Welcome Aboard the World Famous Jungle Cruise!

That's right ladies and gents, I am now a Skipper on the World Famous Jungle Cruise! Well okay, I have been for the past month as well, but we all now how bad I am at keeping up with my blog. Having the opportunity to work one of the original attractions of Disneyland park has been amazing. It was one of the attractions that opened with the park in 1955 and I am lucky enough to be able to work it during the 60th Anniversary celebration this year!

On February 23, I celebrated 6 months with the Walt Disney Company and I have realized how much I have learned about myself. The past 6 (now 7 months) have been a whirlwind of personal development. There have been so many ups and downs, but the one constant has been my desire to continue working for this company. Everyday I go to work is one that I enjoy. It rarely feels like work and I cannot imagine having a job in which I actually have to "work" for a living. While I'm still unsure about what the future holds for me and where I see myself in 10 years, I know one thing for certain, I absolutely want to be a Cast Member for as long as I possibly can.

In not work related things, I've made some new friends with people who also participated in the College Program but I didn't have the opportunity to meet until now, and I am loving it. Adventures in the park with new friends and old ones still continue to happen and I can't believe how blessed I am to have this opportunity. My roommates and I are enjoying finding new things around our apartment and looking for fun things to do when we're not at Disneyland.

A night out with my roommate!

This past weekend, I drove down to Temecula and participated in a 5K Wine Run at one of the wineries with one of my best friends. It was about 90 degrees out and the run didn't start until 4:30pm. Because of this, we decided to walk rather than run. And it's a good thing we did! So much of the course was uphill and it was entirely on a dirt trail. While the views of the vineyards were very pretty, it was incredibly hot and the stations along the trail ran out of water before we could get there. But on the bright side, we did get a glass of wine upon finishing the race!

And in just a couple of weeks, I am flying home for 6 WHOLE DAYS!! I could not be any more excited. I have missed my family and friends and my hometown. As much as I absolutely love living down here in Southern California, I am happy to have a little break. Until next time, friends!

If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life.

Goodbye College Program

Well, it's been about 2 months since my last post, but I'm going to blame that on holiday time at Disneyland, the ending of my College Program, and moving into a new apartment. All exciting things, but all things that have made me very busy and very tired. Anyways, where do I even begin?





My parents finally visited. Not once, but TWICE! It was pretty wonderful. The first time was right after Thanksgiving and the second time, my crazy family decided that Disneyland on New Year's Eve was a brilliant idea. Fun, but insanely crowded. It was so much fun having them come visit for a few days, and just when I was really starting to get homesick over the holidays.

Last up on the list of "totally awesome tours I got to do through College Program," was Walt's Apartment above the firehouse on Main Street U.S.A. While the apartment itself is extremely small and only contains one room and a bedroom, it was an amazing experience to stand right where Walt Disney himself had stood and stayed during construction of the park. As our tour was coming to an end, the tour guide told us a story about the Walt's apartment guests on Disneyland's opening day. While everyone in the apartment was watching as the first Guests walked in, one looked over to find Walt crying at the magic of seeing his biggest dream come true right before his eyes. This story is one I will never forget because as I was standing in that same spot, all of my dreams were coming true as well. That tour was one of the quickest but most memorable tours I had the opportunity to take.

There was Thanksgiving. There was Christmas. There was rain. All of which I spent working. And then came the College Program Celebration/Graduation. While not an actual ceremony, we did receive Mickey ears with tassels on them! We all got dressed up and had dinner and dancing at one of the ballrooms in the Paradise Pier Hotel. It was an emotional night knowing that our College Program was coming to an end in just one short month after the Celebration. The people I have met through this program and the experiences I will take away are ones that I will never forget. This is just the first stepping stone in my journey with the Walt Disney Company; hopefully!

I EARNED MY EARS!!

My wonderful roommate Kaylie and I at Celebration!

On January 5th, we all said our goodbyes to Carnegie and each other, as we all headed in separate directions. Some of us will continue working at Disneyland while others have gone back to school. I will miss some of the incredible friends I have made but I am so thankful for the opportunity to continue working with this company. Next up, I begin training to be a Skipper on the World Famous Jungle Cruise!

Well, that's all for my College Program. It's been a blast and I've enjoyed sharing my experience with my friends and family (and any other people who have stumbled upon this blog). Check back for more updates. Hopefully I will continue to post about my experiences at Disneyland, but we saw how well that worked out the first time. 

"Who says we have to grow up?"

-Walt Disney