They say if you dream a thing more than once, it's sure to come true.

This title of my blog today is so true! I feel like there are so many instances that I've had reoccurring dreams, something from that dream happens especially my dreams about the DCP!

Anyway speaking of my dreams, I will be checking into Vista Way in 42 days!! YAY time is flying by and I'm so anxious to be there. I have began to take home things from my apartment and clear stuff out. My room is half full, half empty, depending on how you'd like to look at it. I've been cracking down on all my work that is due next week. This is my last week of "real" classes and next week is when all the assignments are due. Then the week after that are finals! Ah gosh its so refreshing knowing after these finals, is Christmas, then I get to move to Florida. Does life get any better? As of right now it doesn't for me. I actually found a list in my room at home the other day that I made in high school for class "25 Things to Do Before I Die", the Disney College Program was on the list. Realizing how long this has been my dream to do, it makes it that much sweeter.

Anyway nothing new is going on in the DCP world with information they send out. I'm actually STILL waiting for my purple postcard to get here! So frustrating! But oh well, good things come to those who wait. I'm still waiting for DCP to update their I9 papers and hire papers so I can get those filled out so I won't have to do it when I get down there for check in.

Well its officially Christmas season, and well that means I should be in a constant good mood due to lots of Christmas music, decorations, trees, and delicious treats! Also this means that my 21st birthday is 2 weeks away! WOO HOO haha Needless to say I'm super stoked for it.

I've got 3 projects, 4 papers, 1 quiz, and 5 finals left in the semester! ALMOST THERE!!!

This is just a part of growing up. A little adventure, a little rebellion, that's good. Healthy, even. –Flynn Rider 

I'm a damsel. I'm in distress. I can handle this. Have a nice day.

I'm slowly beginning to go crazy due to the amount of work I have to do thanks to finals approaching. But I really only have myself to blame, since I knew I had all this work I just didn't realize the depth of each of my papers and projects. So now I'm going to try to get everything done and hopefully early. Ultimately the goal is to try and have mostly everything done by Thanksgiving so I can relax for the weekend and then just deal with one last week of classes and then finals.

56 days till my check in date in Florida. Everything is starting to fall into place and its making me really excited but at the same time I'm starting to get nervous and anxious. Everything is becoming so real; Housing confirmed my release from my current apartment, me and my future roommates decided on who will be sharing rooms, we made a packing list, I'm starting to think about what I can pack up to bring home for Thanksgiving and the end of the semester is here. Needless to say everything is happening quickly and my nerves are getting to me. Everyone keeps asking me how I feel, and how excited I am to go down to Florida for that long of a time. Honestly I am really excited I just can't help but have nerves. By no means do I want to back out or not do the program, I just have like pre-nerves! haha. I think once I finally arrive in Florida I will have too much adrenaline and excitement that there won't be time to be nervous.

So back to studying, writing papers, and packing up some of my apartment. Ugh!

Change is nature. The part we can influence. And it starts when we decide. - Remy (Ratatouille)

Ariel, listen to me. The human world is a mess. Life under the sea is better than anything they got up there.

^^Life in Disney is better than anything!

TOMORROW I LEAVE FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD!
Yay I've been looking forward to this weekend, especially now that midterms and such are over, its a nice getaway. Of course I did have mixed feelings because it is Halloween weekend that I will be missing but I figure a trip to Florida cancels out any need to stay at Mason just for a holiday.

Onto DCP news, nothing actually new is going on. I did sign up for a class. All the classes offered by Disney are really interesting and I wish I could take them all. Some of them are "real" classes that reminded me of classes I will be taking at Mason, so I decided to skip those because I won't get credit. The other types of classes they offer are the Exploration Series, which seem to be the most popular of what people are taking. Most of the people I see on the facebook groups signed up for the Disney Heritage  which seems really cool because it involves a scavenger hunt and such. I chose to sign up for the Guest Services course. It sounds really fun and it is going to help me learn more about the field I'm trying to go into at Disney. Another thing I found out about is that you can ask to "shadow" another role when you have free time. I am definitely going to take advantage of this since I didn't get my first choice- Hospitality. So after I get comfortable in my MEO position I'm going to talk to managers to find out how I go about shadowing a role. And since I want to ask to extend to Spring Advantage (till august), I'm pretty sure I can try to switch my role. I found out that not everyone will get permission to extend- you have to have a clean record throughout the program and there needs to be positions open. So I'll have to keep my fingers crossed when its time to apply to extend.

After a lot of discussion and contemplating I've decided to finish my degree at George Mason. I have a lot of catching up to do, and trying to transfer on top of that is way to stressful. So currently here is the plan:

• Finish this semester up in December
• Take the spring/summer off for the DCP
• Take 18 credits for the fall semester at Mason
• Take 18 credits for the spring semester at Mason
• Take 6-9 credits at a community college during the summer, or live in VA and take classes at Mason
• Take 18 credits for the fall at Mason 
• Apply for the DCP again and apply for the Disney Professional Internship
• Graduate in Decemeber
• Hopefully do the DCP or PI for the spring and officially move my life down to Florida

So that is the master plan and we'll see how it works. Taking a semester off is going to make things a lot more rough for me but this program is super important to me. To me it is worth graduating a semester behind my friends, and loading on the work. I'll probably be pretty stressed out during the rest of college but I think at the end of the day it'll all be worth it!

Well off to packing and finishing some homework!
Off to the happiest place on earth in the morning with the family.

Ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten. - Lilo 

A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Sometimes in life its the only weapon we've got.

About 14 days till I take my weekend trip to Disney! Yay!!! Its so needed!

I still haven't received my purple envelope, I'm keeping positive though hoping I will get it soon. I know I'm not the only one waiting but it sure feels like it! I did get a verification e-mail that I am scheduled to move in on Jan. 9th, so that calmed my anxiety about the purple envelope. I also got a bracelet one of the other CPs was selling that is red and black that says "Disney College Program, Spring 2012" it is super cute. I can't wait to start getting more merchandise that says things about being a Cast Member and what not.

I'm currently working on getting released from my housing contract with Mason so they won't keep charging me through the spring semester since I won't be living there. The paper work all says that I can get denied release from my apartment, which is crazy, but I have a good reason for leaving so I shouldn't have an issue with them granting it to me.

I have been watching some more videos about the program, and I am getting really excited. Everyone around me keeps saying how quick the semester is going by, but for me it is dragging! I'm ready for January, but I have to keep reminding myself not to rush my life away this semester. My friends tend to get frustrated when I talk about leaving so there is a lot of time I need to spend with them here before I leave them for a semester.

My anxiety is building like crazy though. I recently watched a "Check In" video from Fall 2011 and well needless to say I'm nervous about the entire process. The video kept stating that it moved very efficiently and smoothly but I'm just nervous that I'll miss something or we won't get there early enough. I know I'm not the only one with these emotions about it, but no matter how many people feel this way I can't stop thinking about things that could go wrong.

I need to start making a list of everything to bring, and also start putting more money aside. I need to get a jar and start putting my change in it for Florida. I also need to start filling about some of the paper work. I'm putting together a folder of all the Disney related things I might possibly need when I get down there.

88 days till I'm living the Dream!!!

I"ve been seeing this everywhere and I absolutely love it.

I warn you dear child, if I lose my temper, you lose your head. Understand?

Ah! When you apply for the Disney College Program, there should probably be fine print at the bottom:
"If you have no patience whatsoever rethink this process" :P
I feel like this waiting game is starting to get to a lot of people, and we all need to just calm down. I think people forget that applications are taken up until mid November, and everyone gets so antsy when they don't get what they want when they want it. I will say that Disney does like to make you wait for things, but I would rather wait and have everything done right, then have them rush through everything. I am currently still waiting for my purple envelope and I am one of those people with no patience so I'm going slightly crazy! I also just want it to be January already. My roommates and I have literally almost everything planned and it hasn't even been two weeks since we've been accepted! We obviously still have some things to sort out, but we have the general idea.

School is a drag recently, because all I can think about it working in Florida next semester. This upcoming month is pretty stressful for me. October is all the midterm work, and all the little projects are due, so my brain if going to be fried by the end of the month! Thank goodness for the Disney Trip at the end of the month!

I also have began running and working out again! Yay. There is a run in Disney World that I would love to participate in, but I am worried that I'll have to work it, so I don't know if I should register for it. I don't want to have trained my butt off for it, paid my money, and then they tell me I couldn't run in it- I would be devastated!
Disney Princess Half Marathon <-- There is the link, it looks pretty cool to me. I'm going to talk to some other people who are interested in it and see what they are going to do about it.

"Run away Simba... Yes, run away and never return." -Scar

See Ya Real Soon!

Honestly, if I get to do this everyday, I will be content with my job. (And well obviously I want to drive the tram with my wonderful Jersey driving skills :P) Being a part of Main Entrance is going to be so much fun. Though my first choice was Hospitality because I want to be a part of the Guest Relations department, this was my 3rd choice and you have to start somewhere! Baby steps through the Disney Company. I have so many goals that I have set for myself that I want to be a part of the Disney Company as a career so starting as a CP is putting my life into perspective on how hard I really have to work. I'm starting at the bottom like most people in the working world, and I hope to make a strong impression and gradually make my way up! 

On another note, I will be making a small weekend trip with the parents to WDW in 28 days!!! YAY. I'm super excited for this trip because:

1. I'm going to Disney, how can I not just be really excited
2. We are looking at houses and neighborhoods to move down to 
3. I get to make small chat with cast members to get some more info on the college program!

I'll only be there for 4 days but its worth it! I'm hoping to drive by the apartments and just take a look at what is around. And like I said I'm hoping to talk with some cast members (current cp or alumni) jut to get their insight on the program, and it'll probably make me jump out of my skin and attempt to move to Disney at that moment!

"Take if from an old spectator. Life's not a spectator sport. If watchin' is all you're gonna do, then you're gonna watch your life go by without ya." - The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Just grab a friend and take a ride, together upon the open road

Getting down to Florida sounds like a little bit of a hassle, and I'll admit I'm kind of nervous about it. It won't be too difficult because I will have everything packed from my apartment at school, but fitting it all into one little civic is going to be the worst part.

There are 3 options in which I could choose from to get down to Florida:

• Driving --an 18 hour drive from New Jersey
• Flying -- give or take 2 1/2 hours
• Auto Train -- 17 hours from Lorton, VA

My family decided the best for me would be taking the auto train down to Orlando from Lorton. It makes a lot of sense- My car is leased so I have to be careful with my mileage, and who really wants to drive 18 hours in a small cramped car, because I know I will have it packed to capacity. It also works out because Lorton, VA is about 30mins up the highway from Mason so I know the area and I'll have a place to stay the night before I get on the train. I've heard good things about the auto train, and hopefully it won't be too bad of a ride. Anything is better than being stuck in a car for that long!!

A new topic of conversation that has come up is what we have to bring with us to the program. Obviously being a girl I want to just pick up my entire room and move it into my new apartment down there but that is not very realistic for the situation. I have everything compact into my room at college now, but it still took 2 cars to get all my stuff here so I need to downsize even more! I'm most likely going to be going crazy trying to make everything fit in my car (good thing my Mama is good at puzzles and always finds a way to make things fit!) The good thing about the apartments for the program is that they provide a lot of items that most apartments don't have.

The apartments are fully furnished  and I mean fully furnished. Reading about the apartments on the website, they list everything you could possibly need. --> http://cp.disneycareers.com

• Bedroom-two beds, dresser w/ a mirror, nightstand
• Dining room- table w/ chairs
• Living room- couch, chair, 2 end tables
• Bathroom-shower curtain, 2 wastebaskets
• Kitchen-refrigerator, stove, oven, & microwave, dishwasher, and dish, pot, utensil, baking sheets, cups (its a fully stocked kitchen)

Having the apartment come with all of this is really going to help when I'm trying to pack. Though I'll need some more key items, I don't have to worry about setting up the entire apartment. Also the fact that there are 6 of us, that hopefully will make the packing even lighter!

I'll be arriving in Orlando on Jan 8th early in the morning, so I'm hoping to venture around the area and get acquainted with it so I don't need Ruth (my gps) every time I want to go somewhere. I'll have the entire day to relax and just go around, hopefully I won't get too lost! But that night a bunch of CPers are meeting at Planet Hollywood in Downtown Disney to get to know each other a little bit before we move in. I'm so glad someone decided to plan this. Its going to give everyone a chance outside of the program to get to know each other just a little bit before we cross over into our Disney lives! Also I'll get to meet my roommates in person for the first time, so that will be a good time; all thanks to the world of facebook, connecting us Disney College kids!!!


"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."-Walt Disney