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: Caitie (Children's Activities)

Caitie working at Art of Animation!

Caitie was gracious enough to volunteer to share her story about working in a resort with Children's Activities! I've talked to a few people who have worked in this role, and honestly it sounds like so much fun! Here's what she had to say about her experience!

What role did you have during the DCP, and where did you work?
I had recreation! However, recreation has different areas including; marinas, arcades, slide ops, and children activities. I worked at Pop Century and Art of Animation as a Children Activities hostess.

What was a typical day like at work?
Each day was mostly the same. Each resort has different games on different days. So you’d start off playing a couple games, then go to your Pool Party which is an hour of games in and out of the water for a prize. Following that is your dance Party for thirty minutes of teaching kids dances. Then it was Arts and Crafts and some more games until it was time to wrap up poolside activities. After putting the party cart away, it was crunch time, aiming to set up the movie screen in about thirty minutes so you have enough time to talk to guests. Then it was time for my favorite part of the day, spiel. Where we would ask guest trivia questions about the movie we were about to watch, tell them about some activities we do, as well as activities around WDW, and pick a ‘director’ from the audience to start the movie. While watching the movie, one host would go and set the party cart for the next day. After the movie would finish, it was time to hurry and put the movie away. 

Is this the role you originally wanted? If not, are you happy you got it?
Recreation was tied for first choice. Once I got it, I got really worried that I would end up being a towel girl or in the arcade. About a month before check in, my dashboard said I got Children Activities and I was beyond happy.

What are your favorite and least favorite parts about your job?
Without a doubt, the kids were my favorite part of the job.  I have a million stories about these amazing kids I met. For my least favorite part, I would have to say wearing a one piece bathing suit that clings to your body after sweating and the tan lines.

Any specific magical moment you want to share?
Every single day was a magical moment for me. I met so many guests who made such a positive impact on me. There was one girl though who stood out. There was one girl named Cara who was from England with her mother, step father and brother. She was there for just about two weeks, and she was at the pool every single day. Each day she would play every game with me. On her last day, her step father came up to me and was talking to me about how they spent all this money to go to the parks, but every time at noon, Cara would say how she needed to go back and see Caitie. Her stepfather was talking to me and told me how Cara is usually very shy and reserved so it was amazing how she was so open with me. She won a beach ball that day from one of our games, and she got SO excited. She started crying saying how she never won anything. Her parents came up and started thanking me telling me how great I was, just for giving her a prize. In the end we all were in tears.

What made you want to do the DCP?
The first time I did the DCP, I just got out of a bad relationship and applied on a whim to get away, I figured I loved Disney and this is a great time to meet people and experience new things out of my comfort zone. I was later accepted for Spring 2012. After my first program ended, I realized I needed to go back as soon as possible. 

Is there something you wish you would have known before doing your program?
Don’t pack too much. For both of my programs I packed way too many unnecessary things. Also, I wish I knew not to be afraid. For my first program, I was so afraid to go to the parks alone or talk to people during housing parties. Biggest waste of time ever. 

What advice would you give to those who are going to be participating in your role?
Don’t be afraid to make a fool of yourself! For the first couple weeks, I was so worried about not looking like an idiot. I finally realized how much of a waste of time that was!

What advice would you give to people who are interested in doing the DCP?
First of all, DO IT. Secondly, make every second count. You will meet some people who want to go to the parks every second, some people who want to go to all the clubs and party busses, some people who just want to network, and some people who just want to hang out at home with their roommates. None if better than the other, do whatever makes you happy, but no matter what you do make every second count. 

If you would like to hear more about her story or have any questions about her role, you can contact her on her blog growingstrong-growingstrange!

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!

Have a magical day!!