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: Erin (Animal Kingdom Park Greeter)

Erin in front of Rapunzel's tower

Imagine being the first cast member guests see before they begin their vacation in a Walt Disney park. Erin was able to do exactly this during her college program. Here's what she had to say about her experience!

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

I was a park greeter at Animal Kingdom! I also worked the auto plaza and I was part of the opening team of FastPass+! 

What was a typical day like at work?

I typically opened the park. I would usually work 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, just making sure lights go green and guests can get into the park!! Lots of tasking as well, straightening strollers, magical moments, sweeping turnstiles, etc. Aka the easiest role ever! 

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

Yes! Main Entrance Operations was my number one choice and I was overall VERY happy with my role. 

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

Favorite-by far my fellow cast. And I loved being one of the first cast members to interact with the guests. 

Least was having to wake up sooooo early for the buses. Bring a car if you can. Seriously.  

Any specific magical moment you want to share?

A little girl asked me what my favorite princess was, and I said Rapunzel. She got so excited and shared with me that she was hers too. She came back towards the end of the day and gave me her favorite Rapunzel pin. Such a small gesture really reassured me at that moment that that was where I was supposed to be. 

What made you want to do the DCP?

My mom worked for the Disney Store for about 10 years growing up, so Disney has always been a huge part of my life. I was influenced by it all throughout my childhood. My family was also fortunate enough to be able to vacation frequently. My junior year of high school, I started to observe the fact that some CMs had schools on there names. I did some research, and I was hooked instantly. 

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

I wish I would've known that bringing a car would have been so beneficial. But I honestly made the most of my program in every way, and wouldn't change anything about it. 

Erin with promotion for Disney's new Avatarland

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

Be ready for a monotonous job. I like routine and repetition so it was perfect for me. But it was excruciatingly boring for some. Also be ready for LOTS of guest interaction and also guest complication. Because it's YOUR fault that they forgot which finger they used. 

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

Do your research. Be mentally prepared to throw yourself into something so challenging and different. Save money. As much as you can. Understand that you won't be in the Magic Kingdom 24/7, and not all of your moments will be magical. 

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!

DCP Reunion Part One: DIAGON ALLEY

I was able to travel to Florida for the first time since my college program at the beginning of January. Most of my closest friends from my program (as well as coworkers from Disneyland) also came to Florida at the same time. We were able to visit Universal Studios, along with all the parks in Walt Disney World.

I vlogged the entire trip, and each day is going to be edited into separate videos. Our first day was visiting Diagon Alley and Hogwarts in Universal Studios. It was AMAZING! Unfortunately, we were rained out by a torrential storm near the end of our day, but I was able to film quite a bit before it happened!

Hope you enjoy!

Be sure to check out my other videos and subscribe on Youtube!

Interview a CP: Jessie (The Great Movie Ride)

Tour Guide Jessie!

Imagine taking a spectacular journey into the movies every day...and getting paid to do it! Jessie was able to do just this during her extension for her college program in Walt Disney World. Here's what she had to say about her experience!

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

I actually did two programs with DCP. First I was in merchandise in Hollywood Studios Backlands in the fall of 2010, but then I got extended for Spring 2011 into attractions at one of my favorites, The Great Movie Ride!

What was a typical day like at work?  

No day and no schedule was ever the same as the next, but usually I'd clock in at whatever time, then start on a rotation performing in/driving the vehicle.  The "tour" would last 22 minutes.  During the tour I'd go through different movie scenes, get hijacked by a gangster or bandit, and then save the day!  Throughout the day, along with doing the tours, we would rotate through "land positions".  While at these land positions, we would lead guests into the "movie set" because the director was waiting!  The CPs at the ride tended to close most of the time, which was always super fun.  If you closed a vehicle, you would go through the ride in the vehicle by yourself and park in whatever scene was assigned to you.  Another job I always volunteered for was track walk. You got to walk the track!!!! 

Another thing movie riders did during the day (if you were lucky enough to get picked by the CDS) was parade control during the parade!

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

When I first applied for my first program, it wasn't even on my mind!  I really wanted entertainment.  However, by the time I was able to extend into my second program, my first choice was GMR!  One of my merchandise managers actually told me I would be officially extending into GMR while my family was visiting and I was working.  I started jumping up and down and screaming!!

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

My favorite part was definitely the performing for all of the guests every day.  It was always tons of fun watching little kids faces when I got hijacked and "died" and then killed the bad guy myself when I came back.  They would always ask, "How did you do that?" or just cry from happiness that I was alive.  I also loved being able to talk to the guests to find out where they were from.  I can't tell you how many people, who were obviously much older then I, would comment about my name tag.  They would tell me they were also from Philadelphia (my hometown), and more often then not it just so happened they had gone to my high school way back when!  The family atmosphere among my fellow movie riders was a super close second.  Everyone was just amazing to work with!  I was lucky enough to have a fantastic group of CPs with me, we all got along so well.

My least favorite part was having to leave my job when my program ended!  I know that sounds totally crazy, but I don't think I have any other least favorite parts.

Any specific magical moment you want to share?  

I don't even know if I can pick just one!!  I was able to be a part of magical moments every day, whether it was making a child a "Junior Tour Guide" or letting a random family go into our VIP entrance to make them feel that much more special.

What made you want to do the DCP? 

As I was growing up, I knew multiple people who did the DCP.  When I was in 6th grade, my family came down for a vacation and we got to ride on the Jungle Cruise of a family friend who was on the DCP!  I knew then I wanted to do the DCP someday.

Jessie (middle) and her fellow movie riders at DCP graduation

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

I just wish I would have known even more of what Disney had to offer.  There are so many things happening there that we didn't even get to experience them all!

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

Don't let the training and all of the spieling scare you.  It is a lot to handle with the long script and the quick loading, but the trainers will be there every step of the way.  Once you get it down, it will never leave you.  And always ask questions!  The other movie riders will help when you need it!  Be friends with your fellow movie riders.  They will become your family.  As we like to say a movie ride, "Once A Movie Rider, Always a Movie Rider."

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

Go for it and do it!!!  You will never get another chance like it!  I did mine right after I graduated from college.  In my opinion, that was the best time to do it.  I was able to extend my program without having to worry about missing to much school, I didn't have to take the Disney classes so I had more time to play in the parks.  It was much better to be in the 21 and over apartments.

I would also tell anyone interested, if you know you are a BIG rule breaker, rethink the DCP.  Disney is super strict on rules.  I knew CPs who were terminated for things like cell phones out onstage, going to the park when you called in sick, having alcohol in the under 21 apartment, and other stupid little things.  Be smart and follow the rules and you will love your program! 

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!

MY BOOK IS PUBLISHED!!!!

I'm so ridiculously excited to announce that my book, "Sara Earns Her Ears" has officially been published and is now available on Amazon!!

For those of you who don't know, "Sara Earns Her Ears" is about my experience living and working in Florida in the Disney College Program. A publisher from Theme Park Press found my blog and asked if I could contribute to his series about people who participated in the DCP. I simply couldn't refuse.

Thank you so much for everyone who has supported me through this crazy experience and journey. I can't believe I can actually say I'm a published author!!

You can purchase a copy of "Sara Earns Her Ears" now on Amazon, both in print and on Kindle!

Feel free to leave a review on Amazon as well if you purchase a copy, and make sure you check out the other books in the "Earns Their Ears" series!

Interview a CP: Ashley (Animal Kingdom Photopass)

Selfie with Tigger!

Photopass has the unique opportunity to help guests capture memories through pictures that they can keep for the rest of their lives. Ashley was able to experience this opportunity through her college program in Animal Kingdom. Here's what she had to say!

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

I was lucky enough to be a PhotoPass Photographer at Animal Kingdom! I did Spring Advantage 2014!

What was a typical day like at work?

I usually got to work a little bit early. I usually worked morning to night shifts. I would park, and make my way backstage. I always got myself a sub from Subway for my break later on and would go sit in Base until it was time to clock in. Base was usually a busy place and I would catch up with any cast members that were in there. I was lucky enough to work with an amazing group of people. By the end of my program these people felt like family to me. 

After we clocked in we would pick up a blue bin from our coordinator that had all of our gear. We would have to set it all up and put it all one. This took me a while to get used to but everyone is always willing to help! 

We were deployed to one of these zones: South, North, or East. Each one of these had multiple locations and characters. The locations were: 

South- Entrance of the park, The View station, and multiple locations on the bridge and plaza in front of the Tree of Life.

North- Mickey and Minnie, King Louie and Baloo, Pocahontas, Everest Corner, Everest Bridge, Africa Drums, Tree back-side. 

East- Daisy, Donald, Goofy and Pluto, Dug and Russell. 

Once we ready with our gear we would hit CDS (cast deployment system) . Which deployment we assigned to depended on what location CDS gave you. I spent most of my program working in the North. When I was in the North, I always loved working with the characters instead of shooting one of the icons. Mickey and Minnie we amazing to work with, specially because they were in the AC. 

I was the most excited when I got East shifts because the day was filled with just characters. Getting to work with the character attendants and characters made the shift go by much  faster, which made it more enjoyable. Goofy and Pluto were amazing to work with! They all messed around and could make anyone smile! Goofy loved to throw autograph books and pens at me all day. 

Working icons was a nice break from the busyness of characters, but was unfortunately usually in the sun. This made it hard because it go so hot in the summer. Being from Boston, I wasn't used to the heat! I loved being able to have guests do magic shots and create poses. This gave guests unique photos to remember their time in Disney. 

No matter where you working, Photopass is a very social job! We engage with so many guests all day long on a one to one level. We have to be outgoing, confident and excited for our job! The more outgoing and excited you were, your photos showed it!

Once our shift was over, we headed back to base to turn in our equipment and to clock out. Since I usually closed the park, a whole group of us would all take the bus to the parking lot together, those bus rides were always interesting! Everyone I worked with was amazing!!!

Ashley and the boss!

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

When I first learned about the college program, I wanted to be a photographer before I even knew it was possible. During my phone interview I expressed my interest in Photopass and talked about all of my experience with photography. Getting this role was beyond exciting for me and I couldn't have been happier! 

I am an Art Education major, and love children.  Photography is a passion of mine. This role brought photography and working with children together for me! 

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

As every job at Disney there were many ups and downs! My favorite part was being able to capture families memories in the park. Years down the road families will look at my photos and remember certain moments of their vacation because of me. My other favorite was getting to work with all the amazing characters! Spending a few hours with Mickey and Minnie was truly amazing. Seeing them interact with guest of all ages was magical! From them seeing new born babies, recently married couples, children to people who were meeting them for the first time. The amount of times I cried while working with them can’t be counted… happy crying of course. 

My least favorite parts of my job is what every other Disney cast member hates.. the heat and the thickness of our costumes. But that is something we are unable to change!

Any specific magical moment you want to share?

I was told before I went to Disney that I would be part of many magical moments. Little did I know that many of these would be life changing for me. I got to meet a little girl was very very sick. She was at Disney as a Make a Wish child. She was visiting Donald and Daisy with her parents. She was lucky enough to come when there was no one else at all in the area. She interacted with Daisy and did many cute poses with her. She came over to Donald and I instantly went picture crazy. Her parents approached me already crying and I soon realized the little girl was crying too. We brought Daisy over and let interact with both together. I can’t tell you the amount of pictures I took. There was not a dry eye around. The family thanked us so many times and gave us so many hugs. After they left we spent a good amount of time getting ourselves together for the next family. Once we all finally did the mom came back in crying again. She thanked us all again, and gave out another round of hugs. She gave each of us a little card thanking us for everything. All me and my fellow cast members did was do our job and let her take pictures with both of them together yet we made this little girl's vacation. She got to meet her two favorite characters regardless of how sick she was. I remember this day like it was yesterday and I don’t think I will ever forget it. Cast members can do truly amazing things for the guests. 

This isn’t the only magical moment from my program. Sometimes simply getting a guest a new Mickey Ice cream sandwich made their day, or taking the extra 5 minutes to show a guest where to go. Magical Moments happen all the time while you are working!

What made you want to do the DCP?

I told my parents when I was about seven that I was either going to move to Disney World or Australia. Of course, my parents laughed at me. I learned about the college program but was unable to do it at that time. I waited a year and decided to just go for it. What made me wants to do it from such a young age was just simply enjoying my vacations at the parks. I wanted to be part of it! As I did research about the program I learned more about how much people learned and appreciated their time at Disney. I wanted to experience everything I was reading!!

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

I wish before my program I understood how hard the program would honestly be. I knew we worked long tough days in the heat, but you truly don’t understand this until you worked a 13 hour shift, in the direct sunlight, with a heavy costume on, carrying your camera gear and dealing with hot angry guests. But as these days happened they were something to learn from. Each day is what you make it! For ever five rude guests, there's one guest who couldn't appreciate your hard work any more. Those long days become worth it! 

Ashley with Pluto and Goofy!

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

Having some prior knowledge about photography is helpful but a few people I trained with had none! It is helpful but Disney teaches you everything you need to know! I feel as though to be a Photopass Photographer, you need to have lots of energy, create, be social and love your job! If you are able to do all of this, you will love Photopass!! (And of course be able to smile all day.)

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

There's a lot of advice I would give to people interested in the DCP. Do all of your research before hand and talk to people who have down it before. That gives your a first hand experience of the DCP. Don’t just talk to one person but talk to many different people from many different roles! Its helps you be prepared and to know more about your future at the company!

When you get the awesome email saying congratulations on being accepted, that is when your new adventure starts. When you finally get to move in, from day one take NOTHING for granted. Meet as many people as you can. Pick up shifts anywhere you can. Instead of going to bed early, go see Wishes for the 50th time. Go meet Mickey for the 20th time. Just eat ice scream on Main Street. Ride Space Mountain 10 times in a row. Because at some point your gonna have a week left in your program and you don’t want to leave with any regrets. Your last week, enjoy it with your roommates and your best friends. Say good bye to your fellow cast remembers and of course Mickey. This could be a once in a life time opportunity and take advantage 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: Kayla (World of Disney)

Kayla in front of her store, World of Disney!

Ever wonder what it's like to work in the largest Disney store in the world? Kayla spent time to tell us about her experience at World of Disney during her college program!

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

I was accepted into merchandise for the Spring Advantage 2011. I was placed at the World of Disney (WOD) in Downtown Disney, which is the biggest Disney store in the world! It’s over 50,000 square feet!

What was a typical day like at work?

I would know ahead of time if I was going to be on a register or if I was going to be stocking merchandise for the day. If I was on a register, the computer would tell me to go to a specific terminal or go interact with guests by passing out stickers or playing with merchandise. I would do that for a few hours, then go on break, and then get a new assignment. This would repeat until I went home.

If I was stocking, I would check where I was- and there were a lot of spots! WOD has 13 rooms, so I could be in any room or backstage organizing merchandise that needed to be put on the shelf. I also got the same amount of breaks as if I was on a register. I worked anywhere from 6 AM- 2AM for between 6-12 hours a day. I usually requested to have more hours so I worked the longer shifts for the most part and averaged 55 hours a week in the summer.

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

It was my third choice (actually my third choice was attractions but I messed up in my interview and said merchandise). My first choice was concierge and my second choice was the Bibbidi Bobbiti Boutique, but I didn’t meet some of the requirements. I am so happy I worked at WOD. It is my favorite place I have ever worked!

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

I loved talking to guests. Slow days (or parts of the day) were the best because I could give each guest more individualized attention. My least favorite part… well that’s a hard one. I didn’t like stocking certain rooms, especially the jewelry room. In this room specifically, there were so many products that all looked very similar it was hard to find where everything went, and it got messy very easily and very fast so it was hard to keep up on some days.

Any specific magical moment you want to share?

I remember I was checking out a family and we were talking and I found out that they had their camera stolen while they were in the parks. Luckily, security found it but all their pictures had been erased. I asked if they had used PhotoPass on their vacation and they had, so with the help of my manager we let them pick a frame out so they could keep the happy memories of their vacation. That was the first time a guest asked if she could hug me. It was magical for both of us.

What made you want to do the DCP?

I applied my very first semester of community college. I didn’t know what I wanted to major in so when I heard about the DCP I said that’s perfect! So I took some time off school and found out what I wanted to do with my life- work at Disney!

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

Yes, you really need documentation with your name on it to get your parking sticker. And there is a free car wash in Patterson, you just need to bring your own soap and sponge. I didn’t wash my car for a year because Orlando is a tourist town, there are no car washes. It’s gross.

Kayla with Mickey and Minnie during DCP graduation

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

Have fun! Pick up shifts at other locations! Since merchandise cast members can pick up shifts almost anywhere, it’s a great opportunity to meet new managers and get a change of pace from your location. I went to 7 different locations besides WOD and there were things I liked about all of them.

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

Be careful, you might just want to spend the rest of your life at Disney. In all serious though, it is such a great opportunity to learn about how to work with people and how to network. All I ever heard was network-network-network, but I didn’t know how. Near the end of my program I found out that the Service Center at Vista has some great resources for this, so I would check them out.

If you can, take the Disney Exploration Classes, you learn so much and all you have to do is show up and participate and you will get so much out of it. If you can’t, take the individual classes that are offered in one 2 hour block or so if they still have them.

FOLLOW THE RULES. Is Disney strict on what they expect from you? Yes. Do they also tell you exactly what the expectations are? Yes. Don’t do stupid things and you will be fine and have the most magical time of your life.

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!