#Disney College Program 2017

[jimseung]

about the mun - al ✨

(non-animated v.)

hi. i'm al. i'm in my 30s. i use he/she/they pronouns. i'm a queer filipino doofus who lives on o‘ahu, hawai‘i (gmt-10). i'm demigender, demiromantic, demisexual and in a relationship. i am a pocket-sized extrovert and will yap a lot if you let me.

i work full time as an art teacher + program coordinator. it sounds super serious, but i mostly work with kids; however, i've taught all ages — my oldest student (that i know of) was 92 while my youngest was 3 years old.

(that means i do draw sometimes for personal reasons. which is very rare. so that doodle up there is a lucky occurrence tbh LMAO. i just wanted to make something silly for munday tbh)

i started rping on tumblr in 2011 as aladdin. met some of my closest rpc friends @queenrumi & @travmsoldat through that blog uwu. i'm currently active over on @bolinity and @kingwu as well as this blog. before tumblr i rped on old bbcode forums like gaiaonline and on AIM (really dating myself there lol)

i like cosplaying. i'm not a pro, but i love the craft and trying to make things as screen accurate as possible. youtube is a blessing when trying to make new things lol. it's been wild to see how much cosplay's community and resources have grown since i "officially" started in 2016 (i made things before that, but not as seriously)

i enjoy theme parks. i used to work at walt disney world as a character attendant through the disney college program in 2012. as far as disney resorts go, i've been to walt disney world in orlando (obvi), disneyland in anaheim, tokyo disneyland resort, and disneyland resort paris. honestly i just also really love roller coasters (and other thrill rides) in general; we have a huge lack of them in hawai‘i — and no, hawaiian roller coaster ride does not count. i've been to universal studios in both hollywood and orlando, knott's berry farm, six flags magic mountain, and efteling in the netherlands.

i really enjoy ttrpgs, either playing in, watching, or listening to them. i mostly have experience in dnd 5e, which i started playing in 2021, but have been listening to live play podcasts since 2017. i have a bias with bards (kpdh is a bard movie tbhhh). i'm currently playing a fighter/swords bard who has 7 int in my current 5e campaign and am also approaching the fabula ultima system. PLEASE feel free to talk to me about your characters if you also play 👀

last thing - i barely know kpop things i'm so sorry i'm a fraud gksfdgsd don't look at me. the only thing i can claim to know is i can identify the bts members by name and face and voice because i have friends who are army but that's about it kjnsdsgd. i'm more of a podcast person than music person tbh. (i will say dynamite is v much a seratonin song for me though haha)

[twilightown]

I'm so sorry if you've answered this question a hundred times already but I'm genuinely so curious: what was it like working at Disney?? (also who were you👀) I've followed you for years and somehow never knew you used to be a cast member? But that's so neat and I would love to know more!!!!

You just made my day asking this, thank you 🥹

So I did the Disney College Program in (I'm old) 2015 & 2017. Quick summary: DCP is an internship opportunity for college students. It's made in mind for hospitality majors, but any college students can go when the applications are open.

I sold pretzels, popcorn and ice cream in Studios in 2015. In 2017, I was a character attendant. I extended that program and went to Tomorrowland Speedway.

Literal dream come true.

It's one of those places where your perspective decides your experience. It's a huge corporation - and they act it. Some people thrive in it and some people hate that. I respect either parties. It's not an easy job, you gotta work ha. One of the busiest places on the planet, crazy and entitled guests, you literally sign NDAs before your first day...

But you do get to witness the magic. The kiddo's faces light up when they see their favorite character. The laughter and giggles after a roller coaster. The tears of walking through the gates. The surprise of wait, Mickey can talk?? (Well, he used to in 2017 anyway.) That's what I took away from it. I think it's why I want to go back so badly. To be a part of it all again.

My dream job is a VIP tour guide. Tout around people who paid $800 an hour to hear your facts, info, and to get to the front of the lines. You get to join them on rides occasionally. 1/4 of the time it's a celebrity of some sort. I'd also settle for a Traditions leader - Disney orientation. Very teacher vibe I'd fit in with well. (They hand out the NDAs lol.)

If you're considering it, do it at least for your resume. I've gotten so many opportunities because I went for it.

[writemarcus]

Playwrights Set for THE FIRE THIS TIME Festival 7th Cycle Of New Works Lab

The seventh cycle began in October 2024 and will meet monthly through May 2025.

By: Chloe Rabinowitz Oct. 24, 2024

The Fire This Time Festival, an annual festival of new work by playwrights of African and African-American descent, has revealed that playwrights Melda Beaty (2022 International Black Theatre Festival's Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin Rolling World Premiere Award for "Coconut Cake"), Rachel Herron (2022-2023 resident playwright with Colt Coeur), and Marcus Scott (Princess Grace Award finalist) have been selected to develop full-length plays in the seventh cycle of their New Works Lab. The seventh cycle began in October 2024 and will meet monthly through May 2025.

In 2015 The Fire This Time established The Fire This Time Writers' Group with the mission to provide TFTT alumni and writers from the TFTT community the opportunity to develop new work in a nurturing and supportive environment. In 2017, the initiative was renamed the New Works Lab. From its inception to the present, the lab has been co-directed by educator and playwright Cynthia Grace Robinson ("Letters From Loretta," "Freedom Summer" "What If?" "Dancing on Eggshells") and A.J. Muhammad, a producer with TFTT. Funding for the 7th cycle of the New Works Lab was made possible by generous support from The Black Seed Fund.

Since its launch, over twenty playwrights have developed work in the New Works Lab including Kendra Augustin, Ngozi Anyanwu, France-Luce Benson, Kim Brockington, Tyrell Bennett, Christine Jean Chambers, Edgar Chisholm, Adrienne Dawes, Danielle Davenport, Khalil Kain, Jay Mazyck, Maia Matsushita, Liz Morgan, Shawn Nabors, Deneen Reynolds-Knott, T.R. Riggins, James Anthony Tyler, William Watkins, Shamar S. White, Mars Wolfe, and Antu Yacob.

Melda Beaty is an enthusiastic playwright of eight stage plays: "Front Porch Society," "Coconut Cake," "Thirty," "The Lawsons: A Civil Rights Love Story," "Feebleminded," "COVID Be Damned," "Gaslight Garden" and "Guess What's for Dinner?" Her plays have enjoyed national productions and/or recognition. Most recently, she received the 2022 International Black Theatre Festival's Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin Rolling World Premiere Award for her stage play, "Coconut Cake." The play will receive five professional productions between 2024-2025. She was also a 2021 Confluence Fellow with the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. In addition, Melda is the author of two books. When not writing, she serves on the Board of Directors for the August Wilson Society and as a contributing editor for Black Masks magazine. Melda resides in Chicago, Illinois with her three talented daughters and is an assistant professor of English at Olive-Harvey Community College. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her graduate degree from Illinois State University.

Rachel Herron is a Black, queer, multidisciplinary artist residing in Brooklyn. She is currently a company member of Colt Coeur Theater, where she was a 2022-2023 resident playwright. Her plays include "It's Only a High School Reunion" (Live and In Color 24 Hour Festival), "Red Red Wine" (Fire This Time Festival 13th annual Ten-Minute Play Program), and "Token" (O'Neill Center Semifinalist). Additionally, her playwriting portfolio has landed her as a finalist for the WP Theater Lab and a semi-finalist for the June Bingham Commission with Live and In Color. She's written several original pilots, of which she was named a CBS Writers Mentoring Program finalist (2019), a Mentorship Matters semifinalist (2021), and a two-time Disney Writing Program finalist (2022 and 2023). She is a mentee in the #startwith8 program for women of color trying to break into television writing. She wrote, directed, and starred in a short film called IDOL CHASER, which premiered in Fall 2024 at Katra Film Series and took home the Audience Choice Award. Her satirical writing is featured on McSweeney's Internet Tendency. She received a BFA in Drama from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

Marcus Scott is a dramatist and journalist. Full-length works: TUMBLEWEED (finalist: 2017 BAPF & 2017 Austin Playhouse Festival of New American Plays; semifinalist: 2022 O'Neill NPC, 2022 Blue Ink Playwriting Award & 2017 Princess Grace Award), SIBLING RIVALRIES (finalist: 2023 Normal Ave's NAPseries, 2021 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference & 2021 Judith Royer Excellence In Playwriting Award; semi-finalist: 2022 Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival, 2021 Blue Ink Playwriting Award & 2021 Princess Grace Award), THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD (finalist: 2023 Princess Grace Award, 2023 Blue Ink Playwriting Award; semifinalist: 2024 BAPF, 2024 Fault Line Theater's Irons in the Fire & 2024 O'Neill NPC), CHERRY BOMB (recipient: 2017 Drama League First Stage Artist-In-Residence). Heartbeat Opera commissioned Scott to adapt Beethoven's FIDELIO (Co-writer; Met Live Arts at the MET Museum, NY Times Critics' Pick). Scott is the recipient of the Chelsey/Bumbalo Playwriting Award (2024). He is a finalist for the 2024-2025 Dramatists Guild Foundation National Fellows Program, 2022 Many Voices Fellowship, 2021 NYSAF Founders' Award and is a 2021 Doric Wilson Independent Playwright Award semi-finalist. His articles appeared in Architectural Digest, Time Out New York, American Theatre Magazine, Playbill, Elle, Out, Essence, The Brooklyn Rail, among others. MFA: NYU Tisch.

The Fire This Time Festival was founded in 2009 by playwright and producer Kelley Girod to provide a platform for playwrights of African and African-American descent to write and produce evocative material for diverse audiences. Since the debut of the first 10-minute play program in 2010, presented in collaboration with FRIGID New York, The Fire This Time Festival has has produced and developed the work of more than 90 playwrights including Katori Hall, Dominique Morisseau, Radha Blank, Antoinette Nwandu, Jocelyn Bioh, korde arrington tuttle, Stacey Rose, Aziza Barnes, C.A. Johnson, Kevin R. Free, Charly Evon Simpson, Angelica Cheri, James Anthony Tyler, Jordan Cooper, Nathan Yungerberg, Nia A. Robinson, and Cris Eli Blak.

The Fire This Time's first anthology, "25 Plays from The Fire This Time Festival: A Decade of Recognition, Resistance, Rebirth, and Black Theater" edited by Kelley Girod was released by Bloomsbury Publishing in February 2022. www.firethistimefestival.com

FRIGID New York's mission is to provide both emerging and established artists the opportunity to create and produce original work of varied content, form, and style, and to amplify their diverse voices. We do this by presenting an array of monthly programming, mainstage productions, an artist residency, and eight annual theater festivals that create an environment of collaboration, resourcefulness, and innovation. Founded in 1998, the aim was and is to form a structure, allowing multiple artists to focus on creating and staging new work and providing affordable rental space to scores of independent artists. Now in our third decade we have produced a massive quantity of stimulating downtown theater. www.frigid.nyc

[hex-inthecity]

If you are doing the Disney college program and also vlogging it hit me up! I have been vlogging my program for a while now and i haven’t met other Youtubers and I want to meet some. So send me a message or something so I can meet you.

[diary-of-a-disneyprincess]

best day at work ever!!!!!

The other day at work I the best interaction with a family and it really made my whole day! At the beginning of my day a family came in and started asking questions about pin trading and I spent about twenty minutes talking with them and picking out what they needed to start pint trading. They were the sweetest family and once they had everything they needed to start pin trading, they traded pins with me for the first time. Fast forward to later in the night and the family came back because the daughter wanted to show me what they had traded for during the day! It was so sweet of them to come back to see me and the daughter even wanted to take a picture with me! At this point I was pretty close to tears with how happy I was. I really wanted to do something special for the daughter since she really brightened up my day, so I created a magical moment and let her pick out a pin and it was going to be on Mickey. After they left I couldn’t stop smiling, they were so sweet and I was so happy I was able to do something special for them. 

[lolsomeone-actually]

DCP Fall 2017 ROOMIE SURVEYYY

Okay I copy and pasted this from the Facebook post I made and not gonna lie I felt awkward as fuck posting this but OH WELL here it is my Tumblr people pls pls pls hit me up if u is doing the same time as me! ILY ALL XOXO HELLO BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE here is my roomie survey! Feel free to hit me up or talk to me!! I don't mind I like makin new friends and recently got accepted yesterday for the PhotoPass Photographer role! Im currently a senior and will be graduating this spring OH SNAP but YAS okay here is my info also Dates are 8/07-1/04 😁🤘🏽 name: Larissa Phan Gender: female lol Orientation: straight Relationship Status: single🤷🏻‍♀️ Birthday/Age: 5/23 and I'm 21 Current Location: lynnwood WA From: Seattle WA School: University of Washington Bothell Major: Interactive Media Design Are you allergic/allergies to anything? Nope Do you have any siblings? 3 sisters in the youngest DCP DETAILS Are you applying for WDW or DL? WDW Flying or Driving: Flying Your Role?: PhotoPass Photographer Do you want to live in Wellness or Non-Wellness? Okay I might sound dumb rn but idk what this means 😅 How many people do you want to live with? Pretty flexible idc like 2-whatever HHa Which housing complex would you like to live in?: Vista sounds chill, read a bit about the others and like I said don't really mind haha Alumni? Nah LIFESTYLE Do you party? How often? Eh I like to get low every now and then- as in dancing but my partying phase sorta passed :/ Do you smoke? Nope Do you drink? Nope Can you cook? If you like chicken, pasta, and like Asian food, I gotchu also spice and rice is life Are you a night person or morning person? Both surprisingly Do you snore? No yikes What does your bedroom normally look like? Fabuloussss jk, but actually tho, I try to keep it tidy and cute Do you like it when your room is hot or cold? I prefer cold 😅 Would you rather go out or stay in? Both! There are days when I just wanna stay in and read or watch Netflix or draw and other days I wanna go out and explore or go on adventures aka getting coffee and stuff lmao What do you like to do on your days off/the weekend? Hang out w the friends, shopping, eating, doing something new haha Do you work out a lot? I'm trying to! Gotta stay healthy yknow! But I do get lazy every now and then lawl PERSONALITY Three words that describe you: happy, funny, fierce lol bonus: woke One good quality: I'm a people person, I can pretty get along w anyone One bad quality: I can sometimes get impatient 😅 Are you outgoing or quiet? Outgoing as heck Do you like hanging out with people or keeping to yourself? Both, I think it's nice to have company but there are days when you just wanna be alone and have "me time" What would you want in a roommate? Hm tbh someone that just cleans after themselves and doesn't mind meeting or making new friends haha and yeah that's all I got right now haha What are your biggest pet peeves/dislikes? Yikes I really hate smacking it's a huge pet peeve and I don't like immaturity Are you messy or organized? Mixture of both depending on what ahah How do you feel about sharing? SHARING IS CARING! But def ask if you like wanna borrow something or want something and we're good hah Do you like having people over a lot? I don't mind but obvi be considerate of others and their time if like you're having a get together Favorite thing to do: omg so much things haha I LOVEEEE going to the beach, reading, dancing, watching tv and movies, and lots of other things! Haha Favorite Music: classic rock, r&b, pop and rap Favorite TV Shows: omg I love watching tv shows, rn im watching supernatural, I love bones, PLL until everyone became A basically, Bobs burgers, Rupauls drag race, Jane by design, vanderpump rules, teen wolf, love and hip hop Atlanta, chopped lol, and lots more! Haha (damn I just noticed I type haha a lot woops) Favorite Movies:Transformers, she's the man, inglorious bastards, Jurassic park!(have any of y'all ever seen that video where like it's a harmonica version of the Jurassic song?? ITS FUCKING HILARIOUS), coraline, mighty ducks, heavy weights, and MOREEEE Favorite Food: pasta yaaaas Favorite Candy: *that guy in spongebob* CHOCOLATE Favorite Drink: water??¿¿ Favorite Color: light real blue💁🏻 DISNEY!! Favorite Character: Mulan/rapunzel Favorite Movie: The Mighty Ducks hah HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL Favorite Disney Channel Show:that's so raven! Lizzie McGuire, even Stevens, Hannah Montana, like literally like all the tv shows from 99'-09' Favorite Park: I love it all tbh Favorite Ride: splash mountain cause I LIVE for the photos that people come up with haha OTHER Anything Else You Want Your Roommates To Know: I'm really nice and funny and love meeting new people and please please please don't hesitate to talk to me! Hope y'all having a great day/night and stay fab!

[madison-on-mainstreet]

Don’t Panic if You’re In Submission

From a DCP Alum, I just wanted to tell all the DCP hopefuls out there that just because you’re in submission doesn’t mean it’s over.  Literally EVERYONE who applies is in submission at some point, some just stay there longer than others.

I was in submission at some point in this process the last time I did the DCP and I got in!  I was pushed through to my interview very quickly this time but I honestly think it’s because I’m an alumni, but even then there was a brief time where I was in submission.  The point is, don’t panic.  lots of people apply for the program so it takes HR a long time just to look at everyone.  remember to stay positive and don’t let the anxiety of the process get to you.

Also, I am sending major pixie dust to you all!

✨✨✨

[discribbles]

7 Ways to Distract Yourself From the Fact That Your College Program is Ending

1. Just full on deny it’s happening.

What program? I’m not on a program? It’s not ending? I LIVE HERE THIS IS MY HOME NOW I’M SETTING UP A TENT IN THE ROOKERY

(Pro tip: Make friends with people who also refuse to acknowledge that you’re leaving! Group mentality denial is the strongest sort of denial!)

2. Drink. 

Go take shots with your work friends when you finish your shift, because you can’t cry if the tequila dehydrates you enough.

(Please be advised that this particular tactic can backfire.)

3. Ignore responsibilities & problems back home. 

If you just refuse to acknowledge all the problems you’re gonna have in 3 weeks time when you go home then the problems don’t exist! Right? Right.  

4. Go watch the fireworks.

Pretend this is how much you’ve cried at Happily Ever After all year! You are having a perfectly normal reaction!!! No one look at me when Mufasa’s part starts to blend with "I Can Go the Distance” okay!!! I’M FINE!!! 

5. Half heartedly post things you don’t use on the College Program Trading Post page.

Then remove them as soon as people start offering to buy your things because they’re YOUR THINGS FROM WHEN YOU LIVED AT DISNEY AND THEY CAN’T HAVE THEM.

6. Go shopping.

Just because you can only take 1 suitcase home but you have enough crap to fill about 8 of them doesn’t mean you CAN’T buy more things. It just means you SHOULDN’T. And if your roommate is a BAD INFLUENCE like MINE IS then THIS HAPPENS. 

7. Straight up just refuse to pack.

Packing shows the world that you’ve accepted the end of your program. Be like me! Pour the entire contents of your life onto your shared bedroom floor to “begin packing” and then leave it there indefinitely.

I suppose what I’m trying to say, is that the idea of leaving my life here, and my home at Disney, isn’t something I want to face yet.

I have just over 2 weeks of my program left. 

2 weeks of living with Sarah.

2 weeks of adventures with my Pandora family. 

2 weeks of Rookery rotations and drum circles and being the Unwilling Mayor of Windtraders. 2 weeks left of being able to go to Magic Kingdom whenever I want. 2 more weeks of dancing badly in Move It Shake It. 2 weeks of bus D&M’s with Liv. 

I have 2 weeks left of being a Disney Cast Member.  

So I guess I better make them count. 

[twilightown]

My Disney College Program was 7 & 5 years ago :(

[magickingdomqueen]

Disney College Program Advice

I thought I’d share just a bit of advice from my experience at Disney World on the DCP Fall 2017

1. It will seem overwhelming the first few weeks

When you first arrive on your program, a lot of information is going to be thrown at you between housing and work. You’ll arrive at housing, meet your roommates, attend housing meetings, Traditions, training at Disney University, and then you’ll get to start training at your work location. A lot happens in a short amount of time, but during your free time you’ll be able to hang out by the pool, bond with your roommates, or walk around Disney Springs until you get your admission into the parks. It’s all so exciting because your dreams are finally coming true! I’m guilty of crying at Traditions because I couldn’t believe everything I had imagined was unfolding right in front of me. So while everything may seem hectic at first, try to absorb it all and live in the moment.

2. Spend time with roommates and work friends

You’re going to meet a lot of people. A LOT. But these are people that will leave such an impact on your life, it’ll seem like you’ve known them for longer than just a couple of months. During my program, I made the most amazing friends I could ever ask for. I’m so thankful to Disney for bringing them into my life. They all relate to what you’re going through. Everyone is away from home, working long hours, and also trying to take in as much as they can. Before you know it, you’ll have to say bye to these people & it’s not going to be easy. Especially the international friends you make. So while you have the opportunity, hang out with them and live in the moment together. These people are the closest thing you’ll have to family while you’re there.

3. You will encounter rude people, stay calm

Not everyone you meet at Disney is going to be friendly. That can be said for guests or fellow cast members. Some people have off days & some are just rude. Ignore these people & don’t let them get to you. Guests will blame you if they’re having a terrible day, some want you to fix every problem they encounter, some will be impatient, and some will be the furthest thing from understanding. You have to find a way to ignore it when it happens. I had a guest ask me once when I was going to find a real job. Some people just don’t get it, and that’s okay. Move on and don’t let them ruin it for you. The nice guests will outweigh the bad ones, anyway.

4. It will go by SO fast, enjoy it

Many people had told me that the program would fly by, but I wasn’t prepared for how fast it actually went. Of course some days felt like they would never end, but before I knew it I was working my last shift for the Mouse and getting ready to say goodbye to all of the people that have come to mean the world to me. Take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. Work will exhaust you and you’ll feel like you have barely any energy left after your shift, but try to go to the parks or go out with your friends. Working for Disney ensures that you’ll almost never be bored. There’s always something to do so utilize that while you can. Before you know it, you’ll be home and longing for a day sitting on the hub grass at Magic Kingdom thinking to yourself, I can’t believe this is my life.

Have fun & live out your dream! Make friendships that will last a lifetime and memories that will put a smile on your face. Most importantly, know that Disney will always be there to welcome you back home.

[hex-inthecity]

Being so bad never felt so good here on Photopass day! Photopass day did just recently pass in mid-august and it is to celebrate photography and with that special and wicked characters come out. See who I meet in my latest vlog.

[diary-of-a-disneyprincess]

I GET TO DO A BACKSTAGE TOUR OF STAR TOURS!!!!!!

I literally cannot contain my excitement about this!!!!

[philharmagicall]

An appreciation post for the location I will always consider my Disney home. I miss fantasyland more than I can say. I miss looking like a playing card every day. I miss screaming to stay behind the yellow line. I miss watching the fireworks every night. I miss stacking dirty glasses in Fantasy Faire. I even miss operating the carousel. ❤🃏 Peep the improvement on how neat I got at rolling the sleeves

[latenightmagichours]

Some recent Disney adventures! I know I’ve been doing a shabby job of updating my blog, so I’m gonna do a couple of big photo posts the next few days ☺️

[thatdisneydame]

Howdy All!

Goodness gracious I haven’t posted anything since August! That is crazy! I hope y’all didn’t forget about me (hahaha)! 

Well, let me update you guys on my life since August!

1. I started my program by working the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! That was a really cool, and highly stressful experience. I saw some famous instagram faces. I learned a bit about different drinks. Am I a connoisseur, absolutely not. In fact, I still am not a fan of the taste of alcohol, but I know what drinks to pair with certain foods. I can also untap and tap a new keg in like 4 seconds  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

2. After Food and Wine ended I went to my home location in The Magic Kingdom. It was new and different and a different kind of stressful, but I absolutely love it! I love the location, I love my coworkers and I love most of my leaders. There are like 2 I am just not a fan of. I love all of my coordinators though. They are the absolute best and keep our locations running.

3. After a week or so I decided to apply to extend my program, and I got accepted to extend my program. So Disney still has me until May! I just thought about having to leave this place I’ve called home for almost a year now and I almost started crying.

4. My family came to visit me in December! I missed them so much.

5. I may be becoming a trainer at my location in The Magic Kingdom. That is crazy. I’ve only been there for like 3 months and they want me to train? Are they crazy? Truth be told you have to be a little crazy to work at Magic.

6. I cross-trained at the main restaurant in my location. I had a leader say they would have brought me there even earlier if they could. That made me feel good inside.

7. I am going to be cross-training at ESPN Wide World of Sports next week! I’m excited and nervous because it is going to be new, but I know one of the leaders and some of the cast members that are going to be working there. Spring training is going to be so cool!

I can’t really think of anything else, but you guys, this has been such an amazing experience. I can’t believe I have the opportunity to work for Disney, a lifelong dream of mine. I love my roommates so much! They’re from all over and it has been so cool to be a part of that. One is Australian, one is from California, one is from Georga, one is from Illinois, one is from Virginia. I’ve worked with people from the UK, New Zealand, Australia, Haiti, China, and Japan and I have never felt so small! I have learned so much about different countries culturally, and I want to visit each and every one of these new friends. 

Advice to future CPs because they have been moving in for the past like 3 weeks.

SAVE YOUR MONEY!!!!!! Holy Crap!!! I have spent so much money I am so angry at myself. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is ok to buy merch and stuff every once in a while, but not all the time. I have spent most of my money going out to eat and I tell myself I really need to stop. Honestly, spend that extra money on groceries to meal plan. You’ll save so much money. Bring your lunch to work. The cast cafeteria is fine, and the food is good and cheap, but you don’t need to spend that money unless you have to.

You’re going to get stressed. It happens. I basically panicked at work one day because I was at a location by myself. I lost count of how many cups of coffee I had made and went to make more, but I grossly miscounted and the coffee overflowed and made a giant mess.

Guests are going to yell at you for anything and everything, whether it is under your control or not. I was working the Christmas party and I heard a guest ask what food they were giving out at my location. I turned and saw a guest start to walk up to me. I said “I’m sorry ma’am are you asking what food you get here? Or where something else is?” She got mad. 

“Can I ask you my question or are you going to keep talking?” 

“Of course ma’am, I’m sorry, I thought you were asking that question because I heard someone else ask that question and I thought it was you. What can I help you with?”

“They told us that we can get our wristbands here, but there is no one to give wristbands out. Where do I get a wristband.”

“I’m sorry ma’am, they stop giving the wristbands out at this location at about 6:45.” Luckily, and unluckily, another cast member heard this exchange and jumped in.

“Yes ma’am, they stopped giving them out here earlier. You’re going to have to go to Main Street Guest Services, City Hall, to get your party wristband.” The other Cast Member said. To which the lady stormed off towards her to complain about how unfair it was that we weren't giving the wristbands out here and how ridiculous it was that they had to go all the way to Main Street to get the wristband. Mind you, Main Street is not far at all, and you can get to Main Street from literally any location in the park. Anyway, after the exchange of words, I went to the other cast member to ask if she was ok, and she said she was fine. Truth be told, guests yelling at you starts losing its edge after a while. There are sometimes that a guests tone will get to you. When they say certain things are unmagical it hurts because when you love working for the company you try extra hard to do things magically. My cure for those situations though is to do something extra nice for another guest because when their eyes light up and you see the smile it makes everything better. 

My final piece of advice for now. Sleep when you can. Sleep for however long you can. I left work at 1:30 AM one night and had to be back at 9:15 AM. I got about 3 hours of sleep that night after everything was said and done. So sleep while you can. Enjoy your days off. Sometimes you want to go to a park, go to a park, sometimes you want to just chill in your bed all day, do that too. You are never going to know what you need to do until your day off comes. Just take it a day at a time because it is a lot to bite, especially in the beginnig.

[magickingdomqueen]

I Can Go the Distance

When I was accepted to participate in the Disney College Program and work at Disney World, I truly didn’t know what to expect. I had heard and read a variety of experiences that people have had and wondered which experience would align with mine. Would I get homesick & hate it? Could I move to a different state on my own without knowing a single person beforehand? Despite my anxiety, I stuck with the feeling in my gut, packed my things, and headed to Florida.

Doing the Disney College Program was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life, and I mean that wholeheartedly. If you knew me before, I wasn’t a very adventurous person so moving to Florida on my own was a huge step. Throughout the program, I learned to deal with things on my own without having the help of a family member nearby. The awesome thing about the program, though, is that the people you work & live with (if you’re lucky) become the closest thing to family that you’ll find.

Never in my life did I imagine I’d have such good friends from all over the country/world. I had roommates from Brazil, Mexico, Japan. I met people from the UK, Africa, New Zealand, Ireland, Australia, & so much more that I’m forgetting. Meeting these people inspired an immense desire to travel. After being exposed to people from all over the world, it made me want to get out and see all there is to see. Your comfort zone can be limiting, don’t stay there forever.

Leaving the people that I had met was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do. While doing the program, you go through a lot. So much happens in the small amount of time that you’re there because you’re being exposed to A LOT on a daily basis between your work life and life in the apartment. I worked in a park where we would interact with about 40,000 guests every day. You’re being exposed to people all of the time, which can be exhausting. The people you work with go through the same as you. They understand what it’s like. You see them basically every day because even on days off, if you’re not with your roommates, you’re with them. It may seem like in 5 months you can’t establish a solid relationship, but that’s false. My program was during the fall, which meant I wasn’t with my family for the major holidays. It isn’t easy being away from home on Christmas, but that’s where your Disney family comes in. They, too, are away from home and so (not to be cliche) but you’re all in this together.

I never would have met these people or ventured outside of my comfort zone if it weren’t for Disney. I accomplished my dream by working for the company, but came away with so much more than I had ever hoped. I learned to rely on myself, to not let my anxieties get the better of me, to let people in and build relationships, and that I truly can make my dreams come true. Disney already held a special place in my heart, but it means more to me now than it ever did before. The experience is something I will forever be grateful for.

“And so our journey comes to an end, but yours continues on. Grab hold of your dreams and make them come true, for you are the key to unlocking your own magic. Now go, let your dreams guide you. Reach out and find your happily ever after.”