earsontaylor

[earsontaylor]

Walt Disney at the Fantasyland dedication, July 17, 1955

[earsontaylor]

Long Time, No See

Hey howdy hey! It’s been a long time since I updated this blog, and honestly, it feels sad to be doing so. I think I took for granted what this blog meant at the time, but now that I’m where I am now, I almost wish I could go back to the start. 

Let’s start at the end of the story. On July 25, 2018, I worked my last shift as a Walt Disney Company employee. I know there’s a lot of time that passed between my last shift and the last time I wrote a post for this blog. I think I want to give you a short recap, but it might be more for me than for you. 

I left off by writing about how I had just gotten into a car accident right at the beginning of my first college program. I did recover! I also went through a lot that year. I had issues with leaders, I gained friends and they did things to cause me to lose trust in them, and I broke up with my long-time boyfriend (not long after I wrote the previous post). There were parts of that program that I absolutely would never want to go through again, but all in all, I look at it fondly. 

Here are some highlights:

Had lots of fun (and spats) with my roommates

Had Dole Whips at the Polynesian Resort with all of my roommates (it was Elizabeth’s first time having one)

Met my best friend in the entire world, and he’s still my best friend, two years later. I see him every single day now!

Went on many road trips to St. Petersburg, Tampa, and Dunedin

Went to Magic Kingdom for its 45th anniversary celebration

Went to two Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween parties and one Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Ate at Be Our Guest for the first time

Went to a cast preview for Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM, a new Christmas nighttime show that debuted at Hollywood Studios just before the Christmas season 

Picked up a shift at Super Hero Headquarters at Disney Springs

Vended on Christmas while wearing Christmas light necklaces on every single appendage (arms, legs, neck, waist, etc.) and with absolutely no voice while aforementioned Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM went off

Danced next to Frozen Fractal with my friend Anne-Marie while also wearing Christmas light necklaces from every appendage as the fireworks went off

Graduated from the Fall Advantage 2016 program successfully and left with a whole pizza and a box of cookie brownies from Domino’s

And that’s just a very, very small snippet of the entire seven months I was on my first college program. 

In January of 2017, I packed up my stuff and moved out of Patterson Court, back to Lawrence. As I mentioned, I took a semester off and took some online classes in order to do my college program, so when I returned home, I still had one final semester left of college. I started that semester off with a bang, however; after syllabus day, I found out that I had contracted mono. I spent the first two and a half weeks of my last senior semester at home, slowly dying. This isn’t really related to this blog’s purpose, but it was awful. While I was home with mono, I decided to apply for another college program and was accepted halfway through the semester!

Despite the mono, I was able to finish out the semester strong and graduated on May 17, 2017, with Bachelor of Art degrees in Art History and Religious Studies, a minor in Journalism, and a certificate in Global Awareness.

I was accepted for the Fall 2018 program, so I moved back to Orlando yet again in August. My check-in date was August 7th, but this time I decided to opt out of housing since I planned to live in Orlando on a longer term basis this time around. This time, I was placed in...

Drumroll please!

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Hollywood Studios, Animation Courtyard Merchandise!

Yes, that’s right. For my second program, I was placed in Hollywood Studios yet again! I love working in Hollywood Studios so much, so I was extremely excited to be going back to my home park after just a few months. 

I loved this location so much -- so much that I even extended my program TWICE, once from January until May and then from May until July, so I ended up actually doing a year long program instead of eight months like my first program. This time, I worked in Star Wars Launch Bay, In Character and Studio Store, Toy Story Department, and park-wide vending. Eventually, Toy Story Department closed and we gained Toy Story Land! I was so lucky to be part of the Toy Story Land opening team and worked all three days of the land’s opening weekend (which was definitely both a marathon AND a sprint all at once). I even was part of an internal promotional video for the land on the Hub.

Along with opening Toy Story Land, some highlights from my second program include:

Doing the “Courtyard Pokey” (and, later, the “Backyard Pokey” in Toy Story Land) with my friends and having Guests laugh and video tape it

Having so many potlucks and parties

Going to the parks with Mckayla, my in-room roommate from my first program, who ended up moving back to Florida too to do a professional internship in Guest Relations at Magic Kingdom

Dancing to Fantasmic while nighttime vending

Playing with lots of little Jedi-in-training in Launch Bay and giving them personalized name tags (and sometimes lightsabers...)

Gaining some new (and true) lifelong friends whom I cherish so much

Gaining a whole new set of leaders who made the not so great ones seem unimportant

Received a quarterly award from the Cast Experience team for having amazing Four Keys Cards

Got lots of #CastCompliments on Twitter

Having late night talks with my favorite leader (whom I am privileged to also call my friend) until 1:30 AM

Having my birthday brunch at Crystal Palace with some of my favorite friends 

Having brunch at Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge with some more of my favorite CP friends from the first part of this program who came back to visit

Finally went to my first Dapper Day (Spring 2018 at Epcot)

Laying in the Hub Grass at Magic Kingdom and laughing with my friends

Cry-laughing in Toy Story Land at 2 AM with my friends who also worked all three days of crazy opening weekend hours because of how ridiculous it all was

Dancing joyously in the middle of the Courtyard with one of my friends when my last Courtyard shift ended while A Star is Born played loudly throughout the park, telling the Guests the park was closed

Making so many magical moments for Guests, and crying with them when they were really, REALLY good magical moments

Graduated from my program TWICE times, one for the fall and one for my spring/summer extensions

And now for the present. After my second program ended at the end of July, I made the hard decision not to apply for part-time or full-time. I finally had an almost perfect college program experience my second time around, and I knew that it would be better for me to leave the company at a high point. 

So, almost a month after Toy Story Land opened - my last final, amazing hoorah as a cast member - I left. Amazingly, I didn’t cry. I was definitely emotional, but it was bittersweet. This is probably due to the fact that I actually...still live in Orlando, and still work on Disney property! I am now a third party cast member (or an operating participant) at Kate Spade at Disney Springs. I love it SO much. I can’t think of a better way to pass the time while waiting to get into graduate school!

There aren’t words for how grateful I am for my time with the Walt Disney Company and for my two college programs. There were some really low lows, especially during my first program, but there have also been so many incredible highs that I would honestly trade the world to have again. My programs weren’t perfect, but magic doesn’t have to be. 

I think this is a good place to leave off, mostly because I’m starting to get emotional. I would really like to do a Q&A with you guys that have stuck around AND with any new CPs about to start their Spring/Spring Advantage programs in the coming weeks. Feel free to drop any and all questions you might have about being a CP, or about my program experiences specifically, in my asks and I will make one long masterpost with all of my answers.

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.“

-- Walt Disney

[earsontaylor]

An Irritatingly Loud Bang and a Purple Lightsaber

Hi! It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? Here’s an update on what’s been going on down here over the last few weeks.

I started and finished training in what is now called the Theater District, which includes Tatooine Traders, Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost, the Indiana Jones truck, Stage 1 Company Store, It’s a Wonderful Shop, Frozen Fractals, and two carts in the center of the park near the Chinese Theater. 

Day 1, June 2nd, of training was just a “quick” overview of basic merchandise stuff, as well as getting a feel for the park. My trainer, who will not be named, was very sporadic and all over the place, so it wasn’t the best day of training. My second day of training, June 3rd, was Merchantainment, which is a run-through of how we incorporate entertainment into merchandise to make a super fun experience for guests. And then...

Later than afternoon on my way to by my shoes for work, I got into an accident. Long story short, the other driver turned across traffic without paying attention and slammed into the front driver’s side of my car. It’s kind of a miracle he hit me where he did, because it was a little difficult to open the driver’s side door. If he had waited even a few more seconds, he could have done more damage to me than he did. The accident happened at 4:40 PM, but I didn’t get home until after 11 PM because it took so long for the paramedics, the police, and the tow truck to come. 

The next day I went to an emergency clinic because I woke up in a ton of pain. I was diagnosed with a concussion and whiplash; I had to wear that neck brace for far too long. My nose, though you can’t see it in the picture above, was also badly bruised and had been bleeding rather profusely at the scene of the accident. When the other driver hit me, he hit me hard enough to push me off the road, slamming my head from the left, where I had been looking at him as he crashed into me, quickly to the right. When the car stopped, my head was flung forward into the steering wheel and, because the airbag did not deploy right away, my head was whipped backwards when the airbag deployed directly in my face.

I ended up not going to work the next two days, Saturday and Sunday, because of the amount of pain I was in. The doctor also put my under temporary work restrictions where I could not lift or push anything heavier than five pounds, and I could not stand or walk more than forty-five minutes out of an hour. This made the rest of my training process very slow, so I ended up finishing my training on Wednesday rather than on Tuesday. 

Despite this, I only had to work one day that week (Thursday) because I went on vacation! On Friday, I left for Ocracoke Island in North Carolina to celebrate Cooper’s 21st birthday and our two year anniversary.

This was taken from one of the bridges we crossed as we drove to the island, in the Alligator River Wildlife Refuge.

I have always wanted to buy a “blind date book” where you purchase a book based on a brief description of the book, rather than based on the cover or the synopsis on the back. My dreams came true at a small, independent bookstore on the island called Books to Be Red. This book, for those curious ones, is The Bookman’s Tale: A Novel of Obsession by Charlie Lovett. I was so pleased with the outcome that I went back and bought another blind date book a few days later.

There is a small art gallery on the island, so of course I went in, me being the Art History student I am. I ended up buying three small pieces: two by Joe Koch (also known as Jo Ko) and one by Mary Bassell. The bottom piece is of Teach’s Hole, which is exactly what it sounds like, if you are as obsessed with pirates and pirate history as I am. Ocracoke is famous for being the hiding place of Edward Teach, more commonly known as Blackbeard. It is also the spot where he was killed by Robert Maynard in 1718. 

Best of all, the owner of the gallery offered me a job next summer, once I’ve graduated and before I go off to graduate school. 

This is the Ocracoke Island lighthouse, one of the oldest lighthouses still in use today. Cooper and I walked over to see it after purchasing my above pieces of art. It was the first time I had ever seen a lighthouse in person.

We spent a lot of time on the beach, but unfortunately I didn’t take too many pictures. It was nice to just relax and enjoy my week with the boyfriend while I could, while also recovering from my accident-related injuries.

Here we are on the ferry leaving the island. This picture is bittersweet because I miss him so much, but I’m grateful I was able to see him at all. I won’t be able to see him until he comes to visit me in October, so every moment last week was important and precious.

I flew back to Orlando on Saturday and returned to work, albeit with a nasty cold courtesy of my roommates, on Sunday. It was my first day working at Tatooine Traders, which is my regular work location. I am so in love with that store. Even though the day was tough, drudging through an eight-and-a-half hour shift right after a week’s vacation with a cold, it was an amazing, fun day.

One of the best moments happened right before we closed for the night. A young girl, dressed in an adorable Elsa-patterned dress ran into the store with her father and brother in tow, in desperate need of a purple lightsaber. I was busy closing up shop, but I helped her pick through the pre-made lightsabers before she decided that she wanted to build her own. I opened the build-a-saber station back up and led her through making her own purple saber. 

She told me that she had been a part of the Jedi Training Academy earlier that day, so I told her that part of every Jedi’s path is crafting their own saber. She excitedly asked me all kinds of questions about whether or not purple was a “good side” color, Mace Windu, whether or not Mace Windu was a girl, and his apprentice, Depa Billaba (who is, in fact, a girl). 

When I presented her with her finished lightsaber, her face lit up and told me that I also needed to grab a purple lightsaber, so that we could battle her brother. Before she left, she ran over, lightsaber dangerously waving around, and hugged me. My program started out with an irritatingly loud bang, but my little Jedi friend in the Elsa-patterned dress with the purple lightsaber made it all worth it in a span of fifteen minutes. 

Since I’m still sick, I’m going to wrap up this post so I can get some sleep. I was off work today and I’m off tomorrow, so hopefully I can nip this cold in the bud before I go back to work on Wednesday. Until next time!

[earsontaylor]

Welcome to my first Disney College Program vlog! My roommates and I decided to resort hop around the Magic Kingdom hotels today before going home to make dinner for our next door neighbors. We also went to the JAMBO! welcome event at Chatham Square field, where we got to hang out with Timon and Rafiki for a little while.

[earsontaylor]

Casting

Today was the day! My Casting session was at 8:30 AM and I finally found out my location, since I couldn’t see it on The Hub.

Drumroll please!

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Hollywood Studios, Backlot Merchandise!

I am so excited to work at Hollywood Studios, since it’s one of my favorite parks and I will be working there during the start of construction for Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land. I’m not entirely sure where I will be, since most of the Backlot stores are closed, but we’ll see!

This is what I wore to Casting. Dress is casual for Check-In, Casting, and the Housing Meeting, so you can wear almost anything as long as it’s appropriate. I wore a lace t-shirt (Target), jeans (Levi’s), black sandals (Target), a turquoise necklace (World Market), and my Haunted Mansion Dooney & Bourke hipster bag (World of Disney). This was basically the same outfit I wore when I filled out my paperwork at the Disney Store, so it felt appropriate.

Casting is basically just paperwork and fingerprints. Other than finding out your location, it isn’t really that exciting. It’s pretty cool seeing most of the Casting Center, but that’s really it. 

Tomorrow is my Housing Meeting and then I have a break for a few days, because I have Traditions on Saturday. 

[earsontaylor]

Arrival

I’m in Walt Disney World!

I arrived in Orlando earlier this afternoon after a very, very long two day drive from Kansas to Florida with my mom. After lots of car troubles and many Hamilton musical listen-throughs, I am writing this post from my hotel room at All-Star Sports Resort! My check-in is tomorrow at 11:30 AM at Patterson Court, where I will be living until January. I am extremely excited, considering Patterson Court was my favorite choice of complex. 

I dropped my mom off at the airport not too long ago and I am beyond exhausted from the mess of a drive here that I had, so I think I’m going to check in again once I know where I’m working. Until them, I’m going to finish up the roommate gifts I’m making (hopefully none of them see this...), shower, and sleep for as long as possible.

[earsontaylor]

Taylor’s Going to Walt Disney World - Last Day at the Disney Store

Today was my last day at the Disney Store before I leave for Florida on Saturday! It was incredibly bittersweet, but I was able to finish my day with one of my favorite coworkers, Julia, who set up this Celebration for me after I clocked out for the last time until January.

I’m so lucky that I was able to start my time with the Walt Disney Company with my Disney Store family and I can’t wait to share all of my adventures with them next year. I’ll miss them (even though most of them are coming to visit me), but I’m excited to expand my Disney family even more. 

[earsontaylor]

Julie Andrews performs at The Grand Opening of Walt Disney World, 1971.

[earsontaylor]

DCP Food Bucket List

Magic Kingdom Foods:

Dole Whip - Aloha Isle

Dole Whip Float - Aloha Isle

Citrus Swirl - Sunshine Tree Terrace

Fruit and Nutella Waffle Sandwich - Sleepy Hollow

The Master’s Cupcake - Be Our Guest

Lefou’s Brew - Gaston’s Tavern

Magic Kingdom Restaurants:

Be Our Guest

Jungle Navigation Ltd., Skipper Canteen

Liberty Tree Tavern

EPCOT Foods:

Cronut - Refreshment Port

Buffalo Popcorn - Gourmet Popcorn Cart

German Pretzel and Grapefruit Beer - German Pretzel Cart

EPCOT Restaurants:

Liberty Inn - American Pavilion

Le Cellier - Canadian Pavilion

Lotus Blossom Cafe - Chinese Pavilion

Crepes de Chefs de France - French Pavilion

Sommerfest - German Pavilion

Gelato Kiosk - Italian Pavilion

Katsura Grill - Japanese Pavilion

La Cantina de San Angel - Mexican Pavilion

Spice Road Table OR Restaurant Marrakesh - Moroccan Pavilion

Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe - Norwegian Pavilion

Rose and Crown Pub - English Pavilion

Hollywood Studios Foods:

BB-8 Lemon Cupcake with Vanilla Buttercream - Backlot Express

Orbiting Oreos Alcoholic Shake - Sci Fi Dine-In Theater

Hollywood Studios Restaurants:

Hollywood Brown Derby

Animal Kingdom Foods:

Grilled Vegetable Stack - Harambe Market

Animal Kingdom Restaurants:

Tiffins

Pizzafari (post-refurb)

Yak and Yeti Restaurant

Harambe Market

Disney Springs Restaurants:

Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC

At least ONE Character Dining experience from one of these options:

Crystal Palace - Magic Kingdom

Cinderella’s Royal Table - Magic Kingdom

Tusker House - Animal Kingdom

Chef Mickey’s - Contemporary Resort

1900 Park Fare - Grand Floridian Resort

[earsontaylor]

Online Classes for the Summer and Fall 2016 Semesters

On March 31st, I registered for my classes that I will take during the two semesters I will be doing the Disney College Program. I am taking two classes during the Summer semester and two in the Fall, so hopefully my workload won’t be too bad on top of the Disney Seminars I plan to take.

Summer Courses:

Principles of Biology (Barton County Community College)

May 31 - July 31

First Amendment and Society (University of Kansas)

July 5 - July 29

Fall Courses:

Elementary French 1 (Barton County Community College)

August 15 - December 11

Italian Renaissance Art (University of Kansas)

August 22 - October 14

I’m feeling really good about these classes! They are relatively spaced out, so I think I’ll be able to keep a pretty good grip on each of them.

I’m taking French to finish up my language requirements at KU, as I’ve taken German for three semesters and I just need to take one semester of another language. First Amendment and Society is the last class I need to take in order to receive my Journalism minor, so I’m very excited to finish that one. Biology is one of the last core requirements I need to take and Italian Renaissance Art is a requirement for my Art History degree. I’m so close to being done!

[earsontaylor]

Early in 1963, Disney gathered up a small team of trusted associates and sent them to Florida to locate between five and ten thousand acres of land for the new park. The project was kept secret at this stage, because Disney believed if word got loose that he was in the market for land in Central Florida, speculation would raise land prices sky-high. Consequently, the Florida project was referred to among the Disney inner circle as “Project X” or “Project Future.”

Disney himself assisted in selecting the land near Orlando and Kissimmee. Locating the new park at the center of the state rather than on the coast eliminated some of the risk of damage from hurricanes, as well as the direct competition from the beaches themselves for visitors’ time. “We’ll create our own water,” he reportedly said. Once he had decided on the Orlando location, Disney worked with local representatives to buy up parcels of land using a series of nine “front” companies with names like the Latin-American Development & Management Corporation and the Reedy Creek Ranch, Inc. By the middle of 1965, Disney had purchased over 27,000 acres for just over five million dollars.

As the planning continued, it became increasingly difficult to keep the project a secret. By the autumn of 1965, the press had called out Disney’s land purchases, and Walt and his associates decided to go public with their plans. Governor Haydon Burns confirmed the Disney rumors as early as October 24th, but his office worked with the folks at Disney to plan a formal press conference for November 15th at the Cherry Plaza Hotel in Orlando to make the official announcement. Dubbed “Disney Day” by the Florida Development Commission and various state officials, Governor Burns called it “the most significant day in the history of Florida.” Burns’ staff sent scores of invitations to media outlets, chambers of commerce, and local officials from around the state to dramatize the occasion. Walt Disney and his brother Roy sat on either side of Governor Burns as he explained to the many reporters and cameras how much the new attraction would mean to Florida. He predicted a fifty percent increase in tourism, as well as new tax revenue that would bring prosperity to the entire region.

More photos, text plus video of the conference HERE

[earsontaylor]

The DCP Education Component

During the Disney College Program, interns have the opportunity to take classes from one of the largest, most successful entertainment companies in the world. Both the Walt Disney World and Disneyland College Programs offer Collegiate and Seminar courses for interns. The Collegiate courses are similar to a regular college course you would take on your own campus in that they are much longer and involve textbooks, tests, presentations, projects and homework.

Here are the Collegiate course offerings for the Walt Disney World program:

Disney Advanced Studies in Hospitality Management

Disney Corporate Analysis

Disney Corporate Communication

Disney Creativity & Innovation

Disney Human Resource Management

Disney Organizational Leadership

These are the Collegiate offerings for the Disneyland program:

Disney Corporate Analysis

Disney Marketing You

These courses can be recommended for credit by the American Council on Education (ACE), where the Seminar courses can not, so they are a good option for a student who wants to stay on track to graduate. The Seminar courses are shorter, lasting only four weeks, and are supposed to offer an insight into Disney Company Culture without a major time commitment.

Here are the Walt Disney World Disney Exploration Series Seminar course offerings:

Disney Heritage

Disney Environmentality & Sustainability: Creating a Green Culture

Disney Heritage:1901-1954

Disney Hospitality & Guest Service

Disney Cast Engagement & Human Resources

Disney Environmentality & Sustainability: Inspiring Action

Disney Heritage:1955-1982

Disney Leadership 101

Disney Marketing and Sales: Defining the Strategy

Disney Marketing and Sales: Implementing the Strategy

Here are the Professional Development Seminars for the Walt Disney World program:

Engineering Professional Development Study

Entertainment Professional Development Study

These are the Seminars offered in the Disneyland program:

Professional Development Study: Business of Show Business

Leadership Speakers Series

Blended Learning Series

These Seminar courses often include guest speakers and field experiences. 

Disney strongly recommends bringing a computer with you if you are planning on taking an education course. Computer labs are available in the housing complexes and Disney Learning Centers locations across Walt Disney World property. However, a lot of students find that bringing a computer makes taking a course more convenient.

In addition, the Disney College Program offers exam proctoring if you are taking online classes at your university. These proctoring services are available at the Vista Way Disney Learning Center during their operating hours.

Here are the registration dates for the Fall Advantage session:

Collegiate registration will open on Monday, April 4 at 4pm EST and close on Friday, May 13 at 3pm EST.

Term A mini-semester Seminar registration will open on Monday, April 4 at 4pm EST, and close on Friday, May 13 at 3pm EST.

Term B mini-semester Seminar registration will open on Monday, May 9 at 12pm EST and close on Friday, June 17 at 3pm EST.

The two Term mini-semesters mentioned have these dates: 

Summer 1 A mini-semester dates: May 16 -  June 10

Summer 1 B mini-semester dates: June 20 - July 22

[earsontaylor]

“I only hope that we don’t lose sight of one thing—that it was all started by a mouse.” - Walter Elias Disney

[earsontaylor]

Top 10 Rides at Walt Disney World

Today happens to be 55 days until my arrival date and I’m starting to get excited about being at the parks again. I have been going to Walt Disney World consistently since I was very young, so over the years my tastes in rides have definitely changed, but some have always stayed the same.

10. Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress -  This ride has a special place in my heart. Sure, it’s not the most thrilling ride you’re going to read about in this list. Maybe it’s a little outdated. I love it, though, because it’s one of the earliest Walt Disney-created rides, as it was created for the 1964 World’s Fair. It was, by many accounts, Walt’s favorite ride and it holds a lot of nostalgia for me, personally.

9. Star Tours: The Adventure Continues -  Let me be up front about this: Star Wars is one of my favorite movie franchises of all time and I love that this ride gives me the chance to be a part of that galaxy far, far away. While I was a bigger fan of the original version (Captain Rex forever), I still love this version and all of the new Force Awakens updates.

8. Jungle Cruise -  “This is the backside of Schweitzer Falls, named for the backside of the famous explorer, Dr. Albert Falls.” I don’t think this ride needs a lot of explanation. The jokes are ridiculous, the ecosystem is amazing and you may just make some money off the headhunters at the end of the trip. I’m also excited to eat to the new Skipper’s Canteen!

7. DINOSAUR -  This dark ride has always been one of my favorites, all the way back to when it was called Countdown to Extinction. My dad and I started riding this one alone when my sister was too young to ride, so it has a lot of memories attached to it from a young age. At one point, this was one of the few thrill rides in all of the four parks that I could get my whole family on, so it holds a special place in my heart. I love dinosaurs a lot but I lack the skills to be a paleontologist, so this ride helps curb that craving.

6. Pirates of the Caribbean -  I have always been a little obsessed with pirates and this ride definitely helps that obsession. It’s a classic and another one of Walt’s favorites, namely the Disneyland version. It’s also just creepy enough in the beginning to get a little shiver going down my spine.

5. Mission: SPACE -  I was only eight-years-old the first time I went to Mars on Mission: SPACE. I rode it with my dad and he honestly thought he killed me due to the g-force. I always wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid, but I definitely lack the math skills to do so, similar to my dinosaur obsession from a few favorites ago. This ride gives me the chance to simulate that experience. 

4. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster -  This ride is one of the most fun roller coasters in all of the parks. Based around the rock band Aerosmith, you are whisked away through the streets of L.A. to one of their concerts in a super stretch limo. The ride begins with a zero-to-sixty take-off, making it a ride not for those who are scared of speed. It’s one of the most pure thrill rides at the parks and I love it for that.

3. Expedition Everest -  Home to the largest audio-animatronic ever created by Walt Disney Imagineering, Expedition Everest provides all the thrills and chills (sometimes, especially in January, quite literally) you could ever want. Hopefully one day they will fix the yeti hiding inside the mountain, as he hasn’t been fully functional since around the time the ride opened, but he’s still frightening regardless.

2. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror -  When I was a kid, I loved the Twilight Zone. Maybe I was just a weird kid, but I loved things with just enough creepiness to make it hard to sleep at night. Now, I love the Tower of Terror. It has some of the best theming I think Disney has ever created, following my number one pick, and I could spend all day just walking around in the gardens and the lobby. 

And last but not least...

1. The Haunted Mansion -  My all-time favorite! Like I said in my last pick, I have always loved things with creep factor and in this category, the Haunted Mansion does not disappoint. It is macabre enough to satisfy that need while also being amazing, simple fun. The hidden storylines add so many layers of depth to the ride, making it my number one pick for Disney theming. Plus, the house is just gorgeous.

I will make a separate list of favorite attractions at Walt Disney World at some point in the near future, because I think they deserve their own post. Let me know if any of my favorite rides are yours, too!

(All images courtesy of the Walt Disney World Resort website, disneyworld.disney.go.com)

[earsontaylor]

Finding Your DCP Roommates

Alternately Titled: How I Inadvertently Became A Founding Member of The Disney Wine Mom Club

For Disney housing, there is no actual guarantee that you will get any particular apartment or roommates. If you find roommates ahead of time, you can request something together to increase your chances of getting what you want. So while you can go in blind, most people look for roommates beforehand. The best way to do this is fill out the roommate survey below, and share it on tumblr, in the facebook groups, and/or record a video of yourself for youtube. The most important thing to know is that you can only room with someone who has the same arrival date as you, so make sure you look for that when going through surveys. 

I shared mine in the three DCP facebook groups I was in, and within a couple of hours I had a reply from one girl. We bonded over a favorite tv show and then I noticed another girl’s survey, so we added her to our chat. Then we found another girl’s roommate survey who meshed well with us so she and her best friend joined our group. In the last couple of weeks we found our last girl when she posted a survey after us. 

Finding new roommates is very very awkward. Like dating. You have to be completely honest and true to your personality in your survey. You’re going to live with these people for months. Find other people whose lifestyle fits yours. i.e. Partier/Non-partier, smoker/nonsmoker, cold/hot temperature, needs music to sleep, whatever the issue important to you is. 

Just message a bunch of people who you think you could fit well with.  A lot of people will ignore you. A lot of people will message you twice and then never reply. Don’t get discouraged! You’re going to find your people. People will be getting accepted for months so you have time. Our group is already so excited to meet each other. We gave out group the little name “Disney Wine Mom Club”. I can’t wait until I meet these girls!

Good luck on your roommate search!

DCP Roommate Survey Wellness (Under 21/No Alcohol) or Non Wellness (Alcohol):

Background Name: Gender: Orientation: Relationship Status: Birthday/Age: Social Media (Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat): Current Location: From: School: Major: Current Job: Any Allergies?: Siblings?: Pets?: Are you religious?:

DCP Details Accepted for WDW or DL?:  Flying or Driving?: Role: Program:  Dates:  Wellness or Non-wellness?: How many people do you want to live with?: Housing Complex?: Alumni?:

Lifestyle Do you party? How often?: Are you sexually active?: Are you okay with having people over during the day?: Are you okay with people sleeping over?: Do you smoke?: Do you drink?: Do you curse?: Can you cook?: Are you going to steal my food?: Are you going to do the dishes?: Morning or night person?: Do you snore?: Room hot or cold?: Lights on or off when sleeping?: Will you hog the bathroom?: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?: Would you rather stay in or go out?: What do you want to do on your off days?: Will we go on adventures together?: Do you work out?: Is your alarm clock annoying?: How do you handle bugs?: How often do you shower?: How organized is your bedroom currently?: How clean do you expect the apartment to be?:

Personality Three words to describe yourself?: One good quality?: One bad quality?: Are your outgoing or quiet?: Do you like hanging out with people or do you keep to yourself?: What do you want in a roommate?: What are your biggest pet peeves?: Messy or Organized?: How do you feel about sharing?: Favorite thing to do on your day off?: Favorite Music: Favorite Movies: Favorite TV Shows: Favorite Food: Favorite drink: Favorite Color:

Disney! Favorite Princess: Favorite Non-princess character: Favorite Villain: Favorite Disney Movie: Favorite Park: Favorite Attraction:

Other things:

[earsontaylor]

[earsontaylor]

Hello. I recently applied for the DCP but got denied the opportunity. I wasn't even asked to take the web based interview. I applied in early January and just now got the email about the bad news. Even though I pretty much knew I wasn't getting in given how long to took to hear something, it still hurts. I wanted it so bad. My confidence is shot. Now, I'm left figuring out what went wrong. I mean to get shot down just after the initial application? Yikes.

(cont) “This is part 2 sorry this is so long. Anyway. I’m trying to figure out why I didn’t get in, and why I wasn’t even asked to take the WBI. I mean I didn’t even get the chance to prove myself. The application was just so basic it’s hard to think of a reason they would deny me. I make good grades. I have work experience, WITH LITTLE KIDS, and I was open to so many roles. Like pretty much all of them. My major is Public health. So what do you think is the cause of me not getting in? My major perhaps?”

Hey there, friend. First of all, I’m really sorry you didn’t get accepted. Just know that it probably had nothing to do with you. I’ve been looking into possible reasons you may have been rejected and, for the most part, it doesn’t seem like it was something you did.

The DCP claims that anyone with any major can apply with a chance of being accepted and that you only need to be attending a university or be a recent graduate in order to take part in the program. I don’t think your major would have any effect on your chances of being in the program, mostly because Public Health is a valuable major and career path that could potentially be applied to any role! My majors are Art History and Religious Studies, so if we’re talking about majors that have no relevance to the DCP, mine would probably be at the top of the list. 

One potential reason I found is that it is becoming harder for community college students to be accepted into the program, mostly because the DCP has to take an extra step to verify that the school is an actual real, accredited school. If you don’t go to a community college, though, this doesn’t apply. I’m also not sure how much credibility this idea has, either.

The initial application is apparently screened by a computer program that skims through for keywords that fit into what Disney is looking for. I think you sound perfectly qualified, so I’m not sure how you would have been overlooked, but if they were looking for something ridiculously specific, that may have been the case.

If you are a college sophomore or freshmen, that could also be part of the reason. Disney seems to want to give spots to students with seniority, namely juniors and seniors. I think this is possibly a last ditch attempt to give these students the opportunity to do the program, but I’m not sure. If you’re an underclassman, you could maybe push harder to apply when you’re an upperclassman.

Most of my research into this has proved to be faulty. No one really seems to know why or how Disney decides who does or does not get in. I have heard that you can request feedback by emailing wdw.college.recruiting@disney.com or dlr.college.recruiting@disney.com, depending on where you applied, but I am also not sure how much feedback they are willing to provide. It seems as though they keep their methods pretty close to their chest.

My advice to you would be to reapply for the Spring season. Take the leap again and keep working for this. I think you have the potential to do great things, but you can’t let this one rejection get you down. The only way Disney will give you a chance to prove yourself is if you keep giving yourself the chance to prove yourself. Walt himself had a ton of personal failures and was rejected plenty of times, but we wouldn’t even be talking about the DCP right now if he had given up. “All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me…You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”

The DCP does, unfortunately, get tons of applications every season and they can only take so many. There are tons of people who don’t get accepted on their first try. Study up on possible interview questions for when you do get to that point, so that you stand out to the recruiters! Feel free to ask me any other questions you may have, or even if you just want to talk. I would love to do what I can to help you succeed.

Don’t give up. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help!