CP Alumni

[SmellsLikeJapan]

Hello!

Well I have I have couple of questions I want to ask CP Alumni.


What was your role? Did you like it?

What apartment did you stay at?

Did you let Disney pre-pick your roommate?

How many roommate do you suggest someone have?

What did you do for fun up in Orlando?

What would you do differently?


Thank you!

[mare07]

I did the CP Program in the Spring of '06 (Advantage)

My role was Resort Hopper. 3 months housekeeping and 3 months front desk at Fort Wilderness. A year and a half later I moved to Florida and worked full-time for a year. As a full-timer I worked Attractions in all of Dinoland and was a trainer.

I lived at Vista Way and had 5 roomies for a total of 6 (though altogether I probably had about 10, this is normal). In '06 they didn't have roommate matching which was fine with me. I got along with almost all of my roommates, but it wasn't always easy (though looking back those are the things we all laugh about now).

We did lots of fun things while in Orlando. I was 21 for the majority of my program, but wasn't 21 when I started so I stayed in a wellness apartment (the roomies and i got along, so it seemed more trouble than it was worth to move). You'll be amazed at the crazy ideas you and your roommates/friends come up with in the apartments at 2 in the morning (whether you're drunk or sober).
-Play in the Parks!
-Check out the water parks and mini golf
-Party at the crossroads (for us it was Jungle Jims, now it's Buffalo Wild Wings)
-Beach Trips, I went to Tampa and Cocoa, roomies got to Miami (I was stuck working) and Daytona
-Shady Flea Market on 192
-Movie hopped at the AMC Pleasure Island 24
-JELLYROLLS!!!!
-Walt Disney World Dining/Hoop Dee Doo Review
-Campfire Sing-A-Long at the Fort
-My roomie and I spent entirely too much time relaxing on the Polynesian beach, but it was close, free, had a bar, and views of Cinderella Castle
-Old Town SkyCoaster
-Walked around Celebration downtown
-Kennedy Space Center
-Downtown Orlando at night
-House of Blues on Sunday Night
-Sea World and Universal (and Universal's City Walk)
-ALE HOUSE (a classic cast member hang out)
-Barnes and Noble and Panera at Sand Lake
-Mall of Millenia/Florida Mall
-My best friend (former random CP roomie) and I created a list of things we wanted to do, saved our money and made sure we completed most of the list. Sometimes it was as simple as dinner at the Olive Garden and other times it was more extravagant like a trip to Kennedy, but if we wanted to do it, it made the list.

Hmm, what would I do different?
-Just hospitality/front desk rather than resort hopper. Actually, I would do attractions because I like working in the park, but I do enjoy having experiences in both worlds.
-Take more advantage of everything the program offered like taking more classes from DU. These are actually available to all CM's, but there are some great classes out there and they're free! I wish I had gotten to do the behind-the-scenes walking tour of either Great Movie or Haunted Mansion, but they're super hard to get into.
-Gotten to know my managers better (that's another reason I'd go with just the one role. I switched management crews halfway, and 3 months isn't enough time to really create a relationships with the managers)
-I went to the event planning panel and that was a great idea, I learned a lot
-I didn't call in very much and I think that was a good move as well. If you want to make Disney a career you shouldn't call in unless you are really sick or have a good reason (yes, a roomie road trip to the beach is a good reason)
-Part of me wishes I partied more (I did my fair share), but then I remember how tired I was while doing housekeeping and know I couldn't have partied more even if I wanted to. I did make up for it, however, when I did front desk. There's a lot more togetherness in front desk and attractions where everyone works together.
-Sometimes I wish I had done the program my senior year rather than my junior, but I know it wouldn't have worked otherwise. I am glad I waited until I was 21 because I was more ready and more mature to handle the program.

Some advice:
-Only apply for the roles you really want to do. The recruiters will pressure you to put more, but resist it.
-Just like college, the cp program is all about a balance between fun and work. Make sure you take time to explore the area and have fun, but go to work and do your job.
-Understand that at some point you will hate both Disney and the program. This is a full-time job where you are often doing hard, monotonous work. You will get through this and you'll forget all the crap when you leave.
-There are a lot of rules and Disney is strict. You'll have to feel out your managers, but they will notice if you do good work.
-Try to get to know as many people as possible. Don't like your roommates? You'll probably find friends at your work location or vice versa.

[epfootballcutie04]

What was your role? Did you like it?

Spring Advantage 09, hospitality at saratoga springs and old key west... and i LOVED it.

What apartment did you stay at?

Chatham Square 4 bedroom... 7 other roommates. it was fun!

Did you let Disney pre-pick your roommate?

I found someone on facebook that I wanted to room with before hand so we put each others information in for the notification program. I moved to a different apartment 3 months later. I had some issues come up. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do :-)

How many roommate do you suggest someone have?

It depends on your personality. Do you like people? Like to almost have someone home with you? If so... i'd pick a 3 or 4 bedroom. (they are also the cheapest). If you like the idea of being home a lot alone, or would rather it be more quiet in your apartment... pick a 1 bedroom

What did you do for fun up in Orlando?

My friends and I just went walking through downtown orlando to explore... at at a few different restaurants, etc.
Universal and islands of adventure...
There is a lot to do on I-Drive...
We mostly stuck around disney though because it was free.

What would you do differently?

I'm applying for another Cp for Fall 2010 and the only thing i want to happen differently is applying for a different role. I want to learn as much as i can about different roles. So I have some resort experience, now i want experience in the parks!

Check out my blog if you want to learn more about everything on the cp and what my experience was like in more detail :

http://crissadcp09.blogspot.com/

[Golden_Eagle426]

Here's my answers.

What was your role? Did you like it?
Spring 2007 - I had Quick Service Food and Beverage. I worked at Cosmic Ray's as a busser for 99.9% of the time. I think I got to work the counter for maybe 15 minutes total. haha I had my days were I truly enjoyed it and a few less magical days but otherwise I would say that it was a positive experience. It definitely helped me grow as a person. My hours were relatively consistent. For the 1st half of my program, I primarily worked the late/closing shifts. Towards the end of my program, I was lucky enough to not have to close anymore but instead worked the earlier shifts.

What apartment did you stay at?
I'd stayed at Vista way.

Did you let Disney pre-pick your roommate?
I didnt even know about pre-picking roomates during my program but still ended up rooming with a guy who was from a neighboring city. Completely random

How many roommate do you suggest someone have?
Depends on the individual but I had fun with the 7 or so other guys in my apartment. A couple of the guys end up leaving the program but the new replacements were just as cool.

What did you do for fun up in Orlando?
I went to the parks... ALOT. Usually on my off days- or if I happen to get off early. I went to Disney Quest once. I went to the beach with some friends at the time. I went to Universal once at the end of my program with a buddy. I also went to bars periodically.

What would you do differently?
I think I might have taken it for granted a bit. It also took me probably a month or so before I really opened myself up to it and started to have some real fun. I also feel that I let too many things "get into my head" and mess with me. Things that I should have just ignored. Other than that, I'd probably do things the same way.



Random notes:
-Disney is STRICT with their dress code/Disney Look- follow it
-A lot of the guest that you will meet will be super cool but a few left me scratching my head
-I learned that people watching is super fun!
-Wasn't crazy about the bus service but it did its job (carrying $150 dollars worth of groceries on the wrong bus is NOT fun though- just so you know :-) long story)
-Disney's attendance policy is no joke. Get to know it as soon as possible to save headaches later.
-Try to make at least one persons day - Best feeling in the world

[SmellsLikeJapan]

thanks! these are helping alot! keep them coming!

[smkohn]

I did the spring '09 program and I miss it every day
What was your role? Did you like it?
Epcot FW custodial! aka Custodian of the Future! Surprisingly I enjoyed it. The people I worked with were absolutely amazing, it was very relaxed, no checking out for breaks (which means staying in the breakrooms for like an hour without anybody knowing/caring ) and sure there was the cleaning but it wasn't anything hard.

What apartment did you stay at?
Chatham Square, with 7 other girls, room 27201

Did you let Disney pre-pick your roommate?
nope, signed up a little too late for that. I actually met a girl on my flight down who I ended up rooming with.

How many roommate do you suggest someone have?
depends on personal preference. I liked having a lot of roommates, better chance of getting along with at least one of them, and the bigger apartments weren't too bad either. The only problem was with fridge/freezer space but they fixed that during my program by putting a second fridge in all the 4 bedrooms.

What did you do for fun up in Orlando?
Didn't have a car so did a loooooot of free park hopping, ran around walmart with my roommates, walked to the outlet mall, hung out at DTD, went to Typhoon Lagoon every Tuesday...

What would you do differently?
I would bring a car so I could discover sea world, the beaches, universal/IOA, etc.

[Loves Disney]

I was an attractions cast member in the Magic Kingdom (Frontierland) on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad <3 I absolutely loved it with all my heart and would go back in a heart beat. I'm actually heading down this winter and hopefully picking up a few shifts on the mountain while I'm there.

I stayed in Chatham, building 7 I lived in a 4-bedroom so I had 7 other roommates. Fortunately, I got along with all of them and 5 of them I still consider very good friends - some even a couple of my best friends.

I let Disney pick my roommates. I wanted to just let things go as they may. I am very glad I did this because my roommates were/are amazing people who I'm glad are part of my life.

It depends what kind of person you are. I am a very social/out going person and I wanted a lot of roommates. Regardless of how many people you live with, you probably won't see them all at any given time. Work schedules will probably be very different amongst you. The 4-bedroom apartments are very large and I LOVED the space in mine. Everything about my apartment I loved. It was very fitting for me. In 4-bedroom apts you have 2.5 bathrooms. 4 girls/boys share a bathroom and then you have another half bath in the "hallway" of the apt. You won't have to worry about fridge space in the 4-bedrooms now because they did add a 2nd fridge. Know yourself. If you can get along with other people's living habits, I would definitely recommend trying to get more roommates. Like I said, it will probably be a rare event to see all roommates together at any given point.

There are so many things you can do in Orlando to list them all would take forever! Within Disney you obviously have the parks, resorts, boardwalk, and Downtown Disney. Outside of Disney there are other places such as Crossroads and other restaurants (depending on if you or someone you know has a car down there). I also took a trip over to Universal Studios with my roommates and that was a lot of fun. City Walk is fun also if you are over 21 years old. Other things that I did include a trip down to Tampa, Clearwater beach, and Cocoa Beach.

Something I regret is that I didn't take as many pictures. I wish I had taken more pictures and more videos. I also wish I had kept a journal with me. I wish I had gone to Sea World and Busch Gardens as well as explored Orlando a bit more.

[rcpromike]

I'm noticing a trend of people mentioning downtown Orlando. I am someone who loves big cities, especially their main downtown districts, so I'm interested in hearing from all of you what you liked specifically, if you can remember. Shopping, dining, parks, anything. Especially things that looked photogenic like different architectural structures, fountains, parks, etc. Also, things like parking tips would be very much appreciated. I know some downtowns have free curb parking after 5 or 6pm, is that the case in Orlando?

I'm not worried about Disney area info, as I'll figure out what I don't already know about that area in no time. Downtown on the other hand...I'm quick on learning my way around, but I need starting points.

[Sorahana]

What was your role? Did you like it?
I was in Attractions for both my CPs (Spring 08 @ Expedition Everest and Summer 09 at Test Track), I enjoyed it both times =).
I had the most fun at Test Track though.

What apartment did you stay at?
Chatham Square both times

Did you let Disney pre-pick your roommate?
Nope. I made arrangements with one person beforehand my first program, and my whole apartment for the summer program!

How many roommate do you suggest someone have?
I liked having 5 both times because there was always someone to hang out with.

What did you do for fun up in Orlando?
Spring 08: Seaworld, Universal, went to the mall in Orlando, park hopped, water parks, Downtown Disney
Summer 09: Park hopped, Daytona Beach, swimming, Downtown Disney, took ferry boat to Port Orleans for taco salads

What would you do differently?
I would have tried to go to more area attractions I didn't go to (Aquatica, Busch Gardens, Wet N Wild), go to more housing events.

[Amber Leigh]

I was Fall Advantage 08 and extended through Spring 09

What was your role? Did you like it?
My role was/is Character Attendant (went seasonal) and I love it. It's a PERFECT fit for me since my degree is in Theatre Arts with my real focus in Children's Theatre. Being an attendant is like working in a Children's Theater production every day.

What apartment did you stay at?
I wanted space and I wanted some peace and quiet. So I was in Chatham building 26 (WAAAAY in the back) then moved to building 23 in my extension. We inherited SO many things in that second apartment! It was like Christmas morning when we opened the cabinets and found extra silverware and coffee mugs, pans and tupperware.

Did you let Disney pre-pick your roommate?
I did do the roomate match when I first got there and won really big. We got along great! Had no choice over my roomies for the extention. It was just whoever extended got randomly placed for the most part.

How many roommate do you suggest someone have?
Personally, I like it with the two bedroom, 4 people, but to each his own. It's a bit more, but it's like a happy medium. With only one other person it could be the best time or you could hate one another and be such with no one else to talk to and just, frustration. On the other end of the spectrum, there are not so many people you are struggling just to find space for your stuff. Especially in the kitchen. I mean, 8 people in one refrigerator? You'd have to go shopping twice a week for food! We struggled with 4 in the second apartment cus we all were big on cooking from scratch so there was lots of fresh foods in that sucker.

What did you do for fun up in Orlando?
I was not a club person so I never did the nights out at Roxy. I also didn't have a car so... if I wasn't working I was just relaxing at home with the high speed internet or at the parks.

What would you do differently?
Hung out a bit more with my friends. I mean, we did, but not as much as I wish. I also would have done to PI before it had closed down if I would turn back time and correct that mistake.

[Scully12]

What was your role? Did you like it?

The Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios!! I loved it (though sometimes more than other haha. work drama.) It was such a great experience and a great place to work.

What apartment did you stay at? I was in a 3 bedroom in Chatham (so 5 other people).

Did you let Disney pre-pick your roommate?
No, I think that was new when I was starting and it wasn't really working. I had tried but never got matched up. I'm glad I didn't though. I ended up with a few good people and some crazies but it made it a fun experience

How many roommate do you suggest someone have?
I think 6 people was a great size. There were enough people that the odds of becoming friends with atleast one of them was pretty good. And the apartment was a nice size so it never felt crowded. I can't imagine living in an 8 person...I don't know where you'd put your food in the fridge! Ours was barely big enough for 6 people.

What did you do for fun up in Orlando?
Besides Disney I went to Seaworld, Coco Beach, and Bennigans/Chiles. That's pretty much it haha. I started dating my boyfriend down there and we've been together for almost 2 years now That counts as fun. We'd go to the parks a looot because it was free and we didn't get paid much so free was the key word.

What would you do differently?
I wish I had auditioned for Character (I wasn't able to make it to the audition) but other than that I wouldn't change a thing. I had an amazing time, did some stupid things, did some awesome things, and I don't think I'd take back a single piece of it. It's all a part of my experience.

[MissRiss89]

What was your role? Did you like it?
I'm a character attendant (I'm seasonal now.) I do really love it, but in my opinion, is an extremely difficult job. I had a lot of trouble for my first month or so out of training and was completely miserable. After time though, I grew to really love everyone I worked with and the job itself. There's nothing like seeing a baby meeting Pooh for the first time or a little boy grabbing your hand and making you walk up with him to meet Pluto!

What apartment did you stay at?
Chatham Square! Building 11

Did you let Disney pre-pick your roommate?
My best friend actually did the program with me, and we decided to live together after a long couple of months debating on whether it would be a bad idea or not. It turned out perfectly, since our schedules were so different anyway we barely saw each other, and my other roommates became my best friends anyway!

How many roommate do you suggest someone have?
It's really up to you. I lived in a 3 bedroom, so I had 5 roommates.. there was 6 of us altogether. I really don't think I would have been able to handle living with any more people than that. We got along perfectly the first few months, slowly had some drama, and by the end of the program, there was a lot of tension between some of us. I don't regret living with 5 roommates because I liked always having at least one person around. It's really up to your own personality to figure out how many roommates you want.

What did you do for fun up in Orlando?
Mostly hung out in the parks (it's free!) Besides that, went to Universal and City Walk (went to a whole bunch of concerts at Universal for Mardi Gras,) Cocoa Beach, lots of restaurants, lots of concerts, went to the outlets and Mall of Millenia, lots of spontaneous Walmart trips. I didn't have a car so there wasn't much to do besides go to Disney parks when no one was around without a car.

What would you do differently?
I'm not sure. Maybe be more open to trying new things? I regret not really meeting that many close friends at work, but that was out of my control because there weren't a lot of CP's in my location. Though I loved everyone I worked with, I wish I could've made friends with more CP's. I also wish I got to know my managers better.

[CTKris10]

What was your role? Did you like it?
I did my program Spring 2007. I was in Merchandise in the Magic Kingdom (the Emporium) but was also deployed to MK Strollers, MK Glow and Adventureland Merchandise. I LOVED it! Merchandise gives you the opportunity to meet a lot of people and make a lot of magic.

What apartment did you stay at?
Chatham Sqaure Building 26
When I was there Patterson did not exist, so Chatham was considered quiet yet luxurious and Vista was party central. I loved living there: it was clean, quiet and you could always find something to do if you looked hard enough!

Did you let Disney pre-pick your roommate?
I actually met two girls on facebook and we met at Vista, checked-in together and requested to be roomies. I know the process has changed since then, but I would recommend choosing roommates before you go down. This gives you the opportunity to meet people with the same interests as you. My roomies live in Ohio and Virginia and we still get together yearly to reunite/vacation.

How many roommate do you suggest someone have?
I was in a 2 room apt in Chatham (4 person apt). It really depends on your preferences. The more roommates you have, the greater chance there will be that you will have someone you get along with- but that also means there could be more people you don't get along with.

What did you do for fun up in Orlando?
Back in my days we had Pleasure Island/The Adventurers Club/Comedy Warehouse, so there was more of a night scene on property. There are a lot of fun places to visit on I-Drive. Definitely be sure to drive to Cocoa Beach and watch the sunrise!
My favorite places to eat were Buffalo Wild Wings and Steak n Shake



What would you do differently?
Brought my car!! While the buses bring you to the grocery store, work, etc. it is SO much more efficient to have a car. I was lucky to have two great roommates that would share their cars.
Also, I regret not getting more involved in the housing events like grocery bingo and the dances.

[OilSlinger822]

What was your role? Did you like it?
I was a Fairy Godmother in Training at BBB and...I LOVED IT! haha... it got pretty stressful some days and you have to stay in character as a fairy the whole time, but so so so so much fun working with the kids

What apartment did you stay at?
Vista Way. It's not bad like everyone makes it to be. I didn't party down there (even tho i do sometimes at school) and had no problems with noise most of the time. But we were the apt by the bus stop soooo that got pretty annoying 4am sometimes lol

Did you let Disney pre-pick your roommate?
no, but i met a girl online and we stood in line together for housing..she was over 21 so she requested to be in wellness apts with me and then i requested her so it worked out

How many roommate do you suggest someone have?
god. just a 1 or 2 bedroom...can you say hormones??

What did you do for fun up in Orlando?
everything. really....everything lol...everyone else's response

What would you do differently?
if ur tired..ignore it. go out! experience everything possible b/c sometimes i stayed in and now i wished i had done a lot more..u'll miss it so much when ur gone (even tho u'll complain about it there lol)

[Berlioz70]

What was your role? Did you like it?

I was a character performer and loved it. I was unable to secure full time employment after my program so I transferred to another department and just auditioned again recently and made the pool.

What apartment did you stay at?

I lived in Patterson, we were the first ones in our apartment. It was a great layout, but I would say each apartment has it's pros and cons. Patterson is the newest, Chatham is the largest (in the apartments) and Vista has the best location.

Did you let Disney pre-pick your roommate?

I found my roommate on the DISBoards and it worked out great for us. We still keep in contact, which is easy since we both still work for the mouse. My other roommates were random, but they've all come to visit me in the last 6 months so I still keep in touch with them as well.

How many roommate do you suggest someone have?

4-6. I liked that there were six of us because someone was always around, but it was never super busy. The fridge was a major battle ground though, we never had any room.

What did you do for fun up in Orlando?

Disney! Check out this blog entry to tips and ideas on things you can do on your program:http://brennailya.livejournal.com/?skip=20#25692

What would you do differently?

I might go with a different role. While I loved performer, I regret not doing attractions. Attractions is a lower paying role so it's not something I can afford to transfer into, whereas performer is kind of like moving up so it's something you can always do after your program.