Accepted or Rejected?

Chapter 3

After the audition, there was a tremendous amount of waiting. Naturally I was nervous but after about two to three weeks and trying to keep my mind off of the impending acceptance/rejection email, it came. I nervously opened the email and read the first line:

"Congratulations! You have been selected to participate as a Character Performer Cast Member on the Disney College Program in the Fall Advantage 2009 Season."

I nearly fell out of my chair from excitement. The feeling I had at that moment was indescribable. Here I was reading an email telling me essentially that my dream had come true. Sure a long road was ahead of me full of many mountainous climbs, but I definitely felt accomplished. I couldn't wait.

I shared the news with my fellow group, all who got into the program as well. And thus from that point on we embarked together going over the website gathering necessary things we needed.

So we all kept talking and packed and packed and packed until May 20th arrived. The first day of the next seven months of adventures we would each have. Both with each other and apart.

Audition

Chapter 2

My audition took place sometime during January, if I remember correctly.  It was still snowing and super cold.  Knowing this, I showed up in Chicago with shorts and a t-shirt on.  Worst. Idea. Ever.  But I wandered inside the dance studio where they were holding the auditions and waited in the crowded room with all the other entertainment hopefuls.

Eventually they allowed us to head deeper into the studio to a room where we had to sign in and get our numbers.  They then measured us (to the appropriate Disney height) and introduced us to a really nice choreographer and some other entertainment cast who went through what the rest of the day would be like.

First we had to go through two animation exercises that we would be judged on.  Animation is key in entertainment.  You have to be able to animate things very largely and also very simply.  That's the key: keep it simple, keep it large.

After practicing these exercises, we were taught a dance combination which varies between auditions.  It starts out simple and as it progresses, gets slightly more difficult.  (It's 8 counts, for any of you into dance.)

All of this is done in a large group and after running through the combination several times, they break you up into two large groups to do it.  After this, you line up in a hallway based on your number.  They take four/five into the room at a time to animate and do the combination in front of entertainment cast members that will judge whether or not you make it through into entertainment.  You won't find out this day if you make it in but try to relax and get ready for a long wait.  (It feels long but it's about 1-2 weeks before you find out.)

These judges will also pick aside those that they feel could go for a face role, that is become friends with princesses and princes as well as the other popular characters in movies.  If you feel you are able to become a face character, before the audition date arrives you will be informed to bring some head shots (though these are optional).  I think mostly, as mentioned above, they set aside people they feel would fit those roles. (Don't quote me on this information as I don't really know much about face roles.)

After I finished my audition, I had a wave of accomplishment rush over me and was just glad to be done with it.  Now I had a long wait ahead of me before I found out if I was accepted or not...


Note: If you have any interest in being a cast member in the entertainment department at Disney World or any of the Disney Company's parks or on the Disney Cruise Line, check out their audition site.  You don't have to be in the college program to get into entertainment.  I wish you the best of luck if you pursue this option.  It's definitely a fun role to be in.

WoWW #2

Yes, it's time for another Words of Wisdom Wednesdays!

"I dream, I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I execute my vision to make those dreams come true." - Walter Elias Disney

Dreams are very important. This quote signifies, at least to me, that dreams are a road full of challenges. You have to take the rise to the occasions that are presented to you upon your path to making your dream come true and overcome the obstacles to get to your dream. Sometimes paths involve taking chances and risks. With dreams, though, the rewards reaped are more than the risks involved to get to them.

This quote says that dreams are something you must work toward and that while the path may not be easy, making those dreams come true is possible. All it takes is a little faith, trust and pixie dust.

Words of Wisdom Wednesdays

While most people would rather post pictures today and let the reader become inspired by those, I would rather use quotes.  Quotes have always been something that inspires me to keep going even through impossible circumstances.  Quotes may also be interpreted in any way that the reader sees fit. 

One such quote that I always found inspiring is this one:

"Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long there is imagination left in the world." – Walter Elias Disney

While in this case Walt Disney is specifically talking about Disneyland, the underlying message is about how all it takes is one’s imagination to keep things growing and expanding.  Imagination is a powerful asset to everyone in the world.  It is a drive that keeps us going toward our goals, hopes, and dreams.

Not everyone chooses to embrace the imagination that they hold but for those that do, they can become inspired at a very young age.  When I attended elementary school, with every chance we got to write, I wrote fictional based stories.  So even at a very young age, I used my imagination.

This is hardly surprising, though.  Most every child uses their imagination.  Whether they pretend to be a pirate or a hero, the evidence of imagination is apparent.  As we grow older, however, we tend to lose that imagination in the rush that is adulthood.

This quote by Walt Disney should be inspiring to those that have begun to lose their imagination and should convince them to retake their imagination and embrace it.  When you have an imagination, it is far easier to feel like a child once more.  This feeling is something that adults continue to wish they could embrace.  

The constant phrase, “I wish I was a kid again” comes to mind.  While you cannot be a kid again, you certainly can feel like one.  All it takes is a little courage to pursue that little feeling your inner child gets and overcome the “adult complex” to once again feel like a kid again.

Imagination is powerful.

If you liked the quote above, feel free to check visit this website and look around for more inspiring quotes.

Helpful Tips

If you are headed down to Florida (or California) in the near future to participate on the Disney College Program, congratulations!

I know it may seem overwhelming right now as you are preparing, but try to keep calm and go over everything in your mind.  By following some the following tips, I hope you are able to be stress free both before the program and during.

• Create your own checklist.
• I recommend creating your own checklist of what you think you will need.  Try not to pack too much, though, if you are flying.  (Gotta keep that cost for luggage down!)  There is a list on the Disney College Program website that lists what you will need (some of it obviously optional) as you pack for the journey of a lifetime.  I recommend waiting until you get to Florida/California before buying most if it.  There are buses to and from Walmart (or you can drive, of course).
• Set of linens and bedding (beds are twin size and rather uncomfortable; I recommend getting a foam mattress pad)
• TV, VCR, DVD player and a coaxial cable
• Stereo (small)
• Toaster
• Coffee Maker
• Phone card
• Answering machine
• Cordless phone (The phone provided in the apartment has a cord.)
• Cell phone (Check with your current provider for coverage information.)
• Alarm clock
• Beach towel, suntan lotion and/or sunscreen
• Camera and media storage cards or film
• Casual clothing
• Professional clothing (Please refer to the Disney Look Guidelines for assistance.)
• Sweater or jacket
• Dress shoes
• Combination lock for the locker in your bedroom
• Computer with Ethernet card
• Original employment eligibility documents
• Cosmetics and toiletries
• Credit card and traveler’s checks (if available)
• Health insurance information
• Personal medications, including prescription drugs, if needed
• Writing paper, envelopes and pens
• Renter's Insurance Information
• If you are able, bring your own car. It makes traveling so much easier.
• Otherwise, they do provide buses from the complexes you will be living at to all work locations.  There are several buses and sometimes they can be quite full.  Sometimes even so full you will have to take the next bus.  If you work at Epcot, after your shift be ready to wait a while as this location has many employees.  The buses run for all locations at around two or three throughout every hour.  You'll get a schedule of the buses on day one.  Make sure to arrive at least 5-10 minutes before the the bus is scheduled to arrive as they do leave early sometimes.
• Pay attention on day one!
• There are buses that will take you from location to location but you are able to drive to the places yourself.  I recommend taking the buses if you are not so adventurous.  My friends and I got lucky finding the casting building we were supposed to go to.  
• Find roommates beforehand.
• Go on Facebook and find the group that relates to the season in which you are going to be arriving at Disney.  (For instance here is the group for Spring 2011.)  This will provide you with a lot more information than I could possibly give you on this blog as well as many people's opinions of the program overall.  Find or create a roommate thread and try to form a close group of friends who you could be roommates with. (There are one bedroom apartments up to three bedroom apartments; two people in each room.)
• Amenities are included.
• This includes wireless internet, but you do need a router to connect to it! 
• You cannot enter the parks until after you go to this class called, Traditions!  
• This is on day two.  A semi-formal attire is required.  So men, bring a tie and slacks. Women, a nice dress.
• Keep within Disney Look Guidelines.
• This is very important, as managers are allowed to send you home from work if your hair is too long or does not follow the guidelines.
• There are places to get a cheap haircut backstage at the different park locations.
• Also make sure to keep your costumes you get from costuming (locations will be explained to you throughout training) clean and tidy.  Make sure to follow the guidelines for costumed men and guidelines for costumed women explained on the Disney Look Guideline page. 
• Get College Credit!
• If you are doing the program, it is more than likely you are able to get credit in your department for doing this internship.  It varies by department what they may have you do to get credit, but make sure to ask your advisor.
• There are also some classes that can earn you college credit.
• I recommend taking some classes or doing one of their exploration series classes.  These classes can definitely help you in your ascent into the Disney company and overall they help ready you for a future career.

That's about it for now, I'll keep coming back and updating this post with anything else I may find beneficial.  If you have any questions let me know.  Make sure you check the Disney College Program website first.  Just go through the tour of the complete website in the student section and you are sure to find your answer.  If not, though, I'm here to give an answer to the best of my knowledge.

It's Really Not So Scary

Currently at the Disney parks, there is a Halloween event going on.  It’s titled “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party” and it is an annual party held each year from September 14th, 2010 until November 1st, 2010*.  Quite a long time for Halloween to last, don’t you think?  Even so, the parties that Disney throws are always spectacular, no matter how long they last.

Each party is filled to the brim with as much entertainment as Disney can pump in.  Some of the events include:

• Mickey’s “Boo-to-You” Halloween Parade
• CANDY!
• Everyone’s favorite characters dressed up in their Halloween best
• Side note: Pluto is dressed as a spaceman-erm...-spacedog
• A special castle show featuring everyone’s favorite villains
• The spectacular fireworks show, “Happy HalloWishes”
• Did I mention candy?
• And much more…

Most of these parties can be quite packed.  I recommend going to the earlier parties, such as the ones in September.  All you have to do is show up at 7 PM with your tickets and you will be able to get in and start enjoying the festivities.  The party lasts until 12 AM, so hopefully all that candy will keep your energy up.

Shortly after this party ends on November 1st, be sure to get your tickets soon afterwards for the first party of "Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party."  They start setting this one up right after they finish taking the Halloween decorations down.  So get to Disney and celebrate Christmas in November!

*All dates and entertainment subject to change.

Once Upon A Time...

Alright, so I know this is intended to be a class blog but some people have commented on earlier posts about either being in the program or going to be in the program.  So while this is a class blog, I do hope to be able to update the blog with my adventures that I had last year without it having to be an assignment.  So, naturally, I will begin where all fairy tales begin...

Once Upon A Time... (aka Chapter 1...corny title, ain't it?)

It all started when I stumbled upon the official Disney College Program website back in the Fall of 2008.  I slowly began to get more and more interested into the program the more research I did about it.  Upon further inspection of the roles found on the website I found out about the entertainment department and immediately had a voice say to me, "this is what you want to do."  So, on a whim, I continued research about it.

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Some of the roles from the website:

Attractions, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Hostess, Concierge, Character Attendant, Custodial, Full Service Food and Beverage (FSFB), Hospitality, Housekeeping, Lifeguard, Main Entrance Operations, Merchandise, Photopass Photographer, Quick-Service Food and Beverage (QSFB), and the backstage role of Costuming.

There is also culinary positions available and of course the entertainment role of Character Performer.

Note: I will be mainly focusing on the performer role for this blog as I do not have any experience in the other mentioned roles.  If you click the links, they will take you to the respective roles pages where you can go over the responsibilities of each role.

Note to anyone interested in entertainment: If you go to an audition, they will have your application on hold.  While waiting for the audition date to actually come up, other roles will begin filling up.  So if you do not pass the audition, there may still be back up roles that you choose when you do the interview.  If none of the back up roles you selected are available or there are no roles left to be filled, you will probably be denied entrance to the program.  So choose wisely.

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I felt rather lost at first in terms of what direction I was supposed to go.  The applications weren't up at the time so I had a while to wait still.  This lost feeling led me to a group on Facebook* dedicated to the specific time period, Fall Advantage 2009, that I hoped to do.  I began to interact with some people on there through AIM chats that happened regularly.  Over time I made some friends (about 12-15 of us) and we bonded through chatting on AIM as well as through skype.

After bonding and getting to know each other, we all waited until the applications and e-presentations came up.  (I'll describe these to those that are unfamiliar in future posts.)  I think they came up sometime shortly after the beginning of the year near the beginning of Spring.  After they came up, we all rushed to view the online presentation and get an interview set up with a recruiter over the phone.

The interviews took place sometime during the Spring semester.  Recruiters basically ask you some questions tailored to each role that you requested during the application process.  It's a pretty laid back interview since it is over the phone, but I was still shaking for mine.  Since I was going for a role in entertainment, the recruiter had me choose a date and location for my audition (listed on this page, these dates get deleted as the audition season comes to a close so the page may not provide any) and I chose the one for Chicago, IL.



So after this, I had a few weeks to prepare for my audition in Chicago, IL...


*I recommend if you are going to apply for the program to find the appropriate group on Facebook.  If one is not created, you should create one.  This is a nice central hub to make some friends that you can stay in touch with and possibly meet up with if you are all accepted into the program.  I will explain the differences between the different groups (ex. Fall Advantage from Fall) in a future post.

Dreams Are Like Stars

People constantly wish upon shooting stars that fly through the night sky.  This is a tradition that many practiced long ago and it is still going strong today.  One could relate stars to a multitude of things.  I choose to compare them to the dreams that sparkle in the hearts of children of all ages.  To me it is something that can grant the strength and hope that I need to attempt to accomplish their dream.

Photo courtesy of dipity.com

In this picture, we see a shooting star streaking across a beautiful night sky with other stars in the sky shining brightly and looking down upon the earth.  These stars could represent the other dreams that have yet to be fulfilled.  Or one could compare them to dreams that have already been fulfilled.  Either way, stars in the sky can and do give people hope on their journey to accomplish their dreams.

As most children do, I used to always be on the lookout for shooting stars in the sky around where I live.  It is quite bright where I live, even at night, so seeing shooting stars is a rare occurrence.  I have only ever seen one but I don’t really remember what I wished for at that time.  Seeing one star was all I needed to give me hope.

I did wish for a dream to come true one day, though not on a shooting star.  Even without the help of one, I have accomplished a dream of mine.  And that dream was to become a cast member in the entertainment department at the Walt Disney World resort.

This job, while being just a job to many that work there, is more than that to me.  It is a "role," as Disney describes it, in which I get to make dreams for others come true.  Whether that dream is to meet a favorite character or just to make a special memory that resonates with that guest that they will always remember.  My dream was fulfilled when I got into entertainment, so now I get to make other dreams come true. 

My dream now is to empower others with the courage to follow their dreams.

About My Pixie Dusted Blog

This blog isn’t the first blog I have done.  I attempted to do one when I was on the college program.  Due to how much time one works at Disney, though, there really isn’t much time to write about your thoughts and about what is going on.  I’ve started this blog not only for my college course but to kind of redeem myself for my lack of updating on my older blog that got a total of one post. 

The Disney College Program did not only provide a Disney fan like me a lot of fun, but experience away from home as well as valuable work experience with a top corporation in the industry.  Plus the money making part of this program wasn’t have bad either.

Growing up, I always liked watching the Disney channel with the actual cartoon shows they used to have on.  I loved everything about the Disney experience.  Unfortunately, I never got to visit the parks as a child but the program offered that first experience for me.  And because of that experience I am now inspired to start this blog.

By posting my memories here of what happened from day 1 until the day I left Disney in January, I hope I can inspire others to see the fun I had and attempt the Disney College Program if they are interested in Disney.  Heck, even if you aren’t interested in Disney, I hope I can inspire you to also attempt the Disney College Program.

To find out more about the program, visit the official Disney College Program webpage and take a look around.  If this seems like something you may want to do, be sure to talk with your advisor about getting credit for it.

Some Of My Favorite Magical Blogs

There are many Disney related blogs on the web today, authored by both official Disney employees and avid Disney fans alike.  Reading Disney blogs is a favorite past time for me but there are some blogs that stick out on top that are must reads for any Disney fan or anyone hoping to get their foot in the door at the Disney company.

#1. Disney Parks Blog - The official blog for Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise Line

This website is, as the title says, authored by official Disney employees.  The Disney Parks Blog often provides first looks into things such as the new Disney Cruise Line ship, the Disney Dream, or many other upcoming events at the Disney parks.  If you are an avid fan of Disney and want the official word from Disney itself, make sure to frequent this blog.

#2. DIS Unplugged Disney Blog - An Unofficial and Unbiased Blog about Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line

This unofficial but magical blog is authored in a collaboration by several Disney fans.  Their blog covers much of the most recent news about the Disney company and other goings on when it happens.  The blog not only discusses what is happening in the Disney universe but also links to their website which contains much more news.  This is another definite site to visit when you get the opportunity.

#3. Deb's Digest

Deb's Digest is yet another magical blog to read.  It provides several pictures accompanying the posts as well as much information about the parks and stuff happening.  It is just one blog out of several that the site AllEars has.  Each one provides useful information that could be used when preparing your trip to Disney.

Besides the blogs, you should visit the actual AllEars site if you are new to Disney fandom.  It provides a lot of information from rides in the parks to what the menus are for all the restaurants on property.