New Hire - Onboarding/Traditions/Expected training schedule?

[maleficent rules]

Ok, so I do my onboarding on 11/11 and Traditions is 11/19. I'm going into Merchandising working Magic Kingdom in Main Street East. I told them I was available Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for my committed 3 days. I just logged off the New Hire Portal after filling out all the forms there. When I go to Onboarding I know I have to take my Driver's license and SS card, get fingerprinted and have a photo taken. Is there any other paperwork I'm supposed to be taking with me? I've read posts where others have mentioned taking paperwork with them. I don't remember being told anything about that (unless the paperwork they meant was the I-9 verification forms).

I know Traditions is an 8 hour class, and mine is on a Tuesday, which is one of my committed days. What other training will go on after that? I have another part time job right now that I do Thursday through Sunday. I'm wondering if the Disney training will be on days other than what I committed to with them? I read there is a Once Upon A Time class? And then what?

I'm also wanting to put in for full-time as soon as possible. I know that can take awhile, but was wondering how hard it is to go full-time in merchandising?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

 

[maleficent rules]

Oh, and while I'm thinking about it. The website says to wear business attire to Traditions? As in dress slacks, blouse, and dress shoes? Is there a lot of walking around the park during this training? If I have to wear dress shoes, I'll have to make sure to buy some that will not cause a problem for me walking around a lot.

In regards to shoes as well, when you are in costume for your role, does Disney provide shoes, or are you expected to buy something that will go with your costume?

 

[joanna71985]

It's been almost 9 years since I was in merchandise. I don't believe training was too long (I was in Fantasyland, and I think in-park training was only 3 days. There was also a class called Merchantainment).

That outfit sounds fine for business attire. And I definitely recommend comfy shoes! I wore flats (you do have to provide your work shoes)

 

[Dasnowz]

yes business attire if you do not they will turn you away. when you enter DU there will be a manned kiosk to the right. You go there, show id and get your grouping and they inspect. From there you go wait in the cafeteria until your grouping is called. Then its off to traditions. After traditions you will have one more 8 hour day class in business attire then you will go to your area for training. They will usually only schedule based on available hours. These classes pretty much run every single day.The second class you will meet in the mousketeria and its a long walking class. You park up in the general cm lot by DU then hop on a bus to the mousketeria. You will tour around the park. At the end of the day someone from your department will meet you and take you over to costuming. You can either purchase shoes there or go out on your own. You will receive a printed sheet at the time with training on it and when and where to meet up.

 

[maleficent rules]

I've heard that parking can be a pain with trying to find a parking spot. How early before your shift do you realistically need to show up to the parking lot to make sure you have enough time to find a spot and get to the bus on time? Have there been times when the parking lot is full? If so, where do they have you park?

 

[Dasnowz]

The parking I cannot answer. I do not park back there. I would probably allow at least 30 min. By the time you find parking, walk up to the bus stop and get a bus and its a 10 to 15 min walk across the utilidor depending on traffic (front to back) make sure to allow time.

 

[katiekinzakat]

They just expanded the parking lot so it's obnoxiously large and a pain in the butt. I always try to arrive at least half an hour early if not more if I need to go to costuming because the buses that run from the parking lot to the tunnels are so incompetent it's ludicrous.

 

[maleficent rules]

That's what I read on some other posts, so I wanted to confirm. From my house to DU (according to MapQuest) will take 38 minutes, so I wanted to make sure I wasn't thinking I could just leave 40-50 minutes before work and make it on time. I just moved to FL this summer and I'm still getting used to the fact that you don't get anywhere quick around here. lol Luckily I can take the 417 and don't have to mess with I-4.
Which way is best/quickest to get to MK cast parking? Mapquest has me going like I would enter guest parking, but at the parking pass booths, taking the road to the right and going around the outer edge of the park?

 

[katiekinzakat]

If you're going to DU, you don't have to get there earlier to park, it's only if you're going to the tunnels/cast parking lot that you need to worry about getting there super early. The quickest way to get to parking depends on which direction you're coming from. From what it sounds like, the MK toll plaza route will definitely be quicker for you, especially during early mornings before the park gets too busy. However, avoid it at all costs during the upcoming holiday peak season! Traffic becomes gridlocked and it's so not worth it to even try.

 

[maleficent rules]

Oh, yeah, I knew with DU I didn't need to worry about being there super early, but since I am going to be working in MK on Main Street and I knew I would have to do the bus and utilidors, I wanted to make sure I knew a general idea of how early to get there. Thanks for the heads up about the holiday traffic. I wasn't even thinking about that. I guess I better start looking at the other route to get in there. I live by the airport, so I come to WDW via the 417 and then World Center/Epcot Center Drive. What is the other way to get there, cuz looking on the map it looks like it's a really round about way to get there. Reams?

I just mapped it and I guess going Reams is actually only a couple miles and a couple of minutes different...according to MapQuest. Is there usually a lot of traffic going that way?

 

[katiekinzakat]

Reams isn't too bad assuming they aren't doing annoying construction. That's the route that I always use and the only time I was late to work was by 18 seconds because I had to jump my boyfriend's car before I left. The traffic on 535 to get to Reams can get a little heavy, especially near Downtown Disney but it's nothing terrible.

 

[Dasnowz]

I believe your booklet for going to DU says do not go through the toll plaza. If not the booklet then when you do onboarding its told then. For those who park back there is highly discouraged. Between park guests, those who park in woody, and the resorts its a mad house. Also going through toll plaza before you are an id card cm you will be charged.

 

[katiekinzakat]

It is actually not discouraged for CMs to go through the toll plaza. When I had my day 2 orientation class the Disney provided instructions specifically told me to go through the toll plaza. The only reason they tell you to go through the back for Traditions is because you don't have your ID yet, even though it's entirely possible that there will be nobody manning the toll plaza that early depending on the park hours.

 

[Dasnowz]

It is discouraged due to heavy guest traffic. cm who are working backstage are encouraged to use reams road. I am not going to argue but it is. Traffic gets very heavy and very busy. Its also very congested if the cm are all trying to merge into the one lane with resort guests and buses. The preferred route for cm who park backstage is reams road. And now with holidays its even busier. They have had all booths open.

 

[maleficent rules]

Makes sense to go the back route. Being new, I wasn't aware of the back route, so I'm glad I asked the question here. I just looked at one of the papers I printed off yesterday from the New Hire Portal and for DU it did give directions using Reams. It didn't say you had to go that way, but I'm guessing because it gave only directions to go that way, that's what they prefer. Thanks for all the advice on my post. It has helped a lot. I think I would have been super stressed if I was trying to get to cast parking and got caught up in MK parking issues.

 

[LaurenTaylor]

In the end did the scheduling work out for you? I'm in the same boat right now. I have a job Monday-Thursday and I'm afraid of having training interfere with that. I got hired to disney And my other job on the same day, the second job wants work around my Disney schedule but since I don't know it yet it's putting a kink in my plans.

 

[maleficent rules]

Disney has only had me work on the days I committed to them. So they did all of my training on those days. They will schedule you for different hours every day that you are there, so there is no set shift that way. For example, next week on Monday I work from 6 am to 2:30 pm, Tuesday is 7:45 pm to 2 am, Wednesday is 3 pm to 11:30 pm. The only problem for me is that my Sunday shift at my other job is from 7 pm to 12 am, so I won't get much sleep between that job and Disney.
Hopefully your other job has set hours and doesn't have you working too early or too late, otherwise you will have to learn how to get by on little sleep.
Good luck. I'm absolutely loving my Disney job.

 

[LaurenTaylor]

Thanks!!!!
I got custodial and I've heard nothing but good things about it!
I'm a little worried about getting late shifts like 2am because my other job has shifts like that as well. I think it could get really tough, if I work until 2 am at one job in my hometown then have a 6 am shift at disney and my drive there is an hour I think I'd be totally exhausted
I'll get it figured out though!