Summer Alumni 2011 Anyone?

[Elenadc]

I feel like I'm going crazy waiting for them to put up the Alumni applications! Anyone else in the same boat?

I figured while we're waiting we can chat a bit, maybe keep each other sane.

I'm Liz, I just finished my second CP in August 2010. I did Merch this time around. Ideally I'd like to do the Alumni program in my old location. I'm hoping that since I'll already be trained and it's such a big location that's always getting new people that it won't be to hard to get back there. Anyone know if we can request this?

 

[rachaelfig]

Are they doing it for sure? I'm definitely going to apply if they do, although I have several other internships I'm applying for for this summer. I was in Discovery Island attractions at Tough to be a Bug and Festival of the Lion King. I'd like to go back to attractions, but in another location. I loved my old location too much to go back and have to experience it again with different people. I've worked several shifts there since I finished my program (spring 2010) and it was still fun, but different. I'd like to move to either Magic Kingdom attractions or Kilimanjaro Safaris or Rafiki's Planet Watch I think.

But alas, it's very unlikely that I'll be able to go back as a regular CP. I really need to do an internship that relates to what I'm going to school for. I'm also applying for professional internships in the Animal Programs department.

 

[Elenadc]

Small world! I did my first CP at It's Tough to be a Bug! It was Fall of '06.

I guess, now that you mention it, that no, it's not guaranteed that there'll be a Summer program. They usually do one though, maybe someone who's a little more familiar with the Summer program will pop in and can comment on which years recently they have and haven't done the program. I know they did one last year, and in '06 they actually opened it up to everyone, not just Alumni.

I would love to go back to my old area, there'll be a bunch of new people, but I know a lot of people who aren't CPs who are still there, and a bunch of CPs from my program who are coming back to work seasonally over the summer so I'm looking forward to that.

 

[squish86]

...I did it last year... March 24 to August 13th... technically they placed me in spring quarter... but i was accepted to summer... they had openings so they let us come early if we wanted...

The summer program is usually used to fill the needs that the spring program didnt completely fill... SO the big time roles arent usually on there... Last year all we had to choose from was QSFB, Custodial, Merch, and Housekeeping... i think like one other... but it was something i didnt want to do anyway...

And im not sure... but i dont think they really care what your last role was or if you were trained in it... because i told my interviewer that i wanted to go back to custodial blah blah i also told her i had ZERO experience cash handling and i wasnt comfortable around other peoples money... so naturally she put me in Outdoor foods QSFB... haha

anyway.. thats what i know about it...

Last year the original dates were May 17 i think until august 13... and then they opened up March 24th and April 28th arrival dates shortly after they began apps...

 

[Salukfan]

I'm not doing Alumni in 2011 (I'll be down in Spring of 2011 on the program), but I just have to say that it is a small world indeed, as I also worked It's Tough to Be a Bug/Festival of the Lion King on one of my programs (Fall 2008). I miss that job very much!

 

[Jamie25UGA]

I'm reallllllly hoping they do an alumni program again this year! I'm seasonal and not too far away so I go down at least 3 times a year but I'm ready to be at Disney for a while again.

Does anyone know when they ask if you want to extend your program? I was spring advantage and didn't think about extending so I don't remember but I knew people who did summer alumni and extended through fall, I was just wondering how soon after you got there they mentioned extensions specifically those coming for just the summer.

Elenadc, was your merch location WOD?

 

[Elenadc]

I'm not doing Alumni in 2011 (I'll be down in Spring of 2011 on the program), but I just have to say that it is a small world indeed, as I also worked It's Tough to Be a Bug/Festival of the Lion King on one of my programs (Fall 2008). I miss that job very much!

Did they cross-train you at Festival right away? When I did mine back in '06 we could only train there if we were extending. I spent my entire program in the Tree...

Elenadc, was your merch location WOD?

Nope, Backlands at DHS. Merch-wise, we were basically the left half of the park. Looking at this map: http://www.wdwinfo.com/maps/MGM.htm Draw an imaginary line from the left side of 50's Prime Time (C) to the arch to the right of the Backlot Tour (9) by Pixar Place. Everything to the left of that line was my area. We worked 14 different locations between physical stores and carts, including a coffee shop!

 

[rachaelfig]

I started my program at the Tree in January and then got crosstrained to camp in march. They said that you could only get crosstrained if you extended (I didn't, but I was considering it) but they needed people at Lion King and then decided it was kind of a dumb rule, especially for the full/seasonal/part timers who had never gotten trained. I'm now sure if it continued with the fall CPs, but everybody got crosstrained after that.

 

[Salukfan]

I actually started at Festival/Poca (right before it closed), then cross-trained into the Tree. I didn't extend my program at all (which I sort of regret), but I know people who did extend that had cross trained from Camp to Tree and spent the entire extension at the Tree, with maybe one or two Camp shifts.

 

[c0pperboom]

I'm considering it. I miss FL. I did attractions at the great movie ride, just got back yesterday! I might wait until I graduate next year though.... who knows!

 

[Joanna71985]

I'm considering it. I miss FL. I did attractions at the great movie ride, just got back yesterday! I might wait until I graduate next year though.... who knows!

Yes, please do come back!

 

[misch88]

I really would like to do summer alumni! I was at the BBB (DTD) fall '09 and have wanted to go back pretty much since I came home. Hoping there will be an alumni program and then I can extend into the BBB since I know they don't have prime roles usually for alumni.

 

[khancock]

If you want to go down for the summer and then extend for the Fall, why don't you just apply for the Fall Advantage program and do BBB the entire time?

You're right though, if summer is available, BBB most likely won't be an option.

 

[misch88]

I'm not in school anymore so that would be the only way I could do another program at this time. I realize the BBB likely won't be an option, so I'm pretty much hoping for merch or attractions. I would do fall advantage if I were enrolled though since it is more or less the same program length, just one location. One potential bright side of alumni is getting trained somewhere else so I can pick up shifts.

 

[squish86]

Misch88 Just so you know they generally dont offer the popular roles when they have a summer alumni program because they are already filled by people from Spring/advantage and Spring quarter... so attractions will be a reaaaal stretch to be available...

I was summer program this past summer... the ones they had offered this time were custodial, housekeeping, qsfb, merch, and one other i think it was main entrance but im not sure... that was it...

 

[misch88]

Misch88 Just so you know they generally dont offer the popular roles when they have a summer alumni program because they are already filled by people from Spring/advantage and Spring quarter... so attractions will be a reaaaal stretch to be available...

I was summer program this past summer... the ones they had offered this time were custodial, housekeeping, qsfb, merch, and one other i think it was main entrance but im not sure... that was it...

There was attractions recently, I can't remember the exact year, but it must have been between 2008 and 2009 or close to that. I'm basing it off of when my sister did the CP. I realize that attractions is a stretch, but I would be content with merch or even main entrance. I can't really do qsfb because of food allergies so that one is automatically out and honestly I don't think I'd take custodial or housekeeping. I would probably just move to FL and hope for a P/T or seasonal position eventually.

 

[squish86]

custodial is awesome... and anyone who tells you otherwise has never done custodial... its awesome... and has the most guest interaction out of any of the roles besides character attendant/ character performer... its fantastic... you work 8 hours... probably do trash 4 times the rest of the time you are free to go wherever you want and talk to whoever you want

 

[misch88]

Actually one of my friends did custodial twice and hated it. I've heard some mixed things, but I know that it is a role that I just wouldn't be happy doing. It might also cause a problem with my food allergies too. Merch is a role where I would be much less likely to have a problem, there are a few locations that fall under merch with food prep/sales that I may have issues with, but overall it should be a safe role. I'll see what happens

 

[fall08CP]

There was attractions recently, I can't remember the exact year, but it must have been between 2008 and 2009 or close to that. I'm basing it off of when my sister did the CP. I realize that attractions is a stretch, but I would be content with merch or even main entrance. I can't really do qsfb because of food allergies so that one is automatically out and honestly I don't think I'd take custodial or housekeeping. I would probably just move to FL and hope for a P/T or seasonal position eventually.

I did attractions for SA 2009. Last year they offered merch, QSFB, custodial, FSFB (new), main entrance ops (new) and housekeeping (new). From the previous year they dropped attractions and lifeguarding. Several people got down there and were asked at check-in if they wanted a switch to vacation planning as spots had opened up. We won't know the roles for 2011 until they posted in the next few weeks...!!

 

[misch88]

I did attractions for SA 2009. Last year they offered merch, QSFB, custodial, FSFB (new), main entrance ops (new) and housekeeping (new). From the previous year they dropped attractions and lifeguarding. Several people got down there and were asked at check-in if they wanted a switch to vacation planning as spots had opened up. We won't know the roles for 2011 until they posted in the next few weeks...!!

That would be great! I would like to do vacation planning if that's an option this year too. I could maybe do FSFB, if I could avoid some of the foods I have allergies to because the role is mostly seating & I don't have any airborne/anaphylactic allergies so if I wasn't always around it, it could be alright. If those were offered this year then I'd have 3 or 4 options instead of just merch so fingers crossed.