What Disney doesn’t tell you…

…is that when you first arrive in Orlando for your program, you’ll have no idea what to expect. You’ll meet your roommates (maybe learn you’re getting two random roommates too), and unpack everything that stuffed your car on the way here. You’ll go through the traditions and all of your training classes. You’ll meet a few people and try to be the best cast member you can be your first couple weeks – just like every other cast member. After a few weeks though, you realize something. You realize that those fellow cast members have become friends. And your roommates? You might fight about dumb things and then laugh a few minutes later but they’ve become family. You’ll realize that you create the magic every day that the guests talk about – or that you witnessed every time you came to Disney as a child. The parks all become your playground, and if you and your roommates feel like going to ride Big Thunder Mountain at 10:30 p.m. one night you can with no problems. The costumes you have to wear will most likely be seen on you more than normal, everyday clothes. You won’t even realize that six months have flown by right in front of your eyes. That the friends you’ve become so close to have to go back home; whether it be an hour drive upstate or a 15-hour flight to the other side of the world. That the walls that have surrounded you have to be undecorated, and all of your things need to be repacked. That you have to say “see ya later, love you” to the people that have become your family, without knowing when the next time you’ll see them is. What Disney doesn’t tell you, is that as much as you want to go back home, you really wish you could stay here forever – where the magic never dies. Thank you for the most amazing six months of my life. Until next time Disney, I’ll see ya real soon!

“Never say goodbye, because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” – Peter Pan

Congrats Disney Class of 2016!

The end of my program is near. In just three days, my college program will be over. Where did the six months go and how did they go by so quickly? But enough talking about it ending right now. I want to talk about an awesome celebration that all college program students get to be a part of at the end of their programs – the service celebration! At the end of each program, all students are invited to a celebration with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald. At the celebration, you are awarded your graduation ears, pictures with the characters, and lunch. If you took any collegiate class or seminar, you also receive a MOUSEters (instead of Masters) and/or a DUCKtorate (instead of Doctorate) degree! After working so many hours, I feel like this is a great gesture from Disney to show off everyone’s hard work throughout their programs. This is a last hoorah for you and all of your roommates and fellow cast members before everyone goes their separate ways. So, without further ado, congratulations to the Spring Advantage Disney College Program Cast Member Class of 2016!

“It’s A Small World After All”

Something interesting happens to me almost daily while I’m working. Now, this has nothing to do with the animals or the rides. This always has to do with the guests. At least once a day, I will see at least one guest sporting some type of Pittsburgh sportswear. Whether it be a Pirates hat, Steelers jersey, or the new Penguins Stanley Cup hats, I always call them out. It usually strikes up a conversation, sometimes they’ll just cheer and keep walking. But the conversations are my favorite part. It usually starts with them asking what part I’m from (“Are you ACTUALLY from Pittsburgh or do you just say you are?”). We’ll both usually have an idea of where we live, and go on about how great/poorly our teams have been doing. I’ll get an occasional question about why I’m in Disney, and then a “well good luck with everything!” But sometimes, you get people that you realize at the end of the conversation that you’re so glad you called them out for their sportswear. Two perfect examples have happened to me in the past two days. A man (wearing a Pirates shirt) and wife were walking through the Everest gift shop. I yell “let’s go bucs!” and the conversation begins. I learn that the man is a professor at Duquesne University, and he offers me his name and any assistance I may need when I come back to Pittsburgh. I realized I met the couple for a reason. Today, a family of four (all wearing Pirates or Penguins hats) were walking past me while I was working. I strike up conversation, and the mother says that I look familiar. After a few minutes of back and forth, we realize that I’ve served them at the restaurant I serve at back in Pittsburgh. We talk a little more about my internship, and they carry on with their day. Whether these folks know it or not, these little five minute conversations make my day. They make me realize that home is always there no matter where I go. For those five minutes, I can talk to people who know everything I’m talking about. I realize it really is a small world after all…