#disneypartylife

[thekimmiandjackieshow]

Those DCP Party Buses

A College Internship.. It sounds professional. It sounds like a resume booster. It sounds like your door to bigger and better things within the company. 

Living in an old apartment complex with a bunch of other (mostly) 20-something year olds who are working crazy hours, sometimes well past midnight, and who are in desperate need of some stress relief. It sounds less professional and more like the perfect recipe for a late-night party scene. 

The Disney College Program is both of these things. On paper, it is a “living, learning, earning” experience, allowing students and recent graduates to professionally build their resumes by working for The Mouse. They live just outside of Walt Disney World, in apartments solely meant to house the Cast Members who are temporarily in Florida to make the magic. It allows younger people the opportunity to travel and gain experience with the company without having to commit to a permanent move to Florida. The added advertised benefit is that students learn responsibility by paying their own rent with the money they earn from the internship, taking care of an apartment and passing monthly inspections, living on their own. All of these things are true. 

However, all of these things create a party vibe that rivals some of the most popular party colleges in the country.

It’s no secret that college lends itself to parties. A bunch of people exploring their newfound freedom away from parents, some of them just turning 21 and finally being able to drink freely, and hoping to live a legendary college life like the generations before them, all create a desire to stay up late with friends, drinking, dancing, and forgetting all about the pending adult responsibilities. This is especially true on the Disney College Program. Some didn’t have the money or desire to move away for college, so used the DCP as a way to have that roommate experience outside of college. Others took a well-deserved break from the stress of college to gain some work experience and get a breather away from classes and exams. Some participants were just celebrating the end of their college career. For some, all of that is just an added bonus but their real focus was working for Disney. But, truth be told, the Disney life is stressful. Late hours, long hours, little pay, homesickness, the crushing realization that life outside of Disney can still cause stress no matter how magical your life is, roommate squabbles, high expectations at work, a potentially stressful position, all create a need to find ways to relax and reduce stress. This, coupled with the fact that the DCP is a once-in-a-lifetime experience with people from around the world, makes people want to get out, dance a little, drink a lot, and have fun.

While people party in their own apartments, the popular party destinations are usually near Downtown Orlando. But, a lot of people on the DCP don’t have cars. They rely on the transportation Disney provides. So, the solution was clear: Party Buses. 

The party buses aren’t affiliated with Disney in any way. In fact, in the first housing meeting, they advise against using these services and warn that if you do, you should be very cautious. But, every night of the week, a party bus swings by the apartment complex and waits for DCP’ers to board. They typically run on a schedule so that it varies by day but is consistent weekly. So, for example, every Tuesday, the party buses would pick up participants and head to Señor Frogs. 

I was never all that interested in going on the party buses. I was never much of a drinker, didn’t find loud music all that appealing, and wasn’t a fan of crowds. The whole idea of going to a club was actually kind of repulsive to me. On my first program, I never even thought about going. My roommates and I were similar in that we didn’t love partying all the time (and some of us didn’t like it at all). We also lived in Patterson, and party buses don’t usually stop there, so we weren’t even always aware of it happening. I’m kind of glad that my first program wasn’t all about the clubs and parties though, because it meant that all of our nights off were spent at the parks instead. I honestly think I explored the parks more during my fall program than during my spring program.

During my extension though, things changed. The roommates I was really close to were really into the clubs and party buses and all that. Their friends would come over and pregame beforehand, and then they’d go out and drink and come home super late. Every single time they talked about how it was such an awesome night. We had all had drinks in the apartment together before, so I had already gotten a little more used to drinking alcohol and the feeling of being tipsy, so all that was really missing was my desire to do that outside of the apartment. I was always worried that my anxiety would be overwhelming while I was drunk because I’d be less in control, and so I never wanted to drink outside of the apartment because I never wanted to experience that level of anxiety in public. My job was getting increasingly stressful though, and I was getting to the point where I wanted to let loose and have fun because after work I’d be grumpy and uptight. Also, my program was coming to a close and everybody said that the party buses were something CP’s had to experience. I knew plenty of people who never took part in that scene and still loved their college program, but I was curious about it and I didn’t want to leave my program regretting anything. Plus, the party bus parked right outside the front of Commons every night and because I lived in the front of the complex, I was always hearing the music. 

Finally, one week I decided to just go for it. It was a Tuesday night, so we went to Señor Frogs, and honestly it was so much fun. My friends and I had a few drinks beforehand just to get in the mood. I honestly knew that I wouldn’t be able to get on that loud bus without a little bit in my system to start. I do think the party buses are cool though because it’s an automatic DD. Everybody gets to drink and have fun because the bus will take everybody back. Plus, nobody has to worry about getting there, finding parking, or any of that nonsense. Anyway, the club was loud and fun. We paid a really small cover charge and walked on in. The floors were covered in melted ice and splashes of mixed drinks from people dropping their mostly empty cups to the floor when they were done. The bar was crowded with people ordering $2 margaritas. The bathrooms were filled with drunk girls trying to fix their hair and makeup in the giant mirrors. The dance floor was loud with people shouting over the music to be heard, and others singing every lyric they possibly could. Everybody was jumping, dancing, taking selfies, and letting go. Despite the place being filled to the brim with CP’s, nobody talked about work. Nobody talked about the difficulties of housing. The only gossip in the air was gossip from that night, and even that wasn’t real. None of it felt real. It was all just pure fun. The part I loved the most was feeling like I knew everybody. Every time I turned around I was running into somebody I worked with or a friend of a friend that I had met a few times. We always ended up dancing together in a large group. The group got bigger and bigger as the night went on, and it never mattered how large our circle got.

I only went to Señor Frogs twice on my program. The first time I had gone was so close to the end of my program that the second time I went was the very last time I could possibly go. I don’t regret that though. I'm glad I got to go. I have some very fond memories of that place now. I was never interested in going to parties or drinking before the program, but really the program helped me let go in a lot of ways. I was constantly trying new things and pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and in turn I was finding things I really enjoyed doing. In fact, several people I knew who had joined the party scene at Disney were never really interested in that before their program. I always joke that the Disney life pushed me to drink, but I honestly think it was just that the college program made me realize that fearing things was keeping me from trying new things that I could have been enjoying for a long time. I’m thankful to have had friends on my program who were different from me and could push me to go for it. I never would have had the stories I have now if it weren’t for that. Señor Frogs will always have a special place in my heart.