Disney College Program? Yes Please.
HELLO BLOG WORLD! I am so SO excited today, because I've been dreaming about this moment for months and years and months, and it finally happened.
I WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE DISNEY COLLEGE PROGRAM!!!! *fireworks, fireworks, confetti, air horns, fireworks* I have been accepted into the Attractions role for the Fall Advantage 2018 program in Walt Disney World. This means I will be working/operating some sort of ride in one of the parks in WDW, and I will be there from May 14th to January 3rd. I can hardly contain my excitement, and can hardly believe it is actually real. I'm so scared I'm going to get some sort of email tomorrow saying, "Oh just kidding, that was a mistake." Because. How?? How in the WORLD was I chosen to go live and work in Disney World for eight months of my life?? How is that not some sort of joke? The sheer awesomeness of the statement: "I'm going to be working for Disney" seriously hits me hard every time I say it.
I am going to be working for Disney.
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." --Walt Disney
And I am so excited for this adventure! (bring on the dozens of minnie ears I'll be buying lol) Now, lots of friends and family have been asking me, "What really is the Disney College Program?" People think I'm moving to Florida just to go to some sort of elaborate Disney college or something haha. So I'm here to clarify a couple of things! The reason this program is called the Disney College Program is because 1), you have to be a currently enrolled college student to apply, and 2), the program takes the place of a regular semester of school. My program is called Fall ADVANTAGE, meaning not only am I a part of the Fall program months (August-January), I am also lucky enough to be there for the summer as well (May-July)! Which makes me SO excited because, who doesn't want to live longer in the "Happiest place on Earth"?? So the program is basically an internship--I am moving there to become a Cast Member (employee) for Disney! I'll be paid, wear the costumes, everything! There are four different Disney housing complexes, so I'll be living in a Disney Dorm with other college program participants--I'll have roommates just like college. However, if you are feeling up to it, you CAN take a class or two through Disney University. But these are classes about the history of Walt Disney and the parks, etc.. so no math or science here!! (thank goodness)
Another group of people have wondered why I'll be moving to Florida to work at Walt Disney World instead of simply going to California to work at good ole' Disneyland. Having never been to WDW myself, or even Florida for that matter, it does seem kinda crazy. I love love LOVE Disneyland, and I will definitely always have a special place in my heart for the park that started it all. It's all I've ever known, so it seems kinda impossible to me sometimes that Disney World even really exists. But here's the thing: Disneyland is just a whole lot smaller than Walt Disney World, and that has its consequences. (it doesn't have less magic though fam) Meaning, Disneyland is made up of mostly local cast members; they don't hire a lot of out-of-state people. And because the park is smaller, there are less roles and opportunities for College Program applicants. I had a list of 8 roles or more I was interested in at Walt Disney World, but the only overlapping position I could have been offered at both parks was Attractions. In the DL DCP I can't audition to be a Character Performer, can't apply to be a Character Attendant, Photopass Photographer, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique worker, etc. And the Advantage package(?) was only available to local Californians, with housing prices more expensive than Florida. So there were actually quite a few advantages to picking WDW as my main park of choice. Not to say I wouldn't love to do a second college program in Disneyland, or end up working in Disneyland long term, but I am so so excited (we should count how many times I say this) to be experiencing WDW for the first time as a cast member. I think it will give the whole park a very special glow.
So I mentioned this above, but I have been offered the role of Attractions. I don't know any more than that, and I won't for a while. The week before my arrival date I will receive my travel itinerary and that will include where I will be living and what park I will be located in (Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, etc). But I still won't know what ride I will be operating until I move to Florida and we have "casting." Then I'm sure there will be lots of squealing and excitement and posting to share more of my adventure with you all. I am VERY excited (at least it wasn't "so excited" this time) for Attractions, especially because I am secretly praying and wishing with all my might that I will be a Jungle Cruise Skipper. Telling jokes on a boat all day? I'm 100% sure I would be perfect for it. I am trying to not get my hopes up however (very hard, let me tell you), because I know how freaking crazy that would be.
Another thing--I am auditioning to be a Character Performer as well! This is a role no one can be assigned without auditioning first. These are the people you see in parades and walking around in costumes. This is what everyone automatically asks me if I'm doing as soon as I tell them about the program because, if you didn't know, I'm kinda obsessed with performing. I'm very excited and hopeful at the idea of performing for Disney, knowing how rare an opportunity like that is. This would take the place of my attractions role (I wish I could be a Jungle Cruise Skipper AND a Princess tbh), if I were to do well at my auditions and get offered this role instead. So! Everyone wondering if I'll be performing in Walt Disney World: it is still a possibility! But truthfully, I am so excited for the role of Attractions and hate the idea of having to choose one or the other, because both opportunities sound amazing. But either way, I'll be in Disney World, living my dream. And I know the Lord will place me where I am supposed to be. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
........................................................................................................................................................................
My family has been planning a trip to Disneyland in April for a while; lots of things to be celebrated and honored, and I am REALLY excited (lol) to go so close to when I leave for Florida so I can really compare both parks to one another! Just in the sense that they have so many of essentially the same rides, but with subtle differences. I think that will be really cool to look at. And it will be really nice to have this last big family vacation before I leave on my own personal adventure.
I already left on one of my own personal adventures when I left on my mission in Nauvoo. However, I can see this being both easier and harder. In Nauvoo I was a missionary, so contact with my family was short and very limited. That made the separation really painful at the beginning, but ultimately easier in the long run because I became attached to my YPMs that much quicker. They were my Nauvoo family. I became less dependent on the role my real family had previously played in my life. Then four months passed and I was back with them anyway. This time around, I will have full access to all of modern technology, and some of my family will probably be coming with me to drop me off in Florida. Making the goodbye a tiny bit harder, I think. I will have contact with my family (and Nauvoo family thank goodness) every day if I want it. And I honestly can't decide if this is going to make things easier or harder. It's a blessing to be sure, I don't want to leave these people behind, even if that's what I am doing physically. But I am hoping this will not distract from me being present in the lives of those I will be sharing an adventure with for eight months.
But of COURSE I won't be leaving my people behind. Each time I think about it too long, I get so overwhelmed and just want to pack each of you up in a bag and take you with me. I've formed such a family here. With my own family and YPM family of course. But through my theatre communities and co-workers and ward members.. I really have a home here in Layton, Utah. I suppose that's what you get after living somewhere for 20 years. I've always been a homebody with the spirit and longing for adventure. I have so many big dreams and big plans that I want to make a reality, and I am proud of myself for doing one of them this year! (yay future me!) And I am still proud of my Nauvoo adventure too. But like I said, I've always been a homebody and people/friends/family have always been such a big part of what makes life beautiful to me. I love each of the people in my life for different reasons, and I know I wouldn't be who I am today without each and every one of them. Where would I be without Jacci and Kim and the Playhouse? Or Mauri and her casts at Centerpoint? Or my crazy co-workers at Horizon that have adopted me into their ranks? How on earth am I going to function not being an hour drive away from a lot of my Nauvoo family? Those people have been my sanity for over a year now, and the thought of leaving them makes me sick. But as Sister Soelberg says, "We are growing." And we are learning how to still function as a family as we are choosing for ourselves the personal lives we want to lead. People are married, engaged, moving, and living. And that's okay. We will always be here for one another, no matter what. It's all just growing pains right now. But the #1 thing is: my Nauvoo family will always be there for me. And I will always be there for them.
And it goes without saying that my mom and dad and sisters and brothers and nieces are all going to be sorely, sorely missed; but I know I have them supporting me through thick and thin as well.
And it should also go without saying: I love you theatre people and friends and neighbors. I love all of my casts and wardies and co-workers that I will be leaving for a short time. You are all so important to me (if you couldn't tell by my ramblings), and I want you to know that. Call me, text me, beep me (lol jk), anything--I'm here for you all still. And I can't wait for the musicals we'll do together when I get back.
But here we are, and here I go. 85 days and counting. Disney here I come.
.....................................................................................................................................................................
Let me know if you have any other questions or comments about this awesome opportunity! I am happy to talk about it for days on end, and I can't wait for you all to experience this adventure with me!!
"All of our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." --Walt Disney
PLUS I ALMOST FORGOT:
What's Bringing Me Joy Right Now:
-The book One Day by David Nicholls. It is seriously stunning. I was invested and in love with the characters who are so flawed and human by page one. I recommend this book 1000%
-Bryan Richards and his crazy piano playing skills. I had the honor of being asked by him to sing one of his arrangements in sacrament this week. It was a beautiful rendition of "This is the Christ" that I am afraid I didn't do justice with the head cold I've been fighting all week. Seriously. This guy has magic in the ends of his fingers.
-My orange hyrdoflask--seriously who ever invented these water bottles was a God-send. It's crunch time for Millie and it has been so nice to have this with me every day.
-Cakeworthy.com and their insanely cute Disney merch
-My new Chewbacca Build-a-Bear
-DI finds--you're talking to the proud owner of a pair of high-waisted purple corduroy pants (wow that sounds awful, but I LOVE them)
-a "lol your not jim sturgess" t-shirt because I'm still obsessed
-my fuzzy Mickey Mouse pajama pants
I WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE DISNEY COLLEGE PROGRAM!!!! *fireworks, fireworks, confetti, air horns, fireworks* I have been accepted into the Attractions role for the Fall Advantage 2018 program in Walt Disney World. This means I will be working/operating some sort of ride in one of the parks in WDW, and I will be there from May 14th to January 3rd. I can hardly contain my excitement, and can hardly believe it is actually real. I'm so scared I'm going to get some sort of email tomorrow saying, "Oh just kidding, that was a mistake." Because. How?? How in the WORLD was I chosen to go live and work in Disney World for eight months of my life?? How is that not some sort of joke? The sheer awesomeness of the statement: "I'm going to be working for Disney" seriously hits me hard every time I say it.
I am going to be working for Disney.
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." --Walt Disney
And I am so excited for this adventure! (bring on the dozens of minnie ears I'll be buying lol) Now, lots of friends and family have been asking me, "What really is the Disney College Program?" People think I'm moving to Florida just to go to some sort of elaborate Disney college or something haha. So I'm here to clarify a couple of things! The reason this program is called the Disney College Program is because 1), you have to be a currently enrolled college student to apply, and 2), the program takes the place of a regular semester of school. My program is called Fall ADVANTAGE, meaning not only am I a part of the Fall program months (August-January), I am also lucky enough to be there for the summer as well (May-July)! Which makes me SO excited because, who doesn't want to live longer in the "Happiest place on Earth"?? So the program is basically an internship--I am moving there to become a Cast Member (employee) for Disney! I'll be paid, wear the costumes, everything! There are four different Disney housing complexes, so I'll be living in a Disney Dorm with other college program participants--I'll have roommates just like college. However, if you are feeling up to it, you CAN take a class or two through Disney University. But these are classes about the history of Walt Disney and the parks, etc.. so no math or science here!! (thank goodness)
Another group of people have wondered why I'll be moving to Florida to work at Walt Disney World instead of simply going to California to work at good ole' Disneyland. Having never been to WDW myself, or even Florida for that matter, it does seem kinda crazy. I love love LOVE Disneyland, and I will definitely always have a special place in my heart for the park that started it all. It's all I've ever known, so it seems kinda impossible to me sometimes that Disney World even really exists. But here's the thing: Disneyland is just a whole lot smaller than Walt Disney World, and that has its consequences. (it doesn't have less magic though fam) Meaning, Disneyland is made up of mostly local cast members; they don't hire a lot of out-of-state people. And because the park is smaller, there are less roles and opportunities for College Program applicants. I had a list of 8 roles or more I was interested in at Walt Disney World, but the only overlapping position I could have been offered at both parks was Attractions. In the DL DCP I can't audition to be a Character Performer, can't apply to be a Character Attendant, Photopass Photographer, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique worker, etc. And the Advantage package(?) was only available to local Californians, with housing prices more expensive than Florida. So there were actually quite a few advantages to picking WDW as my main park of choice. Not to say I wouldn't love to do a second college program in Disneyland, or end up working in Disneyland long term, but I am so so excited (we should count how many times I say this) to be experiencing WDW for the first time as a cast member. I think it will give the whole park a very special glow.
So I mentioned this above, but I have been offered the role of Attractions. I don't know any more than that, and I won't for a while. The week before my arrival date I will receive my travel itinerary and that will include where I will be living and what park I will be located in (Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, etc). But I still won't know what ride I will be operating until I move to Florida and we have "casting." Then I'm sure there will be lots of squealing and excitement and posting to share more of my adventure with you all. I am VERY excited (at least it wasn't "so excited" this time) for Attractions, especially because I am secretly praying and wishing with all my might that I will be a Jungle Cruise Skipper. Telling jokes on a boat all day? I'm 100% sure I would be perfect for it. I am trying to not get my hopes up however (very hard, let me tell you), because I know how freaking crazy that would be.
Another thing--I am auditioning to be a Character Performer as well! This is a role no one can be assigned without auditioning first. These are the people you see in parades and walking around in costumes. This is what everyone automatically asks me if I'm doing as soon as I tell them about the program because, if you didn't know, I'm kinda obsessed with performing. I'm very excited and hopeful at the idea of performing for Disney, knowing how rare an opportunity like that is. This would take the place of my attractions role (I wish I could be a Jungle Cruise Skipper AND a Princess tbh), if I were to do well at my auditions and get offered this role instead. So! Everyone wondering if I'll be performing in Walt Disney World: it is still a possibility! But truthfully, I am so excited for the role of Attractions and hate the idea of having to choose one or the other, because both opportunities sound amazing. But either way, I'll be in Disney World, living my dream. And I know the Lord will place me where I am supposed to be. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
........................................................................................................................................................................
My family has been planning a trip to Disneyland in April for a while; lots of things to be celebrated and honored, and I am REALLY excited (lol) to go so close to when I leave for Florida so I can really compare both parks to one another! Just in the sense that they have so many of essentially the same rides, but with subtle differences. I think that will be really cool to look at. And it will be really nice to have this last big family vacation before I leave on my own personal adventure.
I already left on one of my own personal adventures when I left on my mission in Nauvoo. However, I can see this being both easier and harder. In Nauvoo I was a missionary, so contact with my family was short and very limited. That made the separation really painful at the beginning, but ultimately easier in the long run because I became attached to my YPMs that much quicker. They were my Nauvoo family. I became less dependent on the role my real family had previously played in my life. Then four months passed and I was back with them anyway. This time around, I will have full access to all of modern technology, and some of my family will probably be coming with me to drop me off in Florida. Making the goodbye a tiny bit harder, I think. I will have contact with my family (and Nauvoo family thank goodness) every day if I want it. And I honestly can't decide if this is going to make things easier or harder. It's a blessing to be sure, I don't want to leave these people behind, even if that's what I am doing physically. But I am hoping this will not distract from me being present in the lives of those I will be sharing an adventure with for eight months.
But of COURSE I won't be leaving my people behind. Each time I think about it too long, I get so overwhelmed and just want to pack each of you up in a bag and take you with me. I've formed such a family here. With my own family and YPM family of course. But through my theatre communities and co-workers and ward members.. I really have a home here in Layton, Utah. I suppose that's what you get after living somewhere for 20 years. I've always been a homebody with the spirit and longing for adventure. I have so many big dreams and big plans that I want to make a reality, and I am proud of myself for doing one of them this year! (yay future me!) And I am still proud of my Nauvoo adventure too. But like I said, I've always been a homebody and people/friends/family have always been such a big part of what makes life beautiful to me. I love each of the people in my life for different reasons, and I know I wouldn't be who I am today without each and every one of them. Where would I be without Jacci and Kim and the Playhouse? Or Mauri and her casts at Centerpoint? Or my crazy co-workers at Horizon that have adopted me into their ranks? How on earth am I going to function not being an hour drive away from a lot of my Nauvoo family? Those people have been my sanity for over a year now, and the thought of leaving them makes me sick. But as Sister Soelberg says, "We are growing." And we are learning how to still function as a family as we are choosing for ourselves the personal lives we want to lead. People are married, engaged, moving, and living. And that's okay. We will always be here for one another, no matter what. It's all just growing pains right now. But the #1 thing is: my Nauvoo family will always be there for me. And I will always be there for them.
And it goes without saying that my mom and dad and sisters and brothers and nieces are all going to be sorely, sorely missed; but I know I have them supporting me through thick and thin as well.
And it should also go without saying: I love you theatre people and friends and neighbors. I love all of my casts and wardies and co-workers that I will be leaving for a short time. You are all so important to me (if you couldn't tell by my ramblings), and I want you to know that. Call me, text me, beep me (lol jk), anything--I'm here for you all still. And I can't wait for the musicals we'll do together when I get back.
But here we are, and here I go. 85 days and counting. Disney here I come.
.....................................................................................................................................................................
Let me know if you have any other questions or comments about this awesome opportunity! I am happy to talk about it for days on end, and I can't wait for you all to experience this adventure with me!!
"All of our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." --Walt Disney
PLUS I ALMOST FORGOT:
What's Bringing Me Joy Right Now:
-The book One Day by David Nicholls. It is seriously stunning. I was invested and in love with the characters who are so flawed and human by page one. I recommend this book 1000%
-Bryan Richards and his crazy piano playing skills. I had the honor of being asked by him to sing one of his arrangements in sacrament this week. It was a beautiful rendition of "This is the Christ" that I am afraid I didn't do justice with the head cold I've been fighting all week. Seriously. This guy has magic in the ends of his fingers.
-My orange hyrdoflask--seriously who ever invented these water bottles was a God-send. It's crunch time for Millie and it has been so nice to have this with me every day.
-Cakeworthy.com and their insanely cute Disney merch
-My new Chewbacca Build-a-Bear
-DI finds--you're talking to the proud owner of a pair of high-waisted purple corduroy pants (wow that sounds awful, but I LOVE them)
-a "lol your not jim sturgess" t-shirt because I'm still obsessed
-my fuzzy Mickey Mouse pajama pants
Comments
Post a Comment