In this CP Q&A, Natalie tells us about her time so far in the Fall 2015 program working in merchandise. A California native, Natalie attends Diablo Valley College, where she majors in Psychology.
Q: What made you want to do the Disney College Program?
A: Like most people who do the program, I've wanted to work for Disney since I was little. My family and I went to Disneyland every year (sometimes more than once) since I was a little girl and I had so many magical moments there that I wanted to do that for other people! I wanted to be a parade performer when I was little and while that didn't happen I still wanted to work for the company that effected my life so much! I want to possibly make Disney my career so the program was the perfect way to get my foot in the door with the company.
Q: What was your role and location? Was it your first choice? If not, what was?
A: I work merchandise in Hollywood Studios at Hollywood Hills which consists of the Rocking Roller Coaster gift shop, the Tower of Terror gift shop, and working glow shifts at Fantasmic. Merch was my third role behind character attendant and PhotoPass. But I'm glad I got merch cause I have a lot of freedom to move around and Tower of Terror was one of my number one locations I wanted to work at! I was very lucky getting my location.
Q: What was your training like?
A: My training was pretty long, it was almost a week. It was so long mainly because at Hollywood Hills we have a lot of roles and places we work. We had to get trained for the cash register, the machines for the ride photos, stocking, and using cash aprons for Fantasmic. Training was a little confusing because each day we would have a new trainer who did things slightly different so it was tough to figure out how we were actually suppose to do things. Even a month and a half later I still feel like I do things wrong because every coordinator and manager likes things done differently.
Q: What were the best things about your role?
A: What I really love about my role is the flexibility to move around. I'm trained in a lot of things so it is pretty easy to pick up shifts other places. I've worked in 3 parks so far (Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Magic Kingdom). Right now i'm working my way through Magic Kingdom, I've already worked at Tommorowland, Main Street, Adventureland, and Liberty Square so I'm very close!
Q: The worst?
A: Sometimes working in merch can get very boring. Certain times it's very exciting and busy and you can play with kids and make some magic. Other times it's very slow and you have to stand there and wait for guests or just straighten stuff out.
Q: Would you recommend this role to a friend?
A: I would definitely would recommend merch! The freedom to move around to almost any shop is too good to pass up! Plus you get to make a lot of kids smile just by playing with merchandise or blowing bubbles. Little magical moments are still magical moments!
Q: What advice would you have for new CPs in this role?
A: Don't be afraid to go to different parks and areas! It is scary at first but you're going to have so much fun! Plus you get to wear different costumes and who doesn't want that?
Q: What are your plans for after your program?
A: I'm still here for a while but I am hoping to extend or do a PI! Disney won't be rid of me that soon!
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