"Now it's time to say goodbye, to all our Company"

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

Whoever said college was the best four years of your life clearly didn't do the Disney College Program for six months. Not only has this program been great working wise, but I have met some of the greatest people and I hope we can all stay in touch and meet back up here at the most magical place on earth one day.  In no particular order I want to thank a few people for being amazing throughout this journey.


The Crescent Lake Activities team- you are all awesome and I had so much fun with you even though half the time I was deployed. You all made my days brighter and I wouldn't want to do countless games of critter round up with anyone else but you.

Liz and Lauren- You two are so special and have made my time here so much fun! Que Pasa, Lizabeth?! The Lariza and Liz team might just be the best around.  Lauren- you are the Chip to my Dale. So much fun with my fellow Jersey Girl!!

Austin and Kayla- Simply put, you two are adorable. I had some great times with you guys, most that I can't divulge here, and I am so happy to have met you two. From celebrating birthdays, Thursday nights at Ale house, and random summer days,  I will never forget the great memories we had- and will continue to have. 

Fav Dave- There is a reason we call you Diva David and I'm glad you embrace it. Will never forget Thursday nights at Ale with our favorite waiters and Mountain Melts. Thanks for protecting me from creepers on the pool deck (hey girl, can I have your number?) and for shopping at the croc store with me. 

Jarrod- Thank you for keeping me sane at work. You are a voice of reason in a sometimes unreasonable place. Thank you for always welcoming us to your place and if you ever find yourself in Jersey, I will repay the hospitality. I will keep sending you caps as promised! Keep working hard, kid. 

Viking- Thank you for actually being someone who reads my blog. Again, sorry I'm not sorry for dumping you at Unos and I hope we can have another non dinner date again. We have been through it all together from the boring "Welcome to Rec" class, being deployed often, and doing the Cupid Shuffle daily, it has been a fun ride. 

Santana- Semper Fi. So proud of you for all you have done and will continue to do. We miss you dearly so you better come back safe and sound so we can all get together again. "When is the rain going to stop?" "Never! It's never going to stop raining!" Excellent response at Luna Park Pool. 

Steve- It's bee a fun two months and we've had some really great times from the Magic game, Mickey's Christmas Party, NYE, matching at Chillers, and watching That Thing you Do, I've had some fun memories shared with you. Thank you for being a friend (Cue the Golden Girl's theme song).  

Jackie- Your energy and smile are contagious. I loved spending three Boyz II Men concerts with you, Chillers nights, NYE, and countless other times with you. You are so much fun and I"m so glad you joined us at Crescent Lake! I will so take you up on staying on your couch when I come visit. To the End of the Road! 

Colleen- So much can be said about our six months here together. From Jellyrolls, the cruise, boat handling class, Ale house, going out, my birthday, never actually working together, and everything in between you have always been there for me. Thanks for always being the voice of reason, someone I can turn to, and always being there for me. You are really a true friend and I am so happy to have met you. Thank you for always being the common denominator and allowing me to give you daily updates. Visit Jersey, you know you want to. 

Lauren- Someone above was looking out for us when they put us together as roommates. My roommate record has been poor but I could not have gotten any luckier with a selected roommate then if we handpicked each other, interviewed each other, and then took each other out of a safe lunch date. Thank you for everything these past six months- you have been a rock and person I could always go to for support. Thank you for also "Going with me" when I would text you, "Go with me on This" and we would end up running around Disney, going on a cruise, and having adventures. I will be be seeing you in October for the Texas State fair and we will be skyping! 

Here's a little song to sum it up

See you Real Soon!

Ho. Ho. Ho.

In my 23 years of living in this world I have never been away for a major holiday. Sure, I spent one Easter with the Thornton's in Virginia but it was still family. Being away for Christmas was a feeling that I never want to feel again; it was almost sad. I'm not sure if it didn't feel like Christmas because I was in denial my program is ending soon, if I was too lazy to go Christmas shopping, or if the 83 degree holiday weekend screwed up my spirits, but regardless, it was not the Holly Jolly Christmas I am used to.

First off, on Christmas Eve I had chicken tenders and fries. At home they ate a huge Italian feast. That same day I was sweating at the pool. At home they were "warm" in their 40 degree weather. I got off work at 9pm and went for a run. At home they were just cleaning up and eating dessert.

Christmas day was no different except it marked the last day I would be working at the Boardwalk Resort. It was another sunny day with the parks at full capacity, the pool was steady with guests, and memories were being made. Only difference was instead of playing Radio Disney songs we played Christmas music and said "Merry Christmas" every so often.  One of our coordinators wives made us a turkey and a ham so we all were able to have a nice meal and although I ate a bunch it still didn't stop me from eating at Denny's  : The American Institution with Colleen after work.   But back to Christmas away--I am not sure of what is more depressing; me being away because I had work down here or families that would be away from home by choice. Sure, a great Christmas surprise would be a trip to Disney but you know what, Santa doesn't want to have to deliver presents to your hotel room nor does he want to tackle the large crowds and traffic while down here.

I asked kids what they got for Christmas and the spoiled brats said "nothing." I asked them to explain and they said, "Well, I only got an Ipod touch and some clothes." I kindly explained to them that they should appreciate everything they get because one day Santa is going to stop giving them gifts and will only get them stuff if they are very specific and they should appreciate what they get now.  I felt like the Grinch, but kids these days are spoiled. O and hello, you came to Disney for Christmas, that is a gift enough.

So back to me ending this program soon. My last official day is January 1st and I have to be out of my apartment by 11 am on January 3rd. Six months ago I purposely decided not to rush everything here because I had six months to do it all. Well, six months later I haven't gotten  as much as I wanted to and that is sad.  Although the thought of me bearing children is a horrific thought, I will want to bring them down here one day and I can experience things with them that maybe I didn't get to. However, like I tell people, I am moving not dying, so I will be back here before they can even miss me.

Stay tuned for a farewell blog but for now here are some pictures

True story 

CP Formal 

Photo shoot! 

Senor Frogs 

Matching PJs!

Future Endeavors

Many of you have been asking what my future hold since in two weeks I will be unemployed. Sounds sad, doesn't it? Happy New Years! Now you have 48 hours to move out and move on with your life. To say these decisions were easy would be a gross understatement so here is how I came about my choices in case some readers  were confused. Some don't agree with all my decisions, but as I said, I like to "marinate" on my decisions and although there have been a lot of decisions I haven't clearly thought out, I would like to think I am making  the right decision for me at this point in time.

First, I didn't get my program extension which was BOGUS  because 1) that was my back up plan and 2) I thought i was a good cast member 3) I hate being rejected for no reason.  In reality, getting an extension wouldn't have been the best because in six months I would have been no further in the company then I am right now and still probably hating making minimum wage. I also hated living in CP housing and all their rules but  I loved my job about 88% of the time. Sure, there were times where I didn't want to be there, people annoyed me, I had to work with cast members  I didn't care for, it was hot, it was cold, I was cranky, you know the deal, but overall I loved my job. Knowing I can put a smile on some kids face for winning a stupid plastic duck we got on Page 39 in Oriental Trading was really awesome. Going the extra step for a guest not because I had to but because I wanted to made me realize that I do enjoy people. It's like in the movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and his heart suddenly gets bigger. Not getting my extension was a kick to the gut and I was very confused as to why I didn't get it especially since I wanted to stay down here longer. I also knew since I didn't get it I....

2) Didn't get a professional Internship. If you can't get a program extension for a job you were good at, got positive feedback in, and had a good record card , then you won't get a Professional Internship where hundreds if not thousands of people are itching to get. It came as no surprise when I looked up if I got the job or not and it said "No longer in consideration."  For those wondering I applied to the two housing ones. Basically being an RA. A job I did for 3 years, HRA for 2, rookie of the year, RA of the year, and at one point thought I wanted to make my career. After that news, I week later I went to

3) Casting, where I was laughed at because there aren't any job openings in January. Sure, there are jobs in custodial or housekeeping, but those weren't the jobs I was looking to do. Discouraged, I put in for as many transfers in the recreation department as possible (since I couldn't for security) and went on my sad way. For good measure I applied to SeaWorld, I wasn't qualified for them, either.

Ah security you say! Didn't Sarah graduate with honors with a degree in Criminology? Why yes, she did. What is she going to do with her degree? O grad school called? Outstanding! Well is she going to go?

No. I know, I know. You might think I didn't marinate this decision but this was the decision I marinated in the most. I ended up getting a call from a grad school saying if I wanted to start in January I could. That's awesome, but since it was 6 weeks away I had alot to think about. The degree would have been an MS in CJ and although it has been my childhood dream to catch someone on John Walsh's most wanted list, I havne't really entertained the idea of being a cop in a while. I came down here thinking I would contemplate what I wanted in life but it just made me more confused. I decided the other day that 1) if I don't know if  I want to be in that field forever, I shouldn't go to grad school right now 2) I can defer and 3) I have serious commitment issues as it is and two years is a long time for something I'm only eh on.

Speaking of commitment issues I'm seeing someone. He's okay. No but really, he is.

To quote one of my favorite movies, "Do what you love and F the rest." Well, I don't know what I really love besides having fun, making people happy, and making a difference so finding what path I want to take is very hard. I ask myself daily what I want to do and I still always come up blank. Weird, right? I'm normally always planned out and opinionated but I am indecisive at this point in my life. I thought I was too young to have a mid life crisis.

Since I was hired seasonally I will be back often to work. Again, some might find that decision odd but it's my decision so hush. There are a few rules for when I come home though so take note (I already ran these by mom so she knows the deal).
1) no asking what i'm going to do with my life. I will let you know when I make a decision. Mom is allowed to ask me after 10 days.
2) No mentioning Mickey or anything that will remind me of Disney for two weeks
3) I will be in a mourning period. I keep telling people that "I'm moving, not dying" but it will still be awful when I leave sunny Florida.


Thanks, folks, for being supportive of me during this transitional period in my life. It's swell to have good people like you in life.

Things I've Learned

Since my time here quickly coming to an end, I want to tell you all the things I have learned while being down here for six short months. Some things are cliche, some are sarcastic, but all of them are true.

1) Time really does fly when you're having fun.
2) Sharing a room was actually fun 
3) Disney really is magical
4) Fanny packs are attractive on everyone
5) Children don't bug the crap out of me anymore
6)Parents bug the crap out of me
7) My mom is still always right about majority of things
8) I have a soft side, you just have to find it
9) Nice people will track you down to give a wallet back
10) it is possible to party all night and get to work with just 2 hours of sleep
11) Summers here are HOT
12) Like the boys
13) Just kidding
14) Party Rock Anthem is the most overplayed song in history
15) Cupid Shuffle time is my favorite time of day at Stormalong Bay
16) I can fit in a child's size sneaker
17) Being from Jersey makes you a novelty item
18) Being from Carolina, Puerto Rico makes you awesome (O Lariza)
19) I can finally drink more then 2 watered down drinks without getting drunk
20) I can get lost on Disney Property and always end up back to where I started
21) The utilidors are indeed cool.....for the first two times
22) Parade guests are the crankiest people. I am not a fan of them
23) I can survive on $7.31 an hour
24) I HATE  Walmart.
25) Track Suits should never be worn by anyone.
26) Worst Traffic day is Sunday
27) Fireworks are I guess now cool
28) Food and Wine fest was bad for my weight and wallet
29) the campfire smell gets old
30) the  Buddies movies are an embarrassment
31) You can go to the same bar every Thursday and still not know what to order
32) Piano Bars are legit
33) I am a perfectionist when it comes to serving fast food
34) I actually enjoyed working in quick service food
35) There are more uncomfortable beds then college ones--they are called Disney housing beds
36) I still hate babysitting
37) I'm kick ass at Just Dance
38) I"m terrible at all other video games
39) Cruises are the best investments
40) You can never have enough white socks
41) I severely under pack for all events (Shockingly true)
42) Housing Security is tougher than Border Patrol
43) There is a difference between a dry heat and wet heat
44) Driving a boat is like driving a car ...if the car was large and in the water
45) You can loose track of time on Lazy Rivers
46) I marinate on decisions
47) I clearly don't marinate on some
48) I believe everything happens for a reason
49) I believe this was the best decision of my life
50) I believe I have met some of the most amazing people down here that will be in my life for a long time .

Haven't forgotten about you all...

First off, I am sorry that I haven't written in almost a month. Life here is a fast moving roller coaster and the ride is almost over. I'll highlight some Ups and Downs of the past month

Up

I got to work a few shifts at Magic Kingdom which was really neat. One was tray filler at Peco's Bills and the other was 3 parade audience control shifts on Thanksgiving. They were both neat and let me tell you, NEVER EVER  go to MK on Thanksgiving. People are crazy. O and those turkey legs aren't really turkey.

Down
Since I worked 10 hours on Turkey day it didn't feel like a holiday at all. I had some frosted flakes for dinner along with chicken nuggets and that was my day. I was also yelled at by many guests and was called an idiot, moron, and stupid because I wouldn't let them stand in my no standing zone. I just smiled and said "Happy Holidays"

UP

the cruise was sooooo much fun! and so worth it. Although Lauren, Colleen, and I didn't feel entertained enough on our day at sea, the whole cruise in itself was a blast. Highlight was doing "Baby Got Back" kareoke and taking awkward photos. (Photos will be up shortly once I find my cord)

Down
I was DENIED my program extension even though in my eyes I am good at my job, had a good record card, and am pretty much awesome.  I had a pity party for myself because that was my back up plan and then decided to wait to hear back on a professional internship for housing, a job I did for 3 years in college, had a successful career in, and for a while wanted to make my future in. I didn't get the job and so now in January I am jobless.

UP
I got into graduate school! That's right, folks. I can't keep a job here that I am over qualified for but I can get into graduate school for my Masters of Science in Criminal Justice. It all happened randomly while I was on break one day but it worked out for the best and I am happy to be starting in January. It's all online so I can stay down here and do it or go home and use our pathetically slow internet.

Down
It's the final month of our program and I feel like it's gone by sooo fast. I haven't gotten to do all that I wanted, but I am trying to get it all done in case of the sad event I do leave in January. But to be honest, I don't want to leave at all just yet so if you don't see me right away in January, you know where to find me.....

Up
it was Lauren's birthday! We went to O'Hanas at the Polynesian and let me tell you, for someone who doesn't eat alot of meat, that was the BEST MEAL EVER. Hands down. You must try it if you are ever down here. They just keep bringing out food and making your tummy happy.

Down
The temperature down here. The other day it was 83. Next day, 62! what is up with that?!


Well folks, there you have it. The past month in a nut shell. I hope everyone is having a relaxing holiday season and I hope to see or hear from everyone soon. People ask me if I miss it at home and I do, I really do but I think staying down here is the best for my sanity. Maybe not forever, but for now.

Sorry I'm not Sorry this is a Long Post

Well, it sure has been an eventful two weeks here, but let's face it, there hasn't been a two week stretch here that hasn't had some form of entertainment. I'll start off with a story I like to call, "Sarah needs a Purse"

It was a beautiful Tuesday afternoon in Lake Buena Vista when a young, bright eyed, twenty something woke up before 10 am on her day off and decided to do all her errands she has been avoiding for weeks.  First, she went out of her way to go to the Verizon store for a new phone since she dropped hers down three flights of stairs. After finding out the unfortunate news that she has to wait until January for a new phone, she headed off to the only TD bank in the area for a new debit card and to do some high finance banking. Walking out of the bank happy she finally has a debit card, she went to Walle World (Wal-Mart) in the adjacent parking lot. Although this WalMart was shadier then the others she has been to, she figured it was right here and she could get her shopping done. An hour later and $70.00 spent on scrumptious food, Sarah walked to Petey Sullenberger, her beautiful but dirty car and packed the groceries in the trunk. On her way home she called her mother, paid a toll, and sang to the radio when all of a sudden, 

" O shitake mushrooms!" Sarah exclaimed.  Sarah pulled over and dug through her car for her wallet. She can't find it so she pops the trunk thinking maybe she left it with her groceries. It's not there and she is now frantic  and crying on the side of the road with her car slowing rolling because she didn't put the break on. 

Panicked she gets back on the freeway in hysterics and heads back to Walmart praying her wallet is miraculously still in the cart she left it in. When she approached the toll booth she is crying to the poor guy and he nicely lets her through. She calls her mom who although she asked for no lecture got one about using a purse because she seems to loose her worldly possessions often. Sarah tried to disagree but her mother who is annoyingly always right made the point that they only reason she went so far to go to the bank was because she lost her debit card. 

In the parking lot she looks through all the carts in the trolley area and can't find her wallet. Sarah, defeated and upset, cries on her car like a child. She went inside to talk to the front desk but they said they didn't get any wallets. Sarah cries to her car when a nice man came over and told her he would help her look for it. Eventually he said he would go back to the desk with her and translate. When they got to the desk again the same person said, 

"O yes, the wallet. We just had a lady come in with it." 

Sarah is relieved and thankful it is returned. 

"O but, she took it [the wallet] home with her because she didn't trust us with it." The bad customer service worker said. At this point a look of "are you serious" came across Sarah's face and she was downright mad now. She said, 

" Is it common practice for you to let a customer walk out the door with someone that is not theirs? Did you at least get her phone number?" 

After hearing that they didn't get a name,  a phone number, or anything that would be helpful, Sarah gets annoyed and asks to speak to the loss prevention manager. The manager was not a help and basically only called the police for her. The girl said the women looked trustworthy and she was going to try and track me down on the internet. Wow. Two hours and 5 magazines read later, Sarah walks out of the Walmart without talking to the police but leaving her phone number with the manager in case the mystery women came back. 

That night Sarah was upset and very mad at herself for being careless. She kept hoping with every phone call it was the women saying she used Facebook stalker abilities to her advantage and found her. Finally, at 1020 pm a phone call came in from her mom that changed everything. 

"You're so damn lucky." Lisa said

"OMG was it found!?" Sarah shrieked 

"Yes,  AAA just called and although I was annoyed someone was calling so late I decided to pick it up. The women found your wallet and called AAA to track you down. I have their number call them tonight." 

"O.M.G" 

Sarah quickly got into her car with Lauren and met the husband at a hotel down the road. He explained that his wife doesn't speak much English and got confused at what customer service was trying to say. She tried giving him the $20 I had in my wallet but he said she should keep it. She plans on using the money for a purse. 

Moral of the story here kids, don't be careless, carry a purse, and keep your Platinum AAA membership card with you at all times. 

"First Mate Lariza tries not to throw kids overboard"

Lariza has done two pirate cruises in the past two weeks and if she gets one more screaming kid she is going to loose it. Parents, I know you want your kids to experience new things and you want two hours to yourself but please, if the kid is crying BEFORE they get on the boat things might not turn around for the better. Also, give your kids geography lessons because not every country in Epcot is Russia and sadly there is no country called Margaritas- it's just a stand with $10 drinks. 

"Sarah accomplishes a goal" 

Sarah accomplished her goal of eating and or drinking at every Food and Wine Pavillion. This was not an easy task, but it sure was a delicious one. Favorites were the lettuce wrap in South Korea, chicken sausage and polenta in Canada, and the lamb slider in New Zealand. I even bought the cook book so I can attempt to make my favorite dishes. 

"Sarah shows emotion at work"

Sarah is now at Port Orleans for the week because her home resort doesn't like her. Just kidding. Anyway, a guest told her on her first day he wanted to hear some songs but we didn't have any he wanted. He asked for Party Rock Anthem and Someone like you from Adele. He mumbled something under his breath and this little boy with him who Sarah presumed was his son said "his wife died three weeks ago of stage 4 terminal breast cancer." Sarah is rarely speechless but had no words to say to the poor guy who started to tear up. Sarah gave her condolences and said she had the instrumentals to PRA and started playing it. He said thank you, walked away, and looked up to the sky saying, "We're still party rockin'."  

Sarah didn't like Port Orleans for the first two days but like they say about dating, you really don't know where the relationship will lead until the third date and so by the third day I was enjoying my time more and thought this could be the start of a beautiful friendship. 

"Can I take your order?"

Sarah is looking to make more $ so she picked up a quick service food and beverage shift at Hollywood Studios for three hours. Sarah got to Studios and went to costuming to pick up her costume which, btw, was hideous. Sarah luckily met a nice person in the locker room who showed her how to put the costume on and walked her to the Sunset Ranch Market which is located on Hollywood Blvd. Sarah's first assignment was bussing outdoor tables by cleaning them and sweeping the area. At first mortified, Sarah embraced her sweeping by talking to all the guests and enjoying her time even though she was told to clean the tables faster. Her next assignment was scooping ice cream and making brownie sundaes. This job was sticky and an arm workout but wasn't terrible. It's not that hard to scoop ice cream  unless you are a perfectionist and wanted the balls to be perfect and you take too long on a two scoop cone. After about 45 mins of that Sarah got her next assignment which was the hardest of all: Beverages. Now you out there are probably like "Wow Sarah. Glad that four year degree is working out for you." But it was hard, especially pouring the Bud light on tap because the tap wasn't really working. The best thing is all you have to do is press the size cup and it automatically pours the right amount of sugary goodness into the cup for you. Bad thing is you have to keep up with the orders on the screen and hope the cashier doesn't make the drink while you're not looking because then you'll be wasting precious time. After about a half hour I was finally getting the hang of it and by the end of the 90 minute session I was a pro. I was doing three sodas, a coffee, and pouring a beer all at the same time and with pleasure. Once it was time to go I got out of there thankful for the easy shift and more appreciative of those who work it everyday. I got my pay stub and since it was three hours of OT for me I earned $11.75 and hour- more then the OT I would make doing children's activities. 

That's not a skirt or a dress, it's pants

I am a natural. 

"Sarah and friends book a cruise"

During the wallet issue, Sarah booked a cruise with Lauren and Colleen to leave December 1 to go to the Bahamas. We can't be happier and although it was a random decision, we are in need of a vacation from our vacation. 

o hey Bestie 

I tried lifting my shorts. didn't work

"Is this Florida? It has to be Florida."

-Beavis in episode one of the new season of Beavis and Butthead. That's right folks, it's back.

Once again it's been a long while since I've written. Here is a run down of what has happened:

Halloween here was alot of fun. At work we got to dress up like super heroes so at first I was Flo-riza (like Flo-rida the hip hop artist) and then my name was changed to Lariza flyin in the skyza because Kara calls me Lar-eye-za instead of Lar-e-za. So American. There were a ton of pictures taken at work so once they are posted I will put them up. The Snow White cape mom made me when I was the princess herself in either kindergarten or first grade paid off. Glad we are a family that saves everything because you never know when a cape will come in handy.

Of course I went to non Disney parties but since I normally spent my Halloweens watching residents make poor life choices in little clothing (unlike their usual weekends) I was fairly new at this costume buying and so I didn't go to the store looking for one until the weekend before. That was a bad decision because there wasn't much left besides a witch hat, a ketchup bottle costume, and a 3XL "sexy" nascar driver outfit. None of those seemed appealing so I went to parties as a 23 year old out of college girl having a great time in her life.

Food and Wine fest in Epcot has been amazing and I have eaten at every pavilion except for five. I've eaten a ton, drank enough, and somehow managed to loose my debit card there in the five weeks it's been going on. Probably the best experience I've had there so far was watching Boyz II Men three times in one day with some of my best friends, Lauren, Colleen, and Jackie. It was so much fun and although these boys are officially just men, they can still show the crowd a great time after all these years together.

This couple got engaged after they sang "On Bended Knee" talk about a magical moment 

Next show Lauren and I saw was Hanson which laugh all you want, they were very entertaining. I still don't know what an Mmbop is, but I do know that seeing my childhood crushes was a highlight of the year.

Ahhhhh! We <3 you Hanson

sad my pictures didn't come out too great :(

Where to even begin on the 3/4 Thornton Family visit. Not sure who was more excited- the family or Alicia because with a Disney vacation comes the video she for some reason enjoys watching so much. I ended up taking a few videos with one being the whole Splash Mountain ride including us going down the drop front row getting drenched. It was 75 degrees that day so I was very chilly and that ride didn't help.

Anyway, they arrived Tuesday night and left Saturday. Wednesday we went to Hollywood Studios and walked right on to every ride we wanted to. It was fantastic and this is for sure the best time of the year to go. Still t-shirt weather but the crowds are non existent in comparison to the summer. Only thing I wasn't a fan of was the christmas trees and music playing as you entered the park and on Hollywood Blvd. Little too early for my liking. After going on a few rides and seeing the American Idol experience auditions, we had dinner at the 50s Primetime diner which was a near restaurant with all your home cooked favorites. The waitresses make sure to tell you to keep you elbows off the table and to eat all your veggies so you can have dessert.

Rockin Roller Coaster. Dad wasn't ready for the picture

Toy Story Mania! 

Thursday we had a busy day and I'll be honest even I was tired after it was all done. We went to Animal Kingdom in the morning and got to see all the animal on the safari, including the Lions (oh my!), went on a few rides, saw where they keep the animals at night, and did some awkward dancing with the musicians. After we had our fair share of AK and mom loosing her ticket somehow, we jumped in the car and headed to Epcot.  I showed them the pools at Boardwalk and Yacht and Beach so they could see where I make the big bucks. They didn't really say if they liked it or not, but we will go with they liked it . After we headed into Epcot we got our food and wine on and stopped at almost every pavilion we came across. Colleen ended up meeting us and we continued our walk around the world until it was time to meet Lauren and go to  dinner in Morocco. The food there was delicious and we got out just in time to watch the firework show on our way out of the park. We walked out and headed to Jellyrolls since I figured i would give the parentals a peek at what we do here in our free time. Surprisingly they enjoyed it and somehow my dad got to pick a song for them to play and the piano player made a big deal out of our table even thinking Colleen, Lauren, and I were all sisters. Overall it was a fun night as it usually is there and we headed out around 12:30 am to go back to the hotel. O and if someone could please request  "Old time rock and roll"at the wedding it's my dad's favorite song and I know he would love to hear it.

Mom holding on to dear life as we strike a pose.  

Dad, his Queen, and his princess

Friday we were all pretty tired but we got up and went to Magic Kingdom. Once again we walked on pretty much every ride we wanted to go on and had a good day. Going around MK with them made me get deja vu of our trips when were were kids there and in matching outfits walking around the parks. That night we went to Citricos for dinner which was very good and a different meal we are used to in the park which usually consists of fries and a soda. After dinner I dropped the parents off at the hotel and went back to MK for the cast preview of the Christmas parade and show. Although I thought it was too early for Christmas music and ornaments it was a cold night and we were all freezing so it felt like Christmas morning. It was even snowing from the buildings! I'm very glad I had the opportunity to go to the preview with all my friends, it was a great way to end the week.  Speaking of Christmas, everyone is getting something Disney related so if you have a request let me know or if you like a certain character please tell me I hate guessing. That is all.

I wanna job for Christmas! 

Christmas Lights were so pretty 

Splash Mountain, me taking a video 

Patti ended up on the trip and I was a nice sister giving her a drink

Sad thing is they didn't know a picture was being taken. Look at the concentration!

On Saturday we went to the DVC preview center to just look around and hear about the offerings of the program and what it involved. Four hours later we were officially Disney Vacation Club members and now own "a piece of the magic." Sadly their vacation had to come to an end but I was happy they were able to check out where I work and enjoy running water and heat unlike at home.

Ah yes, and the class I told everyone I would be starting. I'm half way done with it and I've learned alot which is, well, the point and although sitting in a chair for two hours focusing on a power point and someone talking is tough, it's nice to actually use my brain for even just a few hours. In two weeks we are visiting the K9 unit which should be really neat.

Live from Disney! Here are some video clips from the vaca. 

The last 30 seconds or so of this video is us going down the mountain..we get wet.