For the past week I've been looking at my life the past few months. Did all that really happen? Did I really have my first adult desk job (internship though it was)? Did I really graduate college? Did I really leave all I knew and loved in Gainesville to come back home to Orlando where most I loved were gone? I've learned so much about myself, made mistakes, made big decisions, made plans. How--in such a short time--did I grow so much as a person?
Everyone experiences the Disney College Program in their own way. Who are we kidding? Everyone experiences everything in their own way--but let's just say, for me, the Disney College Program was my segue into adulthood. It was the in between of college and the real world. It was a time when I got to make mistakes and a time I got to learn about myself. If I wasn't ready to enter the real world when I left college, I'm certainly ready now.
“So long CP Housing! I can’t say I’ll miss your constant ID checking, inspections, signing in guests or having a curfew for those guests, but for 7 months you were home, and for that I am grateful.” – Facebook Status, 1/3/12
If there’s anything you can learn from reading this entire blog it’s that CP Housing and me did not see eye-to-eye. As a 23 year-old, I didn’t take kindly to be told exactly how I was expected to live, how often I was supposed to clean, when I could have visitors over. I’ve done dorms, on-campus apartments and my own apartment—CP living conditions are the worst for the price we pay.
Though Patterson Court is lovely, quiet, and homey there is absolutely the worst internet and cable. Halfway through our program they decided to cut half our channels. Even though we had wireless, our internet was so pathetically slow that watching any sort of video on your computer required hours spent loading it. If I really wanted to see a missed episode of Glee or Merlin then I had to set it up to load before I went to work, go to work, and then pray that the internet didn’t disconnect while I was gone.
We had the nicest security guards. Even though I hated that I had to stop every time I came into the complex, our guards were always nice to me and welcomed me home. Please, if you’re currently on the program, or about to go on the program, be nice to the guards. Smile, wish them a nice day, and don’t just treat them like a checkpoint. I always felt very safe and secure at Patterson, so that was a plus.
“Daddy, I’m 16, I’m not a child!” – The Little Mermaid
The negative is, of course, signing in guests. As someone from Orlando, I have a lot of non-CP friends who I wanted to show my new apartment to, but most of which never saw it. We were limited to 3 guests a day, and they had to be out by 1AM. So many times I’d have a friend over and have to keep an eye on the time and they’d have to leave almost always before the night would have naturally ended. That is certainly the part I won’t miss about CP Housing.
I will never miss Inspections. It is my full belief that if you are paying for an area to live than it is your right to live in that area as you see fit, so long as you leave it the way it came (like the way most apartments work). I did not appreciate having to find time in my crazy work schedule to then go crazy with cleaning.
When you’re a CP I feel like you constantly live in fear of being termed for some silly reason. I used to joke that I wanted to write a book: “Disney College Program Termination Obituaries” and it would document the ridiculous ways CPs got termed (both deservedly and non-so). I heard stories of whole apartments being termed because they needed to make room for new CPs. Price Management held extra surprise inspections to see if anyone broke a small rule that would normally get overlooked, but that week happened to be cause for termination. One night we had a letter saying that our apartment was being called in for a meeting (one of our roommates was having problems with the rest of us) and I honestly thought that I’d leave the meeting without a job.
I honestly don’t think anyone should be termed for housing reasons. I could understand if we didn’t pay for our housing, but we do. If they want to kick someone out of housing, then fine, but that person should be given the option to find alternative housing before they make them lose their job. Just my opinion, really.
“I didn’t make it all the way through the third grade for nothing.” –The Rescuers Down Under
I took 2 classes on the program: Discovering Guest Relations and Discovering Leadership. Taking classes after already graduating was, for lack of better words, an odd decision. Still, I’m glad I took these classes. I ended up dropping one of them because I needed the extra time, but I did earn my Mousesters Degree in Guest Relations. There were certainly times when I wondered why I was sitting in a classroom on my day off in Disney Look-approved clothing, but I did take something very valuable from my time in that classroom. There is no company I respect more than the Walt Disney Company. They treat their guests so much better than most companies are even expected to treat their customers. Though I’m not sure if I’ll be staying with the company, I know I’ll take their values with me every where I go from here on out. That’s what I learned from my class.
“What do you want me to do? Dress in drag and do the hula?” – The Lion King
I remember when I first checked my record card and saw that I’d be in Frontierland Merchandise—my first thought was that God-awful skirt. A couple days before move in I went to visit. I can’t remember any of the people I saw, save one: one of my best friends from the program, Stacey. At the time, Stacey was being trained on the porch, and she was on her own. I didn’t introduce myself or anything, I just watched. (Creepy, I know, sorry Stacey!).
“Follow the strums of the banjo music and the smell of the smoked turkey legs and it will lead you to the old-time wild west of Frontierland. The crash of the cascading water of Splash Mountain and the screams of the guests in the runaway trains of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will entice you to see more of America’s pioneer homeland.” - wdwinfo
I had no idea what to expect in Frontierland, but I know now, without a doubt, that I lucked out on my location for this program. First of all, Frontierland’s in Magic Kingdom, one of the most popular theme parks in the world. Magic Kingdom changes with the seasons, having special events for Halloween and Christmas that make our time go a little too fast.
“Welcome home to the night, when you’re sure to get a fright. From us you’ll get a trick and not a treat.” – Mickey’s Boo to You Parade
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is without a doubt the most exciting in park event at Magic Kingdom. Complete with Trick-or-Treating, Villains galore, and a parade that’s sure to knock your socks off, the party is worth every penny. I, unfortunately, did not dish out the money to go to this event, but I now know what I should save for next year. As for working it, it’s the most fun I’ve ever had at work. I loved seeing all the guests in their costumes and making “Best Costume” buttons. I loved playing with our Glow Merchandise and having Glow Sword fights with our younger guests. Halloween is quite possibly my new favorite holiday.“It’s a very special time, and the magic that you’ll find, on that Once Upon a Christmastime.” – Disney’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is magical. There’s really no other way to describe it. Now, I’ve had memories from my past with my parents going to this party and being wowed. This year I loved the snow on Main Street and the castle light show and the fireworks, although I’ve decided there really is no better firework show than traditional Wishes. I didn’t work as many Christmas parties, but I know they weren’t nearly as fun to work as Halloween. In the end, I was glad they were over. I’m also not a huge fan of the parade, though give me snow on Main Street any day of the year.
“First rule of Leadership: everything is your fault.” – A Bug’s Life
The managers in Frontierland are so awesome, and the people we worked with are so unforgettable. If you ever find yourself down on the Ol’ Frontier, make sure you peek in the stores and say hello, have a few conversations and make your day just a little better. One interesting observation was how often there would be a complaint about one of the company policies. I’d always listen to my fellow cast members, but in the end my education from my BS in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism would kick in and I’d realize why those policies existed. I feel this understanding made it easier for me to stay happy on the job, as well as have a few ideas up my own sleeves.
“All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me… You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” – Walt Disney
Anyone who’s followed this blog, or knows me personally knows how much I hated my HOH shifts when I first started. 5AM is not an ideal time to wake up, and heavy lifting and hard labor is not what I signed up for when I was offered a role in merchandise. Still, with keeping a happy face and a positive attitude I not only got through them, but eventually ended up loving them. In fact, as you’ll read later on, I’ll be spending even more time in HOH coming up. My one piece of advice I would push on all CPs is to never dismiss the job you’re given: you could end up loving it, and if nothing else you’ll have the knowledge that you had the strength to complete this particular hardship.
“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” – Walt Disney
I love Magic Moments. I loved having the ability to make someone’s day special by having them fill out a postcard to their favorite character or making them honorary sheriff of Frontierland. I loved making someone feel special. Our job was fun, and that’s really what’s most important. We don’t make a lot of money. Even knowing this going into the job, I didn’t realize how broke I’d be at the end of it. We’re there to make people happy and to have fun. The idea is that if we’re having fun than our guests will have fun.
“Look at this stuff, isn’t it neat? Wouldn’t you think my collection’s complete?” – The Little Mermaid
One of the awesome parts of being in Merchandise is pin trading. Now, I’ve been in Orlando for most of my life, and I’ve pretty much avoided pin trading, but once you get started, even with pins that aren’t your own, you really can’t stop. Eventually I started buying my own pins with my discount and starting my own collection. For the most part I just got pins that made me smile, but I did like to collect all Peter Pan pins, and eventually had a lanyard just for those pins. For Christmas, my mom had a friend make me a lovely holder for those pins, as seen below. Now I’m a pin trading addict.
“Ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind, or forgotten.” – Lilo and Stitch
But forget the area, forget the magic moments, forget the hardships. Frontierland would have been nothing without the amazing people I met. There were the full-timers who have been with the company for decades, a few even before I was born! There were the part-timers and seasonal workers who were all so great to work with. Most importantly were my fellow CPs who made every shift a thousand times more enjoyable. From nights when we sang Christmas carols, to mornings when we praised the first riders of the day; from last-minute proposals to cast ride photos; from shouting at Jack Sparrow to crying during wishes—work will not be the same without this amazing group of people. No other group I’ve ever worked with would be half as understanding to sit down and listen when you’re crying about something. No other group would do their best to help out a fellow cast member with a broken foot or a bad back. No other group goes out of their way to make sure you have a good day, to make sure you leave work smiling. I would not have survived some days without this group of people, and I will forever miss them.
Aside from work, there were plenty of good times to be had. Funny how Disney Cast Members can bond so well after a day at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure—honestly, the level of service is simply just not the same, though the rides are great fun. I think if the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was not at Universal we wouldn’t have visited nearly half as much.
The IHOP on 535 must survive solely on Disney Cast Member coming in after park close. Our last night there we saw groups from Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, as well as our own group. IHOP nights were a highlight of our program, filled with lots of yelling, lots of food, and enough laughter to fuel a huge city (Monsters Inc joke =P).
“No matter what happens, I’ll always be with you, forever.” - Pocahontas
My sole regret from this program is the mindset I had entering it. A recently graduated, native Orlandoean, I wasn’t planning on making friends. My goal was to work hard, save money, and make it far in the company. For the majority of my program I focused on friends outside of the program, mostly so I didn’t have to worry about saying goodbye. I realized too late what my friends on the program mean to me, and I feel I didn’t have enough time with them. For the most part I’ve held back tears during this week of goodbyes, but this is the time for losing it. I’m sorry I didn’t get to spend more time with everyone. I love you all, please visit often. I will always be grateful for the time we had together, and I miss you all so much right now.
“The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.” – Mulan
Being an Orlandoean CP is really a different experience. I get to go home whenever I want, so I don’t have that separation everyone else has. I know the area well, so new experiences for others are every day chores for me. I know how most Orlandoeans view Disney and the College Program, so for the most part a lot of Full-Timers and Part-Timers forgot I was a CP, because I acted different around them. I didn’t form bonds outside of work because if given the option, fortifying existing friendships from home was more important than forming new ones from people I’d lose so soon.
“Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it.” – The Lion King
The most important thing I’ve taken from this program is the importance of knowing yourself, knowing what you think and why you believe what you do. There’s an importance in staying true to yourself and knowing when to act certain ways. I’ve learned so much about myself, my weaknesses and strengths, my inner policies, my goals and aspirations—and I don’t think I would have learned that without the help of my peers and leaders. So again, thank you everyone.
“Life’s not a spectator sport. If watchin’ is all you’re gonna do then you’re going to watch you’re gonna watch your life go by without ya.” – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
So, “What’s next?” you may ask, and I honestly don’t have a straight answer for you. I’m officially a seasonal employee, and the HOH manager requested I pick up shifts with HOH the coming months. Meanwhile, I’m looking for a job elsewhere, and for the first time I’m looking in Orlando as well as away from it. I’ve decided that now is the time to take risks and if I play it safe I won’t get where I want. So I’m at home now, saving money for my own place, and my limit is 6 months. I’ve given myself that limit to get back on my feet and find a job that will enable me to support myself fully. Prayers, kind thoughts, and job offers are appreciated.
I know, I know, this entry was long. Too long almost. Yes, it’s another one of my famous, useless essays, but I can think of no better way to end this blog—for this is the end of Have Faith in Dreaming. I thank the many of you who read my updates—and my mother especially for always commenting. I hope to create a new blog of some new adventure, if my dreams of sailing ‘round the world come true. ‘Til then always have faith in dreaming. There will always be hardships, but if you smile through it all and fight through the pain, the rewards will be greater than even you can imagine. Think of the happiest things, have faith in your dreams, and always let your conscience be you guide!
