It All Starts With A Wish: A Disney College Program TR NEW 9/3

[courtneybelle]

Star light, star bright
First star I see tonight
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight
We’ll make a wish and do as dreamers do
And all our wishes will come true

Hello friends, and welcome to my fourth DISboards trip report. This is going to be the longest and most magical of them all, so I hope you are ready for an exciting ride!

On March 6, 2015, I was accepted to the Disney College Program. From June 8, 2015, to January 4, 2016, I will be an Attractions cast member, working and living in my favorite place in the entire world, Walt Disney World!

But I’m getting ahead of myself. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Courtney.

I’m a 22-year-old recent college graduate who has been to Disney World 25 times and has spent most of her life dreaming of the day she could work for Disney. These are a few of my favorite things:

Favorite park: Magic Kingdom
Favorite resort: Port Orleans Riverside
Favorite MK attraction: Splash Mountain
Favorite DHS attraction: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Favorite Epcot attraction: Spaceship Earth
Favorite Animal Kingdom attraction: Expedition Everest
Favorite Disney movies: Beauty and the Beast and Frozen
Favorite characters: Olaf and Pluto
Favorite princesses: Belle and Tiana
Favorite princes: Aladdin and Naveen
Favorite Muppets: Rizzo and Sam the Eagle
Favorite restaurants: Be Our Guest, ‘50s Prime Time Café, and Crystal Palace

Beyond those, I have many other well-documented Disney obsessions, including the Carousel of Progress, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, New Fantasyland, the Sorcerer Hat (RIP), the MuppetVision 3D pre-show, churros, Duffy the Disney Bear, pin trading, and perhaps most importantly, WISHES! A MAGICAL GATHERING OF DISNEY DREAMS!

If you’d like to get to know me a little better and/or are patiently (or impatiently) waiting for my next update, check out my past three trip reports!

Hurry Up, You Brats, Or I’m Telling Mickey Mouse! An August 2013 TR
Follow Me! I Will Lead Us Into Battle! A Thanksgiving 2014 TR
There’s Nowhere To Go But Down…To The Utilidors! A Sweet and Sassy 16 TR

I am so excited to share my journey with the Walt Disney Company, but I am going to be VERY busy. I’ll be working full time in Attractions, and in my time off I’ll be playing in the parks and resorts (and occasionally sleeping, but only occasionally). I hope to update as often as I can, but I may fall behind and may not have time to respond to comments! But to prepare for this, I’ve created a special Instagram for my College Program. You can follow me @courtneybelledcp to see what I’m up to every day!

Thank you so much for following along! Please move to the end of the row and take a seat. Stopping in the middle is DISTINCTLY unpatriotic.

I’m so glad we’re going on this adventure together, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me! My biggest wish is finally coming true!

I'll bet a lot of you folks don’t believe that, about a wish coming true, do ya? Well, I didn’t either. Course, I’m just a cricket, but let me tell you what made me change my mind. You see, the most fantastic, magical things can happen, and it all starts with a wish!

​

 

[courtneybelle]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

JUNE 2015
June 6, 2015 (Part 1): Now’s When My Life Begins
June 6, 2015 (Part 2): Our Little Mermaid Room and Animal Kingdom Lodge
June 6, 2015 (Part 3): Boma and Art of Animation
June 7, 2015: Kona, Boardwalk, and Downtown Disney
June 8, 2015: Check-In and Casting
June 9, 2015: Housing Meeting and Resort Hopping
June 10, 2015: Trader Sam's and Wishes
June 11, 2015: Outlet Shopping and Good News
June 12, 2015 (Part 1): Traditions!
June 12, 2015 (Part 2): First Magic Kingdom Day!
June 13, 2015: Welcome to Operations and Star Wars Weekend
June 14-16, 2015: Magic Kingdom Life
June 17, 2015: Frozen Summer Fun
June 18-20, 2015: Class, Work, and Epcot
June 21, 2015: Downtown Disney and Reuniting with Kaela
June 22, 2015: Hollywood Studios
June 23, 2015: 1900 Park Fare
June 24, 2015: More Frozen Fun
June 25, 2015: Magic Kingdom and Downtown Disney
June 26-27, 2015: Magic Kingdom and Work
June 28-30, 2015: Work

JULY 2015
July 1, 2015: Magic Kingdom
July 2, 2015: Epcot and Via Napoli
July 3, 2015: Celebrate America! Fireworks
July 4-6, 2015: Work
July 7, 2015: Hollywood Studios and Garden Grill
July 8-9, 2015: Parade Training and Class
July 10, 2015 (Part 1): Character Hunting and Dream Along with Mickey
July 10, 2015 (Part 2): Last Animation Class and More Frozen Fun
July 11-15, 2015: More Work
July 16, 2015: Chip and Dale Campfire Sing-A-Long
July 17, 2015: Duffy and San Angel Inn​

 

[courtneybelle]

CAST LIST

College Program Friends

Kristen and Katie

Kristen and Katie are my two direct roommates. Kristen is from Texas and she is in entertainment, so her job is a little more secretive than the rest of ours! Katie is from Kansas and she is a concierge at the Boardwalk.

Shayla

Shayla and I talked on Facebook before moving down for our College Program! She is from Georgia and she works at Columbia Harbour House.

Hayley and Gavin

Hayley and Gavin are ICPs from England! They both work in entertainment, and Kristen introduced us.

Kaela

Kaela and I met online because of a DCP blog she runs! She works at the front desk of Pop Century.

Mandy

Kaela introduced me to Mandy, who is working at WDW this summer as a Jungle Cruise skipper!​

 

[courtneybelle]

CAST LIST

To be updated!​

 

[DaisyDuck001]

here!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

I'm here, as expected!

OMG, connecting your DCP journey to Wishes is all the feels. ALL OF THEM.

 

[BibbitybobityLu]

Hi
I just finished reading all your trip reports! I am so excited to read all about your DCP experience! I'm sure you will have such an amazing time! I will be following along and living vicariously throughout you! ​

 

[afwdwfan]

Fantastic intro. The Wishes part had me hooked right away.

I'm really looking forward to following along on this adventure!

 

[Gracefulskinny]

joining in!

 

[Wood Nymph]

I can't wait to hear about your DCP.

 

[KathyM2]

Joining in too!! Can't wait to hear about your experience as a CM!

 

[stacy~**]

Hi, Courtney!! I've been read your most recent report but I fell off the "commenting-wagon". I'm sorry about that....but I've loved it.

So exciting that you get to follow your dreams straight to Walt Disney World. I am sure it will be filled with magic.

I wanted to tell you my DD checked in on May 18 so I am really hoping you two might cross paths. If this happens naturally that would be great....of if you would like her contact info PM me. She is at the Grand (custodial).

 

[pkondz]

Here! Can't wait!

You leave in two freaking days?!?!?!?

 

[Newsies]

I'm here!!!

And I'm totally going to say "hey" if I see you in August

 

[jandlinz]

Joining in! Congratulations Courtney! Can't wait to hear about your adventures!

 

[TheLittleKatie]

Here, of course! So excited for this!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

joining in - probably a good start since you had me getting teary in the first post reading the lines from Wishes (which of course makes me think of watching Wishes with my kids and, well, the feels)

Also a big fan of Sam the Eagle. I tend to use the phrase "A salute to all of _____ .... but mostly ____) at least once a week

Congratulations again!

 

[sunnysideup3]

Can't wait to follow along on your adventure! Have fun and live your dream, it's such a great experience!

 

[amberg93]

You know I'll be following the with the adventures of my favorite CM!

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Which attractions will you be working? Maybe I can stop by and say hi this July?