- CP Q&A - Rachael: Front Desk/Concierge at Saratoga Springs & Old Key West

This edition of the CP Q&A features Rachael, who worked in Hospitality/Concierge at Saratoga Springs and Old Key West during the Spring 2006 Disney College Program. Rachael came to the program from Spring, TX. She attended University of Houston and majored in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Q: What made you want to do the Disney College Program?  
A: I have loved Disney for as long as I can remember.  The first time I ever went to Disney World I was 13 and only got to spend 2 days there, but I wanted to go back so bad!!!  Disney has a stellar reputation in the hospitality community and I knew by doing an internship with Disney I would get some amazing experience to add to my resume and life in general.  I had never lived away from home and thought that would be a great life experience as well.

Q: What was your role and location? Was it your first choice? If not, what was?  
A: I chose a role in hospitality since that was my major and it just made sense to get a job in the field I was studying.  I worked front desk/concierge at Saratoga Spring's and Old Key West.  I also became a trainer about half way through my program.  This role was my first choice although I was secretly hoping to be at the Grand Floridian!  I actually ended up loving Saratoga Springs and Old Key West, being on the Vacation Club side as well as regular guest service was very interesting and a great learning experience.

Q: What was your training like?  
A: Front Desk roles have 2 weeks of classroom training.  Disney has by far the best training program around.  This training takes you though a host of fairly common front desk scenarios and teaches you how to handle them.  The class also taught the fundamentals of the programs that were going to be used.  Having previous front desk experience the hardest part of this training was just getting the system down (at the time was a DOS based system and not totally user friendly) but once that was under my belt it was smooth sailing.  I loved the role playing we did for simulated check-ins.  Great practice for a role that can be pretty high stress.  Imagine a DVC (Disney Vacation Club) member yelling in your face, no fun!

Q: What were the best things about your role?  
A: I loved those magic moments before that was an official Disney thing.  As a front desk clerk we didn't have much magic we could do but sending balloons to a kid for their birthday or sending an autograph card to a couple on their anniversary that was always fun.  As a concierge getting that coveted reservation for a guest, or helping a family who had no clue what they were doing but wanted to do something special for their child's birthday.  It was all in their reaction, that big smile and thank you when you were able to help when they thought there was no way.  That makes all the bad totally worth it.

Q: The worst?  
A: I dont even remember why but this elderly DVC member was screaming at me, calling me names and berating me.  Probably for something silly like telling her we can't combine her tickets.  I just remember taking her harsh words like a woman and falling apart in the back office, a hot mess. I'm a pretty strong person and this to date is the only guest to ever make me cry.

Q: Would you recommend this role to a friend?  
A: Absolutely.  Disney is a great experience.  Not just the job, but learning now to deal with people, conform to strict corporate guidelines, confidence, quick thinking.  All of these things can be used in almost every job no matter the field.  Maybe you don't love Disney, but its still a great company with an excellent reputation.  I promise that interviewer will always ask you about your Disney experience no matter how far back it was.

Q: What advice would you have for new CPs in this role?  
A: Do everything.  Your manager asks you if you want to cross train in another role, yes. You can pick up at a shift at a different location, do it.  Work 6 days a week to get experience and build your reputation, do it.  Oh and go to the parks every day!!!  You have a free pass make the most of it!!  Make friends, be nice and always put your best foot forward.

Q: What have you been up to since your program ended?  
A: After graduation I was accepted into the MAP program at MGM/Mirage Corp in Las Vegas.  I worked there for about a year, opened the Hyatt Market Street in The Woodlands, worked accounting at The Woodlands Resort and am now an Account Manager for Booking.com getting to travel more than I ever have which I absolutely love.  It's been a long road of figuring out that perfect role for me but its been a fun journey filled with meeting great people and learning a ton about myself.  I owe a lot of these interviews and subsequent jobs to Disney, a lot of times it has gotten me in over other candidates

Want to hear more from Rachael? You can find her at:
https://catchmeifyoucanbyrachael.wordpress.com/ 
@whosTARDIS86 on Twitter 
rbsaldana on Instagram
https://www.facebook.com/catchmeifyoucanbyrachael?fref=nf

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Working Outdoors in a Theme Park

If you're not from Florida, one of the most difficult parts of participating in the Disney College Program is getting used to the heat, humidity, and thunderstorms, especially when your job requires you to spend most of your time outdoors. This post showcases some of my tips  for dealing with the weather while working at the Walt Disney World Resort. 

- Use PPE (personal perspective equipment)

If you work for Disney, then you learned all about PPE in your Welcome to Operations class at Disney University. While PPE typically has to do with cleaning chemicals, or food safety tools, it also includes things like hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen. As you know, the sun is very strong in Florida, and it's important to protect yourself from it while working outdoors all day. One of the nice things about working at Walt Disney World is that most locations will provide you with sunscreen backstage-- so not only do you not need to purchase sunscreen yourself, but you really have no excuse not to wear it because it will always be there for you at work. If your role has you working outdoors a lot, check with costuming to see if your costume has a hat option as well.

Rockin' that PPE, aka sunglasses

- Make sure you have every available option for your costume

By this point, I mean that you should have the shorts option, along with pants, hats, gloves, jackets, rain gear-- everything. It it's all of a sudden "freezing" one day, it will be helpful if you already have a jacket on hand, and don't have to stop at costuming before your shift. The other advantage to getting your jacket early is that you'll have a better chance of getting the sizes you want. Disney's jacket sizes tend to run big, so the common sizes will be gone early in the season.

- After getting your rain gear from costuming, actually bring it to work with you

During my college program, I knew so many CPs who for whatever reason, never had their rain gear with them at work. Costuming even gives you a little pouch to carry it in, which makes it super easy to just throw it on in with the rest of your costume. And don't that letting your costume get soaked in a downpour is bad show. 

- Stay hydrated

Once you start working for Disney, everyone you meet will constantly be telling you to drink more water. One of the most common medical problems that people experience at Walt Disney World is dehydration, which can be easily avoided. There is no excuse for not drinking enough water, as Disney will provide you with a bottle carrier that clips to your costume, and your leaders and coordinators will always make sure that you're able to refill your water bottle.

Side note: You should stay hydrated while drinking water, not beer. This is the only picture I had of me holding a drink, just use your imagination and pretend it's water.

- Learn to deal with (or ignore) your sweat.

I know this sounds disgusting, but when you work outside at Walt Disney World, you really just have to get used to sweating all the time. It might sound crazy, but once you live in Florida for a couple of months, you do get used to the heat, and it becomes pretty easy to disregard the fact that you're sweating profusely. The other gross part about working outside is that even if you're used to the heat, you are still going to sweat all the time, and there's really not much you can do about it. Just pack extra deodorant and body spray in your bag when you go to work, and don't be embarrassed about sweating because it happens to everyone and it's out of your control.

So sweaty, but also so done worrying about it

- Wear your hair up

The Florida humidity and your hair are not going to be friends, and especially at work you'll quickly find that it's much more comfortable to wear your hair up. Sometimes I would start the day with my hair down, but eventually it would have to go up because the extra heat it created around my neck would just become too annoying.

Hair up, even while meeting Gaston

So there you have it-- my tips for tolerating the weather while working outdoors at Walt Disney World. 

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- CP Q&A - Blake: Watercraft Operations at Seven Seas Lagoon/Bay Lake, and Sassogoula River

On this edition of the CP Q&A, Blake, from Plano TX, fills us in on what it's like to work in Watercraft Operations. Blake participated in the Spring Advantage 2014 program, and currently attends Valencia Community College in Orlando, FL, where he studies Hospitality Management. 

Q: What made you want to do the Disney College Program?  
A: For me it was a dream of mine to work for Disney as I'm sure most adults had when growing up. I also wanted to see if I could see myself working as a life long career cast member, after my program i realized this is the company i want to start a career with and hopefully work for the rest of my life. 

Q: What was your role and location? Was it your first choice? If not, what was? 
A: Well my role started out as Watercraft Operations at Seven Seas Lagoon/Bay Lake but after 2 months I had the privilage of cross training as a Boat Captain for the Sassogoula River Cruise boats that ferry guests around the Downtown Disney and surrounding resorts. The role was actually not my first or any choices for that matter, i really had no idea it existed/was open for College Program participants. My first choice was Attractions because why not and it would be awesome to work my favorite ride Mission Space. The other two choices I had put down were park operations to be a greeter and Front desk. 

Q: What was your training like? 
A: Training for me personally was very easy as I had a great trainer and the job is very hands on. There is a lot to learn in a short amount of time but everything you learn is consistently used everyday so it would be hard not to pass your testing day. 

Q: What were the best things about your role? 
A: The best thing about my role is that I got paid to work on boats all day at Disney World. Every day is different and you are always on the move, you get to meet absolutely amazing guests and to be honest I think our position in watercraft has one of if not the best views for entertainment. There is nothing better than coming from Fort Wilderness Campgrounds to the Magic Kingdom, as your passing from Bay Lake into the Seven Seas Lagoon Wishes starts up right in front of you. Then you might have to wait for the ferry to pass and as your sitting out on the lagoon all the guests eyes light up and yes there are a lot of teary eyed guests out there. That is one of many great things about my role. 

Q: The worst? 
A: I wouldn't consider this the worst as I never had a bad time but the only thing I can see affecting some cast members is the lack of control when it comes to certain things. Just like any role when you have an attraction breakdown, room not ready, etc sometimes guests get a little less magical and you need to know how to respond accordingly and keep the magic alive. Plus if you are not used to working very late into the night/morning it is something you need to consider as well. 

Q: Would you recommend this role to a friend? 
A: I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who likes a job that gets you in front of guests, has you on your feet all day (don't forget about the great tanning potential,) and a job where every day is never the same. While you might be doing the same tasks your not stuck in a booth or stationary at just one place the entire shift. 

Q: What advice would you have for new CPs in this role? 
A: Well for anyone who is looking to do Watercraft Operations or boat captain with Sassagoula River Cruise i would love to give a few pieces of advice. First and this is a big one you need to make sure you can stand/be on your feet for long periods of time. Only time you can rest/sit down is during breaks or obviously when you get done with your shift. It is also good to ask yourself would I be ok working in the very early mornings or very late evenings/following mornings. If you are someone that always has a positive attitude, loves to interact with guests, very flexible/adaptive when it comes to schedules, and wants a role that is not only active but has each day being different from the last in terms of what you will be doing/boats you will on, and  always up for a challenge than this is a good job for you. 

Q: What have you been up to since your program ended? 
A: Since the program ended I have moved from Pittsburgh,PA to Orlando,Fl and changed my degree from Accounting to Hospitality Management for my Bachelors in Science. I have recently applied and just got offered a role at one of the Deluxe Hotels here at my favorite Magical company Disney. If you happen to see me at one of these resorts be sure to say hi and if you love fun facts about Walt Disney World let me know and I'd happily share some fun Disney Trivia. 

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Limited Time Breakfast at Sci-Fi Dine in Theater at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Walt Disney World Resort officials have recently announced that the Sci-Fi Dine in Theater, in Disney's Hollywood Studios, will be offering breakfast in addition to lunch and dinner for a limited time. This limited time offer extends from November 1, 2015 to January 23, 2016. It appears to be similar to the breakfast offered at this location during Star Wars Weekends, as it features one appetizer, one entree, and non-alcoholic drink selection per person. Prices are set at $23.00 for adults and $12.99 for children, and reservations are currently available through the official Walt Disney World website. Breakfast will be served between those dates from 8:00 AM to 10:15 AM. The following items make up the limited time breakfast menu:

- Puff Pastry filled with Scrambled Eggs, Crab, Asparagus, and Gruyere Cheese with Roasted Tomatoes
- Grilled Beef Tenderloin on Baby Spinach, with Bacon and Cheddar Custard on a Roasted Tomato with Cheesy Horseradish Potatoes
- Scrambled Eggs, Crispy Bacon, Sausage Links, and Breakfast Potatoes
- Macadamia Crusted Brioche French Toast with Mascarpone and Fresh Berries

While appetizer items are not known at this time, I would guess that it will be similar to the appetizer offerings from Star Wars Weekends, which included a shared pastry platter, and a choice of fruit cup or yogurt parfait. The official Walt Disney World Website makes it clear that the limited time breakfast is being used as a test, so we may or may not see it come back permanently in the future.

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Disney Gift Card Contest!

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