Merchandise- Animal Kingdom or Magic Kingdom??

[AliSW]

I'm going to extend in merchandise and I don't know how much they listen to your preference but I'm thinking these two. I already know main differences like Animal Kingdom closes early and MK way late sometimes.
Has anyone worked either?

 

[Joanna71985]

I was in Merchandise at MK, in Fantasyland

 

[ValiantHeart]

I'm Merchandise in DAK right now!

 

[pixieprincess72]

I haven't done the DCP yet, but when I do I would love to be placed in DAK merchandise it's such a gorgeous park and the hours are awesome!

 

[leeg229]

I was merchandise in Studios and currently in MK.

 

[AliSW]

So does everyone like it? I wish I knew when I would know where I would be haha

 

[kaphil]

From what I hear, there are good and bad with both locations. AK is beautiful, pretty regular hours but there are quite a few outdoor merch stands and it gets plenty hot out there in the summer. MK has crazy hours but lots of opportunities when it comes to varied shift hours, of course there's the utilidor walk. I work merch at Studios and quite a few people pick up EH shifts there who normally are at AK, so if you're adventurous you can always experience the different locations that way.

 

[pitterpint23]

Just be ready for the awesome dino pants at DAK

 

[TedMosby]

All of my friends who work at AK swear they'd never work anywhere else, but it's likewise for me and I work at HS

I'm not Merch though, I'm Attractions.

 

[AliSW]

Well they gave me Epcot. Which I've worked at before and I love it but I wanted somewhere new haha. So I will have to pick up some shifts for sure

 

[leeg229]

All of my friends who work at AK swear they'd never work anywhere else, but it's likewise for me and I work at HS

I'm not Merch though, I'm Attractions.

That's funny because when people ask me where I work this time around I answer "The Emporium" and without fail the response I get is "Oh you poor thing" or "I'm so sorry" or "Oh I could never work there". In reality, I couldn't imagine working anywhere else. At one time I said I'd never want to work anywhere but Sunset/Animation and now I see how truly boring that location is compared to the Emporium. But i recognize how people grow to love their location and I don't blame them

 

[HyperionDreamer]

I've worked both. MK is my home location, but DAK is my "home away from home" since I pick up there all the time. Harambe/Africa and Everest/Asia are my two favorite places to work on property hands-down. Both have advantages and disadvantages.

Both parks take the longest to get to from the CP housing. Parking is MUCH easier at DAK, it's right by the front gate and you can walk right in through the front. Compare that to parking at MK's Westclock and taking the bus to the park, adding 15 minutes or so to any commute. I love parking at DAK.

MK has the utilidors which is both nice and a pain in the butt; lots of stairs but everything backstage is indoors and air-conditioned (NOTHING backstage at DAK is air-conditioned).

You're outside a lot more in general at DAK, which may not necessarily a bad thing. Might not be great if you're not a fan of heat, but the environment is IMO more interesting because you'll find yourself helping guests find animals or answering questions about them. Working outside and being surrounded by the park environment, characters, etc is sometimes preferable to being stuffed in a little store all day.

MK has more entertainment, fireworks, more parades, characters walking around, etc. DAK you get one parade and that's it.

DAK has much more interesting merchandise in all of its locations, African sculptures and masks and Asian clothing, vs. MK's typical Disney stuff, Mickey plush and WDW tees and all that stuff.

DAK makes you stock a lot, the most out of any park. Some people don't mind stock but I hate it. You'll be doing stock just as often as you'll be doing registers. DAK is also the only park I've heard which makes CPs do HOH or "Heart of House," which is when you go in before park opening and organize/set up merchandise for the day. Sometimes this'll be at 5 or 6am. MK has what is practically a devoted HOH team so CPs generally don't have to do it.

DAK gives 15 minute breaks, MK gives 30. I miss the extra time every time I work at DAK. The DAK breakrooms are generally a lot newer/nicer (unless you work on Main Street... they win for best breakrooms at WDW).

Obviously hours at DAK are a lot better and more consistent. I'm at MK usually til after midnight every night, DAK you'll rarely be there past 9, freeing you up for nighttime activities (and this is the CP so there are many). Conversely you'll have to get used to getting up early.

Hope this helps

 

[AliSW]

Yes that was perfect!
Also how long is training?

 

[HyperionDreamer]

Yes that was perfect!
Also how long is training?

Ehh, about a week, give or take. It's a little tough to answer, since you have a few days of not-on-location training (traditions, merchentainment), an orientation around your park not related to merchandise, and then several days of actual on-the-job training. Then they give you a few days on your own, and depending on your location, they'll gradually give you more training days to teach you new skills you'll eventually have to use. (Stock training, photo training for attraction shops, food training for food shops, apron training for glow merchandise, etc.) You might be on a register on your own a week after starting, but it might not actually be til weeks later that you've had ALL your training. I didn't get the last of my stock training until maybe 3 weeks in.

 

[AliSW]

Ok awesome! I'm extending so I already know my first two days are the 7th and 9th. I'm trying to see if it would be possible to go home for a little while around the 19th so I'll have to see.

 

[Pancakes]

I've worked both. MK is my home location, but DAK is my "home away from home" since I pick up there all the time. Harambe/Africa and Everest/Asia are my two favorite places to work on property hands-down. Both have advantages and disadvantages.

Both parks take the longest to get to from the CP housing. Parking is MUCH easier at DAK, it's right by the front gate and you can walk right in through the front. Compare that to parking at MK's Westclock and taking the bus to the park, adding 15 minutes or so to any commute. I love parking at DAK.

MK has the utilidors which is both nice and a pain in the butt; lots of stairs but everything backstage is indoors and air-conditioned (NOTHING backstage at DAK is air-conditioned).

You're outside a lot more in general at DAK, which may not necessarily a bad thing. Might not be great if you're not a fan of heat, but the environment is IMO more interesting because you'll find yourself helping guests find animals or answering questions about them. Working outside and being surrounded by the park environment, characters, etc is sometimes preferable to being stuffed in a little store all day.

MK has more entertainment, fireworks, more parades, characters walking around, etc. DAK you get one parade and that's it.

DAK has much more interesting merchandise in all of its locations, African sculptures and masks and Asian clothing, vs. MK's typical Disney stuff, Mickey plush and WDW tees and all that stuff.

DAK makes you stock a lot, the most out of any park. Some people don't mind stock but I hate it. You'll be doing stock just as often as you'll be doing registers. DAK is also the only park I've heard which makes CPs do HOH or "Heart of House," which is when you go in before park opening and organize/set up merchandise for the day. Sometimes this'll be at 5 or 6am. MK has what is practically a devoted HOH team so CPs generally don't have to do it.

DAK gives 15 minute breaks, MK gives 30. I miss the extra time every time I work at DAK. The DAK breakrooms are generally a lot newer/nicer (unless you work on Main Street... they win for best breakrooms at WDW).

Obviously hours at DAK are a lot better and more consistent. I'm at MK usually til after midnight every night, DAK you'll rarely be there past 9, freeing you up for nighttime activities (and this is the CP so there are many). Conversely you'll have to get used to getting up early.

Hope this helps

My first program I was HOH at the Polynesian Resort. They made me and other CP's do HOH a couple times! But they did have a set HOH team so it wasn't often. I only did it once.

 

[Musings]

Some locations make you do HOH if they're smaller. If you're resort, you're almost certainly going to be doing HOH at times. For larger places like Emporium, they may ask you but they have a dedicated team to it in the mornings but any cast member can ask to join it. For WOD, they have a dedicated team specifically assigned to it and CPs aren't amongst them.

I didn't find HOH that bad, I loved being an expeditor at the Emporium. It varies from location to location.

 

[cmhand30]

I just finished my CP at WOD. CP's work their share of HOH shifts.