It's Time for an Update

It is ridiculously crazy how fast this program has flown by. I have a month left until I graduate the Disney College Program. The program has been incredible and although I am ready to get out of this apartment and change things up, I will miss a lot of these people. I've gotten to do some crazy incredible things like tour Haunted Mansion, Tower of Terror, and the Dream Suite. I've seen backstage of Disneyland and I've learned how this place operates 24/7 and I am just a tiny part of it. 

So I have big news. 

I'm staying in Southern California!

I'm staying on with the company (temporarily)!

Although I still believe that my future career is not with Disney, I've really enjoyed my time down here. My best friend is down here, I've got Disneyland right next door, I've met some pretty remarkable people, and there are so many school and job opportunities down here. Now this isn't permanent and I might just end up back in Northern California, but for at least one more year I plan on being here. 

Here comes the terrifying part. I have a month to find an apartment. And a month to find another job to afford said apartment. I have three other roommates and we're looking at a place, but the application process is so complicated for those without a high enough income and no credit. I've been a huge bundle of anxiety these past weeks. I just want to have a place and get it over with. I'm also panicking about how to afford it.

I'm just continuing to pray to God and believe that he knows what is right for me. He put me down here, gave me this opportunity, and put new people in my life for a reason. So I hope he has some good things planned for me. 

I've applied to a children's tutoring day care type school, so hopefully a full time position in that will arise. I'm getting ready to take the CBEST and hopefully apply for an emergency credential to start substitute teaching. I sometimes wish things would just get handed to me, but what would life be without a thousand pounds of stress. 

I'm really thankful that my parents have decided to support me through all of this. I know it's crazy and maybe (most likely) I'll be broke and calling home crying, but hopefully it ends up being a positive adventure. I have some other friends whose parents are not supporting them and are having a hard time with the decisions they're making. So I am blessed for my parents. Thank you, Mom and Dad.

A Lot About Everything

So as per request of my mother, I'll give you all an update of the actual goings on of my job. Today I was trained specially for Candy Palace, but I will get to that later. After being trained there I have come to love being at the Emporium. I missed it when I walked through it today. 

I can't talk too much about what goes on backstage, but we do have a check-in right before we go onstage to catch us up on new Disneyland news, trivia, and the nightly hours for our shows. Then we get an assignment and are either sent to give someone a break or pickup a shift. You can either be assigned a register, merchantaining, pins, or go-backs. There are a few other random things you might get assigned, but that's rare (I love retrieving all the hangers). 

To be honest, my favorite is register. You are usually pretty busy and when it's dead you can find things to do around your area. Merchantaining and go-backs can get pretty repetitive. Oh I should probably explain that merchantaining is basically when you go around and guest service your area. Like asking people if they need assistance and what not. A lot of people can get creative when it comes to using merchandise too. I, for example, one night was wearing the Mickey snap bracelet around my wrist and waving at little kids and another night I carried a Mickey plush around. They love it! Some cast members carry different plush around with them and put ears on them. It definitely makes it a little fun. 

I've had quite a few magical moments so far. I mentioned in an earlier post that I got to be a part of The Good Night Kiss, which hasn't happened again unfortunately, but I've had some more personal moments with guests. One lady I approached was near the pins and I asked if she had any questions. She said she was just buying a pin that she lost on Radiator Racers in DCA. It was a special 60th pin that she had just purchased earlier that day. I walked back and asked my lead if it'd be okay to give her an NSA (No Strings Attached) where I could give her the pin free of charge to her. They OK'd it and I went back to give her the pin and she was incredibly happy and grateful. She thanked me (and to be honest, she went on about the other pins her family had lost and I was like "Sorry, I'm just doing the one" ). Well I didn't say that, but I wasn't about the give her ten free pins. It was one special moment and I am incredible happy that I got to do that. 

I've also had a lot of fun moments with kids. Whether it's listening to an 8 year old talk meticulously about trains or asking a girl in a princess dress to twirl, their eyes light up and it brings just as much joy to me as it does to them. I try to make as much magic for adults as I do for kids. 

But let me tell you...those buttons will be the death of me. Birthday buttons, happy anniversary, first time, I'm celebrating. People ask constantly for buttons and usually, because I'm nice, I'll scour the store for a particular one. It drives me insane because now so many people ask for them, I feel like they're not as special any more. Some people have the audacity to ask for a button and when I ask "which one" they say they don't know and they just want to see which ones we have. We're handing them out like we give out our plastic bags. It's getting ridiculous.

But now for Candy Palace. Most people love or hate working here. I haven't worked there long enough to firmly pick a side, but for now I'll say that I don't love it. It's manageable, I'm just not a fan of handling other people's food. And that hair net!! :( I'm sure I'll get used to the inventory we have, it'll become as comfortable as the Emporium. But for now I will love the Emporium every single shift I have.

Catch Up

I haven't posted in awhile and I finally got my iCloud synced up so here are a couple pictures to update you all. 

My side of the room ( I've added a few more decorations since then)

In late August when absolutely no one was in the parks. It was amazing!

 Two friends visited me at work :)

This needs no caption. It's beautiful.

My best friend forever came to the parks!

 The highest score I've ever gotten on Buzz Lightyear!

 My two very best friends. Kyle flew in to visit and Rachel joined us. One of my favorite days.

As for more news, I recently attended a training for Mickey's Halloween Party. They taught us how to hand out candy the proper way and let us watch the fireworks. That night was the College Program's Space Mountain ride through with the lights on. My friend and I were scheduled for the training so we unregistered from the event, but then as we were clocking out all of the College Program was standing there waiting to get on. So they still allowed us to ride in our costume! It was magical. 

The next day we had a College Program scavenger hunt. The concept seemed really cool, but in reality it wasn't what I expected. We spent most of our time sitting at tables trying to figure out clues that were difficult rather than running around the park. (maybe it was just the clues we were given). We decided to call it quits with an hour left to spare and grab some lunch. The roommates and I love food more than anything, so giving up winning the scavenger hunt for food was an easy decision.

My computer is dying so I will make this quick. Work has been great as usual, I absolutely love my  coworkers and have been actually spending more time with them after work. They are incredible people. I have a lot of events and visitors coming in the next week so I will post another update then.

Let's Talk About Yesterday

First of all, I decided to go to the park by myself. I knew I wanted to visit my roommate at her attraction and get a picture with her so I made my way over there. Then I ate lunch and went on Radiator Racers by myself. It's pretty nice going alone because you can choose what you want to do and go your own pace.

Yesterday was officially the best day of work so far. To start it was only a four hour shift and get this...it started at 10:45 PM! It was really odd starting that late and when we got on the cast shuttle the bus was pretty vacant besides the maintenance guys who work 3rd shift overnight. It just seemed really strange. Once we got there, however, it felt like an normal night. I was asked to start Go Backs (putting back items that guest didn't want) and then a lead came over and was looking for people to help with A Kiss Goodnight. I was supposed to go on registers, but I made it really apparent that I would rather help with the Goodnight. And my wishes came true and I was told to meet in front of the arcade registers. We all got to wear a Mickey glove and went out in the street and waved goodnight. Then we made a little arch that people ran through and gave high fours. 

It was probably one of the most fun things I've ever done at work and I was grinning the whole time. The guests were absolutely loving it and I've never been more happy to work here. I was awarded a Four Keys card for helping make magic. Then later that night I was helping other coworkers wrap mugs and bag items and one of the cashiers rewarded me with another Four Keys card. Two in one night!! I was so ecstatic. It was overall an incredible night.

Two Posts in One Day!

That last post was from several days ago, because I wrote it around 3 AM, but never got around to rereading it before I posted it. Work is still going really well. I joke around that I basically sold my soul to the Emporium, because I am sacrificing time with friends and special events (no more Space Mountain ride through for me) because of my schedule. But at least I am getting hours because now that they have started to take out rent, I see how crucial it is that I grab as many hours as I can. 

My best friend came and spent a couple hours with me in the park. It was a completely blessing and definitely made my week. She has an annual pass so hopefully we will be going to the park a lot. 

So far my weeks have been pretty similar. Nothing too exciting or extraordinary to report and I apologize that most of the posts basically say the same things about how exciting this is and how it is going really well. Once my class starts and peak season picks up, I will hopefully have more to talk about. 

Right now I'm just all about Starbucks and sleep. So Starbucks gift cards are a blessing.

The Magic of Main Street

This post was written several days ago...

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Working Main Street has been a really inspiring experience. I am not used to 8 hour shifts, so it's a little intimidating at first, but once I actually get there the time usually flies. And so far, every single shift I've have, I've been hit with a feeling of shock and gratitude. Once it happened when I was driving out of the cast parking lot and then last night it happened when I was roaming the plush section of the store. I'll just be in my own mind realizing how cool it is that I get to do this everyday. I won't say that everyday is a piece of cake, sometimes we're bored out of our mind during non peak season, but I have some of the best managers and leads, I'm starting to get to really know other cast members, and I continue to try and make magic for the guests.

Today is my first day off this week. I work five day weeks that usually range between 6-8 hour days. The past two days ended at 3AM for our AP private event. Surprisingly my crash happens around 12 and then once we're closing, I'm wide awake and skipping around the store.

For anyone thinking about doing this program, it really is what you make of it. A couple of people aren't really fond of their role, and I can't say that I love retail all the time, but I go in and make every hour of my shift super positive. Sometimes you'll catch me walking with a little jump in my step or humming around the store. It's something that I found helps me keep smiling and loving working there.

Earning My Ears

So much has happened in the past couple days. Especially two days ago. I am officially done with my training and am now a cast member who has earned her ears. Yesterday I had my first shift without trainers nearby. It's nerve wracking, but I feel completely comfortable now with the skills I have acquired. With hopes that no one brings in a travelers check or wants something shipped. Knock on wood. 

I also earned my first Four Keys card two days ago which was something completely unexpected, and totally incredible. It's basically something saying that someone saw me do something that deserved to be rewarded. I am so ecstatic about it. It's a really big deal to me, especially getting one on only my third day of training. 

So far merchandise is great. There is definitely a lot that I will come to learn like what kind of merchandise we have and where it's located. But that will just come with time. I love interacting with customers and answering their questions. Plus seeing all of the merchandise is pretty nice.

It's been incredibly fun working everyday and coming to love my fellow Main Street CPs. My carpool buddies are already some of my closest friends. The one downfall to this week is that while I'm getting through all my training, my roommates and other friends have been bonding and running about the parks. It's really difficult seeing their fun and not feel like I'm missing out. I know that I'm getting lots of hours and meeting so many friends at work, but I still wish I could join them. However, my insanely amazing roommates know I feel terrible FOMO right now and wrote me the sweetest note for when I got home. I'm am extremely lucky and blessed to have them. Now if only I had time and a normal schedule to see them more.

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For an update on my first day of work without a trainer! It could not have gone any better! I felt comfortable with clocking in and out, I understood how to bump other cast members for their breaks, and I helped find a lot of items that guests were looking for. I definitely continued to ask hundreds of questions, but I felt like I could handle it on my own. We were oddly quiet today so I got to have a lot of extra time with guests and try and make some magical moments. I awarded two Honorary Citizens of Disneyland pins two these two siblings. They looked like they were on Cloud 9.

I also ran into one friend while coming back from break and then had an old childhood friend stop by to say hello and then come purchase something from my register. I hadn't seen her in years! It was such an incredible moment and definitely made my day :)

Overall, it was the perfect first day of unsupervised work. I know there will be difficult days in the future, but for now I am loving every minute of it.

And I am still blessed for this opportunity everyday.

Princess Katie

Sorry Oprah

A quick little note to all my friends and family reading this...I have become overwhelmingly busy with starting training and work straight after my orientations, so if contact becomes a bit distant do not panic. I realized that this was the first time I have open my laptop and have been on it for longer than ten minutes. I've given up on keeping up with the news and with my tv shows.

Let's talk about two nights ago. I had finished orientations and for the first time ALL the roommates got to go to Disneyland. We met up with another group of CPs and let me tell you...it was probably one of the best nights of my life. Completely magical. I hadn't even started my actual work yet and I felt completely blessed to be here. Almost like a Cloud 9 feeling. I can't even explain it. And not only because I got to go hang out with friends in the park, but I am now a part of the magic there everyday. I see it in a new light now. Plus, I can drop in for an hour or two, wear nicer clothes, and get discounts! And I'm glad we all got to get together  at Disneyland because I know, especially with my schedule, that it might become impossible.

 My roommates as well as quite a lot of other CPs have a nice little weekend right now to explore the parks and relax. But for our little Main Street group, we jumped right in to work. I train for three days (now two, I JUST FINISHED ONE DAY :) ) and then two days of working on my own! 

I was absolutely terrified to start training. I've never done retail before and when they were going over everything I was completely overwhelmed. It definitely got easier once we were on the registers, but I am a bit nervous for when my trainers aren't behind me. I got to converse with guests and give some advice on rides and parades (plus I get to here the fireworks and parade everyday). But one of the most magical moments was when on break, one of the trainers guided us over to an area where we were able to see the fireworks. And to stand there in my costume, after accomplishing something that was initially terrifying, was a feeling I can't begin to put words to. 

I am completely exhausted, but am trying to stay awake because my next few shifts are late ones. 

I remember when I was younger, Oprah said that she never ate after 7:30 because it was bad for digestion or losing weight or something. I remembered this as I sit here eating soup and casserole at midnight. Because this new schedule doesn't accommodate a normal meal schedule.

But I wouldn't change it for the world. 

Princess Katie

It's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow

I am finally here.

Checked in.

Casted.

Moved in.

The whole process of check in and move in day went a lot more smoothly and quickly than expected. There are tons of employees around helping you out, making the process go easier, and conversing with everyone. After check in we brought all of my luggage in and went off for lunch. The hardest part of the day was sitting in the 100 degree heat for a housing meeting. But I'm super excited about all the amazing events planned for us. After we settled in, me and some roommates went to Target to pick up some house necessities. 

The rest of the week is jammed packed with orientations and events, so it'll be a while before I have a chance to breathe. But I am very much excited and ready to be working at...

Main Street Stores!!!!

How stinking cool is that? Main Street is iconic when it comes to Disneyland and that is where I will be. I'll get to listen and see parades/fireworks every day. Very excited. 

The most consistent thing of all of today (and probably the rest of the week) is exhaustion. We are all so tired from today and from what I've learned, it's something I need to get used to.

We're headed off to Downtown Disney to roam around, but I can pretty much tell this will be an early night. Early morning wake up call tomorrow. 

This post was kind of all over the place, but I just have so many thoughts from today. 

I'm going to try to have a better written post at the end of the week after all of the class orientations are done.

Princess Katie 

The Paperwork

Now this post is for those of you who have been accepted and now face all the paperwork. It's a lot to see at first, but promise me...you will have plenty of time to get prepared. 

I think about a month and a half (I can't remember) before check in day I received my email about hire documentation. These are files that you need to read and virtually sign before you can proceed with the program. There were quite a few documents and their system definitely caused a lot of stress with fellow CPs. 

Tips:

Make sure you have the latest Adobe Reader installed

Use Internet Explorer (ugh)

but seriously...it's the easiest browser for it

After you sign everything you will also participate in a background check. It's a simple form from what I recall. 

I think after all that, we just waited around until it was time for class registration. Thank goodness for the FB page otherwise I would have forgotten the date until I got the email from Disney. 

YOU NEED TO REGISTER FOR CLASS BEFORE YOU CAN REGISTER FOR HOUSING

And then the housing part happens. If you are adventurous and going random with your roommates (bless you) then go ahead and register when prompted. If you have preferred roommates have ONE person register and link to the other roommates. You will then get an email saying YOU'VE BEEN LINKED and you can now resume housing registration. 

Oh, I almost forgot renter's insurance! This part was the biggest struggle because Disney has specific guidelines that need to be followed and won't accept it until it is perfect. A lot of participants use a State Farm woman down in Anaheim because she knows the drill. I used a different company and had to do a lot of emailing back and forth because the policy wasn't right up to Disney standards. 

Follow the email instructions and you should be good!

Overall, there are a lot of papers that go into participating in the college program. But trust me, when you finish them all, it is the biggest weight off your shoulder. And it's totally worth it. 

I hope this gives some people a little more information. Maybe. Hopefully it's not completely outdated for the next group of particpants. :)

Princess Katie

See Ya Real Soon!

Remember when it was 100 days left until check in? And how that felt like an eternity away? Well now I am down to just 18 short days until I begin my journey as a Disneyland cast member. 

The DCP has been a constant conversation in my daily life. I do not think a day has gone by where I haven't mentioned it or brought it up. However, I don't think it ever really sunk in until now. 

And I'm scared.

Maybe scared is too much of an overstatement. More like nervous. Or anxious. 

Now...I've lived away from home for four years while in college and it's not the living on my own or homesickness part I'm worried about. I just get panicked with big change. (Also a bit nervous about having a super demanding work schedule [I've had some pretty laid back jobs]).

But I've found some amazing roommates, I've been listening to the conversations on the big group FB page, I've done a lot of research on the program, and I know Disneyland like the back of my hand. So I couldn't be anymore prepared. I just have to trust in God and keep a positive outlook and embrace the nerves. :)

Here are a couple inspirational Disney quotes that I love

and are really helpful right now.

Princess Katie

Life Lately

So far on this magical journey there hasn't been any more exciting updates. It's this weird phase right now where I probably should be proactively looking for roommates, but since you don't actually apply until August for housing, I've just been putting it off. 

I still have until August until another part of the process starts!! Now it's just months of nothing. The waiting is agony. And I finally start enjoying all the posting on the FB page....AND IT STOPS. There aren't many acceptance waves going out so it's been pretty quiet. 

On the other hand, I saw Cinderella on the Thursday before it came out. Let's just be clear...the prince was so nice to look at. 

It truly was a beautiful rendition of the Disney classic. I loved Lily James as Cinderella--she looks exactly how I think a live-action princess would look. And the whole movie just looked beautiful. A+.

 

And let's talk about Frozen Fever. I had kind of sunk into the whole I'm-over-Frozen-now attitude so I wasn't extremely stoked for the short. But it was so good! The little snowmen were adorable and of course Olaf absolutely made the whole thing! Overall, I loved it and am now ready for Frozen 2. 

Princess Katie

Roommate Surveys!

I've found a myriad of different variations of the roommate surveys. So one of them I did in video and the other typed. Some of the questions carry over. So hopefully you get to know a little more about me and if you have further questions, just ask!

Acceptance!!

I am so excited to say that I was accepted for the Merchandise role at the Disneyland Resort!! This is the beginning of an incredible journey and I've already started talking to some extremely lovely people. 

I'm just so excited!!!

I hope this blog gives a lot of insight into this blessing of a journey.

Let me give a little information on the process of acceptance. I had my phone interview February 9th and was accepted February 20th. I got my email around 7 AM and they said I had 2 days to accept and 7 days to finish all three steps. 

I went onto my dashboard to find out what my role was (MERCHANDISE) and then quickly accepted the offer. They sent me an email asking for my money...a lot of money. And once that was gratefully given, they asked me to pick my arrival date. 

FYI there weren't different options for me, it was all the same arrival and departure.

After all of that, I was done and have just been perusing the FB pages for all the roommate surveys. It's so exciting to learn about all the people I'll be working near, but it is so nerve-wracking trying to actually pick people to be your roommate. How does one even do that? AHHHH.

But I'm just excited that the waiting for acceptances is over. Well at least for me. I am sending out massive prayers to everyone who is still waiting to hear back.

Princess Katie

Disneyland Specific Role Descriptions

I had saved these screen shots of the Disneyland role descriptions so I could reference back to them. The DCP site doesn't really give much detail on all the positions and I found this really helpful. Hope it helps!

Princess Katie

The Phone Interview

Yesterday, I had the ever-so-anticipated phone interview! Scheduled at 2, the call came in around 2:06 and lasted a very brief 20 minutes. 

Let me say that when your time comes around and there isn't a call (and you've been sitting there for 30 minutes) the nerves get to an all time high. I highly recommend a distraction. I went on Tumblr and Facebook while listening to the new Cinderella movie trailer songs until I got the call. 

Hello, this is Katie!

The lady on the other end of the call was so incredibly kind. She spoke just like a princess and positively acknowledged each one of my answers. I appreciate that they start you off with quick short answers--it allows your time to settle in and breathe. Then the real questions hit. 

Now I was prepared for over 50 types of questions. And I was asked only about 5 of them. The typical How would working for the DCP benefit you? and What skills do you bring to Disney?, of course.

 However, when it came to role questions she was definitely pushing for some of my lower interests. (Which I'm seeing on FB forums is a common trend as of now). She spent time speaking about custodial and busser and photo pass. At the very end she asked which are my top most qualified roles where I mentioned Merchandise, Guest Services, Character Attendant, etc. 

So my advice.

• Everyone says don't stress, and it's true, DON'T
• But of course, YOU WILL
• It is actually is a lot easier than you think
• Write down your skills, work experience, and top jobs
• Honestly, that's probably all you need written down
• But have an answer to general questions
• Even though like me, you probably won't get asked What is a magical moment you've experienced or If a child is not tall enough for a ride, what would you say?

I had tons of situational questions prepared to answer and she didn't ask any of them, but blasted me with one I was totally unprepared for. But they have to understand how difficult it is to think on the spot about a role you haven't been trained in yet.

 

So I hope that gave you some insight (although wordy) into the phone interview. Good luck, breathe, and enjoy it! 

 

And smile!

 

Princess Katie 

Waiting...JUST FOR THE PHONE INTERVIEW

The amount of nerves and stress involved in waiting for the phone interview is insane right now. And this is just for a week. Imagine when I'm waiting for the email saying if I got accepted or not. I'm also surprised I actually have decently long nails. Because when I get stressed I bite my nails (I'm sorry, bad habit). 

So here is a little bit of information on how I've been preparing for the phone interview and hopefully it'll help someone else out. Once my interview is done, I'll give more updates on what worked/didn't work, etc. 

• I bought myself some new Disney sweaters that I plan on wearing for the interview
• Put a Disney phone case on my phone
• Started drinking out of my Disney mugs 24/7

But in all seriousness these are the tips and resources I (also) used

• Start with YouTube videos
• Then find some general questions and get a feel for the interview
• Bullet important points you DON'T WANT TO FORGET (don't write everything, but specific Disney or work related points that you want to remember to mention)
• Get on the FB page for your semester (people will give advice when the phone interviews start happening)
• Read aloud your answers/ bulleted points

I hope some of that is helpful. It's pretty general and you can pretty much find that information anywhere if you search Phone Interview tips. 

I'm wishing that I've prepared enough! ONE MORE WEEK :)

Princess Katie

The Web-Based Interview

On January 26, 2015 I sent in my application to the Disney Careers website. I put in all my work experience and typical application information. Then I went through all the role options for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. 

This is where there is a lot of speculation on whether or not you should choose No Interest for any position. Some people believe putting it for a lot will decrease your chances of moving on, some people believe you should be as honest as you want. I put No Interest for two roles in each resort and Low Interest for a few. But I put quite a lot of Moderate and High Interests. I'll let you know how that pans out for me in the phone interview. 

I waited about an hour and a half until I got the email and was asked to complete the Web-Based Interview!!! I've heard a lot of people stressing out about this, but the best advice is to 

• be honest
• read each question out loud

I'm not sure how accurate the advice is about not choosing Neutral. I chose Neutral a couple times because I thought it was 100% necessary. Sometimes I just didn't know which side I felt.

Right after it ended, I was told I was a strong candidate and welcome to schedule a phone interview. 

*SCREAMS*

This was when it all sunk in and I began to get nervous. But also so incredibly happy. This is a chance of a lifetime that I am ready to commit to. 

So I scheduled the phone interview for three days later until I got laryngitis! Timing, right? Luckily you are allowed the chance to reschedule and I did. So I still have a little over a week to practice and plan. I can't wait to update you on how that goes.  

I hope these posts give you some insight to the application process. If you have any questions feel free to comment down below.

Princess Katie

My Amazing Disney Life

 

Welcome to my crazy, amazing Disney life. On January 26, 2015 I applied for the Fall 2015 Disney College Program. That day officiates the most exciting phase of my life so far. Don't be fooled, I haven't actually finished the interviewing process nor been accepted, but I'm trying to remain positive and excited.

I've spent quite a few months, years maybe, researching all about the DCP. Watching YouTube videos, reading blogs, joining Facebook groups. I decided to blog about my experience in hopes that someone else will learn and gain information here about the DCP just like I did from others in my position. And if I get accepted, this can become a journal for all of my experiences.

My next post will describe the application process and the WBI. Stay tuned to find out what that stands for!

(It's Web-Based Interview...spoiler alert)

Princess Katie