My word of the week is WONDERFUL.

The Amazing Dream 3 Cast!!!!

Crossover has finally ended and Dream 3 has officially opened!!! Although it was sad to see the Dream 2 cast leave, it was nice to move in to the dressing rooms and premiere all of our main stage shows and deck parties!

I am almost fully adjusted to ship life. I mostly know how to get around the backstage areas and I can confidently answer guest questions regarding where places are! I haven’t had to deal with any horrendous guests yet, but I’m sure that day will come soon enough!!! It is really amazing to be able to meet so many wonderful families that come onboard this ship. I have met a lot of repeat cruisers as well who are lots of fun to talk to. One repeat cruiser who was here last cruise had a little wiener dog that he always brings with him. He dresses it up in all sorts of costumes. The last one I remember was a captain costume!!!

Unfortunately, there are some guests who come onboard the Dream for reasons other than to have a nice vacation. Both this cruise and last, there has been a group of men who are repeat cruisers and it seems that they purposely ask difficult questions and make inappropriate or awkward comments to the entertainment staff and the characters. They wrote a book called  “Queens in the Kingdom: The Ultimate Gay and Lesbian Guide to the Disney Theme Parks (Kings in the Kingdom).” I actually really want to read the book now after having met them just to figure out why they have theses negative feelings toward Disney. They are really funny guys, but I always feel nervous around them when they talk to me because I feel like I am being tested and that I might say something wrong! My good friend Ariel actually has a lot of fun with them though!! Today they brought her Dinglehoppers!!!!!

I am so in love with my job it’s crazy!!! I really wish I could thoroughly explain the feeling I experience everyday when I witness a child’s dream coming true! Ariel has become my very best friend!!! She is so much fun to be around and she adores all of the children who come to meet her. I have only known her for 4 days now, but we are making fantastic memories together already!!! Hopefully I’ll be able to find some pictures of her somewhere around the ship so I can show all of you guys back home!!!

Until next time...

Love and fishes,

Alissa

Happy New Year!!!

Sorry it has been so long since I posted!!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years!!! I know I did! I was lucky enough to have 4 days off to spend at home for Christmas with my family! It was so great to be back in California; it felt very surreal. I was back in Toronto for New Years Eve with my cast. On January 5th, we all said goodbye to Canada and flew together to Orlando, Florida!! We had a couple days of training which ended around 5pm and then we had the rest of the days to go into the parks! I was able to visit The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios! And the best part...it was all free because I am a cast member!!!! I had so much fun since I had never been to any of the parks before! 

The Character Cast says goodbye to our wonderful Trainers, Michael and Alyssa!!!!

On our way to the All Star Sports Resort after getting off the plane in Orlando!!! Look at our adorable DCL bus!!!

Buying Towels in EPCOT!!!

The Magic Kingdom!!!

Hollywood Studios!!!

 

EPCOT!!!

On January 8th, we all woke up at 4am to bus over to the Disney Dream to explore our new home!!!! 

So I’m on the ship now, yay!!!! My very first day stepping onto the Dream would have been great had I not come down with GI symptoms within the first 5 hours and was forced into cabin isolation for the night!! Having the rest of the day off to sleep would have been fine with me if my symptoms didn’t worsen and I was put in full GI isolation in the medical center for the next 24 hours! They gave me three different types of pills to take and a shot and then led me to Isolation Room 1. The shot made me really drowsy and I spent about 10 hours in bed before actually getting up to do anything. While in isolation you are not allowed any visitors and you cannot leave your room or you get in serious trouble. There were three alarm drills that went off but since it was only my first day on the ship, I wasn’t sure if it was a drill or if it was real. They called “red-parties” first which means there is a fire, then they set of the general alarm which tells all guests and crew to go to their assembly stations, then they set off the Evacuation Alarm which means abandon ship. I assumed they were drills until the Evacuation alarm went off. No one had come to my room and I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do because I had no idea where my assembly station was. I grabbed my crew ID and opened the door and the doctor told me just to stay in my room because it was a drill and I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere. I also had to call in to order food. It was like room service except all I could eat was jello, applesauce, rice, bread, and cereal without milk! In the end, it was nice to have a full day off to sleep and hangout with some good books. My good friend Ariel even sent me a get well soon letter that made my day(it was actually from my boyfriend who signed it as Ariel)! The down side: I am now a bit of a germaphobe and I am constantly aware of what I touch and how many times I was my hands...

Before I started feeling sick, I was able to get a small taste of what it’s going to be like here on the Dream and now that I am out and about and having been here for almost a wekk now, it is finally starting to feel like home. This ship is absolutely stunning! Backstage is nothing exciting, but once you step into the guest areas, it is mind-blowing! I’ve even had the opportunity to see the guest staterooms and they are incredible! Our ports of call aren’t too shabby either! The sunrises and sunsets over the crystal clear blue Bahamian water are stunning. I cannot wait to go out to the beach and enjoy the warm ocean!

It’s nice to finally settle into my permanent home for the next 6 months. Although it is a little tight, I am very lucky to be sharing this tiny space with my wonderful roomate, Maleah! We were also roomies in Toronto and we knew when we first met each other that we wanted to room together on the ship. Our tiny cabin is very cozy and our beds are SOOO comfy!!!

I am definitely loving it here. It’s been a little difficult getting used to ship life, but I’m sure I’ll be all adjusted in another week or two! I’ve already been out escorting characters and performing with my friends Chip and Dale, and it is SO much fun! There are way too many adorable kids to count and my heart melts about every 5 minutes at the magical moments I witness!