Welcome to the Family: Disney Traditions

You know how once in a while you'll wake up and you just know it's going to be an especially good day? (If you don't know, you may need to lighten up on life a little bit.)

For me, this day was last Thursday. It was finally Traditions day! Traditions is a mandatory 4-hour orientation/class all about the Walt Disney Company. During Traditions, you get your company ID that let's you into the parks, a behind the scenes tour of Magic Kingdom, and your Disney name tag.

After check-in, my roommates and I had a couple days before Traditions to relax, see Les Miserables, and get some shopping done. We had one housing meeting on Tuesday, which sounds boring, but of course Disney made it really fun and interactive, despite all of the rules we had to cover.

With these couple days to spare, I woke up on Thursday well-rested for the first time in a while! Not to mention the sun was shining for the first time since we had been here (believe it or not..it was mostly overcast before). Cat had Traditions from 8am-12pm, and the rest of my roommates and I had it from 2-6pm. Luckily we caught Cat as she was coming off her bus as we were about to get on, and got a quick roommate photo!

Our bus driver to Traditions was hilarious. He was singing along to the radio and cracked sarcastic jokes like "I'm so cool, I sleep in the refrigerator at night..." We got off at Disney University and were split up into classrooms.

Traditions was overall really fun! They showed us videos throughout the class of Walt Disney himself and what it meant to work for the company, and honestly they made the whole room tear up. But not me of course....

We learned the four key basics of working here: Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency. (in that order.) But we also some played games such as trying to name as many animated characters as we could in 30 seconds. My table came in 2nd place with 36, and the table that won got 37. So close! 

After our tour of Magic Kingdom, we came back to the classroom and someone paid us a special visit!

Mickey Mouse himself brought us our name tags!

As I looked around the classroom, everyone else was staring down with their eyes glued to them.

After Traditions was over, you better believe the first thing my roommates and I did was rush over to Magic Kingdom with our brand new free passes!! 

We only had about 2.5 hours until the park closed at 9pm. (Off-season hours...) In that time, we watched the Electrical Parade, went on Haunted Mansion, watched the Wishes fireworks show, and rode Space Mountain. For a Thursday in January, it was surprisingly crowded! If you can imagine the fish trying to "swim down" in Finding Nemo, getting through the crowd was like trying to swim up.

But the real adventure began after we were ready to go home.

Since we took a bus to Traditions, and another to get to Magic Kingdom, you would think we could just hop on the bus to go home right? Wrong.

We finally found out we had just missed the 9:30 bus, and the next one wasn't until 10:30. So we killed some time by looking at a small gift shop near the bus stop at the exit of the park. We were starving, the very first thing I bought with my 40% off discount was a cherry coke and a bag of potato chips. Then we proceeded to sit on the sidewalk with about 20 other CPs for the next 40min waiting for the bus. After check-in, we assumed our "sidewalk days" were over, but I guess not!

Magic Kingdom is easily the busiest park, with (I think) the most college program kids working there. So what happens when the bus finally arrives to our rescue? It's completely full. The next bus wasn't coming for another hour. 

Not taking no for an answer, the bus driver gave us a tip to walk over to the Polynesian Resort where there was a different bus stop. We get there only to find out....

The next bus wasn't coming for another hour.

WHAT IS THIS!? It was almost 11pm and all we wanted to do was go home only about 7 miles away!

Luckily, my roommates had a different plan. We stealthily snuck away from the group of CPs waiting on the curb, and searched for a cab hub at the resort. (Which by the way, is BEAUTIFUL! I literally felt like I was in Hawaii...but 11pm after a long day was not the ideal time to explore...)

We found ONE small cab waiting outside, and crammed the six of us into what should've been a 4-seater. At this point we were happy and laughing about what had just happened and couldn't believe how difficult it was just to get back! 

We felt a little bad for those left behind (or at least I did)...and I still wonder sometimes how much longer they were out there for at the Polynesian.

That night was when it hit me that I'm living here. Every time I go to Disneyland or Disney World I dread having to leave and wish I could just stay forever. Being able to call this place home for 4 months is a real dream come true.

It Is Time. Check-In: Part 2

After walking to Walgreens and Wendy's for snacks (right across the street from the hotel), we got in line outside of the security gates at Vista Way (where they have check-in, also across the street) at 1:30am. Why we were up that early is explained in Part 1. There were already around 20 people in front of us! Luckily, we were able to sit on a nice little ledge as opposed to the sidewalk a few feet down the way.

Left to Right: Kaila, Kristen, Casie, Brittney, Emily, Me, Caitlin

Hobo Status

I don't want anyone to get me wrong, I was extremely excited that check-in was finally here, but man was I exhausted! And it was only 1:30! I had been up since 9am that morning, and we still had 5.5 hours to go of sitting outside. Surprisingly, the first 2-3 hours weren't too terrible, probably thanks to my lovely caffeinated starbucks refresher drink. By the time 5am rolled around, a lady with a clipboard started handing out sticker name tags for all of us in line. Then, she moved us all up closer to the inside of check-in because the line was getting too long. This time, there wasn't a nice little ledge to sit on. 5-7am might have been the two of the longest hours of my life, not to mention it strangely got really cold all of a sudden during this time. Our once chatty crowd turned into a group of sleepy zombies trying to stay warm.

Line at 5am, and it wraps all the way around to the left!

Line at 7am

This sign gave me chills!

7am could not have looked any sweeter at this point. We were FINALLY led to the beginning of check-in!

Thankfully, since we were so early to line up, we didn't have to wait in the endless line of people to actually start the process. The first thing we did was verify all of our personal information on computers, and then we recieved these little beauties! 

Next, we were split up by last name A-L and M-Z. In previous years, you had to wait to take a bus to the Casting building to find out where you're located, but they changed it so you find out right away! I reached the end of the my line, and as most of you already know....

I'M WORKING IN EPCOT!!!!!!!!! 

More specifically, the World Showcase area!!!!

So my location is behind Future World, at all the different country pavilions!

Which if I were to work in Epcot, this was the EXACT area that I wanted! I'm still in shock. There are 24 resort hotels, 2 waterparks, 4 main parks, and 1 Downtown Disney where I could have been placed! When I told my interviewer I wanted Custodial as my 1st choice role, I thought the 4 main parks were the only options for me to be assigned. But I found out later that Custodial could be put anywhere, which caused me some anxiety to say the least! I was just DYING to be put in any of the 4 main parks, but to get one of my top two choices!? I really don't know how I got this lucky. I wish I knew who my interviewer was in person so I could thank them! One theory is that someone else in custodial mentioned they loved working in Animal Kingdom because they're a Zoology major, so maybe my interviewer put me in the World Showcase area because I'm a Political Science major? I'll never know...

After we got our role assignments and went over apartment rules, we get to the housing assignment station! And guess what? We got a Chatham 3-bedroom (6 people) just like we wanted!! Couldn't have asked for a better start.

Then we registered our cars (if we had them), got our housing ID's, and signed more paperwork, and hopped on the first bus to the Casting building! There was a cast member who had a microphone on the bus that got us all pumped up, told funny jokes, and Disney trivia. He even said he met his wife during his college program on the bus to Casting! I was sitting next to Cat, so I can't say that we're going to have the same story.

On the bus!

The Casting building itself is awesome. It has the same doorknobs as the one in Alice in Wonderland, golden statues of disney characters, and giant photos of the parks throughout the building. During casting we got our orientation schedules, background checks, fingerprinting, and MORE paperwork! I was concentrating so hard to enjoy being in that amazing building, and not falling asleep against the wall like some of the people behind me.

Photo Cred to Cat!

Doorknobs from Alice in Wonderland

Inside Casting

All of the cast members who worked the check-in process were SO helpful and friendly, and they would ask us all questions like where did you get placed?, what time did YOU get in line?, where are you from?, etc. The whole process was extremely organized and efficient.

After check-in was over, I struggled through the rest of the day while taking a couple trips from the hotel to the apartment to unload stuff, going grocery shopping, eating lunch, and unpacking. But I was SO happy at the end of the day to finally be settled! The apartment is BEAUTIFUL and even bigger than I expected! I was up for a total of 37 hours, which was the longest day of my life. Literally!

Here are some photos of the apartment from yesterday, but I'll have more to come once we've added a little more!

Roommates + Kristen!

Our building!

Caitlin's and my room!

Chatham Pool

Mickey's Retreat (right across the street!)

We all have Traditions this Thursday, a 4 hour orientation-class about working at Disney, and then after that we can start going to the parks for free!!

It Is Time. Check-In: Part 1

I have officially checked in to the Disney College Program and could not be more relieved/happy/excited that I'm here!!

Since so much has happened the past couple days, I decided to split up my posts between before check-in, and the actual check-in day. The reason I'm overly detailed is so I can remember as much as I can when I look back on this!

My dad and I drove 9 hours from New Orleans to Orlando last Saturday. (pictures of New Orleans are on facebook woo!) We picked up my roommate Caitlin from the airport and we went to Downtown Disney for dinner and walked around. Might I just say, the Downtown Disney here (compared to California) is HUGE!!! There is so much to do, it has an indoor virtual arcade, a "dine-in" movie theatre, bowling alley, tons of themed restaurants and shops, lego store & sculptures, even a circ de soleil show! It's located on the water kind of near the parks, but you don't have to pay for a Disney ticket or anything to go.

The next day, Cat and I met the rest of our roommates! Emily and Kaila, plus Kaila's college roommate Kristen, came to our hotel in the afternoon and of course what do we do to hang out and kill more time? Downtown Disney. Casie was driving from North Carolina all day and we met her back at the hotel around 9pm. Last but not least, we picked up Brittney who flew in from Ohio at 11:20 and we were finally all together for the first time!

As a side-note, you can choose to either meet roommates on facebook (there's an unofficial "dcp roommate survey" that people fill out and post on the groups) or go into check-in and be assigned random roommates. The only criteria of choosing roommates ahead of time is that they must have the same arrival date and departure, and they MUST be with you during check-in when you select your housing preference. (which is why Kristen unfortunately couldn't room with us because she is doing the Spring Advantage program which means she stays an extra 3 months over summer and has a different departure date.) I'm so happy I found my roommates ahead of time because we all get along really well!

There are three housing complexes to choose from: Vista Way, Chatham Square, or Patterson Court. Vista is the oldest, but it is also the cheapest, closer to the parks with a bus stop, and known for being "the most social". Chatham is right next to Patterson, and nicer than Vista (Patterson being the nicest since it is the newest). They are right next to an outlet mall and Mickey's Retreat which is the cast recreation area and also has a lake where you can rent paddle boat/kayaks for $2! However, Chatham has a bus stop and Patterson doesn't.

Vista Way

Chatham Square

Patterson Court

My roommates and I all agreed that Chatham was our first choice since it's nice, the rooms are supposed to be big, and has a bus stop. However, we all knew getting Chatham would be no easy feat. The Disney e-mails say that check-in starts at 9am, but they have been letting people in at 7am. According to the dcp facebook groups, if you don't get in line before 3am, you can kiss Chatham goodbye as one of your options. The week before, people posted that they were in line at midnight to get Chatham! But we knew that one long night would be worth having a great apartment for the next four months.

Oh I Just Can't Wait...

Check-in is exactly one week from tomorrow, but I'll be in Orlando by this Saturday! The first 80 days of waiting were actually not too bad since I was busy with school, but these last 15-20 days are killing me! Time is going by much slower as it gets closer, but I am trying to enjoy the anticipation while it lasts because that's half the fun right? Well, that's what I tell myself anyway.

I am super lucky to have a dad who loves driving. He offered to travel in my car across country so I could have it with me during the program. I told him it was totally unnecessary since Disney provides buses that take you to work, grocery stores, movie theatres, etc. but he insisted over and over that this trip was something he REALLY wanted to do. So I said fine, I'll go with you. And he flat out told me no, because I stop to go to the bathroom too often.

Well, he isn't going to get away that easy because instead of flying straight to Orlando, I'm flying into New Orleans on Thursday to meet my dad and spend a day (Friday) with him there. (And then continue to drive with him to Orlando.) I am extremely excited to go to New Orleans because it's somewhere I've been dying to go my whole life!

My dad left early this morning, which means the majority of my stuff is already packed since it all went with him! I packed as lightly as possible, and fit everything into two suitcases, and one plastic tub. And a shoe holder. And a bag with my bedding. Plus the carry-on I'm taking when I fly to New Orleans. Okay to some people this might not seem so light, but when it comes to clothing I just like to have options! Although I did hear you tend to spend the majority of your time in your work uniform...I'm just happy that Disney housing provides the furniture, pots, pans, plates, utensils, cups, cooking utensils, trash cans, etc.

My assigned check-in day is January 21st, but people have already started arriving since January 7th. I think it's nice that they split up the check-in days, that way all 6,000+ people aren't showing up at once. Some people don't even arrive until February!

I am so excited to write my post about check-in (if you couldn't already tell) because that's the day my five roommates and I find out which apartment we'll be in and where I'm going to work!! (I do know that my role is Custodial, and I explain in my blog why I wanted it here!) Check-in starts at 8am, and my roommates and I are splitting a hotel room the night before. We're gonna get up super early to wait in line because even though everyone is guaranteed housing, the apartment preference is first come first serve. Disney only saves a certain amount of spots in each apartment for each check-in day, and we're going for a 3 bedroom in Chatham which seems to be one of the most popular first-choices!

But more on check-in to come later. Until then, I'm continuing to abuse my Netflix account while trying to make time go by just a little bit faster.

Disney College Program Bucket List

13 more days until my check-in day for Disney! At this point I am really looking forward to finding out which area of Disney World I'll be working in. Crossing my fingers for somewhere in Animal Kingdom or Epcot! But honestly I'm going to be thrilled with anything they give me.

I'll write at least another post before my arrival with more details about my preparation. But first, this wouldn't be a DCP blog without a proper bucket list! Here's what I have so far:

1. Achieve a high score on Toy Story Midway Mania (anything above the "beaver or cat prize" because I haven't reached above that yet!)

2. See Illuminations at Epcot for the first time
3. I want to meet as many characters as possible, but especially Rapunzel & Flynn and Merida because I haven't met them yet!
4. Keep my eyes open during the ENTIRE Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios. Spoiler Alert: It takes your picture when the giant spider comes out. This item may not be attainable for me.

5. Visit the Tri Delta chapter at University of Florida
6. Ride Space Mountain with lights on
7. Keep a highlights journal (Where I write down the highlight of my day everyday!)
8. Collect pins with cleaning references (since i'm doing Custodial!) For example: M-O, Cinderella, Chimney Sweepers, Sorcerers Apprentice, Snow White, Nana, etc.

9. Find at least 12 new hidden mickeys that I have never seen before
10. Participate in the VoluntEARS program
11. Eat at Be Our Guest Restaurant and try the grey stuff! (it's delicious...)

12. Haunted Mansion backstage tour (or backstage tour of any ride they offer!)
13. Meet a celebrity. Or at least see one.
14. Go to a water park
15. Star Wars Weekend, if it's before I leave in May.
16. Character breakfast or dining experience.
17. Epcot flower and garden show (REALLY looking forward to this!)

18. Explore all of the 23 resorts
19. Beach day
20. Wear a sundress to a park (don't ask why, I just wanna do it okay?)
21. Take a funny staged picture on a ride that has a camera
22. Create a "magic moment" for a guest
23. Eat around the world at Epcot (can't drink around the world since I won't be 21)
24. Ride Kali river rapids on a hot day
25. Conquer my fear of It's Tough to be a Bug (MAYBE)
26. Sea world
27. Get a good service card
28. Attend as many networking/guest speaker seminars as possible
29. Work in a different park other than the one I'm assigned (if possible)
30. Find the talking trach can (got this idea from my roommate Caitlin!)
31. Participate in grocery bingo
32. Get on-screen for Monsters Inc laugh floor
33. Attend DCP formal
34. Graduate!