Flights Booked and other ICP news

Sooooo, lots of exciting things have happened since I made my first post earlier this month!

Firstly, its Christmas! Hope everyone's having a 'magical' one and that you're all excited for the new year! I know I am...2012 and the summer of a lifetime at Disney World...I can't wait! Unfortunately, I've been very busy at uni with a couple of exams before the Christmas break, and then on returning home, I've worked pretty much every day, trying to earn the 'dollar' for next summer! So you have my apologies, I haven't updated this as frequently as I'd have liked, but like I say, there has been lots of progress made towards the ICP in this last month, so here we goooo...

FLIGHTS BOOKED!

After much deliberation, I booked my flights on the 13th December, and I'll be flying direct from Manchester to Orlando, on June 10th, and returning on September 18th, both with Virgin Atlantic! My flights were booked through Yummy Travel, who are linked with Yummy Jobs and STA Travel. I could have booked directly through Virgin, and saved a little money, but with Yummy/STA, I now have a flexible ticket, meaning I can change my return dates up to three times if I need to. Having met and chatted with some of my fellow ICPers on the WDWIP forums (http://www.wdwip.com/) and our own ICP 2012 Facebook group, it appears there are quite a few of us on the same outbound flight...meaning we can all get a little Disney-hyper together! 

CRB FORM!

With my flights booked, the next thing I needed to sort out, was my CRB form. After completing the form, I attached copies of my passport and birth certificate etc, and then paid my £60 CRB application fee, and returned it by Special Delivery to Yummy Jobs. So with flights booked, and CRB completed, I now face a looooong wait til February before I receive my Disney Welcome Pack! Hopefully, it will flyyy by, and I'll have it sooner rather than later! 

Still can't quite believe that in just 166 days, I'll be on my way to Orlando, and ready for my summer of a lifetime! It's all beginning to seem a little more real, especially now that my flights are booked! 

I'll blog soon, and in the mean time, hope you all have a truly magical Christmas!

Laura xxx

First ICP Blog

Welcome to my new blog, Laura's Disney Journey 2012!


This blog is all about the exciting journey I'm taking, en route to completing the Walt Disney World International College Programme 2012, based in Florida!


Firstly, a bit about myself...I'm from Preston, Lancashire originally, but now live in Jesmond, Newcastle, where I study Economics at Newcastle University. I've always been a huuuuuuge fan of Disney, and I'm very privileged to have been able to visit Walt Disney World several times before!


The summer of 2011 was the first time I didnt go to Florida with my family, and I certainly wmissed my Disney Fix! There was NO way I was going to miss out next summer, so Whilst the fam were away, I did a little research, and came across the International College Programme (ICP), and learnt that to apply here in the UK, you had to go through a recruitment agency known called Yummy Jobs.

I signed up to Yummy Jobs, and completed the application form, and updated my CV. This was in August earlier this year, but they didn't begin accepting applications til September. On the 28th September, I received an email from Yummy inviting me to a phone interview, which I could schedule at my own convenience. I was SO excited to get this email...one step closer! I scheduled my interview for October 25th, and I was interviewed by Becky, who was absolutely lovely... really friendly and kind!


I was asked lots of standard questions about my work history, experience, how well would I cope in the Florida heat, and if I could live with international students. I thought the phone interview went well, but it didn't seem to last very long, so I was left wondering if I hadn't said enough, and wishing I could've said more... However, my worries were shortlived, as a week or so later, I received another email from Yummy Jobs, inviting me to a Face to Face interview to be held at Northumbria University on the 8th November! Wahoooo, i'd reached the final stage...if I impressed at this interview, I'd be on my way to Florida next Summer!

I prepared lots for the interview, and bought a new 'business' outfit! I wasn't cutting any corners, I wanted to get onto the ICP so so much! Around came the 8th Nov, and I was soooooo nervous... I made my way to Northumbria Uni, where I met lots of lovely people also applying! It first appeared like there were loooads of us, but half the people there were applying for the Academic Program, where they study and work for 6 months! (6 months in Florida sounds amaaazing, i'm a little jealous i'm only there for 3!) 


We watched a Disney Presentation firstly, which obviously just made everyone even more excited about the ICP. It was a little cruel having to watch the video, because obviously not everyone will get to go...! After the presentation, we were partnered up with someone else, and given our joint interview times... I, along with Chloe, a really lovely girl and fellow Newcastle student who i was interviewing with, were given the last possible slot of the day! I was a little bit gutted, as I really just wanted to get the interview done, and it made me even more nervous! 


With lots of time to spare, Chloe and I went into town, only a short walk away from the Northumbria Campus, where we grabbed some lunch, and chatted all things Disney and Newcastle! Eventually, our interview time came around, and having had all our paperwork and documents checked, we met with the Disney recruiters... We were asked very similar questions to the phone interview, mostly focussing on our skills, experience, and what roles we felt we would be best for... My favoured roles were Lifeguard, Character Attendant, and Attractions, but the interview seemed to venture down the Lifeguard route, which was more than fine for me, as I've been a lifeguard for two years, and felt quite comfortable answering lifeguard and safety based questions. 


As with the phone interview, it was very hard to tell how it had gone, and there were many more things I wish I had said... Cue a very nervous and tense three week wait, and we received the elusive emails from Yummy Jobs!

After reviewing your application and interview we are delighted to be the first to say
 

Congratulations

You have been offered a place on Disney’s Summer Work Experience for 2012.
 
Your role in the show will be in Lifeguard.
 
Your Summer Work Experience with Disney will commence on 10th June 2012 and conclude on 31st August 2012.
I couldn't believe it! I HAD MADE IT! I ran around my house screaming for a little, my housemates thought I'd gone even more mental, and I was doing nothing good for my poor little tonsils, which had decided to break down on me two days prior to this amazing news! But I didnt care, I AM GOING TO WALT DISNEY WORLD FOR 3 WHOLE MONTHS! 
After feeling horrid and ill thanks to the joy that is tonsillitis, I suddenly felt a million percent better, and am still in my own little Disney bubble! Definitely don't think that bubble will burst til I've finished the program next summer! 

A call to my parents back at home, and they obviously were thrilled for me too! (hello mum, dad, and ryan here!) They'd already booked their holiday out there for next August, so it will be brilliant to have some friendly faces come and visit me out there next summer! 


So there we go, in six months, I will be on my way to work for Mickey Mouse and Co, and I genuinely can't wait. Its like a dream come true, and I know it will be the summer of a lifetime! 

Thanks for reading, and as they say in America, 'have a great day!'


Laura xxx