Lets take a trip to the happiest place on Earth!!!

    Most of my readers are family and friends from Facebook and therefore already know about my recent adventures during my Disney College Program! But for the few that happen upon this impossibly random blog and are in college looking for a great opportunity....well you were sent to this blog for a reason! And that reason all started with a mouse!

 

 

    So it all began when I was told about the college program by a 17 year alumni-er (thats not a word...) So I applied, attended a college presentation, passed the online interview, and had a nerve wracking phone interview! A couple months of waiting and I finally found out that I got in! I received the email while I was in an english class and almost screamed!

    I chose my arrival date to be Febrary 6th, 2012 which meant my program would be over August 10th, 2012. I anxiously awaited my arrival date and the few weeks before brought on such anxiety because I was moving across the country again. But this time my life was so amazing. I had just finished school, going to church, and not to mention the awesome job in photography! So this was going to be such a big change for me! A change that I didn't need but was such an amazing opportunity I was given that I was so excited for! In fact I was so excited and anxious that I started getting bad headaches. I was going to Disney World for the first time ever and not leaving for 6 months!

    So finally February came, Lora and I flew down a few days early, stayed in an amzing hotel and waited for my arrival date! On the morning of the 6th we met my new roommate at iHop and then made our way to the line at good old Vista Way where our lives were about to change forever! We were put into a Vista Way apartment with 4 other girls, 6 total.

    That week was a blur of Traditions, training classes, and fun at the parks with my new roommates. And the rest of the 6 months were filled with lack of sleep, amazing memories, working at All Star Music, awesome friends, and all sorts of things I will remember for the rest of my life.

    So instead of boring you with memories in word form....here are all kinds of pictures with funny captions to keep you awake! So if you're in college (no matter what age) please check out the college program! It is an amazing experience and will open your eyes to even more of the world God has created for us!

    

 

Our first picture takes us to the entrance of The Magic Kingdom! This was the first time I saw it!

When you arrive on the Disney College Program they will have a welcome event. MAKE SURE YOU GO!!!! There are characters, food, and free stuff!!!! Our theme was Pirates! Arrrrrgh!

At the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom make sure to take good ole Facebook style pictures with all the characters.

And when Tigger is leaving yell TTFN! His reaction is amazing!!

Oh bother, Don't scare Eeyore he will hide from you!

Princess Tiana and Naveen

Merida! The newest pricess from Brave. My iPhone case had an ice cream sandwich case on it and when the attendant was taking the picture Merida said "Look her magical box is like a cookie!" and her three little brothers behind her (the little bears) all turned their heads and started sniffing and she said " Oh no boys you can't have it!"



When getting pictures with the face characters make sure you interact with them. They will start the conversation so go along with what they say and be animated. They are animated characters and love when guests are just as animated.

Dale! (He has a red nose and a gap between his teeth) Do NOT call him Chip!

Sweet little Duffy Bear! He is Mickeys teddy bear. I highly recommend going around the world at Epcot and stopping at all the Funspots and coloring a Duffy and getting the cool stamps on the back. Its an awesome (free!) souvenir!

Look Ma! It's Goofy! He's my favorite!!! This was at one of the housing events for Cinco De Mayo. Please attend all of the housing events! Seriously! They are free and they create so many fun memories!

Uhhhhh That AWESOME moment when you stand in line for more than an hour, meet awesome new friends from Oklahoma, and then Buzz proposes to your friend! This is one of the reasons why Disney is just amazing!

Oh and that time when Tigger won't stop jumping so we join him!

And Mickey Mouse came to be a ref at Vista Way for a basketball tournament! and Minnie Mouse was a cheerleader but I missed her!

Proof that I wore a dress...

Graduation number 3. This time I graduated with Mickey and Minnie Mouse! Such an honor.

Oh the castle. I could probably post a new picture of this castle for a year.

This one being my favorite. I captured this shot a couple times. At the end of wishes, right when the last fireworks blow and before the castle lights go out.

Ahh Main Street, USA. Always something amazing happening there. The band is one of my favorites.

The Mickey Shaped Waffle. Or in Brazilian: The Mickey Shaypid Wayful. I have a love/hate relationship with this waffle. This was (and still is) my job while on the college program. Making Mickey waffles or the Western omelette (yeeeehaw!) or anything from the rest of the shops in the food court.  

Ferb I know what we're gonna do today! This picture was taken at Universal at the Hot Chelle Rae concert <3 This concert started our spontanious adventures and our nicknames of Phineas&Ferb! (Since we decided the day before to go to the concert, made t-shirts, took a taxi, and bought tickets into the park just to see HCR) Miss you Andrea-Ferb

I decided to use the good picture of the four of us with the castle in the background. The ones before it were the failed attempts of me trying to get our faces and the castle. It just wasn't working! When I see this picture, a whole days worth of memories comes flying back! We neeeeed KETCHUP!!!! We need to reunite! Meri, Katie trainer girl, and Kim!

I should really just stop thinking I am good at getting things into the background. This is yet another failed attempt at getting the giant balloon into the background. (I got the reflection...)

This was probably my favorite moment! These people helped me have the best end of my program possible! I wasn't really talking to my roommates and we weren't getting along but these girls (and Gary) helped me have a blast at Vista Way and at the parks. Stef (Bacon? No No!!), Me (Potayto), Gary (Girls Night Out), Dani (Hi Mom), Ashton (They Fluffed^)  

All the times I went with 6 girls to try and conquer this...

The kitchen sink...So many scoops of ice cream, all the toppings in the house and a whole can of whip cream! A WHOLE CAN?! This was the second time I attempted with 6 people and failed.

My best friends fly in to see me and 3 of us conquer that bad boy! Theres a whole can all right!

Have you ever been serenaded by your waiter? I have twice in one night! And the second time was recorded for your pleasure. I wonder if a guest has actually kissed him while he was waiting at the end? I didn't know what to do except laugh histerically.

Proof #2 that I wore a dress in Florida! Maybe I'll get to this point again here in Ohio. But there is just something about going to another city and state where absolutely no one knows you and just being able to come out of your shell entirely.

 



dananananana Bat-Room!

See! My nickname is Ireland. So I didn't tell you that for no reason before! While on the program you can take classes that can also be put on your degree back home! Mine wasn't but it was still a great class. I took leadership. But I recommend creativity and innovation.

So not only did I not leave for 6 months but I turned 21 there! And when guests have birthdays they get buttons that say its my birthday! Normally the cast members don't get to wear them but my lovely co-cast members got me a button and my managers let me wear it and then they surprised me with green clover balloons in the break room! It was a fantastic birthday!!!

The first time I rode Prince Charmings carousel I rode on Cinderellas horse! Hers is the only horse with a gold ribbon! No other horse has a ribbon. So if you stand there for a few seconds its pretty easy to spot. Then you just have to run to it. But don't knock off any little princesses especially if you are a cast member...that's no bueno!

Squirrel! At the Vista Way bus stop the bus drivers feed the squirrels so they are pretty tame and will crawl right onto your lap if you're not careful!

EPCOT. I love EPCOT. The ride inside the ball (Spaceship Earth is one of my favorites.

Andy's room in All Star Movies Resort.

This was the last goodbye dinner. Three of us were leaving that week and although we were pretty happy to be going home and seeing our family, we were also very sad to leave behind our new Disney family. Marietta, Barbara, Dani, Veronica, and Kim. (Rhea Rhea Rhea took the picture.)

This was my space at Vista Way. My bed and bulletin board full of pictures and pins.



Well that pretty much sums up the college program. Going to Disney, Working at Disney, sleeping on the buses because theres just too much excitement to get enough sleep at home, grocery bingo, characters, friends, wishes, fireworks, memories and a time in your life that you will never forget.

So get out there. There are opportunites. Maybe its not Disney. Maybe its not an internship. Maybe you're already out of school, therefore can't participate. But there's something!

There are other things to do. Don't waste your life. Get out there and live it. As soon as I left my college program I found myself on top of a mountain!

 

No really...I was on top of a mountain in Colorado! I left one amazing world and decided to take a quick vacation before being forced back to reality without pixy dust and magic.

    The peaceful mountains were a welcome blessing after the hustle and bustle of Disney. Exactly what I needed to come down from the magical land and start heading back into the real world of school and work and family and cars and dogs and bills.

    I had almost escaped for 6 months and had the time of my life. I didn't do anything crazy like "normal" new 21 year olds because I think I have proven that I can have just as much fun if not more and still remember it.

    So as you go about tomorrow and the next day and into next week, next month and next year think of how much fun you can have and try to actually make it happen. Think of one thing that you have ALWAYS wanted to do and make it happen.

 

 

 

 

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If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

Treat others as you want to be treated.

Go on an adventure! Stay Happy

Climb a Mountain!