Category Archives: cast member life

an update on life and Disney and stuff!

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SO GUESS WHO’S LEAVING FOR DISNEY WORLD IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

YES. IT’S ME.

I haven’t been on Tumblr much lately because things have been going SO FAST. I got an email last Wednesday (was it only last Wednesday?!) about potential job openings and I contacted them immediately to say I was interested They called me the next day to offer me a position in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, in the Icon area attractions. This means I might work at the American Idol Experience, Muppet Vision 3D, Star Tours, Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, and….THE GREAT MOVIE RIDE!!!!!!!!

I worked at the Great Movie Ride back on my first college program in 2006, and I LOVED it. It’s a perfect fit for me, plus there’s a performance aspect…which means my degree in theatre won’t go to waste! I’m really hoping that that’s where I get placed, but in any case, it’s a GREAT pool of attractions. Plus I can cross-train! I DEFINITELY want to cross-train at Star Tours.

(My dad wants me to cross-train at Indiana Jones so that he can get picked for the audience participation thing.)

I started packing…well, actually, even before the phone call for the job offer. But I had to start packing not only what I need immediately, but packing up the rest of my belongings to prepare for when Hiccup comes down to join me. Because here’s the sucky part- I have to leave Hiccup in Nashville until I find an apartment. So that will break my heart a little bit.

But I’ve got all my paperwork done, I got my drug test done, and all the travel stuff is ready- I’m driving down with my dad. And then I’ll be staying with Vale for the time being while I get settled. I have my processing appointment on the morning of the 14th, and then I’ll go through Traditions (for the second time) and On With the Show (for the third time!).

I’m probably going to start a section of this blog where I talk about working at Disney and stuff like that, if people are interested. And answering questions about the Disney College Program, since I’ve done two.

I’m just SO relieved and excited to not only have a steady job, but I job that I know I’ll love and will be a good fit for me. And knowing that I already have friends in the area, so I’m not moving down blindly! That’s very reassuring.

It’s also exciting to know that this isn’t going to be a dead end job like teaching. I still plan on auditioning for performing roles, including stage shows. My ultimate dream is to someday be a character performer trainer, or even a casting director!

I’m just so excited to finally have a new start.

So does your email mean that you’ve definitely got a place at Disney? And if you enjoyed it so much why did you leave in the first place?

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Well, originally I left full time work because I was there as part of the Disney College Program. My intention was to go seasonal, finish out my last semester of college, graduate, get married, and then feel around our options to see if I could go back full time. But when I graduated, they took away my status as a college program representative, and when they did that…they accidentally took away my seasonal status. I didn’t even know until I called to schedule a shift.

I thought about applying to go back, but I ended up getting my seamstress job, and then my tutoring job, and then I *thought* that “oh, teaching is a real job, I should just work really hard until they give me a teaching job.”

And I got it, and y’all know how well that turned out.

BUT NOW I’M GOING BACK TO DISNEY AND I’M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!

Hey Caitlin :) I’m highly interested in the Disney college program but there’s a problem. I live in the UK so I’m confused about the whole thing. Is it really hard to get in? How much would you say it costs all together? Do you HAVE to be an actress?

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I LOVE DISNEY COLLEGE PROGRAM QUESTIONS!! 😀

#1: It’s really just a matter of what they’re looking for at the time that you apply. You put in an application and do an interview, and that’s that. There are some specific things they look for in an “ideal cast member,” so to speak, but really, it depends on what positions are open and what they need to fill.

#2: Um…I don’t know! You get paid- not terribly much, but your expenses are covered. Plus you can use the bus service instead of your own car.

#3: Absolutely not! 😀

Hey! I know you’re probably getting sick of all the Disney CollegeProgram questions, but I’m going to be doing the phone interview nextweek and I don’t know anybody who’s done the program :) Do you have anytips? Pretty much from what I’ve seen, I have to smile a lot..

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Yes! Definitely smile a lot. And speak as clearly as you can. You’ll be nervous, but try. 🙂

And if you know what job you want, don’t be afraid to tell them. Disney job placement is kind of a crapshoot, and if you don’t know what you want, you’ll probably end up merchandise or quick service, and if that’s not what you want, you’ll be sad. So don’t be afraid to speak up! Tell them you want Magic Kingdom attractions, or Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique, or whatever, and if you can, tell them why.

But yeah! Good luck, Disney anon! May pixie dust shower down upon you! 😀

If you made a DCP tumblr, I would totally follow it. And ask lots ofobnoxious questions, like "OH DEAR GOD, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO ASK MEABOUT?" The only thing I remember anyone telling me about the phoneinterview is to make sure you smile, because Disney can *hear* yoursmile. Also, never say you want Quick-service, or you will 100% end upbeing Quick-service.

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So yeah…me and my friend Tara and my sister Lindsay are all former CPs.

I think we need to start a blog where we can answer all Disney College Program related questions and stuff. And tell stories about our experiences. And it would be awesome.

But yeah! Smile during your interview, even if it’s just on the phone. And if they ask you where you want to work, tell them where and why you want to work there. For my first interview, the other girl interviewing was just like “oh, yeah, I’ll work anywhere, I guess…” and I said “I want to work the Great Movie Ride,” and then told the recruiter the story about my first time riding it as a little girl.

I got GMR. The other girl got quick service at Port Orleans.

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Listening to the Fantasmic! soundtrack makes me homesick

I miss the smell of the pyro and the spray of the water when you sit too close and the noise and counting how many torches on the canoes actually lit up during that show and waving when the riverboat goes by.

*sigh*

sooo…i know you worked at Disney…was it the internship programjammy or did you just happen to live in Orlando and had an awesome jobat Disney? because i noticed the college program thingy and am curiousto know everything i can about it… if you could be of any help,that’d be lovely. <3

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It was the Disney College Program! I did two internships, and I was a representative for the program. SO I CAN ANSWER LIKE ALL YOUR QUESTIONS.

You can work at either WDW in Florida or DL in California, but trust me, you want to do WDW. So much better. And you can work anywhere on property- rides, stores, restaurants, resorts, performing, anything. It’s a paid internship; it’s minimum wage, but still. Paid!

They have apartment complexes specifically for CPs (you can have one to seven roommates) and a bus system that takes you everywhere on property as well as Walmart, the mall, etc.

You can also take classes that, for some schools, will transfer as credit. And some schools give you internship credit too.

The program is really, really fun, and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to take a semester off but do something that will look super awesome on a resume.

I worked my first CP in the spring of 2006 as a Tour Guide on the Great Movie Ride, and my second in the summer of 2009 at Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, High School Musical 3: School’s Out! Pep Rally, Fantasmic! and the Pixar Block Party Bash parade. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is totally my jam.

And as a CP CM you get all sorts of perks and discounts. Suddenly everyone will want to be your best friend…

And also, when you work parade and have to pull up the tape afterwards, you can make really cool Mickey-shaped tape balls. So that’s a perk.

I have a question in regards to you working at Disney World, did youwork there or did you do the college internship? Either way would yourecommend working there? I’m thinking about applying for the paidinternship because it seems like it would be a lot of fun. Thanks!

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In the span of four years, I worked two college programs and was a campus representative for the Disney CP, and I LOVED it!

I was Attractions at Disney-MGM/Disney’s Hollywood Studios both times. In the spring of 2006, I was a tour guide on the Great Movie Ride, and in the summer of 2009, I worked at Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, Fantasmic!, Pixar’s Block Party Bash, and High School Musical 3: School’s Out! Pep Rally.

I highly recommend doing in the program. It’s very intense, but so much fun. AND YOU CAN GO TO THE PARKS WHENEVER YOU’RE NOT WORKING WHICH IS TOTALLY AWESOME. My younger sister also just finished her first program; she was in Epcot Attractions as one of the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure cast members and she loved it. You can work anywhere in the parks or resorts, and it’s pretty amazing.

DO IT. DO IIIT. Or at least apply. If you get accepted and decide against or can’t do it, you can decline and they won’t hold it against you if you ever apply again.

So this is the short version of my answer!! I’d be happy to post up more stuff about the Disney College Program if you or anyone else has more questions! Because seriously…it’s amazing.

ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY GREAT MOVIE RIDE, HOME OF POTHEAD THE MUNCHKIN AND THE NUDE DANCER OF THE MONTH AWARD AND THE MARQUEE NEWSLETTER AND FOUR GHOSTS I AM NOT EVEN KIDDING YOU.