Interview a CP: Emilie (Festival of the Lion King)

Emily in her FoLK costume!

If you ask to have an attractions role in the DCP, don't expect to only have the options of rides such as roller coasters and tea cups! Attractions can be anything from spieling to shows. Emilie gives a great example by sharing her experience working in Festival of the Lion King in Animal Kingdom! An amazing show!

What role did you have during the DCP, and where did you work?
I was placed in attractions, but I worked in theatre ops in Disney's Animal Kingdom, more specifically Festival of the Lion King. (Attractions isn't just rides, which a lot of people forget about.)

What was a typical day like at work?
I usually clock in in the early afternoon, or if we're busy, late morning and work until 7:15. Unless I'm closing, in which case it could be 7:30 or 8:30 (DAK has the absolute best hours for CPs). My location mostly has rotation positions inside the theatre, but there are also some positions that are outside and they get very hot in the summer. I'm usually not in any one position for more than an hour and because from start of show load to end of show dump is about an hour, the days tend to go by really quickly. 

Is this the role you originally wanted? If not, are you happy you got it?
My top choice was character attendant, but I'm really happy I got attractions. Character attendants have to deal with a lot of cranky people and I have my fair share of those, but a lot more happy guests. 

What are your favorite and least favorite parts about your job?
Least favorite: Stroller parking - it's outside which is usually hot and people are not the best at parking strollers. I do love the guest interaction that comes with this position though! Giraffe section of the theatre - Giraffe and Timon positions load guests throughout the beginning of the show and guests don't tend to listen to your requests when the show is going on.

Favorite: Getting to pick random guests to fill up VIP seating when we don't have VIPs, it's awesome to be able to see the excitement of the guests when they get front row seats. Getting to make magical moments with kids by teaching them how to do the hand jive. 

Any specific magical moment you want to share?
One of the in theatre positions requires you to teach the audience the hand jive for the tumble monkey routine. Sometimes, you pick a kid out of the audience to help you. The first time I picked a kid out of the audience to help me, she was really excited and her mom was almost in tears about her getting picked to help. It's the moments like that that make my job worth it. 

What made you want to do the DCP?
I've always wanted to work for Disney and I figured this was a good way to get my foot in the door. 

Is there something you wish you would have known before doing your program?
I read a lot of DCP blogs before I came, because I wanted to know as much as possible about the program. When I found out my role though, I couldn't find anything about theatre ops. I wish I had been able to find more information on it before I started. 

What advice would you give to those who are going to be participating in your role?
Sometimes certain aspects of being in attractions can be repetitive (for me, it's "please move ALL the way across the theatre!", for rides it could be "how many in your party?"), but don't let the repetitive-ness get boring. Try to make your job fun, otherwise you're going to dread going to work very quickly and that would suck.

What advice would you give to people who are interested in doing the DCP?

Know what you're getting into! I love my job and my program so far, but I knew I was coming down here to work first and foremost. I have a lot of fun when I'm not working, but work can be very tiring. A lot of people get down here and complain that all they're doing is working and end up self terming. So basically, don't come down thinking it's going to be all magical. It is a lot of fun though and as with most things, it is what you make of it!

If you would like to ask Emilie any more questions about her experience or her role, you can contact her through her blog, TheEmilieZ! 

If you're a current or past college program cast member and would like to share your experience, email your name and role to thedisneyden@yahoo.com to participate!

Have a magical weekend!

Interview a CP: Caitie (Children's Activities)

Caitie working at Art of Animation!

Caitie was gracious enough to volunteer to share her story about working in a resort with Children's Activities! I've talked to a few people who have worked in this role, and honestly it sounds like so much fun! Here's what she had to say about her experience!

What role did you have during the DCP, and where did you work?
I had recreation! However, recreation has different areas including; marinas, arcades, slide ops, and children activities. I worked at Pop Century and Art of Animation as a Children Activities hostess.

What was a typical day like at work?
Each day was mostly the same. Each resort has different games on different days. So you’d start off playing a couple games, then go to your Pool Party which is an hour of games in and out of the water for a prize. Following that is your dance Party for thirty minutes of teaching kids dances. Then it was Arts and Crafts and some more games until it was time to wrap up poolside activities. After putting the party cart away, it was crunch time, aiming to set up the movie screen in about thirty minutes so you have enough time to talk to guests. Then it was time for my favorite part of the day, spiel. Where we would ask guest trivia questions about the movie we were about to watch, tell them about some activities we do, as well as activities around WDW, and pick a ‘director’ from the audience to start the movie. While watching the movie, one host would go and set the party cart for the next day. After the movie would finish, it was time to hurry and put the movie away. 

Is this the role you originally wanted? If not, are you happy you got it?
Recreation was tied for first choice. Once I got it, I got really worried that I would end up being a towel girl or in the arcade. About a month before check in, my dashboard said I got Children Activities and I was beyond happy.

What are your favorite and least favorite parts about your job?
Without a doubt, the kids were my favorite part of the job.  I have a million stories about these amazing kids I met. For my least favorite part, I would have to say wearing a one piece bathing suit that clings to your body after sweating and the tan lines.

Any specific magical moment you want to share?
Every single day was a magical moment for me. I met so many guests who made such a positive impact on me. There was one girl though who stood out. There was one girl named Cara who was from England with her mother, step father and brother. She was there for just about two weeks, and she was at the pool every single day. Each day she would play every game with me. On her last day, her step father came up to me and was talking to me about how they spent all this money to go to the parks, but every time at noon, Cara would say how she needed to go back and see Caitie. Her stepfather was talking to me and told me how Cara is usually very shy and reserved so it was amazing how she was so open with me. She won a beach ball that day from one of our games, and she got SO excited. She started crying saying how she never won anything. Her parents came up and started thanking me telling me how great I was, just for giving her a prize. In the end we all were in tears.

What made you want to do the DCP?
The first time I did the DCP, I just got out of a bad relationship and applied on a whim to get away, I figured I loved Disney and this is a great time to meet people and experience new things out of my comfort zone. I was later accepted for Spring 2012. After my first program ended, I realized I needed to go back as soon as possible. 

Is there something you wish you would have known before doing your program?
Don’t pack too much. For both of my programs I packed way too many unnecessary things. Also, I wish I knew not to be afraid. For my first program, I was so afraid to go to the parks alone or talk to people during housing parties. Biggest waste of time ever. 

What advice would you give to those who are going to be participating in your role?
Don’t be afraid to make a fool of yourself! For the first couple weeks, I was so worried about not looking like an idiot. I finally realized how much of a waste of time that was!

What advice would you give to people who are interested in doing the DCP?
First of all, DO IT. Secondly, make every second count. You will meet some people who want to go to the parks every second, some people who want to go to all the clubs and party busses, some people who just want to network, and some people who just want to hang out at home with their roommates. None if better than the other, do whatever makes you happy, but no matter what you do make every second count. 

If you would like to hear more about her story or have any questions about her role, you can contact her on her blog growingstrong-growingstrange!

If you're a current or past college program cast member and would like to share your experience, email your name and role to thedisneyden@yahoo.com to participate!

Have a magical day!!

Interview a CP: Amy (Frontierland Attractions)

Amy steering one of the river rafts!

Amy was kind enough to volunteer to share her experience working in Walt Disney World during her college program! Here's what she had to say about her role...

What role did you have and where did you work during your DCP?
Attractions! Frontierland: Tom Sawyer Island and Country Bear Jamboree

What was a typical day like at work?
There was never ever a typical day at work! There was always something crazy going on! From alligators on the island, to the rafts dying and getting stuck on the river, to bear heads falling off. I would get to work early and there would usually be someone in the office to tell me a funny story to start my day off right. The island is only open in daylight, so if I had an afternoon shift I would always hope to be driving rafts. If I was at Bears in the afternoon I would look forward to the parade, banjo brothers, and the Frontierland hoedown. After sundown I would be at Bears the rest of the night. The shows would be a lot less crowded so there was always time to talk to other cast members. And you could bet we would fight over who got to stand outside during Wishes!

Is this the role you originally wanted? If not, are you happy you got it?
Attractions was one of my top choices! I was disappointed in the location at first but I’m so happy I was placed there!

What are your favorite and least favorite parts about your job?
Favorites: The people! Guests and cast members totally make the whole thing magical. I loved driving the rafts, it was so  much fun! I was also able to watch the parades and Wishes! From the country bear porch, which never ever got old!

Least Favorite: The hours and being exhausted all the time! Driving the rafts was very physical and hot. Working to 3am was pretty fun but after a while it got really exhausting.

Any specific magical moment you want to share?
There were so so many. The first one that comes to mind today was a time when there were several cast members on the bear porch one night. We got out these giant dominoes and had a blast sitting in the lobby and playing with kids as they waited for the next show to start. Parents took so many pictures of us and one mom came up later thanking me and told me that her five year old boy said we were his “favorite Disney workers ever!” I almost cried!

What made you want to do the DCP?
As soon as I knew it existed I knew I would do it!

Is there something you wish you would have known before doing your program? 
I actually can’t think of anything!

What advice would you give to those who are going to be participating in your role?
It’s overwhelming at first – but don’t give up! Make the most of it!

What advice would you give to people who are interested in doing the DCP?  
JUST DO IT! Don’t hesitate, don’t worry about getting behind in school. Just do it. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!

Have any specific questions for Amy? You can contact her through her blog here!

Are you a current or past college program cast member and would like to share your experience? Email your name and role to thedisneyden@yahoo.com to participate!

I hope everyone has a magical day!

Interview a CP: Sara (Wilderness Lodge QSFB)

Our last day of work!

As many of you may know, I participated in the DCP with one of my best friends. If you have seen some of our video blogs, she's the other half of Sara Squared!

Many of you have been asking to hear about what it was like to work at the Wilderness Lodge! Well, here's her story!

What role did you have during the DCP, and where did you work?

I worked in Quick Service Food and Beverage at the Roaring Fork in the Wilderness Lodge. I LOVED IT.

What was a typical day like at work?

I ALWAYS worked until close, the restaurant closed at 12 so that meant working 4-1230. Except for my last three weeks or so, they randomly started messing with my schedule and put me on mornings, I wasn’t too happy about that. Anyways 4-12:30. I would catch a bus about 50 minutes before work. Since the bus got there about 15 minutes before 4 and my costuming was right there, I always had plenty of time to check out a costume, get changed and clock in on time. At four the whole night shift would gather in the back and have pre-meal with the closing manager. We discussed everything from park hours to watching inspirational videos at pre-meal. Then we would do our “go forkers” cheer and all head off to our positions. There were five different positions you could have: Salad station, Grill Station, Dining Room, Cash, or Runner. I loved being on cash or the grill, but I did not have a position I hated, except for maybe Runner:P

            Salad: Salad station usually worked 3-11:30 because this station closed at 10. People on salad were responsible for making salads, sandwiches and pasta. We also kept an eye on the soup, chili, and the bakery case.

            Grill: There are two grill positions, grill and window. The person on grill was responsible for making the burgers and chicken sandwiches and for prepping the flatbread pizzas (we often had a culinary person here, but we could all do it). The person on window was responsible for taking orders, making fries, chicken nuggets and pizzas and giving the guests their food.

            Dining room: There are 2-3 dining room positions. At night we usually only had 2 people in dining room but in the morning they often had three. The two positions we always filled were the main dining room and the food court. Sometimes there was also a third person who would take care of the patio, trash bins and washing trays. In main we had to clean all the chairs and tables, keep the condiments bar stocked, take out dining room trash, and take trays in the back. Food court had to keep the counters and drink machines clean. Food court also stocked drinks, chips, cereal and the cabinets under the drink machines. If there was no patio person the two would share the patio responsibilities and main would wash the trays.

            Cash: On cash you had to know the dining plan like the back of your hand, you also spent a good amount of your time stocking mugs. I loved cash because of all the guest interaction.

            Runner: One of my managers called the runner the heart of the restaurant. The runner was in charge of making sure both the salad and grill stations had everything they needed, from food to plates. They also had to make cookies, keep the coolers stocked and cover the grill when the grill people went to break. If the runner did not do their job quickly and efficiently all of the other stations suffered.

Closing was our time to shine. We would do as much pre-closing as was possible while we were still open (this included shutting down a drink machine early or cleaning a grill early etc.) In order to close the restaurant we had to have everything wiped down, wrapped, locked and stocked etc. It was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun! After our manager walked through the restaurant and checked everything we had post-meal in the back and then we all clocked out together.

Sara (right) and some of her coworkers!

Is this the role you originally wanted? If not, are you happy you got it?

Not at all. It was one of my very bottom picks. I am so happy I got it! I loved it and after seeing what the roles I wanted had to deal with, I would not have wanted any other job. 

What are your favorite and least favorite parts about your job?

I absolutely loved being able to help guests, I know some people tired of explaining the dining plan, but I loved seeing the look on a guests face when they learned they could get a dessert TOO! I loved being able to make magic left and right. And I loved making wilderness salads. My least favorite thing was cleaning the grills and the Panini grill, or dumping fryers! Dumping fryers is scary because you are carrying boiling hot oil and it is very easy to burn yourself. Most of my managers would not let me dump fryers but I had to do it once and it was the scariest moment of my CP life.

Any specific magical moment you want to share?

I had so many cool magical moments, I don’t know where to begin! One of the cool things about being in a resort was that I was able to get to know our guests because they would come back again and again. One time when I was on the grill I was talking to this sweet couple and I discovered that it was the husbands first time at Disney and he was 50! Apparently the wife had been many times with her family but they had never been able to afford to go, until now. I gave him his first Mickey Premium Bar and gave them advice on what to do that day. They came back and saw me every single day after that. They always got so excited and told me about their day and I’d help them plan their evening or the next day. By the end of their stay they were showing me pictures of their pets and their daughter who is getting married, I was one of the first to see her dress. I looked forward to their visits every day and on their last day there they added me on Facebook. 

What made you want to do the DCP?

Sara;)
Just kidding, I had known some people who had done the DCP previously and I had always considered doing it. When Sara decided she wanted to do it, I decided it would be a good experience for me as well.

Is there something you wish you would have known before doing your program?

I guess I wish I would’ve known more about Disney and the parks BEFORE I got there. I learned so much while I was there, but I think I could’ve gotten even more out of it if I’d had more knowledge of Disney World.

What advice would you give to those who are going to be participating in your role?

Just be patient with those on the dining plan;)

What advice would you give to people who are interested in doing the DCP?

DO IT! But know this, it’s a job. You’re not going there to play all day, it is hard but it is soo worth it! And you will get to play a lot;)

Sara unfortunately doesn't have a blog, but if you have any questions you can leave them in the comments below, and I'm more than welcome to ask her myself!

If you're a current or past college program cast member and would like to share your experience, email your name and role to thedisneyden@yahoo.com to participate!

Have a magical day!!

Interview a CP: Jesi (Photopass)

Jesi hangin' with Micky and Pluto at C-Spot!

What role did you have during the DCP, and where did you work?I worked as a PhotoPass Photographer at Epcot for the Spring 2013 term.

What was a typical day like at work?

I had to take the bus about an hour and fifteen minutes before work. I was NEVER late to work during my program, despite how unreliable the bus system allegedly is. If I played in the parks before work, I would take the monorail or walk to my locker to change into my costume!

Work was so much fun! I would cheerily say hello to all my coworkers, managers, and coordinators once I came in and put together my camera gear. Normally I worked afternoon to closing hours, I liked it that way. Each day I picked up CDS silently praying to the deployment gods that I would get to work with a character. I would mentally happy-dance when I got to spend a few hours with Minnie, Mickey, or Pluto at Character Spot or cringe when I had to spend a few hours at the backside of Spaceship Earth (my least favorite position).

PhotoPass is the best role--hands down. I got to capture and add magic to families' memories by doing what I love: photography. Disney was paying me to capture guests' reactions to meeting Mickey Mouse and their other favorite characters for the first time. Who else could say that? It was something I never grew tired of.

Shooting icons is fun, too! I loved giving guests' magic shots, making couples take cute kissing photos, and coming up with creative poses rather than the standard "stand and smile awkwardly" pose that is done over and over again. Shooting icons is when I got to have real conversations with guests and learn about how much fun they were having on vacation or where they were from. I met people from all over the world. It was great having so much guest interaction. I also gave out tons of Mickey stickers and compliments. You don't get that kind of interaction in a fast-paced character setting.

One little-spoken aspect of PhotoPass is that you get LOTS of guest interaction, but you do not get much contact with your fellow coworkers unless you are in the view station where there are 2 to 6 of you in one room. While shooting, photographers are pretty much alone. They are spread apart so that they do not see each other or cannot really speak to each other without shouting. Consequently, you end up talking to guests to pass the time. 

I loved my job and I felt like the luckiest Cast Member in the world to be in PhotoPass!

Is this the role you originally wanted? If not, are you happy you got it?

PhotoPass was my top choice, and I got it! I heard that there were only 70 College Program Photographers total for Spring/Spring Advantage (there are several THOUSAND students in the DCP), but I don't know the validity of this statement. I definitely felt lucky!

What are your favorite and least favorite parts about your job?

My favorite part was being able to combine my passion for photography and Disney into a job that I sincerely loved. I won Photo of the Week twice at Epcot, and it made me so happy! I would say my favorite part is giving fun families giant photo shoots and capturing those crying/big smiles/hugging photos with characters. 

My least favorite was working in Backside. It was the hottest and coldest part of the park, and it gets slow at some points. In the beginning, I didn't like having so much weight from the spare batteries, PDA, baracoda, rain gear pack, water bottle, and camera all hanging off my body, but I got used to it. It doesn't faze me now.

Any specific magical moment you want to share?

One night, I was having some personal problems that escalated to me crying on the phone at 2 in the morning. That day, coming into work was the last thing I wanted to do and I was on the verge of tears all day.  To make matters worse, I was put in my least favorite World Showcase location for the whole day.

I faked happiness pretty well. A little Princess dressed in an Aurora gown and sporting a pink parasol from the China pavilion and her family came up to me for a photo. I told the girl how beautiful she looked and how she needed to have her own photo shoot. She gave me her sassiest and most elegant poses, and afterwards, came running over to me to give me a big squishy hug. She truly felt like a Princess. Then, she gave me a sticker another Cast Member had given her, saying that was her gift to me for being so kind to her. Her family loved that I took the time to give them a personal photo shoot. If only that family knew what I had been going through before work; that hug did more for me than they know.

I go in for my break, and my manager had told me that a manager from the Character department had walked into the base JUST to tell them that they wanted to recognize me for being a great Cast Member, having a great outlook on my career, and that there should be more Cast Members like me out in the field. Suddenly, my terrible day had turned into one of my best days at work. 

That evening, a family of Annual Passholders stopped by--not to take a photo--but to say hello. They told me that they have seen me work on a few separate occasions, and started to look for me every time they visited Epcot because I was their favorite photographer. You have NO idea how happy that made me. I thanked them a million times over and gave them a few tips on some other good photo locations and characters to check out in return.

That day was magical not just for the guests, but for me as well! It was almost like a dream and the best day I had at work during my entire program. A week later, one of the photos I took of the little Princess won me Photo of the Week for Epcot. 

I was told this, and trust me, it is true! "The day you don't want to come in to work is the day you make the most magic!"

What made you want to do the DCP?

I am obsessed with Disney Parks. I was a Passholder and grew up going to Disneyland, so it was on my bucket list to work for Disney Parks at some point in my life. I loved Disney, but I figured working for the company was just a "one and done" thing, but the program would be a testing ground to see if I would want to make a life-long career with The Walt Disney Company. Well, I fell in love with Disney in a way that I did not before. I fell in love with the company, what it stood for, and the whole business and management side of it. You can bet I plan on working for WDP&R as a life-long career, now. I hope to combine all my passions (Disney, photography, and communications) into a career with Parks and Resorts. :)

Is there something you wish you would have known before doing your program?

How to cook. Blah. I was tired of eating out, frozen food, and making quick fixes like pancakes, pasta, and chicken.

What advice would you give to those who are going to be participating in your role?

Have some kind of photography knowledge. It isn't necessarily required to get the role, but you can tell who has some know-how. By having some basic knowledge, you'll know how to compose a good photograph (COMPOSITION IS EVERYTHING), why the exposure settings are what they are, and have more fun coming up with creative shots. 

Also, be outgoing and engage guests! I asked during my phone interview what qualities they look for in PhotoPass Photographer, and Disney looks for outgoing and talkative people. Us photographers can be invisible sometimes, so we have to initiate guest contact (without hawking photos) and not be afraid to greet or start conversations with guests just so they have a good time and at least are aware of what the service is.

What advice would you give to people who are interested in doing the DCP?

Take a lesson from Splash Mountain: "You can't run away from trouble--ain't no place that far." You may be at Disney, but not everything will always be perfect. It has its highs and lows.

Also, don't come into the program with too many expectations. People come into the program expecting to complete their 50-item bucket lists, find true love, and have fun every day. These kinds of unattainable expectations only lead to disappointment. 

Stalking the DCP tag on tumblr can help build your excitement, which is great, but it also has a downside of making you compare your experience to others'. Try not to compare yourself to other people. It never ends well, and the program is different for everyone. Also, reading up TOO MUCH on the program ruined some surprises for me. I didn't like that, but it is a personal choice.

Finally, if you are planning on blogging your DCP experience, best of luck to you! It is crazy to see how many people make DCP blogs and vow to vlog and write every day or every week. Yes, a handful of people do it (mad respect, because it is hard!), but from what I've seen, 80% of those blogs end up being abandoned within a few weeks or a month.

If you have any more further questions about Photopass or Jesi's experience, you can contact her on her blog right here!

If you're a current or past college program cast member and would like to share your experience, email your name and role to thedisneyden@yahoo.com to participate!

Have a magical day!

Interview a CP: Raisa (Character Attendant)

Raisa hanging with Rapunzel, Aurora and Cindy at work!

I met Raisa at the vlogger party in Magic Kingdom I posted about back in February! She has actually been a part of two college programs! Before participating as a character attendent in Walt Disney World with me, she was actually in the Disneyland program as a photopass cast member! Here's what she had to say about her experience in Walt Disney World:

What role did you have during the DCP, and where did you work?

I was a character attendant in the Magic Kingdom.

What was a typical day like at work?

I would leave an hour or so before my start time because the cp bus to MK took forever. If I had time I would grab some food at the Mousekateria. Clock in, check with my base manager then head off to my location. I would then write down any set times* (the times that the characters go on and off stage) and get to know the performer, learn their preferences, then do my thing with them. at the end of the night, pack up my stuff and clock out

Is this the role you originally wanted? If not, are you happy you got it?
It was actually! This was my second program and this was the role I wanted from the beginning, but Disneyland does not offer this role to its interns

What are your favorite and least favorite parts about your job?
All the funny outgoing people that I met made my job not a job. I was coming to work to play all day. And while I loved meeting families from all over the world but sometime the language barrier became very difficult.

Bradley's autograph!

Any specific magical moment you want to share?
Working with characters all day I see lots of kids. One day I was hanging out with Tinkerbell and her fairy friend Rosetta. It was later at night when there isn’t anyone else in the room with us. Bradley was afraid of meeting fairies. His sister was already talking with Tink but he was stuck at the door. I then got down on his level and pointed above us. “Do you see this leaf? Is a magic leaf! This is our Pixie shrinker, even though you are already small, fairies are even smaller.” I pulled a quarter from my pocket, “Bradley you see how small this is now, you and me are going to go in there and I bet this quarter is going to be bigger than both of us!” He didn’t believe me. So I tossed the coin into the room. “Why are you throwing lost things at us?!” Tink was a little mad, but Bradley thought it was funny. So I took his hand and we took a big jump though the portal. Sure enough Tink was sitting on the quarter I had just thrown into the room. Bradley’s jaw dropped but he didn’t let go of my hand. I introduced him to my friends and gave them both really big hugs. After he was done flying around the room with them, I looked at Bradley and gave him a piece of paper and asked him to sign his autograph for me because he was my hero. As they were getting ready to leave his mother approached me with his autograph book and insisted that I sign it, telling me I’m just as much part of the magic as Tink was and thanked me for making her son’s visit the highlight of their life. Bradley has tumors in his brain she told me and he wasn’t expected to live long enough to go to Disney World with his family.

What made you want to do the DCP?
See previous question.

Is there something you wish you would have known before doing your program?  

Working with Stitch!

This being my second program I already kind of knew what to expect. 

What was the main difference you noticed between your programs in Disneyland and Walt Disney World?

Housing and the size of the program itself. I felt like more of a number in Florida. For example I'm still in touch with my housing directors back in Disneyland. (Sara comment: I didn't even know we had housing directors in Florida.)

What advice would you give to those who are going to be participating in your role?
My advice would be to get really good shoes, I cant tell you how much pain I could have saved myself in the beginning because I got cheap shoes. Don’t call out/ ome in late so much. Points are precious, don’t waste them.

What advice would you give to people who are interested in doing the DCP?
Do it. It changed my life in so many ways. I’ve met life long friends from all over the world, worked in some of the coolest places on the planet and got both college credit and paid to do it all.

Raisa has an amazing video blog channel on Youtube and shared a lot about her experience both in Disneyland and Walt Disney World! You should definitely take a look here!

If you're a current or past college program cast member and would like to share your experience, email your name and role to thedisneyden@yahoo.com to participate!

Have a magical day!

Interview a CP: Mitchell (Sunset Blvd Attractions)

Spieling in Studio C at Coaster! Photo by yours truly ;)

Mitchell is one of the first friends I made during the program. You might recognize him from the vlogger party in Magic Kingdom video that I posted earlier during my program. He has an interesting story, starting out working at Fantasmic! and Beauty and the Beast, but then was able to cross train and transfer to Rockin' Roller Coaster (which is extremely rare for a CP). I'm personally a little jealous, because working at Coaster looks like so much fun!

What role did you have during the DCP, and where did you work?
I'm attractions at Disney's Hollywood Studios within Sunset Attractions. I started off at Fantasmic, and from there I was trained at Beauty and the Beast and Rock 'N' Roller Coaster where I currently work the most.

What was a typical day like at work?
Well while working Fantasmic, I typically did crowd control, loading and unloading guest into a huge amphitheater while also taking care of any guest situations that they had. Now at Rock 'N' Roller Coaster I do any kind of operations from loading to unloading, greeting, and much more.

Is this the role you originally wanted? If not, are you happy you got it?
It is exactly what I wanted, I couldn't of got a better role or place to be put in.

 What are your favorite and least favorite parts about your job?
My favorite parts about my job is for one, guest interaction. Being able to talk to guest and help them out to enjoy their vacation is something I love. I also like to play a character, and I do so at Rock 'N' Roller Coaster by playing a tour guide and a parking attendant. I also love loading the vehicles fast, that way I'm being super efficient and guest get the best of their experience. I honestly couldn't say that I have a least favorite part about my job. Everything I do is fun and it's always something new.

Working at Fantasmic!

Any specific magical moment you want to share?
I think the one moment that will stick with me forever and it's not really a magical moment, but I was at kids spot, which is where we give out stickers for kids to decorate a record with. One little girl was making one and as her parents told her she had to go she handed me her record, I told her that she gets to keep it and take it home and this is what she said to me " I'm not taking this one home, you wanna know why? I replied yes. She said because I made this one for you". I honestly melted after that and I have it hanging up in my room.

What made you want to do the DCP?
I have always wanted to do the Disney College Program since I was in 7th grade, which is when I first heard about it. Even besides that Disney has always been a part of my life, it is my second home. I just wanted to do something bigger than myself and give guests a great Cast Member experience that I received when I was growing up and visited the parks. I want to be with this company long term, and what better way than to start here.

Is there something you wish you would have known before doing your program?
There isn't something I wish I would have known, just because I searched up all the information I could. Maybe though I wish I knew that it was going to be hard to leave close friends that I've made.

What advice would you give to those who are going to be participating in your role?
Focus, safety is main part of our role, and part of the whole company. Do your job right and don't slack or be lazy. Make the guest feel like they are really there.

What advice would you give to people who are interested in doing the DCP?
Do it, that's all, just do it. It's great on your resume and it's an exceptional program to build experience and maturity, along with professionalism. It will help you with speaking better to people and also will help with people skills. Honestly it's one of the best programs anyone could ever do. I'm glad I have been able to experience it and so will you.

I recently was able to find a video of Rock N Roller Coaster with Mitchell as the tour guide in Studio C! Take a look, and pay attention at the :40 mark, that's when Mitchell starts giving his tour!

You can see more about Mitchell's experience on his Youtube channel, Mitch and Trey's Disney Days! (I'm in a couple of those videos!)

If you're a current or past college program cast member and would like to share your experience, email your name and role to thedisneyden@yahoo.com to participate!

I hope everyone has a magical day!