Picture of the Week 12/22/13 & 35 Days!

This week's photo is of me from a trip to Blizzard Beach (I'm assuming in the 90's judging by the tie-dye dress.)

Applications should be coming out in about 35 days! :)

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What is the Disney College Program?

I made a post a few weeks back about Frequently Asked Questions about the Disney College Program, but with application day getting closer I thought I'd make another post just saying what the program is. 

The DCP (Disney College Program) is actually kind of difficult to describe to someone who doesn't know what it is. If you're still confused after reading this post I would suggest checking out the official DCP website (disneycollegeprogram.com). 

The DCP website describes the program as:
"The incredible opportunity to advance [their] strengths and interests, meet guests and cast members from around the country and take part in educational opportunities students can't get anywhere else. This truly unique program allows participants to network with leaders, take part in personal and career development classes, and build transferable skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, guest service and effective communication."

Disney markets the program as having three main components: Living, earning, and learning. For most participants, this means living right outside of Disney property in Disney sponsored housing, working full time at any number of locations on Disney property, and taking classes (or attending lectures, volunteering, completing on the job training, etc).

 I say for most participants because there are always a couple of exceptions. Students who live in the Orlando area, or who wish to live with roommates in their own apartments do not have to live in Disney housing. Disney also offers housing for married students, but I'm not quite sure how that works, I assume it is in the same apartment complexes and those students just live with their spouses rather than with roommates. Participants who live in Disney housing can have 1 to 7 roommates, and may be placed in any of the 4 apartment complexes: Vista Way, Chatham, Patterson, or the Commons. Each has its pros and cons, and are priced according to how new they are and how many roommates live there. Rent comes out of your paycheck automatically, so you never have to worry about putting money aside for it. For right now, I am thinking that I want to live in Vista Way because it is the cheapest option, and I'm not planning on spending too much time in the apartment anyways. 

The learning aspect of the program also varies from person to person. For many students, the learning portion would come with taking classes through the program. Disney offers classes in a variety of fields that can often be completed for college credit for students to take during the program. A major perk of the Disney classes is that there are no tuition and fees, so the only real expense for the classes is textbooks, which usually do not go over $30. Disney also makes sure that work schedules and school schedules coincide well with each other, meaning that participants are guaranteed days off on the days when they have class. The learning aspect varies however, because not everyone participates in these classes. The DCP in Anaheim requires that students fulfill the education component, whereas it is optional for the Orlando program. I am still debating on whether or not I will take a class during my program. As I would be a college graduate, I will not need to take any classes to do the program, nor will I be able to receive any kind of credit for a class. There are some classes that interest me, particularly Marketing You, which is all about how to market yourself in your job search, and Disney Heritage, which is basically a history class on the Disney company, but since I do not need to take classes I am still weighing my options. 

Because the program is an internship, there are still learning opportunities for students who do not take classes. Disney's training program is widely recognized among employers as one of the best employee learning experiences out there, meaning that by completing Disney training, participants will stand out from others on the job market. There are also lectures and networking events that participants can attend, as well as volunteer opportunities, which Disney refers to as "VoluntEARs." 

The earning portion of the program comes, as you probably already know, with working for the company. The positions that the DCP offers are not necessarily the most highly sought after, however the program as a whole is extremely beneficial for one's resume. I am actually really looking forward to the earning part of the program, because it is very rare that an internship pays you, and guarantees that you'll have at least 30-40 hours/week. 

I think I've pretty much covered everything now. I'll go into some more detail about the different roles offered in another post, but for now I really just wanted to plainly explain what the program is. 

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Picture of the Week 12/8/13

This week's picture is from a 1999 Disney trip. (I've still never been on Tower of Terror, and I have no plans to in the future). 

54 days until applications come out! I'm wondering if I should apply on the first day or not. I know that the whole application process is done on a rolling basis, but I can't help over-thinking it. 

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Elsa & Anna: Disney Princess Line? & a Rant

Will Anna & Elsa become part of the Disney Princess collection? As of right now sources seem to suggest that it could go either way. It seems as though "Frozen" is doing very well, so any attempt at extra marketing for the characters would make sense, but at the same time the characters may be able to sell themselves without becoming part of the princess line. When Rapunzel and Merida became Disney princesses they had coronation ceremonies, and this just does not seem to go with the girls from Frozen. Technically, Rapunzel and Merida were already princesses and didn't really need to have coronation ceremonies, but this concept seems to work even less so with the characters from Frozen. Merida was supposed to have found a husband when she came of age, so perhaps that would have been her coronation ceremony right there if she did get married, so she just ended up having one regardless. In my opinion however, Merida's coronation was just a marketing scheme to show off the characters from the film and bring them to the parks. With the exception of the coronation ceremony she had and some products from the collection, Merida is more often seen on her own than with the rest of the Disney princesses. Rapunzel is similar to Merida in this sense. The two were already princesses, and didn't really require coronation ceremonies. One could argue that Rapunzel's may have been necessary because she didn't know she was a princess, but technically speaking the two were both already princesses. 

Anna and Elsa too then are already princesses, though I would say that the Disney princess theme was underplayed in the film. Elsa just had a coronation ceremony and became queen, so having another for her to become a Disney princess seems odd to me. Is she reverting? She was a princess for the past 20 years, (according to the Disney Wiki), so it seems strange to me that she became queen in her film, but would then me sort of meshed into the Disney Princess Collection. I guess technically Anna could become part of the collection, but it still seems sort of weird to me. Actually the whole press and culture surrounding the Disney Princess Collection is weird to me, can I vent about this for a minute?

Slightly off topic rant:
Lets discuss the term "Disney Princess." Prior to the late 1990's, this was a generic term referring to any female character from any Disney film, who in one way or another was a princess. Even though back then characters like Aurora, Snow White, and Cinderella, came to mind, there was no collective group called the "Disney Princesses." Before that time, the term literally meant a Disney character, who due to the story in the film, was a princess. In the late 1990's, Andy Mooney, who was the President of Disney Consumer Products at the time, developed a marketing strategy for the princesses. This is when the collection termed "Disney Princesses," first began to appear, and you started seeing all of the princesses together in soundtracks, lunchboxes, clothing, etc... Before this occurred, you would have likely seen one princess per product. What I'm basically getting at here, is that the Disney Princesses are just a huge MARKETING STRATEGY. It is often said that part of the inspiration for the collection was that Andy Mooney noticed lots of knock off Disney princess costumes on young girls, so he just wanted to package it better. So the whole point of terming them "Disney Princesses" and trademarking it and whatnot is to make money. Disney is a company, their marketing division makes things that sell. If Anna and Elsa (hypothetically) are not inducted into the Disney Princess line, do you know what that means for you? Probably nothing. Before Pocahontas was brought into the collection, you could still buy all the Pocahontas stuff you wanted. Just because she wasn't part of this marketing scheme doesn't mean that you missed out. A perfect example of this is Tinkerbell. Yes, she's been marketed much more in recent years due to the Fairies franchise, but even before that there was always tons of Tinkerbell merchandise. You could still buy all the frilly, girly, Tinkerbell stuff that you wanted without having to be consumed by the Disney Princess collection. What I'm getting at here is really plain and simple. Disney is a company. Companies like to make money. Producing a t-shirt with a bunch of princesses on it will sell. Selling = $$$. Sure, there are some promotional events specific to the Disney Princess line, but they're honestly not that great. There are some TV appearances, and soundtracks that probably would not have happened if the marketing strategy didn't lump them all together, but those are really geared towards children anyways. Finally getting to my point about this with Anna and Elsa-- I don't care at all if they're Disney princesses. Like seriously, I don't care one bit. It literally makes no difference, except that they can appear on merchandise with other princesses (staring off in a different direction of course, because they don't know that each other exist). I like Anna and Elsa now, and I will like them the same whether or not they become part of the collection. I guess I just don't understand why people get so worked up over what is really just a marketing strategy. 

On a similar note, do you know who's not part of the official Disney Princess collection (and in most cases no one cares)? 
* Vanellope von Schweetz: technically a princess (though she refers to herself as president), and not in the collection.
* Giselle: She is as princess-y as they come, but still not part of the collection. Perhaps it is because "Enchanted" was never branded as a princess movie, and it did not do as well as producers would have hoped, but it did have a decent following. 
* Kida: I'm not a huge fan of "Atlantis," but I know a good amount of people who are. Kida is technically a princess, but isn't part of the collection. Elsa's character was also slightly based off of her, so well, that's weird. 
* Eilonwy: I don't know, does "The Black Cauldron" just not count? 

The list could go on (even to include animals and products of sequels,) but it doesn't need to. I know people who like all of the above characters, and aren't crying over them not being part of the Disney princess collection. It is simply a marketing scheme that takes what is popular and sells it. 

My other gripe with the Disney princess stuff lately is the feminism (or lack thereof), that seems to drive people crazy. I will mention that I'm really not a feminist myself, but it seems ridiculous to me that people get so worked up over cartoons like this. Every now and then someone says something along the lines of, "Those 'Disney Princesses'... why can't they be better role models for young girls, they're always damsels in distress... they always try to find princes... they don't do anything for themselves... blah, blah, blah." To point out the obvious, most of the princesses are taken from fairy tales that were written hundreds of years ago when it was completely okay for women to be portrayed like this. Another point, that I think is obvious, but apparently other people don't seem to realize is, really, role models? I'm pretty sure when I was a little kid, my role models were my parents. I come from a very Disney loving family, and to say that these princess films were pushed on me as a child would be an understatement, but I don't think I ever looked at them as role models. I remember things I could relate to about some of them, like how Belle likes to read. But as a child I can't imagine them acting as bad role models unless your parents have some kind of influence in that same direction. If your daughter says "I want to be like Cinderella and wear big poofy dresses and marry a prince right now!" when she is five years old, I think it's your job as a parent to throw in some better role models, or even better things about Cinderella to offset this. You could tell them about how she was able to stand up for herself against her evil stepmother, or how what goes around comes around (ie: the evil step sisters don't get the prince, but Cinderella does). If you're worried about your child turning into a little Honey Boo Boo princessy brat, that is not the fault of a simple marketing scheme, that is your fault as a parent for allowing that to happen. 

I would say that 90% of the time, the princesses are as feminist as they can be given their time in history, and the fairy tales they're based off of. Disney has definitely heard the feminist cry though, and tried to correct this in recent films, though it is clearly sometimes difficult. Rapunzel, as much as she tries to take care of herself can't, not because she is a woman, but because she's been locked in a tower for her whole life. Her dependence on a man, Flynn Rider, is not because she is following an anti-feminist princess set up, it's because she's been locked up for the past 15 years and doesn't know where to go or how to interact in the outside world. I think the same can be said about Anna from "Frozen." I've already heard some complaints about her quickly falling in love with Hans after just meeting him. I think in one sense, Disney is kind of poking fun at the princess convention, but at the same time she's had no contact with the outside world for most of her life, so she doesn't have the social skills to know if she is in love or not. I also find it strange when there is clearly a strong attempt to make the princess more feminist friendly, and there is still backlash about it. Take "The Princess and the Frog" for instance. The complaints there make absolutely no sense to me. Tiana held more than one job, while working hard to save the money to buy her restaurant and make her own dreams come true. Yes, she marries a prince and becomes a princess in the end, but how else was she supposed to become human again? She still defies Naveen's spoiled personality throughout the whole film to let her more determined and hardworking personality show through. I haven't heard many feminist complaints about Merida, and I hope I never do, because well, she's pretty much the most feminist princess out there so that would make no sense to me. 

Okay, back on topic. Elsa and Anna... My personal opinion: Disney is testing the waters to see how they do being marketed on their own compared to how they thing they would do being marketed along with the other princesses. If they do better being marketed as part of "Frozen" rather than the princess collection, they will remain separate. If Disney's marketing committee thinks that they would sell more when combined in the collection, then that is what will happen. This is kind of a stretch, but remember when Disney got "Star Wars," and everyone was all antsy about whether or not Princess Leia would become a "Disney Princess" or not? She is a Disney princess, in the sense that she is a princess from a film franchise owned by the Disney company, but she is not part of the "Disney Princess" collection. My best guess would be that there would be more outrage than happiness if she was grouped with Belle and Cinderella, and her films have enough of a following and marketing strategy as it is that it wouldn't be worth it. I guess I just really don't understand what all the hoopla is about with the Disney princess stuff. Whenever a movie comes out that has princesses, it's one of the first topics that starts floating around, but it really doesn't make that much of a difference. For now, Disney has made no formal announcement about the fate of Elsa and Anna, thought the Wikipedia page for the film suggests that the two may become "Disney Princesses," whether that means part of the collection, or just the general term I'm not sure, and it's also Wikipedia so take it with a grain of salt. Call me crazy, but I don't care at all if the two characters are labeled "Disney Princesses" or not, I like the movie just the same. 

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Web Based Interview Tips/Timeline of Acceptance

I've recently received an email asking if I can go over some tips for the Web Based Interview, and what the timeline was like for the last time I was accepted. The Web Based Interview (WBI), from what I remember, took me about a half an hour. The email you receive inviting you to take the WBI suggests that you be somewhere with a strong internet connection, and somewhere quiet where you can concentrate. I chose to take my interview on my laptop in my school's dining hall. I guess my dorm room would have been the prime location to do this sort of thing, but I was worried about the connection in there, so I opted for the dining hall. I found a quiet table near the back corner so that no one would bother me, and I sat there by myself to take my interview. 

The questions, in my opinion, were not that difficult. I know that lots of people who applied for this coming Spring program were denied after the WBI, and I would guess that this is just because the program has likely become more competitive. If you could get in with 5 answers they didn't like before, maybe they've made it 3 recently to counteract the increased number of applications, just a guess here. Anyways, some of the questions are multiple choice, and some are situation-based. I remember them being very customer service oriented, things about putting the guests before your own tasks, and what-not. I don't really remember much about the multiple choice section, so I imagine that it was not too difficult. I remember the situation ones, because they kind of try to trick you. They ask the same questions, but worded in different ways. If it says "I consider myself to be a team player," and "I enjoy working together with others," you need to make sure that you put the same answers for both. Everyone you talk to about this says not to lie to fit what they're looking for, but if you'd be a good employee you wouldn't be lying anyways.

The interview is timed, which was the only stressful part for me. I do not do well in timed tests. I'm not someone who will run out of time without answering questions, but rather I usually rush through and give wrong answers because I get so worked up about the time limit. Thankfully, I got through this interview okay, and I really tried to pace myself. I do not remember if there was a countdown on the screen, or if I just kept glancing at the clock, but however it happened, I was really on top of how much time was left, and I really worked hard to pace myself during the interview. I also didn't second guess myself on the answers. I'm notorious for changing my mind on multiple choice tests, only to later find out that the first answer was correct, but on this interview I really went with my instincts. 

That's basically all I've got. I'm not sure how helpful this was, I think that everyone kind of has their own way of doing things like this and you need to really find what works for you. For instance, I could have taken my WBI in the library, but for some reason I felt that the overbearing amount of silence there would have nerved me or something, and I kind of wanted the slight background noise of the dining hall. I mean, I wasn't sitting with a group of people at my table, but I think the background noise kind of calmed me down in an odd way if that makes sense. Oh, and some of the questions you have to answer with things like "Disagree," "Agree," "Strongly Agree," etc... Don't use the ones in the middle. It looks better when you pick an extreme, and keep the answers consistent. 

Luckily for this blog, I have all of my email communication that has ever occurred between Disney Recruiting and myself saved. So here is the timeline of how it went last time I was accepted:

9/10/11: I received the email from Disney Recruiting saying that applications were up for the Spring 2012 program. 

9/13/11: 
Approximately 6:00 AM: I submitted my application. I know, not smart. I should have been more awake, and more in an alert state of mind filling out the application. But I couldn't sleep. I knew the email saying that I could apply was in my inbox, and I wanted to participate in the program so bad. I was up all night thinking about the next morning so I could apply, and after sleeping for only a couple of hours, I just went with it and filled out the application. 

7:49 AM: I received another email from Disney Recruiting thanking me for my application. 

8:07 AM: I received the email with the invitation to take the WBI. I took the WBI at around 1:00 PM, during what would have been my lunch/break from classes that day. 

3:31 PM: I received the email to schedule the phone interview. 

5:34 PM: I received the email confirming that I had scheduled my phone interview for September 20, at 10:15 AM (exactly 1 week from submitting my application.)

9/20/11:
10:15 AM: I had my phone interview. (I believe I made a post all about it in the past, but if you'd like to know more details about how it went let me know!)

9/21/11:
3:21 AM: I received the email thanking me for taking the time to interview with Disney, and that I would be updated on the status of my application within 2 weeks.

9/22/11:
1:43 PM: I received my acceptance email for Merchandise, (which resulted in screaming and crying).


9/26/11:
I do not remember what time, but this was when I met with my adviser about participating in the program. He (understandably) said that I wouldn't receive any credit or anything for my major (History), but I may be able to receive Business credits if I go through Career Services. He warned me that I may need to take a Leave of Absence if the school does not approve of the program. Later that I day, I went to Career Services, where I learned that my school does not acknowledge the program as an internship, and that I would need to take a Leave of Absence if I were to participate. A Leave of Absence would mean that I would lose my scholarship, as the terms of the scholarship were that I go to school for four consecutive years. After some more crying, I logged on to my dashboard and declined my offer.

I printed out everything I possibly could about housing, and the role and anything else you can only see after being accepted, and I've had it hanging in my room ever since that day. I was pretty miserable about it after to say the least, and of course, now that I'm graduating my school acknowledges the program. Hopefully everything happens for a reason, and it just wasn't meant to be back in 2012. Looking back on this whole scenario, I should have met with my adviser before even applying, but I didn't think I would be accepted within one week. I thought that if the inevitable happened and I couldn't go, I would be able to stop the application process before it got too far. 

Now I'm happy that I know the whole process firsthand, but I just can't wait to finally go. When everyone is worked up over waiting for one semester, I feel like I've been waiting for 3 years for my chance to go on the program! So I just can't wait! If anyone has anymore questions about this process let me know! :D

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"Amber Earns her Ears" Review & Picture of the Week 11/24/13

“Amber Earns her Ears” Review

“Amber Earns her Ears” follows the adventures of Amber Sewell on her journey through the Disney College Program and the Career Start program. (The Career Start program is essentially the same concept as the DCP, the difference being that it is meant for high school graduates rather than college students. The program was discontinued in 2010, likely to allow for more students in the DCP instead.) Amber’s book is referred to a “secret cast member diary,” and while I’m not sure I would call it secret, the term diary definitely fits this description. In terms of Disney books written by Cast Members, I think that “secret” often implies that the Cast Member has some weird desire to expose horrible aspects of working for Disney, and making it seem like a way worse job than it actually is. You can skim through the Disney book section of Amazon and find countless books by former Cast Members devoted to exposing the dark secrets of the Disney Company, as if the fact that they finished their job alive was some major feat . Technically Amber’s book is “secret” because it’s written like a diary, but it’s a refreshing take on how she is writing about her own secrets rather than trying to make the company out to be some kind of villain.

Another high point of Amber’s work is how it is literally written like a diary, which makes it a very quick read. It reminded me of how reading someone’s blog about the DCP would be, except you do not get stuck having to click “older posts” every time you finish a chapter. Often times while researching the DCP on my own, I have come across blogs that I have been very interested in reading, however once the person is on the program they stop writing. When this happens, I, as a reader feel like I’ve kind of wasted my time. In these cases, I would have spent my whole summer following someone’s planning process about the program, only to never fully hear about their actual experience in the program as the blog is never updated once he or she is there. For this reason, Amber’s book was also helpful because in purchasing a book you know that you will actually be able to read about her whole journey.

I would recommend “Amber Earns her Ears,” to college students even if they are on the fence about the program. I think a lot of what Amber writes about could apply to college students in general who have never lived on their own before. In my experience, it is difficult to find a book geared towards college freshmen that students actually want to read. Who wants to read about some star football player/Business major’s transition to college if it’s not something you can relate to? Amber’s experience of finding her roommates on Facebook, and living away from home with them for the first time would be relatable to any student living away from home. She brings up roommate disputes and how they were dealt with, and little things she learned living away from her parents. Because of this, I would recommend the book to anyone considering the program, even if only as a slight possibility of maybe applying sometime in the distant future, as her experience living on her own is relatable to most college students.

From what she has written about herself, I would also say that Amber comes off as a very relatable person. Many students are nervous and shy about starting new experiences, especially in a situation like moving to college or the DCP where they are living on their own for the first time. Amber mentions throughout the work that she was sort of an introvert who kept to herself a bit before embarking on her programs, and how working in Disney changed her for the better. This personality trait is seldom mentioned in autobiographical works, especially by young people—probably for the fear of coming across as weak or lacking self-esteem. Amber’s acknowledgement of her shyness makes her seem more real and relatable, even if all you’ve heard of her is from the book.

My only gripe about the book is the lack of description of other jobs available in the DCP, though this would in no way deter me from purchasing the book. The book is excellent for information about the program in general, however if you are really looking for insight into a particular role you may not find it in this book. This doesn’t necessarily bother me, as I can easily research experiences in different roles all over the internet, but this is the same situation I mentioned about—that not everyone can relate to a Business major for instance. At the same time however, Amber’s two roles, Quick Service Food and Beverage, and Merchandise, are both very popular roles in the DCP, and I’m sure there are tons of potential interns out there who are planning on using those roles as their first choices.

Overall, I would highly recommend the book to anyone interested in learning more about what it’s like to intern for Disney in the DCP, or really just any college freshman looking for some light reading that they can probably relate to. Another pro about the book is that it’s available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble (and for the Kindle and Nook), and it’s pretty affordable. (Or you could always ask for it as a Christmas gift.)

Picture of the Week:

This week's picture is this wonderful quality photo of myself and Theresa on Space Mountain from over the summer. How happy does the guy in front of me look? I think he kind of made the picture.

That's all I've got for now, applications should be coming out in about 66 days!

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Photo of the Week 11/17/13 & 72 Days Away From Apps!

This week's photo is of the Dapper Dans. I love seeing them in the Magic Kingdom! This picture (apologies for the poor quality, if you've read my trip report on WDWmagic you know all about how I used a terrible camera), was taken on my last trip in August. During this trip we were lucky enough to see the "Original Boyband" routine by the Dapper Dans, in which they sing barbershop quartet renditions of boyband songs. AND see that one in the blue? He sang a One Direction song to me and kissed my hand. :D :D :D I felt so special lol. 

Also, today is 72 days away from applications coming out. I just want to apply already! Last time I applied, it was kind of a heat of the moment thing. I knew some of my classmates were looking into study abroad trips, and I was thinking, "If they can do study abroad, I should be able to do the DCP, right?" Well, I was wrong, but I basically applied randomly one day. I just thought, it would be kind of cool if I did it next semester instead of next year, and my whole application process only took about one week before I was accepted. This time, because I'm counting down (and graduating) applying seems so much more stressful!

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Computer Science Class Project

For my Computer Science class, we have to make a portfolio showing that we know how to use a number of different computer applications. To show that we can use programs (like Word, Excel, Access, Google Earth, etc...) we had to choose a topic to research to get the information for the data we use. In case you couldn't guess, I chose Disney history. Looking at it now, I think this topic is way too broad, because I tried to start part of the project but I didn't really know where to start. Should I start with Walt's parents and family background? Just a quick blurb about his childhood and then move on to his early animation? Should it focus just on Disneyland? So I've decided that I'm going to narrow this topic to the history of the Walt Disney World Resort. By doing this, I can very briefly mention Walt Disney's personal life, and spend some time talking about Disneyland, but spend the bulk of the project on the place where I will hopefully be spending 6 months next fall. As I finish parts of this project, I will be posting them on here as well.

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About the Author

Welcome to "Brittany Earns Her Ears," my blog devoted to all things Disney, from the college program to dining reviews and everything in between. Disney has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember, so after completing two Disney College Programs and moving back to Massachusetts, getting an annual pass and continuing to keep up with this blog seemed like a no-brainer. 

During my college programs, I worked in merchandise at Dinoland USA in Animal Kingdom, and attractions at Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show at Hollywood Studios. I worked with Theme Park Press throughout my programs to document my experiences working for the company, which culminated in the book, "Brittany Earns Her Ears." Since my programs have ended, I've returned to Massachusetts to finish up the sequel to "Brittany Earns Her Ears," and write for other unofficial fan sites including Disney Dining and Theme Park Tourist. 

Occasionally you'll see a post or two from Chaz, my fiance and fellow CP alum from Main Street USA custodial in the Magic Kingdom. He'll also be featured in my new book which should be out by the end of the year. 

Feel free to contact us through brittanyearnsherears@gmail.com or the following:

Instagram: @brittanyearnsherears @chaz385
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DCP Vlog: Roles/Locations Tag

I've just posted a new vlog:




And that's all I really have going on that's Disney-related right now. I have to study for the next couple of hours so I can go to Bingo tonight at school! Bingo at my school has really good prizes, like camera, iPads, Keurigs, and TV's, so I absolutely have to go!

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Disney on Ice

This post is not at all DCP related, but I thought it would be nice to make a post about Disney on Ice. I love Disney on Ice, and have only recently started seeing it a few years ago (except for when I was much younger, but those shows I hardly remember since I was so young). I think that Disney on Ice has a certain stigma surrounding, like the parks do unfortunately, that it is only for little kids. In my opinion, lots of people take their kids to see it because they feel like they're supposed to, and they go into thinking that they won't enjoy it because they're old. 

I really like this quote by Walt Disney, in reference to Disneyland's appeal to families, rather than just children.

"Disneyland isn't designed for children. When does a person stop being a child? Can you say that a child is every entirely eliminated from an adult? I believe that the right kind of entertainment can appeal to all persons, young or old. I want Disneyland to be a place where parents can bring their kids, or come by themselves, and still have a good time."
-Walt Disney

I think this quote sums up my feelings towards the stereotype that Disney is only for kids perfectly. Fundamentally it is not only for kids, it's literally been spelled out that it's meant for families, or even adults by themselves if they like. When I tell someone that I'm going to see Disney on Ice, even if they're polite about it, I can tell that they think it's weird. Well, everyone is entitled to their opinions, but really, I don't think it's weird. Disney as a whole, is not necessarily geared towards children in the same way that other seemingly similar companies are. When the Dora the Explorer show comes to a local theater, I would say that is for children. Dora while cute and catchy, is educational, teaching children things that would be far too simple to hold an adult's attention. Disney shows, unless specifically designed for Disney Junior or something like that, meet the middle ground of entertainment that people from different age groups can enjoy. Anyways, I guess my point here is that if you're an adult reading this whose thinking, "Why on earth would she care to see Disney on Ice?" you're probably not alone, but I think it would be worth giving it a chance, because it really isn't tacky at all and is actually a pretty high level of showmanship from the skaters, choreographers and costume design as well. Also, compared to seeing a musical or a concert, Disney on Ice can be a very cheap day/night out (assuming you don't go nuts with candy or souvenirs). I usually see Disney on Ice in either Boston, or Portland, ME. In Boston the tickets run about $28-48, and in Portland they are about $18-30. Compared to a musical or concert that is going to cost you upwards of $80-100, its pretty cheap entertainment. 

When I see Disney on Ice, I either go with Theresa (roommate), or Chaz (boyfriend). Rather than giving in to purchasing the hats/ears/whatever they sell there for some ridiculous amount of money, I usually wear my own Minnie Mouse ears. 

Here's Chaz, myself, and my Minnie ears!

The most recent, and by far my favorite, Disney on Ice show I've seen has been Dare to Dream. I'm not sure exactly how Disney on Ice works, but I saw this one in Boston, and it wasn't scheduled at all in Portland, whereas other, less intricate shows were, so I would assume that some of the stunts in this show require a larger arena. Either way, if Dare to Dream is anywhere close to you it is definitely worth seeing!

My absolute favorite part of this show was the Tangled scene. First of all, how awesome does Maximus look? The costuming and all the effects at Disney on Ice are really spot on, to the point where adults can appreciate how much work goes into the show.

The other reason why the Tangled scene is my favorite (aside from my obvious love for the movie), was the silk rope (Rapunzel's hair) scene. The set was designed so that Rapunzel and Flynn were using her "hair" as a silk rope, and they were using it to fly over the ice. It was extremely impressive, and similar to something you would see in Cirque du Soleil-- as an adult, I was mesmerized at the talent these skaters had.

There's even fireworks! If you're crazy like me and miss things like castles and fireworks when it's not the 4th of July or a Disney vacation, you'd appreciate this:

Another Disney on Ice show I really like is Treasure Trove. Unlike Dare to Dream, which focuses mainly on Disney princesses, and Rapunzel for nearly the entire second half, this one is all about classic animated films. One of the opening scenes involved the cards from Alice in Wonderland, it was one of my favorite parts of this show. The cards would skate through each other with the songs from the movie and card shuffling noises in the background, it was very clever.

"Why, you're nothing but a deck of cards."

Another great scene from Treasure Trove, was the Aladdin scene. It brought back memories of the parade that used to be in MGM in the 90's. When done well the parade scene can make for a really great performance. (side note- it did get better than this, I only took the picture when the skaters were first coming out).

Also, I love how Tiana's dress looks. I'm not a fan of when they completely shorten dresses for ice shows. I know they have to sometimes depending on the tricks they're doing, but Tiana's dress here was short enough that she could move in it, but not too short that it took away from her look.

And of course there was more fireworks and princesses for the finale!

So there you have it! Disney on Ice -- not just for kids, cheap, and fun for adults too! Oh and fun side story: The last time I went to see Disney on Ice with Chaz, the guy who took our tickets said Chaz must be my prince. :D

I'm still working on the video for my vlog of me counting down the days for applications to come out. I'd like to make a new vlog soon, if for nothing else but to restore your faith that the camera on my cell phone actually works and doesn't lag like my webcam. Let me know if you have any ideas for vlogs! I have gotten a couple of questions, but I'd like to wait until there's a couple more before I post them. 

I also applied for a job at the Disney store, its the seasonal sales associate position they have during the holiday shopping rush. I'm very hopeful for it, but I think in the past it hasn't worked out with my school schedule so we'll see how that goes.

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"Brittany Earns Her Ears," my memoir of my time working for the Walt Disney Company during the Fall 2014 Disney College Program, has been published by Theme Park Press, and is available on Amazon! Order your copy today in eBook or paperback!

Click here  to order "Brittany Earns Her Ears"

If you enjoyed reading "Brittany Earns Her Ears," we'd love to hear from you in an Amazon review!

Upcoming Vlog & Good News About My Camera

I've decided to take a quick video everyday of what I'm doing while waiting for applications to come out. This may sound boring, but I'm going to attempt to make it entertaining and possibly include bloopers or something. And this way, you can all see what I do when I'm not here obsessing over the DCP. The other good news is that I just realized that I still have Chaz's (my boyfriend) camera, which means the video quality and sound of my blogs won't be terrible anymore! The bad news is that my camera is still broken, and I don't know if I'm going to get it fixed or buy a new one, so if Chaz needs his in the meantime I'll have to revert to my webcam. :( But in the immediate future, my vlogs will be way more tolerable to watch now that I have a decent camera to use! :D

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What if I don't get accepted? & A Walk Down Memory Lane...

I was thinking that it may be too soon to be blogging about the DCP. I haven't even applied yet! I think I'm in a weird situation compared to other CPs, because I've been accepted before, but haven't been able to go. So I'm extra excited? I don't know how to describe it. Maybe I'm just overly optimistic, there is always the chance that I won't get accepted again. Regardless of whether or not I get accepted, I would still like to try for a professional internship (if I find any that don't require the CP alum status), and I still love Disney either way, so this blog isn't a complete waste!

To help my readers get to know me better, I thought I would make a "Memories" post about my past Disney trips. This will probably be more interesting than just writing a paragraph about myself, so you're welcome. :)

The first time I went to Disney World, I was three years old. Not surprisingly, I don't remember any of this trip, but I do know of a couple of things that were around in WDW in 1995. The parade in the Magic Kingdom, for instance, was "Mickey Mania," and if you don't remember this you are either a sad tortured soul, or incredibly lucky depending on how you feel about the largest Mickey marketing scheme in the history of the world. "Mickey Mania" was a parade all about Mickey. Now I know what you're thinking, but Disney is all about Mickey, so what's the big deal? Oh you just wait... go on youtube, and look up "Mickey Mania Parade." I'll be expecting your thank you emails, or death threats after you watch it. Again, you're welcome. :) There were a few other things around in 1995, that are no longer there now. The Concourse Steakhouse at the Contemporary-- gone. The ending of Spaceship Earth-- gone. And unfortunately... Mr. Toad's Wild Ride-- replaced by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. One of the reasons why I absolutely need to get to Disneyland is to go on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, it was one of my favorites when I was younger. 

Another monumental Disney trip came with the opening of Animal Kingdom. Here we are the summer after Animal Kingdom opened in 1998-- 

To introduce you to the usual Disney crowd of my family, here I am (in the green t shirt obviously), with my younger cousin Andrew, my Auntie Doris & Uncle Marc and my Nonnie and Dad. 

This trip, was also our last time on the Skyway. For anyone who is wondering what that is, the Skyway used to connect Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, and its old station is now Rapunzel's tower/restrooms. 

Here's my dad and I on the now extinct Skyway:

It wasn't until recently that I started going on the big, scary rides. And even now, I still won't go on most of the big, scary ones. Big/scary to me is Splash & Thunder Mountains. So the Tower of Terror, is one ride I still won't be going on anytime soon, though I would love to walk through the line someday just to see the inside.

Eventually, we broadened our Disney horizons and embarked on a Disney Cruise. In 2004, all 8 of us, the Griswal-- I mean DiCologeros, embarked on a 4 night Bahamian cruise on the Disney Wonder. Clearly 2004 was before I had control of the camera, because this is the only picture I have with us actually in it from the cruise:

There are a couple of weird things going on in this picture that need an explanation. I don't have all the answers, I was only 12 at the time, but I'll try to decipher what's happening here. First of all the Disney Wonder is a beautiful ship, so I have no idea why the only picture with us in it was taken awkwardly behind those covered up lounge chairs with only half of the group paying attention. Typical Griswalds I guess. Also, where did my aunt get a drink, and why don't the rest of us have any? What is Nonnie pointing at? Why does Andrew look disgusted? What is my dad staring at? Why did I take my shirt off? Oh, I know that one! Because I didn't want documentation of me wearing the same shirt as everyone else, though I guess it doesn't matter because I'm still surrounded by them. 

After the cruise, we spent a couple of nights in WDW. Here I am c. 2004 with Cinderella! I assume this picture was taken before dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table.

Another restaurant we ate at on this trip was Liberty Tree Tavern. I don't think I've eaten here since, and that can be attributed to the fact that there are no longer characters there. I used to love the characters at Liberty Tree because they were dressed in colonial garb and it was adorable!

How cute does Minnie look!? Also in case you're wondering what that medal I'm holding is-- I won Disney trivia on the cruise. :) Surprising, right?

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of Disney trips after this until 2011. But I do remember that I went when they had Jack Sparrow out for meet and greets, and he almost got plowed down by teenage girls. I also went to the soft opening of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride the year that Jack Sparrow was added to it. Oh! and I got these awesome pirate Mickey ears... And my pirate obsession started right when the movies came out, which resulted in the purchase of this:

Why yes, that is a life-size cut out of Jack Sparrow. 

Anyways, the next trip that I have some pictures of is from June, 2011, which was just myself and Papa. We stayed at the Contemporary for 3 or 4 days, and we got upgraded to a tower room, so that was pretty exciting! I spent some time in the parks by myself this trip, which I actually didn't mind. I don't know if it was just a nice change since I'm usually there with a big group, or if I'm just that much of a nerd but I was fine going off on my own if Papa was napping. 

Being by myself for a bit on this trip also allowed me to do something kind of crazy... the 4 parks in one day challenge! It is exhausting. I have never run so much in my life. I started out with the rope drop ceremony at the Magic Kingdom, and then went to Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom and was back at the Contemporary by 4:00 to get ready for dinner. It was pretty insane, and my feet were really feeling it the next day.

Here I am the morning of that craziness at the Magic Kingdom.

My next trip, was also in 2011, this time right after Christmas! We packed up and were on our way to Orlando on December, 26, all ready for the most crowded week of the year in WDW. 

Every now and then, there comes a time in a Disney-nerd's life that they must bring someone of the... less Disney-inclined nature to WDW. In this case, it was my cousin Andrew, who definitely came on this Christmas trip to please Nonnie and myself. Despite Andrew's grumpy faces in the pictures, I know he still loves Disney, and is just in a teenage phase where he feels "too cool" for it or something.

Smile Andrew!

How cute is Papa's shirt?! It has Mickey ice cream bars on it if you can't tell...

2012, was a Disney-less year, with the exception of Disney on Ice, (which I'm saving for later posts). But in 2013, I went to WDW again with Theresa (my roommate), for her 21st birthday!! I posted some pictures from this trip in another post, but here's a couple of more, since Gaston kind of took over, last time. ;)

Here's my latest vlog in response to Jessie's questions from these comments:

That's all I got for now! Don't forget to comment, or follow me at

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