The First Two Weeks Of The Disney College Program

The First Two Weeks Of The Disney College Program

Simply put, it's a whirlwind.
Kaitlyn Mulligan
Kaitlyn Mulligan Sep 2, 2016
295
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You’ve gotten accepted. You’ve packed your stuff. You’ve said your goodbyes. It’s time! Your Disney College Program is beginning. With that comes tons of fun, craziness, tiredness, confusion and more.

1. The move

Whether it’s across the state or across the country, moving away from home can be a challenge. Even though I live away from my family at school, it’s weird realizing that I won’t be home for a few months. Also, living in a different state opens your world to so many new things. New people, unfamiliar roads and even different brands at the grocery store are all things you have to get used to.

2. The classes and training

The first two weeks of the DCP are a set of extremes. The days are either amazing and fun, or boring and tiring. To become a cast member, you must learn tons about the company, what its goals are and what policies you will be accountable for. It’s all interesting to an extent and Disney makes sure it feels like you’re having a good time, but it can be pretty dry. On the bright side, you start training! Finally, you’re there. You have your role and location. You’re ready.

3. The roommates

They’re either everything you’ve wished for or they’re the exact opposite of what you wanted. Thankfully, I found that my roommates and I get along super well and I can already tell we are going to be really great friends. It’s weird living with new people. It always is. But, if you’ve found the right ones, it can be the best thing ever. In the first two weeks, you get to know them so well and your days consist of park visits, too much shopping, crazy Walmart adventures, Disney movie nights and, of course, you watch Wishes for the first time together.

3. The lack of sleep

Early days and late nights are the name of the game in the life of a CP. In my first week training, I had a shift that started at 5:45AM. Between playing in the parks and training/working, sleep is hard to come by. It’s so much fun and yet, I’ve never had less sleep in my life.

4. The magic

Disney is truly a magical place. Even though you’re now a cast member and get to see a little behind the magic, it’s never lost. The joy in guests’ faces when they’re riding their favorite ride, the happiness found in a Mickey-shaped anything and especially the look kids get when they finally spot their favorite character all make the long hours and sore feet worth it.

So far, the Disney College Program is harder than expected. Lots of changes in a short amount of time and a crazy work schedule make for an interesting two weeks. However, it is also the best thing ever. There are so many opportunities that open to you and sometimes, I take a step back and reflect on how grateful and amazed I feel that I’m here. We, as cast members, get to the make the magic. We get to be there when those memories are being made. And honestly, there’s nothing else quite like it.

Cover Image Credit: Youtube
Kaitlyn Mulligan
Kaitlyn Mulligan Sep 2, 2016
At Clarion University

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To The Friends I Won't Talk To After High School

I sincerely hope, every great quality I saw in you, was imprinted on the world.
Julia Muccini
Julia Muccini May 31, 2016
7396
views

Hey,

So, for the last four years I’ve seen you almost everyday. I’ve learned about your annoying little brother, your dogs and your crazy weekend stories. I’ve seen you rock the awful freshman year fashion, date, attend homecoming, study for AP tests, and get accepted into college.

Thank you for asking me about my day, filling me in on your boy drama and giving me the World History homework. Thank you for complimenting my outfits, laughing at me presenting in class and listening to me complain about my parents. Thank you for sending me your Quizlets and being excited for my accomplishments- every single one of them. I appreciate it all because I know that soon I won’t really see you again. And that makes me sad. I’ll no longer see your face every Monday morning, wave hello to you in the hallways or eat lunch with you ever again. We won't live in the same city and sooner or later you might even forget my name.

We didn’t hang out after school but none the less you impacted me in a huge way. You supported my passions, stood up for me and made me laugh. You gave me advice on life the way you saw it and you didn’t have to but you did. I think maybe in just the smallest way, you influenced me. You made me believe that there’s lots of good people in this world that are nice just because they can be. You were real with me and that's all I can really ask for. We were never in the same friend group or got together on the weekends but you were still a good friend to me. You saw me grow up before your eyes and watched me walk into class late with Starbucks every day. I think people like you don’t get enough credit because I might not talk to you after high school but you are still so important to me. So thanks.

With that said, I truly hope that our paths cross one day in the future. You can tell me about how your brothers doing or how you regret the college you picked. Or maybe one day I’ll see you in the grocery store with a ring on your finger and I’ll be so happy you finally got what you deserved so many guys ago.

And if we ever do cross paths, I sincerely hope you became everything you wanted to be. I hope you traveled to Italy, got your dream job and found the love of your life. I hope you have beautiful children and a fluffy dog named Charlie. I hope you found success in love before wealth and I hope you depended on yourself for happiness before anything else. I hope you visited your mom in college and I hope you hugged your little sister every chance you got. She’s in high school now and you always tell her how that was the time of your life. I sincerely hope, every great quality I saw in you, was imprinted on the world.

And hey, maybe I’ll see you at the reunion and maybe just maybe you’ll remember my face. If so, I’d like to catch up, coffee?

Sincerely,

Me

Cover Image Credit: High school Musical
Julia Muccini
Julia Muccini May 31, 2016
At Texas A&M University

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Sometimes "Out With The Old In With The New" Isn't the Best thing

We can't lose touch of the simpler things in life

Carley Neer
Carley Neer Jun 18, 2019
45
views

When I think about how much has changed and how much my world has developed since I was little, I get mind boggled realizing how different things are. I work at a restaurant in the city that I grew up in and I see famillies come and go for dinner every night. They all seem the same. The parents will walk in, check in with the hostesses and wait to be seated. If they're asked to wait, the kids sit by their parents sides playing on phones that are probably too young to have. I understand that waiting can get tedious and boring. By the time that they would sit down, I'd imagine that they would put down the devices and engage in some good old fashion conversation. I was wrong. It made me sad to see kids eating dinners with their families with zero interaction. When I was younger, I enjoyed the quality conversations I would have with my family when we got breaks from our all very hectic schedules. It's amazing how much technology has advanced, but sometimes, I believe that we might rely on it too much.

Seems like more and more things are becoming industrialized. Those "mom and pop" shops are closing down due to corporate companies buying the land. I have enough Walmart and Targets in a ten minute radius from me. Sure, places like these carry necessities are important, but when local Nurseries are closed down in order to build a new gas station, it just becomes sad. As things progress more, the more we lose touch of our roots. The places that make home special and different. The moments we have as a kid that don't involve a light on our face. Modernism is a powerful and amazing thing but we need to take a step back and reevaluate what we hold closest to us.

All in all, as we continue to develop, I will continue to advocate for the simpler moments and the simpler times. I don't think my kids will need iPhones right out of elementary school, I'll continue to visit the same hometown shops and give them as much business as possible, I'll always ask if he kids want coloring sheets at the dinner table. Although these small things might not matter in our everyday new world, they matter to me. I will always try to have so much fun that I forget to document things with my phone. The laughter and memories without the technology present. Those are the moments worth remembering.

Carley Neer
Carley Neer Jun 18, 2019
At University of Central Florida

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