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

SPLASH MOUNTAIN! I cannot believe I am working at my favorite attraction! I will never get Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah out of my head and it will be glorious!
That is such a fun ride. Maybe we'll see you there at the end of August. I know it will be warm enough to not mind getting wet. :)

Our first stop was the Frozen Sing-A-Long, which has moved to the theater where American Idol used to be. I think the new space is absolutely gorgeous, and allows for much cooler effects!
I love the new stage setting! The other theater had obstructed views and pillars in the way. We're going to have to stop at this one, too. ;)

Our first visitor was Alice! She asked if we had been talking to any flowers that morning, and told us not to let them call us weeds. She then tried to wake up the leaves next to our table so they would talk to us.
What fun! It sounds like she really loves being Alice.

then got a spot on Hollywood Boulevard for the Frozen fireworks! These fireworks make my heart so happy.
We saw these last year and are very excited about getting to see them again this year. Did they do the stage show along with it, like they did last year?

Have you had a chance to go on the Great Movie Ride? I was wondering if they've added the new stuff yet.
 
You look adorable in your SM uniform!! :goodvibes I'm trying to imagine waking up in the morning, having a few free hours - and then saying, "eh, think I'll hit HS for a little while" lol. So glad you're enjoying life right now! Thanks for taking the time to keep those of us with boring lives in the loop ;)
 
Holy smokes, Courtney!
When you update... you UPDATE!

Okay, here we go...

I woke up the morning of the 14th and decided to go to the Magic Kingdom for a few hours. What a life.

I did that once, too.
I woke up one morning, went over to my buddy's, we drove for 30 hours straight... then went to MK.
Really no different from what you just said.

My first order of business was meeting Princess Tiana—she is my dad’s favorite princess, so for Father’s Day I wanted to get a picture with her.

Awww... that's really nice Courtney. I'm sure you made him smile.
(Because we real he-men don't cry, ya know.... it's just those darned onions.)

I headed home after that because it was so hot out, but first I treated myself to some ice cream on Main Street.

You headed where? Already calling it home, I see.
And that's a good thing.

And that ice cream? OMG. WANT!!!

I learned so much over the course of these two days—primarily that for many people, the Magic Kingdom IS Disney World,

::yes:: Yup. I know. I know some of those people.

and so they expect a lot about the cast members that work here.

Never thought about that, but.... That's true!

I was also able to tour the park and ride all the rides in Frontierland…it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.

Thank you for your sacrifice.

I also learned what you’ve all been waiting for…my work location. I will be working at…drumroll please…

SPLASH MOUNTAIN! I cannot believe I am working at my favorite attraction!

NO WAY!!!

Way to go! That's so awesome!!

18443192094_c85183ab8f_c.jpg

Hey! Look at you!! All decked out in your work duds!

(Just a quick PSA: I am super excited for people to come visit me at my attraction, but sometimes I will be in positions where I can’t really have a conversation because my focus has to be on the safety of our guests. Please know that I’m really happy to see you even if I can’t talk!! And of course if you see me out and about in the parks please say hi!)

Okay, if (and that's a big if) I go and you're still there, I'll keep that in mind.

I think the new space is absolutely gorgeous, and allows for much cooler effects!

I see what you did there.
"cooler effects" indeed.

I was crying with laughter pretty much the whole time.

That good? Gee and I kind of wasn't even considering it.
Have to re-assess apparently.

I could see myself going to this show once a week, honestly.

Not more often? Just 52 times/year?

Next, we went on Star Tours and took a fabulous 3D glasses selfie.

:thumbsup2

None of us got to be the Rebel Spy, which is our goal for the program!

I have a feeling you might try again.

We got a table in front of the Café that gave us a perfect view of the fireworks! They were absolutely fantastic. The songs go so well with the fireworks and I loved every minute.

Nice. Food, table, fireworks. Trifecta of happiness.

Exploring Disney Heritage! This is a class all about Walt Disney’s life and the history of the Walt Disney Company.

That would be so interesting!

That night Katie, Kristen, Gavin, Hayley, and I saw Jurassic World, and I got judged for buying such large portions of food:

:laughing: That's as big... no... bigger than your head!

In my defense, I shared the popcorn with everyone.

One or two kernels each?

Jurassic World was awesome, by the way.

Oh, good! The first review I heard was terrible, but everyone I know loves it.

Chris Pratt was at Splash Mountain one of the nights I wasn't working and I almost cried I was so sad I missed him.

Dang. So close... yet so far.

Katie and I took a fabulous scuba-diving vacation.

Try the real thing over in the Living Seas...

:rolleyes1

Kristen is a zoology major who really wants to work in the Seas one day, so it was fun hanging out there!

Has she been back stage there? It's really interesting.

After that we treated ourselves to Mickey bars and ice cream sandwiches.

Because, Mickey bars and ice cream sandwiches.

After my program I’ll be able to give you all a definitive ranking of all the fireworks shows.

Sounds good.
I suspect Wishes may place well.

I know Kaela from a Disney blog she runs, cmkaela, that gave me a lot of information about applying for the DCP. I met her while she was working at Magic Kingdom last summer and we have become really good friends over the past year.

Nice! Love those meets. You meet the nicest people.

and Mandy is training at the Jungle Cruise (I’m so jealous).

Ah yes. Of course. You're jealous.
You only get to work at Disney... in MK.... at Spash....
So yes, I totally get how you'd be jealous....


:rolleyes2

Next, we headed to Once Upon a Toy to see what Tsum Tsums they had. I ended up getting Duffy and Fear from Inside Out.

Didn't take long fot the Inside Out merch to appear!

and we capped off the night with gelato!

Mmmmm.... love gelato.

After that we headed over to Tower of Terror. Not going to lie, this ride has become one of my favorites since I’ve been here and I think the CMs there are some of the very best, in terms of playing the part and being efficient.

::yes:: Those CMs as well as HM CMs are my fave.

Mandatory 3D glasses selfie.

::yes:: There are some things that simply must be done.

Something monumental happened on our Star Tours journey…GAVIN GOT TO BE THE REBEL SPY!!! He had no idea what was going on until I started yelling. I was so jealous!

Woot!
Funny how he didn't know what was going on though. :laughing:

This morning Katie and I went to brunch at 1900 Park Fare!

I love how you keep doing that.
"Today I did this... This morning I did that... ho hum... same old, same old. Doesn't everyone do that?"

:lmao:

I was so happy to be reunited with Disney breakfast food and tropical juice.

Oh, boy. That looks good.
And Florida OJ? :faint:

Our first visitor was Alice! She asked if we had been talking to any flowers that morning, and told us not to let them call us weeds.

That was good advice. I'd take it if I were you.

I told her I worked in Frontierland and she said she couldn’t visit there because her dress would get dirty. Totally understandable.

Of course. Makes complete sense.
Love Mary Poppins.

Pooh Bear is the cutest and gives the best hugs.

He certainly does. I wouldn't know, but I hope you caught that mini commentary about it on my TR?
If not, I can repost it here if you want.


Wait. How will I know if you want?
You don't have time to reply????

Ah! A link. Here ya go.

Kay & Pooh


Awwwww.....


Love that pic! You're getting the stuffing squeezed out of you!


Look at you all working and everything! :goodvibes


I hope you weren't pointing with one finger!!!!

Today I went back to Hollywood Studios (I know, it seems like I live there) with Shayla!

Yes. Yes it does seem that way. :laughing:

And Baymax was precious. He gave me a fist bump and let us all hug him. Just like spooning a marshmallow.

:goodvibes

Next we went to the Frozen Sing-A-Long because it’s a winner.

Wait... has it been a week already?


:rolleyes1

we decided to head over to MuppetVision 3D! I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen it yet.

At first when I read that, I thought you meant you hadn't seen it ever!
I was like, What?????

I showed Katie and Shayla where I plan on getting engaged…right in front of the Miss Piggy fountain.

::yes:: I remember that.

I tried on this lovely hat.

19244949901_8e3c41aa36_c.jpg

Suits you. You should get it.
What am I saying... of course you got it!

Right?



Right?

This morning I went to Magic Kingdom to get some birthday gifts for my sister (I’d tell you what they were, but she reads this TR).

Mum's the word.

I rode Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan’s Flight with Fastpass+! I always forget how much I love these rides until I’m on them.

I'm not a huge fan of Pooh, but oh how I could ride PP over and over again!

The park can get so bright and loud and crowded that it’s nice to go into a dark ride and relax for a few minutes.

That's a very good point.
It is a little breather, isn't it.

We also played a game where we had to purchase supplies and build a monorail, with half the team being Walt (the creative part) and half the team being Roy (the business-savvy part). I am absolutely loving this class so far!

Sounds like fun! I wonder which team you were on?

After I got out of class, Katie, Kristen, and I went to Cast Connection! This is a special store for cast members where they can purchase Disney merchandise that is no longer being sold in the parks. Katie and I got Christmas iPhone cases for $5.

Nice!

Then we headed to Downtown Disney and got a delicious dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express! I got their mac and cheese and it was so good.

I've heard that it's really good before, so I'm not surprised you liked it.
Putting it on my to do list.

I loved these apples and rice krispie treats:

I think I'm going to explode just looking at them!

And I had to get this delicious Olaf cake pop:

Of course you did.
It's pretty inevitable, no?

Finally, we went to the movie theater to see Inside Out! I absolutely loved it but it was SO SAD. I was not expecting to get that emotional, but it’s a really fantastic movie and you should see it if you haven’t yet!

I didn't know it was sad. But I've heard nothing but good things about it.

and I don’t really turn down invites to the Magic Kingdom…

One simply does not.

Next we wanted to take Katie on Carousel of Progress since she had never been on it, but the audio wasn’t working!

Never been? But you're right. Without the audio, there's no point.
And you wore your COP shirt and everything. :(

So instead we used Fastpasses to ride Mine Train. It’s a tough life I lead.

:laughing: Ah yes, we'd hate to be you!

Squinty Mine Train selfie!

:lauging: Love it!

June 27 was my assessment day. I took a test and a CM watched me perform all the different positions on the mountain…and I earned my ears!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! :banana::cool1:

I was able to take the red “Earning My Ears” ribbon off my nametag. I’m so excited to be a full-fledged CM!

That's so great, Courtney. I'm very happy for you! :goodvibes

And thanks so much for keeping us all involved with your DCP journey!
 

Following along! Congratulations!! I am loving it so far!! Maybe we'll see you in a few months!
 
Congratulations for earning your Ears!! Starting a job can be really stressful, but it seems like you have figured out a nice balance of fun and work. I am so glad you seem to have lots of friends already! More people to play in the Parks with!

I would so take that CP class on Walt if they offered it locally!
 
Congrats on earning your Ears. Spalsh Mountain is a score. That must be a lot of fun.

Loving your updates. You look like you've adjusted well and have many friends already.


My son'd favorite pin is the no standing on the seat pin. He calls it no dancing on the couch. lol
 
Thanks for sharing your experiences! I can't wait for my daughter, who is only 14, to do the DCP so I can live thru her as well!!!
 
My first order of business was meeting Princess Tiana—she is my dad’s favorite princess, so for Father’s Day I wanted to get a picture with her. She was more than happy to hold up this sign with me:
So, for Father's Day, you basically taunted your dad by showing him a picture of you being in the Magic Kingdom with his favorite princess???

Just kidding, that's a nice way to say Happy Father's Day to him despite the fact that you couldn't be together.

I headed home after that because it was so hot out, but first I treated myself to some ice cream on Main Street.
Ok. So you got up, met a princess, met up with a friend, got ice cream and left.

Yeah, I could handle having that kind of freedom to just go to MK for a couple of hours just because I feel like it.

SPLASH MOUNTAIN! I cannot believe I am working at my favorite attraction! I will never get Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah out of my head and it will be glorious!
A great attraction and a great song!!! I'm really excited and happy for you!

Jurassic World was awesome, by the way.
::yes::

I was in shock that someone who wasn’t me thought this was a marketable and profitable idea:

19063460325_28d93f2999_c.jpg


Not gonna lie, I’m tempted.
And that's why they think it is a marketable and profitable idea. Because there are people like you! :thumbsup2 :rotfl2:

Mandy is training at the Jungle Cruise (I’m so jealous).
No... you're working at Splash. You're not allowed to be jealous. :rolleyes1

GAVIN GOT TO BE THE REBEL SPY!!! He had no idea what was going on until I started yelling. I was so jealous!
Ok, you can be jealous of this one.

For dinner we decided to go to Pizza Planet! It was fantastic.
I don't think I've ever seen Pizza Planet described as fantastic! :rotfl2::rotfl::lmao:

Honestly, I don't think it is nearly as bad as its reputation. I mean, it's fine. I don't mind eating there, but fantastic is a pretty strong endorsement. :rotfl:

I had my second Heritage class today. We learned about Walt and Roy and their different contributions to the company. We also played a game where we had to purchase supplies and build a monorail, with half the team being Walt (the creative part) and half the team being Roy (the business-savvy part). I am absolutely loving this class so far!
This class really looks like it would be a lot of fun. I'm kind of a history nut anyway, so getting to focus on Walt from a historic perspective would really be right up my alley.

So instead we used Fastpasses to ride Mine Train. It’s a tough life I lead.
So how does that happen? Were you able to luck out and get FP+ day of, or is this a CM perk of having a paper FP good for any attraction?

June 27 was my assessment day. I took a test and a CM watched me perform all the different positions on the mountain…and I earned my ears!! I was able to take the red “Earning My Ears” ribbon off my nametag. I’m so excited to be a full-fledged CM!
Congratulations!!!
 
I'm so happy for you that you're loving your program so far! I love how you're taking full advantage of being able to go to the parks whenever you're able to! I hope to see you on Splash Mountain in September! That must be so fun to see everyone come back soaked!
 
What a great update! I'm all excited because I read your two other TRs in the past week, and I feel like I know you, so I'm all "I'll get to see my friend when I go to Splash Mountain!!!" except you don't know me at all, haha. Your updates are always great fun to read!
 
Wow!! That was quite an update!! I'm so happy for you with your position - how awesome that you get to work at your fave attraction. I personally can't do any rides with big drops..I know..pathetic...but I love the theming of Splash and that whole area. I'm so jealous of CM's getting to just play around WDW on their off times. How does it work with CM's and FP+? Can you book them anytime? I love those magic bands you and your friends got too. Also your class sounds really interesting.
 
We saw these last year and are very excited about getting to see them again this year. Did they do the stage show along with it, like they did last year?

Have you had a chance to go on the Great Movie Ride? I was wondering if they've added the new stuff yet.

They did do the stage show, it's a little different than last year (better, I think)!

Yes! So the main changes so far are in the queue and in the narration. Robert Osborne now shares narration duties with your tour guide. It's not too different yet but I'm excited to see if more changes come as a result of the TMC connection!


He certainly does. I wouldn't know, but I hope you caught that mini commentary about it on my TR?
If not, I can repost it here if you want.


Wait. How will I know if you want?
You don't have time to reply????

Ah! A link. Here ya go.

I got VERY choked up reading that. So sweet!!! Gotta love Pooh Bear.

I hope you weren't pointing with one finger!!!!

Of course not!!! Two fingers or a full hand are the only way to go.

Suits you. You should get it.
What am I saying... of course you got it!

Right?



Right?

So here's how merchandise discounts work for CMs. For most of the year we have 20 percent off merchandise, but when the holidays roll around we get 40 percent off merchandise. If that hat is still around when I have 40 percent off...it's a distinct possibility.

Sounds like fun! I wonder which team you were on?

I was assigned to the Roy team! I do consider myself more of a Walt than a Roy, though...

I don't think I've ever seen Pizza Planet described as fantastic! :rotfl2::rotfl::lmao:

Honestly, I don't think it is nearly as bad as its reputation. I mean, it's fine. I don't mind eating there, but fantastic is a pretty strong endorsement. :rotfl:

I know people have their opinions, but I actually LOVE Disney pizza. I think it's really good. And I love Pizza Planet as a whole...we always ate there when I was a kid, so there's a lot of nostalgia/happy memories that come with that. My dad actually won me my favorite teddy bear ever at Pizza Planet. So it's just a happy place for me :lovestruc

So how does that happen? Were you able to luck out and get FP+ day of, or is this a CM perk of having a paper FP good for any attraction?

We lucked out getting FPs for the day of! If you go in small groups and are flexible with your time, it's not too hard to get FPs for anything (except Anna and Elsa...still hoping on that one)

How does it work with CM's and FP+? Can you book them anytime?

We can book FPs up to a week in advance! And if we are staying at a Disney resort for any period of time we can book them 60 days in advance just like other guests.
 
I got VERY choked up reading that.

Me too! :)

Of course not!!! Two fingers or a full hand are the only way to go.

<phew!>

If that hat is still around when I have 40 percent off...it's a distinct possibility.

I would hope so!

I was assigned to the Roy team! I do consider myself more of a Walt than a Roy, though...

Makes it more of a challenge then.
 
We lucked out getting FPs for the day of! If you go in small groups and are flexible with your time, it's not too hard to get FPs for anything (except Anna and Elsa...still hoping on that one)

We can book FPs up to a week in advance! And if we are staying at a Disney resort for any period of time we can book them 60 days in advance just like other guests.

Cool! I didn't know how that worked for CM's. Thanks for the info!
 
We have that Olaf hat -- comes in handy on every crazy hat day!

Hope we see you at Splash or on the parade route when my daughter and I are there in August!
 
Sounds like your having a blast! That's awesome that you were able to get Splash, we won't be back to WDW until the first couple wks of October, we'll have to stop and say hi. Thanks for finding time to post so many updates, loved following your adventures! Have fun!!
 
Aww, Courtney, you look adorable in your costume!! So fun to see pics of you hard at work. :)

We still have not seen Jurassic World, and I fully understand what a crime against humanity that is. Life is so tough when you need a babysitter to do anything & everything!! We have seen Inside Out though, and we all loved it. Paxton is obsessed with Anger!

What a life it must be, just wasting time until work by hanging out in Magic Kingdom. Love it!!!
 
Today I learned how to do crowd control for the parades that come through Frontierland! Katie and Hayley visited for Festival of Fantasy and Katie got these great pictures of me directing the crowds:
Critical position! :) So great to see you in action, thanks for sharing.

We also played a game where we had to purchase supplies and build a monorail, with half the team being Walt (the creative part) and half the team being Roy (the business-savvy part). I am absolutely loving this class so far!
OMG this sounds so cool. Disney should manufacture this as a computer game or app. Not kidding, I would play this!

Katie and I got Christmas iPhone cases for $5. We were pretty tempted to use them right now but we’ll wait until November.
Christmas in July is coming, right? ;)

Wonderful updates! So great to hear about the fun and parts of the job.
 












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