Disney Accepted!

This is the start of my first-ever blog, and my very first blog post! So be excited, because I know I am. I am going to be blogging my internship at Walt Disney World, because the day I check-in for my internship will be the FIRST time I've EVER been to Disney World! This blog will have first-response emotions along with some genuinely confusing experiences, because I will have a lot of new things to talk about. So if you are like me and have never been to WDW, are thinking of doing the Disney College Program, are an alum of the DCP, or just LOVE Disney like I do--I hope you follow me along this magical journey I am about to embark on. 

So, I'm Shayna and I am a graduating senior at Eastern Illinois University. I am receiving my Bachelors of Arts Degree in English Literary Studies with a minor in Creative Writing. I am 22 years old, and, like many, LOVE LOVE LOVE all things Disney; although, I might be slightly more obessed with HARRY POTTER. 

I first learned about the DCP my freshman year at EIU. Immediately, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of, but as each semester followed another, I could not validate basically taking an entire semester away from school to go to Disney. Throughout my entire college career, I worked full-time as well as atteneded school full-time in order to pay my way through. Being gone for an entire semester just did not seem financially or academically helpful for me, but the DCP always lingered in the back of my mind. 

The first semester of my senior year, I decided to take a gander at the DCP website, and I learned that graduating seniors may apply the semester they are graduating and I thought to myself, "Yes! This is your chance!" So without talking to anyone, I applied. I did not even tell my friends or family I applied until after I had my phone interview--let me just tell you, my parents were more excited than I was! So I had my phone interview on 8 March 2015 and it went really well in my opinion. And then I had to wait...and wait...and wait. I knew that they would not be sending out acceptances until the beginning of April-ish so I was just continually checking my e-mail--hoping, waiting, and praying that this would be the direction God sent me towards. I brushed it off to my family by saying that I did it as "just another option," but they knew better than that. They knew Disney was my dream and I think they prayed for me too.

Then on April 1st, I made a joke to my roommate, Bethany, and said, "It would really be awful if Disney sent out their acceptances today, because ya know? It's April Fools Day." And they didn't send them out that day, because they gave everyone a heart attack with their "Cinderella's Castle to be Renamed for Frozen's Queen Elsa," nonsence. Well played Disney...Well played. BUT on April 2nd, my e-mail alarm went off and I looked down to see a message from Disney saying, "Congratulations!" I literally squealed with excitement! I had literal tears in my eyes and called my dad right away who was just as, if not more, excited as I was! I was going to Walt Disney World and I could not be happier! 

So after paying my fees, I was able to choose my arrival date--not being able to choose the earliest date due to prior engagements, I chose 18 May! Finally it seemed so set in stone and then I got, what I like to term, Disney-Brain--meaning that every thing I have to do between now and getting to Disney World is just trivial. All I want to do is watch Disney movies, listen to Disney Pandora, and talk with other people that accepted their positions as well. Luckily, amist all of my excitement, when I did freak out I had friends to turn to that would calm me down--my friend Tara, who did the DCP before, and my friend Griffin, who is there now, were super helpful right at the beginning of my acceptance when I started gathering lists of what I would need. 

And now the countdown is on. I will be at WDW in 31 days and cannot wait to embark on this journey! 

I hope you enjoyed my first blog post! Stay tuned for more and have a magical day!