Thank you to my part-time and full-time co-workers.

I know it is not easy to see new faces come into your work area every six months. Just when you start to become close with us, we have to leave and there is really no telling when you will see us again. Then this whole process starts all over again with a new group of CP's, but you still manage to welcome us into our work area with smiles and open arms. It’s hard to acquaint ourselves to such a new lifestyle and area and you guys make it a bit easier to adjust to our new situations with your friendly attitudes and vast range of knowledge of the park and our work area.

Thank you to my leaders.

The same concept for the part-time and full-time cast members applies to you. It’s hard to grow a relationship with us in a short amount of time and then watch us leave, but you have no idea what kind of impact you really make on us in those short six months. You make us feel at home right away and help us become more outgoing not just in our role, but socially as well. You show us that hard work pays off with a rewarding four keys card and show us that work does not always have to be hard. You take the time to make sure that even as cast members, we too still feel the magic, which is something you can only experience when working for the happiest place on earth.

Thank you to the other cast members who do not know I am a cast member myself.

When we’re working 40 to 50 hours a week, it can get a bit tough to see the other side of the magic once we’re the ones creating it. It’s nice to go to the parks and have a cast member create the magic for us as if we are just like any other guest. It reminds us of why we do this and why we chose to be a part of this wonderful experience. It reminds us of the impact that a simple smile or mickey sticker can have on us as a guest, or how much just hearing those infamous words of, “Have a magical day,” can change our whole attitude. The influence that cast members have on guests is really what makes Disney World have that extra magical touch.

Thank you to my roommates.

We awkwardly picked one another through a Facebook group and kind of hoped for the best. It was great getting to live with people from around the country and it was amazing to be able to start off this journey with others who were just as new to this stuff as me. We may not have always gotten along, but the times we shared together I will truly never forget. When things got a bit rough, we were always there to listen and give advice to one another and those are the moments that meant the most.

Lastly, thank you to the friends I made on the DCP.

When we enter the program, we have so many fears of the unknown. “Will I make any friends?” is definitely our top fear and once we find our group in the college program, you really will not understand just how important they are until you have to leave them.

So to my friends, you have no idea just how much you mean to me. You guys have exposed me to all different kinds of cultures, opened my mind and heart to new crazes, experiences and memories that I would never trade for the world. Thank you for all the crazy days at work, taking selfies on our breaks, stopping by my position when picking up new ones to say hello, picking me up on my longest and hardest days and spending countless hours exploring the parks and Orlando with me. I will never forget the memories that I made on my program, but what I want to thank my friends for the most is for not forgetting about me once the program had ended. I love our group chats where we reminisce on our times in Disney and I adore our attempts to always see one another again, even when we know it’s most likely not realistic. Thank you for being my constant support, even if it is just liking my Instagram selfie or texting me a, “Hi, I miss you!” You guys have truly become my Disney Ohana and nothing could ever change that.

The people you meet while on your college program play an integral part to your growth and experience on your program, so enjoy each

moment and get to know as many people as you can. This is the only place in the world that you will be able to meet people from all around the world, have fun on your days off by exploring Walt Disney World, and create magical moments for complete strangers who may remember that special thing you did for them and come back looking for you or write a heartwarming letter about how you made their trip. You really do not realize just how much you mean to others while on your program and who may want to thank you too.