Disney College Program: My Final Thoughts

This past fall as some of you know I participated in the Disney College Program. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and I will never regret doing it. I was a Skipper on the Jungle Cruise in the Magic Kingdom. I absolutely loved where I worked and the people I worked with.... most of the time that is. Like any other internship this is a job, and you will be working very long hours most of the time. You will also work holidays and weekends... yes I know it sucks. I worked Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years while on my program, but in the end it was all worth it. Being a Cast Member makes you part of the magic of The Walt Disney World Resort, and it is our job as Cast Members to make dreams come true for both the young and old.

Being a Cast Member mean that the perks are pretty awesome. First and foremost, you get to go to Disney World for FREE! And during my program they were having a special promotion that we got to go to the water parks for free too. As a castmember, you also get merchandise discounts, hotel discount, cruise line discounts, and ticket discounts. During the Christmas holiday our cast member discount was raised to 50% off, which was pretty awesome because it applied to all Disney merchandise except for movies and CD's.

Now I will warn you, the housing situation seems great but as one of my friends so adequately put it, she "hates Price Management and their stupid apartments... they can take their stupid rules and shove it where the sun don't shine". The company that manages the apartment complexes absolutely blows. The rules are ridiculous, the security guys are assholes, and if you break a housing rule you can be terminated from the program. The housing is the biggest bad mark on the program in my eyes. I would recommend living in Patterson or Chatham, stay away from Vista. Patterson is the newest complex and where I spent my program. DO NOT LIVE IN A 3 OR 4 BEDROOM APARTMENT because it is 2 people per room meaning there will be 8 people max in an apartment. Though this sounds fun.... you will have no space in your kitchen for anything. I lived in a 3 bedroom so there were 6 of us, and well there was never any space in the fridge at all. Plus 6 girls in one apartment.... no bueno.

Despite the lousy housing situation, I would recommend this program to anyone. I have loved Disney since the very first time I went there when I was 4 years old and I love it even more now that I have been a Cast Member. If you have worries about seeing the backstage stuff and it ruining the magic, don't worry, being a part of the magic is such a rewarding experience. So if you have ever wondered if the Disney College Program is right for you, I say do it. You only live once and to have an opportunity like this is, in my eyes, a dream come true.

I'm Back

Well after about a year of experimentation with different blogs I have decided to return to Blogger. Wordpress was beginning to be a pain in the ass, and to be honest not that cute. I'm currently in the process of trying to get some of my posts from my Wordpress over to Blogger so hopefully that wont take a small army and a minor miracle.

It's good to be back :)

Tinker-Belle Cross-Stitch

This project was one that I worked on while on a road trip because it was the perfect size to work on in the car. I love working cross stitch kits in the car because I feel like I am accomplishing something while sitting in the car doing nothing.

This project stitched up really quickly, I was able to finish it in only a couple of days, the greatest difficulty I had with it was using the pearl filament thread on Tink's wings and wand. That stuff is a pain in the you know what but in the end it turned out really pretty, with just the right amount of sparkle.

I omitted a part on the pattern that was supposed to go above Tink between her wings because I thought it was silly looking to have her name there labeling her. It is must more appealing and I like the simplicity of it just being sly Tink looking like she is up to something like always.

I had a spare frame lying around and I gave it a couple quick coats of purple spray paint any tada! I'm done. I decided on purple for the frame because it matched the back stitching around Tink, and I thought it would be fun.

My First Completed Project of the Summer: posted 2 months late oops

Over the past couple of months I have been working on several different craft projects and I am just now getting around to posting them. One of the first things I made was a memo board for my room.

I made it using THIS tutorial from Moda Bake Shop, and I love the finished result. I tweaked the tutorial a little bit just cause a few of the steps I did differently and I used some different materials but overall it's pretty consistent with everything else. I used a charm pack from Fig Tree Quilts called Fresh Cottons, and I love the finished result!

I used a frame that has been laying around my parents garage for almost a year now and I figured if it hasn't been thrown away or used yet then it was fair game for me to have. I toyed with the idea of painting it, but in the end I am glad that I didn't because I love the contrast of the wood grain against the fabrics.

The hardest part of the project was making sure that the ribbon stayed taught enough so that it would hold the photographs when it was all finished, but they all turned out the perfect tightness except for one that is in the bottom corner so it's kinda hidden. I love the ribbon I ended up using because it covers the seams from where I sewed the charm squares together but the edges are sheer so it gives it a cute little effect.

This picture isn't very true to color but it is a nice close up of both the ribbon and the buttons. In the tutorial it called for a variety of buttons but I liked the idea of them all being uniform and cohesive so I used the same buttons for all of the placed where the ribbons crossed.

I wish I would have taken in progress pictures but I always think about doing it after I have already completed the project. I pictures on the board are 4x6 so that gives you some idea of the scale of the whole thing. Also on the frame I mounted hanging brackets on both sides so that it could be hung either vertically or horizontally. I love this project and my mom has already hinted to wanting one for herself.

My Newest Project

I just finished this the other day and I am super excited that I finished it. I was thinking about giving it to my sister for Christmas but I think I have decided to make the whole set and then frame them. I just bought the Tigger one the other day and I still need the Piglet and Eeyore ones so that I have the whole set. I think they would be super cute for a nursery but I have a few years (like 6) before I have kids, so who knows what I finally end up using them for. The picture quality isn't that great cause my camera is dead and I left the charger at home in Texas and I am in Florida.

I love Disney!

There is nothing more wonderful than the Disney College Program! I have loved this experience since day #1 and will never regret doing it. I have learned so much from being here and my program still has 3 more months before it is over.

I have met so many amazing people, some of which I know I will continue to have wonderful relationships with as the years go on. I have decided that at the end of my program I am going to return to school and graduate while maintaining seasonal status at Disney. That way I can continue to work at the Jungle Cruise. When I graduate I would love to return to Disney and audition to be a member of the entertainment department.

I am truly looking forward to what these next 3 months have in store for me. I could have never guess that I wold be having the experience that I am having now. Some people may think that this is a load of crap, but I believe strongly that your dreams really can come true. I feel like I am living a fairy tale and each day gets better and better.

Have a Magical Day

Thoughts on the first Month

So I have been a Disney World castmember for a month now and I absolutely love it. I love my job working at the Jungle Cruise in the Magic Kingdom. Last night on one of my boats I had a little girl come up to me at the end and said she wanted to take a picture with me. She was the cutest little thing ever, she even let me pick her up for the picture. I have been told that I have a really good boat by alot of people, even some of the other skippers who have rode my boat say that it is good.

The thing that sucks the most about the college program is living in the housing. I am at Patterson and the apartment is great and so is the complex but, the security policies SUCK. You can't have anyone over after 1 AM, if they arrive after 9 PM you have to check them in with a drivers license, and your visitors must be 18 years old. So if my sister wants to come visit me and see my apartment she can't because she is a minor.

I bought 3 books yesterday at Barnes and Noble, I figure since I don't have my sewing machine with me here I am going to be doing a ton of reading to keep me occupied in my off time. I do have some cross-stitch kits with me that I could also do.