Disney Colege Program: The First Week

The first week of the Disney College Program can be a scary and exciting time for everyone. One question that is been asked is, What will my First week look like? Well its going to be different for everyone, so here is the run down:

Day One: Everyone will go to check-in at their complex they will be living at. If you live off-site, you will check in at Patterson Court. Next you will have casting. Some may not have it this day and will have it the next. Instead Some may have a housing meeting. If you have the role of a life guard, attractions or a transportation cast member you will have a drug test. More detail in  my check-in blog.

Day Two: If you didn't have casting or your housing meeting, you will likely have it this day.

Day Three: Most likely you will have a day off

Day Four: You will be going to traditions.

Day Five: If you didn't go to traditions, you ill go then. Depending on your role role you may start training.

Day Six and so on: training will start at least for everybody or you may have a few more days off before you train, but you will start training at least by day 8

Disney College Program: Traditions and training

Everyone in the Disney College Program has to go through Traditions, which is the orientation overview to the Walt Disney Company, specifically Walt Disney World. You'll have orientation pertaining to your role later, and then orientation at your location, followed by actual role training.

Your traditions will be scheduled a few days after you check in. Your traditions will be dived into groups by last name and you will receive a sheet before you check in letting you know if you will go in the morning or the afternoon. If you go to traditions in the afternoon it is usually longer then the one in the morning.

You must dress in business clothes for  Traditions, Park orientation, and any training done at Disney University.

What will Traditions entail?

Just like when you went to casting you are REQUIRED NOT TO TAKE TRANSTAR. Disney will provide coach buses to get you to traditions.

Your day begins on the bus ride to Disney University, where your Traditions "class" takes place.

Once there you will be divided into more groups and will make sure your name and school is spelled correctly for your name tag. You will not be able to put your city on it at this point. If you would like, you have to do this at costuming once you start training at your location.


At traditions you will learn some of Disney's business success secrets, their special "language," the Four Keys, creating magical moments and interacting with Guests, and a look back at Walt's life.

There will also be many videos of Guests explaining how Cast Members made their vacation extra magical, and how the Cast Members responded to the Guests' letters. There were videos of children being told they were going to Walt Disney World and their reactions to the news.

 During traditions you will learn about the Four Keys. What are the Four Keys? These are Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency. These are integral to success at any branch of the Walt Disney Company. And you will never stop hearing about them while on your Disney journey -- they are that important! This doesn't hurt to mention these in your interview.

After awhile you will take a special trip to the Magic Kingdom to see the Four Keys in action. After you return they will talk a bit more of what you saw in the Four Keys and then a special guest will come in. I don't want to spoil anything so that all I will say after you return. There is also some other special surprises during the class.

After you are done with traditions you are able to play in the Parks!!!!

What will Training entail?

Everyone's training is going to be different, so I will give you the basic run down. Everyone will have a few classes at Disney University, where you will learn about your role and do computer training.

Then you will have a Welcome to orientation at your park or resort you are working at. The Same will be for Disney Springs and the ESPN Sports Complex. After the orientation  you will start your on the job training. This is going to vary by role, so I am not going to get into this much. You will also be getting your costumes at this point in your training.

Disney College Program: The Gird

When I was finishing my Fall 2014 extension the housing team at Disney was constructing a new store at The Commons. In February 2015 The Gird finally opened.

The Grid is open seven days a week until 1 a.m., and offers a wide array of hot and cold food items, health and beauty products, and coffee and assorted beverages. If you are flying and don't want to hit Wal-Mart right away, this is a good place to get you settled for a bit until you stock up.


Starting in the Fall 2016, Disney has partnered with College-Ave a site where you are able to order dorm supplies. So seven days prior to arrival you may order items from the site have them shipped to The Commons apartment Complex. All of the items located in the site has been preapproved by Disney housing.

Disney College Program: Check in, casting and housing meeting

You have finally made it to Florida or California for your Program.  Your first few days are going to be busy, so instead of rushing, its best if you try and fly or drive in the day before check-in. This will allow you to rest up, get familiar with the area, and plan for any late flights if you are flying.

For both Disney World and Disneyland make sure you have your important paperwork before you leave HOME!!!!

Walt Disney World

A few days before you arrive you will receive an itinerary from Disney letting you know what times you will have check-in, casting, and your housing meeting.  Starting with the Spring 2017 programs you location will be included in the itinerary. If you are attractions you will find out your ride you are going to work at on your first day of on the job training. The earliest someone could check in is 7AM and go through at least noon. So like I said its best to arrive the day before, as you don't want to have to rebook flights if fly in during your check in time.

As of Fall 2016, check-in is a bit different. Instead of everyone going to Vista on their first day, you will report to the housing complex's clubhouse you will be staying at. So now before you get to Disney, you will know what complex you will be staying at. You must report to the complex at the time given. Security will NOT LET YOU IN EARLY! If you do arrive early you will be waiting until your check in time.

If you are bringing your car down, this is where you will get your decal and make sure your car info is correct. The decal  is $50 if you get it before you check in and $75 at check in.

Complex address
Vista Way 13501 Meadow Creek Dr
Orlando, FL 32821
The Commons
8050 Gables Commons Dr
Orlando, FL 32821
Chatham 8161 Chatham Manor Blvd
Orlando, FL 32821
Patterson Court
8139 Patterson Woods Dr
Orlando, FL 32821

During check in you will go through some of the paper work you did before you arrived, go over the Disney Look, get pictures for your housing ID, and Keys for your apartment. They will also give you a housing guide and some FREE STUFF!!!

Parents are not allowed during check in or casting, but will be able to help you move in.

For your pictures you need to be in Disney Looks from the Neck up other then that you can and should ware whatever you want. My advice is to wear relaxed clothes as you will be hot and tired after the day is over. So you if you are person who like to wear a suit for check-in, Don't do it!

Next on the itinerary will be the time you will need to report to casting. You Must go to Vista or Chatham and get on the BUS. These buses do not go to the other complexes. The nice thing your casting bus will be coach buses and not TranStar. You can't drive as there is no parking at casting.

Once at casting you will finish up going over paperwork, do figures prints for your background check and get your WORK LOCATION!!!

Depending on your role you may need a drug test which will be done at casting as well. It may be separate from your casting time. If you are a life guard you will have your swim test scheduled for that day as well.

Next you will have your housing meeting witch may be the same day or scheduled for the next day. This will be held at The Commons and is MANDATORY that you GO. Since there is NOT a lot of parking at this complex it is best that you take one of the Transtar buses or walk to The Commons.

Everyone's check in process will be different, so don't freak out if yours isn't the same as your roommates. The next day you should have off before you have traditions. As that will be covered in another blog.

Disneyland
A few days before you arrive you will receive an itinerary from Disney letting you know what times you will have check-in. 


Living at the complexes will report to
Check-in Location:
Carnegie Plaza
180 W. Center Street Promenade
Anaheim, CA 92805

Not Living at the complexes will report to
Check-in Location:
Team Disney Anaheim
700 W Ball Road
Anaheim, CA 92802

During check in you will go through all of paper work you did before you arrived, go over the Disney Look, get pictures for your housing ID, and Keys for your apartment. They will also give you a housing guide and some FREE STUFF!!!

Unlike Disney World your housing meeting will be usually the same day and will be dived up by floors of the complex. This is  MANDATORY that you GO if you live in housing. You will be given the time during check in.

The check in process will be different for everybody except for the housing meeting.

I will update for Disneyland as I find more information.

Disney College program: Manageable Packing List

When I did my program back in 2014, I made an extreme packing list  outlining everything you could bring on the program by combining hundreds of packing lists to just one. That list is more if you are driving down and can't bring everything in the world, but lets face it if you are flying you still may pack to much.

When I went down my parents drove me down, but when I came back it wasn't easy getting everything on the plane. I had to ship a few boxes back and even pay airline fees. Yes, I over packed and even for a male.

You can use my extreme packing list for suggestions, but this is a new improved packing list that will go through everything you really need, but I will focus on a flying list more as apposed to driving since I will be flying for my next program. However, I will still make notes along the way for the people who decided to drive to California or Florida.

*Indicates that you may want to buy when you get their if flying
**Items you could talk to your roommates about splitting the cost if sharing the items


Bedroom

If you are in a room with bunk beds, bed risers will not work for any of the beds.

1. Sheets* (On a budget bring with you)
2. Pillow Cases
3. Pillows*
4. Blankets* (On a budget bring with you)
5. Mattress cover*
6. mattress pad*
7. Push pins
8. Extension cord
9. Stuffed animals
10. Hangers* (if you have the room bring them)
11. Flash light
12. Sleeping mask
13. Pictures and decorations
14. Calendar
15. Cable splitter/Cord if bring a TV for room
16. Command strips
17. Alarm Clock

Bathroom

Each bathroom has a trash can inside, but are welcome to bring your own.
One roll of toilet paper is provided in each bathroom once you arrive.**

1. Shower Certain
2. Towels
3. Washcloth
4. Toothbrush & toothpaste
5. Bath rug**
6. Shaving cream
7. Shaver
8. Hand soap
9. Body soap
10. Shampoo
11. Q-tips
12. Lotion
13. Vaseline
14. Sunscreen
15. Mouth Wash
16. Medicine/vitamins
17. Iron

Clothes

You really don't need a lot of clothes or shoes on your program. Most of the time you will be in your costume. For work shoes you will have to wait until you are down there to see what shoes you will need. Some roles will provide shows for you like custodial or quick service.

As for undergarments that is up to you. For me I brought 20 pairs of white socks, 4 black socks and 30 underwear. This may let you wash a lot less and even save money.

Since I was in my costume much I didn't even use a lot of my clothes and was in them for only a few hours.

If you are flying this will save room in your luggage, so you have more room for other things.

1. 4-5 t-shirts
2. 4-5 shorts
3. 2-3 pants
4. 1-2 dress pants
5. 1-2 pairs of daily shoes
6. 1-2 dress shoes
7. 1-2 sweatshirts/hoodies
8. 2-3 PJs
9. 1-2 jammers
10. 2-3 Jackets
11. Belt
12. Tie
13. Dress shirt
14. Suit/Sport Jacket

Electronics

1. Modem
2. Laptop
3. Cell phone/charger
4. TV

Kitchen/Living room

Disney does provide plates, bowls, cups, silverware, pots and pans,  strainer, measuring spoons (cups I forget), spatula, and some other little things that I can't think of. If you do don't have these things when you arrive go to the housing office and let them know you don't have it. Then they will have you fill out a form of everything wrong with the apartments and the items you don't have. Then they will give you the stuff that you don't have and put in work order for the apartment.

You can bring more cooking utensils , if you really like to cook, but what they have is okay and will should you through. I didn't get anything extra things as well for my roommates and we were just fine using hat Disney provided us with.

For things Like toilet paper, paper towels, and food that would be commonly shared. It is probably best to wait until you get their to decided to see what your roommate what to do.  It may be cheaper by splitting the cost or rotating on who buys it each time the products run out.

My big packing list gives you ideas on what you could bring for the kitchen.

Cleaning supplies
If you are flying don't bring these and buy when you get down there. Vacuums are provided in the clubhouse for WDW and in the apartment for DL. Disney does provide you with a some cleaning supplies as well, but after that you will need to get them yourselves. This is another item that you may want to consider splitting the cost.


Items not allowed

1. Candles
2. Bikes (Disneyland is allowed)
3. Pets
4. Electronic Blanks
5. Shot Glasses (allowed if you are in a Non-wellness (21+)  Apartment)
6. Weapons of any kind and even toys

Hope this helps and limits yourself to what you pack.

Disney College Program: Budgeting on the peogram

One of the most questions that is asked is am I going to make enough money? The answer is yes you will to pay rent and have enough for your basic needs. Another major question is am I able to save money while on the program and the answer is still yes as long as you budget well and sped it wisely. This applies to both Disney World and Disneyland programs.

You may not get a lot of hours one week, your apartment fails an inspection or you go home and don't have enough to cover rent, so budgeting is the key thing to survive the program. . Some of these suggestions may sound insane, but did help me during my program.

Tips that will help

1. Make a budget to know what your needs are during the program.
2. Go to grocery stores like Walmart, Aldi, and other cheap stores. You can still use publix, but don't be shopping their every week.
3. Put money to the side after each paycheck
4. If you can bring some food down with you from home
5. Work with your roommates to see what you all could share and split the cost.
6. Bring your lunch to work as the cafeteria can be expensive.
7. Bring a lunch and/or snacks to the parks. 
8. If you bring a car take the bus once in awhile.
9. Don't bring money/Cards to the parks or even work to avoid spending while an breaks once awhile.
10. Don't eat out all the time.
11. Avoid purchasing merchandise until after your program or only when we have the 40% discount.
12. If you must purchase things while in the parks limit yourself on what to buy.

This helped me on my program and I did fine with money. Although you want to budget still make sure you have a great time on your program.

For me I had very little bills, so it was pretty easy with the high prices of rent, but if you do have many bills its still doable. If you have a lot of bills, don't be afraid to put some aside before you go down or even while on the program.


How much money should I bring to get started?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions and there isn't a correct answer to this. Its really just going to depend on you and what you needs and wants are during the first few weeks. I am not going to say to go down with no money, but I have seen people do it. My personal opinion would be around $300 dollars. If you are going to want to go out everyday the first week I would say $500 to $800. But again the main thing is what do you want to have in your apartment the first few weeks or can you get away with a it until the first decent pay check?

This is for Walt Disney World, but for Disneyland you may want to double what you would bring to Florida as  it is more expensive out there. But differently take some.

Disney College Program: Hire Documentation, I-9 Forms and other documents

You have been accepted and now need to take care of all of the paperwork that is in involved. It is required to do this ahead of time as it will delay your check in to the program as you will then have to do it at check in.

Medical Accommodations  
Although this isn't required by everyone it is best if you start filling out the medical accommodations  as soon as possible. If you don't and need them this may affect you while working. So get it done as soon as possible.

For details about to documents please visit the link at the bottom of the page.

Renters Insurance
Although not required in Florida, renters insurance is required for the California program.

To ensure you have the appropriate documentation upon arrival, please fax your proof of renters insurance to our Programs Office at 714-833-5216 prior to your arrival. We will review this information and contact you via email in advance of your arrival if anything needs to be corrected.
This documentation MUST INCLUDE all of the following detail and MUST BE CIRCLED OR HIGHLIGHTED ON YOUR POLICY PRIOR TO YOU FAXING IT TO US:

• Your name (Student Name) must be included as the name insured with address of 180 W. Center Street Promenade, Anaheim, CA 92805
• Certificate Holder, Additional Interest, Additional Insured, etc. must be: The Walt Disney Company with address of 180 W. Center Street Promenade, Anaheim, CA 92805
• Coverage must include personal liability of $100,000 minimum
• Policy must be in effect during the duration of your participation on the program and the dates must be visible on the policy

For details about to documents please visit the link at the bottom of the page.

Hire Documentation

This will arrive to your email about 3 weeks before the start of your program.

1. the email will contain your New Hire Portal username and a link to login.
2. Once you receive the email, click the New Hire Portal link.
3. You will be prompted to create a password.
4. After logging in, please follow the instructions on how to complete your documentation

This will have you read a lot of Disney polices, Sign contracts, direct despot, and provide your tax information.

I-9 Documents

During Check in you will need to provide two of the following as well using these while filling out the new hire documentation. You will use one (1) document from List A, or you may use one (1) item each from BOTH List B AND List C. All documents must be unexpired.

List A: Documents that Establish Both Identity and Employment Authorization

1. U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport Card
2. Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551)
3. Foreign passport that contains a temporary I-551 stamp or temporary I-551 printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa
4. Employment Authorization Document that contains a photograph (Form I-766)
5. In the case of a nonimmigrant alien authorized to work for a specific employer incident to status, a foreign passport with Form I-94 or Form I-94A bearing the same name as the passport and containing an endorsement of the alien's nonimmigrant status, as long as the period of endorsement has not yet expired and the proposed employment is not in conflict with any restrictions or limitations identified on the form
6. Passport from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) or the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) with Form I-94 or Form I-94A indicating nonimmigrant admission under the Compact of Free Association Between the United States and the FSM or RMI

List B: Documents that Establish Identity

1. Driver's license or ID card issued by a state or outlying possession of the United States provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color and address
2. ID card issued by federal, state or local government agencies or entities, provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color and address
3. School ID card with a photograph
4. Voter's registration card
5. U.S. Military card or draft record
6. Military dependent's ID card
7. U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card
8. Native American tribal document
9. Driver's license issued by a Canadian government authority

For persons under age 18 who are unable to present a document listed above:

10. School record or report card
11. Clinic, doctor, or hospital record
12. Day-care or nursery school record

List C: Documents that Establish Employment Authorization

1. Social Security Account Number card other than one that specifies on the face that the issuance of the card does not authorize employment in the United States
2. Certification of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State (Form FS-545)
3. Certification of Report of Birth issued by the Department of State (Form DS-1350)
4. Original or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by a State, county, municipal authority or territory of the United States bearing an official seal
5. Native American tribal document
6. U.S. Citizen ID Card (Form I-197)
7. Identification Card for Use of Resident Citizen in the United States (Form I-179)
8. Employment authorization document issued by the Department of Homeland Security

MAKE SURE YOU BRING THESE WHEN YOU CHECK IN!!!


For more detail go to the boarding sites.

• Florida onboarding information
• California onboarding information

 The onboarding sites above go into depth. Some the information I did copy over, but for specific for medical, renters insurance forms, and religious accommodations, please go to the sites.

Disney College Program: DORMS and Picking your roommates

You have been accepted and its time to pick your roommates. Picking your roommates can be fun or terrifying at the same time.

There are so many ways to go about picking your roommates, but I will advise do not try and find people until after you get accepted. The reason is that if you find a person and you get accepted but they don't this could put a damper on things. Yes, its great to make friends while applying, but try and not find roommates until later in the process. 

Finding roommates

1. Fill out a Roommate Survey
2. Join groups for your arrival date as this will condense the amount of people in the Facebook group.
3. Blog or even vlog about your choice of  roommates

Once you find people talk with them a see if they are a good fit for you.

Picking roommates or going random can go both ways as being a bad or good choice. Its really up to you, but sometimes its worth to take the risk. For me when I went random, I had roommates that were drunks and I didn't like living with them. However, when I extended I did find roommates on Facebook and it was great with two random roommates who joined the apartment later on.

DORMS

About 20 days before your arrive you will be giving your housing paperwork. Once in Dorms you will provided your housing preferences, roommates, and sign some documents.

Now keep in mind, you may not be able to link with all of your roommates you would like. If you want 4 bedroom apartment you may only be able to link up to 3 other roommates and not 7. A lot of factors is involved in this. One being is how many units they have available or if you have a later arrival date. They don't have a lot of space if you arrive at a much further arrival date.

If you are linking with roommates, you will be sent a number, but one person will have to take charge of the whole group and gather up your other roommates numbers and enter them. Once there are entered they will then go in and confirm everything as well adding in their personal information and signing documents.

If you go random you don't have to worry about gathering other roommates information as you will just go in and do it your self by selecting I'm Adventurous.

Disney College Program Roommate Survey

Here is a roommate survey to help you out. Also you may add things if you would like as it could help.

Name:
Gender:
Orientation:
Relationship Status:
Birthday/Age:
Hometown:
School:
Major:
Year in School:
Are you allergic to anything?
Do you have any siblings? 
Who do you live with?

DCP Details

Are you applying for WDW or DL? 
Do you want to live in Wellness or Non-Wellness? 
How many people do you want to live with?
Which housing complex would you like to live in?
Flying or Driving? 
Are you bringing a car?
Arrival Date? 
Departure Date?

Lifestyle

Do you party? How often? 
Do you smoke or drink?
Do you like to cook? 
Are you a night person or morning person? 
 Do you snore? 
What does your bedroom normally look like? 
Do you like it when your room is hot or cold?
Would you rather go out or stay in? 
What do you like to do on your days off/the weekend? 
 Do you work out a lot? 

Personality

Three words that describe you:
One good quality:  
One bad quality: 
 Are you outgoing or quiet? 
What would you want in a roommate? 
 Are you messy or organized? 
 How do you feel about sharing?
Do you like having people over a lot? 
Favorite music?
Favorite TV shows? 
Favorite movies? 
Favorite books? 
Favorite food? 
Favorite candy? 
 Favorite drink? 
Favorite color? 

Disney questions

Favorite character? 
Favorite movie? 
 Favorite prince?
Favorite princess? 
Favorite villain? 
Favorite Disney Channel show? 
Favorite park? 
Favorite ride? 

Disney College Program: Accepting the offer

Congrats, You got accepted into the Disney College program. I am going to explain the steps to accepting your offer.

In your offer you will be giving the role and your pay for the program as well as the park you will be doing the program at. Disneyland or Disney World are the two parks. You will have 7 days to accept your offer if not they will figure you are no longer interested. This applies to paying the fees and picking your arrival date.

After that you will have to pay the fees and have to pay by credit card.

Walt Disney World Fees

• Program Assessment Fee ($150)
  The one-time non-refundable $150 Program Assessment fee helps support the events and activities scheduled in the housing complexes throughout the program.
• Housing and Administration Fee ($200)
  This required non-refundable $200 Housing and Administration fee, will be applied to the participant's housing costs during the first few weeks of the program.

Disneyland Fees

• Program Assessment Fee ($100)
  The one-time non-refundable $100 Program Assessment and Activities Fee helps support the events and activities scheduled for all participants throughout the program.
• Security Deposit ($200)
  This deposit is fully refundable upon successful completion of the housing component of the Disney College Program and a successful apartment inspection upon check-out.
• Housing and Administration Fee ($598)
  This required non-refundable Housing and Administration fee, will be applied to the participant's housing costs during the first few weeks of the program.

 Note these fees could change at anytime


Once you pay the fees you will be asked to pick an arrival date. For Disney World you will be able to pick from several dates. However, for Disneyland everyone arrives  on the same day.

Disney College Program: Transportation for Disney World and Disneyland

Its time for the most famous transportation blog. I did the program without a car due to medical reasons, so I had no choice in bringing a car. Your situation may be different, so I am going to talk about doing the program without a car.

Here are all of the details about the getting around Florida, California, and my thoughts about the busses.

Walt Disney World

Disney does indeed provide transportation if you do the college program in Florida, but if you are bring a car you will be required purchase a parking pass if you bring your car and will be a one time fee of $50.  The decal  is $50 if you get it before you check in and $75 at check in.

 If you are flying in from Orlando international Airport (MCO) you will have to get a taxi, Uber, or a shuttle to the complex you are check in in at. If you have sometime grab the Magical Express and stay at a Disney resort until you check in and then grab a taxi or Uber.

Once you are checked in you have the Transtar buses that Disney housing provides to get around, but don't forget to utilize Disney transportation while at the parks as it is easier instead of going back to the complexes and then waiting for the next bus.

Vista Way and Chatham have bus stops at the complexes, some of the buses will not stop at the Commons, unless someone requests it. The only  bus that now goes to Patterson Court is the H bus witch is great, so you don't have to lug your groceries back the apartments from Chatham

Go to all complexes except Patterson

• A Wilderness Lodge/Contemporary/Magic Kingdom,
• C Epcot
• E Hollywood Studios/BoardWalk/Yatch & Beach, Fantasia Mini Golf/Dolphin & Swan,
• F Typhoon Lagoon/Downtown Disney ,
• J  Animal Kingdom Wardrobe/Animal Kingdom/Animal Kingdom Lodge/ World Wide Sports 
• M Florida Mall (goes their two days per week and changes days each month)

These go to All complexes except Patterson and The Commons, but the Commons can be requested After 6PM.

• B Polynesian/Grand Flordian/Magic Kingdom/TTC
• D Saratoga Springs/Old Key West/Port Orleans
• G Caribben Beach/Pop Century/Art of Animation
• K All Star Resorts/Bilzzard Beach/Coronado Springs/Cast connections

Goes to All complexes including Patterson Court

• H Walgreens/Walmart/Publix/Post Office

Now Down below I said the buses aren't that bad, but if you don't have a lot of groceries by shoping at Wal-Mart,  you may want to get off at the Publix bus and walk to Patterson Court, Chatham, or the Commons. It is sometime faster to get your groceries home.

If you want to go to other areas of Florida that aren't walking distance you can get there. First is the International Drive iTrolley. The iTrolly will take you to many different areas of International Drive and you can even get to Universal for a visit. If you are adventurous and want to walk along time, you can take the H bus to Walmart and walk to international drive to Universal. But in my opinion the trolley is faster, but does make several stops along the way.


You also have to Lynx city bus witch is good as well to get around.

Disneyland

Disney doesn't provide transportation if you do the program in California, so you are going to have to provide your own. If you are flying in from Los Angeles international Airport (LAX) you will have to get a taxi, Uber, or a shuttle that goes to a hotel you plan to stay at Close to the Carnegie Apartment complex.

It is encouraged to bring a car, but if you can't for whatever reason that's okay you will survive. If you do bring a car just keep in mind it is kind of funky. There is multiple parking lots and depending on which one you park at, it usually takes longer to drive your own car than to take the bus!

So if you don't You get a bus pass as well as commuters card. Commuters card allows you to get 1$ for carpooling or bussing to work, and 2$ if you walk or bike (more details below). With there being one building though, its easy to carpool a lot of the time.

You can also take the ART (Anaheim Resort Transit) bus, which is on the side of the building, which is a better alternative to the OCTA (Orange County Transportation Authority) bus. Plus the ART bus that takes you to Disneyland is on the same route as a Neighborhood Walmart so you can get groceries on your way home from work! and a grocery store ( VONS ) is right across the street from housing!

You have two routes that are the best to take and will get you to property in less than 15 minutes. The OCTA buses are the 43 and the 543. The stop for these routes is located about 5 minutes outside of housing and operate every 15-20 minutes. These buses can actually get you to your work location faster than parking in cast member park area which are all located off property. If you choose to ride OCTA you will be reimbursed $1 for every day you ride the bus. One direction only though. You also can take the 47, but it  doesn't stop directly in front of Disneyland. The 43 and and 543 are direct routes to go straight there. There is also a neighborhood Wal-Mart going towards Disneyland on the route, but you are able to get the super Wal-Mart by the 47 or take the 543, but you will have to walk a bit for the bus. I will warn you there are a lot of fast food and other stores in this area if you go to the Wal-Mart located at  88 E Orangethorpe Ave, Anaheim, CA 92801

The second transportation option is the Anaheim Resort Transportation Route 10 bus. This Bus arrives every 30 minutes and the stop is only 2 minutes from housing. There's not an exact schedule for this Bus, but you can get text alerts for the route. I found that OCTA was a perfect source to getting to work, while RT 10 was awesome for getting back to housing. Each travel time is no more than 20 minutes. Now what if your shift ends when the buses have ceased operation? Don't worry as part of the Disney commuter assistance program Disney provides an after hours cab service to housing. As you're clocking out call security and they will dispatch a cab to one of the Resort pick up areas. This service is only for when you are leaving your work location and all other transportation has ceased operation.

It has been mentioned by several  Transportation in California was much safer and reliable than any of the third party company provided transportation out in Florida. And you get money back!

If you want to explore Southern California you can take a bus or Amtrak but will take a few hours to get there. I do plan to do this when I do Disneyland.  If you have a car it will be easier but will have to deal with LA traffic. As always if your roommates have a car or you know people that are going see if you can tagalong.

Should I bring my car and how bad are the buses really?

It I really totally up to you if you want to bring your car down with you. However, if I was able to drive I don't know if I would bring my car as I was fine and I really just wanted to just stay in the Universal/Disney area. Without a car I wouldn't of able to get to places I really wanted to go like Aldi or The Cheesecake Factory, but I was able to manage without those things. But yes a Car would help at times, but isn't totally need.

The Buses aren't that bad. Since I  dealt with public transportation at home, I know what to expect. The horror stories you do hear are mainly from people who never dealt with public transportation and always leaving at the last possible minute. If you are going to deal with any bus you need to be able to plan things out so you aren't late be able to understand that things don't always run smoothly.

Now I will say the bus system does need improvements and could be on time a bit more and not get into so may wrecks. I do think it is mainly the drivers in the area that cause some of the wrecks and the other part are the drivers of the bus.

The only time I really had an issue was during the holidays and the rest of my time was fine. however, I did work at Epcot so that could of made things easier. When I took a shift at Hollywood Studios and Coronado Springs I didn't have any issues even though the Hollywood studio bus had bad rep. I walk out the door and just got on the bus, every time I took a shirt there.

IF you know the pattern of the riders, sometimes that could help and let you get ahead. For instance, I knew there were a lot of people who would not stay in line and stay far back as possible. So knowing this I was able to get to the front and just get in line as they weren't paying attention and doing what they wanted then move forward to join the line once the bus arrived. Also if you have coworkers with you riding the bus try and stand with them to make things move faster. Not all buses are going to be like this, but this is what I experienced and saw happen at Epcot.

Overall the buses are good. I would give them a C on a grade scale.

Disney College Program: Disneyland housing

One of the perks of the program is that housing is provided during your program. Unlike Disney World, Disneyland just has one complex.

Rent includes

Fully furnished apartment

Kitchen appliances, utensils, and dishes (more detail in packing blog)

All utilities, including water, electricity, and waste disposal

Maintenance of the apartments

High-speed internet access in all apartments

Cable ready  

Carnegie Plaza
180 W. Center Street Promenade

Anaheim, CA 92805

As of Spring 2017 the rent is $149.50. Carnegie offers Studio, one, and two-bedroom housing units and may accommodate up to 2-5 participants per bedroom, but mainly the bedrooms are 2,3, or 5 people pre bedroom. Due to California law Disney cannot make an automatic housing deduction from your pay check like how it is done in Disney World, so you will receive the entire amount in full every Thursday and then housing does an automatic withdraw on Fridays from your bank account for the weekly rent.

Like Disney World the bedroom may come with bunk beds, but you can take them apart if you want, but you have to put them back together after your program finishes. This is differently nice for Disneyland Bunk beds as for Disney World you can't take them apart.  

Complex details

• Beautiful apartments right in the middle of downtown
• Vacuum is included in Apartment (old from what I heard)
• Washer and Drawer
• Indoor complex witch you need a key to get into the building itself to even get to your apartment.
• All apartments, courtyards, hallways are designated non-smoking.
• multiple parking areas: main parking garage below the complex, one across the street, and the others are down the street.
• Farmer's market outside your door once a week
• Carnegie is a 5 story building with one elevator, but will have to use the service elevator for moving in.

Pearson Park- located within walking distance and features recreational sports courts and fields, swimming pool, barbeque/picnic facilities, and an amphitheater

Vons (grocery store), Chase, and many other places are in walking distance

Depending on your age you will be placed in a Wellness or Non-Wellness apartment.

Non-Wellness means that you are 21 or over and you CAN consume or keep alcohol in your apartment.

Wellness means that you are UNDER 21 and you cannot consume or keep alcohol in your apartment

More details on the area are in my transportation blog in the Disneyland sections

Disney College Program: Walt Disney World Housing

One of the perks of the program is that housing is provided during your program. Disney World has four housing complexes where Disneyland just has one complex. If you are doing Disney World it can be tricky to figure out what one is the best complex for you.

Rent includes

Fully furnished apartment

Kitchen appliances, utensils, and dishes (more detail in packing blog)

All utilities, including water, electricity, and waste disposal

Maintenance of the apartments

High-speed internet access in all apartments

Cable ready

24/7 security 

Bus transportation

Each complex has a different lay out as well as some amenities that aren't in every complex. I listed each complex with its the pro, cons and amenities of the complex your are interested in.


Vista Way
13501 Meadow Creek Dr
Orlando, FL 32821

As of Spring 2017, the rent is $106-107/per week. Vista offers 2 or 3 bedrooms in each apartment.

3 bedrooms share bathrooms with 2 bredrooms. If in a 2 bedroom apartment each rooms gets a bathroom.

• Cheapest
• Branded as the party apartment.
• Oldest complex but is currently getting renovated.
• Hub of transportation and the closest to buses
• No balconies
• No pantries
• No bunk beds
• Club house/front desk and service center
• 1 mail room
• Laundry facility located in every building on the ground floor
• Learning center (check out games and movies)
• Computer lab
• 2 pools
• Fitness center
• Pavilion
• Pool table
• Tennis court
• Basketball court 

walking distance from a Walgreens, liquor store, Chick-Fil-A, Wendy's, Starbucks, a gas station, 7-Eleven, Applebee's, CiCi's Pizza and much more.

If you choose to walk to the other complexes its about a 15 minute walk, but taking the buses may be easier depending on the situation.

The Commons
8050 Gables Commons Dr
Orlando, FL 32821

As of Spring 2017, the rent is $108 - $130/per week, and offers 1,2,3, and 4 bedrooms in each apartment. If the apartment is a one or two bedroom apartment these may come with bunk beds in one of the rooms

1-3 bedrooms have the same number of bathrooms in the apartment. 2 bedroom apartments  share bathroom and half bath in hallway in a 4 bedrooms apartment.

• Open to everyone
• Washer and Dryer in the Apartments!!!!
• some have balconies
• A lot more space in bedrooms, living room, and bathroom.
• Club house/front desk and service center 
• Bus stop (only some buses come here)
• pool
• tennis court 
• volleyball court
• fitness center
• 2 mail kiosks 
• computer lab
• The Grid (a small convenience store)
• Apartments very in size and  designs as some may be on the first floor or you may go in your front door and walk up a few steps before getting to your main area.
• Some apartments are renovated

Chatham
8161 Chatham Manor Blvd
Orlando, FL 32821

As of Spring 2017, the rent is $99 - $126/per week, and offers 1,2,3, and 4 bedrooms in each apartment. If the apartment is a one or two bedroom apartment these may come with bunk beds in one of the rooms.

2 bedroom units will have 1 bedroom with 1 private full bathroom in the room and the other bedroom will a have full bathroom with a door connected to the hallway. 4 bedroom units have 2.5 bathrooms, with 2 bedrooms sharing a full bathroom and half bathroom located in the hallway. 1 and 3 bedroom get the same number of bathrooms in the apartment. 1 and 3 bedroom apartments have the same number of bathrooms.

• Has balconies
• service center and club house/front desk in same building
• Bus stop in front
• tennis court
• volleyball Court
• Fitness Center
• Pool
• closest to Mickey's Retreat for cast members only
• 2 mail kiosks
• Laundry facilities  spread across the complex
• Computer labs
• Education Classrooms
• All the events are held here

Patterson Court
8139 Patterson Woods Dr
Orlando, FL 32821

As of Spring 2017, the rent is $106- $126/per week, and offers 1,2, and 3 bedrooms in each apartment.  If the apartment is a one or two bedroom apartment these may come with bunk beds in one of the rooms. All of the Bedrooms have the same number of bathrooms. Starting for the Spring 2017 semester Patterson court is Offering a 3 person 3 bedroom apartment for $200 per week

• Newest apartments 
• Has balconies
• No bus stop except H  and will have to walk to Chatham for the rest.
• Known for being the much quieter complex
• Units are larger here and sinks separate from shower and toilet
• Laundry facilities  spread across the complex
• Pool
• Fitness center
• Club house/front desk and service center
• Pool table
• Computer lab
• 4 mail facilities
• Education Classrooms

To better understand how the bedrooms work and how many people can live in an apartment here is an example.

One bedroom = Two-three people

Two bedrooms = Four-six people

Three bedrooms = Six people

Four bedrooms = Eight people

The Commons, Chatham and Patterson are within walking distance to The Premium Outlets with food court, Publix Grocery Store, Walgreens, sushi, Mcdonalds, Panera,

LongHorn , Subway, Outback Steakhouse, bus stop for the iTrolley and Lynx city bus, and more shops. It is a bit of a walk from Vista but can be done. It may be easier to take the bus over to Vista, but that is up to you.

Depending on your age you will be placed in a Wellness or Non-Wellness apartment.

Non-Wellness means that you are 21 or over and you CAN consume or keep alcohol in your apartment.

Wellness means that you are UNDER 21 and you cannot consume or keep alcohol in your apartment

If you are over 21 you may room with someone that is under 21, but can't have alcohol in the apartment.

Disney College Program: Sending a Thank You note

Back in my phone interview blog, one of my suggestions was to send a thank you note. This is a good idea because it shows that you are interested and thanking the interviewer for their time.

If you would like to send a thank you note, here are something's you may want to include.

1. Thank them for their time
2. Why you would be a great fit for the program
3. Mention a few skills
4. Thank them again

It doesn't have to be long, but this may help. I don't know if it did for me back in 2013, but I am glad I did it as I could of stood out in their eyes, so you never know.


This isn't required but nice to do. After you type it up, send the email to

Disney College Recruiting
wdw.college.recruiting@disney.com (Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida)
dlr.college.recruiting@disney.com (Disneyland® Resort in California)

Ask them to forward the note to your interviewer.

Disney College Program Spring and Fall: Disney World and Disneyland

One of the commonly questions asked while applying is what is the difference between Spring vs. Fall,  So I will go into detail of all  the differences since I got to spend a whole year down at Disney World.

First lets talk about the start and end dates of the programs. The Spring and Spring Advantage (SA)starts in January. The Spring program will end in May where the Advantage program ends early August. For the Fall, the program starts in August and ends early January, where the only difference in Fall advantage (FA) the program starts in May/June.


Below is the positive, negative, and events that happen during the Spring, Fall and Summer if you choose the advantage programs.

Spring

1. Out of the cold weather if you don't live in warm weather and don't have to deal with snow.
2. Mild weather as not too hot, still does get cold once in awhile,
3. Park attendance is quite low and you don't feel too busy
4. Flower and Garden festival!!
5. Typhoon Lagoon CP event!!! (get the whole park to our selves for the night)
6. Tourist groups and Cheerleaders! Between 50-120 for each group!
7. Shorter hours
8. Program goes by quickly and may not have time to do as much as you want.
9. No Holiday parties = as a result, a little boring

Summer AKA advantage programs

1. Eat to the Beat Concert Series!!
2. Have more time to do stuff!!
3. Gets pretty busy!!
4. Fourth of July fireworks
5. At Disney longer
6. Rainy weather and gets hotter
7. Longer Hours, but still may have shorter hours depending on the role.
8. Audition for candlelight processional (FA only unless SA extends).
9. Put in a request to transfer for food and wine (FA only unless SA extends however, fall still may work there though ).

Fall

1. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween parties and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
2. Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival 
3. No tour groups!
4. Holiday Fireworks!
5. Decorations at the parks and resorts
6. Winter formal CP event!!1
7. Program goes by quickly and may not have time to do as much as you want.
8. Will still have a bit of down time but as the holidays get closer lot more guests.
9. Longer CP hours during events and holidays and park hours increase
10. Mid 70’s all winter w/ occasional cold

Disneyland

Now I didn't do Disneyland, so I have asked alumni who have done the program there to help me out. I plan on doing Fall 2017, so once I do the program I will update as I do the program and get more information. If I got information wrong or not correct please let me knows as I have only done Walt Disney World.

The lengths for the Disneyland program very. For the Spring the program begins mid January/early February and ends in mid August. Summer is for alumni only, however, if you do the program May to January you must find your own housing. Fall begins in August and ends in January. I will cover more details on this in my housing blog.

Below is the positive, negative, and events that happen during the Spring Advantage, Fall and Summer if you choose the Fall advantage program. Alumni if I left anything out please let me know!

Spring

1. Food and Wine festival

Summer AKA advantage programs

1. Fourth of July fireworks!!
2. D23  every two years.

Fall

1. Mickey's Halloween Party
2. Decorations at the parks and resorts

 

Disney College Program: Phone Interview

Congrats, you made it the final part of the application process, but now you have the phone interview to get through. This interview will help Disney get to know you. This is just like any other job interview except its over the phone.

When interviewing make sure you do some research on the you roles you would like as they will ask you questions about how you will preform in that role.  Another tip is just be ready to answer any question that may come up.
 
Here are some tips to follow when interviewing.

1. Be yourself.
2. relax while you interview.
3. Do the interview in a quite area.
4. Don't get too nervous and you will do fine.
5. Give reasons behind your answers to any question asked.
6. Why you want the role.
7. Smile!!!
8. Send a thank you note after!!

Something that did help me was that I had my Disney palls right next to me during the interview. If you feel like you need to dress up do so. Just mainly be your self like I said above and you will do just fine.

A major tip is mentioning the four keys. What are they? Well they are Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency. Its not required to mention, but it may help. When I did my program I don't remember mentioning them, but I did see them. Since Safety is the first and most important Key it is probably best to put that one into your phone interview.

Here is a list of questions that I have compiled when I applied and these will help you as well.

Good Luck!!!!!

Disney College Program: Web based interview

You applied to the program and have been asked to now take the web based interview (WBI). The WBI is just general questions about yourself and your personality . So here is some suggestions that I have found helpful when I took it. Keep in mind you may not be asked to take this right away and that's okay just wait it out and see what happens. Disney will get to you as there are so many applicants.

1. Use "Strong" Answers: The WBI is going to give you a series of questions one by one. They're typically about you and your personality, such as, "Are you generally a positive person?" They'll also throw in some questions like, "In my opinion, the customer is always right." The way you will answer these questions is on a scale of "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree." When you agree or disagree with one of the questions, USE THE STRONG OPTIONS. It has been common with people who haven't passed the WBI to tell me they rarely used the strong answers. Those who have used the strong answers generally have passed. There's a rumor going around that if you use too many strong answers, Disney will "catch you" and "assume you're just telling them what they want to hear." Don't worry about that. Answer what you think describes YOU. With this in mind, it's okay to answer a few questions with neutral or just agree/disagree. I probably did about three answers neutral and two with just the normal agree/disagree options. Just don't make it a habit of answering with these options, or else you may find yourself in trouble.
2. Don't Over Think: Some people are freaked out and nervous because the WBI is timed. They also might think too much about what they assume Disney wants them to put as their answers. Disney doesn't want you to put what you think they're looking for, they want you to answer truthfully about you. Also, don't be concerned about the timed aspect of the interview. They give you one question one by one with plenty of time to answer each individually. The only times I found myself worried about taking too long is when I would start over thinking about a question. Analyzing the questions too much is what could get you in trouble for the time limit.
3. Don't Stress: Lastly, I want you guys to keep in mind that everything happens for a reason. If for some reason you don't get the option to move on for a phone interview, it's not the end of the world, it's just not your time to do the program yet. As long as you're not done with college, you have an opportunity to apply again. I know plenty of people that applied more than once to get into the program. Just stay persistent and everything will work out in the end.

After you finish it will let you know if you move onto the phone interview.

Disney College Program: The Application

The whole application process is broken into three Parts. The application it self, the web based Interview and the phone interview. Today I am just going to discuss the application. The web based interview and  phone interview will be two separate blogs.


After you have decided that you want to apply to the Disney College Program, make sure this is going to be the right program for you. It is not going to be for everyone, so do your research on the program.

By joining the Facebook groups for the program you are applying for, this  will allow you to ask questions and stay up to date with current information. The alumni in the group are super helpful as they have done the program in the past.

If you decided to watch videos  from the alumni that have done the program be careful as some of the information may be outdated as well as reading blogs. However, they are super helpful as well. There have been changes over the years and I will cover them in upcoming blogs.

One major thing to keep in mind is that this is an INTERNSHIP AND YOU ARE THERE TO WORK AND NOT PLAY. Yes, you can have fun, but at the end of the day this is a job. I say this because most internships don't pay you to work. This is a very competitive internship as many as 30,00 applicants apply and Disney World selects around 3,000 applicants and Disney Land is around 300-500 applicants  depending on the season when you apply.

The application is pretty simple. Like any other job you will fill out the basic information. Next you will pick the roles you want by putting High interest, Moderate, Low Interest or No Interest. The roles are going to be pretty much the same for Disney World and Disneyland, but there are going to be a few differences.


The roles as of 2016:

Operations

Operations cast members help ensure our guests have enjoyable experiences while visiting our theme parks, Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort or Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort. Whether directing vehicles in the parking lot, advising guests on which ticket packages to purchase, operating our rides/shows/attractions, or ensuring guest areas are clean and show ready, Operations cast members have a direct impact on our guests' experiences.

Disneyland Resort Attractions Custodial Resort Transportation & Parking PhotoPass Photographer Park Greeter

Walt Disney World Resort Attractions Bus Greeter Convention Guide Custodial Hopper Monorail PhotoPass Photographer Watercraft

 
Entertainment

Entertainment cast members help create and maintain the show, whether through performing in our various parades and shows, facilitating character meet & greets, or supporting our performers and other cast members through supplying/maintaining costumes.

Disneyland Resort Cast Costuming Entertainment Costuming

Walt Disney World Resort Character Attendant Character Performer (Audition Required) Costuming Operations

To be considered for a Character Performer position, you must attend an audition. Note that this position is only offered at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

 
Lodging

Lodging cast members help ensure guests have a memorable stay at our world-class resorts, whether through an expedient check-in process, a clean and well-maintained guest room, or assistance with transporting luggage.

Disneyland Resort Disney Desk Front Desk Guest Services

Walt Disney World Resort Bell Services Dispatch/Greeter Housekeeping

 
Food & Beverage

With more than 300 food and beverage locations throughout our parks and resorts in Florida and California, Food & Beverage makes up an important part of our guests' experiences. Food & Beverage cast members in these areas provide guests with memorable dining experiences from outdoor vending to counter service to signature restaurants.

Disneyland Resort Custodial Busser Food Cart Cashier Food Prep Quick-Service Food & Beverage Cashier Food & Beverage Quick-Service Restaurants

Walt Disney World Resort Seater Quick-Service Food & Beverage

 
Retail/Sales

Cast members in retail/sales areas help guests have enjoyable vacation experiences, whether selling ticket packages, magically transforming little girls into princesses at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, or helping guests find the perfect mementos of their vacations in our various merchandise locations.

Disneyland Resort Retail Sales Clerk Vacation Planner

Walt Disney World Resort Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique/Pirate League Floral Merchandise Vacation Planner

 
Recreation

Whether at our water parks, resort swimming pools, golf and mini golf courses, children's activity centers, or guest arcades, Recreation cast members help our guests enjoy their vacations.

Disneyland Resort Lifeguard

Walt Disney World Resort Children's Activities Lifeguard Recreation Attractions

 Once you picked the roles you will be asked to review your application and Submit. Don't freak out if you are not ask to do a web based interview right away as they may take sometime to get back to you.

I'M Back!!!!

Hey guys, I am back and going to start blogging about the Disney College Program again! The reason for not blogging was I got tied up from getting ready for the program and just got really busy during the program. But let me tell you I had a blast and it was a great experience.

After I got back from the program I went back to school . I have been wanting to go back and plan to next year in the Fall. However, I got to thinking that doesn't stop me from blogging again and helping out the newcomers that are just starting to apply for the Spring 2017 program.

Next year, I am going to be trying to get into the Disneyland Program. So when I do blog then it will be about that experience, so for the new recruitment season I am going to be blogging about the Walt Disney World program.


Topic I will cover

1. Application Process/Auditions
2. Roommates
3. Housing
4. Check in
5. Life on the Disney College Program
6. Packing
7. Budgeting while on the program
8. and much more

 I have already done some things on the list back in 2013, but I will be simple in some of the stuff. However, like Packing I will go into more details and explain what my thoughts are about it and what you really need.


This is going to be a fun adventure, so join me in for a magical time while I tell you about the greatest program  ever.