The Cost of The CRP

I thought I would do a blog post on the cost involved with the Cultural Representative Program as money is all I can think about right now haha! Seriously though, it can be a really expensive process so it's good to know up front what this all can set you back. Some people are offered really quick start dates and so have to pay a lot upfront, most people though have months before they go to save! My advice to anyone that wants to take part in the CRP is to start saving now.... just putting a little bit of money aside every time you get paid into a savings account will be a real help later on!

Ok... so you've sent off your application and you've received an email inviting you to the pre screening interviews.... they are almost always in London in the Southbank area so you need to consider how to get there and if you need to stay overnight. I spent a fortune coming down from Glasgow for the interviews but I was by myself, not really knowing anyone yet so I wanted to do everything the quickest and easiest way for me. When I go back to London for my visa (still not received my petition btw) I will be doing things much differently! I had to fit in going to the interview around my full time college timetable and full time hours at work so I chose to leave in the evening after college, fly from Glasgow to London, get the Gatwick Express into Victoria and then I could have got the tube but it was pretty late by now so just got a taxi for the short journey to my hotel.

So far... £72 on flights (not a bad deal for British Airways), £26.25 on Gatwick Express, £254 for two nights at my hotel (eeekkkk... seriously - make some friends and share a room!) and however much I spent on a taxi, food, etc

If you are invited back for a second interview then that means heading back to London and this time the interviews will be held at the Disney offices in Hammersmith. My flights cost the same, same for Gatwick Express and my hotel was £250 for two nights (my second interview was on Valentines Day, no cheap hotels to be found easily!)

So by now I'd spent £700 on just getting to and staying in London... feel free to guess at what I could have spent while there as well lol.

If you are successful on your second interview and recieve a position then this is a bit of a rundown on things that need to be paid:

• £60 for your criminal background check to Yummy Jobs
• Flights - mines worked out at £496 after I added on extra luggage and chose my seat. If you are under 26 then it is much cheaper to book through STA as they offer discounts but if you are over 26 then one way flights start to get really expensive. Do some thorough research and don't just go with Yummy Travel/STA right away as you can often get the flights cheaper from the airline direct.
• Health insurance. You CANNOT get in the USA for this program without the correct level of health insurance. The easiest way to book it is through STA /Yummy Travel and you can choose which level of coverage is best for you and if you want to buy it for 4 months or 12 months. Most people choose the Standard level (middle level) for 4 months (currently sitting at £168.20) and then swap to Disney Insurance but if you would rather pay it all upfront then at the moment 12 months is £386.10.
• Visa  - currently $190 that you have to pay while booking your appointment and then there's the cost of going back to London for the appointment at the Embassy. You will also need to pay at least £15 to have your passport couriered back to you. 
• Program Assessment Fee - $104.50. This secures you a place in Disney accommodation and pays for the welcome events, etc that are put on for you.
• Transport from the Airport to the check in point... There are several options for this. A taxi is rather expensive and so they recommend that you use Mears Shuttle services and you can download and print off a $5 off coupon.

When you arrive in Florida then you will need money to see you through the first 3 weeks. On the first week you are only paid for one day, the first few days are just some housing meetings. You arrive on the Tuesday and you start Traditions on the Saturday (which is the only day you will be paid for). The second week you will be paid for a full weeks work but they will take two weeks rent off, as you won't have been paid enough in the first week to cover rent. The third week is when you will start to be paid normally so it can be 21-22 days from arriving until you have enough money to live off. They advise taking at least $300 with you but most people will try to bring at least $1000 so they can enjoy their time out there when they arrive!

All of this information is from my personal experience, please do not take it as gospel as things can and probably will change regularly! This is just to give people a realistic expectation of how much money this experience can cost :)

Getting on-board!

Still waiting on my visa petition coming through but did get an email from Disney on Friday. This is for what they call the onboarding website and gives you lots of information about housing, things to bring and what to expect when you get there. This is also where you pay the programme fee (you are sent a log in to do this), and there's a LOT of important forms to print off, sign and bring with you. 

Disney International Programs: Welcome Your program dates are scheduled as follows: Your scheduled arrival date for check-in is: 04/09/2013 (mm/dd/yy)  You are expected to arrive and check-in with us on this date. Your program end date and departure from housing is: 04/04/2014 (mm/dd/yy)

The next arrival group goes tomorrow and it includes a couple of people that I've grown close to, so I'm mega excited for them and can't wait to see their photos when they get there. After that its just two more arrival groups and then I'm off!! So 8 weeks tomorrow!! I go through waves of being in a panic and sad about leaving and then at other times I'm just really excited and hyper about it... definitely going through the hyper mood at the moment.

Our Facebook group has been getting more and more amusing... let's just say we've all been learning a lot more about each other haha!! (There Connor, I did briefly mention it!) 

Applications for the next lot of CRP peeps have now closed, good luck to everyone that has applied! As always, if you have any questions then give me a shout! :)

FRIENDS!!!!

Literally just after my last post I found out that we FINALLY have two more UK-er's in my arrival group! One of them got a call that day and the other one had recently got a date and was hiding lol. So there's now three UK girls and one boy... me, (the other) Jen, Harriet and Scott. And Scott is from Glasgow as well, yay! 

The last arrival group went on Tuesday (2 days ago), the next leaves in two weeks, the next is 3 weeks after that, then the next is 2 weeks and then mines is 3 weeks after that!! Its getting soooooooooo close!! And I'm still as disorganised as ever. I'm in a bit of a mental mind block until the visa is out of the way... its like I'm unwilling to part with large amounts of money or anything until this big thing is done and dusted. I just my visa petition would hurry up and get here but it should be soon hopefully as I can't bare it being dragged out much longer!

Our facebook groups are pretty funny at the moment, we are all so hyper/nervous/excited that we post pretty much non stop alllllllllllllllllllllllllll day and night long, the amount of notifications can be completely crazy! I don't know how anyone can get through this without constantly talking about it. There has been a mega change in housing which has thrown everyone.... the CRP's are now being mixed into the other complexes and not just the Commons/Patterson Court. Every person from the last group, with the exception of one who was put into Patterson, was placed in different apartments in Vista Way and Chatham Square. Previously there were no Americans living at the Commons but they've moved them in now so its really different. There was also a brief period where they sent out forms where you could put preferences for where you wanted to live and who you want to live with but that's gone as well now! It is now completely random and luck of the draw, so don't get too excited about living with your friends! Part of the experience is about living with people from different cultures though so if you don't think you can deal with that, then maybe this isn't right for you...

Wasted a bit of time writing this when I should be getting ready for work, oops, mad rush time! But here is a picture of the amazing pink travel wallet my mum got me :) So excited to use it, 68 days to go!!!

11 weeks to go!!

And it's still going crazy fast! Its really kind of getting me worried now, there's just SO much to do. Like I can't just leave my bedroom the way it is with all my belongings as there's going to be yet more work done to the house while I'm away, meaning that my brother will have to move into my room while they put a bathroom on his side. I'm constantly just picking through things, throwing out things, giving stuff to charity and there's still SOOOO much! But I don't want to get rid of everything, I just want it to be more compact haha!! 

I've still not heard back from STA travel about insurance, even though funnily enough I got another generic email from them telling me about their insurance?? Weird... I've looked into other companies but its all a bit mind boggling so I'm going to go back and email STA for a quote. Annoying that their rates have gone up this year though... that's what I get for putting it off!

I've pulled out all my Disney-related documents and put them in a ring binder which is now beside my bed, along with a pad and pen. I tend to randomly think of things or lists, stuff I need to do/pay, etc in the middle of the night so I try to write stuff down so that (a) I don't forget and (b) so that I don't lie awake all night worrying that I will forget!

I'm going to start putting/ chucking stuff into a suitcase that I've got in mind for Florida. Mainly to keep it separate from everything that's getting stored or thrown out or donated. Too many piles! I need to sort out my phone contract, cancel direct debits and basically sort out my financial situation before I go... eugh... Visa paperwork should be arriving shortly and then there will be another trip to London to get that organised. I'm going to be trying to get it over and done with asap so I can stop thinking about it! 

People keep asking me about a leaving party ... I have a date and venue in mind so I will be getting that organised shortly as well. Sooooo much to plan! I've been chatting A LOT to the guys on our various facebook groups. The next lot of people will be heading out next week, it makes it seem so real yet again! After this it will be back to groups leaving every couple of weeks. Although there is still only 2 UK people on my date.... if there's someone else out there please let yourself be known!! There's a lot of Canadians and quite a few Italians.. I think my UK arrival group is the smallest. So you never know, someone who is applying this round may get asked to go in April, especially if they got wait listed before! I briefly got to see Abbie this past weekend as she's away next week. She was meeting up with Hayley and Connor and a couple of the guys who we haven't met before but have just got dates. So I got to briefly say hiya to Hayley and Mark and missed seeing Connor and Gary cos I had to go to work. Sad face :(

Euchhhhhh.... work. It's not been the best couple of weeks. Been upset by a few people and getting to know  who my real friends are. Only got about 9 weeks left there after 4 years though, I can get through it. I've been off for several days now as I've had the stomach bug that has been going round everyone. Unpleasant but a welcome distraction! 

So this has been a wee bit of a length post so I will leave you with this.... my Minnie Mouse pj's. Cos they are awesome :)

It's that time again....

Application for the CRP have opened up again!!! Crazyyyy!!! There's still loads of people that haven't left yet from my round of applications, and now they have opened up for a second time! Where does the time go?!?!? 

Good luck to everyone that is thinking of applying this time round, I know there's a few that are following my blogs and twitter. I'm thinking of some new informative type blog posts so keep your eyes peeled :) And as always, any questions then do ask!

This evening will be spent making some lists and trying to be organised (well that is the plan anyway!)

Getting organised!

I did it... I FINALLY emailed the arrivals team! Go meeee!!! After a really crappy night at work I loved coming home to check my email and getting a reply from Disney International Arrivals... signed off with "Kind Regards and have a Disney Day!!"

I also emailed Michaela from STA about travel insurance a few days ago but have yet to get a reply. ANNOYING!! I want it done, ticked off and out of the way!  My visa petition should be arriving in the next couple of weeks so I really need to start getting organised again. A whole lot of 2013 CRP's have just had their visa interviews or will be travelling down to the embassy in London soon. I'm off work tomorrow (its nearly 1am and I've been working tonight) so the plan is to take all the documents, emails, etc and put them in a binder and try to get my head straight with everything. The reality that I only have 3 more pay days until I leave has hit me HARD!! Safe to say I think I may be a bit poor when I first get to Florida but its all good... I've been skinto before and always got through it! Everyone else can have fun and I'll just chill out by the pool and work on my tan :) Our 2013 group had a chat about money recently... some people are able to take thousands, others like myself are not in this category! Sadly I'm intolerant of ramen noodles so will not be surviving off them haha!

There's been A LOT of activity on our facebook group recently, I love it! With all the new people that have got arrival dates for 2013, things are moving pretty fast! There have been a couple of people that have decided to decline their positions now for personal reasons which has opened up places for people on the waiting list. Its sad that they won't be spending a year with us but hopefully they will come to visit! 

As there is a few more Scottish peeps in our posse now we are planning on another catch up before Abbie leaves at the end of January. I'm properly gutted as its looking likely that I can't make it :( My boss is on holiday that week so I'll have to work. They are meeting at three and thats when my shift starts. However the other supervisor will also be working and owes me about 20 million favours so I'm going to push for starting a lil bit later so I can at least make a brief cameo appearance!

emmmmm... what else has happened.... Oh yeah... I got a mention on a future applicants blog! So if you found me here via his blog then howdy! My blog is just about to hit 3000 views now and I'm totally shocked! If you have been able to read through allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll this then good on you! I'm backing off of tumblr a bit.... there's too much melodramatics and whinging on there and it was starting to take its toll on me.  If anyone has any questions about anything then give me a shout! Applications will be open again before I know it... wonder if I'll have even left the UK yet by then... lol! Its REALLY flying past now though, less than 3 months to go now! 78 days till I finish up work and 98 days till I'm on that plane! EEEEKKKKK!!!!!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Remember that time I said I was going to email my details to the arrival team, but there was a danger of me getting distracted? Then you can probably guess where this is going... woops! I will have done it before my next blog post!!! I've just been paid today as well so need to get my health insurance sorted. I'm just doing the initial four months and then going onto Disney employee insurance. For those not in the know, you need health insurance before your even allowed into the country. You have two choices - pay a full year upfront with a company like STA or pay for the first four months, and then after that you qualify for employee health insurance from Disney. The money comes out your paycheck and is apparently a lot more convenient. 

Christmas and New Years is out the way... but life at work is still pretty crazy busy. My hotel does a "January sale" package which is dirt cheap and they get dinner, bed, breakfast, complimentary mini bar and access to a lounge with more complimentary booze. So it tends to attract a different sort of clientèle.... euchhhhhhhh. I've been working at least ten hours a day, totally understaffed and trying to resolve a million and one issues (the fun of being late duty manager) but..... I'm now off work for two whole days!! A Friday and a Saturday!! And its payday!! So being the crazy person that I am, I'm actually staying in my work tonight haha. It was my best friends birthday between Christmas and New Year but she wasn't well and I couldn't get the time off so we are making up for it tonight. 

My Christmas was ok... I was off Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day but I was so utterly exhausted that I spent a lot of it sneaking off for naps. On Christmas Day my sister, her boyfriend and my little nephew came over and I had fun opening presents with the wee guy. He's only six months old and hasn't really got a clue about what was happening but it was still entertaining. And I was getting a lot of use with my fancy new camera taking a million photos of him lol!

Only 95 days to go now, which is roughly 14 weeks.... its getting very real!!!