I had been waiting for this since high school. I was now in college —my first week of college, I might add—and I could now apply to the Disney College Program. I applied immediately when the applications opened that September in 2012. Soon after, I landed the web-based interview, which is a personality quiz to see if you are good enough to work at Disney World. If you don’t pass it, you don’t get the phone interview and have to wait six months to apply again. Even though the answers represented who I was perfectly, I failed the WBI. I didn’t care. I honestly only applied to see what the application process was like.

When applications for the fall of 2013 were released, February was agony. To watch everyone apply while I had to wait was painful. That following March at midnight, I applied for the second time. After a sleepless night, wondering what would happen this time, I took the WBI. My heart skipped a beat as the computer screen switched pages. This was it. My result. I gasped when I saw the screen. I passed! I cried tears of joy as I scheduled my first phone interview with Disney. My interview was full of jitters, laughing and stuttering, but I was confident. Within two weeks, Disney kept their promise of telling me their big answer. I was pending. This means Disney needs more time to accept you. The next month was the longest month of my life as I saw all of my new Disney friends get in. As all of my friends were announcing their acceptances, I was still pending, waiting for something. Two nights before all of the decisions were supposed to be made in mid-April, I was informed that I didn’t get in. I cried for the rest of the night.

In September 2013, I applied for the spring of 2014. I applied to the same positions for Disney World. I passed the WBI and scheduled my phone interview. Rejected again. Only this time, it was the week before all of the decisions for acceptances were made.

At this point, I was about to give up completely. Disney will never take me! I’m sending in the same application. What’s the point? But, then I realized: what if I apply to more positions the next time? ”Only one more time,” I thought to myself. I applied for fall of 2014 and I applied to more positions. This time, I got to skip the WBI because I passed it the last time, and went directly to the phone interview. I thought the interview was pretty bad. More awkward laughs, stuttering, and long pauses to think. But by applying to more positions than ever before, I still had hope, right?

Acceptances came out that February. I was celebrating those who were accepted, but I was dying of anxiety. What if I get pended and then rejected again? I had these thoughts as the days went by and yet no email.

On February 28th, I checked my email to read about my new assignments for my graphic design internship. The very first email I saw? “Disney College Program: Congratulations!” I screamed for 10 minutes straight. I was shaking and soon crying. After years of waiting and rejection over and over again, I finally did it! I got into the Disney College Program. My job was custodial, but screw it. I waited my whole life for this. My dream was coming true!

Then in June of 2014, we found out that my dad had cancer. Terminal stage 4 rare cancer. I had to give up my Disney College Program. After everything I went through, this happened. For the rest of the summer, I actually argued with my parents about doing the college program. It was back-and-forth: I’m going, I’m not going, I’m going….

Everything was complicated. The Disability Support Services group was trying to switch my job because custodial would be too physically demanding for me. The bending, carrying heavy objects, and kneeling would be too hard for my back. Then, they were trying to get me an accessible room for my apartment to stay in. Am I switching my date to September to give my dad time to recover from his (failed) surgery? After a long, mentally exhausting summer of meltdowns, guilt trips, and visiting a counselor for depression, I was in fact going to Disney World! And then…

”This isn’t a good time for my daughter to go. My husband just got cancer.”

“Oh no! We can’t possibly send her in a time like this.”

It was Friday, August 8th: the day before I was going to leave for Florida. We were ready. Around 3 p.m., Disney called. They got me merchandise: my dream job. That was the exact job I had in mind when I realized my Disney dream. Everything was perfect. I was going to be in Merchandising at Disney. I got my accessible housing with my four roommates. And then, my mother says it: “Well, it’s great that she’s going, but, this isn’t a good time for my daughter to go. My husband just got cancer.” My heart stopped. No. The disability woman gasped, “Oh no! We can’t possibly send her in a time like this. Let me call someone to cancel the trip or to find another solution.” I wasn’t hopeless. I was going to tell them I’m still going. I am way too close to give this up. But, the president in the college program gave us an offer that we couldn’t refuse: a deferment to go in the spring of 2015. We took it. My mom and I hugged each other with tears of joy. But immediately, I thought, “Let me guess. Something else is going to happen and I won’t go next spring.” My worst fear came true.

That September, when the applications came out, I emailed the president, asking him what I should do. He told me to reapply with Merchandise as my only position and he would give me my acceptance as soon as possible. The following week, the disability woman gave me an update. I wasn’t in Merchandising anymore. I was now in Attractions. After the disability woman told them details about my workplace, they argued, “This is not what we wanted!” She couldn’t do anything. She said to talk to the coordinator of the attraction, but we didn’t have the contact number. Immediately, my parents threatened me with “You’re not going to go!”, “You can’t do this!”, “It’ll be too hot!”, “Disney lied!” etc. Soon after, I got my acceptance letter. I decided to start my program on my 21st birthday, where I would have my first drink at the Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom or Epcot.

The final straw that caused prevented me from going? That October, I was diagnosed with hemolytic anemia, which means my blood cells kill each other quickly, making me more tired than other people. I would have to stay in Maryland to get tests done. It was official: I wasn’t going at all. After a whole year, this is how it ends. An undesirable job for my parents and health issues for me. After Thanksgiving, I made that call to Disney. I cried in my room. "Why, God?" I thought to myself. "Why me?"

Last year, I suffered from serious depression and rejecting the program was one of the reasons why. I always wonder what the program would have been like. So, that summer, I decided to apply for this spring. Instead of wearing a graduation cap, I would be wearing Mickey Mouse ears with my friends. However, I was given good news. There was a new rule that seniors could apply to the Disney College Program after six months of graduation. In other words, I can apply to spring of 2017. So, no matter what happens, I will have an extra chance. And I really wanted to see if I was still good enough to get in. So that September, I applied, passed the WBI, and did my interview. I didn’t anticipate hearing back from the Disney College Program because I just wanted to see if I was still good enough.

It was October 1st, 2015, a.k.a. Walt Disney World’s 44th birthday. I was in class, taking notes on a theorist in communication while doodling costume sketches for a musical, just for fun. But, I decided to take out the eReading for the class. So, I took out my iPad. The very first thing I saw? “Disney College Program: Congratulations!” I gasped so loudly that my professor stopped talking. I slowly grabbed my iPad and left the room. I went to the bathroom and cried tears of joy. I was still good enough for the Disney College Program. They still loved me. I was given the Quick Food & Beverage position. Intentionally, I was going to turn it down to graduate in a month. But, as expected, I decided to go while I still have the chance. My parents’ reactions? "No!" I was upset, but didn’t argue further because I have an extra chance now! I shook it off and waited until February to apply for this upcoming fall.

To be continued...