I leave SO soon!

I'm leaving in... less then two days! So right now things are kind of insane with doing last-minute everything and I'm really not sure if I'll have a chance to update this blog between now and probably after I'm settled in on Wednesday, so I decided to leave a list of what I'll be doing on each day until I'm finally an official cast member at the Disney World Resort!
wooo!

Thursday
-Obsessively go through everything I've packed and everything I've left behind to make sure I'm not leaving anything massively important.
-Run about 432895 errands. And by that, I mean about 3.
-Pack my carry-on, obsess over that as well

Friday
-Say goodbye to my sisters :(
-Get into plane
-LAND IN ORLANDO
-Crash at hotel because I'm probably emotionally drained due to sadness/overwhelming excitement

Saturday
- Go to the park with my parents! I'm so excited to spend the day with them :)
- Polynesian for food and fireworks!

Sunday
-Get freakishly excited for Monday
-Walmart run to get bedding/ other necessities
-Pre-check in dinner!!

Monday
-CHECK IN!!!!
-Find out my location!!!
-Register for classes!!
-lots of other stuff involving paperwork and such
-set up my apt :)
-housing meeting?

Tuesday
-housing meeting?
-Spend the day with my parents :)

Wednesday
-Parents leave :(
-Traditions?

I'll try to update before Wednesday, but if I can't get to it... all of the above is why!
-Alyssaºoº

I did it.. I packed!

Yes that's right ladies and gentlemen, I fit a semester of life into three suitcases! Not four..three! So, now that it's all officially zipped up I have my completed packing list for yall!

Casual Clothes
2 zip up, lightweight sweaters
5 Tshirts
2 denim shorts
1 khaki shorts
1 bermuda shorts
1 denim capris
4 summer dresses
9 casual tops
3 casual tanks
3 cardigans
Clothes for the couple days it'll be cold-ish
2 pairs of jeans
2 hoodies
1 lightweight coat
Disney Look clothes
1 black pencil skirt
1 khaki slacks
1 brown slacks
1 black slacks
1 dress
7 tops
Florida Essentials
2 beach towels
3 sunglasses
1 sunscreen
3 bathing suits
2 cover ups
1 rain coat
omg, Shoes
1 rain boots
4 "Disney Look" flats
1 athletic shoes
2 tennis shoes
5 sandals
1 wedges (for formal dress)
Apartment Stufff
1 blanket
1 bath rug
1 soap dispenser
1 toothbrush holder
1 soap dish
1 cup
1 deck of cards
"Other" Clothes
3 pj pants
2 athletic shorts
3 athletic pants
4 bandos
5 layering tanks
16 socks
Randoms
Jewelry
Straightener
Hair Dryer
Ponytail Holders
Bobby pins
5 headbands
2 scarves
3 cross-body bags
2 backpacks
lots of bras/ underwear.. you don't need exacts on those
Electronics
Itouch
Speakers
Camera
Laptop
Cell Phone
Chargers for all!
Ethernet cord
mouse

And ALL of that fit into these!

I'm so proud. And relieved that it's finally over with! Now just three more days until I land in FLORIDA :)

-Alyssaºoº

omg it's August.

Usually when August first comes around I get giddy because it's my birthday month. Today, however, I'm ECSTATIC because it's finally the month that I WILL BE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!! I actually kinda forgot about my birthday until I ran up to my twin sister and yelled "It's AUGUST! DO you realize what this means??"

her response: "Yea! We're turning 20?"
...Oh..yea, that too...but more focused on the whole DISNEY FREAKING WORLD thing.

Now that I have only fiiiivvveee glorious days before I fly to Orlando, I actually have gotten some packing done. By some I mean about a suitcase and a half :) One thing to say about packing for a semester: SPACE BAGS! amazing lil things have been quite useful during the process of squeezing my life into suitcases!
The problem I'm having while packing though is trying not to bring all of my clothes. Everyone in my family keeps telling me that I really don't need to bring much since I'm basically going to be living in my costume or Disney look but I can't bear the thought of only having two weeks worth or outfits that I re-wear every time I'm not working. I know, they're all right and four suitcases is super unnecessary, but oh well. I think the limited space is going to eventually force me to weed through my clothes again! Well I'm going back to packing, or trying to avoid it.. but when I have a completed packed list ready I'll post it on here!

-Alyssaºoº

quick pic!

My twin sister works at Disneyland (Indiana Jones Ride) and got me these AWESOME luggage tags from the cast store there! I'm still on the search for a glove one so that my backpack can have a tag too, but right now this is enough for all of the suitcases I'll be bringing..that is once I've packed, but I've already addressed that :D



-Alyssaºoº

I should pack... eventually..

So I was going to start packing today, really I was.. However, I now am laying in bed with both ears stuffed, unable to breathe because I got the friggin cold. Possibly the world's most pointless and annoying sickness. I have got to use all this down time to finally make a pack/buy list!

To Pack:
• Tshirts
• Tops
• Jeans
• Shorts
• Business Pants
• Business Tops
• Shoes (lots and lots of shoes..)
• Summer dresses
• Formal dress
• Make up
• Nail polish/ nail polish remover
• Hair dryer, straightener, hair products, brush
• Swim suits, towels, sunscreen
• Bathroom towels
• Accessories (jewelry, scarves, etc)
• Bags
• Toiletries
• Ipod
• Camera
• Laptops, Ethernet cords
• Cell phone
• Chargers for everything!
• Prince and Peaco (stuffed animals) :D
• Egg genie, and HOPEFULLY my keurig!
• Alarm clock

To Buy:
• Comforter
• Sheet Set
• Pillows
• Memory foam topper
• Bed risers
• A combination lock
• Laundry detergent
• Random apt necessary items that I can’t think of right now…


I swear I'm missing important items, too. If I missed anything freakishly obvious and something you cleverly thought of let me know! It seems like such a loooong list- I have NO clue how all this nonsense is going to fit into four suitcases, each weighing under 50 pounds! Yikes!

-Alyssa ºoº

My B :)

Ok soo little update since I last blogged. I moved from Texas to California. I got a summer job. I went on a family cruise. I left that summer job because... I LEAVE FOR FLORIDA IN 11 DAYS!!
I've decided to blame my lack of blogging on me being busy, but now that I'm unemployed and out of school.. I have no excuse so I figured I'd get on here again :)
As far as Disney is concerned, not much has changed in the past month or so besides the shrinkage of my wait time! Well that and the news of (dun dun duuunnn) renter's insurance. (which is pretty much a subject that has been repeatedly talked about and finally resolved over the fbook group lately, so I wont even get into that here!)
But now that I only have two weeks till my check in day it is time for me to start preparing for WDW! I've filled out my on-board paperwork and am starting to figure out what I'm packing and leaving and what I need to get once I get to Disney!
I'll be flying to Florida, which means packing at least six months of life into four suitcases. However, my parents and I are arriving three days early so that I can buy bedding and other essentials in Orlando rather then packing it! So, my packing list is a little different then most peoples in that it's going to mostly consist of clothes and toiletries. But, once I have my whole list ready I'll post it on here. Oh also- I got Disney themed luggage tags for each of the suitcases I'm bringing and they're friggin adorable! A picture of those are to come soon too :)

-Alyssa ºoº

I have a blog?!?!

Dang it. I can't lie, I totally forgot about my blog, sorry!
It's been super hectic here and really, I have no earth-shatteringly important new Disney info! let's see..my life since I last blogged..

1. Finals are not enjoyable
2. Packing is even less enjoyable
3. I have all my roommates for Disney now! We are getting a three bedroom (6 girls!) in Chatham :)
4. I have requested my location- Gift shop within a hotel with tons of emphasis on my undying love for the Polynesian!
5. I went alum from my sorority and am currently saying bye to my tx friends b/c..
6. I am moving to california in THREE FREAKING DAYS.
- No, I am not doing the CP in Cali, I just decided one cross country move in a summer would be too easy.


(ps Happy Mother's Day to my mommasita!)

Well, I'll post a better blog later or tomorrow! I just wanted to post real quick to let everyone know I' still kickin :P

-Alyssa ºoº

Getting back in the swing...

Spring break and (most of my) midterms over over...sad day. To the first part at least! SO anyway, I'm back in Texas and trying to get back into the school schedule/ into actually blogging again.
We'll see how it works.

While I was in California, I got to meet Rian at Disneyland which was SO much fun! Marie and Sandra ended up not being able to go, but once I move out there in May we're going to have Epic Disney CP Day Take 2 :) Here are some pics from Disney! (and yes, Rian got to meet my whole family...and some extended family haha)






Peter Pan!


...and then we decided to ride splash mountain at night. I wouldn't advise this.


-Alyssaºoº

layout changes :)

I'm pretty proud of the lil changes I've made in my I'm-friggin-sick-of-studying-mode :) Check them out!

I put Mickey in the Title Image and I got an Ipod thingy! (Thanks to Jazmine for the hint about the music!!)

Time to go back to studying now.. just wanted to stop in and wish you all a magical day :)

-Alyssaºoº

154 days.

While I was waiting for applications to go up, applying, interviewing and even waiting to hear back, time seemed to fly by. There was so much to do and focus on that I was able to pass the time, even if I was freaking out during that last little portion.

Now, however, there's nothing but waiting left and the days are creeping by slower than I thought possible. I know it's only going to get worse as others (fall advantage'ers) start getting there and I still have three months left! ah!

154 days left. AKA FOREVER

Anyway, I'm not going to be posting much this week as midterms are killing me, but I'll def update yall once I'm in CALIFORNIA for spring break :) I'm trying to get a group of SoCal Fall DCPers to meet for a disneyland day while I'm there- so if you're interested, lemme know! I'll def be posting pics of that!

For now I leave you with my modern day take on sleeping beauty (yes, this is my disney way of passing time now!)

-Alyssa ºoº

Not too much going on!

Sorry for the lack of posts, but really nothing exciting has been going one here! I've been a little stressed with midterms coming up, (and a little sidetracked knowing that spring break is also coming up).
As far as Disney related news, nothing earth shatteringly important has happened since the acceptance :) Dani and I learned that we will definitely not be able to live with Jenny and Marie which was sad, but we're going to be in the same apartment complex as them and we've already found one other roommate! Now to find three more...!
Also, I'm getting ready to send Disney my email requesting work locations, so I guess I'll show y'all what I have so far :)

1. Bou-tiki



2. Trader Jacks



3. Sandy Grove



4. The Pirates League



5. Emporium




This is just from the research I've done so far- the list may change dramatically before I actually send it in!

-Alyssaºoº

Weekend "Awww" video.

Someone just posted this on the facebook group page and I'm in love with it!
For my fellow disney freaks that are following, I know it's not factual at all lol but I still get chills :)

formspring!

Why are you doing the college program?
1) I'm OBSESSED and in love with Disney. 2) I want my career in Disney and this is a great opportunity to get my feet in the door. 3) If for some reason I don't end up with a career in Disney, who wouldn't want a name like Disney on their resume?!

How do you spend free time in FL?
I'm actually not in Florida yet, but I've heard that theres tons to do (on those rare days that I don't want to go in the parks for free)! I know in the Fall 2010 facebook group, we've talked about to doing everything from Karaoke to Universal to Medieval Times to just hanging out at the beach! I'm pretty excited to live in such an eventful place!

Where do you want to work?
I'm going to request to work in a hotel-- My dream location would be the Polynesian Resort! I've become very interested in hospitality lately and I think this could be another networking opportunity!

ask me anything!

-Alyssa ºoº

There's a website for this??

Ok, so I love doing this create-your-on outfit stuff and I really thought everyone was doing this the old fashioned way: Paint, google and way too much free time. Turns out, there's a website made specifically for these purposes.

Don't I feel smart.

So, since I discovered this lovely lil site that makes this process about 4893058 times easier...expect more! Haha

Today's outfit, however, is from before I discovered Polyvore, so it's made out of good ol' fashioned boredom and procrastination. Enjoy.
First day in the Parks outfit :)


ps the lil sea foam green thing is a rain coat in a bag...I'm definitely thinking this will be a necessary investment!

-Alyssa ºoº

Traditions

-This story has a point, just stick with me-

I've went out of town this weekend with my roommate for her sister's baby shower and it was so much fun- we sang our whole way through the road trip, ate way too much and had a blast! On Saturday night, we stopped at her house on our way back so that our road trip today wouldn't be too long. We ran out and grabbed some Chick-fil-a (our dumb college town doesn't have any) and watched two episodes of 48 Hours while her dad was out playing poker.

If you've never watched 48 Hours, it is crucial to know that it is a show about murder mysteries.

We were exhausted from the drive and the shower so we went in her room and watched TV until we could fall asleep. About five minutes in Chelsea Lately, all the power in her house went off. Every other house in the neighborhood had power.

Point of the story is, never watch 48 Hours before going to bed.

In the few minutes that we sat in pitch dark, all I could think was, "OH MY GOD I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO TO DISNEY WORLD IF I GO NOW." I have great priorities, right? Haha well, it ended up not being a mass murderer, just a electrical short...big difference.


Oh and the point of this blog: My Traditions outfit!

So, i actually already own a dress similar to this, so I think adding a few cheaper, more basic items I'll be able to turn it into an approved outfit for this day! Stay tuned for my official first-day-in-the-parks-fo-free outfit!

-Alyssa ºoº

lil side note

I got a formspring today! So feel free to send any questions about the CP my way and I'll do my best to answer them and maybe will post them on here!


MY FORM SPRING

Ask away :)

-Alyssa ºoº

Go to Emily's Blog.

Now that I am officially GOING TO DISNEY, I've been obsessing about what I am going to wear for each "event" the first few weeks. So, I've decided to kinda create my dream outfits for each event because a) I'm bored. And procrastinating. b) Emily does this and she's freaking amazing at it. Seriously, she actually puts cute stuff together, not like what I'm about to do haha! c) I have another 190 days to fill with blogs and I have to pass the time somehow.

So, with no further ado... Check In Day!!



Ok, so this day is the day to be comfy but still look Disney-fied since it's the very first day in Disney World! So, I like the idea of Bermuda shorts and the huge bag that of course will have my teddy bear in it (who is purple, not tan by the way). Also, most of the items above are from Old Navy! So maybe with my employee discount I will actually be able to wear this outfit in August :)

Next will be my Traditions outfit!

Thanks again to Emily for this idea! I'm no where near as creative as she is, but this is a really fun way to put some of my current Disney energy to good(ish) use! Maybe now I'll try to focus it on my editing homework...

-Alyssa ºoº

My Iconic Moment!

It's Finally here! The type of picture I've been longing to take for years....

Drum roll please...

My Iconic PURPLE FOLDER PICTURE!!!




Ok, now this is officially everywhere I could possibly post it on the internet! :)
Also- CONGRATS to everyone who got acceptance emails today!! I'm SO excited for y'all!

-Alyssa ºoº

I'm still alive

Sorry for the lack of posts! I've been kinda in my own lil world since my email came last Wednesday :) I definitely was excited about hearing I've been accepted but it didn't really hit me until Sunday evening when i opened my mail box to find a huge white envelope with Mickey Mouse in the top left corner.

I grabbed the envelope and sprinted back to my apartment (luckily the mailboxes aren't far from my room...), opened the door and screamed I GOT MY PURPLE FOLDER! Response from roomie: What's that? ...

Ok, plan b.

Quickly, but carefully as not to rip it, open envelope and squeal. Call parental units WHILE posting this updated everywhere possible on facebook.

Now that I have my folder it all feels real, I finally feel like I'm going to Disney World!! I know that sounds weird- I should've felt this way since Wednesday, but I guess the folder was just subconsciously that iconic deal to me that meant it was all true, that I had actually been accepted!

And because I am being freakishly over obsessively-organized with everything DCP, my folder now looks like this:


I turned it into a binder, with all the pages protected, so that I can easily read everything...without causing any creases or rips :) Now I have the longest wait yet ahead of me: the wait till I'm in Disney! I have 192 days left that I need to find ways to occupy :P Hopefully this summer it'll be with lots of day trips to Disney Land!

Good luck and tonss of pixie dust to everyone who hasn't heard yet! Hope y'all will hear back super soon!
More later!

-Alyssa ºoº

I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!

Yup, I GOT MY PURPLE EMAIL TODAY!!!
So here's my day:

9:40- Text from Dani saying she got in
9:40:06- I am at my computer checking my email
9:45- I pick up my sheets, comforter, blanket and books off the floor that I threw on the floor in my rush.
10:00- I tell my roommate Steph about how some lucky group got emails this morning and how I'm going to have to wait forever more to hear back.
10:05-11- I check my email at five minute intervals. Ok, maybe 2 minute intervals...
11:30- I decide to check my spam folder where I see the subject line...

Disney College Program: Your Invitation

So, of course, the rational reaction to this is to start shaking, cry, and call my mother who is screaming on the other end when I tell her the news. Oh, did I mention all this occurred in my school computer lab that at the moment was completely packed? Fun stuff. I apologized to those around me and even got one of the girls in line for a comp to jump with me...

Anyway. So I had fifteen minutes to run and tell everyone I knew the news before I had class. And luckily, when I got to class we had a sub who let us go after roll. I ran back to the lab to face the people who now think I'm clinically insane and quickly filled out all my registration information...INCLUDING MY NAME TAG INFO!!! It was super exciting. So anyway, its almost 10 hours since I found out and I still don't think it's really hit me that this is actually happening. That I'm really going to be living in Disney World next semester.

I just can't stop thinking about how this is going to change everything for me; that a million doors just opened. I've pretty much always known I want a career with Disney and now that my foot will be in the door, that could actually happen. So yea, to sum it all up..I'm still FREAKING OUT and will be for the next few weeks :)


-Alyssa °o°

Insomnia.

I literally didn't sleep last night because of how freaked out I am by the emails coming out so early/ knowing that I have a whole day left till more emails can be sent. In case you were wondering, the wait for your phone interview is nothing once compared to the wait to hear if you're actually going to Disney.

I know that not too many people have received their emails yet, that I still have 3-5 weeks until I'm actually supposed to hear, and that the fact that these emails have started coming so early is amazing....but I'm still worried. I just want to know! :) I'm trying out this whole "patience" thing, but it's not working out to great.

So, time for Alyssa's-list-of-things-to-distract-yourself-with when-you're-going insane-refreshing-your-email-on-a-Saturday-when-the-recruitment-place-isn't-even open-on-weekends. :) Its a long title, but I feel it fits nicely.

1. Watch John H's videos. (http://www.youtube.com/user/JohnWDWCP) a bigillion people told me to do this while I was waiting for my phone interview, and I didn't watch them until recently. His videos are hilarious and yet super informative! Plus, there's like 40 episodes or something crazy like that, meaning, you could potentially waste a lot of time here.

2. Go to the Chat room. There are always people in there which is pretty awesome! If we all get in, I've found all my future roomies in there (HELLO DANI, JENNY AND MARIE...none of which have a blog so this is shout out is slightly pointless...). I get on between every class and almost every night! You can always get questions answered immediately or just get to know the people we may be working and living with very soon!

3. Disney Movie Marathon. This has been a fun one, except for the fact that I only individually own 2 Disney movies. But, you can always mooch off of others movie collections or redbox it :) Just another Disneyfied way to waste an hr and a half or so! Plus, who doesn't love trying to find all the hidden mickeys?

4. Clean your room? I did this today when I learned that emails wouldn't be sent on the weekends. Kinda not fun at all but my room went from

exhibit A:


to exhibit B:

(ok actually this is my bed when I first moved in so not quite this clean...)

...but you get the point, I passed a TON of time doing that :)

More later! Good luck to everyone else still waiting for their emails!

-Alyssa ºoº

PEOPLE ARE GETTING IN.

The acceptance emails have began!!!

So here's what I have open on my comp right now:
-Meebo Chat
-Facebook Homepage
-Facebook Group page
-Email
-Blogger

I'd say I'm well connected right now. So, there were about three of us in the chat room when I decided to multitask and check the facebook page. and that's when I saw Abby's post... "OH MY GOD WHAT IS THIS I AM IN???". and so it began. The chat room now has more people in it than I've ever seen and soo many people are getting accepted! I'm FLIPPING OUT! The latest interview date any of the accepted members have so far is the day before mine, so I'm hoping to hear my status soon! Well, I have to go back to refreshing my email, but a quick update was necessary :) Good luck and/or CONGRATS to everyone!

-Alyssa ºoº

the waiting game.

Application- check.
Web Based Interview- check.
Phone Interview- check.
Waiting 4-6 weeks- umm, what??

So at this point in the application process all I can do is sit and wait. AHHH. It hasn't even been a week and I'm GOING INSANE. It's the only thing on my mind 24/7 and I haven't decided if it's a pro or a con. Let's weigh the sides, shall we?

Pros- I'm super happy all the time, I have more energy than I ever have, I keep telling random people to "Have a magical day!", I've conquered the Disney point, my backpack is now sporting a plush Mickey key chain, and I've already made tonsss of friends in the chat room that I'm in every moment I can be!

Cons- I had a nightmare I got kicked out because in my excitement I forgot to actually pack, Ryan says I'm a "paranoid turkey" (not sure what this means yet), and my friends who I don't have to get on the Internet to talk to have come close to filing a missing person report on me...several times...because I'm always in the computer lab!

I'm thinking pros outweigh cons :) Especially now that my roommates know where to look for me! So, for the next 4-6ish weeks expect lots of random posts as I try to pass this awfully long period of time!

Have a magical day!


-Alyssa ºoº

2nd Vlog...aka Silent Vlog

Ok so I finally made a second vlog,only to discover that my microphone is broken! So this is my silent vlog I made a few days ago that is really awful, sorry. Also,one of my roommates walked in on me doing it which was super embarrassing! At least I wasn't talking to the computer, right? Oh well. Oh and watch for your name :)



-Alyssaºoº

interview tips :)

Ok- so even though I only have like 5 followers right now, I'm hoping this will help someone out someday! drum roll please... Alyssa's Interview Tips for the Disney College Program!

1. Research Start researching as soon as you can! That way, if you have a quick turn around for your interview, you will still have an opportunity to be as prepared as you can be! I simply went to google and typed "Disney College Program Interview" in the search box..you'll get about 4839257 results for different discussion boards! From here, you can get insight to the specific role questions, as well as to great ideas for how to handle the different hypothetical situations they'll ask you about

2. Prepare your answers if you know some of the basic questions, you can write a brief version of what your answer will be so that when you are in the interview, freaking out, sweating and can feel your heart beating, you won't forget anything too important because you've already wrote it out once before!
- Note: I suggest you don't read off your notes during the interview, it may come off a lil robotish.

3. Study Read your notes over and over, as well as all the information from the WDW college program sight! The more you know, the better you'll do in your interview! Plus, there won't be any panic moments of not knowing what to say while your on the phone!

4. Don't Panic...excessively. Ok, this one is slightly impossible but I guess necessary lol! I was totally panicking before my interview! Basically, just sit in a quiet place as you wait, maybe playing a game on the computer or something to ease your mind. I know that if I had paced around my room and stressed, I would've sounded like a wreck as soon as I answered!

5. Be confident and SMILE This is pretty obvious, and don't worry, you won't be able to stop smiling once you answer the phone!


Like I said before, this post is a lil useless now bc a) i have a total of 5 followers, which includes my mom (HI MOM) b)Any of my current followers who are actually interested in the CP have already interviewed and c) I just interviewed so we won't actually know the results of my "helpful tips" for another 4-6 weeks! Haha but hopefully this will appear on someones google results when they are researching the college program themselves one day!

-Alyssa ºoº

THE INTERVIEW :)

I just had my phone interview with my recruiter, Rhonda, and it went amazingly well!! The absolute worst part of this whole process so far was waiting for my phone to ring! I kept going over answers in my head, repeating key phrases and of course staring at my phone! Rhonda call at exactly 10:30 which was awesome because I'm not sure my heart could have handled the anticipation any longer.

Pretty much how it began:
(Ring Ri-)
Me: Hello! This is Alyssa Speaking! :D
Rhonda: Hi Alyssa, this is Rhonda from the Disney College Program, I would usually ask to make sure you were expecting my call, but I'd say you definitely were!


I couldn't stop smiling the whole time which I hope helps my chances, and I'm soo glad I got to include all the points I've been studying so hard! I didn't get any questions that I hadn't already read, most of them being pretty basic.

All the simple, have-to-ask-to-make-sure-you're-eligible questions
How do you feel about living with new roommates?
How would you handle a problem within your apartment?
Why do you want to work at Disney?
What is your favorite part of Disney?
Why hospitality and concierge?
What do you think the differences are between these?
How about the duties that come with them?
What is a way you've handled a difficult situation in your past work experience?
What is/was your favorite job and why?

And lots more! I can't remember them all because well, at the moment there are about a thousand Mickey Mouses dancing in my head :) She made a lot of comments about how she could tell that I knew what I was talking about too, which made me feel a lot better! The interview lasted a little over 15 minutes, and right before she hung up I said thank you, have a magical day! to which she laughed and said nicely done :) Basically, I'm super excited!
My tips for the phone interview will come later-- I have to go to class now!

Have a magical day :)
-Alyssa ºoº

So close yet so far

My interview is officially in TWO DAYS (it's 12:02 here, so yes, it's Monday!) and I'm definitely getting nervous!

Every moment of my spare time this weekend I've been researching the program, possible interview questions and duties that come with the roles I want! I have about ten front and back pages of notes all tucked in my high school musical folder that hasn't left my sight since Friday.

Between classes? Reading my notes. 10pm-2 am? Reading my notes. Fifteen minute break at work? Reading my notes. Basically, you get my point- I'm obsessed.

I kinda feel like I have to be overly-prepared though since I'm going for concierge or hospitality and I'm not a hospitality major. Basically, I want them to see how passionate I really am about their hospitality program and that even though I'm a mass communications major, I know the basics and have practiced them. This isn't to say that if I got merchandise instead I would be crushed; No, I would still be psyched to be IN the college program!

I've been in SUCH a great mood though lately because of this whole process, I don't know why but I just get giddy every time I think about the possibility of what is to come in the next year! And luckily, some past CPer's and even some going through right now have helped me soo much (shout out to Crissa here- thanks again girl!)that I'm actually feeling pretty prepared for what's to come Wednesday morning--or at least as prepared as I can be at this point! Today's just a short post- a LONG one will be coming on Wednesday don't you worry! Lol

-Alyssa ºoº

update: YAY YAY YAY!!

Things have pretty much changed dramatically in the last hour. I was walking out of one class, heading to another when I looked at my phone and saw I had one new voicemail from a number I didn't recognize. I called my voicemail and was greeted by a cheery woman explaining that she was from the Disney College Program and had just read my email.

This is about where I kinda stopped breathing.

She said that there was indeed a glitch in the system, and they were sorry that I had run into this problem, but I was still a candidate from the program and they would like to invite me to a phone interview.

And this is about where I kinda started crying in the middle of the quad.

I'M SO FREAKING HAPPY! I couldn't stop fidgeting in government after that, or answering questions about why I looked so dang happy to be in class! So, now I'm back in my apt and getting ready to SCHEDULE MY PHONE INTERVIEW! YAYYY! Thanks for all the support while I was freaking out!
Have a magical day :)

-Alyssa ºoº

My stomach won't stop aching!!

It is officially noon, and still no response from Disney.

To say the very least, I am freaking out.

I got online this morning, and the only email I had was from Disney Corp (not from tech support like I need) just saying that they have received my application and thanks for submitting it.

What does this mean? Well the obvious would be it was an automatic email they sent this morning to anyone who sent in an application, but of course, my paranoid mind went elsewhere in my current panic-mode. At 9a.m., I took this to mean "Thanks for submitting your application, too bad you didn't make it."

I'm seriously starting to believe I may not have passed the web interview, which is why the site won't accept my code for the interview anymore. I mean, if I didn't pass, I'll just apply for the program again whenever the next batch of applications come out- I'm not just going to give up. I just wish I understood HOW you fail the web interview. I answered the questions honestly, strongly and confidently but I realize there's always room for improvement.

For now I'm checking my email about every 5 minutes and thinking about how long it will be till spring 2011 apps go up lol-- I'll get there someday :)

-Alyssa ºoº

Traumatic Experience.

Applications officially went up today!!! I was walking back from class when I decided to make a quick stop in the computer lab to check the dcp site for about the billionth time. First, I checked the facebook group to see if there were an earth-shattering posts, and there weren't so then I decided to play the "refresh game" with the dcp site again, only to find the application and E presentation were up!!!

Sooo I proceeded to sit for about 45 minutes and watch the video, answer all sorts of questions about myself, and take the web interview.

This is were all went wrong.

I'm taking the web interview, and when I click to submit one of the million answers, the next screen reads, "URL ERROR. The URL you were looking for does not exist. Please make sure it has been entered correctly." Just as I finished reading the box that almost killed me, the page refreshed and sent me to the beginning of the web interview. I put the code back into the page to begin the interview once more and another dreaded gray box pops up-- "The ten digit code you have entered has already been used to complete this survey. Thanks for your participation. If you feel this is a technological error, please call Gallup."

oy. I call Gallup, who tells me that yes, their files show I have completed the interview, and yes, they can see I'm now stuck, and no, there's nothing they can do about it. Three drafts of notes later, I'm sending Disney Tech Support a nice letter thoroughly explaining the problem and asking nicely for help. Three minutes later, I find out through an automatic response, they're closed.

All in all, I'm trying to remain positive, and am trying to wait patiently for whatever email I get tomorrow. I'm starting to worry that I may have not passed the interview, but I'm praying it was just a glitch in the system!!! Also, congrats to everyone who gets to schedule their second interview tomorrow- I'm so excited for y'all! I really, really hope I'm in your position soon!

-Alyssa ºoº

Hola! ..I'm 80% sure that means hello.

1) I wrote a very clever, witty post and then the stupid computer froze and deleted it so this one might not be so great- sorry.

2) Applications are rumored to go up TOMORROW so I haven't exactly been focused on a few things I probably should have been focused on today...since it was my first day of spring semester classes, and more specifically, my first day of Spanish 2.

It is important now to note two things:
The fact that I passed Spanish 1 was a miracle of God.
The fact that I enrolled in Spanish 2 was incredibly stupid.

My teacher didn't speak English AT ALL, and it's not even allowed in the classroom at all. The one person in the class who also never laughed when the teacher told what apparently was a hysterical joke about her cat (Gato, heck yes) told me the first phrase we need to learn is "Can I talk to you in the hall." Brilliant kid.
So anyway, while she was speaking in a foreign tongue was about where I went into thinking about Disney non-stop. Well, there was a moment when I contemplated dropping, but then Disney came into mind again when she said a word I swear sounded like "Mickey".

All my other classes seem great, so besides the fact that I'm going to have to suffer "Death by Spanish" four of my five school days, I'm actually looking forward to this semester! But what I'm looking forward to even more is actually officially beginning my DCP journey!

-Alyssa ºoº

Stolen.

Yup, I stole this survey from another Fall-Cp-Hopefuller's blog. Buuut I'm super bored and needed something to entertain me :)

Movies
Which movie is your favorite? Enchanted
Which movie has the best story? I feel like this is the same question, but I'll go crazy and mix it up and say Nemo.
Which movie did you laugh the most at? Up
Which movie made you cry? Up, Lion King, and many more
What is your favorite song from the movies? "I won't say I'm in Love"- Hercules
Which Disney movie probably shouldn’t have been made? Who made this survey?! A Disney movie that shouldn't have been made?!
Are you sick of the sequels? The author and I are going to have problems. Update: Ok, actually I'm really done with the airbud movies.

The Park
Have you ever been to Disneyland? Chaaa!
Have you ever been to Disney World? Yup!
Have you been to any of the other Disney Parks around the world? No, on the bucket list though!
Which park is the best? Magic Kingdom- you can't beat the castle :)
What’s your favorite ride? Toy Story, Buzz lightyear, Laugh Factory, Rockin Roller Coaster, Hollywood Tower of Terror
What’s your least favorite ride? ummm I dont remember the name but the frog one behind the castle
Who have you been to Disney with? My family, family friends, friends
Would you go back? Obviously!
Did you get autographs and/or pictures with your favorite characters? Of course
Which character is your favorite picture with? Mickey/Stitch
Would you ever work for Disney? YESSSSS
Which is the best show at Disney? Wishes
Which is the best restaurant? Kona Cafe
Which is the best hotel on Disney property? The Polynesian!!

Back in Tejas

It's true. I'm back in Texas and somewhat depressed about it, but I'll be back in California in less than two months, and then I'll be moving out there in May! I really do need this semester to say bye to my amazing friends here though, so I'm glad I chose to stay.

I feel like I keep focusing on the future instead of the now, but with California and possibly Florida in the next year I'm a lil too excited to focus on my tiny town southern town! The applications for the college program are rumored to go up in (drum roll, please...)

SIX DAYS.

That's right, less than a week!! ok so this is JUST a rumor and I'm trying to tell myself they'll actually be going up much later so that I'm not mucho disappointed when they're not there....but that's just not working out very well.

As you can see, trying to figure out which textbooks I'm going to need for my upcoming classes just isn't the biggest excitement in my life at the moment haha! Well, sorry this blog is so short but I actually have to get those textbooks if I want to actually do well in Spanish this semester :P

-Alyssa ºoº

basically, Disneyland was amazing.

A summary of today, through pictures:



right when you walk in the park, this fire department in on the far left...the room above the fire department is what was Walt Disney's apartment!



I freaking love this. LOVE it.



Once California Adventure opened up we went there :)



and saw HSM3!!! Not sure who was more excited..me or my six-year-old sister.



AND I MET STITCH!! success.

The day was sooo much fun and I'm already looking forward to coming back over spring break and experiencing it all over again...except with a lot more crowds then.

-Alyssa ºoº

Dolphins sleep in a semi-alert state.

1. I just learned that dolphins only let half of their brain sleep at a time so that they can always be alert


2. Remember when you were little, and couldn't fall asleep on Christmas Eve? You just sat in bed staring at the ceiling imagining what the next morning would bring and it was almost too exciting to bear. Then you realized that at any moment the big guy would be coming, and you had to be asleep so you tried to focus on boring things like broccoli for the next half hour just to bore yourself to bed. And there was always that slightly irritated, yet quite rational, part of your little being that said if the jolly man would only speed up his dang route you could sneak down there early and see the gifts. That last part may have only been me.

point being:

That was me alllll day today.

I have a little less than a month until applications go up yet I feel like it's the only thing I can think about! I've been checking the DCP website everyday hopeful that apps will go up ridiculously early (I'm a cool kid, I know...) and now I'm starting to think that maybe if I'm not obsessive over it, they'll go up. Or that maybe I'm insane. Either, or.

Also, I'm going to Disneyland again tomorrow and I'm SUPER pumped!! I only have three days left in California :( before I have to head back to Texas, so this will be a great way to end my winter break! Get ready for some pics of one of the happiest places on earth :)

-Alyssa ºoº

Choosing a Role

So when I apply for the program around February, I'm supposed to have my top three roles chosen. And although I still have almost a month to think about it... I've got my list ready :)

Disney offers tonssss of roles for students so narrowing it down to three was kinda tough, but I've definitely picked the three that suit me best, and hopefully will tie into what I want to do in the future! So, with no further ado, my picks and reasons for them:

1. Concierge- best scenario, for the Polynesian Resort :) This is my number one pick! I want to join Disney's event planning team one day and I think this would be an awesome opportunity to gain some valuable hospitality experience with the company. With this role, I'd be working in a fast paced environment and will be able to have face-to-face guest interaction, which is very important to me. Plus, after six years of journalism classes, I know I've got deadlines down :P I also think this would be a fun role because while of course magic is expected in the parks, you get the opportunity to bring guests magical moments when they're at "home" and not expecting it :) I know from my stays at Disney and my experiences on the concierge level, this could potentially be a very rewarding experience as well as a learning one.

2. Hospitality- best scenario, the front desk. A lot of my reasons for this position are the same! I've heard from past CPers that this is a great position and that they learned so much with all the different jobs within the role, which is very cool.

3. Merch- Merchandise would be a very fun role because you're getting great guest interaction all day long! I'd always be surrounded by people (and Disney stuff!) and being able to help someone find the perfect souvenir would be very cool! Also, considering I work in the merchandise industry right now, I know it's a concept I can grasp :P

I really am hoping for my first pick, but I can't imagine how competitive it is for specific roles, so if I get in, I'm not sure which role I would end up with! For now I guess I should just keep focusing on the goal of becoming a cast member! :D

-Alyssa ºoº

Video Vlog

I also have my own youtube channel now- Alyssaa08! This video was made before my first blog so it's a little repetitive, but I'd still like to share it on here :) Let me know what you think!

PS- my future vlogs will be different then what I write about, but I will continue doing both!

PPS- the still shot youtube chose here makes me look psycho; I'm not. I apparently, however, do make weird facial expressions at inopportune times

-Alyssa ºoº

First Post :)

Ok so my friend Megan just made me this amazing blog page so I could document my journey with the Disney College Program, so first thing- Thanks Megan!!!

Now- the Disney stuff :)

So for those of you who don't know, the Disney College Program is a paid internship offered at both Disney World and Disneyland. Students have the opportunity to work at the parks for a full semester while living on the property! Basically, my dream come true. I discovered the program when I was a sophomore in high school after a waiter mentioned it while we were visiting the park, and I've been obsessed with the idea since then. Every time applications have gone up I've watched the students have the time of their lives through youtube videos, blogs, and pictures posted on the facebook groups.And now it's MY TIME!
I'm now a sophomore in college and things have just lined up for me. I've been planning on transferring schools next year so now I'm realizing this would be a great transition. The applications don't go up till February (although they're rumored to go up January 20th), and now I'm just dying to apply!
There's already about 150 hopeful members in the Fall 2010 facebook group which is awesome, because I already know if I get in I'm going to be making some amazing friends!Really though, I am mainly excited by the opportunity to work at Disney. It's a company my family is obsessed with and one I hope I will have a career in one day. The Disney corporation has provided me with soo many amazing memories, and I now want to be the person making magical memories happen.
So this will be the place I'm going to be keeping track of everything to do with my experience from the anticipation of the application till im hopefully in the program! Thanks for following along :)

-Alyssa ºoº