If you thought the 120 minute wait for Frozen Ever After was bad, then I have bad news, because the amount of time you spend waiting after completing your phone interview will give you a whole new perspective on the word patience.
Of course, The Waiting Game has several sections, and the first one is absolutely the worst one. I completed my Phone Interview mid-February, and I waited as wave after wave of acceptance letters roll out. I had myself completely convinced that I'd messed something up in my Phone Interview and that I wouldn't be accepted or would get a waitlist email, but I tried to keep myself busy with practicing for Knights on Broadway and finishing my homework.
That makes the process of waiting sound easy, because honestly it's really easy to discourage yourself while waiting for your acceptance letter. I was frantically trying to figure out what I would do if I wasn't accepted, fielded everyone telling me that "Of course Disney will hire you!" because honestly, what if they didn't? It was nerve wrecking and terrifying and seemed like I'd never get the Congratulations email.
Finally, on March 25, I was sitting in my History of Modern Art class and noticed a notification on the corner of my screen. Luckily, I took notes on my laptop for that course, and all I saw was Disney College Program and "Congratulations." I immediately clicked the notification, which opened the email in my browser, and I started to hit Megan, who was sitting next to me, while also trying to not be super distracting despite the fact that I sat in the exact center of the front row. I actually apologized to my professor after class and explained that I'd just received my acceptance to the Disney College Program. He congratulated me and I went out to go tell everyone else who would listen.
As a part of your acceptance letter, you'll learn what role you'll be filling, whether it be Quick Service Food and Beverage, Attractions, PhotoPass, or one of the other magical roles that are a part of the Disney College Program. You'll have an opportunity to accept or decline your role (don't be afraid to do this, but also know that many people apply for the college program, and every role is a great one, even if it wasn't your top choice), and you'll then pay an initial fee for the program, which includes your rent for your first couple of weeks since you won't have enough hours when you first start out to pay for rent in full. This is also when you'll pick your arrival date. I only had one choice of when I could arrive, August 7, as the other two dates were blocked out.
But the waiting isn't over, because now you have months of waiting for more information and tasks. You'll eventually be sent your onboarding information about a month ahead of time, which includes all of your confidentiality agreements and other legal documents. What I did was download the giant books to read later since I was heading to New York the following week. I was able to add them to my Kindle Library and read them on the go rather than spending a ridiculous amount of time trying to read it all in one sitting (some of the booklets are around 30 pages). A few weeks before arrival you'll also receive your housing email that will allow you to link with other roommates and rank your housing options. More on this later though!
Next you'll wait in anticipation of finding out where you'll be spending the majority of your time on the program: your work location. About a week before your check-in date you'll receive an email with your check-in itinerary and your work and housing locations. Be thankful that you receive your work location ahead of time now, as former college program participants had to wait until they actually arrived to find out their work location! For me, I actually just received my itinerary today, 5 days before check-in, and I'll be making Magic Kingdom my home for the fall and living in Patterson!
Then the only waiting left is waiting to get to Florida, and that's a bittersweet sort of waiting. On one hand, you'll be leaving to move to the most magical or the happiest place on Earth. For a few months you'll literally get to live at Disney World or Disneyland, and dreams of working for Disney are finally coming true. But on the other hand, you'll be leaving home or school, all of your friends and family and pets, for a new adventure.
Which is where I am now, desperately trying to finish everything I need to before I actually leave for Florida. The remainder of my family got there today, my car safely in a Disney Parking Lot until I get there in a few days after standing up in a wedding, which means that the rest of this week will be dedicated to more DCP Wednesday posts, even if they're not actually on Wednesdays! There are a few things we still need to discuss before I start my program, so get ready for more Disney College Program as we count down the final days until I move to Walt Disney World!
Have a magical day!
