Two Months Later...

LOL at the time I said I was going to try and update my blog regularly. Just kidding about that.

But now is as good a time to blog as any. Forgive me for what this post will end up being... who knows what all I'll end up writing about by the end.

I've been here almost 2 whole months now! I'm still loving my program as much as when I started. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I'm working specifically in Hollywood Studios at Oscar's Stroller Rentals and all the merchandise shops on the right side of the boulevard (including the Darkroom, Cover Story, Celebrity 5 & 10, and Head To Toe).

Post-work hang out at Steak 'N Shake

I absolutely love work family! Merchandise is a really fun role with lots of guest interaction which can be both exciting but also taxing. Each cast member plays a role in making a guest's vacation magical, which can leave us exhausted at the end of the day. Honestly though, it's worth it; I love getting paid to simply be kind.

Traditions, Training, & One Magical Trip

Hello hello! I've been having the greatest time here in Orlando, so here's an update on the highlights of my program so far.

Wednesday:

Olivia, me, Maggie, Jessica, Sarah, Kennedy

So two nights after we all moved in, the roommates and I traveled to the Yacht & Beach Club resort to conquer the famous Kitchen Sink dessert.

The Kitchen Sink is located in the Beaches & Cream Soda Shop. We didn't have a reservation, so the wait was 2 hours (but worthhhhh it!). I didn't know the resorts were more than just a hotel, and the Yacht & Beach Club resort is home of the Disney Boardwalk. We got to walk around and watch fireworks, so the wait wasn't bad at all.

We got the Chocolate Lover's Kitchen Sink and finished it all of course!

DCP: The First Few Days

I am SO LATE on updating everyone on my DCP adventure, but I haven't had time (or motivation tbh) to sit down and share. Here's a really long post on what I've been up to!

Monday:

I checked in to my program at Disney!

After driving 12 hours across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, my parents and I finally arrived the night before check-in.

My check-in time was at 12:15pm at the Vista Way pavilion. Check-in is where you find out your work and housing location. Some people go straight to Casting after check-in, which is a short bus ride away where you do fingerprints and paperwork; but I had Casting the next day, which was nice so that I had time to move in all my things to the apartment.

Speaking of the apartment, we ended up in Vista Way (there are four complexes: Vista Way, Commons, Chatham, and Patterson). It's a three bedroom, two bath apartment, which was actually one of our last preferences just because Vista is the oldest of the complexes and has a rumored reputation. But... our apartment is nice and cozy, and it's all good because roommate requests aren't guaranteed, but luckily we were all put in the same apartment.

Check-in went smoothly. I waited in a long line for a while, but it probably only took about an hour in total. Afterwards, I went and picked up my parents from the hotel, and then we moved everything in.

The DCP And Me

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while, but if you haven't already heard...

I'VE BEEN ACCEPTED TO THE DISNEY COLLEGE PROGRAM SPRING 2016!

What is the Disney College Program? It's considered a paid internship with Walt Disney World (or Disneyland) where I accept a specific "role" and work for Disney for a semester.

I can choose to take one or two of the courses Disney offers, which include courses like Disney Human Resource Management, Disney Marketing, Disney Heritage, etc. It's different for every school, but for LSU, most of those courses will count as an Elective in my schoolwork. There is one course specifically (Disney Corporate Analysis) that will count toward my Business Management degree so lucky me! I know there are seminar courses and collegiate courses; the difference is that seminar is on site learning, and collegiate is like a normal college course, but with the opportunity to apply what you're learning to the workplace. There are some DCP students that choose to take online courses from their home university, but I won't be. Who wants to be doing schoolwork while at Disney World!? The only way I'm able to do the program without taking any online courses is that I'm far enough ahead in my school work towards my degree to basically take off a semester.