"But in my Hearts the Memory and there you'll Always be" - Fox and the Hound

Somehow September slipped in without much of a sound. I passed my nephew's original due date with only a few tears to shed and grandma has found herself in the ICU. While all of these terrible things happen around me Disney still seems to be my rock. I thank the Lord everyday for technology that keeps my Ohana within my grasp. I finally finished my DCP #2 video slide and it is up on youtube for all to enjoy. I think I watch it everyday just to remind myself of better days ahead. I'm really thinking about moving to Florida on a more permanent basis. Any who: Follow the link for my video!

https://youtu.be/_qlhCIwrQ4Q

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard"

For all those who don't already know my Disney adventure is sadly over for this time around. I had to make a tough decision and leave my program. My sweet grandma was diagnosed with what were initially told was terminal cancer. Amazing things have happened since and while she still has cancer in not one but three places, she has chosen to fight, and the doctors have seen miracles happen because of it. Leaving Disney was the hardest choice I have ever had to make. I knew that I needed to be with my grandma but my heart and soul would always remain at Disney. This isn't over for me and I know I'll be back. I was placed on a 6 month "probation" of sorts, where, I can't apply for any part of the company until my 6 months (in January) are over. While this does break my heart, it does give me more time with my cancer fighting warrior of a grandma, and more time to practice for character performer auditions! I refuse to give up on a company that has given me the wings to not just fly, but to soar. The Disney Company is my home and the cast members are my Ohana! I can't wait to see where I head next with this company! My blogs aren't over, as I will still, from time to time, post more about my experience, and more about where I am and what I'm doing! I even have my first Disneyland trip planned for October!

"If you are what you eat, then I only want to eat the good stuff."

To continue on the food I have three more impressive places to try!
Be Our Guest: For Lunch

Location: Magic Kingdom Fantasy Land

I ate here for lunch not all that long ago and loved that I was still able to explore the castle while having a quick bite to eat. The meal was wonderful. I had the roast beef! It was tender and juicy just like I would expect a meal in a castle to be! It was quick service so we had our food rather quickly. We sat in the West Wing and it was amazing. Everytime the lightning would strike a rose pedal would fall! For dessert we tried the strawberry cupcake, the chocolate cupcake, and of course the grey stuff. I loved them all but the chocolate was a bit rich for me to enjoy the whole thing! Overall this was an amazing experience and I would give them a 7 out of 10 for lunch!

Now of course I couldn't go to Be Our Guest for just lunch! Therefore, a few weeks ago, I also went and enjoyed a dinner there as well! 

Be Our Guest for Dinner

location: Magic Kingdom Fantasyland 

Holy Heck. I thought I loved it for lunch. This place by far beat all my expectations. We began our adventure with Lumier lighting the way! We were fortunate enough to be seated in the ball room. Disney did such an amazing job of recreating this amazing room. It was lined with gold and chandeliers just like in the movie. We had an amazing waiter who did an excellent job of thoroughly explaining the menu and checking on us to make sure that we had the best experience possible. I had the chicken and the specialty lemonade! The chicken itself wasn't my most favorite meal but I did have a bite of Sydney's pork chops and about died at how amazing they tasted! As for dessert I had the grey stuff but this time instead of putting it on a cupcake they put it on a brownie! I liked it on the cupcake more but quantity wise I had more on the brownie! After our wonderful meal we also got the chance to meet The Beast which can only be done in the castle for dinner guest! It was absolutely wonderful! Overall, I give dinner an 8 out of 10!

Hoop De Doo Musical Review

Location: Fort Wilderness Lodge

I'll just go ahead and say that this was by far the best Disney dinning experience I have ever had! I fell in love the moment they slammed a bucket of fried chicken in front of my face. From the singing to the massive amount of food, I never stopped enjoying myself! The cast did such an amazing job of interacting with every one of the guest! The food was all you could eat and my table of 5 sure did take advantage of that! THE CORN BREAD IS TO DIE FOR! Well, basically, so is everything else. The performance was 100% on point. The only complaint from anyone would have to be the price. I paid Cast Member price so I can't really say for sure how much everyone else pays but what I have to say is it is well worth the money! I gladly give this giddy up group a perfect 10 out of 10 review!

"The dining room proudly presents....."

"...Your Dinner"

While here my roommate Sydney and I have made it a goal to try different food options that you have to make reservations for! So far we have eaten at two:

50's Prime Time Cafe:

location: Hollywood Studios

I like this cute little cafe but can't say I'm in love. The theming of the little diner was cute and I loved the vintage TVs as well as the costumes the cast wore! The food was decent but not to die for. I ate the fried chicken and was pleasantly surprised at the amount that I was given! (I still have chicken left over) Sydney had the sampler and said that the roast was just like home and while she isn't a meatloaf fan she enjoyed the meatloaf. We both shared the beer batter onion rings and those were AMAZING! Certainly the best food I ate there! Our waitress Aunt Janice was wonderful and kept up with the theme well! She made us put away our cell phones and keep our elbows off the table!
Overall I give this place 5 starts out of 10!

Tony's Townsquare restaurant:

location: Main Street USA Magic Kingdom

I have eaten at Tony's before (my last program) but this time I chose to eat at night to see if there was any differences and I noticed none. The theme is based off of Lady and The Tramp. I thought it was adorable but it was hard to tell that it was Lady and The Tramp for most of it. The waitress wasn't amazing by any means and the water was tap. The food was pretty good and the portions were large! I ate the chicken and spaghetti and I ate the whole plate! It was wonderful! Sydney ate the Pizza and I had a bite! I enjoyed it but she said it was a little too spicy for her to love it! Overall I give this place a 5 out of 10 starts!

"Everyones got a laughing place"

Everyone's got a laughing place....

I've been really pathetic with updates so I have to apologies up front! So much has happened yet I feel like I have nothing to write. I'm absolutely loving every moment here; even the not so perfect moments! My air broke and we laughed about it. I got caught in a rainstorm and was soaking wet and we laughed about it. I got sunburned till I peeled and we laughed about it. I folded 102 shirts and did 3 transactions in 3 hours at "28th & Main" and we laughed about it. Every moment here is a moment to enjoy (that's something I forgot on my last program). It can be really hard here sometimes and I don't want to give the impression that every day here is one of pixie dust but when you find your laughing place, hold on tight to it! Right now I'm on the transtar bus headed to work at Co-Op! I like this store the best out of all my shops but it can also be pretty slow. I like the costume and the air conditioning and I love a lot of the merchandise we sell! Sometimes when we are slow I make a pretend list of all the things I would buy if I wasn't a poor college student. 

I'm looking forward to my family's visit next month! I love being with them and I love this place so both together is a dream come true!

Also. If you can tell from the picture below I chopped off all my hair. I'm still getting used to it and can't say that I love it just yet but it certainly has helped cool me down in this crazy Florida weather!

Ohana means family

"Ohana means family...family means nobody gets left behind, or forgotten"

I have a family. I love them and would do anything in the world for them. Always. I also have a Ohana. For them. The same rules apply. Tragedy has struck my Ohana and my heart aches at the thought that my Ohana is suffering. The recent events here in Orlando have caused me to ponder the importance of my Orlando Ohana. My last program was really hard for me. I had a lot of downfalls and struggled a lot with anxiety. Having an Orlando Ohana was the only means of keeping me sane during those hard times. Being here a second time has given my Ohana a chance to expand. I have gained so many new work friends and have fallen madly in love with my roommates. For them, I will be forever grateful. We have laughed, cried, and sat in a stupor of silence together so many times already. My prayers are with my Ohana who are struggling and my plea is that they are in your prayers and thoughts as well. You can't break my Ohana. We are Orlando strong. 

"Whistle while you work".... Wherever that may be

In high school I was inducted into the international thespian society where I learned our society Motto, "where ere thou art, act well thy part". Lately that quote has been zooming through my head. Here at Disney Springs I have the privilege of working at Pin Traders, Tren-D, and marketplace Co-op. I am so blessed to be working for such a wonderful company for the second time. Anyone who knows me knows that my overall Disney goal is to one day be a character performer for the Disney company. Just because that dream hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't ever happen and while I wait I will be enjoying my time with this company whatever my part may be! You're probably wondering why I'm even mentioning this all in the first place and to clear up the confusion here is why. I have been asked a lot lately why I'm not doing what it is that I want. While Disney is a place of magic, it is certainly not a place where all dreams come true without work! Now this isn't to say that I haven't worked as hard as I can for this, but instead, that I will continue to work until my number is called. Working for the Disney company is a blessing no matter the role and I am so grateful to be here working my way up to where I belong. Wherever I am I will work like it is the job that I have wanted all my life because my job IS someone's dream job and I am lucky!