Awaken Summer

So I'm not sure if you've heard but my little neck of the woods here in Central Florida has a couple of cool things heading our way pretty soon...

Disney World has a ton of things that are coming this summer, some that we knew about, but even more were announced the last few days as Disney welcomed media from around the country and world to show off what new things guests can expect soon as the parks Awaken Summer. (I know, I know....I can be cheesy after being punny with our guests the last few days). 

I just have to say that there are so many cool things that are coming that I am just like a kid in a candy store! It has also been neat as now that I have been with the company for a little bit that I have gotten to see things I worked on as an intern come to fruition. Like all the new stuff at Disney's Animal Kingdom! I was able to play a super small part in it while I was an intern at Merchandise Planning and we were able to see the artwork and predict how many of each product we would order. And while that seems like ages ago, some of the artwork is out now and it is exciting to hear the buzz around all the great new things coming to the park that I was lucky enough to call home during my time as a Wilderness Explorer. (and you can pretty much guarantee who will likely be buying a ton of that merch!!!)

The last few days I was lucky enough to play a teeny tiny role in helping host some of the media while they were checking out some of the exciting new offerings. If you want to see some of the cool stuff that they were able to see (including a sneak peak of Rivers of Light!) you can search #awakensummer (or if you want to specifically see the people I worked with you could maybe look up WOMX on their website or various social media platforms ;) The talent may or may not be vying for first place in line for Olaf)

Anyways, while this summer is bound to be hot (I did mention this was Central Florida, right?) you can be sure to find me at the parks quite a bit with all the new stuff going on.

Updates and new Bucket List

Hello everyone! Once again I have disappeared from the world. I have been at my Full Time job for 7 and a half months so far! It's been crazy at times, but most of that is a good crazy. I still love my position and think that it is an amazing fit for me. My team continues to challenge me and keeps me wanting to continually improve. Through my position and covering another position while we were going through the hiring process to backfill the position, I have learned so much more about how Disney works and have worked with an incredible number of people from around the company. We have hired the new person for our team who has been with us for about a month and as I am transitioning some of the tasks I was covering I have realized that I will miss many of the things I was doing in that position and the wide range of people I was lucky enough of work with every week. However, since I will be going back to only having one position I am excited to see what new projects I will be working on!

While I have had a pretty amazing work life, I haven't been to the parks nearly as often as I did when I was an intern. I think it has been partly due to my foot limiting me so much when I first came back since I was still pretty limited after my surgery in June, partly since I have been spending a decent amount of time at Universal with my roommates, and partly since I know that I am not going anywhere soon so I don't feel pressured to go all of the time anymore. That being said, Disney has a lot of exciting things coming up in 2016 that I am sooooo excited for (in addition to some things leaving us. I'm looking at you, Hollywood Studios). Therefore, I decided it was time to update my bucket list! I figured that while I don't have a time constraint to do things anymore, there are still many things I never got around to and many new things that I want to do and I think that having them listed in one place will make it more likely to happen! So if you would like to see what is on my 2016 Bucket List, head over to that page to see what I have planned! 

New Year's Resolutions

I have to be honest and say that I am not normally big on New Year's resolutions. I normally think, if you want to do something better why do you need to wait until a new year to make that happen? But in reality this year I wanted to be intentional in my daily living and decided that there were a couple of things that I truly do want to do better in 2016.

1. Running. Late in college I started running and loved it. I didn't continue in Florida at first since I was on my feet so much at Animal Kingdom walking miles a day in the heat. However, after I left DAK and started my second PI as a desk position I started running again. I actually found that I was in decent shape due to that fact I was getting a good amount of exercise just working as an Education Presenter. However, I had to have foot surgery in June and wasn't allowed to run for 6 months. Christmas Day was the 6th month mark so I am excited to try and get back into shape. It isn't going to be easy but I signed up for my first runDisney event to help motivate me. My goal is to try and "run" all of it. Which is more like, try not to walk no matter how slow you go! Inaugural Star Wars Dark Side 10k here I come!

2. Reading. I used to read a lot. A LOT. In college I only read for pleasure in the summers but would fly through books. However, since I graduated college I have read 3 books. Isn't that sad that I know exactly what 3 books that I read?!?! So I want to try and read a book a month. It doesn't sound like a lot but I figure I need to make a reasonable goal or else I won't stick to it. I am currently reading the 3rd book in the Kingdom Keepers series (which might tell you what 2 of the 3 books I have read since graduation were :) ). I actually read half of it but stopped in May so I tried picking up where I left off and had no idea what was happening. So here goes to January's book!

3. Get 10,000 steps a day. I should be able to hit this easy on days I am running (see goal number 1!) My mom got the whole family Fitbit's for Christmas so I want to try and hit 10,000 steps a day. On days that I miss the step goal I have to make up double those steps some other point during the year. I have a spreadsheet to track this and everything ;) I work a sedentary job now and between a desk job and not being able to exercise post-foot surgery I have gained a little weight. I am trying not to make drastic changes, but right now just work on making a few better life choices and hope that it all works out. :) 

4. Spend more time outside. I live in Florida for crying out load! I feel like I spend so much time inside so I want to actually use my patio or apartment complex pool, even if it is just to read. I want to go walking and see nature (and get 10,000 steps in) I don't want to for granted the vacation state that I live in and explore a bit more.

5. Craft more. I love to craft and even have a sowing machine. I haven't been good about it lately and still have to finish my smashbook for my first PI (oops!), so I want to at least finish that this year. I may have brought my sowing machine with me to Florida, but forgot supplies and have been too lazy/cheap to buy them so I just need to go get it and make stuff! I also consider coloring and doing puzzles crafts in a way so I will do those, too.

I think that these are the main ones. I am of course trying to do other things like eat healthier, be better about cleaning, etc. I actually have been really good over the last year and a half at budgeting so I want to keep being good at that and perhaps make some additional student loan payments. But overall these are goals that I think are good for me to be intentional in adding to my life. They are all things that I like to do but have been neglectful so I need to make sure I included them because I think they are good lifelong habits that I can make measurable progress with! If you made any resolutions, I wish you good luck! 

Spring 2016 Interns Starting

I know, I know. I haven't updated in over 2 months. I am pretty much the worst, but what can we truly expect? I always lapse, but this time I think I have a good excuse. A girl on my team left the company after 11 years to move closer to home, so I have taken on part of her position until we hire her backfill. Therefore I have been swamped with work on top of experiencing all the holiday related experiences that Walt Disney World has to offer (including the last year of Osborne Lights :'( ) I even got to go home for one and a half weeks at Christmas. I will try to catch you all up to my life, even maybe do a reflection post or two in the spirit of the new year, do some more PI related posts since the new application season is about to start, and even answer an questions anyone would care to ask!

Even though my time as a Disney Professional Intern came to a close last June, I have been extremely fortunate to continue my career at Disney and I love to answer questions and provide information for anyone looking to start a career at Disney, especially during the long and confusing PI application process. I just want everyone to be successful and live their dreams like I am!

Anyways, it is really weird to be at the other side of the PI process. This is my first internships season that I am a full time cast member. I started my job in August so the Fall interns had been there since June and so I never felt like I was "above" them in any way. If any thing I felt raw and new to the department just like them and in some ways they had been working in this part of Disney longer than I had! 

However, this past Monday the new spring interns have started. Coming into Team Disney on Monday was so weird with all of these extremely well dressed people walking in large groups around the building as seasoned cast members gave them a tour of our building. They were easy to identify as interns since almost everyone that works at Team Disney is very casual and wears jeans as often as possible. Our team doesn't have intern right now (we didn't in the all either. maybe next fall?) but there is a large cube of food and beverage interns that sit right outside my row. I pass them every time I go to the bathroom, elevators, see the other half of my team, etc. So I basically walk past them every 30 minutes or so. I haven't introduced myself yet because I want to introduce myself to all of them at once, I have been busy this week, and I feel like I should wait a few days since they are probably overwhelmed with the number of people they have met. 

Since I am the youngest on my team and am still pretty fresh out of college I kind of hope I can become friends with a few of the interns or at least help guide them in staying with the company. I only really started talking to the old interns right before they left so I didn't get to know them well, but I hope to change that this time around since I am more confident in my role and surroundings. I am excited to see how things end up shaping up and see where this set of interns goes!

Guest Relations Numbers

One of the most popular Alumni Only Professional Internships is the Guest Relations Internship. For Alumni Only you have to have done a CP or PI to be eligible to apply (or currently doing one). Guest relations cast members are very highly regarded in the parks and is perhaps the most coveted front line position. Since this is an internship with such high interest and acceptance should be rolling out in a matter of weeks/days, I decided to look up how many current Guest Relations PIs there are. Note that this is one of those internships that is very likely to vary the numbers by semester. For example, I have heard that while My Disney Experience with the new FP+ system  and magic bands rolled out a lot more interns were accepted than normal to help with what was anticipated to be an extra crazy time in the parks. 

Right now there are currently a total of 32 Guest Relations Professional Interns and here is how they break down by park:
15 Magic Kingdom
7 EPCOT
2 Animal Kingdom
4 Hollywood Studios
4 Disney Springs

It seems to change each semester when Guest Relations PIs find out which park they are in. I remember a semester when the recruiter used to tell you when they were giving the offer. There have also been semesters where your future leaders will reach out a few weeks after your acceptance (similar to how MIs find their placement). I think there have been a few different scenarios as well so who knows how this semester/future semesters will play out. I guess we will all just have to wait a little longer to see! Good luck to all who have applied!

Here is a link if you want to see a similar post about MIs: Management Internship Numbers

Reminiscing about the DAK Wilderness

I've been missing my park home lately, so I visited DAK not once, but twice last weekend to see my old home. I love my new job, but since Animal Kingdom is where I began my Disney journey I will always have a BIG soft spot towards it. I hadn't been the Animal Kingdom in a while and hadn't visited any of my old locations since the Spring. So I decided to use the afternoon on Saturday to earn a few badges before meeting an old presenter friend in the evening. Despite being at the park for a few hours on Saturday and a little on Sunday, I actually didn't do many of the parks attractions. That's because I always run into people I knew working there or get into good conversations with new cast. I loved being able to spend time watching the animals, meeting a few trails CPs, catching up with a DVC friend, and talking with the current Conservation Education Presenter Group. It made me miss my time there some and I wish I was able to pick up a shift once in a while to relive my days as a Wilderness Explorer Troop Leader.

I remember when I was first learning about the Presenter internship I came across this video and I came across it again last week so in the spirit of reminiscing, I figured I would share it with you. With the start of the Wilderness Explorer program, the costume and role for the Presenters has changed, but overall responsibilities she talks about have remained the same. Enjoy!

Disney Professional Internship Presenter Video

Twitter Recruiter Q&A Fall 2014

I have done a series of posts about the Twitter Q&As that the Dinsey Profesional Intern Recruiters have put on the last few semesters. Here are the questions that I have found that the recruiters answered during the Fall 2014 season. These are the questions the recruiters answered during the session, which is not all that were asked. I will do a separate post answering the questions that went unanswered. 

Main Questions Answered During Q&A Session
Note: The further back I go in twitter, the harder it has been to find all the questions and answers that were apart of the session. The numbering is what was included in the Questions and Answers on twitter unless otherwise noted.
Q1: Some engineering PIs are listed "Internship/Co-op" Is it possible to apply specifically for a rotating co-op?

A1. You are eligible to participate on Disney internships more than one semester – you would need to apply each time

Q2: Is there any flexibility with the GPA requirements for the internships? Will a university's academic rigor be taken into account?

A2. The GPA requirement, like all eligibility requirements, is a strict requirement and must be met as is.

Question Not Listed (probably: how many internships is suggested that we should we apply for? or I heard we should only apply for 3, is this the max?)

A3. There is not a suggested maximum, but we ask that you show focus by applying to internships within your field of study

Question Not Listed (probably: Do I have to have done a CP to do a PI?)

A4. Many internships do not require that you have worked for the Company before, so highlight your relevant experience on your resume

Question Not Listed (probably: I graduated in ___, can I do an internship?)

A5. We ask that you are currently enrolled in a college/university, or graduated within 6 months of the start date of this internship

Question Not Listed (probably: I'm from ___, can I do an internship?)

A6. Applicants must possess work authorization to work in the US

Question Not Listed (probably: How do I apply to Alumni Only roles. I can't find their applications?)

A7. You can apply to the Alumni Only Roles with one application, then choose specific roles on the role checklist

Question Not Listed (probably: Is it required to have previous Disney experience?)

A8.While it's preferred to have Disney experience, it's only a requirement for some positions and will state so on the job description

Q9: Can you please tell me the timing of your selection process?

A9. Timeline will vary role to role, stay tuned to your dashboard for updates

Q10: What does “In Progress” mean?

A10. Your application is currently under review by the recruitment team, and you are in consideration for the role

Other Questions Answered

When are the ESPN internship opportunities for Spring or Summer 2015 in Bristol, Connecticut posted?

Spring Positions will be posted this weekend, and Summer positions will be posted just after the new year

Is applying for a professional internship a better idea at the beginning or nearing the end of a persons college education

Most PI's are looking for a minimum of Junior level status, so see the job descriptions for more details

Most of your summer production internships are for undergrads. Will there be great opportunities for grads next year?

Every summer, we offer exciting internship opportunities. Please visit http://www.disneyinterns.com  this Spring to learn more

I'm graduating this semester, hopefully doing the college program in the spring, can I apply after that internship?

You are able to complete two internships back to back if selected

Does having previous experience as a @DisneyCPInterns help when trying to apply for a @DisneyInterns?

CP experience is a great way to learn our Culture, network with leaders, and prepare for the next step in your Career

Besides experience in their field, what are some things students gain from an internship at Disney?

Learning from industry experts and networking with leaders from across the Company are two unique components

Top 3 tips for a phone screen?

Have confidence, share relevant experience to the role, and be professional throughout the interview

Is applying for a professional internship a better idea at the beginning or nearing the end of a persons college education?

Most PI's are looking for a minimum of Junior level status, so see the job descriptions for more details

If you have different resumes on your profile, can you choose which one is attached to each application?

Yes, you can customize each resume for each application, or use one resume for all applications

No Question Listed (Probably what is the average number of interviews?)

The number of interviews will depend on the role, anywhere from 1 - 3 interviews on average per position.