How To Celebrate Your 21st Birthday In Disney World

I recently celebrated my 21st birthday in Walt Disney World and had an absolute blast drinking adult drinks in a place usually connected with children.

Drinking in Disney is involved from vacation planning all the way to the bitter end of the vacation, so here are a few tips from prep time to your 21st birthday to have a magical first drinking experience.

Prepare

Celebrate In Style 

If you’re into wearing Disney shirts or bows, I’m talking to you. I’ve seen some really fun Disney drinking accessories on Etsy. Plus every cast member will compliment you on your accessories.

Here are some really fun accessories to get you in the mood!

You’re welcome to bring a special 21st birthday cup, but cast members must first pour your  drink order into a cup provided by Disney first. Then you can pour it into your own special birthday cup and will always remember whose drink is whose.

Bottom Line – If you love dressing up in Disney-inspired outfits, indulge a little and let everyone know it’s your birthday!

Look up drinks beforehand.

It’s Disney WORLD, people! That means a whole world of drinking opportunities are laid out before you. Awesome right?

Kind of. Don’t expect to just wing it when it comes to drinks, especially when you only have so many days to explore Disney’s “adult beverages.”

Disney offers a world of drinks so search for great alcoholic beverages in the parks or resorts you’ll visit during your stay so you know exactly what you’d like to try.

Research beforehand, especially if you attend Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival, offered in the spring, or Epcot’s Food and Wine festival, offered in the fall. Kiosks are placed throughout Epcot’s World Showcase offering specials (that are mostly not to be missed drinks) that showcase each country’s alcohol selection. Basically, you should know where to save yourself and your party time for selections you would have tried if you hadn’t already drank a lot beforehand.

Here are some articles on how to tackle the Food and Wine or Flower and Garden Festivals.

Disney has restaurant menus available on Disney World’s website and always releases a menu for the festivals online. Plus there are many reviews online of the best drink from each location.

That being said, don’t be afraid to be flexible or try something really different. That’s why so many guests drink around the World [Showcase] at Epcot!

Bottom Line – Do your research and find a few interesting drinks in mind before the big day. This will save you time later and you won’t have to worry about missing out on fun drinks.

Have a Back Up Plan If You Want to Party Hard

This isn’t your regular designated driver sort of plan.

If you get sick after drinking too much (very likely if you go hard in the heat) you need to walk through the park or resort, deal with thousands of other guests and know how you’ll get back to your resort or hotel in your state.

Give yourself some time (or have someone in your party remind you) to sober up if you’ll take Disney transportation like buses or the monorail. You’ll be dealing with other guests and if it’s obvious you’re not in a fit state, the transportation cast will ask you to wait before you use Disney transportation. They’re just thinking of the safety of you and other guests.

Bottom Line – Make sure you have made a clear plan and have someone there you can trust to take care of you if you drink too much. The plan will make everything smoother in case you get sick or have difficulty walking through the park safely.

On The Big Day

Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. Carbs. Carbs. Carbs.

That’s already pretty standard advice for those planning to drink. But this is Orlando, Florida in the 90 degree heat where you’ll walk around a hot park for several hours. Do yourself a favor and even bring your own water bottle and some snacks . 

You’re on vacation so don’t worry about eating a little extra. You’ll need to soak up that alcohol with some extra food and carbs do the best job.

Take advantage of the free cups of ice water at every quick service or kiosk location in the parks if you don’t bring a water bottle. This water is ice cold and probably one of the only free things at Disney.

Bottom Line – Take hydration and keeping a full tummy seriously. That’s the top way to ensure a magical time on your big day and on the following days.

Have Fun But Don’t Go Too Crazy  

Especially if your birthday is between April and October – it’s HOT out. And 90 degree weather doesn’t “mix” well with extreme heat. If you want to party hard, maybe wait until the evening.

On top of the heat, you’ll have to walk around a huge park (or several) with thousands of other guests. If you’ve ever visited a Disney park, you know there is a lot of bobbing and weaving through the Disney crowds. Now imagine that while you’re drunk. No thank you.

Your friends or family are not going to want to hold your hair in some restroom surrounded by other guests in the Orlando heat. Not a magical day for you or anyone in that party.

Bottom Line – Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you can skimp on the basic drinking rules – be with someone you trust, don’t drink on an empty stomach, etc. and you’ll have a great time.

Don’t Just Party at Epcot

For those of you who are not as well-versed in Disney culture, Epcot is considered by many as THE place to drink and you’ll be asked when you’re visiting that park by almost every cast member.

I actually had my first drink at Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom. It is the only restaurant in Magic Kingdom that sells alcohol. What would a French dinner be without a glass of wine? For someone who loves Beauty and the Beast, it was a wonderful memory I will always cherish.

However, there are many bars outside the parks, but still on property, that consistently receive raving reviews like Trader Sam’s at the Polynesian or Jellyroll’s on The Boardwalk. I’ve always wanted to go to these bars and can’t wait to return and test them out. Here are some pieces on the best places to drink around property and the top drinks on property.

Bottom Line – Epcot isn’t the only park that serves alcohol so don’t save your drinking party time for solely for Epcot. Be adventurous and try drinks around property!

Ask Cast Members About Their Favorite Drinks

Hey, the Walt Disney World cast has fun off-duty too! They live there year-round and have their own tried-and-true drinks.

If you have on a birthday button that says 21 “ears” most of-age cast members will give you plenty of suggestions without even asking them! You’ll get plenty of suggestions right after they ask you why you aren’t in Epcot. 

Don’t be afraid to ask the cast members for their favorite drinks, especially those in Epcot. Several cast members suggested I try to Dole Whip (a pineapple soft-serve) with coconut rum, a drink I passed on during my planning. I ordered it at the Pineapple Promenade during Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival and it was hands down the best drink I had during the trip. If you’re a Dole Whip lover like me, you need to try this at least once. You can find it in Animal Kingdom and at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort as well.

Most Importantly – Have Fun

This is the most important tip! Sure, the tips above are important to ensuring you have a safe and magical time, but the key is to have fun. If that means drinking a lot, but staying hydrated and making sure you’re eating enough, wonderful! If that means only trying two drinks, amazing! If you’re not a big drinker and only plan on maybe having one or two drinks, fantastic!

So have fun and cheers to your magical 21st birthday! 

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If you have any questions or comments I would love to answer them in the comments section below! Have a magical day!

How To Ace Your Disney College Program Phone Interview

I’m sure you’ve read up and down the Internet on the DCP, read other blogs like this one and have your top roles listed with their individual reasons. However, these tips are the most basic way to really ace this conversation and show off your best self.

      1.Prepare

When I say prepare, I mean take a step back and think clearly as to why you’d like to do the program. As in be able to articulate it.

In my prep, I created a full sheet to help me out during my interview. Some questions I included on there were:

• Why do you want to do the DCP?
• What are your top roles and why?
• Describe a situation in which you were a team player.
• Describe a difficult situation with another employee.

Here is a picture of my prep notes:

So maybe I went a little overboard. 

Also on there I included a space to put the interviewer’s name. It’s just another personal touch.

On top of prep notes, I gave myself a few positive Disney quotes to keep me going during the interview.

Here are some websites with example questions.

    2. Answer the phone in a nice way. 

I mean more than just picking up and saying, “Hello?” Like you don’t know who it is.

Disney says in advance that the number that will call you will be an “Unkown” or “Out of Area” number. When you’re waiting in that time slot and you see an unknown number is calling you, it’s a Disney casting agent.

So instead of answering in an impersonal manner, say something like, “Good morning / Hi / Good afternoon, this is (name).”

It kicks your interview off to a good start and already makes you seem more personal. Huzzah for great first impressions!

     3.  If you have a dream role, talk about it! 

If you really emphasize a role and why you’d be a great merch cast member, attractions cast member or character attendant. Give plenty of examples on why you’d bring something to that role.

Typically when you show you have a passion for a certain role, the casting cast member will think you’d be great in that role.

In my interview, I talked all about merchandise. I had merchandise examples and talked about how badly I wanted Guest interaction and to create magical moments, so we spent the entire interview on merchandise. It makes it easier for your interviewer to see you, and hopefully place you, in that role. 

     4. Sell yourself.

Don’t just talk about why you want to do the program, talk about why Disney should hire you. Remember, this isn’t just about you getting into the program, this is about Disney hiring an employee who will bring Disney excellence to her or his role.

 If they don’t ask about your top role, don’t panic – insert it in the conversation.

At the end of the interview, the cast member will ask if you have any questions. Instead of a question, mention your top role and how you’d be a perfect fit. It might feel awkward, but you want your opinion to be heard. It doesn’t have to be a long-winded reason about how your life journey has lead you to this role, just a short explanation on why you’d like this role.

     5. Ask Questions

When they ask you if you have any questions, if you can’t think of anything, ask her or him about their Disney journey. You will hear plenty of these stories once you begin your program and it makes you seem invested in other people.

This is just like the beginning of a Guest interaction and it shows you can be conversational and your truly fantastic self.

     6.  Don’t be afraid to make conversation – Have fun! 

My interviewer asked me about things other than the Disney College Program and sometimes we veered off track from the usual Disney questions. It’s just a conversation and you’re testing Disney out the same way Disney is testing you.

Really, this interview is just a conversation to get to know a little bit more about you and your relationship with Disney. So try to have a good time.

Remember, this is your first step talking to a Disney employee to place you on your own Disney journey. So test out your conversation skills and let your passion shine through. That’s what this interview is really about.

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To get you in the prepping mood, here is a link to Be Prepared from Lion King. Don’t tell me you weren’t singing this song in your head the whole time.

If you have any questions or comments please leave them in the comments section below! I would love to help and hear from you! Have a magical day everyone!

Top Disney College Program Questions Answered Podcast

 

Instead of a text post, I’ve decided to experiment with a podcast this week!

In this podcast, I answer the top questions I receive about my Walt Disney World internship. Here are the questions and time marks:

1. Application Process – 0:25 – 5:45
2. Role and Work Location – 5:50 – 8:50
3. What it’s like working in Magic Kingdom for the holidays- 8:50 – 11:35
4. Merchentaining on the job – 11:35 – 12:00
5. Best Guest Stories/Magical Moments – 12:00 – 16:50
6. Getting paid – 16:50 – 17:45
7. DCP During the Holidays – 17:45 – 19:50
8. What is it like to live in Disney World for five months – 19:50 – End

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please post them below! I would love to hear from you! 

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If you’re new to the blog, here is some background info on my program:

For the fall 2015 semester, Frontierland merchandise in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom became my home on the fall 2015 Disney College Program. On top of having front row seats to the magic, Rachel had hundreds of opportunities to make magic every day.

For five months I had perfect views of every Magic Kingdom parade, Wishes and front row seats to Mickey’s Not So Scary and Very Merry Christmas parties. Everyday I got to say “Howdy” and “Have a zip-a-dee-doo-dah day to Magic Kingdom’s guests.

Five Things To Know Before Your Disney College Program

You’ll be going on one of the biggest, most magical adventures of your life and don’t lie, you’re freaking out. In good and bad ways. On one hand, you’re about to spend four to seven months of your life in The Most Magical Place On Earth. On the other hand, you’re freaking out about your potential location, roommates, classes, friends, housing, Transtar, etc.

Below are the five questions that made me most nervous in the months before my program and now I wonder why I ever worried in the first place. Hopefully this will help soothe your nerves from an alum’s perspective.

 

What if I don’t make any friends?

This was my biggest concern going into my program and the biggest joke just after the first night with my roommates.

You think you won’t make any friends out of the thousands of Disney people on your program. What are you going to talk about? Where will you meet them?

It’s OK.  You all came here in the name of Disney to work in a Disney park to be around fellow Disney people. You already have a few things in common. Trust me, you will make plenty of deep, lasting friendships.

If you’re still worried, here are some fun icebreakers:

• What’s your role or location?
• Which complex do you live in?
• What’s your favorite (Disney sidekick/princess/song/any possible Disney thing)

What if I don’t have any money?

You are all working low-paying jobs on the front lines in the parks with Guests every day. No one has money. Everyone is poor, unless s/he is receiving help from a parent or friend.

But you will have enough money, even during the slow seasons. Sure, you might have just enough to buy groceries, gas and maybe two or three meals in the parks but you won’t be alone. And you will laugh and complain about it along with the rest of your friends and roommates.

Bottom line – Everyone will cut corners with you. Everyone will be cheap with you so it definitely isn’t as bad as it seems. I suggest bringing a good amount of money with you before your program so you can treat yourself and buy everything your apartment needs during the first few weeks of your program.

For the most part, money won’t limit you in your experiences. Before my college program, I disregarded money and though I would take plenty of tours and eat at all the MK restaurants. Two months into the program, I realized that wasn’t going to work. However, you’ll make the most of it and be able to explore the parks for five months.

What if I don’t like my role/location/co-workers?

Bottom line -It is what you make it. It’s all about your attitude toward your role or location.

Some people have destiny shine upon them and are given a perfect package as soon as they begin. Others might not have a wonderful first impression and have to adjust to what might seem like consistently angry Guests, a complex location or difficult coworkers.

You will find ways to love your situation, even if you begin with a bad impression. Nothing is perfect in any placement; everyone has to work around kinks. At least you will have a big Disney family, like roommates, coworkers or random friends you make on the bus, always waiting to hear some seriously juicy complaints.

ButI promise you’ll find ways to make it work. Maybe it’s trying your absolute best to make every Guest smile, make a coworker’s day or kick serious bottom in your role.

Trust me, you will make it work. If at first you don’t succeed, try; try again because Disney will not move you to another location, my friend.

Here is a story featuring Kaela, a CP who had been placed at Disney Quest in Disney Springs (Downton Disney – it’s difficult to let go, friends). She really wasn’t into her role at first and after a few weeks, she learned to absolutely love it!

What if I don’t like my roommates?

You and your future roomies met on Facebook, you created a DCP roomie group chat and are about to move in with a total stranger for five months. Yikes.

Bottom line – I can’t stop you from worrying, but I guarantee everything will work out and you will have friends.

In my case, one of my roommates became my best friend. I didn’t go into the DCP looking for lasting friendships, but since check-in day, it felt like I had known her my whole life.

On the other hand, I knew CPs who hated their roommates but still had a blast. You might take a leap of faith on a stranger and it doesn’t work out. No problem. You will have plenty of work friends, even a few CPs, to hang out with off work. My co-cast in Frontierland merch became my family. I visited them whenever I was off work, hung out with them a few times and had a blast!

So if your roommate situation doesn’t work out, you’ll be fine. It just means you’re meant to hang out with a different set of peeps.

What if I get homesick and want to go home?

You’re in the Most Magical Place On Earth with hundreds of other CPs who share one of your biggest passions. You will be fine!

This is a tough question, though. I promise you will get homesick sometime during your program. But you will have a huge Disney family (friends, roommates, co-cast etc.) to support you and remind you why you came and what you bring to the team!

I participated in the Fall 2015 program and missed all the holidays with my family. My family couldn’t visit me. And it was hard. I cried on Thanksgiving and skyped my family on Christmas morning Instead, I got to create magic on those holidays and mutter this really sucks to my friends.

But everyone is in the same boat. My roommates and I decided to cheer ourselves up and have a secret Santa, which was so much fun!

If you do choose to participate in the fall program, create some fun memories and traditions with your roommates! Have a huge Thanksgiving potluck with your roommates and co-cast, spend $20 on a Secret Santa or dress up and take amazing holiday pictures with your friends!

 

Do you have any worries or doubts before your college program? Comment below so I can help!

How To Celebrate The Holidays On The Disney College Program

Now that you’re spending at least four months in Walt Disney World, you have an incredible chance to explore all the holiday magic the parks have to offer!

Having participated in a fall program, the holidays were definitely the highlights of my time in Disney and would love to share some traditions I participated in or heard about:

Halloween

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party 

Only the best Halloween party you’ll ever attend! This party embraces the softer, sillier side of Halloween with all of your favorite characters, incredible Halloween fireworks that surround Magic Kingdom and the best parade Disney has ever created with the catchiest music and the best characters.

So gather your roommates or co-cast, think of a fun group costume theme and go trick-or-treat around Magic Kingdom! It’s a blast! Attending a Not So Scary party is essential on a fall program. Plus, cast gets discount tickets the first month of the parties!

Candy, Candy, Candy! 

Put out candy in front of your apartment or bring some to your work location! This is a great way to make some holiday magic outside of your job. Every holiday at Disney can be a little hectic so spreading some holiday cheer is a great way to make friends and know you’ve made a fellow cast members day.

 

Thanksgiving

Holiday-Themed Merchandise

This goes for any holiday, but there is some really cool holiday merch out and about and available for a limited time.

Cast gets a 40% holiday discount so there is no excuse for not buying some fantastic merchandise to help you celebrate every holiday in Disney style!

Disney Family Potluck

Invite some of your co-cast or keep in just among your roomies, but go all out and have an incredible feast! It could be making all Disney treats, a holiday dinner at a nice on-property restaurant or just some pre-made stuff from Publix, but here is your chance to give thanks with your friends at Disney.

Thanksgiving Dress-Up

Go to the parks dressed as the famous Disney turkey legs or pilgrims! It’s a fun idea to celebrate with some friends and be silly in the name of being away from your families during the holidays. But who am I kidding, you guys work at Disney so you’re obviously open to being pretty silly in the first place.

Bonus points if you make really cute turkey Mickey ears!

Christmas

Secret Santa

Draw your friends’ or roommates’ names from a bowl and get them something nice for under $20! You’ll be away from your families so it’ll be fun to carry on holiday gift-giving traditions with your friends. Plus it’s really fun to guess who your secret Santa is! My roommates and I did Secret Santa and had a blast deciding what to get each other and pretending to be oblivious as to who our Santa was.

Stockings

Instead of Secret Santa, every roommate can get something small for each other and place the gift in a stocking. If you’re really close with your roommates and want to give something to everyone, this is perfect. It’s so fun to wake up on Christmas with a stocking, even if you’re not with your family.

Personalize An Ornament

This might be the only opportunity to participate in the Disney College Program, so go ahead and purchase a personalized ornament to celebrate! Having picked up in Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe, I can say the artists over there are incredibly talented and are happy to work with you.

To have an ornament personalized, pick out the ornament you’d like (I went with classic Mickey ears) and take it to the two registers inside located closest to the Castle hub. There are several sets of registers in the store but those are the only two at which you can place a personalization order. You’ll fill out a form for information such as your name, details you’d like on the ornament and your requested pick-up time. From there, go have some fun in Magic Kingdom until it’s time to pick up your order.

It can get pretty hectic in Christmas Shoppe around the holidays so I’d recommend going either before the holiday season or arriving earlier in the day to have an earlier pick-up time. Remember, the artists can only personalize on a smooth surface, meaning no glitter or fuzz on the part you’d like personalized.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Cookies, Christmas songs and another fantastic parade? Yes! Mickey’s Very MerryChristmas Party is a blast where you get to have fun wearing shorts this close to Christmas.

Having participated in the fall program, most cast members and Guests said it is not a must-do for fall CPs. Not So Scary is definitely a must-do but the majority of Guests and cast members thought Not So Scary was more enjoyable.

New Years

Watch The Fireworks

If you’re off work at midnight, that is. If you happen to be off work for New Years, watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from a Magic Kingdom resort hotel. The parks are craaaaaazy so you probably want to watch them from a more fun location. My favorite is the Grand Floridian dock in front of Gasperilla’s but the Polynesian beach or Contemporary/Bay Lake Tower bridge are also wonderful spots.

Go Crazy with Party Hats and Streamers

If you and your roommates have to work that night, celebrate before-hand. Blast some fun music, don that glittery party hat and blare those annoying horns! It’ll be close to the end of your program, so you can reminisce with your roommates and friends and sing Auld Lang Syne together. It’ll be emotional, but it’ll be great.

Warning to those working in Magic Kingdom: Christmas’ ‘Silent Night’ is over. On New Year’s Eve, MK doles out horns that will be blowing all night long thanks to excited Guests, particularly children.

 

What are your favorite holiday traditions at Walt Disney World? Leave a comment or question below with some of your favorite holiday traditions, stories or questions!