It's here! It's ... DORMS!

Out of all the fun Disney stuff to be arriving in my mail, this would be the one I been waiting for ever since I got accepted, DORMS! I know there are people who are less than thrilled about them, but I'm excited because not only will it be my first time away from home for this long, but it really gives me room to blossom as my own person since I can only depend on myself. But enough with the jibber jabber, let's get to the good stuff.

First off, as many of you know by reading my previous blogs, that I already have picked out my roomies for my adventure down there. Some may be wondering how I did that, well it's actually quite simple. Do you have a Facebook? Yes? Wow, what a shocker. Haha, but go on Facebook and go up to the search bar. Search in Disney College Program (insert your date here) chances are there are groups already up. Go ahead and join them! You'll see there are plenty to choose from. Once you are approved into the group, it's time to start posting awkwardly about yourself. They usually have pre-made roomie survey's on there already. Fill em out, and post it! Try your luck, chat it up with a few, don't like em? Move on to the next! That's what I did and before I knew it, I ended up with five amazing girlies. You can do it too!

Now, that we got the brief history lesson out of the way let's focus on the present and what DORMS is all about. Obviously, Dorms are the place in which you will be staying in. There are four housing complexes to chose from, so make sure you and your roomies discuss them (you don't HAVE to pick roomies by the way, there is an option to be adventurous!) but if you do, here is a brief break down of the housing complexes. 

Since I haven't been there yet, these are the DORM STEREOTYPES if you will of each of the complexes.

Vista Way - You like to party, dont'cha? This is the cheapest of the dorms. Many people like this one because of the price, but also about the wild rumors of parties that are so legendary. If you like an upbeat household that is partying it off, this might be for you.

The Commons - You probably aren't from America, are you International? Rumor has it, the International Students like to call the Commons their home. If you like to meet people from all around the world this could be a great housing complex for you! It's always fun meeting people from different countries! Plus... it has a washer and dryer in the unit! Making it a bit more on the pricy side... but heck! No walk to the washers right?

Patterson Court - You like things to be mellow and quiet? This place is for the more quiet of the DCPers that take the program a little more seriously. If you like the peace and quiet of things, Patterson is probably best for ya! Not to mention, it's pretty too!

Chatham - This is where people go when they kinda want to be in Vista Way... but kinda want Patterson life as well. Chatham is a mix of loud and quiet, plus it's right next to the bus stop making your hike to work a little easier on your feet!

Those stereotype's being said, our roomies decided on Patterson being our first choice, followed by Chatham, Commons, then Vista. We weren't all about that Vista life but some people are and that's fine with me! There's so many different people on the program, it's all about your personal preference! Make sure you do your research about it in order to find your new Disney home! But as you enter the DORMS registration (which is your e-mail address and the password is the code they send you in a separate email from the first) you will find the basic go to's. Stuff about yourself, the documents you need yadda yadda.

Now, this is the time to decide... am I bringing a car? Am I flying? Cause you need to fill out your vehicle information on the next page. This will provide your car with a barcode that they scan for you when you get there. For the car stuff, you have to make sure you have your car insurance as well as drivers license. You don't want to be caught driving around without those two things! Next you need your plate numbers on your car as well as your drivers license number. All stuff they need to make a sticker for your car when you arrive for Dorms.

Now that that annoying tidbit is out the way, it's time for the good stuff. Wait-- how do I get my roomies on here? Well, it's time to go back and talk to your roomies to decide who will be the mighty one to link all of you together. How this works is, one person from your group will collect your roommate numbers which will be on an email sent to you. It should be all the way at the bottom of the email. Send that to whoever is doing them and she or he will link you all together. You will get a new email requesting that you verify the roommates. So wait for that email, click the link and sign in once again. Once you do that you will see all the new names underneath your roomie page.

If you aren't for the roommates, don't click the link option. Click the one on top where it says "I'm feeling adventurous, pick for me!" That's another fun way to go but not for me, I'm already nervous rooming with a bunch of girls as it is but they are awesome so hopefully its all Mickey Mouse Premium Bars and Dole Whips.

Now that you've done that, the last page will have a barcode on it (or two if you registered a vehicle with them) make sure you print it out and save it for your trip down. You are going to need it! They also email you another one to print out, so have that one ready as well. Make sure you put all your documents in a folder so you don't go crazy looking through all your luggage when you are rolling into check in!

And... that's about it Folks! Next post will probably be about the travel down to Florida from good ol' PA which I'm making with my boyfriend who also made the program and my roomie Katie! Good times to be had! See you soon Disney, I'm excited to come live with ya!

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New Hire Documents

Oh boy, it's that time again! Sorry for the late post guys, but it's been a busy month for me! Not only is it time to say good-byes and see you laters to people, but its time to start packing! But we will get to that post later, let's focus on the main issue at hand here, the New Hire Documents! When you see these babies you know its time to almost run into Florida to start your program. I was happy, excited, and anxious to start filling the papers out. But then.... just as life nothing is easy.

You see, I am a Web Design major, and as one who deals with the arts I fancy Mac computers. But if you have a Mac computer, get ready for the stress that is the New Hire Documents. All is well in the beginning, you fill out all your personal information, they tell you to make sure to have your documents such as birth certificate, SSC, passport, all that fun stuff. And if you are driving down like I am, you better make sure you have your drivers license or that can get pretty awkward. 

After this they basically tell you the rules of the what to do's and not do's during your program. It's the simple stuff guys, don't drink if you ain't 21, don't be throwing wild and crazy parties, don't serve alcohol to a minor, don't haze people, don't bully others, all that stuff that we were taught as morals all our lives, yeah it's time to apply them now. 

There are things you have to read and accept just like all other things, but this isn't where everything broke lose. Oh, no.... it was the dreaded 'Sign and Submit' buttons that drove everyone crazy! Those on Macs and PCs alike! You can read the forms but when it came time to sign them, forget about it! The buttons weren't clickable, and if you didn't finish that part the forms weren't complete. Yes, and guess what? That's the last part to get the New Hire Documentation done too!

So here are some tips from yours truly to get past this new hire documentation crisis:

- As painful as it is, step away from the Mac it only works on PC people!

- Guys, its time to take a trip back to the 90's! Get off that Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and turn to everyone's favorite..... Internet Explorer! Yay...

With those tips it should help you or if you are like me you'll cry cause you deleted Internet Explorer off your old PC and your PC runs so slow that it's almost impossible to access the internet in order to even download that dreaded web browser ever again. 

But once you fight off the feelings of dread and enter the world of Internet Explorer again, your hire documents will be completed and you don't have to look back and worry about them anymore! 

But all those documents are about anyway is the very much talked about -- Disney Look, what to do on the job, some background on the jobs, what to do when talking with guests, all that good stuff. It's good to read them out so you aren't totally lost at Traditions. Don't forget that two finger point!

Next..... the most exciting thing to talk about... DORMS.

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Meeting My First Roomie!

Hey, guys! Coming at you at 33 days :D I can't believe how close it's getting now! Makes me kinda nervous! But regardless, I am excited! There is just so much to look forward too! But, besides all that, I have met my first Disney roomie Katie!

Me and Katie both live in Pennsylvania. I'm really from Jersey, but I go to school in PA so it was easy for us to meet up since there was only two hours between the both of us. So we split the time and met up at this huge mall over in Lancaster called Park City. The funny thing about meeting Katie was that she was super tall! And it made me feel good because I'm usually the tallest in the group! So now we can be super amazon girls together, haha! We nearly walked around in circles in the mall and hit it off really fast. We talked about everything and all things Disney, each other, and so on. We really have a lot in common and so we began shopping for our dorm room!

We didn't want to go too crazy because our luck would be that we would buy something we really didn't need. But of course we went ecstatic whenever we saw Disney bathroom accessories that we nearly bought the whole shelf of Mickey Mouse items for our bathroom! We ate at Red Robins and got some free shoo-fly pie! A really awesome pie that is a dutch pie offered over in Lancaster. The best way to describe the pie is that its flaky, melted cinnamon type of taste. I honestly don't know what the ingredients in them are, but they taste good! 

When we got to talking though about Disney we both learned that we are interested in moving down there in the future. She wants to do something with teaching at Disney while I am a Web Design/Interactive Media Major. My dream would be able to create posters, illustrations, or design Disney's Websites. Any of them would make me happy. I can even make app games, (still learning though!) and what not for them. I am beyond excited to do this! But since Disney is my passion, I know I can't be put into the position I want right away. So I will just work my way up and show my love for the company! 

All in all, we really hit it off! And I feel we could be great friends down the line! I'm just really super happy that I was able to meet someone first before heading down there. Cause sometimes I can let off as super shy just because I'm scared people will hate me. I like to be friends with everyone and make everyone happy!

What we did decide on though that we will be driving down together. She wants to bring her car and she was a little scared of driving all that way on her own. Can't blame her! I would be flying myself if I was going by myself. But luckily, my boyfriend got in as well and at the same time! So we will be driving down in one car together and Katie will be following behind! She's excited because she never drove down before. So I plan on showing her some cool spots along the way! I love traveling and love showing others places I know about that they have never seen before so it should be fun!

So that's one of the five roomies that I still have to go to meet! I'll be seeing the rest of them whilst I'm down in Florida and with how sweet all of them are, I'm sure I have nothing to worry about! 33 more days!!

That is Katie on the left and me on the right :D ! Can't wait to make more memories!!

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The Disney Classes Showdown

It was the night that every DCP Fall person was on Facebook. It was... last night! The horror as everyone waited for the orange ring of death to load the classes.... then prepare for battle! The first one down was Disney Heritage. Then it was Leadership! All the DCPs were running around in circles and trying to win the battle!

Haha, okay! Enough of that! Let's actually get down to business. (To defeat the Huns~!) Anyways. Last night the Disney College Program opened up the classes. Everyone on Facebook in the DCP Fall group was posting statuses like crazy, my Facebook was blowing up while I kept refreshing the class registration page to see if it was open yet. When the orange loader showed up thats when the action really began. Notifications were spamming, telling everyone that the classes were up as well as people raging because they couldn't get onto the server!

But lucky for me, I was able to get on! All it asked for was your last name, email address, and phone number. Make sure you use the ones that you used for the dashboard login on the site. They have all your info that way, also I believe thats the only way to get in anyway. Anywho, the next part is where it got confusing and it made me bury my head in shame. Especially since I am a web design major... I couldn't understand this layout of how to choose classes! There were no instructions. All there was was a list of classes and you can click on them. My advice to you, DON'T CLICK ON THEM!! It's a time waster because they are just links to a page that explains what the classes are. You shouldn't be going in to this registration not knowing anything about the classes. You should know what classes you want prior, cause while you are clicking those links and reading about those classes those classes are filling up. And those classes fill up very easily. Not even 5 minutes later, was all the Disney Heritage classes closed.

I went in knowing that I wanted a Heritage Class as well as a Creative and Innovative class I had my eye on. The easy way of going about finding what the classes are is youtube. Yes, youtube! For me, I like to see things. This way it gets me pumped. Reading a syllabus that Disney has on the site is another way of learning about the classes but the syllabus is pretty thorough and hard to understand for the most part. They are full of large scaled words that are Disney specific words that you probably will not understand until you go to Disney. So if you feel dumb, don't worry! Go to blogs, check them out and see if you can find anything from other DCPers that have taken the classes before. They write all about them!

Now, once you go through that and see all the links for the classes. Go straight to the bottom, there is a button that says continue. Click on it, the next page that will pop up is check boxes about what you are interested in. You can check only what your interested in but my opinion is to check all the boxes off just in case they limit your search and the class that you are looking for does not pop up on the next page. Click continue once you checked the boxes off and this is the page where you will prepare for battle and get classes.

The first thing that shows up is Heritage. This is a popular class that everyone wants in, if you want it and its there...do not take any second thoughts and click on it. Otherwise, I'm telling you, it will be gone the next minute. Once you do that, go through the list and pick the other classes that you are interested in. 

Now, you may be thinking to yourself... where are the collegiate classes? Well, guess what? They put that up an hour after the exploration and wait list classes! Yeah, a whole hour after 12am they put the collegiate classes up. And guess what happened throughout that entire time? Yeah, all of us people looking for the collegiate courses posted a million topics on the Disney Group panicking about how we didn't see them. Make sure you have a credit card ready for these groups of classes. Exploring Series classes are for free, however, the Collegiate courses are around 25 to 30 dollars. Not bad at all, but they do cost money!

They are well worth it though! Especially if you are looking for a career at Disney. This is how you network with some of the best at Disney! Also, attend as many seminars as you can because they are free to go to! Free is the term EVERYONE loves to hear!

That is my advice on signing up for classes but there is also a bit of a problem with their servers! Since the collegiate courses show up an hour later, you have to go through course registration again and it might kick you out of the exploration classes you picked. When I got my email again about the classes, my Creative and Innovative class has showed up but the Heritage Class was no longer on there. We also don't know if its truth that I have been waitlisted but it seems that way. I won't be able to confirm that until later so its just a warning for those who are still waiting to enroll. It really makes no sense since they put up the classes an hour later so of course you'd have to go back in if you are planning for both an exploration  class and a collegiate course. We will just have to sit still and see! Hopefully I am still in the Heritage class!

Also, remember you can only take two classes!! So it makes decision making even more hard! Get going before time runs out! :)

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I'm So Rumbly In My Tumbly...

Hey, guys! Back again at 70 days! Getting even closer now! I can't wait! Anyways, this time I come with a post about the good stuff! No, not check in! I'm not there yet silly! But, FOOD! Everyone loves food, especially the sweet type. I can't resist, even though I'm strictly trying to diet! But it's okay! Instead of eating, I'll share with you guys some of the yummy disney treats that they have to offer at the Walt Disney World Theme Parks.

I suppose I shall do this by my top 10! Then I shall list some other yummy treats that are awesome but aren't quite my favorite! Of course, this is my own strict opinion, but hey! It's alright, we all got different taste buds. Okay, let's start at number 10!

Dana's Top 10 Favorite Disney Treats!

NUMBER 10:

Place: Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort

Treat: Pecan Pie ~ A la Mode!

Shop: Boatwright's Dining Hall

Looks pretty yummy, right? I was always a fan of warm and cold mixtures for a dessert. This is definitely how this one got on my list. Especially since it was just the best pecan pie I ever tasted! Plus, Boatwright's is definitely my favorite Disney place to eat at! Why? Their food is awesome, not only do they got this awesome dessert but they have jumbalaya that I always never pass up whenever I come visit!

NUMBER 9:

Place: Disney's Typhoon Lagoon/Blizzard Beach

Treat: Sand Pail Ice Cream

Shop: Ice Cream Bars 

Want something cold? Especially after being at a hot water park all day? Time to head on over to one of the ice cream bars they have there at the park you have. These are only located at the water parks. Now one thing that can be frustrating, especially when you are in a big group of people. Deciding what to get. Well with this pail, the whole lot of you will definitely be satisfied! It throws all the toppings it has in there, on top of vanilla ice cream! With some strawberry and chocolate added too! And it comes with a shovel and pail! What's greater than that? Haha!

NUMBER 8:

Place: All Over The Parks/Resorts In The Morning

Treat: Mickey Waffles!

Shop: Anywhere with food for breakfast

How can you deny liking these little (or should I say big?) guys! It's not a perfect Disney vacation until you have one of these delectables for breakfast! I always make it a staple in my vacation to have one of these. I'll definitely be scarfing them down once I'm there for my program!

NUMBER 7:

Place: All Over The Parks/Resorts

Treat: Mickey Mouse Head Rice Krispie Treats!

Shop: Anywhere 

I love rice krispie treats! And what else than to appeal to a disney nerd like myself but with mouse head mickey mouse treats? Nothing! Especially with some added chocolate? Oh yeah, count me in on that!

NUMBER 6:

Place: Disney's Resorts

Treat: Mickey Mouse Oreo Cupcake

Shop: Fast Food Dining Halls 

These are in all the resorts, a simple little treat but as soon as you bite into it- bliss! Especially if you are a Oreo cookie fan! And to top it off, get a Disney Mickey Milk to drink it down with. The perfect combination!

NUMBER 5:

Place: Disney's Hollywood Studios

Treat: Dad's Brownie Sundae

Shop: Prime Time Cafe

This is my favorite place to eat at whenever I go to Disney. Not only do the cast members who are the waitresses/waiters amazing and stick to character but they provide the full experience. This little gem is amazing. They also give you a really big portion! I like mine without the popcorn, but its still amazing every bite. But you better finish every single bite! Otherwise, you might be punished for it by your waiter/waitress! Haha!

NUMBER 4:

Place: Disney's Theme Parks

Treat: Popcorn

Shop: Outdoor Popcorn Stands

You HAD to see this one coming! Disney popcorn is the best! They butter it just right! But of course, it makes you all the more thirsty! Gotta grab one of those big ol' cups to keep yourself hydrated while scarffing these down.

NUMBER 3:

Place: Disney's Magic Kingdom

Treat: White Truffle Mayonnaise

Shop: Beauty and the Beast's Castle

This isn't really a dessert. Nonetheless would you eat that by itself. But it's definitely a treat! So I figured I'd sneak it onto this list. It's well deserved. It was the best sauce I ever tasted. It was great to put on almost anything. It had this tang to it that made you crave more. It's a definite try if you are able to spend the evening having dinner with Belle and the Beast.

NUMBER 2:

Place: Disney's Magic Kingdom/Resort

Treat: The Kitchen Sink/Mickey Kitchen Sink

Shop: Beaches and Cream/The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street USA

The one at the top is one of the most famous dishes at Walt Disney World. Many are taking their friends over to Beaches and Cream to see if they are able to complete the challenge of finishing it! It has almost everything in it, from pieces of cake to brownies. It's any ice cream lovers dream! Now the one at the bottom is Mickey's Kitchen Sink. Which is a smaller size and more easily eaten. Even conquered by one person! And as a plus, you get to keep that cute little sink as a keepsake once you finish it!

NUMBER 1:

Place: Disney's Theme Parks

Treat: Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich

Shop: All Ice Cream Stands

Yes, folks! This is my number one Disney Treat! The Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich! I can't go a day without one, especially in the hot Florida heat! And it has Mickey Mouses face on it! Come on, now! 

Well that is my countdown. Wait... what? You are asking me why the Dolewhip is not on my list? You thought for sure that would be on my list? Well, I can't put something on my list that I haven't ever TRIED! Yeah, I know, I know. I heard from EVERYONE. Trust me! I just never had the pleasure of eating one! But I am going to try it with my Disney roomies once I get down there! So I'm pretty sure with all the hype that it has, I will have it on my list. 

Some honorable mentions would be: Mickey Premium Bar, Disney Character Chocolate Bars, Apple Turnovers, Chocolate Covered Banana, Disney Circus Tent Treats, Cinderella's Chocolate Slipper, and The Grey Stuff.

Well there you have it! If you have any other suggestions and your own top tens I'd love to see them. If not, that is all I have for this post! Have a magical day!

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