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…

”I’ve always loved the idea of summer..

and sun, and all things hot!” Although Olaf might love the idea, summer and I have a love/hate relationship in Florida. Summer has always been one of my favorite seasons because I love hot weather. However, I’ve quickly realized that there are different types of “hot.” For example, a 90-degree day in Pittsburgh used to seem hot to me…until I moved to Florida. A 90-degree day in Florida feels like a 100-degree day in Florida because of the humidity. And with working in Animal Kingdom, you always want to add around another 10 degrees to that number because of our tropical areas. This time of year is also when you will see the most lizards. Scariest part of the lizards I see? They’re almost transparent. You can hardly see them on the walls or the ground because they are so light. And they come out of nowhere quickly (I’m not a big fan of them).

Today I had a pretty cool experience while working. A few members of the Orlando City Soccer Club came to Animal Kingdom to film for a promotion for showing kids how to keep our Earth as clean as possible with tasks such as walking, recycling, and throwing away trash. They incorporated some athletic skills as well to make it more fun. It was interesting to watch the film crew and cast during the process of all the different takes.

5 Months Down…

…and one to go. It still blows my mind that I’ve been working for Disney since February, and have exactly one month left until I pack everything up and move back to Pittsburgh. In the past couple of weeks, a lot has happened, and I haven’t really known how to put everything into words. Before going to bed on June 11, I found out one of my favorite up-and-coming artists, Christina Grimmie, was shot and killed twenty minutes away from me at a meet and greet after her concert. On the morning of June 12, I woke up to Facebook asking if I was safe. Little did I know, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history took place fifteen minutes away from my apartment. It shook me to the core. Just knowing how many young, beautiful lives were lost due to an act of terror in a place where people felt safe and free. My heart continues to go out to all of the families and friends of all of the victims. Two of my best friends/roommates received early releases from their programs. Maria left to go back to Illinois; Eilene to California. Both of them taught me so much about life in their own ways, and I miss them so much already. I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun. Working at Disney doesn’t actually feel like work, though. I get to talk to people from all over the world every day, every little girl is a Princess, and I get to play with stuffed Yetis and bubble wands. I learn a lot as well. Not just about myself, but about others; how it’s okay to be yourself, and how everyone’s different, and to respect and accept every person. Not to mention the business and management skills I’m also taking away with this experience. But the most important thing I think I’ve learned so far? To soak in every possible second that you can. Especially after the last few weeks, I’ve learned that every second is a blessing, and time should be treasured. You never really know what can happen tomorrow.

Tonight (July 3, 2016) I was able to watch the “Celebrate America” fireworks in front of Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom. Because I wanted my family and friends at home to also be a part of the magic I was experiencing, I live streamed the fireworks via Facebook. The amount of friends that watched and commented made me realize that there really is no place like Disney World. No other place is as magical. I feel like I am in a whole other world from the minute I step into one of the parks, and that was what Walt wanted. For guests to be able to forget about the outside world while in Disney. And to think about leaving such a place in a month? Unbearable.

Not Your Typical Holidays

Holiday dinners in my family are usually held at either my parents’ house or my aunt’s house. They include the typical holiday food, depending on the time of year, and are filled with family, laughter, games, and catching up with loved ones. Holidays in Orlando, Florida? Not my typical plans. Before moving here, being away for the holidays never really crossed my mind. I wouldn’t be home for Easter Sunday, my brother’s birthday, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, my birthday, or the Fourth of July. Easter Sunday has been the only holiday that my family has been able to travel to Orlando for. And even though Easter dinner wasn’t in my dining room at home in Pittsburgh, I had my family from home and five of my roommates with me (who I consider family as well). Anyone for an Easter egg hunt around the World Showcase in Epoct? Followed by dinner at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville for Easter?  I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. I also got to see Beyonce perform in Tampa a few weeks later. I pulled off a huge surprise for all of my family and friends in Pittsburgh and flew home for Mother’s Day! It was great to see everyone, and made leaving even harder than the first time. Working Memorial Day Weekend in Animal Kingdom, another major time for high capacity at Disney, took the place of cookouts, Kennywood Park, and Potato Patch fries. My birthday was spent at dinner with my best friends here, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, and the Ugly Stepsisters at the Grand Floridian, followed by Universal Citywalk. Holidays have been a little off the wall this year so far, but at the same time, they’ve been everything I could have asked for.

Magical Moments Happen

I’ve never seen a place so busy during Spring Break as Disney World. And by “Spring Break” I mean every single week from March – April. The amount of school groups, international groups, and sports teams is mind blowing. Talking to and taking care of over 30,000 guests a day starts to become very stressful and exhausting. BUT THEN SOMETIMES SOMETHING REALLY COOL HAPPENS AND YOU WANT TO CRY BECAUSE YOU’RE SO HAPPY. AND THEN SOMETIMES THREE REALLY COOL THINGS HAPPEN IN A MATTER OF A WEEK AND YOU WANT TO CRY HAPPY TEARS EVEN MORE! Working at Disney, we have things that we call “Magical Moments.” Whether these “moments” are making a guest’s experience better, replacing an item for a guest, giving out fastpasses, calling Goofy to sing Happy Birthday to a guest celebrating, or creating a magical moment for yourself, each one is special in its own way. Three of these magical moments just so happen to occur during one of the busiest times in Disney World:

• On one of my days off, my roommates and I decided to go adventure through Hollywood Studios. While walking to the Hollywood Tower of Terror, we had overheard a conversation between a dad and his nine-year-old son. The dad was asking his son why he wouldn’t teach him the “new dance craze,” the “whip and nae-nae.” The son responded by saying that he was embarrassing and that there were “way too many people around.” The dad looked at us and said, “I’m sure these girls know exactly what you’re talking about and could help you!” So we all proceeded to have a dance party in the middle of Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood Studios. This might sound dumb to some, but it made our day. The family took pictures and said it would be one of their favorite memories of their whole vacation. It’s little things like this, that only last about five minutes, that stick with me.
• Believe it or not, celebrities come to the parks more often than people think. When the newest Disney movie, Zootopia, was premiering, Shakira stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and explored the parks. While I was walking to my break, I spotted a Guest Relations Cast Member (we call them “plaids” because of their costumes). Whenever there are one or more “plaids” with a group, it usually means that someone of importance is with them. I immediately recognized Shakira with her husband and son. Because we have to treat celebrities like any other guest, I calmly walked past them (even though I was freaking out on the inside). However, while walking past, she looked at me and said “Hey, how are you doing?” I “calmly” responded with “I’m awesome! How are you?” and she replied “Great, thank you!” I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH SHAKIRA.
• Some special guests opt out of having plaids with them to try to blend in with the surrounding crowd more. The day after I met Shakira, while I was working in one of the shops, Terri and Robert Irwin (wife and son of the late Steve Irwin) came in to ask a few questions about the park. After answering their questions, Terri had mentioned how much she loved Animal Kingdom and all of the hard work she sees portrayed by all of the Cast Members when she visits.

Three magical moments in one week?! Working for Disney isn’t so bad after all 🙂

Namaste from Animal Kingdom!

I have visited Walt Disney World many times in the past; I’ve always loved Disney (and the warm weather). But having Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios basically in my backyard as my playgrounds? With unlimited use while you’re not working but they’re open? This was something I didn’t think I could ever get accustomed to. My roommates and I took full advantage of this privilege (after all, who wouldn’t want to play in Disney parks all day?) One of my favorite memories of this whole program happened during this time. It was around 11:15 p.m. and my roommate Gabriela, two of our friends and I decided to go to Magic Kingdom just because it was open until midnight and we felt like riding Big Thunder Mountain. Being able to go to the park to just ride one ride and then take pictures in front of the castle with no one else around – little things like these were something to look forward to for the next six months. I also found out during the first few days that I would be working in Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Merchandise. I work in Asia, and rotate between five different stores in my area, including around Expedition Everest. I learned some “themed language” for our area, including “Namaste” for “Hello” and “Have a great adventure” as a goodbye saying. I am also able to pick up Merchandise shifts in other parts of Animal Kingdom or any other park or resort on Disney property (so far, I’ve worked in Discovery Island at Animal Kingdom and Sunset Boulevard at Hollywood Studios, but my goal is to work in all four parks)! I completed five days of training, including training on register, stocking, and photo zone. I have met some coworkers and leaders that have been nothing but amazing and helpful. I am so excited to start my journey in Animal Kingdom!

“A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes…”

Over 40,000 applications are submitted for the Disney College Program every semester, and I was one of 3,640 chosen. I look at that statement in awe all of the time, realizing how lucky I really am to be in Orlando. The actual process of moving around 24 hours away from home, though, is a struggle I did not think would affect me as much as it did. Leaving what was so “normal” to me – family, friends, school, work, the city… and taking a leap of faith to experience a whole new place was scary. After finally getting to meet my roommates, whom I had only talked to via Facebook and texting beforehand, I found a little more comfort in knowing that I would not be doing this alone. Six girls in one apartment: Taylor, from South Fayette, PA, Maria, from Chicago, IL, Alycia, from Dallas, TX, Gabriella, from Riverbank, CA, Eilene, from Los Angeles, CA, and myself, from Pittsburgh, PA. Although the first week was hard, I knew I was where I was meant to be. After getting my apartment key and moving in, I went straight to Disney’s Casting building with about 50 others. Paper work was filled out, fingerprints were taken, and then we were able to go back to our apartments to unpack. Traditions was the next day. Traditions at Disney is basically a “welcome” class where you learn about the program, your role, expectations, history of Disney, etc. The instructors also take you through a tour of the *underground tunnels of Magic Kingdom* (ooh, ahhh).  At the end, THE ONE AND ONLY MICKEY MOUSE delivers your first official pair of Mickey Mouse ears as a Cast Member, as well as your name tag and your Cast Member ID. That is when my story working for Disney officially began!

Applying to Work for A Mouse

From coming to Disney World for the first time as a little girl and eating breakfast with Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, and Aurora in Cinderella’s castle, I knew there was something magical about the place. I knew from the moment I stepped off of the monorail and onto Main Street in Magic Kingdom that I wanted to work there one day. As a little girl from a small town with a big dream, I thought it’d be a long shot…but here I am. Officially a Spring Advantage 2016 Disney College Program Cast Member.

The process all started after I applied. After I applied (and thought I would never, ever get accepted – I mean, there’s how many college students that apply to this? Too many, that’s how many), I completed the online questionnaire, which then led to my approval for a phone interview. I remember sitting down for almost the whole day looking up tons of blogs and posts about questions I might be asked. I asked every former DCP member I knew for advice (WORDS OF ADVICE: SMILE during your interview – it sounds crazy because they can’t see you, but trust me – it helps!), and wrote down every possible detail I could think of that I could include in my answers. I blasted “What Dreams Are Made Of” and “Hakuna Matata” on repeat until my phone rang (just to get my energy going – don’t judge, they’re great songs).

When my phone rang, my stomach instantly dropped, and I got super nervous. But after I answered and realized how genuinely happy my interviewer sounded, I calmed down a lot. After going over my basic information,  the questions started with the first question:

“Why Disney?”

Conveniently, that was the top question on every blog and comment board I saw online about the interview process. Every person’s answer will be different, obviously. I explained my answer (how I’ve wanted to work for Disney my whole life and how every time I encounter anything Disney I’m that seven year old girl who saw Cinderella’s Castle in person for the first time trapped in a 20 year old’s body). The questions went on about my work experience, how I would handle different situations, my favorite attractions/shows/foods at the parks, etc. My phone interview lasted around 35 minutes, but this time differs for everyone.

The waiting game began. However, I was lucky enough to know earlier than expected that I was accepted. After applying on September 24, and having my phone interview on September 29th, I was accepted on October 6, and accepted my offer on October 10. I would be working for Walt Disney World from February 1 to August 4.

Then, the magic began…