Disney Entertainment Audition!

O.M.G.

SO I went to the character audition in Ann Arbor today...

AND IM MADE IT THRU THE FINAL CUT

SERIOUSLY cant believe it. I know it doesnt necessarily mean anything, but just that they are considering me out of all those people that showed up...blows my mind!

Here's what happened:

So i got to the audition an hour before check in started, which was at 10:30. Thankfully the opened the doors and let us in at 10 to get settled. From there we got measured and put our basic info down like name and email. this process took well over a half hour because there was about 130 people there!! 

We were scheduled to start at 11, but they waited for the last few people to check in, so we started at 11:15ish. All 130 of us were cramed into a small room and this is where the leader told us the basics. Such as what being an entertainer at DIsney World means and that they are only looking for certain spots to fill so they encourage you to try out again if you dont make it!

From there we learned the first dance. Im not going to give away details, but its just a simple dance with a mini animation before hand :) easy stuff! we practiced it over and over, then they split us into two groups of 60. My group went first

So in rows of 4 we performed the mini animation and dance, moving across the floor toward the judge. I made sure to ham it up as MUCH as possible, dancing with huge movements and giving it my all! it was one shot, so i made sure to make it count! after that we left the room and the next 60 did the dance. once they were finished we all got back together in the room. This whole process took just over an hour from when we started at 11:15.

From here he explained a little more about being a character performer and basically told everyone to not be sad if they didn't make it. he said they expect to see 2,000 people this season alone, and there are only around 150 spots. From here he read the numbers....

i was number 20 so i knew my pain would be over quickly. I figured with my height and build, i would not be chosen....but when he called my number I had to try so hard to keep from crying. i was SO EXCITED that they considered me to move on. All the friends I had made unfortunately didnt get to proceed, so as i stayed while the majority left, i suddenly knew no one. The group of 130 now shrunk to 40. NOW i was nervous.

Once  again, I don't want to reveal to much but I had to do a huge animation sequence, something they have never done before in any audition, so we were the guinea pigs. Lets just say you had to truly take on the persona of a character and animate your HEART out. They had us do it again and again and would give us critiques on what to change or add. Then we learned another dance, MUCH harder than the first. This one consided of complicated dance steps that i was horrible at. But the choreographer ensured that it wasnt about the dance, it was about your personality and shining even when you failed the dance.

So we practiced the animation and dance a few times and eventually got dismissed and would return in groups of 5 to officially audition. I was the second group to go, and i was nervous.... but yet not. I knew if i was myself, there was nothing more i could do. They would either like me or they wouldnt! so i gave it all i had, and made sure they wouldnt forget my face :) we did the animation once, and dance twice afterwords. Then we were dismissed and allowed to go home! Some people where called back for a question, but he said that people that were finished could get it and the people called back may not. The call back was just to answer a simple question or take another picture for face or something like that. He said if he knew he wanted you, there was nothing else to ask so thats why he didnt call some people back. 

Walking out of there I felt SO WONDERFUL. It was well worth the 2.5 hour drive.... and to know im in the running... i cant handle the wait!!! He said they had one week of auditions left, and then they would start sending out emails, and we would hear back no later than Nov 15.... this is going to be a longggg wait. 

Im trying not to get my hopes up, because a lot of people make it to the end, just to not make it... but at least i can say i made it that far!! My fingers are crossed that ill get that email....to be "friends" with someone would be a dream come true... i cant imagine being given the opportunity to bring characters to life

it wouldnt get any better than that :) so ill just be over here, impatiently waiting for a response from casting.... hahaha

If you can Dream it you can Do it <3

Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust

Applying early really does have its benefits.... I was able to get the very first arrival date, Wednesday Jan 8th!!! normally its a monday... not sure why they choose wednesday this year, but who knows! Im ok with it!!! :)))

I just remember last year being soooo jealous when everyone else was arriving and i had to wait a few more weeks till i could go. I was not gunna let that happen this time. 

AND i get to stay LONGER because im getting their earlier! Im there till may 30! Last year i left 10 days earlier than that! So those couple extra weeks for this program will be great! 

Emily and I are starting to look into roomates, but we are having a rough time.... no one wants to live at Vista!! It has such a bad rep, but it really isnt that bad!! im sure we will find some girls eventually that are willing to try out Vista. its going to be great being within walking distance to everything this time!

Im soooo excited, time has been moving sooooo slow since i got accepted... i can tell this is going to be a long wait. At the same time I really want to cherish the time I have with friends and family.... its so tough cause i want time with them, but I want Disney now... I just have to keep in mind how fast this period went last year. it FLEW by, and im sure it will this time too.

i also cant help be excited for the fact that my dad is driving me down and picking me up this time :) Not only can i pack WHATEVER the heck i want for this program rather than cramming 4 months into 2 suitcases and a carry one, I also get to take my time and roadtrip with my Dad :) we are gunna leave a few days early and take our time going through the southern states that i havent seen since i was to young to remember!!! I do like flying, but this will be totally worth it !!! and this means i have a reason to leave even earlier to get down there!! I cant wait :)

Looking through my posts from last year, it looks like the class scheduling will be coming up in the next 3 weeks... i cant decide wether or not i want to do a class or not. It gives me an excuse to have the same day off every week, yet takes up time... i wont be taking any classes thru GV this time around besides my internship class so i could probly spare some time to learn more from Disney. We will see what they are offering this time around!

So with my 21st bday being just over a week away, im hoping the time will flyyyyy. The weekend after that im going camping up north, then its almost halloween!! fingers crossed that it wont drag on....

ACCEPTED!!!!!

FRIDAYS ARE MY LUCKY DAYS!!!

TODAY AT 3:03PM I RECEIVED MY ACCEPTANCE EMAIL FROM THE DCP!!!

IM GOING HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was literally SHAKING with excitement, I was at work in the back room and kept pulling out my phone to see if I got an email. And then there it was!! I quick ran outside to get better service and see what I was accepted for....

and it was Attractions.

Not gunna lie, i was EXTREMELY disappointed. Ive already done attractions, and i stressed to my recruiter/interviewer that i wanted something DIFFERENT and that i thrived under new experiences. But really, I just wanted to be a character attendant more than anything. 

So i mopped around work for an hour or so and came to the realization that attractions could be ANYTHING. Maybe my recruiter had something REALLY fun for me in mind, and wanted me placed somewhere even better than character attendant. In my interview she kept telling me how bubbly and personal I was....maybe she had a place in mind for me.

SO im putting my faith in my recruiter and hoping she has something planned for me. Heck, attractions could mean running the dance parties with characters at Disney Junior!! Or being a skipper on the jungle cruise!!! I have faith it will be something grand. :)

AND im keeping in mind that on Oct 8 Im going to an entertainment audition in Ann Arbor, so who knows what will happen there! Entertainment would be incredible <3

I think Im still in shock...to think that I will be going back for another semester....its so unreal. I cant tell if im more excited this year than last year. Now that I know how amazing it is, i have so much to look forward tooo!!!

to top it all off, one of my roomates from my last program got accepted for spring attractions too!!! So we are hoping to room together! :) It will be so nice going down and already knowing someone!

And now I get to wait almost 4 months to go.... the worst part. hahaha but at least im accepted. No more waiting, no more wondering.

I. am. going. HOME.

Phone Interview Complete!!!

Oh my goodness. My phone interview went soooooo well!!! I couldnt be happier :)

My interviewer was Carrie, she called about 5 minutes after my scheduled time of 12:15. she started off with basic questions, basically going over what i put on my application. Right from the start we were laughin and giggling together because i was her first interview of the season!!! She was very laid back! She asked me why I wanted to do the DCP and asked me about my work experience. I brought up my disney heritage class and how I knew David Horvath and she knew him as well! we talked for awhile about him and how she knew him. It was nice to have something in common right off the bat. She asked me to describe a time when there was a time crunch and I had to get something done! From there she listed all the roles i was open to, and asked me to say my top 3.

I told her character attendant and of course she asked why! I told her about how I love guest interaction and how characters are my favorite part about the park! She asked me what I would say if Mickey had to go away for awhile, what I would tell the families in line. I told her I would recommend them to a nearby character until Mickey returned! She asked if i was comfortable working in all conditions, in the sun and inside, i of course said yes!

She then asked my second role, which I said Vacation Planner and began to explain why. before i could even finish she stopped me and basically said she couldnt see me in that role. She said "im sure you are fully capable and would be great at it, but i see you as the moving around and energetic type!".... that right there gave me hope that she wants me to be a character attendant :)

So then i changed my second choice to Photopass, and told her about my photography experience and why i enjoyed it. She asked if i would be comfortable carrying the weight for 8 hours at a time, i said it would be no problem!! I made sure to point out that Character Attendant would be a better fit for me.

And for my third I said attractions again, just because of the endless possibilities. From there she went into the disney look and agreeing to work anytime, etc etc. She asked me if i had any questions for her, and i asked her about how she got to be in casting! Her story was a great one, including her doing a CP, going home and doing a real world job for only 6 months when she got tired of it, packed up and went back to Disney. She worked in Traditions and casting, and eventually moved back home and is now a seasonal worker, only interviewing CP's during recruiting season!

I told her how i loved her story, and loved the fact that Disney is so versatile in what you can do within the company. I told her I didnt know what i wanted to do yet, but if its meant to be, it will happen. She said that was one of the most important things she has learned in her 40 years... i think we really clicked :)

SO i have a really good feeling that I will get character attendant. Yet at the same time, she has hundreds of people to interview so im not getting my hopes up. She said 2-3 weeks until i will know, but they said that last time and I found out in 2 days! so im going to hope for a week, but until then I will be going insane wondering!!

the only thing I left out, was the fact that i didnt want to work in Hollywood Studios again. Dont get me wrong, its my favorite park, but I wanted to try something different this program. But if whats meant to be, will be, so im not worried about it :) It feels good to have this part out of the way, and from here its just waiting. I hope to get in contact with Carrie if i receive the Character attendant role, and thank her for being such a great interviewer. If all interviews were as relaxed and fun as that one, no one would be afriad!!

Good luck to all those who have yet to apply, and those who are interviewing soon! This is the chance of a lifetime, and it all begins here.

Phone interview!

Well compared to my last program, things are moving EXTREMELY fast. within 2 hours of applying, I got my Web Interview, immediately found out i passed that and within 15 minutes i was able to schedule my phone interview. last program i had to wait 3 DAYS to get my WBI. And once I scheduled my phone interview, it was almost 2 weeks away. This time, my phone interview was scheduled within 48 hours of my WBI.... this saturday (tomorrow) at 12:15!!! I get to be in the FIRST phone interview day of the season!

I cant decide if this is an advantage, or disadvantage. It could be nice, because they havent really talked to anyone else, so i have a better shot of getting the job I want since no one else has been interviewed yet really. BUT at the same time, they have THOUSANDS of interviews to get through, and since im the FIRST day, they may hold off on me because they know they have alot more potential out there....Its hard to say. All i know is last year i heard back after my phone interview in 2 DAYS. Im hoping the same for this, so I will know by Monday :) but thats a long shot...

Im not really worried about getting accepted, I dont know of anyone that has been turned down before when they already have a program under their belt. But Im worried about not getting the Character Attendant role. I want his role SO BAD its not even funny.



I wanted this role badly LAST program as well, but after spending 4 months in the parks, i truly know this is a role i am meant to be in! During my time at Muppet Vision 3D, i had the opportunity to do a "meet and greet" with Sweetums, our live character! I got to bring the family backstage (a family that was completely decked out in muppet clothing) and introduce them to sweetums. Watching the kids smile and the family have SO MUCH fun just by meeting this simple character, made me so happy. i took pictures of them and helped be sweetums "voice". It was one of the best parts of my program. I just imagine if my whole program was made up of doing that... it would be incredible.

So as im a little over 24 hours away from my interview, im collecting my thoughts and figuring out what i should say. Last year i had pages of notes, and i dont think that is necessary this year. I just want to mention everything that should be mentioned so i have the best chance :) Because there is nothing i want more than to do another CP...

Im so ready to go back home.

And so begins another journey....

Some exciting news...

The Spring 2014 DCP app is now officially LIVE!! I JUST applied as SOON as it was available! 

IM SO EXCITED!!!

I decided to go back for another Spring term, because I feel as though i would SERIOUSLY regret it if i didn't go back... Disney is where my heart is :)

So my fingers crossed so I can get Character Attendant this program, Im so excited to see what happens!!! Thankfully they remembered all my info, so the app took me 2 seconds.

Now its the waiting game for the Web Based Interview...then onto the Phone interview!!! YAYYYY!

And most people say this is a once in a lifetime chance...

hopefully its a twice in a lifetime chance for me :)

Should I choose the smoother course, steady as the beating drum?

It has now been 190 days since i started my Disney College Program.... over half a year since i started the biggest journey of my life... and right now, ill i can think about is going back....


The first few months home, i was so grateful to be back home.... i rarely thought of Disney, if anything it felt like a dream. But now that i've settled, i've begun to realize that i'm missing something. And that something is being in Disney.

Something is pulling me to go back. Whether its fate, God or my own desire, its impossible to ignore. And its driving me insane. Professional internship applications go up in 3 WEEKS. And the regular CP applications come out the week after that. I have 3 WEEKS to decide what i want to do. At this point, i don't believe its a question of whether or not i'm going back....

Its a question of when.

So do i return for another winter semester and go from Jan-May again?? Or do I go next Fall  from August-December and be apart of the Halloween and Christmas events? Either way, going back will cause me to graduate a semester late...

But im definitely ok with that.

And then the decision lies in whether or not I do a professional internship or a CP? A professional internship would cause me to drive down myself, in my junker of a truck.... im not sure if i'd make it with the 250,000 miles on my truck....

Along with the $300 in gas ONE WAY it would cost me to drive.

Or I simply complete another CP, fly down with very little this time (which i learned the hard way last program) and take the cheaper option...

Decisions, decisions.....

and worse yet, i have less than a month to decide....

I could always apply, then deny if i change my mind.... but thats not very professional.

I will have to decide, and do it soon. And try to take in all the factors, such as my boyfriend, friends, horse and family. All the other things impacted by my decision.

Its Disney we are talking about here. It honestly shouldn't be this complicated.