Hi guys! I'm so sorry about disappearing for two months (ish) but I am still here, trooping along in photopass. After my friend went home in June (after his Spring program ended), I got kind of depressed because it's scary to think that this is coming to an end. I would find myself writing entries in my head, but just kind of avoided putting them down here. It's like... as long as I don't think too hard, I don't have to be reminded that it's ending. I realized when he left, that I think I hate the spring program, but only because you have to say good bye to everyone early. When you're in the fall program, Advantage kids arrive early, and while you make friends with the left over SA kids who leave in a few months, you still have the majority of the fall kids coming in later, and you all leave together. For Spring, everyone arrives at the same time, but it seems like you're saying goodbye to people every month, if not every other week. It was really hard. This has really been the best decision of my life, to come out here. I have made friends out here that I know I will always talk to and cherish. I didn't save a dime, and even raided my savings (a lot) but I enjoyed every dime that I spent out here. Sometimes I'm the only friend with money and treat people to places/things, but I have fun the entire time, and know if would have been different if so and so hadn't been there. This program (and life) is short, so enjoy it to the max!!!
I did apply for the extension, but sadly did not get it. Applications went up June 8th-17th, and we found out July...1st? I think. Either the 1st or 3rd, which was funny since it said we would find out anytime between July 4th and 11th. Very few people got acceptances. And I mean, VERY FEW. The majority were denied, even if they had no points. This led many to believe that there was some mistake, and that people got denial letters who should have been accepted, and the real letters are coming out on monday... blah blah blah. It was all rumors. All I can say, is please don't go with the mob mentality. It's so frustrating to read people spreading stuff when they weren't actually told themselves by a Disney employee. I will say, keep your record card SPOTLESS. Just because they say that you only need less than five points to qualify for extensions, the people who were accepted had 0 or 0.5 points. I had 4.5. Which is another thing. Photopass apparently has a completely different requirement to go seasonal or PT (transfer guidelines) So the whole time I thought I was okay with the 4.5, i was actually 0.5 over. Photo is 4 or less which I didn't know and didn't find out until a few weeks ago, shortly after my extension denial. (Like I said... a little depressing the last month or so...) I'm working with a head manager to see if there is anything that can be done, otherwise I have to go home and wait til September 12th for my first point to fall off (six months after I got it) at which point, I can apply for seasonal or PT work.
Despite all this, work has still been amazing!!! It's hot as heck out here, and the humidity makes it hard to go to work sometimes, but I think i'm getting a little used to it! I'm really glad I came for Spring (despite what I wrote earlier...) because it was a gradual change to this humidity. If I had come straight out here from California, in the middle of summer, for the fall program, I don't know if I would have made it.
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| That's me in the back! Second from last. |
Take advantage of every opportunity that comes up!!!! I did the scavenger hunt back in May, and this past couple weeks I participated in C.R.O.W. which stands for Canoe Races Of the World. This was a contest between 75 teams around Tom Sawyer island in Magic Kingdom. EPCOT DPI put together a team, and it was hysterical. We raced one at a time and had two practices, on a Monday and a Wednesday, at 6:30 am and 7:30 am. I had to be at MK by 5:30, so I was up at 5am. and it was haaaaaaard getting up that early. Another friend said that Soarin thought of putting together a team, but then realized that they wouldn't wake up for it, lol. Our race was the following Monday at 6:30am, and we didn't come anywhere near the top, but I had so much fun nonetheless.
I have more as I want to write down everything before the end. August 12th is quickly approaching. :(
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| The EPCOT Photopass CROW team! |
