Auditions

Three weeks from today Victoria and I will be on our way to Philadelphia for the Character Performer auditions! I can not stop thinking about them! It'll be exciting to finally know exactly what we will be doing while we are in Disney, although it will take a couple of weeks after the audition to hear back.  Here is what it says on the website:

Disney Parks Talent Casting is seeking energetic college students interested in the Walt Disney World® College Program. For full details on the WDW College Program, please click here.

Male and Female performers are needed to bring to life the world famous Disney Characters. Character performers play before thousands of guests each day in “meet and greets”, parades and stage shows across the Walt Disney World Resort. Some performers will step out and bring to life our parades and shows as street dancers, stilt walkers, puppeteers and Disney Character Look-alikes.

We are also seeking performers for Full Time Character Performer roles for Shows and Parades across the Walt Disney World Resort. Our performers bring to life shows such as Festival of the Lion King, Disney Channel Rocks!, Fantasmic! and many more!

We are also seeking Disney Princess Look-alikes. Performers develop improvisational skills, poise and grace while working for one for the world's leading entertainment companies.

Please note that all performers, including those in our Shows and Parades, and Disney Character Look-alikes, also perform as fully costumed Disney Characters.

Audition Location:

The Rock School for Dance Education
1101 S Broad St
Philadelphia, PA 19147

Sign-in: 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM - Late applicants will not be accepted.

Requirements: 

• Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and be authorized to work in the United States.
• Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes for the movement routine. No sandals or flip-flops.
• All performers will learn a choreographed movement routine and some will participate in an animation exercise.
• Applicants who have auditioned in the past six months are not eligible to audition.

Ah! SO exciting! I would love to be in parades, shows, or be "friends with" any character. My dream would be to perform in the "Festival of the Lion King" at Animal Kingdom. I'm hoping that my dance and acting experience helps me to get a performing role. If I don't, my friend Joe, who is doing the DCP right now, said they have master classes where you can learn dances to different parades and shows and if they like you they'll ask you to perform based on the master class. It is technically not an audition but if they like you, they'll pull you. This is exciting because that will give me other chances to perform if I don't get in based off my audition in Philadelphia. I would also like to continue working for Disney after my program ends, assuming I love it, and they love me. If I continue working for them my goal would be to do so as a performer. I'm hoping my sister gets in as well. Regardless of what role we are cast in, this will be an amazing experience! I can't stop thinking about how this has been our dream for as long as we can remember and it is going to come true!

Feel free to give me any recommendations on things to do/places to eat while I'm down there. The list on the side of the blog is only for things that I have never done before. I would love suggestions. You can comment on the blog, or email me at Christina.Brandano@gordon.edu.

It's official!

We just officially accepted our invitation!! I photo-documented the process....

The first page we are brought too! I'll never get sick of seeing "Congratulations" on an email from Disney.

Next we had to verify that we accept "The Disney Look". I'm pretty sure I was born with the Disney look, so I don't think I'll have much to worry about!

Next we had to look over when exactly our program was! I'm so excited there's no conflicts with the end of school and Rachel's wedding!

Next they went over how much we will be making. It's definitely not what I am used to! But, we do work a lot more hours than I do now, so hopefully my paycheck won't look too small :)

Next they had to go over my role. I am auditioning as a Character Performer in March but it is VERY difficult to get in. My ultimate goal is to work as a performer for Disney, so if I don't get in, I will audition again while I am down there. If I don't, I will be working at one of the many restaurants! I am hoping to work either in Magic Kingdom, or at the Kona Island in the Polynesian Resort. At Kona Island they serve coffee and small things to eat (if I am remembering correctly), and given my experience as a barista I thought this would be fun. Plus, it's in a resort, so I'd have great hours.

Next up, housing! Victoria and I are hoping to be roommates and get a one bedroom apartment, but I'm not sure if that is possible. It's pretty certain we will be able to live together, but not certain that we will be in our own apartment, we may have other roommates as well. Either way, we will be together!!

I thought this was funny. I think I can handle this, seeing as I have lived in my own apartment for the past two years. :)

 Next is our date selection! There are a few dates in August we can choose from and we picked August 17!

After that, it's official!!!! We are 100% attending the Disney College Program, arriving on August 17, 2011!!! The front page of the area we can now see as CP's!

 Who wouldn't be excited about DISCOUNTS!

That's all for now! More excitement to come, probably around March 18 when our Character Performer auditions are!

Could this week get any better?

Tonight my sister and I were planning on having a Disney night, so I went home to my parent's house so that we could have dinner and watch a few Disney movies together. Victoria had her interview three days after mine, so we were hoping she would find out by Monday. IT WAS KILLING US. I felt like I wasn't as excited as I could have been because I wasn't sure if Victoria would be going or not. While this experience would most definitely be incredible regardless, I was hoping that we could experience it together, especially since it is something we've been dreaming of doing since we were little girls.

While having dinner, my sister suddenly stopped talking. When my mom and I realized she had stopped, we looked at her and she turned her iPhone around, smiled a HUGE grin, and said "I GOT IN!!!!!"

I immediately jumped up and starting hopping and dancing around. Meika, our dog, started going crazy because she couldn't understand all the commotion! I can't believe this is really happening! It doesn't feel real!

I am so so excited. We are actually going to be traveling to Walt Disney World in August to be Cast Members! What? Am I this lucky? The excited, happy, thankful girls:

A Wonderful Letter.

As many of you know, Rachel Strasner is one of my best friends from Gordon. We have lived together for the past two years in apartments, and have experienced so much of college together. Naturally, she was one of the first few people I told. She knew I had been nervous because I applied to the Fall program which is from August - January, but that there was a possibility I could be placed in the Fall Advantage Program which is from June - January. If it was the difference between me being accepted or not, I definitely would have done the Advantage Program, but I was nervous because Rachel is getting married in July and I was not going to miss it. This would have brought about tons of stress because you're technically not allowed to request time off while on the college program. So, needless to say, I was VERY excited to be accepted to the Fall Program.

When I talked to Rachel she was ECSTATIC to hear that I got in, not even because it meant I would be able to help her in the last few months of her wedding, but also because she knows that I have wanted to do this my entire life.

Today while I was babysitting, just a few hours after I found out and talked to her she stopped by with a card. This is a portion of what it says:

My Darling Beautiful Christina!!!
I am so immensely proud of you and happy for you!! OH my godness you made it!! You fullfilled one of your dreams! I am bursting with joy and pride over your accomplishments. I hope that you feel at peace knowing that God led you to this point in your life and He is not going to leave you! Here is the sign you were waiting for from Him, enjoy it! You have exceeded what you thought you were capable of and here you are. It is truly amazing but actually very fitting for you to be awarded this honor. I am thrilled to have you as one of my closest friends, one of my bridesmaids, and truly a sister to me forever. I cannot stop smiling for you, I hope that you revel in this joy and don't let it go!
I love you so much,
Rachel

Ah! I started tearing up when I read this. Words can't explain how much this note meant to me. I am so so excited that I have been able to have this wonderful opportunity to do what I've always dreamed, and even more excited that I have so many people supporting me :)

Best. Email. Ever.

I got in!!!!!!! Here is the story:

I kept waking up all night because I knew I would be hearing soon, and every time I awoke I would check my email. When I left my apartment to go to school I still hadn't heard anything and decided I was silly to think I would hear before next week. I have ten minutes between my first and second class and I needed to print my paper out for the second class so I ran to the downstairs computer lab. When I opened my email there is was! An email from Disney. I closed the browser. In retrospect, I am not quite sure why this was my first reaction. My stomach flip-flopped as I re-launched the server and typed in the mail address. My email popped up and I clicked. This is what I saw.

Are you kidding me? I GOT IN! I can't even believe it. Words can not describe how excited I was. This whole time I have been thinking about going to Disney and suddenly it was real. I am going to be a Disney Cast Member.

What?!

I am still in disbelief, and I can't wait until my sister hears. We planned to make a list of things we must do while we're down there. I want her to be right along side me, experiencing what we've talked about for years, together.

I think it will take days to get rid of the feeling of excitement, or perhaps it will never go away. There is so much to look forward to! Now I just have to wait until August! :)

Wishing.

I wrote this post for my other blog, Everyday Truths, about a week ago. I thought it would be fun to post it here as well!

February 12, 2011:

Almost two weeks ago I applied for the Disney College Program. It was so incredibly exciting because I have wanted to be an employee (which Disney refers to as Cast Members - CM's) for as long as I can remember. I am graduating college with a degree in theatre and a minor in communication arts so I always thought it would be good to get a job with the largest media corporation in the world. The college program is designed for students to do a semester in either Disney World or Disneyland. They give you housing and you work for them, have the opportunity to take academic classes, and even master classes with Disney Professionals.

After doing a written application, and online interview, I was asked to do a phone interview (which is the last step before getting into the program unless you are auditioning for an entertainment role...more on that later). SO anxiety producing. I was not entirely sure what they would ask me but luckily there was a lot of information online from previous CP's (students that completed the college program) so I was able to gather a few questions I was sure they would ask. Melissa, my interviewer called right on time and started my interview by going over my application with me and then asked me why I wanted to the program. I felt really good about our conversation. Melissa was very nice and I found myself responding quicker than I thought I would.

Now is the HARDEST part. I thought waiting for my phone interview was bad, this is HORRIBLE. I just want to know! Everyday I check my email compulsively, and every time my phone beeps I hope it's an email from Disney. A few days ago I received an email from the Disney College Program and I was SO excited. When I opened it I realized it was a survey to see how I found out about the college program, etc. While I value Disney's desire to grow in the way they recruit, and appreciate that they want to better themselves, it was a little sad for me.

As the days grow closer and closer to when I am supposed to find out (they said 3-4 weeks, and it will be 3 weeks for me on Friday) it becomes harder and harder to keep my mind occupied on anything other than Disney.

I REALLY hope I get in, but I also feel very confident that what is meant to be will be, meaning that if I don't get in, I am meant to be doing something else this coming fall. We shall see!

Until then, I'll keep thinking magical thoughts! (And hoping for a purple envelope.) :D

My Disney Blog!

I made a promise to myself that if I got into the Disney College Program I would blog about the experience for two reasons. One, to have something to look back on when I'm done with the experience, and two, so all my friends and family can read it and know what I am up to if they so choose. I thought it would be a really fun way to document my experience!