So I decided to start with this: a list of several things that DCP
recruiters probably won’t tell you with a bit of my own personal advice.
By no means is this list all-inclusive. In fact, it barley scratches
the surface. I tried to be concise but gave up, so if you just want some
quick advice to sum it up, scroll to the very bottom where it says “Cut
to the Chase”.
A LOT of specific details in relation to this list have been left out
to protect the innocent…and the guilty. I’ll cough them up eventually,
but if you contact me, I’ll be more than happy to talk to you one-on-one
about the more incriminating stories.
- The recruitment videos make you think that everyone is a clean-cut, peaches and cream candidate for the Brady Bunch. WRONG. Everyone is still a college kid (for the most part) i.e. horny, confused, crazy and likes to drink/ party. Only magnify this x10 because we don’t have classes, we all earn extra money so we can afford to go out, we all have irregular days off and we live in Orlando (but more on that stuff later).
- Vista Way = Vista Lay (This is where I lived) Apparently, Playboy named Vista Way apartment complex the second easiest place to get laid. My theory? A high concentration of gay males (because it’s Disney) who may or may not be promiscuous…which leaves a much smaller number of straight guys in proportion to straight girls…add in all of the characteristics of said parties being college kids…you do the math ;)
- Have a relationship at your own risk. Whether you come to the program in a relationship or end up starting one (or several) in the DCP, it will be hard. Why? Because of long distances, the evanescence of your time in the program, and most of all, temptation. Refer to the above.
- Party Bus. You pay around $10 to get on a bus which takes you to clubs/ bars/ parties (mostly Downtown Orlando) depending on which day you go and who you go with. $10 covers the bus ride to club, admission and the bus ride home. If you are under 21, you may have to pay a little extra, which sucks. There are two competing busses: Will the Photographer and Kelvin Cast Party Bus. Clubs I went to most were Mako’s and Vain, but there are also Roxy, Bliss, Mojitos, and Bar One.
- Other nights: Sunday is Service Industry Night in House of Blues which means you show your Disney ID and get in for free if you’re 21+ or you pay $12 if you’re under 21. Wednesday is Buffalo Wild Wings (aka. BDUBS). If you are under 21, you pay $5 to get into the restaurant which they turn into a karaoke bar/ dance club. Amici’s and Falafel had events some nights as well. Personally, I think it’s ridiculous to pay to get into a restaurant.
- Something you need to understand: For most people who aren’t CP’s , the normal days to go out and party are Friday, Saturday and sometimes Thursday night. Why? Because those are the days people normally have off. However, CP’s all have different days off. I personally had Thursday and Friday, but some people have Monday and Tuesday etc. What does that mean? There is ALWAYS something going on so you can party EVERY SINGLE NIGHT if you want to.
- You will probably hate your job. I did Outdoor Foods in Animal Kingdom. My duties included standing on my feet for 8+ hours, being responsible for tons of money when they gave us shoddy equipment to work with such as cash registers which didn’t have claws, being forced to throw away tons of perfectly good food and talking to guests who thought I could read their minds.
- You are held responsible for everything. You are at the bottom of the totem pole. You will be underpaid and overworked so don’t do this program for the money; do it for the experience. You are under constant threat of termination or getting a reprimand for any reason (like calling out on a holiday). If you leave with a clean record, it’s probably because you didn’t have any fun =P
- Play hooky at least three times. Make sure you call out though. In my experience, some of the best days I had in the program were days when I called out sick/ personal. Since they weren’t my normal days off, I felt obligated to make it worth my while so I explored Orlando, not just Disney, with some friends. Some places I went to were an organic food place called Dandelion, a science museum, resorts with “beaches”, a sex shop in the seedy part of town, a Halloween store, and a palm reader’s house.
- What happens in Disney stays in Disney. This is the time to figure out your life and discover who you are or who you are trying to be. If you are ever torn between doing something or not doing something for whatever reason, just DO IT because it may be your only chance. MAKE MISTAKES because mistakes often make the best stories…and learning experiences.
Miscellaneous
- I don’t know if it’s just for the fall program but around holiday time, you get a holiday coupon book for things like a free round of mini golf, free popcorn, 50% off a meal at one of the Disney restaurants and 40% off of Disney Merchandise.
- In my experience, international guys can be the most touchy-feely. Honey, NO means NO in any language.
- Bring a car or make a friend who has one.
- The beds are rock hard…and tiny.
- Apparently, the apartments were donated to Disney by Coca-cola, so CP’s “legally” shouldn’t have to pay rent, but we did. When calculated out, it costs almost $2000 per month for six people to live in a three bedroom apartment in Vista Way (which is “cheap” compared to Patterson or Chatham). Rip off? We thought so.
- There were rumors of orgies going on in the Vista Way hot tub at 2am. There was also a rumor about some Chinese guys trying to catch one of the ducks around the pond so they could cook it.
Cut to the Chase: If given the chance, DO the Disney
College Program. Calling it an “internship” is a bit of an over
statement. As far as professional experience goes, probably the only,
and frankly the most important, thing you will learn is what you NEVER
want to do again for the rest of your life (i.e. a mind numbing,
physically challenging, underpaying and overall crappy job). BUT you
will also learn life lessons, meet a variety of people and have
experiences that you will never have anywhere else. Just go in with both
eyes open and an adventurous spirit.
