So what is the DCP? The Disney College Program (DCP) is a competitive internship where college students can live, learn and earn at Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland. There are many options available, but I'll be going down for about four months to WDW in Florida. I will be leaving on February 9th and my journey will end on May 29th, though I may have the opportunity to extend for an additional 3 months, or up to a year!
I was given pretty much the best role in the world! I was accepted for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Hostess. I will be a Fairy Godmother in Training, which means I'll be making little prince and princess dreams come true! I will either work in the Magic Kingdom or Downtown Disney, though I won't know my location until I get down there. Either way, I'll be able to pick up shifts in either location, and they both have their perks. Being a FGIT (Fairy Godmother in Training) is what I've wanted to do for just about as long as I can remember. I've played the Fairy Godmother in a couple productions on Cinderella's Glass Slipper, and there is nothing more magical than PIXIE DUST! I'll be seeing a lot of that in WDW :) Although I won't be playing the Fairy Godmother, getting to make dreams come true is just about the best thing in the world.
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| Cinderella's Glass Slipper (Soluna Studio) |
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| Cinderella's Glass Slipper (SPAC) "Yay" for using my Sweet 16 dress more than once! |
My application process was a bit different than most people who apply for the DCP. I only selected one role, which was really risky! Only about 25-30 girls get selected for this position, and it is one of the most popular roles to apply for. Most people apply for a few roles. You have the choice of picking "High Interest," "Moderate Interest," "Low Interest" and "No Interest." Even though you put low to no interest, it is still possible to get put in those roles, though it is rare for someone who puts "No Interest" in a role to be placed there. There's no clear answer as to how many people apply and get accepted each season, but I've seen anywhere from 3,000 - 6,000 students accepted, and I've seen up to 60,000 people apply! Don't quote me on that though!
I applied on August 21st (technically August 20 because I applied a little after midnight the first night applications became available). After my application was reviewed, I moved onto the Web Based Interview (WBI). Some people do not get past the initial application process, so I was grateful to be able to complete it fairly quickly. The WBI could be considered a personality test, though it is a bit more than that. They ask you similar questions that are worded differently to look for consistency, so it can be tricky. Again, not everyone gets past this process. I've heard some people say this interview is easy, but I also know so many qualified applicants who did not get through this process. If you pass the WBI, you are asked to schedule a phone interview. Mine was scheduled on August 26th. I had a very nice interviewer who asked me some general questions, questions about the Disney look, living with roommates, some questions based on the role I applied for, and general park questions to see what kind of advice I would give to guests! My interview lasted a little over 20 minutes, and I was told I would hear back anywhere from mid to late October. Remember, this was AUGUST, so I was ready for a long wait!
Last season, I applied the first day, had my phone interview a couple days later, and three weeks after that I was pended. According to my last interviewer, she described being pended as being "put on hold" because "they want you, but don't have enough room." After months of waiting...and waiting.....and waiting to hear back, I found out I was not accepted into the program. While I was sad, I knew I had a lot of exciting things coming up this semester, and I had a lot to look forward to. I told just about everyone I knew I was applying last semester, and I had to tell everyone I wasn't going to Disney. This time around, I only told a couple of people, so it was very exciting when I could finally say that I got in!
On September 18th, and 12:19pm, I received the most magical email in the world. I had just left my teacher observations, and was heading to school for a meeting. There is a long stoplight near my school, and it has become my place to check for Disney emails. Almost everyday last semester, I would quickly check to see if any magical message had come through, and of course I never got anything. This time, however, I saw something that said "Disney Recruiting: Congratulations!" I COULDN'T BELIEVE MY EYES! Was this really happening? Of course, the light turns green right away, so I'm driving, trying to find a place to pull over, trying to calm myself down just incase I read the message wrong. I pull into the closest parking lot I can find - a nursing home- and read the email 3 times over. I was going to Disney!
While I had assumed I got BBB (short for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique), the only way to be sure was to log into a computer and see what role I was accepted for! I drove to school with tears in my eyes, and ran to the computer lab. I was accepted not only for my dream role, but for Spring 2015, my first choice! I ran to a meeting, but didn't tell anyone because I wanted my parents to be the first to know. I had a plan since the last time I applied to get a cake for them that said I was going to Disney, and wanted to stick to that! I did tell some people at school the news since I had some long-term commitments that I would no longer be able to fulfill and paperwork to fill out. Since I had told a couple of people, I decided to text my best friends Amanda and Mike, some of the few people who knew I was applying. It is so nice to have such supportive friends - they were so excited, and hopefully they'll be able to come down to visit during one of their breaks! Here are a couple of pictures from our recent magical trip!
This is when it really became a reality. How can I leave all of my commitments? How could I leave Show Choir when we are just getting started? I wouldn't be there for my private voice students around NYSSMA time, and I hold an executive position for several clubs and organizations on campus! But this is my dream, so how could I say no?
I texted both of my parents to see when they would be home, and both were worried that something was wrong because I was so vague. Obviously, it was quite the opposite! I ran to Carvel and dropped the first cake at my dad's house. I showed it to my brother Chris, and he asked what it said. When I told him, he said "I didn't want to say it just incase I was reading it wrong, but congratulations!!!" He helped me hide it in the freezer, and made sure my dad and his mom saw. He's an awesome brother!
I taught a voice lesson and broke the news my amazing student (who will do well with whoever she works with!) and contacted a new student I have just started working with (another fantastic musician)! We worked things out, and I'll make sure they're set for NYSSMA prep!
When I got home, I had my mom pull the cake out of the fridge. A friend told me to record it (shout-out to Nicole!) and I'm so glad I did. I won't post the video on here because my mom would be so mad, but basically her reaction could be on a Disney World commercial.
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| The cake! It says "I'm Going to Disney! DCP Spring '15" |
I paid my fees, filled out some online paperwork, accepted my position, and celebrated! And there you have it, the start of my Disney journey. Sorry for the lengthy post, but this is all stuff I want to remember when I look back years from now!
My day basically consisted of listening to Wishes and crying (happy tears of course)! The following days pretty much followed the same thing, because I'll be making wishes come true everyday! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!
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