#ArtfulEpcot: Festival Favorites

Last weekend I got to go to Epcot's International Festival of the Arts for the first time EVER! During festival season, Epcot becomes my most visited park. I have to say, this festival is competing for the spot in my heart that belongs to Food & Wine Festival. I love food, but I also love art... plus the concert series for this one stars Broadway performers so it's a real toss up.

I actually visited the festival twice this past weekend. The weather was SO nice; but it was also opening weekend + MLK weekend, aka I'm pretty sure the entire state of Florida was there as well. 

A Day In The Life

Hi friends!

What I'm picking up on is that y'all love the posts about Disney, and I've gotten a lot of questions about what it's like to be a professional intern... so here's a post sharing what my experience has been like so far!

The Most Distracting Place On Earth

Something I have noticed over the last few years is that I have an unfortunate habit of getting really distracted anytime I move to Disney.

Some would say could you blame me and some would say I should be used to it by now; but I'm pretty sure that even if I didn't spend every minute of every day of every week on Disney property, life would still find a way to be a distraction from the things that truly matter.

We always think of consumers as those investing in some sort of material substance, but I would say I'm a consumer of experiences. A collector of moments if you will. I like stuff, but I like moments even better. The ones where I can close my eyes and think about what a sweet and beautiful life this is. For me that looks like the perfect sunset over Magic Kingdom or screaming Disney Mania songs before Fantasmic or my eyeballs filling with tears as the audience gasps in audible awe and wonder of the fireworks show. Obviously, I am easily amazed and dazzled by beautiful things. I'm so guilty of thinking, wow this is what makes life worth living. These moments are collected in my heart every chance I get. There's serious "fear of missing out," and I get caught in the mindset that I have to do it all. And I think that's where I get addicted.

These moments are really beautiful, magical things, but sometimes I find myself chasing them down more than I chase Jesus.

God Loves Disney World

I feel closer to God when I go to Disney World.

Hey there, friends. You're probably thinking 1) will this girl ever stop talking about Disney... the answer is sadly no. And 2) that feels like a pretty packed statement.

So let's talk about it.

The other day I went to Animal Kingdom after work just to do some of my favorite things and because I hadn't been to the park since moving. Not that I don't love DAK, but it's just hot and a lot of walking, etc. So I'm walking through the park, watching Cast Members wave to guests and play with bubble wands and sell Mickey bars. I watch characters hug some sweet kiddos and live music performers dance and interact with a crowd. I go see Festival of the Lion King and get weepy (every time); and I go on the safari and think about how I could never drive a truck like these CM's do.

It makes me think of one of my favorite quotes by Walt:

You can dream, create, design, and build the most wonderful place in the world... But it requires people to make the dream a reality.

That quote hangs on the wall in the Casting building where I work. I love it because it's so true! And I love it because Walt saw the value in people.

Career + Heaven Minded

Hi friends!

I realize it's been a while since I've updated the blog, so here's what's been going on lately...

First of all, thank you to everyone who sent me a message after my last post. I felt so loved and taken care of. It was a sweet reminder that I am never alone, even if it can feel like that some days.

Life is finally starting to settle down for me. My lease in BR got taken (PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW); I have a place to live, and I love my job. The professional internships at Disney are so much different than the college program... which I guess I knew, but didn't fully understand until now. PI's really concentrate on teaching you new things. I'm learning so much, and getting to practice exactly what I learned in school makes me wish I would've paid more attention! Just kidding, but not really. If anyone has more questions on a day in the life or my application process, please don't hesitate to reach out! I will never tire of talking about my experiences with the Mouse. 

I'm really feeling like a grown-up these days because I honestly go to bed by 9:30pm every night to wake up at 6am to go to work! I love the routine, but there are still days that are hard; like when I come home to no one or spend an entire day with my only words having been my order in the Chick-Fil-A drive thru. I feel so far from my family, and I cry on group FaceTime dates with my old roommates because I miss them and the way things used to be.

But even so, I know there's so much God wants to teach me here.

Moving Is Hard

Hey friends.

So I've been in Orlando for about a week now, but it feels like I've been here twenty years already. Part of that's because this place is another extension of home to me. I have a handful of people that I know and love, and I've built a lot of memories here. I've become a lot of myself during the time I've spent living here, so it just feels natural to be back. I love that.

But my time here feels long also because it's been hard. I knew moving would be hard, but just the logistics and emotional stress of it all feels like too much sometimes. 

We Are Called To Dream

I am that friend that is obsessed with Disney.

Everyone knows it, and I'm not ashamed to say it. As soon as someone even remotely refers to Disney, my senses are on high alert and every head in the room spins to look at me.

Some people love Disney for the characters and the timeless stories of magic and fairytale. Most people would say Disney played an integral part of their childhood memories. Others love this company because of the excellence with which they operate. If you love theme parks and creativity and history and business and world domination, it would be hard not to be a fan of Disney in some way, shape, or form.

I love this company for all these reasons and more, but the thing that I admire the most is their commitment to dreaming.

I love that the tagline for Disney's Parks and Resorts is "Where dreams come true." They have created an atmosphere of magic and fantasy, transforming kids into real life princes and princesses, pirates, and storybook characters. A little girl's biggest dream could be to meet Cinderella; and here there's a place to meet her, see her castle, and even transform into Cinderella herself.

And if Disney can make a kid believe that even their wildest, most fantastic dreams of whimsy can come true, how much easier is it to convince them that their smaller, yet still big real-life dreams can too?

'Ohana

'Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten. 

If you don't know where that quote is from, we can't be friends. Just kidding. It's Lilo & Stitch for those of you who don't have your lives together.

One of my favorite restaurants at Disney is 'Ohana's, which is located at the Polynesian Resort. For breakfast, it's a family style character meal. Characters include Mickey, Pluto, Lilo, and Stitch! Cast members receive their discount here as well. 

It's rare for all six roommates to be in the same place at the same time, so I'm glad we were all able to make plans together. Here's some photos from around the resort and our breakfast!

Breakfast + Old Key West

This post is about that time I thought Disney's Old Key West Resort was wild west themed, instead of tropical beach themed. I guess I subconsciously deleted "Key" from the title?? That being said, I was in for a surprise when my roommates' and I showed up for our breakfast reservation at Olivia's Cafe. Olivia's is an American style cafe located at the resort (also, cast members get their discount here!).

Here's some photos of my roommates and I around the resort, featuring beautiful pastel walls and staircases. Reb and Kelly are my Jersey-wannabe-Southern girls, so we bond over Chacos, Kendra Scott, and the SEC (slowly incorporating "geaux tigz" into their vocabulary!!!).

Friends + Flowers

Hi friends!

Today I'm sharing some photos from our trip to Epcot's Flower & Garden festival last week. Luckily we received access to the parks just a few days before the festival ended, so naturally we had to go as soon as possible to soak up all the wonderful foods and photo opportunities.

I can't be the person who takes a bunch of food photos yet, so enjoy pics of my pretty roomies for now. Just know I had the violet lemonade, which was delicious as always; Sarah had a sparkling wine with pomegranate from France and spring rolls from China; and Mekaila had chicken and rice from China. All the kiosks had the same foods as last year, so I didn't feel the need to try everything again (also, ya girl had been unemployed for a couple weeks so ya know... gotta save the moneys).

Sarah and I compiled a bucket list of photo spots/walls, which I'll be sharing throughout the summer! Some of the pictures in this post are exclusive to the festival, but most you can find year round.

Summer Adventures

SURPRISE.

It turns out my time at the Happiest Place On Earth isn't over yet... I'll be returning to Orlando this summer to participate in the Disney College Program: Summer Alumni edition!

And just when you thought my Disney obsession was fading out.

Two Months Later...

LOL at the time I said I was going to try and update my blog regularly. Just kidding about that.

But now is as good a time to blog as any. Forgive me for what this post will end up being... who knows what all I'll end up writing about by the end.

I've been here almost 2 whole months now! I'm still loving my program as much as when I started. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I'm working specifically in Hollywood Studios at Oscar's Stroller Rentals and all the merchandise shops on the right side of the boulevard (including the Darkroom, Cover Story, Celebrity 5 & 10, and Head To Toe).

Post-work hang out at Steak 'N Shake

I absolutely love work family! Merchandise is a really fun role with lots of guest interaction which can be both exciting but also taxing. Each cast member plays a role in making a guest's vacation magical, which can leave us exhausted at the end of the day. Honestly though, it's worth it; I love getting paid to simply be kind.

Traditions, Training, & One Magical Trip

Hello hello! I've been having the greatest time here in Orlando, so here's an update on the highlights of my program so far.

Wednesday:

Olivia, me, Maggie, Jessica, Sarah, Kennedy

So two nights after we all moved in, the roommates and I traveled to the Yacht & Beach Club resort to conquer the famous Kitchen Sink dessert.

The Kitchen Sink is located in the Beaches & Cream Soda Shop. We didn't have a reservation, so the wait was 2 hours (but worthhhhh it!). I didn't know the resorts were more than just a hotel, and the Yacht & Beach Club resort is home of the Disney Boardwalk. We got to walk around and watch fireworks, so the wait wasn't bad at all.

We got the Chocolate Lover's Kitchen Sink and finished it all of course!

DCP: The First Few Days

I am SO LATE on updating everyone on my DCP adventure, but I haven't had time (or motivation tbh) to sit down and share. Here's a really long post on what I've been up to!

Monday:

I checked in to my program at Disney!

After driving 12 hours across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, my parents and I finally arrived the night before check-in.

My check-in time was at 12:15pm at the Vista Way pavilion. Check-in is where you find out your work and housing location. Some people go straight to Casting after check-in, which is a short bus ride away where you do fingerprints and paperwork; but I had Casting the next day, which was nice so that I had time to move in all my things to the apartment.

Speaking of the apartment, we ended up in Vista Way (there are four complexes: Vista Way, Commons, Chatham, and Patterson). It's a three bedroom, two bath apartment, which was actually one of our last preferences just because Vista is the oldest of the complexes and has a rumored reputation. But... our apartment is nice and cozy, and it's all good because roommate requests aren't guaranteed, but luckily we were all put in the same apartment.

Check-in went smoothly. I waited in a long line for a while, but it probably only took about an hour in total. Afterwards, I went and picked up my parents from the hotel, and then we moved everything in.

The DCP And Me

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while, but if you haven't already heard...

I'VE BEEN ACCEPTED TO THE DISNEY COLLEGE PROGRAM SPRING 2016!

What is the Disney College Program? It's considered a paid internship with Walt Disney World (or Disneyland) where I accept a specific "role" and work for Disney for a semester.

I can choose to take one or two of the courses Disney offers, which include courses like Disney Human Resource Management, Disney Marketing, Disney Heritage, etc. It's different for every school, but for LSU, most of those courses will count as an Elective in my schoolwork. There is one course specifically (Disney Corporate Analysis) that will count toward my Business Management degree so lucky me! I know there are seminar courses and collegiate courses; the difference is that seminar is on site learning, and collegiate is like a normal college course, but with the opportunity to apply what you're learning to the workplace. There are some DCP students that choose to take online courses from their home university, but I won't be. Who wants to be doing schoolwork while at Disney World!? The only way I'm able to do the program without taking any online courses is that I'm far enough ahead in my school work towards my degree to basically take off a semester.