So it’s 14 days until we leave for our 2-day drive to Florida. I’ve been going crazy, organizing and packing, although to look at my room you wouldn’t think so. I can’t wait to pack all my clothes, so I think I’ll be doing that next week.

We’re leaving May 22nd at like 2am. I probably should be planning to sleep ALLLLL day on the 21st, but I’ll be busy saying goodbye and such. I’ve got a lot of hours for this weekend, so I’m excited for that. I really hope that I manage to stay calm.

Right now I’ve just been organizing the rest of my life. Sunday School, Sparks, work, etc., plus making appointments with doctors and my hair place. I had one appointment today, one last week, and my hair appointment is next week. The doctor’s appointments resulted in 84 dollars worth of prescriptions, which is crazy, but it’s for 3 months, so I can understand. Today I bought multivitamins - Kid’s Chewable, because I HATE swallowing large pills.

There are 3 milk crates, a tiny rubbermaid tote, a giant space bag (with comforter, sheets, pillow cases, rug, blanket, and towels), a closet hanger, my exercise mat, and a memory foam mattress sitting outside my room. My dad comes down and looks at the pile and just shakes his head. I’m so glad we’re driving down! I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t bring all my stuff.

So over the last month I’ve stocked up on underwear and shorts and general summer clothes, along with all the toiletries anyone could possibly want. My family put me in charge of snacks for the trip down, but I’m broke as no joke, so I don’t know how I’m going to swing that one. I’ve got to pay all my bills and shut off my phone before I leave. What good is an emergency credit card if it’s full?!?

All in all, I’m very excited. I’m trying to swing a mini DV cam from my neighbour so I can take videos of my adventure and post them, but I don’t know if they’re going to go for it. I’ve got a muffin-baking adventure soon, so I can freeze muffins, and I’m figuring out which foods I can eat with my IBS. I don’t want to have an episode down there, I won’t have time to be in pain!

I’ll be back before I leave. More packing to do!

I leave soon. Very very soon. I’ve ordered spacebags (TM) offline, received them, and packed all the stuff I ranted about in an earlier post. I’ve paid my VISA fee, paid my housing assessment fee, and signed the forms saving me an apartment. I’ve bought shorts and t-shirts and tank tops and a new pair of flip flops. It’s fun fun.

I also found out I have IBS - Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and I’m taking it with me! Hurrah. No seriously, it’s been a major adjustment, seeing as my previous diet consisted of Pepsi and potato chips. I’m figuring things out though, but I spent a week in the hospital - which was quite the experience.

I’ve been making friends online with a lot of randoms, from as far away as England so far. I’m really excited to go. On my Disney “To-Do” list is the following:

• get health insurance
• order more contacts
• get a pedicure
• look up leg waxing prices
• get in shape
• buy more underwear

And that’s about it. I’ve been able to cross off a lot of things the last couple weeks. There’s one week of classes left, and then exams, so I guess it’s crunch time. It’s hard to believe my first year of university went so fast!

Keep an eye out. As I check things off, I’ll come around more often!

I got an e-mail saying that the screening company I went through is no longer working with Walt Disney World and to have a wonderful time.

Like woah, way to throw me through a loop. I also got an e-mail from Yummy Jobs, the European screening company saying that they’re in charge now and to send them all my information. I panicked, but have calmed down now.

More details when I have them.

I bought sheets! And towels!

I have blue towels, yellow “hair” towels, green hand towels, and stripey washcloths, along with a nice blue/green stripey/plaid bed in a bag. I love Sears. Everything matches.

And it’s all piled nicely in the Disney Corner, waiting to be joined by the toaster over, my DVD player, my TV, and numerous other things I think I’m going to bring. I’m sure I’ll post a comprehensive list at some point.

In the meantime, I’m going to work on digging OUT the Disney Corner. I cleaned, to make it, then the junk piled up around it. Uh oh.

See ya at the washing machine!

So Mom came into my room the other day and said, “have you thought about cleaning?”

I just ignored her, since she says this all the time, but she continued with “Make a Disney corner.”

The idea sounded good. A corner to pile bedding and toiletries, etc. So that it’s all in one spot and I can tell how much stuff I’m actually bringing. So I have yet to appoint a corner, but have piled all of my belongings on my bed. They were on the floor. Now they’re on my bed, in the hopes I’ll clean before I go to sleep tonight. More than likely, I’ll put it all back down on the floor. But it’s the thought that counts, right?

 How many days? Hah. Who’s counting?

I think I might protein spill myself when it comes to cleaning them up. I’m not too good with that. I’ll survive, I suppose.

Protein spill = vomit, throw-up, etc.
Voban = nifty stuff to clean up protein spill

I’ve been googling galore in search of WDW Custodial ICP blogs. Does no one blog anymore? If my mom’s any example, I guess not. But, if you google it, and go about 4 pages in, you start to see related things.

Apparently, what I’ve garnered from the first 4 pages on Google is that Disney’s custodial department is the model for custodial departments everywhere. I’m going to be such a good role model for Universal =]

I really hope I get to Sea World while I’m down there though. Steffi wants to go  too, maybe we’ll day trip it if I ever get a day off.

D - 96 days and counting.

I called Eric yesterday, and after trying to get through for an hour, he finally answered with a quick “Call back in five.” So I did, and was informed that I am a Custodial Cast Member for my ICP experience. I’m very excited to do this. This position has the highest level of guest interaction and I’m not hurried or having to repeat myself over and over and over again. I’ve been looking at blogs and asking alumnis for tips and advice and all anyone really says is that it’s an excellent, independant job. I also heard a rumor that I get special exceptions because of how much I’m in the sun.

I’m also excited for my walkie talkie. Haha. It’s a standard part of the uniform, which is white shorts and a white shirt. I love walkie talkies. Custodial has two weeks worth of trainings and it’s not because of how difficult it is to sweep - it’s because I need to know as much information about the whole resort as I can. Everyone asks me questions!

100 days to go and counting!

At the beginning of Main Street, near the entrance to the Magic Kingdom, Roy E. Disney and Minnie Mouse are sitting on a bench. Tourists clamber to sit in the empty area beside Minnie and get their picture taken, but few know the true story behind the bench.

Walt Disney, and the mouse who started it all, Mickey, are up Main Street, at the hub, in front of the castle. Walt’s hand is outstretched, pointing down Main Street to where Roy and Minnie sit. Rumor has it, from a reputable Disney tour guide, that Walt is saying:

“Mickey. It’s my time to go now. It all started with you, and now I’m leaving it with you. Don’t you worry. Roy and Minnie are down there, waiting for you. They’ve left a spot on the bench for you. Take care of the magic Mickey. Make everyone’s dreams come true.”

 These two statues were created as a pair by Blaine Gibson, a retired Imagineer. The first statue made was Roy and Minnie, with the statue of Mickey and Walt (also called “Partners”) following shortly before Walt died of lung cancer.

–

All I have to do at the dinner table is say “So there’s this bench…” and my mom tears up. Then again, the entire family are Disney nuts, and I just found out today that I might get the chance to tell that story to guests at the Walt Disney World Resort (henceforth refered to as WDW) in Orlando Florida from the end of May to the middle of August.

That’s right, WDW, prepare for Angelica Haggert. I’m on my way!

I applied for the job in the fall, and was then told that the Walt Disney World Summer International College Program for Summer 2008 (henceforth refered to as ICP) was going to be cancelled due to lack of interest. Wait a minute - I was interested! I joined forces with a group of people on Facebook (gotta love it), we petitioned and wrote e-mails to the Cast-a-Way screening company and the Disney Recruiters themselves contesting their decision. I think my e-mails said I would fly to anywhere they wanted me to fly to, just give me an interview!

Eventually, Eric (the Cast-A-Way guy) said the show was back on the road, and we all re-sent our CVs, resumes, whatever you call them. Three days later, I call to make sure he got it, and he does the pre-screening phone interview on the spot!

I probably said “Okay” about a thousand times as he concluded the ten minute long interview with a time, date, and location for my face to face (henceforth refered to as F2F) interview with real Disney cast members. Anxiously, I waited. I brushed up on my Disney trivia, I chatted with others attending the interview online, and stressed. A lot of the stressed part, that’s for sure.

I went to the interview. My mom and I had a horrible experience in the THREE different hotel rooms we stayed in, in TWO different hotels for TWO nights, but the interview was excellent, the dinner we had planned with other Cast Members (henceforth … CM) and then the wait begin.

It was probably the longest week and a half of my life, and for the last two days I’ve been calling home every hour to get my mom to check my e-mail for me, and today, the answer was there.

I was in!

And so, the list making, packing, trip planning, highway driving, 103 days left before I leave, begins.

I’ll post next about why I want to work for the Mouse and how I figured out my life - Disney style.