Thanks, but no thanks....

Alright, so you've seen which rides would be my dream to work at. But there are certain parts of the parks that I'd rather not get stationed at for 7 months... Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled for the chance to work at Disney, but we all have our personal preferences.

5. A Bug's Land

I think this part of the California Adventure park is one of the least exciting. To be honest, I often forget about it unless I'm using it as a shortcut to the Tower of Terror. The rides are somewhat forgettable, and the "It's Tough to be a Bug" 4D show frightens me. While a lot of the props and theming are cute (such as the giant umbrella that forms a circus tent), if this section of the park were to be gone tomorrow, I probably wouldn't even notice.

4. Paradise Pier

With the exception of California Screamin' and Toystory Mania, the rides of Paradise Pier aren't even ones I go on when I visit the park. I usually don't even go to that part of the park unless I want a scenic walk around the lake. To be frank, a lot of the rides are similar to those that can be found at carnivals (although, with a much higher quality!).

3. Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage

I actually have a legitimate reason for not wanting this ride. I went on it for the first time a couple months ago and actually started crying - I'm extremely claustrophobic, and even more so if that small space is in the water. Being in a submarine 8 hours a day sounds like my worst nightmare. And I'm worried because I've seen the blogs of several CP'ers who have gotten this ride...

2. Autopia

I don't really know what more to say. I've just never liked Autopia - I went on it once when I was around the age of ten and have never gone on it since. You're tucked away in the corner of Tomorrowland, so you don't really have a great view of anything. And Tomorrowland is the only part of the park that doesn't get Christmas decorations. =(

1. Muppet Vision 3D

As frightening as submarines are to me, nothing scares me more than anything created by Jim Henson. The Muppets have always terrified me. I've never watched this show and I never plan to. Please please please please PLEASE don't let me get this attraction. =(

No matter what Disney gives me, I will take it with a smile, because I get to work for the greatest company ever. Aside from the Muppets, none of these attractions will make me not want to come to work. However, let's just hope I get one of my top five... =P

Where do I want to work...

So, as you know, I've been selected for an Attractions role, which means I will be working at one of the rides in Disneyland or California Adventures. During my phone interview, I kind of name-dropped a few rides I would most love to work at. It might not have done me any good, but I've heard of a few people who requested a specific ride and ended up getting it. Doesn't hurt to try. While I'm super happy that I even got into the program, there are definitely some rides I want to work at more than others. After careful thought and consideration, I've narrowed it down to my Top 5 choices....

5. The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure
This ride isn't even open yet, which is one reason I think it would be cool to work it. Twenty years from now when my own kids ride it, I can say "Yeah, I totally worked at this ride when it first opened." I've seen the concept art for this ride, as well as the 3D models of it, and it looks like it'd be pretty similar to working the Haunted Mansion because you are basically loading people on and off of little carts. BUT The Little Mermaid is one of my favorite Disney movies and, if nothing else, I bet I would get to listen to some form of the amazing music from that film!

4. Hollywood Tower of Terror

Basically, I want to creep people out. And I think I'd be good at it. You get to wear a sweet bellhop outfit and try to scare people, what part of that doesn't sound good? Also, I love the ambiance inside that ride - all the dusty cobwebs and the smell of must. Yummy.




3. Fantasyland
So I've heard that if you work Fantasyland, you are trained on all or most of the rides there. That's pretty awesome because it means you could be working a different ride each day and therefore won't get bored of having the same scenery every single shift. Fantasyland is also one of my favorite parts of the park - it's colorful, it's where the castle is, and it's where the princesses are. Ultimately, I would love to work Storybook Land. I think that ride is one of the cutest things ever, and you get to talk a lot - which is something I enjoy.




2. The Haunted Mansion
Okay, first of all, New Orleans Square is my favorite land in the park. The ambiance, the music, the shops - I love it all. Secondly, the Haunted Mansion costumes are my favorite for any ride (I think the emerald green color would look awesome with my black hair). When the ride converts to Christmastime, your costume gets even cuter! And once again, you get to be kind of creepy. For some reason I'm really drawn to that. Oh and Jack and Sally usually hang out over there, so you might get to see them! :)

1. The Jungle Cruise

Though it's not my favorite ride in the park, it's the one I think I would have the most fun working. The skipper outfits are adorable and I think I would be great at the delivery of all the horribley wonderful puns. I always get that person who's not really into it and butchers the jokes and I think to myself, "I would be so into it if I had this job!" What else am I gonna do with my four years of high school drama class?

Those are the top choices ladies and gentlemen. There are some honorable mentions as well (Pirates of the Carribbean, Star Tours, and Space Mountain), but I will honestly be excited no matter what happens :) Coming up next time: My bottom 5 choices....

The Disney Look

Hello everyone, for this post I'm going to talk a little about the "disney look." When you first read all the requirements and nit-picky details about how you can and can't look, it's a little intimidating. Here's a brief overview for the female guidelines:

• Fingernails should be clean. If polish is used, it should be an appropriate neutral color.
• Fingernails should not exceed one-fourth of an inch beyond the fingertip.
• Hair should be neatly combed and arranged in a classic, easy-to-maintain style. Extreme styles are not permitted.
• Hair products may be used to create a soft, natural hairstyle within these guidelines.
• If the hair color is changed, it must be natural-looking and well maintained. Subtle highlights or frosting is permitted as long as it creates a uniform look over the whole head.
• If makeup is worn, it should be applied in a blended manner and in appropriate, neutral colors.

These are just a few of the requirements, there are plenty more about hair accessories, glasses, jewelry, shoes, etc. Also, I recently learned that we are expected to wear professional business attire to certain functions, such as our "Traditions" course and our other classes. And they have plenty to say about what constitutes appropriate business attire. Let's just say a shopping trip is definitely going to be in order before my program starts...

Now, I still want to look good at work even though I'm going to have to edit my makeup choices and what-not. So I put together a little shopping list of my favorite products that will keep you looking good while still following Disney's guidelines - as well as maintaining the budget of a poor college student. Sound good? (Sorry guys, this is mostly for the ladies, but a lot of this stuff can be used for guys too!)

1. St. Ives Naturally Clear Green Tea Scrub

The first step of looking naturally beautiful comes with great skin. I love this product from St. Ives - it exfoliates, clears breakouts (thanks to the Salicylic acid), and reduces redness (thanks to the green tea). I use it every time I shower!


$6, drugstores and retail chains





2. Nail Buffing Block

For those of you who have never used one of these, they are amazing. We have to have clean, neutral nails for the Disney look, and with these it's a simple 4-step process to get your nails naturally shiny and smooth! And since it's your own nails, you don't have to worry about the shine peeling off like a polish would. If the sheen starts to go away, simply buff it again to touch it up!


$2, drugstores



3. Baking Soda

Alright, so one of the most important things for a Disney cast member to do is smile - always! In order to get those pearly whites before you start your program, I suggest brushing once a week with regular baking soda, dipped in a little water to make it stick together. It really does work! Only use it once a week though, as it has the potential to strip your enamel if you use it too often. Plus, there are TONS of other great uses for this stuff!

$3, drugstores and grocery stores


4. Slant-tip Tweezers

In my opinion, one of THE MOST IMPORTANT things you can do to look put-together and clean is to have well-groomed eyebrows. Be careful to not overpluck! The space between your brows should be equal to, or a little wider than, your eyes. If your brows are sparse or spotty, fill them in by pressing a brown (or dark gray, depending on your hair color) shadow into them using an angled eyeshadow brush. Natural-looking, maintained brows create the perfect frame for your face and let your pretty eyes stand out! :)

$2, drugstores and retail chains


5. Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 30

Hands down, the best thing you can do for your skin is wear some form of sunscreen (at least SPF 30) every single day - cloudy or sunny. I like this moisturizer from Aveeno - it naturally evens out skin tone and reflects light to bring out skin's natural radiance.


$17, drugstores and retail chains



6. Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse

I hate the feeling of caked on concealers and foundation, and I'm pretty sure Disney doesn't want us looking super-fake either. Right after I put on my face moisturizer, I put a small amount of this mousse onto my problem areas and blend. It goes on extremely smooth, and creates a natural-looking, even skin tone. Just finish it off by dusting a light, organic powder across your entire face to set the mousse and create a matte finish.

$9, drugstores and retail chains

7. Carmex Strawberry Stick

A lot of us are going to be working outside, in rain and shine. Some kind of chapstick is going to be a MUST. I like the Carmex Strawberry Stick because it adds moisture, protects from the sun with SPF 15, and heals chapped lips (it contains germ-killing menthol and phenol, which speeds the healing process). Plus, it's small enough to fit in our pockets!


$2, drugstores


Disney is all about natural beauty, so find which products work for you! Maybe I will end up doing another post about the disney look - if there's something you'd like to see let me know! (I used to be a "Beauty Advisor" at Walgreens, so I know a bit about various products!)

To all who come to this happy place...

Hello! My name is Alyssa and I have recently been accepted into the Disneyland College Program for Fall 2011!! Basically it's been my dream to work for Disney ever since I was in middle school and I can't believe it's actually happening - it still hasn't quite sunk in yet. I know that a lot of my friends and family are going to want to know about my experiences, and I'm sure there are future CP'ers out there who are curious about the program! So, what better way to share everything that happens to me than with a blog? Kills several birds with one stone. Of course we won't actually be killing any birds, that's probably not very Disney-ish.

Anyways, I am SUPER excited! The bummer part is that I don't start until May. Boo. BUT the good news is that I got my first choice of roles - which is ATTRACTIONS! I don't find out what ride it's going to be until I start, but I will probably end up making a list of the top rides I'm hoping to get...

So I'm NOT doing housing, which is sad because I'll miss out on some of the fun there, but doing non-housing means I get to start three months sooner :) In July a couple of my friends and I are planning on renting a house in Anaheim - which will be awesome to live so close - but until then I will be commuting to work. I've been reading other blogs from past CP'ers and it's getting me so psyched. I know there are people out there who say, "Working for Disney takes the magic out of going there" or "Disney is super strict, you're going to hate working for them" blah blah blah etc. WELL, of course they are strict - how else could they have become the number one company for customer service if they weren't strict? In fact, I'm glad that they are - it will weed out the slackers and the people who don't want to be there! And as for the magic going away, for me the opportunity to work there IS the magic! It's what I've wanted for so long, and nothing is going to ruin it for me. Plus, if I can work at Walgreens with a smile on my face, I'm pretty sure I won't have a problem maintaining a positive attitude at the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH.

Most of my blog posts until my program starts are probably going to be me rambling about how excited I am and suggesting things to prepare for the experience. If that interests you, keep reading! If not, check back in May!