Transportation for Spring 2011

[skaboy]

Hey Everyone,

So I got accepted for spring advantage 2011 as a transportation cast member, and I'm pretty excited about it. I interviewed Nov 3rd, and found out last Friday at 12:28 am, and then couldn't bring myself to finish my work for another 4 hours. Googling Monorails suddenly became much more important than thermodynamics. I haven't accepted it yet, I still have to settle a couple things up here, but right now I'm pretty sure I'm headed to Florida.

Anyway, I'm a Junior in Mechanical Engineering, and got offered transportation. I was just wondering if anyone had done this role recently and what their experiences were like. Driving a monorail or a boat I think would be awesome, but I also heard that some people were bus greeters, which sounds less cool, but who knows. I would really like it if I could do something related to engineering. I heard that they try and put engineers in something technical. Is that true? Are there any other engineers who applied for the college program?

Anyway, if anyone could give me some more information about the role, or anything really, it would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[YesIStillLoveDisney]

I did Transportation FA 2009 and absolutely loved it! I worked on the Friendship Boats which go from Epcot to Studios and also run in the Epcot Lagoon. I think I had one of the best roles on the program because we actually drove the boats and they were a lot of fun to maneuver with a 360 degree propeller, lol.

It is a smaller department so there are usually around 10 cp's assigned there but you will all pretty much always work the closing shift along with a few full time and part timers so you get to know everyone and make friends really easily. There is also something to be said for only being on the dock and seeing your coordinator and managers for 5 minutes out of the hour

The other benefit is that you actually start driving very quickly. It is around 7-8 days of training and then you go out. You are never by yourself though since there are always two captains on board so you get to know each other quickly.

From what I have heard of the monorails, you do not start actually piloting them for quite a while but that is just what I have heard from friends.

 

[Oglet]

In Monorails you will start out as Platform Only (PO) You will get 4 days of training and have a test which involves opening the MK or TTC Stations which are the hardest of the stations to open, you will also work each of the other stations (GF, Poly, Contemporary and Epcot) you will also have to assist trains with their MAPO checks, Phone and PA checks etc as well as a nice written test made up of about 100 questions.

Depending on the departments policy as they seem very unsure of policy with CP's you may or many not be drive trained as a Pilot. You can wait anywhere from 2 months after starting to 6 Months depending on the training schedule and how many people are ahead of you, as of right now they ARE training CP's and it seems to be taking about 2 - 3 months after they start.

Pilot training is 3 Nights shifts, 3 Day shifts and a Mid shift, you then have to demonstrate the ability to bring a train out of shop, complete all morning safety checks, drive on all 3 beams, have random simulated alerts and safety tests thrown at you, know every single hold point on all 3 beams (LOTS AND LOTS), a bunch of random questions over the radio by Monorail Central plus a lot of other fun stuff!

If for some reason you don't pass you get an additional 2 days of training if you don't pass those then you can't remain in the department (in the case of CP's they usually just finish their program out as PO only)

You will have a written test that has around 110 questions and have to go back to shop to put up the emergency ladder in the front cab, pop open the roof hatch and climb about half way up.

Get through all that and you get to drive a victory lap all by yourself and have now earned your wings. (although the wings are a part of your costume and are given to you when you get it on the first day from costuming)

 

[skaboy]

Wow thanks guys. That's really good to know.

Do either of you know how many CPs get in transportation, and then how many of them get to do monorails and watercraft. And Yes, you said that only 10 Cps are in the department, does that mean that there are only 10 Cps in the watercraft area, or 10 Cps in all of transportation.

And being an engineer, do you think they would take that into account in placing me as a transportation cast member? Or what is the likelihood of me being placed in watercraft or monorails?

Thanks, I really appreciate this.

 

[Oglet]

There are far more than 10 CP's in Monorails as I know at least 15 of them.

 

[vikings5]

So are you more likely to get trained to operate the monorails/boats if you an advantage program rather than just a regular semester one? I am thinking of doing the cop next year and really want to do transportation.

In Monorails you will start out as Platform Only (PO) You will get 4 days of training and have a test which involves opening the MK or TTC Stations which are the hardest of the stations to open, you will also work each of the other stations (GF, Poly, Contemporary and Epcot) you will also have to assist trains with their MAPO checks, Phone and PA checks etc as well as a nice written test made up of about 100 questions.

Depending on the departments policy as they seem very unsure of policy with CP's you may or many not be drive trained as a Pilot. You can wait anywhere from 2 months after starting to 6 Months depending on the training schedule and how many people are ahead of you, as of right now they ARE training CP's and it seems to be taking about 2 - 3 months after they start.

Pilot training is 3 Nights shifts, 3 Day shifts and a Mid shift, you then have to demonstrate the ability to bring a train out of shop, complete all morning safety checks, drive on all 3 beams, have random simulated alerts and safety tests thrown at you, know every single hold point on all 3 beams (LOTS AND LOTS), a bunch of random questions over the radio by Monorail Central plus a lot of other fun stuff!

If for some reason you don't pass you get an additional 2 days of training if you don't pass those then you can't remain in the department (in the case of CP's they usually just finish their program out as PO only)

You will have a written test that has around 110 questions and have to go back to shop to put up the emergency ladder in the front cab, pop open the roof hatch and climb about half way up.

Get through all that and you get to drive a victory lap all by yourself and have now earned your wings. (although the wings are a part of your costume and are given to you when you get it on the first day from costuming)

 

[YesIStillLoveDisney]

It depends for the numbers based on labor needs. For the most part it is pretty small compared to the rest of the roles. When I said ten people, that was just for the Friendships, the watercraft at Magic Kingdom may have a different number as it is a bigger operation.

I don't think there is really a difference in which program you do for the FriendShips at least. My program there were more in FA than Fall but this year was the opposite. For us, since it is only a week of training, it doesn't make a difference but again, monorails may be different based on the description above and I know MK Watercraft is a bit different because there are 3 different types of boats and the training schedule is much different because you have to be at each type for so long before they train you on the next. I would guess that you would still get into MK Watercraft but you probably wouldn't be trained on as many types because you have less time.