16th August 2011

Congrats! Can't wait to meet you!

MCO/The Orlando Airport is pretty easy to navigate, I'm sure you'll do fine! Plus depending on when you arrive we (or someone else) may share a shuttle!!

I'm so excited! It's finally under a month! Yay!!

 

how many of us are arriving early? I'm going out exactly a week in advance so i can get organised (buy a car etc etc). if anyone needs help on the day of arrival, I'll be glad to help out... take people shopping etc.

I can also give people my cell number in advance, if you want to message me you can and I'll pass it to you now. I kept my number from the last time I was on the program ;D

 

Have you emailed Yummy to say you're arriving early? I'm guessing we've all got the same meeting place on the 16th? 12:00pm at Vista Way I believe? (I'm too lazy to look at the email!)

The help on the day of arrival sounds very tempting! I've heard a lot of dreaded stories about carrying shopping on those buses! Haha!

It's going so quick, how nerve wracking! I'll have your Cell Number if you don't mind since I'll be in Orlando on the 14th! Yippee!

 

You can pay the assessment fee once you've arrived, right?

I'm arriving on the 13th. We should all totally go out for a big pre-Disney dinner somewhere or something.

 

they open the welcome center at vista at noon. I was told by them to take my time and arrive whenever, but I think I will go around then just to get organised and everything out of the way. i also need to register my car with security and things like that :

i've done all my emails around the place to let them know when I'll be there.

also, for those planning on trips to universal on arrival, you need to have proof of resident ID to get an annual pass.... not sure what they accept these days, they used to be very lenient on it, but bear in mind you might not be able to get one until you have your disney ID to use as proof!

I think they really encourage you to pay the assessment fee in advance, but I'm sure I remember people paying it on arrival last time, I have a vague recollection of it on 'sign your life away' day on the wednesday after arrival!

 

I can´t believe our arrival day is coming pretty soon!! I´m so excited !!!

 

i got my program assessment fee email this evening so I guess that's ours all going out now!

just need to pay it. damn.... another 100 dollars gone already!

 

Linsey I might be taking up your offer of some help! I'm going on the 14th aswell with Myah and a few of the others. I'm hoping to get a car when I'm out there so might end up picking your brains about how to go about doing that if that's OK! Never driven in the US before. I probably won't get one straight away though, figured I'd be better off finding out where everything is first!

Not long to go now!

Edit: buying a car not a cat haha

 

getting the car is easy enough. You will need to sit your florida drivers license (and you will have to actually study for it by reading the florida drivers handbook) and sit the theory test and practical test. It's all very simple, especially if you already hold a license in another country!

when you buy a car you need to be careful for pricing. go to a reputable dealership and tell them how much you are willing to spend all in (car, dealer fees, tax, tags etc... count insurance sperately) then once you buy the car you can't drive it away until you have insurance in place.

the first time i ever drove in orlando was with the guy selling me my car last time! it was a lot of fun though. then i spent a day just driving around with my mum in the car around where we live so that I was confident enough.

you will need to have a car before sitting the drivers test as you need something to do it in, but the commons won't let you park in with them unless you have your florida license. which is a right bugger. the week between me buying and sitting my test, I just stayed at my parents house rather than the commons, as it was much easier!

speaking of, I need to book in with the dmv for my license renewal..... *runs to do it*

 

hmm, my log in that disney sent me to pay my program assessment fee doesn't work. Been waiting two days after telling them and no response yet. Anyone else had similar problems?

 

Daria and I (And possibly Matthew - and I'm not sure about Vicky either!) have had the same problem! I emailed YJ and Nick got back to me and I received an email today to say that he had logged into my account so it should all be working now. I'm yet to try it - I probably will in a couple of days, although I can't afford to pay for it now until the 2nd of August! (Whoops!)

 

I'll give it a go later on then! I just want to get it out of the way. So many things needing done in the next two weeks. i swear my list is growing no matter how many things I score off it....

 

I just tried mine again and still no joy. Have forwarded onto yummy now though to see if they can help fix it since disney recruitment have never got back intouch with me and i've emailed them twice in the past week!

 

I'm so excited! ahh! Not long now!!


(and it must be a UK thing because my they took my money happily for the assessment fee )

 

nick got it sorted. once he emailed them I got a reply very fast and they've fixed the bug in their system? anyway, upshot is my PAF is now paid

three weeks to go!

 

We are the next arrival group people.. how are you all feeling?? everything ready?? see ya very soon!

 

my only worry is not forgetting something...... ??? I'm convinced I will... last time I went on holiday to Florida I forgot my sunglasses. No joke. And they're prescription! But I got something better so it worked out in the end but still.... I've been putting things aside for weeks to pack. It will not shock me if something has fallen down the side and I forget it.

 

My travels begin tomorrow - heading to the UK to see family before I hit Orlando. So it feels like everything's already begun for me.

I should probably pack at some point...

 

Have fun in the UK! I leave home in 11 days, so still a bit off. My sister is getting married on August 13th!! so I have to pack a separate bag for all the wedding things and still have to write my maid of honour speech! Yikes! It feels like it's still a bit away but then I think how I only have 5 days of work left and it feels crazy close!

I'm so glad we're the next arrivals! Ahh! We should all go for drinks or dinner or something on Tuesday after we've unpacked

 

i've got one week left until I fly. It's certainly come about fast! As of tomorrow I get to start doing the 'last days' thing.. it'llbe my last Monday etc...and I need to pack. Going to start on tuesday... and need to print out an copy everything under the sun.... now I'm actually getting excited for it. i think people at work are getting sick of me now but it's their own fault because they keep asking