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lifestyle blog sharing diy, family, travel, organization & disney tips

Disney College Program

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Disney Park Tips

Disney Park Tips by a former cast member

Being a former cast member and current Disney obsessed fan, I know a lot about Disney. I’m most knowledgeable on Disney World but am a huge fan of the history of Walt and the imagineering of the Disney parks. Sharing my experiences and knowledge comes very easy to me, which is why people often seek me out when planning their Disney vacation. Today, I’m planning our September Disney trip and have realized it will be a very different experience than our past vacations because we’ll have a toddler in tow.

Disney Park Tips by a former cast member

Here are my top five Disney park tips:

 

  • Stay on property. This is the biggest question I get asked and there’s no denying that the perks with Extra Magic Hours, Magical Express, park merchandise sent to your room and the convenience of transportation can not be beat. Throw in the awesome pools, night time movies, wide range of food choices and perfect Disney theming and it’s the best decision you’ll make.
  • Utilize your MagicBands if you have specific attractions you can’t miss. This will be our first time in the parks since MagicBands have been active so I’ve been researching it like there’s no tomorrow. If you’re the type that likes to plan, making reservations for meals (180 days out) and attractions (60 days out) ahead of time will put your mind at ease.
  • Celebrating something on your vacation? Milk it for all it’s worth. Get a button and wear it proudly! We have been in the parks after just being engaged and on our anniversary and, as always, the cast members are so sweet, but so are the other guests! I loved telling people about our engagement story at Wishes. If only I could wear it around now and get the same perks.
  • Take a break. This is a tip that I suggest to guests of every age. Bring breakfast bars with you on your way out the door an hour before the park gates open (unless you’re staying at a resort that is close to the park). Hit your favorite ride right away and as the park starts filling, stop for a late breakfast/early lunch. Take a break during the middle of the day when the parks are the hottest. Even if you don’t take a nap at your room, go to a pool to relax or even play a round of put-put. Do something with less stimulation and give your legs a break. Head back to the parks late afternoon and you’ll be able to stay up easily through the Extra Magic Hours.
  • Talk to the Cast Members. The Cast Members will be your biggest resource of knowledge. They know the best place to stand for the parades and fireworks, best snack vendors, where Mulan might show up and where the hidden Mickey’s are. They also have great pins for pin trading. Asking a cast member to see his pins led us to the behind the scenes tour of Enchanted Tales with Belle before it was open and countless line cuts to rides.

Disney Park Tips by a former cast member

Do you agree on these tips? What did I miss? I may have a whole new set of tips once we experience the parks with a toddler! I have a feeling my new number one tip may be ‘bring Advil’.

If you’re planning a trip to Disney World, feel free to ask me any questions you may have. The same goes for those of you considering the Disney College Program. Disney is my second biggest passion and I wish for everyone to experience the magic as I do.

Follow Shelly @ DIY Mama’s board Disney on Pinterest.

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Happy Mail!

Happy Labor Day! We’re having a relaxing weekend by visiting family and doing a few projects but mostly hanging out. When I got back from Chicago I’d had a couple packages that I was SO excited to receive! Remember me talking about the Mug Swap I did a few weeks ago? Well, I got my package from Bex in WV! I also got a surprise package from a Disney College Program friend, Abigail!

happy-mail1Who doesn’t love getting mail? It doesn’t matter if it’s a colorful envelope in the mailbox or a big package on the porch, I’m always excited! I like doing blog swaps to meet new bloggers and to buy trinkets for people based on knowing them from their words. This last swap I did was a mug swap where you had to buy a mug for at least $10. I went a little overboard because I really liked my swap partner, Bex!

mug-swap-me mug-swap-me-wrappedHere’s what I’d sent the lovely Bex, from A Girl Awake, some of her favorite things and a few things that I love that I thought she’d love! Her favorite chocolate is Turtles and I wanted her to try Lindt’s chocolates so I threw those in too. We all knew chocolate was a must to throw in there! I’d also given her a Burt’s Bees lipchap and an Essie nail polish because they’re my favorite brands for feeling pampered. The peach purse was just too cute to pass up knowing how cute it’d be on her. I also threw in a notebook for blog ideas, a scented candle for her desk and some Oh Joy straws for her drinks. Obviously, a mug was required and I wanted her to have a Starbucks card because she’s obsessed with coffee!

mug-swap-bex mug-swap-bex1I was super excited to open my package from Bex because she really thought about things I’d like.  My favorite thing she sent me was a copy of the magazine she works for! I thought that was a cool way to know more about her! She also was so thoughtful when she sent me treats for Lexi! I opened them right away to give her some and she loves them! Bex also sent me pink nail polish (my favorite!), EOS lipgloss (which I just ran out of!) and a few facial masks to pamper myself with!! Her favorite scented candle was in there of which I lit right away and put in our bathroom! She also sent the cutest tribal scarf and a package of stationary (one of my biggest weaknesses)! The beautiful feather mug she sent she chose because it was painted by a local artist which makes me love it even more! I think Bex NAILED her first swap because she got me all my favorite things and was so thoughtful with what she sent. OH! Not pictured are the Reece’s cups because they were too much of a temptation, I had to have my husband take them away (we still have 31 days left of our Whole60.) I definitely would have got into those babies right away otherwise!

disney-worldMy other Happy Mail package was from my good friend Abigail, who I met working in Fantasyland at Disney World. Abigail was from Chicago so I was able to see her a few times after the program and I kept in touch with her while she worked as a volunteer in Iceland! She said she’d found these trinkets from our time working in Disney and, honestly, they’re now some of my most treasured possessions. She sent me our amazing costume shirt and fairy dust that we’d sprinkle on sad kids or during parades! She also sent me a Fast Pass tracker, fast passes from our Pooh ride and a Tell-A-Cast which was what all of the cast members carry to keep track of park times and shows every week. My very favorite part about working in Fantasyland was a shift called ‘Making Magical Moments’ when we’d go find guests and do something Magical for them. The booklet in the bottom left is a pad that we would use to write out tickets for free things, like an ice cream cone or Mickey Ears. Everything had to be under $25. I often used it to buy kids ice creams after they’d dropped theirs because I worked right by Mrs. Pott’s Ice Cream. I also used it a few times for people who’d dropped sunglasses or hats on the rides. We also always carried Mickey stickers for children who were crying or adults that looked frustrated. Isn’t she a sweetheart for sending me these things?! It was an awesome surprise!!

I get some awesome Happy Mail throughout the year but these two were REALLY awesome and I’m very glad to have met Bex through the Mug Swap and SO glad that I met Abigail through my College Program! Do you love getting mail or sending it more? I think I like sending it more!

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Disney College Program

Disney College ProgramHi guys! A LOT of people get excited when they hear I worked for Disney World. They get even more excited to find out that it was a program through my college, meaning I got to live and work with Mickey for a semester! I get butterflies thinking about my experience as a CP (college programmer) and it was 8 years ago. If there was one time of my life that I wish I could share with all my favorite people, without a doubt, it would be my semester in Disney. Honestly, I did share it with (at the time) all my favorite people because I had a ton of visitors and the friendships I made in the Disney College Program are everlasting. It was a life changing experience.
I’m not sure where to start because I’ve gotten so many different questions about my time in the Disney College Program. The first question everyone asks me: ‘Were you a Princess?!’ Thankfully, no. I think it would be AMAZING to see the love and wonder of all the kids when you walk out on stage (anywhere public in Disney)! I also realize that I would not be a very sweet princess if I was sweating to death, my makeup was running and my feet hurt from walking in heels all day. Another reason why I didn’t pursue my acting career, in order to be a Princess (or any other character), you have to work for at least a semester, plus a summer, and I already had a job lined up for the following summer.
becky-mefantasyland-brittpoohside
I had, in my opinion, the BEST job that a CP can have. Ride Operations. I specifically loved my area (Fantasyland, Pooh Side) because of the awesome people I worked with and how excited kids were to ride my rides. I worked Snow White’s Scary Adventures (no longer there), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups. There are different stations of each ride I’d rotate through during my shift. My favorite position was called Pooh Grouper which was on Winnie the Pooh. Pooh Grouper was in charge of keeping the Fast Pass line flowing quickly and grouping people off to get into the honey pots. I got very efficient at this position which allowed me time to talk to the guests and make their days magical. I’d hand out fast passes to other rides, pin trade, help people plan their day or just learn about them and where they were from. Talking to the guests was, by far, my favorite part about the entire experience.

vistavista-way-room
roomies-locationsHousing is the second questions everyone asks about. When I worked there in 2006, there were two apartment complexes that they split all the CPs into. The security was hard core so I always felt safe living there, no matter what time I got off work (often 3 and 4 in the morning.) I had turned 21 the day before leaving for the program so, thankfully, I was placed in a 21+ apartment. My apartment at Vista Way had 6 girls, one kitchen, two bathrooms. It was tough at first. Thankfully, things worked out pretty well because some of my roommates left for work at 4am, others had mid-day shifts and some of us had evening shifts. We never really ran into problems of not having enough space or trying to cook or shower at the same time. I loved how you meet people from everywhere in the world in this program. My roommates were from all over the US and a couple were from out of the country.

abbynePaychecks are always the next topic of discussion. Let’s just say you’re not going to make it big by working as a CP. Honestly, I don’t remember what I got paid, but I think it was pretty close to minimum wage for FL. I kept my house at Purdue, so I was paying rent for two places while I was at Disney, which stretched my paycheck to nothing. Thankfully, I took out two student loans before leaving for Disney, to make sure I didn’t have to be stressed out about the level of comfort I wanted while in the program. I had season passes to Universal Studios and was able to get into the Disney parks free. I was never bored. Ever. I had enough money to go out to nice restaurants when people would visit me, IHOP for breakfast after my shift at 4a and a few trips to the beach.

monorail1A lot of people ask about if I got held back a semester by working there. Yes, I did, but a lot of CPs take college courses through Disney University. Purdue didn’t accept the credit transfers so I did not take any classes while there. My roommate, on the other hand, took a full load during her semester so she wasn’t put back a semester. I’m glad Purdue didn’t take the credits because I would have felt the need to take a full load and would have missed out on a ton of experiences.

CIMG0647My family was a bit weary of me working in Disney for fear of losing the magic. Didn’t happen. I have a stronger love for Disney now that I’ve worked there and I still think it’s the most magical place on earth!

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERAtower-of-terrorhighlightercicitatibrittest-trackWhat else did I do besides work? Lots! I can hardly remember my time spent at work because it seems like there was so much time spent not working (although it was 50/50.) One of the best things you can do as a CP is to make friends with people who have cars. Living in the apartments, you have 24/7 access to WalMart and all of Disney’s property. I had a few friends who had cars and we’d go to BW3s for karaoke, the beach, and visit restaurants and bars in Orlando. Most of our time was spent on Disney property though. We went to Pleasure Island (no longer bars and night clubs) every Thursday to dance or listen to live bands. We’d go to Universal every other week. We’d pool hop at the Disney resorts (which was one of my favorite things to do because I’m a hospitality major and loved scoping out the rooms and customer service at the resorts.) We also spent a ton of time in the parks. We knew where to eat, what rides to get on during slow times and what shows to see. I was an expert by the time my friends and family started to come visit. We’d cook hometown meals for our roommates, learn salsa, go to CP dances, have highlighter parties at our apartment, play football, play tennis and visit Kennedy Space Center. Again, I was never bored.

morocokissstatueWas I not the luckiest girl, to work for The Mouse and meet some of my best friends to this day? I love sharing my experience with college kids looking to go into the program or other Disney fanatics! If you have any questions about the Disney College Program (application process, furnishing the apartment, travel, perks etc.) or Disney World vacations, I’d LOVE to help! PS, I’m super excited because a lot of us are going back to Disney in 2016 for our 10 year reunion! I’ve already seen all of the people in the photos above, plus a few others from my program, but we’ve not all been together since 2006.
Follow Shelly @ DIY Mama’s board Disney on Pinterest.

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