See ya real soon!

I apologize for not writing in a really long time and I also apologize for never actually concluding my blog. So here it goes! THE GRAND CONCLUSION OF DISNEY ICP 2012.

Marc and his girlfriend ended up coming to Florida :) So I got to spend half a (rainy) day with them at MK. I wish they could've stayed longer so they could've ridden Space or Splash or something but it was lovely to see them both and show them around the best I could :)

My last few shifts at CRT were phenomenal. I got to do most of the roles I really enjoy one last time. I also had some really good stories about some really..really special guests that happened to be there. ;)
A lot of other girls were finishing up their programs at the same time so it was a really emotional time at CRT. On my last night of work I watched Wishes with a few girls while we just cried and cried. There were guests by us, thinking we must have been a little crazy for getting so emotional over fireworks we see every night.
I'm glad I got to say goodbye to everyone though! I had bought an autograph book and I got everyone to sign it.. I read it (and cry) and remember all the amazing people I met this summer!
On my last night at work I was "last check" which means I closed podium. The park closed at 10 (weird eh?) so there wasn't too many people around so I got to really soak in the last few hours of being a cast member :(

My last break!

NO MORE NAPKINS

GOODBYE LOVELIES 

My last day in the parks was also a really fun experience. I went to Magic Kingdom in the morning with my kiwi Nicki! It was one of the saddest days in the Magic Kingdom though because I knew all the experiences would be my "last", for awhile at least. We got off the bus at the Contemporary and took the monorail around to the front of the park "let's not walk, it's too hot". So it was my last monorail surfing experience, my last por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas, my last Bay Lake experience for awhile at least.

We got Sorceror's Cards and then set out to do ALL the fun things, one last time. We did Splash Mountain (as my absolute favorite), Haunted Mansion, tea cups. We also got to eat a delicious breakfast at Sleepy Hollow (waffles with nutella and fruit SO GOOD). We took a MILLION photos too.. and I said my goodbyes to Crystal Palace, the castle (the first goodbye of many), and new Fantasyland including Storybook Cricus :(

That afternoon we ended up going over to Epcot and meeting Grace. We had lunch at Akershus in Norway! This was so exciting! The same princesses that come to CRT also go to Norway and it was nice to see them all and get them to sign my autograph book :) The food was really good at Akershus too. The appetizers were buffet style, then the main course was a la carte, and dessert was served family style. I'm glad I got to experience Akershus to a) experience another princess dining and b) so many people come to CRT who are supposed to have reservations at Akershus so I wanted to know what the big hype was! It's funny when people come to podium and you look them up and their reservations are actually at Norway. Try telling people that! "Your reservations are at Akershus.... where?... Akershus, in Norway... where?.... Akershus, in Norway, in Epcot.... where?....Take a monorail."

Norway

HI ARIEL!

I experienced a Disney first by taking the boat from Epcot to Hollywood Studios!

At Studios we waited in a long line for Rock'n'roller coaster, rode my new love Tower of Terror one last time and then we watched Fantasmic!!! We didn't have the best seats in the house but it was nice to be able to see it one last time.

So on my last day of life in Orlando, the Canadian crew went to Crystal Palace for breakfast. It was lovely to experience CP as a guest, since I had worked there several times this summer and never actually had any of the food. The award for my favorite breakfast at Disney World goes to 1900 Park Fare, but CP was fun :)

We also got to MISCI for the last time :(!!!

We then headed back to Vista because ALL of us had packing to do. Packing wasn't too difficult surprisingly and I was able to bring home everything (important at least) 

That night was our GRADUATION. The program threw us this big BBQ to celebrate finishing our programs. Lots of Americans and other people were finishing up too, so we had a combined graduation with them as well.  We got free graduation ears and got to meet Mickey and Minnie. We also had some yummy BBQ food. It was a really really hot day but it was nice to say goodbye to everyone who was also leaving.

After graduation a whole lot of us headed to Magic Kingdom for the last (last) time. :(

I still had an incomplete Sorcerer's Cards set so we headed to Tortuga Tavern. This was actually one of my favorite memories of the program. Tortuga Tavern is a quick serve restaurant in Adventureland but it's only open for lunch (i think) and in busy seasons. So at night, it was "closed" but people go in there to trade and display their cards!! So we went in and met two very lovely cast members who were just there to trade cards on their days off! Even though I didn't have two star cards to trade for the two star cards I needed they gave me the two cards (Nibs and Flynn) that I needed to complete my set so I could go home with a full set :D. Thank you Tortuga Tavern!!!

We ended up watching DEP and the Magic Memories and You and Wishes for the last time :( TALK ABOUT CRY FEST. 

The park closed at 11 that night but it seemed like EVERYBODY who was in the park past 10:30 was just college program kids spending every possible second in the MK as they could.

I went back to CRT and said my final final goodbye.

Another really really cool (but sad!) memory was just walking down Main Street for the last time.. I didn't know which way to face because I wanted to see the castle for as long as I could!! It was dark, and a huge thunder and lightning storm was happening but without rain! It was epic, and an epic way to leave the kingdom.

My taxi was booked to pick me up at 4:30 am or something crazy like that so after a very hectic (and last!) A bus ride home from MK, I just stayed up. I spent lots of time with Grace, Nicki and Alex. 

My taxi ride to the airport was devastating. I just cried the whole time in the backseat. I cried when I checked my luggage. I cried when I boarded the plane.

The good news was I was going to surprise one of my favorite people Lidia!! She had no idea I was coming to visit her :) We ended up having a super weekend going to Niagara Falls and Toronto and everything!!

So thus concludes my summer at WDW! I can't wait to be a cast member in the future- but I don't know when and where that will be.. which is exciting :) 

I had an absolutely fantastic experience as an ICP cast member- I just wish the program was longer! I highly recommend this experience to anyone and everyone!

Thank you to everyone I've met and thanks a bunch to the boss for a fantastic summer job :)

Magical Moments

I worked a double yesterday and today :)
Yesterday I was on podium for lunch, then for dinner I was a seater for a bit and breezeway greeter as well. It was fun! I love being breezeway greeter even though you get the same questions over and over again- "what is this?" "can we go in the castle?" "Why is the door shut?" "where are the bathrooms?" "How do we make reservations?"
Last night we all went to Nicki's apartment and got dressed up and hate a little goodbye celebration. The other girls who work at the castle are all unique and beautiful and I am very happy to have met them.

Today I was greeter for lunch, and for dinner I was updater then greeter again.
Tonight was very emotional. It was my last night working with some of my best friends at the castle, and I had to say goodbye. We all got to watch Wishes together from underneath the castle, and Cinderella even joined in.  I had many tearful hugs goodbye tonight.
This experience has been unreal, and the end seems even more unreal. I normally struggle with transitions- this one is gonna be a douzy. I'm excited to go home and I truly miss Nova Scotia and my people so to speak- but I'm leaving a piece of my heart here for sure.

Bye bye Universal

Yesterday I worked 2:45-10:15. I went to Magic Kingdom early to get Sorceror's Cards. I ended up having a lot of time so I watched the Country Bears, ate lunch at the Colombia Harbor House and collected some fast passes :) My fast pass collection now includes all Fantasyland fast passes which I'm pretty happy about. Big hearts for FanLand.

I had a random room mate last night! For some reason some girl needed a room for one night before her flight back to her home country (Moracco!) today.. so she slept in our apartment in my bedroom. She was nice, but it was just so random!

I went to Universal today for the last time this summer. The good news is I ended up going to Universal 4 times so I got my money's worth for the annual pass :)
I went today with Sara, Alex and Sara's bf from Canada Ryan. Great crew, we had a great time :) Said goodbye to Hogwarts and the Rip Rocket Roller Coaster and the Mummy and all the good rides. :(

I work two doubles in a row starting tomorrow. Going to get my full of CRT before having to leave it! :(
Two doubles in a row = Lindsay going to bed early tonight.

Lately.

The past few days have been crazy! My friends left for Canada :( I miss them already but I'll see them soon!

I lost my wallet in the Magic Kingdom the other day, with all my IDs and $80 in it.. but IT TURNED UP THE NEXT DAY AT LOST AND FOUND. Thank goodness for honest people :)

I worked at the Plaza today, just a random shift :) It was fun to be on Main Street and to watch the parades and stuff. The Plaza only has 33 tables and no characters or anything so it was relatively stress free compared to CRT. I decided to wear my Acadia University name tag today and somebody recognized it! They were from Toronto.

The costume is identical to the Crystal Palace one with a different apron.

I am officially ready to make the most of my last work week!! I'm going to see Marc hopefully, go to Universal one last time, and of course, the parks one last time. Let's do this.

Imagination with Figment!

I went to Epcot today with the girls from home :) It was fun! Epcot is really what you make of it I guess. We did Imagination (haha one of my new favorites), Club Cool, Soarin', Mission Space, Living with the Land. Ellen and I got to meet Stitch :) Ellen had to leave early so she's back in Canada :( I had to say bye to her but I will see her soon :)

I worked 2:45-10:15. It was a good shift :) I got to help out our special events manager and help prepare balloons and stuff for our special packages which was fun. I was a seater for the rest of the night. Jill drove me home and we stopped at Wawa a new gas station. It has amazing hoagie subs for really cheap! It was nice to be able to have some food and spend time with Jill :)

I'm going to visit with Alex soon then go to bed. SO TIRED.

PS Our last schedule came out today.... I am so devastated. The more I reflect on this experience the more I love it and I just appreciate literally every second I spend here. I'm going to soak it all in, dig my in my heels.. I don't want to leave. I know leaving is inevitable though and leaving will only make me grow even more fonder of this place if that's even possible. I know there are more adventures to be had as well :)

Big Life Updates

Hey!
I haven't blogged in sooo long! Here's what's new:

Work:
Work has been going tremendously :) I quite like my job in case you haven't noticed. I worked a double today.. I've had a few days off too. I did set ups one day and was magically bumped to podium which was like a miracle. Today I did some random tasks for a bit- lately it's been like I don't get actual positions, just do random stuff. It's cool though. I'm going to miss CRT cast so much when I leave :(

Life:
My friends from home came to visit me!!!! Lidia came in Tuesday and Ellen/Shelby came the next day. Lidia and I stayed at Coronado Springs the first day. It was fun! We rented a boat at the Contemporary Resort and got to drive around Bay Lake. We got to see where the old abandoned water park River Country was. After that we went to Downtown Disney and watched the Katy Perry movie with Alex :)
When Ellen/Shelby got here we located to Pop Century and we played Tower of Terror Clue then we went to the pool and swam. The evening consisted of going to the Polynesian resort and getting Dole Whips, and watches Wishes from the beach <3
The next day was our Animal Kingdom day. It was fun! I got to spend the morning with them before I had to go to work.
Yesterday was Magic Kingdom day. Boy what a marathon. It was the hottest day everrrrr. But it was fun- we ate at CRT which was like.. two worlds colliding with them there.
Today they did Hollywood Studios but I worked a double so I wasn't with them.

So that's life!
I'm so happy to see them again- it's weird they're here (like the world colliding thing) but it's also quite amazing.

stocka stocka stocka

I worked 11:30-10:15 today. Lo and behold I got pulled to be stocker again. This time from 1-7.
It's physically hard work. You're in charge of stocking ice (involves shoveling ice.. it's heavy), trays, plates, spoons, lids, straws, cups (big one), hot bread, waters, watching the soup, preparing butter, preparing lemons among other things. It's just a lot to balance and all the stuff is all around the kitchen so it's a lot of walking too.
I didn't mind though.
Other positions I did were breezeway greeter (love of my life), greeter assist, podium for a bit, seater, seater/setter. I guess I'm not important enough for a real position these days!
Now I'm watching Big Brother and anxiously awaiting tomorrow!!! :D Lidia comes!