Sad News

So I don't have regular access to internet right now! It isn't working in my apartment and I'm usually busy during the times the computer lab is open. BUT once I get internet I will continue to blog! :)

Disney College Program: You’re Almost Here!

I received another exciting email! “The time has come and you’re almost here!” Yes, Disney, yes. I am almost there! In just 5 (FIVE) short days I will be there!!!

It was also very helpful. It told me how to dress, that I need to follow the Disney look, what I need to bring, where I should go, when I should arrive, etc.

So exciting. 5 days! 5. Almost there!

Disney College Program: See you real soon!

On the subject of emails, I received one that made me super excited! An email telling me that they’ll see me real soon!

It started out “With just a few weeks until you arrive, we hope you are getting very excited for an experience of a lifetime!” Um, hello, I am BEYOND excited. Disney doesn’t have to worry about that! Also, 12 days! 12 days! (That is LESS than a few weeks.)

Then it went on and gave me reminders of stuff. It was a very helpful and exciting email!! Way better than the last one they sent me!

Disney College Program: Date Change Opportunity

That was the subject of an email I received from Disney not too long ago that got me super excited. Was this an opportunity to arrive earlier???

Turns out it wasn’t. Yes, they were offering the opportunity to change my arrival date- to a month later! Silly Disney, I feel like my arrival date is already late enough, why would I want to change it to a later one? (Especially one that would be so late I couldn’t take classes from them.) Then they must have really needed some more people to change dates because they sent another email out with the same opportunity but this one offered a ticket incentive to switch. But that still didn’t change my mind. I cannot wait to get there! Why would I want to wait any longer?

12 days to go. Not that I’m counting or anything.

The Coveted Purple Folder

So the next day after my interview, I went and checked my PO Box. Yes, I realized it had only been a day and it was impossible to expect anything from Disney to be in it, but I checked it anyway. In fact, I checked every day after that. Sometimes even twice a day. It isn’t like the post office was that far away from where I lived. And it was on the way to church. It wasn’t like I was being that unreasonable. Besides, even if there wasn’t anything from Disney, maybe there was a very important piece of junk mail.  How would I know if I didn’t stop by and checked?

So anyway, after about a century of waiting, I finally had something in my box. I open the little door and look in and in it is a letter. A large letter. I scream and fall against the row of boxes, shaking. I peek in. It is still there. I turn away. I peek again. IT WAS STILL THERE! OMG! So with shaky hands I pull it out and there in the corner it says it is from Disney. I scream again…and drop it on the floor. I quickly scoop it up, dust it off, and hug it. Then I jump up and down and scream some more.

As I’m doing this, I am being watched by a post office employee who happened to be sweeping nearby.

“Good piece of mail?” he asks.

“Oh you don’t know how LONG I have been waiting for this!!!” I gush.

And then he laughs at me and continues on. I’m pretty sure I’m the only one he’s seen make a spectacle of themselves in the middle of the post office.

So I run out the door and to my dorm. I didn’t want to open it there and really make a scene of myself. Besides, even though I had something from them it didn’t mean I was accepted. But the fact that it felt thick gave me hope. But still. I couldn’t take any chances and risk crying in the middle of the post office.

So I ran all the way to my sister’s room because it was closer than mine. And I didn’t want to open it alone, because again, what if it was a rejection letter? So I pound on her door and she opens it and sees me. And I know I had to look crazy. My hair was all messed up because I was running in the wind. I had this wild look in my eye. And I also couldn’t stand still. But she lets me in. And I sit on her bed and rip it open. And there it was. The coveted purple folder. It was so shiny. And pretty. And purple. And exciting. And MINE!!!! And I knew it was mine because it said “Congratulations Pam!” IT WAS MINE! FOR ME!

And I was so happy. See look! Look how happy I am:

And if you think I screamed loud in the post office, just ask my sister how loud I screamed in her room. Don’t ask her what I said. I don’t think she could understand it. But it was something like “OMG! OMG! OMG! I’M IN! I’M IN! I’M IN!!!!!”

Application and Interview

Before you can apply to the Disney College Program, you have to either attend a presentation or view the e-presentation. Because A&M's presentations weren't scheduled until November and I already went to one last fall, I just decided to view the e-presentation. I was not going to wait!

So one night shortly after the e-presentations had become available, I finally had tome to sit down and start applying. So picture it: me practically bouncing up and down in my chair as I start the e-presentation, eager to FINALLY be applying to work for Disney. I'm maybe two minutes into the presentation when this annoying and loud sound goes off. Great. It was the fire alarm. Now I know that fire alarms are notorious for going off during the most inconvenient times but REALLY???? It had to go off THEN???? Oh I was so unhappy. So I did what I had to and went out side and waited. And waited. And waited some more. And some more. I don't really know how long I waited, but everyone agreed- it did seem longer than usual.

I finally go back inside and start the presentation. Afterwards, I begin the application process. I fill out my application and complete the roll checklist. After that, I can start the web-based interview. That part was probably the easiest part. Even the time limit on some didn't seem too bad. All I had to do was answer the questions honestly. You shouldn't try and answer them the way you think Disney would want them answered. That's not going to help them get to know you! Anyway, I passed the web interview! I was so excited! For some reason I had convinced myself that I was going to be that person who failed the web interview! Up next was the phone interview.

I had determined to be ready for this interview! I looked up questions so many times. I ran around my room with my phone trying to find the best possible service (my desk or the evil closest that hated me. I went for the desk. Who knew how my closest would try and sabotage me!) I remembered a story that was told during the presentation last year about a girl who had answered the phone for the interview in the bathroom of a concert! I was shocked that she could care that little! But I was determined to not be a "how to not conduct a phone interview!"

When I scheduled it, they reminded me that they would probably call 5-10 minutes early. Me being the paranoid person I am, was ready 30 minutes before. I literally ran out of class and sat by my desk staring at my phone. Finally it was 10 minutes before. Then 5. Then it was the time I had scheduled. By this point I was FREAKING out. Here it was, the time of the interview, and no call. Did I make sure I could receive unrestricted numbers? I did give them my correct number right? Was it really for this time? On this day? Could my phone be dying even though I JUST charged it? Did I really have the best service right here? All of these thoughts were racing through my head and I think I began to hyperventilate a little, all in the span of not even two minutes.

I finally got my call about four minutes after the scheduled time. I was so excited I couldn't breathe. I was a little afraid I freaked out the interviewer with my rushed and frantic "HELLO!" But the interview went just fine. We talked about how much I loved Disney, about my work experience, about the types of jobs I was willing to do, etc. She did ask if I was willing to do other jobs and even suggested a couple she thought I might like based on some of what we had talked about. I thought that was so super nice! She really wanted to help me get a job by offering more possibilities. But I pretty much told her I would do anything. I just wanted to work for Disney. But most importantly I just tried to be myself. Which is really all I could do. Besides, being myself meant I had to mention Disney at least once in a conversation!

Soon the interview was over and it was time to wait. Wait until I heard back whether or not my dream had come true...

The Beginning of my Dreams Coming True

For as long as I can remember I have been in LOVE with Disney. Maybe it was the magic. Maybe it was the music. Maybe it was the Princesses and falling in love. Maybe it was the adventures. Or maybe it was a combination of all of that and more but whatever it was, I was in love with Disney after my first movie.

For about as equally long a time, I have wanted to work for Disney. Disney has given me so much: laughter, joy, smiles, friendship, stories, and most importantly, MAGIC! And I have always wanted to share it with others. I've always wanted to be a part of the magic.

And now I get to! In exactly 18 days I start the Disney College Program. In exactly 18 days I will start the adventure of a lifetime. In exactly 18 days I will journey in A Whole New World of magic.