Interview a CP: Carmela (Concierge & Attractions)

Carmela in the Grand Floridian!

I had the pleasure of interviewing Carmela and learning about her experience in two different roles during her college program! It's always interesting to hear a person's opinion and compare their experience within the different roles. Let's see what she had to say!

What role did you have during the DCP, and where did you work?

I was a Concierge/Front Desk at the Grand Floridian for the first half of my program! Then I extended and was attractions at Dinosaur in Animal Kingdom!

What was a typical day like at work?

For Concierge I would make sure to answer every guest's questions. I mostly got questions about My Disney Experience and magic bands since they still confuse people since they are fairly new. I dealt with magic bands all the time and I learned to love the new system! I also got to sell park tickets, book dining reservations as well as recommending places to eat/shop! That was my favorite part! I loved sharing my knowledge of Disney World to all of my guests that I encountered. One day, I spent an hour planning this family's vacation because they have never been to Disney World before! I loved my my job! It can get repetitive but I never got bored. I had live music playing during my shifts all of the time. I loved listening to the band! They played all of my favorites: Disney tunes, Dixieland music and jazz. When I wasn't in the lobby, I was at lounge. Lounge is mostly in Deluxe Resorts. I would serve the food on the buffet tables and make sure everything is restocked and clean. Not a lot of people liked lounge, but I enjoyed it. Sometimes managers would let you "test" the food for "product knowledge." As CP's, you would almost always get at least 2-3 lounge shifts a week. 

At Dinosaur I could be placed at various locations. Tower, which is the eyes and ears of the entire attractions, AKA the most stressful thing ever! I also was placed at Greeter (my favorite), Fastpass, Grouper and most important belt check! I liked attractions but it was REALLY stressful! I loved Concierge so much more.

Is this the role you originally wanted? If not, are you happy you got it?

Concierge was my first choice and I cried when I was accepted into it. Not going to lie, when I found out I got accepted to extend into attractions I was very upset. I felt that it was a demotion and a major step down. But, I did enjoy working at Dinosaur! I met great people and it was nice to have had the opportunity to work in a resort and a park!

What are your favorite and least favorite parts about your job?

I loved everything about Concierge! I would have to say that the one part I didn't like was standing in one spot for 8+ hours. Concierge is more flexible than Front Desk and I don't think that it is repetitive like people say. I enjoyed every moment of concierge!

At Dinosaur, I did not like Tower. I was very overwhelmed and one mistake could cost you your job.

Carmela and her coworkers on Dinosaur!

(Not even kidding). Since I transferred from Hospitality, I was not used to saying "No." That was hard for me. It was upsetting to turn away people if the child was too small to ride. I felt that attractions isn't for me because it is very safety oriented and very uptight. You have to be alert at all times and even if you sneeze or blink something could go wrong in an instant. Also, every time I went to work, I was always afraid to do something wrong and get a reprimand. If you are a nervous person, like myself, attractions is not for you. I did enjoy my time at Dinosaur though, it was a great experience!

Any specific magical moment you want to share?

I had so many wonderful moments with guests!

At Concierge, like I said before, I helped a family plan their vacation for over an hour and they were so grateful! They would come visit me throughout their stay every day and would tell me about their day! They would always ask me if I would be working tomorrow, and when I said "Yes" they were so excited. They were so adorable and it made my week that they were so appreciative of what I did for them!  At Dinosaur, I had a task called "Make a Magical Moment" along with another coworker. I had a Dinosaur vest, a construction hat and scientist goggles. I stood at greeter and waited for a little boy and ask if he would like to be an "Honorary Technician" then I would get the family through Fastpass and get them a free photo from the ride! I found a little boy and he was so excited! His parents told me that the son wanted to ride Dinosaur again but they didn't think that they could because the line was so long! They were so grateful that we got them through fastpass! I'm glad that I picked the right family! 

Lastly, I was training for Concierge, and a little girl kept looking at my name tag. The father finally said that his daughter had the same name as me! It was awesome because I never met a Carmela that was younger than me! The little girl asked if I can take a picture with her so she could put it in her scrapbook! I was so honored to be in her scrapbook!

At Beaches 'n' Cream to conquer the Kitchen Sink!

Is there something you wish you would have known before doing your program?

Not really! I had no regrets! I came in with a very opened mind!

What advice would you give to those who want to participate in your role?

For Concierge, make sure to product knowledge! Go to as many restaurants as you can, including quick service! Explore the parks! If you do not have the time to do so, research ahead of time. Before I went to Florida, I studied the whole Walt Disney World Resort map. I also studied the surrounding area. It is really helpful to know your way around because a lot of people will ask about Churches, malls, etc. For attractions, be prepared to be very alert! Don't be nervous! I was really nervous and I had to keep telling myself not to be! 

What advice would you give to people who are interested in doing the DCP?

Enjoy every moment of it! The DCP is really a once in a lifetime opportunity! Don't take it for granted! It was the greatest experience of my life! Make sure to take advantage of your free park admission and your 40% Holiday merchandise discount. I did not meet a single person who did not like their college program. Make the best of it! :)

If you're a current or past college program cast member and would like to share your experience, email your name and role to thedisneyden@yahoo.com to participate!

I hope everyone has a magical day!

Interview a CP: Brian (Hotel Concierge)

Brian hanging with Tigger at the Crystal Palace!

Brian was kind enough to share his experience working as a concierge cast member at one of Walt Disney World's most beautiful resorts!

What role did you have during the DCP, and where did you work?

I was a concierge cast member at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. I also did front desk and 3rd shift cashier.

What was a typical day like at work?

A typical day would consist of attending to all of the guests needs. We would do check-ins/check-outs. Also we would help them purchase tickets, book dining reservations, and help them plan their days. On 3rd shift we would run reports and deliver items to the rooms.

Is this the role you originally wanted? If not, are you happy you got it?

This was the role I had originally wanted. I had worked before in resorts and love the atmosphere.

What are your favorite and least favorite parts about your job?

My favorite part of the job was that every guest was different. You would have to adapt to each of the guest needs and find solutions to their problems. Also I enjoyed recommending attractions and dining to them. My least favorite part of the job was that there wasn’t enough interaction with kids. I would give out stickers often and ask about their favorite characters/rides but I still would have liked more child interaction.

Any specific magical moment you want to share?

There was a little girl and her family who had visited Boardwalk in the past and asked the comedian Brian (who is HYSTERICAL) if he wanted to share her dessert years. We had taken the picture and had it framed. During the comedy show the little girl had a special part in the show to hit a bell every time the comedian had said the magic words. After the show about 25 Boardwalk cast members gave the little girl balloons, got to interact with the family, and present the picture to the family. Then the little girl and the comedian held hands and we all walked to the ESPN Club where the comedian got on the TV screens and told the family that Mickey said the meal was free. It was AMAZING and describing the story doesn’t do it justice.

What made you want to do the DCP?

Honestly, I was in a rough situation and had heard about the program from my friend Mallory on Tumblr. She had loved the program and although I wasn’t a huge Disney fan at the time, I knew it would be such an amazing opportunity and I was right.

Is there something you wish you would have known before doing your program?

I don’t feel like there’s anything I wish I knew ahead of time.

What advice would you give to those who are going to be participating in your role?

My advice for future hospitality and concierge cast members is to make sure to read as much as possible about Disney. Go to the parks, go on the attractions, eat at the amazing restaurants. The more you know about the parks and resorts, the better you can assist guests. Also don’t take things personally. A lot of guests can get frustrated (especially at DVC resorts) so do your best to stay calm and try to find solutions to their problems.

What advice would you give to people who are interested in doing the DCP?

My advice would be to go into the program without any expectations other than to plan to work hard. Also think about whether or not you’re coming for the right reasons. If you’re worried about having too many hours, want to party, or to meet your “prince charming or princess”, then you really shouldn’t even consider applying. Network a lot with leaders and take advantage of all the networking events/workshops Disney has for the cast members. Go into it with an open mind because you’ll learn a lot about yourself during the program. I highly recommend the program for anyone.

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If you're a current or past college program cast member and would like to share your experience, email your name and role to thedisneyden@yahoo.com to participate!