Housing, Casting, and everything else crammed in one day!

WHEW! 
What a day. 
((Just a warning...this is a long one.))

After multiple disagreements, discussions...The alarm went off at 2 am to get up and go stand in line at 3 am for housing. And boy, was I glad we got there at 3! We had gone to Walmart, which is a story in itself, the day before and got the last two bag chairs. So there we sat, 3 am, with all our roommates and the line to check in was already a good 50 people deep in front of us. By 5 am, that number grew to around 100 people. With all our roommates finally together around 6:30 am, all that was left to do was wait... and wait.... and wait. Around 7 am the check in process started. We all were able to stay in line to give our name, and then wait in another line. And then, suddenly, everybody was gone and it was just me left in line! They divided us up by last name.. A-L and then M-Z.. of course all of my roommates and all of Zach's roommates including Zach all had last names M-Z. So I waited in the longer line alone, and then they wouldn't let people wait for other people they wanted to room with! I thought we were dunzo right there, Zach and his roommates would be fine, and my other two roommmates would be together, but I was afraid that I was going to get wicked separated and lost in the shuffle and get stuck alone, for good. I took a deep breath and knew that somehow it was all going to work out and that it would be okay. Rumors made it back to me that the line we were standing in was to get our placement for work, which we thought we didn't get. Zach made it through the line quickly and was able to tell me across the room that he was stationed in Hollywood Studios! As the line crept forward I waited in so much anticipation to try to get back together with my group, and to find out where I was working! Finally it was MY turn.. I get up to the line, and the greeter is super excited for everyone else;s, she hands me mine and says, ohhhh you're a lifeguard! Well yeah, I already knew that! But where it is supposed to say my placement.. it says to be determined. Of course it does. Once I got past my check in and signing documents part, we all were united again right before we decided where we wanted to live! At the last minute we all decided on 2 bedrooms in Patterson, which is the newest complex. I made it through housing quicker than Zach did and was able to give him the thumbs up that we got into Patterson. When I asked him what number room he got, I lit right up! He's in 8104 and I'm....drum roll.......8103!! Right next to each other! Once we got our keys and car tags, we went to go stand in another line.. to go to Casting to wait in more lines and finish filling out paperwork. My tag on the back of my planner is bright yellow, and everyone else's is just standard white. I figured it was just because I didn't have my placement yet. Boy was I wrong, just as I was getting in line I was pulled aside, whisked away, and told I had to go do my drug testing. I didn't have time to tell anybody where I was going it happened so fast. I was able to text Zach who said that everybody, his roommates and mine, were all going to casting together at 9 am. It's now 8:30 at this point. I look down at my planner, and my casting time... drum roll.......3:30 pm. Forever Alone. So now I have 6 hours to kill, by myself, and mind you it is monsooning outside. So I went along to my next adventure...moving into my apartment.

I know how to navigate the roads pretty well by now. Not that it didn't take a lot of patiences, and time, and frustrated tears..but I did it, so I had no problem finding the apartment on my own. Once I got there I showed the guard my ID and he told me where to go. Only problem with that is, I can't find the last building on the left because the last building on the left is caution taped off and the doors and windows are covered in plastic tarping. So I decide to walk, in the monsoon, because I'm already soaked from walking back to the hotel to get my car, and find out what I'm missing. After 5-10 minutes, I realize that the tarped building, is in fact my building. So I then go over to the guard, tell him my ordeal, who sends me to the front desk, who calls some guy, and tells me to meet him there. So I'm walking back to my apartment, and this golf cart zooms by heading towards my apartment.. this guy very well knows that I am the one going to meet him at the apartment.. do you think he slows down for even a second?? No. Looks at me, and then zooms right along. Whatever, I'm soaked anyways, whats 30 more seconds. He tells me that the apartment is open, and the paint is wet. Yeah, Got it. Cool. So nothings wrong with my apartment, I'm just too scared to get terminated to cross over the red caution tape and walk around all of the workers ladders and paint. So I open the door and the apartment is BEEAAUUTIFULL. Soooo big and spacious and nice and high ceilings! It's awesome. After I get all my stuff, and most of Zach's stuff in, I went back to Vista, which is where housing was, picked him up..came back and took a much needed power nap.

At 3 I went to Casting.. We made it to the front doors of cast around 4:15 and they had said that the process takes anywhere from 2 hours.. to 4 hours. We'll because of the drug testing, this casting slot is filled up with a lot of lifeguards, and we all have to take our lifeguarding swim test tonight at 6. So, as quick as we were in line for casting, we were pulled aside and went through the system SO FAST it literally made my head spin. What was supposed to take 2 hours at least, took me 30 minutes tops. I didn't even have time to take pictures of the grand entrance I was so rushed around. So as fast as casting started, it ended and I was on my way back to Vista..again..to get in my car quick, stop at the Holiday Inn, because of course we forgot things in the room at 2 am, and then get over to Mickey's Retreat, which is a special area of tennis courts and basketball courts and pools and ponds and boats just for Cast Members and their families, so that I can take my lifeguarding certification. Lifeguarding certification was a big success! Only when we were in the middle of our 200M swim, the lights went out on the pool and everybody had to get out. So 10 minutes later when the lights came back on.. did we get to start our laps from where we left off?? Nope. Start them again. Needless to say, after only having time for a half a turkey sandwich all day, my legs were shaking. After the swim we swam down to the deep end, 8 ft, retrieved a 10 lb brick from the bottom of the pool... and then had to tread water with our hands out of the water for 2 minutes. Piece of cake... when you've had a good nights sleep and plenty to eat and drink throughout the day. After that ended, 7:30 pm, I met Zach back at the apartments and went out for some deserved and needed, chinese food.

So there you have it.. the first day of Disney all summed up into the first chapter of my book. Hope you have a magical day! ;]

Pictures!!: