Experiences with Merchandise?

[disdude89]

Noticed there was one for QSFB so i figured i'd start one for Merch.... Just post all of you past experiences, good or bad, working in Merchandise.

IDK thought it would be cool to see how some of the past CP's liked it and what they thought. So yeah, go for it!

 

[AngiePants6]

My role during my College Program (Spring 2008), was in Merchandise in Tomorrowland (which includes-Mickey Star Traders, Merchant of Venus, the arcade/store next to Space Mountain, the photos at Buzz, and the various carts in Tomorrowland-Speedway, Pin Cart [my favorite], the two carts outside of Buzz Lightyear, and the Hat Cart near Space Mountain).

I lovvvveeeedddd it.

I had never worked a "retail" type job before my CP, and was always very hesistant to take on a job like that (I'm so not a sales person). But I never felt like that during my time there. Interaction with Guests is great...because the whole time that you're doing your transaction, you can chat and ask about their day (be prepared to be a walking, talking encyclopedia about Disney-guests ask the randomest questions, so its good to know your location/park).

 

[Damhsa04]

I was a Fall 2010 CP at World of Disney in Downtown Disney. I was scared at first to get such a big store but I loved every minute of it.

I could be working the registers one day, floor stocking the next, or up in the stock rooms another day. It was awesome and you learn the store quicker than you'd think.

Mainly my hours were night shifts, most common among the CPs. I was there til about 2 am at the latest. But also there are super early morning shifts for the stock rooms, 5 AM!! Those were not fun, but luckily I only had those a few times.

Merchandise is awesome, but if you get it and are not at WoD, don't tell guests the we have an item because we don't carry everything!!

 

[courtthib]

I will be starting my first CP in 14 days as a Merch cast member and I am really excited! I have been working as a clerk in a pharmacy for almost three years now, so I'm very comfortable with the retail environment. I'm curious as to how much different Disney is going to be (since I worked in a pharmacy, I had mostly sick/grouchy customers ). Also, does every merch CM rotate between indoor/outdoor shops or can you request one over the other? Thanks for the info!

 

[taigirl87]

I worked merchandise in Fantasyland in Fall of 2009. Like most merch locations, I worked in all the different shops and carts. My favorite shop was Tinks treasures/castle couture(RIP Tinks) and my favorite thing to be scheduled as was area stock(stocking and closing all the carts, and driving a pargo(sp?) around the tunnels!) Fantasyland was an amazing place to work! It's changing a lot though right now, so I am sure when the expansion is finished it'll be a much different experience from when I was there!

 

[courtthib]

I worked merchandise in Fantasyland in Fall of 2009. Like most merch locations, I worked in all the different shops and carts. My favorite shop was Tinks treasures/castle couture(RIP Tinks) and my favorite thing to be scheduled as was area stock(stocking and closing all the carts, and driving a pargo(sp?) around the tunnels!) Fantasyland was an amazing place to work! It's changing a lot though right now, so I am sure when the expansion is finished it'll be a much different experience from when I was there!

Oh I would LOVE to get Fantasyland! I'm so hoping to get some kind of princess store

 

[Joanna71985]

I did merchandise in 2005, working in Fantasyland. It was a lot of fun

 

[Damhsa04]

I will be starting my first CP in 14 days as a Merch cast member and I am really excited! I have been working as a clerk in a pharmacy for almost three years now, so I'm very comfortable with the retail environment. I'm curious as to how much different Disney is going to be (since I worked in a pharmacy, I had mostly sick/grouchy customers ). Also, does every merch CM rotate between indoor/outdoor shops or can you request one over the other? Thanks for the info!

Unless you're at the certain locations you're going to rotate between indoor and outdoor merch. I know World of Disney, Once Upon a Toy, MouseGear are all strictly indoor (Possibly many more as well). But mainly anywhere else you work there's also going to be an outdoor cart that you could be assigned too. But you're not there the entire shift. People rotate assignments.

Personally, when I worked at tomorrowland one day I loved working the pin cart. You get a lot of people watching done. (And ending my shift with Wishes wasn't bad either)

 

[Practically.Perfect]

The Emporium is all inside too. The offical name for the area is Main Street West and we are also in charge of Baby Care, which most people either love or hate.

At the emporium I either had register shifts or stock shifts. If it was a stock shift I was assigned an area (so like toys) and stocked it all day. We close an hour after the park closes and then it takes us two hours to clean and pretty up the store, so I would almost always close. You normally had another person in your area and you got a lot of freedom of what you were doing(could help guest without leaving a long line at a register) and you got to pick when you took your breaks, but you were doing the same thing all day.The good thing about being done so late is that most other CPs in MK go home at the same time and there is a huge crowd on the bus, but when we got out there were just a few other people on the bus.

If I had a register shift I rotated around like other people said. There were diferent positions so you aren't all register all day. one of our positions was door greeter and druing the summer you would rotate in and out of those position pretty fast so no one had to stand by the door for too long. Baby Care was another position you could get. so when you were there you just sold things like dipers to people who forgot then and clean up the area. It's also where they take lost guest so you have to help those kids too, but I liked baby care since it was quiet and a nice break from the busy of the Emporium(and there is a tv with disney movies on it)

 

[Jool-e]

I think I've read about people picking up extra shifts...how does that work? If you are in the merch role can you pick up a shift in any park or only the one you're assigned to?

 

[Joanna71985]

I think I've read about people picking up extra shifts...how does that work? If you are in the merch role can you pick up a shift in any park or only the one you're assigned to?

You can pick up merchandise shifts anywhere

 

[disdude89]

This is a shameless bump haha. I requested a role at The Emporium, a friend of mine who's doing the program said its great.

 

[xoSarah]

I worked in merchandise on my first CP in Spring 2009 in Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom. My costume was ridiculous and horrible, but everyone you work with is wearing it too so I got used to it. Merchandise is a lot of fun because there's so much guest interaction, so you definitely have to love talking to people.

The Emporium is crazy but alot of fun. I was deployed to other areas for a week or two at a time during my internship. While I was based in Liberty Square, I also worked in Tomorrowland, Emporium and Fantasyland! It's a bit of a challenge working in a different area because sometimes there are a few things you aren't used to but it's a great opportunity to learn about the other areas and meet more people.

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

Im excited to read more stories im doing CRP Merchandise at the Canada Pavillion starting July 26th

 

[bopnopper9]

My favorite part of Merch was getting deployed and/or picking up shifts in different parks and areas. I picked up a shift in each of the four parks during my program just for fun! And I was deployed to DHS for a while (I was originally EPCOT Future World West which includes The Seas, The Land, and Imagination).

I also got to take pictures of guests in front of a green screen in Imagination. It was awesome, because I learned how to use the cameras and we could make puzzles and edit the photos and everything. I LOVE it!

I also loved working the glow carts at night. I was so sad sometimes, though because the fireworks start at 9pm and that was when I always had to come in. I sometimes just wished I could stay out playing with the toys and watching the fireworks.

In short, the whole experience was AMAZING! Loved every minute! Mostly...:

 

[bkbee88]

I work merchandise at Downtown Disney on the Westside. I work D-street, Candy Cauldron and Disney Quest. At first i didnt like it because i really wanted to work in the parks, but i grew to love it at Downtown.

D-street: Its the big vinylmation store and while working there you're kinda force to know the vinylmations series, like the earlier series. The big thing right now is the freakin Star Wars vinylmations. We've been sold out for a good couple months but people still ask us if we have them, luckly were getting some in October, too far away for some people. We also have a pin cart. Merchandise is ok in this store, not many things to stock. I feel sorry for the World of Disney store because we all say "go to WOD, they have more stuff then we do"

Candy Cauldron: You kinda work with food, we have apples, cookies, fudge and whatnot. Most people love working this store because the hours fly by when were very busy.

Disney Quest emporium: Eh, its alright. We also work the gallery inside Disney Quest where you can buy your rollercoaster that you made.

In my opinion, Merchandise is fun but hard work in a way, especially in Disney World. Im always coming home to my roommate and telling her a story. I've worked retail before and this has to be my favorite retail job

 

[Woodskeeper]

I'm currently at Frontierland in MK and LOVE it! There are two parts of Frontierland: Upper and Lower.

Upper Frontierland - Trading Post, Big Al's, Prairie Outpost, Leather Treaty

Trading Post - MK's largest pin store. We're trading pins all day long, and eventually you become well versed in the different sets. This place is really fun because you get to talk with guests a lot about their favorite characters and which pins they're looking for. It's like a mini-treasure hunt every time!

Big Al's - One of our outdoor locations, this is where we sell the Toy guns. Though hot during the day, I love working this location at night. The Electric Light Parade passes by twice, you can see Wishes, and we get to merchantain the GLOW items like the String Things and Bubble Guns.

Prairie Outpost - This is the candy store in Frontierland, so we're food safety trained. The only food we make is cotton candy, other than that we get all our food from Main Street. It's fun because we get to make samples, but this store is probably the worst and hardest to clean. On a bad day, you could get stuck closing this store by yourself.

Leather Treaty - This is actually an outdoor extension of the Trading Post, but this is where you engrave the leather bracelets and keychains, so you learn to work the machine and add buttons and rivets. When the machine is working it's a great place, with lots of guest interaction, and lots of work to keep you busy.

Lower Frontierland - Briar Patch, Briar Cart, Splashdown Photos and Gifts

Briar Patch - One of the more fun stores, but it gets CROWDED when the rain comes. Guests line up and sit along the edges, and like any store with a plush wall, it can sometimes be a mess. In the evening (when most CPs work) it can be relaxing, with lots of items to merchantain and use to play with the guests.

Briar Cart - pretty much voted the worst Frontierland location. It's a small cart that's only open for the summer and only has bottles of water and squeeze breeze fans. You're also working with a cash apron for this one. The location gets REALLY crowded and can sometimes be overwhelming. You're also out there by yourself.

Splashdown - This is where you would buy your pictures from Splash Mtn, so we're photo trained and photopass trained. This location has the potential for a lot of down time (when the ride breaks down) but it's also really busy (so the time goes fast) when their are guests who want to buy their photos. Another location with this shop is Preview, which can get a little annoying sometimes if the ride is crowded.

Life's pretty dandy out on the ol' Frontier =D

 

[catfish278]

I worked at the Emporium in Magic Kingdom on my first program back in 2008 and it was fantastic! I got to see Spectromagic twice a night (most nights!) and hear Wishes every night Sometimes I saw the afternoon parade too! Oh, and I did work sometimes Hehehehe.

I actually kept a blog for my whole summer which details quite a lot about the role of merchandise if you follow the link in my signature and then the link for my 2008 blog on the right hand side

 

[chexie]

I'm Merchandise at Hollywood Studios for the Spring Advantage 2011. I work Right Block (also called Icon), meaning I work at the Sorcerers Hat, Pin Station, L.A Prop Warehouse, Celebrity 5 & 10, Head to Toe, Cover Story, The Darkroom, Oscar's/ Crossroads (stroller rental), and Package Pickup (if you asked to be trained there).

My Favorite:
1. Package Pickup- if you work in a merch location where you can be trained for this, definitely do it I get to drive a disney van all over the backstage areas of Hollywood Studios.

2.Sorcerers Hat & Pin Station- these are both pin places, so if get scheduled here you will only work at these two places for that day. But I love it cause you get to watch the citizens of hollywood, mulch sweat & shears and even disney channel rocks perform. working this area is also fast paced because your outside so theres always guests around.

3. Right Block (1. Cover Story, 2. Head to Toe, 3. Celebrity, 4. The Darkroom, 5. L.A Prop)- each store you can do different things so depending on which one you get says what your doing. like with cover story you work along side the photo pass photographers and ring up pictures, head to toe you work with sewing the ears and towels, celebrity the busiest store you stock, work registers etc.

4. Oscars/ Crossroads- I hated working this one cause they don't rotate you enough, they always put me as stacker/ unstacker or distribution and working that all the day for 8 hours gets boring.


Overal I love working right block because of the people, I've had so much fun with all the people there and tons of memories to take home with me.

 

[Practically.Perfect]

Leather Treaty - This is actually an outdoor extension of the Trading Post, but this is where you engrave the leather bracelets and keychains, so you learn to work the machine and add buttons and rivets. When the machine is working it's a great place, with lots of guest interaction, and lots of work to keep you busy.

we have a leather treaty in my location and it's my favorite position to be at, but I hate being there when the machine's not working.