I'm Answering Your Questions!

Congratulations to all who are beginning their Disney journey next month during the Spring 2017 college program! Be prepared for the best and busiest months of your life!

For those of you interested in applying for the college program, the next recruiting season is only a couple months away. Recruiting for Fall generally begins around February or March. Follow this link to sign up to receive a notification when applications open.

I hope that this blog has been a helpful resource for everyone considering or preparing for the Disney College Program. Please comment below if you have any specific questions, or if you would like me to create a specific blog post - I will be monitoring this daily so that I can help you to the best of my abilities!

Happy holidays, Disney friends!

The Odyssey

I have recently began writing for The Odyssey Online, which is a site made up of college students writing about most any topic they choose. If you would like to check out my Disney-related posts, here they are!

9 Controversial Lessons Disney Movies Taught Me
8 Reasons Not To Do The Disney College Program

Note that the second article is laced with sarcasm, and subliminally promotes the DCP! I have also covered topics ranging from Harry Potter to traveling to relationships.

I hope you are all enjoying the lovely spring weather. I love keeping up with those who are currently completing the Disney College Program - the pictures are fantastic and it makes me miss my home even more! I was recently able to go back to Disney World and visit all four parks. It was magical, as per usual!

For those of you who have questions, feel free to peruse this blog, comment, or email me. I am happy to help in any way possible!

Four Crazy Months

I've completed yet another Disney College Program, and it was life-changing as always! A lot has happened since I last blogged, so how about a quick refresher?

I went on a cruise to the Bahamas with the ODF crew.

I road-tripped to Key West and Fort Lauderdale with the MK ODF girls.

I worked the Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween parties!

I went to Disneyland! (Friends, take advantage of this while you work for the company. It's only $200 round trip if you book plane tickets at the right time, and you get in for free!)

I visited old friends in Utah.

I graduated from the Disney College Program (but missed graduation because my schedule hates me).

I flew to Scotland (what?!).

Then Ireland.

Then England.

Thailand, anyone?

 

 

Bali is paradise.

Hello, Singapore!

South Korea has the best airport (though it doesn't make for good pictures).

I returned to Seattle after being abroad for five weeks.

Then I left for Florida once again (I think I'm addicted!).

10 days until I leave for Hawaii!

How I Afford To Travel The World

I've finally completed my string of international flight bookings for my travels in December. When I tell people about my plans, the most common question concerns how I am able to pay for this trip. Sometimes this question suggests a negative connotation, sometimes it is just genuine curiosity. Regardless, I have decided to break everything down financially. I hope this answers these questions, as well as help others who are planning to travel in the future.

Before I make any purchases, I spend hours looking at flights on Kayak.com. This is literally what I do in my free time and what I consider "fun". I change every variable to find the cheapest flight possible: nearby airports, number of layovers, date of departure, etc. After doing this for every single flight, I make a timeline of my trip and my price range. For my trip in December, I planned out $1,800 for all my flights.

Next, I purchase the flights, one by one. I can't afford to purchase all the flights at once, so I buy one flight every other week when my paycheck comes in. I have purchased five flights total, and have been in the process of doing so since the beginning of August. I use an excel spreadsheet to track how much each flight will cost, paycheck amounts, planned dates of purchase, and my remaining balance.

Here is a breakdown of each flight purchased*:

Orlando, Florida to Glasgow, Scotland - $370
London, England to Bangkok, Thailand (BKK) - $515
Bangkok, Thailand (DMK) to Bali, Indonesia - $95
Bali, Indonesia to Bangkok, Thailand (BKK) - $135
Bangkok, Thailand (BKK) to Seattle, Washington - $635

Total: $1,750
*These prices include the additional foreign transaction fees, when applicable.

Additionally, I know people in the destinations I am traveling to, which will help to cut down on hotel and transportation costs. That is one benefit of working for the Walt Disney Company - you get to know and work with a very diverse group of people.

"I'd rather travel and be poor than be rich and never see the world."

This quote sums it all up. I am not rich; I am a broke college student living paycheck to paycheck. I completely eliminate excess spending, including shopping, alcohol, eating out, etc. I try to spend exclusively on experiences. I work my butt off to earn the right to travel - I usually work 60-70 hours during the weeks preceding a vacation. The effort I put into earning these trips makes them that much more worthwhile.

Month 2: Extension!

I am happy to announce that I will be extending my college program through December 5th! I will be taking online classes in the fall so that I will stay caught up in school. After much consideration, I decided that two and a half months in Walt Disney World was much too short (I have no idea how people can stay here for only a week at a time!). There is so much more that I want to do, especially since this will be my last college program. My new location will be outdoor foods (ODF) in Magic Kingdom!

I was lucky enough to have the Fourth of July off work. A big group of us decided to go to Epcot to see the fireworks that night. After fending off an angry group of fifteen year-old Brazilian tourists for three hours to protect our spots in the front row, the show finally began. Boy, and I'll tell you, it was well worth the wait. This finale was the best I have ever seen of all the Disney firework shows, and I have seen many!

I also went out to a very fancy dinner with Craig, which gave me an excuse to get all dressed up! We went to Johnny's Hideaway, which was absolutely delicious! I got seared scallops and a lobster mac n' cheese, and he got the porterhouse steak. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Here is a snapshot of how I did my hair for the night, with the help of some Pinterest inspiration.

Other than that, the rest of the month has been pretty uneventful. Last week, I worked 67 hours, so I didn't have a whole lot of free time to do anything else (oh, but my paycheck tomorrow will be well worth it!). However, a group of us are going to the beach on Friday, so I'm sure that will be a blast!

Check-In!

Today was check-in, which took surprisingly less time than I thought it would. We got through it all in about an hour. There, I found out that I will be living in Patterson Court again in a 2-bedroom 5-person apartment. Luckily, I got to the apartment early enough to not have to be in the bunk bed in the other room! Also, I will be working quick service food and beverage at ESPN Wide World of Sports! I am so excited to work here, as I have never even been to this location before. It will definitely be a new experience!

After check-in, we went through casting and got our fingerprints done, as well as the other logistics of being a new hire. We also received our schedules for the week:

Wednesday: Housing Meeting
Thursday: Day Off
Friday: Traditions (first paid day of work)
Saturday & Sunday: Day Off
Monday: Disney University Training Day 1
Tuesday: ESPN Training Day 2

I will be sure to write another post later about the trip down to Disney World. Mongomery, Panama City, Orlando, oh my!

Countdown

A couple days ago, I made a countdown for my college program next month! With a little inspiration from Pinterest, I slaved over a construction paper booklet with my scissors and tape for two hours until this little beauty was born.

I thought it was too adorable to not make. With less than four weeks left of school, and 42 days until I leave for Orlando, I could not be any more anxious to get the heck out of Kentucky. Haha! Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful here! There's just a part of me that misses living in a big city right off the ocean. Plus, who doesn't love Disney World?!

Acceptance!

Two days ago, I got an email stating that I had been accepted into the DCP Alumni Summer program! I am so excited, and of course I accepted the role immediately! What better way to spend my summer than in the happiest place on earth?

I was offered the same role as last time: quick service food and beverage. This was one of my top choices, as I really enjoyed working QSFB in my last program. Not to mention, this role usually gets paid about $0.50 more an hour than the other roles, which is nice! My arrival date is May 26th, and I depart on August 13th. I can't wait for school to end so I can head to Florida! Eight weeks to go!

Interview!

Last night, I had my interview for the summer alumni DCP in Walt Disney World. I am so ecstatic about being offered an interview because I am 100% ready to move down to Orlando for the summer! Not only that, but it doesn't conflict with my classes when they start up again in the fall! So I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this one!

I thought this would be a great time to discuss the interview process for the college program. After filling out your initial application, you will receive an email inviting you to do a web-based interview. This is a two or three part questionnaire in which they give you a statement and you choose how strongly you agree or disagree with the statement. My advice when taking the web-based is to maintain a positive attitude the entire time, as Disney is looking for candidates who are positive and cheerful.

At the end of the web-based, you will find out if you have been offered a phone interview. If you have, there will be a link where you can sign up for a time slot. Usually the phone interviews occur 1-2 weeks after you complete the web-based.

When it comes time to do the phone interview, make sure you are in a quiet place that has strong cell phone service. During my first interview, I had a paper and pen in front of me in case I needed to take notes - I used this to write down my interviewers name so that I could  thank her by name once the interview was over. 

Here are a few interview questions that they may ask. Most of them are straightforward and do not have a right or wrong answer. If there is a question that stumps you now, try coming up with an answer prior to the interview in case they ask it.

• Tell me about a time you were in an emergency situation. How did you react?
• Say you are working as a hostess in a full service restaurant and someone is upset that they have not been seated yet. What would you tell them?
• Are you comfortable living in an apartment with up to seven other people? Explain how you would deal with conflict that arises. 
• Say a guest comes up to you for help, and simultaneously the phone rings. What would you do?
• Share an experience you've had with excellent guest service. 
• What would you do if you had an assignment with a deadline, but other tasks keep popping up?
• Why are you interested in doing the Disney College Program? What do you hope to get out of this internship?
• Say you are working attractions. What would you do if a guest is too short to ride?
• What roles interest you the most? Why? (Only list 1-3 roles here).
• Have you ever had to present in front of a group of people, especially using a microphone? How did you feel about it?
• Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult person?
• Do you prefer to work individually or in a team?
• Do you prefer to work in a slow or fast paced environment?
• Are you comfortable standing outside for extended periods of time in the cold or heat?
• Have you ever driven a boat before?
• Do you have a driver's license? 
• Do you have experience handling money or using a cash register? 
• How would you handle a repetitive schedule or task?

Between my three interviews for Disney, I was asked all of these questions at least once. Feel free to use this, and other guides, to prepare for your interview. Remember to stay calm and be yourself. Good luck!

Withdrawals

Disney is an addiction.

For the last year and forty-seven days, I have been going through withdrawals. Minus that one week I visited Walt Disney World last August. Guys, I don't think I can handle this much longer, which is why I have applied for...

1 Fall Disney College Program,
1 Alumni Summer College Program, and
2 Professional Internships!

I have already had my phone interview for the fall DCP, and am currently in progress. For the alumni CP and PIs, I am currently in submission. The two PIs include the Disney Gift Card Projects Internship and the Disney Cruise Line Revenue Management Internship, both in Orlando.

I will be sure to keep you all updated as I hear back from Disney about these positions! I am especially nervous about the PIs. Is the interview process the same as the DCP - application, web-based, phone interview? Comment below, I'd like to know!

5,000 Views!

Thank you to everyone who has supported this blog. I just barely celebrated the one year anniversary of All Roads Lead To Disney, and now we are celebrating 5,000 views. Thank you, and I look forward to continuing to post content about all things Disney!

As May comes to an end, that marks the time of year when all our Fall Advantage college program participants are settling down in either Disneyland or Walt Disney World. Congratulations to you all for making it this far - your journey is just beginning! I remember my first week as a CP. I got thrown into an apartment with five strangers, and we all ventured off to resort hop since we had not yet received our main gate passes that get us into the parks. This adventure brought us to Beaches and Cream at the Disney Yacht and Beach Club. Our group of six had grown to ten, then twelve, then fifteen. It was the perfect size group to devour two famous Kitchen Sinks.

So to all you new CPs - get out! Explore! Meet new people and live a little. These six months will be over before you know it.

One Year Anniversary

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of this blog, and I can’t believe that it’s been that long since I first started documenting my Disney College Program adventure! It’s hard to think that just over two months ago, I was strolling happily through the parks and working hard at Pinocchio’s, ignorant that it would all come to an end so quickly.

To all of you who are applying for the upcoming fall season, I wish you the best of luck! To those who have already been accepted, do not take it for granted – document each moment. Instagram was my best friend on the DCP; it was a quick, easy, and creative way to display my day-to-day events for family and friends.

And to those of you who have already completed their final program, just remember – the magic never dies, no matter how far away you are or how long it’s been. One day, you’ll be home again.

New York, New York

If you recall from a couple of my previous posts, I had impulsively bought a plane ticket to New York City. I had already made it to Walt Disney World, why not live out another life-long dream while I was at it? There are three posts on my main blog that bring you along on this exciting journey that I took back in November, as well as a fourth post about my day trip to Philadelphia. I have linked these posts below. Enjoy!

New York, New York (Part I)

New York, New York (Part II)

New York, New York (Part III)

Philadelphia (will be posted soon...)

I've Done It Again

I've abandoned you all for two and a half months. Again. I'm sad to say that my Disney College Program has come to an end, but on the bright side, that means I have more time to sit in front of my computer screen and type until my heart is content! I'm not going to be able to catch up these last two months in one blog post, so I plan to periodically reflect back on the DCP and share my adventures with you all. Although I last left off on November 6th, a week before I left for New York (exciting!!), I am instead going to quickly share with you my reflection on my program. This is the same reflection that I posted on my main blog, so my apologies for being repetitive. Now, with that said...

The Disney College Program was the greatest experience of my life and I absolutely do not, in any way, regret picking up and moving to Florida for a semester. 

It doesn't get any simpler than that. I spent every waking moment surrounded by my coworkers. To some of you reading this, you may think that sounds like a nightmare, but I assure you that it wasn't! It didn't take long at all for those people I worked with to become my family. When we were working at Pinocchio's Village Haus (PVH), would go out for dinner after work, or spend our days off in the parks together, I was having the time of my life. Heck, we even got together and had thanksgiving dinner on the apartment floor (once we all got off work, of course...)! We went out at night all the time, traveled to New York, and spent every bit of money we made at Disney - together. 

I cannot tell you how hard it is to go from that, to nothing. No PVH. No Disney Parks. No Universal Studios. No beaches. No clubs. No one.

Though the BYU campus is crowded and bustling with chatting students, there are moments when everything is quiet, everything is calm. And I am alone. In those moments, I think about the Magic Kingdom filled to capacity at almost 100,000 people. I think about working 14 hour shifts during the holiday season. I think about the music pounding in my ears at House of Blues. I think about the fireworks going off every night like clockwork.

And all too soon, I am pulled back down to earth as my phone notifies me that I have an essay due tomorrow and two exams next week. Right now, this is my reality.

But one day, I will go back.

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!

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.

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!

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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?!

 

 

 

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DISNEY WORLD, HERE I COME!!

I have never written two posts in one day, UNTIL NOW!! Why, you may ask? Because I have been accepted into the Fall 2013 Disney College Program in Walt Disney World!

Let me tell you how it happened:

It all started in Psych 301 (mmmm...statistics). I let my professor know that I had to leave class a little early (there was an ultimate frisbee game going on, but I didn't tell him that part). The class runs from 4:30pm to 6:20pm, and I had planned on leaving around 5:45pm. At about 5:00, we start getting into multiple regression. Pftt, I thought, I already know all this. Time to enter the world wide web.

BAM! Email from Disney. First word, "Congratulations." I start hyperventilating and want to scream, but I remember where I am. I want to run out and call everyone I know, but it's the middle of class! Then I remember I already asked to leave class early. Mwaha! So I slipped out at 5:15 and called my mommy, and yelled, and ran home, and yelled some more!

I will be in Orlando from August 12th, 2013 through January 2nd, 2014 and will be working Quick Service Food and Beverage.

I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!!