Post Disney Depression

It's No Joke

     It's real, it's no myth, everyone leaving Disney will feel it, experience it and loathe it. We just spent 4-6 months living in a literal fantasyland. Minimal responsibilities, a livable wage for the DCP lifestyle and free access to a place where people spend thousands of dollars, travel thousands of miles, make major sacrifices just to visit. We all just lived the dream and took advantage of every second of it, and then it's all gone in the blink of an eye. It didn't fully hit me that it was all over until I pulled into my driveway and saw my house and had to unpack and realized I'm back in reality. Starting a full time job, moving to a new state again, building my own life and starting to take on real responsibilities. In relation to the DCP it sucks...bad. I have never had more fun, made better friends or been a happier human being than I was doing my DCP and now I'm on my own, all my friends back to their native states or extending their programs. The negatives of this time in our lives will greatly outweigh the positives, at least they did for me, but we all will find ways to combat that.

     Personally, I will never be shameful of where I came from and how much I love it, cherish it and value it. I go to my job everyday with a Mickey Mouse backpack with my Port Orleans Riverside key chain, my car keys have a Mickey Mouse key chain on them,  I will wear Disney World shirts to work and wear my Animal Kingdom hoody whenever the weather is right. I drink my coffee and eat my breakfast out of Disney mugs, I have a Simba sticker on my water bottle at work and my phone will forever have a wallpaper of my DCP family. I keep the photos from my DCP on my phone and reminisce when I've had a bad day at work on the train ride home. Call what I do what you want, but Disney asked so little of me and gave me so much in return I refuse to let anyone tell me I'm childish, immature or irrational. My co workers don't need to understand it, my family doesn't need to understand it, the people who understand are the ones I spent 4 months with...working, living and playing...forging the most real, legitimate friendships I have ever had in my lifetime. The early years of my life never gave me this, college gave me little of this, Disney is where I met real people who I really care about and feel the same way about me. I'd do anything for these people no matter the circumstances, they are more meaningful to me than they will ever know. For as long as I am connected to them through social media and have ways to contact them I will never lose touch, they are irreplaceable friends who saw me for who I was, both at work as a professional and outside of work as a 21 year old child. They ask me to jump, I'll ask how high.

     I think we will all go into our DCP expecting to have a ton of fun, and we do. But I don't think anyone expects the impact and value it will have on our personal lives, from the relationships forged, the life lessons we learn, this is a time to not take for granted. We will all hit rough patches, times where we're down and want to crawl into hole, even in Disney, but those are outnumbered by the moments of euphoric joy experienced during our DCP.

     During those final days, those waning hours of your DCP, spend them with the ones you know you will miss the most and do what everyone will enjoy. For me, this was my Port Fam, we forged a bond that you can't break. As time went on and drew shorter, we became closer and closer until by the final week of our program we wondered why we hadn't been hanging out outside of work the past 4 months, but rather than look back and regret...look forward and plan. Plan to see each other again, plan to do that Disney Vacation together, never lose touch. We all went back to our homes into completely different stages of life, back to college, into the real world, where ever life had us going next. But we never lose sight of where we met and came from.

     After all of this, a rant about my feelings towards my DCP, not a day goes by I don't sit back and smile and remember why I love it all so much. Whether it be from a Snapchat, a Facebook or Insta post, or just looking back at the photos of the good times I had, as sad as it is we are no longer there, I will never be happier I got there and did it all, met the friends I did and made the memories I have. Now I look forward to the next times I'll talk to my DCP family and when we can plan to see each other again and we can all reminisce together on one of the most valuable times of our lives.

     To my Port Fam, my roommates, my neighbors and anyone who I had the pleasure of spending time with during my DCP....you have all had an impact on my life I cannot express, no one is ever forgotten in my memory and I will never take our time spent together for granted.

Wrapping It All Up

Best 4 months of my life...

     After 4 months of nonstop fun, getting home is genuinely sad. I realize what the real world is like again, no more Magic Kingdom on my days off, no more Festival of the Lion King before work, just reality. That being said I made memories that will last the rest of my life, I will forever remember the friends I have made through my DCP and will keep in touch with as many of them as I can. I look back at the pictures, remember all the good times I had and realize it was the best decision I ever made. After years of writing it off, thinking it would never happen, thinking it was a pipe dream...I think back everyday to when I submitted my application and finally got accepted. It was the best post college graduation vacation I could have asked for.
     If you have the opportunity to get yourself down to Disney for your DCP, do it! Whether it be for the work experience or the fun of it all, you will not regret it. Working for Disney was some of the most fun I have had in any workplace, from the people I got to work with to the guests I got to interact with, it was an all around incredible experience. It also allowed me to learn even more about my industry and how different companies and different properties manage themselves and function on a daily basis.
      Even if you are not going into the hospitality industry, where Disney makes its name, if you are just a Disney nut like me or love theme parks, find the right time and excuse to get yourself into the DCP. You are looking at a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something few people can say they had the opportunity to experience. Never in a million years would someone have told me when I started my college career that I would end up living in Orlando for 4 months with free admission to The Most Magical Place on Earth.
     No matter where I go now, I have an experience in my back pocket that not everyone can relate to but people enjoy hearing about. I wear it on my sleeve proudly, from my Animal Kingdom hoody I wear to work, to my Mickey Mouse backpack I bring with me, I have gone from being tentative of sharing my love of Disney to showing it loud and proud. So get out there, fill out your application and do the DCP, it is a decision you will not regret!

Everything I Did, Everything I Bought

Kept track of it all...

     I knew of people who did this before I got to Disney and thought why not do it myself, so I did. I kept notes in my phone for each day I went to a park and which ones I went to, and another for each of the parks and how many times I went on the rides. Out of the 123 days I had my main gate, I went to the parks 60 of those days.

    

     I lived up to all of my expectations and then some and it is fun to look back at everything I did during my time at Disney. On top of all the visits I had to the parks, I also made plenty of purchases to represent my connection and love for Disney at home. All of my merchandise purchases were:

• Walt Disney World Mug
• Mickey Mouse Mug
• Port Orleans Riverside Mug
• Animal Kingdom Starbucks Mug
• Mickey Mouse Keychain
• Port Orleans Keychain
• Magic Kingdom Lands Magnets
• Walt Disney World Magnet
• Cast Member Magnet
• Sorcerer Mickey Ears Magnet
• Mickey Mouse Long Sleeve Shirt
• Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party Shirt
• Walt Disney World T-Shirt
• EPCOT Food & Wine T-Shirt
• Mickey Mouse Hoody
• Animal Kingdom Hoody
• Star Wars Snapback
• Duff Beer Pint Glass
• Duff Beer Tank Top
• Sorcerer Mickey Puzzle
• Fantasmic Pin
• Steamboat Willy Pin
• Splash Mountain Pin
• Kilimanjaro Safari Pin
• Squirt Pin
• Buzz & Woody WDW Pin
• Green Alien Christmas Ornament
• Hakuna Matata Lion King Painting

      And that was it, blew tons of money on all that to remember it by and do not regret a single penny of it.

The Bittersweet End

How bittersweet, yet fun it was...

     My final night in Disney, where I went from counting days to counting hours. I did the Wild Africa Trek that morning and by the time I returned to my apartment around 2ish, the texts were flowing about who was making it to Magic Kingdom that night and when. Once most of my Port Orleans family was confirmed to show up, I just left on my own and would eventually meet them all there. At this point I just wanted to soak it all in and enjoy it one final time before it was all over.

     

     I got in, immediately rode Buzz Lightyear and The Little Mermaid and then my family started coming in. We met up and started having the night of our lives, did Mickey's Philharmagic, Haunted Mansion, It's A Small World (stopped for food), Jungle Cruise, Buzz Lightyear and then made our way back to Main Street so we could make some final purchases and prepare to watch Wishes. We were having a blast on Main Street, I got one last Mickey Bar, we took some group photos and then Celebrate The Magic started. Next thing you know a bunch of early 20 something year olds are belting out "Let It Go" with no shame. And then Wishes started, everyone gazing up and I know I was nearly crying again but managed to keep it together. Once it was over, I had to say my final farewells and then go to Beaches and Cream to meet up with my roommates. It was sad, it hurt, but we all knew it had to happen eventually.

     The rest of that night was depressing, I made it to Beaches and Cream and my roommates  (who extended) could clearly see I was pretty upset. So we just hung out and talked for a while, eating our ice cream and we finally left and I had to spend the rest of my evening packing my things, I had a train to catch the following afternoon. As upset as I was to leave Disney and everyone I met behind, I was happy to finally be headed back to my family.

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!

The Countdown to the End

Expect it, but embrace it...

     As my days become less and less, it begins to sink in more and more that leaving is inevitable and I will miss everything about my CP so much. It has been 4 months of a working vacation, minimal responsibilities, amazing friends and nothing but fun. What's most upsetting is how close I have become with my fellow CPs from Port Orleans in the last month. Sure we talked at work, but it wasn't until December that we all started becoming best friends, went to the parks together and now it's all ending. I have to try and squeeze so much into such a small amount of time to take advantage of the time I have left with these friends and it's bittersweet.

     It becomes more and more apparent as the days dwindle that each time I'm in one of the parks could be my last, I don't know when I will be back at Disney to have as much fun as I have had these past 4 months. Knowing this, I capitalized on every opportunity I had, to do the parks with as many of my friends as possible and the last two weeks of my program were my best. I went to the parks before work, after work, on all my days off and made the effort to do them with as many friends as possible. At this point I realized I did not know if or when I would see these people again, so I didn't want to regret anything during my final days.

     Even with the days dwindling though, they are becoming some of the best days I have had since I got to Disney. Work is even more fun because, knowing we are all leaving soon, we are just having fun getting to work with each other everyday and making the most of it. We have all started looking forward to our final days of work because we know we will be spending time with each other and we know how to make work almost as fun as being at the parks together.

     I will also be real, expect the waterworks to flow during this time because the floodgates opened when the days became numbered. Especially with my co workers, specifically around Christmas when we were missing our families and accepting we were leaving, we were all upset. Tears were shed at work quite often. But, having each other around, knowing we were all feeling the same way gave everyone comfort, we could all relate. To relieve some of the depression we went bowling after work on Christmas Eve, and it really brought us close together and we forgot about how much we missed our families.

       I remember one of my final days off, I ended up at EPCOT that evening on my own because everyone had work. This night was for me, I went to Morocco for dinner, finally went to see The American Adventure for the first time and when I exited, I lost it. Walking through World Showcase talking to my mom on the phone, within minutes I was sitting between China and Norway bawling to my mom about how hard it is to leave. The friends I made here are the best I've ever had and leaving them and all the fun behind is not easy. When I finally pulled myself together, I went to The Seas and walked around before watching Illuminations one last time.

     After all of that, I knew I still had about a week left until my departure. And with plans nearly all these days, I could still look back at my CP and know I had no regrets and made the most of my time here.

Save Money NOW, You'll Need it When You're Here

I know it isn't easy...

     It's difficult, it's not fun, but if you wanna make the most of your DCP I highly advise saving as much as possible leading up to it so you aren't restricted by financial difficulties. Now, I know everyone comes from different financial situations and this isn't the same for all, but do whatever you can...the last thing you wanna tell people when they offer up something to do is say, "I can't I have no money."

     I can almost guarantee the paychecks you will see when your doing your DCP will be the smallest you'll see for your entire life. They basically give you just enough to get by and everything else you better have saved up for. Especially since everything in the parks (primarily food) is so darn expensive, having money is even more crucial.

     My advice, don't spend unless you need to, and buy all your souvenirs toward the end. Especially if you are doing the fall program, your extra 40% merchandise discount will kick in midway thru October so buying anything before that is just silly.  Waiting also gives you time to determine if you really want or need some of these items. I basically inventoried everything I saw throughout the shops at Disney and toward the end decided what I really wanted and didn't want and bought it all selectively as I came across it again

     At the end of the day, most of the souvenirs I bought, were purchased with money I saved prior to arriving, not money I earned working with Disney. So do your best to save and you will have a much more flexible lifestyle during your DCP.

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.

The Candlelight Processional

Another one of those "don't miss" events...

     Once the schedule of celebrity narrators was released, I looked down the list and made my decision on who I wanted to see and when pretty quickly. I passed over the A list stars since I was not looking to deal with the mass of attention they would draw and chose Chandra Wilson, an actress from one of my favorite shows, Grey's Anatomy. I got real excited when I was talking with one of my friends at work one day talking about The Candlelight Processional and the guest narrators, we hit it off when we both said we wanted to see Chandra since we were both huge fans. Right there we started planning out the day and how we would attack it from beginning to end, and right there a true friendship was created.
     When the day came, we were starting reasonably early and knew we would be going for a full day of park hopping. We started around 10 AM and kicked off at Magic Kingdom, and both started kicking ourselves when we got out of the car and it was raining and NEITHER of us had any rain gear to fend it all off, but we just did not care. This was one of those days where very little could bring us down and ruin our day so we just powered through. Kicking off our day we rolled over to Space Mountain and used our first Fastpasses, moved over to Buzz Lightyear, next headed to Fantasyland for Mickey's Philharmagic and The Little Mermaid then wrapped up with the Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain. It was a little after midday at this point and we still had plans of doing EPCOT for the candlelight and then going to Hollywood Studios afterwards. So we stopped at Starbucks on our way out of MK to grab some Frappuccinos for a sugar/caffeine boost and stopped to watch the Dapper Dans on our way out.
     Got back to the car and drove to EPCOT and had lunch out in World Showcase before waiting in the single rider line for Test Track. We waited long enough for Test Track that we had a little more than an hour before the candlelight began, so we went back to the amphitheater to wait in line. In retrospect, we could have wandered around a bit more before getting in line but we were not going to put that risk in play. So we were finally allowed in to be seated and the performance was incredible. This is an event at Disney that you CAN NOT miss, no matter who you see narrate or when. We LOVED it and had a blast watching it, so you will have the same experience. Between the narration and the choirs singing, it was unbelievable especially if you enjoy and appreciate excellent choir music.

     Upon the conclusion of the candlelight, we went to the International Gateway to take the Friendship Boat to the Boardwalk Resort. We grabbed some food there before walking to Hollywood Studios to round out our day. When we got into the park we went straight for the Osbourne Lights and just took our time enjoying them since we had a lot of time until Fantasmic started, which we were planning to see as well. After we finished at the lights we went single rider for Rock N Roller Coaster and then went to see Fantasmic. I have heard a lot of mixed opinions on Fantasmic, but in my opinion it is a great nighttime show to see, although the fireworks I will admit are preferable, if you are at Studios, seeing Fantasmic at night is no pushover of a performance.
     Once Fantasmic ended, we were BEAT! Both of us were struggling to function since we had been going nonstop ALL DAY. But we had no regrets, we had the time of our lives and were ready to call it a day and headed back to Chatham.

Star Wars Madness

The Force was been Awakened...

     I had the blessing of being in Disney during what is the beginning of the Star Wars takeover. It seemed, as the premiere of The Force Awakens got closer and closer, the more and more Star Wars we saw around the parks. On Main Street, you started seeing BB8, Rey, Finn and Han Solo balloons next to the Mickey balloons. Star Wars toys and tee shirts lining all of the shops, even I caved in and bought myself a Star Wars hat.

     Leading up to the premiere, Hollywood Studios started getting into the mood as a new planet was added to Star Tours and Star Wars Launch Bay opened up where the Animation Academy once was. Inside you got immersed in Star Wars fandom with props from the movies, replicas of the different vehicles even characters from the films. Jawas would roam around aimlessly, pin trading with guests and there are two meet and greets, one for Chewbacca and another for Darth Vader. At the end of the walkthrough attraction, the store they have is all Star Wars gear. I have to say the coolest piece of merchandise they had for sale was a Lightsaber umbrella where the shaft lit up at the push of a button.

     Finally the movie premiered and it essentially became a race to see the movie. If you didn't see it within the opening weekend you were the thorn in the side of everyone who had because we could not talk about it. The first thing most people asked each other when they returned to work was, "have you seen it?" so not to spoil it for anyone. But after a while we stopped caring and talked about it nonstop, regardless of who had seen it or not. To promote the movie they even gave Cast Members exclusive The Force Awakens buttons to wear during the first week the movie was out. It was a genuinely cool experience to be in Disney as all of this was happening because everyone on property was getting hyped up and excited as the movie came closer and closer.