We are T-minus 50 days people until I officially start my program. Currently, I'm in a constant state of having butterflies, I cannot stop watching Florida vacation vlogs and I'm already thinking about my housing choices!
My list of things to do once I arrive is growing rapidly and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to visit a Disney park on my first day in Florida. I don't think I'll cope staying in a Disney resort and not visiting a Disney park on my first morning. I'm thinking Magic Kingdom or Epcot and most likely just for the morning before having a nice chill afternoon prior to checking in to housing. I have the left-over ticket from my time at the London HQ so why not use it!
As far as housing thoughts go, I'm not really all that fussy. Ideally I would like to avoid Vista Way. I really like having a modern and clean look in my home, something Vista Way most definitely doesn't have since it's over 30 years old! The Commons, Patterson Court and Chatham Square are all viable options right now and I don't like to think I'm too fussy. Whether I'm in a one bedroom apartment or three is really no bother, I'd just like a room without bunkbeds in it. It's less about the third person and possibly hearing a bunkbed squeaking all throughout the night! I'm a pretty light sleeper and wouldn't enjoy my roommate clambering up to his bed after getting in from work at 2am.
Apart from those preferences I'm not all that fussed in where I live. Those three complexes are all pretty similar and offer equal walking distance to Publix (supermarket) and such. I know that this time for sure, I want to save more money by packing lunches and cooking at home more often, which means many more trips to Publix. Being in a complex that offers just a short walk to a well stocked supermarket is definitely a must.
My list of things to do once I arrive is growing rapidly and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to visit a Disney park on my first day in Florida. I don't think I'll cope staying in a Disney resort and not visiting a Disney park on my first morning. I'm thinking Magic Kingdom or Epcot and most likely just for the morning before having a nice chill afternoon prior to checking in to housing. I have the left-over ticket from my time at the London HQ so why not use it!
As far as housing thoughts go, I'm not really all that fussy. Ideally I would like to avoid Vista Way. I really like having a modern and clean look in my home, something Vista Way most definitely doesn't have since it's over 30 years old! The Commons, Patterson Court and Chatham Square are all viable options right now and I don't like to think I'm too fussy. Whether I'm in a one bedroom apartment or three is really no bother, I'd just like a room without bunkbeds in it. It's less about the third person and possibly hearing a bunkbed squeaking all throughout the night! I'm a pretty light sleeper and wouldn't enjoy my roommate clambering up to his bed after getting in from work at 2am.
Apart from those preferences I'm not all that fussed in where I live. Those three complexes are all pretty similar and offer equal walking distance to Publix (supermarket) and such. I know that this time for sure, I want to save more money by packing lunches and cooking at home more often, which means many more trips to Publix. Being in a complex that offers just a short walk to a well stocked supermarket is definitely a must.
I'm also overly excited about going back to Universal Studios! One of my favourite day-off hobbies on my first program, was to pop to the outlets, grab a pepperoni folded pizza thing (my American Italian food names escape me) take the i-Ride trolley to Universal (I think it's only like 25 cents) and spend a day casually roaming Universal by myself and hitting my favourite rides.
There's something liberating about going to a theme park on your own. It took me a couple of months on my first program to even consider doing it and the first time I did was in Magic Kingdom. After that first experience where-by I had my all time favourite day in Disney, I soon began to take to the parks on my own whenever I could. There's something special when you don't have to ask for another person's opinion before you choose a ride to go on, or where to eat, the best place for the parade or what to do next. There's also an extra layer of magic that comes with being in a park by yourself...
On your own, cast members and other guests take the time to talk to you, get to know you and even be-friend you. I once got chatting to family in Animal Kingdom waiting in line for Expedition Everest and the next day I was serving them in the Rose & Crown purely by chance! One of the more surreal experiences of my life I can assure you. You also notice things more. By not having another person to focus on or chat to, you end up noticing those details most people miss, those short-cuts no one knows about and let's not forget about the joys of the single rider line!
It's the days when I get to experience the theme parks by myself that I'm possibly most looking forward to. It's not very often that you get to be completely selfish for a whole day! Such a simple thing to be excited about but having that unlimited spontaneity in Disney or Universal is real magic. One of my favourite choices was when I left friends at Magic Kingdom (mainly because they were getting on my last nerve, I mean who doesn't like the Peoplemover?!) and I chose to just ride the resort monorail loop. I must have gone round at least twice and in the middle of the biggest, most terrifying storm I had ever been in but it was everything!
Very few days stand between my pretty vanilla life at home and my spontaneous adventures in Florida. For now I'll just dream of getting Chicken Pot Pie in liberty square, completing several loops of the Peoplemover and having a little nap on Spaceship Earth. It's the dreaming of being there that makes the being there even better.
Have a magical day!
Adam
50 Days to Go!
There's something liberating about going to a theme park on your own. It took me a couple of months on my first program to even consider doing it and the first time I did was in Magic Kingdom. After that first experience where-by I had my all time favourite day in Disney, I soon began to take to the parks on my own whenever I could. There's something special when you don't have to ask for another person's opinion before you choose a ride to go on, or where to eat, the best place for the parade or what to do next. There's also an extra layer of magic that comes with being in a park by yourself...
On your own, cast members and other guests take the time to talk to you, get to know you and even be-friend you. I once got chatting to family in Animal Kingdom waiting in line for Expedition Everest and the next day I was serving them in the Rose & Crown purely by chance! One of the more surreal experiences of my life I can assure you. You also notice things more. By not having another person to focus on or chat to, you end up noticing those details most people miss, those short-cuts no one knows about and let's not forget about the joys of the single rider line!
It's the days when I get to experience the theme parks by myself that I'm possibly most looking forward to. It's not very often that you get to be completely selfish for a whole day! Such a simple thing to be excited about but having that unlimited spontaneity in Disney or Universal is real magic. One of my favourite choices was when I left friends at Magic Kingdom (mainly because they were getting on my last nerve, I mean who doesn't like the Peoplemover?!) and I chose to just ride the resort monorail loop. I must have gone round at least twice and in the middle of the biggest, most terrifying storm I had ever been in but it was everything!
Very few days stand between my pretty vanilla life at home and my spontaneous adventures in Florida. For now I'll just dream of getting Chicken Pot Pie in liberty square, completing several loops of the Peoplemover and having a little nap on Spaceship Earth. It's the dreaming of being there that makes the being there even better.
Have a magical day!
Adam
50 Days to Go!
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