When I was a kid, still in elementary school, my grandma told me about an opportunity college students have: working at Disney. I thought that was the coolest thing ever... who wouldn't want to spend every day in the happiest place on earth?
Honestly, I kind of put the DCP to the back of my mind for a long time. I had also dreamed of being an animator, which I gave up on for a short time, only to rediscover it this past winter. I told my mom about how I planned to transfer to Cal State Fullerton because of their animation program. One my friends from high school who did the program told me I might as well apply since I'm going to be right there. I'm glad I did. So now these two dreams of mine are back to the forefront, and one of them is coming true.
At first I was determined to go to Walt Disney World--I'd never been there (still haven't, but someday) and I thought that would be my chance to visit. As I got older, I realized the program isn't about taking a 5 month vacation to Disney. The DCP is about your goals and how the program can send you on the path toward your career. Well, as it turns out, I recently changed majors and am studying animation. While applying for the program, I selected Disneyland because of its close proximity to the Disney Animation Studios, as well as family and friends. I was afraid that I wouldn't get in because of the limited amount of people Disneyland takes.
So I applied, breezed through the web-based interview, and scheduled my phone interview. The waiting was horrible. I found practice questions, came up with several answers for each until I decided on the ones I liked best, and repeated those over and over in my head. I was probably over-thinking it, but hey, they must have liked what I said. And then my interview came. It honestly wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. My recruiter was so friendly and made everything a lot more comfortable. We talked about my career goals, work experience, how I would handle certain situations, as well as what roles I would like to work in at Disneyland. I told her my top 3 were Attractions, Park Greeter, and Merchandise. I asked her some questions, thanked her, and hung up. My phone interview was over. She told me I would hear back in 2-3 weeks...
...I heard back in 3 days. It was such a shock when I saw "Congratulations" in my email inbox because I expected to wait much longer. I'm not complaining, though. I instantly jumped out of my chair and called my mom, trying hard not to burst into tears. I couldn't believe this dream of mine was finally coming true. And then later that day, I found out another person was accepted who interviewed the same day as me! (Hi Becca!! Here's your shoutout in return!)
Then I found out my role! Custodial! I know you're probably thinking, "oh, how sad, he gets to sweep trash and clean toilets." But it's actually so much more! I've learned that Custodians at Disneyland get lots of guest interaction, they trade pins with guests, and they even get to draw Disney characters with water on the ground! I'm so excited about this role because I'll get to wander around the park and interact with guests, all while keeping the place sparkling as we have come to expect from Disney.
Now that the application process is over (sigh of relief) the real waiting begins. My first day as a member of the Disney College Program is August 20th, a little over 5 months away.
I don't know how I'm going to survive those 5 months.
