The Job of a Lifetime: My Spring 2015 DCP

[miss.potatohead]

I'm definitely in! I have serious food plans for my program. It's probably what I'm most excited about! What are your favorite restaurants? And if you don't mind me asking, where are you from?

I'm from Australia I've only been to WDW once (and Disneyland 4 times) and we didn't eat at any of the full service sit down restaurants, but I loved all the food offerings at EPCOT and I spend hours researching Disney food hahahah. And I LOVE Mickey waffles.

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

Yay! Congrats!

I work for Disney here in Beijing and I will say I love my job!

Wishing you all the best!

 

[thumpergirl101]

Hello everyone! Sorry it's been awhile. I hate it when the threads that I read aren't updated often enough, but I've been having some internet issues, and I can't very well do updates on my phone!

But I received my acceptance letter well over a week ago, and the excitement just seems to be building! I wish everyone was accepted already, because I feel kind of bad sharing my excitement when I know SO MANY PEOPLE are still waiting.

But anyway, it's already getting difficult to concentrate on school and work! I know that my education is important and all that, and I really do enjoy my classes, but every once and a while I'll think, "Is it really important to know who succeeded Ivan VI of Russia? Because I'll be in Disney in 98 days." It's probably not the best attitude to have, but when I think about the ever advancing winter... I really just can't wait to be in Florida!

I still haven't had any luck selling my housing contract, which is vaguely worrisome because otherwise I don't know how I'll be able to afford the DCP. But I'm just trusting that something will work out, because I definitely won't let anything crush my dreams!

I'm kind of dying to know which restaurant I'll be working in! My dream role would be in the '50s Prime Time Café, but somehow I can't actually picture myself working in Hollywood Studios. I can't really figure out why. But there are so many restaurants and they all sound so amazing! I'm honestly thinking about rating them based on how much I think I would enjoy working in each one! We'll see.

Instead of continuing with regular food updates, I thought I would share some minorly exciting news. After choosing my dates, I'll actually be in WDW for three weeks longer than I anticipated! For those that haven't figured me out yet, that means THREE MORE WEEKS OF DISNEY FOOD!

So, after some long deliberations, here are the foods that I'm planning to add to my food plan! (Of course, I'm 100% open to suggestions. I've only been to WDW twice, so basically all my choices are based on word of mouth.)

1. Mac and Cheese at Wolfgang Puck
2. Pork Dumplings at Kona Café
3. Bounty Platter at a Counter Service resort. I love breakfast food.
4. Breakfast Buffet at Boma. I was so sad that I wasn't going to be able to fit this in, so I'm really happy with how this is all working out!
5. Corn Dog at Egg Roll Wagon. Is this the same as the hand dipped ones from Disneyland? Because mmmm.
6. Strip Steak at Tony's Town Square. Because I'm trying to eat at every table service restaurant possible.
7. Raspberry Vanilla Cake at Garden Grove Café. Anything with "berry" in the title is just calling my name.

So that's the plan for now! Of course, I change things around OFTEN, so nothing is set in stone.

And, just to make things slightly more interesting, I thought I would share the first few items from my DCP bucket list as well! Most of the items on there were just copied from other lists that I read, but hopefully a few of them are unique!

1. Of course, to complete my food plan. Duh. Food is always #1.
2. Visit every resort. I've only ever stayed in Caribbean Beach and Pop Century before, so I'm not terribly familiar with the others.
3. Spend a night in the AKL. I am 100% in love with this resort, so I may have to splurge on this one.
4. Spend a night in the Polynesian. I love this one too, but considering how pricey it is, especially for a poor college student, it may not come to be during my program. Fingers crossed, though!

That's all for this week! I'll try to sort out my internet issues so I can post more often, because I have to embrace my Disney addiction somehow!

 

[ThePin Princess]

Congrats on being accepted! I was also accepted too!! For Spring though! We'll have to meet up sometime when we're done there!

 

[johnsonmatt3]

I'm subscribing. Just started my freshman year this fall and had the urge to investigate the CP again today. Congrats on the acceptance. This will give me an idea of what the look forward to if I do choose to apply.

 

[kaelalala]

hi! I found your report randomly and I did my CP last year and now I live here and still work for Disney...so needless to say your report is relevant to my interests ^_^

I also LOVE Disney food so...there's that too. Food is my favorite part about living here, I get to try so many delicious and amazing things. and I'm on a constant quest to find the best mac and cheese and chocolate milkshake in Disney.

some notes I have for your list - ABSOLUTELY DEFINITELY GET THE MAC N CHEESE FROM WOLFGANG PUCK OMG. It's some of the best mac and cheese in Disney imo, and I consider myself quite the mac and cheese expert. Breakfast at Boma (really, any meal at Boma) is amazing too! also, I have a secret for you if you like milkshakes - out of all of WDW, the best chocolate milkshake I've ever had is at Whispering Canyon at Wilderness Lodge. AND they're refillable. the best thing in the world

anyway, happy to be following along! sounds like you're going to have an amazing time. maybe we'll even see each other sometime!

 

[nym4588]

Congratulations!

My top cupcakes at Starring Rolls are the red velvet and the Butterfinger. It's hard to choose! You should definitely add Earl Of Sandwich to your food list. It's inexpensive and totally delicious.

 

[thumpergirl101]

Hey everyone!
Sorry it's been so long, but the last few weeks have been insanely busy. As a history major I've been swamped with reading, and on top of that, last week I had to take 5 MIDTERMS. Needless to say, I'm really glad the week is finally over.

It's getting increasingly difficult to concentrate on my schoolwork. I am now a member of like eight different DCP Facebook pages, so there is something going on all the time and I love it. It just what I needed-a community of people who love Disney as much as I do, and who I can talk to every day!

Also, I have possibly found myself a couple of roommates! I'm under 21 so I have to live in wellness housing, plus I don't drink anyway. I was really nervous that I would get stuck with roommates who insisted on bringing in alcohol, because there is no way I'm getting termed for that. Thankfully, I've found some people who plan to remain just as sober as I do. Fingers crossed that everything works out.

I apologize for not being more interesting. I started this thread way before I expected to have real Disney stuff to post, just because I needed somewhere to vent and share my experience with the application process. I'm definitely going to try to fill the next 84 days with updates on my food plan, some stuff from my bucket list, maybe my top locations if I can ever narrow it down. But hopefully I'll have tons to talk about once I actually arrive in Florida!

So, without further ado, here are a few more items from my food plan and bucket list.

Week Eleven:
1. Starring Rolls Cupcake. I think I've narrowed it down to Red Velvet, Peanut Butter Chocolate, and Butterfinger. I'll probably end up eating all of them. But not at once. I'm not that crazy.
2. Challah French Toast at Landscape of Flavors. My dad makes delicious "crème brulee" French toast, so maybe this will remind me of home
3. Sticky Bun Sundae at Trail's End. Anything that has a cinnamon roll involved in calling my name. Or ice cream.

Week Twelve:
1. Shogun Combo at Katsura Grill. It's a part of my quest to eat something from every country in the World Showcase.
2. Funnel Cake from Sleepy Hollow. I LOVE FUNNEL CAKE. AND MOST FORMS OF FRIED DOUGH.
3. Crumb Cake at Casey's Corner. When my cousins and I used to visit my grandparents for a few weeks every summer, we practically lived on coffee cake, so this treat is always nostalgic for me.

Those few weeks are pretty light on actual meals. I don't know if I can survive that long without a table service meal...but I'm sure my wallet will thank me...

Bucket List:
5. See all the major shows. To explain this one, let me say that when my family goes to DL, which is fairly often, the fireworks and parades are often pretty expendable for us. Which makes me a little bit sad, but when you've only got a few days to see everyone, certain rides and experiences just take priority. And, in the two times that I've been to WDW, I've still never seen Illuminations. Which is a travesty that I mean to rectify as soon as possible.
6. Get pictures with characters. This is another experience that my family tends to cut out, so I haven't really met characters since I was young. But everyone talks about it, so I think the time has come for me to suck it up and wait in the lines.
7. Open and close every park. I don't think I'll have any difficulties with this one. It might be a struggle to get me to leave.
8. Eat something from every pavilion in the World Showcase. As previously mentioned. Since I can't/won't drink around the world, I have to replace it with food. Obviously.

That's all the updates I can think of for one week! I hope you guys are having a magical time reading this. I know I'm remarkably delightful.

 

[scrpbookr]

Congrats on your acceptance! I've subbed and I'm looking forward to following along on your DCP adventure!

Where in CA did you grow up? I've been in PA for about 10 years but I'm from Southern CA. I was born in the San Fernando Valley and grew up in the High Desert. In recent years I've been visiting WDW and other Disney parks but Disneyland in CA will always feel like Disney home for me.

 

[thumpergirl101]

Congrats on your acceptance! I've subbed and I'm looking forward to following along on your DCP adventure!

Where in CA did you grow up? I've been in PA for about 10 years but I'm from Southern CA. I was born in the San Fernando Valley and grew up in the High Desert. In recent years I've been visiting WDW and other Disney parks but Disneyland in CA will always feel like Disney home for me.

I'm from Citrus Heights, which is up by Sacramento! I'm sadly pretty unfamiliar with Southern California...pretty much the only thing I do down there is go to Disneyland!

 

[thumpergirl101]

I really do apologize for how long it's been. And I don't have a good excuse either. Just that silly "college" stuff getting in the way of my Disney plans.

Since my last update, I'm excited to announce that I found roommates! Currently there are four of us, and since 3 of us actually attend the same university, hopefully we'll be able to get to know each other really well in the next several months! Hopefully that'll make the waiting easier....

Anyway, pretty much my entire life is now composed of the DCP Facebook pages. I swear, I must be a member of like 20 different pages, and its super refreshing to meet people who love Disney as much as I do! In normal life it's a rare occurrence.

On a side note, my family is in Disneyland today and I'm very jealous. They even get to see the filming of the Christmas parade. Sigh. And I'm just here, doing mountains of homework, just like always. But whatever. I'm not bitter. Okay, maybe a little.

And now for a funny anecdote: many, many members of the Facebook groups seem quite eager to hook up with people in Florida. Thus far 4 different guys have randomly started messaging me, telling me they think I'm beautiful and asking me out for a day in the Magic Kingdom, or merely saying "Damn, girl." As if any self-respecting woman would respond to that. However, to their endless credit (I really need to invent a sarcasm font for moments such as these) all of them have immediately stopped talking to me upon figuring out that I won't be having sex with them.

Because men are hilarious. And sometimes stupid. But now my parents have taken to making fun of me by saying "Damn, girl." So at least something good came of it.

Anyway, I've continued to make reservations, scoring at Be Our Guest (though only for two people, I may have to find a better time for a 4-person roommate date). Coming up soon is my allotted time for Le Cellier, and I'm already swooning with anticipation. I can't wait to introduce my roommates to the glory that is the filet mignon, and I'm so excited to taste its new manifestation.

So, without further ado, here are the next several weeks of my food plan and a few items from my bucket list!

Week 13:
1. Via Napoli Pizza! I've never actually eaten anything from Italy, and I've heard good things about it, so I'm very excited.
2. Butter Chicken at Sanaa. I am in love with butter chicken. I dearly miss the Indian buffet in my hometown...where I go and eat nothing but butter chicken.
3. Roule Lard and Fromage at Las Halles. I swear, I'm going to be eating at the French bakery like every other week. Everything there just looks so delicious.

Week 14:
1. Ribs at Flame Tree BBQ. In spite of my love for BBQ and meat in general, I've never actually eaten there. It's definitely time to rectify that.
2. Cheesecake at Sci-Fi Dine-In. MMM, how I love cheesecake.
3. Strawberry Lemonade. I haven't decided exactly where to find this yet, but its my favorite beverage in the whole world. I'm kind of addicted to strawberries.

Bucket List!
9.Dress up for Dapper Day! I love this entire concept. Fingers crossed I'll have time off work that day to gallivant around the parks!
10. Be a Galactic Hero on Buzz Lightyear! This is one of my favorite rides in DL, and if I may, I'm pretty darn good at it!
Yeah, that's right. #3, baby.

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11. Try every ride. There are certain ones that I've always been afraid of...and I'm hoping six months will be long enough to build up my courage.
12. Go on a cast tour. Really, no explanation necessary.

That's all for this week! Hopefully I'll be better about updates in the future. Thanks everyone!

 

[johnsonmatt3]

Honestly, the ribs at flame tree aren't all that great. But it's on your bucket list, so do it, if not just for the experience. I just seems like they don't put enough BBQ sauce on it, so ask for extra if they don't give it to you already.

 

[DisneyYerd]

I found your thread a long time ago and never seem to found it until I discovered today that you made the DCP!!! Yay! Congrats! Can't wait to here more about you plans!

 

[thumpergirl101]

Hello all! Currently I'm feeling pretty proud of myself for updating in a slightly timely manner. I'm hoping to be able to update daily when the DCP actually starts, but who knows. My schedule could be crazy.

I have now officially met two of my roommates, and I love them already! We're all very excited, especially because all of us have different roles! I'm FSFB, and I'll have roommates doing attractions, custodial, and character attendant. Hopefully at some point I'll interview them and have an in-depth discussion of the different roles.

Also, we have now booked a hotel room that we'll share the night before check-in! We'll be staying in....drumroll please......

Port Orleans French Quarter!

I'm so excited! I've only ever stayed in Pop Century and Caribbean Beach before, and somehow Port Orleans seems more like a moderate than CB. Even looking at the pictures is kind of making me swoon...

So anyway, that was all the exciting news I had. Rather anticlimactic, I know. But my program starts 60 days from today! Only two more months to go, and one more month of school/finals! I can probably make it. Maybe. I hope.

Here's more food plan and bucket list!

Week 15:
1. Chicken Shawarma at Tangierine Café. I'm normally a rather picky eater, so I'm trying to break out of my shell a little.
2. Breakfast Buffet at Tusker House. I've never eaten at a TS AK restaurant, so I'm really excited! Plus I just love breakfast food.

Week 16:
1. LE CELLIER FILET MIGNON. OOOOH, I'M SWOONING ALREADY. THIS IS LITERALLY THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER EATEN AND I DON'T KNOW HOW I'VE SURVIVED THE LAST FOUR YEARS WITHOUT IT.
2. Croissant Doughnut at Refreshment Port. My parents have been telling me how delicious these are, but Utah is not exactly known for high cuisine. Frankly, I don't see how you could go wrong with a croissant or a doughnut, so I'm ready to put one of these in my mouth now.

Bucket List!
13. See someone famous. Normally I don't care about this sort of thing, but I figure it would make a great story.
14. Be the very first one on a ride one morning. I don't really care which one, which will probably make things easier. Maybe I should try this for EVERY ride! Now that would be a challenge.
15. Go to all the parks in one day. Pretty typical, I think.
16. Sit on Main Street and people-watch. Preferably for hours. I've always wanted to do this, but I never felt like I could justify spending vacation time doing it. All that changes now though!

That's all for this week! Ugh, TWO MORE MONTHS. Half of me can't stand to wait that long, and the other half freaks out when I realize just how much I have to do before then. But it'll work out!

Thanks for reading!

 

[LuvEeyore]

Love your lists!! When do you actually start your DCP?

 

[thumpergirl101]

Love your lists!! When do you actually start your DCP?

I check in on January 19th! Or 55 days!

 

[thumpergirl101]

Look, it's only been six days and I'm doing another update! I'm so proud of myself.

Nothing particularly interesting has happened in the last six days, Disney-wise, though my life has been crazy trying to finish the semester and get ready.

In 25 DAYS I need to finish my research papers, study for and take my finals, AND get all packed for the DCP. All while moving out of my apartment. It's going to be a crazy month, especially considering I still have two more weeks of classes after Thanksgiving and three more weeks of work. Yeah, I'm a little bit stressed.

But thankfully, in 54 days I'll be in the Most Magical Place on Earth. For now I'm just trusting that it will all be worth it.

On a side note, two more guys have now tried to hit on me via Facebook, and I'm honestly confused. I'm definitely not the kind of girl who will swoon just because you introduce yourself by saying "Hi princess." I don't know how anyone could get that impression of me. But whatever. Whenever my mom questions me about my love life, I can at least tease her about all the Disney guys who want to sleep with me.

Speaking of my mother, she has started planning a trip for the family to come to WDW and see me in May! Even with discounts, Disney is expensive, so there is still the distinct possibility that it will just be her and my dad, but hopefully my brothers, my sister and brother-in-law, and my grandparents will be able to come! And hopefully I'll be able to show off all my newfangled Disney knowledge!

But so far she has reservations for just about all my favorite places, so hopefully I'll be able to sneak in and eat there at least twice during my program! Currently on the agenda are Le Cellier, Ohana, Crystal Palace, Mama Melrose, Boma, and the Yak and Yeti. She hasn't been able to get a reservation for Be Our Guest, but then again she's trying to get reservations for 10 people. That might not EVER happen. Unless I end up working there....

I'm going to keep posting my Food Plan, but of course as prices fluctuate (increase) and as I continue to peruse the menus, that thing is constantly changing. Just this week I decided to drop Tony's Town Square in favor of the Whispering Canyon Café. It was a tough decision.

So, without further ado:

Week 17:
1. Fried Chicken and Ribs at Sassagoula Floatworks. Ah, meat. And two of my favorite incarnations of it.
2. Garlic and Parmesan chips at Cookes of Dublin. Having only been to WDW twice, I have barely spent any time in DTD. I'm excited to change that...especially before traditions when I can't get into the parks anyway!
3. Palmier at Les Halles. Can I just eat everything they offer? Is that an option?

Week 18:
1. 1900 Park Fare Buffet. My mother collects and love Cinderella, so I figure it's my duty as a daughter and Disney fan to eat here. Plus I love buffets.
2. Croque Glace at L'Artisan. This sounds so bizarrely intriguing that I just have to try it. Bread and ice cream. Hmm...

Bucket List!
17. Experience the Kiss Goodnight. It's a staple of just about every bucket list, and when I'm on vacation we usually don't stay until park close. Which is a travesty.
18. Get a pearl in Japan. This just sounds like so much fun.
19. Visit Innoventions. I used to love going to Innoventions in DL, but I've never seen the WDW incarnation!
20. Go to Animation Classes. I am a terrible artist. Take the most terrible artist you know, and I promise I'm much, much worse. I don't have a creative or artistic bone in my body. No exaggeration. But once upon a time, I went to the Animation Academy in California Adventure, and I drew a Tigger that wasn't horrible. Which is just about as good as it gets for me artistically. It was miraculous. I'm still extremely proud of that thing.

So anyway, normally that would be all my updates for the week, but I'm working on someday that hopefully I'll post around Thanksgiving. As might be obvious by how often I mention Disneyland, I'm a California girl. I've been to DL probably 15-20 times for every time I've been to WDW. So, in a somewhat ironic celebration of Thanksgiving, I thought I would post all the things I expect to miss about DL while I'm doing the DCP in Florida.

Please, join me! It could be interesting. Or just depressing. We'll see. But Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you travel safely and eat a lot. I already had pie for breakfast today. And honestly, I'll probably have pie for lunch. Love you all!

Kira

 

[Backstage_Gal]

You must try the "Create your own Pasta" at Port Orleans Riverside Mill

My personal favorite is Fettucini Alfredo with shrimp and whatever other ingredients you like.

PS: It's a huge portion, you can eat if for 2 or 3 days

 

[JAMIESMITH]

Following along I'm very interested in the Disney College Program, not for myself, but in the hopes that my daughter might someday participate (she's only six! LOL). Congratulations on getting accepted into the part of the program you were most interested in!

 

[thumpergirl101]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, ALL!

This year, I'm grateful that in just a few short months, I'll begin my Disney College Program!

I've been dreaming about this for years now, and I'm still kind of surprised by how well everything is working out!

In I believe 52 days now, hourglass) I'll be in the Most Magical Place on Earth, and I'll have the chance to make magic for countless people. It's literally a dream come true. And yes, I am using the world literally properly. I've really dreamed about it.

When I first started researching the DCP, I was initially really nervous. It seemed like there were so many people who applied every recruiting season and yet were never accepted. Sure, I love Disney. A lot. But evidently that wasn't enough.

And so I'm somewhat surprised and incredibly excited about everything that's happening. First of all, I GET TO MISS THE WINTER. I'm a California girl. I spent 18 years there. Girls started bringing blankets to school when it hit 40 degrees. My high school genuinely had heaters. In California.

Now, attending school in Utah, I have to face the winter. Snow AND cold. It's basically terrible. I'm genuinely still confused about how it can be so darn cold outside while the sun is shining. Nowadays, when it reaches 40 degrees, I throw a miniature dance party because I don't have to wear a coat that day. Not only am I counting down the days until Disney, I'm counting down the days until I get to go home for Christmas and experience a proper 70 degree winter holiday.

And then, I don't have to go back to Utah. I get to go live in Florida, where they have semi-proper weather. It's amazing to contemplate.

However, I'm going to miss my Disneyland terribly. My family have annual passes that expire soon, so they've been a number of times in the last few months, and it hurts inside. At Disneyland, I'm unfailingly happy. That's not an exaggeration. My grandfather once mentioned that its only in Disneyland that he ever sees me smile. Which is an exaggeration.

But the principle still stands. Disneyland is like a symbol of my childhood. It stands for a place and a time when everything was simple, when I didn't have to worry about paying rent or missing a day of work because it's Thanksgiving, when home was also a place of refuge and love. I miss that. As much as I love being an adult, it's stressful.

Especially now, when in the next few weeks I have four papers to write/finish, 7 tests/finals to take, an apartment worth of stuff to pack, and mountains of stuff to condense to 2 suitcases and 100 pounds, I really wish I could just be a little kid standing in line for Peter Pan again.

And hopefully in a few months, I can. Of course, I will be working full time and I'm sure that won't be a cakewalk, but I'm guessing that full time work at WDW will be much more exciting than the other jobs I've had. Hopefully when I finish up a long shift, I won't go to bed dreading the fact that I have to wake up the next morning and do it all again.

But Disney makes me happy. It always has. I really, really hope that it always will. I hope that in a few years, if I can ever work up the courage to have kids, I can take them to Disney parks and teach them to love it as much as I do.

As a history major, people are always asking me what I want to do with my life. I don't know, okay?? I'm 19. I don't need to have a life plan right now. But the more I think about it, the more I think I would like to work for Disney. First of all, it means I would get to live somewhere warm. That's an absolute requirement.

But more importantly, I would get to do something I love. Even now the thought of working 40 hour weeks for the rest of my life is depressing. I've never had a job that I've genuinely loved, and so my main goal in life is to find one. One that I can stick with without dreaming about the day I can quit.

My ultimate life goal is to be a writer. Not necessarily fiction, because I'm terribly uncreative, but to travel the world and just write about different people and cultures. To experience all the world has to offer.

I know it's a long shot. As much as I love writing, I'm not the most talented person. It probably won't ever happen. That's why Disney has been perpetually on my horizon. And so, after a long diatribe, I'll reiterate by saying that I'm grateful that in less than two months I'll be able to pursue my goals.

And, in a slightly off-topic list, yesterday I sat down and spent five minutes brain-storming what I'll miss most about Disneyland. Of course, with only five minutes it's not an extensive list, but it's all the most important stuff.

Things I'll Miss About Disneyland:
1. Steak Gumbo.
2. Cars Land.
3. Hand dipped corn dogs
4. Space Mountain
5. Mark Twain Riverboat
6. Sailing Ship Columbia
7. Petting zoo
8. World of Color
9. The Beast’s Library
10. The Aladdin show
11. Monsters Inc.
12. Beignets at DTD
13. Knowing where everything is
14. Castle walk through
15. Screamin'
16. Soarin' OVER CALIFORNIA
17. Paper fastpasses
18. Grizzly River Rapids
19. Countdown chicken fusilli
20. The French Market
21. New Orleans Square
22. The walk from the hotel to the entrance
23. Being able to walk between the parks and hotels

I'm sure I've missed things, but there it is. Have a happy holiday, everyone!

Love you all,
Kira