The First Few Days

I'm officially here! Yay, the weather is hot and the buses are way too cold, but I'm here! My flight was not too bad. From Denver to Orlando I sat next to a girl who was also going to be in the program, Elizabeth. While the 15 year old who sat next to us was more than a little annoying, we managed to survive the flight and exchanged numbers, and after a pit stop to say hi to our new boss, we got our luggage and parted ways for the night.

Once I got to my hotel room I was starving from not eating all day and luckily their was an Applebee's attached to the hotel. Being that it was 1:30am I was one of the only people in there, and my server Jeremy was awesome! He had done the DCP a few years back as a performer and then continued to work for Disney for another 5 years. He let me pick his brain about how to get into the entertainment department and about what they are looking for. He gave me some general tips for the program and told be to be persistent in following my dreams. He told me I might actually have a really good chance at becoming a performer.

The doorknobs at the casting building

Check in was at 8am, but I'm pretty sure people started getting there at 6am. I walked from my hotel and got there about 7:30 and I was swimming in my own sweat by the time I got there. I went all the way through check in and still had no idea what my role was. I found out that I will be working in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom, but besides that, I have to wait until Sunday. No idea why they won't tell me. After check in I had a little time to drop my bags off in my apartment and I met a couple of my new roommates and then went off to casting to fill out some paperwork. From there the day was mine.

I returned to my room and finished unpacking and Courteney went off to work. I went with some friends to the outlet mall and I made a new friend at one of the Disney Stores. I found the Vera Bradley outlet store and drooled a little before I went back home to drop stuff off. After getting drug tested I hopped on a bus to visit Courteney at work and got there just in time to join the dance party! It was a bunch of fun and it really made me smile. It was one of those little moments that makes Disney so magical.

Wishes view from the beach at the Polynesian

From the dance party at Pop Century I met up with Elizabeth so we could go watch Wishes from the Polynesian Resort. What a magical way to end the night! Man, it wasn't like seeing the fireworks in the park, but sitting on the beach with the waves lightly crashing and watching an amazing fireworks show is something you just don't get to do. I almost started crying because I had a moment of "this is really it!" and it gave me so much hope for the weeks to come.

Yay Food!

This morning, Courteney and I had a very successful shopping trip. We walked which was hot but it was a good workout and now I have food! And a few more things that I needed. I still need a trip to Walmart but that can wait for now. I have a housing meeting a little later today and then I'm headed to the parks with my roommates. It's the first time ever they have all had the day off so we are doing a roommate bonding trip! I'm so excited to get into the parks for the first time. I'm not sure if everything has fully hit me yet because I haven't been to the parks at all. I guess we will find out! I'm so excited for what's to come!

DCP Bucket List

So, I thought I would make a bucket list of things I really wanted to do while on my CP. I feel like this list is pretty attainable and I hope to mark most of it off by the time I'm done!

Mickey's Not-So-Scary-Halloween Party

1. Be the first one at a park when it opens
2. Go to auditions when I can (Been to 3 and planning on going to 1 more before I leave)
3. Actually watch a full parade for once (Main Street Electrical Parade, Celebrate a Dream Come Trye)
   
4. Meet as many characters as possible (especially ones I haven't met already)
5. Be picked during Enchanted Tales with Belle
6. Go trick-or-treating during Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
7. Eat at the Be Our Guest Restaurant (Reservations made for October 12th!!)
8. Take the Marceline to Magic Kingdom or Keys to the Kingdom tour
9. Be in the crowd for the taping of the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade
10. Conquer my fear of Tower of Terror (went on it with Courteney, I think it made it worse)
    

    

    Cinderella Dream Suit

11. Go on as many rides as I can
12. Meet someone famous (saw and kinda talked to the cast of Dance Moms)
13. Pick the mind of a casting director
14. Become an avid pin trader
15. Go to the water parks
16. Find Hidden Mickey's
17. Become a Space Ace or above for Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin (Got 999,999 my first time!)
18. Go inside the Cinderella Dream Suite
19. Have my family visit me
20. Buy my dream purse

    

    Dream Purse

Disney Dining

So if you are living in Walt Disney World, you have to experience all the different and exciting forms of dining, right? I've decided to make a list of all the places I want to eat at so I can check them off as I go. Some of them, like the Be Our Guest Restaurant located inside the Beast's castle, you can expect to see a post on. Others might just be mentioned in a larger post. I doubt if I well get through them all, but it's nice to hope, right?
 
Magic Kingdom
Be Our Guest (this one WILL happen)
Cinderella's Royal Table
The Crystal Palace (With Pooh and Pals)
Gaston's Tavern
Tommorrowland Terrace Firework Dessert Party
Tortuga Tavern 

Hollywood Studios
50's Prime Time Cafe'
Fantasmic! Dining Package
Pizza Planet Arcade

Downtown Disney
AMC Downtown Disney 24 Dine-in Theaters
Cap'n Jack's Margarita Bar
T-REX
Wonderland Cafe'

Beach Club Resort
Beaches & Cream Soda Shop

Disney Boardwalk
Boardwalk Bakery

EPCOT
Coral Reef Restaurant
Fountain View Ice Cream
Nine Dragon's Restaurant
Tokyo Dining
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (with Princess Storybook Dining)
The Garden Grill

The Road to ACCEPTED

This was my third time applying to the Disney College Program and it was my last chance to apply due to my school schedule. I was very nervous this time around especially when I went to apply in January and found out that I should have waited until March. Because last time when I applied I didn't pass the Web Based Interview I needed to wait 6-months to apply. So the program sent me straight to the Phone Interview, but then I got a call that I had to cancel my interview and wait until my 6 months were up.

So I waited, and then when time came I couldn't re-apply and I didn't have access to the Web Interview. I called Disney on a Friday and talked to a bunch of different people until someone finally said that they would send me the web interview. But I didn't get it. So Monday I called again and they weren't sure why I hadn't gotten it and they said I should get the email in 24 hours, and if not then go ahead and call again. Guess what, Tuesday there was still no email and I called back and talked to the same woman who was very helpful and I ended up getting the email within the hour. So I took a deep breath, said a little prayer and I took the Web Interview. And I passed! Yay!

I signed up to have my Phone interview on Thursday and anxiously waited and worked on my 2 pages of note that I had for the interview. Patty called me and we had a great chat. I went on and on about how I was inspired by the company and especial by Walt Disney himself (I was reading his biography at the time, which helped). I talked about how much I loved children and how I felt Disney stood for family and happiness. My interview lasted about 20 minutes and at the end I felt really good. And then the waiting began. Here I would like to insert the fact that the first time I applied I got pended and had to wait 3 months to find out they rejected me. That was the worst feeling ever. Checking my dashboard ever hour every day waiting for some change and hoping it would be positive. But through this I met a wonderful group of people on facebook who I have really bonded with since then. But this time I waited less than 3 days. I figured I wouldn't hear anything over the weekend, but I must have had a pretty great interview to hear back Monday.  I got accepted into the Fall season for Attractions, which wasn't very high on my list, but I will take it over nothing. I really hope I can get placed in Jungle Cruise so that I get to do a bit of acting while I am there. But I want to work for Disney after I graduate, so this will be a great foot in the door for the famous company.

My favorite part of when I heard back is that I was in the process of picking classes for next semester when I got the email. Guess I don't need to do that anymore! So now I just have to wait for my arrival day! I picked August 19th, so that I won't miss my boyfriend's birthday and I'm super excited! I get to live at Walt Disney World for 5 months! Some one could pinch me because I'm pretty sure I'm dreaming! There is a lot of planning to go into this, but I'm more than willing to make it work. I just hope everyone is willing to work with me too.

I promised myself that I would blog while I was in the program, both as a journal for me and a way to keep in touch with my friends and family and let them know what I was up to. Obviously it will be slow for the next couple months while nothing is happening, but I'm hoping to be pretty committed once I start the program.