Music Video: Let It Go and Vivaldi's Winter by The Piano Guys

I found this video on youtube and really liked it. I thought some other people might enjoy it too! This is a rendition of Vivaldi's Winter and Let It Go from Frozen. It sounds amazing! It will be on repeat for awhile!

The Piano Guys are just a group of people that make amazing and enteratining music videos. Check them out on Youtube!

Vera Bradley: The Disney Collection

Ok so apparently there has been a Disney Collection by Vera Bradley since September 2013, but I am just finding out about it now. I must have been living under a rock or something! Haha! Well anyways, I am very excited now that I have found out about this. For those who don't know me, I am a little obsessed with Vera Bradley. I have quite a few purses, wallets, bags, and even a laptop case and flip flops in different Vera Bradley prints. I know this style isn't for everyone, but it is for me. 

Back in September 2013, The Disney Collection featured two prints: "Midnight with Mickey" and "Just Mousing Around".   

The pink pattern is "Just Mousing Around".

The black pattern is "Midnight with Mickey". 

In October of 2013, Vera Bradley came out with a third pattern for the Disney Collection. This blue  pattern is called "Where's Mickey". I really like this one!







Even though I have not been up to date on this amazing invention, I do have some new news to share about The Disney Collection by Vera Bradley. On May 6th, 2014, there will be a new print introduced to the collection called, "Perfect Petals". It looks a little something like this.

Although the other patterns are adorable, I do have to say that I would prefer either this new pattern or the "Where's Mickey" over the first two. I really like how both this pattern and "Where's Mickey" has the "hidden mickey" heads, rather than the character himself. In my opinion, these two newer patterns are great Vera Bradley styles, with just a hint of Disney. They're not too over the top, and I think that they're very cute! I can't wait to get my hands on these. 

Acceptance

I just realized that I never made a post about what happens when you get accepted. Sorry! So the first thing that will happen is you will get a magical email from Disney recruiting.
If you have been accepted it will say "Congratulations!" at the top. I have to tell you it was one of the most amazing feelings to read that. You never really know when you are going to get this email. It could be 3 days after your phone interview, or it could be 3 weeks. The hardest part is waiting, but it's so worth it!
This first email will not tell you your role right away, but it will tell you whether you have been accepted for Florida or California. This first email will then tell you the next three crucial steps to accepting your offer. You have 7 days to complete these steps, and if you do not complete them Disney will take that as you declining the offer.
Step 1: Review Offer and Indicate Acceptance
This just means that you click on a link that will tell you exactly what role you have been offered and all of the responsibilities of that role. At the bottom of the letter there will be a drop down box to choose yes or no.
Step 2: Submit your Program Fees
I believe the program fee was $305. This is to cover the first couple weeks of rent and other stuff for Disney.
Step 3: Select your Program Dates
There should be 3 days to choose from. Make sure you think carefully about this because I have heard that it is hard to change your date after you have selected one.
CONGRATULATIONS! You did it! You are going to be an official Disney Cast Member. This is going to be such a fantastic opportunity that could open the door to a whole bunch of other opportunities. Now you can celebrate, join the Facebook group for your arrival dates, search for roommates, create a bucket list, and get ready for the adventure of a life time.

Role UPDATE!

Oh my goodness! I cannot believe this but I have been accepted for the Character Performer role! Originally I was accepted for merchandise but now it has changed :) It almost doesn't feel real. I am so incredibly thankful and blessed to be offered such an amazing opportunity. This is the start of something amazing.

Apartment Complexes

After acceptance into the Disney College Program, something to think about is where you would like to live. In Florida, Disney has four gated apartment complexes for Cast Members to chose from. The choices are Vista Way, Chatham Square, Patterson Court and The Commons. Here is a list of amenities found in each complex:

• All utilities including water, electricity, and waste disposal. 
• High speed internet access
• One central telephone
• Laundry Facilities
• Maintenance and pest control
• Security
• Cable 
• Computer Labs
• Swimming Pools
• Weight Rooms
• Tennis, Basketball, and Racquetball Courts
• Fully Furnished apartments

Every complex is a little different so here is some information about each one.
Vista Way
This is the oldest complex so it is cheaper to live here than the others. Vista Way has a reputation for being the party complex. I have heard of many rumors and stories about what goes down here but since I have never been there I can not say for certain if any of them are true or not. I think that since everyone goes into their programs knowing about this reputation it does attract a more rowdy crowd, but again I can not say for for certain.
If you chose to apply for a room at Vista Way, you have two choices of room sizes:

• 2 bedroom with 4 people
• 3 bedroom with 6 people. 

Patterson Court
If you put Vista Way at one end of a spectrum, on the opposite would be Patterson Court. Some people have nicknamed this complex the retirement home, so you can guess how different it might be from Vista. Although this is the more quieter complex, it is the newest apartment complex and therefor has a more expensive rent per week.
If you chose to apply for a room at Patterson Court, you have 4 options for room sizes:

• 1 bedroom with 2 people
• 1 bedroom with 3 people
• 2 bedrooms with 5 people
• 3 bedrooms with 6 people

A couple of downsides to this complexes are that it is the farthest away from everything and does not have it's own bus stop. So if you do live here you will need to walk to it's closest neighbor Chatham Square to get on a bus. Other than that it seems like a very nice place to live.

Chatham Square

Standing as a middle ground between the party place and retirement home is little ole Chatham Square. Chatham has been established as the perfect middle spot for noise levels, price, location. and atmosphere. After fishing around the internet and talking to people, this complex seems to be the most popular for all of the above reasons. 

If you chose to apply for a room at Chatham Square, you have 5 options for room sizes:

• 1 bedroom with 2 people
• 1 bedroom with 3 people
• 2 bedrooms with 6 people
• 3 bedrooms with 6 people
• 4 bedrooms with 8 people

Personally, this is the complex I am putting as my number one choice. I really like the location and the way people speak so highly of it. I know that Chatham is very popular and I have a small chance of getting it, but I had a small chance of getting into the DCP in the first place so hopefully things will go my way again! :)

The Commons

Originally this apartment complex was used for International CP's only, recently it has been opened up to all CP's! Due to it's original purpose, I do not have a lot of information about this complex. I do know that it is about the same price as Chatham Square. It is also the only complex with in unit washers and dryers.
If you choose to apply for a room at The Commons, you have 6 options for room sizes:

• 1 bedroom with 2 people
• 1 bedroom with 3 people
• 2 bedrooms with 4 people
• 2 bedrooms with 5 people
• 3 bedrooms with 6 people
• 4 bedrooms with 8 people

I would guess that The Commons is most similar to that of Chatham Square based on location and atmosphere. This complex would probably be my second choice for living! :)

Just recently Disney has added bunk beds into some of the rooms, that's why you see those 1 bedrooms with 3 people. Personally I am not too upset about this. After looking up pictures and videos of the apartments, I think that there is more than enough room for 3 people in one bedroom. 

Once you have been accepted, Disney emails you a link to the onboarding website. This site has a lot of more information, including prices and amenities. I'm not sure how much info I can share so I am going t leave it at that. If you fish around on the internet, you can find people's opinions on the complexes. I wish I could share my own, but I do not have any yet! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask! :)

I will eventually post a packing list once I get closer to my move in date, which still feels like forever away! Have a magical day! :)

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Finding Roomates

Alright so after you have been offered a role, accepted, paid the fees, and selected a move in date, the next step to starting you college program is finding roommates! I know this can be a little scary, but i promise it is possible. By far the easiest way to go about this process is on Facebook. If you don't have a Facebook account, I suggest making one. If you don't it will be ten times harder to find any roommates. Here's a link for you: https://www.facebook.com/

Like I said before in one of my earlier posts, Facebook has a ton of groups for people doing the DCP. They even have groups that are specific to your arrival date, which is extremely important because your roommates have to be arriving the same day as you. On Facebook, you should see that when people get accepted they usually post roommate surveys of themselves for people to read. Here is a sample survey... (sorry it's really long)

Disney College Program – Fall 2014
Roommate Survey
About Me
• Name: Katelyn
• Gender: Female
• Orientation: Straight
• Relationship Status: Single
• Birthday/Age:
• Nationality: White
• Hometown:
• School: Northern Michigan University
• Major: English Writing
• Year in School: Freshman
• Are you allergic to anything?: Nope!
Disney College Program Details
• Arrival: August 4th
• Program: Fall 2014
• Wellness or non-wellness? Wellness
• Where? I was thinking about Chatham or Patterson
• How many roommates? Doesn't matter to me!
• Flying or Driving in? Driving
Lifestyle Details
• Do you party? Not really
• Do you like to cook? I try but I’m a better baker. There will be chocolate chip cookies!
• Do you drink? No
• Do you smoke? No
• Are you a night person or morning person? Both. More morning I guess.
• Do you snore? No
• What does your bedroom normally look like? I pretty good about staying clean. A shirt might end up on the floor but it doesn't stay there long.
• Hot or cold room? I like it cold so I can snuggle with blankets! 
• Would you rather go out or stay in? It really depends on my mood. Some days I want to explore and some days I want to chill. While in Florida I plan on exploring as much as I can!
• What do you want to do on your days off/the weekend? I really want to go to the parks and just hang out with friends.
• Do you work out a lot? Haha no. I really just like to dance around in my room if you call that working out.
Personality Details
• Three words that describe you:  Trustworthy, caring and silly.
• One good quality: I always try to look for the best in people.
• One bad quality: I get frustrated when I can’t do something right the first time.
• Are you outgoing or quiet? I can be quieter at first but once I get comfortable I and really silly.
• Do you like hanging out with people or keeping to yourself? There are times when I need my alone time, but that’s not all the time haha
• What would you want in a roommate? Someone who I can easily get along with. I would love to go to the parks and explore Orlando with my roommate, but I also would love to have someone just to sit and talk with.
• What are your biggest pet peeves? Taking my stuff without asking. As long as you ask I will most likely say yes!
• Are you messy or organized? Organized. I get frustrated when things are out of place.
• How do you feel about sharing? Just please ask first and I’ll probably say yes. This goes both ways so I will always ask you first too.
• Do you like having people over a lot? Not all of the time but I wouldn't mind just having people over to sit and talk with.
• Favorite thing to do: I love watching movies and dancing to music.
• Favorite Music: Everything except for rap :/
• Favorite TV Shows: Greys anatomy, Modern Family, Friends
• Favorite Movies: of course anything Disney haha
• Favorite Food: Mac and Cheese haha
• Favorite Candy: CHOCOLATE
• Favorite Drink: Coke Zero
• Favorite Color: red
Disney Details
• Favorite Character: Belle
• Favorite Movie: Really love Frozen and Beauty and the Beast
• Favorite Princess: Belle
• Favorite Villain: Ursula
• Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom
• Favorite Ride at Magic Kingdom: Either Space Mountain or the Buzz Lightyear ride
• Favorite Ride at EPCOT:
• Favorite Ride at Disney Hollywood Studios: Tower of Terror
• Favorite Ride at Animal Kingdom: Kilimanjaro Safari
• Favorite Ride Overall: Tower of Terror
• Number of times at Walt Disney World/Disneyland: Too many to count

Some of these things are not necessary to put on there, but it does make your survey more fun. It's a great way for people to get to know you a little bit. You also don't have to post it on the page. You can just read other people's surveys and then if they look like a good fit just message them. This is how I found my 5 roommates and they are all wonderful girls. I am very anxious and excited to meet them! In the meantime, we have just been talking through Facebook and Skype.

Soon I will be posting about the apartment complexes to choose from! Oh and BTW when it asks for wellness or non-wellness, that's asking if you are under 21 (wellness) or over 21 (non-wellness). If you are over 21 you can choose either or, but if you are under 21 you have to choose wellness.

I wish the best of luck to everyone trying to find roommates! I know it is a scary process trying to find someone you want to live with through the internet, but you can do it! I did! Soon I will be posting about each of my roommates, because they are all amazing girls! Until then, have a magical day! :)

Countdown

Can I just be in Florida already?  Beyond excited for this new adventure :)

Gopher's Cafe Marquette, MI

Yesterday my friend Morgan and I decided to go on a walk to the gorgeous downtown Marquette, MI. It was finally nice enough outside to explore the town we have been living in for the past 7 or 8 months now. With the sun shining, and birds chirping (literally), we made our way down 3rd street. It amazed me how many little shops there were, that I never noticed before. I have driven down this street many times in my stay here, but with the car moving so fast, I wasn't able to pick up on the little details of this town.
As we were walking, we came across this small little house with a sign out front reading, "Gophers Cafe".

Of course the word chocolate stood out to me the most, so we just had to go inside! In this tiny house, was the most adorable little bakery. There was only one person working at the time, but in total there are only 3 people! Once inside, we were greeted by a girl named Elise. She explained to us that they make specialty cakes and cupcakes for all occasions. They also sell coffee, tea and slices of cake for a little over $3.00 each.

The cakes that I saw were gorgeously decorated and tasted even better! This one is called Black and White. Its a white cake, with a layer of chocolate and vanilla buttercream, then a layer of chocolate cake. It was delicious! They had a wide range of cakes to choose from that all looked amazing.
If you are looking to try something new in Marquette, MI, I recommend Gophers Cafe. With its wide range of desserts, high quality, and low prices, you are sure to find something to please everyone in your party!

New Read: The Selection

Looking for a new book to read? Well if you are like me and love Hunger Games, Twilight, The Fault in Our Stars, and other popular teenage books, I would suggest The Selection by Kiera Cass.

This is the first book in the trilogy and I fell in love with it after the first page. Be warned, it's one of those books you just can't put down till you finish, and it leaves you wanting more. Thankfully the third and final book comes out in May, and I could not be more excited to see how this amazing story will end! When someone asks me what this book is about, I like to say a mix between the Bachelor and Hunger Game, but instead of killing each other, 35 girls are competing for the heart of Prince Maxon. I only use the Bachelor and Hunger Games to give people an idea of what this book is like by relating it to things they already know about. Of course there is so much more to the story, but this is the most general idea I could possibly give. I don't want to spoil it for anyone! It is definitely worth the read, so if you are looking for something fun and new, check it out!

The Waiting Game

So now you have completed your phone interview, and maybe an audition too. What now? By far the most nerve racking part is this "waiting game" that you are playing with Disney. It's the worst and there's nothing you can do to change it. :( sorry. Disney usually tells people that they will hear back within 2- 3 weeks after their interview. The hard part is that some people hear back in 2 days, and others hear back in 3 weeks. There is no telling how long they are going to take. Whatever you do, do not email and call recruiting 10 times a day. They have your info, so don't worry. If you have been waiting for three weeks, and still haven't heard anything, then I would call recruiting. But other than that, don't call unless it's something urgent.
There's this wonderful social networking site called Facebook. Use it. If you don't have an account, make one. There are a bunch of different groups on there that are constantly buzzing with activity. It's a great place to ask questions because there are a lot of alumni on the page, and they know a lot more than you. Be careful what you post on there though, becasue I have heard that Disney has their own "spies" that check the page and see who is posting what. So just be careful with what you say. If you want you can just join to read what everyone else is saying. That's what I did.
Anyways, have fun with this long process. I wish the best of luck to you! Please don't be too discouraged if you do not get in the first time. If you wait 6 months you can apply again, and then you will have a leg up on everyone else because you know what the process is like. Once again good luck and please comment with any questions! :)

Disney Character Height Requirements

3'10"-4'4" Ewok

4'0"-4'6" Dewey, Huey, Louie

4'6"-4'7" Daisy, Ewok, Grandma Duck, Ludwig Von Drake

4'8"-4'9" Chicken Little, Daisy, Donald, Dopey, Ewok, Jiminy, Mickey, Minnie, Oliver, Tito

4'9"-4'10" Daisy, Dopey, Donald, Ewok, Jiminy, Jose Carinoca, Lilo, Mickey, Minnie, Oliver, Panchito, Pinocchio, Stitch, Tito

4'9"-4'11" Chicken Little, Lilo, Stitch

4'10"-5'0" Abu, Baby Elephant, Bernard, Bianca, Br'er Rabbit, Chip the Teacup, Donald, Francis, Meeko, Mickey, Minnie, Mushu, Pain, Panic, Pete, Philoctetes, Piglet, Pinocchio, Roll, Tuck

4'11"-5'1" Abby Mallard, Francis, Gadget, Roger Rabbit, Teddy Bears

5'0"-5'2" Abby Mallard, Bashful, Darkwing Duck, Fiddler Pig, Fifer Pig, Georgette, Goliath, Grumpy, Hugo, Jojo, Kit Cloudkicker, Koda, Kuzco, Lampwick, Laverne, Maid Marian, Max, Mike, Jungle Book Monkeys, Perla, Pete, Pooh, Practical Pig, Quasimodo, Robin Hood, Roll, Scrooge McDuck, Sleepy, Sneezy, Stanley, Suzy, Teddy Bears, Terk, Thumper, Timon, Tuck, White Rabbit, Zowie

5'1"-5'2" All of the above + Chip, Dale, Yellow Rabbit

5'2"-5'3" Bullseye, Chip, Coach Mouse, Dale, Doc, Francis, Gideon, Gus Gus, Happy, Jenny Foxworth, Jessie, King Louie, Moliere, Jungle Book Monkeys, Olie, Penguin, Perla, Pooh, Sebastian, Suzy, Victor, Yellow Rabbit

5'3"-5'4" Bullseye, Coach Mouse, Doc, Francis, Gideon, Jenny Foxworth, Happy, King Louie, Chip, Dale, Gus Gus, Jessie, Moliere, Jungle Book Monkeys, Olie, Penguin, Sebastian, Victor

5'4"-5'6" Dodger, Fauna, Flora, Ginger Bread Man, Jaq, Kanga & Roo, Kermit the Frog, Merryweather, Rebecca Cunningham

5'5"-5'6" Chef Louis, Mr. Smee, Mrs. Incredible, Princess Atta

5'6"-5'7" B.E.N., Bo Peep, Buzz Lightyear, C3PO, Clara Cluck, Cogworth, Crocodile, Flik, Friar Tuck, Green Army Man, Lumiere, Monterey Jack, Mr. Smee, Mrs. Incredible, Ostrich, Owl, Pink Hippo, Pluto, Rafiki, Wendell

5'7"-5'8" B.E.N., Bo Peep, Buzz Lightyear, C3PO, Clarabelle Cow, Snow Cogsworth, Crocodile, Eeyore, Flik, Friar Tuck, Green Army Man, Lumiere, Monterey Jack, Ostrich, Owl, Pink Hippo, Pluto, Rafiki, Snow Man, Snow Woman, Wendell

5'8"-5'9" Banzi, Clarabelle Cow, Dumbo, Ed, Eeyore, Flounder, Green Army Man, Hippo, Kenai, Liver Lips, Miss Piggy, Monterey Jack, Mrs. Potts, Rhino, Shaker, Shenzai, Toy Soldiers, Tweedles, Walrus

5'9"-5'10" Banzi, Big Al, Dumbo, Fat Cat, Flounder, Geppetto, Green Army Man, Hippo, Kenai, Liver Lips, Miss Piggy, Mrs. Potts, Rhino, Shaker, Shenzi, Toy Soldiers, Tweedles, Wicked Witch, Yzma

5'10"-5'11" Big Al, Chimney Sweeps, Fantasia Alligator, Fat Cat, Flounder, Elephant-back, Foulfellow, Geppetto, Green Army Man, Peg Leg Pete, Sheriff, Stromboli, Tigger, Yzma

5'11"-6'0" Chimney Sweeps, Elephant-back, Fantasia Alligator, Flounder, Foulfellow, Green Army Man, King Leonidas, Melvin, Sheriff, Tigger, Tweedledee, Tweedledum

6'0-6'2" Baloo, Big Bad Wolf, Br'er Bear, Captain Hook, Genie, Goofy, Launchpad McQuack, Ratcliffe, Frollo, Queen of Hearts, Don Karnage, Elephant-front, Sweetums, Little John, Green Army Man, Vinny

6'1"-6'3" Baloo, Br'er Bear, Goofy, Green Army Man, Launchpad McQuack, Little John, Mr. Incredible, Sweetums, Ursula, Woody

6'2"-6'3" Baloo, Beast, Br'er Bear, Frozone, Goofy, Hades, Jafar, Kronk, Launchpad, Little John, Sulley, Sweetums, Ursula, Woody

6'3"-6'4" Beast, Frozone, Goliath, Hades, Jafar, Kronk, Launchpad, Little John, Sweetums, Sulley, Wild Wing

6'4"-6'5" Goliath, Sweetums

6'6"-6'8" Chewbacca