Recommendations and Tips

1. Don't pack so many clothes unless you plan on staying after the program. I thought I was going to stay and ended up coming back home. But I could have lived on 7 shirts and a couple pairs of jeans. You are always in your costume. Bring a dress coat and a dress or two. But really, there's no need to bring your entire closet.

2. As far as cars go, bring it. I took the bus every single day to do everything. It isn't bad for work at all. I could walk to Disneyland, but not everything is as close as it seems. And the VONS behind the building is kind of expensive after awhile. Unless you plan on doing small frequent bus trips to the Walmart off Lincoln (About a 30 min trip) and setting aside a day to go into Company D (1 hr on the bus. Take Lincoln down State College) you should really just bring your car. Gas will add up and it will be hard on your vehicle. That's mainly why I didn't bring mine. Just know that you'll be trapped in your apartment or relying on others heavily.

3. Pick Foods or Merchandise. Foods gets an insane amount of hours. I worked 73/76 hours Thanksgiving week. But be prepared to come home late at night. And 1am on the bus is not fun, I can tell you that.

4. Take the College Accredited courses. There is lots of work, but lots of good knowledge in those courses. Blended Learning was two hours of babysitting. Other than a scavenger hunt, there really wasn't that much to brag about.

5. Email the the DLR email with a list of days you want off. They will need the reason to why you need them off. But it will help immensely. I asked for my birthday, my bf's birthday, every Tuesday -for class-, and other days off. I got almost all of them. I sent them well before I left for the program. Ask for the weekend before you would leave the program off!!!! MANY PEOPLE WORKED THE DAY BEFORE MOVING OUT! If you asked for any day off, ask for that one.

6. Don't buy food in the park! You will barely make any money during this program. Refrain from spending it in Disneyland. Save as much as you can. You can bring food into the park.

7. Keep a diary or blog to remember as much as you can about this program.

8. Make sure your email receives the cast member discount update. Sephora give 20% off only two times a year.

9. Go to the Golden Horseshoe! It's so much fun to see the little show. It was my favorite place to go. And I heard they are taking it down, so if it is still alive, go!

10. Remember to sign up for every single event! But don't forget to ask for those days off. I would pay the fee to go on tours or trips and then find out I had to work. Get a list from the Programs office ahead of time if you can.

Good Luck! 

To stay or not to stay.

As much as I wish I had stayed, I'm glad I didn't. I made a list of positives and negatives to both options. I had to come home to finish up my degree. And it turns out I only needs 3 more courses. And I got none of them on my return semester. Though I am making great strides with my gpa and extra courses. It's frustrating to think that I could be in Disney instead of here. But if I had stayed I would barely be making it by with the apartment rent. And I would probably never get my degree finished up without the priority registration I have at my old school. Oh well, I'm back home now and very excited to go to a REAL college. After I graduate I will be heading back to do the fall advantage program. I'll be ready with my degree and a place to stay. It doesn't hurt that Disney will be celebrating its 60th anniversary then either. Anyway, this is an update on how I feel about coming home now that the program is over. It was for the best. 

Moving Out

Not Nearly as Organized! 

I actually ended up moving out just in the nick of time. I had trouble renting a car and had half an hour to get all of my stuff out of the building. My roommates were awesome and took care of inventory and cleaning. They all had come with their cars and had been moving stuff down into them over the last week. It was such a close call. I actually walked in right before the inspector did. Phew! Please make sure you know what the requirements are to rent a car before you have to move out! lol! 

Last Day!

What a sad sad sad sad sad sad sad sad day!!!

American Giving Awards

During the month of December, keep your email open! This was the first annual Chase American Giving Awards! They allowed the first 10 college program interns to go! I got to rub elbows with celebrities and see wonderful performances. It was amazing! I got to see Colin Ferrel, Miley Cyrus, Will.I.Am, Rodney Atkins, and many more! 

Graduation!!!

DCA Day

GO TO DCA!

Alright, I will be the first to admit that I am not the biggest fan of DCA. I think it is because I am from California, so it doesn't interest me. I usually pop in to ride Tower of Terror and then leave. Well I spent one full visit in DCA. Mainly because I knew I'd kick myself if I ignored it with such an opportunity. I ended up having a blast! Go see ALADDIN! It's like a free Broadway play! I referred every guest who had a park hopper over to that show. Also, go to the Writing Academy. It's like a free souvenir! I spent hours in that place. Ended up drawing 8 or so characters in one visit. I'm going to frame them and put them up in my room, which is themed black, white and green. They're very cute and very fun. I went on a couple rides. Surprisingly, now that I think of it, I never went on any of the water rides. Ever. In either park. Not a fan of being wet. Maybe when I repeat the program I'll dedicate a day to just being wet! Now that that is settled, please pick a day to spend time in DCA. It's a nice park to walk around and explore in. The Muppets Show is really very good.  And while I never got to visit Electronica, I've heard lots of good things about it. And by the time you, reader, get around to doing the program, Carsland will be built! Hope you get the time to take advantage of DCA!

November 22

Today a little girl sat next to me with her family. She kept looking at me. Her father apologized. I says it wasn't a problem because of where I work. We talked a not and it turned out they were from Sacramento. The little girl promised to come see me tomorrow. I decided to give them these cast cards that were being handed out. They had pictures of everything new and coming to one of the parks. The parents were grateful and the little girl got a kick out of them. She left her cup on my table. And this message was facing me :)

Club 33!

This is NOT a College Program event. I was so lucky as to get the hook up from a family friend =]

 

So the place was everything I could have dreamed it to be. Everything was just perfect. I will make a video collage of pictures if I get a request to do so. Otherwise I can put them on a separate page of this blog altogether or just leave it to you to add me on facebook to see the pictures.

If you have the means, please go. It is a wonderful experience =] 

Blended Learning

Class began today :)

This day was filled with "get to know you" tasks and time fillers. It is a fun class, there is just a lot of down time and small tasks that aren't completely necessary. I'm excited though. After a few weeks of classes, things get going.

The class entails a couple of tasks. A short essay, a project, and I believe another bit of writing on networking. 

September 26: Cross Training

I'm trained in TWO lands!

I was trained this day in Village Haus. I can't say much about my trainer here. We didn't do too much, and it continued into the next day of training. Pretty sure they were hung over, and all we really needed to know was the new menu. I'm glad I picked a field that I already had experience in, because it was easy to just pick up the few differences and move on. Anyway, I like the new places and enjoy getting out of my Toon Town costume every now and again. 

September 16-20

I took some time off in addition to the days I already had off and headed back up north for my sister's baby shower! It was wonderful to go back home and see everyone. I didn't put my dog down unless I absolutely had to and brought all the toys for my sister's soon to come little girl. It was a wonderful few days off :) 

Broken

Getting things fixed in the apartment is advertised as an easy task. It takes "three days" after putting in your request to have something fixed, to get it taken care of. It usually takes around a week or even two. We ended up cleaning the lamp problem and replacing the light bulb ourselves. Recently, we had our refrigerator completely replaced, finally, because the ice machine was broken. Stay on top of what needs to be fixed, and you'll be okay. And continuously take pictures of anything you find wrong with the apartment that wasn't your fault. :) 

September 14th: Inspections!

Inspections started! They happen every 2 weeks on a Wednesday. I have yet to be there during the inspection. But, from what I hear, it isn't as strict as every makes it out to be. Depends on who checks the room really. Everything must be cleaned, microwave must be wiped down, no trash, and there can't be any dishes in the dishwasher. If you pass with No points, you will get a prize :) 

Company D

On September 11th, I visited Company D. It was not as amazing as I thought it'd be. If I had all the money in the world and was a lot more of a Disney Fanatic, then maybe I'd have thought differently. But it did have quite a few great deals. My sister was having a baby shower later on that month, so I spent quite a bit of money on Pook-A-Loo dolls. Very very cute :)

August 17th: On the Job Training

This day we got our costumes and schedule. You should be aware that, excluding this blog, you will not have any clue what you are doing. They basically tell you the day before what you will be doing. It is really frustrating, but eventually the schedules will roll in regularly.

Everybody will have a different experience with their trainers. My trainers let us take extended breaks and answered as many questions as possible. It was quite a lot of fun. You will wear Professional Attire and bring your New Hire Sheet/Cast Member ID

August 16

Day 3

Traditions!
You will arrive at 7:30 and be ready at 8am in the traditions building. TDA. You must be dressed in Business attire and ready for a loooong day. From 8am-3pm your day will be filled with long sits, speeches, a bit of networking, and a brief tour.

It was soooo very hot that day! And the tour was not very fun in a formal outfit, but the lunch afterwards is very nice. If you bring a lunch it must be completely disposable. Brown paper bag.

At the end of the day, you will be greeted by a very special guest with a very special gift :) 

August 15

Day 2

Some of the blogs/videos I had encountered before coming down here said that Monday would be the day to relax, move in, buy groceries. Well, it's true if you have a car. I did not end up bringing my baby down, so Monday is more of a move in, run around frantically, say goodbye to your family if you get the time day. There is a 2:30 meeting (may change) in the courtyard this day. It is a brief, "please don't destroy the place" speech with a great welcome.

For me, this day was very busy. That morning I ran around to have breakfast with my boyfriend's family so that mine could meet them before going back up north. Then we bolted back for this mandatory meeting. Afterwards, it was all cleaning and meeting until the party at 5pm.

The party is awesome! Free pizza, lots of people, a photobooth and prizes. If you aren't a dancer than you will probably be a bit bored. But if you don't mind having fun and shaking your tail feathers, you'll be just fine. 

Dream Suite Tour!

Absolutely wonderful! Do it Do it Do it! DO IT!

What a wonderful tour full of magic and great information. 

August 14th: Check In!

The day finally came!!!
I stayed in Anaheim for two days prior to my check in date. The check in time I was given was 10am. But I showed up at 8:30 or so to see the line and try and jump in with a roommate who was given an earlier time. I met up with her in the surprisingly short line and we started introductions. There was a lot of just waiting in line and chit chat. You finally make it through the line to the second floor courtyard. There you will see lots of friendly faces and tables. Make sure you have your insurance and 2 forms of identification ready to go. And please don't lose them like I lost my license! Ugh! Anyway, you'll be herded from table to table like freshman orientation in high school and then finally given your room key. I met another roommate on the way up. The room was extremely nice.

FUNNY STORY: ...kinda
I saw a lamp on a side table that was suspiciously left pulled out. The entire apartment had signs of last minute preparation. Well, I decided to push the table back and plug it into the outlet. No note from housing on why not to do this by the way. The minute I plugged it in IT EXPLODED! The bulb, the wires, everything! Well we eventually cleaned it up because housing didn't take care of it for a good week and then we ended up having to bring the lamp to them and received a new lamp about two or so weeks later. Yeah...

Note the broken lamp!