The one where I'm a CM Pre-trippie

[josh.p.]

Hi All! :wave:

So, for the first time in what will be 6 years I will be returning to Disney World!! :mental: This time is a little special.. I get to be a cast member! :mental:

This Trip Report isn't going to be particularly regular as I'm not sure when I'll get the time whilst over there, but I plan to update you on my preparation for the trip, including the application process and then start talking about my working life!

I applied for the program back in September, a few weeks later I was invited to a pre-screening interview which was held in groups of 5 and we where asked multiple questions about why we applied for the program and why we think we'd be successful at it.

About two weeks later I got an email to say that I'd been invited to the final interview. I had to dress in business attire and take various documents, it was quite nerve wrecking but the Disney reps were really welcoming and made you feel quite relaxed. We got to watch various different videos (which are, by the way, absolutely hilarious) The lady who introduced us to the program, Valerie, had clearly drank too much coffee the morning of filming. Either that or she was some sort of addict.
(If you want to view them go here Disney eExperience (http://disneyinternationalepresentation.com/summer/) click on 'menu' and then select 'chapter view' and check out the videos :rotfl:)

After the interview we had a 3 week wait to find out the results of our interview! I found out that I had a position in Attractions from the 24th of May to the 19th of August :thumbsup: :mental:

Now, here's my to-do list:



CRB check- √

Book flights- √

Renew passport√
Visa interview√
Buy health insurance√

I'll keep you updated with how my planning goes :)

[foreverducky]

This must be absolutely thrilling for you Josh!

I have no doubts that you will be an excellent cast member. :yes:

[daveann]

If you could choose which attraction would you like to be working on?

Well done can't wait for your updates :)

[catrancher]

Good for you, Josh! :thumbsup:

I can't imagine how exciting this all must be. Please keep us posted!

Tom (:macwave:... do they have wireless where you'll be housed?)

[uscwest]

This sounds fabulous Josh. Good luck.

[josh.p.]

If you could choose which attraction would you like to be working on?

Well done can't wait for your updates :)
It's so hard!! I'd love haunted mansion or tower of terror as the CM's get to have so much fun scaring everyone :yes: I'd also love midway mania or space ranger spin (for obvious reasons)

We can state a preference but it's in no way guaranteed :thumbsup:

[foreverducky]

If you want to do HM or ToT then you need to start practicing your serious face. No smiling.

[josh.p.]

If you want to do HM or ToT then you need to start practicing your serious face. No smiling.
I can do a totally serious face :yes: I'm quite good at it actually lol

[foreverducky]

I've only seen the smiling one. :D

[Kate]

Oh wow Josh - how exciting for you!!! :mental:

[Deb]

Looking forward to hearing all about it every step of the way!! :yes:: it's so exciting!

[Tinker]

Josh ... How Exciting !!! Congratulations !!!

[Skywatcher]

:mental: so excited and happy for you bud, pretty sure they have the internet over there ;)

[josh.p.]

Good for you, Josh! :thumbsup:

I can't imagine how exciting this all must be. Please keep us posted!

Tom (:macwave:... do they have wireless where you'll be housed?)
We have wired broadband so I'm probably going to invest in an airport express :yes:

[Johnie]

I'm so excited for you!! This is such an amazing opportunity for you

I'm like a proud mama :-)

[Tony G]

What a brilliant story - please do keep us posted. It would be really interesting to hear about your training/accommodation and other golden nuggets of info!

Well done for making the cut!

[Deafjeff]

Can't wait for your report!

[josh.p.]

:wave: Me again.

I got my confirmation e-mail from Disney to confirm my place on the program. I also got my CRB form through which isn't very exciting but it makes it seem more real!

I've also looked at my options for travelling after the program.
Currently a group of us are thinking of getting greyhound coach tickets and travelling over two weeks to:
Miami, New Orleans, Jackson, Memphis, Nashville, Washington and then stopping in New York for 3 nights before flying home.

We know there'll be tons of travelling involved but it'll be so much fun!

[Tink]

OHMYGOSH!!!!! I've just seen this thread!!! :mental: I am SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!!!!

[josh.p.]

OHMYGOSH!!!!! I've just seen this thread!!! :mental: I am SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!!!!
Thank you :hug2:

[Beccaberry]

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

ok...I think I'm done now...

Oh wait...not quite...

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Ok, I think that about covers it :D

That is such AMAZING news Josh!!!!!

I can't wait to hear more!

[uscwest]

:wave: Me again.

I got my confirmation e-mail from Disney to confirm my place on the program. I also got my CRB form through which isn't very exciting but it makes it seem more real!

I've also looked at my options for travelling after the program.
Currently a group of us are thinking of getting greyhound coach tickets and travelling over two weeks to:
Miami, New Orleans, Jackson, Memphis, Nashville, Washington and then stopping in New York for 3 nights before flying home.

We know there'll be tons of travelling involved but it'll be so much fun!

Wow that is an ambitious travel schedule Josh. Some of those are multi day trips in their own right. 2 Weeks will mean a lot of time on buses without much time to sight see. Do you mean Jackson, MS or Jackson, TN? What is there that you would like to see. I know you're young and will have fun but just don't forget that the US is a HUGE country.

[josh.p.]

Wow that is an ambitious travel schedule Josh. Some of those are multi day trips in their own right. 2 Weeks will mean a lot of time on buses without much time to sight see. Do you mean Jackson, MS or Jackson, TN? What is there that you would like to see. I know you're young and will have fun but just don't forget that the US is a HUGE country.
I got a bit confused there :rotfl: We're thinking of doing that route on Amtrak trains but from what we understand we're still looking at 12hr train journeys in some places!

[josh.p.]

I paid and sent off my CRB today :) One step closer to getting there! Tonight we also have a group conference call (They're holding it online and I don't know what it really entails) where they give us our job offer and go over various documents with us too :)

[Tinkfan]

:wave: That's exciting Josh, let us know!

[josh.p.]

Conference call done :) Basically just went over our insurance policies etc and flights.

[Vikki]

Wow! Am looking forward to reading all about it!

[Tinkfan]

:wave:Josh, forgive me chemo brain but will you be there in April? We'll be there April 8-15. Would love to invite you to dinner one night!!:yes:

[josh.p.]

:wave:Josh, forgive me chemo brain but will you be there in April? We'll be there April 8-15. Would love to invite you to dinner one night!!:yes:
I don't get there until May :sigh: Sorry

[josh.p.]

I just booked my flights :mental:

[Deafjeff]

I just booked my flights :mental:

:mental: I'm so excited for you!

[josh.p.]

My flight ticket e-mails came a few days back :) I've reserved seats where I can but on my main flight there I can't select the seats until a day before I fly.

[josh.p.]

I got my first dollars today :mental:

[Deafjeff]

:mental:

[catrancher]

I got my first dollars today :mental:

Ahhh... so now your life will be reduced to forever chasing small green pieces of paper. :laughhard:

Welcome to the club!

Tom (:macwave:... wishing he had more small green pieces of paper!)

[Tink]

Josh, I've not had much of a chance to congratulate you and share your excitement about your appointment as a new CM! :hug2: If you have anything you think I can help with, feel free to let me know! :hug2:

I am SOOOO Pleased for you! :tralala:

[josh.p.]

Josh, I've not had much of a chance to congratulate you and share your excitement about your appointment as a new CM! :hug2: If you have anything you think I can help with, feel free to let me know! :hug2:

I am SOOOO Pleased for you! :tralala:
Thank you Tink :hug2:

[gwennie81]

I've also looked at my options for travelling after the program.
Currently a group of us are thinking of getting greyhound coach tickets and travelling over two weeks to:
Miami, New Orleans, Jackson, Memphis, Nashville, Washington and then stopping in New York for 3 nights before flying home.

I don't want to be a party-pooper but, I feel the need to caution you so please take this with kindness.

That is a very ambitious itinerary. And I would be wary of traveling on the Greyhound bus. They are not glamorous. They are sketchy. Same goes for the Amtrak train. Two of my friends and I took the train from DeLand (just outside of Orlando) to NYC a few months ago and it was a brutally long trip. I'm terrified of flying and would rather take a plane than a train now. I got a guy kicked off the train in Georgia because he was drunk and being really disruptive (and stalking another woman and cussing up a storm). On the way back down, a baby a few rows back screamed 18 out of the 20 hours we were on the train.

In my opinion, if you feel you MUST travel and see the US before you leave, I would say rent a car and just take a week to drive up I-95 along the east coast to NYC. Or, if you can't rent a car, go ahead and take the train (still safer than the bus). Stay a night in Savannah, a couple nights in DC, and then head on to NYC.

That is only my opinion. Again, I am really happy for you and I am glad you are excited to visit the US. But I think if you want to travel, the rides between the cities you've picked on your tentative schedule are just too far away from each other and most of your time will be spent in transit.

With Savannah, you get a taste of the South. Good food, walkable historic district. A couple fun things to do is take a trolley tour and go on a "Ghost Walk". Savannah is rich in history and a beautiful city.

In D.C., you will get the greater American history in all the museums & monuments (and also great places to eat).

In NYC, you won't run out of things to do, I suggest going to Rockefeller Center and going to the Top of the Rock. Less expensive than the Empire State building and you can get pics of the Empire State, Central Park, and the Chrystler buiding from the Rock. You can walk lower Manhattan in one day (Wall St., Battery Park, & the Trade Center site). You can do Rockefeller, Times Square, Central Park, 5th Ave. in one day as well.

Good luck! Let us know where you end up working in the park! Please let me (or any of the other Yankees) know if you have any other questions!

[josh.p.]

I don't want to be a party-pooper but, I feel the need to caution you so please take this with kindness.

That is a very ambitious itinerary. And I would be wary of traveling on the Greyhound bus. They are not glamorous. They are sketchy. Same goes for the Amtrak train. Two of my friends and I took the train from DeLand (just outside of Orlando) to NYC a few months ago and it was a brutally long trip. I'm terrified of flying and would rather take a plane than a train now. I got a guy kicked off the train in Georgia because he was drunk and being really disruptive (and stalking another woman and cussing up a storm). On the way back down, a baby a few rows back screamed 18 out of the 20 hours we were on the train.
I took a rain check on that itinerary when I saw how long it would take me to travel between states :rotfl: That was a 'sample' itinerary on the website but I changed my mind when I saw how long it would take :rotfl:


In my opinion, if you feel you MUST travel and see the US before you leave, I would say rent a car and just take a week to drive up I-95 along the east coast to NYC. Or, if you can't rent a car, go ahead and take the train (still safer than the bus). Stay a night in Savannah, a couple nights in DC, and then head on to NYC.
I won't be able to rent a car as I won't be 25 when I am there :(



In D.C., you will get the greater American history in all the museums & monuments (and also great places to eat).

In NYC, you won't run out of things to do, I suggest going to Rockefeller Center and going to the Top of the Rock. Less expensive than the Empire State building and you can get pics of the Empire State, Central Park, and the Chrystler buiding from the Rock. You can walk lower Manhattan in one day (Wall St., Battery Park, & the Trade Center site). You can do Rockefeller, Times Square, Central Park, 5th Ave. in one day as well.

Good luck! Let us know where you end up working in the park! Please let me (or any of the other Yankees) know if you have any other questions!
I LOVED NYC last time I was there and I'm fairly confident about knowing my way around and stuff, but your pointers are really great. Thank you for all your help :hug2:

[uscwest]

In D.C., you will get the greater American history in all the museums & monuments (and also great places to eat).



There is only one Monument in Washington DC. The rest are memorials. :tongue:

[gwennie81]

When you'll be traveling, it will be a good time for American sports! Try to catch a MLB baseball game or a pre-season NFL football game! You could probably get tickets at a fairly reasonable price.

[uscwest]

When you'll be traveling, it will be a good time for American sports! Try to catch a MLB baseball game or a pre-season NFL football game! You could probably get tickets at a fairly reasonable price.You should definitely be able to get MLB tickets at a reasonable price, almost anywhere but Chicago (for the Cubs) and Boston (for the Red Sox) as they are normally sold out. NFL pre-season games however, may not be so cheap. They charge just as much for those tickets as they do for regular season games (this coming from a season ticket holder who has to buy them as part of the package). For example the cheapest NFL ticket for the Redskins is in the $70+ range.

[josh.p.]

When you'll be traveling, it will be a good time for American sports! Try to catch a MLB baseball game or a pre-season NFL football game! You could probably get tickets at a fairly reasonable price.
I'd love to go see a baseball game!!

You should definitely be able to get MLB tickets at a reasonable price, almost anywhere but Chicago (for the Cubs) and Boston (for the Red Sox) as they are normally sold out. NFL pre-season games however, may not be so cheap. They charge just as much for those tickets as they do for regular season games (this coming from a season ticket holder who has to buy them as part of the package). For example the cheapest NFL ticket for the Redskins is in the $70+ range.
A baseball game anywhere sounds really cool!! :mental:

[josh.p.]

Also, today I renewed my passport (and was condemned to the world's worst photograph for ten years!)

[uscwest]

I'd love to go see a baseball game!!

A baseball game anywhere sounds really cool!! :mental: Josh, if you get to D.C. and the Nationals are in town I would be happy to accompany you.

[Lisa1976]

Also, today I renewed my passport (and was condemned to the world's worst photograph for ten years!)

Don't worry you're not the only one, I think we all hate our passport photos.

I am so jealous of your trip and working as a CM Josh, can't wait to hear all about it when you get there :)

[Tinker]

Nothing to add since my last post except that I amso Very Happy & Excited for you . If I get to the pin event in September this year and you are still there,we must get together . Again Many, Many Congratulations .

[josh.p.]

Don't worry you're not the only one, I think we all hate our passport photos.

I am so jealous of your trip and working as a CM Josh, can't wait to hear all about it when you get there :)
I hate my new one. Dreading it coming back through the post. I'm more gutted that all my really cool visa stamps from China & Hong Kong will be gone from my passport as well as my one from Orlando & New York :sigh:


Josh, if you get to D.C. and the Nationals are in town I would be happy to accompany you.
Thank you :) I'll let you know my travel plans when I have them finalised.

[josh.p.]

Nothing to add since my last post except that I amso Very Happy & Excited for you . If I get to the pin event in September this year and you are still there,we must get together . Again Many, Many Congratulations .
I don't think I'll be in Orlando in September as I'm flying home from New York on the 3rd of Sept and want to spend a few days there first :hug2:

[marysharon01]

Hi i also return 2 years. welcome back dear have a nice day.

[josh.p.]

My new passport is here :mental: It keeps edging closer and closer and closer!

[daveann]

josh the days are dropping soon be time :)

[Tony G]

I don't know how you contain yourself! When are you due to travel again?

[josh.p.]

I don't know how you contain yourself! When are you due to travel again?
I barely can! Everytime I mention it I get butterflies and say it in a funny excited voice :rotfl: I travel on the 24th of May :)

[josh.p.]

:mental: Today I booked my appointment for my VISA application! :mental:

[josh.p.]

I thought I'd give you all a bit more of an update on my planning stages!

I've booked my flight, arriving in Orlando at 6:05pm on the 24th of May I have a connecting flight in JFK and I'm Flying British Airways economy. I would have liked PE but for the sake of saving money I decided to go economy. I've booked my seat for the NYC>Orlando leg of the trip but for some reason I can't reserve my seats for the Manchester to MCO!

I've booked my VISA interview for the 11th of April. I'll have to travel down to London to get my VISA so hoping the trains aren't too delayed as a missed appointment is the last thing I need!

My appointment is at 11am but thinking of changing it as if I go an hour later I save over £100 on my train fare! :mental:

Term dates are different up north than they are in London and as such I've only gone and booked for the first day of Half Term! It's going to be very busy :sigh:

My Hoody for the airport finally arrived! We all got Hoodies that matched so that we could spot each other in the Airport. Will post a picture soon!

[Tink]

It is all coming together nicely! Great idea about having matching hoodies. Careful now, that's how Gay Day started... a group of friends all meeting at MK that first Saturday in June deciding to wear red to spot one another and presto! Gay Day is born. :lol:

Have a wonderful journey Josh! I know this is going to be a great experience for you. :yes:

[chief]

ive only just read this post. [where have i been!!!] how exiting for you, what a fab oppurtunity!

[josh.p.]

Here is a pic of the hoody logo. I designed it so it's a bit weird seeing my design 'in person'!

[gwennie81]

Josh,
Can you tell us yet where you'll be located, or no? Or have you posted and I miss it?
I'm so excited for you! :)

[josh.p.]

Josh,
Can you tell us yet where you'll be located, or no? Or have you posted and I miss it?
I'm so excited for you! :)
I don't know until I get to my second da of training. I only know that I'm working in attractions.

[Tinkfan]

:wave: The hoodie looks wonderful Josh! You must feel ready to burst. Please tell us all about your journey, it will be great to see it through your eyes, the good and the bad.:yes:

[daveann]

just cannot believe how quick the days are going soon be time to go
hoody is cute tooo :)

[Disneybumble]

This is so exciting Josh. Please be there in August. We need to start a photo thread "CM Josh and ....."

[josh.p.]

This is so exciting Josh. Please be there in August. We need to start a photo thread "CM Josh and ....."
What dates in August?

[gwennie81]

I don't know until I get to my second da of training. I only know that I'm working in attractions.


Alright, kid. Just keep us posted. I like the idea of us finding you when we go and posting a Mouse on the Move pic!

[josh.p.]

I will let you know as soon as I do! :yes:

[josh.p.]

I can now say I go NEXT MONTH!!!!!!

[josh.p.]

My VISA is being delivered tomorrow! :mental: Inching closer and closer now.. can't believe it.

Extensive list making coming soon.

[josh.p.]

VISA IS HERE! :mental:

[uscwest]

Woo Hoo