The Job of a Lifetime: My Spring 2015 DCP
- Thread starter thumpergirl101
- Start date
Lizzards
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2014
Hello Kira! I just found your report and thoroughly enjoyed reading it all! I love the details you provided about everything. In my opinion, college is such a special time in life. And how exciting to spend part of it at Disney! I wish I had known about this in my college days! I know you have not updated for quite a while. I understand how busy life gets and you may even be back home by now. Forget the exact dates of your program. In any case I wanted you to know how much I appreciated all your effort. I hope you enjoyed the rest of your working season at the World. Hope Disney is still magical for you and blessings on finishing up your college degree!
thumpergirl101
SA 2015 Alumna
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2012
Final Review
Hey guys (she said sheepishly). Somehow I doubt anyone is still bothering to read this thing, considering how long it’s been since I updated it. When I started my program (okay, let’s be real, when I was still daydreaming about even being accepted into the program), I figured I would have lots of time to write out my thoughts and do reviews and overall be a good little Disboards blogger. Obviously that fell apart pretty quickly. And I do sincerely apologize for that. In hindsight, I really do wish I had been better about writing down my thoughts and experiences, because the memory is a very fallible thing and I’m sure I’ve already forgotten plenty. But alas, my lazy side took hold of me.
So sorry, for leaving you all hanging like that. And I’m also sorry that you won’t be getting much in the way of back reviews. I had a lot of Disney fun during the last almost seven months, far too much fun to try to remember and chronicle. This here will likely be a lengthy post though, because I intend it to be my last. Here will be my final review of my Disney College Program. It’s not really a trip report, I’ll acknowledge that, because it won’t have many pictures or reviews or details about my day to day experiences. Mostly I’m doing it because it’s therapeutic for me (I’ve been away from Disney for 10 days already and I’m kind of losing my mind), and because I’m hoping it will be helpful to any other Disney-loving college student who’s interested in the DCP.
Since it’s kind of an overall review here, my thoughts might be a little bit repetitive, for all 3 of you who have been reading along since the beginning.
I was, as you might recall, extremely excited for this experience. I’d been looking forward to it for quite some time, I was nervous about my chances of acceptance, and I was overjoyed when I received my acceptance email. I’m a freakishly organized person, so I had the whole thing all planned out. I’d done all the research that I could, and I thought I was ready. I set about the process of finding roommates, I booked my place ticket, and officially accepted my offer to work in Full Service Food and Beverage. Then I started counting down the days. And hours. I was really, really excited.
In retrospect, I’m not sure how I finished out that semester. Every fiber of my being was living for Disney, knowing that in just a few months and weeks and days I would leave dreary old Utah, then head off to Florida (with a few week detour at home in California). It wasn’t an entirely cheerful prospect, of course-in order to leave, I had to organize everything, pack up my entire apartment, pack my two huge suitcases with everything I thought I might need in the next six months, and take finals, all in the course of just a couple of weeks. It was a stressful time for me, but I was filled with anticipation.
The semester finally ended and off to California I headed. The next few weeks both flew by and dragged on forever. But finally, the day arrived: on January 18th, just about seven months ago, I boarded a plane and was off to Orlando to start my Disney adventure. I was nervous, yes, but mostly excited. I was spending the night in Port Orleans French Quarter with three of the hopeful roommates I had met via Facebook. Two went to my university, so at least I had met each of them in person once before. But my life felt pretty perfect, in those moments.
I met up with my (spoiler alert) roommate Casey in the Orlando airport, and together we took the Magical Express to the resort. Allison and Amanda were already there, but they came to the entrance to greet (and meet) us and help us lug our luggage up to the room. We already felt like a little family. Of course, at that point we weren’t positive that we’d all be assigned as roommates, but we bonded and talked and got to know each other for real. Before we were ready, it was time to say goodnight and get ready. We all came from across the country, so the time difference was messing us up, and we had an early day coming up. The van we had arranged was picking us up at 7, because Allison could check in at Vista Way at 8 a.m.
Needless to say, we were up early that morning, primping and repacking in a state of nervous anticipation. I think it took 2-3 trips to bring all our suitcases down to the lobby, we all had packed so heavily. But eventually we got everything sorted out, successfully checked out of the resort, and loaded all our junk into the van. Soon after, we pulled up to the security tent at Vista, where the driver was interrogated about our check in time. There were a few hiccups along the way, but soon enough we had stored our luggage in the designated spot and joined the line to learn our fates.
First up, we learned our work locations. Casey went first, and ended up as a Character Attendant in the Magic Kingdom. Basically her dream-come-true. Second was Allison, who also ended up in MK, but in Attractions. Later on, she learned she’d be in Fantasyland, and even later, in Storybook Circus. I was third, and was placed at Citricos, a signature restaurant in the Grand Floridian. Lastly (so far) was Amanda, who would be working custodial at the Caribbean Beach resort.
Check-in was kind of a blur, but we received our housing assignments, the second most exciting part after work locations. Thankfully, we were all together, in our first choice of apartment complex (Patterson), but, surprisingly, with two extra roommates, making it a 3 bedroom 6 person apartment. I’ll skip the dramatics, because this is all review and I don’t want this post to last forever, but our other roommates Marlon and Denise arrived the next day. They were from Holland, and, because they were ICPs, actually worked in two different roles during their programs. Marlon started off in QSFB in MK, working at Stands East, and later transitioned to Attractions in Adventureland (Enchanted Tiki Room, Magic Carpets, and Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse). Denise began in Merchandise in Epcot, working at various locations, then transitioned to QSFB, where she worked in outdoor foods.
The first week was rather slow, as we didn’t have park access, but was filled with mandatory meetings and trips to Walmart and finally, at the end of the week, Traditions, in all its glory. Needless to say, we celebrated our newfound freedom with a roommate trip to MK to watch Wishes together for the first time. It was truly magical. Shortly after, work began, with all its training. I got into the swing of my job and the restaurant business. I made friends, mostly from work, and thoroughly enjoyed my main entrance pass when I wasn’t working. Since Citricos was only open for dinner, for basically my entire program I always had the mornings free. I’m a rather anxious person, so for a while I was too nervous to go out too much before work, but eventually I came around.
There, I think that’s most of my background information, for those who were too lazy to go back and read everything, or who forgot the details in the last few months without any updates (again, sorry). I’m not going to bother much more with day-to-day stuff, but rather focus on reviewing my program: my role, my roommate’s roles and experiences, at least as best as I can (which isn’t great, I’ll warn you now), Citricos, my deployment locations (Narcoossee’s and Whispering Canyon Café), working for Disney, my feelings about the experience, whether I would do it all again, et cetera. Settle down, it’s going to be a long one, as I’ve got lots to say.
Hey guys (she said sheepishly). Somehow I doubt anyone is still bothering to read this thing, considering how long it’s been since I updated it. When I started my program (okay, let’s be real, when I was still daydreaming about even being accepted into the program), I figured I would have lots of time to write out my thoughts and do reviews and overall be a good little Disboards blogger. Obviously that fell apart pretty quickly. And I do sincerely apologize for that. In hindsight, I really do wish I had been better about writing down my thoughts and experiences, because the memory is a very fallible thing and I’m sure I’ve already forgotten plenty. But alas, my lazy side took hold of me.
So sorry, for leaving you all hanging like that. And I’m also sorry that you won’t be getting much in the way of back reviews. I had a lot of Disney fun during the last almost seven months, far too much fun to try to remember and chronicle. This here will likely be a lengthy post though, because I intend it to be my last. Here will be my final review of my Disney College Program. It’s not really a trip report, I’ll acknowledge that, because it won’t have many pictures or reviews or details about my day to day experiences. Mostly I’m doing it because it’s therapeutic for me (I’ve been away from Disney for 10 days already and I’m kind of losing my mind), and because I’m hoping it will be helpful to any other Disney-loving college student who’s interested in the DCP.
Since it’s kind of an overall review here, my thoughts might be a little bit repetitive, for all 3 of you who have been reading along since the beginning.
I was, as you might recall, extremely excited for this experience. I’d been looking forward to it for quite some time, I was nervous about my chances of acceptance, and I was overjoyed when I received my acceptance email. I’m a freakishly organized person, so I had the whole thing all planned out. I’d done all the research that I could, and I thought I was ready. I set about the process of finding roommates, I booked my place ticket, and officially accepted my offer to work in Full Service Food and Beverage. Then I started counting down the days. And hours. I was really, really excited.
In retrospect, I’m not sure how I finished out that semester. Every fiber of my being was living for Disney, knowing that in just a few months and weeks and days I would leave dreary old Utah, then head off to Florida (with a few week detour at home in California). It wasn’t an entirely cheerful prospect, of course-in order to leave, I had to organize everything, pack up my entire apartment, pack my two huge suitcases with everything I thought I might need in the next six months, and take finals, all in the course of just a couple of weeks. It was a stressful time for me, but I was filled with anticipation.
The semester finally ended and off to California I headed. The next few weeks both flew by and dragged on forever. But finally, the day arrived: on January 18th, just about seven months ago, I boarded a plane and was off to Orlando to start my Disney adventure. I was nervous, yes, but mostly excited. I was spending the night in Port Orleans French Quarter with three of the hopeful roommates I had met via Facebook. Two went to my university, so at least I had met each of them in person once before. But my life felt pretty perfect, in those moments.
I met up with my (spoiler alert) roommate Casey in the Orlando airport, and together we took the Magical Express to the resort. Allison and Amanda were already there, but they came to the entrance to greet (and meet) us and help us lug our luggage up to the room. We already felt like a little family. Of course, at that point we weren’t positive that we’d all be assigned as roommates, but we bonded and talked and got to know each other for real. Before we were ready, it was time to say goodnight and get ready. We all came from across the country, so the time difference was messing us up, and we had an early day coming up. The van we had arranged was picking us up at 7, because Allison could check in at Vista Way at 8 a.m.
Needless to say, we were up early that morning, primping and repacking in a state of nervous anticipation. I think it took 2-3 trips to bring all our suitcases down to the lobby, we all had packed so heavily. But eventually we got everything sorted out, successfully checked out of the resort, and loaded all our junk into the van. Soon after, we pulled up to the security tent at Vista, where the driver was interrogated about our check in time. There were a few hiccups along the way, but soon enough we had stored our luggage in the designated spot and joined the line to learn our fates.
First up, we learned our work locations. Casey went first, and ended up as a Character Attendant in the Magic Kingdom. Basically her dream-come-true. Second was Allison, who also ended up in MK, but in Attractions. Later on, she learned she’d be in Fantasyland, and even later, in Storybook Circus. I was third, and was placed at Citricos, a signature restaurant in the Grand Floridian. Lastly (so far) was Amanda, who would be working custodial at the Caribbean Beach resort.
Check-in was kind of a blur, but we received our housing assignments, the second most exciting part after work locations. Thankfully, we were all together, in our first choice of apartment complex (Patterson), but, surprisingly, with two extra roommates, making it a 3 bedroom 6 person apartment. I’ll skip the dramatics, because this is all review and I don’t want this post to last forever, but our other roommates Marlon and Denise arrived the next day. They were from Holland, and, because they were ICPs, actually worked in two different roles during their programs. Marlon started off in QSFB in MK, working at Stands East, and later transitioned to Attractions in Adventureland (Enchanted Tiki Room, Magic Carpets, and Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse). Denise began in Merchandise in Epcot, working at various locations, then transitioned to QSFB, where she worked in outdoor foods.
The first week was rather slow, as we didn’t have park access, but was filled with mandatory meetings and trips to Walmart and finally, at the end of the week, Traditions, in all its glory. Needless to say, we celebrated our newfound freedom with a roommate trip to MK to watch Wishes together for the first time. It was truly magical. Shortly after, work began, with all its training. I got into the swing of my job and the restaurant business. I made friends, mostly from work, and thoroughly enjoyed my main entrance pass when I wasn’t working. Since Citricos was only open for dinner, for basically my entire program I always had the mornings free. I’m a rather anxious person, so for a while I was too nervous to go out too much before work, but eventually I came around.
There, I think that’s most of my background information, for those who were too lazy to go back and read everything, or who forgot the details in the last few months without any updates (again, sorry). I’m not going to bother much more with day-to-day stuff, but rather focus on reviewing my program: my role, my roommate’s roles and experiences, at least as best as I can (which isn’t great, I’ll warn you now), Citricos, my deployment locations (Narcoossee’s and Whispering Canyon Café), working for Disney, my feelings about the experience, whether I would do it all again, et cetera. Settle down, it’s going to be a long one, as I’ve got lots to say.
thumpergirl101
SA 2015 Alumna
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2012
Final Review continued:
My role: Full Service Food and Beverage
As I mentioned, I had never worked in a restaurant before I started my CP. I had some basic food experience, but in a definitively more quick-service environment. But then again, I knew I was only going to be a seater, so I wasn’t overly nervous.
The so-called “podium staff” (or host/hostesses) at a Disney restaurant has basically five different tasks to perform. The greeter is in charge of the computerized reservation system, checking in the guests by confirming their party size and breakdown of adults/children, plus noting any special needs or requests. Once checked in, the party moved to a wait list, where it was viewed by the assignor. The assignor stood back in the dining room with their tablet and waited for parties to check in. Then they could review the pertinent information and assign them a table, trying to maintain equity between the various servers and their stations, while also minimizing wait times and timing everything so as not to overwhelm the server or the kitchen.
Once the table was assigned, the seater would collect menus, crayons for children, and, in the case of signature restaurants, a wine list, then escort the party to their assigned table. The fourth role was the General Teller, or GT. Before the restaurant opened, they were tasked with preparing the cash drawers used during service, and were in charge of that money throughout the evening. After close, they banked out each server and bartender, making sure their paperwork was in order and they were paid the proper amount in gratuity. At the very end of the evening, once everyone else had departed, (besides management) they turned in all the official paperwork and deposited the cash for the evening. The fifth role was, at least at Citricos, unofficial, but was actually assigned at other restaurants, and was titled simply setter. The setter, as might be obvious, helped to bus and set tables so they would be ready for incoming guests. At Citricos, one seater would simply go help when there was a need, at the assignor’s discretion. Despite the fact that we had both servers and servers’ assistants whose job it was to set and bus tables, the task often fell to the assignor, especially in a pinch, and on busy nights a seater would help. At Citricos, we did whatever was needed-bussed tables, changed tablecloths, set tables, rearranged chairs, everything. I spent a week deployed at the Whispering Canyon Cafe, where they actually have setter as an assigned job every evening. There, the podium staff wasn’t allowed to carry trays of food, so the setter (usually my friend Brendan) would wipe off the tables (no fancy tablecloths like my signature restaurants) and set them with a paper napkin, fork, and knife.
As a lowly CP, I spent most of my program as a seater. When we were busy, I would gladly take off to the dining room and help the assignor set tables, but that wasn’t a frequent occurrence. Mostly, I seated party after party. Naturally, it grew rather tedious after a while, as I’m not exactly a people person, and I’m terrible at small talk.
At Citricos, our schedule was broken down into the four main roles (greeter, seater, assignor, and GT), and seaters were then split into a further distinction: Seater 1 arrived an hour and a half before open, and was tasked with making sure the podium was stocked with everything it would need during service, including menus, celebration pins, and black napkins (for the guests wearing black pants, as our regular napkins were white and we’re a classy establishment, don’cha know). Seater 2 arrived at open, and during service both were, obviously, just seaters. After close, Seater 2 remained for a further hour and a half cleaning high chairs, prepping the schedule for the following day, and folding millions of our white Citricos napkins.
The assignor was likewise scheduled an hour and half before service, as they had a lot of organizational things to attend to, including helping management assign servers to stations for the evening. The GT arrived an hour before service to get the money all counted and divided properly, holed up in the GT office back in the kitchen. The greeter too arrived an hour and a half early, in order to set up the podium and change and wine pages for the day. Our wine list was six pages long, with some fairly small print, and our offerings would change fairly frequently.
Over the course of my six month CP, I had the chance to perform all of these roles. However, CPs are essentially the lowest of the low. I don’t think we even count towards seniority, so naturally we are assigned the lowest and most menial of the positions.
At the beginning of my program, there were 3 CPs. Tasmyn was from Brisbane, Australia, and she arrived approximately six days before I did. Kendall was from Melbourne, Australia and had extended her program and so had already worked at Citricos for a solid six months by the time I arrived. As the reigning CP, Kendall got all the good shifts. She usually greeted a solid four days a week, so it was a rare sight to see her seating. I don’t believe she was ever trained on assigning or GT, nor did she want to be. However, Kendall also helped out on the reservation line over at Victoria and Albert’s, so she wasn’t always with Citricos every day. In addition, she sort of hated the job, and so only worked four days a week.
Tasmyn didn’t have much seniority over me, so basically we switched off being assigned to terrible shifts. Seater 2 was everyone’s least favorite position. It was only a six hour shift, and Seater 2 was essentially singlehandedly responsible for maintaining our stock of folded white napkins. It wasn’t a particularly difficult task on slow nights, but when we were serving 300-400 people, we went through them rather quickly. And, perhaps obviously, folding napkins is not the most enjoyable task, but our managers preferred us to have about 300 of them ready to go for the following day.
My schedule wasn’t always easy to predict. For my first month or two, it was actually regular. I would have off Sundays and Mondays. Tuesday I would greet, and Wednesday-Saturday I was Seater 2. It was pretty regular, and I came to expect it. I actually loved my job at the beginning of my program, so I didn’t even mind being Seater 2 four days a week. I enjoyed greeting, but Tuesdays were sad because both Kendall and Tasmyn were off, so it was just me and the full timers.
My role: Full Service Food and Beverage
As I mentioned, I had never worked in a restaurant before I started my CP. I had some basic food experience, but in a definitively more quick-service environment. But then again, I knew I was only going to be a seater, so I wasn’t overly nervous.
The so-called “podium staff” (or host/hostesses) at a Disney restaurant has basically five different tasks to perform. The greeter is in charge of the computerized reservation system, checking in the guests by confirming their party size and breakdown of adults/children, plus noting any special needs or requests. Once checked in, the party moved to a wait list, where it was viewed by the assignor. The assignor stood back in the dining room with their tablet and waited for parties to check in. Then they could review the pertinent information and assign them a table, trying to maintain equity between the various servers and their stations, while also minimizing wait times and timing everything so as not to overwhelm the server or the kitchen.
Once the table was assigned, the seater would collect menus, crayons for children, and, in the case of signature restaurants, a wine list, then escort the party to their assigned table. The fourth role was the General Teller, or GT. Before the restaurant opened, they were tasked with preparing the cash drawers used during service, and were in charge of that money throughout the evening. After close, they banked out each server and bartender, making sure their paperwork was in order and they were paid the proper amount in gratuity. At the very end of the evening, once everyone else had departed, (besides management) they turned in all the official paperwork and deposited the cash for the evening. The fifth role was, at least at Citricos, unofficial, but was actually assigned at other restaurants, and was titled simply setter. The setter, as might be obvious, helped to bus and set tables so they would be ready for incoming guests. At Citricos, one seater would simply go help when there was a need, at the assignor’s discretion. Despite the fact that we had both servers and servers’ assistants whose job it was to set and bus tables, the task often fell to the assignor, especially in a pinch, and on busy nights a seater would help. At Citricos, we did whatever was needed-bussed tables, changed tablecloths, set tables, rearranged chairs, everything. I spent a week deployed at the Whispering Canyon Cafe, where they actually have setter as an assigned job every evening. There, the podium staff wasn’t allowed to carry trays of food, so the setter (usually my friend Brendan) would wipe off the tables (no fancy tablecloths like my signature restaurants) and set them with a paper napkin, fork, and knife.
As a lowly CP, I spent most of my program as a seater. When we were busy, I would gladly take off to the dining room and help the assignor set tables, but that wasn’t a frequent occurrence. Mostly, I seated party after party. Naturally, it grew rather tedious after a while, as I’m not exactly a people person, and I’m terrible at small talk.
At Citricos, our schedule was broken down into the four main roles (greeter, seater, assignor, and GT), and seaters were then split into a further distinction: Seater 1 arrived an hour and a half before open, and was tasked with making sure the podium was stocked with everything it would need during service, including menus, celebration pins, and black napkins (for the guests wearing black pants, as our regular napkins were white and we’re a classy establishment, don’cha know). Seater 2 arrived at open, and during service both were, obviously, just seaters. After close, Seater 2 remained for a further hour and a half cleaning high chairs, prepping the schedule for the following day, and folding millions of our white Citricos napkins.
The assignor was likewise scheduled an hour and half before service, as they had a lot of organizational things to attend to, including helping management assign servers to stations for the evening. The GT arrived an hour before service to get the money all counted and divided properly, holed up in the GT office back in the kitchen. The greeter too arrived an hour and a half early, in order to set up the podium and change and wine pages for the day. Our wine list was six pages long, with some fairly small print, and our offerings would change fairly frequently.
Over the course of my six month CP, I had the chance to perform all of these roles. However, CPs are essentially the lowest of the low. I don’t think we even count towards seniority, so naturally we are assigned the lowest and most menial of the positions.
At the beginning of my program, there were 3 CPs. Tasmyn was from Brisbane, Australia, and she arrived approximately six days before I did. Kendall was from Melbourne, Australia and had extended her program and so had already worked at Citricos for a solid six months by the time I arrived. As the reigning CP, Kendall got all the good shifts. She usually greeted a solid four days a week, so it was a rare sight to see her seating. I don’t believe she was ever trained on assigning or GT, nor did she want to be. However, Kendall also helped out on the reservation line over at Victoria and Albert’s, so she wasn’t always with Citricos every day. In addition, she sort of hated the job, and so only worked four days a week.
Tasmyn didn’t have much seniority over me, so basically we switched off being assigned to terrible shifts. Seater 2 was everyone’s least favorite position. It was only a six hour shift, and Seater 2 was essentially singlehandedly responsible for maintaining our stock of folded white napkins. It wasn’t a particularly difficult task on slow nights, but when we were serving 300-400 people, we went through them rather quickly. And, perhaps obviously, folding napkins is not the most enjoyable task, but our managers preferred us to have about 300 of them ready to go for the following day.
My schedule wasn’t always easy to predict. For my first month or two, it was actually regular. I would have off Sundays and Mondays. Tuesday I would greet, and Wednesday-Saturday I was Seater 2. It was pretty regular, and I came to expect it. I actually loved my job at the beginning of my program, so I didn’t even mind being Seater 2 four days a week. I enjoyed greeting, but Tuesdays were sad because both Kendall and Tasmyn were off, so it was just me and the full timers.
thumpergirl101
SA 2015 Alumna
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2012
Final Review continued:
Speaking of full timers, let me introduce them:
Sandra assigned five days a week, Wednesday-Sunday. She’s from South Africa, and she’s wonderful. She was very competent at her job, very friendly with everyone, and overall just a very smart and sassy lady. I love her.
Noelle assigned on Sandra’s off days, then greeted the remaining three days. She’s 25, from New Jersey, and was one of my closest work friends. She’s witty and sarcastic and smart, and particularly good friends with the CPs. I know she and Kendall were especially close.
Judith was GT five days a week, Sunday-Thursday. She’s worked for Disney for almost 23 years, and has been at Citricos for around 8. She’s very thorough and methodical. She knows more about Citricos than most people working there, and had a gift for spotting changes on the menu. She’s rather sassy and could be cranky, but as a cynical person, I loved her. She was the self-proclaimed grandma of the younger seating crowd, myself included.
Sonia was Seater 1 five days a week. She was on the quieter side, at least to me, but she was smart and sassy. A word of caution: never get in her way when there’s food involved.
Deborah (last of the full timers) was GT 2-3 days a week, and usually Seater 1 (or on rare occasions Seater 2) on her remaining days. She could be a rather grumpy person too, but I got along with her really well, and enjoyed her company. About halfway through my program, the lounge next door, Mizner’s, started a coffee bar in the morning hours, and Deborah essentially moved over there. She was still scheduled at Citricos occasionally, when we had a hole in our schedule, but for the most part she worked coffee bar. I still got to see her at the end of her day, when mine was just starting, but I missed working with her.
Now on to the part-timers!
Astrid is from Germany, and was wonderful. She was a very sweet and thoughtful person, and, from what I hear, an excellent cook. I didn’t see her much in the middle of my program, but when she was working she usually greeted, but I did see her seat on occasion. She trained me on greeting originally.
Vince was from Florida and 18. He was very young and fun, and especially close to his grandma Judith. He was working fairly often during the first few weeks of my program, before Tasmyn and I were officially trained and full cast members, but once we passed our assessments he didn’t get many shifts. CPs are guaranteed 30 hours a week, and 3 of us was really too many, so poor Citricos part timers didn’t get many shifts. Vince could seat, assign, and greet, and while I think I only saw him assign once, he did get to do everything. Eventually Vince got another job and started giving away all his scheduled Citricos shifts. He was at work for about half an hour once before the managers let him go home, about a month before my program ended, so I didn’t see him much or get to say goodbye. He put in his two weeks’ notice about a week before the end of my program.
Brooke is 27, married, and a mother of three. As such, her schedule was rather complicated, so even when she was scheduled she usually found someone to cover her shift. But I did get to work with her a fair amount and she is lovely, very friendly and kind.
About two-three months into my program, a new part timer was hired. Samantha turned out to be wonderful. I was skeptical about a new person, because the part timers we had weren’t getting any shifts as it was, but she was a godsend. She had worked in restaurants her whole life, so she was knowledgeable and efficient, plus a delight to be around. And, most importantly, she would pick up shifts. For my last month or so, perhaps a bit longer, I decided I was only going to work four days a week (I was the new, cynical Kendall), and she was always willing to take one of my shifts. It was slightly sad, because it meant we rarely got to actually work together, but she was smart and hardworking and I loved her.
Ugh, I miss all these people so much.
But those were my close Citricos staff, my real coworkers. Of course we worked closely with servers and bartenders and management and all that, and I loved many of them too, but we were a pretty close-knit podium family. Because Citricos was only open for dinner, we worked the same shifts with the same people week in and week out. Of course, we had our minor drama and disagreements, but for the most part everyone got along.
Speaking of full timers, let me introduce them:
Sandra assigned five days a week, Wednesday-Sunday. She’s from South Africa, and she’s wonderful. She was very competent at her job, very friendly with everyone, and overall just a very smart and sassy lady. I love her.
Noelle assigned on Sandra’s off days, then greeted the remaining three days. She’s 25, from New Jersey, and was one of my closest work friends. She’s witty and sarcastic and smart, and particularly good friends with the CPs. I know she and Kendall were especially close.
Judith was GT five days a week, Sunday-Thursday. She’s worked for Disney for almost 23 years, and has been at Citricos for around 8. She’s very thorough and methodical. She knows more about Citricos than most people working there, and had a gift for spotting changes on the menu. She’s rather sassy and could be cranky, but as a cynical person, I loved her. She was the self-proclaimed grandma of the younger seating crowd, myself included.
Sonia was Seater 1 five days a week. She was on the quieter side, at least to me, but she was smart and sassy. A word of caution: never get in her way when there’s food involved.
Deborah (last of the full timers) was GT 2-3 days a week, and usually Seater 1 (or on rare occasions Seater 2) on her remaining days. She could be a rather grumpy person too, but I got along with her really well, and enjoyed her company. About halfway through my program, the lounge next door, Mizner’s, started a coffee bar in the morning hours, and Deborah essentially moved over there. She was still scheduled at Citricos occasionally, when we had a hole in our schedule, but for the most part she worked coffee bar. I still got to see her at the end of her day, when mine was just starting, but I missed working with her.
Now on to the part-timers!
Astrid is from Germany, and was wonderful. She was a very sweet and thoughtful person, and, from what I hear, an excellent cook. I didn’t see her much in the middle of my program, but when she was working she usually greeted, but I did see her seat on occasion. She trained me on greeting originally.
Vince was from Florida and 18. He was very young and fun, and especially close to his grandma Judith. He was working fairly often during the first few weeks of my program, before Tasmyn and I were officially trained and full cast members, but once we passed our assessments he didn’t get many shifts. CPs are guaranteed 30 hours a week, and 3 of us was really too many, so poor Citricos part timers didn’t get many shifts. Vince could seat, assign, and greet, and while I think I only saw him assign once, he did get to do everything. Eventually Vince got another job and started giving away all his scheduled Citricos shifts. He was at work for about half an hour once before the managers let him go home, about a month before my program ended, so I didn’t see him much or get to say goodbye. He put in his two weeks’ notice about a week before the end of my program.
Brooke is 27, married, and a mother of three. As such, her schedule was rather complicated, so even when she was scheduled she usually found someone to cover her shift. But I did get to work with her a fair amount and she is lovely, very friendly and kind.
About two-three months into my program, a new part timer was hired. Samantha turned out to be wonderful. I was skeptical about a new person, because the part timers we had weren’t getting any shifts as it was, but she was a godsend. She had worked in restaurants her whole life, so she was knowledgeable and efficient, plus a delight to be around. And, most importantly, she would pick up shifts. For my last month or so, perhaps a bit longer, I decided I was only going to work four days a week (I was the new, cynical Kendall), and she was always willing to take one of my shifts. It was slightly sad, because it meant we rarely got to actually work together, but she was smart and hardworking and I loved her.
Ugh, I miss all these people so much.
But those were my close Citricos staff, my real coworkers. Of course we worked closely with servers and bartenders and management and all that, and I loved many of them too, but we were a pretty close-knit podium family. Because Citricos was only open for dinner, we worked the same shifts with the same people week in and week out. Of course, we had our minor drama and disagreements, but for the most part everyone got along.
thumpergirl101
SA 2015 Alumna
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2012
Final Review continued:
And now for the logistics, for anyone curious. As I mentioned, Citricos is only open for dinner. And CPs are guaranteed 30 hours a week. So my shifts were typically either 6 or 6 ½ hours. So, for the majority of my program, I worked only around 31 hours a week. For a while, I was eager to pick up shifts from others, and so pad my paycheck a little. One week I actually ended up working seven days, for a total of 49 hours, and boy was I excited that payday.
The work week, as is typical, lasted from Sunday-Saturday. Paydays were on Thursday, and the paystub from the previous week was typically on the Hub for viewing by Sunday evening. As CPs, rent (assuming you’re staying in Disney housing) is deducted automatically from your paycheck. Living in Patterson, with six roommates and 3 bedrooms, my rent each week was $101, which included housing, utilities, and helped pay for the CP bus transportation.
At the beginning of my program, I, and every other CP I heard about, earned $9 an hour, Disney’s minimum wage. Somewhere in the middle, around June or so, without any fanfare, everyone received a raise of 50 cents an hour. It was much appreciated. I think there was some slight diversity in wage, as I know one of my friends earned a whole five cents an hour more than I did, even in the same role as me, but as far as I know everyone was fairly equal.
Now as I’ve said, I worked barely more than the minimum hours promised to us. There was the possibility of picking up some shifts on the Extra Hours Hotline (EHH), but mostly for counter service locations, so I never bothered to do it. For my first few months I did my best to pick up some extra hours at Citricos whenever possible, but it didn’t always work. Therefore, I believe I was just about the poorest CP I could have been, income-wise. I was lucky enough to come to Florida without outside expenses, lacking a car and being on my parents’ insurance plan. In a typical week, working around 31 hours at $9 an hour, my final paycheck, after taxes and rent were deducted, was generally about $120. Occasionally more, if I got some extra hours, but not often less, even after I started working 4 days a week.
It doesn’t seem like a lot, but, without outside expenses, I got by just fine. Admittedly I’m not much of a merchandise buyer, nor did I go grocery shopping on a very regular basis, but I spent plenty of money on Disney food and never struggled to get by. I had plenty of friends who lived paycheck to paycheck, even though they worked more than me, but I never had that struggle. In fact, despite my passion for Disney food, I managed to save around $2000 during my program. It wasn’t a lot to show for six months of labor, but it was far more than I was expecting, even considering my generally frugal nature.
Onto housing. As I said, I lived in Patterson, the newest apartment complex, with five other roommates. Our building was on the quieter side of the complex, right next to the pool. Thankfully, I never noticed much noise, as Patterson is pretty aptly nicknamed a retirement community. I heard some pounding bass on occasion, but if you’re of a quieter nature in your living situation, Patterson was generally a pretty peaceful place. However, I wouldn’t recommend living there, for one simple reason: there is no bus stop. Yes, the apartments are fairly nice, and I never heard many complaints like you could sometimes hear over at Vista. But it’s the DCP, and we’re college students. It’s not like you spend tons of time in the apartment anyway.
And, at the end of a long shift (my longest was 14 hours, but I’ve heard of plenty longer) all you want to do is get home and sleep, and a 5-10 minute walk isn’t really conducive to that desire. In addition, none of my roommates or close friends owned cars. In order to buy groceries, you had to take the bus to Walmart and lug everything home from the Chatham bus stop. I saw a fair number of people who lugged suitcases all the way, or had backpacks crammed with food. I’m not a particularly strong person, and carrying two weeks’ worth of groceries home from the bus stop could be a grueling experience. I could feel it in my shoulders the following day.
So, my recommendation: live in Chatham. The Commons is tempting, with those washers and dryers and all, but in my experience, Chatham was hands down the best and most convenient complex. Of course, Vista still has its partying reputation, and the apartment I saw there looked clean and presentable. But for my tastes and preferences in housing, I highly recommend Chatham. It’s reasonably new, it has the bus stop, and it’s where all the major housing events were held. It’s within walking distance of both Patterson and the Commons, and a fairly short bus ride away from Vista. There, you heard me. Live in Chatham.
We didn’t have any major issues with our housing. We all got along just about as well as could be expected. I loved all my roommates, even though as it turned out I didn’t spend much time with any of them. We had our minor issues, because most of us turned out to be very lazy dish-doers (our dishwasher was broken for the vast majority of our program), but all in all I think we all got along wonderfully. It’s possible there were some secret resentments, as a few of us could be on the grumpy side, but still, there were tears when it came time to say goodbye.
I didn’t bother taking any of the Disney offered classes, nor any online classes from my university, as BYU is picky and wouldn’t accept credit for anything. I was right in thinking that I would rather have the free time than bother with a class, but unfortunately I can’t comment on the “Learning” aspect of the College Program. There was only one way it influenced me-Tasmyn was taking a class, which meant that she usually got her regular two days off every week. So while my days off were impossible to predict and I would frequently end up working 10 days in a row, she was almost always off on the same days every week, and I was jealous of her.
And now for the logistics, for anyone curious. As I mentioned, Citricos is only open for dinner. And CPs are guaranteed 30 hours a week. So my shifts were typically either 6 or 6 ½ hours. So, for the majority of my program, I worked only around 31 hours a week. For a while, I was eager to pick up shifts from others, and so pad my paycheck a little. One week I actually ended up working seven days, for a total of 49 hours, and boy was I excited that payday.
The work week, as is typical, lasted from Sunday-Saturday. Paydays were on Thursday, and the paystub from the previous week was typically on the Hub for viewing by Sunday evening. As CPs, rent (assuming you’re staying in Disney housing) is deducted automatically from your paycheck. Living in Patterson, with six roommates and 3 bedrooms, my rent each week was $101, which included housing, utilities, and helped pay for the CP bus transportation.
At the beginning of my program, I, and every other CP I heard about, earned $9 an hour, Disney’s minimum wage. Somewhere in the middle, around June or so, without any fanfare, everyone received a raise of 50 cents an hour. It was much appreciated. I think there was some slight diversity in wage, as I know one of my friends earned a whole five cents an hour more than I did, even in the same role as me, but as far as I know everyone was fairly equal.
Now as I’ve said, I worked barely more than the minimum hours promised to us. There was the possibility of picking up some shifts on the Extra Hours Hotline (EHH), but mostly for counter service locations, so I never bothered to do it. For my first few months I did my best to pick up some extra hours at Citricos whenever possible, but it didn’t always work. Therefore, I believe I was just about the poorest CP I could have been, income-wise. I was lucky enough to come to Florida without outside expenses, lacking a car and being on my parents’ insurance plan. In a typical week, working around 31 hours at $9 an hour, my final paycheck, after taxes and rent were deducted, was generally about $120. Occasionally more, if I got some extra hours, but not often less, even after I started working 4 days a week.
It doesn’t seem like a lot, but, without outside expenses, I got by just fine. Admittedly I’m not much of a merchandise buyer, nor did I go grocery shopping on a very regular basis, but I spent plenty of money on Disney food and never struggled to get by. I had plenty of friends who lived paycheck to paycheck, even though they worked more than me, but I never had that struggle. In fact, despite my passion for Disney food, I managed to save around $2000 during my program. It wasn’t a lot to show for six months of labor, but it was far more than I was expecting, even considering my generally frugal nature.
Onto housing. As I said, I lived in Patterson, the newest apartment complex, with five other roommates. Our building was on the quieter side of the complex, right next to the pool. Thankfully, I never noticed much noise, as Patterson is pretty aptly nicknamed a retirement community. I heard some pounding bass on occasion, but if you’re of a quieter nature in your living situation, Patterson was generally a pretty peaceful place. However, I wouldn’t recommend living there, for one simple reason: there is no bus stop. Yes, the apartments are fairly nice, and I never heard many complaints like you could sometimes hear over at Vista. But it’s the DCP, and we’re college students. It’s not like you spend tons of time in the apartment anyway.
And, at the end of a long shift (my longest was 14 hours, but I’ve heard of plenty longer) all you want to do is get home and sleep, and a 5-10 minute walk isn’t really conducive to that desire. In addition, none of my roommates or close friends owned cars. In order to buy groceries, you had to take the bus to Walmart and lug everything home from the Chatham bus stop. I saw a fair number of people who lugged suitcases all the way, or had backpacks crammed with food. I’m not a particularly strong person, and carrying two weeks’ worth of groceries home from the bus stop could be a grueling experience. I could feel it in my shoulders the following day.
So, my recommendation: live in Chatham. The Commons is tempting, with those washers and dryers and all, but in my experience, Chatham was hands down the best and most convenient complex. Of course, Vista still has its partying reputation, and the apartment I saw there looked clean and presentable. But for my tastes and preferences in housing, I highly recommend Chatham. It’s reasonably new, it has the bus stop, and it’s where all the major housing events were held. It’s within walking distance of both Patterson and the Commons, and a fairly short bus ride away from Vista. There, you heard me. Live in Chatham.
We didn’t have any major issues with our housing. We all got along just about as well as could be expected. I loved all my roommates, even though as it turned out I didn’t spend much time with any of them. We had our minor issues, because most of us turned out to be very lazy dish-doers (our dishwasher was broken for the vast majority of our program), but all in all I think we all got along wonderfully. It’s possible there were some secret resentments, as a few of us could be on the grumpy side, but still, there were tears when it came time to say goodbye.
I didn’t bother taking any of the Disney offered classes, nor any online classes from my university, as BYU is picky and wouldn’t accept credit for anything. I was right in thinking that I would rather have the free time than bother with a class, but unfortunately I can’t comment on the “Learning” aspect of the College Program. There was only one way it influenced me-Tasmyn was taking a class, which meant that she usually got her regular two days off every week. So while my days off were impossible to predict and I would frequently end up working 10 days in a row, she was almost always off on the same days every week, and I was jealous of her.
thumpergirl101
SA 2015 Alumna
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2012
Final Review cont.:
Other roles:
With six of us in the apartment, I was somewhat surprised that each of us at least began the program in a different role. To repeat, I was in FSFB, which I’ve described, Amanda was in Custodial, Allison in Attractions, Casey a Character Attendant, Denise in Merchandise, and Marlon in QSFB. From what I’ve both heard and observed from my roommates, I’ll do my best to piece together a mini review of each role.
Amanda worked Custodial at the Caribbean Beach Resort. She absolutely hated it. She wasn’t terribly excited about Custodial to begin with, but was at the very least hoping to end up in a park, where she could have exciting guest interactions, especially with kids. She loves kids. She for one was pretty disappointed on check in day. From what I saw, her schedule was usually from either 8 a.m. to 3:30 or from 3:30 to midnight. So, generally, she worked around 40 hours a week. She didn’t like her job at all, from what I heard, but she loved her leaders and got along really well with her coworkers. On her last day, she came home slightly after I returned from my last day. I had finally managed to stop crying, because I was going to miss everyone and everything so much, but she was pretty much rejoicing to be done with her job. Maybe it’s different in the parks, as I’ve heard plenty of people recommend Custodial as a good role, but from me and Amanda, it gets two thumbs down.
Allison worked in Attractions in Storybook Circus, namely at Dumbo and the Barnstormer. I don’t recall her ever saying it outright, but I don’t think she enjoyed her role all that much either. After she finished training, she almost always was the closer, so she was usually scheduled for 45 minutes after park closed. Since the park closed at different times every night, her schedule wasn’t exactly easy to keep track of, but she usually didn’t leave for work until the early afternoon and I knew she would almost never be home before 1 a.m. Often it was much later. I don’t think I ever heard of her working less than a 40 hour week, and during busy times like spring break she worked much more. The most I ever heard her mention outright was a 58 hour week, but it’s possible she worked more. Overall, I don’t think she enjoyed her job much. It was a lot of hours on her feet, in the hot sun, and she had some physical ailments because of it. She seemed to get along fairly well with most of her coworkers, but I doubt she would recommend Attractions. One thumb down for the role of Attractions, everyone.
Still following along? Impressive. Next!
Casey worked as a Character Attendant in the Magic Kingdom. Alone out of my roommates (besides maybe me), she’s the only one I can say genuinely loved her job. Of course, every role had its difficult days, but Casey was an optimistic person who loved Disney and loved meeting characters, so it was perfect for her. For the first few months of her program, she worked all over MK. She even managed to pick up shifts in other parks-she was incredibly excited that she got to work with her favorites, Hiro and Baymax at one point. But for most of her program, she worked with Mickey Mouse in Town Square Theater. Honestly, I think it was the perfect fit for her. Unfortunately, I don’t recall much about her hours, but I would be surprised if she was working less than 35 hour weeks. Probably more. However, Casey was one of the people who seemed to live paycheck to paycheck. Of course, I never was presumptuous to inquire about her financial dealings, but it’s possible she was working less than I though. Though the role of Character Attendant doesn’t appeal to me in the slightest, Casey loved working in Entertainment. One thumb up for Character Attendant.
Denise worked in Merchandise in Epcot. Not in any brick-and-mortar store, but I know she worked at the merchandise carts and at the central pin location between Spaceship Earth and the Fountain of the Nations. Honestly, I never heard much about her role. I don’t know much about what her hours entailed, even. She was always pretty cheerful though, so I’m guessing she didn’t hate her role too much, and I know she was friendly with at least some of her coworkers. I had another friend who worked in merchandise, but he worked in Hollywood Studios. His hours were again, typically in the evening, but from what I heard he didn’t have super lengthy shifts. I applied for an extension, even though I knew I wouldn’t be able to extend, and I was actually offered a position in merchandise. I wasn’t able to accept, for school-related reasons, but I feel like a role in merchandise is kind of a gamble. You could end up in so many locations, in parks or resorts, and there’s such a variety of possible hours you could end up with. I wouldn’t really want to work in merchandise, but I haven’t heard terrible things about it. Merchandise ends up being neutral for me.
Marlon started out in QFSB, working Outdoor Foods in Stands East in MK. I don’t think she really enjoyed the work all that much, but she absolutely adored her coworkers. There were lots of CPs at that location with that role, and she made lots of lasting friends. I know she worked at pretzel stands, Auntie Gravity’s, and at least somewhere in the vicinity of Gaston’s Tavern. Her hours were typically in the evening as well, and she could work some lengthy shifts (as is typical for MK), but overall I don’t think it was too bad. I don’t know specifically, but I would also be surprised if she worked less than 40 hour weeks. From what I hear, Stands East was actually a pretty good location to be placed in, but still, QSFB is a gamble as well. Overall, QSFB gets one thumb down. I’ve heard too many horror stories to really recommend it.
Other roles:
With six of us in the apartment, I was somewhat surprised that each of us at least began the program in a different role. To repeat, I was in FSFB, which I’ve described, Amanda was in Custodial, Allison in Attractions, Casey a Character Attendant, Denise in Merchandise, and Marlon in QSFB. From what I’ve both heard and observed from my roommates, I’ll do my best to piece together a mini review of each role.
Amanda worked Custodial at the Caribbean Beach Resort. She absolutely hated it. She wasn’t terribly excited about Custodial to begin with, but was at the very least hoping to end up in a park, where she could have exciting guest interactions, especially with kids. She loves kids. She for one was pretty disappointed on check in day. From what I saw, her schedule was usually from either 8 a.m. to 3:30 or from 3:30 to midnight. So, generally, she worked around 40 hours a week. She didn’t like her job at all, from what I heard, but she loved her leaders and got along really well with her coworkers. On her last day, she came home slightly after I returned from my last day. I had finally managed to stop crying, because I was going to miss everyone and everything so much, but she was pretty much rejoicing to be done with her job. Maybe it’s different in the parks, as I’ve heard plenty of people recommend Custodial as a good role, but from me and Amanda, it gets two thumbs down.
Allison worked in Attractions in Storybook Circus, namely at Dumbo and the Barnstormer. I don’t recall her ever saying it outright, but I don’t think she enjoyed her role all that much either. After she finished training, she almost always was the closer, so she was usually scheduled for 45 minutes after park closed. Since the park closed at different times every night, her schedule wasn’t exactly easy to keep track of, but she usually didn’t leave for work until the early afternoon and I knew she would almost never be home before 1 a.m. Often it was much later. I don’t think I ever heard of her working less than a 40 hour week, and during busy times like spring break she worked much more. The most I ever heard her mention outright was a 58 hour week, but it’s possible she worked more. Overall, I don’t think she enjoyed her job much. It was a lot of hours on her feet, in the hot sun, and she had some physical ailments because of it. She seemed to get along fairly well with most of her coworkers, but I doubt she would recommend Attractions. One thumb down for the role of Attractions, everyone.
Still following along? Impressive. Next!
Casey worked as a Character Attendant in the Magic Kingdom. Alone out of my roommates (besides maybe me), she’s the only one I can say genuinely loved her job. Of course, every role had its difficult days, but Casey was an optimistic person who loved Disney and loved meeting characters, so it was perfect for her. For the first few months of her program, she worked all over MK. She even managed to pick up shifts in other parks-she was incredibly excited that she got to work with her favorites, Hiro and Baymax at one point. But for most of her program, she worked with Mickey Mouse in Town Square Theater. Honestly, I think it was the perfect fit for her. Unfortunately, I don’t recall much about her hours, but I would be surprised if she was working less than 35 hour weeks. Probably more. However, Casey was one of the people who seemed to live paycheck to paycheck. Of course, I never was presumptuous to inquire about her financial dealings, but it’s possible she was working less than I though. Though the role of Character Attendant doesn’t appeal to me in the slightest, Casey loved working in Entertainment. One thumb up for Character Attendant.
Denise worked in Merchandise in Epcot. Not in any brick-and-mortar store, but I know she worked at the merchandise carts and at the central pin location between Spaceship Earth and the Fountain of the Nations. Honestly, I never heard much about her role. I don’t know much about what her hours entailed, even. She was always pretty cheerful though, so I’m guessing she didn’t hate her role too much, and I know she was friendly with at least some of her coworkers. I had another friend who worked in merchandise, but he worked in Hollywood Studios. His hours were again, typically in the evening, but from what I heard he didn’t have super lengthy shifts. I applied for an extension, even though I knew I wouldn’t be able to extend, and I was actually offered a position in merchandise. I wasn’t able to accept, for school-related reasons, but I feel like a role in merchandise is kind of a gamble. You could end up in so many locations, in parks or resorts, and there’s such a variety of possible hours you could end up with. I wouldn’t really want to work in merchandise, but I haven’t heard terrible things about it. Merchandise ends up being neutral for me.
Marlon started out in QFSB, working Outdoor Foods in Stands East in MK. I don’t think she really enjoyed the work all that much, but she absolutely adored her coworkers. There were lots of CPs at that location with that role, and she made lots of lasting friends. I know she worked at pretzel stands, Auntie Gravity’s, and at least somewhere in the vicinity of Gaston’s Tavern. Her hours were typically in the evening as well, and she could work some lengthy shifts (as is typical for MK), but overall I don’t think it was too bad. I don’t know specifically, but I would also be surprised if she worked less than 40 hour weeks. From what I hear, Stands East was actually a pretty good location to be placed in, but still, QSFB is a gamble as well. Overall, QSFB gets one thumb down. I’ve heard too many horror stories to really recommend it.
thumpergirl101
SA 2015 Alumna
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2012
Final Review cont.:
And now, ladies and gentlemen, my official review of FSFB!
As mentioned, I worked at Citricos, a signature restaurant in the Grand Floridian. However, I was also deployed to Narcoossee’s, another signature restaurant at the GF, and the Whispering Canyon Café at the Wilderness Lodge. I never worked in a park, and I’m sure that’s a different experience entirely, but in my honest opinion, FSFB is one of the best roles the Disney College Program has to offer.
It isn’t perfect. Honestly, no role I’ve heard of is a great opportunity. The DCP is a great introduction to the company, but it isn’t exactly a job to be proud of, for the most part. However, FSFB is one of the better jobs, because it is accompanied by some degree of responsibility and thus allows some degree of resume-enhancement. Admittedly, I spent most of my program seating. And seating is a horribly tedious job at times, it’s true. It’s mindless and boring, and it’s difficult to feel useful or like you’re gaining any useful skills. If I had been a seater my entire program, it would likely have been entirely a waste of time. But I wasn’t. Greeting wasn’t exceptional either, but as a greeter you really got a feel for the entire restaurant. You could easily understand its capacity, you came to know each server’s strengths, weaknesses, and preferences, and you held an important position as the first cast member that the guests encountered.
Same thing with assigning, but to an even greater degree. In six months, I only actually got to assign twice, besides my training, but each time was a very educational experience. You learn how the restaurant flows, you learn about each seater and how quickly and efficiently they do their jobs, and you learn about the servers and their habits. You learn about management and who will try to micro-manage. It’s still not a perfect job, but you feel much more useful than when you’re simply seating. You feel important, as if your efforts are making a difference. And you feel more in tune with the restaurant and its inner workings.
GT wasn’t my favorite job either, but I felt useful doing it. Yes, for most of the evening I was still simply a seater, but at the end of the day I had an important job to do, and I could do it well. It wasn’t until I received GT training that I really felt as if my program had been a worthwhile use of my time, career wise. As I’ve said, seating is simple. Really, really simple. A monkey could do it. But once I had the capacity to GT and assign, suddenly I mattered much more to the restaurant itself. My managers took more notice of me. My stoic, Eastern European manager actually praised me and told me I was doing a good job. It did wonders for my temperament.
So, in review, I really do highly recommend Full Service Food and Beverage. It’s not a role that’s unique to Disney, if that’s what you’re looking for. Most likely, you won’t get tons of hours, and you definitely won’t be making tons of money. But I think it’s one of the very best roles you could possibly get. And I was lucky enough to be placed in what I think was the very best locations that Disney has to offer. Most people probably won’t be placed in a signature restaurant, it’s true. But I highly recommend it. It was perfect in a number of ways. For one thing, it would look better on a resume than say, the Plaza Restaurant or Crystal Palace. For another, being in a resort rather than in the parks meant that we weren’t busy all the time. Summer was our slow season, so sometimes we would have barely more than 100 guests in an evening. It could get boring, yes, but it also meant we had plenty of time to bond and chat with our fellow cast members. So: three thumbs up for FSFB. Many, many thumbs up, as far as DCP roles go. It’s not the most popular choice, nor the role with the most openings, but I can’t recommend it enough.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, my official review of FSFB!
As mentioned, I worked at Citricos, a signature restaurant in the Grand Floridian. However, I was also deployed to Narcoossee’s, another signature restaurant at the GF, and the Whispering Canyon Café at the Wilderness Lodge. I never worked in a park, and I’m sure that’s a different experience entirely, but in my honest opinion, FSFB is one of the best roles the Disney College Program has to offer.
It isn’t perfect. Honestly, no role I’ve heard of is a great opportunity. The DCP is a great introduction to the company, but it isn’t exactly a job to be proud of, for the most part. However, FSFB is one of the better jobs, because it is accompanied by some degree of responsibility and thus allows some degree of resume-enhancement. Admittedly, I spent most of my program seating. And seating is a horribly tedious job at times, it’s true. It’s mindless and boring, and it’s difficult to feel useful or like you’re gaining any useful skills. If I had been a seater my entire program, it would likely have been entirely a waste of time. But I wasn’t. Greeting wasn’t exceptional either, but as a greeter you really got a feel for the entire restaurant. You could easily understand its capacity, you came to know each server’s strengths, weaknesses, and preferences, and you held an important position as the first cast member that the guests encountered.
Same thing with assigning, but to an even greater degree. In six months, I only actually got to assign twice, besides my training, but each time was a very educational experience. You learn how the restaurant flows, you learn about each seater and how quickly and efficiently they do their jobs, and you learn about the servers and their habits. You learn about management and who will try to micro-manage. It’s still not a perfect job, but you feel much more useful than when you’re simply seating. You feel important, as if your efforts are making a difference. And you feel more in tune with the restaurant and its inner workings.
GT wasn’t my favorite job either, but I felt useful doing it. Yes, for most of the evening I was still simply a seater, but at the end of the day I had an important job to do, and I could do it well. It wasn’t until I received GT training that I really felt as if my program had been a worthwhile use of my time, career wise. As I’ve said, seating is simple. Really, really simple. A monkey could do it. But once I had the capacity to GT and assign, suddenly I mattered much more to the restaurant itself. My managers took more notice of me. My stoic, Eastern European manager actually praised me and told me I was doing a good job. It did wonders for my temperament.
So, in review, I really do highly recommend Full Service Food and Beverage. It’s not a role that’s unique to Disney, if that’s what you’re looking for. Most likely, you won’t get tons of hours, and you definitely won’t be making tons of money. But I think it’s one of the very best roles you could possibly get. And I was lucky enough to be placed in what I think was the very best locations that Disney has to offer. Most people probably won’t be placed in a signature restaurant, it’s true. But I highly recommend it. It was perfect in a number of ways. For one thing, it would look better on a resume than say, the Plaza Restaurant or Crystal Palace. For another, being in a resort rather than in the parks meant that we weren’t busy all the time. Summer was our slow season, so sometimes we would have barely more than 100 guests in an evening. It could get boring, yes, but it also meant we had plenty of time to bond and chat with our fellow cast members. So: three thumbs up for FSFB. Many, many thumbs up, as far as DCP roles go. It’s not the most popular choice, nor the role with the most openings, but I can’t recommend it enough.
thumpergirl101
SA 2015 Alumna
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2012
Final Review cont.:
Next, as if I haven’t bored you to death already, I’d like to give an overall summary of my program. As I’ve described, I was extremely excited to begin my CP and my journey of working for Disney (which I hope will continue once I finish school). Therefore, the beginning of my program was wonderful. I loved my job, I loved my coworkers, and I walked around Citricos with a smile on my face. I went to the parks during every available moment, and I constantly reveled at my life-I worked for Disney. I basically lived at Walt Disney World. It was magical.
Of course, that youthful optimism couldn’t last forever. Eventually, the job itself and the environment at Citricos got to me. Seating grew to be unbearably tedious-I could force myself to do it, and I could keep a very fake smile plastered on my face while talking to the guests, but I hated it. My coworkers knew how much I hated seating, because while I did my best to hide it from the guests, it was obvious to people who actually knew me. I’m a cynic at heart, and I’ve gotten bored with every job I’ve ever had after a while, so my CP was no different. I could’ve gotten through it, if not for one person.
There was a manager at Citricos who I simply did not like, and I was not alone in those sentiments. I can’t think of a single person at Citricos who actually enjoyed his/her company or management style. This manager didn’t treat us cast members with respect. There was an accusatory nature in all his/her interactions, as if every one of his/her employees was always doing something incorrect. It made the environment rather toxic for a time. No one really enjoyed coming to work, and you could easily tell. I grew to dread working after a time. He/she had an extremely condescending manner, just about always. And considering the ease of my job, it was incredibly insulting to be treated as if I were incapable of doing it. This manager made it perfectly clear that we CPs were unimportant in the grand scheme of things, and made some choices that were extremely insulting to my intelligence. Admittedly, we all knew my program would only last six months, but it was an important time for me. I wanted to learn and grow as much as I could, and he/she was reluctant to give me any of the opportunities that I desired.
So, after 2-3 months, I began to grow extremely bitter and resentful. It was around the end of April that my initial enthusiasm began to wear off. I wasn’t exactly unhappy, but I didn’t look forward to work the way I once had. My family visited at the beginning of May, and that was a lovely time, but it was once they left that everything got significantly worse. I didn’t feel as though I had any close friends, work was a dead end for me, and I had a solid three months longer to go. At one point, I was so disillusioned that I honestly wondered whether it was worthwhile for me to finish my program. I didn’t feel there was any future for me there.
It was around then that my deployment began and, to be perfectly honest, I think my deployment saved my program, and certainly my sanity. Narcoossee’s, on the grounds of the Grand Floridian, had recently lost a large portion of their seating staff. Towards the beginning of May, Tasmyn was deployed there. Initially she missed Citricos, but she quickly grew to love the people and the atmosphere there. She worked at Narcoossee’s for I believe 2-3 weeks, then, for some reason, her schedule returned her to Citricos and I was deployed to Narcoossee’s instead.
It didn’t exactly work out that way though. Tasmyn loved Narcoossee’s so much that she was reluctant to leave it. So, while I was officially deployed there for two weeks, or 10 work days total, I only spent 5 days working there over the course of those two weeks. And, as it turned out, it was the perfect arrangement for me. It took some adjusting to get used to working in a different restaurant, but Tasmyn was right-it was wonderful. The management was gracious and appreciative of my help-they outright told me so. Of the five days I worked there, I got to greet for 4 of them, a much better track record than my Citricos schedule. They even let me help train some of their new seating staff. The manager Jack even took down my number in case they ever needed me to pick up a shift. It was wonderful to feel useful and appreciated, as I definitely didn’t feel that way at Citricos at the time.
For my last week of official deployment, I was scheduled for 3 days at Narcoossee’s and 2 at Citricos. However, something unexpected happened: Tasmyn was deployed to Whispering Canyon Café. It wouldn’t have been an issue, but it was the first week of June, the very last full week of her program. She wasn’t very happy to have been sent away from her home restaurant and her home resort for her last week. With that in mind, we approached the management of both Narcoossee’s and Citricos about the situation, and they were gracious enough to help. They emailed the management over at the WCC at the Wilderness Lodge, and everyone agreed that it would be all right for me to work at WCC for the week and for Tasmyn to cover my shifts at the Grand Floridian. I know, I really am a wonderful friend.
And so I scurried off to a new location. I was nervous, but Tasmyn had a friend who worked at the Wilderness Lodge, so at least he told me in general where to go and where to pick up my costume. Still, it’s disorienting showing up and having no real idea what you’re doing. I got there early and sat in the cafeteria until I spotted someone wearing the WCC costume, then meekly asked if I could follow them. They showed me where to find the restaurant, which was good, because backstage can be confusing, and I’d never been to the Wilderness Lodge before. I stowed my stuff in the manager’s office and was sent up to the podium to be given some quick training.
It took a few days to get used to everything. I was used to my formal, signature restaurant, and the Victorian language we used there. It was definitely an adjustment to get accustomed to WCC, where I’m encouraged to be sassy with the guests and join in the general antics. But it was exactly the change I needed. I even met one of my closest friends from my program there, another CP named Brendan, who was and is wonderful. He was sassy and cynical but also smart and accomplished, and I loved him a lot. I miss him.
I was somewhat excited to be going back to Citricos. I missed my restaurant, where I knew everyone and I was familiar with the restaurant, and in spite of everything I felt fairly at home there. Of course, I knew I would miss Narcoossee’s and WCC and my friends there, but it still felt kind of nice to get back to Citricos. Unfortunately, Tasmyn left soon after I returned. I had to trade around my shifts to be able to work on her last day, but I’m incredibly glad I did so. She too was among my closest friends, and it was very painful to imagine working without her. But she left, and life at Citricos moved on, slightly emptier. We got a new CP, also annoying named Samantha, but I grew to enjoy her company.
A few weeks after Tasmyn’s departure, Kendall left too. I loved Kendall, but we weren’t especially close. The only time we spent together outside of work was on her very last night before flying home, when I begged my managers for an ER and then met her and her friends for a last hurrah in MK. But still, she was wonderful. Her departure wasn’t as sad as Tasmyn’s, because she had been unhappy there for so long, but I felt rather abandoned. They were my closest work friends, as my fellow CPs, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to survive a month and a half without them.
However, other happy news was on the horizon, news that gave me hope about the last little while of my program: my unpleasant manager was being transferred. He/she was leaving Citricos! As sad as it is, the day we got the news was the happiest I’d ever seen the Citricos staff. There was smiling. There was laughter. There was even hugging. And, even more sadly, we were right to rejoice. Our new management was wonderful. They treated us kindly, and they walked through the restaurant smiling. It was incredibly refreshing to be treated like valuable cast members again, and honestly, I grew to love Citricos again. Of course, things still weren’t perfect, but they were about as perfect as I could’ve hoped. With Kendall gone, I was the ranking CP, so I got to greet at least three times a week, with usually one GT shift. Part-time Sam picked up one of my shifts every week, so I only had to work four days a week. And each of those days was excellent. I loved going to work, even though we were slow and the job could get boring, stuck at the podium as I so often was.
Next, as if I haven’t bored you to death already, I’d like to give an overall summary of my program. As I’ve described, I was extremely excited to begin my CP and my journey of working for Disney (which I hope will continue once I finish school). Therefore, the beginning of my program was wonderful. I loved my job, I loved my coworkers, and I walked around Citricos with a smile on my face. I went to the parks during every available moment, and I constantly reveled at my life-I worked for Disney. I basically lived at Walt Disney World. It was magical.
Of course, that youthful optimism couldn’t last forever. Eventually, the job itself and the environment at Citricos got to me. Seating grew to be unbearably tedious-I could force myself to do it, and I could keep a very fake smile plastered on my face while talking to the guests, but I hated it. My coworkers knew how much I hated seating, because while I did my best to hide it from the guests, it was obvious to people who actually knew me. I’m a cynic at heart, and I’ve gotten bored with every job I’ve ever had after a while, so my CP was no different. I could’ve gotten through it, if not for one person.
There was a manager at Citricos who I simply did not like, and I was not alone in those sentiments. I can’t think of a single person at Citricos who actually enjoyed his/her company or management style. This manager didn’t treat us cast members with respect. There was an accusatory nature in all his/her interactions, as if every one of his/her employees was always doing something incorrect. It made the environment rather toxic for a time. No one really enjoyed coming to work, and you could easily tell. I grew to dread working after a time. He/she had an extremely condescending manner, just about always. And considering the ease of my job, it was incredibly insulting to be treated as if I were incapable of doing it. This manager made it perfectly clear that we CPs were unimportant in the grand scheme of things, and made some choices that were extremely insulting to my intelligence. Admittedly, we all knew my program would only last six months, but it was an important time for me. I wanted to learn and grow as much as I could, and he/she was reluctant to give me any of the opportunities that I desired.
So, after 2-3 months, I began to grow extremely bitter and resentful. It was around the end of April that my initial enthusiasm began to wear off. I wasn’t exactly unhappy, but I didn’t look forward to work the way I once had. My family visited at the beginning of May, and that was a lovely time, but it was once they left that everything got significantly worse. I didn’t feel as though I had any close friends, work was a dead end for me, and I had a solid three months longer to go. At one point, I was so disillusioned that I honestly wondered whether it was worthwhile for me to finish my program. I didn’t feel there was any future for me there.
It was around then that my deployment began and, to be perfectly honest, I think my deployment saved my program, and certainly my sanity. Narcoossee’s, on the grounds of the Grand Floridian, had recently lost a large portion of their seating staff. Towards the beginning of May, Tasmyn was deployed there. Initially she missed Citricos, but she quickly grew to love the people and the atmosphere there. She worked at Narcoossee’s for I believe 2-3 weeks, then, for some reason, her schedule returned her to Citricos and I was deployed to Narcoossee’s instead.
It didn’t exactly work out that way though. Tasmyn loved Narcoossee’s so much that she was reluctant to leave it. So, while I was officially deployed there for two weeks, or 10 work days total, I only spent 5 days working there over the course of those two weeks. And, as it turned out, it was the perfect arrangement for me. It took some adjusting to get used to working in a different restaurant, but Tasmyn was right-it was wonderful. The management was gracious and appreciative of my help-they outright told me so. Of the five days I worked there, I got to greet for 4 of them, a much better track record than my Citricos schedule. They even let me help train some of their new seating staff. The manager Jack even took down my number in case they ever needed me to pick up a shift. It was wonderful to feel useful and appreciated, as I definitely didn’t feel that way at Citricos at the time.
For my last week of official deployment, I was scheduled for 3 days at Narcoossee’s and 2 at Citricos. However, something unexpected happened: Tasmyn was deployed to Whispering Canyon Café. It wouldn’t have been an issue, but it was the first week of June, the very last full week of her program. She wasn’t very happy to have been sent away from her home restaurant and her home resort for her last week. With that in mind, we approached the management of both Narcoossee’s and Citricos about the situation, and they were gracious enough to help. They emailed the management over at the WCC at the Wilderness Lodge, and everyone agreed that it would be all right for me to work at WCC for the week and for Tasmyn to cover my shifts at the Grand Floridian. I know, I really am a wonderful friend.
And so I scurried off to a new location. I was nervous, but Tasmyn had a friend who worked at the Wilderness Lodge, so at least he told me in general where to go and where to pick up my costume. Still, it’s disorienting showing up and having no real idea what you’re doing. I got there early and sat in the cafeteria until I spotted someone wearing the WCC costume, then meekly asked if I could follow them. They showed me where to find the restaurant, which was good, because backstage can be confusing, and I’d never been to the Wilderness Lodge before. I stowed my stuff in the manager’s office and was sent up to the podium to be given some quick training.
It took a few days to get used to everything. I was used to my formal, signature restaurant, and the Victorian language we used there. It was definitely an adjustment to get accustomed to WCC, where I’m encouraged to be sassy with the guests and join in the general antics. But it was exactly the change I needed. I even met one of my closest friends from my program there, another CP named Brendan, who was and is wonderful. He was sassy and cynical but also smart and accomplished, and I loved him a lot. I miss him.
I was somewhat excited to be going back to Citricos. I missed my restaurant, where I knew everyone and I was familiar with the restaurant, and in spite of everything I felt fairly at home there. Of course, I knew I would miss Narcoossee’s and WCC and my friends there, but it still felt kind of nice to get back to Citricos. Unfortunately, Tasmyn left soon after I returned. I had to trade around my shifts to be able to work on her last day, but I’m incredibly glad I did so. She too was among my closest friends, and it was very painful to imagine working without her. But she left, and life at Citricos moved on, slightly emptier. We got a new CP, also annoying named Samantha, but I grew to enjoy her company.
A few weeks after Tasmyn’s departure, Kendall left too. I loved Kendall, but we weren’t especially close. The only time we spent together outside of work was on her very last night before flying home, when I begged my managers for an ER and then met her and her friends for a last hurrah in MK. But still, she was wonderful. Her departure wasn’t as sad as Tasmyn’s, because she had been unhappy there for so long, but I felt rather abandoned. They were my closest work friends, as my fellow CPs, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to survive a month and a half without them.
However, other happy news was on the horizon, news that gave me hope about the last little while of my program: my unpleasant manager was being transferred. He/she was leaving Citricos! As sad as it is, the day we got the news was the happiest I’d ever seen the Citricos staff. There was smiling. There was laughter. There was even hugging. And, even more sadly, we were right to rejoice. Our new management was wonderful. They treated us kindly, and they walked through the restaurant smiling. It was incredibly refreshing to be treated like valuable cast members again, and honestly, I grew to love Citricos again. Of course, things still weren’t perfect, but they were about as perfect as I could’ve hoped. With Kendall gone, I was the ranking CP, so I got to greet at least three times a week, with usually one GT shift. Part-time Sam picked up one of my shifts every week, so I only had to work four days a week. And each of those days was excellent. I loved going to work, even though we were slow and the job could get boring, stuck at the podium as I so often was.
thumpergirl101
SA 2015 Alumna
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2012
Final Review cont.:
All of the sudden, my departure was in sight and I was desperately unready for it. I could count on my hands how many days off I had left. I was trying to squeeze in so many things in the parks and so much time with my friends, and I treasured each one of my remaining shifts. It wasn’t really until the last month of my program that I realized how much I loved everything about my college program. Naturally, right? That’s always how it seems to go. But Citricos had become my home, and its cast members were my family. Sandra was my mom, Judith my grandmother, Noelle and Samantha and Samantha my sisters. The management was genuinely kind to me. They told me they appreciated my work, they told me I was doing a good job, they said many kind words that I cherish.
Boris was the only manager that remained constant throughout my program. At first he was rather gruff and stoic, but towards the end he grew much more friendly and appreciative. In a very touching gesture, he submitted my name for the Grand Floridian’s quarterly awards. So, on the Monday of the last week of my program, I was able to attend premeal with all of my coworkers, and be presented with an award in recognition of my work at Citricos. Honestly, it was one of the best moments of my life, and one of the best feelings in the world. It meant so much to be recognized. Citricos had given me so much, had changed me so much, that it was so incredible to me to be recognized as having given something in return.
My last week was an emotional one. For the last month, when I realized how much I loved Citricos and my friends, I really grew to dread leaving. I racked my brains trying to think of a conceivable way to stay. But I had rejected my extension offer, and I had a scholarship at my university that I couldn’t afford to lose. I couldn’t afford to transfer to a school in Florida, and I didn’t really have enough time to secure a full-time or part-time position with Disney or to find a place to live, though my friend was gracious enough to offer me a room until I could work things out. But no matter what, I wouldn’t be able to stay at Citricos, and I was committed to furthering my education and finishing my Bachelor’s degree. So, as painful as it was to contemplate leaving, I didn’t really have a choice. So I worked on packing my apartment and wrapping up all my loose ends as best I could.
It was a busy time, trying to fit in my final park time and my last moments with friends and working my last few days, all while trying to pack and get organized. I was kind of an emotional wreck the whole time, but I managed to hold in my tears until my last day of work. It wasn’t a secret that my program was ending-I’d been up front about the whole thing and how sad I was, and I’d already had to say a few goodbyes earlier that week. That morning I had officially graduated from the DCP and said goodbye to Brendan, who was a wonderful person. I arranged to attend premeal, because I wanted to be there with everyone for my last day. I truly wasn’t expecting anything, I just wanted to enjoy my last shift. Tasmyn and Kendall had both left without much fanfare, and I expected the same.
So it was with great surprise that they talked about me. The managers told everyone it was my last day. They praised my work for the last six months, and everyone applauded. They handed me a Citricos menu that everyone had signed and written farewell messages on. It was, again, one of the best moments of my life. To be surrounded by people I loved, and to be appreciated by them, in an incredible feeling. At the same time, I was incredibly happy to feel so at home and welcomed there and incredibly sad because I knew it was my last shift, and that I was leaving. But every single person there seemed sorry to see me go. Even people I didn’t feel especially close to had kind words to say, and felt as though I had worked hard and done my best, which of course I had. It was incredible. I only avoided sobbing because I really hate crying in public.
I saved my tears for when I was alone at the podium later that evening. I couldn’t avoid it then, because I knew that in a few hours I’d be leaving Citricos, perhaps forever. I’d be leaving behind all the coworkers and friends and family that I loved desperately. Of course, I was at work, so I couldn’t let go completely. When my shift ended, and I said my final, teary goodbyes, I walked away, and I cried like a child all the way to the bus stop. At the bus stop, Tasmyn called me, all the way from Australia, because she knew I would be emotional. And because she’s a wonderful, thoughtful, sweet person. Then I sat at the bus stop and cried in front of a total stranger, then when the bus arrived I cried for a while there too. By the time I got home, I was all dried out. I hate crying, and it had been at least a year since I’d cried, and I figured I was done for another solid year.
All of the sudden, my departure was in sight and I was desperately unready for it. I could count on my hands how many days off I had left. I was trying to squeeze in so many things in the parks and so much time with my friends, and I treasured each one of my remaining shifts. It wasn’t really until the last month of my program that I realized how much I loved everything about my college program. Naturally, right? That’s always how it seems to go. But Citricos had become my home, and its cast members were my family. Sandra was my mom, Judith my grandmother, Noelle and Samantha and Samantha my sisters. The management was genuinely kind to me. They told me they appreciated my work, they told me I was doing a good job, they said many kind words that I cherish.
Boris was the only manager that remained constant throughout my program. At first he was rather gruff and stoic, but towards the end he grew much more friendly and appreciative. In a very touching gesture, he submitted my name for the Grand Floridian’s quarterly awards. So, on the Monday of the last week of my program, I was able to attend premeal with all of my coworkers, and be presented with an award in recognition of my work at Citricos. Honestly, it was one of the best moments of my life, and one of the best feelings in the world. It meant so much to be recognized. Citricos had given me so much, had changed me so much, that it was so incredible to me to be recognized as having given something in return.
My last week was an emotional one. For the last month, when I realized how much I loved Citricos and my friends, I really grew to dread leaving. I racked my brains trying to think of a conceivable way to stay. But I had rejected my extension offer, and I had a scholarship at my university that I couldn’t afford to lose. I couldn’t afford to transfer to a school in Florida, and I didn’t really have enough time to secure a full-time or part-time position with Disney or to find a place to live, though my friend was gracious enough to offer me a room until I could work things out. But no matter what, I wouldn’t be able to stay at Citricos, and I was committed to furthering my education and finishing my Bachelor’s degree. So, as painful as it was to contemplate leaving, I didn’t really have a choice. So I worked on packing my apartment and wrapping up all my loose ends as best I could.
It was a busy time, trying to fit in my final park time and my last moments with friends and working my last few days, all while trying to pack and get organized. I was kind of an emotional wreck the whole time, but I managed to hold in my tears until my last day of work. It wasn’t a secret that my program was ending-I’d been up front about the whole thing and how sad I was, and I’d already had to say a few goodbyes earlier that week. That morning I had officially graduated from the DCP and said goodbye to Brendan, who was a wonderful person. I arranged to attend premeal, because I wanted to be there with everyone for my last day. I truly wasn’t expecting anything, I just wanted to enjoy my last shift. Tasmyn and Kendall had both left without much fanfare, and I expected the same.
So it was with great surprise that they talked about me. The managers told everyone it was my last day. They praised my work for the last six months, and everyone applauded. They handed me a Citricos menu that everyone had signed and written farewell messages on. It was, again, one of the best moments of my life. To be surrounded by people I loved, and to be appreciated by them, in an incredible feeling. At the same time, I was incredibly happy to feel so at home and welcomed there and incredibly sad because I knew it was my last shift, and that I was leaving. But every single person there seemed sorry to see me go. Even people I didn’t feel especially close to had kind words to say, and felt as though I had worked hard and done my best, which of course I had. It was incredible. I only avoided sobbing because I really hate crying in public.
I saved my tears for when I was alone at the podium later that evening. I couldn’t avoid it then, because I knew that in a few hours I’d be leaving Citricos, perhaps forever. I’d be leaving behind all the coworkers and friends and family that I loved desperately. Of course, I was at work, so I couldn’t let go completely. When my shift ended, and I said my final, teary goodbyes, I walked away, and I cried like a child all the way to the bus stop. At the bus stop, Tasmyn called me, all the way from Australia, because she knew I would be emotional. And because she’s a wonderful, thoughtful, sweet person. Then I sat at the bus stop and cried in front of a total stranger, then when the bus arrived I cried for a while there too. By the time I got home, I was all dried out. I hate crying, and it had been at least a year since I’d cried, and I figured I was done for another solid year.
thumpergirl101
SA 2015 Alumna
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2012
I'm leaving this here so that when I have more reliable internet access I'll maybe post a few pictures, so at least you can get a visual on the people I'm talking about. If I feel motivated.
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thumpergirl101
SA 2015 Alumna
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2012
Final Review cont.:
The next day I was a mess, but not teary. I checked into my hotel, I officially moved out of my apartment, and I had a goodbye lunch with Noelle. I was doing good, holding in the tears. She dropped me off at MK, and I met up with my best program friend for my last goodbye to him and to Magic Kingdom.
That’s when I lost it the first time. Sitting in his car, driving along, with silent tears streaming down my face. I was mildly embarrassed, because we hadn’t even started to say goodbye yet, but I managed to stop while we entered the park. Still, it was close a few times, as I walked down Main Street and rode my favorite attractions for the last time. Too much was happening. I was leaving Disney, I was leaving some of the best friends I’ve ever had, and I was heading into an uncertain future. Still, I couldn’t have asked for a better evening, at first. We had dinner at Be Our Guest, celebrating my departure with a couple of old friends and one new one. Then, Matt and I (and some extremely annoying and unwelcome guests) stood behind the castle to watch Wishes for the last time. For my very last ride, my last attraction in MK, we went on the Peoplemover. It was one of our very favorites, and, as if MK was bidding me a fond adieu, we also got to see Space Mountain with the lights on.
As we approached the entrance to Tomorrowland, we said our goodbyes, so I could walk down Main Street by myself for the last time. It wasn’t my idea, and at first I sort of panicked when he said goodbye so much earlier than I’d expected, but it turned out to be a lovely experience. First though, I burst into tears in the middle of a crowded area and genuinely sobbed for a few minutes. It was an awful goodbye, and I was a total mess throughout the whole thing. We’re talking some serious sobbing. I haven’t cried like that in years. Or maybe ever.
But eventually the tears subsided and I made it out of MK for the last time. The next day, I got everything with flights arranged, and I enjoyed my last few hours in Hollywood Studios and Epcot, then boarded Magical Express sadly for the airport. It felt so final, but I know I’ll be back someday.
And now, for my final thoughts.
The Disney College Program is an incredibly life-changing experience. It’s going to be different for everyone who participates in it, of course, but it was a wonderful and altering experience for me, and I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. I met many wonderful people, and made very close and wonderful friends. I learned new skills and, on the whole, became a very different person than the one who had arrived in Florida six months previously. The DCP isn’t for everyone, obviously. I know plenty of people who didn’t have the transformative experience that I did. But I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s not a great job, and it’s far from a perfect internship, but it’s a magical experience.
You know that scene at the end of the movie Titanic? Where elderly Rose dies and she’s welcomed to heaven-but heaven looks just like the ship, and those who greet her are all who perished in its tragedy? And you think to yourself, how could a weeklong voyage be the place where she felt most at home in her life, as if that’s where she truly belonged?
The DCP is kind of like that. Six months is a terribly short time to live and work somewhere, in the grand scheme of things. It’s not very long at all to find a place you love and belong and a people you can call your family. But that’s what happened to me. I felt as though I belonged at Disney, at Citricos, more than I’ve belonged anywhere in a long while. Leaving all that behind was among the hardest things I’ve ever done. But I made the right choice. In two more years, I’ll be done with school, and I plan to head back to Disney. Maybe I’ll change my mind in the intervening years. Maybe I’ll find another passion, and maybe my life will change course. But for now? I’m counting down the months until we’re reunited. Because, for better or for worse, Disney is my home, and its cast members my family, and I love it and I love them. And I don’t think that will ever change.
The next day I was a mess, but not teary. I checked into my hotel, I officially moved out of my apartment, and I had a goodbye lunch with Noelle. I was doing good, holding in the tears. She dropped me off at MK, and I met up with my best program friend for my last goodbye to him and to Magic Kingdom.
That’s when I lost it the first time. Sitting in his car, driving along, with silent tears streaming down my face. I was mildly embarrassed, because we hadn’t even started to say goodbye yet, but I managed to stop while we entered the park. Still, it was close a few times, as I walked down Main Street and rode my favorite attractions for the last time. Too much was happening. I was leaving Disney, I was leaving some of the best friends I’ve ever had, and I was heading into an uncertain future. Still, I couldn’t have asked for a better evening, at first. We had dinner at Be Our Guest, celebrating my departure with a couple of old friends and one new one. Then, Matt and I (and some extremely annoying and unwelcome guests) stood behind the castle to watch Wishes for the last time. For my very last ride, my last attraction in MK, we went on the Peoplemover. It was one of our very favorites, and, as if MK was bidding me a fond adieu, we also got to see Space Mountain with the lights on.
As we approached the entrance to Tomorrowland, we said our goodbyes, so I could walk down Main Street by myself for the last time. It wasn’t my idea, and at first I sort of panicked when he said goodbye so much earlier than I’d expected, but it turned out to be a lovely experience. First though, I burst into tears in the middle of a crowded area and genuinely sobbed for a few minutes. It was an awful goodbye, and I was a total mess throughout the whole thing. We’re talking some serious sobbing. I haven’t cried like that in years. Or maybe ever.
But eventually the tears subsided and I made it out of MK for the last time. The next day, I got everything with flights arranged, and I enjoyed my last few hours in Hollywood Studios and Epcot, then boarded Magical Express sadly for the airport. It felt so final, but I know I’ll be back someday.
And now, for my final thoughts.
The Disney College Program is an incredibly life-changing experience. It’s going to be different for everyone who participates in it, of course, but it was a wonderful and altering experience for me, and I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. I met many wonderful people, and made very close and wonderful friends. I learned new skills and, on the whole, became a very different person than the one who had arrived in Florida six months previously. The DCP isn’t for everyone, obviously. I know plenty of people who didn’t have the transformative experience that I did. But I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s not a great job, and it’s far from a perfect internship, but it’s a magical experience.
You know that scene at the end of the movie Titanic? Where elderly Rose dies and she’s welcomed to heaven-but heaven looks just like the ship, and those who greet her are all who perished in its tragedy? And you think to yourself, how could a weeklong voyage be the place where she felt most at home in her life, as if that’s where she truly belonged?
The DCP is kind of like that. Six months is a terribly short time to live and work somewhere, in the grand scheme of things. It’s not very long at all to find a place you love and belong and a people you can call your family. But that’s what happened to me. I felt as though I belonged at Disney, at Citricos, more than I’ve belonged anywhere in a long while. Leaving all that behind was among the hardest things I’ve ever done. But I made the right choice. In two more years, I’ll be done with school, and I plan to head back to Disney. Maybe I’ll change my mind in the intervening years. Maybe I’ll find another passion, and maybe my life will change course. But for now? I’m counting down the months until we’re reunited. Because, for better or for worse, Disney is my home, and its cast members my family, and I love it and I love them. And I don’t think that will ever change.
thumpergirl101
SA 2015 Alumna
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2012
Ladies and gentleman, that's it. Those are my final thoughts on the Disney College Program and my experience with it. I don't think I'll be posting much anymore. It's been 12 days since I left Disney, and it's been a rough 12 days, but I'm doing my best to move on. However, if anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to help! I love Disney, and I'm pretty proficient with my DCP knowledge now, so just let me know!
Love,
Kira
Love,
Kira
Lizzards
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2014
Hi Kira!!! Wow what a wonderfully, detailed wrap up. Thank you so much for all of the time and effort you put into your final posts. I just recently found your report, so it is a great treat to read the final post. College is such a growing time during life anyways, so to throw Disney into the mix, makes it even more memorable. It is awesome you can reflect back on your time and see how you have grown and changed as a person and student. I hope the rest of your college career is rewarding and keep persevering until that graduation day!!!!
I've am sorry you weren't able to extend your time at Disney, and I can only imagine how sad you are it is over. Hang in there!! When one door closes, another one usually opens. Many blessings on your upcoming semester!
I've am sorry you weren't able to extend your time at Disney, and I can only imagine how sad you are it is over. Hang in there!! When one door closes, another one usually opens. Many blessings on your upcoming semester!
Thank you so much for finishing your report. In all it sounds like you had an adventure of a lifetime. Life is funny and you nay find yourself back in Orland weather working for Disney or somewhere else. Enjoy your last two years in college and have a great school year.
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