Well, after a LONG day of traveling, I've finally arrived. My flights today were quick and smooth. I flew from Greensboro, NC with a connecting flight in Charlotte, NC. The only hiccup I had was when I accidentally left my connecting flight boarding pass in my checked bag. WHOOPS! Luckily, I was able to get it reprinted and make my flight in plenty of time. I arrived in Orlando around 4:15 PM and took the Disney Magical Express (Oooooohhhhhhh... Aahhhhhhhhhhh...) to my hotel. During my initial shore side training days, Disney has me staying at their All Star Sports Resort. Ironically, this is the very first hotel I ever stayed at when I visited Disney World with my parents seventeen years ago. So this is bringing back a lot of memories. It feels strange to stay in a hotel room by myself. But I won't complain! I assumed I would have a roommate, but unless his flight is scheduled to come in late, I have the room to myself. I guess I shouldn't get used to it, though. Once I get on that ship this Saturday, I'll be in a pretty tiny room with either one or two other roommates. It's like college all over again.
It's been really nice to have a job where the company takes care of pretty much all my expenses. This is a first for me. I felt like a king today. My flight, transportation to the hotel, room, and food while I'm here has all been paid for in advance. ROOM SERVICE, ANYONE?! And of course, my room and board on the ship are all a part of my job so this should be a big money saver for me.
I'm scheduled to begin official training tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM. I don't really know what to expect. I do know that Friday will be filled with a lot of classroom and orientation type training. I guess I'll find out in the morning.
As for now, I need to begin settling down and get some rest. I woke up this morning a little sick so I'm trying to fight that off as fast as I can. I'll post an update tomorrow on how my day goes. Until then, enjoy some photos I took when I first arrived:
It's been a long road but it's finally time for Matt James to join Disney Cruise Line and sail the seven seas. For those of you who already know me, you can only imagine the grand adventures that await. For anyone reading this who has never met me, I apologize in advance for the hours of entertainment that you'll get from reading about my life at sea. It's a hard job, but somebody's gotta do it.
Let me start off by talking a little about how I got this job and what I'll be doing. I started working for the Disney company back in June of 2007 while I was working on my BFA in Theatre Performance at VCU in Richmond, VA. I was hired as a seasonal cast member (working during the summers and holidays) to be a Hollywood Tour Guide on the Great Movie Ride (GMR) in Disney's Hollywood Studios. On the ride, I took a group of 70-140 people on a "magical journey into the movies" where Animatronics acted out famous scenes from well known movies. During the ride, a real life gangster eventually took my vehicle hostage and it became my job to save the day and finish the tour. Needless to say, it was pretty much the best time of my life. Here are a few photos of my time at GMR (2007-2008):
And if you're REALLY interested in what my job entailed, you can watch me do the entire 20 minute show here:
After completing my BFA in 2009 and working at regional theatres for a couple years, I made the big move to New York City where I've been for the past year. I'd been dying to work on Disney Cruise Line and when the opportunity to apply for an Entertainment Host position came up, I went for it! After two interviews on Skype and four audition videos submitted through YouTube, I was offered the job in August. In November, I was offered a contract term and tomorrow morning, I begin my new adventure.
Check out my audition videos here:
AUDITION VIDEO #1 - PERSONAL INTRODUCTION
AUDITION VIDEO #2 - PIRATE
AUDITION VIDEO #3 - CHEF
AUDITION VIDEO #4 - HOEDOWN THROWDOWN
Tomorrow, I fly to Orlando and begin my shore side training before heading to my ship, the Disney Fantasy, on Saturday. I am so excited, I can barely stand it. The adventures that await will be mind boggling and I'll use this blog to keep track of my journey along the way. I will be sure to update this blog as much as possible. As for now, I'm going to try and get some sleep. "There's a great big beautiful tomorrow!"
