MOMENTS FROM THE MOUSE

Visit from Shane!

2012-01-17T09:51:00.000-08:00

So about a week before Thanksgiving, my awesome brother Shane got to stop in Orlando for about 24 hours on his way to a conference in Atlanta. We definitely packed a lot of fun into a little amount of time!!

First, Brian and I challenged him to a round of miniature golf on the Fairways course at Fantasia Gardens. Let's just say...Shane beat us pretty bad :)
Then we literally RAN into Hollywood Studios super quick, so Shane could see the Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights. They are BEAUTIFUL and one of my favorite things about the holidays at Walt Disney World. Check them out!After checking out the pretty lights, we headed over to Boma (An African buffet at the Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort) and PIGGED OUT! Brian and Shane kept a pretty even pace, sometimes even selecting the exact same items and soups at the same time!
Shane crashed at my place that night, and we stayed up super late talking. It was great to catch up with my bro! I really had missed him. The next morning, I got him up early (he was a trooper), and we headed back to Hollywood Studios!First time on Toy Story Midway Mania, and he did me proud!
After doing a TON at Hollywood Studios (Brian met up with us too!), we headed over to Animal Kingdom. We had an awesome lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue before we hit the main rides and shows. It was really the first time Shane had ever been to that park, and I think he really liked it.The boys are being brave before the Dinosaur ride. I can never keep my eyes open!Just for you, Mom!I had to take him to the airport later that night, but it was a perfect visit! I'm so glad Shane got to meet Brian, and I'm so glad Shane is my brother! :)

Alive and Blogging!

2011-10-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

So at this point, I honestly don't know if anyone is reading my blog anymore, because I've done a terrible job of keeping up with it. But I'm really really REALLY going to try and be better, because I want to keep a record of all the adventures I've had and am having here in Florida. Can't believe how fast time goes! So here are a series of "Remember that one time I..."

***Remember that one time I...
GOT UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THE CAST OF THE HOOP-DE-DOO REVUE, THE BEST DINNER SHOW ON WDW PROPERTY! (Thanks to my friend "Claire")COOLED OFF AT THE ICE BAR WITH THE LUCIA FAM (Don't worry, it's fruit punch!)WENT TO CHEZ VINCENT WITH BRIAN (The fanciest, most wonderful French restaurant I've ever been to!)LOGGED SOME TIME AT THE BEACH AND SAW A MILLION JELLYFISH!GOT A FLORIDA FUN CARD TO SEA WORLD!Can you find us on the big screen?SPENT ONE OF THE BEST WEEKS OF MY LIFE IN PHILADELPHIA AND NEW YORK CITY!HAD MY 24TH BIRTHDAY AND CELEBRATED AT BOMA (The most authentic, amazing African restaurant in the world)!
EXPERIENCED STARS WARS WEEKENDS FOR THE FIRST TIME!Bob Iger, Darth Vader, and George Lucas!EARNED A FULL-TIME STATUS WITH MAGIC KINGDOM GUEST RELATIONS! (BEGINNING OF JUNE)COMPLETELY SURPRISED MY PARENTS AND SHOWED UP ON THEIR DOORSTEP IN UTAH ON THE 4TH OF JULY! (I didn't take any pictures at home, but these are a couple of photos from my Magic Kingdom Fireworks cruise I took a few days before the surprise trip!)FLEW TO DENVER TO SPEND TIME WITH MY BROTHER AND HIS CUTE FAMILY! (AUGUST)It is my duty as Hannah's aunt to give her princess toys to play with!TOOK A ROAD TRIP THROUGH FLORIDA, GEORGIA, AND TENNESSEE! (Went with Brian and his sister Kattie)TOOK A TRIP TO LAS VEGAS AND DISNEYLAND!! (OCTOBER)My NEW favorite nighttime show on any Disney property!HAD A PERFECT THANKSGIVING IN COLORADO!
CELEBRATED THE HOLIDAYS WITH MY FLORIDA FAMILY!RANG IN THE NEW YEAR 2012 AT EPCOT! IT WAS CRAZY CROWDED BUT SO MUCH FUN! (Soarin' was a 260 minute wait!!)MORE TO COME SOON! LOVE YOU ALL! :)

I'm on a roll...second post in a week!

2011-05-17T17:11:00.000-07:00

***Remember that one time I.....
WENT TO MELTING POT AND ATE A LOT OF YUMMY FONDUE!
Okay, I don't know if y'all have been to a place like this before, I but I definitely think everyone should go to a restaurant like "Melting Pot" at least once in their lifetime. It's such a fun, elegant, yummy experience. You feel so fancy dippin' bread in cheese and strawberries in ooey gooey chocolate. But be prepared...it takes like 3 hours! Totally worth it in my opinion though. Just check these pics out!

First course: Cheddar Cheese Fondue and Spinach & Artichoke Cheese Fondue Steven REALLY liked the Spinach Artichoke fondue. His eyes say it all! Second course: Melting Pot House Salad. It was so pretty! Third course: every type of meat in the world, shrimp, and ravioli that we cooked in various sauces and batters. Daaaang!
Yeah....don't ask. Let's not forget about dessert, that's the most important part.
Final Course: The Original and Cookies ‘n Cream
Marshmallow Dream Chocolate Fondues (Okay, so we were already halfway through dessert before I even thought to take a picture. Sorry!)

But it was seriously one of the best nights I've ever had. Great company and great food!
Couple #1 Steven and Chris Couple #2 Me and Brian Whole Group

Sorry Blog, I Didn't Forget You!

2011-05-10T18:54:00.001-07:00

Yes! This is not a dream...I'm back to blogging after a six month absence. I sincerely apologize to my 19 loyal followers. Hopefully, this time around I will be much more consistent. Shoot, I might even increase my following to 25! We'll see...cross your fingers.

So there is seriously WAY too much to catch up on, and I don't want to get overwhelmed. In order to keep that from happening, I've decided to do a series of "Remember that one time I...." and fill in the blank. These random stories and events might seem a little all over the place, but at least you will get a glimpse of the many moments I've been having out here in sunny Florida. Eventually, I will get back into the blogging swing of things. Here goes!

***Remember that one time I....
MAILED OUT MY VERY OWN CHRISTMAS CARDS.
That's right. Back in December, Mama Rowley made me the cutest, Disney-themed Christmas cards, and I was able to mail them out to some close friends and fam (not everyone, I'm sorry). But it felt very grownup. I included the following picture:
and the following insert:
The Twelve “Stats” of Christmas
(Brought to you by my 2010 year spent in Orlando, Florida)

12: The number of roommates I have had: Alayna, Ariel, Erin, Kirsta, Sara, Alicia, Sherri, Wei, Alix, Mary, LaToya, and Charlotte

11: The number of countries represented at the World Showcase in Epcot (which is one of the four great Disney theme parks I frequent on my days off, baby!): Canada, United Kingdom, France, Morocco, Japan, United States, Italy, Germany, China, Norway, and Mexico

10: The number of times each day that I remember how grateful I am to work in the place “Where Dreams Come True,” where fireworks are lit over a castle, where my boss is a mouse, and where Tinkerbell flies overhead!

9: The number of languages I hear on a daily basis: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Japanese, Italian, Russian, and Chinese. But one word is always universal…MICKEY!!

8: The number of weeks I have been dating a cute boy named Brian Gutierrez

7: The number of times I tried (and failed) to get Ryan Seacrest’s attention while he was here filming for the ABC Christmas Day Parade in the Magic Kingdom

6: The number of awesome family members and friends who I was able to host and take to the Disney theme parks…for free!

5: The number of times I have gone to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and drank a butterbeer (so far at least…)

4: The number of times I have been lucky enough to visit the Cinderella Castle Suite

3: The number of times I have been known to see “Finding Nemo: The Musical” in
ONE single day!

2: The number of roles I have held so far with the Disney Company—Tomorrowland Attractions Cast Member and a Magic Kingdom Guest Relations Hostess

1: The number of weeks until my managers tell me what will happen after my professional internship ends (wish me luck!)

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!
Love, Erin

It was a fun way of sharing a lot of info in a small amount of space. I definitely plan to do Christmas cards again this next December. So much fun!

***Remember that one time I...
WENT TO A JAZZ CLUB IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO.
That's right...every Thursday, this place called "Redlight" has free jazz for everyone to enjoy. It's nice to take a break from all things Disney sometimes, and just listen to great music with a cute boy in the city. This is Brian btw. Refer up above to #8 on the list if you don't know who he is.
He is excited to be headed to Redlight! (I am too!)
Check out the band.An artsy shot with Brian in it. Ha ha, I try to be impressive.Can't wait to go back on another Thursday night! I will be back for another blog soon, because there is still a ton to cover. Hope y'all enjoy this post for now! Life is good!

Catching Up...Part One :)

2010-11-02T12:23:00.001-07:00

Wow...so to answer your many questions,
1. Yes, I am alive.
2. Yes, I am still working at Walt Disney World.
3. No, I did not forget I had a blog.
4. No, I did not forget how to type.
5. Yes, I will include pictures in this post.
6. Yes, I promise to be better at posting more frequently.
7. Yes, I still love Disney every bit as much as I did before I started my internship.
8. No, I have not met Johnny Depp yet.

Phew, now that that's taken care of...I'm going to try and catch up on the last few months. It will be coming in several different posts so I don't get too overwhelmed all at once. For now, I wanted to be sure and write about earning my "D Pin" in Magic Kingdom Guest Relations. For those of you who don't know, the official gold D Pin is "a proud symbol of our commitment to providing unmatched Guest Service and upholding the values that are synonymous with the Disney name!" It's what we are presented after all of our training is complete. And let me tell you, training for Guest Relations was definitely intense...weeks long even. I have never had to learn so much information in such a short period of time. But my trainer Mandy was awesome, and she made sure I was good to go. What was so incredible about actually getting my D Pin was that she took me up into the Cinderella Castle Suite in order to give it to me. Got to be honest...I cried. One of the most magical moments ever!
Can you tell the difference between these two pictures? :)

Coolest bathroom ever. I was pretty excited!
Mandy and I! Just loved being in that suite.

So there will be much more to follow soon, but for now I hope everyone is having a magical week!

I'm Back, Baby!!!

2010-06-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hey all! I'm FINALLY back to blogging, and wow I feel like so much has happened since my last post. This will be long, just to warn you! My four weeks at home were non-stop craziness and fun. First, I was able to spend almost a week in California and did the flowers for my dear friend Sharon's wedding. She was a gorgeous bride!! Here are a few pictures...

I was also able to play in Denver and Las Vegas with the four cutest nieces and nephews EVER! Between airport stops and packing, I caught up with old friends in Provo and spent time with fam. It was great! Sorry I didn't get pictures with everyone :(

Now I'm back in Florida and loving it! It has definitely been a lot of change all at once...new internship, new apartment, new roommates, new crazy levels of humidity, etc. But I know this is where I'm supposed to be right now. I have one more week left of training and then I will be an official Magic Kingdom Guest Relations cast member. It really is the coolest job in the world! I will post a bunch more about it all soon, but first...a sneak peek of me "rockin' the plaid!"
There has been soooo much going on the past few weeks, so to finish off this post I wanted to just list some of the greatest highlights:
* Getting to play with my friend Cori for a few days!! We ate at the Ghiradelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop (delicious), saw Toy Story 3, and I conquered my fear of heights and went on "Characters in Flight!!" It's a balloon ride that takes you 400 feet up in the air above Downtown Disney. Pictures will be coming later!
* Partying at the Arabian Nights dinner show with over 50 of my old T-Land coworkers! It was a hysterical show...so bad that it was good. * Reuniting with one of my dearest friends, Sara, at the Happiest Place on Earth! It had literally been years since I'd seen her. Love ya, girl!* Going to the "Medieval Times" dinner show with the Dream Team! We had to redeem our experience at Arabian Nights, hee hee.

* Brace yourselves for this one...getting my own personal tour of the Cinderella Castle Suite!! For those of you who don't know, it's really hard to get up there. So I was pretty much in heaven the whole time. And yes, there were definitely tears in my eyes! See how beautiful it is?? * Meeting and getting to know the other 11 Magic Kingdom professional interns. To kick things off at the start of our program, the full-time Guest Relations team planned an awesome scavenger hunt for us around the Magic Kingdom. At the end of it all, they took us up ON THE ROOF of the Main Street Bakery to watch the fireworks. Most surreal and incredible thing ever! There was nothing blocking our view!

So life is good, and I will post again soon! Phew, I hope you made it through this whole post! Have a great week, everyone :)

Long Live T-Land!

2010-05-12T10:51:00.000-07:00

In honor of it being my last official day working in Tomorrowland, I thought I would post this awesome video of the daily happenings in the Magic Kingdom. Hopefully, it will give everyone a taste of what my days working here have been like. ENJOY! :)

One Week Left!

2010-05-06T19:55:00.001-07:00

Wow, it's craaaazy how fast the time has gone out here. I will be flying back home in 7 days!! May 14th officially marks the end of my Disney College Program. But don't worry, I will be back here in June to start my professional internship. Until then, it will be so nice to have a little break and visit friends and family these next few weeks in California, Nevada, Colorado, and Utah.

I don't have a ton of time to post, so here are some quick highlights from the past couple weeks...
* I spent three days at Hammock Beach! My friend's grandparents have a gorgeous timeshare there. We basically played in the ocean and the pools all day long. It was the most relaxing little vacation ever.

(And yes.............I am skipping in this picture, hee hee.)
* I swam with live sharks! I have always been terrified of those big, teethy guys, but I conquered my fear and snorkeled across a chilly reef full of fish, sting rays, and a few sharks. It was honestly one of the coolest things I have ever done! (Gave me the courage to face this guy too!) * I went to the Spring Formal! It was a great excuse to get all fancy and buy a new dress. My friends and I definitely danced the night away.* I attended my "Graduation Celebration" in honor of completing my program. They gave us sweet Mickey ears...complete with an official tassel!* I survived working four high school senior grad nights at the Magic Kingdom...helping with security and crowd control...I will spare you details, but they were definitely my least favorite shifts EVER. Teenagers are just gross and mean! The only good part about it all was getting to watch Dominic and Hok dance live on stage (they're some old favorites of mine from SYTYCD).
* I finally got a picture taken with Mickey!
This has been one of the most fabulous experiences of my life, and I'm sad to see this part of it end. But here's to making more great memories down the road! :) Check back in a few weeks for the next update. Take care for now, everyone.

Exciting Happenings!

2010-04-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

So this past week has been pretty great. For one thing, I finally tried the famous "Kitchen Sink" at the Beaches and Cream Soda Shop. Check this thing out...All I can say is, YUMMY! And it's just a good thing that there were four of us there to eat it. It became quite the mission (they put a whole can of whipped cream on top!).

Second of all, I got to spend a day at the beach --my first time on the Gulf Coast. I had forgotten how much I love swimming! (Hee hee, I'm not posting those pictures.) Then my friends and I finished our beach day off by going to the Hoop-De-Doo Revue dinner show at one of the Disney Resort areas called Fort Wilderness. It was a wild n' crazy time! The food was incredible, and I definitely got carried away with all of the singing, stomping, hooting, and hollering. Highly recommend it to anyone!

Oh, and I almost forgot...

the best news ever...

I GOT A PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP WITH DISNEY IN GUEST RELATIONS!!!! :D

I was called and extended the official offer yesterday (and I have been running around screaming ever since!!). I will be here from June until January, and I could not be more excited. I even get to stay in the Magic Kingdom! So I feel very blessed and will post more details as I learn them. But pretty much working in Guest Relations means I get to book reservations, answer questions, work with everyone coming into the Magic Kingdom, possibly do some VIP tours, etc. We are basically the face of the park! So yeah, life is GOOD. Hope everyone has a wonderful week!!

Lots of Changes!!

2010-04-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Happy Spring! Hope Easter weekend was wonderful for all of my friends and family. The past few weeks have brought a lot of crazy changes for me, so I thought I would just list some of them...

1. I cut my hair off! And I really love it. 2. I was able to extend my program, so my departure date has officially changed to May 14th! It was quite the ordeal, let me tell you. They were trying to ship me home early with the other BYU and BYU-Idaho students, but after lots of phone calls, meetings with managers, prayers, and a few tears...we got it all worked out. Ha ha, I feel so good about staying!
3. I have finally finished applying for those professional internships I mentioned in my last post. So now it's just kind of a waiting game to see if I get any offers to come back to Orlando in June. My most recent interview went really well, so we'll see what happens.
4. Since my departure date changed, I had to move to a new apartment and now have a new roommate. She is way cute, and we've been getting along great. Our place is so small though! I miss my old bathroom that was huge, because now it's harder to dance in the morning while I get ready.
5. The parks are so crowded for Spring Break that cast members have actually been asked to avoid coming in for a few weeks. So I have had to find other things to do besides watching the Finding Nemo show and riding Splash Mountain all day!
6. I have grown quite a thick skin the past few weeks. Most of you know I'm a pretty sensitive little person, ha ha. I tend to cry on occasion...or often. But working at Disney World has been really good for me, because I have had to toughen up some. Don't get me wrong, I'm no marine yet. But I am definitely better at holding my own when it comes to dealing with the really rude guests!
7. I'm not as pasty white as I normally am! I've been outside so much I actually am getting a little color...who cares if that color is red? :)
8. I'm now officially certified to drive water taxis at Downtown Disney. Okay, not really, but I had fun sailing with Adam the other night! He was flirting it up and luckily my wonderful friends decided to document the WHOLE thing...awkward.

9. I cooked Easter dinner with friends instead of letting my mama work her magic. But the food actually turned out delicious, and I had fun making the table look all festive!

10. It is the first time in YEARS that I haven't had to stress about finals coming up! This makes me so HAPPY... This photo is pre-haircut, but I had to document my first Disney turkey leg ever! Have a great week!! :)

BEST MONTH EVER!!

2010-03-16T18:44:00.000-07:00

So it's been a really long time since I posted...there is a lot to catch up on!! So bear with me, because there might be a lot of pictures and some rambling in this. But here are some of the major highlights and happenings of the past few weeks:

• I got to see the "Cirque Du Soleil: La Nouba" show at Downtown Disney...twice...FOR FREE!! It’s an incredible show, and I’m so glad my roommate gave me the mad hookups. I even got to meet some of the performers. Umm and I have a huge crush on this guy in it, because he goes to church with me. A Mormon circus boy definitely spells trouble! • I applied for an extension to my program. If it's approved, I will be staying at least until May!
• I went to sing some crazy karaoke at Universal Studios’ City Walk. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. This is a picture of me there with my favorite girls from Tomorrowland! We call ourselves the “Buzz Buzz Sisterhood.” Yes, we are dorks. • I realized I have officially moved on from Provo life for the time being...I didn't buy a cap and gown for April graduation at BYU. And I feel really good about it!
• Some famous people may or may not have come to the parks…anyone heard of Johnny Depp or Taylor Swift? 
• I have started applying for some professional internships with Disney that would start in June. These are more specialized than what I’m doing now and lead to more long-term careers with Disney. Pretty exciting!!
• I started attending an awesome marketing class with a friend. I’ll be honest, it’s kind of fun to be in a classroom again. We don’t have homework or anything, so it’s just a lecture series with the big wigs in the company. I can’t wait to hear from the president of the Disney Cruise Line. Hee hee.
• The parks have started getting crazy crowded…Spring Break season is upon us! Therefore I’ve gotten really good at dealing with angry / hyper / grumpy / tired guests.
• And best of all…MY FAMILY CAME TO VISIT!! A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to get three days off, get them in for free, and enjoy the full Rowley-Disney touring experience. I think we hit everything in each one of the four parks! The weather was almost perfect, and I had so much fun spending time with them. I’m so grateful for their support! And I was only a little embarrassed when they took pictures of me in my lovely space costume. Here is a small sampling of all the pics we took, starting with my very favorite from the whole trip...

Have a wonderful week, everyone!! Life is good if we choose to be happy! :)

So I Live With the Little Mermaid....

2010-02-24T19:43:00.000-08:00

Okay, I don't really. But one of my roommate's is seriously named Ariel!! And she's the cutest. I think it's totally meant to be that she's out here working for Disney. Anywho, things have been way busy this past week, because the parks have been really crowded. I have been working lots of long hours. But luckily the other night I got to go with Ariel to one of my most favorite Disney shows ever (over at Hollywood Studios)...FANTASMIC!! Talk about amazing--it has fire and special effects, cool fountains and water displays, fireworks, Mickey, all of the princesses, etc.! It's watching those kind of productions that remind me again why I LOVE being here so much. Here are some pictures we took to document our night out.

And the best news ever...my family is flying out tomorrow night, and I get to spend three whole days off playing with them!! I love doing Disney World "The Rowley Way." For those of you who don't know what that means, shame on you. Just kidding, but I really must teach you someday what it all entails. Ha ha, I'm sure I will post lots after they come out. But for now, I hope everyone has a great week! :)

Funny Floridian Firsts for February Fourteenth!

2010-02-15T10:47:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I like alliteration. Ha ha, but yesterday was definitely a day I will never forget. So I present to you all…a series of many firsts that occurred this Valentine’s Day 2010:
• First time Valentine’s Day has been on a Sunday…okay, I know this isn’t true. But I swear I can’t remember any other time when it was on a Sunday! :)
• First time I haven’t bought a box of cheesy paper Valentines (usually Disney or Sesame Street themed) and passed them out to all of my loved ones
• First time I wore a lovely space costume instead of festive red clothing
• First time I have been in the Magic Kingdom on a “black-out day”—sooooo many people!
• First time I full-on witnessed a car accident (everyone was okay, but delivery van drivers are crazy dropping those flowers off!)
• First time I haven’t eaten any of those conversation hearts
• First time I got a Valentine from the cutest seven-year old in the world named Michael (he was a heartbreaker!)
• First time I have ever had to work until 3:15am in the morning!!
• First time I got kissed on the neck by some random Puerto Rican (yikes!)
• First time I have been in Florida for a major holiday

So there you have it...I hope everyone had an awesome Valentine's Day!! Here is a picture from the sweet Tomorrowland Valentine's Day dessert/dance party we had a few days ago--love these girls!

Friends and Family Fun in Florida!!

2010-02-09T08:33:00.000-08:00

You probably thought I had died...but I didn't :) Life has just been crazy busy! Good news though, I officially passed my attractions assessment ("earned my ears") a few weeks ago so I have been flying solo out in Tomorrowland. It is great to be more on my own. I get to blow bubbles and give out stickers and just have fun helping guests. But I'll tell you, it has already been an adventure...for example, I had a group of guys threaten and cuss me out because I let some Fastpass people go ahead of them in the Buzz Lightyear line! I wanted to say, umm it's just a ride, people. Ha ha, but I'm still very grateful to be here. I'm learning a lot of patience!

Some of the best things about the past couple weeks have been the awesome visits from friends and family. My friend Callie was able to come down to Orlando again with some great people from her school, and we hit up Animal Kingdom (my favorite park at the moment!). Love that girl! And my brother Brian was able to stop by after a business trip, so I got him into the parks for a day (Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios). We had an awesome time using my discounts, and I seriously feel so lucky to have had a chance to hang out with him. Nothing beats brother/sister bonding time in the Happiest Place on Earth! I'm going to go enjoy a day off, but I hope everyone is doing awesome. I will post again soon!

P.S. My hair is absolutely out of control here in Florida! Ha ha :)

Livin' the Disney Dream!

2010-01-26T14:05:00.001-08:00

Hey again! So I promise that not all of my posts will include a top 10 list, but for now...it's just really working for me. So I present to you today---

TEN REASONS WHY WORKING FOR DISNEY
HAS BEEN COMPLETELY SURREAL SO FAR:
10. I get to refer to myself as a "cast member" and enter/exit the parks and other areas through special "employees only" gates. Hee hee. It just makes anyone feel cool.
9. Most everyone I have met is super friendly and helpful. You can talk to anyone! And I get to help visiting guests everyday--I love answering questions about Disney.
8. I got to take one of my best friends all over Magic Kingdom for her very first time!! Gave her a personal "VIP" tour and even got us some special FastPasses.
7. Each day when I go to work, I get to walk through the "Utilidors." It is the underground tunnel system used by employees in the Magic Kingdom. And it is such a top secret area, they won't even let you carry a camera down there! My favorite thing is walking UNDER Cinderella's Castle.
6. I get to hang out with really cool people ...like Belle :) 5. I am learning all sorts of secrets about the Buzz Lightyear ride and get to be "behind the scenes" a lot. It's actually fun to see an attraction with all of the lights on.
4. Sometimes I actually get paid to watch fireworks!
3. I get lots of random discounts on things like movie tickets, Panera Bread, Disney merchandise, etc.
2. I actually get excited to clock in on the computer system for my shifts, because sometimes there are little messages from Mickey on there for you. Everything really is more magical when you're working for the Mouse.
1. And my most favorite reason of the day...do any of you remember the TV show, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman? Well, one of my coworkers in Tomorrowland is most definitely Shawn Toovey, the guy who played little "Brian" as a young boy on that show! I met him today. He's all grown up now, but I definitely was starstruck all day. And even called him Brian at one point. I'm a loser, yes, but I work with a famous actor! Ha ha, life is good.
Shawn then & now-ish (hopefully I can snap a picture with him soon!) Hope everyone has a great day!! :) Thanks for the support.

Hello World....from Disney World!!!

2010-01-21T22:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this is exciting. It's the first post on my first blog ever! Welcome to it! I recently moved out to Orlando, Florida, to do an internship with WALT DISNEY WORLD, and I thought this would be a great way to keep everyone updated on what I'm doing. I've been here almost two weeks. Things have been crazy and exhausting and wonderful so far. I don't have much time to post right now, so just to kick things off, I thought I would start with this list...moving to Florida has definitely been a big change.

Top 10 Reasons Why I Know I'm Not in Provo Anymore:
1. Restaurants stay open AFTER 9:00pm (shocking, I know!)
2. Instead of studying psychological theories and financial formulas, I'm now studying things like how many guests can load Buzz Lightyear at a time and the evacuation plans for Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor (I have been assigned to work Tomorrowland Attractions in the Magic Kingdom!!)
3. Instead of carrying around a BYU Student ID, I get to wear this bad boy around...

4. It's nearing the end of January, yet I get to go swimming and even got a little sunburned yesterday. The weather is beautiful!
5. People (especially on the buses) look at me weird when I mention things like FHE and Relief Society.
6. Instead of being called Erin or Sis. Rowley, I'm now known as "New Girl," "Lil' Sass," "Boo," or "CP" (College Program for Disney).
7. No one has made a big deal about the fact that I am 22 and single :) Yay!
8. I have to pay more than a dollar when I want to see a movie. What's up with that? Hee hee.
9. Getting dressed everyday is just a little more exciting, because instead of normal clothes, I get to wear my "costume!" Basically, I get to wear a hot gray and black spacey looking outfit. (Pictures to follow at a later date)
10. Oh, instead of seeing Y Mountain...I get to see Mount Everest, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Thunder Mountain (and of course this beautiful castle) almost every single day! And I can play in any of the parks anytime I'm not working. I feel very blessed to be here!!

Many more posts to follow. "Have a magical day!"