“There's really no secret about our approach. We keep moving forward - opening up new doors and doing new things - because we're curious. And curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. We're always exploring and experimenting.” –Walt Disney
Nothing really hit me until the week before Check-In.
Suddenly all of the anxiety hit me. My excitement was suppressed by a blanket
of fear. Suddenly I felt the pressure of living away from any family, starting
fresh with practically nothing, and working hard for seven months straight with
little to no contact with the outside world. I became rather acquainted with my
tears. I began to wonder what I had gotten myself into. All of the “what ifs”
flew at me constantly like darts to a dartboard. To put it shortly: I was
terrified.
There was, however, no way that I would let myself turn
back!! Although I was afraid, I knew that the happiness I would receive from
this assignment would be more than worth any moments of doubt or fear. As I
boarded my two connecting flights to Orlando, I listened to music to keep
myself calm. That is when the magic began.
As my flight to Orlando prepared for landing, “I See the
Light” from Disney’s Tangled started
playing on my iPhone. I have, throughout this whole experience, been comparing
myself to Rapunzel, feeling as if I have watched “the floating lights” from a
distance and now finally get to experience seeing them in person. I looked out
the window of the airplane at the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen,
letting the beautiful music and lyrics of the song take me on an unforgettable
journey. Thousands of twinkling lights sparkled below me as streetlamps and
other lights were turned on. I knew, without a doubt, “I’m where I’m meant to
be.” My eyes brimmed with tears as I felt, for the first time, like I belonged
here at the Program.
As “I See the Light” ended, I thought it was the perfect
opportunity to listen to my favorite movie score of all time, “Waiting for the
Lights,” also from Disney’s tangled.
As the musical lift at 2:10 came, I could no longer hold in
the tears. It suddenly hit me. Hard.
I AM IN ORLANDO.
Goosebumps overcame my
entire body as I looked at the beautiful masses below, which now appeared fuzzy
because of the fluid that distorted my vision.
However, these weren’t the only magical experiences that I
witnessed while on the flight. I wanted my final song while on the flight to be
the finale from Fantasmic! (which is
my favorite Disney Parks show of ALL TIME—but don’t even get me STARTED on Wishes. I keep that one in a completely
different category because I love it every bit as much as I love Fantasmic!).
“Dreams are make believe until they all come true.” The
plane’s wheels landed on the ground below exactly where the music picks up at
1:35. As the plane drove along before coming to a halt, I imagined all of the
magic that I would witness and create at Walt Disney World. Mickey seemed to
speak directly to me when he said “Some imagination, huh?” which once again
brought me to tears, knowing now that this wonderful mouse is my boss. The
plane stopped EXACTLY when the music of Fantasmic!
had ended. I felt as if I had just had the most magical experience of my life.
It’s incredible how music speaks to us, isn’t it?
At the airport, I met up with my roommate Kira. We had
planned with our other two roommates, Amanda and Allison, to stay the night at
a Disney resort—the Port Orleans Resort. This was a WONDERFUL idea because we
didn’t have to worry about paying for transportation or traveling alone thanks
to the Magical Express, not to mention not having to worry about our luggage.
PLUS, we each got a free MagicBand out of the experience (mine is pink and says
“Princess” on it, of course)!
We arrived at the beautiful Port Orleans French Quarter and
met up with our other two roommates. I had met everyone before, but this was
the first time that all four of us had been able to be together! Let’s just say
we immediately became best friends. (I’m going to make a note here that no, we
did not OFFICIALLY know our roommates yet, but we had been told multiple times
that Disney makes it a priority to put people with those that they request to
be their roommates. So although these girls weren’t OFFICIALLY my roommates
yet, I just refer to them here as such to simplify things.)
After a very fun and exhausting day, we finally went to
sleep only to awake very early the next morning. We had a taxi Subaru take
ourselves and our luggage to Vista Way, where Allison had a check-in time of
8-9 a.m. The rest of us didn’t have check-in until 11 a.m., but we didn’t want
to split up and make Allison travel on her own! We were afraid, however, that
we would get in trouble for being on the property so early. We had gotten
several emails from Disney requesting that we arrive no earlier than one hour
before our scheduled check-in time. We were planning on going for a walk or
something, however, when we saw how many bags we had, that was out of the
question.
I helped Allison take her things to the luggage area thanks
to a friendly CM traffic assistant, and sent her off to check-in like a proud
mother. Not that I’m her mother or anything, I just felt like yelling “Make
good choices!” as I watched her walk away to start the incredible adventure
that we would all soon be embarking on. I walked to the friends and family
sitting area, where the traffic assistant had told me to go to wait for
Allison. I don’t think he realized that I didn’t have check-in until 11.
I wanted to get permission for Amanda and Kira to join me at
the sitting area as well, which would mean that we would have to put our things
in the luggage area. I wasn’t sure if we were allowed to fill the luggage area
with our things since we weren’t technically allowed to put them there yet. I
was afraid that the traffic assistant would get upset with me if he found out
how early we were for check-in, but Amanda and Kira helped me to face my fears
and just talk to him. “The worst that can happen is that he will say no.” she
reminded me. How right she was! I wish to strive to overcome many fears during
my program and expand my comfort zone.
Boy was I glad that I talked to that traffic assistant. I
forgot that I was at Disney World and that Cast Members are generally the
happiest and most helpful people on earth. He directed me to tell a check-in
person about our situation to see if she would be okay with our sitting in the
friends and family area for a few hours. She walked with me to another CM and
explained my roommates and my situation to him. He turned to me with a smile
and said “If you’re ready, we can check you in right now if you want.” I was
appalled. “Let’s get some magic going for you this morning,” he continued. I
rushed to my roommates, we put our things in the luggage area (we had said a
prayer together earlier to plead that none of our things be stolen or lost),
and began the check-in process! I already felt as if the CMs that helped me
were my friends. They joked sarcastically with me when I returned, teasing me
for checking in early.
I was already walking on a cloud. I couldn’t believe how
fortunate I was not only being where I was, but to have all the help that I had!
Here it was, 8:45 in the morning, and we were already checking in! I was so
glad that we could get everything out of the way early and have more free time
for the rest of the day! A woman put an information sticker on the back of my
Program Guide and said “Alright, Casey, you’ll be working as a Character
Attendant in the Magic Kingdom, okay?” “Perfect, thank you!” I responded and
walked away, smiling, my head still in the clouds from everything that had just
happened. Then I realized that she had just told me that I would be working in
my favorite park. I WAS OVER THE MOON. How on earth could I be so lucky???? The
Lord just keeps blessing me so much!!!!
Amanda, Allison, Kira and I are all roommates! We are placed
in a six person Patterson apartment, and we are thrilled! We were very anxious
to meet our other two roommates (who didn’t arrive until the next day but are
from Holland and are extremely polite and all-around-wonderful), and we hoped
that we wouldn’t make them feel left out since the four of us were already best
friends. Amanda and Kira were very kind and took my luggage to our apartment
for me since I was going to Casting and wouldn’t be able to pick up my luggage
for a very long time.
The rest of the process was a lot of showing and filling out
paperwork. I got my housing ID and met a lot of wonderful CMs that called me by
name (I was wearing a sticker nametag), which made me feel so special and
important. It was a feeling that I can’t quite describe with one or two words. We
each received our first gift from Disney: laundry detergent! Yay! Our first
load of laundry is on the Mouse! We also received a blue Disney Internships and
Programs tote bag, and for those of us that were going to Casting, our choice
of a banana, orange, and/or granola bar for each of us, to keep our energy up
during the long process.
The Casting building is BEAUTIFUL. This is because, a CM
named Randy later explained, although it is technically a backstage area, it is
still an onstage area. Disney decorations, statuettes, beautiful artwork and
photographs line the walls everywhere you look. Inside rooms, cubicles and
office spaces are decorated in stuffed animals, photographs, quotes and
banners. I walked inside the lobby, through the double-doors that feature the
Doorknob from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland.
I was surrounded by other excited College Programmers. After I took a few
photos, Randy spoke to me as he pulled the guide rope up. “Casey, why don’t you
come with me.” I could have sworn that a Professional Intern had just told us
on the bus that we could take photos in the lobby! Did I hear her wrong? I
couldn’t be getting myself into trouble this early!! I suppose I showed my
embarrassment on my face, because he said “Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble!”
I was relieved to hear this, but I still didn’t know where he was guiding me.
He took me to the center of the room and told me that it was the perfect place
to get a panoramic picture. He was helping me! Have I mentioned how much I love
Cast Members??? My picture was far from perfect, however, because I wanted to
get out of the way as he started to introduce himself to the group.
He encouraged us to network as much as possible during our
program, because you never know what doors it might open for you. I have come
to the DCP with such an open mind. My ideas of what I want to do for my career
have changed so much over the past year that I am really open to all
possibilities right now. Keep moving forward. I know that my DCP could open up MANY
possibilities for me, so I’m hoping to keep the relationships that I make here
strong. Keep moving forward. I also hope to do a Disney Professional Internship
in the future, hopefully in the Entertainment, Communications, or Casting
department! Keep moving forward!
“Bloom where you’re planted,”
she said. She told us that she originally wanted to be a performer, but when she got a Professional Internship in Research, she decided to be the best research person she possibly could be. This opened up so many opportunities for her, and eventually led her to a role in Disney Entertainment. Although she wasn’t performing, she found that it was very fulfilling for her to put other people onstage. All of her plans changed because she decided to bloom where she was planted! I must do the same in my role. I must keep moving forward, always doing the very best that I can do! I know that the Lord has placed me in my role for a reason, and I am so excited to see what doors this experience will open for me! I was fortunate enough to have a rather lengthy conversation with both of the ambassadors. Nathaniel was quite happy to learn that I am working in Entertainment.
I have already met so many College Programmers who are practically ashamed of their roles. That absolutely breaks my heart. I truly believe that every single one of us brings more magic to this company than we realize. Custodians are the root of the magic- without a clean environment, no one would be able to feel the magic within the parks! Quick Service Food and Beverage workers provide some of the magic of Disney Dining- which is often a favorite among park-goers! Every single Cast Member has the potential to find some way of creating a magical experience for a guest, whether it is through excellent customer service, an act of kindness, or a pleasant, thoughtful surprise! Every single role is CRUCIAL in maintaining the magic of the atmosphere. I truly wish that each Cast Member will bloom where he or she is planted, even if it is the last place where he or she ever wanted to be.
Randy later passed me as I waited to go into another station
of Casting. He said, “Casey, you haven’t stopped smiling since you got here.
Keep it up.” This made me feel AMAZING. Someone high up in Disney Casting
remembered me and noticed something specific about me!! Hopefully I can leave a
lasting impression on many CMs during my Program.
It made me feel like I belong here.
That was an incredible feeling. My eyes brimmed with tears as I waited in line to get my I-9 form checked.
I finally walked into a room with an older woman and a man
named Andrew at a computer. They were both incredibly friendly. Andrew took my
I-9 form and did some work on the computer while the woman explained my
training schedule to me. They both were constantly saying how much I’m going to
love my role and that they can tell that I am perfect for working in the Magic
Kingdom. They made me feel like I was on top of the world.
After this, I went to one last station to have my I-9
checked one final time. A woman named Megan was at a computer, and a couple of
other women were in and out of the room. There wasn’t much of a line there, so
we all kind of started chatting lightly, which soon turned into sarcastic
joking. I don’t remember what we joked about, but suddenly Megan, laughing,
said semi-sarcastically, “Casey, you’d fit in perfectly. Do you want to work
here?” “Sure.” I responded, actually meaning it deep down. Although one of my
dreams is to be a Casting Director in Entertainment, I’ve got to start
somewhere! And honestly, any role in any department of Casting would be
absolutely amazing, getting to place excited new recruits where we think they’d
fit best! “We like sarcastic people.” Megan said. I strongly feel that I should
keep my relationships with the women at Casting strong, because who knows if
and when they will be looking for a Professional Intern or will have need of
some other Casting role being filled! I felt that I was off to a great start in
establishing a reputation here at Walt Disney World! First Randy, now these
women!
The next day, I went to a DCP Housing meeting. There was a
big movie-theater-like marquee that read, “Congratulations Disney College
Program Fall 2014 Interns.” “How cool!” I
thought. It wasn’t until someone else pointed out that it said “Fall 2014
Interns” that I saw those words. I laughed, wondering how that slipped
unnoticed by Disney Recruitment.
The meeting took place in the Commons Clubroom. We were
surrounded by big, blue walls, and at the front of the room, a projector screen
displayed various depictions of Walt Disney quotes, Disney Internships and
Programs photos, and a stunning photo of the Partners statue along with the
words “Your journey begins here.” I shifted in my seat, filled with excitement
and sentimentality, as I realized that my journey really did begin here.
Different colored lights danced around all of us in the room. Above the
projection screen, the big, blue wall came forward a bit with the “Disney
Internships and Programs” logo spread across it.
Two Communications Cast Members started off the meeting by
having us do the wave. Sarah Smiles, as she is so nicknamed, was possibly the
most energetic and happy girl I have ever seen in my entire life. The meeting
was very entertaining thanks to Sarah’s energy and her partner’s funny comments.
As I begin this incredible journey, I wish again to thank my
Father in Heaven, without whom none of this would be possible. How grateful I
am that He inspired a man many years ago with the simple idea of a cartoon
mouse. Now, here I am, about to make my own dreams come true, as well as
helping hundreds of other dreams to come true.
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