*ALL VIEWS ARE MY OWN AND NOT OF THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY, CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY OR YUMMY JOBS*
Hey there, pals!
It has been a hot minute (literally, the weather here in the UK has been GORGEOUS!) since I last posted, but I've been super busy getting the last little bits and pieces ready before I fly off to America. I have successfully secured my visa and am almost ready to pack for my adventure. I cannot believe that I now fly out to Florida in less than a week! In honour of my adventure, I thought I would run along with the traditional Disney program trends by doing the Disney College Program tag, with a twist.
If you're unfamiliar with this trend, there are a list of questions all about the Disney programs before I actually experience the program for myself. It should hopefully give you guys a better insight as to why I am doing my Disney Academic Exchange Program (DAEP). So, without any further or do, let's get right into my DAEP tag!
How did you hear about the program?
I first heard about internationals working at the Walt Disney World Resort when I first went to Florida in 2016. It was honestly one of the most magical holidays I've ever been on with my family. In my head at the time, I thought 'I wish that I could work here...' We were at the front of the line for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride at Magic Kingdom where the Cast Member was from a town not too far away from my hometown! We began chatting about how they were out at the Walt Disney World Resort and they said that they were able to work at Disney through studying at university. And, this pretty much kicked off my university career because I never had any intention of going to university until I met this Cast Member!
It wasn't until my first semester of my second year at university when I found out about the Disney Academic Exchange Program (DAEP)! The UK partners of Disney who run the international programs, Yummy Jobs, came to my university to explain everything about the program, and I knew that the DAEP was perfect for my placement year!
How was the interview process?
All in all, my interview process pretty smooth and some what not as difficult as I thought it would be. Finding out my outcome was very speedy too! I started off with a pre-screen interview with Yummy Jobs and then progressed onto a final interview with some Disney recruiters and a professor from Central Michigan University (CMU) at the headquarters in Hammersmith. If you would like to read the full stories of my interviews, make sure to check out the posts that I've written!
Where were you when you found out you'd been accepted onto the DAEP?
I'm sure I've already mentioned this in a previous post, but I will happily mention it again. It was a cold November's evening and I was watching the Chase in my living room/kitchen area of my university accommodation when I got the email to say that I had been officially accepted on to the DAEP. I'm pretty sure I called my family straight away or the following day because I was in so much shock and disbelief!
What are your role(s)?
So, I do know the roles that I will be partaking in while on the program! *drumroll*
I will be working as a Merchandise Hostess at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and Attraction Operations Hostess. I was in total disbelief with my location for Merchandise! Sadly, I do not know my Attraction Operations location. When I do, I'll be sure to let you guys know too 😉
How many roommates do you want to live with?
Ideally, I would like between four to six roommates, including myself, in an apartment. I quite like having a sociable atmosphere in an apartment. Understandably, there will be difficult times during my program, especially where I'll be in an unfamiliar setting. And so, it'll be nice to be chat with someone else who is somewhat going through the same things that you are or even just to hang out with! At the same time, as everyone in the apartment will have such busy schedules, I would also have some time for peace, quiet and time to myself, which sometimes is needed with me...
Have you found anyone who's going on the program? If so, how?
We've got an entire group chat going on Facebook with everyone who's participating in the DAEP at the same time as me! This has been awesome because every participant can get excited about the program together!! In fact, I've even found another participant who is travelling on the same flight as me! So, it's nice to be able to get to know them a little bit before I actually meet them in person.
What's your favourite Disney park?
Okay, I've never actually been to Hollywood Studios, so that's out of the question - don't come for me aha I will visit Hollywood Studios during my program...
It's a controversial opinion but it's between Animal Kingdom and Epcot for my favourite theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. First of all, Expedition Everest and Test Track are my favourite rides at present. That's a statement to start off, but that could all change after completing my program. Also, both Animal Kingdom and Epcot are beautifully themed, which I love the feeling of being immersed into a different world.
What's the first thing you want to do when you arrive?
Sleep... hahaha I will be super jet-lagged, but I know there will be no time for rest anytime soon after I land with a mind still on the UK timezone...
What is number 1 on your bucket list?
Oh my goodness, my bucket list is full of things that I really really like really really want to do during my 12 months at the Walt Disney World Resort. How am I supposed to pick one thing to complete above anything else? A few highly ranked ones on my bucket list are definitely the four parks in one day challenge, taking a ton of pictures at the Instagram walls and visiting the Universal theme parks, especially to ride the new Hagrid ride, which looks sick. But in all honesty, I'm looking forward to seeing how much of my bucket list I can complete.
What is the one thing you hope to take away from the program?
I'm going to keep it short and sweet, and just say to myself "Live every moment..." Whether it's a good feeling or a bad feeling, I'm going to embrace it because I'll never have these moments on the DAEP ever again.
I hope you all enjoyed reading my post. I'm so excited to share my journey as a participant on the DAEP and I hope you all are too! Make sure you stay tooned for some unbelEARvable Disney adventure stories, as there are bound to be some surprises along the way!
Have a magical day!
-Hannah
DISCLAIMER: this blog is my personal experience on the Disney Academic Exchange Program and in no way reflects everyone's experience! Other programs and future participants on the DAEP may have slight adjustments which may not be reflected in my posts. That being said, if you do leave any questions, I will try to answer them as best I can or cover topics in blogposts :)
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