Going Seasonal After CP

[I Am What I Am]

Has anyone here gone seasonal after their program or thinking about going seasonal?

 

[ElsaofArandelle]

I am thinking about it, and I'd love to know how hard it is..and what you have to do as well....

 

[carol-lamb]

My daughter went seasonal in January - Kilimanjaro Safaris - after her program ended. She said all you have to do is sign a paper at the end of your program. You have to work 150 hours a year to retain cast member status. You have to submit your availability four times a year - in September, December, March and June. My daughter got a letter a couple of days ago and the next 150 hour measurement will occur in early April and will include all hours worked from March 31, 2013 through March 31, 2014. My daughter was told that the hours she worked while in the college program will count for this year. She just got back from working four days. She went down during her spring break. She is also going down in May to work for the summer. You are responsible for your own housing and transportation. One of her co-workers and good friend stayed after her program so my daughter is staying with her. She is driving down so she will have her car.

 

[I Am What I Am]

My daughter went seasonal in January - Kilimanjaro Safaris - after her program ended. She said all you have to do is sign a paper at the end of your program. You have to work 150 hours a year to retain cast member status. You have to submit your availability four times a year - in September, December, March and June. My daughter got a letter a couple of days ago and the next 150 hour measurement will occur in early April and will include all hours worked from March 31, 2013 through March 31, 2014. My daughter was told that the hours she worked while in the college program will count for this year. She just got back from working four days. She went down during her spring break. She is also going down in May to work for the summer. You are responsible for your own housing and transportation. One of her co-workers and good friend stayed after her program so my daughter is staying with her. She is driving down so she will have her car.

Thank you for this! I already live pretty close to Orlando so I was thinking of going seasonal after my program ends in January. Quick question- do you know if we can switch positions when someone goes seasonal or are you in the same one? Like if I decided to go seasonal, would I have to stay housekeeping or could I possibly go Front Desk?

 

[carol-lamb]

Thank you for this! I already live pretty close to Orlando so I was thinking of going seasonal after my program ends in January. Quick question- do you know if we can switch positions when someone goes seasonal or are you in the same one? Like if I decided to go seasonal, would I have to stay housekeeping or could I possibly go Front Desk?

I checked with my daughter. When you go seasonal you have to keep the same role/job. If you eventually decide to apply for part time or full time, then you can change your role.

 

[I Am What I Am]

I checked with my daughter. When you go seasonal you have to keep the same role/job. If you eventually decide to apply for part time or full time, then you can change your role.

Thank you!

 

[MERMAIDchar]

Thank You 'I Am What I Am' for posting this and Thank You to everyone else for the answers. I was actually wondering about this last weekend.

 

[theladyloki]

I finished my CP in January (after completing the program and an extension - so I was at the same place for a year) and went right to Seasonal Status.

About a month before my program ended, I mentioned it to a few co-workers that I was considering it. On the day I was going to actually go talk to manager about it (about mid-way through December), she approached me and said she had heard I was looking to go Seasonal and very much wanted to keep me around.

She said it was up to our resort's GM, but that the managers are the ones who bring it up to the GM and say whether or not they'd be supporting the decision - so in terms of how difficult it is, you definitely want to be in good record status and good status with your managers.

Two days later my manager pulled me aside and said I got it and that my status would turn over the day after my CP program ended (b/c they have to give you time to move out).

Basically the only "paperwork" I had to do on my end was having to submit my "CT Availability" via the HUB - my manager did all the leg work of putting the role change in with Casting. Every quarter, you submit the days for each week of the coming quarter that you will be able to work - keep in mind, it DOES NOT guarantee you hours. FT and PT take precedence since CT is just more of an As Needed role. Nice thing: in May my family is going to WDW for a vacation, so I'm listed as Not Available, so I'm free to vacation!

If you ever need to change what you submitted as available, you do it on the HUB - but you cannot change availability less than 3 weeks out.

Within a calendar year, you have to complete 150 total hours.

So for me, I finished my CP program on a Friday (my last day at work was that Wednesday) and the next Sunday, I had a 5-day work week. I worked for the rest of the month and basically have almost all my hours met.

I should add that I DO NOT live in FL currently (for family reasons, I had to go home for a few months to sort some things out - I do plan to make the permanent move in a few months). Apparently our GM prefers Seasonal CMs to live in the area; however, so long as you know your availability dates, they are much more flexible for allowing out-of-state CMs. Since you no longer have Disney housing, I stayed at my BF's place and left my car with him when I flew back home. So come May, my car will be there waiting for me!

If you decide to apply, best of luck!!!!!!!! I'm very glad I chose to go Seasonal

 

[aaylasecura]

Does going seasonal after the program affect your ability to do a professional internship later? Also, does this mean if you get a character role you will remain in a character role?

 

[gonzo7556]

My daughter accepted a job offer as a Seasonal Cast Member beginning in May and is looking for temporary housing. Any suggestions from those of you that went from CP to Seasonal?

 

[carol-lamb]

My daughter accepted a job offer as a Seasonal Cast Member beginning in May and is looking for temporary housing. Any suggestions from those of you that went from CP to Seasonal?

Does she have any friends that have an apartment? That is what my daughter is doing. Two girls she worked with stayed and went seasonal. They share an apartment and my daughter will be staying with them when she goes down in May to work for the summer. Since she will be sleeping in her best friend's room, they all decided that my daughter will pay for half of that girl's rent and she will pay a third of the utilities.

 

[gonzo7556]

Any suggestions on housing or apartment locations or complex names? She may have found 2 other girls to room with they just don't know where to look for housing.

 

[ZiPaD3doDAH]

I was thinking about it because I would love to go to Disneyland & get the huge discount on the hotel and take a Disney cruise but I'm not sure if it will be worth it.

Meaning, let’s say they give you 35 hours a week, that means you have to go to Orlando and work 4 weeks and change.

Most jobs won’t allow you to take a vacation off In a 3-6 months radius, let alone 4 weeks in a year.

Plus, it won’t even be vacation, you will be working. You will never get a break.

Not to mention how you still have to find the money to pay for 4 weeks of rent/hotel stay


I wish they would’ve kept it lower like they used to, maybe even 75 hours a year.

 

[princessemily21]

I did a Fall 2012 program as a character attendant and went seasonal afterward, partially to keep my benefits and my foot in the door, but mostly because I just genuinely LOVED my job. I went back to school in January 2013, then went down to Orlando for the entire summer to work. Luckily, I made some wonderful friends on my program who were happy to house me for a couple of months, and going back down to Florida was as if no time had passed at all.

Getting hours over the summer -- at least in my role -- was not easy. Over the eight weeks I was working, I was scheduled for one day. Every other day, I had to pick up hours myself, but I was able to maintain a solid 40 hours/week (usually) and went well above my 150 hour requirement.

I went back to work over my winter break this year even though I had previously reached my hour requirement. There is no cap on the amount of time a CT cast member can work in a year.

I'm graduating in May and I am currently going through the PI application process. I know a lot of CP alums have applied for another CP as a backup for their PI applications; I didn't do that. If I don't get a PI, I will just go down to Orlando and pick up shifts as a CT CM -- keeping my seniority and my minor pay raise.

 

[ArielinWonderland]

I finished my CP in January, and am now seasonal.

In addition to the 150 hour per year requirement, and submitting your availability each quarter, some roles have additional requirements. For example, I work in attractions, and have to work at least one shift every 6 months, to maintain my proficiencies. So, since my last day of work was January 1, I have to work by July 1st - I can't just wait until December and work my hours then.

I haven't been back yet (I was hoping to work the week after my program ended, since I was still in the area, but my conversion took a few weeks so I never got my new ID and was home in NY by the time the conversion went through) but I'm hoping to sublet a room/crash with a friend for a month or so this summer and get in most of my hours.