My Disney ICP Adventures: Pre-summerofalifetime report! SINGLE DIGITS!

[irongirlof12]

I am so exicted for you and yes I want to know EVERYTHING!!!! so tell us all of your plans and I have to say- you so totally deserve it how could they not choose you

 

[torsie24]

Awww, Beth I got so excted jsut reading your intro!!! And I'm SUPER excited that you are doing this PTR and a TR while you're there!!!!

I wish I could rewind time and do the ICP one of my summers! So I'm going to live it through you!

 

[torsie24]

Eeee, OK so I just read your attractions post!!

I agree with you that any attraction would be a good one!

One of my wedding photographers used to work on Philharmagic and she said she loved that and loved hearing the music all the time and seeing the audience reaction, and she also used to drive the safari trucks, which must have been COOL. I'm not sure they'd have enought time to train ICP people to drive the route and stuff though, but it would be a pretty awesome job.

I think I'd like to work in AK on the trails (does that count as attractions?) who talk to the guests about the animals they're looking at. We spoke for ages with one of the CMs in one of the aviaries, when most other guests were rushing through, and he was able to show us the birds that had little hidey holes that no one else saw, and he told us all about each bird and it was really great.

I'd also love to work on BTM, as I could do me 'yee-haw' voice all day, and I love the frontierland costume!

I don't know if I'd like to work on a ride that has a moving floor at the loading area, like HM and Kali, I bet you walk MILES a day! Poor feet.

 

[PJB71]

Oh Beth I cant wait to read more as time goes on

Congratulations again

 

[BethEJo]

Hi guys!

Many thanks for your great comments so far – it means a lot

These posts are all in a bit of a funny order, as this probably should have been part of the first post but never mind.... I just wanted to include a little snapshot of THE email that made all my dreams come true!
Here it is:

I’m just in sheer awe and disbelief at what this email means everytime I read it!!! I had to include it, because when I read this all back in a couple of years time, I want to remember it all. And also, I want to share eeeeeeeeverything with you guys

I also just received an email from YummyJobs, informing me that they had received my email accepting the program – that just makes it feel all the more official To be honest, I was getting a little worried that I hadn’t received a receipt of my confirmation with the deadline of acceptance being tomorrow...think they were just keeping us in suspense!!

A facebook group has been set up for all of us who are on the ICP next summer – around 70 out of the 300 accepted have joined so far, so we’ve still got a way to go yet, but it really is great speaking to like minded people who you are going to live and work with next year I’ve also kinda put myself forward for organising an ICP meet in Birmingham in February. The plan is to go and see Disney’s new film “tangled”, and then off for a meal. I’d better get my organising hat on...

There’s not really much to do over the next month with regards to the ICP (which is probably a blessing, because all this thought of Disney is distracting me somewhat from my exams which are only in a couple of weeks ). I’m just awaiting a criminal record check form to arrive which I have to return by Dec 20th with a payment of £55 (boo ), and a phone call from a representative from YummyJobs to talk through my role, the program and any questions that I may have That's going to be exciting - I hope I manage to contain myself and not sound like a complete weirdo and loonie...

I can’t wait to get stuck in with all the juicy stuff like flights and visas! Not....

Have a magical day!

 

[torsie24]

Good luck with everything!!!

I'm not going to lie, getting your visa is a Boring boring day! But it ends well.

 

[wickesy]

Let me guess - it was probably a few hours before you read the bit BEFORE the big red congratulations in the e-mail wasn't it?

 

[BethEJo]

Let me guess - it was probably a few hours before you read the bit BEFORE the big red congratulations in the e-mail wasn't it?

To be honest, I was devastated when I first opened the email and started reading it. When I opened it, only the first paragraph was visible on the screen - thanking me for my attendance at the interview and saying how nice it was to meet us all. I just thought "that's the politest rejection i've ever received", and was absolutely heart broken. All for about the 5 seconds it took me to scroll down.

And then I saw that big red word. And I bounced. A lot.

 

[Chilly]

I think i'd want to work at AK just so I could finish work early and go to the other parks! I'd like to work at FOTLK and be the CM who goes round and teaches the dance.

 

[BethEJo]

The conversation between me and my mum on the phone last night:

Mum: "Bethan, what do you want for Christmas? It's getting close now..."
Me: "oooo, I tell you what I'd really, really like...."
Mum: "Yes?"
Me: "A criminal record check please"
Mum: "Right....OK....do they sell them in the post office?"



Sorry, just another pointless post, but as I've said previously, I'm documenting EVERYTHING!!

So that's one of my Christmas presents this year - a blinkin' criminal record check! What every good kid wants for Christmas right?! WRONG! That's all been paid for now - I hope Father Chrismtas remembers to bring it Not sure how he's gonna wrap that up though...

But seriously, £55 for a sheet of paper to tell people I'm not a raving criminal I've lost count of how many of these checks I've had done since starting uni, but luckily I hadn't had to pay for these...

Never mind - I'm still gonna be a CM right?!

 

[taylor91]

Exactly In a way it is also a way for your mum to feel involved, even if you have to sacrifice some of your christmas pressies for it £55 is a bit steep though, but it gets you closer to been a CM

The conversation made me laugh though

 

[torsie24]

£55 - that's daylight robbery!!!

Never mind though It's nice to have another thing ticked off the list!

 

[Pegasus928]

Can't believe I missed this thread

Just had a good catch up and am so pleased you will be documenting and reporting everything (does your Mum know you are publishing her conversations )

Your excitement is infectious and I am so looking forward to sharing a little of it with you.

Nice christmas present by the way. Can't wait to see what you ask for for your birthday

 

[mark&sue]

just catching up with your thread and enjoying all the special extra bits

looking forward to reading it all bit by bit.

thanks so much for sharing


susan

 

[VailaTigger]

This is a wonderful thread, and I can just FEEL all your excitement!!

I'm looking forward to reading more as each step happens.

And hopefully reading more about what attractions you get to work in while you're out there!

 

[BethEJo]

Exactly In a way it is also a way for your mum to feel involved, even if you have to sacrifice some of your christmas pressies for it £55 is a bit steep though, but it gets you closer to been a CM

The conversation made me laugh though

Oh, my mum definitely needs to feel involved. She's already started fretting. I'm dreading what it's gonna be like when she waves me off at the airport

£55 - that's daylight robbery!!!

Never mind though It's nice to have another thing ticked off the list!

My checklist is now huge I need to get organised. That's gonna be a new one for me...

Can't believe I missed this thread

Just had a good catch up and am so pleased you will be documenting and reporting everything (does your Mum know you are publishing her conversations )

Your excitement is infectious and I am so looking forward to sharing a little of it with you.

Nice christmas present by the way. Can't wait to see what you ask for for your birthday

No, mum doesn't know I'm sharing her conversations. yet. But she always says the funniest thing, so it's inevitable that more conversations will be appearing in the future

just catching up with your thread and enjoying all the special extra bits

looking forward to reading it all bit by bit.

thanks so much for sharing


susan

Thanks for your lovely comments Susan

This is a wonderful thread, and I can just FEEL all your excitement!!

I'm looking forward to reading more as each step happens.

And hopefully reading more about what attractions you get to work in while you're out there!

Everybody's feeling my excitement - I'm waiting for one of my friends to tell me to shut up about the ICP soon Uni work is proving to be a big distraction at the moment, and so everytime I think about the ICP, it's like I'm realising for the first time again that I'm going to be spending 10 weeks at WDW!!

 

[BethEJo]

I haven't updated in a while, so thought I'd drop by.

I'm all snowed in at the moment, and thinking of the Florida summer weather is keeping me going Bring on the sunshiiiiiiiiine!!

So I had my Disney job offer information call yesterday. This really got me psyched about going again, as it was a 20 minute conference call thing talking about what to expect between now and leaving for Orlando. Soooo much to do!! I'd better get my organisation hat on. (I know that's a pirate hat, but hey ho....).

The facebook group is getting bigger, and we have now found around 100 people who are going to be heading for the ICP next summer! I really can't wait to meet people, and so to remedy this I've organised a pre-ICP meet. I just couldn't resist a little together - any excuse!! So the plan of action is to head to Birmingham on February 19th to see "Tangled", then head off to the Disney store in the bull ring for a mooch around, and then for a meal and drinks. It'll be great to put faces to names after chatting with lots of ICPers over the net for a couple of weeks now!

We've talked about getting hoodies possibly for the Birmingham meet, but definitely for wearing at the airport to enable us to spot each other. The hoody is going to be black, with this logo on the front:

On the back, we're going to have our names, role and dates. More excitement!!

I've also started a blog about the build up to my ICP (link in my sig) - just another avenue for me to share the excitement!

Also guys - many thanks for all your lovely comments

 

[taylor91]

Meeting a few people before hand is definitely a great idea. It will make it a lot less scary. The hoodies are also a fab idea, you can spot people then a whole lot easier

 

[wickesy]

Love the logo and I've subscribed to your blog as well.

 

[BethEJo]

Is it sad that I am this excited about having just booked my flights to Orlando for the ICP?!?

Flights are booked: June 19th - September 2nd, direct Gatwick - Orlando, BA codeshare with Iberia. At the bargain price of £475!!! The price was through STA travel, and is on the condition that I buy an international student card for a couple of quid. So like I said....BARGAIN!! The reason why I chose to book through this company is because they are linked with YummyJobs who organise the ICP placements, and they will endeavor to ensure that all the ICPers will sit roughly together on the plane. Also, booking through them ensures that my flight details are passed on to Disney International Recruiting automatically, which saves me contacting them and doing it myself which I would have to have done if I had booked a flight with any other agency/airline. It knocks another thing off my evergrowing checklist

Now the flights are booked, I know now that there is no turning back, and I am actually going

It turns out that the VA and BA flights both arrive in MCO at roughly the same time so the plan is that all ICPers on these flights will just hang around and wait for each other and head to the Disney accommodation altogether on the Mears Shuttle. Woooooooo

Only 180 days to go