The Fro Diaries: Working for the Mouse

Finding roommates for the DCP (AKA how to successfully speed date)

4/8/14

Choose us - we have party hats!

So, you've gotten accepted into the College Program. You know your role, you've chosen your arrival date and you're starting to get a feel for the different housing complexes and know where you might want to live. There's just one problem - you need roommates but don't know where to start. Of course, you could just show up on move-in day and have housing assign you random roommates... but if you wanted to go that route you wouldn't be reading this advice over choosing roommates, right?

Random roommates have their advantages. You don't have to join the crush of new CPs all over social media essentially pimping themselves out to prospective roommates and snatching others up like hawks. With the new DORMS system, you can even state your preferences ahead of time and be matched up to those you may not have met otherwise. However, for some (like me), being able to plan housing-related stuff and get to somewhat know your roommates before heading down to Orlando is too important to be left up to chance.

Let me just give any CP, regardless of how they get their roommates, a piece of advice before I start talking more on this post's topic - you never know what someone will be like until you move in with them. I've seen both horror and success stories from people who chose their roommates, and similar results for those who let housing assign them randomly. Never let anyone tell you that one method is better than the other - it's totally and completely up to whatever is most comfortable for you.

Anyway, since you're reading this post because you're looking to find roommates let's talk more about that. First of all, where do you find these other CPs looking for roommates? Well, the top three places I have seen people look is:

Facebook (as in, the Facebook groups for the DCP program you're participating in)
Tumblr
The DCP board on many Disney forum sites, including DISBoards

In addition, a guy named Matt has started a whole site dedicated to finding roommates through whatever search criteria you want to use. I have a link on the right-hand side of this blog under "Helpful DCP Links".

Each platform has its advantages and disadvantages, and since you are most likely familiar with how at least one of them works I won't go into too much detail there. You'll usually find a good template for a roommate survey, including stuff like your name, favorites, sleep schedule and personality, on whatever site you choose to use. It's up to you how thoroughly you want to fill these out - remember, you're publishing them in a very public fashion so be careful about what personal information you include.

Once you've published one, or if you decide to avoid doing one and just want to search for roommates, you can look around whatever site you use and find others' surveys. If they sound like a good fit, you can reach out to them and discuss potentially living together. However, keep in mind that roommate-hunting can sometimes be very competitive (yes, really!) so it's possible they'll tell you they've found some roommates already. Also keep in mind that people are also constantly looking at your own survey if you published one. You'll likely feel like a horse at an auction if a lot of people contact you.

Questions to Ask Potential Roommates

Though the surveys the various roommate-hunting grounds provide do a good job of laying down the foundation for what life with a potential roommate might be like, there are still some I feel are important to ask or keep in mind when deciding if someone will get along with you:

Have you ever lived away from your family before?
Have you ever shared a room with someone you weren't related to?
Are you open-minded and willing to potentially live with roommates from various backgrounds with various beliefs? (especially important if you worry that someone might discriminate against you for whatever reason)
Are you willing to contribute to chores around the apartment? (sounds silly, but you want to make sure that you'll have roommates that do their fair share when it comes to cleaning for inspections)
Do you get sick easily, or have problems being around those who are sick?
(for Wellness CPs) Do you feel you have any problems maintaining an alcohol-free apartment? Can you promise to respect housing's ban on alcoholic drinks and paraphernalia?
(for Non-Wellness CPs) Would you be comfortable living in an apartment where everyone drinks on a regular basis, or would you rather live with those who drink more rarely?
How important is it that you live with roommates who have a roughly similar work schedule to yours? Can you handle living in an apartment with roommates coming from and going to work at any and all areas of the day and night?
Are you good at sharing space and resources? Can you promise to respect the personal property of your roommates even if the property has been made available for the entire apartment to use? (especially important when it comes to things like cookware and any electronics placed in living areas)
Can you provide yourself with necessities like food and toiletries, and do you promise to never consume another roommate's without permission? (trust me, this issue is common in CP housing)

Tips for Finding and Evaluating Potential Roommates

Don't assume that just because you know someone personally or are close friends with them they will make good roommates. Well, unless you've lived with them before. You never know what living with someone is like until you move in together.
Finding like-minded roommates is always nice, especially when it comes to things like religion, partying, drinking and cleanliness/messiness. However, you will meet many people from many different backgrounds on your program and it can't ever hurt to branch out a little and find interesting people with a different outlook on life than you!
Be honest and upfront about what is important to you - don't hide facts or distort them out of fear of being rejected. If you're LGBT and it is important to you to find roommates who support and respect you, make it known. If you're a devout Christian and need roommates who are willing to attend church or religious group meetings with you, make it known. If you're deathly allergic to something that you feel might inconvenience those you live with, make it known.
Be courteous to those who have made contact with you, even if you have no interest in living with them. Thank them for considering you and be kind if you must turn their offer down.
If you're making contact with a potential roommate, respect them if they don't want to live with you. It's nothing personal, and if the other person is making it so they weren't worth living with anyway.
If you have multiple offers from potential roommates and choose which one(s) you want to live with, don't leave those you didn't choose hanging. Tell them that you've made a decision right away so they can continue with their search.
Don't stress out too much if you can't find roommates that fit what you need for your program. Not choosing roommates doesn't put you at a disadvantage when you arrive in Florida - most us are moving in with people we don't know well at all.
Avoid choosing roommates simply because you share similar interests in things like TV, food or anything of that nature. Those make good friends, but not necessarily roommates. It's far more important to find roommates who are responsible, will pull their weight in maintaining a clean apartment for inspections and understand how important the program is to you.
Once you've chosen roommates, COMMUNICATE! Figure out house rules, work out a list of who needs to bring what and make sure you know what everyone's travel plans for the days leading up to move-in day will be.
Don't be afraid to say "no" to rooming with someone. If you don't feel you'll be a good fit with them it's not worth it to force it.

Important Items to Ask About

Depending on how many roommates you want to live with, there may be many people all trying to bring the same thing. This can get both expensive and inconvenient as you don't have unlimited space to store items that aren't needed. This is especially important if a majority of you are arriving alone and can't send extra things back home with your travel companions that easily. In my opinion, roommates should always coordinate over who will bring what for these items:

TV for the living room (since these are usually larger than TVs in bedrooms) - and don't forget the cable to hook into the cable outlet on the wall!
DVD/Blu-Ray player
Kitchen appliances
Router
Video game consoles (if most of you want to game)
Large furniture pieces not intended for the bedroom or bathroom

Warnings

Always, always, always be careful about what you post online. Only give contact information to someone once you've established they're a real person and honest about their identity. If someone is being too pushy to get private info out of you stop responding immediately and block them if necessary. You might think I'm being paranoid but I'm not - I've actually seen things like this happen before.
Avoid harassing a potential roommate - if you've contacted them and they haven't responded give them time to read your message. It's fine to remind them to let you know when they have reached a decision, but don't force them to decide more quickly than is comfortable for them.
While on your program, if at any time a roommate becomes aggressive or dangerous in any sense of the word report them to housing immediately. Don't wait until something happens to make your concerns known.

That about wraps it up for this post! If you're still looking for roommates or are just about to begin your search I hope it helps you in some way. If you have any questions or want to suggest a topic for me tackle next I'm always listening on this blog and on Twitter. Have a great evening!

History time: the Disney College Program

4/6/14

Source: disneyadventureblog.wordpress.com

Hey all! So this post will be a slight departure from my usual posts - instead of giving advice today, I'm going to be giving a bit of a history lesson over the Disney College Program! I find that many CPs don't know much about how the program came to be or how long it's been around, and even though this information isn't vital to your program it's always interesting to know. However, if this doesn't interest you then never fear - I'll go back to posting advice over the program of today soon. :)

Anyway, let's go back! Back to... would you believe it... 1981! Yes, the program was started with just 200 college students in 1981 as The Magic Kingdom College Program, or MKCP. Since the Magic Kingdom was the only park open at the time (Epcot, or EPCOT Center, wouldn't open until the following year), this name makes sense. Rather than having the housing we know today, however, participants stayed in a mobile home park called the Snow White Village Campground, located about a 15 minute drive from the Magic Kingdom on a road fittingly called Seven Dwarfs Lane. Here are a few images of what the park looked like:

Source: disneyadventureblog.wordpress.com

Source: panoramio.com

Source: thedcpblog.tumblr.com

Just like today CPs were transported to work, although the buses looked quite different from the ones we're used to:

Source: disneyadventureblog.wordpress.com

Although graduation for CPs nowadays is a very simple (and optional) affair that usually includes food, getting free stuff and saying goodbye to Mickey and the gang, it used to be a more formal affair that included a dance (Fall participants still have a sort of formal, however):

Source: disneyadventureblog.wordpress.com

Many thanks to the Disney Adventure Blog, who had a fantastic post over the early days of the College Program (and most of the images I used for this lesson). If you want to read more information, head right on over there! As for whatever happened to the Snow White Village, well, I'm not in Florida to visit the site myself yet but I had manage to snag this Google Maps image of what became of the entrance to the campground circa 2011:

From this image, it looks as though the land was eventually used as another place for tourists to stay during their vacation but it has long since been abandoned. However, since this is so far out-of-date it's possible that something has been constructed here since then - I hope to visit and see for myself when my program starts.

Now, the program was rapidly expanding at this point as CPs were also working at Epcot (and the program, by the way, was renamed The Walt Disney World College Program in 1982 after it opened). So, in 1987 all CPs were moved much closer to property into more permanent housing called Vista Way Apartments... though I'm sure you've never heard of them, right?

The 1990s brought further expansion as this is when The Walt Disney World Resort hit its major growth spurt (hey, that was how the economy was then). The Commons was the first additional complex to built in 1998 and was originally reserved for international students (though it has recently opened up to everyone). Chatham Square soon followed in 2002, and Patterson Court in 2008. (Thanks are due for Lauren, who has a post on her Tumblr about the opening years for each complex.)

Over at Disneyland, offerings for college students may or may not have also been around as long as those at WDW (I haven't managed to find any good information over it). However, what I do know is that in 2004 Disney World and Disneyland both had a College Program that was promoted under the same umbrella as the. Disney Theme Parks and Resorts College Program. Nowadays we simply call it the Disney College Program.

As of today no definite numbers for how many apply and how many participate are available, despite what a lot of people will tell you. However, it's estimated that at least 8,000 students are involved each year, which comes out to about 4,000 for each cycle (Fall/FA or Spring/SA). That's where we all come in! We are part of that now-massive number participating in a program that is about 33 years old as of this post.

Well, if you ever wanted to know more about the DCP from a historical standpoint I hope this was fun for you! If not... well, I hope you at least enjoyed reading it over. I'll be sure to post a follow-up when I get to Florida and visit the old campground, but until then... have a great day!

The DCP bucket list (and how to make yours too!)

4/4/14

Mission Get in a Parade was a success!

Every CP's favorite pastime before actually starting their program is to make a bucket list (for those of you who somehow don't know what that is, it's essentially a list of things that someone wants to do or experience on his or her program). These bucket lists can range from very short and simple to very long and full of different things to do and are completely unique to the person that wrote it. However, some people may not be sure where to start in making one, especially if they've never been to Disney World before. Never fear! Today I'll help you figure out how to build the perfect list for you, from finding things to do to prioritizing them on your list.

Where do I start?

If you've never been to Disney World you're likely only found out about different Disney-related stuff through friends, other blogs, CPs, etc. This is a good way to learn about some things, but there are some that you might want to put on our own bucket list that no one you know has done before - for example, you love fishing but never knew that Disney has fishing excursions because no one has ever said anything about that to you. Take time to do research! Read guidebooks (your local library will likely have at least one, and you can always purchase copies as well), check Disney's official site, do Google searches... you'll find all sorts of things you never knew you could do before!

Too many things on the list, not enough time!

If you feel that your list is too long, take a closer look at what you've included. Are you sure you can do some of the things you put down? Maybe some of them aren't really possible (for example, you probably aren't going to convince Disney to let you and a bunch of your CM friends perform a flash mob routine in the middle of Magic Kingdom) or will be too expensive for you to complete. There are plenty of fun things to do that are within your grasp - don't get upset if you have to give up on some of them!

Tips for building your list

Check to make sure that there aren't any laws or rules that will prevent you from doing something. For example, having a beach party with alcohol may sound like fun but Florida likely has a law about consuming it in public (not to mention that most beaches have a ban on glass bottles and the like anyway).
Don't let others make you feel that you "have" to add something to a list. Dole Whip and giant turkey legs are pretty iconic Disney snacks but if you're not interested in trying them, don't be forced into changing your mind because you feel your list will be "incomplete" otherwise.
This list is about you! Your apartment may also want to put together a list of things to do together but your bucket list is about what you personally want to do. Who cares if your roommates don't want to do some of the things on your list? You can find other people who will!
Make sure that whatever you want to do is still being offered. On my last program I had Leave a Legacy on my bucket list... but little did I know that it hasn't been offered since 2007 (only one year after my first visit to WDW!). You don't want disappointments like that!
Only put things down that you're willing to commit to doing. Yes, we only do bucket lists for fun and it's not a necessary part of our program - but why have a long list of things you don't really want to do?

My bucket list

I am not one for making bucket lists. I tried on my last program then realized that I had done pretty much everything that I wanted to do already (or, as in the case with Leave a Legacy, the things I wanted to do were no longer possible). However, for this program I have a better knowledge of what Disney and the central Florida area have to offer so I feel I can make a good one this time. I'll also add this as a separate page on my blog that you can access from the menu above, so I can tick things off as I do them!

Meet a rare Disney character at least once and take a photo with him or her. Autograph is optional as some characters can't sign their names.
Eat in every pavilion in Epcot, not including The American Adventure.
Buy something from every pavilion in Epcot, not including The American Adventure.
Try to "Drink Around the World".
Go to the beach. This beach must be somewhere other than Cocoa Beach (I love Cocoa Beach but I want to see what other beaches and beach towns look like!)
Volunteer for Give Kids the World.
Visit the Asian Market at least once.
Visit every resort that the CP bus goes to, and either eat something or buy something unique to each resort.
Visit Blizzard Beach. (I went to a CP pool party last spring at Typhoon Lagoon so I have technically been there!)
Go back to DisneyQuest.
See a show at the House of Blues. This does not include cast member nights on Sunday.
Go to Jellyrolls at the Boardwalk Resort.
Go bowling at Splitsville again. Food must be bought while there.
Walk out on the balconies on the upper floors of the Contemporary Resort. This can be at any time of day or night.
Ride the Magic Kingdom monorail and the Epcot monorail around for entire circuit without getting off.
Ride the new Mine Train coaster at Magic Kingdom when it opens (assuming that it will open between now and January)
Visit the new expansion to the Wizarding World at Universal when it opens.
Tackle the Kitchen Sink once again.
Ride a surrey bike with either my roommates or my friends.
Take a selfie with a character. Any character will count as long as they fit in the frame with me.
Attend Dapper Day if possible.
Visit Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Costume required.
Meet an ICP or CRP from another country (preferably from another continent) while they're not at work.
Go on a backstage tour. Since I've already been on Behind the Seeds before, that tour will not count towards this.
Become the Rebel Spy on Star Tours once again (I was chosen once, which was awesome!)
Walk to Publix for groceries at least once (assuming that I end up living in either Patterson or Chatham, otherwise this entry doesn't count).
Visit two of the non-Disney restaurants near housing - Sweet Tomatoes is at the top of my list!
Go to a mall at least three times. Something substantial like a dress, jacket, pair of shorts, swimsuit, etc. must be bought each time. The three visits don't have to all be at the same place.
Hit all four parks in one day. In each park, at least three rides (no shows allowed) must be gone on. Something must also be bought in each park - either some merchandise or food - that is unique to each one.
Take every transportation method offered to leave Magic Kingdom - the resort boats, the buses, the monorail and the ferry. These don't all need to be done the same day.
Take a photo of me and anyone else I am with at the time while visiting every resort. If the resort has a main building the photo must be taken in there.
See at least five live entertainment shows (meaning the street performers) at Epcot.
See the dancers and DJ in Asia (Animal Kingdom).
Use the Photopass-enabled photo booth in the Space Mountain arcade at least three times. (Remember that you must pay for the photos in order to get them on your card.)
Eat at California Grill and every other restaurant on my list of places I want to visit from an earlier post.
See La Nouba again, or at least purchase something from the gift shop.
Eat every sandwich on Earl of Sandwich's menu, except for sandwiches containing ingredients I can't eat.
See the Voices of Liberty and record their entire performance.
Give advice to a family of strangers while waiting in line for something. This may also go along with line babysitting (if you don't know what that is, read my "CP etiquette" post).
Send a present home for my mother, father and sister on their respective birthdays. These do not have to be Disney-related nor do they have to be bought on Disney property.
See the Candlelight Processional. Alternatively, get into the cast member choir and perform in the Candlelight Processional!
Get a video of a face character speaking to one of my friends back home. This can be for a birthday, other life event, just to say hi, etc.
Manage to see or meet a celebrity while on the program. This can be done while working or not working, but I must not be actively seeking them out because that's like stalking and its creepy.
Have at least two family dinners with my roommates. They can either be at restaurants or at home, but all roommates must be present for this to count.
Visit a park or parks one day with a strict $20 budget. This budget is for any expense like food, souvenirs, etc. This does not include gas charges.
Buy a replacement PS3 for my dead unit. This unit must be bought new.
Buy a birthday gift for each of my roommates who has a birthday during the program.
If someone I know well comes to visit while I'm on my program, I must see them at least once. If possible, I must take an entire day off.
I must take a photo with the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom at night. Since it closes early, the only times this is possible is during the winter months when the sun goes down early.
I must drink every soda at Club Cool whenever I visit Epcot. No exceptions. This includes Beverly.

When your money goes to Wonderland - how to make and keep a budget (sort of)

4/3/14

Must not buy... must not buy...

This will not be your traditional budget talk. Why? Well, first of all I'm not a very big budget person myself. I'll make plans to save money for larger purchases, but from month to month I usually just follow a general philosophy of purchasing things I need at the moment and reminding myself that I can buy things I want later. So how will this post work? Well, consider this post a bit of a way to coach yourself through grocery shopping, playing in the parks and mall trips without breaking your bank.

The Steps to Happiness

Identify what is most important to you - whether it be food, clothing, services like concerts or shows, your car, etc. This does not include basics like groceries. If it's not important to you, don't get pressured into paying for it later.
Figure out how much money you need to live each month. This includes groceries, toiletries, gas for your car (if you have one) and any bills you may pay. You'll need to make sure you have this put aside by the time you need to pay each week/month.
If you also want to give part of each paycheck to savings, work that out with your bank right now. I'm not a banker and am really stupid when it comes to bank-related stuff so I can't help you there.
Make a plan on how often you might go out to eat, go clubbing, take road trips, see shows, go to the mall,etc. Most of you probably already have bucket lists - identify how much certain things will cost you and save that money. Don't let it cut into your living expenses, ever.
If you find yourself coming up short each month, look at your spending again and cut back on spending for things that aren't essential.

The Tips of Happiness

I also have some tips for you:

It takes money to go home, whether you're driving or flying. Get that money on hand right away, don't wait until the last minute to save it all up.
When going shopping in the Disney stores, always keep that parenting advice for children in mind: if you feel you want something, leave it behind and only come back to get it later on or the next day if you still think about it. This will keep you from buying things on impulse that you don't need or don't want.
Don't let the cast member discounts lure you into a false sense of security - our discounts are great, especially around the holiday season, but Disney merch is still incredibly expensive at times and you need to stay aware of that.
No one should ever pressure you into buying something you don't want or taking you someplace you don't want to go if it costs too much money. We are all poor - even those who make good money as CPs can't afford to spend recklessly and no one should ever put you down for being responsible.
Don't go crazy with cooking for your roommates unless they're willing to return the favor - cooking for many people can get more expensive instead of cooking for one, and you shouldn't spend extra just to feed those who won't compensate you whether it be in cash or their own cooking. Sounds selfish, but you need to make sure you have enough money for yourself first.
If you go down to the program saying "I'm going to save money to take home"... stick to that plan! A lot of people will pull the "this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" card on you and they're right, there are a lot of things you can do in central Florida that you probably won't get the chance to do again. However, if you want or need to save for something actually do it. Consistently.
Don't drink or gamble away your money. Duh, right? Well, depending on the context you're in you might not even notice you're doing it - so be careful!
Save for special events! Fall CPs are in WDW for events like the Food and Wine Festival, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween party and Christmas/New Year's festivities among others. Spring doesn't get quite as much but if Disney really does make a habit of having an annual 24-hour day there's that. Some of these events are hard-ticket, meaning that you have to buy a special ticket and CANNOT use your ID or main gate to get in! And don't even try and sneak in because that's grounds for termination if your manager sees fit or you cause problems.
Utilize the Trading Post on Facebook (the link is on the bar to the right), Cast Connection and the Disney outlet store in the outdoor mall near the Commons for good deals on merch. But once again, don't go crazy buying things you don't need. Go in with a game plan.
Pin trading is fun, but pins are pricy. My roommates usually bought pins in bulk off of eBay and traded them with each other's work lanyards and guests in order to get the collection they wanted.

Most of all, always check up on your bank account. If you have a bank that isn't easily found in the WDW area use online banking to read up on your statements and ensure that everything adds up. You don't want to start spending money you don't have.

So that's it for budgeting - for now! If you have any questions, want more information or want me to discuss something else I'm always willing to take your suggestions on Twitter and on this blog itself. Have a great day!

CP etiquette (AKA how to not annoy people while out and about)

4/2/14

Empty seats on a CP bus? Never happens!

Being a CP is fun. Being a CP is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Being a CP also comes with quite a few stigmas, and any alum will agree that there will be those in WDW - your workplace, your favorite park, etc. - who won't want you around. Don't take it personally, there are many reasons why they won't and there's not much you can do to change their minds.

However, trying to break the CP stereotype - mainly that CPs are lazy, overly wild and indulgent, and cause problems for guests - is always a good thing to do. We want to ensure that we can have fun while ensuring that future programs will be treated fairly and respectfully. And isn't it somewhat fun to break someone's misconception of you anyway?

This post will be a bit large, as I'm writing down some unofficial "CP etiquette" that might be useful for you to know no matter where you are, so if there's any particular section you want to read more closely just scroll (or CRTL+F to find) until you come across it. And if any alumni would like to add their own etiquette tips feel free to contact me and I'll add them!

While At Home

You don't have to be a mouse, no one is making you stay silent at night and being quiet doesn't mean you can't have fun. However, remember that you're in an apartment with very little soundproofing and everyone else has a different schedule from you. If you need to be noisy at night, consider going to a common area like the pool or out to a club or other public place.
Respect your neighbors' complaints if something you've been doing is bothering them. You don't have to dumbly go along with whatever they say but at least try to see the situation from their eyes.
When doing laundry in a public laundromat, be prompt when it comes to removing laundry. Not everyone has time to wait for you to come and remove it themselves is they need laundry done right away. If someone else moves your laundry for you, it's nothing personal.
That being said, try to treat others' laundry with respect if you must remove them. Don't put them anywhere dirty. If you have a dollar to spare maybe even consider putting their clothes in the dryer if they still need drying as well - just make sure to tell them where their clothes went!
Be nice to the security guards. If they need to see your ID up close don't get fussy with them - they are only doing their job.
Be nice to the maintenance workers even if they aren't nice to you - treat them as you would any guest at work. It doesn't help you to be snippy if they're being rude.
Drive slowly around the complexes' parking lots. There's a lot of foot traffic from CPs going to and from work, their car, friends' apartments, etc.
If you see someone struggling with groceries (especially if they obviously don't have a car), offer to help them! I had a few CPs help me with groceries on my program and it was so nice that they offered.
Respect your roommates. I've already written a more in-depth post about living with them so check there if you want to learn more :)
When family comes to visit any of your roommates or neighbors, be courteous and give them their space.
The pools can be small, so make sure that anyone who wants to use it gets the chance to. Same for the lounge chairs.
If you know your neighbors and one of them gets a package left outside their door, it might be nice of you to keep it safely inside your own apartment and give it to them when they get home. Just make sure they, well, know you :P

While On the Bus

If it's late or very early, please respect those CPs who want to nap or ride the bus in peace. And never ever talk loudly on purpose just because you see someone sleeping. I've seen it happen before and it's extremely rude, not to mention annoying for everyone else on the bus.
Stretching out across a few chairs is fine if you're on an uncrowded bus, but if not let someone sit in the seats with you. And don't pretend to sleep just so you don't have to move.
If you haven't worked that day and you're riding a full bus, do the respectful thing and offer your seat to someone who's worked. You may be tired but I can tell you that working CP is probably even more tired.
On that same token, don't try to vilify other CPs because you think they didn't work that day and are sitting down. Character performers go to and from work in street clothes, and anyone can change out of their costume after their shift if they desire. If they really didn't work, sure, they might be being rude - but they're not worth wasting your energy on.
If it's closing time at the park you're visiting for the day, try escaping to a resort that has a CP bus route without parks on it. Not only will they be less crowded with CPs, but you'll also be allowing those who have worked a better chance of getting on a bus faster back at the park.
Be respectful to the driver. Don't impair their ability to focus or drive. If the bus breaks down, don't harass them when they're calling for help. Be understanding and flexible if the bus doesn't have air conditioning, windows that can be opened, etc. The driver didn't choose to drive that bus.
Feel free to engage fellow bus riders in conversation, but if they don't want to talk don't force them into it.
When getting off of a bus, don't push past people who are also trying to get off. You'll all be out eventually and being impatient doesn't help you get off faster.
Don't mess with a sleeping CP on a bus unless you feel they may be missing their stop. Even then, wake them gently.
Be considerate about how much you bring on a bus with you - there are very few situations where you'd need something as large as a suitcase, for example.
Don't chase the buses. Not only will the bus driver probably not stop for you but even if he does, you're not being fair to those who were able to be there on time.
Never tell a bus driver to wait for you at a stop while you get off and go do something. This happens relatively often on the J bus (DAK) route because it stops at costuming. The driver needs to stick to a schedule and everyone else on that bus has somewhere to be. Accept that you will simply have to catch the next bus and let it go on its way.

While At Work

If you get an assignment you don't like, don't complain. You are needed to go and do something that your manager has deemed important, and it's not very adult to throw a fit about it.
Don't take extra time on your break unless you absolutely need to. And there are very few cases where you'll need to do it.
Work hard. You don't have to be a goody-two-shoes, a brown-noser or an overachiever but you didn't travel all the way to Florida to not work when you agreed to do just that.
Accept that some of your coworkers may not want to get too friendly with CPs - or even openly dislike them - and that there may be nothing you can do to convince them otherwise. However, don't take this as an excuse to treat them rudely.
On the other hand, some of your coworkers (especially the ones closer to your age) may really want to be your friend. However, remember that you must act professional around them while at work.
Thank your coordinators, character captains, managers and whoever else for their hard work. They sometimes have to run themselves ragged keeping everything in their area in check even if they don't seem to be.
Take criticism in a mature manner if you get it. Even if you think it's undeserved, taking it too personally doesn't help you prove anyone wrong at all.
If you don't get recognized for working hard, whether through Four Keys Cards or otherwise, don't throw a fit. Your work is appreciated even it's not formally acknowledged.
On your last day of work, be sure to thank everyone for working with you on your program. Bringing food is nice if your work location allows it, but it's not necessary.

While Playing in the Parks

Being a CM doesn't net you any special favors. No worker is required to let you through Fastpass lines without a pass, access to VIP seating for shows, free food or merchandise or magical moments. Insisting that someone do this will just make them very annoyed with you!
Be courteous of other guests. They may not have that much time to explore the parks before they have to go home and should be given the chance to do just that.
Don't announce to anyone listening that you work for Disney. This can make some guests veeeeery uncomfortable as they might feel that you are detracting from their vacation or get resentful because they know that you got into the park for free when they had to pay. You don't have to keep it a secret either, just don't make a show of it.
Don't visibly wear your IDs, CM or housing, while in the parks. First of all, it's not allowed. Second of all, it makes it obvious that you are a cast member and a CP. If a worker tells you to put it away, do so politely.
You can't go backstage as a guest. Don't even try - it disrespectful to those that are working, disruptive, against the rules and confusing to guests who see who they think is another guest going into a cast member-only area.
Watch your language. You're around a lot of small children whose parents may or may not want them hearing swearing, derogatory language or dirty humor and they will not appreciate you doing it at all.
Don't get in the way of another cast member doing their job. If the CM is helping a family of guests find a bathroom, for instance, it's inappropriate to jump in the conversation and offer to help them out - unless the CM doesn't know, that is.
Leave the park when it closes. Just because you're a cast member doesn't mean you'll be allowed to stay someplace as long as you want.
Cast members can't do Extra Magic Hours. Period. Don't try to make a cast member overlook this fact.
Discounts do not apply to all things you can purchase in a park. If a cast member says you can't use your discount, respect that and move on. If asking if a place offers a discount, be polite.

When Meeting a Character

Sometimes, characters will need to go away for a short while even if you've just gotten to the front of the line. The attendants will not make an exception for you no matter how hard you beg.
NEVER HIT A CHARACTER! Even if you think you're just playing around, the character might not appreciate it.
Even if you don't want Photopass some photographers will give you a card anyway. Don't freak out on them. Just throw the card away when you leave if you really don't want it.
Don't insist on the characters performing "magical moments" for you. If you don't know what I'm talking about this probably doesn't apply to you, but if you do... just remember that the characters are not robots. If they don't feel like performing a particular action for you you need to respect that.
If you know a friend the character is hanging out with at that particular moment, don't harass them or break character integrity. EVER. They'll probably have talked to you before about what they and their character friend find acceptable and unacceptable things to say, but even if they don't be reasonable.
Don't insist on taking too much time with a character. We're all adults, even when we're meeting one of our favorite characters we know that there is probably a child somewhere in line who will get even more fulfillment out of seeing them than we will. Five minutes is quite enough time for several photos, a bit of play with the character and autographs. Most of the time you won't even get to stay for five minutes.
When it's time to leave the meet-and-greet area, LEAVE. Don't dawdle. The character has said goodbye to you and is ready to meet the next family in line.
It's okay to have fun with a character! Kisses, hugs, dances and other games are all common things to do. However, if a character doesn't want to play they just don't. Come back another day and they may be in a better mood!
One of my favorite things to do while waiting for characters is play "line babysitter" - where I talk to a family with small children and get to talk to the kids about their day. Sometimes the parents appreciate having the kids occupied by something else and enjoy the fact that their children are being social. However, there are also those parents who might not like them talking to a complete stranger, even if you don't look threatening, and don't want to be bothered. Always gauge the parents' reactions before you start chatting with the kids.
Men (and women), you can't kiss face characters on the cheek. They may kiss you, but you can't do it yourself. And don't insist that they do it for you because they may not want to.

While Traveling Around Florida

Not everyone is young or a tourist. Be kind to the older locals, especially if you go to the beach (why beach? Because a lot of them are located near small towns that likely have a lot of older folks out and about during the day).
Share the road. Be considerate of your fellow drivers. Drive safely.
When visiting the grocery store/Walmart/Target, don't pull stunts like putting people into your cart, running or messing up store shelves. Act like an adult - you're there for food and other necessities, not to blow off steam.
Respect the workers on toll roads. If you didn't want to pay tolls, you would've found ways around the plaza. (Meaning other roads, not blasting through without paying.)
Beaches have many rules - make sure you know them all. Don't litter. Don't break glass. If you bring food with you clean it up. Don't throw things in the water.

Well, there is my super-long list of all things politeness. Again, if any alums out there have any tips to add I'd love to hear them! It's always good to hear different perspectives on an issue.

How to succeed at your job by really trying - the point system and Disney Look

4/1/14


Source: abcnews.go.com

One thing that scares new CPs more than anything is by worrying about how their new workplace will be - especially since Disney is known for its strict rules both in personal appearance and behavior. Aside from housing and roommate selection, people ask about what work will be like for them the most often. Today I'll try my best to explain how things such as the point system and the Disney Look work.

Note: Since every role is different (and even every location is different as they are headed by different managers), these are only general guidelines. My word is not to be taken as official advice on your particular role or job location.

The Point System

From what I've heard a lot of large companies have some sort of disciplinary point system in place - if you've dealt with one before, you know something about how Disney's will work. Though I don't want to get into the particulars of the system as I don't remember how everything works right off hand (and you can find it both on the Hub once you gain access and on certain blogs such as here), I can give a general overview of how everything works.

Essentially, there are about three categories you can get points in - attendance, Disney Look and safety. Attendance will probably be your biggest trouble unless you work in attractions and have more of a focus on safety. You can receive points on your record in attendance for clocking in or out late, showing up to work late, calling in sick, being absent without calling in (commonly referred to as "no-call no-show") or getting an ROS (release of shift - you're getting off work early by your own request though your managers may not be able to spare you). You can receive points on your record in Disney Look for showing up to work with your costume worn wrong, incompletely dressed, with visible and uncovered tattoos or banned piercings or with unkempt/brightly dyed hair. Lastly, you can receive points on your record in safety for behaving in a way that is seen to endanger yourself of those around you (or failing to perform required tasks on an attraction if that's your role).

Depending on the nature of the offense, you'll receive anywhere from half a point to a full reprimand. (Some particularly bad violations can get you fired on the spot as well.) Three points on any particular category in three months also equal a reprimand, as do six points in six months. If you get three reprimands, then upon getting your fourth reprimand you will be terminated from the program and sent home immediately. You will also be kicked out of your apartment if you live in CP housing. In my experience, getting to this point would require a lot of either outright disregard for the rules on your part or a lack of self-control so don't let this whole thing worry you. Just follow the rules, and if you have a question over something speak to your managers. They're there to help.

Here are a few tips I've come up with from my last program, though again these should be taken with a grain of salt as all work locations are different:

Never stay home from work without calling in. You get a point either way, but your record card reflects whether you bothered to call in or not. If you are somehow unable to speak, get someone to call Deployment for you (though you should really call yourself). If you "no-call no-show" often enough you may get even bigger penalties on your record card, so be wary.
Even if you feel a little under the weather, try to go to work anyway. We like to fool ourselves into feeling sicker than we are if we know that we can stay home when we're sick. Don't psych yourself out like that - if you're only feeling a bit sick you should be fine at work. Just don't push yourself too hard. That being said...
If you feel that you can't possibly make it through an entire shift, call in - don't go and then ROS. Even if you don't get points on your record, think of this - if you call in your managers can find someone to cover your entire shift a few hours ahead of time, but if you come to work and then abruptly leave early they have to scramble to find someone to cover what's left of your shift within minutes. This isn't so much of a problem for larger roles like merchandise, but if you're in a small role (ex. anything in Entertainment) you could really cause problems.
You agreed to the Disney Look guidelines during the interview process - don't blame management if you violate them. Yes, some managers are much stricter than others - but all follow the same Disney Look guidelines and have to enforce it in the people they oversee. If you're told to change something or are penalized for violating it, it's nothing personal.
Always be conscious of your behavior while on stage. Avoid swearing, slouching, talking excessively to your coworkers (though little conversations when you're not busy are fine - cast members are social after all), yawning (if you can help it), being irritable with guests, being rude or unhelpful or engaging in unsafe behavior. You'll be given clear instruction on what your managers find unacceptable behavior - and if you have a question, ask!
Be wary on social media. Whether you agree that businesses should be able to monitor social media sites and punish workers accordingly, that's reality and though you may not realize it you are speaking on a public level - everything you say can be seen by anyone, even if you think it's "private". Avoid trash talking guests or coworkers, complaining about work or discussing private company information. Of course, no one expects you to be a robot but you represent something much greater than yourself now - act like it.

The Disney Look

When you read "Disney Look", you probably either shuddered or laughed that I would even think that someone would shudder at it. I've heard these appearance guidelines described as anything from "fair" to "overly restrictive" to "making everyone into little clones" (hmm). Let's be real here - Disney's not the only company to have such a vocal say in how you can and cannot look. In fact, many corporate offices and other large chains require workers to dress and look a certain way as well. However, people like to pick on Disney because, well... it's Disney! I suppose it's fun to try and expose some sort of ugly underbelly to the whole company or something, and the greatest way to do that is point out how they treat their workers.

In my experience, the Disney Look is reasonable and I never felt that I was being oppressed into maintaining some ideal that I couldn't meet. I missed being able to paint my fingernails wacky colors, but then again I was too busy to maintain well-painted nails anyway. In a more general sense, I also felt that I was valued and respected by my coworkers and managers and never felt like a slave or drone (as people like to describe CMs, especially CPs).

So what do the guidelines mean for you? Well, you can find the exact rules on the Onboarding site so I won't post them all here, but here are a few things I wanted to highlight:

If you have visible tattoos, prepare to cover them up every day. No exceptions. Some cultures view tattoos as gang-related or offensive and that is why Disney doesn't allow you to have them out.
You're going to have to let your body piercings grow back in, unless you can keep them while not being able to wear spacers at work.
If you feel your hair color isn't natural, dye it NOW. Don't wait until you're barred from training or work.
If you have an extreme or unusual hairstyle, figure out how to make it more conservative before you arrive in Orlando.
Prepare to shave, men. Only certain facial hair is allowed and only if you can grow it fully without patchiness.
If you usually wear heavy or brightly colored makeup, change it to something more natural. Even wearing a little bit of colored eyeshadow can get you in trouble depending on your managers.
Shower. Shower. Shower. You don't have to do it every day, but if you smell or your hair gets greasy you've waited too long.
Performers and lifeguards: you have stricter rules than most roles. Remember to look them over if you haven't already.
Assume that you won't be able to wear any jewelry and leave it all in your apartment. This doesn't usually include wedding/engagement rings or watches, but there are rules for those too. Look them over.
You can't clock in for work until you are fully dressed in costume. Some managers will even require you to be fully dressed before you even set foot on Disney property.
Never, never EVER wear your costume (or any part of it) anywhere if you're not working! This includes off-property places like Walmart, fast-food places, etc. If a manager catches you, or if someone reports you, you're in trouble.

So there we are for work-related stuff! I'll do a follow-up post for those of you looking for more of a "day in the life" description of work (where I'll also explain the Hub), but until then have a great day!

All about that home life - homesickness, cooking and decorating

3/31/14

(Note that stuff is not allowed to be tacked onto your walls... I did this before I knew it was against the rules.)

A few people have asked me to discuss apartment-related topics such as homesickness, how to learn to cook and how to learn to decorate the apartment while sticking to the housing rules. These aren't of vital importance like the last few posts have been, but for many people they are an important part of adjusting to a new home. Not only that but since a lot of people have little or no experience living away from home this adjustment may be made even harder. It's my goal to try and help you all to make the adjustment as smooth as possible.

How to curb homesickness

Homesickness can hit like a truck at times. Even when you feel that you are completely happy where you are you may still have some subconscious apprehensions and these can completely trip you up. I've lived away from home for school for the past four years (plus my last program) and have gone through all shades of pining for home and my family. Here are some tips I've found help me personally (though everyone is different, so don't stress if you don't feel better after doing these - you'll find a way to get comfort in your own way!):

Bring along photos or mementos of people close to you. This is especially important if they are already sources of comfort for you - for example, things that remind you of a deceased loved one. They may not be their real, living counterparts but they still lend a sense of familiarity to your apartment or bedroom.
Don't forget to keep contact with your friends and family at home. You will work a ton on your program and probably won't have much free time to devote to lengthy phone calls or such. However, you won't always know when you're really hurting on the inside and sometimes contact with home can help you in ways you can't imagine. This doesn't mean that you have to set a schedule for calling people unless you want one - just check in every now and then.
Keep yourself busy - but don't push yourself in the name of fun. We've all heard it before - keeping yourself busy can keep feelings of grief, loneliness, depression, etc etc etc at bay. However, you won't always be able to do this - and you'll wear yourself out really quickly. If it's your day off and you don't really feel like you have the energy to go out - don't! Watch TV, clean (cleaning is a stress reliever for me), talk to your roommates, play video games, whatever helps you. Burning out won't help you settle in any faster.
Don't change your routine from back home. Shower in the evenings normally? Keep doing so. Go to sleep at midnight? Unless you have to work insanely early, keep doing so. Brush your teeth twice a day? Keep doing so. It's important for you to internalize the sense that you are "home", even if it's not your regular house - and keeping a routine can do wonders by helping your body feel that it is in a normal environment.
Be understanding of your roommates. We're all living away from home, and no matter how much experience we have doing so we all still have our moments. Be patient with one another. Some will take to their new lives right away, some may take some time, some will never quite get into the swing of things. Never pressure a roommate into adjusting quicker than they are ready to or upset them by looking down on them.
Let your emotions out. If you feel like crying, cry. If you feel frustrated or stressed, let it out in a (positive) way. Yes, guys, this even applies to you. Keeping emotions pent up will do you more harm than good in the long run - and you and the people around you will end up suffering for it.
If your homesickness comes from a deeper condition, don't be afraid to seek help. I've been there, guys - I suffer from depressive tendencies and anxiety myself. If you feel in any way that the program will aggravate anything you're currently dealing with, reach out to the person you usually talk to about them. Don't be ashamed - there are tons of people out there who deal with exactly what you're dealing with every day and you will be just fine. No one will judge you, and spare no time for those who will. Lastly, don't let it get in the way of you doing your program - it may do you more good than you think to be placed in a new environment where you can start fresh.

I hope these tips will do you some good, and if you have any tips of your own don't hesitate to share them with me!

Cooking

So you're on the program, in your apartment with your fabulous full kitchen. One problem, though - you don't know how to cook. At all. Never fear! Many people don't learn how to do household chores like cooking, cleaning or laundry until they start college and it's nothing to be ashamed of. Heck, I barely knew how to boil eggs when I started my last program! That being said, here are a few tips for beginner chefs:

There are beginner's cookbooks out there - buy them. These are not the same as children's cookbooks - they focus on teaching simple techniques such as the various ways of cooking an egg, boiling pasta, cooking meat, etc. For a personal recommendation, my aunt gave me Betty Crocker Cooking Basics as a Christmas present before my last program and it helped my skills immensely. The instructions are very clear and the author takes time to walk you through more difficult steps. Plus, the photos are excellent.
Start out with meatless dishes until you can cook safely. Undercooked meat happens - you've probably had an experience at home or at a restaurant where a meat dish has been served to you at an improper temperature. Same goes for overcooked meat. Meat can be expensive - don't start on dishes including it until you're sure that you won't waste it with a failed dish.
If you have roommates with cooking experience, USE THEM! They'll be able to make sure you know what you're doing and that you understand the instructions. There were a few times when I was starting out where I needed help even on simple cooking terms, and I had two roommates there to help with everything. Don't have roommates around? Try Youtube - there are plenty of great tutorials on there you can pause and repeat at your leisure.
Never, never, ever, ever, EVER leave cooking unattended if you're new to it! As if I even need to discuss fire hazards with you on this! In addition, the fire alarms in the apartments can be very sensitive and will go off at the slightest wisp of smoke - watch carefully for it.
Don't cook things you're not ready to tackle. So you've made your first dish without burning it - congrats. However, there are some dishes out there that are complicated, time-consuming or expensive. Give yourself lots of practice before trying these - you have time on your program!

So what are some good starter dishes, you ask? Well, here are some suggestions I have:

Egg dishes
Chili
Stew
Simple pasta dishes
Hot dips
Salads
Simple breads/brownies
Grilled cheese (with actual cheese, not American)
Pancakes
Quesadillas

In addition, there are some great online resources for recipes though they don't always give you difficulty ratings for them. My favorite website is allrecipes.com, which has tons of excellent member-submitted dishes for whatever you could ever want to cook. Have fun!

Decorating the apartment

Our final topic today will be over how to decorate your apartment - or rather, how to decorate your apartment without breaking any housing rules. This can be tricky, though anyone who has ever lived in an apartment or dorm is probably familiar with at least some of these anyway! Even though *cough cough* people will put things up on the walls and take them down for inspections, you technically aren't allowed to do it so if you do, I am in no way encouraging nor discouraging it. With that being said, here are some decorating ideas you might want to utilize for your apartment:

Use your corkboard - every inch of it! It's supposedly the only accepted place to hang stuff so stick as much stuff on it as you can! You can have stuff hang below it and even prop stuff up on top of it! If you haven't secured it to the wall you should be fine (though if the inspectors tell you to take it down for the inspection, abide by their wishes)!
Christmas lights, lanterns and lamps are fun! Okay, these are cliched decorating ideas and some of you are probably rolling your eyes at me right now. However, if you're into dimmer lighting than what the provided ceiling lights give you they might just be the way to go.
You have surfaces you can put decorative stuff on! Jury's still out on potted plants - I can't quite remember if they're banned or not - but statues, figurines, silk flowers, table runners, etc. are all fair game. If you're putting them in common areas, though, get permission from your roommates.
You may be able to bring larger decorative items into the apartment. This is not a guarantee (so check with housing's rules to make sure) but you might be able to bring things like shelves or end tables into your apartment. If I'm right, just make sure you aren't taking up too much room in the apartment. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong and please don't blame me if you aren't allowed to have it!
Get stuff to organize your closet now. Men and women with small wardrobes, this may not bother you as much. If you're bringing a lot of clothing, though, make sure you have space for it all. Hanging shoe organizers, multi-article hangers and stuff of that ilk will help immensely.
You'll accumulate stuff in your apartment as time goes by - just make sure you have a place for it! Much like making sure you can easily ship everything home as discussed in my post over packing for solo flights, you always want to make sure you buy only what can fit comfortably in your living space. Don't get too much stuff - you'll regret it.

In addition, here are a few items that are not only decorative but may also be necessary for your apartment anyway:

Shower curtains
Bath rugs/rugs for the kitchen
Dishtowels
Drying racks
Bedding
Hooks for bath towels (if your bathroom doesn't have enough room to hang two towels)
Hand towels for the bathroom
Calendars

Well, that about wraps it up for this post. If you have any other questions over this or have comments you'd like to add, I'm always open to hearing them! Twitter and the comments sections on this blog are always open. Until then... have a great night!

Cars, buses and tourists - oh my!

3/31/14

Source: dcp2014.files.wordpress.com

Previously I wrote a post about housing, which is a very important thing to think about when entering the Disney College Program for many reasons. One such reason is transportation - whether you drive, use the provided buses or carpool with someone, deciding how you're going to get around can be vitally important to how your program experience goes. Don't let the stories people tell you about any one method scare you, though. In the end, making the decision that's best for you is what matters. With that being said, I'll start off the great "car vs. bus" debate by outlining pros and cons of each!

The bus system

If you are a DCP alum and saw the photo above, you probably had a very strong reaction to it. Yes, folks, that is a photo of the kind of buses that are offered by Disney and housing to transport you between complexes, parks, Disney hotels and even places like the mall and Walmart/Publix. They're essentially re-purposed city buses, so anyone who's ridden one before pretty much knows what to expect from these.

The good: First of all, the buses are free. Well, either that or you pay for them with your rent. Either way, you have guaranteed free transportation to pretty much anywhere on Disney property and a few locations off-property whenever you want it (provided the bus route there is running). Some bus routes have frequent pickup times, so you can have a bit more flexibility on when you catch the bus to work. You also don't have to struggle to find parking when you get to work (some cast member parking lots are very small or have to share space with guest parking).

The bad: Everyone's who ever followed a DCP blog knows this one fact - the bus system can be horrendous. Drivers aren't the best disciplined and some will give themselves unauthorized breaks while in the middle of a route, try to drive the bus places it can't go, drive recklessly (even when driving a bus packed full of CPs) and get themselves in trouble with Disney's own bus drivers and security guards. Buses will sometimes show up extremely early, extremely late or not at all - and dispatch rarely if ever cares if you call them to report the bus off its route. Now, this isn't an everyday occurrence especially on routes that pick up often (and note that the coach buses, the big fancy ones, are perfectly fine because they're driven by better employees), but it's common enough that you should be wary if you ever use them as your way to work.

Your car

The good: The flexibility, man! Rather than have to stick to someone else's schedule for getting to and from work, you can pick and choose when you go. You also get more flexibility in where you want to go - beach trips whenever you want, being able to go to Target or any other store besides Walmart, taking yourself to the doctor if you feel sick... it's fantastic. You also seem to make faster friends with everyone else since everyone loves a CP who has a car and can drive them home :P

The bad: Gas can be expensive in central Florida. Repeat with me. Gas. Can. Be. Expensive. Remember that you're traveling to a place with a lot of drivers with a lot of cars that need a lot of gas, so unless you're from a big city or one that has a bunch of tourists you'll pay more for it than at home. And I'll point out the obvious too - you're also responsible for paying to get it down there and for maintenance if it breaks down or needs routine stuff. However, the biggest problem is with the other drivers... because they're absolutely awful. Out of all of my friends and fellow CPs who had cars, only about four of them got through the program without getting into an accident or completely totalling their car. If you're a passive or nervous driver bringing your own car is not a good idea. At all. Again, the drivers in your area are likely not as bad as they are here.

So what did I do?

I'm from a city thousands of miles away from Orlando and on my last program couldn't get anyone to drive with me down. I wasn't about to drive for three days halfway across the country by myself and wasn't looking forward to having to pay for gas and such when I already dropped a load of cash each week on rent. Though I ran into many frustrations with the bus system that led to me being late to work a few times, I never regretted my decision. In fact, I'm planning on doing the same this time around. Once again, the decision on how you'll handle transportation is yours alone, but I found that the buses worked for me better overall.

General tips

No matter if you choose you drive or ride the buses, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Always start out for work early. Bus people, you'll want to get on the bus before the one the schedule says will get you to work on time. Car people, you'll want to give yourself about 20 minutes at least (30 minutes if you want to be safe) to drive to work. Give yourself more time during holiday seasons. This is all to account for traffic, construction, accidents, breakdowns, etc.
Be responsible on the road. Don't be noisy on the buses or try to distract your driver from his or her job. If driving, don't drive like an idiot, speed or do things that you know are unsafe. I've seen too many accidents (and even a death) in the WDW area and I don't want to see anyone on this program getting themselves into the hospital.
If your bus or car breaks down, have the number of Deployment (where you call to call in sick) AND your manager on your phone. Call right away and let them know you'll be late or absent from work depending on the situation. You might still get points on your record but calling ahead of time makes you look more responsible.
Be careful about who you give rides to or accept rides from. If it's another cast member or CP you'll at least know their name and where they work, but if they're a stranger you don't know for sure how they drive. And always make sure to offer gas money even if you're going to the same place!
If you bring your car, on check in day you'll have to register your car in order to park it in the complexes. If you decide later you want to bring your car with you, check with security or the front desk on how to register it.

So there you have it! If you have any further questions about the buses or driving your car let me know! I may do a follow-up post in the future on the bus system in depth in the near future, but until then... have a great day!

Your roommate survival guide

3/29/14


Trust me, we love each other. No really.

So you've never lived with other people besides your family in your life. Not only that, but you also don't have to share your room with your siblings (assuming you have them). The College Program will be the first time you live with other people your own age (relatively) and you're probably freaking out. That's cool, everyone does it to some extent. Personally, I've shared a room at home all my life and have been living in a dorm at school for the past three years... and I've learned that there are certain guidelines one must abide by in order to survive. Are you ready? Here they are:

Post-Its are never a good idea. Unless they're the inspiring kind. Or the stupid kind. Or the funny kind. Or the inspiring stupidly funny kind. Just no angry ones, please.
Do your chores. If you make a mess, clean it up. Much as you like when your roommate cooks for you he/she's not your mama. And don't think you can sneak a mess in there - they'll know.
Sometimes it's best to let your roommate drag you away on an adventure even if you don't wanna go.
Quoting Honey Boo Boo can resolve conflicts automatically. Unless not all of your roommates are in on the whole thing and wonder why you keep talking in a weird Southern drawl.
Sneaking through your room like a ninja at night (mostly in the dark) is essential if you want to get changed and into bed without your roommate(s) waking like the great evil dragon of lore.
Never turn down a ride from one of your car-wielding roommates. Especially if it's to Target and you are too sophisticated for Walmart.
Roommates will only do laundry for each other once in a blue moon. Be that person - offer to wash everyone's towels because we all know that it takes one person ages to make it through a load's worth of towels.
Eat only food that you've bought. Sneaking your roommates' other stuff might work sometimes, but young people pay more attention to their pantry than anything else in life.
If you walk in on your roommate changing, the worst thing you can do is stand there apologizing and stammering while averting your eyes as if you've just witnessed the most shocking thing in the world. Seriously. It makes it awkward...er.
Share the couch. If you choose to nap on it, prepare to wake up when four people try to sit on you at once.
Attempt to drag a roommate on a ride they don't like and prepare to suffer a horrific fate as they desperately attempt to fight back against you with all of the power of a championship boxer.
Friends don't let friends eat instant ramen for more than a day.
Bringing family into the apartment always makes things awkward because it is your and your roommates' super secret man/lady cave and you should've known that already.
What happens in the apartment stays in the apartment. Unless it's hilarious and embarrassing, in which case you should record the whole thing and promptly post it online for all the world to see. Don't worry, your roommate is sure to forgive you someday.
Don't sweat the small stuff. In the end it doesn't really matter if your roommate forgot to replace the toilet paper in the bathroom or left her large collection of blankets and stuffed animals strewn all over the living room.
If you bring a fellow CP to the apartment and they instantly make a joke along the lines of "did a bomb just go off in here or what?", congratulations. You have a mess so large that even another messy, absentminded college student has taken notice. Continue with the mess making until next inspection.
Never sleep in on a day when you've got an adventure with your roommates planned. Just... don't.
Walking into the apartment after work and calling out "honey, I'm home!" is tacky and weird. Unless one of your roommates just so happens to be called Honey. (Wait...)
If you or at least one of your roommates is a gamer, prepare for nights of endless entertainment and/or heartbreak and stress.
Mail runs will become the bane of your existence if you live far away from the mailbox. Always drag at least one roommate along to suffer with you.
Never enter another roommate's room without their permission, because they probably don't want you to see the half-eaten plates of food they've been accumulating for the past three days.
Beach trips are a must in summer. Not getting work off for these wonderful, wonderful days is simply unacceptable.
Skyping with your pets is a valid way to spend your free time and don't you ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
If it's the night before inspections and you're sleeping rather than helping to clean, prepare to not be sleeping very soon. Because you will be awoken very, very abruptly.
Housing meetings are uncomfortable and unhelpful - only do them as a last resort because you will feel very strongly like you are in marriage counseling.
Snuggling with your roommates is perfectly acceptable and not weird at all. Unless one of you makes it weird.
Prepare to have a book's worth of inside jokes by the end of the program.
You will probably have that roommate who constantly forgets things like their keys or their housing ID. If they do and get stuck trying to verify their identity at the security gate, it's okay to point and laugh at least once. Just make sure that they don't forget it next time.
Not spoiling your roommates on their birthday is unacceptable. After all, they're probably hundreds of miles away from their family and this is your opportunity to load them up with junk they don't need ;)
Your roommates will become like family if you play your cards right, and you will be very upset when you get scattered to the four corners of the country if not farther. Constant contact and Facebook spam is a must.

Sad this list wasn't as serious as you thought it would be? Well, that's my point! Living with strangers may seem daunting at first but if you have ever made a friend in your life (and I'm assuming you have) you already have most of the skills needed to handle a roommate. Be patient. Be understanding. Be honest and forthright about your feelings when something upsets you. Don't take things too seriously if they're not major problems. And always be willing to compromise in order to make sure you and the people you live with both get treated fairly while in your home away from home.

An introduction to Disney housing (and housing myths debunked)

3/27/14

(Note: Several days after I originally wrote this post, housing announced that they were bringing bunk beds into some of the rooms, therefore making some of them triple-occupancy rather than double-occupancy. I have no experience with this new arrangement as it just happened, but this information is still accurate for any rooms not affected.)

Housing is always a big topic for any person living away from their family for school, work or whatever - and the Disney College Program is no exception. Even more so, since the complexes are gated and there are no orientations or anything to help you understand the different complexes better most go into their first CP totally blind or with limited/false information about the differences between them. I know I definitely did on my last program, and though it didn't cause any trouble with me I wished I had been told more about it going in. So here we go - for those of you who are new to the whole Disney housing thing I will try my best to give you as much information as possible (and avoid giving opinions, bias or hearsay). I'll also write down a few myths that I've heard from other CPs, people on the internet and even cast members.

Vista Way

Source: ageeksaga.blogspot.com

Pros

Easy access to main DCP offices, tennis courts, pools, restaurants and Walgreens
Bus stop is right inside the complex and is the stop that bus drivers switch at, so you won't be stuck waiting to get to work/your apartment
Closest complex to WDW property
Cheapest rent of all four complexes

Cons

Complex borders a loud, heavily tourist-y area and two major roads
Being the oldest of the four complexes means that the apartments can look somewhat dated
Its reputation can be somewhat uncomfortable to deal with

Vista Way is the oldest Disney housing complex, and as a result has most of the main offices for College Program functions. It's also the largest, and walking in without knowing where you're going or a map can be disastrous. Thankfully, other people can always be found around to show you the way. Check in for each new program date is always held at Vista Way, which is why your dash will always show the address once you've sorted out your acceptance. No, it does not mean that you will have to stay at Vista!

Besides that, anyone who has read anything about Disney housing knows that Vista has a rather... colorful reputation. Is it deserved? Well, that'll be discussed in the myths section below. Until then...

Chatham Square

Pros

Beautiful complex with some nice landscaping
Most housing events are hosted in Chatham
Little Lake Bryan is a nice area to live in
Has a bus stop close by and is right across the street from Mickey's Retreat

Cons

Difficult to get an apartment in sometimes since it is so highly requested
Housing events may make the area noisy
Complex is large and somewhat confusing

Chatham Square is probably the most-sought after housing complex for CPs. It's considered to be the middle-of-the-road complex in terms of price (though in recent years the complexes have become more or less equal) and hosts a majority of the housing events. It is also a bit smaller than Vista, though certainly not a small complex by any means. Probably the best things about this complex is that the bus stop is just outside the security gate and the complex is right across the street from Mickey's Retreat, an outdoor recreational area for cast members.

However, all these benefits also make it difficult to successfully get an apartment in Chatham. In addition, rent is slightly more expensive than at Vista, so if you're on a super strict budget this (and the other complexes) may not be for you.

Patterson Court

Pros

Newest of the four complexes with very lovely buildings inside and out
Within walking distance of a strip mall including a Publix (grocery store) and a UPS Store
Relatively small complex means short exit to leave the complex

Cons

No bus stop of its own so you'll have to walk to Chatham's (about ten minutes away)
Has a reputation of being "too quiet"

Patterson Court, as I said in an earlier blog post, is where I stayed on my last program. (This photo, in fact, is the building that my apartment was in - you can see it on the first floor.) It's a lovely place if you like peace and quiet while trying to sleep, and is now just about the same price as Chatham to stay in. Not only that, but the pool is my favorite of the complexes' pools.

However, it also comes with some downsides. Patterson has no bus stop of its own, and the closest one is ten minutes away at Chatham. Though this isn't a huge walk, it does add time to an already long commuting time if you're taking the buses. In addition, though the people who live here can be lively the complex tends to be quieter than the others - most likely because of the lack of housing events or anything else that would attract anyone outside of Patterson residents.

The Commons

Source: 365daysatdisneyworld.blogspot.com

Pros

Washers and dryers are included in the apartments - no paying for laundry
Bus stop is located right inside the gates
The Premium Outlets are located right across the street, about a five minute walk away
A lot of ICPs and Cultural Representatives live here, which allows for a lot of interesting cultural exchanges

Cons

Not all buses pick up at the bus stop - including the bus for Magic Kingdom
The complex can sometimes be noisy
Highest rent out of all four complexes

Up until a short while ago the Commons was only open to those coming from different countries to be International College Program students or Cultural Representatives. However, it's now been opened up to any CP regardless of country of origin, provided there's enough space. This complex is special because it's the only one that has washers and dryers in every unit - anywhere else you have to go to a common laundry room and pay to wash your stuff.

This big perk comes with one big downside - rent at the Commons is higher than anywhere else by least a few bucks a week. This doesn't sound like a lot, but if you're not making much a week it can eat into the money you have to buy groceries and anything else you might need or want. Then again, laundry fees can eat away at that cash too.

All right, so there's the facts. But what about those little rumors you keep hearing around? Some are just silly little stories, but I've seen some get blown way out of proportion and even cause someone to choose/not choose a complex based on them alone. So here are some of the most common ones I've heard, with the truth (or at least as close to the truth as I know):

Vista is for partiers, Patterson is a retirement home. Anyone who has ever lived in a college dorm knows that these types of labels are silly - any place where large groups of young people live together is bound to be noisy no matter what the individuals are like. Not only that, but any building can get a loud person no matter what it's "supposed" to be like. Does Vista attract people who like to party? Maybe, especially people who live by those labels. But then again, you're just as likely to find quiet people at Vista as you are noisy people in Patterson.
If you have items that are banned in housing, just put them in your car. Whether it's weapons or unauthorized guests or booze (for Wellness CPs), you can't have it on housing's property at all. Security can and will search your car if they see a need to (and supposedly they randomly search cars too, though I've never seen it happen personally). If you're caught with any of that stuff, consider yourself and your program in deep trouble. Yes, some rules don't make sense and some are far too strict - but you agree to follow them when you enter housing, and it's not worth getting sent home over something so silly.
Housing is owned by Disney. As far as I've been told, Disney doesn't even own the land the complexes are on - instead it's a partnership with another company (it was called Lincoln as of my last program there, though on yours it may well be different) and they own everything. Disney cast members do work in the DCP-related offices, though, so they are around.
It's possible to get a white-glove award by schmoozing/baking for the inspectors/etc. For those of you who don't know what a white glove award is, it's essentially the highest rating you can get on a housing inspection (which happens every month) and usually involves a prize of some sort, like cookies. However, there's really no rhyme or reason to getting white glove over simply passing, and it's completely up to the inspectors which one they give you.
The older the complex, the nastier the rooms are. Again, anyone who's ever lived in some form of temporary housing such as a college dorm knows this isn't always true. The condition of the apartment depends solely on how well the CPs before you have treated it, and you can find a nice, well-kept apartment in Vista just as easily as you can find a disgusting one in Patterson.
People have wild parties/sexual escapades/[insert other crazy story here] all over Disney housing. This one's a bit harder to discuss accurately. Naturally, I don't know everything that ever went on in every housing complex during my program. However, for those of you thinking that the wild stories you've heard are common occurrences - they're not. They're not any more than they are on most college campuses, where the crazy stories often get circulated for far longer than they need to be. Is it very possible that they have happened before? Possibly. But don't let the stories make you think that they happen on an average day.
Some CPs steal laundry. Unfortunately, this does happen - though I can't say how often. Sometimes it's an honest mistake, where someone will mistake your laundry for theirs (and with all the costumes that go through laundry, it makes sense) but others... yeah. Should you be freaking out every time you put a load in? No, but keeping a close eye on it is always a good thing. In fact, that's something you should always be doing when doing laundry in a shared space.
The apartments come equipped with wireless internet. Close but not quite - your apartment has internet access but in order to have a wireless network you'll need to purchase a router of your own for the apartment.

These are all the main ones I've heard, but if you know any others you'd like me to address let me know and I'll add them to the list! Until then, I hope this helps with the great housing debate.