Home Sweet Castle
Edit: Initially, I had intended for this article to be in chronological order of everything that has happened to me thus far in the program, but it’s difficult to keep exact dates and trace back things to the precise moment they happened, so this article is a little bit all over the place. I did try to keep it as accurate as possible regarding the timeline, however.
January 13th, 2019: The day had finally arrived. I couldn’t hold back my excitement as myself, my mom and dad eagerly drove to Anaheim, California to begin -what I had hoped would be- the journey of a lifetime. I had so nervously waited for this day to come and I found myself questioning all the decisions I had made leading up to this one day: the day I would move into the Carnegie Plaza apartments and begin a 7-month long path in the Disney College Program.
I’m not someone who has over 100 pins, collected 30 pairs of ears, knows every Disney song off the top of my head, or even knows all the characters from every movie, but Disney has always held a special place in my heart. This in mind, I’m sure some of you feel as though you deserve the spot I have because I’m not an avid Disney fanatic, but I worked my behind off to get here just like everyone here did, and Disney is just as important to me as anyone else.
Given that it is now (almost) April and I’m finally getting around to writing this article, y’all can probably tell that these past four months have been hectic. January began with move-in on the 13th, where I met a bunch of CP’s that I’d soon become very close friends with and others that I wouldn’t see for the duration of the next four months.
Before the program, you get the option to either choose your roommates or go random, and I had decided to go random; I remember being SO nervous about who my roommates were going to be: Would I like them? Would they like me? What if we hate each other? So many questions were circling in my mind until I finally got the chance to meet them.
We started with five girls in the apartment, but eventually, one girl moved out — There is no bad blood between any of us, our roommate who decided to move out saw the opportunity to room with one of her good friends, so she took it. — And then it was just me, Syd, Bree, and Linds. All four of us have become super close and spend most of our time either 1.) watching Netflix together 2.) going to Disney or 3.) staying up till 2 am talking about aliens and ghost conspiracy theories. Each one of these girls is one of my multiple personalities in the sense that each one resembles a different side of me: Bree is my funloving/outgoing side, Syd is my party/impulsive decision side, and Linds is my more laidback/chill side. Each one of them brings their amazing qualities to the table, and I feel so lucky to have gotten such amazing, powerful women as my roommates.
I always wanted to have sisters, and now I have three of the best ones I could ask for.
January was full of new introductions to so many amazing people, including my good friend, Coy. I had been introduced to Coy before the program had started through a mutual friend of ours on Facebook [shoutout to Skylar if she’s reading this]. I was worried that if I didn’t make friends before I came to the DCP that I would be totally out of luck and all alone for a while, but because of Coy, I was able to start my program perfectly.
The very first night of living in Anaheim, Coy invited me to go to Disney with his friend Lindsay, who is also a Cast Member. I can recall being so nervous about making a good first impression not only on Coy but on Lindsay as well. Lucky enough for me, both Coy and Lindsay turned out to be some of the sweetest and most amazing people I’ve met so far; Coy and Lindsay were quick to welcome me and help me feel comfortable around them, and I felt so relieved to be starting this program off on the right foot.
January honestly flew by in a blur as it seemed like it was one introduction every few seconds and training was very fast paced. Within the first few weeks, we were expected to attend Traditions and Step Into the Magic which were the primary training days for all Disney CMs. I don’t want to give too much away about these “courses,” but I will tell you that these two classes were so informative and honestly make you even more excited about the fact that you are a part of the Walt Disney Company.
After getting through these initial training courses for everyone, it was time to get training for my location which just so happens to be: World of Disney. I wasn’t sure what to expect since everything was already so different from where I had worked in the past, I had no clue what I was going to be getting myself into.
During training, we were put into a group of other CP participants as well as other CMs who were starting with the company as well. I feel as though I was fortunate and got placed with a fantastic group of women who I’ve become close friends with [most of them]. Training was fairly straightforward regarding store operations, and I found myself catching on pretty quickly to how registers work, keeping the store presentable, etc.
About a month passed by working at WoD, and I found myself creating actual friendships with the other CPs and CMs I would talk to; my really good friends and fellow CPs, Grace, Cindy, and Sara have become very significant parts of my life, and I always look forward to having shifts with these ladies. Of course, I can’t forget about everyone else at WoD I’ve gotten to know and become friends with: Alyssa, Jelly, Iola, Monique, Debbie, Jessica, Victoria, Adam, Omar, and SO many more people I can’t even list all of them! Every single one of these people has made my WoD experience something truly magical, and I can’t thank them enough for being kind and sharing some fantastic moments with me.
For the most part, I stuck to talking to my CM and CP friends because I was somewhat intimidated by the leads I worked with, but I wish I had started talking to leads and managers sooner than I did. In February I began to get the hang of how the store worked as I had mainly closing shifts [7pm-3am shifts] and I had gotten the chance to close multiple times. Closing requires communicating with leads, and since I was so new and somewhat nervous to talk to the leads, I was quiet and reserved at closing.
One closing night it had been raining, the pin cart outside needed to be closed and my lead, Wil, had asked me for help to go outside with him and lock up. Wil was the first lead I had made an effort to talk to, and wow, I am so glad that he asked me to help him lock up that one night. After getting to know Wil a little that night, I realized that all these fears and irrational ideas of who the leads are were utterly ridiculous. Every time I hear Wil is in now I get excited because I know that whenever I bump into him, or if we’re in the same area, we’ll have a good time spilling the tea to each other about everything. Wil has proved to me that not only can I feel comfortable around leads, but that I could even become good friends with them.
Wil was the first lead ever to give me a Four Keys Card and recognize me for the work I do, and that moment truly defined how I wanted to be seen at WoD. I opened my eyes to the possibility of not just working hard here, but working hard to the point where I could eventually advance in the company. The best part, however, is that Wil is not the only lead who has encouraged me to work hard and towards my goal; George, another lead, has taught me a lot about the best way to pursue my goals and the different steps I can take to get there. I don’t have specific examples for every time a lead has given me advice or helped me out, but I have definitely had moments with a majority of the leads where I felt as though I was learning something from them, as well as being listened to by them and knowing that they care about what I have to say.
Speaking of leads who care, I can’t forget to mention one of the leads I’ve gotten to interact with more recently, Jordan. I’ve tried so many times to correctly remember the first interaction I ever had with Jordan, but I can never quite figure out which one it is because they were all so awkward at first. At the beginning of the program I felt intimidated by Jordan, I’m not too sure what it was about him, but something about him just made me stay quiet when we were together. There were a few times where we would have minimal conversations and then not talk the rest of the night. There were a few nights in a row where he would say hi, or I would make fun of him for seeing me and not saying hi (which we still do), and I started to figure that I should try a little harder to get to know him. After I realized that he was making an effort to try to talk to me and get to know me, I slowly began to open up to him because I felt like I could trust him, and I honestly believe that now too. Even though I don’t know much about Jordan because he refuses to tell me anything about himself (I now know four things about him), Jordan is completely genuine in the way he shows he cares about his cast members. I believe that these qualities are what makes not only Jordan, but Wil, George, and the rest of my higher-ups, great leaders.
Okay, no more sappy stories about my friends; Their egos are big enough already and they don’t need me to keep talking about how great they are because I’m sure they already know. Time to get down to the actual work and education portion of the Spring ’19 DCP in DLR.
Thousands of people apply to be a part of the Disney College Program, and only a select few are chosen for both the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World programs. These few hundred people are handpicked by recruiters and are the people they find most qualified for the roles that are offered. Being qualified for a role doesn’t necessarily mean you have all the training already for it and experience in that role, the recruiters take into account who you are personality wise so that they can gauge where to place you when regarding your role and your roommate situation.
The most important thing I’ve learned while being in the DCP is that everything works out in the end. This applies to almost everything but I think it is most important when looking at role placement. I remember, clear as day, how upset I was when I found out I had been placed in Downtown Disney and not the parks. I couldn’t believe that I’d been dreaming of this program for years just to get placed outside of the parks.
I wish I could go back and tell myself how lucky I am to have gotten placed where I am now.
Downtown Disney is the “hello” and the “goodbye” when you come to Disneyland Resort, and this makes my role at World of Disney so important. I and all the other CM’s at WoD are here to give guests the same magical experience that they can have inside the parks. Every day is dedicated to the guests, and I always like to remind myself of that whenever I walk through the doors onstage. The work never really feels like it’s work because every moment is just another opportunity for Cast Members to make another guest’s day better.
Magical moments are real, and they don’t have to be these big, grand gestures that people may think they are. I figured I’d write out my top magical moments so y’all can get an idea of how even in Downtown Disney, there’s magic in the air:
Around the end of February, beginning of March, I had been standing at the doorway closest to Disneyland. As many of you who have seen me before know, I have tan colored skin and black hair, and I’m about as tall as a 13-year-old (I’ll be 20 on April 12th). Since I was door greeting, I had brought my plush friend, Stitch, out to wave to everyone while he wore donut ears when two little girls, both about 5/6, ran in and stopped at my feet. They both began to tug on my jeans so I knelt down to talk to them and they asked me if I was Lilo, where the aliens were, and if Stitch and I had a spaceship. We spent a while talking in the door as their parents watched us eventually sit down on the floor and try different ears on Stitch.
While this interaction may just seem like any other interaction between little ones and an adult whose job it is to entertain them, I assure you that on my end, this entire interaction affected my whole day and has made me more of who I am today. It’s the small, seemingly insignificant moments that truly can touch you to your core and for me, it was this moment with these two little girls. — I had been having a rough time with a boy at the time, and I had asked my mom if I could see my dog because I was missing home at the time, and Lilo and Stitch have always made me think of home because Stitch reminds me of my dog. — These girls didn’t know about the day I had just had, the things I had been going through that week, and those things shouldn’t have to matter when you dedicate your time to making an interaction special for someone.
The magic is in being able to take everyday moments and finding a reason and a way to celebrate them.
Sure, there are those days where there aren’t as many magical moments, it’s super busy, the store is crowded, guests don’t want to wait in long lines, it’s too hot, it’s too rainy, etc. But each day at work is always going to be a little different and present its challenges, and our job is to make a guest’s day better regardless of the day they’ve had.
I wasn’t too sure how I wanted to go about talking about the education components of the DCP because of how little I feel they’ve made up my experience thus far. However, while the education part of the DCP has only been a small portion of my time thus far, I have learned a lot of valuable information from the different opportunities that have presented themselves.
There is a small selection of seminars/lectures that you are required to take during the DCP at Disneyland Resort. The different classes that are offered range from Leadership 101, to Events and Marketing, to even Environmentality and Corporate Citizenship, all at DLR and provide a glimpse into the different worlds that come together to support and develop “the happiest place on Earth”. These seminars are all very information based and very helpful when it comes down to learning about how to begin a career with the Walt Disney Company. Some of the seminars are even hands-on, such as when my Environmentality and Corporate Citizenship class went to the Orange County Food Bank to box goods. If you’re really interested in knowing what these classes are and have to do with, then I suggest you apply for the program and take them yourself because it’s something you should first-hand get to listen to and experience yourself.
A significant part of the education part of the DCP that isn’t mentioned as prominently when they advertise it is the fact that there is a lot of life lessons and just general personal growth while you’re in this program. For those who have never lived on their own, the DCP is like the final step of pre-adulthood before you go off and live on your own. Since you get to live with roommates but still have responsibility for paying rent, keeping the apartment clean, and following rules, the housing for DCP is an ideal way to begin the transition between carefree days and the reality of the real world (which isn’t a bad thing). There is a lot of responsibility that goes into timekeeping, cleaning, cooking, prioritizing tasks, networking, and so much more that happens while you’re in the program and you don’t necessarily realize that you’re really growing until someone mentions it to you.
Thinking back on the main things I’ve learned in this program halfway through, I think the top lessons I’ve learned are:
- Everything works out for the greater good.
I’m not 100% sure what the “greater good” is that everything is working so hard to get towards, but every single mistake, purposeful decision, good day, bad day, breakup, new relationship, etc. happens for a reason and will only benefit you in the long run. Bad things happen, there’s no denying it, and yes, there are some horrible things that happen to people that can be life-altering, but in the end, these things are not what determines the rest of our lives, the growth we achieve by overcoming adversity is what allows us to work towards a happy future.
2. Taking risks is worth it.
If I hadn’t taken a risk and applied for the DCP for Spring 2019, I would not be where I am today as a person. There are risks that are greater than others, but if you know the cost of the risk and you are willing to take it, then do it. There are so many friends I currently have that I don’t think I would have if I hadn’t taken a risk and talked to them.
3. Great moments are rare; that’s what makes them so great.
Not every day is going to be THE BEST, MOST EXCITING, AWESOME DAY EVER! Most likely, every day is going to start average and either getter better or worse based on the crowds, and your attitude going into work. It’s normal that not every day is perfect, because if we didn’t have bad days, we wouldn’t know what it truly is that makes a good day, a good day. When those fantastic, time-stopping moments happen, hold onto them and make them last because they don’t come too often.
4. Thousands of people pass by you each day, so don’t let just one of them get to you.
Don’t waste time being hung up on people that you may not ever see again. This can apply to anyone you know too because you have the option to cut things off with someone who isn’t good for you. There are so many people who you will encounter and talk to that one person that you may not know, or even if it’s your best friend, shouldn’t get to you because they are just 1 out of billions.
5. Real friends exist, and once you have them, you’ll know.
I have lost friends, but for every friend I’ve lost, I truly believe that I’ve gained a great new one. It has been so interesting to watch the people I once called my “best friends” drop like flies out of my life as I’ve begun to focus more on my career and school. I really would like to thank everyone who’s been by my side during the program and who have come into my life during this time. All of you have helped me grow into who I am still working on becoming, and I feel so lucky to have such amazing friends who support me like y’all do.
To think that there are only about four months left in this program makes me a little sad, and just a bit sad because I’m trying not to think about it too much. I’ll miss all of my friends, coworkers, and even the acquaintances I have in the DCP, the late night drives to get Baja Blasts after getting off at 2:40 AM, getting matching tattoos with my roommates, and much more.
This is just the beginning of my career with Disney, and I am so eager to see what my future has in store for me. I am truly happy where I am in my life right now and I owe it all to The Mouse.
