I thought it would be important for me to write about the many reasons I have decided to do the DCP (Disney College Program – you’ll see that acronym a lot on here!). Anyone who has met me knows that I love all things Disney, so I’m sure no one is shocked I’ve decided to do the program, but there are reasons beyond a love of Disney that have influenced my decision to participate in the program: here they are!
- The Study of Imagineering:
For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with Disney Parks. I spent my middle school days (after doing homework) on VMK (the world’s most amazing multiplayer virtual reality game EVER that Disney eventually shut down RIP VMK), “booking” fake trips through Disney’s website, watching attraction ride-through videos on YouTube (yes, this was really what I did when YouTube first became popular…), and reading as many travel guides as I could (Birnbaum’s and Passporter are two of my absolute favorites!). Like, seriously obsessed. The more I studied the parks, the more I wanted to know how they were designed. TV specials on the Discovery Channel (like this one on the making of Everest here) became some of my favorite things to watch on TV with my family. Books on Imagineering, like these (images courtesy of Amazon),
became some of my favorite things to read. I simply couldn’t learn enough about Imagineering (the branch of the Walt Disney Company that is in charge of creating new movies, attractions, stage shows, etc. for the company), and was eager to learn whatever I could. Throughout most of middle school, my plan was to work for Disney Animation Studios or Pixar Animation Studios as a concept artist. I knew that I had to work for Disney in some way, and making movies or designing attractions seemed like the coolest possible way to do that (for the record, I still believe that to be true. Imagineers are forever my heroes). Obviously, my dream has changed a little bit, but I still love to learn about Imagineering and want to figure out how I can adapt Imagineering principles to my classroom management style. Which brings me to Reason #2:
2. One Little Spark:
A little less than a year ago, I read the book One Little Spark by Imagineer and Disney Legend Marty Sklar.
I absolutely LOVED the book and made it my mission to figure out how to adapt the principles presented in the book as guidelines for managing a classroom. I wrote a paper for my classroom management class on the very topic, and couldn’t wait to share what I had learned with my classmates. Through reading and writing about this book, I began to realize how important it is to encourage creativity and failure in the classroom, and how important it is to really connect with students in order to reach and teach them. I am hoping to take the Creativity & Innovation course on my program to further help me develop this creative approach to teaching.
3. Disney Cast Member Interactions
The final reason I wanted to do the DCP was because of all of the CMs (Cast Members) I have spoken with and come to appreciate in my years as a Disney guest. In middle school, I met a CM in Epcot who told me she was doing the DCP – I had never heard of this before, but I was intrigued. She told me she was taking a semester off of college to work in the parks, and she was having the time of her life. I knew this was something I had to do, so when I got home from my trip, I began my (literal) years of research on the program: I talked to people on Disney discussion boards (like The Dis, my favorite of the discussion boards), I googled everything I could about the whole process – from applications and interviews to housing and life on the CP. The more I became invested in it, the more I managed to find myself in the presence of alums who were gushing to speak of their experiences. On a Disney Cruise, I spoke with a CM who had completed her program in Animal Kingdom; she told me I HAD to do the program, and I have never forgotten the encouragement she gave me. Becky, thank you for pushing me to go out on a limb and make my dreams come true – I finally did it!
I have had many magical moments with CMs over the years, but there is one that made me realize, once and for all, that I was meant to be a Cast Member. It was a hot night in July, and I was waiting for Wishes to begin on the last night of my trip. I was not thrilled about having to leave in the morning, and was in a bit of a sour mood because of it (leaving Disney is really emotional for me…). While I was waiting, a CM walked up to the little girl in front of me, and asked her if she wanted to help him start the show. She nodded, and he got down on his knees on the concrete next to her, and told her to get ready. He showed her how to move her arms about to control where the fireworks went. The lights dimmed, the show began, and he guided her arms to follow the fireworks’ path through the sky. She was beaming, and so was I. Every ounce of gloominess disappeared as I really, truly realized how magical it was to work in this wonderful place and create magical memories for guests every. single. day. It’s truly hard to put into words how much this moment impacted me, but I can definitively say that it is one of the most magical moments I have ever had in a Disney Park. It is the moment that I realized that working for Disney was truly something I could do. Something I really, really wanted to do. Something I am now going to do. And I simply cannot wait. 70 days and counting down until I return home.
One Little Spark 