Handling the reactions of your decision to do the DCP

You will hear a lot of opinions, don't let them sway you...

    As your time between acceptance and arrival passes and you inform others of your acceptance to the DCP, everyone will have their own reactions. From the, "Congratulations!" the, "What's that?" and, "Why would you do that?" the mixed reactions can certainly take a toll on you emotionally and can effect your mindset. I have told a vast number of people and have seldom received the same reaction twice. A lot of people have been very happy for me, while others are skeptical of my decision. Regardless, I have not let them change my opinion on the decision to commit to participating in the DCP.

    For the most part, a lot of people have been very supportive of my decision but also given me words of caution, which I understand. Disney has a variety of reputations depending on who you speak to about it, those of us who believe in and support the way Disney performs and conducts their business have no issue with it, others are skeptical of the high standards and strict rules they require cast members to follow. After speaking to fellow classmates who have done the program before and are equally major fans of Disney as I am, they LOVED completing the DCP! This also did not surprise me, we love this company, everything it does and everything it stands for; therefore it makes sense that we would love being a part of it. For those who are doing it to put Disney on their resume or participating on a whim, I fully support that decision, but it makes sense why it may not be for them. With Disney, there seems to be very little middle ground on people's opinions, they either love it or hate it, so as long as your are committed to and believe in being part of making magic everyday, there is no reason we should not enjoy the DCP.  

    I think the harshest words I have received came from someone who has spoken to individuals who worked for Disney and said Disney treats their employees poorly. When I hear that, I think of all the different variables that can play into an opinion like that; what were their hours like, how was their management team, what was their position in the company, were they committed to hospitality as a career? Anyone can endure a company that, "treats their employees poorly," if they are working under a management team that mismanages them or they are not fully committed to the position they have been placed in. Of course, my bias opinion on Disney and not wanting to believe the negatives factor into my opinion on this, but I try to look at it objectively. Without all the facts on their situation, I will take the comment in stride but not lose sleep over it. I will have my own opinion on how Disney treats the cast members when I become one, until then it would be unfair for me to judge them without having experienced it first hand.

    In conclusion, the message I want to get across is do not get discouraged about participating in the DCP from what other people have to say about it, especially those who have not done it. The opinions I have taken seriously are those from my classmates who have done it before and are doing it again because they enjoyed it so much. When we arrive, we can generate our own opinions based on our own experience, but for now, let your dream come true and participate in the DCP, whether anyone else likes it or not!

60 Days out....

Just when you thought they forgot about you...

    They send you and e-mail when you are 60 days from arrival and remember, YOU ARE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD! Thursday July 2nd, exactly 60 days from my arrival date I got the e-mail notifying me of course registration dates and term dates for the courses. I have a little under a week until registration for the collegiate courses and roughly a month until registration for the seminar classes open. More importantly, this e-mail was a reminder that my arrival date is rapidly apporaching and will be here before I know it. I have already been planning and anticipating my family's trip down for Thanksgiving, my brother's potential trip during the Food and Wine Festival and my friend's trip down at some point during my four month program. Not to mention I have thankfully found roommates, been preparing a packing list and talking about where we want to live and how we want to live as well. 

    In terms of courses, the seminar courses are really just for your own personal pleasure and development, while the collegiate courses have the potential to be credited by your college if they allow it. So far I have only considered the seminar courses, primarily the Disney Heritage course, and I am sure after you looked at the syllabus you will be just as interested as I am, (check it out and others at this link: DCP Courses) The overall beauty of the courses is their fee, its only between $10 and $30 which is nice and inexpensive so we can't complain there. From what I have been told and know, the seminar courses can be really enjoyable and not academically taxing, therefore they drew my attention. My friend tried to get into the Disney Heritage class, but was not able to get in because of how competitive it is to get in due to popularity. Therefore I am prepared, if I try to register, to potentially not get in, so I will not be too heart broken if I don't. Overall, these classes seem to be a good opportunity to learn and explore what Disney can show us, therefore keeping them in consideration is not a bad idea.

How To Find Roommates

Finding roommates...

      So when it comes to finding roommates or approaching the roommate situation for the DCP, it can definitely be a little awkward but also remember, most people are in the same boat. It is definitely weird messaging someone out of no where asking to be roommates but it is just the nature of the beast. I joined 3 groups on Facebook for my program and posted the DCP roommate survey everyone was filling out in each of the groups hoping for someone to message me or finding someone else's survey who seemed to match my general personality. I was lucky that it worked out and I ended up finding 3 roommates so far, hoping to stay with 3 to try  and avoid being put into an apartment with bunk-beds (fingers crossed). Just keep in mind, most people in the group are in the same situation as you and we all just have to dive in and try and find others also looking for roommates. It can hands down be a daunting task but once you found your roommates, you'll be feeling real good that you took the leap of faith.