and it begins

Day 1: Check-In
Day 1 was extremely eventful. First was our 'check in', where we were given our apartment complex area as well as information on the housing meeting for the following day. Then we went onto all the fun stuff, the paperwork that comes with a job. After this long (and tiring) wait, we were given the rest of the day to do what we pleased. We were able to get most of our apartment set up.

Day 2: Housing Meeting
Other then the housing meeting this morning, we also had most of the day to ourselves. Not a whole lot happened at the meeting, we were just informed about the transportation, security, maintenance, and everything else that comes with apartment care. Grocery shopping was done today, and we were able to meet our other two fun roommates.

Day 3: Traditions
Traditions, our first day working under Disney World... Was truly traditions; the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc, from generation to generation. We were given a quick Walt Disney history lesson, and were given a small tour of inside the Magic Kingdom park.. Wait, did I say a tour of a theme park? Yes, we got a tour while going over points in which the Disney company finds important to find in their parks; safety, courtesy, show, and efficiency. Today was also the day we received our name tags by a special guest. It was magical.

Day 4: Magic Kingdom Training
Woke up at the crack of dawn on the fourth day for training for all cast members (we're not workers guys, we're cast members) of the Magic Kingdom. And was it different from most training days I've had with other businesses. Not only were we given a bigger tour of the park, we also had to ride two rides; Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and Haunted Mansion. Yes, one of the best training days. Ever. Today was the day we also received our costumes (not uniforms) for work.

Day 5: Food & Beverage Training
Did you know Food & Beverage is the largest part of Disney World's business? As well as where the largest percent of cast members is placed? That, along with other interesting information is what we learned today in our training program. Anyone visiting Disney World should feel safe eating their food, your cooks are well informed on how to keep everything under control so you don't get sick.


Tomorrow is my first day of training at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland. I have heard many different things about working under the establishment, but I'm up for anything they bring at me.

Even a million guests.

making it to the land of the mouse

Long time no blog. Things have been busy in the past month, and even more so the past couple of days. Saturday morning, my aunt, Janet, and uncle, Gene, helped me load up and all three of us together began our journey to Disney World. We also had Wolfie with us.



We saw many interesting things along the way.

In Metropolis, Illinois, we got to meet Superman himself.


As well as many other landmarks. We even ran into a large statue of a cow in Georgia. Still not sure on the story of that one.


After two days, we did make it to Florida soil..



And then onto Disney World!



Our hotel, the Regal Sun Resort, was great. The beds were comfortable, and we never really ran into any trouble from them.. Other then the front desk always being busy. When you're in Disney World though, you should always expect lines. Even when you are employed by them.

We made it!

On Monday, we visited Epcot, and on Tuesday, we went to the Animal Kingdom. In both parks we had a great time. In Epcot though, we were pulled aside in the Seas department and asked if we had time to spare.. And then were given a full backstage tour of how the sea creatures were taken care of. It was amazing! We learned a lot about how the animals were taken care of, and how Disney World made it's own salt water for it's underwater wildlife. The dolphins kept checking us out in during the tour while we were looking at them. The manatees meanwhile weren't so curious, and kept to themselves. The room these animals are given is impressive, and Disney definitely does what they can to keep them healthy. If one fish is sick, then they check on not just that fish, but all of the sealife. Bravo Disney.

We even got to be the First Family in the America presentation. What a day.


Check in for the program was Wednesday. I will be working at Cosmic Ray's in the Magic Kingdom, which from what I've heard, the second largest kitchen in the world! (Only second to Mc Donalds, over in Moscow.) I will update you all more on these past couple days in the next post.. Which hopefully shouldn't be too long from now. Today is Traditions, our first actual work day. Time to learn about the Disney magic.

Counting Down: Work In Progress

21 days and counting. These past couple of weeks have been flying by, and I'm sure the next three weeks will too.

To faithful followers, you may have noticed the layout change. The artwork was done by my superchick sister, Laura Baer. I highly recommend you give her art a look, she is a very talented artist who even has her degree in it. If that doesn't say she knows what she's doing, what she has up will show you.

While finishing up summer math classes and work at my part-time job, I've also been closing up other odds and ends. I have my Art Portfolio finished for the university, and am in the process of putting things I own and will not be taking with me into storage. While I haven't exactly started packing yet either, I have a good idea on what I am bringing with me down to Disney.

Here's everything I have down that I am bringing;

• iPod
• Camera
• Wok
• Icicle Lights
• Lanterns
• Art Materials
• Baking Supplies
• Television
• Movies
• Wireless Router
• Nintendo DS & Games
• Empty Scrapbook
• Laptop
• Clothing (Casual & Business)
• Swimsuit & Beach Towel
• Books

The road trip down to Disney will start August 7th with my aunt and uncle, and my actual check in date isn't until August 11th.. Which should give us some time to get comfortable with the south, Orlando, and Disney (of course we plan on getting a park in during that time.)

On my toes, but.. So not the drama.

usted tiene un amigo en mí

Roommate for Disney? Check.

After living in a studio apartment alone for my degree in Baking & Patisserie, it's a new experience for me to actually live with another person outside of my family. Not that long ago, I received an e-mail from Disney World that gave me the name as well as the e-mail address of my roommate that they were matching me up with..

And following quickly after that e-mail was my roommate e-mailing me.

We have both found that Disney either did their homework, or it's the Disney magic at work. We both have a lot in common, and have been communicating daily about our upcoming trip. Let's just say you will see plenty going on in our lives this fall.

If I wasn't already looking forwards to this experience, my new roommate has made me want this even more.


43 more days until check-in.

Her Father's Eyes

Yesterday was Father's Day, and my dad is a huge fan of food. My present to him? A day of food.

For breakfast, we started off light. However, it looked like these banana muffins needed something.

Much better.

And the end result?

These Banana Crumb muffins were a hit. No butter or extra flavors needed. It really didn't take long at all for them to disappear.

Just like that.

For dessert we went from this..

To this..

And this.

To this.

The whole family loves Texas Sheet Cake, and this one has been singled down to 3 pieces.

A heaven to any chocolate lover. Not only is it light and fluffy, it's also rich and moist making it a perfect match for a glass of milk.

On top of baking, I also went for more of a dinner meal which included;

Sweet-n-Sour Shrimp

Chipotle Grilled Shrimp

And a family favorite, Rib-Eye Steak

Dad grilled everything, but he wanted to.. And is the grill master of the household, so I let him work. Everything turned out great, and Dad really seemed to enjoy everything. Mission accomplished.


51 more days Mickey. Only 51 more days to go until I begin cooking for you.

The All American Sweet

Some days you have the urge to do something. Whether it is running, or just simply watching your favorite show, the urge will continue to bug you until you actually do it. For me, it was baking. And not just any baking.



I baked an Apple Pie.



Mixed the ingredients for and rolled out the two pie crusts first. Took the time to peal, core, and slice the apples. I like to use a mixture of Fuji and Granny Smith.



Cover them well with sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.



And then have them rest between two layers of pie crust I had already made. That tile effect on top is pretty fun to put together. Next time I'm going to try smaller slices of pie crust to make it even more challenging.



Bake at 350°, and you have yourself an apple pie. Now all you need is a hungry group of people. I had a group of guys; it was gone in a night.

At least I know it must have been good.


Emily's Apple Pie
Pie Crusts: (makes 2)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup vegetable oil
4 tablespoons cold milk
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoon salt

Filling:
6 Fuji apples, cored and sliced
3/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preparing for the Journey Pt I: What to Bring

One of the many things to decide includes what to bring. Disney's own College Program website gives its own list of recommended items to bring (as well as what not to bring.) While it does give a few good pointers, there's definitely a few I really need to bring along for the ride.


10. Clothing
This is one of those items that just goes with traveling. While it is a good idea to bring clothing, it's also probably a good idea to be picky about what to bring. One must keep in mind where you are moving: it will be warm. It maybe a little cool here and there, but bringing in an outfit for a ski resort wouldn't be one of the best ideas. There are also laundry services around, so you don't have to bring an outfit for everyday you are there. You do, however, have to make sure to bring at least one business outfit for those days Disney requires business attire. If you are going, make sure to check out the site to see what is and isn't appropriate.

9. Books
While Disney is a large corporation that will more then likely keep you working like no place you have ever known before, and classes you may take will take up some time - There will be some time that you just need for yourself. Reading a good book can take you from your stressful life for at least a moment and into someone else's.. While I don't think bringing your whole book collection is a good idea; just bringing a few books, both that you've read and a few new ones, is a good idea.

8. Laptop
In this era, where Facebook is king, computers have become a place to keep connected with everyone. Disney posted on their site that they do have a computer lab, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to bring a laptop along to keep yourself updated with family, friends, and the world around you. It sounds like all of the housing apartments Disney World places their CPs (College Program-ers) in have wireless access, so why wait for a computer in a whole different building when you can chat with friends from home in your own room?

7. Empty Scrapbook
One cannot come to Disney, even to work, without gaining memories that you don't want to forget. Just bringing an empty scrapbook can give someone motivation to add pictures and stories they never want to lose. It's more than likely there will be stores around to buy supplies like glue, scissors, pens, and other items to keep the scrapbook updated with the times - It wouldn't hurt to have the scrapbook in hand already. Plus, this way one would have more of a selection and more time to pick it out before they left.


6. Nintendo DS
Sometimes, after a bad day, you just need to run at supersonic speeds and destroy small robots to get rid of all of your worries. There's no better way of doing this than through the small, portable yet fun Nintendo DS. While the Wii is great, it isn't going to be lugged to Disney and back. The DS is small enough to be brought, and doesn't need to be connected to a television to play. It is also less costly, and isn't nearly as disastrous if broken or stolen.



5. Baking Supplies
Baking is something I can fit in. While Disney may have some cooking equipment in their complexes as well as ovens, they more then likely don't have a lot of baking supplies. Things like a rubber spatula, electric mixer, whisk, and pans are items to bring for those times when baking can be worked in. What better way is there to show the Mouse that I can bake as well?


4. Art Materials
Disney World is full of plenty of beautiful sites as well as memories in the making. It's the perfect opportunity to just sit down with a pencil or brush and put down what is going on in the world around you. I also plan on taking the creative course being taught while the college program is going, so why purchase costly supplies when I already have them here? There should be a lot to learn artistically from Disney, and I plan on taking this time to focus on it.

3. iPod
Where there's work, there's stress. Where there's stress, there's a need to just run. With running, there needs to be something going through my head or it's just not the same. At Disney World, I hope to get in quite a bit of running and so the iPod is a must. Just need to make sure to bring the little accessories, such as the charger... Or be left with a useless iPod for 6 months.
2. Home Comforts
Everyone has them. Even guys. I have always been around dogs, and while I have lived without them before, it still doesn't hurt to have something to keep you company. You don't even have to feed him, he's the most affordable pet I've ever had. He is also the best cuddler I've ever had too.


1. Coffee Maker
At the number one spot is... The coffee maker. Some may be able to go without this piece of equipment, but without it I am not complete. In fact, roommates may be scared away without the required 1-2 cups a day. It's not a large piece of equipment either, which makes it hard for anyone to give a good reason not to bring one. Don't worry Disney World, you won't have to deal with a coffee-less, angry woman.


Tip: For those fellow Disney CPs who are still trying to figure out what to bring.. Take a step back from your life and think of the things you repeatedly do. Whether it be sewing, playing a sport, or drawing, I recommend you bring something of that with you. While I don't recommend bringing every sewing needle you own with you, it wouldn't hurt to have at least some of the equipment with you so you can sew when/if you get the chance.