The CP....The Good, the Bad, and the downright Ugly. ( Updated )

[Tide27]

Hi there everyone. Now that I have completed my college program, I thought I would take the time to outline the positives and the negatives of this program.

I was probably much like you are at this point in time. I was reading everything I could about the college program and was very excited to come to Disney for an experience of a life time.

I realize not everything I am going to say will apply to you. However, I think that people need a well rounded view of the college program as a whole, and not just the good, bad or ugly about it.

Im also aware that this is a Disney website and as such I do not expect many people to agree with what I have to say about this program, but I just want everyone interested in the CP to have a better variety of information that what is presently here.

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Apartment Complexes >>>> You will have a choice of 2 apartment complexes to choose from.

Vista Way --- I heard horror stories about all the wild parties and everything here before arriving. I am a pretty laid back person and not really into the party scene, so I wanted to choose Chatham. However, we didnt have a choice of what apartment complex to live in, so we stayed in Vista.

The apartments in Vista, compared to Chatham, are substandard to say the least. Vista seems to be a more sociable place due to the fact the apartment buildings hold more people and are closer together. After hearing all the stories about Vista, I was prepared to live in the jungle, however Vista wasnt bad at all. I got sick of all the grounds maintance going on everyday, but only because I work till 2 am. To wake up at 8 am every morning hearing weedeaters and lawnmowers gets old to say the least.

Chatham---- Much , much, much, much nicer apartment complex. Everything about this complex as far as living quarters goes is better. I didnt live there, but did visit quite a bit. Since I didnt live there, I cant offer alot of advice on this place, however it is 10x better than Vista as far as apartments go.


Transportation ---- Bring a car, Bring a car, Bring a car!! The bus system here sucks. If you ride the buses, most times you will need to leave somewhere around 1 hr in advance to be to work, and will get home 1 hour late. Having a car here makes life a ton easier. It takes me 10 minutes max to get to work in a car, but by bus would take me 1 hour.


College program jobs -----

This is your biggest determining factor of wether you will like it here or not. Some jobs here flat out suck.

I dont remember the complete list of what you can do, but Ill mention the ones I remember.

Operations >>> This can be ANYTHING at all almost. You can work at one of the most popular rides at Disney which is Soarin, or you could be stuck out in a parking lot pointing to the next empty space for 10 hours a day. This is truly a hit or miss job. You could get a great position, or a horrible one. High turnover rate here.

Merchandise >>> Can be at any merchandise store at Disney. This includes all the shops in the resorts as well. Most people I talk to that are in merchandise dont mind it. However if you are at Downtown Disney, alot of nights you wont get home until 3 am or so. Not so high of a termination rate.

Quick Service >>> One of the worst jobs possible in many peoples opinions. Dear God...Once you see the lines at some of the places at the parks, it will make you want to quit lol. Once again, you can be anywhere. From food courts in the resorts, to the carts in the parks. Huge self termination rate in this job.

Custodial >>> Some people like freedom, and with custodial you are pretty much on your own. Looking at your schedule and seeing 10 hour shifts that say < restrooms > can be pretty saddening though. A lot of people quit this job as well.

Hospitality >>> You work at a front desk at the resorts. This seems to be the easiest of all the college program jobs and has the lowest turnover rate that I have seen here.

[Tide27]

Scheduling >>> This is really a hit or miss. Some jobs will have you working 50+ hours a week, while some jobs only give you 32 hours.

I realize they tell you that you can pick up extra hours on the portal, however there is a catch.

Many of the special shifts will have already been taken by people that knew they were coming up. IE....operations hears that there is a concert coming in...so the managers tell everyone that at 2AM or so, all the shifts for that event will be posted on the portal. So if you dont know what time the special shifts are posted, most likely you wont get one. There may be one or 2 shifts in your job that you can take, while there will be 10 pages of shifts for quick service to take. Quick service is the highest turnover job here, so there is always a ton of shifts available for them. Most CPs here are on 4 day work weeks though.

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Money >>>> Take out a student loan if can!! Well, if mom and dad support you then dont worry about it. However, many people here dont make much money at all. With only working 4 days a week ( if you dont pick up quick service shifts ) and your rent and taxes taken out....you will only get about $75-$80 a week. For most people,. that wont even make a car payment.

Money is a reason many people here have self terminated. You just cant survive on $80 a week, and if they had wanted to work fast food, they could have done that back home. There is just something about working next to a 15 year old making almost $8 an hour, while you are a college student or recent college grad...only making $6.67.

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Terminations and self terminations >>>> Many people will mention that they have heard of people getting terminated for one of many reasons. However what I noticed over the course of my program was that there wasnt near as many forced terminations as I had thought there would be. Sure, underage drinking is the biggest one, but its not huge here. Just be careful about it.

Self terminations are the largest batch of terminations. When you are forced to live in substandard apartments, forced to pay a premium rate to live there, and paid less than anywhere else in Orlando, you get discouraged. Its true, Disney employs 15 year olds now and they make more than you do , doing the same job. We saw quite a few people quit their CP and move to jobs in the same field outside of Disney. Quite a few ride operators went to Universal where their paycheck went from $6.67 to $9.00 an hour...same for quick service and characters. Disney pays the lowest out of all businesses in the state of Florida, even for full time cast members.

[Tide27]

To advantage or to not advantage?? >>>>
Disney offers several programs. The regular spring and fall programs, and the fall and spring advantage programs. Difference in programs are about 4 months in length. In my opinion, I would NEVER recommend the advantage program and here is why.

At the end of a regular program, you are given the option to extend if you want to. With the opportunity to extend, you can also change your role if you are unhappy with your current one. Choosing the advantage program actually cripples you in your options here. For example....if I was a ride operator and hated it and wanted to do a different role, when I extended I could do it. However if I am on the advantage program and dont like my role....I have 2 options....stay in the role or terminate.

**** Biggest factor to me in advantage or non advantage ***** The professional internship!!!

The professional interns start ONLY in June and Jan. If you were on the Spring advantage from Jan-Aug, then you wouldnt be eligible for the PIs because your program isnt "technically " over yet. This happened to many people on my program. Some PIs require you to finish a CP first. So even though they are selecting PIs while you are here, you wont be eligible. Had you selected the short program , like from Jan-May...you would have been eligible!

[Tide27]

Is the CP worth it?? >>>

Its all about expectations. If you expect to come down here, make a little money, gain experience in the company and start working your way up the corporate ladder....then no, its not worth it.

However, if you come down here with the expectations to meet some cool people, have fun but be broke while doing it, and just looking to have a good time for a few months...then yes it is worth it.

The college program is the equivalent of slavery here at Disney. You are the bottom of the barrel in every aspect of the word.

If you want to make Disney a career, or get some real experience to build on....do the Professional Internship. I am aware that some fields require you do to a regular CP first, so in that case, do the shortest one available . The Professional Internship is a great program. It starts you off as a manger making a salary and getting real experience in the work place. The college program is just free labor for Disney and they dont care if you quit or not because there is another 6000 just waiting to come down. Full time cast dont like CPs, the Union doesnt like CPs, you are literally trash in many peoples eyes here...you are expendable and they wont care to use you for everything you are worth, and then just dump you.

Overall, I have had a very mixed experience here during my program. Like I said earlier, just 10 months ago I was brand new and looking for all the information I could find about this program.

The job I had here on my program was pretty easy and rewarding, but watching the way Disney and its management treated many of my new friends and co workers made me sick.

I will answer any and all questions anyone has.

My goal of writing this was to give a completely unbiased report of what being a CP is really all about.

The CP is all about expectations. I didnt come anywhere close to meeting mine, but I hope some of the info I provided will help you make the right decision about this program. If i had a chance to do it all over again, I would most certainly do the Prof Intern, but would not waste my time or effort on the CP.

I certainly hope this information provided is useful to some people. I realize this is a Disney site , and as such, I dont expect much sympathy or support ( not asking for it ). I just want others to go into this program with more insight than I had.

Thank you all....and have a "Magical Day" !

[Uuaww]

Interested, this should be a sticky

[Rustyflwr3]

The Professional Internship is a great program. It starts you off as a manger making a salary and getting real experience in the work place.

I just want to mention something as someone just coming off of the professional internship program. It is a great program and it does get you a foot in the door, I think, more than the CP would...however, it definitely does not start you off as a manager unless you are doing the management internships and I would be careuful to think what I was getting would be considered anywhere near a "salary" Again, maybe that is for the management roles, but most of the PI's aren't!!

Great journal! Looks like it would be very helpful to anyone interested in doing the CP!!

[hopesethigh]

Thanks for the posts. I'm leaving in just a little bit to do CareerStart (basically the same as CP), and this helped a lot to help me realize that this is a job (a hard job) and that I just need to do the best I can and focus on having fun for a few months. Thankfully I have had a couple of awful jobs in the past, so I know (hopefully) how to handle places like this.

Maybe I just need to keep my expectations very low, that way it will be better than I think.

Thanks!

-Christopher

[Jules76126]

I definitely agree with a lot that you have said. I am still on my college program. I chose to do the spring advantage so i have about a month and a half to go. I live in vista as well and I absolutely love it. Yes the apartments are near as nice as chatham but i just like the atmpshere a lot better here. One thing I have to say is do not have false expectations coming down here. I absolutely love being down here and have had the time of my life. I have met the coolest people, absolutely love my job, and made memories that i will never forget. However I did luck out because i got operations and actually get to work a ride and not in the parking lot. I think a lot of the experience comes down to making the most of the situation. I love my job because of the other cps that work there and the full time people are great. I understand its not like that everywhere. The best thing you can do is understand that you will not be making a lot of money, I work on average anywhere between 30 and 40 hours a week and its a little over a 120 dollars depending. However I was not here for the money and that made my experience better. Make friends, go out and have fun. Understand that Disney is a hard company to work for and it wont always be fun. However, make friends with managers and coordinators because they can make your experience more enjoyable and help you out if you need it. Don't work too many hours because one week i worked 65 hours and although i made good money it wasnt worth it. I was tired and missed hanging out with my friends. Regardless of everything i would still recommend the program to anyone that asked just have fun. My friend's moto was always 1. have fun, 2. work, and 3. sleep and that is exactly what we did and i wouldnt change anything. Good luck

[EpcotLove]

This is a very informative post! Thank you for giving fellow college students the heads up! :)

[Joanna71985]

Nice posts. I agree with most of them myself.

[Tide27]

I have had a ton of PMs in my box and have tried to answer all questions. It seems the biggest question is why do I feel the CP is a waste of time. Here is why...

Anyone on the CP will be a college student of course. Did you really attend college and spend anywhere from $40k-$100k on your education to obtain a minimum wage job? Probably not.

The recruiters will pitch the CP as a way to get into the company, climb the corporate ladder, etc etc. This is very, very far from the truth of the matter.

Truth is that the only jobs you have an option to do are the highest turnover rate jobs. They select the jobs that they cant keep people employed in and offer them to the college program.

Every job that you are able to get is the absolute lowest teir of jobs available. They watch CPs come and go faster than a speeding bullet here. There is almost no way for you to make a name for yourself. You are so limited in your daily functions at work, that it is very hard to stand out. I mean...who cant push a button? Or take out the trash? Or wash dishes? etc etc.

Being a CP actually hurts your opportunity to grow in the company. Let me lay out how. This is a true account of something that just happened recently as well.

Most people are familiar with the "Fast Pass" system. Well, the fast pass system only gives out X number of fast passes an hour. If the cast member running the Fast Pass line allows those without fast passes, or ones with expired fast passes into the fast pass line, then they get in trouble because once you overload the fast pass system, its not really a fast pass anymore and many people get mad.

So my friend is running the fast pass line and is told under NO circumstances can you let anyone with an expired pass onto the ride because it is backing up the standby and fastpass lines. If my friend is caught letting anyone in without a valid fast pass, he will get a reprimand. Well...guests come to him and try to get into line and he stops them and says their tickets are expired. Guests get real mad and complain, but he sticks his ground and says his managers will not allow him to let them pass. Guests continue to make a scene, demand he go get a manager. Manager shows up ( he is a PI by the way ). And what do you think the end result was?? Thats right...the manager let the guests in to shut them up.

My friend did exactly what he was told to do. He told the guests the truth...he couldnt let them in. Yet the manager came out and let them in anyway. So now my friend looks like the bad guy. Guest complains on him of course. Next thing you know he is getting a performance counseling on his record card for POOR PERFORMANCE!!! *** is that??

As a CP, no matter what he did he would have been wrong.
Now he looks like complete trash and the PI manager is seen as the savior of the day. Now, for the REST of his career at Disney, even if he goes full time, that POOR PERFORMANCE counseling will be seen on his record card.

This is certainly not an isolated incident. As a CP your hands are tied down in what you can and cant do. As soon as a guest starts to complain ( and they will no matter what you do ) you cant do anything right. No matter what you do, you will be seen as the evil one, and the managers will be seen as the guests knight in shining armor.

As a manager here, you have an almost unlimited budget and resources to use for guest recovery. As a CP, you have nothing. So anytime there is a situation, you will lose in the eyes of your management.

Promotions here have absolutely ZERO to do with how good you work. Its all about friendships. I work with people that have been doing the same job for 10+ years and they are STILL trying to get into management. Full time cast members route to promotion is called Leadership Casting Call. In order to get into that, you have to have the approval of every manager in your area, or else no LCC for you. In my experience so far, many of the managers are very content to just sit back and collect a salary and not give a damn about you. Thats why you see a ton of managers still in the same job that they had when the started. They made it to a salary position and dont want anyone else to do so.

We have MANY capable full time cast members at my job that deserve a shot at management, yet our leadership wont support them. You cant go over their heads either to get into LCC. You could try to transfer jobs and get a brand new management team, but management finds a way to mess your record card up enough to where you wont get accepted into LCC once the record card is reviewed.

Supposedly you qualify for LCC if you dont have more than 4 points and 1 reprimand on your record card over the course of 6 months. However that isnt quite true. There is 2 full time cast members where I work at that got denied LCC because a manger commented that they had POOR PERFORMANCE . Thats just considered a coach counseling, doesnt even count as a point.

Now you say...well, they just should have performed better right?? Just what did these people do to get a POOR PERFORMANCE notation on their card. Let me give you some examples that just happened on my last week at work.

1) Full time cast member in merchandise somehow had $15 over in his register. He double checked all his transactions, had people double check etc...and couldnt find out where that extra $15 came from. So he asked a manager if they could help him. Nope...cant help him..., but they can write him up for POOR PERFORMANCE. By him doing the right thing, he screwed himself. A mistake occured, happens everyday. But to put this on his perm record card is ludicrous. Because he didnt just take the $15 and put it in his pocket and not say a word..he got denied into the LCC.

2) Another full timer got asked to take a guest somewhere because they were running late to a dinner. So they went and signed out a van and proceeded to take the guest to their reservation. While in the parking lot, another car ran into his van. Disney security came and wrote up a report...it was clearly NOT the full timers fault and the report said as such. Yet, 3 days later there he is getting a 2 point reprimand for being involved in an accident!! Wasnt even his fault and yet now his record card is tarnished permanently .

[Tide27]

I only know about management Professional Internships so all this will be from that perspective.

Now, lets say you are a PI and not a CP. Lets observe just how hard this job is and I will once again provide real examples that have happened recently as well.

1) CP is running a register at a food court. He is told under no circumstances can he just give away a Beverage Mug ( the $12 ones that you can get at the resorts ) At the resorts they have all you can drink mugs that guests will say they lost and would like a free one. Cp is told due to limited supply and product losses, that he cant give them away for service recovery .

Guest comes in and tries to get a mug for free, my friend says he cant do that. Guest raises hell and draws attention to himself and his family. CP says he will go get his manager to help resolve the situation. Manager ( who is also PI again ) comes out to see if they can resolve the issue.

Well, issue is quite simple...give him a mug. Just how hard was that to come up with? What bright idea do you think the PI had?? You guessed it, just gave him a mug. SO here again...CP does what he is told and is wrong. PI comes out there and gives away something that CP cant give away, and is the guests savior once again.


Do you see where this is going?? Management at Disney is a complete joke. They tie your hands so much that you cant really participate in the "guest recovery phase" . They restrict you so that they look better. Any monkey can see how to handle many guest related issues, but as a CP you cant do anything.

It doesnt take a college degree in Hospitality or Food service to hand out free stuff. This is Disney's Managements answer to everything. As a CP, you look like a complete fool, and the managers look like they are hard core and able to handle any situation.

So while you are in the back getting talked to about not following the "Basics", management is in the back giving each high fives and congratulating themselves for a job well done on defusing the situation.

They have done absolutely nothing that you wouldn't have done.

Now is it making it clear why you should just go straight into a Professional Internship? As a prof intern ( esp in my field ) all you have to do is give stuff away! How amazing is that job?

No matter what situation arises, the answer here is to throw money at it. The answer is not " What can we do to fix this problem" its...."How much money or free stuff do you want to shut up? "

As a Professional Intern you are already starting to climb the ladder and in my field ( management ) you are making a decent salary to boot. Management here knows its a joke, and as such, they watch each others back. While the managers are sitting there with almost no responsibility and unlimited resources to throw at whatever problem arises....they watch the full time and college program cast members fighting for scraps at the bottom of the pile.

Thats why I would never recommend the college program IF IF IF IF you are looking for a career here. If you are just looking for a fun time and meeting a ton of cool people, then by all means its great.

But if you are coming down here with an outlook of doing something with your life in the company...steer VERY clear of the CP and go for the Prof Internship instead.

Disney is hurting so bad for employees down here that they are giving away anywhere from $500-$1000 dollars as a bonus just to take one of its minimum wage jobs. Dont make the mistake and come down here on one of those jobs, come down here on the Prof Internship where you can actually move in the company.

[sandicinderelli]

IThats why I would never recommend the college program IF IF IF IF you are looking for a career here. If you are just looking for a fun time and meeting a ton of cool people, then by all means its great.

But if you are coming down here with an outlook of doing something with your life in the company...steer VERY clear of the CP and go for the Prof Internship instead.

Disney is hurting so bad for employees down here that they are giving away anywhere from $500-$1000 dollars as a bonus just to take one of its minimum wage jobs. Dont make the mistake and come down here on one of those jobs, come down here on the Prof Internship where you can actually move in the company.

Your point about doing the Professional Internship is very well taken. However, the majority of the PIs listed require previous experience through the CP. So, I think it's very difficult for people to bypass the CP to get to the PI.

I would also like to add a point about Chatham Square. I lived there on my last program and I totally agree with you that it's very nice. The complex is quiet and the apartments are roomy. The only two cautions I would like to give are 1) beware of the night security personnel - they can be rude and unrealistic at times; 2) do your laundry as early in the day as possible - they tend to get crowded between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

I worked in Operations on Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom. If you want to be appreciated for your work and stand out, Main Street is the place. Management is VERY MUCH into customer service - from the General Manager down. They are very concerned about performance and they recognize good performance often, especially on PAC (Parade Audience Control). Yes, I had bad days, mostly from miscommunication. But because I worked hard and tried to stick to the 7 service guidelines, I was given opportunities to be at my best.

Yes, the CP is about expectation, but I've found that it is also about your attitude. I've seen too many people with a bad attitude all the time, and they didn't get along well with management. If you carry a positive attitude while you are working, it will get you noticed.

I hope this helps somebody.

[rockstargeisha]

Thank you so much for such a detailed account of your experiences. Do you have any information on entertainment roles? Are the auditions/positions very competitive? I know here at Disneyland they're fierce, I'm trying to get a WDW view. I've love to take part in the CP but I'm really only interested in an entertainment role. Thanks!

[Joanna71985]

Thank you so much for such a detailed account of your experiences. Do you have any information on entertainment roles? Are the auditions/positions very competitive? I know here at Disneyland they're fierce, I'm trying to get a WDW view. I've love to take part in the CP but I'm really only interested in an entertainment role. Thanks!

It can be hard getting a character performer role, because it depends on certain factors. It depends on whether they need certain heights, dance and animation abilities, among others. It is easier to get character attendant, which is a lot of fun.

[thatdisneygirl]

I was a CP in 2002 and while I was there I tried out for a character role. I actually can barely say that, because (although I was there for an hour) I was eventually disqualified for being an inch too short. (I'm a 5'10" girl and they were hiring for 5'11")

I had a really hard time enjoying everything while I was a CP, but now I look back with only fond memories and a sincere wish that I could have another 5-6 months of carefree Disneyness doing mindless work and not making money to live off of (which is actually the best diet I've ever been on!). I did make a huge mistake, though, by self-terminating 2 weeks early so I could be home for xmas. At the time it didn't seem like a big deal, but I've now found that I can't get an interview at Disney in any city for any position, despite the fact that I will have a law degree next summer and I'm willing to take a serious pay cut. They weren't kidding when they said self-terminators get blacklisted! If you quit, make sure that you don't want to work there again. Remember, there are a lot of crappy things about working for Disney but there are a lot of really amazing perks as well.

As for jobs - whatever you do, don't ask for food service. Tell them you really don't want to do food service. It's the worst you can get (custodial = not that bad, really!).

[futreWDI]

Well, I'd like to start my post off by saying, it takes a certain kind of person to apprecitate the CP. I guess I am that kind of person.

HOUSING

I did stay in Vista, with 5 other roomates. To say that the housing is substandard, I would love to know what people compare it to. I go to a Division 1 school (26,000 students... not enough room in the dorms!) and have to live off campus. Roughly most students at my school pay between $250-$400 for an apartment without utilitoes. Add utilities to that, and it is roughly $350-$500. These are also unfurnished. The apartments are old houses that have been renovated into 3 apts etc. Some of them have walls and wood floors that have been painted over a million times, outlets that don't work, no A/C, etc. This is not just my school. It is my sister's in Georgia, and various other friends at other schools. Most schools also have apartment building off campus but those run a little pricier. At Disney, in Vista Way, I was getting charged $75 per week. This is only $300 per month. This included all of my utilities, furnishings, cable, internet, pots, pans, POOL, etc. This is an amazing deal. The Vista Way complex is actually in the process of refurbing rooms and my building last summer had the newer furnishings but the old ones were no where near as bad as one would think. They usually looked better than couchs at furniture consignment shops. Living with 5 other girls really wasn't that bad either although I am now learning that maybe I was lucky when it came to roomates. Roomie issues happen everywhere, not just Disney!

TRANSPORTATION

No one in my apartment had a car and no one in the apartment of guys we became close friends with had a car and we made it work. Certain routes take a little longer but if you are at the bustop 5 mins before pickup time you are fine. There were times when it would have been nice to have a car but you can always find a friend in the complex with one.

WORK

I was custodial. I was custodial during the summer. I absolutely loved it. I had a guaranteed 40 hours a week, and I was offered overtime on a regular basis. I was at DTD and the overtime I would recieve was to be a PI doorman. I loved the change of pace. Roles like custidial, usually have a pretty set schedule. My friend was a lifeguard and worked 45-50 hrs a week with some 10 hour days. He didn't mind it either. YOU GO THERE TO WORK, NOT PLAY. I always hated hearing people say that they thought they would get to "play" more. It is an internship... duh. Even though both of us worked completely opposite schedules and never called out, we never missed a day at the parks. Even if it was an hour, just to ride pirates. I never felt overworked. I also had a roomie that worked 60 hours usually and layed out at the pool at least 3 times a week. Also, overtime was amazing, as you got paid time and a half for every hour after 8 in a day. So even if you worked 30 hours in a week with three days of ten you got 6 hours of overtime pay!

Yes, the pay is not that great but any business like this would pay minimum wage. Come on, you are working in an amusement park!

To say that it is not a way to get your foot in the door is completely not true. First off, most PI's do require CP. Secondly, to get your foot in the door you cannot just show up to work. I am a theatre major. I was talking to my custodial manager one day about it and she gave me the name and email of one of the guys that works festival of the lion king to make a connection. Also, while cleaning inside Cirque du Soleil, I met one of the techs and he took me up into the cat walks to look at the stage from a top and talk about lighting equipment etc. I also signed up to go to a talk by Jason Surrell, a WDI. He talked about the pirates ride and we got to meet him afterwards and get his card. He told us to email him with any questions about breaking into WDI. I just think that networking has to be done by you, no one will hand it to u on a silver platter.


My roomates and I all enjoyed our programs. I just wanted to put a completely positive story out there. I really think that your experience depends on what you expect when you get down there.

[Simba]

I did the CP Fall 06 (I came home January 5, 2007). I agree with what most people have been mentioning. The CP is what you make of it.

Housing:
I lived in Chatham Square and it was awesome. I did visit Vista a lot but actually living in Chatham couldn't have been better. The apartment in general was just better. A lot cleaner and had a lot more room. It did seem that the partiesmwere always in Vista, but with a car it was just a short drive away.

Transportation:
I drove my car down and I think I may have died without it :) I took the bus once and after that I never did again. It took me only 15 minutes to drive to work instead of taking the bus and having to leave 1+ hour early. It also really help when you worked really late shifts to have your car instead of having to call the bus company to come get you. I worked some days until 2-3am and without my car I would have been lucky to get home by 4-5am. If you do the CP, TAKE A CAR!!!!

Work:
I did Hospitality at the All-Star and it was awesome. I worked front desk, lugguage and Magical Express. They were very flexible about trying to fit you in where you enjoyed it the most. I tried to mainly get luggage shift because you made a lot of $$$ in tips. It was common to work a 6 hour shift on a Sunday morning and easily make $60-80 in tips. This made most of my roommates upset because i got paid the same hourly rate as them but would come home with tons of extra spending $ each day in cash. It was very easy to work as much as you wanted too. I usually only worked 25 hours a week. :cool1: I went down with the attitude that I want to have the most fun possible and not have to worry about working. There were 2-3 weeks that I actually only worked 10-15 hours simply because I was able to request days off or give me shifts to other cast members that wanted them. I think if you want to work or need the money than the opportunity is there. From what I have heard it may be a little harder to as little as I did, but once you knew what you were doing it was fairly easy to work very little. My goal was to work around 20 hours a week (You need to work 12 hours just to cover rent). My paycheck was usually only about $40 after rent and taxes. LOL But then again, I wasn't there for the $ and could have cared less.

Overall:
I had a blast on my CP but only because I had a good attitude going into the process. Once I got the hang of everything it was a breeze. I think you get what you put into the program. I already had a full-time job lined up when I came back home and Disney was more of a 3-4 month vacation for me more than anything. I tried to take advantage of all the discounts Disney gave us and have as much free time as possible. I actually compared me W-2to one of my other friends who work all the time and he made over $1400 more than I did on the program. :goodvibes I figured it out and he worked roughly 200+ more hours than I did while on the CP. So, go into it with a positive attitude and make the most of it. I had a blast and met some of the coolest people in the world,

[Tide27]

edited :)-

[Joanna71985]

I like the format that people have been using. I have said this, but I am currently on my third CP. I did Spring 2005, Fall Advantage 2006, and Summer 2007.

Housing:
I have lived at Chatham for all 3. My first one I lived in 25102 and 26204, my 2nd one I lived in 14108, and I currently am in 6202. My first 2 were 2-BR, and the current one is a 3-BR. I prefer the 3-BR because it is cheaper, and each BR has its own bathroom. I just love being at Chatham. Especially in the current building, because I live right near the mail and laundry, and I am right across from the pool.

Transportation:
This is my 3rd CP without a car. So I can personally tell you it is doable to be without a car. But I will also tell you that if you can, BRING IT!! It is soooo much easier to live with it down here.

Work:
I am doing my third role for my third program. Here they are:
1) I did merchandise in Fantasyland at MK mostly (I also worked in Liberty Square and Adventureland for a few weeks at a time). I mostly worked the registers, but I also did some stocking here and there (which I enjoyed). Fantasyland has 9 different store or cart locations that you can work, and for the most part you usually will work several locations in one day. For hours I usually got around 35 hours a week. I also just about always closed, which meant I would start around 5pm or so and work til closing. I liked this because I would go to the MK in the morning and play, see the castle show(s), and see the day parade. I also liked closing because I got to see Wishes every night.

2) I was a character attendant on my 2nd CP. I had soooo much fun doing this. I got to work at all 4 theme parks, though I mostly worked at MK. I worked at Epcot and MGM the least, working at those about 8 times. AK I worked at about 15 times. I worked with any character and every character (literally). I worked about 45 hours a week. I just about always worked in the morning/mid afternoon (usually 9am to 5pm, or something like that). I loved my managers and fellow CMs. I am currently seasonal as a character attendant, and want to go FT in this role.

3) I am currently doing custodial on the Summer Alumni CP. I am working at Epcot at the WS. It's nice working here because it is very relaxed and laid back. I also love working in the different countries and seeing the different shows (especially British Invasion and the WS players). I don't really have a set schedule, because I work both morning and evening shifts. For evening I usually work 4:30 to 1:00 am. And for morning it usually is 6:45 am to 3:15 pm. Overall I work about 35-40 hours a week.

Overall:
Overall I have had nothing but good times on my CPs. I love being down at Disney, and I know that I want to work here FT. I love being able to go to the parks, even just for a couple of hours. I haven't called in once on any of my programs. As long as you come down with the right attitude, you will enjoy your program.

[CPer'sMom]

I haven't called in once on any of my programs

Joanna, that is amazing! I would bet that you may be one of very, very few CPs who have never called in!! That really says a lot about your work ethic and that you are a very responsible person. :thumbsup2

It's always great to read about how much you love your jobs at Disney. My daughter also had a great time during her CP and is still seasonal at her job ~~ great excuse to go back to Disney every few months :)

[Joanna71985]

Joanna, that is amazing! I would bet that you may be one of very, very few CPs who have never called in!! That really says a lot about your work ethic and that you are a very responsible person. :thumbsup2

It's always great to read about how much you love your jobs at Disney. My daughter also had a great time during her CP and is still seasonal at her job ~~ great excuse to go back to Disney every few months :)

Awww, thanks a lot.:) I don't like calling in (unless it is an extreme emergency) because then I feel bad because someone else is going to have to take over for what I was supposed to do, and what if they were short handed? So that is why.

[futreWDI]

Just an added note about Cp being required for PI. Even for the PI roles that do not require CP, about 85% of those hired for PI have done CP. If two people applied and one had A's and never did CP, and the other had B's and C's and participated in CP, they will take the former CP (hypothetical example!!!). They like to have someone that has worked for their company.

[Rustyflwr3]

Just an added note about Cp being required for PI. Even for the PI roles that do not require CP, about 85% of those hired for PI have done CP. If two people applied and one had A's and never did CP, and the other had B's and C's and participated in CP, they will take the former CP (hypothetical example!!!). They like to have someone that has worked for their company.


That's true, but anyone who hasn't been a CP, try not to be discouraged from applying!! A lot of the people that were around me, working as PI's (including myself) did not have CP experience! So it is possible!!

[MissLori]

Thank you to all those offering their opinions, etc, on the CP. My daughter is thinking of applying in the fall and this info has been very, very informative if nothing else.

[Joanna71985]

Just an added note about Cp being required for PI. Even for the PI roles that do not require CP, about 85% of those hired for PI have done CP. If two people applied and one had A's and never did CP, and the other had B's and C's and participated in CP, they will take the former CP (hypothetical example!!!). They like to have someone that has worked for their company.

Not to be picky, but I think you may have meant latter. Former means the first choice, and latter means second choice.

[futreWDI]

Haha I actually meant former as in the sense of the person that was a former CP but I see your point. Sorry for the confusion!

[Tricky4L]

The lessons learned are by far the best thing taken away from your internship. Working at the turnstiles at EPCOT I learned above all that some people just suck no matter what... such is life. I came away from my college program with a lot more patience, the motto that laughter is key, and an awesome reason to stay in college (6.25 an hour will never happen again).

During my college program I also found out that I actually don't hate kids... its the parents that I can't stand.

At the end of your college program you'll find out that you ended up doing two jobs... the simple job you joke and complain about with your friends, and the prestigious job that involved heavy interaction with a diverse group of thousands of people on a daily basis all while providing the outstanding guest service that has made the Disney name what is it... i.e. the job you end up putting on your resume and using in an interview.

[**Disney_Princess**]

As I said I will be applying for the Spring. I keep checking the website to see if they are accepting applications yet..... I kno its not until September, but I just cant wait I am soooooo excited! :yay:

So I was thinking of a few roles to apply for.... I was wondering if people could fill me in on their expirences with these to better narrow my decision.

1) Character attendent - i've heard mostly good things of this and it sounds exciting. I would like to be in the parks so this is good i think.

2) Hotels - i was thinking maybe the front desk because i am a tourism major so i do kno a bit about that, but idk because then i wouldnt get to be in the parks and see all the little kids, i love kids!

3) operations - i thought maybe this one cause it might be fun to work the rides, i just dont want to get stuck with anything crappy

4) character performer - i really, really would like to b cinderella. i've been told that i would be good at that. but i dont want to try out and get some charcter like mickey and b in some stuffy costume all day long

any information anyone could give me would really help! I am soooo stuck with my decision.:confused3 (i just kno that i DONT want merchandise, or food cuz i could do that here at home)

I also was curious about the hours too.... i am wondering what it is that i would be working (as in like the shift, hrs, and days of week).

Thanks for the help. I greatly appreciate it!!!!:thumbsup2

[Joanna71985]

As I said I will be applying for the Spring. I keep checking the website to see if they are accepting applications yet..... I kno its not until September, but I just cant wait I am soooooo excited! :yay:

So I was thinking of a few roles to apply for.... I was wondering if people could fill me in on their expirences with these to better narrow my decision.

1) Character attendent - i've heard mostly good things of this and it sounds exciting. I would like to be in the parks so this is good i think.

2) Hotels - i was thinking maybe the front desk because i am a tourism major so i do kno a bit about that, but idk because then i wouldnt get to be in the parks and see all the little kids, i love kids!

3) operations - i thought maybe this one cause it might be fun to work the rides, i just dont want to get stuck with anything crappy

4) character performer - i really, really would like to b cinderella. i've been told that i would be good at that. but i dont want to try out and get some charcter like mickey and b in some stuffy costume all day long

any information anyone could give me would really help! I am soooo stuck with my decision.:confused3 (i just kno that i DONT want merchandise, or food cuz i could do that here at home)

I also was curious about the hours too.... i am wondering what it is that i would be working (as in like the shift, hrs, and days of week).

Thanks for the help. I greatly appreciate it!!!!:thumbsup2

Well, I wish you good luck when it comes time for applying. Here is my take on the roles:
1) I have done this, and it is soooooo much fun. You get to play with the characters, you get to work in all 4 parks. I love it.

2) Unfortunately I don't know much about the resort roles.

3) Operations is not just the rides. It also can be the ticket turnstiles and parking.

4) performer- Unfortunately, anyone who does face also has to do fur. So you would have to do both.

And the hours vary by the role/location. I have gone anywhere from closing in merchandise (aprox 5pm to 11, or something like that) to opening in attendant (something like 9 to 6) and a whole bunch in custodial.

[rockstargeisha]

4) performer- Unfortunately, anyone who does face also has to do fur. So you would have to do both.

Wow, that is something I did not know, how interesting. Thanks for that. :thumbsup2

[mickeychic]

Thanks for the posts. I'm leaving in just a little bit to do CareerStart (basically the same as CP), and this helped a lot to help me realize that this is a job (a hard job) and that I just need to do the best I can and focus on having fun for a few months. Thankfully I have had a couple of awful jobs in the past, so I know (hopefully) how to handle places like this.

Maybe I just need to keep my expectations very low, that way it will be better than I think.

Thanks!

-Christopher

Good luck on your CareerStart. The College Program can be very good to you if you take the right approach. Whatever job you get, take it and do your absolute best every single day. Try not to get caught up in all the workplace drama... the managers hate that. They'll respect you so much more if you just come to do your job. Make sure you always take the extra step to help out. Do whatever you have to to gain support. And take EVERY opportunity to network. If you want to do a PI or anything else in Disney, make those connections now and KEEP THEM. There won't be anyone there telling you to go introduce yourself to this person or set up an appointment to meet with that person. Make sure you do it. Disney is all about how hard you work and who you know. And always have fun! The guests can tell when you're faking it. Set goals for yourself for how many bad situations you will fix and how many times you will go out of your way to help someone. Do this stuff, and you'll love no matter what job you do. It can make even the most monotonous job fun. The job stays the same but the guests are always changing. Again, GOOD LUCK!!!!

[DisneyRoe]

Wow, well there certainly is a lot of negativity on this post. And if I listented to all of this before I went, I would have had a heart attack. No offense to whoever posted it- but I think it is downright wrong to say that the College Program hurts your chances to do well within TWDC. Let me tell you a bit about my experience.

I did my college program in the fall of 2004. IF I knew what an amazing experience it was, I would have done the advantage program. I worked in Operations at Space Mountain. I LOVED my job.

HOUSING

I stayed at Chatham Square in a 4 bedroom apartment. I had 7 other roomates (yes, seven) and it was an amazing experience. We learned about each other and the regional differences. Did I love every one of my roomies? No. But there was always someone there and something to do.

The complex was beautiful. I'm from NYC, so a place that has a pool, workout facility, clubhouse, etc. is top-rate. It was clean and the security was good. What they took from our paychecks for the apartment was reasonable.

I had friends in Vista and they had similar experiences. Yes, the apartments were older. But anyone who has stayed in student housing will appreciate the complexes.

TRANSPORTATION

I agree the bus system wasn't up to speed. I had a car down there so I really can't comment too much on the bus system. But let me say, if you have the ability to bring a car, do so. It will be convenient and you will have TONS of friends :)

JOB

Space Mountain was an amazing place to work. Good level of guest interaction, parade shifts, and air conditioned. CMs rarely leave here... in fact some of my fellow CPs even extended their programs to stay there. I worked 30-40 hours a week, which made me enough money to live on. I also had the opportunity to pick up extra shifts if I was low on dough.

OVERALL

You need to take the college program for what it's worth. It is an INTERNSHIP. We need to keep that in mind. For those of you who haven't done internships, I don't expect you to realize what that means. I did 3-4 internships during college and this was the ONLY one I got paid for. Yes, it's barely over minimum wage... but at least it's something. Yes, you are the bottom of the corporate ladder, but you have to start somewhere. Most interns at companies make photocopies and get coffee for their bosses. At Disney you could be operating a major attraction or assisting guests from around the world.

THE COLLEGE PROGRAM IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT

If you simply go to work, criticize everything, and don't experience all that the college program has to offer, you won't enjoy it. Go to the networking events, talk to salaried managers, take adavantage of the free classes at Disney University and go to the parks on your days off. If you go above and beyond your work description, it will be noticed. Trust me. You will move up the corporate ladder if you try hard, guaranteed.
And you will have the experience of a lifetime.

Disney has ruined me. Nothing in my life will ever be as good as my time at Disney World.

[thejackattack21]

OVERALL

You need to take the college program for what it's worth. It is an INTERNSHIP. We need to keep that in mind. For those of you who haven't done internships, I don't expect you to realize what that means. I did 3-4 internships during college and this was the ONLY one I got paid for. Yes, it's barely over minimum wage... but at least it's something. Yes, you are the bottom of the corporate ladder, but you have to start somewhere. Most interns at companies make photocopies and get coffee for their bosses. At Disney you could be operating a major attraction or assisting guests from around the world.

THE COLLEGE PROGRAM IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT

If you simply go to work, criticize everything, and don't experience all that the college program has to offer, you won't enjoy it. Go to the networking events, talk to salaried managers, take adavantage of the free classes at Disney University and go to the parks on your days off. If you go above and beyond your work description, it will be noticed. Trust me. You will move up the corporate ladder if you try hard, guaranteed.
And you will have the experience of a lifetime.

Disney has ruined me. Nothing in my life will ever be as good as my time at Disney World.

:thumbsup2 Completely and totally agreed! Glad to hear that someone other than myself had an amazing experience!

[Andrusi]

I admittedly don't have much CP experience yet, but one thing I'd like to point out is about Quick-Service Food and Beverage, i.e. fast food. The thing to keep in mind is that you're working at WDW, with the gigantic number of people that that implies. Obviously not every guest on Disney property is going to try to eat at Cosmic Ray's all at the same time, but still: if you're going in expecting it to be like a shift at McDonald's, your brain is going to explode. There are quiet times, but when you're busy, you're BUSY AS HECK HOLY CRAP WHERE DO THEY ALL COME FROM AND WE JUST RAN OUT OF FRIES THREE TIMES IN TWO MINUTES. I imagine this sort of thing is why so many people quit--I'm not sure a normal fast food job would be enough to prepare you for what it's like. I've worked at a baseball stadium, and so far the work at All-Star Music is on a similar level. I imagine in-park locations would be busier. There's a special dining promotion coming up, though, and that might push things up further.

At least I don't have to wash dishes. Oh, wait, I do that at home...

Another thing to watch out for is weird sleep schedules. I'm working mornings at Intermission Food Court at All-Star Music, and my roommate is working nights at the big Disney store at Downtown Disney. He was still up last night when I woke up this morning. I don't know why I bring this up.

Oh, and yes, the bus system is unreliable. A whole bunch of people were late the other day because it never occurred to some bus driver that he might need to do something in the early morning. This included about a dozen Blizzard Beach lifeguards, so if you've gone there recently and found whatever they do when they don't have enough lifeguards, that's probably why. Then again, sometimes they run like clockwork. The special-request shuttles are pretty reliable, so far... it's the normal bus routes that run on bizarro time.

[FSUDisneyGirl]

So here is my input. I did the college program spring 07.

HOUSING

All in all, I liked living at Chatham. I was in a 3-bedroom, which I totally recommend! You pay the same price as a 4-bedroom, but have 6 people as opposed to 8. You'll quickly realize that you are BUSY and it's fun to have a bunch of roommates- so if you are off one random morning, and another roommate is, you can say "want to go to see fantasmic tonight?" and you can just spend time together.:thumbsup2 The rules are SUPER strict, and frustrating if you have friends who come to visit from out of town- because they can not spend the night! If you're used to the freedom of college, and feeling like a responsible adult, this will be a big step back. It's like mom and dad are watching over you again, and I found it a bit over the top.

WORKING

HERE IS MY #1 TIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!
If you get to Disney, and are not happy with your job.... get out of it however you can!!!!! I signed up for Operations (hoping to work a ride, or parade anywhere) and ended up working at Pleasure Island. Everyone thinks it sounds like fun, but pretty much when everyone is out partying, you are dealing with obnoxious drunk people. The day that I received my job assignment, I knew I wanted out. But they (College Program people) told me to stay, so I finished my training. They told me to wait 30 days, and I did. I always did my job to the best of my ability (was commended by my managers for my guest service) but I was MISERABLE almost the entire time. I talked to my managers, who told me to talk to Downtown Disney supervisors, etc. It was basically a couple months of being tossed around by people who did not know how to help me. Toward the end, I finally found out that a girl I was initially working with (whom I thought had left) had complained, cried, pissed and moaned so much that they finally moved her- into the Magic Kingdom working on one of the Mountains.

Disney is desperate for people...THEY WANT TO KEEP YOU THERE! I was afraid that if I told them that I would leave the program if they didn't move me to a different job, they might say no...and I wanted to say. But I learned that they want you to stay! So try out your job...but after a month, if you are seriously miserable (but doing good work) get out of there! The college program now has someone who works on college program retention, so she should be able to help you.


There are many great things about the program...but having a job you have to go to almost every day can give you bad feelings toward the program, your coworkers, and the company! Find something you like, and have a great time! :yay: :yay: :yay:

[mikmin]

My nephew just started the CP it will be 2 weeks on 9-10 and he is just so unhappy :sad2: He is in food services and they have him cleaning out the garbage dumpsters :sad1: for 2 days now and he wants to come home already. We keep telling him that he has to give it a least a month, and try to enjoy his time off by exploring all that Disney has to offer. Hopefully it will start getting easier for him, time will tell.

:santa: BWV 1-Bedroom 12-4 to 12-14 (Hoping to see DN if he is still there)

[thejackattack21]

My nephew just started the CP it will be 2 weeks on 9-10 and he is just so unhappy :sad2: He is in food services and they have him cleaning out the garbage dumpsters :sad1: for 2 days now and he wants to come home already. We keep telling him that he has to give it a least a month, and try to enjoy his time off by exploring all that Disney has to offer. Hopefully it will start getting easier for him, time will tell.

:santa: BWV 1-Bedroom 12-4 to 12-14 (Hoping to see DN if he is still there)

I hate to sound cynical, because I am truly sorry that your nephew is having a rough time. :sad1: However...what did he expect? Cleaning and working with trash is a basic aspect of any food service job, anywhere. If he enjoys his job otherwise, then I agree with your advice to wait a month, as he'll probably get more desirable responsibilities once he's there a little longer. If not, then he should follow FSUDisneyGirl's advice and change jobs! As long as he is persistent in talking to managers, College Program representatives, etc... he should be able to move relatively quickly and easily.

In any case, please let him know that self-termination should be an absolute last resort. What if he wants to apply to Disney (or ABC/ESPN/any other Disney-owned company) later in life? It won't make him look very good to say that he quit at his first Disney job because he didn't like cleaning out trash cans...

Hope everything works out! :pixiedust:

[mikmin]

Thats what we keep telling him, I think alot of it is that he is homesick and is looking for any reason to get on his parents last nerve and he is doing a good job of that, but when the rest of the family talkes to him he is completly different with us. And yes he is talking to his manager, etc. we keep telling him that this is a great oppertunity for him and it will get better. I only wish years ago when I was in college they had this program, I would have loved to take advantage of this.

[oh_sachi]

Do you have any say at all in the job you get? Can you request a certain job?

[Joanna71985]

Do you have any say at all in the job you get? Can you request a certain job?

Well, you can request your top roles and where you would like to be put. But other then that it is up to recruiting where you end up.

[dizprincess717]

"The recruiters will pitch the CP as a way to get into the company, climb the corporate ladder, etc etc. This is very, very far from the truth of the matter."

Actually... No, it's not. Sorry.

I did the CP from January-May '06 and I was lucky enough to work at Splash Mountain. While there, I befriended all of the managers and coordinators of Frontierland.

Three or four of the managers there started out on the CP, never left, and within 5 years they're managers, and one is a statused manager. Sounds like the CP really helped them, considering all of the other managers who were there put in more years than they did.

Also, 2 of the coordinators were also CPs. Since I left, one of them is now a manager at a different location, and this happened in less than 5 years as well.

So, 7 out of the 15ish or so managers and coordinators that I had the most contact with all started out as a CP only to work their way up faster than those who began as a regular CM.

I just thought that I'd share that info with everyone so they don't think that the recruiters are pitching something that's false. Maybe the OP didn't meet any managers who started out as CPs, but let me tell you - there are a TON of them!

[Elmo9607]

I know this thread is old as dirt, but it is still a helpful tool to those of us that are just finishing are programs...a way to evaluate our time here, if you will.

Some background on me: I did Spring 2011 in QSFB at Cosmic Ray's. Yup, one of THOSE people, lol. I had so many people give me sad looks at recruiting when I told them where I ended up. (I had NO idea what I was getting into at the time)

HOUSING
I lived in Patterson Court, which is NICE. It is the newest complex and as a result, the most expensive ($96/week for two bedroom) but I wouldnt have wanted to stay anywhere else. As far as roomates go, mine were totally "Meh"...I didn't really get along with one of them. It wasn't to the point where we were having screaming matches in the living room, but more of the "tension in the air" sort of thing. She is one of those people that came down here to party for 6 months and doesn't love Disney as the rest of us, so don't think that everyone who comes here does so because they can't wait to work here. I do almost everything by myself, as I have more fun hanging out with myself than I'd have with my roomies. Then again, I'm quite used to not having an enterouge.

TRANSPORTATION
I have my own car down here, and I've never taken the bus anywhere, so I can't comment on the bus issues. However, having a car is great. The worst thing about having a car down here is the traffic. You will encounter driving styles you've never seen before in your life. However, considering the fact that the majority of the drivers down here are not locals and a good bunch of them are foreigners, people do a pretty good job. There are multiple ways to get to work (I have three options to get to the MK) so if one way is clogged with traffic just take another.

WORKING
I have to agree with alot of the things OP said about management here. There are some good ones who want to help you out, but there are also some crappy ones who won't give you the time of day, and act as if the world is crumbling around them if you stop to ask them a question. Coordinators are the same way, most of them at Cosmic's are good but there is one who is HEAVY on favoritism and it's blatantly obvious even to the managers.

Be careful with call-outs. Although they say there are 3 points in 30 days, these also accumulate. There's 6 points in 90 days, and 9 in 180 days. Each of these will get a reprimand. There are THREE reprimands PRIOR to termination, not four. Termination will occur when the fourth reprimand is due. A 30 day period starts on the date of your first call in (say for example you call in March 22nd, your 30 days will end April 22nd) for the 90 days and 180 days, these will also carry over from the date of the first call in. There are various in-work situations that could cause these details to fluctuate a bit, but for the most part, things work as they are outlined here.

As far as the work itself, it depends on what you are doing. Some positions are very high in guest interaction, some are low. There are times when its so busy theres a line outside the restaurant just waiting to get in, and there are times when its so slow you can stand at the counter for two hours and wait on 20 people. It's easy to lose your mind in either of these situations. There are going to be times when the kitchen loses it's mind, and gets backed up, which literally causes everything in the restaurant to get backed up. There are angry guests, annoyed guests, happy guests, crabby guests, talkative guests, guests that don't know a word of English, guests from your hometown....basically every kind of person imaginable. I've gotten asked questions running the gamut from completely and utterly confusing to laughably ridiculous. Although you're doing to same job every day, it's the guests that make every day unique.

OVERALL
You NEED to go into this being completely and totally aware that you are at the bottom of the ladder, the lowest of the low, completely expendable, and there are probably going to be people there who already hate you before even meeting you. From there, tt is completely up to you to show to people that you are worthy of a job at Disney and make friendships and realize who the people worth bonding with are. YOU make this program fun or miserable for yourself, no one else needs or wants that responsibility. It can't be sunshine and rainbows all the time, and yes, honestly, there are some days it SUCKS to go to work, deal with crabby people all day, and do the same job I could do at home and get paid more for. Just get through those days, take it one day at a time, and know that you'll never be able to do anything like this ever again.

[dairylives]

Dear God...Once you see the lines at some of the places at the parks, it will make you want to quit lol. .

I had to laugh at this. Anyone that is intimidated by lines shouldn't be working in any service job, let alone at Disney World.

[slp1650]

Just an added note about Cp being required for PI. Even for the PI roles that do not require CP, about 85% of those hired for PI have done CP. If two people applied and one had A's and never did CP, and the other had B's and C's and participated in CP, they will take the former CP (hypothetical example!!!). They like to have someone that has worked for their company.

That's true, but anyone who hasn't been a CP, try not to be discouraged from applying!! A lot of the people that were around me, working as PI's (including myself) did not have CP experience! So it is possible!!

I will be doing a PI in just over a month and I have never done a CP. I wanted to, however my school (and especially my bio major) wouldn't accept it as credit and I didn't have the time to take it off. I also entered college as an athlete so I couldn't leave training.

While being an Alumni does help for a lot of roles, it doesn't mean the end of the world for others. I'll be going into the Conservation Education Internship at the Seas. A lot of animal PIs (not all but most) don't require being Alumni (although I'm sure it helps). However, they require lab time at your university or other pre-reqs like that. I happen to have had an internship for 3 years through college that probably helped me get the internship I did.

So, while Alumni is a huge help for management internships and what not, it's not the end of the world if you aren't an alumni.

[seashoreCM]

There is a pattern but actually a very legitimate business pattern.

1. Supervisor tells you to never give out a free mug / admit a late fastpass holder.
2. Guest asks you to.
3. You turn him down.
4. Guest goes to supervisor.
5. Supervisor comes over and hands him a free mug / lets him into the fastpass line.

It's called your being the first line screener and letting management handle more persistent guests on a case by case basis. But you may not handle it yourself on a case by case basis. Guests who took you word don't exactly go away happy but nobody goes away terribly unhappy.

[aznshents]

OP had a lot of cynicism here, and I agree that if I read this before I came to the CP I would have been freaking out about making the wrong decision.

Also, I want to continue with WDW after I graduate, low pay be damned, and after I read the OP about management sucking, my heart skipped a beat.

Guess what?

It's not true.

OP is probably just a disgrunted unfortunate worker who got shunted with bad managers and leads. My leads are all absolutely fantastic, but then again, Disney had just recently replaced them because the old ones weren't working.

Is it hard to get to management? From what I've heard? Yes. I know full-timers who have been trying to be leads for years. Is it impossible? No. Will your CP be miserable? Maybe. If you think it will be, it will be. If you are excited about it and get the most out of it as possible, then you will have a lot of fun, whether you want to continue with Disney or not.


...I just wish Disney paid more, lol

[mickeys#1fan]

Hi there everyone. Now that I have completed my college program, I thought I would take the time to outline the positives and the negatives of this program.

I was probably much like you are at this point in time. I was reading everything I could about the college program and was very excited to come to Disney for an experience of a life time.

I realize not everything I am going to say will apply to you. However, I think that people need a well rounded view of the college program as a whole, and not just the good, bad or ugly about it.

Im also aware that this is a Disney website and as such I do not expect many people to agree with what I have to say about this program, but I just want everyone interested in the CP to have a better variety of information that what is presently here.

Just to qualify, I've never been in the CP. I went to UCF in Orlando over 20 years ago, and I had many CM friends. What I say, I say from 25 years of working and living as an adult. Some of it will come off harsh, but it's reality as I see it. I think most other adults would see things this way, too.

================================

Apartment Complexes >>>> You will have a choice of 2 apartment complexes to choose from.

Vista Way --- I heard horror stories about all the wild parties and everything here before arriving. I am a pretty laid back person and not really into the party scene, so I wanted to choose Chatham. However, we didnt have a choice of what apartment complex to live in, so we stayed in Vista.

The apartments in Vista, compared to Chatham, are substandard to say the least. Vista seems to be a more sociable place due to the fact the apartment buildings hold more people and are closer together. After hearing all the stories about Vista, I was prepared to live in the jungle, however Vista wasnt bad at all. I got sick of all the grounds maintance going on everyday, but only because I work till 2 am. To wake up at 8 am every morning hearing weedeaters and lawnmowers gets old to say the least.

Chatham---- Much , much, much, much nicer apartment complex. Everything about this complex as far as living quarters goes is better. I didnt live there, but did visit quite a bit. Since I didnt live there, I cant offer alot of advice on this place, however it is 10x better than Vista as far as apartments go.

A few people down the thread said living space is great compared to on-campus living at school. I'll defer to them. I will say, I lived in plenty of apartment complexes during and after school in which I was awakened by landscape crews. It happens. At least there's management to complain to. If you own a home and your neighbor cuts his grass at 7 am on Saturday, it's between you and him - no referee. You also don't have a homeowner's association to bother you about what time you bring in your trashcans or the wattage of your outdoor lighting.

Transportation ---- Bring a car, Bring a car, Bring a car!! The bus system here sucks. If you ride the buses, most times you will need to leave somewhere around 1 hr in advance to be to work, and will get home 1 hour late. Having a car here makes life a ton easier. It takes me 10 minutes max to get to work in a car, but by bus would take me 1 hour.

Good advice. Sounds like a legitimate downside, but sometimes you just have to make sacrifices to do something you really want to do. It's part of being young and broke.


College program jobs -----

This is your biggest determining factor of wether you will like it here or not. Some jobs here flat out suck.

I dont remember the complete list of what you can do, but Ill mention the ones I remember.

Operations >>> This can be ANYTHING at all almost. You can work at one of the most popular rides at Disney which is Soarin, or you could be stuck out in a parking lot pointing to the next empty space for 10 hours a day. This is truly a hit or miss job. You could get a great position, or a horrible one. High turnover rate here.

Merchandise >>> Can be at any merchandise store at Disney. This includes all the shops in the resorts as well. Most people I talk to that are in merchandise dont mind it. However if you are at Downtown Disney, alot of nights you wont get home until 3 am or so. Not so high of a termination rate.

Quick Service >>> One of the worst jobs possible in many peoples opinions. Dear God...Once you see the lines at some of the places at the parks, it will make you want to quit lol. Once again, you can be anywhere. From food courts in the resorts, to the carts in the parks. Huge self termination rate in this job.

Custodial >>> Some people like freedom, and with custodial you are pretty much on your own. Looking at your schedule and seeing 10 hour shifts that say < restrooms > can be pretty saddening though. A lot of people quit this job as well.

Hospitality >>> You work at a front desk at the resorts. This seems to be the easiest of all the college program jobs and has the lowest turnover rate that I have seen here.

Unless the CP campus rep sprinkled a bunch of undue pixie dust on what the job experience would be like, all I have to say here is quit your whining. You're a kid. You have no experience. You have no skills. You have a year of college education at best. The only thing you've got that an employer (including Disney) wants is youthful energy and enthusiasm. You were expecting an office job with a key to the executive bathroom? Get real. The only thing you've got to sell an employer is your willingness to do scutwork like this and learn something from it. You will always start at the bottom unless you have an elite MBA and lots of connections. But given the date of your OP, I would bet you've already learned that. Ultimately, it's not about you being sold on them. It's about them being sold on you. That's life.

[tiki23]

) CP is running a register at a food court. He is told under no circumstances can he just give away a Beverage Mug ( the $12 ones that you can get at the resorts ) At the resorts they have all you can drink mugs that guests will say they lost and would like a free one. Cp is told due to limited supply and product losses, that he cant give them away for service recovery .

Guest comes in and tries to get a mug for free, my friend says he cant do that. Guest raises hell and draws attention to himself and his family. CP says he will go get his manager to help resolve the situation. Manager ( who is also PI again ) comes out to see if they can resolve the issue.

Well, issue is quite simple...give him a mug. Just how hard was that to come up with? What bright idea do you think the PI had?? You guessed it, just gave him a mug. SO here again...CP does what he is told and is wrong. PI comes out there and gives away something that CP cant give away, and is the guests savior once again.


Do you see where this is going?? Management at Disney is a complete joke. They tie your hands so much that you cant really participate in the "guest recovery phase" . They restrict you so that they look better. Any monkey can see how to handle many guest related issues, but as a CP you cant do anything.

It doesnt take a college degree in Hospitality or Food service to hand out free stuff. This is Disney's Managements answer to everything. As a CP, you look like a complete fool, and the managers look like they are hard core and able to handle any situation.

So while you are in the back getting talked to about not following the "Basics", management is in the back giving each high fives and congratulating themselves for a job well done on defusing the situation.

They have done absolutely nothing that you wouldn't have done.

Now is it making it clear why you should just go straight into a Professional Internship? As a prof intern ( esp in my field ) all you have to do is give stuff away! How amazing is that job?



Welcome to the real world! In most companies it is not up to general employees to make the decision to give away free stuff or make other decisions that may affect income. Your job is to serve customers, be nice, try to solve problems with a kind, sincere apology and if that doesn't work, call a manager so they can do their job - which may include giving away free stuff or just getting an earful from an irate customer.

[progroupie]

Um, that has nothing to do with being a CP, that has to do with being an entry level employee. Allowing all your employees to make decisions like that would result in chaos. I work in a clothing store. Sometimes when an item is damaged we take an extra 10% off. This is easy to do and I could do it on my own. However it has to be done by a manager. Why? Because they're a manager and they can't just let every employee go around taking 10% off everything because it has a dirt spot on it.

[searlproudbottom]

Hello All

This has been one of the most informative posts I have read in a long time. My daughters are planning to do the college program in a few years. I have a good idea that they will enjoy reading all of the treads here as much as I did. I think the original poster did a great job. It was also good that the flaming and drama was kept to a minimum. It made reading all of the treads much more enjoyable.

Thanks again for the good reading
Searl Proudbottom