3 Favorite Attractions: Animal Kingdom

Festival of the Lion King
     As a 90s kid, this show is the greatest attraction that has ever been thought up for any Disney park. I saw this show for the first time when I went to Disney in 2012 and ever since that day I have had an unparalleled love for it. When I was down in Disney for my CP I saw this show almost every single time I went to Animal Kingdom, essentially made it a point to make sure I was able to see it. I knew the schedule of the show, every hour starting at 10AM so I always made sure to work around it and ensure I could make my way to theater to see it. The only times I usually did not was if I got in line too late and the theater filled up.
     The show is just out of this world incredible, from start to finsih I love every second of it and could watch it over and over again and never get sick of it. When the show opens and they call in all the animals, everytime I saw it I got chills as soon as the music started and for the rest of the show I would just sit there with a smile on my face. From the tumble monkeys performance with Timon to  "I Just Can't Wait to be King," (my favorite song from The Lion King) the show is an absolute joy to watch. My personal favorite part is when the cast sings "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," and it brings me chills each time I see, it is truly breathtaking.
     And this was another attraction where I could find myself at peace no matter what was going on outside of it. For the duration of the show I could sit back and enjoy and be transported outside of the real world and into The Lion King.

Dinosaur
     This attraction was another love it or hate it with most people I met while I was in Disney and I of course loved it. I was not quite as passionate about it as I am with Festival of the Lion King but I really enjoy the entire immersion of the ride. When I think about why I truly love it, it comes down to the same reason I love Disney, it transports me to a completely different world that you can only experience there. And as a kid, my brother and I loved dinosaurs so of course that just adds to the reasons I enjoy Dinosaur so much.
     When I rode this for the first time, all I remember is darkness...because after the first encounter with the Carnatouraus, my head was between my knees and my hands covering my ears. The Photopass picture from that ride was pretty comical, my cousin, my brother and I all in the same position while my grandpa was just chillin' at the end of our row. But thankfully I have grown up from that age of fear and come to enjoy the herky jerky motions of the time rover and all the loud noises from the Dinosaurs. Sure, the pre ride movie is about as cheesey as it gets, but once you exit and descend into the Dino-Labs to board the time rovers, it becomes pretty immersive. This attraction has one of the most recognizable smells as well, and I can remember it wherever I go.
     Overall I think this is a fairly underrated attraction. I think it is more immersive than people think, maybe not completely throughout from queue to ride, but once you exit the preshow I think it does a very good job transporting you to a different place. No matter what I will always love this ride, it is a great experience from start to finish,

Kilimanjaro Safari
     I think this attraction is basically the poster child for Animal Kingdom. Obviously the Tree of Life is the icon the park stand by, but no one who thinks Animal Kingdom is thinking It's Tough to be a Bug. No, when Animal Kingdom first opens, most people flock over to Africa to get on Kilimanjaro Safari and I am shamelessly one of those people. Many a morning before work I could be found at Animal Kingdom going on the safari and then seeing Festival of the Lion King and being completely satisfied at Animal Kingdom.
     First of all, this attraction takes the cake for one of a kind, most unique you will find anywhere. Going to a zoo is one thing, but driving through an open, faux Serengeti and have a gaggle of giraffes walk within feet of you, is absolutely unreal. Every single opportunity I had to ride this I knew I would never get the same experience twice, never knew if I would see the same animals I saw the last time I rode and these are just some of the reasons I kept going back. On top of all of that, you completely forget where you are, and it does not process while you are waiting in line or experiencing the attraction itself that you are in Florida, I love it. Anytime I can forget where I am and feel like I am being transported to a completely different place I will be a very happy person.
     A small tip for when you experience the safari, sit on the left side of the truck. For a majority of the ride the animals are primarily to the left of the vehicle so you will get the best view of them and be able to take pictures without your friends heads in the way. Also try to get the back row as well, this way you will have the entire back of the truck open as well so if you want to continue to get a great view of the animals, you are able to look out the back with no obstruction.

Wild Africa Trek

One of those experience you have to do...

     As a Cast Member, there are certain Disney experiences you have the opportunity to capitalize on at a highly discounted price. The Wild Africa Trek is one of them and the cast discount varies depending on the season, I got to do mine for 50% off the original price and was SO happy I did. I wanted to do this ever since I got to Disney and just could not find someone to do it with. I love Animal Kingdom, Kilimanjaro Safaris is one of my favorite attractions at all of Disney, so knowing I had the opportunity to do this was something I could not pass up. So in my final week, and on my last day, I had it booked and went with one of my friends from Port Orleans.

     We were very tentative that it would even happen as we woke up that morning and per usual Florida, it was raining. So I called to ask how we would find out if it would be cancelled or not, and they told us we would receive a phone call but it would go on if it was raining. And it did, we arrived to the entrance for the Wild Africa Trek, right next to Kilimanjaro Safaris. We waited around for about 15 minutes, talking to the Cast Members before getting let in to be geared up to head out. They weighed us, gave us our harnesses, signed our waivers, got a water bottle and headed off.      It started with us walking through the Pangani Forest Trail and a few minutes into it we veered off into the woods and next thing we knew, we're standing over the Hippopotamus pool. It was awesome and hilarious, the Hippos immediately swam over to where we standing over them on the rocks, mouth open ready for food. Getting to see them up close was awesome and from there we walked on, over the suspension bridges to the Crocodiles. Got strapped in there, peering over into their habitat as we were told a bunch of facts about them, then got into the special Wild Africa Trek truck to drive into the Serengeti and see all the animals. We got up close with the Giraffes, drove around to the Elephants and finally pulled up to the gazebo placed in the middle of the grass. The views from there were awesome, they fed us and we had a chance to just relax and take it all in. After about a half an hour there we finally departed, finished the rest of the safari and finished our trek. 

     Overall it was an awesome experience that I would do again in a heartbeat. Seeing the animals from a different perspective, learning about them in detail and being so immersed in a Disney attraction was unreal!

With Christmas Brings Crowds...Lots of Crowds

It can be a pain, but it is tolerable...

     With Christmas season brings tourists and I think we all know this if we are informed of Disney and it's peak seasons. That being said, it is something that we have to deal with when we are on our DCP and looking to have fun. Even with all these extra people filling the parks and resorts, do not let it thwart your will and desire to keep going to the parks and having the time of your life.

     Get to the parks early or go late, going during the middle of the day is just torture. Especially at MK, once the fireworks end, the park begins to clear out and wait times for most rides drop drastically. So you can hit a ton of rides in that short period of time until park close. If you go during the day though, make sure you have Fastpasses and once you use those enjoy the parks for what they have to offer other than the rides. Often times I found it just wasn't worth waiting an hour for rides like The Little Mermaid and Buzz Lightyear. And make sure you keep your expectations during this time of year realistic so you don't disappoint yourself. Know the wait times will be long, don't let that surprise you and this is the best time of the year to just people watch. There are so many people from so many different walks of life that can just entertain you for hours, trust me. Lastly, this is the best time to spend your days resort hopping. With all the Christmas decorations up, each resort has a different feel and some of them have unbelievable decorations. I'll say the must sees are Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge and Yacht and Beach Club, they do not hold back for the holidays. At the end of the day, the Christmas season is a double edged sword, but it's easy to thwart the negatives and enjoy the positives while you are on your DCP.

Why Memory Maker is 1000% Worth It

You won't regret it...

     This was probably one of the best investments I made throughout my entire program. Even though we all have our phones that take great pictures whenever we want them. Being able to utilize all the Photopass Photographers and keep all my ride photos throughout nearly half of my program was incredible. I have nearly 400 Photopass photos that I am able to look back on and just reminisce on the best 4 months of my life.

     Memory Maker is about $170, and it is good for 30 days. Therefore from when you activate it, you can capture and download photos for 30 days and then it will expire. One nice aspect, any Photopass pictures you took and linked to your My Disney Experience before purchasing Memory Maker, you can download as well, as long as they haven't expired. So I didn't purchase mine until mid November, but all my pictures from some of my early visits to the parks and the Halloween party I was able to download which was awesome.

     I timed my purchase specifically so I could have it when my family and friends were visiting, that way we didn't have someone from our party taking the pictures and we could get the best quality pictures to remember our vacation by. I definitely recommend getting Memory Maker if you end up at the parks very consistently and want to be able to remember all of your DCP. It may be a hefty investment, but if you take full advantage of it, I promise it is well worth it.

My Thanksgiving Extravaganza

10 days, 5 parks...

     It only took mere hours after telling my family and friends I got accepted to my DCP for the plans to visit to start forming. Within days my family decided they were coming down for Thanksgiving and before we knew it we were getting everyone plane tickets and booked our reservation at Tusker House for Thanksgiving dinner. I was beyond excited when all of this started coming together and I was planning the days with my family out in my head for months.

     Next was friends, and one of my best friends knew she was not gonna not find a way to visit me no matter the cost. All summer she kept asking around for people to come with her so they could split a hotel room together and she managed to find two friends and before we knew it, it was time to book a room. Once I got to Disney and could book discounted rooms, I gave them the call and made sure we were all set and it all started coming together. 
     It was set, my friends were coming from November 20th to the 25th and my family from the 25th to the 29th. 10 straight days of fun and as you can imagine my immediate concern was getting the days off from work, so I put in the requests to work and prayed.

     A few days prior during a training class at Disney University during one of our breaks I went on over to Company D to purchase all the passes for my family and friends. 12 in total, a mix of park hoppers and single park passes, all for a variety of different days and then linked everything to My Disney Experience account to book everyone's Fastpasses. Contrary to popular belief, getting Fastpasses for most rides on short notice isn't that difficult, the only rides you will struggle for are Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Toy Story Midway Mania and Soarin. Other than those three rides I was usually all set for most other rides, whether it was for myself or in this case my friends and family.

     My schedules came out for the days of everyone visiting. I got scheduled for a few days during that time, but managed to switch shifts around with fellow cast members to only need to work twice throughout their visit and it worked out perfectly. So I was all set, they'd be arriving soon and my excitement just kept growing and growing.

     My friends and I were staying at Coronado Springs for the duration of their visit, so they were able to take the Disney Magical Express (DME) bus from the airport to the resort. They were arriving late at night so I was able to prepare for their arrival all day and meet them at Coronado as they got off the bus. I couldn't have been happier to see familiar faces from back home, as much as I love all my friends I was living with at Disney, seeing those who matter from home and being able to share the Disney experience with them is the best feeling in the world. I brought them back to the room and called it a night, the following day we had no plans of going the parks.

     We woke up and I took them to Walmart to get food for breakfast and other various items so they wouldn't have to eat every meal at the parks and could save money on that front. It worked out beautifully, so I brought them back to Coronado to settle back in and I'd meet them at the pool a little later after I went back to my apartment for a bit. On my way back to Coronado I ended up getting a flat tire which really got me going but took a breath, threw on my spare and kept rolling along, there was no way anything in the world was stopping me from enjoying these upcoming days.

     After spending most of the day relaxing by the pool allowing them to recuperate from a long day of flying the day prior, we went to Downtown Disney for dinner and to walk around. We were downtown for probably 3 hours having dinner then going through all the stores letting them get immersed in everything Disney and get them all jazzed up for the days to come. It was nice to finally have the opportunity to share what I've been enjoying for the past two and a half months with the people who haven't had the same privilege as me and watching them enjoy it so much was awesome. The next day we were starting the marathon of getting little sleep and going hard at the parks, so we got back to Coronado reasonably early in the evening so we could all get a decent nights sleep before going to Universal the next day.

     I slept back at my apartment that evening so I could pack a bag with all the clothes I need for the next couple days to stay at Coronado, grabbed coffee on my way to pick them up and we were off. I couldn't wait to see how they'd react to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and they were just as excited. We only got the one park pass to Universal for financial reasons and general lack of energy/interest to do both parks. Once we got in the park we hit the ground running with the Hollywood Rip Ride Rock It, moved on to The Return of The Mummy and Transformers before ending up at The Simpsons Ride. At this point we had made it to the back of the park near Diagon Alley, we rode Men in Black and then finally made it to Diagon Alley and it was great to see the look on their faces. We spent plenty of time exploring the various stores they have, grabbed some Butterbeer and eventually went to ride Escape from Gringotts.

     By now we were all feeling pretty burnt out and hangry. So we finally departed Diagon Alley and headed back toward the entrance of the park to grab something to eat. Now that we were satisfied and feeling slightly re-energized we walked to ET for an easy, relaxing ride to keep us going then finished off our day with Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. This was hands down the longest, fullest day I had ever done at Universal, we left with the sun down, physically drained but ready for day 2 which would be even longer...Magic Kingdom.

     We all basically passed out once returning to Coronado, I woke up extra early to go out and grab coffee for us all, returning to everyone getting ready to head out for the day. We left Coronado as early as was humanly possible for everyone to wake up and be fully functioning since we knew MK would be packed...and it was. We got there about 30 min after opening and just the lines for the bag check were unreal, but regardless we made it in and I immediately let them know just pick what ya wanna ride and regardless of what it is we are probably gonna have to wait a decent line. Throughout their time with me I kept telling them it's your vacation I'm here to do whatever you guys want, I can do it all whenever I want.

     We immediately started with our castle Photopass picture with our ears and moved over to Tomorrowland to use our Space Mountain Fastpass, rode The People Mover and did Monsters Inc Laugh Floor. We moved on to Journey Under the Sea with The Little Mermaid and Mickey's Philharmagic then moved over to Haunted Mansion, we unintentionally timed it perfectly to catch the Festival of Fantasy Parade at 3 while eating turkey legs for lunch. We watched the whole parade from the nearby Hall of Presidents and by this point it was time for our Splash Mountain Fastpass. We hit that and then headed out to go back to Coronado to recuperate before heading to Hollywood Studios at night.

     After an hour or so at the room, we went to Studios so they could see the Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights, since all three of them LOVE Christmas and I can say I'm no different. But seeing the look on people's face when they saw these lights for the first time was the best, just pure joy and awe...I remember the first time I saw them and felt the same way. They are so overwhelming in the best way.

     That was all we did at Studios though since wait times for everything were so long and I wanted to make sure we caught Wishes. As we were parking at MK walking toward the TTC I heard fireworks begin going off, it was only 9 pm and couldn't figure out why. But it was Wishes going off an hour earlier than I was accustom to, so rather than watch them on Main Street we saw them from the TTC which was just as magical for them having never seen them before. Once they wrapped up though we took the monorail back into MK to catch some more rides before they closed and all passed out from exhaustion. We managed to ride Buzz Lightyear, Big Thunder Mountain  Winnie the Pooh and Pirates of the Caribbean before calling it a night. All of us were ready to pass out by the time we finally made it back to Coronado. Everyone passed out once we got back and the next day we had Animal Kingdom and EPCOT to attack.

     I woke up extra early again to get coffee for all of us, returning to the room with all them just about ready to leave. Once we were ready to go we headed to Animal Kingdom arriving just after park open and having a great day ahead with Fastpasses for the major attractions. We started off big with Expedition Everest, one of my favorites, and then went straight to Dinosaur hitting them back to back. We moved on from Dinoland, trekking across the park to Africa to watch The Festival of the Lion King and then ride Kiliminjaro Safaris. We had hit everything major at this point and we were ready to head out, but snapped some obligatory pics in front of The Tree of Life first.

     This was a crazier day for me than the others since I was spending the first half with my friends, then dropping them at EPCOT so I could meet up with my family who landed that morning and then I had to work that night from 3:30 to midnight. I was up at 6 and in bed at 1, needless to say it was a long day for me but well worth it.

     The next morning my friends were taking the DME from Coronado back to the airport at 7 AM, so I woke up early again to get them coffee for their ride back as well as see them off. I gave them all a hug and told them how great a time I had with them during their visit, and went straight from Coronado to Magic Kingdom where I would be meeting my family. The park opened at 8 and I got to the main entrance just before they opened and FINALLY got to see the opening ceremony before entering the park. My family wasn't arriving for another hour or so, therefore I had a decent amount of time to myself to catch a few rides, as well as just have some alone time which was much needed. And by happenstance a previous co-worker and DCP alum was at Disney for Thanksgiving as well with her family, so I planned on meeting up with her at MK too. Being at MK so early I was able to ride Space Mountain twice in a row and then Buzz Lightyear once before walking back to the main entrance to stand atop The Main Street Train Station watching for them to enter. Just standing up there getting to look out over Main Street and see everyone entering was awesome, and finally my family came in and we were ready to get the day started. We kicked off with Buzz Lightyear, still had a short wait time as it was still early and as we got off I met up with my friend who I hadn't seen in over a year.

     At this point I split off with her and told my family to go do whatever they wished and my friend and I headed off on our own. Having the chance to do MK with another Disney fan who knows the park just as well is a blast. Both of us were smiling with elation and headed to Mickey's Philharmagic, a personal favorite of mine and hers as well. Next we hit Haunted Mansion then the Little Mermaid. My family was on there way to sit down and get lunch where I'd meet them shortly. But first we were stopped by a Photopass Photographer who snapped a great photo of us. We had to make a pit stop at Main Street to get the photos moved over to my account to download. At this point she went back to her parents and I met up with my family at Liberty Tree Tavern to eat.

It was a much needed break in the day and a great time for my family to ask me all about my time doing the program so far. I mainly had to explain what Magic Bands were and how they worked to them since I had mine on, and also got my cousin hooked on pin trading which was great. When we finished eating it was time for our Splash Mountain Fastpass and we managed to pull of a killer ride photo. Following this we watched The Hall of Presidents where I promptly took a much needed nap and then got positioned for the Festival of Fantasy Parade. Once the parade ended we hustled across the park to Space Mountain for our last Fastpasses of the day. On our way out we stopped for some pictures in front of the castle and finally departed for EPCOT to have dinner and round out the day.

     As we got to EPCOT we took some more photos and went directly to Mouse Gear so everyone could do a little shopping. Once everyone was geared up we headed to World Showcase for dinner, we decided on Morocco since it is my favorite place to eat in EPCOT and no one argued against it. I got my usual plate of lamb schwarma and devoured it as fast as I could. Once I finished eating I had to leave to pick up my cousin and his girlfriend from he airport since they were flying in that evening. I left my family to enjoy EPCOT the remainder of the evening and would meet them back at the hotel.

     The next day was Thanksgiving and we were doing Animal Kingdom...all day. Another early rise as we were getting to AK right around park open. A nice advantage to AK is it was much less crowded than the other parks on the holiday, so although wait times were long, none were astronomical and we had Fastpasses for the big rides. We kicked off the day with Killiminjaro Safaris and afterwards did the Pangani Forest Trail. Our grandparents were arriving a little later than us, so we headed to the entrance to meet them before going to ride Everest. Next up was Festival of the Lion King, followed by It's Tough to be a Bug and then Dinosaur. At this point we still had a few hours until our dinner reservations at Tusker House, so after we saw Finding Nemo The Musical some of us did Everest again while others went to watch Flights of Wonder. We eventually met up again at the Maharaja Jungle Trek before going to Tusker House to eat.

     Once dinner ended we made it back to the front of the park for everyone to browse some of the shops and make a few more purchases. And, since this was the final year for the Osborne Lights and no one in my family had ever seen them before, we chose to end our day at Studios. Upon arrival we immediately went to the lights and took them in, enjoying the sights and sounds. Since it wasn't too too late, we had time to catch some rides so we went and rode Tower of Terror twice and then ended with Star Tours. At this point everyone was pretty wiped out and ready to head back to the hotel. I, on the other hand, would be going to MK to meet with my friend again since I have no issue losing sleep to hit the parks. So I drove over, met my friend and managed to hit some rides; Buzz Lightyear, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean and Jingle Cruise and at this point we were both dead and needed sleep. We walked back out of the park, said our farewells and returned to our respective places of sleep.

     So I finally got back to my apartment, got a few hours of sleep and the next day was Universal with my family. We arrived shortly after park open, got the two park passes since we are all major Harry Potter fans and got to having fun. We started with Rip Ride Rock Rt, moved over to Transformers then headed to Springfield so I could fan girl over it with my brother while we also grabbed a bite to eat. Unfortunately the wait for The Simpsons Ride was super long so we skipped it and just made a few merchandise purchases. Then we finally dove into Diagon Alley and I just sat back and allowed them all to explore. We checked out Ollivanders, hit Escape from Gringotts and then took the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmeade. We arrived and started with Dragon Challenge, afterwards grabbed the obligatory Butterbeer and our final ride was The Forbidden Journey. We exited the park around mid afternoon and it was much needed since I got back to the hotel and took a MUCH needed nap before dinner.

     That night was my farewell to most of my family except my one cousin and his girlfriend who arrived a day after everyone else. Therefore, they were going to EPCOT and then Magic Kingdom and I met them at MK when I was finished with work at 5. I changed and drove straight over and met up with them and we had dinner at Casey's Corner, each taking down a pulled pork hot dog. Then we finished off their evening with Mickey's Philharmagic, Splash Mountain and Wishes, concluding their vacation and mine. I brought them back to the hotel, finally returned to my apartment and with a day off the next day, I happily slept and recovered from the marathon of fun I just endured.

     At the end of all of that, it was some of the best time I had during my DCP. It was one thing getting to experience it all, day in and day out with your friends who are doing the DCP with you, but getting to see the joy and happiness it brings those who are not as fortunate is amazing. I loved having the opportunity to share it with the people who mattered most to me and had the time of my life with them!

Transition from Halloween to Christmas (What's Thanksgiving?)

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

     As October ends and November begins in Disney, the atmosphere stays magical but you'll begin seeing less orange and more green and red. Although gradual over a week or two, the transition to Christmas seems like it happens overnight. And being there to see it all happen is something else.

     First off are the resorts, and from my personal experience, at Port Orleans. Now, being a moderate our decorations are not quite as hardcore as the deluxe resorts but they do their job of setting the resort in the Christmas spirit. It was fun getting to close on the night they brought in all the Christmas decorations and watch the beginning of the transformation. Big wreaths and all sorts of Christmas decorations to transform our hotel. And overnight our hotel goes from standard Port Orleans and jumps into the Christmas spirit.

     The parks of course get the royal treatment and imagining the crew of people that decorate each of the parks overnight is mind blowing. One day Magic Kingdom is full of Mickey Pumpkins, the next it's full of wreaths and lights. Each park gets its own massive Christmas tree decorated in theme with the park. The Dapper Dans and Main Street performers' outfits change from their fall colors to Christmas colors and start jamming out with Christmas songs. Best of all the castle goes from getting just the spotlights at night to drowning I'm Christmas lights, it's incredible when you see it for the first time, and seeing it for 2 months on repeat...it's just amazing and hard to imagine it without them. Let us not forgot the merchandise, you'll be swimming in it. Christmas essentially pukes all over Disney property and it was wonderful, I personally loved every second of it and as long as you aren't the grinch, you will too!!

Don't Be Afraid to do the Parks Alone!

You won't regret it...

     There will be times where everyone you may wanna go to the parks with is either working, doing something with other people or just being straight up lazy and boring. When this is the case, especially on your days off, don't be afraid to fly solo at the parks. And honestly sometimes you need those days to yourself just to decompress from work and not worry about being social, just keep to yourself.

     At first it can be daunting and scary, most of us are raised to be taught that going out to do things requires someone to do it with. As I got older I realized this can hinder my ability to enjoy life, and became very true during my CP. I couldn't let other people's lack of willingness to go out, stop me from having fun.

     Another beauty of going alone, you can do whatever YOU want to do without anyone judging you for it. Browse the shops, meet your favorite characters, ride your favorite ride it's all up to you. One of the best things for me to do if I was ever stressed or frustrated for some reason...I went to EPCOT and rode The Seas with Nemo and Friends and would just spend time wandering the pavilion. It's my favorite movie and I love fish & aquariums so it just helped me relax. Your version of this may be different, but find what that is for you and when you need time to yourself, do your thing.

     I felt the same way about Animal Kingdom, I loved going alone because it was my favorite park and I could just do whatever I want. I loved riding Kilimanjaro Safaris and seeing The Festival of the Lion King, both I enjoyed over and over again on my own because I was such a morning person and got to the park early. One of the best moments I witnessed when out on my own, during the end of The Festival of the Lion King, when the performers pull the kids out of the bleachers to dance around, at the end they pulled some of them toward the float with Simba on it and had them wave at him, It was mind blowing to me and just pure Disney magic for Simba to wave back at them, it may have been small and not many people may have witnessed it, but it was awesome to see!

     You can also take your time and really observe and take in the parks. There is so much to see at all the parks you could spend hours just wandering around and not ride a single ride. Don't miss these opportunities, I promise going to the parks alone can be much more fun and enjoyable than you may originally think!

Making the Most of your Time

If you work nights, go out in the morning...

     Whether you do your DCP for 4 months, 6 months or extend up to a year, you have a lot of time and opportunity you have to enjoy everything Disney has to offer. It's also easy to let it all slip away and it took me a few weeks to realize this.

     The mornings are not only some of the best times to be at the parks because it's usually less crowded, often times it may be your only time to go because of your work schedule. For me, my shifts started at either 1, 2, or 3:30 PM...consistently...every week. I worked 6 morning shifts out of my 4 months and 5 of those were just for training. After that, I was assigned to be a true CP (closing personnel), so the best advice I can give is expect it and don't get upset about it.

     That being said, if you are anything like me and primarily looked to be at the parks as often as possible, get used to going for 3 or 4 hours in the morning before work. Since the parks usually opened up at 9, there is plenty of time to get a few rides in. Of course, this is substantially easier when you have a car as I did, but if you are motivated enough, you can do it while riding Transtar.

     Sleep is for the weak. And I lived by this everyday I was there. I was consistently getting my body used to waking up between 8 and 9, just to get to the parks before work and I do not regret it. Some days I may have only gotten 6 hours of sleep, but that's what coffee is for.

     I was a major advocate of hitting DAK on these mornings because I could usually get my 3 major attractions done in a small period of time and it was usually the least crowded. I'd get there, hit Kilimanjaro Safaris, see the 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock Festival of the Lion King show and made sure I rode Everest either after the Safari or the Lion King depending on wait times or when I showed up. Although I only did it once (primarly cause of $$$) go to Tusker House for the character breakfast! It was about $25 with the cast member discount and it has a massive breakfast buffet to dive into. I went HAM on the Mickey Waffles as you should and its never a bad thing starting your day off with some characters!

     I did Magic Kingdom a couple of times before work but only when I worked later since getting there is so time consuming. If you drive, you almost have to account for about an hour of travel to get to the main gate since you park at the TTC and it just takes a while. But to get a ride on Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear...well worth it.

     All in all, become a morning person and go have fun! Don't leave your CP regretting not going to the parks more!

     

Work Hard, Play Hard

Work has begun...but I won't stop playing...

     I'm exhausted and it is 100% worth it. Over the past days since my previous post, I have started working at Port Orleans as a Bell Service Dispatch/Greeter and I have gone to parks on almost all of those days and I could not be happier about it.

     Work is incredibly simple and, thankfully, after a rocky first day, it is a great role to have. I have worked primarily day shifts but I know that is changing as my upcoming week is all closing shifts #CP #ClosingPersonnel. And I know a lot of CPs will complain about them. but being here a week, I'd rather have the closing shifts because all my roommates and friends work them as well and we would all rather work at the same time so we can go to the parks at the same time.

     As a Bell Service Dispatch/Greeter at Port Orleans, we are first trained as greeters, which is as simple as it sounds. We stand outside the resort, say hi to everyone entering and exiting, store luggage, answer questions and things along those lines. So far it has been rather stress free and now that I have started to become more talkative and cordial with my co-workers, it has become rather enjoyable. I stand outside all day in the shade with a Mickey Glove on and wave to everyone, kids and parents love it and seeing the smiles on people's faces make it all worth it.

     So for the most part that is work, pretty easy and simple, not much to it yet. On the flip side, I continue to run myself ragged going to parks all the time and I love it. I've had 2 days off and went all day at the parks both days. Even after work, getting out at 5:30, pending the day and park hours, I could have 2 or 3 hours to spend at one of the parks....so I have. Whether alone or with others, I have tried to do something everyday after work. I have been to EPCOT and Magic Kingdom the most, primarily because their hours are the longest, but on my day off I did Animal Kingdom in the morning since you really need the park's full hours to get the most out of it, at least in my opinion.

     I have been keeping track of what parks I go to on what days, how many times I go to each park and how many times I ride everything. Just a personal thing, and I know a lot of other people do it as well, but I'd like to see at the end how much I REALLY did during my program.

After Traditions...Before Work

The honeymoon phase...

     It's too real, you have so much freedom for a few days I knew I could not contain myself. After my first night at Magic Kingdom after Traditions, I had nearly 4 full days of freedom with the exception of one, 4 hour class. During these 4 days, I can confidently say you have the opportunity to either make the most of it, or waste it away but that depends on who you are. For me, I went to 4 parks, 1 water park and am pretty sure I cemented some pretty solid friendships in the process.

     As of now I lucked out with roommates, we are getting along swimmingly, both in and out of the apartment, and I could not be happier! Likewise I have a few friends that I met through Facebook prior to the program, friends of friends who I finally had a chance to connect with and my Australian/New Zealand girls who live on the 3rd floor of my building who are loads of fun!

     Friday started slow, all of my roommates had class that day, I did not. Got away with a late start, hit Publix with some of my new friends from down undah in the AM and then rolled over to Magic Kingdom in the afternoon with one of my roommates who finished at 12:30. Spent a few hours there having a blast then picked up my friend from school after work (she was on Main Street), met up with another roommate and went to Hollywood Studios for a few rides and the Frozen Fireworks. Fireworks were UNREAL! I thought Frozen was good, I enjoy the music but the fireworks Studios put on were over the top incredible!

     Saturday was the day with 1 class at Disney University, but it was in the morning so I had the entire latter half of the day to have fun. Therefore I made the most of it, some of my roommates had training, one had laundry, I was ready to get out and do stuff. So I agreed to take one of my friends to work and then just spend my time at EPCOT after I dropped her off. Although I was alone, it was immensely relaxing to have nothing tying you down and being able to do whatever you want. For about 4 hours I just wandered, did a few rides, explored some of the pavilions and then my roommates met me that evening to watch Illuminations. My biggest recommendation is do not be afraid to go the parks alone, you have the chance to do WHATEVER you want with no one stopping you and you can just relax, it is great!

     Sunday we planned all too well, hit Animal Kingdom in the morning, head home for a pre-nighttime nap, pick up our friend from EPCOT then hit Magic Kingdom for Wishes. That is exactly what happened, Animal Kingdom from open until 3ish, with breakfast at Tusker House, solid hour and change nap, throw in the curveball of hitting EPCOT at 8 to get a ride on Soarin' (10 minute wait....WHAT WHAT!) and run out and catch Illuminations. Grabbed our friend at 9:15, walked through the entrance of Magic Kingdom at 9:45, caught Wishes, grabbed my first Dole Whip then enjoyed the attractions until midnight when they closed.

     Monday wasn't quite as packed but goodness did we have a blast. Typhoon Lagoon in the mornin', did all the slides, wave pool and lazy river in 3 hours, murdered it. Came home to relax and rest our feet, then went to Studios that afternoon to catch the final showing of the Frozen Fireworks...not gonna not. It was the most enjoyable, amusing night ever and I feel like the group I was with bonded real well. We all grabbed ice cream of various types (Mickey Bars was the majority) ended up dancing like SAVAGES on Hollywood Blvd. for a solid 45 minutes leading up to the fireworks at 9. When you are at Disney, let it all hang out, no one will judge you, it is Disney, everyone is there to have fun, so HAVE FUN! We watched the fireworks, loved every second, and now I have entered reality where I have work all of the upcoming 4 days. I am ready, I am excited and cannot wait to get into the work groove at Port Orleans!

When Will My Life Begin

When will my program get here, the anticipation/expectations build

My trip in 2012. #Mexico

      Ever since I got accepted to the DCP, I have basically been counting down the days until my arrival date of August 31st. Even knowing how much I have to do from now until then between school and a summer internship, it doesn't help the fact that I am a Disney geek/nerd/call me what you want I love Disney! And, when I think about it, I have barely experienced all that WDW has to offer since I have only been 3 times in my 20 years of existence on this planet. My first trip was in 2000 when I was in kindergarten and I have a few vague, fuzzy memories from that visit; I went again in 2005 when I was in 4th grade, I have more vivid memories of that trip, primarily skipping Haunted Mansion with my Grandpa cause I was scared, getting a turkey leg and the going into the Hall of Presidents. And lastly, my most recent trip was in 2012 when I graduated high school and we did so much in such little time, I had a ton of fun but it was hard to enjoy everything because we were so rushed. Therefore, its easy to say that knowing I will have 4 months of free admission to the parks is filling me up with anticipation and expectations of what I could do and enjoy.

      In terms of these expectations, I can place them in 2 categories, work expectations and play expectations; let's start with the work ones:

• First things first, I understand that everyone who is accepted into the DCP is accepted to be a Cast Member and it isn't necessarily a, "vacation." So right away, I am prepared to work...A LOT! As DCPs we are basically the bottom the of the totem pole, I am prepared to get the worst hours and work a ton of those worst hours, but you also have to view it from a positive perspective. We are accepted to work and this work experience opens us up to learn so much and gain so much that it should not be taken for granted. I want to uphold those Disney standards, and, as a Cast Member at my resort, I will likely end up being the first face guests see when they enter Disney property, so I want to make those magical moments for everyone. 
• Next, I cannot wait to find out where I work! I discovered that the Value resorts do not have bell service so when I realized I will be at one of the Moderate or Deluxe resorts I was over the moon! I have only stayed on Disney property once, and it was back in 2000 at Port Orleans and I only have vague memories of it, so having the chance to work at one of these resorts will be awesome! Ideally, I'd want to work at a resort on the Magic Kingdom monorail loop (Grand Floridian, Polynesian, or Contemporary) but no matter where they place me, I'm going to be PUUUMPEDD! 
• Third, most of the money I make is probably going right back into WDW. It's true and I'm sure Disney knows this too, even though I'm gonna go into it with the intentions of making and saving money, I know that once I am there, I'm gonna end up spending most of my paychecks on food and various shenanigans at the parks. And after talking to one of my classmates who did the program before, she basically just cemented that for me. So yeah, the sooner I accept that the better. 
• Lastly, I hope to form strong relationships with my co-workers and supervisors. This is a goal I will have for all of my jobs but even more at Disney because it is a company I want to build a career with. I was extremely lucky this past summer to have built strong bonds with the front office staff at the Hyatt and still keep in touch with them today, so I hope to be able to do the same while I am working at Disney.

      When it comes to my expectations outside of work, let's just say I'm gonna aim REAL HIGH and know that it's unlikely everything will be met.

• First and foremost, I am super excited and super nervous to meet new people and make new friends. At the end of the day, most people are entering the program the same way they entered college, without knowing anyone, and that's me. I have met a few people through Facebook groups but that does not change that when I arrive on August 31st, I will be overwhelmed by the number of people and having to make friends all over again. But, its one of those things I just need to let happen naturally and try to not stress about. 
• Next, I want to go the parks, A LOT! Having only been to WDW 3 times prior to this, I want to make the most of having free admission for 4 months, so I want to get the parks whenever I can. It is my hope that most of the people doing the program will have the same anticipation, but I won't know until I get there.
• Avoiding being in my apartment a lot, besides just going to the parks just getting out and doing stuff in and around Orlando or participating in housing events. I am pretty sure there are intramurals for CPs; and if there are, I want to get involved! I have participated in athletics since I was 5 up until I finished high school and now I just go to the gym every day, I miss playing!

      At the end of it all, my excitement builds every day closer we get to August 31st. Like I have said, I'm sure my friends and family are sick of me talking about how excited I am but I don't care; this is who I am, this is what I love and this is my dream come true! Living vicariously through YouTube and every other form of media on the internet is all I can do for now, but my anticipation for this program will never die down, it'll only continue to grow!