Amber Earns Her Ears: My Secret Walt Disney World Cast Member Diary Read Online Free PDF

rolled down the windows, and opened the sunroof.
    Dad was driving the lead car, and he wasn’t fond that I tended to get distracted, sometimes not maintaining a steady distance between his car and mine. My state of exhaustion probably didn’t help, either.
    About an hour or two from Disney, I began to nod. I tried every trick in the book to stay awake — loud music, windows down, constantly shifting positions. Hayley, as she had done the entire trip, slept. Eventually, after a few close calls, the bouts of drowsiness passed, the last of the rain clouds evaporated, and signs for Orlando began to appear.
    A few minutes from Disney World, Hayley finally woke up. She broke out the camera to document the last few miles of the journey, taking photos of the Orlando exit ramp and the sign telling us the short distance to Disney World.
    And finally, the gates.
    I followed Mom and Dad to Disney’s Old Key West Resort, where we would be staying for a few nights before my CareerStart check-in. As we pulled up to the security gate and the guard welcomed us home, an enormous smile broke out on my face. I was here. (And there was a bed in the room!)
    A nap was the first order of the day. Afterward, we got up and hit the parks. It was just like any other vacation, minus my brothers.
    On February 7, I got texts from a few people who had also just arrived. The meet-n-greet dinner was still on at Downtown Disney: was I coming?
    The idea of going to Downtown Disney by myself to meet a bunch of strangers held scant appeal. I’m not a social person; I prefer the company of a good book over a large group of strangers. True, one of my goals in participating in this program was to improve my social skills, but technically the program hadn’t started yet. So, rather than meet my potential roommates, friends, and co-workers, I stayed in the hotel room and double-checked that I had everything ready for the morning.
    I had the address of Vista Way (where I would be checking in), my folder, my car insurance information, passport, and driver’s license. I ironed my clothes for the next day, and then fell into the bed to read myself to sleep.

Chapter 6
Amber Digs Her Disney Digs
    FLORIDA IS NOT SUPPOSED to be cold.
    On the morning of check-in, my parents, sister, and I were some of the first people to gather inside the security tent in front of Vista Way. Luckily, as early arrivals, we were able to commandeer the space next to the heater.
    Rather than socialize, my timidity and I stayed near the heater, observing people from a safe distance. I pointed out Rebecca, one of my roommates: “That girl with the Mickey Mouse jacket is one of them,” I told my mother. Except that it wasn’t Rebecca; obviously, I hadn’t spent much time studying my future roommates online. I recognized a few online acquaintances from their profile pictures, including Alex, a guy who had a huge interest in theatre, and who stood a head above everyone else in the tent.
    Paige and I had been texting throughout the morning. She was running a little late, and wouldn’t show up until it was almost time to check in. It appeared that a lot of people had made connections at the introductory dinner the previous night, and I felt the smallest twinge of regret over my decision not to go. Not a lot, though, as I was still a little intimidated by the mass of people around me. Little clusters of future Cast Members formed, despite the rather cramped space. I began to get anxious about my socializing ability; shouldn’t I be over there, with the other participants? But my concern wasn’t enough to cause me to leave the heater and join a conversation.
    Eventually, another girl noticed that I was standing in the warm, orange glow and came to join me. We struck up a conversation, discussing our roles and where we hoped to live. She was a “friend of Tigger”, and neither of us really knew or cared which complex we lived in, as long as it wasn’t Vista Way.
    After a while, as the