College Program Questions Thread Pt 2

[SweaterInJune]

Hey guys, I'm applying for the WDWCP Summer 09... but I'm from the UK! Are there any other Internationals out there?! I've been to WDW three times but I've only ever seen English people at Epcot... I hope you guys don't hate me *** I'm British... I'm nice, honest! x

Welcome! Let us know how the application process goes. I'm not an international (I am now--working in Germany), but not at WDW. Anyhow, I'll be back there starting in January, so if you get in, I'd love to meet you. I had a lot of International friends on my CP (Mostly from the UK and Norway). My Norwegian friends will all be back next summer so that's exciting.

I, personally, love England... I've been there a few times. Still remember my way around London from my first trip--which is no easy feat. I love having friends all over the world, from my CP and from being a professional magician. I'm always happy to add more

Also, as I'm international I've got to apply with a CV/resume. Anyone got any tips on what they're looking for?

Generally, just your work experience (especially guest service jobs). In your letter, just express why you're interested in doing the program and what you hope to get from it. Be sure to show that you're excited about Disney. Do you hope to work in the pavilion at Epcot or somewhere else? If the pavilion, say something which reinforces wanting to expose others to your culture. I can ask any specific questions you may have to my Norwegian or British friends who have done the ICP, so let me know...

Anyhow, exciting...you'll love it!

 

[InventorsDaughter]

Thanks for the advice! I guess my only real question at the minute is will being a CP ruin the magic?

I'm soooo excited about applying, I'm not going for the Epcot World Showcase though because, to be honest, I think I have a better chance just applying for the summer work experience.

I can't wait though!

Ooh, I do have one question for previous internationals: How soon after submitting your resume were you contacted??

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[MarinaAndCharlie]

They used to offer you the option as part of your hire paperwork, though it seems pretty universal now: you will get your school, at least to start. Having said that, you can purchase another nametag at costuming for $5 (directly deducted from your paycheck) with your hometown if you'd like... for instance:

All you need to do is ask!

Thanks Chris! If you purchase another name tag, are you penalized or looked down on for any reason by management? Also, do you wear both name tags at the same time or are you supposed to pick one? I figure mine would be redundant being "Austin Community College" "Austin, TX" but if there's the off chance that I could put my new University, Its in Dallas so I'd like to have both Dallas and Austin to talk about.

 

[Seewhatimesdone]

Thanks Chris! If you purchase another name tag, are you penalized or looked down on for any reason by management? Also, do you wear both name tags at the same time or are you supposed to pick one? I figure mine would be redundant being "Austin Community College" "Austin, TX" but if there's the off chance that I could put my new University, Its in Dallas so I'd like to have both Dallas and Austin to talk about.

Oooh you're from Austin? I love it there! I like Dallas a lot too. A few years ago I lived in Houston. I hated it there but it was a good experience XD

 

[SweaterInJune]

Thanks Chris! If you purchase another name tag, are you penalized or looked down on for any reason by management? Also, do you wear both name tags at the same time or are you supposed to pick one? I figure mine would be redundant being "Austin Community College" "Austin, TX" but if there's the off chance that I could put my new University, Its in Dallas so I'd like to have both Dallas and Austin to talk about.

You only wear one at a time... You'd look pretty silly w/ 2 tags on. No they don't put it on your record if you get a new tag... Just don't make a habit of getting a new one all the time. That wouldn't look very responsible.

Oooh you're from Austin? I love it there! I like Dallas a lot too. A few years ago I lived in Houston. I hated it there but it was a good experience XD

I was born in Brenham(outside of Houston). I have tons of family & friends in and around Houston. In 2005, I worked for the Texas Shakespeare Festival which is in residence every year at Kilgore College (near Longview). And there you have it folks, I've lived in the smallest towns of east Texas...hahaha...

I love TX! Once a Texan, always a Texan... I mostly grew up near Chicago though, aside from my first few years in TX and GA.

 

[Seewhatimesdone]

I was born in Brenham(outside of Houston). I have tons of family & friends in and around Houston. In 2005, I worked for the Texas Shakespeare Festival which is in residence every year at Kilgore College (near Longview). And there you have it folks, I've lived in the smallest towns of east Texas...hahaha...

I love TX! Once a Texan, always a Texan... I mostly grew up near Chicago though, aside from my first few years in TX and GA.

Haha i'm from Seattle so when I lived there I was like 0_0 It was just so different from home. But the best friends i've ever had live there. It's like everyone that grows up in Houston loves it but people that move there don't like it XD It's wierd like that. It's like you said with the whole Texas pride thing haha. I've always wanted to go to Chicago being a huge jazz enthusiast

 

[MarinaAndCharlie]

Oooh you're from Austin? I love it there! I like Dallas a lot too. A few years ago I lived in Houston. I hated it there but it was a good experience XD

I was born in Houston then moved to Austin shortly after. I love Austin, but I'm excited to move to Dallas after my CP to go to the University of North Texas in Denton, just north of Dallas. Austin is amazing but I feel its so chill that its made me lazy. haha. I definitely plan to come back after college though. If you ever want to visit Austin again, I'd be glad to show you around! Hooray Texas! haha

 

[Joanna71985]

I'm waiting for my acceptance letter.

On the letter will it say what role I am? I know that it won't have any specifics on there, but will it at least tell me the general role? Or do they make me wait in agony til I get to WDW?

Have a magical day.

Yes, the letter will have the role in it.

I see you guys talking about extending, and I have a question. I plan on doing Fall '09 - August 2009 through January 2010. If I want to extend, when would I be able to extend to, and what would that portion of my program be called?

If you were on Fall 09, and wanted to extend, you would be there til May 2010. The info to extend would come out about a month before the end of your current program.

Can you go from Spring to Fall without signing up for Spring Advantage or would you have to sign up for Spring Advantage to go to Fall?

Do you mean by extending? Because you can do Spring and extend, without having to do Advantage.

Does anyone know if you can room with someone in the Spring program if you are in the Spring Advantage program?

Most likely not. They put people together from check-in dates.

As far as extending goes, i would like to find out more about that, too. My question is how many times can you extend? For instance, I applied for Spring Advantage and i want to extend through the fall... but say that i got accepted for regular spring: Could I extend for Spring Advantage AND extend again for the Fall?

You can be in FL up to a year before having to leave. So you could be there Jan-Jan, May-May, ect.

Is it a difficult process to apply for an extension? I'd really like to extend into the fall.

Nope, it's not. Just make sure your record card is clean, and it shouldn't be a problem.

The only character performer roles i've heard of are the "friends of" roles. Can you be anything else?

No. You can do performing in parades (if chosen), but CPs can't do equity.

They let you keep them? I thought you had to return them when you leave the program.

Yep, you can keep them.

 

[SweaterInJune]

No. You can do performing in parades (if chosen), but CPs can't do equity.

Hmmm....I had never thought about that before!!! I was about to say, but what if you are already Equity...but clearly not because they would never pay a CP Equity wages, or hours...haha. So, yeah, if you're already Equity...odds are that Entertainment would be out for your CP (you'd likely be breaking your Equity contract if you worked non-Equity).

 

[Seewhatimesdone]

I'm sorry but i'm totally lost about "equity" XD

 

[Joanna71985]

Hmmm....I had never thought about that before!!! I was about to say, but what if you are already Equity...but clearly not because they would never pay a CP Equity wages, or hours...haha. So, yeah, if you're already Equity...odds are that Entertainment would be out for your CP (you'd likely be breaking your Equity contract if you worked non-Equity).

If you were Equity, you would not be able to do the CP (since you have to be FT, and not sure about PT). And CPs are not allowed to be in Equity (they would have to audition after their CP ended).

I'm sorry but i'm totally lost about "equity" XD

It's a union group for entertainment. Equity covers the singing roles, dancing roles, ect. Roles like all the roles in Finding Nemo, the 4 leads in FotLK, the Tumble Monkeys, the dancers/Gaston/Belle in BatB, and so on.

 

[SweaterInJune]

If you were Equity, you would not be able to do the CP (since you have to be FT, and not sure about PT). And CPs are not allowed to be in Equity (they would have to audition after their CP ended).

Well, you could do the CP...just not as a performer(or any other role that would break your Equity agreement)--AEA members do have to put food on the table when they aren't acting. Of course, I doubt anyone who is Equity would be going after CP jobs for the most part. Especially when they can audition for the shows and make more than double the pay, if cast...

I've had several friends who were Equity cast into WDW shows...and several who earned their Equity there...

It makes perfect sense--I just had never given this any thought. It's a good point though!

 

[Seewhatimesdone]

So what does Equity ensure? If CPs can't have equity that gives me a feeling we're going to be underpaid XD

 

[daniam2188]

So what does Equity ensure? If CPs can't have equity that gives me a feeling we're going to be underpaid XD

Actors Equity is a labor union for professional actors/singers/dancers. Essentially it ensures that performers in professional theater get paid as much as they should and are legally represented as they should be. It works in the same way that any other labor union works in the us.

For more in depth info search Actors Equity in google (it won't let me post the link because this is my first post...) and their homepage will come up.

P.S. Hi! I've been lurking for a while and I've never seen this question fully answered, so I thought I would clear it up. I'm applying for this coming Spring

 

[Seewhatimesdone]

Actors Equity is a labor union for professional actors/singers/dancers. Essentially it ensures that performers in professional theater get paid as much as they should and are legally represented as they should be. It works in the same way that any other labor union works in the us.

For more in depth info search Actors Equity in google (it won't let me post the link because this is my first post...) and their homepage will come up.

P.S. Hi! I've been lurking for a while and I've never seen this question fully answered, so I thought I would clear it up. I'm applying for this coming Spring

Welcome! Thanks for the info. That makes me wary that CPs can't be involved in the union XD I guess we really are going to be worked underpaid and overworked. Oh well

 

[deadtoaster2]

Welcome! Thanks for the info. That makes me wary that CPs can't be involved in the union XD I guess we really are going to be worked underpaid and overworked. Oh well

If I am not mistaken CM's working in Attractions also have a union. Probably because of the liability I would imagine. That might just be at the DLR, not sure about WDW but it's probably the same.

 

[Seewhatimesdone]

If I am not mistaken CM's working in Attractions also have a union. Probably because of the liability I would imagine. That might just be at the DLR, not sure about WDW but it's probably the same.

Yes but CPs wouldn't be allowed to be part of it

 

[SweaterInJune]

Remember folks...the CP is an internship, not a job...therfore, no union. The pay isn't great, but MANY internships don't pay at all...

Also...I've never made a higher per-hour wage (I'm not talking salaried work--I do also work in the entertainment industry...of course if I broke that down per actual hour involved--I still migh be right) than when I worked at WDW on my CP...

Really explains how the US government values a college education, no? I graduated with high distinction and have always been in the top % of my class. I'm outgoing, friendly, and an extremely hard worker. Every time I seem to go for a job with a decent almost-livable wage I'm either told that I have too much experience (to be a bank teller?! Seriously...? Seriously.) -OR- too inexperienced (to be a secretary!!! again...SERIOUSLY?! WT*...?!)

So I've held just about EVERY guest service job out there...haha. I figure that if I'm going to be broke, than I'm going to work somewhere I enjoy living and working.

Honestly though, I've never seen a minimum wage that's anywhere near a livable wage. I don't know how people raise a family. The only time I was doing really well financiallys was when I held 5 P/T jobs--(that's right!) and went to school F/T(as a theatre design major--extra time outside of class involved beyond anything you can imagine, if you haven't done it)!

Eventually, I cut that down to 3... One of the jobs, delivering pizzas, I still made a good amount at, because I got min. wage($5.15/hr + great tips!+ gas premium).

And, as I've said the entertainment industry (I'm a professional magician) can be paid extremely well!

Anyhow,...in agreement. You will be overworked and underpaid. I'm used to working hard so I barely noticed the overworked part. It also helped that I worked in DAK. The rent you pay will add up to less than you would individually pay, per person, anywhere else in the area for everything that's included--although getting that from ALL roomies seems a bit high. Then again with energy costs, utilities, etc. it's really not that bad. If I could live in those apartments at those rates when I move back...I would. It would take a LOAD of pressure off!

At the end of the day: learn to budget before you go! If so, you'll be fine. Make a list of everything you must pay for each month and break it down. Then you can make a daily/weekly "fun" budget. Stick to it! You get into the parks for free--it's not hard to find something to do if you're bored... If you do this successfully, you won't sink. I was still afloat when I got home! I was about to let go (a la Jack in Titanic), but I actually didn't. You won't either. Just be smart

(FYI-- $180 salon sessions(to only get your hair dyed ) is entirely out of the question on a CP budget! Yes, I had a roomie who did this! She believed she was a southern socialite destined for pure stardom in the music industry. Well, needless her uber-rich daddy heard about this, cut her allowance off, and told her she was on her own!) The best part? She was a fur--enough said.)

Sorry for the long, winded post. I was on a roll. I hear so much negativity towards the pay and how it's so hard to live off of...3/4 of my original roomies did more than fine--4/4 (once "Barbie" was replaced, did great! One roomie even paid off a HUGE credit card debt down there --AMAZING budgeting on her part). It isn't great, but it's far from impossible.

 

[Jimmy89]

Remember folks...the CP is an internship, not a job...therfore, no union. The pay isn't great, but MANY internships don't pay at all...

...AMAZING budgeting on her part). It isn't great, but it's far from impossible.

This was really reassuring. I've been so worried about my money situation when I do my CP. I'm hoping to do the CP at the DLR, but i'm sure its similar as far as the pay scale and the rent and stuff. thanks very much

 

[deadtoaster2]

This was really reassuring. I've been so worried about my money situation when I do my CP. I'm hoping to do the CP at the DLR, but i'm sure its similar as far as the pay scale and the rent and stuff. thanks very much

The pay is quite a bit higher at DLR, (around $9-10ish depending on job I think) but then again the cost of living in California is also much higher as is the weekly rent. Rent at the DLR is 159 a week. It's somewhere around half that at WDW if I am not mistaken.

It will all work out, in all honesty that is the least of my concerns as I am really good at sticking to a budget. I figured that when I go down I will only use what startup money I need to get set up with food and supplies, etc. and then I will have all of my checks deposited into my checking. If I never dive into my savings then I will never actually lose any money, and depending on how fast it ends up adding up, I may even transfer some into savings (that way I wont spend it lol).

It really is all about budgeting. Some people seem to have a lot of trouble with it while others it seems to come naturally.