of things to do! We also walked through Pleasure Island, which is full of night clubs and you can drink on the streets!(Pleasure Island Info) I literally had to drag my mom out of the shops and was getting very impatient as she looked around for a dumb Disney luggage tag! I love Candy Apples sooo much! Here you can choose what the apple is dipped in (Caramel, Chocolate etc.) and choose what it is dipped in! I'm sure I will have lots of time to try them all out! hehe

Mom insisted I try on the gold Minnie Mouse ears, so here I am!

Mellenia Mall!

Today was a shopping day! We went to some outlets, department stores etc, but the highlight was THE MALL AT MILLENIA! It was awesome! I bought some really cute things from Forever 21! This mall has everything you could want and is lined with palm trees inside! Betsey Johnson, Hollister, Lacoste, Guess, Dior, Coach, Victoria's Secret, Rampage, Forever 21, Zara, Coach etc......

I'm Here!

Here I am in the Themepark Capital of the World!
Wow what a day! I am sooo tired! it's 10 pm here (7pm BC time)but I barely slept 2 hours on the plane. We flew last night into Atlanta, Georgia, and then took a flight to Orlando early this morning! The Orlando Airport is soooo nice! It's full of palm trees and is actually inside a huge hotel. Then a skytrain(much like the monorail at Disney) picks you up and zips you to the other side!

My mom and I rented a convertable to drive around in while we're here! Woo hoo!! We sort of got lost on the way to our hotel and we ended up on these big Florida turnpikes! It was a little scary! Our hotel is really nice though and the pool is great! The weather is not too hot but it is supposed to rise 20 degrees by next week. So walking at night I was actually kinda cold.

We went for dinner at Kobe's (like the one in Vancouver). It was alot of fun and we sat with these people who were hilarious! It was really good! then my mom and I did a bit of driving around the area. Florida is amazing! It really is Resort Land, every street is lined with palm trees and restaurants and shopping!