The First Week

So I've been meaning to write on here pretty much since the day I've arrived but I've been either too tired or busy to do so but really have no excuse now as I have a day off, especially as I hear Matt has been checking up often :)

Ok where to start?? I think for the first week it would be easiest to go through day by day as it feels like so much has happened and so I can give a general explanation of what everything is like. I'm settling in here nicely and have met lots of lovely people, the language is definitely a shock though when it comes to working!
sooooo....

Day 1: I was a little nervous travelling there as I was quite scared about getting lost or messing up when I changed trains but there were absolutely no problems. There were tons of kids screaming about going to Disney on the Eurostar for 2 and half hours but I suppose I'd better get used to that! When we got there we had a mini orientation about work and then got sent straight to accomodation. In the summer months they hire loads more people so we are staying in temporary accomodation which is actually a 4 star hotel! We were all shocked when we arrived because the place is sooo nice and nothing like what we expected! I am in an apartment with 2 other English girls. At first I thought it would have been good to be with French people to practise my language even more but I've found that after a ten hour day at the park it really is nice to be able to speak in your own language. The apartment is all open planned so almost like one big room and looks quite Finnish with wooden floors etc. We are on the bottom floor so have glass doors to go outside which makes it nice and easy to go outside and sunbathe whenever. That's another thing ....THE HEAT! Ok so I've never been to even a vaguely warm country so this I'm finding it really hard to cope with 35 degrees all day but have actually managed not to burn yet (thankyou factor 50 sunblock) but my roommate has already had sunstroke twice and I have no idea how I won't collapse working outside in costume! We didn't do much the first night just walked to Val D'Europe (The town where I live) and did some food shopping for the week. Also I have the only double bed in the apartment, we drew names out of a hat and I won wooo.

Day 2: Tuesday was a day of Disney traditions where two enthusiastic castmembers taught us all about the past, present and future of Disney, one dressed up as Aladdin and another as some evil guy which was rather odd. They also taught us how to draw Mickey mouse properley, I'm not sure exactly how that will help me but it was fun anyway!

Day 3: We had a lecture (We all fell asleep in almost every single one of these) on the advantages we'll get at Disney like ridiculously cheap food (my dinner costs about 70 cents) and free park entry and transport. Then we went to costuming, as I'm doing a double contract with attractions and spectacles I'm doing training for attractions first so my costume atm is for the Steam Train attraction which does a tour of the whole park haha. They're very strict about taking photos backstage but I will try to ge t a friend to take a photo while I am working it is quite hilarious with conductor's hat and all. We also had a tour of the park and watched one of the outdoor shows. At the moment I am working in Frontierland I really need to try and learn how to get round the park better! In the evening me and my roommates went to 3 Finnish girls' room (there are literally sooooo many Finns here I know atleast 15 already) and had some wine whilst watching the Disney fireworks from their wondow aaah, it was rather lovely.

Day 4: We had a rigorous medical check this morning with drugs tests, full body checks and all which was more than a bit unpleasant but I guess it has to be done! After that we were free 'till 2 so me and Sopie thought it would be a good idea to walk into town. ! and half hours later we were completely lost and Sophie had sunstroke and couldn't really stand up. What a disaster! After a load of rushing around we just about made it back for the security talk in the afternoon but Sophie went home to sleep. In the evening was the cast member summer party which was pretty incredible. There's 13,000 castmembers and most of them turned up. It was like a mini festival with some creative things to do and tents everywhere with all the free food and drinks you could want. Then there was a big performance with singers and dancers and after the whle place outdoors turned into an enormous club of 10,000 people with 2 DJ decks put on stage and lasted till 2am. I don';t think I'll ever go to a staff party that extravagent again and with that many people .... but then again, it is Disney!

Day 4: Friday was meant to be my first day of work but I actually have a day off already! I went to Val D'europe with Sophie and Clare my roommates who were also off and then went to the park and went on Buzzlightyear lazer quest which I am absolutely rubbish at and then Space Mountain which is probably my favourite ride. When we got home we cooked a meal for the boys living down the corridoor from us who are Juan from Spain Yohann from France and Harvey, who is Sophie's brother. It actually was quite a success I made a salad (got out of the hard task), Clare made the main of pasta and Sophie did icecream and strawberry's for dessert. We had 3 bottles of wine to go with it of course. After that we went o a bit of a party upstairs but we have to be quite careful about noise here because there are also guests from the parj staying here for just a couple of days each. At the other permanent residences aparently it is a real party atmosphere with noise up to 5am every night but I guess we get the luxury apartments so we can't complain!

Day 5: Saturday was my 1st day of work and oh my god it was soooo hard! I'm working on Steam Train at the moment and I worked for 10 hours from 9.50 to 7.30 with getting up 2 hours before to get ready then go to casting a change and find the actual backstage area. Everyone was friendly but they are all either French or completely fluent. I met an English boy and a Finnish girl at my work which is good but haven't really had a chance to work with them yet. There is so so much to learn and I was being inducted with a French guy who had no problem understanding ofcourse but the lkanguage was so technical and it was impossible to remember when I was hearing it all in French. I did ask when I felt I could but it was impossible to ask about everything. We were shown how to safety check the trains, then how to change the tracks and get them out of the garages in the morning and shown all the different station and our job in each area. There are loads of forms to fill out each day in French which will be really hard to do. We are all given walkie talkies which I struggle to hear in English so are even harder in French and also when on the attractions everyone speaks in code which I will have to learn. For example to say 'the train is open' is 10.08 and 'closed' is 10.07. The train is working on a two train basis is '105' and the train is broken is '102'. I think 54 means there is a bomb suspexcted or something lol There is a list of dozens. Hearibng a list of numbers on a wlakie talkie in French really quickly and reacting to it imediately but I just really how it all somehow clicks. It might all sound a but impossible now but all I can do is try my best and keep working to try and understand. I was shattered when I got home.

Day 6: Sunday I had off again lol so didn't have to work for long so I slept in (which I really needed as I've got up before 7 every day since I've arrived) and then went to the park with Yohann and a Spanish girl Marianna. We went on Phantom Manor, Pirates of the Carribean and Indiana Jones before I met Sophie at the Imagination building backstage for dinner. At night we watched th Disney parade and fieworks which were beauuutiful then some of us went to the Disney Village. We planned to go to the Sports bar but by the time we had wandered around it was gone 12 and we needed to get the last bus back so I'm sure we'll go another day.

Day 7: Finally! Monday, today, is my last day off before I have 5 days of hardcore work which will hopefully be more of a success than the first day. I slept in again (last chance to!) then walked into Val D'Europe with Harvey and Yohann before meeting Sophie again for dinner. I'm in the reception now finishing this off awaiting a 6.45 wake up for work tomorrow. I'll probably post my next blog after my next few days of work to let you know how its all going and hopefully I'll let you know about all the improvements I've made ... I hope. After 3 days I have a test to see if I'm capable of working on my own which I have to do well in or else.

I think that's all the major things I wanted to explain, overall I am really happy with how it has all gone so far and its a really sociable job and if there's anyway I'm going to learn French I guess its by throwing me into the deep end! And so it begins ...