An Internship Story: Disney, Part One
In this moment, I’m finding it quite hard to believe that two years ago I was living and working in the “Happiest Place On Earth.” Yes, I participated in a little something called the Disney College Program in Fall of 2014. What is it you ask? According to the G0ogle definition, it’s “a semester-long paid internship at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida or the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, in which students work in a front-line role at theme parks and resorts, participate in college-level coursework, and live in company-sponsored housing with other students.” While Google is, in essence, correct, there is far more to it than just living and working in one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Whether you or someone you know had an either positive or negative experience while participating in the program, it is still an experience that will shape you for the rest of your life.
My journey with the college program began after my cousin participated in the program several years before I did. I remember hearing about the amazing experiences she encountered, however, participating in the program myself wasn’t an original dream of mine. Although Disney had always been an important aspect of my childhood memories (I had visited about nine times before my program), I never really thought about working there. In fact, it never really crossed my mind until approximately a week before I found myself hitting the ‘send’ button after filling out the online application. I remember a slight rush of adrenaline shoot through my heart with the immediate thought of, “what the hell did I just get myself into?”
I was attending a private university in Pittsburgh at the time of applying. In all honesty, it was an extremely rough semester. I was feeling bored and unmotivated, just going through the motions of my everyday collegiate routine. I was also going through a bit of rejection due to an early college relationship that had ended on his terms. At that point, I began to crave a new adventure. It was the closest excuse to an “escape” from the monotonous cycle I was living in.
A few weeks after I submitted my application, I received an email stating that I passed the first round of the application process, and that I would be participating in a phone interview and I would be notified on when to be expecting it. For someone who didn’t have initial plans to participate, I found myself becoming hopeful of being offered a position in the program. Several days later, with sweaty palms and a bursting chest, I made it through the phone interview. I personally didn’t have much confidence from it, and I was willing to accept the reality of being rejected if presented to me. The only thing I had to do now was wait.
It wasn’t long after my phone interview that I got the email stating that I had been accepted to participate in the program for the duration of fall 2014. I honestly was in shock, since I had kept my expectations so low. I called my family and told them the great news. We were all excited, but it hit me very quickly that I would be moving even farther from the only home I’ve ever known (1,121 miles to be exact). Was I really ready for this? Is it too late to back out now? Will I regret it if I decide to back out?
Despite my concerns, I accepted my offer and awaited further paperwork to arrive. Next on the list was finding my roommates. The thought of sharing an apartment with five other girls from other parts of the country (and even world) made me slightly nervous, especially after a not-so-excellent roommate experience the first half of my freshman year of college. Despite this, I was determined to have a different experience this time around with roommates. Students accepted into the program had an easy time meeting potential roommates through several Facebook groups. That is how I met Tia, Terri, Sam, Katelynn and Aelynn. We connected like you wouldn’t believe from the very first group chat on Facebook. We all had so much in common and I began to feel extremely positive about this new rapport I formed with my roommates. All I had to do next was live out the rest of the summer and wait.
Allison Duda is a writer for EdinboroNow. She can be reached at ad152438@scots.edinboro.edu.
