This week, I was asked by a Dibber, if Emily would mind giving some advice to their daughter, as she was hoping to apply for the Cultural Representative Programme, as Emily has. Of course, she was happy to help, as it wasn’t long ago that she was doing the same, asking those who had been down that road for similar tips, hoping to get an advantage in what is a very competitive process.
I’m not sure what Emily advised, but my biggest learning from going through the process with her, is that the thing you need most of is patience, and lots of it. This is not something with a quick turnaround. I sort of understand why, as they literally have to travel and scour the globe to find suitable folks for each pavilion, do endless admin and allocate those they want to a suitable role.
Having said all of that, it takes too long, and I’m sure many of the 45 people who attended that face to face interview with Emily in London last March have since had to drop out, move on and give up. Yes, it has been six months since Emily attended her final face to face interview, and there haven’t been very many days in that time when we haven’t thought or talked about it. When things drag on like that, you start to wonder if it will ever happen.
Sometimes though, good things come to those who wait.
Yes, Emily’s date has come through, and she if off to work in the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida on the 7th of April 2015. We are delighted, proud, relieved, and of course dreading her leaving us for a year too. Knowing every detail of the arduous application and interview process inside out, I am so proud of Emily for getting through and being offered the job.
She has wanted this for many, many years, but deep down I think we all thought that the fact that she isn’t naturally one of life’s extroverts might stop her realising her dream. Seeing how she carried herself and how driven she was during the process, her success is all the sweeter. We have now already started the many and varied admin tasks required, with much form filling, plans to make, flights to find and excitement to enjoy. There’s a Visa to get too, which will mean another trip to London no doubt and room mates to find. This process is not one for the fickle and fainthearted. It requires dedication, patience, tenacity and as a certain Michael Bolton once said the ability to Go The Distance!
As you probably know it doesn’t take much for me burst with pride at anything Emily or Rebecca do. The fact that I produced them is and always will be the proudest achievement of my life, but when they do stuff like this, it is on a whole new level. I can’t over egg the effort and the journey outside of Emily’s comfort zone this has required.
Of course, we may, yes, may have to plan a trip to visit her during her year too. I’m sure there are some Cast Member discounts we can look into!
She will be working in the UK pavilion, in quick service food and beverage, which translates to the fish and chip place we assume, although it does say she will be asked to undertake a wide variety of roles. This doesn’t seem real to me yet, so who knows how Emily is dealing with all of this. I’m sure she’ll be blogging again very soon, now she has this news. There wasn’t a great deal of point in her blogging regularly about waiting for her date. We were all pensive enough without her having to write about it.
For any of you that are connected with Emily on Twitter and Facebook, can I ask that if you contact her, you do so discretely, via DM or Messenger. She has people from her current job on both, and of course, she’d rather they did not know about this just yet. Your discretion is appreciated!
So she has 190 days at home with us before her adventure begins and of course we need to make the most of those. She’s probably started packing, and who can blame her!
Till the next time…..
Mkingdon's Blog 
Absolutely fantastic news!!! I’m sooooooo thrilled for Emily (and you & Louise of course!!). What an achievement, especially with it being out of her comfort zone. Awwwww, that’s really put a smile on my face. Let the planning commence!!
P.S. I didn’t realise Michael Bolton had more than one song? 😉
We’re off hopefully over next Xmas so we’ll pop in & say hi!! Brilliant news & very exciting.
How exciting. She should be very proud of herself. Cant wait to read her upcoming blogs!
That’s great news, we hope to go end of August or beginning of September next year and will be sure to look out go her.
Wow that is fantastic news and so exciting for Emily. Well done xx. We fly out on 30th April so will defo be looking you up.
Soo excited for Emily, I went all goosebumpy when I read this..woop woop!
Great to hear she has got a date. I wonder if you can still go for
it at 52?
Great news. Emily, as they say across the pond, you go girl!
Well done I’m so excited for Emily.
Great news, although she won’t know me I feel very much like many others I know her, fingers crossed she’s working when we visit in July
How exciting. A fantastic opportunity. I hope she has a ball. As one who hasjust waved a child off to uni, I now know the pride and fear you and Louise must now be feeling xxx
I wish I could have done it, Well done. I am looking at the other end of the scale when I retire at 104 to work in WDW would be lovely.
The best news ever. Brittany and I have often wondered how Emily’s application process was going and if she had heard anything. Well this is brilliant news. Very very well done Emily. Even better, I can pop by and say hi to her when I am over there so anything you might need taking over, just give me a shout and I will happily play delivery (wo)man. I have 2 bags flying solo PE so bear that in mind. As long as I can fit it in a suitcase, I can take :D. Brittany is having to leave her application till after her first year at uni and go for the student programme rather than the cultural that she had originally started her application for, due to her birthday being the wrong end of 2013 to meet deadline dates and fit in with a gap year. She is doing the camp leader programme instead this coming summer so we will both have our girls working in the USA over the summer months. Haha…I can get to say hello to yours and not my own. I will be following Emily’s blog with interest. Once again, very well done Emily…now just slap your dad on the wrists if he doesn’t give up mithering you for those family perks 😉
Wonderful News Craig……you must all be bursting with pride! Well done Emily..
When I did the CRP programme in 1998 getting the Visa was the worst bit. Hopefully in 2014 this will be much easier. I think the programme must have changed a lot as Disney booked our flights, organised our accomodation and allocated us room mates etc. I worked in merchandise and had an amazing time x good luck Emily
That is great news. You had best start getting organised, the days/weeks will fly by!
Yay! This is great news. We might just have to try the fish and chip shop when we go next year. Well done Emily
Hope you all enjoy the planning.
Amazing!! Please pass on my congrats to Emily!! I tweeted her then read your last paragraph and deleted it! DUH!! So exciting and can’t think of anyone better suited to working at the Mouse! 😀 xx
Huge congrats Emily.
WOW well don’t Emily!! I will surely pop in for some fish n chips when I’m in Epcot next August!!
My son is 12 and is already talking about doing this! That Disney bug sure does get a hold of you!
Good luck with the visa! We have a little visit to the embassy ourselves at the end of the month.
See ya real soon 😋