Spring 2016 Facebook Q&A Vista vs. Commons

The Spring 2016 DCP Facebook page sent me questions they have about the college program, and I'm working on answering them. Because this first question ended up having a very lengthy answer, I'll be posting answers to the rest of the questions later in the week!

Q: What were your experiences like living in two different apartment complexes? Pros? Cons? Which did you prefer?
A: While I was in the college program, I lived in Vista Way and the Commons. 

Vista Way Pros:
- close to bus stop
- walking distance to Walgreens, Chick-fil-a, Wendy's, Dollar Tree, Cici's, and a couple of other restaurants
- central bus hub(The buses tend to sit at Vista for a while, which might be annoying if you don't live in Vista, but convenient if you live there. Also, all the buses stop at Vista, and some of them only stop at certain complexes upon request.)
- laundry on the first floor of each building (I would say this is a pro, because some apartment complexes have separate laundry buildings instead of having it in the building you live in)
- two pools (Although I almost never used the pool near the bus stop, it was nice to have it as an option)
- One of the cheaper options (As the oldest complex, rent at Vista is typically cheaper than the other apartments, assuming you're not looking to have three to a bedroom anyway.)

Vista Way Cons:
- further away from the other complexes (While it is possible to walk to the other complexes from Vista it isn't really a great walk. The other three complexes are all comfortable walking distances from each other.)
- Some of the places that are in walking distance require you to cross a pretty dangerous intersection on foot. Orlando is full of terrible drivers, and regardless of the lights and crosswalks the intersection is still really dangerous. I've done it, I'm pretty sure all Vista CP's have done it, just know that you have to be really careful, and I definitely felt better about walking there in a group of people and not alone.
- Vista's reputation (This is only a con if you're concerned about what others think of where you live. There were parties in Vista, but there were also parties in all the other complexes, and you can easily avoid them if you want to.)

Commons Pros:
- laundry in the apartments (This is the biggest pro of living in the Commons. Not having to leave your apartment at all to do laundry, or pay for it with a credit card or quarters)
- The Grid (The Grid is the convenience store located at the Commons. They have everything from hot coffee, toiletries, groceries, and even prepared dinners and hot sandwiches. It's really convenient when you get the bus home and don't want to cook, or need things and don't have the time to go to the grocery store.)
- housing events sometimes take place at the Commons
- walking distance to the outlet mall and other complexes

Commons Cons
- expensive rent (While this does sort of make sense because of the laundry in the apartment, I went from a renovated apartment in Vista to an unrenovated apartment in the Commons, and would have preferred Vista, but more on that later.)
- Some buses don't stop there 
- one pool
- bedroom differences (In Vista the two bedrooms in our apartment were pretty similar. While I would say that one was slightly better, it wasn't that much better that it would be worth fighting over who gets that room. Of the two bedrooms in my apartment in the Commons, one bedroom was significantly better, and I really got screwed by not having that room. The other bedroom had a massive bathroom, bigger closet, and more options for how to move the furniture around for the way the room was set up. My bathroom and closet were smaller, and there were few options for where to put the beds/nightstands.)

As for which apartment did I like better, this might sound crazy, but I would say Vista. There's a couple of major factors that would make me choose my apartment in Vista over my apartment in the Commons. The first is the renovated/unrenovated issue. My apartment in Vista was renovated, and it was beautiful. We were on the third floor, with a really pretty arched window in the living room, new kitchen and bathrooms, and hardwood floors. My apartment in the Commons was not renovated, and included older bathrooms, a dryer that no matter what maintenance did never dried clothes in a reasonable amount of time, and dingy looking carpets everywhere except the kitchen and bathrooms. For me personally, I went from paying $98/week for my apartment in Vista, which was much nicer, to $118/week for what I considered to be a crappier apartment in the commons. Even if you factor in that I didn't need to pay extra for laundry, I wouldn't do laundry enough that I'd be paying an extra $20/week for it anyway. Another difference I had with my specific apartments was roommates, and while this has nothing to do with the apartments themselves, the two different experiences I had definitely also make me lean towards my Vista apartment for the winner here. We had no real problems with any of my roommates in Vista, everyone was clean, friendly, and we never failed inspections or really had that much drama in the grand scheme of things. My roommate experience at the Commons... well, we won't get into that, but let's just say that's also a factor for me preferring my Vista apartment. 

If you're trying to decide between which of the complexes you'd like, I would honestly make price the primary thing for you to consider. I think that all of the complexes have pros and cons, which kind of evens things out, and price is really the most important difference. I've spent some time at each of the complexes, and there really isn't anything else that would make me desperately want to choose one complex over the other. 

The only other really important thing to consider that I took away from my experiences at the two complexes, is how important it is to speak up and let your roommates know your preferences. When I first moved into Vista, with three other girls I met on the Facebook group, we all really worked together and discussed the apartments, and came to agreements on the order we'd rank where we wanted to live. When I applied for my extension, I knew I'd need to find other roommates because my other roommates from Vista were not extending. I decided to live with a friend, and her three existing roommates, as they were all extending and one of their roommates was leaving, so they needed one more person to fill a two bedroom four person apartment, and I needed somewhere to live. After my experience living with a completely random roommate in college, I thought this would be the smart thing to do because I at least knew the girl I'd be sharing a bedroom with. These girls already lived in Vista, so I initially thought it'd be an easy move. I'd move a couple of buildings down and that'd be it. Even though their apartment was not renovated, I liked Vista, and really just wanted the move to be as easy as possible. All of my new roommates wanted to get out of their unrenovated apartment, which I kind of understand, but at the same time, I was outnumbered in my opinion three to one, and there was really no way to discuss my opinions that wasn't super awkward. It felt weird to be the only new person in an apartment with three other girls who had already lived together for nine months, and I should have spoken up about my apartment preferences more. Because of this, I already kind of had a bad feeling about moving out of Vista. If I had my way, I would have stayed in Vista, or moved somewhere else with a cheaper rent. I didn't think the extra money for rent was worth it for staying at the Commons over somewhere else, and I turned out to be right about that, so I should have followed my gut feeling and either spoke up more to the new girls, or just gone with random roommates and chosen my own apartment preferences. 

So basically my advice to new CP's choosing apartments is this:
1. Think about the pros and cons of each complex. If there is something that really stands out as important to you, make that apartment one of your top choices.
2. Really consider the price. Even though a $20/week difference doesn't sound like much now, that's about $400 more I spent at the Commons over the length of my program for an apartment I didn't feel was worth it. You don't make a ton of money as a CP, and I don't think it's a great idea to spend extra money on rent if you don't have to. 
3. If you feel that you can't agree to what all your other future roommates want, back out of that roommate situation before you fill out your housing paperwork. If you're discussing housing options with future roommates, and they're either disregarding your opinion, or making you feel like it's not okay to speak up about your opinion at all, they're likely not going to make the best roommates. In this situation, it's easier to tell them you're not living with them beforehand than have to deal with roommates you're not compatible with during your program. 

If you have any other questions about housing or the CP in general comment here or on my Facebook page! I'll be doing another post later in the week with questions that don't require as much explanation.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My book, "Brittany Earns Her Ears," is available on Amazon! Click here to purchase your copy today!

Instagram: @brittanyearnsherears
Facebook.com/brittanyearnsherears

Post-DCP Life

This is the post that every DCP blogger has to do at some point, and while I've been putting it off, I think it's finally time to get this over with. Life after the college program is... difficult? I think that's a good way to describe it. 

The first difficult part of leaving the DCP is adjusting to life at home. Even though I've moved back home from college a bunch of times, moving home after the DCP is so much worse. If you're moving back in with your parents, you're going to miss the independence of living states way in Florida. And if you're moving back in with different roommates, you're always going to find yourself comparing them, and that living situation to your roommates in Florida.

-some of my roommates from the Fall 2014 DCP and I, posing in front of a Transtar bus, of course-

You're also going to miss having something to do every day of the week. I recently accepted a full-time position at the Harvard Art Museums, and my days off are Monday and Tuesday. (Coincidentally, my days off during the Spring 2015 DCP were also Monday and Tuesday.) Living in Orlando, it doesn't matter what your days off are. There's always other CPs with the same days off as you, and there's always something fun to do in the Orlando area. Here in Boston, the same cannot be said. The highlight of my "weekend" is going to bar trivia on Tuesday nights, and aside from that it doesn't really feel like there's as much to do as there was during any "weekend" day in Orlando. Even though my daily hours (9-5) are great, it's not the same getting off work and not being able to spend a couple of hours in Epcot just because.

-hanging out with Donald on a day off, because we could-

You're also going to miss your friends. Sure you can keep in touch, but you can't just pop into their apartments anymore, or just hang out and watch the fireworks at night.

Lastly, you're going to get really emotional around all things Disney. Try walking into a Disney Store at your local mall after working in Merchandise and you'll know what I mean. Or when you see a Disney commercial, or those specials on the Travel Channel, you'll just be aching to go back. And you'll see hidden Mickey's in places where there shouldn't be hidden Mickey's. Like this painting from the art museum I'm working at for instance:

That's definitely a hidden Mickey. I don't care how old this painting is, there's a blatant hidden Mickey right there. 

You also get jealous. I'm not going to lie, jealousy after the DCP is a real thing, especially if you still have a lot of friend there, or follow a lot of current CPs on social media. If you're leaving soon, or have recently come home, try not to let the jealousy get to you, just be excited about planning your next vacation there, and be happy for your friends who are still on the program.

In true "post-DCP depression" spirit, I've made a Facebook page devoted to my blog and books. It's facebook.com/brittanyearnsherears if you'd like to follow it. The page will be used to post updates for this blog, Disney-related things from my Instagram, and maybe even more contests to win copies of my book.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Brittany Earns Her Ears" is available on Amazon in eBook and paperback! Click here to get your copy today, and leave a review on Amazon if you enjoy it!

How Much Does Being a CP Cost?

I know one thing that a lot of future CPs wonder about is how much money they should bring with them for their program. Before I did the DCP, and I saw this question regularly being brought up in the Facebook groups I thought this was kind of odd. "How much money are you planning on bringing?" someone would ask me. "Err... whatever I have in my checking and savings accounts?" But in all seriousness, I'll break down how much money I came with and how much I spent in this post to give some guidance to future CPs.

First of all, I almost never have cash on me, and I have three bank accounts-- two checking accounts and a savings account. My first checking account is the one I actually use. My pay from work gets direct deposited into this account, and only from there would I decide if any of it will be transferred to the other checking account or my savings account. My second checking account basically functions as a savings account, although I do dip into it occasionally for money, whereas I never do that with my actual savings account. I'm just explaining how my accounts are set up so that you understand that I always had some form of financial backup during my CP. I also have three credit cards for emergencies too. Because of this, the question of "how much money did you bring?" is kind of a weird one for me, but I'll do my best to answer it and let you know how well it worked.

When I left for Florida I had $500 in my checking account (the one I actually use, for the sake of confusion we'll refer to this as my checking account, the other one as checking/savings account, and my savings account as well, savings account.) In addition, I had $150 in cash. I feel like this is important to note because I almost never have cash. My paychecks are direct deposited, and unless I make a specific point to take cash out of an ATM, I generally don't have cash. At the airport, I had to pay an extra $50 for a second checked bag. I used the cash. So now I'm down to $100 in cash, $500 in my checking account, and backup money in my checking/savings account and savings account.

Green tea frappacino from Starbucks at the airport = $4.76, new checking account balance = $495.24 and $100 cash.

Lunch at ESPN Zone at the Boardwalk with Holly the day she picked me up from the airport = $34.84. New checking account balance = $460.40, still $100 in cash.

Numerous water bottles and room service with Holly that night brought me down to $430.40 in my checking account and $100 cash.

Breakfast at McDonalds the next morning-- $424.40 in my checking account, and $100 in cash.

Total first shopping trip for the apartment: $300. $124 in my checking account, $100 in cash. 

So before my program actually started, just going from the airport in Boston to the day we moved into our apartment, my checking account was already down to $330. I used the $100 in cash to do the next weeks grocery shopping and toiletry needs, along with anything else I forgot for the apartment. The next week, I spent the remaining $124 in my checking account on shopping, eating out, and doing things around Orlando and Downtown Disney before I was able to get into the park. I wouldn't receive my first paycheck until the week after that. 

The good news is that your first two paychecks of the college program do not have your rent taken out (because you've already paid it when you paid the fees that came with your acceptance letter.) My first paycheck, which included Traditions and my first few days training was $301-- more than enough money for one person living on their own in Florida with an apartment shared with three other girls. My next check was also up there, around $280. Within my first two weeks of getting paid (which remember is actually more like four weeks after I arrived) I more than made back the money I came down with. Did I dip into my checking/savings account during those first two weeks? Of course. But there's a couple of variables to decide whether or not you'll have to do the same.

I flew to Orlando, which means I did not bring things like toiletries and bedding. If I drove, I could have easily thrown my hardly used bottle of shampoo and my comforter from college into the car. But because I flew, these were all items I needed to purchase when I arrived, and this added to my expensive first trip to Walmart the day we moved in. I also chose to go out and do things before having gotten paid. I did not need to go out to eat three times that week. I did not need to order drinks two thirds of the times I went out that week. I chose to because I wanted to have a good time, and knew I had extra money in my checking/savings account if I needed it. If you're on a budget, you can choose not to do those things. 

If I were to do the DCP again, and not have the backups of my checking/savings and savings accounts, I would say you want to go down with at least $1000. This would allow you to have fun with your friends and still have things to eat during the first couple of weeks. As for the money you make during the program. My paychecks averaged $150/week after rent was taken out. While this might sound terrible, there's a couple of things to remember. My rent was $98/week, but it included all extra bills/utilities, wireless internet, and bus transportation. The only other thing you need to spend money on weekly is food. Grocery shopping for one person for a week does not cost $150. If it does, you're doing it wrong. I would generally spend $50/week on groceries and/or toiletries. This means that after rent and groceries/toiletries I would have $100 left. I'd generally put $50 into my checking/savings account, and keep the other $50 for random spending. (As a side note, I did have other bills during my program, and the money I paid those with came from my checking/savings account. On the plus side however, that money was always less than the amount I transferred into that account each month, so I did still save some money.)

Basically if you have no bills (or if you have some other way of paying your bills) you should be able to save an average of $50/week. That's not a lot, but it's also not bad considering an internship doesn't need to pay you at all. Of course there were some weeks where I'd spend more than my usual $50, but there were some weeks where I'd spend less. So I usually had a couple of hundred dollars in my checking account or in cash throughout the entire program. 

For future CPs, I would suggest coming up with some method of how you're going to save money during the program. I'm not saying save money so you'll come home with a huge savings account, but just save some money so you'll have it when you want it to do something fun. You're most likely only going to live at Disney World once, so you should definitely make the most of it, and with some basic finance skills it isn't hard to have the money to do the things you want while you're there. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My book is on Amazon! Click here to order your copy today!

And don't forget to enter my contest on Instagram to win a free copy, just repost the photo below on your page and use the following tags:

What Shouldn't You Pack?

If you're getting ready to start your journey on the Disney College Program, you've probably read hundreds of articles or blog posts on what you should pack. Have you thought about things you shouldn't bring though? Much like packing for college, there are a bunch of things that sound like a good idea to bring but really they're not entirely necessary. Here's my list of items that do not need to be packed:

1. The obvious
And by the obvious, I mean things that are not allowed in housing-- candles, pets, drugs, "weapons," (I say "weapons" because this even includes things like lightsabers.) For more on items that are not allowed in housing, check out the official Disney College Program website (or use common sense.) 

2. Alcohol (and things like wine glasses, shot glasses, etc..) 
If you're in a Wellness apartment. Living in a Wellness apartment means that you're under 21 and therefore can't have alcohol, but you can even get in trouble for having things like shot glasses. So if you really do use shot glasses as "toothpick holders," it's still best not to pack them. 

3. Plush
If you haven't yet worked for Disney, you might know this term as "stuffed animals," but once you start working merchandise for Disney you'll understand how grotesque this term actually sounds. Now, if you have one little plush bear that you'd really like to have on your bed, that's totally fine. But if you're planning on bringing your whole childhood collection with you, you might want to rethink that. I had friends who brought tons of plush that looked really cute on their beds but were absolutely not worth the hassle of trying to bring all of that home along with everything they'd accumulated during their program.

4. Formal wear
If you're doing your college program in the Fall, you'll be able to go to formal! Formal was really fun, and it was nice to dress up for a night during the program, however I would not recommend bringing an over the top formal outfit just for this event. Some people wore prom dresses, and frankly there's no need to do that. They just take up space in your suitcase and closet and you only wear them once. Go to the Florida Mall or the outlets across the street from the Commons during your program, and buy something that you'll get more than one wear out of instead.

5. Books/movies
If you're like me, most of your free time will be spent in the parks, so you won't have much of a need for books and movies. But there's also a learning center at Vista where you can check out books and movies, so they're not worth packing.

6. Toiletries
Obviously you need toiletries, but don't pack them, especially if you're flying. They'll add a lot of space (and weight) to your suitcase and you're better off buying them there.

7. Instruments 
I can see maybe bringing instruments if you're dead set on winning the Night of Stars talent competition, but for the most part, everyone I know who brought instruments hardly used them and just had to deal with the headache of getting them home.

8. Clothes you never wear
If you never wear them at home, you'll never wear them in Florida.

9. Video game systems
Bringing something portable is totally fine, but lugging your Xbox down to Florida is not a good idea, because like books/movies, you'll hardly have any time to actually use it.

10. Valuables (that you don't need)
I have nothing against bringing a nice watch, or your tablet, but the DCP is not the place to bring your expensive/family heirloom jewelry. If there's anything you own that's super valuable or irreplaceable it's best to leave it at home with your family, especially if you forgo renters insurance for your apartment in Florida.

11. Socks
This might sound stupid, but I regret bringing so many white socks. I brought so many white below the ankle socks, thinking I could wear them for work, but as it turned out I needed white socks that covered my ankles and black socks. If you're thinking of buying socks right before you move down, wait until you know the details of your costume.

12. Apartment decor
Of course you want to make your apartment homey, but just remember that everything you bring down you'll need to bring back home with you. And by the time your program is over you'll have accumulated so much more stuff to bring home anyway.

If you've done the program before is there anything else that you'd regret bringing?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brittany Earns Her Ears is now on Amazon! Click here to get your copy today!

Don't forget to enter my contest on Instagram! Follow @brittanyearnsherears and repost my recent post of my book cover to win a free copy of my book!

Attractions or Merchandise?

During the Spring 2015 DCP, my role was changed to attractions, at Lights, Motors, Action! While attractions seems to be one of the more coveted roles on the college program, I would say that whether or not you'll like working in attractions is really dependent upon which specific attraction you get. Working attractions for Disney (or any front line role for that matter) does not mean you get to choose a specific area. Whether you do the college program, or are just applying for a part time or full time job, you really have no say in the area you'll be placed in. You can make requests, but nothing is guaranteed. When I extended my Fall 2014 program from merchandise, the application asked for my top five choices of a new role. I applied with the following:

1. attractions
2. merchandise (different location)
3. main entrance operations
4. character attendant
5. merchandise (same location)

If you've read my book, or know me personally, you're probably wondering where vacation planner is on this list. After numerous attempts at getting Disney to hire me as a vacation planner, I finally gave up. During both times that I applied for the college program, vacation planner was my first choice, and both times I got merchandise. At this point, I kind of assumed that Disney would never want me to be a vacation planner, and that putting it as my number one choice again would be a waste of that spot on the list. Instead my previous second choice of attractions was bumped up to number one. 

Like I've already mentioned, working in attractions is so dependent on your role. When I found out that I was accepted for attractions, I automatically assumed I'd still be in Animal Kingdom. While I was working in Dinoland, I had to take a training class called "The Story Unfolds," in which we walked around our land only with a trainer to learn more about the details that went into creating Dinoland. Because of this class, and DAKlimation, that was the introductory class to the park that every Animal Kingdom cast member needed to take, I assumed I would get some attraction in Dinoland. Cost-wise that would have made sense-- they would have been paying me to start on the job training right away, rather than to take the intro class for a different park. One of my specific requests on my extension application was Expedition Everest. My best guess for where I would have been placed would have been either there (because I requested it, and it was in Animal Kingdom) or anything in Dinoland (because I already worked there and took "The Story Unfolds" class.)

It's a weird process of learning where exactly you'll be placed. You kind of find out in little pieces at a time where your new location is, and you don't find out where specifically you'll be working until that week's schedule comes out. First I found out I was in Hollywood Studios, where my Dinoland managers for some reason thought I would be placed at Star Tours. Then, I found out that I was in the Backlands. While I did request One Man's Dream, the rest of the Backlands was pretty unappealing to me. Finally, a week before I would start at my new location, I found out that I would be at Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show. 

Before working at LMA, I had a love/hate relationship with it. LMA was probably one of my least favorite shows. (I say "one of," because I cannot stand Disney Junior, and the Voyage of the Little Mermaid is up there too.) It's not that I hated LMA before I worked there, I just wouldn't have chosen to see it unless I was with other people who really wanted to see it. I could appreciate the skillfulness of the stunt drivers, and all of the work that goes into putting on a show like that, but it really wasn't my thing. Actually, come to think of it, cars in general really aren't my thing. I'm not really a "car person," in fact, I'm quite the opposite. I don't even know anything about my own cars. My first car was a boat, who was lovingly named Bertha, and she broke down so often that I was on a first name basis with most of the tow truck drivers in my town. I knew some of the AAA drivers in my town so well, that one time before one of them came to look at my car, which was helplessly stuck in the Staples parking lot where I used to work, he actually called my cell phone to ask if I wanted anything from Dunkin Donuts as he was stopping there anyway. Chaz is constantly trying to get me to go to car shows, which usually results in me finding something else to do, or making some excuse to get out of it, because I've always thought it was boring to go to a show and look at cars. So basically, I've lived a life where I've constantly tried to avoid going to car shows, only for Disney to make my new work location a car show. 

Now don't get me wrong, I wasn't horribly disappointed. This was not a repeat of Dinoland, which made me question the decisions I've made in life that somehow a higher power wanted to torture me by making me work at the only place I hate at Disney World. If anything I was disappointed that I'd be working at a show. I did however, quickly find the positives in the fact that it was a show I was uninterested in. If it's a show I wasn't crazy about in the first place, seeing it two or three times a day wouldn't ruin it for me. On the other plus side, it wasn't a musical, so I wouldn't go home from work with songs stuck in my head. Just like guests often do though (which actually really annoys me now, after working at LMA) when I hear "attractions," I think 'rides," or at least I did at the time anyway. I was worried that a show would be boring, and nothing but telling people to move all the way down when they didn't want to. 

Attractions is so much more than that, and it's so much more than merchandise. It's so much more "Disney" than merchandise. Merchandise, while it was an entirely different experience from any other retail job you could have, was still at its core retail. Even though it was much more magical, and there were so many things I did while working in merchandise that were specific to Disney, I really could to merchandise anywhere. There is nowhere besides Disney that I could have been an attractions hostess at a stunt show with cars, motorcycles, and jet skis. Attractions involved so much more guest interaction than merchandise, and there were so many more responsibilities that came with it. While greeting outside LMA, you're essentially out in the open in the park, where pretty much anything can happen. In merchandise you're more limited to one specific location, and especially if you're at an indoor gift shop the kinds of guest interaction you could have are even more limited. 

Before or in between shows at LMA, I was free to wander through the Backlands. During this time I would take photos for guests, photobomb guests, give out stickers, play with kids, listen to and dance with Mulch, Sweat, and Shears, blow bubbles, use hula hoops, and have the freedom to just walk around and people watch. While you could merchantain in merchandise, this was generally an assignment you'd pick up, and if you were on a busy register this wouldn't be possible. And due to the cash handling aspect of that role you really aren't able to leave your position. 

Working at LMA gave the perfect balance of structure (as there were times when I had a position and I needed to stay there) and freedom (of being able to walk through the park and just talk to guests.) The general schedule at LMA was that we would all super greet outside the attraction or anywhere really around the Backlands before the first show. During the show load, show, and show dump, we'd have certain positions we would have to stay at. After the show everyone would clean the stadium together, and then we would all go on break together. And the same process would then repeat itself for the second show. I liked this arrangement because I always knew when I would go on break, and all of my coworkers in attractions were so much closer simply because we were always together and we saw each other everyday on break. I also think it's easier to become close friends with your coworkers in attractions because the job requires you to work together in a way that merchandise doesn't. In merchandise, it might be helpful to have a coworker by your side at the register to bag purchases, but it's not necessary. In attractions, each position is necessary and you have to work together to accomplish anything.

Overall, I enjoyed my time working in attractions much more than I did in merchandise. This opinion might be partly due to the fact that my regular work location while I was merchandise was Dinoland, although I would honestly make a divide between the games and regular merchandise locations. On the whole, attractions was way more enjoyable, though one thing I did miss about working in merchandise was the ability to pick up shifts anywhere. With merchandise, I was able to work in all four parks, and at numerous shops, and even at a resort. With attractions, I was pretty much limited to LMA. 

That's about all for this post. Don't forget to enter my contest on Instagram to win a free copy of my book. Just follow @brittanyearnsherears and repost the cover of my book that's on my page. Winners will be announced on July 15th. 

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

"Brittany Earns Her Ears," General Updates, and DCP Spring 2015 Recap!

"Brittany Earns Her Ears" is officially available on Amazon in both paperback copies and e-books. Click here to purchase my new book on Amazon now! :)

Apologies are in order for how much this blog has been neglected during my program. Unfortunately writing a book, articles (for Disney Questions, Disney Fanatic, and Disney Dining) and working at Walt Disney World is really not a conducive schedule for writing blog posts on a regular basis. 

Since finishing the DCP, I've been working at a museum on Boston's Freedom Trail, where I was employed before I left for the program. It's not a bad job, but it's part time, and now that I'm finished with school I really need something full time. I started looking for full time work while I was still in Florida. During the last couple of weeks of my program, I sent out my resume to a bunch of organizations and really focused on getting started with the job search, but either got rejected or no response from everywhere I applied. Still waiting to hear back from somewhere, I began working at my old job as soon as I got home. Soon after I heard back from the Harvard Art Museum, where I was offered an interview, and eventually a job. In a couple of weeks I still be starting full time, as a Museum Attendant, working in all three of the Harvard Art Museums. 

Now let's back up a little bit, and I'll give a quick recap of my Spring DCP. I was given a new role and a new location for my Spring extension, so I said good-bye (kind of) to merchandise and was on my way to attractions at Hollywood Studios! My location was Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, and occasionally Fantasmic! and while I was not so excited about working at shows at first, I grew to love my time there. I also learned that what you request when you extend for a location apparently doesn't matter. (I requested Expedition Everest, Spaceship Earth, One Man's Dream, and Tower of Terror.) When I initially found out I was in Hollywood Studios, I had my hopes way too high thinking that I must have gotten Tower of Terror or One Man's Dream. Then, I found out that my attraction was in the Backlands, which was worrisome because most of the Backlands included attractions that I would never want to work at-- Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Frozen Sing Along, Toy Story Midway Mania, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Lights, Motors, Action!, One Man's Dream, Magic of Disney Animation, and Disney Junior Live on Stage. After learning which attractions were included in the Backlands, I hoped I would get One Man's Dream, since that was one of the attractions I requested. I'll be honest and say that Hollywood Studios is my least favorite park, and the only places I would really have wanted to work at would have been One Man's Dream or Tower of Terror. When I found out I was at Lights, Motors, Action! (LMA) I was surprisingly relieved. 

Initially I did not want to work at a show, because I thought that my job would be nothing but telling people to move all the way to the end of their row, but I quickly found that working at a show (or perhaps just attractions in general) was so much more than that. Working at LMA taught me how to communicate over a radio to other cast members, and the importance of safety critical positions, where I was responsible for monitoring guest flow and opening and closing gates that the cars enter or exit through during the show. Attractions was so much more "Disney" than merchandise if that makes sense, and I'm so happy that I was able to spend a couple of months working at LMA.

I think that's all for this post, but I will write some more about my most recent college program soon! I'm going to be running a contest on Instagram to give away a free copy of my book, so be on the lookout for that :)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brittany Earns Her Ears -- Now Available on Amazon!

"Brittany Earns her Ears" Q&A

So sorry for neglecting this blog! Writing a book, articles for two websites, and being on the DCP definitely took away from keeping a blog, so apologies for that! I've just submitted the final draft of "Brittany Earns her Ears," which will be out in February 2015. Don't forget to follow me on Instagram, @brittanyearnsherears , as I will be giving away a free copy of my book to one of my followers! In the meantime, my Facebook and Instagram friends have compiled some questions about my new book for a Q&A:

Q: How will your book be different from other books in the Ears series?
A: First of all, I don't think that there is really one set tone, or style of book in the Ears series. From what I've read of the other books so far, each one is almost entirely different because of the person who wrote it. As for one thing that sets my book apart, I would say that I focused in on the details that I felt I knew less about before starting the DCP. I did a lot of research before coming down here for my program, and there were a lot of things that came up everywhere in my research, and some that didn't come up at all. I wanted the focus of my book to be the things that didn't come up at all. A lot of the Ears books also tend to focus heavily on advice for future CPs, and mine does that to an extent, but not about the same things. If you're looking for advice on which apartment complex to live in, you'll probably want to read one of the other books, because I only discuss Vista Way very briefly (as that's where I lived.) Information like that can be found on numerous blogs, and in other books, so I did not want to spend time reiterating what you've probably seen elsewhere. I carefully chose which areas of the DCP I wanted to go into detail about, based on the things I didn't know before I got there. I went into a lot of detail about training, not just the technicalities of it, but what it actually felt like to be new, and training at Walt Disney World, and rather than including a chronological summary of my program, I focused in on some of my best and worst moments to show an overall picture of what the program was like for me.

Q: Will your book include photos?
A: It will have some photos, but I did not want to include too many for fear that it would look scrapbook-y if that makes sense. I really took writing the book seriously, so I don't want it to turn out looking like a Facebook page, I'd rather it come across as a more serious memoir. I've also included my Facebook, Instagram, and blog links, so readers can still see photos from my DCP without putting a ton of them in the book.

Q: Where are you working in the Spring, and will you be writing a book about that experience?
A: My Spring DCP will be in Attractions, at Lights, Motors, Action! at Hollywood Studios. As of right now, I'm not planning on writing a book about my experience, but I will likely be keeping up with my blog more if I don't end up working on another book. As much as I would love to write another book, I think it makes sense to at least give it some time after just finishing my last book. I do write in a journal every day though, so it's always something that could happen in the future. 

Q: What was the most difficult part about writing your book?

A: Obviously it was difficult writing it while I had so many other things going on. When I wrote the introduction and the first couple of chapters, I was still in school full time, so that was a lot on my plate. When I arrived in the DCP I was working for Disney full time, and writing articles for Disney Questions and Disney Fanatic still, so even with school being over it was still a lot. I would say that the most difficult part though was actually sitting down and writing it. I don't mean to say that the whole book was difficult-- what I mean is that writing a book about yourself is difficult. I would literally sit down with my journal next to me while writing, and it's a very strange feeling knowing that any random person can pick up my book and read things I've written in my journal. Writing about work was difficult too. In case you didn't know, I didn't absolutely love my work location, and getting my feelings towards it across well in my book was difficult. I don't want it to sound like I hated it, because I didn't completely hated it, it just wouldn't have been my first choice. Everyone I worked with was super nice, and even my trainer, who you'll notice in my book was (in my opinion) unreasonably strict, was truly a great person. I really wanted to let my readers know that if you don't like your work location it's not the end of the world. I didn't like Dinoland at all as the location where I'd be working for five months, but I still have some awesome memories from there.

Q: Is there anything shocking/surprising in your book?

A: Maybe. It all depends on what you consider to be shocking. I was surprised by a couple of things during my DCP, a lot of those things having to do with the way you are trained while working for Disney, and some of the things you'd see backstage. If you're looking for something along the lines of the "Mousecatraz," or "Cast Member Confidential" type books, that's not how mine will be. There are a few things in mine that are NSFM (not safe for magic) but on the whole I didn't want to focus my book on anything crazy like that. 

Q: You've mentioned that your book has a bit of sarcasm to it, can you expand on that?

A: I used sarcasm to get my personality across. I am a sarcastic person in real life, but only when certain situations call for it, and my book comes across in the same way. Sarcasm was helpful to differentiate from what I needed to be saying aloud, from what I was actually saying during my college program. I found sarcasm as a literary device to be particularly helpful in this kind of a book. Although Disney Cast Members have to be smiling and happy all the time, that is realistically not necessarily the case-- they are putting on a show for guests. An example of the sarcasm used in my book would be that I'd quote the words I was actually saying while spieling inside a game, but I'd also mention how it actually felt to be inside the game, with the microphone, in the Florida heat for a couple of hours. 

Q: Is there anything you'd like to have had in your book, but it didn't make it in?

A: Of course! Now that I think of it, that's actually a difficult part of writing a book as well-- deciding what to include and what to cut out. In my opinion, I've covered all of the big important topics that I think my readers will care about most, it's more just smaller anecdotes that didn't make it in. I might expand on these later on my blog, but some of these things include:

-weight loss (or gain) on the DCP. I lost 25 pounds being here, but a lot of my international friends gained weight here. I guess that says something about American eating habits.

- roommates. I didn't write too much about roommates because the roommate situation here is really not any different from roommates in college. You can read about what it's like to live with other people at a number of other places, so I simply didn't think it was worth taking up the space in my book. 

- parties. I didn't really party during my DCP. If you have questions about what it's like I can answer them for a blog post, but I didn't party enough to include it in my book.

-housing events. Because I didn't go to that many of them, and I felt like you could read about them in a number of other places. I was often working during them, or opted to go to the parks instead. Don't worry though, the important ones, like graduation, made it in there.

Q: Now that you're done with your book, what's next?

A: Oh God.. well I'll still be in Orlando until May, working at Lights, Motors, Action! After that I'll be going back home to Massachusetts, where I'd like to find a full time job. I want to go back to school eventually for my Masters, it's just a process of deciding on a program and school, oh and a way to pay for it since I'm still paying for my undergrad. And now I have a wedding to plan. So what's next? Err... I'll keep you posted on that one.

"Brittany Earns her Ears" will be out in February 2015 for Amazon and Kindle. Don't forget to follow @brittanyearnsherears on Instagram to enter my contest for a free copy next month!