The Time Draws Near...

In a little more than a month, I'll be heading down to Disney World. Not to relax for ten days like my family usually does...but to LIVE there. And WORK there. Because this seems so completely crazy, I feel like summer is infinite, and I'll be stuck in this weird hanging place where Disney theme park music plays on in a loop in my subconscious and I hear echoes of campus-bound friends burbling about their class schedules and new cafeteria offerings and Honors Week activities.
It's hard to forget that just a year ago, I was searching for the perfect twin bedspread and selecting my favorite books to bring with me to my dorm. Worrying if I would get lost. If I would collapse under pressure. If I would need a coffee on the first day. I may not have traveled far to my college, but it was still a big step into the unknown. I was scared.
And here I am, preparing to take one of the biggest steps I've ever taken. Moving to another state, postponing taking normal, English major classes in exchange for a class at Disney University and moving in with people I've never seen in my life! Which is such a difference from last year, believe me, when I couldn't walk from the Science building to the Fine Arts building without seeing at least four people I knew from high school. (Not cool for those wanting a fresh start, by the way.)
Am I nervous this year? YES. Will it far surpass my every expectation when I get there? YES. Because it's Disney World.

My attempt at making Mickey magic!

I've been fed on fairytales and daydreams and pixie dust my entire life. My parents made sure to stock every Disney movie on VHS (and eventually DVD when the time came to switch). I slept with a Brer Rabbit stuffed animal. My brother and I got to open the Magic Kingdom one morning. Walt Disney is my hero. So far in my 19 years, I've been to Disney World 18 times. And it hasn't ever gotten old. I'm rambling a little bit now. I'm not sure what I was trying to say in the first place, but I believe I just used this blog as a coping mechanism to soothe my nervousness and to toss in more than a little excitement too.
Because I wanted a change. I wanted a chance to thrive. And now one has landed in my lap. Overall, I could not be happier. :)

Zip a dee doo dah

Hello!

After seeing that many current and future cast members in the Disney College Program start a blog, I decided that it would be a good idea for me to keep up with one too, especially seeing as I already blog. This way, people back home can see what I'm up to, and people interested in the College Program can get a feel for what it's like once I'm there.

Earlier this year, I applied for the Disney College Program in Walt Disney World. It entails "learning, earning, and living." It only made sense, considering that my family goes to Disney World every year, sometimes twice a year. I decided I only wanted to work there if I could be an Attractions cast member, which means that I would be working at/on a ride or show. There are several different choices besides Attractions, though- Housekeeping, Merchandise, Custodial, Quick Service Food and Beverage, Character Attendant, etc. I wish they were holding face character auditions at the time of my interview. I would have liked to audition for Belle, haha. I took the web interview, then went through to the next round- the phone interview! My phone interview was scheduled a few days later. I was nervous, but I felt like I did okay. Right when spring finals were drawing to a close, I wearily slid into my desk chair to check my email. And what did I see but a cheerful purple email with a "Congratulations!" coating it! I was so excited.

So here I am. I'm all signed up for my class, which I'm able to get college credit for- Creativity & Innovation. I'm researching the different apartments I can stay at on the Disney property. And even though my check-in date isn't until September 7, I'm already thinking about things I need to pack! I'll be heading down there a little early with my family to enjoy the parks before I'll be working there for the entire fall semester. My program ends on January 6, 2012. And needless to say, I'm excited. It will be mostly work and some play, but the experience and opportunities I will get are endless. Working at one of the most popular, magical vacation destinations has been my dream since I was a little girl. After all, I've experienced so much joy and wonder there. It would certainly be nice to give back a little!

Me, taking the traditional purple folder picture!