Hi all!
Now that I'm finally done with my post about insurance I can post a few more casual things without feeling incredibly guilty about it. I've still got a few more posts coming about police background checks and my birthday but this quick little update is too exciting to wait any longer.
My visa papers are on their way!
On Thursday night/Friday morning, just after 12am I got an email from FedEx telling me that my package is heading to my house. Since then I've been following its progress and this morning it arrived in NSW. It's set to arrive some time tomorrow so I'll be sitting by the mailbox all day waiting.
Well...Actually I'll be inside making my roommate gifts but my ears will be pricked and my eyes will be peeled for that glorious FedEx logo rolling into my driveway.
- Lily
Saturday, November 1, 2014
The Important Stuff: Medical Insurance
Hi all!
So it's time to talk insurance. Having medical insurance is a requirement of the program and in all honesty I'd buy it even if it weren't. The cost of getting medical attention in the US, whether it be a doctor's appointment or a hospital visit, is utterly ridiculous. Being covered in case of emergency is an absolute must. In this post I'm going to talk about the insurance Disney uses and how to get it.
If you're not inclined to read this whole post my video on medical insurance can be found here.
Firstly, let's go over the medical insurance a bit. In previous years Disney would send participants a list of requirements that their medical insurance must cover and then send them into the world to look for a policy that fits the bill. Apparently that didn't work too well because in the last couple of years the policy has changed.
Now participants are sent a link to a company called HTH Worldwide who have three policies tailor made for Disney cultural exchange program participants. Participants can no longer choose which insurer to go with and MUST purchase insurance through HTH Worldwide. But while you cannot choose your insurer you do still have a few options in terms of price and coverage. HTH Worldwide has three policies that participants can choose from all with varying levels of cover and varying prices.
It is recommended that you choose a level of cover that suits you based on policy features rather than cost. For example, if you use prescription medications these may only be covered by one policy so the cheapest policy might save you money but if your prescriptions are being paid out of pocket it may cost more in the long run. Read the PDS for all three policies and decide which is best for you.
But we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves.
The process of purchasing the medical insurance occurs in three distinct stages:
- Choosing and paying for your policy
- Registering your details online
- Printing out your ID card.
We'll go through these one at a time.
So it's time to talk insurance. Having medical insurance is a requirement of the program and in all honesty I'd buy it even if it weren't. The cost of getting medical attention in the US, whether it be a doctor's appointment or a hospital visit, is utterly ridiculous. Being covered in case of emergency is an absolute must. In this post I'm going to talk about the insurance Disney uses and how to get it.
If you're not inclined to read this whole post my video on medical insurance can be found here.
Firstly, let's go over the medical insurance a bit. In previous years Disney would send participants a list of requirements that their medical insurance must cover and then send them into the world to look for a policy that fits the bill. Apparently that didn't work too well because in the last couple of years the policy has changed.
Now participants are sent a link to a company called HTH Worldwide who have three policies tailor made for Disney cultural exchange program participants. Participants can no longer choose which insurer to go with and MUST purchase insurance through HTH Worldwide. But while you cannot choose your insurer you do still have a few options in terms of price and coverage. HTH Worldwide has three policies that participants can choose from all with varying levels of cover and varying prices.
It is recommended that you choose a level of cover that suits you based on policy features rather than cost. For example, if you use prescription medications these may only be covered by one policy so the cheapest policy might save you money but if your prescriptions are being paid out of pocket it may cost more in the long run. Read the PDS for all three policies and decide which is best for you.
But we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves.
The process of purchasing the medical insurance occurs in three distinct stages:
- Choosing and paying for your policy
- Registering your details online
- Printing out your ID card.
We'll go through these one at a time.
Choosing/Paying For Your Policy:
Right after officially accepting your offer you should receive an email entitled 'Mandatory Medical Insurance'.
The email tells you that, as the title of the email suggests, medical insurance is mandatory and you have to purchase insurance to be able to embark on the program. It also lists in detail the requirements of the insurance policy. You don't really need to pay too much attention because all three of the insurance policies provided by HTH Worldwide meet these requirements so it's not actually possible to buy a policy that doesn't fit the bill.
The email should have a link to the HTH Worldwide Disney specific policy options. Our round of emails did not contain the link though. The site can be easily located but plugging 'HTH Worldwide Disney' into Google.
Once you've followed the link or found it on Google it's time to do some serious thinking. As I mentioned above, carefully consider each option and make sure you choose the one that's right for you. While you're looking at each option keep in mind that you MUST pay for your policy in full. The site lists a monthly rate but you cannot pay monthly.
When you've decided what policy you want, click the lovely green 'Enroll Now' button underneath it. You'll be taken to a page that has some generic terms and conditions on it that you agree to and then you can progress.
The next page lists what you need to fill in the application. This page is really important so pay attention. The first thing you need is the dates that you'll be in the USA. It's important to note that this is NOT the dates of your program. So if you're checking in on the 13th but you're arriving in the USA on the 11th you MUST be covered from the day you arrive. Similarly, you MUST be covered until the day you depart the USA rather than the day you check out of the program. If you are planning on extending just buy enough for the initial stay because it is incredibly easy to add more time to your policy.
The second thing that this page says you need is the Disney campus address. Before you start flapping your arms and shouting 'I don't know that!' (don't worry, I did it too) stop, take a breath, and read on. It's actually listed on the page for your convenience. Write the address down so you've got it when you need it and you're done. Feel free to proceed.
The email should have a link to the HTH Worldwide Disney specific policy options. Our round of emails did not contain the link though. The site can be easily located but plugging 'HTH Worldwide Disney' into Google.
Once you've followed the link or found it on Google it's time to do some serious thinking. As I mentioned above, carefully consider each option and make sure you choose the one that's right for you. While you're looking at each option keep in mind that you MUST pay for your policy in full. The site lists a monthly rate but you cannot pay monthly.
When you've decided what policy you want, click the lovely green 'Enroll Now' button underneath it. You'll be taken to a page that has some generic terms and conditions on it that you agree to and then you can progress.
The next page lists what you need to fill in the application. This page is really important so pay attention. The first thing you need is the dates that you'll be in the USA. It's important to note that this is NOT the dates of your program. So if you're checking in on the 13th but you're arriving in the USA on the 11th you MUST be covered from the day you arrive. Similarly, you MUST be covered until the day you depart the USA rather than the day you check out of the program. If you are planning on extending just buy enough for the initial stay because it is incredibly easy to add more time to your policy.
The second thing that this page says you need is the Disney campus address. Before you start flapping your arms and shouting 'I don't know that!' (don't worry, I did it too) stop, take a breath, and read on. It's actually listed on the page for your convenience. Write the address down so you've got it when you need it and you're done. Feel free to proceed.
On the next page you finally get to start actually filling in some forms. The form asks for your name, date of birth, the Disney campus address, your email address, home country, host country and the dates of your arrival in and departure from the USA. Chuck in your deets, check that they're all correct and you're ready to move on.
The next page asks for your payment information so you can pay for your policy. Make sure there's enough money in your account to cover not only the cost of the policy but also the conversion, conversion fee and tax. Once you've checked and double checked your details you can hop on over to the next page which is.....
Payment confirmation! You have just bought yourself insurance for your trip. You should print a copy of this page for your records before you quit the window. You'll also receive an email that confirms your payment and lists your policy details. You've successfully completed stage one of the insurance process.
The next page asks for your payment information so you can pay for your policy. Make sure there's enough money in your account to cover not only the cost of the policy but also the conversion, conversion fee and tax. Once you've checked and double checked your details you can hop on over to the next page which is.....
Payment confirmation! You have just bought yourself insurance for your trip. You should print a copy of this page for your records before you quit the window. You'll also receive an email that confirms your payment and lists your policy details. You've successfully completed stage one of the insurance process.
Registering Online:
After a little while (I waited around an hour) you'll receive another email from HTH Worldwide telling you to register on their website. This email actually contains its own instructions that are quite reliable but I'll continue anyway just in case.
Before you click the link in the email you are told to print a copy of the email. At the moment I'm not 100% sure why this is but it specifically asks you to do it so it's probably best to just listen and print it.
Follow the link to a page that asks for your email address and if you're signing in for the first time. Once you've filled in the right details click 'sign in' to head to the next page. On the next page you are asked for your certificate number, your name and your policy end date. You then have to confirm your login details and address.
Before you click the link in the email you are told to print a copy of the email. At the moment I'm not 100% sure why this is but it specifically asks you to do it so it's probably best to just listen and print it.
Follow the link to a page that asks for your email address and if you're signing in for the first time. Once you've filled in the right details click 'sign in' to head to the next page. On the next page you are asked for your certificate number, your name and your policy end date. You then have to confirm your login details and address.
After you've made sure all of your details are correct you should be done with your registration and stage two of the process.
Printing ID Card:
You'll receive a final email from HTH that confirms your registration and lists a whole bunch of actions you can take now that you have an account. One of the options, and the only one we care about at the moment, is 'Print your ID Card'. If you click this link and log in to your account you'll be taken to a page that lists your policy and its details.
Over to the right, under Print Docs, it lists ID Card as a printable option. Click that and it will open up a PDF version of your ID Card which you can then print. It's also a good idea to save a copy of this to your computer just in case. Once you've printed a physical copy of the card you've completed stage three of the process and you're all done with insurance.
Over to the right, under Print Docs, it lists ID Card as a printable option. Click that and it will open up a PDF version of your ID Card which you can then print. It's also a good idea to save a copy of this to your computer just in case. Once you've printed a physical copy of the card you've completed stage three of the process and you're all done with insurance.
- Lily
P.s. Posts about police checks and my birthday are coming. Eventually.
P.s. Posts about police checks and my birthday are coming. Eventually.
Monday, October 27, 2014
A Quick Update & Insurance
Hi all!
Sorry I've been so slow with uploading. I've got a heap of stuff going at the moment between school and work and personal projects so I've had minimal time to blog. I have been keeping up to date with my vlogs though surprisingly.
I will be making a full length post about insurance like my one on accepting your offer but it might take a few days/weeks. In the meantime, if you need help with insurance now, I made a video about it a week or two ago. Go have a watch and I promise my written explanation is on it's way.
- Lily
Sorry I've been so slow with uploading. I've got a heap of stuff going at the moment between school and work and personal projects so I've had minimal time to blog. I have been keeping up to date with my vlogs though surprisingly.
I will be making a full length post about insurance like my one on accepting your offer but it might take a few days/weeks. In the meantime, if you need help with insurance now, I made a video about it a week or two ago. Go have a watch and I promise my written explanation is on it's way.
- Lily
Monday, October 20, 2014
Important Stuff: Your Offer
Hi all!
In this post we'll go through receiving your offer and what you need to do to accept it. Before we begin though if you'd prefer to watch me talk rather than read all this information then my video on accepting your offer is below.
Let's get right to it!
So you check your emails and you see this:
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS. Take a minute to freak out, call your family, cry a little. It's all justified and very normal. But once you've gotten over the excitement it's time to get down to business. Your email should look a little something like this:
Now a lot of the stuff in this email is very important. So let's take catalog, shall we?
Firstly, it lists the things you have to do. 1) Accept your offer. 2) Upload your documents.
It also gives you a very definite time limit of 14 days. You have two weeks to complete those two steps or Disney will think you are no longer interested and pull you from the program.
Thirdly, it tells you that once you get to your offer letter you MUST print out a copy for you to use when you apply for your visa.
And lastly, it contains a link to the Offer Portal.
After you've read through the email and made sure you understand then you can click the Offer Portal link. This will open a page where you have to click on another link. This entire process involves a lot and a LOT of link clicking.
A little window will pop up and display your offers. There isn't much of importance here except over on the right it will state the date that your offer portal will expire. After this date you can no longer access the offer letter so you need to make absolutely sure that you've printed/downloaded everything you need before the portal expires.
The offer letter has a lot of important information in it including: your arrival and departure dates, your pay rate, your role, insurance requirements, visa policy, background check policy, International Recruiting's contact details and legal conditions of employment.
The offer letter also contains a link to the immigration documents. I strongly advise that you print these or download them as the last three pages are a step by step instructions to completing the visa process. If your offer letter expired before you got the chance to view it I have hosted a copy of the immigration documents here.
Once you've had a good read of your offer letter and the immigration documents you can scroll down and, using the drop down list and confirmation box, accept your offer.
Once you have accepted your offer Disney will add two new items to your DOC. These DO NOT have to uploaded within the 14 days.
If there is anything wrong with/missing from your DOC, Disney will send you an email urging you to fix the problem and upload the documents required before the 14 day window closes.
For more information on what to do for DOC my post on it is here.
In this post we'll go through receiving your offer and what you need to do to accept it. Before we begin though if you'd prefer to watch me talk rather than read all this information then my video on accepting your offer is below.
Let's get right to it!
So you check your emails and you see this:
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS. Take a minute to freak out, call your family, cry a little. It's all justified and very normal. But once you've gotten over the excitement it's time to get down to business. Your email should look a little something like this:
Now a lot of the stuff in this email is very important. So let's take catalog, shall we?
Firstly, it lists the things you have to do. 1) Accept your offer. 2) Upload your documents.
It also gives you a very definite time limit of 14 days. You have two weeks to complete those two steps or Disney will think you are no longer interested and pull you from the program.
Thirdly, it tells you that once you get to your offer letter you MUST print out a copy for you to use when you apply for your visa.
And lastly, it contains a link to the Offer Portal.
Accept Your Offer:
After you've read through the email and made sure you understand then you can click the Offer Portal link. This will open a page where you have to click on another link. This entire process involves a lot and a LOT of link clicking.
A little window will pop up and display your offers. There isn't much of importance here except over on the right it will state the date that your offer portal will expire. After this date you can no longer access the offer letter so you need to make absolutely sure that you've printed/downloaded everything you need before the portal expires.
The offer letter has a lot of important information in it including: your arrival and departure dates, your pay rate, your role, insurance requirements, visa policy, background check policy, International Recruiting's contact details and legal conditions of employment.
The offer letter also contains a link to the immigration documents. I strongly advise that you print these or download them as the last three pages are a step by step instructions to completing the visa process. If your offer letter expired before you got the chance to view it I have hosted a copy of the immigration documents here.
Once you've had a good read of your offer letter and the immigration documents you can scroll down and, using the drop down list and confirmation box, accept your offer.
Upload Your Documents:
Let's be abundantly clear here. The only documents that you need to upload within the 14 day period are the five documents that Disney has already asked you for. These are:
- Address information
- Emergency contact information
- Visa appointment information (only where the consulate is)
- Proof Of Student Status Form
- Passport scan
Once you have accepted your offer Disney will add two new items to your DOC. These DO NOT have to uploaded within the 14 days.
If there is anything wrong with/missing from your DOC, Disney will send you an email urging you to fix the problem and upload the documents required before the 14 day window closes.
For more information on what to do for DOC my post on it is here.
Next Step To Accept:
Around an hour and a half after you've accepted your offer through your offer letter you will receive another email from Disney that looks a little something like this:
This is the second and last email that contains steps to be completed within the 14 days. If you've already accepted your offer in the offer letter (which you will have if you've received this email) and uploaded your documents then paying the program assessment fee is the last thing you must do within the 14 days for you to have officially accepted your offer.
This email contains a few important pieces of information. Firstly, your candidate ID number. Secondly, the link to the site where you pay your fees. And lastly, a repetition of the deadline just in case you've forgotten.
This email contains a few important pieces of information. Firstly, your candidate ID number. Secondly, the link to the site where you pay your fees. And lastly, a repetition of the deadline just in case you've forgotten.
Submit Your Program Fees:
Once you've read over the email and maybe even taken note of your Candidate ID you can go ahead and click the link (there are those damn links again).
You'll be taken to a page where you have to log in using your last name and Candidate ID.
The next page asks you for your gender. At one stage in the application you were asked your gender but you weren't obligated to supply it. Here you must provide your gender to proceed.
On the next page you are asked for your card details and billing address. You only need to fill in your billing address if it is different to the residential address you have already supplied to Disney.
On the next page you are asked for your card details and billing address. You only need to fill in your billing address if it is different to the residential address you have already supplied to Disney.
If your payment is accepted then you'll be taken to a confirmation page. You MUST print this and bring it to check-in. You should also receive an email with similar confirmation information in it.
Welcome To The Team!
If you've accepted your offer, payed your fees and uploaded all of the necessary documents then you will receive your 'Welcome to the Team' email.
Congratulations! You've officially accepted your offer.
This email also has links to the Onboarding website where you can view anything from information on housing complexes to the Disney Look guidelines but you can read these at your leisure. For the moment just revel in the excitement that you are officially on your way to being a Disney cast member.
- Lily
P.s. On the same day I accepted my offer I also bought my health insurance and ordered a police background check. Both of which I will cover in the coming days or weeks.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
AWOL
Hi all!
Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you! I'm just experiencing some trouble with my internet at the moment so my posts might be a bit delayed. I'm working on getting a few posts up when I get to my dad's on Tuesday (his wifi isn't broken) about accepting the offer and the health insurance. I hope you can bear with me until then :)
- Lily
Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you! I'm just experiencing some trouble with my internet at the moment so my posts might be a bit delayed. I'm working on getting a few posts up when I get to my dad's on Tuesday (his wifi isn't broken) about accepting the offer and the health insurance. I hope you can bear with me until then :)
- Lily
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Roommate Survey
Background
Name: Elizabeth HolzNickname/s: Lily (If you call me Elizabeth you're dead to me)
Gender: Female
Orientation: Straight
Birthday/Age: October 3, 1993
Relationship Status: Single
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
Current Location: Melbourne, Australia
School: RMIT
Degree/Course of Study: Advanced Diploma of Professional Screenwriting
Are you allergic/have allergies to anything? Yuppers. All creatures that come from the sea and pineapple. Nothing too crazy though. They just make me ill in the tummy.
Other important medical conditions/information: Nope.
Food requirements (vegetarian, vegan, coeliac etc): Nope.
Do you have any siblings? Yes, one younger brother.
Do you have or fears or phobias? Spiders. So much so I should probably seek help. To a lesser degree I'm also terrified of heights and deep water but nothing compared to how much I'm afraid of spiders. In fact, let's stop talking about spiders, shall we?
Have you ever lived out of home before? Nope. I'm a first time home leaver.
Program Details
Arrival Date: Jan 13th, 2015
Role: Merchandise
What city/airport are you flying from? Melbourne, Tullamarine.
Wellness or Non-Wellness? Non-Wellness.
How many people do you want to live with? 6. I'm a more the merrier type of gal but I think 8 might just be a little too merry.
Which housing complex would you like to live in? (list in order of preference)
Honestly I don't mind the complex. As long as I have good roommates I'll just go with whatever they want. But if I had to choose:
1. Chatham
2. Commons
3. Vista
4. Patterson
How do you feel about bunk beds/3-person bedrooms? I don't mind living in a room with two other people but the bunk thing doesn't sit well with me. I'd be fine to take the bottom bunk if necessary but the top is a no-no. An accompaniment to my spider phobia is a tendency to be anxious when I'm too close to a ceiling. (It makes no sense, I know. Phobias are irrational after all)
Are you planning on applying to extend to 12 months? Definitely applying to extend.
Lifestyle
Do you party? How often? Not at all.
Do you smoke? Nope.
Do you drink? Nopety nope.
Can you cook? A little. I have a few fallback things that I know how to cook (Dad's spaghetti and meatballs recipe is always a winner) but I'm really keen to learn more about food and cooking on a budget while on the program.
Are you a night person or morning person? Definitely night. Especially in a creative capacity my brain seems to only fully switch on when the sun goes down.
Do you snore? I don't believe so.
What does your bedroom normally look like? A bit of a lot of a mess. Though most of that mess stems from the abundant amount of junk I own. Hopefully when I'm on the program and my life has been stripped back to the bare minimum of material possessions I won't have anything to make a mess with.
Do you like it when your room is hot or cold? Warm. Though my interpretation of warm is some people's interpretation of hot.
Do you prefer light or darkness when you sleep? I'll own up to the fact that I do have a low wattage light on when I sleep (Fear of the dark is another side effect of the spider thing). But I'm trying to phase it out and learn to sleep with the light off so I won't bug my roommates.
Do you prefer music/noise or silence when you sleep? I can sleep through pretty much anything so I don't really mind. I don't need music on when I sleep but I also probably wouldn't notice if it's playing either.
Would you rather go out or stay in? Down in Melbs I like to stay in but that's purely because there's not much to do and petrol ain't cheap. At Disney World I'll definitely be going out every opportunity I get whether it be hanging out with friends, going to the parks or just going for a walk. I'm up for whatever.
What do you like to do on your days off/the weekend? Currently on my days off I like to write, catch up with friends, watch movies, watch youtube videos, go for walks around the block and bother the neighbors with my horrendous singing.
Do you work out a lot? Not at all. I'm deceptively unfit.
What is your favourite chore? Anything that I can do while singing to entertain myself (don't worry, if you're sleeping I'll just lip sync very dramatically).
What is your least favourite chore? Dusting/De-cob webbing (for obvious reasons).
Personality
Three words that describe you: Passionate, excitable, up too late to think of a third word that's not 'Disney'.
One good quality: I think my good quality is that I'm passionate about what I love.
One bad quality:Probably that I don't think things through. Whether it's something as simple as cutting my hair or something with a bit more of a consequence, I can often be a bit more on the 'leap before you look' side of things.
Are you outgoing or quiet? Definitely not quiet. I might take a little while to become comfortable with people but even in the initial stage I can be a bit full on.
Do you like hanging out with people or keeping to yourself? Definitely hanging out with people.
What would you want in a roommate? Looking for someone who is ready for some Disney fun! I really want a roommate who will come to the parks with me as much as possible. Someone who is keen to make the most out of the experience and is willing to take on a partner in crime.
What are your biggest pet peeves/dislikes? People who do things for their own personal gain and don't stop to think how it will effect other people.
Are you messy or organized? I'm pretty organised when it comes to the important stuff and I get pretty annoyed when things end up where they shouldn't be. My room is a bit of a mess but I always seem to know where everything is. Not the first to say it and certainly won't be the last but organized chaos is how I roll. Like I said before though, when I don't have years worth of junk cluttering my room I'm confident that I'll be able to keep everything organised.
How do you feel about sharing a room and apartment? Super excited to share. I'm really excited about meeting my roommates, forming strong friendships and going on all kinds of adventures, good or bad.
Do you like having people over a lot? Not at home, no. If I do make friends on the program outside my roommates I'd have them over for dinner or movie nights but nothing too crazy or too frequent.
What are your hobbies and/or interests? Film and television, making/watching youtube videos, writing, singing poorly. Am I repeating myself yet?
Favourites
Favourite thing to do:One thing? Probably writing. Or watching movies. Damn that's two things.
Favourite Music:I don't often listen to music that's not Disney but when I do it's any of the following: Soundtracks to musicals e.g. Phantom, Chess, Wicked, Les Mis, West Side Story, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Cats Don't Dance (musical movies still count right?) or, very occasionally, normal music e.g. Wintersleep, Two Hours Traffic, The Danks.
Favourite TV Shows: X-Files, Veronica Mars, Gravity Falls, NCIS, Suits, Sleepy Hollow.
Favourite Movies: Clue, Rock and Rule, The Mummy, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Becoming Jane, The Lego Movie.
Favourite Food: Either pasta or dumplings. Don't make me choose.
Favourite Candy:Sour cola bottles
Favourite Drink:Coke or Earl Grey tea.
Favourite Colour: Blue.
Disney!
Favourite Character:Bernard
Favourite Princess: Ariel or Aurora
Favourite Movie:One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Wreck-It Ralph, The Rescuers, Newsies.
Favourite Park: I've not been to Disney World yet but probably Magic Kingdom. I just love rides and it has the most.
Favourite Ride:At Disneyland my favorite ride was Matterhorn Bobsleds. My favourite ride prediction for Disney World is a toss up between Haunted Mansion, Tower of Terror and Expedition Everest.
Shameless Plug
Hi all!
Since I've been accepted it's finally time for me to start posting the videos I've been filming since the week after I applied. If you want to check out my videos I've included the very first one here and I'll add a link to my channel in the tabs as well. Enjoy!
- Lily
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