So I thought i'd share this with all my lovely readers.

As you may or may not know, I am currently a crew member aboard the magnificent Disney Dream. This post has two primary purposes. Lately I have had a lot of people asking me how I got involved with Disney, what I do, and so on and so forth. I am a crew member for Disney Cruise Line just now, where I work as a Youth Activity Counselor. Previously I worked for Disney at the Walt Disney World resort on the International Summer College Program, which I participated in twice during the summers of 2008 and 2009. Whilst perusing the web earlier I found a blog written by my former roommate on the college program which could not explain more concisely the nature of Disney's international programs. You can find this on Dan Winer's thoroughly informative and refreshing blog : http://danatdisney.com/blog/2011/11/what-are-the-disney-international-college-programs/.

I don't want to be drawn too much on the programs. If you have any further questions regarding this don't hesitate to get in touch with me via my Twitter account (@DanBerridge) or alternatively navigate to www.yummyjobs.com (for British and Canadian citizens). Yummy are a fantastic organisation who deal with all of Walt Disney World's international recruitment in Britain and Canada.

Now for Disney Cruise Line... Navigate to www.dcljobs.com. Here you will be able to find a full and comprehensive list of all the different departments and roles with Disney Cruise Line. The opportunities offered are endless. Disney is a pioneering company across many different forms, and it's no different with the Cruise Line. We continue to put other companies to shame for our legendary guest service and interactive family entertainment, which is a remarkable achievement considering the size of our fleet (we only have three vessels, soon to be four).

Currently if you are an international and are interested in a career with DCL your main opportunities are provided aboard our four DCL vessels. The Disney Magic, Disney Wonder and our newest vessel the Disney Dream comprise our current fleet, with the Disney Fantasy set to join us in January. Or alternatively you might consider a role on Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. For entertainment roles feel free to contact the excellent people at Excellent Entertainment (UK): http://www.excellententertainment.biz/. Who will be more than happy to help!

I hope i've been able to help clear a few things up, and if you do decide to join us, then all that's left to say is... WELCOME ABOARD!!

I know it's been a while! Well where to begin...

I just completed my first contract as a YA counselor on board the maginificent Disney Dream, where I work with the Children in the Oceaneers Lab, which is a really cool interactive space for children between the ages of 3 and 10. We run a number of really cool interactive activites focused around such things as cooking and science as a well as a number of cool character based shows such as Stitch's Adventure Squad. Life on board the Dream has been kind to me on the whole, it's a very demanding life style where crew members are required to work solidly without days off on a 4-5 month contract. But if you're like me and have high energy and a genuine passion for making Disney magic then it is definitely a worth while experience.

At heart I am a traveller, I get restless when i'm not going somewhere soon! Making connections with people from all over the world has made me restless to be on the move again sometime soon, the next move after this will hopefully see me moving over to Disney Cruise Lines latest ship, the Disney Fantasy and the eastern and western Caribbean. Failing that the Disney Magic and Wonder may soon be on my horizon!

My contract saw the Disney Dream moving from 4 & 5 night Bahamian cruises to 3 & 4 night cruises, in which we will stop of at Nassau, New Providence, Disney's Castaway Cay, on a 4 night we then have a day at sea before returning to Port Canaveral, FL. The ship itself offers a whole host of adult, child and family based activities. For the families we have the magnificent Walt Disney and Buena Vista theatres, where gueests can enjoy our magificent stage shows and any recent Hollywood releases! The ship also boasts 5 restaurants, 3 of which are for families and the remaining 2 (Palo and Remy) offer adult exclusive fine dining experiences. In addition to this we also have a night club and bar area on deck 4, again exclusively for adults. The kids spaces are obviously a lot of fun too, we have a lot of fun in the Oceaneer Lab and Club, as do the tweens in Edge and the Teens have fun hanging out in Vibe.

I debarked the ship and left for vacation on November 6th, and then treated myself to a 9 day break between the Walt Disney World and Disneyland resorts, before finally heading home on wednesday. This contract has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience for me on a personal level, I feel as though it has allowed me to develop personally and professionally, which I believe has translated into my work and has allowed me fit into my latest role with Disney well :).

I have made a number of lifelong friends, some of which feel like family to me (I think you all know who you are!), trips to Steak 'n' Shake and Ruby Tuesday's in Cape Canaveral have become almost like a religious pilgrimage to us! I was also blessed with 2 fantastic room mates whilst on board, again you know who you both are. I've managed to forge relationships with people all over the world from countries as far a field as Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Colombia and the Phillipines!


My first contract has not been without its challenges however, working with so many different people from so many different backgrounds, day in-day out can take a lot of getting used too, especially as everyone has their own way of going about things. I feel as though I have come out of it much better off though, as I have learnt a lot about myself as well as learning about how other people do things which can also be taken into my work. Learning different games and songs to play about with the children is a lot of fun, and you can also learn a lot from the kids and have a lot of fun with them too! Honestly sometimes it doesn't feel like work!

This first contract with Disney Cruise Line has been a fantastic experience for me, and a good milestone for my further progression with the company. It has always been an ambition of mine to work in the tourism industry, I enjoyed my previous experiences working with Disney in their theme parks, as well as working for a leading UK winter holiday company, so Disney Cruise Line seemed like a natural step for me. I feel as though the experience has helped me to develop both personally and professionally.

I am currently writing this in the not so exotic location of Nottingham, England where I am currently enjoying my vacation period. AsI mentioned previously, I debarked the ship on November 6th. I then treated myself to a nice little vacation between the Walt Disney World and Disneyland resorts. It was my first visit to Disneyland and it was thoroughly enjoyable, my good friend Edey and her friends showed me about and it was just an all round pleasurable experience. Disney California Adventure's Little Mermaid attraction and their night time spectaculor World of Color were
highlights!


Now I am worn out! But you know what I love it! And can't wait to do it all again when I fly out December 15th!

I will bid thee adieu for now, and will update again soon :)

Traditions

So on thursday I boarded the VS075 flight from Manchester to Orlando, Florida. Where after several tropical storm related delays, I finally touched down at Orlando International airport. I went through the usual Customs and Homeland Security checks, before I was picked up by my buddy Mike, and driven to Disney's All Star Sports resort. I checked in and dropped my bags off, before heading straight out to the Parks!

The evening's visit to Walt's Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, was somewhat tainted by the incessant Floridian rain, but it was still and enjoyable evening. I was very tired at this point, but never the less excited to get down to work the following day! My first orientation went very well and I met some really cool people. A couple of us headed out to Disney's Animal Kingdom, where we reacquainted ourselves with rides such as Dinosaur and Everest. I then headed out to DHS with one of my college program friends to hit the newly revamped Star Tours. It was awesome.

The next day bought my 3rd Traditions class, and a visit from the big cheese himself! The class only heightened my anticipation of my new adventure with the Disney Cruise Line company... I will blog about my first day's on the Dream very soon, so keep watching!

VISA Date

Heading into the final stages of preparations now! 25 days till departure date! This week I made that all important visit to the United States Embassy in order to get my VISA application approved. And thankfully it was! Despite all the rain and wind in Central London, the sun was certanly shining on me as I made one huge step towards embarking on my latest adventure with The Walt Disney Company.

London is always a fun place to visit, despite all the hustle and bustle!

And now I can really look forward to what's going to be an amazing adventure.

Despite a 4 hour wait inside the Embassy, and some hairy issues with my USB stick and wallet, all was sorted relatively quickly. This means i'm all ready to leave on the 6th July, just need to buy some currency now and i'm ready!

The Disney Dream

So I got my phonecall yesterday. I am due to fly out to Orlando, FL and the Walt Disney World resort for training on the 6th July!

I will stay in Florida, where I will repeat Traditions class and participate in one or two ote orientations until the 10th, when I will travel by bus to Port Canaveral, FL and embark the Disney Dream! I then begin ship training for one week before assuming my role as a Youth Activity Counselor.

As you can no doubt tell, I am very excited.

Now on to the next bit of my adventure... Obtaining a VISA!

I will keep you up-to-date with this after my interview wednesday.

Tah, tah, for now!

Star Tours 2 opens at Disneyland Park

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/

Definitely very excited about this!

Personally cannot wait to visit. Getting closer to departure for me :D

My Disney Cruise Welcome pack!

My DCL Welcome Pack and Look Book :D