Could someone explain what discounts you get in the CP??

[edk35]

I am just curious. I have heard that you get discounts on rooms and park tickets. We are DVC members but I am curious as to what kind of room discounts you can get if you get in the program. Our dd is applying for Fall semester 2011 and I am planning on visiting at least once while she is there. We are also eligible for the Military Park Passes so we usually gets those. However if there is a cast member deal.... I would love to hear of that. THANKS

 

[Dancera23]

Well for Fall students on the college program will get a holiday discount booklet effective November (typically), but those discounts may vary but are usually greater than the regular discounts. Also, starting November the parks get insanely busy due to the holidays, so its much harder to make room reservations/get into the parks.

Typically all College Program participants get 20% discount on merchandise, and 20% discount on select restaurant locations. They will also get 40% discount when booking a hotel, if they are not staying with the people in the hotel. If they are staying with their guests in the hotel they get 50% discount on the room rates. Also it's not always easy to find the hotel you want for the time you want using the employee reservation center for booking rooms. The college program participants also get a main gate pass that allows them to let up to 3 people in for a total of 6 days. This is a park hopper pass.

They can also get either 15% or 20% off purchasing park tickets for those they cannot get in on their maingate. They have to purchase them from Company D when arriving in Florida. However, I was told there is a limit to how many discounted tickets they can purchase as well. I'm not sure what this limit is.

These discounts are all subject to change at any time so its hard to say if they'll be exactly the same in Fall of 2011. However, it is what they are currently.

 

[Joanna71985]

Room discount is up to 50% off if the CM stays in the room, and up to 40% off if they don't (the friends/family discount).

As for tickets- the CM gets a Maingate which allows up to 3 guests into the parks on 6 different occasions (just be aware that if only 2 people come in one time, the third person does not carry over and is wasted). After the Maingate, the ticket discount is about 10%.

 

[disneyjesskaaa]

This year on the College Program, the discounts are normally:
1) 20% on merchandise as long as the cast member is paying for it.
2) 50% on room when the CM stays in the room and 40% when the CM doesn't.
3) CM receives a Maingate card which allows six separate days when 3 or less people can join the CM into the park for free. (note: if only 1 or 2 people join you, the 3rd person's ticket is not carried over and it is wasted) Cast Member MUST be with the guests to allow them into the park. This means they are not working at the time the guests come in, as you cannot simply escort them in during your break.
4) 10% off tickets when purchased ahead of time at Company D.
5) 10% on items in the Lego Imagination store.
6) 20% off full-service (sit down) meals in all of the parks and at DTD. When you use this discount, an 18% gratuity is automatically added.

During the holidays, which is from November through February:
1) CM will receive a booklet with extra discounts and a few freebies.
2) Waterpark admission for CM is free.
3) 60% on hotel if the CM stays in the room, 50% if CM does not.
4) Meal plan is discounted for the duration of the stay in the hotel (great deal btw, ask about it when booking because it is defiantly worth it)
5) 40% off merchandise from end of October until the day before Thanksgiving. 50% off merchandise from thanksgiving and on.

 

[Iris]

I am just curious. I have heard that you get discounts on rooms and park tickets. We are DVC members but I am curious as to what kind of room discounts you can get if you get in the program. Our dd is applying for Fall semester 2011 and I am planning on visiting at least once while she is there. We are also eligible for the Military Park Passes so we usually gets those. However if there is a cast member deal.... I would love to hear of that. THANKS

As others have mentioned, your DD will be able to admit up to 3 people in the parks 6 times during her stay for free. If she also happens to have friends visit, those days are used up quickly...lol.

As for the Military Salute Ticket, that is by far the best price for a 5 day hopper beating the CM discount tickets by a huge amount. DVC can also get a discount on annual passes so that may be something to consider as well if you plan on more than one visit. (we are also DVC and Military with a dd doing the program now). Even though the discount is good for the rooms, I prefer to stay in one of the DVC resorts as there is more room with more ammenities.

If you are interested in dining however, the CM rate is great and the cast discount for dining is well worth it. Since DVC never gets free dining, it is something to consider.

 

[edk35]

This year on the College Program, the discounts are normally:
1) 20% on merchandise as long as the cast member is paying for it.
2) 50% on room when the CM stays in the room and 40% when the CM doesn't.
3) CM receives a Maingate card which allows six separate days when 3 or less people can join the CM into the park for free. (note: if only 1 or 2 people join you, the 3rd person's ticket is not carried over and it is wasted) Cast Member MUST be with the guests to allow them into the park. This means they are not working at the time the guests come in, as you cannot simply escort them in during your break.
4) 10% off tickets when purchased ahead of time at Company D.
5) 10% on items in the Lego Imagination store.
6) 20% off full-service (sit down) meals in all of the parks and at DTD. When you use this discount, an 18% gratuity is automatically added.

During the holidays, which is from November through February:
1) CM will receive a booklet with extra discounts and a few freebies.
2) Waterpark admission for CM is free.
3) 60% on hotel if the CM stays in the room, 50% if CM does not.
4) Meal plan is discounted for the duration of the stay in the hotel (great deal btw, ask about it when booking because it is defiantly worth it)
5) 40% off merchandise from end of October until the day before Thanksgiving. 50% off merchandise from thanksgiving and on.

WOWWWWWWWWWWW That shopping discount is incredible.

 

[edk35]

As others have mentioned, your DD will be able to admit up to 3 people in the parks 6 times during her stay for free. If she also happens to have friends visit, those days are used up quickly...lol.

As for the Military Salute Ticket, that is by far the best price for a 5 day hopper beating the CM discount tickets by a huge amount. DVC can also get a discount on annual passes so that may be something to consider as well if you plan on more than one visit. (we are also DVC and Military with a dd doing the program now). Even though the discount is good for the rooms, I prefer to stay in one of the DVC resorts as there is more room with more ammenities.

If you are interested in dining however, the CM rate is great and the cast discount for dining is well worth it. Since DVC never gets free dining, it is something to consider.

So will she need to be staying in the DVC resort with us in order for us to get the dining deal? How does that work??? Is that for family too??

 

[disneyjesskaaa]

WOWWWWWWWWWWW That shopping discount is incredible.

yeah...it's their way of saying thank you to all the CM's for everything they've done in the year. I'm waiting until next week to get all of the expensive stuff.

 

[mickeyonasticky]

During the holidays, which is from November through February:
1) CM will receive a booklet with extra discounts and a few freebies.
2) Waterpark admission for CM is free.
3) 60% on hotel if the CM stays in the room, 50% if CM does not.
4) Meal plan is discounted for the duration of the stay in the hotel (great deal btw, ask about it when booking because it is defiantly worth it)
5) 40% off merchandise from end of October until the day before Thanksgiving. 50% off merchandise from thanksgiving and on.

So if my CP starts January 10th, I'll be able to receive 50% off merch through February as a Spring CPer?

 

[Frizzbird]

Yes you will get the Holiday discount. However I believe the 50% is only till the end of December and then it is back to 40% till Feb.

I just checked the HUB and the 50% discount runs from Nov 24th - Dec 23rd. Then it will switch back to 40% till Feb 16th.

 

[mickeyonasticky]

Yes you will get the Holiday discount. However I believe the 50% is only till the end of December and then it is back to 40% till Feb.

I just checked the HUB and the 50% discount runs from Nov 24th - Dec 23rd. Then it will switch back to 40% till Feb 16th.

Freaking awesome!! Thank you so much :]

...I'm buying a Dooney & Bourke bag for sure now!

 

[Iris]

So will she need to be staying in the DVC resort with us in order for us to get the dining deal? How does that work??? Is that for family too??

Sadly no, she cannot stay with you in a DVC resort and get the cast dining. She would have to make room reservations through the HUB in order to be eligible for the cast dining discount.

DVC members don't really seem to be entitled to much even though they have made a huge investment in the company. I wish they would at least offer some sort of DVC dining discount.

 

[EKU_Colonel_12]

What are the discounts for spring advantage program

 

[edk35]

Sadly no, she cannot stay with you in a DVC resort and get the cast dining. She would have to make room reservations through the HUB in order to be eligible for the cast dining discount.

DVC members don't really seem to be entitled to much even though they have made a huge investment in the company. I wish they would at least offer some sort of DVC dining discount.

How about if we stayed in a resort on cash and didn't use our DVC points? How would that work? Thanks

 

[Iris]

How about if we stayed in a resort on cash and didn't use our DVC points? How would that work? Thanks

If your DD makes the reservations through the internal HUB, and the discount dining for cast members is offered (I am not sure if this is something that is offered throughout the year or only during specific times), then your family could take advantage of the dining discount. She must be the one to make the reservations however, it cannot be done by anyone else in the family and she must also be included in the reservations.

We are visiting our daughter next month and before we were able to add an additional day and had to wait until a DVC room opened, we were going to have our daughter make a reservation for us for that one missing day using the cast discount (she would be staying with us). DVC did come through so we will be staying at SSR the entire stay.

And someone else can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that in order to receive the 20% off on full service dining, the castmember must make the reservation in advance through the HUB as well. Years ago when I was also a castmember, we could receive the discount by just presenting our ID when paying - that was before the online reservation system was ever implemented. Some people have still been able to receive the 20% off by just showing their cast ID but not all will honor it unless the cast reservation was made in advance. Again, this is what I have heard recently over on the cast member board and I am not 100% sure if this is correct.

 

[Glam Baby]

Do we have to use the free 6 days for up to 3 guests park tickets during our semester at Disney or can we use them a little after our semester ends? I was told they're good for up to a year after our semester ends but I thought I'd ask here to find out.

 

[NicoleRose]

if you stay seasonal with the company, you can use them after your program is over. but if not, you're no longer employed therefore your ID wont work

 

[Glam Baby]

What does staying seasonal with the company consist of exactly and how do I do it?

 

[Joanna71985]

What does staying seasonal with the company consist of exactly and how do I do it?

You have to work a certain amount of hours every year to stay seasonal. It varies by location, but at my ride it's 40 hours in a year. If you're on the CP, you would talk to a manager to go seasonal (however, it is possible to not be able to go seasonal afterwards).

 

[TinkerMouse]

It seems to me that the problem with going seasonal for a lot of people is having somewhere to stay near the parks in order to do those hours. Yes, seasonal means you have a job but if you have nowhere nearby to sleep/live so you can do that job you're really out of luck.