Looking for insight

[disney516]

I'm planning on applying for the DCP for spring 2013. I am just looking for some stories from people with experience that will help me prepare for the application process and what role I would like to do. Right now my top four would be merchandising, concierge, vacation planning, and attractions. So, if anyone has any advice or stories about the online application portion, the phone interview, or the roles they did while in the program, I would appreciate it

 

[aznshents]

General advice for the application process:

They are looking for people that are high energy and that they can train to be good Cast Members. If you have an affinity for Disney, you can be very happy, and you like to work with Guests, then they're going to love you. Your phone interviewer is really the one who gives all the insight about you to the hiring areas, so as long as you sound energetic and happy, and make the interviewer think "This person's happy and would be a good worker, they'd make a good cast member" you're in the clear. IF you're applying for a more competitive role then experience in the field helps. If you're going for a specific role, talking about things you've done in the past that will give you experience in whatever that role is definitely helps. If they feel you're right for a certain role in their mind, they will start asking you questions about a certain role. Also, apply early! So that you're amongst the first few people they look at when filling roles.

tl;dr: Be happy and energetic and show the interviewer you treat Guests well. Experience helps when going for more competitive roles. Apply early.

Copypasta from the other thread I answered about being a Vacation Planner:

I worked as a Vacation Planner Spring 2011 Feb-Aug at Magic Kingdom.

Here's the thing about Vacation Planning- it's sales. You are selling park tickets to people coming in who don't have them already, and redeeming will calls and vouchers and military tickets, etc. You are the experts at the front of the park who do all of that.

I had some really good friends in VP that were not happy with the job because they just couldn't do sales- sales is just one of those things that you either like or you just hate, and it definitely isn't for everyone. You'll be doing things like upselling, following a sales process with every Guest, and occasionally (ok, a little more than that) worrying about your rewards status, because your stats are tracked and you get a (NICE) reward at the end of the month (or you get put on sales probation if you didn't meet goal- but rarely anyone ever does)

I will say this, though. It's sales that they already know they're going to buy- you just have to convince them to buy the BEST ticket for their vacation. You get rewarded based on duration of tickets you sell, and a lot of people fret quite a bit about the rewards and "how the tickets are doing that day".

The name is a misnomer. "Planning" someone's vacation is not actually part of your job description. Most of the people coming to you have already made up their minds about what they're going to do on their vacation, BUT a lot of people still come to you and have no clue what's in those doors, which is when you pull out a map and show them your favorite things to do and make recommendations based on what their party would like. But do you actually plan the Guest's vacation? No.


OK. Now that I've gotten that out of the way (people go into Vacation Planning not knowing what it actually is and are very disappointed/stressed by the job)- I will say this- I LOVED IT. Ha. Weren't expecting that, huh? I loved it. My high school/college background was in sales, so I fit right on in. I'm also a very bubbly person, so I was able to take advantage of that (it's Disney- who can't?) You got to sit down in air conditioned booths in the heat of Florida summers, and your product training (because you really have to KNOW what you're selling) is RIDICULOUS- I've received fastpasses for Star Tours when it first opened up, my friends got a holiday event ticket for free, I just recently went mini-golfing at Winter Summerland for free (and they fed us!) for a sales event with the Vacation Planners (I was a friend's plus one)- they want to make sure you've experienced what the park has to offer when you sell it. They spoil Vacation Planners. Compared to what a lot of other CPs do, VPs have it easy.

As an MK VP, I was also able to pick up Parade Control shifts at the park. I picked up a LOT of them because I loved them- it was nice to get away and speak to guests without an underlying 'sales' atmosphere, and to be able to talk to people and provide audience control for the parade.


tl;dr: I loved Vacation Planning but it's sales and it's not for everyone- if it's for you, then you'll love it.