Just a wee update

So this post will be a little more day-to-day happenings than tutorials about visa stuff and interviews.

With this being Saturday it means that I only have three weeks left before I finish work. I cannot wait! I was told recently that my work ethic has become poor in recent weeks and someone popped up with " of course it is. He's leaving soon and doesn't really care anymore" I'm just like "yep pretty much."

Come Tuesday I will only have four weeks until I leave the UK and board a plane headed to Orlando (via New York) [EEK!!] I still need to sort my insurance and then that's me all good to go. I've got my visa, booked my flight, signed my hire documentation, got dollars and other stuff that I can't think of right now.

Despite not being in the USA yet I have already spent around $700. My mum and dad are in NYC just now and have bought an iPhone 5 (with my money) so that I can have it set up and good to go before I head out there. I was going to buy one when I got out there but this option seemed easier.

Our Facebook group has sparked into life with everyone showing "who they truly are" not in a nasty way but in that they are showing a VERY different side to their personality than they previously had.

My blog is slowly picking up almost at 200 views, I'm happy with that, if had loads of views from the UK some from Canada, USA and even one from Poland. (Please remember to follow me!)

That'll be all for now i will update in just over 4 weeks =D
Till then TTFN!

Goodby's Are Hard

Hello again,

Today I had to say goodby to a good friend of mine, although I don't go until March he is away to Spain to study for a semester as part of his uni course. This means that the next time I see him (with the exception of Skype) will be next March at the earliest.

This is just one friend. I can't imagine how hard it might be when it comes to saying good-bye to the res of my friends and family. Or maybe the thrill of going to WDW for a year may make the pain easier to deal with. I can only hope so.

Even when it comes to next march and I need to say good-bye to people the I will have lived and worked with and will have to return home will be really tough.

In summary, (and I know this is going to sound super soppy). Make the most of the time you have with people that you care about.

Thanks for reading

Till the next time good-bye

Visa interview

Hello again

So like I said I am currently doing my blog whilst sitting on the train home.
(what else am I going to do to fill the two hour delay)

So I had my visa interview today and... I got approved! The whole process is fast and easy providing you don't try to be smart like me and use a photograph that you also used for your j1 visa two years ago. They caught on and I has to rush out of the embassy and go to the Gould's pharmacy just along North Audley street from the embassy to get a new photo.

I stayed in a hotel on dudley street near near Holburn subway station. This way I could get on the central line and would only be a few stops until I got to bond street. Once you exit bond street, turn out to the left and walk until you get to the junction which has M&S, Selfridges co. and Zara. Turn down the road that Zara is on and you will be on the same road that the Gould's pharmacy is on. In here you can store your items I.e. a bag and electrical good for something like £3. If you need to you can get a new visa photo or two for £2.50 each. After passing the pharmacy keep following that road down and you will get to a zebra crossing, cross that and then you will be at the front of the embassy.

Unless you are the first to arrive there will most likely be a queue. The queue you are looking for is the one on the left if you are facing the embassy or if you follow my directions then you will join the back of the queue. They started to move everyone inside around 25~20 minutes to eight as it was really cold. The first security guard is looking for your passport and your appointment confirmation letter. He will then tell you to stand in front of the security house where you will be called in 4 at a time. Once in all belonging go in a clear box through a x-ray machine, while you go through a metal detector. After that you exit the building turn right and follow the path round till you get to a flight of stairs.
Up the stairs through the glass doors and to the desk. They then ask for your appointment confirmation letter, MRV receipt and DS-160 confirmation letter. They will also attach a sticker to your appointment letter which has your number on it (e.g. N17). Go up the stairs through the doors and take a seat. Keep an eye on the screens and listen out for your number. When they announce your number they will tell you which window to go to.
At the window they will most likely ask for all your documents at the one time so they can do their thing. After all has been sorted they will ask for your left four finger prints, then the right four and finally your two thumbs.
They will also give you a blue form and tell you to be seated and wait for your number to be recalled. This is for the courier. Fill it out with the address you would like it to be sent to. They also require your e-mail address, phone number and you have the option to include a mobile number to receive text updates with the status of your delivery.
Once your number has been called again, it will most likely be to a different window.
They will than ask for fingerprints and they will then ask you a few simple questions like; what are you going to do, where are you going to work, do you have previous experience of this type of work and so on. They will then tell you that either your visa has been approved or has not been approved. Hopefully it was the first one. You will then be instructed to go to the courier desk to pay the fee. This can ONLY be done by card. You will be asked what delivery type you would like I.e. standard, before 12 or before 10am. You will then receive a piece of paper with how you can track you passport and a receipt of the transaction.

After that that is you all sorted and ready to head home.

All I now need to do is pay my insurance and programme fee. And pack obviously. Still 59 days before I go.

Currently as I write this it is 19:00 on a train that is delayed like I said by two hours so wont get into Glasgow until 9pm and I need to get up for work at 4am tomorrow and I then have a Disney meet up in Glasgow tomorrow with 7/8 of the Scottish Disney peeps.

I will now most likely update sometime closer to my march 19th date unsure yet. Possibly after I get everything sorted.

Till then good Morning/Day/Night!



Sent from my iPad

Visa Stuff

Hello all,

So i have my visa appointment on Friday down in London. i got an E-mail sent to me last Tuesday to say that yummy jobs had my visa documents in their office. when i got home after work that day i had a letter in the post. just a hand written address on a plain white A4 sized envelope. didn't think anything of it at first, but after i opened it and saw the Walt Disney World Resorts headed paper, that's when it drew my attention.

In side the envelope was the letter from Disney to say that they had petitioned for the Q1 visa on my behalf. There was also a web address on the letter that puts you onto a website for the US government on how to apply for a visa. Also included is the I-94 document. You will need to take this with you when you get to check-in for you flight as it has details of where you can be reached in the US, if they need to find you for some reason, a purple letter (apparently this isn't always purple so don't worry if yours isn't purple) informing you of how to complete the I-94. Lastly is the I-797B notice of action form. You will need to take this form with you when going for your visa interview.

So, making and going to your appointment!

Booking your appointment is easy and to be honest slightly nerve racking. Once you have called the number you will then be told how much the call is per minute, after you have been connected they will ask you personal details to make sure you are you. You will need the receipt number for the visa which is on the I-797b for on the top left on the grid. A credit card so you can pay for the appointment. Once all is complete they will tell you the availability of interviews and you choose when and where (London or Belfast) you want your appointment. After all has been confirmed they will then send you two e-mails; one is confirmation of the booking and the other is confirmation of the MRV receipt (this shows that you have paid for the appointment) you will need to print out these two forms and take them with you. [beware these are not the e-mails, they are in PDF attachments within the e-mail] 

Once you are on that US government page, near the bottom of the "Applying For Your Visa," there is a link for the list of all the US Embassies and Consulates all over the world. Find the one that applies to you, click on it. You will then be redirected to the website for said Embassy or consulate. On the bar at top under the website header click on "Visa" then a drop-down menu should appear, Click on non-immigrant visas. A page will then appear with all the  different types of visas you can apply for, click Q1 (or what ever visa you are applying for) this will then give you info about this type of visa and four steps on how to begin the process.

Then is the DADDY of all forms, the DS-160. This form is fairly long, (they say it takes 75 minutes to complete the form.) but isn't that difficult to fill in. if you require any assistance refer to the step-by-step visa instructions sent by yummy-jobs print it off and have it opened in another window or whatever. to complete the DS-160 you will also your passport and details of your last five visits to the USA and any countries that you have visited over the last five years. A photograph is also required which get attached to your DS-160 form. A tool is provided at the start of the DS-160 before you fill anything in that helps you set up the photo properly.

Once the form has been completed you will then be asked to upload the photo to it and then confirm. After confirming you will then need to print out the confirmation page, you can also e-mail it to print it out if you don't need have access to a printer at home.

My top tips for filling out the DS-106.

• SAVE AFTER EVERY PAGE! (it has a bad reputation of crashing, it also has a fifteen minute time out feature)
• Look for the application number on the top left. You will need this if you need to come back to complete the form for whatever reason.
• Have you passport and dates of your last five visits to the US.

I'll stop myself here because this is long enough i will update in the next few days possibly on Sunday. My appointment is on Friday i don't get back until Friday night, working at 5 am on Saturday then have a Disney meet up on Saturday afternoon with 6/7 of the Scottish Disney people and then working at 5 am again on Sunday. It may not be updated until Sunday night. Or I may even write it on the train home.

Till then good morning/day/night.

Post Number 1

Hello, my name is Connor. I am now 20 years old and ever since the age of 7 or 8 my dream job has always been to work in the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. As it stands today is the 21st of December 2012. Over a year ago I applied to the Cultural Representative Programme through Yummy Jobs which would enable me to achieve my dream goal. I was successful. On the 19th of March 2013 I will fly out to Orlando and begin the most amazing year of my life. I have already met a few of the people that I will be living and working with. From that moment I knew next year will be AMAZING!

I have had some interviews, multiple e-mails and done A LOT of waiting. I had my final interview on the February 13th, We were told we would hear back in a couple of weeks, then the following week then the end of the week. On that day, almost three weeks after the interview,  we were told that we would find out at the end of June.

We get to the 25th of June I still hadn't heard anything. On that morning I had my first driving test. I failed. After going in to my room sulking and slightly depressed I received an e-mail. It was from Yummy jobs! Every possible scenario imagined. Getting accepted, being wait-listed further and not getting accepted. Then I saw it... CONGRATULATIONS. I had been accepted! I would be going out march 19th until march 14th doing food and beverage. The earlier depression from failing my driving test swiftly passed. I ran down stairs shouting and screaming and burst into the room my mum was in. told her the news and we were both ecstatic. This was followed by almost an hour of phoning friends and relatives letting them know the news. My family and I all went out for dinner two days later, my birthday. (BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER.)

A few days later I received the CRB form through the post (they use this to find out if your have been naughty or nice) filled it out, sent it along with the documents that that are required with it. Six months down the line and I received the certificate in the post. Just to make it official that I'm not a criminal. Sometime in the middle of July or August I got my Disney pack in the mail. It's not that much, only a piece of paper with a Disney look book. Most people thought it would be more but it is only that.

I was invited into a group on Facebook. which had everyone who was doing the programme next year.
One member suggested a meet up in London, to get to know people before we went out. So in the middle of November we met up in London. Everyone was very nice and friendly. We were there from the Friday afternoon to Sunday morning. A great idea that acted as an ice breaker for us too get to know each other a head of next year. A highly recommended activity for all those doing the CRP.

Since then I've booked my flights, told Yummy jobs and the Disney arrival team my flight details, looked into the insurance, received my CRB certificate and met a couple more fellow CRP'ers. and that brings us to today keeping an eye on the group due to the high activity. (recently more people have been added due to the new batch of successful applicants) waiting on Christmas, the New Year and my visa petition to come through.

Sorry this post is LONG but i didn't want to start one untill I was out there. There are already a lot of blogs and vlogs with info and FAQ's about the interviews and what not, but I got bored and went and wrote it anyway. Thanks for sticking around. I will update, some time in the future, most likely after I have been through the visa process and I'm waiting to get out there.

Thanks and Good-bye