HAR HAR HAR

I feel like a lot of this also applies to the Matterhorn.

Another Blog

Oh yeah. There's this other blog I made too.

The Disneyland College Program

I've been meaning to write this post for a while now. It's taken a long time to put together because I have so many thoughts about the College Program, it's hard to organize them into something comprehensive. But, I'm quickly approaching my anniversary with Disney and it's definitely time to wrap things up.

To re-cap - I was an attractions hostess in Fantasyland for the Fall 2010 advantage program at the Disneyland resort after graduating from college.

LIVING

I didn't actually participate in much of the "living" portion of the college program. I didn't live in CP housing and I didn't attend many of the events because I was either working or not interested. So, I can't tell you how great grocery bingo and laser tag were. I have visited CP housing -- the apartments are relatively new, in a nice big building, in a nice part of town 15 minutes from Disneyland.

I found a modest studio apartment 5 minutes from Disneyland in another direction and shared it with my boyfriend. Not living in housing did make me feel a little detatched from the rest of the kids on the program, but the privacy and freedom was worth it to me. No roommates to worry about breaking Disney rules, no Disney rules to worry about breaking, no room inspections.

LEARNING

I took two disney classes during my program -- Blended Learning (required for everyone doing an advantage program) and the Leadership Speakers Series. I really enjoyed the Leadership Speakers series, every department shared lots of interesting facts about the resort that I scribbled down in my notebook. However, I didn't learn much about becoming a leader at Disney.

Blended Learning was OK. I enjoyed the day we did a scavenger hunt around the park and our field trip to do a VoluntEARS activity at a food bank. And resented getting to TDA at 8 am for the rest of the days for... whatever we did. I remember being asked to draw and color my own Main Street window, playing a telephone-esque game to show us the importance of good communication, and writing a 2 page paper about corporate citizenship. And there were prizes sometimes. I could definitley see why it wasn't recommended for college credit.

EARNING

During my program, I felt more like I worked in Fantasyland with a little CP on the side than anything else. And it was great. I worked 30 - 40 hours a week almost exclusively in Fantasyland Classics. I did a couple of special events shifts at Halloween, and my fellow Fantasyland CPs got some Fantasmic and guest control shifts too (but those didn't start showing up for me until after my CP.) I never worked more than 8 hours straight or 40 hours a week, even during the busiest holidays. (Although, some other CPs did occassionally.)

I had a steady schedule and it was/is a fun job with amazing people. I was worried that skipping out on CP housing would mean that I'd have a hard time making friends, but I made plenty of friends in my area that I saw outside of work.

So, I know the big question is... was it worth it?
And for me, the answer is YES! Absolutely.*

I am so glad I did the program. Working at Disneyland has been excellent for me for personal growth and satisfying my inner Disney fan. As a person, I've become louder and more confidant. I've learned to work with cast members and guests from all different walks of life. Etc. etc. etc.

As a Disney fan, I've gotten to see and do so much! I've seen Disneyland transform for Halloween and Christmas and enjoyed an empty park during the off-season and rainy days. I know every inch of Fantasyland (and a few attractions elsewhere!) with the worklights ON and the show OFF, and I've played godzilla in Neverland at Peter Pan more than once. I've hugged Harold the Yeti and shot hoops at the top of the Matterhorn. I got to say goodbye to Star Tours on it's final night, after the park closed and rode it (and the Little Mermaid) before everybody else during Cast Previews. I've seen Walt's Apartment and visited the Walt Disney Studios a couple times. I've been in charge of Sleeping Beauty's Castle and raised the Sword from the Stone with my pinky finger. Etc. etc. etc.

However, I can easily see how the college program could have been the wrong decision for me. Looking back, I would have been very sad if I'd put my college career on hold for a semester to to the Disney college program. I wouldn't have gotten any credit for it, it would have been a lot of extra work to make sure I could keep my grant, and it probably would have messed up ability to graduate in 4 years. Instead, I had time to join my school's radio station as a DJ in my freshman year and I rose to General Manager by the end of my time at Seattle U. I took a few classes of Japanese and spent the second half of my sophomore year in Japan. And I had just enough free time in my schedule to add a minor to my degree.

And I definitely don't think I would have been as happy in any other role. Or even doing attractions far away in Florida. Attractions was great for me because it was such a unique opportunity. And, I love Disney, but not enough to eat/sleep/breathe it in Florida -- but California offers a ton of nearby distractions that I don't feel trapped at the resort. I still end up at Disneyland at least once a week, though. Haha!

My advice to anyone who is thinking about doing the college program at Disneyland or WDW is not to get too caught up in the rush to get to Disney. Weigh the pros and cons of doing the program carefully. Do not put Disney before your education or your finances. You do not want to be at Disneyland worrying about credits and scholarships while you push buttons, brooms, or hamburgers almost 40 hours a week. Disney will not make sure your priorities are straight for you. When you're on the college program, you are required to be fully available. I knew a couple people who had to drop out of the college program because of scheduling issues. And I know other people who dropped out of school and/or their favorite extra curriculars to work at Disney and then were VERY unhappy and bitter at the end of the Disney career. If you want to study abroad, make that your priority too -- because those were the best six months of my life and it's way easier to arrange to live in a foreign country with your school than it is to move to Disney!

The Disney College Program was right for me because I could justify it in a bunch of different ways. Disneyland meant definite employment after college, with experience that I could use toward a future career (because A+ people skills are always in demand!) Moving to California for the college program gave me plenty of time to have lots of adventures and fully explore Los Angeles and the rest of Southern California. PLUS, I found a cheap-ish apartment and had a built-in roommate so I could afford it. AND, I was free from school. AND I could fulfill my childhood dream of working at Disneyland.

Thank you for reading this ultra-long post. I hope it was at least a little bit insightful. And I wish you all the best of luck on your future college programs! Enjoy it!

#012 FORMSPRING.ME

You can ask your own questions or tell me how fabulous I am HERE, no formspring account needed! Easier than stalking me on facebook or trying to find my e-mail address! Hooray!

Really sad to see you are finishing the DCP, I really enjoyed this blog. Are you going to continue writing on it or do you have another? Also what are your plans after DCP are you staying in California? Full time at Disney?
I'm sad that it ended too! But yes, I'm staying with Disneyland -- there aren't any official full-time positions in Fantasyland open but I'm sticking with part-time and hoping to get enough hours. :3 I'm working on another blog too but it's not quite ready yet!

The applications and E presentations for DL & WDW are totally separate right? I'm applying for both for Fall and I just want to check that I have to watch 2 presentations and fill out 2 apps (and I guess 2 different accounts/logins?). thanks!! :)
Correct! I'm answering this really late, and I'm sure you've figured it out by now but -- yes, the presentations and applications for DL and WDW are separate. They're very similar but there are some key differences so they do make you do both! I hope everything went well for you!

What polaroid camera do you recommend?
"I have a Polaroid One600, which is kind of ugly and clunky but it gets the job done and uses 600 film which is (i think?) the easiest to obtain and was the most recently discontinued so the film has a better chance of being good. Older/cooler cameras take rarer, more expensive film. I have one of the cute old rainbow ones and I bought a cheap filter for my film 600 film to work in it off ebay though, and it works pretty well although it jams once in a while.

If you need a cheaper option you should check out Fuji Film's Instax cameras -- they're imported from Japan and the film is a little different but its still in production so that makes it a lot easier to obtain."

hey emily! did you get a lot of attractions ?s in your interview? i interviewed today & said attractions was my #1 for sure, but didn't get to say why or any specific ?s like the space mtn one (and i got a lot for gr/hotel). hoping that's not a bad sign!
Actually, not really. The specific questions I remember being asked about attractions were little things like... Would I prefer to work inside or outside? Am I comfortable with public speaking? How do i feel about repetitive tasks? Etc.

I was asked more role-specific questions about other roles BUT I still got attractions, so don't take it as a bad sign! :3

I heard they don't ask the space mountain question anymore because everybody knows it and the answer has been discussed on the internet too much.

Hi! Just wondering if you've noticed a drop in your hours now that you are a regular employee there and no longer have seniority? if so, how much less hours are you getting? thanks!Hello!

Yes. When I converted to a regular part-time cast member, my seniority was reset to January 3rd. So, after the college program my seniority AND the fact that the holidays were over and it was no longer peak season was working against me.

During the peak season, I was getting 30+ hours a week. And afterward, I was being scheduled for less than half of that. However, there are always people who want time off or shorter shifts. :3

Spring break season is here and soon it will be summer though, so the park is super busy again and we're open much later AND my schedule is packed and healthy again.

WHAT IS IN MY WORK PURSE?

Hey pals! Long time, no update!

I'll work on correcting that soon... maybe. But for now, I thought I'd knock out a post I've been meaning to make for a long time. This is everything I take to work on a daily basis. Enjoy!

First off, here is my lovely purse. I got it at Company D on clearance a couple months ago. It's perfect for work all my work crap -- very sturdy black canvas with leather straps and thick rings to hold the lock for my locker. PLUS. SNOW WHITE!

So, I'll start with what's at the bottom of my bag -- cold weather stuff that I rarely use. Cheap white gloves, a collapsible umbrella for walking to and from the parking lot, and my rain coat rolled up and stuffed in a little bag.

Food! Definitely a Coke and some candy or Hello Panda. And the something filling like Calorie Mate or a granola bar. And then whatever else I feel like stuffing in there that day. I usually don't take a whole lunch because 1) I don't usually work long enough to get a lunch these days and 2) I'd rather go get some chicken strips and french fries from the Inn Between.

Medicine and beauty supplies! Extra hair ties, bobby pins, and a bow. Tissues, band-aids, extra black-ink pens, a stain remover and two things of hand sanitizer (one for the purse and one in my coat pocket.) Midol, Tylenol, and non-drowsy Claratin. Two lip chaps (again, for purse and pocket) and some hand cream. AND THEN....

My glasses case,a lens cloth, and sunglasses (when I can find them). I also keep a mini-flashlight and a little notebook with phone numbers and radio codes that I can never remember in my pocket.

That seems like a lot of crap, but here's a picture of my purse with EVERYTHING I just took a picture of inside... I suppose you can't see it too well, but really once everything is packed back in it's little bag or pocket, there's plenty of room for my wallet and even whatever book I'm currently reading and a scarf if it's cold. ALSO, tampons. Which are like the #1 most important thing in there and I almost forgot to take a picture of them! Geez!

There you go! A lot of what I pack is just in case of cramps/rain/forgetfulness but it's nice to know that I have everything I need.

It's spring break time in some states, so Disneyland is staying open later and we're back to having fireworks on weeknights. Last night, it was so crowded that everybody got manditorily (lol that's not a word) extended an hour so Disneyland could stay open 'til midnight!