Top Roles for Fall 2015

Hello friends!

Since there’s roughly less than a month until Fall 2015 applications go live (YIKES), I decided it’s time for me to do another top roles post! You can find my Spring 2014 top roles post here. 

DCP ROLES

• Attractions - moderate interest - It would be super fun to work a Disney attraction, and it has great guest interaction, but there are so many other roles I would want before this.

• Custodial - no interest - Despite having a roommate who told me some wonderful things about custodial (hello, guest interaction and magical moments), it’s still definitely not the role for me. 

• Hopper - low interest - First off, is this role still even offered? Either way, not really for me. 

• PhotoPass Photographer - high interest - NUMERO UNO ROLE. My dream career is to work with Disney’s Creative Media under Fine Art Photography, taking senior photos/family portraits and most especially WEDDING PHOTOS. Getting placed in this role would be a great way to get my foot in the door with Disney photography. Plus, it’s my biggest passion & Disney photo shoots are life.

• Main Entrance Operations - low/moderate interest - I don’t have my drivers license (yes, still), so I obviously couldn’t drive the tram, but I wouldn’t mind working at the gates welcoming guests to the park.

• Transportation - no interest - For obvious reasons.

• Bell Services, Dispatch/Greeter - no interest - Just not my thing.

• Concierge - moderate interest - Now that I’m majoring in hospitality, this would be a really fun role to work! Even so, it’s still not the highest on my list.

• Hospitality - moderate interest - Same reasoning as concierge.

• Housekeeping - no interest - No guest interaction (not really anyway), and I am just honest to god not a very clean person. Ha.

• Quick Service Food & Beverage - no interest - This is not the role for me, sorry not sorry.

• Full Service Food & Beverage - low interest - I’m currently a restaurant host, so I’m comfortable with this type of role, and there are so many amazing restaurants I could work in, but I would still rather branch out and do something different.

• Merchandise - moderate/high interest - I actually really love working retail (yes, I’m weird) and working merch, you have the ability to pick up shifts all across the multiple parks/resorts. I don’t know if I want it enough to put high interest.

• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique/Pirates League - high interest - I would work in Boutique again in a heartbeat. My heart is in Cinderella Castle, though, and knowing the dynamics of each store, I would only want to do Boutique again if I were placed back in the Castle.

• Vacation Planner - low interest - Meh. This would be okay, it’s just not particularly my favorite.

• Lifeguard - no interest - Not even lying, I do not swim anywhere near well enough to even be considered for this.

• Recreation - low/moderate interest - I would really only be in this to work Children’s Activities, I wouldn’t particularly want to risk getting placed in the marina.

• Character Attendant - moderate/high interest - I mean because obviously. Characters all day every day. 

• Character Performer - no interest - I won’t be attending an audition this season, so there’s no point in me putting any interest in this role.

• Costuming - no interest - No guest interaction.

So that’s my role breakdown! It’s interesting to compare my two lists, now that I know more about myself and more about each role! One thing I noticed about this time is that I’m definitely not as afraid to put no interest in a role. Disney recruiters will consider you for any role you mark any level of interest in, even if it’s low, so I’d rather be honest and say no to the roles I really wouldn’t enjoy working!

And as always, if any of you have questions about the DCP, about Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (that was where I did my first program!) or just want to say hello and chat, please feel free to message me through my Tumblr, comment on this post, or tweet me! The more friends, the merrier! 

Have a magical day, my dears!

What's a FGIT...?

Hello friends! Today I've decided to talk a little bit about what it was I actually did while I was on my program, since I've been getting a LOT of questions about the role, what with Fall 2015 apps opening soon!

I was accepted into my top role, which was Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Hostess.  Our official title in BBB is "Fairy Godmother In-Training" or a FGIT.  Essentially, as a FGIT, we have a storyline to uphold, just like any other character in the parks.  Us FGITs live in Cinderella Castle and we learn from Cinderella's own Fairy Godmother.  She is our teacher, and we take classes like Princess 101, Music Lessons, Princess Etiquette, and Proper ways to Brush Hair.  All of us were hand picked by the Fairy Godmother herself because of our love of princesses and our belief in the magic of pixie dust. There's obviously a lot more to our title and to our story line, but there's only so much I can write without giving away the magic!

One of the biggest questions I get is: What does the costume look like?
First, let me start by saying there are TWO Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique locations, and each one's costume is ever so slightly different.  I worked at the BBB located in Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom, and our costume consisted of a long purple skirt, a purple blouse, a blue vest, and a purple halo.

This is me in full BBB costume on my first day of training!

The location in the World of Disney store in Downtown Disney has a slightly different costume; they wear a red vest over the same shirt/skirt/halo combo!

On the left is my friend Becca, and another FGIT from her first program! 

Us FGITs are quite partial to our costumes and we really enjoyed showing off how adorable they were (my roommate and I were both FGITs and our favorite places to go in costume were Walmart and Chick-fil-A. All seriousness.)

Another big question I get is: What was a typical day like for you in the Boutique?

Honestly, it all depended on the day. I usually had one of three different shifts: open - mid day (7:30 a.m. - 1:30/2:00), mid day - close (1:30/2:00 - 8:00) OR a full day, whopping 12.5 hour shift (7:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.).  More often than not, CPs got the 12.5 hour shifts or the closing shifts, which honestly looking back, sounds a lot worse than it is.  On any given day as a FGIT, you could be places on chair or on podium.  I'll explain a little bit more about each one below.

Typical day on chair

• Being "on chair" is when you're the FGIT actually doing the hair/makeup/nails of a little princess (or the hair of a knight).
• There are 4 basic hairstyles a princess can choose from: Fairytale Princess (my personal favorite), Disney Diva, Pop Princess and the Color Star
• Throughout the whole transformation, you should be talking with and having fun with the little princess!
• You'll get breaks spread out throughout your shift, the amount you get will depend on your shift length!

Typical day on podium

• Getting podium was like a gift from the Gods. There are only 3 FGITs on podium any given day, so it's rare you'll get placed there!
• One FGIT will be checking families and princesses in. Their job is to keep track of cancellations/arrivals/no shows/walk-ins.
• One FGIT helps the princess choose her dress and accessories (if she is choosing such a package) and records all her sizing information.  This FGIT will generally also walk the princess to a chair and introduce them to their Fairy Godmother!
• One FGIT builds the packages (dress/tiara/wand, etc) and sets them up in the dressing rooms for the little princess! 

We also do a lot of stocking throughout the day, and there are some other fun magical moments we get to create every day (I'm keeping these hush-hush; I've got to save something exciting for you guys! ;))

I've also gotten a lot of questions about training.  For me, my training was 5 days.  I trained with one other girl (my roommate, actually! It was wonderful), and we had 3 trainers throughout the whole process.  Our first day was spent on hair training, and the rest of the time we were on stage (Disney's way of saying we were actually in Boutique working) observing our trainer and trying hairstyles ourselves! It was really intense and I know I was really freaked out by the whole process because of how short it was, but all the FGITs are like one big family and they were all giving us tips to help us do better!

The last big point I always get asked about is past experience and my phone interview.  Honestly, going into the program, I had ZERO salon experience whatsoever. However, I've had lots of experience working with children in multiple different settings (I was working in 2 preschools at the time I applied, and was an early childhood major), plus I had experience in theatre, both acting and doing stage hair/makeup.  But that's it! So if you don't have a lot of experience, don't freak! I spent almost my whole phone interview just gushing about Boutique and I really let my interviewer see how passionate I was about the role! Just know why you want it, and let them know, and you'll do fine!

Ok so that was WAY longer than I intended for it to be, but I could just blab about Boutique forever so I guess it's whatever. Let me just leave some more FGIT pictures here for your enjoyment because hey, I'm obsessed with my life.

Left to right: Sarah (my roomie), Jess, and myself!

My very last day working BBB!

Roomie/FGIT sister love.

Most of the CP's from our program (plus Jess)

The best. Thank God for my Sarah twin

SUCH HAPPINESS.

Early mornings were the best.

Beaches and Cream

Ok friends, it's finally time for my first restaurant review!! 

Since Disney food and the theming of Disney restaurant are basically the greatest thing ever, you know I had to try about a million places, and I've still barely grazed all the restaurants on property.  One of my new favorites since participating in the DCP is Beaches and Cream at The Beach Club Resort.  It's a small little place designed after old-fashioned soda fountain, and it's nestled on a quaint little boardwalk overlooking the pool area!  When you walk up, you're greeted by these adorable beachy signs.

The longer one is actually the soda shop menu, because not only do they serve delicious ice cream sundaes, but they also have burgers and other American classics! (There's also an ice cream window where you can just go up and order ice cream to go.)  I never actually took a good picture of the inside (blasphemy, I know), but here's a photo off of the Disney Parks website!

Super beachy and bright and adorable!

As roommates, Beaches and Cream was our very first night out together! We went for their claim to fame, The Kitchen Sink!  Basically it is a literal kitchen sink shaped dish filled with every type of ice cream and topping they have.

   

We had SO much fun eating this, and my roommate Mallory even made a hilarious vlog about it! You can and should watch that here because it really is quite magical. We literally sucked every last drop out of that bowl, and we successfully finished the Kitchen Sink!

All 6 of us, plus our amazing waitress! 

SO it's REVIEW TIME. I'll reveiw everything on a scale of 1-5, 1 being the worst & 5 being the best.

Atmosphere: 5 - the beachy vibe makes for a great spot!

Quality of Service: 5 - I've only eaten here twice, but I've had two fantastic waitresses!

Quality of Food: 5 - Obviously their ice cream is TO DIE for, but their burger was also the best I had across property!

Overall: 5

Thanks for tuning in! And be sure to stop by Beaches and Cream on your next visit to WDW! 

xo Sarah

Check-In, Casting, Traditions...the Whole Shebang.

Hello friends!

So this blog was kind of a flop while I was on my program. Despite having a long list of things I wanted to write about, I never did. HOWEVER now that I've been home for almost 3 months (excuse me, what?!) and I'm going through insane PDD, I've decided to start this up again and write about different aspects of the program!

Let me start with check in day. With the new DORMS system, you no longer have to arrive at Vista Way at ungodly hours of the morning to get the apartment you want! Our check in started at 8, so my roommates and I all decided to meet up at 7 outside of Vista! We were some of the first ones there, and we did have to wait a little outside the complex before they let us in, but we all got to bond so it was wonderful! We got led through the Complex to where check in would be taking place, and we had to go through a bunch of stations to get our program guides, register cars, etc. Honestly, most of check in was a big blur to me because I was just too excited that I was finally there! What I did remember was moving into the next room to get our locations! When I say all of my roommates and I screamed when I found out that my location was going to be Cinderella Castle, it's an understatement. I'm pretty sure we got some odd looks, but we were all so happy! From there, we were split into groups - one group who would be going to Casting that day, and one group who would be going the next day. I was the only one out of all my roommates who would be going the next day, so I had quite a bit of down time. I basically sat around the family and friends waiting area with Josh until my roommate Kelsey could drive us back to the hotel to pick up my luggage!  (Side note about luggage, etc - the DCP Transtar busses are running to take you from Vista to the other complexes with your luggage if you need it, HOWEVER, even on check in day, only program participants are allowed on them, so plan accordingly!) After picking up my luggage (4 suitcases...oi) it was OFF TO CHATHAM!!!

Somewhere along the check in process, we had found out that we would be in a 3 bedroom apartment in Chatham, which was our top choice, so we were happy campers! Chatham is absolutely huge and I basically got lost the first time I walked around it, which is why your program guide has a handy dandy map of all the complexes! We got super lucky and were placed in building 15, which is actually the first building on the left when you're entering security.  PLUS we were on the first floor which made it so much easier moving in and whenever we had groceries and stuff!

The red circle is our building, and as you can see, it's SUPER close to the clubhouse and the bus stop! The little pink star thingy was our laundry room so that was wonderful.

After unpacking and getting acquainted and all that jazz, I had to get a good night sleep for casting the next day!! Casting sounds real exciting, and the Casting Center building is cool, but it was actually quite boring. It was just a whole lot of paperwork and background checks. 

  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

The murals inside the Casting Center are all so beautiful!!

"Impossible." "You mean impassable! Nothing's impossible!"

(by far my favorite part of Casting)

Later that week, my roommate/coworker Sarah (yes we have the same name, we're twins) and I had TRADITIONS! Now this was incredibly exciting, but unfortunately, I really can't say much about it. We had the first one of the day, so we were up bright and early to get on the bus to take us there. It was a LONG day but so, so much fun!! After that, we were officially Disney cast members so we RAN to Magic Kingdom to play for the very first time!! 

So yeah that was a lot of info, but that was basically my first week on the program! It was crazy, and filled with a TON of information, but it was so much fun!

That's all for now friends, see ya real soon!

xo Sarah

Wait...It's Almost March??

Hello friends!

I've gotten a lot of grief from people for not posting more often like I said I would, and it's true, I have definitely been slacking.  I have quite a few posts in the making and for some reason I've just never gotten around to posting any of them.  I've been so crazy busy with work and trying to fit in as much park time as possible, that I've kind of let this project fall into the sidelines.  Starting today though, I plan on changing that! I'm roughly a month and a half into my program now, and I want to really start documenting everything that's happening, right down to the little details! I've been writing little things down and taking pictures of things that make me happy here, for the campaign "100 Happy Days," so I've decided I'm going to move that here and have a continuous post where every day I write down one thing that made me smile; especially those magical moments I have at work! Along with this, I do have my restaurant posts coming as promised, and I will FINALLY write about check in, casting and Traditions!

As for a quick update with life here in Florida - the weather is finally getting warmer! For a while, we were having mornings in the 30s and eventually even my body thought 50s and 60s were cold!  I've been working a lot, and while constant 12 hour, open to close shifts (7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.) can get really tiring, I'm absolutely in love with my job.  I love the people I work with, especially all the CPs, and I adore making magic for these little girls (and boys)!
I've gone on a little exploring here in Florida, including a recent day trip to Tampa with my roommate Kelsey to go to Busch Gardens! While I can safely say that I still love Disney more, it was so much fun to get away and go on a bunch of roller coasters!

Today, I'm even more excited! I have the next few days off from work because the Loell's are coming! I'm so excited to see them and stay in a Disney resort for the first time in a long time! It's going to be like a mini-vacation and I am so thrilled!

That's all for now my friends! TTFN!
xo Sarah

Magic Kingdom fun with Josh!

Hello everyone! It's time for my very first DCP update!
Today is day 2 of my program and so much has already happened!

Josh and I arrived in Orlando on Saturday to absolutely GORGEOUS weather - mid to high 70s and very little humidity.  I was itching to get on Disney property, so after a minor fiasco with the Orlando public bus system (let's just say they're changing the bus routes and Google maps hasn't updated them yet) we made it to Downtown Disney! I basically started skipping around like a 5 year old and ran to Guest Services where we got our Magic Kingdom tickets for the next day! We ate at Cookes of Dublin for dinner and it was delicious. It's just a quick-service place, but the food is wonderful and there's cute seating inside! While we were there it started pouring in typical Florida fashion, so we made our way over to get lost in World of Disney. After mentally making a list of everything I wanted to buy once I get my Cast Member discount, we went back to the hotel to prepare for a full day in Magic Kingdom!

Sunday in the Magic Kingdom was perfect. We ran off the monorail right at rope drop when they started singing the good morning song and obviously I sang along with every word while Josh laughed at me. We walked into the park and were greeted by this beautiful sight

The park was essentially empty all morning; we walked on multiple rides and met Alice and the White Rabbit, Ariel and Gaston with not long waits at all! We managed to do essentially everything in the park, and stayed until park close with a wonderful ending to the day by watching Wishes! Here are some pictures from the day!

Meeting Alice and the White Rabbit

Outside Gaston's Tavern in Fantasyland

Gaston was beyond perfect. It was like he was straight out of the movie.

Just hanging out under the sea with Ariel.

My favorite castle-picture spot.

For more pictures, you can check out my Flickr here! My next few posts will be more DCP relevant; about my apartment complex, Casting and Traditions, roommate adventures, and my first "restaurant review!" :)

xo Sarah

The time has come, the walrus said...

"You see, the most fantastic, magical things can happen, and it all starts with a wish!"

- Jiminy Cricket

Almost 17 years ago, at 4 years old, I experienced the magic of Disney for the very first time.  While I don't remember much from that first trip other than what I see in pictures, that was when my love for all things Disney began.  As I got older, I only fell in love with it more, and I wanted more than anything to be a part of the magic.  Now, I finally get to do that as a part of the Disney College Program.  

Today is my last day at home here in Massachusetts. It feels like yesterday I was applying and, but now my countdowns are all down to 1, and my bags are (almost) packed and ready to go.  Tomorrow morning, I leave for Florida.  What I've been dreaming of for so long is finally happening, and I'm both terrified and excited. It's a scary thing, moving 1,000+ miles away from home, even if it's only for 4 months.  I'm going to miss everything about home SO MUCH (except of course the cold and snow), but I know this experience is going to be an amazing one!  I'm so thankful for the chance to be a part of this program, and for the chance to experience Disney World through the eyes of a Cast Member. 

To my friends and family at home, and to anyone else who wants to follow my journey through the DCP, I'll be posting here as often as I can!  I'll be doing updates throughout my program about work and all the different things I'm doing!  I'll also be including as much information as I can about the program itself for anyone who's interested!  Beyond this blog, I'll also be attempting to vlog (a video blog, for those of you who don't know) and I'll be posting as many pictures as I can on my tumblr; both the links to my YouTube channel and my tumblr can be found in the navigation bar at the top of the page! :)

Thanks to all of you who have been supporting me! I can't wait to start this magical journey!

As Princess Tiana sings;

                    I'm almost there, I'm almost there 

                   People down here think I'm crazy, but I don't care. 

                   Trials and tribulations, I've had my share 

                   There ain't nothing gonna stop me now 'cause I'm almost there!

xo Sarah