Leasha_Loves_Disney
Please stand clear of the door; Por favor manténga
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2010
A Very BIG Move for One Little Girl: A Disney College Program Planning Diary.
Hello Hello Hello!!! Everyone and Welcome to my planning extravaganza
Lets start out with a few introductions.
For those of you who havent met me yet my name it Alicia. I have been dreaming of doing the Disney College Program since I was in high school and its finally happening for me!!! I move to Disney in August and this is the story about how I am getting there. If you care to know a little bit about me I will let you know everything you could need to know and more!!!
I am a recent college graduate with my BFA in Theatre Performance and in my mind I am THE BIGGEST Disney fan in the world, really there is no contest. As I so often say I was born and raised a Disney baby. My mother took my father to Disney just after she graduated high school and its been like a drug for my family ever since. I have 3 other Disney loving siblings who are completely jealous that I get to do this. I also have a loving Fiancé who I am unfortunately going to have to be apart from while I am there. I have been to Disney more than I can count and I have been lucky enough the experience some pretty amazing things with the ones I love time and time again which I think it why my love for Disney is so strong.
Lets start with this little story: Going into college I knew that at one point or another I would be participating in the DCP for me sooner rather than later was favorable. So naturally as soon as I stepped foot on campus I found out when the presentation at my school was freshman year and I skipped class to attend the (then mandatory) presentation. This was before they had the rule no freshman are allowed to participate. So I went and attended the presentation and signed up for my interview which back then they allowed you to do on campus (now you have no choice but to do it over the phone). I did my interview and I felt like it went perfectly.
In the time between my interview and hearing back from Disney I talked to a bunch of the teachers at my school to see what they thought about me leaving. Let me tell you they were anything but excited. They thought that it was a terrible idea and tried talking me out of it right away saying it was pointless and stupid. It didnt really matter either way because I never heard back from Disney anyways. I waited and waited and my letter never came
That is until one day, I got a phone call from Disney saying that they needed me to either accept or deny my position on the letter that was sent to me. The only problem was I never got a letter so I wasnt able to accept or deny because I had no I idea they had even wanted me!!! Eventually my silly freshman self let my department talk me out of going, at the time it was devastating but now I see it as a blessing. I promised myself that I would be patient and wait until the semester after I graduated. Not only would that allow me to get the experience but it would delay being thrown into the real world a little longer.
Over the years I watched a few of my friends peruse their Disney dreams totally ruling out what their advisors had told them, they just picked up and left. It hurt me to see all these younger kids doing the thing that I didnt have the courage to do.
I stayed in school and am SO grateful for making that decision. Senior year rolled around and I was more than blessed with the opportunities I was given and the strides I was able to make with myself confidence. This brings up to Disney stuff!!! In the fall I had seen the posters hanging around campus advertising the DCP presentation.
I called my sister and told her that she HAD TO COME WITH ME. So she said she would make the trip up to visit me and we would sit through the presentation together.
The big day rolled around and I dragged my partner in crime Ryan (also a theatre major) with me.
I had met Ryan the year before he was a transfer student from one of the best costuming programs in the country. I bonded with him immediately and we became basically inseparable. He had no interest in doing the program because he was a sophomore at the time and he knew the department would tell him no.
Let me just tell you, we got there and he fell in love from then on out he just kept asking me Alicia, when do we go to Disney?!
I officially had him hooked all that was left to do was wait out the semester and then apply which is exactly what we did. The day applications dropped was the longest day of my life. I had classes from 9am until 7pm and that was also the night of our huge town hall meeting at school. I anxiously waited through it in excruciating pain knowing that as I sat there for a few hours people were applying and making it onto the next step. I busted out of that meeting so fast and made it to the computer lab.
Ryan and I went through the entire process together sitting side by side filling out the many steps the interview entails. When it came to the night of our phone interviews I went first and then called Ryan to fill him in. I remember telling him I felt like it went so well, I had looked up questions online and had prepped my butt off for it. The interview is said to take about 15 minutes mine took 45, I just kept telling myself that has to be a good sign. Right? Then all there was left to do was wait
This was the worst part of it all, forget the timed multiple choice section forget talking on the phone (whish usually I HATE doing). Waiting was the worst because if I didnt get in this year that was it. I graduated and the opportunity was gone, slipped between my fingers. It killed me to wait but I did.
The day people started getting their acceptance emails was the worst. I couldnt focus in any of my classes because people just kept posting to the facebook page I GOT IN!!! I sat through my womens studies class with a lump in my throat as the acceptances slowed down for the day. I made my way to work and talked with one of my bosses and best friends Robin about how bummed I was. I worked in the departments costume shop and we were in crunch mode so there was no time to be sad there was only time to work. I decided to refresh my email one more time before starting a project and I almost had a heart attack. I felt my face turn red and my heart start to beat a million times a minute because there in my inbox was an email from Disney saying
Youve been accepted!!!
I can remember falling on the floor in tears just completely grateful for the opportunity. I couldnt believe it, I was in and this was the start of a very big move for one little girl.
I need a place to collect my thoughts and plans and this is it. So if you are along for the whirlwind ride welcome!!! Not only is this a place for me to plan but its a place for anyone out there to share stories of Disney/DCP and their experiences. Questions are more than welcome from those you looking to do the program in the future and advice is greatly appreciated from those of you who have already participated. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I cant wait to take hold of it!!!
Hello Hello Hello!!! Everyone and Welcome to my planning extravaganza
Lets start out with a few introductions.
For those of you who havent met me yet my name it Alicia. I have been dreaming of doing the Disney College Program since I was in high school and its finally happening for me!!! I move to Disney in August and this is the story about how I am getting there. If you care to know a little bit about me I will let you know everything you could need to know and more!!!
I am a recent college graduate with my BFA in Theatre Performance and in my mind I am THE BIGGEST Disney fan in the world, really there is no contest. As I so often say I was born and raised a Disney baby. My mother took my father to Disney just after she graduated high school and its been like a drug for my family ever since. I have 3 other Disney loving siblings who are completely jealous that I get to do this. I also have a loving Fiancé who I am unfortunately going to have to be apart from while I am there. I have been to Disney more than I can count and I have been lucky enough the experience some pretty amazing things with the ones I love time and time again which I think it why my love for Disney is so strong.
Lets start with this little story: Going into college I knew that at one point or another I would be participating in the DCP for me sooner rather than later was favorable. So naturally as soon as I stepped foot on campus I found out when the presentation at my school was freshman year and I skipped class to attend the (then mandatory) presentation. This was before they had the rule no freshman are allowed to participate. So I went and attended the presentation and signed up for my interview which back then they allowed you to do on campus (now you have no choice but to do it over the phone). I did my interview and I felt like it went perfectly.
In the time between my interview and hearing back from Disney I talked to a bunch of the teachers at my school to see what they thought about me leaving. Let me tell you they were anything but excited. They thought that it was a terrible idea and tried talking me out of it right away saying it was pointless and stupid. It didnt really matter either way because I never heard back from Disney anyways. I waited and waited and my letter never came
That is until one day, I got a phone call from Disney saying that they needed me to either accept or deny my position on the letter that was sent to me. The only problem was I never got a letter so I wasnt able to accept or deny because I had no I idea they had even wanted me!!! Eventually my silly freshman self let my department talk me out of going, at the time it was devastating but now I see it as a blessing. I promised myself that I would be patient and wait until the semester after I graduated. Not only would that allow me to get the experience but it would delay being thrown into the real world a little longer.
Over the years I watched a few of my friends peruse their Disney dreams totally ruling out what their advisors had told them, they just picked up and left. It hurt me to see all these younger kids doing the thing that I didnt have the courage to do.
I stayed in school and am SO grateful for making that decision. Senior year rolled around and I was more than blessed with the opportunities I was given and the strides I was able to make with myself confidence. This brings up to Disney stuff!!! In the fall I had seen the posters hanging around campus advertising the DCP presentation.
I called my sister and told her that she HAD TO COME WITH ME. So she said she would make the trip up to visit me and we would sit through the presentation together.
The big day rolled around and I dragged my partner in crime Ryan (also a theatre major) with me.
I had met Ryan the year before he was a transfer student from one of the best costuming programs in the country. I bonded with him immediately and we became basically inseparable. He had no interest in doing the program because he was a sophomore at the time and he knew the department would tell him no.
Let me just tell you, we got there and he fell in love from then on out he just kept asking me Alicia, when do we go to Disney?!
I officially had him hooked all that was left to do was wait out the semester and then apply which is exactly what we did. The day applications dropped was the longest day of my life. I had classes from 9am until 7pm and that was also the night of our huge town hall meeting at school. I anxiously waited through it in excruciating pain knowing that as I sat there for a few hours people were applying and making it onto the next step. I busted out of that meeting so fast and made it to the computer lab.
Ryan and I went through the entire process together sitting side by side filling out the many steps the interview entails. When it came to the night of our phone interviews I went first and then called Ryan to fill him in. I remember telling him I felt like it went so well, I had looked up questions online and had prepped my butt off for it. The interview is said to take about 15 minutes mine took 45, I just kept telling myself that has to be a good sign. Right? Then all there was left to do was wait
This was the worst part of it all, forget the timed multiple choice section forget talking on the phone (whish usually I HATE doing). Waiting was the worst because if I didnt get in this year that was it. I graduated and the opportunity was gone, slipped between my fingers. It killed me to wait but I did.
The day people started getting their acceptance emails was the worst. I couldnt focus in any of my classes because people just kept posting to the facebook page I GOT IN!!! I sat through my womens studies class with a lump in my throat as the acceptances slowed down for the day. I made my way to work and talked with one of my bosses and best friends Robin about how bummed I was. I worked in the departments costume shop and we were in crunch mode so there was no time to be sad there was only time to work. I decided to refresh my email one more time before starting a project and I almost had a heart attack. I felt my face turn red and my heart start to beat a million times a minute because there in my inbox was an email from Disney saying
Youve been accepted!!!
I can remember falling on the floor in tears just completely grateful for the opportunity. I couldnt believe it, I was in and this was the start of a very big move for one little girl.
I need a place to collect my thoughts and plans and this is it. So if you are along for the whirlwind ride welcome!!! Not only is this a place for me to plan but its a place for anyone out there to share stories of Disney/DCP and their experiences. Questions are more than welcome from those you looking to do the program in the future and advice is greatly appreciated from those of you who have already participated. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I cant wait to take hold of it!!!