Universal Express!

I've been posting a lot lately! But it's getting so close now, so a lot of exciting things are happening!

My last post was just a quick video about the Walt Disney International College Program for anyone who stumbles across this blog and wants to know more about what I'm doing :) The video makes me even more excited!

Today Keri and myself were discussing our two days at Universal Studios and Island of Adventure (AKA Wizarding World of Harry Potter). We are going in the middle of July, so crowds are going to be at maximum. We discussed the pros of getting Express Passes for each of the days we are at the parks. Unlike the Fast Passes at Disney, you have to pay for the Express Passes at Universal. Because we're going in July, the price goes right up. They also only have limited passes available for each day.

Basically, the pass allows you to skip to the front of the line for nearly all the rides and shows (some of the most popular rides are not included however). You can use the pass once for each ride. We decided that the passes are worth the price - it means we will get to ride every ride in the parks at least once, and rather than possibly being stuck with randoms (if we went in the single rider line), it means we get to ride together!

So me and Keri have purchased our Express Passes online. Hopefully Ashley and Jessica will be keen to buy them as well, otherwise they will be standing in lines all day while me and Keri will be skipping past everyone! The passes are going to be great because we will get to do all the rides, leaving more time for looking around, and shopping, and going back to rides we really enjoyed!

All up it cost me just over $95USD, but I am sure that it will totally be worth it.

Bring on July!!

Disney International College Program

Bring on July!

Hey readers!

So with my visa interview completed, I though that I had everything for America and Disney paid for.

Until I was casually scanning through the Disney Checklist that came in the Welcome Email (which remember, I never received. But someone gave me the link for the checklist luckily). Anyways, the Checklist mentioned a non-refundable Housing Assessment Fee of $100USD that has to be paid before we leave for America. A quick email to STB confirmed that we had to pay this, so today I jumped online and managed to log on to the website (a few other people haven't been able to log on yet). I wanted to get the fee paid as soon as possible, since I have everything else sorted, and today the exchange rate hit an all-time high so the timing was perfect!

After entering my passport number, flight details and arrival time into Orlando as well as my credit card details for payment, the website brought up this confirmation:

Dear JESSICA:

Greetings from the Walt Disney World Resort!. You are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime with International Programs. We hope you are as excited to join our team as we are to have you!

Thank you for your Program Assessment Fee. This is your official confirmation that an apartment and position have been reserved for you!

That last sentence makes me so happy! Like, it is actually real, and they are really expecting me! There is no turning back now (not that I would be turning back anyway!)

This weekend I'm going to pull out my suitcase and carry-on suitcase and start chucking things in there that I want to take but don't need at the moment. I need to write a list of things I still need to buy and a list of things I'm going to take with me. I can't believe tomorrow is June! Time is flying by so fast!!

Hopefully my passport and visa will arrive back in the next few days :)

Til next time,

xx

Visa Approved!!

So I sit here writing this out with the wonderful knowledge that somewhere, right now, my visa is being processed :D

My interview was this morning, at the Consulate General in Auckland. Quite daunting for someone who has never done this type of thing before! The big (and I mean BIG) security guard took my bag, scanned it through the xray machine, then scanned me (luckily I didn't beep!), and let me through locked doors into the main room. There, a nice man on the other side of some thick glass took all my documents and scanned my fingerprints and told me to take a seat.
I was only waiting about 5 minutes, if that, when my name was called.
I spoke to a nice lady, who asked what I was going to be doing in the states, and if I like Auckland Uni because her daughter wants to go there, and then we started talking about media studies (my major). It didn't feel like an interview at all, and it calmed my nerves! Our chat only lasted a couple of minutes, and she said "Right, you're all sorted, it will be sent next week".
And that was it! Easy!

So, the moral of the story is definitely don't stress about the visa interview (like I was!). As long as you have all your forms and things, you'll be fine!! I was in and out within about 20 minutes.

As I had about four hours to kill before my lecture, I decided to cross another thing off my America Preperation list, and go to STA and apply for my ISIC Student ID Card (that I can use at lots of places in the states to get discounts!). Because I had just come from my visa interview, it meant I had a passport photo and my uni transcript, which you need to appy for the card, so it was perfect timing really! It only cost me $25, and hopefully will save me lots of money when I'm over in America!

The exchange rate was really good this morning, so I brought another $500NZD worth of american dollars. The Loaded for Travel card is awesome, I can top it up straight from my bank account!

Now all thats left to do for America is to save save save for spending money, plus pick up a few bits and pieces, like new contacts, anti-jetlag pills, my HUGE supply of medications, and whatever else I might need.

I can't believe its nearly June. It's gonna be 12th July before I know it! Argh!!
Til next time,

xx

Welcome Pack!

After months of waiting, it finally came - my welcome pack!

I was so excited to get this, even though I knew it was mostly going to be full of paperwork. The letter from Disney welcoming me to the company is so cool though!

Mostly I was anxious to get started on my Visa application process. From what I had heard from other people who had received their packs before me, this process is very confusing. And I learnt that for myself! The first online form I had to fill out was simple enough - it was the DS-160 that was difficult! Twice I lost my entire application because it didn't save properly, and then it was a mission trying to sort out a photo! But I got there in the end, and completed the form tonight.

Now I just have to ring up and make an appointment at the US Consulate here in Auckland for my interview, and get all the application and SEVIS fees paid for. I definitely cannot wait until this whole process is done, and I have that visa in my passport!

It's been so difficult getting all this visa stuff sorted as well because at the moment I have been swamped with uni assignments - four in one week! (Although, my procrastination is mostly to blame here). But, those are nearly out of the way and then I can focus nearly entirely on preparing for America! (Apart from those pesky exams in June >.>)

Right, that's enough for now, I'll update again after I have had my visa interview... hopefully with good news!!!