Up Down touch the Ground

I still love it here. I've already had amazing opportunities start to pop up, for instance I got to go to the cast preview of the Boo to You Halloween parade which was incredible and me and Libby got to ride Expedition Everest 6 times in a half hour making 8 total for the day. How did we get to ride it 6 times in a half hour? Well there is NO ONE at Disney World, I haven't waited in line since I've been here. 

Last Tuesday my co-worker and I started an impromptu basketball game outside of Agrabah and got dozens of kids involved and playing around which was incredible one of my managers saw and was really impressed, then I got rotated to Bwana Bob's (for those of you not in the Disney know- a cart thats right as you walk into Adventureland) and got to play with a bubble gun once again gathering tons of little pirates and princesses around me. Almost that whole Tuesday I was thinking I can't believe I get paid for this, the rest of that Tuesday I was thinking kill me now, I was sick from some horrid combination of heat exhaustion and dehydration maybe sleep deprivation I don't know but whatever it was as soon as I got off stage I became a zombie and finally did reach the pinnacle of heat exhaust (no graphic language necessary) crashing when I got home. 

I finally got my flag which felt like a little piece of home. Which unfortunately I've needed, now I don't think the term homesick applies because every time I walk into any Disney park I feel like I'm at home, but is it possible to be life-sick? I think that's a more appropriate term if you'll allow me to create it. I miss being an NC State student. I miss Chinese delivery places still being open at 11:30 ( I'm lookin at you Orlando Citrus' Garden).  I even miss engineering classes, with all the nerdy jokes and mental challenges. Also: there are a lot of girls in the Disney College Program, which in retrospect I should have been prepared for but oh well, I'll just have to learn to hang out with large groups girls again(something I haven't needed to do ,outside of guard which doesn't count, since middle school). I also miss my friends, horribly in fact. But, fortunately its getting easier every passing day so one day at a time is my motto. Yesterday at work I got a big help in the life-sick department in the way of an NC State fan that came down to Disney World since he and his wife were already in Orlando for the UCF game later today, I greeted him with a louder then intended Go Pack! and we talked for a minute which helped more then you can imagine.

The epic of the Chinese Food Delivery: 

One dark and quite late evening Abby and I were the only ones home

We decided that Chinese food sounded amazing and we were going to order it

However, in Orlando there are no Chinese places open at 11:30

So we tried again the following night at a slightly earlier time

This time the phone was answered

"Citrus Garden, I can help you"

"Hi, yes I'd like to place an order for delivery"

"Ok where you live"

"Chatham Court, I mean Chatham Square, one of the Disney College Program Apartments"

"Ok Patterson Court"

"No no Chatham Square"

"Ok Patterson Court"

"No Chatham Square"

"Ok I got you, what you want to order"

We Ordered our chicken (hopefully)

"Ok Thank you"

*Click*

Abby looks up and laughs, 

Informing me that she didn't tell us the total or how long it would be

Also we were pretty sure it was going to the wrong apartments,

"We're never getting our Chinese food"

"Nope"

but after a half hour and yet another fiasco with payment since we needed to put it on a debit card

we finally got our Chinese food,

It was delicious

There were no Fortune cookies

We're pretty sure he took them out of the bag when we had the card fiasco.

End

I have glow training this week, which is exciting since it means watching the parades and Fireworks every night. Every time I go to a park as a guest I have to remember that I'm not in costume and therefore approaching strangers looking at a map and offering to give them instructions to whatever they may be trying to find may be construed as creepy. Also, greeting every little girl who has visited the Bippity-Boppity-Botique with a hello princess, also can be creepy. Oh, for those of you unfamiliar with the Disney point, we as cast members are not allowed to point with one finger, its either a two finger point ( not like a gun) or a whole hand gesture. I will never point normally again. 

I can't believe it's only been a week

Well 8 days, completed training, two costumes, four amazing roommates, 5 dozen cookies, one birthday cake, my very own Disney name tag, a green pin lanyard and countless magical moments later I finally found time to post. Basically I love my job. Yesterday was my first official day of work, with training over and I got to work Pirates, dressed as a pirate of course, which basically is amazing, but insanely crazy busy (as you would expect).

My manager saw me spinning a toy rifle around and fell in love with the entertainment factor of it, so I have been instructed to spin whenever possible! Also known as hecks yes!!! It's amazing to be able to interact with all the guests and I love being paid to talk to little kids one little girl had a "Happy Birthday!" button on so I went up and told her happy birthday when I asked how old she was she proudly announced that she was 4 and then continued to tell me about everything she had seen and done with a look of absolute joy on her face. Yesterday ended with the combined chaos of being the last open register in Pirates (a task that some genius assigned to the new girl lol) and having Wishes going on right outside, making the end of the day absolutely amazing.

Outside Pirates Adventureland is a blast, hilariously mismatched costume and all (yeah, the picture right above this...that's it). One of our shops has a built in hopscotch board in the front and I was told that whenever possible play hopscotch with the kids.

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My roommates are so much fun and I love my apartment. Even more so I love the people here, it's the few that's aren't Disney obsessed that are weird. I was talking to my friend Zach and I told him that I wanted to do Imagineering and the internship I had looked at was helping build audio-animatronics. He then casually joked, Hey maybe you can fix the Yeti. The combined fact that A. he even knew what audio-animatronics were and B. it was common knowledge to him that the once proud and fearsome moving Yeti in Animal Kingdom's Expedition Everest has been broken for awhile and now is just a giant still creature with a strobe effect , made me realize just how much I was going to love it here.


Speaking of internships and Imagineering. When I signed up for my Engineering professional development I was informed that it is basically an 8 week interview with Disney engineering, no pressure there, but I'm really excited it doesn't start until October 11th so I'm just taking the time to enjoy myself and focus on getting really comfortable with Adventureland which is good.

I'll post more later, but basically I'm having the time of my life and Celebrating everyday.

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^ That mouse is my boss

~Steph

Three Days!

Packing finally coming to an end, Fall classes already started up. I leave tomorrow!

What about the rest?

So as my check in date is rapidly approaching and all my friends are beginning to leave I'm starting to realize how much I'm leaving behind... my family, my friends all the people closest to me really. I won't even have the comfort of knowing that Abbie's just across campus, something I've been able to be assured of since freshman year of highschool. It is a comfort to know that at least the people I'm leaving I can still talk to but what about the  experiences? I can't stop thinking about everything else I'm going to miss, this is the first fall in five years that I won't have Colorguard, or fall football, I won't even have NC State which trust me I'm going to miss horribly. Everyone is telling me that I'm going to Disney and I'll have the time of my life which of course I know is true. They're all right I should be excited, but even as I begin to take this huge adventure, its difficult to ignore that little voice in the back of my head that tells me I won't be among the NC State students celebrating our (sure) victory over UNC or even one of the stressed students in the library cramming before midterms (ok maybe I won't really miss that).

Ok, all that said I feel like I'm ready to leave and I am extremely excited to begin what is so far the biggest adventure of my life. It's just hard to take this leap of faith into the unknown and brand new. I know its just cold feet, it's always scary venturing into a world that you don't know especially when you're so happy in the one you're already in and I've had just enough time to get completely comfortable at State. Well ready or not the most exciting time of my life starts in 11 days...

20 Days!

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen excitement for my College Program once again brought me to literal tears,(I knew I shouldn't listen to Wishes) clearly I need to get my butt to Disney. 18 days until I leave, 20 days until I check in. Mt attention span for anything non-Disney related is growing really really thin, unfortunately I still have eight more days of class to force myself to buckle down.... These are the times that I wish I could make studying an epic movie montage where I just play some empowering pop song and then *BAM* I'm test ready. Actually I wish that I could make the next 18 days a movie montage, clearly the song of choice would be Celebrate You. Day 19 is gonna kill me, not just because it's ONE FREAKING DAY AWAY, but also because my family and I are going to Typhoon Lagoon, which seems like a mean little teaser to drive all the way and then be sooo close and in a Disney park and unable to go to Magic Kingdom until the next day oh well better Typhoon Lagoon then a hotel room (off rhyme?). Well sleep awaits because There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (get it?)

Getting Closer

So in 25 days my life changes completely. It's getting so close! I'm really excited as you may imagine, I've already started packing...probably a little sooner then I should but I can't help it. I'm refusing to pack anything like clothing in hopes of convincing myself that I'm not getting too ahead of myself here. This also begins the stretch of my last two weeks before my friends leave for college and the last week and a half of my summer classes, meaning that last 10 days should prove interesting with nothing to distract me from excitement. 2(ish) weeks, 25 days,  600 hours, 36000 minutes. Orlando here I come!

I'm Writing a Book!?!

Hey guys, so I'm writing a book now (it was a weird spur of the moment ok let's do this!) about everything I have learned already and everything I will learn. So basically, I found out that the only book about the College Program is called Mousektraz, and doesn't paint the Program in the most positive light, I'm gonna try to write a book about my experiences and lessons learned. I also would LOVE to have entries from other CP's so it's not just my own but can really try to encompass as many people in the Program as possible,and as I'm an engineering major it couldn't hurt to have more polished writers contributing.  I just really want an honest book about the CP out there, the bad AND the good. Plus since i'm taking "environmental ethics" which is basically the easiest class at State it'll give me something to do in the apartment.

Special Sneak Preview: (keep in mind this is very rough it was a "hmmm let's see if I'm even capable of this" experiment)

Be Flexible

          I haven’t even arrived at Disney yet and I already know that I’m going to have to learn to relax and go with the flow. Back in February I was so excited for my phone interview, I had been counting the days. At 10:30 the night before my interview I got a call from Disney informing me that their computer system had crashed and my interview had to be rescheduled for the next week. I was almost heartbroken that the interview I was so excited about and had been waiting for would be put off yet another week, but somehow I managed to smile through it and agree to reschedule my interview in good spirits, something that my interviewer remembered the following week and she even mentioned how grateful she was that I was willing to be flexible about the whole thing.

          When I first applied to the program I wanted more than anything to be an Attractions cast member. More specifically I wanted to be a Jungle Cruise skipper. Jungle Cruise is my favorite ride. It doesn’t have the speed and adrenaline rush of Rock’n’Rollercoaster or the technology of Mission: Space, but it is more full of Disney magic than any other ride I know. The thought that I could lead the ride I love so much was incredible. I would practice the Jungle Cruise jokes I knew (most of them) and watch videos of the ride on YouTube, I couldn’t wait to get to Disney and I was sure that I would be an Attractions cast member even before my phone interview.

            Only a week or so after my phone interview I got an e-mail from Disney. I opened it quickly before my Winterguard (that flag spinny thing everyone makes fun of, yeah its that but without the band) practice not thinking anything about it. The first word I saw was “Congratulations!”. I didn’t believe it I wasn’t supposed to hear from Disney for weeks. I read it again and again just to be sure. There alone in my dorm room I started yelling and jumping up and down with excitement, not an easy task while sitting down on a twin bed with your legs crossed. So after standing back up, I proceeded to finally finish reading the e-mail. My heart sank almost as rapidly as it had leapt. “You have been accepted as a Merchandise cast member”. Merchandise, sure I had put it down on the application as a role I was willing to fill, but I never really believed it would happen. I tried to regain some of my original excitement but one thought kept running back through my mind crushing the many positive thoughts like Wile E. Coyote under an anvil: there goes Jungle Cruise. Would I even want to go for Merchandise? After awhile (ok about three minutes) I started telling people that I had made it into the program. When I was telling people I began to realize…. It’s still Disney of course I’m going. Then I started to get excited again as I slowly but surely realized wait Merchandise, Attractions whatever I get to work in Disney for four-ish months! I MAY GET TO MEET IMAGINEERS! That’s all it took I was back to jumping and screaming, this time with less painful results.

            I started to get ready for practice thanking God the whole time that I even remembered I had to go. On my way to practice I met up with Ashley another of my friends who was on guard with me I told her and she was so excited for me, but then as we walked up to Carmichael Gym for practice chattering away about the program we ran into my best friend Keith who was on his way back from his own practice. When he saw me he ran up excitedly picking me up and celebrating my good news with me. At that moment in the middle of campus in full out celebration I realize how awesome this opportunity was, so who cared if it didn’t unfold exactly as I had planned. I’ve always been a planner I’ve known my major since I was still watching new episodes of Full House and have already started to plan for grad school not even a year into my undergrad, but this helped me see that sometimes for dreams to come true you have to look at what’s really important after all did I want to be a Jungle Cruise skipper, or did I want to get networking opportunities and be able to spend four months in my own personal “laughing place”? Sometimes you just have to let dreams unfold on their own and accept them as they come. 

Hope you enjoyed reading, let me know what you think or if you want to contribute! 

More to Do

Adding to the Disney bucket list ...again


1. Eat a Mickey Pop as a Disney employee
2. Every Attraction-114
             37 in MK
             38 in Epcot
             20 in AK
             19 in MGM (CP members can't do American Idol)
3. Fantasmic in the front row
4. Wishes on Main Street
5. Illuminations up close
6. Visit HP in Universal
7. WolfPack pictures on every picture ride
8. Picture with every character
9. All three fireworks shows in one night
10. Do every park in one day
11.Dole Whip before Enchanted Tiki
12.Space Mountain with the Lights on
13.Osborne Family Lights
14.Find Push
15.Find One of Tom and Huck's paintbrushes
16.Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach
17.Talk to an Imagineer
18. Night of Joy
19. Be one of the first in the Park
20. Find the ghost bride's ring in the Haunted Mansion
21. See Wishes on my 20th Birthday
22. Dive the Living Seas
23. Early Morning Safari
24.Drop Day (fueled by my fear of some drops):
      -Tower of Terror
      - Expedition Everest
      - Splash Mountain
25. Be part of a show in MGM
26. Make a Magical Moment
27. Disney Scene-it with fellow Disney geeks
28. Run the Disney Halloween 5K
29. Make Mickey Mouse chocolate chip cookies
30. Shift in Adventure Land
31. Do a cartwheel on Main Street USA
32. Attend at least one CP event
33. Spend time with my family in Disney
34. Convince some of my friends to come visit me

Eventful Program

So for the last few days I have been looking up things happening in WDW while I'm down there for the program. One of them is the Halloween 5K which is a costume run around Magic Kingdom, something that hopefully I'll be part of this year. Looking trough events it seems like there's something going on in at least one of the parks or resorts every weekend for those of you who will be down there with me here's just a few
-Disney's Night of Joy a Christian Music celebration held in MK September 10th and 11th
-Disney's Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend
       -Includes Mickey's Halloween Family Fun 5K- in costume!
- the Epcot Food and Wine Festival Oct 1st through Nov 14th
       -Includes Eat to the Beat Concerts in American Pavilion

10/1-10/3: Taylor Dayne, "Tell It to My Heart"

10/4-10/5: Kool & The Gang, "Celebration"

10/6-10/8: Sugar Ray, "Fly"

10/9-10/10: Taylor Hicks, "Do I Make You Proud "

10/11-10/12: Air Supply, "Lost in Love"

10/13-10/15: Sister Hazel, "All For You"

10/16-10/17: Howard Jones, "No One Is To Blame"

10/18-10/19: Expose, "Seasons Change"

10/20-10/21: 38 Special, "Hold on Loosely "

10/22-10/24: Night Ranger, "Sister Christian"

10/25-10/27: Billy Ocean, "Caribbean Queen"

10/28-10/31: Starship starring Mickey Thomas, "We Built This City"

11/1-11/3: Boyz II Men, "End of the Road"

11/4-11/5: Roger Hodgson formerly of Supertramp, "Give A Little Bit"

11/6-11/7: Jon Secada, "Just Another Day"

11/8-11/9: Hanson, "MMMBop"

11/10-11/11: Rick Springfield, "Jessie’s Girl"

11/12-11/14: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, "Go Daddy-O"

- Festival of the Masters Nov 12-14
- Holiday's around the World in EPCOT Nov 26th through Dec 30
- Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights Nov - early Jan

This doesn't even include all the parties, resort events like the ones at Grand Floridian, other concerts, Downtown Disney events, more secretive events many of which will never be announced and events for CPs! It's so exciting that there will be so much going on, I can't wait!

Watching

While I was at lunch with a few of my friends one made the comment that she envied me and that she would love  to be a princess. My friends were shocked when I disagreed, they all assumed that was what I was going down there to do, be a character and play with the kids. One of my best friends, knowing me better just smiled a little knowing that I was about to explain something. I simply said that I was going to Disney to watch the magic not to be the magic. As I am growing older I am beginning to realize that my best work is done not as a leader but as a second in command. Yes, I can lead and most of the time do a pretty good job but I am realizing that I am happier as a second, it just fits better. 

So when I go to Disney that's what I want to do. I want to be able to sit back and watch the magic. Don't get me wrong  I love interacting with the guests but I want to be able to watch the little girls run to Cinderella and see Mickey light up the faces of everyone in a room. That's just where I fit. Since my Brier Patch post I have realized something, as much as I would love that location I would much rather work as the balloon girl on Main Street USA and be able to see the guests faces right as they walk into the park.  So to all the Characters Thank You for doing what you do, I can't wait to watch. 

Why MGM is MGM

My poor friends and family have already heard this rant every time they refer to the home of the Sorcerer Hat as Hollywood Studios but I felt like putting this argument out there for all to read. Walt Disney's Dream for MGM Studios was to make guests feel like they were walking onto a movie set, right into the action behind the scenes. Hence the MGM Studios, a clear description of a movie set come to life. Iger, while certainly better then Eisner for Disney History has changed the name of this theatrical park to Hollywood Studios so that guests would feel like they were walking into the hustle and bustle of all of Hollywood, not just a movie set. Now as somewhat of a Disney purist this justification is even more upsetting then the name change. While I realize Iger's need to change the feel of MGM to be able to add even more emphasis on Shopping and Dining in a park that is already too full of both, I feel like this is much more an excuse to add our new "pop icons" and teen superstars to a park, well what happens when these teen sensations are long gone say in two short years from now, will the temporary merchandising boom and isolation of the majority of guests to "Hollywood Studios" be worth the permanent abandonment of Walt's dream for the park? I say no. So while as a Disney Employee I will be happy to refer our guests to "Hollywood Studios" in a private setting I refuse to change this part of Disney's dream.

Already Adding...

Thanks to all my peers I've got a few more plans.. (in no particular order)

1. Eat a Mickey Pop as a Disney employee
2. Every Attraction-114
             37 in MK
             38 in Epcot
             20 in AK
             19 in MGM (CP members can't do American Idol)
3. Fantasmic in the front row
4. Wishes on Main Street
5. Illuminations up close
6. Visit HP in Universal
7. Pack pictures on every picture ride
8. Picture with every character

9. All three fireworks shows in one night

10. Do every park in one day

11.Dole Whip before Enchanted Tiki

12.Space Mountain with the Lights on

13.Osborne Family Lights

14.Find Push

15.Find One of Tom and Huck's paintbrushes

16.Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach

17.Talk to an Imagineer

18. Night of Joy

19. Be one of the first in the Park

20. Find the ghost bride's ring in the Haunted Mansion

21. See Wishes on my 20th Birthday

To Do:

As I get more excited for DCP I've been thinking about what I want to do while I'm there. So here begins The List, to be changed and added too as neccessary over the coming months.

1. Eat a Mickey Pop as a Disney employee
2. Every Attraction-114
             37 in MK
             38 in Epcot
             20 in AK
             19 in MGM (CP members can't do American Idol)
3. Fantasmic in the front row
4. Wishes on Main Street
5. Illuminations up close
6. Visit HP in Universal
7. Pack pictures on every picture ride
8. Picture with every princess, the fab 5, and Jiminy Cricket
....to be continued as more must do's occur to me

Where to Work?

Where to work? In the DCP you have the opportunity to request where you want to work (although it is far from guaranteed), as a Merchandise cast member my options are almost endless, I can work anywhere from a resort to Downtown Disney, I can even work inside the  parks themselves. Never one to shy away from the hustle and bustle of a busy setting I find myself longing to be inside one of the parks. After my initial disappointment at being selected for Merchandise rather then Attractions, my shining light was the possibility of working in the Briar Patch.

The Briar Patch is connected to Splash Mountain and provides a fun place to dry off and see the inevitably terror-struck picture of your thrill ride persona. Deep in the heart of Frontierland it's connection to one of Walt's mountains guarantees a heavy stream of guests  practically year round and a chance to be right in the middle of the magic. It also adds one more special opportunity that may take a second to comprehend: working at Splash Mountain. That obvious fact holds more then you would think.Splash Mountain is absolutely one of my favorite rides, everything from the catchy song to the adrenaline of that drop. Yes, it's only 50 ft but as in almost all Disney rides, the magic's in the presentation. After all those little drops that are the ultimate fake out you've just settled into your seat when there it is: THE drop. That terrifying moment where you look down and are sure that you are going to fall into a twisted Briar Patch with Brer Bear and Brer Fox, unable to escape. The hidden magic in this brief moment of terror, if at the top of Chickapin Hill you look straight in front of you instead of down into the Briars you see the most beautiful view of Cinderella Castle in the whole park. This view makes the ride worth while to even the most drop-shy guest. The possibility of working so near this magical ride makes me almost grateful that I'm in Merchandise instead of Attractions.  In Merchandise I get the opportunity to see guests just as they leave the rides, I get to see the magic.

And so it begins....

Eight days ago I finally got to speak that precious phrase that every Disney College Program hopeful hopes to say, "I got my Purple Folder". For those of you not in the Disney know the Purple folder is the ultimate acceptance, it means Disney wants YOU. This folder is full of information about what you'll be doing, where you'll be living and how your first days as a Cast Member will be spent, but more then that it contains the single most important thing that anyone with Disney dreams can have. A letter that says Disney wants you. After all the stress you've endured waiting for that letter, and even before that, simply waiting to hear the ring that means the start of your phone interview, you finally get that perfect piece of paper, in that perfect Purple folder. So here it is, the start of my adventure- just me and my Purple folder.