The WDW Disney College Program

[edh]

I am going to have a car, so is it probably a better idea to drive to work? I heard stories about the bus, and I was wondering how often it goes to the hotels.

[jackskellington101]

I will admit that I did not work a resort, but I would highly suggest the car for your position. The hotels generally were connecting buses, technically vans, that went on separate loops than the main buses that went to everywhere else. For example, for a Magic Kingdom resort area van, you'd have to take the bus to the TTA then wait for the van to take you to the resorts. If my memory serves correctly, the resort loop vans generally went twice an hour, like on the :22 and the :55, or something like that. It depends on which hotel and which area. Many would just take the bus to the closest place and walk, if they could. I saw many walk to and from the Poly from the TTA. Wilderness did the same, though that's a little crazier seeing you have to cross a major road to do so. I think the vehicle would just make life much easier in your situation and seeing you're going to have one anyway, might as well make the most of it.

[haiderodes]

Honestly that can happen in most positions. CPs are at the low end of the totem pole, so don't be suprised if you get drafted to work those late late shifts or my "favorite" the late late shift followed by the early early shift.

Oh aren't those the best?

Especially when it's exactly 8 hours between shifts so that they don't have to give you double... I had that happen to me once.

And then the bus schedule was fun... I had to get up about two hours before to even make it on time. If I had to be in by seven I had to be up no later than 5:30 (and even that was pushing it).

 

These are the grips... other than that I loved my time down there. So much so that I'll be back doing the CP again this summer.

 

 

I wouldn't put anything past the schedulers. They were good about preventing you from getting double time, but i worked in MK parking so occasionally they had no choice.

 

I remember coming to work at 7a and getting in the Parking 5 van and them telling you forget your scheduled hours. 10 to 12 hour shifts were normal, 18 hour shifts happened if you tried. Honestly, for me once I worked 12 hours, I figured you might as well stay for an extra 6 since its double time past the 12 AND you've already used your whole day at work anyway. 18 hour shifts came in handy near the end of my program when I needed extra money to take home.

 

As for overnights, the closest I ever came was a 8p-3a shift over New Years 2003 when working seasonal. That was wierd.

[haiderodes]

I am going to have a car, so is it probably a better idea to drive to work? I heard stories about the bus, and I was wondering how often it goes to the hotels.

 

Cars come in handy, but it depends. Once youve been down there for a month or so youll know how to work the system. I know people who had cars but chose to use the buses to save on gas except when they had a funky shift or needed to go elsewhere after work. It all depends on the routes. They always change. During my program routes seemed to change almost every month, but that was when Dynamic was running the service...I'm not sure about this new company they have.

[YayKelsey]

Honestly that can happen in most positions. CPs are at the low end of the totem pole, so don't be suprised if you get drafted to work those late late shifts or my "favorite" the late late shift followed by the early early shift.

 

But I will be working at a hotel. I honestly cant see to many people wanting to check in at 12:00 at night. Even if for some reason I do have late shifts, I bet there will be maybe one or 2 people an hour even needing anything.

 

Actually, hotels will have the latest shifts. If you're doing front desk, expect to be there until 2am at least. Graveyard has their own stuff to do, so you have to be there to take the check-ins and many people do come in late. I spent many nights until 4 or 5 in the morning because there were still a lot of check-ins left. Out of all my roommates (6), I always worked the latest. And went in the earliest! (The starting shift for my resorts was 5:45am.)

[edh]

Even Bell Services? Oh well, even if I do get the later shifts, it probably can't be to bad. And what are the outfits like for them? I know its different for each hotel, but im hoping I dont end up wearing a really ugly looking outfit.

 

Less then 2 months to go... Can't wait.

[Hattuchili]

^ I am sure you will have a good time, working for Disney. I had a blast. The hotels are awesome, even the cheaper ones. So, I am sure the costume will not be that bad.

 

--Soren

[YayKelsey]

Even Bell Services? Oh well, even if I do get the later shifts, it probably can't be to bad. And what are the outfits like for them? I know its different for each hotel, but im hoping I dont end up wearing a really ugly looking outfit.

 

Less then 2 months to go... Can't wait.

 

Bell Services, at my resorts, started between 5 and 7am and went until anywhere between midnight and 2am depending on occupancy. And that was for dispatch and bellmen, although at least one bellman was always there at 5am and another there until 1:30am.

 

The costumes, well, all Disney costumes are interesting. I was deployed a lot (oh, and pretty much expect deployment if you're a CP in bell services or front desk) and worked at OKW, SSR, Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Port Orleans FQ and RS, and Grand Floridian. My favorite bell services costume was Caribbean because it was just khaki pants and a flowered shirt, but it was untucked so it was awesome. Grand is obviously much more professional, as are most of the Deluxe resorts. SSR was my least favorite front desk, because there was a vest and neck tie thingie. Awful and SO hot!

 

But it's not ugly if everyone else is wearing it too!

[Chrissie]

I was lucky, my costume was ok!! I wanted a really stupid one though, just for a laugh!!

 

Im thinking of doing it again next year....But I can't decide! I know it won't be the same but I can't think of anywhere else Id rather spend my summer.....

 

Anyone have any words of wisdom??

[YayKelsey]

I was lucky, my costume was ok!! I wanted a really stupid one though, just for a laugh!!

 

Im thinking of doing it again next year....But I can't decide! I know it won't be the same but I can't think of anywhere else Id rather spend my summer.....

 

Anyone have any words of wisdom??

 

You're from the UK? You should try to get a work visa and go back as a seasonal cast member instead of college program. That way, you'll probably get paid more and can get your own flat somewhere (and NOT have to share a bedroom.) If I don't get a professional internship next summer, I'll probably do the same.

[YayKelsey]

Oh, and I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend taking a car if you're doing hospitality. I had mine and I always took people home from the resorts because I felt awful for them. At SSR, they'd only come if you called, and often they'd not put you in the next route, so you could easily wait 2 or 3 hours for a bus. Even at OKW where there was a stop, it was about every hour, so if your shift ended 5 minutes after the bus came, you were SOL and had to wait another hour. At Carribean and Pop Century, they dropped you off at Cast Services and you had to walk the rest of the way to the resort (which is quite far.) But yeah, I took the bus ONCE to get to Coronado. Here's what happened:

 

Coronado is not a scheduled stop. I took a bus to Animal Kingdom, and then all the Blizzard Beach, Coronado, and All-Star CPs crammed into a van. They went to Blizzard Beach first. Then to each of the All-Stars and then finally to Coronado. It took an hour and a half. Yeah, never again. And then one of my friends felt sorry for me and took me home because I couldn't wait forever for the van to come back.

[edh]

 

The costumes, well, all Disney costumes are interesting. I was deployed a lot (oh, and pretty much expect deployment if you're a CP in bell services or front desk) and worked at OKW, SSR, Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Port Orleans FQ and RS, and Grand Floridian. My favorite bell services costume was Caribbean because it was just khaki pants and a flowered shirt, but it was untucked so it was awesome. Grand is obviously much more professional, as are most of the Deluxe resorts. SSR was my least favorite front desk, because there was a vest and neck tie thingie. Awful and SO hot!

 

But it's not ugly if everyone else is wearing it too!

 

What does it mean to be deployed? To work at different hotels? I actually wouldn't mind that, so I can get to try out new things. I would want to work at the deluxe places, and get to wear nice clothes but I doubt you have a choice. And I will have a car, so I will be taking that everywhere. I bet I will have a lot of people wanting rides, haha.

[YayKelsey]

 

The costumes, well, all Disney costumes are interesting. I was deployed a lot (oh, and pretty much expect deployment if you're a CP in bell services or front desk) and worked at OKW, SSR, Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Port Orleans FQ and RS, and Grand Floridian. My favorite bell services costume was Caribbean because it was just khaki pants and a flowered shirt, but it was untucked so it was awesome. Grand is obviously much more professional, as are most of the Deluxe resorts. SSR was my least favorite front desk, because there was a vest and neck tie thingie. Awful and SO hot!

 

But it's not ugly if everyone else is wearing it too!

 

What does it mean to be deployed? To work at different hotels? I actually wouldn't mind that, so I can get to try out new things. I would want to work at the deluxe places, and get to wear nice clothes but I doubt you have a choice. And I will have a car, so I will be taking that everywhere. I bet I will have a lot of people wanting rides, haha.

 

Yes, you would think it's cool, but you get absolutely no training on the new resort and are expected to know everything about it upon the first minute you arrive, including where all the cast stuff is (GF's clocks are RIDICULOUSLY far away) or when/where you can get costumes. And the nice clothes are really uncomfortable.

 

Yeah, everyone wants rides. Only me and another girl in my apartment had cars and our roommates went over the line. We ended up telling them they had to start paying us like a taxi if they were going to treat us like one. They definitely stopped from then on out. (Before that, they had taken to waking us up at 7am after we'd not gotten off at 3am or something.) And after talking to my friends, apparently most people think it's mandatory for people with cars to drive them wherever they want.

[Darksin]

I've always heard mixed things about the program. From the year of slavery I put in over at Disney the biggest complaint I heard was about Vista Way which had to many people in to small an apartment and the Crappy Transportation. I mean the rumor's would fly as to crazy things that could happen in any apartment complex so I really put no credit to that.

 

However the transportation does suck! Always take an early bus or bring your own car!

 

I also heard how Disney took a good amount of people's pay to cover rent and transportation but I don't know how true this is, but since Disney doesn't pay crap to begin with I can imagine it is seen that way. Also note that while "MK Rides" is the cooler place to work is also make the lowest on the pay scale. If your going for the program go for this Hotels! A few people I keep in touch with have gotten very sweet jobs due to working in the resorts rather then rides!

[edh]

I guess I will have to not let everyone know I own a car for a while! haha. Well I have a mustang, and it only seats 4 (and that is a tight squeeze) so hopefully I won't be doing a lot of driving people around. I am definately not waking up at 7:00 to drive someone to MK when I have to go to a hotel and it is completely out of the way. How many hours should I expect to work a week? I want alot, but I also want to be able to get a few days off and go to the parks, and other things. And I know in general what bell services do, but do you know all the types of things I will be doing?

[Hattuchili]

Hey...

 

uhh, first of all - Disney is not that bad!

I was living in "The Commons" for over a year. I had no car and needed to use the bus transportation which was really good. You get use to it after a while and then you know when you have to take a bus. When you have your own car it will make it a bit easier, but again the transportation is not that bad.

Next the hours: I was working in merchandise and I had a minimum of 32 hours in my contract. Normally I had 40 hours a week with 2 days off. At the busy times I had up to 65 hours a week with only 1 day off. The longer you are staying at the Disney company, the better your working hours are getting. After 6 month I could work 4 days (each day 10 hours = 40 hours a week) and had 3 days off, which was cool. When you get a back to back, then you can get 6 days off in a raw.

The costumes: I think mine was okay and from what I heard from the others, there was not really someone who said the costume sucks.

The apartments: I was living with 4 in one apartment. My apartment was clean and it was okay to live there. Sure you can also get some bad roommates and it sucks, but you can always change the apartment when you don´t like it there. I also saw the apartments in "Chatham Square" and "Vista Way". Vista Way is the oldest complex, but it was still okay what I saw there. The good thing at Vista Way is, there is a Walgreens and nice restaurant (Bennigans) only 2 minutes walking on the other streetside. Chatham Square is the newest apartment complex and it is really nice there - great pool area. I was living there for a few weeks and I liked it a lot. Chatam Square is right beside The Commons and you can pass by for some partys.

The payment: I got enough each week to live a good life there. I traveled around the US, went to a restaurant or 2 or 3 each week, to the cinema and spend some nights at a Disney hotel. Your benefits from Disney are awesome.

 

So, in total I had a blast there and I liked it a lot. I would always make it again and from what I heard from the most other guys there, they are thinking the same.

 

--Soren

[YayKelsey]

I guess I will have to not let everyone know I own a car for a while! haha. Well I have a mustang, and it only seats 4 (and that is a tight squeeze) so hopefully I won't be doing a lot of driving people around. I am definately not waking up at 7:00 to drive someone to MK when I have to go to a hotel and it is completely out of the way. How many hours should I expect to work a week? I want alot, but I also want to be able to get a few days off and go to the parks, and other things. And I know in general what bell services do, but do you know all the types of things I will be doing?

 

Well, I just got back, and our slow months were January and February, so we were scrapping by with 35 hours a week. Between Spring Break and Easter it went up to 45-50 easily. And then until summer hit, we were back down to 30 or so. All us CPs in bell services in January and February were deployed since we were so slow. I never saw a CP actually being a bellman. Apparently, SOMETIMES they are (I've heard), but they try to avoid having them in a tipped position partially because the rate pay isn't enough to cover rent. So, you'll either be a doorman/greeter or dispatch. Doorman is exactly that, standing and greeting guests and opening doors and helping the bellmen with the luggage. Dispatch answers the phones when someone calls down for bell services and then they dispatch the bellmen to assist the guests. At most of the resorts, the dispatcher or greeter is the first person they're going to see.

[YayKelsey]

I've always heard mixed things about the program. From the year of slavery I put in over at Disney the biggest complaint I heard was about Vista Way which had to many people in to small an apartment and the Crappy Transportation. I mean the rumor's would fly as to crazy things that could happen in any apartment complex so I really put no credit to that.

 

However the transportation does suck! Always take an early bus or bring your own car!

 

I also heard how Disney took a good amount of people's pay to cover rent and transportation but I don't know how true this is, but since Disney doesn't pay crap to begin with I can imagine it is seen that way. Also note that while "MK Rides" is the cooler place to work is also make the lowest on the pay scale. If your going for the program go for this Hotels! A few people I keep in touch with have gotten very sweet jobs due to working in the resorts rather then rides!

 

CPs, unless they're in a tipped or culinary/chef, start at the base of whatever Florida's minimum wage is that year. (Well, international might've been different, but I have no idea.) Food and Beverage adds their $.50 premium onto that. The last month or so I was there when I was work only 30-32 hours, I was making about $90 a week after rent was taken out. And if you do have your car, well, you know...gas and insurance and everything. I ended up having to quit because I just couldn't afford to work there anymore. And summer school, but yeah.

 

And some people really like Vista. My whole apartment definitely didn't. But when most of my friends were in Chatham, I would've gladly paid the extra $2 a week to stay there. Our fridge leaked freon, so it was never cold enough, our oven didn't work until a week before we left, and only one stove top heater worked. Our bathtub never drained, but they'd come fix it, and then 3 days later it'd stop working again. It was absolutely awful.

[Chrissie]

You're from the UK? You should try to get a work visa and go back as a seasonal cast member instead of college program. That way, you'll probably get paid more and can get your own flat somewhere (and NOT have to share a bedroom.) If I don't get a professional internship next summer, I'll probably do the same.

I am from the UK,but I like the whole Disney experience and I can't drive yet, so I would have no way of getting to work.

 

I lived in the Treehouse Villas for the Summer. It was AMAZING!! Loved it!

My rent was $69 a week but as I was working quick service food, I didnt even notice it. I used to work between 38-50 hours per week. I know that at vista, they paid the same rent and their apartments were soooo much better than the treehouses. We only had 2 buses, one to MK (thats where we all worked) and the other went like this Trees-Downtown-Chatham-Walmart. Sounds awful... but it wasn't..you get used to it.

 

Disney is soo amazing and I hated my job most of the time but I look back at it as being the happiest summer of my life! Thats why I wanna go back!!

[edh]

Well, I just got back, and our slow months were January and February, so we were scrapping by with 35 hours a week. Between Spring Break and Easter it went up to 45-50 easily. And then until summer hit, we were back down to 30 or so. All us CPs in bell services in January and February were deployed since we were so slow. I never saw a CP actually being a bellman. Apparently, SOMETIMES they are (I've heard), but they try to avoid having them in a tipped position partially because the rate pay isn't enough to cover rent. So, you'll either be a doorman/greeter or dispatch. Doorman is exactly that, standing and greeting guests and opening doors and helping the bellmen with the luggage. Dispatch answers the phones when someone calls down for bell services and then they dispatch the bellmen to assist the guests. At most of the resorts, the dispatcher or greeter is the first person they're going to see.

 

Both of those sound fun. I would choose a greeter any day over alot of the other things they have. Does all of the hotels have those, or is it usually the more expensive ones? I just cant picture the Value hotels having that.

[YayKelsey]

Well, I just got back, and our slow months were January and February, so we were scrapping by with 35 hours a week. Between Spring Break and Easter it went up to 45-50 easily. And then until summer hit, we were back down to 30 or so. All us CPs in bell services in January and February were deployed since we were so slow. I never saw a CP actually being a bellman. Apparently, SOMETIMES they are (I've heard), but they try to avoid having them in a tipped position partially because the rate pay isn't enough to cover rent. So, you'll either be a doorman/greeter or dispatch. Doorman is exactly that, standing and greeting guests and opening doors and helping the bellmen with the luggage. Dispatch answers the phones when someone calls down for bell services and then they dispatch the bellmen to assist the guests. At most of the resorts, the dispatcher or greeter is the first person they're going to see.

 

Both of those sound fun. I would choose a greeter any day over alot of the other things they have. Does all of the hotels have those, or is it usually the more expensive ones? I just cant picture the Value hotels having that.

 

Bell Services at the value resorts has been outsourced. So if you are in Bell Services, you won't work at any of the value resorts or Yacht and Beach as it's been outsourced there as well. And I know they were looking into outsourcing several other resorts at months progress.

[edh]

What exactly is "outsourced"?

[YayKelsey]

What exactly is "outsourced"?

 

Disney doesn't run it anymore. It's run by Bags, Inc. and their employees. It's the same company that does Airline Check-In.

[edh]

I see. I guess it looks like I have a better chance now of getting somewhere fairly nice. Is it easy to get days off? I would want to take a few days off every once in a while, and take a trip or something.

[YayKelsey]

I see. I guess it looks like I have a better chance now of getting somewhere fairly nice. Is it easy to get days off? I would want to take a few days off every once in a while, and take a trip or something.

 

Nope, CPs are pretty much the bottom of the totem pole and I had every single request for days off denied, even when my grandfather got sick and I had to fly home (I called in) and when I had a final in one of my classes I was taking online even though they're supposed to honor anything for school since education SUPPOSEDLY comes before it. So, I worked 14 hours and then had to go take a final. Blew my 4.0 because of it too! (Noooo, I'm not bitter. )