Okay, be honest! ;)

[madtheswine630]

I've been asking around at a couple of different message boards, and someone reminded me to try here, so here I go! Without getting into all the explanatory detail that I usually do, I was hoping for some objective opinions regarding the College Program and being a CM in general. (It's not badmouthing to tell it like it is, hehe...everyone has things they like and don't like about their job! Though I'm not asking anyone to share things that could get them fired, of course!)

I'm not sure yet that I'll be able to do it, as I procrastinated way too long (long enough that I just went through the graduation ceremony, but still as yet have to do an internship before officially being considered a graduate), but I'm the sort that likes to know what to expect before jumping into something. ...Or at least know as much as is possible to know! I've heard lots of the good stuff already, so objective opinions are always welcome!

For a more specific question: did you all get placed in the role you'd wanted? And are you able to switch between parks or attractions (e.g. could a ride operator in Frontierland be able to switch over to something in Fantasyland, or even do some things in Epcot)? Those are just for my own personal curiosity, and not so much for "research."

 

[Blizz]

Now I am not CP but from friends who are I can possibly try to answer some questions.

You get to request an area, like attractions, food and bev., castodial, hotel operations, etc... However they do have the option to place you anywhere.

Pay right now for CP's is $6.40 an hour and they take around $70 - $80 a paycheck for housing and more for the classes you take.

You are promised 32 hours a week in your contract however you can shift exchange to give away some of that or you can pick up more through extra hours hotline or by just asking your area for more hours.

Once you are in a role, thats where you are. I do know CPs that have gone through half of training, felt really uncomfertable there and asked to be transfered. However, you can't work half your program at Epcot and then ask to go to Magic Kingdom. They won't do that. If you extend, you can move for the second program. Most CPs I know have moved from attractions into entertainment for their extention.

Hope this helps some. If you want to know more, just ask. I am sure someone can help on here.

 

[MuRkErY]

I just got back from my three month CP program, May to Sep.
It was a great experience, one of if not the best of my life. Now I'm not going to make everything sound all rosy, and don’t go with expectations everything is going to be perfect.

1) You could get roommates you dislike, it did not happen to me... but it's a possibility, but it's not the be all and end all. All though it's great to be close friends with your roomies it is not a necessity, since there are tons, and tons of cool people to hang out with.

2) If your having a bad day, it can be made 10x worse going into work at WDW where everybody is so happy, you get a few bad guests and you feel like it's the end of the world. Then again a few positive interactions with guests can lift you back up again.

Overall it is a amazing experience, Disney is a great place to work, and play at. All my managers were great, but the one thing you realise more than anything by the end of your CP is... That it's the people more than anything that make the program so special. I met possibly the best group of people I’ve ever met from all over the world, and I'd be proud to call at least over 30 people I met down in Florida close friends, and it was a absolute pleasure to spend three months with them.

The hardest part is saying goodbye to all these people, some of whom you might never see again. I seriously think it was the saddest goodbyes I've ever had too do. Just remembering all the great memories makes you a little sad looking back at it. They asked me to go back April to November next year which I am probably going to do.

Overall It's a experience I would 100% recommend to anybody, and it's also a life changing experience for many people.

There are sad times, happy times, times where you may feel lonely, funny times, romantic times, great party times, great guests and bad guests, Disney times and *ahem* not so Disney like times. It all adds up to make it one of the most memorable experiences of my life, in only three months.

BTW, I stopped at Vista Way. Despite all the rumours you may here it’s a great place IMO. Ok so a lot of un-Disney like stuff does take place there (Not anything bad, just the usual crazy parties etc…) and a lot of it I did participate in my self. There were some great times at Vista, and it’s a great place to let of steam after you have been a good cast member all day in the parks. There are lots of great people there, and I can assure you, you will never be bored at Vista Way. Just dont be stupid and get caught and you will be fine.

 

[madtheswine630]

Thanks for the input!

I found another message board that's dedicated just to the CP, and that answered a lot of other questions I'd had. As soon as I hear from the department chair of my major, I'm going to fill out the application and go to a presentation at a nearby campus come December. I think it sounds like a really great experience!

As for the roommates...I lucked out in my freshman year, getting a roommate that was really wonderful. We lived together the following two years as well, but were unable to do so during senior year. That's when I got stuck with some of the worst girls I've ever encountered. But I've learned my lesson from that, so I think I can handle whatever would happen to come my way if I get into the CP!

Thanks again!

 

[Disneygirl86]

Thanks for the input!

I found another message board that's dedicated just to the CP, and that answered a lot of other questions I'd had.

What is the other message board? I'm planning on doing a CP next year (got accepted for Spring 06 but couldn't go) so any more info I can find on it would be great!

Good luck with your CP plans!

 

[madtheswine630]

What is the other message board? I'm planning on doing a CP next year (got accepted for Spring 06 but couldn't go) so any more info I can find on it would be great!

Good luck with your CP plans!

http://pub57.ezboard.com/bwaltdisneyworldcollegeprograminformation

That's the one I'd found...I don't know how active it is, but there are still a lot of questions and things answered, so I guess that's what counts!

 

[joanna71985]

I love that website. I have a whole bunch that I used before I started my first CP, and I still post on them now.

 

[MMP]

I think the college program is a wonderful experiance as long as you aren't a whiner. I'm having a serious issue right now with all people I overhear on the phone with their parents saying they didn't sign up to work more than 30 hours a week and they really think they deserve more than 2 days off a week.

 

[kal1484]

The truth? I didn't get the job I wanted, I ended up moving and still hating my roomates, the pay was terrible, the hours were terrible. Do it. I wouldn't trade my experience for anything. I ended up loving my job, having wonderful friends outside my apart (I ended up with nutcases in both places, not a single normal person) I stayed down here in Florida, but moved in Jan to Bradenton. I am engaged and it wouldn't have happened if I didn't do the CP.

Bottom Line: If you can afford it, do it. You only get this chance once in a lifetime (well, possibly more, but you know what I mean)

 

[madtheswine630]

The truth? I didn't get the job I wanted, I ended up moving and still hating my roomates, the pay was terrible, the hours were terrible. Do it. I wouldn't trade my experience for anything. I ended up loving my job, having wonderful friends outside my apart (I ended up with nutcases in both places, not a single normal person) I stayed down here in Florida, but moved in Jan to Bradenton. I am engaged and it wouldn't have happened if I didn't do the CP.

Bottom Line: If you can afford it, do it. You only get this chance once in a lifetime (well, possibly more, but you know what I mean)

Well, you know it's worth doing if someone can start off with all the negatives yet still say it was an awesome experience! :lol:

I've pretty much decided I'm going to go for it. I just have to call the department chair at college, though. I'd posed my question to the secretary, because she tends to know more than half the faculty, but she didn't know the answer to this question, so she forwarded my email to the chair...who's never replied to anything I've emailed her. Ah well, I think I'll survive. LOL

 

[packwingfn]

The best thing to do is to SEE the secretary and talk to an assistant to the dean or something.

I tried emailing everyone and it just took forever for a reply and I never got a straight answer so I made an appointment with the assistant to the dean and got some real answers.

Pretty much, Im glad I let the school know but honestly, my school was only gonna offer me elective credits if i take classes down there so Im passing on the classes. Otherwise, Im just taking a semester off (dont need to let the school know, just disappear)

Hope this helps you madtheswine630

 

[madtheswine630]

Talking in-person would have definitely been my top choice. I'm not much on email/phone communication (at least, not in these situations)...but unfortunately, my college is over 4 hours away from me, so it's not really feasible to get out there. I'd love to use that as an excuse, though, because I miss the area, lol!

I'm not currently enrolled right now, because I should have been graduated by this point...but I couldn't find an internship over the summer like I was supposed to, so I still have 6 credits to complete before being considered a graduate. If the department counts this as an internship, then it'll just be a matter of enrolling for those credits and everything should work out. Otherwise, I'll either have to think up something else, or give up the idea and kick myself for being a procrastinator.

 

[zeroFantasy]

Your college program and and CM experience depends on you, and what you make of your program. Go out and have the time of your life, make friends at work, and have fun.

As for getting the job I wanted.... During my interview, the interviewer asked me what my favorite ride was... my first choice was Mission: Space, then Rock'N'Roller Coaster. Guess where I'm working? *points at avatar*. But of course no one will promise you that you will get ToT if that's your favorite ride. You may not be operations at all.
As for changing roles/locations, technically, CPs cannot do it but I know someone who did... but it wasn't easy..

 

[MMP]

I got the job I wanted but then again I also auditioned for entertainment and was in a very needed height range!

 

[BCNHF]

Im going to post my problem:

My problem is deciding if I want to go to WDW CarearStart or straight to college. I'm really undecided and I know if I do WDW CarearStart that my college search will be 10x harder then using the resources I have to me as a high school senior currently.

 

[SweaterInJune]

No one here can really make that decision. I think I would have benefitted from a 'gap year' experience, but I went straight off to college. It's been rough, but in 11 weeks, I'm finished! So, that's nice...very nice!

As for your college search, you can still do the searching now and use those resources which are available to you. My HS was no use when I was going through my search, so I did it all on my own anyways. Do what feels right in your heart...

 

[madtheswine630]

For what it's worth, I waited nearly 4 years before I finally went to college. I'm not saying that's what everyone should do, but I think it depends on whether or not you know what it is you'd like to major in. For myself, I had NO idea what I wanted to do, so I didn't go to college until I knew. People all over the place were telling me that if they hadn't gone right after high school, they never would have gone...but it was just the right time for me.

There are a couple of options, here (well, more than that, but I'll just go with two, hehe). If you really don't know what you want to do in college, then you could do CareerStart while you decide...and I'm sure there'll probably be something in the program that will give you an idea of what you'd like to do. Alternatively, if you DO know what you'd like to do in college, CareerStart might teach you some useful skills that you can use later.

As for the high school resources...I agree with the other poster who said you can do a lot of that stuff now. I'd gone to my guidance counselor and did some kind of survey that printed out colleges I might mesh with, but in the end--when I did my own searching 3 1/2 years later, lol--I wound up going somewhere completely different anyway.

I agree that no one can make the decision for you (not that you were really asking us to, I'm sure!), but hopefully there'll be something here within my rambling that helps you out a little bit!

 

[kcw]

I'm gonna have to oppose the other two because of one HUGE thing- SCHOLARSHIPS! I went to a university straight out of high school, had an academic scholarship, and after my first year, was able to defer it to come here...and it's been a good "gap semester" so far! I have a friend though who now, (two years after he graduated) has decided that he finally wants to go to college. He has quite the family situation and is basically 100% on his own to pay for it.... I've been trying to help him, but there are just VERY few scholarships that are offered unless you're straight out of high school or possibly a transfer student.... just something to think about....

madtheswine- that's amazing that you were able to do that!! but keep in mind that he is generally in the minority...most people have a very rough time going back to college after they've taken a break...

 

[BCNHF]

Well I know what I want to Major in (Radio) but it's not so much the going to college thing as it is getting the hell out of Northern New Hampshire. I swear to god if I have to spend 20 years up here i'm going to crack.


The thing I worry about about not going straight to college is teacher reccomendations. It's going to be hard enough to get them right now, it'll be impossible a year down the line...

 

[madtheswine630]

madtheswine- that's amazing that you were able to do that!! but keep in mind that he is generally in the minority...most people have a very rough time going back to college after they've taken a break...

That's what I've been told by people as well. :lol: It hadn't even occurred to me until people mentioned it, though; I always knew I'd go to college, it was just a matter of when. Looking back on it, though, I can definitely see how it was a bit of an abnormality!

I hadn't thought about the financial situation when I made my post, either. Since I hadn't planned to go to college right after high school, I didn't look into scholarships or anything like that, so that's one thing I was ignorant on. It was INCREDIBLY rough, because I paid for most of it on my own (and destroyed my credit) before my father offered--as part of a divorce settlement--to pay for the rest. Teacher recommendations were also something I hadn't thought about, since I didn't need any for my college application.

Is there an advisor or a teacher you could talk to at school? You might be able to get some general advice about what to do, but if you have an idea of who you'd like to get teacher recs from, maybe you could talk to them and explain your situation? That way, if you come back to them in a year, they'd already know what you'd been doing. It wouldn't be some random student coming back to haunt them; they'd have a face to put with the request.

But as I said, I didn't have to go through any of this stuff, so I'm just shooting stuff out there. (By the way, I majored in Communication, and spent a year and a half as a DJ on our campus radio station. It was a fun time!)