Disney World

DCP Interview #2 with Rachel H!

| Sarah

Hey guys, I’m back. I can’t think of anything witty or cringy to say. It’s 1 in the morning and my brain has gone on vacation. My brain has left for Disney and it didn’t even bother to take me with it. It better be eating a churro, wearing some cute Minnie ears, and posing in front of the castle for me.

Does that count as a witty intro? I’m counting that as a witty intro.

As you can tell by the title I’m here with another DCP interview, but this time it’s Rachel H. Let’s not waste any time because you all want all them juicy details.

What is your name, what was your role, and when did you do your program?

I’m Rachel H, I was a DCP CM from April 2016 to August 2016. I worked in Magic Kingdom at Storybook Circus as a merchandise cast member in Big Top Souvenirs.

Was your role your first choice? If not, what was your first choice?

My first choice was attractions but due to the fact that I had had almost 4 years of merchandise experience before applying, I can understand why I was chosen for merchandise over attractions.

Can you tell more about your role? Take me through a typical work day?

While working at the Circus, there were 3 different types of typical work days. The most common for me was working production, then working register, followed by working floor stock.
Production: Production was working in the kitchen to make treats at the Circus. A normal day in production is split into 4 different tasks which can be mixed up pretty often. The tasks could include making cake pops, making candy apples, making caramel popcorn, making caramel apples, decorating rice crispy treats or fruit, making cotton candy, working the caseline, or doing dishes. My normal day was making caramel popcorn, break, do dishes, break, work the caseline. Then, since I worked the last shift on most days (4:30pm – 1am), at around 11 pm when all the guests have left, we cleaned the kitchens (on stage and off stage).
Register: This shift typically included working either the inside registers, the outside cart, walking around the floor and straightening things, greeting people at the entrance, greeting people at the exit of the character meet and greet, or embroidering hats. If I was the closing shift, I would usually help straighten and stock any missing items before leaving.
Floor stock: Floor stock basically means making sure all spaces on the floor are filled with something. Other tasks include tagging items backstage (with ink tags), stocking the on stage kitchen with bottled drinks, stocking the large fridge with bottled drinks, and making sure the cart outside always has enough items.

Did you live in Disney Housing? If not, how did you find housing on your own?

I did live in Disney Housing!

How many roommates and which housing complex (if applicable) did you live in? How did you find your roommates?

I had 5 roommates. We lived in Patterson and our apartment had 3 double rooms, 3 bathrooms (one for each double), a living room, a dining area, and a kitchen. I liked all of my roommates, however, one did end up moving out because she didn’t get along with the person she was sharing a double with.

If applicable, did you get the complex and apartment you wanted?

Yes, we wanted a 6 person apartment with 3 rooms and in Patterson.

How did you hear about the Disney College Program?

I had heard about the college program in middle school and had always planned on doing it.

Why did you want to do the program?

My end goal is to be a Disney Imagineer and I have heard that if you do the DCP in college, they are more likely to give you an interview. I also love Disney and living in Disney and being able to go into the parks for work or for fun was the best thing ever.

What did you learn from the program?

I learned that I wouldn’t work at a park like that for the rest of my life because it is super tiring, even though it is fun. I also learned a ton of people skills. Before the DCP, I was pretty much an introvert but the program made be such an extrovert and I love it.

Are you happy you did the program?

100%, it was an amazing experience. I still miss it sometimes.

Did the program have an impact on you?

Oh yes. As mentioned above, I think it made me a better person in many ways, including being able to talk to people out of the blue.

What do you wish you did differently? Any regrets?

I wish that I would have not taken 2 online classes while completing the program. It forced me to have to stay home on my off days to do homework instead of going into the parks. I definitely wish that I would have spent more time appreciating just being in Disney whenever I could.

Did you make a bucket list? How much of the list did you complete, if it all?

I did not make an actual bucket list but I had a few things I knew I wanted to do and I was able to do them! Like just take a day to go into the parks by myself and walk around and appreciate what the imagineers have accomplished. There are so many little details in every park that a normal guest doesn’t necessarily see because everyone is always rushing around.

Did you network? Take any classes or seminars?

I did Disney’s Ultimate EnginEARing Exploration After Dark and it was AMAZING. If you are an engineer of any kind or wish to be an imagineer, this is what you should participate in. We were put into teams to complete interactive field work in Hollywood Tower of Terror.

Did you extend your program? If so, did you stay in the same role and location, or did any of that change? Did/would you do another program?

No. As much as I did want to extend, I knew that I had to go back to college and work towards completing my degree. If the program was in any way related to my major, I would have gone back, but no roles were even close to being related to it.

Would you recommend the Disney College Program to a friend in college?

100% yes. If you like Disney and want to create magic for others or want to eventually work for the Disney company in some capacity, I would recommend applying.

Lastly, what advice would you give to future CPs doing the program?

Even if you don’t get the role you originally wanted, still do the DCP. Every single role in Disney is so important and even if the work isn’t the best, the guest interactions will make your day every day. Along with that, if you have any bad guest interactions, don’t let them get you down, for every bad interaction, there will probably be at least 2 good interactions. Plus, when you look back at the bad interactions, it just makes you laugh (and it makes good stories).
Also, if the DCP has nothing to do with your major, don’t fret. It will look good on ANY resume. I am in the computer science field and just having Disney on my resume always amazes people and they always want to know more.

Thank you so much Rachel H for taking the time to answer all my questions! I know you’re very busy and it means a lot to me. I’m super appreciative that you did this interview with me. I hope this answers any questions/clears up any confusion about working merchandise in Big Top Souvenirs at Storybook Circus. If you’re a future CP and you have this role and location, I hope this was helpful.

Thank you all for reading this post. Be sure to give this post a like and subscribe. It helps me greatly to keep putting out more content. It makes me happy knowing that you enjoy what I have to say. It motivates me to keep going. If you have any questions, be sure to leave a comment and I’ll try my best to answer them! I’ll see you in the next post!

As always guys, stay magical!

Okay, now I gotta play Where in Disney World is My Brain…

DCP Interview #1 with Rachel R!

| Sarah

Hey guys, what is up? I’m back. Did you miss me? Well I missed your lovely faces.

Today I have my first interview with Rachel R. She so kindly took the time out of her busy life to do this interview. So without further ado, here’s my interview.

What is your name, what was your role, and when did you do your program?

My name is Rachel R. I was at the Sunset Boulevard Quick Service Restaurants in Hollywood Studios.

Was your role your first choice? If not, what was your first choice?

No, I had wanted to be in entertainment as a character attendant or working in attractions as a ride operator.

Can you tell more about your role? Take me through a typical work day?

Depending on the shift I was either “Market” or “Boulevard”. If you were scheduled as Market you would be working Rosies or Eddies; Burgers and Pizza. Boulevard meant working Produce, Fairfax, or Scoops; Beers, Frozen beverages, pretzels, churros. Texmex. Ice cream. You would rotate randomly all the time so it was a nice change of pace. If you had to do condiment bar or bussing it was all outdoors. So in the summer it was tough, but we had cute little ducks that came around so it was a cute distraction from the heat. Filling people’s orders was the best role cause you had a chance to talk with guests while you worked. It seemed so tough a job when I was on my program, but after becoming a real cast member I picked up a shift a few months later and realized it wasn’t as hard as I remembered. I still look back fondly at working there and if I had my alcohol training renewed I would probably try to get a shift there again!

Did you live in Disney Housing? If not, how did you find housing on your own?

Both. I started at Vista Way in a 6 person apartment. I didn’t get along with my partying roommates so I looked elsewhere. I was fortunate enough that my aunt had a friend who lives in Florida in the winter and Pennsylvania in the summer. I was able to house sit for them for the rest of my program.

If applicable, did you get the complex and apartment you wanted?

Yes and no. I wanted the Commons because they were the nicest and had wood flooring. I am allergic to carpet so I put in that medical request when I applied. They gave me a renovated Vista apartment which had wood flooring. As much as I wanted Commons and put Vista as my bottom choice I was pretty okay with it since my brother had Vista on his program too.

How did you hear about the Disney College Program?

My older brother did it while I was in high school.

Why did you want to do the program?

It has always been my dream to work at Disney! I’ve been saying since I was a child. I wanted to live in Florida where its not cold and work at Disney. Here I am now still here!

What did you learn from the program?

I learned how to push myself to work long hours. I learned to not give up and quit just because of people are trying to make you give up. There were many times I thought, “This is the day I quit and go home and never look back!”, but I would cool down and then say, “I’m not gonna quit my dream job over something stupid” and I’d keep going. I also learned a lot about the mouse and how things run and it was amazing! I took Disney History 101 while on my program and that was probably my favorite class I’ve taken in my life! I learned SO much!

Are you happy you did the program?

Absolutely! If I could go back in time I’d do it again sooner!

Did the program have an impact on you?

Of course! It was my first time being on my own paying for all my own expenses! I had studied abroad before, but my host family paid for most of my expenses as well as my mom. This program gave me the chance to see what it was like to truly be on my own! I learned to overcome a lot and it has helped me on my journey of adulthood.

What do you wish you did differently? Any regrets?

Only regret was not being able to click with my roommates. I wouldn’t change having a bad living situation cause it made me grow more. Some of the girls I lived with are still here at Disney too which is why I regret not really befriending them.

Did you make a bucket list? How much of the list did you complete, if it all?

My bucket list was to get every characters autograph before my program ended. I did not complete it haha. I got about 40 autographs I think, but some characters are only out for special events so it was fun trying. Too bad I still haven’t done it.
Another bucket list I had was to work at all 4 parks. I was never able to get a shift outside of Hollywood Studios even when I tried to trade and other leaders at other locations would be like “sure we will put that trade through” and they never would. Proud to say though now as a Park Greeter (this is my 3rd location now) I have finally worked all the parks! Now ESPN, Typhoon Lagoon, and Blizzard Beach are my new bucket list!

Did you network? Take any classes or seminars?

I only took Disney History 101 on my program. I never got a chance to network because my work hours got in the way of the networking times.

Did you extend your program? If so, did you stay in the same role and location, or did any of that change? Did/would you do another program?

I applied to be Part Time/Full Time at 5 other QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) locations; Be Our Guest, Libery Tavern, Electric Umbrella, Sunset Boulevard, and ABC Commissary. I had wanted to work at Epcot and there was only 2 QSR that an American can apply for since you need to be from the country to work there. I had applied for 2 Hollywood QSR since I thought I had the best chance for those locations and then I applied for Be Our Guest cause I loved that restaurant, but thought there was absolutely no way I’d get it. While waiting to see if I had gotten a Part Time/Full Time position I had applied to extend as well. They told me if I accepted the extension and got offered a job after I could just keep the job instead of the extension so that’s what I did. I got accepted as Part Time at Be Our Guest and I was stoked!

Would you recommend the Disney College Program to a friend in college?

Absolutely! Its a great chance to grow and looks great on a resume! Also a great way to get your foot in the door at Disney!

Lastly, what advice would you give to future CPs doing the program?

Hang in there! It’s a lot of hard work, a lot of hours, but when you look back on it, it will be one of the fondest memories you’ll have!

Thank you so much Rachel R for taking the time and doing this interview with me! I hope this gave some insight on QSFB (Quick Service Food & Beverage) on Sunset Boulevard. I hope for those who have this role at this location learned something and cleared up any questions. I hope all of you reading this enjoyed this first in what I’m hoping will be a series on my blog.

Please be sure to subscribe to this blog to learn more about the Disney College Program, Disney/Disney travel, and tricks and tips. See you guys in the future!

As always guys, stay magical!

Traveling to the DCP

| Sarah

Hey you all. How are you?

So you got accepted into the program, picked roommates, and make a bucket list. But you have no idea how to get to DCP. What do you do? How do you get there? Hitchhike?

Well no, let’s not do that. That can have some dangerous results. Today I’ll tell you how to travel to the DCP.

I do want to say is that you do have the option to bring your car. Yes, you can have your car during the program if taking the bus does not fit the bill. Just make sure you have your car’s registration, insurance, and a declaration saying you are insured. Keep that in mind while making your travel plans.

First off, you can always drive. Make a road trip out of it. A plus of taking your car is that you can pack more stuff. You’re not limited the space in your suitcases. Also, I’ll mention this here, you can also pack things like reusable grocery bags and fill them with things like shampoo, conditioner, body soap, cereal, fruit snacks, etc. This way you have supplies ready to go beforehand. You won’t get paid the first couple of weeks, so it helps to get some things beforehand so you’re not hurting terribly until you do get paid.

If you have a bit of an older car (like I do) and you think it won’t be able to handle a lengthy road trip, taking the auto train is also an option.

Auto train? What is that?

I’m glad you asked! Amtrak has a train called the auto train that will take you and your car to Florida. The auto train runs from Lorton, Virginia (which is in the Northern Virginia area, where I’m located, about 20 minutes south of Washington, DC) to Sanford, Florida (which is about an hour away from Orlando). Now, this only works if you’re the WDW DCP. There isn’t on that goes to California. DLR (Disneyland Resort) CPs you’re out of luck on the auto train. Sidenote: I’m not being sponsored by Amtrak to say any of this. I’m simply just sharing information. It would be cool if they did though.

Now if the auto train or driving doesn’t appeal to you, or you can’t take your car, you can always fly. You can check studentuniverse.com (not sponsored) for deals on flights. I flew with JetBlue (not sponsored) when I did my program. Remember that you are limited to what you can pack so just be mindful of that.

Okay, cool. But I have a question: should I get to Anaheim/Orlando the day of my check in or the day before?

Good question. I suggest you arrive a day or two before your check in day. This way you have a buffer just in case anything happens. Your plane gets delayed. You’re late getting to your destination. Weather decides to be a jerk and cancel your flight. Whatever.

So now you figured out if you want drive, take the auto train, or fly to the DCP. Next step, where to stay.

If you have family or friends in the area who are willing to let you stay with them for a night or two, great. Be sure to thank them for their generosity. Maybe take to Downtown Disney/Disney Springs for dinner, one day park tickets, something as a thank you.

If you don’t, then its hotels for you. Airbnbs are good options. You can get a nice place for a fair price. The Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Lake Buena Vista on State Road 535 is also a great location. It’s right across the street from Vista Way. A little down the way from the other three complexes. Good prices. You can’t go wrong with them (Not sponsored).

I can’t give any advice for the DLR program. Sorry my friends. But if anyone who has done that program and knows any good hotel recommendations please let me know. I’ll be sure to make an edit and give you credit.

That is all I have for you today. Please be sure to give this post a like and to subscribe to this blog. It will help me out a lot. It makes me feel like you are actually reading and enjoying on what I have to say.

Be on the look out for my next couple of posts because I will be interviewing actual college program participants. Yes, you read that right. I will be interviewing former/current CPs who have been where you are. I’ll be getting their insight on their programs. I’m gonna try and get many different roles as I can. So this way you all can get some first hand experience on some of the roles you yourself may of gotten. Please stay tuned for that.

Thank you guys so much for reading, and remember, stay magical everyone!

Slacker out! (If you get where that is from bonus points to you!)

DCP Bucket List

| Sarah

Hey guys, what’s up? It’s ya girl coming back at you with another post.

Okay was super cringy and painful to write. I’m never doing that again…

Anyway, I’m here to talk about DCP bucket lists. You’re going to Disney, so you’re gonna need things to do while you’re down there. But you no idea what you can do or have any ideas. Well, I’m here to help. I’m going to break it down into different sections so you can pick and choose for your own bucket list.

I’m sorry in advance for this list is going to be for Disney World. If someone wants to help me out and send a Disneyland bucket list, leave a comment and help me out. I’ll be sure to give you the credit! Enjoy!

Mid writing edit: I made notes of certain things of when it’s available. So you’ll see (fall program)/(spring program) if it only happens during those programs. Just take into account. Kay, thanks :3

General Stuff/DCP Must Do’s:

  • Welcoming parties! During the beginning of your program there will be welcoming parties with different themes. Music will be played. Free food will given. Meet and greets with different characters (sometimes with rare characters not seen in the parks). It’s a great place to meet other CPs and socialize.
  • Grocery Bingo. Here’s your chance to win free groceries for your apartment. It’s free to go.
  • Graduation. Towards the end of your program there will be a graduation party. A DJ will be playing music. Free food will be eaten. You will Mickey and Minnie in their cap and gowns.
  • Winter Formal (for the fall program). It’s a dance where all the CPs get all dressed up and head to Coronado Springs. It happens towards the end of the program. Music, dancing, food, all included. You also get to meet some rare characters.
  • Starlit Splash (for the spring program). You get to go to Typhoon Lagoon (I think) and hang out with your fellow CPs all night. CPs get free range of the water park all night. You get music and food. I don’t think you get to meet characters but I could be wrong.
  • Be the first person on your favorite ride for the day.
  • Be the last one out of the park.
  • Disneybound with friends/roommates.
  • 4 parks, 1 day.
  • Go to Rope Drop at each park at least once.
  • Fill an autograph book.
  • Pin trading.
  • Devote a full day to character hunting.
  • The Kitchen Sink at Beaches and Cream.
  • Go to the parks by yourself.
  • Do every ride in every park at least once.
  • Have a day where you go to the parks and don’t go on any rides.
  • Pick a comfy spot in the park and people watch.
  • Play in the parks in the rain.
  • See every show and parade.
  • Take a nap on a ride.
  • Take a photo in front of each parks’ landmark.
  • Pick one of the parks and watch the fireworks show on New Year’s Eve (if you’re not working. I go to see from the parking lot during my shift and it was BEAUTIFUL).
  • Get to know your roommates!
  • Visit Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Citywalk.
  • Go to Hollywood (Halloween?) Horror Nights at Universal Studios (this happens during the fall program around Halloween time)
  • Go to Grinchmas at Universal Studios (during the fall program around Christmas time)
  • Go to SeaWorld.
  • Go to Busch Gardens in Tampa.
  • Go to the Florida Mall or Mall of Millenia.
  • Steak N’ Shake after midnight.
  • Ihop after midnight.
  • Go to Clearwater Beach, Cocoa Beach, St. Pete’s.
  • Pick up a PAC shift.
  • Pick up shifts in all the parks (if your roles allows that)
  • Shop at Company D.
  • Shop at Property Control and Cast Connections.
  • Use your CM discount (especially that holiday 40 percent on merch. Big, 100 dollar Stitch just became 60 dollars. Am I right?)
  • Visit Mickey’s Retreat.
  • VoluntEAR.
  • Earn your Ears!
  • Get your haircut on Main Street.

Magic Kingdom:

  • Festival of Fantasy parade.
  • Move It! Shake it! Celebrate It! parade.
  • Happily Ever After parade.
  • Space Mountain.
  • Splash Mountain.
  • Big Thunder Mountain.
  • Conquer the mountain trio (aka ride Space, Splash, and Big Thunder Mountain all in one day)
  • Ride Space Mountain with the lights on.
  • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
  • Haunted Mansion.
  • Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor.
  • Walt’s Carousel of Process.
  • Breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table (make reservations early)
  • Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (fall program)
  • Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (fall program)
  • Meet the characters!
  • Meet the princesses!
  • Buy some treats from the Confectionery.
  • Get a Dole Whip from Adventureland.
  • Eat at Be Our Guest.
  • Try the Grey Stuff (it’s delicious!)
  • Listen to the Dapper Dans.

Epcot:

  • Soarin’ (spring program)
  • Spaceship Earth.
  • Mission Space.
  • Eat at all the countries in the world showcase.
  • Visit all the countries in the world showcase, get a passport from Guest Services.
  • Food & Wine Festival (fall program)
  • Eat to the Beat (fall program)
  • Candlenight Processional (during the holiday season) (fall program)
  • Flower and Garden Festival (spring program)
  • Take a picture in the phone booth in the UK Pavilion.
  • Ride both the green and orange side of Mission Space.
  • Sit in the front row of Soarn’.
  • Take a picture in every country.
  • Take a picture inside Bruce’s mouth at The Seas with Nemo and Friends.

Animal Kingdom:

  • Ride Expedition Everest.
  • Visit Pandora.
  • Kai River Rapids (prepare to get SOAKED)
  • Kilimanjaro Safari.
  • Find DeVine.
  • Play in Dinoland USA.
  • Ride Dinosaur as many times as you can.
  • Watch Festival of the Lion King.
  • Watch Finding Nemo the Musical.

Hollywood Studios:

  • Fantasmic!
  • Rockin’ Rollercoaster.
  • Tower of Terror (my personal favorite)
  • Ride Tower of Terror 13 times in a row.
  • Ride Tower of Terror during the day, at night, and while it’s raining
  • Toy Story Midway Mania.
  • Visit Toy Story land.
  • Visit Galaxy’s Edge (if opened to the public by now)
  • See The Little Mermaid Show
  • Sit in the very front row of Fantasmic!

Disney Springs/Water Parks:

  • Blizzard Beach.
  • Typhoon Lagoon.
  • Mini Golf at Winter/Summerland.
  • Get ice cream at Ghiradelli.
  • House of Blues.
  • Go to Lego World.
  • Get lost at World of Disney.
  • Go bowling at Splitsville.
  • See a movie at the dine-in thearte
  • Stroll around Disney Springs at night.
  • Eat at Earl of Sandwich.
  • Shop at Disney Springs.

Resorts:

  • Ohana Luau at the Polynesian.
  • Get leis at the Polynesian.
  • Relax in a hammock at the Polynesian
  • Ride the monorail around all the resorts, just for funzies.
  • See the gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian during the holiday season (fall program)
  • Visit the Wedding Pavilion at the Grand Floridian (I will get married here. Idk what anyone says. Fight me)
  • Have a spa day at the Grand Floridian or Saratoga Springs
  • Have tea at the Grand Floridian.
  • Chef’s Mickey’s at The Contemporary.
  • Take a carriage ride at Fort Wilderness or Port Orleans Riverside.
  • Archery at Fort Wilderness.
  • Campfire and singalong with Chip and Dale (Mr. 305) at Fort Wilderness.
  • Explore the Boardwalk at night.
  • Go to movie night at any of the resorts.
  • Go resort hopping.

Food:

  • 50’s Prime Time Cafe (Hollywood Studios)
  • Sci-Fi Drive In Theatre (Hollywood Studios)
  • Hollywood & Vine (Hollywood Studios)
  • Be Our Guest (Magic Kingdom)
  • Cinderella’s Royal Table (Magical Kingdom)
  • Casey’s Corner (Magic Kingdom)
  • Nutella waffle sandwich at Sleepy Hollow (Magic Kingdom)
  • Cupcake crawl
  • Dole Whip
  • Churro
  • Mickey-Shaped pretzel
  • Mickey waffle
  • Mickey Premium Bar
  • Mickey shaped rice Krispy (I think you can get this at the confectionery in MK or Goofy’s Candy Co in Disney Springs)
  • Turkey leg (Hollywood Studios)
  • Try a sand pail at the water parks
  • Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review (Fort Wilderness…I think?)
  • Earl of Sandwich (Disney Springs)

Aaaaannndd done. I hope this list helps. I had to dig up my list from my program. It’s just a hot mess of line marks, chicken scratches and multicolored highlighter markings on it. I plan to do other lists for you all to use.

You know what would be cool? If you all could subscribe by adding your email. You, as Areosmith would say, don’t want to miss a thing. By using your email you’ll be notified when I post. Clicking the “follow” button in the bottom right hand corner helps too! I would appreciate it greatly if you did!

Stay magical guys!

Roommates

| Sarah

Hey guys, welcome back!

So we already went over housing in my last post (if you haven’t checked that out you should). Now you have an idea where you would like to stay. Now you have to decide how many roommates you want.

You can have one roommate or up to seven other roommates. How many roommates you want is really up to you. I had four other roommates. For me, personally that was ideal. You might want more or less. If you like always someone to talk to you might want more. If you’re more on the reserve side you might want less. Just remember the amount of roommates you changes the amount you pay in rent. The less amount of roommates, the more you pay in rent. The more roommates you have, the less rent you pay.

You can find roommates on your program’s Facebook page. You can also try searching for your arrival date to find roommates. It’s important that the roommates have the same ARRIVAL and DEPARTURE date. Otherwise when you try to link up later in DORMS (the site where you take care housing stuff and sign up for classes), you won’t be able to link up. That would suck for sure.

I do want to say, you do have the option of going random. Going random means Disney picks your roommates. Now if you’re adventurous and think that’s a great idea, then by all means go head. More power to you!

In my case this is what end up happening to me. I was supposed to link up with four other girls but ended up not working out since we couldn’t link up. So I ended up having to go random and but into an apartment that already people in it. Lucky for me I got along with all my roommates. But that’s not always the case. Just keep that in mind.

Once you decide how many roommates you want and you all have the same arrival/departure date, here are some things you have talk over:

  • Where do you want to live? On DORMS you’ll be asked to rank all the housing options. You all have to agree on the list. Make sure everyone ranks them the exact same. You may not get the your first choice, just as a fair warning.
  • Do you want to live a triple occupancy apartment? Some complexes do have triple occupancy rooms. Is that something you’ll be interested in?
  • Are anyone of you bringing a car? It’s okay if you’re not but you might want to consider somewhere with a lot of bus options if no one is bringing their car.
  • Which of the complexes sound good for everyone? You have to consider what everyone wants so keep that in mind.

You can find my pros and cons and apartment room breakdown in my DCP Housing post. So check that out for details.

Thanks for reading and I hope this helps you figure out roommates. I’ll see you in the next post. Subscribe so you don’t miss a thing. I would love having you around so be consider subscribing! Stay magical!

DCP Housing

| Sarah

After waiting what seems like an eternity and a half. You finally get the email you’ve been waiting for…that oh-so-magical congratulations email! You’re going to Disney World! Or Disneyland if you got Disneyland. Which is also cool! One of the choices you have to make is if you want to opt for Disney Housing, or opt out and live off housing.

Wait, Disney has housing for their interns…inside the parks?

Yes Susan Disney does offer housing for all their Disney College Program participants…no its not actually inside the parks itself. That would be cool and all but alas only a dream.

Both Disneyland and Disney World have housing complexes for the CPs. Yes, you do have to pay rent, but it’s automatically taken out of your paycheck. How much you pay for rent can vary depending on which complex you live in and how many roommates you have. During my program I have four other roommates (five of us in total) and we all paid 97 dollars each week. Remember this was back in 2015 and we were only getting paid 9.50 an hour. Rent does include electric, water, AC/heat, cable, and wifi. All of the apartments come fully furnish: kitchen stuff (forks, knives, plates, etc), couches, dining table, chairs, beds, nightstands. No tv, so you would have to bring your own!

Housing is also divides you into wellness and nonwellness. Wellness just means you are not allowed to have alcohol in your apartment. If you are under 21, you are automatically placed into wellness. If you turn 21 during your program, you have the option into moving into a nonwellness apartment. If you are over 21 you do have the option of being in a wellness apartment, you just have to agree to the same rules of not having alcohol in the apartment.

As a side note: if you’re under 21 and feel the need to go out and drink, don’t…just don’t. The risk isn’t worth it. It’s not worth getting kicked out of the program just to get wasted and party. If you get caught drinking underage you will kicked out of the program and you’ll have to deal with the police. I get that college kids party with booze to let off some steam. But please for the love of Mickey Mouse and all things magical don’t do it!!!! If you want to go to clubs and party, fine. But there are so many other things to do at Disney, and even the Anaheim/Orlando area to do that underage drinking isn’t worth it. It has happened to so many people during their programs. I don’t want any of you to waste this amazing opportunity during one careless night. Don’t think it will never happen to you, because it can and it will happen to you. You have been warned.

Housing does do inspections on a monthly basis. They check if you don’t have drugs, alcohol (if you’re in wellness), other things that you shouldn’t have in your apartment. There is a two week period on when they do inspections but you don’t know what day exactly they will come.

Wellness? Inspections? Roommates? Forget that! I want to live on my own and do my own thing.

And that’s perfectly fine. You can always decline housing. But once you opt out of housing. You can’t change your mind. You are responsible on finding a place to stay during the duration of your program.

Sarah, you said that there are complexes, as in more than one. What are my options?

Good question. I’ll go into detail about each one.

Disneyland

I’ll start with Disneyland’s housing. They only have one housing complex: Carnegie Plaza. Not a lot of people get into the Disneyland Program so there’s only one. I don’t know a whole lot since I’ve only the WDW (Walt Disney World) Program. But I’ll try my best.

Carnegie Plaza has two style of apartments: one room/three person apartments and two room/five person apartment. The one room/three person is obviously a triple occupancy room: meaning that there are bunk beds and a single platform bed. The other apartment was a triple occupancy room and a double room: two single beds. Parking is available in a garage below the complex.

One of the things that Disneyland doesn’t offer that Disney World does, is transportation. If you don’t have a car in Disneyland, then you’re stuck using public transportation. I’m not sure how that works exactly but once I do, I’ll make an edit about it.

Disney World

The Disney World Program offers free transportation to and from all the parks and resort via bus. So no worries if you don’t have a car. You can still get to work without a car. Whether or not you want to bring your car is really up to you.

If you decide to opt out of WDW housing, it is important that you HAVE YOUR OWN CAR. YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to use housing transportation. I want to make that clear. You need the Disney housing issued housing ID in order to get on. They will not let you on if you do not have a housing ID.

Disney World has four housing complexes: Chatham Square, Patterson Court, The Commons, and Vista Waaaaay.

I personally stayed in The Commons, two bedroom/five person apartment. That meant I was in the apartment with triple occupancy. I was actually in the triple occupancy room with two other girls. Honestly, it wasn’t that bad.

Wwwhhhhhaaattt?

I know. Crazy. I’m only speaking from personal experience. I don’t speak for everyone who were in my shoes. But all three of us got along pretty well. We would have “nightly talks” each night. We would all hang out, watch movies, go to the pool and mall. Was it my first choice to be in a triple occupancy room? No, but I’m glad I got the chance.

All four of the complexes are guarded 24/7. Security will check for your housing ID at the gate.

The Commons

Since I was talking about The Commons, I’ll start with it. The Commons is the newest complex out the four. It was originally only for the ICPs (International Disney College Program participants, yes international students can also do the program!) but it opened up to all CPs some time ago.

Pros:

  • In unit washer and dryer! You get to wash your clothes in your own apartment. No dragging your dirty laundry out and about and having to pay for it!
  • The Commons also has The Grid and The Clubhouse. The Grid is a small convenience store within the complex. It has all your basic needs. The Clubhouse is where the housing meeting (more on that later), grocery bingo, movie nights, and other events like that are held.
  • Also you’re right across the street from the outlets. So if you enjoy shopping you have that option.

Cons:

  • Not all buses go to The Commons. Only the parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom), Typhoon Lagoon, and Disney Springs buses only go to The Commons. All of the resort buses do not go to The Commons. You can request those buses to pick you up/drop you off. Otherwise you would have to walk to Chatham to take those other buses, which is like a 5 minute walk.
  • Rent is a little higher (the rent is too damn high) because there are in unit washer and dryer. Personally, I think is trade off is worth it. I’d rather pay a little rent for unlimited washer and dryer. But that’s just me and my opinion.
  • The gym is kinda small. So if you’re really into fitness and need all the fancy gym stuff, you probably won’t find it here.

Apartment room breakdown:

  • 1 bedroom/2 person (double occupancy)
  • 1 bedroom/3 person (triple occupancy)
  • 2 bedroom/4 person (2 double occupancy)
  • 2 bedroom/5 person (1 double occupancy and 1 triple occupancy)
  • 3 bedroom/6 person (3 double occupancy)
  • 4 bedroom/8 person (4 double occupancy)

I love living in The Commons. It was nice. It was quiet. Having a washer and dryer in your apartment was amazing. If I ever do another program I would choose this complex again.

Chatham Square

I put Chatham Square as my next complex because well its number two at a lot of stuff. It has the second bus hub. Its the second biggest complex out of the four. It was the second complex built after Vista Way. Chatham would of been my second choice to live.

It is also second on my list…intentional? Well maybe.

Pros:

  • All the major housing events are held here. Welcoming parties, graduation, things like that. Chatham has this huge field to hold these types of events.
  • As I mentioned before, Chatham has one of two central hubs for housing. So all the buses come through here. No walking to other complexes required.
  • Some of the classes and seminars are held here.

Cons:

  • The housing parties. If you’re someone who needs their beauty sleep, or need peace and quiet, this complex may not be for you.
  • These apartments tend to be a bit more smaller than the others so if you’re someone who likes spacious apartments, this complex may not be for you.
  • Lastly, you may have to haul all your laundry to different building to do your laundry at a cost.

Apartment room breakdown:

  • 1 bedroom/2 person (double occupancy)
  • 1 bedroom/3 person (triple occupancy)
  • 2 bedroom/6 person (2 triple occupancy)
  • 3 bedroom/6 person (3 double occupancy)
  • 4 bedroom/8 person (4 double occupancy)

Patterson Court

Patterson Court was the third complex to be built. It’s be dubbed the “grandma” complex because it looks like your grandma’s retirement house. Whether or not you like that aesthetic is up to you. Patterson would of been my third choice.

Pros:

  • It has the nicest pool and clubhouse out of the four complexes, not gonna lie.
  • It also has the biggest fitness center.

Cons:

  • None of buses come to Patterson.
  • You have to go to Chatham to catch a bus anywhere. This can suck even worse when its raining, which happens nearly everyday in Orlando.
  • See Chatham’s situation on laundry.

Apartment room breakdown:

  • 1 bedroom/2 person (double occupancy)
  • 1 bedroom/3 person (triple occupancy)
  • 2 bedroom/5 person (1 double occupancy and 1 triple occupancy)
  • 3 bedroom/6 person (3 double occupancy)

Vista Way

This is the oldest WDW program complex. The first complex to be built. It’s been here since day one. It’s seen some stuff. It’s known as the “party complex” for a reason. Did you know that Vista Way once had a hot tub? It was removed when some things were found, just stewing in there **cough cough** STDS **cough cough**

This is why we can’t have nice things people….

This is also my last choice complex……..it’s why it’s listed last here. Shots fired! Oooooh! No, but really. You’ll see why it’s my last choice.

Pros:

  • It has the OG central bus hub. All of the buses come through here. No leaving the complex required.
  • This place is so big that is has 2 pools.
  • Here at Vista’s clubhouse you can rent movies.
  • Classes and seminars are held here.
  • You have Walgreens, Wendy’s, Chick-Fil-A, all that good stuff within walking distance
  • Parties are held here. So if you’re a social butterfly (unlike myself) then this is the place for you.

Cons:

  • Parties. All day, everyday. They can be LOUD. So if you’re not a party person, you may not like it. They don’t call Vista the party complex for nothing.
  • Since it is the oldest complex, its apartments are run down, dirty, and gross. Not pleasant. Yeah, they started to renovated some of the apartments, but you won’t know until you actually move.
  • It’s farther away from all the other complexes. The others are a five minute walk from each other. It would take maybe 15 or 20 at most walking.
  • No hot tub. RIP. All around me are familiar faces…..worn out places…..worn out faaacceeesss.
  • See Patterson’s situation on laundry.

Apartment room breakdown:

  • 2 bedroom/4 person (2 double occupancy)
  • 3 bedroom/6 person (3 double occupancy)

Finally, take in consideration the amount of roommates you have will effect how much you pay in rent. The less roommates you have, the more rent will be. The more roommates you have, the less rent will be. How many roommates you want and in which complex you want is all up to you. Also consider if you want to live in a triple occupancy room.

I will make a whole separate post on roommates. That’s a whole different story in it of itself for a different time.

Thank you so much for reading. I tried to go into detail about housing. I hope this clears up any confusion for you all. If you have a question, leave a comment and I’ll do my best to answer them! You should also consider subscribing so you’ll miss when I post! It would be cool if you did. I’ll see you in the next post!

Also as a little aside, I broke my own record for late night writing. It’s currently 3:04 in the freaking morning as I’m writing this. I’m weirdly tired and widely awake all at the same time. Does that make any sense? Has that happen to any of you? Okay. I’m gonna go now and attempt at sleeping. Well see how that goes.

Phone Interview Questions

| Sarah

Here are some DCP phone interview questions. Use them to your advantage. I hope this helps!

Why do you want to work for the Disney Company?

If given a lot of tasks and a deadline, what would you do?

What would you bring to the company?

Are you working now? Tell me about your current job.

Why did you leave your last job?

What did you like/dislike about your last job? Explain

Can you handle working in a high pace environment or outdoors?

Why did you choose these top there roles as the roles you like to preform?

How would you deal with language barriers with guests?

If you disagreed with another cast member, what would you do?

Tell me about a time when a guest was difficult and how you handled it.

Do you mind working and living away from home?

Would you rather work independently or in a group setting?

How would you handle an emergency?

How would you make a guest’s day special?

I see you put (insert role here) as high interest, how would interact with guests in this role?

Are you okay with working early mornings, late nights, or long shifts, often times constantly on your feet?

These are all the questions I can think that someone would ask. If more come up, I’ll be sure to update as I go along. Good luck with your phone interview!!!

How to Apply to the Disney College Program

| Sarah

So you want to apply for the Disney College Program? What’s that? You need some help and tips? Well you’re in luck! You’re in the right place! I’m here to answer any questions you may have.

The first step is to fill out the application. Easy enough. But here’s the trick: applications are only open twice a year for about two weeks at time. It also depends on when you want to do the program. There are two kinds of programs: Fall/Fall Advantage and Spring/Spring Advantage. The only real difference between a regular program and an advantage is the duration. Fall is August to January. Fall Advantage is May to January. Spring is January to May and Spring Advantage is January to August. No one program is better than the other. It’s just a matter of preference and when you can do the program. Remember you are taking a semester off from college so you have to take that into account.

Speaking of college, you HAVE TO BE IN COLLEGE to do the program. It’s why it’s called the Disney COLLEGE program. You now have up to a year after you graduate from college to apply for the program. But that’s the extent of it.

The initial application is like any other application. You fill in your information, past work experience, what school you attend, things like that. Then you rank the roles. Here’s a tip: place the roles you really want at HIGH interest. Place the roles you wouldn’t mind doing at MODERATE interest. Place roles that you don’t want at all to LOW TO NO interest. It helps to have three to four roles at high interests.

The Web Based Interview

You made it to the web based interview, now what? This part of the process YOU NEED TO PASS in order to make it to the phone interview. If you fail, sorry, try again next time. The web based interview is timed. In the US it can take about 40-50 minutes to complete. It’s a multiple choice, highly disagree/agree type of deal. They will try and trick you and ask you the same questions over again. You just have to smart enough to answer them the same. For example, they’ll ask: I prefer to lead other than follow. I would describe myself as someone who takes initiative. I consider myself to be a strong leader. I like to take charge of situations. They basically want to know if you have strong leadership skills. They just want to weed out them liars.

HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY. Lying will come back and bite you in the booty hole later. Disney will know if you bs your way through it. So you might as well be honest with your answers and yourself.

Pro tips: work in quiet place, away from distractions. Turn your phone on silent. Relax and breathe! Go in with a clear mind. Be honest!!!! What’s the best policy? Oh yeah, honesty!!! Make sure your wifi game is strong so you don’t lose your place.

The Phone Interview

You aced your web based interview and moved on to the phone interview. Yay! Nervous? Trust me, so I was.

Disney has a specific brand. Learn it. Use it. How? Add some Disney magic razzle dazzle to your answers. Magical. Family. Creating memories. Guest. Happiness. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Okay, maybe not the last one.

Wait, did I spell that right? **computer typing** **doing a google search** **more typing** yeah, I spelled that right.

What helps me is writing down the questions and practice your answers. I would write down my answers and review them. I would reread the answers, even say them out loud to help practice my speaking skills. Maybe even get someone to go through a mock interview with you.

Also it helps to ACTUALLY KNOW the parks and rides. Don’t say, “I enjoy the rides.” You say, “I enjoy dropping into the Twilight Zone on the Tower of Terror.” It helps to use theme language during the interview.

I’m going to be writing down some interview questions so you can practice in a separate post. Best of luck to those that are applying. I know how stressful it can be. Don’t worry about not getting on your first try. I didn’t get in on mine. I got in on my second try. Some people get in on their third or fourth. Others get in on their seventh. Just keep applying and it will happen.

I hope this answers any questions you may have about the application process. If you have any questions I missed leave a comment and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Parking Cars, Taking Names

| Sarah

Hey you all. It’s Sarah, back at it again with another post about the Disney College Program. How are you guys?

During my program, I was a parking attendant at Hollywood Studios. If I’m being completely honest, I didn’t know this was even a role, much less a role a CP (Disney College Program participant. Basically what you’ll be called if you do the program). But what do parking attendants do? Let’s take a look.

On my first on the job day of training, I met my trainer who first took me to get my costume. Then she showed me the break room and how to use CDS on the computer. She lead me outside and we walked around the parking lot safely for a brief overview. Next on our tour we went into DHS (Hollywood Studios) and she showed me some of the main attractions, pointing out some trivia and other little facts along the way. She introduced me to some people and other coworkers. After that was done, we went backstage (the place guests don’t see) and showed me the workings that go on backstage.

Noon rolled around and we broke for our 30 minute lunch break. I was introduced into more parking CMs (cast members) during that time. Me, the introvert, was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed with the amount of people I was meeting.

All too soon our break was over and it was back to training. My trainer had me read from a binder to learn about safety stuff. I read, while trying not to fall asleep. That concluded day one of training.

The following days my trainer showed me the different things you can be assigned to do. I was trained to do opening/morning, regular, and night/closing shifts. The opening training days was hard since I had to get up early. The sun wasn’t even warm yet…

Who am I kidding? It’s Florida. It’s warm 24/7.

Some of the jobs you can be assigned to comes in two groups: trams and the actual lot. I’ll start with the trams. You can either the driver or spieler. Driver is self explanatory: you drive the tram. You learn how to drive the tram, the different signals, how to start it, how to shut down, and how to make turns. The spieler is the person on the back of the tram telling you all the corny jokes. Spielers tell you where the tram is going, gives you some important information about the park for the day, and makes sure everyone is safely in their seats.

A lot of the lot tasks include directing traffic to the actual parking lots, telling you where to park, and if it’s busy, help people load the trams. It will take too long to go over every little job. They are like 7-9 jobs depending on the time of day.

Then came the day that would showcase everything I learned; my assessment.

The first part of my assessment was to take a test. My assessor checks it and goes over what I got wrong. We moved on to the actual testing. I do all the positions while answering questions thrown my way.

Remember how I said I was introverted? Well, I am extremely introverted. I’m so painfully introverted that I failed the spieling part of assessment. I cried. I literally cried. I wish I was joking but I’m not. I’m super hard on myself so that the fact that I failed hit me hard.

And guys, let me tell you this: if you fail your assessment, it’s not the end of the world. You’ll just get more training on what you failed then get reassessed. It’s not a big deal if you fail. I was reassured by many people in my location about failing. Other CMs told me stories on how they messed up while testing.

During my break on my assessment day, two of the parking CMs did their best to try to cheer me while trying to get to know me. They took me on a walk backstage to help me calm down. That meant so much to me. It made me feel like they cared. It did help me feel about myself. They didn’t have to do that but they did. They could of been mean or not acknowledge me since I was only a CP. It’s something I’ll always remember.

I passed the spieling part of my reassessment after a couple of days. I was finally able to be on my own. Being on my own for the first time was intimidating to say the least. But over time I got over that fear. I fell into the groove of things.

Working during the fall program meant I would be working the major holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve/Day, and New Year’s Eve/Day. I will say this; I’m so glad that I was placed in DHS rather than Magic Kingdom during these holidays. From what I heard, it was crowded AF at MK (Magic Kingdom). Like it was shoulder to shoulder, can’t move a muscle crowded. People could only ride 3 rides all day because it was so crowded. I don’t doubt it.

When I was working my Thanksgiving shift, it was pretty empty for a major holiday. Well it was reasonably empty for when I was working my 2-8 shift. I can’t speak on what happened in the morning or during the closing shift. But for the most part, it was pretty chill. I was surprised.

Working the Christmas and New Year’s shift was a bit of a different story. From what I heard, the parking lot got filled real quick Christmas morning. People had to redirected to Epcot. I was closing the night shifts for both Christmas Eve and Day. The lot was fairly full but we were parking people in our own lot. Cars were coming, but not as frequent.

Let me tell you a story. During my Christmas Day shift I was in the lot. Part of the job I was doing required me to call in to my coordinator when I was open and close rows over the radio. I was with another CP, just casually talking. I called in to my coordinator that the current row was full and we were opening a new one. While I was waiting for a response, a guest was passing out candy canes with a thank you note attached. The other CP asked what the guest gave me.

At the same time, the coordinator responded. I, without thinking, held down the button on the radio and, instead of replying to my coordinator, I answered the other CP and said, “Candy cane.” We both looked at each other for a second and bent over laughing at my error. In between gasps for air I corrected myself and open and closed the rows.

Working the New Year’s shift was magical in its own right. We were coming in during the night to ring in the new year. After a while it slowed down to almost a stand still. I was on break when the clock was about to strike midnight. The coordinator working that night called everyone in the break room to come outside. We counted down to midnight as a group. At the strike of midnight, fireworks from all the parks went off at the same time. We all hug each other, wishing each other a happy new year. Getting to see all the fireworks from all four parks was something I never thought I would experience if it wasn’t for my program.

Like with any job, there are ups and downs. Highs and lows. But overall I loved my time there. Being a parking attendant wasn’t my first choice, but I don’t regret my time spent in the parking lot. The parking CMs became my family. I got along with the other parking CPs. I can tell you many other stories and magical moments with guests, but I’m planning to write about that in a different blog post.

That is it for this post. Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed what you read. Be sure to be on the look out for more. I still have so much to share. I hope this gave some insight on on-the-job training and by overall parking attendant journey.

On a random, unrelated side note I’m finishing this post at 1:16 am again. This time I’m not on the couch watching Degrassi. I’m in my bedroom listening to The Psychology of Azula by Hello Future Me on YouTube. Did any of you watch Avatar: The Last Airbender or Legend of Korra? I did. If you did, you should check out his channel. He makes a lot of great content about Avatar and other movies/shows.