The Not-So-Great about DCP

[Frizzbird]

It is a distinct possibility that you won't go back home. I can't tell you how many people I know who didn't go back home. The only thing I can say about that is go into knowing what you want to do and stick with it. Have a plan. I knew going down there that I had a year of school left and I wanted to finish it at the school I spent the first 3 years at. So as much as I wanted to stay, I stuck to that plan. It also helps that I know I am going to go back in May after I graduate.

 

[reecetopher06]

Is Disney pretty easy to get hired onto full time after the program? Are there lots of positions available for CP's when their program gets over??

 

[mooqtie215]

I'm kinda suprised no one has mentioned the number 1 thing that annoys me the most about working at Disney..the point system. Whether you are 1 minute late to clock in or 1 hour 59 minutes, you recieve a half a point and it goes on your record. You also get a half a point for forgetting to clock out, which is the dumbest thing ever, I've done it once which I don't even remember (which is I guess why I "forgot") and they hold it against you. I wasn't trying to make extra money Disney, believe me.
And a minute late?! Sometimes there will be a group of people waiting to clock out/in in front of you, and that could be your minute that you get in trouble for. I don't understand the motivation to go to work a little late vs. and hour late when the "punishment" is the same. It's so frustrating! Also, they are more strict on CP's than regular full timers. If a CP calls out sick, that's 1 point. A full time employee has to call out 3x to recieve the same.
Its the same if you call/don't show. of course, its much nicer to call then just not show, but once again, there's no "award" for doing so. I say they need to make it .75 for calling in and a full point for a no call/no show.

Parking at Epcot is a disaster. There's not enough room, and as far as I know, there the only park that sometimes checks to see if you are working or not, otherwise you're not allowed to park in the cast lot. (I'm not sure how this is 100% fool-proof, you could easily lie and say you are changing into your costume if you were dressed in street clothes, but thats besides the point). I've literally drove around for 20 minutes, and then just parked in a tow away zone, or on the side where you're not really supposed to park.

sorry to write a book, its just something to keep in mind. you have to show up to work reallly early to make sure you clock in on time, where other jobs are much more lax.

 

[InPerfectClouds]

I'm kinda suprised no one has mentioned the number 1 thing that annoys me the most about working at Disney..the point system.

Oh, definitely. I'm in full agreement here!

Except, along these same lines, the most annoying thing to ME was the lack of information given about these points. They tell us how many points we can get before getting a reprimand, and how many reprimands we can get before being termed. However, I was told NOTHING about the fact that getting more than <a certain number of> points will affect your rehire status or ability to extend. My boyfriend almost had a Restricted Rehire because of points, though he was able to extend and far from being termed. Lots of people try to go back on the CP and find out when they get called for their phone interview that they have a Restricted Status, because of this reason.

Points affect a lot more than just whether or not you get a reprimand. I was just not made clear on everything regarding them, and I wish I had been.

 

[LadyDuchess]

I can't give you any CP-specific complaints, but just being a cast member in general...

~ People will treat you like the scum of the earth, their personal servant, the cause of their every complaint. To the occasional guest, YOU are the person who set ticket prices so high, who caused Cinderella to need a break before Little Joey got a picture, who convinced the weather to bring on a sudden downpour. Cast members hold a lot of responsibility - whether we're aware of it or not. >.< Expect that something like this WILL happen to you - and then let it roll off of your shoulders. You're going to be surrounded by guests who have been standing on their feet, in line, all day - in the 90 degree heat - and who paid a ton of money to do so. They're going to be cranky. Just remember that, and TRY to be understanding. For every terrible guest, you can find a dozen really great ones.

~ Parking at DAK is terrible. They DO run out of spots. Sometimes you will spend twenty minutes going up and down each row looking for one spot. Sometimes you will have to park in the grass. Sometimes you will have to park in guest parking.

~ Seniority. Every time you change your status (from full-time to part-time, part-time to seasonal, etc) you lose your seniority. And with it, the increase in pay. >.<

 

[rachaelfig]

I would like to second the whole DAK parking thing. It's way too small of a lot. During peak times, take the bus. Or risk getting sent to park in a grassy field behind Rainforest Cafe and being late.

 

[Frizzbird]

Oh the points. I didn't even think about that. My main frustration with points is that you get points for clocking in EARLY. You get .5 points for clocking early (or late I believe). You have a 15 min grace period in which you can clock in 15 mins early and clock out 15 mins after your scheduled shift time. The only reason I have the 1.5 points on my record card is because I clocked in early on 3 occasions. I came to work early on accident and I got penalized for it.

I can say I understand why. They don't want to pay you more than they have to. But it still is very very frustrating for getting penalized for trying to do the right thing and get to work early/on time. I was told by a manger that if you have to have points then that is the best type to have (clocking early) and it shows up as clocking early. But its still 1.5 points. grrrr

I also totally agree about not feeling educated enough about the point system. I even read the stupid section in the program guide you get and I didn't ever feel like I really understood it. I basically just knew to get to work on time and dont do anything stupid. And I had no idea about the restricted rehire stuff and that was definitely NOT in the program guide.

 

[PrincessBetsy]

My parents' biggest fear is that I won't come home after the DCP!! HAHA!!!!

That's my parent's fear as well! They know how much I love WDW and that I probably won't want to leave.

 

[DZMike]

what I really hated were those 13 hour shifts, weeks where you're working 50+ hours with only one day off, etc.

Ahh. Welcome to the real world, kid. I remember plenty of 70+ hr weeks, and no sleep because the baby was up all night crying. That's life. Might as well get used to it.

And, yes, I do remember what it was like to be a college student. It does make me chuckle, though. Enjoy it now.

LTC Mike

 

[ItsJustMeBro]

whats dcp?

 

[reecetopher06]

whats dcp?

The Disney College Program.....

 

[mysumi]

I can give you another bit of insight to that. I did the program several years back for fall semester. To make a long story short I'll give you the highlight reel, the wish I hads and the glad I dids.
Wish I had:

Saved more money before I went. After 9/11 they cut hour hours steeply and some weeks it was hard having money left over.

Check your insurance before you go! One or two trips to that dr. around the corner for strep throat cost me a small fortune that I didn't have at the time.

Opted for the 2 bedroom right off the bat. I didn't care for our roommates much at all the first time around and it was much easier dealing with three other people than it was five that liked to steal your food, your alcohol, or god only knows what else. OR they could decide to be really stupid and mess with things on the apt property, steal things or smoke pot, all things that could get all of you kicked out at the time. I actually hated having roommates but then I was used to practically living alone and loved that soooo what do you do. Take that with a grain of salt. You might enjoy having at least one box that you can lock though otherwise do NOT take anything valuable. While your roommates may be a bit more trustworthy because you know them, their friends, party goers and boyfriends may not be. You really have no idea who is actually in your room when you're not there either. No one has a lot of money so you know how that can go.

I know that can sound pretty negative and I'm not trying to make it that way but you will have plenty of good folks and then some really awful ones that make you wonder how they ever got accepted! lol You just have to be watchful.

Wish I had packed more winter clothes. Odd but true. I was surprised by a cold front that swept through early and all I had at the time were shorts. My mom shipped my sweaters to me asap but it was verrry chilly for a few days. lol

Wish I had gotten a flu shot or something before I went. All those foreign people made me sick, twice! Once in the fall and then terribly so in the spring. By foreigners I mean just being in close contact with SO many people from different states, countries, just all over. That's a lot for your immune system long term. Luckily I got used to it.

Wish I had brought something down to soothe me during the holidays. That was the first time I was ever away from my entire family for major holidays. It was HARD. You get lonely. And usually, you have to work. lol That part actually helped but we really did miss our families a lot. Our group banded together and made holiday meals, decorated our own trees together and did small gift exchanges which were really sweet but we all still missed our folks so there were some tears at times. My dh's family actually came down right after christmas to see him and I thought he was so lucky for that! We had a wonderful time and they started to adopt me then thankfully.

Wish I had a way to take advantage of all the crap people gave away or threw out when they had to go home. CPs bought all kinds of things for their apartments, light fixtures, dishes, stereos, tvs, everything. They were mostly little things but it was nice to have around while you were there. Many of them flew so they just ditched those things or gave them away when it was time to go home. If you stay for multiple programs you can end up with some neat things, you just have to have a way to cart it to your apt. lol Silly but true!

So on to the glad I dids:

Primarily glad that I went at all. It was a wonderful time and though we were mostly broke throughout it I would happily say it was one of the best times of my life. It certainly helped cement my love for Disney and my husband's love as well. We later got engaged there and vowed to have our wedding there and our families griped but they understood our reasoning. It truly became our happiest place on earth and it still is today. Sappy but so very true.

Took my own car!!! I drove down with all of my things and I gave it a try for three weeks of not driving around. I took the busses everywhere but the truth is after that I wanted to go out and explore orlando and the surrounding area as well. Our group of friends used to take off and do things all the time. We also ended up with full timer friends who lived off campus and we'd go visit them as well. So there was a lot more to do than the busses could accommodate. You can live without your own car but I'd much rather have one. Also, in the event of a hurricane or some other crazy event you can get the heck out. Just sayin!

Glad I took the 2 bedroom the second go around. To revisit the roommate thing, the second time was much better and we all had more space between us. It cost a bit more but it was much calmer and nicer that way and the rooms seemed to be a little bigger. At the time they were also newer but I imagine it's pretty old by now.

Glad I brought my own tv with my own vcr/dvd player. At the time, that was a hot commodity. It was nice to be able to go to my room and watch whatever I wanted, especially when I didn't feel well.

Glad I got out and socialized with so many people. We made friends all over and we still carry on some of those relationships today. Consequently I actually was fortunate enough to meet my future husband there. We had an amazing time and dated for the whole duration of the program. Most people who do it thought that was odd and used to make fun of us as old marrieds long before we ever were!

Glad we used the holiday booklet we were given which had specially priced coupons for meals and merchandise. That and the CM discount was awesome! I only wish I'd had more money to actually shop!

So glad we went out and explored basically every inch of Disney we could get to. I was able to show my DH every one of the resorts, we combed through all the rides, I can't count the hours we used to just hang out wandering through world showcase. We figured out then how to eat verrry cheaply too. lol It changed the way I vacation too. I used to be a total park commando but not anymore. After we were there for so long we truly got accustomed to our little routines and we revisit those happily year after year.

Oh! Also really really glad we did Candlelight. If you ever have the opportunity to do it, go for it. It's such an amazing experience and we got to sing with some really cool guest speakers there. My favorite was having Gary Sinise, he was great.

Anyway I hoped to keep this post shorter, sorry for rambling on so much. Believe me, there is a lot more I could go on about but these were some of the most important things and if it helps someone else then great. If not, I'm sorry for being so long winded!

 

[mysumi]

I had posted on the other part of the thread but it's so nice to see other people on who agree with most of the things I posted basically! It made me think about leaving again and I agree. Leaving Disney was one of the most heartbreaking things for me to do. Oddly the harder part was being there alone after my future DH had left. Imagine loving Disney so much by yourself and then having someone else come along and completely change that for you! I didn't think I could love it anymore than I did but experiencing it as a couple where you both really love and wanted the same things, that made it different. So when he left before I did I was just heartbroken. I felt like I had a hole in my chest! It was crazy! I went from being totally independent to being so sad. Soon after it came time for me to leave and I cried then too. My parents were amazed I came home at all but it just wasn't the same without my other half at that point. So I say keep that in mind too, you really can meet the love of your life there and it can break your heart or you find a way to be together after that! I'm so glad that we did.

 

[Kuromie]

Just a random question, how much of a difference in cost is there in the amount of roommates you have?

 

[CP-Chris MA]

Lots of helpful info here!! Thanks everyone

 

[TracyInWonderland]

Just a random question, how much of a difference in cost is there in the amount of roommates you have?

i was also wondering this.... heard the difference is only a few dollars... anyone know?

 

[Iris]

I LOVED this post...thank you so much for sharing.

I will have to second the part about medical insurance...my DD has already had strep throat and had to go to the urgent care...fortunately she had her ID for insurance and the Urgent care accepted our military insurance so she only had to pay for the medicine she received. Good advice!! I will have to make sure she goes and gets a flu shot as well.

I can give you another bit of insight to that. I did the program several years back for fall semester. To make a long story short I'll give you the highlight reel, the wish I hads and the glad I dids.
Wish I had:

Saved more money before I went. After 9/11 they cut hour hours steeply and some weeks it was hard having money left over.

Check your insurance before you go! One or two trips to that dr. around the corner for strep throat cost me a small fortune that I didn't have at the time.

Opted for the 2 bedroom right off the bat. I didn't care for our roommates much at all the first time around and it was much easier dealing with three other people than it was five that liked to steal your food, your alcohol, or god only knows what else. OR they could decide to be really stupid and mess with things on the apt property, steal things or smoke pot, all things that could get all of you kicked out at the time. I actually hated having roommates but then I was used to practically living alone and loved that soooo what do you do. Take that with a grain of salt. You might enjoy having at least one box that you can lock though otherwise do NOT take anything valuable. While your roommates may be a bit more trustworthy because you know them, their friends, party goers and boyfriends may not be. You really have no idea who is actually in your room when you're not there either. No one has a lot of money so you know how that can go.

I know that can sound pretty negative and I'm not trying to make it that way but you will have plenty of good folks and then some really awful ones that make you wonder how they ever got accepted! lol You just have to be watchful.

Wish I had packed more winter clothes. Odd but true. I was surprised by a cold front that swept through early and all I had at the time were shorts. My mom shipped my sweaters to me asap but it was verrry chilly for a few days. lol

Wish I had gotten a flu shot or something before I went. All those foreign people made me sick, twice! Once in the fall and then terribly so in the spring. By foreigners I mean just being in close contact with SO many people from different states, countries, just all over. That's a lot for your immune system long term. Luckily I got used to it.

Wish I had brought something down to soothe me during the holidays. That was the first time I was ever away from my entire family for major holidays. It was HARD. You get lonely. And usually, you have to work. lol That part actually helped but we really did miss our families a lot. Our group banded together and made holiday meals, decorated our own trees together and did small gift exchanges which were really sweet but we all still missed our folks so there were some tears at times. My dh's family actually came down right after christmas to see him and I thought he was so lucky for that! We had a wonderful time and they started to adopt me then thankfully.

Wish I had a way to take advantage of all the crap people gave away or threw out when they had to go home. CPs bought all kinds of things for their apartments, light fixtures, dishes, stereos, tvs, everything. They were mostly little things but it was nice to have around while you were there. Many of them flew so they just ditched those things or gave them away when it was time to go home. If you stay for multiple programs you can end up with some neat things, you just have to have a way to cart it to your apt. lol Silly but true!

So on to the glad I dids:

Primarily glad that I went at all. It was a wonderful time and though we were mostly broke throughout it I would happily say it was one of the best times of my life. It certainly helped cement my love for Disney and my husband's love as well. We later got engaged there and vowed to have our wedding there and our families griped but they understood our reasoning. It truly became our happiest place on earth and it still is today. Sappy but so very true.

Took my own car!!! I drove down with all of my things and I gave it a try for three weeks of not driving around. I took the busses everywhere but the truth is after that I wanted to go out and explore orlando and the surrounding area as well. Our group of friends used to take off and do things all the time. We also ended up with full timer friends who lived off campus and we'd go visit them as well. So there was a lot more to do than the busses could accommodate. You can live without your own car but I'd much rather have one. Also, in the event of a hurricane or some other crazy event you can get the heck out. Just sayin!

Glad I took the 2 bedroom the second go around. To revisit the roommate thing, the second time was much better and we all had more space between us. It cost a bit more but it was much calmer and nicer that way and the rooms seemed to be a little bigger. At the time they were also newer but I imagine it's pretty old by now.

Glad I brought my own tv with my own vcr/dvd player. At the time, that was a hot commodity. It was nice to be able to go to my room and watch whatever I wanted, especially when I didn't feel well.

Glad I got out and socialized with so many people. We made friends all over and we still carry on some of those relationships today. Consequently I actually was fortunate enough to meet my future husband there. We had an amazing time and dated for the whole duration of the program. Most people who do it thought that was odd and used to make fun of us as old marrieds long before we ever were!

Glad we used the holiday booklet we were given which had specially priced coupons for meals and merchandise. That and the CM discount was awesome! I only wish I'd had more money to actually shop!

So glad we went out and explored basically every inch of Disney we could get to. I was able to show my DH every one of the resorts, we combed through all the rides, I can't count the hours we used to just hang out wandering through world showcase. We figured out then how to eat verrry cheaply too. lol It changed the way I vacation too. I used to be a total park commando but not anymore. After we were there for so long we truly got accustomed to our little routines and we revisit those happily year after year.

Oh! Also really really glad we did Candlelight. If you ever have the opportunity to do it, go for it. It's such an amazing experience and we got to sing with some really cool guest speakers there. My favorite was having Gary Sinise, he was great.

Anyway I hoped to keep this post shorter, sorry for rambling on so much. Believe me, there is a lot more I could go on about but these were some of the most important things and if it helps someone else then great. If not, I'm sorry for being so long winded!

 

[vintageromance]

What position did you have that kept you working till 3 or 4 am?

I worked in the emporium on main street. It stays open an hour after park close (except emh) and then it's two hours to get the store ready for the next day. so if park closed at 1 we closed at 2 and were out at 4. Grad nights we were out at 6 lol

 

[NicoleRose]

Just a random question, how much of a difference in cost is there in the amount of roommates you have?

one and two bedroom apartments are generally ten dollars cheaper than three or four bedroom apartments. also, patterson is the most expensive followed by chatham then vista

 

[Kuromie]

one and two bedroom apartments are generally ten dollars cheaper than three or four bedroom apartments. also, patterson is the most expensive followed by chatham then vista

I though the more roommates you have the cheaper it is.....?