Monday, September 8, 2008

ICA Training - Orlando

Since I have enjoyed teaching the new hires so much the last two years, I decided to move up a "grade" and signed up to teach new seniors this year. The training is ICA - or In-Charge Auditor. The participants at this training had just been promoted to senior associate and most had two years' of experience. We were at the Loews Portofino in Orlando, which is right at Universal CityWalk. We didn't even need a cab to get there as there were water taxi's that left every 15 minutes or so. Another manager from the Phoenix office also instructed at this training, but unfortunately all of the new seniors in our office had already attended this training in June in LA.
However, there were some experienced seniors at a different Loews hotel just down the road so we met up with them to hang out at night. The highlight of the training was going to Islands of Adventure and Universal. Our room keys acted as fast passes so we were able to get in all of the rides we wanted in 4 hours. It took a lot of running around the park but everyone had fun. Close to the end of the night, we rode The Mummy in Universal which was incredible. Everyone wanted to go on the new Simpson's ride which was almost at the other end of the park. While we were waiting in line for that ride, three of us decided that we were going to run back to The Mummy after we got off the Simpson's and try to get one more ride in. Well, we got to the entrance of The Mummy, and the guy told us the ride was closed for the night. I explained to him that it was just the three of us and we had just run all the way across the park and could we please ride. He would not budge. Just as we were going to walk away, another park employee came up and we asked him if we could ride. He said sure but we would have to go in the back way. So, he took us in the stairs at the back entrance of the ride and we got to ride one more time! Afterwards we went to Pat O'Brien's (dueling piano bar) and hung out until midnight. I would have loved to stay until closing but I had to teach the next morning.

Eric, Justin, Lindsay, Gary, Me, Kristin (KSR), Bryant, Penn and Valerie
The group again in front of Dueling Dragons
Valerie and I waiting for the rest of the group to catch up after our second ride on The Mummy.
Pat O'Brien's
Eric and Gary - they did not drink all of this!
Penn and Lindsay
Bryant and Valerie

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