tips on how to get ready for the spring program?

[kikiasumi]

okay now with my other rant out of teh way, I'm looking for some advice on how to get ready for my upcoming program

I'll be leaving january 25 but december 19-january 17 I'll be on a month long trip to visit my boyfriend before I go so I wanted to get a headstart on getting everything squared away, or at least an idea before I go on my trip instead of trying to get everything done in that one week afterwards lol

I guess I just want some imput on things I'll need to start out there, how much money I should make sure I have for food and whatnot until I start getting decent checks, paper work and all that good stuff

 

[kikiasumi]

also I got hired as a custodian, so curious how many hours you kinda get for that job?

 

[AliSW]

I don't think you need that much money I think it's only around 2 weeks that you won't be making much. So you just need enough to buy your work shoes and some food for that long really.
I was custodial at Epcot and I usually had an average of around 40 hours a week. depends on where you are but I almost always had the same hours with a little variety. I was there for almost 9 months and worked a morning shift maybe 7 times haha. but I knew someone who got a lot of mornings.
Anyway I made plenty enough money to have left over for food and fun!

 

[Jayana]

You get paid training as soon as you start, and now "[the] required non-refundable $200 Housing and Administration fee, will be applied to the participant's housing costs during the first few weeks of the program", so it should only be your first check that is threadbare. I'd say you could get away with just enough for food and your shoes, but keep in mind that you will probably have to buy some new things for the apartment, and that you have to buy all of your stock items (things you usually have on hand) and cleaning supplies and whatnot, and that the first week or so is when you'll get to know your roommates, so you'll want to have some money to do fun things with them.

 

[Practically.Perfect]

Make sure you have all your onboarding paperwork printed and filled out. It makes going through casting a little faster if you don't have to sit there and fill it all out . Bring your check book, or somthing with your bank account info on it if you wan to do diect deposit.

 

[wov305]

Everyone else has said that you just need enough for food in the first week but if you want a number for a good start would be about $300. I don't know how much luggage you will be taking but you will still need sheets, maybe a pillow, towels, hangers, a blanket, etc. Sit down and really write yourself a list of the things that you currently have that make you feel comfortable and figure out the best way for you to attain the same or a comprable level of comfort while in Orlando. You may not be able to have everything but you will be there for a while and you will be working quite a few hours, so once you get back to the apartment you will want to unwind and relax.

 

[hellojamie]

Everyone else has said that you just need enough for food in the first week but if you want a number for a good start would be about $300. I don't know how much luggage you will be taking but you will still need sheets, maybe a pillow, towels, hangers, a blanket, etc. Sit down and really write yourself a list of the things that you currently have that make you feel comfortable and figure out the best way for you to attain the same or a comprable level of comfort while in Orlando. You may not be able to have everything but you will be there for a while and you will be working quite a few hours, so once you get back to the apartment you will want to unwind and relax.

I agree, I went through about $300 my first month of the CP. Between the hotel/food costs of getting down there, groceries, work shoes (which you really can't buy until you're down there) LOTS of things for the apartment we didn't have like a tea pitcher, table lamps, clothes hamper AND a laundry bag, swiffer, cleaning supplies, etc. We also bought a few decorative things like a napkin holder and place settings for our table, a little vase and cheap things from IKEA, because our apartment was SO sparse with white walls and bare furniture.

I also ended up buying a bunch of those Hanes men's crew neck shirts (with the no turkey neck collar, lol) to wear under my costumes. They were a godsend to keep that scratchy polyester off of my skin and I didn't feel so gross at the end of a long day at DAK. And you really don't have to worry about them fitting cute, because your costume won't fit cute anyway.

Those over-the-door towel racks are fabulous too, because our bathroom had one towel hook, which did not work for two girls. Since they're not attached to anything they pass inspection. Also you will probably need shower organizers. Either get a big one you can put all your stuff in and just tote back and forth, or those suctiony things they sell at Wal-mart.

You'll also probably want a mattress topper for your bed. I went without one but when I moved into PI housing I was like, omg how did I ever sleep on that. You can literally see the spring coils when the bed has no sheets on it, and you can definitely feel them.