Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, it's off to work we go...

I decided to put in a few requests of my own. At first glance, I figured I'd want to work at Animal Kingdom the most, followed by Disney's Hollywood Studios. I didn't want to work at Magic Kingdom simply because I knew the hours were atrocious, and EPCOT didn't have any stores that appealed to me. Now that I've thoroughly done my research on the merchandise locations on Disney property, I've truly figured out the places I can see myself enjoying and having a blast at, places I thought originally I would like, and some I never thought I'd like that look very promising. So here we go, my top whatever dream locations as a Merchandise CM!

Places I DO NOT want to work:

• Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach; I'd rather not work at a water park... it's a lot harder to make magical moments happen here.
• Downtown Disney; Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoy Downtown Disney. However, it lacks the 'magic' the parks have... must be the McDonald's that throws it off...
• Disney Resorts; Although I'm sure I'd get tons of guest interaction, I don't know if I could handle a resort being the backdrop of my work 24/7. At least at the parks I'd get to hear a parade, fireworks, etc.
• stand-alone carts at Animal Kingdom; It always seems 100 degrees hotter at Animal Kingdom and just the thought of standing out in the desert heat with no A/C gives me the willies.

Places where it wouldn't be the end of the world working:

• Mousegears [Future World, EPCOT]
• The Emporium [Main Street U.S.A., MK]
• Agrabah Bazaar [Adventureland, MK]
• Pirates Bazaar [Adventureland, MK]
• Frontier Trading Post [Frontierland, MK]
• Briar Patch [Frontierland, MK]
• The Dark Room [Hollywood Blvd., DHS]
• Cover Story [Hollywood Blvd., DHS]
• Sorcerer Hat Shop [Sorcerer Hat]
• Animation Courtyard Shops [Animation Courtyard, DHS]
• Mickey's of Hollywood [Hollywood Blvd., DHS]
• Disney Outfitters [Discovery Island, AK]
• Islands Mercantile [Discovery Island, AK]
• The Outpost Shop [Outside the turnstiles, AK]

Places I WOULD LOVE to work:

• The Writer's Stop [Streets of America, DHS]
• Villains in Vogue [Sunset Blvd., DHS]
• Tinker Bell's Treasures [Fantasyland, MK]
• The Chapeau [Main Street U.S.A., MK]
• Sir Mickey's [Fantasyland, MK]
• Main Street Confectionary [Main Street U.S.A., MK]
• Sweet Spells [Sunset Blvd., DHS]
• In Character [Animation Courtyard, DHS]
• Fantasy Faire [Fantasyland, MK]
• Stage 1 Co. Store [Streets of America, DHS]
• Studio Store [Animation Courtyard, DHS]
• glow carts at any of the parks.

A Mouse's Life For Me!

So I have finally accepted my invitation!

I paid the $104 fee and selected my dates.

Here’s the rundown:

Name: Jazmine

Program: Fall 2010

Arrival: August 9, 2010

Departure: January 7, 2011

Role: Merchandise

I wanted to talk a little about the role I’ve been selected for and what I’m most excited about. As a merchandise cast member it is possible for me to work the standalone carts, the pin trading booths, and in of the shops in the parks, resorts, and Downtown Disney. You may be thinking being a merchandise CM is just like any other retail job-- in a sense, yes, but there is so much more. Even though merchandise was my third choice, there are a lot of things I’m excited about. For starters, there is the direct guest interaction. I love being around people so getting to talk to guests about their Disney experience and Disney in general is awesome. I’m also excited about the costumes. I know some are a little funky, but where else can you find a job where you look completely ridiculous and get paid for it? Next: Pin trading. I’m not into this myself, but when I went to Disneyland with my ASB I saw my advisor’s young daughter trading with CMs and random guests and it was sort of exciting. I want to be apart of something like that. I’m super excited about working with a large team. I can’t wait to meet all of my fellow cast members! I really wouldn’t like to do a cart only because I don’t want to stand all by myself for an 8 hour shift, but I wouldn’t mind doing a glow cart or something at night.

Personally, there are four spots I wouldn’t mind working.

One. Tink’s Treasures - Magic Kingdom. This is my number one request as of right now. When the park opens, the first guest that comes to the store has the opportunity to “wake Tinkerbell”. I would just love to see the happiness on the faces of these kids when they see her wake up and hear the music play.

Two. Main Street Shops - Magic Kingdom. Who doesn’t love the Main Street Shops?! I love the ambiance and the overall feeling of Main Street. Since it’s such a high traffic area, I’m bound to get a lot of guest interaction! The downside with one and two-- Magic Kingdom is generally open the latest. This could mean shifts going into the AM.

Three. Anywhere in Disney’s Hollywood Studios - (except that one store that sells Jonas Bros and Hannah Montana stuff). Though it’s not my favorite park, DHS has some of the coolest stores all around.

Four. Anywhere in Animal Kingdom. This is for selfish reasons, but AK is one of my favorite parks (right along with Epcot). Animal Kingdom closes at the latest 8pm, and it would be nice to have evenings to myself to explore Florida.

Five. I would love to do glow carts if I got MK or DHS!

I’m going to have to send Disney Recruiting an email. For anyone thinking of requesting a location, just keep in mind that it is a request not a guarentee. It’s generally better to give them a general idea on where you’d like to be placed, not a “do-or-die” spot (i.e. I have to work at Mousegears!) that way you won’t be mega disappointed or stuck somewhere you absolutely hate.

To pass the time, here are my Top Five Books About Disney:

1. Frommer’s Walt Disney World & Orlando 2010 - Has some great information about Universal Studios as well as Walt Disney World.

2. Birnbaum Guides 2010 Walt Disney World - Gives examples on the best places to eat, drink, shop, and stay on the Disney property & has color maps of the parks.

3. The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2010 - Has a complete dining guide of WDW restaurants and an Attractions guide. It really gives you an overall, in-depth picture of what WDW has to offer.

4. Fodor’s Walt Disney World 2010 Plus Universal Orlando and Sea World - Title says it all. Gives you an in-depth look at all the attractions and some ideas of other cool things to do besides the typical day at the parks.

5. The Walt Disney World Trivia Book Vol. 2 - Get to know about the ins and outs, secrets, history, and fun facts behind the magic.

Here's the February 23rd edition of I REMEMBER THAT!

Jett Jackson is a tv star who in pursuit of a relatively normal life succeeds in getting the production of his show Silverstone (about a spy who works for Mission Omega Matrix in order to save the world from villains like Dr. Hypnoto and the Rat) moved to his hometown of Wilsted, NC. There he lives with his father, Sheriff Wood Jackson, and his great-grandmother, Miz Coretta while getting into sticky situations with his best friend, B.J. and his not-quite girlfriend Kayla. I was in love with Jett Jackson. So gorgeous! (: "It's the famous Jett Jackson!"

Zippity-Doo-Da...

...zippity-ay, my-oh-my what a wonderful day.

What a glorious Monday!

I'M IN!
IT'S OFFICIAL.
I AM A MERCHANDISE CAST MEMBER IN THE FALL 2010 WALT DISNEY WORLD COLLEGE PROGRAM!

It's actually a funny story. I got home from school at noon and went on Facebook to check the group page and see if anyone had gotten an acceptance today-- no one had. I called the Recruiting Office at like 12:30 to check my status. The girl I talked to told me that I was registered under the Disneyland program (which I didn't want so I started freaking out) and not not only that, informed me that my application was incomplete. I was on the brink of tears. So I went online to "finish my application" and it wasn't working. So I called again and got a guy this time, Kevin (who is AWESOME by the way!) and he told me that there was nothing wrong with my application and didn't know what that other girl was trying to tell me. Then I asked for my status. He asked me to confirm my email address and if I had checked my email. So I was like, yeah like 5 minutes ago. So I went on Yahoo! and what was there?



MY PURPLE EMAIL!

13 Days after my interview. Of course I went ballistic. I started screaming and jumping on the bed like a crazy women yelling "I'm going to Disney World!" I'm still shaking as a matter of fact... too much adrenaline pumping through my body. So now I can post vlogs, info blogs, lists, and the like without feeling like an epic fail! I will be watching Disney movies, listening to Disney music, and reading Disney books until I make it down there. Only 168 days until I'm in Disney!

I called my mom and dad and they are so happy for me!

I will see you all down in Florida on August 9, 2010!
Have a Zippity Doo Da Day!

[edit] 8:13pm Check out the new vlog! Also, I just got hired at the Melting Pot today! YAY! Congrats to everyone that got in today as well and keep thinking purple if you haven't gotten an email or have received a pending letter!