Tony's Town Square Restaurant Lunch Review

by Brittany DiCologero 

Tony's Town Square Restaurant, near the entrance of Main Street USA is an Italian restaurant themed to the spaghetti and meatball scene in "Lady in the Tramp." The location on the end of Main Street USA is a prime spot for popping into the park for a quick meal, or for scoring a table outside during the parade, which is what we did on our most recent visit.

Image: Tumblr

As it was January, the park was relatively "cold," cold by Florida standards, on the slightly cooler side of comfortable by New England standards, especially for the time of year. The real downside to this however was that when we arrived at the podium it did not seem like the cast members were seating guests outside. Being that our reservation was for 2:45 PM, I asked about outdoor seating, and the hostess was kind enough to check with the waitstaff if anyone wouldn't mind serving a table outside. One of the waiters was fine with it, and he actually ended up taking on two other tables outside in addition to us, regardless of the chilly temperature.

Since we were outside for this meal, I cannot really comment on the interior of the restaurant. As far as I can tell, it is designed similar to a typical Italian American restaurant with detailed touches here and there that serve as reminder of the movie the location is based on. One of the most notable decorations in the interior that we did manage to walk by on our way to the patio area, was a beautiful sculpture of Lady and the Tramp, surrounded by a fountain and dark wood surfaces. Aside from the indoor/outdoor dining areas, there is a small greenhouse/sun room sort of seating area right next to the entrance to the patio, which was pretty but I think I would prefer to either be completely indoors or outdoors.

Image: Disney

As for the menu, Tony's features typical Italian-American style dishes, mixed with house specialties, one of the more popular options presumably being spaghetti and meatballs due to the scene from the film the restaurant is based on. You can see the full lunch/dinner menu here. 

Every meal at Tony's starts off with warm bread and oil. While I would not rank this as one of the best pre-meal breads in Walt Disney World, it is very good and definitely worth losing some valuable stomach real estate to before your entree comes out.

Image: Brittany DiCologero

 For appetizers, we each ordered a salad, although next time I think I'm going to give the fried calamari a try. I went with my usual choice of salad-- Caeser, while Chaz opted for something more unique to this restaurant-- the Insalata Fresca. 

 Image: Brittany DiCologero

The Caeser was very good, and I especially liked the larger piece of bread as opposed to croutons. (I don't generally like croutons-- for some reason I'm just not into having them mixed into the salad I guess, so I'd actually prefer a piece of bread on the side as this salad had). There was just the right amount of dressing, and lettuce was crisp and chilled. The only reason why this salad was not anything all that special was because it was a kind of salad that one could order anywhere, so just for that I might go with something more unique to Tony's like Chaz did next time I'm here.

Image: Brittany DiCologero

Chaz's salad, the Insalata Fresca was made up of "wedged Baby Iceberg, creamy Italian dressing, gorgonzola, candied walnuts, and bacon," and we both agreed that this would be salad choice to go with at Tony's. I would say that the Caeser was equally as good, though this one is more unique, where you can order a Caeser salad at many other locations around Walt Disney World. Again this salad had just the right amount of dressing, and the other toppings all complimented the dish very well.

For entrees, Chaz went with his usual go-to option for any Italian restaurant and ordered Chicken Parmiagiana, while I opted for something different this time and went for one of Tony's specialty dishes, the Cannelloni. 

Image: Brittany DiCologero

The chicken parm was interesting. I generally like my chicken parm to have a lot of cheese, probably more cheese than the average person would actually like to see on the dish, so when I saw the amount of cheese pictured above, I was a little bit put off. Chaz seemed to really enjoy it regardless, so I gave it a try. It was much better than I had expected, and to be fair there is more cheese that is not shown in the picture because it is under the sauce. It's hard to explain this dish-- to me that's not enough cheese, but the chicken itself and the sauce was so good that it makes up for it, if that makes sense? Chaz did really like it, and said that he would order it again,but if you're thinking about getting this dish in the future be warned that it is not the cheesiest of chicken parms.

Image: Brittany DiCologero

I was very happy with my dish, and would highly recommend this if you're looking to get away from the standards like spaghetti and meatballs, and chicken parm. The Cannelloni is pasta "filled with a mixture of ground beef and sausage, Mozzarella, and Ricotta served with marinara and crème sauce." What really made this dish sound interesting to me was the marinara mixed with the creme sauce. I feel like I've seen similar items with a tomato creme sauce, however this one sounded rather unique with the two different sauces served in the same dish. The Cannelloni was my favorite part of our meal at Tony's and I would definitely order it again here in the future. It had all the components you would want to order at Tony's with the pasta and ground beef, but the mixture of the two sauces really complimented each other and gave an otherwise classic dish a more unique spin.

Neither of us ordered dessert on this visit, as we were rather full at the time so we figured we'd wait... although ironically we lost self control and ended up having gelato later in the day, so really we could have just had some while we were at Tony's! Overall, we really enjoyed Tony's, and I think I would prefer it for lunch over dinner, as I've become very partial to the dinner at Be Our Guest for a table service meal in the Magic Kingdom. For something more casual, or even something everyone in your family should like, as nothing on the menu is too adventurous, Tony's is a solid option with a convenient location right near the entrance to the park. 

We give Tony's a score of 90%, and we can't wait to go back and try some desserts!

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Check out my first article for Theme Park Tourist on the History of the Disney College Program here!

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"Brittany Earns Her Ears" is available on Amazon! Click here to get your copy today!
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7 Tips for Choosing Roommates on the Disney College Program

Finding roommates can be one of the most difficult parts of getting ready to head to Orlando for the Disney College Program. Chances are you won't be able to find roommates locally, and if you do not want to live with random roommates, you're going to be scouring the Facebook groups in search of them. After completing two programs, with completely opposite roommate experiences, here are my top seven tips for finding roommates for the DCP:

1. Look for common interests
Whether or not you plan on pursuing a friendship with your roommates, it is helpful to have some common interests. If you have similar interests, you're less likely to have problems down the line because in theory, he or she should be at least somewhat like yourself. If most or all of the CPs in your apartment generally like the same movies and TV shows, staying in and hanging out in the living room can be quite relaxing. If not, you might become very tired of what the others are watching very quickly. Having some common interests also means that you'll have someone to do certain things with, which can be especially helpful when you first arrive and are not able to get into the parks, and have not met a lot of other CPs yet. If your roommates also love shopping for instance, the Florida Mall might be something you can do together before you are able to meet more people on the program.

2. Discuss cleanliness
Regardless of your own cleaning habits, it is extremely important to have a discussion about cleanliness in your apartment with potential roommates prior to your arrival. Even if you consider yourself to be messy, you should be honest about this, and tell potential roommates-- I know it might sound crazy, but there are plenty of CPs who are messy, and who are perfectly content living with other messy CPs. You're better off being open about this than causing problems down the line with other roommates who had different expectations for the apartment. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you really prefer things to be clean and tidy, this point is even more important for you, because you probably don't want to live somewhere that's messy, or be cleaning up after other people. Of course, things happen, and the cleanliness level of your apartment may not turn out as you expected either way, but you can at least make an effort to find roommates you'd be more compatible with by discussing this issue in advance.

It's also important to note that during the DCP, your apartment is subject to inspections. Even if you consider the common areas to be fairly clean, and your bedroom and bathroom to be clean, but the other bedrooms and bathrooms in the apartment are dirty, there is potential for the entire apartment to fail. If you fail inspections, you'll need to have a re-inspection, and you'll be subject to fees, which are taken out of your paycheck. If this happens continually, there is even a chance that you can be termed from the program. I mention this because you might think that you're not going to be concerned about the other rooms in the apartment, but they can still get you into trouble-- which is why finding roommates who have the same standards in terms of cleanliness should be a priority.

3. Discuss food shopping
While you're getting to know your potential future roommates, you should also be discussing food shopping. Are you going to buy groceries together and split it? Or maybe you'll keep everything separate and write your name on what belongs to you? Whatever you decide, it's best to find roommates who will be on the same page from the beginning, so you don't end up buying food for five other people all the time, or finding your food in the trash or eaten.

4. Morning people vs. night owls
This point is slightly less important than the others on this list only because a lot of your sleep schedule on the program will come from your work location's hours, which you will really not have much say in. However, it is still helpful to know what a potential roommate who you'll be sharing a bedroom with prefers. If you go to bed early, would you be okay with someone coming into the room after a long night out at 2 AM? Sometimes this is unavoidable given the nature of the program, and you'll need to learn to live with it either way, but it's helpful to talk to potential roommates about this just to understand what their feelings are on being in and out of the room while someone is sleeping.

5. Use social media
If you don't have any options for roommates that you'll be able to meet in person, the best way to learn about someone is going to be through social media. By following people on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc... you'll really be able to understand their personalities and interests and determine whether or not they'd be a good fit for you. Google Hangouts and Face Time can also be helpful when meeting roommates from far away, as you can also learn a lot more about them from a face to face conversation.

6. Know the importance of financial stability
This point is something that I haven't seen mentioned in other roommate finding posts before, but I think it is really important to discuss. It can be uncomfortable discussing your financial situation with others, but I truly believe that if you're going to be living with someone for any period of time, it's important to talk about because you would want to know that they are financially responsible. It's no secret that you don't make tons of money on the college program, and you therefore probably would not want to constantly be spending it on someone else. This constant spending could even be happening indirectly-- a roommate who never seems to have money might frequently eat your food or use your shampoo, and say that he or she will replace it but they never do. Or they might just outright ask for money. Whether or not you help is definitely a personal decision on your end, but I would be worried about this kind of behavior becoming a habit. Unless your roommate happens to be your spouse, I don't feel that you should have any kind of financial obligation towards them. While you do not know everyone's financial situation, if you feel like a potential roommate might be showing signs of financial instability, you might want to think twice about living with them. 

7. Follow your gut
The most important advice I can to anyone looking for roommates on the college program is to follow your instincts. If you're getting to know future roommates, and you have any inkling that it's not the best idea to live with them, then don't. I had one overwhelmingly positive roommate experience, and one negative apartment on my college programs. Looking back, I remember wondering if the second (negative) roommates I lived with was going to be the best idea. I had doubts, but I didn't know anyone else that I could have moved in with, and I felt bad telling those roommates that I didn't want to live with them anymore. After completing the program, and knowing what living in that apartment was like, I do wish I went with my gut and found other roommates (or even went random!) I don't mean to sound snarky about my second apartment, they all got along with each other, I was just not compatible with the rest of them, and that's totally fine-- but looking back my only regret was wishing I listened to my gut, instead of putting myself into that situation.

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Click here to read my article on the history of the Disney College Program on Theme Park Tourist!
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"Brittany Earns Her Ears" is available on Amazon! Click here to get your copy today!
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2016 Valentine's Day Special

2016 Valentine's Day Special
by Brittany DiCologero and Chaz Saldi

Welcome to the 2016 Brittany Earns Her Ears Valentine's Day Special! This post features stories from CP alumni about who their Valentines are, and how they spent Valentine's Day during their programs!

And also my first article for Theme Park Tourist is out, and it's on the history of the Disney College Program! If you're interested, there is a link to it at the bottom of this post :)

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You probably know that we did a college program together in Spring 2015, but did you know we got engaged in Disney as well? Chaz proposed behind Spaceship Earth-- which is our favorite attraction/place at Walt Disney World! Our engagement happened while I (Brittany) was on my first college program in Fall 2014, and he was in FL for a week visiting, so it was a complete surprise! 

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"A good story would be that a random stranger came by my apartment and spooked me, dropping off a gift for my roommate for an intern Valentine exchange, while I was getting ready for a date. I ended up closing the door in his face! We reconnected right before I left my Professional Internship and we've been together ever since. I'm leaving next week to visit him in Boston and we are very much in love, despite the hiccup on the most romantic holiday of the year." - Katrina

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 "My boyfriend Nick and I met at the Chatham square pool. I think our story is funny because when people find out we met in Disney, they grow wide-eyed with jealously in hopes of hearing that I had a romantic, unsuspecting run in with my prince charming at Cinderella Castle, and they giggle to learn it was a pool, of all places! When he first asked me out, I said no because I was unsure about long distance. (He lives in Virginia and I'm from Pennsylvania.) But I wound up changing my mind, and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

We've been together over a year now, and in that time he's made me some incredible Disney themed gifts. The M is made with my two favorite colors, also Ariel's colors, and the four pictures at the bottom are interchangeable snapshots we took together on our program. He hand cut and wove all the papers together himself. He also wrote me letters of significant Disney days we shared together, from the first time I wanted an excuse to hang out with him: a milk run from Vista Way, to our first date at Portobello's in Downtown Disney. We went on to do two programs together, and we are continuing long distance for another year until school is finished." - Megan
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Original Facebook status update:
"I think I probably had the best Valentine's Day ever today! My day actually begin closing the store at 12:15 am and walking to the bus with Amanda and enjoying Valentine's Day cookies! And once I woke up, I started the day opening my Valentine's Day box with a box of chocolate from my real Valentine, my dad. I then spent the morning with the Rohe family, loving every moment of it even when I carried both Clara and Bradley from Living with the Land to the strollers. Went to work for the day and had a lovely Valentine's Day card from a coworker, and Ella and Clara came and visited me making me smile and laugh. My roommate Meaghan came by at the end of my shift to join me for dinner in France. After that I met back up with the Rohe family to watch my favorite show, IllumiNations, and walked them back to their car, carrying my Disney buddy, Clara, to wish them safe travels back home. Called my mom and caught up with her. Now I'm on my way home to enjoy my chocolate covered strawberries! Seriously a great day! Also I have spent 15 hours at Epcot today so there's that too!"

"It was a very memorable day for me. I had family friends (Ella (age 5), Clara (age 3), and Bradley (age 20 months) at Disney World and to have them visit me at work is something that can't be put into words. My roommate surprised me by showing up to work and "asking me" to dinner because we were both single and needed to spend the night with someone we loved. La Patisori in France was my favorite place to eat during my program. And I was able to watch illuminations with my family friends, which is my favorite fireworks show. Epcot was home to me during my program and to spend so much time there in one day was perfect." - Elizabeth
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"When I worked at Aladdin/Tiki/Treehouse on my first program in 2013, there was a CP named Betsy who worked at the Haunted Mansion. When Betsy came back for her summer alumni program at the Tomorrowland Speedway, Emily came for her first program in costuming. They both know each other from Towson University in Maryland so after their Traditions in May 2015, they went to Magic Kingdom and show requested my Jungle Cruise boat. We were introduced and after the trip, we thought nothing of it. Emily kept coming back to see my boat by herself after that so I decided let's go on a first date to Winter Summerland Mini Golf. A couple weeks after that, we decided to make our relationship official after singing through all of Aladdin while watching it at her apartment. We have been together for 4 1/2 months and she is extending her program until May. Here is a picture of us from the end of November when my mom and grandparents stayed at the Contemporary." - Jason

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"My boyfriend and I met on our CP! after it ended I moved from Massachusetts to Missouri to be with him." - Katie

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"So, this is me and my doofus, Ethan. We met November of 2013 while working at World of Disney. I was on my college program and he was part time. Our first interaction began in the Princess Room at World of Disney with him asking me if Rapunzel and Tangled were the same thing. I rolled my eyes and said "Yes" while cursing him under my breath. But like John Smith drawn to Pocahontas' sass and mystery he was drawn to the fact that I gave him rude looks in the hallway and didn't talk to anyone in the break room (kind of the same thing, right?).

The first time we hung out, we knew we were destined to be the best of buds if not more. The more we saw each other, the more that "if not more" option started looking better and better. But, as all CPs do, I had to go back home and back to school. For two years, we talked just about every day. I visited a few times and eventually made the decision that Disney was the place I needed to be. I moved back to Florida post-graduation. Ethan helped me move in, build my Ikea furniture, and helped me glue back together all of my things that he dropped while moving my stuff (more eye rolls). We often went back to Disney Springs to revisit our old stomping grounds and by this time he knew a lot more about Rapunzel (you're welcome, Disney fans everywhere). Three months after I moved back to the Disney-area, he sat me down and gave me this long speech which eventually ended in "I think we should be together." Picture me being like Anna Coronation morning.

We've been dating about five months now and I couldn't be happier. He's become much more of a Disney fanatic which adds extra boyfriend points to the mix. When I got that email telling me that I was accepted to the DCP I expected a lot of amazing things, but what I didn't expect was finding someone I care about so much. I could make a lot of cheesy comparisons to us being Mickey and Minnie or Lady and the Tramp (most relatable comparison tho), but I like to think that we'll be making our own Disney story, original, but still all started by a mouse." - Megan

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"I met my boyfriend at the time while I was a month into my college program. He worked in the kitchen, and I was in merchandise so we met while I was on break. We ended up dating for 10 months after being long distance for two. Him and I spent Valentine's day at Narcoosees, I surprised him with reservations during Wishes. We both have always wanted to eat there, then the next day I went to celebrate Valentine's Day with my roommates at Bongos at Downtown Disney." - Emily

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"My fiance and I almost met on my first program (he backed out of applying and then ten years later, we found out that one of my roommates was a friend of his from high school!), and we just moved down here in August when I extended my third program. Trying to find a permanent position now. Together two years, getting married in 40 days!" - Dana

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"My now boyfriend and I met on our Spring 2015 CP. We were neighbors in Chatham Square. My roommates and I were really close with their entire apartment and we were just friends from January until about May when we first started seeing each other. We have been dating since July and doing long distance (he's from Indiana and I'm from Michigan) :) This upcoming Valentines Day will be our first together as a couple, as we began our relationship on the very last day of our program’s extension (July 30th, 2015)." - Alexa

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Check out my first article for Theme Park Tourist on the history of the college program here!

Click here to order "Brittany Earns Her Ears" on Amazon!

Follow us!

Instagram: @brittanyearnsherears @chaz385
Facebook.com/BrittanyEarnsHerEars
Twitter: @BrittanyEHE

Casey's Corner Review

Casey's Corner has been a fan favorite since its opening on Main Street USA. The restaurant's theme invokes images of classic Americana, with baseball themed decor and menu items, and a prime location at the end of Main Street just before the hub and Cinderella Castle. The restaurant's name, is a reference to the poem titled, "Casey at the Bat: a Ballad of the Republic in the Year 1888" by Ernest Thayer. In the late 19th century, the poem could often be found in ads for baseball merchandise, and today it is still sometimes seen in children's books. 

Photo: Simon and Schuster

Since this review is based on our visits within the last two years, I won't be touching on the original interior decor of Casey's, however it is nice to look back on and I would suggest checking out this older review on the Disney Food Blog to check it out. 

I tend to visit Casey's Corner for what I call a late breakfast, or early lunch, aka I arrive at the park around 11 AM after having slept late, so I guess it's lunch, but to me it's breakfast. The same menu is served all day, so the time of day really doesn't matter, but for some reason I'm much more tolerant of the table-finding struggle when it's early. Speaking of which, finding a table at Casey's can be tough-- this can be annoying, but it does go to show that it is a popular place to grab a bite in the Magic Kingdom. While some people tend to block trash cans by eating on top of them, or find a spot on the ground to eat, I just bring my meal over to the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant when finding a table isn't possible. It's a short walk and much better than eating on top of a trash can.

Now for food-- I've tried everything on the menu except for the Polish Sausage, so maybe this review will be updated to include that someday. I usually go for the corn dog nuggets, which can easily be a snack if you eat them on their own, or a meal if you go for the fries and a drink with it. They're one of my favorite Disney foods, and they're the standard for what I tend to get at Casey's. For more of a meal, I'd suggest the chili cheese dog, though it should be noted that I have not tried the chili cheese dog since the plastic cheese has been removed. If you're wondering what I mean by "plastic cheese," and how that could possibly be appetizing, you can read more about it via the Disney Hipster Blog here. For whatever reason, I'm not usually a fan of chili cheese dogs, but I actually really love the one at Casey's. It doesn't fall apart or get soggy like others sometimes do, and there's enough chili to eat some leftover with a fork or put over your fries. I know they put shredded cheese on it now that the plastic cheese is no more, so this review will again be updated once I have it again next month with the new cheese. 

Aside from these menu items, I'd suggest the nachos or a plain hot dog. I've tried the barbecue slaw dog, but it really wasn't my thing, then again I'm also not a huge fan of pulled pork, so try it! You might still enjoy it. 

Casey's is one of my favorite quick service restaurants, and it is actually Chaz's favorite restaurant in general-- though he might be a little biased because he worked there during his college program. (He was custodial and he would often pick up the Casey's busser position). Even if you're not a hot dog person, Casey's is still a nice place to stop by for some fries or nachos because of the theme, location, and atmosphere-- especially when the piano player is performing, which also tends to be earlier in the day like the rest of the Main Street entertainment. 

As for value, I don't think it's great at Casey's, but it isn't terrible either. I know a lot of people complain about the prices at Casey's, because it sounds like a lot of money for a hot dog, but really it's on par with other quick service prices for a decent amount of food.

Even with the often super crowded atmosphere (at both the indoor and outdoor dining areas) it's still a nice place to stop and sit down for a little bit and enjoy the atmosphere on Main Street, especially if the parade or castle shows are happening, or if the piano player is out:



We give Casey's a score of 90%, and would recommend it to even the non-hot dog-loving Disney fan.

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"Brittany Earns Her Ears" is available on Amazon! Click here to get your copy today!

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- CP Q&A - Zach: Attractions at Future World West

Zach, of Chicago Heights, IL, spent his spring semester of 2014 working in Attractions in Epcot. While on the program, Zach was studying Spanish Education, though he has recently changed his major to Spanish Linguistics at Ball State University.

Q: What made you want to do the Disney College Program?
A: Most people want to do the college program to either help their resume or just because they are a huge Disney fan. My story is a little bit different. I applied on a whim my first time and I thought for sure I wouldn't get in. In fact, I didn't know a lot about the program until I decided  to apply. During my research, I figured out why I wanted to do the program.  I remembered going to Disney when I was younger and how all of the cast members went above and beyond to make magic for my family and I wanted to give back to them. Also, the DCP helped me to meet ICPs which allowed me to practice my Spanish (which was part of major). Disney also combined the Spanish side of my major with the education side by having me interact with families on a daily basis. Nowhere else can do that so elegantly in my opinion

Q: What was your role and location? Was it your first choice? If not, what was?
A: My role was attractions host in Future World West in Epcot. I worked on Journey into Imagination with Figment, Captain EO (now the Pixar film festival), and Character spot. This role and park were definitely both my top choices. I was so lucky to receive them.

Q: What was your training like?
A: Once again my training was a bit unique. Normally you have one or two different trainers and then a different person who gives you an assessment. On my first day I was introduced to my training partner, Marine, an ICP from France. Then we spent two days learning the different roles and positions at Figment and got an introduction to Character Spot. On the third day we had a third girl, Caity, join us because her trainer didn't show. The next day both Caity and Marine had class so I trained by myself. I personally learned the most that day. The fifth day is usually an assessment both written (multiple choice questions) and practical. Don't worry if you fail. They will tell you, come back in and we will practice the areas you were weak in (really it's a second assessment day).

A typical day of training was learning how to properly open the ride, practicing some positions, and reading the operating guides. On the first day of training you have a "class"(part of your schedule) where you learn how to close Transport (the side console) because they are responsible for walking the track at the end of the night and you also learn how to evacuate the ride.

Q: What were your first impressions of your role and location? How did this change by the end of your program?
A: My first impressions were like great it's a kids ride but I can deal because I might not be on the ride at all on a given day. What's funny was when I was doing my interview I mentioned how a cast member at Figment wished me a happy birthday and asked if I had any cake.. and where did I end up? Figment. I knew I was probably going to end up there at the end of my interview. By the end of my program, I loved being at Figment because I "let my imagination run wild" with all of the magical moments I could make at work

Q: What were the best things about your role? The worst?
A: What I loved about my role was that you never knew where you were going on a given day or after a certain break. One day you can spend at all three attractions while another day you might be unlucky at get stuck at two different positions for eight hours. Another thing I loved about my role was something called "tasking" these assignments are given out when a break doesn't need to be given out or rotation isn't ready yet. Basically what you do is see if any of your fellow cast members need a quick bathroom break or a water bottle refill, when this is done you replace them at their position for about three to five minutes. This is the only "freedom" where you can wander your attractions and make magic for the guests. Finally, probably the best part of the role was being PAC (parade audience control) trained in Illuminations.

The worst part of this role was also not knowing where you were going to be sent. Some days you would try with all of your might to not pull that rotation because you do not want to go to unload. Another bad thing about Figment is that we have the longest time until another rotation is pulled. We are rotated every hour, instead of 45 minutes like most other attractions. Just imagine listening to One, Little Spark for an hour... then you get a break.. just to pull someones break. Another little known fact about  Figment is that we have a machine that cleans ALL the 3D glasses on Disney property. This position is a hit or miss depending on who is with you.

Q: Can you tell me about a magical moment you helped create?
A: Two magical moments stick out in my mind the first one occurred at Figment during EMH (Extra Magic Hours) while I was at Dispatch (big control console).

We only had five trains running so we had a longer "gap" in between the two cars. We had a little girl who was dressed as Elsa who came up during the gap car. When she came up we said Elsa I think you let it go and froze our ride can you please use your powers and help us unfreeze it? She smiles and said okay, with that she waved her hand and the ride "magically" started (We pressed the buttons at the time she did it)

The other time I was at FP+ entry right before EMH started I had three re-admission tickets for Hollywood Studios "thrill collection" (so either Tower or Rock n' Rollercoaster). I saved these because I knew I wouldn't need them. So I had a group of teenagers go through my line and they were going to keep walking past me until I said, Are you guys still going to be here tomorrow? They said yes as they looked at me confused. I said you aren't going to Studios by chance are you? They said we are not sure yet.. So I said you are now because you have FP+ for Tower or Rock n', have a magical night. Then they laughed and were like thank you so much.  They seemed to really appreciate it.

Q: What advice would you have for new CPs in this role?
A: My  main piece of advice for CPs in this role is that while your first concern is safety and making sure the ride operates, there are positions where you can go up and actually interact with the guests. When you are in your greeter position don't just go through the motions of saying hi... or welcome to the Imagination Institute in my case.. If you see a guest staring at a map they are probably lost.. go up to them and say what are you looking for. DO EVERYTHING WITH ENTHUSIASM.

Q: What have you been up to since your program ended?
A: I actually study abroad in Segovia, Spain to finish up my Spanish part of my degree and now I am taking classes so I can graduate in the summer with my bachelor's.

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"Brittany Earns Her Ears" is available on Amazon! Click here to get your copy today!

Follow us!
Instagram: @brittanyearnsherears @chaz385
Facebook.com/BrittanyEarnsHerEars
Twitter: @BrittanyEHE

Trip Reports

January 2016
Pre-Trip Report
Trip Report Part One
Trip Report Part Two
Trip Report Part Three

Reviews

Dining
Biergarten (Lunch) 2016
Casey's Corner (Lunch/Dinner) 2016
Le Cellier (Lunch) 2016
Tony's Town Square Restaurant (Lunch) 2016
Flame Tree Barbecue (Lunch/Dinner) 2016

Movies
The Good Dinosaur
Zootopia

Books
Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark

News

Star Wars Launch Bay Opening & Jedi Training Academy Trials of the Temple 
Limited Time Breakfast at Sci-Fi Dine In Theater 9/1/15

DCP Tips

General Tips
10 Tips for a Successful Disney College Program
Advice for Working Outdoors in a Theme Park
Treatments for Post-DCP Depression
How Much Does Being a CP Cost?
What Shouldn't I Pack?
7 Tips for Choosing Roommates on the Disney College Program

Facebook Q&As
Spring 2017 Application FAQ
Spring 2016 Facebook Group Q&A
Spring 2016 Vista vs. the Commons
Spring 2015 Facebook Group Q&A Part 1
Spring 2015 Facebook Group Q&A Part 2
July 2015 Q&A

Role Specific Tips
Tips for Working in Merchandise
Merchandise Role Spotlight
Attractions vs. Merchandise

CP Interviews

Click the links below to access CP interviews. If you'd like to participate in an interview, send an email to brittanyearnsherears@gmail.com.

Attractions
Brittany: Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show
Kylie: Space Mountain
Zach: Future World West


Merchandise
Rachel: the Emporium
Kaitie: Tomorrowland
Brittany: Dinoland USA
Natalie: Hollywood Hills
Aly: Discovery Island

Custodial
Chaz: Main Street USA
Sarah: Main Street USA

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
Becca: Magic Kingdom and Disney Springs

Character Attendant
Julianna: Magic Kingdom

Quick Service Food and Beverage
Rachel: Caribbean Beach and Art of Animation
Sara: Captain Cooks
Cristian: Outdoor Vending in Epcot

Transportation
Jeremy: FriendShip Boats
Blake: Seven Seas Lagoon, Bay Lake, Sassogoula River

PhotoPass
Diana: Epcot

Main Entrance Operations
Sara: Epcot 

Parking
Nora: Hollywood Studios

Front Desk/Concierge
Rachael: Saratoga Springs and Old Key West
Natalie: Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

Recreation
Nicole: Boardwalk Community Hall