DCP Birthday Bash!!!

My 21st birthday last week was one of the most magical days of my life! I was so excited that I was going to have my birthday during the DCP, and I was not disappointed! Here are some ways that I found to make your birthday at the parks even more magical!

Get Yourself a Top Notch Birthday Buddy

It’s your birthday! Don’t spend it alone! This is my lovely friend Maria, and she was one of the best birthday buddies a girl could ask for. I also spent the next day with my friend Maddy, and she was an amazing friend to spend my birthday with, too! They both insisted on standing in any line that I wanted to stand in (even the super long talking Mickey one), and taking artsy park pictures of me! It was so great to have these wonderful girls to spend time with, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Get You Some Buttons!!!

You can’t have a birthday in an Orlando theme park without getting some buttons!!! Everyone tells you happy birthday, and it makes you feel so special! At Disney, you can find a button at any merchandise location. Just go up to the register and ask for one! At Universal, you actually have to go to guest relations near the front of the park. This may seem like a hassle, but it also means that not as many people will have birthday buttons, therefore making you feel just a little more special. 🙂 After my program, I plan on turning all of the buttons that I’ve collected into fridge magnets so I can actually use them in Idaho.

Ask Around!!!

It never hurts to ask cast members what the best things to do on your birthday are! You guys already know that I love Beauty and the Beast, so I went to Gaston’s Tavern. When they saw my birthday button, they actually gave me this rose cupcake — on the mouse! It was both beautiful and delicious. I also know that at Cosmic Ray’s in Tomorrowland, they have a really cool birthday song if you’re into being sung to. 🙂

My birthday was more amazing than I could have ever imagined, and I am so grateful that I got to spend it with my friends in the most magical place on earth! If you or a friend are having a birthday on the DCP, I hope this helps you to make it extra special.

What To Do When Parks Are CROWDED!!!

If you’ve done any research on when is the best time to come to Disney, you probably know that Thanksgiving and Christmas are NOT great times to go! But while you’re on your college program, you don’t want to waste any day off that you have! I mean, when else am I going to get to go to Disney World for free again? So even though it’s been SUPER crowded, I am NOT staying away from the parks on my last month here.

Whether you’re going on the program, or you can’t avoid going to the parks when it’s crowded, here are some fun things you can do in and out of the lines!

#1 – Cosmic Ray’s Dance Party!!!

This is my absolute favorite! On Monday, my friend and I were wandering around Tomorrowland trying to find something that wasn’t an hour wait, when we stumbled upon the dance party! It’s outside next to Space Mountain, and there’s a DJ that plays fun songs and has everyone do silly dance moves (i.e. the sprinkler, the Q-tip, and the Macarena). After a long day of crowds and long lines, it was the perfect way to let loose and unwind! My friend definitely just stood to the side and laughed at me, but I had the time of my life!

#2 – Walk Through Attractions

Believe it or not, there are some things at Disney that you don’t have to wait for! Walk-through attractions like the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House in Adventureland in Magic Kingdom, or the Star Wars Launch Bay in Hollywood Studios are fun ways to be involved in the magic without having to stand in a 65 minute queue.

#3 – Unpopular Shows

Shows like Phillharmagic and The Muppets 3D hardly ever have a queue, but they’re really cute shows! Sometimes a low wait time doesn’t mean a bad show. You can find a lot of gems by just going with the flow and seeing the attractions that you can just walk into.

#4 – Have a Picture Day!

There are so many fun picture spots in the parks! Take a few hours, or even a whole day to go on a picture scavenger hunt! Grab an Instagram buddy, and take artsy pictures of each other in front of the castle or on the carousel! then you can edit and post the pictures while you’re waiting in a line! Just make sure you bring a portable phone charger!

#5 – Play Line Games!!!

Even when you have fastpasses, you’re still inevitably going to have to stand in long lines at Disney. but “line” doesn’t have to mean “boring”!! Plan out some fun games and activities that you can play in line so that your wait time isn’t all  time! If you’re alone, I’d suggest reading a book, or even streaming a movie from Netflix (if you have unlimited data). With friends, you can play Heads Up, Truth or Dare, Never Have I Ever, I-Spy, Cat’s Cradle, Desert Island, — the possibilities are endless!

Heavy crowds definitely create a different park experience, but they don’t have to ruin your day at Disney! Remember, if you’re having fun, you’re never wasting your time.

 

 

Everyone Has Something

No matter how many people there are in the world, there is something uniquely you that allows you to make a positive impact on the people around you. Without you, the world would be missing a gear that makes it tick.

The other day, I had a really cool interaction with one little girl that reminded me just how important each individual is. Since our location doesn’t have a set birthday song, sometimes I sing this cutesy little song that I learned at church when I was a kid. This girl with a birthday button came through one of my lines, and I decided to sing it to her. I said, “Would you like to hear my birthday song? No one ever knows it, so it’s super special!”

I started to sing her my song, and to my surprise, she jumped right in and sang along! She said, “I know that one! We learned it in church!” I discovered that we go to the same church, and she was all grins as she told me all about her upcoming baptism, and all of the other things that she was excited about in her life.

Now, if anyone else had been in my position that day, I’m sure they would have had an amazing interaction with her, too! Everyone has a unique and crucial essence that allows them to make an impact on others. But I am very grateful that I was there, and that I got to have that cool interaction with that girl and her family that was unique to me.

Everyone has something about them that allows them to help others in a way that only they can. So don’t hide your silliness or your smartness, and don’t be embarrassed to be yourself — you never know when someone else might benefit from the awesomeness that is you!!

Simple Fixes

One thing that I didn’t anticipate about my job here at Disney is how easy it is to make people happy. Well, young people anyway. I am of the firm opinion that there should be no sad kids at Disney, and I have a super top secret weapon for turning frowns upside down. Want to know what it is?

It’s stickers.

STICKERS!!!!!!!!!!!

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen a kid eat it on the concrete — screaming and crying — only to get instantly better when I hand them a sticker. It’s the cure-all for boo-boos. Stickers are also very useful when it comes to bringing back run away kiddos. Seriously, if they don’t want to go back to their parents in line, I take out a sticker, and they follow it like a dollar on a string. Easy peasy. I actually had one family ask if me and my stickers could follow them around that day so they could get their toddler to listen to them.

It’s amazing to me how something so simple and mass-produced as a sticker can be so magical in the Disney setting. Once, I gave this girl an Olaf sticker, and she was so excited!! I had a lot left, so while she was in the queue, I slipped a whole bunch of them into her stroller.  Sure enough, when she came back from meeting Olaf, she asked for another sticker. So I told her to go check her buggy because Olaf had left her a present. Her reaction made that one of my nights ever!

Last sticker story and then I’m done, I promise: The other day, I was giving away Minnie stickers to pretty much everyone in line to see Minnie and Mickey. Then this one girl asked me if I had a Mickey sticker as well. I knelt down on her level, and I said “You know what? It’s your lucky day, because I happen to have one left.” She was so excited, she gave me a hug! I was really surprised, but her parents told me that she’d been looking for a mickey sticker their whole trip and hadn’t found one for her collection! So we flipped through her book together, and I happened to have just one or two of most of the characters she was missing. She had the biggest grin you’ve ever seen.

So just a couple of things I’ve learned from my Disney sticker experiences:

#1 — Be prepared. You can’t give something you don’t have. For me in my job, this means stocking up on stickers before I head on stage. For me in my life, this means making sure that I am emotionally and physically prepared to listen to, and help my friends when they are in need. Because…

#2 — It doesn’t take much to make someone’s day magical. Whether it’s a sticker, a smile, a listening ear, or even an offer to help someone with a daily chore, each one of us has the power to make a difference in someone else’s life every day. Creating happiness is a part of my job description now, and I’m so proud to say that this is one aspect of work that I’m going to try to take home with me.