A Reflection: The Two Faces of Disney Facebook Pages

Disney Facebook pages have two faces.  One can give you a lot of help and the other can cause you a lot of trouble. It depends on what you make of it. Let's talk about using the Facebook pages to the best of your advantage in the most appropriate way possible. Find out which Facebook Reflection will show who you are inside!




First, to find a Facebook page/group, just search for Disney College Program. There are groups for different arrival dates, different roles, and other miscellaneous categories (such as runners, age groups, party groups, etc.) For example, the groups I joined are "Disney College Program Fall/Fall Advantage," "Disney College Program Fall/Fall Advantage Attractions Role," and "Disney College Program Fall/Fall Advantage August 11th Arrival."

Relevant and Positive Uses of DCP Facebook

1) SHARING A TENT WITH OTHER SOLDIERS: The groups are wonderful for connecting with people, particularly for finding roommates. Many CPs post roommate surveys they filled out in the hopes of someone contacting them. I posted my survey, but also looked around at other peoples' surveys to see what kind of people were out there. I highly encourage searching for other people instead of only waiting for someone to find you. Do both  - you'll likely see more results. Don't be too hasty in a decision either - make sure you review the surveys of ALL the people who you could be living with. For example, one girl contacted me asking to live with her and two other people, so I made sure to ask for ALL of their surveys in order to make sure I would mesh well with everyone. After finding those roommates, we've been talking in Facebook messenger to get to know each other and discuss other plans.


2) THEY'LL MAKE A DISNEY MAN OUT OF YOU: If you have any questions or need more information about the program, the facebook groups are perfect for that. You can post a question and someone will answer within minutes. You can also just look at questions other people post and follow them until answers come up. Although I never posted a question and didn't think of any on my own, someone would post a question that I found useful to myself as well, even though I didn't think of it myself. Even if you don't think you have any questions, the DCP groups are still a good resource. Many alumni are on the pages as well and will answer questions which is wonderful since they've already had experience on the program! I found out a lot of information about classes and different roles through the pages as well as the ups and downs of being a cast member (side note: the ups still seem to outweigh the downs). They even talk about things that you can get termed for before the program even starts - you'd be amazed at the possibilities.

3) BRINGING HONOR TO US ALL: CPs LOVE to post Disney things on the page. If you're looking for a pick-me-up, everyone posts tons of Disney links - Tumblr links, blog links, pictures, meems, hidden perks of being a cast member, disney metaphors and analogies, movie and theme park references, you name it. Imagine the Facebook page of a Disney fan then multiply by 85932849302829348 to the power of infinity. It still won't come close to the overdose of Disney on DCP pages and groups. Among my friends at home and work, I am known as THE disney fan. My nick name in high school was Disney Lady. On the Facebook pages, I'm now part of the "norm." It's an interesting feeling to have, and you get used to it.

4) THEY POPPED OUT OF THE SNOW - LIKE DAISIES: CPs post fun questions like "What was your favorite Disney Channel Original Movie?" and "What's your favorite attraction/restaurant?" These can be a lot of fun to take part in and they're harmless - you're not revealing personal information to strangers, just some "personality information." These questions are sure to pop on to you newsfeed out of nowhere - have some fun with them!

Irrelevant and Somewhat Inappropriate Uses of Facebook Groups

1) BE TRUE TO YOUR HEART: Some people go onto the Facebook pages and try to make best friends with everyone. Chances are, you won' be best friends with everyone. It's great to put yourself out there, but sometimes it's overdone. Think about orientation in college - how many people did you meet that you thought you would be best friends with and then never spoke to again? You can compare the DCP Facebook pages to orientation - maybe you'll run into these cast members again, maybe you won't, maybe you'll be best friends, maybe you'll never see each other. Personally, I like to try my luck in person with finding "best friends" rather than trying to find them through the Facebook pages. Definitely put yourself out there and talk to people, but make sure your expectations are realistic.

2) NOW ALL OF CHINA DISNEY KNOWS YOU ARE HERE: Many people post about partying and underage drinking. I tend to avoid those pages. CPs talk ask for advice about how to avoid getting caught with alcohol. Be really careful about this, as you should be with ANYTHING you post on your Facebook. Don't write anything illegal, don't write anything you wouldn't want your parents to see, don't write anything you wouldn't want future employers to see. After all, Disney is your future employer and you never know what Disney monitors - they don't have a great reputation without working for it and they certainly won't let it be ruined by cast members!


3) DEFINITELY NOT A GIRL WORTH FIGHTING FOR: Many people in the groups get into debates about religion, race, and politics. These are not worth getting involved in. Most of them will end up with no result and no conclusion and will just leave people angry and annoyed, particularly the people who want to avoid that drama but it pops up on their newsfeed anyway. Ignore these controversial posts to the best of your ability. Public online arguments are unprofessional and can be viewed as tacky and immature. You may read something that gets under your skin, but just walk away. You're better off.

4) THE FLOWER THAT BLOOMS MORE ADVERSITY IS NOT RARE AND BEAUTIFUL AT ALL: One of the worst parts about the DCP Facebook pages is that it ensues drama before CPs even arrive in Disney World. It is amazing how much trouble people cause online before even really meeting anyone. Just do your best to stay out of it. Don't give into the "DCP Gossip Girl" twitter and anything else that is just asking for you to be termed.


Well, there you have it. The advantages of DCP Facebook pages, and the things you should be careful of!

Kim Possible - A Sitch in Time: Are we there yet?!

The only thing nearly as difficult as waiting for an acceptance into the Disney College Program is waiting for the Disney College Program! Is it here yet?! Is it time to go?! I am SO excited to start the program that it's all I can think, talk, and dream about! It has consumed my mind and waiting for my August 11th arrival date is rough!

I realized it's important to find ways to pass the time until the program, but also keep my excitement of going! Here are a few ways to make eternity fill like just A SITCH IN TIME.

CALL ME, BEEP ME, IF YOU WANT TO REACH ME - Find out if your school has any other students going to the program. Many schools will have the Disney Campus-rep reach out to those who were accepted into the program. Find out if there are any meet and greets where you can talk Disney and share your excitement with others!

WHAT'S THE SITCH? - Find out all you can about the specifics of the program. What is it like to be a cast member? What educational opportunities are there? What is the housing like? What should you pack? Learn about cast member perks and things you can do in Florida. Join all the facebook groups. Start looking for roommates!!!!! This is a great way to educate yourself about the program, prepare for your arrival, AND pass the time.

BOO-YAH! - Make a Disney bucket list! Put as many items as you want on it. Write down all the things you want to do while you're in Disney. This is a once in a life time opportunity and you're going to want to do everything you could think up! Look up different Disney activities and SNACKAGE! A bucket list will help you keep track of all that and create an awesome and fun challenge for yourself!




DANGER OR TROUBLE I'M THERE ON THE DOUBLE - Whether it be cheerleading, homework, or saving the world, we all have a lot of things on our plates! Focus on all your tasks at hand. I currently work a full-time job and putting my energy into that makes time pass a bit more quickly. It will also help that I was dedicated to my work up until my resignation day, so there's really only benefit to working hard and staying focused until Disney. Concentrate on your classes, clubs/intramurals, jobs, internships, social life, whatever it is that gives you something to do other than wait for Disney!



BEST-FRIEND-FUDGE - Spread the word that you're doing the program! Tell all your friends and family, post it on facebook, twitter, etc. Everyone else's excitement for you will distract you from your own anticipation! You can even make a game out of it. My siblings and a few friends made a bet on how many "likes" I would get on my status about my acceptance into the program. It was a ton of fun and it got other people involved in my journey to the program! Below is a picture of the status I posted. My brother ended up winning at a guess of 73 likes! The final total was 80.

These are just a few things to keep you busy, but I'll keep posting any other ideas!

Someday My Acceptance Will Come: The Waiting Game

ONCE UPON A TIME I was told during my phone interview that I would hear back about a decision regarding the Disney College Program in 2-3 weeks. I checked my e-mail the next morning (as if I was really going to hear back in less than 12 hours). Then I consistently checked my e-mail for a response every day about six times a day. Disney was all I could think about. I was merely WISHING for the acceptance letter to FIND ME TODAY! It was all I could talk about - my family and friends were probably sick of hearing about it after the first day. To pass the time, I consumed myself with my job and just WHISTLED WHILE I WORKED and HUMMED A MERRY TUNE.

After what seemed like an eternity of SLEEPING DEATH, I finally received an e-mail on March 13th, 2014 in my inbox which read "Congratulations!" in the title. My unrequited love was now requited! Disney, my true love, finally found me - I was accepted into the Disney College Program for Fall 2014! The e-mail issued instructions for logging onto my "dashboard" account which would tell me what my role was and any other necessary information. Although the e-mail addressed me by my last name instead of my first name, it didn't matter - Disney could call me whatever they want! After logging on and reading my acceptance letter, I found out the role I received was Attractions -  my first preference! HEIGH HO, HEIGH HO, it's off to the parks I go! I called anyone and everyone to share the good news. I would be resigning from my full-time professional position to fulfill a life long fantasy of becoming a Disney cast member and living HAPPILY EVER AFTER in Walt Disney World for five magical months!

Under the Sea - Voyage to Disney: Phone Interview

The Phone Interview. Now this was something I knew I could do. If there were any two things in the world I could talk about it was myself and Disney. I was not going to be a POOR UNFORTUNATE SOUL due to a bad interview. I scheduled my phone interview for March 4^th, 2014 at 9:45p.m. I did a bit of research for the phone interview and preparation. I looked at the information on the Disney college website and had some notes on my computer for during my interview. I gave Disney my office phone number to call.

Disney said to be ready for my interview 15 minutes early, and so I was. I wore a pink Minnie Mouse shirt to get me in the Disney mood and kept a bottle of water on the desk. To calm my nerves a bit, I played Disney Pandora before my phone call. I was told they usually call any time 15 minutes before or after the interview time. At about 9:55 I got the call! A woman introduced herself as Renee from Disney recruiting and asked if this was still a good time for the interview to which I responded “Of course!” Renee was very pleasant and made me feel comfortable for my phone interview. Instead of feeling like a GUPPY I felt like a shark, ready to answer with as much enthusiasm as I could muster! No COLD FINS here!

Renee asked questions about my work experience, role preferences, different work environment and conditions, crisis and emergency management, working in a team, handling money, and of course why I wanted to participate in the program. I’m not going to write any specific questions in order to protect Disney’s interview process. I will, however, share my answer for why I wanted to work in the program. This was basically my response: I've grappled with whether or not to apply for the program for a long time because I was concerned that working for Disney would ruin the magic I've always believed in. Then I realized that a lot of people think that Disney is an escape from reality, but in actuality, it is reality at its finest. It isn't the films or the rides or the characters that make Disney magical. It's the people behind the scenes creating them that make Disney magical. I believe in magic, but I believe it needs to be made. I want to be a part of a company that has created so much magic internationally. I want to be the reason that people be
lieve in magic. I've tried to bring some Disney fairy dust to other places that I've worked in but I know in my heart that I truly want to immerse myself in an environment where everyone is doing that!

At the end of the interview, I had the opportunity to ask Renee a few questions. I mostly asked about her experience with the program because any other questions I could find an answer to online. She spoke very passionately about her experience working for Disney and I really appreciated her taking the time to share her experience with me. After my questions, we thanked each other and that was the end of the interview! It wasn’t anything like SEBASTIAN’S experience with CHEF LOUIS – I didn’t feel grilled or roasted in anyway! I received a follow up e-mail the next day thanking me for my phone interview (which accidentally addressed me by my last name instead of my first name). I instantly grew impatient about finding out whether or not I was accepted. All I wanted was to be PART OF THAT WORLD!

One Last Hope: Disney College Program Application Number Two

February of 2014 came around. After a year I saw signs about the Disney College Program, heard stories from students at the school I worked at, and received ads on facebook about the program. Every time something came up, a felt a small pang of remorse in my heart. I decided not to give up because GIVING UP IS FOR ROOKIES!



I re-applied for the program on a whim. At first I really just wanted to see whether or not I could pass the Web Based Interview. I filled out the application on February 27^th and received another e-mail to complete the web based interview the next day. Well – I passed it! I was offered a phone interview. After being notified that I passed, the tears poured out of my eyes. There are very few things in the world that make me cry, so I knew this was no longer about finding out whether or not Disney loved me back. I decided I was really going to try to GO THE DISTANCE and become a Disney Cast Member! This was my big chance to go from ZERO TO HERO! I was not going to mess up my ONE LAST HOPE!

Frozen By Disney: The First Application

I applied for Disney in February of 2013. After completing the initial application with all my information and work experience, I received an e-mail the next day with an invitation to complete the Web Based Interview. I completed the web-based interview and was mortified to see “You are not a good fit for Disney.” My dream was frozen in time. How could I not be a good fit for Disney? My life was pretty much all about Disney! My MENTAL SYNCHRONIZATION with Disney made me think that there was ONE EXPLANATION – WE WERE MEANT TO BE. I guess I was wrong. I was willing to give up a full-time professional position to work a college internship in order to fulfill a dream, and Disney was telling me I wasn’t the right fit. This was the start of my unrequited love for Disney. *Spoiler Alert* I felt like Princess Anna when Hans told her he was never actually in love with her. I could have really used a warm hug from Olaf after this.

After being dismissed from the rest of the application program, I wrote a letter to Disney in the midst of my heart-break. I never sent it. I don’t think I ever intended to send it. Basically it consisted of my thoughts on how it was decided who was and wasn’t a Disney FIXER-UPPER. I also wrote that the rejection did not hinder my love for Disney and everything it has given to me growing up. I wrote the letter more for myself than anything, knowing that it wasn’t actually Disney’s fault I did not get accepted. Maybe it was fate. Maybe I wasn’t meant to work for the company. Maybe someone knew it would shatter my glass house of fantasy. At that point, I just decided to LET IT GO. I could pretend like it NEVER BOTHERED ME ANYWAY.

Down the Rabbit Hole: My Decision to Apply to the Disney College Program

Every Disney fan has played with the thought of working at Disney World. I always wondered what it would be like to work for that WONDERLAND we call Disney World and I debated for a long time whether or not to apply for the Disney College Program. I was concerned that working for Disney or even having a Disney application rejected would be like throwing stones in the glass building of fantasy, imagination, magic, and youth that I’ve lived in my whole life.  After visiting Disney and seeing all the wonderful opportunities cast members have, and hearing from friends and co-workers about their unforgettable Disney College program experience, my consideration of the Disney College Program increased – I became CURIOSER and CURIOSER.

At this point in my life, I already completed my bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University in 2012 and was currently pursuing a master’s degree in higher education administration part-time in Stony Brook University’s online program. I had also already started working full-time as a Residence Hall Director at SUNY Cortland, a job that I worked very hard for. I was quickly running out of opportunities to work for Disney and the risk of leaving my current professional field was growing. Finally my eagerness and excitement was CONTRARY-WISE to my fear of taking a risk for something I love. I fell, well more like jumped into the Disney College Program RABBIT HOLE. I looked at the application and READ THE RIGHT DIRECTIONS AND DIRECTLY I WAS DIRECTED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.