Megan's Disney Dream

So, I may have hinted once or twice (and in my blog title) that working for Disney has always been my dream. When I accepted my college program, I truly felt like all my dreams were coming true. I got to work for my dream company, meet incredible people, network, make magic, and have the opportunity of a lifetime! What more could a girl ask for? Well, truth be told, I did have another, slightly bigger Disney Dream. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to be a Marine Mammal Intern at the Walt Disney World Resort.

My family and I traveled to Disney World countless times growing up. It became our home away from home and we all loved our vacations. I have loved animals for as long as I can remember and especially enjoyed spending time at Animal Kingdom and The Seas learning about the animals and their care. I could be kind of a shy kid at times, but my parents always made me go ask the same question to the Cast Members, "what can I do to get your job in the future?" The answer was always the same - get a college degree, get lots of experience, and work incredibly hard.

As I got older and discovered more about myself and what I wanted to do, it became clear to me that I wanted to work with animals in a zoo/aquarium setting. Disney was always in the back of my mind, but I knew how competitive their programs were so I never wanted to get my hopes up too much. On my College Program in 2014, I fell in love with the Company and decided that Disney was actually my long-term career goal and that I would do absolutely whatever it took to work with the animals at Disney.

It was then that started to look at the Professional Internship job descriptions. I noticed you needed experience, and lots of it, to even qualify for most of the internships. It was at this point that I was determined to get the experience I needed and develop my resume so that it was geared towards getting a Professional Internship with the Animals, Science, and Environment Department after graduation. I started with the Animal Department Internship at the Greenville Zoo, where I worked for a year learning how to take care of exotic animals in a zoo setting. I then moved to the Marine Mammal Internship at the National Aquarium, because I wanted to make sure that marine mammals were something I still had an interest in. I was right - I still loved marine mammals, which meant that I was definitely going to apply for Disney's Marine Mammal Internship the following year. I also joined a Research Program at my school and studied primate personality and behavior so I would have experience in a laboratory setting quantifying and explaining animal behavior. Finally, I traveled to both India and Turks and Caicos for study abroad opportunities so I could experience fieldwork and learn about the natural environment outside of the classroom.

So, after getting all of this experience and learning so much about biology, psychology, animal care, husbandry, and so many more topics, I finally submitted my application to be the Marine Mammal Intern at the Walt Disney World Resort. I also submitted two other PI applications, just to increase my chances, but my first choice was always the Marine Mammal one. I actually could not believe that after years of preparing for this internship opportunity, it was finally happening! I mean seriously, I've wanted this internship since I was about 10 years old! After going through the long process of filling out questionnaires, interviewing, and most importantly, waiting, I finally got the call that confirmed that all of my dreams were coming true - I was going to be a Marine Mammal Intern at Disney!

The amount of support I have received from family and friends during this whole process has been overwhelming. Everyone is so supportive and excited for me and they keep wishing me luck "pursuing my dreams at Disney." And every time they say that, I just smile. Yes, I'll be pursuing my dreams down in Disney, but in my opinion, I've been pursuing my dreams for the past four years, and now it's time to enjoy my dream! I do want to continue with the company after my internship and make a long career out of working for Disney, so I plan on networking a lot while down there and start working on a new dream. BUT, I also plan on enjoying every second of my current dream. I've worked hard to get to where I am, and I plan to enjoy every minute of it!

The End.

I'm sitting here, struggling to come up with the words to describe my feelings about my Disney College Program. For those of you who know me personally, you know I'm never at a loss for words, so this is a true rarity. But how can I sum up what has come to be the best 7 months of my entire life into one blog post, and make all of you understand what an incredible, life-changing experience this has been for me? Well, the truth is, I can't, but please bear with me as I try...

It's officially been one week since I arrived home from Orlando. I've been running around, seeing friends and family, trying to get ready to go back to Clemson at the end of the week. People ask me, "so how was Disney?" I'm left with the typical responses, "awesome, so much fun, amazing..etc" I've been telling the same funny stories about crazy guest interactions, my wonderful coworkers, my lifelong friends, and crazy roommates stories. But honestly, I think it's the stories I don't tell that really sum up my college program. It was the nights spent sitting in the apartment with my roommates watching TV and eating ice cream, the days where we would run to the parks to literally only meet one character or do one ride, the time spent at Nemo laughing with my coworkers in the middle of one of our many cast parties, and the way that suddenly, without really thinking about it, friends turned into family and moments turned into memories, that truly shaped my Disney College Program experience.

It's funny to think back to me in January, right before I was leaving for my DCP. I had absolutely no idea what was in store for me. And now, sitting back and reflecting on those magical seven months, I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I learned lifelong lessons, made incredible friendships, and truly had the time of my life.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my Disney Dream. Dreams really do come true, and I am so thankful to have had the most incredible experience during my Disney College Program.

As Walt once said, "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."

And there you have it, my Disney Dream Come True.

The Last Few Weeks

The last few weeks of my Disney College Program were kind of a blur, and in hindsight, I think they needed to be that way in order for me to get through them. Basically after my roommate, Megan, left, I was chomping at the bit to wrap up my program and get home. But then suddenly, it hit me. No matter how much I despised Olaf Distribution, or how hot I was all the time, or how much I was ready to see my dog and cat, or how much I hated the afternoon Florida storms, or how lonesome I was for my family and friends at home - I had only a few weeks left in the most magical place on earth. It started to hit me that whenever I did something in the parks or the resorts, it could very well have been my very last time doing those things for a few years. YEARS - can you imagine that? I've had Walt Disney World as my playground for the past 7 months, and now all of a sudden I'm forced to come to grips with the fact that I won't be doing these rides, seeing these shows, watching these fireworks, or shopping in these stores for another few years. The thought alone was enough to make my stomach churn. I started running around in my free time, determined to make the most of my "last time" doing everything. We went to Universal again, I sat by the pool after work, we went to see movies at the theater, we watched all the fireworks shows, and so much more. I began taking pictures of things I never really thought to take pictures of - the thought was always "oh, I'll see it again." But suddenly, I wasn't going to be seeing, doing, or having anything to do with these things again. It was an overwhelming thought, and I truly believe that's why those last few weeks kind of flew by. In all the time that I wasn't working (even though I was getting scheduled for 6 days a week), I was running around, saying goodbye to my favorite people, places and things. I bought all the things I'd been talking about buying for so long (2 Nemo stuffed animals, the Finding Nemo soundtrack, a Nemo ornament... you get the picture). Anyway, I think you probably get it, I was in a frantic rush to make the most of my time. What had seemed like an eternity was finally coming to an end.

Why I Love My Job

It's 7:35 PM, I'm the only one left at the theater during my closing shift and I am bored out of my mind. I'm standing outside, hoping that I can grab the attention of some Guests with my pins or with my smile, but they continue to race past me in an attempt to make it on Everest or Dinosaur one last time before the park closes. But then, my night takes a turn for the better...

An international Guest: "I just have to tell you, this show was spectacular. We were amazed at how life-like the actors made the fish look. We loved it"

A Mom: "That show was amazing. I spent the last ten minutes crying. I loved it so much."

A young couple: "We loved your show. Thank you so much, it was beyond amazing."

I'm now standing in Upper Right, loading the 3:00 show, which without a doubt is always the busiest show of the day. A family comes in with a wheelchair and asks if they can sit in the very front. I begin to walk them down to the front of the theater, explain where we are going, how to leave if they need to, and chit chat about their day. I get them down to the front of the theater, tell them to enjoy the show, and I begin to walk away...

Little Girl (as I'm walking away): "Thank you so much! You were such a big help to my mom and my family!"

I'm at the stroller position for the 1:00 show, trying to direct people where to park their strollers while also helping people get into the Fastpass+ line. People are zooming past me and asking me questions right and left, and I'm beginning to feel slightly overwhelmed. Suddenly...

A Little Girl (walking past): "Hi, I love your makeup!"

Now, I'm standing outside at a show break, while everyone else is inside either on break or trying to get ready for the next show. A family comes up to me and starts asking me questions about the show. Then...

Mom: "Oh, another Megan!"
Me (looking at the teenage girl): "Are you Megan too? Spelled this way?"
Teenage girl: "Yes! It's the only way to spell Megan!"

I'm working a parade shift, and spieling to Guests that they no longer will be able to walk down the current pathway, but showing them an alternate path they can go down to reach their destination. A family of six is sitting on a bench next to me, listening and watching me give directions to dozens of Guests. The mom looks up at me and smiles...

Mom: "Megan, you deserve an award for saying the same thing over and over again and having a great attitude about it"

The same family walks back past me after the parade is over...

Mom: "Thank you again, Megan, you were wonderful."

Finally, I'm standing in front of door 4 as the 5:00 show empties. I'm smiling and waving to Guests as they leave the theater. A man walks toward me...

Dad: "Clemson? My daughter goes there!"
Me: "Really? I'm a current sophomore there!"
Dad: "That is so cool, what a small world"
Me: "Exactly. Hey, go tigers!"
Dad: "Go tigers!"

See that's the thing about my job. It's not exactly the most glamorous, or lucrative job out there, but I get to have the most amazing interactions every single day. All of these conversations are real conversations that I've had in just the past five days! In five days, I've had that many memorable conversations with Guests, which truly makes both their day and mine. I get to be a part of a company that prides itself on making dreams come true. And when it comes down to it, what job could be better than that?

A Thought on Dreams...

While I was working at Nemo today in the pouring rain, wind, and cold weather, it suddenly hit me: I am 20 years old and have already accomplished one of my life dreams. For as long as I can remember, it's been a dream of mine to work for the Walt Disney Company. Growing up coming to the parks, I always felt as though I "belonged" there. I knew that I could be the happy, smiling, and helpful Cast Member who always exceeded Guest expectations. And guess what? I am that person.

This was a welcoming thought in the middle of the torrential downpour that hit central Florida today. Despite the few downfalls that come with being a Cast Member (among them, the temperamental Florida weather), I am doing something that I have dreamed my entire life of doing, and that I am sure many others dream of someday doing.

So, this post is dedicated to all of those dreamers out there. Whether your dream is to apply for the DCP, become a Cast Member, travel, discover the cure for cancer, or change the world, your dreams matter and you should never let anything stop you from achieving your dreams. It doesn't matter if you are 9 years old or 90 years old, it's never too late to make your dreams come true.

Take it from me, Megan, the girl who is currently living her Disney Dream!

Keep on dreaming, dreamers!