Working with Integrity

Howdy!

I have been here in Orlando for five days now. While here I have checked-in, moved in, and attended Disney's Traditions class. Tradition's class is a class put on for new cast members of the Disney College  Program. I do not want to give away too much, because I do not want to ruin the magic for some or ruin the experience for future casts members. However, I will go over the basic ideas of what I learned and tell a little bit about my perception of the company as a whole.

My name on the welcome screen!

The first part of the program was all about working with integrity. Here we learned on what it means to work for Disney and the expectations for us. I related this closely to the Aggie Honor Code in my mind. Next we learned "Disney Language". The most important term I learned was that employees are called cast members for Disney.

The next part of the program we learned that the main goal of working here at Disney is to create happiness for our guests. We watched and heard heart warming stories of how cast members created happiness for their guests. At that moment, I realized that every person I had come into contact with that worked for Disney appeared to be genuinely happy with their job. We also learned about ways that we can make happiness in our specific roles, or just when we are walking around the parks. My two instructors were awesome, and really showed their passion for Disney during this portion of the class.

Next, we learned all about Disney Heritage. We learned all about Walt Disney's journey and dreams for the Disney company. We learned that Walt Disney never settled for anything less than the highest quality. One of the many of my favorite quotes that were told to us during this class was

"Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." - Walt Disney

I loved this quote because it showed how far Disney has come, and how much more there is to come. Disney is all about creating the newest innovations and expanding upon what they have created. Even in the Disney cast facilities the innovation was extraordinary.

The final thing we learned was that above all else, safety is Disney's main goal. Safety not only for our guests, but for the cast members as well. At this point in the program, we got to take a little tour of the backstage of Magical Kingdom as well as Magical Kingdom itself. Here we were instructed to point out happiness being made, and safety being used.

The castle during our tour.

When we returned back to our classroom, we were greeted by the boss himself, Mickey Mouse! He was there to present us with our official Disney Cast Member name tags!

Mickey delivering name tags!

Gig 'em! 

Have a magical day!

Alexa 

So, You Are Going To Work At Disney?

Howdy!

After driving 17 hours and over 1,000 miles I have finally made it to Orlando, Florida! The first thing I had to do for my internship was to check-in for the program. I waited in line for over three hours to find out where I would be living, what I would be doing, and where I would be working. It was a busy first day, but Disney has to be one of the most organized companies.

I'm going to share a little bit about where and who I am living with. I live in a three bedroom apartment with five other girls. That puts two to a room, but the apartment itself is very spacious! The girls I live with are from all over the country! There is me from Texas, Kaitlyn from Indiana, Meagan from Delaware, Marissa from New Jersey, Rachel from California, and Abbie from Georgia. It is very interesting to see all the different backgrounds that end up in this same program.

The Roommates 

"Mouse ears!"

At check-in I found out where exactly I will be working for the next few months. I was assigned to work front desk at Disney's Pop Century Resort. I was unfamiliar with the resort at first, so when I had time I did some research. It is considered to be one of Disney's "value" resorts. The resort has 2,880 rooms making it the 7th largest resort in the nation. The resort is divided into themed decades including the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's. Disney's Pop Century opened on December 14th, 2003. It was designed for guests to experience the unforgettable fad of the 1950's-1990's all over again. As soon as I have time, I will take and post some pictures of the actual resort itself!

Disney's Casting Building 

The door knobs to the casting building.

The Walt Disney Company 

My role assignment and training schedule 

Disney also threw the new College Program participants a welcome party! It was "Up" themed. We got to meet the characters, eat pizza, take pictures in a photo booth, and they had a DJ there!

At the welcome party!

Have a magical day!

Alexa

Pursuing The Dream- The Beginning

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them" - Walt Disney

Hi there!

I have created this blog so others can join me on my journey, experiences, and lessons through The Disney College Program this Spring.  I could not be more excited to have the opportunity to work for such a huge household name that carries so many great memories for many of us such as Disney does. I'm going to begin by telling a little bit about my experiences thus far, why I choose to apply, how I applied, and a little bit about what I will be doing while in Orlando.

I am currently a junior horticulture major at Texas A&M University with a minor in business administration, as well as taking courses to get my Professional Event Management Certificate.  I am also member of the Theta Gamma chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha. After I graduate, I would like to work as an event planner either doing corporate events or weddings and parties. I have a huge passion for planning events, floral design, and anything craft related. I have worked at two different Hilton's and absolutely adore the hospitality industry. All of these passions guided me into Disney's direction this past summer.

I had heard about the Disney College Program before, but was not sure of what all it entailed. So, this past Summer I began doing research on the program. Disney offers the program at both Disney World and Disneyland. The basic components of both programs are living, learning, and earning. More information about these can be found here: http://cp.disneycareers.com/en/default/
After exploring the different roles offered, I discovered that there was an opportunity to work in hospitality, at that point I was sold on the program. I decided on applying just to Disney World, Orlando seemed like a better fit, and more people are accepted into the Disney World program.
Applications were available early September, and were broken down into three parts. The first was the basic application, the second was a web interview, and the final interview was a phone interview.  I submitted my application on September 16th, was given a web interview hours later, and then was given a phone interview which I had on September 25th. I was told that I would receive a response approximately two weeks later, but received my acceptance September 27th. The role I applied for and received was in Hospitality.

My arrival date for the program is January 13th, and I leave to make the 17 hour, 1,000+ mile drive to Orlando a week from tomorrow! I'll be living in a three bedroom apartment with five other girls from all over the nation. I am so excited for this opportunity and I am looking forward to all the people I will meet, the knowledge I will gain, and the memories I will make! On the Disney College Program website it says that the program is a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will change your life forever" and I could not be more excited for this chapter in my life!

Until next time,