I can’t believe it has almost been a year since I checked into Vista Way for the first time.
It has been a whirlwind year but I would not change a single thing. I can say when I drove onto Disney property for the first time I was so nervous, I was about to meet the girls who I would live with for the next 5 months for the first time. I was 12 hours away from home, I was essentially alone minus all of the other DCPers who were doing this for the first time as well.
I met Kelsey and Savannah while we were in line to check in, and I didn’t know it at the time but these two girls along with Carolyn would make my College Program as memorable as it was. From late night talks about life, to Celebrating Roommate Day in a rainy Magic Kingdom, to waking up at God Awful o’clock just to go stand in the hot Florida sun to be a part of the Christmas Parade filming, even the small arguments would have but then later get over. I would never change a single thing about the 5 months I spent with you three in Vista 2310.
Let’s talk about work. The College Program isn’t always about going to the parks 24/7. Yes, I did go to one of the four parks at least once a week, if not more just to play and have fun. Yes, a majority of the paycheck I received from Disney did go back to Walt Disney World in one way or another.
I was lucky enough to be placed in a role at Disney that I fell in love with. I spent my days in the Wild West in Frontierland (FUNtierland as the locals call it) as a Merchandise Cast Member in THE Magic Kingdom. I have been told that the people you work with at Disney will either make or break your program for you, for me it made it 200x’s better than I ever dreamed it would be, even those 14 hour shifts during the holiday’s when all I wanted was to be at home with my family. The other cast member’s I worked with were my family while I was there and to this day I still continue to feel as if those people are my family who I miss every single day. You know who you are, so thank you from the bottom of my heart for making this program amazing.
Would I recommend the Disney College Program to someone else? 100% yes. Is the Disney College Program for everyone? I honestly don’t know. Would I do it all over again? There isn’t a doubt in my mind. If I could drop everything right now, I would leave for Orlando and never look back. I definitely plan on doing another College Program in Spring of 2018 after I graduate from school.
I cannot wait until I have the chance to walk down Main Street U.S.A. again. Mickey I’ll see you soon, that is a promise.
“If you can dream it you can do it. Remember that this whole thing started with a dream and a mouse.” – Walt Disney
My so called life 