All About James

All About James
Apparently, people don't want to read about me and what I've been getting up to so this post will not be about the fact that I have received my uni results (a 2:1 woooohoooo), got a new job or had an awesome 21st Birthday outing last night...nope, instead this post will be dedicated to the legend that is James Hare.


"Some say that his blood group is Nitrous Oxide, others say he fought off the dinosaurs with Fred Flinstone's car...all we know is he's called James Hare."


James is a young man who lives in Teeside where he eats cookies, grows bonsai trees and spends all his spare time talking to awesome ginger haired girls on msn. Currently he is involved in a little project we like to call the CRP, the Cultural Representative Programme. That's right, one day, some time soon, James will be moving to Florida to work in Epcot. Special? I think so!


If you see this lad out and about, be sure to stop and say hi. There really isn't a nicer guy who you could talk to randomly. (To get into his good books though, make sure you are armed with a plate of cookies, Ben and Jerry's ice cream, a Disney dvd or a warm smile and a big hug!)

*James - you are priviledged!*

5 MONTHS TODAY!

5 MONTHS TODAY!!

I thought I'd mark this momentous occassion by posting some sparkly fireworks pics...

.

Yes that's right people, in 5 months time I will be moving into my new apartment in Florida, wooooooooooooo hooooooooooooo! I am officially VERY excited now and can't wait until the time finally comes to move across the pond. The hardest thing is chatting to all my new Disney friends and talking about the plans that we all have for our time over there. It just makes me want to up and leave right now. Also I know of several people going out there in July and September who I will miss talking to whilst they are away and playing in the parks. But I'm sure we'll all catch up when I finally make it to WDW in December.

However, before moving away I still have lots to do. Such as turning 21 (next week, yay!), booking a flight, sorting medical insurance, working and saving my pennies, selling my car, graduating from uni (hopefully) and all sorts of other mundane things. At least I already have my suitcases bought and know that I can pack A LOT into them!

Anyways, I think that's it for now, I just wanted to share my excitement with you all at having passed the 6 month mark and finally got to a more sensible date!

Best Holiday Ever

The Epcot Fireworks: Illuminations (if you haven't seen them....DO IT!)

Me and Sam, a really nice girl working in Merch who is unfortunately leaving soon : (

This is the outift I will be wearing to work!

These are some of the shops in the UK Pavillion

The Rose and Crown Pub / Restaurant

Me and the Sports Shop - a miniature Hampton Court Palace!

Epcot - this park I'll be working in

Well, I've just returned from a two week holiday in Florida which was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I was fortunate enough to meet loads of UK Cast Members, although most of them finish their contracts before I get there which is a bit of a bummer. But I did meet a really nice guy called Luke, who promised my parents he would look after me! I also have to mention Colin who was lovely and will be there when I start working, but he's in food and I'm in merchandise...at the moment.

We had a fantastic meal at the UK's restaurant, The Rose and Crown, and were seated right on the waterfront so we had a great view of the Illuminations fireworks. The best view I have ever had! I was really impressed with the meal, it was much better than I was imagining and the servers were great at their jobs. Our server Lynsey was really friendly and after the meal we were the last people to leave because a load of the servers were just chatting with us for ages! If any of you are reading this, thanks, I really appreciated all your advice!


I could go on and on with all the details of my holiday but that would be boring so I've added some pictures of the UK Pavillion, my home for 12 months from December. Enjoy!

I am NOT a criminal!

Hi All,

Just a quick update....

My CRB check has come back to me really quickly, (they say to allow 4 weeks but it was much quicker than that!) and luckily they didn't seem to find any outstanding warrants for my arrest so it looks like I'm all clear. I am officially not a criminal!

Other than that I've been looking for flights and think I've decided on which one to go for. There seem to be quite a few of us going on the same flight which will be good as it means a chance to get to know each other before we arrive in Orlando.

I've already been chatting to loads of Disney people who are going out there at various times during the year. Everyone is so friendly and happy to chat, it makes me want to get over there even sooner! Luckily the summer is approaching and I'm going to Florida for my holiday!

That's it for now xx

EPCOT Information

Here's a little bit of info about where I will be working...

Travel thee to jolly old England, where you can stroll through an informal area with a 1500s-style thatched-roof cottage and canal or stop to catch the beat of the British Invasion at a formal square with a Hyde Park bandstand. Find a bounty of British toys at The Toy Soldier, unique clothing at the Sportsman Shoppe, English perfumes and soaps at the Queen's Table, and more authentic British goods at other delightful shops. Enjoy fish and chips at the renowned Rose & Crown Pub and Dining Room. And don't miss the one-and-only Pam Brody and the comical World Showcase Players, entertainers sure to tickle your fancy.

Merchandise

Left side of street (all shops connected):

The Tea Caddy (location on map)Sells Twinings Tea and accessories, sweets, chocolate, crisps, etc. Gets quite crowded!Positions: Cash/stocking/cleaning (rotate between)Costume: UK Merch costume (see below)

Magic of Wales (location on map)This shop used to be all Welsh merch, but recently there seems to be less of it, and more general tea pots and the like. You can still find love spoons and other traditional Welsh gifts.Positions: Cash/stocking/cleaning (rotate between)Costume: UK Merch costume

Queen's Table (location on map)Perfumes (horrid stuff, mostly), soaps, etc. Possibly the quietest of the UK merch locations.Positions: Cash/stocking/cleaning (rotate between)Costume: UK Merch costume

Right side of street (all shops connected):

The Toy Soldier (location on map)Toys, of course! Lots of Winnie the Pooh stuff, but also Paddington Bear, toy soldiers, and more.Positions: Cash/stocking/cleaning (rotate between)Costume: UK Merch costume

Crown and Crest (location on map)Small shop in between the busy Toy Soldier and Sportsman Shoppe. Sells Beatles merch, chess sets, and pub accessories (glasses, coasters, etc.).Positions: Cash/stocking/cleaning (rotate between)Costume: UK Merch costume

Sportsman Shoppe (location on map)Sports-related merch (football jerseys, golf, rugby, Wimbledon-branded clothing).Positions: Cash/stocking/cleaning (rotate between)Costume: UK Merch costume

On the promenade:

Merchandise Carts (location on map)A number of carts on the promenade sell British souvenirs, pins, etc.Positions: Cash/stocking/cleaning (you do it all!)Costume: UK Merch costume

Official Disney Stuff

Information pack received at interview: The Disney Look book, luggage tags and stickers which have to be worn when arriving in Orlando (so that the Disney people know who you are!):
Welcome booklet:

And a funny Disney picture...just because:

Hello!

I've recently received my Disney paperwork - woop woop! It all looks so shiny and fun, although the "Disney Look" book is a little OTT. I believe there is actually a page depicting which moustaches are and are not suitable! Ah well, I suppose when you think about it, the fact that Disney is quite strict about appearance and rules does show through when you are in the parks. Their staff are always happy, clean, well presented and it does make it a better place.

Amongst all the paperwork was an official acceptance letter which I have signed and sent back to the guys in Flrorida. Next up, I have to have a CRB check, I am currently filling out the form for this. After that I will be trying to book a flight for December. Yummy Jobs seem to have a good partnership with STA Travel, so I will be contacting them and hopefully will get a very reasonably priced flight.

After my CRB check and flights have been booked I then have to sort out some medical insurance, save some money for my trip and then finally, about a month before going to WDW I will have a Visa appointment at the US Embassy in London.

I have already set up a countdown, I think that I currently have 235 days, 12 hours and 13 minutes to go until the day I depart!! Can you tell I'm excited about going?!

Anyway, aside from my year in WDW, I will be going there for a holiday after I finish uni so at least I have that to look forward to in the meantime! It'll give me a good chance to scope out where I will be working. Although we've been to WDW several times (and I'm talking double figures here!) we've never really taken the time to take in EPCOT and the different countries represented.

This time I plan on taking my camera and getting some shots of the shops I'll be working in, the costume I have to wear and hopefully, the housing complex I'll be staying in! At least this way when people say to me "are you going to be Minnie Mouse?!" I can say "um, nope, I'll be a milk maid". (Apparently the people who designed the UK pavillion think that we all dress like milk maids! You'll see what I mean when I can find a picture of the costumes.)

That's all folks!

Ooops, sorry, I should probably say something "Disney" rather a saying from Warner Bros....so in the words of Mickey Mouse...

"See ya real soon!"

Drama, drama, drama...

Well, it's been a while since I updated this but I have had good reason! I'll start at the very beginning...the interview.

I was up at 5am, so that I could catch a train just after 6am. This is when the first drama occurred. It managed to take an age to de-ice my car which made me a little late. Then, when I got to the station the car park ticket machine decided to take my money without giving me a ticket! So I went inside and asked for a hand written ticket, again making me a little late. After putting the ticket in my car I decided to check the machine and lo and behold my money had come out at the bottom...free parking for the day!

Anyway, I managed to get to London Waterloo in good time and found the restaurant where the interviews were taking place. I walked in, thinking that I was early and found several people already there. Most of them had come from the North and had left at around midnight the night before. And there's me thinking I had a long journey!

We all had a chat, filled in forms and got to know each other before being sent into a meeting room for the presentation. This was soooooo cheesey! But very Disney. It was quite a fun presentation actually and I even managed to win a mouse mat for answering a trivia question correctly. Yippeeee!

After the presentation we were all split up into pairs and given interview times. I had a while to wait so I went for a wander with some other girls and then we went back and read some of the leaflets provided.

My interview was ok, but afterwards I got really upset because none of my answers I gave were the same as the answers I had in my head, and in all honesty I was convinced I'd blown it. On the way home I missed the train by about 10 seconds which made me more angry and when I eventually got on a train an hour later I had a very lonely and emotional journey home.

So, having had the interview, thinkning it had gone badly and really wanting to get the position, I, like lots of other hopefuls, waited for the call or email which would tell me whether or not I got the job. Then on Monday the dreaded email came...

"Many thanks for attending the recent interviews for the Walt Disney World International Programs!
Disney was very pleased with the amount of interest we received from applicants across the country wanting to participate in Disney’s Cultural Representative Program. Your qualifications, along with those of other applicants, made their decision a challenging one. Participant selections were made after much evaluation and deliberation.
The standards were extremely high and at this time Walt Disney World are not able to offer you a position on the Cultural Representative Program. Disney will keep your details on file until October 2008 and if a position becomes available we will be in touch."

I thought this was the end of the road so I emailed them back and asked if I could apply for other programs at Disney World. The people at Yummy then emailed me back saying that I was not unsuccessful and I was on the waiting list, however I could apply for other jobs.

After this I felt better and was planning on beginning the LONG application process again when, this morning, the phone rang! It was Michele from Yummy jobs offering me a position in Merchandise at the UK Pavillion at Epcot from the December 2nd 2008!! I could not stop screaming down the phone at her! She told me all the details and asked if I would like to accept the offer...um...let me think about that?! YES YES YES!

So, you are now looking at a future Walt Disney World employee. I cannot wait to start, but still have a long way to go. There's all the paper work, a criminal record check and a visa application to go through. Not to mention finding flights and sorting out a job here so that I can save some money to take out there with me.

Well, that's all for now I think. Lots of drama this week! xx