The Disney Wait
So I apologise for the huge gap between blog posts, I have been terrible at updating and thinking about what to write next, and well I’ve waiting...a long time...and this blog post is all about waiting because you best be prepared for a hell of a long wait at every stage of this CRP application process.
I just want to add some perspective to my personal wait. It could and will probably be different for everyone depending on if you get a date straight away after your final interview, or instead if you’re like me and you’re waitlisted. So here we go...
And so here we are, now into June, nearly 5 months since I submitted my application for this program and I am still waitlisted and receiving monthly emails to make sure that I still wish to be on the waitlist (erm...YES OF COURSE!)
For other applicants this waiting game maybe different, as a handful of people have already received their start dates for various times throughout August/September/October, but for the majority of us we are still waiting, and I just wanted to write this post to talk about how to cope with this wait and to make you understand that this process could easily take over a year from submitting your application to flying over to Walt Disney World.
1: It is going to feel like a lifetime; do not put your life on hold!
When I applied for this program, I watched my fair share of vlogs and read a few blogs, all of which mentioned that the wait will be long and tedious, but I was naïve, I never thought it would take as long as it did. You however cannot put your life on hold whilst waiting for each outcome of each stage of the process and beyond whether you have a date or are waitlisted, I repeat, you cannot put your life on hold! If there’s a new job opportunity that comes up then take it, if you have plans with friends and family then go and do them, if you have holidays you want to go on then go on an adventure; you cannot let this waiting game for the CRP control every single moment of your life! It’s tough I know, I've been waiting what seems like an eternity and I know I’ve still got months to wait, but you can’t let life pass you by whilst you’re playing the waiting game, so go and enjoy life!
2: Stop checking your emails every minute of your day
I was probably one of the worst people to do this out of my group of friends I've met during this process, every free moment I'd refresh my emails, checking and hoping constantly for one from either Yummy Jobs or Disney. It’s easier said than done, but don’t do it, it’ll just drive you crazy, especially when you’re part of a Facebook group when someone posts saying they’ve received an email and you haven’t. It’s hard not to check, but do whatever you can to take your mind off the emails, they will eventually arrive, Disney like to surprise you, you can’t guess when these emails will arrive so hold tight and wait patiently.
3: Be prepared that this may take over a year from the moment you first apply to you flying out
Its crazy to think that it could possibly take you over a year to move countries and to start the CRP, however that will be the case for the majority of people and don’t worry about it, just be prepared that it could and will take this long. One thing to know is that if you are waitlisted is that you will receive monthly emails from the Disney international recruitment team to ensure that you still wish to be in the waitlist ( Don't go crazy checking for this email, it will drop on the same day of the month, every month until the day you get a start date). It'll feel like a lifetime, I’ve been waiting for months now, and it honestly feels like years but it be all worth it in the end!
4: Your friends are going to receive dates before you
And this is probably the hardest part about all of this, that the people you have become amazing friends with, who have been with you on this journey, will be dates before you, and then a few of you will be waitlisted and left waiting. It’s tough it really is, out of my small group of 8 CRP applicants, well friends, we have been through everything, through the joy of getting a final interview, meeting up outside of this interview program, the constant worry that someone on the Facebook group has received an email from Disney but we haven’t, WHERE’S MY EMAIL! And then the ‘congratulations!’ emails drop, you're full of happiness and joy for your friends that they’re going to be living out their dreams in a few short months, but you’re still waiting, and well it’s tough because you won’t be continuing your Disney journey at the same time as those people who have been your rocks and support network for the past few months.
Out of the 8 people in our small group, 3 have got dates for August/September/October, and the other 5 of us are waitlisted. It’s hard, you're so happy because your friends have got start dates, but there's a part of you that resents the fact that you’re not going out at the same time, and you’re not going to be doing all the Disney bucket list items that you wanted to do together as a group. I mean it could have been a lot worse if one of us rejected and fell at the last hurdle, I'm not bitter about anyone getting a date it’s amazing and I’m so proud of my friends! But once you’ve been waitlisted, you start to think about all the things you've been planning to do together as a group, and how they’re going to have to go on hold for the foreseeable future.
But as a group we are a support network, we understand the worries that those who are starting the CRP soon have, and they understand the stress that the waitlist has placed upon us. It’s stressful for all of us for so many reasons, but at the end of the day, if you are waiting, you can wait a little long to start an amazing opportunity right? Your CRP friends will always be there for you, whether they are 50 miles away from you, or are half the world away, they will always be there, and eventhough you don’t know the exact date that you'll be joining your friends in Walt Disney World, those Disney plans can always wait a few months, it'll make the reunion extra special.
5: You will not be the only person who will be waitlisted
So don’t worry if you are waitlisted, you will not be the only person from your application round that will be waitlisted, it’s true that the majority of people who have been successful at final interviews will be waitlisted due to the fact that the Disney International Recruitment team don’t have the specific start dates for all the available places and the amount of staff the UK pavilion need probably chances throughout the year, therefore Disney are unable to give dates out too far into the future. You're all going to be in the same boat, going through the same rollercoaster of emotions so honestly don’t worry that you are waitlisted, so many people will be in the same position as you.
6: Everyone will be waiting for different reasons, you're in this together!
At the start of the process hundreds of you will all be waiting weeks to find out if you’ve made it through to pre-screens, then those who have made it through will again be waiting weeks to learn if they’ve made it through to final interviews, and again you’ll be waiting to find out if you’ve been made an offer/waitlisted/rejected, then from that point on you’ll either be waiting to start to program or to get a start date from the waitlist. What I’m trying to say is that everyone will be waiting for one reason or another during this lengthy process, it’s not going to be a quick process, it honestly does take a long time and many blogs/vlogs don’t portray how long you’re actually going to be waiting for so again I want to say yes you'll be waiting, but you'll soon be in the sunshine state on the Cultural Representative Program with so many amazing people you’ve already met during the application process of the program!
And that’s everything! The Disney wait may feel like a life time, and believe me it does and I’ve only been waiting for a few months, but it’ll be so worth it in the end!
If anyone who is reading this has any questions, please feel free to contact me on any of my social media sites! Until next time, this is Lauren signing off! X
I just want to add some perspective to my personal wait. It could and will probably be different for everyone depending on if you get a date straight away after your final interview, or instead if you’re like me and you’re waitlisted. So here we go...
14th January 2017- after a few weeks of changing and adapting my application, I finally submitted it to Yummy Jobs.
1st February- Pre Screen interview confirmed for the 17th February
17th February- Pre Screen interview at Yummy Jobs offices
28th February- Invited to Final interview
23rd March- Final interview at Disney HQ in London
12th April- Confirmation that I am waitlisted for the CRP
And so here we are, now into June, nearly 5 months since I submitted my application for this program and I am still waitlisted and receiving monthly emails to make sure that I still wish to be on the waitlist (erm...YES OF COURSE!)
For other applicants this waiting game maybe different, as a handful of people have already received their start dates for various times throughout August/September/October, but for the majority of us we are still waiting, and I just wanted to write this post to talk about how to cope with this wait and to make you understand that this process could easily take over a year from submitting your application to flying over to Walt Disney World.
1: It is going to feel like a lifetime; do not put your life on hold!
When I applied for this program, I watched my fair share of vlogs and read a few blogs, all of which mentioned that the wait will be long and tedious, but I was naïve, I never thought it would take as long as it did. You however cannot put your life on hold whilst waiting for each outcome of each stage of the process and beyond whether you have a date or are waitlisted, I repeat, you cannot put your life on hold! If there’s a new job opportunity that comes up then take it, if you have plans with friends and family then go and do them, if you have holidays you want to go on then go on an adventure; you cannot let this waiting game for the CRP control every single moment of your life! It’s tough I know, I've been waiting what seems like an eternity and I know I’ve still got months to wait, but you can’t let life pass you by whilst you’re playing the waiting game, so go and enjoy life!
2: Stop checking your emails every minute of your day
I was probably one of the worst people to do this out of my group of friends I've met during this process, every free moment I'd refresh my emails, checking and hoping constantly for one from either Yummy Jobs or Disney. It’s easier said than done, but don’t do it, it’ll just drive you crazy, especially when you’re part of a Facebook group when someone posts saying they’ve received an email and you haven’t. It’s hard not to check, but do whatever you can to take your mind off the emails, they will eventually arrive, Disney like to surprise you, you can’t guess when these emails will arrive so hold tight and wait patiently.
3: Be prepared that this may take over a year from the moment you first apply to you flying out
Its crazy to think that it could possibly take you over a year to move countries and to start the CRP, however that will be the case for the majority of people and don’t worry about it, just be prepared that it could and will take this long. One thing to know is that if you are waitlisted is that you will receive monthly emails from the Disney international recruitment team to ensure that you still wish to be in the waitlist ( Don't go crazy checking for this email, it will drop on the same day of the month, every month until the day you get a start date). It'll feel like a lifetime, I’ve been waiting for months now, and it honestly feels like years but it be all worth it in the end!
4: Your friends are going to receive dates before you
And this is probably the hardest part about all of this, that the people you have become amazing friends with, who have been with you on this journey, will be dates before you, and then a few of you will be waitlisted and left waiting. It’s tough it really is, out of my small group of 8 CRP applicants, well friends, we have been through everything, through the joy of getting a final interview, meeting up outside of this interview program, the constant worry that someone on the Facebook group has received an email from Disney but we haven’t, WHERE’S MY EMAIL! And then the ‘congratulations!’ emails drop, you're full of happiness and joy for your friends that they’re going to be living out their dreams in a few short months, but you’re still waiting, and well it’s tough because you won’t be continuing your Disney journey at the same time as those people who have been your rocks and support network for the past few months.
Out of the 8 people in our small group, 3 have got dates for August/September/October, and the other 5 of us are waitlisted. It’s hard, you're so happy because your friends have got start dates, but there's a part of you that resents the fact that you’re not going out at the same time, and you’re not going to be doing all the Disney bucket list items that you wanted to do together as a group. I mean it could have been a lot worse if one of us rejected and fell at the last hurdle, I'm not bitter about anyone getting a date it’s amazing and I’m so proud of my friends! But once you’ve been waitlisted, you start to think about all the things you've been planning to do together as a group, and how they’re going to have to go on hold for the foreseeable future.
But as a group we are a support network, we understand the worries that those who are starting the CRP soon have, and they understand the stress that the waitlist has placed upon us. It’s stressful for all of us for so many reasons, but at the end of the day, if you are waiting, you can wait a little long to start an amazing opportunity right? Your CRP friends will always be there for you, whether they are 50 miles away from you, or are half the world away, they will always be there, and eventhough you don’t know the exact date that you'll be joining your friends in Walt Disney World, those Disney plans can always wait a few months, it'll make the reunion extra special.
5: You will not be the only person who will be waitlisted
So don’t worry if you are waitlisted, you will not be the only person from your application round that will be waitlisted, it’s true that the majority of people who have been successful at final interviews will be waitlisted due to the fact that the Disney International Recruitment team don’t have the specific start dates for all the available places and the amount of staff the UK pavilion need probably chances throughout the year, therefore Disney are unable to give dates out too far into the future. You're all going to be in the same boat, going through the same rollercoaster of emotions so honestly don’t worry that you are waitlisted, so many people will be in the same position as you.
6: Everyone will be waiting for different reasons, you're in this together!
At the start of the process hundreds of you will all be waiting weeks to find out if you’ve made it through to pre-screens, then those who have made it through will again be waiting weeks to learn if they’ve made it through to final interviews, and again you’ll be waiting to find out if you’ve been made an offer/waitlisted/rejected, then from that point on you’ll either be waiting to start to program or to get a start date from the waitlist. What I’m trying to say is that everyone will be waiting for one reason or another during this lengthy process, it’s not going to be a quick process, it honestly does take a long time and many blogs/vlogs don’t portray how long you’re actually going to be waiting for so again I want to say yes you'll be waiting, but you'll soon be in the sunshine state on the Cultural Representative Program with so many amazing people you’ve already met during the application process of the program!
And that’s everything! The Disney wait may feel like a life time, and believe me it does and I’ve only been waiting for a few months, but it’ll be so worth it in the end!
If anyone who is reading this has any questions, please feel free to contact me on any of my social media sites! Until next time, this is Lauren signing off! X
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