Melting My Heart of Stone

   So, here we are. Thursday, my day off. Thank the Lord. It's the beginning of my "weekend". I get today and tomorrow off, and I couldn't be more excited! Finally a chance to rest, and no need to spiel about the hippo pool or Schweitzer Falls.
   I had my first encounter with our Magical Moments at the Magic Kingdom yesterday. For those of you that don't know, a Magical Moment is a pre-planned freebie that we give to select guests to make their experience at Disney just that much more enjoyable. It can range anywhere from a free ice cream mickey bar to a night's stay in the suite up in Cinderella Castle.
   At the Jungle Cruise, our magical moment is given to kids between the ages of 6 and 12. We pick a kid from our boat and they get to be our guest skipper for the ride. They stand at the front and steer your boat for you while you still control the throttle and give your spiel. Of course the kids aren't actually steering, the boats are on a track, but it makes them feel important and isn't something a lot of people get to do.
   I hadn't done a magical moment yet, so yesterday I decided to give it a try. I picked a little boy who had to be about 7. His name was Jonah, and when I asked him to come steer my boat, his eyes just lit up. I could tell it meant a lot to his parents and family as well. The entire time we were out in the jungle, Jonah's mom was either videoing her son, or taking picture after picture. And you know what, it felt great to be able to make someone's vacation just a little bit more special.
   That's the wonderful thing about working at Disney. The company is so determined to be as hospitable as possible. Everyone gives you a smile, even on their worst day. I think the hardest part of this job for me is seeing the children come in from the Make A Wish foundation or Give Kids The World. You can tell these kids and their families are just so excited to be here, they can hardly contain their joy. Its thrilling, but at the same time devestating. The whole time you're talking to them, you know that that sweet little girl in her princess dress is here for probably the last time. And that's when it kicks in, the need to make every experience she has at this park unforgettable. And the cast members try our best every day to make that happen.
   Another first experience for me was getting my photo taken by completely random people. I had to have had it taken about ten times yesterday sporatically throughout my shift...and that was just in one day! People were asking me to take pictures with their children. People were just taking pictures of me by myself. And a few people were even videoing me the entire time they were on my boat! It's the weirdest feeling in the world, knowing that you're going to end up in some random person's family photo album that will be passed on for years to come. Or maybe one day a family will plop down to watch some old home videos and reminisce and then your face pops up on their trip to Disney World. It's a bit weird, but cool at the same time. To all the kids that come in, you're a celebrity. And hopefully when they look back and remember those moments as they grow up, they'll smile. Because I sure will. I'll admit it, all this Disney mushy-gushy stuff melts my heart more and more every day.

   Maybe this place really is Magical afterall.

Welcome aboard the World Famous Jungle Cruise!

   Well I had a little extra free time today. So  I thought I'd go ahead and update y'all on whats going on down here in Orlando right now.
   Sunday I finally took my assessment and evaluation and I am proud to say that I'm no longer "earning my ears". That's right, I'm a full-fledged Skipper at the Jungle Cruise now. It's actually really nice, I don't have to follow someone around like a lost puppy and wait for instructions on what I need to do next. There's no one looking over my shoulder anymore either. I love it. :)
   I was officially welcomed into the skipper family as soon as the word spread that I had passed my assessment. Our coordinator made me stand smack dab in the middle of the dock, on display for the entire attraction and announced that I had "just finished a 3 month skipper training class. If those of you waiting to go out on your expedition are lucky enough to be Sydney's first crew, please bring a map so she doesn't get lost in the Jungle". And then a round of applause followed. Gotta love those corny jokes.
   So far everyone at the Jungle Cruise has been very welcoming and kind. It's a nice change of pace not to be a scared little trainee anymore. I had my first experience taking a "dead trip" through the jungle last night. We have 10 boats on the river at any given time, and in order to keep the spacing even between them, we have to dispatch boats every 58 seconds from the dock. Regardless of whether or not people are in them. I was really excited to finally get a break from spieling for almost six hours, but that didn't last long. I don't know if any of you have ever experienced it, but the Jungle Cruise around midnight is actually pretty darn creepy...especially if you're on a boat by yourself. I jumped more than a few times and I'm not one bit afraid to admit that I had to keep checking over my shoulder.
   I'm really enjoying my position here at the Magic Kingdom. Its exciting to be one of the few attractions where the cast members are actually "the show" for our guests. And who doesn't love horribly corny jokes? I have to admit, they are kind of my forte. I think it's the Pierce side of the family shining through...Thanks Dad. :)
   The best part is when I get to interact with all the little kids that come on the Jungle Cruise. They're all so genuinely excited to be at Disney World and it shows all over each one of their faces. We get a lot of little girls dressed up like princesses or boys dressed as pirates thanks to the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique and the Pirate's League. It just makes their eyes light up when you address them as Captain Jack or announce over the intercom that we've been fortunate enought to have Princess Aurora visiting our docks today. I wouldn't trade this gig for the world.
   I know that each day won't be entirely sprinkled with pixie dust, but so far I really can't complain. Each time I wake up in a grumpy mood, I'm constantly reminded that I work in the most magical place on Earth. It's pretty neat to be able to say that I work for the Big Mouse himself. And I can't wait to get out there again today and make someone else's day just that more magical. :)

Let's talk roommates.

   So, it's been a while since I've updated my blog. Truth be told, I've hardly been able to find time to sleep lately. But thank the Lord, my last day of training for Skipper was yesterday. Now all that I have left to do is finish my assessment and then I'm in the clear. The assessment is supposed to be an 82 multiple choice questionnaire, plus I'll have a trainer following me around and evaluating how I do my job. This leaves plenty of potential for nervous breakdowns. Lol.
   But on to a more important topic -- Roommates. I have five roommates. Four of whom, I absolutely adore. The other one is kind of a loose cannon. I've been here for almost two weeks now and I doubt I've spent more than 3 hours total talking to her, being around her. It's very strange. But, let me go ahead and describe everyone for all of you guys back at home.
   Bai (Bethany) -- Bai is from Utah, she's a freshman in college and she's working in merchandising in Africa at the Animal Kingdom Park. We've gotten to know each other really well and already feel like we've known each other for years. She writes, and has actually let me in on a few of her stories. I think they're pretty outstanding. Her older sister and her brother-in-law are both interning for Disney as well, so I see them every now and then. All in all, Bai is a pretty fantastic roomie. :)
   Ashley -- Ashley is another freshman from college and is from Minnesota. She's working at the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique in Downtown Disney and is super sociable. So far, I've spent the majority of time with my roommates hanging out with her and Bai. The three of us are already creating tons of memories here at Disney. Ashley is hands down the roommate who keeps me laughing.
   Kiana & Keosha -- Kiana & Keosha are both from Mississippi and go to school at USM. They knew each other from back home and applied for the program together. They're like two peas in a pod, you can't find one without finding the other. Haha. They're such sweethearts. True southern girls, so we have a lot in common. :)
   Danii -- And then we have Danii, my actual roommate. She's the same age as I am and is all the way from New Jersey. But she's definitely not you're typical Jersey girl. She has more of a Manhattan vibe to her; very "artsy" and go-with-the-flow. Truth be told, there's not much else I can really say about Danii. I never see her. When she's not at work, she's hanging out with the people in the apartment below us till all hours of the night. None of the other girls and myself really see her as an actual roommate. But maybe, she'll open up here soon and we can all enjoy each others' company.
   Well guys, there you have it. Those are my roommates. I'll try to post a picture soon to put faces with the names. As for right now, it's my day off, so I've got a bit of laundry to do, and then some much needed resting time.

"So let us not lose sight of one thing, that it all began with a Mouse"...

Oh.My.Goodness.Gracious.

   Where do I even begin?! The past  five days that I've spent with the Disney company have been a whirlwind of emotions, education, and information. Everything is moving so quickly that I have to stop and take a moment to absorb everything that is being thrown at me at super speed.

   I guess let's start with the first day at Disney; Arrival day. I didn't sleep at all the night before, I don't know exactly why I couldn't manage to get a little shut eye at least. My nerves were on edge, there was too much excitement coursing through my veins, and I just couldn't wait to get going.
   We arrived at the check in point at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time. Immediately, the parents and family members were separated from the College Program (CP) interns. This made me a bit uneasy, but I think the person it affected the most was my mom. She didn't see this coming, and wasn't expecting to have to "let me go" so soon. We'd barely arrived after all. But, after a bit of prodding, and convincing, she finally relinquished her iron grip on my arm and followed the nice man with the tray of cookies to the family member waiting area. I, on the other hand, got fell into step alongside the other bright and shining, and slightly nervous, faces and headed on down towards check in. The only way I can describe the whole experience is like seeing a herd of over excited cattle running towards the trough for feeding time.
   Once we received our name tags and a couple of greeting papers, the whole process began. I signed page after page of paper work, --Disney basically owns me now-- and went through all the necessary steps. I received my apartment assignment, I found out who my roommates were, and I was given my schedule for the next two days of the arrival period.

   From this point, I went back to see my parents and Jaymie, who by this time had managed to get her hands on a mickey mouse pez dispenser and was quite happy with all the little treats she was being offered. I'm still hearing about how nice the "endless supply of warm cookies" was. This is Disney after all, they are the masters of comfortable manipulation. I got about thirty minutes with my family, just enough to tour the apartment and get a few things moved in, before I was loaded onto a bus and sent to the casting building.

   I don't know why, but before this experience I never really noticed this building, but a short bus ride later, it was all I could see. This was it, this was the building where my short future with the company would be decided. These people were the ones who hand selected where each intern went. Did I make a good impression in my interview? Am I going to be assigned a horribly boring  less exciting post? All I could do at this point was pray and hope.

   The entire group of us got off the bus and half walked/half ran inside the doors, which just happen to have doorknobs shaped like the doorknob character from Alice in Wonderland, might I add. I quickly fell into queue and waited. The thing about Disney is that they are masters of everything. Anticipation, drama, show quality, you name it, they out perform any other company on the market.

   I sat through the line and watched as one by one, people were given their assignments and prodded further down the hall for more paperwork and steps to complete. I listened intently; "You're going to transportation services, monorail...You're going to Downtown Disney, in the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique...You're going to Animal Kingdom, the Pizzafari restaurant located in...".

   Finally it was my turn, my fingers were crossed, and all I could do was hope. And then I heard "You're going to the Magic Kingdom, you'll be working the Adventure land and Liberty Square sections of the park!" I was so excited I almost jumped for joy! In case any of you aren't as familiar with the parks, or just aren't Disney freaks like my whole family and I, Adventure land and Liberty Square are the two lands in the Magic Kingdom --which is where Cinderella Castle is located--  that houses my personal favorite rides; Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Jungle Cruise and last and certainly not at all least, the Hall of Presidents.

   Alright, one step down, I got the park I wanted; the most iconic park, the one everyone thinks of when you mention Walt Disney World. I was ecstatic! After I received my area assignment I headed on down the hall towards the rest of my check in process. This included more paperwork, fingerprinting, background checks, and more...stuff (Disney secrets, I'm under oath to "preserve the magic").

   And on to the next day, yesterday, (Thursday) which really isn't that big of a deal...I woke up at the break of dawn, 4:45 a.m. to be exact and caught the bus to my introductory Disney course at Disney University. Yes, Disney University, it does exist, and it's everything that you're picturing in your head when you think about what could possibly be housed in that fine institution of learning. We spent about half a day, almost five hours inside the DU. Learning the ins and outs of the company, focusing on how to do things "Walt's way", and perfecting the Disney way of life.

   We took a tour of the Magic Kingdom (MK), and it was the only time I have ever seen Main street USA with absolutely no one on it. There's something nostalgic about moments like that, its almost as if you can feel Walt Disney himself all around you on Main street. He truly was a mastermind and creative genius.

   After a two hour walking tour of the entire Magic Kingdom park, including a few interspersed rides along the way, we headed back to the DU and received our name tags, which were handed to us by none other than the head Mouse himself, Mickey. And of course, you'll notice that I had to support my school. Wreck 'em!

  

   After we finished our DU training, we were handed off to our unit coordinators and assigned our actual posts within our areas. Great, another moment of suspense, and of course my position was one of the last ones called. There were three people total called out for my area. I sat there, extremely nervous, which seems to be a running theme throughout this entire experience, and waited. And now I am proud to say that I have been awarded the position as Jungle Cruise Skipper. Yes, I get to navigate a jungle boat through the major rivers of the world, showing our guests the many animals and crew members along the way, while all the time telling extremely corny jokes. Yeah, that's right up my alley. :)

"Please keep your hands inside the boat, I sure don’t want my new dock ruined. If you liked your ride my name is Sydney, if you didn’t my name is Jenny and this is Small World".

   I went and picked out my costume, which is pretty cool, if I do say so myself, and then I headed down for yet another 3 hour tour of the park with my unit coordinator.

   Today, what did I do? You guessed it, another full day of touring Adventure land and Liberty Square, learning all the attractions and some of the history and interesting facts, familiarizing myself with my area of responsibility, and walking my rear off. I can't really complain though, I did sign up for this program myself, and I am absolutely loving every minute of it so far.

   I've learned some really neat things these past five days, and I've experienced a lot of Disney "Magic" that few people will ever get a chance to see, or realize they're seeing. And up next, is a much needed day off. A chance to catch up on some R&R, and of course, my favorite Disney shows. ;)

Orlando at last

   Ladies and Gents, after 3 full days of driving, and a final day of 12 hours in the car, I am very excited to say that the Pierce family has finally arrived in Orlando, Florida. :)

   As usual, today's trip was full of mishaps and mayhem, but was also filled with plenty of comical moments along the way. We got on the road in Mississipi early this morning and within a couple of hours had crossed over in to Alabama. I could immediately tell we were in the deep south thanks to the trio of flags I spotted flying in the front yard of one home in particular; The United States flag, the flag of Alabama, and the flag of the Confederacy, in that order respectively.

   We were able to make a stop in Mobile for a quick lunch with my dad's brother, Danny, and his wife, Becky. I am so so so glad that I got to see them both! We all missed them at Christmas and it was great to be able to catch up with everyone. Don't tell Scottie, but you're my favorite Uncle Danny. ;)

   After we got back on the road, Jaymie was sitting in the front seat as I was driving, and all of a sudden got somewhat philisophical. "I feel kind of bad just leaving you in Florida Sydney. It's like when you drop off a puppy out in some field with nothing but a few days worth of water and food. You're a little lost puppy." -- Thanks Jaymie, I wasn't nervous at all until you brought up that point. But she did overlook one little detail...I at least have my daddy's credit card. Not such a lost little puppy now, am I?

   Once we made it through Alabama, Florida was soon to follow. This was the most frustrating part of the trip. Now I know how people who don't live in Texas feel as they're driving through. It felt like no matter how long or fast we drove, Orlando was nowhere in site! But finally, we pulled into the Holiday Inn Vacation Club at Orange Lake and here we are! Just in time to catch the last minute and a half of the superbowl too! Not that I had any idea what was going on, but hey, everyone else was talking about it, so why not join the crowd?

   So here we are, in Orlando. I have to check in with the Disney company at Nine in the morning and then I'll find out where I'm living, who my roommates are, and most importantly, where I'll be spending the next seven months working. I can't believe I applied for the program at the end of September and here we are in February and it's actually here!

   I don't think it will come easily, but I'm going to try and get some sleep. I'll keep you all posted on what goes on tomorrow! And now I'll leave you with a few pictures from the road:

Lunch with Uncle Danny & Aunt Becky. I love you guys!



I couldn't resist. They look so peaceful. Hahaha. 

Our first view of the ocean in Pensicola, after being surrounded by trees for days.

These 3 are of our amazing suite/apartment/hotel in Orlando. Nice job Dad! 



Not rain, nor sleet, nor snow...

Wow. These past two days of traveling have been filled with their ups and downs. Let's review, shall we?

Positives:

• My trip to Florida is actually under way!
• I only have ten hours left till Orlando
• I am no longer a hostage of the 806
• In less than 72 short hours I will officially be working for one of the most amazing and ground-breaking companies ever created
• Did I mention I'm out of Lubbock?

Negatives:

• It took FOUR FREAKING HOURS to drive thru the Metroplex today
• I lost almost a whole day of travel thanks to Superbowl madness/Stupid snow & ice
• I'm in Forest Mississippi?
• I still have 10 HOURS until I get to Orlando

   I think the worst part of the weather for this trip is behind us. God definitely was on guard today in Dallas. I've seen my fair share of near fatalities for the rest of my life. One instance specifically: My dad was driving along interstate 20 on the south side of Dallas. There was ice everywhere. The smart people who have experienced icy roads (Basically us and maybe 2 other cars out there) were greatly outnumbered by the idiots of the Metroplex who have no idea what the heck snow is.
  
   Mack trucks speeding along on completely covered icy lanes, people in Lexus', Mercedes, Beamers, who were texting, eating, and even one guy with a beer...mind you, it's 8:30 a.m. But anything goes in Texas, right? Anyway, we come upon this entrance ramp/merge lane and this idiot in an SUV---ON A CELL PHONE--- hits a patch of ice and brakes hard. Thank goodness we were able to spot him in time. He ended up swerving through 4 lanes of traffic and pulling a complete 180 degree spin, finally coming to a complete dead stop right smack dab in front of my pretty little Explorer. Props to David R. for being the experienced driver that he is.

   Have you ever had to put 4 people in a "compact SUV"? More specifically, four members of the Pierce family? Known for being loud, outspoken, and extremely opinionated? Let's just say everyone was on edge. Everyone loves a good backseat driver, and that is exactly how my dear, sweet mother spent her time in the car today. "I think we can go a bit slower...nope, still slower...a little bit more..." --"Mom, we're going 20 miles an hour, any slower and we'd be going backwards".

  I'll say one thing about Pierce Family Road trips, there is never a dull moment to be found.

You're happy with where you are on the road to where you're going

Today has been a complete frenzy! Naturally I leave the majority of my packing for last minute. What can I say? I just work better under pressure. This past week has been just such an emotional roller coaster. From jumping for joy every time I look at my Disney countdown, to hugging and crying my best friend that I'm having to leave for SEVEN MONTHS!

Last night, Wednesday, was wonderful. I went to Carino's (I have a weakness for the italian side of cuisine) and got one last chance to laugh and relax with some of the greatest people that God has blessed me enough to know. AND I AM GOING TO MISS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! But of course we'll stay in touch the the whole time I'm in Florida.

Tonight I had a quite dinner with my family, and we had an amazing and uplifting time as we prayed for the coming trip and the next few months. I am truly blessed to have the family that I do, and I know that I would not be half of what I am without their guidance and wisdom in my life.

For now, my packing is done, and I get to spend my last night in Lubbock enjoying the company of my family and my little puppy Brinklee. I think it might be the hardest to say good-bye to him.

But this isn't good-bye, this is simply "see ya later" Lubbock.

And now...let the trip to Orlando begin!