The Disney community is a beautiful place *heart eyes*
And today I want to introduce you all to one of the sweetest of friends I have had the pleasure to connect with and gush about all things Disney with!! Meet Kennedy @KyloKeninDisney
I LOVE following Kennedy! She has had some of the COOLEST experiences and she shares them all with us! Check out our Q&A below:
Tell us about you!
My name is Kennedy & I’m a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying strategic communication and digital studies in the School of Journalism. Strategic communication is a fancy term for marketing, advertising and public relations (nobody knows what I’m talking about when I say strategic communications haha). My handle on Instagram is @KyloKeninDisney because when magic bands first came out and you could customize the name on it, my family decided to think of some fun names to use related to Disney/Pixar & BOOM that’s how we came up with my nickname. Since then, my family still calls me Kylo once in a while and I’m known to a lot of people in the Disney community as Kylo Ken.
Some of my favorite activities include writing on my blog, reading fun books (let me know if you need a recommendation!), drinking Starbucks, spending time with family and friends, and watching movies.
My ultimate career goal is to work for The Walt Disney Company in communications, marketing, social media, public relations, etc. I’m not super picky in exactly what I want to do for them in the future but definitely something related to communications. Plus I’m a firm believer in taking advantage of every opportunity because you never know where it will lead you and who you’ll be able to connect and network with.
What is the Disney College Program? How did you find out about it?
The Disney College Program is a semester long opportunity to live, work, study and play at Disneyland or Walt Disney World with the opportunity to extend. I participated in the Fall 2018 college program in quick-service food and beverage (QSFB) which is a very popular roll in that Disney needs many people to fill this position across the parks and resorts. I was a little nervous getting this position because I’ve never worked in food and beverage before & from research and testimonies, this was a very hit or miss role in the program. However, I went into the program with a very open, optimistic mind which I think influenced my time at Disney during the program.
I don’t really remember a specific moment when I learned about the college program but throughout my entire high school career I always had it in my mind that I would do the Disney College Program in college so it must’ve been around middle school/early high school when I learned about the program. I wish I could remember.
What did a day in your life in the DCP look like?
It always looked different which was so fun! I worked at Sunset Ranch Market at Hollywood Studios and my shifts were always somewhere between 10:30am to 10pm. On long days I would get up around 9am, catch a bus to work around 10am, work all day, come home around 10:30 pm, shower and go to bed. If I had a later shift (3pm-9pm), I would get up super early and hit up the parks and then take a bus over to Hollywood Studios if I wasn’t already there. If I got off of work early (5pm-6pm), 80% of the time I’d be headed to Magic Kingdom to watch Happily Ever After.
Working definitely takes a lot out of you, especially when you work long shifts, but I tried my hardest to always be doing something if I wasn’t working. Either getting up early before a shift to go to the parks or going to the parks after an early ending shift was my goal.
Favorite part of your DCP?
Being at Disney with my best friends for months on end was just incredible. I loved being able to get into the parks for free, exploring, taking photos & making memories with my besties. It’s an incredible experience that only a handful of people in the world can relate to. The entire program was a literal dream come true for me.
Best tips for Disney vacation planning?
Sometimes it can be overwhelming with everything that Disney offers so if it’s your first time, watch vlogs, read blogs and do your research on the entire experience. Also feel free to reach out to any of your favorite bloggers/vloggers/Instagram friends with recommendations or tips because we’d be more than willing to help or answer questions!
Try to do something new every time! Eat at a new restaurant, try a new quick-service place, watch a show or ride something you’ve never experienced before, etc.! Disney has so much to do that I didn’t even do everything I wanted to during my program and I was there for 4.5 months.
If you’re only going to be at Disney for a short amount of time, make a must-do list of all the attractions/restaurants/parks you want to experience. The worst feeling you could have is leaving your vacation and thinking, “Ugh we never went on Tower of Terror” or “Man, I really wanted to eat some totchos from Fantasyland and I didn’t.” Do all your must-dos first before anything else.
You don’t have to plan dinner reservations in advance, look for reservations a day or two before you’ll be there; so many guests cancel their reservations last minute and you’ll be able to snag a table at ’Ohana or Be Our Guest for the next day or that day even. That’s how I got a lot of my dining reservations during my DCP!
Who are some of your favorite Disney bloggers to follow & connect with?
Lex (@thepixietraveler) on Instagram because she posts so much about the happenings at Disney!
Shannon (@brbgoingtodisney) is a must if you’re a mom or a huge Disney fan (this is me, I am definitely not a mom lol). She posts such cute photos and videos of Disney through her kids’ eyes but also has her own solo park days + meet ups! She’s also the woman behind Boss Babes Presets & is an Instagram PRO! She’s a must follow.
Allison (@allisonbickerstaff) on Instagram & YouTube! She is a Disney Professional Intern & her feed is absolutely stunning! I love seeing her posts and learning more about working at Disney.
You!
Disney Favorites?
Movie: Beauty & The Beast and Coco
Character: Belle, she is the one Disney character I can 100% relate to. We both love reading and adventures in the great wide somewhere. Her courage and optimism is something I strive for every day.
Song: Does the entire Happily Ever After soundtrack count?? (otherwise it’s too hard for me to pick!)
Park: Hollywood Studios- it was my home park on my program & I love movies
Attraction: Tower of Terror by far- I love the thrills and storyline
Resort: Beach Club/Yacht Club/Boardwalk
Festival: Flower & Garden or Festival of the Lion King :)
Sweet Snack: Dole Whip or cookies & cream ice cream from Hollywood Scoops
Savory Snack: Mickey Pretzel or giant pickle
Quick Service Restaurant: Sunset Ranch Market (of course) but Pecos Bill comes in a close second
Table Service Restaurant: Be Our Guest- the atmosphere is amazing
I hope you loved getting to learn more about Kylo Ken :) It was so fun for me to get to know her more and find out we have SO many things in common!
Be sure to follow @kylokenindisney on Instagram and read her blog to keep up with all her fun adventures and see for yourself just how awesome and lovely she is!!
Huge thanks to Kennedy for stopping by!
Have the best day ever, friends :)
<3 belle of the parks
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