Wednesday, March 17, 2010

I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!

Less than 24 hours ago I found out that I was accepted to the Disney College Program as an intern at Walt Disney World in Florida. I was accepted to the Fall 2010 program which means that I will leave in August and come home in January 2011. I will be working in the Quick Food and Beverage Service areas and could be in any of the different resorts. I will find out exactly where and what I will be doing when I get there. I am so excited because I have been dreaming about this opportunity since I was a sophomore in high school!

The process of becoming an intern was a long one. Like I already mentioned, I have been planning this since high school 5 years ago!! I have always loved Disney and felt that it was somewhere that I wanted to be. My process really took off last semester when I wondered into a Disney College Presentation on campus. I was in awe sitting there and I had this overwhelming since that I was going to be one of the interns someday that were in the video they showed us. I learned a lot about what to expect from the program, what they offer in terms of pay, networking opportunities with Disney CEOs and ways in which the program will help me to grow and someday reach my career goals. I soaked up information like a sponge last semester and I left that program knowing this was something I NEEDED to do for me and no one else. And I decided right then that I wasn't going to let anything stand between me and that goal.

My actual Disney Journey began on March 2, 2010 when I attended my second Disney College program Presentation on campus. Once again, I knew this was where I needed to be. After the presentation I "raced" home to fill out my application knowing that positions were limited. There were three parts to the application that took me over an hour to complete. First, I had to decide which roles (or jobs) I would be interested in doing. Second, fill out the application form itself which had all your basic questions on it. And third, I had to complete an online interview. This was the part that had me the most worried. After attending the presentation, I knew that the questions would time-out after 20 - 50 seconds depending on the type of question being asked. I also knew that upon completing the online interview I would know right away if my application was terminated or if I moved on to the next phase, which was the phone interview. Needless to say, I moved on in the process!!

My phone interview was scheduled for March 5, 2010, at 9:30pm. I was so nervous, I had no idea what to expect! This may sound funny, but in order to get in the right mindset I decided it was best to dress professionally, as if we were meeting face-to-face. I even decided to wear a Mickey Mouse sticker I got at the presentation for luck! (Couldn't hurt, right? See picture!) This seemed to calm my nerves a little bit. I knew that I needed to be somewhere quiet so I decided to move my computer chair into my parents’ bathroom, I then closed that door and their bedroom door so the dogs could not get in and cause a distraction. Ten minutes before the interview I was sitting all dressed up in the bathroom, using the counter as my table. I had papers everywhere that included the printed out version of my application, questions to ask the interviewer and a notebook to write down notes or key points of interest as we were talking. I even had a bottle of water just in case I needed it! However the most important thing in front of me at that time was the sign I taped to the mirror saying "I am the one for the job!" When I started to get worried or lacking confidence it was to that sign I looked to reassure me that this was what I wanted to do and knew I was able to make happen. A typical interview is only suppose to last 20 - 25 minutes, mine however went for 45 minutes! The interviewer kept complimenting me on my communication skills, preparedness and well thought of questions. I hung up feeling as if I were on top of the world. I knew I would hear either way from Disney within 3 - 6 weeks.


However, after a few days the reality sunk in and I had to face the fact that I might not be accepted. And believe it or not, that was the mindset I was in yesterday afternoon when I saw the email in my inbox. To be honest, I panicked, it has only been a week and a half! I knew I shouldn't be hearing from them yet! I felt my world come crashing down around me as I started reading. BUT, that feeling soon sky-rocketed as I learned that I was chosen as a participant! I called my parents, my grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins and friends to share the news. I put it on Facebook within minutes of finding out! The support I have gotten from everyone has been wonderful! I want to share this journey with you, too. So join me as I prepare to make my dreams and the dreams of many others come true. Come along as I embark on my own Disney Adventure!

2 comments:

  1. So exciting! I know Katie had an overall good experience when she did an internship at Epcot back in '06. We'll miss you in Primary!!

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  2. can't believe it's been 3 years.........

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