Hello Internet!

It's been a while, hasn't it? With a friendly push in the blogging direction from my best friend back home, I have decided that it is due time for another update from the wonderful world of the Disney College Program. With it being a month and a half since I last blogged, I will skip over the monotonous day-to-day items (wake up, work, hang out with friends, sleep) and detail the only-in-Orlando events that I have experienced!

Life In Color  This is a giant outdoor paint party that features a few DJs, and is in downtown Orlando. I went with a few friends from work, it was ridiculously expensive, but was definitely worth it! It had a huge party atmosphere and was so much fun. Even after six hours of dancing, paint covering every inch of the crowd, and lost voices from screaming, I wasn't ready to leave! Luckily there is another Life In Color in Miami at the end of December that we're all considering going to. And even better, this one is 11 hours long! Fingers crossed that this actually happens!

Halloween Horror Nights Me being afraid of every little thing that involves blood, gore, or things popping out at you, I was set on not attending this event at Universal Studios in Orlando. However, a bunch of people from work were going and they finally convinced me to pay $40 to get the living daylights scared out of me. Luckily it was still daylight when we got there, so I was confident and ready to go! However, the sun soon started setting, and the walkers came out. What's a walker, you may ask? Well let me enlighten you! Everyone is casually strolling about Universal when a white van pulls up in the middle of the street. Out of the back comes a man with an AK-47, which he pounds on the side of the vehicle. Suddenly the lights come on, and you see that the van is full of people. No wait, those aren't people. The back doors fly open and zombies come pouring out and begin chasing innocent victims through the streets. Those are walkers. I nearly peed my pants. But anyway! The main part of Halloween Horror Nights are the eight haunted houses that they have around the park. We had time to go into six of them. As the night drew on and my tiredness set in, I got more and more scared, but was surprised to notice that I wasn't as scared at the beginning. Despite this, I was still anxious to get out as soon as possible as to avoid the walkers, but all in all, it was a great night!

Mickey's Not-So-Scary This Halloween Party was a nice change of pace from the one at Universal Studios, and is held every year in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Normally a firework and castle show, Wishes, occurs every night in this park. During the party, however, we got to see Hallo-Wishes! It was so cool to see them project different images onto the castle, in sync with the music, fireworks, and narration as well. Brilliant! Then my roommates and I patrolled around the Magic Kingdom looking to collect as much candy as possible. I think it was a successful night seeing as I nearly filled up my entire backpack! At the end of the party, we saw the Halloween parade. There was waltzing zombies, scary floats, and the Disney Villains came out to play! Loved it!



Epcot International Food & Wine Festival I have been to this event twice now, held in Walt Disney World's Epcot park. The world showcase normally features stores, attractions, and food from different countries around the world. But for just over a month, additional stands are set up in each of these countries, offering specialty food and drinks specific to those locations. And to finish of your night right, you can watch the fireworks show at Epcot, Illuminations! For future reference, the best spot to watch it from is in Mexico!

Disney's VoluntEARS Disney helps to set up a variety of service projects, which I think is so awesome! A group of us from work recently had the opportunity to go and volunteer at a dog shelter. It was a very small facility that housed dogs that were abandoned and/or injured. Each person was given a dog to go on a walk with. There was about twenty dogs, and it is hard for every single one of them to get in the exercise they need, so they rely on volunteers like us. Most of the people went off with their dogs to play together, but the dog I was given, Sicily, had only just arrived in the shelter. You could tell she looked so sad and scared, I couldn't believe someone would just abandon her like that. After only a half hour walking in a secluded area away from the other dogs, Sicily began to warm up fast to me - even the manager at the shelter noticed! I just wanted to take her home, she was so cute!

 The Wizarding World of Harry Potter This park is located in Universal Studio's Island of Adventure. Let's just make it clear that I am one of the biggest Harry Potter fans, and it has been my dream to visit this place since its construction was announced. Never have I though that I would actually have the opportunity to visit this place, and can I just say it was amazing! Universal quickly became my favorite theme park in the world. (Yes, more so than Disney World). When I walked through the first archway into Hogsmead, I could feel the tears welling in my eyes. Pathetic, I know. Good thing I was wearing sunglasses! If you go, be sure to try the frozen butterbeer - it is to die for! And all the rides are so good! Dueling dragons is definitely for adrenaline junkies like myself, so I absolutely loved it! But the Forbidden Journey is the first one you have to ride when you go - they did such a great job with the visual and physical effects! And luckily, I purchased an annual pass, so I can visit this place as much as my little heart desires until October of 2014!

Universal Studios How could I not go ahead and explore Universal Studios after visiting Harry Potter World?! When I went to Halloween Horror Nights, I wasn't able to ride the attractions here, so I thought I would take advantage of this opportunity. And oh my god! The rides are SO much better than Disney World, just saying! The roller coasters are bigger, faster, and scarier, and that's all I could ask for! I mean, the Rocket went straight up. Straight up! And the Hulk was the craziest roller coaster I have been on in my life! Universal did not fail to impress, and I will return very soon with my annual pass!



So that about sums it up. It's safe to say that my life has pretty much been made - it's crazy that so many of my lifelong dreams have been coming true since I started my college program, and it's stuff that I had accepted would never happen. But look at me! Disney World, Universal Studios, Harry Potter World, a real college experience! And not to mention next Friday I leave for New York! It is all seriously a dream come true and I don't think I've ever been as happy as I am right now. I love my job, I love my friends, and I love my life!



What Week Is It?

Holy cow, it's already been two and a half weeks since my last post?! Each day is blurring together, I hardly ever know what day of the week it is. Every day is wake up, take a bus to work, work, take a bus home, hang out with friends, sleep (optional), and repeat. Every. Day. But don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all - this is the life! I love work, I love my friends, and I love being here at Walt Disney World! I'm getting the opportunity to experience things that I couldn't do back home or at BYU. I can't complain!

Let's see, what's happened since my last post...

Oh! I bought a plane ticket to New York City in November! You can read more about this on my main blog HERE. I got my first new phone in years, and it just so happens to be my first ever smart phone - the iPhone 5. I went to a paint party with a bunch of friends from work, which was crazy awesome! I finally went off Disney property and took a visit to the mall, spending way more money than I should have. My Disney University class started last week! I'm taking Corporate Communications every Wednesday from 8:30am - 12:30 pm. I think I'm going to make a separate post going into detail about this course once I've gone to another class or two. I think that about sums it up. I know, it's not the most interesting blog post, but I promise that my life right now is a billion times more exciting than I'm making it sound! I can't believe September is almost over, where has the time gone?!

So far today, I woke up, took a bus to work, worked, then took a bus home. You know what that means?? Time to go hang out with friends!

Weeks 3 & 4

I've heard quite often that DCP bloggers usually stop posting after the first couple weeks of their program. That won't happen to me, I told myself. That is, until I had to work nine days in a row and on my days off, usually don't get home until o-dark-thirty in the morning. So now that I am lucky enough to have a day off and be at home with nothing to do, I figured that I'd do a bit of catching up. I don't remember every single day in detail, but I will try to cover as much as possible!

Last Tuesday, I finished my training and passed my assessment, so I "earned my ears"! I was so nervous to get into work the next day, because I wouldn't have anyone talking me through how to do everything. But I was worried for nothing, because it went great! Starting with this last day of training, I had nine days of work in a row. Holy cow! A couple of my roommates came to surprise me with a visit to Pinocchio's Village Sunday night as we were closing in the kitchen, and snapped a shot of me and a few co-workers! Another day, my co-worker CJ and I went to Wawa, which is apparently a popular gas station/convenience store on the east coast. It was great because we got slurpees at like 10am before our shift that day!

Finally, my nine day working streak was up! To celebrate, a big group of us from Pinocchio's went out to breakfast yesterday, and then hit up Blizzard Beach, which is one of the water parks in Walt Disney World. It was a ton of fun, and we all went off of Summit Plummet, a 125' vertical drop - it was awesome! Once we got home and showered, we headed to CJ's apartment to have dinner and play Cards Against Humanity. This game is pretty much the inappropriate, politically incorrect version of Apples to Apples, and it was hilarious! Today, we're all hanging out again! We're probably going someplace called the Fun Zone to go go-carting or play laser tag - either way, I'm stoked! I just hope that I can get over this cold that had just set in by tonight. Time for some throat spray, herbal tea, and pain killers - that should do the trick!

Also, last week I finished a huge project that benefits Stop CAID Now, an organization that helps children with rare autoinflammatory diseases. Click HERE to view the video!

Week 2: Hollywood Studios, Epcot & Training

Hollywood Studios on Monday!

It has been a full 40 hour work week for me, which is why I haven't blogged since Monday, but here is a recap for you all! So in the Pinocchio Village kitchen, there are several different stations that you can be assigned to throughout any given day. My training this week mostly involved learning how to work at each of these stations, which includes making salads, meatball subs, prepping pizzas, cooking pizzas, dish washing, cooking macaroni and sauces, and assembling orders. Each task is pretty simple, but having to learn all the different tasks is the hard part. Tuesday and Wednesday were my first two days of training in the kitchen - the people I work with are super friendly and entertaining, so I am thoroughly enjoying it so far! During training, we also get to try out most of the items on the menu. So far, I am a big fan of the macaroni and cheese and the mango gelato. Yummy!



Ashley and I at Club Cool in Epcot.

Yesterday I had the day off, so a group of us hit up Epcot. I rode Test Track twice, and it was amazing! I think it's my favorite attraction so far. We also went on Soarin' Over California, which was a lot more fun than I initially imagined - it is now in my top three, along side Space Mountain! Afterwards, we headed over to Germany (for those of you who don't know, Epcot is filled with tons of different areas that are based off of certain countries) and had a bite to eat in the Biergarten all-you-can-eat buffet! I had never had German food before, so I was a bit anxious about what I was getting myself into, but it was delicious! There was loads of meat and potatoes, and the desert was fantastic. Not to mention, a traditional German band played music as we ate! Once stuffed to our eating capacities, we headed out to complete Agent P's World Showcase Adventure. Basically, your group gets a cell phone that gives you clues as to where to go to complete certain tasks, all in an effort to save the world. And the entire game is based on Phineas and Ferb. Ideally, you go through each country, but it took us forever just to get through the UK, so we stopped after that and headed to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner. We then squeezed in a late night Walmart run before heading home, which was so much fun in and of itself. I have to say, this was probably the most entertaining night I've had here thus far!


Today was my first non-training shift, which is odd considering I haven't finished my training yet... But it went well! I spent four hours mixing different kinds of cheese for the pizzas, then another three hours washing dishes. Yay (imagine me saying this feebly, with a dash of sarcasm). And right now, I'm ditching a pool party to stay here and blog in my comfy bed, because I am too tired to move even an inch. Tomorrow (Saturday) is day three of training, then I have Sunday and Monday off. Whoo hoo!!

Follow this blog with Bloglovin'!

Day 6-8: Disney University & Training

On Saturday, I had my food and beverage class in Disney University (DU). For those of you who don't know, DU is the building where collegiate classes and seminars take place, as well as lecture-based training classes. My class didn't start until 1pm, so I was able to sleep in, which is always nice! But despite this, I was still struggling to not fall asleep as they showed us video after video about food handling, storage, and safety. After three hours of this, we went into the computer lab to complete a couple more learning modules and register for the Hub. In a nutshell, the Hub is the online information center for Disney Cast Members. Then we all got our shoes for our work locations! Hideous as they are, I am just grateful that Food & Beverage (F&B) doesn't have to pay for them like everyone else. Once we were done, I hopped on a bus, headed to Wal-Mart to pick up some food, then headed home to sleep. However, my roommates were going out to the parks, so I thought I would join them, despite the fact that I had to get up early the next day for training! We hit up Magic Kingdom, rode a few of the attractions (they were less busy since it was about 10pm and everyone was watching the firework show), and then browsed through the shops. Finally, after waiting an hour for the bus, we made it home at about 2am Sunday morning. It's safe to say that I didn't prioritize very well that night.

Yesterday, I woke up at 4:30am in order to get ready and catch my bus at 5:30. Work didn't start until 7:15, but it takes an hour to get to Magic Kingdom, and you never know when a bus is going to be late! After our leaders introduced themselves, we split into groups and got a 3 hour tour of the Magic Kingdom. Once we were nearing the end of the tour, they took us all through the fast pass line to the Haunted Mansion. Sweet! Now I can say that I got paid to go on an attraction! After this, we split up based on work role. I went with the F&B cast members to receive our training schedules, get our costumes, and complete a couple more computer-based training modules. I found out that I will first be trained in the kitchen for a few weeks before being cross-trained to work out front. That's nice because I can pick up a wider range of shifts in other locations and always work indoors in the air conditioning. My costume is super plain (black pants and a white shirt), but it's only for a few weeks! However, I have no idea what I'll be doing in the kitchen. Dishes? Cleaning? Cooking? I mean, we do have pb&j sandwiches on our menu, so that I can do!

Once I got home, I crashed at about 6pm, woke up this morning, and began to blog since I have the day off. I think I'm going to hang out here for awhile and hit up the parks in the late afternoon. Hollywood Studios, perhaps?

Day 3-5: Kitchen Sink, Traditions, & Magic Kingdom

I'm starting to understand how people begin to stop blogging once they enter the DCP. I haven't even started training and I barely have time to blog, but I am determined to make time! We all had the day off on Wednesday, so two of my roommates and I caught the bus to the monorail. From there, we visited each of the Disney resorts that the monorail stops at: Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and Contemporary. I loved the Polynesian because I truly felt like I was on a Hawaiian vacation! Not to mention the Lilo and Stitch music that played throughout the hotel! Next up was the Grand Floridian. Right from the start, it was as if I was walking through the doors and onto the Titanic - I truly felt like a million bucks! Finally, we hit up the Contemporary for lunch. The coolest part about this resort is that the monorail drops you off inside the resort!

Thursday was Traditions, which is basically an orientation of the Disney company. We watched some informational videos, got a short tour of the tunnels under Magic Kingdom, and received our nametags. Not to mention the fact that Mickey made a surprise visit to our class - it was amazing! And because this was our official first day of work, we received our cast member IDs that get us into the parks for free! Later that night, we met up with a group of friends and headed to Beaches & Cream in the Beach Club resort to take on the world famous kitchen sink! It was a huge bowl filled with eight scoops of ice cream, all the toppings, and an entire can of whipped cream! We ordered three kitchen sinks between the 18 of us, and finished them all in under 15 minutes! Then we walked around the boardwalk before catching the bus and heading home.

Today, we had the day off again and took advantage of our free admission into the parks! I didn't get to the park until a bit after noon, but I was able to ride the Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Roller coasters are definitely my thing, so Space Mountain is currently my favorite attraction. I was also able to experience the infamous jumbo turkey leg and pineapple dole whip. I wasn't able to finish the turkey leg, but I'm sure the caloric intake was still ridiculous. After I got home and took a nap, we headed over to the Patterson pool to meet up with some friends. Unfortunately, the swimming was cut short as the lightning and thunder started up after about an hour, but we were still able to hang out for another hour before going home.

And tomorrow is my first day of training, so wish me luck!

Follow this blog with Bloglovin'!

Day 2: Housing Welcome Meeting & DTD

Today was very chill, especially compared to check-in. I was scheduled for a housing welcome meeting at 3pm, so of course I slept in, ate breakfast, and then slept some more. My exhaustion from yesterday seems to have carried over, because I am practically falling asleep at my keyboard.

One of my roommates and I had the same meeting session, so we walked down to the Commons, which is the apartments where it was held. Once we waited in line for about ten minutes, they informed us that they were filled to capacity and that we needed to come back at 4:30pm. Naturally, we were a little annoyed, but then they gave us free DCP beach towels, so I suppose it was ok! Also, when we did come back, our meeting only consisted of about 30 college participants (CPs), as opposed to the hundred or so that it usually contains. To be honest, I thought it was going to be really boring because we go over the community codes, and things of that nature, but our speaker was hilarious, so that made it a lot more entertaining!

After this, we hung out at our apartment for a little while before heading to Downtown Disney. It was a lot bigger than I expected, and I had a blast! Although none of us bought anything because we don't start getting our employee discounts until Thursday... We started off the night will my five roommates and I, and by the time we hopped on a bus around midnight to go back to our apartments, the group had grown to about 14 CPs - it was great to get to know more people. And what are the odds that one of them was from the Seattle area as well! Not to mention the fact that two of my roommates are also from Washington, one just graduated from my university, and two attend it's sister school, BYU-Idaho! Just to be clear, that last sentence singles out three of my five roommates - I didn't know how to phrase it to make that obvious, haha!

And I have tomorrow off, which means I get to sleep in! I may blog tomorrow, or just wait until after traditions on Thursday, I'll decide later. But its nearly 3am, so I'm going to go pass out now.

Day One: Check-in & Casting

At 7:30 this morning, my roommate and her dad picked me up from my hotel and we drove to Vista Way for check-in. By the time we got there, the line was already stretching around the building. After waiting in the heat for about two hours, we made it inside. There, we found out where we will be living, got our housing ID, registered vehicles, found out where we will be working, filled out I-9 paperwork, and got our itineraries. Going through all that took another hour or so. But...

I'm living in Patterson Court, 3 bed/3 bath, and will be working in the Magic Kingdom at Pinocchio Village! And lucky for me, the costumes there are not entirely tacky like some of the other locations.

After check-in, we had a couple hours to kill before we needed to catch a bus to go to casting, so we took our bags to our apartment and unpacked. (This apartment is so big! I'm digging the walk in closets.) When the time came, we boarded the bus and went on our merry way. The casting building is so cool, and is the only building to feature Alice in Wonderland door handles! There, we filled out more paperwork, found out our schedules for the rest of the week, and got fingerprinted for background checks.

We then went back to our apartment, unpacked some more, then headed over to Wal-Mart with a couple friends to pick up stuff we needed, like food! It was nearly 5pm and I was starving! I strongly advise packing a couple snacks in your bag for check-in. But this hunger was resolved as we all made spaghetti and had a nice, sit-down dinner.

For those of you who are interested, here is my schedule for the week!

Monday: Check-in, Casting
Tuesday: Housing Welcome Meeting
Wednesday: Day off
Thursday: Traditions (orientation)
Friday: Going to the parks!!
Saturday: Training Day 1 @ Disney University
Sunday: Training Day 2 @ Magic Kingdom Tunnel

Follow this blog with Bloglovin'!

I Made It To Orlando!!

I made it to Orlando! I'm staying in the Lake Buena Vista Marriott Courtyard, and it's so nice! My room has a flat screen TV, king size bed, balcony that overlooks the pool, and bath tub with jets! I am so excited and can't believe that this is all finally happening. It's just starting to phase me that I'm on the completely opposite side of the country - just typing that sounds so surreal!

After my flight landed, I boarded the shuttle that took me right to my hotel. It was so difficult to carry all my bags from the car to the lobby, despite the fact that it was less than thirty feet away. That's what happens when you have four bags, so here's a shout out to that random guy who carried my bags inside! Once I got settled in and went out to grab some pizza, I went on a walk to see if I could find the Vista Way apartments, which is where check-in is tomorrow morning (or this morning, technically speaking). I'm pretty sure I went to the wrong place, but the humidity was getting to me, so I turned around and headed back to the hotel. And on the subject of humidity, I've never been in anything like this! I feel like I'm practically eating the air, not breathing it! But on the bright side, I saw my very first real-life palm tree!

But seeing as it's nearly two in the morning, and I'm leaving at seven, I should probably get some sleep in my ridiculously gigantic bed! I'm just hoping I have time to blog this week!

Disney Onsite Resident Management System

Well it has been a very stressful week when it comes to my DCP housing situation. First off, my roommate that I originally planned to stay with told me she is no longer doing the program. By this time, DORMS emails were already being sent out, so I was afraid I wouldn't find another roommate in time! I posted on the August 12th arrivals Facebook page, and luckily I had a response. However, when we tried putting each others roommate ID numbers into the corresponding part of the form, it said that it was invalid. I come to find out that we have different departure dates, so we couldn't be roommates. Come to think of it, everyone that I've heard of has a different departure date as me. They all leave January 3rd, and I am January 2nd. Seriously, am I the only one like this?

With only about four hours left to submit the DORMS paperwork, and after a short phone call to the DCP, I had to accept the fact that I could only do random roommate selection. This past year of college, I did this as well, and it worked out great - hopefully I have the same luck! Really, I'm just hoping for someone who doesn't mind that I sleep a lot and that I'm not the tidiest of people when it comes to my bedroom... But I do like doing dishes, so that's a plus!

I requested Vista Way as my first choice, mostly because it is the cheapest and I have low expectations for housing conditions. My college dorms were built in 1953 for crying out loud! Also, I believe I did 2-bedroom as my first preference, 3-bedroom second. It was a pretty simple process other than the whole roommate thing, so I hope check-in goes just as smoothly!

Update - I had emailed Disney about the DORMS situation prior to calling them, but did not expect them to reply in time. Several hours after writing the above blog post, I received a response saying that they would make an exception and link my roommate and I together despite our different departure dates! I'm so excited!

Follow this blog with Bloglovin'!

 

Visit my DCP YouTube channel here!

Time to Vlog

Well, I finally got up the nerve to step in front of the camera for my first DCP vlog. It's an introductory video, and hopefully the first of many! They are mostly for my friends and family to join me on my journey 3,000 miles away from home, as well as anyone looking to learn more about the DCP. Click here to visit my YouTube channel, and feel free to watch my first vlog below (be sure to watch in HD).

 

I've also just put up my latest vlog, which further explains what the DCP is and how I got accepted. Go ahead and view it here! If you like either of these videos, be sure to give them a thumbs up to help my ego, and comment if you have any questions!

 

A still from my latest vlog!

 Follow this blog with Bloglovin'!

Time to Pack

Now that we've hit the two week countdown, I figure it's about time that I whip up a packing list! I wrote down everything I think I would need, then surfed the internet to add items from other CP's lists. I will probably add to this as I pack, but here it is so far:

Clothing:

• swimsuit
• camisoles
•  tank tops
• t-shirts
• fashion tops
• long sleeved shirt
• jeans (one pair)
• yoga pants (one pair)
• leggings
• tights
• slacks (professional attire)
• dresses
• skirts
• shorts
• hoodie
• sweater
• jacket
• belts
• under garments (socks, bras, etc.)

Shoes (one of each):

• sandals
• vans
• toms
• boots
• flats
• black heels
• tennis shoes

Jewelry:

• earrings
• necklaces
• bracelets
• small jewelry box

Kitchen Stuff:

• blender
• Tupperware*
• trash bags*
• cleaning supplies*
• oven mitts*
• food*

Hair Stuff:

• hair brush
• comb
• hair ties
• bobby pins
• hair spray*
• mousse*
• sea salt spray
• head bands
• straightener
• blow dryer

Toiletries:

• shampoo*
• conditioner*
• soap*
• deodorant
• make-up
• make-up remover
• face cleanser
• moisturizer
• lotion
• loufa
• razors*
• shave gel
• tooth brush
• tooth paste
• nail clippers
• sunscreen*
• towel (two)
• wash cloth
• dental floss
• Q-tips*

Bedroom Stuff:

• sheets
• comforter
• pillow
• pillow case
• desk lamp*
• hangers
• combination lock
• laundry bag
• pictures & tacks (for the corkboard we get in the room)

Electronics:

• laptop & charger
• laptop case
• phone & charger
• iPod & charger
• iPod case for running
• cameras & chargers
• camera accessories
• headphones
• Ethernet cord
• speakers

Miscellaneous:

• sun glasses
• birth certificate
• ID
• umbrella (this is essential!)
• first aid kit
• sewing kit
• vitamins, pills, etc.
• notebooks, pens, pencils*

*indicates items to be purchased in Florida

Now, this may seem like a pretty extensive list, but I have tried my best to keep it to a minimum and to purchase as much as I can whilst in Orlando. My biggest challenge will be to not pack too many clothes, especially since I'll be buying more clothes in Disney World! I hope this helps those of you who are preparing for the big move. Let me know if I need to add/remove anything!

Visit my main blog here.

Follow this blog with Bloglovin'!

New Hire Paperwork

T-minus 25 days!

Approximately 30 days prior to your arrival date, new hire paperwork is sent out to participants. I suppose the key word that most people missed was approximate. The DCP Facebook groups are currently blowing up with worried posts about how the paperwork hasn't come through yet. Some are even going so far to wonder if they received an acceptance to the program by mistake. Just take a chill pill and relax! I knew my paperwork would come eventually, which it did, and so will yours!

One thing I do like is that the paperwork process is completely online now. In years past, participants have had to print off papers, fill them out beforehand, and bring them to check-in. What a hassle that would be, especially considering the online paperwork was stressful enough! I think I spent about an hour and a half reading through and electronically signing all the forms. It would have taken another hour or two if I thoroughly read through it all instead of skimming, but college has taught me how to skim like a pro.

So if you haven't received your new hire email yet, do not fret! And if you have already finished these forms, there's only one thing left to do before we arrive - DORMS, the new housing pre-registration process. You should receive an email with this information approximately 10 days before your arrival date, which is in two weeks for me!

For more information about DORMS, check-in, or other DCP subjects, visit the Disney College Programs Blog.

Follow this blog with Bloglovin'!

One Month!

August 12th just keeps getting closer and closer! It seems only last month I got accepted into the Disney College Program, though it was way back in March. Other than buying more shorts and tank tops for the warm weather down in Florida, registering for my courses, and watching loads of Disney movies, I haven't done much to prepare for my program yet. But some might say that is preparation enough!

I'm trying to downsize a great amount at the moment because once I leave for Disney World, I won't be coming home to this house again. My family is moving in September, so when I come to visit in April, the setting will be quite different! Therefore, I think it's safe to keep my belongings to a minimum for the next couple years as I'll be moving from place to place throughout the months. In this year alone, I'll have lived in three different states! That is quite the feat for someone who had never lived outside of Washington.

But while I've been occupying my time with Disney-related activities, I came across this trailer. Saving Mr. Banks is scheduled for release on December 20th of this year. I was skeptical at first, but after seeing the trailer, my doubts completely vanished. Hopefully they have a special event for the release while I'm at Disney World! Here, take a look yourself:

Follow this blog with Bloglovin'!

Bloglovin'

I love it when I stumble across those priceless gems on Pinterest. You know, that amazing quote, the brilliant DIY project, or in this case, a Disney-related YouTube video. This was uploaded about a week ago and features the band IM5, whom I had never heard of before this. I will also post this video under the "Extras" tab above. Enjoy!



Now, I've recently discovered this great app/website called Bloglovin'. If you are like me and have a good hand full of blogs that you enjoy reading, this is the best way to get all the recent posts in one place. Simply search a specific blog, follow it (assuming the writer of that blog has registered it with Bloglovin'), and new posts will show up in your news feed. To follow my blog, simply click the "Follow this blog with Bloglovin" button at the top of the right sidebar here, or go to Bloglovin.com and search "All Roads Lead To Disney!" in the search bar. The only downside is that I'm pretty sure you can't view the YouTube videos I post, but other than that, it's wonderfully organized! (My main blog, All Roads Lead To Nowhere, is also available on Bloglovin'). Your support is much appreciated!

Disney University: Course Registration

Listen up all you Fall 2013 DCP participants! If you haven't already heard, course registration opened yesterday, June 24th. Be sure to head over to the online registration site to view and sign up for courses and seminars before they fill up! You can register HERE.

Collegiate courses that are offered at Walt Disney World:

• Advanced Studies in Hospitality Management ($10)
• Human Recourse Management ($10)
• Corporate Analysis* ($24)
• Interactive Learning Program ($10)
• Corporate Communications ($10)
• Marketing You: Personal and Career Development Strategies* ($30)
• Creativity & Innovation: Gaining the Edge ($24)
• Organizational Leadership ($30)
• Experiential Learning ($30)

*These are the only collegiate courses offered at the Disneyland location.

Seminars offered at Walt Disney World:

• Exploring Disney Heritage
• Exploring Marketing
• Exploring Guest Service
• Exploring Leadership
• Exploring Cast Engagement & Human Resources
• Environmentality and Sustainability Pilot

Seminars offered at Disneyland:

• Blended Learning Series
• Leadership Speaker's Series
• Professional Development Study: The Business of Show Business

For more details about these courses and seminars, or to view their syllabi, click HERE.

I signed up for Corporate Communications, and was wait listed for Exploring Disney Heritage (that seminar fills up fast)! One thing I wasn't expecting was the fee that you are charged upon registration for the collegiate courses. Luckily, Corporate Communications was one of the cheaper ones at $10. I'll be sure to put all the prices next to each course above. And don't forget that you are also responsible for purchasing any textbooks or supplies that are required for that course. 48 days until check-in!

Follow this blog with Bloglovin'!

Two Months!

It's official - exactly two months until I check in for the Disney College Program! As I get more and more excited about moving to Florida, I will definitely be posting more often now!

We're at that point where we no longer need application or interview advice, yet we're still a few weeks away from starting to pack our bags. So what do we do? Here are a few of the websites and blogs that I have been pouring over as the DCP draws nigh!

If you're looking into which apartment complex you will live in, be sure to check out MouzeKateerz.com. This page in particular (click here) was very informative! Personally, I'm leaning towards Vista Way because it's the cheapest, in a more centralized location, and the rumors of the wild parties are a bit exaggerated, from what I hear.

Although I haven't started packing my luggage, it doesn't mean I can't read over all the packing/arrival day lists that are out there! Here is one that I thought was fun to read. And of course, you can't forget about the Disney College Programs Blog! To see the plethora of information this site holds, click here!

Also, this blog answers a great deal of the random questions you may have! And if you have any specific questions you want to ask, don't hesitate to visit Tumblr and ask here - you'll probably even see a couple questions that I asked on there!

I hope these links have proven useful, and let me know if you have any questions!

Follow this blog with Bloglovin'!

Destination: Miami Beach

Only a couple more days until I hit the two month countdown! The past few weeks, I've done well to keep myself distracted (to read about these fun distractions, visit my main blog here), so the DCP has been pushed to the back of my mind, until recently. Disney World is nearly within reach now - how can I not start thinking about it!

The other night, I even took to looking at my flight/hotel confirmation emails repeatedly, just to make sure I didn't dream this whole thing up! One thing I did notice is that I have a four-hour layover in Miami the morning of my arrival in Florida. If my first flight goes according to schedule, I plan to take advantage of these four hours! Hopefully I have a small carry on so that I don't have to lug too much around.

Maybe I'll take a cab to Miami Beach, stroll down the coast, and visit the shops nearby! It may sound silly, but I'm excited to see the sand in Florida! The only beaches I've ever been to were either here in Washington, or in Oregon, and they tend to consist mostly of rocks. And the sunny weather down there is definitely a plus! Maybe I can walk through all the shops that they have down there! Or maybe I'll just sit in the airport for four hours and play games on my iPod.

And please don't get me started on my hotel! (I haven't been on a real vacation in years, and the hotels have always been my favorite part, so don't mind my excessive enthusiasm). Most CPs are staying at the Holiday Inn Express right across from the check-in location at Vista Way, but I decided to save $50 and stay at the Marriott instead, which is about a ten minute walk from Vista Way. I've googled pictures of it, and part of me thinks that I looked up the wrong hotel - it looks amazing! I'm glad my flight comes it at noon so that I'll have plenty of time to explore!

 

And, last but not least, let me just point out that this is where I'll be staying for the duration of the program. Can August come any sooner?!

 

 

 

Follow this blog with Bloglovin'!