one girl's dream

hi, my name's Meg, and I accepted a role with the Disney College Program! 🎠 fall 2015 attractions 🎢 Feel free to send me any questions you might have about Disney World or the College Program!

[mlgdoesdcp]

Now it’s time to say goodbye...

When it came time for the graduation ceremony (the beginning of December for me), I didn’t believe it. People who had extended their Spring program were leaving, and I was going to be leaving in a month. We received our certificates of completion and our graduation ears, and it was a fun ceremony, but the sadness was kicking in. 

The holidays really made everything fly by, it almost went too quickly for me to savor it. I had made some of the best friends during this program, and I would have to leave them. Some of them I wasn’t so sure I’d ever see again, like people from Australia and China. I didn’t ever think I was going to say the words, “This is my last shift with you!” 

I cried. A lot. I’m home now, wishing I was back in Florida. I have new friends on Facebook, part-time and full-time people, CPs who extended, and it makes me homesick as ever to see their posts. But I am so, so thankful that I have things like Facebook and Twitter to keep up with these people. This program has made the greatest impact on my life. It made 2015 the best year so far. 

I am counting down the days until I can go back. I am definitely going to do a second program after I graduate from university. 

Doing this gave me the chance to do things not everyone can say they’ve done. I’ve gone on Rock ‘N Rollercoaster six times in a row. I rode Tower of Terror with the lights on. I walked through the Streets of America with the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights flashing and twinkling with barely anyone else around. I could go to the Magic Kingdom on my day off, just to sit and people watch, or go get a coffee. 

I’ll miss the Fantasmic mountain, I’ll miss seeing Sorceror Mickey surprise and amaze guests, I’ll miss hearing Beauty and the Beast five times a day. Participating in this program was an amazing opportunity, if you get the chance, please do it. Looking back through my photos brings tears to my eyes, but it only reaffirms that I’ll be back. I know it. 

[mlgdoesdcp]

saving money!

Saving money can be a pretty hard thing to do, especially when you’re working in Disney World and get a nice discount on stuff. I consider myself a good saver, but when the holiday discount came around my willpower decreased. 

If you’re doing a Fall program, I would really recommend holding off on buying merchandise until that holiday discount begins; it raises from 20% to 40%. 

ALWAYS ASK IF A PLACE HAS A CAST DISCOUNT. The worst they’ll say to you is no! 

I’d also recommend putting aside money from each paycheck, just so you have something in case of an emergency. After each week of paying rent and then groceries, I would say I still had around $100. You want to be able to go home with something in your pocket! 

[mlgdoesdcp]

the holiday season

Disney World is a pretty crowded place. That’s a no-brainer. From experience, I can tell you that Hollywood Studios in the middle of September is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT than Studios in the middle of December.

It can suck, I’ll be honest. You’ll be away from home, from your friends, and you’ll miss it. I did. (It also didn’t help that one of my favorite coordinators transferred around this time and it was one of the first “goodbyes” I said.) But you can learn how to make the best of the situation!

My roommate and I cooked ourselves a Thanksgiving dinner and had over our Australian friend. It’s was really cool to give him the experience of Thanksgiving.

For Christmas, I really recommend decorating your apartment. We had a fake tree and stockings, and even exchanged gifts.

And to be frank, you’ll be working a lot during the holiday season. For the last two weeks of my program, which was Christmas and the week after (the two busiest weeks at the resort), I worked more than fifty hours. Some other CPs I knew worked almost seventy. For me, it wasn’t so bad. I enjoyed where I worked and my fellow cast members. We had a good time, and I’m glad I got to spend my first Christmas away from home with them.

As a last note, I would recommend around the first week of December (if you’re doing a Fall program) that you start packing things up. Like I said, you’ll be working a lot those last two weeks and won’t have time to pack everything up then.

Thanks for reading!

[mlgdoesdcp]

end of program sadness

Well, it’s been quite some time since I last posted. I really apologize, but it is hard to keep up with a blog, sleep schedule, social life, and work! 

When I last posted, it was only Halloween. I can gladly tell you that I made it out of the holiday season alive and well. I’m going to be making a few more posts about various topics that I wasn’t able to post about earlier on, including:

the holiday season (working it, being away from home)

saving money during your program

saying goodbye at the end of it all

So stay posted! 

[mlgdoesdcp]

two months in

It’s been a long time since my last post! I’ve been extremely busy with work and classes, but have found time today to finally update everyone on how things have been here. 

Extensions! Unfortunately, I cannot extend my program, as I have to go back to school for financial reasons. However, I can give you an idea of how the process works. About a month or so into my program, I received an email about extending (I arrived the 17th of august and I think emails came middle of september). Applications for us were due the first week of October, and acceptances were announced about two weeks later. You have to pay a housing fee and another program fee should you accept. 

Classes! I can’t believe classes are already halfway over for me. It’s a bit of a struggle taking the two and working at the same time; one of my classes has actual homework and readings due, so I’ve come to the conclusion that you should really only take one collegiate class, two seminars, or no classes at all. 

Life in general! I am still loving everything about my program! I wish i could stay, so many people I know are and I can’t imagine going back to my “normal” life in January. I’ve learned so much so far and the days are just flying by, I can’t believe it’s already Halloween. Christmas decorations and merchandise have started popping up in the stores and I heard the first christmas song today in a Gap store. 

As always, feel free to message me with any questions you have about the program or myself! Thanks for reading!! 

[mlgdoesdcp]

classes!

Hi everyone! I haven't posted on here in a very long time as I've been working quite a bit but yesterday I started class! Disney offers quite a few different classes in two categories: seminars and collegiate courses. Seminars have no outside work (and thus are not approved for credit) and collegiate courses do (and are approved for credit). I am taking one of each! The collegiate course I'm taking is Organizational Leadership. There's a lot of group work involved. The seminar I'm taking is Disney Heritage. This is the most popular class they offer and it usually has a long waiting list, so you're lucky if you get in. Even in the first day we talked so much about Walt and his story! It's all about his beginnings up until the opening of Epcot. There's guest speakers and field trips, and I'm super excited! Both of my facilitators for these classes are very relaxed. They let us have drinks and snacks while we were there (OL is 4 hours and DH is 2 so I needed a lot of snacks). You have to look nice for class - business casual is the rule. Basically, you can wear jeans with no tears or designs. Or you could also wear your work costume.

You will not be scheduled to work within 2 hours of when your classes start/end. So let's say you have class from 1-3. Your shift wouldn't start until 5. or from 4-6, your shift would end by 2. I highly recommend taking at least one class, because these classes are unique to Disney. Be sure to have an eye on your email for when registration opens up!! Thanks for reading!!

[mlgdoesdcp]

finished with training!

this past week I officially earned my ears at Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage! I’m a little nervous that I’ll forget everything I learned but everyone I work with is super nice and always willing to help. 

Today was my first day off in twelve days and it was nice to be able to be on my own schedule for once. My roommates and I really have been taking advantage of our main gate passes and the discounts, which makes me glad that I saved up a lot before coming down here. 

Other than that, I really have no other news to post about but I’ll be sure to keep everyone updated on what’s happening. Thanks for reading!

[mlgdoesdcp]

sunset life

sorry I haven't posted in a few days! I've worked everyday since last Tuesday (which is when I conveniently caught a cold) and have been exhausted! I can tell you that I earned my ears at fantasmic and today I'll start training for fastpass+! I've met so many new people and made a lot of friends and I can't wait to tell you guys more about it soon!!

[mlgdoesdcp]

training days 1 & 2

So you may be thinking that I’ve just been playing in the parks all day...which isn’t completely wrong, but I’ve also been doing my training sessions! At casting, they give you your first training schedule. I only had two days of training on that schedule, but other people I spoke to had three (or even more). 

day 1 

For certain roles, your first day of training will be all about what you and roles grouped with yours do. You’ll hear a lot about the Four Keys and also learn how to clock in and out for your shifts. I don’t want to give a lot away (partly because I don’t know if I’m allowed to) but it’s pretty much a day spent sitting in a classroom learning about safety and the company. Drink coffee beforehand and bring snacks/lunch. 

day 2 

For certain roles, your second day of training will take place in your park. I went to Hollywood Studios and had a blast. Most likely you’ll walk around your park, learn about its history and elements, and find out your specific placement if you don’t already know it. I found out that I will be working at Fantasmic! and beauty & the beast live on stage! You also learn how to access the hub, the online resource site for cast members. 

After all of this I am absolutely exhausted. Last night we went to Studios and saw the Frozen fireworks and screamed along to every song, so naturally my throat is killing me. Hopefully I’m not sick! 

This upcoming week I have on the job training for three days at Fantasmic - if you’re there you might see me! 

Thanks for reading! 

[mlgdoesdcp]

traditions

Hello everyone! Like I posted earlier, I’m sorry I haven’t been active -- things get crazy busy around here but I’ve been having a great time! 

I had traditions last Friday and it was absolutely amazing. I laughed and cried and felt right at home with every single cast member. It’s supposed to be a surprise, but here’s what I’ll give away...

You’ll be sitting for a little while, and it can feel like a long time, so bring snacks. You’re allowed to eat and drink (they even have water coolers in the room) during your traditions so take advantage of it!! 

Wear comfortable clothing. If you’re doing a fall program like me, dress accordingly for the weather. You will be doing some walking, so wear comfy shoes too. Also, bring an umbrella/poncho/rain jacket just in case. It rained during my roommate’s traditions class! 

Drink coffee beforehand. If you’re into that. If you’re not, you’re stronger than most and I admire you. But most college age adults need coffee to function and you need to be alert and awake for this! 

I can’t really think of anything else to tell you guys without giving anything major away. You’ll just have to wait for your own traditions class to find out! 

[mlgdoesdcp]

when you have traditions tomorrow morning and you’re so excited so you blast the disney pandora station patiently waiting for tomorrow to come 

[mlgdoesdcp]

a busy first week!

In my last post, I talked about check-in day, moving in, and prepping for your week ahead. After today, my meetings are done! I had four: casting, drug & alcohol testing, language testing, and a housing meeting. Not everyone gets tested for drugs & alcohol, or for language comprehension. 

The days/ times you have these meetings vary from person to person. None of my roommates and I had the same meeting times so plan on making more friends! 

meetings

1. casting

YOU WILL NEED: I-9 documents, I-9 form (you filled this out at check-in), program guide, drivers license/passport

Your itinerary lists a BUS TIME. That means you can take this bus (from vista) to get to casting. I drove there with my parents, so I was a little early and they happily accommodated to that. If you are a little late, it’s usually okay.

You will get FINGERPRINTED, BACKGROUND-CHECKED, and your TRAINING SCHEDULE

2. drug & alcohol testing 

YOU WILL NEED: drivers license/passport, program guide, and itinerary.

Your itinerary tells you where to go for the test. Make sure you take the bus to get there on time.

Drink lots of water! You will be peeing into a glamorous little cup and if you can’t pee enough the first time, then you have to drink more water and retake the test. If you have a shy bladder, just try not going for two or three hours beforehand. They have water at the testing site, but it doesn’t hurt to bring your own water too. 

3. language testing 

YOU WILL NEED: your housing ID and program guide (they didn’t ask for mine but just get into the habit of bringing it places in case) 

Your itinerary will tell you where to go for the test. Make sure you take the bus to get there on time. 

You’ll meet with a cast member and tell them what language you’re being tested for; in my case, the cast member i met upon arrival was my tester. PLEASE PRACTICE SPEAKING IN YOUR LANGUAGE. I hadn’t really practiced but I managed to scrape by on describing what I didn’t know how to say in the language I spoke. 

You will be asked things like where the best place to eat is, how to direct someone somewhere, and translating. You’ll probably also be asked how long you’ve been speaking the language and where you studied it. 

BREATHE. JUST TRY TO THINK OF HOW TO SAY EVERYTHING IN THE LANGUAGE. They’re pretty understanding of you being nervous and overwhelmed with everything - honestly I think that’s why i passed because my french was not as good as it could have been. 

4. housing 

YOU WILL NEED: your housing ID and program guide (they don’t absolutely require it, but you can follow along with their presentation using your guide)

Your itinerary tells you where to go for the meeting - it’s usually in the Commons clubhouse. Make sure you take the bus to get there on time (or you can walk if you live in Chatham, or obviously, the Commons). 

People from the housing offices will go over things like what you can/can’t have in your apartment, the rules about alcohol, and safety on property. If you’ve lived in on campus housing before, most of this stuff is common sense to you. They allow time for questions and if you’re too shy/embarrassed to ask questions in front of the crowd, you can ask them afterwards. 

It takes about two hours and can get a little boring but you’ll get through it. This is most likely the last meeting you have to attend before traditions! 

Tomorrow I have traditions and I’m so excited! My next big post will be all about that. Thank you for reading!

[mlgdoesdcp]

CHECK-IN DAY

So yesterday (August 17th) was my check-in day for the program! I met SOOO many people and had a blast and also ended up completely exhausted. Here’s how it went! 

** make sure you are in Disney look from the shoulders up, as you WILL be taking a photo BUT make sure you’re comfortable ** 

check-in time   

You will check in at Vista Way - the address is on the DCP website. About four or five days before you’re set to check-in, you’ll receive an email with your check-in time. It’s very important that you arrive on time (I got there right at the start of my window, 7:45-8:45 AM). You need this page (the email with your arrival window), your onboarding pass (you received that after you registered for housing), your drivers license/passport, and Social Security card (if you don’t know your number already; you have to fill out your I-9 form at one point and that information is needed) during check-in. 

You will meet so many people who are just as nervous and excited as you, don’t be afraid to talk to someone and make friends! You could be waiting a little while before things start moving along. You get your program guide and a name tag right before you find out your placement. 

finding out your role/placement 

You will round a little corner and go into one of Vista Way’s buildings to find out your role! It’s extremely exciting to finally discover where you’ll be making magic! For me, it’s Hollywood Studios on Sunset Boulevard!!! You also get a bus schedule. HOLD ONTO THIS! (I would also recommend getting the trans loc app once you get there. Allow it to find your location and it gives you the approximate arrival times and routes of buses for the program!) 

After this, you will get your housing assignment. I live in Chatham in a 3 bedroom apartment. I believe here you also get your itinerary for the next few days. Then it’s on to taking your housing ID photo. Next you get your apartment key, and then you learn about the various meetings you need to attend during your week of arrival. 

moving in 

Sooooooo if you’re like me you have packed A LOT OF STUFF. Chatham does NOT have any elevators (and I do NOT live on the ground floor), and I don’t think the other buildings do either. You will sweat (if it’s the fall program you’re participating in). Take note of what your apartment has, as well as your roommates. Thankfully our apartment came with many different utensils and pots and pans. 

You’ll want lots of pictures and stuff to make your space your own. Make sure you have painters tape/command strips to hang up stuff! Also, bring thumbtacks, because everyone gets their own corkboard.

Once you know what you have and what you need, you can head out to the shops in the area. There’s a Target and a Bed Bath and Beyond in Orlando, about 20 minutes away from the complexes. The buses do not run to these. There’s also a Publix and a Walgreens near Chatham/Patterson/The Commons that you can walk to, it’s less than a mile away. 

After I finished unpacking it was almost midnight, so I was beat. Make sure you get lots of rest, because the real work starts soon! 

My next post will be about the various meetings you have to attend the first week. Thanks for reading! 

[mlgdoesdcp]

days 4 & 5: was so exhausted last night I forgot to post!! but between the two days I met sully, mike, phineas, ferb, tigger, pooh, mary poppins, alice, the mad hatter, rapunzel, and cinderella. it's really been a hectic couple of days but I still love it 💓

[mlgdoesdcp]

day 3 - I got to see my favorite and explored Harambe market!

[mlgdoesdcp]

day two xx today I found out what time I'll be checking in on monday - between 7:45 and 8:45!

[mlgdoesdcp]

my snapchat adventure from the drive from new jersey to orlando 😁😁😁