My Disney Art, and Other Disney Stuff!

So, I've told you guys everything I know so far about the DCP process…now I just have to wait three months for the program to start! In the mean time, I thought I'd share some photos with you all of some of the Disney stuff I have in my life!

I love to draw, especially disney Characters!:)

My Classic Disney Shelf

 I also collect Disney trinkets from the parks, garage sales, antique shops--I'm always on the look out for new stuff for my Disney collection!:)

My Disney Princess Shelf

 Sometimes I can be crafty, and one of my recent projects was making Little Mermaid Mickey Ears with my best friend! These were so fun to make, and surprisingly easy!:)

 Another thing I enjoy doing is nail art, and I always do a special Disney design before taking a trip to Disney! Here are a couple designs I've painted on my fingers in the past:)

Alice in Wonderland 

Disney Princess

I'll try to keep posting fun Disney stuff leading up to my program to keep me occupied while i wait! Have a magical day:)

My Catastrophic DCP Phone Interview

Those of you who are preparing for your phone interviews, you've probably heard a lot of stories about how wonderful peoples phone interviews were, and how great they felt afterward…I read many of those myself before my interview. People say how smoothly it went, how natural it felt….and after reading all of those, I was feeling like my interview would have to be pretty darn perfect if I wanted to have even a chance at an acceptance!

Do you want to know the truth about my interview?

Riding around the Seven Seas Lagoon on the Monorail from the Grand Floridan to Magic Kingdom

...It was practically a disaster!

My land line phone was not working so I could barely hear her and had to ask her to repeat herself over and over again! Half to the questions she asked I couldn't understand so I just guessed, giving her the best answers i could to what I figured she had said. She finally said she would call me back on my cell phone to see if that worked better. Then I missed the call because I had set my cell phone on "do not disturb," since I didn't expect to use that phone for the interview! The interviewers call comes from a blocked number that you can't call back and I panicked, thinking I had just missed my one chance at getting into the program! Thankfully, my interviewer called again in about a minute and I answered instantly! After all that I answered all her Q's and managed to still sound positive and bubbly, but inside I was super shaky and stressed! I was sure I had butchered most the questions. At the end, I kept accidentally cutting her off, and said "Thank you Debbie!" at least three times which must have sounded ridiculous!

So you can imagine my surprise when exactly a month later I got my acceptance letter!

Moral of the Story: Your phone interview DOES NOT have to be perfect! If you come across as a person Disney want to have in their company and make a good impression, you may get accepted even if you make some of mistakes!

Not saying you should use a junky phone or miss your interviewer's call, but if it happens, roll with it! That way your interviewer sees a real-life example of how you react in difficult situations! Try to make the best of it, and your interviewer will notice that. It could even work in your favor!


""It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily. "And freezing." "However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately."" ~Winnie The Pooh

The Last Step…Completing Your Phone Interview

Okay, before you start stressing about your phone interview, take a minute to congratulate yourself on making it this far! Getting a phone interview with the Walt Disney Company is a great accomplishment!

Don't psych yourself out about the interview, because it is honestly very simple! The interviewers are all VERY nice and friendly, and want you to feel comfortable! Here are a list of things to think about before your interview:

1. Why do you want to do the Disney College Program?

    This question may seem obvious--who wouldn't want to work at Disney World? But this is an something almost everyone gets asked during their interview, and you want to have thought about some good reasons that you want to do the program. For example, I told my interviewer that I've always looked up to Disney Cast Members and have always wanted to be apart of making the Disney magic for guests like they did for me. I also mentioned that I want to meet new people, gain new work skills, and that I would like to become an imagineer someday so this could be a first step to reaching that dream for me.

2. Which roles you are most qualified for?

     Recently, interviewers have been asking which roles you are most qualified for, instead of simply asking which roles you are most interested in. So besides having an idea of what your top 3 or 4 roles are, think of some reasons why you think you are qualified for them. I said I was qualified for Custodial Guest Services because of my thorough knowledge of the parks and my wish to share that knowledge with guests. For Merchandise I said my love for shopping and making others have a memorable shopping experience made me a good fit for the role, and for Costuming I mentioned my appreciation for all the Disney Costumes and my love of working with fabrics. If you have job experience that would pertain to the role you want, mention that as well.

3. Questions for your Interviewer!

    At the end of your interview, he or she will ask for any questions. You should have at least a couple questions thought out to ask! I asked my interviewer if she had ever done the Disney College Program herself, which she was happy to answer--apparently DCP was how she got her start working for Disney as well! I also asked her if she could tell me more about Disney Classes, which she did.

A few other tips for during the interview:

     -Smile! You will sound much more enthusiastic and friendly if you smile as you speak.

      -Write down or remember your interviewers name so that at the end of your interview you can say "Thank you ____!" This is a good idea in any interview, it shows that you are attentive!

      -Make sure your phone works before the interview!

      -Go somewhere quiet so your interviewer isn't interrupted by dogs barking or kids shouting.

I will admit, I prepared a LOT before my phone interview. I typed out Q's and my A's to almost every question I found online, and taped them to my wall so I could see them during the interview. However, since I had spent so long going over my answers, I didn't hardly looked at my notes at all during the interview! My answers just came naturally from memory. I was surprised how much I remembered. So whether or not you make notes, I would advise looking up some of the questions online and thinking about what you want to say to them.

Probably the hardest part about this step is not knowing how you did afterward! Unlike the Web-Based Interview; when you are told instantly whether or not you passed; after the phone interview you won't know for quite sometime whether or not you are going to be accepted. I had my phone interview September second, and was accepted October second, but I've known people who got accepted a week after, and some who had to wait months!

Just try not to stress, and in the meantime join your programs Facebook group or get on the DisBoards or another social media group to talk to other students who are also playing the waiting game! It really does help to pass the time and keep down the stress level.

Again, good luck and have a magical day! :)

Time for a Web-Based Interview!

Let's say you've finished your application and have been given a Web-based Interview invitation! :)

Some people say that they found this interview to be very hard and others found it very easy. I am inclined to say it was more toward the easy side, but it is only easy if you are very focused and know how to properly answer the questions! It says in the invitation to take it somewhere quiet without distractions--that is not advice to be ignored!! When I took mine I needed complete silence in order to focus on the questions, because some of them are confusing, and the last set of questions are timed so you have to work fast! Close your door, turn off your music and your phone, make sure you have battery power on your computer and a good connection to the internet :)

First the interview will ask you some basic questions that are not timed, questions about your lifestyle and school and working for disney. These are pretty straight forward and should be easy to answer properly if you are really wanting to work for disney!

Next you will have some multiple choice questions that are mostly situational, and are timed at 45 seconds each to answer. My advice is to click the answer you first think is right before going back and re-reading, just so that you don't run out of time without having chosen an answer at all.

The last section has probably the easiest questions, but you also have the least amount of time to answer them--20 seconds. They will give you a statement, such as "I am always on time." You will choose either strongly agree, agree, neutrual, disagree, or strongly agree. The key to this section is to be certain in your answers, so pick "strongly agree" or "strongly disagree" whenever possible. This is the section where I tend to go cross eyed from staring at the screen so long, but you have to just stay focused and not let the time limit freak you out because the answers should be pretty straight forward as long as you think about each question and put your best foot forward. Now is not the time to think about that one time you were late to work three years ago--if you are usually on time, say so! People always say to be honest on the WBI and that is true, just don't try so hard to be honest that you under sell yourself.

Once your hand is cramping and you are beginning to wonder if the questions will never end, suddenly a new screen will appear that will say you passed and now you need to set up a phone interview!! Honestly, if you really have a heart for Disney and are a strong worker, you should have no problem answering the questions on the interview. Yes I finished the WBI feeling a little self-centered because I had just answered so many questions saying how wonderful I was, but that is okay. Disney wants to see that you have confidence in your abilitys, not uncertainty. 

The interview says it could take up to 40 minutes but I know a lot of people passed it much faster than that. I, on the other hand, took almost all of the time but that may be because I read over every question multiple times and made sure I was reading it correctly, especially on the first ones that were not timed. It really depends on the person. I have heard of people passing who actually ran out of time on a couple questions and didn't put an answer, and still passed. Just rememeber to stay focused, read carefully, and don't get hung up by repetive questions or freaked out by the timer.

Good Luck!:)

The Application for DCP!

Today I'm going to write about the beginning of the application process--filling out an application and taking your web-based interview!

One of the slightly frusterating parts to applying is that Disney does not tell you an exact date to expect the apps to become available for your program. For my program (Spring 2015) Disney said applications would come out early September, but it turned out they came out in late August instead. The Program is not first-come first-serve so you don't need to rush to apply, but I wanted to apply as soon as possible. I applied August 26th.

The application is not difficult! It will ask for past job experience, and it only gives you space for about six, so if you have a lot of experiance, pick the jobs that you think would most pertain to a job with disney, and/or the roles you put high interest in. I have heard of people getting accepted who did not have any experiance at all, so don't feel like you can't apply if you haven't had a job before.

The other main part of the application is the Roles section. Here it will give you the descriptions for all the different roles, and you can rate them at no interest, low interest, mid interest and high interest. When I applied, I put some interest in EVERY role, even if it was only low interest, just so that I would have a better chance of getting in the program. The only role I put no interest in was lifeguard, because I can't swim to save my own life, much less someone else's! :) Of course, if there's a role you really would not be happy with, don't put interest in it, but none of the jobs are that difficult or horrible. I put high interest in five roles, mid interest in four, and low interest in nine.

After you have sent in your application, keep your fingers crossed and your eyes on your Disney job dashboard, because within the first 24 hours after applying, two things could happen:

1. You get sent an email to contiune on to the web-based interview--yay! This is what happened to me, I got my email for the WBI about 10 hours after sending in my application. Your status will say "in progress" or "action required, web-based interview."

2. You are put into "submission" and do not recieve an email to do your web-based interview. This means that for some reason, Disney has not looked at your application yet and has set you aside for the time being until later when they may decide to look over your application. This is sad because in past seasons, people have stayed in submission throughout the entire application season and eventually got NLIC (No Longer In Consideration) without getting a chance to do the Web-Based Interview. This season, submissioners were kept on hold for about a month before being pulled out and sent web-based interviews. This is what happened to my friend who applied with me. She had all but given up hope on getting into the program, but now she has done her web-based and her phone interviews!

So don't lose hope if you are put in submission, just know you are in for a bit of a wait and may never get looked at by Disney at all :( In submission, your dashboard status will change from "in progress," to "submission."

Part two of the process will be up shortly--The Web-Based Interview! :)

All About Roles :)

One of the most exciting things about the Disney College Program is all the different roles or job positions they have. There are roles that involve working in the restaurants, hotels, attractions, even the water parks! I wanted to take a minute to talk about the role I received, and my top role choices I requested during my interview.

Space Ship Earth, in Epcot

I was assigned the Custodial Guest Services Role, and I know a lot of people are not pleased when they find out they were given this role. However, I was not one of those people! In fact, Custodial was my number-one role choice!! Yes it involves a lot of cleaning, and may not be the job you dream of doing when you think about working for Disney, but after doing a lot of research on all of the roles, I found that there are actually a lot of really great aspects to Custodial!

First of all, Custodians get a lot of guest interactions! You are outside mingling with guests for almost your entire shift, handing out maps, giving directions, taking family photos, and answering questions. This is where a good sense of direction and a broad understanding of the parks come in handy, both of which I have (Thanks to my obsession with guide books and the disboards!).

Secondly, Custodians have a lot of freedom! Custodial Cast Members don't have to stand in one place for a long time like merchandise or attractions cast members do, and they get to see everything that's going on while they are cleaning, such as parades, street performers, and fireworks!

Custodians also get to do a lot of fun things, like pin trading with guests! Custodians are provided a lanyard with pins for trading, which is a lot of fun and is an easy way to make guests have a magical day. Some custodians even draw disney character art on the ground with water and brooms.

Finally, putting a high interest in Custodial on your application and during your interview, may boost your chances of getting into the program! Disney needs a lot of custodians, and not that many people are interested in the role. I stressed my interest in custodial during my interview, and although I don't know if I would have still been accepted had I not put a high interest in the role, I think it may have helped guarantee my acceptance.

The World of Disney Store in Down Town Disney

Some other roles I had a high interest in were Merchandise and Costuming. I have worked retail in the past, and absolutely love shopping, especially at Disney, so Merchandising has always been one of my top choices. Besides having a lot of guest interaction, Merchandise Cast Members get to work indoors unless you are working one of the outside kiosks, so you will most likely be protected from the weather. I am also a huge fan of Disney costumes, both for characters and Cast Members, and I love clothes and am interested in back stage Disney, so costuming was another role I was highly interested in.

Other roles I was interested in were Main Gate Operations (Taking peoples passes when they enter the park), Attractions (Running the rides), Full Service Food and Beverage (Waitressing or Hosting) Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (The salon for girls to be turned into little princesses) and Photo Pass Photography (Taking pictures for guests at iconic locations in the parks). These are not all of the roles Disney World offers, just the ones I was interested in :) Disneyland's Program offers similar roles with slightly different responsibilities.

I am very pleased with my role and can't wait to get started!

"So hum a merry tune, it won't take long when there's a song to help you set the pace." ~Snow White

I'm Going to be a Disney Cast Member!

Hello, and welcome to my Disney College Program blog!! I was recently accepted to the Disney College Program, which I am absolutely ecstatic about! During my application process I read past DCP blogs obsessively, so I figured I would make one of my own to help future DCP participants--and to keep you all up to date on what I'm doing during the program! :)

My little sister and I at Disneyland in 2002 :)

In this first post I wanted to talk a little bit about myself and what made me decide to apply for the Program! I grew up in Corona, California, 30 minutes from Disneyland and got my Annual Pass when I was three, so it is safe to say I spent a lot of time there when I was little! I got Disney guide books at the library and read them cover-to-cover for fun as a child. I was especially intrigued when I discovered there was "Another Disneyland," on the other side of the country! I moved North when I was eight, but returned to Disneyland every other year, and despite a brief period in high school when I thought I had "grown out" of Disney, (who ever really grows out of disney?) the magic of the place never faded. But I had still never been to Walt Disney World!

Finally, my senior year of high school, something truly magical happened: My high school choir decided to take the bi-annual choir tour to Walt Disney World!! It was a dream come true, and besides simply getting to visit the place I'd been reading about for years, I also got to sing in Epcot with my choir and go Back Stage in the park! The trip was wonderful, but all I could think about after was…when can i go back?? 

At Walt Disney World my senior year :)

So that's when the Disney College Program became a prominent idea in my mind. I've always wanted to travel and to "have adventure in the great wide somewhere," and what better way to do that than to travel 3,000 miles to the opposite end of the country?? Working for Disney has been something I've wanted to do ever since I can remember, long before I knew about the Disney College Program, so not applying really wasn't even an option! My best friend and I applied together, and here I am, a soon-to-be Disney Cast Member! :D

I'll be posting lots more about the program, the application, the interview, and my role soon, but I just wanted to write this short introduction to start off with. Thanks for reading, and have a magical day! 

"To all that come to this happy place: welcome. Disneyland is your land." ~Walt Disney