Thoughts on: Merida

I haven't updated this in a ridiculously long amount of time, and for that I'm sorry to anyone out there who actually reads this.

I leave for the Disney College Program in three weeks exactly. So that's kind of awesome. But to be honest, this post is not about the DCP. I wrote an introspective on Merida, from the newest Disney film Brave today.  It was for the Thirty Day Disney Challenge I'm doing in preparation for my trip, but I'm so ridiculously proud of (if I do say so myself) that I wanted other people to see it.  And even though I'm not really sure if anyone else reads this, I wanted to post it here just in case. I really hope someone else reads this and can only hope that they see what I can see.

I know Brave only just came out and it’s pretty early to decide a character from it is my favorite, as I’ve only seen it once, but once was all I needed.  Merida was such a great character, one who was oh so flawed, and yet, I found myself admiring her throughout the film.  I think an important thing to remember about Merida before one critiques her actions is that she was only sixteen.  I remember when I was sixteen how often I wished for my mom to change her mind about things, and even more so than that.  There were quite a few muttered, “I hate you”s in my adolescence.  

What makes Merida such a great character is that she was real, and oh so very flawed. She didn’t realize how important her words were.  She didn’t understand the consequences of her actions.  She acted without thinking.  She was selfish and, for a brief time, she only thought about herself.  She was a real, normal teenager, and I think it’s arguably the first time Disney has made one (with the exception of Violet in the Incredibles - she was pretty legit).  

Another thing that makes Merida so amazing, and its been said by almost everyone and I’m just going to have to say it again, is that she didn’t need or even want a man in her life.  She wanted to have her own life before she created a life with another human being.

These are just some of the factors that makes Merida such a fabulous role model.  She can teach young girls that its okay to make mistakes, as long as you do everything in your power to set them right.  As human beings, we make mistakes, but don’t let them go at that, learn from them.  She also teaches young girls to find themselves before they find a significant other.  Too many young girls are obsessed with finding love and the one and they never really figure out who they are.  I should know, until fairly recently, I was one of them.  

I’m sorry this ended up being a novel, but I felt as if it was really important to say. I think Brave was such a pivotal movie, and I’m thrilled that Disney made it.  Many were disappointed by Brave, but I can safely say I was not one of them.  Was it what I expected? No. But it presented me with an opportunity to discover a character who I believe should be a role model to girls and women everyone.  It takes some women a lifetime to figure out what Merida realized in the course of a one-and-a-half hour film.  I hope Merida inspires in others what she inspired in me, because she is truly an amazing heroine.

Thank you Disney, because I think you gave me, and thousands of other girls, the heroine they’ve been waiting for.

Some Updates!

I know I haven't written in forever, but there really hasn't been too much to say recently! So I just wanted to have a quick update to let you know I'm alive and still going to Disney and still absolutely thrilled to be doing so!

Today, I began making my list of things I need to do and acquire before I head down to Orlando in August.  It includes everything from packing and filling out my I-9s to sillier things, such as Google-ing with the Gaggle.  I feel like in doing this, I'm preparing for Disney without actually doing anything, because it is definitely way too early to begin the actual preparation process.

In other news, or actually the same news, just a different aspect of it, I have 147 days until I leave for Florida.  I still can't believe it's less than 150 days (as I remember when I was accepted and chose an arrival date, there were over 180 days of waiting).  My Walt Disney World Adventure (as I've grown accustomed to calling it) begins in less than five months.  Within this five month period, I have to get through midterms, papers, and finals, GRADUATE!, go to Farm Sanctuary in Upstate New York, visit the Fall Advantage Gaggle members in June, head to Boston for the Fourth of July, try and pull some hours at work at some point, and actually spend time with my family before I leave.  I don't even know how I'm going to get everything done that I want to do, but I will certainly do my best to try.  

In other DCP news, I had a chat with some of my roommates last night.  I'm living with five other girls, Krystan, Kristin, Ashley, Brandie, and Gabby, and we're hoping to live in Chatham.  But so is everyone else, so we might get Patterson. I would just personally not want to live in Vista Way, at all. But more power to anyone who does want to! I don't want to hate on Vista at all, I'm just a little spoiled with the housing provided on my college campus, and I know I probably won't enjoy Vista very much.  But my roommates are awesome and I can't wait to live with them next year! 

That's really it for now, but I'll try and update sooner next time!

xoxo - Hayley

This is my story...

So I'm still sort of trying to figure this out. But I'll just sort of mess with it as I go along.

So without further ado, hello there and welcome to my blog. My name is Hayley.  I'm 21, and a senior at a small state school in New Jersey. I'm graduating in May and I absolutely cannot wait to be finished.  I've been accepted to the Disney College Program at the Walt Disney World Resort for Fall 2012.  This blog will be devoted to my adventures both prior to my arrival at WDW and afterwards.  So let the memories begin!

First things first, I've been accepted as an attractions cast member.  All I know about that as of now is that I'll be working either rides or show operations.  Basically, I'm going to push the "go" button.  I've heard in the past you've been able to request locations, but are no longer able to do so. Which bums me out a little bit.  I may shoot Disney Recruiting an e-mail anyway just to see if it helps or not.  I really would like to work in the Magic Kingdom, but so would everyone else, so I'm not sure if that would happen or not. But one can always hope!

I wanted to do a basic timeline for those who have not applied yet or are waiting to hear a response.  I applied for the program the day applications dropped, which was January 23, 2012, around 1pm.  I waited about a half hour after I finished the application and was then invited to the Web Based Interview.  This took me about twenty minutes to a half hour to complete, and I found out immediately afterwards that I passed and had to wait for an e-mail prompting me to schedule a phone interview.  This e-mail arrived about an hour after I finished the WBI, and I scheduled it for the next day.

My phone interview was on January 24, 2012 at 1:45pm, and it went quite well.  I had Lindsay, and she called exactly 17 minutes late (trust me, I was staring at the clock the whole time waiting). I was definitely freaking out. But at 2:02pm, my phone rang and Lindsay and I had a lovely 28 minute conversation about the program and myself. She asked me questions about my top role choices, which were Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Hostess, Charter Performer, Attractions, and Character Attendant.  We first talked about Character Performer because she said it had the most information we would have to go through.  She asked about any stage experience I had, and once I explained to her my dance, acting, and gymnastics background, she signed me up for the Philadelphia Character Performer Audition.  She then asked about any experience I had with hair and make up for BBB, which wasn't much, so I wasn't too surprised I didn't get that role. Then she explained CA and Attractions and asked me some questions about both of those roles (was I comfortable talking in front of people (spieling), having to close lines, with uncomfortable experiences with guests, etc).  Then she had me explain my work experience, which is a lot of experience in retail, so I was kind of nervous I would get Merchandise even though I only had a moderate interest in it from my application.  She also explained that I could end up in ANY role that I put ANY level of interest in on my application.  I would not be considered for a role that I put no interest in, however, which was reassuring. After we went through all of this, she asked if I had any questions (and trust me, ASK QUESTIONS!) and then we were done!  I thanked her by name and we ended our conversation.

I then joined the many people on the Disney College Program Fall 2012! Facebook group in waiting for our responses from Disney.  Our e-mails arrived informing us that we would know "within two weeks" but many of us were quite sure it would be a little bit longer. On Day 15 of waiting, February 8, 2012, people began to receive acceptance e-mails.  They began around 9am EST.  I spent the whole day staring at my e-mail and dashboard waiting for something to change, but nothing happened. After watching wave after wave of people receive their acceptances, I began to lose hope. It looked like I was not getting an acceptance that day.

But I did! Around 4:45pm on February 8, I received my Congratulations! e-mail. I screamed and probably scared the hell out of my roommate before calling my mom and crying a little bit. I had been waiting for that e-mail for longer than the fifteen days post-interview. That was the e-mail I had been waiting for since I was 11-years-old and realized that one day, I could work at the Most Magical Place on Earth. I always knew I wanted to work for Disney, I just never imagined it would actually happen.  But it is going to happen.  In 162 days, I'll be leaving my little town in New Jersey and embarking on one of the grandest adventures of my life. On August 8, 2012, I'll be arriving at Vista Way and checking in to begin the experience that started as a dream in an eleven-year-old's heart.  A dream that I never believed would actually happen is going to happen. I'm going to be a Disney Cast Member!

I may not be Eli Manning, and I may not have just won the Super Bowl, but I've got my own dreams coming true now.  I'm going to Disney World!!

First Post!

I have no idea what I'm doing. But I made a blog. I'm going to try and figure this out. I'll post introducing myself soon!