Interview a CP: Alyssa (Housekeeping)

Alyssa was lucky enough to spend her college program working in one of my favorite resorts in Walt Disney World. Here's what she had to say about her experience in housekeeping at the Wilderness Lodge!

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

I participated in the Spring Advantage 2011 Disney College Program. I was a housekeeper at Wilderness Lodge. Wilderness Lodge was very home like to me because I grew up in South Jersey surrounded by woods and I love the outdoors.

What was a typical day like at work?

A typical work day for me started at 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.  One awesome fact about housekeeping is that once you hit 90 days working, you get to leave at 3:45pm (if your rooms are cleaned and checked by a manager!)  On a regular day, housekeepers are given a board (just a piece of paper) with a maximum of 16 rooms to clean .  The rooms are categorized by linen change (every 5th day of stay), check-out, and occupied.  The occupied rooms were the easiest because it was a basic clean and check-outs were the hardiest.  Besides cleaning rooms, I was also trained in the telephone room.  This job contained answering phone calls from guests, managers, and other housekeepers.  It was also connected to Fort Wilderness Resort so my co-workers and I got calls from both resorts.  The phone room is always busy.  The housekeepers would call the phone room if they needed something in the room that they were cleaning and the same for the guests.  It was also another way for a guest or housekeeper to get ahold of the managers.  Another role I was trained in was custodial.  Sometimes I would help out the custodial team in the public areas in and area the resort.  The cool part about the custodial role was that sometimes I got to ride around in a golf cart all day going from Wilderness Lodge to Fort Wilderness. 

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

Yes. Housekeeping was the first role I chose.  I was definitely happy about it because I enjoy cleaning.  I was brought up in a household cleaning all the time.  To some people it may sound funny, but cleaning helps relieve my stress.  It was very difficult at times since it is Disney World and guests expect nothing but the best.  It is hard work, but the managers make sure you are getting help if you need it.  There were only a few College Program girls in housekeeping so we were able to get to know our managers on a personal level.  It was fun going to work knowing how appreciated you are.  The best week was housekeeping week.  We played games, got prizes, and even food... for free!  Sometimes the managers would make us breakfast! 

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

My favorite parts about housekeeping would have to be getting to know the different managers and housekeepers.  Every single morning I would clock into work and every was smiling and saying 'Good Morning'.  It was very different where I am from.  The other college program girls I worked with were just as fun and outgoing as me so we got along pretty well.  Everyone knows that Florida is very hot and humid in the summertime.  I was lucky enough to get placed at Wilderness Lodge where it was inside and air conditioned. It is also the prettiest resort to look at. A least favorite thing about housekeeping would HAVE to be being away from home during the holidays for the first time.  I was definitely feeling sad around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but 90% of people in the program are in the same boat.  Don't think that you're the only one missing home during holidays. 

Any specific magical moment you want to share?

A magical moment for me was when myself and five other friends were walking around in Animal Kingdom and got selected to ride on Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade.  Everyday guest service cast members select guests to be a part of the magic and ride in the parade.  We were on Mickey Mouse's float and if you know me Mickey Mouse is my all time favorite Disney character.  I cried for days and told all my friends back home how famous I was for being in guests memories of that day's parade.  I waved to everyone like I was in the Miss United States pageant. I couldn't have asked for a better day!

Alyssa and friends in Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade!

What made you want to do the DCP?

One of my professors at Community College told my class about the Disney College Program.  I've never heard of it before she announced it to the class.  She said that her daughter did the program and fell in love with the company. I figured why not? Even though housekeeping had nothing to do with my major (Education).  It was for me all about the experience of being away from home for the first time.  I never went away to college so I never got to experience being on my own.  Also, networking is definitely a reason I wanted to do the program.  The people I met through this experience shaped me into the person I am today.

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

I wish I would have known more about the Disney classes you can take during the program.  I definitely should have looked into doing so before I started my experience.  I feel like I would have learned so much more about the company historically.

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

To the future CP housekeepers: network, network, network!  Meeting new people from all over the world will allow you to travel and make friendships that last a lifetime.  Work hard, play hard (not too hard though).  I worked a lot during busy times; the whole month of a June I had off three days.  Working holidays and weekends are a must.  My two days off were usually Monday and Tuesday.  Also, Disney VoluntEARS is another great way to network and get to know different parts of the company.

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

I would advice people who are interested in the program to follow the rules! Disney is a well-rounded atmosphere and has many strict rules.  If you are a rule breaker, this may not be the best internship for you.  Other than that, the Disney College Program Internship is the best thing that has ever happened to me.  After my program, I became a Campus Representative at my University.  I was still a cast member, but in order to get my maingates (passes to the parks), I had to go to Orlando and work at least one shift.  I have several friends that stayed in Orlando after the program so I made my work trip into a vacation.  I went down every January and stayed with a friend for about five days (worked one day) and played the rest of the days.  However, Disney no longer has the campus rep program anymore.  I graduate in two weeks from college and plan to work for the Walt Disney Company in the near future.  Disney created a whole new life for me and I can't wait to start a career (hopefully) with the greatest company of all time!

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: Sara (Wilderness Lodge QSFB)

Our last day of work!

As many of you may know, I participated in the DCP with one of my best friends. If you have seen some of our video blogs, she's the other half of Sara Squared!

Many of you have been asking to hear about what it was like to work at the Wilderness Lodge! Well, here's her story!

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

I worked in Quick Service Food and Beverage at the Roaring Fork in the Wilderness Lodge. I LOVED IT.

What was a typical day like at work?

I ALWAYS worked until close, the restaurant closed at 12 so that meant working 4-1230. Except for my last three weeks or so, they randomly started messing with my schedule and put me on mornings, I wasn’t too happy about that. Anyways 4-12:30. I would catch a bus about 50 minutes before work. Since the bus got there about 15 minutes before 4 and my costuming was right there, I always had plenty of time to check out a costume, get changed and clock in on time. At four the whole night shift would gather in the back and have pre-meal with the closing manager. We discussed everything from park hours to watching inspirational videos at pre-meal. Then we would do our “go forkers” cheer and all head off to our positions. There were five different positions you could have: Salad station, Grill Station, Dining Room, Cash, or Runner. I loved being on cash or the grill, but I did not have a position I hated, except for maybe Runner:P

            Salad: Salad station usually worked 3-11:30 because this station closed at 10. People on salad were responsible for making salads, sandwiches and pasta. We also kept an eye on the soup, chili, and the bakery case.

            Grill: There are two grill positions, grill and window. The person on grill was responsible for making the burgers and chicken sandwiches and for prepping the flatbread pizzas (we often had a culinary person here, but we could all do it). The person on window was responsible for taking orders, making fries, chicken nuggets and pizzas and giving the guests their food.

            Dining room: There are 2-3 dining room positions. At night we usually only had 2 people in dining room but in the morning they often had three. The two positions we always filled were the main dining room and the food court. Sometimes there was also a third person who would take care of the patio, trash bins and washing trays. In main we had to clean all the chairs and tables, keep the condiments bar stocked, take out dining room trash, and take trays in the back. Food court had to keep the counters and drink machines clean. Food court also stocked drinks, chips, cereal and the cabinets under the drink machines. If there was no patio person the two would share the patio responsibilities and main would wash the trays.

            Cash: On cash you had to know the dining plan like the back of your hand, you also spent a good amount of your time stocking mugs. I loved cash because of all the guest interaction.

            Runner: One of my managers called the runner the heart of the restaurant. The runner was in charge of making sure both the salad and grill stations had everything they needed, from food to plates. They also had to make cookies, keep the coolers stocked and cover the grill when the grill people went to break. If the runner did not do their job quickly and efficiently all of the other stations suffered.

Closing was our time to shine. We would do as much pre-closing as was possible while we were still open (this included shutting down a drink machine early or cleaning a grill early etc.) In order to close the restaurant we had to have everything wiped down, wrapped, locked and stocked etc. It was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun! After our manager walked through the restaurant and checked everything we had post-meal in the back and then we all clocked out together.

Sara (right) and some of her coworkers!

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

Not at all. It was one of my very bottom picks. I am so happy I got it! I loved it and after seeing what the roles I wanted had to deal with, I would not have wanted any other job. 

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

I absolutely loved being able to help guests, I know some people tired of explaining the dining plan, but I loved seeing the look on a guests face when they learned they could get a dessert TOO! I loved being able to make magic left and right. And I loved making wilderness salads. My least favorite thing was cleaning the grills and the Panini grill, or dumping fryers! Dumping fryers is scary because you are carrying boiling hot oil and it is very easy to burn yourself. Most of my managers would not let me dump fryers but I had to do it once and it was the scariest moment of my CP life.

Any specific magical moment you want to share?

I had so many cool magical moments, I don’t know where to begin! One of the cool things about being in a resort was that I was able to get to know our guests because they would come back again and again. One time when I was on the grill I was talking to this sweet couple and I discovered that it was the husbands first time at Disney and he was 50! Apparently the wife had been many times with her family but they had never been able to afford to go, until now. I gave him his first Mickey Premium Bar and gave them advice on what to do that day. They came back and saw me every single day after that. They always got so excited and told me about their day and I’d help them plan their evening or the next day. By the end of their stay they were showing me pictures of their pets and their daughter who is getting married, I was one of the first to see her dress. I looked forward to their visits every day and on their last day there they added me on Facebook. 

What made you want to do the DCP?

Sara;)
Just kidding, I had known some people who had done the DCP previously and I had always considered doing it. When Sara decided she wanted to do it, I decided it would be a good experience for me as well.

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

I guess I wish I would’ve known more about Disney and the parks BEFORE I got there. I learned so much while I was there, but I think I could’ve gotten even more out of it if I’d had more knowledge of Disney World.

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

Just be patient with those on the dining plan;)

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

DO IT! But know this, it’s a job. You’re not going there to play all day, it is hard but it is soo worth it! And you will get to play a lot;)

Sara unfortunately doesn't have a blog, but if you have any questions you can leave them in the comments below, and I'm more than welcome to ask her myself!

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!!

Resort Hopping and Traditions!

I am SO sorry for not posting lately!! Training has started and it's been absolutely all over the place. However today is my last day of training and I have the night shift so I have some free time this morning to share with all of you what's been going on! I'll start with the first week after I left off with a tour of my new apartment in Patterson.

At the Polynesian Resort beach with Sarah and Sara!

After checking in and a few days off to use for shopping and getting settled, we had our housing meeting at The Commons (the international apartment complex). A lot of people were warning us that it was boring, but it really wasn't that bad. They mainly just went over the policies with what items you can't you can't have in your apartment, if you want to bring guests into your apartment, etc. After this, my roommates and I decided to go resort hopping for our first adventure together! We really wanted to check out where we were working (for those of us not in the parks like me), so we hopped on a bus and made our first stop at my work location, the Polynesian Resort. Let me just say, my resort is breathtaking! It's like the people who placed me there saw all of my tropical photos on my tumblr and decided "Let's put her somewhere like that." Okay, maybe not, but still it's really a perfect location for me. After we spent time on the beach and exploring the location more, we hopped on the monorail and went to the Contemporary, where my roommate Briana is working in merchandise. We spent so much time in the gift shop! After the Contemporary, we needed to somehow find a way to the Wilderness Lodge, where Sara is working. It's kind of awkwardly in a different area without a monorail, but still close to Magic Kingdom so we decided to just take a stop at MK and go on a bus to the Wilderness Lodge. I am absolutely obsessed with Sara's resort. My family would go camping at least once or twice a year during the summer, so it really reminded me of home. It also reminded me of Lake Tahoe, where my grandparents live and where I've been able to visit many many times.

Where I work!

The Wilderness Lodge was the end of our visiting journey for exploring our work locations for the night, so we decided to head back to the Polynesian and eat dinner at my work location, Captain Cook's. I don't know if it was this day exactly, but this was where I had my first ever Dole Whip! SO good! After dinner we needed to head to the bus stop and go back home because Briana and Sara had early morning Traditions the next day.

Which brings me to my next important event: Traditions!!

Traditions is the ever-famous Disney orientation where you finally become an official Disney cast member. I'm honestly not going to explain too much about it because most of it needs to be kept a secret for future cast members, but I'll tell you a brief bit of what to expect.

Many CPs are pretty nervous about being able to dress appropriate to "The Disney Look" for traditions, but honestly just make sure you're presentable and wearing clothes that are conservative and business like with closed toed shoes and you'll be fine. I just wore one of my few outfits I would wear to scholarship interviews when I was in high school. I don't have a picture right now but it was just a nice shirt and black slacks with flats. Pretty simple! I would NOT recommend wearing heels to Traditions because you will be doing a lot of walking. Traditions lasts around four hours, and yes there were some boring moments where a lot of people almost fell asleep, but overall it was a good experience and we finally got our Disney IDs and name tags!! (I might actually order a new ID with my hometown on it, since I don't technically go to the college on my name tag anymore.)

Many people know that after you go to Traditions, you can officially access the Disney parks for free whenever you'd like. Since our class was in the afternoon and finished after six and the park closed at around eight, we decided to just go back to the apartment and relax to get ready for going to the parks the next day. Some people rushed home and rushed to MK within the same day as Traditions, but honestly we weren't in any hurry because we knew we had five more months to visit them whenever we felt like it!

If you have any more questions about Traditions or the like, let me know. I'll do my best to answer them!