Disneyland Cast Member Life

Hi friends, sorry for not posting for a long time, but life has been kinda busy here in Southern California.  I have had the chance to experience working as a cast member for a few months now, and my program is over half way over.  Here are some pictures and moments from my program so far:

My roommates took me to the Museum of Ice Cream for my birthday! It was a LOT of fun and there was ice, cream, and a pool of sprinkles!!! 

One of my fellow cast members took this of me while I was doing trash on Main Street!

This is a picture of my fellow custodians, gathered in Cars Land for the Mid Program Celebration.  We got free churros, popcorn and drinks and got to roam around Cars Land in our best Disneybound outfit.  I went as a Coconut. (consider them)

My friends and I went to the Goodwill Outlet.  I was SOOO stoked!!! Found some great items for very cheap.

I had the chance to visit Northern California last week.  I went on a walk with my brothers, as well as visited my grandparents, went to church, and visited my old work! It was nice being home and getting to experience actual Fall weather. 

My Aunt and Uncle and cousins came to visit! We had a blast. 

This is just me being weird and not knowing exactly when the ride would take the picture. 

I have been able to go to some awesome events that I sadly cannot take pictures of, but some of them include haunted mazes in the ride queues, going on rides with the lights on, and tonight I will be going to a backstage tour of the Haunted Mansion. I am very excited!  

Arrival

Hi friends! It has been a wonderful three weeks! I have moved into my new apartment with my roommates Megan, Irma, Sarah and Lizzie! I am happy to announce that I will be working in Disneyland park as a global cast member! This means that I am not locked in one land, such as Critter Country, but rather I change locations daily.  I feel that this will help me grow by learning about other parts of Disney and being a part of many more stories.


I have gone to the parks with my friends as well as alone, which is always fun! One awesome thing that the College Program does for its participants is special events.  On top of the housing events they plan, which is where they have music and food at our housing location, they have park events.  I attended a special backstage tour of the Indiana Jones ride! I learned a lot of cool stuff!  I am looking forward to the next event, which will be riding Space Mountain with the lights on!

My roommates and I attending our housing meeting

I learned my lesson: Don't go on Splash Mountain at night when there is no sunlight to dry your soaked clothes.

Some of the attractions here at Disneyland are currently closed for refurbishment, the most notable one is Haunted Mansion.  I have never been to a Disney park during the holidays, so I am beyond  stoked to see the Haunted Mansion as well as the entire park be decked out for Halloween and Christmas.  I signed up to be trained to give out candy for the Halloween parties that they throw at Disneyland.   

I reunited with my Custodian friend from WDW back in 2014!

My work has been going well, other than getting hurt by running into a rock.  I banged up my knee but I am slowly getting better.  I have lots to share about the differences in Custodial between the two parks, but I will save that for another post.  As for now, I am just enjoying my time here and meeting new people every day!  

Chapter 3 begins August 2017!

Hello friends!
I am pleased to announce that I recently accepted a position for the Disneyland College Program. My previous adventures have been as a Custodian at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.  I will have the amazing opportunity to be a Custodian at the Happiest Place on Earth, DISNEYLAND.  This is the original park that Walt envisioned and even lived on Main Street, USA.  Walt knew his theme park would stand out against the rest through his storytelling, creativity, interactive experiences, and of course the cleanliness of the park.  As a Cast Member in Custodial Guest Services, I will have the honor of continuing Walt's dream!  Unlike the program at WDW, the Disneyland program is much smaller with exciting new cast member experiences.  I am excited to continue my Disney adventures at this new location.

Before I do so I will be spending another summer at Mt. Cross Ministries, which is the Lutheran Outdoor summer camp that I have been attending since elementary school! I will be in a Leadership position this summer, helping out with Ropes (elements and rock wall), and leading High School students in training and ministry!

Currently I am taking some music classes and working at the candy store!

I'll keep ya'll updated!

Disney Lyfe.

     Hello folks. I have been here for about a month.   My internet did not work for the longest time and I checked it today and it finally works! I have been working in the West of Magic Kingdom in Custodial Guest Services.  It has been great and I have met some cool peeps.  There are a bunch of transitions and changes going on and I have not been able to pick up any extra hours but I am getting by alright.  I decided to use all my money to buy a season pass to Universal. I have spent many a day off there, mostly in the Harry Potter world.  It's refreshing to step outside the Disney bubble.  I also decided not to take any Disney classes this time around.
     I was sick for a long time and I am slowly getting better I think.
Here are some pictures from my adventures:

Group of Custodians at Universal on our day off

Right after the water ride. Drenched!

This first month has gone by tooooooo fast and I still need to meet new people and do much more!

TAKE 2

Hello, friends! I have had quite an exciting first week here in Orlando Florida! 

     My travels went very well other than the airport food.  I fit all my items and clothing for the next 4 months in 2 suitcases and a small carry-on.  I took a shuttle to the hotel and there I met my 7 other roommates!
     The next day was check in day and we all found out where we would be staying, who we would be rooming with, and where we will be working for the next 4 months! I am living with 7 lovely ladies in Chatham Square and will be working at Magic Kingdom in the South which is on Main Street U.S.A.! After check in I went to Casting to turn in my I-9 documents and to get fingerprinted for the background check.  I went home to my new apartment, unpacked and went grocery shopping.  I attended a Housing Meeting the next day that went over all the rules of staying on disney housing.  In our downtime, my roommates and I went to Disney Springs (formerly called Downtown Disney) to shop and eat.  Then it was time to attend Traditions, which is our first paid day at Disney that welcomes us to being new Cast Members for Disney and where we learn Disney values and goals and visions. We ultimately learned that we as Cast Members have the ability to create happiness for the guests and to go out of our way to make the Disney difference for our guests.
     After traditions we are able to start visiting the parks with no entrance fee.  I did visit a few times, though I have been suffering through some health problems for over a week and have finally started to see an improvement.  I started feeling bad during my first day here.  I had been suffering from an eye problem for over a year and was just starting to get better when the next problem popped up. I believe I had a Urinary Tract Infection and needed antibiotics, though the antibiotics made my stomach very sore and it depleted my good bacteria so it messed with my digestion.  I bought some antibiotics and some Kombucha to help replenish my bacteria and I think it's working well!
     Although I haven't seen them all, it is great to be back in Florida and see all my old friends again! It's also great to visit the parks and to see all the changes that have been made in the past 2 years.  Today on my day off I visited Hollywood Studios, which has undergone the most changes since I left and there are many other attractions that are going away soon.  The biggest difference I noticed was the focus on Star Wars franchise.  I was able to see a short show on the making of Star Wars, and noticed there were many Star Wars character spots.  Another great update was during my flight on Star Tours, we got to visit new destinations and BB8 and Finn were there, helping the rebel alliance! Also, Disney Springs is now much more completed than it was during my last program.  In Animal Kingdom it is plain to see they are working on the creation of Pandora. Another great experience I had was going on "Kilimanjaro Safaris" when the sun was setting and seeing the animals at that time! They were much more active!
     Tomorrow I start my official training!

My roommate, Lauren!

I met Ariel!

Almost all of my roomies!

Disney College Program Order of E-mails

Hello friends! If anyone who has applied or is planning to apply for the Disney College Program and curious about when and in what order you receive emails and correspondence from Disney, this post is for you!

I will add the dates of when applied my first time, for the Spring 2014 DCP, however I have since then applied for a Fall program and turned down the offer, and recently accepted another position for Spring 2016. 

Please note that not all applicants receive all emails, and not all emails are in this order.

1. "Thank You for Applying": This is the first email you will get after your application has been submitted.  I received this email the same day I applied for the first time, which was September 29th.  Please note I applied well after a month the apps opened and therefore the application process went faster than most of those that applied when apps first opened. 

2. "Immediate Action Required: Web-Based Interview": I got this email minutes after the previous email and it provides a link to complete the web based interview. I have heard that it may take longer to receive this email, and for some they never get a chance to do the web based interview based on your information and experience in your initial application. 

3. "Schedule Phone Interview": Immediately after I completed the web based interview, I received an email asking to schedule a phone interview for within the next few days.  If you are applying early in the process, you may have to wait a few weeks.  The most important thing to remember when scheduling your interview is that the schedule is in Eastern time, and military time, so make sure you understand when your interview starts. When I completed my Web based interview, the last screen said something like" Congratulations, we believe you are a strong candidate and would like you to schedule a phone interview",  In my experience, if you do not receive this message, you may have not passed the web based interview and will not continue with the interviewing process. 

4.  "Phone Interview Confirmation": This confirms your scheduled interview time. This email, along with all previous emails were all sent to me on the same day, September 29th. 

(In between email 4 and 5 I got an email letting me know when the Character Auditions were for my area, though this only applies to applicants interested in Entertainment)

5. "Thank You for Interviewing": I received this email on October 1st, which was the date of my interview.  It says thank you for your interest and that all decisions will be made my mid November. 

6. "Congratulations!": This is the email that lets you know you have been selected to do the program.  Although it won't say in the email, there is a link to your official offer letter than includes your role that you were offered, In my case this was Custodial, my top choice! I received this email on October 4th, around 10 AM, which was a few days after my interview.  Some wait longer for this email and some waits are shorter, but the earlier you apply, in most cases, means the longer you wait.  This may seem like you should apply later, however there are perks of applying early, such as getting a chance to pick an earlier arrival date.  Also in this email it explains the 3 step process of accepting your offer with Disney. 

7. "Submit Program Fees" After you have reviewed your offer and have decided to embark on this journey and click "Accept Offer", you will be instructed to pay your program fees. You have 7 days to submit these fees. Please save up money before you apply for the program in order to make this deadline.  For my second program offer, I was never sent a "Congratulations!" email and was sent a warning email that said I had like two or three days left to submit my program fees, so you can imagine my surprise when I got this email since I had no idea I had an offer. I decided to not take the offer (because I had another job offer that conflicted with the program dates" and received a "No Longer in Consideration" email for not paying the fees. I got this email October 4th. 

8.  "DORMS Payment Confirmation": A receipt of payment, mine was for about 350 dollars, which is for the first two weeks of rent at housing.  If you choose to opt out of housing, a portion of this fee will be refunded to you. The rest of the fee is for paying for things like Housing events, and the end of the year party, so be sure to take advantage of those opportunities during your program because you are technically paying for some of it, and they are lots of fun! I got this email October 4th.

9.  "Welcome to the Disney College Program Team!" This email is to ensure you that you have completed all steps to accept your offer, and confirm your program dates.  It gives you a link to the website with reading material to prepare for your arrival.  I received this email October 4th.

10. "Request for Additional Information": This email has links that you click on with forms that Disney needs you to fill out. 

11. "Education Course Registration": I got this email next, though there may be others you get in between, such as newletters.  The education email basically lets you know what courses are available and when you will be able to register for courses.  The policy has recently changed that someone who would like to take a collegiate course with DCP must be receiving credit through their college/university.  However, all participants are eligible to sign up for the Seminars, which are now only 4 weeks long instead of 8 weeks. I received this email on November 11th.

12."The Disney Look": The email provides a link to the Disney Look information that is important to look over to make sure you are in compliance with the Disney Look while working.  I received this email on November 19th. 

13. "Prepare for Your Arrival"  This email has a link to the onboarding website and encourages you to visit the site to review the information.  I received this email on December 19th

14. "See Ya Real Soon": This email mentions that your arrival date is quickly approaching and that the next step is to complete the New Hire paperwork, however it offers no instructions for how to complete it.  This is by far the most confusing email because it tells you to do something yet provides no links.  When you receive this email, it means that they will shortly be sending you the new hire paperwork, so don't panic if you are unsure what to do.

15.  "New Hire Portal Instructions" This email gives you a link to fill out your New Hire Paperwork.  It also gives you a username and explains that your password will be sent in a separate email. I received this email November 26th.

16. "New Hire Account Information": Moments after the previous email, I received this email with my one time password for filling out my paperwork.  When you receive this email, you are able to fully log in and complete all the paperwork.  I received this email November 26th. 

17. "Housing Pre-Registration" This email usually comes 14 days prior to your arrival date.  Some arrival dates get this email the night before registration goes up, some get it that day when registration is live. This is the email that you have been waiting for if you have a group of people that you want to room with already.  You will receive a ID number (that becomes your Perner number) in the email. Whoever you appoint in your group to be the group leader will take these numbers and link you all together in DORMS to request that you live together. The leader also will pick housing preferences, which includes which complex, how many bedrooms, and if you want double or triple occupancy.  You will only have a few days to enter and link everyone so make sure you have all your roommates in mind before this date and that you all check your emails and have received and completed the new hire paperwork. I received this email on January 7th for a January 20th arrival date. 

18. "You Have Been Linked!" This lets you know that someone has linked up with you in DORMS, and sends you a link to confirm and double check your preferences.  

19. "Boarding Pass": This email sends you your DORMS Boarding Pass that you need to print out for check in day.  

20. "Final Reminders": Reminds you when you are checking in and to pack appropriately for the weather. I received this email January 8th. 

21. "DORMS Domestic Arrival Reminder": This reminder is a specific reminder for you, that tells you when you need to report for check in (mine was at 9 AM), and where check in is. (Vista Way). It also reminds you that you need your printed Boarding Pass, Vehicle Registration Form, and your I9 documentation. 

I hope this was helpful!

I'm going HOME!!!!!!!!!!

True 2 years ago, true today.

Well, I know I kept saying that I wasn't planning on coming back to work for the mouse, but here I am with another acceptance to the Disney College Program.  I am very excited to be heading back "home" to my Disney family.  I am yet again going to be sweeping the streets of Disney, and of course flushing toilets as well.  I have already met some lovely gals on the Facebook page and we are planning on rooming together, and I really hope everything works out and that we all get to stay with each other!

It's been two years since I have done the DCP...not much has changed in my life (still trying to finish school, still single as a pringle, still have not learned to drive haha). I did get another cool job here in my home town of working at the candy store, and I spent my summer working at the lutheran outdoor camp I grew up going to, but other than that same old same old.  In the DCP however, a lot has changed since I left.  I have heard that hourly pay rates have gone up (WOOHOO I am not gonna have to eat Ramen every night!), I have heard that the apartments now have bunk beds, that the apartment prices have gone up (hello Ramen), and that the policy for cast members bringing in guests have changed. I am looking forward to having a smart phone while on the program because I heard there is an application that you can use to track the buses.  So it looks like some of the changes are for the best, and some of them I would love to know more since I am nervous....but I can't complain because I am going to DISNEY WORLD!!! AGAIN!

This is life. Vegetarian frugality 

I have been saving up for my family to get to come and visit me! Hopefully I will get to show them a great time and that they get to visit all the parks, and I hope Disney sends out the new changes to the guest policy so I know beforehand what we will be able to accomplish on their trip.
I am most excited about meeting my roommates, finding out where I will be working, seeing my Disney work location family again, going to the parks (I tear up every time I think of EPCOT....I had no idea it would affect me this much), and seeing Wishes for the first time since the last night of my last program ( I haven't even listened to it because of all the feels it brings).
I am nervous about the possibility of getting a bed bug infested apartment...getting an apartment with no bus stop would also be unfortunate.
I have two more weeks of school and finals and then I can really focus on packing and getting everything ready for leaving again!
Despite some of the non-magical goings-on of Disney, working there has made Disney even more magical and special to me.  This time around I really want to try hard every day to make a positive difference in the lives of my fellow cast members and the guests at Disney.  There were so many moments of regret after my first program where I stopped and asked myself, "Why didn't I do this during my program?", "Why did I resort hop only once?", "Why did I hoard my stickers to myself and not give them out every second of the day!??".  I am beyond excited to get another opportunity to do all these things and explore the Disney bubble of Orlando with new peeps.
I am very excited about being able to see the Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom, which was closed my entire program last time.  I am also starting an a capella group to sing a piece for the Night of Stars Talent Show- I am super stoked for that!
I can't wait for the Flower and Garden Festival, which is basically my favorite place to be...ever.

Well folks, stay tuned for another crazy ride.