In Every Job That Must be Done There is an Element of Fun!!! DCP Report New 2/7

[PartOfYourWDWorld]

Yay, you're back! I've been following along on Instagram and you make a GORGEOUS princess. Can't wait to hear more!

 

[pirateprincess1976]

Congrats on being "friends" with some characters. I follow you on instagram (I'm bruinz442 btw lol) and I've seen the pictures. How amazing! What an incredible experience. I'm going to be in the world February 4-8. Maybe I'll see you on my character hunt

 

[PrincessAmongPrinces]

So happy for you! I have been following this report, as well as your YOLO tr. Also, I just requested to follow you on twitter and Instagram. Enjoy your new role!

 

[kristina87]

Hey Alicia!

I follow you on twitter too (@kristina7901) and am so glad you updated! I agree with everyone else, following your experiences is fascinating haha! Can't wait to see what else is in store for you, and congrats on all that you've accomplished so far!

 

[disneyfan'08]

Hey Alicia!

I'm a Fall 2013 College Program hopeful. It's crazy how much we have in common! I'm also 22 and will (keeping my fingers crossed) also be doing my CP after I graduate college! My friends would also describe me as a kid at heart, free spirited, and a Disney Addict. As I'm approaching the "g-word" (graduation), I've been saying "Adventure is out there!"

Up is such an awesome movie and I think that it perfectly fits with life after graduation. I've dreamed of doing the college program since I was like 8, but I could never get away. Now that I'm about to graduate, I'm finally able to pursue my dreams of working for Disney.

Do you have any advice for someone about to begin the whole application/ WBI/ interview process journey? Rumors are applications will come out sometime in these next two weeks.

I also followed you on twitter (a_huss). Can't wait to read more about your magical adventures!

 

[Leasha_Loves_Disney]

Hi! I know I'm really late to this TR but it's so fascinating! My biggest regret in life is not doing the DCP when I was in college, so I love reading about people's experiences now! I just followed you on twitter yesterday too, it's SO amazing that you are friends with all of these characters (I'm minnie_ears on twitter )!

It's never too late to join in!!! Unfortunately I haven't updated as much as I would have like to begin with so you are here just in time for my fresh new start!!! Thanks for joining in!!! Thanks for being so active and interested in my DCP life it's nice to be able to make so new friends ​

Yay, you're back! I've been following along on Instagram and you make a GORGEOUS princess. Can't wait to hear more!

I AM BACKKKKK!!!! Thanks for sticking around and thanks so much, I'll be sure to tell my princess friends you think so!!! They will be thrilled to hear it ​

Congrats on being "friends" with some characters. I follow you on instagram (I'm bruinz442 btw lol) and I've seen the pictures. How amazing! What an incredible experience. I'm going to be in the world February 4-8. Maybe I'll see you on my character hunt

It is THE BEST EXPERIENCE of my life!!! I couldn't be more grateful to be given such an amazing opportunity. It seems as though your trip is close to an end. I hope that you have enjoyed it!!! Maybe perchance you saw one of my new friends? Possibly Pocahontas? If not there's always the possibility of future trips, I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon ​

So happy for you! I have been following this report, as well as your YOLO tr. Also, I just requested to follow you on twitter and Instagram. Enjoy your new role!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! For following along in all aspects of everything!!! I really appreciate it ​

Hey Alicia!

I follow you on twitter too (@kristina7901) and am so glad you updated! I agree with everyone else, following your experiences is fascinating haha! Can't wait to see what else is in store for you, and congrats on all that you've accomplished so far!

Thank you so much!!! It's wonderful to know that there are some people interested in what I get to do!!! I hope you continue to enjoy thanks again for following along ​

Hey Alicia!

I'm a Fall 2013 College Program hopeful. It's crazy how much we have in common! I'm also 22 and will (keeping my fingers crossed) also be doing my CP after I graduate college! My friends would also describe me as a kid at heart, free spirited, and a Disney Addict. As I'm approaching the "g-word" (graduation), I've been saying "Adventure is out there!"

Up is such an awesome movie and I think that it perfectly fits with life after graduation. I've dreamed of doing the college program since I was like 8, but I could never get away. Now that I'm about to graduate, I'm finally able to pursue my dreams of working for Disney.

Do you have any advice for someone about to begin the whole application/ WBI/ interview process journey? Rumors are applications will come out sometime in these next two weeks.

I also followed you on twitter (a_huss). Can't wait to read more about your magical adventures!

Wonderful!!! Ahhhhhhh, that's so exciting!!! If you have any questions PLEASE feel free to ask I would be more than happy to share any information possible

In my honest opinion I think the best thing that you could have done for yourself was wait until your graduated!!! I was in the same boat and having been down here working for over 6 months I can be the first to tell you that it would have been almost impossible for you to go back. Everyone that I met on my first program who did have to go back to school is less than enthusiastic about life back home now. So good for you for having the will power to wait it out, I promise that it will make it all the more worth it!!!

Be honest!!! Let your love for Disney shine through but don't overwhelm them , remember that it is a professional company but the just happen to specialize in magic. Be sure to let them know that you have been interested in doing the program for a while and can really see yourself staying with the company long term (if that is the case). Disney is all about people who are willing to start at the bottom and work their way up. Don't be afraid to let them know about you!!! I hope it's not too late and that you haven't gotten to far into the application process, it can be a little overwhelming at times BUT if you need help at any point feel free to comment or even just message me, I'd be super happy to help out a fellow DCP hopeful!!!

Thanks so much for reading along and please please please keep me up to date on how your interview process is going!!! ​

 

[Leasha_Loves_Disney]

The Grand Reveal!!! (My New Friends)


HELLLLLOOOOOOOO EVERYONEEEEEEEEEE (or no one beucase I might have lost anyone with the slightest bit of interest in this thread due to my lack of updating)

As I think I mentioned in my last post I ended up staying in Disney for another “semester” and I just wanted to fill you all in on how it’s going for me so far.

Let’s start off with a little bit about the end of my last program: It was an amazing whirlwind of emotions throughout the entire five months. I am so grateful that I was able to talk my best friend Ryan into moving here with me!!! I honestly don’t know how I would have survived my first program without him. We both did costuming, something that was VERY different from the type of costuming that we were use to back home BUT we learned a lot and met a bunch of new friends. I worked in MK doing Day Parade/Christmas parade and he worked over in Hollywood Studios at Fantasmic, we both had splendid times, luckily I was able to stay and keep living the dream but he had to return back to school, he stayed seasonal and also became a Campus Representative for the DCP!!! We are going through a little separation anxiety right now, mainly me because he isn’t my neighbor anymore and him because he misses Disney (and I guess a little bit of me) SO MUCH!!! It’s really crazy how this place can just suck you into it’s magic. I can’t imagine trying to go home after. Like, it just wouldn’t have been possible for me.

So here is a picture of us from our graduation ceremony!!! It was a blast and a great time, I just cannot stress how grateful I am that he up and moved to Florida with me!!!



Our entire program we had talked about getting tattoos to commemorate the time that we just packed up and moved to Florida in search of adventure. It was an idea that we had toyed with for a while before actually going and getting them done. We both settled on simple dialogue from a Disney movie. We knew that we wanted it to be Disney themed but we didn’t want it to be obnoxious or tacky. We figured that catch phrases or sayings from some of our favorite movies would be the perfect about of subtly. I decided on…



I got in on the middle of my back so It can easily be covered. Up is one of my favorite movies and after seeing it I kind of adapted this as my personal catch phrase after graduation. I think it has to do with the fact that I lead a very kind of sheltered life before moving to Florida, I had never really left my family or been on my own before moving here and but no that I am here I keep discovering more and more things that made me so glad that I took the chance, stepped out of my comfort zone and just took that leap.

The major thing that I have been hurled into and loving every second of since my second program started is my new role in entertainment. Unfortunately I can’t talk all that in depth about my new role but I can tell you a little bit about all my new friends!!!


I have already done so much in the less than a month I have been an entertainment cast member: One of my friends opened the Magic Kingdom twice, Cinderella invited a friend of mine to dine in her castle and made a surprise appearance in Town Square Theatre and so much more!!! Not to mention I have met SO MANY people: guests, colleagues, characters and most importantly friends. Going through training they tell you about how as a performer you can make or break someone’s vacation and that you can never really understand the impact that you will have on a child. Let me be the first to say that a guest never has any idea the impact that they make on the performer. I have a journal FULL of amazing, quirky, caring, special individuals that I have met in the very short amount of time that I have been in my new role.

Percurser!!! The photos you are about to see are photos of my friends, if you wish to address the photos I have of them please leave the comments to the specific pup or princess and I will b sure to relay the message to them as soon as I see them next!!! Thank you all so much

I started around the second week of January. Like everyone else I was introduced to some furry friends before starting my royal adventures.

May I just start out by saying that Pluto has ALWAYS been one of my favorite characters. I adore him so much, hence why I had to have the Pluto pillow pet as soon as he came out!!!



So when I found out that Pluto was going to b my new furry friend I was ecstatic!!! Training with him was so much fun, he’s such a good puppy. So energetic, loving and loyal. I can see why Mickey keeps him around. Who doesn’t love Pluto?!



During my first few weeks I was also introduced to a certain fumbling pirate… Mr. Smee, what an underrated character!!! To me he is a whole lot of fun although sometimes a nervous nelly and a bit of a clutz all he really wants to do is please people!!!



From there I was introduced to some very special and in my honest opinion totally underrated royal members of the Disney family.

First was Princess Jasmine, what a feisty little sass pot she is!!! She has been a lot of fun to get to know.







Jasmine even got to Journey out of Agrahba for a little while to meet up with her friends Rapunzel and Cinderella!!!



More recently I have been introduced to an AMAZING princess. Pocahontas, to me she is so incredibly inspirational and everything that I stand for in life. She is caring, inquisitive compassionate everything a good princess should be and in my experience people just generally love her beucase she is just such a beautiful human being. I couldn’t be more honored to call her one of my very best friends.





I mean, her father’s nickname for her was “little mischief” as soon as I found that out I knew we would be great friends





I never, in a million years, would have believed you if you 10 years ago if you had told me that this would be my job. I can’t even begin to describe how blessed I feel to be friends with such amazing people. I can’t even believe that I get paid to hang out with Disney celebrities all day!!! I truly am the luckiest girl in the world. It wasn’t an easy road to get her but boy was it worth it. That’s a basic over view of where I am right now in life, so with that being said I hope you understand that I can’t really talk all that much about my work role here but I am hoping to keep this thread going as an on going log of all of the adventures I take while I am off duty and enjoying life!!! But if you are ever in the world between now and May feel free to let me know, I will be sure to let my new friends you will be around, I’m sure they would love to meet some new faces because they all seem to love making new friends!!! I hope that you will all keep reading and enjoying, as always much thanks for your continuous support and encouragement!!!
​

 

[Disneyfreak616]

I cannot wait to move to Disney and do my DCP!!! I want so badly to be friends with Snow White and Belle. They would be so much fun to hang out with!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[sharon88r]

Hi Alicia, glad your back posting updates, I really enjoy reading about your DCP experiences. Loved your YOLO trip report, its so much fun to read about Disney when I am really wishing I was there. Being friends with the princesses must be a blast. Looking forward to more updates (I keep telling my daughter to read too, she wants to do DCP)

 

[hotveggy]

Mom of 2 little princesses here and jealous of your experience! Hope you are loving your experience as it sounds like you are. We must have just missed you as we were there until January 10th. We met some of your new friends but I just checked our pics and it doesn't look like you were with them that day!

Have fun!

 

[Glennie5]

Your princess friends are beauftiful. What an incredible experience for you - thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[PrincessAmongPrinces]

Please tell your friends Jasmine and Pocahontas that they are BEAUTIFUL! Thank you so much for sharing the pictures!

 

[LifeIsDis]

Seriously Alicia, your tattoo is perfect. I love it so much!

Even though I have already seen all of these pictures, I can’t get over how much you look like Jasmine and Pocahontas.

You have the best job ever. The end.

 

[DreamingofCastles]

Alicia, I'll be at WDW at the end of February! Hope to see one of your "friends" while I'm there!!

 

[cheekypoppins]

OMg how exciting let me just say I wish!!!!! You are doing amazing things and i feel so blessed that you come here and share it with so many of us.I hope you're still there when I get there,and I'd love to bring my munchkin to see some of your friends.

 

[Nermel9]

It looks like you are having so much fun with your new friends! I know I already told you on twitter, but I'll be in Disney in 10 days, so I'll be on the lookout for any of your friends! I'm hoping to meet tons of princesses on this trip, since I always kind of skip them when I'm with my DH! This trip is just me, my sister and my niece, so it will be fun to do girly things for once!!

I love your tattoo! I want to get something Disney related someday, but I cannot decide what to get, a quote or just a little outline of a character or something!

 

[disneyfan'08]

Wonderful!!! Ahhhhhhh, that's so exciting!!! If you have any questions PLEASE feel free to ask I would be more than happy to share any information possible

In my honest opinion I think the best thing that you could have done for yourself was wait until your graduated!!! I was in the same boat and having been down here working for over 6 months I can be the first to tell you that it would have been almost impossible for you to go back. Everyone that I met on my first program who did have to go back to school is less than enthusiastic about life back home now. So good for you for having the will power to wait it out, I promise that it will make it all the more worth it!!!

Be honest!!! Let your love for Disney shine through but don't overwhelm them , remember that it is a professional company but the just happen to specialize in magic. Be sure to let them know that you have been interested in doing the program for a while and can really see yourself staying with the company long term (if that is the case). Disney is all about people who are willing to start at the bottom and work their way up. Don't be afraid to let them know about you!!! I hope it's not too late and that you haven't gotten to far into the application process, it can be a little overwhelming at times BUT if you need help at any point feel free to comment or even just message me, I'd be super happy to help out a fellow DCP hopeful!!!

Thanks so much for reading along and please please please keep me up to date on how your interview process is going!!! ​

[/QUOTE]

Thank you so much for all our your advice! Reading all of this makes me feel like I'm on the right track. I'm definitely considering going full time after the program which is why I'm now so happy I couldn't do it earlier. I don't want to be confined by school and if I want to stay in Florida, there's nothing stopping me!!!

I actually want to do the program because I want to create magic for others. My parents are DVC member so even though I'm from Pennsylvania, I've been to Disney World over 30 times. I really love and appreciate what cast members do and I think it'd be awesome to have the opportunity to create magic for other families and guests.

Your advice was actually perfect timing as the applications came out on Friday (which is apparently much later than they typically come out). I officially decided to pursue my dreams of doing the College Program and applied on Saturday. I passed the WBI and now I have my interview on the 20th!!!! This is all so exciting and slightly overwhelming at the same time.

Now I'm just in the waiting process which I hate because I'm definitely not the most patient person in the world. I'll definitely keep you updated on my interview process. Thank you so much for your willingness to answer my questions! For now I'm okay, but I'm sure I'll have some questions/ a pre-interview freak out closer to my actual interview.

I love that you're friends with Pocahontas! She is one of my favorites and I actually have Pocahontas sheets on my bed right now.

 

[Plaid Sheep]

I hope you keep up writing more about your adventures! I love hearing about how the program is run now.
I did the program back in '93, went back for a semester to graduate, then went back and stayed for 8 more years.
I had so many paths to choose from...and it was hard at times to choose...but the one path I always wonder what would have happened if I took it, was the furry one!
Looking forward to more of your adventures!

 

[katt789]

Hi!! I’ve just discovered your TR and half to say I’m loving it! That’s so awesome that you’re getting to take part in such an amazing experience like working for Disney!! How great that Ryan’s roommate is a ballroom dancer, that’s so fun!

Oh goodness, check in is so crazily early!! Oh I love Perry!! He’s so cute and derpy! Love! I’m glad all the housing is so close to all the amenities that you’d need! Yay! Wow, I’m glad you guys got there super early, looks like it’s already been a really long day and it’s not even 9 in the morning!

UGH! The casting building is so beautiful, and the door handles? I need those at my house! The apartment looks pretty decent, a nice size, though I think for six people it might be a little crowded, but I guess if your schedules are pretty different, then that might be okay!

No lightsabers?! That seems so absurd! Lol! I love all the Disney kitchen/homewares, I love the things that are practical, that you can use in every day life, and that aren’t so in your face ‘DISNEY” but have the subtle hints!

I will definitely be in the world in a few weeks, maybe I’ll have the chance of meeting one of your fantastic friends!!

I’m so glad you’ve learnt a lot from your first program, I think a lot of people think that it’s going to be one hundred percent magical all the time,, and then get really upset when it’s not. I’m glad that you’re sticking around for another season!

Aw man, your new friends are so beautiful!! So lucky that you get to hang out with them all the time. Maybe if they aren’t out and about when I’m down there we could meet up for a dole whip or something? How was the audition process? I’ve been to two auditions already and haven’t made it past the movement round, you have any advice for any upcoming auditions? Hope you’re having a magical day!!

 

[bsjs0708]

Wow...Just so you know that I am TOTALLY living out my fantasy through you!!! I (along with hundreds others) have always dreamed of working at the parks...And you are sooo lucky to be such good "friends" with Poca and Jasmine.. What a great job!!! Keep up the good work...And those other "roomates" you had sounded like very un-DISNEY like people.. I hope you now have more "MAGICAL" roomates and can enjoy your time off and relax at home...