I was in career start way back in 2006, but I can offer you my experiences and advice. We didn't find out our actual jobs until our day of arrival. If you didn't like what you got that was too damn bad (that's going to be a recurring theme here, fyi). I'm guessing you're in operations, to give you a heads up that also includes gate worker (park greeter), parking lot, and auto plaza, which is where I ended up. Your first couple days are going to be a blur. You'll get your work assignment, meet your roommates, and do other clerical stuff the first day. The second day is where the real fun begins with traditions and other orientation sessions. The day after that is usually training for your specific park. That's a whole lot of fun and, for me, was the first time I truly felt like a cast member. This may also be when someone for your management team takes you to costuming to show you what you'll need for your role(s). After that you'll have a few days of job specific training before you're thrown into the day to day. Notice I said role(s). You'll usually start out in one specific job, but as time goes on you can request cross training for the other positions within your group. I strongly recommend that as it helps break up the monotony of doing the same job day after day. I assume that's how it works at all positions anyway.
If you want to avoid the party/drinking scene then try to get an apartment with fewer roommates. I was in an apartment with five other guys, it got crazy sometimes. Back then Chatham was the nicest apartments, but they mostly went to the foreign CMs for EPCOT. Try to avoid Vista Way if that place is somehow still standing. That's where I lived and we used to call it the Disney Ghetto. You literally couldn't touch anything without it falling apart. The apartments are not run by Disney, but by an outside third party. They couldn't care less about anything. I was lucky that most of my roommates were truly amazing people. I had one that was an outright terror. I won't go into details, but it was ugly. Myself and every other member of my apartment complained to both the housing management and the Disney program about him, and their response was a resounding, meh. Luckily he got himself terminated about half way through the program. Honestly, the apartments are a nightmare, but they're just where you sleep, you'll LIVE in the parks.
The actual work is grueling. You will hurt in places you didn't know existed after a few months. There will be times you'll work 12 hour days, six days straight. Overtime was frequent and mandatory back then, I assume it still is. It sucks and the pay sucks even more. You will burn out at some point, the question is how you handle it. Odds are by that point you'll have made an amazing group of friends. You'll all go to the Magic Kingdom one night just to watch the fireworks and you'll realize that it's all worth it. Management is... management. Drink the Disney Kool-Aid and do what you're supposed to and you'll be fine. Try to get in their good graces if you can, but you'll find that hard to do. You'll have about 15 actual managers, and you'll have no idea what any of them actually do. They will always be in a state of chaos and everything will always be an emergency. Sympathize with them, they have it worse than you do.
Now then, is it worth it? Yes. I still look back on my time in the program as the best time of my life. I deeply regret not staying with the company. As much as it sucks in so many ways, the ability to go to the parks any time you want makes it worth it. You will make some amazing friends and have some truly awesome times. You will see things that most people only dream about. You will have the time of your life.
