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Showing posts from April, 2023

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Walt Disney World Parks: The Basics

Are you planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Or just want to learn more about the parks and don't know where to start? Disney Darling breaks down the basics for you! Disneyland vs. Walt Disney World Disneyland and Disney World are two different parks, located on opposite sides of the country. As mentioned in this post , it is a common misconception that Disneyland and Disney World are the same thing.  Disneyland is the first Disney theme park ever, opening in 1955. It is located in Anaheim, California, near Los Angeles.  Disneyland has two different parks: Disneyland Park (with the castle), and Disney's California Adventure (or DCA). Disneyland also has three hotels and the Downtown Disney shopping district.  Walt Disney World is located in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It opened in 1971, after Walt's passing. Walt Disney World has 4 different theme parks, 2 water parks, 28 hotels, and the Disney Springs shopping district.  There are quite a few more differences, but lo

DCP Tips: Earning

Earning, or working, is probably the biggest aspect of the Disney College Program. After all, you were accepted into the Program to take on a role at Walt Disney World Resort.  Usually the word "work" has a negative connotation. But if you follow these tips, you will have an enjoyable experience on the clock. Please note that the majority of my advice comes from my experience in a merchandise role. Some may not apply to all roles. Get on your scheduling coordinator's good side This is the biggest tip I can give to anybody in the DCP. Your scheduling coordinator basically controls your entire life for the next 4-6 months. Be nice to them, and they just might be nice to you.  Most locations will have a Facebook group or a physical bulletin board to post requested shift changes. For example, if you want to trade your morning shift for an afternoon one, you could write a note and post it on the bulletin board for your other Cast Members to see. But in my experience, taking th

Disney's Animal Kingdom 25th Anniversary Celebration

  This month, Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World is celebrating its 25th anniversary! The park opened on Earth Day 1998. The park was actually ready to open its gates prior to April 22nd, but Disney wanted to tie in the theme of environmental protection. Animal Kingdom is the fourth and latest gate to Walt Disney World Resort.  It has realized Walt's own personal dreams of having live animals in his theme parks and his appreciation of nature.  To celebrate this milestone, DAK is offering exclusive activities, merch, and more. These limited time offers start Sunday, April 16th.  Earth Day is the following Saturday, so these offers are predicted to only last one week! Photo Ops Who doesn't love a good photo op? PhotoPass photographers will have special props for guests to use in their pics. There will also be exclusive Magic Shots. Wall-E and Eve might just make an appearance in your portrait! PhotoPass photographers can usually be found at the front entrance of the

Things that Could Make Walt Disney World Even BETTER

It seems like every Disney fan has their own dreams for the future of the parks.  As an avid Disney Adult myself, I care deeply about the state of Walt Disney World. I want it to continue to improve and be the best. And I, like many others, have my own opinions on how this could happen. With this post, I decided to bring in a little reality check along with the fantastical ideas. I have listed not only my wishes, but the likelihood of them actually happening. So, here is my wish list for the future of Walt Disney World: Free-range park hopping Possibility: Likely and soon After re-opening from the pandemic, Disney introduced the park reservation system. In addition to buying tickets, guests would book a reservation for the park they wanted to visit and which day. This was an excellent way to keep track of capacity. This system meant that guests knew in advanced which park they would be able to get in to. In the past if a park reached capacity, cast members would just start turning awa