Disney Story: Part One

It's a long story. I thought I'd post up here the personal journal I'd kept during the whole Disney thing while I was keeping it a secret from everyone. It's really long so I'm gonna post it in sections. I don't know if anybody would be interested, really, but just in case.... :) Don't worry, it's not that personal.

March 12, 2009 About 3pm

I figured since I’m not putting anything on my blog about this yet, that I’d go ahead and document it, since there’s a slight chance something big might come of it. If I get into the program, then I may post this on my blog for all to see. If I’m rejected… well, I’ll probably print this off, delete it from my computer, and burn the remains after ripping them up crying. Okay, so I won’t be quite that upset but I will be pretty bummed if I don’t get in. Now, I’ll explain what the heck I’m talking about.

Several months ago, I was reading a book in the bookstore by Randy Pausch called The Last Lecture. For the record, I never finished the book (since technically I’m not supposed to read while on the job) but I highly recommend it. It was on bestsellers for a long time, definitely for a reason. Anyway, in his book, he wrote about doing some program with Disney. He said it was his goal to become a Disney Imagineer and that he loved it. Well, I became curious what a Disney Imagineer was, and promptly went to the website to learn about it. I found out there was no chance. But I did find something else while looking at the Disney website, called the Disney College Program. I read about it for a while, decided that it was some program for Disney College and I didn’t go there, and I ignored it. No big deal. I didn’t have a chance to work at Disney. I never thought that I did, so I just ignored it all.

After coming back out to college for my sophomore year, however, I was forced (okay, it’s required for my major) to take Comm 100. This class is basically a career booster class where they let you know about different career paths you can go down in Communications. I saw on the syllabus that we’d be having a “Disney Day” where someone came from Disney and talked to us about working there. Again, I figured no big deal, I’ll never get in. I’m not gonna worry about it.

Skip forward. March 5, 2009. Exactly one week ago today. I was talking to my roommate Dawn about it. She mentioned that she actually did the Disney College Program!

You can DO that!? I exclaimed back at her.

Apparently so. I asked her all kinds of questions about it and she quickly had me jumping up and down in excitement. And this explains why my last week has been a blur.

I went to their website, www.disneycollegeprogram.com, and researched the program for hours. I found that I could get a job there. I’d be paid around 7 or 8 bucks an hour, pay around $85/week for housing, and have to buy my own food. I saw that the apartment included pretty much everything (silverware, dishes, furniture, etc.) and the opportunity just looked better and better everywhere I looked. I found discussion boards and websites, news releases and more on the program. I couldn’t stop searching and was neglecting my schoolwork just to day dream about going there. It was pathetic.

Okay, I’ll be honest. It is pathetic. Yesterday I went to the informational session that’s required to apply. Immediately after, I filled out the application and called the number to set up an interview. I will be interviewing tonight and have been looking up interview questions all day.

Well, actually, today’s been really productive. While I can’t get the program off my mind I actually have gotten some work done today. I woke up at 6:30am and had a class at 7. It was Comm 100 and they were doing another Disney presentation. Not a great way to start a potentially productive day. But anyway, I got out of that class at 8 and came home to study for an exam. I studied a little over an hour and then went to take it. Needless to say I didn’t do so hot on the exam. I’m just grateful I didn’t fail. I got home from that and began working on a paper that’s due tomorrow. Then I went to my second class and wrote a group paper with some friends. After that I got home, grabbed some lunch, and then took off for a meeting with another teacher. I got home after 2 and took a shower and got ready for the day which had pretty much already happened. The only thing I have left is to go to the store, finish my paper, and then interview for Disney.

The interview is at 9 tonight and then, about three weeks from today, I will find out how I did. I know I’m writing this to no one in particular right now… but please, wish me luck!

While I’m on the subject, however, I do have a funny story to share. You see, I’ve been obsessing over this program for the past week. So for a while, that's all I can talk to my roommate about. I think I've been annoying her, actually. Haha. Except she has an obsession of her own so we've just been bouncing back and forth between talking about our obsessions. It was great!

We finally decided we needed to distract ourselves. Well, I asked her to distract me. So she came up with a game where we come up with as many words as we can the begin with (seriously, why did she have to pick this letter!?) ‘D.’ After a while, I made her change the letter to ‘z’ for obvious reasons.

Also, for my group paper, I've been obsessing. When the guy in our group mentioned something about the "mouse" for the computer I about went crazy.

Anyway, I’ve hardly slept this week. I’ve been nervous. I’ve been worried. I can’t concentrate. All I’ve thought about has been Disney and Mickey Mouse. Ah well. Good luck to me.