Mourning

Fillies and gentlecolts, I am in mourning.

Why, you ask?

Well, take a moment to recall when I posted my list of My Favorite Things. Go ahead and read it again, I can wait.

Ok, cool.

My favorite restaurant in all of Disney is the Yakitori House in Epcot. 

As I said, it's where I had my first taste of teriyaki as a child. It's my favorite place to go and eat whenever I'm at Disney, because I can always feel happy and at peace while I'm there, whether eating indoors or out in the garden.

Well, according to AllEars.net, the Yakitori House is no more. It closed shortly after I left Disney.  In its place is the Katsura Grill.

*sadface* Yes, it looks like the menu is mostly the same (besides adding a Featured Items section). However, I'm still in mourning. I loved the Yakitori House. It was, in my opinion, as perfect as one could get. I know rock gardens are traditional, but I liked the plants that surrounded it. It added to the peaceful feel. Now it just looks...plain. Uninspired.

Of course, I'll eat there when I go back to Florida...I'm just sad. It's not the same. And I think you shouldn't fix something if it isn't broken. (I'm looking at YOU, Alien Encounter!)

Cheers.

AGENT R IS OUT. PEACE.

The Parks - How to Tell the Difference

I am fully aware that sometimes people get confused and mixed up when it comes to the Disney parks - or amusement parks in general. Children especially are really good about going "OMG DISNEY WORLD" when they really mean Magic Kingdom.

However, one of my biggest pet peeves in the world is when adults mix up the parks. And it happens all the time. In the parks when I was working, I'd get asked for attractions at different parks or have to figure out what parks were being talked about when the person would get things mixed up. I know a lot of Cast Members find it amusing...I just find it annoying.

And in case you're wondering, the catalyst for this post was a conversation that I had at a holiday party. The guy (full grown adult, mind you) kept saying "Disney World" instead of Magic Kingdom, thought that Epcot wasn't a Disney park, and was insisting that Universal Studios was a Disney park (?!?).

SO, here is a guide to the different parks in Florida and California. GET IT STRAIGHT, PEOPLE.

*~*FLORIDA*~*

The Walt Disney World Resort

1. Magic Kingdom
We're going to start with Magic Kingdom, since everyone seems to think that it's WDW. Guess what? IT IS NOT. Magic Kingdom is only one part of WDW. This is the park that has Cinderella's castle. This is the park that has a lot of kid-friendly rides, like the Mad Tea Party and it's a small world. This is where Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Pirates of the Caribbean all reside. This is where Wishes and the Celebrate a Dream Come True parade take place. The monorail and the ferryboat both come here. Ok? Ok.

2. Epcot
Epcot is just a monorail ride away from Magic Kingdom. It also has fireworks - Illuminations. It's the one with Spaceship Earth in that "golf ball" (aka. GEODESIC SPHERE) at the front of the park. This is the home of Future World, which has Test Track and Mission: SPACE. This is the park where you can find Soarin'. This is the home of the World Showcase, where you can walk around the world, exploring shops and eating new foods. Besides the monorail, you can also take the Friendship Boat to...

3. Disney's Hollywood Studios
This park USED to be MGM Studios, but it's not anymore. It's Disney's Hollywood Studios. This is mostly a SHOW based park - there are only six rides, three of which younger children cannot ride (The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Rock-n-Roller Coaster, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue - all have height requirements and would probably terrify younger riders anyway). There are tons of shows, though, and a lot of them are very good. The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! is a glorious stunt show that I love going to, Jedi Training Academy is really fun for your kids, especially if you can get them signed up to be in the show. The Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show is absolutely breathtaking (minus the jarring interruption by Lightning McQueen...seriously, that was a terrible idea). This is where the show Fantasmic! lies...it's one of the best shows that Disney has. It is NOT Universal Studios.

4. Disney's Animal Kingdom
You cannot get to DAK without a bus or a car. There is no monorail. There is no boat. It's bus or car.
This is where the Tree of Life is. This is where the Kilimanjaro Safaris is - a safari ride where you can take pictures of elephants and giraffes and what not. Expedition Everest, a roller coaster through the Himalayas, is here. Finding Nemo: The Musical is here. Pocahontas shows up to do meet and greets here. There are no fireworks or late night activities. This park does not have stickers or lids, and the straws are made of paper. Why? It's because of the animals. It's for their safety and comfort. Also: Don't complain if Kali River Rapids gets you wet. That's the whole point.
AND...it's not Jurassic Park. It's Dinosaur.

Universal Orlando Resort (aka. NOT DISNEY)

1. Universal Studios
THIS is where you'll find things like Barney, Shrek, Men in Black, and Terminator. A lot of big roller coasters, like the Rip Ride Rocket, are here. Basically, this is more for "big kids" with some piddly stuff for younger ones. And GOD HELP YOU if you take your five year old on Jaws. It's not a good idea.

2. Islands of Adventure
THIS IS WHERE THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER IS. It's not at Disney. It's at Islands of Adventure. This is also where all of the Marvel and Jurassic Park stuff is. It's not at Disney. It's here.

*~*CALIFORNIA*~*
Disneyland Resort


1. Disneyland
Disneyland. It's in Anaheim, California. It came first. It's got a Roger Rabbit Ride. Fantasmic! is here. The castle is Sleeping Beauty Castle. Mickey's Toontown is still in existence out in California, so Mickey still has his house out there.

2. Disney California Adventure Park
California Screamin'. World of Color. That is all.

And in case you're wondering about the rest:

Tokyo Disney Resort (Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea)
Disneyland Paris (Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park)
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (Hong Kong Disneyland)
Shanghai Disney Resort (Shanghai Disneyland Park)

There you have it. KEEP IT STRAIGHT.

AGENT R IS OUT. PEACE.

Living on the Cheap

Straight up, dearies: You'll be making little better than minimum wage while on the Disney College Program. The Housekeepers and the Food & Beverage people make a bit better than the rest, but it's still not much to live on, especially when Disney is taking weekly rent from your paychecks.

I do have a few tips for you for saving your pennies, though. Listen well, my young Mouskerhoes...I did learn a few things about money.

1. Buses.

I know, I know...the DCP buses are irritating. They come at inconvenient times, they are generally crowded (well, the Magic Kingdom bus, anyway), and the bus drivers hate you. But, they do go to all of the places you would need to go: the parks, Downtown Disney, the various resorts, and shopping centers. And the bus is free. Therefore, all that extra money you'd spend on gas? You can use it for other things, like...

2. Food.

As much as some people like to deny it, eating is necessary. And you have to buy your own food while on the College Program - it's not provided. Therefore, you need to eat on the cheap. But you also cannot neglect your nutrition - the vast majority of you will be doing physical labor, and many of you will be doing this outdoors in the Florida heat. Staying healthy is absolutely essential. Even for you lucky ducks who get to sit inside - you still need to feel healthy and energized so you can project positivity to the Guests.
Now then:
-Obviously, ramen noodles are cheap and awesome. Heck, most forms of pasta are.
-Frozen vegetables are also fairly cheap, and they are easy to cook.
-Drink tap/fountain water - believe it or not, it IS safe to drink.
-Compare prices. Should be a no brainer, but it bears repeating.
-BRING YOUR LUNCH TO WORK. There are microwaves and fridges provided at most locations. It's a helluva lot cheaper to bring lunch than to buy lunch from wherever.

3. Walking.

There are quite a few things within walking distance of the apartments. For Chatham and Patterson, there is a Publix (cheap groceries galore!), various restaurants, and an outlet mall nearby. For Vista, there are also restaurants. There's also a pharmacy right nearby. If you don't want to wait for the bus, this is the best thing.

4. Discounts.

Disney Cast Members get discounts at a lot of places. (Not the grocery stores, unforunately....) But the restaurants, stores, and especially the parks (not the quick service restaurants)? Yes. If you're not sure, ask. But if you can use it, then use it. Saving money is good, after all.

5. Free.

Take advantage of free stuff. For example, all of the welcome events that Disney holds at the complexes have free pizza, drinks, and chips. A lot of times, the DJ will throw free stuff into the crowd - t-shirts, towels, pens, you name it. They also have competitions at these events, like hula hooping, bean bag tossing, and Find Me Bring Me. I got a free pair of iPod speakers and a giant cup because of it. There are also all kinds of free events and tours and stuff going on for Cast Members and/or College Programers. Find out the information and always take advantage.

6. Budget Fun.

Always, always, plan fun into your budget. You're in Disney, you're going to want to do things that do cost money. Plan out some extra cash every week that isn't for groceries or gas or whatever, and use it exclusively for souvenirs or fun nights out. Just don't spend over that amount.

Good luck, CPs!

AGENT R IS OUT. PEACE.