We're Moving!

Alright this page has been great but the Disney Dolls are growing up and expanding!
We now have 3 writers including myself so we've packed up and shipped off to a new location but no worries same name!
http://thedisneydolls.wordpress.com
Find us at our new word press location and keep an eye on our posts! You never know what will be coming up!

Crystal Palace

Alrighty if you want to get on the guest list to get into Magic Kingdom early snag an early reservation at Crystal Palace. There are a couple benefits to getting into Magic Kingdom early 1. you get some quiet time on main street and some cool empty picture 2. You can be dining and out while the gates are just opening if you time it right.
Now Crystal Palace is a buffet that is offered at Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. It can be hard to get into and reservation are definitely advised. Crystal Palace is a character dining experience with Winnie the Pooh and friends with Winnie the Pooh as the host and his friends Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger.
They also offer a wide selection of options, I went at breakfast time with a pair of my friends and we had a blast! The food was delicious! They have standard breakfast buffet options and they also have omelets made to order!
Okay I don't have any pictures of my food, but I have some character picture to share!

The price of Crystal Palace was around $22 not including the tip, which was a bargain for character dining, the price does vary depend on the season and which meal you're there for. Dinner is always more expensive, so that is just something to be on the look out for.
I absolutely recommend giving this a shot, the magic of getting in the park early is special! My friends and I also had a great time with these characters and the experience!
You can expect a top notch Disney experience at the Crystal Palace.

Be Our Guest

Be Our Guest the pride of the New Fantasyland expansion at Magic Kingdom. A restaurant that people are now dreaming to dine at. I am happy to have had the opportunity on several occasions to have lunch in this newly revered restaurant.

First we'll talk about the decor! It's lovely! There are 3 rooms you can dine in for lunch and dinner. Lunch you get to choose where you sit.
The entry way is decorated with armor and tapestries

There is the Ballroom which a replica of the Ballroom from Beauty and the Beast where Belle and the Beast dance.

There is also the Library which is lacking in books

The third room is what I consider to be the most popular, it's the West wing. Now I had hard time getting any decent pictures of the West Wing because it's pretty dark, and I hate using flash in places where people are enjoying the scenery. 

 

After you make it inside you are asked if you will be paying with cash, card or by your dining plan. Depending on your answer you will be escorted to a kiosk or a cashier to place your order. After you place your order you'll be given a Rose which is a little devise that tells the servers where you're sitting. The lunch menu for Be Our Guest offers a lot of different dishes, from a seared tuna salad to a heart pork roast with mashed potatoes they've definitely got something for everyone! I went to Be Our Guest on several occasions with my friends and tried a few different things.

I have to admit I went several times but I always ordered the same thing. The pork roast which came with mixed veggies and mashed potatoes. It was delicious, and the gravy on it went perfectly with the potatoes and veggies! Now I want a plate of that! I also ordered a cup of their French Onion soup, and it was amazing! The onions were so tender and flavorful and the broth was just delicious!

I went with one of my friends and we decided to each get a different dessert and share them, so we could give them both a shot. On the left is the cream puff with lemon filling, and on the right is a chocolate cupcake. These were both delicious!
They also added a dessert called the Masters Cupcake which features the "gray stuff" and it really is delicious! The cupcakes are divine and a must try!

Lunch at Be Our Guest is a little pricier then other places on property, but completely worth the experience! The soup, Pork dish and desserts were roughly $25.00. They do offer a variety of dishes at a lower price though so it really is affordable for everyone!

Extra Tips: If you see a line out front of the restaurant at lunch don't be scared to wait, they will tell you the wait is about 45 minutes, but it'll only take 15-20 before you actually get inside. There is a bit of waiting inside but it gives you time to really enjoy the scenery! ALSO if you're looking for dinner reservations go to the podium around 2-3pm if they have any open or canceled reservations that is one of the best times to get in for that night.

DCP: Application Tips

Alright I applied and was accepted for the Fall 2013 Disney College Program I was unable to complete my program but i did spend a wonderful 3 months working as a Custodial Cast member Disney's Polynesian Resort. This post is dedicated to the application process.

Are you Eligible to Apply?
Anyone can apply, but to be considered you do have to meet a few qualifications. You have to be enrolled in at least one college course at the time of your application. You have to be in good standing with the company. If you have recently left the company on bad terms you have to wait 1 year before applying.


Before you apply:
Think about why you want to do the college program. Are you doing it for the education experience, to enhance your resume, maybe even just for fun? Whatever your reasoning just make sure that this is what you really want to do. The college program can be a lot of fun, but you have to know you will be working a lot and people will rely on you if you can't handle that kind of responsibility this might not be for you.

Filling out the Application:
The day you've been waiting for, you've been checking your dashboard and the college program website everyday but today is the day you can finally fill out the paperwork that will really jumpstart your adventure.

The application starts by asking you for your information. This will range from your name, your social security number and your past work experience. My advice for this is to put all your work history even if you think it isn't relatable, just put it all down.

Which roles?
Alright after you fill out all your basic information you come to the most important part of the application, which roles you're interested in.
You'll be given a list of roles and you will have to rate them to how interested you are in working them High interest to low interest. There is no limit for this you can put high interest in everything if you choose to it's all up to you.
The roles are: Attractions, Bell Services Dispatch/Greeter, Bibbidi bobbed boutique/Pirates League, Character attendant, Character performer, Concierge, Costuming, Custodial, Full Service Food and Beverage, Hopper, Hospitality, Life Guard, Main Entrance Operations, Merchandise, Photopass Photographer, Quick Service Food and Beverage, Recreation, transportation and vacation planner.
These roles are specifically for Walt Disney World. Disney land has a similar selection of roles with different titles and you can find them HERE.

                 Tips for picking roles:

        Okay now these are the best tips I have for selecting the roles, there is no guaranteed way to get one specific role but these tips can help you make the best selection for you.

1.  Don't be scared to put no interest. A lot of people will tell you that it limits your chances or whatever nonsense, but honestly that isn't necessarily true at all. How this works is you put your interests and THEN disney reviews your applications based on those things. Disney is not going to look at your application see that you've marked 5 or 6 roles and no interest and throw your application out, that doesn't happen. Now it does put you up against more people for the roles you've chosen, but the odds are if Disney is going to choose you for the internship they will, they're not going to drop you if they think you're a good applicant. The most they would do is during your phone interview ask you why you've put no interest for certain roles and at that time you can give your reasons and they may even ask if your interests have changed at all and you can change them during your phone interview. 
2. Putting High interest in everything will not guarantee you a spot in the program. Similar to the first tip it doesn't help you to put everything at a high interest. There is nothing wrong with being okay with doing any of the roles, but rank them based on your favorites. Low interest does not mean you won't get chosen for that role, they will just consider your for other roles first. The only way you won't be considered for a role is if you put no interest.
3. Be honest. This plays on the last two tips, but I really mean it. Do your research before hand, look up blogs for people who enjoyed the roles your considering and look up ones where people didn't like the role. Don't put high interest, moderate or even low interest in something unless you want to do it. It is not worth it.
4. Do your research. Playing off the last tip I really mean it look up good and bad reviews of the roles your considering. Look up how many hours you could be working, some roles it mostly depends on location but look up the people who work at Magic Kingdom and compare it to the people who work at the resorts or other parks. Even look into the pay, you will be working a lot make sure you can handle the hours, the labor and the pay. Don't be shy ask questions, annoy people to death with them, it's better that you know then go into choosing your role blindly.

Those are the most important tips i have right now, if i think of more i will add them, but I really mean all of those tips. I saw people who loved their role and I saw people who hated it and it's not worth the misery just to get accepted.

If you have recently applied or worked for the company within 6 months you do not have to do the next step of the application which is the Web based interview. That is how they have done it in the past, but the last round of applications Spring 2014 they changed the process and that didn't not happen or work out for everyone.

If you have any questions about my role or other application questions feel free to ask! I will be posting about the Web Based Interview (WBI) and the Phone interview soon!  Fall Applications are only about a month away so best of luck everyone!

DCP: I lost my key!

If you're on your program, or getting ready to start it this bit of advise can be helpful if this ever happens to you.

I left my apartment early to venture to Magic Kingdom before heading over to work at the Polynesian. After spending several hours in Magic Kingdom I was grabbing a drink and snack on my way back to the monorail when i realized that my key had vanished my it's holder. I couldn't remember what exactly they told us the replacement fee was for keys and it kind of set me into a panic, that combined with the fact that I wouldn't get off work until 12:30 long after the housing office was closed. The first thing I did was text my roommate and ask her if she would be up or what her work hours were that day. Her hours clashed with mine but thankfully she was willing to leave her key under the mat so I could get in without having to pound on the door. Now I do want to say what a risk that could have been, during the housing meeting they strictly tell us that giving your apartment key to anyone even someone who lives in the same apartment can lead to termination on the spot. Now of course you have to be caught for that to happen, but it is still an important rule to follow so keep that in mind. 

I made it into the housing office the next morning to get a replacement key and I was surprised when it only cost $3 or $4. I was ready for a $50 fee but the lady assured me that it happens all the time and that  while they encourage everyone to keep track of their keys and not lose them, but also not to panic when it comes up missing.  It was really nice that she was so kind and understanding because I had panicked a little. 

So for you current and future CP's out there, don't panic! And for a little bit of advise have a chat with your roommates about a procedure to follow if someone does lose their key afters office hours or if they lock themselves out of the apartment. Just having a small plan because it really could happen to anyone at anytime.

An ending note to this I never returned my key after I left, it's still on my ring by complete accident! But now I can't bring myself to take it off. 

My Disney food obsession!

Okay some people go to Disney to experience the magic and fun, but one of my favorite things about Disney is having access to the variety of food! One of the locations on property that became my food obsession is the Wolfgang Puck Express at Downtown Disney. I'm not even kidding I spent more then one paycheck indulging on their Roasted Chicken.

Look at that piece of delicious! It came with a side of mashed potatoes that were just heavenly! Now a little tie bit about me: I love mashed potatoes, but I hate making them so when I find a place that has great mashed potatoes I'm sold for life!
I am pretty sure I drove my friends crazy with texts and Facebook messages asking if they would go to lunch with me. I must say they were great sports about it and more often then not someone would cave and accompany me to lunch so I wouldn't have to sit alone.

Now there are three different Wolfgang Puck restaurants at Downtown Disney, there are 2 Wolfgang Puck expresses one located in the Market Place and the other at the opposite end in the West Side. Connected to the Wolfgang Puck Express on the West Side is a full service Wolfgang Puck.
The Wolfgang Puck's are not the cheapest place to eat (not by far the most expensive though either) this Chicken Dish for lunch will set you back about $16.00. Now a tid-bit for my cast member friends you DO get your discount cast member discount at the Wolfgang Puck Express. I've also heard from my friends that their pizza is delicious!

I give it 5/5 stars! This was and will continue to be one of my favorite places to eat on property! It is good for a quick, gourmet meal Dinner or Lunch!

Favorite part of Christmas at Disney

I got to do a lot of Holiday things at Disney before I left and my absolute favorite thing are the Osborne Lights. I went out of my way to make sure that I could spend my last night at Disney underneath these beautiful lights until Studio's closed that night. I was super grateful to have some friends who spent that time with me.

Not only are there a million lights twinkling through these giant movie sets, but every 15 minutes they dance, synchronized to music! I was able to get a video of a handful of the shows but there are even more!

                                                        Osborne Lights 2013 Video

Happy Holidays! Enjoy a few more of the photo's i've taken!