Fall/Spring VS Fall Advantage/Spring Advantage

This is going to be a very brief post on the difference between advantage programs and the normal programs. Basically advantage programs last longer, and go through the summer. Spring just goes through spring, fall just goes through fall. Spring advantage arrives with the spring CPs, but they will work trough the summer rather than going home around May. Fall advantage CPs arrive early, around May/June, but leave with the fall CPs. Fall CPs arrive throughout August and the first week of September.

The pros to doing an advantage program (let's just call these FA and SA for the sake of me being lazy) is that you are there longer, you get to experience all the cool summer only festivities (LIKE STAR WARS WEEKENDS), and there's no FOMO from your friends all being together at college. (FOMO for those of you who don't know stands for Fear Of Missing Out.) People don't usually think about this, but when you're the only one not at school, and all your friends are together taking cute pictures and going on spring break together or whatever, you feel a little left out. For all of 3 seconds before you remember you're living at Disney World ;)

The cons to doing FA/SA is the awful summer Florida weather: rain, humidity, heat. You also have to deal with a busy time for the parks, and more of your guest passes are blocked out, so there's less availability for friends and family to visit for free. I personally think FA > SA because for FA you're super excited since you get to show up before all the other fall CPs, and learn the ropes early. SA you're at the end of your program and all your friends and coworkers are leaving to go home, and you're still committed to stay. This could be awesome if you love your role, but many people hit homesicknesses at this point. I would rather do the normal spring program, and if I love it, extend my program.

So to sum up my personal opinion (obviously everyone has a different opinion/experience) is that I would pick fall advantage over fall, but spring over spring advantage.

I hope this post has been helpful to those of you who were confused over the differences of the four programs :) I'll put in an approximate schedule for date with FA/F/SA/S.

FA: Arrive in May/June, stay through early January.
Fall: Arrive in August/September, stay through early January.
SA: Arrive in January/February, stay through August.
Spring: Arrive in January/February. stay through May.

Disneyland VS Walt Disney World

So this is a VERY OPINIONATED pros and cons list for the two parks. They are the two most similar Disney parks (in America, I can't speak for the international parks) so obviously they get compared a lot. Many people say that the first park you visit is your favorite, but apparently I'm the odd one out for that! I first visited Disneyland in 3rd grade, and Disney World in 8th grade, and even though I LOVE both parks, I'm partial to Disney World. Of course I also lived there for a semester so that might have a little something to do with it ;) So the following comparisons list is based solely off MY EXPERIENCES. Other people will have completely different opinions, and that's okay, but I'm going to go ahead and write down my own comparisons and opinions. I've been to Disneyland three times, at ages 9 (I think?), 19, and 20. I visited Disney World at ages 13, 16, 18, and 19/20. For those of you who might think "wow, this girl is spoiled, she's been a million times", I paid for 2/3 of those trips by myself :) Ok so here goes. If I don't mention something, it's because I either haven't done it, or the two are too similar between the two parks (such as Big Thunder Mountain and the Haunted Mansion).

Attractions:

Disneyland:

• Indiana Jones
• Splash Mountain > WDW
• Pirates of the Caribbean > WDW
• Some might say the Matterhorn, but I'm not a fan of that ride, it HURTS!
• Tomorrowland attractions as a whole are better (DLR includes Star Tours!)

Disney World:

• Space Mountain > DLR
• More shows, Mickey's Filharmagic is one of my favorites!
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor

Food:

Disneyland:

• Larger variety of foods
• More quick-service restaurants serving full-service style meals
• Churros are everywhere
• Blue Bayou restaurant inside Pirates of the Caribbean

Disney World: 

• Be Our Guest restaurant
• Disney nuggets are everywhere <3
• More frozen drink options
• More food in general, easy to find food everyone likes!

Shows:

Disneyland:

• Paint the Night is FAR superior to the Mainstreet Electrical Parade
• Jedi Training Academy

Disney World:

• Festival of Fantasy Parade
• I'm sorry but Wishes will forever be the best fireworks show
• Celebrate the Magic
• Having Celebrate the Magic and Wishes separate was better than combining the two like they do in Disneyland Forever Fireworks (I think that's what it's called?)

Overall Park Layout:

Disneyland:

• Everything is compact which makes it easier to find things
• It's the original! Even though the castle is smaller...it's the ORIGINAL!
• Better landscaping around the castle

Disney World:

• The castle is more castle-y, it's MUCH larger!
• Everything is more spread out which makes it SEEM less crowded
• There are fewer and larger lands, Disneyland can be pretty overwhelming

My overall opinion is that Disney World is better designed, and that's why it Walt wasn't satisfied with Disneyland. Disneyland is small and surrounded by cheap hotels and fast food joints, Disney World is it's own little city which truly makes it seem like your transported to a magical and CLEAN place :) Disney World just feels like home. And the last thing that really put Disney World over the edge for me is the cast members. Disneyland cast members are great, but Disney World cast members are memorable and outstanding. I'm pretty sure this is because Disney World hires many Disney College Program and International cast members, people who really want to be there and make the magic. Those in California were almost ALL from California, and we didn't experience a single magical moment while we were there. 

Obviously I'm slightly biased ;) But I prefer Disney World. I do think, however, that if you're a Disney fan you should absolutely visit BOTH parks. They are similar yet unique, and both will add a little more magic to your Disney experiences :) 

West Coast Road Trip: Disneyland Resort

Disneyland was incredibly fun. I was SO excited to see another Disney castle! When we walked around the corner and saw Main Street U.S.A. and the castle for the first time I was super happy but also thought "huh, I remember the castle being a lot bigger than that" haha. In  case you've never been to Disneyland...the castle is like half the size of the castle in Magic Kingdom (but no less magical! Still gorgeous of course). We kept getting lost because it's so similar to Magic Kingdom, but set up slightly differently so we kept ending up in the wrong lands! So strange hahaha. They really fit as much as possible into the Disneyland property. There has to be at least 3 times more attractions than California Adventure!

I got to meet up with one of my coworkers from Studio Catering Co. in Hollywood Studios, Lizzie, who is doing the Summer Alumni Program in Disneyland at the dole whip stand by the Enchanted Tiki Room. So that was awesome :) We got to do SO many cool things! We rode Space Mountain, Star Tours, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones Adventure, and  Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. It really wasn't that busy which was pretty surprising for a July day! And the weather was mid 70's which is perfect. I think our longest wait time was maybe 45 minutes for Space Mountain.

As far as comparisons for attractions go...the Disney World Space Mountain is better, but the Disneyland Splash Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean is better. The other rides are pretty much the same in both parks. And if you've only been to one of the parks, Indiana Jones is basically the same as Dinosaur in Animal Kingdom but with different theming (obviously). And I must admit I prefer Cinderella's castle in Magic Kingdom even though Sleeping Beauty's castle in Disneyland is also beautiful (and the original).

We were PUMPED for the food at Disneyland but unfortunately all the stuff I had picked out (through the Disney Food Blog) were at sit down restaurants... :( So I got a cheesy garlic bagel twist for lunch, Starbucks for breakfast, and Blue Bayou for dinner where we both got filet mignon. Blue Bayou is the restaurant inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. The bread they bring out is AMAZING and our steaks were also really good. Our waiter was alright, but we had higher expectations since this is indeed Disney.

We were surprisingly disappointed by the Disneyland cast members. We didn't get to witness any magical moments or any cast member go out of their way to do something special for a guest. Seriously the only two cast members that even mentioned our pins or asked us questions were previous CPs! Also like every cast member there is from California which is boring. So Disney World definitely impressed us more with cast member interaction and guest satisfaction. Not saying Disneyland was bad, but it also wasn't any better than any other place I've been to (besides Disney World).

The Paint the Night parade was SO much better than the Main Street Electrical Parade in Magic Kingdom! The ONLY complaint I have is that in their transition phases between floats they play THE BLASTED MAIN STREET ELECTRICAL PARADE MUSIC! Which gets stuck in your head and never leaves. Ever. But besides that is was perfect ;)

The fireworks were amazing of course, but I prefer Wishes. Wishes tells a story with Jiminy Cricket whereas Disneyland Forever Fireworks was more of a movie montage. Still beautiful but not very emotional. They did something similar to Celebrate the Magic but DURING the fireworks show and used Main Street as a canvas for a light show. I wish the two would have been separate because I was constantly turning back and forth to see both elements, but it was still a really cool use of technology :)

Oh, and did I mention we got to see Kanye West and the Kardashians? Yeah they got the Carousel all to themselves and we saw them ride it and get off because we were right across from them in line for Mr. Toad's Wild Ride! The only two times I've seen famous people were both at Disneyland! Last spring break was Ashley Benson from Pretty Little Liars and this week was Kanye and the Kardashians. So that's definitely something Disneyland has on Disney World, way more celebrities!

Anyhoo here's my video from the trip :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5Hvdqs6OH8

West Coast Road Trip: Disney California Adventure

I HAD THE MOST AMAZING TRIP PEOPLE. My roommate from the DCP, Lindsey, and I made the lovely 20+ hour road trip from Anacortes, WA (up north between Seattle and Canada) to Murietta, CA. We stayed with one of our roommates from the DCP, Ashley. The road trip was long but surprisingly fun! We stopped at Voodoo Doughnuts in Oregon and blasted our Disney playlist the whole way to California :) By the way California is currently an extremely dry and brown wasteland (no offense to you Californians).

So we stayed in Ashland, OR on the first night and drove into LA the second night. We stopped at Downtown Disney for Earl of Sandwich, churros, and fireworks. If you've never been to Disneyland, Disneyland and Downtown Disney and California Adventure are all in the same area. So it's like a 30 second walk from Disneyland to California Adventure (we're calling these DLR and DCA). It was SO nice to see Disney fireworks <3 <3 <3 We finally got to Murietta where Ashley lives (about 1.5 hours from Disneyland).

We left around 8:30am for California Adventure and had SO much fun :) Ashley, Lindsey, Ashley's boyfriend Zach, and I all went to the park and it was perfect! The weather was surprisingly cool which was awesome. I still got burnt. Haha :) We FINALLY got our Disney chicken nuggets (trust me, there's none better!) and we ate our first Disney corndog which they're apparently famous for. We were so excited for the food...we got also got to see World of Color which made me cry (they play the Celebrate the Magic music from Disney World), and the Aladdin show which is always HYSTERICAL.

We rode California Screamin', the Little Mermaid ride, the Golden Zephyr (aka flying boat things), the Silly Symphony Swings ride, Soarin' Over California (twice), Radiator Springs Racers (imagine a Cars themed Test Track), Mickey's Fun Wheel - the swinging ones obviously, Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, and Monster's Inc. Mike & Sully to the Rescue. Neither of us are big fans of Tower of Terror, so we decided to skip that one. My favorites were definitely California Screamin', the Little Mermaid, and Soarin'. A thrill ride, a classic, and one that reminds me of Disney World <3

California Adventure was super fun, but of course Disneyland was what we were REALLY looking forward to! Once I can get my photos to upload I'll post those! Here's our video from the trip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=17&v=I6U53nWRaO4

Disney College Program VS Study Abroad

I am a VERY lucky person and I was able to spend my fall in Disney World doing the DCP, and my spring in New Zealand studying abroad. I was only able to do this because I came into college with transfer credits from high school, and I know a lot of people have to choose between these two because they both push back graduation!

I have LOVED both experiences, but personally preferred the DCP. I believe this all depends on your personality though. I like DOING things and living in the moment and going on spontaneous adventures. This is much easier to do if you're not tied down by school. If you're more interested in learning, and consistent schedules, and really embracing a new culture then studying abroad is for you. If you're a huge Disney nerd that wants to work for the company, work the craziest and most flexible hours, and are content to spend all your free time in Disney, Universal, or the Orlando area, then the DCP is for you. Both programs allow to make friends from all over the world :)

I loved being abroad, I just wish I didn't have school. I would much rather travel around the world on my own or with a friend than be in another country doing school. Some people prefer that unique learning experience of seeing how education differs, and being able to become a "local" for a few months. I'm also not a big classroom kind of person, I'm SO ready to graduate college and be in the "real world" ;)

I think a really cool thing about studying abroad is that you have a "base" when travelling, and you know you always have a bed waiting for you. Sometimes when travelling it can be stressful finding hotels and hostels and campsites. Studying abroad is an amazing opportunity, but I will say if you're a homebody and get homesick, then consider either just travelling with family, or doing a summer program instead of a full semester. At Disney if you get really homesick you can always call them on the phone without worrying about big time differences, and if you're really desperate you can fly home, but you can't do that if you study abroad. I can only use wifi to connect with people back home, and that can be tough on some people. One last thing to consider is which will help you out professionally. Are you going into a customer service based career where Disney can make you stand out, or are you looking to go into something that really values international experience? That's also a great thing to consider, they can both positively impact your future!

Well I hope I gave you a lot to think about! I am just finishing up my study abroad here in New Zealand so I've been comparing the two programs a lot lately. They are both incredible opportunities, and you can't go wrong with either one :) I really hope this was helpful to any of you considering the two options! Here are some pictures from my semester abroad :)

I'M GOING TO....

....DISNEYLAND!

I am BEYOND excited to announce that I get to go to Disneyland and California Adventure this July 7 & 8! AND EVEN BETTER, I get to go with THREE of my DCP roommates! How cool is that?! Lindsey and I will road trip the 18 hours down to LA, with an overnight stop in Ashland, Oregon. We will stay at Ashley's house because she lives in LA, and Mikaela will meet us there! I am SO excited to see my roomies again <3 We're going to do Disney's California Adventure (DCA) the 7th, and Disneyland Resort (DLR) the 8th. We're going to be all cute and wear our alumni t-shirts one day with our DCP hats, and the other day we're all dressing up as Avengers. I get to be Thor. Poor Ashley is the Hulk hahaha.

I am so excited to be there for the Diamond Celebration festivities! My good friend from Studio Catering Co. is doing a summer alumni program selling dole whips on Main St., so I'm also super excited to see her :) She said the parades and fireworks are AMAZING! AND GUESS WHAT ELSE?! WE HAVE RESERVATIONS FOR BLUE BAYOU! For those of you who don't know what that is, it's the fancy restaurant INSIDE the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. So good. I've been missing Disney A LOT recently, so I'm very happy I get to experience some Disney magic, even if it's not Disney World. Yes, I actually prefer Disney World to Disneyland, but they're both INCREDIBLE parks. I've got a lovely countdown going and everything!

I'll update you all in July with pictures and everything on our Disneyland vacation, but here are a few pictures from my spring break trip LAST YEAR to Disneyland with my college friends!

Radiator Springs

Princess Aurora with Ellie, Grant, and I!

Splash Mountain feat. creeper in the back

Selfie with Princess Tiana <3

Ellie, Grant, and I in front of the castle!

Well that's it, I just wanted to share the good news! Have a beautiful, wonderful, joyful, MAGICAL week. :)

6 Ways You Can Stop Work From Taking Over Your Program

Here's a little advice blog about how not to let work rule your life while on the DCP.

1. Either blog, vlog, or journal so you can think back on all the cool things you've gotten to do. This also lets your family and friends back home feel involved in your super cool Disney life! It was hard for me to find time to blog because I always felt like I was either working, playing, or sleeping. What worked best for me was setting aside one day of the week (I did Sundays), and getting into a habit of updating.
2. Call home, but get into a good schedule! You don't want to spend all your free time calling home, because that usually doesn't help with any homesickness you might have. On the flip side, you also want to remember you have people back home that want to hear from you so they know you're alive and well! I called home once a week, or every other week just to catch up. It worked great for me, my roommate Lindsey did something similar and neither of us had any homesickness!
3. Schedule yourself a three day weekend. Sometimes you just need that extra day off to relax! It's okay to give away a shift every once in awhile, just don't get into a habit. I gave away shifts maybe four or five times just to have a three day weekend, and I never regretted it! That way you can have two days for play, and one for sleeping in, laundry, and grocery shopping. 
4. Become friends with your coworkers. It can be easy to think of everyone as a "boss" figure, or think your coworkers look down on your because they're older, let me tell you that those are some of the coolest people you'll meet. If you can get to know your coworkers and managers, work becomes so much less stressful and less of a chore!! The second half of my program was great because I knew everyone and learned how to have fun while also being a great worker. 
5. It's okay to call in sick once in awhile. You will get a point for this, but sometimes your body just needs to rest and recover. I was super stressed about the point system coming in, but I racked up MAYBE 5 points, and 0 reprimands. No one cares about a few stray points, it doesn't affect your chances of being rehired. Just watch the reprimand tally, that's the one you have to look out for! I called out sick probably three times. Just know that if you call out sick and go swipe yourself into the parks, THEY KNOW. I never did that, but others got reprimanded for it.
6. Go to the parks before or after work. I loved the shifts where I could just go chill in the park with my coworkers after we got off, especially in the Christmas season. Instead of going home with the exhausted post work mentality, I got to go home thinking about our fun night in the park! And this doesn't need to be a four hour thing, sometimes we just went to a show, or got a bar of ice cream.

That's all I have for now! It's extremely easy to get caught up in the work routine where you never take time for yourself, but that's how people get burnt out. Make sure you're taking time for you, and don't overstretch yourself. If you're excuse for working six days a week and always being exhausted is that your dead broke, then your doing something wrong. Lay of the booze or something! I consistently worked 30 hour weeks (AKA THE BARE MINIMUM) and scraped by perfectly fine :) Make the most of your program! Trust me when I say IT WILL FLY BY, and before you know it you're wishing you hadn't gotten so caught up in working. Not that working is a bad thing, but it can also be disheartening, and you can lose some of that Disney magic. STAY STRONG AND EMBRACE THE MAGIC <3