Little Bit of This, Little Bit of That

Catch Up!

A lot has been going on lately, and I have been such a bad blogger! Hopefully you have been following my photos and statuses on Facebook and have gotten a feel for what I have been up to.

Last week, the Disney College Program offered a discounted trip to Universal Orlando! My friends Ariel, Cherika, and I got a 1 day, 2 park ticket to Universal Studios and Universal Islands Of Adventure.

The newest addition to Universal is the ever famous Wizarding World of Harry Potter land. It is complete with a beautiful Hogsmeade shopping and dining area, as well as 3 attractions. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is an attraction housed in the Hogwarts castle and incorporates the most advanced ride technology offered today. It was quite amazing!

Hogsmeade

After getting our fill at Islands of Adventure, riding crazy rides like The Hulk, Spider Man, Dr. Doom's Fear Fall, and the Dr. Seuss Train (haha), we headed across the path to Universal Studios. Looked familiar! Like Disney's Hollywood Studios! Weird....

Universal Studio houses classics like E.T. and Jaws the rides. New attractions for me were The Mummy and The Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. That ride was great! You got to choose your own music to ride to -- I chose Black Eyed Peas "Pump It" of course.

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit

All in all, a fun trip, even if it was fraternizing with the enemy...

When we got home, we couldn't keep our minds of the delicious Butterbeer we had bought in Harry Potter World. So, we looked up a recipe online and tried to recreate it for ourselves at home....

No one threw up at least.....

Smiling before having a taste

This weekend my good friend Ariel (I know, it's confusing. The Ariel above is Ariel Russon from this CP, the Ariel below is Ariel Letts from my last CP and BYU) came in town for Presidents Weekend to see her mom and swung by Orlando for a day to say hi! Although she was barred entry from Magic Kingdom, we got to have dinner at Hollywood Studios at the 50s Prime Time Cafe where you are a kid in Grandma's house, and the Aunts and Uncles serve the food and yell at you if you display poor manners! Sounds weird, but it is way fun!

At our table complete with TV!

Yesterday, Ariel R. and I had the day off and got creative by visiting the resorts instead of the busy parks. We got to go on a free "Culinary Tour" of the restaurants at Animal Kingdom Lodge and got some free food! Excellent!

Having some African dips and breads

Basically, I've been having a blast! I'll try to keep posting!

Pehw! I am finally taking the time to write a blog post! I am sure many of you are curious about my latest and greatest in Florida, so I'll summarize.

I got here on January 9th, and me and my Mom spent a couple wonderful days together enjoying the parks and one another. Then, it was to the grind!

For my concierge job, I have to be fully trained at the front desk FIRST before I can even go over to Concierge. So, I spent 4 days in the classroom at Disney University learning the computer system, then completed 7 days of On the Job Training at Old Key West and Saratoga Springs Resorts (I will be equally split between the two). Today was my assessment day and I PASSED with flying colors! I have earned my ears!

Other than that, been having fun in my apartment in Chatham and loving the ward. Gone to all the parks many times already! That was the quick summary, now I will try to be better!!

Costume for Saratoga Springs Front Desk

Costume for Old Key West Front Desk

Costume for Old Key West Front Desk Runner

Costume for Saratoga Springs Front Desk Runner

I'm going back to Disney World!

Well thanks everyone for your thoughts and input in my decision making; after much prayer and pondering, I have decided to take the Concierge position at Disney World in Florida! I'm going back!! However, this experience is going to be WAY different from my last program, since I will be working in the Disney Resorts rather than the Disney Theme Parks.

Disney currently has 24 Resorts in Central Florida with 2 outside Central Florida (Hilton Head and Vero Beach) with 2 under construction (1 at Disney World, 1 in Hawaii!!).

Concierge is a special service for guests who would like a more high-end experience (and can afford it!) during their stay at Walt Disney World. I will be working with VIPs, selling tickets, creating personalized vacation packages, greeting guests, and imparting my extensive Disney knowledge so guests can more fully enjoy their Disney Vacation! Could there be a more perfect job for me??

I will be based in one Resort, but have the opportunity to be deployed out to any of the Resorts during my program. Any of the 24 could be my new "home". My Top 2 Choices are: Animal Kingdom Lodge and The Boardwalk Villas -- both super nice! I have attached some pictures for your enjoyment.

I hope you'll start following my blog again for updates before the program and while I am there!

I start January 10th!!! 64 Days!!!

What I am going to look like behind a desk.

Lobby for the Boardwalk Villas

Lobby for Animal Kingdom Lodge

HELP!!!

I have a serious Disney Dilemma! As many of your know, I have been accepted to the Disney College Program for the Spring (starting in January) at both Disney World Florida and Disneyland California! Ahh! So, I SERIOUSLY need some input about what everyone thinks I should do. I have ONE WEEK to decide, or my spots go away. Here is my Pros and Cons list:

Disneyland, California, FRONT DESK CLERK

Pros

- Something new

- Strong LDS base in CA

- I already know my roommate

- (might) put BYU students together

- Could be enrolled in BYU independent study

Neutral

- Program is 8 months long

- Live Downtown

-Work at one of 3 hotels

Cons

- In CA you have to take a class, and there are none I am particularly interested in

- (might) live in an apartment with non-LDS girls

- Not necessarily the coolest job

Walt Disney World, Florida, CONCIERGE

Pros

- Jump start my Disney career

- Live in BYU housing

- Take the class "advanced hospitality management" I am interested in

- can also pick up extra shifts at Everest = make more money

-Can apply for the lodging management internship again in April and start in the summer

Neutral

- Program is 4 months long

- Live in a suburban area

-Work at one of 24 resorts

Cons

- Been there, done that (Florida, that is)

So, that is the whole list (for now, I seem to come up with new things every other minute). Please leave your comments in the....comments, any opinions would help!

Cocoa Beach Trip!

Sorry! Again, so behind on the posts. Part of the problem is that I have stopped taking pictures because my friends always have their cameras out. So I had to get these photos from others. But, I had a super fun weekend (well, OUR weekend -- wednesday and thursday) with my pals at Cocoa Beach, FL.

**These Photos are backwards again....will someone teach me how to work this site??**

First, we tanked up on Dunkin' Donuts before we left town, then hit the open road on our 1 hour drive to the coast. 1 hour and 3 toll booths! This state is insane!

Once we got to the beach, we had fun swimming out really far and playing in the waves. It really has been years since I went to the ocean, and even more years since I have actually swam in the water. And what warm water compared to California!

We were feeling pretty pooped after 3 or 4 hours at the beach, between the swimming and laying out, so we left and headed over to the FIREWORK STORE!!

The man working there seemed to like us and even gave us buy 1 get 1 free on all our purchases. So we had WAY too much artillery for a little group of girls... BRING IT ON!!

Ariel, one of my friends, is from Cocoa Beach, so we got to stay at her house! Thanks Ariel! After showers, we went to the grocery store to buy all the ingredients for our Belated July 4th Celebration!: Hot Dogs, Corn, Watermelon, Chocolate Pudding, ya know, patriotic food.

We had the plan to BBQ the hot dogs and corn, but it was quickly apparent that none of us were Eagle Scouts. So after much trial and fire, the food was ready! Yum!

Then, the FIREWORKS could commence! We had a great show with only 2 hits on the neighbor's homes and only minor injuries sustained. Good work ladies!

Once the fireworks were all gone, we enjoyed our Worms in Mud dessert and fell asleep to Star Trek. Whew, what fun!

Delving into our Homemade Mud

Yum with a side of Sunburn!

BOOM BABY!

We love Cocoa Beach!!

Movin' "Up" in the World

This post is LONG overdue! About a month ago, I transfered from Kali River Rapids to Expedition: Everest, Legend of the Forbidden Mountain due to vertigo caused by Kali's continually spinning turn table. And the change has been great for me! Expedition: Everest is a high speed coaster that goes forward and backward in indoor and outdoor conditions. It has speeds up to 55 mph and a max drop of 80 feet. It is the only coaster in the world with 180 degree track switches and home to the largest animatronic in the world. So a pretty neat attraction! Definitely Animal Kingdom's most popular. I am loving it so far and enjoy the exciting and busy atmosphere. There is one con: seeing people throw up!

This is my new costume. I am "staff" for "Himalayan Escapes" travel company that takes you "There and back with the Flying Yak" to the base camp of Mount Everest.

Here is a beautiful view of Everest from the path. It is 199 ft tall and is the tallest mountain in all of Florida.

Here is our biggest lift and also our 80 ft. drop. Splash Mountain is 50 feet, so we trump that!!

Innoventions

It has been my goal lately to expand my Disney horizons and try to do new things at the parks that I have never explored. Yesterday, me and my friend Erin (who works on Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom and goes to BYU) went to Hollywood Studios and Epcot to try new things. Unfortunately, I did not take my camera out very much, but I did catch a few photos:

Erin and I got to be participants on a game show at Innoventions called "Solve Your Problem!" featuring Velcro and how it helps to .... solve your problems. Of course, I don't have pictures of us participating, but here are two dads grabbing babies from the "Infinite Infinator" and putting on diapers and bottles and attaching them to their ManApron all using Velcro of course!

A close up of the Infinite Infinator

Me posing with my "Big Winner" sticker I won and with the host himself "Hook" as in "Hook and Loop Fastener" which is the real name for Velcro!

Other things we did at Innoventions:

Learned to ride Segways! Had to be over 18 and sign a waiver. I wonder if it was more paying for the broken Segway then a broken body....

Storm Simulator, where you got to feel the 4D effects of a storm and then design your house to withstand the storms. Very handy for Florida....Hurricane season opened today....

The Sum of All Thrills, where we designed our own roller coaster (which we named the Gravity Snake) and sat ourselves on a robotic arm and rode our super coaster! Way fun!

Waste Management garbage management game, where Erin and I teamed up (Team DAK! aka Disney's Animal Kingdom) and pushed around a little garbage truck into different ports to sort recyclables, load wet and dry garbage into the incinerator, and finally build a nature reserve over a landfill! Here is my certificate. Something weird happened, so you cannot see the whole thing, but you can imagine it is a whole certificate. What a fun day!