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

[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