Disney's Hilton Head Resort, South Carolina

In the United States, Disney has extended its reach further than the parks and resorts and they have other properties outside of Orlando and Anaheim.  One of those is a mere six hours up the road in South Carolina on Hilton Head Island.  Of course being so close, it was a perfect excuse for a road trip and to tick another state off the list! 

We visited way back in February, when the weather was much cooler than it is now and it hit lows of around 3oC, which for two girls being used to a Floridian winter (I use that word very loosely) it came even more of a shock to the system than Chicago!

Cold weather regardless, the Hilton Head resort is stunning.  It sits next to a beautiful lake and marshes and about a mile or so from the beach.  The marshes looked like something out of a film- it was speechless!  You can walk out to a gazebo over the marshes and although the wind really whipped up a chill while we were there, I can imagine it to be very beautiful during the summer!  

Hilton Head is also a Disney Vacation Club resort and because of this, the rooms are either studios or villas which make for a very homely stay.  The decor is all themed around a lake house theme which I simply loved!  Wooden board floors and very airy spaces, once again I felt as if I were in a film!  The bathroom also had a jacuzzi bath which was so relaxing, I ever normally pamper myself with anything like that so I enjoyed it very much. 

The amenities at the hotel were also very homely and welcoming.  Upon our arrival, we were greeted with warm apple cider and cookies - which are always a winner for me.  There's also a lounge with a crackling open fire, super comfy chairs, a selection of board games and newspapers - for us, it was great to warm up after a brisk walk outside!

They also have a whole selection of recreational activities (bike hire etc), a pool (definitely was too cold!) and a Community House where they were hosting a hot chocolate making activity.  I think I had whipped cream and extra marshmallows!  There's a quick service restaurant which served your regular Disney fare for breakfast and lunch but when you're lounging by the pool, you don't really need anything else! 

We did venture down the beach which was basically deserted.  The resort runs a shuttle down to the Disney Beach House if you don't fancy the walk.  Again, the Beach House would be amazing in the warmer weather with its pool and restaurant but was completely empty during our visit.  The beach was lovely; I really enjoy walks along the beach in the cold weather and I had wrapped up warm enough so it was invigorating enough to blow all the cobwebs away! 

The Island itself is very much geared up to the golfing tourists with a large range of restaurants and boutiquey shops scattered around.  Another perk for us was a Barnes and Noble - I forgot how much I enjoyed browsing through a bookshop, it's these simple pleasures that you can forget about in the busy, bustling, car-less environment of Disney!

Another great thing about this resort was that it was full of Disney magic without being so highly strung like the parks.  The cast were warm and friendly and took the time to chat to us and make us feel welcome and at home.  The Disney-outside-of-Disney helped me return to Florida feeling refreshed and rejuvenated!  Now, I'm very eager to visit Disney's other DVC resort here in Florida at Vero Beach!  

CRP | Staycations #4,5 & 6

Continuing our journey around all the Walt Disney World resorts, next up we have Saratoga Springs, Coronado Springs and the Yacht Club!

Saratoga Springs sits prettily on the lake by Disney Springs and is mainly a DVC resort meaning that (to my knowledge anyway!) the rooms are studios or villas.  Saratoga Springs is also host to the treehouse villas which look incredible but we stayed in a two bedroom villa. The resort is inspired by Saratoga Springs, New York and there are references to this area throughout the whole resort.  I loved how clean and fresh the resort was, it feels so spacious and roomy so you're enveloped in the whole story.  The villa was, of course, immaculate and it's nice to have a little kitchenette in the rooms so you can truly feel at home!  In fact, we got a quick service meal and took it back to the room to have a little family meal!

Coronado Springs is a moderate resort based around Mexico and the southern states. Dena says that it's one of her favourites and that is high praise indeed.  Coronado Springs is massive and the accommodation borders a lake.  The main pool has a huge Mayan pyramid and looks pretty impressive!  It's also a great spot to catch a movie under the stars.  Coronado also has a cute little outside bar if you want to grab a refreshing drink to unwind.  I love the moderate resorts here - they are great value for money; the standard of the resorts is impeccable and although the rooms are a little bit smaller than the deluxes, they are more than enough.  

The Yacht Club is a deluxe resort in the Boardwalk area, just a stones throw away from Epcot.  The Yacht Club shares a lot of its facilities with its sister hotel, the Beach Club.  The Yacht Club tells the story of the hey-day of Coney Island so think lots of white plank boards and nautical references.  We got a magical upgrade to a lake view on the groud floor and it was stunning!  The room itself was also lovely, very nautical with a hint of Mickey here and there!  The Yacht and Beach have so many great bars and restaurants close by, it's probably one of my favourite areas here at WDW.  The Yacht and Beach have an amazing sand bottomed pool too as well as a few other smaller pools dotted around with jacuzzis.  I didn't venture into the pools unfortunately as it was a little too chilly for me!

CRP | 8 months in...

Clearly, I've been slacking in the blogging department during my program here at Walt Disney World. I always feared this would happen but life is so crazy busy out here, there is always something to do and I just haven't dedicated enough time to writing. That being said, I've been meaning to write some new posts and share my news for a while now so I'm going to try and devote more time to it!

I think the last time I posted was way back in November at the end of the Food and Wine Festival. Since then, understandably loads has happened! I've nearly completed my bucket list challenge of staying in all the Disney resorts and I have been able to make it out of state a few times as well! 

I'm very much settled into Florida life now and if I'm honest, once of my main concerns is how I'm going to readjust when I go back home. It's such a unique and weird place to spend your daily life in; you're very detached from the rest of the world and you can lose your sense of time as not much changes within the World - everything is very consistent on a day to day basis. 

That being said, I thought I'd use this post to share some of my highlights of my Program so far! 

1. Being able to enjoy all the "special" times and events. 

When most people visit Disney World, they come for a week or maybe two and obviously you enjoy whatever is happening at that time. If you're lucky enough to visit a few times of the year, you might experience a special festival or holiday. When you get to spend the whole entire year here, you get to see them all! We've been to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, a Very Merry Christmas at the Magic Kingdom, Frozen Fever and Star Wars Galactic fireworks at DHS, Food and Wine, Candlelight, Easter, Flower and Garden at Epcot and fingers crossed, we'll be here for the launch of Rivers of Light at Animal Kingdom. When Disney does a special event, they really do it well and it's such a privilege to be able to go trick or treating at Magic Kingdom or try 30 different food kiosks at Epcot. And that's just the parks and it not mentioning Christmas and Easter at the resorts.

2. The staycations. 

I love love love having the opportunity to stay in as many Disney resorts as possible. It's been one of my very favourite things to do. It was on my bucket list to stay in them all and I'm well on my way (three more to go!). Staying in a resort is a great way to unwind and disconnect from the craziness of the parks but still feel a part of the Disney Magic. I also love to learn about the different stories behind the resorts; it makes you appreciate how amazing and talented the imagineers are! 

3. Travelling 

Although it can be hard to get time off work and this can make it super difficult to organise trips, the program is a great opportunity to travel. We've done carefully organised and planned trips as well as spontaneous day trips to cities across the other side of the country. It's also so good for the soul to get out of Orlando and WDW and experience "real life" every now and again. You also get the added bonus of 30 days travel time at the end of your visa here and we're currently planning an 11 states in 25 days road trip, which frankly, would be completely unfeasible if it weren't for the this program. 

4. Trying new things! 

The great thing about the WDW property and Florida being so tourist-centric means that if you want to try something new or learn about something new you can. I've been canoeing at Fort Wilderness (I never thought I'd canoe) and discovered a new found fascination with space. I know people who have sky dived, held baby alligators, gone manatee spotting, gone to a chocolate museum, the played escape/logic games... you name it, you can probably do it here in Orlando!

Here's to keeping my fingers crossed and posting more frequently!   

CRP | Epcot's Food and Wine Festival

The past six weeks or so have been crazy busy at work due to the 20th Food and Wine Festival at Epcot.  It's pretty much exactly what it says on the tin: a massive celebration of international food and drink in the World Showcase.  There have been 31 extra food kiosks around the lagoon and in Future World and it's been a great way to try some different cuisines!  It was initially our plan to try something at every food carts but due to hectic schedules and other plans, we only managed to try 21 out of the 31 - not too bad of an effort though! 

What was great about this festival was the fact that every single dish we tried was delicious!  The chefs did such a good job of making sure all the food was great quality.  Most of the dishes were around $5 too and tapas sized so it was pretty affordable.  

Along with the awesome food and drink, there were free concerts performed by some well known (and some less well known) bands and singers although I didn't manage to catch any of them.  

I think I visited the festival on three separate occasion as a guest and I have been thinking about what my favourite dishes were... it has been a really tough decision!  I think my favourite savoury dish was the Kalua pork sliders and favourite sweet dish was the liquid nitro chocolate truffle from the Chew Lab.  I was also really pleasantly surprised by the Pumpkin Cider from the Florida Farm Fresh stand - who would have thought that Pumpkin spice would make for a delicious cider?  It was like a refreshing mulled wine!  

A lot of guests have visited Epcot purely for the Food and Wine festival so it has been great hearing how the festival has grown and become bigger and better every year.  It seems as if Disney are striving to make it even more impressive and a few episodes of the Chew were filmed in the park, which I think must have been pretty exciting for foodies!

Now the festival is drawing to a close, I think Epcot is going seem quiet for a little while before Thanksgiving, Candlelight and Christmas kick into action.  It's been so much fun being able to get to take part in all of these incredible things that happen in the Disney parks; I still pinch myself to remind myself that it's all real... I think I'm pretty  much going to be saying that all year round!  

CRP | The breakfast blog

Warning: there is more eating involved in this blog! I think I said a couple of blogs ago that breakfast is one of my favourite meals and working a lot of evening shifts means that it's the easiest meal to eat out for.

A lot of the restaurants offer a la carte breakfast dining or buffet and to be honest, I have tended to just go for the buffet as its great value for money and the best way to fuel yourself for a busy day at the parks or work! I really must try and steer myself away from the buffet at some point though and try some of the delicious sounding breakfast options! I really need to try real American French toast (that's confusing!). 

First up, we have breakfast at Trail's Emd at Fort Wilderness. I really want to give them props for their guest service too; we arrived a little bit late for the breakfast sitting but as the buffet was still out, they allowed us to have that instead of ordering lunch. Although you have similar breakfast staples across all buffets, they also have individual twists suited to each resort. For example, at Trail's End, they had cornbread muffins straight up from the South! One of my favourite items from this buffet was the chocolate chip Mickey waffles (I will never, ever get sick of Mickey waffles!). It was also great to have loads of fresh fruit - something that we aren't really eating a lot of at the moment. I also unstandably enjoyed the huge selection of pastries: donuts, muffins, cinnamon rolls.... Yum! All, of course, washed down with bottomless coffee. 

Next up, we have The Wave at The Contemporary. Our second restaurant at The Contemporary, The Wave bases itself on modern American cuisine and this is evident in its buffet extras. They offered sweet potato pancakes, eggs benedict, salmon and an awesome build your own parfait station.  I stocked up on more Mickey waffles smothered in hot maple syrup served with crispy bacon. They also had a large selection of cheeses, ham, various fruit salads, breads and pastries. The Wave fits in perfectly in The Contemporary, it's design is almost 1980s like, but that fits Walt's vision of the future. I've really enjoyed both my meals at The Contemporary and I'm desperate to eat at Chef Mickey's, where you can watch the monorail soar silently overhead while you enjoy your meal! 

Thirdly, we took a little tour off property for a genuine American breakfast experience! Our American friends took us to one of their staple restaurants: Crackerbarrel! Crackerbarrel is Southern cuisine which, seems to me, means hearty portions of delicious food! The menu was HUGE! I struggled to choose what I wanted but ended up going for blueberry pancakes. These pancakes were some of the most delicious I have ever come across. They were light and fluffy with crispy edges and packed with blueberries. The portion was so generous I couldn't finish it and I really liked those pancakes!! While you're waiting for your food, they have a little peg game to play and you can also play board games there as well. Attached to the restaurant is a shop filled with all kinds of goodies, from food to holiday decorations to music. It was one of those places you could happily wander round for ages. 

America really knows how to do breakfast! 

CRP | Staycation #3 The Grand Floridian

It's been so hard trying to keep up to date with my blog but I'm going to try and catch up a little bit!! I've been busy staycationing so we'll start with probably my favourite so far....

The dream finally came true! I got to stay in The Grand Floridian and it really was everything I wished it could be and more. This resort is so beautiful and elegant without feeling stuffy or uncomfortable. If you couldn't tell, I loved it! 

We managed to actually see a little bit more of this resort as we had a bit longer there. The main entrance is a wonderful hub of activity: shops, hairdressers, restaurants and plenty of comfy chairs to sit and relax on. There's also a band that plays, which definitely helps transport you to a bygone era! 

The whole resort is reminiscent of a Victorian seaside town, complete with th architecture and areas to promenade around. We explored two of the swimming pools; one of which is nestled right next to the lagoon. 

We ate at the quick service restaurant (hurrah discount) that is right next to the jetty. Again, the food was delicious and wasn't too badly priced either. There were setting up for a wedding reception too and I really couldn't think of a more beautiful setting: in front of the lagoon, Cinderella's Castle on the horizon - a perfect view of Wishes. Of course, we came back later to watch the fireworks from this viewpoint! 

The rooms themselves were heavenly! They were so luxurious and the Grand Floridan provides a nightly turn down service including little chocolates on your pillow. There were also bathrobes (loved a hotel with bathrobes) and plenty of toiletries including a foot scrub and after sun. For me, it's little touches like this that put this hotel above the rest! I would put this hotel on par with the Four Seasons - it's really that good! 

I enjoyed myself so much that I would love to go and stay again and see what else this resort has to offer. They have restaurants that have amazing review and I hope to try a few of them throughout my program. 

Staying in the resorts is something I'm so glad I'm able to make the most of; they're so different and are a great way to escape some of the intensity of the parks and room sharing! 

  

CRP | Resort hopping part 1

As you may or may not know, Walt Disney World has so many great resorts and hotels that you can stay in.  It's on my Florida bucket list to try and stay in as many as possible and last week, we partook in a bit of resort hopping to experience a couple of them (and make me want to stay in them really bad!).

We first had a look around The Grand Floridian, which is a beautiful resort, styled in a Victorian seaside theme and is one of the hotels that I really, really want to stay in!

The Grand Floridian also has a spa - oh, how I want to have a massage there! - and is home to the wedding pavilion which we managed to get a sneaky look in.  It's so beautiful!

After that, we strolled along to the Polynesian, another deluxe resort, this time themed on Hawaii (Lilo and Stitch - yay).  On the beach of the Polynesian, you can watch movies under the stars and when it's time for the Wishes fireworks, you can grab a spot overlooking the lake and it's so magical.  I've heard lots of great things about the Ohana restaurant there so can't wait to go back!

To celebrate our one week of being in Florida, we went to the California Grill on top of the Contemporary resort.  It was amazing, the food was incredible and the view was spectacular.  We ordered a selection of starters (two flatbreads and pork belly sushi) which were so so good.  The California Grill is a fine dining restaurant and when Disney say fine dining, they really mean fine dining.  The quality of food is well worth it.

As the restaurant is situated on top of the hotel, you can go out onto two viewing platforms and watch the fireworks.  This is probably a controversial opinion but so far I've found myself enjoying Wishes more outside Magic Kingdom; it's so much more chilled out and you don't have to fight your way out of the park.  

There is so much to do and explore on the Walt Disney World properties... hopefully we'll be able to make it round as many as possible!

CRP | Traditions

After the exciting-and exhausting-few days of arrival, check in, and theme park fun we had a few days to just relax, go shopping and find our feet a little before the first day of our training. If you’re reading this because you’re a giant Disney geek, you’re probably aware that the first day for new cast members is called Disney Traditions. If you’re not a giant Disney geek, then now you have a bit of information to impress other people with, win pub quizzes and suchlike.

Disney Traditions is a big deal; or at least it’s built up to be with rumours being floated around, threats of being sent back home if you don’t have the Disney Look and those kinds of things. Ultimately, it’s way more relaxed than anyone makes it out to be so if you’re lucky enough to get to here, don’t panic! Every single person we have come across have been so helpful and lovely that nothing will ever be a huge problem.

First of all, it’s an early start! A getting up before the sun does early start because you have to be there by 7:30. Which brings me on to my second point: it’s held at Disney University. Yes it’s a thing and yes it’s as awesome as it sounds. The walls are full of original posters, mini odes to Imagineer legends, Walt and old movies. Best of all are the future plans for the company which the public aren’t privy to yet!

When we arrived, we were herded into a classroom and had little stickers with our names on; the first couple of hours were full of learning about the history of Disney: how it all began, the vision and the aim of the company and the new attitudes we would now adopt being cast members. As cheesy as it sounds, it really was inspiring to hear about Walt setting up the company and his quotes about what he wanted to create give you a determination to be an asset to the company and complete his mission. Before this class, I think we still had the surface view of Disney; but after the first couple of hours on this Saturday morning, my opinion of the Walt Disney Company changed to respect and admiration .It’s not just a face they put on for the public-Disney genuinely aim to create magic and happiness for every single guest. A perfect example is how they are called guests and not customers; we were encouraged from this moment to do everything within our power as cast members (not employees!) to do what we can to make everyone’s holiday a magical one and we have free reign to make those decisions and create our own magical moments with guests from all over the world.

Geeking out a little; so moving on. After all the interesting history and mission statement etc, we were finally given our ID badges which was very exciting. The afternoon was a little different to the normal traditions class because usually there is a surprise (which I won’t ruin for those of you who get here!) so we just had an hour or so of asking questions and hearing some more stories from the trainers. To be honest, we could tell it was biding time but some things were useful all the same. Just before we were due to finish we were presented with our name badges!! What we had been waiting for all day long to be honest and they threw in the best surprise of the day for this!

All in all, it was a lot of fun! Yes it was long and at times many of us just wanted more coffee, but I think it was the circumstances of ours being a little different. The things we learned about Disney as a company and our role in the upcoming year were so exciting and the major thing we took away from it?

We create happiness for every single guest who comes into contact with us. And I can’t wait to start!

CRP | Two days in...

We made it!  I'm writing this blog from sunny and very hot Orlando, Florida!  Since arriving it's been crazy busy and very tiring; although every now and then I have to pinch myself to believe that we're finally here!

We arrived after an pretty uneventful and average flight from Stansted and luckily breezed through immigration, baggage reclaim and customs.  We met our shuttle and went to the hotel for a couple of hours before heading straight down to Downtown Disney.  The first port of call was food and revisited one of our previous favourites House of Blues.  Downtown Disney is currently having a massive overhaul to become Disney Springs which means there are a lot of boards up around the place and can be a bit of a maze to navigate through.  It was super busy too so we weren't able to take it all in as we were meeting a few of the other guys from our arrival group.  

The following day was check-in day, where you find out your accommodation.  We headed over to the Vista Way Welcome Center and queued for a couple of hours before receiving our housing IDs, keys, and itinerary for this week.  As for housing, we got Chatham Square (which is good) with a 6 person 2 bedroom apartment (not so good)... This meant bunk beds.  It was a little disappointing because a triple occupancy room was last on our preference list.  However, our rent is super cheap and the apartment is nice so can't really complain too much.

After settling in to the apartment, we had to go to Walmart to buy bedding, towels, router etc.  IT WAS SO STRESSFUL.  The Walmart is massive and there were 1400 other arrivals that day... the majority of which had to go to Walmart to buy all the aforementioned items. It was such a relief when we were finally done and could relax!

Our second day, today, we headed straight to Universal Studios and picked up our Florida residents' annual pass and spent the day there on the rides and exploring Diagon Alley.  It was awesome and the Gringott's ride was incredible.  The theming and detail in the Harry Potter section was perfect and even rivalled Disney for its attention to detail.  You felt as if you were stepping into the film or the books.  This evening, we're heading back to Downtown Disney for a Ghiradelli's ice-cream and perhaps some souvenir shopping.  This is the life!

Hoping to vlog very soon so watch this space!  

CRP | Medical Insurance

Oh, medical insurance, what a palava indeed!  We finally bit the bullet and bought our medical insurance with a whole five days left to spare before we fly.  In fact, I found the whole thing so frustratingly complicated and confusing, I got Dena to write about it.

Of course, again, this is not solid, you-should-100%-do-this advice so please don't take our word as gospel!  It's just the process that we went through and we would always advise you do your own research and go with a policy you are happy with.   Here's our medical insurance lowdown:

Say what you want about waiting times, rubbish GP’s and dirty hospitals; the NHS is wonderful! Medical insurance might have been one of the most infuriating parts of our magical Disney journey. Partly because it costs money and we are a little poor, but also because of making sure you are making the right choice for what you need and want. If you don’t need to worry about money, it probably won’t stress you out so much but there are a few things you need to know.

So, the wonderful United States has brilliant medical care-but it needs to be paid for. It’s expensive and without cover, the bill would be ridiculous if anything happened. Besides that, to work for an American company you need medical insurance; likewise for getting an American visa. In summary, you need it so get it!

Disney offer their own medical insurance for their employees; but only after 4 months of being there. As we arrive in the middle of a month, we had to get cover for just over 4 months as the Disney policy starts at the beginning of a month.

The confusion we faced was between travel and medical; when you go on holiday, it’s usually a two in one deal where you get suitcase cover to death cover. But as we are living in the States, we need full on medical and although travel might be handy, realistically it’s not necessary (who ever claims for a damaged suitcase really!) as we are living there, not on holiday.

Another problem you will face if you just look at the standard insurance websites (world nomads, go walkabout etc) is the lack of a return date. Many companies will not insure you if you do not have a return flight to the United Kingdom.

So in the end, we opted for a medical insurance because it covered everything we needed.

A decent insurance will cover up to $100,000 of appointments, treatments etc. A really handy website we came across was visitorscoverage.com. You put in your details and then a whole list of different policies come up where you can choose which plan you want and how much deductible you want to pay.

Eventually, we opted for Seven Corners policy which was $182 dollars for extensive coverage and $100 deductible. When we went into actually getting the policy, we were asked for a return date which panicked us a little as we didn’t think it was going to be a problem. I emailed one of the visitorscoverage workers and they emailed fairly promptly saying we can just use the date we need our policy to end as our return date. Don’t take this as a given for all insurance companies however, and make sure if you have any questions to simply ask! Insurance companies are strangely helpful when you’re giving them money rather than asking for it so be brave and just shoot them an email or phone call!

 When you look into the deductible, have a think about how you will pay it. Some companies ask for the deductible every time you need to see someone or claim; whereas other companies will only need it for the first time and then you can go back as many times as you need to. Similarly, you may need to pay upfront for your care and then claim back, or you can show your insurance policy and never have to pay a penny. This is definitely worth looking into depending on what you prefer.

There are also some amazing policies which cover you for absolutely everything, but then only pay for 100% of your treatment after you have paid the first $500 or something similar. Basically, be very aware of exactly what you will have to do if something happens-you may think it is very unlikely; you know, you’re young, fit, healthy. That’s what we thought in Mexico, and Danielle nearly ended up in hospital and spent a fortune on scans, blood tests and medication. So don’t be too complacent!

In summary, you need to make sure you know what you’re looking for and what you’re getting! Don’t try and be cheap but don’t go over the top and get some fancy policy which will cost you a fortune.

From reading other blogs, there are some policies out there which are specifically for the program we are doing or at least with our program in mind; but they are more expensive.

Our policy can also be extended once we are out there which is super handy because if Disney works out more expensive we can just extend the one we have for until we leave!

Four days to go :-)

CRP | One week to go

One week till we leave for Florida and believe it or not, it still hasn't really sunk in what I'm doing or when I'm going.  I still have lots left to do and I haven't really begun to think about packing.  I don't usually pack until the last minute but I usually have a rough idea of what I'm taking... Not this year!  

That being said, I've crossed a few things off my to-do list: 

I've ordered my dollars.  I wasn't sure how many to take but I've ordered a few hundred to hopefully keep me going for a few weeks.  I want to get my Universal Annual Pass pretty early on but that'll end up on my bank card I think! 

I initially planned to suspend my mobile contract for 6 months as I was able to do that for Mexico.  Since EE has taken over Orange, they've got rid of that option, which isn't so great but nothing I can do.  

We received our DORMS email the other day, which is the system Disney use to allocate housing amongst other things.  You put your housing preferences in as well as your roommate requests.  I'm not sure how likely you are to get your first choice but the only thing I feel quite strongly about is not getting bunkbeds and a triple occupancy room.  Fingers crossed!

I've also started rounding up various documents that I need.  My birth certificate usually takes ages for me to find but I've got it and am keeping it in a safe place (still a chance I might lose it!) and will put it together with the other wad of paper I need to take with me. 

What's left to do?  Well, I currently have three lists on the go: to do, to buy, to pack.  Everyone around me seems quite concerned that I only have a week left to sort everything out but it's fine!  It'll all be fine (famous last words).

I have yet to buy my medical insurance.  Oh what a nightmare that has all been, so many options, plans, small prints to read.  I think we're settled on the policy to go for but just waiting to hear back from the company to answer a question.  

Print off all the hire documentation.  Disney ask you to print and complete a few documents to make your arrival easier. 

Upload documents to the DOC Onboarding website.  Again, you need to upload various documents to Disney's website (Visa, medical insurance etc).

Book airport shuttle.  Disney provide you with a discount voucher to book your shuttle to the Vist Way Welcome Center.  However, we're staying in a hotel the first night and the voucher is with Mears, who have been quite expensive in the past when I've been researching for a past trip so we may end up going with Super Shuttle instead.

Oh,and pack.  

I've got loads of time! 

CRP | Hopes and fears - 10 days to go

Our departure date is creeping closer and closer and it's slowly dawning on me that I'm moving abroad again, for the third time.  Moving to a different country is a really big deal and it's natural to feel anxious about what's to come.  Although I've packed my life up in a suitcase a couple of times before, there are still a few niggly nerves that pop up.  Have a look at some of my hopes and fears for the next year:

Hopes

1. Meet people.
This may seem a little strange when you read my fears but I'm really hoping I can meet people from all across the globe.  I love learning about different cultures (good thing I'm doing a cultural exchange program) so I'm going to try and become a social butterfly and put myself out there (eek). 

2.  I can speak more French and Spanish.
I've really missed thinking in a foreign language so hopefully the CRP will give me an opportunity to practise my languages - with other cast members and guests! I'm a little apprehensive about passing the language tests but I might give it a go and see what happens.

3. Learn about business.
This may sound like an ultra-geeky hope but I've only ever worked in merchandise for a year and never for a transnational company so I'm really looking forward to seeing how a company like Disney functions.  

4. Travel and experience the US like a real American.
There's something about the USA that really intrigues me; I think it's the sheer variation between the different cultures.  You can't really compare the Deep South to Washington state etc.  I hope I can hope on the Greyhound and visit as many states/cities as possible.

5. Be a part of the Disney magic.
A cheesy, cliched one I know but I hope I can be part of everything that makes Disney so magical.  I remember all the lovely, helpful cast members who made my trip there unforgettable and I want to be able to do that for other people.  

Fears

1. No one will like me!
This is a bit of a personal one for as this is one of my general-anxiety-life fears.  I always worry that no one is going to like me at all. I know it's impossible for everyone to like me but the rational side of me says that out of all the cast members in Disney World, one or two of them will want to be my friend.  I imagine that this is an anxiety for lots of people embarking on this type of program or a study abroad but it always turns out okay.

2. Time will fly.
This sounds like an odd one but after my past two years of living abroad, I know how quickly time can pass you by.  One minute you feel like you have tons of time to cross everything off your bucket list but before you know it, you're having to organise your trip home.  I want to try and make sure that  I make the most of every opportunity out there.

3. I won't have enough money.
I've tried to save but the application process and whatnot is a fairly pricey business. What's more, the past year I've only been on an intern wage so naturally I'm concerned I won't have enough to see me through.  I think it's because in Mexico last year, money was quite tight.  However, this no way took away from the fact I had an amazing time; you simply learn to find more creative, cheaper ways to make the most of your year.

4. I'm too old.
Again, another fairly personal one.  So I'm 28.  The majority of the applicants are early twenties and I'm worried I'm too old.  However, I think it is true that you are only as old as you feel and Yummy Jobs and Disney must have thought it was okay otherwise they wouldn't have given me a place... Right?  Ha.

I still can't believe it's only ten days to go!  

CRP | the visa appointment

The day of our visa appointment finally arrived, after what felt like weeks of waiting!

The waiting is because you need Disney to email you the petition document before you can apply for a visa. The petition number is given to Disney by the consulate in the U.S. which allows Disney to create the document you will get in the email. We received ours about 7 weeks before our arrival date, which created all sorts of panic, fluster and Hoo-hah; but we were caught up in the embassies' massive hardware problem they had going on. You're likely to get it earlier than that.

So when you've had the go ahead, you complete a DS-160 form online which is a dynamic form (people may get different questions) and gathers all the information needed to hopefully approve your visa. Some of the questions are your bog standard general details, but then it gets a bit more serious (and frankly, odd) when you have to let them know if you have any plans to traffick other humans whilst on your Disney adventure. You also have to upload your photo and pay your visa fee ($190).  Photo wise-they have a tool online to help you out with uploading a decent digital one. You are advised to get printed ones too, but we spent £7 on some and didn't actually need them. It may be better to make sure your digital one is good and then take £7 with you to the embassy as they have a machine there if your original isn't good enough. One piece of advice I would say is print out your DS-160 confirmation as soon as you can as we weren't able to retrieve them and didn't receive the email confirmation that we asked for. If you don't have your confirmation form and can't retrieve it, you have to do the whole form again-and it really is an alarmingly long form; even longer the second time.

After completing the form, you are able to book your appointment at the embassy or consulate of your choice. Here in the UK, you can go to London or the Belfast consulate. Wait time for the appointments can vary but you're normally seen within a couple of weeks. 

Your appointment is probably going to be fairly early in the morning, 8 or 8.30, so if you live far away you might want to consider staying over the night before. We stayed in Stratford and caught the Tube in but still had to get up at 5.30!  We arrived in Grosvenor Square at around 7.25am and there was already a massive queue outside the embassy; luckily, the embassy staff are super efficient.

Pre and post visa appointment selfie! 

While you're in the queue, the staff check your appointment time and have a look at your paperwork to make sure there are no problems and then you're signed in. After this, you go through security - which is a lot less scary than I thought - you have to put your watch, phone, belt, pocket items in a clear plastic bag but you can take everything in with you. Your bags are scanned, like at the airport, and you walk through a metal detector. You might get your bag searched or frisked but it's generally run of the mill security procedures. (You can even leave your shoes on!) Then, you walk round to the entrance of the embassy and you're given a ticket number and directed to the waiting room. 

There are two steps once you're inside: firstly you will be called to a window where you hand over your documents (byee passport!) and give your fingerprints. It's super quick and they give you your appointment paper back with another sticker on (you keep the same number) and you go back to the waiting room. People tend to jump in your seat so don't get too attached. 

The wait for here was a little longer for some reason, but luckily it was still short for us-your number gets called to another window and this is the last step! This time you get to speak to a REAL LIFE AMERICAN and you give your fingerprints again. They ask you a few questions this time-where you're going, how long for, maybe why you are going. These depend on who you get so just relax and answer them -they're easy and they're not trying to catch you out!

And that's it! All approved and your passport will be with you in 3-5 days! Well that's what we were told so we will let you know on Tuesday! ;) 

CRP | An update

It's been a while since I've posted about the CRP and with only 40-odd days to go, I thought I'd give an update of what's been going on. 

Our Visa petition finally arrived from Disney a couple of weeks ago, which I initially thought meant we'd be at the Embassy in London a couple of weeks later and passport and visa in hand well before our departure date.  Unfortunately, for us, it hasn't been that straight forward!  

Once you receive your petition notice, you can complete the DS-160 form needed for your visa, upload your photo, and theoretically book your appointment at your nearest embassy or consulate.  Everything was working perfectly until we read about the problems US embassies were having with printing and processing visas.  There was a massive hardware failure with their systems, meaning that applications couldn't be processed nor visas issued.  We were able to complete the online form but when it came to booking appointments, the earliest we could get was the 28th July.  Visas take 5-7 days to be returned to you (providing there is no problems) and as we leave on August 9th, this seemed to be cutting it extremely fine to me!  Lots of other people from our arrival group decided to book appointments for the Belfast consulate as they are able to get there quite easily and appointments were showing as mid-July.  For us to get to Belfast from East Anglia requires a lot of travel planning and money, which is something that I just couldn't afford at the time.  There was also the issue that if you have a problem with the visa, the embassy or consulate you first applied for is the only one who can help you.  After a lot of consideration and stress, we decided to bank on the London embassy and the later date, praying that all the problems would be sorted. 

At the moment, it seems that the problem has been resolved in the London embassy but they have a huge backlog to clear.  On the plus side, we have managed to rearrange our visa appointments (four times so far) to a much earlier date - we are now going mid-July instead of at the end of the month - which gives us much more time to play with and has allowed me to relax about that aspect of the visa process.   

Our appointment is at 8am which means we'll have to leave at around 4am (not pleased) but hopefully it'll all be sorted on the day and our passports will be lovingly couriered back to us quickly.  I'm keeping everything crossed, so watch this space!

The only other "big" thing we need to sort is our medical insurance.  We are swaying towards taking out a policy for the first four months and then switching to Disney's insurance when we are out there.  I'll write a post on that when we get that sorted out.  

Once the visa and insurance is done, it'll be time to think about packing and shopping (although I've already bought my Disney VANs and a new swimsuit ready for Florida ... eee!) and to start thinking about more admin-y things like International Drivings Licence etc.  I have three weeks left at work, the school term will be over, and we won't have very long left at all.  Exciting times ahead!

I'm also thinking about putting a Disney blog link page together - so if you have your own CRP blog or know of some others, comment/tweet/email me the links!

Favourite spots in Walt Disney World

As we are getting closer to leaving for Florida (eight weeks!), I've been thinking about the places that I can't wait to revisit!  There are a plethora of things to do and see across the whole resort but I'm going to try to and list my favourite five that I want to go and rediscover.

source

1. The porch outside the Hall of Presidents in Liberty Square

First of all, this spot is very special to me because it was the start of my very own Disney treasure hunt in Magic Kingdom for my birthday last year!  Secondly, the porch is a lovely quiet spot to sit and relax for a few minutes, or to soak up the magical atmosphere of Magic Kingdom.  I love the white rocking chairs, I imagine myself being in the Deep South, sipping sweet tea. 

source

2.  Africa in Animal Kingdom
One of my favourite memories of my WDW trip was buying a fruit salad from the Harambe fruit market, grabbing a spot in the shade and watching the African dancings in the centre of this area of Animal Kingdom.  Again, it was another opportunity to take stock of the day and bask in the Florida heat.  

source

3. Pick-a-Pearl Japan Pavilion
To be honest, I love all the Pavilions in the World Showcase - food and shopping, what's not to love?  But I love the whole experience of picking a pearl in Japan.  The whole ceremony is so much fun and the cast members really engage everyone.  Plus, you get a special and unique souvenir at the end of it all.  I picked a beautiful silvery blue pearl and every time I wear it, I think of the wonderful experience. 

4.  The best table in the house at Cinderella's Royal Table

Of course, dining at Cinderella's Royal Table is a magical and unforgettable experience and when I went, I was lucky enough to have one of the most lovely tables in the whole restaurant.  Our table overlooked Fantasyland and Prince Charming's Carrousel and the view alone encapsulated everything that Disney is about for me.

5.  On board the ferryboat on Seven Seas Lagoon

Crossing the lagoon on the ferryboat with Cinderella's castle in the distance is one of the most excitement-inducing moments of any Disney World trip.  I love how beautiful the lake and the views are of this part of the resort and the ferryboat trip can either be used to wind down after a long day at the park or to get you bubbling with excitement at the beginning of a day.