Interview a CP: Bridget (Pop Century Hospitality)

Bridget and her fellow Pop Century CP's for Fall '07

Hospitality with the college program can be a competitive role, but Bridget was able to experience this position during her DCP. Here's what she had to say about her experience in Pop Century Resort!
What role did you have during the DCP, and where did you work?

I had the role of "hospitality" at Pop Century resort, which meant I worked front desk as well as runner-I checked people in or would run special deliveries such as packages or Disney merchandise to rooms to set up for guests arriving to the resort. My favorite time to be the runner was at Christmas as I got to set up Christmas trees in guest rooms for their magical Christmas vacations!!!

What was a typical day like at work?

Work was busy, we were a 2,880 room hotel and we constantly had a line of people waiting to Check in. This was fine with me as it was a constant flow of people and it made the day go by fast. I typically worked 5pm-1am (I worked about 2 weeks on overnight as well) so rooms were ready to be checked in and guests were eager to check in and get their vacation on a roll....the check in process was lengthy as you described the building/section of the resort they were in, where the lobby/quick service restaurant and gift shop were/where to catch the buses to the parks and any questions guests had about the parks/park hours/nearby attractions....each check in took some time, depending on the guest. On runner days I was mostly back office and running around the resort-assisting with packages, Disney merchandise delivery to rooms, towels, blankets or any room items needed to rooms...I also completed the DME letters to be hung on guest doors during the overnight shifts.

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

Yes, I was worried about getting a job I was not interested in, as hotel ops was my main focus in college. I was very pleased with my location after I started-as I knew nothing about the value resorts when I started my CP.

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

Favorite- my team, the full/part time CM were all so welcoming of the CP's...I gained friendships that will last a lifetime and It made being away from home a lot easier working with such amazing people.

Least Favorite- having to learn the hustle and dance to it at 6pm each day. We litterally would leave the desk and go "hustle" in the lobby. It was really embarrassing as I'm the worst dancer, I would try to avoid it by "getting a call" on runner days! Front desk days i couldn't get out of it! (Everyone did it together including management so we all looked silly together)

Any specific magical moment you want to share?

My favorite was the day I was handing stickers to these little kids as their parents were checking out-and I asked what their favorite rides at Disney were during their vacation and the little girl goes "the Disney bus!!!!" All proud of herself. Made me smile and I still recall it when I visit the parks :)

What made you want to do the DCP?

I was apart of a leadership group in high school and we did a trip to Disney my senior year and we did tours/classes through Disney as part of our trip...we did the Keys to the Kingdom and our tour guide explained the CP to us and it intrigued me. My senior advisor and I talked about it more In depth afterwards-I went on and graduated honestly forgot about it-then at the end of my first semester of college she dropped me an email telling me they were having a open house about it at OSU and I should attend. So I did-and fell in love with the idea of having my interning credits done at disney, I applied that night, interviewed and a few months later got my acceptance!

Bridget's first night with her roommates from Vista Way!

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

I wish I would of known all my roommates...I had never lived outside of my parents house and having to move in with five other girls was shocking as I had only met my immediate roommate on Facebook a month before. I became best of friends with her and one other roommate...other than that, one moved out in the middle of the night 3 weeks in because she missed her boyfriend (kind of shocking to find her side of their room empty when we all woke up) and then one roommate moved out because she had differences with us-and the last one was always working we rarely saw her. It was odd to be thrown into a living situation with strangers at first but I guess it forces you to "network" in an odd way! Ha! I loved it though!

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

Be prepared to work allllllll different hours. There is not a set schedule and hotels are open 24 hours, people tend to forget this...we had one girl who refused night audit, I jumped on the overtime any chance I got so I picked up shifts all the time...it worked out great on days I took the Leadership class once a week because that was like working a shift, and couldn't work during those days.

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

Take advantage of their class courses they offer. I took the leadership class and still have my notes. It's a great networking class and gets you to meet people outside of your roommates or fellow CM at your location. Also, you don't need a car-the busses were an awesome

Mode of transportation. You can give yourself an extra 20-30 minutes a day to take the bus and save on gas...you're paying for it anyways! Plus drivers in Orlando are bad enough...save your car from tourists! 

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: Meriem (Port Orleans Hospitality)

Meriem (left) and her best friend at work!

Meriem was my first really close friend that I made on the program. As she explains in her interview, we met on the Facebook group page nearly five months before the program even started! She had the opportunity to participate in one of the most competitive roles in the Disney College Program in one of Disney's most popular resorts!

What role did you have during the DCP, and where did you work?
My role was hospitality (front desk) and I worked at Disney's Port Orleans Resort, at both French Quarter and Riverside.

What was a typical day like at work?
A typical day at work for a hospitality cast member (if you're front desk, there's runner as well) was getting to work, and signing out your bank. You get one at the beginning of your shift and count it out to make sure the exact correct amount is there for the last person. Then you go out to the front desk to your supervisor to get a station. If they aren't standing there, you can usually just pick one for yourself. You get the key for the drawer to lock your bank in, and then log into the system (called Lilo). Then you have usually an eight-plus hour shift checking guests in, checking guests out, getting extra towels and linens and other things sent to their room, and unfortunately sometimes dealing with really big problems. When your shift is over, you'll unlock your bank drawer, return the key, count out your bank in the back and head home. Oh and hospitality cast members get a one hour lunch break.

Is this the role you originally wanted? If not, are you happy you got it?
This role was my first choice, since my major is hospitality business. I was very lucky to get it because they don't give a lot of CPs this role!

What are your favorite and least favorite parts about your job?
My favorite part of the job is a tie between getting to learn firsthand how a hotel works, and getting to see families and couples and everyone that comes to Disney at the very start of their trip. Checking into the hotel is usually the first thing they do, so everyone (hopefully) is really excited to be there, especially the kids. This is the first impression of Disney World on the guest, so we make it magical! We have mickey stickers at our stations that we can give out to them, and obviously each kid is different, but most freak out and love it!

Any specific magical moment you want to share?
I had the most magical of magical moments. I started to check a guest in, a FL resident only staying for two nights. I thought eh, she's probably a passholder, this might be normal for her, nothing too special. We started the check in process and I commented on her wonderful Vera Bradley bag, which then led to a ten-minute conversation about the Vera Bradley store at the outlet mall near Chatham Square (my apartment), and all the other stores. Which led to more conversation. Which ended up being a 30-45 minute conversation with this guest while checking her in. This was not a regular conversation. She was amazing! So sweet and so kind, and I didn't want her to leave and stop talking to me. Anyways, eventually she had to go and I thought she was so great that I went to one of my managers and asked if we could send her a treat tote (at Port Orleans and maybe some of the other hotels, we have treat totes with little snacks and different things that we can send to guests. The tote says Port Orleans.) We usually send them to honeymooners and things of the sort, but you can send it to anyone who you want to give an extra little magical moment. So I got this treat tote sent to their room, which was at about 3PM or so.

(From left) Lizzie, Meriem, Sydney, me and Sara!

 At 8PM I go on my break, and my friend Charmaine comes to get me twenty minutes later saying there's a guest that is asking to see me. Unfortunately in our role, when a guest wants to see you, 95% of the time they are mad, so seeing that I was eating and on my break, I got pretty annoyed. She kept smiling and saying no he's not mad, just come out. So I get out to the desk and I see the guest I was talking to earlier with her son. She comes up to me and says, "My son has something to give you." I just looked at him and crouched down and said, "Hello!" He was holding something behind his back. "Close your eyes!" He said. (By the way, he was about 5 years old.) So I closed my eyes an when he said I could open them, he was standing right in front of me holding out a flower he had picked. When they came back from the parks and saw the treat tote there, which they didn't know I sent cause there is never a name on it, they just assumed I had. He was SO happy and said he wanted to do something for me. I almost started crying! His mom came and gave me a hug and thanked me, and I told her after I checked her in I got my manager to send it because she was so amazing. She asked to speak to my manager, so I got him, and then two days later I got a GSF card because when she went home, she e-mailed the hotel and mentioned me by name. It was literally the best moment of working at Disney. 

What made you want to do the DCP?

The main reason I wanted to do the DCP was because I am a Hospitality major, and Disney has everything for that: Theme parks, hotels, restaurants, recreation. I also knew it was fun, but I never NEVER could have guessed how life changing it would end up to be, and all the amazing life-long friends I would make (*cough cough* Sara is one of them!)

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

I wish I had known how hard it would be leave. Not just the place, but also the people. The life-long friends you will make. You can go back to Disney, and you can do another program, but it will never be with the same people at the same time. A friend of mine that did her program in Spring '12 just had a reunion for four days with three of her best friends from her program. That sounds tempting.

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

Honestly, hospitality is such a hard role to get. I think the best bet is to really talk it up in your interview. Make the interviewer see that you have passion for it, and give them a good reason to offer you the position. If it’s your major talk about that, talk about why its your major. Talk about making a first impression on guests.

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

It will be the best and most emotional (in a good way) experience of your life. However, Tinkerbell doesn't sprinkle fairy dust on you and just make that happen. You gotta get out there, talk to people! I met Sara on the DCP Facebook page five months before we even got there, or knew if we had gotten in. I also found my roommates that way, and it worked out great! Hopefully you will work with some amazing people like I did, and honestly, at the CP events and everything, just be friendly! Everyone is in the same boat. So make it magical, and cherish your time there, because it goes by WAY too fast.

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!