Hi readers! In honor of it being just over two months since I’ve started my program (!!!), I thought I would give you a peek into what my life is like on the “daily grind” while on the DCP. I’ve kept track of what I’ve been up to the last few days….so, without further ado, enjoy reading all about what a typical week is like for me in the DCP!
Sunday 3/17:
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Every Sunday, the schedule for the following week -- in this case, the week of March 24th -- drops at 12am. My morning started by checking my new schedule, trading shifts for new locations, and adding my schedule to my calendar.
Next, I got ready for work since I had to leave around 10:45am for my shift. I worked in upper Frontierland from 12:15-7:45pm and was assigned most of the day to Big Al’s, our outdoor location. I felt pretty lucky that I got to spend this holiday in Magic Kingdom making magic for Guests!
After work, I debated on hanging out at the park, but knew I needed to rest up before the week ahead. I got back to the apartment around 8:30pm and spent the night in catching up with my roomies.
Monday 3/18:
This morning, I got ready and headed to Magic Kingdom for a few hours before work. I was able to make Fastpasses in advance for Dumbo, Little Mermaid, and Winnie the Pooh, so I ventured on those rides and then grabbed lunch at Gaston’s Tavern in Fantasyland. Afterward, I was able to briefly meet and catch up with with some family/friends while watching the Festival of Fantasy parade in Frontierland!
Then, I headed off to work at Disney Springs from 6:15pm-12:30am. I traded a shift earlier in the week so that I could try out a new location -- the World of Disney store! This was my second time working in a location other than Frontierland (the first being the Emporium in Magic Kingdom). It was a fun experience and I’m excited to continue trying some new locations!
Tuesday 3/19:
Today, I had the day off from work and spent the day staying pretty busy! I started the day veryyy early waking up at 4:45am for a backstage tour of Expedition Everest at 6:20am. I only got about 3 hours of sleep since getting home pretty late from work...but boy was it worth it! The tour included seeing the mountain/ride track itself, the Asia land, and the line queue. The storytelling and detailing behind the ride and Asia is absolutely incredible, and this was definitely one of my favorite tours I’ve done so far on my DCP. I am so grateful to my leaders at Frontierland for organizing this for us!
I came back to my apartment after the tour around 10am and was able to nap for an hour before heading to the next event of the day….a Costuming Vault Tour! This tour was sponsored by the DCP and I got to experience it with Marie and Madison. We traveled to an off-site location where we explored Disney costuming behind-the-scenes. I can’t say a whole lot about the tour itself, but it was really cool to learn about all that goes into the process of costuming.
After the tour, I dropped Marie off at lunch with her family since they were visiting and I got to say hi before heading off on my next venture! On my way back to the apartment, I stopped by another DCP housing complex to sign a beam that will be placed into the new housing complex being built soon.
After briefly stopping back at the apartment, Madeline and I headed to Epcot around 4:30pm with Marie meeting us there shortly after. We watched Simple Plan perform at the Garden Rocks Concert Series and then grabbed dinner/dessert. I absolutely love the different festivals Epcot has! The International Flower & Garden Festival is currently there until June 3rd, and I cannot wait to explore it more.
We returned from Epcot around 8:45pm and got ready to head out to a a DCP housing event, the Silent Dance Party! Madison, Marie, Madeline, and I were all feeling pretty tired, but we actually ended up having a ton of fun at the event! There were three DJs at the event and they each had their own channel. On our headphones, we could change the channels based on the type of music and songs we wanted to listen to throughout the night. It was really cool and I would definitely go again sometime!
Wednesday 3/20:
Happy First Day of Spring! I spent the morning getting some stuff done and then headed off to work in the early afternoon for my 3:45-10:45pm shift in upper Frontierland. It was a pretty simple day!
Thursday 3/21:
Today, I woke up and headed outside my apartment complex to work out. Thursday is also pay day! We like to use the EPCOT acronym (Every Paycheck Comes On Thursday).
After, I went to a DCP career development workshop for networking from 11am-1pm, which was really beneficial and super helpful! I’ve gone to the other workshops offered (interview prep, building a personal brand, resume writing) and have had a great time continuing to develop and better prepare myself professionally for a future career.
I had another class from 2-4pm (again for the DCP) called A Day in the Life of a Character Performer. There’s not a whole lot I can say about the class itself, but it was so fun to learn about this role more in-depth, all the way from the process of auditioning to actually performing!
That night, Marie and I went to the “Come on Down” game night, another DCP event! It was modeled (but not in anyway associated with) the game show The Price is Right. We had to guess different prices of Disney merchandise and offerings for a chance to win some DCP / Disney Internships & Programs swag.
After, Marie and I headed to Hollywood Studios where we visited Madeline at work (we saw her but unfortunately she didn’t see us), saw the Frozen Sing-along, and ended the night by seeing Fantasmic! Before leaving, we met up with Madeline and then later stopped at Publix on the way home to grab some necessary groceries (trash bags, paper towels, ice cream...you know, the essentials!).
Friday 3/22:
My day started at the gym with a good workout before getting some more things done, such as laundry, before work in the evening. The DCP sends out weekly emails every Friday that give general information/updates and usually have sign-ups for coveted tours and classes...so I also spent my morning checking my inbox! Most events (but not all, such as the career workshops) require registration in advance and spots fill up quickly.
I left in the mid-afternoon to head to work at Disney Springs! I traded another shift and worked 6:15pm-12:30am at Super Hero Headquarters (the Marvel store). It was a “super” experience getting to work there since I am a huge Marvel fan! Also, shoutout to Madison for being a “marvel-ous” roommate and visiting me!
Saturday 3/23:
On my last day of a “typical week in the DCP”, I headed to Animal Kingdom around 11:30am since I actually would be working there later in the afternoon! Before going to the park, I went to costuming to pick up what I would be wearing during my shift.
Once I got to the park, I spent a few hours there hanging out as a Guest. My day included seeing the Festival of the Lion King (my favorite daytime show in WDW!), grabbing lunch at Pizzafari, seeing Finding Nemo - The Musical, and riding Primeval Whirl in DinoLand.
I then exited the park as a Guest around 3:30pm and got ready for my shift from 4:45pm to 12am. I traded my shift to work at Island Mercantile in Discovery Island, right by the Tree of Life. So far, this is probably my favorite location I have traded for! I love the atmosphere of working in the parks and getting to chat with Guests about their adventures that day.
That about wraps up my week! It’s hard to say what a truly typical week is for me in the DCP, but each week brings lots of magic-making and fun-filled adventures to say the least. Thanks so much for reading!
See ya real soon,
Maddi