One Month To Go!

It's almost time!! We are down to just 30 days until my check in at Vista Way for my Disney College Program!

I thought that I would give a little update as to what has been going on and what I'm doing in preparation in the weeks to come!

- Signed Up for Classes
      No not school classes (thank God!). Disney sent an email around with our log in information to sign up for classes. This came about 6 weeks before the move in date. They direct you to the DORMS website where you take a quick survey and they generate which classes they offer that would fit how you answered the survey. You do not need to take classes! Some of them you can take for credit at school, and others are just speaker series about different aspects of the company. I am taking the Human Resource Management Speaker Series class which will dive into all the areas of Disney's HR. Since that was the major that I graduated with and I want to get into that division of the company, I figured this would be the perfect classes!

- Communicating with Roommates
       My roommates and I have been talking about who has certain items for the apartment such as TVs, toasters, Coffee makers, etc. that we are going to bring with us. This way we won't have duplicates. We have also narrowed down which apartment complexes we want. We will be getting the email to sign up for our housing preferences 10 days prior to check in and we want to be prepared. It's great to really start talking to them because it makes everything all the more exciting!

- New Hire Paperwork
         This week Disney Casting sent us the link to all of our new hire paperwork that needed to be filled out. This was so much easier than the last time that I did a DCP! The old way was that you received a giant envelope in the mail with all the documents that you had to sign and fill out and remember to bring with you on the first day. Now, you just go to the website and everything is already populated with your information and you do an e-signature to sign the documents! It was really simple and easy! 

- Received my Postcard!
         This is also something new since my last program! Since you don't get the giant welcome packet, Recruiting sends all the CPs a Postcard that says congratulations on it! (See my picture above) This was such a great way to just make it more real and like it is really happening... I am moving to Walt Disney World!

- Packing! Packing! Packing!
         It's still kind of early to really be packing, but I have all of my luggage down from the attic and set up in my sisters room. She's away at school so she didn't mind that I have turned her room into my staging area! Slowly I have been moving some summer clothes over into her room to get them out of sight so that I don't wear everything and have to do a ton of laundry before I leave. I also went through all of the stuff that I have accumulated from college and decided what I was going to need and what I wasn't. Once I have finalized my packing list, I will be sure to post it so you can see an idea of what you'd need to bring.

- Just Keep Waiting...
        I turned in my notice to work that I am leaving a week ago and now it is just a matter of waiting until my last day! I can't wait to be in Florida! I just wish the next few weeks would fly by! 

Look On the Optimistic Side of Life

Growing up as a "Disney Kid", I learned a lot from Walt Disney's movies, but also from the man himself. Here are some of my favorite quotes and why that are special to me. 

This quote is one that always reminds me that Walt was a normal human being. Walt took many risks in his life with his business. He was always a go-getter, but being in the business of film, people don't always get exactly what they want and they see rejection often. This is something that I believe Walt used as a spring board to keep going. He wanted to prove people wrong. He wanted to show them that the ideas that some thought were crazy, were actually ingenious. He built an amazing theme park in California that had a disaster for an opening day. So bad that the asphalt was not even dry and guests' shoes were sticking to the pavement. The park was written off as a failure. Of course, we all know that Disneyland came back to win everyone over after that debacle, but I'm sure that Walt did not envision that day going so terribly. After much hard work and persistence, Disneyland became one of the best vacation destination spots in the US.

It is always important to be optimistic in every day life. I am a big believer that how you think your day is going to turn out, is exactly how it is going to turn out. However, you cannot expect that because you have a positive attitude everything is going to work out for you. Life is complicated. It takes work and persistence to make your dreams come true. Sometimes, failing is part of the plan. Keep yourself positive, but life happens. Don't let it get you down!

Want to see more Disney Quotes? Check out Wise Words From Walt

We Keep Moving Forward

Growing up as a "Disney Kid", I learned a lot from Walt Disney's movies, but also from the man himself. Here are some of my favorite quotes and why that are special to me. 

"Keep moving forward" was one of my favorite lines from the film, Meet the Robinsons. It was the motto that ran throughout the whole movie. (If you haven't seen it, you really should! It's one of those amazing and underrated Disney movies.) I fell in love with the phrase even more when I found out that it actually came from Walt Disney himself. 

This is something that I think everyone needs to remember in life. No matter what happens, you need to keep on going. Don't forget about the past, but learn from it. Take what you learned and use that to find new opportunities that you didn't know where there before. When one door shuts, another one opens. Just keep on going!

This was never more true for me as it was when I did not get any of the Professional Internships that I applied to last year when I was graduating. I thought it was my last opportunity to apply since you have to be in school when you're applying. I did not dwell on the fact that I did not get the positions, but I looked to see how I would be able to get myself down to Disney again. I decided to go back to school (online) for my Masters. This then made me eligible to apply for the DCP and PI all over again! 

Don't focus so much on what has already happened. There is nothing that you can do to change the past. You just need to pick yourself up and see what the next step in the process will be and move on. Move forward.

Want to see more Disney Quotes? Check out Wise Words From Walt

Forming my Bucket List for DCP 2015

Hi All!

So I am seriously so excited for May to come and for my to move to Florida! Just 2 months away!!! 

In the mean time, I have been focusing my excitement into my blog because otherwise I would probably explode. So I have started forming my Disney College Program 2015 Bucket List! Super awesome right?! 

It is a work in progress and I promise that once I get down there, I will make sure to take pictures of each event as I check them off my list so that you know I successfully completed it. If you have any suggestions of things that I should do while in Florida, I would love for any ideas! 6 months should provide me with enough time to get everything accomplished!

You can navigate to my Bucket List by selecting the page name on the tabs on the top of the page, or by clicking the link here : Click Here for my DCP Bucket List

Why Worry?

Growing up as a "Disney Kid", I learned a lot from Walt Disney's movies, but also from the man himself. Here are some of my favorite quotes and why that are special to me. 

This is the best advice that you can take from Mr. Disney when it comes to applying for the Disney College Program! Being part of the Facebook groups that are for DCP hopefuls can sometimes add unnecessary stress to everyone. Once the acceptances start rolling out, that's then the doubt sets in and some of the people on the groups get snappy if you ask questions or are unwilling to help because they don't want the added competition. To all this I say, STOP FREAKING OUT! YES, I know we are all dying for it and YES, maybe this is your last semester that you are able to apply, but that doesn't mean your life is going to stop if you don't get accepted. 

I applied last year for 8 Professional Internships through Disney and many of them were Alumni-only internships. I was graduating in May so this was (what I thought at the time) the last time I would be able to get a shot at working for Disney. Long story short, I did not get the PIs. Was I heartbroken?  Yes. But I brushed myself off and moved on! I found an amazing job 15 minutes from my house and had a great experience! 

Take Walt's words to heart when you're applying for these internships. Once you have applied and done your interview, it's out of your hands! Adding extra stress and worry is not going to help, but hurt you in the long run. Find things to distract you until you get the final word on the internships you have applied for. Sit back, relax, and watch a Disney movie!!

Want to see more Disney Quotes? Check out Wise Words From Walt

If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It

Growing up as a "Disney Kid", I learned a lot from Walt Disney's movies, but also from the man himself. Here are some of my favorite quotes and why that are special to me. 

Walt Disney was definitely a dreamer. How he came up with some of the ideas that he had, the world will never know. But everything he did was way ahead of his time. Walt never gave up. When people told him that making an animated film as long as Snow White was going to make people's eyes fall out (or something like that), he made it anyway! People thought he was crazy when he asked theaters to have the ushers release certain scents at the right time during Fantasia, and now we have 4-D attractions in the theme parks. He made things that others though were just dreams and fairy tales a reality! I have never lost sight of my Dream to work for the Disney Company. I can't wait to go back! (66 DAYS!)

Want to see more Disney Quotes? Check out Wise Words From Walt

...It All Started With A Mouse

Growing up as a "Disney Kid", I learned a lot from Walt Disney's movies, but also from the man himself. Here are some of my favorite quotes and why that are special to me. 

This is such an iconic statement. Mickey Mouse has been such an influence in many children's lives, including mine. I love this quote because it shows that Walt would always remember where it all began. That little doodle on a train that turned his whole life upside down. The Walt Disney Company really grew from Mickey and Walt knew he would always be indebted to him.

This really speaks to me on a personal level. It says to never forget where you came from. You may not love your past, but it shaped the person that you are today. It also brings light to a theme that we often see in Disney movies: one moment can change your whole life. I know Disney has shaped my who life, and I know that this second chance to work for the company that I love is going to change my life forever!

Want to see more Disney Quotes? Check out Wise Words From Walt

Finding Roommates

The great thing about Disney creating their DORMS application is that now you can make sure that you are getting the roommates that you want (even though it really isn't a guarantee, they try to keep together the roommates that you list over the location). Since they now make it so easy, everyone is on the hunt for the perfect roommates for their semester in Disney.

It all starts with the Roommate Survey. Here is mine below: (Sorry it's long haha!)

Name: Julie Heider
Gender: Female
Orientation: Straight
Relationship Status: Single
Birthday/Age: August 8 - I'll be turning 24 on the program
From: New Jersey
School: Southern New Hampshire University
Major: MS Human Resource Management
Are you allergic/allergies to anything?: Nothing major. 
Do you have any siblings? 2 - One Sister and One brother.. both younger
DCP DETAILS
Are you applying for WDW or DL? WDW
Flying or Driving: Driving and keeping my car
Your Role?: Hospitality
What program are you applying for? Fall Advantage
Do you want to live in Wellness or Non-Wellness? Non-Wellness
How many people do you want to live with? would prefer 4 total
Which housing complex would you like to live in?: In order: Commons or Chatham
Alumni? YES! Spring Advantage 2011
LIFESTYLE
Do you party? How often? I like to have fun! Love to go out and try new place. More of a bar person than a club person. Also love nights in and cuddling with Netflix
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? yes
Can you cook? I can hold my own. I make killer Enchiladas!! (in a good way)
Are you a night person or morning person? Definitely more a night person
Do you snore? Not that I know of
What does your bedroom normally look like? Sometimes I can have some clothes thrown around, but thats it. The life of a girl trying to get dressed...
Do you like it when your room is hot or cold? I'm always cold so I usually have a sweatshirt with me anyway so it doesn't really matter.
Would you rather go out or stay in? Depends on the day! 
What do you like to do on your days off/the weekend? Definitely go to the parks or explore since I will have my car. Then sometimes I just like to binge watch Friends on Netflix. 
Do you work out a lot? I try! I am planning on running the Disney Princess Half Marathon in February so I'm sure I'll be training.
Three words that describe you: Creative, Spontaneous, Fun
One good quality: I am very go with the flow at times and can just find something fun to do when it seems like there is nothing.
Are you outgoing or quiet? Outgoing
Do you like hanging out with people or keeping to yourself? Definitely love to have people around me!
What would you want in a roommate? Someone easy-going that doesn't mind a little chaos at times haha. 
What are your biggest pet peeves/dislikes? People that don't know personal boundaries and are very close minded. 
Are you messy or organized? I like to say I am an organized mess haha but usually it is just clothes. everything else is organized.
How do you feel about sharing? I don't mind as long as someone asks. 99% of the time i will say yes!
Do you like having people over a lot? As long as everyone is ok with it then I don't mind. Just not until like 4 am.
Favorite thing to do: Definitely the parks! Going out to eat or to a bar, watch Netflix. I also like to craft - paint and such.
Favorite Music: I can get into anything. Death Cab, Paramore, Taylor Swift, Mumford and Sons, Avicii, Calvin Harris... really go for anything haha
Favorite TV Shows: Orange is the New Black, Friends, BMS, Downton Abbey, Doctor Who
Favorite Movies: Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Disney.. anything haha
Christmas movie?: Elf. 
Favorite Food: pizza! or quesadillas!
Favorite Candy: Dots and Starburst
Favorite Drink: Sweet Tea.... Moscato smile emoticon
Favorite Color: Hunter Green
DISNEY!
Favorite Character: Snow White! 
Favorite Movie: Thats way too hard! Just to say something I will say Meet the Robinsons!!
Favorite Disney Channel Show: Kim Possible, Phineas and Ferb
Favorite Park: EPCOT
Favorite Ride: Test Track!

The best thing to do is to find your arrival date's Facebook page and join! This way you're connecting with people that will be moving in the same day as you. Apparently, there is something new this year that you do not have to room with people from your move in day, but I find it is easier to coordinate if everyone is arriving on the same day.

The best advice that I can give you is to talk to everyone! Don't just talk to those who look great in their survey. Not only could you find someone that you click with, but these people could be living across the hall from you or you could be working with them. Everyone is excited and it's a great way to start meeting the people that you are going to be living around for the next 3-6 months! Also, be honest. If you're not comfortable with a few people after you've been talking, just say you want to go in a different direction. Or if you're really looking to live in a 6 or 8 person apartment, make sure to let any potential roommates know your preferences. You don't want to settle for something that after a month, you're not going to be happy with.

The housing preferences portal only opens 10 days before your arrival date. Take you're time in finding someone that you mesh with for a roommate, and spend time meeting everyone else and sharing in the excitement together! As they say in High School Musical:

Corny I know..

200 Views!!!

Wow! I can't believe over 200 people have viewed my blog and it's only been live for 5 days! Unbelievable! I hope I was able to help some of you get questions answered and shed some light on the Disney College Program!

Have a ~*~ M A G I C A L~*~ Day!!!

The Interview and The Acceptance

I first applied for 3 Professional Internships with Disney for Fall 2015. However, after I did not feel like the phone screen went very well, I decided to apply for the Disney College Program again as a back up. All I have thought about since my first program was, how can I get back down to Disney? I was going to take every opportunity that I could to get my foot back in that door!

I applied for the DCP on February 9th. After applying a received an email letting me know that I was invited to take the Web Based Interview. This is a web screening that asked you questions and you have to rank how you feel about them from "completely agree" to "completely disagree". This takes about a half hour to get through all the questions. At the end of the WBI, they will tell you whether you have made it to the next interview round or not.

The next interview is over the phone. After the WBI, you will receive an email telling you how to schedule your interview. Should the time you schedule your interview for no longer works, you have the opportunity to log back in and change your appointment. You are only allowed to reschedule ONCE! So make sure that if you reschedule that you are certain that is the best choice.

To learn more about what to expect in the Phone Interview, see my page About the Interview.

____________________________________

Exactly one week after my phone interview I received the following email:

I literally cried when I saw that I had been accepted once again to live out my dream of working for Disney!! AND I was accepted as a Hospitality Role which was my number 1 choice!!

Everyone gets their acceptance at different times, so don't compare the time you're waiting for an acceptance to how quick anyone else received theirs. If they really were no longer considering you, then you would know! The recruiter will always give you a date that you will hear by. This year it was April 20th. Until that last day comes and goes, do NOT give up hope!!

Scrolling all the way down, I followed the link in the email to view my acceptance letter. In the acceptance, you see which role you have received, which program (regular semester or advantage) you were accepted to, and how much you will be making. You will not find out exactly which location you are working in until your arrival day in Florida. At the end of the letter, you can either accept or deny the offer. If you need to think about it and discuss with family, you have up to 7 days to do so.

After accepting the role, you will receive an email to pay your program fees. The total is $350, which breaks down to $150 for "program assessment fee" and $200 for "housing and administration fee". Again, you will be allowed 7 days to complete this.

Once you pay your fees, you will receive another email about how to log in to select your arrival date! Now certain roles have specific days that they want you to sign up for. I had to make sure that I chose an arrival date with "Front Desk Only" as an option. There will be 4 dates that CPs can ultimately choose from to arrive. However, when you first log in to schedule your arrival date, not all of the arrival dates may be available for you to choice. Should this happen it is either because your specific role has a special arrival date, or Disney is trying to even out when people in certain roles are arriving to make it even. If you have a date in mind that you do not see available, you can either call casting to see if they can assign you to one of the closed dates, or check back at the available dates every day. This is another step that allows you to take up to 7 days to complete. I really wanted May 26th as my arrival date, however when I first logged in it wasn't available. I checked back the next day and there it was!

I know how exciting it is when you get the acceptance letter in your email! You want to zoom through all of the steps and be able to know exactly when you are moving yourself to Florida! But remember that you need to make sure that the scheduling works out. Make sure to talk to any friends or family that are going to help you move down, what mode of transportation you are going to get there, and make sure to talk to your school to make sure you can take the semester in the program (hopefully you talked to someone before applying). It is an exciting time for sure, but make sure that you take the time to plan everything out! 

What Should We Do?

I wanted to put together some of my experiences that I think everyone doing the Disney College Program should try to get out and do while there are in Florida! There is so much going on in the area and I definitely suggest exploring!

House of Blue on Industry Night (Sundays)

Located on the West Side of Downtown Disney, HOB opens up on Sundays to anyone 18+ (21 to drink) and shows them a great time with a DJ, dancing and of course drink specials! The reason why everyone goes on Sundays is that it is Industry Night. Anyone 21 and over gets in FREE with a Disney ID. And with one of the bus routes stopping right outside, why not go?

Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure

Yes, yes... Universal is a competitor of Disney, but why not take advantage of another awesome theme park and resort? CityWalk (their version of Downtown Disney) has lots of restaurants and a giant movie theater. If you order an annual pass (preferred pass level = $294), it pays for itself in 2 visits after you factor in parking! Even splurging for one day is worth it (at least for me) to check out the Harry Potter World and tasting the magic that is Butterbeer.

Hit up the Beach!

Even though Orlando is not on the coast of Florida, it is right in the middle. This means, its easy to make a day trip to the beach on either coast! Yes that either coast! To the East I recommend going to Cocoa Beach or Daytona. To the West, definitely take advantage of going to Clearwater Beach. My roommates and I took day trips to both as well as a nice night on Cocoa Beach. There are people who spend good money to come and vacation at these beaches and they are just a short drive away!

Cowboys

This was my favorite bar to go to on a night off with my roommate Steph. Cowboys is 18 to enter, 21 to drink. The best part is the theme! Of course its country so naturally, there's line dancing! All night long! They also have a nice outdoor patio and plenty of pool tables. Thursday nights are ladies nights and that means all girls get in for free! Many people go on Saturdays because it is dollar beer night!

Miami

Now, it's not as easy to take a trip to Miami as it is to go to Cocoa Beach or Clearwater. It is about a 5 hour drive down from Orlando. However, this city is so lively and has so much to offer! My roommates and I took a party bus down with a bunch of other CPs and spent the day on the beach and then got bused home. I'm not sure if they do these trips anymore, but it was a great time!

Downtown Orlando

Speaking of the party bus... during my program, there was a company that would bus CPs during the week to different clubs. The guys that ran them were promoters for the clubs and CPs would get in for free or at least a reduced cover. It was a great way to get out and do something crazy! And you didn't have to worry about DDs or navigating the city because they dropped you off right at the door!

EAT Around the World

Disney has sooooooo many amazing restaurants to eat at! Take a night out with your friends, get a little fancy and pick a nice place to eat for dinner or lunch! My roommates and I attempted to eat in every country in EPCOT before we left. Unfortunately, we did not meet out goal, but we so enjoyed those nights out with each other. 

Shopping!!!

If you're like me, you need a little retail therapy from time to time! Orlando is definitely a tourist area so you know what that means? OUTLETS!!! There is one outlet right across a parking lot from The Commons apartment complex and another just a 5 minute drive down I-4. If you have a car, the Florida Mall is only about a 15 minute drive! The greatest part is that a lot of the stores at the outlets will grant a discount (usually like 10-20%) with a Disney ID.

Disney Park Festivals

Food and Wine Festival. Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween. Flower and Garden Festival. The list goes on! Each one has special shows and merchandise and gets you in the mood for the holidays. Definitely don't miss out of the special times in the parks. If anything, they make for a great photo opportunity! 

Day to Day In Vista Way

Me, Michelle, and Stephanie outside of the Vista Way Apartment Complex. (More Picture below)

One my first program in 2011, I lived in the Vista Way Complex. This is the oldest and (I think?) largest complex of apartments that the DCP participants live in. Vista is considered the "Party Complex". It has 2 pools, a fitness center (small - treadmills and a few weight machines), basketball courts, and its own bus stop inside the complex gates. At the time I was there, they had just started renovating them, but my apartment was definitely old and "worn in" to put it lightly. It is definitely a lively complex! People were always out and about because there are a lot of places to eat and shop at in walking distance. These included Applebee's, Wendy's, Walgreens, Chik-fil-a, and Starbucks. The Walgreens was definitely convenient! 

At the time of the program, I was 19 so I lived in a 6 person, Wellness apartment. Disney has two options for rooms: Wellness and Non-wellness. The Wellness housing means that there is no alcohol allowed in the apartment and so Non-wellness is a 21+ apartment. Anyone who is under 21 at the start of the program will automatically be put into Wellness housing. However, those participants 21 and over can choose to be in Wellness or Non-wellness. Also, should someone in a Wellness apartment turn 21 during the program, they have the option to relocate to a Non-wellness apartment if they choose. One of my roommates turned 21 about half way through our program, but we all got along so well that she didn't want to leave our group. She was just not allowed to bring any alcohol into the apartment.

Now, even though Vista has a "party" reputation, I did not go out much and I still enjoyed my time there. The only time that it was a bit of an annoyance was when it was Wednesday or Sunday night. Wednesdays were karaoke night at the Buffalo Wild Wings in a plaza on one of the bus routes and Sundays were industry night at House of Blues (Cast members over 21 with a Disney ID were not charged cover). These nights were BIG nights for everyone to get out and have some fun! I had my far share of B-Dub and HOB nights, but if you chose to stay in on one of those nights, you would hear everyone coming back from the busses at 3AM. My apartment was also right next to the bus station so I'm sure I heard way more than some parts of the complex did, but it did get loud and obnoxious at times! I completely suggest that everyone on the program experience these two nights while they are in Florida! Anyone can go even under 21 (just can't drink). Find other "must do's" on my Disney College Program Bucket List (under construction at the moment).

I am very glad that I was able to experience Vista Way as my first complex living at the DCP. However, this time around I plan on living in anything but Vista. Vista has a lot to offer someone that lives there, but I will definitely be having a car again this time around so I don't need the conveniences of so many places within walking distance. There are many people that I know who preferred being in Vista and that awesome! As they say, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and that's just not Vista for me.

Pictures from my apartment:

Our Beds (You can't hang anything on the walls, I just didn't know at the time these were taken)

Bathroom - our room was the one that has a bathroom in the room. The other 2 rooms had to share a bathroom.

Pool #1 across from our apartment.

One sink was outside of the bathroom with a nice built-in shelf for cosmetics.

Kitchen.

My bed. Again I did not know at the time that we weren't allowed to hang things on the walls.

My car (the silver one) parked right outside our door.

View from the front door of our apartment to the bus stop.

Dining and some of the living room.

Closet (There was another side that looked the same for my roommate)

What is Merchantainment?

So as I mentioned, I am a Disney College Program Alumni. I participated in my first program Spring Advantage 2011 (Advantage means the semester including the summer - 6 months). On that program I was in the Merchandise Role and I wanted to give a little explanation as to what that entailed. Let me know if you have any questions! I would be happy to answer them!

Here's a picture of my costume for Merchandise at EPCOT's American Pavilion.

Featuring my roommate on her 21st!

Role: Merchandise

Park: EPCOT

Location: American Adventure Pavilion

What was a typical day like:

When you clocked in, you would get a slip that told you which station you were going to (there were 5 for us). Sometimes this was just to give someone a break or it started a "bump rotation" which meant that you would replace one person, they would walk to the next station and replace the other person, and so on until someone had to go back to the computer to get a new assignment (usually their break). Four of the stations were just merch locations - store, kiosk, and 2 people at the pin carts. The fifth location was Kidcot. EPCOT World Showcase as a passport that you can buy for your kids and at each country there is a location where they get it stamped and signed by a cast member. We also had color and chalk from time to time for the kids to play with. Throughout your shift you would be bumped from location to location and eventually out for lunch/dinner. A normal shift was 8 hours and you would get a 45 and a 15 minute (actually pretty good!). At about 8:00 the floorstock (I'll go into this position later) and another cast member would collect the extra registers in the store and one of the carts to be counted early. This was the signal to start prepping your area for closing. Once Illuminations started, the doors were shut, the carts zipped up, and the other tills were bagged and brought down to the back room. We would then count the tills down to the starting amount for the next morning and then make deposit bags for the floorstock to drop off at the end of the night. Then we clocked out and went home!

Where there opportunities to be trained as anything else: 

About a month or so into my program, I found out that they wanted me to be trained as a floorstock. This person is the one who goes back and forth to the shed with the extra merchandise and replenishes the shelves. They also make sure that the shed is neat and any new merchandise is put where it is suppose to be to make sure that the next floorstock can find it if they need it. The floorstock would also be the person who did any end-of-day paperwork and they would drop the cash drawer deposits at the end of the night.

The best part was they were the person that coordinators and managers would come to to do odd jobs or run do the different locations. Our leadership team covered America, Italy and Germany so it was great to go on trips to those locations. 

What was the best part of your location:

I would have to say the best part was the people. There weren't  too many CPs and everyone else that worked there really took the time too get to know us and we became a family. It was also so much fun to see all the guests that were drinking around the world! Since American is the center of World Showcase, no matter which side they started on, guests were always drunk by the time they got back to us! Watching Illuminations every night was also a perk since it is my favorite Disney night time show.

What was the worst part of your location:

In the summer it was hot! But that would be any outdoor location. The costumes didn't really breathe, but they have since changed that to one that looks like an airline attendant. The absolute worst part, were the seagulls. Yes, birds! There is a funnel cake stand right next to the pavilion and the seagulls would dive-bomb anyone who had food. They would just try to knock the funnel cake to the ground and then all swarm to eat it. I saw countless guests pay and then turn to walk to their family only to have the nice snack ruined. I would always try to point the guests to the covered area of the pavilion so that they could enjoy the treat in peace.

Share a magical moment that you participated in:

I loved to trade pins! As merchandise cast members, we sold pins at our location, but we also had to wear a set of tradable pins. Trading pins means that any guest can go up to a cast member and trade one of their pins for a pin on the cast members lanyard. One day a little girl was looking for Little Mermaid pins. I showed her the pins that we were selling, but her parents said that she had already gotten those ones. They looked at what I had on my lanyard, but there was no Little Mermaid. As they started walking away, one of my coordinators walked up and I noticed that he had a pin of Ariel's castle! I quickly asked him to give me the pin and that I would explain later. He handed it to me and I was off to catch up to the family that just left me. When I showed the little girl the pin, her eyes lit up! It was adorable! When I told her that she didn't have to pay or trade for it, her mom teared up. She told me that she was only interested in anything Little Mermaid and so it was really special that I found something so unique to her interests. It was such a great feeling knowing I probably made their day with such a small gesture. 

Floorstock costume for American Adventure.

What IS Merchantainment?

Merchantainment is a term that Disney has coined to represent how they want to sell merchandise. They encourage Merchandise cast members to use the merch as a prop and show how it can be used. An example was at American Adventure, we had a cart with the light up hand-helds. Someone would be assigned to "make magic" with the light cart and that meant playing with the lights and showing off how cute some of them are. By showing them in use, guests were more likely to be attracted to them and buy them.

Advise for anyone doing Merchandise:

Have fun! Yes sometimes it get repetitive and yes people will always tell you that $20 is too expensive for a fan that squirts water, but think about where you are! You could be the person that makes that guest's day or even their vacation! Don't take that for granted. Also, get to know your leadership! They are a great resource if you are looking to extend or go onto a Professional Internship or other position in the company. Get emails and make sure to keep in contact with them for references. 

A Little About Me!

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to my new blog all about my experience doing a SECOND Disney College Program Internship! I was lucky enough to have done my first program in Spring (advantage) 2011 and I am happy to announce that I will be moving back down to Florida on May 26th to participate in my next great adventure!

I am 23 and have been dreaming of working for Disney ever since a tour guide on the Keys To The Kingdom tour told me about how she got her job by starting with a DCP. I participated in my first program in my sophomore year of college. I am now just starting my Masters degree and since my program is all online, I figured I would give Disney another shot and try to make a career out of it this time!

My goal is to provide potential interns with as much knowledge as I can throughout the whole process and what to expect once you are there. I will also try to compare and contrast both of my experiences to give multiple views of this wonderful opportunity!

If any any time you would like to request information that you would like to hear more about, please don't hesitate to let me know! I would be more than happy to help!

Have a ~*~ M A G I C A L ~*~ day!