Hello, Orlando!

I've made it! After about a 15 hour drive from Pennsylvania I am finally here in Orlando!

Yesterday my mom, sister, and I drove all the way from Philadelphia to St. Augustine, Florida. It was a really long day, but we felt very accomplished to have made it to Florida in one day's worth of driving. We left at 4:00am and arrived in St. Augustine around 6:30pm, so needless to say it was an exhausting day. Thankfully, because we got all the way to St. Augustine on the first day, we had a less than 2 hour drive to Orlando this morning! As soon as we arrived, we headed right to the furniture store to buy me a mattress, dresser, and sofa! It was super exciting to be able to pick out my own furniture (I felt like an actual adult) and I was so relieved that we were able to work it out so that my stuff could be delivered on Monday morning to my apartment. After furniture shopping, we grabbed some lunch, went to the grocery store to buy some things for my family for the weekend, and then checked into our hotel. After finally relaxing for a few hours, we headed to Disney Springs (still not sure if I can get used to its new name) for dinner and a fun evening! Disney Springs was almost completely unrecognizable to me - they've made so many changes and improvements since my last visit 2 years ago! It looks fantastic though, and I'm so excited to see how it all comes together once it is completely finished.

Welcome to Disney Springs!

We ate at Paradiso 37, which was somewhere new for all of us! The atmosphere was a lot of fun, the music was great, and we had a beautiful view of the sunset. The minute I saw the sunset I immediately fell in love with Florida all over again. I had to practically pinch myself when I realized I get to call this beautiful state home for the next year (and hopefully longer)!

The first of many Florida sunsets (the pictures doesn't even begin to capture the beauty!)

Tomorrow and Sunday we plan to do some last minute shopping and hopefully hit the Disney parks! There's a tropical storm that is supposed to make landfall in Florida soon, so it looks like a lot of rain is in the forecast for this weekend, but we're hoping to snag a few nice hours in the parks before the torrential downpour reaches Orlando.

I'm so thrilled to actually be here, IN ORLANDO(!), and ready to start this next chapter of my life. I hope you all enjoy following my Disney Dream, because I know for sure I am going to enjoy living it!

One Week

It's officially one week until check-in for my professional internship and about 6 hours before I leave my home in Pennsylvania and embark on my move to Florida! My mom, sister, and I are getting up bright and early to leave for the ~20 hour road trip to Florida! The cars are all packed (that's right - we needed two!) and I am completely ready to go. I'm so excited to finally be moving, but I'm also nervous! I need to buy a bunch of furniture down there plus go shopping for groceries and other basic supplies and I'm nervous there won't be enough time to get everything done.

Our plan is to drive all day tomorrow (Thursday) until we get to a decent stopping point for the night. Then, Friday we will finish the drive to Orlando, check in to our hotel, and go furniture shopping! I need a new mattress, sofa, and dresser, so we will definitely be busy. The plan on Saturday is to finish up any shopping we need to do and hopefully make it over to one of the parks before dinner time! Then, on Sunday, we are going to spend the entire day de-stressing in the Magic Kingdom! We even have dinner planned at the Grand Floridian with one of my roommates and her dad. I'm sure by Sunday we will all be exhausted and in need of a break. Finally, Monday I get to move in to my new apartment! I'm so excited to see what it looks like and how my roommates and I can make it our new home!

Next Wednesday (June 8), I officially start my professional internship. I have an 11:30 appointment at Casting where I will be filling out all my new hire paperwork and getting fingerprinted and officially "hired" by the company. I have a busy week of training after that, so look out for more posts about the start of my marine mammal professional internship!

I'm so thankful that I got to spend a little over a week at home saying goodbye to all my family and friends and getting to do some last minute Pennsylvania things (like going to a Phillies game!) before it was officially time to leave. Now I'm off to my new adventure, and I could not be more excited for what lies ahead! Keep checking back to find out more about my Florida adventures, and as always, keep on dreaming!

So You Accepted a Professional Internship, Now What?

About three weeks ago, I officially accepted my PI with the Marine Mammal team at The Seas in Epcot. The days after my acceptance phone call were filled with excitement - I got to tell all my friends and family, make a big Facebook announcement, and start to get excited about graduation and my future. But then, after those few days had passed, I found myself sitting there thinking "so now what?" I still had a few weeks until graduation and a few months until my start date. I had let the PI application process consume my entire semester, and now that it was officially over, it was a completely strange feeling.

So, allow me share my "so now what" journey with you as I eagerly anticipate my start date for the Fall 2016 Marine Mammal Internship.

The first point of business after accepting a PI is to find housing accommodations. Disney does offer PI housing in Falcon Square, but they charge $140 a week (as of now) and you have to share a room with another intern. I've heard that the PI housing is nicer than CP housing, and it is really convenient because you don't have to worry about finding a place with a short-term lease or buying furniture. However, I did not have the best experience with CP housing, and being a 22-year old college graduate, I did not feel like being put back in a situation where I had a lot of strict housing rules to follow while sharing a room and paying a fortune for it. So, my friends and I (my roommates from my CP) decided we would find our own housing. Looking for apartments was kind of a long process, but I started a few weeks before I was accepted to make the process easier! We ended up signing a lease with Victoria Park Apartments in Davenport, Florida. The reason we signed here was because it was relatively cheap compared to other options, the staff was extremely helpful and friendly, and it came recommended by some friends! All of this made it a lot easier to sign a lease from out of state and without having actually seen the complex. We are currently in the process of signing the lease for our 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom place! I'm really excited for move-in and think that Allie, Megan, and I will have an absolute blast when we are reunited in Orlando!

The next communication I got from Disney was about joining Yammer, which is an online social networking site for businesses. Basically, it's a place to get to know one another and ask any questions about your position, costume, or other parts of your internship! The ASE Yammer is really cool because Issac, who is a part of the talent management team, is also on the page and is available to answer questions and share some funny stories with all of us. It's a really great resource and a way to keep us all busy before check-ins start!

The last piece of communication I received from Disney (so far) is my welcome letter. The ASE Talent Management Team sent me a welcome letter introducing themselves, telling me how to contact them, and giving me details about Yammer. The letter also included information about my arrival date, the Disney Look, and my costume and shoes. Finally, since I am a marine mammal intern and will be SCUBA diving as part of my responsibilities, I had to read another part of the letter specifically about diving. This section mainly just talked about how we can't wear jewelry on the job, how we have to use special animal-safe hair-ties, and about how they will provide us with diving gear for on the job use! I had to respond to the email with my height, weight, and shoe size so that my gear would be ready for me when I arrived!

Besides finding an apartment, figuring out Yammer, and preparing for my arrival, I've also been trying to enjoy my last few weeks at Clemson! Two weeks from today I will be done my finals and officially done with my undergraduate career. I have mixed feelings about this - I'm so excited for my new Disney adventure (and to be done with school, for the time being), but I am also really going to miss my friends and Clemson overall. Clemson has given me so much during my 4 years here, and I am really going to miss it!

So, if you've made it through this long post - congrats! You now know how I've been handling this "so now what" period, and the best ways for you to handle it as well! My advice would be to plan ahead and don't leave all of the preparation until the last minute. You want to be able to enjoy your last few weeks of school without having all the stress of finding roommates, an apartment, and getting acquainted with the company policies. I should be getting my new hire paperwork and some more information about the internship closer to my arrival date, so be on the lookout for another post about more pre-arrival tasks! And, as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out and let me know!

54 days and counting...!

This Week?!

Last week there was a DCP Twitter Q&A session with Marcie, one of Disney's recruiters (and also the administrator of the Disney Alumni Association, in case you were curious!). She answered a lot of questions that were posed to her using the hashtag #AskDCP. If you're interested in learning more about the program, I highly recommend searching #AskDCP on Twitter to view the question and answer session! However, probably the most exciting news to come out of her Q&A session was that the first wave of acceptances will be starting this week!

While I'm obviously thrilled with the news that the first acceptances will be coming out very soon, this is still a very vague response. Why? Because not everyone gets accepted during the first "wave" of acceptances. Also, "this week" could mean any day or time during this week. It's 6:30 on Monday night now, so the whole day has gone by without anyone seeing any acceptances. Does "this week" mean tomorrow... Friday?!

Anyway, the point is that I hope to start hearing news from Disney very soon! While I would love to be a part of the first wave of acceptances, I really will be excited once ANYONE hears back, because that means the acceptance process has started. Once it starts, it usually goes pretty quickly with acceptances rolling out every few days, so it will make the waiting less difficult. Last time I applied I only had to wait 13 days after my phone interview to hear about my acceptance. This year, it seems like Disney is doing things a lot differently. On Friday it will officially be one month since my interview and it's been way more than a month since I submitted my application. Disney is certainly testing my patience this time around!

So, to wrap up this whole post, Recruiter Marcie claims that the first acceptances for the Fall 2016 DCP will go out this week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will be fortunate enough to hear about my status sooner rather than later!!

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting

So it's been over a week now since my last post discussing my professional internship applications. Absolutely nothing has changed, but I wanted to check in and let people know that I'm still here, still waiting, and still as excited as ever!

I'm still "in progress" for my College Program. "In progress" is typically a good sign. It means that your application has been reviewed and you are still in the running as a qualified applicant. For me, I've already completed my WBI and phone interview, so the next step in the process will be a decision. Today marks three weeks since the applications opened (20 days since I applied) and yesterday was two weeks after the first interview. I anticipate that acceptances will start going out very soon (hopefully this week), and I pray that I will be one of the lucky ones accepted again!

As far as my Professional Internships (PIs) go, I'm still "in submission". Submission isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's also not as good as "in progress." Submission typically means they haven't had time to look at your application yet OR they need more time to review your application to see if they want you to move on with the process. In my case, it seems as though everyone who has applied to Animal Programs internships is still in submission. My interpretation of that is that the Animal Programs team just hasn't had time to go over applications yet. People from previous years are saying that it took them 4-5 weeks to get an interview with Animal Programs, so I'm not too worried yet. I would love to see some movement on my Dashboard (Disney's communication system), but I'm going to stay calm until more time has passed. It's only been 8 days since I applied for PIs, so there is still plenty of time for things to happen/change. My understanding of the PI process is that is is much longer and more drawn out than the college program process.

UPDATE: As of 12 PM on February 2nd, I became "In progress" for all three of my professional internships! I guess all it took was me posting about the waiting game for some movement to happen!

So, I find myself playing the waiting game yet again. My advice to all of you who are joining me in this (agonizing) game of waiting is to stay calm and stay positive! It's a good sign if you are still in the running! Check your dashboard/email a few times a day, but don't consistently refresh it all day. It will only make you more crazy and it doesn't change when Disney will send out acceptances at all. One major thing I have learned as a Cast Member with the Walt Disney Company is that Disney does things when they want and how they want. The only thing we can do is wait - and have faith, trust, and pixie dust!

Round Two?!?!

Well everyone, I can't believe I'm typing these words, but it's officially time for me to apply to once again be an intern at Walt Disney World! I feel as though I've been waiting for this moment ever since the end of my first program, and now it's here and it's completely exciting, unbelievable, and magical.

I'll be graduating from Clemson University in May and have decided to go back down to Orlando to continue pursuing my dreams. This time around I'm applying to both a DCP and some PI's (professional internships - more on these later) so I'm feeling hopeful that something will work out and I will once again be able to work for the mouse! The PI's I'm applying to will all be in the Animals, Science, and Environment Department and the DCP will just be the general application once again.

I'm so excited/anxious/nervous/hopeful for this second round. I cannot believe that my four short years at Clemson are rapidly coming to a close. I'm looking forward to an amazing final semester here at the best university in the world and hopefully an acceptance into an internship at Disney so I can finalize my post-graduation plans!

I'll be sure to keep you all just as updated as last time on the whole application process and the final results. It's officially time for round two, and I could not be more thrilled to once again share my journey with you all!

Officially Here!

After about an 18 hour car ride, I have finally made it to Orlando! Last night my mom and I stopped in Savannah, Georgia for the night and got up this morning and drove the rest of the way to Orlando. We checked into a hotel not too far outside Disney, and tomorrow we plan to check into Saratoga Springs, which is on Disney property! The plan is to get up early tomorrow and head to the Magic Kingdom so that my mom and I can spend our last day together in the park before I officially become a Disney cast member!

I got an email today about being drug tested during my arrival, which makes me think/hope that I will be at an attraction where I will be operating a vehicle/ensuring guests' safety, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed about me being assigned to a "good" ride!!

After we arrived this afternoon, we headed over to Downtown Disney! We saw the movie Frozen (my second time) at the dine in movie theaters and then walked around the shops for a little while! It was a really nice night and my mom and I both enjoyed the warm Florida weather.

My first picture of the trip! The sign behind me says "Welcome Home"

It's crazy to think that after tomorrow, my journey begins as a Disney cast member. My nervousness has officially exceeded my excitement at this point, but I know that once I check in and get into the groove of things that I will be just fine!

I can't wait to get into the Magic Kingdom tomorrow! Hope everyone has Disney dreams tonight (:

Leaving TOMORROW!

So, today is my last day at home. Tomorrow morning, my mom and I will be leaving for our 20 hour drive down to Florida. The plan is to arrive in Disney World early Sunday morning, so that the two of us can spend the day in the park before I check in on Monday.

My roommates and I found out our apartment location by going back into the DORMS site. We are going to be living in Chatham Square, which was our first choice!! We don't know yet how many bedrooms will be in our apartment, but the four of us are definitely together, which makes us feel better already.

I'm planning on spending my last day at home packing, working on my online course homework (yuck), and spending time with my family and friends. I can't wait to post on Monday and share with everyone where my work location will be! I'll write about all of the details of what is sure to be a long check in day.

Wish me luck as I begin my journey with the Walt Disney Company!! Disney, I'll see ya real soon (:

It's Almost Time!!

With 6 days until I leave for my program, and 9 days until the start of my program, you could say that my anticipation level is through the roof! It still doesn't feel real that I start my Disney College Program so soon. I feel like it was just yesterday that I applied, and now here I am with my days limited to the single digits!

So, an update on what's been going on since my last post. I finished my semester at Clemson, and had to say goodbye to all of my friends. It was really hard saying goodbye and knowing we wouldn't see each other again until August, but I know that once I get to Disney, make friends, and settle in, that it will all be worth it. Some of my friends even promised to come visit me, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! 

Disney was supposed to send me an email about filling out my new hire paperwork, but I never got the email. I called them twice about it, and after the second phone call (with a very helpful cast member!) I got it all figured out and began the process of filling out my new hire paperwork. The paperwork is essentially you electronically signing a bunch of papers that give you information about working for Disney, including their policies and procedures. I had some technical difficulties filling the forms out at first, but after I looked up some help hints on the Facebook group, I was able to get it all sorted out and submitted. I also learned that you can fill out the forms during your check in, so there's no real need to fill them out beforehand, it's just to make the check in process go more quickly and save people some time.

A few days ago, I got my DORMS email. DORMS is the new system that Disney is using the help the college program participants indicate their preferences as to roommates, apartment complex, and apartment size. It's another tool designed to make check in easier on everyone. Unfortunately, because my arrival date is one of the earlier ones, there were no 4 bedrooms available, so my group of 8 had to split into 2 groups of 4. But, we all did agree to still go out to dinner on our first night and get to know one another in the hopes that we can all still be friends! As far as the DORMS system goes, it's extremely straight forward and really user-friendly. 

As for now, I'm just waiting. I've made a packing list, and am starting to try to get together with people before I leave at the end of this week. I'm checking the Facebook group (almost obsessively), trying to get any last helpful hints about check in and stuff. 

I promise to write about my check in day (January 13th!!) and let everyone know the details about my role, apartment, roommates, and everything else about the Disney College Program! I want to try to blog pretty frequently so that I can share my experience with others! 

For now, I hope all your Disney Dreams come true... See you on the 13th!