Hello, my name is Johnny LeiĀ and I will be arriving at Walt DisneyĀ WorldĀ on August 11th for the Fall programĀ for houskeeping. I know the training is going to be intense butĀ I also want to know is it going to beĀ fun at the same time. Also, which hotel/resort do most guests stay at? and which hotel/resortĀ do most peopleĀ prefer to work at? I will also be taking 2 classes, experiential learning and human resource management. I would like to know, would it be stressful to work full time and take 2 classes at the same time?
Thank you!
Hi Johnny,
My name is Timothy and I am a Disney CP Alumni of 2010. First of all, Congratulations on your acceptance into the Disney College Program! These are all very good questions, so let me try to answer them to the best of my ability.
Training at Disney is very thorough, the Walt Disney Company wants to make sure that Cast Members are well prepared to perform admirably while on-stage. With that said, training can be a lot of fun too! My trainer was a lot of fun to work with, he was in his mid twenties which helped reduce a lot of apprehension I had at working at Disney. I can’t guarantee the same for every trainer but generally the training process is some touring and some computer work but when you get the chance to work on-stage (and even back-stage) it’s a lot of fun knowing just where you are and what amazing things you’ll be doing!
All 25+ Disney Resorts are beautiful and fun in their own way. I cannot say which resort is best because they each have something to offer. I will say though from personal experience that a lof of guests will frequent the All-Star resort. It is a Value Resort which means it is of the cheaper bracket in pricing. This equates to more affordability in Guest’s eyes and is usually looked at for a more affordable vacation at Disney World.
As mentioned before, every resort has something to offer and while there isn’t any one resort that all cast members want to work at, there is the wonderful opportunity to work at the more expensive resorts. The Grand Floridian, Contemporary and Polynesian are one of the top resorts at Disney World, unless exceptionally well trained, CP Cast Members do not get assigned these locations due to their higher standard. But because of the ability to pick up shifts within your role at different locations (ask your Leaders more on this), you may get the opportunity to work at many different resorts while you are down there!
In terms of classes, I personally took 2 classes and they were always scheduled on my days off. I’m not sure how they’ll schedule classes for you since they’ve updated the system but I can tell you that it can be difficult. You are juggling a full time job (30+ hours a week) plus two courses. But things can be made easier if you manage to keep on top of your course work by being diligent to your assignments. Work does not leave with you when you’re done so take luxury in knowing that you can most definitely get a chance to work on your class materials. Maintaining a scheduled time to work on class work will definitely help you in the long run. In addition, every “campus” has a main office with computer and printing access at your convenience so that you can focus on your school work. It’s not a simple walk in the park but it doesn’t have to be stressful either so long as you are diligent in your assignments.
As a note, many of the assignments from your courses will be revolving around Disney as a theme and usually are the most fun. I have heard (and personally experienced) several stories of some assignments being trips into the parks themselves and completing a scavenger hunt/evaluation of the parks!
I hope this helps alleviate some of the stresses and fears of this exciting time!